cattell upon a thousand hills and all the Fowles of the Mountaines are mine Verse 10 11. But yet those Bullocks and sheep that were set apart for Sacrifice were more immediately the Lords And thus all time is the Lords there is not a day in a thousand years nor an houre in ten thousand dayes but to the least minute all is the Lords Yet there is a day so set apart for holy service That 't is THE LORDS DAY I shall reduce things to a threefold Thesis or Position 1. Pos That God hath one day in seven set apart for his solemne service is sure even from the beginning 2. Position That Christ also should have one day in seven solemnely set apart for his service is sure 3. Position That this day viz. the first day in the week which Christians have commonly kept is that day assuredly THE LORDS DAY First God from the beginning did ordain such a day for religious duties a holy Sabbath This we shall consider As first sanctified And after ratified The consecration of it to Adam in Paradise And The promulgation of it to Moses on the Mount 1. God did establish a seventh day for a sacred Sabbath Gen. 2.2 3. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it c. As God appointed Adam his work to wit on the week-dayes to dresse the ground so God provided him a Sabbath a seventh day of holy rest The ground indeed did not then as now need tillage but the first man must be an Exemplar or pattern to Posterity Neither did Adam need rest by reason of any bodily wearinesse in Innocency presupposed but God would have him full and whole to set himself one day in seven to serve him and in a holy communion then more immmediately to meet his Maker which might be unto him a Paradise in Paradise This Sabbath for his souls solace was as the sweetest flower in all his Garden This Seventh day God had bâ—â—ssed and man was bound to keep As there was a speciall Tree whereof Adam might not eate So there was a speciall time that Adam might not break Though he should live without sin Yet he must not live without a Sabbath Secondly God did publish his Sabbath-pleasure more plain to his People upon Mount Sinai Exod. 20.8 9. ver Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy c. Which words as they concern a Set-seventh-day-sabbath so they seem to look towards it with a two-fold aspect Both backward And forward Backward As reflecting upon the Sabbath for meer entrance Such a day already instituted the Seventh day God in mercy had made it holy and man must remember to keep it holy Some especially Popish Writers say there was no Sabbath set before the Lord had proclaimed his Law upon Mount Sinai but all the most Orthodox determine otherwise Besides that in Genesis precited we see Exod. 16.23 To morrow sayes Moses is the rest of the holy Sabbath to the Lord. It appears 't was a preappointed day Forward As directing to the Sabbaths further continuance A day that must be remaining Some would make the fourth commandement to be a meer transient ceremonie to live and die with the Jewish Church But if they graunt that the other nine are morall and perpetuall Then this For 't is comprised among them Yea 't is advanced above them This is set in the middle of all as the very heart of the whole as if the Sabbath on the seventh day were the centre in which all the lines of Gods Law meet Yea this is set beyond them as we may see if we observe with what a word 't is inforced in the preface and with what words 't is inlarged in the progresse Remember it stands at the door to invite Calvin Musculus Zanchius c. 't is a word of great weight as our late VVriters observe And in the precept as we passe the roomes there we meet with many words to welcome The Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work c. As saint Paul said of himself considered with the other Apostles 2. Cor. 11. Are they Israelites So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham So am I. Are they the Ministers of Christ I am more In labours more abundant In prisons more frequent So may the Sabbath-precept say of it self in respect of the other commandements Were they written with the finger of God in stone so was I. Were they put into the Ark safe to be preserved So was I. In reasons more urgent In circumstances more aboundant more particulars pressing practise then in any of the other precepts The whole Decalogue or holy Law of God was delivered in thunder and the loudest and longest clap seemed to lie upon the fourth commandement As if at this the Trumpet gave the largest and shrillest sound to set it forth and to settle it fast So we see God had for his service a Sabbath the seventh day From the creation setled and so to proceed Secondly that our dear Saviour should have such a set day of holy rest and religious labour as relating to him suits with Scripture and agrees with grounds of reason For Christ he hath wrought as God the Father did and Christ is to be honoured as God the Father was First the same works have been done by Christ the Son as were done by God the Father John 5.19 Jesus answered Verily verily I say unto you The Son does nothing of himself but what he sees the Father do For whatsoever things he doth the same doth the Son likewise Did God the Father blesse and sanctifie a seventh day for his sacred service and shall not the Son do the same Is there not a set day which the Son hath sanctified As God the Father rested from his works so hath Christ the Son ceased from his Heb. 4.10 Therefore Christ is to have his Sabbath of rest as well as God the Father in the first age of the world Yea the work of Redemption done by the Son doth it not surpasse the work of the whole Creation Being In it self most precious Upon Christ more pressing and Unto us more profitable First most precious is this work in it self viz. Christs recovering souls above Gods creating the World As mans gaining the world cannot recompence the losse of his soul so Gods making the world does not equalize Christs redeeming the soul To draw men out of an enthralled bondage is more then to bring matters out of a confused Chaos In the former God was to deal with no enemy but in the latter Christ was put to combate with all the Divells in hell yea and to overpower men opposing their own mercies 2. Most pressing was this work to Christ it made his very soul heavy unto the death Mat. 26.38 In this Christ did not onely fight with the Divell but God herein fought with Christ bruised him and put him to grief Isay 53.10 The worlds creation was done without
which does belong to God The Sun must bear the swey of the Day though the Moon rules the Night and though the World hath the predominancy all the week yet 't is meet Christ should have the command of his own day THE LORDS DAY I proceed to a second sort that sinne against this Lords day by not doing on the day what they ought Concerning Sabbath-day-duties we shall consider The kind they are to be of and The place they are to be in For the kind the duties on the Lords day to be done are Of Piety towards God and Of Charity towards men For the place the duties to be done on the Lords day Are in our publike meetings Or in our private dwellings Now persons who do not their Sabbath duties and so sin against this day are of two sorts Some that Idle out the day and do nothing of the duty and others that trifle in the day and of the duty do but something 1. Too many are manifest that spend this holy day in Idlenesse By the Law the Priests upon the Sabbath day were to offer double sacrifice whence Chrysostome collects Chrysost concion de Lazaro that the Sabbath ought not to be a day of ease and Idlenesse but of double diligence in holy exercises In the Gospel even the Lord of this day is revealed not as in an idle but an active posture During the dayes of his flesh he went about doing good Act. 10.38 And the Sabbath was the day of his best and most abundant works as is well observed and therefore this Lords day calls for diligence in the best duties and does not indulge Idlenesse The Jewes use to call the seventh year the Idle year because then the ground lay follow no Plowing or sowing or bringing forth of Corn. Many Christians may call the seventh day the Idle day for then is no praying hearing c. or bringing forth any fruit that is good the whole day to the man and the whole man in the day lyes like the desert dry and barren where no seed is sowen through Idlenesse on the Lords day men they become Most culpable in their sin and Most lyable unto Satan 1 To be Sabbath-idle increases a mans sin Idlenesse is ever evil but never so bad as upon this good day No time is allowed for Idlenesse As of every idle word Matth. 12.36 so of every idle hour a man must give account at the day of judgement and as one upon the place further infers Sâ— pro etioso verbo reddemus rationem videamus ne reddamus pro otioso silentâ—o Ambros de ossic lib. 1. cap. 3. ut nullo die intermittantur certa tempora orandi Aug. Haeres 57. We shall not onely give account for our idle sayingâ— but we must give account for our idle silence for our not speaking when men do not take unto themselves words in prayer and the like but he like the Prophets Idols having mouthes and speak not ears and hear not c. Some religious exercises are every day duties Austin upon that place of the Apostle Pray continually Expounds it See that in no day there be any intermission of certain times for prayer But then from prayer and other holy duties to be idle vacant and voyd on the Lords day deepens the sin because on such dayes Men have best work And most work to do 1. The Sabbath is a day of the best work Most of the week-work is world-work poor in comparison of this That 's like digging in a dark pit this as reaping in a pleasant field As 't is best being with God so 't is best working for God Weekly labour is but bodily labour burdensome labour Sabbath-work is chiefly soul-work and all sweet work Men work on the week that they and theirs may live well in this world a while But the Lords Day-work is our meal for ever Therefore for any to be idle on this day aggravates their sin of Idlenesse Secondly the Sabbath is a day of the most work men on that day should do more in the service of God then all the week besides The Jews did much on their Sabbath Christians are to do more on their Lords Day If we compare Numb 28.9 with Ezek. 46.4 we shall find that the offerings in the time of the Gospel prophesied of were more then those in the time of the Law In Num. we find but two Lambs but in Ezekiel we find six Lambs and a Ram for the Sabbath This signifies that in the settled times of the Gospell Gods Worship upon the Christian Sabbath should be solemnized more fully then in former times under the Law Now for men to be idle when they have most work to do causes idlenesse to become the more culpable and the greater sin Secondly to be Sabbath-idle exposes souls to Satans service hence so many do the divells drudgery and draw the divells cart upon the Lords day When Satan especially in Sabbath time sees men idle and not about any thing that is good then he soone sets them about that which is naught so that upon this day men are most eager to go on the divels arrand though to their own ruin Yea men upon the Lords Day that lye idle they tempt the Tempter and do invite the Divell to their dwellings and as it were ask if he hath no work or what service he will command them They are ready each saying Here am I send me As in supper-time Satan entred into Judas so in Sabbath-time Satan takes possession of such idle ones Some keep the Sabbath like their cattel they go not to plow in deed but nothing good they go about They are in their houses as their horses in ther stables yea perhaps in their beds as their hogs in their styes Or on the Lords Day if they be not as beasts they are as birds that flye from place to place so do they wander from town to-town idly passing away of Sabbath-time Yea 't is with many in this as with the Divells they believe a Sabbath but they observe no Sabbath as they can keep no Sabbath in point of rest so they will keep no Sabbath in point of work Men are on earth as the damned in hell who never are in any religious duties they may be crying for water to coole theie tongues but never praying for grace to change their hearts or for mercy to remit their sins For thousands of idle Sabbaths hath God with some to reckon and let them be fure that as God will not hold them guiltlesse that take his Name in vain so God will never hold them guiltlesse that spend his time in vain Secondly I come to consider such as indeed do somewthat of duty in the day of the Sabbath but of these there are that take up their Sabbath-work Either in some one part of the day Or in some one place for the day The part of the Lords day wherein the exercises of religion ought to lye being both
many thousands murthered But O how exceeding sad is this when people may come to the publike in peace pray in peace hear in peace depart in peace from Sabbath after Sabbath yet loiter at home on the Lords Day I wish empty seats make not way for empty pulpits and that quite forgetting Sabbaths be not the event of slighting Sermons To say nothing of such as desert our assemblies upon the groundlesse grounds of Separation what Atheisme begins to grow in the Land who le Parishes live as without God in the world scarce knowing when a Sabbath comes Help Lord. Now amongst such as sin against the Lords Day in respect of works thereupon to be done Divers things are objected Some against the condition of the work in the day And Some against the continuance of the day in the work The condition of this dayes work considered some object Because any thing of the day is required in publick Others Because so many things in the day are required Some say They can read good books and serve God at home when the Sabbath comes Answer 1. They can but 't is a question whether they will or no. Such as in their houses all the whole week do little or nothing in the worship of God are like to do no great matter at home when the Sabbath comes in the service of God As one well observes that commonly they who forget God in the time of their life do forget both God and themselves in the day of their death So they who neglect God in the week-time do ordinarily little regard God or the good of their souls upon the Sabbath-day Secondly The publike preaching of the Word is of more Soul-concernment on the Sabbath then any private reading at home if we consider Either the precept of God Or the Profit of man Both expresse in that of the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.2 As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Sincere milk of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sermon-milk warm milk from the Mothers brest is best to battle the babe Sodden milk hath not so much spirits therein nor the child that refreshing thereby * Revera fratres nubes sunt praedicatores c. August in Psal 35. Sermon-milk is the best food for spiritual growth Agustin compares the preaching of the Word to the raining of the clouds which more refreshes the corn then if pond-water should be poured out in pailes and buckets My doctrine shall drop as the rain and my speech shall distill as the dew Deut. 32.1 2. Slight not such Sabbath-showres nor misse upon the Lords Day the former or the latter rain Object On the Sabbath in publike I shall only hear another at home I my self can speak to God in prayer Answ In publike thou mayest not only hear but also pray even then when not one word thou speakest A man at home may speak many words yet make never a prayer and a Christian in the congregation may pray earnestly though he speaks never a word 'T is not the speaking of the tongue but the working of the heart that makes prayer * Non vocis magnitudine sed cordis magnanimitate clamandum est c. Clamabat populus et non audiebatur tacebat Moses et audiebatur ille Ambros in Psal 119. One observes how the Israelites when the Egyptian army was behind them and the Red-sea before them they lift up their voyces and cryed out to the Lord yet God did not regard this as a prayer Exod. 14.10 Moses he was silent not one word of prayer appears yet the Lord sayes to Moses Wherefore cryest thou unto me ver 15. Though his tongue was still his heart was hot in holy prayer Secondly he that will not upon the Lords Day hear Gods Word his private prayer is but unpleasing to God 'T is a saying of one of the Ancients God oft rejects his prayer in trouble who in the daies of his peace does despise Gods precepts Deus saepe ejus precem in perturbatione deserit qui precepta illius in tranquillitate contemnit Greg. Mor. li. 5. ca. 36. and so God does but abominate his prayer in private who will not hear upon the Sabbath-day Gods holy precepts in publike He that turnes away his ear from hearing the Law his prayer shall be an abomination Prov. 28.9 He must first hear God that will be heard of God Objection On the Sabbath in publike I may be put upon expence in contributing to some or other in want which by being at home I escape Answ 1. Charity to such as are in necessity is alwaies an excellent duty It makes a man to resemble God who hath never need to receive but is ever most free to give Jam. 1.5 2. For the duty of charity the most seasonable day is the Sabbath * Chryso in 1. Cor. 11. Homil. 43. Chrysostenme observes that the Sabbath is the day when God in his best bounty does most appear unto us and therefore for us to expresse our bounty to others the Sabbath is the fittest day 3. Though charitable duties are fit for every Sabbath yet such occasions are not constant Christians indeed upon those Lords Dayes when they are not communicating to they should be commiserating of such as suffer in the World when they are not in their contributions liberall they should be in their compassions lively In their thoughts they should go forth and look upon the burdens of their brethren remembring those that are in bonds as if bound with them Hebr. 13.3 Object Some Sabbath-work I am willing to do but so many works on the Sabbat be burdensome Answer 1. The more work the more wages The more good Sabbath-seed men sowe the more plentifull crops of comfort they shall râ—ap both in earth and heaven God hath more Sabbath-mercies to vouchsafe then we duties to perform 2. As on this day men have much work So they have much help Scriptures Ministers Ordinances yea Angells yea God himself Father Son and Holy Ghost Our Lord is not like Pharaoh who required brick but withheld straw 3. The work indeed on the Lords Day is large but it is all excellent businesse that well becomes Kings yea and pions Princes have accounted it not onely their duty but their dignity not onely to see that others but themselves also in all holy duties do observe the Lords Day Zozom Eccl. hist si 1. ca. 8. History in the praise of Constantine reports much of this And the Scripture prophesies that Princes in Gospell-times should not abate but abound in Sabbath-day-duties And the burnt-offering that the Prince shall offer to the Lord in the Sabbath-day Exek 46.4 shall be six Lambs without blemish and a Ram without blemish This by type did signifie that in succeeding times the Service of God should be plentifully performed even by the highest of the people upon the Lords holy Day 4. Upon the Lords Day though of duties there be
of heaven hold off the sight of such a dismal day We read Gen. 21.15 16. of Hagar when the bread and water in the bottle was spent and her son ready to famish she went and sate her down at a distance saying O let me not see the death of my child And she looked toward him and left up her voyce and wept When Spiritual food shall faile will not a faithful Minister sit down sorrowfully saying O let me not see the death of my people Yea when holy Ordinances are gone how will other Christian Churches look over to England and lament saying VVe have a sister and she hath no breasts Can. 8.8 These are the deserved effects of our lamentable neglects of the Lords day when men cease from Sabbaths then God makes Sabbaths to cease Hosea 2 11. Men sinfully forget Gods Sabbaths and then God as a punishment causes Sabbaths to be forgotten Lam. 2.6 The Lord hath violently taken away his Tabernacle destroyed the places of assembly and caused the Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion 2. The principal of all precious things is hereby brought to depart even God himself When Gods Sabbaths service and servants leave a Land the Lord goes along with them I read of Nazianzene who being about to go from a place where he had Preached for some time a good man comes crying unto him O Nazianzene wilt thou go away and carry the holy Trinity with thee Father Son and holy Ghost all forsake such as are Sabbath-forsaken the Gospel of God and the God of the Gospel goes together In the departure of the Lords day the Lord of the day departs 2 The positive punishments for Sabbath-sins are considerable Both in their Diversity And in their Severity 1 God does execute divers judgements upon the neglect of the Lords day when God himself with his Sabbaths and service forsake a Land he lets in lamentable calamities and makes men suffer several wayes 2 Chron 15.5 6 7. For along season Israel was without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law And in those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the Countries Nation was destroyed of Nation and City of City for God did vexe them with all adversity Gaulter in Act. 13. Homil. 88. A learned Expositor thus speaks In our dayes even among Christians the Sabbath is sinfully broken that blessed day abused which should be wholly consecrated to God and do we yet marvel what is the cause of our calamities I have heard that in Germany under their woful Wars there was at a time a very great convention sitting to consult what should be the cause of their calamities and the Major part pressed the not trimming of their Churches and adorning them with Images not considering how carelesse they were of the Lords day and the due worship of God The error with us is slighting of all publike places painful Preachings pure Administrations Gods holy Institutions of times and things yet we are not aware that these things work our wo. Let 's look into Levit. 26.2 Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary What if not I will make your Sabbaths to cease and bring your sanctuaries into desolation and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours vers 31. And is that all I will set my face against you they that hate you shall reign over you I will send wilde beasts among you and I will bring a sword upon you and several other sad miseries we meet in the Chapter The like Lamentations 2. The Lord hath violently taken away his Tabernacle caused his Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion and hath despised or suffered to be despised in the indignation of his anger the KING and the PRIEST contempt to be cast upon all that are appointed to rule and govern both in Church and State A great sin a grievous punishment and what further The wall of the Daughter of Zion is fallen her gates are sunk her bars are broaken the LAW is no more vers 7 8 9. Alas O the breaches God makes and bloodsheds God brings for breaking his Sabbaths The Christian world is filled with wars when the Lords day growes dimme When the Sun is darkned the Moon is turned into blood Joel 2.13 2. God does execute severe judgements for the Non-sanctifying of his Sabbaths In general upon people And also on particular persons Jer. 17.27 If you will not hearken to me to hallow the Sabbath day then will I kindle a fire in the gates of Jerusalem and it shall devour the Palaces thereof and it shall not be quenched Fire it holds forth the fierceness of anger evidenced in its most fearful effects The Lord by the mouth of the Prophet threatens fire fire Fire in the Palaces and Fire in the Gates Palaces Places of honour the beauty and ornaments of a City upon these shall be fire Gates Places of power where the strength of a City is laid and where justice is done here also fire Fire in the Palaces No keeping in and also Fire in the Gates No running out A devouring fire round about that all must feel and none can quench and all this comes for not keeping the Sabbath holy See how Nehemiah contends with transgressors against this holy time of the Sabbath What evil is this that ye do and profane the Sabbath day did not your fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon them and upon this City yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath This sin heightens the wrath of God and causes great fires Nehem. 13.17 18. Not onely Nations but Particular persons have also been severely punished upon the same account as ther have been sad instances in several ages men made as monuments of Gods dreadful anger in divers places Tacit. Histor lib 5. Josephus Antiq. lib. 12 cap. 13. lib. 16. cap. 11. Pompey that great Souldier is reported sorely to suffer for defiling of Gods Sabbath and Sanctuary 'T is written of Herod the King who appointing some to pull up the Sepulchres of Gods Saints and to search for supposed treasures therein God made fire to rise out of the earth whereby such as searched were devoured Ecclesiast Histor 12. centur Magdeb. cap. 6. Histories are found full of examples of Gods fearful judgements upon such who upon supposals of earthly pleasure and profit have presumed to pull down the Sahbath of his Son in the solemn service thereof Joh. Fincel lib. 3. de mirac Many make mention of that miserable Woman who upon the Lords day dressing her flax fire flamed out thereof and the third Sabbath it so burned in the house that her children and self was consumed therewith Discipul de de tempore Serm. 117. Another carrying in his Corn upon the Lords day fire kindled in his Barn and burnt it to the ground I have read of many such sad examples Some within doors their brains beat out others abroad their bodies burnt with Lightning and beat down dead with claps of Thunder as some recite Object We see no such punishments in our present times upon persons profaning the Sabbath Answ
their estate to be sinful And towards both there 's a necessity of Sabbaths 1. For such men as are sinfull and do not know it but are utterly in the darke Gen. 1. we find that at the beginning there was darknesse as a black vaile drawn over the face of the deepe but God upon the first day in the week created light which was exceeding good God upon the first day of the week our Christian Sabbath creates that good light which scatters darknesse that before covered the face of the soul and causeth such discoveries of things never before seen 1 Cor. 14.23 24 25. If the whole Church be come together viz. on the Lords day there comes in one ignorant and he hearing the Word is convinced is judged the secrets of his heart are made manifest and so falling down he worships God c. And indeed this is one great end of Sabbaths and Sermons Act. 26.18 2 Cor. 4.4 5 6. 2. For such men as know themselves sinful Sabbath-service is necessary that they may consider how sad it is to persist in known sins Luk. 12.47 Joh. 15.22 24. Jam. 4.17 For some our Saviour sayes Father forgive them they know not what they do but of several we may say Father affright them they know what they do They transgresse Gods Lawes abuse his mercies they oppose his Servants and they know what they do The former need Sabbaths to convince them of the evil they know not And these latter need Sabbaths to convert them from the evil they know Yea to all sorts of sinners there 's such a necessity of these dayes and duties as that there is little likelyhood of any saving good to the souls of such as lay aside the Lords day but they who come not within Sabbath-compasse their case becomes incurable Though a man be never so diseased and sick yet as long as he lyes at Physick keeps his purging dayes and uses good means for health there is hope he may do well but when he neglects his healing time lets his disease run will not come under the Physicians hands then his case growes desperate and dye he must Even so though a man be never so sinful yet as long as he keeps within Sabbath-compasse and comes under the means of soul-cure there is hope he may amend but if he neglects the Lords day leaves off holy duties damne he must 2. For men in a regenerate estate the Lords day is of necessary use Of whatsoever sort we consider them Of such Some are in sins relapsed and Others are in sorrowes distressed All need these Sabbath-helps 1. Relapsed Christians need Sabbath-relief Whether their spiritual decay be In opinion In affection Or practice The service of the Lords day is of necessary concernment to clear truth clouded to quicken love deaded and to introduce the duties of a holy life neglected 2. Distressed Christians need Sabbath-succours Sabbath-Cordials are required for the recovery of fainting spirits and the reviving of drooping dying hearts Again Gods Saints are to be considered either As more weak Or more strong And unto them all the Lords day is a day of deep concernment 1. For weak ones they need Sabbath-supplies Dayes wherein they may draw near and derive virtue from Christ into all their feeble parts Dayes wherein as babes from the breasts of the Lord they may suck in soul-nourishing milk of grace and mercy to breed them up 2. For strong ones they need Sabbath-supports that they may stand fast in their good estate and plight The highest and holiest of Gods Saints ought to be under Sabbath-observance 't is a reserve for heavens priviledge to be above Ordinances and present Administrations 'T is the City of the Heavenly Jerusalem that needs not the light of the Sun neither of the Moon Revel 21.22 While we live as we need the Moon viz. the world with its creatures and comforts for the bearing up of our bodies So we need the Sun viz. Christ with his holy times and things for the well-being of our souls Some say of the time that is spent upon the service of Christ as they said of the oyntment poured out upon the body of Christ What need this waste Matth. 26.8 But as St. Paul said A necessity is laid upon me and woe to me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 So may every one say A necessity is laid upon me and woe to me if I sanctifie not the Sabbath The sanctifying of the Sabbath is as the One thing needfull to Christians in religion and unto the religion of Christians 'T is said of Jacob that his life was bound up in the life of his son Benjamin So the life of a Christian and the life of his religion is bound up in the life of Sabbaths As Rachel said Give me children or else I dye so a Christian sayes Give me Sabbaths or else I dye Religion sayes Give me Sabbaths or else I die The Sabbath is as the soul of Christian-Religion if that departs all becomes as a Carcase upon which the Vermin of corrupt opinions prey 't is necessary then this continue 2. Of losing the Lords day there is danger And here we shall discover The grounds of the losse and The greatnesse of the losse The grounds on which we may see the Sabbath in hazard to be lost and the Lords day in our dayes likely to cease are The sinfulnesse of men and The righteousnesse of God 1. Men being monstrously sinful put upon us this present peril of being deprived of the Lords day to wit Wicked men against us more remote and Wicked men amongst us more immediate 1. Men of the Romish Religion in remote Nations are they not bigg with a design to make our Sabbaths cease As some of the Powder-Traitors 1605. Confessed the cause why they sought to blow up the Parliament-house was because that was a place wherein against the Romish Religion so many Lawes were made And do not Popish parties in all places plot against the Sabbath day because that is the time wherein against their Idolatrous worships so many truths are taught And are not now their hopes high by our present Wars to deprive us of our precious times and things to raise Rome in the ruines of poor Protestant Nations Does not Antichrist crow ovet these Christian Kingdomes as once Tyrus over Jerusalem Aha aha she is broken that was the gates of the people she is turned unto me I shall be replenished now she is laid waste 2. Among our selves how many seek to set us beside our Sabbath-mercies As Both Papists And Atheists Papists Who secretly consult in our chief Cities to lay us Sabhath-waste Jesuits who can cunningly comr like Countrey-men and be seen like Souldiers Citizens Lawyers Preachers in any posture to promote their projects Atheists These like Pharaoh's-frogs are found covering the land and croaking against the Lords day in every Pond in every Parish Men that would have no God for a Sabbath would have no Sabbath for
Heb. 11.35 't is said of some Mothers that they received their dead children raised to life again O what joy would it be to poor Ministers that they might receive again some of their spiritual children as alive from the dead Such things would be were Sabbaths raised in their honour that lye now under the worlds contempt Indeed as the Lord in the Prophet speaks Ezek. 37.3 Son of man can these dry bones live And I answered O Lord God thou knowest Then saith the Lord I will cause breath to enter and the dead bones shall live May not the Lord say Can my dead Sabbaths live Can my dry Ordinances be green juicie and sappy again Lord thou knowest O would but God breath from above and bring his Sabbaths up from below then would come on that FIRST RESVRRECTION O that I might live to see somewhat of this As there hath been a certain day of the Lords Resurrection Oh that there might be a speedy resurrection of the Lords day A day for the recovery of whose life all ought to labour A day for the clearing of whose honour all ought to be earnest A day that above all dayes ought to be had in very high esteem This for the Excellency 3. Let us mark the Commodity that accompanies the well keeping of this Christian Sabbath That the profit may appear Note The Grounds for it and The Parts of it Viz. Out of what it proceeds and Unto what it extends The grounds from which profit by the Sabbath proceeds are Primary and antecedential Secondary and consequential The antecedent grounds through which proceeds Sabbath-profit for several purposes are The pleasure of God for it and The blessing of God upon it 1. The pleasure of God This brings out abundant benefit by the Sabbath This makes the Sabbath-Tree to bear plenty of precious fruit As if we shall enquire upon what account and from what cause there comes such a confluence of all good to be gathered in and gained by Christ the Lord of the Sabbath the Apostle makes it plain to proceed from the good pleasure of God Colos 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell So if any ask after the reason why multitudes of mercies meet in the Sabbath of the Lord 't is because it seemed good in Gods sight It pleased the Father to fill this day with all fulnesse of good fitting for glorious designs 2. The blessing of God This brings benefit and good in abundance from the beginning of the World God sanctified this day and blessed it Gen. 2. Sanctified that is separated the day from common things Blessed that is God consecrated the day to speciall ends Junius observes Juni in Gen. 2. That the Sabbath besides the common blessing it had with other dayes by the law of Nature it had a special blessing above other dayes from the Love of God Gods blessing on his Sabbath As 't is abounding So 't is abyding As the precious portion God hath blessed his Sabbath with Is double So stable Such a Sabbath-blessing as God will never reverse But as Isaac said of his son I have blessed him and he shall be blessed So saies God of his Sabbath I have blessed it and it shall be blessed Whence was it that Joseph was as a fruitful bough whose branches run over the wall c. but that blessing that was upon him from his Father above all his brethren Genes 49.22 26. And hence is it that the Sabbath in the Tree of the week is the most fruitfull bough outrunning the rest of the daies in doing good because beyond all the other daies it hath the blessing of God The subsequent grounds of Sabbath-Benefit are The promise of God to it and The presence of God with it 1. The promise of God This produces profit in the day Precious promises God hath made to men minding his Sabbath Teneamus fidelissimum debitorem quia tenemus miscricordissimum promissorem Aug. in Psal 32. Levit. 26.2 3 4 5. Isay 56.4 5 6. Isay 58 12 13 14. Jerem. 17.24 25 26. Let us but all here seriously consider Gods bountifulnesse in making promises And Gods faithfulnesse in keeping promises made And none need marvel if mercies by multitudes meet in and march out upon the Sabbath-day The work of Gods promises sets a promising God awork 2. The presence of God This is productive of Sabbath-profit As the Angel said to Gideon Judges 6.12 The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour and hence he did great things ver 14 15. thus may it be said to the Sabbath Sicut Maria virgo inter omnes mulieres principatum tenet ita inter caeteros dies haec dies omnium dierum Mater est Hieron de resurrect Domini The Lord is with thee thou mighty day of Honour and no wonder if thereon great things be done or as the Angel saluted the virgin Mary Luke 1.28 Hail thou art highly favoured the Lord is with thee Blessed art thou among women O the wonder of mercy that her womb brought forth And thus may we bespeak the Lords Day with a Hail holy Sabbath thou art highly favoured the Lord is with thee and blessed art thou among daies And O the blessed births that are from this womb And O the abundant benefits that are in and by this Day upon these grounds But I shall passe on to the parts of the profit and discover where in the sabbath-Sabbath-day is so profitable viz. Against Evill And for good First great is the profit of Gods precious Sabbath Against evill things and Against evill ones Evill things Gods holy Sabbath is good against The evill of sin and The evill of punishment First the Sabbath it is good against the evill of sin Iniquity now abounds but O how would sin superabound were this world set Sabbath-free Sin that is vigorous all the week may be upon the Sabbath-day subdued Exod 14.13 Moses said unto Israel Stand still see the salvation the Lord will shew to day for that very day God drowned the Egyptians in the water of the Red-sea c. The Sabbath is the day wherein God saves soules from their sins drowning their corruptions this day in the Red-sea of Christs blessed blood Or if sin does not immediately die yet it may receive such a Sabbath-wound as it shall never recover but as the house of Saul wax weaker and weaker till all comes to an utter end 2. The Sabbath 't is good against the evil of punishment and all kinds of calamities When Judgements desolating are up and down O 't is safe being in a Sabbath-sanctuary when enemies are black and bloody the Sabbath of God will bring the God of the Sabbath to be on our side Luther reports of a Bishop of Magdenburg who being told that a Duke of Saxony prepared warre against him answered My care shall be to reform the Church and amend what is amisse in the Sabbaths and service of God and God
the Sabbath God he makes breaches in mens Government when men make breaches in Gods Commandement The way to keep good Government whole is to keep Gods Sabbath Holy Yea this will bring on obediential respects to governours that are good People that profane and pollute Gods Sabbaths will contemne and reject good Rulers That is a sad case Lam. 2.6 The Lord hath destroyed the places of the publike assemblys he hath caused the Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the KING and the PRIEST That is God then as a testimony of his terrible displeasure did suffer such to be despised Where Sabbaths are not remembred There Superious are not regarded None so soone give to Caesar the things that are Caesars as they who first give to God the things that are Gods Remarkable is Gods Method in the ten Commandements Remember the Sabbath and then the next Honour thy Father whether they be Natural Civil or Spirituall Fathers The way to honour the Father is first to remember the Sabbath No marvell if such as make little of the fourth Commandement make nothing of the fifth Indeed none will make more of the fifth Commandement then they that make most of the fourth We shall find it clear That such as most imbrace Gods Commandements They will best obey Gods Vice-gerents 2. The men this sanctifying the Sabbath is profitable for are Sinners and Saints Men that remain in their finfull estate the Sabbath is good For their conforming in some part For their transforming throughout Through Sabbath-day-impressions some men bad are brought to the outward performance of religious actions As Herod hearing John Baptist preach probably at such appointed times was so far wrought upon that her everenced John and did many good things Mark 6.20 If Sabbaths were laid aside men would not have the face of visible profession nor so much as keep the tongues of Christians but turn into absolute Atheisme yea brutish Barbarisme forgetting the Lord to be God and themselves to be men Christianity would soon cease and not long after humanity sink The Name of God the knowledge of Christâ— civilities among men are all kept up by a Sabbath-support Yea besides such more common commodities some by Sabbaths-meanes are brought to a soul-saving change In that glasse of the Gospel which this day is held up some beholding the glory of the Lord are changed from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 This is the day wherein the net is cast out that drawes many to shore Yea fishes that could never be caught are brought in by a Sabbath-tyde Through the warme beames of a Sabbath-sun some new creatures are ingendred that were before but as filthy dung Such ciences of saving graces are graffed into the soules of some upon the Sabbath-day as that after they prove trees bearing the best fruit who were before but as Crab-tree-stocks Men that are removed into a sanctified estate the Sabbath does exceedingly concern their good That they which are fallen may stand and That they which stand may not fall Such as are fallen through sin are set up through Sabbath-helps The helps of a Sabbath have recovered decayed Christians impoverished places and persons have been relieved by Sabbath-Collections and so by Sabbath-petitions have some had sweet relief who were sunk low in their souls estate Nothing better by way of means then holy Ordinances upon the Lords day to recover soul-Consumptions Some that have been as Aarons dry Rod yet through this dayes blessing have blossom'd and born abundance after of the best fruit Mark 2. we see our Saviour upon the Sabbath day healing of a man that had a withered hand O how many withered hearts bath Christ upon the Sabbath cured How many cast down by the Divel hath the Lord upon this day raised Matth. 12.11 And Jesus said unto them What man among you having his sheep fallen into a pit will not pull it out on the Sabbath day Out of deep pits of Apostasie the Lord hath pulled poor relapsed Saints upon the Sabbath day 'T was upon this Lords day that Paul raised Eutichus fallen down from the third loft Act. 20. O how many in our dayes are fallen from the third loft lamentably lapsed In judgement Affection and Practice Yet we hope that in some of them there is some life left and that the Lord will ere long raise and recover them through tht benefit of this blessed day Others that have not yet fallen the Sabbath is of singular use to settle them fast 'T is conceived by sound Authors from several grounds that our first Parents fell from their created Innocency upon the sixth day of the week the very same day wherein God had made them Should they have stood up and possessed out the service of the ensuing Sabbath they would have been more settled in their obedience and better confirmed for their continuance but Satan subtilly assaults them before the Sabbath or the seventh day comes and so more easily were they conquered and cast down The Sabbath with the service thereof is soul-quickning Saint-strengthening The Christian Sabbath is the main sinew of Christian Religion if this be stopt or obstructed and vital blood does not well passe all the parts weaken wither waste and die but if all passes well in Sabbath-veines then all grows and gathers strength and is more vigorous lively and lasting Sabbaths serve to make the Saints of God more pure perfect and permanent That 's holy which the Sabbath sanctifies and that is strong which rhe Sabbath ratifies and that is blessed upon which passes the blessing of the Sabbath Some Collect from Levit. 22. 27. that the Lamb appointed for the Paschal sacrifice was not allowable before it was eight dayes old And some of the Rabbins render this reason because nothing in the world was to be reputed perfect untill a Sabbath had passed over it but then was a thing clean compleat and blessed when it had gone under the blessing of a Sabbath Yea such is the benefit of this blessed day that as it brings all things to be blessed to us so it brings us to be in all things blessed Isay 56.2 Yea all things that concern our good not onely for time but eternity are brought in at this Sabbath-door Isay 56.5 As Caleb gave his daughter the upper and the lower springs so God hath given his day the good things both of Earth and Heaven Thus the careful keeping of Christian Sabbath is profitable Lastly the Lords day duly kept is delectable For the delights and comforts that do accompany the carefull keeping of this holy day consider Both the persons they are to And the properties they are of 1. The persons to whom the Lords day well kept is a delight are Superiour and Inferiour Persons superiour that herein take pleasure are God and his Holy Angels 1. God himself Father Son and holy Ghost take herein great delight
darknesse might be over all the Land for some few years Those strange astonishing turnings which we have seen in our times whether they tend to the overturning of the holy times and things of God God knows Should we have our deserts and some their desires there would soone be seen a sad sinking of Sabbaths Should some succeed in their designs yet the Day of God might say as the Church of God Mieh 7.8 Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise c. Yea and 't is hopeful it would not be long after its falling before it is rising We are in the last times wherein God as he hath great works to do so great works he may permit men to do yet in all he will have quick dispatches Should the Gospel-Sabbath and the Gospell with the Sabbath be beaten down in England yet mangre the might and malice of all their enemies we have some grounds to hope it would not be long before the Lord lifts them up again The time for the conversion of the Ancient Jews and the subversion of the Antichristian Rome now draws nigh for the batteries of whose external part God will make use of Externall Powers And it appears by consulting Revel 17. that these Nations of Europe who have taken part with the beast and born her up shall beat her down The most Orthodox that I meet make England one of those ten hornes which shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire Now sure it will be England beset with Sabbaths that shall send out and be assistant in this Service When Joshuas shall be forth abroad with their armies in the valleys many Moses's shall be at home in the mount especially on the Lords Day preaching and praying with hands lifted up unto the most High God then shall be the ruine of this Romish Amalek this day drawes near I think indeed it is impossible punctually to determine the time of Romes finall fall except we could be exact in the time of Antichrists first originalls but certain that time does apace approach Therefore should any party acted by the Spirit of Antichrist for a time interrupt the Lords Day and oppresse the precious priviledges thereof yet they shall not long prevail they shall prove but as Athanasius said of Julians power A cloud that will presently passe Indeed should Sabbaths fail and fall in respect of sinfull men as I have said before there would be grounds of great fear that it might be a long time before God returns them but in respect of good men there is and will be good grounds of hope God will shorten that sad time For the Elects sake those daies shall be shortened Matth. 24.22 Our Saviour there speaks of such a sad time as even upon Sabbath-days there might be such dangers that men instead of resting and serving God they should then be running to preserve themselves verse 20. Ai but such a time should not be long For the Elects sake God would cut it short Indeed as the least time of the Lord of the Sabbaths absence So the least time of the Sabbath of the Lords hinderance to gracious hearts will be grievous long Bernard upon that saying of our Saviour John 16. Yet a little while and ye shall see me and a little while and ye shall not see me A little while Lord says he A little while Thou canst not be gone the least while but it will be a long time So the Sabbath cannot cease the smallest season but the time to Gods Saints will seeme exceeding long and therefore that time which in it self and to others would indeed be long God for their sake makes it short 2. There is a possibility notwithstanding the projects of men and perils we are in to preserve with us the present liberties of the Lords Day But then let us observe Some things towards the Sabbath of the Lord And some things towards the Lord of the Sabbath Towards the Sabbath of the Lord let us labour To advance Sabbath-esteemes and To revive Sabbath-decays The Sabbath we ought all to consider in respect Of its worth And its work In its worth let us rise to higher opinions and In its work let us strive to quicker affections 1. Let our opinions rise higher in the worth of the day Indeed with the best Gods holy times are of too low esteemes but with the most Gods glorious Day is covered with great contempt buried in the minds of men under the Tombestone of deep forgetfulnesse or under heapes of base and unbeseeming thoughts Lamentations 4.2 The precious stones of Zion comparable to fine gold how sayes the Prophet are they esteemed as earthen Pitchers the work of the hands of the Potter So may I say the precious Sabbaths of God better then the finest gold how are they esteemed as ordinary week-dayes fit onely for the common work of mens labouring hands But let us estimate this above all other times and things Let God and his holy Sabbath have the highest roome in our hearts and the chief place in the prime of our thoughts The Jewes were wont to call the whole week by the name of the Sabbath and to say Chrysost in 1. Cor. 16. Hom. 43. Hieron ad Hedibi Quaest 4. Theophyl in Luc. 18. Lyra. in eundem Beza in 1. C. 16. 1. Tremel in Syriac Paraphras Matth. 28.1 c. the first second third c. Day of or after the Sabbath and so the Greek in some texts of the New Testament reads it as Luk. 18.12 Mark 16.2 c. This they did as learned Writers observe 1. For to discriminate themselves in calling the dayes of the week otherwise then the Gentils who called them by the names of their Idols 2. For to demonstrate the dignity of the Sabbath-day and that above all the dayes of the week it was with them of the greatest account they had that reverend esteem thereof as to denominate the whole week thereby And ought not Christians much rather to hold up an high and honourable esteem of the Gospell-Sabbath as a more glorious day 2. Let our affections become quicker in the work of the day O how of late hath the Lords day layen a dying through the dulnesse yea deadnesse of Christians in the duties thereof The way to revive the Sabbaths of God is to revive the service of God and the way to revive the service of God is to revive Gods Saints in the service And if that we would have such Sabbath-revivings Therein Let our visions of God be clearer And our approaches to God be closer 1. The clearer upon the Sabbath we can see God the better will our revivings be It is said Gen. 45. that when Jacob saw the waggons that Joseph his Son had sent his spirit within him revived Did his spirit revive when he saw the waggons his Son had sent O what were his revivings of spirit when he saw
good that others do for the People of God 1. God puts into his people for their good gracious Habits Principles of holinesse disposing them to all parts of his worship yea the Spirit of holiness to act up those principles that so his people may be ready pressed and prepared alway to every good work much more for the Sabbath in the service thereof 2. Others as Ministers they prepare for the Sabbath-good of Gods people 'T is fit people should prepare to hear as they prepare to preach Gods faithful Ministers before the Sabbath do not onely prepare matter to speak but they prepare their hearts to speak the matter As Cocks when they are about to Crow they lift up themselves and clap thair wings they may be well awake Thus good Ministers when they are to teach they rouse up themselves and strive to raise up their own hearts and that Gods Word it may be as a fire in their bones Bernard in a Sermon breaks out thus to the people Bern. in festo omnium sanct Serm. 1. To prepare you meat my heart all this night hath been seething within me and in my meditations I have been enflamed as with fire Is it not meet that people be prepared when prechers thus prepare for the people And as for the evil actings of some they are sad There are such who on the Sabbath prepare for their worldly work in the week Calvin complaines of some Christians in his time Let us consider sayes he whether they which call themselves Christians do any otherwise regard the Sabath then thereon to attend their worldly affairs Calvin in Deut. 8. Serm. 34. they reserve to themselves this day as if they had no other to deliberate for the whole week to come c. Upon the Lords day men cut out their work and cast their businesse how to have this and that done upon this and that day 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 3. The profit that will be to our souls by such Sabbath preparance is precious By such a serious preparation our hearts will be well fitted Both with abilities to performe Sabbath-duties And with capacities to receive Sabbath-mercies 1. The duties of the Sabbath will the better and freer come off We shall then with more dexterity agility facility transact the several parts of Gods service A cause why we are so oft upon the Lords day lame in duty drive heavy because we did not aforehand oyl our wheeles inure our selves When David had put on Sauls Armour his helmet sword and coat of Male he assayed therein to go and fight with Goliah but he is at a stand saying I cannot go in these for I have not proved them 1 Sam. 17.39 Thus a Christian when he is to go out in the service of the Sabbath he is so straitened stiffe and bound up he knowes not how to go on in such duties because he hath not proved them or prepared for them We should aforehand put our selves into Sabbath-Armour and see how we can go how we can pray preach hear c. this would much help 2. The mercies of the Sabbath will the larger and fuller come in According to our preparations are our after-participations According to the number and measure of sacks the sons of Jacob prepared and carried with them out of Canaan so were they filled with Corn when they came to Joseph in Egypt Gen. 44.1 According as we prepare our hearts at home in the week-time so our comfortable fillings be when we come before the Lord on his own day He that would have from his field a large crop in harvest-time must aforehand take pains in plowing and well preparing the ground We do not aforehand take preparative pains which is the reason we reap so little in Sabbath-time 2. We are to consider wherein this preparation of our selves for the Sabbath consists Now this work does comprize acts of two sorts viz. Reflect acts on our selves from others and Direct acts towatds others beyond our selves 1. Each man amongst us must act inward upon himself In self-examination And self-humiliation We must diligently examine our selves What sin hath been before the Sabbath And what need we have of the Sabbath Sin before must be found out lest we come to Sabbath-day-work under week-day-guilt If for week day sinnes God be against us when in Sabbath day service we seek to be with God no wonder then if things work crosse The Mariners in Jonah they rowed hard but the Sea wrought and was tempestuous against them and they could not get the ship to shoare till Jonah was found and flung out Thus in the service of the Sabbath we may row hard yet not get ship to shoare heart into heaven by reason of some sin before committed that hath set God against us Yea we must so set into our selves as to discern the necessities that we have of Sabbath-helps Because of the prevalencies of sin And the imbecillities of grace We must also deeply humble our selves and be low in self-abasements Those herbs rise high in the summer-time that in the winter shrink low into the ground Those hearts that in the week-time are laid lowest they rise highest upon the Sabbath day Yea there must be such soul-humblings for sin as there may be sin-removings from the soul else the day of Gods service comes but we cannot serve God in the day Joshua 24.19 Thus before the Sabbath we must bethink our selves commune with our heart and make diligent search with penitent sorrowes 2. We must act onward towards others to wit God-ward and World-ward 1. Towards God we must prepare for the day By consideration of him and By supplication to him 1. God must be seriously thought upon Out of desires to the God of the Day we should long for the Day of God Psal 42.1 2. My soul thirsteth for the living God O when shall I come and appear before God As she said Judg. 5. Why is the chariot so long in coming and why tarrie the wheâ—les of the chariot So let each soul say Why is the Sabbath so long in coming c Amos 8. some say When will the Sabbath be gone that we may sell corn Let us say O when will the Sabbath be come that we may sell all and buy that Pearl When will the Sabbath be come Not that we may sell but onely that we may buy of God wine and milk without money Esay 55.1 That we may buy of Christ eye-salve white rayment and tryed gold Rev. 3.18 O when will the Day come that we may have communion with God Father Son and Holy Ghost As that Martyr with a leap said when he was going to the stake There is but one stile more and I am at my Fathers House A good man on Saturday-evening going to bed leaps saying 'T is but one Night more and I shall be in the
House of God upon his Holy Day Meet God himself in the use of Holy Things 2. God must be seriously sought unto Prayer in this preparative work hath a Principal Task Our Prayer should precede the Sabbath In Sunder If not Together It hath been the manner of some the day before the Sabbath to meet and spend some time in seeking God by Prayer and quickening one another This fervently perform'd would lay a great Ground of a GOOD DAY indeed to follow Melancthon who lived with Luther in lamentable times though his heart was ordinarily oppressed with fears yet finding on a time a company of good Christians together praying Now sayes he there be some good dayes coming Say dayes be evil yet how would this raise hopes in hearts that there be many good dayes coming if the Lords Day this good Day were by a holy prayer duly prepar'd for Indeed for want of prayer-preparation Gods good Day may be as to us an evil Day But upon due preparing Prayer we may safely say of an approaching Sabbath Behold even as to us there is a Good Day coming O pray pray pray before-hand pray that Ordinances may be accompanied Instruments encouraged pray that there may be dischargings of sins enlarging of soules Seek to set our hearts well upon the wheeles Pray that we may be upon the wing in the work Pray sayes our Saviour that your Flight be nâ—t on the Sabbath day Matth. 24. But thus pray that your Flight may be on the Sabbath day to wit from earth to Heaven holding a holy converse with God 2. Towards the world what we are to do in this due preparing for the Lords Day is Sequestration from the Matters of the World And Reconciliation with Men in the World 1. We must make off from worldly Hinderances As Mariners that intend a Voyage to Sea they put the Ship off from the Land so if we mean to serve God on the Sabbath our hearts and minds must be put off from the world Put off thy shoes sayes God to Moses for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground Exod. 3.5 We must put off earthly affections for the Sabbath we are to observe is a Holy Day The affaires and cares of the world we must cast off for 't is not fit with them to come before the Lord in the Day of the Sabbath Joh. 5.10 the Jewes said unto the man whom Christ had cured It is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed because it is the Sabbath day Upon the day of the Sabbath it is not lawfull for to carry about us our worldly minds and matters Therefore from these we must get free before A bird sayes a learned Writer that she may fly Musculus loc comm praecept 4. she flutters with her wings and frees her self all she can from what may hinder her flight And shall not we when we are to come to Gods service on the Sabbath labour aforehand to deliver our selves from all earthly lets who are in our spirits upon the Lords day to be lifted much higher sayes he then birds can fly It was Nehemiahs care when the Sabbath came on to have the Gates of the City shut up that not any might enter in with their burdens It ought to be our course to shut up the Gates of our souls when the Sabbath is at hand that no burdensome cares may come in 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 ever we can well keep the Sabbath Christ hath made 2. We must make up earthly differences before the Lords day comes While we are at a sinful distance with men we shall hardly make any good Sabbath approach to God Some they come to Sabbath-day-service in weekday-malice So that on the Sabbath thougb their bodies be together their hearts are asunder When you come together in one place sayes the Apostle I hear there be divisions among you This is not to eat the Lords Supper 1 Goâ— 11. Though on the Sabbath we meet in one publick place yet if we have our private grudges amongst us and unreconciled dissensions betwixt us this is not to keep the Lords Sabbath If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and remember thy brother hath ought against thee leave thy gift and go first and be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy sacrifice Matth. 5.23 If men unreconciled were unmeet for a legal sacrifice how unmeet then are unreconciled Christians for a Gospel-Sabbath It sets us off from God and gives way to the Divel to end a day in strife and wrath but in an angry case to end a week is worse then to let the Sun go down upon our wrath gives place to the Divel against the next day Ephes 4.27 There is no Sabbath-duty but strife and wrath renders us unfit for unfit to hear unfit to pray I will sayes the Apostle that men pray lifting up pure hands without wrath 1 Tim. 2.8 They that will be swist to hear must be slow to wrath Jam. 1.19 O then especially when the Lords day approaches we should put away all bitternesse wrath and anger and evil speaking and kindly close one with another Did we thus at the end of every week make up breaches distances would not grow so great and Lords dayes would be better spent Thus much for Antecedaneous duties to the day of the Sabbath Let us now consider the dayes Concomitant duties These referre To the entrance The progresse and To the end of the day 1. For the right entring of the Lords day our duty is That our bodies be early up and That our hearts be largely ope Bodies up early A great ground of our Christian Sabbath is Christ his Resurrection upon this day Now Christ he rose early in the morning Before the rising of the Sun our Saviour was risen Matth. 28.1 Mark 16.1 It is the judgment of Orthodox Authors that our Sabbath day begins in the morning when Christ rose Shall a Christ be quick to get out of his grave and shall a Christian be slow to get out of his bed Shall the Lord make haste to begin the day even soon after midnight say some And shall we make no haste when the day is begun When our Saviour saw Zaccheus in the Sycomore-tree he said to him Make haste and come down fot this day I must abide at thy house O the haste that he then made to get down c. Luk. 19.5 6. A Christian in the morning as he lies in his bed should think as if the Lord looked down from heaven saying Make haste and get up for this day I must abide in thine heart and this day thou must meet me in mine house When Abraham was to offer his son in sacrifice to God He rose early in the morning and sadled his Asse and took two of his servants and Isaac his son with wood cleaved for a burnt-offering
on the Sabbath a gracious soul sighs up into heaven Lord I would better break out but my sins beset me I would faster run on but my own heart hampers me Lord I would otherwise serve thee but my thoughs hinder me fears and cares encompasse me help Lord. Unite Not onely the will but the whole soul yâ—â— the whole man and the whole might is knit and bound up for God in every good work body and soul must not lie severed nor any heart in it self scattered 'T was a sad sin in him who upon the sabbath-Sabbath-day gathered up sticks that lay scattered on the ground Num. 15.32 But it is our duty on the day of the Sabbath to gather up together our hearts and thoughts that are scattered upon the earth and wandring about in the world We should say as the Prophet Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me O my soul and all that is within me pray O my soul and all that is within me hearken c. Vnite my heart sayes David that I may fear thy Name So let each soul say Lord unite my heart that I may hear thy Word Unite my heart that I may hold fast thy truth keep holy thy day Fervent The zeal of Gods house and zeal of the Lords day should even eat us up Our hearts should burn within us like fire See what God by Moses sayes to the Jewes Exod. 35.3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your houses upon the Sabbath-day But upon the day of the Sabbath our duty is to kindle a fire throughout all our hearts The fire of zeal fits the service of God On the Sabbath we should go up to God in a Chariot of this fire The force of this fire would carry us into the highest heaven from the lowest earth And from earth to heaven is a good Sabbath-dayes-journey Yea such a burning fire of zeal on the Sabbath would bring heaven as it were down to the earth God into our hearts Exod. 3. we read how the presence of God appeared in a burning Bush In burning hearts in burning prayers appears much of the presence of God 'T was the praise of holy Hezekiah he appointed burnt-offerings for the Sabbath dayes 2 Chron. 31.3 Burning sacrifices for blessed Sabbaths Cheerfull Several of the Ancients much insist upon that care and course which becomes Christians in carrying on the Sabbath more strictly then the Jewes were wont August Enar. in Psal 32. Tom. 8. part Pag. 242. Aug. Tract 3. in Joan. 1. Tom. 9. Ignat. Epist ad Magnes Pag. 57. Hilar. prolog in Psal oper p. 335. Whereas they kept the Sabbath carnally in feasting dancing and sensual delights We Christians must Sabbatize or keep the Sabbath spiritually in holy joyes heavenly contents and religious delights we must feast and dance too but our feasting must be conversing with God our meat and drink to do the will of God Our dancing must be the leaping of soul to see the face of the Lord in the glasse of the Gospel And though on the Lords day we be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse yet we must be filled with the Spirit The comforts of the Spirit are sweeter and better then all the wine in the world and of this we should take our Lords day draughts Cant. 5.3 On this day we should drink wine with our milk eat our hony-comb with our hony be in the Garden and gather Myrrhe with our Spice This is the day that the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad therein Psal 118.24 Psal 42. sayes David Why art thou cast down O my soul why art thou disquieted within me Himself gives the cause His banishment that he could not now go with the multitude to the house of God with the voyce of joy and praise among them that keep holy day Such as can come to God's house upon his holy day should not come with dejected souls but with the voyce of joy and praise triumphing in God Watchful For our Sabbath day watch observe What we are to watch against and What we are to watch for 1. Against the incursions of the Divel we are to watch all the Lords day long That God who will Revel 20. bind up Satan for a thousand years can easily bind him for Sabbath-dayes But yet even upon such dayes Satan is much let loose Job 1.6 There was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them The Sons of God on that day came before God for good but Satan had ill designs to hinder them that would honour God VVhen Joshua the high Priest stood before the Angel of the Lord Satan stood at his right hand to resist him Zech. 3.2 'T was the policy of Pompey Vespasian Titus and other enemies of the Jewes soreliest to assault the City Jerusalem on the Sabbath dayes when they refused to defend themselves Upon Sabbath dayes are the Divels most desperate designs He is ever bad but worst upon the best dayes O watch watch A harming Divel on a helping day 2. For the incommings of the Spirit of Christ let us watch upon the Lords day As when the Dove sate upon the Ark Noah put forth his hand took her in When the Spirit of the Lord begins to light upon our hearts we should presently hand it in Embrace his first motions open and give him entrance otherwise Ordinances will do us little good Gen. 1. We find a dark lump of earth and water but if the Spirit of the Lord had not moved upon the face of the water the world had never been made nor living creatures brought forth 'T is the Spirit upon the Word that causes a new creation living Christians O then when we are under the Word and in the midst of the waters of Ordinances waite and watch for the good Spirit of God Other birds drive away but bid the Dove welcome 3. At the end of the Lords day let us see to our duty lest we begin in the Spitit and end in the flesh Nebuchadnezzars Image the head and upper part was gold but the feet and lower part Iron and Clay In the morning and beginning of the Lords day our hearts have heavenly heat and at evening the end of the Sabbath all is Iron and Clay Hearts hard and cold 't is ill when a Christians affections are as the grasse the Prophet speaks of Psal 90.6 In the morning it flourisheth and in the evening it is cut down dryed up and withered Plutarch reports of a River that runneth sweet in the morning but bitter in the evening 'T is the property of some sinful men if they have done somewhat on the Sabbath in the service of God they are the more bold to sin even before the day is gone like the Harlot Prov. 7.14 18. I have peace-offerings with me this day I have payed my vowes come let us take our fill of love till the morning That very day
Christ 1. The Persons that the Sabbath was for appears to be the praying Saints of God though Jewes by Nation Christians by profession and therefore the day they ought to observe was suitable 2. The season of this Sabbath-day was during that Sabbath which should be at the time of the sacking and sad desolating the City Jerusalem About fourty years after Christs death that dreadful and terrible time came when according to the voyce heard in the Temple Let us depart hence Gods people departed thence to Pella and other places and for the Unconverted Jewes as Eusebius reports whereas they had sold Christ for thirty pence thirty of them were sold for a peny and so many hundreds of them who crucified Christ were crucified themselves in one day that there were not places enough for Crosses not Crosses for bodies Then then were Gods faithful ones fain to fly for their lives yet then were they to be serious and incessant in Sabbath-day-duties then all Ceremonies were abolished And that special day which the Jew had observed being Ceremonial was before abrogated and a seventh day as a holy Sabbath upon an another account then kept and so to continue 2. That which our Saviour saith of himself as concerning the Sabbath we see Mark 2.28 The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath-day Which notes in Christ touching this day two things His Authority for it and His Propriety in it The Sabbath is such a day that the Lord Christ For it gives a special command and In it keeps a special Interest Other time the Lord allots and allows men for their ordinary affairs but this day he reserves as his proper and peculiar Portion Truly may we say of the Sabbath as 't is said of Jacob Psal 135.4 The Lord hath chosen it unto himself for his peculiar treasure Vox segulah significat rem quandam auctam charam sive the saurus fuerit sive res aliae quae cunquâ— His Segullah Time the Lord gives out but this he keeps as his store and as that which to him is most dear THE LORDS DAY Christ he is clearly the Lord of all but especially THE LORD OF THE SABBATH The Sabbath at first considered with other dayes As Christ hath separated it from them So Christ hath elevated it above them Above all dayes he doth estimate this 't is emiminently his And he the Lord of this day It being from him in respect of its Rise And it being for him in respect of its Use Christ was the raiser of it and Christ is the ruler in it This is that high day he hath set upon stable grounds This is that great day he doth guide unto noble ends The grounds on which this day is erected are The Lords abundant care of And His abiding Covenant with his Church and people throughout all ages Such is the care the Lord hath for the spirituall profit of his People and to perpetuate the Practice of Religion as thereupon he appoints this present day Yea and that it might abide he hath bound it by covenant to continue through all generations Vid. Willets Hexapla in locum Exodus 13.16 17. The ends to which this day is directed are The honour of God And The happinesse of man Hence is that Isay 58.13 If thou call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him And hence is that Isay 56.2 Happy or blessed is the man that doth this the son of man that layeth hold on it that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it To say now no more this is that sweet day upon which Saint John had such Soul-ravishing-Revelations in the Spirit I was in the Spirit upon the Lords Day The Use two-fold Of Information Of Exhortation First we are here informed of mens fearful evills relating to the Lords Day viz. Both The sinfull evill they are guilty of The Penall evill they are subject to First to set out the sinfulnesse of men against the Sabbath I shall consider and clearly discover The Multitude of the sinners And The Magnitude of the sin Sinners against the Holy Sabbath are of severall sorts Some sinning against the doctrine of the day And Some sinning against the duties of the day 1. Some that in point of judgment lye crosse to the Lords Day Of such There be some grosse in their opinion And others in their opinion more loose The former deny the day Positively and in whole The latter deny the day respectively and in part Those that do not at all believe the Lords Day are of two sorts Some that more Sordidly declare it Some that more subtilly conceale it 1. There be some that publiquely proclaime their denyall of this Holy Day and of them we may observe two sorts Some that did never better appear in time past And Some that in time past did much better appear Some that have been so Sottishly and abominably bred up that a conviction of the Lords Day they never let in Sabbath-Principles they never laid up And some whose education and profession hath formerly declared their belief of the Lords Day but now run in ranting and riotous waies publishing their opinions against all Sabbath-observance yea are come to scorn and mock at the Sabbaths of the Lord like those Lam. 1.7 Of such what shall I say But declare them utterly unclean because the Leprosie is in their heads I allude to that Levit. 13.44 verse Secondly there be others that carrie Some Sabbath-day-shew they abstain from their ordinary works and meet where some matters of Religion are managed but not from any tye upon conscience or obedience to any divine Authority The Papists upon an Ecclesiasticall and others upon a Politicall account and because of the civill power otherwise in their own opinions they are set Sabbath-free They do not embrace the Sabbath that 's crosse to their inward principles yet they doe not disclaim the Sabbath that may prove their outward Prejudice This is plain hypocrisie in the Lords Day and woe to such hypocrites in the Day of the Lord. I proceed next to consider them that assent somewhat to a Sabbath-day but their assent thereunto is not right and through Of such there be two sorts Some which deny that this is the Day And Some who deny that of the Day which is Some grant the Lord hath a Day for his service but they plead against the first and for the last day in the week the particular day which the Jewes kept to be still the standing Sabbath-day In this is a subtile design of Satan when he sees as Sabbath-men will have he seeks to set it where it may be sure to fall and though about this scruples may be in some consciencious yet the principall Patrons for the Jewish Sabbbath do it out of a secret design to lay waste the Lords Day Conatus eorum tanquam Pestilentissimus est retundendus Musc Loc Com. Part. 1. fol. 148. This made Musculus to
their mad merriments when they are most Jovial vain and voluptuous And were it not for Gods wonderful Patience while they are thus polluting the holy seasons of God it should be to them as to Belshazzar when he was abusing the holy vessels of God In the same hour came forth fingers of a mans hand and wrote upon the plaister of the wall MENE MENE TEKEL c. Then the Kings countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of his loyns were loosed and his knees smote one against another Danniel 5.3 4 5 6. To be sinful upon the Sabbath-day Hieron in Isaiam cap. 5. August Tract 4. in Joan. 'T is an aggravation of sin And 'T is an assimilation of Satan Thus a man greatens his sin by sinning upon the Sabbath a man not only offends against the fourth Commandement but other Commandements by such sins are also violated which makes the offence more deep and double As to be good in evill dayes is that which heightens a mans praise and declares the eminency of his grace so to be evill on good dayes sinfull upon the sacred Sabbaths of the Lord is that which makes a mans case more culpable and his sin the more abominable Thus a man likens himself to Satan who is ever bad but worst upon the best dayes The wickedest act that ever the Divell did was when he met man in the holy place of Paradise and O what sinfull designs hath Satan upon the sons of men when he meets them upon the holy time of Sabbaths Of all sins such Satan is most prone to promote that will most provoke God and such are the sins of the Sabbath 1. Cor. 6.15 Shall I sayes the Apostle take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid so should a man say Shall I take the dayes of Christ and make them the dayes of sin and vanity of gluttony and drunkennesse God forbid Unto God sin is ever offensive but to sin upon the Sabbath does most incense God Ezra 9.13 Seeing O Lord thou hast given us such a deliverance as this should we break thy commandements and joyn affinity with the people of these abominations wouldest not thou be angry till thou hadst consumed us and so as there should be no escape Thus ought men to argue O Lord seeing thou hast given us such A DAY as this should we transgresse thy commands and practise abominations thereupon would'st not thou be very angry c. Chrysost de Lazar. con c. 1. Chrysostome well observes that the Sabbath is the Day God appoints to purge and cleanse men from sin and therefore on that day for men to mix themselves in sin is exceeding sinful Secondly in earthly actings there are those that spend out the sabbath-Sabbath-Day ravelling and running out this rich and precious time of the Lords Day Some upon their worldly businesse Others about their businesse in the world In Sabbath-time are some set upon their ordinary affaires As Sea-water it will not abide in its own banks but beats and eates upon the Land and drownes the dry ground so many mens worldly callings will not keep within their weeks compasse but eate upon the Lords Day and drown up Sabbath-time God in the creation went on through all the works of the World till he had made man and then he took his Seventh Dayes rest and sanctified it how sad is it to see man stay in worldly works and never care to come at God in a Sanctified-Seventh-Days-rest True there are some who though they will not be in the open Sabbath upon their ordinary week-day-work yet they will be about such things as have tendency thereunto We find in the 14. of Luke of some that when they were sent to at Super-time they made their excuse One said I have bought a piece of ground and I must needs go and see and another said I have bought five yoke of Oxen and I go to prove them The one sort did not at that very time purchase their Farme but went then to see it nor the other did not then buy their Oxen but went then to prove them Thus some in Sabbath-time though they are not upon the common work of their Trades yet then they go to see and are busie about the disposing of their week-day-works As God in the Creation wrought out the works of the World in six several dayes but the very first day he fitted and ordered the matter for the whole frame Thus men upon the first day of the week OUR LORDS DAY are busie about the ordering of matters for their earthly affairs in the following dayes All this proceeds from Satan that evil one and from covetousnesse the root of all evil 1. The Divel upon the Lords day when he cannot draw to that which is wicked he will to what is worldly Thereby To augment the sin of man and To prevent the service of God 1. Hereby Satan encreases the sin of man he well knowes those works which are upon the week dayes lawful are upon the Sabbath sinful and so sets men thereupon 2. Hereby Satan opposes and suppresses the Service of God God upon this account requires as Austin excellently notes men upon the Sabbath to forbear their worldly businesse August de civit Dei lib. 6. cap. 11. Idem de tempore Serm. 25â— that they may then be the more free and full prompt and ready for religious service and fot this cause thâ— Divel puts people then upon their earthly businesse that he may beat them off from Gods blessed service upon his holy Sabbath day The Divel does not like diligence in a lawfull calling but upon sinful designs he unseasonably sets men thereupon I could report of a poor woman oft under strong temptations whom I have heard sometimes sadly say she was not able all the week to go about the necessary works of her calling but when the Lords day was she knew not how to keep from her worldly work being violently provoked thereunto True the more common case is for Satan upon the Sabbath to hold men on in their earthly affairs who are eagerly bent thereabout all the week besides As the subtile Serpent said to Eve Gen. 3. Yea hath God said ye must not eat of every tree so Satan subtilly sayes to men Hath God said Ye shall not work upon every day ye may work 't will be for your benefit Yea should Satan be silent to survile work on the Sabbath 2. A principle of covetousnesse puts men hereupon What made Eve to eat of the tree thâ—â— was forbidden of God And what caused Achan to take the wedge of gold that was otherwise disposed and set apart of God but covetousnesse And whence is it that men upon the Sabbath day which God hath separated for himself are so carried about their own common business but from covetousnesse Covetousness Colos 1.5 is called Idolatry This Idol the world it takes up that time of service
that in the compasse of every week one whole day was to be spent in spirituall working for God and a Sabbath to be for holy rest as long as a week of the world last Had Adam in innocencie remained he was bound to God in Sabbath-obedience and is it not more meet that we should be Sabbath-bound in obedience to God Must he keep a Sabbath to God his Creator and we keep no Sabbath to Christ our Redeemer Must not he misse a Sabbath in his compleat condition and may we omit Sabbaths who have manifold imperfections Might not the first Man and the common Father of us all be free and shall any of his posterity plead liberty 2. The Jewes generally were held under the tye of a holy Sabbath Hereof we have greater cause for a conscionable course If we consider Our Sabbaths are fewer and Our mercies are larger 1. The Jewes besides their great Sabbath every seventh day they had several other Sabbaths which they were required to observe Sabbaths of moneths and Sabbaths of years Sabbaths of divers sorts Isay 1.13 Hosea 2.11 We for our Christian Sabbath have onely one day in seven and shall we cease the service of that or in the service thereof be slight 2. The Jewes had not so many mercies as we for engagements unto Sabbath-observance They lost many mercies that we might find them We find many mercies that they never lost 1. Mercies were taken from them for us to possesse They that were the natural branches were broken off that we of the wilde Olive might be graffed in Behold therefore the goodnesse and the severity of God on them severity but towards us goodnesse See Romans the eleventh at large They received their Lo-ammi and Lo-ruhamah that it might be Ruhamah and Ammi to us Hosea 1.6 8. Hosea 2.1 2. Mercies are given to us that they did never possesse The best of them could but look through a lattice and see Christ to come look upon the sacrifices slain and see a Christ to die We may see Christ come crucified raised and set at the right hand of the Majestie on high They had the Gospel vailed in the Law We have the Law revealed in the Gospel They had the promises of things precious We have the precious things promised Shall God to us be more in mercy And shall we in duty be lesse to God We should be stricter then they in Sabbath-obedience because God hath been larger to us in all sorts of kindnesse 3. If we yet further consider our selves the best care in keeping the Sabbath-day is due Other dayes we observe whilest we live We may live to observe but few Sabbath dayes As long as we live there are dayes we duly observe some their Birth-day others their Marriage-day The day of some notable victory The day of a great deliverance wherein we know our selves concerned Our Fair-dayes and Market-dayes that meet us every week upon that day who lyes in bed or lazies abroad are not shops filled and sacks crouded every one in his calling careful And is it not more meet to mind the Lords day in the serious observing of which consists the saving good of souls and mens necessary commerce for heaven and converse with God And long we may not live to celebrate Sabbath-seasons The Wise man Eccl. 3. sayes There is a time to be borne and a time to dye he sayes nothing of any time to live For what is our life sayes the Apostle Jam. 4. 'T is but a vapour that appears a little time and then vanisheth away Mans time in this world is certainly short and how short uncertain and are his Sabbaths sure The dayes of mans life are few and are his Sabbaths many Indeed he that hath not lived above twenty years above a thousand Sabbaths have passed over his head but whether his life will last to the light of another Lords day he cannot say Before the rest comes of another Sabbath on earth we may come to our Sabbath-rest by death Thus we see the Equity 2. Let us see the Excellency of Sabbath-time The honour and dignity of this day is discoverable Both as a holy Sabbath And as a Christian Sabbath 1. This day having holinesse hath honour For what ever God sanctifies and makes holy he dignifies and makes honourable 1 Thes 4.4 God hath much honoured this holy day And this holy day hath much honoured God 1. God hath highly honoured this his holy Day By precious Ordinances in it and By glorious Exercises on it 1. The Ordinances God hath put into the day adds to its honour A ring that is it self gold is of value but put a precious Diamond into it the weight and worth thereof is greater Take a plot or parcel of ground that is it self good yet if there be rich Woods Springs and Mines in it costly houses and stately buildings on it this raises the price Thus is the Sabbath it self holy and highly to be priz'd O but the rich treasures of Ordinances wherewith God hath adorned the day draw up the dignity of it Yea upon the Sabbath day there is not onely some single Ordinance but the Ordinances of God gathered as then there is a meeting of good Christians at the Ordinances So then there is a meeting of Ordinances for the good of Christians Prayer sayes to Preaching Come and help me The Sermon sayes to the Sacrament Come and help me Upon this day they all joyn which is indeed the honour of the day Ahashuerus commanded Mordecai to be dressed in all his brave attire and to have it proclaimed Thus shall it be done to the man the King delights to honour The Sabbath 't is dressed up with all the rich attire and stately furniture of glorious Ordinances that we well may say Thus shall it be done unto the day that God delights to honour 2. Let us see what God for a further honour hath done upon this day Upon this day God hath commanded light to shine out of darknesse brought many a dead Lazarus out of his grave upon this day God hath of stones raised up children to Abraham of Lions made Lambs to God out of sinful men converted thousands of souls to the faith of Christ Upon this day God hath made the blind to see the deafe to hear the dumbe to speak and the lame to walk Whereas the works of the first Creation were all done upon the six dayes and none upon the seventh which was the Sabbath-day All the works of the new Creation are ordinarily done upon the Sabbath day rather then upon any of the six dayes This this hath been the Birth day of many spiritual Kings and Princes Psal 87.5 And of Zion it shall be said This and that man was born in her And of the Sabbath it may be said This and that man was born therein O blessed day Millions of Saints in heaven they blesse this day of God and they blesse God for this day I read of one that cursed
The Lord now leaves men unto that which is worse then punishment to wit sin Both in the time of the Sabbath And out of Sabbath-time O the sad sins of several even upon the Sabbath day Such sins set Musculus upon the fourth Commandement to make a sad moane and Bucer upon the 92. Psalme does bitterly bewaile such sins O that we had some so seriously mourning for we have now many miserably so sinning yea and also at other times Men are in sin when they are out of the Sabbath God leaves men to week dayes transgressions as a punishment of Sabbath day omissions The Lord lets men on the week dayes do the evil they should not because on the Sabbath day they did not the good they should Yea let 's sadly consider our abominable sins Both in judgment And in practice The sinking of Sabbaths is the rising of all errors Hence we note Arminian Socinian Pelagian opinions published almost in every place With our sins against the day of Christ we have sinful errors against the death of Christ against the whole Doctrine of Christ Dignity of Christ Deity of Christ I have found some affirming that 't was a piece of the Divels policy to hinder the Sabbath from being called the Lords day that he might the more keep men from knowing and imbracing the Lord of truth and the truth of the Lord. I dare say 't is Satans design that he might make men vent and advance Venomous opinions against the pure and precious truths of Christ he causes them to become carelesse in keeping the Lords day 'T was observed among the Jewes that when they grew remisse concerning the Sabbath they became corrupt in their Tenents touching the works of God in the Creation And it may be observed among Christians that since men have fallen to soul neglects of the Lords day they have about the works of Christ redemption wax'd wilde in their imaginations yea errors of all sorts hath God suffered as filthy froggs to infect our English air 2. Sinful and prodigious practices are also plentiful in every place As the observation of the Sabbath is that which brings on all the duties of godlinesse cease that and all sinks so the violation of the Sabbath is the inlet of al loosenesse a door to all the works of darknesse what wickednesse will not rise up where the Lords day is down As in the Decalogue the command for the Sabbath is set in the middle being the band of the whole and that which hath an influence into all thus in the Catalogue of Jerusalems sins Ezek. 22. the sin against the Sabbath is set in the midst amongst them as being the main and that through which all the rest move Read vers 7 8 9 10. In thee have they set light by father and mother in thee have they dealt by oppression in thee have they vexed the father lesse and the widow Thou hast despised my holy things and hast profaned my Sabbath In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood in thee they commit lewdnesse thou hast greedily gained by extortion and hast forgotten me saith the Lord God Now for the Lord in a Land to suffer such sins is worse then if he should in an ordinary way punish punishment not being so great an evil as sin Sin is the common cause of punishment In evil things the cause is more corrupt then the effect punishment is the work of God sin is the proper work of the Divel punishment is opposite to the peace and quiet of the creature sin 't is repugnant to the very being of man yea of God himself 'T is sin alone which formally and causally separates a soul from God the chiefest good and therefore is the greatest evil 'T is sins that are Bars in Heaven-gates that there is no entering in and Bonds in Hell flames that there 's no getting out If I sayes Anselme were in hell without sin I should not be kept in and were I in heaven with sin I should soon be turned out This sayes Chrysostome do I think and this I will ever Preach that 't is worse by sin to offend Christ then to be tormented in hell-fire for ever May not we then well think that sin is a sorer evil then any punishment possible And therefore though God does not punish persons for polluting his Sabbath yet in that he leaves them upon this unto other sins their case is a thousand fold worse Yet of such too many are manifest men who on the Sabbath do not regard Gods assisting grace to help them in good God on the week dayes withdraws his restreining grace that might keep them from evil even sin the worst of evils 2. Though God does not in visible wayes punish such men yet he does in various wayes whereof they are not aware viz. Negative and Positive 1. 'T is a punishment that God does not punish them Hosea 4.14 I will not punish your Daughters when they commit whoredome Infignis est poena vindicta impietatis connivere Deum indulgere peccantibus Philo. lib. de confus linguarum c. When God does not punish persons for polluting and neglecting his Sabbath this is a sore punishment Yea 't is a notable punishment sayes a learned Writer and a dreadful revenge when God seems to indulge and as it were oversee sinful men As God shewes love in correcting so he shewes wrath when he does not correct 'T was mercy to me may some man say that I was chastised 'T was good for me sayes David that I was afflicted So every wicked one shall one day say 't was ill for me I was not afflicted 't was a judgement to me God did not correct me The lesse smart on earth the more pain in hell 't is a terrible punishment upon some Sabbath-breakers to break the Sabbath and yet to passe unpunished 2. God sends in sad Judgements for this sin which men do not see as a Judge he smites them with blindnesse of mind and hardnesse of heart for this God threatens Levit. 26. to make the earth as brasse and heavens as Iron Iron-hearts are worse then Iron-heavens If sometimes on the Lords day to the Congregatiō men of hard hearts come yet that word which is a mercy to some is a judgement to them * Quum sanctae exhortationis verba aliamens suscipit alia recipere recusat super unam civitatem pluit Dominus non super aliam Grego in Ezek. Hom. 10. 't is Gods expression in the Prophet That he caused it to rain upon one City and not upon another that is sayes an ancient Writer the same words of exhortation which God as a loving Father causes some to receive
is not all my duties on the Sabbath will satisfie thee nor is it thy Sabbath with all its duties or mercies can satisfie me except thou give me thy SELF Now such as in the Sabbath seek God giving himself unto them and in the Sabbath seek to give themselves unto God Oh how well pleasing is this In Cains sacrifice God took no content but to Abel and his offering God had respect August de civit Dei lib. 1. cap. 7. Gen. 4. Austin renders this reason Cain gave some sacrifice but not himself unto God Abel offered up himself to God with his sacrifice O how sweetly does God accept such in the service of Sabbaths though in Sabbath-service such cannot find sweet refreshings from God Gods face towards them hath smiles in it although a vail over it Though Gods mercy is not perspicuous to them Yet their duties are wel-pleasing to God Object Ai but alas I cannot believe it and whosoever is not in the faith cannot please God Answ It is very requisite here to distinguish Between the state of faith And the acts of faith True it is not possible a person should please God that is not set into a state of faith but God may possibly be pleased with a person that does not move in some acts of faith A true Christian though all the Lords day long he hath no fiducial acts as are comfortable to himself yet he doth such obediential acts as are acceptable to God 5. All those that are faithfull in performing upon the Lords day their duty though comfortable successe Is not sensible for present Yet 't is certain for future 'T is the fault of some Christians as Luther upon Esay 54. and vers 7 th observes that they will close with nothing learn nothing meditate nothing hear nothing see nothing but what suites with present sense and according to what feeling affords Feeling and sense set aside faith in the Lord as well as obedience to the Lord especially upon the Lords day should be drawn out so as that what comfort we cannot by sense perceive we should by faith believe Because we suddenly see not our selves successeful in our services shall we think God is unfaithfull in his promises In promises God hath engaged himself certainly to reward a good man for all that good seed which he upon the Sabbath sowes Vnto him that soweth righteousnesse shall be a sure reward Prov. 11.18 A Christian sincere every Sabbath day he sowes the seed of joy and God will assuredly reward him with the sweetest fruits of joy And though he hath not comfort in his way yet he is in the way of comfort For as God hath bound man to transact Sabbath-duties so he hath bound himself to vouchsafe Sabbath-mercies And though upon this day mans discharged duties may not leave in his soul the sense of sweet delight yet Gods engaged mercies they lay the sure grounds of sweet delight in his soul And as none shall receive the mercies but who performs the duties So whoever faithfully performs the duties shall assuredly receive the mercies And the lesse mercy good men meet for present the more is to come Many men upon the Lords day do the works of the Devil yet for present they have no punishment of body no perplexity of soul Ai but there is the more terror and torment to come So there are some of Gods Saints most serious in the service of the Sabbath that yet have no sensible peace no soul-satisfying comforts There is the more plenty of peace and comforts to come Christ in the great work of mans Redemption by his death and sufferings his soul was in sorrowes yet there was joy set before him Heb. 12.2 Looking to Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the joy set before him endured the Crosse despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God Christians who seek to sanctifie the Sabbath yet can see nothing but their own sadnesse and badnesse however there is joy set before them which may support them against all despondency and encourage them in the course of their duty Luk. 5.5 6. Master sayes Simon to our Saviour we have fished all night and caught nothing neverthelesse at thy Word we will let down the net And when they had this done they inclosed a great multitude of fishes Expositors observe how they fished in the fittest place to take Aretious Hemingius Maldoâ—at in locum viz. the deep the fittest time to take viz. the night yea all night but nothing caught however they go again to work and afterward even with the same net and in the same waters where before they could find nothing they have a very great draught insomuch as their ships were filled with fishes It is the sigh and sad saying of some of Gods Saints Lord we have laboured all the day many dayes and yet got no good in private in publick upon the Sabbath time and place probable for soul-peace and profit yet no successe however let them seek again the next Sabbath in the same Ordinances and by the same Ministery they may find that which will fill their souls with refreshing comforts Abraham when he eyed God and did not meditate his own oldnesse nor the deadnesse of Sarahs womb then he had a son born an Isaac whose name signified laughter joy joy O let none of the sons or daughters of Abraham sit thinking of the late deadnesse of the Sabbath-womb how few births have been brought forth for God upon this day nor so sit thinking of the badnesse and barrenesse of their own hearts as to break off or not to bear up in the businesse of this blessed day Yet Sarah may be fruitfull and an Isaac may be born yet the Sabbath may be successefull and their souls joyful O brethren yet be stedfast immoveable abiding and abounding in the Lords work upon the Lords day your labour shall not be in vain 1 Cor. 15.58 Lastly for them that have drunk deep of the sweetnesse of Sabbath-successe but now find some bitter drops to fall from thoughts of fear lest the present publick use of Sabbaths should cease Let such consider 1. That if in the Land our publike liberties on the Lords Day should be lost and the Sabbaths of God be as it were carried into captivity yet it would not be long before their return Touching that great Question about which are such various apprehensions Whether the witnesses or no be as yet slain should we determine the negative yet after their death it is not long before their resurrection will be Revel 11.11 And then dead Ordinances dead Christians dead Sabbaths will be assuredly raised to their primitive life and lustre O let me not live to preach the Funerall Sermons of Englands Sabbaths that would be a dark day When as the Lord of the Sabbath dyed darknesse was over all the Land for some few hours And should the Sabbath of the Lord die
and hopes have been down and dead yet then to look back and call to mind mercies of old tracing the former foot-steps of God in their soules looking up and reading over the Lords love letters long since sent and then comes quickening life into their hopes and hearts Psal 77.5 6 7 8. Lam. 3.18 19 20 21 22. And though these gracious actings may be at other times yet I appeal to the most experienced Christians whether they have not found themselves best bent about such Soule-work upon the Sabbath-day 2. Direct actings Upon the day of the Sabbath the soules of Gods Saints may be set a work Onwards towards the People of God and Upwards towards the God of his People In grace admirably acting towards their Brethren Both in sufferings scattered And in service assembled 1. Where ever a good mans body be found or fixed yet in spirit he goes visiting his fellow-servants in prisons and the forreign Churches of Christ in all their afflictions Beza reports of Calvin That he was so tenderly affected to Christian Churches remote as if he had carried them on his shoulders or born them in his bosome often sighing out Vsque quo Domine How long Lord more lamenting the Churches calamities then his own adversities Thus the holy Apostle 2 Cor 11.28 29. Besides those things that are without viz. severall sad afflictions upon his own body that which cometh upon me daily more then all the rest the care of all the Churches Who is weak and I am not weak Who is offended and I burn not c. Yea and in such Christian compassions to others in affliction Gods dear Saints are most deep upon that day wherein they see their own sweet liberties priviledges and Gods precious things peaceably possessed 2. Where ever a good mans body abides yet in soul he will be sure at some place in which Gods People publikely meet for Sabbath-service David when in body he was banished and lay hid in the Land of Hermon yet he was in spirit at Jerusalem and went with good people to the Temple for the service of the Sabbath My soul sayes he thirsteth for God for the living God Oh when shall I come appear before God viz. In body also When I remember these things I pour out my soule within me for I had gone with the multitutde I went with them to the House of God with the voyce of joy and praise with a multitude that kept Holy Day Psal 42.1 2 3 4. The Jewes that were bodily at Babylon yet in soule they kept their Sabbaths at Jerusalem Psalme 137.5 6. Jonah though his body was in the bottom of the sea and belly of the Whale yet in spirit he was in the Temple at Jerusalem Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again towards thy holy Temple Jonah 2.4 Though the body of Saint John was a prisoner at Patmos an Island as some write near Affrica yet was he in spirit with the Churches of Christ at Asia and with them he kept the Lords Day When Saint Paul was in body at Philippi yet in spirit he was with Gods Saints in their assemblies at Corinth I verily as absent in body yet present in spirit have judged concerning him that hath done this deed in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ when viz. on the Lords Day ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one to Satan c. So when he was in body at Rome yet in spirit he was with Gods assembled Saints at Colosse Though sayes he I am absent from you in the flesh yet I am with you in the spirit rejoycing to behold your order viz. in their Church-assemblies c. Colossians 2.5 But above all are the soules Sabbath-actings in Grace God-ward Though the body is then carried out by the soul Yet the soule to God is then carried beyond the body A mans soule is then so set as that it incites the body and the body is so brought on that it sayes to the soule as Ruth to Naomi Whither thou goest I 'le goe where thou stayest I will stay thy God shall be my God and thy people my people nothing but death shall part thee and me As Joseph and Mary went together to seek Christ So on the Sabbath soul and body in publike and private go together to serve God Even upon week-dayes when the body as Martha is about worldly and household-businesse the soule as Mary sits at the feet of Christ But upon the Sabbath when they be both serving of God yet the soul does the most and the best work Body and soul are upon the Sabbath as those two Disciples that went out to Christs Sepulchre but the soule is as that Disciple which out-ran his fellow John 20.4 It comes quickest in and closest up to Christ Yea. suppose the heart and mind of a good man may all the week-time be as a boat that beares upon the ground yet upon the Sabbath the soule may be set as a boat upon a strong stream and goes as a Ship full saile for God In meditations of him And applications to him O the admirable meditations this day on God! The mind that in the week hath been as the foot of Jacobs ladder standing upon the earth upon the Sabbath the soule hath been as the top of that ladder reaching up to heaven in high thoughts of God One observes of the Virgin Mary Hieron Epist 17. when the holy Ghost had over-shadowed her and that holy thing was conceived in her womb she arose went up into the hill-countrey Luke 1.39 When the holy Spirit comes upon the soule of a Saint and holy thoughts are conceived in the heart O how the mind mounts up hill to God in heaven Such a soule-frame is most frequent in Sabbath-time And O the close applications this day made to God In prayer and In praises A good Expositor gives this glosse upon what the Apostle does here expresse Vid. Aret. in Locum I was in the Spirit That is he was in prayer upon the Lords Day It is one thing to be at prayer And another to be in prayer There is never a day comes over a good mans head but he is at prayer Bernard in Fâ—st Pen-Pentec Serm. 1. but to be in prayer on the Lords Day that is more Not only praying by the Spirit but in the Spirit of prayer Prayer does not onely ascend to God from the soule but the soule it self ascends to God in prayer In prayer wrestling with God and With God reasoning in prayer So that such beames break out Greg. Orat. de laudib Basilii as make the mans heart burn and his face shine It is reported of Basil that the Emperour Valence coming in upon him while he was in prayer he saw such lustre in his face as struck him with terrour that he fell back Luk. 9.29 And Jesus went up into