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 pariiculars 1 THe Angels were made to serve the Mediator even at 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 doubtlâ—sse 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 destory fallen man from the face of the earth neither could they wholly destory 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 unâ—o 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 or the chiefâ—st 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 boysterous 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 Job 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 Noabs flood He commanded all sorts of creatures as well the wild ravenous kind as the tame kind to come of their own accord into Noabs Ark and to live quietly together and they obeyed him Gen. 7. 89. But the wicked world because they despised the Spirit of Christ in Noab therefore Christ commanded a deluge of water to seize upon their bodies and their souls he sent to the prison of Hell I Pet. 319. 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 29. 10 11 12. Prov. 8. 15 16. And therefore the Father hath commilled all judgement to his Son because all men should boner 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 Messiab And therefore hence it follows That God could not keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day untill he had put all things in subjection under the feet of Christ as the proper Lord and right Heir of all the Creation and therefore Adam must fall and also be Re-created before the seventh day Conclusion God did perfect the whole Creation on the sixth day by ordering all things according to the Plat-form of his eternal Counsel and Providence 1 By ordering the Devils Fall 2 By ordering Adams Fall 3 By ordaining a Mediator and instating of him into his Priestly Office 4 By creating a humane nature for the Mediator of the seed of Eve 5 By his Office of Mediation he purchased the Spirit of his Father for
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 sanctified Cities of Refuge he did thereby command his people to sanctifie 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 Calla 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 sanctified 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 desiled 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 coâ—ched under the word Sanctified for now the people of God had forgotten the charge that was contained in the word Sanctified and therefore when Jesus Christ did give the fourth Commandement at Mount Sinai by the Ministery of Moses he added the word Remember saying Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it Exod. 20. 8. for about three Exod. 20. â— weeks before this as the time may be calculated by comparing Exod. 16. 1. with Exod. 19. 1. Christ Jesus by Moses had said thus to the people Tomorrow is the Rest of the Holy Sabbath unto the Exod. 16. 23 Lord Exod. 16. 23. Christ Jesus did not now speak these words to them by way of a first Institution of the Sabbath but by way of admonition to prepare themselves to observe it as a holy or sanctified day already commanded for how else did
only the finishing of the visible Creation but of the mysticall and spirituall Creation also which must be finished I mean some of that kind by the Seed of the woman before the Host of Heaven can be said to be finished for the Host of the third heavens must be finished as well as the Host of the visible heavens before the end of the sixth day The like mystical interpretation I shall give of the word Rested Blessed c. when I come at them In brief I apprehend that there are ten severall words in the said three verses that must be expounded in a mystical sense as well as in a literal 1 The word Heavens 2 The word Earth 3 The word Finished 4 The word Host 5 The word Made 6 The word Rested 7 The word Blessed 8 The word Sanctified 9 The word Sabbath 10 The word Seventh But my work in this Chapter is only to prove that Adam and Reason 1. Drawn from Gen. 2. 1. If all the Host of Heaven and Earth were finished before the seventh day â—hen it must needs follow that Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day Eve were Re-created before the seventh day that is to say in the latter part of the sixth day and this I will endeavour to prove by a necessary consequence drawn from the first verse which runs thus And the heavens and the earth were finished and all the Host of them Hence I reason thus If all the several sorts and kinds of creatures which appertained to the Host of Heaven and Earth were finished before the seventh day then Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day for Gods Host was not finished untill some of that sort of creatures were finished which did appertain to the Host of the Church Militant here upon earth and to the Host of the Church Triumphant in heaven But all the severall sorts and kinds of creatures which appertained to the Host of heaven and earth were finished before the seventh day as the text doth plainly speak Therfore Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day and did appertain to the Host of the Church Militant here on earth and to the Host of the Church Triumphant in heaven before the seventh day or else God did not finish all the Host of heaven and earth before the seventh day which is to deny and contradict the words of the Holy Ghost It is out of question therfore that the souls of Adam Eve were Re-created and made perfect by the Redemption of the Promised Seed before the seventh day for that sort of creature doth appertain to the heavenly Host as well as the Angels and to Gods spiritual Host and Church here upon earth and in that respect the godly converts are called by the Figure Continent for the for the thing contained The new Heavens and the new Earth in which dwelleth Righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. 13. And it iâ— further evident that such redeemed persons are a true part of Gods Host here upon earth because the Scripture calls the Church of Israel when it was redeemed out of Egypt the Lords Host Exod. 12. 41. Exod. 38. 8. Num. 1. 3. And wicked Antiochus is said to tread down Gods Host or Army underfoot when he persecuted the Church Dan. 8. 14. yea all and every part of Gods Militant Church here upon earth is called Gods Host or Army Psal 110. 3. Adam and Eve therefore must not onely fall into the spiritual death of sin in the day of their creation but they must also be Re-created the same day as a principal sort of those creatures which God did create and provide both for his earthly and also for his heavenly Host for the Text saith That the Heavens and the Earth were finished and all the Host of them which must be understood of every several sort of Host not numerically of the whole number but specifically of the severall kinds of each Host for no new thing of a new kind was created after the sixth day Therefore seeing God did finish all the Host of heaven and earth before the seventh day he must needs Re-create Adam and Eve before the seventh day that so they might be a part of his Militant Church Host or Army here upon earth to maintain an utter enmity against Sathan and his seed Gen. 3. 15. and so from the first sixth day and forwards God will have a Militant Church to continue here upon earth to fight the warfare of Christ against Sathan and his seed to the end of the world Reason 2. It is further evident that Adam was Re-created by the Promised Seed in the day of his creation by another Inference Reason 2. If God had made something in the former part of the sixth day that needed a new act of finishing before the seventh day then whâ—t else can that finishing act be but Adams Recreation by the Promised Seed taken from the word Had finished as it is joyned to the word Had made vers 2. From the frame of these words as they are laid down in the Pretertense it is evident that before the seventh day namely in the latter part of the sixth day God had finished some of that work which he had made but mutably perfect in the former part of the sixth day Hence I reason thus God had made some of his works so mutably perfect in the former part of the sixth day that there needed a new act of finishing or perfecting the same before the seventh day and what else can that finishing act be but Adams Re-creation by the Promised Seed and the putting of all the re rest of the Creation at the very instant of Adams fall under the Dominion and Lordship of the Promised Seed And this must needs be so because God had made appointed or fore ordained Christ to be the right Heir of all his Creation and uphold all things by the word of his powerfull providence Heb. 1. 2 3. and in that respect Adam must fall and be Re-created on the day of his creation that so the right Heir Christ Jesus might come into actual possession of all the Creation by means whereof the Heavens and the Earth and all their Host was finished before the seventh day and in this respect Christ is eminently stiled Jehovah Sabbaoth that is to say The Lord of all Hosts Ps 24. 10. because they were made for his service that he as their proper Lord might rule them and govern them all for it is said See also ch 4 ch 6 at Sixthly That by him all things consist Col. 1. 17. and in this respect also he is called The Lord of all the whole world and of all things therein Jos 3. 11. Act. 10. 36. Phi. 2. 11. Ps 24. 1. Neh. 9. 6. To him also doth appertain the Dominion of the Heavens and of the heaven of heavens the earth and all that is in them Deut. 10. 14 15. And because all Government is his therefore it
is from him that Kings do reign and rule Prov. 8. 15 16. It follows therefore that God ordained Christ to be the right Heir and sole Governour of all the Hosts both of heaven and earth on the sixth day and before God could be said to rest on the seventh day 1 God made Adam in the former part of the sixth day after his own Image as the glory of all his Creation and gave him Dominion over all his visible creatures Gen. 1. 26. 28. But it pleased God in his divine Wisdome to make Adam but mutably happy that so he might fall by the sleight of Sathan and lose his pure qualities wherein he was created after Gods Image and that he might thereby also lose his Dominion over all the visible Creation that so Christ the right Heir might have the possession of all for as soon as Adam fell by his disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit both Adam and all the Creation did presently fall into confusion and disorder And thereupon Sathan might well triumph and boast as he did in the dayes of Job that he had walked to and sro in the earth as the Lord and Conqueror of it because he had not onely brought Adam and Eve into Captivity under the spiritual death of sin and the whole Creation into confusion and disorder but also because he had robbed the holy Trinity of all the glory of their glorious Creation 2 God was pleased in his infinite Wisdome and Providence to let all this come to passe that so the holy Trinity might take occasion thereby to declare unto fallen Man how wonderful they were in Counsel and how excellent in working in that they could tell how to make Man mutably perfect and how to let Man fall by the sleight of Satan and how to break the Devils Head-plot by the promised Seed and how to reconcile and recreate Man and how to make fallen Man know and honour his Creators more than otherwise he could ever have done if hee had stood still in his first integrity of Nature for if Adam had still continued in his Created perfections he could not have honoured the Mediator so as he did after his Fall seeing hee needed not a Mediator in that condition neither could he have so much honoured Gods Mercy in the Mediator as he did after his Fall and Re-creation 3 By this time I think any man may easily see the reason why all the three Persons in the God-head had a hand in the Creation of the World and more eminently in the Creation of Man Gen. 1. 26. surely the chief reason was That God might make Adam in his Innocency could not so wel honour all his Creators as after his Fall and Re-creation Adam by his Fall and Recreation the better able to know and honour all the three Persons in the God-head as his Creators for Adam could not honour all his Creators so well in his Innocency as after his Fall and Re-creation and in this respect all the three Persons in the God-head are called our Creators Eccles 12. 1. Psal 149. 2. and our Makers Job 35. 10. Es 54. 5. and truly such Creators could not rest on the Seventh Day from all the Works which they had Created and made until they had made man to know them to be their Creators by a Re-creation which Adam could not do as long as he stood in his Innocency but as soon as his Creation was finished and made perfect by a Re-creation then faln man both knew and honoured all his Creators and the Mediator in special to be the Mediator of his Re-creation of his Reconciliation and eternal Redemption and then God rested on the Seventh Day because he had finished his Creation by the promised Seed 4 After Adams fall it pleased God so to question with Adam about his miserable condition by his Fall that he made him sensible of his misery and then it pleased God to make his Mercy known to him in the Mediator It was a terror to the Devil to hear that the Seed of the Woman should break his head Gen. 3. 15. but because it was a great comfort to faln Adam for God declared the Mediator both in his Person and Office to faln Adam and by Gods description Adam could not chuse but know that his Person must needs be both God and Man he could not chuse but know that he that must break the Devils Head-plot must needs be God and that he that must be born of the Seed of the Woman must needs be Man and then for his Office hee could not chuse but know that it must be a Mediatorial office of reconciliation or else such a miserable sinner as be could never be restored again into Gods favour In all these respects faln Adam could not chuse but know and honour the Father for his great Mercy in propounding such a Mediator and he could not chuse but know and honour the Mediator of his Redemption more than if he had stood still in his innocency and he could not chuse but know and honour the Holy Ghost because his heart and minde was recreated and made new by the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost for the sake of the Mediator 1 Pet. 1 2. Fallen Adam of himself had no skill nor will to finde out a Mediator till the Holy Ghost did inable him to beleeve that the Seed of the Woman should one day give his Soul as a Mediatorial Sacrifice of attonement even then when the Devil should peirce him in the foot-soals for the procuring of his Fathers reconciliation by which he should bee eternally redeemed from the Curse due to his disobedience and from the guilt of his sin and so be received into Gods favour as his adopted son O the infinite Wisdom of God that could tell how to augment mans happinesse and his own praise by Adams sinful disobedience if Adam had continued still in his innocency he should have been continued only in his Natural perfections and have been a Lord above all the rest of the visible Creation but in that condition he could not have so much honoured all his Creators as he did after his recreation neither should he have attained to that degree of happiness as after his Fall by the Mediator neither could the Holy Trinity have been so glorious is his Soul as they were after his Fall and recreation 5 This sentence before the seventh day God had finished the work that he had made is a remarkable sentence full of Spiritual weight and worth because it imports that though Adam and Eve were created but mutably perfect in the former part of the sixth day yet that they were recreated and made perfect by the promised Seed in the latter part of that day namely before the seventh day and that this finishing act of Gods Creation by a Recreation was the perfection of the whole Creation so that nothing could be added to it afterwards to make the Creation The Creation of
without any further care what becomes of them for God is a faithful Creator that will not let his Creation go to ruine Thus we see that Adam and Eve were twice Created in one day 1. They were made perfect but yet mutable in the former part of the sixth day as it appeared for presently by the sleight of Satan they lost their first Created perfections 2. God did Re-create them with supernatural perfections by the promised Seed in the end of the same day and this Creation was permanent because it was a Creation of God in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 10. and because Christ undertook to make all perfect therefore God rewarded Christ for this his work for at the same time the Lord put the whole Creation in subjection under the feet of Christ and when all this was done then the whole Creation was perfect and intire lacking nothing and therefore Gods rest on the Seventh Day was a perfect rest But if God had kept his rest on the Seventh day whiles Adam had stood in his mutable condition as some Expositors would have him to do then Gods rest especially on the first Sabbath had stood but upon a ticklish and litigious foundation CHAP. IV. That this Sentence Before the Seventh Day God had finished the Work that he had made doth imply That God by his Eternal Counsel and Providence as the efficient cause had contrived to put out sundry opperations of his Eternal Providence in the sixth day for the finishing or perfect seâ—ling of all that Work which he had made but mutably perfect at first before he could keep a perfect rest on the Seventh Day God did put out sundry operations of his eternal providence in the sixth day for the finishing of that work which he had created but mutably perfect before he could be said to keep a perfect rest on the seventh day The reason why God made Angels but mutably perfect at first was that they might fall and so might become the instrument of Mans fall BY the event of things now made known unto us we may in some sort see into the Plat-form of Gods eternal Providence how he had contrived to finish or perfect that Work that at the first he had made and created but mutably perfect before he could keep the Seventh Day as a day of perfect rest If God by his eternal Counsel and Providence had not contrived to make Angels mutably perfect as well as Man then Angels had not despised to attend upon Adam and Eve into Paradise as their charge was and then Angels had not become Devils and then Man had not been tempted by Satan and then man had not fallen and then God had fore-ordained a Mediator in vain Therefore that God might make his Free grace glorious to fallen Man and that he might make the Mediator glorious to the Souls of the Elect he made Adam at the first but mutably perfect that so he might fall and that so he might take occasion thereby to convince him and humble him in the fight of his sin and misery and that so he might take occasion thereby to reveal unto his Soul the way of eternal Salvation by the Seed of the Woman And for the more speedy effecting of all this he did by his eternal Counsel and Providence appoint his heavenly Angels as wel as his terrestrial Creatures to attend upon Adam and Eve into Paradise for he fore-knew that if he did but give his heavenly Angels charge to attend upon earthly Man with other earthly Creatures into Paradise that many Legions of them would despise Man in comparison of themselves and would neglect their charge that so in Justice God might deprive them of their pure Natural qualities and then he knew that they would become an envious company against the glory of Man and that they would agree together in one deep Head-plot altogether unseen to Man to seduce him and perswade him to eat of the forbidden Fruit that so they might be brought into the same Spiritual death with themselves and by this speedy Head-plot of theirs they made account not only to corrupt Adam and Eve but also to destroy the whole Generation of all Mankind But God that was wise in Counsel and wonderful in Working who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Wil Eph. 1. 11. had contrived how to break this Head-plot of the Devil in peeces by the Seed of the Woman this Divine Head-plot the Angels that fell knew not of for if they had but known it then they would not have refused to attend upon Adam and Eve into Paradise and thus God by his eternal Counsel and Providence had contrived how to make this Head-plot of the Devil to be an occasion to declare his goodness to fallen Man both the goodness of Justice and the goodness of Mercy by making the Person and office of the Mediator better known and more admired and honoured of fallen Man than if Adam had stood still in his innocency As soon therefore as Adam was fallen God took occasion thereby to introduce the Mediator into his Priestly Office virtually that so he might reconcile and redeem Man and put him into a better estate again than he had by his first Creation and that thereby God might put all the rest of his Creation under the Government of Christ as the true Lord and proper Heir of all things for all things were created for him Col. I. 16. or else if he had not restrained sin and been pre-ordained to bee the Heir of all things and to be ready at hand to take the Government of all upon him at Adams Fall the whole Creation had been instantly confounded by a general Rebellion and by a total Disorder which was the main thing that the Devil aimed at in his Head-plot but it was prevented because he had ordained Christ to be the right Heir of all to undertake the Government of all at the very instant of Adams Fall and so his Mercy is over all his Works as the Hen is over her Chickens Psa 145. From the Premises I reason thus The whole Creation was made at first for that very end for which it now serveth Psal 119. 91. But now all the whole Creation serveth to the honour of the Mediator for God hath laid the Government of the whole Creation upon his Shoulders Es 9. 6 7. and hath given him dominion over the Works of his hands and hath put all things under his feet Psal 8. 6. 1 Cor. 15. 24. to 28. and in that hee hath put all things in subjection under him he left nothing that should not be subject to him Hebr. 2. 8. Therefore God had fore-ordained the Mediator to restrain the violence of corrupted Nature and to take upon him the right of Government as the right Heir of all things even from the first moment of Mans Fall for all things were created for him Col. 1. 16. and therefore God could not keep a Sabbath of rest
that no fire shall be kindled upon the Sabbath day Exod. 35. 3. namely not for the use of any mans particular Calling as I have already opened this Text therefore no fire may be kindled upon the Sabbath day for the execution of a Malefactor for that was but the work of the Magistrates civil See Ains in Exod. 35. 3. Calling See Ains in Exod. 18. 22. and yet notwithstanding they held it lawfull for the Magistrate to put a Malefactor to death upon a Festival Sabbath as it appears by their practice in Joh. 19. 31. putting our Saviour to death on a Festival Sabbath for they did not hold those Sabbaths to be equal to the seventh day but if a Thief came to steal on the Seventh day and was taken in diging thorow an house they held it lawful for a private man to kill him on the Sabbath day though they did not hold it lawfull for a Magistrate to kill a Thief then because it was a case of present necessity for he might escape unlesse he were killed at that instant And truly Christians may do as much as this on the Lords day and no more without sin 2 Our Saviour confuted the Jews superstitious conceit of the outward rest of the Sabbath by examples from their own practice for when they took offence at his miraculous cures upon the Sabbath day he asked them why they held it lawful to untie their Cattle and lead them to the water upon the Sabbath day and so to give them Hay and Provender and to pull a Sheep out of the pit upon the Sabbath day and therefore said he Why may not I shew mercy to a Daughter of Abraham that is in misery upon the Sabbath day And seeing they held it lawfull for Abiathar to give the Shew-bread to hungry David he asked them Why it was not as lawful for his hungry Disciples to pluck ears of corn and to rub them and prepare them for the sustenance of their present hunger upon the Sabbath day and after Christ had cured the Criple he bad him take up his bed and walk to save it from spoyling and from losse upon the Sabbath day and when he cured blind eyes upon the Sabbath day with clay tempered into a salve he did it to warrant Chirurgeons and Physitians that they might lawfully temper their Potions and Plasters upon the Sabbath day to cure the sick and weak By these and such like examples in the New Testament our Saviour declared what liberty God gave unto the Jews to do works of mercy or of present necessity upon the Sabbath day and truly those Christians that will contend for more liberty than this upon the Lords day do in effect deny that the Lords day was ordained with any solemn sanctity 3 Though the present Apostate Jews did malign our Savior for doing many works of mercy and in present necessity upon the Sabbath day yet the ancient Hebrew Doctors recorded by their later Doctors held otherwise They say that the perill of life puts away the Sabbath and therefore to a sick person that is in danger of death they do all things needfull for him upon the Sabbath day See Ains in Exod. 20. 10. And though the Hebrew Doctors do affirm that Circumcision in the time thereof doth drive away the Sabbath because there was a necessity of doing it on the eighth day See Ains in Gen. 17. 12. yet say the Hebrew Doctors in case of sicknesse they do not circumcise him that is sick untill he be well and again they circumcise none but children that are without sicknesse for perill of life putteth away all See Ains on Gen. 17. 13. And on the day of Attonement which was a Sabbath of Sabbatism for strict rest yet then they made ready provision of food for him that lead the Scape-Goat into the Wildernesse yea though that Sabbath was also an exceeding strict Fasting-day yet then at the end of every mile they said unto him that lead the Scape-Goat Lo here is meat and here is water and if his strength failed him and if he had need to eat he might eat See Ains in Lev. 16. 21. The Hebrew Doctors also say That if the High Priest were an old man or sickly he might have the water made warm wherein he washed his body on that strict Sabbath of Attonement either by Irons made hot in the fire or else by the mixture of some hot water with the cold See Ains in Lev. 16. 24. By these and the like testimonies we see that the ancient Hebrew Doctors held that the Sabbath was made for man in misery not onely for the curing of his sick and sinfull soul by those blessed Ordinances wherewith God did at first blesse the seventh day but even for the curing and comforting of his weak and sickly body and these are the chief ends for which the Sabbath was ordained from the very first Institution of it And the Hebrew Doctors were very careful to provide a remedy against immoderate toyl and labour to mens bodies in travelling to the publick Ordinances which were dispenced every Sabbath day in their Synagogues For by vertue of Gods Command there was a necessity laid upon all the Jews to resort to some holy Convocation in all their dwellings Lev. 23. 3. namely in all their Lev. 23. 3. Synagogues which must be placed in the midst of their dwellings Hence the Hebrew Doctors knowing the Command of God for such holy Convocations in all their dwellings and knowing the Command of God to rest on the seventh day from all their works did appoint a certain distance how far men might travel on the Sabbath day to the Synagogue and they thought good to restrain it to an English mile to prevent the labour of travel and the wearinesse of mens bodies which might unfit them for the reverend attention to Gods Ordinances and from this limited space it is that we read of a Sabbath dayes journey Act. 1. 12. They did not ordain this Sabbath dayes Acts 1. 12. journey for any Civil businesses of mens particular Callings but for the use of Religious duties and for works of mercy on the Sabbath day And this proportion of a mile they took from the example of Gods limits which he allowed to the Suburbs of their Cities 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 not withstanding 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 sâ—e 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 Maâ— 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 â—it 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.