Deuteronomy 5:12-15 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD your God has commanded you.… I. HERE IS RESTING FROM ORDINARY EMPLOYMENTS. When a man does his work, his thoughts and tongue and hands are engaged in it. Consequently, on this day of rest, there must be not only a ceasing frown the actual labour of the hands, but neither the tongue nor thoughts may be engaged upon our worldly matters and affairs. Examine what your Sunday thoughts have been. Have you always in thought and mind been in heaven that day, having left your worldly cares and affairs out of sight behind you? Then again, have you not spoken your own words on this day? Look back and see if there be no records against you in the book of God of worldly affairs negotiated on the Sabbath day. II. I go on to help you in the farther inquiry whether, supposing you have rested from worldly affairs, you have also SANCTIFIED THAT REST. According to the interpretation which common practice puts on this commandment, the words might run thus, "Remember the Sabbath day to take thy pleasure therein." In general, the Sabbath is sanctified when it is spent with God in humble and thankful acknowledgments of His love in creating us, and of His infinite mercy in redeeming us by Jesus Christ, who is gone into heaven to prepare a place for us. Then we should be examining our hearts and lives, humbling ourselves for our sins, stirring up the grace that is in us, exercising repentance, faith, hope, and charity; above all looking forward to the rest that remaineth for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9). And think you, is not one such day better than a thousand? Oh, what do they lose who make the Sabbath a day of carnal pleasure? But more particularly the sanctification of this rest lies within the compass of those three things. 1. Public exercises. 2. Private exercises. 3. Religious communication. III. The third thing contained in a due observance of the Lord's day is A RIGHT AIM IN CEASING FROM WORLDLY LABOURS, and in exercising the religious observances just mentioned. Now the righteousness of the aim is when there is a correspondence between our design in keeping and God's design in instituting the Sabbath. 1. Has, then, our design in the observance we have paid to the Sabbath principally been to glorify God? 2. Has your aim in sanctifying the Lord's day been the sanctification of your own soul? (S. Walker, B. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.WEB: "Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as Yahweh your God commanded you. |
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