Mafter's part is not enough, unless the defign of it extends to all under his care. It is likewife a Commandment of Mercy, as explained by our Lord Jefus Chrift : (Mark ii. 27.) The Sabbath was made for Man, and not Man for the Sabbath. That is to fay, The Ordinances of Religion are intended for the Benefit of those to whom they are injoined. The Supreme Being stands not in need of the fervice of Men, nor can any of our Acts of Devotion * profit him at all. It is for our fake, and for the fake of general good to his creatures, that they are inftituted. The Sabbath, which is * Can a Man be profitable unto GOD, as be that is wife may be profitable unto himself? Job xxii. 2. an Ordinance of Religion, is a merciful dispensation to all that are included in the commandment And unless the Sabbath be fanctified by Works of Mercy and Benevolence, at least, if they are neglected when opportunity for them offers, the intent of it is fruftrated. For thefe are the weightier Matters of the Law, which must be done, and which men of employment have more leifure to do on the Sabbath Day, than on other days. When therefore the ruler of the fynagogue faid unto the people with indignation, because JESUS had done a Work of Mercy to a difeafed woman on that day, (Luke xiii. 14.) There are fix days in which men ought to work; in them there fore fore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath Day; Our Lord vouchfafes him no better a name than Hypocrite for his nice diftinction; and instead of recurring to the refinements of School Divinity, he appeals to the plain and more certain and eafy dictates of nature and common fenfe, and demonstrates the duty of mercy on that day from a known practice amongst themselves; Doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loofe his OX or his ASS from the ftall, and lead him away to watering? In which question he infers one duty from another; and is fo far from blaming them for this work of mercy to an Ox or an Afs, that hẹ highly approves it by making it the groundwork of his own apology. apology and the inference and argument was fo humane, fo excellent, and striking, that it is faid (ver. 17.) all his adverfaries were ashamed, or confounded. Again, when he healed a man that had the dropfy, and the Pharifees watched him, because it was the Sabbath Day, and Jefus put this question to them, (Luke xiv. 5.) Which of you shall have an ASS, or an OX fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath Day? it follows immediately, (ver. 6.) and they could not anfwer him again to thefe things; or, they tacitly fubmitted to the force of his reafoning, And at another time, when there was a man in the fynagogue, which bad his hand withered, and they afked afked Jefus, faying, (Matt. xii. 10, 11.) Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath Days? He faid unto them, What man fball there be among you, that shall have one SHEEP, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath Day, will be not lay hold on it and lift it out? (ver. 12.) Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath Day. It is lawful, that is, it is fo far from being an infringement of the commandment, that the Omiflion of an act of Mercy even to an Ox, or an Afs, or a Sheep, that may ftand in need of it, would be a tranfgreffion against the benevolent Defign of it. For as he obferves before in this chapter, (ver. 7.) God will have Mercy and not Sacrifice, or he preferreth mercy to facrifice; and he adds |