enough for vs to forbeare our works and so to keepe it idly but we must rest to keep it holily therefore it is called a holie Sabbath and a holy rest and here remember to keepe holy the rest It is true that the first thing that is here commanded is rest but it is not the principall thing Rest is but the huske but sanctification is the almond rest is but the shadow but sanctification is the bodie rest is but the meanes but sanctification is the end and if wee doe but cease from our labours and do no good it is nothing but the oxes Sabbath if we come to Church for nothing but to sleepe that is Eutychus Sabbath if wee cease from our labours and follow riotousnesse that is worse that is the golden calses Sabbath they sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play Exo. 32 or if we keepe it onely vpon constraint that is the Princes Sabbath and not Gods Lament 1. 7. it is said that the enemies of the Church of God seeing their Sabbaths they laughed at them how iustly I know not but this I am sure if the diuell see vs keepe such Sabbaths he wil laugh at them but the Lord will say Goe your waies I know you not nor your Sabbaths and Who required these Sabbaths at your hands Esai 1. 12 13. It behooueth vs therefore to doe that which hee exhorteth vs vnto in so many places of the Scripture namely to sanctifie his Sabbath § Sect. 2 But here I know it will bee demaunded how is this day sanctified seeing all daies are alike and What it is to sanctifie a thing one hath no more holinesse than another in themselues The bread and the wine in the Lords Supper haue no more holinesse in them of themselues than other bread and wine the water in Baptisme is in it selfe but as other water the trees in Paradise of life and of the knowledge of good and euil in themselues were but as other trees what is it then that maketh them holier namely this that they are put apart from other things vnto a holy vse and so are the bread and wine holie in the Lords Supper so is the water in Baptisme so were the trees in Paradise so were the Priests holie so were their garments holie so was the Temple holie and so is this day holie But this way the day is rather said to be holie in regard of the institution which is from God who hath only power thus to sanctifie but there is another holinesse which is in the obseruation and in that respect wee are said to keepe it holie The manner of which sanctification the Prophet Esay expresseth thus If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will vpon mine holy day and call the Sabbath a delight to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shalt honour him not doing thine owne waies nor seeking thine owne will nor speaking a vaine word then shalt thou delight in the Lord c. Esai 58. 13. In all which words hee doth nothing else but set downe the keeping of the Sabbath And first to shew the rest of this day he cals it a Sabbath Secondly to shew it must be sanctified hee calleth it his holy day Now as touching the rest of this day first he requireth a bodily rest of thee to turne away thy foote from it that thou breake it not viz. by any bodily labour Secondly hee requireth a spirituall rest from sinne also thou must not doe thine owne will vpon it Hauing thus shewed the rest then he sheweth the sanctification of this rest First it must bee called a delight so that we must take comfort in the approching of it and our hearts must leape within vs as the babe did in Elizabeth at the approching of Mary For this is the day of our prouision this is the market of the soule wherein we must furnish our selues of that spirituall Manna the foode of our soules in the strength of which wee must walke all the weeke following as Elias did after his refection by the Angell Secondly it must not bee our delight as some delight in that day to spend it on their lusts but it must be a delight to consecrate it and that not vnto our Whitson Lords and Ladies vnto our groues and hill-altars vnto our May-bowers and shreenes of pleasure not vnto our Theaters to gaze in nor vnto our fields to walke in but it must be consecrated as glorious vnto the Lord. And therefore as Hanna desired her sonne that she might offer him vp vnto the Lord 1. Sam. 1 so must we this day that wee may consecrate it vnto the Lord. Lastly because the nature and propertie of things consecrate vnto the Lord is that they may not be other waies imployed than vnto his honour and vse therefore hee addeth that thou shalt honour him vpon this day to serue him and to giue worship vnto his name and that wee may the more safely keepe it he shewes how wee breake it For danger is not well auoided vnlesse it be foreseene and knowen he setteth downe therefore three things which must be looked vnto that wee breake not his Sabbath our workes our thoughts and words and first for our workes wee must not doe them not doing saith he thine owne waies Secondly for our thoughts wee must not thinke them thought is not free neither are our tongues our owne for wee must not speake a vaine word So then to conclude will you know who keepeth holie the Sabbath Esay telleth you he that keepes the rest of this day that keepes it as the Lords holy day that cals it his delight that consecrateth it as glorious vnto the Lord that doth not his owne waies that thinketh not his owne thoughts that speaketh not a vaine word he is the man that keepeth the Lords Sabbath and he it is whom the Lord wil honour and make to mount vpon the high places of the earth and heauen also § Sect. 3 Hitherto hath the Prophet giuen vnto vs the true patterne of a Sabbath which euery Christian is bound to obserue as being both the summe of this and the same with this precept of the Sabbath which we haue in hand the keeping of which holy consisteth in the performance of the duties of holinesse which are of three sorts publique priuate or mixt of all which wee will seuerally speak and first of the publique And because these duties cannot bee well performed without the helps and meanes conducing thereunto wee will therefore first shew the things required to the performance of these publique duties which are in this precept commaunded as well as the duties themselues and they be these foure First that we assemble our selues for there can be no publique exercise without a publique assemblie Secondly that the assemblie must bee timely Thirdly our demeanour whilest we be in the assemblie And fourthly our continuance in the assemblie § Sect. 4 And first that vpon the
thou rather disobey God than chastise thy sonne Yea haddest thou rather let him stand vnder the heauie wrath of God which burneth vnto the bottome of hell for breaking his Sabbath than to correct him then woe worth the time may thy childe say that euer hee knew the that lettest him thus to die for want of correction And this much shortly concerning the duties of parents towards their children in compelling them to keepe the Sabbath § Sect. 3 The next dutie is of Masters towards their seruants who are so farre foorth bound to see The master must see that the seruant keep the Sabbath their seruants keepe the Sabbath as themselues For God will haue them his seruants aswell as theirs and to doe his businesse vpon the seuenth day aswell as their masters vpon the sixe daies And this in truth wee ought to doe if not in this regard that God commaundeth vs whose commaund should be of greatest authoritie with vs yet at least that we may shew our selues good gouernours and that we gouerne them as tendring their good ouer whom we are set and wherein can we more tender them than in bringing them vnto the knowledge of the chiefe good euen vnto the sauing knowledge of God in Iesus Christ And if we will not yet gouerne as tendring their good yet at least let vs doe it as tendring our owne for be yee well assured that he that is not faithfull to God will neuer be faithfull to thee and that hee that will not serue God truly will neuer ferue thee truly Well hee may serue thee so long as thine eye is vpon him but when thy backe is turned his seruice is ended But the seruant that feareth the Lord will be as faithfull vnto thee when thou lookest off as when thou lookest on for hee knowes well that a greater than thy selfe looketh vpon him to whom hee must answere for his seruice done to thee Let this therefore at least teach thee thy dutie to thy seruants Yea but will some Master say my seruants wil not thus be held in by you No will who holds them in then to their worke in the weeke daies If any shall then start aside from your businesse you will easily finde meanes to inforce him and can you finde no meanes to inforce him to Gods businesse Yea but they will not vpon the Sabbath bee held in but they will then haue their libertie Then let them haue it altogether and discharge them For wilt thou haue him that will not serue God to serue thee thou oughtest at least to be as carefull for Gods seruice as for thine owne Now thou wilt not keepe a seruant that will not faithfully doe thy businesse how much lesse then shouldest thou keepe one that will not serue the Lord Dauid would neuer haue done it for saith he a wicked person shall not dwell in my house Psal 101. Yea but how shall my worke bee done then Get thee such seruants as doe feare the Lord that was it that Dauid purposed first with himselfe Mine eyes saith he shall be vnto the faithfull of the land And He that walketh in a perfect heart he shall serue me vers 6. ibid. And they indeed bee the best seruants for they serue not with eye seruice but as the seruants of Christ as seruing the Lord in thy businesse and not thee Ephes 6. 6. Yea but wee cannot get such It may be so because you do not walke as Dauid did in the middest of your house with a perfect heart vers 2. Therefore they will not dwell with you which if you did you should not neede to seeke for seruants would seeke you fast enough Yea if you did so walke by Gods blessing though you did not finde them such yet you would make them such but this is the miserie of it our seruants must bee sent abroad euery Sabbath in errands and trifling businesses riding and running and posting as if it were for life as if it were on other daies in the weeke as if no commandement were from God to the contrarie So our owne turnes be serued wee care not how God be serued wee shew thereby that wee loue our selues more than God And our seruants seeing vs not to make conscience of Gods businesse they grow to make as little conscience of ours especially they being by this meanes depriued of the benefit of the word whereby they should bee taught better to discharge their duties towards their masters And thus much for that that the master ought to see that his seruant keepe the Sabbath And as this instructeth the master in his dutie to his seruant so also it containeth in it matter of comfort for the seruant For they may hence obserue the kindnes and loue of God towards him that notwithstanding their seruitude yet hee is mindfull of them they think poore wretches that because God hath laid this state of seruitude vpon them therefore hee regardeth them not no no it is not so but he thinkes vpon them and remembers them euery Sabbath vouchsafing as it were to looke downe from heauen vpon them in giuing them a rest promising them as it were in that rest that one day they shall thoroughly rest from their labours and rest with him in heauen where they shal be no more in seruitude but shall be the Lords free men Therefore you seruants thinke of this and learne to serue him on his Sabbath that hath not alone in his flesh serued you but will assuredly in that flesh saue you and giue you a perpetuall rest if you serue him And behold this he requires at your hands then doe it for you cannot serue a better master Lay aside then your foolish vanities your idle delights and impertinent sports be no more the seruants of sinne but as in the whole course of your liues so on this day especially bee yee the Lords seruants loe hee offers it Now who is it that would not serue his Prince if he might but their seruice is nothing to this for euen Princes themselues sue to bee Gods seruants as Dauid though it were but in a meane place as to bee a doore-keeper yet he would thinke himselfe happie let this therefore be your resolution to serue the Lord. You will say peraduenture you would but you cannot your masters lay such burthens vpō you And surely this I know many masters lay greater burthens vpon their seruants on the Sabbath than in any daies of the weeke besides they deale therein like Pharaoh when the people desired to go to serue the Lord then he laid more worke vpon them Exod. 5. 9 so when they should goe to heare the word of the Lord then they lay more businesse vpon them In this case what shal the poore seruant doe shall hee doe Gods businesse or his masters Surely whether it be better to obey God or man masters iudge you Act. 4. vers 19. Though neither herein doe I intend to exempt the seruant from being subiect to his master
againe vnto life and liuing to giue thee euerlasting life and with it al happines all which he doth assure thee of when he calleth himselfe thy God then I say keepe his Sabbath For this hee requireth at thy hands who is thy God and hath done all these things for thee in becomming thy God And thus much for the motiues that this reason containeth in it to perswade vs to keepe his Sabbath § Sect. 2 One doctrine hence I note in that he saith it is holy vnto the Lord wee are therein taught to whom to consecrate holy daies namely vnto the Lord. Therefore Isai 56. he calles the Sabbath his holy day and Ezech. 20. 12. his Sabbath So doth he call the place of his worship his house Luk. 19. 46. And indeede being his seruice is there and then performed and that he wil haue no partners therein for he will not giue his glorie vnto another Isai 42. ought not the day and so the place to be consecrated onely vnto him The more shame then for the Papists that consecrate daies and Churches to Saints Angels Apostles Martyrs men women of which their Callender containeth aboue an hundred certainly they are herein worse than the Israelites for though they set vp an Idoll yet they would not consecrate a day vnto it but they said to morrow is holy vnto the Lord Exod. 32. 5. not vnto the Idoll but these institute daies vnto them yea and powre foorth prayers vnto them Heare vs Mary and pray for vs Peter c. But doubtlesse did these Saints know it they would crie out as in the Psalme 115. 1. Not vnto vs not vnto vs O Lord but vnto thy name giue we the glory Yea I say howsoeuer these men giue this worship vnto them did they know it they would euen rend their long white robes in an holy zeale as Paul and Barnabas did their garments and they would crie out vnto them from heauen as those did to the Idolaters vpon the earth O men why doe ye these things Act. 14. 15. But what needed they when as their practise in the Primatiue Church standeth vp against them There were I am sure holy men in olde times Patriarkes and Prophets yet did neither Christ nor any of his Apostles euer institute any day or make any prayer vnto them Which doubtlesse they would haue done had they held it a matter meete to bee done onely when they did consecrate a day they called it the Lords day being lead thereto by this in that it is called the Sabbath of the Lord thy God And thus much as concerning the second reason CHAP. III. The third reason is taken from Gods example who rested the seuenth day Sect. 1. Wherein we are to imitate God and wherein not Sect. 2. How God can be said to rest Sect. 3. The vse of these words Sect. 4. § Sect. 1 THe third reason followeth to be considered in these words For in sixe daies the Lord made heauen and earth c. And it perswadeth from an example of the like thus That which I did for thine example thou oughtest to doe the like but I laboured sixe daies and rested the seuenth for thine example and therefore thou must doe the like So that the force of this reason standeth in the example of God himselfe the best president that the world or word it selfe can yeeld Now of what force examples are wee see in that men are lead by example rather than by law and hold it a good warrant for the doing of any thing for that others doe so but if they be great ones that doe it then it is put out of question For would such men doe so say they if it were not lawfull Now God seeing men so to be carried by example and that this commandement is so commonly broken by the example of great mē especially who esteeme of the Sabbath but as of another day therefore he opposeth against their examples his owne example who is higher than the highest of them whose breath is in their nostrels and his example alone is able to waigh downe all the examples or reasons that can bee brought to the contrarie And if a man will be lead by example it is meete he should be lead by the best example and if it may be by such an example that cannot erre Now all the examples of men be they neuer so holy haue much weaknes in them and in one thing or other they misse Let vs make proofe of some of the best of them As for example Salomon had a wise and an vnderstanding heart so that there was none like neither before nor after him 1. King 3. 12. a very high commendation yet hee had his blemish he loued outlandish women 1. King 10. 1. Asa did right in the eyes of the Lord but will you know his fault he put not downe the high places 1. King 15. 14. Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart that did what was right in the sight of the Lord and turned from nothing that he commanded all the daies of his life yet in one thing he is chalenged in the matter of Vriah the Hittite 1. King 15. 5. So then wee see the best men come short and in many things wee sinne all I am 3. 2. And therefore the best dare propose themselues for examples to be followed no further than they follow Christ 1. Cor. 12. 1. If a man be iust another may be as iust as he if a man be learned another may bee as learned as he if a man preach well another may preach as well as he if a man write well another may write as well as he and often we see the scholler to exceede the master Now if these be the best examples we can propose vnto our selues then the best come short of that they should be and another man may possibly doe as well as they and so he may haue occasion of boasting but God his example is an example propsed without example it is so exact so full and so absolute that all the world cannot yeeld the like example neither can a man take any exception against it and therefore this is an example aboue all to bee followed And this his example hee so proposeth here as first setting it downe for a law and then afterwards keeping the same law in his owne person so that if either law or example will doe any thing with vs hee would by both of them perswade vs to keepe the Sabbath Nay further whereas in the other commandements you shall not see the example of God obserued in the keeping of them yet in this one you may obserue a double example giuen by God For twice in the Scripture his keeping of the Sabbath is obserued first in the beginning when he created the heauens and earth then hee rested the seuenth day Secondly when hee rained Manna in the wildernesse euery day yet when the Sabbath came he ceased Exo. 16. 26. 27. Well then hath the
prepare thy selfe before it come for thou art forgetfull that there is any difference betwixt this and other daies therefore saith he remember This is as it were the first stake Secondly he doth not only giue this commandement but he afterwards explaines it to the full sheing not only what workes are forbidden vpon this day to be done but also vnto whom and why Thirdly least thou shouldest bee drawne away by the example of great men to breake it hee sets before thee the example of him that is higher than the highest who did keepe it God himselfe did keepe it A rare example and a thing that he specisies not in any of the rest nor scarce againe in the whole Scripture so that in these three things this commandement is alone and neither these nor the like things may be found in any of the rest expressed You must thinke God had a meaning in it and what else can it be but that hee would haue this commandement vnderstood and remembred as being most necessarie for vs to know because vpon this day we are taught how to walke in the obedience of all the rest Which that wee may the better attaine vnto let vs see what things offer themselues in this commandement to be examined and considered of CHAP. II. The diuerse kindes of Sabbaths Sect. 1. The difference betwixt the morall and the ceremoniall Sabbaths Sect. 2. The vse of the ceremonies to the Iewes Sect. 3. That the Sabbath is perpetuall Sect. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Arguments to the contrarie answered Sect. 11. and 12. § Sect. 1 THese words being thus vnfolded it now remaineth that we proceede to the handling of them And first of the Sabbath day or day of rest that I may bee vnderstood of what rest I intreate How many sorts of Sabbaths there were amongst the Iewes We are to consider that amongst the Iewes there were two kinds of Sabbaths one of yeeres another of daies That of yeeres was euery seuenth yeere in which they might not sowe their land but let it rest or euery seuen times seuen yeeres which was the yeere of Iubile in which bondmen went out free and alienated possessions returned againe vnto the owners Leuit. 25. 10. Of these Sabbath of yeeres we intend in this place no further discourse we come therfore vnto that other part of the diuision namely the Sabbath of daies And here againe I must distinguish for the Sabbath of daies was also two-fold ceremoniall and morall Now of the first sort were all the Sabbaths that were instituted by Moses in the ceremoniall law such as were the Passeouer Pentecost the new Moone and the feast of Tabernacles which Leuit. 23. are called Sabbaths Of the second sort which wee call morall is that Sabbath which is commanded in the Decalogue or tenne Commandements of which here in this treatise our purpose is to write § Sect. 2 Now betwixt this morall Sabbath which we so call because it is a part of that law which giueth instruction for manners and these other ceremoniall Sabbaths there is great difference which Moses Leuit. 23. 37 38 pointeth at where The differēce betwixt the morall and the ceremoniall Sabbaths hauing spoken before in the chapter both of this Sabbath and of those feasts before named hee concludeth his speech of the feasts thus These are saith he the feasts of the Lord which ye shall call holy conuocations c. besides the Sabbath of the Lord that is besides those Sabbaths which they were to keep euery seuenth day Now the difference was First this morall Sabbath God himselfe spake it immediatly Exod. 20. 1. and afterwards writ it in tables of stone with his owne finger Deut. 9. 10. and therefore Exod. 32. 16. these tables are said to be the worke of God and this writing to be the writing of God ingrauen in the tables And this he writ not once but when the tables were broken he wrote in the second time Exod. 34. 1. And lest any man should say that God also spake and writ the rest when Moses Deut. 5. 22. had rehearsed the tenne Commandements vnto the Israelites he addeth that all these words God spake and added no more but wrote them vpon two tables and when he had written them as appeareth Deut. 4. 13 14. hee commanded Moses at the same time that he should teach them ordinances and lawes which they should obserue in the land which they went to possesse So that this is manifest that the Decalogue or tenne words was only spoken and written by God but all the rest added by Moses which is the first difference Secondly this morall Sabbath was more ancient For it had his institution as appeareth Gen. 2. 2 the very next day after mans creation yea and his obseruation together with his institution for God himselfe rested vpon it where as those ceremoniall Sabbaths tooke their beginning but from Moses Thirdly it was also more holy for where as vpon this day it was not lawfull for the Iewes to dresse their meate Exod 16. 23. nor to kindle a fire Exod. 35. 3. vpon these ceremoniall Sabbaths it was permitted vnto them to doe it Exod. 12. 16. And lastly it was more durable for the couenant of the moral Sabbath was an euerlasting couenant Exod. 31. 16. as also shall anon further appeare whereas the other was but a vanishing shadow and to last but vnto the comming of Christ for it was foretold by Daniel that the Messiah should cause the sacrifice to cease Dan. 9. 27. And that the Iewes knew well enough in that Iohn being demaunded by them what he was and denying that he was either the Christ or Elias or any of the Prophets They demanded again of him why he did then baptize thereby intimating that vnles he were one of these he might chaunge nothing in the Law wherin they secretly graunted that these might doe it And as the Messiah had authoritie in himselfe to change the ceremoniall law of Moses so might he also change these ceremoniall Sabbaths they being a part of that law which was ceremoniall which also hee did And therefore saith the Apostle Let no man condemne you in respect of an holie day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbaths which were but a shadow of things to come namely of our eternall rest in heauen which wee obtaine by faith in Christ Which Sabbath the Iewes thought did shadow out only their rest in Canaan but the Apostle Heb. 4. vers 8. confuteth them for saith he if Iesus that is Iosua had giuen them rest then Dauid would not after that day haue spoken of another rest saying that God sware in his wrath that the vnbeleeuing should not enter into his rest for their vnbeliefe sake yet this rest in heauen remaineth now vnto the children of God that is to the beleeuers although the shadowes thereof be done away the bodie which is Christ being come § Sect. 3 Indeede it pleased God in the minoritie
lawgiuer himselfe gone before you in keeping this commaundement let me then exhort you as the Apostle doth Ephes 5. 1. Be you followers of God as deare children and walke as ye haue him for an example Now louing children will followe their parents then if you be children I say if louing children you wil follow him Now I know in generall that euery man will subscribe vnto this that they must follow God in keeping his Sabbath but yet come and presse them to yeeld obedience in the particular duties there you shal haue them as the young man in the Gospell they then depart sorrowfull that makes them to scratch where it doth not itch What must they doe nothing but heare pray meditate c. Nay if it had been onely to forbeare the doing of some worldly businesse which they greatly cared not for the doing of at any time they would haue forborne but now vpon this day to forgo their afternoone sports and playes and to sit as they terme it moping in a corner this is too hard Well but I say if you bee Gods children you will follow him yea and more than any sonne imitateth the father for the father begetteth his sonne but like vnto him in substance but God begetteth his children like vnto him in qualities They be holy as he is holy mercifull as he is mercifull and will imitate him in all his doings and therefore in this they will keepe the Sabbath as he kept it otherwise they are no children but bastards I say bastards on the mothers side but not on the fathers for were they his true children they would be also his deare children as in this place and would follow him § Sect. 2 Yea but will some man say what a stirre is here about following of God what would I haue them to doe and I thinke I would haue them assaile to make a new heauen and a new earth because God made them both Not so neither but I would haue them labour sixe daies and rest the seuenth as God did But that they may be the more fully answered the workes which God hath wrought are of three sorts Whereof the first are such as are miraculous as to giue sight vnto the blind to fast fourtie daies to walk vpon the waters to raise the dead c. Now these are to bee wondred at but not to be imitated because the gift of working miracles ceaseth in the Church and it is a note of Antichrist now to worke wonders 2. Thess 2. 9. The second sort of works are works of our redemption as the sonne of God to become the sonne of man to be borne of a virgin to beare our sinnes to die for vs to rise againe and to ascend into heauen Now these are works to be beleeued but not to be imitated vnlesse it bee in a certaine similitude or resemblance that as Christ was conceiued and borne so he should bee conceiued and borne in vs Gal. 4. 19. And as Christ died for sinne 1. Cor. 15. 3. so we should die to sinne Rom. 6. 2. As Christ in his flesh was crucified vpon the crosse so should we crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Galath 4. 24. As Christ being dead for our sinne was buried so wee being dead to sin should also be buried with him by baptisme Rom. 6. 4. As Christ being buried rose againe so must we being buried with him by baptisme rise again to walke in newnes of life vers 5. As Christ being risen did ascend so must we risen from the graue of sinne ascend by setting our affections on things aboue Coloss 3. 2. And hereupon grew that rule that whatsoeuer Christ did for vs the same he did in vs. Lastly the third sort of duties are morall duties commaunded in the law and these are the workes wherein he is to bee imitated by vs. Examples whereof he giueth vs Mat. 11. 29. Of meeknes Learne of me that I am humble and meeke In Iohn of loue and brotherly kindnes Ioh. 13. 15. I haue giuen you an example And in this place of working sixe daies and resting the seuenth Indeede hee could haue finished all his workes in one houre or with a word speaking but hee would worke about them sixe daies and rest the seuenth for our example And therefore as Christ said Haue you not read what Dauid did how when hee was an hungred c. So haue you not read what the Lord did how when he made the heauens and the earth he laboured sixe daies and rested the seuenth haue you not read it I say if you haue then againe I say as Christ in another case Goe and doe the like Luk. 10. 37. that is rest as he did For not the worke but the rest is that which is proposed vnto thee § Sect. 3 But here is one doubt more that may be moued in this place and that is how God can be said to rest that is a pure act in himself and alwaies worketh or how he can be said to worke that alwaies resteth in his action The answere is he alwaies worketh and alwaies resteth in himselfe but in this place he is said to rest or to worke in respect of his creatures To rest I say in that hee ceaseth to make any more creatures yet not to rest from preseruing them being made For God was not idle on the seuenth day but did sustaine and preserue the creatures which hee before had made otherwise they would haue come to nothing And therein wee are taught that though on the Sabbath it bee not lawfull to labour to increase that wee haue yet it is lawfull to saue and preserue that we haue and this he teacheth vs here by his owne example And so much touching the sense and force of these words § Sect. 4 Now the vse of these words is foure-fold First they serue to confute those that stand so much vpon the examples of others let a man demand of thē why they do so prophane the Lords day by their vnlawful games sports by their riding and running abroad in errands by their trudging and posting to Faires and Markets they will answere they doe but as others doe and they that are better men and haue more knowledge than they do so and if it were not lawfull they would not doe it would such a Iustice or such a Preacher bowle or banquet or ride about vpon the Sabbath if it were not lawfull And when they haue thus answered they thinke they haue spoken to the matter passing well But I wonder seeing they will bee lead by example why they doe not looke vnto God and follow his example which is the best of all for I am sure that there is none of those which they follow is worthie to bee named the same day with him none so learned none of such authoritie as he may not a man then returne this their answere vpon them when they shall say such and such that are learned and of authoritie do breake the
it Isai 58. 14. § Sect. 2 Now the vse of this is two-fold First it notablie meeteth with the error of the multitude that thinke if a man serue God he shall neuer thriue as though God were like an euill master that vseth to reward him worst that doth him the best seruice But these blinde bayards that thus beate their heads against the wall little think vpon this that God here promiseth that those which keepe his Sabbath shall bee blessed if they did they would neuer goe stumbling on But to the keeper of the Sabbath this is a most sure word that if a man keepe it the Lord will make him to mount vpon the high places of the earth and wil feede them with the heritage of Iacob And therefore by this a man shall know when hee is at the sermon how well he thriueth at home for if he truly serue the Lord in the Church God will truly blesse him at home for hee hath promised it and hee cannot goe from his word no more than hee can denie himselfe happely hee may sometimes denie some worldly blessings when he seeth it not good for thee to haue it but then assure thy selfe he will giue thee that which is ten times better and that thou shalt in this life finde and assuredly know And therefore thinke not that if thou lose an houre or a day that thou shalt be vndone but waite vpon the Lord for it is his blessing that maketh rich and not thy labour And if he blessed the Manna that was gathered on the sixt day that it should be enough for the seuenth also and if he made the earth in the sixth yeere to bring forth food sufficient for two yeeres Leuit 25 why shouldest thou distrust his bountie towards thee Therefore cast thy care vpon him for if thou wilt keepe his Sabbath he will care for thee The second vse is to informe the Sabbath breakers of their estate in which they stand and I would to God they would take notice of it that they are in a cursed estate for if the Sabbath keepers be blessed then the Sabbath breakers by the law of contraries must bee accursed And so they are indeede And Nehemiah is not afraide to tell them so much to their faces Did not saith he your fathers thus that is breake the Sabbath and did not God therefore bring all these plagues vpon vs and will you yet increase the wrath vpon Israel in breaking the Sabbath Nehe. 13. And as Nehemiah told them what they had alreadie felt so Ier. 17. vlt. tels them what they shall further looke for If saith he you will not heare me to sanctifie the Sabbath and to beare no burthen What then then the Lord will kindle a fire in the gates of Ierusalem Yea but it shall not come into the high streetes Yes saith he for it shall deuoure the palaces thereof But we will quench it first before it goe so farre Nay saith he it shall not be quenched as though the fire thereof should burne like wilde fire or rather like hell fire that is vnquenchable Mat. 3. And of this there is good reason For if for the neglect of the building of the Lords house the Lord cursed his people so that when they sowed much they brought in little that when they eate they were not satisfied when they dranke their thirst remained c. If I say the Lord cursed them thus for the neglect of the building of the materiall Temple what will he doe for the neglect of the building of the spirituall Temple which is certainly neglected where as the Sabbath is neglected And although happely it sometimes come to passe that the Sabbath breaker may prosper in worldly matters yet they are but blessings of Gods left hand Prou. 3. 16. which many times hee giues to the ruine of the owners thereof Eccl. 5. 12. He giueth them as he gaue a King to the Israelites in his anger and in his wrath he takes them away againe But how soeuer this is certaine that though he giues them their hearts desire yet with the gift he sendeth leannesse into their soules as Psal 106. 15. and they shall finde one day the euill of their riches when they shall weepe and howle for the miseries that shall come vpon them when I say their consciences shall crie out against them Wee haue gotten this money by breaking the Lords Sabbath and when the rust of the same shall testifie so much against them then shall they finde that true which euen now I cited that their riches was giuen them for their euill § Sect. 3 Loe thus as you see that I may conclude haue I troden foorth before you the path of the Sabbath that was I confesse hard and difficult to finde by reason of so many by-paths and waies of error And herein I haue shewed first the perpetuitie of the Sabbath Secondly the change of the time of the Sabbath Thirdly that it may not againe be changed Fourthly that the whole day must bee kept and this in the first booke In the second I haue shewed the duties of this day which consist first in preparation to the Sabbath Secondly in obseruation which contained two things first to rest vpon it when it is come from all workes words or thoughts that might be a let to the performance of the holy duties that were required of vs which duties were of three sorts either publique or priuate or mixt and this was the summe of the second booke In the third I haue shewed the persons to whom these duties doe appertaine which were either vnto vs or those that were vnder our gouernment And last of al in the fourth the reasons that might inforce vs to the keeping of this day holy that which remaineth is that euery one of vs in regard of the time past fall downe before the Lord in the feeling and acknowledgement of this great sinne of Sabbath breaking and that with purpose of heart hence-foorth wee endeuour with all our might both in our owne persons and by all meanes we may to prouoke others also to keepe the Sabbath with vs and then shall the Lord euen our God assuredly blesse vs with the riches of his mercies reserued from euerlasting in heauen for vs which the Lord graunt vnto vs for Christ his sake Amen FINIS The Errata Pag. 16. lin 4. reade which is one p. 50. l. 10. put out not p 7. vlt. reade Reu for Rom p. 93. vlt. r. our p. 99. l. 15 r. à fortiori p. â—â—1 â— 9. r. setting l. 26. reade them p. 117. l. 3. r. not to commit any sâ—â— p. 126 l. 25. 26. r. halues
labour which this is one doubt that sticketh vp like a thorne in a drunkards hand wherewith hee hurteth himselfe and others namely that euery day is a Sabbath or rest from sinne and that therfore now wee are not any more bound to keepe any particular Sabbath Now to proue that we must keep euery day a Sabbath they alleage that Heb. 4. 10. where it is said that he that is entred into this rest hath ceased from his owne workes as God did from his and that therefore we must euery day keepe a rest from sinne To which I answere Were it so that all they that vrge this did it of a desire and loue they haue to the Lords Sabbath they were the lesse to bee blamed howbeit it is certaine that they pleade this most that least delight in the Sabbath when it comes and they doe it not that they would haue other daies to be kept as the Sabbath but because they would haue the Sabbath to be kept but as another day But howsoeuer yet I do not see how out of that place they may make this appeare For first I see not how Gods resting from his workes may be a figure of our resting from our sinfull workes there being no proportion between them which alwaies is betweene the signe and the thing signified Secondly if this rest were a signe or figure of our rest from sinne it must be so vnto Adam also for the law was giuen vnto him Now how could that be a figure vnto him of his resting from sinne when as yet hee had not sinned Thirdly be it that there were such a rest yet what doth the keeping of this rest morally hinder the keeping of that from sinne nay rather is it not a principall meanes for the furtherance thereof For doth not rest from wordly affaires and imployment in holie duties take away all occasions of sinne Fourthly were it granted that we must rest euery day from sinne yet this their collection that therefore wee should not rest from labour to keepe the Sabbath holy followeth not therupon no more than because a man is bound to receiue euery morsell of meate with giuing thankes that therefore he should say he were not bound to receiue the Lords Supper otherwise than as common bread or rather not to receiue the Lords Supper at all because he euery day receiueth bread with giuing of thankes Fiftly that which in that place is made significant was the seuenth day from the creation for the text saith he speaketh in a certaine place of the seuenth day not of the Sabbath Whereby it is plaine that that which was significant was the seuenth day from the creation on which God is there said to rest and it might be this was a signe that they should in the like manner rest vpon the seuenth day from their works as God did from his to which end Gods example is brought as a reason to perswade vs to rest because God rested as also it might bee a signe of our eternall rest in heauen And that indeede the Apostle meaneth there when hee saith vers 10. that hee which hath entred into his rest that is into heauen hath ceased from his owne workes What of sinne No but of his calling for this rest Adam should haue entred into though he had neuer sinned But last of all be it that in this place he meaneth this rest from sinne to bee shadowed out yet that rest is in heauen but in this life no man hath or indeed can rest from his sinfull workes as God did from his workes which the Apostle affirmeth of those that haue entred into his rest But this argument how wind-shaken it is I hope euery man seeth I will spend therefore no more time to pluck this thorne out of the drunkards hand It resteth that I should here answere that which is vrged by some out of the Epistle vnto the Coloss chap. 2. vers 16 17. Let no man condemne you in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbaths But because we shall haue a more fit oportunitie offered to speake of it in the next chapter I therefore thither remit the reader That which remaineth to be spoken of last of all is the vse of this that being the Sabbath is perpetuall therefore men take heed how they suffer this truth to be wrested away from them by the cunning sleights of Sathan or be drawne on by the alurements of euill men to abuse it to their owne pleasures or profits to runne ride or sport themselues vpon it as if it were lawfull as vpon another day or as if God had neuer said the word keepe it holy And this much as touching the first point namely that the Sabbath is perpetuall CHAP. III. The time of the rest not perpetuall Sect. 1. It was meet the Sabbath day should be changed Sect. 2. How the Sabbath is changed and yet perpetuall Sect. 3. The Sabbath changed from the seuenth day to the first Sect. 4. The reasons of that change Sect. 5. 6. 7. 8. Obiections to the contrarie answered Sect. 9. 10. Whether wee may call it still the Sabbath day Sect. 11. Whether the time of the Sabbath may not be changed againe Sect. 12. § Sect. 1 BVt now as is the rest so is not the day or time of the rest perpetuall The time of the rest not perpetuall for if you marke God saith not remember the seuenth day to rest vpon it but remember the day of rest which is the second thing that we obserue in this commandement and giueth vs occasion to consider of another question Which is whether the Apostles might chaunge the Sabbath vnto any other day then that which the Iewes kept Which they might doe first because the seuenth day kept amongst the Iewes was ceremoniall and did shadow out vnto vs our eternall rest as appeareth Heb. 4. 4. 10. which was one cause that moued the Apostles to chaunge the day As also they might doe it because they found no limited day set downe in the commaundement For as for that which followeth afterwards the seuenth is the Sabbath it is no part of the morall precept but onely an explication of it For if that were a part of it then this also must be a part sixe daies shalt thou labour which to graunt were absurd because then we should make duties betwixt man and man to bee taught in the first table which onely teacheth man this dutie to God and the second the dutie of man to man as Christ sheweth Matth. 22. 38. as also they being two things so contrarie as rest and labour I cannot see but they must also be two commaundements Besides all this in the reasons there be many things that concerned onely the Iewes as in the fifth commaundement Honour thy father and mother the reason is that thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee Now it is certaine that this promise had only reference vnto
the Iewes whom the Lord brought out of the land of Egypt and whom the Lord would bring into the land of Canaan But vnto vs it is as the Apostle vrgeth it Ephes 6. 3 that thy daies may be long vpon earth So in the first commandement I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the bondage of Egypt but wee may rather say which brought vs out of the bondage of sinne or out of the bondage of Poperie And Deut. 5. 15. he vseth another reason to perswade the Iewes which doth not appertaine vnto vs which was that they should keepe the Sabbath because they were seruants in Egypt All which reasons we see are vrged in respect of them as being the fittest to perswade them being taken from the present benefit which either they had or were shortly to enioy And what letteth but that the like respect shuld be had in this commandement of thē as in the former You will happely say then that there is somthing in the commandement that concerneth not vs but the Iewes Not so neither for though there might bee some particular reasons vsed that might more concerne them than vs yet the commaundements might concerne vs both alike they being the same with the law of nature written in our hearts as also they being warranted vnto vs in the Gospell to remaine Though neither yet if we should graunt these words to bee part of the precept doe they tye vs to keepe that seuenth day from the creation but onely require of vs a seuenth to bee kept which wee willingly embrace as being the fittest time and the meetest for Gods seruice And the rather because the Apostles haue retained and still kept a seuenth day for Gods seruice from whose example we may not varie § Sect. 2 But now as I haue shewed that the time of the Sabbath might be changed without any razure of the commandement so also it is meete It was meete that the Sabbath day shuld be changed that it should be chaunged vnto another day for these reasons For first seeing the seuenth from the creation was ceremoniall and did figure out our rest in heauen by Christ as appeareth Heb. 4 ver 8 why should it not by the same reason bee thought meete to be abolished by which other shadowes are abolished namely that the people might be thereby kept from Iudaizing as also they being shadowes must necessarilie giue place when the body commeth Coloss 2. 17. Thirdly seeing that when Christ rose it was a new world Heb. 2. 5. and olde things were past and all things become new 2. Cor. 5. 7 was it not then meete that as the old couenant had the old day and the old feales so this new couenant should haue this new day and his new seales especially seeing that in the contracts and couenants renewed between man and man we require that as they be new drawne so they be new dated and new sealed § Sect. 3 But here I know it may seeme straunge vnto some how this may be that the Sabbath should How the Sabbath is perpetuall and yet changed be perpetuall and to remaine for euer and yet to bee chaunged For if it bee perpetuall how is it chaunged if chaunged how is it perpetuall For answere whereunto it is to be vnderstoode that there is a two-fold consideration or respect of the Sabbath either as touching the substance of this commaundement which is contained in these words Remember thou keep holy the day of rest which is the same with the law of nature and is so farre foorth warranted by Christ as I haue alreadie heretofore prooued or else as it was giuen vnto the Iewes by Moses and had many ceremonies and shadowes annexed vnto it both 1. in the manner 2. in the end and 3. in the time 1. In the manner first they were to keepe it with offering vp of sacrifices vpon that day as two lambes of a yeere old two tenth deales of fine flower c. Numb 28. 9. Secondly that they were more strictly to keepe the rest so as they might not kindle a fire vpon that day Exod. 35. 3. nor dresse their meate Exod. 16. 23 which strictnes of rest was ceremoniall and after the law was giuen was added by Moses and therefore is abolished the morall rest required in the commaundement notwithstanding remaining as being a thing so vnseparably ioyned vnto holinesse as that wee cannot keepe the day holy without it 2. In the end also there was something ceremoniall for the Sabbath was made vnto them partly memoratiue as Deut. 5. 15. it was to bee kept in remembrance that they were seruants in Egypt and partly it was representatiue for Exod. 31. 13. it was to be kept as a signe of their sanctification 3. And last of all in the time as I haue alreadie shewed in that they kept the seuenth day from the creation As also in that they kept their Sabbath from euen to euen Leuit. 23. 32. whereas the Church now keepeth the day first and the night following Whereof more hereafter Now all these additions concerned the Iewes onely vnto whom they were giuen in charge to bee obserued yet no longer neither than vntill the comming of Christ which was the bodie of all these shadowes And therefore as touching al these complements of the Iewes significations of the rest sacrifices of the day obseruation of the time from the creation wee know them not hence-foorth and therefore in respect of these let no man condemne vs. Yet let no man so much as imagine that because that which was ceremonial in it is done away therefore the day the rest the sanctification of that day of rest or any substantiall thing in that law commaunded is done away For as no man may say the Sacrament is abolished because the signe is chaunged no more may any man say the Sabbath is abolished because the time is chaunged for if euerie commandement that hath a ceremony annexed vnto it should therefore presently be done away or should with the ceremonie become also ceremoniall it should follow that most of the commandements should be done away for they had ceremonies annexed vnto them As the sixth Commandement had the ceremonie of things strangled and of blood for as they might not kill so they might not strangle or eate the blood The fifth Commandement had the ceremonie of writing the law vpon their post or of binding them vpon their hands for as they were to teach the law so by this ceremonie to teach And all the ceremonies in Gods worship appertained vnto the second which commanding Gods outward worship must necessarily commaund these ceremonies by which he would be worshipped yea the whole law had the ceremonie of the parchment lace Now will you therefore say that all the law is ceremoniall and done away because these ceremonies are done away If not no more may you prooue that this commandement is done away because the ceremonie is done away And therefore as
chaunge this day they may not for this were to become as the Princes of Iudah to change the land-markes Hos 5. 10 and to plucke vp Gods stakes and bounds which hee hath set for his Sabbath yea to take away his Sabbath and to appoint a day of our owne in steed thereof were yet to come neere vnto the fact of Nadab and Abihu who in steede of fire from heauen brought straunge fire Leuit. 10. 1. which sinne God punished with death and may not we feare the like at his hands if in steed of that day which he hath appointed we shal institute vnto him a day of our owne for which if hee punish vs not yet hee may iustly returne it vpon vs with this reproofe Who required this at your hands Isai 1. 12. But be it graunted were it so that the Church might alter this yet they must bee lead thereto by some great reason that may ouerwaigh that for which it was instituted to bee kept vpon this day but greater reasons cannot bee yeelded for any day than for this of which wee haue spoken before which being considered there cannot another day be placed in the roome thereof neither yet if another day might be placed could a fitter day be placed and therefore not another so well And therefore being it is so that this day is set apart by the church I say more though yet that were sufficient by the Apostles to be kept holie let vs be contented to keepe it holie as the Apostles haue left it knowing that although we may sometimes sanctifie that which is common yet wee haue no power to make that commō which is sanctified For that is a destruction or a snare vnto a man to deuoure that which is sanctified Prou. 20. 25. Now that which may seeme to make against That place of the Romanes chap. 14. explaned this which I haue written is that of the Apostle Rom. 14. 5 6 where hee seemeth to make all daies alike either to bee obserued or not obserued True it is that hee saith some men count them so but yet the Apostle maketh no such account for the question moued there being not betwixt the Iew and the Gentile as some would haue it but betwixt the stronger and the weaker as appeareth chap. 15. 1. about eating of hearbes and keeping of daies which arose as may seeme vpon this occasion that forasmuch as the restitution of our former estate was now wrought by Christ therefore wee as in the beginning our fathers did should eate hearbes and no flesh Now as in these controuersies he setteth downe their tenents on both sides both what the stronger held and what the weaker so he sheweth either of them their duties towards other Now the tenents were thus The stronger beleeued that they might eate all things the weaker he eateth herbes He doth not say beleeueth as to the former but eateth thereby distinguishing it from the other So againe vers 5. This man esteemeth one day aboue another that is the stronger which appeareth in that there was a day both commaunded receiued and approoued in the Church as I haue alreadie shewed and therefore that must bee the stronger then the weaker must needes be to hold euery day alike So then if men count all daies alike it is an argument of their weaknesse yet we that are perswaded that one day is aboue another as the Lords day aboue all the rest ought not to despise the weaker but to beare with their infirmitie so long as it may be for their good to edification chap. 15. 2. And this is our minde towards those that through ignorance or weaknes account of the Lords day but as of another day So long as it may bee for their good to edification wee will beare with their infirmitie which yet if they shal hold obstinately and defend with an high hand we are to rebuke them sharply that others may feare Now if any man to auoide the point of this argument shall say that the Iewes are they which are meant by the weake because they did eate herbes and obserue daies First I would haue them to shew me where it may appeare that they were restrained of eating flesh Secondly if they were those whom the Apostle meant that kept and obserued daies I would know of them also whether they thinke they kept them to the Lord which the Apostle affirmeth which if they say I see not how the Apostle might be afraide of them so farre that hee might thinke he had laboured amongst them in vaine in that they kept a day holy vnto the Lord. And this much touching this question whether the day of rest may be chaunged againe or not CHAP. IIII. That the whole Sabbath day is to be kept Sect. 1. And the night also in a sort Sect. 2. When the Sabbath beginneth and endeth Sect. 3. § Sect. 1 BVt now there is another sleight of Sathan and that is when he cannot The whole day must be kept holie leade vs beyond the marke then he labours to haue vs come short of it And to that end he beareth thousands in hand that they are not bound to rest the whole day and keepe the whole day holie but onely the time of the publike exercises But for this they are to know that God requireth in the commandement that we rest the whole day and that we keepe the whole day holy for if he had meant but a part of the day he could haue said so much but in that he requireth a day in the commandement he putteth it out of question If thou thy selfe shouldest hire a man to worke with thee a day wouldest thou not looke that hee should worke with thee a whole day Or a seruant to dwell a yeere with thee wouldest thou not looke that hee should dwell a whole yeere with thee How is it then that thou vnderstandest God to halfes when his word is as plaine as thine Doest thou not think that Ananias was iustly punished because he brought but a part when hee should haue brought the whole And shall not God as iustly punish thee if thou keepest but a part when thou shouldest keepe the whole Indeede this word whole is not expressed but yet it is implied and necessarily vnderstood in that hee requireth a day And that his meaning is so appeareth euidently also by the reasons hee bringeth afterwards to perswade thee thereunto For first thou knowest the whole weeke consisteth of seuen daies Of these he giues thee sixe and keepes one for himselfe now such daies as he giues thee to doe thy businesse in such and so long a day he reserues for himselfe but euery one of thy daies hath foure and twentie houres and therefore he must haue so many to his day or els thou hast more than sixe daies giuen thee or if not giuen then thou takest it as Hophnie did the flesh and then thou robbest God of part of his day and so thou committest theft which were the case
idle word especially for those that they shall thus vainly babble foorth vpon the Sabbath And so much touching the outward breach of the Sabbath But yet here is not all for a man to cease from §. Sect. 4. these outward workes for these concerne the very beasts as well as man we must therefore consider that as a man doth consist of two parts a bodie and a soule so God hath a regard vnto them both and as he requires of the bodie an externall rest that no labour may hinder holinesse so he requires of the soule an internall rest from all sinne and that rest indeed is proper to man and it is to rest from the workes of the flesh which Esay 58. 13. are also called our waies or workes and these are properly and indeede seruile and the worst kinde of seruile workes of all others And therefore as other thy workes are here forbidden which are seruile because they hinder holinesse so these kinde of seruile workes aboue all others are forbidden because they not onely hinder holinesse but are opposite vnto it so farre foorth as hee which is subiect vnto them is free from holinesse Rom. 6. 20. Against these therfore it is that Esay so bitterly inueigheth I cannot abide your Sabbaths c. Esai 1. 13. But why so vers 15. he giueth a reason for your hands are full of blood And Esai 58. when they come vnto him in hypocrisie and seemed to finde fault with God that he would not accept their fast which had the nature of a Sabbath and as appeareth in the end of the chapter is called his holy day God yeeldeth them a reason why he did not accept it Behold saith he ye fast to strife and vnto debate to smite with the fist of wickednesse vers 4. Hauing thus shewed their fast then he rates them for it vers 5. Is it such a fast saith he that I haue chosen that a man should afflict his soule for a day call yee this a fast or an acceptable day vnto the Lord c. And hauing thus rated them then he shewes them what a true fast is to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heauie burthens to take away the yoke and putting foorth of the finger vnderstand to any euill work and wicked speaking if any man doe these things hee keepes a true rest I know well this rest from our sinnes must bee kept in the whole course of our liues yet vpon the Sabbath aboue all wee must take heede that sinne enter not vpon vs because it is opposite vnto the sanctitie thereof § Sect. 5 And as wee must haue a speciall care of committing any sinne because that is truly seruile so must we take heede that we doe not make the duties of holinesse seruile also by not regarding the manner of doing them which is that they bee done in faith and in obedience to Gods commandement For if wee shall doe these workes to that end that we may merit by the doing of them either the fauour of God or man then they become seruile works also and we haue our reward Or if wee doe them in hypocrisie the manner of doing them aright not obserued then God regardeth them not For he that in this manner killeth an oxe is as if hee slew a man and he that sacrificeth a sheepe as if he cut off a dogges head his oblation is as swines blood and his incense as the blessing of an Idoll Esai 66. 3. And therefore Matth. 7. Christ calleth such workers of iniquitie because though they did good workes for they prophecied and cast out diuels yet they did them not well but in hypocrisie for God doth not onely require at a mans hands that he doe good but also that he doe it well for if thou doest well saith God to Cain shall it not be accepted He doth not say if thou doest good it shall be accepted but if thou doest well to shew that good things must be well done And that he meaneth so appeareth in that which he presently addeth But if thou doest not well saith he sin lieth at the doore thereby putting it out of doubt that if a good thing be not well done it is sinne and in regard hereof it is that Esai chap. 58. reckoneth the hypocrite a Sabbath-breaker though hee did humble himselfe by fasting c. And therefore let the hypocrite and popish meritmonger bee well assured that though they digge deepe to couer their sinnes and dissemble deeply with God at the Church yet let them be well assured I say that their owne sinne will finde them out Num. 32. 23. and that it will waite and tarrie them like their dogges at the doore yea and will hunt them and neuer leaue them vntill it haue brought them vnto destruction if they learne not to serue the Lord aright And lastly as the soule must keep this Sabbath or rest from sin vpon this day especially so must we look also that our minds and thoughts be not carried away with the meditation of worldlie matters For God requireth not onely thy bodie but thy soule yea thy very thoughts Luk. 10. 27. And howsoeuer vpon the weeke it be lawfull for thee to ponder these things yet vpon the Sabbath thou must not thinke thine owne will Esai 58. 13. A man must not therefore busie his head vpon the Sabbath about his worldly businesse nor about the effecting of his delights in the weeke following but he must bee wholie as it were another man from that which he was in the weeke before and he must vpon the Sabbath let fall the care of these earthly things as Elias did his mantle when hee was rapt vp into heauen To conclude therefore this point of the rest whosoeuer vpon the Sabbath doth no seruile worke of his ordinarie vocation neither in his house at home nor in the citie nor in the fields abroad nor at sea sauing onely such as are of necessitie to be done or are for the performance of Gods worship commanded or else warranted by his extraordinary command and also forbeareth all recreations sports playes or pastimes keeping his tongue from vaine words and his heart from wickednesse and worldly cares hee truly and in deede keepeth the rest of the Sabbath And this much touching the first dutie required in the obseruation of the Sabbath which is to rest CHAP. IIII. The rest of the Sabbath must bee sanctified Sect. 1. What it is to sanctifie a thing Sect. 2. The duties of the Sabbath are publique priuate or mixt Sect. 3. On the Sabbath there must be a publique assemblie Sect. 4. How we are to behaue our selues in it Sect. 5. The publique duties are preaching and hearing Sect. 6. Administring and partaking the Sacrament Sect. 7. Execution of discipline Sect. 8. § Sect. 1 THat rest is here commanded we haue alreadie seene but that is not all this The rest of the Sabbath must be sanctified rest must bee sanctified For it is not
father ouer his sonne so is the husband ouer the wife so is the Captaine ouer the souldier and the master ouer the scholler and so of the rest The reasons wherefore this is inioyned to the gouernour are two First because the gouernour in his place should goe before those that are vnder him in good example as Paul would haue Timothy to doe 1. Tim. 4. 12. For as one coale maketh another burne and wood a fire Prou. 26 so doth one mans good example in religion bring forward another especially if they be men of sort and place For as the Loadstone draweth the iron and the Iet the straw so draw they others of all sorts to follow them As when Iosiah kept the Passeouer all the people would keepe it with him 2. King 23. When Asa sware to seeke the Lord all Iudah sware with him reioyced at the oath 2. Chr. 15. 15. God would therefore haue them take on in a good way least they turning aside to wickednesse they should corrupt others as Rehoboam when he forsooke the law of the Lord lead away all Israel with him 2. Chron. 12. 1. And Ieroboam beareth the memorie of his defection vntill this day and shall be knowne by it while the world standeth as a man is knowne by his sirname Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne One therefore not vnfitly compares them vnto great oakes that when they fall beate downe all the vnder wood with them so doe these And surely there is no poyson nor pestilence that so infecteth the ayre where it is as these great ones do the whole countrey townes and cities round about them where they are if they be euill Those therefore that are aboue others had need to learne Dauids lesson to be wise For if they be euill they shall not be euill alone and if they fall they shall carrie a great number with thē to hell as the great diuel did whē he fel Iud. vers 6. Therfore first God would haue those that are ouer others to keepe the Sabbath that by their example others might bee brought to doe the like Secondly hee laieth the care of those that are vnder them vpon their shoulders that they might see them to keepe the Sabbath and if otherwise they will not to compell them And so much the more neede was there that this should be put vpon them because of their backwardnes to doe it for they let them runne to all excesse of riot and to doe whatsoeuer seemeth them good in their owne eyes they thinke as Caine Am I my brothers keeper So they Am I my seruants keeper am I my sonnes keeper am I my strangers keeper Yea thou art and God will not alone aske thee where thou art as he asked Adam but also where is thy brother as he did Caine where is thy sonne where is thy daughter where is thy seruant for he requireth at thy hand that they keep the Sabbath also the reason is because in matters of religion there is no respect of persons with God Act. 10. 34. He will haue all within the couenant euen from the drawer of water and hewer of wood vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne Deut. 29. 10 11. And Iere. 17. 10. hee requireth all that enter in at the gates should keepe the Sabbath And therefore as Moses when he went to sacrifice vnto the Lord in the wildernesse would not leaue a hoofe behind him Exo. 10. 26 so here also hee requireth not onely thy sonne thy daughter thy seruant and the stranger to keepe the Sabbath but also that thine oxe and thine asse keepe it hee will not haue a hoofe to breake it § Sect. 2 But that we may the more plainly vnderstand this those of whom thou hast charge in this place giuen thee are either such as thou must see to keepe the Sabbath in the same manner thou art commaunded to keepe it thy selfe of which sort are thy children and seruants or such as if they rest not may bee an occasion vnto thee or those that are vnder thee of breaking the Sabbath as thy cattell or an offence as the stranger But of these in particular and first of the first sort That the father The father must see that the sonne keep the Sabbath is here charged with his children to see that they keepe the Sabbath appeareth in that he wils thee to remember that thy son and daughter keepe it aswell as thy selfe And therefore thou canst no more except against that part of the commandement that concerneth them than that which concerneth thy selfe Indeede if he had said thou shalt see that thou thy selfe keepe the Sabbath and that thou warne thy sonne to doe the same then when thou hadst warned thy sonne thou hadst discharged thy selfe but now hee willeth thee to remember that thy sonne keepe the Sabbath aswell as thy selfe thou canst by no meanes auoide this charge And in very truth of this there is great reason because many though they bee ashamed themselues to goe so farre as in Iere. 7. 18 to kindle the fire yet they can be contented that their children should gather the stickes and that their women should kneade the dough to bake cakes to the Queene of heauen I meane they can be contented to suffer their children to runne into all lewdnes though themselues bee ashamed to bee scene doing the same things But God to preuent this chargeth thein here with their children that they obserue the Sabbath And therefore as your selues do rest vpon the Sabbath so must your children as your selues doe keepe it holie so must your children when you goe to the sermon they must go with you when you repeate they must repeate with you when you goe to prayer they must to prayer with you See not my face saith Ioseph if you bring not your brother so see not Gods face vnlesse you bring your children if they be wanting God will aske you as he did Caine Where is thy brother so where is thy child where is thy sonne where is thy daughter What make they a dancing when they should bee at the sermon why are they at play when I commaunded them to rest If God I say should demaund these questions of many parents how mute would they stand Well assure your selues there is a time of account when poore soules they shall stand shiuering before the greatest Maiestie and quaking not being able to answere him these questions Yea but what would I haue you to do your children you will say will not be ruled No wil then chastise them and let not thy soule spare for their murmuring Prou. 19. 18 for if thou set them at libertie they will shame thee Pro. 29. 15. Oh but you will say you are loath to beate them Alas and are you so cockering I perceiue then you would be loath to cut their throtes if God should commaund you as he once commanded Abraham Yet Abraham would haue done it rather than haue disobeyed God and haddest
heare God out of his law to reason in this sort against them I gaue you sixe daies to doe your worldly businesse in to labour to ride to runne to buy to sell to sow to reape to solace your selues to see your friends to make merrie c. and yet cannot you bee contented with them but that you must incroach vpon me to take my holy day also and to spend it I say not vpon your labours but that which is more vntollerable vpon your lusts and delights This I say cannot but strike them thorough and make their harts to fall in sunder like water when they shall consider their great ingratitude towards him that when he of seuen could affoord to giue them sixe they of seuen cannot affoord to giue giue doe I say out vpon it nay cannot suffer him to enioy one The scarre of churlishnes sticketh like a starre in the forhead of Nabal and shall to the worlds end 1. Sam. 25. 3. that Dauid when in regard of his kindnes shewed vnto his shepheards in the wildernesse requiring him to giue him a present of any thing that came next vnto his hand the churle refused to doe it Now Nabal how soeuer churlish yet this was his owne it was in his power and it was prouided for his shearers yet for all this is hee iustly condemned for a chrule in that hee sent not a present vnto Dauid that had so well deserued it With what words then may this sinne of ours be sufficiently aggrauated that whereas God of his bountie of seuen hath giuen vs sixe if we also should take away from him that one If a poore man on the way as thou trauellest should come vnto thee and craue of thee for Gods sake to bestow vpon him something to relieue him and thou out of thy liberalitie and compassion towards him shouldest giue him all the money in thy purse reseruing onely a very little for thine owne vse to bring thee home if hee I say should catch thy purse and that also and run away with it wouldest thou not account him very vngratefull Yet thy vngratitude to God is as great as his and more for in very truth thou art so bound vnto God as that if thou shouldest giue halfe of thy daies yea all of them back againe vnto him thou couldest not sufficiently recompence him To conclude therefore this point let that reason which mooued Ioseph not to consent to his Mistris preuaile with thee My master hath committed all into my hand and hath kept nothing from me but onely thee because thou art his wife how then shall I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God Genes 39. So shouldest thou answere thy companions when they shall allure thee on the Sabbath to sinne The Lord hath giuen me all the daies in the weeke to doe my workes in sauing onely this one he hath reserued vnto himselfe how then can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against the Lord in breaking his Sabbath And thus much for the manner of the reason how it inforceth vs to the keeping of the Sabbath The doctrine that we learne hence is first that the commandements of God stand all of them and are grounded vpon good reason and therefore that all his commandements are not onely true Psal 119. 86 but righteous also vers 106. Yea they are all most iust vers 128. And there is nothing in the world that standeth with such reason as the seruice of God which maketh the Apostle to call it our reasonable seruing of God Rom. 12. 2. And therefore Ezec. 18. 25. God blames those that say his waies are vnequall and no lesse worthie of blame are such as thinke that it is vnreasonable to keepe a whole day holie vnto the Lord. Why then how should their businesse goe forward why then when should they haue any time for recreation What is all this but to finde fault with Gods law as if it were not iust as if it were not equall But what saist thou is it not equall and is it not meete that thou shouldest haue thy sixe daies to doe thy businesse in which God hath allowed thee And is it not as meete that God should haue one Let this therefore cease thy murmuring against Gods law seeing it standeth with such good reason The second doctrine that wee note in these words Sixe daies shalt thou labour is this that as it is sinne for vs ordinarily to worke on the seuenth day so also is it sinne for vs through negligence or idlenes not to dispatch our worldly businesse in the sixe daies seeing he hath allowed them vnto vs for that purpose And therfore on them we ought to labour and it behoueth vs so much the more carefullie to labour in them seeing that God hath enioyned man to labour in the sweate of his browes Genes 3. Yea seeing as Iob saith he is borne to labour as the sparkles flie vpward Iob. 5. 7. And hence it is that God hath left him so many precedents of labour before his eyes the oxe is made to till the land and tread out the corne the asse is to stand vnder the burthen the heauens are still in their motion as it were still a working the Angels are ministring spirits Psal 104. 4 and when man was in the state of perfection God would not haue him idle Gen. 2. though God had no neede of his worke nor the garden for it brought out all things without planting yet hee would haue man to labour because man had neede of it and therefore sets him his taske to dresse and trimme the garden Nay God himselfe in his owne person wrought sixe daies in making of the heauens and the earth Hee could indeed haue finished it in one or at a words speaking but yet he would worke sixe daies to leaue vnto vs an example to doe the like Then here are those slow bellies and idle Abbey lubbers condemned that spend whole daies in doing nothing that are like paralitique and gowtie members loose and vntied in the ioynts of obedience that say vnto the head commaund vs not for we will not moue neither will we stir But shal not God curse them as he did the fig tree that bare no fruite cut it downe why combreth it the earth And were it not that these words did stand vp so pregnantly against these men yet the very euils that accompany idlenes were sufficient to make it to be detested for what sinne is it almost that groweth not out of this as out of a nurcerie of all sinne Idlenes causeth to fall asleepe Pro. 19. 15. then idlenes is the cause of drowsinesse So is it of beggerie He that will 〈…〉 in winter shall begge in summer Prou. 20. 4. Idlenes is the cause of ill husbandrie His land cries out against him and the furrowes thereof complaine that haue not their water courses Iob. 31. 38. Thornes and nettles couer the face thereof Prou. 24. 4. So is idlenes the cause of drunkennes Amos
Sabbath may not wee answere them I say and that iustly that their betters doe keepe it and that therefore they should keep it Dauid kept it the Prophets kept it the Apostles kept it Christ himselfe kept it when hee was here in the flesh nay God kept it as here we see Now if they can bring examples for the prophaning of the Sabbath greater and better than these let them shew them but certaine it is they cannot and therefore hence foorth let them be ashamed thus to reason and to offer that measure vnto God which they would disaine their seruant should offer vnto them For let thē answer me in the like case would they be contented if sending their seruants in their businesse their seruants should neglect the doing of that wherein they were imployed and spend the time at cards or dice or dauncing or seruing their owne turnes would they I say be contented if when they should expostulate the matter with them they should answere that they did not play alone but others did play aswell as they Or if thou shouldest reproue thy child for swearing or lying vnto thee wouldest thou take it well that he should answer others lie and sweare as well as I But thou art too cockering of thy childe I propose therefore another case If a theefe should answere a Iudge thus that others did steale as well as hee would not the Iudge replie that therefore he should be hanged for example vnto others And how is it then that wee thinke so basely of God as that the example of such prophane men for so I may iustly terme them that prophane Gods Sabbath should bee able to match yea and ouermatch the example of God himselfe with these men Secondly this also serueth for our comfort that when others shall vpbraide vs as precise and curious for that we will not doe vpon the Sabbath as others of our neighbours doe as to goe to bowles with them or cards or to dauncing or such like vaine sports I say when wee shall be thus vpbraided yet here is our comfort wee are not alone in this but God is with vs and he hath troden the way before vs in his owne person resting vpon the Sabbath that wee might doe the like Thirdly in that God wrought sixe daies and rested the seuenth to teach vs to doe the like we are thence to learne this instruction that the end of our doings must not bee our selues alone but we must haue regard of others also that they by our good example may be moued to well doing Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes And for this cause it was that Christ payed tribute though hee were free And for the example of others it was that hee went to heare Iohn he had no neede to be taught of any for the spirit was giuen him aboue measure yet he would goe heare Iohn to giue an example vnto vs to imbrace the gifts and graces of God in our inferiours But of this sufficient Fourthly and lastly in that God within the compasse of sixe daies was able of nothing to create the heauens and the earth and all things that are in them contained we may learne that God is able in a short time to bring wonderfull things to passe When wee reade the acts of Alexander wee wonder to see how that in a short time hee did subdue the greatest part of the world but what was that to this it is easier by farre to pull downe and to destroy than to build vp to take away life than to giue And therefore that God should so soone of nothing make a world how great was this his power The Iewes thought it an incredible thing that Christ should say he would reare the Temple in three daies that was a building sixe and fourtie yeeres they misunderstood him I know but if he had said it of the materiall Temple it had been nothing to this to the frame and workmanship of the world the Temple was but as the rearing of a molhill in comparison of the greatest mountaine in the world Yet see how soon he dispatches this great work in sixe daies he dispatches the whole frame though hee had not any matter wherewithall to begin to build So true is that in the Psalm 115. 3. he doth whatsoeuer he will And therfore it skils not how difficult the worke be so he be the builder how troublesome the seas so hee bee the Pilot how doubtful the conquest so he be the Leader nor how dangerous the sicknes so he be the Physition And as he is powerfull in sauing so is hee also in destroying it being as easie a thing and therefore let his enemies looke vnto the rod of his power who is able at an instant to destroy them all At an instant he disgards Nebuchadnezzar and turnes him out of his palace At an instant he smites all the first borne in Egypt At an instant hee ouerwhelmes Pharaoh and his host rendeth tenne Tribes from Ieroboam ouerturneth Sodome maketh a world drowneth a world and saueth a world againe What shall I say more as he knoweth all things so hee can doe all things both in heauen and in earth in which he hath all meanes to serue his turne the very Angels themselues are his ministring spirits Psal 104. 4. and the diuels cannot goe without his leaue Mat. 8. 32. And as for men he commaunds them much more for he is the Lord of hosts Isai 1. And he hath not only these of men and none other hosts but he hath armies of frogges and flyes and lice to fight against his enemies Exod. 8. When he will the heauens shell take his part 1. Sam. 7. and the Sunne shall stay his course till he be auenged of his enemies So then he hath all meanes at his command And were it so that hee had but small meanes yet hee can make it serue and hold out If hee say the word the meale in the barrell shall not waste neither shall the oyle in the cruce diminish 1. King 17. 14. If he will haue it so one suite of apparell shall last fourtie yeeres and yet shall not waxe old With fiue loaues hee will feede fiue thousand men Matth. 14. Were it so that meanes should faile yet he can worke without them as well as with them Asa had said little if he had said it had bin all one to God to saue by few as by many if he had not added or by none 2. Chro. 14. 10. For hee is not tyed vnto the meanes as a Carpenter is vnto his tooles but hee can worke aswell without them as with them For when there was no raine yet hee made the earth fruitfull Gen. 2. 5. when there was no Sunne to shine yet there was light Then God can worke we see without meanes and so hee can against meanes Who would not thinke that clay put in a mans eyes should put out a mans eyes yet tempering
the name of God was with such religion regarded amongst them as that there were some found amongst them that did chuse rather to die than to breake their oath as Regulus which also their lawes yet extant against periuries and blasphemies doe sufficiently testifie which were they in force amongst vs wee should not haue oathes so rife as now they are euen as our steps or as the stones of the streetes or if we had yet we should haue law to punish the blasphemer wheras now we haue none but of this sufficient There remaineth onely the fourth commandement that a time all businesse set apart is to be sanctified to Gods seruice Wherein let their Feriae and dies festi that is their holy daies and daies of rest from labour testifie that they held a time all businesse set apart to be kept holy vnto the Lord. Now as for the second table I hope I shall not be put vnto much businesse in it seeing the Philosophers intreate most of the duties commanded therein yea they were in the knowledge therof so exact as that it is possible to find amongst them some one precept that containeth in it the effect of the second table namely that sentence which was so rife amongst them Quod tibi non vis fieri alteri ne feceris that is That which thou wouldest not haue done to thy selfe that thou shalt not doe to another Now what else is this but the same with that Matth. 6. which Christ calleth the law and Prophets Whatsoeuer saith he ye would that men should do vnto you euen so doe you vnto them for this is the law and the Prophets So then the Decalogue being the same with the law of nature is one and the same for euer It followeth necessarily that the Decalogue is to remaine for euer and consequently the Sabbath being a part of that Decalogue is to remaine for euer § Sect. 6 And to put this matter out of doubt that the Decalogue is to remaine for euer and is not abolished the Apostle himself auoucheth it Rom. 3. the last verse where disputing of iustification by faith without the workes of the law he putteth The continuance of the law warranted by the Apostle this question Doe wee then saith he make the law of none effect God forbid thereby accounting it as a most sinfull thing once to be conceited yea he is so farre from that minde as that hee resolueth it quite to the contrarie We establish it saith he Now that which is established is made more sure than it was before And therefore those that say the moral law is abolished by the law of faith speake like Peter in the transfiguration they wote not what they say For the Apostle saith it is established and not abolished by faith Neither yet is the Apostle alone in this case The law warranted to continue by Christ but he followeth therein the example of his master Christ who expreslie affirmeth so much Matth. 5 17. where speaking of the morall law he saith Thinke not that I am come to destroy the law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy them but to fulfill them The occasion of this doctrine as it should seeme was thus because hee had found fault many times with the Pharisies for their ouer strict keeping of the Sabbath preferring the rest of the day before the good of man as if man had been made for the Sabbath and not the Sabbath for man the Pharisies therefore began to accuse him as a breaker or rather as an abolisher of the law And as it may seeme some of his Disciples also began to drinke in this opinion and to promise libertie vnto themselues as if Christ had come to put an end vnto the law especially seeing hee went about to establish iustification by faith which Christ obseruing directeth this speech vnto them Thinke not saith he that I am come to dissolue the law as opposing this his speech directly vnto their conceit which they had of the abolishing of the law Neither yet doth he here rest but in the second place he sheweth that he is so farre from the destroying of it as that hee came to a quite contrarie end namely to fulfill it Now he which doth fulfill it doth not destroy it for these are opposed by him as being contrarie the one to the other For it were impossible for him both to destroy the law and yet to fulfill it Neither yet doth hee here content himselfe to shew the end of his comming namely to fulfill the law but when he hath done hee sheweth in the third place the durablenes of this law and that there is nothing so lasting as it no not the heauens though neuer so constant in their motion nor the earth though neuer so fixed a center for they shall both passe away before the whole law doth he say shall passe Nay rather than the least iot or title of it shall escape or fall And therefore whereas some say so much of the morall law shall stand as Christ hath reestablished in the new Testament therein they graunt the very thing in question namely that the Sabbath shall remaine for Christ hath established the whole law yea and hath warranted euery iot or title of it to be as durable as the heauens and therefore vnlesse wee can turne heauen and earth vpside downe let vs beware to take one iot or title from the law of God Fourthly that wee may certainly know that neither this law nor any part of it is dissolued hee sheweth that he that shall breake one of the least commaundements As in Luke thou childe shalt be called the Prophet of the highest that is shalt be and teach men so shall be called that is shall be the least in the kingdome of heauen as also on the contrarie he that shall c. And lastly he is so farre from the breaking of it that he requireth a more exact keeping of it For saith he if your righteousnesse exceede not the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies ye cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Now as for those that are of opinion that this place is to be vnderstood of the ceremoniall law which Christ did fulfill though it be true that Christ did fulfill that also yet that hee meaneth the ceremoniall law in this place I cannot see how they will be able to prooue vnlesse they will also hold first that the ceremonial law is not abolished secondly that it shall last as long as the world lasteth thirdly that if a man breake the least ceremonie thereof and teach men so that he shal be the least in the kingdom of heauen fourthly that if hee obserue and teach them he shall be the greatest in the kingdome of heauen and fiftly that we are more bound vnto the obseruation of them than were the Scribes and Pharisies if wee will enter into heauen All which things Christ verifieth here of that law of which hee maketh mention All
which if any dare be so shamelesse as to affirme of the ceremoniall law yet they shall be vndone and proue nothing thereby against vs but all for vs namely that the Sabbath shall continue it being as they say ceremoniall But the truth is it cannot be vnderstood of any other law than of the Decalogue or tenne Commaundements as I haue alreadie shewed And yet further to shew that Christs meaning was so he presently falleth into an exposition of certaine precepts of the Decalogue wherein the Pharisies had taught amisse But now will some man say he doth not there expound the Sabbath and therefore the Sabbath is not reestablished Answ Besides that hee little considereth what I haue shewed that euery iot and title thereof is established as firme as the heauens and that he that breakes the least commaundement and teacheth men so shall bee the least in the kingdome c. Besides all this I say he may abolish by this reason the rest of the commandements that are not there expounded He must therfore know that there was another reason that caused Christ not to speake any thing of the Sabbath for it was Christs intent and purpose there to shew how they came short in the exposition of the law and made the commandements speake lesse than they did whereas they extended the Sabbath too farre as touching the outward ceremonie and made it speake more than in truth it did And therefore his intent being to shew how they came short in the exposition of the law it was not meete to bring in an instance quite besides his intention § Sect. 7 And that it was the minde of our Sauiour Christ that the Sabbath should continue as it appeareth The Sabbath continued by Christ by that which I haue alreadie alleaged so also by that Matth. 24. 20. where he wils that his children which should liue about 40. yeeres after his ascention should pray that their flight might not be vpon the Sabbath hee doth sufficiently declare that he held not this commandement in account of a ceremonie but of a morall precept For first if it had been ceremoniall they might haue fled without any care for it had bin abolished fourtie yeeres before Secondly hee should haue done ill to haue vsed this as a scar-crow or as a bugge to fray children with when there was no such thing Yea thirdly if this commandement had been ceremoniall hee should haue contradicted his owne doctrine in establishing that which himselfe did take away by his death And last of all had he held it a ceremonie hee should rather haue taught them not to haue stood vpon the keeping of it being it had been a great sinne for them to haue retained it and made an account of it it being abolished and done away before Now as for those that would qualifie Christs speech by saying that he spake not as he meant but according vnto the superstition of the Iewes that held it vnlawfull as they say to flee vpon the Sabbath and that therfore his speech was directed vnto them which held this error First this their euasion hath no ground For how will they make it appeare that the Iewes held it vnlawfull vpon the Sabbath to flee for preseruation of life being they had no ground for it in the Scriptures Secondly their owne practise was to the contrary for they fled out of Egypt vpon the Sabbath Exod. 12. And as for that in the book of Macchabees that some would not fight vpon the Sabbath besides that it is no scripture we see them in the same place condemned for it and the case generally resolued by their brethren to the contrarie as they might well doe hauing such presidents in the Scriptures for their so doing as 2. King 11. and in the destructiō of Iericho Iosh 6. and elswhere Thirdly if there had bin any infected with that error he would rather haue willed them to haue prayed for the change of their mindes than for the chaunge of their flight Fourthly be it that some held it vnlawfull to flee vpon the Sabbath yet what was that vnto his Disciples who were not possessed with that error for this was spoken vnto his disciples apart as we see vers 3. And lastly if hee had spoken to such as had held that error he would rather haue continued his forme of speech which he vsed in the former verse and as there hee saith Woe be vnto them which are with childe in these daies manifestly speaking of others so he would rather haue continued that forme of speech and haue said Woe bee vnto them that in these daies shall hold it vnlawfull to flee vpon the Sabbath for then had the speech been plaine But it is certaine that as the forme of Christs speech was altered so the words looked quite another way as namely vnto the hindrances and lets that might befall vnto them And first to the bodily lets if their flight should fall in the winter the shortnes of the day together with the foulenesse of the way might bee combersome Therfore pray saith he that your flight be not in the winter And with this it well fitted that hauing set downe their bodily lets and grieuances he should in the second place set downe the spirituall lets and grieuances which might befall them if their flight should bee vpon the Sabbath For how could this but grieue them to see not onely abomination or desolation in the Temple but abomination of desolation to be set vp in the high places euen in place and steede of Gods worship and that in the time of his worship also how could this I say be any other than grieuous vnto them and therfore exceeding grieuous because then also vpon the sight thereof they were to bee depriued both of Gods word and worship and to bee driuen out into exile Yet if troubles and afflictions must needs come a man would desire that they might not come at the worst or in the middest of his happinesse And if a man must needs die yet he would desire to end his prayers first and first to be prepared thereto In regard of which Christ willeth them to pray that their flight might not be vpon the Sabbath that is that though it were vneuitably decreed that their flight should bee yet that the extremitie of it might be something mitigated for the elects sake And this I hope that notwithstanding these wrenches it is euident that Christs meaning was that the Sabbath should continue § Sect. 8 The more iniurie therefore they offer vnto God that would nullifie this his commaundement The morall law was long before the ceremoniall and make it stand but as a Iewish ceremonie when as yet it is more anciently descended than to take his beginning with the ceremoniall law For in the writings of Israel mention is made of the keeping of the Sabbath by that patterne that cannot erre euen by God himselfe before the giuing of the ceremoniall law or before Israel