1. As to rise,nature, ends and advantages of the Sabbath in the Old Testament, and the Lord's Day in the New, it is the best day ever the world saw, or shall be seen on this side heaven.
2. It was and is that day wherein the infinite glories and excellences of a God have shined brighter and warmer on the spirits of men than in any other day beside- namely, His infinite wisdom, power, love, goodness, mercy, and riches of free grace.
3. The Sabbath, as some judge, hat its rise so early as in Paradise, or when man was in state of innocence: it must then be of very great antiquity, and a rarity of great worth. And,
4. Then it must be that only holy day which man in state of innocenc had- possibly , if he had stood, should ever have had afterward.
5. After the first institution it had the most glorious and tremendous promulgation and sanction, such a delivery and ratification, as no other law (except those that were spoken at the same time) ever had, namely, by God's so wonderful and most astonishing appearance on Mount Sinai, in the sight of six hundred thousand persons. There it was one of the then words spoken by God's own mouth, by God first spoken in the ears of all that so prepared and awakened numerous multitude, and after in the mount was written with the finger of God, written on the first table of stone, before the six commandments of the second table. This commandment thus written was with the others reserved in the golden ark or chest, made purposely by Moses from God's command to keep the tables, and then by God's appointment was to be preserved in the glorious tabernacle made by Moses, and there it was to be with highest honor preferred to be kept in the holy of holies.
6. Though some yield it not, yet a vast majority judge the Sabbath had its change from the seventh to the first day of the week by the Lord of the Sabbath, Christ Himself, or at least by His apostles from His authority.
7. However it be changed, yet it is looked upon as grounded on that so amazing part of our redemption, Christ's glorious resurrection on the third day after His passion.
8. The Sabbath formerly was the Old Testament church's fixed time to behold as in a mirror the glory of God the Creator, His eternal Godhead, power, wisdom, goodness, and most glorious excellences, in the so admirable frame of heaven and earth, and the so various and curious pieces in it, all most exquisitely wrought and finished. It was the peculiar time for setting up the ladder of the creatures by contemplation to climb from earth to heaven with. But now changed into the first day of the week, it is the Christian church's time for beholding, as in a mirror, the glory more peculiarly of God the Redeemer- now not in humiliation, but in His appearing and begun exaltation in the His glorious resurrection from the dead, that His concerned people might joy with highest an most heavenly rejoicing, for this rising of the Sun of righteousness, to be under the warmest and most vivifying beams of His infinite love.
9. Let me meditate of this day, as the time afforded for largest spiritual advantages, no day being so eminent for me and my soul as this day.
10. Let me meditate of this day as that happy season wherein the ordinances of Christ do run in fuller, higher, and stronger current. More is offered me on this great soul-mart day than on other common market-days, other weekday opportunities; it is the day whereby in some respects I have far better ordinances, the public; in communion with Christ, in the midst, among those that are gathered together in His name. And then by public I have better advantages for the private, to perform them better. Private duties having a better time and better helps, I must thereby be minded of my better performance.
11. It is the eminent day of meeting with God in His upper walks of more solemn ordinances.
12. The day of days for our best speaking with our God, and of highest familiarity with Him.
13. It is the great time of our hearing from God, and having Him most eminently speak to us. There are no hearings from God like this day's hearings, no such voice, no such efficacy can be expected as on this day.
14. It is the day wherein God sits out, and is most to be seen- the great day of seeing God's goings in the sanctuary, seeing His power and His glory, Psalm 63:2. No such day for this as the Lord's own day.
15. A day of feeding more on the "feast of fat things full of marrow," Isaiah 25:6. Of being brought into the King's banqueting-house, having the banner of Christ's love spread more amply over us than at other times, it being the day wherein the highest flamings-up of His unspeakable love appeared, in that He not only died, but rose again from the dead, without which all His other labor and sufferings had been lost, and our souls been lost also.
16. It is a day dropped down from heaven, may serve to give a taste of the Sabbath and day kept there, and to set a copy for us here to write after, in our holy restings and actings, attended with heavenly refreshings. God that made all things, when He had finished His work, He then rested on the seventh day, and with His example of resting, gave the precept of sanctifying the seventh-day to the church of the New Testament, as some think, which therefore they say is called the Lord's day, Revelation 1:10, as the ordinance of the supper is called the Lord's supper, as instituted by Him.
17. It is the day of resting the body from labor, or respiting the mind from worldly thoughts and cares, and of refreshing the spirit with heavenly manna, which rains down now on this day more plentifully, and with water of life, that runs more abundantly in the pure channels of holy ordinances.
18. Meditated on it should be, as the season of the best reciprocations, mutual actings between earth and heaven, wherein the soul has the advantage of acting higher and more vigorously, to glorify and please God, and wherein God commands the blessing more, and affords assistances more usually than or any other days, as experience proves.
19. It is a time to come from sweeter and fuller communion with God in Christ (whose blessed day it is), to come with our faces shining and hearts flaming, made better to be on earth, fitter to live in heaven: and hereupon,
20. To leave upon the spirit a more eager longing fully to enjoy the Lord of the Sabbath, and have time turned wholly into eternity.
These or such-like meditations may be suitable and quickening for improving the great opportunity of this day of Christ, and we cannot think too much or too seriously for this great occasion.
Nathanael Ranew
Solitude Improved By Divine Meditation, pp. 80-83
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