Dies Dominicus redivivus; or, The Lords Day enlivened or a treatise, as to discover the practical part of the evangelical Sabbath: so to recover the spiritual part of that pious practice to its primitive life: lamentably lost, in these last declining times. By Philip Goodvvin M.A. preacher of the Gospel, and pastour of the publike congregation at Watford in Hartford shire.

4. To a people the Lords Day may not be lost, but last; yet all lie under a curse.

• They may be curs'd to the Sabbath, &
• The Sabbath may be curs'd to them.

The soules of men may be curs'd towards Sabbaths. Never let fruit grow on this tree: Never let Sabbath or Ser∣mon do this people good. No sooner had our Saviour curs'd the fig-tree, but it withered at the roots. May there not be found amongst us men and women that are most miserably withered,

• Both branch,
• And root?

Not onely the branch of their out∣ward

profession, but also the root of their inward affection withered. What shall we say of such Galatians, who would now pluck out Paul's eyes, that were once ready to pluck out their eyes for Paul? Are not they withered? Are not they under Gods dreadful curse? For men to be curs'd in the trades they fol∣low, & fields they possess, is sad: but to be curs'd in the Sabbaths they spend, and curs'd in the Sermons they hear, is worse. For God to say to a Minister every time a Sabbath comes, Go indeed to the Pulpit, and preach to that people, Hearing they shall hear, but shall not un∣derstand: seeing they shall see, but not per∣ceive. For the heart of this People is wax∣ed grosse, their ears are dull of hearing, their eyes have they closed. Now make their hearts hard their eares deafe, their eies blind, that they may never be convert∣ed, never healed, but live and die under a Gospell-curse, and their Soules sinking under a Sabbath-curse: yea, and so Sabbaths themselves may be cursed to the soules of men. As men by their sins may pollute that day, which otherwise is holy:

So God by his judgement may curse

that day, which otherwise is blessed, and so Sabbath-mercy may be turned into a judgement, as Moses Rod was turned into a Serpent.

It would have been ill for Israel if the brazen Serpent should have become a fiery Serpent; that mortally to sting them, that was made to heal them. And will it not be ill for any if the Lords day which is a day of life, shall become a day of death? This saving day, changed into a damning day? 1 Sam. 12.17. We see 'twas terrible when God turned a day of Harvest, into a day of tempest; and that time wherein they should have gathered their Wheat with the labour of their hands on earth; God scattered it with thunder and hail from heaven. And who would not fear such an effect, for God to turn a day of Rest, into a day of Wrath, and therein not to blesse, but thereby to blast mens hearts and hopes? 'Tis sweet for Saints, when to them the very curses of men are blessed; but 'tis sad for sin∣ners when to them the very blessings of God are cursed, Mal. 2.2. I, saith the Lord, will send a curse upon you, I will curse your blessings, yea, I nave cursed

them already, yet ye lay it not to heart. Beware then I beseech you, how you spend the Lords day, lest the Lord make this blessed day, to become a curse.

But I proceed from these Motives that are more driving, to insist upon such Motives as are more drawing; for upon Generous and Ingenuous minds such Arguments work most. And here I beseech you consider: The carefull keeping of the Lords day, and the Lords day carefully kept,

• It is Equitable,
• It is Honourble,
• It is Profitable,
• It is Delectable.

And O that God from heaven would set to the help of his own hand, that un∣to diligence in the Lords-day-duties you might be drawn by this fourfold Cord.

Notes

• Generosus animus fa∣cilior duci∣tur quam trahitur.