the Ceremonial part concerned them only and though we read not that it was Observed in those first Ages yet it follows not that it was not when many thousand things then done could not be expressed in so short a History Yea the same seems to be known to the Jews before the Law was given Exod. 16.23 c. To Morrow is the Rest of the Holy Sabbath c. When it was after that God gave it in the Command and if this Rest upon the seventh day be Ceremonious why not the Command of Labour on the six other days also And why doth not this cease to be a Duty as well as the other and then the idlest Persons may be the best Christians We may find this Command reaches even to the stranger that is within the Gates when I think the Ceremonies are not prest upon them Many Reasons also are given in the Command which belong to us as well as to the Jews as from the Equity of it God who is the Disposer of all gives us Six days and reserves one to himself which he calls his own The Sabbath of the Lord thy God And Christ tells us The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath and from his own Example he Rested and therefore Commands us to Rest the End was to Worship God in it and to Dedicate it to his Service for the Resting of Man and Beast upon it and distinguishing his People from others c. and doth not this concern us as well as the Jews God requires no less proportion of Service now than he did then and therefore no less time to do it in Our Bodies require as much Rest as theirs and our Souls as much Food and why should not we have the like time And this being the Substance of the Fourth Command I think neither Man nor Angel can alter it for who can proportion it better than God himself Nay the Circumstances in the delivering of this Law shews to be Moral It was spoken by God's Mouth as well as the other written by the same Finger of God in the same Tables of Stone put into the Ark where the Ceremonies were not it hath a special Memento put upon it Remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy Christ himself owns it when he bids the Jews Pray that their Flight be not in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day Mat. 24.20 which Flight was forty Years after his Death The opposition which wicked Men make against it proves it to be of God also for if the Devil herein prevail we might almost bid farewel to all our Religion 1. Direct Before thou canst make Conscience of Observing the Sabbath thou must be well convinc'd that it is thy Duty To this End I have already proved it to be of Divine Institution and a Branch of the Moral Law binding not only Jews but Christians also But I fore-see one main rub must be removed before the way be cleared that doubt which makes many to stumble Whether the first day of the Week or that which we call the Christian Sabbath be of Divine Institution and whether Christians be obliged to observe it as a Sabbath Much hath been Written by Divines to satisfie this doubt My purpose is not to speak much to it in this place this Treatise being of another Nature yet something is necessary for while this doubt remains who will make use of the following Directions 'T is true we cannot prove in Scripture neither is it said totidem verbis that Christ did Command that the Sabbath should be changed from the last to the first day of the week then there could be no Controversie but we have that which is equivalent to such a Command that it was changed by Divine Authority and very probably by Christ himself the Scripture yields us sufficient Witness Christ is called the Lord of the Sabbath and the Holy Ghost calls it his day Rev. 1.10 which seems to intimate he is the Author of it As the Sacrament is called his Supper because he Instituted it and had it not been altered by him I know not who would have been so bold to have distinguished it from other days by this Name he was every way as Faithful in his House as Moses was yet Moses we know by God's appointment stated a time for God's Worship Heb. 3.2.6 and no doubt a settled time is as necessary for us as for them to Serve God in We find Christ himself owning the day in his own Person as in his Resurrection and finishing the work of our Redemption a greater work than that of Creation and better deserves a special Memorial And the Apostle tells us He entred into his Rest and ceased from his own Work as God did from his Heb. 4.10 aluding to the Creation from which when God Rested he Ordained the Sabbath We may also Read that Christ after his Resurrection appeared divers times to his Disciples upon the first day of the Week when they were met together Read John 2.19 and again verse 26. And doubtless not without Divine Providence pointing out this day to us and after his Ascention when they were met together upon that day he pours out the Holy Ghost upon them Acts 2.12 We Read also that this was the day the Apostles did keep as a Sabbath and also the Churches met together to perform Sabbath days duties to Preach the Word to Administer the Sacraments Prayer Works of Charity c. Acts 20.7 1 Cor. 18.2 Vpon the first day of the Week let every one of you lay by in store as God hath prospered him And as 't is conceived forty Years after Christs Decease Saint John by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost calls it the Lord's day whereupon he received his Revelation Rev. 1.10 Neither do we Read that the Apostles ever kept any other day as a Sabbath 't is true indeed upon the Jews Sabbath they often Preached taking Advantage of the Multitude then gathered together which Advantage at other times they wanted Now if the change were thus made by Christ and his Apostles it was by the directions of the Spirit of God for the Apostles delivered but what they had received from God 1 Cor. 11.23 It was upon this day they met to Preach and break Bread Acts 20.7 1 Cor. 16.1,2 Now were there no Precept the constant Example of the Apostles and Churches in the Apostles time may satisfie us for they were Inspired by the Spirit of God and appointed them both by Doctrine and Example to Teach his Church and to this End gave them Instructions in the time between his Resurrection and Ascention which Instructions are not all Recorded yea the constant practice of the Church in all Ages since the Apostles time give us no little Light for though Christians have been at great difference among themselves about other matters yet few questioned the change of the day both Greeks and Latines both Papists and Protestants both Lutherans and Calvenists hold to this and
Perform this Duty now to right Ends and doubt not of a Blessing 7. Direct If thou wouldst have a Blessing of God accompanying this Ordinance or if thou wouldst Sing Psalms profitably then do it in God's way as well as to a right End 't is not the bare performance of the Duty will serve the turn Many content themselves with the Husk without the Kirnel and think a little Lip-labour sufficient and come with no more Reverence nor so much into God's Presence than they would come into a great Mans Presence to Sing a Prophane Song If such Service would please God would have many Servants But 't is the Heart that God requires or he will have none of their Service Trust not therefore with the Papist Opere Operato in the Work done for God must have it done in his own way or he will not accept it A good Duty may be spoyled by the ill doing it as well as a good Tool by ill handling The Duty we Treat of is not so easie as many think it is Many carelesly performing it and finding little benefit by it have mistrusted the Duty rather than themselves like the Maid in Pliny that being suddenly struck Blind in the Night blames the Sun the next Morning for not Rising Men are apt to accuse any thing yea God himself rather than themselves Because they themselves feed upon the Husks they think there is none that taste the Kirnel and so lay it aside and plead against it But upon the same grounds many of them plead themselves above Ordinances and rest not till they plead perfection and look upon Ordinances as beggarly rudiments but to leave these to their self-delusion When thou approachest to God in this Ordinance being part of his Instituted Worship be sure to bring thy Heart along with thee and ingage it in the Duty God saith of the Heart as sometimes Joseph did of his Brother Benjamin you shall not see my Face if your Brother Benjamin be not with you You shall not see his Face if the Heart be absent Heart and Voyce must joyn together or it will make no pleasing Melody in the Ears of God He is a Spirit and must be Worshipped in Spirit and in Truth For as Fervent Prayer may prevail where cold Petitions are denyed So hearty Praises are acceptable when others are esteemed but as a mocking of God We must sing with the Affection and with the Understanding also The whole bent of the Soul must be set upon the work the Blind and the Lame and the Heartless Sacrifice is abominable unto God My Son saith he Give me thy Heart Whatever thou offerest without the Heart he will have none of it The more of the Heart is in the Duty the better he loves it Thou must sing with the Spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 Thus David when he began to sing lift up not only his Voyce but his Soul to God Psal 25.1 and calls upon all that is within him to bless the Lord Psal 103.1 And we have Exhortations to this Duty Col. 3.18 Eph. 5.19 The Lowing of an Ox the Grunting of a Hog make as Melodious an Harmony in God's Ears as a Heartless Prayer or Praise God is a Spirit and must be Worshipped in Spirit and in Truth Nay it must not be only with the Heart but with the Heart rightly Qualified An ungracious Heart cannot but savour strong in the Nostrils of God worse than a stinking Carrion doth in ours we must sing with Grace in our Hearts as the former Scriptures plainly testifie Sincerity is necessary approach not near him without the Wedding-Garment Hypocrisie spoyls all thy best Actions we may as well expect sweet Water in a dirty Channel or stinking puddle as a good Duty from a rotten Heart The Graces of the Spirit must adorn that Soul that must be welcom into God's presence Neither is it sufficient that they be there in the Habit but they must be drawn forth into the Act for as we must Pray and Sing with the Understanding and Affection so we must Pray and Sing with Faith believing those Promises made by God and those Petitions put up that they shall be in Time Answered Bring Hope along also to wait for the Accomplishment and Love to God and Delight in his Service and desire of his Glory and other suitable Graces And thus doing expect a Blessing upon the Ordinance and benefit by it CHAP. VIII Directions in Observing the Sabbath Day THE next Duty I shall Treat of is the Observation of the Sabbath Day for this also is a Commanded Duty this is that stated time for the Worship of God and necessary for his Service For if we must Worship God in some place so some time is also required for this Worship and God himself hath appointed out what he thinks most suitable Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy c. Yea he hath enjoyned it to be observed upon pain of Death Exod. 35.2 Whosoever doth work therein shall be put to Death And we read of the Man that gathering sticks upon that Day was by God's special Command to be put to Death Numb 15.32 c. But there are many that easily grant it was a Duty obliging the Jews but not the Gentiles and is of no force at present to Christians but Ceremonious and so abolished with the Ceremonial Law but for Satisfaction know something in the Command was Ceremonial and that ceaseth something Moral and that remaineth Nature it self teacheth us that there is a God and the same Nature teacheth that this God is to be Worshipped and Reason tells us some time must be alotted for this Worship God appoints one day of seven for this Work and that is Moral but what seventh day whether from the Creation or no is left to God to determine Many that know not the true God yet alot some time for the Worship of their Imagined Deities but that it must be this or that day Nature teaches not but is alterable at God's dispose but not at Mans and that it was observed in Remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt was Ceremonial Deut. 5.15 And Typified out a deliverance by Christ a Rest in him and his Resting in the Grave As also the rigid Observation of it enjoyned to the Jews when they must not go out of their places kindle a Fire dress any Meat bear any burthen c. upon it Christian Liberty hath freed us from this but for the Observation of one day in seven for God's Service is Commanded by God approved by Christ and practised by the Apostles and all succeeding Generations 1 Cor. 16.2 and what power on Earth then can make it void It was a Law given to Adam in Paradice before there was any Ceremony used or enjoyned or any Saviour needed or promised I say for the Substance of it though it was afterwards prest more strictly and some Ceremonies added to the Jews and therefore it belongeth to all his Posterity though
House but he propounds some End for so doing otherwise 't is an irrational Enterprise The skilful Archer shoots not at random but the Mark is in his Eye The skilful Pilot propounds to himself the wished Haven as his End and all his endeavour tends thither Every one incoming to the Ordinance propounds one End or other but if thou propound a wrong End take what pains thou wilt thou wilt like the Pharisees Mat. 6.1,2 c. lose thy Reward if thou perform with them a Commanded Duty and aim not at God's Glory but thy own thou must look a Reward elsewhere and not from God The Papists as they Corrupt this Sacrament in leaving the Institution and making Additions and detractions of their own devising which never came into the mind of God so they pervert it to wrong Ends to further their own Hellish designs as to Murder Kings blow up Parliaments Massacree Protestants and conceal their Hellish Plots c. and many others I fear come with base low and unworthy Ends to this Sacrament Custom brings some shame others fear of the Law a third sort c. and coming in their sin with unprepared Hearts and vicious Lives They make the Table of the Lord the Table of Devils as the Apostle complains and instead of Sealing the Covenant with God they Seal a Covenant with the Devil to remain his Slaves and have the Curse of God and their own Damnation under Seal Now the Principal End which Christians should aim at is God's Glory in the Remembrance of the Death of Christ 1 Cor. 11.24.26 Do this saith Christ in Remembrance of me By eating this Bread and drinking this Cup we shew the Lord's Death till he comes These Elements set apart and Sanctified to this Holy Use being thus taken we profess and in a manner Preach to others the Death of Christ and the Benefits thereby procured which is the sum of the Gospel This Sacrament is unto Christians as the Pillar of Stone Erected in the midst of Jordan by Joshua for a Memorial of the wonderful passing of Israel over Jordan or as the Pot of Manna commanded to be kept in a Memorial that Israel was forty Years fed in the Wilderness with Bread from Heaven So is this Sacrament to be Received even to the End of the World in a Memorial of Christ's Death and Bloody Passion and the Benefits procured to the Church by it And if Israel had sufficient Cause to keep the Passeover for a Memorial of their Deliverance from the Egyptian Bondage much more and greater cause have Christians to keep this Feast for a Memorial of their Deliverance from this Hellish Pharaoh the Devil and his Slavery This is one End why God left us Sacraments that whenever we did partake of them we might Remember this Deliverance and bless God for it this should put us in mind what Christ hath done for us His Life his Doctrine his Miracles his Death and Passion and the whole work of our Redemption But alas many Men when they have the Sacrament in their Mouths have the Devil in their Hearts they seldom mention God's Name except in an Oath or vain speech But these Mens damnation sleepeth not Another End is the Sealing of the Covenant between God and us as I have often mentioned God on his part ratifies it and assures us by his Seal he will make it good And we on our part Dedicate our selves to his Service and annex our Seal He promises to be our God and we promise to be his People But many are not in the Covenant and have nothing to do with the Seal for this is not a begetting Ordinance but confirming those that are begotten such as these Seal a Covenant with Death and Hell Isa 28.15 This Sacrament is like the Water of Jealousie mentioned in the Law if a Woman that drinks of it were pure it would make her fruitful if defiled it would make her Thigh to rot and her Belly to swell Another End is for the increasing Faith and other Graces 't is not for the begetting but increasing Grace and therefore pre-supposeth Grace to be there as also for the maintaining Communion with God and Love one with another they being Members of the same Body and Heirs together of the same Glory 4. Direct If thou wouldst receive the Sacrament profitably examine what it is thou standest in need of and what thou wouldst have God to give thee or do for thee for the Sacrament was Ordained to supply our wants and heal our Diseases 'T is the Souls Market day now when a Man goes unto the Market he considers what he wants and what he needs to buy Now a Christian's wants which he here comes to supply are principally in his Graces 'T is Spiritual wants Soul wants that are here supplyed if Grace be wanting there is no supply promised but if it be weak there is Food may nourish a weak Man and make him stronger but it will not give Life to a dead Carkass The Sacrament is not a begetting but a nourishing Ordinance and God gives none leave to sit at his Table but such as are his Children Who will invite a dead Man to a Feast Now though all God's Children have the Truth of Grace yet have they many defects in Grace A Child that hath Life must have Food to maintain Life and to bring him to his Maturity and full growth Now the wants we should examine before the Sacrament are either defects in Grace and decays of Grace for here is a supply to be had for both if we make a right improvement of this Ordinance Defects in Grace are often discerned by the prevailing of Corruption examine thy self well concerning the state of thy Soul cast an Eye over the several passages of thy Life and bring thy Thoughts and Words and Actions to the Rule and compare them with the Word of God hereby thou maist see what is strait what is crooked look into this Glass of the Law and thou wilt see thy own spots when thou comparest it with the Rule thou wilt see thy Deviations and wilt find where thou hast come short and where thou hast gone out of the way Make a Catalogue of thy sins especially those since thy Conversion and since thy last renenewig thy Covenant with God by this Sacrament and consider thy sins with their several aggravations and when thou seest what thou shouldst have done and what thou hast done compare the one with the other and compare the difference and see how short thou comest 't is the Direction of the Holy Ghost Jer. 3.40 Search and try your ways and turn unto the Lord. Come then to God with shame in thy Face and sorrow in thy Heart and if possible with Tears in thine Eyes confess these thy sins with their aggravations Aaron was Commanded to lay his Hands upon the Head of the Scape-Goat and confess over him all the Iniquities of the Children of Israel and all their transgressions and
thou fittest in thy House and when thou walkest by the way when thou lyest down and when thou risest up c. First get them in thy Heart and all the rest will be easie and there is great Reason for it Thy Children have Received a Poysonful Nature from thee and thou hast Dedicated them to God's Service in their Baptism and all the Reason in the World thou shouldst do thine Endeavour to bring them out of this miserable Condition and do what thou canst to make them the Faithful Servants of God Their Souls are precious pieces too good to be the Devils Drudges and thou that canst not endure to see a silly Lamb in the Mouth of a devouring Lyon rending and tearing it in pieces at his pleasure how canst thou endure to see thy own Children in the Devils Hand likely to Torment them for ever and not be troubled Set thy Hands therefore to the Work and by Catechising Instructions Exhortation and Admonition to work knowledge in them and bring them to Consider their ways for Consideration is the first step to Reformation Assure thy self God requires this Private Duty at thy Hands 4. Direct Another Private Duty in reference to thy Family is to Pray with them and for them and to joyn together in the mutual Praises of God I have already Treated of the Duty of Prayer in general and have given Directions in the managing well the Duty look back upon them and take the Directions I shall now press upon thee as thou art an Housholder and 't is no doubt but Secret Prayer is thy Duty because thou hast Secret Sins to Confess that none knows of but God and thine own Soul and Secret wants to beg supplyes for and Personal Mercies to be thankful for But though this be necessary 't is not sufficient but if thou have a Family these also must share in thy Prayers There is a Divine Imprecation against all those Families that call not upon the Name of God Now this Duty should be daily done yea Evening and Morning I think may Evidently be proved that 't is a daily Duty cannot be denyed The Scripture requires us to pray without ceasing to pray continually and in every thing to give thanks and such like expressions intimating to us that our Souls should be in a continual Praying Temper and upon all Occasions Offered ready to perform this Duty and we ought to Serve God all the days of our Lives in Righteousness and Holiness Luke 1.75 Now Prayer and Praise is part of that daily Service we owe to him which is also Typified out by the daily Sacrifices and Oblations which were Offered to him in the Time of the Law Christians Prayer and Praise being in allusion to this called the Offering up the Calves of our Lips Hos 4.2 And when Christ Teacheth his Disciples to Pray he bids them say Give us this day our daily Bread which shews us thus much that it was to be their daily Petition Acts 3.1 We Read that the Apostles went into the Temple at the hour of Prayer which shews they had their Stata precibus tempora their appointed hours And the Godly in all Ages have made Prayer their daily Practice David he Prays seven times a day Psal 119.164 Morning and Evening Psal 92.2 Morning Evening and at Noon Psal 55.17 Yea elsewhere at Midnight Daniel Prayed three times a day constantly yea when Death was threatned for so doing Dan. 6.10 And there is great reason for it for we Receive daily Mercies for which we have cause to be thankful and Commit daily sins for which we have cause to be humbled and we have need of daily Supplyes for which we have cause to be earnest And God hath given us leave to come as oft as we will and promiseth to hear us and supply us What a needless scruple then is it to ask whether it be our Duty when 't is our Priviledge as well as our Duty we do not ask how prove you it to be our Duty to eat Meat every day this would Argue but a bad Stomack The oftner we come to God the better welcom we shall be and have more Communion and Converse with him and the more we Converse with him the better Entertainment we are like to have Others Scruple whether a Man ought to pray in his Family these Men would fain find a knot in a Rush and would Quarrel the Duty they like not but doth not God tell us Where two or three are gathered together he will be in the midst of them Mat. 18.20 And are not some Families called Churches of God where Religious Exercises are performed Rom. 16.5 Col. 4.15 Philem. 2. Here the Houses of Priscilla and Aquila and Nymphas and Philemon are called Churches And Joshua resolves that he and his House would serve the Lord Josh 24.15 And we read of Christ praying with his Disciples and others What ground of doubt can then remain but this is a Duty Those that shake off this would willingly shake off all the Ordinances and the rest of the Commands In a Family are many particular Family-sins Committed which ought to be Confessed many Family Mercies bestowed which call for a thankful acknowledgment many wants and Infirmities to be supplyed which should be begged and all these cannot be known nor perhaps are fit to be expressed by him that is the Mouth of the People in publick and for Morning and Evening these times seem fittest for this Duty though some Quarrel this also God himself in the time of the Law appointed these for Sacrifices and Oblations and Reason speaks it fit that in the Morning we should praise God for the Mercies of the Night and pray for a blessing upon the business of the day and at Even confess the sins of the day and be thankful for the Mercies and Commend our selves into the Protection of God the Night following For as all we have is from him so we should bless God for all but Spiritual Mercy should not be forgotten especially for Christ and the work of our Redemption the means of Grace and the motions of the Spirit We should praise the Lord also with Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs this is a private Family Duty Also the want of these Duties expose us to the threatning Jer. 10.25 5. Direct Another private Duty which lyes upon thee in reference to thy Family and those under thy Charge is reproving them when they sin and Correcting them when they will not amend and restraining them what in thee lyes from breaking God's Laws and Divine Commands Thou art God's Vice-gerent in thy Family and bearest his Image and the stamp of Authority is put upon thee and must Imitate God in thy Government so far as thy Commission reaches though thou hast not the power of Life and Death as the Supreme Magistrate yet hast thou a restraining power yea and if need be the power to Correct so that it reach not to Life nor Limb and