though he limits Paul preaching to that Church with whom he at present personally was Upon the first day of the week when the Disciples were come together to break bread Paul being at that time at Troas preached to them on that day Thus then you see how the Gentile-Churches did use to break bread not on the old Sabbath but on the first day of the week And I say they had it from the Church of Jerusalem where the Apostles were first seated and beheld the way of their Lord with their eyes Now I say since we have so ample an example not onely of the Church at Jerusalem but also of the Churches of the Gentiles for the keeping of the first day to the Lord and that as countenanced by Christ and his Apostles we should not be afraid to tread in their steps for their practice is the same with Law and Commandment But Fifthly We will adde to this another Text Now saith Paul concerning the collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him as God has prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. This Text some have greatly sought to evade counting the duty here on this day to be done a duty too inferiour for the sanction of an old Seventh-day-sabbath when yet to shew mercy to an Ass on the old Sabbath was a work which our Lord no ways condemns Luke 13. 15. ch 14. 15. But to pursue our design we have a Duty enjoyned and that of no inferiour sort If charity be indeed as it is the very bond of perfectness and if without it ALL our doings yea and sufferings too are not worth so much as a rush 1 Cor. 13. Coloss. 3. 14. We have here a Duty I say that a Seventh-day-sabbath when enforce was not too big for it to be performed in The work now to be done was as you see to bestow their charity upon the Poor yea to provide for time to come And I say it must be collected upon the first day of the week Upon THE first day not A first day as signifying one or two but upon THE first day even every first day for so your ancient Bibles have it also our later must be so understood or else Paul had left them to whom he did write utterly at a loss For if he intended not every first day and yet did not specifie a particular one it could hardly even a been understood which first day he meant But we need not stand upon this This work was a work for A first day for EVERY first day of the week Note again that we have this duty here commanded and enforced by an Apostolical Order I have given order saith Paul for this and his Orders as he saith in another place are the commandments of the Lord you have it in the same Epistle chap. 14. vers 37. Whence it follows that there was given even by the Apostles themselves a holy respect to the first day of the week above all the days of the week yea or of the Year besides Further I find also by this Text that this Order is universal I have saith he given this order not onely to you but to the Churches in Galatia Consequently to all other that were concerned in this Collection 2 Cor. 8. and 9. chap. c. Now this whatever others may think puts yet more glory upon the first day of the week For in that all the Churches are commanded as to make their Collections so to make them on THIS day what is it but that this day by reason of the Sanction that Christ put upon it was of vertue to sanctifie the Offering thorough and by Christ Jesus as the Altar and Temple afore did sanctifie the Gift and Gold that was and was offered on them The Proverb is The better Day the better Deed. And I believe that things done on the Lords day are better done than on other days of the week in his Worship Obj. But yet say some here are no Orders to keep this first day holy to the Lord. Answ. 1. That is supplied for that by this very Text this day is appointed above all the days of the week to do this holy duty in 2. You must understand that this Order is but additional and now enjoyned to fill up that which was begun as to holy Exercise of religious Worship by the Churches long before 3. The universality of the duty being enjoyned to this day supposes that this day was universally kept by the Churches as holy already 4. And let him that scrupleth this shew me if he can that God by the mouth of his Apostles did ever command that all the Churches should be confined to this or that duty on such a day and yet put no Sanction upon that day or that he has commanded that this work should be done on the first day of the week and yet has reserved other Church-Ordinances as a publick solemnization of Worship to him to be done of another day as of a day more fit more holy 5. If Charity if a general Collection for the Saints in the Churches is commanded on this day and on no other day but this day for Church-collection is commanded on no other there must be a reason for it And if that reason had not respect to the sanction of the day I know not why the duty should be so strictly confined to it 6. But for the Apostle now to give with this a particular command to the Churches to sanctifie that day as holy unto the Lord had been utterly superfluous for that they already and that by the countenance of their Lord and his Church at Jerusalem had done Before now I say it was become a custom as by what hath been said already is manifest wherefore what need that their so solemn a practice be imposed again upon the Brethren An intimation now of a continued respect thereto by the very naming of the day is enough to keep the Sanctity thereof on foot in the Churches How much more then when the Lord is still adding holy duty to holy duty to be performed upon that day So then in that the Apostle writes to the Churches to do this holy duty on the first day of the week he puts them in mind of the Sanction of the day and insinuates that he would still have them have a due respect thereto Quest. But is there yet another reason why this holy duty should in special as it is be commanded to be performed on the first day of the week Answ. Yes For that now the Churches were come together in their respective places the better to agree about Collections and to gather them You know Church-worship is a duty so long as we are in the world and so long also is this of making Collections for the Saints And for as much as
Worship Hence it is said of that Ministration in the bowels of which this Seventh-day-sabbath is sound that it has now NO glory that its glory is done away in or by Christ and so is laid aside the ministration of the Spirit that excels in glory being come in the room thereof I will read the Text to you But if the ministration of death written and engraven in stones was glorious so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance which glory was to be done away It was given at first with this Proviso that it should not always retain its glory that Sanction as a Ministration How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious For if the ministration of condemnation be glory much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelieth For if that which is done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious 2 Cor. 3. What can be more plain The Text says expresly that this ministration doth NOT remain yea and insinuates that in its first institution it was ordained with this Proviso It was to be done away Now if in its first institution upon Sinai it was thus ordained and if by the coming in of the ministration of the Spirit this Ordination is now executed that is if by it and the Apostle saith it it is done away by a ministration that remains then where is that Seventh-day-sabbath Thus therefore I have discoursed upon this fourth Question And having shewed by this Discourse that the old Seventh-day-sabbath is abolished and done away and that it has nothing to do with the Churches of the Gentiles I am next to shew what day it is that must abide that must abide as holy to the Christians and for them to perform their New Testament-church-service in Take the Question thus QUEST V. Since it is denied that the Seventh-day-Sabbath is moral and is found it is not to abide as a Sabbath for ever in the Church What time is to be fixed on for New Testament-Saints to perform together Divine Worship to God by Christ in UPon this Question hangs the stress of all as to the Subject now under consideration But before I can speak distinctly to it I must premise as I have in order to my speaking to the Questions before something for the better clearing of our way 1. Then we are not now speaking of all manner of worshipping God nor of all times in which all manner of worship is to be performed but of that Worship which is Church-worship or Worship that is to be performed by the Assembly of Saints when by the will of God they in all parts of his Dominion assemble together to worship him which Worship hath a prefixed time alotted to or for its performance and without which it cannot according to the mind of God be done This is the time I say that we are to discourse of and not of ALL time appointed for all manner of Worship I do not question but that Worship by the godly is performed to God every day of the week yea and every night too and that time is appointed or allowed of God for the performance of such Worship But this time is not fixed to the same moment or hoâ—â— universally but is left to the discretion of the Believers as their frame of Spirit or Occasions or Exigencies or Tenptations or Duty shall require We meddle then onely with that time that the Worship aforesaid is to be performed in which time the Law of Nature as such supposes but the God of Nature chuses And this time as to the Churches of the Gentiles we have proved is not that time which was assigned to the Jews to wit THAT Seventh day which was imposed upon them by the ministration of death for as we have shewed already that Ministration indeed is done away by a better and more glorious Ministration the Ministration of the Spirit which Ministration surely would be much more inferiour than that which has now no glory was it defective as to this That is if it imposed a Gospel-service but appointed not time to perform that Worship in or if notwithstanding all its commendation it should be forced to borrow of a Ministration inferiour to it self that to wit the time without which by no means its most solemn worship can be performed This then is the Conclusion that TIME to worship God in is required by the Law of Nature but that the Law of Nature doth as such fix it on the Seventh day from the Creation of the World that I utterly deny by what I have said already and have yet to say on that behalf Yea I hope to make it manifest as I have that this Seventh day is removed that God by the ministration of the Spirit has changed the time to another day to wit The first day of the week Therefore we conclude the time is fixed for the worship of the New Testament-Christians or Churches of the Gentiles unto that day Now in my discourse upon this Subject I shall 1. Touch upon those Texts that are more close yet have a divine intimation of this thing in them 2. And then I shall come to Texts more express First for those Texts that are more close yet have a divine intimation of this thing in them First The comparison that the Holy Ghost makes between the Rest of God from his Works and the Rest of Christ from his doth intimate such a thing He that hath entred into his rest he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from his Heb. 4. 10. Now God rested from his Works and sanctified a day of rest to himself as a signal of that Rest which day he also gave to his Church as a day of holy rest likewise And if Christ thus rested from his own Works and the Holy Ghost says he did thus rest he also hath sanctified a day to himself as that in which he hath finished his Work and given it also to his Church to be an everlasting Memento of his so doing and that they should keep it holy for his sake And see as the Fathers work was first so his day went before and as the Sons work came after so his day accordingly succeeded The Fathers day was on the Seventh day from the Creation the Sons the First day following Nor may this be slighted because the Text says as God finished his Work so Christ finished his He also hath ceased from his own works as God did from his He rested I say as God did but God rested on his resting day and therefore so did Christ. Not that he rested on the Fathers resting day for 't is evident that then he had great part of his work to do for he had not as then got his conquest over Death but the next day he
the Apostle speaks here as I have hinted afore of a Church-collection When is it more fit to be done than when the Church is come together upon the first day of the Week to worship God 2. This part of Worship is most comely to be done upon the first day of the week and that at the close of that days work For thereby the Church shews not onely her thankfulness to God for a Sabbath-days mercy but also returneth him by giving to the Poor that Sacrifice for their benefit that is most behoveful to make manifest their professed subjection to Christ Prov. 19. 17. 2 Cor. 9. 12 13 14 15. It is therefore necessary that this work be done on the first day of the week for a comely close of the worship that we perform to the Lord our God on that day 3. On the first day of the week when the Church is performing of holy worship unto God then that of Collection for the Saints is most meet to be performed because then in all likelihood our hearts will be most warm with the divine Presence consequently most open and free to contribute to the necessity of the Saints You know that a man when his heart is open is taken with some excellent thing then if at all it is most free to do something for the promoting thereof Why waiting upon God in the way of his appointments opens and makes freâ— the heart to the Poor And because the first day of the week was it in which now such solemn Service to him was done therefore also the Apostle commanded that upon the same day also as on a day most fit this duty of collecting for the Poor should be done For the Lord loves a cheerful giver 2 Cor. 9. 6 7. Wherefore the Apostle by this takes the Churches as it were at the advantage and as we say while the Iron is hot to the intent he might what in him lay make their Gollections not sparing nor of a grudging mind but to flow from cheerfulness And the first day of the week though its institution was set aside doth most naturally tend to this because it is the day the onely day in which we received such blessings from God Acts 3. 26. This is the day on which at first it rained Manna all day long from Heaven upon the New Testament-Church and so continues to do this day Oh! the resurrection of Christ which was on this day and the riches that we receive thereby Though it should be and is I hope thought on every day yet when the First of the week is fully come Then To day This day This is the day to be warmed this day he was begotten from the dead The thought of this will do much with an honest mind This is the day I say that the first Saints DID find and that after-Saints DO find the blessings of God come down upon them and therefore this is the day here commanded to be set apart for holy Duties And although what I have said may be but little set by of some yet for a closing word as to this I do think could but half so much be produced from the day Christ rose from the dead quite down for the sanction of a Seventh-day-sabbath in the Churches of the Gentiles it would much sway with me But the truth is neither doth the Apostle Paul nor any of his fellows so much as once speak one word to the Churches that shews the least regard as to conscience to God of a Seventh-day-sabbath more No the first day the first day the first day is now all the cry in the Churches by the Apostles for the performing Church-worship in to God Christ began it on THAT day Then the Holy Ghost seconded it on THAT day Then the Churches practised it on THAT day And to conclude the Apostle by the command now under consideration continues the sanction of THAT day to the Churches to the end of the world But as to the old Seventh-day-sabbath as hath been said afore in this Treatise Paul who is the Apostle of the Gentiles has so taken away that whole Ministration in the bowels of which it is yea and has so stript it of its Old Testament-grandeur both by Terms and Arguments that it is strange to me it should by any be still kept up in the Churches specially since the same Apostle and that at the same time has put a better Ministration in its place 2 Cor. 3. But when the Consciences of good men are captivated with an errour none can stop them from a prosecution thereof as if it were it self of the best of truths Obj. But Paul preached frequently on the old Sabbath and that after the Resurrection of Christ. Answ. To the unbelieving Jews and their Proselytes I grant he did But we read not that he did it to any New Testament-Church on that day nor did he celebrate the instituted worship of Christ in the Churches on that day For Paul who had before cast out the Ministration of death as that which had no glory would not now take thereof any part for New Testament instituted worship for he knew that that would veil the Heart and blind the Mind from that which yet instituted Worship was ordained to discover He preached then on the Seventh-day-sabbath of a divine and crafty love to the salvation of the unbelieving Jews I say he preached now on that day to them and their Proselytes because that day was theirs by their estimation He did it I say of great love to their Souls that if possible he might save some of them Wherefore it you observe you shall still find that where 't is said that he preached on that day it was to that people not to the Churches of Christ. See Acts 9. 20. ch 13. 14 15 16. ch 16. 13. ch 17. 1 2 3. ch 18. 4. Thus though he had put away â—e sanction of that day as to himself and had left the Christians that were weak to their liberty as to conscience to it yet he takes occasion upon it to preach to the Jews that still were wedded to it the Faith that they might be saved by Grace Paul did also many other things that were Jewish and Ceremonial for which he had as then no conscience at all as to any Sanction that he believed was in them As his Circumcising of Timothy His Shaving of his Head His submitting to Jewish Purifications His acknowledging of himself a Pharisee His implicite owning of Ananias for High Priest after Christ was risen from the dead Acts 16. 1 2 3. chap. 18. 18. chap. 21. 24 25 26. chap. 23. 6. chap. 23. 1 2 3 4 5. He tells us also that to the Jew he became as a Jew that he might save the Jew And without Law to them that were without Law that also he might gain them Yea he became as he saith all things to all men that he might gain the more as it is 1 Cor. 9. 19 20 21