that act command man to sanctifie such persons to the Lord Every first-born of the Sons of Israel saith the Lord are mine both of Man and Beast for in the day that I smote every first-born in the Land of Egypt I sanctified them unto me Numb 8. 17. that is I commanded my people to sanctifie them to my service which they did perform First By setting apart some of the clean kind for Sacrifice And secondly by redeeming the rest with money which money God commanded to be imployed to his service either by buying some Sacrifices of Attonement therewith for the publick or else it must be for the repairing of Gods Sanctuary as Exod. 13. doth explain it 2 When God did sanctifie the Temple for the publick place of his Typical worship 2 Chr. 7. 16. 2 Chr. 30. 8. he did thereby command man to sanctifie it by performing every particular just as he commanded Solomon might not build the Temple after the fashion that he thought best but he must do it in all particulars as God commanded 1 King 9. 3. God did not leave any sanctified thing that did any way appertain either to the service of the Tabernacle or of the Temple neither to Moses discretion nor to Solomons wisdome but when God sanctified these places for his worship he commanded how and after what manner Heb 9. 19. 21. every thing should be done Ex. 25. 8 9 10. Exod. 39 42 43. Heb. 9. 19 21. 3 When God sanctâ—fied Cities of Refuge he did thereby command his people to sanctâ—fie them it is said that they sanctified Kedesh in Galilee for a place of refuge Jos 20. 7. they did sanctifie it because God had commanded them to sanctifie it Deut. 19. 2. they might not sanctifie any City but by vertue of Gods command as it is expressed in Num. 35. 6 11. 4 When God sanctified Festival dayes or Festival Sabbaths he did thereby command the Sons of Israel to sanctifie them Lev. 23. and Jeroboam is branded as a wicked opposer of Gods sanctified Sabbaths because he commanded a standing Holy-day to the Lord of his own head 1 King 12. 32 33. From these and such like examples it follows that when God sanctified the seventh day he commanded Adam and Eve to sanctifie the seventh day in the use of such Ordinances as he was pleased to blesse the seventh day withall Jesus Christ did not leave the sanctifying of the seventh day to Adams discretion in an arbitrary way how much time he would set apart for Gods service but by sanctifying the seventh day God commanded Adam to set apart the whole day for his service in such publick and private duties he had blessed the Sabbath withall 2 The word Sanctified implies another command to faln When God sanctified the seventh day he did thereby command Adam to prepare himself for the better sanctifying of the seventh day Joel 2. 15. Adam namely to prepare himself to the sanctification of the Sabbath First By an outward And secondly By an inward preparation Sanctifie a Fast call a solemn Assembly Joel 1. 14. that is to say Prepare your selves to meet me in a day of publick Fasting as it is explained in Joel 2. 15. Blow the Trumpet in Zion Sanctifie a Fast Call a solemn Assembly that is to say Warn the people by a Trumpet to prepare themselves to sanctifie a Fast Joels three terms in vers 5. are all Synonima and do all imply that Gods people must prepare themselves for a day of Fasting First Outwardly by sanctifying or washing their bodies and garments And secondly Inwardly by true humiliation of soul and in this sense also God commanded Joshua to sanctifie the people against they came into his presence on the morrow Jos 7. 13. Now all that Joshua did to sanctifie the people was no more but to warn them by a Proclamation through the Camp which usually was attended with the sound of a Trumpet saying Sanctifie your selves it is as much as if he had said God hath commanded you to sanctifie your selves First Outwardly by washing And secondly by inward repentance against you come into his presence on the morrow So when God commanded Moses to sanctifie the people to hear the Law delivered at Mount Sinai Moses did no otherwise sanctifie them but by commanding the people to prepare themselves in a sanctifiâ—d manner First By inward fear and reverence And secondly by outward washing and by abstinence from their wives two dayes together for their more reverent attention of Gods Law Exod. 19. 10. Jos 3. 5. Exod. 3. 5. 1 Sam. 16. 5. Num. 11. 18. Exod. 19. 10. Jer 6 4. So in like sort when God said Sanctifie War it is a command to prepare for War Jer. 6. 4. Jer. 51. 28. From these and such like instances it follows That when God sanctified the first seventh day he commanded Adam and Eve for the more solemnity to prepare themselves for the sanctifying of the seventh day God having made a promise to them in the end of the sixth day that the Seed of the Woman should break the head of the Serpent he sanctified the next day for a Sabbath of rest because he had blessed it with Ordinances and thereby he did command Adam and Eve to prepare themselves against they came into his holy presence on the morrow for sin had defiled them and therefore they needed to prepare themselves not onely by outward washing but also inwardly by true repentance Act. 22. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 15. Es 29. 23. or else instead of receiving good by that blessing wherewith God had blessed the seventh day they might expect a curse at least an outward curse upon their bodies as it fell out upon Aarons Sons when they did not sanctifie the Lord in his worship according to his command the Lord struck them with present death saying I will be sanctified in all that come neer me Lev. 10. 3. and when some of Ephraim and Manasses did come to the sanctified Passeover in the dayes of Hezekiah God was displeased with them because they had not prepared themselves thereto according to the sanctified or commanded preparation of the Sanctuary but Hezekiah prayed for them and the Lord heard him and healed the people 2 Chr. 30 18 19 20. 2 I will speak a little more of the word Sanctified as it implies a command to fallen man to prepare himself to sanctify the seventh day for all sanctified things must be remembred by way of preparation before hand that so they may be done in due time and order or else God that is jealous of his sanctified things will be displeased And therefore one Reason why the word Remember was after added to the fourth Commadement was not to adde a new sense to that Command more than it had to Adam under the word Sanctified but to increase the charge of preparation with more vehemency which at the first was couched under the word Sanctified for now the people of God had forgotten the
for the Suburbs of their Cities might not exceed two thousand Cubits by measure Num. 35. 5. The like distance God appointed between the Camp of Israel and the Ark of the Lords Covenant when they passed over the River Jordan Jos 3. 4. From these eminent examples the Hebrew Doctors ordained that no Tent should be pitched in the Wildernesse nor no House in the Land of Canaan above two thousand Cubits from their Synagogue-assemblies which is an English mile and this distance they usually called A Sabbath dayes journey And this order was a provident provision both for the propagation of the Word for by such short distances from their Synagogues they must have many Synagogues and in order to a work of Mercy to their bodies that they might not weary their bodies by long travel when they came unto Gods presence to be partakers of his holy Ordinances but in cases of necessity they notwithstanding this restraint to a mile when the means of Grace did by any occasion fail in any of their Synagogues at home then they held it without scruple lawful to go further as we may see by the liberty that the People took in the days of Christ for then they did leave their Synagogues to follow his preaching from place to place and if Christ had held their practice to be unlawful doubtlesse he would have reproved them and bid them keep their own Synagogues and not follow him from place to place as they did and for the attaining of such excellent means of Grace the people also held it lawful to leave their own Synagogues and to break the outward rest of the Sabbath by longer Journies and greater Bodily labour and so we see that the Priests in the Law did break the outward rest of the Sabbath by their laborious killing and dressing of Sacrifices and yet they were blamelesse Mat. 12. 5. 1 Chro. 23. 31. and so also for their Bodily food they did kindle Fires to Rost and Boyl the portion of their Sacrifices fit for their stomacks every Sabbath Day for their portions must be eaten in the same day in which the Sacrifice was offered nothing thereof must remain until the morning but in case any part of their portions did remain until the morning it must be burnt Levit. 7. 15. Exod. 12. 10. I conclude therefore That the Jews had as much liberty in all respects to do any thing on the Sabbath Day tending to the good of their Souls or to their Bodies either in cases of necessity or mercy as Christians have upon the Lords Day but both sorts have corrupt hearts alike and have alike need to watch unto the sanctified improvement of the whole day and both sorts have the same Adversary the Devil to deal withall and therefore both sorts have need alike to keep a good watch over Satan and over their own corrupt hearts or else the spiritual efficacy of Gods Holy Ordinances will be lost and vain which is the only thing that the Devil desires to effect that he may rejoyce in the ruine of our Souls O that Christians therefore would submit their Consciences to the command of Christ to keep the Lords Day as strictly from outward works and as holily in all Christian duties as ever the Jews did or ought to have kept the Sabbath Day And so Jehovah cause his face to shine upon every Soul that truly honours the sanctified time of the Lords Day and the solemnity of all publick and private holy duties Amen Amen The end of the First Part. Holy Time OR The True Limits of the Lords Day I. Proving That the Lords Day doth begin with the Natural Morning and that the Morning of the Natural day doth begin at Mid-night and so consequently that the Lords Day must both begin with the Natural Morning at Mid-night and end with the Natural Evening at Mid-night II. Proving That the Jews beginning of the Day at the Sun-set Evening was only in relation to the date of the Person purified from his Levitical uncleanness III. That The Jews themselves did hold That the Natural day did continue after Sun-set till Mid-night Maymony saith Grateful is a Command that is done in the hour of the same so say I grateful is the sanctifying of the Lords Day in the hour of the same In his Treatise of Offering Sacrifice Chap. 4. Sect. 1. Part II. By WILLIAM PYNCHON Esq Published by Authority Printed at London by R. I. and are to be sold by T. N. at the Sign of the three Lions in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1654. Grace and Peace to such as desire to know when the Lords Day doth begin and end To the end they might abstain from their own Worldly imployments in the Lords own Sanctified time THis point is the more difficult to be explaned because I have not met with any beaten road from other Interpreters But I have laboured to make it evident 1 That the Sanctified and separated time of the Lords Day is just according to the Natural day 2 I have laboured to make it evident That the Natural day begins with the Morning 3 That the Natural morning begins at Mid-night 4 That the Natural day and so consequently the Lords Day doth begin with the Natural morning and doth end with the Natural evening at Mid-night And for the want of the knowledge of these things I perceive that many godly persons do the works of their ordinary Callings in some part of the Lords sanctified and separated day as those do that begin and end the Lords Day at the Sun-set Evening and for their better information I forced my self to compose this Treatise I finde that the chief ground of their error doth arise First from a mistaken interpretation of the first Darknesse to be a full Night of twelve hours and Secondly from a mistaken interpretation of the word Evening because they apprehend it to bee nothing else but a full Night These and sundry such like mistakes I conceive I have cleared I presum'd therefore that this insuing Treatise will be heartily welcome to every tender Conscience that doth truly desire to give unto the Lord his own separated and sanctified time Many godly Christians to my knowledge have been much exercised in their Studies and Meditations to finde out the true limits of the Lords Day that so they might abstain from the works of their particular Calling in every part of that sanctified and separated time from the beginning of the day to the full end thereof For their sakes also and at the special request of some of them I have laboured in this Treatise to prove That all the time of the first Darknesse was comprehended in the word Morning at last and that it took its beginning from the Mid-night at last namely as soon as all the several parts of the Natural day were shaped and set into their order And therefore the beginning of the Morning from the time of Mid-night must not be ascribed to the Romans as the
makes this fourth thing a greater wonder than the other three And this last the Prophet Jeremy calls a new created thing in the earth and seeing all sorts of creatures were created in six dayes it follows that this new created thing of the humane nature of Christ in the womb of a Virgin was created and exhibited to fallen Adam and Eve in a gracious Propetical Declaration on the sixth day before that God could keep a perfect rest on the seventh day CHAP. VI. Proving that the whole world was made for the Honour of the Mediator as the right Heir of all 1 Hence it follows That God could not keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day untill he had put the Mediator as the right Heir of all into his possession 2 Hence follows That Adam must fall and be Re-created on the day of his Creation This is proved by an induction of some particulars 1 THe Angels were made to serve the Mediator even as he was ordained to be the seed of the woman Psal 91. 11 12. Heb. 1. 6. and therefore they did sing for joy not onely at the birth of Christ when he was born of the Virgin Mary Luke 2. 14. But doubtlesse they did as much rejoyce to hear that joyfull news to fallen Adam and Eve that he should be the seed of the woman to break the Devills Head-plot and ever since that day they desire to pry into that joyfull and glorious mystery 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 12. 2 The woman was in a special manner made for the Honour of the Mediator as well as for Admas Society and Posterity for without the womans seed Christ could not have been promised to be the seed of the woman that was fallen and that her seed should break the Devils Head-plot Gen. 3. 15. 3 The Sabbath was made for the Honor of the Mediator for he was Lord of the Sabbath even as he was the Son of Man Mar. 2. 28 4 The distinction of the natural day into Morning and Evening was so contrived by Gods providence for the Honour of the Mediator for the glad tydings of his Propitiatory Sacrifice was constantly remembred and typified by the Morning and Evening Sacrifices for that division of the day into morning and evening is a differing division from day night as I have shewed at large in my book of Holy Time and therefore according to the usual time of the Evening Sacrifice Christ performed his Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement about the midst of the first Evening for the first natural Evening begins at Mid-day at the first declining of the Sun and continues till Sun-set where the night begins and in the midst of this evening namely about three a clock in the afternoon Christ made his soul an Evening Sacrifice of mans Redemption 5 The several sorts of Beasts and Fowls were made for the Honour of the Mediator and though some of them were by Gods Providence to be of a ravenous kind namely as soon as Adam fell yet they could not destroy fallen man from the face of the earth neither could they wholly destroy their fellow-creatures that were of a tame kind because the Lord God had ordained a Mediator to be the right Heir of them all and to rule them all by restraining their corrupt desires and guiding them as soon as Adam fell so that the hungry Lions could not devour Daniel without his license and as for the rest of the creatures which were ordained to be of a more quiet and harmless kind God called them clean Beasts and some of them he ordained for the use of Sacrifices as the fittest to typifie the innocency of Christs humane nature and the perfection of his Sacrifice 6 All sorts of creatures were made for the Honor of the Mediator and therefore as soon as Adam fell God put all things in subjection under his feet And there was nothing that was not made subject unto him Heb. 2. 8. Psal 8. 6. Col. 1. 16. Eph. 1. 22. Yea God made him the head over the spirits of just men made perfect by the Fathers forgivenesse that is to say by the Fathers justification Heb. 12. 23. and that Dominion is called the first oâ— the chiefest Dominion Mic. 4. 8. and this Dominion God gave him in the day of Adams Fall and Re-creation Yea all creatures in general do yeeld obedience unto the Mediator as their proper Lord and Governour Rev. 5. 13. as I have noted more at large in Chap. 3. R. 2. and in Chap. 4. Yea when the Mediator was here upon earth in his humane nature all creatures obeyed him as their Lord for he rebuked the boy sterous winds and the raging sea and they obeyed him He commanded the liquid waters to bear him as the dry land and they obeyed him He commanded a hundred fifty three great fishes to come into Peters Net and not to break it and they obeyed him Joh. 21. He commanded that fish that had swallowed a Stater to come to Peters Angle to pay his tribute and that obeyed him He commanded the Asse-colt whereon never man sate to carry him with all gentlenesse to Jerusalem as if it had been tamed by former riding and it obeyed him He commanded diseases of all sorts to depart from the sick and they obeyed him Yea he commanded the Devils to come out of certain men and women and they obeyed him Yea at the time of Noahs flood He commanded all sorts of creatures as well the wild ravenous kind as the tame kind to come of their own accord into Noahs Ark and to live quietly together and they obeyed him Gen. 7. 8 9. But the wicked world because they despised the Spirit of Christ in Noah therefore Christ commanded a deluge of water to seize upon their bodies and their souls he sent to the prison of Hell 1 Pet. 3. 19. 7 God gave the Mediator an absolute Dominion over all Tyrants so that they cannot do as much mischief to his people as they desire For Christ ruleth even in the midst of his enemies Psal 110. 2 5 6 7. Psal 2 9. 10 11 12. Prov. 8. 15 16. And therefore the Father hath committed all judgement to his Son because all men should honor the Son as they honor the Father Joh. 5. 22 23. And hath given him Authority to execute judgement because he is the Son of Man Joh. 5. 27. And if he had not been declared to be the Son of Man just upon Adams Fall the Devill would have made a hellish confusion of the Creation at that instant but he was prevented by the right Heir that stood ready to take the Government of all upon him as soon as ever Adam fell From these and the like considerations it is evident that God created the world for the Honor of the Mediator and that he might rule it as the right Heir of it And the Hebrew Doctors have a common saying agreeing with this That the world had not been created but for the
reason is plain because all the other Holy-dayes in Moses are fully comprehended in the other two termes 4 Solomon in 2 Chron. 2. 4. doth expound the said three termes 2 Chron. 2. 4. by shewing the solemnity of all the sorts of Holy-dayes in the Temple-service for he built a Temple to the Lord namely To burn sweet incense before Him and for the continual Shew-bread and for the Burnt-offerings of the morning and evening 1 On the Sabbath dayes 2 In the New Moons And 3 In the Solemn Feasts of the Lord. This is a perpetual thing for Israel And moreover the Hebrew Doctors say That they did blow with the silver Trumpets in the Sanctuary 1 Over the Burnt-offerings of the Sabbaths 2 In the New Moons And 3 in the Solemn Feasts By these two Scriptures compared together with Col. 2. 16. and with Gal. 49 10 11. It is evident that all the solemn Holy-dayes in Moseâ— are comprehended under the said three termes And therfore by the term Sabbaths in Col. 2. 16. as it is distinguished from the New Moon and a Holy-day must needs be meant the weekly Sabbaths onely which some Christian Jews contended to have observed in their Christian Churches in opposition to the Lords day Object 3. It seems to me that our Saviour did not ordain his Resurrection-day in place of the seventh day because our Saviour in Mat. 24. 20. Mat. 24. 20. doth warn his Disciples to pray at the time of their destruction by the Romans that their flight might not be neither in the Winter nor upon the Sabbath day Now if Christ had abolished the Sabbath by his death as you affirm then be would not have given this caution of praying that their flight might not be on the Sabbath day so long after his death for it was about forty yeers after his death ere the City was destroyed by the Romans Ans Christ did not give this caution to his Disciples in the nature of a Command or forbidding but in the nature of a dis-allowing of the Jews superstitious opinion of the outward rest of the Sabbath so long after his death They might in that space have been better taught and instructed if they had not been enemies to the Gospel of Christ but because they would not be instructed therefore our Saviour told his Disciples that the Jews of Judea in general would hold such a superstitious opinion both of the holinesse of the Temple and of the outward rest of the Sabbath day that it would be a grievous calamity to them if they were forced to flye for their lives upon the Sabbath day more than upon any other day in the week But yet this must be marked that our Saviour speaks this to his Disciples but as a Prophetical Historian foretelling them what would be the common opinion of the Nation of the Jews in those dayes namely that they would be infected with such a superstitious opinion of the holinesse of the outward rest of the Sabbath that they would neither stir hand or foot to break the outward rest of the Sabbath by flight to save their lives This caution of our Saviour to his Disciples must needs be understood in this sense because the whole frame of his speech is fetched by way of allusion to a former like sad calamity which fell upon them under Antiâ—chus Epiphanes who did purposely molest them upon the Sabbath day as also in the Winter time and then they suffered extreme miseries by reason of their superstitious opinion of the outward rest of the Sabbath day which they might have prevented if they had held it lawful at first as they did at last that in case of necessity they might either fight or flie for their lives upon the Sabbath day Our Saviour in this his speech to his Disciples doth allude to the times of Antiochus and therefore he doth mention the Winter as well as the Sabbath day for Judas Maccabeus did cleanse the Temple and the Altar in the Winter Joh. 10. 22. and three yeers before it was polluted in the Winter 1 Mac. 1. 54. And secondly it was also polluted upon the Sabbath day 1 Mac. 2. 38. and now it was a time of grievous calamity to the Jews and therefore by way of allusion to this calamitous time our Saviour bad them pray That their flight might neither be in the Winter nor yet upon the Sabbath day for then they would do as they had done neither fight nor flye to save their lives This their blind zeal our Saviour reproves 1 Mac. 2 34. 36. 38. 41. and 2 Mac. 6. 11. It follows therefore by good consequence that our Saviour did not now in sadnesse teach his Disciples the continuance of the Sabbath so long after his death no more than he taught them the continuance of the service of the Temple by calling the Temple The Holy Place vers 15. But no man I think will say that Christ did then esteem the Temple to be the Holy Place but he names it so Docasâ—icâ—s because the Jews of Judea in general would then esteem it and call it the Holy place and in that respect also our Saviour doth call the Romans that should enter into the Temple The Abomination of Desolation just as Daniel had done Dan. 9. 27. By this it is evident that Christ spake by allusion to former times But he knew well enough that the holinesse of the Temple as well as the typical Rest of the Holy Sabbath were fully ended by his death I grant that the Temple was once truly called the Holy Temple because it was ordained to be a type of the holy humane nature of Christ wherein his God-head dwelt Job 2 But yet this typical holinesse of the Temple must needs have an end as soon as the Holy of Holies did but enter through the vail of his flesh into heaven to appear before God for us Dan. 9. 24. with Mat. 27. 50 51. Heb. 9. 14. and the goodlinesse also of the Temple must have an end as soon as he that was greater than the Temple had finished his Oblation Mat. 12. 26. and by the like reason also the Sabbath as it was a type of our resting on the Seed of the Woman to break the Devils Head-plot must end as soon as Christ had finished his Sacrifice of Attonement I will therefore conclude my answer to this Objection That Christ by this speech of his to his Disciples did but tell them what would be the coÌ„mon opinion of the Nation of the Jews at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem as I have already declared it but he intended no more to teach them the continuance of the Sabbath than the continuance of the Holinesse of the Temple neither did he by this Caution to his Disciples intend to prefer the Sabbath above the Lords day no more than he intended to prefer the Winter above the Summer of all which things he spake by way of caution to his Disciples what would be
going down of the Sun in Deut. 16. 6. must not be understood of the very time of Sun-set but of the whole time of the Suns declining from Mid-day till it went down out of that Horizon Object 3. Though the Jews might not kill their Passeovers in Canaan in their private houses as they did in Egypt yet they might kill them at more Altars than one for the Lord was pleased to allow several Altars for Sacrifices in several places and by this means all the Passeovers in Canaan might be killed and the blood sprinkled just about the time of Sun-set Ans I grant that the Lord was pleased to permit the use of many Altars and High-places in the dayes of Samuel for there The Lord permitted many private Altars in the dayes of Samuel but he allowed but one publick Altar for the general Feasts of the twelve Tribes and for the Passeover day and for the daily Morning and Evening Sacâ—ifice was an Altar at Gilgal 1 Sam. 10. 8. 1 Sam. 11. 15. Secondly There was an Altar at Betbel 1 Sam. 10. 3. 5. Thirdly At Mizpeh 1 Sam. 7. 9. Judg. 21. 1 4. Fourthly At Ramab 1 Sam. 7. 17. and there were several Altars also in the dayes of Elijah for he complained to God that Jezabel had broken down his Altars But notwithstanding all this no Passeover might be killed at any of these Altars for the Passeover in Canaan was commanded to be observed as a general Feast but these Altars were private Altars onely raised by Gods allowance by some particular person upon some special occasion and were after permited to be used by some adjacent Tribe or persons and in that respect these Altars were made but of earth or stone that was unhewn But the Altar that God commanded to be erected as the general publick Altar of all the twelve Tribes was made of brasse at the cost of the twelve Tribes and this was placed at first in the Lords Tabernacle in the Wildernesse afterwards this Tabernacle together with the brazen Altar was placed by Joshua and the whole Congregation in Shilo in the Tribe of Ephraim Josh 18. 1. and there it continued for the place of the general Assembly of all the twelve Tribes for three hundred and fifty yeers till the death of Eli but after the Philistims had taken the Lords Aark 1 Sam. 4. 10 11. and slain the most valiant men of Ephraim in that battel Psal 78. 9. God was wroth with Shilo and forsook it Psal 78. 60. for by that great destruction of all the valiant men of Ephraim Shilo was now become too weak a place to guard the holy Tabernacle and the holy Altar and therefore it was by the Lords advice removed to Gibbeon 2 Chron. 1. 3 4 5. which was a Royal City and a place of great strength Josh 10. 2. lying in the Tribe of Benjamin and it was allotted to the Priests Josh 21. 17. and the Gibbeonites the ancient inhabitants were given to the Priests to cut wood and draw water for the house of the Lord Josh 9. 21 23. 27. and afterwards in Solomons dayes they were called Nethinims 1 Chron. 9. 2. And from henceforth this place was called the chief High-place because the Lords Tabernacle and the Lords Altar were placed therein 1 King 3. 4. and in that respect David took care to provide a competent number of Priests to attend it But afterwards when David had recovered the Ark from the Philistims and had brought it into the Tent that he had provided for it in Jerusalem He divided the Priests into two parts and he appointed Asaph and his brethren to minister before the Lord at Jerusalem 1 Chron. 16. 37. and he appointed Zadoc and his brethren to minister at the Lords brazen Altar at his Tabernacle at Gibbeon 1 Chron. 16. 39. But when Solomon had finished his Temple he caused the Priests first of all to bring the Ark of the Lord into its place provided for it in the Temple and then he caused the Priests to bring up the Tabernacle of the Congregation with all the holy vessels into the Temple 1 King 8. 4. and after this manner the Lord refused Ephraim and chose the Tribe of Judah and Mount Sion of Benjamin which he loved Psal 78. 68. This brazen Altar was made and consecrated to be the publick Altar for the General Assemblies of all the twelve Tribes Exod. 27. 1. Numb 7. 1. and in that respect where ever this Altar was placed there was the chief High place untill Solomon had made another brazen Altar in the place of it 2 Chron. 4. 1. At this Altar was offered the daily Morning and Evening sacrifices for all the twelve Tribes and the Passeovers of all the twelve Tribes and they might not be offered in any of the former private High places The Hebrew Doctors say They sacrificed not the Passeover in a private High-place no not in the time when private High-places were permitted and whosoever offereth the Passeover in a private High-place is beaten for it is said in Deut. 16. 5. Thou mayest not sacrifice the Passeover in any of thy gates we have been taught that this is a prohibition to kil it in a private High-place although it be in the time when private High-places were permitted See Ains in Deut. 16. 5. and such a private Altar as this was at Bethlem where Ishai had a yeerly Sacrifice and Feast for all the family 1 Sam. 20. 26. and such a private Altar as this did Saul build with stone 1 Sam. 14. 35. And of these Altars it is said that when Asa and Jehosaphat destroyed the Idolatrous High-places that they did not destroy these High-places 1 King 22. 43. 2 Chron. 15. 17. Now from all the premises it follows That seeing they might not kill their Passeovers at several High-places nor sprinkle the blood on several Altars but at the general High-place and at the general Altar onely That all the Passeovers in Canaan could not be killed and their blood sprinkled in so short a time as about the time of Sun-set and therefore that Command in Deut. 16. 6. at the going down of the Sun must not be understood of the Sun-set Evening but it must be understood of the whole time of the Suns declining from Mid-day till Sun-set just according to the time of the two Evenings in Exod. 12. 6. 2. Let me adde another Reason why the going down of the Sun in Deut. 16. 6. cannot be understood of the time of Sun-set namely The Passeover day was no Sabbath it was but a half holy-day because the fifteenth day according to the date of the person purified began at Sun-set but no Passeover might be sacrificed after the fifteenth day was come but all are commanded to be sacrificed in the fourteenth day at Even 3. No other part of the fourteenth day was commanded to be kept holy but the Evening of the fourteenth day The Jerusalemy and the Babylonian Thalmuds say that men
seeing they might make but one meal of the Lamb-Passeover why should any man think of a longer time to feast on it than till the Mid-night Morning if it had been requisite to feast on it till day break our Saviour would have improved the full time but it is evident that he did finish all by Mid-night not onely the Supper of the Paschal Lamb but also the Peace-offerings which he adjoyned to the Paschal Lamb Joh. 13. 12. This 12. Ver. saith when he was set down again namely after he had ended the Lamb-Passeover in Verse 2. then he arose from Supper and washed his Disciples feet Verse 3. then he sate down again to feast upon the Chagigah-Passeover Verse 12. At which Feast they used to drink two or three cups of Wine which our Saviour improved for the institution of his own Supper they had no common Supper this night as some unadvisedly speak but all the flesh they ate was holy flesh and all their Feasting was with Religious joy for their Redemption together with his long Exhortations Thanksgivings Prayers and Psames I apprehend it was much about the time of Mid-night or rather before when he had ended all And it doth further appear that the Hebrew Doctors did fear it might be a Transgression to continue at their Religious Feasting The Jews accounted the first half of the night to be a part of the former day in the case of their religiâ—us Feasting on their Passeovers on the Pascha till the morning at day-break because they do of ten limit the time of their Religious Feasting but untill Mid-night Maymony saith That the two Lambs which were presented as a Meat-offering together with the Two Loaves for the Peace-offerings of the Congregation on the day of Penticost were eaten by the Priests in the Same Day and in Half the Night as the flesh of the most Holy things were See Ains in Lev. 23. 20. By this Testimony it is evident that all their holy things were eaten in the same day and in half the night except their voluntary Peace-offerings for they had allowance from the Law to feast on that flesh two dayes and one night Lev. 7. 17 18. Deut. 16. 2. 10. Secondly Consider this well for though the Hebrew Doctors do sometimes say that the fats and the peeces of the Burnt-offering may lye burning upon the Altar all night till break of day yet they do also say that their Wise men did advise the Priests not to continue the burning upon the Altar any longer than till Mid-night and in Exod. 23. 8. the Lord saith The fat of my Feast shall not remain untill the morning therefore it must be wholly consumed with fire before day-break And indeed they might not continue the burning any longer than til Mid-night without manifest Transgression espâ—cially at festival times for at festival times saith Maymony The Priests must take away the ashes from the Altar at the beginning of the third part of the night But on Reconciliation-days they took away the ashes at Mid-night See Ains in Lev. 6. 10. By this Hebrew Canon it is evident that they could not continue the burning of the fats and peeces of the Evening sacrifices untill day-break without transgressing this necessary order in cleansing the Altar by way of preparation to the morning sacrifices for they might not do any other work about the morning sacrifice till the ashes were taken from the Altar for that was the first work in order to the morning sacrifice and they could not do that work untill the burning of the fats and of the peeces of the Evening sacrifices were finished therefore they might not continue the burning any longer than till Mid-night at sometimes at least without Transgression especially in the night before the day of Reconciliation for then the Priests must take away the ashes from the Altar at Mid-night and by this it is evident that the ancient Hebrew Doctors held that the morning namely the root of it began at Mid-night because they did then give order to set things in a readinesse for the morning Sacrifice and after this work was done they had many other things to set in order before they could offer the morning Sacrifice and the usual time of killing the morning Sacrifice was before Sun-rising but on Expiation-day it was killed at day-break See Ains in Num. 28. 4. and Lev. 16. 4. By these Records of the Hebrew Doctors we may see the true Reason why they feared it might be a Transgression to continue the burning any longer than till Mid-night and why they feared it might be a Transgression to continue their Festival Suppers any longer than till Mid-night it was because they held the root of the morning to begin at Mid-night And Maymony saith Gratefull is a Commandement that is done in the hour of the same See Ains in Lev. 6. 10. And hence my Answer is to this Objection it is the safest way to expound the word Morning in Lev. 7. 15. and in Lev. 22. 30. c. to signifie that the root or the first beginning of the morning is at Mid-night for fear of Transgression After this Treatise was ready for the Presse I met with a passage in Dr. * See his third part of his Harmony p 194. Leightfoot on Mark 1. 35. worth the inserting into this place Although saith he the Jews did precisely begin their day from Sun-setting yet did they also make the Mid-night a distinctive period to part between day and day so as to determine Rem Diei in Diem suum Talmud in Beracoth Per. 1. From what time do they say over their Phylacteries at Even From the time that thâ— Priests go in to eat their portion of the Sacrifices till the end of their first Watch But saith R. Eliezer The Wise men said untill Mâ—d-night Ibid. in Pesach in Per. 10. The Passeover after Mid-night defiles the hands Jona Per. 1. Maym. in Tamid in Per. 2. The cleansing of the Burnt-offering Altar on the day of Expiation began from Mid-night Talm. in Zeuach in Per. 5. Trespasse-offerings might be eaten till mid-night Ibid. Lesser holy Offerings may be eaten till Mid-night Ibid. The Passeover is not eaten but in the night and it is not eaten but till Mid-night The meaning of these Passages is That whereas these things were to be done to day and might not be put off till to morrow If they were done any time before Mid-night it was reputed current as done to day Their Phylacteries were to be said over every day at Even If they were said over before Mid-night it served the turn for the day before And the parts of the Offerings that were to be eaten in the same day that the Offering was offered and might not be kept till the morrow if they were eaten before Mid-night it did serve the turn for the day before The Altar of Burnt-offering was to be cleansed every day but on the day of Expiation it began to be
cleansed from the Mid-night before and that was taken as done on the day of Expiation And so they observed to feast on the Passeover but untill Mid-night These things I have produced the rather because of this passage in Mark 1. 35. which calls it the Morning and yet it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much of the Night yet remaining for as they reckoned up till Mid-night for the day that was past So they reckoned the morning to begin at Mid-night to the day following Were I to discusse the Question about the beginning and ending of our Christian Sabbath I should think this matter worth consideration to that purpose And something parallel to this are those Texts in Exod. 12. 22. None of you shall go out of the door of his house untill the morning yet verse 29. at Mid-night the Lord smote the First-born c. verse 33. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people that they might send them out Deut. 16. 1. and God brought thee forth of Egypt by Night Now this Morning in Mar. 1. 35. in which Christ rose so very early and went out to pray was on the morrow after the Sabbath the day on which the Christian Sabbath was fixed ere long which may not be unobserved since so special a matter is mentioned of that day Thus farre out of Doctor Leightfoot which doth illustrate and strengthen that which I have said in sundry places about the beginning of the morning at mid-night Secondly I come now to speak of the second Part of the Passeover Evening which was for the use of their Religious Feasting from Sun-set to mid-night After my long digression to answer several Objections about the Iews customs I come now to speak of the second part of the Passeover Evening appointed for the time of their religious Feasting on their Passeovers and that was from Sun-set to Mid-night and this space of time was all the latter evening And this is evident 1 By the appointment of Moses 2 By the practise of our Saviour 1 Moses appointed all Israel to eat the flesh of the Paschal Lamb In that Night Exod. 12. 8 42. namely in that part of the night that belonged to the fourteenth day by Creation 2 It is evident that Christ did not sit down to eat the Passeover with his twelve Apostles until the latter evening was come for Christ himself was in the fore-noon or in the beginning of the after-noon at Bethany when he sent two of his Disciples to Ierusalem to prepare the Passeover and to present it to the Priests to be killed for them all between the two evenings Mar. 14. 3. 12. 13. then after it was sacrificed he bad them carry it to such a house and make it ready against his coming and in thus doing he did according to the Iews custom for their custom was that if thirteen or twenty did joyn together for one Passeover they did send one or two of their company to present it to the Priest and so to make it ready for the rest See Ains in Numb 9. 12. then at Sun-set they all met together and began the feast at the hour appointed This custom our Saviour observed for he came not in person to Ierusalem til the latter evening was come Mat. 26 20. Mar. 14. 17. and when he was come he did not sit down to eat until the appointed hour was come Luk. 22. 14. this hour in general was the latter evening at Sun-set but the particular hour of their feasting was not by the Hebrew Doctors Canons untill three Stars did appear after Sun-set See Ains in Lev. 22. 9. ◠It is evident that our Saviour did not begin to Feast on his Passeover untill the said evening was come and it is evident also that he finished all his religious exercises and solemnities within the space of this latter evening from sun-set till mid-night as I have opened the matter more in my answer to the sixteenth objection Object 17. How can you prove that the Passeover-Supper was celebrated in the night of the fourteenth day seeing you confesse that the fifteenth day began that night at Sun-set and the Hebrew Doctors affirm that the flesh of the Paschal Lamb was eaten in the fifteenth night how then can that night appertain both to the fourteenth and to the fifteenth day Ans It was the fifteenth night according to the date of the person purified as I have opened the matter in chap. 4. and otherwhere but in regard of the Feast it did still properly appertain to the fourteenth day As for example if a Iew were defiled on the Passeover day by any of the lighter sorts of uncleanesses what course must he take that he might not be deprived of the Passeover Feast the answer is he must bathe or baptise himself in Water at the looking forth of the evening that is to say in the after-noon And what then might hee then carry his Lamb to the Temple to be sacrificed No he might not yet go himself to the Temple because his clensing was not fully compleat but yet he might joyn with others and cause others to kill the Passeover for him because he was now in his first degree of cleansing and then as soon as the Sun was fully gone down upon him he was fully clean and then he began the date of his day of cleanenesse and then as soon as three Stars appeared after Sun-set he might sit down with the rest of that Society to eat the Passeover See Ains in Num. 9. 10. And thus the Sun-set evening was the fifteenth day to the Person purified and yet it was properly the fourteenth day still in respect of feasting on the Sacrifices and thus these two actions of Feasting and Purifying may wel bear the date of two severall days thus enter-woven together without any confusion or disorder 1. It was necessary that the Person purified should begin the date of his new day as soon as his Ceremonial cleanenesse was perfected by the setting of the Sun upon him after his Baptising as I have opened the matter in chap. 4. 2 It was also as necessary that the solemn act of feasting upon the flesh of their Sacrifices should bear the date of the same day with the said Sacrifices 1 Because the act of Feasting received no new degree of cleanenesse at Sun-set as the person purified did 2. Because the act of feasting in the latter evening after Sun-set had a necessary dependence upon the act of Sacrificing in the former evening for the act of feasting on the Holy flesh in the latter evening was but to help on the Spiritual application of that document that was typified and exhibited by the sacrifice in the former evening therefore seeing the act of feasting had such a necessary dependence upon the act of sacrificing I see no reason why this continued Sacramental Passeover should bear the date of two several proper Natural days I see no reason why the act of feasting should bear the date of
Sabbath day for all these things may be done in the Evening of a Sabbath killing of Beasts baking of bread kneading of dough and the like may be done in the Evening of a Sabbath See Ains in Lev. 23. 7. in like sort their laborious preparation of their Manna must be done in the Evening of the weekly Sabbath Object 4. By the Evening of the Sabbath the Jews do not mean onely the Sun-set Evening but they accounted the Sabbath Evening to begin at three a clock in the afternoon before and in this respect Maymony saith thus It is unlawful to do works in the Evenings of the Festival-Sabbaths from the time of the Evening sacrifice and forward even as upon the Evening of the weekly Sabbaths and who so doth work in them shall never see a sign of blessing and he is to be rebuked and to be made to leave off by force Though he is not for it to be scourged or excommunicated except in the Evening of the Passeover after Mid-day who so doth work therein after Mid-day he is to be scourged or excommunicated with the Niddui for the fourteenth of Nishan is not like the Evening of other Festival dayes because in it are the Feast and the killing of Sacrifices See Ains in Lev. 23. 5. Ans I grant that the Jews did make some kind of preparation both to their Festival-Sabbaths and to their weekly Sabbaths also from the time of the Evening-sacrifice and forwards till Bed-time for though they did not begin their day of cleannesse till Sun-set yet in regard of the many works that were to be done against their Feast-dayes which I have immediately named and in regard of preparing their Manna c. against the Sabbath their wise men held it convenient to forbear and leave off the ordinary works of their calling from the time of the Evening-sacrifice and forwards till bed-time and in that respect the Magistrates themselves did forbear to sit in their Courts of Judicature after the time of the Evening-sacrifice See Ains in Exod. 18. 22. But this degree of preparation had no other command from God but the general rule of conveniency 2 It is evident from the said Testimony that they did not esteem any part of the Evening neither before nor after Sun-set to be as a true part of the Sabbath it self because they did neither scourge nor excommunicate any man that did any servile work in this Evening as they did for working in any part of the Passeover Evening from Mid-day till Mid-night but if they had in their judgement esteemed any part of the Evening before the Sabbath to be a true part of the Sabbath it self doubtlesse they would have punished such Transgressors more severely than for working upon the Passeover Evening for by Moses Law such persons ought to be stoned to death Numb 15. 34 35. Hence it follows first That the Evening before the Sabbath though it be called the Evening of the Sabbath according to their ceremonial custome yet it was no true part of the Sabbath it self but in way of preparation onely Secondly That the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath was indeed a true part of the Sabbath it self 5 It is evident that the Evening after the Sabbath was esteemed to be a true part of the Sabbath it self by the testimony of the Evangelist John in Chap. 20. 19. the Text runs thus The same day at Evening being the fâ—rst day of the week John calls this Evening not the second but the first day of the week and yet it must needs be now a good space after Sun-set for there were two Disciples now present that came from Emaus and it was towards Evening before they came from Emaus and they could not well come from thence to Jerusalem in lesse than three hours space for it was sixty Furlongs from Emaus to Jerusalem Luke 24. 13. 29. 36. Mr. Goodwin and others allow eight Furlongs to an English or Italian mile but the Hebrew Doctors allow but seven Furlongs and a half to an English mile See Ains in Lev. 16. 21. The New Testament doth not follow the Italian Furlong but the Greek Furlong or stadium Olympicum which contains six thousand feet and the Hebrew Doctors say that two thousand Cubits make a mile See Aâ—ns in Exod. 16. 29. The New Testament doth follow thâ— Greek Customes as frequently as they followed the Greek Tongue Therefore in reason as the New Testament was written in Greek so it should follow the Greek stadium rather than the Italian besides I conceive that the Italian stadium came not into common use untill after the New Testament was written So then by the Hebrew Doctors account it was eight miles from Emaus to Jerusalem that is to say it was Eight English miles Now if you will allow but three hours time for the going of these eight miles it must needs be after Sun-set when they came to the Apostles and after they were come they spent some time in relating unto the Apostles what had happened to them the same day as they went to Emaus and as they were making this Relation Jesus came and stood in the midst of them Luke 24. 36. These circumstances considered it must needs be after the date of the Jews Ceremonial day before Christ came in among them and yet the Evangelist calls this time of the Evening the same day in which Christ rose from the dead and secondly he calls it the first day of the week So then by these two expressions the Evangelist puts the matter out of doubt to such as will be satisfied by plain consequences of Scripture that this latter Evening when Christ came into the house to the Apostles was a true part of the former day and yet it was after Sun-set and therefore it was after their Ceremonial day was begun 6 And lastly I may well bring hither all those five Arguments which I alleged in Chap. 5. to prove the latter Evening of the fourteenth day of Nishan to be a true part of the fourteenth day and therefore it follows by good consequence â—hat the latter Evening of the Sabbath was a true part of the Sabbath it self Obj. It appears to me that the Natural day begins at the Sun-set evening for the Lord telleth Ezekiel in the ninth year of Jeconiahs captivity that he should be dumb untill the day that Jerusalem should be destroyed and untill a Messenger should come to Ezekiel to tell the news thereof Ezek. 24. 26 27. this is the Prediction now the accomplishment of this Prophecy is set down in Eze. 33. 21 22. In the twelfth year of our captivity in the tenth Month and in the fifth day of the Month then one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto Ezekiel and said The City is smitten now saith Ezekiel The hand of the Lord had been upon me in the evening before he that had escaped came and had opened my mouth untill he came to me in the morning and when he