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
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
exercises as tend to make men meet to be partakers thereof Now the first day of the weeke the Lords day is the day wherein God first created the light of the visible world even the fiery heavens which shine forth ever since and give light to the inferiour world soe it is testified Gen. 1.3 And on this day Christ the Lord the sun of righteousnesse did rise up and did bring to light immortallity eternall life and became the great and glorious light of the world Therefore this day is the fittest and most worthy to bee the holie weeklie Sabbath and to be spent in meditation upon seeking for the inheritance of the Saints in light Fourthly that day which hath not only the same grounds and reasons in it upon which God first founded the Sabbath and sanctified the seventh day but also divers additions of the same kinde which make the grounds and reasons more forcible and excellent This is most fit and worhy to be the holy weekly Sabbath and such is the first day of the weeke and hath beene ever since it became the Lords day by the Lord Christ his resurrection For proofe whereof consider the grounds and reasons upon which God sanctified the seventh day 1. Gods ending or perfecting his created worke 2. Gods resting from that worke 3. Gods blessing of the seventh day by revealing on it the greatest blessing farre aboue any given in the creation These are the groundes here laid downe in my text which are rehearsed againe by God in the fourth commandement of the law And another reason drawne from the end and use of the Sabbath is also added Exod. 31.13 Ezech 20.12 to weet that the Sabbath might be a signe and token from God that hee is their God who doth sanctifie them that is by giving his Holy spirit with all saving graces in this life vnto them in Christ doth fit them for the fruition sight of his glory in the eternall rest in Heaven so makes the weekly Sabbath a pledge of the eternall Sabbath in the world to come also Now the godly learned heretofore who had no thought of founding the Sabbath on Christ promised on the seventh day of the world they do understand Gods ending of his worke to be either the finishing of the creation on the seventh day by adding some perfection or natural blessing to the creatures more then he had given on the sixt daies Or else that God had already ended perfected his worke before the seuenth day for this cause blessed sanctified the seventh day for a memoriall of the creation of the world and all things therein made perfect and compleat so appearing on that day And by Gods resting on the seventh day from all his worke which he created made they understand nothing else but Gods rest of mere cessation because this was the day wherein God hauing finished his worke made all things good had no occasion to worke any more by way of creation but rested from making more kindes of creatures Therefore God commanded man to rest after his example every seventh day and to keep it for a weekly Sabbath And by Gods blessing of the seventh day they doe understand Gods sanctifying of it to be a signe pledge of the eternall rest These being the grounds reasons in the opinion of the learned vpon which God sanctified the seuenth daie are in a more excellent measure to be found in the first day of the week on which day the Lord Christ rose from death· For first the Lord Christ on that day who is the Lord of the sabbath ended a greater worke then the creation even the great worke of redemption which on that daie he did perfect and finish by the last highest act of it even his resurrection in which he got the victorie triumphed ouer death the last enimie ouer him who had the power of death that is the Devill and did shew to the world that he had fully paid the ransome price of mans redemption satisfied justice wrought fulfilled all righteousnesse sufficient to justifie all that beleeve in him to settle them in Gods favour for ever So that here is a better ending finishing of a better work then that of the creation was which did perfect the mutable worke of creation so here is a bâ—tter ground of sanctifying the day in which it came to passe as diveâ—s learned writers haue rightly observed Secondly on this day the Lord Christ entered into a better rest then any from the creation can be he rested from all his laboures paines sufferings all workes which Gods infinite justice required for mans redemption by way of satisfaction Heb. 4.10 And he tooke possession of eternall rest for himselfe as the head and for his body the whole Church for every elect member thereof So that this resting is a more farre excellent ground reason of the sanctifying of this day to be the weekely Sabbath Yea though I do by Gods perfecting of his worke vnderstand his perfecting of the worke which was marred defaced by mans fal even the worke of creation his making of it more perfect and compleat by his promising of Christ and by Christs undertaking beginning his actuall Mediation first bringing in of supernaturall perfection And by Gods resting I vnderstand his resting so fully wholy in Christs mediation in his satisfaction undertaken for the repairing perfecting of the world which man by his fall had brought under vanity corruption that he put from him all thoughts purposes of going about any new worke of creation for the repairing therof and so is said to rest as I haue befor fully proved Yet I must confesse that on the Lords day which is the first of the weeke in which Christ did rise from death God did more fully excellently perfect all his worke brought in a rest which doth so farre excell that perfecting of his worke resting from creation on the first seventh day as the actuall performance of a promise giuing and fulfilling of a good thing promised vndertaken begun doth excell the promise the undertaking beginning of it And therefore J will bee bold vpon these grounds premises to conclude with the best learned both of the Auncient fathers and moderne Divines That there is more conveniency and fitnesse in the Lords day the first day of the week to be the Lords holy weekly Sabbath now under the Gospell And there are more excellent grounds and sure reasons for the sanctifying of it then any which are named or can be found in the seventh daie which was the Sabbath of the old Testament yea this day by meanes of Christs resurrection to glory in it is the surest pledge and token which outwardly can be given to Gods Church and people that God who raised him up is by him fully appeased satisfied and reconciled to his
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
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
of the blessed hope and eternall rest reserved in Heaven for vs. And therfore the first maine duty with all the partes thereof and the speciall endes and uses of it are more fully performed and obtained in the observation of the Lords day for the Holy weekly Sabbath then they possibly can be now by vs or could be of old on the sabbath of the seventh day by the fathers in the old Testament The second maine duty of the Sabbath is sanctifying and keeping of it holy to the Lord which comprehends in it many speciall and particular duties 1. Setting of their affections even their joy and delight wholy vpon God and heavenly things 2. Honouring worshipping of God in their hearts with holy thoughts and meditations by their lipps with holy prayers praises and thanksgiuing in their outward actioÌ„s by preaching hearing reading repeating of Gods word and solemne commemoration of his promises mercies and blessings in the word and sacraments 3. Teaching and learning all holy duties which tend to bring vs nearer to God in Christ. 4. Offering spirituall sacrifices to God of sweet sauour such as are almesdeedes works of mercy and charity wherby others may be made to tast of Gods goodnesse and stirred up to laud and praise his name All these are comprehended vnder the maine duty of sanctifying the holy Sabbath which the Lord commands expresly in the law and they are commended to vs by the Prophet Isa. 56.4 58.13 And the proper end and use of this duty and all the partes thereof is First to make vs set our affections on things which are aboue and not on things below and to stirre us up to seeke eternall life and heavenly happinesse in Christ onely and in him crucified and raised up Secondly to continue and increase in fraile men the knowledge and memory of Christ and of the way to eternall life and blessednesse in him which without keeping holy of a weekly Sabbath would faile cease among the sonnes of men Thirdly to begit and increase true grace and holinesse in men by exercising holy duties of religion and so to bring them by justification adoption to the right of inheritance in Heaven and by sanctification to fit them for the possession of it Now the observation of the Lords day in which Christ arose is such as may far more powerfully effectually moue men to the performance of these duties lead men more directly to the proper end and use of them then the old Sabbath of the the seventh day either now can or of old could do when it was most in force For it had no other light or life in it but onely from obscure promises and darke shaddowes through which Christ was seene as things farre off are seene and in the starre light nights But the Lords day the first day of the weeke hath light and life from the sun of righteousnesse Christ who in it rose up and to be the light of life to all nations hath brought life immortallity to light by the Gospell and discovered to us the kindnesse and loue of God the riches of his goodnesse in giving grace and shedding his spirit on us abundantly here and so fit us for glorie hereafter And therefore this day must needes be of great force and power farre abâ—ve the seventh day to make men set their affections on God and heavenly things especially upon the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us unto which God hath begotten us by the resurrection of Christ from the dead 1. Pet. 1.3 It is also powerfull and excellent to incite and stirr us up to honour God in our hearts by the due consideration of his goodnesse and mercie Also it much furthereth us to proclaime the high praises of our God and kinge and to make prayers and supplications to him Besides to make us helpfull unto others in seeking after their salvation And thus we may see what are Sabbath duties even the workes of piety mercy charitie c. pleasing to God and by which others may be brought to joyne with us in lauding and praising God and we our selves fitted for glorie Vpon â—hese points so fullie proved The conclusion followes necessarilie that the law by which God first instituted the Sabbath on the first sâ—venth day of the world doth binde us under the Gospel to keepe the Lords day for our weeklie Sabbath Fourthly that day which God hath made most Honourable and hath given it a most Honourable name and title aboue all the daies of the week to that he hath given the prerogatiue to be the weekly Sabbath hath made it his day of Holie rest For it is a property of the sabbath to be the Lords Holy and Honourable day as the Evangellicall Prophet Isaiah shews Jsa 58.13 making of it Honoâ—able is making of it the Sabbath Now the first day of the weeke is the day which God hath Honoured aboue all daies by the glorious victorie of Christ ouer death and over all enemies and powers of darknesse and to it he hath given the most Honourable name and title For the holy evangelist and divine Apostle S. Iohn who was the intimate beloved and bosome Disciple of the Lord and did best know his minde cals it the Lords day Revel 1.10 that is the day which the Lord hath made the day of great joy gladnes to his people as David foretold Psa. 118. which day the Lord Christ hath appropriated to himselfe his honour Honoured with his own name as he is the Lord God one Iehovah with the father For the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord is in respect of the roote from whence it is deriued the same in signification with Gods proper name Iehovah and most commonly in the new Testament is used to expresse that sacred name Therefore it is now under the Gospell made by God himselfe the weekly Sabbath The Fifth argument is grounded upon the wordes of our Saviour Math. 12.8 Mark 2 27·28 Where he saith that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Therefore he even as he is the sonne of man or God made man is the Lord of the sabbath The first clause to weet the sabbath was made for man notes out vnto us two things 1. That the Sabbath was first instituted for man even by reason of the sonne of God promised to become man and so he is the foundation of it 2. That it was made for man that is for the man Christ and for the benefit of all mankinde in him for his honour and the advancement of his kingdome among men and for the good of men both naturall and civill in respect of weekly rest and refreshing also spirituall as knowledge instruction growth in grace holinesse The second clause not man for the Sabbath shews that the Sabbath is not one of those things which man was made to obserue
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
them a token and pledge of some great blessing and future good promised that God will haue them to keepe safâ— and to hold fast vntill they receive the blessing and come to the full possession of it This is manifest by the tipes and sacraments of the law which could not bee a bolished nor without sinne purposely neglected vntill Christ was fully exhibited of whom they were signes and pledges and he was the body and substance And we finde by daily experience that the loosing or casting away of the pledg is the forfetting or forgoing of a mans right whereof it is a pledge If we will receiue the blessing we must do the condition of it Now the observing of a weekly Sabbath is not onely a signe of eternall rest in heaven but also a token and pledge if it given in the beginning togither with the first promise of Christ and conveighed ouer from the fathers to us setled on the day wherin Christ arose from death and perfected mans redemption That it is a pledg of the Sabbathisme which remaines for the people of God the Apostles words imply Heb. 4.9 And the best learned haue ever held it to be our pledge of eternall rest in Heaven As Austâ—n Tom. 4. Quaest. 162. and lib. contra Adimantum cap. 13. divers others Therfore the holy weekly Sabbath upon the Lords day must be observed by all Gods people the law of the Sabbath binds them therunto perpetually to the end of the world to the day of resurrection to glory And thus I haue finished the Doctrine of the sanctification of the Sabbath as it is the proper act of God even his seperaing of the seventh day to be an holy rest by his word commandement CHAP. 14 THE thing which now followeth next in order is mans sanctifying the weekly Sabbath keeping of a seventh day holy to the Lord which God hath imposed on him for a necessary holy duty when by his word coÌ„maÌ„dement he blessed sanctified it as here we read in the words of my text For Gods sanctifying of daies times places is not any infusing of his holy spirit into them as he doth into his saints even holy Angels men but this giving of a law commandement to meÌ„ to obserue keep them after an holy manner to use imploy them to holy heavenly supernaturall use even to divine worship exercises of piety religion as I haue before proued plainly And in that Gods sanctified the seventh day that is gaue a law in the beginning to man to keep observe it for an holy Sabbath as my text shews Therfore it is a necessary duty imposed by God upon man so to observe keep an holy sabbath every seventh day or a seveÌ„th day in every week that duty of mans sanctification keeping holy the Lords sabbath comes now in order to be handled which is here necessarily implied included in the worde of my text In the opening handling wherof I purpose to proceed in this method order First I will shew that this duty of sanctifiing an holy Sabbath to the Lord is imposed by this act of God on all mankinde the children of men are bound unto it from the seventh day of the world after the first beginning of the creation untill that last day of the generall resurrection judgment in which they shal be called to an account reckoning of all things which they haue done in this life Secondly I will shew how farre upon what termes conditions men are bound to this duty by Gods law given for that purpose in his act of sanctâ—fying the Sabbath Thirdly I will shew more speciall the speciall workes wherein the sanctification and observation of the weekly Sabbath consisteth The duties are of three sorts 1. Some are common to all Gods people in all ages from the beginning and all states and conditions of the Câ—urch both in the old and new Testament Some are proper to the fathers of the old Testament while the Sabbath was limitted to the last day of the weeke and grounded upon Christ promised onely 3. Some are proper to the Church and people of God vnder the Gospell in the new Testament when the Sabbath is châ—unged to the fiâ—st day of the week even the Lords day builded upon the finishing of mans redemption and Christ fully exhibited and Gods resting in Christs satisfaction consummated which is a more excellent ground Of all these in order The â—â—rst point concernâ—ng the obligation of all mankinde to the keeping of an holy weekly Sâ—bbath from the first seventh day of the world vnto the last resurrection when the elect and faithfull shall both in their soules and bodies enter into the eternall rest in Heaven may be proued by divers Arguments My first Argument is drawne from the law by which God here in my text did first bind man to this duty thus J briefly frame it That duty which God hath enjoyned by a commandement given to our first parents without limitation exception or exemptioÌ„ of any that he hath imposed by his commandement upon Adam and all his seed and posterity in his loynes and they are all bound unto it to the worlds end The sanctifying of a seventh in every weeke and keeping it an Holy Sabbath is a duty injoyned by a Commandement which God gaue to Adam without limitation or exemption of any of his seed and posterity Therefore it is a duty imposed by God upon all mankinde and they are bound unto it in all ages vntill the end of the world The first proposition cannot with any colour of reason be denied if any shall object that God gaue to Adam upon the promise of Christ a law of sacrificing cleane beasts and offering first fruites which bound him and his seed in his loynes and yet they are not bound by it in all ages but onely untill the comming of Christ and his offering of himselfe a sacrifice which is the substance of all sacrifices and after that men are bouÌ„d no longer to that duty I answer that though the last of sacrifices of other service worship which were types shaddows was given to Adam upon the first promise without expresse limitation and reached to his seed in his loynes and as Caine Abell so Noah Abraham and all the patriarches people of God were bound to that dutie vntill Christ yet there was a limitation in the things commanded which being types and shaddowes onely of Christ promised were of no use but onely while Christ was yet expected and not actually offered up a sacrifice of perfect attonement and Gods people had neede of such types and figures to lead them to Christ. Therefore this Objection doth not touch nor infring this proposition which speakes of a law of a duty whiâ—h is of use to all mankinde in all their generations The assumption also is manifest For here we
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
labour was to be punished with death in all persons under the law though inded before God everie bâ—each of every commandement deserues death But that the open wilfull presumptious prophaning of the sabbath by any scandalous act or by a coÌ„mon practise was to be punished wiâ—h death This is plaine by the words next before going Num. 15. â—0 31 where the Lord commands that he who sinneth presumpâ—iously with an high hand and so reproacheth the Lord. and dispiseth his word be cut of from among his people against which word and expresse commandement the man which was found gathering sticks on the sabbath daie did presently sin and committed wilfull transgression presumptuously not through ignorance nor compelled by necessity and therefore he was stoned for an example of terrour to all presumptious transgreâ—sours But as for others who did beare burdens and sell vitailes not presumptuously but either through ignorance or forgetfulnesse or drawn by custome and ill example of the multitude in the daies of Jeremiah and Nehemiah they were not by the law put to death but compelled by authority and rebukes and by threatnings of wrath judgments of God to desist from profanatâ—oÌ„ of the holy sabbath as the placâ—s before named shew Neh. 13. Ier. 17.27 As for them whole mindes are altogether carried away after buying sâ—lling and worldly games on the sabbath day Amos. 8. they are threatned with no other wo then that which belongs to all such as afâ—er the same manner vnhallow the Lords day now under the Gospell Wherefore it is manifest that the fathers in the old Testament had no heavy burden of strict rest laid on them by the law but the same cessation from worldly affaires which they are bound vnto is still required of us and of all Gods people in all ages of the world They were not restrained in time of war from works of necessity as figâ—tâ—ng against enimies taking and destroying their cities as we see in the compassing of Jericho seven daies together one of which must needes be the Sabbath day Iosh. 6. They might flee for their liues and pull cattell out of pits and do any other worke which could not be deferred vntill the next day but present necessity requâ—red it for their owne safety and for the saftie of their cattell and of other good creatures which otherwise were in danger to perish But suppose the opinion of diuers both auncient and late writers were true to weet That the Isralites were bound to obserue a more strict and burdensome rest and under greater penalties then either the fathers before the law or we who liue in the light and liberty of the Gospell Yet this proues no more but onely that this rigour was apart of the bondage and paedagogie of the law wherewith they are hardlie pressed for this end to driue them to seeke ease in Christ and to long for his comming in the flesh And this burden and rigour onely is abolished by Christ together with the chaunge of the perticular day But the substance of the Law still remaines and bindes all men to keepe the Sabbath resting and ceasing from all worldly busines except that which is of necessity charity even as the fathers were bouÌ„d froÌ„ the first institution The secoÌ„d principal head of which the secoÌ„d sort â—f special proper duties which God râ—quired the fathers under the old testameÌ„t may be reduced as sanctification For ouer and aboue â—heir resting from secular affaires they were by Gods first institution of the Sababath bound to sanctifie the seventh day with holy and religious duties such as God in that state and condition of the Church required as an holie service and for heavenly and spirituall use even for begitting and increasing of grace and faith in them and for the fitting of them for the fruition of eternall rest The sanctification of the Sabbath in generall belongs to all mankinde in all ages and that all are bound to it by a perpetuall law As I haue proued sufficiently before I am now onlie to shew the speciall and perticular duties of sanctification which God required of his people in the Old Testament The first speciall duty of sanctification was the solemne commemoration of Christ the blessed seed and of the promise of redemption by him Unto this all the faâ—hers fro Adam until Moses so to Christ were bound by Gods fiâ—st institution of the Sabbath and sanctifying the seventh day vpon promise made of the blessed seed For full proofe of of this I argue thus both from Scripture and common experience Whensoever a day is set a part either by God or holy men to be kept with solemnity because of some great blessing or deliverance given or promised the chiefe thing to be observed in that solemnity is a publick solemn commemoration rehearsall of the blessing deliverance with joy praise Experience of all ages doth proue this In the solemn feast of the Passouer the chiefe duty of sanctification was the coÌ„memoration of Gods deliuerance of Jsraell from bondage in Egypt by his mighty hand streched out to smite Egypt and his destroying Angel passing over all the houses of the Isralites slaying all the first borne of â—he Egyptians this deliuerance was the blessing because of which God instituted this feast Exd. 13.5 The solemnitie of the feast of tabernacles for seven daies together was instituted by God because of his preservatioÌ„ of Israell in the wildernes forty yeares together without houses or cities in boothes tents the chiefe thing which they were bound to obserue in this holy solemnity was the commemoration of that preseruation in the wildernes by dwelling in boothes all the time of that feast wherby occasion was given to theÌ„ to rehearse vnto their childreÌ„ their child were moved to enquir learn bear in mind that blessing of Gods preservatioÌ„ Lev. 23.43 so in al ages we find by experience that the commemoration of the blessing upon which every feast was first ordained is the chiefe duty in all the solemnity as the coÌ„memoration and rehersal of Christs resurrectioÌ„ in the feast of Easter of the coÌ„ming down of the holy Ghost in the feast of Pentecost of Christs incarnation in the feast of the nativity And in our late yearely fâ—stivall for our deliuerance from the powder treason the chiefe duty is the coÌ„memoration of that deliuerance So that this proposition is most certain undeniable Now what the blessing of the seventh day was because of which God sanctified it to be the weekly Sabbath of the old testament also after by Moses commanded it to be kept holy As I haue largely before proued euen the promise of Christ the Redeemer And therfore it followes necessarily that the first and chiefest duty of sanctification of the Sabbath which the fathers were bound vnto was the commemâ—ration of the promise of Christ of redemption by him which was the blessing wherwith God blessed the seventh day
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
God nor beleeue in Christ without preaching of the word which they will not looke after but skorne it Yet they are bound to repent and beleeue and shall perish for rejecting and not vseing the meanes to git faith So it is with other infidels further of they shall perish for not using such meanes as are in their power wherby they might come to know this other duties which they are boūd to performe in thankfulnes for Gods gracious promise of Christ the redeemer for the commō benifits which they receiue through him CHAP. 16. THE Third thing which I propounded concerning mans sanctification so the Sabbath is the consideration of the duties wherin it doth consist which are of three sorts First some are such are common to all Gods people in all ages of the world and they be duties which are necessarie to the being of the Sabbath Secondly some are proper to the Sabbath of the seventh daie while the fathers under the Old Testament did expect Christ promised and were to keep their Sabbath in memorie of the promise of Christ made to our first parents on the last day of the week Thirdly some are proper to us who liue under the Gospel since Christ fullie exhibited a perfect Redeemer after the buriall of Moses that is the utter abolition of all legall shaddows together with the materiall temple of the Jews The duties common to all such as are necessary to the being of an holy Sabbath at all times they are three especiallie The first is a rest cessation from all seculiar affaires worldly pleasures except only such as are necessarie for mans welbeing cannot be omitted or deferred without great hurt danger of mans health life of the life and safety of the creatures which God hath made for mans use The second is sanctification of the Sabbath with such holy exercises of religion of Gods worship as God requires in that age state of the Church in which they live The third is sanctifying of that day of the week which God hath blessed honoured with greatest blessings aboue all other daies wherein he hath more fully revealed his holines opened the fountaine of holines for the sanctifying of his people Concerning the first to weet rest and cessation from all worldlie affaires bodilie delights there is a doubt made by some whether it doth equally concerne all Gods people as wel christians under the Gospel as the fathers of the old testament Divers are of opiniō that Christians haue more liberty are not so strictly bound to rest from all worldly affaires bodily delights as the fathers were befor Christ. But for the clearing of this point we are to note three specially things First that rest cessation from all seculiar businesse worldly pastimes is a dutie of the Sabbath which generally belongs to all men in all ages who are bound to keep a weekly Sabbath or holy daie by virtue of Gods sanctification of the Seventh daie For first the very name Sabbath which God gaue to the day signifies rest cessation puts us continually in mind of this duty And whosoever cals it by the name Sabbath doth thereby acknowledge it to be a day of rest Secondly a maine ground of Gods first institution of the Sabbath the rest from all workes of creation wherwith God rested in Christ the seventh day who on that day was promised took upon him to be mans mediatour as hath been proved befor out of the words of this text For Chtist the son of God vndertaking to repaire the works of creatiō which were defaced by mans fal to restore al his by another kinde of work then creation even by incarnation obedience suffering satisfaction for sin in mans nature for the redemption of the world did bring unto God the Creatour rest cessation from any more creation of new kindes of creatures And upon this ground even this perfecting of his worke of creation by bringing in redemption and in memory for a signe of Gods resting in Christ promised God sanctified the seventh daie to be an holy weeklie Sabbath bound man to this duty of rest on the Sabbath day from all secular businesse Thirdly in all ages whensoever God repeated the law of the Sabbath or vrged the observation of it either by Moses or the Prophets we shall observe that rest and cessation is injoyned as Exod. 20.10 The seventh day is the Sabbath in it thou shal◠do no maner of worke Exod. 31.14 thou shalt do no manner of worke therein Exod. 33.2 Devt 5.14 whosoever doth any work on the sabbath shall surely be put to death They might not gather man̄a on the sabbath day Exo. 16.28 they who went out to seeke Manna are called trasgressours And all the Prophets which in after times made mention of the Sabbath vrged rest blamed all servile vvorks vvhich concern this life as Isa. 58.13 Jer. 17.27 Neh. 13.17 Fourthly vve in these later daies haue as much need of rest more then men in former ages and the greater hopes and more cleare evidences of rest and glorie in heaven which we haue do more bind us to rest from worldly cares and to set our mindes on heaven where our hopes are These are strong arguments to prove that rest vpon the Sabbath day is a duty which generally belongs to all men in al ages which the first thing serving to satisfie the former doubt to proue the first generall duty Secondly Gods sanctifying of the Sabbath and his first commandement given to Adam for the keeping holy of the seventh day binds all men in all ages to keepe a weekely Sabbath to the end of the vvorld as I haue before proued and therfore the duty of rest belongs to all Thirdly they vvho hold the lavv of the vveekly Sabbath to be but for a time and that it is novv abolished they can shevv no Scriptures to vvarrant their opinion That place vvhich they object Coloss. 2.16 speakes not in the singular number of the vveekly Sabbath instituted here in my text For though the day bee chaunged upon vveightie reasons and good ground Yet the Sabbathisme still remaineth to the people of God not onely the eternall and heavenlie but also the temporall Sabbath on earth which leads to the heavenly The words of the Apostle speake of those Sabbaths or holy daies of the Iewes which were tipicall and shaddows of things to bee exhibited in Christ such as were the first and last daies of the Passouer Pentecost and other great yearly feasts The word Sabbaton being of the plurall number implies soe much and the nameing of feasts daies and new moones which were shaddowes of the law giue us just cause to conceiue that the Apostle intends only the festiuall and not the weekly Sabbaths Or if we should grant that the weekly Sabbath is meant among the rest which the father 's obserued on 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
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
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
on our first parents begitteÌ„th of his immortal theÌ„ seed sanctifie them and worke faith and all saving graces in them so that they beleâ—ved the promise and found rest in Christ. And so this was the daie wherein God did first make man actuall partaker of his spirit and did make in him true holinesse and conforme him to the Image of Christ This appeares by three things First by Adams words chapt 3.20 where not withstanding Gods passing of the sentence of bodilie death against him and of his returning to dust in the grave in the words next before yet â—e by faith laies hold on one eternall life in Christ the promised seed and being strengthened with might by the spirit in the inner man doth call his wife Chavah which signifieth life because by Christ promised to be come her seed shee shâ—uld bee the mother of all liuing and not onely all his naturall seed should by Christ haue naturall life for a time and being on earth continued vnto them but also after death his wife and al their elect seed should haue life eternall in him This is a strong argument of a lively faith and of the quickening spirit given to Adam vpon the verie daie of the promise which was the seventh day Secondly that our first parents had the holy spirit given them on that daie by faith were instituted made partakers of the righteousnes of Christ the coats of skins doe shew which God fitted to them put vpon them For undoubtedly these skins of cleane beasts which God taught and commanded them to kill and offer in sacrifice as tipes figures and pledges of their redemption by the death and sacrifice of of Christ and these coats made of the skins of beasts sacrificed and put upon our first parents by God himself did plainly forshew the covering and clothing of all the faithfull with the Robes of Christ satisfaction and righâ—iousnesse were a token and pledge to them that they were justified by faith in Christ to come and cloathed with the garments of salvation For all Gods works are perfect he gives to no men by his own hand immediatly the outward pledg seale without the inward grace Thirdly Adams teaching of his sonnes Caine and Abell to sacrifice and to bring offerings first fruits to God which were tipes of Christ and of Gods rest in his mediation and fulls satisfaction and that at the end of daies that is the seventh which is the last of the week Gods holy weekly Sabbath these J say doe testifie Adams faith in the promise his holy obedience to Gods commandment of keeping holy the seueÌ„th day and his holy care to teach his Children holy obedience also Now this being manifest that of the seventh day God did first sanctifie man by his holy spirit and did bring in holinesse into the world among men we must needs acknowledg this a second point of Gods sanctifying that day and making it fit to bee his holy weekely Sabbath and the day of his holy worship CHAP. 9. THirdly the Lord God for a memoriall of these supernaturall heavenly things first revealed done on the seventh day and for a pledg to man of the eternall rest in heaven did also by his word and commandment appoint every seventh day to be vnto man a day of rest from his owne works which concerne this worldly life and to be kept an holy Sabbath to the Lord his God and this is the third point of Gods sanctifying the seventh day and setting it apart for holy and heavenlie vse and for holy worshippe service and religious duties which tend to begit and increase holinesse in men and so to bring them to see and enjoy God in the eternall rest of glorie This point because it is of greatest weight and moment comprehends in it many of those things which are necessary to be laid open made knowne for the distinct and profittable understanding of the Lords holy weekly Sabbath the right obseruation thereof together with the duties which belong thereunto are therein required Therefore I will doe my best endeavour to handle this point more fully to laie open distinctly the speciall things therein contained and that in this method order First I will proue this maine point to weet That Gods blessing and sanctifying of the seventh day did include the giving of a law commandement for the keeping of an holy weekly Sabbath Gods giving of this commandement was a maine speciall part of his sanctifying of it Secondly I will enquire search out the nature of that law commandement how farre in what manner it bindes Adam and all his posteritie Thirdlie because everie law which God gives to man doth impose a dutie upon man and bindes man to the performance of it therefore the uerie words of the text binds me to handlle at large mans dutie which this commandement of God this word by which hee did blesse and sanctifie the seventh day doth impose upon Adam all his posteritie even their sanctifying keeping holy the Sabbath day For the proofe of the maine point we haue three notable argumeÌ„ts First we haue the plaine testimony of God himselfe Exod. 16.28 where he cals this his blessing sanctifying of the seventh day by the maine of a commandement law tels the Isralites that they not keeping of an holy rest but going out togather Manna on the seventh day did refuse to keepe his commandements and lawes that is his commandements and lawes which he had given from the beginning in his blessing and the sanctifying of the seventh day For of other speciall lawes and commandements given beefore that time concerning the Sabbath there is no mention at all in Scripture neither did God giue any besides that from the beginning untill hee spake unto them afterward from mount Sinah and in the fourth Commandement called upon them to remember the Law of old giuen for keeping holy the Sabbath and renewed it againe to them Secondly In all the Law of God and in all the Scriptures wee never read of any thing truly hallowed sanctified and set apart for holy vse but by speciall Commandement of God and by the direction of his word the first thing which is said to bee sanctified after the seventh daie is the first borne of Israell Exod 13.2 and this was by Gods speciall commandement and therefore hee saith that he hallowed them On that day which he smote the first borne of Egypt Num. 3.13 The next sanctified mentioned in Scripture is that of the people of Israell when they were to come into the sight and presence of Gods Majestie at mount Sina Exod. 19.10 and that was by Gods direction and commandement as is there testified in expresse words The third sanctification mentioned in the Scriptures is that of the Sanctuary and the Altar and all the holy Uessels and implements therof And Aaron and his sonnes the
benefit nor any witnesse of the covenant or signe wherby to challenge the blessing Now the holie weeklie Sabbath is ordained of God and given in Adam to all mankinde to be a signe and pledge to them of spirituall and eternall rest in Christ which they shall never fullie obtaine vntill the last resurection in the end of the world For the full rest Sabbatisme whereof the Sabbath is a pledge doth till then still remaine for them Heb. 4.9 and they shall not enter into the full possession of it untill the last resurrection And Gods giving of himselfe unto his people to bee their God which doth sanctifie them whereof the Sabbath is a signe token and pledge vnto them as he himselfe testifieth Exod. 31. 13. is not fully manifested nor perfected untill they bee fully sanctified both in soules and bodies at the last day and made fit to see and enjoy God to rest with him in glorie for ever It is true which the auncient fathers haue observed and taught that the old Sabbath as it was limited to the the seventh daie of the week was a signe of the spiritual rest of the faithfull from their own sinfull works and of their steadfast rest upon Christ by faith when they are regenerate and renued by the holie Ghost which is shed on them abundantlie through Iesus Christ vnder the Gospel Tit. 3.5.6 and therefore that old Sabbath of the seventh daie of the weeke is so farre fulfilled in Christ and hath the accomplishment in him But because the fulnesse of eternall rest wherof the weeklie Sabbath absolutelie considered is the signe and pledge shall not be obtained vntill the last resurrection of the just when by virtue of Christs resurrection their bodies shal be raised out of the dust and be made like the glorious body of Christ which they still exspect in hope Therefore the keeping of a weeklie Sabbath as a pledge of that perfect eternall rest still belongs to all Gods people and they are bound to keepe it on that day of the week in which Christ arose which day by his resurrection is made a sure pledge that they shal be raised vp in the perfect image and similitude of his resurrection Fifthly that which is ordained by him and given to men to fit them for eternall rest in heaven to be a speciall means to conduct lead them in the right way therunto and which of it selfe is very good profittable and excellent for that purpose That Gods word and will and every mans reason guided by the word bindes him to obserue keepe and to hold himselfe constantlie and perpetually vnto it vntill he comes to the end of his race even the eternall rest in Heaven This is a truth vndoubtâ—dly For the Scriptures command us to runne our race vnto the end and to omit no meanes which may helpe to eternall life and experience teacheth us that the neglect of the ready way and meanes of gaining the pledge is the way to loose it Now the keeping of an holy weeklie Sabbath after the best and strictest manner by resting from all worldly businesse so farre as our weaknesse and necessitie will suffer and devoting our selves to Gods holy mediate worship as prayer reading hearing of Gods word both in priuate and publick assemblies and to serious meditations of heavenlie things is in it selfe one of the most powerfull meanes to beg it and increase faith and all holy saving graces in us and God hath ordained it for to conduct and lead men on in the right and readie way to etenall rest in heaven Therefore Gods word will revealed everie mans own reason guided by the word binds all men to it in all ages vntill they come to eternall rest in heaveÌ„ CHAP. 15. THE First point being thus proued The second thing before propounded followes that is to shew how farr and upon what termes and conditions the sonnes of Adam are bound to the duty of keeping a weekly Sabbath by Gods commandement giuen in the sanctifying of the seventh day here recorded in my text where God is said to sanctifie the seventh day that is by giving man a law to keepe it holy First for such sons of Adam as are borne and liue in the Church of God haue the means to know Gods word to obey his law There is no questioÌ„ to be made it is cleare that they are bound to know to keep this coÌ„mandement of God and to seperate one day in every weeke even that which God hath blessed aboue all the rest to devote it to holy heavenly exercises ceasing from all worldly cares labours delights and so to keep it an holy Sabath First as they are Gods creatures God hath thus far declared his mind will that men in immitation of him their God who rested on the seuenth day also for the refreshing of themselves their children servants cattell in their bodies should rest from worldly labours for the comfort of our soules should spend it in holy spirituall exercises in the worship of him their maker and preserver even the generall law of nature bindes them to this duty Secondly as God hath revealed himselfe a Redeemer Saviour of mankind by promising giving Christ So they are much more bound to keep all his commandements to the utmost of their power especially this of the Sabbath which God ordained to be a memoriall of redemption and eternall rest to be found only in Christ promised on the seveÌ„th day and in fulnesse of time given and exhibited Jf they beleeve that Christ is their redeemer and that they are bought with the price of his blood and are no more their own but his who hath bought them this binds them to glorifie God with their soules and bodies also which are Gods 1 Cor. 6.20 And this they cannot do except some time be set apart at least one day in everie week to celebrate in holy assemblies the gracious goodnesse bounty loue of God to them in Christ to sanctifie and fit themselves for him in all their weekly works and for the intending and seeking of him in all the labours of their hands Thus much the Lord shews in his law giuen expounded by Moses Deut. 5.15 Where he tells Israell that he gaue his commandement to them of keeping holy his Sabbath for this end that they might remember their slavery in Egypt their deliverance by his mighty hand stretched out arme Vpon which words wee must necessarily inferre that if God bound them by his commandement vrging them and pressing often to keep the Sabbath day for a memoriall of their deliuerance from temporall tipical bondage thankfulnes to him for it then much more were they all Gods people still are bound to keep holy the Sabbath day in thankfulnes for a memoriall of spirituall deliverance from sin death and Hel and that on the day of the Lord Christ wherin