our God that will accept of our service and give us true repentance and pardon for sabbath prophanation and that he will honor us to set up and celebrate his long slighted sabbath according to his faithful promises in several scriptures where the gracious soul may find out the work of his generation Wherefore let such as are sincere unite heart and voice with one shoulder Comp. Is 58.12 69.1 2 3 4. with Acts 15.16 Rev. 11.1 2. to advance this lively oracle to its antient glory I know this doctrine would be readily embraced by earthworms did it but produce such priviledges as are their prized portions a fat benefice a gainful office or a good market but how can such embrace Gods sabbath who are greedy of gain and sit upon thornes whiles they are at such services O the Egyptian bondage of such obedience to a home-born slave When will the new moon be gone that we may sell corn Jer 2 14. Amos 3.6 and the sabbath that we may set forth wheat said the like drudges of old Indeed all the discipline of the Gospel together calls not for such a measure of self-denyal Phil. 3.13.19 as this weekly duty of the holy Sabbath But in recompence of our obedience though our creation mercies oblige us to whatsoever the creator calls for the most High hath freely held forth very many priveledges to encourage us in our service 1. 1 Fredom Ps 84. 'T is no smal priveledge to be exempted from dunghil drudgeries to enjoy a whole day in a week in sweet Sabbath communion with our God Christians often complain for want of spiritual enjoyments and acquaintance with Christ the Sabbath opens the door of the holy of holies as a spring of spiritual joyes 2. 2 Fulness He who so freely handed forth health to body and soul on the Sabbath day by himself and his Apostles will not now fail to pour out of his spirit to such as seek him in his own wayes Acts. 16.14 he that opened Lydias heart upon his holy Sabbath will also open thine If thou set open the everlasting doors for the King of Glory 3. 3 Knowledge If once the soul set to the advance of those times which Anti-christ hath changed the promise will pursue him whiles he pursues his purpose many shall runne to and fro Dan. 12. and knowledge shall be increased yea the day is now dawned and will shine more and more as the Sabbath is sanctified that the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea The sabbath keeper shall enjoy the legacy that Christ hath left him He. 2.13 Peace Jo 14.27 Ps 119.165 great peace have they that love thy laws and nothing shall offend them the Lord longs to invest thy soul with this priviledge of peace Isa 43.73 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea He that will but follow Paul as well in sabbath keeping as in other gospel duties Ph. 4.9 shall be sure to enjoy the God of peace 2. The prince of peace 3. A life of peace Isa 26.3 4. A death of peace Psalm 37.37 5. And after death eternal peace Isa 57 2 5. 5 Pleasure The obedient foul shall not want his pleasure whose delight is placed in sanctifying Gods sabbath Isa 57.13 Iob. 36.11 6. Plenty 1 Tim. 4.3 Let him not fear scarcety for he may be assâ—â—ed of plenty which no man enjoyes but he that can be content with what God sends 7. prosderity Jos 1 7 8. All that he takes in hand shall prosper and all shall work together for his good his very miseries have mercy in their bowels witness Moses Mordecai Joseph Paul Heb. 11. the whole catalogue of Saints 8. Victory And whiles he is combating perhaps sometimes foiled he is assured of a compleat conquest Gen. 49.19 Gad saith Jacob A troop shall overcome him but he shall overcome at the last he shall overcome the beast and his image the triple-crowned monster Pope Prelate and persecuting Presbyter yea he shall not fail of an absolute victory over the mark of the Beast the changer of times and Laws i. e. he shall raise the foundations of many generations in restoring the Lords Sabbath time and the Lords supper time 9. Trials Phil. 1.29 And howsoever he meet with many difficulties such as must be expected in a work of this high nature even all that malicious men and Divels can do yet let the obedient soul build upon it that all his Trials shall end in Triumph 10. Triumph It is the faithful promise of the Sabbaths Lord to make a rich return for all the reproofs sorrows and sufferings of Christian Sabbath-keepers and we may rest upon it for it is a gracious Gospel-promise I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly Zeph. 3.18 who are of thee to whom the reproach of it was a burthen then Sabbath-keepers sorrow shall end and then Sabbath-slighters sorrows shall begin Jesus Christ himself forewarns had they hearts to consider that as it was in the dayes of Noe so shall it be also in the dayes of the Son of Man Now it appears in the dayes of Noah the deluge came upon the world on the seventh-day Heb. 2.14 Luke 17.26 Gen. 7.10 See the margin and the Apostle speakes exprâ—sly though scoffers remain willingly ignorant of this admonition that as the old world perished by water so this is reserved for fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men It will be sad for professâ—rs to be found fighting under Anti-christs banner in Sabbath-profâ—nation after admonion 2 Pet. 3.3 4 5 6. Ah poor slumbering souls it is not hearing fasting feasting baptising that will avail in that 〈◊〉 day it is not Lord Lord we have prophesied in thy name we have done many things by thy power alas miserable muck-worms many things will not serve their turn Mat. 7. â—2 he who keeps the whole law and offends wilfully in one point he is guilty of all God gave ten commandments to Israel and Israels duty was to deliver them as so many lively oracles unto us Ja. 2.12 now one of those lively oracles enjoynes the seventh day Sabbath Acts. â— 38 it will not avail to tell Christ they have kept nine of them in the very letter if the tenth be slighted in the letter they must then see and feel that not one jot or title of those lively oracles is in the least altered Confess Pag. 33. Eze. 33.4 or ANY WAY dissolved as Englands whole assembly have in words confessed Wo and alas what will become of those that Jeroboam-like have changed the time expresly appointed in that Law which they say Christ hath not ANY WAY dissolved but much strengthened to binde Gospel Saints
of any hour to be the bounds of the Sabbath as it sooner or later riseth or sets Were not the Mariners of the men of Iudah bound to observe the seventh day in all the several coasts where they made their voyages Did God limit them to the rising or setting Sun of Indea onely c. Thus far New Englands answer to that argument taken up by Mr. Ienison against them into whose treasury I shall cast my mite upon consideration of 1. Act. 2.5 15.11 13.14 17.1 The Proselytes of Ierusalem out of all Nations under heaven whose undoubted observation of the Sabbath in their several Countreys is a full confutation of this aiery argument 2. There will probably be granted some variation between â—â—ai and Sion yet the Sabbath punctually observed in both places Captain Ienison is not ignorant of four hours difference in the rising Sun between England and the American Colonies and yet the same first day observed both here and there But by the way we may observe that the wounds he would give unto the seventh day Sabbath fall as heavily upon the first day whereunto he pretends great devotion with his Brethen for if the seventh be uncertain the first must needs be so and thus whiles he would weaken the true Sabbath he opens a gap to that impiety of rejecting the authority of the fourth Commandement which sober spirits abhor But our God hath not bound us to the obedience of such hours but of such a day the Clock is not to be our guide but the Sun Here they object That in some though scarce any habitable Regions the Sun for many moneths leaves not their view whence they suppose an impossibility of observing the sabbath The answer is That in all parts the Sun is ever upon motion his Eastern Western circuits are not onely observed but exactly measured familiarly each four and twenty hours so as not onely to know their times of repose but possibly to shame us in the abuse of ours should the clouds or other meteors in ercept their sight of the Sun or ours the fowls of the heaven would give information 〈◊〉 8.7 And as sleeping and working time is easily discerned each four and twenty hours with like facility may the six working days be distinguished from the Sabbath If once the heart be free to yeeld obedience it will cease to create * Prov. 22.13 and invent difficulties and the renewed nature will no less breath after the souls weekly Sabbath than the old nature will expect its accustomed repose The Suns daily circuit and weekly revolution is no such difficulty to a devout soul But whither are we roving Will not our own Climate contain us Joh. 21.21 22. Are we not more inquisitive with Peter to know what other Nations shall do then to study our own duty We should even shame to slight Gods Sabbath whiles the Heavens declare his glory and whiles we fancy Bugbears of uncertainty in observing the exact time Lo day unto day uttereth speech Psal 19. night unto night sheweth knowledge there is no speech or language where their voice is not heard What beter directions can we desire then this faithfull witness of Heaven by his several circuits exactly measuring out our time and informing our eye as words instruct our ear When his fix days light leaves our Land 't is then time to leave our labours For then doth the glorious Lamp of Heaven like a Herald proclaim the approaching Sabbath that Saints may set open the everlasting Gates for the King of Glory I would not leave this scruple wherewith the self condemning adversary reproached his own principles till the path rendred so abstruse and intricate attain its promised perspicuity Isa 35. even to the weakest sight that so way faring men though fools may not erre therein Wherefore observe that in the beginning when Heavens bright Eye declined the sixth Evening in Eden the holy God gave unto man not onely a precept but a fair president also in ceasing from the work of Creation to sanctifie and observe his holy Sabbath Howbeit at the same hour it was impossible for other Climates of the World regularly to begin the Sabbath for the more Western parts must wait for the Suns warning or else they should not sanctifie the seventh day exactly as measured and regulated by the Sun which God hath purposely set for signs and for seasons Gen. 1.14 and for days and years Having therefore proclaimed rest in Paradise leaving man with his Maker to sanctifie the Sabbath away he posts as a Bridegroem from his Chamber Psal 19. rejoycing as a Giant to run his race and so coursing in his circuit through the Heavens he declares to the Regions sooner or later as fast as he can sly when to cease from their six days servitude to sanctifie the exact seventh day Sabbath Yea when mounting the other Hemisphere the interposition of the terrestrial Globe makes their Meridian the Antipodes Midnight yet is the seventh day as measured by the Sun punctual and certain in each Region God hath not engaged us to the same hours but to that assured seventh day or seventh part of time regulated by the glorious Lamp ordained for times and seasons for days and years Where then lies the difficulty of the seventh days certainty which was suggested to the people with such a cloud of confusion But lastly the difference between out Summer and Winter Sabbath in this little Island is as evident to every A B C Christian as is the certainty of the seventh day in the midst of such variation for who knows not that our Winters Sabbath begins four hours sooner then in Summer and ends upon the same account making full eight hours difference between Summer and Winters Sabbath But though the hours so much differ yet the seventh day surrounded by the Sun is unalterabiy the fame and the Sabbath certain as in Summer and Winter season with us so in each Climate and Countrey throughout the world And therefore 't is but an aiery flourish borrowed from the Bishops and perhaps a vaunt of more Aâ— then suits education or capacity to compass the earth for an agument to prove the variation of time which is so obvious and familiar in our little angle and yet I suppose never begat the least scruple in any Christian neither is there the least cause But I hope the adversary sees great cause by this time to be ashamed of his cloudy speculation amusing the people and humbly to confess he did he knew not what against New Englands testimony and Scripture evidence and so obtain the benefit of Christs Petition Luk. 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do Carnal hearts might with more reason contend against the Lords Supper in some Countreys for want of Wine then against the Lords Sabbath for want of Light But when Grace shall make Saints as zealous for the Sabbath as the Sacrament
Sabbath and the Lords day I know not why this term of Lords day should offend Christians now more then of old if some sabbath-keepers shall scruple it yet I hope they can religiously embrace those Gospel-opportunities and precious priviledges that the first day affords Let us beware of a censorious spirit towards persons of different perswasions Our God waited long upon us whiles living in disobedience to the Law of the seventh day Sabbath and he looks for a spirit of forbearance towards others till Sabbath light break in upon their souls unless sathan prevail with them to deprive us of our hopes by their forsaking of our assemblies as the manner of some is whose practice proclaims they will learn no more nor suffer sabbath-light to take possession of their souis We shall leave such to that drerdfull doom which attends Heb. 10.25 26.27 Those that wilfully sin in forsaking the assemblies of the Saints for whom there remains no more sacrifice but a certain fearfull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation to devour the adversaries who will not have the Lord of the Sabbath reign over them but will follow their earthly enjoyments and imployments till he return to tell them they have already received their good things i. e. the things they esteemed so and preferred before the celebration of his Sabbath and therefore must never look for more But for the enlightened Saint who sees the abiding glory of Gods seventh day Sabbath in its morality exact measure of time beginning and end let him proceed in the power of Gods spirit what ever he pay for it Though parents forsake him he hath a God to go to who will willingly receive him into a bosome of grace and after a few more weekly returns to the Gospel noon-tide Rest he and I shall be translated into New Jerusalems glory to joyn in songs of praise to the honour of the Lord of the Sabbath in the Saints everlasting rest Thus through Divine assistance I have to the full satisfaction of my own foul vindicated the morality of the holy Rest of Saints or the Sabbath of the Lord our God which is undeniably the solemn Season for Gospel worship The next thing is the special warrant for Christians to celebrate this holy day which is sour-fold 1. The Creators institution 2. The Redeemers confirmation 3. The Spirits approbation 4. The Saints observation Which being confirmed by clear Scripture will undoubtedly be fully satisfactory to all that are willing to imbrace truth The third Head VIZ. The AUTHORITY THough the Great God be not engaged to give any account of his matters yet behold his marvailous condiscentions in giving his creature not onely a command but the reason why he requires the solemn observation of this seventh day Sabbath which cannot possibly for this reason be changed to any other day For in six dayes Jehovah made the Heavens and the Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore Jehovah blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it As our Lord Jesus sets forth the excellency of that universal decree of marriage made in Paradise for Adam which is therefore honourable amongst men even so doth Jehovah lay the Basis of our obedience to his holy Sabbath in the first institution reducing us to the beginning when first as his first and his Saints best ordinance he made the Sabbath for man thereby engaging all mankinde both Jews and Gentiles to observe it upon which account the Israelites were bound not onely to sanctifie it themselves but to see that all strangers within their gates did observe the same a practise exemplary in holy Nehemiah Neh. 13. If then all Gentiles when but resident in Palestina were required to rest on Gods Sabbath whiles they were Aliens to the Commonwealth of Israel much more are we now engaged being fellow Citizens with the Saints and of Gods family The Authority then with its equity universally obliging all Adams posterity to observe the seventh day Sabbath purely springs from Gods holy Rest and Divine institution 1 Point Institution after the Worlds creation which being not made onely for Israel but for all people I appeal to all conscientious understanding Christians that presume not to destroy the reason of the fourth Commandement whether all mankinde be not hence obliged to observe that very 7th day Sabbath who enjoy the benefit of the creation God hath not only vouchsafed his children such a precious precept with the ground of it 1 Precept 2 President But is graciously pleased to make himself a perfect president in observing this seventh day Sabbath A most pure pattern for his Saints to work by a most clear coppy for his schollers to write after and lot such as desire to be Godly that is God-like follow their first and fairest example The spirit of Christ in the Gospel enjoyns us to Be followers of God as dear children Eph. 5.1 To be holy as he is holy pure as he is pure Impure persons pollute the Sabbath but the holy God sanctifies and observes it that his dear children may follow him in it Shall we pretend to press after God-like purity and yet slight Gods example in this sweet solemnity Why Gods president is the most absolute pattern of all perfection the best of men may fail and be outstript by their folfollowers but who so makes the perfect God his pattern still presseth forward and hath still more perfections before him which allures the growing mounting soul from grace to grace and so to glory Since then the blessed Creator so compleated every creature in six days that he might immediately consecrate and celebrate the seventh day Sabbath for mans example let not man think to be wiser then his Maker either in presuming to change his holy day or pretending a spiritual observance in a literal disobedience Can poor worms dust and ashes contrive a way to be more spiritual then the Father of spirits Can Satan suggest a president more perfect then Perfection it self Be not righteous overmuch but learn of the Lawgiver who in expounding his own Law sums up all in this instruction Be ye therefore perfect Mat. 5.48 even as your heavenly Father is perfect that is in quelity though equality is utterly impossible Wherefore let that very seventh day which your heavenly Faâ—her hath separated by his institution benediction and celebration be your constant observation that in this point you may be perfect EVEN As your heavenly Father is perfect Here it appeareth plainly with what full authority the blessed seventh day Sabbath is established even from the Worlds foundation Heb. 4.3 4. So that it may well be owned as a foundation Oracle instituted and observed by God himself The royal Psalmist elegantly sings Ps 87.1 That Gods foundations are in the holy mountains and certainly this toyal Law is thus gloriously founded For as it was the first statute decreed by Jehovah so its foundation
declared the nullity of all ceremonial Laws but as for this lively Oracle with the rest he termed it a holy Rom. 3 just spiritual good Law and so without the least exception established the whole Law yea and the sabbath in particular declaring in expresse terms that there remaineth the celebration of the sabbath to the people of God and not only so but having laid such a high charge upon all Christian Ministers * to be instant in Preaching Compare 2 Tim. 4.1 2. with chap. 2.2 in season out of season he plainly shews by his constant practice in Preaching every sabbath day both among Jews Gentiles this which is the very Gospel season of Preaching wherein he followes Christ binds believers to follow him So that if it be true as sabbath changers say where can we find a more dissembling person then the Apostle Paul Neither do they rest here but even accuse Christ himself who is said to be faithful in all his house even as Moses was faithful in his house Now we know that Moses hath most expressy set down from time to time the very solemn season wherein his house should assemble and worship God But of the sabbaths change Christ never spake one word to his house nay on the contrary he declared that as long as Heaven and earth lasted his Disciples must not break one jot or title of those lively oracles that Israel received from Sinai to give unto us yea in particular he owned the seventh day Sabbath as his Sabbath and so left it under his hand and sealed it by his marvellous miracles and with tender fatherly care required his house to pray that they might not be forced to flee upon it sortie years after his death And as for the day which sabbath changers accept and assert for their Sabbath he never gave them one syllable of a precept and for his president it hath plainly appeared that he journeyed freely fifteen miles upon it So that if the Sabbath be changed Christ is far enough from Moses faithfulness in all his house But further how dreadful is it to father that change of the Sabbath upon the precious Son of God Dan. 7.25 which is the detestable design of the little horn The changer of times and Lawes what charge that upon Christ which is the proper presumption of Antichrist is not this the whores mark to change the Saints times the Saints Sabbath time and the Saints supper time Me thinks Sabbath changers should be heartily ashamed whiles the opening of the seventh seal shewes so clearly the Strumpets Blasphemy that they may run and read her mark as it were in the heart of her detestable decalogue Whore she hath most impudently changed the fourth lively oracle into this dâ—mnable dialect Remember to sanctithe holy feastivals Sabbath changers t is high time to spit in the whores face strip her naked hate her burn her flesh with fire If you will not detest and loath and leave her now that she is so manifestly marked out to you Rev. 18. I shall even leave you in her lustful embraces to share in what she must shortly suffer And turn me to my dear companions who have obtained grace at last to see and sanctifie the true Sabbath of Father Son and spirit with whom I shall go on with weekly expectation of the day of our full release when vengeance pure and unmixed shall be poured upon the head of the sabbath changing Rev. 18.20 whiles joyes unspeakable shall possesse our hearts as our promised portion Rejoyce over her thou Heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avâ—nged you on her There are that think the difference of a day is no such great matter so long as one day in seven is honestly observed And truly no wonder they can so easily dispence with the change of a day who can so freely change the subject in Baptism Christ cals for believers and they bring him infants Christ cals for made disciples and they bring him sucking children Christ commands to teach them first and baptize them after and they sprinkle them first and promise to teach them to be disciples after whether they will learn or not So Christ cals for the seventh day Sabbath to be celebrated by the people of God they weekly pollute the seventh day and put him off to the eighth Lev. 23.35 36. as some have eagerly endeavoured to prove by the grosse abuse of Gods precept for the Ceremonial sabbaths of the feast of Tabernacles which they would fain have to be typical of the eighth or first day which they call the Christian sabbath But that persons may for ever dread such indifferency and impiety in putting off the Almighty from a seventh to an eighth I shall present you with the horrible presumption of that unparallel'd Jewish Antichrist Jeroboam whose ten revolted Tribes did as notably resemble the ten horns of the Romish Antichrist as his change of the seventh moneth of Gods appointment to the eighth of his own invention did shadow forth the impudence of the Man of sin in changing the seventh day Sabbath into an eighth day of his consecration This wicked Jeroboam had not onely changed Gods Ceremonial Lawes but he further presumed to change the Ceremonial time of the feast of Tabernacles Lev. 23.33.34 1 Kin. 12 32.33 for whereas God commanded Israel to keep the fifteenth day of the seventh moneth Jeroboam ordained the fifteenth day of the eight month and see how God records this in his book of remembrance And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eight moneth on the fifteenth day of the moneth like unto the feast that is in Judah so he offered upon the fifteenth day of the eighth moneth even in the moneth which he had devised of his own heart Take notice sabbath changers who plead for altering a moral Law of God from the seventh to the eight behold the Idolatrous Jeroboam but changing a ceremonial Law from the seventh to the eighth and he is for ever stigmatized for devising this of his own heart And if you will not be warned but go on in polluting Gods seventh day and put him off Jeroboam-like to your invented â—iâ—hth or first day sabbath you will shortly find that God will be as exact in reckoning with you for your Antichristian device of changing his moral seventh day as with the Jewish Antichrist for changing his Ceremonial seventh moneth You say your eighth or first day sabbath is like the seventh day sabbath there is but a day difference and you perform the like services on your sabbath as God enjoyned on his And just so did Jeroboam his feast was like the feast oâ— Judah and the sacrifices likely the same but when all 's done he is branded for a time-changer who devised the time of his own heart Surely he that sees not this Jewish Antichrist in his change of the seventh month to the eight moneth shadowing forth the Romish Antichrist