day is but the Command of a mortal dying man my esteem is no more for it than for another day But when I believe and am perswaded and consider that 't is the Command of the God that made me the God that redeemed me and the God that shall shortly come to judge me O how will this raise my mind and enliven my affections and check my floath and quicken my zeal and awaken my Conscience to a sense and conscionable performance of my duty And therefore I would willingly fix this as a great truth and immoveable principle in your minds that to observe and keep this day in your Duty and that in Obedience to the Command of God And here the better to make way to what I intend I must premise these two things 1. That the Fourth Commandment is moral i. e. of perpetual Obligation as to the substance of it 2. That our Saviour Christ who was Lord of the Sabbath had power to make what alteration he pleas'd as to the ceremonial part of it 1. That the Fourth Commandment is moral i. e. of perpetual Obligation as to the substance of it tho ceremonial for Circumstance if not then there are but nine Commandments under the Gospel for what was purely ceremonial relating to the Jewish Oeconomy is abolished and in vain are we taught to pray after the rehearsal of this Commandment Lord have mercy us and incline our hearts to keep this Law To keep some Time holy the to Lord for his Solemn Service is absolutely moral which the Light of Nature prompts men to Now 't is plain a Sabbath God must have by the perpetual Ordinance of the Fourth Commandment Remember to keep Holy the Sabbath Day i.e. that day which for the time being God hath marked out and appointed for his own And he hath declar'd his will concerning the limitation of it Six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh is the Sabbath The Seventh from the Creation was enjoyn'd to be kept by the Jews in remembrance of the Creation according to God's own example In six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth and rested the Seventh Day which was observed before the giving of the Law on Sinai Well but Christians observe not this seventh day which the Jews did do they then break the Commandment God forbid no they do not break the Commandment and this will appear by the second thing which I have to premise viz. 2. That our Saviour Christ who was Lord of the Sabbath had power to make what alteration he pleas'd as to the Ceremonial part of the Commandment Our Saviour tells the Jews St. Mark 2.28 that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath He was so indeed for 't was he that made the VVorld and gave the Law on Sinai And he shew'd the true use of the Sabbath that 't was made for Man and not Man for the Sabbath and as Lord of it he had power to make what Alteration he pleas'd Now the Alteration he made was about the circumstance of time not as to the matter of the Commandment one day in seven but as to the Circumstance of time i. e. which day in seven he pleas'd Now if I can prove to you that our Saviour Christ alter'd the circumstance of time and that that time which the Christians now observe is that Alteration I hope you 'l conclude with me that the observation of the Christian Sabbath is no breach of the Fourth Commandment but an indispensable duty incumbent upon the Church of Christ and that it is so will appear by these Arguments 1. The First I shall draw from the immediate authority of our Saviour who to let the VVorld know that his pleasure was to translate the Jewish Sabbath which was Saturday the seventh from the Creation to the first day of the VVeek was pleas'd First To Honour this day with his Resurrection from the dead which was on the first day of the VVeek when he had finish'd the work of our Redemption as he had before on the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath finish'd the work of our Creation The Jewish Sabbath slept its last in the Grave with Christ and at his Resurrection immediately enter'd the Lords day from the very day of the Resurrection of Christ St. Ep. ad Jan. 19. c. 13. Austin derives the beginning of the Gospel Sabbath The Lords day saith he by the Resurrection of Christ was declar'd to be the Christians day Dominicum diem quem vobis Salvatoris noctri Resurrectio consecravit c. Id. de Verb. Apost serm 15. and from that very time it began to be celebrated as the Christians Festival This was the First day of our Saviours appearing to his Disciples and during the forty days he remain'd up on Earth after his Resurrection he appear'd to his Disciples usually upon the first day of the VVeek and gave them Orders about the things concerning his Kingdome 2. He honoured this day with the first mission of the Holy Ghost Act. 2.1 c. When the day of Pentecost was fully come c. Pentecost that year fell on Sunday the first day of the VVeek VVhich I thus plainly prove to you There were three Solemn Feasts which were appointed the Jews every year The Feast of the Passeover The Feast of Harvest And the Feast of Tabernacles as you may read Exod. 23.14 15. The Feast of Harvest styl'd Deut 16.9 the Feast of Weeks was fifty days after the Feast of the Passeover Lev. 23.15 16. This Feast of VVeeks is the same which St. Luke calls here Pentecost which is a Greek VVord fignifying the fiftieth day and retain'd in our English Translation which time we now call Whitsunday VVhich we observe is always seven weeks after Easter Now this day which was seven weeks after the Passeover fell that year on Sunday when the Holy Ghost descended as will appear if you consult Joh. 19.14 31. Where you find that the day our Saviour was Crucified was the day of the preparation of the Passeover and the next day was the Sabbath on which the Passeover that year was celebrated which is therefore stil'd an high day v. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great day i.e. a very solemn day in respect of the concurrence of a double celebrity the Sabbath and the Feast of the Passeover Now reckon seven Weeks from the Passeover which was Saturday the Jews Sabbath to the day of Pentecost inclusively which makes up the compleat number of fifty days and you 'll find that it fell on Sunday the first day of the Week on which the Holy Ghost discended as it were to give birth to the Christian Sabbath which had it's conception at Christs Resurrection And Grotius noteth from Exod. 19.1 that it was the day the Law was given on and so on which the Spirit was given for the new Law So much for Christs immediate Authority If any say that all this is but conjectural that
all that has been said is no Argument to prevail with some They value not the Law of Nature nor the Law of their Creator nor the Blood nor Love of their Redeemer They are not fond of the Character of being a good Christian but they aspire after that of a good subject though I profess 't is a Riddle to me how he that is not a good Christian can be a good Subject but this Title and Character they are proud of and glory in and desire above all things to be accounted good Subjects Well but tell me you that are ambitious of this Title and are so little fond of that of a Christian is he a good Subject that breaks the Kings Laws You 'l readily answer no. 4. Consider therefore which is my fourth Argument that not to keep the Sabbath but to break and prophane it is to break the Kings Law to trespass against the Law of our temporal Governour which enjoyns the pious Observation of the Lord's day by repeated sanctions of Parliament under Penalties to be inflicted on the violaters of it So that in a word Sabbath-breakers are neither good Christians nor good Subjects 5. My Fifth and Last Argument is drawn from the benefits and advantages of the due and conscionable Observation of the day This day is a blessed day The Lord blessed the Seventh day and hallowed it 'T is a day of blessings of many blessings and the cheifest and best of all spiritual ones and the pledge of eternal This is the day wherein pardons are sealed to penitent Sinners and the Sentence of Guilt and Condemnation reversed and Reconciliation ratified in the blood of Christ This is the day that the Sun of Righteousness ariseth with healing under his wings to dispel and scatter the Clouds that sit upon the angry face of God's Justice to clear up the Heavens above and make it serene and pleasant on the Earth beneath and take off the Sable Mantle that black and dark covering which over-spreads the troubled Breasts the aking hearts and afflicted wounded consciences of Sinners and give them rest and peace and joy in the comfortable and refreshing gleams and illustrious shine of the light of God's countenance This is the day of feasting and banqueting for the Soul Now it Feasts with Angels and with Saints yea with the whole glorious Trinity I will come and sup with him and he with me This is the Souls treasuring it 's enriching day It lays up Treasures where neither Moth nor Rust do corrupt and where Theives cannot break through and steal Now the Soul is enriching it self growing rich towards God Now is her attiring day wherein she buys and puts on her glorious Robes the white Robe the Upper Garment of her Saviour's Righteousness and those inner Linings of inherent Holiness These she now buys and puts on that she may be in a readiness to meet the Bridegroom And this is the Market-day for the buying of this Provision this spiritual Food and Raymment and the getting of these Riches Ho every one that thirsteth so runs the Royal Style of that gracious Proclamation Isa 55.1 Come ye to the water and he that hath no money come buy Wine and Milk without money and without price And Rev. 3.18 I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white rayment that thou mayest be cloathed and the shame of thy nakedness do not appear And he that neglects the opportunity on the Market day for the buying of this Provision for his Soul for the other days of the Week are taken up in making provision for the Body in getting temporal food and rayment and riches he I say that lets slip the opportunity on the Market day for the buying of this Provision for his Soul this spiritual food and rayment and the getting of these riches when or how will he buy and get them How can he expect that his Soul should be nourished to eternal Life How can he be but wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Finally this shorter is a pledge to the due Observer of that longer and eternal Rest with we expect in Heaven an Ante-past a Preludium of that eternal Sabbath which we hope to celebrate in the other World that Rest which the Apostle observes remains to the people of God Heb. 4.9 There remaineth therefore a Rest to the people of God The word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a day or time of Rest 'T is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies any common rest but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a Sabbatical Rest a Rest that has affinity with a Rest bordering and conterminous on the temporal Sabbath which is a type and pledge and pregustation of that eternal Sabbath of rest which remains to the people of God a rest infinitely satisfactory and delighting fully compleat and perfect a rest from labour and working from sinning and suffering from diseases and pains from cares and fears from the vanities and vexations of this mortal Life O let us labour to enter into that rest as the Apostle exhorts Heb. 4.11 And happy is that man that spends the temporal Sabbath of rest here in preparation for and expectation of that eternal Sabbath of rest hereafter Happy is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing He will bid him enter into a better rest and joy He will then take him by the hand and conduct him from the Earthly to the Heavenly Jerusalem from the material to the Spiritual holy Temple where the Lamb is worshipped in the Regions of Glory He will translate him from Rest on Earth to Rest in Heaven from the Company of Saints Militant to the Chorus of the Saints Triumphant from the solemnities of a temporal Sabbath in the State of Grace to the Celebration of an eternal Sabbath of Rest in Glory To which God of his infinite Mercy bring us all for Jesus sake to whom be ascribed by us and the whole Church all Honour Power Praise Dominion and Glory now and for ever Amen FINIS
Idol when thou O prophane Christian who hadst the Light of Scripture didst transgress the Laws of thy Maker and Redeemer and fearlessly break their bonds asunder and cast away their Cords from thee 2. Consider that not to keep the Sabbath c. is to sin against the express Law of our Creator who commands one day in seven to be kept Solemn and sacred for his service and will by no means dispense with the violation of it And what art thou O man that durst break it Is not he thy Maker and art not thou his Creature and consequently at his dispose Art not thou accountable for all thy actions to him Didst thou not receive thy Being and well Being from him canst thou live or move or breath without him and yet doest thou act as if thou hadst received nothing from him and owest nothing to him Is all thy dependance upon him and yet wilt thou not at all live to him Can he save thee alive or destroy thee in a moment and yet carest thou not Doest thou neither value his favour nor fear his displeasure Are you not his people and Sheep of his pasture Is not the inference than natural Enter into his Gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise be thankful unto him and bless his Name Consider wherefore did God send thee into the World and continue thee in it what to live as the Leviathan in the Water to take thy pastime therein to live to thy self only yea the vilest part of thy self that walking lump of Clay thy body while the Soul thy immortal part is neglected and God forgotten days without number Remember he whom thou sinnest against is thy King and if thou wilt live in Rebellion thou knowest not how soon he may send out his warrant to attack thee and drag thee to his judgment seat and throw thee into Hell Why should he any longer suffer such a perverse obstinate wretch that will not be reclaim'd after frequent warnings and long forbearance such a harden'd Traytor and Rebel that will offend still and infect his fellow Subjects and draw them from their allegiance such an old accustom'd thief that will steal and rob still and is ripe for Execution Remember Christians he whom you offend is the great Landlord of Heaven and Earth and you are his Tenants and Tenants at will too and the Sabbath is his weekly Court-day whereon he summons all his Tenants to come in and pay their Homage and chief Rents whereby they acknowledge that they hold all under him and depend for all upon him and owe all to him And if you omit your duty and will not pay your suit and service what can you expect less than to be amerc'd and fin'd And you know not how soon be may send out his Officers the Angels and leavy those fines and Amerciaments on you and exact it of you And in what manner is at his pleasure whether on your Goods or Relations or Body or Soul for all is in his power and at his dispose and he has several Instruments of his wrath to execute his Will He may send the Thief to rob you and steal your Goods and in that Act retaliate your thievish tricks your robbing of God the false dealer to cheat you and go away with your Goods and Mony now a Tempest at Sea to drown some anon a fire by Land to burn the rest of your Goods and demolish your Houses and turn you out of possession one while he may send the Murraine amongst your Cattle another while Blasting and Mildew the Caterpillar and Palmer-Worm his Great Army as he stiles them Joel 2.25 and Blast and devour the Fruits of the Earth and baffle your hopes and expectations of a plentiful Crop make the Heavens above brass and the Earth beneath Iron withhold the Rain and break off the staff of Bread and cause the black horse to ride through your streets yea and the Pale horse too he may send the Plague and noisome Pestilence and other Diseases and afflict you in your persons and Relations Now a Child anon a Brother now a Father anon a Husband or a Wife or a dear Friend may be taken from you and leave you all in tears and sadness 'T is not unusual with God to snatch away some by death and that as an affliction and punishment to their offending Relatives Yea the Fine may be levied on your own persons that offend and the payment exacted of you either by sickness which takes away your Health by lameness which takes away your strength by madness which takes away your Reason or by some sad accident or sudden stroke which takes away your Life Or God may commute these punishments for temporal inflict spiritual ones a hard heart and a seared Conscience and a reprobate mind which was that severe spiritual Judgment which God inflicted on the Heathen for their Pride and Rebellion and rejecting the knowledge of God Rom. 1.28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient Or else he may epitomize along series of punishments contract them into that fatal Abridgment and Compendium of all miseries Eternal death That 's the second Argument Thirdly Consider 't is to sin against the Law against the Obligation of the Blood and love of our Redeemer to keep the Christian Sabbath is his Law And the chief design of it is to commemorate the work of our Redemption which was effected and compleated by the shedding of his most pretious Blood which is the greatest argument of divine Love Which Sabbath-breakers seem to have very little sense of and very little love and honour for their Redeemer But let such know that the Blood and Love which they spurn at and trample on will plead against them in another day the Blood of Jesus if despis'd and trodden under foot will speak worse things than the Blood of Abel the rejected the violated Law of Christ will exact a severer punishment than the despised Law of Moses So the Author to the Hebrews tells us Heb. 10.28 29. He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses so did the man that gather'd sticks on the Sabbath day Numb 15.32 c. a small fault you 'll say but being a breach of the Law and he the first violater of it as Theodoret saith therefore for example to all others in future times he was so severly punished but what he did was out of necessity but how inexcusable are they that do needless works and break the Sabbath out of presumption and contempt of the Divine Authority and Obligations of the Blood and Love of our Redeemer Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troden underfoot the Son of God and counted the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace Well but perhaps