by the Father's benediction The before-mentioned Lactantius tells us The Sabbath took its rise not from the History of Manna but from Gods resting on the Sabbath-day after the finishing of the six days works Theodoret most elegantly observes That least the seventh day should want its honour nothing Tertul. contr Marcion lib. 4. cap. 12. Septimo die deus nihil facit sed hunc diem benedictione honoravit being created thereon God set it apart to be a Sabbath a day of holy Rest And indeed Gods chief work on the Sabbath is forming the new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. not creating the Man but the Saint not springing man out of the dust of the Earth but raising him out of the Theodor. quaest 43. in Exod. dregs of sin That he may be his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2. 10. Eph. 4. 24. On the holy Sabbath the works of God are works of grace not of nature and he doth not multiply but beautifie the Creation God doth not create on it new species and kinds of Creatures but new hearts and new spirits The Schoolmen who lived in the Iron Age of the Church Estius in lib. 3. Sentent Dist 37. Sylvestranus Richardus de mediâ villâ Alex. Alens part 3. quaest 39. fol. 128 Benedixit sanctificavit deus diem septimum i. e sanctum celebrem esse voluit Sanctificavit i e. consecravit Caeteros dies operum exercitio deputans il lum suo cultui emancipavit Hugo Card. Sabbatum est dies requiei i. e. vacationis ad deum Alex. Alens and rose at Midnight yet by their dark-Lanthorn they could see this truth they generally refer the Institution of the Sabbath to the beginning of the World and fairly conclude That Gods blessing and sanctifying the Seventh day was its consecration to be a day of holy Rest and a future Sabbath Alexander Hales saith positively That the Sabbath was observed of the Fathers before the Law Hugo Cardinalis truly asserts That the other six days God deputes to the affairs of the world but the seventh day he hath ordained for his own worship and this was originated from Gods sanctifying the seventh day in the primitive Institution The Schoolmen generally say God sanctified the seventh day Gen. 2. 3. and this is no more then his separating of it to holy purposes for his own more solemn and immediate worship Gerson the famous Chancellor of Paris speaks even the same words with Hugo Cardinalis and as the Schoolmen of the middle times of the Church heartily assented to this truth so those of latter times agree in the same opinion Suarez saith It is most probable that the Sabbath was from the beginning and so propagated by tradition to posterity For we must know that the Church in the first times of the world was immured in Famiâ—ies and most easie it was for one Family to hand down to another those Solemnities which God enjoyned them and more especially the blessed Sabbath wherein those pious Ancestors were to enjoy more solemn and sweet communion with their glorious Jehovah To frequent Gods worship is most adaequate to natural reason saith the above-mentioned Suarez Surely this great truth of the Sabbaths origination must gain much credit from the School-mens attestation when they were Similiter est naturali rationi consentaneum ut dei cultus frequentèr exerceatur ideò temporis determinatio est ex morali ratione Suarez too prone to dispute every thing and to make the most evidential truths problematical The Schools were ever for pro and con to question every the most sacred truth which passed by they would bandy those Scriptural assertions which carryed most light with them and subject those things which were most taken for granted to their discussion and ventilation But to close this particular with a good rule of the Schools viz. To dedicate some time to the service of God this is natural to dedicate the seventh part Filiut Mor. Quaest Tom. 2 in tertium Praeceptum Bannes secunda secundae Quaest 44. Art 1. of the week to the service of God this is moral but to sanctfie this weekly Sabbath as we should this is supernatural the spirit of God teacheth us to sanctifie the Sabbath this is only from grace In the midst of all their Sceptiscims this is a most worthy speech And as for our modern Divines who stood upon Giants shoulders and therefore had a fairer Prospect of divine Covarruv Resol l. 4. c. 19. truth They generally assert the Sabbaths original from the beginning of the world Luther who led the Van of the great Ministers of Reformation plainly asserts That if Ambros Cathar enar in Gen 2. toto dejust jure l. 2. Quaest 3. Cultus est à naturâ modus a lege virtus est a gratiâ Scholast Adam had never fell yet he should have kept holy the seventh day as a Sabbath to the Lord and should have transmitted the knowledge of this day which was to be spent in divine worship Other dayes Adam was to till the ground to look to the Beasts of the field but this day to converse with God and this day saith Luther Adam kept solemnly after the fall and a testimony of this are the sacrifices of Cain and Abel therefore the Sabbath was designed to the worship of God from the beginning of the world What more full more clear Si Adam in innocentiâ stetisset tamen habuisset sacrum diem septimum eo die decrevisset posteros de voluntate cultu dei laudasset deum et gratias egisseâ— obâ—uâ—â—sset aliis diebus coluisset agrum pecora curasset Immò post lapsum habuit diem illum septimum sacrum Luther in Genes more plain Zuinglius agreeing with Luther saith roundly That the Sabbath was ordained from the beginning of the world and took its first rise from the close of the Creation This blessed man who lost his life in defence of the Protestant cause sealed this with other truths with his precious bloud Calvin saith expresly That God rested on the seventh day and then blessed it that this day might be through all ages dedicated to rest not to idleness but to holy rest that our minds might be freer for boly contemplation on God the great Creator of heaven and earth For God saith he is no way pleased with empty leisure that man should do nothing but with a necessary vacation for converse with himself And Reverend Beza who was so rare in sacred Criticks gives us in his judgment acquiescing in this truth and plainly tells us That the seventh day stood from the Creation of the world unto the Resurrection of Christ when the seventh day Sabbath was turned into the first day Sabbath by the holy Apostles Zuingl com in Exod. 20. So that now we cannot say of the Sabbath as is said of the River Nilus that its fountain head cannot be known when
and it had ears and chaps like the forementioned beast This monstrous sin is most justly punished with a monstrous birth to make good that of holy Job John 4. 8. Job 4. 8. Even as I have seen they who plough iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same God sometimes punisheth the prophaning of his day in the posterity of the offendor as may be seen in the ensuing stories On the Sabbath in the afternoon at Twickenham in Middlesex the people being much given to May-games they May the 14. 1626. assembled to take down the May-pole and as they were taking it down one of the Church-Wardens wives was with her young child in her arms within her own gate looking upon them But whilst she was looking on one of the greatest ropes failed and broke and the pole fell down upon the pale that parted the gate and the street and the upper end of the pole with the fall lapped over and struck the child on the head in it mothers arms and killed it Thus little children who knew not the sin yet must die for it Let this story be annexed A vain and wanton maid hired on the Lords day a fellow to go to the next town to fetch thence a minstrel that she and others might dance and be merry but she committing lewdness that night with one of her companions proved with child And at the time of its birth she murthers it and so was hanged for the murther confessing and mournfully acknowledging at the time of her death That the occasion of her great misery was her prophanation of the Lords day Thus this crimson sin oâ— Sabbath-breaking can cut off root and branch and pursue with ruine and shame the actors of it and all those who are entangled in it God overtakes those who prophane his blessed day oftentimes with sudden death and shoots no warning-piâ—ces to summon them to prepare for their departure out of this world to his own dâ—eadful and tremendous Tribunal as may be seen in these following stories A Tailor of Buntingford being a nimble and active man dwelling at the upper end of the town in a bravado would go to the other end to buy some meat before morning prayer but coming home with both his hands full in the midst of the street he fell down stark dead Dr. Teate was an eye-witness of his fall and burial Oh what swift destruction pursues this cursed sin A townsman of Watford going to gather Cherries on the Lords day fell from the tree and in the fall was battered and bruised insomuch that he never spake more but lay groaning in his bloud till the next day and then he dyed A company of prophane young men near Salisbury upon the Lords day in the morning went to Claringdon Park to cut down a May-pole and having loaden a Cart with the tree and themselves with the bitter fruits of sin they are severely punished by the hand of God for entring into the Mr. Clarks examples City of Salisbury through a place called Milners Barnes unawars the Cart turns and struck one of the Sabbath-breakers such a mortal blow that his brains flew out and there dyed on the place This story was attested by divers godly persons living in the City of Salisbury to a Reverend Minister who made enquiry about it One at Ham nigh Kingelone going on the Lords day to visit his grounds where finding some cattel grazing which were not his own and running to drive them out he fell down and dyed suddenly upon the place Thus Gods angry eye is seconded by his revenging hand he sees and strikes together and they who will not keep a day shall not live an hour God punisheth the prophanation of his Sabbath with painful and tormenting death as may be exemplified in these stories At Tidworth on the Lords day many were met in the Church-yard to play at foot-ball where one of this wicked company had his leg broken which by a secret judgement of the Lord so festered that it turned into a gangrene in despight of all means used and so in pain and terror he gave up the Ghost and dyed For the sin of Sabbath-breaking God embitters his very executions and the offendor must not only die but he must die upon the rack One gathering fruit on the Lords day fell from the tree and was so hurt That he lay in anguish and dreadful dolour all the week till Sabbath day and then he ended his miserable life Thus God puts Gall and Wormwood into the Cup of those who prophane his blessed day God sometimes stops those who prophane his Sabbath in their carier and proceeds of sin as is seen in this following story One Mr. Ameredith a Gentleman of Devonshire being recovered from a pain he had in his feet one of his friends said he was glad to see him so nimble the Gentleman replies he hoped he should not be frustrated of his expectation in dancing about the May-pole the next Sunday But behold the justice of God in his just punishments of such vain and sinful resolutions for the Lord presently smote him with such feebleness and faintness of heart ere he stirred from the place where he was and likewise with such a great and unusal dizziness in the head that he was forced to be led home and from thence to his last home before the Lords day shone upon him Thus the very intentions of acting this sin were dreadfully and strangely punished God punished this sin in the Embryo of it while it lay onely in the Womb of a resolution God punishes the most inconsiderable breaches of his holy day as may be observed in the ensuing story Two Brethren on the Lords day in the Forenoon came to an Uncle they had to dine with him they living in a Market-Town not far off after Dinner they took horse again but had not gone far but one of the horses fell down dead and these Brethren going back again to their Uncles house put the other horse into the Stable and within an hour or two that horse likewise died in the place Thus the insensible beast shall bear the burden of mans sin and Sabbath-prophanation Rom 8 22. shall be branded upon the bruit creatures We have known saith Ludovicus Pius the German Emperour Didicimus quesdam in hoc die opera ruralia exercentes fuâ—mine interemptos quosdam artuum contractione multatos quosdam visibili igne obsumptos subâ—to in cinerem resolutos oâ—cubuisse Proinde necesse est c. Lud. P. in one of his Declarations Some busied in works of husbandry on the Lords-day to have been slain with lightning some punished with contraction of Limbs some consumed with visible fire and on a sudden turned into ashes and so to have perished in a judicial way wherefore it is a necessary duty that in the first place Priests then Kings Princes and all faithful persons do most devoutly exhibit due observation and reverence unto this day We may
Sabbathum propriè quietem et vacationem ab opere servili significat quod deus in ipsâ mundi origine quieti sarctae consecravit Gualt Sabbathum Domini Sabbathum dicitur in scripturis Exod. 16. 20 Lev. 19. 26. Eò quod deo consecratum est et iis studiis quae ad dei honorem spectant Id. 1 Kings 6. 7. Exod. 13. 2. would keep us and chain us up from such seraphical and heavenly duties And the Council of Arles which was celebrated under Charles the Great speaks to the same purpose concluding Let those things onely be done on the Sabbath which appertain to the Service of God Nay secular works and the works of our Calling upon the Sabbath they illegitimate and contradict the very name of a Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies quietness and rest a cessation from labour it is nothing more then a denyal of toyle so that when we labour on the Sabbath we do but rough this calme and quiet day which is given us to hear Gods still voice when the spirit that wind blows gently yet powerfully in the dispensation of the word God will have his own Name known that he is a God of mercy and purity and he will have the name of his Sabbath known to be a day of quiet and cessation and therefore it is called a Sabbath of Rest Exod. 35. 2. That if we at the first view did not understand the meaning of the word Sabbath Moses Comments on it and gives us an explanation it is a Sabbath of Rest a meer Hebraisme when Sabbath and Rest are the same thing and in the Original the word is onely repeated for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as in the building of the Temple of the Lord so in the keeping of the Sabbath of the Lord there must be no hammer heard no axe no noise of working instruments or secular employments 4. Labouring in our callings on a Sabbath doth not only deny the name of the Sabbath but subverts the manner of its observation which is by sanctifying it The Sabbath must be kept holy so in the forementioned place Exod. 35. 2. so in the fourth Commandment Exod. 20. 8. Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cadash sanctifie a word used in both these Texts and many Exod. 40. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Restaurari ad sanctum usum Buxtorf Sanctificare idem est quod ad usus sanctos applicare ceu adhibere Wal. diss de quarto Praecepto De modo sanctificationis duo dicuntur primum opera propria cujusque sex diebus clauduntur deinde opera Divina hoc die omnibus praescribuntur Idem other places it signifies the separation of any thing to a holy use So the first born among the Israelites were sanctified to God the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cadash there they were consecrated and set apart to God So the vessels in the Sanctuary were sanctified Viz. they were set apart for the worship and service of God So the Temple was sanctified 1 Kings 9. 3. in the same sence So that whatsoever is hallowed and sanctified is set apart for holy use by the Will and Commandment of God And that great School-man Thomas Aquinas speaks to the same purpose Illa dicuntur lege sanctificari quae divino cultui applicantur Those things are sanctified in the Law which were dedicated to Gods Worship So then working on the Sabbath overthrows this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cadash this sanctifying it it diverts that day to our own use which is sanctified separated onely to a divine use Secular works oppose the very purpose of the word sanctifying they rob God of his time dedicated to holy use and give it to the Labourer to him who works which is both impudence and sacriledge Labouring casts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cadash sanctifie out of the fourth Commandment and alters the will of the great Legislator it layes waste and makes common the holy day which God hath limited and inclosed to an holy use And it is remarkable that the observation of the Sabbath is never urged by Moses or the Prophets but rest and Exod. 35. 2. Exod. 31 14. Deut. 5. 14. Jer. 17. 27. Quiâ—quid aliquam speciem haberet operum servilium prohibebatur in Sabbato Rivet cessation is commanded too Exod. 35. 2. It is called a Sabbath of rest Exod. 31. 14. Thou shalt do no manner of work The same strictly enjoyned Deut. 5. 14. and so Jer. 17. 27. So that God hath put rest and cessation from secular employments into the very nature and essence of the Sabbath he hath engraven rest upon the Sabbath in an indelible Character that you cannot abstract it from the Sabbath without an abolition of the Law it self If you will keep a Sabbath keep it free from worldly labours or never set upon the observation of it Rest is as necessary for us as for former times for the holy sanctification of the Sabbath our bodies are subject to Mat. 26. 41. Exod. 23. 12. Recreabitur alieâ—â—gena muliò magis incola Ne â—ontinuâ—s laborâ—bâ—â— sâ—â—iâ—gentâ—r homines sea fessa memb a lâ—ventur die Sâ—bbâ—thi Leid Prof. Exod. 31. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respiravit deus Corpus nostrum mortale est in quo brevi tempore tanquam in tabernaculo moramur Alap in Corinth tiredness our spirits to faintness our flesh to weariness as well as those who lived in former ages and therefore are not we as much necessitated to a quietation and rest from labours Christ may say to us as well as to the Apostles The flesh is weak though the spirit may be willing we are clogged with as many weaknesses and disinabled by as many infirmities as former times and therefore Thou shalt do no manner of work That blessed indulgence and dispensation granted in the fourth Commandment cannot but be as pleasing and gratefull to us as others in the elder dayes of the world Shall the Jewes observe an exact rest on the Sabbath and not we Christians Are our Tabernacles of clay better fixed then theirs Our tired bodies require a cessation from labours to attend on the Divine Services of the Sabbath The main ground of Gods first institution of the Sabbath was rest from his works Viz. the works of Creation and the main cause of the re-institution of the Sabbath if I may so speak in the change of the day from the Seventh to the First was Christ's resting from his work Viz. the great work of Redemption The very reason of the Law and Statute concerning the Sabbath condemns secular labours and business this day A Quietus est first started the Law it self and a Quietus est must keep the Law now setled and Gen. 2. 3. Humano more eâ— quad mattemperatione ad nestram institutionem loquitur scriptura Divina c Quievit deuâ— substitit cessavit a procreandis producendisque rebus ex nihilo ut essent Chrysost established Rest from our labours is
inquam animus ad eandem quoque sanctificationem ritè preparetur Wal. of Canaan so were they filled with Corn when they came to Joseph in Aeygpt And according as we prepare our hearts at home in the week time so our comfortable fillings shall be when we come before the Lord on his own day He that expects from his field a large crop and a plenteous harvest must before hand take pains in plowing and well preparing the ground we do not before hand take preparatory pains and that is the reason we reap so little in Sabbath-time man naturally is slow of heart Luke 24. 25. Duty and Industry must help Nature that so our sluggish hearts may be fitted for the receiving of those blessings which usually attend the Sabbath day Emptied vessels take in the liquor Pruned Vines become fruitfull and feracious And dressed Gardens cast the sweetest smells And so the heart mollified with penitential tears pruned by resolute mortification and turned up by frequent search will be accommodate for the magnificent plantations of Sabbath graces Of Zeal and Fervency Can we observe the several Holy-dayes to have their Eves wherein some Service and Liturgy must be used for preparation The Chappels and Cathedrals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hippo. must be frequented and prayers must be made because some Saints day is approaching and the neglect of this duty is adjudged an indignity by many great ones in the Church Shall a day dedicated to a Saint to an Apostle to a Martyr be ushered in with preparatory services and must the holy Sabbath the day dedicated to the Lord Jesus God blessed Rom. 9. 5. Christus est deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 super omnes aut super omnia eodem sensu Par. for ever have no Eve no preparatory duties no services to proclaim its coming But the preceding day must be spent in a more eager pursuit of the World then we frequent the Markets mind our shops reckon with our workmen pierce further into the night for our worldly business and we catch greedily after the flying week now drawing towards an end what is this but to give more honour to the Saints day then the Sabbath day to an ordination of the Church then an institution of Christ Shall the blessed Sabbath have no evidence no sign of its coming no preparatory Prayers no precursory pains Must the holy days Eve have the Cathedral for service and not the Sabbath Eve have the Closet for preparation Where is our zeal for Gods honour and Gods day It is very strange that the Saints Festivals should be introduced with greater solemnity then Christs holy day Surely this doth not become the Christian who is or should be sick of love with his beloved Cant. 2. 5. Of Holy Ingenuity Shall we be out-vied by the Jewes the vagabond Jewes in our preparations for the Sabbath Shall they be so exact and we so negligent Let not a blasphemous Jew rise up in judgement against us And here I shall open the care of the Jewes in preparing for the Sabbath Scalig. de Emend temp Lib. 6 p. 261. The Jewes formerly gave and for the present do give very solemn and great honour to their Sabbath The week days they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cholim Prophane as the Greeks call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 working days and in respect of the different degrees of holiness of dayes the Sabbath day is not unfitly Scalig. de Emend temp Lib. 6. p. 269. compared to a Queen or to those who are termed primary Wives other feast dayes to Concubines or half-wives working dayes to Hand-maids The Jewes began the Sabbath at six of the clock the night before And this the Graecians called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Hebrews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Biath Hasabbath the enterance of the Sabbath Their preparation Joseph Anti. lib. 16. cap 10. to the Sabbath began at three of the clock in the afternoon which the Hebrews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnereb ha-Sabbath the Sabbath Eve and this the Fathers called Caenam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puram the pure Supper the phrase being borrowed In vitibus Paganorum coenâ— pura appellabatur illis apponi solita qui in casto erant quod Graeci dicunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa Causab Mark 15. 42. Luke 23. 54. from the Pagans whose Religion taught them in their sacrifices to certain of their Gods and Goddesses to prepare themselves by a strict kind of holiness observe the very Heathens prepared for their sacrifices to their Idol Gods and Goddesses This preparation for the Sabbath is by the Evangelist called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a preparation Mark 15. 42. whose words are these And now when Even was come because it was the preparation i. e. the day before the Sabbath To the same purpose the Evangelist Luke Luk. 23. 54. And that day was the preparation and the Sabbath drew on And among the Jews the whole day was a kind of preparation for on this preparation day they might not go more then three Parsoth now a Parsa contained so much ground as an ordinary man might go ten of them in a day and Judges on this day might not sit in Judgement upon life and death c. And so carefull were the Jews of observing the time of their preparation for the Sabbath that the best Buxtorf Synag Judaic Cap. 10 〈◊〉 â—almud and wealthiest of them even those who had many servants did with their own hands further the preparation so that sometimes the Masters themselves they would chop herbs sweep the house cleave wood kindle the fire and such like In old time they proclaimed the preparation with noyse of Trumpets or Horns but now the modern Jewes proclaim it by the Sexton or some under Officer of the Church whom they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shihach Tsibbur the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hospin de Fest Jud. messenger of the Congregation and this messenger advised them that they should prepare seasonably for the worthy Celebration of the Sabbath Hospinian tells us and his testimony is Authentical that when the Sexton gives notice of the approaching Sabbath that then they prepared all those meats they were to feed upon the succeeding Sabbath and put them upon a table covered with a clean cloth then they washed their heads pared their nails and prepared their Sabbath apparel The Sun setting the woman Occidente sole mulieres lumina Sabbataria accendunt mulier quaeque domi ambas suas manus versus lumen expandit et precatiunculam quandam peculiarem demurmurat Hosp Cum aliqui longiore spatio itiâ—eris ab hospitio aut aedibâ—â— suis abiit die Veneris quà m die Sabbatino conficere licet in agris vel mediâ sylvâ ubicunque ille sit manere et ibidem quiescere et Sabbatum servare neglecto omni periculo et injuriâ cibi et poâ—us debet Hosp The
Psal 4. 4 The second Duty preparatory to the Sabbath is holy Meditation We must meditate on those things which may quicken grace in our hearts First As chiefly upon the greatness holiness and infinite Majesty of the Lord before whom we are to appear Sit et nobis parasceue non tantùm qâ—ae domos sed quae animos ad sacra festa peragenda praeparet Musc Gen. 41. 14 the approaching Sabbath and to present our selves when the light of the day cometh this will certainly move and stir up spiritual devotion and affection as we see by experience in worldly things how carefull we are to trimme and fit our selves when we are to go to an earthly King or some great Nobles And in the next place let us meditate what holiness and purity especially of heart and soul is required in using the Lev. 20. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. holy Ordinanoes of God and in approaching near to him And that Holiness which becomes the blessed Sabbath and the Ordinances of it is the putting on humility mercy Humilitas primum medium ultimum in Scholâ Christi Alap meekness and all other affections and departing from all iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. It is the Image of Christ in the New Creature which is created after God in Righteousness and Holiness Eph. 4. 24. This is the embroydery we are to Eph. 4. 24. wear when we meet with the King of Saints on his own day Rev. 15. 3. We are to meditate on those Scriptures which require holy preparation as Eccles 5. 1. which shews Gods anger against such who approach his presence in an unprepared frame Eccles 5. 1. Mat. 22. 12. The wise Virgins trimmed their lamps before they entered the Bride-Chamber and we must trimme our Mat. 22. 12. selves before we enter the Presence-Chamber upon the solemn day of his appearance God disgusts mans regardlesness Mat. 25. 7. and a curious plaiting of the soul pleases our Beloved The harder our labour is to fit our selves for Gods presence the sweeter will our wages be in the influences of that presence Let us meditate on that whereof the Sabbath is a signe and a pledge viz. Our resurrection to Eternal Life and to the Eternal Rest of Glory in Heaven in the fight and fruition of God whom none can see without holiness And Tertiam requiem notat Atostolus Heb. 4. 7. quae per duas praecedentes scil per requiem Sabbati et requiem in Canaan anagogicè fuerit significata quam nobis praestat Jesus Christus Heb. 12. 14. Heb. 12. 2. this will be most powerfull to stir up spiritual affection and to quicken Grace in our hearts Our life should be a continual preparation for our Eternal Sabbath and some time should be granted for a temporary preparation for our weekly Sabbath we should be very active in this work and despise the toyle and trouble looking to the joy that is set before us whereof the weekly Sabbath is to every Saint a happy Harbinger Thirdly Our third Duty which must precede the holy observation of the Sabbath is self examination and this is two fold First External We must reflect back upon the past week and review our Erratas sin before must be found out least we come to Sabbath-work with week-day guilt On the Saturday in the Evening we must cast up our spiritual accounts and when we have found the Jonah cast him over-board Jon. 1. 15. by holy faith and serious repentance It is very unseemly to keep a Sabbath with our filthy Garments with Zach. 3. 4. unwashen hearts with untuned tongues with untamenting eyes with unrepented sins When Joseph was to come into Gen. 41. 14. the presence of Pharaoh he shaved himself and changed his rayment and came in to Pharaoh And shall not we throw off our sinfull incumberances and put off our prison clothes our noysome irregularities by diligent search and holy repentance when the day draws on and we are to come into the Effunde cortuum sicut aquâ—m coram facie Domini extolle ad eum manus tuas pro remedio peccatorum tuorum accipe igitur lamentum Hier. presence of the great God Our memories should be the surveyours to view and our consciences the secretaries to set down our hearts the mourners to lament the sins of the week that Christ would bring his spunge to blot them out before Gods holy day comes upon us It is observable those herbs rise high in the Summer time that in the Winter shrink lowest in the ground and those hearts that in the week-time are laid lowest they rise highest upon the Sabbath day There must be soul-humblings for the daily trespasses of the week else the day of Gods service comes but we cannot comfortably and confidently serve God on that day especially if any fouler spot hath deformed any day of Josh 24. 19. the week Secondly But there must be an inward examination as well as an outward a search into our thoughts our desires our delights our dispositions what they have been the foregoing week we must examine the passages of our souls how it hath fared with the inward man The Psalmist commands heart communion a serious discourse concerning the Psal 4. 4. behaviours of the heart As the Shop-keeper casts up his Ex corde vita et actio procedit accounts not onely concerning his debts abroad but his wares at home He turns every piece in the chest to see how it goes with his estate We must dive into our souls and see what growth of grace what decays of corruption what ornaments and additional beauty we have gained all the week before whether Christ hath given us new bracelets Ezek. 16. 11. Armillae significant nihil indecorum esse agendum sed manus i. e. opera debere esse decora Orig. and Jewels superadded grace or whether we are more wrinckled in the complexion of our souls and look more like to the old man Holy Master Greenham sends us to civil and wordly wisdome for the practise of this duty We see saith he worldly thriving men if not every day yet at least once in the week they search their books cast up their accounts confer their expences with their gain and make even their reckonings whereby they may see whether they have gained Eph. 4. 22. or lost whether they are beforehand or come short and shall Mr. Greenh not we much more once a week at least call our selves to a reckning by examination what hath gone from us what hath come towards us how we have gone forward or backward in godliness that if we have holy increases we may then give thanks to God and if we have come short to travel with our selves the more earnestly to recover our former loss In a word the impartial survey of our inward man will necessarily lead us to a more profitable observation of Gods holy day seeing those wants will be
any occasion of disturbance But now in the Latine Churches where this Heresie never took root nor spread it self the Jewish Sabbath was never observed but rather marked with a Note of sadness and sorrow viz. The memory of Christs death our Jesus lying in his Grave as on that day and this sprang fresh tears and did yield new and constant matter of mourning to the Christians of those times And it was no strange thing in the primitive times in a surplusage of zeal to run down one Extream by running into a nother as we see to make a stick straight we bend it on both sides Socrat. Hist lib. 6. cap. 8. Thus then at last we see that we cannot keep two Sabbaths no more then we can serve two Masters Mat. 6. 24. Sozom. lib. 7. cap. 10. Then one Sabbath must be discharged which can be no other than the old seventh-day Sabbath which was fairly laid asleep in the Grave of Jesus Christ and the Christian Sabbath rose up in its stead in the resurrection of Christ To evidence this truth more clearly and methodically we must know a thing may be discharged and abrogated two ways by expiration and so a Law is expired when the reason of giving that Law being ceased in respect of time or persons ceases of it self and so the Law is laid aside as useless and there needs no formal repeal And thus we may argue for the expiration of the old Saturday Sabbath A special Ordinance given unto the old World is then expired when that World it self is ended except it be revived and renewed in the new But this Law concerning the old seventh day was given to the old World Now for the clearing of this we must take notice that the Scripture Gen. 2. 3. Heb. 1. 1. Heb. 1. 2. Acts 2. 17. Heb. 9. 26. 1 Cor. 10. 11. speaks of two Worlds the first which begun at the Creation and ended presently after the passion of Christ the second beginning at Christs resurrection and ending at the general Judgment The Apostle speaks of Worlds 1 Heb. 2. viz. The old World and the new the one before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas de Sabbat Circumcis and under the Law and the other under the Gospel and the new World viz. The time of the Gospel is sometimes called A new Heaven and a new Earth Isa 65. 17. The second World the invincible Athanasius calls it Another Generation when the old Sabbath was to cease as well as Circumcision and the Lords-day was to begin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Monument of the looked for reparation Upon all this let us assume the first Argument The old Sabbath as also the whole manner of service was limited to the term or time of the old World and so must necessarily expire with it It is not said the Commandâ—ment expired with it for that was moral for one day in Athanas seven to be consecrated to the service and worship of God but the old seventh-day Sabbath instituted at the beginning of the old World is together with that old World expired and a new one come in its room When the reason of any Law ceases for that is the life and the Soul of a Law then the Law it self ceases But the reason of the institution of the old Sabbath ceased at the end of the old World and the beginning of the new viz. The resurrection of Christ The reason of the institution of the old Sabbath was Gods honouring that day in resting from all his works and for the memory of the Creation which was implied and to be supposed till a greater work Sic Romae Aerat et Epoche fuit ab urbe conditâ tali aut tali anno should be finished to be the ground of the institution of another day which was the work of Reparation or Redemption To make this out a little further let it be observed that the ground and reason of the institution of days which are set and solemn is some memorable work falling out upon such days The very Heathens chose out Nativity days the days of founding Cities of memorable Victories c. Now the first Sabbath was instituted upon such a reason viz. Gods honouring that day by his rest from the great work of Creation And so Mr. White of Dorchester urges The way to the Tree of life pag. 278. Mr. White this after this manner That day which is honoured by God above other days by his most eminent work of mercy to Mankind shall be the day of his holy Rest to be consecrated to him for his worship But the day in which Jam vetus expiravit et mundus et sabbatum septimaeque diei commemoratio Christi tumulo sepelitur Resurgit Christus resurgit et sabbatum Christianum mutatur dies sed non minuitur observatio quod ut evidentius sit notandum est Deus habuit opus habuit opus et Christus Deus habuit requiem sic requiem habuit et Christus Deus quievit post creationem et Christus post redemptionem quietem ab opere creationis commemorat dies septimus quietem ab opere Redemptionis commemorat dies primus orbe christiano universaliter observandus God ended and perfected the Creation of the World is honoured and advanced above all other days therefore that day shall be a day of holy Rest Now the Proposition will serve the turn for the Lords-day and thus That day which is honoured by God above all other days by his most eminent work of mercy to Mankind shall be the day of holy Rest But the first day of the week in which Christ rested from the work of Redemption is the day honoured and advanced above all other days old Sabbath and all therefore this is the Christians day of solemn Rest The old Sabbath indeed was to continue upon the reason given viz. Gods rest after the Creation till a greater work should appear and then it must expire and resigne unto a new Possessor Indeed the latter work viz. Mans Redemption so great so necessary so glorious even puts out the memory of the former and so antiquates the reason of it and thereupon the day it self expires and obliges to no more observance The Redemption of Mankind then being the greater work as shall be more fully shewed hereafter and having a stronger reason in it hath swallowed up the memory of the stupendious work of Creation as Doctor Young calls it not that the work of Creation should be forgotten for that glorious work gave us our esse our being as the work of our Redemption gave us our bene esse our well-being but rather that it should be more adorned and perfected we still retain the memory of the Creation in keeping one day in seven to the Lord and the memory of the Redemption in keeping the first of seven Our contemplations on the wonderful work of the Creation are heightned not stifled by the
24. 18. Fourthly to Christus notat non tantùm modum sed tempus ipsum apparitionis suae Discipulo et Apostolo Thomae diem ergo octavam hebdomadae primum dominicum diem esse necesse est Peter Luk. 24. 33. Fifthly to the Eleven Mark 16. 14. excepting Thomas John 20. 24. When the Disciples were assembled Christ came in and he stood in the midst among them as the tree of life was in the midst of Paradise and unto his Disciples he spake Peace and gave Power And then the Disciples rejoyced when they saw the Lord never did their spirits so spring within them never did such a day of comfort dawn upon them And this was part of those triumphal hallelujahs which celebrated Christs glorious Resurrection And it is observable he appeared not to all sorts of persons but to some chosen witnesses who were either eminently devoted to his service or designed to teach and inform others Nor did Christ make his appearance every day but principally and most usually upon that day which was more immediately designed for his solemn worship and service being consecrated by his stupendous and blessed resurrection So that Christ more especially vouchsafed his visits to holy men for holy purposes and to determine and define which should be his holy day our weekly Sabbath However it may be supposed that our Saviour did appear on other dayes as once he did upon a week day yet no other day hath the honour to be denominated the day of his appearing but the first day of the week only John 20. 19. And therefore it is most observable it is never said Christ appeared on the second or on the third day much less on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 20. 19. last day of the week the day of the old Sabbath but the first day is expresly and emphatically noted by name in the forecited Text John 20. 19. Nor must we over-pass one remarkable more viz. That Christ often appeared on his own resurrection day and saith the text John 20. 26. After eight dayes again his Disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus the doors being shut and stood in the midst of them and said Peace be unto you And this was the next first day of the week and here Christ puts an Higgaion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. Selah upon it and it is necessary this should be the Lords day say some of the Ancients And Nazianzen upon this maketh an Oration on purpose and stiles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The new Lords day because it was the first Lords day Cur verò illo ipso die Resurrectionis Christus voluit discipulis apparere tribuendum est hoc fervori charitatis ut Christus discipulos ab infidelitate liberaret praedictionis suae certitudinem et resurrectionis suae veritatem assereret Ger. solemnized in the weekly revolution after the Resurrection day And now may not this plea in consociation with other arguments sufficiently evince any Christian of the divine right of the Lords day We see Christ Jesus our Lord was often seen upon it between his Resurrection and Ascention day seen in the Assembly of his Saints seen in his royal robes seen in his state of immortality and not only seen but heard preaching peace to poor sinners opening Scriptures clearing quickning warming cold and dead hearts filling disconsolate spirits with unusual joy John 20. 20. When the eleven Disciples see him then their hearts rejoyce Joh. 20. 20. when the two Disciples hear and see him then their hearts burn Luke 24. 33. And all this on the first day of the week Nay Junius is very confident that the Lord John 20. 20. Luke 24. 33. appeared the first day of every week between his resurrection and his ascention Dr. Lightfoot and Mr. Fenner tell us that Christs appearing on a Mountane in Galilee mentioned Mat. 28. 16 17 18 c. was likewise on the first day of the week The apparitions of Christ on the first day of the week our Christian Sabbath are still more considerable if we take notice what Christ did in those appearances we may observe his gracious speeches his remarkable actions and transactions tending chiefly to prove his resurrection the ground of our hope and the hinge of our Sabbath upon which it turns and to this purpose we may observe how sweetly our gracious Redeemer condescended to his poor doubting and perplexed Disciples manifesting himself to all their senses 1. To their hearing by his heavenly voice 2. To their seeing by his visible presence 3. To their feeling by offering his sacred body to be touched and handled by them he was unwilling to leave the tincture of any doubt upon them and therefore he gratified not only their graces but their senses Nay 4. He manifested himself to their tasting in feeding and making a meal with them John 21. 12 13. Nor 5. Was their smelling forgotten in conversing with him who was the Rose of Sharon Cant. 2. 1. Nor did Christ only Luke 24. 46. gratifie the senses but the graces of his Disciples 1. By giving them heavenly instructions and so increasing John 20. 19. their knowledge Christ opens the Scriptures and preaches peace to his Disciples and having slain enmity on the cross he now comes and preacheth peace on this first day and brings an Olive branch to the world and to his Disciples in the first place 2. Christ by convincing demonstrations of his own resurrection abundantly confirms the faith of the Disciples that now the Sun appearing all the shades of doubt and unbelief might fly away Thomas his hand of faith could tremble no more after he had put his hand of flesh into the side of his Redeemer 3. Nor did Christ forget to fill up the joy of his Disciples when unexpected he mingles with them in their assembly John 20. 19. and more then a couâ—ting Angel salutes the trembling fraternity And these among others were the great transactions which Christ honoured this day with instructing inspiring blessing and inaugurating his holy Apostles and performing all these unwonted and solemn actions on this blessed day speaks fully Christs election of it for solemn and religious worship for sacred assemblies and Sabbath exercises for his Church in all ages to the end of the world The Lords day is yet more illustrious by the extraordinary dâ—scent of the Holy Ghost upon this day Acts 2. 1 2 3. Christ Mat. 3. 16. Spiritus sanctus dat homini triplex bonum 1. Pignus est salutis testimonium scil quod filii dei sumus 2. Robur est vitae ut in laboribus vigiliis et in omnibus observantiis delectabiliter incedamus now ascending up to his Father sends down his own blessed spirit in an extraordinary and amazing manner the spirit comes not now in the shape of a Dâ—ve but in clâ—ven tongues as opposite to Satans cloven foot so likewise to inspire
a set-time for that purpose that the hurries being over man may sedately and composedly apply himself to the solemn worship of God And this is agreeing Certum ac definitum tempus statutum est quò ea commode obâ—re possimus Azor. and consonant to natural reason Doctor Field professeth That by the light of Nature it is known that one day in seven ought to be consecrated to Divine service How will this put Sabbath-prophanation into a scarlet nay into a crimson dye that we should sink below the light of Nature in the commission of it It is likewise very observable that God himself couples and joyns the command for the Sabbath with natural commands not only in the Decalogue but in the 26th Chapter of Leviticus Ye shall make you no Idols nor graven Images The first Ye shall keep my Sabbaths The second shewing us thus much that Nature is as much abased in the prophaning of the Sabbath as in the violation of any natural command And we may as well break the fifth or the sixth as the fourth Commandement the force of Nature being engraven upon them all Nay the observation of the Sabbath is so grateful to God and so necessary to man that the very ground had a Sabbath Levit. 25. 2 3 4. the very Land was to keep a Sabbath the words of the Text are these When you come into the Exod. 23. 11. Land which I give you then shall the Land keep a Sabbath to the Lord Levit. 25. 2. And shall the dead earth keep a Sabbath to the Lord and not living Christians In this one below Balaams Ass reproves us God in condemning Num 22. 28. Sabbath-breakers may make his appeal as sometimes he did Jer. 6. 19. Jer. 22. 29. To the very earth This surely must be a great sin when the ground we trample upon shall be a witness against us Vt brutis ac hominibus concederetur quies corporalis Brutis quidem propter homines hominibus autem propter cuhum divinum Ger. Nay the very Beasts had a Sabbath Exod. 20. 10. The Cattle was to rest on the Sabbath-day Now shall a Beast rest and man work on the blessed Sabbath Shall there be more obedience found in the Herds of the Stall than in the Professors of the Gospel Shall the Stable have more submissive Proselytes than the Sanctuary It is a good observation of Gerard That Rest was granted to man and beast upon the Sabbath to Beasts for Mans sake and to Man for worship sake that he may apply himself on that day to the service of the Legislator There are three considerable Reasons why God commanded the Beasts to rest upon the Sabbath-day Because the Beast required rest as well as man they could not live in continual painfulness they must have their altenate ease and refreshments as a learned man speaks Their flesh is not brass nor their bones iron no more than that of Job 6. 12. man tiresomness and languishing are incident to them as well as to man Because Beasts could not work without the assistance and will of man and so man must be taken off from Sabbath-sanctification Beasts cannot work of themselves without the conduct and guidance of man Now the working of a Beast is not so considerable as the keeping of a Sabbath which cannot be done if men follow their Plows or use their Beasts for labour on that day then that excuse would be reviled man could not come to Christ upon the Lords day he must use five yoke of Oxen and therefore pray have him excused Because God would inure man to pity and clemency that favouring his Beast he might learn mercy to man the Beast Dum jumentis quies conceditur à Deo nonne est ut homines misericordiae assuefierent Riv. must not work that God might put more bowels into man and that man might have more leisure for God Now the Psalmist saith Psal 32. 9. That we should not be like Horse or Mule which have no understanding But to disturb the Rest of a Sabbath by sinful or secular works is to be worse than the beast that perisheth Nay the very strangers among the Jews were to observe Advenae jubentur septimo die ab operibus seriari Ex eo patet quòd peregrini non suerunt coacti ad religionem Isâ—â—â—liticum suscipiendum tamâ—n ab ipsis requisitum fuit ut in externis divinae legi sese subjicerent quod suo modo etiam Christiano magistratui ad imitationem est propositum Ger. the Sabbath Exod. 20. 10. Doctor Twiss observes there was no burden imposed upon strangers besides the observation of the seven Precepts of Noah and therefore infers that the observation of the Sabbath was comprehended under one of them But this is naturally deducible none was to omit the observation of the Sabbath no not the heathen stranger And shall onely the Christian blot the Sabbath by his sins waste it by his sloth or disturb it by his secular works Onely the Christian to whom are committed the Oracles of God Gerard takes occasion from this part of the fourth Commandement to lay it as a charge upon Christian Magistrates to see that all observe the Sabbath and he saith That this clause in the Command is proposed for their imitation But how great will the condemnation of Sabbath-breakers be when the Instinct of Nature the Rest of the ground the Beasts of the field nay the very stranger shall all read them Lectures of Sabbath-sanctification Arg. 5 Let us cast our eye upon the practice of Heathens they thought it equitable that their consecrated days should be wholly and devoutly observed Macrobius brings in one Vetius thus resolving We truly that we may both honour Macrob. Saturnal lib. 1. cap. 7. the holy days and eschew also the slothful drousiness of Resting and may turn our leisure into employment we come together to spend the whole day in learning Fables to be conferred upon Now their learning Fables was the best they knew of devotion and the same Author asserts and says That the sacred things of the Romans are either Diurnal or Nocturnal those which are Diurnal are continued Macrob. Saturnal lib. 1. cap. 16. all along from the beginning of the Day until the middle of the Night And the Priests of the Heathens affirmed That their holy days were polluted if any work was done upon those solemn seasons besides it was not lawful for the King of the Sacrifices and the Flamins their Priests to see a work done on their holy days and therefore by a Crier it was proclaimed that no such thing should be done and he who neglected the Precept Vniversae gentes stativas serias universo populo communes rebus sacris obeundis consecratas habuerunt Leid Prof. was fined And Scaevola the Priest affirmed That the wilful Offendor shall have no expiation And Macrobius describes what works were lawful on their holy days viz. works of Piety and
nullis volumus voluptatibus occupari Leo Anthemius Imper à Baldwino allegati in judgment or wariness in practice in reference to the Lords day But our Apostacy began to be too notorious when sports were allowed on that day which are the births of fancy and the Nurses of corruption Nay even at this day notwithstanding all pretences to reformation how wofully is Gods Sabbath neglected and ecclipsed by all manner of abomination so that we may say with Bishop Babington The people of Israel might not gather Manna upon the Sabbath-day and may we go to Fairs and Markets to Wakes and wantonness to Dancings and Drinkings upon the Lords day Are these works for the Sabbath Is O melior fides nationum in suam sect am quae nullam christianorum solennitatem sibi vendicat non etiam diem dominicum etiamsi cognossent nobis communicarent ne Christiani viderentur nos ne Ethnici pronunciaremur non veremur Tertul. de Idol cap. 14. this to keep the holy day Can this be answered to God No surely we shall never be able to endure his wrath for these things one day Thus this learned and reverend Person I may a little invert Tertullian O the faith of the Nations better then ours towards their own Sect as who challenge not to themselves any Christian solemnity no not that of the Lords day had they known it they would not communicate with us least they should seem Christians and we Christians fear not to be accounted Heathens All the Invectives of former times may justly be levelled against England upon this account What is the Sabbath among us but our leisure day for sin and vanity The covetous person is imployed in his works and he follows his secular affairs only more covertly the Formalist is buried in his sloth the Youth of the Nation are frisking and pleasing themselves with sports and dalliances with carnal delights and sensual pleasures as if they offered Acts 14. 13. at the Shrine of Venus or calculated their Sacrifices for a Acts 19. 28. wanton Jupiter the carnal Gospellers are refreshing themselves in their Recreations and their walks and how few on the Mount of God in sacred and heavenly duties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jovialiter vivere Surely Plutarch had an eye to England when he derived Sabbath a Sabbos which signifies to live riotously Indeed the Sabbath of our Nation seems to have some such derivation Gods Sabbath cannot travel up and down England but it falls among Thieves who rob and wound it some wound it by prophane and loose actions others by sinful omissions and the most by sloth and recreations And thus Luke 10. 30. this blessed day lies bleeding and where are any good Samaritans Abominanda christiano nomine indigna diei dominicâ— vâ—olatio quae sâ—nctâ—ssimum Dei Omnipotenâ—is cultum imâ—iorum exponit ludibrio hinc omnis miseriae quae obscuratum ecclesiae deâ—us evertit â—inc calamitatis effluxit inundatio to pour Oyl in to its wounds And have we not found it by experience that scarlet sins and crimson transgressions overflow the Nation because the Sabbath lies under disuse and is covered with scorn and contempt The holy observation of the Sabbath is that which brings on all duties of godliness and the Sabbath being slighted and neglected the Cataracts of prophaneness break in upon us and we are lead to all methods of wickedness And this is Englands skar Gods presence was never less discerned and what is the reason Gods day was never more contemned Our Palladium is gone and what can be expected but an entry of ruine and desolation And this as Ezekiel speaks Ezek. 19. 14. Is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation A learned man observes That the prophaning of Gods day is sin unbecoming the name of a Christian and is the spring of all those calamities which over-flow a Nation And yet this is Lam. 1. 7. Quis talia fande temperet à laâ—hâ—ymis Virg. Englands Ichabod and in this it hath betrayed its trust when the treasure of Gods Sabbath was committed to it And this is Englands Apostacy from all the pious Proclamations Psal 74. 9. of those noble Princes who have sate in its Throne How did many of the Royal Princes who have swayed the Scepter of this Nation lay out their Authority for the suppressing King Ina a Weâ—t Saxon K. Alured K. Canutus K Edw. the sixth Q. Elizabeth King James King Charles the first of prophaneness and promoting of godliness upon Gods holy day which was their glory and the splendor of our Nation But the prophaneness of the present age upon this sacred day hath pluckt this Pearl out of their Crowns and hath put an ecclipse upon that glory of our Kingdom wherein we much out-vied the tendreyes of other Nations England formerly in this branch of holiness out-shining the most reformed Churches And this is the sin at this day which is the troubler of our Israel and seems to be a Cloud bigger than a mans hand 1 King 18. 44. which threatens a great deal of ruine not of water but of wrath not showers to drench the ground but to drown the Inhabitant We may bewail the formall worship of Englands Sabbaths this blessed day suffers in this Nation not only by open Enemies Ceremonia crebrò repetitae but by cold Suitors This is the Errour of England on her Sabbaths we more mind the bending of the knee than Deo nauseam pariunt quia peccatores impuro corde plenâ—que offensis illas offerunt Alap in Isaiam the bowing of the heart our Decency hides our Beauty our Ceremony drowneth our Substance and our Gesture swallows up our Godliness In some places of this Nation the Organ is the most pleasing Oracle and the cringing to an Altar is the onely Embleme of humility and the pleasing of the Ear stifles the devotion of the Soul And is this to keep a Sabbath What do we more than the Jews against whom God poured out his complaints To tread Gods Courts Isa 1. 12. To cry up the Temple of the Lord Jer. 7. 4. And to celebrate a Sabbath with a bare appearance before God or the nimble activity of a geniculation Is not this to offer the Case instead of the Jewel to give the bark of a service and the paring onely of a solemnity Ignatius could tell us in the very Vnusquisque nostrum Sabbatizet spiritualiter meditatione legis gaudens non in corporis refocillatione Ignat. Epist 6. ad Magn. infancy of the Gospel That we are to keep Gods day spiritually in the meditation of Gods Law not in the refreshings of the outward man c. And Chrysostom speaks much of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritual works and exercises on the Lords day Is not the turn of an eye the action of the body or the suppleness of the knee not the sweetness of the voice or the
Salvian spend Salv. de Provid in exclaming against the Impieties of those times he lived in Nay the very Heathen Poets turned Satyrists when the times turned Aude aliquid bâ—evibus Gyaris et â—â—rcere dignum si vis esse aliquiâ— Probitas laudâ—tur et alget Juven scandalous Let it be no offence that the Author deplores a prophaned Sabbath and contributes his two mites to its reformation Quis talia fando temperet a lacrymis When Gods Sabbath is covered with pollution let it not seem strange if Gods Ministers are filled with lamentation and put their tears in Print The prophanation of Gods Day calls not onely for Preaching but Writing to suppress it and not onely for the Magistrates sword which may it be weilded to that holy purpose but the Ministers Pen. Nay suppose the Materials which may be met with in this ensuing Treatise be found lying on the ground in some other Volume or Tracts let not the Author be said to have beaten the Air if he have picked them up and put them together for spiritual edification The Corpus ecclesâ—â— debet esse 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ctum quia si membruâ—◠〈◊〉 sit 〈…〉 nil viâ—â—ris aut spâ—â—â—â—us â—â—ipâ—et â— corpore Hier. building of a house of stone requires not onely the Quâ—â—ry but the Mason the drawing of the Pictur stands in need not onely of the Colours but of the Pencil and the Painter It is the work of the spirit fiâ—ly to joyn together the whole Body of Christ as the Apostle notes Ephes 4. 15. And if the Author hath onely added method to matter and hath brought but some tacks and loops to this Tabernacle work and hath put the scattered links into one Chain let it not be deemed a superfluity Nor can it easily be conceived that the large Field of the Sabbath hath been so enclosed by former labours but some part yet may remain to be hedged in and if there be some gleanings left after the Harvest it is worth the Authors pains to gather them up and make Bread of them to feed invaluable souls as he said facile est it is an easie thing so it may be said utile est inventis addere it is a very profitable thing to add to what is already found out It is not a despicable work to take notice of others escapes and to fill up the vacancies where they are discerned Volumes are as Ponds not as Springs they do not overflow they are capable of a supplement If any more Ore be digged out of the Mine which formerly was not espied let the Author in this be pardoned One thing more may be added The Author presumes Books on the Sabbath are more in Scholars studies than the peoples hands he doth not take notice that this subject is trite and worn by the perusals of the Vulgar he thinks no solemn subject in Divinity is more unknown to common Capacities his little experience cannot finde the people to be much versed in Volumes of this nature nor can he observe their tract that they have travelled Exod. 20. 8. this way It may be many have met with the Sabbath as it is laid down in the fourth Commandement Deut. 4 13. one of Gods Ten words but as it Deut. 10. 4. is unfolded and applied in a practical Treatise this seldom falls in the way of the peoples travel Therefore Courteous Reader accept of the tender of this ensuing Tract which is heartily levelled at thy souls good And remember the season when it is put into thy hands vâ—z When the Sabbath of the Lord lies under much contempt derision and prophanation But as the Prophet was pulled out of a dark and deep Dungeon by cast clouts and rotten raggs that onely seem fit for the Dunghil Jer. 38. 11 12 13. So if the Father 2 Cor. 1 3. of mercies shall graciously please that this ensuing Tract shall be any means to draw Sabbaths out of those Dungeons of scorn and abuse into which they seem now to be cast let the Lord have the praise my soul shall have the comfort the Reader shall enjoy the Benefit Gods holy Day its just Vindication which that the Lord may mercifully vouchsafe and that much success may crown this weak Endeavour shall be the incessant and earnest prayer of Reader Thy real and true Servant for Soul-advantage John Wells THE Practical SABBATARIAN ISAIAH 58. Chap. 13 14. Verses If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my Holy Day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own wayes nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the Earth and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy Father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it CHAP. I. An Introduction to the Text. IN this Chapter we have God unmasking and reproving the Jewes Hyprocrisie in their worship and holy Services indeed in the former Chapter the Lord had by his Prophet fore-told that the penitent and the upright of the Jewes should return from the Captivity their Chains should be knock't off and their Captivity should be turned as Rivers in the South as the Psalmist speaks but as for the wicked no peace should be Psal 126. 4. to them the 21 Verse of the former Chapter tempest and tumult shall be their Companions and they shall be tossed continually from one calamity to another Now the wicked and hypocriticâ—â— Jews supposing that the observation of Dayes their frequenting of Ordinances their waiting on Solemnities would reconcile them to God again and make up the breach their sins had caused they set upon this design and multiply their duties as fast as they did their sins none so often on their knees as themselves they ply God with Ceremonials to make amends for their neglect of Morals and because they were irreligious in their practices they will be over-religious in their Observations But God in this Chapter where the Text lyâ—â— unravels their folly and discovers their vanity Alas it is not the outward Worship or the external attendance on an Ordinance can either pacifie the anger or procure the favour of God no more then a painted Cloud can dissolve into rain or the sign of the Sun cast forth refreshing beams Duties which are the products of hypocrisie onely the shining of that paint they may provoke but not put out wrath may inflame but not quench that fire So that in this Chapter we find God uttering his complaints against these painted hypocrites these earlier Pharisees who vainly dreamed to take off the edge of Gods fury by an over-plus of Service when by these smooth pretences they onely brought Oyl to make the fire of his Wrath to burn with a greater flame But yet this Chapter shall not be shut up without the allay of two
finds no Nausea or weariness but its motions are quicker and sweeter the nearer they come to the center As holy David who was much in Communion with God all his enjoyment of him did but set him more on longing nor did the Hart ever run so greedily to the waters as his soul panted after God Psal 42. 1 2. My soul longeth saith he but longings are onely Eccles 1. 1. Psal 42. 1 2. Judges 15. 18. in some cases Well then my soul thirsteth and thirst must be satisfied or else the thirsty person dies But secondly God promises Vbertatem facultatis abundance Prom. 2. Altitudines terrae sunt luera rerum blandimentâ— populorum sublimitas dignitatum abundantia opum Greg. Moral Mat. 6. 32. Sanchez Musc Marlorat Verum Augustâ— haec dei verbâ— promissa altius et augu lius quid spectant scil altitudines Coelorum Alap Altitudines terrae i. e. altitudines coelorum quae sunt terra sedes non morientium sed viventium Alap of Revenue so the Text I will cause thee to ride on the high places of the Earth It is very observable here how a temporal promise is clasped in the armes of two spiritual promises not as if the temporal promise was the evidence of greater love but because God will cast in temporal blessings as an overplus into the reward of obedience Sanchez takes these high places of the Earth mentioned in the Text for the abundance and plenty of earthly increases and saith the promise most properly belongs to the Jewes and to this opinion agrees both Museulus Marlorat and so the Septuagint interpret it and they say this speech alludes to the Mountanous Country of the Jewes which was abundant nay even luxuriant with Vines and Fruits so that the meaning of the promise may be That whosoever observes the Sabbath holily according to the prescribed directions they shall enjoy a richer and larger portion of outward things then the common lot of the world And this I suppose may be the meaning of this rare promise although others repine at the straightness of the exposition and will have some spiritual and more sublime thing included but leaving others to abound in their own sense I understand the promise of terrestrial enjoyments and so it is consonant to another Scripture of the like nature mentioned in Deut. 32. 13. So that he who observes the Sabbath God Deut. 32. 13. will not onely provide the banquet but fill the basket for him he shall not onely enjoy spiritual comforts but temporal good things the very fruitfulness of the Earth shall be his portion Obj. But here it may be objected that these promises mentioned in the Text they are made onely to the Jewes they Fateor haec alludi ad illud quod ait Moses ad Judaeos Deut. 32. 13. Alap are Israels monopoly and therefore they are no ground for Christians to build upon no promise for a Christian to act his faith upon suppose he observes Gods holy Sabbath with never so much severity and purity To which it may thus be replyed The Gospel is not barren of temporal promises to encourage Godliness a great part of which is the holy observation of the Sabbath Godliness hath the promise of the life that now 1 Tim. 4 8. is saith the Apostle The Gospel hath two breasts of Consolation the promise of things temporal and of things spiritual nay fuller breasts then the Law hath And though the high places mentioned in the Text may relate to the Vitae quae nunc est ut scil hic vitam pacatam longaevam et rebus omnibus necessariis instructum agamus mountanes of Judaea which were fruitful and feracious yet Sabbath-holiness being as grateful in Gospel times as formerly it falls under the promise of the things of this life which will rise as high as the mountanes of Judaea The things of this life mentioned by the Apostle in the forecited place taking in whatsoever may accomplish the happiness of this life in its most comprehensive circuit It is further Replyed If the holy observation of the Sabbath be not peculiar to the Jewes as most certainly it is not Then whatever promise may be made by way of encouragement The 20th of Exodus and the 12th vers let it be compared with the 6th of the Ephesians and the 3 d vers Where what is promised in the Law is likewise promised with enlargements in the Gospel Mat. 11. 30. Rev. 1. 10. cannot be peculiar to the Jewes The Duty and the Promise alwayes go together the Service and the Satisfaction It is very strange that God should leave us Christians the Duty and give them the Jewes the Promise we onely should act the toyle and they injoy the triumph how inconsistent is this with the easiness of Christs Yoak Christians if they act high duties they shall ride upon high places It must not be denyed if making the Sabbath our delight belong not to us neither do the high places of the Earth but who can rise to so great impudence as to deny the former And therefore if we must be in the spirit on the Lords day we must not be denyed to be the inheritours of the fatness of the Lords Earth Nay once more it is answered That the promises made to the Jewes were for the most part temporal and those made to Christians for the most part spiritual yet did not Deut. 30. 19. Isa 1. 9. 1 Tim. 6. 6. Magnum lucrum pietâ—s est affert secum quicquid homini satis est Maldon the Jewes temporal promises exclude spiritual nor the Christians spiritual promises exclude temporal but our obedience keeps the Key which opens to both promises to the Jew and to the Gentile and so in this particular case A holy deportment upon Gods blessed Sabbath must be the readiest way to make both Jew and Gentile happy and prosperous the one before the other since the coming of Jesus Christ And we must leave this rich promise in the Text to be the Crown of Sabbath holiness to the Saints under and after the Law But thirdly God promises ubertatem sanctitatis abundance Prom. 3. Tertium est hoc Sabbati deique cultus praemium q. d. Dabo tibi insignia illa bâ—na quae promisi Abrahae Isaaco et Jacobo scil delicias et divitias gratiae coelestis aâ— deinde gloriae et aeternae faelicitatis in â—â—lo Alap of spiritual grace so runs the Text And feed thee with the Heritage of Jacob thy Father Interpreters generally understand this promise of things spiritual and supernatural that the holy keeping of the Sabbath shall be crowned with the blessings of the upper springs with rich gifts heavenly graces with the riches of heaven with the treasures from the mines above Alludit ad terram Judaeis promissam quae praefigurabat sedem longe altiorem Sic cibabo illos epulis coeli saith holy Hierome He alludes to the promised Land of the
holy day Indeed the Sabbath is not to be rushed upon Man must not break in upon a Sabbath as the horse rusheth into the battel as Jeremiah speaks without premeditation and previous consideration Jer. 8. 6. Ignatius calls the Sabbath the Queen of dayes and Queens have their trains going before them there must be Ignat ad Magnes a train of duties precedeing the holy Sabbath On the Saturday Quomodo Maria Virgo inter omnes mulieres principatum tenet ita inter caeteros dies haec soleâ—nis dies Hier. let us prepare for the Lords day We know tuned Instruments play the sweetest before they are tuned they jar and make a harth sound Our hearts are these Instruments which must beforehand be tuned by several duties or or they will jar and be discomposed upon the Sabbath Physick is prepared before it is taken and our hearts must be prepared before we take and enjoy the Ordinances of a Sabbath There is a preparing dress before we go to any feast and must not the soul be drest before the festival of the Sabbath that great banqueting of the inward man There is a dawning light before the rising Sun some glimering duties must be the harbingers of the approaching Sabbath Indeed matters should be so ordered every day so as to prepare for this day As our whole life should be a preparing for death so the whole week should be a preparing for the Sabbath But as this precious day doth more approach so preparatory work must more increase Holy Nehemiah shut the Gates of the Neh. 13. 19. City viz. Jerusalem when it began to be dark the In veteri testamento ut impedimenta omnia celebrationis hujus diei iâ— tempore auferrentur Fideles pridiè Sabbati divino mandato omâ—ia sua quantum poterant ad eum firem componebant Wal. evening before the Sabbath least the night time should be prophaned by bearing burdens in it and he did this least the men of Tyre should occasion the Jews to break the Sabbath day by bringing in wares upon that night This holy mans care would not suffer any to cast dirt upon the portal or entrance of the Sabbath he very well knew there must be some time spent in trimming the soul to meet its Bridegroom on his own holy day A due preparation for this blessed Sabbath lies more especially under a five-fold injunction Of necessity It is necessary we should take some time to compose our spirits for the duties of the following Sabbath Our thoughts in the week how are they loose and carelesly dishevelled some time there must be to bind them up together and put them into order The Lord in the fourth Exod. 20. 8. Commandment enjoynes us to remember the Sabbath and to Id ipsum quâ—que in hoc praecepto certo râ—spectu mâ—rale est scil uâ— diebus antecedentibus omnia nostra quantum fieri potest ita iâ—stituamus ut per eorum negligen tiam à sanctificatione hujus diei non impediamur remember the Sabbath it is before hand to mind and manage matters that concern the Sabbath-sanctification that when it comes it may be holily kept for every duty on the Lords day there must be a due preparation for Prayer for Hearing for Sacraments c. Now if we must prepare for single duties when they lye more asunder sure we must prepare for the Sabbath when such duties are linked together And this is more considerable if we take notice we are not only to be in the duty but in the spirit in the prompt powerfull and precise transaction of every service on the Lords day And besides all this doth not the Lord upon this day come in comfortable visits to the souls of his people and must not they prepare for his presence It was the opinion of some Rev. 1. 10. that Christs personal coming to Judgement will be on the Sabbath day This is most sure that Christs spiritual coming Lactant. Lib. 7. Cap. 1. August de Temp. Serm. 154. in mercy is for the most part on the day of the Sabbath and shall there then be no preparation When a great man is to come to our houses how are all our Rooms dressed up When a great God is to come to our hearts shall not we prepare Neh. 13. 22. and dress our hearts for his entertainment Of Equity The Ministers they prepare for the Sabbath-good of Gods people and shall not the people of the Lord prepare for their own Faithfull Ministers before the Sabbath do not onely prepare matter to speak but they prepare their hearts to speak the matter Bernard in a Sermon thus breaks out to his people To prepare you meat my heart all Bern. in Fest omn. Sanct. Serm. 1. this night hath been seething within me and in my meditations I have been inflamed as with fire And is it not equal and most rational that Christians should meet their Ministers in holy preparation and plow up their fallow ground to receive Jer. 4. 3. that immortal seed which Gods holy Seeds-men are ready to cast into it Calvin complains of some Christians in his 1 Pet. 1. 23. time who no otherwise regarded the Sabbath then thereon to Calv in Deut. 8. Serm. 34. attend their worldly affairs the which they reserved to themselves that day as if they had no other day to deliberate for the whole week to come Now shall men on the Sabbath prepare for the week and shall not we in the week prepare for the Sabbath Is Mammon more to be minded then God Of advantage 1. The duties of the Sabbath will the better and freer come off If we be sedulous in holy preparation we shall then with more dexterity agility and facility transact the several parts of Gods service One cause why we are often unactive in duty and drive heavily is because we did not before-hand oyle our wheels inure our selves we did not the day before labour with God by Prayer and with our own hearts by care and industry Oftentimes a Christian is straightned stiff and bound up in the services of a Sabbath and knows not how to go on in holy duties and all this arises from neglect of holy preparation The heart hath not been dealt withall to supple it for more voluntary and chearfull performances Preparatory work would wind up the clock of the soul that it would go and strike it would pray hear contemplate and act any Sabbath service with far greater pleasantness and consonancy 2. If we prepare the mercies of the Sabbath will the larger and fuller come in according to our preparations will be our Gen. 44. 1. participations According to the number and measure of sacks the sons of Jacob prepared and carried with them out Ex lege mandato dei 23 Luc. 54. in omnibus Christianis conventibus requiritur ne debito suo fructu haec pietatis publicae exercitia priventur ut
day before the Sabbath the Jews called Sabbatulum the little Sabbath on which they made ready against the great day of the Sabbath of the house sets up lights and a short prayer being made then they go into the Synagogue and in their going wish one another a joyfull Sabbath and when they return they spread the table with some provisions and alwayes set salt on the table to intimate an inward savouriness and they put on two loaves of bread and then give thanks in these words Blessed art thou O Lord our God the King of the World who brings forth bread out of the ground and then the Master of the Family breaks some to those who sit down with him and in a larger quantity then at other times for the honour of the Sabbath for then sparingness is intolerable And the same Author Hospinian observes that when any person is further from his home on the Friday then he can reach to observe the Sabbath strictly he remains where he was in the fields or in the middle of a wood and willingly incounters any hazzard and the want of meat or drink rather then he will intrench upon the holy Sabbath And thus exact the Jewes are in bodily and spiritual preparations they would not prophane the Sabbath with an unpared nail they wash their heads to betoken inward purgation they set up lights to denote spiritual illumination they go into the Synagogue the day before the Sabbath to fit them for the sanctuary on the holy day of the Sabbath Joseph Jud. Antiq. Lib. 16. Cap. 10. and these Jewes were so conscientious in these preparations that Josephus reports it was taken notice of all the World over insomuch that Caesar Augustus upon some complaint wrote unto every Province where the Jewes resided That it was his pleasure that the Jewes should enjoy their ancient Is it not meet for Christians whose Sabbath exceeds that of the Jews to prepare themseves thereunto We have no sheep or oxen to prepare we have the more time to make ready our hearts and souls for spiritual service Mr. G. Priviledges and among the rest that they should not be compelled to appear before any Judge on their Sabbath dayes or the day before their Sabbaths after nine of the clock upon their preparation dayes Their Conscientious Religion in this particular procured them favour with Heathen Princes the Roman Emperour and obtained indulgence for them And shall the Jew be so accurate and diligent in his preparations and the Christian so loose and careless Doth the knowledge of Christ no more influence us Let us even blush to be out-done by a rejected and obstinate Jew the Son of a Curse which adheres to that Generation from Age to Age. Shall those branches which are cut off as the Apostle speaks spread in their carefull and dutifull observances and we who are branches growing on the stock be contracted and fall short in a due and necessary composing of our selves for the Lords day the weekly memorial of our Rom. 11. 21. Lords Resurrection Surely it will be more tolerable for Rom. 11. 17. Jerusalem and Samaria in the day of judgement then for Mat. 11. 21. many Christians who wreaking out of the world rush upon Sabbaths without the pauses and interpositions of a due preparation But happily now some being evinced would set upon the work did they fully understand it they would keep a Sabbath Eve did they know how legitimately and suitably to spend it Therefore the next Chapter shall be the clew to lead us into this Labyrinth CHAP. XI What those Preparatory Duties are that must fore-run the Sabbath THus far we have travelled to assert the duty that we must prepare for Gods holy day our next task is to unfold and open the duty how we should prepare for a Sabbath Every one who takes the pencil into his hand cannot draw a Picture Preparation for the Sabbath is easier confessed then understood and many can sooner acknowledge then give an account of it and that we may therefore neither erre in the omitting nor yet in the doing of it we must understand Sabbath preparation compriseth these several duties We must the day before the Sabbath for some time sequester our selves wholly from the world and all the affairs of it we must for some time make off from worldly hinderances as Mariners that intend a voyage to Sea they put off the ship from Land so if we mean to serve God on the Sabbath our hearts and minds must be off from the world Put off thy shooes saith God to Moses for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground We must put off earthly affections Exod. 3. 5. for the day we are approaching to is a holy day A Bird saith Musculus That she may fly she fluttereth with her Musc Loc. Com. Praecep Quarto wings and frees her self all she can from what may hinder her flight And shall not we throw off before-hand what may hinder our flight upon a Sabbath or stop us in our careire to Jesus Christ The Jewes were angry with the man who carried his bed upon a Sabbath day How many carry their Joh. 5. 10. beds before the Sabbath lie sleeping on the downe of carnal pleasures and temporal profits and do not awaken to compose themselves for the Glorious Sabbath of God they lie snorting in carnal ease and prepare not for spiritual enjoyments That Christ might make us a Sabbath to keep in body he first rose from the earth In heart we must rise from the earth before we can well keep the Sabbath Christ hath made One well observes That a total sequestring of Mr. Walk our selves from all worldly business and putting away all earthly thoughts cares and delights will cleanse the affections from dross and make room for the entrances of holiness for spiritual Praeparemur ad Sabbatum ne spinis ac curis hujus seculi quibus cor hominis eo tempore obsidetur incrementum et fructus verbi divini inâ—erâ—ipiatur et evellatur ex animis nostris ut Christus in Parabola seminantis abundantèr docet Wal. devotion and the motions of the Holy Ghost and he gives this reason For no man can serve two Masters at once God and the World Let us therefore by way of preparation cast out earthly and carnal thoughts and spiritual and heavenly affections will the more easily enter and be predominant So then in the first place we must set apart some time for the trimming and rigging of the soul to be fit to launch into a Sabbath we must come off from the stage of the World into the tyring room quietly and spiritually to compose our selves for the heavenly employment of the subsequent day there must be a pause and cessation from the entangling warfare of the world And we must enter into our Closets and commune with our hearts and be still that so advisedly we may enter upon the souls harvest day
scarecly supplyed which lye undiscovered Let us therefore the evening or day before the Sabbath withdraw our selves from the noyse of the world and so quietly call our selves to an account concerning our progresse or regresse in Religion the foregoing week Let us further prepare for the Sabbath by stirring up in our selves holy affections It is fit the soul should be on the wing upon the Lords day First we should long for the day of God as the Psalmist saith Psal 42. 1 2. My soul thirsteth for the living God O when shall I come and appear before God! And as she said Psal 42. 1 2. Judges 5. 28. Why are thy Charriots so long in coming and Judges 5. 28. why tarry the wheels of thy Charriot So O when will the Sabbath come that we may sell all and buy the pearl of price O when will the day come that we may have communion with God Father Son and Holy Ghost Secondly And we should long for God on his holy day Indeed there is nothing in God but what may set us on longing his Glory his Bounty his Purity c. Christ is altogether Cant. 5. 16. lovely and loveliness inticeth affection Beauty will attract love rich Pearls draw every eye so let us entertain Quisquis diligit deum sâ—gitta haec in corde ejus haeret et sâ—gittarius tam fugit tam sequitur ambo mâ—nent cum amante Del. Rio. in our thoughts whatsoever may ingratiate God and his Ordinances and let us kindle the fire on the day before the Sabbath that it may flâ—me forth and burn bright on that holy day A good man on Saturday evening going to bed leaped and cryed out It is but one night more and I shall be in the house of God upon his holy day and meet God himself in the use of holy things Let us before hand fall sick of Love and then how gratefull will the appearances of Cant. 2. 5. our Beloved be upon his own blessed day The fifth Duty preparatory to the Sabbath is earnest and fervent prayer Indeed prayer is the omniprevalent Engine which can do wonderfull things things above expectation among others it can admirably fit the soul for the Sabbath First For the Prayer of Faith can prevail with God for the pardon and forgiveness of sin and pardon'd sin will prepare â—randus est deus ut nihiâ— lâ—nguoris in nobis et ruinae pristinae relinquat ne rursâ—â— mali seminis pullalent rediviva plantaria Hierom. the soul for Sabbath-mercy those who are clogg'd with sin will quickly be tyred in duty Now the Sabbath is onely the Mart and spiritual Fair of duties The unpardoned sinner may spend not keep a Sabbath may pass away the time of it not enjoy the benefit of it Prayer I say can prevail for pardon The Lord directs us to this very means to procure forgiveness so Hos 14. 2. Take unto thee words and turn unto the Lord and say take away all iniquity and receive us graciously God will give pardon but prayer must Jam. 5. 15. importune the gift David he prayes for forgiveness and Dum oratur deus ut omnem auserat iniquitatem ut non solùm peccata sed etiâ—m omnes peccatorum sibras evellat Hier. he obtains it On the Eve of a Sabbath let us be earnest for the pardon of the sins of our lives of the sins of the past week let the week be cleared before we adventure upon a Sabbath A sense of pardon will sweeten every service of a Sabbath make Duty delight and Pains a paradise Ordinances shall be our incomes not our incumberances Be earnest for pardon and the Sabbath shall not only piously but pleasingly be observed Psal 51. 11. Omnem aufer iniquitatem est prima petitio quae alias omnes meritò praecedit Riv. Prayer can obtain the spirit The donation of the spirit is promised to Holy Prayer Now our hearts are the spirit's Luke 11. 13. work-houses The spirit can chain up corruptions draw out grace blow away the froth and vanity of the soul open Spiritualia bona licet corporalia longissimo intervallo post serelinquat tamen sine conditione petere audemâ—â— certum est Christum ea nobis impetrasse et patrem propter ipsum nobis dâ—turum esse Chemn 2 Cor. 3. 17. Eph. 1. 13. Mal. 3. 2. the heart for the entertainment of Gospel-messages every way put us into a sweet and Sabbath disposition The spirit is a spirit of sanctity to make the heart gracious the spirit is a spirit of liberty to make the heart free and enlarged the spirit is a spirit of purity it is fullers sope and a refiners fire to purge and cleanse the soul and so adaequately prepare the Christian for the divine duties of the Sabbath Prayer layes the foundation of Sabbath blessings the prayer of faith keeps the Key of Gods treasury door Blessings indeed which are really so are the fruits of prayer Prayer it can open the womb Hannah prayes and the obtains 1 Sam. 1. 27. a Samuel It can melt the Heavens it can open the prison Jam. 5. 16. 18. doors it can avail very much and prayer can turn a Sabbath into the souls blessed harvest it can open the heart procure Acts 12. 7. a blessing upon Ordinances engage Christs presence Lutherus ait utinam eodem ardore orare possum tum dabatur responsum fiâ—t quod velis Lutr. 2 Cor. 6. 2. make duties fruitfull and spiritual Manna nourishing Prayer can make the Sabbath a time of grace an opportunity of life a day of salvation a term of love It hath been the manner of some Christians the day before the Sabbath to meet and spend some time in seeking God by prayer and quickning one another this fervently performed would lay a great ground of a good day indeed to follow and therefore let us Pray pray pray beforehand that divine Ordinances may be accompanied with divine benedictions that sins may Mat. 24. 20. be discharged that our souls may be enlarged and hearts may be upon the wheele Our Saviour saith Pray that your flight be not on the Sabbath day but let us pray that our flight may be upon the Sabbath our flight towards Heaven when the soul is upon the wing and the heart upon its speed towards Jesus Christ A believer on a Sabbath should make haste to enjoy the embraces of his beloved which are as the Faeminae Christum secutae pridie Sabbati id circò ad futuram corporis Christi condituram omnia praeparabant ut Sabbatho secundumlegem quiescerent Wal. Espousals forerunning an Eternal wedding day The Eve before the Sabbath we should spend more time then usually in family duties Our preparation must not only be the work of the Closet but the work of the Family Then we should read the Scriptures refresh one another with holy discourses be more solemn in our addresses to God
no silent voice Heb. 11. 10. of weeping or soft murmur of a gliding fear but all these In coelis ibi civiles erimus ibi erit nostra mansio ibi non solum erimus sed et ibi manebimus things shall be done away all capacities of trouble being swallowed up in perfect joy as the flaming fire-brand is quenched in an Ocean Secondly The Temple was a fixed structure and not portable to be carryed up and down as the Tabernacle was its station was at Hierusalem nor was it capable of removal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pelus and for some hundreds of years it remained in its usual place shining in its gold and glory And so our future Sabbath shall be immutable not subject to change or alteration not ambulatory or in a passage Our dwellings above are Mansions John 14. 2. Our enjoyments are stable and inalterable There we meet fully with God who is our fixed Center The Apostle saith our building in heaven is eternall 2 Cor. 5. 1. It is a building of God not made with hands and so not subject â—o decay or reparations Art John 18. 36. did not frame it and time cannot loosen or dissolve it But Rev. 21. 2. to revert to that from which there hath been some digression Our Sabbath below as in a morning blush doth something Dies dominicus Resurrectione Christi sacratus Aeternam non solum spiritus sed corporis requiem praefigurat Aug. de Civit. Dei resemble our Sabbath above as the Infant in the Cradle doth a man in his full stature or the dim candle the Sun in its greatest splendor And let us admire divine indulgence in giving us this faint resemblance before we come to the Archetype of an everlasting rest But in the generall thus meditation like the Sun may run through all the signs of the zodiack and fly from one spiritual object to another from the God of the Sabbath to the Sabbath of God which subjects have been thus enlarged for its larger circuit and freely dilate it self as far as our time shall either restrain us or give us greater leisure and when as the Sun meditation hath fetcht its compasse it may begin again CHAP. XXVI Not onely Meditation but Prayer with other services must fill up the Morning of a Sabbath BUT meditation must not enclose the morning of Gods holy day as its own proper demeans nor so grasp that Oratio sine meditatione tepida meditatio sine oratione est infrugisera Bern. precious time as to exclude the succession of other divine performances But as meditation doth well become the first approach of a Sabbath so prayer in the next place properly takes its course and order Let us shut up our meditations with prayer and pray over our meditations prayer sanctifies every thing and so it makes meditation effectual to 1 Tim. 4. 5. the soul that the pleasing ascents of that holy duty may bring down a blessing with them Bernard couples prayer 1 Thes 5. 17. and meditation prayer being luke-warm without meditation and meditation being unfruitful without prayer Both duties together being like the Diamond Ring or beauty and sweetness in the same rose light and heat in the same Eph. 6. 18. Sun These two duties adde reciprocall lustre one to another Now for the better mannagement of this duty on the morning of a Sabbath we will enquire into these three things First What are the opportunities when we must pray Secondly What are the qualifications how we must pray Thirdly What are the objects for what or whom we must pray Our prayer on the morning of the Lords day First Must be closet prayer we must as our Saviour saith Mat. 6. 6. Enter into our closet and shut the door upon Deus vult nos precari non ut videamur sed ut exaudiamur Par. us and so pray to the Father c. solitary prayers usually do not want the company of a reward Jacob wrestled with the Angel alone there were no spectators of the combat and he was not only a Jacob for wrestling but an Israel Gen. 32. 24 28 for prevailing Let us begin the Sabbath with secret prayer and so we may the more freely vent our thoughts pour out Vtile est fideâ—â—bus in conclavi precari quò liberius vota sua ad deum essâ—ndant sic ab omnibus avocamentis liberae sint mentes nostrae our complaints make our requests and send up our desires not being checkt or confined by the audience or observation of others Patients discover not their distemper before the multitude but privately to the Physician A secret prayer in the morning of the Sabbath may ease and fit the heart for the subscquent duties of the whole day we may kindly bemoan the sins of the past week humbly acknowledge our indispositions for the present Sabbath we may open to Prece utamur occuliâ sed manifestâ fide God the uneven beatings of the pulse of our souls and sadly bewail the mutinous disorders which are in our bosoms many things we may unravell to God we would not proclaim Solus Jesus siâ—ut alià s orationes fecit in secessu et secreto ut liberius sâ—ne impedimentis orare possit nocturnum tempus sumit ad orationem Tunc enim quies officiorum corporis et aliorum negotiorum mentem distrahentium tenebrae et sâ—entiâ— animum aptiorem faciunt ad orationem Chemnit in the ears of an associate assembly It is observable that our dear Jesus who had many things upon his heart he would take the privacy of place to pray in and would lay hold on the most retired seasons for that duty Luke 6. 12. He would pray all night that not so much as the Sun might be a witness of his with-drawn devotions the world must not hear what he had on his heart to speak to his Father Surely the closet is a good porch to the Sanctuary and we are made the fitter for the publick by chamber-devotion First the Evening star riseth alone and then it joyns with the stars of the night When we have opened our case to God in secret then we are more prepared to converse with God in Societies Showers in the night refresh the Garden and fructifie the ground though no eye behold those sweet and seasonable drops If we with Cornelius make our flight to God in solitary prayer Acts 10. 2. we may receive his answer your prayers are come up to God ver 4. And so the following Sabbath may be a prosperous gale to blow us nearer Mark 1. 35. Psal 63. 1. Dan. 6. 10. Job 1. 5. to our Eternal rest From our closets we must come down into our families and joyn with them in the same holy duty of prayer Family prayer lies under a command to be used on every day Jer. 10. 25. and bitter imprecations are poured out on those families which neglect it Jer.
the Gospel We might likewise fall into the thoughts That there are many opposites to the Gospel as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses 2 Tim. 3. 8. And thus Stephen in preaching Christ was opposed by the Sanedrim of the Jannes Jambres duo suerunt magi qui Mosi restiterunt cum eo miraculis et portentis edendis concertarunt Jews and truth was buffeted by Cryes Storms and Stoning of the Preacher Acts 7. 57 58. The building up of souls like the building of Jerusalem will meet with Sanballats and Tohias to race the very foundation Neh. 4. 3. Satans instruments will hinder Christs work The worlds persecutions are ready to obstruct the progress of the Gospel Threats and flames like the Angel which stood with a flaming sword Gen. 3. 24. are ready to keep the soul from entring Paradise And when persecution Josh 6. 20. arises for the Gospel sake mens fear often shuts out mens faith and few will close with a persecuted Gospel It may be hinted how the Sun of the Gospel is often clouded with reproaches Paul was called a Babler a setter forth of strange Gods Acts 17. 18. The Gospel is often Acts 17. 18. reviled where it cannot be rooted out and it must wear the habit where it doth not endure the execution of a Malefactor it is often wounded by the sword of the tongue where it escapes the sword of the hand Nay the evil lives of those who preach and profess the Gospel put no small stop to the enlargement and progress of Sicut Foetor apes ita peccatum bona abigit Hier. it and therefore what need of strong and numerous prayers to God That he would give the Gospel a free and uninterrupted passage into the hearts of all that hear it seeing it is encompassed with so many impediments and obstructions We must pray in our closets and in our families on the morning of the Sabbath that the Ordinances of Christ may accomplish their designed events that God would cloath them with his own power and that they may be mighty in operation for the bringing in and building up of many souls Psal 63. 2. and that the Saints may see the power and the glory of God in the Sanctuary There is no greater reproach to a Congregation or a people then barren Ordinances that they Hos 9. 11 14. should be clouds without water and breasts without milk and that God should give them a miscarrying womb pray Durum fuit maximè apud Hebraeos vulvam esse sterilem apud quos simulier esset infaecunda apud omnes infamioe stigmate notabatur Riv. therefore earnestly before thou comest to the publick Assembly that God would take away this reproach Indeed it is a mournful consideration that the blossoms of holy Ordinances which promise hopefully to bring forth fruit should on a sudden be blasted either with divine withdrawings or our own neglect Prayer is necessary for the success of Ordinances as a right wind is for the Ship which sets forth and a fresh wind to fill the sails to carry it to it s desired Port. And we are the more comfortably induced to pray for that Hos 9. 16. which is most consonant and agreeable to the Divine Will Now nothing can be more pleasing to the Lord then that Isa 45. 19. our prayers should not be in vain but return fraught with Mat. 13. 8. success and advantage and that the seed of the Word Luke 22. 19. should fall into good ground and so we should not hear in vain Let us therefore lie at Gods feet for that which is so according to Gods heart But as we must pray for other persons and other things on the morning of a Sabbath so more especially must we pray In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est metaphara à rebellicâ translata ad cogitationes ordine miâ—itari animo digestas instructas Cartw. for our selves The wise man saith Prov. 16. 1. The preparations of the heart of man are from the Lord And he that makes provisions of grace must prepare the heart for grace we must make our approach to the God of Ordinances before we come to the gate of Ordinances he that gives us the priviledge must teach us how to use it Let us then earnestly beg Eph. 6. 17. First That God would enlighten our minds let us begin Quanta fuerit caecitas gentilium in gentilismo etiam quoad illa quae ratio naturalis lex naturae dictat Persae sorores matres filias suas nefandis sibi matrimoniis jungebant Humanis carnibus vescebantur Scythae filios suos immolabant Mossagetae cognatos senes comedebant Hircâ—ni senes avibus Caspii canibus devorandos objiciebant Lacedaemones furtum laudabant tanquam rem solertem ingeniosam Alii conjuges suis hospitibus tanquam symbolum hospitii adulterio polluendas concedebant Euseb lib. 6. de prepar Evan. at the head The Apostle saith Eph. 5. 8. That in our selves we are darkness Not dark in the concrete but darkness in the abstract which shews our own incapacity to understand Gospel-mysteries of our selves we are as Paul when he was first unhorsed by Christ Acts 9. 8 9. blind and had need to be led by the hand Nature's eye hath a mist before it and cannot of it self see the glorious things of the Gospel 1 Cor. 2. 14. But it is the blessed spirit must scatter this mist must take away the scales from the eye of our understanding and make way for an apprehension of the glad tidings of Salvation which spirit saith our Saviour is obtained by prayer Luke 11. 13. And if we have any feeling of our own blindness and not as Prisoners in a dungeon laugh at the Sun or if we have any high esteem of the great things of the Law Hos 8. 12. if we see the word with the eye of the Psalmist Psal 19. 7 8 9 10. First To be perfect in its nature Secondly Predominant in its effects converting sinful making wise simple and rejoycing sadned souls Thirdly Various in its operations rellishing the soul rejoycing the heart opening the eyes pleasing the taste enriching the believer all which are attributed to it nay if the word be everlasting in its duration which the Psalmist strongly avers Psal 19. 91. and is likewise attested Rev. 14. 6. we should then be importunate for that directive spirit which can lead us into the right understanding of this most glorious word This manuduction of the spirit was the summe of that precious promise which Christ when about leaving the world made to his drooping Disciples Joh. 16. 13. And how earnestly doth the Psalmist importune this very mercy That God would open his eyes that he might behold wondrous things out of his Law Psal 119. 18. Psal 119. 34. God must give us the prospect of the glories of Divine truth Psal 119. 73. This eye-salve we must beg of the
seasons of Per spiritum sanctum clamamus non voce sed filiali et fiduciali affectu Abba Pater prae dulcedine teneritudine amoris quasi teneri insantes qui charissimum parentem c. Alap our spiritual communion In Prayer we cry as Children to the Father In hearing we receive messages from our Father which relate to our inward man In our Prayer God opens his hand in our hearing God opens his heart Acts 20. 27. In Prayer we enjoy his bounty God gives us even to his own spirit Luke 11. 13. In Hearing we are admitted even to the Counsels of God in that forementioned text Acts 20. 27. In a Sacrament our dainties are the body and blood of Christ and he refresheth us not from his Cellars but from his Wounds Cast thy eye upon the effects of Ordinances what wonders hath that one duty of Prayer wrought 1. It is able to overthow enemies Isa 37. 36. Vtpote pueri balbutiantes blandulâ iteratâ voculâ compellare solent Pater Pater sic credentes c. 2. It is able to divert Judgements Plagues Pestilence Famine Sword 1 Kings 8. 57. 3. It is able to bring down mercies It is the key of Heaven Jam. 5. 15. It is the most efficacious engine in the world it can open the doors of the prison nay it can open the door of the womb Acts 12. 7. 1 Sam. 1. 10 20. 4. It is the sum of all wisdom strength and policy 5. It prevails against God himself Gen. 32. 26. Hos 12. 4. Exod. 32. 11. Isa 45. 11. 6. It can work Miracles so Joshua by Prayer caused the Sun to stand still in Gibeon Josh 10. 12. What amazing productions hath this one Ordinance caused May we not then say of those who undervalue Ordinances O foolish pieces of frenzy and ignorance who hath bewitched you Gal. 3. 1. that you should trample upon Pearls walk upon Amber and neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. 3. Cast thy eye again upon the tendency of Ordinances these stars lead us to Christ They are the womb of grace Rom. 10. 17. And grace is the heir of Glory Eph. 1. 14. When we Mat. 2. 9. converse with God in Ordinances we turn our faces Sionward Isa 51. 11. and we are travelling home The blessed Ordinances Isa 35. 10. are our fresh gales to carry us to our harbour of Rest they are the birth places of the Saints the ready way to the new Jerusalem therefore whoever thou art who callest prayer a vain breath hearing a dry attendance Sacraments empty meals retrench thy errour and let the love of Christ constrain thee to better thoughts of these blessed Seasons And let not a word be unseasonable to shew thee the cause and cure of this jejune apprehension of divine Ordinances These modern Ehionites who have so low thoughts of Christs institutions they are henighted with ignorance they Ebion sumpsit nomen suum ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pauper indigus quia misellam de Christo habuit opinionem do not know there is a God in Ordinances that they are animated by a divine spirit Who opened Lydia's heart in hearing Who pricked the heart of the Jewes Act. 2. 37. in the same Ordinance Who showred down the Spirit when the Assembly met for Gospel dispensations Acts 10. 44. when God rained heaven out of heaven Indeed Ordinances are the sphear where the Sun of Righteousnesse Mal. 4. 2. turns the waters where the Angel moves John 5. 4. And if the Angel move the waters heal but these inapprehensive sinners like Balaam see not the Angel Numb 22. 23. They are prejudiced by inexperience they cannot say with David Psalm 66. 16. Come and I will tell you what God hath done for my soul Pauls Companions did not see Jesus Christ they onely heard a confused noise Acts 9. 7. These unhappy sinners never tasted how good and gracious the Mat. 11. 23. Lord is in a sweet Ordinance they never felt the power of a truth they were never enriched with the flush returns of Psalm 34. 8. Prayer A Promise well pressed home and applyed never reverberated Acts 2. 37. upon their souls with influential joy they never Psalm 85. 8. had their hearts raised to Heaven in Gospel Revelation and 2 Pet. 1. 4. in the glorious discoveries of divine Love Blind men admire Nos transeramus affectus ad coelestem illam vitam oremus dominum ut panem qui dâ—â—cae lo descendit lâ—rgiaâ—â— not the Sun The Indians more prize a log a gewgaw or a piece of brasse then Gold Gemms or Spices To them who have tasted Christ he is precious The converted soul saith of Ordinances Lord evermore give us this bread Such cry out O sweet Sacraments those divine festivals O fructiferous Prayer But now to cure this sinful and destructive mistake and to raise the price and esteem of Ordinances John 6. 34. Look on them as the means of Grace The Sun shines through the ayr and Christ works by Ordinances Preaching is not the breath of man but the power of God to salvation Rom. 1. 16. The Word is that immortal seed which is able to save our souls 1 Pet. 1. 23. These Oracles delivered in Rom. 3 2. Preaching are able to make us wise to eternal salvation It is the power of Ordinances raises us from the grave of sin 2 Tim. 3. 15. plants in us the flowers of grace causeth the day to dawn in 2 Pet. 1. 19. our souls If ever thou comest to heaven the wind of the Spirit John 3. 8. filling the sails of Ordinances will carry thee thither Look on them as the resemblances of glory Sitting at a Sacrament resembles our eating and drinking with Christ at his table in his Kingdome Luke 22. 30. the Communion Cant. 1. 12. resembles the fruition Let us then prize Ordinances which Matth. 11. 23. are the twilight and dawning of Glory CHAP. XXXIX The Lords day is a day of Rest but not of Idlenesse Caut. 5 LEt us take heed least we interpret the day which God calls a day of Rest to be a day of Idlenesse God gives us relaxation Exod. 31. 15. on his own day but it is not either for sport or sleep but for duties not for pastime but for prayer Our ground Quies non fuit ignavum otium ut Christiani nihil agerent sed ut divina curarent non sua Riv. lies fallow sometimes that we may plow it and sow it to the better advantage Rest is given us because the body and the soul cannot both well be employed together earth and heaven cannot both be minded together Now this divine indulgence must be a spur to holy duties and not our leave to play with lying vanities The Sabbath is a holy leisure our spiritual vacation to attend on the affairs of our precious souls Sabbatum est sabbatum cessationis
operum sui ante-actorum recordatiom sese applicet c. Hosp Dicitur Sabbatum Domini et Sabbatum sanctitâ—tâ—s et sanctâ—tas Domini quia non modò dei sancti est sed et sanctum eâ— et rebus domini publicè et privatim dicatum et impendendum est c. Leid Prof. this truth most sweetly There is saith he a sublime end of the Sabbaths leisure viz. That we might get nearer to eternal salvation that we may follow the duties of an holy life that we may remember our former actions and so drenâ—h our selves in tears of repentance and this saith he the very Jews can not deny Our Sabbaths according to this worthy man are only post dayes for heaven opportunities for grace which is the morning star of glory and the dawning of blessedness Nay let us hear a Quaternion of Divines the Professours of Leyden Cessation of work say they is commanded not that we should only enjoy corporal idleness but fall upon spiritual business holy duties and exercises It is not called the Sabbath of man but the Sabbath of the Lord not only because God is the Author of it but likewise because it is to be dedicated to and spent in the things of the Lord both publickly and privately and is to be directed to the sanctification of his name These Champions of truth direct us to the proper end of the Sabbath which is not to waste but to work not to consult our ease but to consult our souls Our temporal affairs must be suspended that our better affairs may be minded The poor soul should have been whâ—lly neglected had not the God of it appointed one day in the week for its service and salvation This truth is so apparent that our very adversaries joyn issue in the attestation of it Mr. Bâ—erewood who wrote so zealously for sports on the Sabbath yet in his second Tract pag. 15. acknowledgeth That the Commandment for the Sabbath enjoynes 1. The outward worship of God Manifestum est non moâ—o legis hujus judicio sed ipsâ—â—simâ expeâ—iâ—ntâ—â— non facere ad vâ—â—ae religionis profectum siotia multiplicentur Musc 2. Cessation frâ—m works as â— necessary preparation for that worship that as the end and this as the means So then by his confession to holy rest we must joyn holy work And experience tells us saith Musculus that too much leisure never makes for the increase of Religion no more then the Country-man gains by his fallow ground Nay the very Heathens themselves laughed at idleness upon the Sabbath And Seneca derided the custom of the Jews upon their Sabbath because they spent it in things vain and impertinent and not in the worship of God and said The Seneca derisit Sabbatum Judaeorum quia non vacabant divinis sed rugis et inutilibus Aquin. Jews threw away the seventh part of their lives And surely that sin must be grievous which becomes the scom and derision of an Heathen that crime must needs be great which lies open to the discoveries of Natures light But the Scriptures which are the most authentick testimony in this case will bring in most ample witness they will find us employments for the Sabbath 1. If we look into the Old Testament we shall find the sacrifices to be double on the Sabbath day Two Lambs of Num. 28. 9 10 the first year without spot and two tenth deales of flower with a meat offering mingled with oyl and the drink offering thereof this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath besides the continual burnt offering and the drink offering Numb 28. 9 10. There must ye see be an over-plus of sacrifice on the Luke 23. 3. Sabbath then our worship must be in the full and not in the waine in the strongest tide not at low water Likewise Convocatiosancta fuit totâ—us populi ad opera sacra et divina on the Sabbath there was to be an holy Convocation and surely the Jews did not meet solemnly to look one upon another Their meeting in the Temple or the Synagogues spake worship something of Service Divine Likewise on the Sabbath there was the reading of the Law Gods will was then opened to the people Nehem. 8. 8. The Sabbath was not a day of sloth but instruction it was not a day to be in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cantica singu laria Sabbato unoquoque occinenda erant Leid Prof. the rubbish of ease but to be built up in the most holy faith And on the Sabbath there were certain solemn songs chanted forth to the praise of the Creatour and therefore the ninety second Psalm is inscribed a Psalm for the Sabbath And there was likewise reasonings and discourses of Divine things as we have hinted Acts 17. 2. There were exhortations given to the people for their furtherance of faith and godliness Acts 15. 21. Moses was preached every Sabbath day as the Apostle James speaks in the fore-cited place So then the Sabbath wanted not its employment in the times of the Law Nor did the Lords day run waste in the times of the Gospel then the Disciples met together the Sacrament was administred the Gospel was preached Acts 20. 7. And charity was collected 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Which duties unquestionably wanted not the concomitancy of fervent prayers and supplications so then there was an aggregation of holy and solemn services Holy duties were not as a single star but as Isa 65. 8. a constellation and in that cluster there was a blessing So Old and New Testament are a twofold witness to condemn Mat. 18. 16. sloth and idleness upon Gods blessed day And by the mouth of two witnesses especially if infallible every thing shall be established And indeed idleness on any day carries its brand in its Milites otio si incipient luxu diffluere murmurare pecuniam inclamare Ordinem omnem turbare aâ— tandem rebellare Alap forehead Idle Souldiers will easily turn mutinous Idle Scholars will easily degenerate into sin and ignorance and idle Tradesmen will easily sink into want and poverty Abundance of idleness was one of the sins of Sodom the worst of places Ezek. 16. 49. It is the sink of sin the Common shore of evil it is the rust of the soul which eats out its noble faculties Themistocles used to say It was burying men alive And idle persons like wanton widows to use the Apostles phrase are dead while they live 1 Tim. 5. 5. And Ephr. Syr. de consummat seculi the Apostle makes idleness the source of many other sins 1 Tim. 5. 13. It was once the saying of Ephrem Syras Do not fly labour least the Crown fly from thee Idleness is every way sinful It is opposite to mans condition He was born to labour Gen. 3. 19. Dew is not more natural to the surface of the Homo natus est ad laberem sicut avis ad volatum Earth then sweat is to the brow of
are forced to fly to a miserable distinction at the best that the fourth Precept is partly moral and partly ceremonial for the substance of the command is that a seventh day be consecrated to divine worship which if the day mentioned in the command be ceremonial then the whole precept is so And therefore to disintangle our souls from these intricacies of errour and absurdity we must conclude that a seventh day in proportion and not the seventh day in order is the substance and equity of the fourth Commandment and so the practice of the Church in all ages which is the best interpreter of this command hath fully shewn and declared The fourth Commandment then enjoyns one day in seven to be weekly observed and this is the reason and the substance of it Now the old seventh day which was the Jews Sabbath being antiquated and discharged what day remains for the Christian Sabbath for the Disciples of Christ to meet upon for holy and divine worship Quest Here the answer is ready It is the first day of the week the blessed day of our adored and admired Saviors Resurrection Answ But still the Query will be By what Authority is this day made the Christian Sabbath To which it is answered Not by Ecclesiastical Authority And Mr. Perkins gives us the reason The Church saith he hath no power to ordain a Sabbath or to change the present Sabbath into any other day in the week as to Tuesday Wednesday c. for time is the Lords and the disposing thereof in his hands therefore Christ saith to his Disciples it is not for you to know the times and the seasons which the Father hath kept in his own hands Now if God hath the disposing of times in his hands then it belongeth not to the Church to dispose them And it may be hence Acts 1. 7. gathered if that which is less belong not to the Church then that which is more doth not But the knowledge of times and seasons which God hath in his power belongs not to the Church much less the disposing of times and seasons I may add and far less the appointing of a weekly Sabbath And thus the Reverend and worthy Peâ—kâ—ns And indeed to sublimate Church Authority so far what is it but to put man into Gods chair And to make him King of the Church and so take the Scepter out of Christs hand It is a worthy saying of Bishop Lake The Church hath received the Lords day not ordained it not to be liberae observationis of free observation as if man might at pleasure accept or refuse it but it is to be perpetually observed to the worlds end For as God only hath power to apportion his time so he only hath power to set out a day for his portion he is the Lord of the Sabbath the work of the day is the ground of the hallowing of the day and therefore Mark 2. 28. as no man can translate the work so no man can translate the day and this is an undoubted rule in Theology And thus this Learned Person hath both asserted the Divine Authority of the Lords day and given us good reason for it Man therefore being impotent and incapable to lay the foundation of a weekly Sabbath by some glorious work especially equivalent to the work of Creation or Redemption let him never presumptuously pretend to the appointment or institution of it Let us a little reason this case We read there is one who is Lord of the Sabbath Mark 2. 28. Now in reason who shall appoint this day but he who is Lord of it And considering Mark 2. 28. it is his holy day and it is expresly said Psal 118. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made the whole Isa 58. â—3 stream of Interpreters expounding this text of the Lords day So then the day is of the Lords making and not of mans making and moreover there can be no cause why man should desire such a liberty for it is much to be feared if there were twenty dayes in the weak there would be twenty differences every one every Church at least would choose its own day and admire the issue of its own institution What jars and digladiations would this bring into the Church of Christ how would this tear Christs seamless coat in pieces The dissentions between the Eastern and the Western Churches about the observation of Easter day are not forgotten when Victor Bishop of Rome was ready Dr. Twisse treat on the Sab. pag. 141 to draw the Sword of Excommunication Indeed the appointing of a day for weekly worship and divine communion is a task too great for weak and unstable Man and can be only the product of an infallible spirit As Dr. Twisse happily and closely argues Christ calls himself Lord of the Sabbath and as he constituted it so none but he can abrogate it and place another in the room of it And in the Apostles dayes the first day of the week was set apart for the Christians Sabbath which could not be but by the joynt consent of the Apostles And how strange is it that the Church for 1500 years should never offer to alter it no not in the least if so be such power and liberty was put into their hands as to ordain and Praetereà generalis omnium ecclesiarum consensus in hac fessivitate divinam ejus authâ—ritatâ—m â—vinciâ— et observandum est quòd in aliis observationibus ab Apostolis non receptis sed à posterà ecclesià ad tempus observatis ecclesiae à se invicem discesserunt veluti in Festo Paschatis in jejuniâ—s observandis Ita sine dubio in Dominiâ—â— celebrandâ contigisseâ— si divinâ authoritate per Apostolos acceptâ ejus observatio apud Christianos non constitua fuisset appoint it Among us nothing more usual then for one Parliament to unravel and disanul what another hath done and enacted as being unsatisfied in the thing it self or else to shew their own plenipotentiariness And no doubt had the Church been fledged with this power to ordain a Sabbath for the Church of Christ in some age or another they would have given us a cast of this power and would have attempted to pluck up a plant of their own planting and would have inoculated the Sabbath into the stock of some other day Darkness and Division there hath been enough in the Church to quarrel with institutions and appointments of former times But the perpetual silence of the Church in this particular infallibly shews the Divine right of the Lords day And the Churches are so hush because they dare not attempt such a piacular enterprise as to rase the foundation of a divine institution And in case they should put in practice such a pretended liberty what inconvemences would fall out to be bewailed with tears of bloud for this liberty must be equal in every Church and so our English Church might institute the Monday
wrought his first Miracle by turning water into wine And on this day saith Junius the Israelites passed the Red Sea on dry ground Concil Paris sub Ludovico Pio et Lothario celebratum securely by the help of a Miracle And to wind up all on this day the light of the firmament and the Sun of Righteousness first rose and appeared from darkness and death And thus the Lords day is brought to its Throne and let Jun. in Deut. all who love Christ say God save the Christian Sabbath and preserve it from the fury and rage of malevolent persâ—cutors John 2. 49. from the virulent and sophistical pens of adversaries from the fancies of familistical and enthusiastical hereticks and from the blemishes and discrediting practices of prophane persons And let our fervent prayers to the Lord of the Sabbath Mark 2. 28. be that as this blessed day had a divine institution so it may be ever honoured and celebrated with a spiritual and heavenly observation CHAP. XLVII A Plea with Christians to out-vy the Jews in Sabbath-holiness and observations HAving now bottom'd the Lords day upon its Scriptural basis and given it its due and just authority let us further consider how its original may influence our practice and how its institution running parallel with that of the Jews Sabbath may over-awe our consciences and sublimate our minds to a more holy and severe observation It is a good note of a learned man If saith he The people shall be made to believe that the Lords day stands upon humane authority all the power of Princes and all the policy of Bishop of Ely Prelates shall never be able to preserve it from the peoples prophanation as we evidently see in the Church of Charles Dow of the Sabbath p. 56. Rome But Adversaries in this point are enforced to acknowledge as much as may be learned from their confessions That seeing God did require of those stiffnecked Jews burdened with the yoke of Ceremonies one day in seven to be employed in his service how can less suffice Christians who have obtained a greater measure of divine grace and who are freed from that yoke and burden Nor must we permit this Verè dico Fratres satis durum pro priè nimis impium est ut Christiani non habeant majorem reverentiam diei dominico quam Judaei observare videntur in Sabbâ—to Caesar Arelatensis consideration that the obligation of Christians to serve God and Christ upon his heavenly promises is greater then that of the Jews In the former times of shadows and darkness the Lords people observed a weekly Sabbath then surely we should be ungrateful and negligent of our own salvation if we should fall short of the same observation nay if we should not keep our Sabbath with greater exactness and more accurate devotion Golden talents call for quicker trading and greater priviledges summon us to a more strict obedience And indeed to come closer to our purpose what can lie upon the Jews as an argument for the sanctification of the Sabbath which doth not reach us Had they six dayes granted for their own affairs to labour and work in and is it not so with us are not we indulged with the same bounty have not we an equal latitude with them for the gain and acquest of these outward things And ours is the Lords day as well as theirs nay their weekly festival was called Sabbath from its manner of observation Exod. 20. 8. Rev. 1. 10. servation ours the Lords day from its Divine Author Gods example is as strong to move us as them our Father is our pattern and his preceding practice doth tie us as forcibly to imitation as it can do them Mat. 5. 48. The blessing of God depends upon our right observation of our Sabbath as well as it did upon their faithful discharge of Sabbath-duties and holiness obtains the birth right in Longius à â—â—ebus sacris remoâ—enda sunt quae castis labem integris probrum et sin ceris corruptelam afferunt Festivitates dominicus honorate non mundanè sed divinè non instar gentilium sed instar Christianorum Ephr â—yr both And therefore what can be suggested to oblige them which doth not engage us One of the Fathers passionately cryes out Shall the Jews be so strict on their Sabbath which only is in umbra in a shadow and a type of something to come which only did presigure Christs resting in the grave and shall not we â—e seâ—ious and solemn on our Sabbath which is so in veâ—tue in truth and shall endure to the end of the world Our Sabbath saith Chrysostom is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An unmoveable law and therefore lays claim to a greater solemnization Ephrem Syrus cryes out Let us solemnize our Lords day as Christians and he thinks then he had said enough the Apostle telling us He that names the name of Christ must depart from iniquity But if we shall discuss this point more fully the Chriâ—tians 2 Tim 2. 19. incentives to Sabbath holiness will easily be found to have a sharper edge and a stronger byass then those of the Jews We have greater measures of knowledge The Jews lived under Star light but the Sun of Righteousness arose on our Mal 4. 2. Exod. 34. 35. Col. 2. 17. Mat. 27. 51. Sabbath day Moses his face had a vail upon it 2 Cor. 3. 13. Their pedagogy was enveloped in many types and shadows ceremonies which cast it into a twilight but when our Saviour dyed not only the veil of the Temple but of the Judaeis vetus Testamentum est velamine obductum ut non videant internam ejus lucem Novo Testamento Christus hoc velamen abstâ—lit tanquâ—m à lege Novâ Alap type was rent Now here our Saviours rule takes place To whom much is given of them much shall he required Luke 12. 48. And the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3. 14. But the minds of the Jews are blinded for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in reading the old Testament which veil is done away in Christ Our knowledge then is far greater then theirs our ministration of the spirit is more glorious 2 Cor. 3. 8 9. Now much knowledge as it doth amplifie guilt so it doth engage duty as it is a greater weight to sin so it is a sharper spur to service the light of knowledge most properly guides us in the way of holiness And shall we who live under the light of the most glorious Gospel be out-done Illuminatio Evangelii est sublustre quiddam et praegustus clâ—rae lucis et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etiam gloriae divinae quae revelabitur in caelis Theoph. in Sabbath-holiness by them who had but our dawnings who only fed upon the crumbs of the bread of life We see Christ with open face they only through the Prospective of a type or a ceremony by the light of a
against Gods sacred Sabbath shall be condemned of the Almighty and they who regarded not the Lords Day shall not be regarded in the day of the Lord nor of the Lord of this day but shall be enforced to undergo unavoidable and intollerable calamity O how sweet would Mark 2. 28. one Sabbath of Rest be from Hell torments in ten thousand years But this drop of water shall not be granted to the Luke 16. 24. miscarrying sinner This day indeed draws near when all Hieron Epist de scient legis Tom. 4. men must appear bofore the judgement-seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5. 10. and then answer for not attending on Gods holy day O what shall we do saith Hierome In that day when the Lord shall come with trumpet sounding fire flaming sinners fainting stars falling mountanes melting poor creatures crying to graves Christus Judex appropinquat ut veniat ad judicium ut suorum gaudium compleat et inimicorum injurias vindicet et puniat Ansel to hold them to hills to hide them Let none then who abuse the Lords day suppose this day is afar off for behold saith the Apostle The Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones to execute judgement Jude vers 14 15. And the coming of the Lord draws near saith another Apostle James 5. 8. Nay The day of the Lord is at hand said a third Apostle Phil. 4. 5. Let all therefore who trifle away Gods blessed Sabbath fear and tremble and not like wanton Israelites Amos 6. 3. put far from them the evil day Rivet pronounces Obstinatis autem in Sabbata peccatoribus aeternum mortem suisse denunciatam non inficias imus Rivet peremptorily That to obstinate offendours on Gods holy day eternal death and damnation is denounced Shortly there comes a day when reckning must be made for all our sleepy duties cold affections dead hearts sensual meales open prophaneness and secret hypocrisie for all our wasts of time and pleasing the flesh on Gods most blessed day I might add that all our formal services on that day shall be weighed in the ballance and with Belshazzar will be found too light And then if Repentance and Faith in Christ hath not crossed the debt we shall be discharging it in terrours and torments to all Everlasting CHAP. XLIX Gods Tremendous Judgments executed upon those who have prophaned and violated his holy Day WE have already seen by Scripture light frowns in the face of God wrath in the heart of God flaming in the eye of God and a Sword in the hand of God against those who dare pollute his holy Sabbath Let us now trace the methods of Providence and still more wrath and vengeance breaks out against the same Offendors and indeed a little to preface what is subsequent The sin of prophaning of Gods day is no sin of surprisal but it is a deliberative offence a sin carried on with consultation Sometimes an Oath is sworn unadvisedly as that of Herod to Herodias her Daughter Mark 6. 26. which cost John the Baptist his life an act of intemperance is hatched by the warmth of a temptation he is brutified when reason on a sudden hath left its habitation Nay sometimes one wounds another and it is only a lightning of passion as high Feavers soon run into a distraction But now the violation of the Sabbath is a premeditated act and is the leisurely effect of a corrupt heart it is a sin accompanied with time to consider and with an enlightned mind to understand it Recreations upon a Sabbath they are no vain surprisal but studied wickedness sleeping at Ordinances is a giving way to the flesh Riots and Surfeits on the Lords day they are designed Exod. 20. 8 9. debauchery nothing but a striking hands with Hell in cold blood we consult with our ease when we trifle away the Sabbaths we neglect not Ordinances on the Lords day and court our Bed or our Belly instead of the Sanctuary without Ezek. 22. 26. advice and debate with our selves nor can the fantastick piece of pride spend hours on Gods holy day with the Glass Deut. 5. 12. and the Dressing-box nay and it may be the Box of Patches and the Perfuming-pot without concluding before hand they will appear to the worlds eye in the most flattering dress Sabbath-prophanation is a sin of knowledge and deliberation which puts it into a scarlet dye surely it must needs be a great sin to forget that which God bids us remember Exod. 20. 8. to prophane that which God biddeth us to keep holy to labour on that day when God bids us to rest and to unhallow that day which God hath blessed what is this but to throw down the Gantlet and to challenge God himself Isa 51. 6. God indeed hath punished this sin with the most stupendous revenges I shall marshal his dreadful executions into their several ranks whereby we observing the many examples 1 Sam. 3. 11. of divine fury and indignation we may carefully take the alarm and so avoid the stroke for God usually strikes Deut. 32. 42. one to awaken and warn another and hearing these thunders we may fly that guilt which is pursued with such Rom. 12. 19. Hue and Cries of divine displeasure and may write upon our hearts not our phylacteries that dreadful position of the Apostle Heb. 10. 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Sometimes God hath punished the prophanation of his Sabbath with consuming the goods of the Offendor One who carried Corn into his Barn upon the Lords day had it all consumed with fire from heaven together with his house A Miller likewise who lived at Wotton was going forth to a Wake upon the Lords day and coming home at Levit. 10. 2. Night found his house his Mill and all that he had burnt down to the ground Thus the fire of Gods wrath hath over-taken Heb. 12. 29. this sin and great transgression To add one Example more In the year 1635 a Miller at Churchdown near Glocester would needs make a Whitson Ale notwithstanding the private and publick admonitions of the Minister and all christian friends so great provision was made and Musick was set out as the Minister and people were going to Church in the Afternoon and when Sermon was done the Drum beat up the Musick played and the people fell on dancing until the Evening at which time they all resorted to the Mill But oh the Justice of God! before they had supped at nine of the Clock a sudden fire seized upon the house which was so furious that it burned down his house and Mill and the most of all his other provisions and housholdstuff â—nd most just it is that if we commit Sacriledge and 〈…〉 the time of his day he should act severely and dispoy◠〈…〉 fruits of our labour sinners make waste of his glory and most righteous it is God should make waste of their
support of Religion and keeps it from flights or falls Every devout worshipper on the Lords day is but a lessar pillar to shoar up godliness and piety in the world While publick worship is seriously frequented and private duties are frequently performed while the sacred word of God is diligently attended the blessed Sacrament devoutly received while holy prayers with moystened eyes and melting hearts are affectionately poured forth and sent up to God on his own holy day while these things are in ure in a Nation piety and Religion are above the fears of decay Religion sails or sinks with the Sabbath when both are embarqued in the same Vessel and where this Sancta diei dominicae exercitia labascentem pietatem religionem sustinent holy day is constuprated by vanity and prophaneness profession is laid waste and desolate the sanctification of Gods day keeps up Gods fear in the Church but that being suspended the gap is made and the Church lies open to all kinds of sinful incursions A learned man tells us that Guntheram a pious King of France fighting against the Goths with unhappy success did sedulously enquire into the cause Guntheramus Francorum Rex pientissimus contra Gothos infaelici successu se pugnasse observaverat tanti mali fonte paulò altius investigato cui malo ut obviam iretur statutum est diem dominicum religiosè custodiendum per universum c. of it and taking notice of the neglect of the Bishops instructing the people as likewise observing the prophaneness of the people in dishonouring the Lord he presently concluded this was the proper source and cause of his late discomfiture and calamity and therefore he immediately commanded That the Lords day should be carefully and solemnly observed throughout his whole Dominions as being the most proper remedy and most likely Cure for those distempers which had shaken the happiness both of Church and State God usually calculating his providence according to the observation of his day smiling upon those places where it is religiously observed and evidencing his displeasure where it is slighted or contemned Arg. 9 The sanctification of the Sabbath is the discharge in a great measure of that duty pressed by the Apostle Phil. 3. 20. Let your conversation be in heaven All the duties of the Sabbath Nonne pudet te corpore coelum suspicere mentem in terrâ repere caput sursum cor deorsum habere Bern. are but transactions with Heaven Our prayers are our approach and appeal to Heaven and therefore we are said to lift up a prayer Jer. 7. 16. Our hearing the word is only hearing News from Heaven Acts 20. 27. And our Sacramental receipts are only the tasting of the fruit of the Vine which we shall drink new with Christ in his Fathers Kingdom Mat. 26. 29. The Ordinances of a Sabbath are heavenly Ordinances the end of a Sabbath is to bring us nearer to heaven and the Communion of Saints whâ—ch we enjoy upon a Sabbath is a sweet resemblance of that Society the Saints shall enjoy in heaven And though we cannot pretend to 2 Cor. 12. 2. Pauls rapture into the third heaven or to Johns extasies upon this holy day yet in a conscientious use of divine administrations Rev. 1. 10. we travel fairly on towards heaven and happiness Secular works which savour of earth are to be banished this day Exod. 20. 10. Carnal hearts which rellish earth are unsutable to this day Rev. 1. 10. And pleasurous delights which are the liquorish froth of earth are to be avoided on the Sabbath day Isa 58. 13. Our Sabbath is the day-break and twilight of heaven and glory which if we improve to work our spiritual works in a little time will bring us to a perfect noon Arg. 10 Let us be exact on the Lords day in honour to Christ it is his Resurrection day On this day the Sun rose which lightens Dies dominicus Christi resurrectione declaratus est et ex illo caeâ—it habere festivitatem suam aeternam non solùm spiritus sed et corporis requiem praefigurat Aug de Civ dei every one which comes into a better world on this day the Conqueror shewed himself when he had laid all his enemies in the grave from whence he sprang This was the day of Mankinds restauration of the worlds wonder and of the Believers joy This day was the fresh spring of our happiness the initials of a Christians boast On this day Mosaical rites and legal Ceremonies were fully and totally routed and so put to flight and then dyed together the Synagogue and the Sanedrim Christ is the true Joseph who on this day left his prison and was promoted to honour Christ is the real Moses who breaking through death and dangers Acts 13. 31 32 saw Pharaoh and his host Satan Death and Hell and Heb. 1. 5. all spiritual wickednesses drowned in the Sea Christ is the Resurrexisti domine quà m â—â—â—ulatè celeritèr O fortunati labâ—res O gloriosa certamina quae talem finem sortiuntur Pâ—ssionem excepit Resurrectio mortem immortalitas ignonimiam gloria infirmitatem virtus Tempestatem serenitas Bellar. 2 Cor. 5. 1. true Mordecai who foiling Haman and all his enemies delivered the true Israel from tyranny and oppression and on this day kept his Purim Christ is the true Jonas who being cast into the Sea in a tempest of frenzy and cruelty on the third day was cast on the shore and survived to more gracious purposes In a word glorious were the conflicts happy the labours blessed the rest and most triumphant the Resurrection of our dear Redeemer Now as it is reported of Caesar when he would cry Quirites that word put new life into his Souldiers in the sorest battels So when we think our Sabbath is Christs Resurrection day this should put new life into all our duties and devotions This was the day of wonders when our blessed Samson carryed away the gates of Hell to lay our way open to the City of the New Jerusalem the City not made with hands eternal in the heavens CHAP. LIII The Resurrection of Christ is not only a real ground for the institution but a cogent Argument for the holy observation of the Lords day WHen our hearts are dead and curdled into formality upon the Lords day then every one of us should thus bespeak his soul O my soul this day is the triumph of thy Redeemer when he trod upon the Serpents head when Gen. 3. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in Hexam he took from death its sting from hell its standard suppose my soul thou hadst stood by the Sepulcher and seen the Sun of Righteousness covered with a cloud before now shining forth most gloriously on 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 they believed not for joy John 20.
20. Luke 24. 41. The day of 2 Sam. 23. 5. Christs rising from the dead was a day of joy and gladness Ille est primus dies in quo deus tenebras ut materiam cum mutasset mundum effecit quòd in codem die Jesus Christus conservator noster è mortuis excitatus est Just Mart. Psal 118. 24. No day like this since the Creation then our surety was released the Covenant and sure mercies of David fully ratified and confirmed our hope wonderfully revived heaven and eternal life plenteously assured These thoughts of Christs Resurrection might quicken our hearts and make them sparkle with life and affection It may be we never took the crown of this day into our hands to feel the weight of it and that makes our services â—â— flat and our thoughts to speak in Nazianzens phrase so chained to the ground upon this seraphical day And therefore Clemens Romanus argues sharply and pathetically What shall excuse us with Die dominico qui est dies resurrectionis Templum adite quid enim excusare poterit apud deum qui eo die ad audiendum non convenit c. Clem. Rom. God if we fill not up this blessed day with bearing the word with holy prayer with reading the Scriptures with singing the praises of the Lord and other duties seeing God makes all things by Christ and sent him into the world to die for sinners and raised him again as on this day Innocentius calls Christs Resurrection day the first day of our joy the bright lustre of heavens shine And Ambrose saith The Lords day is a day â—f joyes in the plural number to shew the Variety and the Increase of them Joy is the Shibboleth of this day the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spring-tide and the full Sea of this weekly Festival And Tertullian professeth That on this day we indulge our selves Plus gaudere debemus propter resurrectionem gloriosam quà m dolere propter passionem ignominiosam Bern. with holy joy The primitive Christians were wont when they saw one another to have this joyful salute The Lord is risen and the others ordinary answer was True the Lord is risen indeed we should not saith Bernard so much mourn at Christs igneminious passion as we should rejoyce at his glorious Resurrection And this day is not only sweetned with joyes but enriched with gain the death of Christ Haec est illa dies quae suâ magnitudine omnia beneficia obscurat Const Apost l. 7. c. 37. was the sowing of the Corn the raising of Christ was as the springing up of the Corn the benefits of Christs death are reaped in his Resurrection The death of Christ was as the casting of Joseph into the pit the selling him into Aegypt and putting him into prison But the raising of Christ was as the preferring of Joseph by which he comes into a capacity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to save his Family and so enrich all his Relations Clemens Romanus tells us This day is such a day of love such a day of gain that the greatness of those benefits we receive by this day ecclipse and obscure the shew and appearance of all other benefits Athanasius calls the Resurrection day The beginning of the New Creation And another learned tells us That Christs Resurrection was a great and an excellent Miracle and therefore it gave life and name to the Lords day Indeed Mans all is folded up in the triumphant success of this day Let us a little hearken to the good News that Christs Resurrection brought to the world and these Cords of love should fasten us to Holy duties and becoming carriages on the Lords day The Resurrection of Christ was the compleating of his work Indeed many fair lines were drawn before in the great work Josephus iâ— tertium usque annum in 〈◊〉 deteâ—tus sâ—â—t posteà tamen libeâ—tus est Egypti constitutus est dominus Et salvator noster ad tertium usque diem detentus est in carcere sepulchri tum resurrexit sanctorum dominus dominus dominantium Ger. of Mans Redemption every tear which dropt from Christs eye every drop of bloody sweat which fell from his sacred body contributed to our salvation but when Christ rose again then he put the last hand to the beautiful frame of this glorious work And therefore he is said then to be perfected Luk. 13. 32. when Christ breath'd out his last he cried out consummatum est It is finished John 19. 30. But that had relation to his sufferings but when he rose again he was perfected in relation to his people he then became a perfect Redeemer Christ on his resurrection-day folded up his bottom and had nothing left to do but to ascend to his Father and to take his place at his right hand and to give him an account that the glorious work of mans Redemption was now fully finished Christs dying-day was the perfection of his love but his rising-day was the perfection of his work when he sprang from the Grave he threw off the cloths of his own mortality and of our sin Thus the Sun works through the Cloud and makes its own way till it is freed from that dark incumbrance and appears to the World in its sweetest brightness And so our Saviour after a short sleep in the tenacious dust awakes and comes as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber to speak a few words to his Psal 19. 5. Disciples and to take witness of his resurrection and so to go up to his Father ever to make intercession for us And shall Christ compleat his work upon his resurrection-day Heb. 7. 25. our Christian Sabbath and shall we be defective in ours Shall he be perfected on that day and shall we be polluted Surely when we trifle and sin away our Sabbath we never think that on that day Christ put his last hand to the blessed work of our Redemption This will condemn careless Christians when they are so short and Christ so full on his Resurrection-day our blessed Sabbath The Resurrection of Christ was the Conquest of his and our Enemies On this day the seed of the woman did bruise the Gen. 3. 15. Promeruit in cruce Christus sed posteà peregit Zanch. Serpents head and Christ did triumph in his own person over Sin Death and Satan Upon the account of which the Apostle cries Victory 1 Cor. 15. 54 55. On this day Christ spoiled principalities and powers and openly triumphed over them Col. 2. 15. Christ merited Victory by his passion Acts 10. 39 40. but he executed Victory by his rising from the Grave he died a Sufferer but he rose a Conquerour not onely Mat. 28. 18. arrayed with honour and immortality but richly invested Phil. 2. 9. with power and principality and then were the Keys of Eph. 4. 8 9. Death and Hell resigned up to him as the Trophies of his Revel 1. 18.