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
Mediator in two particulars  1 In regard of his office God created him to be a Mediatorial Priest before he could keep a perfect rest on the seventh day p. 46 2 In regard of his Humane Nature he was virtually made flesh of the Seed of the Woman before God could keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day p. 46 39 CHAP. VI. Proving that the whole World was made for the honour of the Mediator as the right Heir of it all p. 50 And hence it follows  1 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 it follows that Adam must fall and be Re-created also on the day of his Creation before the Lord could keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day p. 50 CHAP. VII Proving that Gods Rest on the seventh day was such a perfect Rest that nothing could happen afterwards that could any whit lessen or dâ—sturb the perfection of his Rest on the seventh day as it would have happened if God had kept a Sabbath of Rest whiles Adam stood in a mutable condition p. 54 CHAP. VIII That the true nature of Gods Rest on the seventh day was his sweet content in the Mediator p. 55 56 All the Trinity rested and were refreshed on the seventh day because they had perfected mans happinesse by a Re-creation p. 57 CHAP. IX Proving that God blessed the first seventh day with many sorts of spiritual Ordinances such as were apt to convey spiritual and eternal blessednesse to faln man p. 59 God would never have blessed the seventh day with spiritual Ordinances if the Mediator had not been declared to faln man before the seventh day p. 60 God did not leave Adam and Eve to spend the first seventh day in private speculations but he blessed the first seventh day with variety of Ordinances both for publick and private use for their best spiritual good p. 60 God commanded Adam to preach every seventh day either upon his miserable Fall or else upon the riches of Gods grace for his recovery by the Promised Seed p. 62 God commanded Adam to joyn the duty of Prayer to the duty of Preaching p. 63 Jesus Christ taught Adam by the Sacrifice of a Lamb how he should be the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world p. 65 Two persons where no more can be had may be called a true Church of Christ and may exercise Gods Ordinances after a publick manner p. 68 The dis-regarding of the Sabbath and the Ordinances thereof is the high way to all Prophanenesse and Apostacy p. 70 Private duties are commanded on the Sabbath dayes as necessary Handmaids to the publick p. 72 CHAP. X. Shewing after what manner God did sanctifie the first seventh day p. 73 1 By ordaining it to be the separated time of his publick and private worship  2 By ordaining it to be as a sanctified sign of his Rest and of mans resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot by the work of his Redemption and Reconciliation p 73 When ever God did sanctifie any thing for mans use he did by that act command man to separate that thing to the Lords use p. 74 When God did sanctifie the first seventh day he did thereby command Adam to prepare himself for the better sanctifying of the said seventh day p. 75 CHAP. XI Shewing that God did sanctifie the outward Rest of the seventh day to be a typical sign both of his own Rest and of mans Resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot for mans Redemption p 78 Our Redemption from Sathans Head-plot was the finishing act of the whole Creation and therefore it was the true reason of Gods Rest and of his commanding Adam to rest on the first seventh day p. 82 CHAP. XII Shewing that God did make the first seventh day famous by honouring the number Seven ever after with famous respects p. 85 1 By contriving the Typical Ceremonies of our Redemption very often into the number of Seven doubtlesse in an honourable memorial of the first famous seventh day p. 86 2 By marking out divers rare and eminent holy persons by the number Seven p. 89 3 By contriving several parcels of the Scripture Chronology into the number Seven doubtlesse in an honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day p. 93 CHAP. XIII Proving That though Christ hath abolished the Seventh Day by his death yet he hath not left the day of his publick worship Arbitrary to particular Churches to appoint what day they please in the place of the seventh day as some unadvised Protestants do affirm p. 94 And that Christ Jesus hath made three main changes in the tenne Commandements p. 99 CHAP. XIV Proving by several other particular grounds that Christ himself did appoint the day of his Resurrection for the exercise of his publick worship in the place of the seventh day p. 101 Things Remarkable  ◠Touching the number eight three things are remarkable p. 113 2 That four Sabbaths did meet together and succeed each other at the Death and Resurrection of Christ ibid. 3 The Resurrection of Christ was made famous by three remarkable days p. 114 CHAP. XV. Propounding some reasons why the Apostles did allow of the Jewish-Sabbath or seventh day in their Synagogues for a time after it was abolished by the Death of Christ as well as of the Lords day in Christian Churches p. 116 The opposition which some beleeving Jews made in Christian Churches for their not observing the Jewish Sabbath doth fully prove that the Christian Churches had cast off the Jewish Sabbath and that they observed the Lords Day in the place of it p. 118 CHAP. XVI Being an Answer to several Questions  Q. 1. Whether Christians under the Gospel are bound to observe the Lords Day as strictly from all work and as holily in the practise of all duties of Religion as the Jews were to observe the Sabbath day p. 129 Hence this Question is moved Whether it be lawful to begin to solemnize a Marriage upon the Sabbath Answered no. p. 130 Q 2. Might not the Jews kindle a fire on the Sabbath day to dresse necessary food Answered Yes p. ibid. Q. 3. To the same purpose Answered p. 132 Q. 4. To the same purpose Answered p. 134 Q. 5. Are Christians bound to rest as strictly from all Works and Re-creations on the Lords day as the Jews were on the Sabbath day Answered Yes p. 135 Q. 6. Were Re-creations on the Sabbath day punished by the Magistrates among the Jews with the same kind of punishments that working on the Sabbath was Answered No. They used differing kind of punishments p. 136 Also that Magistrates are bound to punish the prophanation of any part of the Lords day whether it be by work or re-creation either by scourging or else by some Mulct that is
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
were the Souls of Adam and Eve Re-created in the said six days as a true part of that sort of Creature which appertains to the spiritual Heavens and to the spiritual Earth and to the Church triumphant in Heaven hereafter and therefore seeing God made all things both in Heaven and Earth in six days he rested not on the seventh day till he had perfected Mans Creation by a Recreation procured by the redemption of the promised Seed which doubtlesse was the finishing work of Gods Creation on the sixth day so then our redemption from Satans Head-plot was the last finishing act of the whole Creation and therefore it was the only true reason of Gods rest on the first Sabbath Day and of his command why man should keep a holy rest on that day as it is also typified by the Redemption from Aegypt as in Deut. 5. 15. Hence it follows by necessary consequence that God ordained the sanctified rest of the seventh day to be a typicall sign unto fallen Man of his resting upon Christ by faith to break the Devils Head-plot for his Redemption by his propitiatory sacrifice in the fulnesse of time and then upon the performance thereof the typical use of the rest of the seventh day must cease and yet such a way must be found out by the Wisdom of God as that the seventh part of time according to the account of the days of the Week must not cease but it must still be preserved for the exercise of Gods publick Worship for seeing it hath pleased God to continue his plain and manifest Worship still to the end of the world it hath pleased him also to continue the seventh day for the exercise of his publick Worship to the end of the world and no other way can be found out to accomplish both these namely the ceasing of the seventh day as it was a typicall sign and the continuance of the seventh day without any intermission as it is the sanctified time of Gods publick Worship but by changing the seventh day into the first day of the Week as I shall hereafter shew more at large God willing And this answer to the abovesaid Objection is the rather to be credited because the Redemption from Aegypt by the typical blood of the Lamb is alleged by Christ as the general reasón to inforce his people to the observation of all the Commandements for the Angel of the Covenant saith thus in Exod. 20. 2. I Exod. 20. 2 Deut. 5. 14 15. am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt namely by the typical blood of the Paschal Lamb therefore remember the Sabbath Day to sanctifie it and so it must be applied as a reason to observe all the other Commandements and this sense is yet further inforced because all the precepts of the Law were sprinkled with the typical blood of Christs sacrifice of Attonement Exod. 24. 8. which doth plainly tell us that he by his sacrifice Exod. 24. 8. of Attonement hath procured his Fathers attonement for all our sins against all his holy Law 5 God doth account the violation of the Holy Rest of the seventh day by any mans work to be an exceeding great prophanenesse in every place of their abode for whiles his people were in their travels in the Wildernesse he did as deeply blame them for polluting the typical rest of the seventh day as he did after they were in a setled resting place in Canaan Eze. 20. 13. â—sou was branded with the title of Prâ—phaneness for contemâ—ing his Birth-right in the Land of Canaan because it was a type of the holy militant Church here on earth and of the holy triumphant Church in Heaven and the Jews were no lesse guilty of prophanenesse for despising the Typical rest on the seventh day by doing their own works therein for by doing their own works they committed a double sin on that day First They prophaned it as it was a sanctified sign and Secondly They abused it as it was the sanctified time of Gods Worship and therefore for this double sin God provided as it were a double death namely 1. Stoning to death Exod. 31. 14 15. for he that Exod. 31. 14 15. gathered sticks upon the Sabbath Day was stoned to death Num. 15. and 2. After they were stoned to death their dead Carcas was hanged upon a Tree for their deeper punishment and for the greater detestation of their sin as I have shewed elsewhere from the instance of the rebellious Son in Deut. 21. Yea God was so jealous for the holy rest of his Sabbath that he would not permit them to do any work at all about the promoting of the work of the Tabernacle though he had commanded that work to be done with all diligence Exod. 31. 13. as the place of his holy presence and residence among his people Exod. Exod. 31 13 25. 8 22. yet notwithstanding all this they might not do any work to further the building of it upon the Sabbath Day and the reason is added because I saith the Lord have ordained it to be a sign between me and you that you may know that I am the Lord that do sanctifie you that is to say I am the Lord that do command you to sanctifie the Sabbath Day as a sign of resting on Christ for when God doth sanctifie any thing for mans use hee doth thereby impose a command upon man to sanctifie that thing or to use it as a sanctified thing as I have erewhile noted in the beginning of this Chapter and therefore in this respect the Lord doth in Exod. 31. again and again inforce the observation of the Sabbath Day First By a fresh charge Yee shall keep the Sabbath and Secondly by a fresh reason It is holinesse to you namely it is a sign of Sanctification to you ver 14. yea it is Holinesse to Jehovah ver 15. and therefore in Exod. 16. 23. it is called the rest of Holinesse to Jehovah or an exact holy rest to Jehovah and in Exod. 31. 17. It is called a sign of the Everlasting Covenant between Exod. 31. 17 Jehovah and the Sons of Israel because Jehovah rested on the seventh day and was refreshed Conclusion It follows from all the Premises that God sanctified the rest of the seventh day not onely as the sanctified time of Gods worship both in publick and in private but also as a sanctified sign of Gods resting and of mans resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot by his propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement which he should accomplish at the very same time when the Devill by his instruments should peirce him in the foot-soals and therefore as soon as the Seed of the Woman had finished that sacrifice the Holy-rest of the seventh day ceased as well as all the other types of Moses Law 2 Cor. 3. 7. namely so far forth as it was a typical sign of the said resting on the
win the affection of the said Synagogues where some beleeving Iews were to his person and Ministry Act. 16. 3. Acts 16. 3 Yea a long space after the death of Christ he did by the advice of the Apostle Iames take upon him to be a Consort with four men that took upon them a Levitical vow namely the Nazarites Vow and Paul did well-nigh observe all the days of Purification according to the custom of Moses Law and he was also ready prepared to pay his part and share of their Sacrifice to be See Ainsw in Numb 6. 18 offered in the Temple had not the Malignant Iews hindered him by apprehending his Person in a sudden rage against him for polluting the holy Temple as they surmised Act. 21. 24. And for Acts 21. 24 this very reason the Apostles made no scruple at all to preach on the Sabbath or seventh day in the Iews Synagogues for in the Synagogues the Iews observed no other day but the seventh day as it is evident by Acts 13. Acts 16. Acts 17. Acts 18 c. The Apostles therefore made no scruple but did gladly take the opportunity of their old Sabbath to preach unto them in their Synagogues by the means whereof they converted many ten thousand Iews unto Christ and after conversion the Apostles lâ—ft them to continue still in their Synagogue-Assemblies untill the malignant Iews did persecute them and then the Apostles did advise them to separate from the Synagogue and so to joyn themselves into particular Christian Churches where they were directed to observe the Lords Day in the place of the Jewish Sabbath for in those Heathen Countries where Paul preached in the Iews Synagogues the Heathen Governours by Gods special providence left the Iews to the free liberty of their own Consciences to use what Worship and what day of Worship they pleased and in that respect the Christians had as much liberty to observe the Lords Day in their Church-Assemblies as the Iews had to observe their Sabbath in their Synagogues and therefore as soon as the beleeving Iews and Proselites of Thessalonica were persecuted by the malignant Synagogue they joyned into a Christian Church-Assembly by themselves Acts 17. 4. and so the beleeving Iews and Proselites of the Synagogue of Corinth Acts 17. 4 Acts 18. 17 Acts 19. 9 did the like as soon as they were persecuted Act. 18. 17. and the Christian Iews and Proselites of Ephesus did the like Act. 19. 9. These and all the other beleeving Iews of the other Synagogues did separate themselves from the malignant Synagogue as soon as they were persecuted and joyned themselves into several Christian Churches and then they kept their Church-meetings on the Lords Day and not on the Sabbath Day for the Apostles did open and allege unto them that the Iewish Sabbath was abolished by the death of Christ and that Christ had instituted his Resurrection-day in the place of it for the day of his publick Worship Obj. Here it may be demanded How can it be proved that the Apostles did instruct the beleeving Jews and Proselites in the observation of the Lords Day Ans It is evident enough by the opposition which some of the said beleeving Iews did make against the Apostles and the The opposition whâ—ch some of the beleeving Jews made in Christian Churches or their not observing of the Jewâ—sh Sabbath doth fully pâ—ove that the Christian Churches had cast off the Jewish Sâ—bbath and that they observed the Loâ—ds Day in the place of it Christian Churches for the not observing of the Iewish Sabbath for it is evident that many of the said beleeving Iews did still earnestly contend not only for the observation of the Iewish Sabbath but also for the observation of all the other customs of Moses but if the said Christian Churches had not altered the day of their publick Worship the said beleeving Iews had not had any occasion at all to contend for the observation of their wonted Sabbath Day therefore by their earnest contending for the observation of the Iewish Sabbath it appears That the Christian Churches did by the Apostles directions observe the Lords Day for Gods publick Worship I say the earnest contention that some certain Iews which did beleeve did make against the Christian Churches for their not observing of the Iewish Sabbath doth fully prove to my understanding that the said Christian Churches had laid aside the use of the Iewish Sabbath and did make use of the Lords Day only for the use of Gods publick Worship as I shall explain it by and by Buâ— yet I have also affirmed that the Apostles did allow of the obseâ—vation of the Iewish Sabbath in the Iews Synagogues and that they did gladly imbrace the opportunity of that day to preach unto them for their conversion to the faith of Christ And so for a time the Apostles did observe two Sabbaths together namely the Iewish Sabbaths in preaching to them in their Synagogues and the Lords Day in preaching to the convâ—rted Iews and Proselites in their Christian assemblies And this their practise was as allowable for a time as Iohns Baptism was with Circumcision for a time for Apelles was Baptised with the Baptism of Iohn after he had been Circumcised Acts 19. 3. and Christ himself was Baptised of Iohn in Iordan after he had been Circumcised yea which is more it was after that Christ had ordained Iohns Baptism as a Sacrament of initiation into the Christian Church and Paul did Circumcise Timothy who doubtlesse had been formerly Baptised into the Church of Christ Obj. Why did the Apostle Paul circumcise Timothy seeing hee had formerly been baptised into the Church of Christ Ans Doubtlesse hee did not Circumcise Timothy out of any Conscience to the necessary use of Circumcision as the Ieâ—s Synagogues did but because Paul and Timothy were to be conversant in the Synagogues where they observed the Sabbath and Circumcision therefore Paul did it meerly out of Christian Wisdom and Providence that he might thereby win the Iews the more to respect his Person and Ministry Act. 16. 3. â—or Paul desired to be conversant in the Iews Synagogues as much as might be but he knew he could not be admitted to converse with them in their Synagogue-Worship having Timothy an uncircumcised Grecian for his companion unlesse he was Circumcised for uncircumcised Persons might not be admitted to familiar converse with them in the exercise of Religion Acts 10. 28. Therefore seeing the Apostles saw cause to allow of the use of Circumcision by way of permission for a time after that Christ had ordained Baptism as the only Sacrament of initiation into his Church they might by the same reason allow of the Iewish Sabbath in their Synagogues though not in their Christian Churches no more than they might allow of the use of Circumcision in their Christian Churches for Paul would not Circumcise Tiâ—us to please some zealous Iews in the Christian Church though he did
first Authors of it as many unadvisedly do no◠yet to any other Nation but it is the most ancient Scripture-Computation from the very first created day and so consequently it must needs be the true beginning of the Jews Sabbath This Tenent may happily seem strange at the first to such as have long held both in their judgement and practise That the Jews Sabbath and so consequently the Lords Day did properly begin at the Sun-set evening and of this judgement and practice are most of the Churches in New England and in that respect many Professors among them do without scruple take liberty in the Sun-set Evening of the Lords Day to do the servile works of their particular Callings and others take liberty to use Recreations But it is worthy to be taken notice of that whole Churches do many times erre both in their judgement and practice or else how could so much Corruption Superstition Idolatry and Prophanenesse creep in to several reformed Churches as there hath done from time to time in sundry ages Being therefore intreated by some godly persons in New England and being also moved thereunto by the fear of God I have taken this difficult Task in hand lest to confute this corrupt judgement and practice it should spread like Leaven to the corrupting of Posterity and so I rest Thine in the Lord WILLIAM PYNCHON The chief Heads of this Treatise OF HOLY TIME CHAP. I PRoving that the first Darknesse in Gen. 1. 2. was not a compleat Night By three Reasons Page 1 The true Definition of a compleat Night It is the absence of the Suns shining for the space of twelve Hours p. 3 CHAP. II. Proving that Moses by the term Evening in Gen. 1. 5. doth not mean the whole Night but the latter half of the Artificial day and the first half of the Night p. 6 This Chapter is distributed into four Sections and six Objections are answered SECT 1. The Hebrew word Gnereb translated the Evening in Gen. 1. 5. is explaned in p. 9 1 The first Darknesse cannot be called the Evening in a proper sense p. 10 2 Neither can the whole night be called Gnereb the Evening in a proper sense p. 10 3 Neither can the Twilight be called Gnereb the Evening in a proper sense p. 10. And therefore it is a great mistake in our larger Annotation in Mat. 26. 20. to say that Harab properly signifieth mixed namely the mixture of Light and Darknesse in the Twilight and in that sense mis-applying Deut. 16. 6. which is meant of the time of sacrifising the Passeover and not of the time of feasting  Our Ancestors held Gnereb the Evening to be at all times of the yeer an even and equal part of time to Boker the Morning p. 16 Gnereb the Evening is often put by the figure Synecdoche for the later half of the Evening which doth alwayes begin at Sun-set and end at Mid-night p. 16 Gnereb is often put by the figure Metanomia for the West because the later Evening begins at Sun-set which when it is in the Equinoctial doth alwayes set in the West p. 17 Gnereb the Evening is often put by the figure Metanomy for the last dayes and also for the last end of a thing because it is the last half of the natural day p. 17 SECT 2. Gnereb signifies such a connexion of several species as doth ever preserve the said several species distinct and intire without any confused mixture and so Gnarbaiim in the Dual number doth explain it and therefore Gnarbaiim is eleven times over put for the two distinct parts of the natural Evening p. 19 And because Gnarbaiim the two Evenings are but the two distinct parts of the full natural Evening therefore the Seventy Interpreters do translate them in the singular as one proper Evening p. 22 And the Hebrew Text doth often make the two Evenings to be but one proper Evening p. 23 SECT 3. Proving by seven demonstrative grounds that the natural Evening begins at Mid-day at the first declining of the Sun p. 24 The Jews divided the Artificial day into four great hours as they divided the Night into four Watches p. 27 CHAP. III. This Chapter hath three Sections and five Objections are answered SECT 1. Proving that the time of the first Darknesse was called Boker the Morning at last namely after all the parts of the natural day were shaped framed and set together p. 35 Boker the Morning doth signifie Early p. 35 Boker i◠put for Gods early seeking out either to punish the wicked or to protect the godly p. 37 Boker is put for the first time and for the first beginning of a thing p. 37 Boker is put for the Sun-set Evening because the time of Sun-set is the first beginning of the Jews Ceremonial day of Cleannesse for then the person purified began the date of his day of Cleannesse p. 40 56 86 SECT 2. Proving that the Morning doth begin in the dark night p. 41 SECT 3. Proving that the Morning in all likelihood doth begin at Midnight besides the former certain proof from the exact beginning and sending of the natural Evening from Mid-day to Midnight p. 44 CHAP. IV. This Chapter hath three Sections and four Objections are answered Proving that the Jews Custome in beginning their weekly Sabbath at the Sun-set Evening was occasioned by their Ceremonial Custome because the persons that were Ceremonially purified were commanded to begin the date of their new day of Cleannesse at that point of time p. 50. And hence it follows  1 That this accidental beginning must not be accounted for the true beginning of the natural day  2 Therefore the Sun-set Evening is not the right time for us Christians to begin our Lords day p. 50 The Jews were cleansed from their Ceremonial defilements in two degrees of time  1 In the time of the afternoon by washing or baptizing their bodies  2 In the time of the second Evening which did alwayes begin at Sun-set then and not till then they must begin the date of their day of Cleannesse p. 51 54 All Israel are called men of Holinesse in regard of their outward purity by their Ceremonial Cleansings p. 54 The Jews Morrow began at Sun-set in Ceremonial respects onely p. 56 86 It is disputed by some that the Sun-set Evening is not fully come untill it be full Twilight or somewhat past or else they confesse it cannot be proved that Christ lay three dayes in his grave p. 57 104 The time of Sun-set is fully come as soon as the body of the Sun is gone out of sight and therefore before it is Twilight p. 57 The time of Christs burial was at Star light p. 7. 105 They did not begin their Religious Festival Suppers untill three Stars appeared in the sky p. 60 The Jews observed a double date of the day  1 They observed the date of their Ceremonial day  2 They observed the date of the Natural day for