of Canaan is called the Father of all the Sons of Eber Gen. 10. 21. Sem was the Father of many other Families Gen. 10. 21 besides Ebers but for some special reason namely of their Co-habitation Ebers Sons are called Sems Sons for Sem is called the father of them which I conceive is to note out unto us that Eber was a close cohabiter and familiar with Sem in the faith of Christ when all the other Families did Apostatise and depart from them to Babylon to worship new gods Master Broughton saith That the Hebrew Tongue remained only in the faithful of Ebers House after the building of Babel and in them is continued the name of Ebrews as perpetually opposite to the builders of Babel to whom Eber preached that their tongues should be divided Prin. Posit p. 3. 3 Isaac was the seventh from Ebâ—r his faith is famous in his ready obedience to be sacrificed for he was at that time in the prime of his strength because he carried all the Wood for the Burnt-offering up the Hil Gen. 22. 6. and therefore he might wel be about thirty three years of age when he went with his Father Abraham up to the Mount of Moriah to be sacrifised and therefore also he was able by strength of Nature if he had been unwilling to be bound to have withstood his aged Father who was now one hundred and thirty three years old and therefore he was in the declining of his Natural strength and he might the more easily have withstood his aged Father because they two were alone and none there to help Abraham And now seeing Abrahams faith is recorded to be famous in that he did so readily obey Gods command not sparing to sacrifise his only Son at his command Isaacks faith is therewithall recorded to be no lesse famous in that he was so cheerfully willing to be bound and to be sacrifised they both knew that God was able to raise him up again from the dead Heb. 11. 19. Heb. 11. 19 and thus God made his obedience to be a sweet typical resemblance not only of the free and voluntary but also of the actual obedience of Jesus Christ to make his Soul a sacrifice for our sins Es 53. 10. Es 53. 10 4 Moses was the seventh from Abraham by no lesse rare Providence of God than Enoch was the seventh from Adam 5 Joshua was the seventh from his Grand-father Ephraim and David was the seventh son of Jesse 6 Judah was the seventh Patriarch as the Hebrew Doctors do in this order count him First Abraham second Isaac third Jacob fourth Ruben fifth Simeon sixth Levie seventh Judah and in this respect the Hebrew Doctors do compare him to the first seventh day Secondly In another respect they do compare him to the fourth Commandement namely as he was the fourth Son of Israel and so both these ways they do make his memorial Honourable by their allusion to the first famous seventh day See Ains in Gen. 49. 12. 7 Bazaliel the Master-work-man of the Lords Tabernacle was the seventh from Judah as it is evident by his Genealogie in 2 Chro. 2. 5 9 18 19 20. In all these holy Persons the providence of God ought to be sweetly considered for it doth manifestly call to our remembrance the famousnesse of the first seventh day by his disposing of great matters and gracious most often by sevens 3 God hath framed many parts and parcels of the Scripture 3 There are several parcels of the Scripture Chronologie that are fâ—amed to the number seven in an Honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day Levit. 25 4 Chronologie to the number seven doubtlesse in an Honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day 1 When Gods people neglected the holy Sabbath and prophaned the holy Rest of it then God did threaten to punish them with Sabbatical years of punishment as in the Captivity of Babylon with ten times seven years Captivity that the Land might rest and enjoy her Sabbaths all the time it lay desolate 2 Chron. 36. with Ier. 25. Levit. 26. and is it not a manifest allusion to the first famous seventh day in that God doth call sevens of years Sabbaths of years Levit. 25. 4. and threaten them with Sabbatical years of punishment for prophaning the rest of the holy Sabbath 2 At the just end of these seventy years Daniel hath annexed a Sabbatical Chronicle which doth notably lead on not only the Sabbatical year of rest but even the weekly Sabbaths also unto the death and burial of Christ Dan. 9. 24. for 1 Christ dyed for our Redemption and rose again for our Justification in a Sabbatical Jubilee even in the twenty eighth Jubilee and from the liberties of the Jubilee the ancient Hebrew Doctors did fore-see and know and say That the Divine Majesty will be to Israel in a Iubilee Freedome Redemption and Finisher of Sabbaths See H. Bro. in Sinai Sight 2560. and in Req of Consent p. 13. 2 Daniel by his Sabbatical Chronicle doth also lead on the weekly Sabbaths to the death and buâ—ial of Christ for First Christ dyed on the first day of the fâ—ast of unleavened Bread which Iohn calls a High Sabbath Ioh. 19. 31. and Secondly on the next day which was the weekly Sabbath or seventh day his Body rested all that day in his Grave and his Soul in Heaven for as soon as he had finished the Work that God gave him to do hee Heb. 4. 10. rested from all his Works on the seventh day as God did from his own on the first seventh day 3 He rose again from the dead on the third day for Christ did fore-tel this to his Disciples that on the third day hee Luke 13. 32 Mat. 12. 40. should be perfected Luke 13. 32. for as soon as he had performed his propitiatory Sacrifice or his sacrifice of Attonement by which the Devils Head-plot was broken he was declared by his Resurrection to have made a perfect Conquest over Satan and a perfect Attonement with God his Father for mans Redemption and this day of his Resurrection was the first day of the week by Paul but John calls it the Lords Day because in it Christ rose from the Dead as an absolute Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot and therefore now seeing his Death was declared to be a perfect sacrifice of Attonement God made him both Lord and Christ and thereupon Christ hath ordained that day to bee the day of his publick Worship in the place of the seventh day to the end of the world Thus have I declared the first seventh day to be made famous and honourable by three several sorts of instances that have relation to Gods resting and to Mans resting on the seventh day in relation to the work of our Redemption by the promised Seed CHAP. XIII Proving That though Christ hath abolished the seventh day by his death yet that he hath not left the day of his publick
to bake or boyl any of their Manna but all must â—â— done on the sixt day that so they might not kindle a fire for it on the Sabbath Day Ans This baking and boyling of their Manna before the Sabbath Day doth not forbid them to heat their Manna with fire in the Sabbath to make it fit for infirm and weak stomacks but the baking and boyling forbidden by Moses upon the Sabbath Day was such a baking and boyling as was accompanied with laborious work such as might and ought to have been done on the sixt day as it appears by Numb 11. 8. there after the people Numb 11. 8 had gathered their Manna they did prepare it with laborious work several ways suitable to every ones taste or liking therefore they did First grinde it in Mills or beat it in Morters Secondly Then they baked it in Pans and made Cakes of it Thirdly Othersome did boylâ— it and thus it was several ways prepared and Cooked according to every ones taste and liking with laborious work on the sixt day now such kind of laborious works as these were forbidden to be done in the Sabbath Day because they might be done on the sixt day and in that respect the Hebrew Doctors say Whoso laboureth in the evening of the Sabbath he shall eat in the Sabbath See Ains in Levit. 16. 26. And truly I think there is no conscientious Christian that doth hold it lawful to defer or put off such like laborious works as these to the Lords Day for it is all one as if a man should defer the grinding of his Corn the baking of his Bread or the making of his Pies unto the Lords Day but no conscientious Christian that is judicious I think doth hold it unlawful to temper a Pâ—dding of the Meal that was ground on the sixth day or to heat a Pye that was made on the sixt day or to boyl a necessary quantity of meat that was killed and quartered on the sixt day or to use that wood for fire that was caâ—ted home and cut ready for the fire on the sixt day or to use Water that was fetched home to the door on the sixt day all these and such like things might as lawfully be done by the Jews on the Sabbath Day as by godly Christians on the Lords Day and this is fully evident by our Saviour in that he did justifie his Apostles for their work in gathering of certain ears of Corn in other mens fields and rubbing the said ears to prepare it for food on the Sabbath Day and doubtlesse after the said rubbing it was either parched in the Fire or boyled in Water fit for the digesture of the stomack or else if they had eaten it raw it had been but course and hard food Now if it had been unlawful to prepare such a small quantity of food as was fit for the present support of nature on the Sabbath Day doubtlesse Christ would have commanded his Apostles before-hand to provide their Scrip full of Victuals namely on the sixt day but in as much as he had not made such provision on the sixt day but did justifie his Apostles for this work in the Sabbath Day by alleging the example of David in eating the Shew bread in case of hunger he did thereby confute and reprove the Iews superstitious opinion of the outward rest of the Sabbath alleging also That the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Mar. 2. 27. as if Christ had said Mar. 2. 27 thus If man had been made for the Sabbath then man must have served the Sabbath before his own necessity but seeing man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man namely to serve mans necessity therefore it follows that the Sabbath was made ordained or instituted after man was in necessity and in misery namely after Adams Fall chiefly for the good of his sick and sinful Soul and therefore God did blesse it with suitable Ordinances and did sanctifie that day for the use of those Ordinances but yet withall the Sabbath was made to serve man in misery in respect of his Body that it might rest and be refreshed with convenient food Physick and the like and therefore godly Wisdome will make all the godly careful to improve the Lords Day so as that it may serve to the best good both of their sinful Soulâ— and of their weak and frail bodies also Quest 5. Are Christians bound to rest on the Lords Day as strictly from bodily recreations and from all things that are not work aâ— the Jews were on the Sabbath Day for the Hebrew Doctors say That the Jews must rest on the Sabbath Day from things that are not work as from climbing on a Tree riding on a Beast or the like from the judging of Civil causes putting off the shoce and taking the Brothers Wife spoken of in Deut. 25. separating of Tythes first Fruits and the like valuing of things spoken of in Levit. 27. and from speaking with a mans partner on the Sabbath Day what he will buy or how he will build his house and the like as it is noted by Mr. Ains in Exod. 20. 10. and in Exod. 31. 17. Ans I have shewed you on the word Sanctified in Chap. 10. That God sanctified the whole seventh day for his service not only the time of the publick Ordinances but the whole day and therefore it was sanctified for the use of private Ordinances as well as for the publick and therefore no time may be exempted from these holy Duties but in cases of necessary food Physick or the like cases of necessity therefore before we addresse our selves to Gods publick Ordinances wee must be careful to prepare our Souls to come with fear and reverence and so in our Hearing in our Praying Singing c. wee must take heed how wee Hear how we Pray and Sing so likewise afterwards we must examine our selves how our Souls have profited by the publick Ordinances or else we may look for a Curse rather than a Blessing from the said Ordinances Hence it follows by necessary consequence That no good Christian can allow himself liberty to do such kind of exercises as you have named but they will interrupt the efficacie of those blessed and commanded Ordinances wherewith God hath blessed the seventh day and therefore such kind of exercises must needs be as sinful to be done by Christians upon the Lords Day as they were by the Jews upon the Sabbath days Quest 6. Were Recreations on the Sabbath punished among the Jews by the Magistrates with the same kind of punishments that working on the Sabbath was Ans They did not punish all sins alike but they made a difference for they punished the sin of working servile works on the Sabbath namely such kind of works as belonged to mens particular Callings on the Week-days with the heaviest kind of death that was in use among them namely with stoning to death
as I have noted it in Chap. 10. 11. But the said Recreations or things that were not properly work they punished only with scourging for Maymony speaking of the day of Attonement which was a Sabbath of Sabbatism and therefore in all respects it must be observed with as strict a rest as the seventh day was saith thus All work for which men are to be stoned if they do it on the Sabbath Day they are to be cut off if they do it on the day of Attonement and whatsoever is unlawful to be done on the Sabbath which is not work is unlawful to bee done on this day and if he do it he is to be scourged as he is to be scourged for doing it upon the Sabbath Day See Ainsw in Levit. 23. 20. Thus we see that the Hebrew Doctors do make a difference of Sins and Punishments according to the difference of days and times 1 They held That servile working on the seventh day was to be punished with stoning to death 2 They held That servile working on the day of Attonement For cutting off see Ainsw in Exod. 22. 20. Lev. 20. 10. 17 18. Num. 9. 13 was to be punished with cutting off which is several ways to be considered 3 They held That servile working on their other festival Sabbaths was to be punished with Scourging or with Excommunication See Ains in Lev. 23. 5 7. But 4 All other things that were done on the seventh day which were not work though in some Recreations c. are like work the Magistrates punished with Scourging only or with Excommunication for a time for these two were esteemed among the Iews to be much alike equal punishments as I have shewed in the Iews Synagogues Discipline And truly such kind of Recreations are as sinful to be used by Magistrates are bound to punish the prophanation of any part of the Lords Day whether it be by Work or by Recreations either by Scouâ—ging or by some Mulct that is equivalent Christians on the Lords Days as they were to the Iews on the Sabbath Day because they take off the Heart from the advantage of improving the publick Ordinances to the Spiritual good of the Soul which God intended when he blessed and sanctified the seventh day for mans best good I say therefore that no conscientious Christian ought to take liberty to do such things on the Lords Day neither will any conscientious Magistrate permit such things to be done on that day though it be after all publick exercises are ended yea I do beleeve that godly Magistrates will not only be grieved at the practise of such sins but they wil be forward and ready to put out their power to suppresse such sinful practises by punishing such Malefactors either with scourging or with some mulct that is equivalent thereto Six dayes thou shaâ—t labor and in the seventh day thou shalt cease in Earing time and in Harvest thou shalt cease Exod. 34. 21. Exod 34. 21. Under these two words Earing time and Harvest All or any other works of a mans particular Calling are comprehended Hence I reason thus If the Plownan by whom the King is maintained Eccles 5. 9. must cease not onely from plowing but also from the Inning of his harvest upon the Sabbath day yea though all the six dayes had been rainy weather and that day fair then it follows that works of lesse consequence and of lesse necessity as civill Recreations and the like ought not to be done on the Lords day because it is the sanctified time of Gods publick worship as the seventh day was and therefore Christians are bound to have the like tender regard and the like tender care of it as Gods sanctified time though it be not a sanctified sign as the seventh day was and seeing God is pleased to give unto us six whole dayes for our necessary works and for our necessary recreations he may well require Christians to give unto him the full improvement of the seventh day for the bettering of our souls by his publick and private Ordinances or else we may expect a curse rather than a blessing from the carelesse observation of that day God is jealous of the prophanation of any part of his sanctified time for when the greedy Earth-worms among the Jews did but wish in secret in their hearts that the Sabbath were gone that they might set out their corn to sell Amos 8. 5. Amos 8. 5. God took notice of their inward prophaning of his holy time and he was so displeased with them for their inward earthly wishes that he Sware by the Excellency of Iacob saying Surely I will never forget any of their works Shall not the land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein vers 7 8. Now seeing God was so displeased with them for their secret prophanation of the sanctified time of his worship by their worldly thoughts and desires yea though it were but after Gods publick worship was ended then doubtlesse seeing Jesus Christ hath still reserved the seventh part of time for his publick worship he will not allow Christians now more liberty than the Jews had either to prophane thoughts or to sport and recreate themselves on the Lords day no though it should be after the publick exercise is ended God requires the heart on that day as well as the body to be imployed on spiritual things onely The promise in Es 58. 13. to such as make conscience of sanctifying the Sabbath in the inward man I confesse is made to that Sabbath of Sabbatism called the day of Attonement but yet this day of Attonement must be considered as it was a Sabbath of equal respect in regard of the sanctified time of Gods worship to the seventh day and therefore that which is unlawfull to be done in the one is unlawfull to be done in the other also both in respect of the outward and also in respect of the inward man Quest 7. Did not the Jews hold it lawfull to do works of mercy and works of present necessity on the Sabbath day Ans 1. In the dayes of our Saviour some of the Jews were so supestitious of the outward rest of the Sabbath that they were often offended with our Saviour because he did works of mercy and works of necessity on the Sabbath day but it was not so with the Jews from elder times Maymony saith If a Thief dig thorow a house upon the Sabbath day it is free for any to kill him with any death they can put him to See Ains in Exod. 22. 2. This they allowed Exod. 22. 2. as a case of present necessity it could not be deferred as a Magistrate may defer the putting off a Malefactor to death untill any one of the six dayes because the Magistrate hath the Malefactor in safe custody in some sure prison and therefore they say It is not lawfull to put a Malefactor to death on the Sabbath day because it is written
Paradise vers 8. 15. compared with Chap. 3. 23. 6 He describes the situation of that pleasant Garden of Paradise which God made for the place of their habitation as an addition to their happy condition by creation vers 8. c. but this is to be marked that Moses doth by the figure Hystâ—ron Proteron place their aboad in Paradise vers 8. c. before the creation of the woman which figure he useth very often in this Chapter and in the third Chapter 7 He shews the special use of two Trees above the rest by special names vers 9. 8 He shews that God gave Adam and Eve a twofold command concerning these two Trees The first was a positive command saying unto them in the singular number because of their Mariage-union Of every Tree of the Garden thou mayest eat but of that Tree which doth most concern the good of thy present condition I have named the Tree of life therefore in the first place eat of the Tree of life and thou shalt live for ever for by the name of it God did not onely shew the use of it but also he shewed them their duty concerning it verse 9. compared with Chapter 3. 22. Secondly By way of prohibition and commination God commanded them saying Eat not of the Tree of knowledge of good and evill for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye the death Gen. 2. 17. 9 Unto all these particulars in this order connexed together Moses doth immediately proceed to speak of Adams temptation by the Serpent Gen. 3. 1. and of his Fall Gen. 3. 6. And thus after this sort Moses doth adjoyn Adams fall fast to his Creation and seating in Paradise without making mention of any other matter that came between This Reason is further strengthned by the consent of sundry good Authors both ancient and latter Calvin saith in Gen. 3. 6. It may be gathered by the Narration of Moses That Adam and Eve did not long keep their Dignity which they had received for as soon as he had but said they were made making no mention of any other matter he passeth to shew the Fall Mr. Ainsworth also observeth in Gen. 3. 1. That mans fall and misery is immediately joyned to his creation and seating in Paradise Mr. Broughton also observeth in his Sinai-sight Tab. 1. That Moses joyneth mans Creation Triall Judgement and Promise to the same day before the woman was called Eve M. Broughton also in his shewing of corruptions in Religion p. 85. saith The first day in which Adam was made he disobeyed as all may see by the continued narration for Eve and for the Serpents Speech and Temptation and Judgement for Curse upon all the Earth The Hebrew Doctors also do generally hold that Adam fell on the day of his creation Mr. Broughton saith in Consent of Scripture that he never heard of any one of them that was of a contrary judgement and Mr. Ainsworth saith in Gen. 3. that the Hebrew Doctors hold that nothing in that Chapter was done after the sixth day of Creation and saith Maymony All our wise men do agree that this whole matter in Gen. 3. was done in the sixth day Rabbi Nathan doth make the story of the sixth day remarkable by joyning many things to the story of that day in sundry Rhetoricall expressions saying thus The same day that Adam was formed the same day that he was created the same day that his fashion was fashioned the same day that his mould was made the same day that his members were knit the same day that his veines were opened the same day that life was put into him the same day that he stood first upon his feet the same day that Eve was maried to him the same day that he gave names the same day that he entred into Paradise the same day that God gave him the Commandement the same day he disobeyed the same day he was driven out of Paradise Perkins on the Creed touching the time of Adams Fall saith The received opinion in former ages hath been that our first Parents fell the same day in which they were created and therefore Augustine writes That they stood but six hours and though we cannot determine the certain time yet in all likelihood saith he it was very short for after that Moses had set down the creation of man he presently without the interposition of any thing else comes immediately to the fall Irenaeus Contra Haere Lib. 1. speaking of the day of Adams Creation and Fall saith It is evident that the Lord obeying his Father suffered death in that day wherein Adam being disobedient unto God dyed for on the sixth day the day before the Sabbath was his Passion which was the sixth day of the Creation of the world when man was formed Chrysostome on Matth. saith That Adam and Eve in the sixth day of the first week which was the very same day of their creation were cast out of Paradise Divers other Divines both Greeks and Latines are concurrent in the same opinion many of which are also cited by Mr. Broughton in his Consent of Scripture where he citeth this as a common saying among them That in one day Adam was formed and deformed And so consequently from this Reason it follows that the Sabbath was not instituted in the time of Adams Innocency but after his Fall Reason 2. Adam fell the very first time that ever he eat any thing Adam fell in the day of his creation because he fell the very first time of his eating and therefore he fell on the day of his creation for in reason he would not abstain from eating longer than that day seeing variety of meat was created ready for him to eat and an appetite created to desire food And that he fell the very first time of eating it is evident First By the Devils Question and secondly By the Womans Answer 1 The Devil in the Serpent demandeth this Question of the woman Hath God said Ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden Gen. 3. 1. mark how the Devils demand by way of Query is of a thing to come And indeed the Devill had not deserved the name of a subtil Serpent if he had demanded whether that might be done which had been done already 2 The Womans Answer to the Serpents Question runs still of a thing to come For the Woman said to the Serpent in Gen. 3. 2. We may eat or we shall eat so the Hebrew is of the fruit of the Trees of the Garden except of the fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden intimating saith Mr. Perkins on the Creed that as yet she had not eaten when the Devil tempted her and thus the Devills Question and the Womans Answer of a thing to come do both imply that as yet they had not tasted any part of the fruit of the Garden and doubtlesse Adam having variety of food set before him and a created appetite
had tasted of the forbidden fruit she reached out her hands and gave some of it to her husband and he did eat without any suspicion of hurt from her that was given to him to be a meet helper and her act of giving was prevalent with him because instead of telling him that death was in her eating she used words of perswasion as it is most evident because he is said to hearken unto the voice of his wife Gen. 3. 17. and then the eyes of them both were opened and then they knew that they were naked afore this they knew that they were naked without cloaths and yet they were not ashamed because their created nakednesse was covered and adorned with pure created qualities Gen. 3 7. Gen. 2. 25. But now the case of their nakednesse was altered by the justice of God for Gods determinate sentence was In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death and this death was formally executed upon them according to the time and manner threatned and now Adam knew what evil was and what death was experimentally as the fallen Angels did for now they were made naked and bare of their pure created qualities A digression to shew that the death threatned in Gen. 2. 17. was executed The death threatned in Gen. 2. 17. was executed on mans nature in three degrees on mans nature in three degrees Consider that the first Covenant was made with Adam concerning mans nature in general as I have formerly noted and accordingly did God execute that death upon Adams nature as it was the original of mans nature in general I Therefore as Paul speaketh They were deprived of the glorious Image of God Rom. 3. 23. And this deprivation saith M. Perkins was inflicted by God as a deserved punshment for the sin of Adam and See Perkins on the Creed p. 162. See P. Martyr in Rom 5. and Bucan in his Com. pl. p. 104. this losse of Gods Image saith Peter Martyr was from the justice of God and I find it commonly held by other eminent Divines that God for the sin of Adam took away his created perfections from Adam as he took away his spirit of Government from Soul because he spared Agag against Gods positive Command 1 Sam. 16. 14. for they were not yet confirmed and therefore they were but lent him in case he disobeyed but the Graces of Gods Spirit which Christ hath purchased for the Re-creation of the Elect after Gods Image cannot now be utterly lost by the commission of many sins because they are purchased to be confirmed to them and not to fail untill they come to the fruition of an eternal Paradise in heaven The Image of God wherewith Adams Nature was adorned would have kept him and all his Posterity for ever from death if he had but first eaten of the Tree of Life but because he did first eat of the forbidden Fruit he was deprived of Gods Image And then secondly Death in Sin fell upon his Nature When the Souls of men are Created and placed in their Bodies saith Mr. Perkins God forsakes them not in regard of their See Perkins on the Creed p. 162. substance or faculties of their Soul but only in respect of his own Image whereof the Soul is deprived And he asketh this question How can the Soul dye the second Death His answer is That the Soul dyeth not by being utterly abolished but because it is as though it were not and because it ceaseth to be in respect of Righteousnesse and Fellowship with God and indeed saith he this is the death of all deaths when the Creature hath subsisting and being and yet is deprived of all comfortable fellowship with God 2 The second degree of that Death threatned in Gen. 2. 17. was death in sin and this death fell upon Adams nature at the very See Perkins in the right way of dying wel instant as soon as God had substracted his Image from him for we see by experience that as soon as the God of Nature hath substracted the light of the Sun from our Horizon there remains nothing but obscure darkness and then no Artificers nor Scholars can work or write after their Masters perfect Copy but instead thereof they work and act irregularly and transgress against their Masters copy Even so as soon as God in Justice had substracted the Light and Life of his Image from Adam what remained but obscure darkness in his minde and then what could he do else but think and act irregularly and that continually as long as he did continue in that darkness and this darkness after the light it self is mystically applied to mans corrupt estate Eph. 4. 18. Eph. 5. 8. being alienated from the life of God Eph. 2. 1. When the Soul is deprived of Gods Image saith Mr. Perkins then follows a defect or want of righteousness and I may also say then follows a natural proness to all kinde of iniquity so that the very thoughts and imaginations of the heart are only evil and that continually and this frame is called Original sin to us though Adams Original sin was his actual eating of the forbid-Fruit and this is the second degree of that death threatned in Gen. 2. 17. 3 A third degree of that death was that Adam was now under the power and slavery of Satan which had the power of death Heb. 2. 14. to do his wil and pleasure in all things to the full and to be under the power of a Tyrant is death Psal 18. 4. But it pleased God in his eternal Counsel and Providence to provide Jesus Christ to take possession of the world as the right Heir of it as soon as Adam fel and so to uphold all things by the word of his power Heb. 1. 2 3. by which means both Satans power tyranny and malice and mans corrupt desires and endeavours are restrained and ordered so that now they cannot See Capel on Tempt p. 55 56. and see mere in ch 3. in R. 2. do that wickedness which else they would do and were it not for this Government of Christ at the instant of Adams fall no man can imagine what destructive mischiefs would have faln at that very instant upon the whole Creation which was the very thing that Satan aimed at in his temptation but blessed be God that provided Jesus Christ against that time of need But after this digression in setting out the degrees of the first Spiritual death as it must be understood in Gen. 2. 17. I will now return to speak a little more of the Devils speech and subtilty in deceiving the Woman and in making her his instrument to deceive Adam The Devil did not deal with the Woman about any Morall disobedience as he did with Christ after he had tried him with many other temptations for forty days together for he knew that Adams nature was framed after Gods Image in respect of Moral perfection but he deals with her about positive
on that day as it is also typified by the Redemption from Aegypt as in Deut. 5. 15. Hence it follows by necessary consequence that God ordained the sanctified rest of the seventh day to be a typicall sign unto fallen Man of his resting upon Christ by faith to break the Devils Head-plot for his Redemption by his propitiatory sacrifice in the fulnesse of time and then upon the performance thereof the typical use of the rest of the seventh day must cease and yet such a way must be found out by the Wisdom of God as that the seventh part of time according to the account of the days of the Week must not cease but it must still be preserved for the exercise of Gods publick Worship for seeing it hath pleased God to continue his plain and manifest Worship still to the end of the world it hath pleased him also to continue the seventh day for the exercise of his publick Worship to the end of the world and no other way can be found out to accomplish both these namely the ceasing of the seventh day as it was a typicall sign and the continuance of the seventh day without any intermission as it is the sanctified time of Gods publick Worship but by changing the seventh day into the first day of the Week as I shall hereafter shew more at large God willing And this answer to the abovesaid Objection is the rather to be credited because the Redemption from Aegypt by the typical blood of the Lamb is alleged by Christ as the general reason to inforce his people to the observation of all the Commandements for the Angel of the Covenant saith thus in Exod. 20. 2. I Exod. 20. 2 Deut. 5. 14 15. am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt namely by the typical blood of the Paschal Lamb therefore remember the Sabbath Day to sanctifie it and so it must be applied as a reason to observe all the other Commandements and this sense is yet further inforced because all the precepts of the Law were sprinkled with the typical blood of Christs sacrifice of Attonâ—ment Exod. 24. 8. which doth plainly tell us that he by his sacrifice Exod. 24. 8. of Attonement hath procured his Fathers attonement for all our sins against all his holy Law 5 God doth account the violation of the Holy Rest of the seventh day by any mans work to be an exceeding great prophanenesse in every place of their abode for whiles his people were in their travels in the Wildernesse he did as deeply blame them for polluting the typical rest of the seventh day as he did after they were in a setled resting place in Canaan Eze. 20. 13. Esau was branded with the title of Prophaneness for contemning his Birth-right in the Land of Canaan because it was a type of the holy militant Church here on earth and of the holy triumphant Church in Heaven and the Jews were no lesse guilty of prophanenesse for despising the Typical rest on the seventh day by doing their own works therein for by doing their own works they committed a double sin on that day First They prophaned it as it was a sanctified sign and Secondly They abused it as it was the sanctified time of Gods Worship and therefore for this double sin God provided as it were a double death namely 1. Stoning to death Exod. 31. 14 15. for he that Exod. 31. 14 15. gathered sticks upon the Sabbath Day was stoned to death Num. 15. and 2. After they were stoned to death their dead Carcas was hanged upon a Tree for their deeper punishment and for the greater detestation of their sin as I have shewed elsewhere from the instance of the rebellious Son in Deut. 21. Yea God was so jealous for the holy rest of his Sabbath that he would not permit them to do any work at all about the promoting of the work of the Tabernacle though he had commanded that work to be done with all diligence Exod. 31. 13. as the Exod. 31. 13 place of his holy presence and residence among his people Exod. 25. 8 22. yet notwithstanding all this they might not do any work to further the building of it upon the Sabbath Day and the reason is added because I saith the Lord have ordained it to be a sign between me and you that you may know that I am the Lord that do sanctifie you that is to say I am the Lord that do command you to sanctifie the Sabbath Day as a sign of resting on Christ for when God doth sanctifie any thing for mans use hee doth thereby impose a command upon man to sanctifie that thing or to use it as a sanctified thing as I have erewhile noted in the beginning of this Chapter and therefore in this respect the Lord doth in Exod. 31. again and again inforce the observation of the Sabbath Day First By a fresh charge Yee shall keep the Sabbath and Secondly by a fresh reason It is holinesse to you namely it is a sign of Sanctification to you ver 14. yea it is Holinesse to Jehovah ver 15. and therefore in Exod. 16. 23. it is called the rest of Holinesse to Jehovah or an exact holy rest to Jehovah and in Exod. 31. 17. It is called a sign of the Everlasting Covenant between Exod. 31. 17 Jehovah and the Sons of Israel because Jehovah rested on the seventh day and was refreshed Conclusion It follows from all the Premises that God sanctified the rest of the seventh day not onely as the sanctified time of Gods worship both in publick and in private but also as a sanctified sign of Gods resting and of mans resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot by his propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement which he should accomplish at the very same time when the Devill by his instruments should peirce him in the foot-soals and therefore as soon as the Seed of the Woman had finished that sacrifice the Holy-rest of the seventh day ceased as well as all the other types of Moses Law 2 Cor. 3. 7. namely so far forth as it was a typical sign of the said resting on the Seed of the Woman But yet still as the seventh day was the sanctified time of Gods worship so it must still continue for the exercise of those Spiritual Ordinances wherewith God hath blessed the seventh day for the use of all Nations to the end of the world and because there must not be any intermission of the seventh part of time according to the dayes of the week therefore the seventh day could not be changed to any other day than the first day of the week wherein the Seed of the Woman arose from the dead as an absolute Lord and Conqueror of Sathans Head-plot CHAP. XII Shewing how God did make the first seventh day famous by honouring the number Seven ever after with famous respects I GOD hath made the first seventh
Worship Arbitrary to particular Churches to appoint what day they please in the place of the seventh day as some unadvised Protestants do affirm I Have already shewed you that God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he rested from all his works that belonged either to the heavenly or the earthly Host and that his finishing Act lay in this namely in ordaining the Seed of the Woman to break the Devils Head-plot and when that Head-plot was broken then God rested and was refreshed and then also he sanctified the outward rest of the seventh day to be a sign both of Gods rest and of Mans rest on the Seed of the Woman as soon therefore as the Seed of the Woman had broken the Devils Head-plot by his propitiatory sacrifice of Attonement the holy rest of the seventh day must cease as it was a type or sign of that which is now performed But yet withall I pray remember what I have said upon the word Sanctified namely that thereby God commanded fallen Man to set apart the seventh day for a double use 1. As the sanctified time of that Worship wherewith he had blessed the seventh day and 2. As a sanctified sign in this last respect the seventh day is abolished by the death of Christ but in the first respect namely as it was set apart for so much time to be imployed in the exercise of such Ordinances both publick and private as God had blessed the seventh day withall so it must continue namely the seventh part of time according to the days of the Week in a constant succession to the first seventh day to the end of the world And indeed the seventh part of time cannot bee translated to any other day of the Week but to the next day after the seventh day for if it had been translated to any other day God should have been a loser of his seventh part of sanctified time there would have been a vacuum in the revolution of the seventh part of time at least in the first translation of it to any other day but the first day of the Week and so the roundnesse of the seventh part of time would have been spoiled which must not be admitted for as God did not allow lesse than six parts of the Week for Mans civil imployments so neither will he have lesse time for his publick worship than he appointed at first Therefore it would have been a great dishonour to Christ who is made of God to be both the Lord of his Church and the Lord of the Sabbath if he had left the day of his publick Worship arbitrary to each particular Church to transferre it to what day they pleased A man may with as good reason affirm That Christ hath left the outward Form of his publick Worship arbitrary to each particular Church as affirm That he hath left the day of his publick Worship arbitrary there is as much reason for the one as for the other for Jesus Christ by his death hath made as much alteration in the second Commandement in respect of his outward Worship as in the fourth Commandement in respect of the change of the day Secondly the very order of the Ten Commandements doth plainly tell us that all Gods publick Worship which is fully comprehended in the second Commandement must have a publick day appointed by God himself for the constant exercise of his said publick Worship and consequently it follows that as soon as Christ had abolished the seventh day by his death he being the Lord of his Church and the Lord of the Sabbath must establish another certain day in the place of the seventh day to the end of the world without any intermission or losse of time The order of the four Commandements of the first Table lyes thus 1 The first Commandement doth injoyn us to worship the true God alone in Unity and Trinity with the whole inward man 2 The second Commandement doth injoyn us to worship the true God with all such outward worship as he had commanded at that present or should command afterwards 3 The third Commandement doth injoyn us to worship God in a holy manner both publickly and privately and with outward reverence as well as inward 4 The fourth Commandement doth injoyn us to observe the seventh day not onely as a sanctified sign but also as the sanctified time of that worship wherewith God had blessed the seventh day as soon therefore as Christ the Seed of the Woman had accomplished that work of breaking the Devills Head plot by his Propitiatory Sacrifice the seventh day in regard it was a sanctified sign must cease but as it was the sanctified time of Gods publick worship so it must not cease but it must still be continued or else Gods publick worship must suffer losse and confusion no other way can be found out by which the constant solemnity of Gods established worship may be continued but by translating the seventh day to the next day for by that means onely God shall still have the seventh part of time for his publick worship without interruption and by this means onely the twofold manner of sanctifying the seventh day doth attain its severall ends 2 Let it be a little further inquired into To what end did God command all his publick worship in the second Command and to what end did he command all his publick worship to be reverently performed in the third Command if the day of his publick worship in the fourth Command be wholly obliturated 3 Consider that the command of Christ is that all his publick worship must be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14. and seeing he doth require that the meanest circumstances of his worship be done decently and in order no doubt but he hath taken order that the main things of his publick worship should be done decently and in order and that cannot be without some publick day be uniform But if Christ Jesus hath left the day of his publick worship arbitrary to his particular Churches they will hardly agree upon a way of decency especially in respect of the solemnity of time doubtlesse they will appoint several dayes of the week as every Church shall think best for their own conveniencies yea it may be that some particular Churches may grow so corrupt that they may think one day in a month sufficient and others may think one day in two or three months sufficient for Gods publick worship and who can prevent such disorders aâ— these if Jesus Christ hath not established a standing day There are some that professe Christianity that think that Jesus Christ hath not established a certain publick day in place of the seventh day and therefore they do still hold the Jewish Sabbath together with the Lords day As for example The Melchites or Syrians who are esteemed for number to be the greatest Sect of Christians in the Orient these do confound the day of Gods publick worship for they and the
Circumcision in the time thereof Joh. 7. 22. drives away the Sabbath that is to say A man must omit to keep the rest of the Holy Sabbath to circumcise his child on the eighth day if the Sabbath be the eighth day seven dayes together the young Infant was in his blood of uncleannesse but on the eighth day it must be circumcised for the full cleansing of it from all the pollution that did accompany it in the birth And Rab. Menachem on Gen. 17. saith Circumcision was therefore done on the eigth day that the Sabbath might passe over it for there is no eighth day without a Sabbath and then as soon as it was circumcised it was accounted as a new creature as if it were risen again from death to life and this did typifie our first resurrection from the death of sin to the life of grace by vertue of Christa Resurrection whose Resurrection-day is called the eighth day as I have ere-while noted from Joh. 20. 26. A third Reason is taken from the consecration of the Priests Reason 3. their persons were not perfectly consecrated to minister in their office untill the eighth day Lev. 8. 33. 35. Lev. 9. 1. Ezek. 43. Lev. 8. 33. 45. 26 27. In like sort the Person and Sacrifice of the Mediator was not declared to be fully accepted untill his Resurrection on the eighth day A fourth Reason is taken from the perfect cleansing of the Reason 4. Leper on the eighth day Lev. 14. 8 9 10. And from the cleansing Lev. 15. 13 14. of unclean Issues Lev. 15. 13 14. And from the cleansing of the polluted Nazarite Num. 6. 9 10. And from sundry such like Instances where no perfect cleansing was made untill the eighth day then and not till then their persons and sacrifices were acceptable unto God as persons that were newly risen from death to life doubtlesse this full acceptance of them of their Sacrifices on the 8th day did typifie the full acceptance of Christs Person and Sacrifice which was declared by his Resurrection on the eighth day for he rose from the dead on the next day after the seventh day A fifth Reason is taken from that special eighth day of the Feast Reas 5. of Tabernacles which was called also a Sabbath day This day was called the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles and it had a Commandement by it self above the other seven dayes because it was a greater Sabbath than any of the rest and in that respect John doth call it the great and last day of the Feast Joh. 7. 37. Joh 7. 37. And all the Tribes of Israel were bound to observe this day with a general Assembly above the other seven dayes Deut. 31. 10 11. 2 Chr. 7. 9. Neh. 8. 18. And that Assembly is called a General Assembly Neh. 8. 18. by the Seventy in Amos 5. 21. And by allusion to that term the Apostle Paul calls all the Israel of God The General Assembly of the first-born Heb. 12. 23. Amos 5. 21. Heb. 12. 23. And why was this eighth day made more eminent than all the other seven dayes but to type out unto us the eminency of the Resurrection-day of Christ above the seventh day for the exercise of Gods publick worship to the worlds end and the New Testament doth tell us of a great number of Christians that were gathered into a great Church Assembly on this day at Jerusalem Act. 2. 41. And this great Assembly was from divers parts and quarters of the world for many of the dispersed Jewes that did beleeve resorted to Jerusalem from remote Countries at Festival times and many that were converted to the faith did there continue untill they were dispersed again at the death of Stephen which dispersion God turned to the further enlargement of his Church for many of these dispersed Disciples preached the Gospel in sundry parts of the world where they travelled and by that means a multitude both of Jews and Heathens became Christians and these Christians in time made many Christian Church-Assemblies and they all used to meet together on the first day of the week which was the next day after the seventh and so it was the eighth day which was typified by the eighth and last day of the Feast of Tabernacles A sixth Reason is borrowed from the Jubilee Yeer which by Reason 6. Gods special Providence was ordained to be in the eighth yeer after the seventh seven and this sabbatical yeer was ordained to be a greater Sabbath than the seventh seven because it was ordained to give a more full deliverance to Gods people than the seventh seven Lev. 25. 4 8 20. Lev. 25. 4. The seventh seven was the forty and ninth yeer and the next yeer after the seventh seven was the eighth yeer and it was also the fiftieth yeer or the Jubilee yeer And both these Sabbatical yeers thus succeeding each other do most lively point out unto us how the Lords Resurrection-day by which we have a full Jâ—bilee of deliverance from Satans Head-plot should succeed the Sabbath or seventh day Three things are remarkable touching the number Eight 1 That the number Eight was mystical as well as the number Seven 2 That the number Eight was a number of perfection as well as the number Seven 3 That the number Eight was a Sabbatical number as well as the number Seven Now seeing these things have been made cleer and cannot be denied how can it be denied but that the number eight must needs have relation not onely to the Resurrection of Christ on the eighth day that is to say on the next day after the seventh day but also that the said day must be established as a Sabbatical day among Christians in the New Testament in the place of the seventh day II It is no lesse wonderfull that four Sabbaths did meet together and succeed each other at the death and Resurrection of Christ 1 Christ did make his soul a Pâ—opâ—â—â—atory Sacrifice of Attonement for our full Redemption from Satans Head plot on a Festival Sabbath namely on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened-bread and this day John calls a High Sabbath Joh. Joh. 19. 31. 19. 31. 2 Christ rested all the Sabbath or seventh day namely his body rested in his grave and his soul in Paradise 3 On the first day of the week he â—rose again from the dead as the Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot and in this respect he being the Lord of his Church and the Lord of the Sabbath did ordain it for the day of his publick worship in place of the seventh day to the end of the world 4 God by his eternal Counsel ordained and Christ in obedience to his Fathers will accomplished his Death and Resurrection in a Sabbatical Yeer of Jubilee And this Sabbatical Jubilee is also called The acceptable Yeer of the Lord Luke 4. 19. And from the typical signification of the Luke 4.
Jam. 1. 1 into Christian Churches Acts 21. 20. Acts 15. 5. 24. Jam. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 1. and their zeal to Moses Law they did witnesse to all men in that many of them did still resort to Ierusalem to observe the festival Sabbaths as some of them did in Acts 2. 5. and in this respect it was that Paul in relation to the Synagogue chiefly did tender their weak Consciences saying To the Iews I became a Iew that I might win the Iews and to them that were under the Law as though I were under the Law 1 Cor. 9. 20. but in 1 Cor. 9. 20 Gal. 2. 5 the Christian Churches Paul would not allow of any Jewish customs Gal. 2. 5. Now this practise of the Apostles in observing the Jewish Sabbath for a time in their Synagogues doth no more dis-approve the changing of the Sabbath into the Lords Day than it dis-approves the changing of Circumcision into Baptism for after that Christ had ordained the Sacrament of Baptism as one of the Seals of the New Covenant the Apostles did still allow of the practise of Circumcision namely in relation to their Synagogues but not in relation to Christian Churches and of all the other customs of Moses also by way of permission for a time But as soon as the Apostles did but once perceive that many of the said beleeving Iews grew stiff and sturdy for the observation of Moses Ceremonies in Christian Churches much like unto the malignant Iews in the Synagogues then Paul and the other Apostles also grew resolute to oppose the practise not only of Circumcision in the Christian Churches but of the use of the Sabbath and of all the other customs of Moses also Gal. 2. 5. and thereupon many beleeving Iews did opposâ— Paul but yet the other Iews of the malignant Synagogues did hate Paul much more for his Dâ—ctrin for they sought opportunity to lay hands on him that they might put him to death and therefore they accused him to Felix saying Certaiâ—ly wee have found this man a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the World and a chief maintainer of the Sect of the Nazarites Acts 24. 5. Acts 24. 5 In like sort Stephens Accusers testified against him saying that he had affirmed That Jesus of Nazaret should destroy their holy place and change the customs of Moses Act. 6. 14. And when Paul came Acts 6. 14 to Rome the Jews told him there That this Sect was every where spoken against Acts 28. 22. and when Paul came to Jerusalem Acts 28. 22 James told him That the Jews were informed that hee taught the Jews which were among the Gentiles namely the Christian Churches that they should forsake Moses and not live after the customs Acts 21. 21. and the Jews of Asia said This Act. 21. 21 28 man teacheth all men every where against the People and the Law and this place Acts 21. 28. By these and such like testimonies it is evident that Paul did mightily cry down the observation of all Moses customs in all Christian Churches And this is further evident also by Pauls down-right reproofs to the Churches of Galatia Gal. 2. 3 c. Gal. 3. 1. c. Gal. 4. 9 c. Gal. 5. 1 2. but especially mark the manner of his phrase in his reproof in Gal. 4. 9 10 11. There he calls all the customs Gal 4. 9 10 11 of Moses but weak and poor rudiments whereunto as from the beginning yee will be in bondage again as from the beginning of your conversion when you lived in the Synagogues Yee observe days and months and times anâ— years I am in fear of you lest I have bestowed on you labour in vain The Apostle by four Phrases doth enumerate all the solemn Holy-days that were commanded by Moses the observation of all which he opposeth in Christian Churches 1 Yee observe days by Days he means That some of the beleeving Jews among them had perswaded the Churches of Galatiâ— to observe their old weekly Sabbath Days for the exercise of their publick Worship 2 By Months he means That some of the beleeving Iews among them had perswaded them to make conscience in observing the first day of every new Moon for the publick Worship of God 3 By Times he means That they contended for the observation of the three solemn Festival Sabbaths by resorting if they could to Ierusalem where those three Festival Sabbaths were to be observed And 4 By Years he means That they contended for the observation of that solemn Fasting-day called the day of Attonement which always fell out upon the tenth day of the seventh Month. These were all the set Days and solemn Times which were commanded in Moses Law in Leviâ— 23. I do not mean that the said beleeving Iews did contend for the observation of the two last named Sabbaths by offering sacrifices upon the days appointed by Moses in their Christian Churches for all the Iews in general did hold it utterly unlawful yea they held it to be death to offer any sacrifice after the Temple was built in any Synagogue or in any other place save in the Temple it self But my meaning is That the said beleeving Iews did contend for the observation of the two first sorts of days in their Christian Churches as the only lawful and commanded dayâ— for Gods publick Worship for the manner of the Iews was to observe every Acts 15. 21 seventh day in their Synagogues Acts 15. 21. and their manner was to observe every first day of their New Moons not only at the Temple but also in their Synagogues and places of publick Worship where the Word of God was used to be preached 2 King 4. 23. but the Apostle Paul doth oppose the observation of these days in Christian Churches as much as he doth the other and therefore he wrote to the dispersed Hebrews that professed Christianity that the former Covenant which stood in the outward observation of Moses ceremonies waxed old and was Heb. 8. 13 ready to vanish away Heb. 8. 13. and also in Heb. 13. 9. He exhorts them not to be carried abut with diverse and strange Doctrins namely not to be carried about to the observation of Moses Ceremonies for saith he it is a good thing that the heart bee established with Grace and not with Meats which have not profiâ—ed them that have been exercised therein and in chap. 9. 10. he calls the observation of Meats and Drinks and divers Washings carnal Ordinances imposed unto them until the time of Reformation which time of Reformation was already come And also he exhorteth the Colossians saying thus Let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink or in respect of an holy day or of the New Moon â—r of the Sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come but the Body is Christ Col. 2. 16 17. Col. 2. 16 17 In these words the Apostle doth exhort them not
to let any man to rule over them as Judges of their Christian liberty by inforcing and perswading their Consciences to the observation of Moses ceremonies seeing they were but shadows of something to come namely they were but shadows of somthing to be fulfilled by Christ for Christ the Body was already come in the place of them all yea saith the Apostle Let no man beguile you of your prize Col. 2. 18 20 namely of that precious liberty which Christ by his Death hath purchased for you from the bondage of Moses ceremonies v. 18. and then he passeth his sentence against the Authors of their disturbance saying They are but self-willed in humblenesse c. and then in ve 20. the Apostles conclude thus If ye be dead with Christ from the decrees of the world if you beleeve that Christ by his death hath ended decrees why as though yee lived in the world namely in the observation of Moses ceremonies which were composed but of worldly things and in that respect the Sanctuary is called a worldly Sanctuary Heb. 9. 1. Follow yee decrees c. That which I aym at by this discourse is this namely to declare that there were some beleeving Jews in the Church of Colosse that did earnestly contend not only for the observation of Moses ceremonies in general but also that did in particular contend for the observation of the Jewish Sabbath as the only commanded day of Gods publick Worship in Christian Churches and hence I infer that these beleeving Jews needed not to have contended so earnestly for the observation of the Jewish Sabbath if the Apostles had not laid the observation of it aside and required Christian Churches to observe the Lords Day for their Christian assemblies in the place of the seventh day Obj. 2. I conceive these beleeving Jews did not contend for the observation of the Jewish Sabbath as you think but for the observation of the other Festival Sabbaths against which only the Apostle doth speak Ans 1. If you will grant That the Apostle doth exhort the Church of Colosse not to submit their Consciences to the observation of their Festival Sabbaths then much more doth he exhort them not to submit their Consciences to the observation of their weekly Sabbaths or seventh day for the weekly Sabbath was a typical sign as well as their other Festival Sabbaths and therefore the death of Christ doth abolish them all alike 2 And more particularly I answer That Pauls meaning by the word Sabbaths in Col. 2. 16. doth not as I conceive point out Col. 2. 16 any other Sabbath but the seventh day only for Paul doth enumerate all the several sorts of their Holy-days under these three several expressions First saith he Let no man judge you in respect of a Holy-day Secondly Or of the New Moon Thirdly Or of the Sabbaths 1 Under the term Holy-day the Apostle doth comprehend their three yearly Holy-day Feasts for there are no other solemn commanded Holy-days in Moses except the New Moon and the ordinary Sabbath days and these are not included in the term Holy-day because they are distinguished and sorted out from them by other distinct terms neither doth the Apostle comprehend any human Holy-days in this number such as were sometimes commanded by their Sanedrim upon some special occasions as the days of Purim were Est 9. and as the day of Dedication was Job 10. 22. for these temporary Holy-days must Joh. 10. 22 not be Co-partners with the said yearly standing Holy-days of Moses neither do I think that the Apostle doth now forbid the observation of such occasional temporary Holy-days in Christian Churches but the Apostle doth out of all doubt dehort them from the observation of their three Festival Holy-days therefore by the term Holy-day which the Apostle distinguisheth from the two other sorts of Holy-days namely from the New Moon and from the Sabbath he must needs mean no other but the said three yearly Festival Holy-days 2 By the New Moon the Apostle means the first day of every New Moon which the Jews observed in all their Synagogues as a constant Holy-day for the hearing of Gods Word preached in all the costs of Israel Numb 28. 11. 2 King 4. 23. 3 Therefore the term Sabbaths must needs mean their weekly Sabbaths which some Christian Jews that still remained zealous for the Law did labour tooth and nayl to perswade the Church of Colosse to observe for the day of their publick Worship but the Apostle told them that all this Bill of Decrees Christ had wiped away by his death Col. 2. 14. Col. 2. 14 3 It is yet further evident that these three terms in Col. 2. 16. do fully comprehend all the Holy-dayes that are in Moses because Moses doth comprehend them all in three the like termes in Num. 10. 10. Ye shall sound an Alarm 1 In the day of your Gladnesse Num. 10. 10. And 2 In your Solemn Feasts And 3 In the beginning of your months Though these three termes are not placed in the same order that Paul doth his in Col. 2. 16. yet they must needs comprehend all the Ceremonial Sabbaths or Holy-dayes of Moses For first by the day of their Gladnesse Moses doth mean such a day of gladnesse as he doth distinguish from their Solemn Feasts and from their New Moons which distinction ought not to be sleighted And therefore Baal Hattarim understands it of the Sabbath day And indeed no day hath the preheminence of gladnesse to this day for it was first ordained to be a day of rest to God because he had established Adams happinesse and the Government of the whole Creation on the Promised Seed who had undertaken to break the Devils Head-plot and therefore he rested in the Mediator and was refreshed and it was a typical sign of faln mans resting on the Mediator for his Redemption from Satans Head-plot and therefore it was the first great day of gladnesse to faln Adam and therefore as I have formerly noted the seventh day is placed among the Festival Sabbaths in the first place as the chiefest day of gladnesse Lev. 23. 3. Lev. 23. 3. And indeed no other day can be meant by the day of gladnesse but the Sabbath or seventh day and the reason is plain because all the other Holy-dayes in Moses are fully comprehended in the other two termes 4 Solomon in 2 Chron. 2. 4. doth expound the said three termes 2 Chron. 2. 4. by shewing the solemnity of all the sorts of Holy-dayes in the Temple-service for he built a Temple to the Lord namely To burn sweet incense before Him and for the continual Shew-bread and for the Burnt-offerings of the morning and evening 1 On the Sabbath dayes 2 In the New Moons And 3 In the Solemn Feasts of the Lord. This is a perpetual thing for Israel And moreover the Hebrew Doctors say That they did blow with the silver Trumpets in the Sanctuary 1 Over the Burnt-offerings of
to weak and sickly persons upon the Sabbath day 3 I answer that the Priests did hold it lawfull to kindle new fires on the Sabbath dayes for the use of their Sacrifices I grant they had one constant and continual fire that was alwayes maintained by the side of the Altar but from this fire they used to kindle other fires for the burning of such parts of their Sacrifices as they offered on the Sabbath dayes Hence I infer that seeing Christ Jesus hath told us that he doth prefer mercy before Sacrifice no question but he allowed the Jews to kindle a fire for works of mercy as well as for the use of Sacrifices on the Sabbath day and therefore out of doubt they might kindle a fire on the Sabbath day to prepare necessary food for such as are infirm of nature See Mat. 12. 5 6. Mat. 12 5 6. 4 I answer That the Priests did kindle new fires every Sabbath day to boyl or roast their portion of meat which was due unto them from each Sacrifice by Gods allowance for God commanded them to eat their part and portion in the same day wherein the Sacrifice was offered Lev. 7. 15. but they could not eat this portion unlesse they kindled a fire either to boyl it or roast it 5 On the day of Attonement which was a Sabbath of Sabbatism and therefore every way as strict for rest as the Sabbath or seventh day was yet then the High Priest which must of necessity often wash his Body for the several services of that day might in case he were an old man or sickly have his water wherein he bathed his body made warm by the use of Fire the Hebrew Doctors say They took off the cold from the water either by Irons made hot in the Fire or else by mixing of hot water with the cold See Ains in Lev. 16. 24. By these and sundry such like instances it is evident That the Jews might lawfully kindle a Fire upon the Sabbath Day to prepare warm meat for the comfort of the infirm the aged or sickly persons Qâ—est 3. is it not plainly said in Exod. 35. 3. Ye shall not kindle a Exod. 35. 3 fire in your Habitations upon the Sabbath Day Ans Though some that are both godly and learned Christians as well as some later Jews do hold it unlawful to kindle a Fire on the Sabbath Day to dresse any meat yet the more ancient Rabbins and many learned Christians also do restrain this Prohibition of kindling a Fire to Artificers only But for the better understanding of the true sense of this text it is necessary to compare it with the like prohibition in Exod. 31. 1 c. where the Lord commanded Moses to command Bezaliel to make the Tabernacle and all the appurtenances thereof with all diligence that is to say with all possible speed without any delay because it was to be for the place of the Lords residence among them Exod. 25. 8. 22. but yet notwithstanding this careful diligence the Lord commanded Moses saying in ver 13. Speak unto the Sons of Israel and say Verily or notwithstanding Exod. 31. 13 as the Seventy read it my Sabbaths yee shall keep for it is a sign between me and you throughout your Generations to know that I am Jehovah that sanctifieth you In these words God gave a double reason why they might not do any work about the making of the Tabernacle upon the Sabbath Day 1 Because the Sabbath was the sanctified time for his publick Worship in these words Verily or notwithstanding my command of your diligence my Sabbaths yee shall keep 2 Because the Sabbath was a sanctified sign between me and you throughout your Generations c. ver 13. 3 Unto all this a threatning is added in case any man did presume to do any work about the Tabernacle Every one that prophaneth Exod. 31. 14 5 it shall be put to dye the death ver 14 15. This phrase implies That for their double sin in prophaning Gods sanctified Time and Gods sanctified Sign they should bee put to dye such a kind of death as was after a sort a double death for 1. He must be stoned to death and 2. His dead body must be after his death hanged upon a Tree till Sun-set for the greater detestation of that Sin and for the greater terror of others for this is a thing upon Record in the Hebrew Doctors That all such Malefactors as deserved stoning to death must be hanged up afterwards upon a Tree as it is manifest also by the instance of the rebellious Son in Deut. 21. as I have opened the matter more at large elsewhere But if it be conceived by any that if any man will now presume to gather sticks upon the Lords Day he should be punished with stoning to death as the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath Day was I answer There is not the like reason because the Lords Day is not ordained to be a sanctified sign of Gods resting and of Mans resting in the Seed of the Woman to break the Devils Head-plot as the Sabbath was I conclude therefore by comparing the work of the Tabernacle in Exod. 31. with the work of the Tabernacle as it is repeated in Exod. 35. that the only reason why they might not kindle a fire in their Habitations on the Sabbath Day was to restrain them from their eager desire from their rash or superstitious zeal to prosecute the work of the Tabernacle which was commanded to be done with such careful diligence for the place of Gods residence among them the Lord doth prefix a prohibition to restrain them from kindling any fire for that work and to prevent their rash and heady zeal a threatning is annexed Wâ—osoever doth any work namely of his particular Calling upon the Sabbath Day shall be put to death Exod. 35. 2. therefore yee shall kindle no fire for that businesse ver 3. And as it was unlawful for them to kindle a fire for such works as belonged to their particular Callings on the Week-days so out of all doubt it is as unlawful for Christians to kindle a fire on the Lords Day to do any such servile works as that was but wherein can you finde a prohibition wherein the Jews are forbidden to kindle a fire on the Sabbath Day for the dressing of necessary food for infirm or crasie bodies Quest 4. It seems to me that the Jews might not kindle a fire on the Sabbath Day to dresse any meat at all therewith for Moses saith thus To morrow is the Sabbath of Holinesse to Jehovah Bake that which yee will bake and seeth that which yee will seeth namely in the sixth day as it is in â—er 5. and all that remaineth over lay it up for you as a reservation until the morrow Exod. 16. 23. Exod. 16 23 From this Scripture I think it is evident That the Jews were prohibited to kindle a fire upon the Sabbath Day neither
that no fire shall be kindled upon the Sabbath day Exod. 35. 3. namely not for the use of any mans particular Calling as I have already opened this Text therefore no fire may be kindled upon the Sabbath day for the execution of a Malefactor for that was but the work of the Magistrates civil See Ains in Exod. 35. 3. Calling See Ains in Exod. 18. 22. and yet notwithstanding they held it lawfull for the Magistrate to put a Malefactor to death upon a Festival Sabbath as it appears by their practice in Joh. 19. 31. putting our Saviour to death on a Festival Sabbath for they did not hold those Sabbaths to be equal to the seventh day but if a Thief came to steal on the Seventh day and was taken in diging thorow an house they held it lawful for a private man to kill him on the Sabbath day though they did not hold it lawfull for a Magistrate to kill a Thief then because it was a case of present necessity for he might escape unlesse he were killed at that instant And truly Christians may do as much as this on the Lords day and no more without sin 2 Our Saviour confuted the Jews superstitious conceit of the outward rest of the Sabbath by examples from their own practice for when they took offence at his miraculous cures upon the Sabbath day he asked them why they held it lawful to untie their Cattle and lead them to the water upon the Sabbath day and so to give them Hay and Provender and to pull a Sheep out of the pit upon the Sabbath day and therefore said he Why may not I shew mercy to a Daughter of Abraham that is in misery upon the Sabbath day And seeing they held it lawfull for Abiathar to give the Shew-bread to hungry David he asked them Why it was not as lawful for his hungry Disciples to pluck ears of corn and to rub them and prepare them for the sustenance of their present hunger upon the Sabbath day and after Christ had cured the Criple he bad him take up his bed and walk to save it from spoyling and from losse upon the Sabbath day and when he cured blind eyes upon the Sabbath day with clay tempered into a salve he did it to warrant Chirurgeons and Physitians that they might lawfully temper their Potions and Plasters upon the Sabbath day to cure the sick and weak By these and such like examples in the New Testament our Saviour declared what liberty God gave unto the Jews to do works of mercy or of present necessity upon the Sabbath day and truly those Christians that will contend for more liberty than this upon the Lords day do in effect deny that the Lords day was ordained with any solemn sanctity 3 Though the present Apostate Jews did malign our Savior for doing many works of mercy and in present necessity upon the Sabbath day yet the ancient Hebrew Doctors recorded by their later Doctors held otherwise They say that the perill of life puts away the Sabbath and therefore to a sick person that is in danger of death they do all things needfull for him upon the Sabbath day See Ains in Exod. 20. 10. And though the Hebrew Doctors do affirm that Circumcision in the time thereof doth drive away the Sabbath because there was a necessity of doing it on the eighth day See Ains in Gen. 17. 12. yet say the Hebrew Doctors in case of sicknesse they do not circumcise him that is sick untill he be well and again they circumcise none but children that are without sicknesse for perill of life putteth away all See Ains on Gen. 17. 13. And on the day of Attonement which was a Sabbath of Sabbatism for strict rest yet then they made ready provision of food for him that lead the Scape-Goat into the Wildernesse yea though that Sabbath was also an exceeding strict Fasting-day yet then at the end of every mile they said unto him that lead the Scape-Goat Lo here is meat and here is water and if his strength failed him and if he had need to eat he might eat See Ains in Lev. 16. 21. The Hebrew Doctors also say That if the High Priest were an old man or sickly he might have the water made warm wherein he washed his body on that strict Sabbath of Attonement either by Irons made hot in the fire or else by the mixture of some hot water with the cold See Ains in Lev. 16. 24. By these and the like testimonies we see that the ancient Hebrew Doctors held that the Sabbath was made for man in misery not onely for the curing of his sick and sinfull soul by those blessed Ordinances wherewith God did at first blesse the seventh day but even for the curing and comforting of his weak and sickly body and these are the chief ends for which the Sabbath was ordained from the very first Institution of it And the Hebrew Doctors were very careful to provide a remedy against immoderate toyl and labour to mens bodies in travelling to the publick Ordinances which were dispenced every Sabbath day in their Synagogues For by vertue of Gods Command there was a necessity laid upon all the Jews to resort to some holy Convocation in all their dwellings Lev. 23. 3. namely in all their Lev. 23. 3. Synagogues which must be placed in the midst of their dwellings Hence the Hebrew Doctors knowing the Command of God for such holy Convocations in all their dwellings and knowing the Command of God to rest on the seventh day from all their works did appoint a certain distance how far men might travel on the Sabbath day to the Synagogue and they thought good to restrain it to an English mile to prevent the labour of travel and the wearinesse of mens bodies which might unfit them for the reverend attention to Gods Ordinances and from this limited space it is that we read of a Sabbath dayes journey Act. 1. 12. They did not ordain this Sabbath dayes Acts 1. 12. journey for any Civil businesses of mens particular Callings but for the use of Religious duties and for works of mercy on the Sabbath day And this proportion of a mile they took from the example of Gods limits which he allowed to the Suburbs of their Cities for the Suburbs of their Cities might not exceed two thousand Cubits by measure Num. 35. 5. The like distance God appointed between the Camp of Israel and the Ark of the Lords Covenant when they passed over the River Jordan Jos 3. 4. From these eminent examples the Hebrew Doctors ordained that no Tent should be pitched in the Wildernesse nor no House in the Land of Canaan above two thousand Cubits from their Synagogue-assemblies which is an English mile and this distance they usually called A Sabbath dayes journey And this order was a provident provision both for the propagation of the Word for by such short distances from their Synagogues they must have many Synagogues and in order to a work of Mercy to their bodies that they might not weary their bodies by long travel when they came unto Gods presence to be partakers of his holy Ordinances but in cases of necessity they not withstanding this restraint to a mile when the means of Grace did by any occasion fail in any of their Synagogues at home then they held it without scruple lawful to go further as we may sâ—e by the liberty that the People took in the days of Christ for then they did leave their Synagogues to follow his preaching from place to place and if Christ had held their practice to be unlawful doubtlesse he would have reproved them and bid them keep their own Synagogues and not follow him from place to place as they did and for the attaining of such excellent means of Grace the people also held it lawful to leave their own Synagogues and to break the outward rest of the Sabbath by longer Journies and greater Bodily labour and so we see that the Priests in the Law did break the outward rest of the Sabbath by their laborious killing and dressing of Sacrifices and yet they were blamelesse Maâ— 12. 5. 1 Chro. 23. 31. and so also for their Bodily food they did kindle Fires to Rost and Boyl the portion of their Sacrifices â—it for their stomacks every Sabbath Day for their portions must be eaten in the same day in which the Sacrifice was offered nothing thereof must remain until the morning but in case any part of their portions did remain until the morning it must be burnt Levit. 7. 15. Exod. 12. 10. I conclude therefore That the Jews had as much liberty in all respects to do any thing on the Sabbath Day tending to the good of their Souls or to their Bodies either in cases of necessity or mercy as Christians have upon the Lords Day but both sorts have corrupt hearts alike and have alike need to watch unto the sanctified improvement of the whole day and both sorts have the same Adversary the Devil to deal withall and therefore both sorts have need alike to keep a good watch over Satan and over their own corrupt hearts or else the spiritual efficacy of Gods Holy Ordinances will be lost and vain which is the only thing that the Devil desires to effect that he may rejoyce in the ruine of our Souls O that Christians therefore would submit their Consciences to the command of Christ to keep the Lords Day as strictly from outward works and as holily in all Christian duties as ever the Jews did or ought to have kept the Sabbath Day And so Jehovah cause his face to shine upon every Soul that truly honours the sanctified time of the Lords Day and the solemnity of all publick and private holy duties Amen Amen The end of the First Part.