set themselves apart to honor and worship their Images and Idols according to their manner Now I will make this good by many Arguments that God will have a set day besides the every day Sabbath he will have a set particular Sabbath for his Worship and Service Reas 1 The First Reason is Because he will have a little emblem and picture of the kingdom of heaven among his Saints and Children in this life in the kingdom of heaven there is no buying and selling no eating and drinking no worldly businesse there is nothing but praysing and glorifying of God and speaking of God and singing of Halelujah unto his holy Name there is nothing but enjoying communion with the Lord and feeding upon him continually there is nothing but this in the kingdom of heaven Now God will have a little picture of this among his Saints here upon earth You know there remains a rest for the people of God Heb. 4.9 It is an express place the word in the Original is There remains a Sabbath for the people of God As who should say There is a glorious Sabbath that all the Elect of God shall have and they are preserved for it and that is reserved for them and they shall enter into it when this body of death is laid down and they shall enjoy God face to face to all eternity they shall behold him as he is and have communion with him now the Lord will have a little picture of this here in this life we cannot have it altogether in this life for we have mortal bodies that must be fed and cloathed and stand in need of the creature for mans sin is not yet purged away but there is a great deal of rubbish still left therefore this cannot be complete here but yet God will have a little picture or this even in this life and that is the Sabbath day wherein they are to lay aside all the works of their ordinary callings and rest from all servil labours this is Gods day and we must now call upon him and hear what he saith and wholly employ and occupy our selves about him as neer as we possibly can but now this we cannot do every day for we have Children to look after and Families to provide for and there be an hundred occasions to call a man away it may be a man thinks to go into his Closet and seek God in private and one occasion or other calls him aside that he cannot go on but the Lord will have a little emblem and expression of the kingdom of heaven upon the Sabbath day therefore the Apostle saith It remains for us scil in the life to come The Second Reason why the Lord will have a set day for his Worship and Reas 2 Service besides the every day Sabbath is because the honour of God doth so require it doth require that there should be a solemn day for Gods Service as Kings though their subjects are to obey them every day and keep their Laws every day and if a subject transgress the Laws at any time he is in danger of the displeasure of the King but he will have one day of solemnity to his Majesty So God Almighty though every day we are to tremble before him and stand in aw of his Word and take heed we do not err from his Commandments yet he will have one solemn day for the honour of his Name he will have a solemn day wherein his people shall have nothing else to do but to set themselves apart for his Worship therefore this set day is called The honourable of the Lord Isa 58.13 that is we must count the Sabbath day an honourable day a day of honour wherein Gods Servants should from morning to evening fall down before him and confess that great is the Lord God We should wholly dedicate it unto him seeking of him in Publick and in Private that we may store up holy affections for all the week following Thirdly Because God sometimes calls for an extraordinary day and an Reas 3 extraordinary day hath ever relation to an ordinary if I say this is my extraordinary food and diet I imply that I have ordinary diet so if the Scripture tells us that God calls for extraordinary dayes it is an evident Argument that there be ordinary dayes which he calls for Now that God calls for extraordinary dayes it is plain 1. First He calls for extraordinary dayes of rejoycing when God compasseth us about with songs of Deliverance and works wonderful Mercies for us we ought to set a part a day for rejoycing and delighting in his goodness and favour towards us and this day is to be an holy day as Nehemiah 8.9 This day is holy unto the Lord your God mourn not nor weep So that when we are to rejoyce towards God for any spiritual favour towards us we ought to keep this day an holy day we ought to employ the hours of the day in labouring to affect our hearts with his kindnesse and labouring to make his goodness to have impression upon us that we may with cheerfulness run over all our dayes afterwards that we may adhere unto him the better all our life time 2. Secondly As he calls for extraordinary dayes of rejoycing so he calls for extraordinary dayes of Fasting and Humiliation and that in Four Cases 1. First When we fear some heavie judgement to come upon us or else when some judgement is already upon us may be some heavie judgement is upon us or else we fear it to come upon us and now we are to set an extraordinary day apart to seek the Lord as 2 Chron. 20. Jehosaphat proclaimed a Fast when the Land was in danger Suppose the Lord should take away the Gospel and the feet of those that bring glad tydings should be turned from us then should we Fast in those dayes we should grieve before God and bewail the loss of his Mercies and Favours that we may have his Goodnesse to quicken us and keep us and uphold us in the want of them 2. Secondly In case that we want some Mercy that we cannot well be without in such a case as this if ordinary seeking will not do the deed we ought to set apart an extraordinary time to prevail with God as Ezra he was in danger of the enemy and if he should go to Jerusalem the enemy would set upon him now thought he if I should go to the King though he were very great with the King of Persia at that time yet thought he if I should go to the Kigng for a Band of Souldiers he would think our God were a weak God I have told him what a strong God we have and that he is ready to help all those that trust in him now if I should go to him for a Band of Souldiers he might think that our God were not able to deliver us and it would be a great dishonour to God therefore he set a day apart for a
of the day away when our minds run into the world we must curbe them and remember that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God Reas 3 Thirdly Another Reason is That our Cattel and Servants and Children may rest as well as our selves they are to labour six dayes and one of seven they are to rest Reas 4 Another Reason is Because he hath sanctified it therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it Now then if the Lord hath sanctified the seventh day and appointed it if he hath set it apart for that purpose for spiritual employments and not to be filled up with any thing else we are guilty of Sacriledge if we do not give him this as Levit. 27.28 the Lord saith Whatsoever is devoted unto the Lord that is most holy unto him now God saith he hath devoted the seventh day to himself therefore we are to keep it holy Nebuchadnezzar a very heathen when he knew that the Vessels came out of the Temple of the Lord he would not employ them to a common use Dan. 1.2 He put them into the house of his god which was the holiest place he had Reas 5 Fifthly This is necessary because we are apt to be worldly and carnal and non-resident from Prayer and from the Word and serious humbling of our selves before God if we be never so little taken off how suddenly do our minds cleave unto the world and grow vain and unfit and distempered Now if God should not once in seven dayes have a day to take us off from the world as six dayes are employed in worldly affairs so if there were not a seventh day to take us off there would be no hoe with us therefore there must be a whole day to accustom us and habituate us to the Service of God otherwise we should drown our selves in the world The Sixth Proposition is this That as it must be one of seven so it is not indifferent which of the seven dayes we keep holy but it must be that day whereupon God rested therefore it hath the name of a Sabbath Sabbath is nothing but rest The reason of the name is Two-fold First Because God rested upon that day And Secondly Because we are to rest upon that day The Seventh Proposition is this That all that is in the fourth Commandment is not essential to the Commandment the fourth Commandment delivers only these Two things First That God will have a seventh day Secondly That this seventh day is to be the day of Gods rest This is the whole meaning of the fourth Commandment now all other particulars in the fourth Commandment are not essential to the fourth Commandment as that God made Heaven and Earth in six dayes and rested the seventh day c. It is not essential to the fourth Commandment but because at that time when God delivered the Decalogue there was no greater work then theâ— Creation and the rest from that work was the rest from the greatest work in the world thee fore it was kept upon the last day of the week upon which God rested from the Creation Now the meaning of the fourth Commandment is in the eighth Verse all the other particulars are but Commentaries to open it to the Jewes Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy this is the fourth Commandment The Sabbath that is the day that God rested on and the day that we are to rest upon this is the holy day that is devoted to the Lord now it was kept upon the last day of the week because God created heaven and earth and rested upon that day and the Creation of heaven and earth was the greatest work that God then had done But then you will say Why doth the Commandment say That in six dayes God created Heaven and Earth and rested the seventh day I Answer 1. It is no strange thing to see some things in the Commandments which are not essential to them because the Commandments were delivered to the Jewes though they concern the whole world yet the persons that actually stood before God when the Decalogue was delivered were only the Jewes Deut. 5.22 God spake to the Jewes now no wonder that God speaking to the Jews did speak divers particulars according to them and in their phrase which if we had been alive and they to succeed us God would have spoken according to us as he did according to them 2. Secondly We see plainly there are some things in the Commandments which do not concern the whole world but only the Nation of the Jewes as in the first Commandment I have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of Bondage Thou shalt have no other gods but me That is the Commandment but though they together with the other were put into the Tables of Stone yet it concerns only the Jewes 'T is true indeed it is a type of our deliverance that we are delivered from Hell and Sin and Satan as they were delivered out of Egypt and the house of Bondage but literally these words belong only to the Jews and the Commandment is this Thou shalt have no other gods but me So it is for the fourth Commandment Again There is something in the Fifth Commandment that doth not concern us but only them Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. That thy dayes may be long in the Land which the thy God giveth thee that belongs only to the Jews it is meant particularly of the land of Canaan This then is the effect of the Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land of Canaan So that the first words are the Commandment and the later part belongs only to the Jewes So Deut. 5.14 the Fourth Commandment it was put into the Tables of Stone thus Remember the seventh day to keep it holy for the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter c. that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou that belongs to us as well as to them but then it follows Remember thou wert a servant in the Land of Egypt Here you see the Jewes have another Argument besides the Arguments that we have but though we have not that Argument yet the Commandment stands still and the Commandment is only thus much namely That there must be a Seventh day and that seventh day God rested upon now whereas the Jewes kept the last day of the week that was only by a temporary Commandment because the making of heaven and earth was the greatest thing that God had then done and God rested from that upon that day but now if God work a greater work then the Creating of heaven and earth and rest from that then by vertue of the fourth Commandment we are to keep that day holy upon which he rested from that work Now I
Saviour Jesus Christ and he pronounceth a blessing upon those that keep the Sabbath in those dayes Again Isa 11.10 it was Prophecied of old that the first day of the week should be the Sabbath day the Lords day In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse which shall stand up for an Ensigne to the people and the Nations shall flie unto it and his Rest shall be Glorious Not only the Fathers Rest shall be glorious when he had Created Heaven and Earth and rested the seventh day but Christs Rest also shall be glorious for all Divines agree that the Prophet speaks of the Rest of Christ from the work of Redemption now his Rest shall be glorious As God the Father Rested from his work and his Rest was glorious for four thousand years together so Christs Rest from his work shall be glorious there shall be glory and honour put upon it as well as upon the Rest of the Father when he Rested from making of Heaven and Earth Secondly Another Argument to prove this is out of Rev. 1.10 there Reas 2 Saint John speaking of the first day of the week the Spirit of the Lord calls it the Lords Day I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day so that it is not by Apostolical Tradition only but by the Institution of God himself he doth call it the Lords Day I was in the Spirit upon the Lords Day he calls the first day of the week the Lords Day by the same reason that the Sacrament is called the Lords Supper Now the Sacrament is so called because the Lord Instituted it and therefore it must be Holy so the Lords Day is called so because the Lord Instituted it and therefore it must be kept Holy Reas 3 Another Argument is this Our Saviour Christ himself doth Intitle himself to be the Lord of the Sabbath and therefore able to alter it and change it and appoint what businesse is to be done and what not to be done upon that day he doth openly profess that he is Lord of the Sabbath Mark 2.28 and John 5.23 he saith They shall Honour the Son as they Honour the Father As they honour the Father with a Sabbath in regard of his Rest from the work of Creation so they shall honour the Son with a Sabbath in regard of his Rest from the work of Redemption which being compared with Rev. 1.10 where it is called the Lords Day These two being put together do plainly prove it Reas 4 Fourthly Christ himself did command his Apostles to keep this day it was not by the Apostles counsel as if they would set up this day in the Church as some would have it but Christ did command them so to do for the Apostles did deliver nothing Generally to the Church but what they received from the Lord as Paul saith What I have received from the Lord that I declare unto you 1 Cor. 11. But I will prove it was the Commandment of Christ to them by this Argument Because the first day of the week was alwayes kept for the assemblies of the people of God before the Apostles durst order any thing in the Church the Apostles never durst undertake to set up any order in the Church until the Holy Ghost fell upon them in fiery tongues and that was fourty dayes after Now the first day of the week was kept long before this John 20.19 they kept the first day of the week and again the next week ver 26. they kept the first day of the week and Luke 24. they kept the first day of the week And if you compare three or four places of Scripture together as Mat. 28.16 20. together with John 20.19 26. we shall see plainly in John that they did meet upon the first day of the week and in Mat. 28. we shall see that Christ appointed them so to do it was by his Commandment Reas 5 Fifthly Another Argument to prove that it is by Divine Institution and not by Humane Ordinance is this Because the Wisdome of Jesus Christ would never have committed such a weighty thing as this is to the Judgement of man Certainly the Lord Jesus Christ before his ascending up unto his Father would never have left things to raw and uncertain and imperfect as to leave such a Branch of such a Sacred Ordinance to be at the Arbitrament of men being so apt to take liberty and so negligent to keep any day Holy surely the Lord would never have left it to the Arbitrament of men Therefore we may well conclude it is to be found in Scripture by Ordination of God for mark what the Apostle saith As Moses was faithful in all his house so Christ is faithful in all his house Heb. 3.2 3. He proves that Christ is more faithful then Moses Now Moses was faithful for he delivered the whole mind of God to the people of Israel there was nothing left out for time or place or manner there was not any Ceremony in the worship of God left out but he delivered all to them he was faithful So Christ is faithful in his house therefore seeing Christ knew how ready men were to neglect and prophane the Sabbath plain reason tells us that he would order it himself Reas 6 Again Who should Institute any Ordinance in the Church but only he that is the Head of the Church Reas 7 Again Another Argument is this It hath been the Practice of all holy men since the Apostles daies to keep this day That it was the practice of the Apostles that you will grant that they kept the first day of the week Now if there were no Argument but this that the Apostles did keep it this were enough to prove the change of the day when we find that the Apostles did sanctifie this day this were proof enough to stay our mindes for certainly they had a more Infallible guidance and direction then we have and they insisted upon this day 1 Cor. 16.1.2 They ordained and John the Divine kept this day though he were in the place of his banishment where he could hear no Sermon but was all alone yet he would keep the Sabbath on the first day of the week and the Lord rewarded his sanctifying of this day by declaring the Revelation unto him to incourage all good people to go on in keeping this day But to leave these and come to the time of the ancient Fathers immediately after the Apostles they all agree upon the first day of the week Jgnatius doth so and Saint Austin saith as the Virgin Mary is among women so is the first day of the week among dayes as she was blessed above women so is the first day of the week blessed above daies No man that makes conscience of his wayes but shall find a blessing upon eyery day but God hath blessed this day in a more peculiar manner and the soul that makes conscience of the keeping of it may by the Covenant of God expect a blessing
Now to come to the dead times of Popery If ever the Sabbath was out of memory and out of date then was the time for then there was a great falling away a great forsaking a great declining and people hearkned to Doctrines of Divels and Damnable Heresies and the whole world groaned under Popery Yet in the dead times of Popery there were abundance of Prophets the Lord did keep their Judgements entire in this thing as Gregory and Silvester and others though they were Superstitious Papists yet they say That the change of the Sabbath from the last day of the week to the first is by Divine Institution Now to come to the times of Reformation here we have abundance of Reverend men beyond the sea both in Germany and France that maintain it is by Divine Institution Another Argument is taken from the Judgements of God If men will not Reas 8 hearken to reason and the examples of the Saints and Judgement of Divines in all ages yet the Lord will make it appear from heaven that this is the Lords Day and the Lord hath sealed it First by his Judgements for the wrath of God hath been revealed from heaven upon those that have prophaned this day the Stories in all ages shew it In the Councel of Paris where Divines out of all Countries in Christendome were met together to consult about matters of Religion Ministers stepped up and made complaint concernining the Sabbath Let us make a Canon for the sanctifying of the Sabbath day for to our knowledg the Lords wrath hath broken out upon the Countrey for the breach of this day and one related one story and another another as one told a Story of a Miller that grinding upon the Sabbath day a fire brake out and burnt Mill and Man and all Another of an Husbandman that going into the field to fetch home his Corn upon the Sabbath day thunder and lightning brake forth and burnt him and his corn Many such stories were related in that Councel and the Magdenbergs have a story of a Noble-man that using to Hunt upon the Sabbath day the Lord brought it so to passe that his Wife brought forth a child with a head just like a dog I could relate abundance of Stories beyond sea but we have enough here at home the Town of Stratford in Warwick shire at it is related in the Practice of Piety was Burnt three times upon this day And the Story of the Parris Garden 1583. they were gathered together this day to see the sport of the Beasts fighting together and the Scaffold fell down and eight were slain and abundance hurt So there are many more such Examples I remember my self above a dozen within this half year the Lord hath revealed his displeasure from heaven for the breach of this day Secondly Again the Lord hath sealed this in the conscience of his people For who are they that break this day but loose and vain and prophane men And who make conscience of it but those that most fear God those that God hath most crowned with Righteousnesse and sanctification they delight in this and Sanctifie it and count it Holy to the Lord and the more a man fears God the more careful he is of the keeping of this day and the more he is grieved to see it prophaned either by himself or others because he hath experience of the blessings of God upon the keeping of this day no man doth Sanctifie this day conscionably but he shall find a blessing therefore it is surely from the Lord. Vse 1 The First Vse is this Is the first day of the week the Sabbath by Divine institution then here we see that we are to keep a whole day The Divel if he cannot make men keep no day then it is his policy to make them keep it by halves Oh say they Do we not keep the Sabbath Do we not come to Church and hear the word and Divine Service Morning and Evening Is not this to keep the Sabbath But if the Lord hath Instituted this day then certainly he hath Instituted a whole day It is madnesse and want of reason for a man to think the contrary Suppose I hire a man to labour with mee for a day do I not make account he should work one whole day Suppose I hire a Servant for a year do I not mean an whole year though I put not in the word Whole yet I suppose he must dwell a whole year with me And if I hire a man for a day it is for an whole day so that in Grammatical sense when the Scripture saith Thou shalt Sanctifie the Sabbath day it is meant a whole day It is not in this as in other words any piece of a stone is stone but in things that signifie the whole it is not the same as a day a part of a day is not a day the least part of water is water or of fire is fire but a part of a day is not a day Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day and I was in the Spirit on the Lords day and they met together on the first day of the week it is a day therefore the meaning of the scripture is that it should be a whole day and it is so in reason and therefore we are to keep an whole day therefore we should not curtail the Lords day as the servants of Hanun did the garments of Davids servants You know what became of Ananias and Saphira that brought but part when they should have brought the whole they should have brought the whole price of their inheritance but they brought but part therefore the Lord smote them with death so when the Lord requires a whole day and we give him but a part we shall bring vengeance upon our own heads There are divers arguments for it First the weeke consists of seven dayes and he hath given six to us and reserves one day to himself now we wil grant that we have not part of six dayes but six whole dayes If you aske a man what do you work all day Why yea the Lord hath given us six dayes therefore six whole dayes Now by the same reason God must have an whole day if we take any part of the seventh day then we have more then six dayes which is contrary to the scripture Another reason is this God rested the seventh day now looke what time God rested that time we must sanctifie now God rested the seventh day all of it he left none of the creation to do upon the seventh day he had finished the creation in six dayes and rested all the seventh day therefore we must keep the whole day Thirdly because this is the nature of a Sabbath to bee 24 houres not to be an artificiall day but to be a naturall day 24 houres together as you may see Lev. 23.32 you shall keep the Sabbath from evening to evening then the dayes were reckoned from evening to evening from the creation
fellow-members 3 By laying to heart their afflictions Of the Sabbath Exod. 20.19 Prop. 1. There must be some set time for the worship and immediate service of God 70 Reas 1 All actions cannot be done at once 2 Because of our dulness Prop. 2. There must be some set time every day Reas 1. Else we live like beasts 71. 2 Every morning God reneweth mercies 3 God is the beginning and ending of all things Prop. 3. Every day is in some sort a Sabbath Reas 1. Gods covenant with us requires it 2 Not to do so is a brand of hypocrisie 3 Blessednesse consists in it 72 4 This is the sum of the law of righteousnesse Prop. 4. There must be a particular special day Reas 1. That in this life we may have an Emblem of Heaven 2 Gods honour requires it 73 3 God sometimes calls for extraordinary dayes 1 Of rejoycing 2 Of fasting 1 When judgements are feared 74 2 Mercies wanting 3 Souls tempted 4 Some notable work undertaken 4 It is most equitable 75 1 That God should have one day 2 That our souls should have one day Prop. 5. One day in seven is to be set a part for Gods worship Reas 1. Gods positive command 76 2 It is Gods day 3 That servants cattel c. may have rest 4 God hath sanctified it 5 Because we are apt to be worldly c. Prop. 6. That day of seven is to be kept holy on which God rested 76 Prop. 7. All that is in the fourth Commandement is not essential to it Prop. 8. The fourth commandement continually to abide in force 78 Reas 1. Because the Sabbath was instituted before there was room for ceremonies 2 The Sabbath was kept before the Law given 3 It was written by the finger of God 79 4 God often urgeth this Commandement as well as any other 5 Else we have not ten Commandements 6 Christ plainly tells us so 7 The Heathens have ever kept a Sabbath day 80 Prop. 9. The first day of the week is now the Lords day 81 Reas 1. From Psal 118.24 2 From Rev. 1.10 3 Christ calls himself Lord of the Sabbath 82 4 Christ commanded the Apostles to keep this day 5 Christs wisdom would not leave such things uncertain 6 Who should institute this day but he that is the head 7 All Christians have kept this day since the Apostle time 8 Gods judgements on the prophaners of this day do evince it 83 Use 1. Then we are to keep an whole day 84 Reas 1. We have six whole daies for our selves 2 God rested an whole day 3 From Levit. 23.32 4 God never instituted halfe holy daies 85 5 It is the judgement of Divines in all ages Use 2. Then sports are unlawful on this day Reas 1. Because working is otherwise commanded sporting only permitted 2 Working doth less distract the mind The Second Part of CRISTS Alarm to DROUSIE SAINTS REVEL 3.1 Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead I Have spoken of the life of the affections and now I should come to the next thing namely to shew how far a child of God may be said to be dead but before I handle this there is another point that would be spoken to in a word or two and that is this Why a child of God may think himself to be dead when he is not and think he is grown deader then ever he was and there is no such matter and others may think he is grown cold and negligent and yet the truth is he is more affected and more alive towards God then formerly this is a very needful point and there be several causes of false liveliness which a child of God may have and when they go away he may seem to be deader then he was whereas indeed he is not so The first is novelty of Religion and grace when grace is yet new and the word comes fresh to a man and the promises of eternal life look freshly into a mans heart they will affect him much and not only raise his sanctified affections but his unsanctified too for the unsanctified affections will stir at a novelty a man that hath no grace at all nor any life will be stirred at a new thing as when the Apostle preached new doctrine to the Athenians Acts 17.32 we will hear thee again of this matter say they they cared not how often they heard this because it was news to them so when Christ preached up and down O what new doctrine is this say they never man spake as this man Joh. 7.46 it was a new kind of preaching new gifts this stirred them mightily so it may be with a true Christian when the word of God comes first to him and grace comes first to him the novelty of grace may affect him when God first opens his eyes how strangely will he be moved in prayer how strangely will he carry himself at a Sermon his very bowels yearn at a Sermon and he will cry out Oh the infinite mercy of God to my soul what a beast was I before I was an hell-hound a child of the Divel and now the Lord hath made me a child of God I went on in the high way to perdition and now God hath brought me into the right way this is admirable but do you think these are all good affections there is a great deal of corruption in these as new Beer when it is first tunned it hath a great deal of working then but when it is staler it doth not work so much yet then is the Beer more powerfull and hath more life as it is with a mans first entrance into an hot bath it doth so stir him as if it did scald him but after he hath been in a while he is sensible of little or no heat the heat is as much as it was at the first and works upon him as much but he feels it not so much so a good Christian doth not seem to be so much affected afterwards as formerly are his true affections therefore down no but his unsanctified ones are down may be a man hath not lost a jot of his true and sound and sanctified affections but only his unsanctified ones for when grace comes first into the soul of a new convert there is a greater Army raised up for God then is likely to continue there are a company of mercenary Souldiers steping and seem to go out and to fight for God as well as the rest you shall have more fears in that man then are true and more desires after grace then are true carnal desires and joys and delights these will be all up at the first and will go out though they never go to the journeys end it is with a new convert at his setting out towards heaven as it was with the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt there was a mixed multitude went up with them Exod. 12.38 why the plagues of God had wrought upon many
behave my selfe as I ought though a persecutor of Religion were in company can he know these thoughts No man can persecute or mock him for any of these a man may think as good thoughts as he will if he hath an heart to them and this will keep up a mans quickning when a man goeth abroad what should hinder but he may be imployed in inward duties considering seriously and thinking solemnly how it stands between God and his soule what shall hinder a man from these duties Now the neglect of these is the cause of the deadnesse of mens hearts people come to Church and hear Sermons but what do ye do within do you set up Gods Ordinances in your bosomes do you set up a Christian watch in your bosomes and prayer in your bosoms how do you go up and down all day long is heaven in your bosoms is the fear of God in your bosoms preserving and keeping of you This is that which will quicken you and a man can never be quickned if he make not conscience of this Lastly Another cause of deadnesse is peoples contenting themselves with what they have attained unto if they have gotten any thing they are apt to set up their staves there and content themselves as if all were well this is the cause of the deadnesse of peoples hearts because every little sufficeth them if they have but any hope that they are of God and fear his name if they finde they have any thing in them they are apt to be secure and not to be earnest to grow in grace from day to day Now when this gets into a mans heart it will dead him presently therefore the Apostle when he perceived many of the Hebrews deaded their hearts this way he shakes them up Heb. 6.1 Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection As who should say Let us on on for shame unto perfection let us proceed further let us not ever be learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth let us not be ever laying a foundation and never building thereupon let us not be ever going about repentance and faith and the first principles of the Oracles of God and never come to perfection This is the effect of the Epistles of Peter that people should not content themselves with what they have but that they may grow and goe forward Desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 and grow in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 He is beating upon this that no man should content himselfe with any measure already attained if he do his heart will be deaded and made dull and blockish to all goodnesse and this is another cause of the deadness of peoples hearts they are at a stay they are at a stand every man may be would be a good Christian and a childe of God and if he can get but any hope that he is a childe of God now he is safe and now he goeth dully and blockishly on if he can but hold there and if he hath any fears that he is not right then may be he begins to stir himselfe a little but as soon as ever he gets any hopes again that he is right he goeth on in a blockish manner and passeth over holy things otherwise then he ought to doe and then if any spurs come into his conscience and awaken him may be he stirs again till he gets up a little hope that his condition is good and then he falls off and grows as secure again as he was before and this deads the hearts of people I come now to the meanes how a man may be quickened and the first is this If we would be quickened we must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ we must goe to him I speak now to good people if you would be quickned you must goe and fetch it from the Lord Jesus Christ he is a fountain of life opened unto all that come unto him I am come saith Christ that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly John 10.10 Christ is not only come to quicken the dead and raise them up that they may be alive towards God barely and nakedly but he came to make all his people lively that they should have more life and quickning and be more enlarged in grace he came not onely to work the thing but to work a growth and increase of it more and more Now if you would know how to come by this life in Christ Jesus the only way is to believe in Christ John 7.38 He that believeth in me out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water there shall be rivers of spiritual life in that man that shall never be drawn dry so then doe any of us stand sticking at this how shall we be quickned and shake off this deadness that is in us I say look up to Christ and labour truly and unfainedly to desire him and hunger and thirst after him if we did search after Christ wee should be quickned presently there is no man is dead but he that hath no care to look after Christ and desire him if we would have Christ if our hearts be open to him if we doe but desire him and long for him if we have but these groanes and outgoings in our souls oh that I had but Christ shed abroad in my heart if I had him I should have life and quickning if I had him I should have right and title to all Gods heavenly comforts if our hearts did but goe up and down longing after Christ this is the way to attain to quickning Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c. Come and ye shall have waters that shall never be dried up the want of faith is the cause of hardness of heart and of deadnesse as our Saviour Christ when he saw they were dead Matth. 16. he did upbraid them with unbeliefe if a man did but once believe if a man did but truly cast his soul upon God if he had but once his eyes opened to see the vanity of all other things to see the danger of sinne and iniquity the misery of all unregenerate people and to see the worth of Christ and the infinite goodnesse of God in Christ what an admirable pearl it is to enjoy him how it is better then life it selfe better then the whole world yea then thousands of worlds if a man did but see this and had his heart affected with this to be drawn to Christ and to have his heart and minde run after him to be possessed of him this is faith you that would know whether you have faith or no if you had all the faiths in the world you are infidels without this faith but if you have this faith you have true faith if you have a heart running after Christ minding him and longing for him and casting your soules upon him for all good
take when instruction comes it strengthens a man much Now when a man hath communion with all the Saints what abundance of counsel hath he you may see how weak David was he was not able to beat down his wrath and impatience Now when Abigail came with her good counsel he blessed God for it Let us have a care to come so to the Sacrament that we may be strengthened in all good things that we may be more quickned up to every good word Vse 1 and work for it is a strengthening Ordinance it is appointed of God for the very nonce to strengthen Gods people in all business and employments they have to doe from day to day When Moses and all Israel received the Passeover God smote the first borne of all Egypt Psal 105.30 This was a seal that God smote all the strength of the Egyptians but there was not one weak person among the Israelites So if we did receive the Sacrament aright there should not be a weak Christian among us God would smite the Egyptian and weaken the strength of all their lusts and corruptions is therefore any among us weak and he cannot do this and that his lusts are like the sons of Zerviah to David too hard for him Though I be anointed King I am weak c. 2 Sam. 3.39 So dost thou say I am very weak this day and though God hath anointed me King over my lusts and I am a Christian that should have power over my lusts yet these base lusts and cursed corruptions are too hard for me I say if we did but wisely and carefully as we ought to do goe to the Word and Sacrament and the rest of Gods Ordinances we should have marvellous supply and help to carry us on in our Christian Combate It is a very remarkable thing that when God would have Joshua and alâ— Israel goe about that same hard work to goe â—nd encounter with 31 Kings of Canaan at one clap and they were now newly come into the Land of Canaan and were hemmed in the waters of Jordan came back and they could not goe back again it is to be noted that before God would have them strike a blow he would have them take the Sacrament of Circumcision you know the Canaanites might have come and cut their throats when they were sore nay when they were circumcised God would not have them goe fight yet but they must take the Sacrament of the Passeover which would cost them seven dayes one would think this was not the way to be strong but this was indeed the way to be strong to go in the strength of heaven this made the spirits of their enemies melt for they were now within the Covenant of God therefore how should we help our own souls if we would but go in the strength of Gods Covenant to prayer and every business we have to do and if we would but rightly partake of this Sacrament as a seal of the Covenant nothing would make it so strong as this This may seem to condemn the most of us all generally How do Christians misse of the partaking of the Sacrament what a deal of weakness is Vse 2 there among us where is there a strong Christian they can hardly doe any thing or suffer any thing whence is all this this comes from not receiving the Sacrament as they ought to doe as the Apostle saith of bodily weakness 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep He speaks there of their unworthy receiving the Sacrament this is the cause that your bodies are weak So this is as true of the weakness of the soule for this cause many are weak among you and many have such sick souls nay many are even dead to all manner of good even for this cause the not receiving the Lords Supper in a right manner for if the Sacrament were duely come unto as it doth require it is to strengthen us in grace and against Satan but when people come hand over head when they prâ—pare themselves slightly pray slightly before they come and come carelesse and negligently and take not pains to come in due fashion they rather strengthen themselves in sinne and Satan against them as it is said of Judas after he had received the sop the Devil entred into him John 13.27 you see he went away with more hardness of heart from the Lords Supper then he came to it he went away with more wrath and discontent against Christ and his blessed company then before the Devil had more strength then he had before A true Christian that comes to the Sacrament as he ought gets more strength to his faith more strength to his lively hope more patience and meekness he strengthens all the graces of Gods spirit and strengthens himselfe against Satan and his own flesh and against his lusts and corruptions but when a man comes otherwise he doth not only not get strength against corruption but corruption gets strength rather he goes away with more corruption of heart and more guiltiness of sinne then before and is more heartless to prayer and good duties The Devil deals with men as the Monk did with Henry the 7th Emperour it is reported that he was poysoned by coming to the Sacrament for he had poysoned it so the Devil poysons the Sacrament to most men they eat and drink their own damnation when they goe away from the Lords Supper they are worse then when they came more weak and unable to put off Satan and more exposed to his fiery darts whereas if the Sacrament were approached unto according to the due order that God hath set down in his Word we should gather strength from it This may serve to shew the reason why people get no more good by the Vse 3 Sacrament and doe not meet with this strength that the Sacrament administers to every worthy Communicant in general because they doe not come in a right manner to the partaking of it and when they doe not regard the manner God doth not regard the matter when they doe not come faithfully and readily and preparedly to the Table of the Lord the Lord regards not their coming and they shall get no good by it as Solomon saith When a man is not ready to heare he offers the sacrifice of fools Eccles 5.1 So when a man receives the Sacrament and is not ready to receive he receives the Sacrament of fools he doth not consider what a sacred thing it is and what great matters are required of him and what care and conscience is requisite thereunto we should examine our selves as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11.28 We must not only eat of that bread and drink of that cup for so even wretches and carnal people do and never partake of any strength but we must partake of it after a right manner as Christ saith Luke 12.47 He that knew his Lords will and prepared not himselfe to doe it shall
live forty years after the Ceremonies were ceased I would have you have a care of the Sabbath and delight in hearing of the word of God and meditating upon it and so forth and if any occasion come that you fall into the hands of your enemies pray that your flight be not in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day as who should say If it be in the Winter that will do hurt and be troublesome to your bodies and so if you fly upon the Sabbath day that will trouble your consciences if you regard Gods commandment and the good of your own consciences if you regard or fear Gods name it will grieve you to fly on the Sabbath day whereby you shall be deprived of the Congregation of Gods Saints therefore pray that your flight be not upon that day Intimating that it was Morall for if it had been Ceremoniall he would not have wished them to pray that it might not be upon that day Now whereas our Saviour doth so often condemn the Pharisees in regard of their strictnesse of the Sabbath it is not as if he did disallow the keeping of it but they were foolishly precise they strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel they crowded out and regarded not Mercy and Judgment they would not pull a poor beast out of a pit or relieve a poor man upon the Sabbath day they found fault that a man should be helped from deaths door by our Saviour upon the Sabbath this was their folly Now our Saviour did not condemn strict keeping of the Sabbath but he did condemn their Superstition for ever since Adams time it was lawful to do works of Mercy on the Sabbath it was Lawful to pull a beast out of the pit and do works of Mercy and Necessity upon the Sabbath day And whereas the Law saith The Jewes might not kindle a fire on the Sabbath day if we were in their case we might not neither for they were in the Wildernesse in an hot Countrey where they needed no Fire and having their Food provided to their hands And being in an hot Countrey if they kindled a Fire it was out of wantonnesse but if it had been a cold Countrey in Adams time and Abrahams time and in all times it was lawful to kindle a Fire Reas 7 Againe another Argument is this The very Heathen themselves have ever kept a Sabbath day though they could not tell which the day was some kept the Eighth day and some the Ninth yet they ever kept a Sabbath day Yea it is certain many of the Heathen themselves kept the Sabbath after their manner Alexandrinus a godly Father that lived but a little after Christ saith That the Heathen did count the Seventh day an Holy day And it is related of Alexander Severus Emperour of Rome though he were a Pagan and Infidel yet every Sabbath day he retired from his Warlike affaires and went up into the Capitol to worship his gods And it is reported againe in Heathen Histories our boyes go not to School upon the Sabbath day neither are Humane Arts taught on that day but we have a Rest upon that day Nay some of the Heathens tell us That they keep it from the Creation therefore Philo tells us That the Sabbath day is the Creation day and divers other poor people that never had Scripture or Prophet or Minister among them but went meerly by the light of Nature and what they had learned from their Ancestors and Fathers they did keep the Sabbath day Nay one of them saith That on the Seventh day all the Host of Heaven and Earth was finished Therefore seeing the very Heathen have learned to keep this day Holy it is an Evident Argument that this is a Moral Commandement I conclude the Proof of this Point with the saying of our Saviour Christ Mat. 5.18 Heaven and Earth shall passe away but not one jot or title of the Law shall passe away Marke our Saviour saith there that there shall not one jot or title of the Decalogue passe away As for the Ceremonial and Judicial law they stand not still but the whole compasse of them is removed the Ceremonial Law is quite and clean abolished and the Judicial Law in many particulars therefore our Saviour meant it not of those two Laws but he speaks of the Decalogue and he saith Heaven and Earth shall passe away before one jot of it shall passe away much lesse an whole branch be rooted out And Gal. 3.10 the Apostle saith Cursed is every one that continues not in all things that are written in this Law to do them not only he that continueth not in the first or second or third Commandment but he that continueth not in the fourth and fifth and all the rest And Jam. 2.10 the Apostle there saith If a man should keep the whole Law of God and be guilty only in one point he is guilty of all Suppose thou didst keep the Three first Commandments and all the Six last if thou keepest not the Fourth Commandment thou art guilty of the breach of all the Commandments I let this passe and come now to the last Proposition which is this That though the last day of the week were kept for the Sabbath till the coming of Christ yet the first day of the week that seventh day is now the Lords Day and is so to continue to the end of the World I frame it thus The change of the seventh day to the first day of the week is not by Ecclesiastical Law or by the Law of man or Apostolical Tradition but it is by the Institution and express Commandment of God The first Argument to prove it is taken out of Psal 118.24 It is an Argument Reas 1 used by the Church of God in all Ages ever since twelve hundred years agoe Saint Austin did use it in his time the Psalmist Prophecieth of the Resurrection of Christ the Stone which the builders refused is become the Head-stone of the Corner this is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Our Saviour Christ Mat. 21. doth expound it of his Crucifying and Resurrection This is the day that the Lord hath made we will be glad and rejoyce in it The Psalmist speaks here of the Resurrection of Christ now speaking of this very day saith he This is The day that the Lord hath made And we for our part that are godly and desire to be built upon this Corner Stone we will be glad and rejoyce in it we will keep it as a glorious day a day of Thanksgiving and Rejoycing in God The thing is plain see Isa 56.1 2. the Prophet Prophecyeth of the Day of Christ and saith They are blessed that keep the Sabbath thus saith the Lord Keep Judgement and Justice for my Salvation is at hand to come and my Righteousness is to be revealed Blessed is the man that doth this and keepeth my Sabbaths This is a Prophecie of the day of our Lord and
Fast and laboured to get aid and help from heaven Ezra 8.21 So when a Child of God is exceedingly afflicted with any crosse or temptation and he shall wonderfully dishonour God and cast a snare upon them that fear his Name in this case he is bound to seek God extraordinarily and if the ordinary means that God hath appointed will not prevail he is to set a part a Fast to seek him extraordinarily 3. Thirdly If we be assaulted from hell and Satan and our own hearts with strong temptations then we are to seek God extraordinarily as it was with Paul when the Messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him when he lay under some heavy temptation either unto Pride or Lust or Uncleannesse some prick in the flesh that the Lord sent upon him and let him be encountered withal then Paul sought God in a solemn manner more then ever he did at other times 2 Cor. 12.8 For this I besought God thrice 4. Fourthly In case a man is to do some notable service he is to enter into some new Calling or if the Lord doth put him upon some new service that doth require some more then ordinary help now a man is to seek God by Fasting and Prayer as you may see it was with Barnabas and Paul when they entred into the Ministery Acts 13.3 Now the reason why I name these things is to shew you that sometimes God will have an extraodinary set day for his immediate worship and service when we are to lay aside all other businesse and set our selves apart to call upon his Name and seek him The thing I gather from hence is this If there be an extraordinary set day then there must be an ordinary set day for Gods immediate Service Another Argument is taken from the Equity of it and that stands Two wayes 1. First It is very equal when as we have six dayes to provide for our Reas 4 selves and for the maintenance of our bodies God gives us divers dayes for that now Equity doth require that we should give one day to him we having several dayes it is equity that he should have at least one for himself Therefore this doth aggravate our sins exceedingly if we give not this day to God Did not this aggravate the sin of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit in that God gave him liberty to eat freely of all other trees in the garden and forbad him only the eating of that one Now what excuse could Adam have for not abstaining from that one So here God having given us divers dayes for the good of our bodies and for means and maintenance of the things of this life duty requires that we should not touch Gods day nor set our foot upon it nor turn our eyes away from it we ought to remember it as Joseph said in regard of his Mistris when she enticed him to folly mark how he answers the temptation My Master hath put all things into my hands that are in the house he hath with-hold nothing from me but only thee his Wife and that is equal and reasonable how therefore shall I do this great wickedness and sin agaist God Gen. 39.9 So should we say when we are tempted to break the Lords day we should say The Lord hath not imposed any day besides the Lord hath given us all the six daies for our use how therefore shall I do this great wickednesse and sin against God with worldly thoughts and speeches and actions upon that day It stands with very good equity that it should be so 2. Secondly It stands with equity in regard of our Souls if our bodies which are the worser part have several dayes for their use then how much more should the soul have one day which is a thousand times more worth then the body You know what Christ saith What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul Matth. 16.26 Our souls are more worth then our bodies and we have more need to seek out for Holinesse and Grace for them and to be well provided for in regard of them then for any thing in this present world if we want meat we can but starve if we want cloaths we can but famish if we want outward things we can but temporally perish but if we want Grace and the Favour of God we perish for ever Now if there be six dayes allowed for the good of our bodies how much more should we be willing to have one day for the good of our souls specially considering what need we have thereof This Argument our Saviour Christ useth to prove the Sabbath Mark 2.27 The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath The Sabbath was made for man as meat was made for the body and a man cannot be without food no more can the soul be without the Sabbath so that we see there must be a solemn day set a part for Gods Worship and Service The Fifth Proposition is this That as there must be a set day for Gods Worship and Service so this day must be one of seven not one of eight or nine or five or four but one of seven and this though it be not naturally moral yet it is positively moral though it be not natural written in the heart of man as a man if he had no teaching his conscience would find out that he should not be idle and steal commit murther the Conscience will grope out these Ordinances and Statutes of God and the Conscience will find out that there must be a set day for Gods Worship and Service the light of nature will find out that but that it must be one day of seven that it cannot find out but I say that it is the positive law of God that it must be one of seven Reas 1 Now Because it is not written in the heart of man but in the Commandment of God positively delivered to us and required of us I can give no other Reason for it but only the reason taken out of the Scripture there can be no reason taken from the judgment of man as other Lawes the very law of Reason will enforce them but there can be no other reason for this but only out of the Word of God The Lord hath commanded six dayes thou shalt labour and being his Will it must be performed for God might require six dayes for himself and leave us but one day God might have ordained it so but God intending we should live by the sweat of our brows the Lord was pleased to allow us six dayes now he giving us six dayes doth reserve unto himself one of seven Reas 2 Secondly Another Reason is this As the Lord hath commanded this seventh day so he saith it is his day The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Now then if the seventh day be the Sabbath of the Lord our God then we must not divert any of the hours or any part
come to the Eighth Proposition That this Fourth Commandment concerning a Sabbath day concerning the keeping of a Seventh day holy is a continual Commandment alwayes to abide in the Church of God I will prove it by divers Arguments that it was not to continue only in the time of the Jewes but it is to abide alwayes in the Church to the coming of the Son of man there is not a jot of Ceremony in the fourth Commandment Reas 1 The First Reason is Because God did institute the Sabbath before there was any room for Ceremonies it was commanded to Adam in his Innocency Now all Ceremonies did prefigure Christ and before Adam fell there was no Promise of the Seed of the Woman nor no need of it and so no need of a Figure to represent it but before Adam fell the Sabbath was prescribed Gen. 2.2 3. On the seventh day God rested from all that he had made so that God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it So that you see God having rested upon this day he sanctified it and put holiness upon it therefore we are not to name that Common which he hath named Holy now though we do not read of Adams keeping this day nor Abels nor Enochs nor Noahs nor Abrahams nor Isaacs nor Jacobs yet it doth not follow it was not kept for Moses doth not take in hand to set down the actions of the Fathers but only generally for you see what a short story we have of Methushelab a good man though he lived a thousand years almost yet we have scarce Three Syllables concerning him Now sith Moses did not undertake to set down all that they did therefore they might keep the Sabbath though he did not set it down neither afterwards doth he set it down for 319. years and 111. years which 430. years to the time of the Judges we have nothing spoken of concerning the Sabbath therefore seeing God did Institute it to Adam in his Innocency that is enough but what though the Fathers had not kept it holy doth it therefore follow that we must not keep it holy They had many wives doth it therefore follow that we must have many wives So suppose they did not sanctifie the seventh day though wee can see no proof that they did not yet this is enough That God did sanctifie it before any Ceremony was Again Though we do not read that they practised this yet the Scripture doth intimate to us that they did it Reas 2 The Second Argument to prove this is out of Exod. 16.23 before the Law was delivered upon Mount Sinai before the Commandment was spoken from Horeb yet you may see that the Sabbath is spoken of and the Lord doth finde fault with Israel for not keeping of it which intimateth it was a day they well knew and the Lord saith afterwards to Moses How long will ye refuse to keep my Laws and Statutes As in vers 28. the Lord there speaks of a Sabbath as a day well known unto them that it was commanded to be sanctified by them and this was before the delivering of the Ceremonial Law therefore it is not a ceremonial Law but a positive Law equipollent with the moral Law Reas 3 A Third Reason is Because it was written by the finger of God in Tables of stone and put into the Ark Exod. 31.18 and Deut. 10.12 the Commandments were written upon Two tables of stone and by the finger of God Now all Divines in all ages agree upon this that the writing of this Commandment in the Two tables of stone is an evident Argument of the morality of it For as a Reverend Divine saith Not to think the Fourth Commandment to be moral is the way to all Atheisme for if one should say the Fourth Commandment is not moral but ceremonial another might step up the next year and say the Second and the Fifth is not So that whereas the Law is written by the finger of God in tables of stone if we root it out of the tables of stone we shall root it out of the heart of man therefore the writing of it in the tables of stone is an evident Argument of the morality of it to all ages A Fourth Argument is this The Lord doth urge this Commandment Reas 4 more then any other Commandment in the Decalogue so that a man may question the First or Second or any of the Ten as well as this for first we know that God hath made this Commandment larger then any of the rest Secondly hee hath made it stronger and urged it with more arguments then any of the rest 3. He hath fixed a memento remember before it As who should say Be carefull of this and take heed of forgetting it take heed of those that shall teach you the contrary that this Commandment is not morall 4. It is negatively delivered and affirmatively the other delivered only one way either affirmatively only as the Fifth Honour thy Father and Mother or else negatively only as all the rest There is never a Commandment delivered both negatively and affirmatively but only the Fourth as Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy there it is delivered affirmatively And afterwards it is delivered negatively In it thou shalt do no manner of work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter c. The Lord hath delivered it both wayes noting that this Commandment is equall and equipollent with the other and the Lord did this in infinite wisdome because he had not written this Commandment in the heart of man by the light of nature therefore the Lord did urge it more with Arguments that what was wanting in the light of nature might be supplyed by the pressing of Arguments 5. Another Argument is Because if this be not morall then we have Reas 5 not Ten morall Commandments there are but Nine now this is false for the Scripture tels us that the Commandments are Ten as Deut. 10.4 it is not an Ecclesiasticall thing but the Lord hath said it as you may see there And he wrote upon the Tables according to the first writing the Ten Commandments which the Lord spake unto you in the Mount out of the midst of the fire The Lord spake Ten Commandments now if the Fourth Commandment be not morall there be not ten Commandments And you may as well deny the Articles of the Faith and the Petitions of the Lords Prayer as the ten Commandments The Sixth Argument is this Christ tels us plainely that it is a Reas 6 morall Commandment Matth. 24.20 Pray saith he that your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath day Our Saviour Christ here prophesied of the destruction of Jerusalem which was forty yeares after Christs Ascension when all Ceremonies were ceased as Paul had proclaimed before the destruction of Jerusalem That if any man would be circumcised Christ should profit him nothing Galat. 5.2 That is if he would keep the Ceremonial Law Now Christ bids those that should