circumstances considered it more then probable that this third Chapter is nothing but an history of what was done on the sixth day And so the mention of the Sabbath in the beginning of the second Chapter may well enough in order of things take place at the end of the third and then it will roundly follow That the first sin went before the first Sabbath As to that which is further alledged Exod. 31.17 Ans 3 That on the seventh day God rested and was refreshed I answer It is onely a Metaphorical expression for we may not think that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainted or was weary in the works of the Creation or that he needed any rest or respiration But when the Holy Ghost speaks to us men he delights to speak after the manner of men respecting more the weakness of our capacity than the exactness and propriety of the Phrase In a word suppose God's resting and being refreshed on the seventh day intimate some delightful satisfaction like that which men take in things that refresh their souls yet it follows not that this satisfaction was taken in the creatures but rather in Christ who had now undertaken God's satisfaction for man's transgression And this indeed is a sweet refreshing as to a guilty creature so to an angry God and in this sense the Scriptures do sweetly harmonize Isai 42.1 Mat. 3.17 Mat. 12.18 unanimously testifying that our blessed Redeemer is the person in whom the eternal God delighteth in whom the Father is well-pleased As for the other Scriptures which T.T. crouds in for company-sake in his Margin as Job 38.7 Luke 2.13 the one speaking of the Angels song at the Creation of the earth the other of their joyful Hymne at the birth of Christ I wonder how they make for his purpose to prove that man had not sinned before the Sabbath But impertinent quotations are no rarities in his book he would make a glorious shew of Scripture to dazle the eies of the simple when the Scriptures he cites are neither in sense nor sound applicable to his purpose which if it be not packing sophistry let the world judg Well his first tripartite argument is weighed and found to light And hitherto for ought appears to the contrary the first Sabbath was not before sin I proceed to the second 2. T. T s Argum. Some time sayes he must be allowed for the sin of Angels and after that for the parley with the woman and it was no little space wherein Adam gave significant names to the creatures For the Angels sin Ans 1 to guesse precisely at the time of it is neither easie nor necessary And in disputes of this nature we must be wise to sobriety not to curiosity a 1 Tim. 3.6 pride was a principal ingredient in their sin and b Job 4.18 God charged them with folly for their pride how much more folly shall sinful man be found guilty of who in the pride of his foolish heart shall presume to be wise above that which is written Some think that place Luke 10.28 may refer to the first fall of the Angels being mentioned as a check to the disciples ready to be lifted up with pride at the success of their ministry Ne factis miraculis superbirent discipuli adduxit Domiuus exemplum Satanae c. Stella in loc However it is most consentaneous to Scripture and Reason to conceive that the Angels being spiritual substances must in their actings whether good or evil be proportionable to their beings And sin being a spiritual evil how quick a progresse it might make in such creatures let any man judg who can but compare things spiritual with spiritual To me it is no great difficulty to apprehend that in a very few moments by an aspiring thought legions of Angels might become legions of Divels Especially being for ought I know linked together in a conjoyned apostasie For Adam's naming the creatures this also might soon be dispatched Answ 2 considering that not every individual creature as T.T. would have it but onely the birds and beasts were made to pass before Adam of which there are not many kinds Primi parentes insignes Philosophi Luther in Gâ—n Cap. 1. and not many of a kind created at first And doubtless it cost Adam no study to impose significant names upon them He had natural Philosophy enough concreated with him to know the properties and qualities of the creaures 1 Kin. 4.33 34 and he needed no dictionary to find out suitable names for them If Solomon after the Fall were so well read in the book of the creatures that he could write a complete Commentary upon it from the Cedar to the Hysop what shall we think of Adam before the Fall But to put all out of doubt Dr. Twisse moral of the Sabbath p. 51. that the naming of the Creatures took up no long time is evident for they were all named before Eve was formed Gen. 2.19 20. So as all this might be done before noon and time enough left before night for the acting of that fatal tragedy the Fall of Man as a judicious Writer concludes For the parley betwixt the Woman and the Serpent Answ 3 we have no reason to judge that long when the Scripture cuts it so short Questionless the Serpent was not onely a subtile but a nimble disputant and it was his policy to be as quick as he could that the woman might be conquered before she had time to recollect her self Besides in the judgment of most Interpreters she began to stagger and give ground at the first assault So that all this Authors conjectures laid together are too weak to bear the weight of that confident conclusion Nothing is more certain then that the Highest himself did both sanctifie and celebrate the first Sabbath and that before sin p. 11. I may well say nothing is more uncertain I have given some Scripture-arguments already to make it more then probable I shall add more in the third branch to make it little less then infallible that man fell on the sixth day For the present I shall onely cast in one Argument against the supposed institution of the Sabbath in Paradise If the Sabbath was instituted in Paradise Argu. then Adam did observe and was bound to observe the first Sabbath in Paradise But neither of these can be proved from Scripture Therefore c. 1. That Adam did unquestionably observe the first Sabbath in Paradise cannot be demonstratively proved from Scripture This is undeniable that whenever or where-ever he kept his first Sabbath he did it in imitation of God's example Now how could he rest a whole day by God's example till God had fully completed the first seventh dayes rest for his example Eph. 5.1 Imitation of God being a subsequent not a concomitant act a following of him as dear children not a fellow-acting with him I can therefore see
the resurrection day as after ages have by the Incarnation the Passion or the Assention day have kept it once a year only not once a week as they did and we do But this by the way to illustrate my concession which is this that the fourth Commandment for the substance of it that is for a Sabbath in general yea a seventh day Sabbath and that of Gods appointment is a moral and perpetual precept this I freely grant and firmly believe But 2. That the old seventh day is either in part or in the whole De substautia praecepti non est ut septimum diem precise quo etiam Deus cessavit ab operibus sanctificemus sed dicm quieti consecratum à Deo ipso mediatè vel immediatè Zanch. in praec 4. the moral substance of this Commandment or that the morality of the law-lyes in the particularity of the day this I utterly deny And I shall with the rest of my Brethren affirm and maintain the contrary as an undoubted truth of God Namely that the fourth Commandment doth principally and properly and as the moral substance of it prescribe only such a proportion one day in seven at Gods appointment to be spent in holy rest not this or that particular seventh day unless it be indirectly and occasionally To explicate this the second commandment is usually and aptly alledged as a commentary upon the fourth the form of worship and the time of worship being neerly allyed to each other Now as in the second Commandment we have the rule of solemn worship in general without specifying the particular ordinances of worship whether sacrifices and offerings as under the Law or Prayer Preaching Baptisme and breaking of bread as under the Gospel all which we re consequentially injoyned in the second Commandment but neither of them directly in like manner in this fourth commandment we have a rule for the solemn time of worship a seventh day or one in seven at Gods appointment But whether it should be reckoned from the worlds Creation or from Christ resurrection is not here determined particular duties of worship and the particular day of worship being to vary and change with the different age and state of the Church The wisdome of the Law-giver has so contrived these two Commandments that both the day and the duties as occasionals might be changed without any change of his moral and immutable Lawes But there is native light and evidence enough in the fourth Commandment it self to convince us of this truth Prov. 6.23 For as Solomon sayes the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light Only we must look to the sense and not wholly liften to the sound of the letter for in all lawes the meaning of the Law-giver Isai 8.20 Non in verbis sed insensu non in superficie sed in medulla non in foliis sed in radice ratiouis Hieron in Gâ—l 2. Tertull. de Carne Chrsti and the sense of the Law is to be respected not the letter only as he sayes well the mind of God is not so much in letters and syllables as the sense and meaning Not in the out-side but in the pith and marrow not in the leaves of words but in the root of reason for which we must digg deep by serious study and prayer before we can discern it Now if laying aside all prejudice we would thus look into this perfect Law of liberty as those that look to be judged by it another day Jam. 2.12 I doubt not but we shall find one day in seven at Gods choice not the old Seventh day to be the soul and substance of it which that it may the better be demonstrated I shall for methods sake distribute this fourth Commandment into these four parts 1. Exod. 20.8 The preceptive part Remember the Sabbath or day of rest to keep it holy 2. V. 9.10 The directive part Six dayes shalt thou labour but a seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God c. 3. V. 11. The argumentative part For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh 4. The benedictive part or the conclusion Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it Now if all these four parts of the Commandment be directly for a seventh day in number or proportion and but indirectly occasionally and consequentially for a seventh day in order then the substance of the Commandment is for one day of seven not the last of seven But the premises are true and to demonstrate their truth let us come to tryal 1. We shall examine the Preceptive part Remember the Sabbath day or day of rest to keep it holy This I hope is not be restrained to the old seventh day Sabbath and seventh day cannot be terms convertible here for then there were a tautology in the Commandment as Mr. Cawdrey observes It were as if God should say Remember the seventh day Sabbath the seventh day is the Sabbath which is such a flat tautology as the God of Wisdome will never own in so short a summe of words No it s evident that hitherto the precept is comprehensive and large not limitted to one day more then another for Sabbath day if you will hear the Hebrew word speak English is no more but a day of rest and that is any day set apart for solemn worship by divine authority It is applicable to the first day of the week as much as ever it was to the last A judicious Author does piously and pithily illustrate it by that second table precept Honour the King Mr. Bernard late of Batcomb 1 Pet. 2.17 If Saul be King honour him if he be dead or displaced and David be King then honour King David To neither of them directly but successively and consequentially it might be accommodated to both So remember the day of rest to sanctifie it while the old seventh day was the day of rest the Jews were bound to sanctifie that If that be changed and the first day of the week be chosen in its room we are as much bound to sanctifie that and this by the same law for as the change of the person took not away the precept of honouring the King Hac enim ratione nos quoque proeceptum hoc servamus dum sanctificamus diem dominicum quia hic quietis nobis est dies sicut Judaels fuit septimus Zanch. in praec Col. 2. Syg so the change of the day made not void the command of sanctifying the Sabbath And thus as learned Zanchy tells us We Christians keep the Sabbath as much as ever the Jewes did in keeping holy the Lords day which is a day of holy rest as well as their was For if it be a day of holy rejoycing it must needs be a day of holy rest since it is both improper and impossible to keep a set or solemn day as a day of holy rejoycing in Christ and at the same time
or perpetual precept unless from the fourth Commandment Gen. 2. is not plain and direct Exod. 16.15 no perpetual precept The Old Testament affords no other but the fourth Commandment for one day in seven as direct Alter Gods proportion which way you will and religion will be substantially damnified by it but no such damage arises from the change of the particular day for another and a better since God and the soul have the same proportion still one day in seven though the old seventh day be displaced Therefore I conclude the proportion and not the particular day is directly determined in this moral and perpetual law for elsewhere it is not As for the particular day whether first or last of seven it falls under the proportion as having a seventh part of time appointed falling upon it and no otherwise But I might have spared this argument for the term seventh day is large enough in it self since it is not said the seventh day from the Creation or any other period or date of time but seventh day in general And what high presumption is it in T.T. to restrain the word seventh where no reason doth constrain What 's this but to limit the holy one of Israel Isalm 119.96 to clip the wings of Gods Commandment and narrow it up to his own notion when the Commandment in it self is exceeding broad but to proceed 3. Let us consult the argumentative part of the precept viz. that which contains the principal argument and reason to inforce the Sabbaths observation and that is Gods example in these words for in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day as if the Lord had said the reason why I would have you observe the forementioned proportion of weekly time six dayes for labour and a seventh for rest is this because I my self kept this proportion in the beginning of time working six dayes and resting but one in seven Note it well Gods example is not propounded as an argument for the seventh day from Creation directly but more generally for a seventh day in proportion For the example can intend no more then the foregoing clause of which it is brought as a reason and that is no more but one day in seven directly not appropriated to any particular day as we proved before But that special seventh day is intimated in Gods exampie Obj. for God not only rested one day in seven but the last of seven and the seventh from Creation What then Answ Does it therefore unavoidably follow that we must observe the same day the same singular seventh day we cannot observe for that is past and gone therefore it must be such a seventh day in likeness and correspondency to that and why not such a seventh in number or one in seven as well as such as seventh for order or the last of seven If you say the last of seven is intended in the argument of Gods example I answer every circumstance in an argument is not argumentative and although that day be intimated in the example yet it is not so much argumentatively as historically propounded An example is not to be necessarily imitated in every circumstance of it I will make it plain by a parallel and pertinent instance I hope you will grant that we are as much bound to imitate the example of Christ in the celebration of the supper as the example of God the Father in the observation of the Sabbath we have a plain command for it Do this in remembrance of me What then does it therefore follow that we are tyed to the same night in which Christ was betrayed For this is mentioned in the words of institution and that expresly 1 Cor. 11.23 I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed tock bread c. Mark it here is Christs institution and example recommended to us as a rule to guide our practise and in the proposal of his example not only the season in the night but also the punctual circumstance of it the same night in which he was betrayed is set down what followes from hence Is this a good argument for Easter-Communions Haec verba historic am tantummodò relationem nequaquam verò determinatum de tempore mandatum continent Gerar. de S. C Loo Com. p. 536. ot after supper-Sacraments No such matter for these circumstances are but historically in timated not argumentatively propounded yet this I must needs say we may as well argue for sacrament-celebration the same night in which Christ was betrayed and no other as for Sabbath-observation the same day in which God rested and no other However If any one ask why we continue the name of the Lords supper and not the time we answer 1. Because we keep it as the Lords supper not our own supper It retains the name from the first administration 2. Because we celebrate it in the evening though not of the day this is argumentum ad hominem For T.T. is a great stickler for night-celebration of the supper and frequently tells us in his book That Antic hrist changed the Lords supper-time as well as the Lords Sabbath-time And I think as much the one as the other But by the way let me tell him that in arguing for the night from Christs example See Mr. Phil Goodwin Evening Communicant ad finem he runs himself upon an inevitable necessity of concluding for the same night in which Christ was betrayed or else his argument runs a ground and concludes just nothing for the same night as well as the night is put into the words of institution Although I judg that neither the one nor the other is obligatory because both were occasional Christ instituted the supper in the evening indeed because it was immediately to succeed the Passeover which was an evening ordinance and the same evening or night in which he was betrayed because the next day he was to suffer Both these were occasional and therefore neither of them perpetual and besides we may well conceive that our Lord did this in the evening and after the Passeover to signifie the abolishing both of the passeover and the evening and to leave the time free to his Church ever after as a late Writer has judiciously observed Let not the Reader call this a digression Non est ociosum quia non infructuosum loqua citas nulla in aedificatione turpis Tertull. de patientia for there is properly no digression in that which may conduce to edification neither is it impertinent as long as it is not unprofitable But to return to our argument suppose the old seventh day were indirectly and circumstantially commended to the Jews by Gods example yet it followes not that the same day is still in force to us because circumstantials in a moral law as we said before are changeable without any change in the
substance of the law I do not say they are abrogable as ceremonies but alterable as circumstances they may be changed for better things and not a tittle of the law annulled but rather fulfilled by it according to that of our Saviour till heaven and earth pass one jot Mat. 5.18 or one tittle shall not pass from the law till all be fulfilled I say the law is not destroyed but rather fulfilled by the varying of some circumstances as by changing their typical deliverance from Egypt into our spiritual deliverance from sin and the land of Canaan meant in the fifth Commandment into England where we dwell And because the fourth Commandment and the fifth are neer neighbours methinks the one may fairly expound the other It cannot be denyed Ephes 6.3 The Apostle in repeating that promise leaves out the words which the Lord thy God giveth thee because they were more appropriate to the Jews and to us the argument is entire without them See Weems Chris Syn. that the promised land intended occasionally in the fifth Commandment was the land of Canaan neither do I deny that the day on which God is said to rest in the fourth Commandment was the seventh day from Creation yet all will grant that the argument or inducement of the fifth Commandment is not to be restrained to that land only for then it were no argument at all to us Now I would ask any rational man why the argument of this fourth Commandment should be limited to that particular day from Creation more then the argument of the fifth Commandment to that particular land of Canaan since both the one and the other are but occasionally insinuated And to limit the inducement of a moral law to an occasional circumstance is the ready way to evacuate and make void the whole law But we shall put it out of all doubt that Gods example here propounded is only for one day in seven directly substantially and properly for the old seventh only consequentially indirectly or occasionally and that by a double consideration 1. Because it is here urged as a reason of what went before 2. Because the reason of this reason is chiefly for one day in seven 1. This example of God in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day is alleged as a reason of the forementioned clause six dayss shalt thou labour but the seventh is the Sabbath so much is clearly implyed in the connexive or causal particle For six dayes shalt thou labour and rest a seventh For so did Jehovah thy God Now the reason annexed to any rule must if there be any amiguity in it be expounded by the rule the rule must not be interpreted by the reason for the rule is not brought for the reason but that for the rule Therefore as the former receives strength by the latter so the latter must receive light from the fotmer Now the standing rule for the weekly Sabbath is this Six dayes shalt thou labour but a seventh is the Sabbath Here the term seventh is general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indifferently signifies a seventh or the seventh a and the being particles proper to the English tongue are defective in the Hebrew and Latine To supply which defect the schooles distinguish of Diet septimus formaliter and Dies septimus materialiter as was noted before 'T is not said this or that seventh but leftat large And where God has left a latitude we may not dare to put a limitation that were to enclose Gods Common and intrench upon his Royalty Well then the Rule being only express for a seventh day in general the reason or argument here brought to perswade to the observation of such a general seventh is taken from Gods example who also rested a seventh day which although it were the last of seven yet being only alledged as a reason of the forementioned rule it can signifie no more then the rule it self of which it is a reason And so it is clear that the sense of this latter clause in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh must be only according to the sense of the former clause six dayes shalt thou labour but a seventh is the Sabbath that is a seventh in proportion directly And thus the first day of the week is as much the Sabbath of the fourth Commandment to Christians as ever the last of the week was to the Jewes being one day in seven as well as that To dispute for the same day on which God rested and infer a necessity of observing that day because we must observe that proportion is to argue à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter a well known fallacy For the argument is only direct for such a proportion six for labour and a seventh every week for rest not this or that seventh from any prefixed period 2. Let us look into the reason of this reason and then the case will be yet more clear the reason or equity of any law is the life and strength of the law And it is the design of Gods wisdome in imposing laws upon his creatures to propose such reasons in those lawes as shall make them appear congruous and suitable to those common principles of right and equity Psalm 119.18 Rom. 7.12 Deus ideò leges suas judicia vocat quod aequiffima sunt quae praescribit impressed upon the creature And hence Gods lawes are so often styled Judgments because in all things they are just and equal and certainly that sense of the argument which doth most shew the equity of the Commandment is the best and truest sense Now let us consider the equity that Gods example carryes with it in reference to the aforesaid proportion of six dayes for labour and one in seven for rest As thus if the great God who needs not a moment of time either for work or rest as being neither subject to weakness nor weariness if he I say were pleased when he had work to do even a world to make to take six dayes for his work and one in seven for rest how much more should we men still hold to this proportion who by reason of corporal weakness and spiritual wants need such a competency of time both for secular imployments and soul refreshments Thus there is convincing strength of reason and equity in it But now to argue for the particular day God wrought first six dayes and then rested the last of seven therefore we must first work and then rest has no such argumentative force in it especially to us Christians who living under a Covenant of pure grace do rather work by rest then rest by works and therefoe the Sabbath being suitable to the Covenant we may rather judg it equitable to begin the week with a day of rest and work the six dayes after then to work the six first dayes and then rest the last seventh Even dim-eyed nature judges it most
as needs he must those that maintain the fourth Commandment to be moral for one day in seven not the old seventh day then let me tell him his charging them with no want of ignorance argues in himself no want of impudence for upon whom does this arrogant censure fall but upon all the Learned Zealous and pious servants of God called Puritans who have encountred the rigid prelatical party in this controversie as a p 73. Dr. Bownd b Hexap in Gen p 43. Dr. Willet c Sect. 6. Dr. Twiss d Dies Domin l. 1. c. 10 Dr. Young e Mosaic Sab. p. 70. Mr. Bernard of Batcomb f in Gen. 2. moral of the fourth Co. Mr. White of Dorch g Doctr. of the Sab. vind p. 236 Mr. Byfield h of the Sab. p. 78. Mr. Fenner i Declar. the Sab. p. 101. Mr. Cleaver k p. 6. 36. Mr. Sprint l part 2. c. 7. throughout Mr. Cawdrey and Mr. Palmer and whom not of savory name in the Church of Christ do they not all affirm the same thing That the Comandment is substantially moral for one day in seven not that old seventh day and must all these modern worthies be branded for meer ignoramus's And not only these but all the Ancients too whose testimony they have all along cited Surely this man is very wise in his own conceit that he can thus look upon the greatest lights of these latter dayes as fools and dunces But I shall not answer him in his folly therefore to proceed Whereas he objects that we have Gods pattern in the mount the precise time of his rest to point out the day Answ 2 As in the first Institution of the supper Christ made use of unleavened bread yet his example binds us only to the use of bread not that which is unleavened So for the first Institution of the Sabbath God rested on the seventh day from Creation yet his example binds us only to a day of that number not that particular day See the new Annot. in Exod. 20. Attersolls new Cov. I answer as before that Gods pattern or example is directly propounded in the Commandment to point out the proportion not the particular day The proportion I say of one day in seven for rest in opposition to six working dayes And therefore the number of Gods working dayes is specified in the example as well as the day of his rest for in six dayes the Lord made Heaven Earth and Sea and rested the seventh day plainly intimating that the main force of the example is to bind us to such a number of dayes six for labour and one in a week for rest not such an order as first or last of seven Or admit there were some thing else in it namely that indirectly and occasionally it did lead the Jews to that old seventh day that is during the significancy of that day and the supereminency of the first Creation yet when a new Creation is finished and a new rest from a greater work manifested upon another day that indirect and occasional force of the example for the old day must needs be out of force to us being subordinated and swallowed up by the glory of a greater work and a better rest upon another day And that without any violation of the precept at all yea or the example either in the direct scope of it for one day in seven A new day might be and is instituted and yet the main scope both of the precept and example still observed in our labouring six dayes and resting every seventh Only that which was circumstantial and occasional is altered upon the account of the new Creatio or Redemption which comparatively was to put out the memory of the old Creation as it is plain Isai 65.17 And that thus it should be that the occasional force of Gods example as to the old day should be out of force to us and yet a weekly Sabbath to be still observed by the moral and direct force of the command me thinks it is not obscurely signified in the Commandment it self if we do but compare two places together Exod. 20. with Deut. 5. at the first giving of the Law in thunder and terrour Exod. 20.11 compared with Deut. 5.15 the Sabbath is wholly inforced from the Creation and Gods example in resting from that work as was said before but in the repetition or second-giving of the law by the hand of Moses a typical mediatour Deut. 5. you see the reason from the Creation is quite left out and the Sabbath is altogether inforced by a type of our Redemption viz. their deliverance from the Egyptian bondage Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt Mr. G. Abbot Vindic. Sabb. a most accurate Treatise never yet answered So also see learned Ainsworth in Exod. 20. and the Lord brought thee thence by a mighty hand therefore he commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day lively intimating as a learned Author observes the subsistence of the fourth Commandment under the Gospel and the binding authority of it by the incorporation of a new reason drawn from our Redemption or spiritual deliverance by Christ instead of the old reason drawn from the Creation which is here utterly omitted And as he sayes well it is worthy to be considere whether such a repetition of the fourth Commandment not Seorsim or by it self alone but together with the whole decalogue in its proper place and order with such a material omission or alteration be not very significant and what can it more properly signifie then this that under the second and best dispensation of the Law that is under the Gospel the main argument for our weekly Sabbath should be the work of Redemption Surely their deliverance from Egypt literally considered was not comparable to the work of Creation that it should here be propounded as the reason of the Sabbath and the other left out but as a type of the most glorious and gracious work of Redemption there was much weight in it And if the type it self were thus significant Argum. a minori as to carry the force of a reason for the weekly Sabbath setting aside the Creation how much more should the antitype which excells all types in glory as much as the Su does the shadow It will perhaps be objected That this argues the perpetuity of the old seventh day under the Gospel I answer No it quite overthrowes it for in as much as it signifies the weekly celebration of a Sabbath in memory of Redemption rather then of Creation it evidently implyes that when this greater work should be finished the memory of the Creation upon which the old day was fixed should be swallowed up by the worke of Redemption and then the day it self must unavoidably be changed It s true while the type lasted and Redemption was rather figured then fulfilled the old day was still to be obseved
for that which nature informed by a written word judges most agreeable to moral and religious equity so we may grant it we also affirme that a seventh part of time must be perpetually devoted to God from week to week that is one part of seven Neither did this proportion receive any interruption by the change of the day for the Jewes Sabbath being in use while Christ lay in the grave was the seventh part of time for the week going before the resurrection and the Lords day was the seventh part of time for the weeke following the resurrection what inconvenience in all this Answ 2 If by the seventh part of time simply considered he will needs understend the last of seven in order he must first convince us that this is the morality of the Commandment which if by working miracles in Logick and Divinity he can do yet it will at no hand follow that the altering or adjourning of this proportion from the last to the first day of the week was any violation of the precepts morality In this case as one sayes alteration is no dissolution no more then to adjourn the Parliament to another time is to dissolve the Parliament Besides an extraordinary case can be no violation of an ordinary rule As the Suns standing still in Joshuahs and going back in Hezekiahs time which did undoubtedly alter the setled course of time for man had more then six parts and God had less then simply a seventh part of time for those two weeks yet being extroardinary cases they were no infringment of that ordinary standing rule for a seventh part of time from week to week So here supposing some variation in the ordinary course of time at the first change of the day yet being by a person extraordinary the Lord of glory who made the law and is above the law as also upon an occasion extraordinary his resurrection from the dead who would dare to say as this objectour does that the morality of the law was hereby destroyed Whereas he further suggests That if the Sabbath were translated to the eighth or first day Answ 3 This was T. Brabourns Objection p. 178. then seven dayes must pass without any one Sabbath it is already answered there is not the least necessity of that for as the Paschal supper was in use till the Gospel-supper was instituted so was the old Sabbath till the Lords days was consecrated by the Lords resurrection Hence the holy women are commended for keeping it Luk. 23.56 they were as one sayes commended for keeping the Jews Sabbath before Christs resurrection Note that but never were any commended for keeping it after his resurrection Hitherto therefore it appears what feeble unjoynted unsinnewed shadows of arguments this Author pleases himself and perverts the simple withall Neither Is there any strength in that which comes up in the rear Answ 4 that whoever should keep the old seventh day and the first day of the week at the change of the day he must keep two Sabbaths within the circuit of seven dayes What then as long as these two Sabbaths fell in two several weeks this brake no squares in the morality of the law for the Commandment is only for one day of seven in the circle of every week Levir 23.15 Deut. 16.9 Luk. 18.12 Hence the Sabbath being the boundary of weekly time is sometimes termed week intimating that as it was ever a seventh day Sabbath so also a weekly Sabbath one day in a week and but one in a week ordinarily And this rule was exactly kept in the change of the day for as there were two Sabbaths so two distinct weeks in which the forementioned proportion of six dayes for work and one for rest was punctually observed In a word the supposed disorder objected against the change of the day is but a dart flung against heaven a cavil raised against Christ and his blessed Apostles who were well enough able to answer it and so are we also building upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Ephes 2.20 and Jesus Christ the chief corner-stone who when he was made the head of the corner did crown the Resurrection-day above all other dayes intimating as much by an illustrious Prophet Psalm 118.24 and expounding it by his inspired Apostles both in their doctrine Acts 4.11 and their practise Acts 20.7 so that the Lords day having Christ himself for its corner-stone Prophets and Apostles for its foundation we may look upon all objections of this nature as groundless and graceless cavillations which like proud waves dashing against the rock dissipate themselves with their own fury Mark 2.28 Sure we are that the Lord Jesus being Lord of the Sabbath had power to change it and in the change it was fit the Sabbath should waite upon him who was Lord of it not he upon it And if the order or constituted course of time received some small interruption for once by the change of the day yet it was no more then what had happened twice before viz. upon the standing still and going back of the Sun Joshu 10.13 Isai 38.8 far less events then the glorious shining forth of the Sun of righteousness after a three dayes eclipse in the chambers of death He has but one discharge more against the truth and then all his powder is spent to no purpose He charges our doctrine with a gross absurdity as thus Obj. 6 p. 116. That we render Gods reason of Janctifiing-the Sabbath in this wise for in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the first day Wherefore the Lord blessed the first day for his Sabbath and sanctified it But we answer Answ this pretended absurdity is a meer calumny we are not so destitute of reason as to render Gods reason in such a mishapen form we only argue thus that we must sanctifie one day in seven because God did so As for the particular day whether first or last of seven we ground it not directly either upon the precept or example of God but we say it is instituted elsewhere And when we have found the institution or designation of the Lords day somewhere else as shortly we shall we only go to the Commandment as a rule for the observation of it and accordingly we urge conscience with Gods example not as directly pointing out the day for so it was never intended but as perswading us to such a proportion one day in seven of his own appointment And therefore we reject all his lame consequences That unless we will cast this absurdity upon God we must cast off the fourth Commandment at least the reason of it must be rejected c. These are his own coined suppositions our conclusions are nothing akin to these wild inferences as any man may see that has but half an eye in this controversie As for those popular passages up and down his book That if the day be changed more then a tittle of
the Law is abrogated I look upon them as words ' of course which in a Controversie weigh no more then a feather yea as beggerly fallacies for they all along begge the question taking that for granted which hath been soundly whipt with a denyal by sundry learned pens viz. that the seventh day from the Creation was ever an express tittle of the Commandment a seventh day in a week indeed is more then a tittle of the Law and this number is still continued in the observation of the Lords day all the Christian world over And I doubt not but it shall continue to the end of the world although the old day be changed as in the celebration of the Passeover the precise order of time was sometimes altered for whereas the fourteenth day of the first moneth was the time appointed at first Exod. 12.18 yet Hezekiahs great passeover was kept on the fourteenth day of the second moneth 2 Chron. 30.5 Where you see the precise individual day altered upon occasion yet the number the fourteenth day still observed See this illustration further cleared by Mr. G. Abbot p. 37. and Mr. Walker p. 49. So upon a greater and better occasion the Sabbath is altered as to the day yet the seventh day in number still kept intire in this as the fourteenth in the other And so the Sabbath now as well as the Passeover then for substance preserved notwithstanding the circumstantial and occasional change of the day And thus through the conduct of my gracious Guide leading me by Scripture light and the foot-steps of my dear companions in the cause of Christ I have safely passed the pikes of opposition and vindicated this royal law from the false glosses and erroneous discants of the adversary carrying this conclusion all along before me as a truth triumphing over all contradiction That the old seventh day was never propounded as the substance or special subject of any moral law I shall but touch upon the second 2. That it seems to be pointed at as a sign under the ceremonial law yea it does more then seem so if the text be impartially viewed Exod. 31. from v. 13. to v. 18. where we find a special charge imposed upon the Jews to observe the Sabbath and that upon sundry considerations 1. From the end of it Verily my Sabbath ye shall keep for it a sign between me and you V. 13. throughout your generations to know that I am Jehovah that sanctifieth you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the words run in the Hebrew And this is farther explicated v. V. 14. 14. ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore for it is holy or holiness to you thereby expounding what was meant by his sanctifying of them in the verse before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if the Lord had said the keeping of my Sabbaths shall be a distinctive badge and cognisance of your Covenant-holiness Sabbathum est signum quod Deus Israclem sanctificat ut Sabbathum sanctifionvit scil segregando eosex Gentibns profanls in peculiarem sibi popnlum Lavat in Exek Hom. 26. a sign that I do sanctifie you and separate you to my self above all the people of the earth for an holy and peculiar people for as the Lord is said to sanctifie the Sabbath so also to sanctifie Israel that is by separating it from all other dayes and them from all other nations to be holiness to himfelf And this is the first special reason why they should keep the Sabbath throughout their generations as a sign or mark of distinction to difference them from the rest of the profane world 2. From the perill of profaning it v. 14.15 Every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death for whosoever doth any work therein that soul shall be cut off from amongst his people c. A law shortly after executed in the letter of it by stoning to death one that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day Numb 15.36 which rigour for ought I can find to the contrary lasted no longer then the Israelites peregrination in the wilderness where as one sayes an extraordinary strict rest was imposed upon them because they were extraordinarily accommodated for it Being as the Saints in heaven are immediately at Gods finding having Mannah without means daily provided for them and hence it is said Numb 15.32 While the children of Israel were in the wilderness they found a man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day and stoned him to death Note the Phrase while they wore in the wilderness not elsewhere for when they were out of the wilderness we never read of the like punishment inflicted It seems then that this strict kind of rest and rigour was restrained to that time and place only 3. Another argument to inforce their observation of the Sabbath is taken from the moral equity of it verse 15. Six dayes may work be done but the seventhis the Sabbath As if the Lord had said ye may well afford me one day in seven since I have given you six in seven And this again is reinforced by Gods example in the latter part of v. 17. For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day Now it concerns us to inquire in this context what was proper to the Jews and what common with them to us What is moral and perpetual what judicial or ceremonial and temporary For that morals and judicials are here mingled together none can deny and the difficulty will be how to sever the one from the other and to shew in what sense the Sabbath was made a sign what the significancy of it was and especially what kind of sign whether a permanent sign as the Rain bow or a transient sign as the cloudly pillar in the wilderness There are sundry sorts of signs spoken of in Scripture I shall onely instance in those that are of prime note and pertinency to resolve the case in hand 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josh 4.6 7. So also the Passeover was and the Lords supper is a sign being both memorative Exod. 12.26 Mat. 26.26 1 Cor. 11.24 There are remembrancing signs as the twelve stones taken out of Jordan for every tribe one were set up as a sign to after-ages for a memorial to the childen of Israel that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark And such a kind of sign it is commonly thought the Sabbath was a memorial of the Creation But that it is so propounded or intended here cannot easily be proved since the Lord does not say I have given you my Sabbaths as a sign that I created the world but for a sign that I the Lord do sanctifie you And although it be added v. 17. It is a sign betwixt me and the Children of Israel for ever Ainach majoris distinctionis pausae est accentus Buxtorf Thes Gram. for in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth c. Yet it
and complete the fabrick of the new Creation And thus is the resurrection-day prophetically crowned with honour above all other dayes Old Sabbath and all For the work crowns the day and the greater the work the greater the day And therefore although the last day of the week were the greatest in dignity during the supereminency of the old Creation yet when a greater work was to be finished the day on which it was to conclude must without dispute be the greater day As John Baptist being the last and greatest of the prophets yet was lesse then the least in the Kingdome of heaven so I may say of the Old Sabbath the greatest day under the Old Testament yet it must vail and stoop when the Sun of righteousness shines forth in a new day under the New Testament Surely the second Creation must have a Sabbath of commemoration as well as the first or else God should magnifie his lesser work of Creation above his greater work of Redemption And thus I suppose I have made good my Position both Logically and Theologically that the old seventh day was alterable in its first institution since the same ground of stating the Sabbath at first upon that day might be a sufficient ground of translating it to another day as now it is and that by Divine Authority as shall be seen hereafter The adversary has no considerable weapons to oppose this truth withal but what have been already beaten out of Mr. Brabourns hands and are sufficiently blunted by others or if any new ones be added we shall now try what mettal they are made of Obj. 1 T.T. p. 7. The seventh day sayes he was set apart in memorial of the most glorious work of Creation the benefit whereof being extended to us p. 69. engageth us to that day still And again The world being created not only for Israel but for all people I appeal to all conscientious Christians whether all mankind be not bound to that very day who enjoy the benefit of the Creation By the way let me tell him when I read his insulting challenge I expected Scripture-arguments and not popular appeals But to let him swim in his own element the sum of his appealing for arguing I cannot call it amounts but to this that if the old seventh day were set apart in memory of the Creation which every Christian as a creature is bound to commemorate then the day is unchangeable perpetually to be observed But to this I answer The consequence is sick and crasie Answer and therefore it can produce but a weak conclusion For first the Covenant of grace I suppose is as ancient as the old Sabbath I am sure as eminent a mercy as the occasion of the Sabbath And doubtless to every true-hearted Christian the memory of Gods Covenant is and ought to be as precious as the memory of the worlds Creation yet I hope he will not say that circumcision and sacrifices the old memorials of the Covenant are therefore still in force or ought to be still in use among Christians who are interested in that Covenant And the like may I say of the Saturday-Sabbath Let none object the disparity between the Old Sabbath and circumcision for they are both clad in a livery of the same colour in many things they do much resemble one another Was a Gen. 17.11 circumcision a sign betwixt God and the seed of Abraham so was the b Exod. 31.17 old Sabbath betwixt God and the house of Israel Was c Gen. 17.7 circumcision a perpetual Covenant with Abrahams seed in their generation So also was the d Exod. 31.16 Sabbath to be kept as a perpetual Covenant throughout their generations In a word was e Gen. 17.14 circumcision so exacted that whosoever was uncircumcised must be cut off from the house of Israel why so also was the old f Exod. 31.14 Sabbath whosoever doth any work therein that soul shall be cut off from among the people Again let none tax me with incongruity in comparing the old Sabbath and sacrifices together for the Lord of the Sabbath himself hath taught me to lay them in an equal ballance who when the Pharisees clamoured his Disciples for Sabbath breaking stops their mouths with that g Hos 6.6 Mat. 12.7 Pluris apud De um salus mortalium quà ms crifi iapecudum Muscul in Loc. Scripture The Lord will have merey and not socrifice That is the necessities of men relieved rather then the supposed letter of the Law observed In my poor judgment it is very considerable that such a person at such a time should match the Sabbath day and sacrifices together for it was not the Sabbath in general but the Sabbath day which was then under dispute Surely there was some mystery in this Divinity of our Saviour But this may suffice for a first answer As the Covenant of grace is perpetually to be commemorated but not by circumcision and sacrifices the old memorials of it so the work of creation is continually to be had in remembrace but not by the old Sabbaths celebration For we say as the new Covenant must have new signs so the new creation a new Sabbath And 2. A new day might keep alive the memory of the old Creation Meditatio celebratio operum Dei non minus alio die quà m septimoficri potest Ursin although it be primarily intended as a memorial of redemption And this double honour is put upon the Lords day as the first day of the week it commemorates the worlds redemption as the seventh day in weekly recourse it calls to mind the worlds Creation For in labouring six dayes and resting the seventh weekly we recognize Gods working six dayes and resting the seventh originally And here I may as rationally as T.T. appeal to any ingenuous Christian if the Old Sabbath served the Jews as a means to keep them mindful both of the worlds Creation and their redemption from Egypt why may not our Lords day Sabbath be the Christians memorandum both of the worlds Creation Deut. 5.15 and his Redemption from hell Of the last most directly indeed and that most deservedly being the greatest work and the richest mercy For although t is true to have an earth to tread upon an aire to breath in light to look upon creatures to live upon are excellent mercies yet to have an angry God reconciled a sinful nature repaired Death and Hell vanquished Heaven and glory purchased and assured is infinitely more blessed more beneficial To conclude If I must consecrate a weekly Sabbath to the Lord what day more proper more suitable more significant then that which bears a lively inscriptior of the Lord my Redeemer not without some commemoration of God my Creator But the old seventh day may still he retained in memory of the Creation and the Lords day be celebrated too in memory of Redemption though not as a Sabbath both dayes may lovingly live together among Christians redeemed from the earth Obj
is not said it shall be a sign that in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth For there is a notable pause in the middle which divides the sentence and the sense also The seventeenth verse containes two distinct arguments or reasons why they should keep the Sabbath 1. Because it was a sign 2. Because it was set apart upon the occasion of Gods work and rest in the beginning 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 2.3 1 Joh. 3.18 There are indicating or evidencing signes such are the Characters of saving grace But neither can this be the sense of the word sign in this place It is a sign that I the Lord do sanctifie you What savingly why then all were Israel that were of Israel for the Sabbath was given to all neither was it so much their keeping the Sabbath as Gods giving them a Sabbath to keep which is here made a sign Witness Ezekiel Moses his interpretor I have given them my Sabbath for a sign Ezek. 20.13 to know that I the Lord do sanctifie them Therefore 3. There are distinguishing or differencing signs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as do visibly mark out a people for Gods peculiar select and sanctified ones above all other people of the earth And in this sense the Sabbath is here given the Jews as a sign a sign of his sanctifying them that is in one word as Calvin speaks a sign of his segregating and singling them out from the rest of the nations as his peculiar people Siquis un◠verbo reddere vellet sanctificare est segregare Cal. Praelec in Ezek. 20. Ita Simler in Exo Levit. 21.8 ch 2.32 So also Simlerus and to the same effect is that of Lavater aforementioned The Sabbath was a sign of Gods sanctifying them as the Sabbath it self was sanctified that is separated from other common dayes and set a part for holy ends and uses And so the Word sanctifie is usually if not only taken in Scripture when it is applyed to the whole bulk or body of a people as here it is Well the Sabbath was given to the people of Israel as a sign of Gods sanctifying them but how long throughout their generations That is during the Oeconomy of the Law as long as the people of Israel should be the only peculiar people of God Exod. 12.14 The very same Phrase is used concerning the Passeover ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations by an ordinance or ever which clearly speaks it a temporary ordinance But Secondly We must distinguish of Sabbaths as well as of signes very briefly the Word Sabbath signifies one of these three things either 1. The moral duty holy rest or 2. The penal rigour of that rest or 3. The precise day of rest Now 1. It cannot be meant of the moral duty simply considered since that extends beyond their generations for there remaineth a rest Heb. 4.9 10. or keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God still neither 2. Can itwell be understood of that penal rigour resting from all work upon pain of corporal death for this in all likelihood lasted not out half their generations being calculated chiefly for their wilderness estate as was saidbefore Therefore 3. It must be the precise day of rest the old seventh-day-Sabbath or nothing which is here set as a sign throughout their generations and this I take to be the true intent of the Holy-Ghost both here and Ezek. 20. The case seems clearly to me to be stated in this wise The old seventh day was at first given to Adam and his posterity as the only true Sabbath during the pre-eminency of the Creation and Christ in the promise and that it was conscientiously kept by the holy Patriarchs for some ages after I doubt not though some of the Ancients seem to deny it but to be sure in tract of time the sinful race of Adam forsaking the true God did also forget the true Sabbath Now when it pleased God out of that degenerate lump of mankind to form Israel or the seed of Abraham a peculiar people to himself he gave them his old Sabbath again in a new Edition That among other ends it might be a visible sign to distinguish them from the rest of the world Other nations no doubt had their Sabbaths as well as their gods but as Israel must serve the only true God so they must also observe the then only true Sabbath Ezod 31.13 So much is implyed in the text Verily my Sabbath ye shall keep saith the Lord. The Word my is Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it points at the precise day of Gods appointment the seventh and last day of the week therefore this and mainly this was made a sign of Gods sanctifying the Jews throughout their generations which being so how evidently doth it follow that the day was design'd for change and that now it is certainly changed by the will and appointment of God For if the Jews generation be extinct and they that were once the people of God have now a Lo-ammi written upon them Ho. 11.20 1 Thes 2.15 16. Ye are none of my people how shall that day any longer stand as a Sabbath wich was given them as a sign of their being the peculiar people of God and that for a season only till their generations were expired Maledic domine Nazarais Lord curse the Christians is one of their daily imprecations vid Trapp in Hosea Either let the adversay say the blaspheming Jews who powre out daily curses instead of prayers are still the Covenant-people of God in so much as still they retain that Saturday-Sabbath And then he shall speak like a true Jew indeed or let him confess their saturday-Sabbath which was once the crown of their glory is now no better then the badge of their blasphemy whereby they would make the world believe that they are still the sanctified people of God though they trample underfoot the blood of his Son whereby they should be sanctified I speak not this as insulting over the misery of the Jews but as lamenting the sin of apostate Christians who take up that day as a badge of their Saintship which the infidel Jews wear as a badge of their blasphemy and enmity against Christ and Christians Indeed it was once an illustrious sign of their sanctification but it was limited to their generations as the Passeover was and therefore if the one be expired so is the other upon the same account And in this respect I dare boldly affirm and I doubt not to maintain it that it is every whit as lawful for a Christian to celebrate that old Sacrament the Passeover as to observe the old Sabbath For the one was as well a sign as the other and the one was ordained for a season as well as the other There are a few feeble objections to face this argument but the bare repetion with the premises will be
cannot with any colour of reason be denyed surely when he entred into his Kingdome he entred into his glory but by his resurrection from the dead he entred into his Kingdome being solemnly invested with Kingly power and soveraignty c Math. 28.18 Having all power in Heaven and earth put into his hands and f Rev. 3.7 the keys of David the Government of the Kingdom laid upon his shoulders to dispense lawes pronounce pardons pass sentence of life and death g John 20.23 to bind and loose at his princely pleasure In a word it was by his glorious resurrection from the dead that God h Psalm 2.6 7. set him as King upon his holy hill of Sion saying thou art my son this day have I begotten thee Christs resurrection-day was in a special manner his Coronation-day and as earthly Princes are wont on their Coronation-dayes to shew themselves to their subjects in all their royalty casting about their silver and gold so the Lord Jesus delights on this day to manifest himself to the souls of his people scattering his precious gifts and graces in the assemblies of his Saints for as this is the day which the Lord hath made so t is the day in which he himself was made i Rom. 14.9 Lord of the living and the dead k Acts 2.36 ch 3. 15. ch 5. 30 31. Lord and Christ Prince of life King of Heaven and earth a King indeed he was in the l Math. 2.2 cradle a King on the m ch 27. 37. Cross but never so much or so manifestly a King upon earth as when he conquered that King of terrours and carried away n 1 Tim. 6.16 that incomparable Title the blessed and only potentate the King eternal and immortal o Rom. 6.9 who dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him He that shall deny Christs entring into glory by his resurrection will rob him of much of his glory t is true he entred not into the place of glory in his whole person till his ascention but into the state of glory he entred by his resurrection if the bodies of the Saints shall be raised in p 1 Cor. 15.43 glory how much more was the blessed body of Jesus Christ If the glory of the stars be such what is the glory of the rising Sun But I must not expatiate here a word more and I have done He that hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his works as God did from his whence I gather that it is not only Christs rest but the reason of that rest the consummation of the work of redemption which occasions our Sabbath as Gods finishing the work of Creation did the old Sabbath Hebr. 4.3 4. And this the word Rest implies being a demonstrative proof of the accomplishment of the work for even a wise man if he undertake a work will not rest till it be finished or if he do he is p Luke 14.29.30 laugh'd at for his lost labour and therefore much more when the all-wise God is said to rest may we conclude his work is perfected To speak properly if rest imply only a cessation from work we cannot say that God rested from his work of Creation on the seventh day more then he has done ever since or Christ from his work of redemption therefore we must take in the consummation of each work as the ground of each rest otherwise all the time after should be of equal account with the last day in respect of Creation and with the first day in respect of Redemption Now the question will be when the work of Redemption was consummate and complete Doubtless not till the top-stone was laid till Christ was made the head of the corner which the q Act. 4.10 11. Apostle assures us was by his resurrection from the dead for if this had not been done the work had been all to do again If Christ had suffered dyed and been swallowed up of death and corruption in the grave and never risen again then had we remained still in our sins and all our preaching of Christ and faith in Christ had been vain 1 Cor. 15.17 It was by our Saviours joyful resurrection therefore that the work of our Redemption was manifestly accomplished and hereupon Christ rested from his work as God did from his and as when God rested from the work of Creation he appointed a Sabbath although he did not rest from works of Providence in like manner Christ hath appointted a Sabbath upon his resting from the work of Redemption by price although he doth not rest from the work of Redemption by power till all his enemies by vanquished and all his elect saved as a * Dr. Cheynels Treatise of the blessed Trinity pag. 403. learned Author speaks And so much for this Argument on Hebr. 4. only some objections Treatise of the must be removed for T.T. takes this Text of Scripture and wofully wrests it to his own and others misguidance in countenance of the Saturday-Sabbath I shall briefly answer his several Arguments as objections against what has been spoken The polluting of Gods seventh-day-Sabbath was wofully Israels sin Obj. 1 T.T. p. 141. for which the Lord destroyed them in the wilderness as 't is plain Ezek. 20.13 And this being compared with the Apostles admonition to these Christians plainly points out the Sabbath which remains to the people of God he sets forth Israels sin and sorrow on this wise although God finished his work from the foundation of the world and thereupon speaks Gen. 2. Yet neither the glory of his wonderful Creation or authority of his institution could engage them to follow his Example but so highly did they provoke him especially in polluting his Sabbaths that he sware in is wrath they should not enter into his rest c. Wherefore the Apostle concludes in applying all to believers exhorting them in the use of that means which Israel neglected to enter into the eternal rest lest any should fall after the example of Israels unbelief or disobedience as the Greek signifies and then he concludes Magisterially Christians believe it this is the summe of the Apostles admonition But I must tell him they had need of a very strong faith that can believe such incongruous stuffe as this is For Although it be granted that Sabbath-breaking were one of I sraels sins in the wilderness Answ 1 yet it will not follow that this sin is here intimated by the Apostle as the cause of their ruine but rather the sin of unbelief For so 't is expresly affirmed ch 3. v. 18.19 To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief So ch 4. v. 2. v. 6. v. 11. And whereas T.T. tells his Reader that the word signifies disobedience I must tell him it is his mistake to render it so in this place for
other arguments as prophetical prediction Psalm 118. and Apostolical practice Acts 20. allege this as one proof of our Christian Sabbath That Christ Jesus our Lord was often seen upon it seen in assemblies of his Saints seen in his royal robes in his state of immortality and not only seen but heard preaching peace to poor sinners opening Scriptures cheering quickening warming cold dead sad hearts for when the disciples saw him they were * Luke 24.32 John 20.21 glad and their hearts did burn within them while he opened the Scriptures to them and all this on the first day of the week T is true after this double apparition our Saviour appeared on a working day as the disciples were a fishing and that was the third time of shewing himself or the third day of his appearing John 21.3.14 But what of this The disciples were sufficiently confirmed in the authority and solemnity of the Lords day by the two former apparitions therefore well might Christ appear the third time upon a working day and countenance worki-day-business by his presence to teach his disciples and us that every day is not a Sabbath day But this fishing-day is not named it might as well be on the Jewes Sabbath as any other day of the week for ought appeares to the contrary in the Text yet I do not say it was I will not speak where the Scripture is silent How often the first day of the week was celebrated by our Saviour between his Resurrection and ascension is not punctually set down in Scripture Junius is confident for every week But there is good evidence for the two first and none against the three last Much may be said for that famous apparition on a Mountaine in Galilee which learned Lightfoot Math. 28.16 17 19 20. Fenner and others conclude without doubt to have been on the first day of the week Mar. 16.15 16. Now the ascension-day drawes on and Christ withdrawes his Corporal presence from his disciples but on the day of Pentecost he visits them again by his spiritual presence Acts 2. And that this also was on the first day of the week shall be fully clear'd when we come to the fourth mark Lastly Rev. 1.10 Some years after all these it pleased the Lord Jesus to appear again on this day Namely to his servant John in the Isle of Patmos little paradise we may call it for the presence of Christ makes a wilderness a paradise especially so much of his presence as this blessed Apostle now enjoyed more than ever was vouchsafed to any man upon earth since Christ went up to Heaven I was in the spirit sayes he upon the Lords day what then Why v. 12. I saw seven Golden Candle-sticks and v. 13. In the midst of them one like the son of man So like him that indeed it was the son of man the man Christ Jesus on the Lords day then John saw Jesus Christ in the midst of his Churches filling them with his blessed presence that day above all others and holding the stars in his right hand that is holding forth Heavenly light by the Ministry of the word on that day especially this John saw and this he is commanded to set down in writing verse 19. and accordingly written it is and written for our learning upon whom the ends of the world are come And what may we learn from it Surely this at first view viz. That in St. Johns time the Golden Churches of Christ were wont to meet Gospel-Ministers to preach and Christ himself to be present with them by his spirit on the Lords day And this is written for a pattern to after-ages and there is a * Verse 3. blessing pronounced on those that read and keep the things that are written in this book Blessed be Christ for this blessed book here we have another glorious appearance of Christ on the Lords day not to one man only or one Church only but seven Churches in which no doubt there were more then seven thousand soules and that this Lords day was also the first day of the week none but peevish spirits ever question'd Ignatius who was trained up in the School of this great Apostle and in all reason was most likely to know his terms * Epist ad Magnes clearly makes it a weekly holy-day observed by Christians in the room of the abrogated Sabbath of the Jewes Yea the Lords day was never taken for other than the first day of the week by any Christian writer in any age since the dayes of St. John till this last age of liberty and lyes that ever I could see or learn Fathers Councils Schoolmen ancient modern writers two or three of this generation excepted do constantly understand it of Christs Resurrection-day the first day of the week and one would think the constant Dialect of the Church of Christ a sufficient Dictionary to interpret a word or phrase in Scripture especially in such a sense as does not cross but correspond with Scripture So does this for how agreeable to Scripture is it to take the Lords day for that day which the Lord hath made Besides 't is observable that this same beloved disciple who was so exact in penning the first apparition John 20. is a spectator of the last Rev. 1. and just as he had related that he sees this the circumstances are remarkable John 26.19 26. Christ appears in the midst of the disciples and Rev. 1.13 in the midst of the Candle-sticks or Churches John 20.19 he appears upon the Resurrection-day arguing his Resurrection and Rev. 1.18 repeating the same argument Saying I am he that liveth and was dead and have the keyes of death and hell To say no more John 20. he appeared on the first day of the week and here again upon the day under a new name the Lords day because it appeared by his Resurrection and former apparitions to be the day which the Lord had owned above other dayes yea the day which the Lord had made and instituted Thus we see how Christs often appearing on this day tends to the further marking out of the day But this mark is sorely shot at objections come thick but short answers will serve when nothing is objected but what has been answered by others or nothing to any purpose He is not ashamed to say T. T. Obj. 1. p. 121. I beleeve it will be found upon inquiry that Christ never appeared to any assembly no not any one first day for it is most certain that the day upon the Scripture-account begins with the evening Now upon the Resurrection-day we find Christ at the village seven miles from Jerusalem when it was towards evening and the day far spent Luke 24.29 30. after which he supped with the two which took up some time then they returned that seven miles and a half to Jerusalem on foot so that by that time they came there the day must be quite spent and though t is
Le. 23.10 which they are expresly forbidden to do upon their weekly Sabbath Ex. 34.21 22. Six dayes shalt thou labour but on the seventh thoushalt rest both in earing-time and harvest And see how this is coupled with the feast of first-fruits in the very same place Thou shalt observe the feast of weekes c. Now observe it if the morrow after the Sabbath Levit. 23. had been the morrow after the Passeover-Sabbath this would often have fallen upon the weekly Sabbath For the Passe-over-Sabbath being fixed upon a certain day of the month viz. the 15th of Nisan when ever this 15th of Nisan fell upon the Friday the morrow after it must needs be on the Saturday and so they must begin to reap their harvest upon the weekly Sabbath against an expresse command of God The Hebrew Doctors foresaw this inconvenience and had no other way to salve it but by affirming * See Ainsworth in Levit. 23. that this reaping did drive away the Sabbath and that it was lawfull on the Sabbath-day A most impious opinion For it crosses the very letter of Gods Law In earing-time and in harvest thou shalt rest Secondly The morrow after the Sabbath at the begining of their account must be such a morrow as concludes it Levit. 13.15 16. therefore it could not be the morrow of the Passeover-Sabbath or any Festival-Sabbath for there was no such Sabbath at the end of the account whatever there was at the beginning of it Thirdly The Passeover-Sabbath was fixed to a certain day of the month * Numb 28.17 namely the fifteenth day of the first month and thus all their other Festivals they had their fixed dayes But this feast of Pentecost is no where affixed in all the bookes of Moses to any one certain day of the month nor indeed could it be unless God should make a ceremonial Law to cross the Law of nature or rather to limit the course of divine Providence to ripen their corn just against such a day of the month which as Dr Vsher observes is a very great presumption that the Feast of Pentecost was a moveable Feast namely as to the day of the month but immoveable as to the day of the week so varying that it might always fall upon the day immediately following the ordinary Sabbath Fourthly The Anti-type is the best key to unlock the type And this is clear in the new Testament for that Christ was our first-fruits in reference to his Resurrection St. Paul assures us 1 Cor. 15.20 and that he rose from the dead on the morrow after the weekly Sabbath all the 4 Evangelists do inform us And T. T. ha's granted us that these things must be punctually fulfilled by Christ as well in the time as in the type From his own grant therefore I conclude That the day of first-fruits was the first day of the week therefore so was the day of Pentecost to the everlasting honour of that Lords day and the glory of God the Holy Ghost who sanctifyed it by his presence and power sending down a new supply of tongues from Heaven as if all the tongues upon earth were not sufficient to sound forth the praises of our Redeemer and spread his Gospel all the world over upon the first day of the week as an earnest whereof there was a glorious beginning made this day the Gospel being now published to some of all nations for there was now a great concourse even of every nation under Heaven met at Jerusalem Acts 2.5 and at this meeting three thousand soules converted and baptized v. 41. a double baptism was indeed dispensed this day the Apostles were now baptized with fire and three thousand converts with water Which was such a solemnity as the Church of God never saw the like from that day to this I need say no more T. T. p. 81. the adversary confesses that this was the most glorious Sabbath that ever Church enjoyed Only he would fain perswade himself and others that it was the Saturday-Sabbath but herein he befooles himself and deceives others His Grammar Logick and Arithmetick never falled him more than in this point See what a Grammarian he is Mr. Aspinwal had objected that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated fully come should rather be rendred fully past to which T. T. learnedly replies that the Greek being a Gerund in do signifies fulfilling now I confesse t is the first time that ever I heard of a Greek Gerund in do it may be this author learnt some Latin-Greek-Grammar while he was a Roman-Catholick I wish he do not stick too much in the Gerund in do stil One passage in his book renders it a little suspicious as p. 146 Let us sayes he celebrate the seventh-day-Sabbath a day of delights to the Lord and so obtain meercy for the Sabbath-pollution of our dayes of ignorance What does he hope to obtain mercy by doing Nay then I do not much wonder at his zeal for the Saturday-Sabbath I rather wonder he does not cry up the old Covenant again To trace him yet further he is a little out in his Arithmetick too For in beginning the count of the fifty dayes on a Saturday he begins at the wrong end making the last day of the week to be the first of the week the seventh day the eighth day the first day the second day the sixth day the last day against his own professed principles and is not here strange confusion Let me ask him in good earnest if the seventh day were the first day in all those seven weeks Deut. 16. how was the fourth Commandment kept all that while which according to his opinion will brook no other weekly Sabbath but the last of the week Thus for his Arithmetick Now for his Logick But here he is quite lost his Conclusions are flat Contradictions and his his best Arguments Barbarous absurdities I do him no wrong let the Reader judge I Affirm sayes he Object 1 Pag. 22. of his last book with the most Learned of this Age That the Sabbath from whence our Reckoning arises Levit. 23.11 15. was not the weekly Sabbath but the first day of the Passeover-Feasts And a little before he calls it The Passeover on the morrow of which Sabbath the waving of the Sheaf was exactly accomplished in Christ by the Crucifying Priests who waved him between Heaven and Earth upon the sixth day of the week from which day began the Count of the Apostles Pentecost punctually beginning and ending upon the Seventh-day-Sabbath Here are strange mysteries indeed First Answ he states the Crucifixion of Christ on the morrow of the Passeover-Sabbath and yet he had argued before That Christ was Crucifyed on the Passeover-Sabbath it self upon the day called Good Friday sayes he was our First-fruits waved by the Priests upon the Cross And what day that was he tell us namely The fifteenth of Nisan which was the first day of the Passeover-Feast say his Learned Authors And I
so the second third fourth c. This is a meer mistake Answ For we deny that the first darkness Gen. 1. was the evening or night of the first day that darkness upon the face of the deep for ought appears to the contrary lasted not longer than a moment the night of the first day was that which followed the light after God had separated the light which he called day from the darkness which he called night to object the order of the words is vain Moses himself takes off that Objection by inverting that order in the following words for v. 4. he puts light before darkness and day before night The Ceremonial Sabbaths because honoured as Sabbaths were to begin at even as 't is said Obj. 2 Levit. 23.32 From even to even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath This law concerned only the day of atonement Answ which was an extraordinary Sabbath for rest and strictness being their yearly Fast wherein they were to afflict themselves by abstinence from i Joel 1.13 and 2.16 sleep as well as food and this is so far from proving that their weekly Sabbath began at even that to me it is a good Argument to prove the contrary for it looks like a particular exception from a general rule and to specifie the beginning of this extraordinary Sabbath at Even had been needless if their ordinary Sabbaths had begun at the same time Nehemiah caused Jerusalems gates to be shut before the Sabbath even while the declining Sun cast some obscurity on the city gates Obj. 3 Neh. 13. â—9 This was to prevent the profanation of the Sabbath the next day Answ and it were to be wished all Christian Magistrates would have the like care of the Lords day Besides 't is said he caused the gates to be shut when they began to be dark and yet saies the Text this was before the Sabbath which seems rather to intimate that in Nebemiahs time the Sabbath did not begin in the evening otherwise as Mr. C. notes he had done it not before but in the Sabbath The precious women having attended our Saviour to his Sepulchre returned and prepared spices and ointments Obj. 4 and rested the Sabbath according to the Commandment This as we said before was after the sun-set evening besides the holy Women did not forbear to anoint the body of Christ that evening because of the weekly Sabbath Answ but possibly because of the Jews Passeover-Sabbath John 19.31 or rather the Jews preparation to it of which we read John 19.42 We are sure Mark 16.2 they came not to anoint him till the morning of the Resurrection-day and it may be they stayed so long in conscience of the Sabbath which was not ended till the morning after mid-night therefore 't is most likely our Lord had taught them that the Sabbath begins and ends in the morning if it had ended at Sun-set we may rationally think they had visited the Sepulchre before they slept that night and not have put it off till the next morning As for those multiplied Scriptures that call for evening-sacrifices Psal 92 1. Isai 30.29 they make as much for us as for him if not more Since as we count the after-evening from sun-set till mid-night a part of the Sabbath and spend it our waking houres at least in Sabbath-duties repetition meditation prayer and praise so we hold a preparation necessary the evening before Of which in the next Position POSITION VII The Lords Day must be kept holy to the Lord. THe very appellation of it together with the Observation of the Apostles and Primitive Christians is sufficient proof of this 'T is a pious and ponderous speech of a late worthy Writer Dr. Cheynels Treatise of the Blessed Trinity p. 402. The approved practise of the primitive Christians declares the doctrine of the Apostles and the doctrine of the Apostles shews what was the command of Christ the Lord of the Sabbath concerning the sanctification of the first day of the week which is therefore called the Lords day and the Christian Sabbath If it be the Lords day as we have proved then let it be consecrated to the Lord as holy and honourable Isai 58.13 even to that Lord whose name it bears to him I say who hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written Rev. 19.16 King of kings and Lord of Lords even the Lord of glory a Lord as far above the greatest lords on earth as they are above their meanest Subjects 'T is the Lords day and therefore the Lords due let us render to Christ the things that are Christs Why did the Lord make this day but that all his faithful subjects and servants should keep it and keep it holy to him that made it O let the law of the living God over-awe our Consciences which is still in force for a day of weekly worship at his appointment and such we have proved the Lords day to be More Arguments might be produced But those already urged are sufficient to secure this truth from the dread of that downfall threatned by the Adversary The Devil and his agents may puff at the Christian Sabbath but confident I am they shall as soon blow out the Sun with a pair of bellows as totally extinguish this Ordinance of Christ the chief ground of my confidence is the Word of God upon which it is founded and next to that the writings of the antients so many in several Countries and several ages bearing witness as one man to this Christian cause with whom although I would be loth to err in any thing yet do I the less mistrust my self to err while I keep them company and do with more confidence look an adversary in the face when my quiver is full of their Testimonies as a late Author speaks on another occasion To draw to a Conclusion from Doctrinal Positions about the Christian Sabbath we shall descend to some practical Directions I cannot stand to speak fully and largely to the duties of the day neither need I other Treatises have done it already as Mr. Sprints Mr. Shepheards Dr. Gouges but especially Mr. Philip Goodwins only for the help of those that want those excellent helps I shall hint a few things and commit all to the blessing of him whose day and honour I have argued and contended for Briefly the practice of the Christian-Sabbath stands chiefly in two things viz. In preparation to it and sanctification of it 1. There must be solemn and serious preparation the evening before to get our hearts into a Sabbath frame this the Lord calls for in the very front of the Commandement Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy remember it before it comes that you may keep it holy when it comes this word Remember should be as a bell to toll us in from our Shops and Farms to our Chambers and Closets there to commune with our own hearts to cast up our spiritual accounts to call over our
inhabitants of the earth to b Isai 26.9 10. learn righteousness and it is doubtless our duty with humble reverence and holy awfulness of the divine Majesty soberly to observe and improve them inadvertency of Gods judiciary proceedings is a c Psal 28.5 and 10.4 5. Isai 5.12 sin frequently condemned in Scripture and severely threatned Reader if neither Scripture-Arguments nor exemplary judgments will reclaim thee from violation of the Lords day proceed on in thy prophaneness still it may be the Lord will make thee the next example to teach others what thou wilt not learn thy self Something might also be added from Christian experience 't is observable that when the Spirit comes effectually to convince of sin commonly one of the first sins which the eye of inlightned Conscience fixes upon is the neglect of the Lords day and conviction ending in conversion one of the first duties which the soul comes seriously to close withal is the strict observing of the Lords day grace works much this way and does exceedingly dispose the heart to this duty for which I dare appeal to the Consciences of many thousand living Witnesses Add to this the spiritual profit and sensible growth of grace with the sweet comfort and final peace experienced this way Tell me where does true Religion thrive better and the power of godliness flourish and prosper more than in Families Cities Countries and Kingdoms where the Lords day is duly observed on the contrary where does superstition irreligion Atheism and profaneness abound more than where this day is neglected and vilified 't is a serious Observation of a learned * Dr. Hakewils discourse of the Institution dignity and end of the Lords day Author concerning the ingress and progress of Popery in former times Namely That after-ages much degenerating from the simplicity of the Primitive times so infinitely multiplied and magnified their holy-days beyond all measure and reason that the Lords day began to be slighted and accounted with many a common Holy-day perchance inferiour to some of their Saints days which no doubt was a special occasion of that thick cloud of Superstition which afterwards overshadowed the face of the Church and in appearance the reducing of this day to its original honour would prove the readiest means to restore the Church again to her original lustre and beauty even in those places where that cloud is not yet dispelled c. But this by the way Secondly In order to the sanctifying of the Lords day we must cease not only from doing our own works but from speaking our own words Good reason for it is none of our own day therefore let none say Our tongue is our own on this day Christian if thou canst not speak religiously on the Lords day learn to speak sparingly rather be silent then sinful in thy speeches Valerius Maximus reporteth of Zenocrates that being in company with some who used ill language he was very mute and being asked the reason he replyed It hath often repented me that I have spoken never that I have held my peace Thus much the Scripture teaches us That in the multitude of words there wanteth not sin therefore d Prov. 17.27 28. he that spareth his words is wise Indeed if a man speak of heavenly things on the Lords holy day he may with Paul continue his discourse till mid-night and never speak too much but of earthly things we cannot speak too little Oh that our hearts and lips were more heavenly on the Lords day that there might be more sprinklings of grace and heaven in all our sabbath-Sabbath-day discourses how much were it to be wished that on this day Christians would speak less of what they saw more of what they heard in the publike assemblies Alas should the Lord put that Question to many Christians now which once he did on this day to the two Disciples going to Emmaus What manner of communication is this that ye have one with another how would it put some thousands to the blush who have nothing but earth or froth in their mouths Thirdly we must also lay a charge upon our hearts not to think our own thoughts on the Lords day Rom. 7.14 For the Law of God is spiritual and bindeth the heart from thinking as well as the tongue from speaking or the hand from working Besides what vile hypocrisie is it to lay a restraint upon our words and actions when in the mean time we give scope and liberty to our thoughts to wander after a thousand vanities this is just like painted Sepulchres fair without but full of rottenness and dead mens bones within Further our own vain and worldly thoughts are great distractions and obstructions to the duties of the day Exod. 8.24 like that plague of flies in Egypt which was so vexatious that they could neither work nor eat nor drink and 10.12 but the Flies molested them Such a plague is a worldly heart on the Lords day a man can neither pray nor hear nor meditate but earthly thoughts pester and disturb him yea like that plague of Locusts that devoured all earthly thoughts eat up all the pleasant fruit of Sabbaths and Sermons Luke 8.14 yea like thorns they choak the very seed of the Word and render it unprofitable How highly does it concern us therefore on the Lords day especially to look to our hearts Now if ever Solomons counsel is seasonable * Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence Or Cum omni custodiâ with all keeping as some read it set guards and double guards upon it for as Bernard truly speaks Corde nihil fugacius Nothing is more flitting then the heart of man 't is a wandring Dinah we had need watch it warily and check it speedily when it begins to hanker-after the world In a word to cure evill and earthly thoughts on the Lords day we should do well to awe our hearts with the apprehension of Gods all-seeing eye 'T is observable that our Lord appeared to his servant John upon his own day in a heart-searching-similitude His eyes were as a flame of fire Rev. 1.14 not only burning in jealousie against sin and sinners but bright and shining as the searcher of hearts and tryer of reins by which title he then also stiled himself Rev. 2.23 Consider Christian that on the Lords day especially thy heart lies under the view of that fiery flaming eye of Christ therefore let thy thoughts be none but such as that pure and piercing eye will approve and if Christ as the searcher of hearts be not awful to thee yet me thinks Christ as the judge of secrets should O let the terror of that last day work upon our hearts every Lords day the seat of the Judge is fitly resembled by a cloud not a throne of silver or gold but a cloud Rev. 14.14 Now as we know the clouds are storehouses of refreshing showres so also of storms and tempests and thus doubtless that
day of the Lord will be as a day of refreshing to some so a stormy day of tempests and terrors to others and a great part of the tempest of that day will fall upon the thoughts and hearts of men for * Eccles 12. ult God will bring every secret thing into judgement we must be accountable not only for idle words but vain thoughts And thus much of the first thing we must keep the Sabbath as a day of rest but we must not rest in this rest we must not make it a Sabbath of idleness but a Sabbath of holiness we must not so much cease from working as change our work servile work for soul work worldly imployments for spiritual exercises That is the next thing 2. To our holy rest we must join holy work and this is either publike or private something indeed must be done in private before the publike our closet-devotions and Family duties common to other dayes must not he omitted this day but rather augmented their Sacrifices under the Law were * Numb 28.9 doubled upon the Sabbath-day and observe it Exod. 3.7 their first service was the burning of Incense before the Lord. Matth. 28.1 Mark 16.2 John 20.1 Now prayer is our Incense let this be our morning exercise in private Seek the Lord O my soul seek him early do as Mary Magdalen did she was early up to seek him whom her soul loved she was last at the Cross and first at the Sepulchre in the dawning while it was yet dark very early in the morning say the Evangelists Oh that our love to Christ could keep pace with hers Shall we love the world better than Christ if we have a journey to go about worldly concernments we can set out betimes oh that we were as wise for our souls as we are for our bodies let not sleep that devourer of time beguile us of our golden hours in the morning in which we are freshest and fittest for converse with God let the sluggard that sleeps with the Sun-beams in his face remember that saying of Austin If the Sun could speak how roundly might it salute thee with this reproof I laboured more then thou yesterday and yet I am risen before thee to day But this is too low an Argument behold the Sun of righteousness is risen and he rose early this day therefore let us not sleep as do others but say and sing with the Church f Isai 26. â— With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Having performed our morning exercises in private how cheerfully should we repair to the publike Assemblies and draw nigh to God in publike Ordinances on this acceptable day this season of grace when Christ sits in State as one speaks scattering treasures of grace amongst hungry and thirsty Saints that are poor in Spirit and wait for spiritual alms at the Throne of grace g Psal 84.1 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord My heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God And again h Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord. For the i Psal 87.2 Lord loveth the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Jacob and most sweetly the Prophet Isaiah speaking of Gospel-times k Isai 2 1 2. Many people shall go and say Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths A most lively prediction of our Christian solemn Assemblies the select season of which is signified by t he practice of the Apostles and Primitive Saints to be the first day of the week on this day they met to break bread and Paul preached to them Acts 20.7 on this day they were all together with one accord in prayer Acts 2.1 with chap. 1.2 4. and at these meetings the Scriptures were read by the Apostles command Tertul. Apol. cap. 39. Col. 4.16 1 Thes 5.27 to which may be added singing of Psalms usual at their solemn Assemblies 1 Cor. 14. an Ordinance by which God is much glorified and the souls of his people sweetly cheered and refreshed what greater act of honour can we do to the great God here on earth then publikely to praise him in the great Congregation especially on the Lords day Psal 111.1 when all the Churches of Christ in the world joyn consort with us in this melodious duty Hebr. 10.25 Let us not therefore forsake the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is while we enjoy publike Liberties and Ordinances let us improve them we know not how soon the songs of the Temple may be turned into howlings and Ichabod may be written upon all our Church-doors the glory is departed from Israel Lam. 1.4 16. the ways of Sion de mourn because none come to her solemn assemblies The Lord forbid that ever we should live to see that woful day wherein we shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man but shall not see it Let not our neglect of the Lords day provoke the Lord to deprive us of it let us conscienciously wait upon God in Sabbath-Assemblies and publick Ordinances lest we be forced for contempt of the publike to seek our bread in secret wandring up and down in caves and dens of the earth destitute afflicted tormented as we read of some better than our selves Heb. 11.38 39. Lastly The publike solemnities of the day being ended what remains but that we return again to our private exercises searching the Scriptures concerning the truths taught in publike as the * Acts 17.11 noble Bereans did to which we may joyn Repetition and Conference to whet the Word upon one anothers hearts let not our souls be weary of Sabbath-work only take heed as of resting in the rest so also in the work of the day for what one truly speaks of duties and actings of grace they are good duties and good graces but bad Christs the like may I say of Sabbaths never so well kept they are good Sabbaths but bad Saviours let our rest and confidence be only in Christ and to such as take him for their rest his work is but recreation and so indeed we should esteem it in a spiritual sense not looking upon it as a sowr task or a rigid exaction but calling the Sabbath a delight we should keep it accordingly even the whole day with the whole man as a day of delights to the Lord being transported beyond flesh and the world and having our conversation in heaven as much as is possible for creatures cloathed with flesh To come to a closure There is a double duty to be performed in private on the Lords day which I seriously advise Christians
to make Conscience of namely the spiritual duty of meditation and the celestial duty of praise First how seasonable it is on the Sabbath to meditate not only on the Word but the Works of God appears from Psal 92. which is a Psalm for the sabbath-Sabbath-day How does the Psalmist there search and dive into the wonderful works of God Vers 5. How great are thy works O Lord and thy thoughts are very deep Here we have a large field works of Creation and works of Providence here our souls may wander from sea to land See Mr. Baxter Saints ever-lasting Rest from earth to Heaven from time to eternity yea walk upon the Sun Moon and Stars and enter into Heaven it self the Paradise of God How manifold are thy works O Lord in wisdome hast thou made them all Every creature of God that we cast our eyes upon this day should be as a flower to feed our Meditations I speak of cursory Meditation or that which is occasional one special use whereof is to feed our graces by our senses and as we are Christians to conduct us to Christ by the view of all creatures and actions when we look upon the Sun it bids us look up to Christ the Sun of righteousness every star may mind us of that star of Jacob that bright and morning star if we look upon our houses Christ is the door if upon our bodies he is the head if upon our clothes he is the garment of salvation if upon our friends and relations he is our husband our friend our Lord our Law-giver our King if we walk he is the way if we read he is the word if we eat and drink he is our food if we live Christ is our life that is a holy heart may make this spiritual use of all earthly objects and occasions to contemplate Christ in them and if we improve not our senses this way 't is all one as if we were blind or brutish But besides this there is a more distinct deliberate solemn and set meditation required on the Lords day and the work of Redemption being the occasion of the day how should our hearts work upon this blessed subject Come Christian call in thy thoughts from all worldly concernments and contemplate this rare contrivance of thy Redemption by Jesus Christ ponder it deeply get lively and strong apprehensions of it that it may leave deep and lasting impressions upon thy soul view over the several passages and transactions in this Master-piece of all Gods works view it first in the platform how gloriously was this laid in the eternal projects and a Ephes 1.4 purposes of Gods love yea in that eternal promise past between the Father and the Son b Titus 1.2 In hopes of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Mark it here was a promise a promise of eternal life made by God by God that cannot lie and that before there was a world or man in the world Oh the everlastingness infiniteness unsearchableness of this love of God! that the everlasting God the Majesty of heaven and earth should take care of me before the world was that he should busie himself and his Son about a worthless wretched worm born out of due time the least of Saints the greatest of sinners O my soul admire adore this first love this free love of God and Christ Next see the early discovery and shining forth of this mystery in the very morning of the world no sooner is man fallen but God reaches out a c Gen. 3.15 promise to him and after many ages sends his blessed Son out of his bosome to fulfil it in the d Gal. 4.4 fulness of time Christ comes we could not come up to him lo he comes down to us O see the King of glory stooping bowing the Heavens to come down and dwell in a dungeon to lodge amongst prisoners and pitch his tent in the rebels camp Think O my soul how did the holy Angels wonder to see the King of Heaven stepping down from his throne to sit on his footstool yea putting off to the view the robes of a prince to put on the livery of a e Phil. 2.7 8. servant and that after treason had been stampt upon it taking our nature I mean after it had been up in arms against God not that he took the sin of our nature he that could make our nature without sin could also and did take it without sin but the shame of it he took in that he took it when it was under a cloud under a blot before God and Angels How does this express the love of Christ a heart full of love to lost sinners q. d. poor soult I cannot keep from you I love your very nature and will joyn it to my self and so I may save you from sin and wrath I care not if I become one with you and dwell in your very flesh My glory shall not hinder I will rather veil it for a while and take the form of a servant and become of no reputation than you shall perish for ever Again how does this speak the unspeakable love of God See Mr. Ambrose looking to Jesus p. 342. as one sweetly observes God did so love the very nature of his elect that though for the present he had them not all with him in heaven yet he must have their picture in his Son to see them in and love them in O meditate much on this admirable strein of love till it melt thy heart and make it burn within thee From the Incarnation of our blessed Saviour we may trace him through the several passages of his life to his death and passion and here with an eye of faith look upon him whom thou hast pierced behold the man as he said even that man of sorrows suffering bleeding dying on that tree of shame and ignominy dwell upon the death of Christ till it put life into thy dead heart then follow thy crucified Lord from the cross to the Sepulchre and by the way ponder deeply the severity of Gods justice the sinfulness of sin the love of Christ and the worth of souls which are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. as a lamb without blemish and without spot Why did the Primitive Saints sacramentally shew forth the Lords death on the Lords day Acts 20.7 but to signifie to us that to contemplate and commemorate the death of Christ is a special duty of the day So also his Resurrection which was the great transaction of the day therefore a proper subject for serious meditation It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again and become the first-fruits of them that slept Consider O my souls the holy triumph of thy Redeemer this day when he trod on the serpents head took from death its sting from hell its standard Suppose thou hadst
every puny in Logick is able to resolve for why might not Gods approbation be given forth in the morning or forenoon of the sixth day and time enough left before night for sin to creep into the world To clear this let it be noted See Dr. Willets Hexapla in Exod. 31. That although God was pleased to parcel out his work into six distinct dayes yet he measured not every dayes work by the hour-glass of time as we creatures do but what he did on each day was done in an instant He did but speak the word and it was done he commanded and it was created Psal 33.9 Psa 146.5 This is evident from principles of reason as well as from the forementioned places of Scripture for creation is the production of something out of nothing or that which is as much as nothing Now betwixt the being of something and nothing there can be no intermediate state and consequently no imaginable space of time but an imperceptible moment Hence that received maxime that Creation is in an instant Now to accommodate this to the work of the sixth day consisting of man and beasts certainly the forming of these creatures being momentaneous in the sense above mentioned took up but little of the day I can see no colour of reason to the contrary but our first Parents might be created and the whole creation compleated in the fore part of the sixth day And doubtless as soon as the creation was ended the divine approbatiom was added And God saw that it was good For surely as soon as the creature was the Creator saw what it was and he saw it to be good for he made it good And although the conclusion of the day be presently added yet 't is without dispute that many other things were transacted though not expressed in the first Chapter before the close of the sixth day as the naming of the creatures the joyning of our first parents together in marriage and disposing of them in the garden yea the giving of the Law and in all likelyhood the breaking of it too And so the first knot is untied Whereas he adds Answer 2 That as soon as the sixth day ended and the seventh began God rested and sanctified the Sabbath I answer This Assertion is built upon a very uncertain if not a false supposition viz. That the order of the words and Chapters is exactly answerable to the order of the things done Whereas in the judgment of the learned here is a manifest dislocation or misplacing of the sacred story as to the order of things for if we regard the exact order of things done the second chapter of Genesis would begin at the fourth verse as learned Junius affirms And the second and third verses would come in at the end of the third Chapter Junij Praelect in Gen. 2. and so the mention of the Sabbaths institution would follow the description of Adam's sin as an acute * De. Lightfoot's Harmony of the Old Testa and he gives this solid reason why the words stand as they do and why the mention of the Sabbath is set down before Adams fall viz. because the Holy Ghost would dispatch the general history of the first seven daies together without the interposition of any particular story Writer of our own hath observed But because the adversary will say these are but humane fancies let us see whether they have not sure footing in the Word it self To this purpose let the Reader turn to Genes 2. and view the texture and composure of the whole Chapter In the three first verses you have an account of God's finishing the heavens and the earth as also his resting on the seventh day From the third to the eighth verse you have the creation of Vegetables herbs and plants which was the work of the third day From ver 8. to ver 15. you have the planting of the garden and adorning of it with trees and rivers which if it were a work of creation was done before the seventh day though it be not mentioned till after it Again ver 7. you have the forming of the man and from ver 18. to 22. the framing of the woman as a also the creating of birds and beasts and the naming of the creatures which you see are all mentioned after the seventh day yet all or most of them done on the sixth So that should we strictly cleave to the letter In Scriptura non est prius posterius The order of time is not alwaies kept in Scripture but sometimes that is placed first which was done last contrà and believe that all things were done in the same order as they are here set down we must believe that herbs and plants birds and beasts man and woman were all created after the creation was ended and God had rested the seventh day Yea if the literal and historical order of the words must be maintained how will T.T. make good his Mount-paradise-notion For according to the order of the words Paradise was not planted till after the Sabbath How then could Adam keep his first Sabbath in Paradise Viderit ipse Hitherto therefore he must of necessity yield a transposition that is that although these things be mentioned after the seventh day yet they were done before it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haec est un◠de regulis ad intelligendam Scripturam sanctam necessariis Luth. loc com p. 75. and here set down by way of Postscript Now let us see what may be said for that which follows ver 16.17 compared with the three last verses you have the woman given in marriage to the man and the Creators Law touching the forbidden fruit given in charge to both and that all this was done on the sixth day will be readily granted Well then Chap. 3. you have the story of the Serpents temptation the transgression of our first parents their conviction in the cool of the day and lastly their expulsion out of Paradise and the juncture of all this lying so close to the story of the sixth day Chap. 2. that unless you purposely loosen the connexion you may rationally look upon it as one and the same daies work And verily methinks the Serpents first on-set sounds as if there were very little distance of time between God's giving the Law and Satan's tempting the woman to break it Gen. 3.1 Yea hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden a very abrupt motion if it had not been made immediately upon the giving of the Law The words are as one observes a form of speech used by one who standing aloof and over-hearing what was forbidden Mr. Walker Doctrine of the Sabbath doth presently step in and ask if it were not so as he took it to be and besides the woman's answer as was hinted before being in the future tense we may or shall eat hereafter implies that they had scarce eaten as yet So that all
to break the bonds of Christian unity and the bounds of Christian liberty yea to render the golden yoke of Christs Gospel heavier then the Iron yoke of Moses Law But his wretched design is visible in pressing two dayes in a week he would suppresse one The old seventh day must be kept as a Sabbath the Lords day only as a Church holy-day or State holy-day rather for he calls it mans Sabbath But I beseech you what has man to do to appoint a weekly holy-day contrary to Gods expresse command of six dayes for labour If the Lords day be of mans making you sin in keeping of it Psalm 118.24 But if it be a day of Gods making as the Scripture sayes then you sin in keeping any other weekly day besides it And to close all let me adde this which will not easily be answered To keep the old seventh day as a Sabbath in memory of the Creation and the Lords day only as a lesser holy-day in memory of Redemption is to place the greater honour upon the lesser work and to professe that we are lesse ingaged to Christ for shedding his blood to redeem the world then to God the Father for speaking the word to create the world which how it can stand with that Gospel-precept of honouring the Son as we honour the Father John 5.23 let any sober Christian judg Thus we have considered the ground of the Sabbaths institution in the first sense as Gods ending his work may be understood in respect of Providence But 2. Secondly and chiefly God may be said to have ended his work on the seventh day in respect of the promise then manifested to have been given by Christs actual undertaking the work of his Mediatorship and the Fathers rest or complacency in that blessed undertaking of the Son And here I doubt not but we shall make it appear by the light of Gods candle shining in the Scriptures that the first institution of the seventh day was founded not so much upon the memory of the Creation as upon the first publication of Christ in the promise and then it will undeniably follow that the day was made mutable in the first foundation of it For a day fixed upon the making of a promise must needs be changed upon the making good of that promise To make way for the framing of my argument I shall premise these seven considerations 1. That man sinned and fell the same day on which he was created as has been already argued and shall be further proved in the close of this position neither should it seem improbable or incredible to any that so goodly a building should be raised and ruinated both in one day considering the foundation of it stood upon the tottering Sands of free-will not the impregnable rock of free-grace and Christs righteousness 2. As man fell suddenly so Christ was promised seasonably and early The merciful Lord would not let the Sun go down upon his wrath but in the cool of the day while the wound of mans fall was yet fresh and bleeding he gave him that soveraign plaster in the promise Gen. 3.15 The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head 3. That the fall of man brought corruption and confusion upon the whole Creation Gen. 3.17 18. Rom. 8.21 22. subjecting it to the curse of God the consequences whereof are misery and vanity 4. That therefore when it is said Gen. 2.2 On the seventh day God ended or perfected his work for so the word may be rendered and so it is Ezek. 16.14 it may well bear this construction that upon the seventh day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the actual undertaking of Christ newly promised to bring about mans redemption So 2 Chron. 4 12. and the worlds restauration the creatures were brought into a better state then they were in before See more of this in that learned Treatise of Mr. G Walker intituled the Doctrine of the Sabbath as corrupted and defaced by the sin of man This is certain that upon the sixth day the creation was dispatched and fully perfected as to natural perfection Therefore when it is said on the seventh day God perfected his works it may well be understood of a further and higher degree of perfection even that which was supernatural shewing a higher and more excellent end of all things created then that which at first they were created unto At least it implyes such a perfection as consisted in the creatures restauration by the mediation of Christ which made way for the setting of all to rights again A most blessed and seasonable transaction for a sin-shattered world which had certainly been demolished and laine buried in its own ruines had not the blessed Son of God put to his gracious helping-hand These are no humane fancies for a Colos 1.17 Heb. 1.3 Psal 75.3 the Scriptures do abundantly testifie that the Lord Christ is the great supporter and repairer of the Creation without whom we have reason to think that the Sun would not shine one day nor the world stand one moment Hence 5. It followes that God rested on the seventh day That is not only ceased from his work but found rest in his Son he rested and was refreshed Exod. 31.17 that is with a rest full of sweetness and delight such as he finds only in Christ in whom his soul delighteth Isai 42.2 And hence again it is said 6. That God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it how did he blesse it but by ordaining it as a day of Grace and spiritual blessings to the souls of his people during the Old Testament Now this kind of blessing was utterly inconsistent with that covenant of works made with Adam in the state of innocency there was no Grace no Christ in that Covenant But all spiritual blessings flow from Christ that fountain of the Gardens Eph. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore blessed be God sayes that blessed Apostle who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ Jesns Did the Lord then ordain the seventh day to be a day of spiritual blessings to the souls of his people Why still this strongly argues that Christ in the promise lay at the bottom of that day in the first designation of it for he was that blessed seed in whom it was all along promised that the nations and families of the earth should be blessed I would ask T.T. and his followers whether the blessings which they expect by vertue of the old Sabbaths Institution be new Covenant-blessings If so then they cannot deny but the day thus blessed was bottomed upon Christ The foundation of the new Covenant a Isai 42.6 I say upon Christ in the promise that renowned promise of blessed memory the seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head which promise was first made to Adam the father of men Gen. 3.15 and afterwards renewed to b Gen. 12.3 c. 18.22 c.
but when the type should give place to the truth the day also which went along with the type must necessarily expire with it At least our spiritual Redemption by Christ being much more glorious then their typical and temporal deliverance from Egypt must needs eate out the memory of the Creation and so translate the day by antiquating the argument of it viz. the indirect force of Gods example in resting upon that day I do not say the direct and principal force of the example for one day in seven is evacuated But rather that this number and proportion being still observed by the Apostles in a new day strongly argues that the inserting of the forementioned argument instead of Gods example does only make void the circumstantial force of the example for the old seventh day not the substantial and moral equity of it for one day in seven Quod orat respondendum As for the Hebrew Article or Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with which he makes such a noyse Answ 3 By the same rule we must in the next verse translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those heavens and that earth as though there were some others Num. 18.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who knows not that it is more frequently a cypher then a figure serving rather for ornament then for argument and to fill up the sentence then to form the sense Mr. White of Dorch has given many clear instances where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prefixed to a numeral notes nothing at all and if need were I could adde twice as many more let these two suffice the tithes or tenth part has ha set before it yet it signifies indefinitely one part of ten b Ezek. 5. v. 2.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bp. White p. 183. So Ezek. 5. it is no less then four times prophets hair without any Emphasis at all denoting only one part of three and I see no reason why it might not also signifie one day of seven in the Commandment I wonder T.T. will trouble the world with such common cirtifismes sure he cannot be ignorant that this was Bp. Whites notion long before it was his And the truth is that unhappy proverb may be written upon many of his arguments The Bishops foot hath trodden here yet this is the man that cyres down Bishops as every coward will draw his sword upon a conquered enemy when there is no truth in me if the weapons with which he fights against the truth be not the very same which they formed against their Puritant adversaries What shameful hypocrisie is this But suppose the Particle ha in this place be Emphatical yet why must it needs point out the day on which God rested Why not rather such a day in proportion Therefore instead of ending all cavils this is but a meer cavil Oh but he blessed it and sanctified it says the Objector Ans This is either an ignorant or an impudent cavil for there is but one it in the clause and that refers to the word Sabbath and not the seventh day and so I make bold to retort his own words with a little addition Take heed of adding to the commandement of the living God to serve your own turn or putting seventh day instead of Sabbath day for feare of being left speechlesse at the day of Judgment As for those that suppose a seventh day is the morality of the fourth Commandement T. T. Obj. 4. p. 47. they will never help themselves by it for if it be a seventh it cannot be a sixth or an eighth or any other number This shaft seemes to be taken out of T. Bs. or James Ockfords Quiver who argued at the same rate Answ and are sufficiently answerd by others The summe of what hath been said is this That the Lords day ay in one account be termed the first day of the week or the 8th day As 2 Pet. 2.5 compared with 1 Pet. 3.20 Noah is stiled the 8th person as one that made up the number of eight although in respect of dignity he was the first person and yet in another account the seventh day And it is a pithy saying of Mr. Shepheard If the Lords day may be styled the first day of the week in one respect and yet the eighth day in another respect why may it not in a third respect put on the name sevent day and so Mr. Cawdrey seconds him as Adam says he excepting but the first seventh day might be said to worke the first six dayes and rest the seventh so supposing Christ kept the first Lords day we may be sayd ever after to work six days and rest the seventh And that thus it was says another in the account of the primitive Christians appeareth 1. Cor. 16.2 upon the first day of the weeke let every one of you lay be him in store as God hath prospered him to wit So Mr. Sheph. Octavus dicitur quod cum aliis septem servatus fuit Beze in locum So also Act. 20 6.7 where no day but the first of the week is thus disposed of to be the seventh day G. A. in the six foregoing work dayes In a word although our Christian Sabbath be the first day of the week in order yet it is still the seventh in number having six working dayes going before it in one weeke and following it in another continually and this satisfies the Commandement The like may be sayd for that notion of a seventh part of time which they confess to be purely moral T.T. Ob. 5. p. 47. If so then no other but simply the seventh part must from week to week be devoted to Gods worship for when ever the seventh part of time is altered p. 117. the morality must needs be destroyed Which is thus pieced up in another page The wisest Christian in the world cannot contrive a change of the day but he must destroy the morality of the law This Objection was long ago started by Mr. Primrose in his zeal against the English Puritans part 2. ch 7. p. 162 for let him change it to a sixth day and that cannot be a seventh part of time let him translate it to the eighth day and then seven days passe without any one Sabbath let him keep the seventh or the eighth or first at his change of the day and then he keepes two Sabbaths within the compasse of seven dayes This is his Gordian knot but we need not cut it it is easily untyed For A seventh part of time which here he derides as a notion Answ 1 when as a p. 43. little before it was his own concession we grant indeed to be morall yet not morall natural if he intend that by purely moral but we say it is moral positive And to grant him as much as we can If moral natural be taken for that which is known by the light of nature without revelation so one day in seven is not purely moral But if it be taken
in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalmm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Christ in his resurrection was as it were begotten n Rev. 1.5 from the dead and brought forth of the womb of the earth And here the very particular day of his resurrection is specified as the day on which the promise was eminently fulfilled what promise Why the term is comprehensive and so includes at least that originall promise of Christs bruiling the Serpents head which being an act of his Kingly Office not of his Priesthood was most formally executed in his Resurrection whereby he triumphed in his own person over sin death and the Divel upon the account whereof the Apostle cries o 1 Cor. 15.54 55. Rom. 8.34 37. Victory Some indeed to attribute Christs victory and conquest to his death upon the Crosse because 't is said Colos 2.15 Having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing ever them in it Which it say they refers to the Crosse verse 14. but the Text seemes to be mistranslated For according to the * Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In semertpso so the Siryack so Yertul de Trin. Origen ep ad Rom. co 5. August ep 59. Hier. in Co. Theodor. ibid Promeruit in cruce sed postca peregit Zanch. in loc Greek it should rather be rendred He spoiled Principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in himself So the Ancients universally read it and so our worthy translators in the Margin referring it to Christ himself not to the Crosse for although he merited his victory by his passion on the Crosse yet he did not execute it till his resurrection from the dead when God brought him forth from the prison of the grave and p Acts 10.39 40. shewed him openly though not to all he died a sufferer but rose a conqueror not only clothed with honour and immortality but armed with q Mar. 28.18 Philip. 2.9 power and principality he was r 2 Cor. 13.4 crucified through weakness but he liveth by the power of God Having the keyes of death and hell resigned up to him as trophies of his Triumphant resurrection so himself speaks f Rev. 1.13 I am he that liveth and was dead and am alive forevermore and have the keyes of death and hell And again t Ephes 4.8 9. When he ascended up on high be led captivity captive Note that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth Christ then did not so much lead captivity captive when he descended into the lower parts of the earth as when he ascended thence when he divided the spoile with the mighty as the Prophet or when he spoiled principalities and powers as the Apostle speaks at what time he was proclaimed u Rom. 14 9. Lord of quick and dead Namely at his resurrection from the dead I write not this to derogate in the least from the meritorious death of our deare Redeemer I can through the grace of God read infinite w love and x John 3.15 eternal life in his death but the hope and assurance of both is built upon his resurrection and therefore when the Apostle would set the door of y 1 Pet. 1.3 4. hope wide open to us he shewes us an empty sepulchre and tells us with the Angel he is z 1 Cor. 15.17 18 19. risen otherwise our faith and hope were vain The promise is the ground and anchr-hold of our hope and that as performed by our Lords resurrection whereby he bruised the Serpents head i.e. brake his power Acts 26.6 7 8 9. Now I say that promise Gen. 3.15 was the ground of flating the Sabbath upon the old seventh day God blessed the day for Christs sake and I doubt not this was the use which old Testament-believers ever made of that old Sabbath to look to Christ in it and seek communion with God through Christ and expect the Spiritual blessings lodged in the institution by Christ the promised and blessed seed And as long as Christ was onely promised the Sabbath ran along with him in the promise upon that day for many ages but now the promise being performed See Mr. G. Walkerp 35 36 and Christ exhibited a perfect and compleat Redeemer and that upon the day of his resurrection which was the greatest day of his appearing in the nature of man upon earth how can it otherwise be but the Sabbath should also advance forward together with the Lord of the Sabbath See also more of this Posit 1. Branch 3. from the last to the first day of the week Especially considering that Secondly Then also the new Covenant was erected and established even the Covenant pointed at by the Prophet I will make an everlasting Covenant with you Isal 55 3. I will give you the sure mercies of David which the Apostle applyes exprosly to Christsresurrection and bottoms in there As concerning that he raised him from the dead Acts 13.34 now no more to return to corruption he said on this wife I will give you the sure mercies of David which if we take in the verse before nominating the very day Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee will amount to this argument That the new Covenant in the last and best exhibition of it was ultimately established by Christs resurrection on the first day of the week whence the inference is easie That therefore then and thereby the old Covenant in the promissory part of it was altered and changed Christ freely promised into Christ fully manifested and if so who shall rob us of this conclusion That the Sabbath was actually changed from the last to the first day of the week upon the account of our blessed Lords resurrection Mistake me not the Argument concludes not the dissolution but the translation of the Sabbath from one day to another translated from the last day of the week it must needs be because the promise which setled it at first upon that day is performed and stated upon the first day of the week it is because the performance of the promise fell upon that day not by chance but by special Providence to fulfil that prophecy Psalm 118.24 This is the day which the Lord hath made 3. And chiefly this truth will be yet more obvious to every eye that shall view the change of the Covenant in the shadowy part of it Heb. 8.5 ch 10.1 I mean those ordinances and institutions appertaining to the old Covenant which were shadowes of things to come that these are antiquated and extinguished by Christ and that upon the account of a new Covenant established is unquestionably clear from that forecited Scripture Heb. 8.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 4.14 In that he saith a new Covenant he hath made the first old Now that which
decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away Where among other things the Holy-Ghost seems to imsinuate the shadowy nature of the old Covenant setting forth the deficiency of it by a metaphoricall expression of vanishing or disappearing viz. as the shadow disappears when the substance or body comes in place so that if the old Sabbath were of a shadowy uature 't is clearly gone But here lies the knot of the question which yet in the judgment of the most and best interpreters is dexterously decided in that vulgar Text Coloss 2.16 Let no man therefore judg you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or new Moon or Sabbath dayes which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ In the exposition of which Scripture I conceive there have been two great extremes for some in opposing Judaism from hence have opened a gap to Libertinism by condemning all difference of dayes under the Gospel others in going about to stop that gap have made a Bridge to bring in Judaism again I shall equally shun both extremes hoping to find truth in the middle And therefore First I shall premise this as a sure foundation That the Sabbath indefinitely considered as abstracted from the precise seventh day Isai 56.6 7 8. Is a plain prophecy of a Sabbath under the Gospel So is Mat. 14.20 See both opened and vindicated by Mr. By field p. 220 c. was never a shadowy ceremony but was and is a moral and perpetual duty incumbent upon all the people of God to the end of the world for not only Scripture but even Nature it self teacheth us that as there is a supreme God so this God must be worshipped with solemn worship and that therefore there must be some solemn time set apart for his worship and this time not less then a whole day together yea a day of frequent return and this day a day of rest from worldly labour for worshipping-time and working time are utterly inconsistent All this may be fairly deduced from the dictates of Nature Indeed as to the punctual proportion of time whether it should be one day of six or one of seven Nature which doth not so well discern of numbers cannot so positively determine and therefore in this case where the instinct of nature fails us Praxis sanâ—lorum interpres praeceptorum had wont to passe for a principle and maxime in Divinity the instruction of Discipline as one calls it relieves us By which I understand both the prescript of Gods law and the practise of his Church especially Apostolical practise which is the best and clearest commentary upon the Divine precept Now both these determine the proportion of one day in seven for the ordinary season of solemn worship and the last limits it to the first of seven as shall be seen hereafter That the law of God even the fourth Commandment which was the tenth part of Jehovahs will published at Mount Sinai is directly for one day of seven not the last of seven or the seventh from Creation I have proved before and that in this point it is moral and perpetual although not moral-natural may be briefly hinted here I shall offer but one Argument for it Rom. 7.12 Morale est mandatum quatenus praecipit ut è septem diebus unum consecremus cultui divino proinde quatenustale mandatum est nunquam fuit abrogatum nec abrogari patest Zâ—â—ch in praecept 4. p. 595. Ut aelique dies in septimana fit deo dedicata praetum est stabile aeternum Jac. de Valen. adv Judaeos q. 2. Nobis cum veteri populo quoad hanc partem communis est necessius Calâ— in praec 4. Item Luther Quoad observationem unius dieiiu singulis hebdomadis Sabbatum nonest legis Ceremonialis sed moralis qua immota ao perpetua est Ravanel Bibl. grounded upon that Scripture-aphorism That Commandments is holy just and good these are the uudeniable Characters of a moral and immutable law Now if the proportion of one day in seven for holy rest be holy just and good it must needs be moral and perpetual and so must the precept it self that prescribes it But this proportion is holy just and good Grant it to be just and you cannot deny it to be holy grant it good and you cannot deny it to be just Now let me reason the case with any religious soul yea with any rational man Is it not a point of moral equity to pay tribute out of all our times to the Lord of time who holds our souls in life and in whose hands both our times and our breath are do we owe him a piece of every day and shall we grudg him a day of every week when he has given us six can we in equity deny him one Not that I take upon me to demonstrate the equity of this number by the light of Nature or to the light of Nature for as I said before Nature is blind in these things but I presuppose Nature and Reason informed by divine discovery and acquainted with the written word Surely such as have read and pondered Gods liberal grant of six dayes to man cannot but yield his demand to be very reasonable requiring but one in seven for himself Thus in respect of God Again in respect of Man Is it not just and meet that since Mans life upon earth is a pilgrimage and he has no abiding City here but looks for one above therefore he should not spend all his time and thoughts and studies about the trifles of the world but as some time every day so also some one day every week retire from the world and draw neer to God to seek communion with him with whom he looks to live for ever Again in respect of servants and cattel is there not grand equity and reason that one day in a week they should injoy some relaxation from their painsul servitude and bondage that thy poor drudging servant especially who bears God image as well as thy self should have a breathing-time a day of weekly rest for his wearied body and one holy day in a week for his pretious soul Can we in equity afford them less when we have had six dayes service from them can we find in our wretched hearts to grudge the Lord one True you will say there is much equity in this that some time in general should be set apart for holy rest but what necessity of such an exact proportion why one day of seven more then one of ten or two of seven I answer as before A natural necessity we do not pretend but a Scriptural necessity there is why we should be tyed to this proportion and not to any other and herein lies the moral and religious equity of it as thus The written word informs me that there are but four main divisions of time and these of Gods own making viz. dayes weeks moneths years and I am convinced that
it agrees not with the scope of the context which is to disswade them from unbelief as the root of Apostasie ch 3. 12. Take heed Brethren of an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God where the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 18.19 word doth properly and without all question signifie unbelief And the Apostles rendring of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies either unbeliefe or disobedience by another word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies unbelief only v. 18.19 does evidently speak his meaning namely that we should take heed of falling by Israels example of unbelief which is the mother of all * John 16.8 9 vice as faith is the mother of grace And therefore ch 4. v. 1. he cautions us to fear lest a promise being left any of us should seem to come short Now the promise is the ground of Faith as the precept is of obedience I conclude therefore it is not so much Israels disobedience as Israels unbelief upon which the stress of the argument is laid To take the Apostles admonition as a caution against the neglect of the old Sabbath is utterly to mistake his main mark and scope For his grand design is to prevent their Apostasie from Christ and his Gospel not from Moses and his law And I am perswaded if any Sabbath-breaking be here intended it is to deterre them from the breach of the Christian Sabbath To understand this Scripture there remaineth the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God of the old seventh-day-Sabbath Answ 3 is utterly to invalidate the Apostles argument because it confounds that distinction of rests on which he grounds his argument For 't is evident See Mr. White of Dutch in this Tex p. 230 the Apostle speaks of several and distinct rests and insists most strongly upon the opposition between Moses words Gen. 2. and the words of David Psalm 95. not Psalm 45. as T.T. misquotes it and makes it most manifest that David could not mean the rest of the Sabbath of which Moses speakes Gen. 2. for Hebr. 4.3 thus he reasons David speaks of a rest to come but Moses speakes of a rest past therefore David cannot mean the rest of the old Sabbath of which Moses speaks which was entred into so long before And verse 5. he takes up the same opposition again and in this place i. e. of David again if they shall enter who sees not a manifest opposition betwixt these two have entred and shall enter That word although v. 3. relates not to the sin of Israel but the saying of David And thus this Authors first fancy is battered There remaineth therefore the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God but no the old Sabbath T is set down in the Margin of our Bibles the keeping of a Sabbath whence they would evade the seventh-day Sabbath Obj. 2 T.T. although the Dictionaries and Lexicons render ib plainly the keeping of the Sabbath The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answ without an Article and therefore this is a meer causless cavil and as for Lexicons that render the Greek into Latin I suppose be will find neither a nor the in any of them for these are English particles and as for Latin Dictionaries he may look long enough before he will find the word in any of them for t is a pure Grecism And thus I think he has shewed his Scholarship with a witness No wonder such an accurate Critick casts odium upon the Translatours t is much he does not give us a Bible of his own making The Scripture gives full evidence Obj. 3 p. 144. that Christ entred into his rest the true seventh day he means the old seventh day when he had finished his great work of Redemption and for this he cites Acts 2.26 where t is said his flesh did rest in hope The* word signifies only thus much Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his flesh did remain in hope and it may be as well rendred remain as rest It implyes no such thing as Sabbatical rest He cites Job 17.3 for Job 3.17 an argument he is not infallable As for Job 3.17 which he misquotes again it makes nothing for his purpose All that it speaks is this There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary are at rest Teaching us that the grave is a place of rest from external impressions of violence and cruelty as also from trouble labour and sorrow to the people of God They shall rest in their beds sayes the Prophet Yet I hope he will grant the grave is a softer bed to Saints then it was to our Saviour for as he took away the sting of death by dying and rising again so also the horror of the grave by being buried Certain it is that Christs burial was a part of his humiliation and while he lay in the grave he lay under the sorrowes paines or chains of death as the Holy Ghost witnesseth Acts 2.24 And who ever doubted but our Saviours durance in the Sepulchre was penal Even the Lutherans who attribute more then is meet to the buriall of Christ as they do to his body do confess that it was a part of his humiliation and that hereby he underwent that penalty Gen. 3.19 vide Gerh. Supplem ad Chem. Harm p. 230. as well as his death upon the Crosse How then did he rest from the work of Redemption as long as he lay under the arrest of death in the prison of the grave Certainly all his humiliation work was Redemption-work from his Birth to his burial and setting aside his Crucifixion we have reason to think our Redeemer was not so much humbled all the three and thirty years of his life as the three dayes and three nights after his death while he lodged in the heart of the earth Before he was but as the Sun in a cloud but now as the Sun under a total Eclipse as to the view of the world And doubtless for the blessed Son of God and Lord of Glory to lie down in the a Psalm 22.15 Ephes 4 9. dust of death and suffer himself to be trampled under the feet of that Tyrant was no small degree of abasement But to be sure whatever our blessed Redeemers rest were before his Resurrection either that of his Soul in glory or the other of his body in the grave it could make nothing for the Saturday-Sabbath for neither of these rests were entred into on the seventh day but both on the sixth day The b John 19. v. 14 31.42 day before the Sabbath he was crucified and the same day he was buried otherwise how is it said That he rose again the third day c 1 Cor. 15.4 according to the Scriptures Methinks this should make the Objector blush to look back upon his anti-scriptural conclusion That Christ entred into his rest on the true seventh-day-Sabbath expounding it of his rest in the
grave But a word with you Sir did the Lord Jesus indeed enter into that rest of the grave the seventh day of the week why then it seems he rose again from the dead the second day and rested but two dayes and two nights in the grave and had he not need be greater then an Angel that shall take upon him to coine such new Creeds and preach such new Gospels for sear of the Apostles d Gal. 1.7 8. Anathema To salve this he tells us p. 145. that our Saviours body was laid to rest in the Sepulchre in the close of the sixth day Very good Why then does he say in the next page that he entred into this rest on the seventh day Thus at once he contradicts both himself and the Scriptures But to conclude this author has little reason to vaunt and glory as he does in this new invention For to make Christs rest in the grave a ground of the weekly Sabbath is neither proper in respect of the thing nor proportionable in respect of the time For the thing it self how altogether improper and incongruous is it to keep a weekly festival in memory of our Saviours Funeral to make that day a day of rejoycing which was rather a day of mourning For so the Ancients held it and therefore kept it as a Fast ergo not as a Sabbath for the Sabbath was ever reckoned among the solemn c Ier. 23.2 3. Feasts of the Lord which one consideration is sufficient to shew the judgment of antiquity in this controversie For they kept the * Diem Solis laetitiae indulgemus Tertul. Apol. c. 36. Sabbato usque ad galli cantum jejunium producite et illucescente uno Sabbatorum qui est dominicus desinite Constit lib. 5. c. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan lib. â—3 Tom. 3. Haeres 75. Lords day as a day of spiritual joy and gladness and spent the whole Saturday the time of Christs lying in the grave in Fasting and mourning alledging for their practise that speech of our Saviour When the Bride-groom is taken from them then shall they fast Luke 5.35 Again it holds no proportion in respect of the time for our Saviour lay three dayes and three nights in the grave therefore this can be no pattern for a weekly Sabbath I doubt the best of our new Sabbath-keepers would be weary of resting so long at a time But the stress of T. T s Argument is laid upon Christs entring into rest therefore there remaineth the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God and here I shall lay the stress of my answer having manifestly proved that Christs entrance into rest was not on the seventh day no not in this authors own new notion of rest And whereas he addes that the taking down of our Saviours body from the Cross and laying it in the sepulchre in the close of the sixth day was providentially ordered I answer true providentially indeed for hereby the Holy Ghost has admirably provided against this future error of raising the old seventh-day-Sabbath from the dead and building it up anew upon the grave of Christ where it rather lies buried never to rise again For if the blessed body of Christ were laid in the grave on the sixth day then he entred not into that rest nor indeed any rest at all on the seventh day But on the first day of the week he entred into his true rest and ceased from his work of Redemption as God the Father did the seventh day from his work of Creation therefore there remaineth the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God upon the day of Christs resting from his work the day of his rising from the dead And we have grand reason to think that Christ had a significant meaning in prolonging his Resurrection to the third day which was the first of the week as the Father had in lengthening out the Creation to the seventh day which was the last of the week For as the Father could have created the world in a moment so could the Son have quickned and raised himself from the grave assoon as he was in it either the same day or the seventh if he had pleased But he purposely and providentially passed over that day and crowned the first of the week with the glory of his resurrection which plainly speakes it his will and pleasure to make that day the day of our weekly rest in which our Lord himself rested from his greatest work Oh! But Christ rested not on the day of his Resurrection Obj. 4 T. T. p. 120. for he journeyed fifteen miles that very day which was no fair president for celebrating a Sabbath And again he travelled fifteen miles upon this supposed new Sabbath and this not to any Church-meeting but from Jerusalem where most of his disciples were purposely joyning with the two disciples that were journeying on foot seven miles and a half into the Countrey He means the disciples going to Emmaus Luke 24.13 14. This is his last refuge and 't is a very sorry one For First This travel was without labour and if he had journeyed that day from earth to Heaven and back again from Heaven to earth it had been no impeachment to his holy rest any more then the motion of an Angel sent upon Gods errand would be a profanation of his Sabbath certainly the body of Christ at his resurrection was a glorious body and able to move from earth to Heaven as some think in a moment And whether he did not locally though not so solemnly as afterwards ascend into Heaven and descend again the very day of his resurrection is disputed by some I shall not positively assert it but modestly propound it to further inquiry whether those words a John 20.17 Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go and tell my brethren I ascend do not seem to imply that even now in the morning of the resurrection-day he was about to ascend and whether the same day at night returning again and bidding them touch or b Luke 24.39 handle him do not argue that now he had ascended Again whether those words c Eph. 4.8 11. When he ascended up on high he gave gifts unto men some Apostles some Prophets c. must be necessarily limited to his last ascention or whether they may not be construed of some former ascention Since it seems those gifts were given upon the very day of his resurrection for then d John 20. towards the evening or end of that day the Gospel-Ministry was constituted then the Apostles received their mission and commission e v. 19. As my Father hath sent me even so send I you f v. 21. whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Yea then they received the g v. 22. Holy Ghost For he breathed on them and saith unto them receive ye the
Holy Ghost I shall not determine where our Saviour had his usual residence during those 40. dayes betwixt his resurrection and last ascention whether in Heauen or on earth curiosity I abhorre in the mysteries of Christ and what I have here offered is in humility and sobriety of spirit with submission to better and riper judgments Let not this digression be counted a transgression or if it be pardon it To return to my answer this is most certain that although the body of Christ after his resurrection remained a real and true body yet it was a h Luke 24.37 spiritual a splendid and glorious body free from that corpulency that lumpishness that subjection to weariness and other infirmities that these vile bodies of ours are clogged and incumbred withall this is manifest by his marvellous apparitions upon earth and his glorious i Acts 1.9 10. 1 Pet. 3.22 assention into Heaven when he mounted himself in the Chariot of that cloud in which he rode in Triumph into glory now motion is no hindrance to the rest of a glorified body such as Christs was when he arose from the dead therefore although he were in action and motion on the resurrection day yet he did not labour His joyning with those two Disciples travelling to Emmaus was a work of Charity and Piety Ans 2 For their hearts were sad and ready to sink under their own fears Luke 24.17 And this blessed Physitian came to comfort them and confirm them in the belief and assurance of his resurrection They were his poor distracted dejected timerous disciples and whom should he visit but such Say they were going from Jerusalem that bloody City suppose they were straying like sheep without a Shepherd yet the Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep being now brought again from the dead Hebr. 13.20 would not leave them wandering in a wilderness but fetch them home to their fold again And it was no secular imployment but a Sabbath dayes work for he spent the time in opening Scripture preaching and proving his resurrection till their cold and dead hearts were so quickned and warmed that they did even burn within them in a word it was a Sabbath dayes journey But leaving the Adversary to solace himself with these sapless notions and trifling objections we proceed to a fourth Argument From the designation of a new day upon the discharge of the old Arg. 4 we shall couple both together and cast it into this form The old seventh day Sabbath is discharged from obligation or observation under the new Testament and a new day of the same number the first of the week designed deputed and determined for the Christians weekly day of Solemn worship under the Gospel and that by the Lord of the Sabbath Therefore the Sabbath is altered and changed from the last to the first of the week by no less then Divine authority The consequent cannot be denyed if the Antecedent be granted and granted it must be when proved by Scripture as it shall be in each particular I hope to full satisfaction 1. That the old seventh day is discharged disanulled and abolished for ever being a Sabbath more to the people of God in Gospel-times this we have proved in part already from Colos 2.16 to which may be added Gal. 4.10 11. See the new Annotations on this place Ye observe dayes and moneths and times and yees I am afraid of you c. See how zealously this great Apostle and Doctor about dayes decries all legal distinctions of dayes by four distinct phrases he enumerates all the solemn Festivals in use among the Jewes and opposeth the observation of them all in Christian Churches Read the words either backwards or forwards the first clause Ye observe dayes must in all reason referr to their observation of the Jewes weekly Sabbath day For if by years we are to understand either their Sabbaticall years or rather their yearly Sabbath called the day of atonement and by times or seasons their annual Feasts of Passover Pentecost and Tabernacles and by Moneths their monethly Feasts called New-moons what can be meant by dayes in this retrograde order but their weekly seventh day What dayes were in request among the Jewes of quicker return then their monethly dayes besides their weekly Sabbath day That which perswades me that the Apostle does here unquestionably intend the old seventh-day is 1. The Correspondency of this Text with that Kalendar or Chapter of dayes Levit. 23. where Moses sets down all their solemn Feasts or holy-dayes eight in number reckoning the weekly Sabbath among the rest of those Ceremonial Festivals and putting that first as the Apostle does here then proceeding to speak of the rest much after the same order here observed This Text comprehends all the dayes and times mentioned in that catalogue 2. The plain parallel betwixt this place and Colos 2. which may may be seen in the scope of both Epistles compared together These two Churches it seems were sick of one and the same disease as appears by the same Symptomes in both the disease was Judaism wherewith they were dangerously infected by the breath of false teachers crept in among them who beguiled them with a Colos 2.4 enticing words and sought to b Gal. 1.5 pervert the Gospel namely by perswading them to mingle Law and Gospel together by retaining the customes of Moses together with the commands of Christ Colos 2.12.16 Gal. 4.10 ch 5. 2 3 6 12 13. and that especially in two points viz. Circumcision and Observation of legal dayes and among other dayes the old seventh-day which together with circumcision was cryed up among the Colossians as was shewed above and therefore by good consequence among the Galatians also since they were men of the same gang that had bin tampering here as well as there I mean Jewish false teachers the Doctors of circumcision and their Doctrin was alike yea the dayes for which they contended were alike both here and there dayes or Sabbaths sorted out by themselves The old seventh day is here meant though it be not mentioned expresly and distinguished from new moons and other Festivals therefore undoubtedly the old seventh-day was the maine This together with circumcision were those legal and mosaical customes which the Jewish Zealots laboured tooth and nayl to propagate in all the primitive Churches especially where there were any convert Jewes But St. Paul like a resolute champion of Christs cause opposes himself against these growing errours wherever he came insomuch that he began to be voyc'd and cryed up or rather cryed down as the great stickler against Moses Therefore when he came to Jerusalem St. James tells him that the Judaizing weak brethren were c Acts 21.21 informed of him how that he taught the Jewes who were among the Gentiles that is the Christian Churches to forsake Moses and not to walk after the customes and by and by when to stay the Mouths of these
the fourth Commandment which as the above mentioned Author at whose torch I have lighted my candle observes is a thing worthy of special note any may afford a satisfying reason why there is no expresse institution of the first day of the week in the new Testament viz. Because the vertue of the fourth Commandment doth of it self fall upon that day the former being void being the only day capable of keeping up Gods proportion perpetually determined in the Commandment yet I confess as formerly that the Commandment does not directly institute the day but falls upon the observation of it and supposes the institution neither do I urge it directly for the designation of the day for the first day of the week is not expresly mentioned in the fourth Commandment no more is the last day of the week neither but a seventh day is which although as I said before it could not be restrained to one day more then another yet my meaning was and is that it could not be so tyed to the last of seven as not to be applyed to the first of seven if God so pleased Briefly this argument concludes rather for the observation than the designation of the first day day of the week as the only day upon which in the vacancy of the old Sabbath God has set his mind in the Law And good reason For 2. This is the day upon which above all other dayes Christ has set his mark his special signall characteristical mark in the Gospel to mark it out for a day of weekly solemn worship under the new Testament A seven-fold mark he has set upon it which the malice of men and divels shall never be able to obliterate As 1. His glorious Resurrection upon this day 2dly His several veral Apparitions 3dly His gracious actions and speeches at those apparitions 4th The Mission of his Holy Spirit on this day 5th The inscription of his own blessed name upon it 6th His Apostles and Apostolical Churches observation of it 7th Their prescription about it Of which I shall treat in order as they lie answering all objections that oppose themselves against this conquering truth of Christ 1. What a mark of honour yea what a crown of glory is it to this day that it had the favour above all the dayes of the week to be Christs resurrection-day The Sun in the firmament arises and shines upon other dayes as well as this but the Sun of righteousness never arose upon any day but this and if we will beleeve the Holy Ghost the institution of the day had its foundation here Psalm 118.22 23 24. For the discovery whereof I shall once more desire the Reader to turn to that Text Psam 118. The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner So 1 Pet. 2.7 this is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes This is the day which the Lord hath made c. The Apostle Peter expounds this Text and applies it to Christ Acts 4.11 where speak to Caiaphas and the rest of the Councill who went for builders he boldly tells them This is the stone which ye builders refused which is become the head of the corner he speaks it of Christ and of Christs resurrection for v. 10. he had spoken of their refusing him in his Crucifixion and Gods exalting him in his resurrection Whom ye crucified and whom God raised from the dead Thereby making him both a corner-stone and head of the corner Head of all principality and power Coloss 2.10 head or Lord of the living and the dead yeas head of Heaven and earth having all power in Heaven and earth then given to him Matth. 28.18 Thus of Davids prophetical prediction Next let us consider his application of it 1. In respect of the deed done 2. In respect of the day on which it was done 3. In respect of the duty of that day 1. The deed or work done the raising of Christ from the dead he magnifies as the Lords own act his marvelous stupendious act This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes v. 23. No wonder for indeed this was the greatest wonder the ever was wrought in the world concerning which we may say as Moses in another case Ask now of the dayes that are past which were before thee Deut. 4.32 since God created man upon the earth and ask from the one side of Heaven to the other whet her there hath been any such things as this great thing is or hath been heard like it That one by his own power should raise himself from the dead no history no chronicle can paralel it So wonderful was our Saviours resurrection that it challenges wonder even from his enemies behold ye despisers and wonder Acts 13.41 Sayes the Apostle wonder at what Why at Gods raising Christ from the dead of which he had treated before verse 36 37. 2. The Psalmist applies it further to the day on which this work of wonder was wrought This is the day which the Lord hath made and mark the connection the day depends upon the deed or work done Factum domini as one sayes facit diem domini The Lords deed makes it the Lords day Here the institution of the day is undeniably founded upon the resurrection of Christ upon this account 't is stiled the day which the Lord hath made because the stone cast aside of the builders Christ crucifyed was made the head of the corner that is raised from the dead as St. Peter expounds and as Christs resurrection was the Lords own doing so the Psalmist foresaw that the resurrection-day would be a day of the Lords own making If it be objected So is every day I answer but not every day alike For look as it was in the works of Creation all were Gods works all of his making but man the master-piece more especially of whom it may be said with an accent this is the creature which God had made so here all the dayes in the week are of Gods making but this in the Text above all the Holy Ghost sets an Emphasis upon it This is the day which the Lord hath made Made 1 How made not by was of Creation so 't was made before Gen. 1. But by way of institution The day which the Lord hath made What has he made it A working-day so it was before if therefore he has made it any thing it must be a holy solemn day a day more solemn and sacred then all the dayes that God ever made before And so the word signifies not only to makes but to magnify 't is equivalent to sanctifie 3. The Psalmist proceeds to the prophetical delineation of the duties of this day Let us be glad and rejoyce therein Yea he brings in the Church shouting and singing Hosanna's to Christ on this day v. 26. a Math. 21.9 Blessed is he that cometh to us in the Name of the Lord As when the b
a day in the world till this day dawned at the rising of the Sun of righteousnesse never such a day T is worthy to be noted what a wonderful concurrence of remarkable periods of time met together at our Saviours resurrection both in respect of the year and the day Is 61.2 ch 63.34 John 4.34 35. Heb. 2.14 15. 1. The year was a Sabbatical year the year of Jubilee as may be gathered from scripture which if it make nothing for the Christian Sabbath yet it makes much against the Jewes Sabbath themselves being witnesses For the Hebrew Doctors have spoken rarely to this purpose even to the admiration of considerate Christians The Divine Majesty say they will be to Israel in a Jubilee Freedom Redemption and finisher of Sabbaths H. Broughtons Sinai-sight 2. The day of our Lords Resurrection was a remarkable day in many respects As 1. It was the eighth day in a continued reckoning of dayes and eight was a number of greater prefection then seven in some respect witness Circumcision which was so strictly tyed to the eighth day John 7.22 Sacramentum hoc suit diei illius octavi quo dominus resurrexit ad justificationem nostram Ep. ad Fid. ita Aug. de Gelebr Pasch that if it had fallen on the weekly Sabbath it must not be omitted for the Sabbaths sake The antients insist much on this Circumcision on the eighth day was a type of that eighth day on which our Lord rose again for our justification sayes Cyprian 2. Christs resurrection was also on the third day after his passion which himself foretold as the day of his perfection For so some expound that saying of his The third day I shall be perfected Luke 13.32 Besides this third day was a day of * Ho. 6.2 Lu. 24.46 note in the Law and the Prophets a day appointed and appropriated to the Messiah signally markt out in the Kalendar of the Prophets and figured by many famous Types as that of Isaac who was virtually a James 2.21 offered and restored again the b Gen. 22.4 third day as it may be computed and that in a kind of c Heb. 11.19 figure as the Apostle intimates So also Hezskiah who was in account a dead man and on the d 2 Kings 20.5 third day miraculously revived again So e Jonah 2.10 Math. 12 40. See Ainsw in Gen. 22. Jonah and others from which instances the Rabbins it serms could conclude Christs Resurrection on the third day There be many a three dayes say they in Scripture of which one is the Resurrection of the Messiah 3. Christs Resurrection was on the first day of the week as the Evangelists unanimously testifie Which although it be termed by the blaspemous Jewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Nazarens day in a way of reproach yet in Scripture-account it is a day of greatest renown being the first in order in the Creation and the first in dignity by our Saviours resurrection The first-fruits of time and the first-born of dayes and accordingly the only day in which our Lord became the f 1 Cor. 15.20 first-fruits of them that slept and the g Col. 1.18 first born from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence 4. To all these may be added what some have probably argued that this first day of the week was our blessed Redeemers Birth-day as well as his Resurrection day yea the day of his Ascension into Heaven as well as the mission of his Spirit but this I leave to Mr. Aspinwal to make good Only thus much I dare assert that the day of our Saviours resurrection the first day of the week is the fittest for the commemoration of his Nativitie Passion Ascension and all other blessed transactions in the work of our Salvation For the Resurrection of Christ implyes all the rest but is not necessarily of them And if the Lord Jesus had not risen from the dead what benefit had we had either by his birth life death or burial or being dead and buryed how had he ascended and the Spirit the Comforter descended unless he had first bin raised from the dead Besides his Resurrection and Ascension are computed h Luke 24.26 Eph. 4.8 9 10. See Dr. Twisse p. 117. Sect. 5. 1 John 20.17 in Scripture as one compleat motion As his dying and continuing under the power of death for a time were but one entire work of Redemption For however after his resurrection he stayed a sew dayes here upon earth to confirm the faith of his followers and settle the affairs of his Kingdom yet he was no sooner risen but presently he speaks of his ascending and indeed his rising was in reference to his ascending partly if not a part of it It was the first step of his triumphant passage into his kingdom and glory So that in a right sense very Lords day is our Christmass-day Easter-day Ascension-day Whitsunday and all my meaning that in a right celebration of our Christian Sabbath we solemnize the memorial of all these blessed ingredients in the work of our Redemption We need not contend for an annual Solemnization of our Saviours birth-day resurrection-day ascension-day neither need we fear oblivion of these gracious and glorious mysteries if the Lords day were duly observed We cannot better keep alive the memory of these mercies than by keeping a day in commemoration of them once a week and no day so fit as the Lords day in which we have the sum of all A day that brought forth the greatest good to faln man of any day even a compleat Redeemer who on this day redeemed us with triumph from the tyranny of Satan the dominion of death and hell and k John 10.25 ch 14. 19. restored us to life and Salvation yea assured it unto us Therefore I conclude with that renowned father the Lords day was declared by the Lords Resurrection to be the Christians day Dies Dominicus Christi resurrectione declaratus est ex illo caepit habere festivitatem suam August Ep. 119. ad Jan. item de Civitate Dei lib. 22. cap. ult Serm. 15. de verb. Apost and from that very time it began to be celebrated as the Christian mans Festival or rather with that of the Psalmist This is the day which the Lord hath made 'T is no day of mans making if the God of truth may be beleeved 'T is a plant of the Lords own planting therefore the Divel and all his instruments shall never be able to pluck it up Neither can all the men nor all the Churches in the world alter it to another day And how remarkable is it that the Church for sixteen hundred years should no where offer or attempt to alter it but in all places and all ages observe it What does this speak but the Divine authority of it by which mens Spirits have been awed and their hands tied from such presumptuous undertakings the truth is
of holy Convocation and so is every first day of the week to us which as some conceive the Holy Ghost foretold long since by the Prophet Ezekiel saying Ezek. 43.27 It shall be that upon the eight day and so forward the Priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar and your peace-offerings or thank offerings and I will accept you saith the Lord 't is a clear prophecy of Gospel-times if not the special time of Gospel-worship upon the eighth day i.e. the first day of the week Answ 2. Touching our Saviours travelling this day I have answered before That it was without labour such as is the motion of immortal and glorified bodies and therefore no President for us who dwell in these corruptible houses of clay And I add moreover That Christs walking with his Disciples that day was no more an impeachment to the holy rest of the first day than the Fathers working every day to the Sabbatical rest of the seventh day 'T is our Saviours own Argument in answer to a like objection My Father worketh hitherto and I work John 5.17 That I termed this journey to Emmaus a Sabbath-days journey was in reference to the discourse by the way not the length of the way To which upon second thoughts I add this further answer That 't is very uncertain whether Christ travelled all the way on foot to Emmaus and back again The Scripture is silent and therefore we may not speak The Objector indeed has it often up That Christ travelled fifteen miles on his Resurrection-day but he speaks without Book and can never prove it by Scripture for he might overtake the two Disciples near Emmaus and how he came there we read not neither can we tell how he conveyed himself back again to Jerusalem Guesses and conjectures are no arguments Answ 3. That the Saints cast their accounts on this day I utterly deny we have nothing but the bold and bare word of the Objector to prove it and let him not blame us if we look not upon him as such a Pythagoras that his Ipse dixit should carry it More might be added in pursuance and prosecution of this Thesis that the Lords day is the Christian Sabbath but Mr. Cawdrey Mr. Bernard Mr. Ley and sundry others have spared me this labour POSITION VI. That the Sabbath begins in the Morning THis Position hath been also handled and proved abundantly by others chiefly by Mr. Cawdrey and Mr. Pynchon whose Arguments I judge unanswerable 'T is to me an unquestionable conclusion That the Sabbath being a natural day consisting of 24 hours it must begin and end as the natural day it self does Now in Scripture-account the natural day begins and ends at or about midnight that it begins in the dark night is evident from that fore-mentioned place Mark 1.35 Where we read of our Saviours rising in the morning a great while before day or while it was deep in the night Hence also the evening of the natural day is reckoned from about noon or mid-day Matth. 14.13 When the evening was come the Disciples came to Christ The Scripture speaks of two evenings Exod. 30.8 Chap. 16.12 about sending away the multitude to seek their dinner in the Villages and that this was not the sun-set-evening is clear for after the multitude had dined and were dismissed we read of another evening v. 23. so that the former evening all circumstances considered must needs be about mid-day therefore it must have a morning answerable to it which must necessarily begin about mid-night when the a Jonah 4.7 morning-Sun begins to ascend as it does from mid-night till mid-day or b Prov. 4.18 perfect day and then it declines again and the c Jer. 6.4 shadows begin to be stretched out called the shadows of the evening till they fall into the darkness of the night which is deepest at mid-night Against those that begin the natural day and so the Sabbath at Sun-set evening we may object this which they can never answer That by their reckoning Christ must rise from the dead the second not the third day after his burial For 't is clear that he was not buried or inclosed in the heart of the earth till after the sun-set evening Matth. 27.57 Mark 15.42 For Joseph went not to Pilate to beg the body till the even was come namely the later evening which begins at Sun-set and after this there were many things to be done before the blessed body of Christ was laid in the Sepulchre As the (c) Mark 15.46 buying of fine linnen to wrap it in besides the imbalming or perfuming it with d John 19.40 spices and odours as the manner of the Jews was to bury This together with other Funeral rites took up some time so that it must needs be after Sun-set before this sad Funeral was finished Now if the Sabbath had begun with the Sun-set evening Christs Resurrection-day being the morrow after the Sabbath could be but the second day whereas it is a great Article of our faith grounded upon the e 1 Cor. 15.4 Scriptures That Christ rose from the dead the third day to fulfill the type of Jonas Further however the Jews in later times begun their Sabbath at evening as we grant they did superstitiously reckoning their preparation-time part of their Sabbath-time yet it is very considerable that the Holy Ghost keeps a contrary account stating the end of the Sabbath towards the dawning of the day following as Matth. 28.1 in the end of the Sabbath which dawned towards the first day of the week Now if the Sabbath ended at the dawning towards the next day then it must needs begin about the same time the day before and as the old Sabbath began and ended in Gods account so must the Lords day In a word how preposterous is it and incongruous both to Scripture and nature to begin the day at evening how ill does this agree with those Texts of Scripture that make the morning the first part of the day and evening the last The Angels we know are called f Job 38.7 morning stars not evening start because they were created in the beginning of the Creation and the days of the Gospel are called g Zech. 14.7 evening in the evening it shall be light because they are the last days according to the common Dialect of Scripture h Psal 5.3 Psal 143.8 Gen. 49.27 morning time is first evening last and evening never signifies early but late because it is the later part of the day But others have sufficiently cleared this truth already to add any more were but to light a candle to the Sun A word or two in answer to the Objections and we have done First Object 1 T. T. p. 56. We are told that Gen. 1. the day began at evening for the darkness went before the light and this darkness with the ensuing light saies the Objector made the first day and
stood by the Sepulchre and seen the Sun of righteousness covered with a cloud before shining forth most gloriously in the morning of the Resurrection-day how would this have raised and ravished thy heart How glad were the Disciples when they saw the Lord so glad that 't is said They beleeved not for joy O the day of Christs rising from the dead was a day of joy and gladness John 20.20 Luke 24.41 No day like this when our surety was released the Covenant and sure mercies of David confirmed hope revived heaven and eternal life assured In the midst of these thoughts who can but cry out with the Apostle O that I may know him and the power of his resurrection Phil. 3.10 That I may feel the working of that mighty power which God wrought in Christ Eph. 1.19 when he raised him from the dead O that the same * Rom. 1.4 and 6.4 5. spirit of holiness which quickned Christ from the dead this day and so made the day holy would also quicken my soul from the death of sin to the life of holiness that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so I also might walk in newness of life being planted into the likeness of his resurrection as also of his death Our hearts being thus tuned by meditation how should our tongues shew forth the praises of our precious Redeemer Let him have the praise and the glory of the whole work of our Redemption Awake my glory utter a song Sing that Psalm of John the Divine Vnto him that loved us Rev. 1.5 6. and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Thus give unto Christ the glory of his death yea the praise of his Resurrection say with Peter Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 4. who acording to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled reserved in heaven for us Surely God requires a thousand thousand Hallelujahs for this blessed work of our Redemption he calls upon all creatures to join with us in rejoycing upon this account Isai 44.23 Sing O ye Heavens for the Lord hath done it shout O ye lower parts of the earth break forth into singing ye mountains O forrest and every tree therein for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob Let us therefore devote our selves more solemnly to this Angelical service begin the day with prayer and end it with praise not only in publike but in private O that every house were in this respect a temple that the songs of the Temple might be heard in all our tabernacles on the Lords day that the streets might ring with our praises even the high praises of our Creator and Redeemer 'T is Scripture counsel That we should speak to our selves in Psalms Ephes 5 19. and Hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord and singing with grace in our hearts grace in the heart as one saies well is the best tune to every Psalm We must sing with the Spirit as well as pray with the spirit And therefore we should labour to be with S. John in the Spirit on the Lords day In a word Christian prudence should direct us to chuse out sutable Psalms for such a solemn day Psal 118. is very proper and pertinent The stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner this is the Lords doing and it is marvellons in our eyes This is the day which the Lord hath made we will be glad and rejoyce in it God is the Lord which hath shewed us light c. Thou art my God and I will praise thee Thou art my God I will exalt thee O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Thus much in brief concerning the prime duties of the day I shall conclude all with the words of that Prince of English Poets HERBERT O day most calm and bright The week were dark but for thy light The other days and thou Make up one man whose face thou art Knocking at heaven with thy brow The working days are the back-part The Sundays of mans life Thredded together on times string Make bracelets to adorn the wife Of the eternal glorious King Thou art the day of mirth And where the work-work-days trail on ground Thy Flight is higher as thy birth O let me take thee at thy bound Leaping with thee from seven to seven Till that we both being toss'd from earth Fly hand in hand to heaven FINIS Books sold by John Rothwel at the Fountain in Goldsmiths Row in Cheapside THe Use and Practise of Faith or Faiths Universal usefulness and quickning influence into every kind and degree of the Christian life Delivered in the Publike Lectures at Ipswich by the late eminent and Faithful Servant of his Lord Mr. Matthew Laurence Preacher to the said Town 4o. Festered Conscience new lanced The Good Masters Plea and the Evil Servants Cavil Orthodxal Navigation by Benjamin Hubbard The Saints Rest in an Evil day both in their dependance upon God and assistance from him Together with Bowels of Mercy interceding for the Saints in danger Or Sacred Sympathy unsealed by Alex. Pringle late Minister of the Gospel at Georges Southwark The Universal Character by which all Nations in the World may understand one another Conceptions reading out of one common Writing their own Mother-tongues an invention of general use the Practise whereof may be atteined in two hours space observing the Grammatical Directions which Character is so contrived that it may be spoken as well as written By Cave Beck M. A. The same Book is also Printed in French for the use of that Nation The Reign of Gustavus King of Sweden son of Ericus collected out of the Histories of those times and offered to the service of these A Sermon preached at the Funeral of Mr. Samuel Collins Minister of Braintree in Essex By Matthew Newcomen Minister of Dedham in the same County The Saints Delight in the Spring of Salvation Or Christ saving Delivered in a Sermon at Gregories by Pauls the day of their solemn Weekly Lecture there by Alex. Pringle late Pastor of Georges Southwark