the exercise of the duties enjoyned negatives again oblige both semper ad semper th â—t is always and in all differences of time For instance in the third Commandment the affirmative part is to use the Lords Name and Ordinances holily and reverently in prayer r â—ading and hearing c. So in the fourth Commandment we are r â—quired to sanctifie the Sabbath by waiting on Ordinances c. This makes these still duties so as to pray hear c. are still d â—ties but we are not to be and should not be always exercised in these duties for we must abound in other duti â—s also of necessity and mercy we must eat and sleep c. and when we sleep we can neither act love nor fear Again the negative part is not to prophane the Lords Name in his Ordinances this may not be done at any time The reason of th â— difference is this bec â—use in affi â—mative â— we are not always tyed to the a â—â—s of Duties and Graces but to the Disposition and H â—bit Habits are a Spiritual Quality a Vis or Pow â—r fitting and enabling for bringing forth these acts and for the bringing them forth in the due time and season when they shall be called for but in sinful things we are prohibited not only the habits but the acts also the one is always and ever a sin but the other is not always called for as duty If any desire Rules to know when a duty is called for as for instance when we are to pray hear c. it is hardly possible to be particular in this yet we may try it by these Generals 1 Any affirmative Precept binds to present practice when the duty r â—quired tends to God â— glory unto which every thing should be done as 1 Cor. â—0 31 and when the omission of the duty may disho â—our hir â— 2 When it tends to others edification and omitting will some way stumbl â— and offend 3 When some speci â—l Providences meet and concur to give opportunity for such a duty as for instance the giving of Alms when we h â—ve it and some indigent person offers whose necessity calls for it Gal. â— 10 So when secrecy for prayer is offered and no other more â—ecessary duty at that time is called for which we are to watch unto C â—l â— 2 or when we meet with some special occasion or Dispensation pointing out to us this or that as a duty called for such a Providence invites us to the practice of that duty for though Providences will not make these things to become duties which are not duties yet they will serve to time and circumstantiate duties that lye on us by vertue of affirmative Prec â—pts 4 Some special occasions and times are set down in the Word as for praying Morning and Evening for hearing the Word on Sabbath days and in these and other the like duties the examples of the Saints so recorded for imitation in Scripture would be obs â—rved as a Copy and Patern 5 When they have not such inconveniences with them as cross â—nd hinder other Moral duties of Edification love c. for if th â—y do that they must yield and give place to these but if no other duty be called for then they ought to be done for we should be in some duty And though such duties be in themselves Moral suppose praying hearing and such others which might be instanced yet the timing of them or going about them at such a time and in such a manner is not Moral simply but as these are by circumstances called for 6 When without sin such a duty cannot be omitted and although there be not â—â—y inward exercise of mind or frame of spirit suitable thereto yet the Conscience calls for it or there is some one special occasion or other that puts us to it 3 Observe that this Rule o â— Negatives tying ad s â—mper or obliging in all circumstances of time is not to be understood but where the matter is Moral therefore we would distinguish again betwixt negative Morals and negative Positives for Positives whether negative or affirmative give still place to Morals As for instance that part of the fourth Commandment is negative In it that is on the seventh day thou shalt do no manner of work yet sometimes when necessity calls for it some manner of works is lawful on that day because it is only a negative Positive and not a negative Moral And so David's eating of Shew-bread was against a negative Command though not against a negative Moral but a negative Positive 4 Take this Rule that in all Commands joyntly and severally we would have special respect unto the scope God aims at by them all in general or by such a Command in particular now the general scope is 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Pet. 1.15 â—6 perfect and absolute holiness even as he is holy and therefore whatever he requires he requires that it be absolutely perfect in its kind as that our love to him be with the whole heart c. and so our love to others be as to our selves our Chastity and Purity all must be absolute see 1 Tim. 1.5 This Rule will teach us what we are to aim and level at And whatever Exposition of the Commandments comes not up to this scope is no doubt defective and by this Rule only can we be helped to the right meaning of every Commandment for each of them his its peculiar scope both as to the duties it requires and sins it condemns And by this Rule it is that our Lord Christ whose Exposition with that of the Prophets is best draws in the least and smallest branches of â—lthiness to the seventh Commandment which dischargeth all things contrary to perfect and compleat Purity 5 The fifth Rule is that the Law is spiritual Rom. 7.14 and that not only outward obedience to such duties or outward abstinence from such sinful acts is called for but the Law having a spiritual meaning calls for spiritual service and that in these three 1. As it requires spiritual duties such as Faith Fear Love to God and to others right habits as well as right affections and outward actions and therefore Paul to prove the spirituality of the Law instanceth in the habit of Lust Rom 7. as a thing thereby discharged 2. The Law is spiritual in that the obligation thereof reaches to the Spirit and very inwards of the Heart affections and thoughts as well as to the outward man the love it requires is love with all the Soul Heart and Mind Hence there is Heart-Idolatry Murder and Adultery as well as outward therein condemned 3. It is spiritual in respect of the manner it requires as to all outward duties that they be done to a spiritual end from a spiritual principle and in a spiritual way opposite to the carnal way to which the unrenewed heart of man is inclined in which sense we are commanded to walk in the
first Gen. 2. beginneth â— with the very first seventh after the Creation then it is spoken of Exod. 16. before the Law was given then Ezod 20. it is contained expresly in the Law and that by a particular and special Command in the first Table thereof and is often after repeated Exod. 31. and Levit. 23. v. 3. where it is set down as the first Feast before all the extraordinary ones which preference can be for no other reason but because of its perpetuity yea it is made a rule or pattern by which the extraordinary Sabbaths or Feasts in their sanctification are to be regulate again it is repeated Deut. 5. with the rest of the Commands and in the Historical part of Scripture as Nehemiah 9.13 it is also mentioned in the Psalms the 92. Psal. being peculiarly intituled a Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day The Prophets again do not forget it see Isa. 56.58 Jer. 17. and Ezek 20.22 In the New-Testament the sanctifying of a day or Sabbath is mentioned in the Evangelists Math. 24.20 Luk. 23.56 Act. 13.14 15 21. 20.7 in the Epistles as 1 Cor. 16. and in the Revel chap. 1. v. 10. As if all had purposely concurred for making out the concernment and perpetuity of this duty 2. Consider how weightily seriously and pressingly the Scripture speaketh of it first it is spoken of Gen. 2. as backed with a reason 2. Through the Law the sanctification of it in particular is described 3. It is spoken of as a mercy and singular priviledge that God gave to his people Exod. 16.29 Neh. 9.14 Ezek. 20.12.4 Many promises containing many blessings are made to the conscientious and right keepers of it Isa. 56.58.5 The breach of it is severely threatned and plagued Numb 15. Neh. 13. Jer. 17. Ezek. 20.6 Many examples of the Godly their care in keeping it are set down see Nehem. 13. Luk. 23.56 Act. 20.7 Revel 1.10 7 The duties of it are particularly set down as Hearing Praying Reading delighting in God works of mercy c. 8. It is in the Old Testament claimed by God as his own day not ours My Holy day Isa. 58.13 and Nehem. 9.14 it is acknowledged knowledged by the People to be His whole they say Thine holy Sabbath which property is asserted of that Holy day as being Gods besides other dayes Rev. 1.10 And this is asserted also in this same Command where it is called the Sabbath of the Lord in opposition to or contradistinction from the other six dayes all which seemeth to speak out something more than Temporary in this Duty of setting a Seventh day apart for God for we speak not yet of the particular day 3. Look to it in all times and states of the Church and ye will find it remarkably Characterized with a special Observation As 1. In innocency it 's instituted set apart from others and blessed and Heb. 4. It is called the rest from the beginning of the World 2. Before the Law was given the Sanctification of it was intimated as necess â—ry 3. In the giving of the Law it is remembred and a Command given to us for remembring it 4. After the Law it is urged by the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah and kept by the Godly Psal. 92. 5. In the time or after the time of the Captivity the breach of it is reproved Ezek. 20. And its Observation restored by Godly Nehemiah Hitherto there is no difficulty the pinch will lye in this If the Scriptures speak of it as belonging to the days of the Gospel In which for making of it out 1. We have these hints Acts 20.7 1 Cor. 16.2 Where Christians going about the Moral Duties of the Sabbath is especially observed to be upon one day peculiarly 2. That Title of the direct appropriating of a Day to the Lord Rev. 1.10 Which places will fall in to be considered particularly when we come to the last question Besides these we may produce three places to prove a Sabbath as belonging to the New Testament though not the very Day used or observed for the Sabbath in the Old and this will be enough to make out the Assertion two of them are Prophesies the third of them is in the Gospel The first Prophesie is in the 66. Chap. of Esaiah v. 23. The second is in Ezekiel's Description of the New Temple Chap. 43.44 45 46 c. Where 1. It is clear that these places relate to the Dayes of the Gospel as none can deny but they do so eminently 2. It is clear that though they Prophesie of the Services of the Gospel under the names of Sacrifices c. proper to the Old-Testament-Administration and of the Sanctified and set-apart time of the Gospel under the Name of Sabbath which then was determined and whereto men were then bound by the fourth Command as they were to Sacrifices by the second yet these Prophesies infer not by vertue of the fourth Command the very same Day to be under the Gospel which was under the Law more than the same Services by vertue of the second which none will deny to be in force notwithstanding of the change of Services and there is as little reason to deny the fourth to be still in force as to its substance notwithstanding of the change of the particular Day Yet Thirdly it is clear that from the mentioning of these Services this will follow that there should be set and fixed Ordinances and a way of Worship in the New-Testament as well as in the Old and that there should be a solemn chief set-time for the Sabbath which men ought to sanctifie and that they should no more admit any other times nor so set apart into a parity with it than they were to admit any Service or Worship not allowed by God or that was contrary to the second Command for if any thing be clear in them this is clear that they speak first of Services then of solemn times and Sabbaths and of the one after the other which must certainly infer that both external Services and a solemn chief time for them do belong to the New-Testament Hence it is that many Divines from that Prophesie of Ezekiel do draw conclusions for fundry things out of those places as 1. Concerning the necessity and continuance of a standing Ministry and though Ministers now be neither Priests nor Levites yet â— say they it followeth clearly that there will be a Mini â—try because such are spoken of there 2. Concerning the necessity of and a Warrant for Church Discipline and separating not only Doctrinally but Disciplinarily the Precious from the Vile and debarring of those who are Morally unclean from the Ordinances because these things say they are Typified in the substance by the Porters being set to keep the Doors and by the charge given to the Priests 3. Anent the continuance of a Church and of the Ordinances of Word Sacraments c. And the Congregating of Christians to attend these though there shall
and pressed The 1. is Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it or keep it holy For the opening up and winning at the clear meaning whereof we would consider three words The first is what it is to remember or as it is infinitively set down remembring to remember this is prefixed and would look rather like the inferring of something commanded already then the new instituting of a command and so indeed it seemeth to suppose a day formerly institute and set apart for God as was hinted before which by this Command his people are put to mind It doth beside import these four with a respect as it were to four times 1. A constant and continued Duty at all times and in all dayes that is that we would remember that God has set apart a seventh day for himself and therefore every day we would remember to cast our Affairs so as they may not be impediments to us in the sanctifying of that day and we would endeavour alwaies to keep our hearts in such a frame a â— we may not be discomposed when that day shall come and this affirmative part of this command bindeth semper or alway and its negative ad semper on other dayes as well as on the Sabbath 2. It importeth a timely preparing for the Sabbath when it is a coming or when it draweth near this remembring it calleth for something to be done in reference to it before it come a man by this is obliged to endeavour to have a frame of heart that he may be ready to meet the Sabbath and enter kindly to the Duties of it when it â—hall come otherwayes if it come on him while he is in his common or course frame and not fitted for it it will say he has not been remembring it before it came 3. Remembring importeth an intenseness and seriousness in going about the Duties of the day when it cometh and that it should be with all carefulness sanctified and that men should be mindful of the duties called for lest their hearts div â—rt from them or slacken bensil and grow formal in them whereby mens inclination to forget this duty or to be superficial in it is much hinted at this word we take to be moral being a mean â—or furthering the great Duty aimed at of sanctifying the Lords day or Sabbath coming 4. Remembring may import this that the Sabbath even when it is past should not be soon forgotten but that we should look on the Sabbath past to remember it lest by loosing the fruits of it vvhen it is by we make our selves guilty of prophaning it The next word is the day of the Sabbath By Sabbath here is meaned rest as it is exponed by the Apostle Heb 4. and that not every Rest but a Holy Rest from our own Works that there may be access to positive Sanctifying of that day for the Sanctifying of that day is the end and this is but a mean and necessary supposed help without which the day cannot be sanctifyed in Holy Duties holy Duties and our own Works being for the time inconsistent besides that Rest on this day is not only called for as ceasing from our ordinary affairs in the time of Worship is called for on any other day but more especially and solemnly in respect of the day it self for at other times our duties require a time for them and therefore that time cannot be employed in another ordinary Work and in Worship also but here the Lord requireth time and rest to be sanctified and therefore we are to perform holy Duties in that time because it is to be sanctified other times and rests are drawn after worship this time and rest draweth Worship necessarily after it hence it was that only the Jews feasts were called Sabbaths I mean religious Sabbaths not civil or politick as their years were because they included a rest upon Destination to an holy Use. That which is mainly questionable here is concerning the day expressed in this Command concerning which may be asked 1. What sort of day or the quamdiu 2. How often or the quoties 3. What day of the seven or the quando 4. When we are to reckon its beginning For Answer to the first we say There are two sorts of dayes mentioned in the Scripture one is Artificial of twelve hours so the Jews divided their day making their hours longer or shorter as the day was long or short but they kept up the number of their hours alway the other is a natural day which is a seventh part of the Week and containeth twenty four hours taking in so much time as interveneth betwixt the Suns begining to ascend after midnight the nocturnal Solstice till it pass the Meridional altitude which is the Suns Vertical point for that day till it come to that same very point of Midnight again which is the Suns natural course every twenty four hours comprehending both the artificial day which is from midnight to midday and the artificial night also which is from midday to midnight again The day mentioned here is the natural day because it 's a seventh day proportionable to each of the six dayes given unto us and they with the seventh making up the Week it must contain as many hours as any of the rest doth but the six dayes wherein God made Heaven and Earth c. are natural days therefore the seventh to wit the day of rest must be so also Let us only for further clearing and for directing our own Practise speak here a word or two more 1. We say it is a whole natural day that is as it 's usually employed by us on any of the six Dayes for our own Works that as we spend so much time in our ordinary Callings on other dayes so would we employ so much in Gods Worship secret private and publick on that day what proportion of time we use to give or may and should give ordinarily to our Callings on other dayes we would give as much to God and his Worship to our Souls and our spiritual state on the Lords day or Sabbath Therefore 2. there is not to be understood here a rigid pressing of all these hours to be spent in Duties of immediate Worship but our Working and Waking time having a respect to our infirmities and also to our Duties lest under pretext of infirmity we incroach upon Gods day and give him less then we give to our selves or should and may give him And so in Scripture they accompted what is betwixt rising and going to bed as still the Work of one day or one dayes Work for as God in conceding six dayes to us hath yet so done it as there may be a Reserve of particular times for Worship called for from us to him every day for keeping up our Communion with him so on the seventh day doth the Lord allow so much conveniency of sleep and other refreshing as may be subservient for the main end of the day these being Works
designation of that day inserted seeing to no other day hath it been applyed nor can it be applyed This truth has been uncontroverted in all Antiquity and almost by all Writers till of late Gomarus beginneth to question it as Rivet cleareth on this command against him Now supposing it as unquestionable that this is the very First day we are to inquire if the title applyed to this day be the same with that in the command and which usually was given to the old Seventh-day-Sabbath or that then Lords day And it is clear 1. That this title claimeth this day to God as his day it being possessively exprest as when we say the Lords Throne the Lords Altar the Lords Sabbath c. 2. It contradistinguisheth that day from other dayes as if they were not so the Lords but ours like that in the command Six dayes shalt thou labour c. but the Seventh is tho Lords so it 's the Lords in a peculiar way we having lesser right to imploy that day for our own use then any other day and this claim of the First day to be the Lords inferreth a condescension or dispensation whereby the last day becometh ours for had there been two dayes belonging to him one day could not have been peculiarly called his in which respect ◠Cor. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Supper is distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their own Supper even so the Lords day is distinguished from other dayes 3. It layeth on a necessity of using it for the Lord and not for our selves because it 's his and will infer the same moral duties and ends which the command obligeth to 4. It will infer an appointment of Christs whereby he appropriateth that day to his Service and claimeth it to himself why because he calleth it his even as in the fourth command there is no express institution of the Seventh day yet because the Seventh was called the Lords and in his former way and dispensations intimated as a day to be kept for him therefore it 's understood and taken for granted by the Jews to be instituted seeing he calleth it his so may we conclude here that there is an institution and appointment of the First day to be the Lords because it 's claimed by him as his although no such plain express institution be of it as of other Ordinances it being clear that the institution of dayes i ◠left more generally to be gathered From all which we may gather the conclusion to wit that the First day of the week is stiled by the same peculiar Titles claimed by the Lord expresly as his right and due and upon as valid grounds under the New Testament as the Seventh day was under the Old Therefore now the Seventh day is changed and the First is come in its room which was the thing to be proved In the last room we argue from the Apostles ordinance 1 Cor. 16.1 2. concerning contributions for the Saints As I have saith Paul given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye that is the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him c. I say we argue thus That not the Seventh but the First day is the chief solemn day for worship after Christs Resurrection If the First day of the week be particularly and eminently pitched on by the Apostle and that in diverse Churches as the fittest time for expressing their Charity then must there be somewhat eminent in the First day giving ground for such an appointment and ordinance as the Apostles singling that from other days for such an end and no other reason can be given but that that day being more especially and immediately appointed for God is most fit for that Duty which is a Work of Mercy but it 's there clear that the Apostle pitcheth singularly on that day beside other days Ergo c. For strengthening of the Argument consider 1. That it 's clear to be the first day of the week since that same phrase which is used by the Evangelists Matth. 28.1 Mark 16.2 Luk ◠24.1 is made use of here by the Apostle who no question followeth the Evangelists phrase yea his following that phrase may hint at a reason why he commandeth Charity to be on that day or sets it apart for that use as beyond other dayes to wit our Lords Resurrection 2. It 's clear that he thinketh it not indifferent what day it be done on nor that all days are alike therefore he pitcheth on that day the First day and that not in one Church only but in many 3. That this is not commended only to them but commanded and enjoyned even in reference to the day and will the Apostle load Churches with Commands in that circumstance without ground and universally to speak so prefer one day to another and so as he will have uniformity in the very day in the Church of Corinth with other Churches unnecessarily Let it not be said nay nor thought 4. That this day was commanded even in the Churches of Galatia in which Churches he had condemned the observation of days whereby it would seem to be clear that he counteth not the preferring of this first day as one of these days the observation whereof is prohibited and condemned by him nor willeth it to be laid aside and that purposely he passed the Seventh day as amongst these days which were not to be observed and retained but laid aside 5. That the thing required is a Duty of the Sabbath being a work of mercy as Isa. 58. giving Bread to the hungry is mentioned particularly as one of the Duties of Gods Holy day 6. That the mentioning of the First Day of the week must be looked on as relating to and as compared with the practise of keeping solemn meetings on that day and this command of doing this on the First day of the week must be more strong and infer somewhat more being compared with other places then if such things were not recorded other ways of the First day 7. This command supposeth them to be already acquainted with some special priviledges of the First day beyond others when he commendeth this as a motive to them to be more charitable to wit that it was to be done on that day 8. That there must be some peculiar thing in this day making it fit yea more fit for such a purpose as doing works of Charity on it rather then on any other And the Apostles commanding this and that in many Churches doth necessarily presuppose a reason why he doth it drawn from some fitness of this day by another Now if we will enquire no reason can be given but that the Seventh day Sabbath was expired and that this First day was instituted in it's place for otherwise any day was alike yea the Seventh day being the last day of the week and the day when men usually reckon their weeks success it would seem more reasonable for this end
which we may see what need there is to watch over our selves in these things lest our liberty be turned into licentiousness and lest we grow either idle or carnal on that day Let us then consider how far this rest extendeth and under it we take in 1. The rest of the whole man outward and inward in deeds words and thoughts so is it Isai. 58.13 we should not speak our own words nor by proportion think our own thoughts nor find our own pleasures 2. It goeth through the whole day for though every minute of the day cannot be applyed to positive duties yet in no minute of it is it lawful to do another work inconsistent with the qualifications and scope aforesaid that is the negative part in it thou shalt do no work which bindeth ad semper 3. It is to be extended not only to a mans own person but to all under him children servants c. he must be answerable for it that they rest and must give them no occasion of work 4. It 's to be extended even to the least work of any fort if unnecessary as gathering sticks speaking our own words c. these are all breaches of the Sabbath 5. This rest extendeth to all actions or sorts of actions or cases which are not comprehended under the former exceptions which are permitted or are consistent with the sanctifying of the Sabbath As 1. All works which tend to our external profit pleasure satisfaction c. all works of our callings which make for the increase of outward gain and profit such whereby we ordinarily sustain our lives These Heb. 4.15 are called our own works and here it 's such works as ordinarily are wrought in the rest of the six dayes So it is doing thy own pleasure as well as vvorks Isa 58. 2. Such vvorks as tend to others external gain or profit as the great motive of them as Servants may be vvorking for their Masters profit and yet prophane the day 3. Such as are not necessary on that day as ploughing sovving reap â—ng or gathering in and that even in Seed time and Harvest and so fishing going of mills c. vvhen these are not done for the very preserving of life because they are not necessary out of that case neither is there any thing here of an extraordinary dispensation that maketh them necessary the vveather depending on an ordinary providence or ordinarily depending on providence vvhich is to be reverenced Hence though the vveather and season be rainy yet it is not lavvful to cut dovvn or gather in Corn on the Sabbath their hazard in this case being common and from an ordinary immediate providence yet suppose that a River vvere carrying avvay Corn or that Winds vvere like to blovv them into the Sea it vvere lavvful in such a case to endeavour to prevent that and preserve them because 1. that cometh by some more then ordinary dispensation of providence in the vveather and affecteth and putteth in hazard this Corn more then others 2. Because there is no probability of recovering these in an ordinary vvay though the vveather should alter but there is hope of gathering in of such as are in the fields vvithout that reach of hazard if the Lord alter the season 4. Such as are for carnal pleasure or civil ends thus playing gaming much laughing c. being our ovvn vvorks more especially our ovvn pleasure are unlavvful on that day 5. Consider that all things are prohibited vvhich marr the end of the day and are not consistent vvith the duties thereof such are buying selling c. out of the cases of pressing necessity folks cannot be spiritually taken up and vvith these also so playing and gaming is no less consistent vvith praying reading conferring c. then ploughing or such like yea is much more indisposing for it and so vve do necessarily thereby incapacitate our selves for the duties of the day 6. All things are forbidden vvhich consist not vvith this rest and the duties of vvorship called for from our selves and others thus unnecessary journeying vvalking even suppose one could or should be exercised in meditation is not resting as is required much less is gadding in companies in the street or fields to the neglect of secret and family duties In a vvord vvhatever is not religious and spiritual exercise or furthering or helping unto vvhat is so out of the excepted cases much more vvhatever is sinful scandalous or unsutable on other dayes or doth divert from or indispose for the duties of holiness and the vvorship of God on that day is inconsistent vvith this rest and so prohibited for This rest is not primarily commanded and required for it self but as conducing and subordinate unto the performing of holy duties in it therefore our rest is to be regulated so as may best contribute to that scope and vvhatever marreth that though it should not be vvork strictly but idleness carnalness or playing and gaming and sporting yet it 's a breach of this rest for 1. That is no religious duty nor 2. tending as a necessary help to it nor 3. is rest commanded that vve should play in it but that vve should sanctifie it and 4. playing or sporting cannot be called sanctifying the day othervvayes vve might have mo Sabbaths then one and the prophanest vvould love them hest 5. playing separateth not the Sabbath from other days more then vvork doeth for men play in all 6. playing is neither a religious duty it being amongst the most irreligious and prophane nor a duty of necessity for easing of vveariness vvhich doth not here come by any bodily toyl and labour but if there be any from being exercised in spiritual duties which therefore change and variety will through Gods blessing do so as the person may be born out in them nor is there any place for it except some duty be neglected therefore it 's inconsistent with this We come to the second way of considering the Sanctification required here and that is by comparing it with that strictness called for from the Jews and to which they were tyed We speak not here of Ceremonials for so their whole service might be more burdensom then ours and particularly their Sabbath-Services because they were doubled on that day but of Moral Duties and in that respect we say that the tye and obligation unto the sanctification of this day is equal and alike unto us with them which is clear in particulars for 1. It tyeth us now to as long time to wit a natural day of twenty four hours as it did them then 2. It restraineth from work and requireth holy rest now as much as then for whatever work then struck against the Letter or purpose and scope of the command and marred holy Duties doth so still 3. It requireth positive sanctification by holy Duties as preaching prayer meditation c. and alloweth not Idleness nor indulgeth time to other unnecessary works 4. It requireth as spiritual a manner and as spiritual a
Whether we ought to Love all men alike 317 In what respects may we make a difference ibid. What are the grounds of a lawfull difference in our Love 318 How love to the Godly differeth from common love to others 319 How we may love wicked men ibid. What self-Love is lawful what not 320 â—ust how early it entred into the world 350 Several degrees of unnatural Lusts 353 See Concupiscence Lye what it is and when is one guilty of it 437 Four sorts of Lyes 438 How many wayes we wrong our neighbour by Lying 439 440 441 Of Lying in Court of Justice how the Judge how the Advocate may be guilty as well as a false witness 444 445 Life the taking away of our own cleared to be forbidden in the 6 Command 342 How many ways one may be guilty of this ibid. How we may sin against the bodily Life of others 343 How against the Life of their souls 344 345 How against their Life of contentment 346 M MArriage how many wayes men sin in Contracting of it 356 How one may sinne against the 7 command even in a Married state 356 357 How on may sin in dissolving of Marriage 358 Mother why mentioned in the first Command 313 Moral all the precepts in the decalogue not moral in the same sense 7 See Sabbath Murther several distinctions of it 347 How its committed in the heart how in words gestures deeds 348 349 How Magistrates may be guilty of it 349 Self-Murder how forbidden 342 See Life N NAme what is meant by the Name of God 121 What it is to take this Name in vain 122 What is necessary to the reverent mentioning of the Name of God 123 Why the taking of this Name in vain is so peremptorily prohibited 124 Eight ordinary wayes of taking the Lords Name in vain 161 How the Name of God is taken in vain in ordinances and duties 162 How to prevent this sin in duties 163 164 How we know when guilty of it 165 166 Why the taking of Gods Name in vaine is so threatened and punished even beyond other sinnes 180 181 How it comes that this sin is so ordinary 182 183 Directions for the prevention of it 184 Neighbour to be honoured and loved 313 How we should love and honour our neighbour 316 See honour and love O OAth five things to be considered in it 126 How one Oath differs from an asseveration 127 That its unlawfull to swear by Angels Saints or other Creatures proved ibid. The difference between promissory and asse â—tory Oaths and between promissory Oaths and Vows shewed 131 A threefold matter of an Oath and a threefold occasion of Swearing 131 132 Of expresse or tacite conditions in all promissory Oaths 133 Whether indefinite Oaths such as these imposed in Colledges in Corporations or such as Souldiers take to their officers be Lawfull ibid. What does not lose the Obligation of promissory Oaths thirteen particulars instanced 136 137 What Oaths are null and of no force 138 Four cases wherein the obligation of a lawfull Oath ceaseth 139 Why wicked men keep their sinful Oaths much more strictly then they doe lawful oaths 140 What an Oath super addeth to a promise ibid. Obedience The difference between obedience to the morall law as it respects the Covenant of grace and as it respects the covenant of works 4 5 See Duties Command Law Omens and observations when sinfull and superstitious 175 176 How superstitious Observations may be made of a Word of Scripture 177 Oppression shewed to be a sort of rapine and against the 8 command 400 Obtestations when lawfull and binding and how we may also sin in them 141 142 P PErjury several sorts of it and several wayes how one may become prejured 134 Whether one that necessitates another to swear when he has a suspicion that that other will for swear himself become Acessory to his perjury 135 See Oath Poligamy how a breach of the seventh Command 255 Poverty how men sinfully bring it upon themselves and so violate the 8 Command 411 Punishment of the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children threatned in the 2 Command proved to mean spiritual and eternal punishment especially 114 115 Three considerations for clearing how the Lord does thus punish Children for the Parents sin 117 Five ends for which the Lord threatness the Posterity of wickked men 117 118 How children become guilty of the Parents sin and what special need some have to repent of the sins of their ancestors 120 Praising of God required in the â— Command 82 Our ordinary failings before the going about this duty ibid. Many failings in the performances of this duty enumerated 82 83 Our failings after praising 84 Prayer required by the 2 Commandment 79 Many sins before Prayer instanced ibid. Many ordinary sins in Prayer 79 80 Many sins while joyning with others in Prayer enumerated 81 Many ordinary sins after Prayer instanced in 81 82 Preface I am the Lord thy God a preface to all the Commandments but more especially to the first command 25 Pride in what things it appear 339 See Humility Promises why annexed to some Commandments rather then to others 27 Why the first Command is called the first Command with Promise 312 What Comfort the Promise made in the 2 Command to the thousand generations c. affords to believing Parents and their children 119 What is the meaning of the Promise annexed to the 5 Commandment and how to be understood 330 What Advantage a Believer under the New Testament has by such temporal Promises 331 See Vowes R RApine what it is 397 Religion how concerned in the duties we ow to others 310 Riches ten prejudices that come by them 416 Right whether a wicked men has it to any thing here 330 S SAbbath the observation of it a moral duty 188 Three considerations for clearing the morality of it 189 The morality of it proved from the Scriptures way of speaking of it in general 190 The Prophesies Ezekiel 43 44 45 46 ch Considered 192 194 Math 24 20 considered 194 2 Proved that all the 10 Commandments are moral and consequently this 195 This cleared from Mat. 5.19 Jam. 2 10. 796 3 Several peculiar remarks upon the 4 Command confirming the morality of it 119 120 4 Four Arguments drawn from Scripture to prove this 201 202 203 Four Nota â—â—e Witnesses to this truth 203 204 Objections answered 205 206 207 Remembring of the Sabbath imports four things 237 238 How to reckon when the Sabbath begins and ends 239 What proportion of it should be bestowed on spiritual duties 239 240 Severall Considerations tending to clear that the 4 command intended not the Seventh but a Seventh day primarily 241 242 Six Arguments for Evincing this 243 to 248 Some objections answered 249 Several Considerations for clearing when the Sabbath begins 249 250 Divers arguments to prove that the Sabbath begins in the morning and continues till next morning 251 to 255 1 That the Sabbath may be
against spiritual evils casting out of Devils mortifying of Lusts as also under sad temporal Crosses and Losses Math. 17.21 and 1 Cor. 9. ult Next as there are some times and cases in all these which call for Fasting with Prayer to be seriously gone about so we may sin in reference to this duty many ways As 1. When it is slighted and not gone about at all and thus men are guilty either 1. By contemning it or 2. Counting it not necessary or 3. By negligence so that we will not be at pains to stir up our selves to a frame for it Or 4. Will not leave our pleasures or work for it 5. In not esteeming highly of it 6. In not labouring to have sit opportunities to go about it 7. In scarring at it as a burden 8. In casting it up as Hypocrisie to others and mocking at it in them 9. In not joyning in our affection with others we know are Fasting 10. In our unfrequent use of it 11. In neglecting causes that relate to the publick or to others contenting our selves with what relateth to our own necessity 12. In not being affected with our neglect of that duty nor mourning for it and repenting of it nor being humbled under the many evils which the neglecting of it carryeth along with it 13. At least neglecting one part or other of this duty of Fasting 14. Not setting our selves seriously to be at the end designed in Fasting which maketh us either neglect it or go formally about it In going about this duty of Fasting there are two Evils to be avoyded The 1. is giving too much to it as if it did merit Isa. 58. 1. or as if it self did mortifie sin or make holy or were Religious worship in it self The 2. is on the other hand when it getteth too little being looked on as not necessary or profitable for the framing of ones spirit and sitting them for Prayer self-examination or wrestling with God and not accounted a sit mean for that end more than when it is neglected In speaking of the sins we are guilty of as to this duty we are to consider more particularly how we sin before it in our preparation to it 2. In our going about it 3. When it is ended And first before our going about it we sin 1. When the right end of a Fast is mistaken and it is not considered as a mean to help us to a more spiritual frame 2. When we do not study to be clear in and to consider the special grounds that call us to it not ayming to have our heart from conviction affected sutably with them 3. When we are not put to it from the right motive but go about it selfily to be seen of men as Matth. 6.16 or for the fashion 4. When it s not gone about in obedience to a command of God and so we Fast to our selves Zach. 7.5 5. When there is no secret examination of our own hearts to try what frame we are in what lusts reign in us or prevail over us Nor 6. any particular dealing with God before-hand to be enabled for this duty and helped in it and that both for our selves and others 7. When we are not endeavouring to be in good terms with God and studying to be clear as to that before we come to put up suits to him 8. When we neglect Christ and turn legal in it 9. When we do not separate our selves from all other affairs timously the night before 10. When we are lazie in rising so timely that day as should be 11 When we do not if it be secret labour to be unseen in it to any 12. Not setting our selves seriously to it Dan. 9.3 abstracting our selves from diversions and rousing up our selves for it 2d In the time of F â—sting we sin â—st By Eating unnecessarily though it be little as we may sin by not eating when not-eating 〈◊〉 ble â—â— us in Duties yet the Body ought to be in such a measure affected as may not hinder us in Prayer but many scarce suffer it to be touched or in the least measure affected or afflicted with Abstinence 2. In Lightness of Apparel or such fineness in it as they make use of on other dayes 3. In Gestures looking light-like Laughing and in such a carriage as is very unsuitable for that day 4. In Hypocrisie there being a more seeming weightedness and heaviness than really there is 5. In having wrong ends before us As 1st To seem holy 2. To carry on some Temporal or Politick Design as Jezabel did against Naboth to get his Vineyard 3. To get advantage of some other and to make some sinister Designs digest and go down the better as Isaiah 58. 4. To smile with the Fist of Wickedness as under Pretence of Long Prayers to take the more Liberty to injure others 4. For Strife and Debate and strengthening of Factions and Parties 6. We sin here by neglecting Works of Mercy 7. By taking pains in Works Lawful on other dayes Exacting â—'l our Labour or a part of it which is unbecoming on that day 8. By taking delight in Temporal things finding our own pleasures 9. By words or thoughts of Lawful things diverting us from the Work of the day 10. By wearying of it as a burden Not calling it a Delight 11. By wishing it were over that we might be at our work or pastime again Amos 8.5 12. By negligence in Prayer or not being frequent and Fervent in it nor pertinent that day and the end of it for there should be in all these something on a Fast-day suitable to it and which is called for on that day more than on other dayes 13. By not joyning seriously with others when they pray especially in particulars which concern others 14. By little Mourning or Heart-melting especially in secret Duties which on that day would be more frequent more serious and affecting than on other dayes that day being set apart for it And if Private we should be more abstracted even from ordinary Refreshments and Mirth than upon a Sabboth and the frame of the Heart would be then more humble mournful and denyed to otherwise-Lawful Comforts 15. By little of the Exercise of Repentance or sense of Sin that day for humbling the Heart in the sense of our own Vileness and loathing of our selves 16. By little suitable uptaking of God in his Holiness Displeasure against Sin c. Which on that day is in an especial way called for 17. By not distinct Covenant with him and ingageing to him against our seen Evils and Defects a Fast-day would be a Covenanting-day as we see in Ezra and Nehemiah 18. By being defective in Reading and Meditating on what may humble us but much more when by Looks Words or Thoughts we marr the right frame and sett of our Hearts 19. By Resting on Fasting or being Legal in it 20. By not minding the pro â—iting of others nor Sympathizing with their wants and case nor being careful to see
gross violations of this Command and study to be more affected even when narratively ye are telling somthing wherein his Name is mentioned than otherwise 4. Tremble at this sin and sutably resent it when ye hear it in others be affected with it and labour to make them so that ye may thus train your selves to an abominating of that evil 5. Let it never pass in your selves especially without some special grave animadversion Look back on all your life and see if ye can remember when and where ye were gro â—â—y guilty reflect on your worship and observe omissions and defects at left in respect of what ye might have been at and learn to loath your selves for these and to be in bitterness for them especially if the escapes have been more late and recent let them not sleep with you lest ye be hardned and the Sentence stand in force unrepealed against you what will ye sleep and this Word stand in the Bible on record as a Registred Decree against you 6. Seek for much of the Spirit for none can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 7. Frequently and seriously put up that Petition to the Lord Hallowed be thy Name Matth. 6.9 The other word of Use is for what is past I am sure if we could speak of it and hear it rightly there is here that which might make us all to tremble and evidence convincingly to us our hazard and the necessity of Repentance and flying to Christ Tell me Hearers believe ye this Truth that there is such hazard from this guilt tell me if ye remember what we spoke in the opening of it is there any of you that lyeth not under the stroak of it If so what will ye do flye ye must to Christ or lye still and can there be any secure lying still for but one hour under God's Curse drawn out O ye Atheists that never trembled at the Name of the Lord and that can take a mouthful of it in your common discourse and ye who make it your by-word and mock or jest ye whom no Oaths can bind and all ye Hypocrits who turn the pretended honouring of the Name of the Lord and the sanctifying of him in his Ordinances into a real prophaning of it let me give you these two charges under certification of a third 1. I charge you to Repent of this sin to flye to Christ for obtaining pardon haste haste haste the Curse is at the door when the Sentence is past already O sleep not till this be removed 2. I charge you to abstain from it in your several Relations all ye Parents Masters Magistrates Church-Officers School-masters and Teachers I charge you to endeavour to prevent this sin in your selves and others It is sad that the Children of many are brought up in it the most part live in it our Streets are more full of it than the Streets of Heathens Advert to this charge every soul Or 3. I charge you to appear before this great and dreadful God who will not accompt any such guiltless and to Answer to Him for it The Fourth Commandment Exod. 20. v. 8 9 10 11. Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it Holy Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy Work but the Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any Work Thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter thy Man-servant nor thy Maid-servant nor thy Cattel nor thy Stranger that is within thy Gates for in Six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the Seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath and Hallowed it THe Lord in his infinite Wisdom and Goodness hath so far consulted mans Infirmity as to sum up his Duty in these Ten Commands called Ten Words that thereby his darkness and dulness by sin might be helped by an easie abbreviation The first Command therefore containeth mans duty to God in immediate Worship requiring that the only true God should be worship'd The 2d stinteth and limiteth men to that worship alone which he perseribeth The 3d. Commandeth Reverencing of him in all his Ordinances and a reverent manner of going about them This Fourth pointeth out the Time which most solemnly the Lord will have set a-part for his Worship that so He who is both Lord of us and of our time may shew what share he has reserved as a Tribute due to himself who hath liberally vouchsafed on us the rest which time is not to be understood exclusively as if he would have only that spent in worship there being no exclusive determination of exercise of worship or duration of them in Scripture that is to say that they shall be so long and so often and no longer nor oftner but that he will precisely have this time as an acknowledgment from us even as when he gave Adam the use of all the Trees in the Garden he reserved one so when he giveth Six days to us he keepeth a Seventh for himself This Command is placed in a manner betwixt the two Tables because it is a transition as it were from the one to the other and containeth in it duties of immediate Service to God and of Charity towards men and so in some sort serveth to reconcile if we may speak so the two Tables and to knit them together that so their harmony may be the more clearly seen It is also more largely and fully set down for plurality and variety of expressions and words than any other in either of the Tables yet hath it notwithstanding been in all times in a special manner assaulted and set upon and endeavours used to overturn it Satan ayming somtimes to darken the meaning of it somtimes to loose from the strict tye of observing it and that not only by old Sabbatarians Anti-sabbatarians and corrupt School-men but even by those whom God hath made Orthodox in the main And especially by a Generation in these days who having a hatred at all Ordinances and at all the Commands of the Decalogue yet do especially vent it against this Command because in it is contained a main foundation of Godliness As it is wonderfully great presumption for men to assault and set upon God's Authority even where he hath strengthned himself as it were most by more full explication and more large and particular pressing of duty and forbidding of the contrary sin as he hath done in this Command more than in any of all the rest So it will be necessary before we can speak to the practical part of piety comprehended in it concerning the sanctification of the Christian Sabbath or Lord's day either in the negative or positive part of it to speak doctrinally for clearing of the precept to these three 1. Whether this Command be moral and do oblige us in its Letter as other Commands do 2. What is the particular morality of it and the literal meaning of the words 3. How our
Lord's day standeth in reference to this Command and whether thereby the same sanctification be required as to it though its institution arise from another ground than is required to the Seventh-day-Sabbath Somewhat of all these must needs be spoken unto and we begin to speak first of its morality before we speak of its meaning because all dependeth on this both in respect of exposition and practise for if it be not moral and perpetually binding it 's not necessary either to explicate it or to study and press the practise of it but if it be found to be moral then no doubt it concerneth us and requireth the same moral sanctification of a day now as it did before Our Assertion then in reference to this is that The duty of setting a-part and sanctifying of a portion of time as it is limitted in the fourth Command for God's Service as it recurreth is moral and the obligation thereunto perpetual even as in the duties of the other Commands the obligation to this being no more dissolved than to those though there may be difference in the degree of the obligation which they lay on in respect of the matter contained in them my meaning in a word is that a day or one of seven is as necessary to be kept holy unto God now upon supposition of his determining the particular day as it is necessary to hold and keep up the worship prescribed by God neither without sin can another day be put in the room of it more than other worship can be substituted in the place of divinely prescribed worship for the time is set and fixt by the Fourth Command pointing at a solemne and chief time as the worship it self is by the second For clearing of this consider 1. That we mean not here moral-natural as if without any positive Law such a thing had been binding no but moral-positive that is laid on by a Command which is standing unrepealed and so bindeth by vertue of the authority of the Law-giver as several other commands and precepts do as namely those concerning Sacraments belonging to the second Command and those concerning one Wife and forbidden desires of Marriage belonging to the Seventh which being so often broken by many Saints and dispensed with in some cases cannot be thought to be morally-natural since the Lord dispenseth not so in these nor can it be thought in reason that his Servants would have been ignorant of such a natural thing It is then moral-positive that we mean to wit that which is binding by a positive Law 2. Consider in this question that there is a great difference betwixt these two to say the Seventh-day-Sabbath which the Jews kept is moral and to say the Fourth Command is moral the one may be and is abolished because another is brought in its roome The other to wit the Command may stand and doth stand because it tyeth morally to a Seventh day but suc â— a Seventh day as the Lord should successively discover to be chosen by him and though the Seventh be changed yet one of seven is still reserved 3. There is need to distinguish betwixt the moral substance of a Command and some ceremonial appendices belonging to it So the Fourth Command might then possibly have had something ceremonial in that Seventh day or in the manner used of sanctifying that Seventh day which now is gone as double Sacrifices c. or in its reasons whereby it is pressed as there is somthing peculiar to that People in the Preface to all the Commands as there was in the Sacraments of the old Law belonging to the second Command yet both a Sabbath day and Sacraments may be and are very necessary and moral in the Church it is not then every thing hinging on this Command as proper to that administration and so but accidental to the sanctifying of a Sabbath that we plead for but this is it we plead for that the Command is as to its main scope matter and substance moral-positive and that it standeth as still binding and obliging unto us and cannot without sin be neglected or omitted it might be enough here to say that if this Command were never repealed in the substance of it nor did ever exspire by any other thing succeeding in its place then it must needs be still binding for certainly it was once as obligatory-proclaimed by the Law-giver himself and was never since in its substance repealed nor is it exspired or found hurtful in its nature but is as necessary now as then it is true the Seventh day Sabbath is repealed by instituting and substituting the First day Sabbath or Lord's day in its place but that doth rather qualifie the Command than repeal it for 1. It saith that a day is moral and necessary 2 It saith a day of seven is moral and necessary which is all we say and why necessary as agreeable to this Command no doubt whence we may Argue if the substance of this Command be kept even when the particular day is changed then is the Command moral which this very change confirmeth but the former is true as is clear in experience therefore it followeth that the Law stands unrepealed for it 's palpable that the day as to its number or frequency and duration with the manner of sanctifying of it belongs to the substance of the Commandement but what day as to its order first second or seventh doth not because the first cometh in immediately upon Religion God's Honour and the good of Souls which the other doth not This Argument will stand good against all who acknowledge this Law to have been once given by God till they can evidence a repeal To speak somewhat more particularly to this the way we shall make out the morality of it is by considering 1. How the Scripture speaketh of it in general 2. How it speaketh of the Decalogue 3. How it speaketh of this Command in particular 4. By adducing some Scriptural Arguments for it As for the 1. To wit the Scriptures speaking of it in general we say If the Scripture speak as frequently in clearing the Fourth Command or the Sabbath which is the morality of it and press it as seriously and that in reference to all times of the Church as it doth any other moral duty then for substance this Command is moral and perpetually binding for that seemeth to be the Character whereby most safely to conclude concerning a Command to consider how the Scripture speaketh of it but the Scripture doth as often mention and is as much and as serious in pressing of that Command and that in reference to all states of the Church as of any other Ergo c. We shall make out this by shewing 1. its frequency in mentioning of it 2. It s seriousness in pressing it 3. It s asserting of it as belonging to all times and states of the Church 1. Look through all the Scriptures and ye will find the sanctifying of a Sabbath mentioned as
one of these wayes set down 3. It hath the Particularity in it that all the rest have to wit To be in the Singular Number Thou shalt c. To shew That it speaketh to every one in particular Yea though all the Commands concern all Ranks yet only here are Son Daughter Man-Servant Maid Servant and Stranger expresly mentioned as comprehended in it 4. There is a special Equity holden out here in the Proportioning of this time There are Six Dayes given us to Labour on and therefore it is all the Reason in the World that the Lord have the Seventh And if this Concession of God's of Six Dayes to work on be Moral For all the time is God's and we cannot for our use take any part of it but by His grant and there is no other Grant But this dividing and proportioning of Time betwixt him and us in which Division too he hath given us by far the large â—t Share to wit Six parts of Seven Then must the setting a part of a Seventh Day be Moral also And so the Command it self wherein both are comprehended viz. The Sixt given to us and the Seventh reserved for him they must needs stand and fall together For they Mutually put each other Thou shalt labour Six Dayes and Rest on the Seventh Thou shalt Rest on the Sabbath Day and Labour Six 5. This Day is claimed by the Lord as a thing wherein he hath a special Propriety It 's the Lords Day â—or though he did give Six yet he reserved a Seventh And can or dare any say That he discharged that or dispensed it away from Himself to any other If not it must be His still and cannot without Sacriledge be other wayes applyed Obedience to this Command is pressed by an exceeding Weighty Reason drawen from God's own Example which maketh it clearly Relative to it 's First Institution Gen. 2. Where it is said That He Rested after Six Dayes Work the Seventh Day viz. the whole Seventh Day and so should we which is the more effectual for proving the Morality of this Command Because 1. It 's a Reason that took place even in Innocency and so respecteth no Type or Ceremony 2. It is Universal belonging to all Men who are God's Creatures And therefore since the Reason is perpetual so must the Command be like-wise 7. This Command alone and beside all others is expresly pressed in the observation of it not only on Masters and Rulers for themseves but as taking burden on them for all under them and within their Families to endeavour the sanctifying of the Lord's day with them and by them as well as by themselves whereby the extent of this Command is clearly and earnestly holden forth in more express terms than in any other of all the Commands though this be implyed in them also 8. The observation of it is pressed and encouraged unto by a special blessing which He hath annexed to the time set a-part by himself He blessed it that is He made and still maketh it useful and refreshing as a special blessing to his people who keep his Ordinances seeking Him therein this day has a double portion and increase beside any other day for his Peoples Repose Edification Comfort finding of His Presence c. And to say now that this Solemn-time were not moral were to â—ob the Church of a great blessing seeing this day set a part by God for his Service hath the blessing beyond any other day commanded on it and in the experience of his People often hath it been found to be so 9. It is specially and singularly ushered in with a M â—mento or Remember which is not expressed in any other Command and Shall we think that where God saith Remember there is nothing to be taken notice of or shall we think that it saith not Remember now as well as then and if so Who can warrantably forget that which he biddeth remember which is not to keep the Seventh day but the Sabbath holy unto the Lord And may not all these Characters putt together in one Command so many not being to be found in all the other Commands if put together May not all these I say convince us that it is the Lord's purpose to have this Command standing obligatory in its substance to the end of the world Which is so pressed that if there be little help from Nature's light to determine the day or to press its observation it may be strongly born-in by the more clear and weighty reasons And so we come to the fourth way proposed for making out the morality of this Command which is by adducing some Arguments drawn from Scripture The first whereof is If the Law bind under the New-Testament not only in respect of its matter as its natural nor only as it is repeated in the New-Testament but also by vertue of the Authority enacting it then this Law of the fourth Command though not explicitly determined by nature and though it were not mentioned particularly in the New-Testament must be binding also for it hath that same Authority But the first is true and is acknowledged generally by Divines excepting a few and is clear by Christ and his Apostles their citing of it as supposing it to be binding Therefore the last must be true also 2. Arg. If this Command be founded on moral grounds then it self must be moral But the grounds on which it is founded are moral Ergo c. 1. It is moral that God should have a solemn and chief set-time 2. That he himself and none other should determine that time seeing no other could do it and bless it 3. These reasons-in the Command it self dividing time into six parts of it to us and a seventh part to God and God's resting after six days working with his making only seven days in the week and employing six of them to work c. these reasons I say are all moral and bin â—ing now as before 3. Arg. If all moral duties be contained in the ten Commands then this Command must needs be moral But the first is true Ergo c. This Command containeth a moral duty which is in none of the preceding Commands to wit the stinting and determining of the solemn and chief time to be set a part for God's worship to be one day of s â—ven It is true Time is commanded to be allowed to God's worship in those other Command â— wherein the duties of worship themselves are commanded for worship cannot be performed more than any other duty without some time but that the chief time should be so much and so often is only determined in this Command from which it appeareth 1. That an indefinit time of worship or for it is not the morality of this Command because this followeth necessarily as being supposed needful for the performance of every positive duty contained in the other Commands its morality therefore must be The determining of â—hat definit time 2. We may hence
and should have an Authority Domestick in it's Regulation For a Master of a Family may Authoritatively command the Members of the Family to Pray keep the Sabbath c. and may suitably Correct for the Neglect of those Duties whereas that other is by Christian Communion and Admonition only Ye will see this Family-Worship clear 1. By considering the Jews Eating of the Passover Where there was 1. Secret Worship no question a-part 2. There was Publick-Worship a Holy Convocation the First Day and the Last But 3. There was peculiarly a Family-Worship or if the Family was little two joyned together for Eating the Passover within the House wherein all the Members of that Family or of those two little Families that were Circumcised were necessarily to be present and to be joyners this is Family-worship 2. By considering Psal. 101. compared with other Scriptures where ye have 1. David mentioning his private carriage and longing for God and walking in a perfect way 2. His publick carriage as a Magistrate in cutting off the wicked from the City of God as ye have 3. Elsewhere his publick-worship as Psal. 122.1 and 2 Sam. 6. 4. his fellowship with all the Godly being a Companion to them that feared God Psal. 119. v. 63. Yet 5thly and lastly Ye have a walk within his House with a perfect heart mentioned there as contradistinct from all which must infer some Religious performances of duties or exercise of worship in his House in reference to that station as well as in private or in publick yea a joynt exercise because it is such an exercise as he performed only at home in his house whereas had it been Praying for them or any thing that other-wise he might have done a-part he needed not goe home to them for performing of it Yet 2 Sam. 6. ver 20. when the Publick Worship is done he goeth home to bless his House which manifestly sheweth a Peculiar Duty performed by him in his Family acording as he resolved in that 101. Psalm 3. It will yet further appear that there is such a thing and some way what it is by considering Zach. 12. from verse 10. to the last where there is First â— Publick Mourning of the Whole Land 2. Of several Families together Families shall mourn then 3. Families a-part 4. Their Wifes a-part and so every Particular Person in secret In which place it i â— clear 1. That there is a Worship of Families besides Publick and Secret VVorship 2. That that VVorship includeth the same Duties jointly performed by the Members of the Family which Persons in secret perform and so Family-VVorship will be a VVorshipping of God beside what is in Publick and Secret in a Dome â—tick and Family-Relation Joyntly Thirdly That this Command requireth such a Family-worship distinct from publick and secret and something to be performed in worshipping of Go â— amongst persons so related which is not required of others may thus be made out 1. The thing called for in this Command is certainly worship yea immediate worship it being a Command of the first Table and such a thing as the sanctifying of the Sabbath 2. This Command taketh in all Domestick-Relations Parents Children Sons and Daughters Masters and Servants Men or VVomen yea and Strangers that may be for the time or on that day sojourning there these are all constituent Members of a Family 3. The thing required of them is not simply rest from labour for 1. That is commanded for the Beasts lest men should be hindered from or interrupted in their holy rest by their waiting on them and none will say we hope that there is no more required as to Children or Servants than as to the Beasts 2. Under the Negative Thou shalt do no work is included the Affirmative Thou shalt san â—tifie that day to the Lord. 3. The same Duty is required of all alike in some respect thou Father and thou Son thou Master and thou Servant and if worship be called for from the Father and Master for the sanctifying of that day so it must be also from the Child and Servant 4. The manner of performing this Worship of sanctifying the Lords day in Holy duties is required not only to be in publick nor only in secret but by the Members of each Family joyntly and a part from other Families For 1. It cannot be understood to require worship only in publick together because 1. there may be in some cases no access to publick worship and yet the Command of sanctifying the Lords day lyeth still on and no doubt by Families 2. Waiting on publick worship is but one piece of sanctifying the Lords day and that but in a part of it therefore there must be some other thing included here 2. It cannot be understood of the Master of the Family his putting the Members of the Family separatly to seek and worship God and of his own going about Holy duties himself a-part For 1. Though that be worship yet is it not worship from persons in such a Relation or Family-worship more than if they were not in such a Relation or of such a Family and though it might be said that such and such persons sanctified the Sabbath yet could it not be said that the Family as such did it even as Families or persons seeking God in secret could not be exonered thereby as to their being in the Congregation nor their serving of God be so accepted as Congregational-service i â— they met not together when they might Just so it is here yea as it lyeth by this Command on a Congregation and a Minister to sanctifie the Lords day and to come together for that end so doth it lye on the Family and Master of it 2. By this Command there is more required than secret o â— solitary sanctifying of the Sabbath even a peculiar sanctification of it within one Family distinct from another I say 1. more than solitary worship because the Lords saying thou without repeating Son Daughter c. had been sufficient to have laid it on all separately for themselves the enumeration therefore of the whole Members of a Family must import some other thing for the former is implyed in all Commands as Thou shalt not kill that is as far as in thee lyeth thou nor thy Son c. There must I say be somthing more understood by the peculiar enumeration pressed in this fourth Command I say 2. Even a peculiar worship because it 's something laid on by this Command which is holden within Gates or doors and neither goeth to the Congregation nor to the persons of other Families at least ordinarily but reacheth the Members of such a Family who are within such a Mans Gates or Doors therefore it must be a distinct Family-worship mainly performed by that Family together 3. The thing required here is not only worship simply but worship as from a Member of such a Family therefore it is not solitary worship for seeking of God and moral duties
hallowed or sanctified it that is by separation destination and appointment for holy uses and as a part of worship so he sanctified the Temple Altar c. not by infusing any holiness in them but by appointing them for holy uses Thus only God can sanctifie a day or any other thing so as to make it a part of worship and no man or power on earth what somever can do that 2 In the precept it self we are commanded to sanctifie it that is by the application of it unto the uses wherefore he hath set it apart thus we sanctifie what he hath sanctified when we use it and imploy it according to his appointment And so we are to consider the sanctifying of this day in these duties called for from us on it This sanctification is two wayes set down 1. In its cessation and rest separating it from other uses and so keeping it from the common uses to which other dayes may and use to be applied 2. In its special application to and imployment in holy uses For clearness we shall consider this sanctification 1. In respect of its rest what we are to abstain from 2. Comparatively with that strictness cal â—ed for from the Jevvs 3. Eminently vvhat is required more as to holiness this day then on other daies vvherein also the Lords people should be holy and vvherein this go â—â—â— beyond these 4. Positively â—n vvhat duties it should be taken up 5. Complexly in respect of vvhat is called for to the right sanctifying of that day before it come on in the time of it and after it is past and that in publick and private and by all relations Master Servant c. and throughout the vvhole man thoughts vvords and deeds and throughout the vvhole day 6. Oppositively or negatively vvhat are the breaches of this command and the aggravations of these sins vvhich break it First then vve consider it in its rest vvhich is required and because there are extreams some giving it too little as the Jevvs did before the captivity some too much even to being superstitious as the Jevvs after the Captivity and the Scribes and Pharisees particularly in Christs time did stretching this rest too farr We must therefore consider it more narrovvly and particularly for quieting of our Consciences for the Jews are by the Prophets Ezek. 20. Jer. 17. and by Christ Matth. 12. reproved for both extremes respectively We do then in this matter assert first That there is a rest required here which is extensive to a mans words thoughts and actions whereby many things lawful on other dayes become unlawful on this day Yet 2. we assert That by this rest all sort of actions are not condemned but only such as are inconsistent with the end and scope of this command as by other Scriptures and the practice of Christ and the Saints is clear we conceive therefore these to be permitted 1. All duties of Piety as was sacrificing under the Old Testament or preaching hearing or going about the Sacraments under the New Testament In which sense Matth. 12. our Lord saith the Priests prophaned the Sabbath and were blameless not that formally they prophaned the Sabbath or did indeed break that command but materially they wrought in killing beasts c. which had been unlawful had it not been in the exercises of piety 2. All things that have a tendencie as necessary helps and means to the performance of the former works of piety are lawful as going to the Congregation to hear the Law calling the Assembly for worship by Trumpets or Bells or by a Voice Journeying going or riding to Church c. because the duties of the Sabbath cannot well be done without some of these nor at all without others of them If it should be asked here What that which is called a Sabbaths day Journey Acts 1.12 was among the Jews and whence it came and what way may it be stinted or limited among Christians Answ. It was to them 2000 Cubits which according to the different measuring of that distance of ground consisting of these 2000 Cubits by a lesser or longer Cubi â— is reckoned to be more or less by learned Men but all agree saies Goodwin in his Moses and Aaron in this that these 2000 Cubits was a Sabbath daies Journey It arose to be reckoned so from these grounds 1. From their expounding Exod. 16.29 Let none go out of his place thus Let none go without the bounds of the City which with its Suburbs was 2000 Cubits or a mile about 2. That the Tabernacle of the Congregation was so far from the Tents of these who pitched about it in the Wilderness Numb 2. as they supposed and that the Priests kept that distance from the people in entering with the Ark into Jordan Jos. 3.4 whence they gathered that a man might still go to the Ark or place of worship as it was then in these cases at a distance from them and no further on the Sabbath day But we say whatever superstitiously or on custome they took up for that is but their Tradition we cannot stint a Sabbath daies journey to so many miles fewer or more but it must be as the man is in providence cast to reside further from or nearer to the place where the Ordinances are dispensed for one may go many miles and not prophane the Sabbath if he cannot have the publick Ordinances nearer whereas another may break the Sabbath by going but to his Neighbours door yea by walking in his own house or to his door if either it be done idly or with respect to another civil or worldly end which agreeth not to that day it is not here remoteness or nearness but what sweyeth us and what is our end that we are to try by 3. All works of mercy are lawful on that day as laying beside us something to the poor 1 Cor. 16.1 sending or dealing something to those who are in want Isa. 58.7 visiting others to comfort strengthen or otherwaies to edifie them christianly though idle and carnal visits albeit alass â— too rise are not permitted 4. Good Works as Christ saith Matth. 12.12 it 's lawful to do good or well on the Sabbath such are giving of Physick when it is necessary bringing of Physiti â—ns saving a mans life and taking p â—ins for it c. Luke 13. these good Works may be classed either with Works of mercy before or with Works of necessity that follow both being good Works as they are Works of mercy or of necessity 5. Works of necessity such as feeding Beasts leading them to the water pulling them out of Ditches when they are fallen into them on that day and much more preparing honestly sober allowance for the susteining of the body as the Disciples pluck't the ears of Corn Matth. 12. and the Jews Exod. 16.23 dressed the Manna on the Sabbath though they were not to gather it yet on the Sixth day to bake and seethe a part and to keep a part
till the morrow but not till the day following and therefore they behoved to dress it also yea Jesus Christ went himself to a Feast on the Sabbath Luke 14. that he might take that opportunity by his spiritual discourse to edifie the Company as he did notably which he would not have done had it been unlawful to dress any meat on the Sabbath yet his carriage was such at that Feast most remarkably that it would be followed as a pattern by such as may be invited by others to eat with them and shall be disposed to go on the Sabbath And if this were the design of the inviters and invited mens eating together on that day would not readily prejudice the sanctification of it as very often it doth Such is â—lying on the Lords day from a destroying enemy and in other warranted cases Matth. 24. defending our selves against unjust violence c. 6. Works of comliness tending to honest or decent walking as putting on of clothes honestly making the house clean from any uncleanness that may fall in it throughout the Sabbath c. By all which Believers have allowance 1. for piety 2. for charitie 3. for what is needful for their beasts 4. what is needful and convenient or comly for themselves and more is not necessary In these the Lord hath not streightned them neither hath he pinched and pinned them up to absolute necessitie but hath left them to walk by Christian prudence yet so as they may not exceed for the Disciples possibly might have endured that hunger and not pluck't the ears of Corn or beasts may live a day without water and not be much the worse or some sort of Victuals may be provided to be set beside men on the Sabbath needing no dressing or preparing yea a man may live on little or nothing for one day but the Lord hath thought good not to streighten them so as to make his day and worship a weariness and burden unto them seeing he hath made the Sabbath for man to be refreshing to him and not man for the Sabbath nor will he have their Consciences to be festered with inextricable scruples He leaveth it to men on other dayes how much to eat and drink by a Christian prudence yet allovveth them not to exceed even on these so here there is some latitude left to conscientious reason to vvalk by for some may do something at one time and not at another yea one man may take more pains in upholding his body then is called for from another vvho is stronger so that it 's impossible to set particular rules vvhich vvill agree to all but men vvould look 1 to their end 2. to their need 3. to vvhat may conveniently attain the end Yet it is needful here to add some qualifications or caveats lest folk indulge themselves too much and exceed under the pretext of the former libertie vvhich the Lord hath condescended to leave men at 1. That men vvould see that the necessity be real that real sickness keepeth at home that real hazard maketh them flie or maketh them bide at home that it be such a necessitie as they cannot contrive a vvay conveniently to evite vvhen it cometh or could not foresee before it came 2. Men vvould see that that necessitie be not brought on by themselves If the thing might have been done at another time that necessity vvill not excuse though if the sin be taken vvith and repented of and Christ fled unto for the pardon of it vve may go about the doing that lavvfully vvhich sinfully vve have necessitated our selves unto as suppose one had got vvarning to slie the day before to bring such a Physician or to provide such drugs c. if he did it not then he sinneth yet vvhen necessity cometh he may still do it but not vvith a good conscience till he first acknovvledge the former fault of his neglect 3. It vvould be adverted if that thing may be done as vvell another time or may not vvithout prejudice that is considerable be delayed till the next day Thus taking or giving of physick on the Lords day making ordinary civil visits beginning voyages c. vvill not sustein and bear vveight before God vvhen folk do them that day to have their ovvn vvork day free and so put by the proper duties of the Lords day for some things that may be done the day or daies follovving Thus rest is commanded Exod. 34.21 even in sovving time and harvest because the necessitie is not clear but dependeth on ordinary providence and folks are to expect occasion and opportunities for them aftervvard 4. Men would take heed that they have not a tickling complacencie that such necessities fall on the Sabbath and be not glad to have diversions from the proper duties of the day They would go about such works with a sort of sadness though yet with clearness and peace of conscience as to their lawfulness Therefore Christ saith to his Disciples Matth. 24.20 pray that your flight be not on the Sabbath day because it would be heavy to Gods people to slie on that day though it was lawful 5. We would see that it marr not a spiritual frame and that in doing these we turn not to mind the World as on other dayes There would be still a respect to the day in our frame which is called for in the word remember and even when our hand is otherwayes imployed the heart should not be taken up with these things but so far as is necessary to the acting of them 6. It would be adverted to that they be done without irregularity and so as not to give offence by them hence it was that Christ ever gave the reasons of what he did on the Sabbath lest others not knowing our necessity judge us guilty of Sabbath-breaking or be involved without necessitie to do the like 7. Folks would have great respect to the end in these works and to the motive which swayeth and putteth them on If it be outward gain or fear of some temporal loss as if for gaining money a Physitian should go rather on the Sabbath then on another day to save the life of a man that turneth then to be a servile work and one of his ordinary Week day calling to speak so So if a Minister should preach with respect to gain or applause on the Sabbath or if any man should make a visit for a meer civil end as we visit on other dayes without a sutable respect to spiritual edification or furtherance of Piety it will marr all and will be found a breach of the Sabbath 8. We would beware of spending too much time in these things but would endeavour timely and quickly to expede and dispatch them and rightly to trust them Dressing of meat and trimming adorning and busking of folks bodies will not be found a well spent part of the Sabbath when it shutteth out other duties and getteth too much time as it doth with many By all
frame in performing of them now as then For 1. If the command be moral then is there no change in moral duties for it is the same command to us that it was to them save in ceremonial things 2. If the same things were allowed to them which are allowed to us and if no more be allowed to be done by us then was allowed to be done by them on the Sabbath then the observation in it's strictness is equal but the first is true for works of piety mercy and necessity are allowed to us and so were they to them as by Christs reasoning against them as being here superstitious may appear yea 3. our allowances are taken from the practise of Christ and his reasonings with the Pharisees who in these disputes aimed not to shew that more was lawful by his coming then was before but to shew what then was lawful though they ignorantly or wilfully misunderstood the command for even then God allowed mercy rather then sacrifice c. which places most clearly vvarrant us in our practise 4. The Service we have now is as spiritual and without all doubt the promise of the spirit for keeping up in holy duties as large as formerly and therefore our improving of it should be no less Before vve proceed there are some Scriptures which seem to thwart vvith and to be cross to this to vvhich vve vvould speak a little for clearing of them as namely Exod 16.23 29. and Exod. 35.3 vvhere it vvould seem that going out of the place dressing of meat and kindling of fire vvere forbidden vvhich are allowed to us To vvhich vve say 1. That vve speak of the meaning of this fourth command if any more vvas forbidden them by peculiar judicial Laws that contradicteth not our assertion these may be abrogated vvhile this command standeth But 2. We conceive that as to these things gathering of sticks kindling of fire dressing meat c. no more is allowed unto us then unto them that is all unnecessary labour in and about these is unlawful to us now and all necessary labour in and about them vvas allowed unto and lawful for them as may be gathered from Christs practice and his reasoning with the Jews and from the allowance vvhich vvas to their Beasts In the third place then vve say that these Scriptures cannot be literally and universally understood for it cannot be thought that they vvent not out of the place kindled no fire dressed no meat in any case yea the allowance for their necessity and Christs going in and partaking vvhen invited on the Sabbath day Luke 14. It 's like to somewhat that was prepared that day vvith his defending of his Disciples practise in plucking ears of Corn and rubbing them as it is Luke 6.1 vvhich vvas a sort of preparing and dressing of that meat insinuate the contrary neither c â—n any thing be gathered from that place Exod. 16.23 against dressing of meat simply but rather the contrary for the Manna that remained over what vvas dressed on the sixth day vvas to be laid up till the Seventh day or the Sabbath but not till the day after the Sabbath and vvill it not suppose that they behooved then to dress it on the Sabbath as on other days by boyling at least for as to grinding of it at Mills or otherways there vvas no necessity for that on the Sabbath ou â— of some extraordinary Case or else they had needless by la â—â—â—o up and so behoved to have fires to dress it vvith And therefore that of not dressing meat of not kindling fire c. must be of what is unnecessary and for servile vvorks or making gain in mens ordinary particular callings But to the third way if any should inquire what more holiness is called for or can be win at on the Sabbath then a Believer is called unto on other days he being called to endeavour to be perfectly holy every day I Answ Although he be called to be perfectly holy yet not in the holiness of immediate Worship throughout every day He is to be perfectly holy on other days according to the duties and imployments of these dayes but on the Lords day he is called to be holy according to the imployments of that day and its duties The Lords people of old were indeed called to perfect Holiness all the week over but singularly to sanctifie the Sabbath as a part of their universal Holiness 2. Though all the parts of every day should be spent holily yet some parts more especially as what parts are spent in Prayer Reading the Scripture c. and somewhat more is required of these who are called to it on a Fasting day then on other days even so on the Sabbath 3. There is a difference betwixt a person living holily in the general and a person who is holy in sanctifying the Lords day though a man should be holy every day yet is he not to sanctifie every day which is required on this day whereof we shall now speak This days sanctification then we conceive to consist in these 1. That there is more abstractedness not only from sinful things but even from lawful temporal things required on that day then on other days a spiritual frame of heart separating and setting apart a man from ordinary thoughts Hence we may say that as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifyeth unclean as well as common so a common or every day-frame of Spirit will be found unclean for the Sabbath there must therefore be another frame of heart different from an ilk a day-frame and suited to that day 2. This day is to be sanctifyed in respect of the Exercises 〈◊〉 beyond other days and that necessarily whereas on some other days we may be taken up in some duties of worship arbitrarily but here necessarily And men may and ought to be holy on other days in their plowing and other works but there their Holiness is to be in immediate worship to God in some thing relating to that alway such as praying reading hearing conferring meditating c. 3. The sanctification of this day lyeth in this that it must be wholly sanctified but parts of other days are ordinarily used in religious Service but this whole day is to be used so a man should be this whole day throughout as in the time of praying on other days 4. Duties would be multiplyed that day more secret and private Prayer Reading c. and more publick Worship even as there were double Sacrifices that day under the Law though there were Sacrifices all days 5. There would be in the duties of this day more intenseness of Spirit and a further degree of Spiritual affections then in these duties of other days because this day is purposely set apart for that end and by continuance in Duties we may attain to more of a spiritual frame and because not only the Exercises of worship praying reading and hearing c. call to Holiness on this day as
they do on other days but even the very day it self doth call to it even as on a solemn day of humiliation men ought to be more affected and deeply humbled then on other days though daily they should repent and be humbled because that day is solemnly set apart for it so ought our worship to be more intense and solemn this day suitable unto it wherein we are as it were dyeted for insisting and persisting in duties of worship whereas these duties in this respect and in comparison are on other days but as starts worship is here some way the only work of that day 6. There would be more heavenliness and spiritual sence breathed after that day in the frame of the heart it would be near God and the work of the day would be delightsome and sweet the Sabbath would as it is Isaiah 58. be called a delight and we would endeavour as it is Heb. 4. to enter into his rest to pass through the outward rest into his to be within his chambers yea even in his arms as it were all that day 7. There would be that day more divineness in our Holiness to speak so a sort of Majesty by ordinary in our walk looking like the Sabbath and like the God of the Sabbath There would be an exalting in God that day we would endeavour to have our hearts in a special manner warm in the Exercise of love to him and to be much in praising of him our whole worship would more absolutely and immediately be aimed and levelled at the honour and glory of God as the end of it then on other ordinary days wherein our Prayers and other pieces of worship may more immediately respect our own Case and need but on this day Gods Honour as the end more immediately whatever our own Case be and that both in heart within and in the nature of our Exercises without this is to call the Sabbath of the Lord honourable to honour and glorifie him therein as it is Is. 58. a special Majesty being in that days worship by levelling it with extraordinary singleness at Gods praise even as his name is hallowed or sanctified in Heaven by Angels and perfected Saints Hence It 's good to give thanks unto thy Name c. beginneth that Psalm of Praise for the sabbath-Sabbath-day to wit the 92. These Duties then that further his praise are more especially for that day 8. All these reach both words and thoughts nothing to the hindrance of these is to be admitted in either there are â—one of our words and thoughts that day but they would in a special manner be Gods and in it we should be spent as his and endeavour to be within view of Heaven to make some Essay of glorified Saints exercise there and to have the Sabbath as a little preludy of that everlasting Sabbath and rest in the bosom of God The Fourth way of considering this sanctification is positively to wit as to the Duties wherein the Sabbath is to be spent which are shortly all duties of immediate worship whether they be inward as meditation self-examination heart-prayer either e â—â—culatory or more continued heart-sorrow for sins c. or outward as vocal prayer and singing of Psalms reading the Scriptures and other pious Books hearing the word c. or whether they be secret which may be both inward and outward or private in Families as reading of the word conserring on it repeating Sermons praying together c. or publick as joyning with the Congregation in prayers and praises hearing the vvord read and the sense given hearing of Sermons participating of the Sacraments when dispensed joyning in solemn humiliations and thanksgivings vvhen they fall necessarily or more conveniently to be on the Sabbath All vvhich and such like are proper duties for that day to vvhich liberal laying up and giving for the relief of the poor according to ability and as God blesseth every man vvould be added as a suitable duty of it though it be no duty of immediate vvorship The fifth way is to consider the sanctification of the Sabbath complexly before it come vvhen it 's come and after it's past 1. Then the night before not secluding a suitable remembrance throughout the week remember it 1. by timous leaving of vvorldly business it 's a great incroachment on the Sabbath though too too usual to continue longer at vvork the night before then any other night of the vveek as if folks vvould gain the day of rest out of Saturnsdays night and Mondays morning 2. By not suffering this little times leaving of vvork to be idly spent but being taken up vvith endeavours 1. To abstract the mind from other vvorks as vvell as the hand and to have the heart put in a lively frame 2. To mind the vvork of the day vvhich is coming and to have a sutableness to it If ye ask vvhat sutableness should vve have to it Answ. Endeavour 1. to be as if ye vvere about to meet God to tryst as if it vvere visibly vvith him and solemnly to treat and enter in marriage vvith him 2. To be like Heaven and in a special manner in some sort to imitate God as if ye vvere already entered into his rest and had rested from your ovvn vvorks 3. To be as if ye vvere to dye and to step into Eternity for this resting should mind us of that and vvas and is still specially appointed though yet no Ceremony â—o mind us of Gods separating of us from others for himself that vve may rest eternally vvith him Then 3. for furthering of this look back on the Week past and endeavour to have things clear before the Sabbath come and all by-gone quarrels removed that there may be no standing controversies against you to begin the Sabbath vvith 4. Pray vvith special solemn seriousness in reference to that day that ye may have peace for vvhat is past that ye may be in a right frame for the day that the Minister may be helped to speak as it becometh that others may be sitted to hear and joyn that the Word and other Ordinances may be richly blest of God and that the mercy of having the Ordinances may be minded vvith praise to the gracious giver of them and suitably improved 2. When the morning of that sweet and desirable day cometh after we have fallen asleep in a special manner as it were in the Lords arms the night before and left our selves there 1. We would timely begin the work and beware that either carnal thoughts get in or the time be idly slipped over but I say we would begin the work early for it 's for that end appointed and sinful thoughts will not be kept out but by filling the room otherwayes with what is spiritually profitable Shew forth Gods loving kindness in the morning saith the Psalm for the Sabbath to wit the 92. Let therefore the Meditation of somewhat of these or such like begin with us even when we are making ready 1.
somewhat of God himself whose day it is 2. of heaven and that happiness that is there 3. of the works of God who gave us and all the world â— being and who only preserveth the same 4. of Christs redemption and as closed and perfected on this day which especially should be minded that so thinking of our many and great obligations and of the misery we had been in had not that work of Redemption intervened we may begin the day with a due impression of Gods greatness and goodness of our own sinfulness weakness and misery and of this bl â—ssed remedy and out gate 2. We would address our selves to solemn prayer in secret and that at greater length then on other dayes and with insisting with special petitions relating to the day with all the seriousness we may win it 3. We would take a view of our own hearts to see how and where we left the night before and endeavour to have clearness betwixt the Lord and us as to our state and otherwayes maintained and renewed if it was or attained if it was not 4. Too much time would not be spent in adorning or busking of folks bodies or in making other provisions for them but as the whole of it would be taken up in duties of worship as we have before shewed so some part of it would be set apart for secret reading yea for secret praising thanksgiving and singing an exercise not unbecoming that day as that fore-cited Psalm for the Sabbath day sheweth 5. If thou be the Head of a Family or livest in fellowship with others then the family is gravely to be brought together and every particular member is to joyn with the rest And here also prayers and other religious duties are to be doubled according to the ceremonial doubling of Sacrifices on the seventh-day-Seventh-day-Sabbath under the Law for in secret in families and in publick there would be more that day then in other dayes 6. Care and inspection would be taken so far as men can reach that by none in the Society neither secret nor private duties be neglected nor publick duties abstained from but that each may stir up one another and more especially those whose places lead them to it to the sutable sanctification of the day in all the duties of it and withal it would be looked to that none of the family be suffered to stay at home unnecessarily from the publick worship or to be absent from the family worship 7. Timely that ye be not by haste discomposed come to publick modestly apparrelled it's a shame to see how gaudily some come to publick worship on the Lords day grave in your walk wary and circumspect in your words that they be spiritually edifying and sutable watch over your eyes that carnal or worldly looks steal you not away nor distemper your hearts but especially over your hearts that they wear not out of a spiritual frame 8. When ye come to the place of publick worship if it be a while a beginning be still watchful and the nearer ye come to it the more watchful for temptations will be very ready to divert or discompose there would be a frequent intermixture of ejaculatory prayers in reference to every thing requisite for attaining and intertaining this composedness 9. When publick worship beginneth study to be as Cornelius was Acts 10. present to joyn in prayer and praise to hear what God will say to receive it to l â—y it up in your hearts to be sutably affected with it and to resolve through grace to practice it for blessed are they only who hear the word and do it and this would be with delight aiming aright at the end of the Ordinances whatever they be whereof we spoke somewhat on the second Commandement 10. When the publick worship is as to its first diet closed let not your minds turn carnal but depart reverently from it chearing your selves in God fixing the convictions exhortations directions instructions c. in your mind as ye have met with them and be ruminating rather on these then beginning to gaze or discourse with others on subjects that are not spiritual and to edification 11. As soon as ye can win go in secret and seek to have these things fastned and riveted betwixt God and you and let that be your first work and let the little time that interveneth betwixt the diets of publick worship till you return be spent sutable to the day and the end of the duties thereof 12. When all the publick vvo â—ship is ended then ye would do according to the preceding tenth Direction ye would withal retire a while in secret and reflect on your carriage in publick and also see what good may be gotten of the d â—y and if there be any misses neglects or failings observed as if there be a diligent search there will no doubt be then be humbled seek pardon through Christ and resolve through grace to help these afterward consider what was said and like the noble Boreans Acts 17. put it to the tryal for your confirmation by your considering and examining the Scriptures cited or spoken of and endeavour yet more to have your hearts affected in secret with them 13. Then call your Families and come together after secret seeking of God and 1. be inquiring of one another what is remembred that all being put together ye may be helpful by your memories one to another 2. ye would do this not as if it were enough to tell over the vvords but that the Doctrines and their Uses may be fixed and ye affected vvith them Therefore 3. ye vvould do this vvith other duties of reading singing and spiritual conference as the occasion of it shall offer vvith prayer to God before and after being thus exercised till ye go again in secret to close the day as ye began 14. Duties of Charity vvould be done contributions made liberally according to our ability and relief sent to others as vve knovv their need vvhich also vvould be inquired after 15. Indeavour to have the heart in a right frame to close the day vvith reflecting on our carriage throughout it fearing to lye dovvn vvith guilt unpardoned and vvithout some special fruit of the duties of the day haste not to go to rest sooner that night then on other nights on design that you may be sooner at vvork the next day vvhich smelleth strong of vvearying of the Sabbath and of longing to have it at an end of vvhich the Lord complained of old Amos 8.5 study to lye dovvn vvith thoughts as you arose leavi â—g your selves in his arms vvith respect to the eternal Sabbath that is coming 3. When the Sabbath is past and the next day cometh cast not by all thoughts of it instantly but begin your vvork as having just novv ended the Sabbath fearing to let the relish of it vvear avvay and indeavouring in your carriage through the Week to retain the stamp and impression of it especially bevvare to go
to your Callings vvith a Sabbath dayes gu â—ltiness on you O indeavour by all means to have that removed and all the Week through have one eye to the Sabbath past and another to the Sabbath coming having still that sounding in your ears remember the Sabbath or the Lords day to keep it holy dieting your souls as it vvere all along the Week for a course of communion vvith God in the duties of the next Sabbath It vvill be novv easie to knovv vvhen this command is transgressed vvhich vvas the sixth vvay proposed of considering the sanctification of the Sabbath to vvit oppositively or negatively which is done 1. by committing any thing contrary to the rest or sanctification of it 2. by omitting any of the things which are required for the right sanctifying of it 3. by an unsutable frame of heart as to the due manner of performing any of these duties required We will find the weight of this command yet more fully by considering its reasons how it 's explicated and pressed This is done 1. by laying down the equity and extent of it v. 9.10 2. by pressing it from God's example As to the first v. 9. Six dayes shalt thou labour and do all thy work These words may be looked on 1. As an obliging concession which is indeed very liberal as if the Lord had said all dayes are mine yet I have given thee Six to do all thy work and labour that thou hast to do therefore give me the Seventh It is but a small retribution for Six to return a Seventh 2. As a restriction thou shalt do whatever work thou hast to do within the Six dayes but none of it on the Seventh 3. As a command whereby God distributeth our time and commandeth Six for our work and the Seventh for his And thus these words forbid idleness and command lawful diligence in these Six dayes which we conceive here to be implyed 1. Because God is not carving out what time we may be idle in but what time we should imploy in our own lawful works as well as in his for it cannot be thought that he giveth us Six to be idle on It must therefore be to work on seeing as our life should be taken up in doing either what more immediately concerneth our selves or what more immediately concerneth God so the scope of this command being to proportion our time betwixt these two what is allowed for either of them must imply an improving of it for that very end 2. The opposition also will confirm this These Six dayes are to be applyed to our work as the Seventh is to be applyed to Gods which is more then a permission and if the negative part be imperative in it thou shalt not work then the positive Six dayes shalt thou work may well be understood so also 3. Gods example will press it for we are to follow it not only in resting on the Seventh but also in working in the Six dayes as he did 4. Working these Six dayes cometh in as a mean to further and fit for the sanctification of the Seventh for so a man putteth by his business and has the more freedom for the rest on the Seventh whereas idleness often sinfully necessitateth to the breach of it and to a desire that it may be gone Amos 8.5 And thus idleness is reproved here and diligence commanded under one consideration to wit as the remove of the former and practise of the later do capacitate us to give God his due on his own day when it cometh Even as they are also included in the eighth Command Thou shalt not steal for as idleness becometh a snare and temptation to a man to steal and hindreth him from works of Charity and sutable diligence in the works of his lawful Calling readily preventeth the one and capacitateth for the other So is it here for it 's not unusual that the same sin and duty may be forbidden and commanded in diverse commands upon diverse considerations And this agreeth well both with the words and scope of this command And 5. according to the holy and wise oeconomy of Gods goodness our labour may be commanded to make his rest to be to us the more relishing and refreshing The tenth Verse containeth three things for explication 1. The Lords claim of the Seventh day as having reserved that to himself it 's his it 's to him and by him and for him separated from other dayes 2. A consequent flowing from this Therefore that day is not to be imployed to any of our own works no not the least No manner of work no word no thought nor deed of any such sort under whatsoever pretext beside the excepted cases 3. It 's extension as to all relations so to all ranks Parent and Child Master and Servant c. yea It 's thou for thy self and for all thou hast the oversight and charge of Sons Servants Strangers yea and Beasts not that they are capable of sanctifying a day more then the Beasts in Nineveh were of religious fasting Jonah 3. yet this sheweth what ought to be the Masters care it being for his use that Beasts are put to work God injoyneth all â—ayes of abstaining from every thing that is a mans own work on the Sabbath and will have him solemn in it In a word All within thy gates looketh not only to Masters and all in their families or within their doors but to Magistrates and Governours and all within their Jurisdiction Gates being the place of Judgment and used in Scripture to shew the extent as well as seat of power that they should see to their sanctifying of this day and the failing of any under them is their sin when they endeavour not to prevent and amend it And thus Nehemiah understood this command Neh. 13. when he put forth his power not only in contending with the native Nobles but even against Strangers for restraining them from violating this day Hence we gather 1 That idleness is a sin and that they will hardly give God his due on the Seventh day who are not diligent in the duties of some lawful calling and station for Gods honour and others good through the Six dayes of the Week and indeed this is often seen that such are lazie and careless and idle on that day passing it over even as they do other dayes without any difference at all except it be that they come to Church 2. We gather that humane whether Ecclesiastick or Civil appointment of ordinary fixed days for worship throughout the whole day beside the Sabbath will not agree with this command allowing men six for labour It 's true God might Soveraignly limit men but where he hath given liberty if it were but by concession who can restrain Concerning dayes therefore we lay down these four 1. That there can be no solemn setting apart of any day to any creature thus Saints dayes are unlawful for the Sabbath or day of rest is to the Lord and
to none other it being a peculiar piece of worship to him who hath divided time betwixt his worship and our work And although men should keep the day and alter the worship yet this is a taking of that which was once abused and never enjoyned for to apply it to God and wanteth not offence even as the retaining of other things in worship which have been abused and are not necessary is offensive 2. No man can institute any day even to the true God as a part of worship so as to bind consciences to it or to equal it with this day That is a part of Gods royal prerogative and a thing peculiar to him to sanctifie and bless a day 3. Even those dayes which are pretended to be set apart to and for God and yet not as a part of worship cannot be imposed in a constant and ordinary way as Anniversary dayes and feasts are because by an ordinary rule God hath given to man Six dayes for work except in extraordinary cases he shall please to call for some part of them again 4. Yet extraordinarily upon occasions of Humiliation or of Joy and Thanksgiving dayes for that time may be set apart for God without wronging this concession even as in extraordinary times we may work and not rest on the Sabbath day though ordinarily we may not This proportioning of time therefore is for the ordinary rule but yet admitteth of the exception of extraordinary cases 3. We gather that Masters and Parents ought to have a special oversight of their own Children and Families in the worshipping of God and that especially in reference to the sanctifying of this day and that there is a special communion in worshipping of God amongst the several relations of a Family 4. We gather that Magistrates and all who have power over others ought to see to the restraining of Vice and to the performing of outward duties particularly such as relate to the sanctification of the Sabbath as well as to abstain from and to do such and such things themselves in their own persons in and by these over whom they have power and that it 's no less scandalous and sinful for a Magistrate not to see that sin be crushed that the Sabbath be sanctified and the Ordinances of Religion be entertained and received and reverenced in and by those over whom he hath charge then if he committed such sins himself then if he discountenanced the Ordinances and brake the Sabbath himself or suffered his own family or himself to be without the worship of God Why because these are within his gates and he is to account for them He is to rule for God and their good which is mainly spiritual he is to be a terrour to evil doers as well as to be an incouragement to them that do well and men are according to their places and parts to be forth-coming for God and the good of others And yet this cannot be called a constraining or forcing of Consciences for a Magistrate or Master thus to restrain these who are under them it 's but the using of that power vvhich God hath committed to them to make men to do their duty and to abstain from dishonouring God and the punishing of them if they do other ways in vvhich respect he beareth not the Sword in vain The 2. and main reason followeth v. 11. wherein this command is three way â— pressed also 1. By Gods example who during the sp â—ce of six days wrought though he might as easily have made all in one day and rested the Seventh and not before the Seventh on which he wrought none even so it becometh men to do seeing he intended this for their imitation and for that end doth propose it here Gods rest on the Seventh is not absolute and in every respect for John 5 17. he worketh hitherto that is in the works of Providence sustaining preserving and governing the Creatures made by him and their Actions but all things needful for the perfecting of the world vvere then made and finished Whence by the way vve may gather that not only all Creatures vvere made Angels even these that since turned Devils c. but that they vvere made within the Six days of Creation vvhen Heaven Earth Sea and all that was in them was made Therefore all our works that are necessary to be done in the six working days vvould be done and ended that we may rest on the Sabbath as he did The 2. way is by his blessing of it God blessed the Sabbath day which is to be understood not simply in respect of the day vvhich is not properly capable of blessing but in respect of the true observers of it he blesseth it to them and he blesseth them in it which may be in these three 1. That the rest of that day shall not prejudg them in their weeks work but that their labour shall be therefore blessed so that they shall miss nothing by observing that day as the Lord blessed the Seventh year whereon they rested and yet notwithstanding they vvere as vvell provided as vvhen they laboured Lev. 25.20 21 22 And it 's like that if vve vvill compare such as make Conscience to sanctifie the Sabbath with others who think and seem to gain by breaking of it this will be found at the years end to be verified 2. That the Lord hath set a part that day for a Spiritual blessing and the Communication of it to his people so the Bread and Wine are blessed in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to be a mean of conveying Spiritual blessings to the worthy receivers Is. 56. and Psal. 92.3 That God vvill abundantly manifest his gracious presence and multiply his spiritual blessings that day upon it's due observers more then on other days vvherein he is also sought as there is this day a double worship both in respect of the Duty and of the day vvhereon it 's done so there shall be a double blessing beyond what is on other days in vvhich respect even prayers in and towards the Temple while it stood by divine appoin â—m â—nt as a separate place from others had a blessing beyond prayers in other places and thus Christ blessed the loaves and the few small fishes John 6. vvhen he made them by multiplication on the matter to feed far beyond their ordinary proportionableness so service on this day groweth in it's blessing hence vve may see an usual connexion betwixt Vniversal thriving in Religion Grace and Piety and suit â—ble obedience to this command in the tender sanctification of the Sabbath and withall a reason why so few make progress in godliness even little keeping holy the Sabbath as they ought The 3. way is by his hallowing it wherefore he hallowed it or sanctified it that is per modum destinandi or by vvay of appointing of it for holy uses and separating it from other days as is said The inference wherefore as to the hallowing pointeth at the reason or
end wherefore God did it to vvit that there might thereby be an excitement left to men to imitate God and that man might not only have Gods command but his example also to bind this duty on him If it be asked here vvhy God vvill have a day set apart for holy Exercises beside other days It may be answered 1. It 's meet that God be acknowledged Lord of our time by this Tribute being reserved to himself 2. Because man having but a finite understanding beside the now corruption of it cannot be intensely taken up with spiritual and heavenly things and with temporal and earthly things both at once o â— at the same instant for even Adam in innocency could not do that therefore the Lord hath graciously set apart a day for mans help in that 3. It 's to teach man that his chief end is to converse with God and to live vvith him and that he ought to care in his own affairs along the week and order things so as the Sabbath may be duly sanct â—fied vvhen it shall come in that sweet soul reposing converse with him 4. To shew man wherein his happiness consisteth it 's even in this to vvalk and converse with God and to be in his worship this i â— his rest 5. To shew the excellency of Religion and of the Works of Piety or of Gods Worship above mens Employments in earthly and worldly things It vvas a Sabbath to Adam in innocency to be abstracted from his labour for the worship of God the one is mens toyl the other is mens spiritual rest and ease far contrary to that which men in the vvorld ordinarily think and judge We see now how great and grievous a sin it is to break this command and vvith vvhat care this day should be hallowed For 1. It 's a Command of the first Table and so the breach of it is in some respect more then murther Adultery Stealing c. it 's included in the first and great Commandement 2. Amongst all the commands of the first Table yea all the commands this religious observance of the Sabbath is most forcibly pressed vvith more reasons and vvith more full and particular explication Because 1. All the commands hang some vvay on this and obedience is ordinarily given to them vvith the same readiness as this day is employed in Gods Service 2. It keepeth life as it vvere in all the rest and vvhen men are could in this so are they in all the rest 3. This tryeth men in their love to God best If indeed his company and service be more delighted in then the World And is a notable indication of the frame of the soul it maketh proof both of their state and frame as men are usually and habitually on the Sabbath so in effect are they as to these 3. No breach of any command hath more aggravations for 1. It is against reason and equity vvhen God hath given us so many and so good reasons for it 2. It 's high Ingratitude the Sabbath being a Mercy and a great Mercy indeed it is to be priviledged vvith access to converse vvith God a vvhole day of every vveek in duties of vvorship 3. It 's against Love God's Love hath instituted it and our Love should in a special manner vent it self to him on it 4. It 's cruelty against our selves for the Sabbath kept holy is backed with the promise of a special blessing and we by this sin prejudge our selves of that yea the Sabbath rightly spent is a mean both of holiness and of nearness to God of conformity to him and of communion with him it promoteth both So that it is eminently verified here that these who sin against this command â—in against and forsake their own Mercy 4. No sin doth more evidence universal untenderness and as it 's a sin in it self so it evidenceth especially when gross a very sinful and some way Atheistical frame and disposition as may be gathered from Neh. 13. Yea 5. It occasioneth and breedeth other sins it habituateth to sinning and hardneth against challenges so that men ordinarily become very gross and loose and fall in scandalous sins who neglect the sanctification of the Sabbath which is the quickner and fomenter some way of all duties and knitteth the two Tables of the Law together hence it cometh to pass that vve often hear men that have turned to be very loose gross and scandalous and some of them on Scaffolds and at Gibbets cry out of Sabbath-breaking imputing the one to the other as a main cause for by this sin men grow stout against challenges and formal in secret duties a â—d so at length sit quite up 6. No sin hath more sharp challenges for it and more sad Judgments avenging it then sins against this command have there been any men deeply challenged for sin or at death whether ordinary or violent brought to express and utter their challenges but sins against this command have been main ones The slighting of the Lords Sabbath made Jerusalem to be burnt with fire Jer. 17. last for this sin they are threatned with terrible plagues Ezek. 20.21 24. not only in temporal things v. 23. but with spiritual plagues to which they are given up v. 25.26 You know that a man was stoned for gathering of sticks on the Sabbath Numb 15. see also Exod. 16.28 and Ezek. 22.8 where the Lord accounteth Sabbath-breaking a refusing to keep his Commandements and Laws and a despising of his holy things O is it possible that a man can be well that breaketh the Sabbath or to vvhom it is not a delight If any should ask here if indeed the breaches of this command be greater sins then the br â—aches of the comm â—nds of the second Table and if so if God will be avenged on these severely For Answer premitting this one word that in comp â—ring breaches of the commands of the two Tables vve vvould compare sins of a like nature together that is sins of presumption vvith sins of presumption and sins of infirmity vvith sins of infirmity vve say that a presumptuous sin against the fourth Command if it vvere but to go unnecessarily to the door or to gather sticks is a greater sin then a presumptuous murther because it s â—riketh more immediately against God And that a sin of infirmity against the fourth command is greater then a sin of Infirmity against the sixth Yet we grant that presumptuous Murther is a greater sin then a sin of infirmity against the fourth command because presumption and high handedness in the manner of sinning in a sin little on the matter comparatively dareth God as it were and striketh immediately against him and so is an additional high aggravation of it beside vvhat it is in the nature of it And though our censures against presumptuous breaches of the Sabbath which are now as great sins as formerly as is clear from what is just now said be often more mitigated now under the
Covenant of Works t â— them and therefore it is that the Lord rejects as we may see Isaiah 1.13 66. 2. 3. Jer. 7.22 their Sacrifices and Services as not commanded b â—cause rested on by them to the â—r â—judice of Grace and contrary to the strain and scope of this Law complexly considered 4 Distinguish betwixt the Moral and Ceremonial and Judicial Law the first concerns manners and the right ordering of a Godly Conversation and because these things are of perpetual equity and r â—ctitude the obligation of this Law as to that is perpetual and therefore in the expounding of it these two terms Moral and of Perpetual Auth â—rity are all one and to be taken so 2. The Judicial Law is for r â—gulating outward Society and for Government and doth generally excepting what was peculiar to the people of Israel agree with the Moral Law this as given to them is not perpetual their policy being at an end 3. The Ceremonial Law is in Ceremonies Types and Shadows pointing at a Saviour to come this is also abrogate the substance being come but there is this difference that the Judicial Law is but M â—rt â—a dead and may where 't is thought fit with the foregoing caution be used under the New Testament but the Ceremonial Law is Mortifera deadly and cannot without falling from grace Gal. 5.2 4. be revived 5 When we speak of things Moral we are to distinguish between things Naturally Moral that is such as love to God and our Neighbour and such like which have an innate rectitude and holiness in them which cannot be separate from them and things positively Moral that have their obligation by a special positive superadded Sanction so that their rectitude flows not from the nature of the things themselves as in the former As for instance in the fourth Commandment it is naturally Moral that God should be worshipped Nature teacheth it but that he is to be worshipped on such a day particularly that comes to pass by vertue of his positive Command the first cannot be altered the second by the Lord may but till he alter it the Authority lies still on all and it is equally sin to sin against any of them though without the positive Sanction there is no obligation naturally requiring obedience in some of them 6 The sixth distinction is of the Moral Law in two Tables first and second the first contains ou â— immediate worship service and obedience to God himself and is comprehended in the first four Commandments th â— s â—cond contains our mediate obedience to God in all the duties we owe to other â— in the last six they were at first so divided by the Lord hims â—lf for there are Ten in all Deut. 4.13 From this distinction take notice 1. That all the Commandm â—nts of the second Table are of like Authority with the first God sp â—ke all these words yea as it appears from Act. 7.28 it was our Lord Jesus 2. The sins immediat â—ly aga â—nst the first Table are gre â—ter th â—n those against the second for this cause Matth. 22.38 the first is called the First and Great Commandment Ther â—fore 3. In Morals if th â—y be things of the same nature the duti â—s of the second Table cede and give place to the duties of the first Table when th â—y cannot stand together as in the case of love to God and the exercise of love to our Father and Neighbour Luke 14.26 Matth. 10.37 wh â—n obedience to God and obedience to our Superiours cannot consis â— we are to obey God rather than man Act 4.19 and we are to love the Lord and hate Father and Moth â—r Luke 14. â—6 4. Y â—t take notice that Ceremonials or positives of the first Table for a time cede and give place to Morals in the second as fo â—â—elieving or pr â—s â—rving our Neighbours life in hazard we may trav â—l on the Sabbath day according to that Scriptur â— I will h â—ve M â—rcy and not Sacrifice â— and the Sabbath was made fo â— man and not man for the Sabbath c. 7 The seventh distinction which is ordinary is of the Commandments into affirmative and negative as ye see all the Commandments in the first T â—ble are negatively set down â—orbidding sin directly Th â—â— shalt not have an other gods c only the fourth is both negative and â—ffirmative â—orbidding sin and commanding duty directly as also the fi â—th only which is the first of the s â—cond T â—ble is affi â—mative all the r â—st are negative This disti â—ction is not so to be understood as if nothing were commanded or injoyned in negative Pr â—c â—pts or as i â— nothing were fo â—bidden in affirmative Pr â—c â—pts â—or whatever be expr â—ss â—d as forbidden the co â—â—â—ary is always in ply â—d as command â—d and whatsoever is expr â—sly commanded the contr â—ry is always imp â—yed as forbidden b â—t the disti â—ction is taken from the manner of setting them down conc â—rning which take th â—s â— Rules or G â—neral Obs â—rvations for your better understanding many wher â—o â— are in the larger Cat â—chisme 1 Howev â—r the Commandments be expressed affirmatively or negatively every one of them hath two parts one affirmative implyed in negative Precepts requiring the duties that are contr â—ry to the si â—s forbidden another negative implyed in the affirmative Precepts forbidding the sins that are contrary to the duties commanded as for example the third Comm â—ndme â—t Thou shalt n â—t take the Name of the Lord thy God in v â—in it implies a Command reverently to use his Name So to remember to keep Holy the Sabbath d â—y implies a Prohibition of prophaning it in which sense all the Commandments may in some respect be called negative and so a part of the fourth Commandment is neg â—tively expressed Th â—u shalt do no work or affirmative in which respect Christ c â—mprehendeth all the neg â—tiv â—s under these two great affirmative Commandments of love to God and our Neighbour for every Commandment doth both â—njoyn and forbid the like may be said of promises and threatnings there b â—ing in every promise a threatning and in ev â—ry threatning a promise conditionally implyed And this may be a reason why some Commandments are negatively expressed some positively to shew us that both are comprehended 2 Though the positive Commandmen â— or the positive p â—rt of the Commandment be of alike force and Authority with the negative as to the obligation it layeth on us to duty yet it doth not tye us to all occasions and times as negatives do Hence is that common Maxim that affirmative Commands tye and oblige semper ever that is they never want their Authority and we are never absolved from their obedience but they do not oblige and tye ad semper that is in all differences of time we are not tyed to
spirit Gal. 5.16 and so praying and praising which this Law calls for is praying and praising in the spirit 1 Cor. 14. v. 14 15 16. 6 A sixth Rule is that beside the duty expressed there is more implyed in the affirmative Commands and beside the sin pitched on there is more forbidden in the negative Precepts even all duties and sins of these kinds in whatsoever degree As for example in the affirmative Commands 1. Where the duty is commanded all the means that may further it are commanded likewise Hence under care to preserve our Brother Levit. 19.17 18. it is commanded that we should reprove him c. 2. Where any thing is commanded as a duty all duties of that kind are commanded as keeping holy the Lords Day is commanded in the fourth Commandment there hearing praying watchfulness all the Week over and all things belonging unto the Worship of God that day such as Tythes that is maintenance for a Ministry calling of fit Ministers building Churches c. are required though they be not all duties of that day 3. Where a duty is required the owning and suitable avowing of that duty is required also and so believing in God and the profession of Faith are required in the same Commandment Rom. 10.10 4. Where the duty of one Relation is required as of Childrens subjection there is required the duty of the other Relation as of Parents yea and also of all under that name Again in negative Precepts observe 1. Where great sins are forbidden all the lesser of that sort are forbidden also as under Adultery Murder and Idolatry all light obscene Whorish words wanton looks unchaste thoughts revenge rash anger worldly affections c. are forbidden and they are comprehended and prohibited under the grossest terms to make them the more detestable odious and dreadful 2. All means that may prevent these sins are commanded and all snares or occasions or incitements to them are prohibited 3. Where any sin is forbidden there the least scandal about it or the least appearance of the guilt of committing it is forbidden also for God will have his people holy and shining in holiness unspotted and without scandal and abst â—ining not only from all evil but from all appearance of it 1 Thess. 5.22 4. We are not only forbidden the committing of such sins our selves delighting in them and inclining to them but accounting light or little of them in others yea we are commanded and ought to mourn for them when committed by them 7 The seventh Rule is whatever duty lies upon others we are commanded in our places to further them in it as Masters are to further their Servants Husbands their Wives one Neighbour another by advice direction incouragement prayer and other helps as in the fourth Commandment is clear where the Servants duty and the Strangers is imposed on the Master and whatever sin is discharged in our selves we are discharged any manner of way to partake in the same with others whether by advice example connivance ministring occasion or by sporting and laughing at it in them for so the Rule is 1 Tim. 5.22 Keep thy self pure partake not of other mens sins Men may be free themselves as to their own personal breaches and yet highly partake of others breaches of the Law 8 The breach of one Commandment virtually breaks all there is such a connexion and linking together of the Commandments that if the Authority of God be slighted in one it is so in all Jam. 2.10 1 John 4.20 9 One thing may in divers respects as an end or means be commanded or forbidden in many yea in all the Commandments as ignorance and drunkenness are because they disable for all duties and dispose to all sins Of this kind is idleness also and so knowledge sobriety watchfulness c. are commanded in all the Commandments for without these men are unfitted and incapacitated for performing any commanded duty 10 The tenth and last Rule is the Law is holy just and good therefore the least motion against it or discontentment with it is sin Rom. 7.12 In sum take these few watch-words concerning the obligation of the Law 1 That it obligeth to all duties and to all sorts of duties publick private to God to others and to our selves and that words actions gestures yea thoughts and the least motions of the heart come under its obligation his Commandment is exceeding broad so that there is nothing so little but it ought to be ruled by this Word and that in all persons of all Ranks whether as to doing or suffering 2 That it obligeth to the right manner of duties as well as to the matter and to every thing that belongeth to duties and thus in its true extent it reacheth to the forbidding of all the sins that are contrary to duties commanded 3 That it obligeth the whole man the outward in deeds words gestures and appearances or shews the inward in the understanding will affections memory conscience and so it requires that the mind will and whole nature be sanctified and conform to all these Commands 5 That it obligeth to obedience in all these always and in the highest degree so that the least disconformity in habit or act is a transgression the obedience it requires is perfect in all these respects that not only there must be no breach of any of these Commands directly much less a continuance in a breach but that also 1. There must be no appearance of breaking them 1 Thes. 3.2 â— 2. There must be no consent to break them though it come not forth to act Matth. 5.28 There must be no casting our selves in the way of any temptation or snare whereby we may be inticed or occasioned to speak so to break them as Dauid was by his looking on a woman 2 Sam 11.2 which Job guards against Job 31. v. 1 4. there must be no corrupt motion affection or inclination to evil even where it gets not assent there must be no tickling of delight in the thing though the heart dare not consent to act it nor any discontentment with the restraint that keepeth from such a thing or secret wishing that such a thing were lawful but on the contrary we must account every commanded thing right Psalm 119.128 5 The involuntary motions of the mind which never get assent to any of these evils nor are delighted in yet even these are prohibited by this Law because they flow from a corrupt Fountain and are the Evidences of disconformity to Gods Image in our nature and they ought not so much as to be in us Hence doth the Apostle complain of lust Rom. 7. though resisted by him 6 It reacheth not only to streams of actual corruption but to the Fountain of original sin whereby we entertain within us the seed and incentives unto actual evils that contradict this holy Law By all which we may see what holiness it calls for and how often if we were examined in all the Commands by
these Rules â— we would be found defective and faulty and what matter of humiliation and repentance we may have for what is past and what challenges we may have hereafter from this Law with what need of continual applications to the Blood of Sprinkling and of Washings in that open Fountain to the House of David and Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness and what need of endeavours to have our steps ordered more exactly according to it Before we close the Preface I shall first add two distinctions more then two more Rules 3. Give you some Scriptures for your memories cause 4. Give some directions or helps to those who make conscience to study this Law 5. Answer and clear a special case 1 Then ye would distinguish betwixt this Law as given to Adam and as given to Israel for as given to him it was a Covenant of Works but as given to them it 's a Covenant of Grace and so from us now it calls for Gospel-duties as Faith in Christ 1 Tim. 1.5 Repentance Hope in God c. and although it call for legal duties yet in a Gospel-manner therefore we are in the first Commandment commanded to have God for our God which cannot be by sinners obeyed but in Christ Jesus the Covenant of Works being broken and the tye of Friendship thereby between God and Man made void so that now men as to that Covenant are without God in the world and without Christ and the Promises Ephes. 2.12 13. And so our having God for our God which is pointed at in the Preface to the Commandments and Christ for our Saviour and closing with his Righteousness and the Promises of the Covenant which are all Yea and Amen in him must go together 2 Distinguish betwixt the divers Administrations of the Covenant of Grace and of the Law in respect of Positives falling under the second Commandment for that Commandment tyed the Israelites before Christ to Circumcision Sacrifices the seventh day of the Week and other Ceremonies agreeable to the Administration of the Law and Covenant of Grace then but now it forbiddeth them to us and requireth other duties for the Priesthood being changed there is of necessity a change also of the Laws belonging thereto yet that Commandment as a part of the Moral Law doth perpetually oblige and tye to worship God and none other and that according to the manner which he prescribes Next unto the Rules already laid down for the better understanding of the Commandments we add two more The first is that the Commandments are so to be expounded as that none of them may contradict another that is there is nothing commanded in one that is forbidden in another or contrary one duty doth not justle with nor thrust out another but they differ only and then two duties coming together in that case one of them ceaseth to be a duty for that time as is said in that distinction of affirmative and negative Commands The second Rule is that all these Commandments bind and call for obedience from men according to their places and other qualifications and circumstances The fifth Commandment calleth for one thing from a Magistrate another from a Subject a Magistrate is to edifie one way a Minister another a private Christian another a Servant is one way to reprove his Fellow-servant a Master another way The Law requires more from a man of parts power and riches than from another as to exercise and improvement of these gifts The Law being just has in it a proportionableness to places parts c. and sets bounds to stations but alters them not nor confounds them 3 For the help of your memories and that ye may have these Rules more obvious ye may draw them all under these five Scriptures The first Scripture is Psal. 119. v. 96. Thy Commandment is exceeding broad which though it be more extensive in its meaning yet it doth certainly include this Law which in an especial way is the Commandment and in the sense and comprehensive meaning thereof is exceeding broad for it takes in the fulness and extent of the whole Law in its obligation as to all things persons and duties of all sorts The second Scripture is Rom. 7.14 which speaks to the Spirituality of the Law in the obedience which it calleth for the Law is Spiritual The third Scripture is Rom. 7.12 which speaks the perfection of its nature the Law is Just therefore fretting against what it commandeth or wishing it were otherwise is a breach thereof It is holy therefore to be disconformable unto it is to be unholy it 's good and therefore it ought to be loved and delighted in The fourth Scripture is 1 Tim. 1.5 and it speaketh the great end of the Law The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned which threefold End speaketh out the absolute purity and holiness called for in our love to God and others so as to have a good conscience in this before God all which must slow from unfeigned Faith without presumption resting on Jesus Christ who is in this sense the end of the Law The fifth Scripture is 1 Tim. 1.8 The Law is good if a man use it lawfully and this guards against abusing of the Law and putteth us to the lawful use of it There are extreams in abusing the Law as 1. When it is used to seek Righteousness by it Again 2. When the Authority of it is pretended for something it Warrants not such as the Traditions of the Fathers Mat. 15. seeking of Salvation by the observation of Circumcision c. 3. When its Authority in practise is denied 4. When it is turned from practise to vain speculations and questions 5. When it is so used as it deters and scares from Christ 6. When it is so made use of as it oppresses and discourages a Believer for whose sake 1 T â—â— 1.19 it was never made or appointed as to its threatnings and condemning Power And lastly in a word when it is not used to the ends and in the manner expressed in the former Scriptures Fourthly Because the study of this Law is so singularly useful we not only press and commend it but add further some few directions whereby we may be helped rightly to use it and to guard against the abuse of it in our hearing and reading of it 1 The first direction is ye would look on it as God's Word and take it as if ye heard himself from Sinai pronounce it that so ye may tremble and be more affected with holy fear when ever ye read hear it or meditate upon it for so was the people affected when it was first promulgate 2 Be much in prayer for grace to take up its meaning David Psal. 119.18 c. prayed often for this and thought it not unbecoming a King yea a believing King and a Prophet to study this Law and pray much for opened eyes to understand the
hear in their sleep yet they are bound not to Murder nor commit Adultery c. in their sleep and the more renewed and holy Christians are in their ordinary walk so are they in their dreams and even in this sanctified persons differ from unrenewed ones 6 The sixth Argument is this we suppose these grounds that prove involuntary lust in the first motions thereof and before they can come to consent to be sin will infer these motions in sleeping men of which we speak to be sinful also For 1. Though these motions of lust be involuntary and weaken not the deliberate use of Reason more than the other And 2. Though they be in the Regenerate wr â—stled against and not approved more than the other yet because these are not according to reason though not brought forth by it and not answerable to that simple purity and Angelick holiness which should be in man and it is hard to imagine the most passing motions of lust running never so swiftly through us not to leave behind them some dreg of defilement by reason of our corruption that sideth still in less or more with temptation which cannot be said of sins objected by the Tempter to our Lord and such lusts or motions of lust have still by the Orthodox according to Paul's Doctrine Rom. 7. been thought sinful upon the foresaid reasons and we see not but these same reasons will hold here Lastly we add that generally the Consciences of the Godly look on this kind of practices although committed in sleep with horrour and no reasoning or disputing will truly quiet them till they be humbled before â—od under them and yet they use not to be so troubled in other things that are meerly Ceremonial How doth Augustine complain of this yea confess and lament it Conf â—ss lib. 1 â— cap. 30. though elsewhere he accounts it no sin yet he crys out of it and that he thought it a mercy that he had not done what in sl â—ep he consented to act reperimus nos non fecisse d â—leamus t â—men quoquo m â—do in nobis factum fuisse It grieves him that it should be any way done in him and he agreeth it thus that he had not always rejected these as sometimes he had done And do not the Godly sometimes in their sl â—ep make opposition to th â—se motions and how often do they in prayer wrestle against this evil and that as I conceive from another apprehension of it than simply because of any punishment or a â—â—liction that is in it for many things more af â—licting do not so affect them and yet even these know the reasons that are made use of against the sinfulness of it which maketh me think there is something directly against Conscience and Purity in these sinful actions or motions To conclude sure we are this Opinion is not unsuitable to the end of the Law and that absolute Purity and Angeli â—al Holiness God calleth for in it namely that not only when we are awake we are to be still with him but that our sleep should not break our Communion with him And certainly it is most safe for man to humble himself under the s â—ns â— of his sinf â—l nature and the sad necessity of sinning both waking and sleeping he hath brought on himself that th â—r â—by he may the better press on himself the necessity of a Mediator for Righ â—eousness which are the great ends and uses of the Law We come now more particularly to the words which the Lord himself spoke concerning the number of these Commandments and general scope of them as hath been said there is no question but there be four things we would sp â—ak a little to for further clearing of the Text b â—fore we come to speak particularly to the first Commandment The first is whether these words I am the Lord thy God c. be a part of the first Commandment or a Preface to all the T â—n Ans. We think it is a ground laid down for pressing and drawing sorth our obedience to all the Commandments yet it hath relation more especially to the first Commandment as the negative expression there cleareth which is Thou shalt have no other gods before me that is no other than Me what Me even Me the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt So then there is a special relation betwixt this Commandment and the Preface as including the positive part of this negative Commandment and it doth especially clear these three things 1 What is the right object of worship it is Jehova Elohim the Lord that sheweth the Unity of the Divine Essence for so Jehovah being a word in the singular number is ordinarily look't on as pointing out this then Elohim which is a word in the plural number speaketh the plurality of Persons in the God-head so that the Lord commanding and requiring obedience here is one God and three Persons 2 It cleareth what is the right Channel in which our service should run it is in the Channel of the Covenant our obedience is to be directed not to God abstractly considered but to God as our God I am the Lord thy God saith he and thy God by Covenant so the expression is Deut 28.58 That thou mayst fear this glori â—us and fearful Name THE LORD THY GOD. This maketh our service and worship sweet and kindly and without this relation there can be no acceptable service performed by sinful man to God and that relation that by the Covenant of Works once stood betwixt them being broken it saith it must be made up again which only can be done in Christ and it saith also that this relation to God in him and obedience to the Law can consist well together 3 It cleareth what is the right and great motive of obedience to wit the benefit of Redemption love and thankfulness upon that account constraining to the performing of these duties that are commanded that they may be done willingly and in a chearful manner Secondly It may be asked why the second Commandment and the fourth Commandment have reasons pressing obedience annexed to them which none of the other hath at least expresly set down by the Lord Ans. This may be a reason because all the other Commandments are by the Law of Nature determined in mens Consciences and the sins against them are by Natures Light seen to be evil but the substance of these two to wit what way he will be worshipped in externals and on what day as the solemn time of worship being determined by Gods positive Law they are not so impressed on mens Consciences as the duties required in the other Commandments are therefore the Lord addeth reasons to â—ach of these to perswade to the obedience of them as to the second I am a jealou â— God and therefore will not admit of any the least appearance of declining from me even in externals and to the fourth keep the
our Prayers 12. Not having recourse by Faith to the Blood of sprinkling for pardon of these sinful defects We are to consider how men break this Command in Praise and Thanksgiving And here there is failing in general 1. In the utter neglect of this necessary duty alasse what of that duty do we in secret and yet it is singularly for Gods honour and as clear a duty as Prayer 2. In mocking praise often by prophaning Psalms for our carnal mirth 3. In neglecting and slighting of it though not altogether yet by unfrequent going about it 4. In accounting it to be almost no duty at all and in being but little challenged for slighting of it or for irreverent using of it 2dly We sin before we go about this duty 1. In not preparing for it 2. In not praying for the Spirit to fit and enable us to Praise 1 Cor. 14.15 and for a fixed heart for that work Psal. 108.1 3. In our not ayming at a spiritual disposition for such a spiritual duty 4. In our not endeavouring for a right impression of the Majesty of God And 5. For clearness of our interest in him And 6. For an impression of the excellency of his way and meaning of his word all which are exceeding necessary unto the right performance of this duty and without them we cannot Praise sutably 3dly We are guilty of many faults in the time of praising 1. Doing it without respect to Gods glory and for the fashion only 2. Hypocrisie not praising him with the whole heart performing it only with the lips when the heart is away 3. Ignorance when we want understanding of the words we express 4. No sutable impression of Gods greatness and goodness upon our hearts when we praise 5. Not ayming at Communion with God in this duty as desiring minding and hoping to praise him for ever 6. Not being taken up with Spiritual and Heavenly delight in him and in the work of his praise 7. Lightness laughing or mainly affecting of and carnally doting upon some tone or voyce more than being sutably affected with the matter and making melody in the heart to the Lord. 8. Forgetting what we do sing and not knowing or considering what it is we sing the heart not being present nor fixed 9. Not being constrained by love to praise but some custome or natural Conscience constraining us to it 10. Not offering up our praises in and through Christ Jesus H â—b 13. v. 15. 11. Soon satisfied in our praising as if we were little troubled to be fitted for it and because little of our selves lyeth in it we are the less careful how we discharge it but stint and limit our selves to some certain customary matter which puts us to few prayers before and makes but few challenges after 12. Not intermixing ejaculatory prayers in our praisings 13. Much Hypocrisie when we sing the cases of others or their thoughts and estimation of God and study not to be something-like their frame and exercise 14. Not framing our affections in praising to the subject of our praise whether it be some sad case or some chearful condition or some Historical or Prophetical subject and when imprecations are a part of the Song we soon fall off or praise one and the same way in all 15. Not serious in blessing God for former mercies to his Servants if it be not so well with us in the mean time nor chearfully acknowledging his former deliverances of his Church and people in which we have not personally shared 16. Not being affected with his keeping of us free of many sad cases we sing and others have been in nor blessing him for delivering them 17. Not letting the Word of the Lord which we sing sink down in us for engaging our hearts to and chearing our spirits in good 18. Not assenting to and giving him glory in the acknowledgment of the justness of his severest threatnings and the most fearful Scripture-Imprecations 19. Not rightly observing those things that are the subject-matter of Scripture Songs so as to put a difference between some things we are to tremble and scare at such as the falls of the Saints and other things which we are to imitate and follow for our edification 20. Gadding in idle looks so that some scarce look on their books although they can read that they may the better have the sense of what they sing 21. Not putting a difference betwixt praying a Petition that is in a Psalm and singing of it which should have a sweetness with it that may incourage us to pray for and expect what others before us have obtained 22. Wanting such considerations about the matter sung when it suits not our present case as may sutably affect us and fit us to glorifie God in that duty as when we sing of the eminent holiness of some of the Saints we are to bless him that ever any was so holy whatever be our sinfulness and that we have hope of pardon though under many failings and much unlikeliness to that case we sing 23. Not singing with the voyce at all although the tongue be given us as our Glory that we may therewith thus glorifie God 4thly After we have been about this duty of praise we sin 1. By falling immediatly into a carnal frame 2. Not looking back or examining when we have done how we carryed it in praising God 3. Few challenges for our many failings in praise 4. Little Repentance for those failings 5. Not keeping the heart right for a new opportunity of praise 6. Not keeping a record of his mercies in our memories and upon our hearts to engage us to praise him 7. Not walking in the exercise of love which would sweetly constrain us to this duty and make us delight in it These are but a few of the many Iniquities that are to be found in our holy things Exod. 28.38 It s good we have a High Priest to bear them O what if all our sins were reckoned how hainous would they be what a summ will they come to if our performances of holy duties have so many sins in them and when the sins of a Sabbath are counted how many will they be hundreds of divers sorts in praying hearing and praising and multiply these to every loose thought and every declining or wavering of the heart how many times may they be multiplyed ah how many unholy words do we let slip and then consider all the Sabbaths and Sermons Prayers and Praises we have had how many hundred thousands will they amount to It is sad that men should lye under all these with few or no challenges or without minding repentance or thinking of the necessity of employing the High Priest for doing them away therefore we should accept these challenges give Him employment who only can bear the Iniquity of our holy things If this bring not down self Righteousn â—ss and convince you of the necessity of a Mediatour w â—at will do it We shall proceed
those of our Family or Charge observant of it 21. By not abstaining from the Marriage Bed 1 Cor. 7.5 3d. We sin after Fasting 1st Soon returning to other thoughts 2. Letting any frame we had attained slack and wear out 3. Forgetting our Confessions and Engagements and falling to former Sins and neglecting these Duties to which we have engaged 4. Being rigid with others we have to doe with 5. Not insisting in Prayer for those things we aimed at in Fasting 6. Not trying and observing if any thing we prayed for hath been obtained 7. Not Reflecting upon our carriage in it that we may know how it was discharged 8. Not humbled under our many short-comings and failings in it 9. Glad when it was done because that Restraint is taken off our carnal Humours 10. Sitting down and resting on that we have done as if all were done 11. Thinking our selves something better by our Outward performance 12. Being vain of it if it be well to our Sense 13. Being unwatchful after it and not studying suitableness in our following carriage so that it is but the hanging down of the Head for a day These Particulars applyed to our own Hearts may be useful for our Conviction and Humiliation Ah! Who can say I am Clean All of us are Guilty either by neglecting such Duties or by thus and thus going about them unsuitably from those Sins we may read also the contrary Duties or Qualifictiaons that are required for the right discharge of these Duties The preventing of these Sins will bring in the Duties called for and the right manner of going about them Otherwise the going about these Duties without the manner requisite is but as it were the making of some Image for our selves in the Lords Worship which he has not commanded and so he may say Is it such a Fast that I have chosen Isaiah 58. 5. or Is it such a Prayer I called for and Who hath required these things at your Hands Isa. 1.12 These Questions which the Lord putteth to our Conscience will make many Prayers and Praises and much Worship that now seemeth to be in great Bings or Heaps come down to a smal bulk when they are thus fanned sisted and searched by this Seive and all those things casten which are found to be Breaches of this Command We come now to the manner how this Command is pr â—ssed which is 1st By a Reason 2d By a Commination 3d. By a Promise All which speak a readiness in men to fail in this Command and a special notice that God taketh of the Duties required in it and of the Sins forbidden in it Men might readily say What needeth so much Rigidity in the manner of Worship and If it be to the true God though it have in it some mixture of those things which have been formerly abused it is not much to be stood upon The Lord therefore in pressing it addeth this Reason I am a Jealous God saith he that will not onely have my Church and Spouse Honest and Chast indeed but Chast-like As Caesar said His Wife behoved not onely to abstain from all Dishonesty but from all Suspicious Carriage Even so will the Lord have his People carry it so to him as a Wife should carry to a Jealous Husband with such Circumspection as he may not have any occasion of Suspicion Jealousie here implyeth two things 1. A Facility or Aptness as it were to suspect any thing which may look like a giving that to any other which is due to God So a Husband is said to be Jealous when he is apt to suspect want of Love in his Wife and is ready to gather from every Circumstance her Inclination to another even though there be no palpably Demonstrative Ground of it Thus Jealousie is taken amongst Men. 2. It importeth a severe Indignation against every thing which giveth Ground of Suspition it cannot abide that Hence Jealousie is called The Rage of a Man Prov. 6.38 This Wrong will not be endured when many others will be dispensed with Any thing that seemingly slighteth Him or inclineth the Heart to another is to Jealousie insufferable These two after the manner of men as many other things are applyed to God to shew that he will not admit that which is Suspicious-like in His service but if his People depart from him in deviating in the least from the Rule given He will be provoked to be avenged on them for it This is the force of the Reason The Commination or Threatning added confirmeth this it is in these Words Visiting the Iniquities of the Fathers on the Children To Visit here is To punish the Children for the Fathers Faults though God should seem for the time to forget the Breaches of this Command and not to take notice of Corruptions introduced by men in his Worship yet saith he I will Visit or revenge that Iniquity not only upon the present Race but upon the following even Vpon the Third and Fourth Generation For clearing this let us see First What is the Punishment here threatned 2. On whom it is Upon the Children of them that transgress this Command 3. How it is executed 4. Why the Lord doth so That we may vindicate this place and clear it from Appearance of Contradiction with that in Ezekiel 18. Where it is said The Son shall not bear the Iniquity of his Father The First Question then is What it is that is here Threatned Answ. We doe not think that this place speaketh only of Temporal Punishments and that of Ezekiel of Eternal For the Scope of both will contradict this for that passage Ezek. 18. is occasioned from the Peoples present straits and speaketh directly of Temporal Judgements so that Distinction will not clear this seeming Contradiction Therefore we conceive here to be understood mainly Spiritual and Eternal Evils which God threatneth to the Children of Wicked Parents For that Temporal Judgements follow them and are included in the Threatning there is no question This will be clear 1st By considering that the thing threatned here is that punishment which the Breach of or Iniquity committed against this Command or other Commands deserveth yea it is the Punishment that sinful Parents deserve he Visiteth the Iniquities of the Fathers on the Children c. But that which the Breach of this Law or which the Parents Guilt deserveth is Eternal Judgement and not Temporal only Ergo. 2. The thing threatned here is proportionally of the same Nature with the thing promised afterward the one being opposite to the other But it were a wronging of Gods Mercy to his People to say that his Mercy only looketh to Temporal Benefits Ergo this Threatning must also look unto and comprehend Eternal Plagues 3. The Scope may clear it which is To restrain Parents from the Sins here forbidden because by such Sins they bring Wrath not only on themselves but on their Posterity after them even when they are gone as ye have it Jer. 32.18 Now
thing sworn according to the Oath These are direct Perjuries More largely again a man may be said to forswear himself 1. When he sweareth to perform a thing which is simply impossibly especially while he knoweth it to be so For as the former is not a swearing in Judgement and Truth so this is a prophane and wicked swearing against Light and Judgement of a manifest Lye and Falshood So that betwixt his Promise to perform such a thing and the performance there is implyed a Contradiction As for one to swear to be to Morrow at Rome who is to day at Glasgow the very swearing is forswearing 2. When one sweareth an Unlawful or Wicked thing or confirmeth it with an Oath like those Forty that swore to kill Paul especially if that oath be contrary to some Duty which lyeth formerly by Oath on the Person swearing For that is not to swear in Righteousness and Justic ◠Beside that it draweth on a necessity either of breaking that Oath and so of being perjured or of going on to fulfil it and so of being doubly perjured 3. Men are Forsworn and Perjured when they fulfil a Wicked Oath as Herod did Mat. 14 in beheading John the Baptist for though he seemed not to over-turne and make void his own Oath but to keep it Yet this as also the former over turneth and maketh void the Scope and Nature of an Oath in General and is a plain Contradiction to it and maketh an Oath which should be Vinculu ◠Aequitatis a Bond of Aequity there being Nulla Obligatio But ad Officium no Obligation but to Duty to be Vinculum Iniquitatis a Bond of Iniquity And so thwarteth with the very end wherefore such Oath 's are appointed In which respect David did better in not Executing his Rash Oath but keeping the General Scope of all Oaths when he refused not to harken to Abigail's Counsel even to the Non-performance of what he had sworn It may be Questioned here Whether one man may be accessary to anothers Perjury if he constrain him to swear of whom he hath a suspition that he will forswear Answ. Distinguish 1. The matter in which if it be of Grave Concernment or of little Moment 2 Distinguish betwixt the Publickness and Privacy of it 3. Distinguish betwixt Parties as betwixt a Judge who is to decide and a Party that is the Pursuer We say then 1. A Party pursuing in a Particular of his own Concernment especially if it be of no great Concernment may Yea should forbear pressing such a Person to swear both for sparing the Party and for respect to the Name of God since he can hardly in this Case be very hopeful to gain by it 2. We say notwithstanding in some Cases that the Judg may admit such to swear especially in Publick Scandals 1. Because none can certainly know but God may constrain them to swear Truth 2. Because it is his way left to decide all Controversies and a Judge cannot eschew it when it lyeth on him to put a close to such a Controversie at which he cannot win by any other means though great Prudence is to be used in proceeding in such a case especially it being of that Nature as is in Scripture appointed to be decided by Oath as Exod. 22.17 The great question is concerning a promissory Oath if in any case it may be made void and cease to oblige or in what cases that may be That every Oath bindeth not according to the Letter we suppose needeth no reasons to clear and confirm it There are two ways in general how the obligation of an Oath promissory ceaseth 1. When the Oath it self is null and never had any obligation 2. When by some other thing intervening there is a loosing from the obligation which the Oath once had That it may be clear that notwithstanding of this Oaths are of a most strict Obligation having the great and dreadful Name of God interposed in them and that many things what-ever weight be layed on them by men that way do not loose from it such as these following which we shall put by in the first place 1. No mans temporal loss in Goods Name or Estate will loose him from his Oath nor make it null and voyd Psal. 15. ult 12. that our ingagement by Oath is to somthing of its own nature indifferent will not loose us though there be here no other tye upon us to the thing and that without the Oath we were free yet the Oath once engaged in will tye us as is clear from that same 15th Psal. For an Oath is of its own nature Obligatory and according to Numb 31. Persons at their own dispose must do even in such cases as they have bound their Souls 3. Though we were engaged in the Oath by the deceit and guile of others the deceit being circumstantial only yet if the thing be not sinful it bindeth us as is clear in that Oath to the Gibeonites wherein the deceit was such 4. Though by fear or violence the Oath hath been extorted yet the matter being lawful it bindeth because of the honour of God's Name interposed 5. Though it was sinful as to the manner and rashly made at first as that with the Gibeonites was yet is it binding if lawful in the matter there being a great difference betwixt juramentum illicitum an Oath unlawfully come under as to its manner and juramentum de Re illicitâ an Oath in an unlawful matter 6. Though we could devise and find out some interpretation or meaning of the words of the Oath that might seem to make for loosing us from its obligation yet if that was not meaned at the first tendering of the Oath but otherwise understood by him that did take it it will not absolve nor excuse from the guilt of Perjury To put afterwards a new gloss on it because an Oath is stricti juris and will not admit for any respect nor on any account of interpretations prejudicial to the native truth of it lest it should be found to be according to Psal. 24. a Swearing deceitfully 7. Though there may be a good meaning and intention in reversing the Oath and going cross to it men not doing so for a particular end of their own but for a publick good as is supposed yet that will not absolve from the obligation of the Oath nor from the guilt of Perjury as is clear in God's punishing Saul's Family for breaking that Oath with the Gibeonits even though he did it out of his Zeal to the Children of Israel and Judah as the Scripture expresly affirmeth 2 Sam. 21.2 8. Though the Oath be conceived by a Creature as at least the immediate object of it and so sinfully made in that respect yet being made it tyeth from respect due to God who shineth in his Creatures Math. 23.19 20 21. 9. Though the thing become impossible if that impossibility might have been prevented by our searching our selves as far as in
and Physical principle the Moral is Conscience and not Custome which falleth in with the end the Physical is the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. No man calleth Jesus Lord but by the Holy Ghost 2. A renewed heart thus Duties must be done with the spirit as well as with the understanding 3. Sincerity as to the exercise even of the natural faculties Thus what ever unrenewed men speak in Duty without the Spirits influence and exercise of grace they make themselves guilty in it and when they say what in sincerity they think not 3. It is necessary that that principle act in the right manner that is 1. Sincerely Josh. 24.14 2. In fear and reverence Eccl. 5.1 2. 3. With faith and respect to Jesus Christ Heb. 11.6 4. With Judgment and understanding To speak of him not knowing what we say or to whom we speak wrongeth him thus ignorant passionate rash irreverent and inadvertent mentioning of God or medling with any Ordinance or Duty wrongeth him and is a bringing of vain oblations which he expresly forbiddeth Esa. 1.13 4. When ever we make mention of God we should study to be in case to mention him as ours as our God and Father in Christ in all ordinances and duties that is 1. Taking up our natural distance 2. Looking to Christ for removing of it 3. Resting on him and making use of him for that end 4. Delighting in the mentioning of God as ours 5. With thanksgiving and blessing when ever he is named as the Apostle often doth 5. It is required in respect of the use fruit and effect that something which is profitable may remain and stick with us according to the nature of the duty which is gone about or the way of mentioning God such as some conviction and testimony of the Conscience 1. That Gods honour 2. The edification of others in way of Instruction or Conviction or of Reproof or of comfort c. 3. My own edification and spiritual advantage or 4. My own exoneration and peace as to the performance of such a duty were in some measure of singleness aimed at and endeavoured and as there is a missing of any of these Repentance should be exercised and faith for pardon some fruit some sense some lesson some discoveries some convictions c. would be sought after to remain When these or any of these if all the rest of them can be altogether without one are wanting this command is simply broken if in part they be wanting it is comparatively more or less broken Let us then take a view in particulars 1. Look to our profession Oh! what emptiness is there much more appearance and shew than reality and substance yea what desiring to seem something rather than to be if our professions who are least in them were mett and measured by our reality O how lamentable vast a disproportion would be found the one would be quickly found much broader and longer than the other the outer-half much bagged as it were being a great deal larger than the inner even where there is most sincerity and reality 2. Look through publick duties if there be not much taking of Gods Name in vain in hearing praying praising using the Sacraments c. and if so O what a Libell might be drawn up against us from every Sabbath Prayer Sermon c. whereof we often cannot tell what fruit remaineth except it be sin guilt and hardness and therefore doubtless his Name is much taken in vain in them 3. Look through private duties in families Reading Praying Singing Conferring Catechising saying Grace or seeking a Blessing and giving thanks at Table how little regard is often had to the name of the Lord in these and how little care and pains is taken to walk by the former rules in them 4. Look through secret duties betwixt God and you how ye pray in secret before God ah often so as ye would be ashamed to pray before men how do ye Read Meditate c. in secret how do ye joyn in prayer with others which in some respect is secret God knoweth how poorly we acquit our selves in these ordinarily and how much we take his Name in vain in them 5. Look through occasional duties wherein ye have occasion to make mention of God with or to others as when upon any Emergent of providence we will say It is Gods will God hath done it God is good and merciful c. or in any particular duty of christian Communion in instructing comforting admonishing or convincing of others or debating with them how often when the Scripture and the name of God will be in our mouths in these and the matter of debate may fall to be some of his ordinances will there be but very little reverence and respect to God in our hearts 6. Consider how this sin of taking his Name in vain is fallen in by writing not only when Treatises are written but almost in every Epistle or Letter there will be found some prayer or wish for fashion-sake wherein there is but little Conscience made to have the heart joyning in it how much irreverent using of the Scripture and of Gods Name is there in writing of Letters particularly of Burial-Letters thus It h â—th pleased the Lord it hath seemed good to God it hath pleased God or the Almighty c. I am not condemning the thing simply but our way of abusing it 7. Look through accidental mentionings of God if we may say so in salutations God save you God be with you In prayers for Children evidencing rather our fondness on them thereby than our love and reverence to the Name of God for such as are in any present hazard God save for any favour curtesie or complement God bless these are good as the Apostle saith of the Law if used lawfully but they are often sinfully rashly ignorantly yea prophanely abused we having often more respect to them we speak unto than unto God I would not condemn the use of them being duties but exhort you to gard against the abuse and to use a grave reverent understanding and sensible way of expressing of them or of any thing like them 8. Consider narrations of Scripture-stories or other stories questions tales c. wherein the Name of God is mentioned and possibly when we tell them to make a sport of them and to make merry with them how often is his blessed Name taken in vain in them certainly the mentioning of his Name were often better forborn than so irreverently used 9. Consider the Usurping of Gods Attributes or of an interest in him rashly as when men confidently yet without all warrant assert God is mine I trust in his mercy sweet Christ my Saviour my Mediator Ah! how often is this which is the very Crown of grace to wit in Gods doing good and shewing mercy abused and prophaned most sinfully and shamefully There is one particular which yet remaineth to be spoken of on this Third Command which concerneth Lots Omens
be no material or Typical Temple because of the Moral things there being expressed and Prophesied of under the names of the Old-Levitical-Services yet could not a Warrant be inferr'd from them for these and that Jure Divino if the things were not Morally to bind which were so signified Hence I argue if the Sanctifying of a Sabbath as a piece of worship to God be Prophesied of to belong to the New-Testament then are we bound to the Sanctification of a Sabbath as a necessary Duty but the continuance of Sanctifying a Sabbath unto God is specially Prophesied of and foretold as a piece of worship under the New-Testament Ergo c. The third place is Matth. 24. v. 20. Pray that your flight be not in the Winter neither on the Sabbath-day where the Lord insinuateth that as Travelling is troublesome to the Body in Winter so would it be to the minds of the Godly for he is now speaking to his Disciples alone to Travel on that Day specially and solemnly set apart for God's worship now if there were no Sabbath to continue after Christs Ascension or if it were not to be Sanctified there would be no occasion of this grief and trouble that they behoved to Travel on the Sabbath and durst not tarry till that Day were by-past and so no cause to put up this Prayer which yet by our Lords Exhortation seemeth to infer that the Sabbath was to be as certain in its time as the Winter And doubtless this cannot be meaned of the Jewish-Sabbath For 1 ◠That was to be abolished shortly 2. Travelling on the Jewish-Sabbath was to be no cause of Grief unto them if indeed all dayes were alike neither would it be scrupled in such a case by the Apostles to whom he now speaketh 3. Besides if no Sabbath were to be it had been better and clearer to say Stand not and griev not to Travel any day but his words imply the just contrary that there was to be a solemn Sabbath 4. He mentioneth the Sabbath-day only and not the other Festivals of the Jews which were to be kept holy also and by this he distinguisheth the ordinary Sabbath from those other dayes and opposeth it to many as being now the only Holy day on which they should eschew if possible to Travel and would therefore pray to have it prevented for in the New-Testament the Sabbath spoken of as the solemn time for worship is ever meaned of the Weekly Sabbath and other Holy dayes are called the first or last day of the Feast and therefore if the Lords meaning were that they should pray that their flight might not be on any of the Jewish Holy dayes to mention the Weekly Sabbath only would not be sufficient for that end To say that it was for fear of scandal that they should pray not to be put to flye will not remove the former reasons besides at that time the Apostles and other Christians had given up with the Jews and stood not on scandal in such things in reference to them on whom as the Apostle faith 1 Thes. 2.16 Wrath had come to the uttermost and who were not infirm but malicious and so in respect of offence to be dealt with as the Lord did with the Pharisees and therefore all things being considered it appeareth from our Lords words that a Sabbath among Christians was to be Sanctified 40. years or there-about after his death which proveth that the Scripture mentioneth a Sabbath to be Sanctified under the New-Testament We come unto the second way of making out the Morality of this Command to wit by shewing how the Scripture speaketh of the whole Decalogue and thus we reason 1. If all the Commandments of the Decalogue be Moral then must this be so also for it is one of them and if it were not Moral and binding there would not now be Ten words as they are called by the Lord Deut. 10.4 but Nine only which at first blush will and cannot but seem strange and absurd to those who have from Gods word drunk-in that number But all these are Moral and binding as is granted by all except the Papists who deny the second and therefore score it out of their Catechisms And that they must be all alike Moral and binding may be made out these two wayes 1. All of them in the Old-Testament had alike Authority Priviledges and Prerogatives which neither the Judicial nor Ceremonial Law had as 1. To be distinctly pronounced by God himself without adding more Deut 5.22 2. To be written by His own finger in Tables of Stone Exod. 29.18 3. To be laid up and kept in the Ark Exod. 25.1 ◠And if these and other Prerogatives did put a difference and shew a difference to be put betwixt the other Nine Commands and all Judicial or Ceremonial Laws Why not betwixt them and this also 2. In the New-Testament they are all alike confirmed when the Law in general is spoken of none of them is excepted and therefore this Command is necessarily included For which we should look first to that place Matth. 5.17 Where our Lord in a special manner intendeth to vindicate the Moral Law and to press holiness in Moral Duties upon His Hearers even in another sort than the Pharisies did Think no ◠saith He That I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill Verily he that breaketh one of the least of these Commands and teacheth Men so shall be called least in the Kingdom of God c Where by Law must necessarily be understood the Moral law for he was thought to be a Transgressor of that and especially of this Command in it for that Sermon in Mathew cometh in in order after His being challenged for breach of Sabbath Joh. 5.10 c. And His scope is to wipe off that Imputation and how by shewing that He still presseth the Moral law even beyond what the Pharisies did 2. It was the Moral law especially which the Pharisie s corrupted and whereof he undertaketh the Vindication and it is Holiness in Obedience to that which he presseth as necessary beyond what the Scribes and Pharisies did and indeed it was in that law they failed mainly and not in the Ceremonial law 3. The offence and mistake that Christ is to praeoccupie and rectifie amongst His Hearers requireth this for many of them sancied that by the Messiah there should be a Relaxation from the Duties of Holiness called for in the Moral law and therefore saith He think not so now a Relaxation from some other laws might have been thought of warrantably 4. It is such a law whereof to teach the Abrogation at any time is sinful and pernicious therefore it is certainly the Moral law Secondly We reason thus when He speaketh of the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by way of eminency meaning no doubt the Decalogue He speaketh alike of all its Commandements even of the least of them and so
that they differenced the first day of the week from other days and one day 〈◊〉 special is called The Lord's-day which other days of the week are not 2. If all times be a-like simply and all making difference be there reproved then could there be no time set apart to be observed by men to the marring of that indifferency and if so then hath the Christian Church been still in a palpable gross sin for if the keeping of a day by vertue of God's Command marr that indifferency much more will the keeping of a day by mans command and so there could never be a Sabbath 3. We must therefore understand these places not as casting all days and times simply but ceremonial and Jewish days or days invented by men because the scope of the places runneth that way viz. against the bringing in of ceremonial worship as necessary which while some weak ones not yet sufficiently informed did still practise as Rom. 14. the Apostle would not have them hastily condemned in Days more than Meats yet is there still a difference betwixt Bread and Wine in the Sacrament of the Supper and other meats which this discourse of the Apostle taketh not away so is it in days And in these Epistles to the Galathians and Colossians he speaketh of days and not as would seem of the weekly Sabbath which is ordinarily called a day as taking in all the extraordinary Feasts of the Jews which is the more probable because the c â—remonial Law was pressed on them as still necessary by false Teachers or he speaketh of mere Jewish days and so of the Seventh day which they kept for it 's of such observation of days as was sinful and brake them off from Grace and the Gospel as other ceremonies did that he speaketh of but that cannot be said of all days or of keeping one day of seven Therefore this cannot be meaned there 3. Obj. The fourth Command precisely commandeth the Seventh day from the Creation to be kept but that is not moral therefore neither is the Command so Answ. This Objection goeth upon that mistake as if the very Seventh day were still commanded in it as the main sub â—tance of it which our next discourse on the true scope and meaning of the Command will clear so that if a Seventh day and not that Seventh day be commanded as the main substance of that Command that Objection falleth 2. There is a difference to be put betwixt the mandatory part of the Command and what is further added for pressing the observation of it or for ex â—plaining its meaning The precept strictly is Rememb â—r the Sabbath day to keep it holy It saith Remember the Sabbath or the Holy rest what-ever day it shall be on and so it is said in the close that He Rested the Seventh Day but that He Blessed the Sabbath Drawing it still from the Seventh precisely to the Sabbath Even as in the Second Command This is 1. commanded in special that no Image be made then 2. This in â—eneral that all Gods Commandement concerning His Worship even such as were Ceremonial for the time should be observed with what-ever others should be given So here this Fourth commandeth expresly One of the Seven because the Recurrency of that time is bounded and generally what-ever Seventh the Lord shall be pleased to pitch on We have said the more on this because it doth not only clear the true Scope of the Command but sheweth the necessity of the Observation of that time which the Lord hath â—anctified for himself 3. We should put a difference also betwixt Ceremonial and Mutable All the Judicial Laws are Mutable and the Decalogue it self in respect of it's Curse and as it was a Covenant giving Life is Actually changed and abolished Yet is not for that to be reputed Ceremonial and not Obligatory Though all Ceremonials be Mutable yet all Mutables are not Ceremonial Besides this change is not in the matter Why may not therefore the Seventh Day in Order which was observed from the Creation to the Resurrection of Christ be chainged to the First Day of the Week which is a Seventh Day in Number still without abolishing the Morality of the Fourth Command Amongst other things in this Command there is more express mention of the whole Families joyning in this Duty than is in other Commands Therefore it being a concerning-Duty to us and a special thing included in the Command we shall speak to that Point concerning Family Worship before we speak of the Second General proposed about the Particular Mor â—lity of this Command and the meaning of the Words of it that ye may see that it is no invention of Men when ye are called to it and when it is pressed upon you We shall here 1. shew you that This Command holdeth forth a Family or Domestic â— Worship 2. We shall confirm it more largely from other Scriptures and Grounds of Reason 3. We shall shew wherein it consisteth in particular and on whom it mainly lyeth to be discharged 4. We shall shew the Advantages of Conscientious discharging of it and the Prejudices of neglecting it with the Aggravations of that Sin That there is such a thing as Family-Worship included in this Command will be clear by considering 1. What Worship to â—od in general is 2. What Family-Worship is 3. What this Command requireth 1. By VVorship is understood some Tribute payed by the Reason â—ble Creature to God as the Great and Soveraign Lord Creator wh â—ther it be immediately and directly payed and performed to Him as Prayer and Praise or for Him and at His Command and for His Honour as Preaching Hearing and receiving of Sacraments which are VVorship when Rightly gone about In a word we call that VVorship more â—tr â—ctly and properly which is a Duty of the First Table and cometh in as commanded in it for the Honour of God and not for our own or others External Profit which though commanded in the Second Table cannot be so properly called VVorship much-less Immediate-Worship Thus Teaching others the Duties of Piety may be Worship when Teaching the Duties of any other ordinary calling is not 2. We call that Family-VVorship which is to be performed by such and such Relations or by all the Constituent Members of the Family joyntly And so it differeth 1. From Secret or Solitary VVorship which one performeth alone to and before God 2. From Publick Worship which one performeth by Joyning in a Congregation of many Families together 3. From that Worship performed occasionally in Mutual Fellowship amongst Believers or Professours of divers Families For 1. That may not be Ordinary as this nor so frequent 2. That is free to this or that Believer as they shall choose or as occasions do cast them to be together This is not at Choice but is necessary as to the same persons 3. This is performed by Vertue of Domestick Relations and not of Christian only 4. This may have
in secret still agree to persons in all places and Families alike but this draweth a line as it were betwixt Families and so â—ivides one Family from another yet maketh the Duty more obliging to these within such a Mans Gates or Doors than others without Doors therefore it must be joynt-worship for a-part or as concerning secret worship all are every where alike obliged 4. If by this Command something more in the worship of this day be required of a person that is a Member of a Family in reference to that Family than there is required of one who is not a Member of such a Family or is required of that person in reference to an another Family whereof he is not a Member then it requireth a distinct Family-worship for no other thing can be understood but a joynt going about the sanctifying of that day in a stricter and nearer way of Communion amongst the Members of that Family than with persons and Families in and to whom they are not so interested and related 5. If secret and publick worship were only required in this Command then should we equally and alike sanctifie the Lords day with other Families and persons not of that Family whereof we are Members for in these we joyn alike for them and with them but there is some peculiar thing required here which will not agree to be performed by all alike therefore it is Family-worship that must be here required 6. This Command requireth of Masters suppose them to be Ministers or â— Magistrates another way of Sanctifying the Sabbath and Worshipping of God in and with their Families than it doth in Reference to other Families the Command being so particular to him and to all that are within his Gates or Doors and Members of his Family speaketh this clearly But except it be joynt going about of Duties with them there can be no other thing understood to be required for 1. One may exhort another 2. All come in publick together 3. By the Masters example after the publick they all withdraw or should at least to secret exercises 4. Magistrates and Ministers may Command other Families to Sanctifie that day What is peculiar then as to their own Families but to joyn with them in Duties of Worship 7. If there were not Domestick-worship required on this day then except it were in publick Members of a Family could not converse together for they cannot converse together in doing their own works or in speaking their own words their fellowship therefore must be in exercises of worship and so that must needs be required in this Command 8. Some other thing is required by this Command of a Member of a Family which seeketh God than of a person in an Heathenish Family or some other thing is required from so many persons joyned together as Members in one Family than from such persons suppose them to be scattered from one another amongst â—eathenish Families certainly where Husband Wife Children and servants are Christians and Professors of the same true Religion there is some other thing required of them than where only the Husband the Wife the child or the servant is so but if they were scattered and became parts or Members of diverse Families among Heathens they would be obliged to seek God a-part therefore no less but much more is joynt-seeking of God required of them when they are united together as Members of one Family 9. This Command when it mentioneth all within his Gates or Doors requireth some other thing of a Master when at home with his Family than when he is withdrawn from them But a Master at a distance may Command all in his Family to worship God and pray to God for them and so may they all if they were scattered worship God secretly therefore when they are together there is some other thing required of them by this Command which is no doubt To worship God together 10. The Duties that are to be performed on this day will require this such as Instructing one another Exhorting Admonishing Comforting strengthning one another and talking to or conferring with one another of the word D â—ut 6. v. 7.8 Which cannot be denyed to be Duties called for on this day and yet they cannot be done but by joynt concurring together in that work and therefore it concludeth strongly that Family-worship at least on the Lords day is commanded here and if Families be called to worship God joyntly on the Lords day by the worship competent for that day then by proportion are they also called to worship him joyntly on other dayes by the worship suitable to them there being the like ground for all 11. And lastly that which is required of Families is such a worship as ought to be performed by them supposing there were no publick worship nor yet any other Family worshipping him in the World So Joshua resolveth Chap. 24.15 I a â—d my House will serve the Lord and Sanctifie His Sabbath that being a special piece of His service what-ever ye will do but if there were no worshipping of God in all the World but in one Family then ought that worship to be joynt according to that same word of Joshua's I and my House otherwise we behooved to say that there might be a plurality of worshippers of God in the World and yet without any joyning together in worship which were in it self absurd and contrary to Joshua's Religious Resolution It being thus made out by this Command that there is such a worship as Family-worship and that it is Commanded we shall consider in the next place how the Scriptures do otherwayes hold it out 1. Then consider that where the Scriptures speak of eminently Godly-men they speak of them as making conscience of this and take notice of their honouring of God in their Families as a special part of their eminency So Abraham Gen. 18. v. 19. Joshua 24.15 Job in the first Chapter of his Book and David Psal. 101. are noted It must then be a commanded and commendable Duty which is so particularly remarked in them 2. Ye will find it almost in all parts of Scripture as Gen. 18. Exod. 12. Deut. 6. Joshua 24. Job 1. Psal. 101. and Psal. 30. At the Dedication of Davids House which was not sure without some peculiar worship and craving of Gods blessing even as in other cases those who had builded Houses were to Dedicate them or to Consecrate them and wherefore because they were hoven in a manner and as it were offered to the Lord for seeking and worshipping Him in them So Altars Numb 7.84 were said to be Dedicated when they were set a-part for God's service and Consecrated for that use So Nehemiah 12.27 the Walls were Dedicated and the Levi â—es brought out for that end which Dedication no doubt had a Religious use Will any think that they began with Prayer or Praise as David did and left off such Exercises afterward see also 2 Sam. 6.20 where mention is
see that these families where religious Worship is are generally more civil at least than other families where it is not and that the children and servants of such families readily profit most are most countenanced by Gods blessing and are in greatest capacity to get good of the publick Ordinances 6. The Lord loveth to have a distinction betwixt these that serve him and these that serve him not Now as to a family relation what difference is there betwixt a professing Christian fam â—ly where the joynt worship of God is not and a Heathenish family Heathens live and eat and work together and when no more is seen they look very like the one to the other Even as in a Nation where no publick Worship is though private persons privately seek God yet there seemeth to be no publick National difference betwixt that Nation and a Heathen Nation so in the former case a Family-difference will hardly be found if any should inquire of what sort of families these are Add that it will be hard to say that a man should take care of the outward Estate of his family and neglect the spiritual and keep Communion with his family in temporal things and none in spiritual Duties yea doubtless he should be much more in these as being both more necessary and more excellent Having first shewed that this fourth command holdeth forth a family Worship and having secondly confirmed it more largely from other scriptures and grounds of reason it followeth now according to the method proposed that we shew in the third place how particularly the Scripture describeth wherein it doth consist whereby it will further appear to be of God The Scripture describeth it four wayes 1. In general it is called in Abraham and Josua's Case keeping the way of the Lord serving the Lord very comprehensive expressions taking in much and here it 's sanctifying of the Sabbath that is performing of the duties which are to be discharged for the right sanctifying of that day we conceive it to be in short to do these things in a joynt family-way which a Servant of God may and ought to do alone that is to pray read sing Psalms c. or to do in a domestick way what Christians in providence cast together may do as to pray read further one anothers edification by repeating of Sermons spiritual conference instruction exhortation admonition c. for they have their tye of Christianity and this of a family-relation beside which doth not abrogate the former nor derogate from it but doth further corroborate and add more strength to it as to make it more necessary and less elective more frequent and less occasional and to be now by domestick rules authoritatively regular for edification which cannot so be by the simple tye of Christian Communion 2. It speaketh of particular duties wherein they should joyn as 1. Here of sanctifying the Sabbath in all the duties of it adding more to our family-worship that day than other dayes as well as to our secret worship for the Sabbath was to have its double offering 2. Of praying Jer. 10. ult which is necessarily included in that mourning mentioned Zech. 12. a fruit of the poured out spirit of Grace and Supplications so 2 Sam. 6. Davids blessing his family is to be understood of his going before them in prayer to God for a blessing on them not in common as a publick Prophet which he did with the People but as a peculiar duty discharged by him to his family whereof he was head 3. Of Family fasting or setting of time apart in the family extraordinarily for Fasting and Prayer as in Zech. 12. in that solemn mourning and in Esther 4. where it is recorded that she and her Maids who were her family and all the Jews at Shusan who yet could not have in that place a publick fast did go about that duty 4. Of Instruction a most necessary duty to instruct and teach the family the knowledg of God the command goeth expresly on this Deut. 6.7 8 and 11.19 20. where we are commanded to talk of the Law within the house to teach it our Children diligently or as the word is to whet it on them by catechising and to write on the posts of our doors and on the walls of the house for what end I pray Sure for this very end that the house might have the means of knowledg in it and that the knowledg of Gods Law might be taught and learned in it and will any think that the walls should teach and the Master be silent Especially seeing it is for the families behoof that these things were written What if some in the Family could not read Which on several accounts might be then it would follow that they were lost if there were no more nor other teaching then what was by writing on the walls when Abraham commanded his house to keep the way of the Lord and to serve him will any think he did not teach them who he was and how he should be served By proportion other things fit for edification and as Worship to God come in here particularly praise as appeareth by the 30 Psal. intitled a Psalm or Song at the Dedication of Davids house 3. The Scripture speaketh of and holdeth out the duty of the particular members of the family and that in reference to the stations they are in and the relations they sustain and stand under as of Husband and Wife that they live together as the Heirs of the grace of life and so as their prayers may not be hindred of parents that they do not only provide for their children temporal things but that they also bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and 1 Tim. 3.4 and 12. both children and servants are put in together 4. The Scripture speaketh of ordering of families by a special Family-Discipline and Authority therefore it is called in Abraham commanding or charging his Servants to keep the way of the Lord and 1 Tim. 3. a ruling of their own house well with some resemblance unto ruling in the Church by Ecclesiastical Discipline with which it is some way compared as having a fitness or as being an evidence of fitness for that This Discipline consisteth especially in these three 1. in making good domestick Laws for children and servants in ordering every thing aright that concerneth the promoting of Godliness and edification amongst them and in timing of things rightly so as every duty that is to be done in the family may be done in the beautiful season of it 2. In putt â—ng forth a paternal or parental and masterly authority in carrying on these ends commanding or charging as Abraham did ruling so as children and servants may be kept in subjection it is very insutable and no wayes allowable that Masters should command in their own business and o â—ly intreat in the things of God 3. In exacting an accou â—t of Obedience and censuring Disobedience Job and
be a day whereas it is not so proper to say morning with the evening as evening now added to its morning compleateth the first day and evening now being past as the morning before God did put a period by and with the evening to the First day it being the evening that compleateth the day and divideth it from the following day and not the morning as one would say the afternoon with the forenoon maketh a compleat day and the afternoon or evening is first named because 1. the day is not compleat without it seeing it compleateth it 2. because the day cannot be extended beyond it now the first day is closed because the evening of it is come Arg. 2. What time of the day God began his rest we must begin ours but he began his in the morning of the Seventh day the Artificial night having intervened betwixt that and the Sixth which is clear for 1. Gods resting this day is more then his resting in the other nights of the Six dayes it being granted by all that he made nothing in the night 2. There had not otherwise been any intermission betwixt his labour and his rest which is yet supposed by distinguishing the dayes Again if by vertue of the command of a day to be sanctified we should begin the night or the evening before then these two or three absurdities would follow 1. Then we would confound the preparation by the word remember and the day together 2. Then we Christians might also by vertue of the concession of Six dayes for work begin to work the night before Monday as the Jews on this supposition might have begun their work the night before Sunday 3. Then we were almost no sooner to begin the sanctifying of the day then to break it off for rest and when its sanctification is closed as soon to fall to our ordinary Callings Arg. â— If by this command a whole Natural day is to be employed for duties of Worship as another day is employed in our ordinary Callings then is it to begin in the morning the antecedent will not be denied the consequent is thus made good if men account all the labour of their working time from one nights rest to another to belong to one day then must they begin in the morning or else they must account vvhat they vvork after the first evening to belong to another day but that vvay of reckoning vvas never heard of the tvvelth hour belonging to that same day vvith the first hour Again if by this command a vvhole Artificial day together that is our vvaking and vvorking time betvvixt tvvo nights â—e to be employed for Gods vvorship then its beginning must be in the morning for if the latter or follovving evening belong to this Natural day before sleeping time come on then the even before cannot belong to it for it cannot have both but by this command a vvhole vvaking day or an Artificial day is to be sanctified together and the even after it before vvaking time end as vvell as the morning Therefore it must begin in the morning and not on the evening before Further if by vertue of the concession of Six vvorking dayes vve m â—y not vvork the evening after then the day beginneth in the morning for the vveek day follovving must begin as the Sabbath did but the former is true Ergo c. These things vvill make out the minor 1. It can hardly be thought consistent vvith this command to vvork immediately when it groweth dark before folks rest 2. It 's said Luke 23. v. 56. and 24. v. 1. of the women that stayed from the grave till the first day of the week that they rested according to the commandement on the Sabbath day and early in the morning came to the Sepulchre 3. Because Christ accounteth a whole Natural day that which lasteth till men cannot work 4. Gods working dayes to say so were such he made not any thing in the evening before the First day 5. The ordinary phrase To morrow is the holy Sabbath Exod. 16.23 c. sheweth that the day present will last till to morrow come and to morrow is ever by an intervening night So if on the forbidden day men may not work till to morrow then that evening belongeth to it by this command and if on the Sixth day the Seventh be not come till to morrow that is after the night intervene then it doth not begin at even but so it is in these places and phrases Yet again it 's clear that in all the examples of ordinary Sabbaths keeping and sanctifying in Scripture they began in the morning For instance it is said Exod. 16.27 Some of the people went out to gather on the Seventh day no doubt in the morning for they knew well there was none of it to be found any day after the Suns waxing hot they might have dressed of it the night before and not been quarrelled with they being forbidden gathering of the Sabbath the proofs of the former Argument give light to this also There are yet two Arguments to be added which do especially belong to us Christians for clearing the beginning of our Lords day to be in the morning the first is taken from Christs Resurrection thus That day and that time of the day ought to be our Sabbath and the beginning of it when the Lord began to rest after finishing the work of Redemption and arose but that was the First day in the week in the morning Ergo c. This bindeth us strongly who take that day on which he arose to be our Christian Sabbath The second is taken from the History of Christs Passion and Resurrection together wherein these things to this purpose are observable 1. That he was laid in the Grave on Frydayes night being the preparation to the great Sabbath which followed 2. That the Women who rested and came not to the grave till Sunday Morning to use our known names are said to rest according to the Commandement as if coming sooner had not been resting according to it 3. That his lying in the Grave must be accounted to be some time before the Fryday ended otherwaies he could not have been three dayes in the Grave and therefore a part of Frydays night is reckoned to the first day then the whole Sabbath or Saturday is the second and lastly a part of the night to wit from twelve a clock at night belonging to the First day or Sunday standeth for the third and so he arose that morning while it was yet dark at which time or thereabouts the Women came to the Grave as soon as they could for the Sabbath and therefore their Sabbath Seventh day ended then and the first day Sabbath began We now come to the third general question concerning the change to wit the change of the Seventh day into the First day of the Week where first we shall sum up what is moral in this command and then secondly by some Propositions clear
capable of bearing a relation to Christ to come and falling out under the Mediators Kingdom properly then when he cometh in the new World it is meet it should be changed 1. To shew he is come 2. To shew he is absolute over the house and worship of God 3. Some way to preach his Grace and Redemption in the very change of it But it is a piece of Worship and Tribute of our time as is said before and a piece of Worship capable of his Institution and Remembrance therefore called the Lords day which could not be were not a day of Worship capable of that and it falleth under the power of Christ who Mat. 12. Even as the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath and why is that power pleaded in that particular of the day so often if it were not to shew that there is reason by his coming to look on the Sabbath as under him even as all other Worship was which stood by Gods positive Command even as this did Arg. 6. If by this command the day of rest from Gods most solemn work be to be our day of rest then after Christs coming not so before not the Seventh but the first day is to be observed but by the command the former is true Again if that day be to be kept in reference to any solemn work of God which was the First day after his perfecting it then the First day is to be kept but by the command the former is true because our resting day is to be kept in reference to the work of Redemption and therefore must be on the First day which was the day after its closing and perfecting as to Christs suffering and labour though not as to its application even as the Seventh was of Gods resting from the work of Creation though not from his works of Providence Arg. 7. If the Seventh day which the Jews kept had any peculiar tye or motive unto them which by Christ is now taken away then it was meet that at Christs coming that day should be changed We would understand here that there might be somewhat peculiar or typical in their Seventh day and yet nothing so in the fourth command which commandeth one of Seven but not the Seventh And though we could not particularly pitch upon what is typical or peculiar in it yet may we conceive that something there is as in Tythes Offerings c. though the particular thing which is typified be hardly instructed As 1. If its beginning was on the evening to them as some think the reason of it was peculiar to wit their coming out of Egypt at evening Exod. 12. And in so far at least it would be peculiar to them And by Christs rising in the morning is changed 2. It 's pressed peculiarly on the account of Gods redeeming them from Egypt they had that to think on that sometime they were where they got not liberty to rest any day therefore should they ease their Servants as it is Deut. 5.14 15. This holdeth especially if it was on the Seventh day that their freedom from Egypt began Exod. 12. which was after that made the first day of their year that is the morrow after they did eat the Passover as it 's made probable by some 3. It was peculiarly discovered to them by Gods raining Manna from Heaven Six dayes and by his with-holding it from them the Seventh 4. It was peculiarly accompanied with special Ceremonial Services beyond other dayes 5. Gods manner of dealing with them before Christ was to press duties by temporal and external advantages expresly and more implicitly by spiritual mercies therfore it was most agreeable to that way and time to press the Seventh day on them which minded them of the benefit of Creation but it 's otherwise with the Church under the Gospel Hence their Sacraments had respect externally to their deliverance from Egypt and temporal things whereas ours have respect purely to what is spiritual 6. The Apostle Coll. 2.16 taketh in their Sabbaths with their other dayes and though he take not in all dayes alike yet it can hardly be denyed but their Seventh-day-Sabbath cometh in there where all the Jewish times are put together Therefore it would seem there is a type not in the command but in that day though not properly yet accidentally in respect of its worship end application c. complexly taken and that therefore this Seventh-day-Sabbath is expired at least if not repealed seeing that dayes and times kept by the Jews are enumerate with their other Services which were antiquated even as when the Apostle condemneth difference about meat or drink his meaning is not to condemn what difference is made in the Lords Supper in the New Testament but what is from the Old so may the same be said of dayes It 's their old difference he cryeth down Propos. 3. As it 's meet that the day of Worship under the Gospel should be another then what was under the Law and should therefore be changed so it 's meet that the change should be into the First day of the week and to no other day For 1. No other day has been honoured with so many Gospel priviledges as 1. With Christs Resurrection Matth. 28. It was the First day of his victory and rest 2. With Christs appearing twice at least on it to his Disciples fingling it out from other dayes or his appearing is for no purpose particularly recorded by the Evangelist John to have been on that day if there were not something remarkable in it beside what is in another day 3. The Spirits giving at Pentecost Acts 2. will be found to be on the First day of the week now no other day can claim so many priviledges and so many wayes relate to Christ. 2. If the grounds upon which the Seventh day under the Law was preferred during that World do in this renewing of the World agree only to the First day of the Week then is the First day to succeed but these grounds proportionally agree only to the First day under the Gospel which agreed to the Seventh under the Law Ergo That which made the Seventh day preferrable was 1. That God had ended all his vvorks on the Sixth and rested the Seventh It vvas the First day after the Creation so the First day of the Week is that day on vvhich Christ rose having perfected the vvork of Redemption and obtained victory over death under vvhose povver some vvay for a time his body vvas before that and vvas thereby manifestly declared to be the Son of God to vvit by his Resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 2. The force of the example vvill hold here God made the World in Six dayes and rested the Seventh therefore rest ye vvith him so Christ having for a time suffered fully overcame the First day and began his estate of exaltation therefore rest vvith him and rejoyce that day it being the beginning of this nevv joyful World 3. No
that day and by mentioning of the day for that end that that day was their most solemn day and that the Old Seventh day was not so at least necessarily imployed by them 5. Neither is it like That Paul who was ready to depart would have stayed for the first day of the week if there had not been some solemn worship in that or that he would have passed the old seventh day-Sabbath especially to the marring of his other occasions had they been equal if more sanctification had been required in it then in the First day of the week or that he would have so much insisted in religious publick worship on that day if the former Seventh had been imployed in that service but here the Church being constituted of believing Gentiles there is no mention of the old Sabbath but as of another common day of the week yea 6. Pauls spending this whole day in that service and continuing his Sermon till midnight yet accounting it still one day in solemn meeting doth confirm this day to be more than an ordinary day or then other days of the week as being specially dedicated to these Services and Exercises and totally spent in them 7. It 's said that the Disciples c â—me together they were not sent for that day but they came together being called and accustomed so to do on that day and as being put to these duties by the day as the proper Exercises in which it is to be spent Hence we may argue If the Apostles and primitive Christians did observe the First day of the week as their prime and chief time for solemn publick Worship and did pass over the old Seventh day then is the day changed from the Seventh to the First day of the week but the first is cleared by the former Instances Ergo c. And if these meetings on that First day were not such as used to be formerly on the seventh day I desire to know a reason 1. Why their meetings on that day should be particularly recorded rather than their meetings on any other day and then 2. Why the one is so oft mentioned and the other never to vvit that they met the second third day c. of the week Or 3. If their meeting on this First day now after Christs Ascension be not like his going to the Synagogue on the Seventh day-Sabbath and doing such and such things on the Sabbath that day being most frequently mentioned before whereas now there is deep silence of that day and the first day is reco â—ded in its room neither can the Scriptures speaking of the one and silence in the other be for no purpose or for any other purpose And as the practice of the Church holdeth out the change of the day so doth the Title given Rev. 1.10 to the first day of the week to wit the Lords day confirm the same whence we argue If the Title which by the Lord and his people was given to the Seventh day-Sabbath under the old Testament and under which and by vvhich he claimeth a Seventh day in this command If I say that Title in the New Testament be not given unto the Seventh but unto the First day of the week then is the day changed from the Seventh day to the First and the First falleth now under this command as the Seventh formerly did but the former is true the First is styled as the Seventh was and as this command styleth and claimeth the day to the Lord to be observed for him therefore now is the Sabbath changed from the Seventh day to the First day of the Week The Titles whereby the Sabbath is distinguished from other days and peculiarly claimed and marked by God as his and that in this same command must certainly evidence that day which he hath set apart and doth claim as he applyeth them And therefore if these Titles be given and applyed to the first day now it must needs shew a succeeding of that day unto the former Seventh for during the Observation of the Seventh day these Titles were not nay could not be applyed to the First no day being then the Lords but the Seventh Now we find that the Seventh day-Sabbath is in the Old Testament styled by the Lord under these Titles and so claimed by him 1. It 's called here the Sabbath of the Lord or to the Lord that 's the Lord's as contradistinguished from the Six days he hath given unto us a day that he hath right to and not we therefore called the Lords Sabbath 2. Isaiah 58.3 It 's claimed by the Lord as his my Holy Day which is so called 1. to distinguish it from other days 2. To stamp it with the Lords mark in respect of it's use for it is not to be applyed to our use but to his own it being his in a special manner But in the New Testament after Christs Resurrection the Seventh day is not so styled and claimed but the First day of the Week is Rev. 1.10 I vvas saith John in the Spirit on the Lords Day In which place these things are clear 1. That after Christs Ascension there vvas a peculiar day belonging to the Lord beside and beyond other days 2. That it was not the old Sabbath for 1. Johns scope being particularly to clear the time of the Vision by the Circumstance of the day the particular day as distinct from other days to call the Sabbath then used amongst the Jews the Lords day had more obscured it then cleared it yea 2. In that it 's called the Lords according to the phrase of the new Testament it supposeth some relation to Christ the Mediator as being derived from him which cannot be said of the Seventh day Sabbath 3. That it was not any indefinite day of the Lord For 1. there is great odds betwixt the Lords Day and the Day of the Lord the former looketh to a constant special right and peculiar interest that God hath in that day beside other daye â— even as when the Seventh day was called his Day before the Temple his Temple the prescribed Service his Service and the Sacrament of the Supper his Supper c. 2. That day would be still dark to the Church if it were indefinite contrary to Johns scope 4. That it is and must be such a day as was commonly set apart by Christians to God as his and that with respect to Christ the Mediatour and such a day as was known to them And by the former practises it is clear that this day is the first day of the Week being the Lord Christ's day who now having conquered death and gotten the victory He doth therefore claim this day as a tribute to him This being clear that no other day can claim this title and that the First day hath good ground to claim it we may put it out of question that it is the First day or no day or if it were not the First that to no purpose were the
that men at the close of the week should lay up by them as God had blessed them then to reserve it to the beginning of another week were not the First day more especially to be sanctifyed then the last and the last to be accounted but an ordinary working day The fitness then floweth from this that the first day of the week being the day of their solemn Communion with God and with one another and the day of their partaking most liberally of spiritual blessings from him that therefore they should be most readily warmed in their affections and be most liberal in their Communications to such as wanted especially if we consider the Jews to be parties for whom that Collection or Contribution was It 's the Apostles great Argument whereby he pleadeth for Charity to the poor Jews from the Christian Gentiles Rom. 15.26 27. That the Gentiles were their Debtors in temporals because they had received spiritual things from them now this argument is most fresh and powerful when believers do on the First day of the week record Gods priviledging them with his Ordinances and giving them his day in place of the Ordinances and day â— which the Jews once had and yet deriving these unto them by the Jews I say this Argument will then be most fresh to incite to that duty in particular If any say that it was accidental that the first day was chosen or named rather then another because one behoved to be named and it was alike which But 1. I demand why is it universal If it were from one Church only it might possibly have been thought so but he doth call for this Duty on that day from more Churches 2. Why doth he not recommend it but command it as having more then an indifferency in the very day And 3. Can it be by guess or accident to speak so that so many priviledges are fallen on that day And that so many things are recorded of it and astricted to it by commands which is not done of and to any other days And if one place would not suffice to prove that the First day and not the Seventh day was preferred by the Apostles as the chief day of solemn publick worship yet all these things put together must prove a preference in that day or we must say that the Penmen of Holy Scripture have been very partial who have marked many things and recorded them concerning Gods Worship on that day and have never so much as once for solemn Service named what was done on the second third fourth fifth dayes we must either say that this is inadvertently done which were blasphemy considering by what Spirit they wrote or we must say it 's done to put a preference on that day and to shew that it 's especially to be taken notice of as the most solemn day for God's worship by Christians which is the thing to be confirmed for the day that 's claimed as the Lords kept for him and singularly marked to be priviledged beyond other days must be his day but this First day is such Ergo c. Propos. 5. This change of the day whereby the Seventh is laid aside and the first substituted in its room is of divine authority and institution and not by any meer human or Ecclesiastick Constitution I conceive there is indeed no mids here betwixt a divine Institution which hath Gods warrant and authority stamped on it and for Conscience sake is to be observed as being obligatory thereof and that immediately and human or Ecclesiastick Constitutions which may reach the external m â—n but in the matters of worship cannot bind the Conscience or impose them as necessary Now that this change is not by the last but by the first we prove these ways 1. Thus if it be not human or Ecclesiastick t â—â—n it must be divine but it is not human or Ecclesiastick ergo it's divine That it is not human will appear 1. If it reach the Conscience and that immediately then it 's not human but divine but it doth so 2. If no man or Church on earth have power to alter Gods day now nay nor simply or at all then it 's not human or Ecclesiastick but first none can change it as we might clear from great absurdities that would follow 2. If any Church have this power let them shew it the Old Church had it not neither the new as is cleared in the first question 2. We proceed to evince this change to be by divine institution these four ways 1. From reasons flowing from Scripture or Consequences drawn from it 1. Thus where by genuine and native Consequences drawn from Scripture any thing is so imposed as it cannot without sin be altered or neglected there is a divine institution but in the change of the Seventh day-Sabbath to the First such Consequences may be drawn from Scripture as will upon supposition of the change a strict it to the First day so as that cannot be altered or neglected without sin Ergo it 's of divine institution The question can be only of the minor which is made out from what is said in the third Proposition thus If these very grounds which plead the conveniency of the change simply do plead the conveniency of that change to the First day then by clear and unforced Consequence the first day is chosen and cannot without sin be passed by altered or neglected except we say these reasons have no weight but these very grounds will be found to plead for and to be applicable to the First day of the week a lonely and therefore beside all other days in the new world it m â—y be called the day which God specially made as it is the day of Christs rest from the work of Redemption answerable to Gods rest a â—ter the Cre â—tion c. and therefore as being most conducible to that end the First day cannot be without sin past by neglected or altered 2. Thus if the very day of Christs rest in the new world be to be rested on and sanctified as the Sabbath then the First day is to be rested on and sanctified but by Analogy from the works of Creation we may see that the First day of rest after the finishing of the work of Redemption is to be sanctified Ergo c. and Psal. 118. is very considerable to this purpose wherein there is 1. a Prophecy of Christ. 2. Of a day which God hath singularly made for us to joy in 3. That day is the day wherein the rejected stone is made the head of the corner which day is clear from Rom. 1.4 to be the resurrection day yea suppose that day there doth signifie the time of the Gospel wherein we should joy yet even that way the First day is by proportion that day eminently wherein Christs Victory was manifested and so the day wherein Christians ought especially to rejoyce The second way we may reason for the change to be by divine Institution is
be done to all yet especially to this houshold of Faith And the manifestation of our love even towards the godly may be less or more according as less or more of God appeareth in them or in their way If it be further asked How we can love wicked men and if their being such should not marr our love to them Answ. We speak not here of such as are debarred from the prayers of the people of God and who are known to have sinned the sin which is against the Holy Ghost nor do we speak indefinitely of final enemies these according to all being excluded from our love But we say that other particular wicked men as to their persons whatever hatred we may bear to their evil deeds are to be loved in the forementioned sense yet their wickedness may 1. marr complacencie in them that they cannot nor ought not to be delighted in nor with pleasure conversed with 2. It may marr the effects of love in the evidences and manifestations of them for that Christians may yea and sometimes should keep up all or most testimonies of it from some is clear from the Apostles direction enjoyning the noticing of some that they may be ashamed 2 Thess. 3.14 3. It may marr love in ordering its exercises yea and occasion the seemingly contrary effects as their wishing for and doing of some things temporally adverse and cross to them for their greater shame and humiliation as is evident in the Psalmists prayer Psalm 83.16 Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name O Lord so some out of love are to be corrected yea punished temporally yet with a desire of and respect to their eternal welfare If it be yet asked If and how one is to love himself Answ. Self-love is so connatural to us that in effect it is the mediate result of our sense of life and consequently the very relish and endearment of all enjoyments the spring of self-preservation and the best measure pointed out by our Lord himself of the love and duty that we owe to others which as it is the mean whereby we taste and see that God is good and how great his goodness is to us so it ought principally to referr it self and all its pleasing objects to him as the fountain of all who is indeed Love but yet it is that wherein ordinarily men do much exceed as especially these following wayes 1. They exceed in it when themselves are proposed as the end of their own actions as it is 2 Tim. 3.2 when their own things sway more with them and are sought more by them then 1. the things of God to which the first place is alwayes due and 2. then publick things and the things of others even in the cases wherein these do require the preference 2. When it is terminated on the wrong object as when they run out in the immoderate pursuit of bodily and temporal things caring more if not only for the body neglecting the better part 3. When it is laid out for the pleasing of corrupt self and the making of provision for the Flesh to fulfil its Lusts Rom. 13.14 Self-love under these considerations is corrupt and â—o be guarded against Answ. 2. Self-love or love to our self is allowable when qualified with the following properties 1. When it is subservient and subordinate to higher ends and can hazard it self and deny it self for Gods honour for a publick good yea and in some cases out of respect to the good of others also so a righteous man should and when at himself will do much though with his own hazard for a Christian friend for the safety or edification of the Godly or in defence of the interest of Christ. 2. When it is drawn out after spiritual things and it 's on these mostly that pains are taken as how to grow in grace to have a good conscience to have the soul saved sin mortified c. 3. When outward things are desired for the former ends as when we pray Give us this day our daily bread that we may promove these ends being willing to want them when they may not stand with these ends desiring life means c. in so far only as they may be useful for the attainment of them As the first self-love marreth duties to God and thwarteth with them so the second advanceth them and sweyeth strongly yet sweetly to them Again This Command is the first in order of the second Table and is peculiarly backed with a promise to shew the concernment of the duty called for the scope of it being to regulate that respect which each one oweth to another that they may give each other due honour as the first effect of love and the great band of all the other commands and enjoyned duties of the second Table God being pleased to provide for that respect and honour that is due from one man to another as well as for the security of their persons and estates yea in some respect he preferreth this Command to wit that one hurt not another in their honour and estimation to these other relating to their persons and estates and therefore he requireth honour in the first place and afterward injoyneth the duties of not killing not stealing c. And although every man doth love respect and estimation among others yet there is nothing wherein more liberally and even prodigally men incroach upon one another then by the neglect and denyal of this duty and by the contrary sin though it be most directly opposite to love and that general equity commanded whereby we should Do to others as we would have them to do to us Therefore we conceive the Lord hath preferred this to the other five Commands and hath so backed it with a promise and also set it down positively Honour thy Father c. for this end that we may know it is not enough not to despise them if they be not also positively honoured by us even as it is not enough not to prophane the Lords day by common and unnecessary works if we do not positively sanctifie it And it is not for nought that this duty is so much pressed being a main bond of Christian and Civil Fellowship keeping folks within the just bounds and limits which God hath set unto them If it be asked What this duty of honouring our Neighbour doth include Answ It doth include these five things 1. Respect to our Neighbours person 2. to his place 3. to his qu â—lifications either as he is furnished with natural or moral abilities or as he is gracious 4. to his accidental furniture in externals as riches credit with others c. so David honoured Nabal 5. in respect of mens actions as they deserve or as they have done or atchieved any thing whereby good cometh or may come to the Church or Common-wealth Honour includeth the giving respect to our Neighbour in all these If it be asked If and how honour differeth from love Answ. It
Civil right amongst men so that one man hath right to such a piece of Land another not both these rights a wicked man may have and both Land and such right to it good men may often want in particular cases So that if there were a civil contest betwixt a good man and a wicked for some Land or other such thing the qualifications of the persons would neither make the right of the one better or more valid nor of the other worse or less valid as we may see Lev. 19.15 3. There is a right by grace which sanctifieth the former rights and putteth a man in case not only warrantable before men but also before God to make use of the creatures so th â—t he may see and visit his Tabern â—cle and take the moderate use of any lawful refreshment and not sin Job 5.24 The man hath not only his daily bread but hath it by Gods promise and upon this ground we pray Give us this day our daily bread this right is peculiar to a Believer and godly man which none other posses â— what they will can lay claim unto for godliness and no other thing Hath the promise both of this life and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4 8. therefore we may upon good ground say that Godliness is great gain If it be yet further asked But what advantage have godly men by these temporal promises Ans. This is not their advantage to be alway abounding in these outward things that is neither so de facto and eventually nor were it meet it should be so but 1. they have a prom â—se of what is needful and useful simply even of temporal things which no wicked man hath they shall Psal. 84. want no good thing yea though lyons suffer hunger Psal. 34.10 yet they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing 2. They may pray for these things so far as they are needful and may confidently expect them and go to God for them by vertue of that right ere they get them so Matth. 6.11 It is our daily bread by allowance and promised before we get it 3. If a natural man abound he cannot promise himself the continuance of meat till the end of his life no not so much as his dinner to morrow nor life till then but if a Believer live he may expect the continuance of as much food as shall be necessary for him if he have nothing he may confidently promise himself both life and food to morrow if either or both of them be needful more nor a wicked man that hath more wealth health and outward protection can do 4. He may promise himself the blessing and the sanctified use of what he enjoyeth which another cannot 5. He may have peace whether he have or want in the injoyment of creatures or in their scarcity because he he hath a right to them for it is not from want of right to creature comforts that scarcity of them cometh but God like a wise and skilful Physitian keepeth back meat for health where there is abundance in the right and to be given also when needful so that comparing him with a wicked man whether he have or want whether he enjoy more plentifully or be in scarcity he hath still the better of him by far which should make us all love godliness the more which hath so great an advantage as this attending it Thus much in short of the promise annexed to this Command To descend to speak particularly of all the several relations comprehended under it as of Magistrates and Subjects Church-Officers Pastors Guides and Rulers and ordinary Church members Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants c. and of their respective duties would be a large task and draw us forth a great length beyond our design in this undertaking and somewhat to this purpose being already spoken from the third and fourth Chapters of the Epistle to the Colossians which the blest Author was then in his Sabbath afternoon Sermons opening up to the same Congregation that heard him lecture on the Commands and all of them being too many at least more known then alass they are practised though indeed we know no more in Gods account then we singly desire design and endeavour through grace to practise and they all and they only having a good understanding that keep his Commandements John 13.17 Psal. 111.10 and since withal if the generals we have hinted at in the exposition of this Command be well understood seriously pondered and consciensciously in the Lords strength practically improved they will not a little through his blessing contribute for helping us sutably to acquit our selves in the discharge of all the particular duties of these several relations we shall now forbear to be particular and shall only say in the general of these station and relation duties that as if a serious Christian and truly godly man be sought after he is in a special manner to be found in them so when sanctifiedly sutably and seasonably performed they in a special manner adorn the Doctrine of God and keep it from being blasphemed and bear a very real and evident testimony to the truth and reality of Religion in the Professors of it and withal are a notable mean of convincing men and even of winning and gaining them who obey not the Word as may be clearly gathered from Luke 3.10 11 12 13 14. Tit. 2. v. 5. 10. 1 Tim. 5. v. 14. 6. v. 1. 1 Pet. 2 v 13 14 15. 3. v. 1 2. compared together Before we proceed further amongst many Questions that might arise here one word to these two 1. Whether ought a Father to love his Son or a Son to love his Father most Answ. The Son ought to love his Father most as representing most of God and the Father ought to love his Son most as comprehending most of himself such mutual respects may exceed one another on different accounts 2. Quest. Whether is the Father or Magistrate most to be obeyed if they command contrarily Answ. If that which is commanded be a thing belonging to the Magistrates place to command in as where such a one should live what charge or office he should bear in the Common-wealth and such like caeteris paribus the Magistrate is to be obeyed for these things are sought by the Magistrate from him not as a Son but as a member of the Common-wealth whose good principally should be eyed and had respect to but if it be a thing that belongeth to the Father and not to the Magistrate to command in as what Husband or Wife a Child should marry and such like that belongeth to the Father as a Father and so is to be obeyed notwithstanding of the contrary command of the other The scope of this Command being to moderate men in their excessive desires after honour and to direct and regulate them in giving respect to others and in seeking of it to themselves
and usual for some to excite and put others much more on to exceed in eating then they dare do in drinking as if there were not that same hazard in the one that is in the other and as if one and the same rule were not given for both 3. We do also suppose that there is not one way only whereby men may become guilty of both these sins but there are many wayes and also degrees thereof and though all be not alike gross yet all are sinful Therefore we vvould 1. consider these evils in divers respects Then 2. lay down and fix some general limits which we are not to pass 3. Instance some slighted particulars For Gluttony in general there is a Latin verse Praepropere laute nimis ardenter studiose In which five words there are five wayes of being guilty of it 1. By hasting that is desiring meat and drink before it be convenient thus eating and drinking in course not for hunger or thirst but for custome good fellowship carnal pleasure c. is gluttony and is cursed by the Holy Ghost Eccles. 10.16 17. Woe to thee O Land c. here drinking and eating are tyed to their seasons 2. By delicacie in the kind or quality as when meat and drink are excessive for costliness or sineness lavishly provided as Feasts very ordinarily are Prov. 30.8 So of the rich glutton it is said he faired delicately every day Luke 16.19 3. In the quantity by too much when eating is exceeded in even to indisposition for the duties of our general Christian and of our particular callings not to the strengthening us for them Eccles. 10.17 4. In the manner viz. too ardently when meat is desired with a sort of lust Prov. 23.3 20 21. 5. In the preparing of meat viz. studiously that is when it is too riotously dressed for pleasing mens carnal appetite and taste or pallat by the fineness of it and other curiosities of that kind More particularly we may sin either in the excess of meat and drink when we go without just bounds or in the defect which may as well marr the end to wit Gods glory and our fitness for duty as excess may therefore doth Paul exhort Timothy to the use of a little wine as needful for him 2. Consider the sin of Gluttony in the matter of that which we eat and drink thus some may fail as was just now said by too much daintiness in their fair as well as too great a quantity And again in the manner wherein many are very sensual and carnal as being much given to satisfie their appetites which Solomon speaketh of Prov. 23.1 2 3 c. so Isa. 5 â— 11 12. 3. Consider it either in reference to a mans self when he himself faileth or consider it in reference to others when he putteth them to eat or drink and occasioneth their sin either of the wayes is sinful and the last is particularly cursed Hab. 2.15 although prophane men have often made and do make a pastime of it and some others that would seem more sober are but little troubled with it and many seem by their practice to think they cannot make others welcome to their houses unless they put them to exceed this way 4. Consider it in the act and in the lust to it even as there is fornication in the act and in the lust so is there also drunkenness and gluttony and thus as is said Phil. 3.19 the belly becometh a God and mens great care is to satisfie it Matth. 6.25 So to be given to wine 1 Tim. 3.3 and to look on it with delight when it moveth it self aright in the cup c. is condemned Prov. 23.31 5. Consider failing here morally which is not sutable to a man and which even a Heathen will disallow and failing spiritually which is not sutable to a Christian as when a mans eating and drinking is meerly governed by sensual or at best only by physical injunctions and customary occasions and not by Christian directions and is not levelled towards the great end the glory of God to which Christians even in eating and drinking are obliged by Divine precept to have a due regard 6. We may consider these sins as in the act or as in the effects the act is excessive use of meat and drink in it self whether evil effects follow or not the effects are these which follow either in distempering the man in himself or making him fall out with others the sin is properly in the act though the sinfulness of the effects be not so diminished by their following on drunkenness as many suppose and there may be a sinful act when there is no visible sinful effect in the mans carriage or distemper Hence Isa. 5.22 there is a woe denounced against those who are strong to mingle or drink strong drink the fault is not that they are strong that is a property of nature nor is it that they were drunken but that being strong to bear much without being distempered they took on more lippening or trusting to that and so abusing their strength beyond the right end of it and drinking more because they were strong then they durst have done if they had been weaker 7. Consider eating and drinking in their circumstances and so sometimes meat and drink somewhat beyond ordinary and chearfulness in the use of them are allowable Sometimes again abstinencie is called for and though no particular time be set for abstaining from meat and drink or for fasting but God hath left that to mens prudence yet it cannot be denyed but when one will at no time want dinner nor supper that he may have the more time and be in a better frame for praying furthering of mortification sympathy with Josephs affliction c. there is no doubt but he will be found guilty of this sin See Isaiah 22.13 14. where some are cursed for killing oxen and sheep eating flesh and drinking wine for certainly sometimes God calleth for a restraint upon the at other times lawful use of creature-enjoyments 8. Eating and drinking may be considered as to the expences we bestow on what we eat and drink and the affection we have to them or delight in them spoken of as also in respect of the time we spend on them Hence is the curse Isa. 5.11 Woe to them that rise early and tarry long at strong drink much time spent this way even when the grosser effects follow not will bring a curse from God for he hath given time for other ends and will have that no less tenderly minded then estate health or any other benefit and if we dare not spend waste or abuse these in eating or drinking for fear of sin why should we take more liberty as to our precious time 9. Consider eating and drinking as a mean seasonably made use of for its end as strength or health and the honour of God or as an end it self or without respect to another end and thus it is sinful
circumstances of his Calling and Trade so that suppose they vvere buying it themselves they vvould be content to give as much as they demand and men should never offer less to others then they vvould demand themselves though their ordinary vvay is much contrary to this as vve may see Prov. 20.14 2. No shifts are to be used by the seller to over-value or call his vvare better then it is or by the buyer to undervalue and despise it belovv vvhat vve think it to be Lev. 19.11 3. We should never simply or only mind our ovvn advantage in selling and buying vvithout respect to the advantage of others but vvould so sell and buy as they might be also gainers and thus vve see that charity regulateth us Phil. 2.4 4. Neither vvould the buyer deceitfully hide vvhat may commend the price of vvares nor the seller vvhat may make it less as suppose one knevv such vvares or merchandize vvould shortly grovv cheaper or dearer and therefore he either selleth or buyeth purposely to put the loss on his neighbour or at least to make gain to himself vvithout any regard to his neighbours loss 5. There vvould be ingenuity in buying and selling that vvhich ye call prigging or cheapning is not good both buyer and seller should put a just value upon vvares and hold there there is much jugling and falshood and lying vvhen it is othervvayes see Ephes. 4.25 Prov. 20.14 6. There are ought to be no taking advantage of anothers necessity ignorance and simplicity 7. In a vvord vve vvould sell and buy and do to others as vve vvould have them do to us and so vve vvould keep up no fault vve knovv of the things vve sell give good measure and good money c. All these things come in under trading and merchandizing and thus one just price should be kept so far as may be If it vvere asked here hovv vve may pitch or settle on a just price It is hard to ansvver this question to full conviction and satisfaction yet a man vvould consider 1. What he himself having knovvledge of the goods vvould give for such and such corn cloath beasts or vvhatever it be if he hath or had use for them or vvere to buy them 2. What men of knovvledge do judge such a thing to be vvorth and vvhat may be the price of it if the price be by Authority regulated it setteth it self 3. What such a thing doth generally cost amongst those that are judicious and conscientious 4. What he vvould give for the like possibly again vvhen this is avvay allovving fit gain In sum there are three sorts of prices the 1. Is rigid vvhen men must have vvhat they vvill for their vvare The 2. is easie this is only at some times vvhen it is called for but it is not alway necessary and selling thus in such cases is an honest giving which men are not alwayes at least obliged to The 3. is pretium medium or the middle or modest price which is betwixt the two and in no extream yet when any question is whether this much or that much is to be taken It is safest carving on the side that lyeth next our selves 5. A man would consider how he would proceed in that bargain so as he might have peace if he were just now to die and what he durst adventure on in that case let him do the same in all his bargains Amongst the many and great uses of riches some of them concern our selves some of them others and there lyeth no less necessity upon us to shew mercy for the supply of others then to pay our debt or supply our selves and to a man in case for it God hath not left the one indifferent more then the other For clearing of which we would consider that God who is the great owner and absolute proprietor of the Creatures and who distributed them to men according to his pleasure hath distributeth riches to some as it were to Stewards to be made use of for his houshold as may be gathered from Luke 16.10 11 12. Hence it is not left arbitrary to men to give alms or not as they think meet but it lyeth on them as an absolute duty Hence also we may see what a sin it is to be altogether neglective of it or deficient in it 1. It is a stealing and theft as is implyed Ephes. 4.28 2. It is per â—idiousness and unfaithfulness in a trust committed to us Luke 16.9 c. 3. It is cruelty and murther and hating of our brother 1 John 3. v. 15. and 17. compared and indeed if it be intolerable in a mans Steward intrusted with that which the fami â—y should be provided with to apply to his own use what should entertain them or to spend it on himself it being both stealth unfaithfulness and cruelty so is it no less intolerable in this case see Prov. 11.24 25. This giving of alms rightly qualified is highly accounted of in Scripture and assigned as the mark of a righteous man Psal. 119.9 noticed and commended in a special manner at the day of Judgment Matth. 25.30 c. commanded as a duty Deut. 15.7 11 14 21. and 26.11 c. and much pressed and insisted on 2 Cor. 8.9 and scarely will we find in all the Scripture one particular duty about which two whole Chapters together are spent but this which holdeth out the great complacency the Lord hath in the single and sutable practice of it it being there deservedly set down and insisted upon as a sure evidence of the reality of our prosessed subjection to the Gospel Let us see then 1. wherein it consisteth 2. who is the object of it 3. who is to give 4. how for manner and measure it is to be given 1. Alms is not every giving for that may be of debt or it may be to a rich man or one that hath no need out of pride or for the fashion but 1. there is a needy object from which we can expect nothing again to this we are to give alms 2. There is a doing it upon the account of the Command as thereby honouring our maker and testifying our love to Christ which is to do it to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple Matth. 10.41 42. it taketh in all supply as meat drink visiting them vindicating them comforting them by lending giving forgiving of any thing that is owing c. 2. The object neighbour is large but it is the needy one only that is to be looked to Ephes. 4.28 and Deut. 15.11 And the poor ones who may be considered 1. As to the degree of their need three wayes 1. Need that is common and such as folks may fend with it 2. that is pinching when they fend with difficulty 3. that is extream when they cannot subsist In the first case men are to give out of their abundance 2 Cor. 8.14 and need not straiten themselves for the supply of such poor In the second they ought
God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy mind and thy Neighbour as thy self the two leggs that Piety in practise walketh upon the one comprehendeth our duty to God which runneth through all the Ten Commands but doth more eminently exert it self in the first Four whereof we have spoken The other containeth our duty to our Neighbour which is set down more particularly in the last Six Commands whereof we are now to speak and however many do ignorantly and wickedly look on duty to man as somewhat extrinsick to Religion and duty to God yet both have the same authority both are put in one sum of the Law both are written on Tables of Stone with the Lords own finger and put within the Ark And therefore we ought with a proportionable care to inquire what God requireth of us as duty to himself And we should make no less conscience of obedience to the one then to the other Before we come particularly to the fifth Command we shall speak a little to these two 1. Why love to God is called the first and great command and love to our Neighbour the second and only like to the first Matth. 22.38 2. why hath the Lord carved out mens duty to others as vvell as to himself For the former of these consider in the first place that the commands of the second Table are equal to the commands of the first in respect of the authority that injoyneth them he that saith Thou shalt have no other Gods before me saith also Thou shalt not kill c. Jam. 2.11 In vvhich respect it is said Matth. 22.39 the second is like unto this 2. If vve compare the tvvo Tables together as to the matter contained in them and the immediate object of each duty commanded the duties of the first Table are greater and the duties of the second Table lesser the one relating more immediately the other more mediately to Rel â—gion in vvhich respect they express peculiarly our love to God vvhich is called the first and great command for the first four commands require that vvhich in its ovvn nature is vvorship and â—s in an immediate vvay to be given to God but the duties required in the other six are not properly formally and immediately called for as parts of vvorship to God though as they are acknovvledgments of him they may be consequentially thereto referred As to the 2. Why the Lord hath in so short a sum particularly set down our duty to others as well as to himself and shewed how every one should carry towards another We would speak to it the rather that there are six commands in the second Table and but â—our in the first Table and the â—ords commending the duties of the se â—ond Table hath said the second is like unto the first because he would have it in our car â—ful observance going along with the first And the Apostles as well as the Lord in pressing holiness do ordinarily instance in the duties of the second Table as Luke 10.26 What is written in the Law how readest thou M â—th 5.27 thou shalt not commit Adultery c. Rom. 13.8 9 10. Jam. 2.8.11 c. And the reasons of it may be these 1. To teach his people that it is his will that they should be holy in all manner of conversation therefore there is no piece of duty called for but it is comprehended in a command even the least thing eating drinking and whatsoever they do 1 Cor. 10.31 1 Pet 1.15 16. he would have them careful to be holy not only in the Church but also in the Market in the shop at home abroad not only in prayer but at the plough c. 2. To hold out the great extent of holiness or what holiness he requireth in his people It was a great mistake in the Pharisees that they placed the main part of Religion in the performance of external duties of the first Table whereas the Lord layeth both Tables together to tell that they must march up together in our practise and that it will not be Holiness in it's self and in Gods account to perform the one without the other 3. Because the Lord would have his Law a perfect Rule that the man of God might be perfect throughly furnished to every good word and work 2 Tim. 3.17 therefore is the second Table given that vve may know how to vvalk towards others as vvell as towards God that Masters may know their duty Servants theirs c. and that none are left to an arbitrariness therein but that all are tyed to a Rule 4. Because men are ready to slight holiness in reference to the second Table hence there vvill be some kind of awe of God on men in reference to the duties of the first Table so that they dare not altogether neglect prayer hearing the word c. and yet they will make little or no conscience of loving their neighbour or of shewing mercy as we see in the Pharisees 5. Because it is no less necessary for Christians living together as to their Being and vvell-being and mutual thriving that they do duty one of them to another with respect to the command then that they all do their duty to him how else can folks live well together in a Family or other Societies if each therein do not duty to another the neglect of this makes them as a house divided against it self which cannot stand 6. That the Lord may have the more clear and convincing ground of challenge against such as slight these commands and live in envy malice oppression c. for none can say he knew not these to be sins Mic. 67. The Lord hath shewed thee O man what is good that thou do Justice and love Mercy c. and he beginneth at the Duties of the second Table the more to stop their mouths If they should say they knew not tha â— they should be holy or how to be holy in these he had it to say that he had told them For these and such like reasons the Lord hath been so part â—cular in and hath added his Authority unto the commands of the second Table as well as to these of the first that we may lay the greater weight on them From the Connection of the two Tables we may observe these three general â— first That there is no part of a mans convers â—tion in reference to his walk with others as well as God whatever be his Calling or Station but he ought to be Religious and holy in it God hath directed men how to carry in all things 2. That it is a necessary part of Religion in respect of the command of God injoyning it and in order to our thriving in holiness to be conscientious in duties to others as well as in immediate duties to God who in his Law requireth both 3. That where kindly and true Obedience is given to the first Table Obedience will be given to the second also
where Conscience putteth to pray and keep the Sabbath it will also put to do duty to our Neighbour he purposely putteth these together in the Gospel when the Pharisees would separ â—te them and what God h â—th conjoyned let no man put asunder It may be here inquired what it is to be religious in these common duties we owe to others Answ. Though we cannot instance in any thing wherein Religion hath not it's place yet we shall pitch on a â—ew things that it more especially implyeth And 1. It is necessary that the matter of the duty be commanded and 2. That respect be had to the command in the doing of it a man must not only provide for his Family but he must do it religiously a Master must not use his Servants as he pleaseth the Servant must not abuse the Masters simplicity but obey in â—ear and trembling c. Ephes. 6.5 Col. 3.22 in which places the Apostle presseth Servants to look to these things while many of them had Heathen Masters and what is spoken to them may be applyed to all in all Callings and Stations and serve to direct how to be religious in common duties And 1. As to the end it is required that they serve not men only but the Lord and so eye his glory the adorning of the Gospel the edification of others there being nothing we do wherein we ought not to have an higher end then our selves or men 2. That they have a religious Motive in their Service implyed in these words not with eye Service as men pleasers but as doing Service to the Lord in obedience to him and not to men not so much because their Masters command as because God commandeth not for the fashion nor meerly for profit but because commanded of God 3. That for the manner it be in singleness of heart chearfully and readily 4. That respect be had to the promise as well as to the command for their through bearing in their Service and for their Encouragement in the Faith of their being accepted through Christ as it is Ephes. 6.8 Coll. 3.24 else it were a sad thing for a Christian servant to be in hard Service and have no more to expect but a bitt of meat and a penny-hire from men but Christian servants may eye the heavenly reward in sweeping the house as well as in the religious duties of Gods immediate worship For helps to understand the commands of the second Table we may consider these four Scriptures which will hold out so many rules for that end The 1. and principal one is Mat. 22.39 Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self which sheweth that there should be a warmness of affection in us to our neighbour opposite to hatred Levit. 19.17 18. revenge malice inward grudging and no doubt this warmness of love making a man measure his duty to others by the love he hath to himself will notably help to understand and observe all the duties of the second Table The 2. i â— Mat 7.12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them which is a rule of general equity and is opposite to partiality and self-love which undermineth all the duties of the second Table and this is of a general and universal extent to all persons and things such as buying and selling to duties betwixt man and wife neighbour and neighbour Master and Servant c. The 3. is Philip. 2.4 Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others a notable effect of love not only to wish well to our neighbours but to seek and procure their good and it is opposite to selfishness and regardlesness of the good of others if we be well our selves The 4. is Rom. 12.10 Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love in honour preferring one another be kindly to and manifest your esteem of your Neighbour not in a complementing way but really and heartily which by James is called the fulfilling of the Law and by the Apostle John the old and new commandement wherein there is more Religion then many are aware of more then in knowledg speculations and empty notions but oh How short are we in these more common duties that lye as it were among our feet We come now to the Fifth command which is the first of the second Table and it containeth 1. a precept 2. a Promise and so it is called by the Apostle Ephes. 6.2 the first Command with promise which must be upon one of these grounds either i. because it is the first command that hath a particular promise that promise in the Second command being general and applicable as it is actually applyed there to all the commands or 2 because this is the first command of the second Table and often in the new Testament the commands are reckoned and instanced by that Table especially when duties betwixt man and man are pressed And if it be said that it is the only command of the second Table that hath a promise it is answered it is the only command that hath an express promise Beside it is not absurd to read it thus it is the first command i.e. of the second Table and to press it the more the promise added to it is mentioned so that to urge obedience to it the more strongly it is not only the first Command saith the Apostle of the second Table but it hath a promise also added to it And this certainly is the Apostles scope to press its observation In the precept we are 1. To consider the Object Father and Mother 2. The Duty honour 1. Again concerning the first it is to be considered that this Command in its scope respecteth the duty that we owe to all Relations whether they be above us inferiour to us or equal with us This is clear from Christs summing all the second Table and consequently this command with the rest in that comprehensive general Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self and therefore our Neighbour in general must be the object of this Command as well as of the rest and so it taketh in all the duties of honour that every one oweth to another whatever be their place there is a duty of honour and respect called for from every one to every one And so Eph. 5.22 it is pressed upon Wives toward their Husbands and 1 Pet. 3.7 upon Husbands towards their Wives which must be comprehended here Thus Father and Mother are here to be largely and synecdo â—h â—cally understood one sort of Relations being in a figurative manner put for all the rest 2. Under them are comprehended all Superiours for place in Church or Common-wealth who in Scripture get the Title of Fathers as Magistrates Supreme and Subaltern Ministers and all Church-Officers Teachers Overseers and all in the place of Fathers 1 Cor. 4.15 yea they who are to be esteemed as such for gifts of Learning Wisdom Grace and