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
and faithfull receive and enjoy through him which indeed soe farre exceed all that belonged to man in the state of innocency as Christ the second Adam in his humanity exceeded the first Adam and immutable grace exceeds mutable nature and as eternall fruition of God in heavenly grace excels the fruition of fading pleasures in an earthly paradise CHAP. 6 Secondly Gods sanctifying of the seventh day was not the creation or infusing of any spirituall or supernaturall holinesse into it by which it did excell all other dayes of the weeke For first all spirituall and supernaturall holinesse is created infused by the holy Ghost only into reasonable creatures Angels and men and cannot be in any thing void of reason vnderstanding free will and affections Although things without life and creatures void of reason are called holy by way of relation because they are dedicated to an holie use Yet nothing is called holie by holinesse of qualification that is by holinesse inherent heavenlie grace qualitie and perfection but onelie man and the holie Angels who are partakers of the holie Ghost and haue him dwelling working in them For this holinesse is unstained puritie and vnspotted vprightnesse which possesseth and informeth the vnderstanding will desires affections and inclinations of resonable creatures makes them conformable to Gods revealed will and the rule of his law Sâ—e that to imagine holines infused into any time place or any other thing which hath not reason vnderstanding and will is a mere dreame dotage and superstition Times and places as holy daies and holie temples are holie in Scripture not for any holines inherent in them which they communicate to Gods people but because these daies and places are dedicated to holie use and in them God is pleased by his spirit working with his word and ordinances to beg it increase and stirre vp holy affâ—ctions in men and to come and enable them to performe holie actions according to Gods will Secondlie all true infused inherent holinesse created and wrought by the holie Ghost springs from an eternall fountaine and is founded vpon a sure rock which can never bee removed but standeth firme for ever Where Gods spirit once informeth or taketh possession and worketh true holinesse ther he abides for ever Ioh. 14.16 The Devill and all the powers of darknesse cannot prevaile nor dispossesse him for he is greater then they all 1. Ioh. 4.4 Soe that if God had sanctified the seventh day by infusing holinesse and conforming it with the holy Ghost it could never haue beene profaned polluted and defiled by men neither could there haue beene any chaunge of it from the holy Sabbath to a common and ordinary day of the weeke as now wee see by Christs resurrection It should haue continued Gods holy weekly Sabbath for ever even as men once truly regenerate and sanctified by the holy Ghost are by that spirit sealed vnto the day of full redemption Ephess 4.30 CHAP. 7. THE affirmatiue positions wherein J will shew how God sanctified the seventh day are three First God did on that day reveale himselfe to man a most pure and holy God more then in all the six daies of the creation For in creating all things of nothing he shewed his power And omnipotencie in making al things good and perfect in there kind And in setting the heavens and the earth and all creatures in such an excellent comelie order hee shewed his wisdome and goodnesse And in making man vpright in his owne image giving him dominion over all living creatures to order them according to his will and to the law written in mans heart he declared his righteousnes But on the seventh day by promising Christ a perfect redeemer and Sauiour he manifested and revealed his most perfect purity holinesse diverse waies First by his suffering of man to liue in his sight and to approach to his presence when he was corrupted by his fall and become filthy and abominable and in the strictnesse and rigor of justice worthy to be destroyed with eternall death God did plainly shew that he is a God infinitly holie and cannot receive the least spot and staine of mans corruption approaching to his presence but appeares most pure and glorious and shines forth bejond all measure by making an holy vse of mans vncleannesse and ordering and disposing it to the more full manifestation and communication of his glorie goodnesse to his elect in Christ For as the purity of gold doth more appeare by abiding most pure and perfect in the midst of consuming fire and a furnace of fire full of uncleane ashes and after the touching of things most vncleane Soe Gods perfect purity and holinesse appeares most infinit and vnspotted in that he suffers vncleane man made filthy and abominable by sinne to live in his sight and presence doth order dispose his uncleannesse to an holy end doth meddle with it touch it yet is no whit diminished or obscured therby but made more bright and resplendent in the eyes of the world Secondly God by his promising of Christ to become maÌ„ in mans nature to make a ful perfect satisfaction to justice for mans sin did shew his infinit purity holy hatred of sin more then by any worke of creation In that rather then maÌ„s sin filthines should not be punished to the full his justice fully satitisfied he would giue his own Son a person of infinit value to bear the curâ—e sufferedthe whole punishment of sin in mans nature and so to make full satisfaction for it Thirdly the revealing of Christ and promising of him to be a second Adam who is the Lord from heaven heavenly and a quickening spirit through whom he doth richlie shed his spirit on Adam and all his elect seed in their generation which holy spirit doth dwell in their frail earthly sinfull bodies as in a Tabernacle temple all the time of this fraile life is not stained nor defiled with their corruptions but doth abide most pure and holy and doth overcome mortifie and kill by a long and lingring death the old man of sinne in them and workes in them that spirituall purity and holinesse which though it be not like a grain of mustard seed yet cannot bee destroied or defiled but increaseth more and more and prevaileth against all powers of darknesse this doth aboue all shew the infinit puritie and holinesse of God and of his spirit And therfore J conclude that God by promising and revealing Christ on the seventh daie did then first shew himselfe infinitly pure and did manifest vnspotted holinesse more then in all the six daies of the creation and this is the first point of his sanctifying of the daie to bee an holie Sabbath of rest vntill the full exhibition of Christ a perfect actuall redeemer on the day of his resurrection CHAP. 8. SEcondly God on the seventh daie did though Christ promised â—â—ed the holie Ghost
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
sacrifice of rest that is sacrifices of the sabbath The Hebrew word in the text there used with the emphaticall particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the most notable rest even the rest of the holie sabbath wherein man resteth in memory of Gods rest in the satisfaction of his people the Isralites before the giving of the law from mount Sinah by Gods owne voyce they did obserue the Sabbath were admonished by Moses so to do Exod. 16.23 And they who rested not but went forth to gather Manna are reproved by God as transgressours of his lawes and commandements ver 28. And although we doe not reade of any Sabbath kept by Abraham and the Patriarches before Moses because the Church of the faithfull was but small comprised onely in their families which could not keepe any great and publicke Sabbath assemblies worthy of record in the sacred History Yet undoubtedly they had their set time as well as set place of Gods worshipp even a weekly Sabbath according to the law which God gaue to Adam when he blessed sanctified the seventh day But I shall more fully speake of these things hereafter And here upon these grounds I conclude that the assumption of this present argu is manifest And the conlusion which thence flowes is certaine to weet that the posterity of Adam in all ages are bound to this duty of keeping a weekly Sabbath Holy to the Lord. A third argument is drawn from the ground upon which God founded the Sabbath and commanded the duty of keeping it Holy to himselfe For if the ground of the duty stand firme throughout all generations and do belong to all men of all ages as well as to Adam who had the commandement given to him and the duty imposed on him by God Then the dutie also belongs to all men of all ages vnto the end of the world And whosoever do clayme any interest in the ground of the duty and expect profit by it ought to acknowledge that the duty belongs to them also except they can shew some speciall dispensation from God Himselfe Now the ground upon which God founded the Sabbath and imposed the duty of keeping it Holy is such as doth equally belong to all men For if wee cleave to the bare letter of the text as diuers commonly doe and take the ground of the Sabbath to be no more but this that God finished the worke of creation on the seventh day or hauing finished it and made every creature good perfect before on the sixt daies rested on the seventh from creating any things in the world Then we must withall confesse that this ground belongs equally to all mankinde for all men of all ages haue interest in the benifit of Gods creating the world and making all things so perfect that he had no more to do but rested on the seventh day But if that be the true and proper grounds which I haue before laid downe and proved to weet Gods perfecting of the creation which left all things good but mutable by bringing in redemption which Christ promised did on the seveÌ„th day take upon him to perform in mans nature And God resting in the al sufficient satisfactioÌ„ which Christ undertook to make for man and which saved God the labour of a new creation making new creatures and of repairing by a mediation the breach which mans fall had made in the word and so made for mans use This ground doth belong to all mankinde in all ages we now under the gospell haue as great or rather greater interest in it then Adam or the fathers in the old Testament And by virtue of this promise of Christ by meanes of his undertaking to be mans Mediatour and of Gods resting in his mediation all living men and all creatures made for the vse of man do consist and haue them in being in this world Coloss. 1.17 and God by him the word of his power being made man and fully exhibited aperfect Redeemer doth substaine and uphold all things Heb. 1.3 And although the circumstances of this ground are with the times and ages of this world mutable and there is a great chaunge from Christ only promised and undertaking mans redemption to Christ fully exhibited aperfect Redemer in his resurrection Yet the ground it selfe even Redemption by Christ is still the same the promise of Redemption which was made to our first parents on the seventh day being the greatest blessing which was revealed to mankinde in the old testament procured to that day the honour of the weekly Sabbath in all ages before the comming of Christ. And the full exhibition of Christ and the perfecting of Redemption in the resurrection of Christ on the first day of the weeke did merit procure to that day the honour of the Christian Sabbath in all ages vnder the Gospel For God did not rest soe much in the undertaking of Redemption on the seventh day as in the actuall performance and full perfecting of it on the first day of the weeke the foresight of the full performance made the promise a ground both of Gods rest and of the Sabbath in â—he old Testament And if Christ had suffered dyed and been swallowed up of death and corruption in the graue and had not gotten the victory ouer death and all the powers of darknesse in his resurrection then had we remained in our sinnes all our preaching of Christ and all our faith in him had beene vaine 1 Cor. 15.17 Jt was Christs resurrection which consumated the great work of mans redemtion and on the day wherein he a rose from death did he rest from that great worke as God on the seventh day did from the worke of creation and consecrated that day to bee the Christian Sabbath But yet all this while Redemption both promised undertaken and also actually performed is the same common ground of the holy weeklie Sabbath And Christ is the same Redeemer to all mankind and the onlie mediatour and Saviour Yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13.8 And the duty of keeping an holie weeklie Sabbath is grounded on him throughout all ages who is the common Saviour and Redeemer of all mankinde Therefore all men of all ages are bound to this dutie none exempted from it in any nation age or generation Fourthlie that which God hath given to all mankinde in Adam for a perpetuall law to them of future benefit which he hath promised and hath in store for them that they are bound carefullie to keepe untill they fullie obtaine the blessing and benefit promised for if he that hath given a pledge doth take it away from them to whom he hath given it this is an evident signe that he hath altered his minde and purpose of giving the benefit to them And if they do at any time loose this which is the pledge or wilfully cast it from them they haue no evidence or token any more to assure them of the
not one abide with thee one night And Psal. 30.5 where it is said that weeping may lodge for a night but joy commeth in the morning And soe in all other Scriptures this word is vsed And the learned Hebrews who best know the propriety of the phrase vnderstand this place of Adam and of his falling on the day of his Creation and not continving one night in the honourable state of innocency· The Second testimonie is that speach of our Sauiour Ioh. 8. 44. where he saith that the Devill was a murtherer of maÌ„ alier from the begâ—nning abode not in the truth By the beginning is meant the first day of mans Creation it is never absolutely vsed in any other sence but for the time of the first Creation Now if the Devill did lie deceiue murther maÌ„ by drawing him to sin froÌ„ the first day of maÌ„s being it follows that man did fall the sixt day on which was the day of his creation The third proofe is grounded on the words which passed between the woman the serpent T he serpents speech implies that as yet they had not eaten of any tree that he set upoÌ„ the woman immediately after that God had given them commandement not to eate of the tree of knowledg the words which he usetâ— Yâ—a or is it even soe they are a forme of speech vsed by one that standing aloofe and ouer hearing what was forbidden doth immediatelie step in and askes the party to whom the commandement was given if it were even soe as he conceived And the womans answâ—r is in such a word as is of â—he future tence in Hebrew and signifies not an act past or present but a power liberty to eate heereafter when they shâ—uld haue occation and the true translation of her words is we may or will hereafter eate of the fruite of the trees of the garden Alsoe it is very likely that if they had eaten of the fruite of any tree of their owne accord before their temptation fall their reason will and appetite would haue led them to the tree of life which was neere at hand even in the midest of the garden close by the forbidden tree Ver. 9. The very name wherâ—of was amiable and vnto which the naturall desire of man did of it selfe cheifly carry him as Gods words do intimate Chapt. 3.2 But that they had not yet reâ—ched forth their hands to take and eate of that tree that speech of God shews Chap. 3.23 wher he saith that he wil cast Adam out of the garden Least hee put forth his hâ—nd and â—ake and eate of the tree of life which was the state of naturall life Now this had beene too late if they had alreadie before eaten of it Fourthly soe soone as God had created the woman and given her to the man he gaue them the blessing of fruitfulnesse and the desire of procreation of children which is most naturall to man he did bid them increase and multiply soe we reade Chapt. 1.28 vndoubtedly they would not haue neglected the blessing of multiplying and increasing mankind but if they had continued in their integrity one night the woman by companying with the man would haue conceiued a pure seed without sinne for there was no barrennesse of the wombe in innocency that came in as a curse after the fall Chapt 3.16 Fâ—ftly the vâ—rity of God threatening and the strictnessâ—â—f his justice required that in the same day wâ—erein man sinned in the same should the sentence of death bee executed the words of the law are very peremtory ver 17. In the day that thou eaâ—st thou shalt surely dye Which sentence was fully and truly execuâ—ed though not on Adam himselfe yet on Christ the second Adam mans surety The fiâ—st Adam all his posterity are the same day made subject to death wherein they act or pertake actually of this transgression Christ the secoÌ„d Adam who vndertooke to satisfie the Law for this sinne and to suffer the punishment due to it and all sin wâ—ich spring fâ—oÌ„ this root did certainly dy on the same day at the same houre of the day in which the first Adam transgressed so Irenaeus divers of the ancients other acute writers do hold they well observe that on the sixt day of the weeke on which day Adam was created and after the ninth houre of that day that is in the afternoone and toâ—ards the end of the day Christ suffered both a cursed bodily death on the Crosse and also the agonies and paynes of tâ—e second death as he sheweth by his crying out My God My God why hast thou foâ—saken mee And by his word Consummatum est that is the fulnesse and vtmost extremity of torments is come or now is the utmost exâ—remity of my paynfull suffering And therefore it is very probable and cannot without scornefull wrangling be denied that Adams fall was about the same time of the sixt day which doth make good the word of God and shew the verity of his threatning law and his admirable wisdome and providence in thinking of manâ— Redemption before he would suffer man to fall Sixtly if Adam had stood any while even one daie or night or more vntill he had eaten of the tree of life which seemes to be aseale of the first Couenant of life by workes of natural righteousnes it is likely that he could not haue falne nor the Devill been suffered to tempt him or if after the tast of the sweetnes of the tree of life and the sealing of the couenant of life by his owne workes of obedience he had fallen surelie his fall had been more desperate even totall and finall apostacy for which God alloweth no Sacrifice to be offered nor prayer to be made from which there is no recoverie nor renueing by repentance The Devill being created with the Angells amongst the supernaturall host on the first day and having seene the glory of God and tasted of the Heavenly joys all the sixt dayes of the creation vntill man was created and all the frame of the world finished and Lordship given to man over all inferiour creatures he then after this tast falling away and not abiding in the truâ—h but leaving his first estate did sin more disperately rebelliously against the light and his sinne is so hatefull to God that hee will not accept of any satisfaction for it neither could the Sonne of God under take for him But mans fall being at the first before he had tasted of the tree of life the full sweetnesse fruision of earthly fellicity and springing not Originally from himselfe but from the Devill who deceived him therefore there is mercy with God for him Gods giving of Christ and Christs vndertaking for man is an argument that Adam did fall in the day of his creation before he had tasted of the tree of life and that he was made maâ—d formed and deformed in one day
as the Greeke writers speake Lastly it seems by divers other Reasons very probable that man did fall on the sixt day before he had eaten of the tree of life which if he had beene left to himselfe and if he had not beene prevented and seduced by the Devill he would haue done First because the Covenant of life by mans owne workes of obedience being sealed by his eating of that tree which was the seale of that Covenant as appeares by Gods speech Gen. 3.23 Man had beene confirmed in that naturall life estate wherein God created him and the Devill could haue had no power either to seduce him or to prevaile by his temptations Secondly the things which Adam did after his creation and before his fall could not be done orderly and distinctly in lesse then a good part of a day First God brought all living creatures before him and hee tooke notice of them and gaue to every kinde of creature fitt names before the woman was made as appeares ver 20. Then God cast him into a deep sleep and tooke one of his ribs and formed it into a woman and brought her to him After that God gaue them the blessing of fruitfulnesse and said be fruitfull and multiply he also gaue them rule and dominion over all creatures and appointed them all Trees bearing fruit and Hearbes bearing seed for their meat and set man to keep and dresse the garden and withall hee gaue them the commandement to abstain from the tree of knowledge of good evill before they were tempted drawne into sinne transgression Therefore their fall must needes be towards the end of the day after the ninth houre at the same time of the day in which Christ sufferd death and gaue vp the ghost as the Gospell shewes Math. 27.46 and soe the day and houre of mans first sinne was the daie and houre of death for sinne according to Gods threatning ver 17. Thirdly after their fall the sight of their nakednesse they sewed fig leaues together made them Aprones by this time we may suppose that the sunne did set the coole of the day approached even the breathing winde which coÌ„monly blowes afâ—er the setting of the sun did blow in the night of the seuenth day at which time they heard Gods voice walking in the garden which was tirrible vnto them partly by reason of the darknes of the night and partly through the conscience of their sinne and the shame of nakednesse which sin brought vpon them hereupon they hid themselues froÌ„ Gods presence among the trees of the garden which shelter was too vaine foolish no way able to hide them froÌ„ Gods pure eyes Therefore certainly they did sinne and fall towards the end of the sixt day in which they were created And justly might Adam haue cursed the day of his creation if Christ had not immediatly betimes on the seventh day been promised and had not actually and openly vndertaken to become the seed of the woman and began to be an actuall mediatour for mans redemption And thus I haue by the help light of Scriptures made it plaine and manifest that mans first sinne and fall was on the sixt daie And that the first institution of the Sabbath being vpon the seventh day must needs be after mans fall and not in the state of innocency CHAP. 2. NOw this proving demoÌ„strating of the first point in my text â—o weet the time of the first institutioÌ„ of the Sabbath doth lead vs directly as it were by the hand vnto the second maine point that is the ground upon which the Sabbath was founded and the true outward moving cause and occation of the first institution of it First we may hence collect that the ground of the Sabbath is not any thing revealed or done on the sixe daies of the creation therfore there was no vse of the Sabbath nor place for it in the state of innocency neither is it a commemoratioÌ„ of any thing then brought into beeing but rather of Gods resting from creation and ceasing to proceed further in perfecting the world by way of creation Secondly that the true ground must bee sought and found among the things which came to passe on the seventh day and after the state of innocency which ended at mans transgration and fall now this we will seeke in the next words of the text The ground of the Sabbath And on the seuenth day God ended his worke which he had made and on the seuenth day God rested froÌ„ all his workes which he had made and God blessed the seuenth day In these words we may obserue three distinct things concurring on the seventh day First Gods ending or perfecting of the whole worke or busines of the creation Secondly Gods resting from that worke and ceasing to proceed that way and â—iving over to vphold the world to repaire man other creatures which were â—rought vnder corruptioÌ„ through his fall made subject to vanity by the meer worke of creation Thirdly Gods blessing the seventh daie by revealling therein agreat blessing farre a boue all the good which he shewed in the sixt daies of â—he creation That these are the true grounds of the Sabbath and that God because of these concurring comming together on the seventh day did sanctifie it made it an Holy Sabbath to be kept by man for an Holy rest the words following immediately do shew where it is said God did sanctifie the seventh day because in it he rested from all his worke of creation and from dealing doing that way These three points I will therefore proue and explaine out of rhe words of the text in there order First for Gods ending or perfecting of his workes which he had made that is expressed in the first words God ended his workes which he had made the words in the Originall Hebrew text are these Vaiecal Elchim melachtâ— asher gnassah which are diuersly translated and expounded by the learned translaters and expositers of this text The Uulger Latine runnes thus Cumpleuitque Dâ—us opus suum quod fecerat That is God finished his worke which he had made or God made his worke compleat on the seventh day The Greeke Septuagints render the words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is God perfected his worke on tâ—e sixt day The Caldee paraphraseth thus On the seventh day God delighted in his worke which hâ— had made Tremâ—llious Junious and many other learned expositers do reade the words thus That before the seventh day God had ended his worke had finished it on the seâ—enth day that is when the seventh day come he had ended the creation The words thus diversly translated seemes to haue severall meaning and may bee taken in divers and severall sences The Uulger Latine which is all one with our English translation seems to make this the sence of the words That on the seventh day God made an end of his worke which
of them My reasons are First because creating of naturall holynesse in any thing is a worke of creation But God rested from all works of creation on the seventh day and from making any thing which belonged to the naturall being of any creature or to the natural frame and perfection of it witnesse the wordes of my text and the wordes of the Lord him selfe Exod. 20.13 Secondly the Scriptures which are the onely rule of faith and so all Doctrines of this kind do never mention any naturall holynesse in any creature which God made in the whole created frame of heaven and earth all though God did create man perfect in his kinde even in his own image Yet I doe not read that this image comprehended any more in it but naturall gifts and endowments onely as light of understanding libertye of will most free to good onely and well ordered affections all upright also a comely frame and excellent temperatur of the body fitt to be the seat subject instrument of a liveing reasonable naturall soule and spirit and to rule over all other creatures Salomon the wise preacher describeing the image and excellent frame wherein God created man makes no mention of any holynesse but onely of naturall uprightnesse God saith he made man upright We never read of holynesse naturall to any but onely to God Thirdly true holynesse is a gift of supernaturall grace given onely in Christ and proceeding fâ—om the holy Ghost shed on men through Christ and dwelling in them as the immortall seed of God It belongs not to the naturall image of God wherein the first earthly Adam was created but to the spirituall and heavenly image of the second Adam Christ who is a quickening spirit the Lord from heaven heavenly whose image no man can bear but in the state of regeneration when he is borne of the spirit and begotten of God to a lively hope to the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which fadeth not a way as I have largly here to fore proved by divers Scriptures which appose the image of true holynesse and undefyled righteousnesse which men have in Christ to the image of the first Adam but that upright image wherein he was first made and that corrupt image where in to he was transformed by his fall as appeares most plainely 1. Cor 15.45.49 Eph. 4.23.24 The thing which deceives many learned men and carries them to thinke that holinesse was apart of mans naturall image in which he was created is this First they take it for granted that all vprightnesse purity of man in heart soule life and conversation by which he is conformable to the law of nature and to Gods will revealed and his commandements given to him is true holinesse and is so called in Scripture Secondly they reade that Adam was made by God vpright and had that purity vprightnesse which made him conformable to Gods law and revealed will and this was Gods image in him herevpon they conclude that Adam was created in true holinesse To this I haue heretofore vpon another textfully answered by laying downe a plaine distinction gathered from Gods word and daily experience and by applying it to this purpose For I haue distinguâ—shed purity and uprightnesse by which man is conformable to the revealed will and law of God into two sorts First there is a created naturall purity vprightnesse founded upon naturall principles which God gaue to man in his fiâ—st creation by he which was conformable to Gods revealed will to the law of his nature in the state of innocency but this vprightnesse having no other roote or foundation but mans mutable nature and frame was also mutable and was quickly defaced and corrupted by the subtilty of the tempter and mans fall Secondly there is a renewed or new created uprightnesse and purity of man in his heart and soule life and conversation which is found onely in Gods elect faithfull regenerat Children by which they are here in some measure made conformable to the law and will of God this although it is much ecclipsed and obscured by the remainders of naturall corruption which still dwell in Gods Saints in this fraile life and mortall body and doth not shine forth in the true brightnesse of it yet it proceeds from an eternall fountaine the pure waters whereof spring vp unto life eternall and cannot be defiled but remaine pure though they passe through the dead sea of Sodom the filthy lake of mans naturall corruptions which dwell still in this body of death this pure fountaine is the spirit of regeneration which God sheds through Christ on the elect as our Saviour himselfe teacheth Joh. 14.4 8.38.39 And because this spirit even the holy Ghost which daily renues them being shed on them in there new birth Tit. 3.5.6 doth dwell in them as the mortall seed of God abides with them for ever Joh. 14 16. and is stronger then the spirit of malice the Devill which overthrew our first parents and ever since rules in all worldly men 1 Iob. 4.4 Therefore it is true puritie and vprightnesse which cannot faile nor deceive us as Adams did and this is that which the Apostle cals the new man and the righteousnesse and holinesse of truth Ephess 4.24 in the same sence that spirituall supernaturall and heavenly graces are called the true riches that is the riches durable and incorruptible which will neverly vnto vs nor by failing deceive vs Luk. 16. As for the created purity and vprightnesse by which the first Adam was conformable to the law it is never in all the Scriptures called by the name of holinesse neither is it or any morall virtue in any vnregenerate man any true holinesse because it proceeds not from the holy Ghost who dwels in the regenerate and works all true holinesse in in them I wish that all the learned would seriously weigh this truth embrace it with their hearts and beare it continualy in their minds and memories For this will at one blow raze to the very foundation all pelagian Popish Armian Hoeresies concerning the power of mans freâ— will the efficacy and merit of mans naturall workes don before regeneration and the falling away of men regenerate and justified from the grace of God and from justifying faith and true holinesse also concerning vniversall grace given to all men by which they haue it in their owne power to be saved And if it would please the Lord to open the hearts of our people râ—ghtlie conceive this difference betweene the image of the first and second Adam and betweene the created naturall vprightnesse of Adam and the spirituall vprightnesse and infused holinesse wherein the second Adam was conceived and framed by the holy Ghost This would ravish their hearts and fill them with admiration of the singular loue of God to his elect in Christ and of the singular excellencie of the grace holinesse and of those high prerogatives which the regenerate
intitled a Psalme for the Sabbath we shall see that it is most fit for the day of Christs resurrection setting forth the fruites thereof plainely and after a lively manner to weet the soled joy of Gods people and the florishing state of the righteous in Gods Church and exalting of the horne of Christ the true Mâ—ssiah and King of the Church Fourthly if we consider the diversity and difference of things which are commanded in the law of the Sabbath and are to be observed in the weekly Sabbath as it was instituted by God at the first and againe reviued in the fourth commandement if we call to minde that the law is a mixt law commanding some things which concern the uery substance and being of the Holy Sabbath unto which it bindes men perpetually such as are a fit proportion of time one day in every weeke rest and cessation from common workes of this life and sanctification of it by religious exercises and devoting it to publicke assemblies and holy worship And other things it commanded which were typicall and ceremoniall and were to haue there full accomplishment in Christ and to be in force only vntil the ful exhibitioÌ„ revelation of Christ a pefect Redeemer all which I haue largely shewed before and the best learned haue euer held It will upon these grounds necessarily follow that there must be a chaunge of the Sabbath from the seventh day and in respect of the tipicall and ceremoniall worshippe at the full exhibition of Christ into aday and a worship more fit for Christ giuen and revealed and for the times of the gospell First it is generally held by the best learned That God by sanctifying the seventh day and commanding his Holy Sabbath to be kept everie weeke on the seventh day did thereby shew that in his wisdome he saw it fit and necessary for man to observe this proportion of time to devote one day in everie weeke both to bodilie rest and a totall cessation from his owne worldlie labors pleasures and delights and also to Holie and Heavenlie meditations and to religious exercises and Holie assemblies And in these respects they call the law of the Sabbath naturall morall and perpetuall and they proue it thus First because nature it selfe and common reason and experience doe teach that ever since mans fall it is naturallie necessarie for mans health and welbeing and for the preserving and upholding of the life strength of his labouring and â—oyling cattell that he his servants cattell should haue one daies rest in seaven And that without this proportion of time dedicated to Holie assemblies and exercises of pietie the saving knowledge of God and true religion and pietie cannot well be upheld fraile men would by little forget God become ignorant of heavenly things and so of the way to eternall rest if it were left in mans power to chuse his owne time some would chuse none at all the rest for the most part would differ that time which some thought fit Others would refuse as inconvenient and so there would be no set ordinary assemblies Gods worship would grow out of use Secondly true piety teacheth us that we ought to think our selues bound in conscience to giue and devote so much of our time at the least to pious exercises as God in whose hand we and our times are did require of his people in the obscurer times of the Old Testament for the keeping of religion and his worshippe on foote for preserving of the knowledge and memory of his goodnesse and benefits and for the sanctifying of their weekely laboures of his creatures to their use and of themselves to him that they might be fitted to see him in glory for the abundance of grace shed on us by the Gospel is a bond and obligation to us of much more service and obedience which we owe to God Now God required of them every seventh day to be kept holy and that was the least which any of them in any age were bound to dedicate to his worshippe And therefore true piety binds us much more to keepe an holy weekly Sabbath These are arguments and proofes sufficient to satisfie any man who doth not peruersly resist and rebell against the law of nature But let me here giue a cave at by the way That when the learned call the sabbath and the law of it naturall we are not to conceiue that by natural they mean a thing writen in mans heart in the creation which man was made to performe and obey simply as a reasonable creature and naturall man For man was made for the Sabbath Marke 2.27 Neither did he toyle and sweat or need a set weekly rest Neither did he need a weekly solemnity to helpe his memory or to stirr up his affections as I haue before proved But that they understand by naturall that which the uerie light of naturall reason shewes to be most convenient and necessary for men now corrupt and which so soone as it is commanded and revealed by Gods word appeares so necessary in the very nature of it both for men soules and bodies that without it they canÌ„ot haue ordinarily any wel being on earth nor escape hel coÌ„e to Heaven after death This exposition learned Zanchyus gives of his owne and other learned mens speeches when they call the law of the Sabbath naturall Jf saith he it were so naturall as things written in mans heart in the creation then the Heathen Gentiles would haue felt themselves bound by it and would haue shewed it in their practise in some measure more or lesse Neverthelesse the conclusion of Zanchyus and other learned Divines is firme and sure vpon the former premises to weet That Gods first commandement of the Sabbath doth perpetually bind al Gods people to the worlds end to keep a weeklie Sabbath even a seventh day in everie weeke Holie to the Lord. Secondly it is a thing vniversally held by all true Christian writers that the Sabbath as it was limited to the seventh day of the weeke and was to be observed by bodily sacrifices morning and evening and by worshippe which consisted in outward rites which were tipes and figures of things which haue their accomplishment in Christ so it was ceremoniall temporary and chaungable The common ground of the sanctifying of the seventh day and tying the Sabbath to it is held commonlie to be Gods rest on the seventh day from the worke of creation And this is such a grounde as in the fulnesse of the time was to giue place and did giue place to a better rest arising and brought in by the finishing of a more excellent and glorious worke of Gods goodnes and bountie even the worke of mans Redemption The worshippe of God on the Sabbath of the seventh day in the old Testament by double sacrifices such ryts were but vanishing shadows the substance of theÌ„ was Christ therfor they were to cease wheÌ„ the body substance came in And the
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
determinat counsell and forknowledge chaunged the foundation of the weekly Sabbath and removed it all the grounds reasons accasions and praerogatiues of it from the seventh day to the first which is the Lords day we must needs see and acknowledge that it was the Purpose minde will of God to make the Lords day our weekly Sabbath and in his giving of the first law of the Sabbath which in the maine substance of it is perpetuall to binde all his people after the full exhibition of Christ to the last resurrection to keep the Holy weekly Sabbath on that day onely Now these things may sufficiently appeare by the opening and proving of divers things befor which I haue observed out of this text by urging pressing them home to this present purpose a little more fully here againe I shall put them out of all doubt and question and make them manifest clear to al who do not wilfully shut their eares against the truth First that the foundation of the Sabbath is Christ the Redeemer that all the true proper grounds reasons and occasions of keeping one day in every week Holy to the Lord are only to be found in Christ and came in with him as I haue before fully proued And as God first promised Christ to come the seed of the woman for the Redemption of mankind Christ did undertake for man to mediate for him on the first seventh day of the world and thereupon that day was sanctified to be the weekly sabbath So God had in his immutable counsell determined to exhibit Christ a perfect Redeemer by him to perfect mans redemption on the first day of the weeke and so to remoue Christ the foundation from the seventh day of the weeke to the first day together with all other grounds reasons occasions prerogatiues of the Holy Sabbath What greater chaunge could be or ever was hard of in Christ the maine foundation both of the Sabbath of the vniuersall Church then when of a redeemer promised on the seventh day and so continuing all the time of the old Testament while the fathers beleeued onely in him promised not yet come He became a Redeemer fully exhibited in his resurrection on the first day of the week changed the state of the Church and bringing her from the Nonnage and childish estate of bondage vnder the rudiments of the world and legall rites carnall ceremonies to the fulnesse of her time which God had appointed to her full age in the new testament And hereby that first day of the weeke became the chiefest day of the Lord Christ even his speciall particular day came to haue all the subordinat grouÌ„ds high prerogatiues of the Sabbath For in it God perfected his worke which he had made in the creation by the worke of redemption not promised undertaken onlie as in the seventh day but by a better kind of perfecting and ending even by redemption fullie finished on that daie Christ rested from that greater worke of redemption declared by his resurrection that he had made ful satisfaction for mankind to the justice of God that God rested in his satisfaction now actually made performed by a more excellent manner of resting then that wherwith he rested on the seuenth in that satisfaction only undertaken promised on that day Christ gott the victory over death hell sin the world the Devill and becomming immortall not subject to die or suffer any more entered into the glorious state of exaltation and into his eternall rest and made way for men to that eternall rest wherof the Sabbath is both a liuely pledg also a powerfull meanes to fit men for it And in al these respects God blessed the first day of the week with a blessing farre aboue his blessing of the seventh day for that was the promise undertaking only this was the performance perfecting of redemption therfore so farre excels that as the giuing of a great guift perfecting of a worke exceeds the promise of that guift undertaking of that worke Now that that this remouing of the maine foundation of the weekly Sabbath together with the subordinat grounds occasions prerogatiues of it from the seventh day to the Lords day the first of the weeke came to passe by the determinate counsell foreknowledge and providence of God and that from the beginning and in the first giuing of the law of the weekely Sabbath God did purpose and intend this chaunge it appeares most plainly by diuers reasons First because God is no idle spectator but the provident Lord disposer of all things which come to passe in the world nothing can come to passe but so as he hath appointed and in the time season which he hath determined The flood and generall deluge by which the old world was destroyed came to passe in the very yeare and day which God had prefixed did for tell to Noah one hundred and twenty yeares before The end of Jsraell peregrination and servitude in Egypt came to passe just at the end of foure hundred and â—hirty yeares in the same day which God had determined foretold to Abraham Exod. 12.41 and so the deliverance of the Isralites out of captiuity and the decree for their return came out at Gods appointed time which he had foretold by Ieremiah the Prophet Dan 9.2 23. And the particular time of Christs satisfaction and attonement for sinne and bringing in of eternall righteousnesse was determined by God and came to passe at the end of the seventy sevens of yeares as it was revealed to Daniell in the same Chap. 24. ver And in a word the very time of Christs resurrection by the virtue whereof we are fully redeemed and shall in our verie bodies be raised vp to life eternall and rest in glorie as the Apostlâ— testifies Rom. 6.5 1 Cor. 15.13.21 Philip. 3.10 1 Pet. 1.3 It was determined by God befor the foundation of the world as the words of St Peter do shew 1 Pet. 1.2 Secondly God in the very creation from the first beginning of the world did foreshew that he had a purpose to honour the first day of the weeke aboue all the other daies and to make it the Lords day and Christian sabbath by the resurrection of Christ. In that he made it the first fruites of time and in it created the highest heaven the place of the eternall Sabbath and brought forth the light of this inferiour world by which naturall prerogatiues he made this day the fittest of all daies of the weeke to be the day of Christs resurrection wherein he the sun of righteousnesse light of the world rose up with healing in his wings and became the first fruites of them that sleepe and by virtue whereof he will bring the faithfull into the eternall rest wherof the weekly Sabbath is a pledge will make them partakers of the