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
Christ Jesus did kindle Adams sacrifice at first with fire from heaven for he did usually kindle the sacrifices of the Fathers with fire from Heaven as a sign and token to them that his death was a propitiatory sacrifice of Attonement and that their persons were thereby received into full favour Lev. 9. 23. Judg. 13. 19 20 23. 1 King 18. 38 39. 2 Chron. 7. 1 2 3. Psal 20. 3. And doubtlesse Christ Jesus told Adam that this fire from heaven did represent his Eternal Spirit by which his humane nature should one day be offered up unto God without spot as a propitiatory sacrifice for his eternal Redemption Hâ—â— 9 14. But afterwards when Cain came to offer his sacrifice upon the same Altar Christ Jesus did not kindle his sacrifice from heaven as he kindled Adams and Abels sacrifice and by that Cain knew that God did not accept his person as he did his brother Abel and thereupon he hated his brother Abel because his works were good and his own evill for Cain wanted faith in the Seed of the woman which was promised to break the Devils Head-plot by his propitiatory sacrifice which was taught and typified by sacrifices This mystery God kept secret in types from such as wanted faith even from the beginning of the world Rom. 16. 25. and therefore it was kept secret from the Heathen Nations But in the fulnesse of time Christ Jesus sent his Apostles to publish the unsearchable riches of this mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ Eph. 3 8 9. Col. 1. 26. Col. 2. 3. 3 God instructed Adam in sundry other kinds of Ceremonial types that tended to sanctification before he came to present his person and sacrifice before the Lord. As for example Christ Jesus taught him 1 How to purifie his person by washing his body and his garments in clean water just like as he taught Moses afterwards Exod. 3. 5. Exod. 19. 10. or else by changing his soul garments for fair as Jacob being first taught did also teach his hous-hold to do when he went into Gods presence to worship Gen. 35. 2. 2 God instructed Adam how to put a difference between beasts for sacrifice how he should refuse the unclean and offer the clean just as he instructed Noah before he entred into the Ark Gen. 7. 2. It is absurd to think that God did blesse the first Sabbath with differing Ordinances from those in Moses or that God did instruct Adam to worship him in a differing way from that which he did after establish by Moses and the Prophets Doubtlesse therefore when God instructed Adam after what manner he must offer sacrifices of Attonement he also instructed him how to understand and how to open the plain meaning of all and how he should preach it to others and how to pray either by way of confession of his sinfulnesse or petition for some special grace or thanks-giving or singing of Psalms as he did after instruct and appoint by Moses and the Prophets 1 When God appointed sacrifices of Attonement he appointed to joyn preaching therewith sometimes at least and therefore he appointed the Levites to joyn preaching to their sacrifices for they are commanded to teach his judgements unto Jacob and his Law unto Israel Deut. 33. 10. Lev. 10. 11. Mal. 2. 6. 7. 2 When they offered Burnt-offerings Christ Jesus taught them to make Petition and Supplication to the Lord for his favour in Christ 1 Sam. 13. 12. Job 42. 8. Ezra 6 9 10. and doubtlesse Christ Jesus taught Adam to do so for this kind of sacrifice was Job 42. 8. chiefest and it was first in use even from the beginning of the world for Noah did offer his Burnt-offering Gen. 8. 20. and Christ Jesus did appoint it as the first and chief sacrifice in Moses Gen. 8. 20. Lev. 1. 2 3 When they offered Sin-offerings or Trespass-offerings they must lay both their hands with all their might upon the head of their sacrifice and confesse their sin to God over the head of their Sin-offering and their trespasses to God over the head of their Trespass-offering But why must they impose both their hands with all their might upon the head of these Sacrifices The Answer is because by this Imposition they were taught and instructed to rest and repose their souls by a strong faith upon the propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ for the full Attonement of all their sins and trespasses of which they made confession as I have opened the point more at large in the Meritorious price of mans See the meritorious price of mans Redemption on Lev. 4. Redemption on Lev. 4. And touching the point of Confession the Hebrew Doctors have a sentence that is worthy of due observation they say That without particular confession of their known sins no Attonement is made for them by their Sin-offerings or by their Trespass-offerings And this is just according to the rule in Prov. 28. 13. He that hides his Prov. 28. 13. sin shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy and no question but Jesus Christ taught Adam thus to do when he offered his sin or his Trespass-offerings 4 When they offered Peace-offerings they imposed their hands on the head of their Peace-offerings And secondly then they made confession of their peace but especially they blessed God for their peace with God in breaking the devils Head-plot by the Seed of the Woman Lev. 3. With these and such like spiritual Ordinances God did blesse the first seventh day And these blessed Ordinances could not chuse but fill the souls of Adam and Eve with joy unspeakable and glorious causing them to break out into songs of praise as Zachary did Luke 1. 68. saying in effect as he did Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for be hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us c. as he spake by the mouth of all his holy Prophets ever since the world began Luke 1. 69. In these words Luke 1 69 70. Act. 3 21. Zachary doth affirm these two things First That there have been holy Prophets ever since the world began and therefore Adam was a Prophet Secondly That all the Prophets even from the beginning of the world have spoken and rejoyced in this Horn of salvation therefore Adam did speak with joy of heart of this Horn of salvation and made many Psalms of praise for the Seed of the Woman that should break the Serpents head for his Redemption And doubtlesse God made these Ordinances to be a rich blessing to the souls of Adam and Eve for by them they were more fully instructed and confirmed in their blessed condition by the Promised Seed And God is pleased still to blesse his people all the world over by his plain and manifest Ordinances as the Conduit-pipes of his spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus Epb. 1.
arise from Gods blessing of the first seventh day with Sabbath-Ordinances And therefore as soon as Christ Jesus had given order about his Sabbath-Worship at Mount Sinai and had in special commanded them to observe the seventh day by a holy convocation in or among all their dwellings namely in their Synagogues as I have afore expounded it then he made a gracious promise to his people saying In all places where I shall record my name I will come unto thee and blesse thee Exod. 20. 24. and in this respect Christ Jesus did appoint the Priests in the Sanctuary and Zeliach Tzibbur in the several Synagogues to pronounce a gracious blessing upon the assembly that had attended Gods Ordinances at their departure Numb 6. 24. and to this blessing the Lord was also pleased to adde a gracious promise in vers 27. saying They shall put my name upon the Sons of Israel and I will blesse Numb 6. 24. 27. them and this blessing is often remembred and repeated as an incouragement to all the godly to attend his Sabbath-Ordinances Psal 115. 13. Psal 134. 3. Psal 147. 13. Object You seem to apply Gods blessing to his Sabbath-Ordinances only but experience doth tell us that God doth often blesse the preaching of the Word upon the Week-days to the conversion of many souls Ans I answer It is most true that God doth often blesse the preaching of his Word on the Week-days as well as upon the Sabbath days to the conversion of many thousand Souls but that lets not but that preaching must still be accounted as one of his Sabbath-Ordinances because God did first appoint it for the Sabbath day and it is now but borrowed to the Week-days by the good hand of God upon mens Spirits as a furtherance to faith and holinesse And I beleeve there are many thousand Souls that will readily witnesse to the truth of this Doctrin who by Gods blessing on the Word preached on the Week-days have been turned from Darknesse to Light and from the power of Satan to God and such persons doubtlesse will with Nehemiah account the Sabbath Day among the number of those special blessings that God bestowed upon his people as a sign of his special grace in Christ Nebem 9. 13 14. Hitherto I have spoken of Gods blessing the seventh day with publick Ordinances now I shall speak something of private Ordinances where-with God hath also blessed the seventh day Gods blessing of the Sabbath is his blessing at large even his Private duties are commanded on the Sabbath dayes as necessary handmaids to the publick blessing upon the whole day he blessed the seventh day with as large a blessing as may be namely not onely with publick but also with private Ordinances and therefore he sanctified the whole day to his service he did not sanctifie that part onely wherein his publick Ordinances were dispenced but the whole day and therefore the whole day must be set a part to his service and therefore when the publick Ordinances are ended private duties must take place that the whole day may be blessed to our souls and sanctified to the Lords service Let no man therefore mistake me for though I do not make private duties to be commanded in the first place yet I beleeve that private duties are commanded and blessed of God as necessary handmaids to the publick and there are good reasons for it 1 Our barten hearts our stony hearts our thorny hearts will not suffer the blessed seed of the Word the take root and to thâ—ive there unlesse we do prepare them like to well-manured ground 2 In hearing Christ gives this caution Take heed how you hear and the Hebrew Doctors say When any go to hear the Law read See Ains in Deut. 31. 11. or expounded they must prepare their hearts and make their ears attentive to hear with fear and reverence and with joy and trembling as in the day when the Law was given on Moune Sinai though they were great wise men which knew the whole Law every whit they were bound to hear with great attentivenesse and so God required a carefull preparation of his people at the hearing of the Law Ex. 19. 3 After hearing our Saviour doth exhort his hearers saying Take heed what you hear Mar. 4. 24. Mar. 8. 15. and in this respect the men of Berea are commended by the Holy Ghost because they seached whether those things which Paul preached were so or no Act. 17. 11. And of four sorts of hearers our Saviour makes but one good Mat. 13. And Christ Jesus doth exhort us by Moses saying These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt whet them upon thy children and shalt speak of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thon lyest down and when thou risest up Deu. 6. 6 7. Now if God required such diligence as this every day then much more upon the Sabbath day and especially after the publick Ordinances are ended And all this did Adam well understand when God is said to blesse and sanctifie the seventh day as I shall further shew on the word Sanctifie in the next Chapter CHAP. X. Shewing how God did Sanctifie the seventh day 1 GOD did not sanctifie the seventh day by putting any inherent sanctity into that day more than into the other six dayes of the week for God doth not put inherent sanctity into any earthly creature but into the Elect number onely 1 Pet. 1. 12. 2 How then did God sanctifie the seventh day Answ In a two-fold respect 1 As the separated time of his publick and private worship 2 As a sanctified sign of Rest in the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devills Head-plot 1 God did sanctifie the seventh day for the separated time of his publick worship and in this sense the word Sanctified doth imply a double command of God to fallen man 1 It implies that God commanded Adam â—o set apart the seventh day from all worldly uses and to attend upon those spiritual Ordinances wherewith he had blessed the seventh day 2 It implies that God commanded fallen Adam to prepare his soul and body to come with all due care and reverence into the presence of God to be partakers of his Sabbath-Ordinances 1 I will speak of the word Sanctifie as it implies the command of God to Adam to set apart the seventh day from all worldly uses and to attend upon those spiritual Ordinances wherewith God had blessed the seventh day And this is evident 1 Because God did never sanctifie any thing for the use of fallen man but he did thereby command fallen man to sanctifie When God did sâ—nctifie any thing for man he did by that â—ct command man â—o sâ—nctifie that thing by separatâ—ng it to the Lords use Num. 8. 17. it to the Lords use As for example when God did sanctifie any persons to his service he did by
impiety and Apostacy God would confound their Language and scatter them upon the face of the earth and in memory of that Prophecie he called his Son Peleg and truly hee must needs be a rare Sabbath-keeper that kept the faith when all the rest of Noahs family fell away 2 God hath honoured Ebers memorial in another respect namely in that all the Nations of the Jews are called Ebrews after his name Gen. 14. 13. Gen. 39. 14 17. and it seems to mee that his constant abode was in the Land of Canaan because the Land of Canaan is called the Land of the Ebrews long before the Jews came out of Aegypt to dwell there Gen. 40. 15. And secondly because his great Grand-father Sem who was the King of Salem in the Land of Canaan is called the Father of all the Sons of Eber Gen. 10. 21. Sem was the Father of many other Families Gen. 10. 21 besides Ebers but for some special reason namely of their Co-habitation Ebers Sons are called Sems Sons for Sem is called the father of them which I conceive is to note out unto us that Eber was a close cohabiter and familiar with Sem in the faith of Christ when all the other Families did Apostatise and depart from them to Babylon to worship new gods Master Broughton saith That the Hebrew Tongue remained only in the faithful of Ebers House after the building of Babel and in them is continued the name of Ebrews as perpetually opposite to the builders of Babel to whom Eber preached that their tongues should be divided Prin. Posit p. 3. 3 Isaac was the seventh from Eber his faith is famous in his ready obedience to be sacrificed for he was at that time in the prime of his strength because he carried all the Wood for the Burnt-offering up the Hil Gen. 22. 6. and therefore he might wel be Gen. 22. 6. about thirty three years of age when he went with his Father Abraham up to the Mount of Moriah to be sacrifised and therefore also he was able by strength of Nature if he had been unwilling to be bound to have withstood his aged Father who was now one hundred and thirty three years old and therefore he was in the declining of his Natural strength and he might the more easily have withstood his aged Father because they two were alone and none there to help Abraham And now seeing Abrahams faith is recorded to be famous in that he did so readily obey Gods command not sparing to sacrifise his only Son at his command Isaacks saith is therewithall recorded to be no lesse famous in that he was so cheerfully willing to be bound and to be sacrifised they both knew that God was able to raise him up again from the dead Heb. 11. 19. Heb. 11. 19 and thus God made his obedience to be a sweet typical resemblance not only of the free and voluntary but also of the actual obedience of Jesus Christ to make his Soul a sacrifice for our sins Es 53. 10. Es 53. 10 4 Moses was the seventh from Abraham by no lesse rare Providence of God than Enoch was the seventh from Adam 5 Joshua was the seventh from his Grand-father Ephraim and David was the seventh son of Jesse 6 Judah was the seventh Patriarch as the Hebrew Doctors do in this order count him First Abraham second Isaac third Jacob fourth Ruben fifth Simeon sixth Levie seventh Judah and in this respect the Hebrew Doctors do compare him to the first seventh day Secondly In another respect they do compare him to the fourth Commandement namely as he was the fourth Son of Israel and so both these ways they do make his memorial Honourable by their allusion to the first famous seventh day See Ains in Gen. 49. 12. 7 Bazaliel the Master-work-man of the Lords Tabernacle was the seventh from Judah as it is evident by his Genealogie in 2 Chro. 2. 5 9 18 19 20. In all these holy Persons the providence of God ought to be sweetly considered for it doth manifestly call to our remembrance the famousnesse of the first seventh day by his disposing of great matters and gracious most often by sevens 3 God hath framed many parts and parcels of the Scripture 3 There are several parcels of the Scripture Chronologie that are fâ—amed to the number seven in an Honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day Levit. 25. 4 Chronologie to the number seven doubtlesse in an Honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day 1 When Gods people neglected the holy Sabbath and prophaned the holy Rest of it then God did threaten to punish them with Sabbatical years of punishment as in the Captivity of Babylon with ten times seven years Captivity that the Land might rest and enjoy her Sabbaths all the time it lay desolate 2 Chron. 36. with Ier. 25. Levit. 26. and is it not a manifest allusion to the first famous seventh day in that God doth call sevens of years Sabbaths of years Levit. 25. 4. and threaten them with Sabbatical years of punishment for prophaning the rest of the holy Sabbath 2 At the just end of these seventy years Daniel hath annexed a Sabbatical Chronicle which doth notably lead on not only the Sabbatical years of rest but even the weekly Sabbaths also unto the death and burial of Christ Dan. 9. 24. for 1 Christ dyed for our Redemption and rose again for our Justification in a Sabbatical Jubilee even in the twenty eighth Jubilee and from the liberties of the Jubilee the ancient Hebrew Doctors did fore-see and know and say That the Divine Majesty will be to Israel in a Iubilee Freedome Redemption and Finisher of Sabbaths See H. Bro. in Sinai Sight 2560. and in Req of Consent p. 13. 2 Daniel by his Sabbatical Chronicle doth also lead on the weekly Sabbaths to the death and burial of Christ for First Christ dyed on the first day of the feast of unleavened Bread which Iohn calls a High Sabbath Ioh. 19. 31. and Secondly on the next day which was the weekly Sabbath or seventh day his Body rested all that day in his Grave and his Soul in Heaven for as soon as he had finished the Work that God gave him to do hee rested from all his Works on the seventh day as God did from his Heb. 4. 10 own on the first seventh day 3 He rose again from the dead on the third day for Christ did fore-tel this to his Disciples that on the third day hee should be perfected Luke 13. 32. for as soon as he had performed Luke 13. 32 Mat. 12. 40 his propitiatory Sacrifice or his sacrifice of Attonement by which the Devils Head-plot was broken he was declared by his Resurrection to have made a perfect Conquest over Satan and a perfect Attonement with God his Father for mans Redemption and this day of his Resurrection was the first day of the week by Paul but John calls it the Lords
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
several purposes p. 61. 95 96. at Object 18 CHAP. V. Proving that the Passeover-Evening did begin and end according to the Natural Evening from Mid-day to Midd-night p. 63 And in this Chapter eighteen Objections are Answered Some think that no other Evening belonged to the Jews Sabbath but the Evening before the Sabbath but they are much mistaken for that was the Evening of the Sabbath no otherwise but onely in relation to the date of the person purified But the proper Evening of the Sabbath it self begun at Mid-day and ended at Mid-night as the Passeover Evening did p. 64. 110. 95. at Object 18. All Passeovers were Sacrifices and therefore the blood of them all must be sprinkled at the Lords Altar in his Temple p. 69 Blood was the Lords portion and in that respect he did prohibit the Jews to eat blood and likewise some sorts of fat p. 69 The Lord permitted many private Altars for Sacrifice in the dayes of Samuel for the use of a particular person or Tribe but he allowed but one publick Altar for the publick Sacrifices of all thâ— twelve Tribes such as the Passeovers were p. 70 The Passeover-day was none of the Jews Festival Sabbaths it was but a half Holy-day p. 72 No Levites but Priests onely must sprinkle the blood of the Sacrifice upon the Lords Altar p. 74 It was not convenient for above twenty persons to make their count for one Lamb-Passeover p. 75 A digression to open some difficult phrases about the Passeover because they are borrowed from the unusual known dialect of the Thalmud p. 77 The time of Christs Burial was at Star-light p. 83. 57. 105 Boker the Morning is put for the beginning of the Jews Ceremonial day which did exactly begin at Sun-set 86 The Jews accounted the first half of the night to belong to the former day as a true part thereof in the case of their Religious Feasting upon their Passeovers and in other cases also p. 90. 51. 64 110 The second part of the Passeover Evening was the appointed season for the time of their Religious Feasting from Sun-set till Mid-night p. 93 CHAP. VI. Proving that the day of Reconciliation was an extraordinary long Fasting Sabbath and therefore the beginning of that day ought not to be produced as an exemplary patern neither for the beginning of the Lords day nor yet for the beginning of any other Fasting day p. 98 No Fasting day among the Jews was so long as the day of Attonement was p. 110 CHAP. VII Answering their Objections more particularly that hold the Lords day to begin at the Sun-set Evening p. 103 Such as hold the Sabbath day to begin at the Sun-set Evening can never prove that Christ lay three dayes in his grave p. 104 Luke saith that the time of Christs burial was when it began to be Star-light p. 105. 57. 83 The Hebrew Doctors held the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath to be a true part of the Sabbath it self p. 110. 50. 64 The Hebrew Doctors allow no more but seven Furlongs and a half to an English mile p. 114 CHAP. VIII Proving that the punctual time of Christs Resurrection was in the Morning just at the time of Sun-rising p. 117 A TABLE OF Such Scriptures as are Illustrated or Explaned Genesis Chap. Vers Page 1 2 35 44 1 5 8 16 22 31 14 15 58 24 63 51 32 2 21 38 38 17 18 12 43 9 12 49 27 17 24 37 Exod. 8 21 22 13 12 6 19 65 79 12 7 68 12 8. 42 93. 95 97 12 11 48 12 1 2 61 12 14 62 12 22 47 12 27 69 12 29 48 12 33 39 47 12 38 12 12 41 48 76 12 45 74 13 3 49 82 14 24 37 16 12 20 19 10 28 19 22 68 22 31 54 23 8 90 24 5 68 27 1 71 29 39 41 19 30 8 20 30 19 20 52 Leviticus  15 69 1 9 64 1 11 â—4 3 17 69 5 2 50 6 9 89 6 20 24 6 26 102 7 2 14 69 74 7 15 61 87 97 102 7 16 17 19 81 86 87 7 18 64 89 10 19 88 11 15 15 11 24 32 50 13 48 13 16 4 91 22 5 6 7 55 60 22 9 10 55 87 23 4 5 22 64 23 7 8 49 83 101 23 11 15 16 87 23 15 18 40 56 23 20 63 90 23 32 99 23 40 14 25 8 9 61 Numbers 7 1 55 9 3 5 11 64 19 9 10 11 94 95 9 12 93 12 1 15 19 9 54 28 4 8 19 43 64 91 28 16 61 33 3 49 76 33 48 17 Deuâ—eronomy 8 15 14 11 24 59 11 30 17 58 16 1 36 16 2 4 80 90 16 4 81 86 16 5 6 68 69 72 76 16 15 88 97 21 23 106 23 10 11 51 54 23 15 97 Joshua 1 4 59 7 6 13. 14 28 53 8 29 106 10 3 96 24 4 59 Judges 3 15 37 19 19 76 Ruth 3 14 42 1 Samuel 1 1 21 1 19 21 17 16 29 20 5 25 20 26 71 30 17 40 56 85 87 2 Samuel 5 6 7 21 11 2 52 19 18 19 21 1 King 17 6 29 22 43 72 2 King 3 20 22 43 14 14 12 1 Chronicles 7 28 25 2 Chronicles 1 3 72 9 14 15 15 17 72 13 19 20 53 35 14 62 35 10 11 69 74 35 18 75 Ezra 9 2 11 Nehemiah 5 3 12 8 10 88 97 13 3 12 13 19 104 Job 3 9 2 23 8 19 45 58 26 7 44 37 2 46 38 6 7 40 Ps Psalms 5 3 4 35 19 5 59 37 6 76 40 8 9 13 50 1 59 51 18 21 55 18 51 78 9 60 72 78 68 72 89 12 45 89 13 45 90 6 29 90 14 36 104 34 11 106 35 11 110 3 43 113 3 58 119 176 36 Cha. Proverbs 3 24 11 4 18 76 6 1 12 7 9 2 63 13 19 12 15 15 12 22 26 12 24 21 15 Ecclesiastes 11 6 29 Esa 2 2 37 11 12 45 13 20 15 15 7 14 16 3 7 21 4 39 24 11 18 37 7 13 40 3 4 13 41 19 13 47 11 39 Jeremy 2 6 14 15 4 23 36 5 6 14 6 4 24 31 51 23 8 45 30 21 12 48 22 18 50 24 39 Ezekiel 6 14 17 20 5 11 24 26 27 115 27 13 11 27 17 11 33 21 22 115 47 15 46 Daniel 2 41 11 5 30 39 6 14 60 7 2 46 8 5 17 8 8 17 46 9 21 37 Hosea 10 15 36 Habbakkuk 1 2 37 1 8 14 3 7 15 Zephany 2 7 37 3 3 14 3 5 36 Zachary 2 6 45 12 9 36 14 7 13 28 Malachy 3 4 11 Matthew 12 40 104 14 15 23 20 25 24 31 46 26 2 79 26 17 77 78 26 18 20 75 93 27 57 82 10â— 27 62 63 57 85 27 66 85 28 1 18 108 111 28 2 118 Mark 1 13 14 1 32 60 106 109 1 35 42 14 1 78 14 3 12 79 93 14 17 93 15
discourse of the Jews Synagogues Discipline But under pain of the Lords displeasure none might approach to the Lords Sanctuary without their legal purifications as it is manifest by the example of Gods displeasure against some of Ephraim Manasses when they came to the Passeover in the daies of Hezekiah without their purifications but as soon as Hezekiah perceived their error which doubtless the consciences of the visited persons made them to acknowledge he prayed to the Lord for them the Lord was intreated and healed the people 2 Chron. 30. 19 20. and for the better avoiding of this error afterwards it was observed as a custom among the Jews to go out of the Country up to Jerusalem before the Feast of Passeover to purifie themselves Joh. 7. 55. which purification was effected by two degrees of cleanness First By baptizing themselves in the first Evening And secondly By the Sun-setting upon them after their baptizing as I have formerly proved the matter for none might approach the Sanctuary until they could declare their purification to the Priests that were the Porters 2 Chron. 23. 19. as Paul did Act. 21. 26. And the Lord did so much approve of their Ceremonial purity both by their actual baptizing and by their abstinence from unclean meats and from all other things else that might defile them That for that very obedience he doth cal the whole Nation All Israel are called men of Holiness in regard of their ceremonial purity Men of holiness Exod. 22. 31. for all the Nation in general were very careful to maintain this kind of holiness And the Hebrew Doctors say that if any man of the common people did but say I am clean to keep the sin-water he was to be trusted for there is no man of Israel too vild for it See Ains in Num. 19. 9. that is to say no man of Israel was too vild for it if he were but Ceremonially clean and in this sense all Israel were holy namely to the purifying of their flesh for the Law is not of Faith Gal. 3. 12. a man might keep the Law to the purifying of his flesh though they wanted saving-Faith to apply the blood of Christ for the cleansing of their consciences from the guilt of sin And thus much touching the first degree of time in which they must perform the first degree of their Ceremonial cleannesse SECT 2. I Come now to speak of the second degree of time wherein their Ceremonial cleanness was perfected and that was as soon as the Sun was set upon them after their Ceremonial baptizing and from that time also they began to date the new day of their cleanness First I prove that God ordained the Sun-set Evening to be the time of perfecting the cleanness of the baptized person ere he None were compleaâ—ly purified by being baptized til the Sun was set upon them could begin the day of his cleanness by Deut. 23. 10 11. There Moses saith thus to all Israel If there be in thee a man that is not clean by reason of an accident in the night then he shall go out of the Camp and he shall bath himself in water at the looking forth of the Evening and what then was he now made clean as soon as ever he had bathed himself in water The answer is no hee must yet stay a while longer without the Camp till his Sun be set and then when the Sun is gon down he shall come into the Camp Hence it is evident that his Ceremoniall purity was not compleat until his Sun was set but then it was compleat and therefore he did then begin to date the day of his cleanness Hence also I gather that their Ceremonial baptizing might be done in any part of the afternoon provided it were done before Sun-set because the Sun did look forth towards the place of his going down by his shadow from Mid-day til it went out of that Horizon as I have formerly explained the matter But if any were defiled by any accident in the night after his Sun was set upon him he must remain in that uncleanness untill a new baptizing in the next afternoon and till a new Sun-set Evening Secondly It is evident that none were compleatly purified till Sun-set by Levit. 22. 5 6 7. Moses saith thus If any man whether Priest or Israelite be made unclean by touching a dead creeping thing or the like unclean thing Then in ver 6. he shall be unclean untill the Evening he shall not eat of the holy things But first He shall bath himself in water Aâ—d then Secondly saith ver 7. when the Sun is gon down he shall be clean By this Text it is also evident that he did not attain to a perfect ceremonial cleanness by baptizing himself in water untill the Sun was gon down upon him after his bathing But as soon as his Sun was set then he was compleatly purified and then also he began to date the day of his cleanness and then also he might eat of the holy things Thirdly The Hebrew Doctors do abundantly testifie that no baptized person did begin the day of his cleanness untill his Sun was set for this is their common and peculiar phrase They shall be unclean untill their Sun be set But the common phrase of the Ceremonial Law saith thus They shall be unclean untill the Evening The unclean saith Maymony may not eat of the Heave-Offering untill their Sun be set See Ains in Lev. 22. 9 10. And hence it is evident that they held the baptized persons to have some degree of uncleanness upon them untill their Sun was set And therefore Maymony saith thus He that is baptized is the second in uncleanness untill his Sun be set And he that is so baptized if his Sun bee not set may not eat or drink of the Trumah or holy offerings nor of any meat or drink that is holy See Ains in Lev. 11. 32. and in Lev. 7. 20 21. and in Numb 19. 19 20 21. This phrase in the Law He shall be unclean untill the Evening is eight times over repeated in Lev. 11. and fourteen times over in Lev. 15. and often elsewhere But the Hebrew Doctors do usually express it He shall be unclean till his Sun be set they accounted the term Sun-set and the term Evening to be all one time Hence then it follows that the date of their new day of cleanness did alwaies begin at the Sun-set Evening Fourthly It is evident that the Jews began the date of their new day of cleanness at the Sun-set Evening because the Sun-set The Jews morrow began at Sun-set in Ceremonial respects Evening is called Their morning 1 Sam. 30. 17. David and his men are said to pursue after the Amalekites From the twilight unto the Evening of Their Morrow that is to say from the Twilight in the Morning until their Morrow which began at the Sun-set Evening it was a custom that was proper and peculiar unto them