it he giueth sight thereby Ioh. 9. 6. Who would not thinke that if a man should strike a rocke that he should rather make fire come out of it than water yet he strikes the rocke and the waters flow Exo. 17. 6. Who would not thinke that Colloquintida should rather poyson a man than be healthsome meate for him yet he blessing it there is no euill in it 2. King 4. 40 41. Who would not think that the fire should not burne yet the three children put into the fornace were not only not burned but had not so much as any smell of fire about them Dan. 3. This therefore hath this vse to comfort vs that when comfort shall seeme to stand a farre off like Abraham in the heauens yet we be not dismaied for God is stronger than the Duiell and therefore though wee be troubled yet wee may be still comfort is on foote and in the middest of them we shall finde helpe in the middest of the wildernesse we shall finde water as the Israelites in the Lions belly an hony combe as Sampson in the prison an Angell as Peter and in the middest of the fire one like the Sonne of God as the three children And so much for the third reason CHAP. IIII. The fourth reason because God blessed the seuenth day and hallowed it What it is to blesse and hallow Sect. 1. The vse of this Sect. 2. The summe of the whole booke Sect. 3. § Sect. 1 NOw followeth the last reason to bee discussed in these wordes Therefore the Lord blessed and hallowed the Sabbath day In which let vs first see what is meant by blessing and hallowing which two words that I may speak of them to our purpose haue a double sense and vnderstanding in the Scripture For first blessing is vsed to signifie the setting apart of some thing to a holy vse in which sense the wine in the Lords Supper is called the cup of blessing when it is set apart to that holy vse and the setting of it apart to that vse is called the blessing of it as 1. Cor. 10. ver 16. The cup of blessing which we blesse c. And to the same purpose also is this word sanctifying or hallowing vsed as Exod. 13. 1. Sanctifie to me the first borne that openeth the wombe that is set apart to my seruice This is plaine I neede not to shew it further The second sense of blessing or hallowing is when as some gift is bestowed vpon any one hee is said therein to be blessed and so gifts are called blessings Gen. 33. 11. I pray thee saith Iacob to his brother take this blessing that is this gift And Iudg. 1. the daughter of Caleb prayed hir father to to giue her a blessing and what was that springs of water Iudg. 1. 15. The same sense also hath sanctifying when God shal bestow some gift of sanctification vpon vs that day Now both these waies God doth blesse or hallow this day first in instituting this day vnto his seruice Secondly in that in this his seruice he doth effectually blesse vs vs I say and not the day for all daies in their owne nature are alike and not one more holie than another more than in regard of the institution in that it is set a part to holie vses or of the blessing that is this day bestowed vpon vs aboue any other Now God doth consecrate it in the first respect and wee must in the other that the blessing may bee vpon vs but take it in which sense you will yet it standeth as a strong argument to perswade And if in the first sense then it is thus gathered To what end God did blesse and hallow this rest to that end it must be kept but God did therfore blesse and hallow this day that it might be kept holy and therefore so it must be kept holy The equitie of this reason is grounded vpon the right and authoritie that God hath to commaund or institute any law which if he doe it is like vnto the lawes of the Medes and Persians which cannot be altered but by himselfe for thou must put nothing to his word Deut. 12. 31. The reason is Pro. 30. 6. Least he reproue thee and thou be found a lier neither must thou take any thing therefrom there must be no clipping The reason also is yeelded Deut. 4. 2. That thou maist keepe his commaundement which thou canst not doe if thou take any thing there from and as thou maist not adde so thou must not alter but thou must keep his Sabbath as he commandeth Deut. 5. 16. Yea thou maist not so much as varie from it for thou must turne neither to the right hand nor to the left the reason that is giuen is drawne from the benefit that comes thereby namely that thou maist prosper Ios 1. 7. As who should say if thou turne either to the right hand or to the left thou shalt not prosper but if thou keepe it and turne not aside then thou shalt prosper for he will blesse thee as here thou seest For this is the second signification of blessing or hallowing and is the thing that God especially here intendeth to shew namely that hee will powre foorth his blessing vpon those that keep his Sabbath And that blessing he most fully promiseth Isai 58. If thou wilt turne away thy foote from the Sabbath not doing thine owne waies nor seeking thine owne will nor speaking a vaine word these three things on the Sabbath must bee auoided but what followeth to bee done First we must call the Sabbath a delight Secondly wee must consecrate it as glorious vnto the Lord. And thirdly we must honour him vpon that day But then what shall they haue that thus honour the Lord Why God will honour them againe and make them to mount vpon the high places of the earth and like a tree planted by the waters side shall they prosper and not onely so that they shall be blessed with worldly blessings which might perswade worldly men but much more with spirituall blessings which may perswade Christian men he will feede them with the heritage of Iacob as if hee should haue said they shall enioy all the priuiledges of his Church loe thus shall the man bee blessed that shall keepe his Sabbath And therefore Isai 56. 3. Let no man that keepeth the Sabbath say The Lord hath separated me from his people Why so For he will feede them with the heritage of Iacob as now you haue heard neither let the Eunuch say Behold I am a drie tree No for if he keepe his Sabbath and chuse the thing that is good and take heede of his couenant he shall mount vpon the high places of the earth as there he promiseth Yea and as it followeth he will giue him a place in his house and a name better than of sonnes and daughters But can all this be true Yea certainly make account of it for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken
incense And least we should pleade ignorance that wee know not how to pray hee giueth vs his spirit to helpe our infirmities Rom. 8. yea and promiseth that his eares shall stand open whensoeuer we pray Psal 34. 15. This then maketh against those that on the Sabbath or else neuer pray But let such know that it is a certaine token vnto them that they are wicked men For Dauid going about to describe wicked men giueth this as a speciall marke of them they call not vpon the Lord Psal 14. 4. Secondly it stirreth vs vp to performe this dutie especially seeing Christ requires it Cant. 8. 13. My loue let me heare thy voyce And so much for prayer § Sect. 3 The second exercise that is both priuate and publique is the reading of the Scriptures which 2. Reading of the Sriptures appeareth in that Christ willeth vs to search the Scriptures and Matth. 12. Haue you not read in the law as though wee were bound to reade it And in very truth the King himselfe is bound to doe it Deut. 17. 19. Which wee will yet doe so much the sooner if we consider that he is blessed that readeth c. Reu. 1. 2. Which reasons lead the Bereans Act. 17. 11. when they had heard Paul to see whether it were so or no. And as we must reade the word in priuate so must it be read in publique Paul would haue his Epistle read in the Church of Laodicea Coloss 4. 16. And Nehem. 8. the Priests first read the law and then afterwards gaue the sense So Act. 13. they had a lecture of the law And Act. 15. Moses was preached seeing he was read Now it may be many would reade but as the woman answered Christ when hee would drinke thou hast nothing to draw so they would reade but they haue no bookes Of those that come to the assemblie how many can reade I mistake I would say of those that can reade how many haue bookes If a man haue taken a peece of ground he is neuer quiet til he haue his lease or coppie or deeds If he doubt in any clause he will either looke in it himselfe or goe to him that can reade But in these things wee passe not wee thinke wee shall stumble vpon saluation well enough though we neuer seek it It is reported of the Iewes that they Iosephus knew the Scriptures as well as their owne names but amongst vs many scarce know the names of the Scriptures When a booke is named they know not where to finde it This was the policie of popish times to keep the people in ignorance hauing herein followed the policie of the Philistines who because they would keepe the Israelites in slauerie would not allow the vse of any weapons vnto them Ionathan and his Armour-bearer and Saul onely excepted whom forsooth they would seeme to grace nor permit a Smith among them the reason was least they should make them swords and as for their tooles they must come downe to the Philistines to sharpen them So deale the Papists they claspe vp the book of God in an vnknowne tongue and wrest out of lay mens hands the sword of the Spirit which is the word Onely they vouchsafe it to some few of their faction for a mischiefe but as for the people they must come downe to the Popes Decrees and Church-traditions vnwritten truths and vntrue writings and there they must sharpen their tooles but Smith must they haue none no Preacher least hee make them swords Yea but they will say many grow into errors by reading of the word Answ First I know no greater heresie than Poperie that is an heresie of heresies Secondly if this bee a good reason that because many abuse it therefore others may not vse it I see not but that men must forsake their meate and drinke also because some be drunken and some surfet So the Sacrament should be banished because some receiue it to their condemnation Nay so the word yea Christ himselfe should not be receiued because he is put for the fall of many Luk. 2. They must therefore know that in things indifferent in themselues though the abuse doth take away the vse yet not so in things commanded vs yea but shall we giue holy things to dogges No but will you withhold the childrens bread because the dogs catch at it Should a Captaine because some be alwaies quarelling stabbing and killing therefore presentlie commaund that all his souldiers should lay aside their weapons No but rather that they take armes to beate downe the quarellers And so wee say that the wearing of weapons breedes peace and so must we vse our spirituall weapons but whereas they pretend a feare of running into errors God hath promised to giue his spirit vnto his that shal leade them into all truth and better they cannot bee lead than by the word for that is a glasse wherein a man may see what is amisse Friends dare not tell a man his faults for feare of displeasing Enemies will not But reade the word and thou shalt see there is no fault which thou hast committed in all thy life but either Moses or Dauid or Salomon or Peter or Paul or one of the Prophets or of the Apostles will tell thee of it And therefore being that reading shewes a man his error how can it be that it should bring him into error And so much for the second dutie that is mixt § Sect. 4 The third dutie is singing of Psalmes which also is an exercise of the Sabbath as appeareth in The third is singing of Psalmes that all are exhorted and stirred vp thereunto Kings of the earth and all people Princes and all Iudges of the world young men and maides old men and children all must praise the Lord. And againe Psal 147. 1 2 Praise the Lord. Of which he giueth diuers reasons First it is a good thing then what better time than to doe it vpon the Sabbath Secondly because in good things wee are soone wearie vnlesse we delight in them therefore he saith it is a pleasant thing so that it is as it were the Sabbaths recreation Lastly because there are many things pleasant which yet are not seemely therefore he shewes that it is such a pleasant thing that is also comely There are good things that yet are not pleasing as afflictions which are grieuâ—us for the present Heb. 12. 11. And there are pleasant things that yet are not comely as foolish iesting Ephes 5. 4. But this hath all three it is good pleasant and comely Good in it owne nature pleasant to the hearers and comely to the vser It is good there is no euill in it it is pleasant there is no harshnes in it it is comely there is no affectation in it In regard hereof Paul and Silas sang in prison Act. 16. 25. And Christ after supper sang a Psalme or Himne Matth. 26. It was their exercise and that in publique as well as in priuate as
pleasure of sinne though it be but for a season yet we are presently in loue with it and forsake our old Lord and master to serue him like children that though they haue good things in their hands yet they will cast them away for toyes and trifles doth not God behold this and is not this our sin of disobedience written euen with the point of a Diamond before him Surely he will not forget it neither shall it bee put out vntill we die if we repent not and learne to serue him better who is the Lord of all flesh by creation but by a more neere band the Lord of his elect euen by redemption and therefore much more to be serued by them And this is another motiue to moue vs to serue him for though as a Lord he might onely commaund and wee ought not therein to disobey him yet as a mercifull God in Christ he had rather perswade and to that end he vseth an argument drawne from the couenant of grace that he hath made with man in that he vouchsafeth to be called to bee called doe I say nay in that hee vouchsafeth indeed to be his God for he saith not that it is the Sabbath of the Lord but in a more particular sort he addeth thy God pleading as it were thy possession in him and his interest in thee and indeede in this the very bowels of Gods mercie and compassion are as it were wound vp in that hee saith hee is thy God And it containeth in it plenteous redemption yea and assurance also Hee is able to saue for hee is God and hee is willing for he is a God vnto thee Therefore hee calles himself thy God Were he a Lord a God a Christ a Iesus what is that to thee if he be not thy God thy Lord thy Christ thy Iesus It would not much profit vs to know that meate is eaten an hundred miles off if wee perish for hunger As little would it auaile vs to know that Christ is a God and a Sauiour vnlesse hee be thy Sauiour And this is indeede the very marrow and honie combe of the word to know that the promise is made vnto vs and to our children Act. 2. 39 that a childe is borne vnto vs Isai 9. 6 that Christ is vnto vs wisedome and sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1. 30 and that he died for our sins and rose for our iustification Rom. 4. 25 and here that he is not ashamed to be called thy God But the greatnes of a benefit can neuer be conceiued vnlesse we conceiue first our great neede and our great vnworthinesse And first for our basenesse and vnworthinesse may wee not say as Dauid Lord what is man or the sonne of man that God should be mindfull of him Psal 8. that he should vouchsafe to be called his God Man is a very grashopper of the earth Isai 40. 22. yea all men together are but as a drop of water and as the dust of the ballance Isai 40. 15. and as little goodnesse haue wee as greatnes The best is but as a brier and the most righteous as a hedge of thornes Mich. 7. 4. What were the Israelites themselues they were but brickmakers and pioners in Egypt their foode was but onyons and garlicke their worship but Idolatrie Gen. 12. their father but an Amorite their mother but an Hittite Ezech. 16. 3 then what are wee who in respect of them are but the wilde branches of the Oliue and they the naturall Romanes 11. vers 21. Now as Dauid saith seemeth it a light thing vnto you to be the Kings sonnes seeing I am but a poore man and of small reputation So may we a thousand times more iustly say in respect of the highest Maiestie Seemeth it a light thing vnto you that God should vouchsafe to be called our God secing we are poore men and of no reputation But this was not all wee were not onely meane but miserable also wee were by nature the children of wrath Ephes 3. and the fire of Gods vengeance did burne against vs vnto the bottome of hell for our sins Yet then doth he step in and becomes vnto vs a sauing God by his bloud to clense vs from all our sinnes And not onely so but in this that he vouchsafeth to be called our God to giue vnto vs the assurance of the forgiuenes of our sinnes the assurance of the resurrection of our bodies the assurance of life euerlasting yea the assurance of all graces whatsoeuer That all this is promised in these words shall appeare first that it containeth in it the forgiuenes of sinnes appeareth in that Dauid saith The man is blessed whose God is the Lord Psalm 33. 12. Now there is none blessed but he that hath his sinnes forgiuen him Psal 32. 1. And therfore he whose God is the Lord hath his sinnes forgiuen him Secondly as it containeth in it forgiuenes of sinnes so also doth it containe in it the promise of the resurrection of the bodie And that Christ sheweth Mat. 22. 32. where he proueth against the Saduces the resurrection of the bodie by this God is the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob now he is not the God of the dead but of the liuing The reason holdeth thus whose God the Lord is hee is their God by an euerlasting couenant and they shal liue for euer but hee is the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob therefore they shall liue for euer and so consequently if he be thy God thou shalt liue for euer And that it containeth the promise of life euerlasting in it is manifest Heb. 11. 16. God was not ashamed to bee called their God for hee had prepared for them an heauenly citie The reason is thus concluded If he had not prepared for them a citie to come he should haue been ashamed but their God cannot be ashamed therefore he prepared a place for them and so consequently he will for thee if hee bee thy God In a word in this one word thy God are al the promises of God Yea and Amen for as the Apostle reasoneth He which gaue vs his sonne how shal he not with him giue vs al things also Rom. 8. 32. And if God vouchsafe to giue vs himselfe how shall he not with himselfe giue vs all things also Let vs then seeke to make this sure that God is our God and all things are ours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or things present or things to come euen all things are ours together with him and that shall we know by this if wee be his 1. Cor. 2. vlt. And his wee are assuredly if his law be written in our inward parts to doe it then I say are we sure that he is our God and wee his people Iere. 31. 33. So then to conclude this point if in thy basenes God aduanced thee if in thy miserie he relieued thee if he forgiues thee thy sinnes assureth thee that thou shalt rise
it Isai 58. 14. § Sect. 2 Now the vse of this is two-fold First it notablie meeteth with the error of the multitude that thinke if a man serue God he shall neuer thriue as though God were like an euill master that vseth to reward him worst that doth him the best seruice But these blinde bayards that thus beate their heads against the wall little think vpon this that God here promiseth that those which keepe his Sabbath shall bee blessed if they did they would neuer goe stumbling on But to the keeper of the Sabbath this is a most sure word that if a man keepe it the Lord will make him to mount vpon the high places of the earth and wil feede them with the heritage of Iacob And therefore by this a man shall know when hee is at the sermon how well he thriueth at home for if he truly serue the Lord in the Church God will truly blesse him at home for hee hath promised it and hee cannot goe from his word no more than hee can denie himselfe happely hee may sometimes denie some worldly blessings when he seeth it not good for thee to haue it but then assure thy selfe he will giue thee that which is ten times better and that thou shalt in this life finde and assuredly know And therefore thinke not that if thou lose an houre or a day that thou shalt be vndone but waite vpon the Lord for it is his blessing that maketh rich and not thy labour And if he blessed the Manna that was gathered on the sixt day that it should be enough for the seuenth also and if he made the earth in the sixth yeere to bring forth food sufficient for two yeeres Leuit 25 why shouldest thou distrust his bountie towards thee Therefore cast thy care vpon him for if thou wilt keepe his Sabbath he will care for thee The second vse is to informe the Sabbath breakers of their estate in which they stand and I would to God they would take notice of it that they are in a cursed estate for if the Sabbath keepers be blessed then the Sabbath breakers by the law of contraries must bee accursed And so they are indeede And Nehemiah is not afraide to tell them so much to their faces Did not saith he your fathers thus that is breake the Sabbath and did not God therefore bring all these plagues vpon vs and will you yet increase the wrath vpon Israel in breaking the Sabbath Nehe. 13. And as Nehemiah told them what they had alreadie felt so Ier. 17. vlt. tels them what they shall further looke for If saith he you will not heare me to sanctifie the Sabbath and to beare no burthen What then then the Lord will kindle a fire in the gates of Ierusalem Yea but it shall not come into the high streetes Yes saith he for it shall deuoure the palaces thereof But we will quench it first before it goe so farre Nay saith he it shall not be quenched as though the fire thereof should burne like wilde fire or rather like hell fire that is vnquenchable Mat. 3. And of this there is good reason For if for the neglect of the building of the Lords house the Lord cursed his people so that when they sowed much they brought in little that when they eate they were not satisfied when they dranke their thirst remained c. If I say the Lord cursed them thus for the neglect of the building of the materiall Temple what will he doe for the neglect of the building of the spirituall Temple which is certainly neglected where as the Sabbath is neglected And although happely it sometimes come to passe that the Sabbath breaker may prosper in worldly matters yet they are but blessings of Gods left hand Prou. 3. 16. which many times hee giues to the ruine of the owners thereof Eccl. 5. 12. He giueth them as he gaue a King to the Israelites in his anger and in his wrath he takes them away againe But how soeuer this is certaine that though he giues them their hearts desire yet with the gift he sendeth leannesse into their soules as Psal 106. 15. and they shall finde one day the euill of their riches when they shall weepe and howle for the miseries that shall come vpon them when I say their consciences shall crie out against them Wee haue gotten this money by breaking the Lords Sabbath and when the rust of the same shall testifie so much against them then shall they finde that true which euen now I cited that their riches was giuen them for their euill § Sect. 3 Loe thus as you see that I may conclude haue I troden foorth before you the path of the Sabbath that was I confesse hard and difficult to finde by reason of so many by-paths and waies of error And herein I haue shewed first the perpetuitie of the Sabbath Secondly the change of the time of the Sabbath Thirdly that it may not againe be changed Fourthly that the whole day must bee kept and this in the first booke In the second I haue shewed the duties of this day which consist first in preparation to the Sabbath Secondly in obseruation which contained two things first to rest vpon it when it is come from all workes words or thoughts that might be a let to the performance of the holy duties that were required of vs which duties were of three sorts either publique or priuate or mixt and this was the summe of the second booke In the third I haue shewed the persons to whom these duties doe appertaine which were either vnto vs or those that were vnder our gouernment And last of al in the fourth the reasons that might inforce vs to the keeping of this day holy that which remaineth is that euery one of vs in regard of the time past fall downe before the Lord in the feeling and acknowledgement of this great sinne of Sabbath breaking and that with purpose of heart hence-foorth wee endeuour with all our might both in our owne persons and by all meanes we may to prouoke others also to keepe the Sabbath with vs and then shall the Lord euen our God assuredly blesse vs with the riches of his mercies reserued from euerlasting in heauen for vs which the Lord graunt vnto vs for Christ his sake Amen FINIS The Errata Pag. 16. lin 4. reade which is one p. 50. l. 10. put out not p 7. vlt. reade Reu for Rom p. 93. vlt. r. our p. 99. l. 15 r. à fortiori p. â—â—1 â— 9. r. setting l. 26. reade them p. 117. l. 3. r. not to commit any sâ—â— p. 126 l. 25. 26. r. halues