seuenth day Yet the Apostle calls it a shaddow onlie in respect of the particular day of the promise of Christ which day is a bolished giues place to the first day in which the promise was fullie performed and Christ became a perfect Redeemer actuallie in his resurrection The Anti-Sabbatarians haue onely two objections which haue some shew and coulour of reason at the first hearing The first is that if it had beene the minde and will of Christ that the weekly Sabbath should be continued and remoued to the Lords day vnder the Gospell then would he either by himselfe or by his Apostles haue giuen some expresse commandement to that purpose which they say he did not To this I answere First that our Saviour spake fully to this point when he said that he came not to destroy but to fulfill the law It remaines therefore on their part to shew that the Commandement of the Sabbath is no part of the morall law or else they do but beate the aire and labour in vaine Secondlie the Apostles themselves kept their holy assembles ordained in all Churches of the beleeving Gentiles that publick assemblies should be kept and exercises of the holy Sabbath perfomed ordinarily on the first day of the weeke as I haue before proved from Act 20. 1 Cor. 16.1 2. And whatsoever they ordained was the commaâ—dement of che Lord 1 Cor. 14. vers 27. Thirdlie while the first temple was yet standing in the daies of the Apostles and Moses was not yet buried and quite taken out of the way Jt was not convenient that the Apostles should chaunge the day of the Sabbath among the beleeving Iewes Yea they themselves in Iudea and all places among the Iewes kept the seventh daie among the Gentiles the Lords daie We never read that the Lords day was called a Sabbath in the Primitiue times next after the Apostles nor since by any but onely by Iewish Sabbatarians Howsoever these adversaries put on a bold impudent face to colour and countenance this objection Yet herein publish a manifest untruth For Ignaâ—ius immediatly after the Apostles saith That the Christians must keep their holy sabbath not after the manÌ„er of the profane Iews of those times with excessiue feasting dauncing and such carnall sports and pleasures nor on their seventh day But on the Lords day the day of Christs resurrection which he calls the Queene and supeeme Lady of daies as I haue formerlie shewed Saint Hilary saith Nos in prima die perfecti Sabbathi festiuitate latae mur. i.e. We Christians rejoyce in the festiuity of our perfect Sabbath on the first day of the weeke St. Augustine in the 25. sermon de tempore Hauing rehearsed diuers notable blessings and preroâ—atiues which God of old honoured the first day of the weeke the Lords day doth there affirme that upon those grounds the holy Doctors of the Câ—urch to weet the Apostles Who were taught by Christ and inspired by the holy Ghost in all things which they decreed and ordained haue by their decree remoued or rather transferred all the glory of the Iewish sabbathisme vnto the Lords day And immediatly he adds this exhortation Let us Christians therefore obserue the Lord day and let us sanctifie it so as of old the Law giver commanded the fathers concerning the Sabbath saying From evening to evening shall ye celebrate the Sabbath And further he saith that if wee from the evening of the Iewes sabbath the satturday to the evening of the Lords day sequester our selves from all Rurall workes and all seculiar busines and devote our selves onely to Gods worship then we rightly sanctifie the Lords sabbath according â—he wordes of the law Yee shall not doe any worke in it Also Psalm 32. He affirmes that keeping of the Sabbath is one of the things which belong to the loue of God and thus he exhorts every true Christian. Observa diem sabbati non Carnaliter non Judaicis delicijs c. that is observe the day of the sabbath not carnally with Iudiciall delicacies for they abuse their rest and rest to naughtinesse for indeede it is better that men should digge all the day then daunce as they doe But doe thou meditate on the rest in God and doing all things for obtaining that rest abstaine from servile worke And in his 3. Tract at vpon Iohn He saith We are more strictly commanded to keepe the Sabbath then the Iewes For we are injoyned to keepe it spiritually Jewes keepe it carnally in luxury and drunkennes and it were far better that their women should be busied in working all the day in woll then dance The true Christian keepes the Sabbath spiritually by refraining from servile worke These and diuers other testimonies of the Auncients shew â—ufficiently the falshode and vanity of this Objection And that in the judgment of the most godly and learned fathers the law of God bindeth us to keepe the Sabbath holy on the Lords day weekly It is true that some part of the seveÌ„th day was by reason of great multitudes of Iewes abounding in all countries soe frequent and soe commonly known called by the name of the Sabbath that name was so proper to the Saturday in those times that if any had called the Lords day by that name his wordes would bee understood by the hearers of the Iewes Sabbath except â—e had expounded his meaning as those fathers before named do in their speeches bâ—fâ—re mentioned And againe the Iewes were soe superstitious in observing their Sabbath â—o contrarie to the Christian sanctifying of the Lords day even with feasting dauncing and profane pomp that the name of Sabbath through their abuse of it grew distastfull to godly Christians even as in our time the old name Catholike by reason of the Antichristian Papists falsly vsurping and approbriaâ—ing it to their Apostaticall Church and false religion is growne to haue an ill sound in the eares of reformed Christians And therefore tâ—e Auncients were very sparing in calling the name of the Sabbath and seldome did they call the holy weeklie rest of Christians by that name except onlie in case when they opposed it to the Jewish sabbath and preferred it farre before their carnall observation But wheras in this Objection the aspersion and reproachfull name of Iewish Sabbatarians is laid on all them who call the Lords day the Cbristian Sabbath and urge the sanctification of it by the law of God This is a point of such notable impudency and intemperancie that it deserues the scourge whip of Ecclesiasticall censure punishment to chastise and correct rather then any arguments of reason or divinity to convince such Raylors For in the Homilies which are comprehended and commanded in the Articles of our Religion by law established the Lords day is frequently stiled by the name of Sabbath even no lesse then eight times in one Homily which treateth of the time place of praier And both there and in the
THE DOCTRINE OF THE SABBATH Wherein the first institution of the vveekly Sabbath with the time thereof the nature of the Law binding man to keep it the true grounds and necessity of the first institution and of the observation of it on the severall day in the Old Testament and also of the removing of it to the first day under the Gospell are laid open and proved out of the Holy Scriptures ALSO Besides the speciall dueties necessarily required for the due sanctification thereof these two profitable points are proved by demonstrations out of Gods Word First that the Lord Christ God and Man is the Lord of the Sabbath on whom the Sabbath was first founded by whom it was changed from the last to the first day of the weeke and is on that day unchangeably to be kept by all true Christians untill they come to the Eternall rest in Heaven after the generall resurrection 2. That the faithfull under the Gospell are as necessarily bound to keep the weekly Sabbath of the Lords day by vertue of the fourth Commandement as the Fathers under the Law were bound to keep the seventh day Delivered In divers Sermons by GEORGE WALKER B. of Divinity and Pastor of St. Iohn Evangelists Church in LONDON LEVIT 19.30 Ye shall keepe my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord. Printed at Amsterdam in the yeare 1638. To the Christian Reader THe Author of this Treatise being much importuned to publish his Sermons concerning the Sabbath preached in his owne Parish-Church to his owne Flocke not onely by divers of his Châ—istian Hearers but also by others both Preachers and godly people who had heard by report the manner of his large handling and expounding of this Text did yeeld at length to their Reqâ—ests and composed this Treatise which containes in it the whole summe and substance of the matter more largely delivered The Copie whereof written with his owne hand he gave to be imparted from hand to hand and transcribed by such as did dâ—sire to make use of it for their owne satisfaction and the instâ—uction of their owne private Families and Christian friends Which comming to my hands I thought fitt to publâ—sh and impart iâ— to the Englâ—sh Câ—urches in those Câ—uâ—tries on this other sidâ— of the Sâ—as being credibly informed that the Author â—s not unwillâ—ng to submite his Doctâ—ine to the judgement of the true Reformed Churchâ—s of Châ—ist accoâ—ding to that saying of the holie Apostle 1 Cor. 14 3â— The spirits of the Pâ—ophets are subject to the Prophets Let those things which beâ—ein seeme most of all to savour of noveltie be read without prejudice and sinister affâ—ction weigâ—ed by the shâ—kel of the Sanctuarie and I doubt not but such as are judicious will â—iâ—de them to be auncient truths like pure old gold newlie brought to light out of the old treasuâ—e of the sacred Scriptuâ—es in which mâ—ny pâ—ofitable truths fitt for these last times remaine yet to be more clearely revealed Which God wâ—ll undoubtedly bring to light by such as dâ—gge deeper in those mines then others formerly have done and labour to â—raw stâ—ll more Waters of comfort out of those Wells of Salvation To that God onely immortall and infinit in goodnesse and wisedome and to â—he woâ—d of his grace I commend you which is able to buiâ—d you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified THE DOCTRINE OF THE SABBATH Gen. 2 2.3 And on the seventh God ended his vvorke which he had made and he rested the seventh day from all his woâ—ke which he had made 3. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it he had rested from all his worke which God created and made CHAP. 1. IN the unfolding of this Text and handling of this maine and necessary point I will observe the Method and order which is most agreeable to the order of the words First from these words And on the seventh day J will observe and declare the time of the Institution of the weekly Sabbaâ—h even the very day wherin the first occasion was given for the sanctification of it and God did first sanctifie it and commaund that it should be kept holy Secondly I will shew the true ground and occasion of the institution of it laid downe in the next words God endeâ— his work which he had made and he rested the seventh day from all his worke which he had made and God blâ—ssed the seventh day Thirdly I will declare what is the blessing and sanctifying of the seventh day where I shall have occasion to speake of the Law and Commandement by which God seperated it from other naturall dayes to holy Heavenly and supernaturall use And of the dueties which that Law requires at the hands of all Gods people in all ages to the end of the World on the most blessed day of all the seven in every weeke even the weekly Sabbath-day Under these heades divers subordinate points will â—ffer themselves to be handled and divers necessarie questions will come to be answered and explaned First concerning the time of the institution there are severall opiâ—ions among learned Writers of former and later times First some Heathen Writers as Iustine Tacitus with others have grossely and absurdly erred as in the time so also in the Author and in the occasion of the institution though they had perhaps read the the writings of Moses yet it seemes they beleeved him not concerning the fiâ—st institution of it by God but finding the first expresse Law concerning the keeping of the Sabbath given by Moses at mount Sina written in Tables of stone and afterwards recorded in the the Bookes of Moses they make Moses the first Author of the Sabbâ—th and that upon this occasion because wandring with the Israelites out of Egypt in the wildernesse and finding no sustenance but being forced to fast six dayes at length comming to mount Sina with the people there found meate and rested and upon this occasion did appoint it to be keept weekly for a Sabbath or day of rest But all true Christians who beleeve the Scriptures to be the sacred infallible VVord of God being thereby better instructed doe with one consent hold confesse and constantly teach that God the Lord Iehovah the onely true God is the Author and Ordainer of the Sabbath and that he first ordained it upon the ground and occasion mentioned in this Text and expressed in the words of the Law But yet in the time they much dâ—ffâ—r among themselves Some in the time of the first institution concurre with the infidell Heathens before mentioned though they differ much concerning the Author and the occasion For they hold that the Sabbath was neither commaunded by God nor knowne to the Fathers and Patriarches nor observed by any before the comming of Israel with Moses to mount Sina and that the first instâ—tution of it was in the fourth Commaundement given by God among the ten from Mount
Hebrew words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifie at the end of dayes and howsoever they are taken to signifie in processe of time by some Learned Translaters yet in no other place of Scripture doe I finde that they signifie any other end of dayes but of a certaine sett number of dayes either of thirtie or forâ—ie or many dayes Or of the dayes of a whole yeare as 2 Sam. 14.26 where it is said at the end of dayes according to dayes tâ—at is of every yeare Absalom polled his head And 1 King 17.7 at the end of dayes that is of a yeare â—s Tremellius translates the words the brooke dried up Now I see no reason why we shâ—uld undeâ—stâ—nd by the end of dayes the end of the yeare that Caine and Abel did onely at the end of the yeare offer to God or after a long time but that on every seventh day of the weeke which is the weekely Sabbath they sacrificed to God undoubtâ—dly their Father Adam who taught them to sacrifice which Worshâ—pp God first instituted on the seventh day he also taught them the day of Gods holy worship even the Sabbath which God had sanctified and this was the end of the dayes of the weeke Also in the same fourth of Genesis in the last verse it is said that when Seths Children began to increase that then men began to call on the name of the Lord that is as learned Iunius well expounds the words they began to assemble themselves together in publicke assemblies to pray unto God and worship him even all Seths seed who were Gods people and were called by the name of the Lord that is the Children of God as we see Gen. 6.2 Now as they had solemne and set meetings so undoubtedly they had a set time even every Sabbath or seventh day and set places or Churches for without set time and place there can be no solemne invocation or worshipp in solemne assemblies as common sense teacheth And that Noah when he came out of the Arke began to observe the rest of the Sabbath and did offer a sacrifice of the rest that is of the holy Sabbath and that God was well pleased with it Me thinkes the Hebrew words in the originall Text teach very plainely for it is said that God smelled a savour of the rest that is he acceptâ—d it as a pleasing Sabbath sacrifice the Hebrew empâ—raticall and demonstrative particle here added to sett forth a speciall rest implies so much And the word which is in the Hebrew rest is of the same note and originall with the word which Exod. 20.11 in the fourth commaundement is used to signifie Gods resting on the seventh day Now all these things well weighed and laid together doe shew that this opinion though held by some learned men is but a meere dreame and idle fancie And indeed the very first words in which God gave the fourth commaundement to wit remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy are of themselves alone a sufficient argument to prove that the Lord did not in giving the Law from Mount Sina first institute the Sabbath day but onely did renew the memory of it and of the first institution thereof by renewing and receiving his old commandement by which he on the first seventh day of the World did sanctifie it There is another opinion which divers both auncient and moderne Christians do hold upon a better ground for they do gather coÌ„clude with one generall consent from the plaine words of this Text that God in the beginning immediatly after the creation ended did give the law of the Sabbath and did blesse and sanctifie the seventh day of the first weeke of the world and every seventh day of every weeke following and commanded it to be kept an holy Sabbath in memory of his rest on the seventh day But howsoever they all agree in the generall yet in divers speciall and particular things they doe much differ 1. Some hold that the law of the Sabbath was given to man in the state of innocency before his fall on the sixth day and that it was written in mans heart that he ought to keepe the seventh day holy and that if man had continued in his integrity he would have kept the seventh day of every weeke an holy rest unto the Lord his God 2. Others hold that the Sabbath was instituted not in the state of innocency nor before mans fall which happened towards the end of the sixth day but that on the seventh day when God rested from the worke of Creation he then did blesse sanctifie that every seventh day and appointed it to be a weekly Sabbath the law by which he instituted the Sabbath was no other but such as was written in mans heart in the creatâ—oÌ„ that man by the instinct of nature would haue obeyed that law and kept the Sabbath in the state of innocnecy if he hâ—d stood continued therein 3 A third sort are of opinion that the Sabbath was instituted and the Commandement for the keeping therof given in the state of innocency and yet not till the seventh day for they imagine that man stood more then one day and did in his innocency keepe the Sabbath and if he had continued would haue alwaies kept it not by any instinct of nature or light of naturall reason created in him moveing him so to do but by a possitiue law and Precept giuen by God of the same nature and kinde with the Commandement of abstaining from the tree of knowledge of good and euill In all and euery of these opinions I finde some failling and noe consent and perfect agreement with the word of God First they all go too farre and haue not one word in scripture to warrant their opinion that Adam in the state of innocency should and would haue kept every seventh day for an holy rest that God would haue required it at his hands For all Scriptures which mention the Sabbath do speake of it as of an holy signe looking altogether towards Christ and towards the state of grace and glory in him and not towards the state of innocency It is most certain that man in that state was perfect with naturall perfection at all times equally disposed to obey God to serue him and to remember his Creation and to honour his Creatour He needed no obseruation of any day to put him in minde of any thing which he had before known which god had revealed to him his memorie was perfect and he knew whatsoever was needfull for him to know or doe in that present state And his will was every mâ—ment ready to doe whaâ—soever he knew to be right hee needed no signe to adâ—onish him of his duty or to moue him to do it in due seasâ—n He did not labour nor weary himselfe every day was to him a daâ—e of delight and pleasure of rest and recreation and in every creature which he did see
or to the naturall vse of the creature Secondly for spirituall and supernaturall blessings which tends to eternall life and blessednes in heaven we never read of any proceeding from God but only through the eternall son incarnate and made man even Christ the mediatour The Apostle affirmes that God blesseth us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ Ephe. 1.3 And that there is no other name vnder heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Act. 4.12 If any man hath ascended higher then Saint Paull was rapt farre a boue the third heaven hath tâ—â—re heard of spirituall blessings which God intended to bestow or did bestow vpon Adam in the creation before Christ was promised or did openly vndertake to be mans mediatour hee goeth farre beyond my lyne and measure of faith I dare not be wise a boue that which is written Jt is enough for me to know and beleeve that Câ—râ—st is the onely true way to heavenly and supernaturall happinâ—sse and that he is the truth and the life Ioh. 14.6 And that none can coÌ„e to the Father but by him that in his name the Father giues the spirit ver 26. And through him sheds the Holy Ghost aboundantly on all that are sanctified and saued Tit. 3.6 And that as Christ onely makes way into the holy of holiest Heb. 10.20 so in him is all fullnesse from him all grace proceedeth by which God makes us accepted Ephe. 1.6 I know that God created all things and man in his owne Image perfâ—ct in his kinde but Yet mutable J confesse and beleeve that man by his perfect obedience performed to God in his owne persoÌ„ according to the first covenant of works might haue continued in that naturall life and earthly happinesse wherein he was created But that he had any supernaturall or spirituall power given before the promise of Christ wherby he was fitted for heavenly happinsse ot that any such life and happinesse was promised in the first covenant or any grace tending therevnto I cannot be perswaded First because the Scriptures are vtterly silent in these pointes· Secondly because it is against all reason to thinke or conceiue of God who is the fountaine of all wisdome doth nothing in vaine That if there had been a more neer way then Christ more ready for him to reveale and communicate all his goodnesse and glory to mankinde even the way of mans owne personall obedience to the first covenant of workes Surely God would never haue suffered man to fall nor haue given his sonne to discend from heaven to humble himselfe to such base ignominous painefull and cursed sufferings as he did and all to bring man soe farre a bout to the fruition of himselfe in heavenly glory Thirdly whatsoever hath or shall certainly come to passe concerning mans happinesse or misery that God decreed foresaw and purposed and that only he intended and that from the beginning even from all eternity though God laid vpon man no impossibility of standing in innocency nor any necessity of falling but man was able to doe Gods will according to the first Covenant and if hee had done it he might should haue lived enjoyed an earthly felicity Yet certainly God foreknew what man would doe when he was tempted and did willingly permit him to breake the first Covenant intending to make a more sure Couenant in Christ and to establish it with better promises Heb. 8.6 and that none of all man kinde should be saued but onely they who are in Christ and under this Covenant Now these things being thus If the blessing wherewith God blessed the seventh day be any spirituall blessing it must needes be in and under Christ promised Yea it must needes be either the promise made to man one that day that Christ should be his Redeemer and Christ his vndertaking openly to be mans surety and Mediatour or else some speciall blessing which comes by Christs mediation as the guift of the spirit and spirituall grace given to man to beleeve in Christ to rest on him and in him to seeke eternal rest or Gods acceptation of Christ for mans surety and God resting on Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse In very deede let others thinke what they please for my part J can see no reason either in this text or any other text of Scripture to perswade me that this blessing was any but the supernaturall and Heavenly blessing even Gods gracious favour kindnesse and loue then first shewed to man in Christ by promising him to become the seed of the woman accepting him for mans surety and resting in his mediation alsufficient satisfaction which blessing brings with it and includes in it many yea all naturall blessings which are true blessings indeed and end in eternall happinesse For by Christ who then was first promised and revealed man hath naturally life continued to him and right and rule over the creatures restored and given in an higher degree and in a more excellent kinde He had power given to him in the state of innocency to rule over Cattell and all living creatures and to order and command them for his delight and pleasure But in Christ he hath power given to kill and sacrifise and to eat them and vse them for his profitt Jn the creation God gaue to man as his steward rule over all cteatures right in them but in Christ he gaue man the right of a sonne and heire and made all creatures mans inheritance which is a firme and vnchangable right and now all the blessings temporall which the elect faithfull haue and possesse by faith in Christ and by a true right in him are blessed and sanctified to them and are helps and furtherances to their heavenly glory And this I dare be bold to conclude That the blessing wherewith God blessed the seventh day was a blessing a boue all blessings naturall which God gaue to man in the sixt day and to other creatures on other daies of the creation It was the blessing of his kindnesse and loue to man revealed in Christ promised which includes in it the restitution of man to all naturall blessings all which all mankinde haue injoy by Christ through his mediation So that here is a blessing worthy of an euerlasting memoriall among all Adams posterity which justly bound them all to obserue that day of the weeke to the honour and praisâ— of God vntill the comming in of the fullnesse of that blessing on the day of Christs resurrection which is the first day of the week the eight from the beginning of the creation which all Christians by verue of the institution of the Sabbath here in my texâ— are bound to kâ—ep holy and to solemnize with thankfullnesse for all blessings in Christ on the seventh day and on the first day fully exhibited a perfect Redeemer in his resurrection And thus I haue discovered ouâ— of this text the whole ground upon which the Lords holy
in Christ we are called to be Saints and sanctified 1 Cor. 1.2 Secondly there is no thought or hope of eternall rest in heaven but in and by Christ hee brings us into that and by going before us makes way for us Heb. 6.20 9 24. Jt is that which never entered into the heart of man his reason conceives it not till God doth reveale it by his spirit given though Christ 1 Cor. 2.9.10 Thirdly no man can haue accesse vnto God but in Christ there is no approach to the throne of grace but in him Heb. 4.16 It is Christ alone who for his peoples sake sanctified himselfe that they also might be sanctâ—fied Ioh. 17.19 And there is no growing up in grace holinesse but in him and by vnion and communion in one body with him as our head Eph. 13·16 vpon these infalible premises it followes necessarily that the proper end and use of the Sabbath presupposing Christ the first institution thereof must needes be grounded on Christ also Fourthly if Christ as he is the Sonne of man vnited in one person vnto God and so our mediatour be the Lord of the Sabbath so that the alteration and chaunge of it from one of the seven dayes to another is onely in his power and depends wholy on some chaunge in him then the institution of it is grounded one the promise of him and upon his mediation Now the Antecedent is manifest by our Sauiours owne words Mat. 12.9 where hee calls himselfe Lord of the Sabbath day And by his resurrection and becomming the head stone of the corner the Sabbath is chaunged from the day of him promised vnto the day of the full exhibition of him aperfect actuall redeemer in his resurrection as David foretold Psal. 118. And the practise of the Apostles in all Churches of Christian Gentiles doth aboundantly declare Act. 20.7 and 1 Cor. 16.2 wherefore undoubtedly Christ promised was the first ground of the institution of the Sabbath as our Saviour in that place of the Gospel Mat. 12.9 affirmes it was made for man that is not only for mens use but also for him the son of man upon the promise undertaking of him to become man the seed of the women for mans redemption for destroying the workes of the Divill VSE This Doctrine thus fully proved confirmed is a Doctrine of speciall use to worke in the hearts of all true Christians who have all their hope confidence in Christ an high holy reverence esteeme of the Lords holy weekly Sabbath to provoke stirre them up to a carefull conscionable diligent observation thereof in all their generations for the promoting propagating of pietye for the increase of devotion and advauncement of Religion in all succeding ages If the observation of the weekly Sabbath were but a dictate of nature written in mans heart in the creation then were the chiefe end and ayme of it no more but an earthly felicitye and the fruition of a naturall life in an earthly paradise It should be no better then one of the duties which belong to the old couvenant of life justification by mans owne works which is abolished and made void by mans fall And It is wholy frustrated of the proper end use of it which was justification life by workes of a mans own doing And so being not a part of the wisedome which is from above it should be of lesse esteme and of common and ordinary account with holy Christian Saintes Or if the Sabbath were a legall rite and ceremoniall ordinance onely such as were sacrifices burnt offerings circumcision and legall purifications which were shadowes of things to come then should it be abolished by the full exhibition of Christ and the observation thereof among Chistians of the beleeveing Gentiles were no better then setting up of abominations which make desolate by cutting men of from Christ. But here we are taught better things concerning the Lords holy weekely Sabbath to weet that it is an holy Heavenly Euangelicall ordinance wholy grounded upon Christ and depending onely upon him first instituted upoÌ„ the promised Christ limitted to the seventh day of the weeke in which he was promised to be mans redeemer did undertake in some measure begin actually to mediate and to intercede for man with God and commaunded to be kept onely on that seventh day during the tyme of the old Testament while Christ was onely promised the fathers sought salvation in him to come And now ever since the full exhibition of Christ a perfect redeemer in his resurrection necessarily imposed on all Christians and limitted by virtue of the first institution and foundation of it upon Christ to that day even the first day of the weeke which is the greatest day of Christ appearing in the nature of man on earth that is the day of his resurrection to glory and immortalitie and the day of his complete victory and triumph in his owne person over sin death the Devill all the powers of darknesse So that though the particular dayes of the weekely Sabbath that is the seventh of the weeke in the old Testament and the first in the new and under the Gospell may truly be called temporarye and caeremoniall because they have their set tymes and seasons the one the tyme and season onely under Christ promised the other the tyme and season under Christ fully exhibited that is the whole tyme of grace under the Gospell vntill we come both in soules and bodyes to the etternall Sabbath and rest in heaven when Christ Mediatour haveing destroyed all enimyes and delivered up the Kingdome to God his father God shal be all in all Yet they are such ceremonies as are holy in their seasons not by signification and consecration to holy and supernaturall use only as legall shadowes were but also materially and in respect of the very duties which are performed in observation of them yea and effectively because the due observations of them properly tends to begitt and increase true holynesse in Gods people Besides if we consider the observation of a weekely Sabbath simply in it self without limitation to a particular day so it is a perpetuall ordinaunce of God which bindes all mankind to the end of the world And there is none of all Adams posteritye but by Gods first institution he is bound to keep the holy weekely Sabbath upon that very day of the weeke which by the word of God and the ground of the institution appeares to be most seasonable in the age and the state of the Church under which thy live and have their being on earth Now these things being soe how it is possible that any true syncere Christian who as by one spirit and by a true lively faith soe also in his whole heart and in all holy affections is vnited vnto Christ and hath all his hâ—pe confidence in him as in his only Redeemer Lord Saviouâ— should not
this law to be naturally writen in mans heart doe much differ are diuided into two opinions The one sort holds the law to be wholy naturall and perpetuallie morall both in respect of the rest and sanctification also in respect of the particular day of the weeke even the Seventh from the beginnning of the creation Thus doe Iudaâ—zing Christians hold who professe Christian religion but reject the sanctification of the Lords day and embrace and cleave to the Iewes Sabbath The other sort do hold that there is a three fould vse of the Sabbath day 1. Religious and holy which is the exercise of holy religious duties 2. Politicall or civill which is rest from worldlie weariesom labour of man and beast 3. Ceremoniall or sacramentall which is a signification and shadowing of spirituall rest in Christ. That in the two first respects the Law is naturall â—mortall and perpetuall and that nature requires that a seventh day of everie weeke should bee for rest and refreshing and for holy exercises of religion they all affirme And because the seuenth and last daie of the weeke was the daie wherein God rested hauing in the sixt dayes before perfected all the workes of the creatioÌ„ therfâ—â— they hold that for the signifying shâ—dowing forth of spirituall rest in Christ the seventh day was the fittest of all Gods people were by Gods Law bound to observe it for their Sabbath vntill Christ had fully finished the worke of redemption then rested from it as God did from the worke of creation And that ever since the resurection the signe and ceremony of Christs rest being fulfilled The Sabbath is to be kept by the same law of nature and commandement of God on the Lords day the first day of the weeke which is one in seventh vntill the eternall Sabbath and rest in heaven unto which Christ will bring all his elect at last This is the Doctrine of many of the best learned heretofore in our Church and divers godly divines do rest in this opinion which for the maine matter substance of it is pious godly approved by Aquinas the great Scooleman The second opinion is that the law of the Sabbath was not naturall wrâ—tten in mans heart neither did binde man to observe an holy rest the seventh day of every weeke onelie on the seventh day in which God rested but that it was a possitiue law given by God commanding more then the light of nature did clearly distinctly shew to man or bare naturall instinct move him unto and that it was like the law by which God forbad man to eate of the tree of knowledge which his own naturall appetite did leade him to eate of being good for food to the eye appetite pleasant and desirable But God restrained him from it not but instinct of nature or law written in his heart but by his owne voluntary commandement to shew his authority over man to teach man obedience to make man know that he might as justlie haue restrained him from all or the most part of either fruites that the use of the creatures the power which he gaue to man over them was his free gift therfor man ought to loue serve him his creatour as for his whole being so also for the use benifit of all other creaâ—urs And soe like wise they hold that by nature all dayes are alike in themselvs maÌ„ by the light of nature can discâ—rne no difference in theÌ„ bâ—t yet God to make man mindfull of his creation of God his creatour did by his word everlasting commandement given to man seperat one day fot the vses before named 1. For holy use even performance of religious duties only 2. For civill use to weet rest from hard labour 3. For ceremoniall to signifie the rest of Christ after the work of redemption finished to admonish man of rest from sinfull works to be a token of eternall rest in heaueÌ„ though any one day in the week is of it self naturally as fit as another that it is no matter what day be kept so that one in seveÌ„ be for these uses set apart yet because God rested on the seventh day from his work of creation therfor in the old Testament he would haue that last day of seven to be the Sabbath untill the comming of Christ inteÌ„ding that when the greater work of mans redemption was perfected by Christ then the day of his resurrection in which he rested from that worke even the Lords day should be the Sabbath of Gods people to the end of the world And so this law commandement though it be not naturall yet it is morall a perpeâ—uall and vnchangable rule of Gods canstant will of mans duty in this particular which is the main substance of it viz that man do keep one day in seven of every week for a Sabbath of rest ' thoughâ—ut all ages of the world that it is chaungable onely in the circumstance of the day that onely thus far 1. That while the work of creation was that work vvhich had the preheminence in the eyes of the vvorld the Sabbath vvas to be kept necessarily one the last of the seven in vvhich God did rest from that vvork so this lavv did binde men 2. That after Christ had finished his vvorke of redemption â—ested the seventh day in the graue on the first day vvas risen entered into his rest the vvorke vvhich novv hath the preheminence vnder the Gospel is redemption perfected by Christs resurrection the day of his resurrâ—ction rest should bee the holy Sabbath to all christian people wherby they should be admonished of the eternall rest in heaven wherin they should be holy devoted to such duties as tend to bring theÌ„ on to the fruition of rest with Christ in glory The third opinion is that the law of the Sabbath is not naturall nor perpetually morall at all but only civill ceremoniall some who are of this opinion doe hold that it was giuen of God in the beginning to be obserued only untill the comming of Christ partly in memory of the creation vntill the greater worke of redemtion should come in partly to signifie things to come by Câ—rist of true rest to bee found in him that now it is vtterly abolishâ—d together with all the festival Sabbaths of the Iewes Others of them hold that because there was great equity in this law also seting apart of one day in the week for religious exercises is a thing uery profittable usefull for the propogation of religion and for the upholding of order in Gods Câ—urch therfor the lavv in respect of the particular day is abolishâ—d for that vvas ceremoniall but the equity of the observation of on in seven still remâ—ines And therfore all Christians in imitation of the Apâ—stles ought to keep one in seven especially the Lords day
observation and service as is of use onely in and under Christ and mainly tends to lead men to salvation in him Sixtly if we consider the necessity of resting one whole day in every weeke from all our worldly affaires First that with one consent the Church and congregation of Gods people may all generally meet together in their set places of holie assemblies to heare and learne the Doctrine of saluation and word of life and to honour God with publick holy worship and service and with joynt prayers to call upon him in the name and mediation of Christ for all blessings Secondly that every man may instruct his family in private also at home and by constant exercising of them a whole day together in religious duties every weeke may make them to grow and increase in grace and religion and in knowledge and skill to order and direct all their weeke dayes labours to Gods glory their owne salvation and the comfort and profit of their Christian Brethren Without which religious observation once every weeke at the least especially upon the particular day of the week which God hath blessed with the most memorable work belonging to mans redemption it is not possible for people to be well ordered in a Christian Church nor Gods holy worship to bee either generally known or publickly practised nor the vulgar sorts of Christians to bee brought to the knowledge and profession and practise of true religion neceessary to salvation These things I say considered we must necessarily grant that the law of the Sabbath is an Evangellicall universall and perpetuall law such as the commandements of beleeving in Christ repenting from dead workes reforming of our lives worshipping and invocating of God in the name mediation of Christ and by the motion direction of his holy spirit all which Commandements binde all Gods people of all churches and ages from the first day wherein Christ was promised in one measure or other So that without obedience in some degree vnto these Evangellicall lawes it is not possible for any man to be and to continue a true child of God and to attaine salvation in and by Christ. And this law thus farre and in these respects coÌ„sidered can no more be abrogated and abolished then Gods covenant of Redemption of salvation made with mankinde in Christ. But all mankinde even every one who seekes salvation in Christ is at all times in all ages bound to obserue this law of sanctifying a seventh day in every weeke and of resting from all worldly affaires that they may serve and vvorship and seeke God in Christ. Lastly if we consider the Lords Sabbath as it is a significatiue éven a signe to us of the eternall Sabbath in Heaven and as it is in respect of the particular day of the weeke and some ceremoniall worship used in it chaungable and mutable according to the chaunges and motions of Christ the foundation and Lord of it and according to the seuerall estates of Gods Church and Gods seuerall dispensations of the misteries of salvation and severall waies of reuealing Christ in the old TestameÌ„t and before and after the comming of Christ in the flesh We must of necessity confesse that the law of the Sabbath is in these respects a Ceremoniall law commanding things which are temporary and mutable and fitted for some times and seasons onely First as it commanded the seventh day of the week to be kept holy as the most holy day because therein Christ was promised to be the redeemer of the world and God rested in his creation and perfected the creation by bringing in redemption which was the greatest blessing of the old Testament And as it required hallowing of the day by sacrifices and other outward service and worship which were tipes and figures of Christ to come and by preaching and rehearsing the promises of Christ out of the lavv and Prophets beleeving in the Saviour in heaven Soe it was a ceremoniall and temporary lavv and did stand in force and binde all Gods people to the obseruation of the last day of the weeke all the time of the old Testament vntill Christ vvas fully exhibited a perfect Redeemer in his resurrection And it vvas not in the povver of the Church to chaunge the Sabbath to any other day of the weeke that power rested in Christ the foundation and Lord of the sabbath It also bound the faithfull of these times to the ceremoniall â—â—nctification and to that tipicall seruice vnhich looked towardes Christ to come as well as to the seventh day onely and no other during â—hat nonnage of of the Church Secondly as the law of the Sabbath which requires that day to bee kept for an Holy rest in which God hath revealed the greatest blessing so hath blessed it aboue all other dayes of the weeke doth now ever since the perfecting of the worke of redemption in Christs resurrrection binde all Gods people to keepe for their Sabbath the first day of the weeke which by Christs victory over death obtained fully in that very day became the most blessed day aboue the seventh day and all other daies of the weeke And as under the name of hallowing keeping holy the Lords Sabbath it enioines such worship as God requires of his Church in her full age more perfect estate to weet spiritual sacrifices of praise thanksgiving preaching teaching faith in Christ crucified fully exhibited aperfect redeemer praying vnto God in the name mediation of Christ seeking accesse vnto the father in him by one spirit And as this law imposeth this holy weekly Sabbath to be a pledg to the faithfull of that Sabbathisme of eternall rest in heaven which remaineth for the people of Gods as the Apostle testifieth Heb. 4.9 So this law is like the commandements of Baptisme the Lords supper It is ceremoniall commanding such duties to be performed such a day to be obserued as are fitted to the time season of the Gospel yet it is so ceremoniall as that it is also perpetuall binding all Christians during the season time of the Church during the time in the new Testament under the Gospel that is perpetually to the end of the world vntill we come to the eternall rest in heaven And as there shal be no chaunges in Christ nor of the state of the Church vntill Christ shall come in glory to receive us into that eternall rest So there shal be no chaunge of the Sabbath to any other day of the weeke neither hath the Church or any other whatsoever any power to alter either the day or the sanctification obseruation of it no more then to bring in such an other Chaunge in Christ and such an alteration of the estate of the Church as that was from Christ promised and obscurely revealed in the old testament to Christ fully exhibited CHAP. 12. NOW hauing discouered the severall kindes of lawes and commandements which God hath giuen to
men and having shewed what kinde of law this is which God hath giuen for the observation of the weekly Sabbath and how and in what manner it bindes the sonnes of Adam in all ages some in one kinde and some in another and Adam and all his posterity in some respects There remaines yet for all that hath beene said before one speciall point to be more fully proved That is concerning the Chaunge of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day what ground and warrant we haue for it and how the law of God by which God set apart the seventh day in the first institution and still in the fourth CoÌ„mandement and other repetitions of that law by Moses mentions on the seventh day for the weekly Sabbath can bind us Christ ans to keep holy the Lords day or warrant us to make it our Sabbath For the more full manifestation and proofe of this point and satisfiing of all doubts I will by the light of Gods sacred word and by the helpes which I shall finde in the writings and sayings of the best learned both ancient and moderne Christian divines do my best endeavour to shew and proue that the Lords day which is the first of the weeke and the day of Christs resurrection the fittest day of all the seven to be the holy weekly Sabbath of Christians That God before and in the first giving of the law of the Sabbath did intend and foresee the chaunge the grounds of the chaunge of it to the first day that God by Christ hath chaunged it And that the law of the Sabbath in the maine duties which it requires is more fully and in a better and more excellent manner obeyed by Christians in there observation of the Lords day and keeping it for the holy rest then it was by the fathers of the Old Testament in their keeping of the seventh and last day of the vveeke for their holy rest and vveekly Sabbath First to proue the conveniencie fitnesse of the Lords day to be the Sabbath under the Gospell aboue all other daies we haue diuers arguments The first I frame thus That day which is the first of dayes the first fruits of time especially of the time of grace is the fittest to be the Lords holy day aboue all other daies of the weeke in under the time of grace The Lord himselfe teacheth this for a plaine truth requiring the fruits of all things for an holy offering to himselfe under the law from the beginning when he taught Adam Adam did teach his sonnes Caine Abell to bring sacrifices of firstlings first fruits for offerings to him Gen. 4. Now the Lords day which is the first day of the week is the first of all daies in the world In it God began the creation the highest heavens which is the place of blessednes the heavenly host also the common masse matter of the whole visible inferior world the chiefest most gracious element the light that is the fiery heavens with the first beginning of the creation this day began so it is the first fruites of all times created although in the creatioÌ„ during the state of innocency the first fruites were no more holy theÌ„ the rest of the lump or masse sanctifying of things to holy use came in by Christ with the first promise of him the first time of Christ revealed being the seventh day was to be the holy Sabbath all the time in which Christ was onely promised not given Yet now seeing by the resurrection of Christ in which Christ waâ— exhibited a perfect redeemer and became the first fruites of them that sleep The first day of the weeke and of the world which was onely the first fruits of time before is by Gods providence become the first day firist frvites of the time of grace vnder Christ a perfect redeemer Therfore the first day which is now the first fruites of time both in the creaâ—ion and under pefect redemption which doth perfect and sanctifie the creation is now the fittest of all the dayes of the weeke to be the Lords holy Sabbath And it is against all reason for any to think any other day so fit to bee offered vp for the first fruites of every weeke and of our times to God as this day which is the day of the Lord Christ who is the true first fruites of all creatures and doth sanctifie the whole masse and lumpe of mankinde and all other creatures which are gathered vnto God in him In which day Christ arose from death and became the first frutes of them that sleepe that by the virtue of his resurrection hee might sanctifie the very grave to them that sleep in him might raise them up as to grace in this life soe alsoe to glory at the last day in the generall resurrection Secondly that day wherein the place of eternall rest and of the everlasting Sabbath which after this vvorld ended remaines for the people of God was created and brought into being and vvherein eternall rest was purchased and the way opened into that rest must needes in the judgment of reasonable men be the fittest day for the weekly Sabbath which is to all gods people a sure signe and pledge of eternall rest and of their everlasting Sabbath in heauen which weekly Sabbath is to be kept holy and sanctified by mediations on Heaven and Heavenly rest by such Holy exercises of religion as doe fit and prepare vs for the life of glory in Heaven Now the first daie of the weeke is the day wherin God created the place of eternall rest euen the highest Heavens which are from eternity decreed and ordained to bee the place in vvhich his elect shall keepe rheir eternall Sabbath after this life In this day also Christ arose from death perfected redemption and rested from that vvorke by vvhich he procured eternall life and Heavenly glory for God people upon this day hee opened the way to the Holie of Holies and made his first enterance both in his owne flesh also for all his members into that life eternall and that rest which they with him shall enjoy in the Heavenlie mansions Therefore vndoubtedlie this day of all the daies of the weeke most fit and and worthy to be kept an holy Sabbath of rest and to be sanctified with mediations on heaven and heavenly glory and with other exercises of religion which fit men for eternall rest in heaven Thirdly that day wherein God first created the light of this inferior visible world and wherein the light of the visible heavens did shine forth when it is once blessed with the rising up of a greater and more glorious light even the Sun of righteousnesse It is of all daies become the fittest most vvorthy to be the Lords holy weekly Sabbath which is to be hallowed by meditating vpon the inheritance of the Saints in light and by such holy
particular day it selfe and the rest tyed to it was a tipe and figure of the death of Christ and of his rest in the grave and of the rest and ease which Christ by his death should bring to all Gods people from the burden of legall rites and from the guilt of sinne and horrour of conscience which as an heavy load did presse them downe and from the masse of corruption like a weight hanging fast one them all which Christ abolished by his death and redemption and so put an end to the Sabbath as it was tied to the last day of the weeke This being commonly held for a certaine truth by the learned Fathers and writers of all ages after them untill this day proues so farre as their authority and reason will reach that though the keeping holy of a weekly Sabbath is a perpetuall day to which all Gods people are bouÌ„d in all ages yet the particular day was mutable and another speciall day was to be appointed and consecrated by him who is the Lord of the sabbath wherin an holy rest fitter for the time and state of the new Church must be kept with better service and solemnity Instead of bodily sacrifices there must be offering up of spirituall sacrifices of praises praiers alms works of piety charity for-slaughtering of beasts ther must mortifying of corruption by holy contrition and killing of all brutish lusts and carnall pleasures and delights by seperating our selues and sequestring our mindes from them Instead of darke shaddowes of the law and obscure promises of Christ to come there must be the light of the Gospel shining in the Church preaching of Christ crucified and raised up and set at Gods right hand and there must be seeking of Gods face in his name and mediation and of accesse vnto God in him by one spirit Now what day can any man conceive in any reason so fit as the Lords day the first of the week wherin we christians keep our weekly sabbath This undoubtedly is the most fit and convenient of all daies as I haue largely before proued Yea that this vndoubtedly is the onely particular day which Gods law bindes us to keepe holy all the time of the Gospell even untill we come to the eternall rest in heaven I will as briefly as I can proue and demonstrate in the last place and so conclude this point of sanctifycation of the Sabbath as it is the worke of God the lawgiver and is distinguished from mans duty and worke of sanctification CHAP. 13. THE First which is the maine foundamentall argument is drawn from the foundation upon which God hath from the beginning builded and surely setled the weekly Sabbath It is a thing most certaine and undeniable that whatsoever things are inseperably joyned cleaue fast together they stand move together the one cannot moue to any place but the other of necessity must moue with it Whatsoever is firmly sâ—tled on a rock and inseperably fastened to it founded on it must needes moue with the rock and cannot moue to any place but where the rock is moved upon which ground I argue thus That which is from the beginning founded upon Christ and so surely setled and firmly builded vpâ—n him by God the founder of al things that cannot be seperated it must needs moue and chaunge the place with Christ and cannot be moved nor chaunge and remove to any place but onely to that which Christ is removed The weekly Sabbath from the first institution is founded by God firmly builded and sure setled upon Christ the redeemer and is in seperably joyned to him Thereâ—ore it cannot move nor chaunge the place nor be remoued from the seventh day to any other day of the weeke vnlesse Christ the Redeemer change his day and moue together with it and if he doth chaunge his solemne day it must needes be chaunged and removed with him to the same day The proposition is undeniable the assumption also J haue fully proved before in the laying open the grounds of the Sabbath and therefore the conclusion is a most manifest truth That whensoever Christ chaungeth his day and chooseth another the Sabbath must needes bee chaunged to the same day Which conclusion fully proved I lay it down for a good ground and argue thus upon it That day which Christ leaveth and passeth from it vnto another which he chooseth for his speciall and particuler day From that day the Sabbath also is chaunged and moved and the other day which Christ hath chosen becoms also immediatly the particular day of the holy weekly Sabbath Now the seventh day which was the speciall day of Christ in the old Testament because on it Christ was promised a Redeemer of the world and did first undertake openly and actually to mediate for man is now ceased to be Christs peculier day he hath left it hath chosen the first day and made that his speciall and peculiar day aboue all other daies of the weeke when in it he got the victory ouer death and by his resurrection entered into his glory and eternall rest and of a redeemer in promise became a redeemer indeed fully perfected mans redemption Therefore ever since hath the weekely Sabbath beene removed to the first day and that is the peculiar day of the weekely Sabbath Secondly that God did from the beginning purpose in himselfe and by many evidences did declare his intent to chaunge the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day also in the first institution of the Sabbath and in the giuing of his law for the keeping of it did intend to bind us under the Gospel to the keeping of our weekly Sabbath on the first day of the weeke as he bound the fathers to the seventh day in the Old Testament J proue from the determinate counsell and forknowledge of God concerning the chaunges which he foreknew and determined to bring to passe in the foundation groundes and prerogatiues of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week It is a thing which all men who haue any true knowledge of God must needes know and acknowledge for an undoubted truth that God whose wisedome is infinit and his wife providence ordereth and disposeth all things doth never any thing in vaine he never laies the foundation in any place but there also he intends the building he never brings in the proper causes any where or in any time but then and there he intends to bring in to produce the proper effects of them and whatsoever commandement God giues to men to performe some speciall duty upon some speciall grounds and for some singular causes occasions reasons by that commandement he binds them to performe the duty whensoever and whersoever he shewes the grounds and reasons to them and giues and offers the causes and occasions So that if it be made to appeare unto us that now under the Gospel God had according to his owne
inheritance of the Saints in light as the Scriptures testifie 1 Cor. 15.20 Coloss. 1.12 Vpon these premises before proved at large and here againe pressed home to the purpose The conclusion followeth necessarily That it was the purpose intent and will of God to make the first day of the weeke the Lords day and the Christian Sabbath and in the first institution of the Sabbath and by his first law of the Sabbath which in the maine substance of it is perpetuall to binde all his people in the time of his glorious Gospell to observe that day onely for their holy weekly Sabbath vntill they come to that wherof the Sabbath is a liuely pledge even the eternall rest of glory in Heaven Thirdly whatsoever tends most to the perfect fullfilling of any speciall law and commandement of God given to men and is manifestlie made known to man to be most agreeable to Gods will revealed in that law and to the endes and uses which God openly pretendeth therein that man is chiefly bound to do by that law and commandement This is a most certaine and undoubted truth For Gods generall commandement is that we loue him with all our heart and worship and serve him with all our soule and all our strength Deut. 6 5. Mat. 22.37 Now the will of God revealed in this first institution and sanctifying of the sabbath and in the fourth Commandement of the law is often repeated urged by Moses the Prophets is more perfectly fulfilled in the right sanctification of the Lords day vnder the Gospell then it was in the observatioÌ„ of the seveÌ„th the sabbath of the old Testament whatsoever necessary duty God in the law of the sabbath requireth of maÌ„ from the beginning Or whatsoever end and use he openly pretendeth his law of the keeping of the holy sabbath that is more fully obtained effected and brought to passe by an holy sanctification of the Lords day and by keeping it an holy Sabbath to the Lord now vnder the Gospell Therefore by the law of the sabbath given at the first and by the fourth commandement it is repeated and explaned Christians are bound to to keepe the Lords day which is the first of the weeke for their weekly Sâ—bbath If any man doth make doubt of the assumption in this Syllogisme It is easily proved by a particular enumeration both of the particular substanciall and necessary duties which Gods word requires in the Sabbath and also of the ends and uses for which God requires an holy sabbath to be kept every seventh day The First maine dutie from which the seventh day requirs the name of Sabbath is rest and cessation from all worldly labours pleasures and delight wherein man is to withdraw his mind from worldly cares and secular affaires which concern this fraile earthly life and is to giue rest and refreshing to his owne body and to the bodies of his children servants straungers and toyling cattell as appeares Exod. 20.10 Isa 58.13 And the proper end and use of this rest is First to admonish man that he must not place nor seeke felicity in this world nor since his fall and breaking of the Covenant of workes by his disobedience hope for any happinesse or felicity either here or else where to be purchased by his owne workes of righteousnesse which he either is or was able in the first creation to performe in his owne person Secondly to shew that Gods just wrath appeased by Câ—rist and the sting of death and the curse and bitternesse of mans sorrowes and toilsome laboures which God imposed on him for his transgression is taken away and God will not haue his people to torment their bodies which continuall toile and painfull labour but to ease and refresh themselves with a weekly rest Thirdly to make men take notice that God hath a provident and fatherly care of his creatures both men and beasts hates all mercilesse cruelty oppression of their very bodies and will haue them so refreshed eased that they may last the longer and goe cheerfully through their weeklie labours Fourthly to shew that in Christ vpon whom the Sabbath is founded there is spirituall rest and ease and refreshing of the soul from the heavie burden of sinne and the miserâ—es of sinne to be found of all them who being heavy laden do flee to him and in him place their hope and confidence Fifâ—ly to put in mind of Gods resting in Christs mediation from the worke of creation and that he hath wholy given over all purposes and thoughts of repairing the world and restoring man fallen and corrupted by any worke of creation and hath set his mind on another kind of worke even the work of redemption by Christ and the new creation of heavenly spirituall and supernaturall graces and perfections in men by his holy spirit Sixthly to be a signe and memoriall of Christ his full perfecting of the worke of mans redemption and of his perfect satisfaction made to the justice of God for fraile sinfull men Lastly to be a token and pledge of the eternall rest in heaven and of the Sabbathisme which after the labours and troubles of this life the elect and faithfull people of God shall enjoy for ever in the world to come Now there is no day in all the weeke in which this first maine dutie of the Sabbath can be well be performed for the ends and uses as on the Lords day which is the Christian Sabbath The seventh day never yeelded halfe so much light helps to Gods people in the old Testament for these purposes as the Lords day doth to us vnder the Gospell For the Lords day in which Christ arose from death and entered into his glorie and perfected the worke of Redemption It discovers Christ the maine foundation of all rest even of the Sabbath it selfe more plainly unto us and in it being bewtified and adorned with so manie blessings and prerogatives which Gods word gives to it wee may as in a cleare glasse see and behold Christ with open face we see in his resurrection Gods justice fully satisfied his wrath appeased redemption fully perfected Gods resting in Christ mediation eternall rest purchased by Christ for us and gained to himselfe heaven opened unto us sin death and hell already ouercome and conquered And therfore there is no day by many degrees soe fit as this day of Christs resurrection to make us rest comfortably in our bodies and minds from worldly cares and bodilie lâ—boures and in our soules and consciences from the burden of sinne and the guilt thereof No daie or time can so plainly shew vnto us that our fellicity is not in this world nor to be obtained and purchased by the righteousnesse of our owne workes This sets before us Christ raised for our justification This shews Gods aboundant mercy and compassion â—o us and that hee hates all cruelties and oppressions And this is a speciall meanes to bring us to the assurance
Churches of Galatia 1 Cor. 16.1.2 to weet that they should observe the first day of the week and in their Holy assemblies on that day offer up pleasing Sabbath sacrifices that is do good distribute to the necessities of the saints with which sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 Therefore vndoubtedly it is the ordinance and commandement of Christ which the Apostle receiued from him That the first day of the weeke should be the Holy Sabbath and the day of weekly Holy assemblies to all Christians The 8. argument is drawn from the blessing of stability wherwith God hath blessed the Sabbath of the first day the joy and comfort great benefit which most godly religious christians finde in it and the tediousnes of it to carnall people the loathsomnesse of it to all such as are opposites to Christ and from his grace This is most true which graue and learned Gamaliell gaue in the counsell of the high priests and elders of the Iewes That which is of men and not an ordinance of God if it concerne religion it will come to nought it cannot continue in force nor prosper any long time Act. 5.38 And surely if the Christian Sabbath keeping holy of the first day of the weeke were an invention of men and not the ordinance of the the Lord Christ it could not prevaile and stand in force in all Christian Churches and in all ages by an uniforme consent without interruption The most godly zealous and religious Christians would find no solid joy and comfort in it nor any blessing from God in their religious obseruation of it And the world of carnall men who hate Christ his ordinances would not be so opposite to it as to hate and loath it For the world loveth her own But all carnall worldlings and profane persons do so hate it as they hate Christ and it is loathsome and tedious to them notwithstanding many and great oppositions of profane persons Yet we see it stands firme in all ages since the Apostles and in all Christian Churches None but Heretiques haue rejected it all godly Christians finde solid joy abudance of blessings in the strictest observation of it Therefore it is most certainly no humane invention but Christs ordinance It is he who hath made the first day of the weeke his owne Holy day and our weekly Sabbath The Ninth Arg. is drawn from the manifestatioÌ„ of Gods wrath against the open profaners of the Lords day and from the great fearefull judgments which God hath in former ages doth still execute on the dispicers polluters of the christiaÌ„ Sabbath It is certain that the Lord doth not cut of or consum meÌ„ in wrath but for some notable scandalous sinnes transgressions against some expresse law commandement hee makes no men examples of vengance by sudden and fearfull dâ—struction and notable plagues but for some notable sinne all notable sinnes are transgressions of Gods law comitted against his revealed will word Now as the Histories of all ages do afford many examples of fearefull judgments suddenly executed inflicted on wilfull profaners of the Lords day in former times So I could rehearse and relate aboue 30. examples of Gods vengance which he hath shewed openly in this land within the space of two yeares upon such as haue shewed open contempt of this Christian sabbath some of whith hee hath sticken with sudden death by his mediate hand others he hath devoured with waters and some he hath cut of by surfets which they got in dauncing drinking on the Lords day and soÌ„e he hath fired out of their houses in the middest of their drinking jollity consumed al their substance And these judgments haue suddenly unexpectedly befallen them in the very act of their transgression while they were in the midst of their actions very busie about their owne workes sports pleasure And these things are as cleare as the light and manifest to our eyes outward sences that God is most severe against the profanation of this day and that it is apparent that his sonne Christ made this day his Holy Sabbath and commands all men to keep it Lastly we haue clear testimonies both from the Apostles them selves that the day wherin Christians keepe their Sabbath even the first day of the week is the Lords peculiar day Revel 1.10 And also from all the most auncient fathers and learned Christian writers which succeeded the Apostles in the next ensuing ages that the Lord Christ changed the Holy Sabbath to this day consecrated it by his resurrection that all Christian Churches from the time of the Apostles kept their holy rest in it devoted it to publick exercises of religion and of Gods worship counted it the Queene of daies the supreme Lady princesse worthy to be observed sanctified with Sababaticall solemnities Ignatius cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist ad magnesios Justin Martyr 2. Apol. pag. 77. discribes the observation of it in his times and tels us that Christians spent it in reading preaching prayer administration of the Sacraments offering of almes other publick worship of God in their publick assemblies besides priuate exercises of religion Tertullian also acknowledgeth this first daies sabbath none other lib. adversus Gent. p. 41. 155. Eusebius lib. 4. Eccles. Histor. cap. 22. brings in the profession of Dionysius Corinthius who saith thus This day we kept holy the Lords day St. Austen in his 119. Epistle and in the 22. booke De Civit Dei Cap. 30 serm de verbis Apostoli 15. And many other which it would be a tedious thing here to reherse especially seeing J haue before mentioned diuers of their testimonies which tend to this purpose and shall produce some also hereafter Now upon all these arguments laid togither J hope wee may boldly and confidently conclude against all both Iewish Sabbatarians who retaine the old abolished Sabbath of the seventh day and also vnchristian Antisabbatarians who deny the Lords day to bee the Sabbath vnder the Gospell which Gods people by Gods law and Christs appointment are enjoyned to keepe Holy to the Lord. And that this Sabbath of the Lords day cannot bee chaunged but must stand firme and be still in force among all Gods people vntill the end of the world and the last resurrection I will briefly demonstrate shew by two plaine reasons which I hope none will deny and thus I frame them The first is grounded on Christs wordes Mark 2. vers 28. thus I frame it That which hath Christ as hee is become the Sonne of man Lord of it must needs exist and haue a being under him as he is the sonne of man that is in the time of the Gospell The Sabbath hath Christ the sonne of man Lord of it Mark 2.28 Therefore it continues in being under Christ. Whatsoever ordinance of God is given to his People to bee unto
writings of the most godly diuines and builders of our Church Gods people are vrged by the law of God even the fourth Commandement to keepe holy the Lords day for the Christian weekly Sabbath and in our divine service after the publicke rehearsing of that commandement in the congregation are injoyned to pray in these words Loâ—d haue mercy upon us and incline our heaâ—tes to keepe thy law And this you see the first generall duty of the Sabbath to weet Resting from worldly affaires clearly proved and that while their is a Sabbath or weekly day of holy assemblies either under the Gospel all men are bound to observe this rest The second generall duty necessaâ—ily to be performed in the keeping of the Sabbath is sanctification which is by mens devoting of themselves wholy to divine worship such religious actions as God requirs in the times of the Church in which they live such as are publick assemblies for praising God praying to him preaching reading expounding and hearing of his word commemoration of his great works and rehearsing of his promises for common edification Also private praierâ— and meditations on heavenly things domesticall instructions and the like All these are necessary Sabbath duties to be observed of al men in all ages both under the old new testament First the words wherin Moses here in my text discribes Gods first institutioÌ„ of the Sabbath proue this fully For here it is said that God sanctified it that is set it apart for holy exercises in the performance whereof men do sanctifie it For sanctifying is either by infusion of holinesse into the thing sanctified or setting it apart to holy use and exercise but it had no holinesse infused into it as I haue else where proved Therefore it was saâ—ctified by consecration that is setting apart to holy use Secondly it is called the holy Sabbath that is such a day of rest as is to be kept Exod. 16.23 before the giving of the fourth commandement as Moses shewes saying To morrow is the rest of our holy sabbath to the Lord that is this is a rest not of idlenesse but from common affairs that men may be exercised in holy duties onely Thirdly in the giving of the law from mount Sina God commands expresly that all his people doe remember to sanctifie and keepe holie the sabbath which cannot be but by exercise of holy duties and performance of holy service and worshippe vnto God Exod. 2â— 9 Lâ—stly in all the scriptures of the law which speake of the sabbath in the old Testament it is called the Lords holy sabbath And sanctification of it is required as appeares Exod. 31.15 5.2 Deut. 5.12 And in the Evangellicall Prophets which speake of the sabbath both of old and also in the last daies of the Gospell it is called the Lords Holy day Isa. 58 13 66 23 and it is said that all flesh that is true Christians of all nations Shall from one Sabbath to another come to worship before the Lord Ezech. 44.24 They shall hallow the Sabbath But here some perhaps will object That none can truly sanctifie the Sabbath nor performe aâ—y holy duty who are wholy carnall unregenerate and haue not the spirit of God dwelling in them sanctifying them such are many even in the bosome of the true Church And therfore sanctification of the Sabbath cannot be a generall duty performed by al men nor requiâ—ed of all but is a special duty prâ—per to the elect Saints who are truly sanctified others were neuer able to sanctifie the sabbath and therefore it is not a duty which God can justly require of all in generall Jt is true indeed that as a bitter fountaine corrupt can send forth no sweet and pure water so no naturall man can performe a true holy duty Holines is a supernaturall guift of the holy Ghost and he it is who enables men to performe all workes which are eternally holy But as ther is a two fold sanctification the one internal which is the woâ—k of the holy Ghost in men the other externall which is the consecrating setting apart of things naturall and artificiall to be imployed to an holy vse and to supernaturall end so also there are two sorts of holy exercise Some which are eternally holy as holy prayers and praises and all workes of true piety which onely holy men performe by the power of the holy Ghost working in them and mouing them Others are only externally holy by outward consecration seperation because the are appointed to be done for holy use to be used in the worship of God such are all outward religious duties as sacrificing and such like performed by Hipocrites and carnall professours in the old Testament such as Caine Saul and Elis wicked sonnes were And reading preaching set formes of prayer and gestures of worship performed by Hipocrites both before and under the Gospel These later are in the power of Hipocrites and unregenerate men who by a common guift and generall grace are enabled to performe farre more in this kinde then they do or are willing to do Now though all men cannot performe the first yet so farr as they are able they are bound to performe the later sort of dutâ—es among which are the externall sanctifications of the Sabbath as frequenting holy and publick assâ—mblies singing of Psalmes joyning with the Church in publick prayers and the like which as they are able to do so they are bound to do and if they refuse in such things to conforme themselves they are punisâ—ed both by God for disobedience to his law and also by the Censures of the Church The third generall duty necessarily required of all in the observation of the Sabbath is That they keep for their holy Sabbath that verie day of the week whether it be the first or seventh which God hath blessed aboue all other daies with the greatest blessing and which he hath sanctified aboue all other daies by more full relation of his own holines to the world and opening of a more wide doore of holines for the sanâ—tifying of all his people Thus I prove First most plainly from the words of my text which describe Gods first institution of the Sabbath First by blessing it aboue other daies with that greatest of blessings even the promise of Christ a perfect Saviour and Redeemer of mankinde Secondly by sanctifying it in revealing his holinesse to man and sanctifying man by his spirit the promise and thereupon appointing it to be kept holy As I haue fully before proved Secondly the Lord God himselfe both in giving the law from mount Sina and often repeating of the fourth Commandement by Moses still vrgeth the obseruation of the weekly Sabbath upon this grouÌ„d because he hath on that day Redeemed them out of the house of boâ—dage with a mighty hand streached out arme Deut. 5.15 in othâ—r places for indeede on the Sabbath he redemed them and
shew that the promises of Christ were solemnly rehearsed And out of Moses and the Prophets every Sabbath day So also they shew that Moses and the Prophets were publickly read and heard in their weekely holy assemblies and by this meanes the people were taught not onely in the promises and prophecies of Christ to beleeue in him a redeemer to come but also in all the righteousnes and duties of the law morall and all the judgments ordinances ceremonies of the law ceremonial wâ—ich was their Scoole-maister to lead them to Christ. Wee haue also to this purpose another plaine testimony Luk. 4.16 Where it is said that our Saviour as his custome was went into the Sinagogue on the Sabbath day stood up to read and the booke of Isaiah the Prophet was delivered unto him And he read a place which was written concerning himselfe and expounded it vnto them with the generall aprobation of the assembly Also Ast 13.15 27 verses Jt is testified that the Iewes in their Sinagogues on every Sabbath daie had Moses and the Prophets read unto them publickely both in forraine countries where they were disperced and also at Ierusalem and in their own countrie And that this was an auncient practise even from Moses and in the time of the Iudges and the Kings of Jsraell and Iudah to reade the law in the holy assemblies and to heare it read by the Priests we may gather from Exod. 24.7 Where it is said that Moses read the Covenant in the audience of the people Deut. 31·11 12 Where the Isralites are commanded to read the law in their assemblies in the hearing of all men women children Iâ— may also be collected from Iâ—sh 8.34.35 Iudg. 18.3 2 Cron. 17.7.8.9 30.22 35.3 That it was in vse after the Captivity the Historie of Nehemiah testifies Nehem. 8.4 9.3 The auncient division of the five bookes of Moses into 54 lectures that thâ—y might be read over once in every yeare by reading one lecture every Sabbath is a thing soe auncient that we finde no mention of the author of it therfore it may be supposed to be from Moses the writer of those books And the reading of a lecture also out of the Prophets everie Sabbath is recorded to be a custome long before Christs birth begun by occasion of the Tirant Antiochus who prohibited the Iewes to reade the law of Moses in their Sabbath assemblies vnder the paine of death As we read in the Apocripall History of the Macchabees lib. 1. c. 1.59 Whereupon they were forced insteed of the Law of Moses to read lectures out of the Prophets as Elias Leuita saith and euer since that custome is retained and was in use in our Saviours daies Luk. 4.16 The fifth speciall dutie of sanctification was the worshipping of the Lord which as it is required of Gods people in priuate and upon particular occasion at all times So publick upon the Sabbath day and in all holy yearlie Sabbaths The dutie of worshippe consists in confession of sinnes praiers supplications lauding and praising God singing of Psalmes and offering of free will offering and the like as wee read Neh. 9.33 Levit. 26.3 Deut. 5.5 Where confession acknowledging Gods favours is called worship and set downe for apart of it Gen. 4.26 12.8 13.4 and Psa. 79.6 Where the name of invocation and calling upon God by prayer is used by Synechdoche for all worship in in generall and Exod. 15.1 Iud. 5. Lauding and praising God with singing of Psalmes and holy Songs are rehearsed as a speciall part of Gods worshippe Now this worshippe of God by publick confession praiers and singing of praises cannot be but in publick assemblies and holy convocations which are especially kept on the Sabbaths and therefore this worshippe must needs be a speciall duty of the Sabbath and one part of the sanctification of it David also shewes this Psal. 42 3. Where he saith that he was wont to go up to the House of God among the multitude which kept holy day with the voyce of joy and singing And the 92. Psalme which is intitulâ—d a Psalme for the Sabbath day doth proclaime it to bee a good and necessarie duty on that day To giue thankes and to sing prayses to the name of the Lord to shew forth his loving kindnesse and truth from morning to night to Triumph in his works to speake of them with admiration and to declare his mercies and judgments and what a rock he is to rest on These are the most notable duties which Gods people were bound vnto in their sanctifying of the seventh day in the old Testament The third and last principall head comprehenâ—ing the rest of the duties which did belong to the observation of the Sabbath in the old Testament is the day it selfe which they were bound to keepe for their weekly Sabbath that is the last day of the week even the seventh from the beginning of the creation That this and no other was to be kept for their weeklie Sabbath in the old Testament appeares most plainlie by three things First because it vvas the day which God blessed with the greatest blessing of al which were giuen and revealâ—d before the resurrection of Christ to weet the promise of Christ of the redemption of the world by him Gods entering into the Covenant of grae with man Christs open actuall undertaking to be mans mediatour Saviour in whom the mutable worke of creation is perfected and God is well pleased and resteth satisfied as J haue before proved Secondly because as the fathers and Isralites obserued it according to Gods commandement in the first institution Exod. 16. before the giving of the law from Mount Sina So in giving of the law to Jsraell in the renuing of the Commandement by Moses vpon divers occasions the Lord doth expresly require the keeping of the seventh day for his holy Sabbath as we see Exod. 20. 31.35 Deut. 5. Thirdlie because not onely as the Prophets and holy men of God urged taught all men to obserue that day vntill the comming of Christ. But also our Saviour himselfe all his life time on earth and after his death kept this Sabbath by resting in the ground And the Apostles also while they lived among the Jewes and the tabernacle was yet standing and Moses was not yet buried did obserue keep for orders sake the old Sabbath of the seventh day as appeares Luk. 4.16 Ast 13.13 and diuers other places CHAP. 18. I Am come now to the last place to the speciall Sabbath duties vnto which all Christians are bound under the Gospell In the right observation of the Lords day which is their holy Sabbath And these speciall duties may be reduced to the common generall heads before named The first which come here to be handled in the first place as the ground upon which the rest are builded is the consideration of the particular day
of the weeke which they are bound to keepe for their weekly Sabbath This is that which is most controverted called in question among the learned in this age therfore comes to be first proued and clearly demonstrated by testimonies and proofes out of the holy Scriptures which being performed I proceed in the next place to the dutie of rest will shew how far Christians are bound unto it on their weekly Sabbath the Lords day And in the last place I will come to the speciall duties of sanctification by which that day is to be kept holy to the Lord now under the Gospell First for the day it selfe Some are of opinion that it is the same which was from the begining that is the seventh last day of the week This opinion is grounded upon the bare letter of the law as it was giuen both in the institution and sanctifying of the seventh day renewed againe in the fourth Commandement and understood by the fathers in the old Testament J confesse that the words of the law if we take them as they were limited to the fathers not considering wiâ—hall how and upon what grounds and conditions God made the seventh day the weekly Sabbath they seeme to favour their opinion For if we conceiue no moâ—e but a mere cessation and rest of God from his works on the six daies created to be the ground of the law then we may also conceiue that the law of the weekly Sabbath binds all mankind to that particular day in all ages because the ground is the same to all men equally belongs to all men in all times to the worlds end Oâ—hers are of opinion that the law of the Sabbath being but a mere ceremoniall law is a bolished by the comming of Christ and bindes not us under the Gospell to any particular day And that it is free for the Church of God to appoint any day for their holy assemblies and that Christians haue no Sabbath neither are bound to keepe any such rest as the law required in the old Testament Others hold that the law of the Sabbath is naturally simply morall in the generall nature of it as it requires a weekly Sabbath to be sanctified and kept holy and that the particular determination of the daie is an honour and prerogatiue which belongs to Christ the Redemer who is the Lord of the Sabbath And that it was the purpose of God from all eternity and in the first giving of the law as to consecrate the seventh day in memory of God perfecting all the works of creation resting from them on that day so also to consecrate by the resurrection of Christ the first day of the weeke to be ever after the weekly Sabbath in honour and memory of the worke of redemption which on that day was fully perfected by Christs rising from the dead and entering into that state of glory in which he rests for ever hauing no more to do for the ransoming and redeming of mankinde Gods justice being full satisfied The first of these opinions being grounded vpon a carnall vndestanding and imperfect sence of the words of the law hath but a weake and sandy foundâ—tion and because as the first authors of it were blasphemous hereticks which erred in diuers fundamental points of christian faith and Religion Soe also the reviuers of it are either cursed Anabaptists or men who doe not rightly vnderstand the law nor the groundes and conditions vpon which it requires an holy weekly Sabbath Therefore it is justly hated and rejected as a Jewish errour the maintainers thereof haue in all true Christian Churches of all ages beene branded with the name of hereticall and Iudaicall Sabbatarians And I need not spend any precious time in confuting it and the frivolous fallacies by which it is maintained The second opinion being too rashly conceived and vnadvisedlie professed and held by some godly Divines of the reformed Churches who in this point do much contradict themselves also being an unsound opinion and therefore well relished by Popish Schoole-men malicious Iesuites licentious Liberâ—ines and men of profane hearts hath no ground in the Scriptures nor any sound Orthodox writings of any auncient fathers Yea bringing great confusion into the Decalouge which is the summe of the morall law and laying a foule staine upon our Church which hath appointed the commandement of the Sabbath to be read among the tenne Commandements and enjoynes the people to pray that God would incline their hearts to keepe that law as well as all and everie one of the rest Therefore I shall not spend any time in the confutation of it The arguments which are brought for the confutation of the contrary truth will sufficiently raze and vtterly abolish it out of the hearts of all true Christians The third opinion is most agreeable to the holy Scripture and the common Doctrine of the Orthodox writers both of auncient and later times especially of the most godly and learned in the Church of England who haue heretofore writen learned treatises of the Sabbath and expositions of the ten Commandements of the Decalogue And therefore I wil bee bold here againe to commend it to you for an undoubted truth which I haue aboundantly proued confirmed by many demonstratiue convincing arguments already partly in that large search which J haue made before into the nature of the law of the sabbath and that description which I haue made of it but most fully in that passage where I proued the change of the day by the resurrection of Christ from the seventh to the first day of the weeke now vnder the Gospel and brought diuers argumenâ—s to shew that the law which God gaue for the keeping holy of a seventh day in every weeke at the first institution of the Sabbath here in my text and renewed againe on mount Sina and giue â—fâ—en in charge by Moses to Israell doth now as strictly binde us to keepe an holy Sabbath on the Lords day in everie weeke as it bound the auncient people of God in the old Testament to keepe the Sabbath of the seventh day But for the confirming of your hearts in the beleife of this truth and in the knowledge of this duty I will not multiply any new arguments onely that you may more firmely retaine it in your memories and still beare it in minde that you are in conscience bound to keepe only the Lords daie and none other for your weekly Sabbath in these times of the Gospell J will briâ—fly touch and explaine some principall heades which haue beene before laid down at large and in ample manner The summe whereof is this Namely That although the law of the Sabbath is not a law of nature in â—hat rigid sence in which some do conceive it that is a law written in mans heart expresly and distinctly in the creation which by the mere instinct of nature and direction of naturall reason did lead man to keepe everie seventh day of the
weeke an holie Sabbath to the Lord. But that indeed it came in after mans fall together with the promise of Christ and therefore is more fitly called a law of grace and a Positiue Evangellicall law requiring duties of obedience to God which chiefly and especiallie tend to begit grace and increase holinesse in men Yet it is not simply Positiue nor soe Evangellicallie morall but that it may in some sence and respect bee called naturall also For first it requires some duties of obedience which in their owne nature are Good and profittable though the law giuer had not by expresse commandement revealed his will that they should be done such is the giuing no wof rest intâ—rmission of bodilie labour and toile to our bodies and to the bodies of our servants and labouring cattell one whole day in everie weeke ouer and besides that which they haue in the time of sleepe in the darknesse dead of the night This is according to naturall reason and common equitie Secondly it commands some duties of Gods Worship and service which man by the law of nature was bound to performe in his innocency and which are naturally morall as lauding and praising God and giuing to him all honour and reverence in the most solemne and puâ—lick manner Thirdly it commands such holy spirituall works of grace such duties of sanctification as in theiâ— own nature worke to the sanctifying of men more more to make them capable of eternall rest in heaven of the full fruition of God As for example Meeting upon a set daie in everie week in holy assemblies for to heare read Gods word publick instructions exhortations mutuall provocations to piety sanctity Christian charity Fourthly the patticular day of the week which the law commands to be kept for an holy Sabbath is separated upon such a just ground reason in the first institution of the Sabbath and blessed by God with such a blessing aboue other daies of the week that whosoever knows the law true intent meaning of it rightlie undeâ—stands the ground of the Sabbath mentioned in the law he must by the light both of nature grace he forced to confesse acknowledge the particular day which the law commands to bee kept an holie Sabbath both in the old new testament For the law doth not command one day in seven to be an holy rest simply merely for the pleasure of the lawgiuer because he would haue it soe for no other reason but for very good reason upon a ground because he dignified the day of the Sabbath blessed it aboue all other daies with a singular blessing our owne reason doth tell us that the particular day of the weeke which hath in it the true reasons the honour blessing of the sabbath it ought by the law to be obserued for the holy sabbath none other while it retaines that honour blessing hath the true reasons properly annexed to it Now it it most manifest to all who read the Scriptures are well exercised in Gods word law That as the seventh last day of the weeke was blessed honoured adorned by God with the greatest blessing which God gaue to the world in the old Testament to weet the promise of Christ the Redeemer of the world Gods entring into the Couenant of grace of eternall life salvavation with man also Gods perfecting of the whole worke of creation by revealing giving in promise the worke of Redemption his resting in Christs mediation on that day vndertaken begun And therefor every reasonable man must by his own reason be induced lead to acknowledg that day the fittest most worthy of all daies in the week to be the holy Sabbath to be spent in thankfull commemoration of Gods free loue bountie to mankinde During the whole time of the old Testament before the comming of Christ. So likewise God hauing now under the Gospel transferred this honour to the first day of the week that is become a blessed day aboue all other daies being blessed of God with a blessing farr more excellent then that of the seventh day to weet the actuall performance of the promise by giving exhibiting Christ a perfect actuall redeemer in his resurrection without which resurrection all our preaching of Christ all our faith in Gods promises would prove vaine as the Apostle proueth 1 Cor. 15. Therfore every man must out of common reason equity conclude that together with the ground reason of the Sabbath which God hath now removed from the seventh to the first day he hath also remoued the honour festiuall solemnity of the Sabbath Also his first law which enjoyneth man to keep that day for the holy Sabbath which God hath blessed with the greaâ—est blessing doth bind all Christians to obserue the Lords day for their weekly Sabbâ—th under the Gospel And in a word that it were a thing most vnequall unjust if a man or any Church should goe about to set up for the weekely Sabbath any other day which God hath not dignified honoured with so great a blessing Now upon these prâ—missed reasons I hope it appeares manifestly First that though the Commandement of the weekly Sabbath is no dictâ—te of nature but a positiue Evangellicall law yet it doth by common naturall reason as well as by the light of grace direct every reasonable man to the partilar day of the weekly Sabbath as to the seventh day in the old Testament so to the first in the new Testament And no resonable man can deny it to be the most equall which this law binds men unto but vpon the true grounds of the Sab well weighed considered must be forced to confesse that as the seventh day was most worthy of the honour of the Sabbath had it before Christs full exhibition in his resurrection so ever since the Lords day the first of the week is become the true Sab of Christians none hath power to giue that honour to any other day Secondly it is here manifest that though Christ the sonne of God made also the son of man mans redeemer is the Lord of the Sab the determination of the particular day of the week depends on him and none other haue the honour prorâ—gâ—tiue to appoint the particular day but he only Yet we must not conceiue that Christ by his bare will sets downe the particular day that the day is to be obserued only because of his bare will commandement that any other is as fit worthy as the seventh the first if he would be pleased at any time to commâ—nd the same But we are to hold thâ—â— Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath hath the determinatioÌ„ of the particular day depends on him the Redeemer onely because the hoâ—y Sabbath is founded and builded upon him and in him alone
are to be found all the meane and essentiall grounds and reasons both of the Sabbath and alsoe â—f the particular day wherein hee requires that it should be obserued If he had not undertaken mans redemption from death and hell and mans exaltation to eternall rest and glory there had beene neither any place for mans keeping of a Sabbath nor anie use of it to fit him for heaven or to be a pledg of eternall rest in heaven Jf God had not on the seventh day promised Christ the blessed seed to redeeme man from death to purchase life for him and to continue to him the benefit of the creatures and to perfect his creation Surely it had not been the most blessed day of the weeke neither would God haue instituted it to be a weekly Sabbath at the first and soe to continue untill the comming of Christ. And if God had not raised up Christ on the first day of the weeke and so exhibited him aperfect redeemer and fully performed his promise Then the first day had not beene made a more blessed day then the seventh and all other daies of the weeke And the Lord Christ would never haue made that day of the weeke his Sabbath alwaies after neither would his holy Apostles by inspiration of his spirit being moued to call it the Lords day and to obserue it and teach others to obserue it for their day of holy assemblies for the performing of all holy Sabbath duties And thus we see Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath and so determines the particular day of the weeke not by his bare will word but by bringing in such blessings on the seveÌ„th or first day of the week as made the one of them most worthy under the new testament to bee the holy Sabbath to be kept and obserued of all Gods people vnto the observation whereof they are justly lead by the light both of grace and nature And it is not either in the power of man or any other creature or in the just will of God or agreeable to the will of the Lord Christ and the wisedome of his spirit to appoint any other day for the weekly Sabbath but onely the day of the Lord Christ that is the day of him promised in the old and the day of him fully exhibited in the new Testament The first of which and no other the fathers were bound to keepe for their holy rest of old And the later and no other is our weekly Sabbath and the due obseruation of that particular is the first speciall Sabbath duty of all Christians under the time of the Gospell untill the last resurrection The second sort of speciall duties vnto which all true Christians are bound unto in their obseruation of the Lords day which is the christian Sabbath are the duties of rest cessation from all worldly affaires which now follow to be handled in the nâ—xâ— place Concerning which J finde much diuersity both of opinion and practise not only betweene true Christians of the reformed Churches and Antichristian Papists other hereticks but also in the reformed Churches among themselves First for the Church of Rome and all that are of her faction devoted to her superstition and Idolatry and marked with the marke of the beast which beares up the Romish Babylon though diuers of their learned Scoole-men haue heretofore maintained a very strict obseruation of rest on the Lords day Yet now in later times both in Doctrine practise they are growne uery desolate especially the Romish Catholicks which liue among us turning the Lords day into a day of liberty and spending a great part of it in sports plaies revelling other bodily exercises which are carnall fleshly prophane and impious As if so be their irreligious prophanenesse were at strife with their Idolatrous religion and at great emulation contending which should out go ouer runne the other in carrying them with greater speede to hell Yea to shew and make it manifest to the world that the Romish man of sinne is that great Antichrist which exalts himselfe aboue al that is called God euen aboue the true God the Lord Iesus Christ whose vicar he in hipocrisie makes himself The Church of Rome doth teach and urge her Uassals to keâ—p yearelie holie daies most strictly which are of her owne devising which the pope hath commanded to be observed in honour of his Cananized Saints in the mean time opposeth with many great profanations the Lords day which the Lord hath consecrated by his resurrection Which day being blessed by God with the greatest blessing aboue all other daies of the weeke is by the law vvhich God gaue from the beginning commanded to bee kept for the Lords holy Sabbath vveeklie Secondly there are of the hereticall faction of the Anabaptists Antimonians families other such prophane Sectaries which make little soâ— any lavv of God or man saving onlie the dictate of their faniticall â—pirit And left the commandemeÌ„t of the vveekly Sab least they should seeme to be subject to Gods lavv and to be be his servants vvhich they account slauerie and not absolute Libertines and sonnes of Beliall vvhich haue cast of the Lords yoke These esteem and obserue no daie at all but according to their own fancie make the Lords day so far as they dare for feare of men a market day of buying and selling waâ—es a daie of labour and of bearing and carrying our burdens as they well know who haue beene at Amsterdam where such heretickes and sectaries are tolerated Thirdlie among Christians of the reformed Churches there is a difference both in Doctrine and practise Some of the reformed Churches who out of their extreme hatred to Popish superstition and to all Popish rites and Ceremonies being unwilling to retaine any thing which was used in poperie except there bee some expresse Commandement or example for it in the Scriptures especiallie of the new Testament and labouring to overthrow the whole Hierachie and gouernment of the Church by Bishops all bodily rites they do in the heat of their zeale so violently set themselues against Popish superstious holie dayes that they goe about to take away all observations of daies and they haue proceeded so farre as to deny that any either weekely Sabbath or yearelie set feast ought to be kept holy by any speciall law or commandement of God They teach that the Sabbath as it was commanded to be kept of old was a mere ceremoniall shaddow of things which are accomplished in Christ and that is now a bolished But because it is a thing necessary for the hauing of holy assemblies and for good order in the Churches that there should be a set day either a seseventh or sixth day of eight dayes And because the law of nature requires that Christian people should haue some daies of rest from hard labour for the refreshing of themselves and their seruants and cattell therefore the Church of God mâ—y appoint any day of
the weeke And in honour of the resurrection of Christ on that day hath from the time of the Apostles agreed to keepe that day for the Lords day not out of any opinion that God hath blessed sanctified it aboue all other daies of the weeke but onely for good orders sake and that it is lawfull for Gods people after publick exercises of religion and some needfull rest and refreshing to use necessarie laboures and bodily recreations which in themselves are not sinfull and unlawfull neither do hinder publick duties of religion and of Gods worship But on the contrarie it is the common doctrine of the most godly and learned in the Church of England ever since the reformâ—â—ion of religion held maintained taught that although Christians are by Christ freed from the observation of the seventh day which was the Sabbath of the old Testament and from that servile bondage and rigorous rest which the law litterally and carnally vnderstood did impose on them or rather they by their carnal exposition wresting of the law did impose on themselves as not kindling of a fire nor liberty to heal the sick nor to do any worke of charitie and necessity on the Sâ—bbath day which could not without danger be deferred Yet they are bound by the law which was first giuen here in my text and after by Moses and the Prophets to keepe in everie weeke an holy rest and that on the first day which is the Lords day because God hath blessed it with a blessing aboue all other daies even by exhibiting Christ a perfect redeemer in his resurrection and hath thereby consecrated that day to be his holie sabbath And that all bodilie laboures sports and recreations and all worldly negociation are by Gods law strictly prohibited now under the Gospell as they were in the daies of the Patriarches and Prophets and under the law Because indeed and in truth they crosse the holie purpose of God which he hath manifested in his law and are impediments of those holy exercises which are required in the sanctification of his holie day This doctrine and practise I hold to be the best and this we are all bound to receiue and imbrace and to cleaue vnto it not onely because it is the Doctrine of our Mother Church commended to us in the book of homilies established by divets lawes statutes and constitutions still in force but also because it is most consonant to the sacred Scriptures the precepts and practise of the Apostles and to the common Doctrine of the purest and most holy Orthoxe of the auncient fathers in the Primitiue times and ages next succeeding after the Apostles as by Gods assistance as J shall make cleare and manifest In the justifying proving of this Doctrine and in laying open the speciall duties of Christians which concerne rest and cessation from all worldly negociation and bodilie laboures on the Lords daie which is the Christian Sabbath I will shew First of all That rest and câ—ssation from all bodilie laboures about the worldlie businesse and from all servile and and earthlie workes which concerne this fraile life is a necessarie dutie which God requires by his law of all Christians on the Lords daie which is their Holie weeklie Sabbath vnder the Gospell 2. That Gods law rightlie understood doth in respect of rest from worldly cares and all bodily workes and pleasures as strictly binde us vnder the Gospell on the Lords day as it bound the fathers upon their seventh day in the old Testament 3. I will shew how far Gods word law doth allow of bodily exercises which concerne this life and how farre in such exercises we may goe with good warrant upon the Lords holy Sabbath and what exercises are condemned in the word of God CHAP. 19. FOR the full proofe of the first point there are many strong and invincible arguments grounded vpon the word and law of God upon the generall consent of Orthodox divines both auncient and moderne even upon the confession of them who in this point much differ and seeme to deny that the Lords day either is or ought to be called a Sab. The first Argument is drawn from the words of the law which forbids all workes to be done on the Sabbath day either by man himselfe or his children servants or cattell as Exod. 20 10. Deut. 5.14 where it is said In it thou shâ—lt not do any worke thou nor thy son nor thy servant nor thy cattell Exod. 35.2 Leuit. 23.7 Yee shall do no servile workâ— therein whosoeveâ— doth any work therin shall be put to death The reasons why the Lord requires rest from all servile worke on the Sabbath day are two First because he who is the Lord our God and our Redeemer hath on that day rested from his worke and him we ought to imitate if we will enter into his rest Secondly because he hath blessed the day which is his Sabbath aboue all daies of the weeke and wheresoever the causes and reasons stand firme there the law is still in force Now this law of the Sabbath doth reach to the Lords day As J haue proved before the reasoÌ„ vpon which it requirs rest froÌ„ seâ—vile works are much more to be found in the Lords day which is the Christian Sab then in the Old Sabbath of the seventh day For in it Christ who is God ouer all blessed for ever and who is our Redeemer from a greater then Egyptian bondage even the slauery of sinne death and hell and the Divell hath rested from the great worke of redemption as God the Creatour did one the seventh day from the worke of creation And this day is now by Christs resurrection in which Christ perfected mans redemption blessed with a blessing farre more excellent then any wherewith God blessed the seventh day Therfore this is the Sabbath now under the Gospell in it God requirs of us by his law a rest total cessatioÌ„ froÌ„ al servile works Secondly whatsoever day is the Lords holy day a day of holy convocations assemblies that is a Sab of rest froÌ„ al servile works worldly busines this is manifest Exod. 12.16 31.15 35.2 Leuit. 32.3 7 which places do plainly shew that every day which is holy to the Lord and a day of holy assemblies is a Sab of rest no worke may be done therin And so likewise in all the law the Prophets every day which is a day of holy convocation an holy day is called a Sab day of rest from our own works pleasures every Sab is called the Lords holy day for these two are termini convertibiles termes which may be naturally affiâ—med one of another as apeares Neh. 9 14 Isa 58 13 Now the Lords day in the time of the Gospell is the chiefe of all holy dayes among Christians It was sanctified observed by the Apostles for their day of holy assemblies from the first publishing
of the Gospell among the Gentiles on that they did meet together to heare the word to receiue the sacrament of the Lords supper Act 20 7 And on that day St Paul ordained that the collections offerings should bee made for the Saints 1 Cor 16 12 which were things proper for holy publicke assemblies So St John cals it by the name of the Lords day Revel 1 10 that is the day which is universall sacred holy to the Lord in an high degree For whatsoever things haue the Lords name named on them are such as all confesse many examples of Scripture proue abundantly All the auncient fathers doctors of the Church who immediatly in the â—ext ages succeed the Apostles do proclaime it to be the chief holy day of Christians even the Queene supreme Lady of dayes So Ignatius cals it as J haue often before noted also the day of their holie assemblies wherin they did come together to preach read expound heare Gods word to worshipp God to pray to praise God with their one voyce to receiue the Sacramentt and offer up almes So Iustin Martyr affirmes The rest of the most learned fathers as Basill Nazianzene Chrysostome Hyerome Austen do all extoll it for the Lords high roiall holy daie the chiefâ— primate first fruites of daies as the learned of all sides know coâ—fesse even Calvin his followers who made a doubt scruple of calling it the Sab or observing it for a Sab of holy rest by any warrant from Gods law Therefore none can with any good reason deny that one maine duty of this day is rest from all earthly workes Thirdly wheresoever there is as much use of holie rest cessation froÌ„ all worldlie affaires as there was of old when God first gaue afterwards repeated and urged the law of the weekly Sab there a Sab of rest ought to be kept weeklie even by the Com of God This is truth undeniable For no laws of God commâ—nding things which are but tipes figures are at any time abrogated vntill the things commanded cease to be of use as the Apostle shewes in the 8 9 10 cap of Heb Now Christ who is the body and substance of all types and shaddowes hath not by his comming so fulfilled the rest of the weekly Sabbath but there is as great as holy and as necessary use of it to us Christians as there was to the people of God in the Old Testament First we haue as much and more need of refreshing our weak bodies and the bodies of our servants and labouring cattell then they had by keeping a weekly Sabbath for we are grown farre more weake and feeble and of shorter life then they were Secondly we haue as great neede of seperating sequestring and recalling our minds and affections from all worldly cares negociations and pleasures â—hat we may haue pleasure and freedome to worship and serue God and devote one day in everie weeke to publick assemblies for our edification in grace faith and holinâ—sse For we are more full of infirmities and doe decay and grow corrupt more and more as all the world doth and haue need of all outward helpes more then they Thirdlie as rest from all workes and labours which concerne this life was necessarie and of great vse to Adam and al the fathers to withdraw their hearts and mindâ—s from placing their felicitie and seeking happinesse in this world and to put them in remembrance that being fallen from that integrity in which they were created and the first covenant of life by mans owne workes being broken and made voyd by the first fall and disobedience there is no hope of life or of any true blessednesse Soe it is of no lesse use but of much more necessitie for us who are farre more eagre after the world more readie to place our felicitie in earthly things and more proud and arrogant readie to glorie in our own merits to boast of our own righteousnesse â—s we see by common course of the world which now a daies soe madlie doateth after Popish and Pelagian merits Fâ—urâ—hlie as Gods commanding of a weeklie rest to be given to man and beast and the resting of the fathers on the Sabbath day from servile workes and labour which came in as a curse for sinne were of great vse to teach them and to be a pledge and token unto them that God did rest in Christs mediation and his justice was fullie satisfied and his wrath appeased towards them by that satisfaction which Christ had vndertaken to make and that the sting of sinne and death and the bitternesse of the curse was taken awaie by him So likewise it is of the same use still to us and we haue as much need of the same weekly holie râ—st to make us feele more sensible and relish more sweetly the virtue of Christs satisfaction the sweetnesse whereof wee through our dullnesse can hardlie tast and relish and many amongst us make a doubt whether there be any such satisfaction of Gods justice needfull at all or any appeasing of his wrath by Christ. Fifthly as Gods injoyning of rest was of use to the fathers to testifie to them his prouident care ouer his creatures both men and beasts and his hatred and detestation of mercilesse crueltie and unjust oppression Soe it is much more usefull to us for the same purpose in these last daies and perillous times wherein men are become fierce cruell implacable without naturall affection as experience teacheth and the Apostle foretold 2 Tim. 3.2.3 Lastlie as the weekly rest of the old Sabbath grounded upon the obscure promise of Christ was commanded by God that it might bee a meanes to stirre up the fathers to looke for true comfort ease refreshing in Christ if they did by faith flee to him whensoever they did travell under the burden of their sinnes and Satans temptations as wee read that Iob did cap. 16.21 and 19.25 Soe now it is much more usefull to stirre us up to seeke to Christ when wee are heavie laden and groane under the burden of sinne and of the miseries which come by sinne and of Satans dangerous temptations Seeing as Satan doth now â—ore rage like a Roaring Lyon 1 Pet 5.8 And is full of wrath because his time growes shorter Revel 12. So we haue Christ actuallie given and revealed and in the Gospell calling and inviting us and promising rest and refreshing for our soules in such causes of distresse if we come to him Jn a word to us the rest of the Lord Christs day is a more liuelie pledge of eternall rest by him prepared in heaven for us These things being cleare and manifest the conclusion following vpon these praemises it this That we are as much or more bound by Gods law to keepe the Lords day as a Sabbath of weekly rest by ceasing from all affaires of this life laying aside all worldlie cares and resting from
all our owne ordinarie and common workes and labours Fourthlie they who are more spirituall and haue haue liuely hope of Heaven and haue the spirit shed on them more abundantlie they are more bound by Gods law to sequester themselves and withdraw their mindes from worldlie cares and more to minde heavenlie things as at all other times so on the Lords holie daie which is consecrated to heavenly spirituall and religious worship and seruice of God is a pledg to them of eternall rest with Christ in heaven For to whome God hath given more of them shall more bee required Now it is most plainly testified in the Scriptures That Christians vnder the Gospell are more spirituall and haue the spirit more abundantly shed on them through Christ then the Fathers had Act. 2.17 Tit. 3.6 The Ministery of the new Testament is the ministery of the spirit not of the letter 2 Cor. 3.6 And we haue now more evidence more assurance of the blessed hope reserued in heaven for vs. Colos. 1.5 There is Christ our life and Treasure Colos. 3 1.2 And there our hearts ought to be and not on earthly things We must now be ready if Christ call vs to sell all and to giue to the poore that we may haue treasure in heaven Therefore we are bound by the law especially on the Lords day our weekly holy day to be more sequestered from the world and to rest wholy from all cares and labours about earthly things that we may be wholy deuoted to heavenly things and to divine meditations Lastly though Auncient Fathers and Doctours of the Church did much condemne in their writings the observation of the Sabbath after the manner of the later Iewes to weet in idlenesse and from resting from all worldly affaires that they might spend the day in vaine sports and delights and in wanton leaping and dauncing which in the graue judgment of these learned Fathers Was worse and more prophane then plowing and digging and working in woll Yet notwithstanding they doe generally commend the Lords day as a day of rest to all Gods people from all rurall workes and worldly affaires that they may be at leasure to exercise themselues in holy duties and be wholy devoted to the worshipp of God And hereupon it is that the learned of these later times especially the builders of Gods Church in this land do most frequently in respect of this rest and cessarion from al seculiar affaires call the Lords day the Sabbath of Christians as appeares in the first part of the Homily of the time and place of prayer and do affirme that as the Fathers in the old Testament were bound to rest one the seventh day from all manner of worke Soe also are Christians bound on the Lords day to rest and that by the law of God CHAP. 20 THE second position which I haue propounded before which now Comes to be proved is That Gods law rightly understood doth in respect of this duty of rest from all worldly affaires as strictly bind us under the Gospell on the Lords day as it bound the fathers on the Sabbath of the seventh day in the old Testament Here some will perhaps imagine that I goe about to laye an heavy yoke of Jewish legall bondage upon Christians contrary to Christian liberty by which Christ hath made us free But if they remember and beare in minde what I haue before proued to weet That the fathers from the beginning had no such burden imposed on them as is commonly conceived and that the Scripâ—ures are alleaged to proue that they might not kindle a fire nor dresse meate nor goe out of their place on the Sabbath day and that it was death to gather sticks on that day in case of necessity are much mistaken They shall be forced to confesse that I take away the heavy yoke which many lay upon the Fathers in the old Testament raâ—hen then lay any yoke upon Christians in the obseruation of the Sabbath Yea that I require and urge no more then that which all the learned of best note in all ages haue ever since the time of the Apostles and by tradition from them commended to the Churches of Christ which also the lawes Canons and Doctrine of the Church of England generally receiued and established doe impose on us the light burden and easie yoke of Christ. It is true that the Scribes and Pharises those great corrupters of the law and blinde Hypocrites as our Saviour cals them did lay an heavy yoke on the people of their time by their false glosses and corrupt traditions as in diuers other points so in the obseruation of the Sabbath They held it unlawfull in case of necessity to pull an eare of corne or any fruite from a tree on the Sabbath day and blamed Christs Disciples for doing so when they were hungry and had no other meanes to keepe themselues from fainting They accused our Saviour Christ for working a glorious miracle and doing a worke of great charity on the Sabbath when by his word he healed some that were sick of great infirmities and sent them away bearing their beds on their backes in open sight of all which tended much to the honour of God and made the people glorifie Christ and his Gospell But our Saviour reproues them for this strictnesse and convinceth them of errour by diuers argumentâ— First by Scripture which saith that God will haue mercy rather then sacrifice that is God is serued more acceptably with workes of mercy which are morall duties then sacrifices which are but a seruice ceremonial he delights more in works of mercy charity then in them as at all times so when they are done to his glory on the Sab day So that if it was a breach and prophanation of the Sab to do any worke of mercie in it then it must needs be much more a prophanation to labour worke about sacrifices in killing beasts dressing washing their flesh making fires to burne them on the Altar which were not so pleasing to God as works of mercy But the Pharisees allowed approued such works of sacrificing durst not condemn theÌ„ And thâ—â—for our Saviour concludes that they ought not to condemne his mercifull works of healing the sick on the Sab day shewes that by censuring his doings for prophanation they did much more censure the forenamed actions of their Priests even the dressing burning sacrifices mat 12.5.6.7 Secondly our Saviour proues that by Gods owne law they were allowed to circumcise children on the Sab day whensoever it happened to fall out on the eight daie after the birth of children and to the Child circumcised they applied healing medicinâ—s and therfore they groslie erred in accusing him for healing on the Sabbath which was a thing pleasing to God and was a lesse labour then Circumcision Iohn 7.22 Thirdlie he convinceth them of grosse hypocrisie and blindnesse in that they imposed heavie burdens upon
others which they themselves would not beare they did restraine men from pulling an eare of corne rubbing eating it on the Sabbath daie in the case of hunger great necessitie And yet they led their oxen to the water and did pull a sheepe or a asse out of a pitt on the Sabbath daie Mat. 12.11 Luk. 13.15 14.5 By these arguments which our Saviour vsed against the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospell it is most cleare and manifest that it was not the law of God given from the beginning nor the will of God the lawgiuer but onely the Hipocriticall Scribes and Pharises who by their traditions devices of their owne brains imposed on the Iews that strict and rigorous rest and cessation from all works whatsoever on the Sabbath day which the learned fathers and Christian writers do cal an heauy burden hard to be borne Object But it may bee some will object that the fathers in the old Testament were bound to offer double sacrifices on Sabbath daie Num. 28.9 even two lambes of the first yeare without spott and two tenth deales of flower For a meate offering mingled with oyle the drinkâ— offering thereof Which was more costly required more bodily labour and care then any which is imposed on us Chriâ—â—ianâ— by Gods law upon our Christian Sabbatâ— and therefore their observation of the Sabbath was an heavie yoke burden harder to be borne then â—ny which is imposed on us Answ. I answer that this objection doth strongly proue the point in hand For if more bodilie labour and care was required of the Fathers in their worship which was more carnall bodilie then ours on their Sabbath and vve are therefore eased of that yoke haue a more spirituall vvorship taught us and imposed on us by Christ and his Apostles as the Prophets foretold Then vvere the Fathers lesse restrained from bodilie laboures then wee are neither was there soe strict and rigorous a Rest and Cessation imposed on them which serues much for the justifying of our position to weet That Gods law rightly understood and expounded according to the will and intent of God the lawgiuer doth as strictly bind us under the Gospell to Rest from all worldlie businesse on the Lords day as it bound the fathers one the seventh day in the old Testament But to proceed in the further manifestation of this truth Although I could bring many arguments and proofes both out of Scripture alsoe out of the writings of the learned and cleare testimonies which shew the consent of all Godlie Orthodox vvrititers of all ages Yet because I vvill leave no occasion or colour to such sonnes of Beliall as doe intrude into our assemblies to catch calumniate and report my vvords safely and to accuse my Doctrine except they vvill hâ—rden their despeand malicious hearts and put on brasen faces vvith vvhorish foreheads to accuse the holy Scriptures and the Doctrine published in the booke of Homilyes and by lavv established in this Church of England vvherof vve are members therefore I vvill onely commend to your consideration the publick Doctrine of our Church in the verie vvords of the Homilies vvhich both by statutâ— lavv and Royall perogatiue are established in this land and Kingdome and vvill shevv hovv parfectlie they agree vvith holie scripture in this point First in the first part of the Homilie Concerning the time and place of prayer We are taught that God in the fâ—urth Commandement hath appointed the time for his people to assemble themselves together solemnly when he said Remember that thou keepe holy the sabbath Secondly in the same place it is affirmed that the praecise keeping of the seventh day and the externall ceremoniall worshippe of the sabbath which the law required as it waâ— given to the Jewâ—s being bâ—t Câ—remoniall are ceased to us and we are not bound by the law so strictly to forbeare worke and labour in the case of necessity after the manner of the Iewes That is as they were taught by the Scribes and Pharisees But we keepe now the first day of the weeke which is our sunday and make that our Sabbath that is our day of rest in the honour of our Lord Christ who as upon that day rose from death conquering the same most triumphantly These are the words of the Homily And that the keeping of a set time to weet one day in weeke wherein wee ought to rest from lawfull and needfull workes Js found in the fourth Commandâ—ment among thâ— things which appertain to the law of nature is a thing most godly most just and needfull for the setting forth of Gods Glory and oughâ— to 〈◊〉 retained kept of all good Christian people So is it there expresly affirmed Thirdly we are there â—aught That as by the fourth commandement no man on the six dayes ought to be slothfull or idle but diligently to labour in their estate wherein God hath set him Even so God hath given expresse charge to all men that on the Sabbath day which is now our Sunday they shoâ—ld 〈◊〉 from all worldly and worke day labour and that Gods obedient people should use the Sabbath holily and so rest from their common dayly businesse that they may giue themselves wholy to Heavenly exercises of Gods true religion and service Fourthly in the same Homily all Gods people are urged and pressed to keepe the Sunday for their holy Sabath by three Aâ—guments The first is the commandement of God in the law The second is Gods examample who rested on the Seventh day and did no worke of creation at all but blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quietnesse and rest from labour The third is an example of the Apostles who immediately after the ascention of our Lord Christ began to keepe this day of the week commended it the first Churches of the Gentiles 1 Cor. 16 and called it the Lords day Revel 1.10 Sithens which time Gods people hath alwaies with out any gainsaying obserued it Fifthly and lastly the Homilies shewes that the rest and cessation which God requires by his law one the Lords day at the hands of us Christians is the same which the law did bind the fathers unto from the beginning upon this Sabbath in the old testament First whereas the law commanded the Fathers to rest from all such workes as they are allowed to do on the other common dayes of the weeke that is wordly labours as the expresse words of the law shew In it thou shâ—lt not do any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daugther nor thy servant c. Exod. 20.10 And again thou shalt do no servile work therin Levit. 23.7 thou shalt do no manner of servile worke Num. 28.18 So the Homily blames all those people for wicked boldnesse carelesse prophanation of the Lords day who make no conscience of doeing their worldly businesse one that day though there bee no extreame need and necessity Secondly as the law forbids journeying
2 Cor 2 6 7 and as divers of the auncients haue held and shewed in their practise Seventhly ordaining and calling of Bishops Pastors and Elders being of old performed in the face of the whole Church with publick prayers and laying on of hands Act. 1.15 14.23 2 Cor. 8.19 As it was of old soe at this day is a verie fitt dutye of the Lord holy weekly Sabbath Besides these publick duties there are diuers priuate duties which are necessary both to make the publick duties effectuall and frutefull and to testifie to the Praise and glory of God the power of his holy ordinances and the worke of the spirit by them upon our hearts and soules The first of these is private prayer either by our selves alone or in our families with our Children servants and others of the houshold for if we must pray continually when just occasion and oppertunity is offered as the Apostle teacheth 1 Thes. 5. then most especially before we go vnto and after we returne from the publicke assemblies for a blessing upon Gods Publick ordinances both to our selves and others Our Saviour bids us pray in secret and David exhorts vs to commune with God on our beds and to pray after his example morning evening and at noone day The second is meditation of such as are alone on things heard in the Church and repetition in the family for the printing of the the word in their mindes and memories and mutuall instruction and exhortation one of another without which the word will take small effect afterwards and quicklie beforgotten Saint Paul doth intimate the necessary vse of this duty where he commands women to aske and learne of their husbands at home and not to speak in the Church 1 Cor 14 35 1 tim 2 11. This is the holy duty which God commended in Abraham Gen 18 That he did command and teach his houshold Children which few men can do conveniently on the week daies when every one is about their worke some in one place and some in another onely the Lords day is the fittest The third is rejoycing singing of Psalmes and Praising God in our families this David commends for a duty of the Sabbath Psal. 92.1 And this Paul and Silas taught us by their example Act. 16.35 Where they two being in prison and in the stocks are said on the Lords day at midnight to pray and sing Psalmes with soe loud a voyce that the Prisoners heard them And yet I hope none dare call them Puritants and Hipocrites as the profane miscreaunts of our time call all the familes in which they heare singing of Psalmes on the Lords day The Fourth is visiting of the sick of prisoners releiving the poore and needy perswading of disagreeing Neighbours to peace and reconciliation These are works of mercie and of Christian loue and charity haue no proper end but to bring honour to God and to make him to be praised of his people and his people to be edified in loue And being an holie private service of God they may be done on the Lords daie our Church Doctrine doth teach them and Ecclesiasticall constitutions allow them The last duty is meditating on Gods workes magnifying them and speaking of them with admiration one to another if upon any just occasion or for necessarie refreshing we walke diuers together into the feilds This David mentions in the Psalme for the Sabbath day Psal. 92 45. Where he saith thou Lord hast made me glad through thy workes and I will tryumph in the workes of thy hands O Lord how great are thy workes Thus much for the speciall duties both publick priuate which Christians are bound to performe on the Lords day which is the Christian Sabbath Now the consideration of these severall duties being some publick some priuate some more proper for the Sabbath and some for all daies offer to us somethings more to be obserued First the publicke duties of the whole Church together must first be regarded and preferred before priuate duties at home and mumbling of private praies with our selves in the Church because they make more for Gods glory and mutuall edification and do shew and declare our Christian vnity Secondly publick duties must take up the best and greatest part of the day because they are proper to the day and to publick assemblies which are to be kept weekly on the Sabbath day Priuate duties are common to all daies of the weeke Thirdly the duties of mercy charity to men must giue place to the mediate worship of God when there is no vrgent necessity and they may bee deferred to another day without any inconvenience Men hauing oppertunity before must not put them off vntill the Lords daie and then by them shoulder out holy duties of piety and Gods solemne worshippe Lastly by the many and severall duties required on the Lords Sabbath wee see that to him who hath a care and respect of them all there will be no time left for for idle words and toyish talking praunsing in pride and vanity nor for any carnall sports pastimes and pleasures But Gods day wil be found little enough for holy duties which are to be performed And therefore I dare not allow any liberty for any sports how honest lawful so ever at other times except they bee holy and Gods worship be furthered and no better duties by them be hindered Which no man can in reason conceive or imagine If God be to be loved aboue all and honoured and served with all the heart and mind soule strength as the law commands J do not see but all Gods people ought so to do especially on the Lords day to be discontent grieued that they canÌ„ot do it so fully as they ought not to allow to themselves in these things anie liberty which may hinder Gods holy worship The greatest opposites of the weekly Christians Sabbath when they haue most vehemently disputed spent al their argumeÌ„ts against the observation of the Lords day for an holy Sab day of holy rest are by the cleare evidence of the truth so convinced that will they nill they their conscience forceth them to confesse That the speÌ„ding of the whole day even the space of four twenty hours of the Lords day an holie rest cessation from all worldly thoughts cares from all seculiar affaires in holy duties of Gods worship service both publick and private is a thing Commendable praise worthy in them and pleasing and acceptable in the sight of God To that one only wise omnipotent immortall and eternall God who in all things and ouer all enimies maketh his truth to triumph be all honour glory and praise now and for euer FINIS Justin. Dialog cuÌ„ Triphone Tertull. adversus Judoeos Irenaeus lib. 4. c. 20 * Tostatus Pererius Gomarus Heb. 11.10.16 Origen Hierom. trad in 2 Gen. Austin in Psal. 80. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 8 21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 31.2 Heb. 10.26 1 Ioh. 5.16 Heb. 6·6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrine 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Reason 4 Reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Position negative 1· Pit 1.3 Objection Answer 1. Position affirmative 2. position affiâ—mative Gen. 4. 3 position affirmative Objection Answer Object 2. Answer The severall opinions concerning the law of the Sabbath The distinction of Gods laws serm 251. de tempore serm de tempore 136. Zanch. lib de De Calog thes 1. 1 Argument 2 Argument 3 Argument Argum. 6 Argument 7 Argument 8. Argu. 9. Argu. Of mans sanctification of the Sabbath 1 Argument 2 Argument 3 Argument 4. Argu. 5 Argument Objection Answer Object Answer Prolog in Psalm Objection Answer Lexicâ— cold 1. Argument 2 Argument 3. Argument 4. Argum. 5. Argu Chrisostom in Cor. 16. Augst ser. 25 1. de temp Gregor Magn Epist lib 11.3
As for example Gods commandement and law given to Israell was that they should loue him the Lord their God and serue him with such worship as is agreable to his word This law bindes them and all Gods people in all generations unchaungable Jt bound all such as lived in the old Testament to serve God with sacrifices and burnt offerings and to worship him with their first fruits and sweet odoures and perfumes of incense and that in the place which he did chuse out of all the tribes of Israell And it bindes vs still who liue under the new Testament to loue God and to serue him But with a spirituall woshippe and seruice such as is most agreable to the word of the Gospell as Saint Paul shewes Rom. 12. â— and our sacrifices are not of bruite beasts but our owne bodies deuoted to the obedience of Christ and sacrifices of thankes and praise which are the calfes of our lipps Heb. 13.15 for now men are not by the lavv bound to worship God In Ierusalem nor in the mountaine of Samaria but in every place to lift up puâ—e hands and hearts to God and to worshippe him in spirit and in truth Iohn 4.21 And to this worshipp the same law doth as strictlie binde us as it did the fathers to their bodâ—ly sacrafices in Ierusalem though the seruice in divers particulars is chaunged yet the law is perpetual and stâ—nds firme and immutable and bindes all Gods people in al their generations Soe likewise from the first promise of Christ a redeemer to mankinde Adam and all his posterity are bound to beleeve in Christ and to seeke expect and hope for salvation and life only in him the promised seede of the woman that is in him made man and mans mediatour And the law of beleeuing in Christ is perpetuall firme and vnchâ—ungable And yet the dutie which he requires is changeable and is chaunged now under the Gospel from that which is under the law in circumstance for the faithfull in the old Testament were bound to except and wait for Christ and to beleeve in him to come but we under the Gospel confesse Christ and beleeue in that Christ Iesus which is come in the flesh â—nd whosoever confesseth not Christ which is come but beleevs Christ to come he is lead by the spirit of Antichrist 1 Joh. 4.3 And euen thus the case stands with the law of the Sabbath which God gaue in the beginning when he sanctified the seuenth day for by that law he bound Adam and all his posterity to obserue and keepe an holy weekly Sabbath and that one the particular day of the week which is the day most blessed with the greatest blessing aboue all other daies of the weeke and wherein the created worke of the world comes to greatest perfection and that is brought into actuall being where God especiallie resteth and wherewith he is chiefly satisfied delighted This is the summe and substance of the law which equallie bindes all Gods people perpetually to the worlds end This law bound the fathers to keepe holy the seventh day and last day of the weeke in the old Testament because that was the day most blessed with the greatest blessing as yet reuealed in the world that is the promise of Christ his actuall undertaking beginning to be mans mediatour by which promise of the redeemer bringing in of supernaturall grace which is spirituall immutable the mutable worke of the creation was perfected in which mediatoÌ„ of Christ God rested took such delight that he would not go about to uphold the world by way of creation but coÌ„mitted the reparation of the world to Christ the mediatour But now under the goâ—pel since the ful exhibition of Christ a perfect actual redeemer the perfecting of the work of redemption on the first day of the week in Christ his resurrectioÌ„ that first day of the seuenth which is the seventh in the weekly revolution if we count the daies beginÌ„ing with the daie next following is now the day most blessed wherin the created world is after a better manner in an higher degree perfected God findes that actually performed wherin he resteth wherwith he is fully satisfied And therfore the same perpetuall law of the Sabbath bindes us to keepe this day for our weekly Sabbath that not with such service as was holy under the law that double bodily sacrifices nor with assemblies appointed for preaching reading hearing of the law the promises of a redeemer to come for seeking salvation blessings in Messiah promised yet not come But with spirituall worship faithfull praier invocation in the name of Christ exhibited already exalted with reading preaching hearing of the gospel which declareth Christ Iesus already come in the flesh And thus I hope I haue fully answered the objection made it manifest the christian churches in chaunging the day of their weekly Sabbath their forme manner of worship haue not made void but established the law of the Sabbath which God gaue in the beginning and these chaunges doe in no case proue the law to be ceremoniall onely and mutable neither doth the moralitie and perpetuity of the law require that every circumstance of the Sabbath and every particular Sabbath duty should at all times remain the same perpetual unchangable CHAP. 10. BVT that this truth may yet shine forth more clearlie and may soe mâ—nifestlie shew it selfe that no scruples may remaine nor any doubts concerning it or any part of it I will proced to the second special thing which is before propounded That is to inquire search out discover the nature and kinde of this law and commandement of God concerning the weeklie Sabbath And how farre and in what manner it bindes Adam and all his posterity And herâ— I haue alarge field to passe through wherein divers points offer themselues to our view which J cannot passe by nor lead you along withouâ— due consideration of them First here J meete with divers and severall opinions of the learned concerning the law of the sabbath which come first to be rehearsed and examined Secondly I finde severall kindes of lawes which God hath given to men mentioned in the Scripture and divers sorts of commandements which we must severally discribe and distinctlie consider before we can determine that which principallie is here intended that is what kinde of law and commandement this of the Sabbath is and how farre and in what manner all man kinde are obliged by it bound to obey it The first opinion is that the law of the Sabbath is naturall morall perpetuall writen in the heatt of the first man in his creation And that as he was bound to keepe the seventh day holy to the Lord in the state of innocency Soe also are all his posteritie bound in all all ages even to the last man to keepe the weeklie Sabbath But they who conceiue
earth beneath and all creatures in them serving daily for mans naturall good welbeing even every day equallie did put man continually in mind of his duty to weet that he was to loue and serue the Lord with all his heart soule and strength at all times for this is the righteousnesse of a mans owne workes and of his owne person which God required of man in the first covenant in the state of innocency even his constant obedience to the vvhole and law and revealed will of God all his dayes withouâ— one dayes intermission Therefore the Sabbath which requires service of God and worship loue of him as mercifull a Redeemer and that upon one day of the weeke more then all the rest vvas not knowne nor commanded nor observed by nature in the state of innocency Fourthly the lavv of nature written in mans heart requires no particular duty but such as his owne naturall reason and vvill did direct lead him vnto in the creation and vvhich belonged to him in the state of innocency But the lavv of the Sabbath from the first institution commands and requires such things â—nd such vvorkes and duties as did not concerne man in the state of innocency As 1 Rest of man and beast from their vvearisome labour for their refreshing upon one day in seven This man had no need of neither vvas their any need of such rest because the toile and labour of man and beast came in after the fall vvhen God cursed the earth for mans sinne Secondly it requires in generall sanctification of the seventh day by holy and religious exercises and in particular by sacrificing to God by prayer and supplication and by meditating on heavenly things and on eternall rest and by studying all holy duties vvhich might fit men for the sight and fruition of God in heavenly glory All which vvhat soever other holy Sabbath duties and vvorks are mentioned in the word of God do belong to man only since the promise of Christ the blessed seed And in the state of innocency man had no occasion of any such duties he had no need of sacrificing vntill Christ his ransome and sacrifice for sinne vvas promised he neither could have any thought ar meditations of glory in Heauen or studies to fit and sanctifie himselfe for the fruition thereof untill Christ the onlie vvay to eternall rest glory vvas promised vvhat use had he of prayers and supplcations to God for any good thing needful vvhen he lacked nothing or for deliverance from evill vvhen as yet noe evill vvas knovvne in the vvorld What occcasion could he haue to praise God either for Christ before he did so much as dreame of Christ or had any thought of him at all As for naturall guifts and blessings he vvas by them admonished and provoked every day alike to loue serve honour and praise God vvherefore seeing the vvorkes and duties of the Sabbath are holy and tend onely or chiefly to the supernaturall and heavenlâ— life and to the eternall rest which Christ hath purchased in heauen for man vndoubtedly the lavv of the Sabbath vvhich expresly commands such workes and duties everie seuenth day is a positiue supernaturall and divine law not any dictate of nature imprinted in mans heart in the creation Fiftly every law of nature is common to all man kinde and is written as well in the hearts of heathen as of Christians so that the conscience of men whoe never heard of God or of his word is a monitor to admonish them of the duty which that law requires and an accuser if they transgresse that law and men haue no more need to be put in mind of those duties then of any other which the law of nature requires But the law of the Sabbath hath no footsteppe of impression in the hearts of barbarous heathen nations It is quite forgoten among them and onely Gods people who have his written law and word continually read and preached do keepe the Sabbath And God in giving it to Israell in written tables in repeating it often afterwardes still calls upon them to remember it thereby shewing that it is not as the law of nature printed in mans heart but is a law giuen by word and writing and from thence learned and therefore easilie and quickly forgotten Sixthly If it were a naturall law founded upon the creation and binding man to keepe a weekelie holy day in thankfulnesse for his creation and for the creatures made for his vse then it should in all reason binde man to keepe Holy the six dayes in vvhich God Created all things and especiallie the sixth daie wherein God made man himselfe and gaue him rule and dominion over all creatures For holy celebrations are kept weekely or yearely one the dayes in which the blessing and benefits solemnized and celebrated were first bestovved one men Therefore it is not a naturall law grounded on the creation Lastly Christ came not to chaunge the law of nature nor to take away any part of the obedience therof but to establish and fulfill it in every jot and title as he himselfe testifieth Mat. 5.17.18 And yet the law of the Sabbath soe farre as it requires keeping holy the seventh day as the fathers were bound in the old Testament is changed by Christ and by his resurrection in which hee finished the worke of redemption and was exhibited a perfect redeemer And the observation of the seventh and last day of the weeke is abolished And the first day of the weeke even the day of Christs resurrection is sanctâ—fied and substituted in the place of it and so was obserued by the Apostles after them by all true Christian Churches for the Lords day and for the Queene and châ—efe Princesse of all daies as the blessed Martyr Ignatius cals it Epist. ad magnesiâ—s pag. 31. Therefore it is not a law of nature printed eâ—grauen in mans heart J could alleadge more reasons but J hold this perfect number of seven sufficient for this present purpose J will therefore proceed to the next thing which is the discovery of the seuerall kindes of lawes which God hath given to men the briefe discription of every kind particularly by which J shall come to demonstrate what kind this of the Sabbath is CHAP. 11. THE Lawes of God which he hath given to men are of two sorts either lawes printed in mans heart which we cal lawes of nature Or else Positiue lawes which God hath commanded in his word over and above or besides the lawes of naâ—ure Thâ— Law of nature is that will of God which hee as Lord and creatour hath imprinted in mans heart in the creation even that naturall disposition which God gaue to man when he made him in his owne Image by which he doth informe man in the knowledge and moue him to the practise of all duties which belong to him and which he requirs of him for naturall wellbeing continuance in that life good
the common ground of this lavv printed in mans heart in the creation and finding it among the ten commandements which are generally held to be the summe and substance of the law of nature doe call it a law of nature Others haue considered it as a speciall commandement given by God immediatly after the creation by word of mouth and not written in mans heart and do call it a positiue morall law Others haue considered it as it commands rest one the seventh day now altered by Christ which rest was a signe of Christs rest from the worke of redemption is a token pledge of eternall rest in heauen there upon hold it to be a ceremoniall law and hence ariseth the diuersity among Christians and almost civill warre betweene the Pastors of severall Churches yea amoÌ„g learned preachers of one the same Church Whereas indeed they all hold the truth in part but not wholy They all erre in this that they limit it every one to that speciall kinde of law which he hath hath chiefly in his eye and upon which he hath set his conceit Now make it a mixt law proue it manifestly there needs no more contention except some men wil contend without cause against reason out of a spirit of contention contradiction First this law as all other lawes is indefinitly comprehended in the generall law of nature for the generall law written in mans heart in the creation binds him to attend the wil of God to be ready to obey God his Creatour in all things whatsoever he either had already declared or should at any time to come reveale to bee his will and to bee a duty which he required of man And therefore the observing keeping of a weekly holy Sabbath devoting of a seventh part of every weeke to religious exercises to rest from bodily labour common worldly busines being expresly commanded by God declared at severall times upon severall occasions to be his will man is by the generall of nature bound to performe it in this respect we may truly say that the law of the Sabbath is a law of nature included indefinitly in that generall law dictate of nature written in mans heart in the creation Secondly though J cannot conceive that the keeping of an holy Sabbath weekly was a thing so distiâ—ct written in mans heart in the creation that man of himselfe by the instinct of his nature or by the light of his reason motion of his will would haue set either the seventh daie or any other of the seven daies of the weeke apart for rest or other duties of the Sabbath which God in the first institution required commanded also in his law giuen from mount Sina Yet because the keeping holy of a weekly Sabbath upon such grounds as are mentioned in this text for such ends vses as God hath ordained to weet commemoration of Gods mercy bounty in promising Christ preserving the knowledge memory of the covenant of eternall life rest in Christ training up of people in religion the feare worship of God in holines by which they are made fit to see enjoy God in glory because J say the keeping holy of a weekly Sabboth is in these respects a thing very good profittable yea necessary for the helpe of man and for the reparing of his nature corrupted Thirdly if we consider the law of the weekly Sabbath as it was given by God in the first institution in his blessing sanctifying of the seuenth day againe renewed inserted among the ten commandements given from mount Sina at other times upon diuers occasions repeated by Moses and by the Prophets from Gods mouth If we also consider that neuer the Sabbath it self nor the ground reason ocasion of it to weer Gods perfecting the creation by promising revealing redemptioÌ„ in Christ the rest which J haue before proved demonstrated were written â—n mans heart in innocency but were after mans fall revealed by God thereupon the holy rest commanded to bee kept on that day which God aboue other daies hath blessed and sanctified We may truely affirme that the commandement of the Sabbath in these respects is a positiue law of God not a law of nature requiring such particular duties as man of himselfe without Gods positiue commandement would haue observed Yea the word Memento Remember soe often added to the precept of the Sabbath as appeares Exod. 20.8 doth plainly shew that the keeping holy of a weekly Sabbath was not a thing printed in mans heart for then it had beene vaine needlesse for God soe often to use this word Remember to put them in mind of this duty by Moses the Prophets mans owne conscience would haue been his daily and continual Monitor Remembrancer his own thoughts would haue ben ready to accuse him for every omision neglect of it As the Apostle testifies of the worke of the law written in mans heart Rom. 2.15 Fourthly if we consider the law of the Sabbath as it commandeth man together with his children servants labouring cattell to rest from their wearisome labours bodily paine which came in by sinne by mans fall together with servile subjection difference of the Maister servant which weekly rest intermission from toyle labour granted to servants cattell by their Maisters as well as to themselves makes very much for good order in every state common wealth for peace society among meÌ„ in every family serves for an excellent civill politicall use so it is in the judgment of many learned godly Divines not without good reason hold to be a civill and politicall lavv Fifthly if we consider First the time of Gods first institution of the Sabbath as it fals under Chist even upon the seventh day of the world in which Christ was promised to redeeme man who was fallen in the latter end of the sixth day as is before shewed Secondly if wee consider the ground and reason of Gods institution of the Sabbath and sanctifying the seventh day even Christ promised the seed of the woman to breake the serpents head by whose actually undertaking beginning to mediate for man God did perfect the mutable worke of creation setled the world in an higher estate of the perfection supernaturall did rest in Christs mediation being that which was able to giue full satisfaction to his justice Thirdly if we consider that in the first institution the Sabbath day was sanctified blessed aboue the other six dayes that is vvas set apart to heavenly supernaturall vse which cannot be imagined but in under Christ in whome all things are sanctified We must needes know confesse that the commandement of the Sabbath even in and from the first originall and institution is a law Divine and Evangellicall commanding such an
people and is the Lord who doth sanctifie them will bring them to glory And thus I passe from the conveniency and fitnes of the Lords day which is the first of the weeke to shew the chaunge of the Sabbath unto that day both in Gods intention and purpose from the beginning also actually in the fulnesse of time by the glorious resurrection of the Lord Christ vp on that day Where by Gods assistance J shall make it appeare That this chaunge of the Sabbath to the Lords day is no humane invention or Eccesiasticall tradition but a thing which God the lawgiuer did purpose and intend from all eternity and foretold by the Prophets and by divers signs foreshewed of old and in fulnesse of time did by his Sonne Christ the Lord of the Sabbath command and actually bring to passe First Saint Augustine and divers other learned men haue heretofore obserued That God by some notable things which he in his wisdome made to concurre in the first day of the ceration did plainly foreshew in the beginning before the seventh day was sanctified or the law of the Sabbath given that it was his purpose and will and he in his eternall counsell had determined to advance in fulnesse of time that day aboue all other daies of the weeke to the honour of the holy weekly sabbath to a day of meditation on the eternall rest in heaven and a pledge to his people of the euerlasting sabbathisme which there remaines for them and the first fruites of their time offered vnto God in Christ and sanctified in him Those notable things are the three things before named 1. That God made that day the first fruites of all time 2. Created in it the place of eternall rest the highest Heaven in which the blessed saints shal injoy their blessed Sabbath whereof the weekly Sabbath is a signe and pledge to them in this life 3. In it he created the light of this visible world which things concurring in one and the same day God in his wisedome soe ordering it who doth nothing in vaine but every thing for some wise purpose and being good reasons to prove and grounds to make that day the fittest to be sanctified in Christ made the Châ—istian Sabbath as J haue before noted the learned from thence do gather and not without good reason That from the beginning God intended for this day the Honour of his weeklie Sabbath in the time of the glorious Gospel Secondly diuers of the Auncients haue observed That God raineing Manna first from Heaven to Israell on the first day of the weeke in the wildernesse as we read Exod. 16. did therefore foreshew that this was the day which he had appointed to be the day of the Lord Christ even the day wherein he who is the Heavenly Manna and bread of life should be given from Heaven in his incarnation and the day in which he should come out of the furnace of fiery afflictions and made a strong bread nourishment by his resurrection able to feed our soules spiritually to life eternal And from hence they inferr with the approbation of diuers graue Divines and schoolemen of later times that God did of old intend and purpose to make this day in the times of the Gospel after Christ fully exhibited and giuen unto us to be the bread of life heavenly Mannâ— his Holy weekly Sabbath and day of spirituall provision wherein Christians should make their weekly provision of spirituall food and heauenly Manna to feed their soules Thirdly diuers of the Auncient fathers haue observed and diuers both Schoolemen and godly learned writers of the reformed Church therein conseâ—t with them That the Lord did of old by his spirit-speaking in the Prophets fortell the chaunge of the Holy Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the weeke the Lords day and day of Christs resurrection The blessed Mâ—rtyr Jgnatius who lived and was growne in the knowledge of Christianity in the time of the Apostles and before the death of St. Iohn the Evangelilist as hee himselfe testifies doth in his Epistle to the Mâ—gnesians not onely affirme that the Lords day is the Queene and supreme Lady of all dayes but also endeavours to proue that God from the daies of old had ordained it to be the true Christian Sabbath and did foreshew so much by the wordes of the Prophet David in the title of the sixth Psalme wherein it is called a Psalme unto the eighth day that is in honour of the Lords day which as it is the first of the weeke counting from the creation everie weeke severallie by it selfe and the seventh if we begin our account with the next day after the Lords day as the Iews did with the next after their Sabbath So if we reckon forward from the beginning of the creation into an other weeke it is the eight day And also learned Augustine and others of the fathers as also diuers late writers do in this point concurre with him and affirme that God moving Dauid to make such Honorable mention of the eighth daie did foreshew his purpose and will to chaunge that day by Christs resurrection in to his Holy Sabbath Some also from Gods institutioÌ„ of circumcision one the eighth day after the birth of the child which was to be circumcised do gather that the eight day after the birth of the world to weet the Lords day was befor ordained of God to be not only the day of Christs resurrection victorie over sin death by which sin should be cut of destroyed but also the Christian sabbath and so both a speciall day of Circumcising their hearts to the Lord in the state of grace and also a pledge of the fulnesse of mortification and sanctification in the day of the last resurrection of enterance into the eternall Sabbath in heauen For this purpose also Saint Austen many other learned men in all ages since even to this day doe alledge the plaine words of David Psal. 118.24 where hauing Prophetically fortold the glorious resurrection of Christ. Thow after that the Iewes had crucified put him to death hee should rise up to be the head corner stone even the rock foundation of the Church for so our Sauiour Mat. 21.42 the Apostle Act. 4.11 do expound Davids words he immediatly affirmes that this is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it That this is the day of the Lord Christ as St. Iohn cals it Revel 1.10 which the Lord hath made That is in his degree hath already appointed to be his holy day we that is in the time of the Gospell when this stone is become the head of the corner will rejoyce be glad in it that is rejoyce befor the Lord with all joy serve him be glad in him with Sabbatical holy solemnity if we consider wel the matter and substance of the 92. Psalme which is
in the creatione neither is the law of it written in mans heart in the the creation it was the fall of man and his corruption which caused his to stand in need of a weekly rest and of holy Sabbath exercises to worke good in him and to bring him neerer to God And being made for mans use he may in case of necessity dispence with outward obseruations of the Sabbath the same must giue place to works of necessity which cannot be omitted either without losse of life or some certaine losse or mischiefe The third clause Therefore is the sonne of man Lord also of the sabbath doth giue us to understand that the use of the Sabbath was founded on Christ promised to be Lord of the sabbath and was in under him made man and necessary for the profit of man corrupted not for man in innocency Therfore Câ—rist the son of man is Lord of the Sabbath that is he hath thâ— true proper right and propriety in it for to make it serve for his use being the Lord possessor of it and he hath authority and power ouer it so that it is at his command either to be or not to be in vse either the seventh day or upon some other day of the weeke Now we never read that Christ exercised any Lordship ouer the Sabbath as hee is the son of man either to command it or to chaunge it but only in thesâ— two respects First that he brought it first into the world by undertaking to be the seed of the woman the sonne of man so it was setled on the seventh day in which he was promised during the time of the old Testament while he was a redeemer prâ—mised Secondly that he by his resurrection in which he perfected redemption did consecrate the first day and made it the most honourable day fit to be the Sabbath of the new Testament and also gaue commandement to his Apostles so to ordaine in all Churches Besides this Lordship and power of Christ as sonne of man ouer the Sabbath we cannot conceiue or imagine any other Therefore undoubtedly he hath chaunged it to the first day of the weeke and as Lord of it hath given commandement for this chaunge and alteration The sixth Arg. is drawne from Gods sanctifying of the Lords daie by his sonne Christ more fully and excellently then he did the seventh day in the first institution of the Sabbath For seeing the making of the seventh day to be the Holie Sabbath is the sanctifying of it as the words of my text shew and also the words of the law Exod. 20.13 It must needes hereupon be granted that what day God by his Son Christ hath in all respects more fullie and excellentlie sanctified then the seventh day was sanctified when God made it the Sabbath That daie God by Christ hath made his Holie Sabbath and so it is worthie to bee esteemed and soe is to be observed in the new Testament But now it is most certaine and manifest That the Lord God by his son Christ hath in all respects more fullie and excellentlie sanctified the first daie of the weeke in which Christ arose from death as appeares by diuers things which I haue formerlie touched First he in that daie more abundantlie revealed his holines to the world in that he declared Christ our Redeemer and the head of the whole bodie the Church To be the Sonne of God with power according to the spirit of Holinesse by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.3 Secondlie he then opened as it were the flood-gates of Heaven that Holinesse might be more abundantly with his spirit powred out upon all flesh when Christ was raised up and exalted by Gods right hand that he might shed his spirit on all sorts of people of all nations as wee read Act. 2.33 Yea in that in the feast of Pentecost which was the first day of the weeke and the 49. day after Christs resurrection the Holie Ghost was sent downe vpon the Apostles to sanctifie them and to lead them into all truth and to giue them the guifts of tongues to preach the Gospell unto all nations which they presently did and the same day converted 3000. soules herein he both shewed his Holinesse more abundantly then before Thirdly It is piously held by manie Divines that among other things which after his resurrection Christ spake to his Disciples concerning the Kingdome of God that is the Church under the Gospell this was one namely of the keeping of the Holy Sabbath and holie assemblies or gathering of the saints togither vpon the first day of the weeke For immediatly after the Apostles observed that day and all churches in all ages since haue followed their example Therefore it is God who by his Sonne Christ hath made this first day that is the Lords day the weekly Sabbath of Christians J might here adde for further proofe of this truth an observation of diuers godly and learned writers to weet that our Saviour sanctified the first day of the weeke more then any other day by his promise and example in that he did most commonly appeare to the Disciples after his resurrection and came amongst them when they were assembled together on that day and taught and instructed them and breathed on them so we reade Luk. 24.13.36 Ioh. 20.19.26 Seventhly That which the Apostle taught by word and writing and ordained in all Churches of Christian Gentiles and confirmed by their constant practise is undoubtedly a Commandement which they received from the Lord Christ so it appeares Act. 15.28 where they professe that what they prescribed to the ChirstiaÌ„ Churches was the dictate and sentence first of the holy Ghost and then of them joyntlie And our Saviour tells us that the Holie Ghost leads men into all trueth by speaking his word onely to them and calling it to their remembrance Ioh. 16.13.14 therefore it was Christ his word and ordinance St. Paul also professeth that he deliuered unto them such traditions as be received from the Lord 1 Cor. 11.23 And againe he saith 1 Cor. 14.37 Jf any man thinke himselfe to be a Prophet or spirituall let him know that the things which J write unto you are the Commandements of the Lord. Now it is manifest in the Gospel and in the writings of the new Testament that it was a constant practise of the Apostles to keep their assemblies with one accord on the first day of the weeke so we read Ioh. 20.19.29 Act. 2.1.2 and in those their assemblies the Lord Christ presented himselfe to them bodily and by the visible appearance and powerfull operation of his spirit Also Act. 20.8 St Paul on that day kept an holie assembly at Troas and there he preached and administered the sacrament of the Lords supper and performed Holie exercises of the Christian Sabbath And the same Apostle gaue a precept and commandement to the Corinthians even the same which he there saith hee had ordained in the
sanctified the first borne to himselfe Exod. 13. From whence we conclude that Gods blessing of a day aboue other daies with greatest blessings is a good ground for the keeping of it for his holy Sabbath and so also is Gods saÌ„ctifying of it by more speciall holines Thirdly it is manifest that all extraordinary and yearlie Sabbaths which God commanded Israell to keepe holy such as the first and seventh daiâ—s of the feasts of the Passover Pentecost of Tabernacles were al enjoyned to be kâ—pt observed in memory of greater blessings given on those daies and of Gods sanctifying them by more full revelation of his holines And therefore much more is the observation of the continuall weekly Sabbath grounded upon greater blessings given holines fully revealed on that day of the week which is to be observed for the Sabbath in whatsoever age time or state of the Church men do live they are bound by the first institution of the Sabbath and by the first law which God then gaue for the keeping of it as to obserue an holy weekly sabbath so to obserue on that verie daie of the weeke which God hath at that time and in that age revealed and declared to be the day which he hath blessed and sanctified aboue all others daies of the weeke As for example while Christ was promised a redeemer of the world and was not yet given the day of the promise wherin he was first promised and did undertake and begin to mediate for man was the most blessed day which God had sanctified and blessed with the promise which was the greatest blessing revealed and made knowne in the Old Testament But when an other day of the weeke comes to be blessed with a greater blessing even the giving of Christ and the full exhibition of him a perfect redeemer then is that the day which God hath sanctified aboue all daies then the law the words of the first institutioÌ„s bind meÌ„ to keep that for the holy Sabbath And thus you see the generall duties which God requires of all men in generall which are necessary to the being of the Sabbath and with out which there can be no right obseruation of a weekly sabbath holy to the Lord. CHAP. 17. THE second sort of duties now follow to weet those which were proper to the people of God in the old Testament vnto which the Fathers were specially bound befor the coÌ„ming of Christ while he was yet only promised not given a perfect Redeemer They also though they consist in many particulars Yet may be reduced to three chiefe heads First to rest and cessation Secondly to sanctification Thirdly to obseruation of the seventh and last day of the weeke for their holy weekly Sabbath First concerning rest from all worldly affaires and cessation from bodily exercises such as delight and refresh the outward man onely and are directed to no other end there are different opinions among the learned Some hold that the fathers vnder the law were bound more strictly to rest from bodily exercises and worldly affaires on their Sabbath then Christians are on the Lords day under the Gospel Jnsomuch that the strict bond of rest vnto which the law tyed them was an heavy yoke and apart of the bondage vnder which they groaned Others are of opinion that their rest being no more but from worldly affaires bodily exercises seruing only for bodily delight worldly profit was the very same vnto which all Gods people were bound in all ages and are still under the Gospel There are reasons brought on both sides but all Scriptures and reasons being well weighed I doubt not but they may bee brought to agree in one truth If only one thing wherin both sides agre and which both mistake be remoued namely a conceipt which both haue of a more strict and religious exaction of rest and cessation then indeede was required in the Sabbath of the Old Testament They who hold the first opinion bring many testimonies of Scripture which seeme to impose such a strict rest cessation on the fathers and the Isralites vnder the law as is by common experience found to be an heavy burden hard to be borne and even intollerable As for example Exod. 9.16.23 Where Moses speakes thus unto Israell This is that which the Lord hath said To Morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath vnto the Lord bake that which yee will bake to day and seeth that yee will seeth and that which remaineth over lay vp for you to be kept untill the morning Hence they conclude that the fathers were restrained froÌ„ baking or seething any meate on the Sabbath day Also verse 29. Wher Moses saith Let no maÌ„ go forth of his place but every maÌ„ abide in his place on the seventh day Hence they inferre That the fathers might not walke abroad on their Sabbath Likewise from the words of the law Exod. 20.10 Jn it thou shalt not do any worke they gather that the Isralites might upon no worldly occasion do any worke on the Sabbath day not so much as make a plaister or medicine for a sick and wounded man And so the learned Doctours of the Iewes vnderstodd the law and observed it as they shewed by their reproving of Christ for healing a diseased person by a word onely and no other labour Also Exod. 31.14.15 35.23 all kinde of worke is forbideen under paine of death Whosoever doth any worke therein shal be put to death saith the Lord. Yea he forbids to kindle a fire through their habitations on the sabbath day Num. 15.35 The man that was found gathering stickes in the wildernesse on the sabbath day was by Gods appointment stoned to death by the Congregation Neh 13 17. Jt was called profaning of the Sabbath when men sould any wares or vitails and when straungers of other nations brought in wares and fish on the Sabbath day to be sold. Also Amos 8.5 They whose mindes were so set on the worldly affaires that they longed till the sabbath was past and had their minde on selling corne and wheate The Lord sweares by the excellency of Iacob that hee will not forgit to reveng their doings From these scriptures divers both of the Auncients and later diuines haue concluded that the law of the Sabbath in respect of rest and cessation which is exacted in the old Testament with such rigour and upon such grievous penalties was an heavy and intollerable burden and therefore is abolished by Christ in respect of that totall cessation and strict rest Others on the contrary doe hold that as Christians haue more clear evidence hope of eternall rest in heaven and the spirit which makes the more spirituall shed on them more abundantly through Christ soe they ought to be more restrained from loue of the world from care of earthly things And therefore by the law of the Sabbath are bound rather more strictly then the fathers in the old Testament
to rest and cease from all worldly cares and all laboures and affaires of this life on the Lords day which is consecrated by the resurrection of Christ to be the weekly Sabbath of all Christians But if these Scriptures be diligently searched and all circumstances well weighed It will appeare vpon good reason that both sides are mistaken and that the forenamed Scriptures do not import any such rigorous rest or burden some cessation For first of all though the Pharises and other strict sects and Rabbinicall Doctors and expounders of the law did of later times alittle before and at the appearance of our Saviour in the flesh expound the law soe strictly in respect of the carnall and literall sence that thereby they laid heavy burdens vpon men as our Saviour doth charge them Matth. 23.4 Yet it was not so from the beginning but even the Isralites themselves who lived vnder the law as under a Scoole maister and under the rudiments of the world they had liberty to go out of them places and dwellings a Sabbath days journey which was as their Rabbinnes writes two thousand cubites that is as some take it an Italian mile in the opinion of others two miles And 2 King 11.6.7 It is recorded the Priests and people went in and out to and from the house of the Lord on every Sabbath day They did also kindle fire for sacrifices burnt offerings which they did offer unto God double morning and evening everie Sabbath daie after they had killed and dressed the beasts and this according to the strict sence and strained exposition of the Law which the Scribes and Pharises gaue of it was a breach of the law and prophanation of the Sabbath as our Saviour shewes Matth. 12.5 Secondly the scribes and Pharises did not expound the law as forbidding all bodily workes For they do circumcise Children apply medicines to heale the sores of the Circumcised on the Sabbath when it happened vpon the eight day after the birth of Children as our Saviour also shewes Joh. 7.23 They led their oxen asses to the water and if a sheepe or oxe or asse did fall into a pit they did pull it out on the Sabbath because these were works of necessity Luk. 13.15 14.5 And the chiefest and strictest of the Pharises did make great feasts invited many guests our Saviour himselfe amongst the rest who did not refuse to take part with them Luk. 14.1 did obserue how the invited guists did choose out the chiefest roomes ver 7. Which shewes plainly that dressing of necessary and convenient meat was not forbidden by the law on the Sabbath day neither did the Pharises so expound the law Thirdly for the places of Scrpture before alleaged let us take a perticular view of them in order and we shall see that they are much mistaken First that place Exod. 16.29 doth not enjoyne every man to keepe his place and not to goe out of their campe to gather Manna on the seventh day the reason prefixed shewes this plainly to weet because God gaue them on the sixth day Manna sufficient for that day the seventh The exposition which some make of the 23. ver is very idle ridiculous namly that the Isralites were commanded to bake and seeth on the sixth day that which they were to eate on the seventh And therefore it was not lawfull to bake and seeth on the Sabbath For Moses doth not bidde them bake for the Sabbath which was the morrow after but onely that which they were to eate on the present day and to reserve the ouerplus which they did not bake and seeth vntill the seventh day and though they did so and did not bake and seeth it yet it did not putrifie neither were any worms therin which had it beeÌ„ sodde or baked for baking and seething do naturally and as an ordinarie means preserue things from stincking and putrefaction In the next place the wordes of the fourth commandement in it thou shalt not do any worke they do not forbid religious workes which tend either to inward or outward sanctification of the Sabbath day nor workes of mercy charity or necessity which are necessarie for the safety and preseruation of the life of man or beast Though the perverse Scribes and Pharises out of their Hipocrisie did â—oo strictlie expound and interpret the law of the Sabbath against our Savious doeings and held it unlawfull to Heale the sick on the Sabbath daie though it were but by speaking a word yet their practise which they received from the fathers of killing and offering sacrifices circumcising their children leading their oxen to the water to drinke and drawing their sheepe asses and other profittable cattell out of a ditch did shew that they were taught from the beginning a contrary lesson of more liberty which our Saviour approueth and thereby convinceth them of grosse errour and Hipocrisie Thirdly that place of Exod. 3 35. where they are forbidden to kindle a fire in all their habitations on the Sabbath day is not a generall commandement binding all simplie at al times but a perticular precept binding in some cases for they kindled fires and burned sacrifices twice every Sabbath they also kindled fires to dresse necessary and comfortable meat Exod. 12 16. Where God forbidding all manner of workes on the Sabbath of the Passouer which were commanded to be kept as strictly and to be sanctified with holy assemblies and solemnities as much as the weekly Sabbath yet exceps that which is to be done in dressing necessarie meat Wherefore the kindling of a fire here forbidden is expounded by some Rabbines to be onely making of fires to burne malefactors But indeed if we looke to that which followeth it will appeare that Moses being about to summon the people to bring all materials gold silver brasse jron and other materials and also silke purple and other stuffe for the building of the altar the tabernacle and all things therunto belonging doth first call to their remembrance the law of the Sabbath and doth giue them a charge from God that in building of the tabernacle the place of his worship they abstaine from all worke on the Sabbath day vnder paine of death and that they doe not kindle a fire to melt gold or silver or brass for the Altar or the arke or any holie thing in the tabernacle For God abhorres the breaking of his law or prophaning his Sabbath vnder the pretence of building an House or tabernacle or altars to him And this is no more then our builders of the famous Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul in this city are on our Lords day the Christian Sabbath at this time bound to observe and do abserue very strictly Fourthly the forbidding of all worke vnder paine of death Exod 31.14.35.2 And the commanding of him to be stoned who gathered sticks on the sabbath day Num. 15.35 are not thus to be understood that every breach of the sabbath by any bodily
tipicall seruice of the Lord which he in his temple required by a ceremoniall law for the sanctification of the Sab. Then much more doth Gods law allow coÌ„mand his publike ministers to labour sweat spend their bodily strength spirits in preaching his word in the holy Christian assemblies where Christ who is greater then the temple is present by his spirit in many of his members who are so many temples of the Holy Ghost and of God The second argument is drawne from the practise and example of Christ and his Apostles For as the Priests and learned scribes did of old read and expound the law and the Prophets in all their sinagogues every sabbath day And our Saviour approued this by joyning with them in some practise preaching teaching in their sinagogues in great throngs assemblies of people which thronged after him undoubtedly made him sweate as appeares Mat. 4.13 Iohn 5.10 So also the holy Apostles did on the first day of the week the Lords day labour in the word as we see by the example of St. Paul who at Troas continued his Preaching till midnight because he was to depart the next daye Act. 20.7 Now what they did performe as a duty taught by the law and moued by the spirit of God Jn that all their faithfull successoures are bound to immitate them Therefore the laboures and paines of Ministers and preachers are allowed on the Lords day being holy and religious workes and fittest of all for the holy day and holy place A second sort of workes alowed to be done on the Lords day are bodily workes and laboures which are soe necessary for the fitting and enabling of Christians to sanctifie that day and for bringing them vnto holy and publick assemblies and places of prayer and of Gods worship and holy service that witâ—out such working and labouring even on that day they neither can be so fit and able to serue God joyfully and to worshippe him with cheerefull hearts neither can they as the present case stands come unto holy Sabbath assemblies to heare the word to pray and to worship in publick As for example in places of restreant and of trouble and persecution where publicke Sabbath assemblies of true Christians are not tollerated but in Churches which are remote diuers miles and in barren countries where the Churches are foure or fiue miles distant from some houses and vilages in the parrish men may lawfully â—rauell on foote and ride one horses or make their horses labour in drawing them to the Church in Coaches And because men cannot be soe Cheerfull in the seruice of God nor soe hartily rejoyce before him not with strength and delight spend the whole day in Sabbath duties witâ—out warme and wholesome food and plentifull refreshing of their weake bodies therefore the dressing boyling baking and rosting of meate is lawfull on the Lords day soe farre as it more helps then hinders holy duties and the service of God This is manifest by the words of the law Exod. 12.16 where the Lord forbidding all manner of worke on his holy Sabbaths excepts labour and worke about that which people were to eate and which was necessary for the upholding of an holy moderate feasting on those daies This was practised by the Phâ—rises and by our Saviour and his Apostles who on the Sabbath day came to a feast to the house of a chiefe Pharise Luk. 14.1.2 Also the speech of the Shanamite to his wife 2 King 4.23 doth import that for the solemn observation of the Sabbath they were wont to ride and travell to the Prophets and to places where they might worship God and be instructed in the knowledge of his will and worship For when shee desiâ—d an asse to ride on and a young man to attend her unto Carmell where Elisha â—he man of God was Wherefore wilt thou saith he got to him to day seeing it is neither New Moon nor sabbath But here let me giue a caution That Christian people bee not too heedlesse setting their inhabitations in places Remote from the Church for some worldly commodities when they may with a litle lesse conveniency dwell neere And that they do not by vnnecessary feasting and superstitious dressing of meate hinder or wholy disable some of their famâ—ly from keeping holy the Lords day a fault to common in our daies Thirdly all works actions of bodily labour which are works of mercy and of Charity which cannot without convenience or danger be deferred or which may be done without hindering of our soules in Gods publick worship and to the great comfort of our brethren are lawfull and may be done on the Lords day As for example visiting of the siâ—k and of them that are in prison or in any great distresse and applying and ministering comfort and healing medicines to them offering and gathering of collections for the Reliefe of poore Saints labouring to set men at â—nity and to Reconcile jarring neighbours These are holy pious workes as our Saviour shewes and hee accounts such deeds when they come from a sincere heart as if they were don to himselfe Mat 25.40 Yea he himselfe did commonly on the Sabbath day practise such deeds soe often as he found occasion as we read Mat. 12. Luk. 6 Paul by inspiration of the spirit and by Commandement from the Lord Christ doth ordaine and appoint such vvorks to be done on the Lords day 2 Cor. 16.1 2. And from the daies of the Apostles all true Churches of Christ did practise such vvorkes of mercy pietie and Charity as Justine Martyr vvitnesseth and divers others in alter ages And such works the Ecclesiasticall constitutions of our English Church commanded and commend on the Sundayes holy daies of the Lord. Fourthly all bodily workes of great and extreame necessity which concerne the life and safety of men and of their cattell the preseruation of necessary creatures other good things of good use value and moment serving for mans being and welbeing may lawfully be done on the Lords day As for example 1. Fighting for our liues and for the safety of our country or city against enimies which invade us and set upon us and taking advantage if God doth offer it to us on the Lords day as Ioshua did at Jerico in compassing the City by Gods appointmâ—nt and by circumstances it is probable taking it on the seventh day and offering a bloudy sacrifice in fire to God as a Cherem or Anathema devoted and seperated to God for the first fruites of the land of Canaan after they came to Jordan from which no man might without sacrilege detract any thing as Achan did and was cut off for it Josh. 6. If Ioshua did compasse the Citty seven daies together as the text saith then one of the seventh must needs be the Sabbath most likely the last of the seventh wherein the Citty was taken and offered up in fire as a devote thing to God God offering the occasion
and giving the advantage by the ruine of all the walles about the Citty did impose a necessity vpon them to take and destroy the Cittie on that day and this worke was dispensed with and approved by God and so are all of the like kinde For necessity hath no law Secondly by the same rule other works of necessity as labour in queÌ„ching fire when mens houses are on fire or the towne in danger or in stopping of a breach when the sea or some overflowing river breakes through the banks and is readie to draw some part of the countrie and to destroy men and beasts and there is a necessiâ—y of Removing men beasts corn other good creaturs that they be not be drowned swallowed vp And in a word wheresoever God brings men into that necessity that they cannot be kept in welbeing without present help by some worke done on the Sabbath day such workes are not forbidden on that day Neither killing of sheep and oxen nor dressing of them nor grinding corne nor baking bread to refresh an armye returned from battell and ready to faint without present sustenance by dressing and preparing some part of the praey which they haue taken Our Saviour in the Gospell proues this clearlie Mat. 12. Where by Davids example who did take and eate the shew bread in his necessity he defends his Disciples their act of plucking â—ares of corn rubbing and eating them on the Sab also alloweth leading of cattell to drink the drawing theÌ„ out of pits such like But because occasion is here offered to speak of all kinds of actions which are allowed to be don from which men are not bound to râ—st wholy on the Lords day It will be expected of some that I should speak of actions and exercises of sport and recreation whether men be altogether restrained from them or whether any of them be lawfull to bee vsed on the Lords day Now because I will not provoke nor exasperate any who seem of contrary judgment especially men of great place authority I will propound my judgment which I conceiue to be agreable to Gods word onely ingenerall rules gathered out of the holy Scriptures which all understanding Christians may easily apply to the particulars 1. Jt is acknowledged by all godly learned divines That nor creations or sports which feed and cherish mens corrupt carnall affections are at any time lawfull as Idle Uaine jefting wanton gestures and daliance which increase lust and occasion wantonnesse and therefore least of all to be tollerated on the Lords day For this is seeking of our own pleasures polluting the Lords holy day which the Prophet Jsaiah condemnes Isa 58. 2. Honest and lawfull sports and recreations such as shooâ—ing wrastling and other games of actiuity hunting hawking angling and the like though they be lawfull at other times yet they are not to be tollerated on the Lords day in any measure if they be found to hinder men from publick worship seruice of God and publicke set duties of piety fit for the day or to withdraw them from private duties requisit in Christian families as prayer reading meditation repetition and examining of Doctrines by the Scripture which haue beene publickly preached and heard private instructions exhortations and mutuall provocations to piety and to praising of God by singing Psalmes and the like Whatsoever sports and recreations do hinder these and withdraw people from them they are on the Lords day impious and prophane how lawfull soever on other daies In this point all Godly grave and learned Divines do agree And how sinfull prophane and hatefull to God such sports are on the Lords day The Lord himselfe doth continually shew and declare by the many examples of dreadfull judgments and tokens of his wrath which hee hath shewed and doth still shew in this and in all ages for such doings dorwning some in their swimming breaking the backs armes legges and necks of other in their wrastling stricking with horrible lamenesse and with dreadly surfers and sudden death leapers dauncers hunters hawkers riders bowlers and such like And let every man take heed that his own heart do not deceiue him and that he doe not flatter himselfe in his follie when it is manifest that such sports are a mans owne pleasures condemned by the Prophet Isa. 58. And are seen and known daily to steale away mens hearts from holy duties and to turne their affections from heavenly and spirituall things wherein they ought chiefly to delight Thirdly as men may not do the lawfull works of their calling neither in providing meat drinke cloathes or other necessaries on the Lords day with a bare respect of naturall good and worldly profitt because this is doing of his owne waies and workes and not the worke of God Unto which Gods holy day is wholy consecrated and set apart Except onely in case of necessity when men and beasts cannot otherwise bee preserued in life health and being or when Gods people without such workes cannot be made fit able to serue God cheerfully as they ought on that day So also no bodily sports Recreations and pleasures are to be tolerated or used merely to cherish the flesh to refresh the body and to procure bodily strength but onely such as are in verie deed needfull in themselves and used and intended by Gods people with this purpose and â—o this end that they may with more abilitie alacrity and cheerefulnesse do the holy workes and performe the holie duties of Gods worship and service which are proper to the Lords holy day First this is manifest by the words of the Lord Isa. 58.13 Where he requires of his people that they turne away their feete from doing their owne pleasure on his holy day and call the sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord Honourable and honour him not doing their owne wayes nor finding their owne pleasure By their owne waies and pleasures we are to understand not onely their corrupt sinfull workes filthy words and vaine carnall pleasures which proceed from nature corrupted and naturally tend to increase transgression for they are to be abhorred every daie and at all times but here by their owne waies words and pleasure we are to understand such as proceed from nature created good and are onely intended to that end and haue none other effect For such though at other times lawfull and honest Yet on Gods holy daie are prophane common and inordinate as these words imply Secondly as it is not lawfull to use Gods holy word in jeasting nor with it to mingle our owne vaine talke nor to play with holy things because this is taking of Gods name in vaine Soe undoubtedly to use worldly delights and to sport our selues with uanishing earthly naturall and ciuill pleasures which are neither usefull to helpe and further us in holy devotion nor intended by us to that end is a prophanation of Gods holy day and an intermingling of our owne prophannesse
with the spirituall and heavenly obseruation of the Lords holie day in which God requires serious sanctification and graue and sober conversations as our own Ecclesiasticall Constitutions do affirme the reason is the same in both Thirdly in all other things consecrated by God himselfe and by his word and commandement to holy and heavenly use it hath alwayes beene counted a greevious offence to ad our owne naturall inventions and diuises to them or to turne them to common civill and mere naturall use either in whole or part except in case of necessity So undoutedly it is by the same reason a greevious offence willingly and purposly to imploy the Lords holy daie or any part thereof to common naturall and civill sports and delights Now the first is manifest by the word and law of God Nahab Abihu the sonnes of Aron were consumed by fire from the Lord when they offered sacrifices with common fire Lev. 10. Because they added to the holy offering that which was common Alsoe the sonnes of Ely did sinne greeviously in turning any part of the consecrated flesh to feede their owne bellies 1 Sam. 2. Saul in turning Gods sacrifice to a prophane use and forcing himselfe to doe it in ordinately that he might make the people to stand to him and keep them from scattering sinned and lost his Kingdome 1 Sam. 13. And when the Jewes prophaned Gods house of praier which was the holie place by buying selling and money chaunging it was so vile in our Saviours eyes and so wicked that he who in other things was a meeke Lambe being moved with zeale did like a Lyon Roare against them fell violentlie upon them and whipt them out with disgrace Iohn 2. Now the Lords Sabbath is an holie day sanctified by God immediatlie after the Creation and commanded in the fourth Commandement to be kept holy And our Sauiour by his Resurrection hath consecrated blessed the Lords day aboue all other dayes of the weeke and made it the Lords Sabbath more holie then the first as haue beene before abundantly proved And as all true Christian Churches so our Church more especiallie both by Doctrine and practise hath openlie approved this for the Lords Sabbath Therefore no part of this day ought to be turned to nautrall ciuill or carnall sports and delights Lastly though our Churches the places of our holy assemblies and our communion tables haue no particular expresse commandement for them from God but onely are consonant and agreable to the houses of God in Israel and we haue no other warrant for them but the example of Gods people in the Old Testament our own experience reason teaching that they are very necessary for publick assemblies and holie service the plot of ground is chosen by men and the materials and framing of them and the forme of them are all the workes of men God hath neither appointed the place as in the temple of Ierusalem nor the materials the forme as in the Tabernacle the Arke Altars which were built by Moses Yet we would count a great offence to turn any part of the Church to be a place for common sports plaies or a dancing Schoole and to play at dice or Cards or other profane games vpon the Communion Table Now then seeing we count it unlawfull to profane the places consecrated to holy vse by men inimitation of God and not by expresse commandement given for the separation of the ground or the place We ought more to count it unlawfull to spend any part of Gods holy day in carnall sports being a time sanctified by his expresse word and blessed with the greatest blessing Fourthly and in the last place whatsoever recreations and exercises of body and mind are necessary required for the bettering of our sanctification of the Lords day the enabling of us to perform with more cheerfulnesse strength and courage the holy worship of God and the work and service of his holy Sabbath and which are also intended by vs onely to that end and use them we may vse And so farre as they serve to further and in no wise to hinder Gods holy worship and the immediate works and duties thereof This is manifest by Gods allowing to his people in the law dressing of meat Cheerfull feasting on his Sab and holy daies Which are needfull to cheere up men and to provoke them to worship him with all thankfulnesse of heart also to put on our best apparell that we may come decently to Gods house As these are lawfull being directed to holy use so undoubtedly honest refreshing with recreations which cheer up the heart refresh the spirits are lawfull when they are helpfull to holy exercises and are directed to that end as stirring of the body walking in to gardens or fields to take fresh aire being found very helpefull to Preachers to reviue their spirits sâ—rengthen their loynes cleare their voyces sharpen and quicken their wits and memories and being done only to that end are lawfull So also walking into the corne feilds in â—ommer oâ— harvest or into meddowes or Pastures in the spring both to refresh our Bodies spirits and to give vs occasion to admire Gods bountie in clothing the bodies and his Fatherlye providence in making the earâ—h so fruitfull and to laud and praise him is lawfull for vs. And if after publick private exercise we doe soe walke about diuers together conferring of heavenly things taking occasion by sight of earthly blessings to provoke one another to thankfulnesse acknowledgment of Gods loue this no doubt is a recreation fitt for the Lords day and helps much our devotion and this seemes to haue beene practised by our Saviour who went through the corne feilds on the Sabbath day Mat. 12.1 and his Disciples with them CHAP. 22. IN the last place J come to the speciall Duties of holinesse by which The Lords Sabbath is especially said to be sanctified which I will run through as breifly as I can so far as brevity may stand with plainesse perspecuity And first of all you shall see that the most strict sanctification of the Lords day which is taught and urged by the godly learned both auncient and moderne Christian Divines Is no Judaisme I would haue you to take speciall notice that whatsoeuer things the Iewes and naturall Isralites were bound by the law â—o perfoâ—me in the sanctification of the old Sabbath which were meerely tipicall and ceremoniall and were ordained and practised onely to signifie some things which are fullie accomplished in Christ that we hold to be so abolished and made void that Christians ought in no case to obserâ—e or practise them on their new Sabbath the Lords day For they are all removed with the chaunge of the day we ought to a voyd them as much as we avoyd the old Sab which was the seventh day from the begining of daies in the creation As for example offering the sacrifices of slaine beasts and
mear and drinke offerings of fine flower mingled with oyle and such like and incense and gummes and spices they where but tipes and shaddowes of Christ his substanciall sacrifice and in that respect holy by Consecration And though divers of them were indifferent and tollerable while the bodily Temple was yet standing Yet when God hath cast them out by the destruction of the materiall temple the chaunge of the weekly Sabbath they are growne unlawfull to be practised and the reviuing of the practise of them is called abomination Dan. 12. And apostacy from Christ Gala. 4 5. turning againe to weak and beggarly elements and rudiments and becoming slaues to them Gal. 4.9 Wherfor we are now onely to observe in our sanctification of our holie weekly Sabbath such holie duties and exercises as are holie at alâ— times and in all ages both before and under the law and now also under the Gospell which in their owne nature are either trulie holie or tâ—nde to beg it increase and cherish holie graces in men And because God hath by the Gospell shined into our hearts to giue us the light of the knowledge of his glorie the face of Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 And hath shed his spirit on us aboundantly through him Tit. 3.6 And soe made us more spirituall because also our Saviour himselfe hath taught vs in the Gospell that God is a spirit they are true worshippers who worship him in spirit Iohn 4.23.24 Therefore the chiefest duties by which the Sabbath is sanctifiâ—d are the most speciall duties of Gods worshippe and the more spirituall the more pleasing to God more beseeming Christâ—ans Soe that the first rule which is here to be giuen and to be observed is this That all Gods people doe chiefely labour to stirre up and quicken the grace of God in their hearts and holy heavenly and supernaturall affâ—ctions in their soules that with pure mindâ— and spirits they may performe all duties and actions of Gods worship and seruice both publick and priuate It is true that all times and on all daies we ought to keepe our whole spirit and soule as well as our body pure and blameles to serue God as well with inward affection of heart and purity of spirit as ouâ—ward visible sencible actions and gestures of body But because the Lords day is the most blessed daie of the wâ—eke sanctâ—fied set apart for the holy worshippe and immediate service of God and for publick and priuate service devotion and Religious duties onelie therefore we all ought to haue as great care to furnish our soules with spiritual beauties of holinesse more abundanâ—ly in greater measure as we haue to make cleane and neate our houses and to decke and adorne our bodies with our best and cleanest holy daie apparell on the Lords day For though outward bodily actions gestures are required as râ—quisit and necessary in the publick worship of God and without them it is as impossible to do that publick duty and service to God which belongs to mutuall edification of Christians in this life to the solemne lauding and praising of him in publick assemblies as it is to performe visible senceable actions of this life by the soule only without the body Yet bodily service worship of God as coming duly diligently to the house of God to publick assemblies hearing the word withall attentions and speaking it with great vehemency Praying worshipping and giving thankes in the best forme of wordes which can be devised and with most humble and reverent gestures of devotion as bowing down the body to the ground knocking of the breasts sighing groaning lifting up the hands and eyes to heaven and the like they all without spirituall affection and devotion of the heart are no better then a dead karcast without a soule yea they are filthy hypâ—crisie and mockerie of God and lothsome abomination in his sight as the Lord by the Prophet testifieth Isa. 1 c 10 to the 16 verse 29 13 And therefore let our first and chiefest care bee about the fitting and preparing of our hearts and filling and replenishing our soules with spiriruall affections and quickening and stirring up inward and spirituall grace within us for these are the life and soule of all religious duties of all holy worship of God without them we canÌ„ot in the least measure sanctifie Gods holy day nor performe any least duty of sanctificatioÌ„ acceptable to God Now the speciall means which serve for the quickning of spirituall grace kindling of spirituall devotion in our hearts are diuers The First is that which J haue spoken of befor in the duties which concerne Rest to weet a totall sequestring of our selues from all worldly businesse puting away all earthly thoughts cares delights that our whole heart and soule all our affections being purged from all such drosse may haue roome for holinesse only and for spirituall devotion and motions of the spirit For no man can serve two Masters at once God and the world Cast out earthlie carnall thoughts and spiritual and heavenlie affections will easilie enter and beare sway And because this sequestring of our selves from cares of the world must go befor true sanctification in order time therfor undoubtedlie the beginning of the Lords Sab daie is there where the old Iewish Sab ended that is in the evening of the Saturdaie And certainlie when men taking their Rest from labour the whole night befor the Lords daie for sequestring themselves from worldlie businesse fitting of their soules with spirituall devotion and stirring vp of grace in their hearts then do they most profittablie begin their Sabbath for by the meanes the time of preparation and quitting of the minde from worldlie troublesome thoughts shall go before the time of practise and publick assemblies Wherein they are to appeare before God and to performe the maine duties of Sanctification and of his holy worship And herâ— J cannot passe by without some reproofe that evill carnall custome most worthy to be condemned which is to common among our Cittizens who defer their reckoniâ—g with their worke-men untill the evening and night which beginns the Lords day Let me here admonish you all to forsake this practise if you loue the Lord and will honour his holy Sab. The second meanes is to meditate on those things which may stirre up our dull spirits and quicken grace in our hearts as first upon the greatnesse holinesse and glâ—rie â—f the Lord and more specially to present our selves when the light of the day commeth both to speak to him in praier and praises to heare him speake to us in his word read and preached This must needs moue and stirre up spirituall devotion and affection as we see by experience in worldly things how carefull we are to trimme and fit our selves when we are to go before an earthly King or some great Nobles Secondly to consider what holinesse and purity especially of
heart and soule is required in vsing the publick holie ordinances of God and in approaching neare to him to worship him in his holy place his owns house As wee reade Leviticus 20.7 1 Peter 1.15.16 The holinesse that becomes Gods house is not vanishing showes and shaddowes which passe awaie in the doing and vsing of them as bowing cringing and such gestures but a spirituall and eternall holinesse which lasts for ever and can never bee defaced nor perish as David shewes Psal. 93.5 It is better then thousands of Rammes Mich. 6.6.7.8 It is putting on of Humility Mercy meeknesse and all other affections and departing from all iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 It is the Jmage of Christ in the new creature which is created after God in righteousnesse and holinesse that is which cannot lye nor deceiue by faiding but lasts for ever Ephes. 4.24 Thirdly to call to mind those Scripturs which require holy preparation as Eccle. 5.1 which shewes Gods anger against such as come to his house without due furniture and a wedding garment as Mat. 22.12 Fourthly to meditate on that whereof the Sabbath is a signe and pledge vnto us even our Resurrection to eternall life and to the eternall Rest of glory in heaven in the sight and fruition of God whom none can see without holinesse Thiâ— is most powerfull to stirre up spirituall affection and to quicken grace in our hearts The third meanes is earnest prayer to God for his spirit and increase of his spirituall grace in our hearts that is of great force if it be importunate Luk. 11.13 18.1 and fervent Iam. 5.16 And therefor when the Lords day begineth in the evening or day going of the Satturday we must make speciall prayers for this purpose as also in the morning when we awake and see the light of the Lords holy day Jn the next place after we are thus prepared wee must set our selves wholy to the performance of the duties of holinesse which are required for the sanctification of an holy Sabbath to the Lord which are either publick or private The first publick duty is diligent assembling of our selues with the congregation of Gods people in the house of God the place of publick assemblies This is so necessary that without it there can be no solemne service nor publick worship of God performed by us This the Lord requires in the law where he joynes these two together as in seperable companions even holy convocations and keeping of a Sabbath Ex. 12.16 These our Saviour Christ did frequent though Lord of the Sabbath as well as the fathers did under the law as appears Mark. 1.27 And so did his Apostles on the new Sabbath the Lords day 1 Cor 16.1.2 The second publick duty in the publick worship of God is Praier lauding and Praising him and offering vp sacrifices of thankfulnesse and the first fruites aâ—d calues of our lippes in a solemne orderly and decent manner and order This the holy men of God carefully performed in the House of God on their Sabbath in the old Testament as David shewes Psal. 5.7 42.4 And this our Saviour commandes to us for an holy duty in Gods house where hee cals the house of God the house of prayer Mat. 21.13 that not only to the Jews but also to al beleeving nations as the Prophets words by him cited do shew Isa. 56 7. This the godly at Philippi where they had no Synagogue nor Church performed in a publick assembly by a Riuers side Act. 16.13 This was practised by the first Christians at Iudaea Act. 2.46.47 and this the Apostle injoynes Heb 13.15 This David foretold Psal. 118.24 In a word all Scriptures which teach us to call upon God to pray to confesse our sinnes to humble our selves before God to worshippe him and to giue thankes and do commend these for holy duties they doe much more teach vs to performe them on the Lords day in our holy assemblies The third sort of publicke duties are the holy ordinances of God which tend properly to beget and increase holinesse and to teach Christians Gods holy worship and feare to weet the publick reading and and expounded of the word of God and preaching and Catechising on the Mininisters part and on the peoples part reverent attention hearing of the word of God This was a constant practise from the daies of old which the Fathers obserued soe long as the Church of the Jewes and first temple was standing As appeares Ast. 13.15 cap. 15.21.27 Also by our Saviours practise preaching in the Sinagogues every sabbath day Luk. 4.16 Mar. 1.31 And this the Apostles practised in holie assemblies which they appointed to be kept on the Lords day and this they commanded to be performed by all the Christian Churches as appeares Act. 11.25 20 7. 1 Cor. 16.1 14.23.26 Colos. 4.14 1 Thes. 5.27 Fourthly besides preaching reading and expounding of the holy Scripturs ther is also the administration of the Sacraments as of Baptisme and the Lords Supper the later of which especially is an holy sab daies ordinance of Christ first instituted in the assembly of his Apostles not to be administred and receiued ordinarily but in Sab asseÌ„blies and publick meeting of the Church comming together on the Lords day as we gather from Act. 20.7 1 Cor. 11.20.33 And that publick Baptisme is most fit to bee administered on the Lords day in the publicke assembly these reasons shâ—w 1. Because it is joyned with preaching Mathew 28.16 Secondly because it is the receiuing of the Baptized into the true Visible Church Thirdly in publick it may bee better perfomed by the joynt prayers of the whole Congregation· Fourthly it may much profit the whole publick congregation of Gods people by putting them in minde of the covenant made in Baptisme The fifth sort of publick Sabbath duties are workes of mercy charity which are fruites of faith working by loue Unto which duties the publick Ministers soe often occasion is offered are to excite up the people and they ought to offer freelie and to make collections for the poore Saints This St. Paul taught 1 Cor. 16. 1 2 and this was in times and ages next after the Apostles practised and performed as Iustin Martyr testifies Apolog. 2 pag. 77. Sixthly publick censures of the Church and actions of correction are most fitly performed in publick assemblies of the whole Church on the Lords day such as open rebuke of scandalous sinners before all the people that others may feare Excommunication and casting out excluding from outward communion obstinate and refractary offenders as hereticks adulterers incestuous persons such like Receiving into the Church of God such as were cast out upon their humble confession and publick repentance openly before the whole Church These are not to be done in corners but in the face of the Church as St. Paul ordained by commandement from the Lord by direction from the spirit of God 1 Tim. 5 20 1 Cor. 5.4
haue the weâ—kely Sabbath in most high esteeme which was first grounded vpon Christ promised came in upon the seventh day of the world â—ogether with the word of promise and the glad tidings of the worlds redempâ—ion by Christ â—nd with the perpeâ—uâ—ll commandements of repenting and beleeving in Christ which are the great commandements of the Gospell which Holy and blessed Sabbath hath still continued and gone a long with Christ prâ—mised on the seventh day during the time of the old Testament and siâ—ce the full exhibition of Christ in his resurrection hath advanced forward together with Christs vnto the fiâ—st day of the weeke in whâ—ch day he perfected mans redemption triumphed over death rose vp and was advanced to glory immortallity Surely they who professe loue to Christ and profane the weekely Sabbath they are no better then painted Hipocrties yea rather they are to bee numbred among those bold audacious and scandalous sinners who presume to pull a sunder those whome God hath inseperably joyned together that is the sabbath and Christ the Lord of the sabbath who while they professe Christ in word doe indeed deny the power of true Chrâ—stian godlinesse and do what in them lieth to turne the publick worship of God into sacrilegious profanation and soe to provoke the eyes of his glory Thus much for the second maine thing herâ— offered in this text that is the ground of the holy weekly Sabbath CHAP. 4. THE third maine thing which here offers it selfe and which I haue propounded to be handled more largly as comprehending in it divers speciall points of great weight and moment as the Sanctifying of the seveÌ„th day â— as Gods blessing of it so far as blessing signâ—fiâ—s Goâ—s setting of it apart to be kept observed for a blâ—ssed memoriall of the promise of Christ as it is apart of the fiâ—st institution of the sabbath Fâ—r Gods blessing of a day or any other thing dâ—th signifie 1. His giving of some notable benefit on that day or to the thing blessed 2. his setting of it apart to a blessed end vse in the former sence it belongs to the ground of the Sabbath and so I haue spoken of it before Jn the later sence it belongs to Gods act of Institution and as in effect the same with sanctifying of the seventh day onely this I conceiue to be the difference that Gods sanctifying of a thing is his seperating of it by his word and commandement to a supernaturall and extraordinary vse either profittable or unprofittable to it selfe as hâ—s seperating of things to be his instruments of just vengance for the destruction of his enemies and seperating men to some holy offce for a time as Saul to Prophesie Eâ—â—eâ— sonnes to bee Priests and Iudas to bee an Apostle by which office they received no true blessing but it turned to their greater curse at last But Gods blessing of a day or any other thing is his setting of it apart for a blâ—ssed vse and his pronouncing and demanding it by his holy pâ—werfull word to be a blessed daie or blessed thing and to serve for holie blessed vse and so blessing is that speciall sanctifying which is seperating of things to a blessed use and come here to bee handled vnder Gods sanctâ—fyng of the â—eventh day For Gods sanctifying iâ— this place is a blessed sanctifying of the daie to a blessed vse and the word blessed is put before to make us clearlie see and vnderstand soe much I will therefore insist only upon sanctifying which comprehends blessing in it and will first open and expâ—und the word and so proceed to points of Doctrine The Hebrew word Kadash is never vsed in any other sence in all the Scriptures but onelie to signifie seperating of things from their ordinarie and naturall vse to some vse more then naturall or aboue nature the fitting preparing of them for that use as for example compining of nations in an holie league against Babell or other wicked state to execute on them Gods just reuenge Jer. 6.4 12.3 22.7 51.27.18 and seperating some cities for refuge Iosh. 20.7 whensoever this word is attributed to God in all the Scripture it signifies eiâ—her Gods seperating things or times for holy vse by his word and commandement or by some hâ—linesse shewed or some extraordinarie holie word done in them as Exod. 9.44 2. Cron. 7.20 or else Gods infusing of his holie spirit and of spirituall and supernaturall grâ—ces gifts of holâ—nesse into men by whâ—ch they are seperated from carnall men and prepared for Heavenlie glory as Exod. 31.13 Levit. 20.8 Ezec. 2.12 Ier. 1.5 where God is said to sanctifie his people and to make tâ—em holy that so they may be fitt to come nerer to him And frequently in the new Testament the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in this sense as Eph. 5.26 Heb. 2.11 Here the word signifies not sanctifieing by infusing holinesse and making holy but Gods consecrateing that is seperating the seventh day to an holy heavenly spirituall and supernaturall use by hâ—â— word and commaundement or by some holy worke done first in it or some holinesse first revealed upon it For this was the day in which God by his gracious promise of Christ and by the new covenant of life made with mankind in him did communicate his spirit to our first parents and wrought in them faith and all holy graces needful to salvation and so of Ishah a woman who brought wo to man made our first mother Chavah that is the mother of life in Christ to all liueing This day God here upon commaunded to be sanctified of men and kept holy by holy exercises which tend to the honour praise and to the solemne commemoration and memoriall of Christ promised and of his own rest in Christs mediation and this day he appointed to man to be a signe and pledge of the aeternall Sabbath in heaven after the end of the world which in six dayes he created Here therefore we see wherein especially Gods sanctifieing of the seventh day to be an holy Sabbath of rest did consist Which that it may yet appeare more fully and distinctly in all the particulars J will reduce the summe of all into a few positions some negative and some affirmative which being by evident testimonies of Scripture and by good arguments grounded on the word of God proved and confirmed The trueth will be so cleare and manifest that the simple shal be able to understand the true sanctification both of the seventh day which was the old Sabbath of the old Testament and also of the Lords day the Christian Sabbath of the new Testament under the gospell CHAP. 5. FIrst we must not in any case imagine That Gods sanctifieing of the seventh day was the creating or inâ—useing of any naturall holynesse in to it by which it was distinguished from other dayes of the weeke and made more excellent then any