the first day of the week not directly indeed but by very good consequence as Mr. Cawdrey and Mr. Byfield do convincingly argue it For sayes the one our Saviour does here speak of a Sabbath indefinitely and a Sabbath to be observed long after his death even at the destruction of Jerusalem and this was spoken to his disciples apart from the multitude sayes the other v. 3. and the period of time here pointed at was forty years after his death when the Jewish Sabbath was gone and the Gospel sufficiently published whereby the ceremonial Law was evacuated and become not only dead but deadly Not that the old Law of a Sabbath the fourth Commandment was then out of force but the Law of the old Sabbath And then the conclusion is this Christ shewes a Sabbath to continue and a religious respect due to a Sabbath still after his death yet not the Jewes Sabbath therefore he intended the Christian Sabbath to be observed according to the fourth Commandment As for the Jewes Sabbath t is certain that it was void at this point of time yea long before this forewarned flight the Apostles and Christians had their assemblies apart from the other Jewes and kept the Lords day the first day of the week as on the Great day of Pentecost Acts 2. and at Troas Acts 20.7 And although sometimes the Apostles did preach on the seventh day yet as Mr. C. notes it was only before the time mentioned Acts 20 never after and only in other Cities abroad not at Jerusalem for there we never read a word of the Sabbath in all the story of the Acts. I conclude therefore with that reverend Author that no reason can be given why our Saviour in this prophetical caution should regard the Jewish Sabbath but altogether the contrary in regard the Christians inhabiting in Jerusalem and the Coasts about Judea preferred the Lords day before it and it would be grievous to gracious hearts to have their holy rest interrupted with the noise of warlike tumults and the hurry of a tumultuous flight well might the disciples be taught to pray Lord when ever we be driven from the place of our Residence let it not be on a day of holy rest for that would be as uncomfortable to our souls as a winters flight would be cumbersome to our bodies Not that it would be sinful or unlawful when life lay at stake to flye on the Sabbath for to save a mans life is a Sabbath-dayes duty and a matter of far greater moment then to leade a beast to the water or pull an oxe out of a pit both which are allowable it may therefore be scored down among the rest of T. T 's errors and oversights that he makes it a sin to flye on the Sabbath day when peril of life puts a man upon it for hâ— terms it a dishonor to God and prophaning his sacred season p. 77. and yet he sayes in the next page That had their flight bin on the Sabbath as long as they carried nothing they could not be counted Transgressors Which may pass for another of his contradictions But for a closure to this answer we have deliberately weighed our Saviours words and sayings concerning the Sabbath but cannot find that ever he spake one word or one syllable in countenance of the old seventh day as the Sabbath of Christians his words prove no such thing And lastly Whereas his workes are pleaded as the crown of that day Answ 4 I am content if the author think good to venture the whole weight of the cause in this bottom That day which Christ has crowned with his greatest wonders is to be most highly esteemed among Christians 'T is his own grant p. 78. and 't is a truth now let him have but a little patience and we shall prove by undeniable Arguments that in this respect the first day of the week carries away the Crown from all other dayes old Sabbath and all If Christs resurrection his often apparitions the mission of his Spirit the inspiration of his Apostles the conversion of three thousand souls ot once be worthy the name of wonders surely the first day of the week is a day of wonder a day of honor and renown above all the dayes that ever the Sun shone upon The most glorious day that ever God created the most solemn day that ever the Church celebrated a day that has crowned Christ and a day that Christ himself has crowned with the greatest glory of any day that ever dawned upon the world Rom. 1.4 I speak but the words of truth and soberness Luke 13.32 Psalm 118.24 Joh. 20.22 23. Cant. 3.11 the Lords day is no day of small things 't is the day of the Lords power the day of his perfection the day of his praise and glory the day of his bounty and blessing the day of his espousals and of the gladness of his heart which can be understood so properly of no day as of this the Resurrection day Let prophane Esaus despise it and proud Notionists oppose it at their peril Behold King Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals and in the day of the gladness of his heart never was Christ more visibly Crowned by his Church then on the Lords day which also was the day of his espousals when he was made sure to his Church by a sure Covenant even the sure mercies of David Hos 2.19 20. Acts 13.34 but let neither of them blame me if I honor and esteem it above all dayes till they can shew me another day which the Saviour of the world has honored and exalted above it Never tell me of one or two miracles wrought on the seventh day yet I desire to adore Christ in all his miracles but shew me such a confluence of wonders and wonderful transactions wrought by him whose name is wonderful on that day as on this and I will confess I have lost the day Alas It cannot be that one transcendent act the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead the finishing act of our Redemption weighs down all the honor of the seventh day with advantage 'T is objected that our Saviour was pleased to put forth his Divine vertue on the seventh day in sundry miracles miracles of healing and the like I answer 'T is very true and to him be all the glory But if it were an honor to that day that our Heavenly physitian healed the sick what a Crown of glory was it to his own day that he raised the dead Yea that being dead he raised himself from the dead so also if he dignified the seventh day by casting out unclean Spirits how much more the first day by sending his holy Spirit If his preaching in the Synagogues were an honor to the seventh day how much more his presenting himself in that great Assembly of Divines twice at least on the first day of the week Did Christ ever
but for the multitudes sake then met together he hasted thither to preach the word So here it was not out of any devotion either to the Jewes Sabbath or their Synagogue that he reasoned with them everly Sabbath-day as long as they would hear reason but because of the concourse of people then and there assembled As if there were a Synagogue of the Iewes in London a Minister of Christ might occasionally visit it on their Saturday-Sabbath to dispute with those infidels and convince them that Jesus is the Christ yet be far enough from owning either their Synagogue or their Sabbath and that Pauls practice among the Jewes and such Gentiles as the Text speaks of amounts to no more then this 1 Cor. 9.20 namely an occasional act or at most a prudentiall act Whereby to the Jewes he became as a Jew that he might win the Jewes and to them under the law as though he were under the Law is evident because when he saw no hope of winning them to the faith of Christ but they grew obstinate and refractory contradicting blaspheming and openly opposing the Gospel yea persecuting those that embraced it Paul and his converts now no longer frequent their Synagogues but separate themselves and joyn in Christian assemblies by themselves Acts 17.4 5. Acts 19 9. ch 18.17 Thus the beleeving Jewes and Proselytes of Thessalonica so also those at Ephesus and at Corinth when they opposed themselves and blasphemed Paul shook his rayment against them to signifie that God had now shaken them off and he would have no more to do with them and after this Acts 18.6 we hear no more of his preaching on the Jewes Sabbath For when the Churches of Christ were separated from the Synagogues they kept the first day of the week passing by the Jewish Sabbath The converted Gentiles we are sure did so Acts 20.7 And whereas t is objected That this was but once whereas t is clear that Paul preached every Sabbath day I answer if this were true yet the consequence that therefore the Jewes Sabbath was more respected by Paul then the Lords day is utterly false For one single instance of Apostolical practice in a Gentile Church will weigh down a hundred in a Jewish Synagogue since among the Jewes the Apostle became all to all that he might win some Whereas among the Gentiles his practice was purely Evangelical And to turn the point of the Argument against the Objector we must be followers of Paul as he was of Christ Now Christ celebrated the first day of the week in a pure Gospel Church John 20.26 And never the seventh day after his resurrection and as Christ did so did Paul Acts 20. and as he did so must we Himself grants that we must follow Paul only in such practices as were Evangelical and unrepealed Now the first day of the week is such Purely Evangelical and never yet repealed therefore he must eat his words or yield his cause As for the old seventh day it was both legal according to his principles it must be an appendix to the Covenant of works being instituted before the fall when there was no Gospel therefore purely legal and according to my principles partly legal as circumcision was therefore repealed among the rest of those legal dayes of worship Colos 2. for though he cannot read the repeal there yet through mercy I and others can Or if it be not repealed it is expired and was never revived by Apostolical practice or precept in any one Christian Church I have given him one instance of a Christian Church meeting on the first day of the week to worship Christ let him shew me but such another for the Jewes Sabbath among the Gentiles erit mihi magnus Apollo Ans 4 Pauls practice among the Jewes in things temporary is no pattern for the Gentiles a Acts 21.25 St. James telles him that whatever they did among the Jewes in respect of legal customes to win upon their weakness yet as toucking the Gentiles which beleeved they had written and concluded that they should observe no such thing And what if Paul did observe the seventh day among the Jewes must this needs conclude against the change of the Sabbath from the last to the first day of the week he may as well say the Apostles b Acts 16.3 circumcising of Timothy to gratifie the Jewes disproves the changing of circumcision into baptism If it be Objected that the consequence is not good because however Paul circumcised Timothy the better to win upon the Synagogue Jewes who c Acts 10 28. would have no familiar converse with uncircumcised Gentiles yet he would by no means yeild to have d Gal. 2.3 4 5. Titus circumcised in compliance with the Jewes in Christian Churches I answer the very same may I affirm touching the Jewes Sabbath which however it might be tollerated for a while in the Synagogues yet it was never allowed in the Churches of Christ among the Gentiles nor ever practiced without reproof as in Gal. 4. or if it were I desire to see the place and the proof which I confesse I am yet to seek T is no lesse notorious an untruth that not only Paul Answ 5 but all his companions kept the seventh day Some of them might possibly attend him to the Synagogue but few of that train which accompanyed him to Troas Acts 20.5 Where he celebrated the Lords day and Lords Supper among the disciples As for the women which on the Sabbath day resorted to the rivers side where prayer was wont to be made they were Jewish proselytesses witness their meeting on the Jewish Sabbath Lydia to be sure was so for she was a worshipper of God before Paul came there but unbaptized if not unconverted till then What he would make of this meeting by the rivers side I know not unless it be to furnish his Sabbath-keepers with meditations as he seems to speak in the close of his book p. 144. which shewes his high esteem of Rivers and ponds and such like watry places De bello Jud. lib. 7. ch 24. T is a wonder he forgot Josephus his story concerning that River in Palestina called the Sabbatical River which being dry six dayes used to fill up its channel and run very swiftly the seventh day from whence the Jewish Rabbins plead stoutly for their Saturday Sabbath But as one answers them wittily out of Galatinus in case that River whiles it was in being was a good Argument that the Jewes Sabbath was to be observed now since there is no such River to be found it is a better Argument that their Sabbath is not any where to be regarded Mr. Brabourn and he had best go on Pilgrimage to find out that famous river I dare say it would be a more taking Argument among simple people for the Saturday Sabbath then any they have yet alledged For his quarrell with the reverend Translators Ans 6 I tell him again t
Zech. 4.7 Temple was finished the head-stone was brought forth with shouting crying grace grace thereunto So here when the work of our redemption should be finished and Christ exalted as head and corner-stone of his Church by his triumphant Resurrection the Holy Ghost intimates the solemn gratulation and publick praise that the Church should offer on that day So we are to understand the next words were as c Isal 56.7 Mal. 1.11 usually New Testament-worship is set forth in an old Testament-dress v. 27. God is the Lord which hath she wed us light light indeed when the Sun of righteousness arises he has made it a day of light and gladness to poor self-condemned sinners therefore bind ye the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar That is offer to the Lord the sacrifice of publick praise and thanksgiving verse 29. Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good his mercy endureth for ever So that t is evident a day of solemn worship is here intended and Christs resurrection day is principally pointed at as a day which the Lord would institute and a day which the Church should celebrate Saying This is the day which the Lord hath made let us be gland and rejoyce therein What a plain Scripture-proof is this of Divine authority of the Lords day So plain that the adversary is forced to grant it page 61. It must needs be meant of Christs resurrection-day saies he and when he wrote his first book he excited Christians to the weekly celebration of it Whereas in a late railing pamphlet since he seekes to smother the light and evidence of this Text by a silly evasion that the Psalmist speaks not of every first day of the week but Easter-day as may be conjectured But I shall easily shake off this slight exception Away with conjectures let us search the Scriptures what day does the Holy Ghost in Scripture call Christs resurrection-day Ask Matthew Mark Luke and John they 'l tell you Math. 28.1 Mark 6.2 Luke 24.1 John 20.1 19. t is the first day of the week the day of the year is never mentioned nor the day of the month on which Christ arose but the day of the week only to teach us doubtless that Christs resurrection-day must be no yearly or monthly but a weekly solemnity Good reason that the work of Redemption should have as frequent a commemoration as the work of Creation had Now ponder this good Reader and the Lord print it upon thy heart the day of the Saviours Resurrection prophetically extolled in the old Testament as the day which the Lord hath made is historically noted down in the New Testament as the first day of the week and now we shall draw an argument which I hope will be an arrow of conviction to the contrary-minded the rather because it comes out of Gods own quiver thus the day of Christs resurrection is the day which he Lord hath made for duties of solemn worship but the first day of the week is the day of Christs Resurrection therefore the first day of the week is the day which the Lord hath made for duties of solemn worship The proposition is warranted by the Testimony of the Psalmist the assumption is confirmed by the harmony of all the four Evangelists the conclusion therefore will stand as long as the world stands namely that the first day of the week is a day of divine institution mark'd out by the finger of God the spirit of Christ for a day of solemn weekly worship under the Gospel For as I hinted before the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy * Acts 1.16 2 Tim. 3.16 1 Pet. 1.11 and ch 3.19 Rom. 15.4 It was by the spirit of our great Prophet that all the Prophets of old did speak Like stars they all borrowed their light from this Sun they were irradiated and inspired by Christ and when a holy Prophet foretels such a thing shall be we may as confidently build upon it as if Christ himself had said I will have it so For indeed it is the voice of Christ that speaks in the old Testament as well as in the new And possibly this may be one reason why the Lord Christ has spoken so little in the Gospel concerning some new Testament-ordinances as the Lords day for one namely because the Prophets had spoken so much before and Christ would not take off his people from the study of the old Testament upon which the authority of the new does so much depend Me thinks as to the controversie of the Christian Sabbath this should abundantly satisfie any sober Christian that the day of Christs resurrection was prophesied of by David and others as a day which the Lord would make and institute and accordingly practised by the inspired Apostles upon the first day of the week and this practice perpetuated by the Church of Christ the Catholick Church in all ages since for above sixteen hundred years What can be objected with any colour of reason against so clear a truth Christ hath not left one syllable for the institution or celebration of this day T.T. p. 120. Answ Not one syllable Why did he not grant before that Psalm 118. compared with Acts 4. Must needs be meant of the resurrection-resurrection-day and does not the spirit speak expresly Mr. Perkins in his cases of conscience argues for the Christian Sabbath from this text Cyprian Austin and Ambrose and all the ancients who have ever cited or saluted this place Psalm 118. do expound it and understand it of the Lords day See Mr. L. strange This is the day which the Lord hath made Is it a day of the Lords making and will he make nothing of that What else can be made of it but a prediction of a Divine institution which is equivalent to a precept especially when expounded by Apostolical practice as this has been Let it be seriously considered in what other sense can a day made long before in respect of Creation be stiled the day which the Lord hath made than in respect to a divine institution An institution then it is and the occasion of it Christs resurrection which was the concluding act of our Redemption and what an impression of glory does this stamp upon the day above all the dayes that God ever made the seventh day and all As some * years are crowned with Gods goodness above others so dayes also The work crownes the day as I have often said and the greater the work the greater the day now that work in which God is most glorified in all his attributes must needs be the greatest work such is the work of Redemption Quasi hactenus nullus fuerit in orbe dies Mollerus in Loc. therefore the day set apart in commemoration of it must wear away the crown from all other dayes Such is Christs resurrection-day therefore Emphatically stiled The day which the Lord hath made as if there had never been
offering of the loaves on the fiftieth day was not only an eucharistical oblation but also a token of the harvest 's being finished and ended 3. It is called the Feast of Pentecost because it was ever kept the fiftieth day the fiftieth day how reckoned From the morrow after the Sabbath that is the first day of the week but what mark had they to know this morrow by Moses tells them When you shall reap the harvest of yur land or when you begin to reap it for so t is expounded in Deuteronomie Deut. 16.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Begin to number the seven weekes from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickel to the corn In the Hebrew it runs thus from beginning to put the sickle into the standing corn thou shalt begin to number the seven weekes So that when they began their harvest they must begin their account of the fifty dayes and the first of the fifty was the morrow of the Sabbath or the day following the Sabbath namely the first day of the week and as they began so they must end the account on the same day as the first so the fiftieth day or day of Pentecost must be on the morrow of the Sabbath Levit. 23.15 16. and this is injoyned by the express command of God to be observed as a statute forever throughout their generations this is the plain Scripture-account and who can but observe the wisdom of God in it in ordering the matter thus that this Feast of weeks should never fall upon the seventh day but ever upon the first of the week the morrow after the Sabbath or the day immediatly following it if at least his statute-law had been observed What else could this presignifie as learned Dr. Vsher speakes but that under the state of the Gospel the solemnity of the weekly service should be celebrated upon that day Now I hope that famous Pentecost Acts 2.1 will be no Parable although we state it according to the Divine oracle upon the first day of the week the morrow after the Jewes Sabbath we need no Almanacks to help us here the Bible is sufficient And because the Sabbatrians stand so much upon supposed mysteryes in the Feast of Pentecost according to their traditional account I shall acquaint them with the reall mysteries of Christ accomplished exactly according to this true scripturall account See Dr. Usher there they may see the type and the truth admirably concurring For as at the time of the Passeover a 1 Cor. 5.7 Christ our Passeover was Sacrificed for us and lay in his grave the whole Sabbath following so on the morrow after the Sabbath when the sheaf of first-fruits was offered to God Christ rose from the dead and became the b 1 Cor. 15.20 first-fruits of them that slept c Math. 27.52 53. many dead bodies of Saints that slept arising likewise after him From thence was the count taken of the seven Sabbaths or fifty dayes Numb 28.26 Exod. 34.22 and upon the morrow after the seventh Sabbath which was our Lords day was that famous feast of weekes that day of Pentecost Acts 2.1 upon which day the Apostles having themselves received the first-fruits of the spirit Acts 2.1.4 5 41. begat three thousand souls with the word of truth and presented them as the first-fruits of the Christian Church unto God James 1.18 Rev. 4.14 and unto the Lamb and from that time forward doth Waldensis note that the Lords day was observed in the Christian Church in the place of the Sabbath In his learned letter to Dr. Twisse p. 91.92 Thus Dr. Vsher that Library of learning If it be objected that in this discourse he states Christ suffering at the feast of the Passeover and so falls in which the vulgar opinion which takes the morrow after the Sabbath Levit. 23. For the morrow after the Passeover-Sabbath I answer that cannot be for he had declared before that the Sabbath there intended is the ordinary weekly Sabbath and the morrow after it the first day of the week and he cites Isychius and Rupertus as interpreting it so before him to whom I shall mae bold to add Nazianzen who was before them all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. in Sanct. Pentecost and in his 44th oration speaking of the Feast of Pentecost This nation sayes he meaning the Jewish nation uses to consecrate to God not only the first of their fruits and first-born but the first-fruits of their dayes and years also Thus the illustrious number of seven ha's carried the honour of Pentecost for seven being composed upon its self makes fifty wanting but one day which we have taken from this future age being both the eighth and the first day His phrase is something dark but his argument is clearly this that the Jewes Pentecost was fain to be beholding to the Christians eighth day or first day of the week to make up the complete number of fity dayes And the like he sayes a little before concerning their Jubilee every fiftieth year for seven times seven makes but fourty nine to perfect the number therefore they borrowed the first day of the week and so consecrated to God the first fruits of their dayes as well as of their land So that this computation of the fifty-dayes to Pentecost from the morrow of the weekly Sabbath wants no authority to back it neither humane nor Divine But the plain word of God is our best warrnat and methinks that should satisfie Dr. Twiss was no child at argument nor one that would be satisfied upon slight grounds but upon Bp. Vshers discovery of this truth by the fore-mentioned Scripture-evidence he professes that he had received great * In his printed letter to Bp. Usher satisfaction and acknowledges that the mystery of the feast of first-fruits was opened to the singular advantage of the honour of the Lords day The only material objection against this interpretation is the judgment of Mr. Ainsworth and the English Annotatours who take the Sabbath Levit. 23. For the Passe-over-Sabbath t is true they do so but herein they are led by the common opinion of the Hebrew Doctors who indeed are excellent guides when they keep the beaten rode of Scripture and sometimes to direct us at a doubtfull turning but here it may be proved that they themselves are out of the way I do not say our Christian writers but the Hebrew Doctors who in many things did make voyd the Commandments of God by their own traditions and if there be any mistake let it lie at their doores And cerainly a mistake there is in this point For that the morrow after the Sabbath could not be meant of the Passeover-Sabbath is clear For First It must be such a morrow after the Sabbath as must never fall upon the weekly Sabbath the reason is plain because it was the begining of their harvest when they put their sickle to the corn or harvested their harvest
infant-Baptisme he would not own it as an Ordinance of Christ Or thus whether if the Holy Ghost had expresly affirmed in Scripture that in the Apostles times baptisme was once at least administred to infants in a solemn assembly of Christians Paul himself being present and actually assisting in the administration his own conscience would not tell him nay then surely infant-baptism is an Ordinance of Christ Let him say the same concerning the celebration of the first day of the week For the Holy Ghost ha's expresly declared that this day was solemnly kept at Troas Paul himself being present and principally ingaged in the work of the day For let the Text be consulted Acts 20.6 7 8. We came to Troas in five dayes where we abode seven dayes and upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together or were gathered together in a Church-assemblie to break bread Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow and there were many lights in the upper room where they were assembled together and there sate in a window a certain young man named Eutychus c. Here note 1. Una Sabbati id est Die dominiâ—â— dies dominica recordatio dominicae resurrectionis Ven. Beda In Acts 20. Tom 5. When this solemn assembly met together on the first day of the week saies the Text. The day which all the Evangelists witness to be Christs Resurrection-day This day then the disciples were congregated But why the first day of the week Why not th elast day of the week which was the Jewes Sabbath strange if that had been the Christian Sabbath that these primitive Christians had not have met on that day especially since it was but the day before yet more strange that we read not a word of Pauls keeping it since he tarried at Troas seven dayes But most of all that we read not one word in all the New Testament of his owning that day in any Christian Church at all only the first day of the week a fair argument that the day was changed upon the account of our Saviours Resurrection 2. The Church is assembled on the first day of the week but how Privately it may be No publickly and openly as those times would bear yea probably the company was very numerous for it seemes the room below would not hold them but they were fain to get up into the windowes three stories high as Eutychus did Acts 20.8 doubtless it was no small appearance Well 3. Here is a full assembly met upon the first day of the week but why then To break bread sayes the Text to receive the Eucharist sayes the Syriack translation that is to * Math. 26.26 Acts 2.46 1 Cor. 11.24 receive the Lords Supper upon the Lords day The Lords Supper What without preparatory prayer and other Sabbath-exercises that had been but a faint devotion will some say Mr. Shepard answers it well Breaking of bread is here put Thus prayer is put for the whole worship of God Gen. 4.26 ch 12.8 Acts 2.21 Rom. 10.12 13. Synecdochically the part for the whole there is no more reason to exclude prayer preaching singing of Psalms because these are not mentioned than to exclude drinking of wine in the Sacrament as the blind Papists do because neither is that expressed but breaking of bread only So that the first day of the week in effect is called the day of meeting to break bread which was ever accompanied with prayer preaching and other holy exercises Now as the fore-mentioned * Thes 35. Author observes if ever the Saints used to break bread on any other day yet the day is never mentioned as a speciall time for such a purpose nor do we find in all the Scriptures a day distinctly mentioned for holy duties as this first day of the week is wherein a whole Church meet together for such ends but that day was holy The nameing of the particular day for such ends implies the holiness of it Well the Saints at Troas meet on this day to receive the Sacrament But 4. Have they no Sermon yes and Paul himself preaches it v. 7. And continued his speech till mid-night and about break of day he departed Which yeeldeth us two notes one that the first day of the week is no travelling day St. Paul would not we are sure he did not travel this day but the day after another that the first day of the week is a solemn holy-day to be spent in spirituall exercises and Sabbath-day duties as preaching hearing praying conferring breaking of bread in commemoration of Christ his death and Resurrection Why else does the Holy Ghost story this down so exactly and precisely Is it not written for our learning upon whom the ends of the world are come Yea doubtlesse for our learning that we might forecast our journeyes and other affairs in such sort as to keep holy the Lords day and not intrench upon it by travelling or the like thus we have plain Apostolicall practice for the observation of this day But see how this clear Text and truth is cavill'd at This meeting of the Saints at Troas was occasional Obj. 1 T.T. p. 123. Answ and what was the occasion of it he intimates in the next words viz. Paul's departing by Sea This is a sorry shift for the Text saies not that the disciples were assembled by reason of Paul's departure the next day but they were assembled this day to break bread without the least reference to Paul's journey the day following So that this Church-meeting was not occasional but a thing usual upon the first day of the week And the context clearly implies that the puting off of Pauls journey till the next day was occasioned by the Church's meeting this day not this meeting by his departure the next day for the Apostle seems to stay purposely and wait seven dayes among them that he might have a publick opportunity of preaching and communicating with them upon the usual day of their publick assemblies which appears by this convention to have been the first day of the week here was therefore nothing occasional in all this solemnity neither the assembly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor Sacrament no nor the Sermon neither but only the length and continuance of the Sermon till mid-night this indeed was occasional by reason of St. Pauls departure on the morrow so the Text it self imports Paul being to depart on the morrow preached and continued his Sermon till mid-night he preacht a long Sermon because it was his last Sermon he was like to preach among them The Saints assembled and brake bread every day Obj. 2 Acts 2.26 therefore they may as well plead for an every day Sabbath as for the first day Sabbath from Acts 20.7 It cannot be proved by Scripture that the Lords Supper is an every dayes Supper Answ or that ever it was celebrated on any day after the first institution but upon the Lords day which may be reckoned as a special prerogative of this day above the Jewes Sabbath and
as long as you live Take heed of corrupt Books and broachers of error you may be too credulous too cautelous you cannot be Let neither the pompous Phrases nor proud threats of men either allure you or affright you from the truths of God T. T. abounds in both these Artifices charming some with his Rhetorick scaring others with his Bulls and big words as he does William Sloat by name leaving him as his Printed Book speaks under the unpardonable sin to the judgement of the great day and yet this William Sloat is known to be a man of sober conversation professing Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ only he must be expunged out of the Catalogue of Christians for not being able to keep the Jews Sabbath and damned to the fiery furnace of Hell because he could no longer dance after this mans Pipe or bow down to Images that he has set up in his fancy Opinions I mean To conclude I beseech you Christians for the Lords sake and your souls sake hold fast the Good Old Truths of Christ in this hour of Englands temptation and cleave to that Good Old Cause the Christian Sabbath which the rigid Prelatical party sought to subvert by the Book of Sports and many pernicious Pamphlets and practises till the wrath of God brake out upon the land in those late bloody showers the Remembrance whereof methinks should daunt the heart of the most Goliah-like Adversary that shall dare to draw the sword of defiance the second time against this Christian Cause If any will be so fool-hardy as still to fight against God and the Lamb in profaning and teaching others to profane his day by working as formerly some did by sporting yet be exhorted all you that fear God and love the Lord Jesus to keep holy the Lords day making it no otherwise a working-day then by working out your salvation with fear and trembling which is the humble and hearty advice of Yours in all Gospel-Offices EDM. WARREN A TABLE of the Contents Position 1. THe Sabbath made alterable as to the day in the first institution of it evidenced by three Arguments Arg. 1. From the time when it was instituted Viz. after the fall Adam sinned the same day in which he was created proved by five Arguments page 1. to 7. Two Objections answered to p. 17. Arg. 2. From the command by which it was instituted p. 17. to 21. Arg. 3. From the ground or occasion on which it was instituted either Gods providence or promise p. 21. to 32. Seven Considerations premised to clear it p. 33 34 35. Two Scruples resolved p. 37 38 39. Position 2. THat the Old Sabbath was further manifested to be alterable as to the day in the second Edition of the Sabbath For 1. It was never propounded as the substance of any moral Law Here the fourth Commandement is vindicated at large p. 46. to 58. 2. It seems to be pointed at as a sign in the Ceremonial Law p. 70. Sundry Objections answered p. 59. to 70 78. Position 3. THe Old Sabbath was further evidenced to be alterable in the after-Observation of it p. 78 to 83. Position 4. THat the Sabbath was actually altered and changed from the Last to the First day of the Week by the authority of Christ upon the account of his Resurrection c. Four main Arguments to prove it Arg. 1. From the New Creation p. 83 to 90. Arg. 2 From the New Covenant The Covenant changed in a threefold expressure of it in the Mandatory the Promissory and shadowy part p. 90. to 105. The Old Sabbath proved to be of a shadowy nature from Col. 2.16 17. p. 106 107 108. Four Objections answered from p. 109 to 112. Arg. 3. From the Introduction of a new rest Hebr. 4. explained and vindicated to p. 122. Four Objections answered to p. 130. Arg. 4. From the designation of a new day with the discharge of the old The old seventh day Sabbath is discharged from Obligation under the Gospel p. 130. to 138 Four Objections removed The First day of the week is designed for a day of weekly solemn Worship For 1. This is the day above all others on which in the vacancy of the old seventh day God hath set his mind in the Law p. 158 159. 2. This is the day above all days on which Christ has set his special mark in the Gospel A seven-fold mark he has set upon it 1. His resurrection from the dead this day p. 161. to 169. 2. His frequent apparitions on this day p. 169. to 175. Four Objections silenced 3. His gracious speeches and actions at those apparitions 4. The Mission of the Holy Ghost this day The day of Pentecost proved to be the first day of the week p. 179. to 187. Two Objections answered 5. The Inscription of Christs blessed name on this day 't is the Lords day p. 190 191 192. Three Objections answered 6. The Apostles and Apostolical Churches observation of it Acts 20.7 cleared Six Objections satisfied 7. Apostolical prescription about it 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Four Objections answered to p. 214. The Best Antiquity for the Change of the Day TEstimonies of the Antients 1. Ignatius 2. Justin Martyr 3. Dionysius 4. Tertullian 5. Origen 6. Cyprian 7. Athanasius 8. Hilary 9. Ambrose 10. Hierome 11. Chrysostome 12. Augustine 13. Eusebius from p. 216. to 232. Opposite Testimonies answered to p. 245. Position 5. THe Lords day the Christian Sabbath proved and Cavils refuted from p. 236. to 242. Position 6. THe Sabbath begins in the morning Four Objections answered from p. 242. to 246. Position 7. THe Lords day must be kept holy to the Lord. Rules of Direction 1. For Preparation to the Sabbath 2. Sanctification of it 1. By holy rest from our own works words and thoughts 2. By holy work both in private and in publike from p. 246. to the end ERRATA PAge 4. Marg. for John 29. read John 19. p. 54. marg for evening Communicant r. Evangelical Communicant p. 80. for merval r. marvel p. 86. l. 5. for latter r. letter p. 91. marg for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 97. for must with a promise r. meet with a promise p. 107. for â—â—brae and praeterita r. umbra praeteritae p. 109. after it is very questionable add I say p. 126. marg for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 132. for stay r. stop p. 180. l. 1. r. wonderful p. 181. l. 5. for there r. their p. 182. l. 9. r. where ibid. for some r. come for were r. was p. 192. for constitution r. contestation p. 194. l. 31. add the p. 216. marg for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Other false spellings and false pointings there are which the Reader is requested to look upon rather as Errors of the Press then the Pen yet no other then such as are common and ordinary in all Treatises printed in the Authors absence POSITION
were given before the fall and should undoubtedly have bound Adam and all his posterity if he had not fallen Gen. 2.17 yet now it binds none neither should it if the tree were known So also that positive law of keeping and dressing the Garden Mr. â—â— Strange which to Adam was a binding precept yet now it is wholly abrogated in the letter of it or else as one sayes we must all tag and rag turn gardeners True there was something moral and of the law of nature in that precept Yates Model of Divin Haec lex naturalis est conjunctam habens designationem diei ceremonialem quia verò partim naturalis partimque ut loquuntur Scholae positiva est Propterea discrimen oportet in eo ordine adhiberi quod enim naturale est puta diem septimum quemque Deo sacrum esse illud permanet quod positivum nempe illum diem qui septimus est creationis esse Diem Sabbathi hoc mutatum est Juni prae'ec in Gen. 2. p. 27. man must alwayes be exercised and imployed the earth his store-house must also be his work-house Idleness and happiness could never consist together But that his imployment must be limited to the culture of a Garden that was meerly positive The like may be said for the Law of the Sabbath supposing not granting it had been given in paradise that man should celebrate a Sabbath was moral and perpetual but that it must be on the seventh day from the Creation was meerly positive temporary and alterable at the law-givers pleasure And this may serve as a proper Engine to undermine that grand argument founded on the institution of marriage P. 155. The Sabbath is a precept saith he as ancient as Vniversal as marriage both were instituted in paradise for Adam and all his posterity Ans We grant that the institution of marriage was made in pure paradise which ever since has made it honorable amongst all men Heb. 13.4 And thus far we also grant the first institution is a perpetual obligation viz. That one man is bound to one woman yet I hope no man is tyed by that first institution to make choice of this or that particular woman but he is at liberty to marry whom he lists provided it be in the Lord so also admitting the Sabbath to be instituted in paradise yet I can see no reason why it should limit us to that particular day but that notwithstanding we may observe any other day that shall appear to be of the Lords appointment as the first day of the week infallibly is and therefore it bears the Lords name being styled the Lords Day by way of eminency Indeed now the day is fixed and we cannot chuse another nor change it to another Psa 118.29 Rev. 1.10 for reasons hereafter to be rendered But enough is said to prove the command whatever it was whereby the old Sabbath was instituted to be but temporary though it had been given in Innocency A positive precept given in innocency might suffer much alteration by mans apostasie Mr. Sheph. Thes 17.19 For to borrow the words of a reverend Author the sin of man made the Lord repent that ever he had made man and consequently that ever he made the world for man which might be a sufficient ground of the Law-givers pleasure to alter and change the day stated upon the worlds Creation to another day stated upon the worlds Redemption of which the Lord will never repent Now if a precept or institution given before the fall might be mutable at the Law givers pleasure how much more this of the seventh day which was rather imposed since the fall as the institution of Sacrifices the prohibition of blood c. Gen. 9.4 3. That the old seventh day was made alterable in the first institution of the Sabbath is most of all evident from the ground or occasion upon which it was instituted and this is hinted unto us in those words Gen. 2.2 See Ainsworth annot in Gen. 2.2 On the seventh day God ended his works which he had made and rested the seventh day wherefore he blessed and sanctified it Now it much concerns us to enquire in what sense the Lord is said to have ended his works on the seventh day since we must not imagine with Hierome and Catharinus that God made any new creatures on the seventh day for doubtless the creation was finished on the sixth day How then it is said on the seventh day God ended his works Why without resting and torturing the words as some do we may understand it in one or both of these two respects either 1. In respect of Providence or 2. In respect of the Promise 1. In respect of Providence So judicious Mr. White in Gen. 2. and why may not this be the meaning of the holy Ghost That on the seventh day God was pleased by a signal hand of Providence to perfect his works of Creations either by establishing them to continue as they do this day or at least by manifesting their accomplishment in his rest and cessation from Creating-work Take the word Ended in this sense and so it informs us that the ground of Gods sanctifying the seventh day was not simply his rest upon that day but also the reason of that rest Heb. 4. v. 3.4 namely the finishing of his works witnessed by his resting as the Author to the Hebrews plainly intimates And not only that but also the result and consequent of both namely the dignifying and honouring of that day above all other dayes for the time being by crowning it with the accomplishment of the greatest work then made or manifested to be made perfect Isa 58.3 Hence the seventh day was styled The Honorable of the Lord not that in it self one day is more honorable and observable then another but that which differences the one from the other and dignifies one above another is Gods casting honour upon it by some memorable work of Providence either begun or finished upon that day Upon which account most of the Jewes Festivals were instituted as their Passeover in the 14th of Abib Lev. 23.5 Esth 9.21 the Feast of Purim on the 14th of Adar like our gunpowder-treason-Gunpowder-treason-day on the 5. of November because the noble acts of God have been done upon these dayes And this was a main ground of their weekly Sabbath upon the seventh day being a day crowned with the greatest work then visible a work manifested to be finished on the seventh day by Gods resting on that day Yet this must be noted that the finishing of Gods work did not make the day more honorable then others by any natural necessity but only by positive right and equity There was no necessary and natural cause why the seventh day on which the work was declaratively ended should be more honorable then the sixth day on which it was really ended and finished only it was Gods will and pleasure to have
it so Having premised this by the way now let us see how the old Sabbath was founded upon the finishing of his works As thus That day which God hath honoured and crowned with the accomplishment of the greatest work must be the day of solemn worship or Sabbath-day But the seventh day from the Creation was thus honoured and crowned in the Cradle or infancy of the world Therefore that day must be the Sabbath day viz. till a greater work take place And then the argument will conclude as strongly for the change of the day as ever it did for the choice of it For we shall argue thus If the ground of stating the Sabbath on the seventh day were applicable to another day then the Sabbath in the first ground-work of it was alterable to another day But the ground of stating it upon that old seventh day was applicable to another day therefore c. The consequence is cleere as the Sun for as it is with duties so with dayes of worship the grounds upon which they are setled being applicable to other times and places the dayes and duties themselves have alwayes been moveable and circumstantially mutable also as that duty of reverencing of Gods Sanctuary which is mated and coupled with keeping his Sabbaths the ground of it being applicable to the Temple as well as the Tabernacle Levit. 19.30 the duty it self was also moveable from the Tabernacle to the Temple although the first were only in being when the precept was given And the like must be said of the Sabbath The consequence hath evidence enough in it self to every vulgar eye If the foundation be moveable so is the building If the Assumption be questioned viz. That the ground of fixing the Sabbath on the seventh day was moveable and applicable to another day we shall thus confirm it The ground of fixing the Sabbath on the old seventh day was Gods honouring and advancing that day above all other dayes for the time being by his most eminent work of Creation manifested to be accomplished on that day therefore when another day shall be crowned with the accomplishment of a more eminent Creation the same ground and reason which cast the Sabbath on the old day will unavoidably carry it to the new Now the work of Redemption is a new Creation 2 Cor. 5.17 and it was long ago prophesied that as the a Hag. 2.9 glory of the second Temple should out shine that of the first so the glory of this new Creation should excell that of the old and comparatively eate out the memory of it b Isai 65.17 Behold I create new heavens and a new earth sayes the Lord and the old shall not be remembered nor come into mind Not that the Lord would simply and absolutely have the memory of the Creation to be lessened but respectively and in comparison of Redemption it must not be obliterated but only subordinated retained and remembred it must be still but as a lesser work then Redemption and as a lesser good to us as the Law is to the Gospel or the Old Testament to the New Redemption must be owned as the greater and better work in as much as Spiritual things are better then Natural and Gods last works are his best the first being only preparative to the last as Dr. Sibbs excellently observes Mat. 16.26 Mark 8.36 And verily he that shall question whether Redemption be a greater and better work then Creation knows little what a Redeemer is or what the ransome of an immortal soul is worth See Mr. Phil. Goodw. Dies Dominic rediv. pa. 11.12 13. I should think as mans gaining the world cannot recompense the loss of his soul so Gods creating of the world doth not equalize Christs redeeming the soul In creating the world indeed the Lord has done much for me but in shedding his precious blood in conquering sin and death he hath done more then if he had created another world for me Let the redeemed of the Lord say so yea the work is not only better to me but greater in it self too In creation there was but a words speaking and the work was presently done 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 See more in Dr. Gouge Heb. 9. S. 63. but in Redemption there was doing and dying God must come down from heaven God must be made man yea God-man must be made sin and a curse for me Here was a work exceeding wonder Besides in the work of Creation there was nothing to with stand But in the work of Redemption here was Justice against Mercy wrath against pity In a word in the Creation God brought something out of nothing but in redemption he hath out of one contrary brought another good out of evil life out of death Is not thy soul ravished Christian at these discoveries of wisdome grace and power shining forth in thy souls Redemption Canst thou see the like in the worlds Creation Is there not more glory in one Christ then in many worlds What a sapless unsavory question therefore to a soul that knows any thing of Christ Pa. 130. is that which T. T. propounds Who told thee the work of Redemption was the greater work A question more beseeming a Jew then a Christian But the answer is ready at hand He that hath told me the heavens are the works of his a Psalm 8.3 fingers and Redemption the work of his b Isal 52.9 10. arm his out-stretched unbared arm hath sufficiently taught me that Redemption is the greater work a work of greater might I am sure of greater mercy And so for his next question If it be the greater work who told thee that it deserves the honour of the day I answer a wiser and better man then you or I that man after Gods own heart who was most likely to know the mind of the Lord he has foretold it in that 118th Psalm when by a prophetick spirit foreseeing the glory of the resurrection day as a day amongst the seven dayes like the Sun amongst the seven planets he accordingly salutes it with a magnificent Title This is the day which the Lord hath made yea magnified for the word signifies not only to make but to magnifie and advance above all others c 1 Sam. 12.6 And such was the power of God in raising Christ hat the Psalmist cryes our it is marvellous in our sight Acts 4.10.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est vel imus vel summus lapis Arretius in 1 Pet. 2.7 Mat. 11.11 As by the same word the Lord is said to advance Moses and Aaron 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to lift them up in dignity and preeminency above the rest of the people Thus he foresaw that the Lord would magnifie and exalt the resurrection day and why Because on this day the most glorious work of redemption was to be accomplished the stone which the builders resused being made the head of the corner i. e. to perfect
Act. 3.8 so ch 14 10. There was therefore certainly more in this Command then what did barely refer either to the confirmation of the miracle or the publication of Gods glory in that sense supposed and what it was the above mentioned Author does thus resolve us namely that it was See Dr. Lightf Harm of the 4 Evang. p. 3. in John 5. Partly in respect of the man Partly in respect of the day In respect of the man it was to trye his faith and obedience whether upon the bare word of Christ he would venture upon so hazardous an action In respect of the day it was to shew Christs power and authority over the old Sabbath that as elsewhere in restoring the man sick of the Palsy he not onely shewed his power over the disease in healing it but also over sin in forgiving it So it pleased him here at one and the same time to shew his Divine power over the distemper in curing it and his soveraignty over the Sabbath in dispensing with it and disposing of it as he thought good 'T is objected against this by T. T. whose usuall trick it is to clamour where he cannot answer That in argueing thus we joyn with the blasphemous Pharisees in charging our Saviour as a Sabbath-breakere Obj But we easily cleare opur blessed Saviour and quit our selves of this false and injurious charge affirming That our Lord could be no more taxed for Sabbath breaking in requiring this man to beare his bed on the Sabbath-day then God himself in Commanding Joshuah to march about Jericho seven times on the same day He did not hereby transgress the Law but shewed his soveraignty over the day which will the better appeare if we consider What he sayes to the Jewes in answer to their cavils about it In the sequel of the Chapter where all along we may observe how he justifies his act by asserting his power He tels tehm verse 17 that he had the same authority over the Sabbath that the father had The Father worketh hitherto and I work This answer refers cheifly to that part of the objection which lay against his healing on the Sabbath day and it is continued to verse 20. Then he answers more directly to that other part of their accusation his supposed violation of the Sabbath in giving the man a dispensation to carry his bed verse 20 The father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things that himself doth yea he will shew him greater things then these that ye may mervel Greater workes then these why as the forementioned Authour speakes they were great things that our Saviour had now done in curing a desperate disease and dispensing with the Sabbath but he must do yet greater Workes then these v. 16. namely raise the dead and change the Sabbath that Jewish Spirits might mervel The Jewes persecuted him because he had done these things on the Sabbath day that is healed the man and commanded him to carry his bed So the word judgment is used Psalm 9.11 Psalm 94.15 Isai 28.6 Jerem. 33.15 John 8.16 Now in answer to these two particulars he tels them that the Father would shew him greater workes then these for verse 21. As the Father raiseth the dead so the Son And verse 22. The father judgeth no man but hath committed all Judgment to the Son that is government or Legislative power about the affaires of men and in particular about the disposall of the Sabbath which was now under dispute They carped and cavill'd at his present carriage towards the Sabbath He tels them that he had authority to do what he did yea and more then that came to for all judgement was committed into his hands to do some greater things then barely to dispense with the Sabbath and something at which the Jewes should marvell and for which all should honour the Son as they honour the Father Verse 23 That as the Father was honoured in giving the Law so should the Son be honoured in giving the Gospel and as the Father was honoured in appointing the old Sabbath so should the Son in ordaining a new Sabbath not in confirming the old as T. T. would have it for so the Son is not honoured even as the Father was honoured pa. 145. For the Father was honoured as the institutor of a Sabbath therefore so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even so must the Son be honoured The argument is very ponderous if we consider the scope of our Saviours oration which was to justifie what he had done on the Sabbath-day To this purpose he pleades his designment to do greater things then these and some greater thing in reference to command and disposall over the Sabbath which was the thing in question And this plea he proves by his power to raise the dead and to dispose of all things in a way of judicature or government under the new Testament as the Father had done under the Old and to this intent that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father which being spoken with reference to the Sabbath and to his present dispensing with it doth plainly speake his intention to alter and change it Again here is one thing more observable namely that Christs power to raise the dead and his power to dispose of the Sabbath are carryed along both together in this discourse And the one is made an argument of the other plainly intimating the change of the day upon the resurrection upon his own resurrection in the first place which is hinted at verse 26. and others with himself at his resurrection according to that ancient prophecy Thy dead men shall live Isai 26.19 Mat. 27.52 53. together with my dead body shall they arise which was fulfilled when our Saviour rose from the dead So that all things considered here is a most pregnant Scripture to prove that it was our Redeemers purpose to alter the Sabbath And therefore as in Preface to such a thing he both gives the man a commission to carry his bed on that day and pleads for what he had done by his divine authority as beginning to shake the day which within two years after was to be unhinged and actually changed for another at least it speaks his power to alter it And he that shall dare deny this must make Christ Jesus the Lord inferiour to David the servant for even David had power to alter a circumstance in the Law of Moses 1 Chron. 23.24 25 26. ordaining that the Levites should officiate at twenty years old Numb 4.3 Numb 8.24 when as Moses had appointed that they should not officiate till 25. or 30. yet when the reason of the Mosaical ordinance ceased and the Ark had rest you see David changes that order And if David who was but a meer man though a King and a Prophet might alter a circumstance about the Priesthood Isai 9.6 Revel 15.3 Mat. 28.18 how much more might the Lord Jesus who is
in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalmm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Christ in his resurrection was as it were begotten n Rev. 1.5 from the dead and brought forth of the womb of the earth And here the very particular day of his resurrection is specified as the day on which the promise was eminently fulfilled what promise Why the term is comprehensive and so includes at least that originall promise of Christs bruiling the Serpents head which being an act of his Kingly Office not of his Priesthood was most formally executed in his Resurrection whereby he triumphed in his own person over sin death and the Divel upon the account whereof the Apostle cries o 1 Cor. 15.54 55. Rom. 8.34 37. Victory Some indeed to attribute Christs victory and conquest to his death upon the Crosse because 't is said Colos 2.15 Having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing ever them in it Which it say they refers to the Crosse verse 14. but the Text seemes to be mistranslated For according to the * Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In semertpso so the Siryack so Yertul de Trin. Origen ep ad Rom. co 5. August ep 59. Hier. in Co. Theodor. ibid Promeruit in cruce sed postca peregit Zanch. in loc Greek it should rather be rendred He spoiled Principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in himself So the Ancients universally read it and so our worthy translators in the Margin referring it to Christ himself not to the Crosse for although he merited his victory by his passion on the Crosse yet he did not execute it till his resurrection from the dead when God brought him forth from the prison of the grave and p Acts 10.39 40. shewed him openly though not to all he died a sufferer but rose a conqueror not only clothed with honour and immortality but armed with q Mar. 28.18 Philip. 2.9 power and principality he was r 2 Cor. 13.4 crucified through weakness but he liveth by the power of God Having the keyes of death and hell resigned up to him as trophies of his Triumphant resurrection so himself speaks f Rev. 1.13 I am he that liveth and was dead and am alive forevermore and have the keyes of death and hell And again t Ephes 4.8 9. When he ascended up on high be led captivity captive Note that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth Christ then did not so much lead captivity captive when he descended into the lower parts of the earth as when he ascended thence when he divided the spoile with the mighty as the Prophet or when he spoiled principalities and powers as the Apostle speaks at what time he was proclaimed u Rom. 14 9. Lord of quick and dead Namely at his resurrection from the dead I write not this to derogate in the least from the meritorious death of our deare Redeemer I can through the grace of God read infinite w love and x John 3.15 eternal life in his death but the hope and assurance of both is built upon his resurrection and therefore when the Apostle would set the door of y 1 Pet. 1.3 4. hope wide open to us he shewes us an empty sepulchre and tells us with the Angel he is z 1 Cor. 15.17 18 19. risen otherwise our faith and hope were vain The promise is the ground and anchr-hold of our hope and that as performed by our Lords resurrection whereby he bruised the Serpents head i.e. brake his power Acts 26.6 7 8 9. Now I say that promise Gen. 3.15 was the ground of flating the Sabbath upon the old seventh day God blessed the day for Christs sake and I doubt not this was the use which old Testament-believers ever made of that old Sabbath to look to Christ in it and seek communion with God through Christ and expect the Spiritual blessings lodged in the institution by Christ the promised and blessed seed And as long as Christ was onely promised the Sabbath ran along with him in the promise upon that day for many ages but now the promise being performed See Mr. G. Walkerp 35 36 and Christ exhibited a perfect and compleat Redeemer and that upon the day of his resurrection which was the greatest day of his appearing in the nature of man upon earth how can it otherwise be but the Sabbath should also advance forward together with the Lord of the Sabbath See also more of this Posit 1. Branch 3. from the last to the first day of the week Especially considering that Secondly Then also the new Covenant was erected and established even the Covenant pointed at by the Prophet I will make an everlasting Covenant with you Isal 55 3. I will give you the sure mercies of David which the Apostle applyes exprosly to Christsresurrection and bottoms in there As concerning that he raised him from the dead Acts 13.34 now no more to return to corruption he said on this wife I will give you the sure mercies of David which if we take in the verse before nominating the very day Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee will amount to this argument That the new Covenant in the last and best exhibition of it was ultimately established by Christs resurrection on the first day of the week whence the inference is easie That therefore then and thereby the old Covenant in the promissory part of it was altered and changed Christ freely promised into Christ fully manifested and if so who shall rob us of this conclusion That the Sabbath was actually changed from the last to the first day of the week upon the account of our blessed Lords resurrection Mistake me not the Argument concludes not the dissolution but the translation of the Sabbath from one day to another translated from the last day of the week it must needs be because the promise which setled it at first upon that day is performed and stated upon the first day of the week it is because the performance of the promise fell upon that day not by chance but by special Providence to fulfil that prophecy Psalm 118.24 This is the day which the Lord hath made 3. And chiefly this truth will be yet more obvious to every eye that shall view the change of the Covenant in the shadowy part of it Heb. 8.5 ch 10.1 I mean those ordinances and institutions appertaining to the old Covenant which were shadowes of things to come that these are antiquated and extinguished by Christ and that upon the account of a new Covenant established is unquestionably clear from that forecited Scripture Heb. 8.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 4.14 In that he saith a new Covenant he hath made the first old Now that which
the Sabbaths here specified were a shadow of things to come whereas the Lords day as one well observes is only a memorial of something past to wit the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ So that to argue from hence against all difference of dayes under the Gospel as the old Anabaptists and Familists do is evidently to stretch the Text beyond the stapse But to urge it against all the Jewes Holy-dayes their weekly Sabbath and all is not at all to force it For First The Apostle seemes to speak distinctly and distributively enumerating the several sorts of dayes in observation among the Jewes Holy-day New moons Sabbaths and the gradation from yeerly holy-dayes to monthly new Moons and from them to weekly Sabbaths is visible enough to such as are not blinded with prejudice See Mr. Shepheard Thes 20. part 2. Secondly The plural term Sabbaths is usually put for the singular the Sabbath or seventh day now under dispute Yea I cannot find any one Text in all the new Testament where it is applied in the same number to any other day or Sabbath but the old seventh-day-Sabbath * Math. 12.1.5.10.12 Mark 1.21 ch 2 24. ch 3. v. 2. Lu. 4.31 ch 13 v. 10. Acts 13 14. in all these Texts t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seven or eight times the same word as it is here set down in the plural number is used for that old weekly Sabbath and not so much as once for any yearly Sabbath therefore inall reason that precise weekly Sabbath must be here I willnot say in cluded only but principally intended Thirdly * 2 Kin. 4.23 even in the old Testament where ever New Moons and Sabbaths go coupled together unless the phrase be figurative 1 Chro. 23.31 2 Cron. 1.4 ch 8.13 ch 31 v. 3. Nehem. 10.33 Ezek. 45.17 Hos 2.11 Amos 8.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in Isai 66.23 the Jews weekly Sabbath is denoted by it as appears by those several Scriptures cited in the margin in most of which their annual Sabbaths are excepted and distinguished by another name scil Feasts to which answers the words holy-day in this place Colos 2.16 For indeed the word in the original fignifies a feast or festival day Thus let Scripture expound Scripture and truth will be truth in spight of errour take the whole sentence together holy-day new Moon Sabhaths and if it be an Old Testament-phrase it alwayes implies the old seventh day-Sabbath or take the words Sabbaths singly by it self and if it be a New Testament-term as 't is like it is it ever I think I may truely say ever signifies the same seventh day unless when it is put for the week which here it cannot be The conclusion then is undeniable that the Jews seventh day Sabbath was a shadowy Sabbath and therefore it cannot be our Christian Sabbath for what have we to do with shadowes under the Sun-shine of the Gospel under the clear and bright discoveries of Christ 2 Cor. 3.18 when we may with open face as in a glass behold the glory of the Lord. Oh that the spirit of truth would take away that vail that lies upon the hearts of men that vail of errour and darkness which keeps out the light of this truth for a truth it is a plain truth as plain as Scripture can make it that the Sabbaths here mentioned were a shadow of things to come and I have made it evident that the old Sabbath as to the day is here chiefly intended it is not necessary that I should trouble the Reader to tell him my judgment what kind of shadow it was or what was shadowed by it in particular whether Christs rest that day full and whole in the grave or his rest the next day from the grave or a believers rest in Christ a compleat Saviour But this is certain a shadow it was of which something in Christ was the body and the body being come the shadow must be gone And so I might proceed to another argument but I must first remove some objections wherewith the Adversary has indeavoured to block up our way But all in vain First he tells us T.T. Obj. 1. p. 23.24 25. 't is evident at first sight that only such Sabbaths are ceased as were shadows of good things to come but the seventh day was never such a Sabbath A sign indeed of good things past and present it was but never termed a shadow of things to come This proceeds upon his accustomed fallacy Answ petitio principij a begging of the thing in question for he would make us believe that the old seventh day was none of the Sabbaths here intended which if we deny as we do then he has lost his conclusion for in this very Text it is termed a shadow of things to come what if we grant it a sign of something past so were the annual Sabbaths as he calls them Passeover Pentecost c. the one of their preservation in Egypt the other of the giving of Gods law yet both shadowes of things to come or else the Apostle was much mistaken The blessed Spirit by two other terms declares clearly what Sabbaths are ceased Ob. 2 1. Such as were against us 2. Contrary to us and such were those annual Sabbaths requiring great labour and travel in coming three times a year from all parts to Jerusalem the seventh day-Sabbath was never in the least against us nor contrary to us unless so far as we are against God and contrary to him as 't is elsewhere added 'T is very questionable Answ 1 whether these three annual Festivals Passeover Pentecost and the feast of Tabernacles be ever termed Sabbaths in Scripture indeed the Sabbatical years as every seventh year and every fiftieth year ae five or six times termed a Levit. 25.8 c. 26.34 35 43. Sabbaths 2 Chron. 36.21 but the Jews themselves could never say these were against them or contrary tot hem the one being a year of rest to their lands the other a year of release to their servants The weekly Sabbath or seventh day directly intended in the fourth Commandment I grant is nto againt us Answ 2 neither are we against it we own it we observe it and shall do I trust till we enjoy our everlasting Sabbath in Heaven But The seventh-day-Sabbath imposed upon the Jews or rather the hand-writing of Ordinances not Gods hand-writing but Moses hand writing was in some sense against us Gentiles and contrary to us as it was a piece of that old partition-wall which separated the Jewes from the Gentiles and occasioned b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Compare Col. 2.14 with Ephes 2.14 15 16. See the Dutch Annot. enmity between them that such a division or partition-wall there was we read in Ephes 2. whereby the Jews and Gentiles were parted and shut up as it were one from another that there was no correspondency between them and the symboll of this
cannot with any colour of reason be denyed surely when he entred into his Kingdome he entred into his glory but by his resurrection from the dead he entred into his Kingdome being solemnly invested with Kingly power and soveraignty c Math. 28.18 Having all power in Heaven and earth put into his hands and f Rev. 3.7 the keys of David the Government of the Kingdom laid upon his shoulders to dispense lawes pronounce pardons pass sentence of life and death g John 20.23 to bind and loose at his princely pleasure In a word it was by his glorious resurrection from the dead that God h Psalm 2.6 7. set him as King upon his holy hill of Sion saying thou art my son this day have I begotten thee Christs resurrection-day was in a special manner his Coronation-day and as earthly Princes are wont on their Coronation-dayes to shew themselves to their subjects in all their royalty casting about their silver and gold so the Lord Jesus delights on this day to manifest himself to the souls of his people scattering his precious gifts and graces in the assemblies of his Saints for as this is the day which the Lord hath made so t is the day in which he himself was made i Rom. 14.9 Lord of the living and the dead k Acts 2.36 ch 3. 15. ch 5. 30 31. Lord and Christ Prince of life King of Heaven and earth a King indeed he was in the l Math. 2.2 cradle a King on the m ch 27. 37. Cross but never so much or so manifestly a King upon earth as when he conquered that King of terrours and carried away n 1 Tim. 6.16 that incomparable Title the blessed and only potentate the King eternal and immortal o Rom. 6.9 who dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him He that shall deny Christs entring into glory by his resurrection will rob him of much of his glory t is true he entred not into the place of glory in his whole person till his ascention but into the state of glory he entred by his resurrection if the bodies of the Saints shall be raised in p 1 Cor. 15.43 glory how much more was the blessed body of Jesus Christ If the glory of the stars be such what is the glory of the rising Sun But I must not expatiate here a word more and I have done He that hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his works as God did from his whence I gather that it is not only Christs rest but the reason of that rest the consummation of the work of redemption which occasions our Sabbath as Gods finishing the work of Creation did the old Sabbath Hebr. 4.3 4. And this the word Rest implies being a demonstrative proof of the accomplishment of the work for even a wise man if he undertake a work will not rest till it be finished or if he do he is p Luke 14.29.30 laugh'd at for his lost labour and therefore much more when the all-wise God is said to rest may we conclude his work is perfected To speak properly if rest imply only a cessation from work we cannot say that God rested from his work of Creation on the seventh day more then he has done ever since or Christ from his work of redemption therefore we must take in the consummation of each work as the ground of each rest otherwise all the time after should be of equal account with the last day in respect of Creation and with the first day in respect of Redemption Now the question will be when the work of Redemption was consummate and complete Doubtless not till the top-stone was laid till Christ was made the head of the corner which the q Act. 4.10 11. Apostle assures us was by his resurrection from the dead for if this had not been done the work had been all to do again If Christ had suffered dyed and been swallowed up of death and corruption in the grave and never risen again then had we remained still in our sins and all our preaching of Christ and faith in Christ had been vain 1 Cor. 15.17 It was by our Saviours joyful resurrection therefore that the work of our Redemption was manifestly accomplished and hereupon Christ rested from his work as God did from his and as when God rested from the work of Creation he appointed a Sabbath although he did not rest from works of Providence in like manner Christ hath appointted a Sabbath upon his resting from the work of Redemption by price although he doth not rest from the work of Redemption by power till all his enemies by vanquished and all his elect saved as a * Dr. Cheynels Treatise of the blessed Trinity pag. 403. learned Author speaks And so much for this Argument on Hebr. 4. only some objections Treatise of the must be removed for T.T. takes this Text of Scripture and wofully wrests it to his own and others misguidance in countenance of the Saturday-Sabbath I shall briefly answer his several Arguments as objections against what has been spoken The polluting of Gods seventh-day-Sabbath was wofully Israels sin Obj. 1 T.T. p. 141. for which the Lord destroyed them in the wilderness as 't is plain Ezek. 20.13 And this being compared with the Apostles admonition to these Christians plainly points out the Sabbath which remains to the people of God he sets forth Israels sin and sorrow on this wise although God finished his work from the foundation of the world and thereupon speaks Gen. 2. Yet neither the glory of his wonderful Creation or authority of his institution could engage them to follow his Example but so highly did they provoke him especially in polluting his Sabbaths that he sware in is wrath they should not enter into his rest c. Wherefore the Apostle concludes in applying all to believers exhorting them in the use of that means which Israel neglected to enter into the eternal rest lest any should fall after the example of Israels unbelief or disobedience as the Greek signifies and then he concludes Magisterially Christians believe it this is the summe of the Apostles admonition But I must tell him they had need of a very strong faith that can believe such incongruous stuffe as this is For Although it be granted that Sabbath-breaking were one of I sraels sins in the wilderness Answ 1 yet it will not follow that this sin is here intimated by the Apostle as the cause of their ruine but rather the sin of unbelief For so 't is expresly affirmed ch 3. v. 18.19 To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief So ch 4. v. 2. v. 6. v. 11. And whereas T.T. tells his Reader that the word signifies disobedience I must tell him it is his mistake to render it so in this place for
souls but I shall indeavour to undeceive him and others by sundry answers to his specious Argument The proposition upon which he argues that we must follow Paul as he followed Christ is true in a Scripture sense Ans 1 but his exposition and application of it is false for if he take Pauls following of Christ materially for his doing the same things that Christ did as it seems he does and then argue universally from it as he must if he will make any thing of it his conclusion will contradict himself for he has granted some exempt cases wherein Pauls practice does not bind us and yet his practice therein was materially the same with Christs and I will give him some instances to put it out of question that in some cases Paul did what Christ did and yet we are not bound to do as Paul did Luke 2.42 John 2.13 ch 5.1 ch 7.10 For example our Saviour Christ used at the solemn festivals of the Jewes to go up to Jerusalem as at the feast of Passeover Pentecost and the rest and Paul did the like He hasted to be at Jerusalem at the Feast of Pentecost Acts 18.21 ch 20.16 and I must by all means saies he keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem So that if to practice the same things in any kind that Christ did be to follow Christ herein Paul was a follower of Christ yet I hope it followes not that herein we must be followers of Paul unless he would have us all turn Jewes The like I may say concerning the Jewes Sabbath if he object against the parallel and say it will not hold because those other Festivals are repealed but so is not the seventh day I reply let him shew me a repeal for the one and I suppose I can shew him as good a repeal for the other His grand objection is That the seventh day was never expresly repealed I answer no more was Pentecost Where does the Holy Ghost say in expresse termes Pentecost is abrogated if he say it is included among the rest of those holidayes Gal. 4. Colos 2. I will ask him how can he tell that as long as it is not expresly named If he say it is implyed I answer so is the seventh day and then we are agreed Nothing can be objected against this answer for the instance I have given is plain and pertinent And although I am fully convinced that Pentecost is abrogated as well as the Saturday Sabbath and that as well as this yet I am perswaded if a man listed to be contentious he might make as much ado about the Feast of Pentecost and have as much to say for it from the practice of the Apostle as can be said for the Saturday Sabbath yea more for whoever heard St. Paul say of the Sabbath as he sayes of Pentecost I must needs keep the Feast If he had said as much of the seventh day I should have thought he had made conscience of keeping it which doubtless he did not or he would never have omitted it at Troas as it seems he did Acts 20.7 where he tarried seven dayes and not a syllable of keeping the seventh day but the first day of the week But sayes the Objector it was Christs custome to celebrate the seventh day Sabbath and so it was Pauls Christ as his custome was went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day Luke 4.16 And Paul as his manner was did the same thing Christs custom herein was the very same with Pauls Answer T is not said that Paul observed their Sabbaths but he went into their Synagogues and reasoned with them three Sabbaths If we should grant him his Argument he would get nothing by it For it makes as much for the Jewes Synagogues as the Jewes Sabbath And what would follow from hence Suppose there were a Synagogue of the Jewes in Colchester as there is at Amsterdam will he say that Christians are bound in conscience to frequent it because Christ as his custome and Paul as his manner was frequented their Synagogues If Paul did it from a principle of conscience or obedience to the Law as Christ did I see not how he can avoid it but if Paul did it only in a way of Christian prudence to win the Jewes he has lost his Argument for the like I say of the Sabbath Whereas he further dictates Ans 2 That it was both Christs and Pauls constant custom to observe the seventh day I answer if by constant he mean continual I deny both for however our blessed Saviour during his state of humiliation observed that day while he lived yet he never owned it after his resurrection from the dead no not once that we can find during all those forty dayes between his Resurrection and Ascention which made up almost six weeks In which space he often appeared to his disciples on the first day of the week instructing them in the things pertaining to the kingdom of God But not once did he shew his blessed face or ever open his mouth all that while on the seventh day that we read of which doubtless he would have done and we should have heard of it had it bin his pleasure to have the Sabbath continued on that day after his resurrection as it was before And as for St. Paul whatever his custom was among the Jewes t is certain that among the Christian Gentiles separated from the Jewes he kept the first day of the week Acts 20. and taught others to keep it 1 Cor. 16.1 2. But not a word of keeping the seventh day in all his Epistles T is as falsly as boldly asserted Ans 3 That Paul did constantly observe the seventh day both among Jewes and Gentiles The places alledged prove no such thing t is said indeed Acts 13.42 that the Gentiles besought Paul to preach the next Sabbath day when almost the whole City came together to hear the word of God and Acts 18.4 He reasoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath and perswaded the Jewes and the Greeks But what Gentiles were these Not Gentile-Churches distinguished from the Jewes but either Jewish proselytes Acts 13.43 Or Pagan Gentiles mingled among the Jewes and admitting some Christian converts among them yet still they were such as had no Church-assemblies by themselves but frequented the Synagogue-assemblies where the Jewes observed no other Sabbath but the seventh day Acts 13. ch 17. ch 18. And therefore as long as the Jewes were tractable Paul and others frequented their Synagogues on their Sabbaths not out of any religious respect on his part at least to the Jewes Sabbath but meerly for the opportunity of their assemblies upon which account he also went up to Jerusalem at their other Festivals as t is said ch 18. He hasted to be at Jerusalem at the Feast of Pentecost What meant Pauls hasting thither sayes Chrysostome Why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 43. in Act. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem it was not for the Feasts sake
the fourth Commandment which as the above mentioned Author at whose torch I have lighted my candle observes is a thing worthy of special note any may afford a satisfying reason why there is no expresse institution of the first day of the week in the new Testament viz. Because the vertue of the fourth Commandment doth of it self fall upon that day the former being void being the only day capable of keeping up Gods proportion perpetually determined in the Commandment yet I confess as formerly that the Commandment does not directly institute the day but falls upon the observation of it and supposes the institution neither do I urge it directly for the designation of the day for the first day of the week is not expresly mentioned in the fourth Commandment no more is the last day of the week neither but a seventh day is which although as I said before it could not be restrained to one day more then another yet my meaning was and is that it could not be so tyed to the last of seven as not to be applyed to the first of seven if God so pleased Briefly this argument concludes rather for the observation than the designation of the first day day of the week as the only day upon which in the vacancy of the old Sabbath God has set his mind in the Law And good reason For 2. This is the day upon which above all other dayes Christ has set his mark his special signall characteristical mark in the Gospel to mark it out for a day of weekly solemn worship under the new Testament A seven-fold mark he has set upon it which the malice of men and divels shall never be able to obliterate As 1. His glorious Resurrection upon this day 2dly His several veral Apparitions 3dly His gracious actions and speeches at those apparitions 4th The Mission of his Holy Spirit on this day 5th The inscription of his own blessed name upon it 6th His Apostles and Apostolical Churches observation of it 7th Their prescription about it Of which I shall treat in order as they lie answering all objections that oppose themselves against this conquering truth of Christ 1. What a mark of honour yea what a crown of glory is it to this day that it had the favour above all the dayes of the week to be Christs resurrection-day The Sun in the firmament arises and shines upon other dayes as well as this but the Sun of righteousness never arose upon any day but this and if we will beleeve the Holy Ghost the institution of the day had its foundation here Psalm 118.22 23 24. For the discovery whereof I shall once more desire the Reader to turn to that Text Psam 118. The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner So 1 Pet. 2.7 this is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes This is the day which the Lord hath made c. The Apostle Peter expounds this Text and applies it to Christ Acts 4.11 where speak to Caiaphas and the rest of the Councill who went for builders he boldly tells them This is the stone which ye builders refused which is become the head of the corner he speaks it of Christ and of Christs resurrection for v. 10. he had spoken of their refusing him in his Crucifixion and Gods exalting him in his resurrection Whom ye crucified and whom God raised from the dead Thereby making him both a corner-stone and head of the corner Head of all principality and power Coloss 2.10 head or Lord of the living and the dead yeas head of Heaven and earth having all power in Heaven and earth then given to him Matth. 28.18 Thus of Davids prophetical prediction Next let us consider his application of it 1. In respect of the deed done 2. In respect of the day on which it was done 3. In respect of the duty of that day 1. The deed or work done the raising of Christ from the dead he magnifies as the Lords own act his marvelous stupendious act This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes v. 23. No wonder for indeed this was the greatest wonder the ever was wrought in the world concerning which we may say as Moses in another case Ask now of the dayes that are past which were before thee Deut. 4.32 since God created man upon the earth and ask from the one side of Heaven to the other whet her there hath been any such things as this great thing is or hath been heard like it That one by his own power should raise himself from the dead no history no chronicle can paralel it So wonderful was our Saviours resurrection that it challenges wonder even from his enemies behold ye despisers and wonder Acts 13.41 Sayes the Apostle wonder at what Why at Gods raising Christ from the dead of which he had treated before verse 36 37. 2. The Psalmist applies it further to the day on which this work of wonder was wrought This is the day which the Lord hath made and mark the connection the day depends upon the deed or work done Factum domini as one sayes facit diem domini The Lords deed makes it the Lords day Here the institution of the day is undeniably founded upon the resurrection of Christ upon this account 't is stiled the day which the Lord hath made because the stone cast aside of the builders Christ crucifyed was made the head of the corner that is raised from the dead as St. Peter expounds and as Christs resurrection was the Lords own doing so the Psalmist foresaw that the resurrection-day would be a day of the Lords own making If it be objected So is every day I answer but not every day alike For look as it was in the works of Creation all were Gods works all of his making but man the master-piece more especially of whom it may be said with an accent this is the creature which God had made so here all the dayes in the week are of Gods making but this in the Text above all the Holy Ghost sets an Emphasis upon it This is the day which the Lord hath made Made 1 How made not by was of Creation so 't was made before Gen. 1. But by way of institution The day which the Lord hath made What has he made it A working-day so it was before if therefore he has made it any thing it must be a holy solemn day a day more solemn and sacred then all the dayes that God ever made before And so the word signifies not only to makes but to magnify 't is equivalent to sanctifie 3. The Psalmist proceeds to the prophetical delineation of the duties of this day Let us be glad and rejoyce therein Yea he brings in the Church shouting and singing Hosanna's to Christ on this day v. 26. a Math. 21.9 Blessed is he that cometh to us in the Name of the Lord As when the b
in the notation of it for John 20.1 having spoken of the first day of the week verse 19. he reduplicates it most emphatically saying the same day then in the evening that day being the first day of the week as if he would be loth to be mistaken in that point of time and though for the present the Apostles might be ignorant of their own practise what it tended to as Mary was when she poured the box of ointment on our Saviours head that she did it for his burying yet afterwards by Christs second apparition that day seven-night they were better instructed witness their after-assembling on that day Acts 2. and Acts 20. to conclude this why our blessed Saviour should neglect the Jewes Sabbath and afford his-glorious presence in Christian assemblies on the first day of the week thus often and thus eminently but to establish the day for sacred assemblies and to teach us on what day especially we may expect his presence and blessing I confess I am to seek And although this mark may seem obscure to persons possest with prejudice yet the objectors attempts to deface it are utterly invalid he ha's indeed trampled upon it with the Prelates old shoes for his objections are the very same which the Prelatical party so much defied by himself urged long ago but he cannot tread out the divine impression which Christ ha's stampt upon it The apparitions of Christ on this day do further tend to mark out the day especially in a joynt consideration with the next scripture-mark viz. 3. The gracious speeches actions and transactions of Christ at his several appearings tending partly to prove his Resurrection the ground of our hope and the hinge of the day to this purpose we may observe how sweetly our gracious Redeemer condescended to his poor doubting staggering disciples manifesting himself even to all their senses to their hearing by his heavenly voice to their seeing by his visible presence yea to their feeling by offering his sacred body to be touched and handled by them and partly to dignify his Resurrection-day distinguishing it from all other dayes by Sabbath-exercises As 1. By his heavenly instructions opening the Scriptures Luke 24.46 and preaching peace to his disciples and to us as well as them having slain the enmity by his Cross Eph. 2.16 17. he came and preached peace and this day he came with his Olive branch in his mouth saying peace be unto you 2. By giving forth commissions to his Apostles John 20 19. As my father hath sent me so send I you whose sins ye remit they are remitted c. And then breathing upon them the Holy Ghost 3. By convincing demonstrations of his Resurrection to strengthen the faith of Thomas John 20.26 to which some add 4. His celebration of the sacred supper according to that promise I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine Mark 14.25 untill that day I drink it new in the kingdom of God That is after I rise from the dead which therefore t is like that then he did Yea then he brake bread and was known of the disciples in breaking of bread as he sate with them Luke 24.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not at meat as we read it the word only implyes his gesture of siting However his first and second apparition together with the forementioned great transactions of instructing inspiring blessing sending his Apostles on this day and performing most of these at their solemn meetings do argue more for this day than any other that it is the day which Christ ha's selected and sealed for the religious assemblies and Sabbath-exercises of his Church in all future ages to the end of the world But I must contract 4 Another indeleble mark of honour fix'd upon the first day of the week is The mission of the Holy Ghost or sending the promise of the father as a princely largess or royal gift of Christ upon his coronation-Coronation-day Luke 24.40 John 15.26 Acts 1.4 ch 2. 33. such a gift as was never given before but when God gave his Son Jesus Christ God so loved the world that he gave his son and Christ so loved the world that he gave his spirit And as Christ was given according to the fulness of the promise upon the day of his Resurrection so was the blessed spirit of promise upon the day of Pentecost And the same wonderful providence that ordered the Resurrection of Christ to fall upon the first day of the week did also take order for the sending of the spirit on the same day For that the day of Pentecost Acts 2.1 was the first day of the week as it is generally taken for granted by Christian writers so it may be evidently proved by the Scriptures I shall not puzle the Reader with perplexing intricacies nor lead men into labyrinths to find out the truth Let plain Scripture determin the matter look to the statute-lawes of Moses concerning the feast of Pentecost Exod. 34.21 22. Six dayes shalt thou work but on the seventh day thou shalt rest both in earing-time and in barvest and thou shalt observe the feast of weekes of the first-fruits of Wheat-harvest Levit. 23.10 11 12 15 16. When ye be come into the land which I give you and shall reap the harvest thereof then ye shall bring a sheaf of your first-fruits of your harvest unto the Priest and he shall wave it together with the offering of a lamb without blemish on the morrow after the Sabbath he shall wave it and ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath from the day that yee brought the sheaf seven Sabbaths shall be complete even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath ye shall number fifty dayes So Numb 28.26 and more fully Deut. 16.9 Seven weekes shalt thou number unto thee begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the Corn. From the harmony of which four texts it appeares that this feast had three significant names which were all made good at that solemn Pentecost Acts. 2. 1. Deut. 16.10 It was called the feast of weekes or of sevens because from the waving of the sheaf thehy reckoned as many weekes to this feast as there be dayes in the week namely seven weekes Which evidently shadowed out some weekly Festival under the Gospel the day whereof was denoted by that dya of Pentecost Acts 2. 2. Exod. 23.16 Levit. 23.10 It was called the feast of first-fruits and of harvest because as they began their harvest upon the first of the fifty dayes when they offered the sheaf of first-fruits so they had ended it upon the fiftieth day which was properly the Feast-day upon which they offered the wave-loaves and indeed these fiftie dayes or seven weekes Levit. 23.17 were the appointed weekes of their harvest by the offering of the sheaf at the beginning of their harvest there after fruits were sanctified and the
of his Kingdom Our Saviour made them a kind of Letter of Atturney as one speaks to speak and act in his Name as if he himself had been personally present c John 20.21 As my Father sent me so send I you and d Luke 10.16 Non minùs ratum est quod Apostoli dictante S.S. P. tradiderunt quà m quod ipse Christus tradidit Cyprian he that heareth you heareth me Neither does this extend only to their Verbal preaching but to their visible preaching also their practice I mean at least in things Evangelical and of moral general perpetual concernment to the Churches of Christ otherwise why is their practice propounded as our Patern e Philip. 3.17 Walk as ye have us for an ensample And f Philip. 4.19 Those things which ye have seen in me do And again Be g 1 Cor. 11.2 followers of me as I am of Christ sayes the great Apostle Yea not only the Apostles themselves but the first Churches planted by them are imitable paterns to other Churches especially in things apperteining to the publick exercise of Gospel-worship h 1 Thes 2.14 we may exemplifie both together in the observation of the Lords day not once but often not by single persons only but by sundry Churches and Church-assemblies met on this day That general Assembly Acts 2.1 when they were all together with one accord we have already proved to have been upon this high and holy day and how they keep it we have seen and how God crowned it with the effusion of his holy Spirit as also the Conversion of souls is further considerable For 't is very probable that not only the three thousand Acts 2.41 but the other five thousand also Acts 4.3 were all converted upon this day of Pentencost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 3.1 notes identity of time as 2 Sam. 21.9 Deut. 25.5 and the ninth hour ch 3. hath reference to the third hour ch 2. See Dr. Lightfoots Harm in Acts. For it was but the third hour of the day or nine a Clock in the morning when the first Sermon was preached which brought in the three thousand Acts 2.15 and at the ninth hour that is about three a clock in the afternoon Peter and John went into the Temple Acts 3.1 wrought a glorious miracle preacht another powerful Sermon which gained five thousand more Ch. 4. such a Spirit of Conversion was never poured out upon any day as this Well might the Holy Ghost call it i Psalm 120.3 the day of the Lords power the adversary acknowledges it was spoken of this very day Again As this Church at Jerusalem so the Churches of Corinth and Galatia kept this day too as shall presently appear from 1 Cor. 16.2 and so the Church of Troas in Phrygia Acts 20.7 which was a neighbour Church to them of Galatia And the like may be said for the seven Churches of Asia for upon the Lords day St. John saw them all in a vision and saw Christ in the midst of them saw him as the Saints have been wont to see him in his glorious goings in the sanctuary walking amidst his golden Candlesticks Psalm 68.14 Isai 30.20 with stars in his hand that is Gospel-Ministers shining like stars in the Firmament of the Church and diffusing the light of the glorious Gospel in the actual exercise of their Ministry on this day especially Yea upon this day John himself was ravished in spirit which made the place of his exile like Pauls third Heaven to him now I demand how this could come to pass that so many several Churches as the Church at Jerusalem Corinth Galatia Troas Ephesus Thyatira and the rest many of which were at a great distance one from another should so unanimously consent and concurr in keeping this day if the Apostles by the authority of Christ had not setled it as an Ordinance in all Christian Churches Let any rational man tell me how all these Apostolical Churches should so early and in the beginning of their plantation consent together to keep the same day unless they had been directed by their first founders the holy Apostles themselves Add to this the joint and uniform practice of all Christian Churches in all succeeding ages since and he ha's hardly the faith of a Christian if the reason of a man that dares so much as question the divine authority of the Lords day for whence came this universal agreement all the Christian world over that all the Churches of Christ should so early so * Even Herericks themselves and such as were for the Jewes Sabbath as Ebion and his followers did alwayes observe the Lords day also Euseb lib. 3. and so do the Ethiorick Churches to this day as Dr. Heiten testifies universally so constantly observe this day not one Church ever attempting to alter it but from some authority superior to the Churches themselves Certainly such customes as were never ordained by Christ or his Apostles were never observed by all Christian Churches throughout the world as the Lords day hath been Such unity of custom in universality of place with perpetuity of practice all meeting together in that which ha's some footing in Scripture must needs argue a divine institution yea if there had been no express Scripture testimony of the Apostles practice and observation of it as our Divines do solidly argue for the baptisme of infants although there be no express precept nor express example of it found in Scripture yet the grounds and reasons of it being found in Scripture with the general practice of the Church concurring we dare not but own it and maintain it How much more the Lords day yea if there had been neither precept nor practice of it in Scripture as long as the grounds of it are laid in Scripture namely a Moral law for the substance of it as one day in seven and a prophesie for the particularity of the Church without any contradiction till these last disputing dayes wherein men are grown so bold as to deny principles I do the rather instance this because I have to deal with an Anabaptist who confidently calls the baptiseing of grown persons * Let him shew me one Scripture for that if he can either precept or president for the baptiseing of such at years of diferetion as were born of Christian parents To tell us of the Apostles baptiseing men and women is no newes but were they such men and such women as are plunged now adaies no verily they were not born of baptized Christian parents as blessed be God we are born of Christian parents a flourishing truth after it ha's been convicted and condemned by the learnedest pens in Christendom for a foolish error But to come to that I aim at let me advise this man in coole blood to ask his own conscience this question namely whether or no if he could find in Scripture expresse Apostolical practice consequential proof satisfies me and others for
all other dayes The Lords day and the Lords Supper are Scripture-companions Acts 2.26 is misquoted I perceive this Author uses to quote Scripture at a venture but I suppose he means Acts 2.46 and there indeed we read of the Saints continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and * Domi frangebant portionem Syriack verse breaking bread from house to house but to take this for Sacramentall bread and make it their daily bread is to mistake the matter quite For although verse 42. speak of bread Sacramentally broken yet verse 46. the phrase is quite altered and the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word signifies ordinary bread or common food Piscator understands it of bread broken in a way of Charity or dealing their bread to the hungry as it is * Isai 58.7 elswhere expressed If breaking of bread had been a service peculiarly designed for the honour of the first day Obj. 3 the Apostle would not have deferr'd it till the second day till after mid-night verse II. Neither does it appear that he did deferre it till after mid-night For Eutychus dropt asleep in Sermon-time Answ verse 9. and the Sermon lasted but till mid-night verse 7. and as soon as Eutychus caught his fall no doubt Paul hasted to raise him again And when he was come up again he brake bread verse 11. Part 3 Thes 63. all this while it might not be mid-night for after all this he talked a long while even till break of day Besides as Mr. Shephard observes the Lords Supper might be administred before Pauls Sermon And that breaking of bread verse 11. might be common bread some ordinary repast for Paul after his long preaching and before his long journey And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies as much and hence also 't is spoken of one man principally When he had broken bread and eaten c. however t is expresly said v. 7. that the disciples were assembled together ex more sayes * Ad locum Pellican after their wonted manner to break bread upon the first day of the week and their purpose shewes what was their usual practice The disciples came not together till towards evening Obj. 4 for as soon they are met we read of lights in the upper room and this is no fair president for keeping a Sabbath They must needs be come together before Candle-lighti ng Answ 1 by is own principles otherwise how is it said they were assembled the first day of the week since he holds that the day begins and ends with the Sun-set evening The text saith not Answ 2 they met in the evening of the first day but on the first day and it might be in the morning for ought appears to the contrary The lights in the upper room ar gue not that it was late in the day before they assembled but long in the night before Paul ended his Sermon Besides supposing they came not together till towards the close of the day remembring still what perillous persecuteing times those were yet out of question the former part of the day was spent in religious exercises otherwise the disciples had rusht very rudely upon that sacred and solemn ordinance of the Lords Supper We should count them but sorry Christians that should dare to come reaking out of the world from their Merchandise or shops or fields or farms to sit down as guests at the Lords table The Saints example at Troas doth no more oblige us to their time Obj. 5 than their meeting in an upper chamber doth tie us to the like place If time and place be equal circumstances in religion Answ See Mr. Wowe of the Sab. then the old Prelatical Argument were good as the true worshippers of God are not tied to worship him either in Jerusalem or any other peculiar place but must worship him in spirit and in truth in all places so neither are they tied to any time of worship but may pray continually But this principle is out of plea now and I am perswaded in urging of it the objector fights against conscience and struggles against his own convictions For he ha's elswhere maintained time and place to be unequal circumstances and if not equal why does he argue from the one to the other But the truth is he ha's no game to play but what the Anti-Sabbatarian Prelatists have plaid and lost before him Only one card more which was none of their pack Examples do only allow us a liberty Obj. 6 page 13. of his Pamphlet nothing but a clear command can oblige us to a duty For instance community of goods is the Saints liberty because it was practiced but liberality of our proper substance is a duty because it is commanded Saints may freely seast before Communion because we have Apostolical president but all true disciples must break bread because we have Evangelical precept so we have liberty to meet the first day because we find the Saints at Troas then occasionally assembled but we are tied in duty to celebrate the seventh day Sabbath because it is commanded If this rule were as true as it is false Answ 1 he might blot out all the examples of the Saints recorded in Scripture For what are they good for To allow us a liberty only Why that we had before Had we never heard of the Saints meeting and Pauls preaching on the first day of the week yet I hope we had had free liberty to meet and worship on that day nevertheless what followes now Why by this Doctors new divinity absit blasphemia verbo the Holy Ghost ha's inserted this story in vain This leaf yea and twenty more might have been left out of the Bible without loss See the poison of a rotten error 'T is no less false Answ 2 that nothing but a clear command can oblige us to duty What must we limit the holy one of Israel must he deliver his mind and will only by way of precept May he not do it as well by promise or prophesie or proportion or consequence Must we teach the Lord how to teach us our duty pray what expresse command was there to sanctifie the Sabbath or what example of any one man that did sanctifie it for 2000. years after the Creation I mean in expresse terms Was it never a duty therefore till the Commandment came and is not Apostolicall example with a consequential command a sufficient rule for the observation of the Lords day He argued before for the Jewes Sabbath that we must be followers of Paul as he was of Christ how much better may we urge the same argument for the Lords day As thus Christ was present upon this day in the assembly of his disciples and kept it like a Sabbath John 20.19.26 and so Paul Acts 20.7 and we must follow Paul as he did Christ therefore we must keep holy the Lords day the
Lord and the things that he wrote to them were the Commandments of the Lord 1 Cor. 14.37 2. The thing enacted by this Ordinance and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 collecta See Dr. Day his Sermons on this Text. Collection for the Saints The word seems to be a metaphor taken from gathering of fruits or gleanings in harvest or rather as Beza notes from gathering of a shot at a banquet or friendly meeting as men invited to a Feast or Banquet use to make a purse and cast in every one his shot to gratifie the poor servants that belong to the house So the Apostle requires these Corinthians when they meet together at the Feast of the Gospel especially that heavenly Banquet of the Lords Supper the Feast of the great King that then they cast in something to make a purse for the poor servants of Christ in testimony of their thankfulness to the Master of the Feast This some take to be the sense of the word it signifies such a Collection or Contribution as men use to make when they meet at a Feast and it suites well with the next Particular 3. The time stated for such Collection The first day of the work Diem caetus designat P. Matt. ad loc Tum solitos fuisse convenire apparet Act. 20 7. Beza the day designed for their solemn Assemblies and that solemn Ordinance of the Lords Supper as was proved before Acts 20.7 Hence in Justin Martyr's time and ever since the Churches of Christ have walked according to this rule annexing their charitable contributions to the celebration of the Lords Supper But still the great Question is unresolved will some say namely Why the Apostle should limit this duty or work of mercy to the first day of the week Some answer it thus The Apostle therefore mentions the day S. M. Cawdrey because there is a special motive in it to stir up their charity being a day wherein they had received such inestimable bounties from the hands of God as the resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ and the like Now I confesse there is much weight in this answer 'T is the fittest time to expresse our thankfulnesse to God wherein we commemorate his greatest loving kindness to us Chrysostom is very clear in his Commentary upon this Scripture Vpon the first day of the week let every one lay by him in store 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Orat. 43. in 1 Cor. 11. c. See how he exhorts from the very time sayes he for that very day were sufficient to induce them to charity for call to mind saith he what you got on that day for unutterable good things even the root and rise of our life arose on that day Nor in that respect only is the time proper to quicken charity but because it hath rest also and relaxation from labour or abruption of business for the soul being discharged from labors becomes in a better frame and preparation to take pity and more than all this the communicating on this day in the Sacraments so dreadful and immortal puts the mind in great forwardness c. This exposition of Chrysostoms as it may deservedly challenge respect for the antiquity of it being above twelve hundred years old so much more for the truth of it being so agreeable to the Text it self For observe it well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. First He calls the first day of the week Christs Resurrection day and a little before the Lords day Secondly He concludes it was a Sabbath day or day of rest from labor and worki-day business And to my apprehension this is clearly imployed in the Text. For upon this day the Apostle would have them contribute to the poor members of Christ as God had prospered them to wit in the six foregoing work-dayes which argues a recollection and thankfull calling to mind the blessing of God upon their week-day labours and what can be more Sabbath like Besides the Greek word is emphatical as God hath prospered so we read it but it may be rendred thus as God hath given a good journey or a good voyage plainly intimating that upon every first day of the week they had rest and respit from their worldly imployments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.10 something like that of a travellour at his journey's end or a mariner when his voyage is over and he 's at rest in his harbour Thirdly He counts the first day of the week their Sacrament-day as indeed it was and the collection here injoined speaks as much And doubtless this was a powerfull argument to prompt them to liberality It were sordid ingratitude to spare a penny from the poor when a man considers that God hath not spared the precious blood of his Son Besides all this the first day of the week was the day of their solemn assemblies for prayer preaching prophesying singing of Psalms and other religious exercises all which were as fire to kindle their compassions towards their distressed brethren every word of God every Sermon every prayer every Psalm that was sung might add some fuel to that Heavenly flame of their brotherly love and Charity and for these causes the Apostle chose that time as the most select and choice opportunity to put them upon the practice of that duty But here we are way-laid with Objections If any can discern the Sts. assembling 1 Cor. 16. it must be by some other light than Gods word Obj. 1 T. T. I hope he will grant this text to be Gods word Answ and then if he have but eyes here is light enough For let him look upon the words once again What does Paul prescribe here Collections or contibutions to the poor Saints But who must contribute every one how must they contribute by way of casting into the common treasury so much the * Bucan concludes from hence that the Apostle gave order there should be commune aerarium a common treasury in the Church Loc. 42. de Ministerio word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies verse 2. and why so That there might be no gatherings when Paul came Which there must needs have been if every man had kept his contribution at home in his own Coffer So that it must be both a general and a publick contribution Therefore it must be in a publick congregation And why all this upon the first day of the week Why not upon some other day but to mark out this day above others for the weekly season of solemn assemblies as also to move them by the day to the duty What need there any mention of the first day of the week if they had not held their meetings on that day and if there had not been some special argument in the day to perswade them to the duty Paul does not enjoin them to lay it before the Deacons Obj. 2 but let every one of you lay by himself in store as God hath prospered him That is
day of the Lord will be as a day of refreshing to some so a stormy day of tempests and terrors to others and a great part of the tempest of that day will fall upon the thoughts and hearts of men for * Eccles 12. ult God will bring every secret thing into judgement we must be accountable not only for idle words but vain thoughts And thus much of the first thing we must keep the Sabbath as a day of rest but we must not rest in this rest we must not make it a Sabbath of idleness but a Sabbath of holiness we must not so much cease from working as change our work servile work for soul work worldly imployments for spiritual exercises That is the next thing 2. To our holy rest we must join holy work and this is either publike or private something indeed must be done in private before the publike our closet-devotions and Family duties common to other dayes must not he omitted this day but rather augmented their Sacrifices under the Law were * Numb 28.9 doubled upon the Sabbath-day and observe it Exod. 3.7 their first service was the burning of Incense before the Lord. Matth. 28.1 Mark 16.2 John 20.1 Now prayer is our Incense let this be our morning exercise in private Seek the Lord O my soul seek him early do as Mary Magdalen did she was early up to seek him whom her soul loved she was last at the Cross and first at the Sepulchre in the dawning while it was yet dark very early in the morning say the Evangelists Oh that our love to Christ could keep pace with hers Shall we love the world better than Christ if we have a journey to go about worldly concernments we can set out betimes oh that we were as wise for our souls as we are for our bodies let not sleep that devourer of time beguile us of our golden hours in the morning in which we are freshest and fittest for converse with God let the sluggard that sleeps with the Sun-beams in his face remember that saying of Austin If the Sun could speak how roundly might it salute thee with this reproof I laboured more then thou yesterday and yet I am risen before thee to day But this is too low an Argument behold the Sun of righteousness is risen and he rose early this day therefore let us not sleep as do others but say and sing with the Church f Isai 26. â— With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Having performed our morning exercises in private how cheerfully should we repair to the publike Assemblies and draw nigh to God in publike Ordinances on this acceptable day this season of grace when Christ sits in State as one speaks scattering treasures of grace amongst hungry and thirsty Saints that are poor in Spirit and wait for spiritual alms at the Throne of grace g Psal 84.1 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord My heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God And again h Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord. For the i Psal 87.2 Lord loveth the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Jacob and most sweetly the Prophet Isaiah speaking of Gospel-times k Isai 2 1 2. Many people shall go and say Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths A most lively prediction of our Christian solemn Assemblies the select season of which is signified by t he practice of the Apostles and Primitive Saints to be the first day of the week on this day they met to break bread and Paul preached to them Acts 20.7 on this day they were all together with one accord in prayer Acts 2.1 with chap. 1.2 4. and at these meetings the Scriptures were read by the Apostles command Tertul. Apol. cap. 39. Col. 4.16 1 Thes 5.27 to which may be added singing of Psalms usual at their solemn Assemblies 1 Cor. 14. an Ordinance by which God is much glorified and the souls of his people sweetly cheered and refreshed what greater act of honour can we do to the great God here on earth then publikely to praise him in the great Congregation especially on the Lords day Psal 111.1 when all the Churches of Christ in the world joyn consort with us in this melodious duty Hebr. 10.25 Let us not therefore forsake the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is while we enjoy publike Liberties and Ordinances let us improve them we know not how soon the songs of the Temple may be turned into howlings and Ichabod may be written upon all our Church-doors the glory is departed from Israel Lam. 1.4 16. the ways of Sion de mourn because none come to her solemn assemblies The Lord forbid that ever we should live to see that woful day wherein we shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man but shall not see it Let not our neglect of the Lords day provoke the Lord to deprive us of it let us conscienciously wait upon God in Sabbath-Assemblies and publick Ordinances lest we be forced for contempt of the publike to seek our bread in secret wandring up and down in caves and dens of the earth destitute afflicted tormented as we read of some better than our selves Heb. 11.38 39. Lastly The publike solemnities of the day being ended what remains but that we return again to our private exercises searching the Scriptures concerning the truths taught in publike as the * Acts 17.11 noble Bereans did to which we may joyn Repetition and Conference to whet the Word upon one anothers hearts let not our souls be weary of Sabbath-work only take heed as of resting in the rest so also in the work of the day for what one truly speaks of duties and actings of grace they are good duties and good graces but bad Christs the like may I say of Sabbaths never so well kept they are good Sabbaths but bad Saviours let our rest and confidence be only in Christ and to such as take him for their rest his work is but recreation and so indeed we should esteem it in a spiritual sense not looking upon it as a sowr task or a rigid exaction but calling the Sabbath a delight we should keep it accordingly even the whole day with the whole man as a day of delights to the Lord being transported beyond flesh and the world and having our conversation in heaven as much as is possible for creatures cloathed with flesh To come to a closure There is a double duty to be performed in private on the Lords day which I seriously advise Christians
circumstances considered it more then probable that this third Chapter is nothing but an history of what was done on the sixth day And so the mention of the Sabbath in the beginning of the second Chapter may well enough in order of things take place at the end of the third and then it will roundly follow That the first sin went before the first Sabbath As to that which is further alledged Exod. 31.17 Ans 3 That on the seventh day God rested and was refreshed I answer It is onely a Metaphorical expression for we may not think that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainted or was weary in the works of the Creation or that he needed any rest or respiration But when the Holy Ghost speaks to us men he delights to speak after the manner of men respecting more the weakness of our capacity than the exactness and propriety of the Phrase In a word suppose God's resting and being refreshed on the seventh day intimate some delightful satisfaction like that which men take in things that refresh their souls yet it follows not that this satisfaction was taken in the creatures but rather in Christ who had now undertaken God's satisfaction for man's transgression And this indeed is a sweet refreshing as to a guilty creature so to an angry God and in this sense the Scriptures do sweetly harmonize Isai 42.1 Mat. 3.17 Mat. 12.18 unanimously testifying that our blessed Redeemer is the person in whom the eternal God delighteth in whom the Father is well-pleased As for the other Scriptures which T.T. crouds in for company-sake in his Margin as Job 38.7 Luke 2.13 the one speaking of the Angels song at the Creation of the earth the other of their joyful Hymne at the birth of Christ I wonder how they make for his purpose to prove that man had not sinned before the Sabbath But impertinent quotations are no rarities in his book he would make a glorious shew of Scripture to dazle the eies of the simple when the Scriptures he cites are neither in sense nor sound applicable to his purpose which if it be not packing sophistry let the world judg Well his first tripartite argument is weighed and found to light And hitherto for ought appears to the contrary the first Sabbath was not before sin I proceed to the second 2. T. T s Argum. Some time sayes he must be allowed for the sin of Angels and after that for the parley with the woman and it was no little space wherein Adam gave significant names to the creatures For the Angels sin Ans 1 to guesse precisely at the time of it is neither easie nor necessary And in disputes of this nature we must be wise to sobriety not to curiosity a 1 Tim. 3.6 pride was a principal ingredient in their sin and b Job 4.18 God charged them with folly for their pride how much more folly shall sinful man be found guilty of who in the pride of his foolish heart shall presume to be wise above that which is written Some think that place Luke 10.28 may refer to the first fall of the Angels being mentioned as a check to the disciples ready to be lifted up with pride at the success of their ministry Ne factis miraculis superbirent discipuli adduxit Domiuus exemplum Satanae c. Stella in loc However it is most consentaneous to Scripture and Reason to conceive that the Angels being spiritual substances must in their actings whether good or evil be proportionable to their beings And sin being a spiritual evil how quick a progresse it might make in such creatures let any man judg who can but compare things spiritual with spiritual To me it is no great difficulty to apprehend that in a very few moments by an aspiring thought legions of Angels might become legions of Divels Especially being for ought I know linked together in a conjoyned apostasie For Adam's naming the creatures this also might soon be dispatched Answ 2 considering that not every individual creature as T.T. would have it but onely the birds and beasts were made to pass before Adam of which there are not many kinds Primi parentes insignes Philosophi Luther in Gâ—n Cap. 1. and not many of a kind created at first And doubtless it cost Adam no study to impose significant names upon them He had natural Philosophy enough concreated with him to know the properties and qualities of the creaures 1 Kin. 4.33 34 and he needed no dictionary to find out suitable names for them If Solomon after the Fall were so well read in the book of the creatures that he could write a complete Commentary upon it from the Cedar to the Hysop what shall we think of Adam before the Fall But to put all out of doubt Dr. Twisse moral of the Sabbath p. 51. that the naming of the Creatures took up no long time is evident for they were all named before Eve was formed Gen. 2.19 20. So as all this might be done before noon and time enough left before night for the acting of that fatal tragedy the Fall of Man as a judicious Writer concludes For the parley betwixt the Woman and the Serpent Answ 3 we have no reason to judge that long when the Scripture cuts it so short Questionless the Serpent was not onely a subtile but a nimble disputant and it was his policy to be as quick as he could that the woman might be conquered before she had time to recollect her self Besides in the judgment of most Interpreters she began to stagger and give ground at the first assault So that all this Authors conjectures laid together are too weak to bear the weight of that confident conclusion Nothing is more certain then that the Highest himself did both sanctifie and celebrate the first Sabbath and that before sin p. 11. I may well say nothing is more uncertain I have given some Scripture-arguments already to make it more then probable I shall add more in the third branch to make it little less then infallible that man fell on the sixth day For the present I shall onely cast in one Argument against the supposed institution of the Sabbath in Paradise If the Sabbath was instituted in Paradise Argu. then Adam did observe and was bound to observe the first Sabbath in Paradise But neither of these can be proved from Scripture Therefore c. 1. That Adam did unquestionably observe the first Sabbath in Paradise cannot be demonstratively proved from Scripture This is undeniable that whenever or where-ever he kept his first Sabbath he did it in imitation of God's example Now how could he rest a whole day by God's example till God had fully completed the first seventh dayes rest for his example Eph. 5.1 Imitation of God being a subsequent not a concomitant act a following of him as dear children not a fellow-acting with him I can therefore see
sufficient refutation of them 1. The seventh day being a sign makes it not a ceremony T.T. Obj. 1. p. 18. for Christ was a sign Isai 7.14 Luk. 2.34 the Saints are set for signs Isai 8.18 So is the holy Spirit 1 Joh. 4.13 yea for the same sign as the Sabbath is c. He might have added that circumcision Answ Exod. 13.9 Rom. 4.11 and the Passe over also were signs but then he had spoiled his argument for it is certain that both these were ceremonial yet doubtlesss it had been more proper and pertinent to have compared the old Sabbath with other old Ordinances then to have thus equalized it with Christ and his blessed spirit But to answer his instances Christ was propounded as a sign of Confirmation Isai 7. as a sign of Contradiction or a sign to be spoken against Luke 2. The Saints were set for signs of Wonder Isai 8. The holy spirit for a Witness and not properly a sign now what cognation and alliance is there betwixt these and the old Sabbath which as to the day was a distinguishing sign and that for a season only therefore temporary I will not say ceremonial The Sabbath is set for a sign of things past as the worlds Creation not of good things to come Obj. 2 as the ceremonial Sabbaths So also are the annual Sabbaths Answ Deut. 16.1 c. Passeover and Pentecost ordained in memorial of things past as their deliverance from Egypt and the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai yet both are abolished although I grant the Sabbath was never abolished or abrogated as to the substance of it only altered in respect of the circumstance If the morality of the Sabbath cease by being a sign Obj. 3 upon the same account must the whole law cease to be moral since Gods spirit hath set it also for such a sign Deut. 8.6 Thou shalt bind it as a sign upon thine hand But This is frivolous for every child can distinguish between the book and the binding of it Answ Numb 15.38 39 40. The law it self was not a sign but the binding it on their hands and that for a remembrancing sign only the proper use of their fringes and Phylacteries By the way if I mistake not here is a plain contradiction for a little before he had argued that the Sabbath was such a sign as the holy spirit is and now he makes it such a sign as the wearing of the law upon their hands was If one of these be true the other must needs be false for the one is internal the other was external and visible only And this is the Goliahs sward he talks of wherewith He fights with his own fancy Answ 2 for who of sound judgment ever affirmed that the morality of the Sabbath must cease as a sign still he runs upon his ol mistake that the old seventh day was the morality of the Sabbath which we have constantly denyed and disproved The term seventh day is not set for a sign but the term Obj. 4 p. 19. Sabbath The Word Sabbath is very often Answ Levit. 19.3 Isai 1.13 Lam. 1.7 Mat. 12.5.11 Mark 1.21 Luk. 4.31 Acts 13.14 Chap. 17.2 though not alwayes put for the old seventh day especially when it is used in the plural number as here it is Therefore I conclude as before that the day and not the duty is hee set for a temporary sign the duty no otherwise then as it is peculiarly related to the day T is not a Sabbath in general much less the Commandment concerning a weekly Sabbath but the old Sabbath then in use which was given the Jews as a sign and so designed for change for change I mean in respect of the time not of the thing according to that of Augustine who writing against Faustus the Manichee who sought to overthrow the faith of Christians by maintaining that Moses and Christ were opposite in their Doctrines alledging among other things that there was one tradition of Moses another of Christ concerning the Sabbath answers him thus Their doctrine was not divers Non diversa doctrina sed diversum tempus August contra Faust Man lib. 16. cap. 28. only the time or day was different intimating that Moses and Christ were both for a weekly Sabbath but Moses for the last Christ for the first day of the week And thus we have made good the second Position That the old Sabbath being made alterable in the first Institution was further manifested to be alterable in the second Edition of the Sabbath A few words shall suffice for the third POSITION III. That the Old Sabbath was yet further evidenced to be alterable and changeable in the after Observation of it FOr proof whereof I shall only cite the practise of our blessed Saviour in which the Adversary glories most as if it made only for him T is his ground argument for the perpetuity of the old seventh day that Christ did most of his cures and famous miracles on that day Now learned Chemnitius takes the same argument and turns the edge of it against him thus De abrogatione Sabbathi Mosaici dictis docuit Christus libertatem factis sapiuo testatam fecit cum Sabbathis sanaret c. Chemn Examen Concil Trident. cap. de Festis ubiplura The Lord Jesus both by word and deed hath taught us that the Mosaical Sabbath was to be abrogated not only in that he proclaimed himself Lord of the Sabbath but in that he often witnessed his liberty and power over it by sundry of his cures performed on that day Some instance in the cure of the man born blind John 9.6 7 14. Others in the miraculous cure of that cripple or impotent man John 5 whereas Dr. Lightfoot learnedly observes there was the most apparent sign towards the shaking and alteration of the Sabbath as to the day that we meet withall in the New Testament till the alteration it self came To this purpose let the context be duly considered and we shall find two things observable in it 1. What our Saviour did on the Sabbath day he healed a long languishing malady a disease of 38. years standing 2 What he sayed upon this occasion and that 1. To the man his patient 2. To the Jewes his persecutors who call him in question about it To the man he said Take up thy bed and walk Now the question is why our Lord should enjoyn this man to carry his bed on the Sabbath day the expresse letter of the law prohibiting the bearing of any burthens on that day T. T. Supposes that it was either for the confirmation of the miracle to shew the perfectness of the cure Jerem. 17.21 p. 21. or for the publication of Gods glory but it is answerd that both these might have been done as well by his walking upon his feet and leaping as in the like case wee read elsewhere or at least by bearing his bed the next day
the mighty God King of Saints and King of Nations having all power in heaven and earth put into his hands alter a circumstance concerning the Sabbath by translating it from the last to the first day of the week Well if he had power to alter it then it was alterable which was the thing to be proved If it be said the question is not what the Lord could do but what he did whether he did indeed alter the Sabbath as to the day I answer we shall put this question out of question in the next Position POSITION IV. That the Old Sabbath was actually altered and changed from the last to the first day of the week by the authority of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that upon the noble account of our Redemption manifestly accomplished by his most glorious resurrection from the dead on that day FOR the Confirmation whereof I shall First propound some Scripture-Arguments Secondly Produce some Authentick Records of antiquity both which we shall find harmoniously concurring in all the three branches of this Position First That the day is certainly changed Secondly That this change was occasioned by our Saviours most glorious Resurrection Thirdly That this was done by the Soveraign authority of Christ himself either immediately in his own person or mediately by the prescript and practise of his inspired Apostles either or which will be sufficient We shall begin with Scripture-proof and argument in way of Preface whereunto let it be premised that this truth is not Syllabically and totidem verbis in so many words at length set down in Scripture neither needs it considering the question in not about the change of the septenary number one day in seven but the order only the last for the first of seven and besides it is not the Lords method and manner of speaking in many other New Testament-cases as Church-Government Family-worship and sundry others which were plain enough in the Old Testament to express himself in full sentences but very briefly in short hints and touches here a little and there a little to exercise the ingenuity of believers not to fatisfie the curiosity of Cavillers The Scriptures were no more designed to answer all the cavilling questions of wanton wits then the Sun was made for them to see that shut their eyes yet I deny not the sufficiency of Scripture-light to make us wise unto salvation only we must not presume to give laws to Heaven and teach the Lord how to speak But a Hebr. 12.25 see that ye refuse not him that speaketh from heaven that speaketh I say not only by express word but by his b V. 24. blood or death and so also by his c Joh. 2.19 21. Rom. 1.3 4. resurrection from the dead by the d John 15.26 mission of his Spirit by the unction and inspiration of his Apostles whose writings are his words their counsels his commands their pattern and practise his e 1 Cor. 14.37 precept f Luke 10.16 for he that heareth them heareth him therefore let him that hath an ear hear the voice of Christ yea though he open his mouth in a parable to carnal reason g Psalm 78.1 Mat. 13.9 35. as it seems he does even in some of his Gospel-law yea let us hear Christ speaking by his Spirit I mean the spirit of Prophecy breathing in the Old Testament for h Rev. 19.10 the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy nay let us learn to spell his word out of his works for his i John 5 36. ch 10. 25. works do testifie of him In a word consider it is k Luke 11.49 Wisdome it self that uttereth her voice in the written word and she useth to speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much in a little yea to speak by l Mat. 22.32 Acts 14.47 arguments couched in Scripture as well as express affirmations and what those Scripture-arguments are which speak the change of the Sabbath as here stated we come now to shew The first may be taken from the new Creation Arg. 1 or reparation of the world by Christ as thus Incongruum erat veteris Creationis Sabbathum novae Creatimi Lighâ—f Horae Hebr. p. 321. ubi plura The new Creation must have a new Sabbath or set-day of Commemoration now this new Creation came in by Christs resurrection Therefore a new Sabbath The form of this argument I grant is not found in Scripture but the force of it is as shall be seen in the proof of each proposition 1. That the new Creation must have a Sabbath of Commemoration This may not only be gathered from parity of reason but plain Scripture prophecy I might recite that forementioned famous Text in Isai ch 65. 17. Behold I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall no more be remembred i. e. in respect of solemnity for otherwise remember the work of Creation we do and must but not as the greater work for look as the Jews m Isai 43.18 19. Jer. 16.15 16. ch 23. 7 8. deliverance out of Egypt was subordinated by their after-deliverance out of Babylon so is the work of Creation by that of Redemption whereby the world at least the Church was put into a new frame and form Anno Mundi changed for Anno Domini upon the account whereof as the year of the world was worthily changed for the year of our Lord so was the old Sabbath for the Lords day But that which I would further argue from Isai 65. is this The old Sabbath cannot stand with the new Creation therefore it must have a new or none This was touched before Posit 1. that there should be none at all none but old Anabaptists Familists and Atheists will affirm And that the old cannot stand is evident because the foundation on which it stood the memory and celebrity of the worlds Creation is swallowed up by the glory of a greater work Sicuti Sol exoriens stellis eripit suum fulgorem Calv. in Loc. and we cannot possibly retain that old seventh day but we must memorize our Creation above our Redemption our being above our well-being which were expresly to contradict this ancient promise and Prophecy If it be objected that this Scripture is not yet fulfilled because the Apostle sayes 2 Pet. 3.12 we look for new heavens and a new earth viz. at the end of the world I answer Although it shall then receive a further accomplishment in the latter yet inchoatively and sufficiently as to the thing in question it was fulfilled long ago even before the name Jew was laid aside and the name Christian take up Isai 65.15 So ch 62. 2. for let the context be minded vers 15. the Prophet foretels the rejection of the Jews and the change of their name for the Christian name Ye shall leave your name for a curse to my people Ac si Dominus diceret non amplius nomen
Judaerum celebrabitur amittetis regnum Sacrdotium celebrabitur nomen Christianorum Luther for the Lord God will slay thee and call his servants by another name and then v. 17. he intimates the coming in of this new name as a consequent of the new Creation For behold I make new heavens c. So that these new heavens must be created before the Disciples were called Christians Acts 11.26 and so far accomplished then as to out-shine the first Creation the supereminency whereof was the foundation on which theold seventh day stood I may therefore safely conclude The old Sabbath cannot possibly stand with the new Creation unless some new device can be found out to make an old house stand without a foundation But yet further that the work of the new Creation must necessarily draw after it a new Sabbath will more evidently appear if we look to the next Chapter Isai 66. opened where this Evangelical prophet seems rather to write an history then a prophecy of the new world under the Messiah describing it 1. By its new inhabitants or Church-members namely the n Verse 12.18 19 20. Gentiles 2. By its new Church-officers under those old titles of o V. 21. Priests and Levites I will also take of them meaning the converted Gentiles for Priests and for Levites saith the Lord. 3. By its new seasons of solemn worship under those old terms of new Moons and Sabbaths Vers 23 It shall come to pass that from one new Moon to another New Moons and Sabbaths by a figurative kind of phrase two words used to express one and the same thing are here put for the ordinary stated seasons of solemn worship in general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Kings 4.23 Ezek. 46.1 or from moneth to moneth as in the Hebrew and from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come and worship before me saith the Lord that is all sorts of men without exception exemption or exclusion of any Now let us see what may be argued from this Scripture that the Prophet here points at Gospel-times is plain enough yea the whole succession of Gospel-times for the things here prophesied of are such as run parallel with the Church state of the Gentiles and the constituting of a publick Ministry chosen from among them Again that new things are here intended by these old names is without dispute a Gospel-ministry by Priests and Levites distinct from the Levitical priesthood and why not by Sabbaths and new Moons select seasons of worship under the Gospel distinct from those under the Law For that it cannot be meant of the old Sabbath and Old Testament-times of worship may be thus demonstrated That interpretation which would render the Prophet Isaiah a false Prophet cannot be true But to interpret this prophecy from moneth to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come and worship before the Lord of the Jews Saturday-Sabbath would render the Prophet Isaiah a false Prophet since the experience of these sixteen hundred years can testifie that no flesh at all or none to speak of have owned that day as a day of solemn worship but expound it of the Christian Sabbath and so it holds true to a tittle for the first day of the week has been owned and observed by all Churches in all ages ever since the Sun of righteousness arose on that day and thus what the Lord foretold by his Prophet he has fulfilled by his Providence and this spirit of Prophecy proves the testimony of Jesus And so I suppose we have found even Old Testament-proof of a New Testament-Sabbath or which comes all to one the ordinary stated season of solemn worship under the Gospel distinct from that under the Law and all this in close connexion with the new Creation for verse 22. it is said As the new heavens and new earth which I will make shall remain before me so shall your name and your seed remain and then presently it followes from moneth to moneth and Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come and worship before me saith the Lord. Thus the Major or first Proposition is made good that the new Creation must have a new Sabbath 2. Now for the second That Christ by his resurrection brought in the new Creation we may appeal to that of the Apostle Hebr. 9.26 where our Saviours death and suffering is stated upon the end of the world and if the old world ended with his death the new must needs come in with his resurrection from the dead whereby he brought in a new generation the out-casts of the Gentiles and so a new creation of the same kind mentioned in a Isal 41.19 20 Ephes 2.10 11 Isaiah That the in-come of the Gentiles was to take its rise from our Lords resurrection is not obscurely signified by himselfe in that b Mat. 12.39.40 sign which he gave the Jewes the sign of the Prophet Jonas who was the Prophet of the Gentiles Fatentur ipsi Judaei regnum Messiae inchoandum à resurrectionemortuorum renovatione mundi Lightf Hor. Hebr. hereby he did not only point at his own resurrection as one observes but also secretly gall the Jewes with an intimation of the calling of the Gentiles upon his resurrection as the Ninivites were called upon Jonahs resurrection from the grave of the Whalesbelly And thus some expound that place Thy c Isal 26.19 dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise as reserring not only to the corporal resurrection of d Mat. 27.53 those that came out of their graves at Christs resurrection but also to the calling and quickning of the poor dead Gentiles who are said to be e Ephes 2.5 6. quickened together with Christ and raised up together with him Again that the new creation both as to persons and things followes upon Christs resurrection may be gathered from that f 2 Cor. 5.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 known Text of Scripture If any man be in Christ he is a new Creation as in the Greek old things are passed away behold all things are become new The Apostle seemes to argue from things to persons * A new name Acts 11 26. A new Jerusalem Rev. 3.12.2 new song Isal 42.10 a new Testament Heb. 8.13 all things new Rev. 21.5 See Dr. Gouge Progress of providence p. 9. All things in Christ are become new a new Jerusalem a new Church a new Covenant new Ordinances new Heavens and a new earth therefore all his followers must be new creatures and this he infers from verse 15 inasmuch as Christ dyed for us and rose again and we may place the accent upon his rising again as in another case the Apostle does g Rom. 8.34 It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again There is a rather put upon the resurrection of Christ in comparison of his death and passion so there in point of justification and so it may be here in respect
And here I cannot but note how emphatically the truth answers the type w Deut. 5.15 c. 6.21 9.26 Exod. 24.8 ch 15.1 21. for look as Israel was redeemed from Egypt with a mighty hand not as captives but as conquerours with the ruine and spoll of their enemies so were the elect redeemed by Christ not barely in a way of ransome by the price of his blood but in a way of rescue and conquest by the hand of his power as in the day of his triumphant resurrection concerning which the Prophet seems to speak x Isai 53.13 I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoile with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death Thus in substance there is an admirable similitude betwixt the type and the Antitype yea the very circumstance of time is considerable for upon search into Scripture I believe it will be found that their deliverance out of Egypt was on the first day of the week in memorial whereof they kept the feast of unleavened bread y Exod. 15.3 4 5. with because they came forth with their z Exod. 12.6 unleavened lumps being thrust out in hast that it was upon the first day of the week appears from the twelfth chap. where the Passeover is fixed upon the a Exod. 12.6 fourteenth day of the moneth then it was first instituted and celebrated now the fourteenth day of the moneth must needs be the second Sabbath of the moneth even of the moneth Abib answering to our March which was here made the beginning of moneths or the first moneth in the year From the Creation of the world till now they began their year with the moneth Tisri or September See Dr. Lightfoots gleanings on Exod. p. 20. but here upon a work greater in figure as representing our Redemption by Christ about the same time of the year the beginning of their year is changed to Abib and the Passeover being killed the fourteenth day at even the midnight following the first born of Egypt were slain But yet still Israel is in Egypt only their longs girt V. 11. and shoones on their feet ready to depart and see how it followes The Egyptians being dreadfully alarum'd by the death of the first-born resolve to be troubled no longer with such fatal Guests and therefore in a great hurry they pack them away intreat and importune them to be gone Pharaoh did not more force them to stay before then now to depart But Israel must not go empty-handed they must be well paid for their hard service some time must be spent in borrowing the Egyptians Jewels by that time they were furnished for their journey we may suppose it was well towards the morning and now all the Armies of the Lord march out of Egypt in the b Levit. 26.4 5. sight of all the Egyptians this was on the c Numb 33.3 fifteenth day of the first moneth the morrow after the Passeover and the fourteenth dcay being the Sabbath this must needs be the first day of the week which was afterwards kept as a solemn Festival and called the d Levit. 23.6 7. Numb 28.17 Deut. 16.3 feast of unleavened bread in which they were to have a holy convocation and to do no work To this the Apostle plainly alludes e 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Christ our Passeover was sacrificed for us wherefore let us keep the feast he points at the feast of unleavened bread Paul was an excellent Critick he understood these sacred mysteries he knew Christs Passion and humiliation was our Passeover which lasted as long as he lay in the grave being under the pains t Acts 2.24 or sorrowes of death and the day of his resurrection answering to the first day of unleavened bread which originally was on the first day of the week here upon he concludes let us keep the feast I will not say here is a precept for the Christian Sabbath but drawing aside the veile from Moses face this I may safely say here is a proof of it and a plain argument for it for Israels Redemption from Egypt and our Redemption from death and hell being both on the first day of the week completed and the former of these in the type being alledged as the reason of the fourth Commandment with a total omission of the Argument drawn from the creation Deut. 5.15 and that in the repetition or second promulgation of the Law seems to speak plainly what I alledg it for that the accomplishment of that type states the Sabbath on the day of Christs resurrection which all the four Evangelists tell us as the first day of the week But 2. Let us passe on to the promissory part of the Covenant and see if some change be not made there also and whether the change of the Sabbath be not necessitated by it I shall only instancei n that fundamental and complexive promise of Christ who was indeed the sum and substance of all the rest for f 2 Cor. 1.20 in him they are all Yea and in him Amen And therefore we must with g Bphes 2.12 Una fuit promissio sed saepius sancita Beza in Loc. promise in the singular number when mention is made of Covenants in the plural to intimate that all the periods and promises of the old Covenant did concenter and meet together in that grand promise of the Messiah He was both the h Gen. 3.15 seed of the Woman the i Gen. 22.18 seed of Abraham the seed k Psalm 122.10 11 12. of David the seed of Mary or son of the l Isai 7.14 Virgin and to say the truth all these after-promises were but as so many Commentaries upon that first promise The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head Now as long as Christ was tendred in that old promise the old Covenant was still in force The old Covenant was a Covenant of promise the new Covenant is Covenant performance and together with it the old Sabbath in ue But the promise being once performed Christ fully exhibited and a new Covenant established the old as to the expressure of it was instantly changed Hebr. 8.13 and together with it the old Sabbath which had neither birth before nor being after it unless for a season in condescention to the infirmity of the Jewes whose weak eyes could not indure the bright Sun shine of the Gospel all at once Now if it be demanded when and where we shall state the accomplishment of that old Covenant and the establishment of the new I answer both upon te resurrection of Jesus Christ the first day of the week For First Then and thereby was the grand Covenant-promise performed As the Apostle assures us in that forementioned Text m Act. 13.32 33 We declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made to our fathers God hath fulfilled the same to us their children
it agrees not with the scope of the context which is to disswade them from unbelief as the root of Apostasie ch 3. 12. Take heed Brethren of an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God where the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 18.19 word doth properly and without all question signifie unbelief And the Apostles rendring of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies either unbeliefe or disobedience by another word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies unbelief only v. 18.19 does evidently speak his meaning namely that we should take heed of falling by Israels example of unbelief which is the mother of all * John 16.8 9 vice as faith is the mother of grace And therefore ch 4. v. 1. he cautions us to fear lest a promise being left any of us should seem to come short Now the promise is the ground of Faith as the precept is of obedience I conclude therefore it is not so much Israels disobedience as Israels unbelief upon which the stress of the argument is laid To take the Apostles admonition as a caution against the neglect of the old Sabbath is utterly to mistake his main mark and scope For his grand design is to prevent their Apostasie from Christ and his Gospel not from Moses and his law And I am perswaded if any Sabbath-breaking be here intended it is to deterre them from the breach of the Christian Sabbath To understand this Scripture there remaineth the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God of the old seventh-day-Sabbath Answ 3 is utterly to invalidate the Apostles argument because it confounds that distinction of rests on which he grounds his argument For 't is evident See Mr. White of Dutch in this Tex p. 230 the Apostle speaks of several and distinct rests and insists most strongly upon the opposition between Moses words Gen. 2. and the words of David Psalm 95. not Psalm 45. as T.T. misquotes it and makes it most manifest that David could not mean the rest of the Sabbath of which Moses speakes Gen. 2. for Hebr. 4.3 thus he reasons David speaks of a rest to come but Moses speakes of a rest past therefore David cannot mean the rest of the old Sabbath of which Moses speaks which was entred into so long before And verse 5. he takes up the same opposition again and in this place i. e. of David again if they shall enter who sees not a manifest opposition betwixt these two have entred and shall enter That word although v. 3. relates not to the sin of Israel but the saying of David And thus this Authors first fancy is battered There remaineth therefore the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God but no the old Sabbath T is set down in the Margin of our Bibles the keeping of a Sabbath whence they would evade the seventh-day Sabbath Obj. 2 T.T. although the Dictionaries and Lexicons render ib plainly the keeping of the Sabbath The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answ without an Article and therefore this is a meer causless cavil and as for Lexicons that render the Greek into Latin I suppose be will find neither a nor the in any of them for these are English particles and as for Latin Dictionaries he may look long enough before he will find the word in any of them for t is a pure Grecism And thus I think he has shewed his Scholarship with a witness No wonder such an accurate Critick casts odium upon the Translatours t is much he does not give us a Bible of his own making The Scripture gives full evidence Obj. 3 p. 144. that Christ entred into his rest the true seventh day he means the old seventh day when he had finished his great work of Redemption and for this he cites Acts 2.26 where t is said his flesh did rest in hope The* word signifies only thus much Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his flesh did remain in hope and it may be as well rendred remain as rest It implyes no such thing as Sabbatical rest He cites Job 17.3 for Job 3.17 an argument he is not infallable As for Job 3.17 which he misquotes again it makes nothing for his purpose All that it speaks is this There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary are at rest Teaching us that the grave is a place of rest from external impressions of violence and cruelty as also from trouble labour and sorrow to the people of God They shall rest in their beds sayes the Prophet Yet I hope he will grant the grave is a softer bed to Saints then it was to our Saviour for as he took away the sting of death by dying and rising again so also the horror of the grave by being buried Certain it is that Christs burial was a part of his humiliation and while he lay in the grave he lay under the sorrowes paines or chains of death as the Holy Ghost witnesseth Acts 2.24 And who ever doubted but our Saviours durance in the Sepulchre was penal Even the Lutherans who attribute more then is meet to the buriall of Christ as they do to his body do confess that it was a part of his humiliation and that hereby he underwent that penalty Gen. 3.19 vide Gerh. Supplem ad Chem. Harm p. 230. as well as his death upon the Crosse How then did he rest from the work of Redemption as long as he lay under the arrest of death in the prison of the grave Certainly all his humiliation work was Redemption-work from his Birth to his burial and setting aside his Crucifixion we have reason to think our Redeemer was not so much humbled all the three and thirty years of his life as the three dayes and three nights after his death while he lodged in the heart of the earth Before he was but as the Sun in a cloud but now as the Sun under a total Eclipse as to the view of the world And doubtless for the blessed Son of God and Lord of Glory to lie down in the a Psalm 22.15 Ephes 4 9. dust of death and suffer himself to be trampled under the feet of that Tyrant was no small degree of abasement But to be sure whatever our blessed Redeemers rest were before his Resurrection either that of his Soul in glory or the other of his body in the grave it could make nothing for the Saturday-Sabbath for neither of these rests were entred into on the seventh day but both on the sixth day The b John 19. v. 14 31.42 day before the Sabbath he was crucified and the same day he was buried otherwise how is it said That he rose again the third day c 1 Cor. 15.4 according to the Scriptures Methinks this should make the Objector blush to look back upon his anti-scriptural conclusion That Christ entred into his rest on the true seventh-day-Sabbath expounding it of his rest in the
weak Christians he goes into the Temple to purifie himself the Jewes which were of Asia make a loud out cry against him V. 28 saying Men of Israel help this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people and the law and this place By which Testimonies t is evident that St. Paul was a rigid Non-conformist and that he did mightily cry down the customes of Moses in all Christian Churches If you ask me what customes I answer they are not particularly mentioned onely these two Epistles do witness that he had decryed circumcision the old Sabbath and other dayes and rites of legal worship therefore in all likelyhood these were some of those condemned customes And hereupon it seems the old Ebionites rejected Pauls writings rating him as an * Apostatam legis eum dicentes Iren. lib. 1. ch 26. Apostate because he wrote against the customes of Moses chiefly circumcision and the old Sabbath both which the Ebionites eagerly contended for and therefore they were branded for Hereticks to all succeeding generations and well they deserved it But it may be demanded by what warrant did St. Paul cry down these Mosaical customes and upon what ground I answer his warrant was e Gal. 1.1 he that raised Christ from the dead gave him his commission signed in Heaven and his ground was good For the Lord Jesus himself was designed to change these customes so much St. Steven does upon the matter affirm for he was accused for saying That f Acts 6.14 Jesus of Nazareth should change the customes which Moses had delivered Mark the expression the very word change is brought in as an Article against this blessed Martyr The only crime they had to lay to his charge was this that he should say Jesus of Nazareth should change the customes which Moses had desivered 'T is true they accused him for speaking blasphemy against Moses law and therefore they are called g V. 13. false witnesses or false accusers but like enough that which they called blasphemy St. Steven had spoken very like in his dispute with the h V. 9 10. Libertines Cyrenians and Alexandrians he might speak something to this effect that Christ should destroy the Temple and change the law and ordinances which Moses had given them Whether he did affirm it or no the thing it self is a certain truth the Lord Jesus has changed the Traditions of Moses he has changed the i Heb. 7.12 law and the Priesthood the Covenant and the Seales of the Covenant circumcision for Baptism the Passeover for the Lords Supper the typical k Mal. 1.11 John 4.21 place and times of worship all things lyable to change he has certainly changed and among the rest the old Sabbath which was mutable from the beginning as we have shewed elsewhere But I conceive St. Steven had indeed asserted this truth for being charged with it does he deny it No he rather stands to maintain and justifie it ch 7. * V. 47. and accordingly God justifies him by making his face to shine before the Council like the face of an l ch 6. 15. Angel for indeed it was the Doctrine of an m Dan 9.26.27 Angel which he had delivered and to come to some issue that which I would further observe is this St. Paul although at that time neither Saint nor Paul was present at the Martyrdom if not the tryall of Steven and did n Acts 22.20 ch 26. 10. consent to his death and doubtless he could not but know the cause for which he suffered which was partly this Reader note this as a convincing argument that a Sabbath or day joyned with other Jewish holy-dayes yet distinguished from them can be no other then their seventh day Sabbath and this is often condemned never commanded in all the new Testament therefore thou must make a new Gospel if thou wilt maintain that old Sabbath for saying that Jesus of Nazareth should change the customes which Moses had delivered a truth sealed with the blood of this Protomartyr Now I would offer it to further consideration whether this might not be one ground of this great Apostles after zeal against the Ordinances Rites and Customes which Moses had delivered and in particular circumcision and the old Sabbath But I shall not go by guesse and conjectural probability Thus much I infer from the premises as matter of certainty The customes which Paul taught people to cast off were the customes delivered by Moses Acts 21.21 which were destinated to be changed by Christ Acts 6.14 But Paul taught people to cast off circumcision and the old Sabbath Colos 2.12.16 Gal. 4.10 ch 5. 2. Therefore these were the customes delivered by Moses and destinated to change by Christ That circumcision was none Question but the scruple is about the Sabbath for it may be objected the Sabbath was long before Moses time as old as Adam Apostate Adam at least I answer so also circumcision was long before Moses time being given at first to o Gen. 17.9 10 Acts 7.8 Abraham yet circumcision is said to be given by p John 7.22 Moses because he was the first that wrote of it and the like may be said for the old Sabbath which was one of those customes delivered or made known by the hand of Moses Neh. 9.14 and ranked with the rest of those ceremonial festivals Levit. 23. But to be sure whatever St. Steven in his dispute with the Libertines and Cyrenians asserted St. Paul in his Epistles to the Colossians and Galatians hasevidently concluded the discharge of the old seventhday T. T. has little to say to Gal. 4. only this * p. 23. That Paul does not here condemn the observation of all dayes c. onely beggarly seasons and elements Neither do we say that all dayes are here condemned or disallowed The Lords day the first day of the week we are sure is not for this was established by this very Apostle in these very Churches of q 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Galatia and to condemn this had been to crosse his own Ordinance But we say all Judaicall dayes for dayes months years do all referr to that specialty Jewish solemnities are here discharged and condemned and among the rest the old seventh day And as for the objectors Minatory charge If any man be so bold to call this a beggarly element at his peril be it Let the Holy Apostle answer it He had best tell St. Paul at your peril be it Paul if you dare call the old Sabbath a shadow of things to come or a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poore Rudiment for so he may qualifie the termes if he please but where lies the peril Why not the old Sabbath a poore rudiment he hints this as his reason Because God instituted and observed it Observed it how did God observe it Take heed of unbeseeming termes When we speak of the glorious God we had need speak as the
rise from the dead on the seventh day Did he ever appear to his disciples on that day Did he breath forth the blessed Spirit on that day Did he ever preach a Sermon after his Resurrection on that day But I need go no further here is light enough if men had but eyes I hope by this time the Objector sees the invalidity of his second Argument that which he calls the Sons confirmation He proceeds to a third from the Spirits approbation of the seventh day What ever the blessed Spirit shall approve of Obj. 3 we may rest upon it as an infallible truth T. T. p. 81. to 94. But he has highly approved of the seventh day witness first his high applause of the pious womens resting on the seventh day according to the Commandment Luke 23. ult Which although it were after Christs crucifixion yet St Luke was not inspired to write his Gospel till after his ascention Secondly The Spirits glorious manifestation and mighty operation on the day of Pentecost Acts 2. Which he would fain perswade us to be the seventh day Thirdly The Spirits constant appellation calling the seventh day and none but that the Sabbath day c. Here is a great shew of Argument but it signifies little and concludes nothing when it comes to scanning For Although it seem to be spoken in praise of these holy women Answ 1 that they rested the Sabbath-day according to the Commandment yet as was elswhere noted this was before our Saviours resurrection not after And how ever they are commended for keeping the Sabbath before Christs resurrection yet others are condemned or sharply blamed for observing dayes the seventh day not excepted after Christs assention I mean as the Apostle does Jewish dayes Gal. 4.10 O but St. Luke wrote not his Gospel till after the ascention Answer What then was the old Sabbath therefore in force at that time by the same rule he may conclude the Passeover mentioned by the same Evangelist in the * ch 22 v. 7. foregoing Chapter was then in force too We are to judge of these womens practise according to the date of their act not according to the date of the Evangelists book Besides some take these words to be no commendation but a bare historical narration And if the particular day be here intended as referring to the Commandment they conceive it may be spoken signantèr and according to the original the Text may be rendered thus they returned and prepared spices and ointments * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rested that Sabbath day indeed according to the Commandment that is they rested indeed that Sabbath day but never after upon that day according to the Commandment Again others expound it thus it was not the particular day on which the Sabbath was then kept so much as their * Mr. Collier against Fisher p. 13 14. manner of keeping it which is looke at in referring to the Commandment and so the commendation pitches rather upon the quomodo then the quando therefore it is not said they rested the seventh day as T.T. prints it but they rested the Sabbath day or day of rest according to the Commandment the most that can be made of it is this that t is a commendable thing to dedicate a day of rest to religious and holy rest The Spirits appellation argues not his divine approbation Answ 2 my meaning is The Holy Ghosts often I cannot say alwayes calling the seventh day Sabbath day proves not his approbation of that day for our Christian weekly holy-day under the Gospel because under the same name and title he has bin pleased to disown that day Colos 2.16 No matter though it be sometimes called Sabbath after it was discharged for so is circumcision called circumcision and the other Festivals of the Jewes Pentecost especially called * 1 Cor. 16.8 Pentecost long after it was degraded from the dignity of a solemn Festival as a man may be called by his proper name afer he is dead and buried And so I might proceed to the refutation of his next notion about the feast of Pentecost viz. That it fell that year on the Saturday or seventh day but this shall receive a more full answer in a more fit and proper place His fourth and last Argument for the seventh day is from the Saints observation which runs chiefly upon the practice of Paul it would be too tedious to transcribe his whole story Take the strength of it as it follower in this plausible Objection As it was Christs constant custome to celebrate the seventh day Sabbath Luke 4.18 So it was Pauls Acts 172. Obj. 4 and such as his custome was such was his commission and we must be followers of Paul as he was of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 t is his own rule Philip. 4.9 Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do Only it must be understood with these limitations that Pauls practice be plain possible peaceable Evangelicall and unrepealed for we may not follow Paul in his compliance with the Jewes in ceremonials no not to gain the Jewes But his practice in observing the seventh day was truly Evangelical and never in the least tittle repealed nor altered neither was it his single practice but the custome of all his companions and associates Acts 13.13 14. ch 15.40.16 13 17 24. And that not only among the Jewes but the Gentiles also Acts 13.42 ch 18.4 Therefore he did it not to please the Jewes but purposely for a pattern to the Gentiles Hence he exhorts the Corinthians Gentile Churches to follow him as he followed Christ and it was at Corinth that he kept the Sabbath Acts 18. Therefore this was the pattern wherein he would have them be his followers and us also for the Epistle is written to us as well as to them 1 Cor. 1.2 Thus he pleads Pauls custome and addes It was his constant custome and whereas saies he it is made a great Argument for the observation of the first day that Paul preached once that day Acts 20.7 it is as clear Paul preached every sabbath-Sabbath-day Acts 18.4 Only the Translators have not dealt so clearly upon which account among others he charges them with sin yea with inexcuseable sin p. 139. because Acts 20.7 they render the word preaching for the greater advancement of the first day whereas Acts 18.4 they call it reasoning to obscure the seventh day although the Greek word be the same in both places Then he frames an objection against himself which he can never an swer Obj. Paul only took that opportunity to preach to the people To which he answers 1. They that object thus speak without book 2. They make the Apostle a constant dissembler 3. They may as warrantably lay this crime to Christ himself that he took such opportunities and not in conscience of the Sabbath Thus he words it out and casts seducing glosses upon the sacred Scriptures to beguile unstable
as I noted before 't is built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ by his resurrection being the chief corner-stone And because nothing can ever fall out in this world comparable to Christs Resurrection in glory and power therefore no day can be set up like unto this neither can it be changed for any other See Dr. Bownd lib. 1. p. 47. No man can translate the work therefore no man can translate the day The like cause can never be offered to change this day which at first occasioned the choice of it Therefore it must and shall remain till the end of all things men do but kick against the pricks in opposing the Lords day they that would raze out the remembrance of this day must first pick out Christs mark which he ha's wrought into it by the work of Redemption and so blot out the testimony of all the four Evangelists concerning Christs Resurrection the first day of the week together with the prophecy of the Psalmist which if they dare do Yet 2. We have another conspicuous mark to note it by above all other dayes in the week namely our Saviours frequent apparitions on this day after his Resurrection from the dead Here let it be observed First That these glorious apparitions of our now glorified Redeemer were no common favours but choice and speciall evidences of his owning providence both as to persons and times For as he appeared not to all sorts of persons but to some select * Acts 10.41 chosen witnesses who were either eminently devoted to his service or designed to teach others so neither did he make his appearance to those persons every day but principally and most usually upon the day designed by the Prophets to his worship and service and now consecrated by his blessed Resurrection mostly vouchsafing his gracious visits to holy men in holy time such at least as were so or should be so Secondly Although it be * Acts 1.20 said that he was seen of his Apostles fourty dayes between his Resurrection and ascension yet it cannot be construed thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl that he was seen every day during those fourty dayes but only thus that there were so many dayes between his Resurrection and Ascension in which he was sometimes seen And this is all that the Greek will bear for it is not in fourty dayes but by fourty dayes that is by the space of fourty dayes at times for sometimes he disappeared Thirdly However it may be supposed that our Saviour did appear on other dayes as once he did upon a working day yet no other day of the week ha's the honour to be denominated as the day of his appearing but the first day of the week onely 'T is never said he appeared on the second or third day much less the last day of the week or the seventh day but the first day of the week is expresly and emphatically noted by name * John 20.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t is not barely said the same day but the same day being the first of the week That same day that first day of the week came Jesus and stood in the midst of his disciples as if he would have it specially noted Fourthly T is evident that our Lord appeared often on this day gracing it with his beatifical presence above all dayes In the a Joh. 20.14 15.16 morning to Mary Magdalen and the rest of the holy b Math. 28.9 women who when they saw him fell at his feet and worshipped him and in the evening of the same day to the eleven disciples and c Lu. 24.33.36 them that were with them gathered together in a way of Church d John 20.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assembly and this assembly convened it seemes by our Saviours own means who appearing to Mary commanded her to carry tidings to his disciples of his joyful Resurrection However a Christian assembly it was and the first that injoyed the presence of Christ after his death and Resurrection then it followes John 20.26 After eight dayes the disciples were within again and Thomas with them then came Jesus and stood in the midst after eight dayes that is as some would have it after the day-light of the eighth day was past or as the Geneva-translation reads it eight dayes after or after eight dayes were come that is on the eighth day Which reckoning the Resurrection-day inclusively was just that day seven-night or the next first day of the week there are six working-dayes in the week and Sabbath and Sabbath make eight now Christ appeared the first See Mr. L'strange p. 73. and the next succeeding which was the eighth day so the antients generally expound it It is necessary that this should be the Lords day sayes Cyrill and Nazianzen made an oration on purpose for it stiling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the new Lords day because it was the first Lords day solemnized in the weekly revolution after the Resurrection-day We shall clear it by Scripture when we come to answer the Objections mean while let it be noted that this was the second solemn apparition of our blessed Saviour after he rose from the dead for the next mentioned by this Evangelist is said to be the third time that he shewed himself which what else can it signifie to us John 21.14 but that he appeared not between those two first dayes not on the seventh day nor on any of the other six he was absent all the week and appeared to none except to some single persons as Peter he made no publick apparitions at solemn assemblies but upon his own day Now methinks ingenous Christians should thus reason within themselves certainly 't is written for our instruction that the Lord Jesus rose from the dead on this day that in the morning of the day he shewed himself to the holy women that the same day at evening being the first day of the week the disciples were assembled and Jesus came and stood in the midst and after eight dayes again i.e. that day senven-night for though part of the former and part of the latter day made it eight dayes yet could it be but seven nights if we count it by nights according to the account of natural dayes such as the dayes of the week are surely these things are not written in vain that our Saviour should solemnly shew himself in a Christian assembly on the very day of his Resurrection and that there was no other apparition till that day seven night this no doubt was of purposed providence to give original to that Ordinance of the Lords day which accordingly ha's been observed ever since St. Paul makes it one Argument in conjunction with others of his Apostleship that Christ had appeared to him * 1 Cor. 9.1 ch 15. 8 9. Am not I an Apostle have not I seen Christ Jesus our Lord And may not I in consociation with
other arguments as prophetical prediction Psalm 118. and Apostolical practice Acts 20. allege this as one proof of our Christian Sabbath That Christ Jesus our Lord was often seen upon it seen in assemblies of his Saints seen in his royal robes in his state of immortality and not only seen but heard preaching peace to poor sinners opening Scriptures cheering quickening warming cold dead sad hearts for when the disciples saw him they were * Luke 24.32 John 20.21 glad and their hearts did burn within them while he opened the Scriptures to them and all this on the first day of the week T is true after this double apparition our Saviour appeared on a working day as the disciples were a fishing and that was the third time of shewing himself or the third day of his appearing John 21.3.14 But what of this The disciples were sufficiently confirmed in the authority and solemnity of the Lords day by the two former apparitions therefore well might Christ appear the third time upon a working day and countenance worki-day-business by his presence to teach his disciples and us that every day is not a Sabbath day But this fishing-day is not named it might as well be on the Jewes Sabbath as any other day of the week for ought appeares to the contrary in the Text yet I do not say it was I will not speak where the Scripture is silent How often the first day of the week was celebrated by our Saviour between his Resurrection and ascension is not punctually set down in Scripture Junius is confident for every week But there is good evidence for the two first and none against the three last Much may be said for that famous apparition on a Mountaine in Galilee which learned Lightfoot Math. 28.16 17 19 20. Fenner and others conclude without doubt to have been on the first day of the week Mar. 16.15 16. Now the ascension-ascension-day drawes on and Christ withdrawes his Corporal presence from his disciples but on the day of Pentecost he visits them again by his spiritual presence Acts 2. And that this also was on the first day of the week shall be fully clear'd when we come to the fourth mark Lastly Rev. 1.10 Some years after all these it pleased the Lord Jesus to appear again on this day Namely to his servant John in the Isle of Patmos little paradise we may call it for the presence of Christ makes a wilderness a paradise especially so much of his presence as this blessed Apostle now enjoyed more than ever was vouchsafed to any man upon earth since Christ went up to Heaven I was in the spirit sayes he upon the Lords day what then Why v. 12. I saw seven Golden Candle-sticks and v. 13. In the midst of them one like the son of man So like him that indeed it was the son of man the man Christ Jesus on the Lords day then John saw Jesus Christ in the midst of his Churches filling them with his blessed presence that day above all others and holding the stars in his right hand that is holding forth Heavenly light by the Ministry of the word on that day especially this John saw and this he is commanded to set down in writing verse 19. and accordingly written it is and written for our learning upon whom the ends of the world are come And what may we learn from it Surely this at first view viz. That in St. Johns time the Golden Churches of Christ were wont to meet Gospel-Ministers to preach and Christ himself to be present with them by his spirit on the Lords day And this is written for a pattern to after-ages and there is a * Verse 3. blessing pronounced on those that read and keep the things that are written in this book Blessed be Christ for this blessed book here we have another glorious appearance of Christ on the Lords day not to one man only or one Church only but seven Churches in which no doubt there were more then seven thousand soules and that this Lords day was also the first day of the week none but peevish spirits ever question'd Ignatius who was trained up in the School of this great Apostle and in all reason was most likely to know his terms * Epist ad Magnes clearly makes it a weekly holy-day observed by Christians in the room of the abrogated Sabbath of the Jewes Yea the Lords day was never taken for other than the first day of the week by any Christian writer in any age since the dayes of St. John till this last age of liberty and lyes that ever I could see or learn Fathers Councils Schoolmen ancient modern writers two or three of this generation excepted do constantly understand it of Christs Resurrection-day the first day of the week and one would think the constant Dialect of the Church of Christ a sufficient Dictionary to interpret a word or phrase in Scripture especially in such a sense as does not cross but correspond with Scripture So does this for how agreeable to Scripture is it to take the Lords day for that day which the Lord hath made Besides 't is observable that this same beloved disciple who was so exact in penning the first apparition John 20. is a spectator of the last Rev. 1. and just as he had related that he sees this the circumstances are remarkable John 26.19 26. Christ appears in the midst of the disciples and Rev. 1.13 in the midst of the Candle-sticks or Churches John 20.19 he appears upon the Resurrection-day arguing his Resurrection and Rev. 1.18 repeating the same argument Saying I am he that liveth and was dead and have the keyes of death and hell To say no more John 20. he appeared on the first day of the week and here again upon the day under a new name the Lords day because it appeared by his Resurrection and former apparitions to be the day which the Lord had owned above other dayes yea the day which the Lord had made and instituted Thus we see how Christs often appearing on this day tends to the further marking out of the day But this mark is sorely shot at objections come thick but short answers will serve when nothing is objected but what has been answered by others or nothing to any purpose He is not ashamed to say T. T. Obj. 1. p. 121. I beleeve it will be found upon inquiry that Christ never appeared to any assembly no not any one first day for it is most certain that the day upon the Scripture-account begins with the evening Now upon the Resurrection-day we find Christ at the village seven miles from Jerusalem when it was towards evening and the day far spent Luke 24.29 30. after which he supped with the two which took up some time then they returned that seven miles and a half to Jerusalem on foot so that by that time they came there the day must be quite spent and though t is
said he appeared the first day at evening yet the first day was then as fully ended as the Sabbath at sun-set when they brought their sick which was forbidden on the Sabbath-day Mark 1.32 Christ appeared in the morning of the Resurrection-day as well as at evening very early as well as very late Ans 1 Math. 28.9 Mark 16.9 Discourse of the instic dignity and end of the Lords day p. 33 to teach us that the whole day is his 't is the day which the Lord hath made not a peice of the day Thus I remember Dr. Hakewil long ago stopt the mouth of this objection Christ appeared to his Apostles at night sayes he to instruct them and teach us that even then it ceaseth not to be the Lords day T is so farre from certain that the day in Scripture-account begins in the evening that 't is certainly false Ans 2 as shall appear hereafter The instance of the disciples returning from Emmaus to Jerusalem and that late makes much against himself For as late as it was in the evening before they got home the later the better as to the case in hand yet the Holy Ghost does not call it the second but the first day of the week John 20.19 the same day at evening being the first day of the week note it well First The Evangelist calls this time of evening the same day in which Christ arose from the dead Secondly He calls it the first day of the week by which two expressions he puts the matter out of all doubt that this evening was a part of the first day of the week Thus the Holy Ghost provides against future errors Let the objector now blush to consider how shamefully he has given the lye to the spirit of truth 1. In affirming that Christ never appeared to any assembly any one first day of the week 2 That the first day was then fully ended fully ended then the Evangelist was much mistaken to tells us it was the same day he should rather have said the second day or the next day Mark 1.32 does at most but speak the opinion and practice of the degenerate Jewes who if they stated the end of the Sabbath at the sun-set evening by a traditional account and therefore brought not their sick to be healed till the Sun was down yet their superstitious opinion proves not that according to the true Scripturall account the Sabbath began and ended at evening Besides it is but a bare conjecture that they brought their sick to be healed no sooner out of respect to the Sabbath * See Tremel his Annot. in Math. 12.8 and Ainsworth in Ex. 20.10 for they held that peril of life doth drive away the Sabbath Some think the only reason why they came no sooner was because they had no sooner intelligence of our Saviours Miraculous healing power But to end the controversie however the Jewes Sabbath might be supposed to begin and end at evening yet 't is apparent that the first day of the week ended not with the Sun-set-evening because it is expresly said in this very chapter Mark. 1.35 That the morning of it was a great while before day Thus 't is said of Christ that in the morning rising up a great while before day or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 greatly in the night as the Greek ha's it he departed into a solitary place to pray And this was on the morrow of the Sabbath as the context shewes So that if it were the morning of the day while it was yet night long before sun-rising then it could not be the evening or end of the day till long after the Sun-setting so Math. 28.1 John 20.1 As for Christs second apparition Obj. 2 t is expresly said it was after eight dayes and therefore could not be on the first day of the week John 20.26 Why Ans did he never read that * Mark 8.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Bez. Calv. Rollock Piscat Jansen upon the places See Mr. Cawdry p. 4. ch 1. The reckoning of these eight dayes is inclusive see the like Lu. 9.28 compared wiâ—h Mat. 17.1 See Dr. Gouge Sabb. Sanct. p. 21. Scripture That the son of man must suffer and after three dayes rise again After three dayes therefore it could not be the third day does that follow As much as this after eight dayes therefore it could not be the eighth day or the first day of the week Mr. Sprint p. 138. Observes that 't is as if the Evangelist had said the eighth day after by an Hebraism quoting the like speech Luke 1.59 ch 2.21 or after the eighth day was come Thus the like expression is used Jer. 25.12 When seventy years are fulfilled the people shall return that is on the seventieth year so Acts 2.1 When the day of Pentecost was fulfilled i. e. Fully come This appeares to me to be the vulgar acceptation of the phrase as in a like case Math. 27.63 the cheif Priests and Pharisees told Pilate that Christ should say while he was yet alive after three dayes I will rise again wherefore they intreat him of all loves that he would command the sepulcher to be made sure till the third day Whence t is evident that by this phrase after three dayes they understood Christs purpose of rising on the third day otherwise they would have desired a guard for a longer space than three dayes Christ was ever seen of some or other of his disciples fourty dayes Acts 1 2 3. Obj. 3 That Christ was seen by the space of fourty dayes implies not that he was seen every day of the fourty only that he stayed fourty dayes before he ascended and appeared at times as was said before besides we are not now arguing his apparitions to single persons only but assemblies Oh! Obj. 4 But the disciples were assembled only for fear of the Jewes not to celebrate the Sabbath in honour of Christs Resurrection for they believed not that he was risen the womens tidings therefore seemed idle tales to them The privacy of their meeting and shutting the doors was indeed for fear of the Jewes Ans 1 But why they should fear the Jewes more on those two dayes than any other I see no reason neither can it be any reason of their then assembling T is probable Ans 2 that their first assembly was not on their parts out of any religious respect to the day for as yet they understood not that it was or was to be the Christian Sabbath therefore some of them were travelling into the countrey Luke 24. for fear of the Jewes too it may be Math. 28.13 14 15. because the lying souldiers had given it out that the disciples came by night and had stoln away the body of Jesus yet on Gods part in assembling them and on Christs part in appearing to them there was doubtless some special respect to the day which they understood afterwards and therefore the Evangelist is so precise
first day of the week here the practice being Evangelical the consequence is the more Logical But to the objection is nothing to be esteemed of divine institution and so of obligation to conscience but what ha's a clear command in Scripture Mat. 21.25 26. with verse 32. Mark 11.30 31. Luke 20.5 6. what then will he say to Sacrificing before the Law Where do we find any Commandment to sacrifice before we find Abel sacrificing Or to look to the Gospel in the first dawning of it What express command was there for the baptism of John Yet the poore Publicans and the people generally held it to be from Heaven although the cheif Priests and Elders beleeved him not because they held John as a Prophet yet which is remarkable they had no precept but only Johns practice to warrant it and which is yet more remarkable our blessed Saviour approves this their belief of John and his baptism and condemns those that rejected it as a human institution In like manner we may safely imitate those contemned Publicans in beleeving the Lords day to be from Heaven by divine institution and not of men by human ordination suffering Pauls practice as an Apostle to over-rule us herein See Mr. Abbot p. 66. Math. 11.11 as John Baptist as a Prophet did them the least Apostle of Christ being greater than John the Baptist and in so doing we need not question Christs approbation Express precept indeed we have none in the new Testament but that which is better than a precept sayes Dr. T wiss viz. the practice of the Apostles and Churches For had the Apostles commanded it and the Churches not practised it their Commandment had been obnoxious to various interpretations whereas their establishing it de facto in practice among the Churches is less liable to contradiction if men were not given up to a Spirit of contradiction Yet this must be added and cannot well be denyed Divino Spiritu agebantur Apostoli non minus in sacris institutionibus quà m in ipsa Doctrinâ Evangelij Ames Medul p. 359. Acts 1.2 so the Prophets were commanded Zech. 1.6 Joh. 10.22 that the Apostles and Apostolical Churches practice other arguments concurring supposes and argues that there was a command although there be no specification of it in Scripture for the Apostles did nothing in ordering the Church but from and by Christ either by precept or example or divine inspiration and their very inspiration was virtually preceptive For 't is said That through the Holy Ghost Christ gave Commandments to his Apostles whom he had chosen That is he gave them Commandments by inspiring and breathing the Holy Ghost upon them which was upon the day of his Resurrection Yea 't is more than probable that they had a special warrant from Christ in express charge concerning the celebration of this day For Acts 1.3 of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God Christ spake unto them namely by way of Commandment after his Resurrection but the Lords day and the worship therein performed as it was in the Apostles dayes and ever since is one of those things which appertain to the kingdom of God therefore of this Christ spake by way of Commandment to his Apostles If it be said that the Lords day is not there expressed I answer no more are any other of those particulars appertaining to the kingdom of God which he spake See Mr. Bernard of the Christian Sab. p. 134. therefore it cannot be excluded till it can be proved that the keeping of this day to the honour of Christ is none of the things which pertain to the kingdom of God Again The Commandments Acts 1.2 are such as Christ would have his disciples teach his people to observe Math. 28.18 20. now we find the Churches of Christ observing this day Acts 20.7 1 Cor. 16.2 and the Apostle observing it with them yea prescribing duties to them on this day 1 Cor. 5.4 11 20. which was on the Lords day according to the Syriack but 1 Cor. 16.1 2. is express and the Apostle telleth the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14.37 That the things he wrote unto them were the Commandments of God therefore the practice of the Apostles and Churches planted by them implies a command Yea All Scripture-examples in moral or religious actions fall under the Government of the Ten Commandments Answ 3 Now the fourth Commandment having the government of time for weekly solemn worship and the Apostle Paul tarrying a whole week at Troas and observing the first day of the week only for solemn worship it cannot be imagined but this observance was in obedience to the fourth Commandment and so of the exigency of the Apostles Commission not of the Liberty consequently it is the Saints duty not their liberty The remainders of the Objection about community of goods and Love-Feasts are meer impertinencies to plead for these in the peace settlement of the Church is to put a plea in the mouths of Levellers Libertines and Epicures Community of goods was never the Saints Liberty but in the Church's a Act. 4.34 35 36 37 compared with Act. 8.3 4. extreme poverty and persecution and then it was rather duty than liberty and if ever the Church of God should be in the like state of extremity she is bound to follow that Original Copy but this can hardly be supposed And as for Love-feasts I suppose the Author is to seek for Apostolical president to warrant them whatever he sayes 'T is true they were practised in the Apostles times but never approved nay they were sharply b 1 Cor. 11.21 Jude ver 12. reproved as also the Jewes Sabbath and observation of other Legal days were Gal. 4.10 Thus we have made good the sixth Mark for the Lords day namely the Apostles and Apostolical Churches observation of it 7. Seventhly and lastly we shall adde this to all the rest The Apostles Prescription about it Et quae non prosunt singula juncta juvant Though either or these particulars singly considered may be thought too weak yet I am assured that all of them jointly combined will be too strong for the gates of hell to prevaile against this last will adde some strength to all the rest I shall ground it upon that noted Text 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye Vpon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come Here we have to observe 1. An Apostolical Ordinance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As I have ordained so do ye He does not counsel them to do it but commands them and by his power Apostolical he enjoyns them to do it and if Paul ordained it certainly he had it from Christ for he tells them 1 Cor. 11.23 That what he delivered to them he received from the