makes this fourth thing a greater wonder than the other three And this last the Prophet Jeremy calls a new created thing in the earth and seeing all sorts of creatures were created in six dayes it follows that this new created thing of the humane nature of Christ in the womb of a Virgin was created and exhibited to fallen Adam and Eve in a gracious Propetical Declaration on the sixth day before that God could keep a perfect rest on the seventh day CHAP. VI. Proving that the whole world was made for the Honour of the Mediator as the right Heir of all 1 Hence it follows That God could not keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day untill he had put the Mediator as the right Heir of all into his possession 2 Hence follows That Adam must fall and be Re-created on the day of his Creation This is proved by an induction of some particulars 1 THe Angels were made to serve the Mediator even as he was ordained to be the seed of the woman Psal 91. 11 12. Heb. 1. 6. and therefore they did sing for joy not onely at the birth of Christ when he was born of the Virgin Mary Luke 2. 14. But doubtlesse they did as much rejoyce to hear that joyfull news to fallen Adam and Eve that he should be the seed of the woman to break the Devills Head-plot and ever since that day they desire to pry into that joyfull and glorious mystery 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 12. 2 The woman was in a special manner made for the Honour of the Mediator as well as for Admas Society and Posterity for without the womans seed Christ could not have been promised to be the seed of the woman that was fallen and that her seed should break the Devils Head-plot Gen. 3. 15. 3 The Sabbath was made for the Honor of the Mediator for he was Lord of the Sabbath even as he was the Son of Man Mar. 2. 28 4 The distinction of the natural day into Morning and Evening was so contrived by Gods providence for the Honour of the Mediator for the glad tydings of his Propitiatory Sacrifice was constantly remembred and typified by the Morning and Evening Sacrifices for that division of the day into morning and evening is a differing division from day night as I have shewed at large in my book of Holy Time and therefore according to the usual time of the Evening Sacrifice Christ performed his Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement about the midst of the first Evening for the first natural Evening begins at Mid-day at the first declining of the Sun and continues till Sun-set where the night begins and in the midst of this evening namely about three a clock in the afternoon Christ made his soul an Evening Sacrifice of mans Redemption 5 The several sorts of Beasts and Fowls were made for the Honour of the Mediator and though some of them were by Gods Providence to be of a ravenous kind namely as soon as Adam fell yet they could not destroy fallen man from the face of the earth neither could they wholly destroy their fellow-creatures that were of a tame kind because the Lord God had ordained a Mediator to be the right Heir of them all and to rule them all by restraining their corrupt desires and guiding them as soon as Adam fell so that the hungry Lions could not devour Daniel without his license and as for the rest of the creatures which were ordained to be of a more quiet and harmless kind God called them clean Beasts and some of them he ordained for the use of Sacrifices as the fittest to typifie the innocency of Christs humane nature and the perfection of his Sacrifice 6 All sorts of creatures were made for the Honor of the Mediator and therefore as soon as Adam fell God put all things in subjection under his feet And there was nothing that was not made subject unto him Heb. 2. 8. Psal 8. 6. Col. 1. 16. Eph. 1. 22. Yea God made him the head over the spirits of just men made perfect by the Fathers forgivenesse that is to say by the Fathers justification Heb. 12. 23. and that Dominion is called the first oâ— the chiefest Dominion Mic. 4. 8. and this Dominion God gave him in the day of Adams Fall and Re-creation Yea all creatures in general do yeeld obedience unto the Mediator as their proper Lord and Governour Rev. 5. 13. as I have noted more at large in Chap. 3. R. 2. and in Chap. 4. Yea when the Mediator was here upon earth in his humane nature all creatures obeyed him as their Lord for he rebuked the boy sterous winds and the raging sea and they obeyed him He commanded the liquid waters to bear him as the dry land and they obeyed him He commanded a hundred fifty three great fishes to come into Peters Net and not to break it and they obeyed him Joh. 21. He commanded that fish that had swallowed a Stater to come to Peters Angle to pay his tribute and that obeyed him He commanded the Asse-colt whereon never man sate to carry him with all gentlenesse to Jerusalem as if it had been tamed by former riding and it obeyed him He commanded diseases of all sorts to depart from the sick and they obeyed him Yea he commanded the Devils to come out of certain men and women and they obeyed him Yea at the time of Noahs flood He commanded all sorts of creatures as well the wild ravenous kind as the tame kind to come of their own accord into Noahs Ark and to live quietly together and they obeyed him Gen. 7. 8 9. But the wicked world because they despised the Spirit of Christ in Noah therefore Christ commanded a deluge of water to seize upon their bodies and their souls he sent to the prison of Hell 1 Pet. 3. 19. 7 God gave the Mediator an absolute Dominion over all Tyrants so that they cannot do as much mischief to his people as they desire For Christ ruleth even in the midst of his enemies Psal 110. 2 5 6 7. Psal 2 9. 10 11 12. Prov. 8. 15 16. And therefore the Father hath committed all judgement to his Son because all men should honor the Son as they honor the Father Joh. 5. 22 23. And hath given him Authority to execute judgement because he is the Son of Man Joh. 5. 27. And if he had not been declared to be the Son of Man just upon Adams Fall the Devill would have made a hellish confusion of the Creation at that instant but he was prevented by the right Heir that stood ready to take the Government of all upon him as soon as ever Adam fell From these and the like considerations it is evident that God created the world for the Honor of the Mediator and that he might rule it as the right Heir of it And the Hebrew Doctors have a common saying agreeing with this That the world had not been created but for the
to the Churches of Achaia Galatia Phrigia and Macedonia and doubtlesse as these parts of the world so many others did know that Christ Jesus had ordained the first day of the week for his publick worship in the place of the seventh day And truly John might well call it the Lords day in a double respect 1 In relation to the day of his Resurrection because in it he arose from the dead as the Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot Rom. 14. 9. â— Because He as the Lord of his Church and as the Lord of the Sabbath did ordain this day to be the day of his Publick Worship in the place of the seventh day to the end of the world And in both these senses David might well say This is the day which the Lord hath made let us be glad and rejoyce in it Psal 118. 24. Psal 118. 24. The Builders the Scribes and the Pharisees put Christ to death as an out cast Malefactor But thiâ— stone which the Builders refused is become the head of the corner for by his Resurrection he is become the Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot Now this is the day that the Lord hath made let us be glad and rejoyce in it Compare with this Psalm our Saviours Exposition in Mat. 21. 3 Why should not the title of the Lords day be as good an evidence that Christ was the Institutor of it in the place of the seventh day as the title of the Lords Supper is That Christ was the Institutor of it in the place of the Passeover A seventh Reason that doth perswade me that Christ himself Reason 7 hath ordained his Resurrection-day in the place of the seventh day is because God had determined beforehand as it appears by the Predictions of the Old Testament that he would in the dayes of the Gospel sanctifie some standing day for his publick worship in the place of the seventh day 1 It was Prophesied that in the dayes of Christ his people should come willingly at the time of assembling in holy beauty Psal 110. 3. I think none will deny these words to be uttered as a Psal 110. 3. plain Prophecie that the Christians of the New Testament must observe a certain day for the exercise of Gods publick worship in the place of the seventh day and of all their other Sabbaths 2 God calleth the worship of the New Testament by the name of the Sabbath Es 56. 2 4 6. implying thereby that we Christians shall not onely have a certain form of outward worship Es 56. 2. 4. 6. according to the second Commandement but also that we shall have a certain known day for the exercise of the said worship according to the fourth Commandement 3 It is Prophesied that Christians shall have more Sacrifices in their Sabbath than the Jews had under Moses Law Ezek. 46. 4 5. Ezek. 46. 4 5. compared with Numb 29. 9 10. This mystical speech doth imply First that Christians shall observe a certain form of publick worship And secondly that they shall observe a certain day for the exercise of that publick worship And truly it argues to me that God hath given over such men to a senselesse mind that though they are forced to grant that Christ hath ordained a certain form of publick worship yet do deny that Christ hath ordained a certain day for the exercise of that publick worship I cannot see how they can be separated without apparent hazard of barbarous confusion to Gods publick worship 4 It is Prophesied that the peoples shall be gathered together and the Kingdomes to serve the Lord Psal 102. 22. And that from month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come to worship before me saith the Lord Es 66. 23. Es 66. 23. These Scriptures do plainly teach us these two Doctrines 1 The utter abrogating of all Moses typical worship in the dayes of Christ because it is not possible for all Peoples and Nations to come to Jerusalem from month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath to worship before the Lord there 2 These words imply that the Christians of the New Testament shall be very active in Gods worship and in the observing of some known publick day for the exercise thereof An eighth Reason that doth much perswade me that Christ hath ordained his Resurrection-day for the day of his publick worship Reason 8 in the place of the seventh day is taken from the Mystical number Eight for the day of Christs Resurrection in a continued reckoning of dayes is the Eighth day For he rested all the seventh day in his Grave and the next day being the Eighth day in order of dayes he arose as an absolute Conqueror and the Mystical number of Eight is a day of perfection in the Law and therefore a fit type of the perfection of Christ by his Resurrection on the Eighth day 1 No creature by the Levitical Law was allowable for sacrifice Reason 1 untill it was eight dayes old Lev. 22. 27. Exod. 22. 30. Lev. 22. 27. Exod. 22. 30. I cannot but wonder why the Lord did refuse it aâ— seven dayes old seeing the seventh day was the day of Gods perfect rest from all his works for then he rested in Christ that had made all perfect again after Adams fall by his Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement But when I consider again that his Propitiatory Sacrifice was not evident to be perfect untill he rose again from the dead as the Lord and alone Conqueror of Satans Head-plot on the first day of the week which day is also called the Eighth day by John Joh. 20. 26. Joh. 20. 26. I say by this consideration my wondring is staid and I do rather wonder at Gods wise Providence that would not accept any young beast as a perfect beast for Sacrifice untill the eighth day doubtlesse it was in relation to the manifestation of the perfection of Christ his Sacrifice by his Resurrection on the eighth day For though the number seven be a perfect number in some respects yet in other respects the number eight is a more perfect number The Youngling must continue under the Dam seven dayes during which space of time the Hebrew Doctors did call it Lacking Time because in that space it was not perfect for Sacrifice Although the Sabbath had passed over the head of it But on the eighth day it was accounted perfect and then and not till then it was accepted in Sacrifice Therefore in the case of Sacrifices of Attonement the number seven was not so perfect as the number eighth And what can this degree of perfection on the eighth day resemble fitter than the manifestation of the perfection of Christs propitiatory Sacrifice by his Resurrection on the eighth day And truly if he had not risen from death to life the next day after the seventh day his Sacrifice of Attonement by his death had been lost and vain 1 Cor. 15. 17. And answerable to the
said eighth day John doth call the day of Christ his Resurrection the eighth day Joh. 20. 26. The Providence of God so guiding his Pen as pointing out unto us backward to the perfection of the mystical number eight in Moses Law My second Reason why the number eight did typifie the day Reason 2 of Christs Resurrection as more eminent than the seventh day is taken from the Law of Circumcision which was so strictly tied to the eighth day that though the eighth day did fall out upon the Sabbath day yet they must prefer the doing of the act of Circumcision because it was the eighth day rather than the act of rest because it was the seventh day Joh. 7. 22. And the Hebrew Doctors do affirm that Circumcision in the time thereof Joh. 7. 22. drives away the Sabbath that is to say A man must omit to keep the rest of the Holy Sabbath to circumcise his child on the eighth day if the Sabbath be the eighth day seven dayes together the young Infant was in his blood of uncleannesse but on the eighth day it must be circumcised for the full cleansing of it from all the pollution that did accompany it in the birth And Rab. Mâ—nacâ—em on Gen. 17. saith Circumcision was therefore done on the eigth day that the Sabbath might passe over it for there is no eighth day without a Sabbath and then as soon as it was circumcised it was accounted as a new creature as if it were risen again from death to life and this did typifie our first resurrection from the death of sin to the life of grace by vertue of Christs Resurrection whose Resurrection-day is called the eighth day as I have ere-while noted from Joh. 20. 26. A third Reason is taken from the consecration of the Priests Reason 3 their persons were not perfectly consecrated to minister in their office untill the eighth day Lev. 8. 33. 35. Lev. 9. 1. Ezek. 43. 26 27. In like sort the Person and Sacrifice of the Mediator Lev. 8. 33. 45. was not declared to be fully accepted untill his Resurrection on the eighth day A fourth Reason is taken from the perfect cleansing of the Reason 4 Leper on the eighth day Lev. 14. 8 9 10. And from the cleansing of unclean Issues Lev. 15. 13 14. And from the cleansing of the Lev. 15. 13 14. polluted Nazarite Num. 6. 9 10. And from sundry such like Instances where no perfect cleansing was made untill the eighth day then and not till then their persons and sacrifices were acceptable unto God as persons that were newly risen from death to life doubtlesse this full acceptance of them of their Sacrifices on the 8th day did typifie the full acceptance of Christs Person and Sacrifice which was declared by his Resurrection on the eighth day for he rose from the dead on the next day after the seventh day A fifth Reason is taken from that special eighth day of the Feast Reas 5 of Tabernacles which was called also a Sabbath day This day was called the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles and it had a Commandement by it self above the other seven dayes because it was a greater Sabbath than any of the rest and in that respect John doth call it the great and last day of the Feast Joh. 7. 37. Joh 7. 37. And all the Tribes of Israel were bound to observe this day with a general Assembly above the other seven dayes Deut. 31. 10 11. 2 Chr. 7. 9. Neh. 8. 18. And that Assembly is called a General Assembly Neh. 8. 18. by the Seventy in Amos 5. 21. And by allusion to that term the Apostle Paul calls all the Israel of God The General Assembly of the first-born Heb. 12. 23. Amos 5. 21. Heb. 12. 23. And why was this eighth day made more eminent than all the other seven dayes but to type out unto us the eminency of the Resurrection-day of Christ above the seventh day for the exercise of Gods publick worship to the worlds end and the New Testament doth tell us of a great number of Christians that were gathered into a great Church Assembly on this day at Jerusalem Act. 2. 41. And this great Assembly was from divers parts and quarters of the world for many of the dispersed Jewes that did beleeve resorted to Jerusalem from remote Countries at Festival times and many that were converted to the faith did there continue untill they were dispersed again at the death of Stephen which dispersion God turned to the further enlargement of his Church for many of these dispersed Disciples preached the Gospel in sundry parts of the world where they travelled and by that means a multitude both of Jews and Heathens became Christians and these Christians in time made many Christian Church-Assemblies and they all used to meet together on the first day of the week which was the next day after the seventh and so it was the eighth day which was typified by the eighth and last day of the Feast of Tabernacles A sixth Reason is borrowed from the Jubilee Yeer which by Gods special Providence was ordained to be in the eighth yeer Reason 6 after the seventh seven and this sabbatical yeer was ordained to be a greater Sabbath than the seventh seven because it was ordained to give a more full deliverance to Gods people than the seventh seven Lev. 25. 4 8 20. The seventh seven was the forty and ninth yeer and the next Lev. 25. 4. yeer after the seventh seven was the eighth yeer and it was also the fiftieth yeer or the Jubilee yeer And both these Sabbatical yeers thus succeeding each other do most lively point out unto us how the Lords resurrection-Resurrection-day by which we have a full Jubilee of deliverance from Satans Head-plot should succeed the Sabbath or seventh day Three things are remarkable touching the number Eight 1 That the number Eight was mystical as well as the number Seven 2 That the number Eight was a number of perfection as well as the number Seven 3 That the number Eight was a Sabbatical number as well as the number Seven Now seeing these things have been made cleer and cannot be denied how can it be denied but that the number eight must needs have relation not onely to the Resurrection of Christ on the eighth day that is to say on the next day after the seventh day but also that the said day must be established as a Sabbatical day among Christians in the New Testament in the place of the seventh day II It is no lesse wonderfull that four Sabbaths did meet together and succeed each other at the death and Resurrâ—ction of Christ 1 Christ did make his soul a Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement for our full Redemption from Satans Head-plot on a Festival Sabbath namely on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened-bread and this day John calls a High Sabbath Joh. Joh. 19. 31. 19. 31. 2 Christ rested all
the Sabbath or seventh day namely his body rested in his grave and his soul in Paradise 3 On the first day of the week he arose again from the dead as the Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot and in this respect he being the Lord of his Church and the Lord of the Sabbath did ordain it for the day of his publick worship in place of the seventh day to the end of the world 4 God by his eternal Counsel ordained and Christ in obedience to his Fathers will accomplished his Death and Resurrection in a Sabbatical Yeer of Jubilee And this Sabbatical Jubilee is also called The acceptable Yeer of the Lord Luke 4. 19. And from the typical signification of the Luke 4. 19. Jubilee-deliverance the Hebrew Doctors did fore-see and fore-say to the admiration of considerate Christians That the Divine Majesty would be to Israel in a Jubilee Freedome Redemption and Finisher of Sabbaths See Zâ—har on Lev. 25. Col. 2. 10. fol. 53. And to admiration also Kimchi upon Ezek 40. saith That the Messiah Redeems in a Jubilee See H. Bro. in Req p. 13. and in Sinai-sight Yeer of the World 2560. III Who can but admire also at the wonderfull Providence of God 3 The Resurrection of Christ fell out so that it was made famous by three remarkable dayes that the day of Christs Resurrection should fall out so as that it should be remarkable by three famous daies 1 It fell out upon the first day of the week 2 It fell out upon the eighth day 3 It fell out upon the third day 1 Christs Resurrection fell out upon the first day of the week wherein God created light out of darknesse and on that day Christ did arise out of his darksome grave to give light to the world Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 8 12. and so he made that day which was first in order in the Creation to be first in dignity by the work of his Resurrection he made that day which was the first fruits of time to be the first fruits from the dead 1 Cor. 15. Col. 1. â—6 2 Christs Resurrection fell out upon the eighth day namely on the next day after the seventh day which is the eighth day the eighth day was ordained by Moses Law to be a day of perfection above the perfection of the number seven which I have noted might well be to typifie the day of Christs Resurrection to come in the place of the seventh day 3 Christs Resurrrection fell out on the third day after his death and so Christ opened and alledged from the Scriptures that he must rise again from the dead on the third day Luke 24. 45 46. and doubtlesse the Resurrection of Isaac on the third day was a rare type of the Resurrection of Christ upon the third day for Isaac is said to have been offered Jam. 2. 21. and to have been raised up again from the dead after a sort on the third day Heb. Jam. 2. 21. 11. 19. for it was the third day from their coming out to sacrifice Heb. 11. 19. when he and his Father Abraham came to the place of performance and from that action the Hebrew Doctors do gather that the third day is mysterious in Scripture There are many a three days say they in Scripture of which one is the Resurrection of the Messiah See Ains in Gen. 22. 4. See also H. Bro. in his Reduction in Dan. 9. and Christ himself did fore-tel that On the third day he should Gen. 22. 4. be perfected Luke 13. 32. his meaning must needs be that Mediatorial Luke 13. 32. Sacrifice of Attonement should be declared to be perfect by his Resurrection on the third day Conclusion From all the Premises it appears that the day of Christs Resurrection was the most glorious day that God had honored and the most glorious day that could be thought on among true Christians and therefore it may perswade our consciences that if Christ hath ordained any day for his publick Worship in the place of the seventh day it must needs be that day of perfection wherein he arose as Lord and Conqueror oâ— Satans Head-plot and therefore the observation of it ought to be honored of all good Christians for evermore Amen 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 THe Apostles knew well enough that Christ had ordained his Resurrection-day as the day of his publick Worship in place of the seventh day and therefore in that respect they appointed all Christian Churches to observe that day for Gods publick Worship and yet notwithstanding they still resorted to Gods publick Worship on the seventh day in the Jews Synagogues for a certain space of years after the death of Christ I say for some space of time the Apostles did allow by way of permission the use of the Sabbath or seventh day yea they did allow of the use of Sacrifices also in the Temple for a time for they knew that as long as Christ was willing to suffer the Temple to stand undestroyed that he was willing to suffer and permit the use of Sacrifices and Sabbaths and therefore for the weaknesse sake of many beleeving Jews that did as yet remain in their old Synagogues the Apostles did see it convenient to allow of the use of the seventh day for Gods publick Worship in their Synagogues according to their ancient known custom yea moreover the Apostles did see it convenient to allow of the use of Circumcision and of all the other Customs of Moses also for a time for the weaknesse sake of many ten thousand Iews that did beleeve in Christ because that many of these beleeving Iews did still continue to be zealous assertors of the customs of Moses Law Act. 21. 20. for many of these beleeving Iews were Acts 21. 20 not only eminent for faith in Christ but also they were eminent for zeal in Moses Law as we may see in the example of Ananias that opened Pauls eyes It is recorded of him that he was a godly man as pertaining to the Law Act. 22. 12 and it is also recorded that there were divers other Iews that did beleeve in Christ and yet they still continued zealous not only for Circumcision but also for all the other customs of Moses Act. 15. 5. Act. 15. 5. 24 and it was for the sake of these beleeving Iews that as yet remained in Synagogues that the Apostles did by way of permission allow of the use of the Sabbath day in their Synagogues till a convenient time of Reformation And out of this consideration it was that the Apostles in their Decrees at Ierusalem did not absolutely forbid the use of Circumcision Acts 15. and out of this consideration it was that Paul took liberty to Circumcise Timothy that so he might thereby
if it had been sinfull Christ would either have declined the invitation or else he would have born witnesse against it as a sinful practise but he did neither of these therefore it was not sinful to invite the rich to a Feast upon the Sabbath day where the Feast must last seven dayes together 2 I answer That it was as lawfull for the Jews to kindle a fire upon the Sabbath day to prepare warm food for infirm and weak stomacks which are almost in every family as it was to do any other work of mercy And it was lawfull to do works of mercy upon the Sabbath dayes as it is evident by our Saviours often shewing of compassion to weak and sickly persons upon the Sabbath day 3 I answer that the Priests did hold it lawfull to kindle new fires on the Sabbath dayes for the use of their Sacrifices I grant they had one constant and continual fire that was alwayes maintained by the side of the Altar but from this fire they used to kindle other fires for the burning of such parts of their Sacrifices as they offered on the Sabbath dayes Hence I infer that seeing Christ Jesus hath told us that he doth prefer mercy before Sacrifice no question but he allowed the Jews to kindle a fire for works of mercy as well as for the use of Sacrifices on the Sabbath day and therefore out of doubt they might kindle a fire on the Sabbath day to prepare necessary food for such as are infirm of nature See Mat. 12. 5 6. Mat. 12. 5 6. 4 I answer That the Priests did kindle new fires every Sabbath day to boyl or roast their portion of meat which was due unto them from each Sacrifice by Gods allowance for God commanded them to eat their part and portion in the same day wherein the Sacrifice was offered Lev. 7. 15. but they could not eat this portion unlesse they kindled a fire either to boyl it or roast it 5 On the day of Attonement which was a Sabbath of Sabbatism and therefore every was as strict for rest as the Sabbath or seventh day was yet then the High Priest which must of necessity often wash his Body for the several services of that day might in case he were an old man or sickly have his water wherein he bathed his body made warm by the use of Fire the Hebrew Doctors say They took off the cold from the water either by Irons made hot in the Fire or else by mixing of hot water with the cold See Ains in Lev. 16. 24. By these and sundry such like instances it is evident That the Jews might lawfully kindle a Fire upon the Sabbath Day to prepare warm meat for the comfort of the infirm the aged or sickly persons Quest 3. Is it not plainly said in Exod. 35. 3. Ye shall not kindle a Exod. 35. 3. fire in your Habitations upon the Sabbath Day Ans Though some that are both godly and learned Christians as well as some later Jews do hold it unlawful to kindle a Fire on the Sabbath Day to dresse any meat yet the more ancient Rabbins and many learned Christians also do restrain this Prohibition of kindling a Fire to Artificers only But for the better understanding of the true sense of this text it is necessary to compare it with the like prohibition in Exod. 31. 1 c. where the Lord commanded Moses to command Bezaliel to make the Tabernacle and all the appurtenances thereof with all diligence that is to say with all possible speed without any delay because it was to be for the place of the Lords residence among them Exod. 25. 8. 22. but yet notwithstanding this careful diligence the Lord commanded Moses saying in ver 13. Speak unto the Sons of Israel and say Verily or notwithstanding Exod 31. 13 as the Seventy read it my Sabbaths yee shall keep for it is a sign between me and you throughout your Generations to know that I am Jehovah that sanctifieth you In these words God gave a double reason why they might not do any work about the making of the Tabernacle upon the Sabbath Day 1 Because the Sabbath was the sanctified time for his publick Worship in these words Verily or notwithstanding my command of your diligence my Sabbathe yee shall keep 2 Because the Sabbath was a sanctifiâ—d sign between me and you throughout your Generations c. ver 13. 3 Unto all this a threatning is added in case any man did presume to do any work about the Tabernacle Every one that prophaneth it shall be put to dye the death ver 14 15. Exod. 31. 14 15 This phrase implies That for their double sin in prophaning Gods sanctified Time and Gods sanctified Sign they should bee put to dye such a kind of death as was after a sort a double death for 1. He must be stoned to death and 2. His dead body must be after his death hanged upon a Tree till Sun-set for the greater detestation of that Sin and for the greater terror of others for this is a thing upon Record in the Hebrew Doctors That all such Malefactors as deserved stoning to death must be hanged up afterwards upon a Tree as it is manifest also by the instance of the rebellious Son in Deut. 21. as I have opened the matter more at large elsewhere But if it be conceived by any that if any man will now presume to gather sticks upon the Lords Day he should be punished with stoning to death as the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath Day was I answer There is not the like reason because the Lords Day is not ordained to be a sanctified sign of Gods resting and of Mans resting in the Seed of the Woman to break the Devils Head-plot as the Sabbath was I conclude therefore by comparing the work of the Tabernacle in Exod. 31. with the work of the Tabernacle as it is repeated in Exod. 35. that the only reason why they might not kindle a fire in their Habitations on the Sabbath Day was to restrain them from their eager desire from their rash or superstitious zeal to prosecute the work of the Tabernacle which was commanded to be done with such careful diligence for the place of Gods residence among them the Lord doth prefix a prohibition to restrain them from kindling any fire for that work and to prevent their rash and heady zeal a threatning is annexed Whosoever doth any work namely of his particular Calling upon the Sabbath Day shall be put to death Exod. 35. 2. therefore yee shall kindle no fire for that businesse ver 3. And as it was unlawful for them to kindle a fire for such works as belonged to their particular Callings on the Week-days so out of all doubt it is as unlawful for Christians to kindle a fire on the Lords Day to do any such servile works as that was but wherein can you finde a prohibition wherein the Jews are forbidden to kindle a fire on the Sabbath Day
wherewith God hath blessed the seventh day and therefore such kind of exercises must needs be as sinful to be done by Christians upon the Lords Day as they were by the Jews upon the Sabbath days Quest 6. Were Recreations on the Sabbath punished among the Jews by the Magistrates with the same kind of punishments that working on the Sabbath was Ans They did not punish all sins alike but they made a difference for they punished the sin of working servile works on the Sabbath namely such kind of works as belonged to mens particular Callings on the Week-days with the heaviest kind of death that was in use among them namely with stoning to death as I have noted it in Chap. 10. 11. But the said Recreations or things that were not properly work they punished only with scourging for Maymony speaking of the day of Attonement which was a Sabbath of Sabbatism and therefore in all respects it must be observed with as strict a rest as the seventh day was saith thus All work for which men are to be stoned if they do it on the Sabbath Day they are to be cut off if they do it on the day of Attonement and whatsoever is unlawful to be done on the Sabbath which is not work is unlawful to bee done on this day and if he do it he is to be scourged as he is to be scourged for doing it upon the Sabbath Day See Ainsw in Levit. 23. 20. Thus we see that the Hebrew Doctors do make a difference of Sins and Punishments according to the difference of days and times 1 They held That servile working on the seventh day was to For cutting off see Ainsw in Exod. 22. 20. Lev. 20. 10. 17 18. Num. 9. 13 be punished with stoning to death 2 They held That servile working on the day of Attonement was to be punished with cutting off which is several ways to be considered 3 They held That servile working on their other festival Sabbathâ— was to be punished with Scourging or with Excommunication See Ains in Lev. 23. 5 7. But 4 All other things that were done on the seventh day which were not work though in some sort Recreations c. are like work the Magistrates punished with Scourging only or with Excommunication for a time for these two were esteemed among the Iews to be much alike equal punishments as I have shewed in the Iews Synagogues Discipline And truly such kind of Recreations are as sinful to be used by Christians on the Lords Days as they were to the Iews on the Magistrates are bound to punish the prophanation of any part of the Lords Day whether it be by Work or by Recreations either by Scourging or by some Mulct that is equivalent Sabbath Day because they take off the Heart from the advantage of improving the publick Ordinances to the Spiritual good of the Soul which God intended when he blessed and sanctified the seventh day for mans best good I say therefore that no conscientious Christian ought to take liberty to do such things on the Lords Day neither will any conscientious Magistrate permit such things to be done on that day though it be after all publick exercises are ended yea I do beleeve that godly Magistrates will not only be grieved at the practise of such sins but they wil be forward and ready to put out their power to suppresse such sinful practises by punishing such Malefactors either with scourging or with some mulct that is equivalent thereto Six dayes thou shalt labor and in the seventh day thou shalt cease in Earing time and in Harvest thou shalt cease Exod. 34. 21. Exod. 34. 21. Under these two words Earing time and Harvest All or any other works of a mans particular Calling are comprehended Hence I reason thus If the Plownan by whom the King is maintained Ecclâ—s 5. 9. must cease not onely from plowing but also from the Inning of his harvest upon the Sabbath day yea though all the six dayes had been rainy weather and that day fair then it follows that works of lesse consequence and of lesse necessity as civill Recreations and the like ought not to be done on the Lords day because it is the sanctified time of Gods publick worship as the seventh day was and therefore Christians are bound to have the like tender regard and the like tender care of it as Gods sanctified time though it be not a sanctified sign as the seventh day was and seeing God is pleased to give unto us six whole dayes for our necessary works and for our necessaâ—y recreations he may well require Christians to give unto him the full improvement of the seventh day for the bettering of our souls by his publick and private Ordinances or else we may expect a curse rather than a blessing from the carelesse observation of that day God is jealous of the prophanation of any part of his sanctified time for when the greedy Earth-worms among the Jews did but wish in secret in their hearts that the Sabbath were gone that they might set out their corn to sell Aâ—os 8. 5. Amos 8. 5. God took notice of their inward prophaning of his holy time and he was so displeased with them for their Inward earthly wishes that he Sware by the Excellency of Iacob saying Surely I will never forget any of their workâ— Shall not the land tremble for this and every one mourn that dâ—elleth therein vers 7 8. Now seeing God was so displeased with them for their secret prophanation of the sanctified time of his worship by their worldly thoughts and desires yea though it were but after Godâ— publick worship was ended then doubtlesse seeing Jesus Christ hath still reserved the seventh part of time for his publick worship he will not allow Christians now more liberty than the Jews had either to prophanâ— thoughts or to sporâ— and recreate themselves on the Lords day no though it should be after the publick exercise is ended God requires the heart on that day as well as the body to be imployed on spiritual things onely The promise in Es 58. 13. to such as make conscience of sanctifying the Sabbath in the inward man I confesse is made to that Sabbath of Sabbatism called the day of Attonement but yet this day of Attonement must be considered as it was a Sabbath of equal respect in regard of the sanctified time of Gods worship to the seventh day and therefore that which is unlawfull to be done in the one is unlawfull to be done in the other also both in respect of the outward and also in respect of the inward man Quest 7. Did not the Jews hold it lawfull to do works of mercy and works of present necessity on the Sabbath day Ans 1. In the dayes of our Saviour some of the Jews were so supestitious of the outward rest of the Sabbath that they were often offended with our Saviour because he did works of mercy and works
sacrificed with the Lamb-Passeover the day before and which by the Laws allowance they might feast on all the next day till Sun-set but no longer Lev. 7. 16. These Peace-offerings are called the Passeover by the Lawonce in Deut. 16. 2. and they are also clearly comprehended under the term Passeover in 2 Câ—ron 35. 11. but they are most usually called the Passeover in the Writings of the Hebrew Doctors and from their custom John doth use the word Passeover in their sense John saith it was morning and it was the preparation of the Passeover and about the sixth hour which sixth hour according to their account by their great hours began at our ten a Clock and ended with our twelve a Clock and this time was called the Jews preparation in order to their Passeover Dinner and in that respect they were afraid to come into Pilates Common Hall lest they should be defiled and so might be made unfit to eat the Passeovers Peace-offerings at Dinner time Object 10. You say that by the allowance of the Law the Jews might feast on the Peace-offerings that were offered with the Passeover for two days and one night namely till the next day at Sun-set but not after Sun-set but John speaks of another preparation to the Sabbath his words in chap. 19. 31. run thus The Jews then because it was the preparation that the bodies should not remain upon the Crosse for that Sabbath was a high day besought Pilate that their leggs might be broken and that they might be taken down Ans This preparation is indeed a differing preparation from the former the former was their fore-noon preparation to their Passeover Dinner but this preparation was nigh unto Sun-set and so consequently it approached apace unto that festival Supper that did properly belong unto the Feast of unleavened Bread and in that respect they besought Pilate that their leggs might be broken and that they might be taken down lest their cruelty in suffering them to hang longer on the Tree should be a blot to their joyful Feast for this day was the first of unleavened Bread which was the first and the chief of all their High Sabbaths Now as soon as the chief Priests had made this request to Pilate Joseph of Arimathea did wisely espy the advantage of time and then he also went boldly unto Pilate requesting that he might have the Body of Jesus in his own power to bury it The time when this was done was when the Evening was come as two Evangelists do witnesse Mat. 27. 17. Mar. 15. 42. and so Tindall in his Bible doth translate and expound Mark 15. 42. thus When night was come because it was the evening that goeth before the Sabbath This preparation therefore in Joh. 19. 31. must needs be in relation to their solemn Festival Supper which did properly belong to this High Sabbath as John doth call it Before Dinner the Jews were careful lest they should be defiled by going into Pilates Judgement Hall and so should have been hindred from their Festival Dinner and now also at Sun-set they take the like care to avoyd cruelty c. If this Sabbath spoken of had been the weekly Sabbath or seventh Day then though they had been defiled they might have resorted to their Synagogues for there the clean and the unclean might meet together every Sabbath or seventh Day as I have observed in Chap. 4. but in case they had been defiled by any accident whatsoever at Sun-set they could not have eaten of their festival Sabbath-supper for all Israel were admonished to be clean at every solemn Feast saith Maymony Obj. 11. Why doth John call the first day of the Feast of unleavened Bread a high Sabbath Joh. 19. 31. Ans All the seven solemn Festival Sabbaths in Levit. 23. 7. are called High Feasts by the Geneva in Eze. 45. 17. But secondly this first day of the Feast of unleavened Bread was the very first of all those seven Sabbaths it was the day in which the Lord brought them out of Aegypt with a high hand and therefore the Lord did in a special manner charge them to remember this day for ever Exod. 13. 3. this Day and the weekly Sabbath have the word remember prefixed before them more than any other Sabbaths and in this regard the Hebrew Doctors in Deuteroproton and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do call Pascha day a great Sabbath but they do not give this high title to the proper Passeover day for that was no Sabbath it was but half Holy-day and therefore Moses doth not reckon it into the number of the Festival Sabbaths in Gen. 23. but they mean it of the first day of the Feast of unleavened Bread this day they called a great Sabbath and Pascha Day because in it they did festivally eat the remainder of their Peace-offerings which they had offered with the Lamb-Passeover on the fourteenth day But though they held this day to be a great Festival Sabbath and shewed great reverence to it now in their request to Pilate because it was theâ—r preparation time to their Festival Supper yet in the morning they held it lawful to judge Causes of Life and Death as we may see they did in our Saviours case and after Sun-set they held it lawful not only to bury but also to imbalm the Dead as the godly persons did to our Saviour See Ains in Lev. 23. 56. but they did not hold any of this work lawful to be done on their weekly Sabbath Luk. 23. 56. Obj. 12. Why doth John use the term Sabbath twice over in John 19. 31. doth he speak but of one kinde or of two sorts of Sabbaths Ans John speaks but of one high Festival Sabbath only now it was their immediate preparation to their high Festival Sabbath-Supper and therefore having satisfied their malice on Christ they besought Pilate that their leggs might be broken and that they might be taken down for that Sabbath was a high Sabbath I grant also that the weekly Sabbath was now begun according to the date of the person purified but not the seventh Day it self for this high Festival Sabbath was now in its full force and in its solemn Feast Secondly The time of Christs Burial is noted by Luke to bee when the said Festival Sabbath did begin to lighten Luk. 23. 54 The time of Christs burial was at Star-light so doth Mr. Broughton and Mr. Weames read it and so doth the Syriac read it in this phrase the Evangelist Luke doth plainly Thalmudize his words run thus That day was the preparation and the Sabbath began to lighten two things are observable 1. Luke saith this day was the preparation namely to their festival Supper 2. He describes the exact time when Christ was inclosed in the heart of the earth it was when this High Sabbath began to lighten namely in the first place with the Evening Star and that was a perspicuous mark of the near time of their Festival Supper
another place he calleth it the fifteenth day Thus have I proved not only by Scripture but also by the consent of the Hebrew Doctors that the Sun-set evening is a true part of the former day though it be also the beginning of a new day to the person purified by a Ceremonial institution CHAP. VI. Proving that the Day of Reconciliation was an extraordinary long Sabbath and an extraordinary long Fasting-day and therefore the beginning of this day ought not to be alleged as an exemplary Pattern neither for the beginning of any other Fasting day nor yet for the beginning of the Lords Day THe Law saith thus in Lev. 23. 32. yee shall afflict your Souls in the ninth day of the Month in the evening from evening to evening you shal rest your Sabbath This Sabbath was singular from other Sabbaths in two regards 1 No other Sabbath was like it for the services of it 2 No other Sabbath was like it for the length of it 1 No other Sabbath was like it for the services of it For 1. All the Sacrifices of this day were commanded to be done by the High Priest only but on other Sabbaths they might be done by any other Priest as well as by the High Priest 2 There were more Burnt-offerings commanded to be offered for the publick on this Sabbath than on any other Sabbath 3 More Incense must be offered on this day than on any other day 4 There was more often sprinkling of blood on this day than on any other day 5 The High Priest did oftener wash on this day than on any other day 6 He used more sorts of Priestly garments on this day than on any other day 7 He did more often change his Garments on this day than on any other day 8 The High Priest did enter into the Holy of Holies on this day and on no day else all the yeer long and thus no day was like this Sabbath in the services of it 2 No day was like this day for the length of it neither in respect of the fast nor in respect of holy Rest of it For though it was commanded to bâ— observed in the tenth day of the seventh month Lev. 23. 27. yet it was also commanded to begin in the Evening of the ninth day Lev. 23. 32. This Evening of the ninth day hath a double interpretation 1 Some understand it of the sacrifice-Evening of the ninth day 2 Some understand it of the Evening at the end of the ninth day where the tenth day begins 1 In the first sense Maymony saith They began to afflict their souls in the Evening of the ninth day next before the tenth day and so they tarried in their affliction a little in the night after the tenth day In these words you see that Maymony doth not hold this fast to begin with the tenth day at the Sun-set Evening according to the date of the new day of the person purified but in the evening of the ninth day next before the tenth day And Maymony saith moreover That they must abide in their affliction a little in the night after the tenth day This early beginning and this late ending of this fasting-day doth increase the length of this day beyond the length of any other fasting-day or of any other Sabbath day 2 This clause In the ninth day of the month in the Evening is thus read by the Greek Interpreters From the ninth of the month from the Evening and thus they vary the Dreposition from In to From and their Translation agreeth fitly to the next clause from Even unto Even you shall Rest your Sabbath and by this reading we may see that the Seventy do make the latter Evening of the ninth day to be a true part of the ninth day though it were also the beginning of the tenth day according to the date of the person purified 3 Hence it is also evident that Moses did not hold the naturall beginning of the tenth day to begin at the Sun-set evening of the ninth day for then Moses words should have run thus From the tenth of the month from the Evening but Moses doth not say so but from the ninth of the month from the Evening either he must mean it to begin from the Sacrifice-Evening of the ninth day as Maymony expounds it or secondly from the latter Evening of the ninth day as a true part of the ninth day as the Seventy understand it or thirdly from the Ceremonial beginning of the ninth day which begins at the Sun-set Evening before the ninth day But then 4 If you will take this phrase from Even to Even to be from the Evening of the ninth day according to the date of the person purified then all the ninth day must be a fasting day as well as the tenth day for the Evening of the ninth day is the beginning of the ninth day according to the date of the person purified but if you desire to avoid this grosse absurdity then you must grant that the natural Evening of the ninth day did not begin but end the ninth day as the Seventy Interpreters do carry it 5 They that do place the natural Evening at the beginning of the ninth day and yet do allow the Sacrifice Evening to be placed at the end of the ninth day they do thereby place the natural morning of the ninth day between the two Evenings of the ninth day and so they do make the morning Sacrifice to be killed between the two Evenings but when men will not receive the truth in the love of it it is just with God to let them run into such absurd consequences as these 6 This fasting-day was longer than any other fasting-day for all other publick fasting dayes were left to the Elders of the No fasting-day among the Jews was so long as the Fast on the day of Attonement was Sanâ—edrim to be appointed whensoever they were in any distress which were proclamed to be observed in all the Synagogues of the Land as well as at the Temple But they did not injoyn them to begin those fasting dayes in the Evening before with such a strict abstinence as they did the day of Reconciliation for the Hebrew Doctors say That it was lawfull for them to eat in the night when the feast was on the morrow See Ains in Nu. 9. 10. By this testimony of Maymony it is evident that they began all their other solemn fasting-dayes in the morning and not in the evening before except the day of Reconciliation only therfore no other publick fasting-day was of such a length as this yeerly fasting-day was 7 Neither was any other Sabbath of such a length for strict Rest as this fasting-Sabbath was for they must begin the strict Rest of this day either in the Sacrifice Evening of the ninth day or at the beginning of the latter Evening of the ninth But they did not begin the strict Rest neither of their festival Sabbaths nor of the Sabbath or
I The Time when the FIRST SABBATH was Ordained 1 Negatively Not in the Time of Adams Innocency as many say it was 2 Affirmatively It was Ordained after the Time of Adams Fall and Re-creation II The Manner how the First Sabbath was Ordained 1 By blessing the Seventh Day with many Spiritual Ordinances both for publick and private use 2 By Sanctifying that Day for the Exercise of the said Ordinances 3 By Sanctifying the outward Rest of that Day to be a Typical Sign both of Gods Resting and of mans Resting in the Seed of the Woman that was promised to break the Devils Head-plot namely by his Propitiatory Sacrifice And hence it follows 1 That as the Sabbath was Ordained to be a Typical sign so it must be abolished as soon as Christ had performed his said Propitiatory Sacrifice 2 As it was Ordained to be the Sanctified Time for the Exercise of the said blessed Ordinances so the next day of the week into which it was changed must continue without intermission to the end of the world PART II. III A Treatise of HOLY TIME concerning the true limits of the Lords Day when it begins and when it ends is hereunto annexed By WILLIAM PYNCHON Esq Published by Authority LONDON Printed by R. I. and are to be sold by T. N. at the three Lions in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1654. To the Reader Christian Reader THis Industrious and Judicious Author doth here present thee with two distinct Tractates concerning the Christian Sabbath or Lords Day In the former the Divine Institution of it is cleerly proved In the latter the time of its beginning is particularly determined In the former the erronious conscience which denies the morality of the fourth Commandement is strongly convinced In the latter the scrupulous conscience which doubts of the time when the Sabbath begins is fully satisfied In both the serious Reader will find great profit and delight The whole Discourse being illaborate and perspicuous wherein besides the main points intended in it divers other matters of important Cognizance are occasionally decided and discussed and many obscure Scriptures are excellently explained according to the genuine sense thereof And this learned Discourse hath its birth in a very seasonable time in respect of that wofull defection and Apostacy that is among us as from the truth and wayes of God in general so in a special manner from the Religious esteem and observation of the Lords day For never since the light of the blessed and glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ shined upon this our Goshen was the Sabbath Day so wickedly neglected and prophaned by the generality of people and the Divine Institution thereof so shamefully denyed and decried by many pretenders to Religion as it is at this day And therefore Good Reader we heartily commend this necessary and usefull work to thy diligent perusal and thy self and thy humble and sincere inquiries after Truth unto the guidance and blessing of the God of all Truth Tho. Clendon Elidad Blackwel Joh. Sheffield Tho. Stevens Minister of Peters in the Isle of Thanet To the Reader IF our Testimony be of any weight with the Judicious Reader and may contribute any thing to incourage his perusal of this Book we have to signifie upon that acquaintance we have had with it that we judge it very worthy the publishing and perusing both for that in the former part it doth strenuously plead for the morality of the Sabbath and in the latter part gives occasion to learned Brethren of a contrary apprehension to consider whether they have not reason to captivate their judgements to the Authors as touching the beginning and ending of the Sabbath Samuel Slater Tho. Walley A Table of the chief Heads CHAP. I. PRoving by five Reasons That Adam fell on the day of his Creation  Reason 1. Because Moses joyneth mans Creation Tryal Judgement and Promise to the same day Page 1 R. 2. Because he fell at the very first instant that ever he eat any thing p. 5 R 3. Because Adam being created after God in wisdome would not in wisdome have omitted to have eaten of the Tree of Life in the very day of his creation if the Devil had not first circumvented him by the unseen subtilty of his Temptation p. 6 R. 4. Because the Devil had not deserved the name of a subtil Serpent if he had left Adam at liberty to eat of the Tree of life but one whole day together p. 8 R. 5. Because the Woman fell while she was a Virgin p. 21 The time of the Fall of the Angels now called the Devil was when they were commanded to attend upon Adam and Eve at their first entrance into Paradise p. 10 The true nature of the first Covenant stood in obedience or disobedience not to a moral but to a positive command p. 12 The Devil knew the operation of the forbidden fruit better than Adam and Eve could do as long as they stood in their unconfirmed Innocency p. 15 CHAP. II. Proving by three Reasons that Adam was Re-created in the same day in which he was created and fell p. 23 Reason 1. From the order of Gods dealing with him immediately after his Fall p. 23 R. 2. From the new name Hevah Life which he gave to his wife p. 26 R. 3. From the word Enmity which God put into her as a holy qualification against the Serpent that had deceived her p. 28 The cool of the day in Gen. 3. when God came to examine Adam was about Mid-day p. 23 CHAP. III. Proving by a double Inference that Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day p. 30 1 Drawn from the word Host and Finished in Gen. 2. 1. p. 34 For if all the Host of Heaven and Earth were finished before the seventh day then it follows that Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day p. 34 2 Drawn from the word Had made in Gen. 2. 2. p. 35 For if God had made something in the sixth day that needed a new finishing act before the seventh day as the Text speaks then what can that finishing act else be but Adams Re-creation by the Promised Seed p. 35 Adam in his Innocency could not so well honour all his Creators as after his Fall and Re-creation p. 37 The Mystical as well as the Natural Creation was made and finished before the seventh day and therefore Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day p. 39 The Creation of the Humane Nature of Christ was the perfection of the whole Creation in the latter part of the sixth day p. 39. 46 CHAP. IV. God could not be said to keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day untill he had put out sundry opperations of his Eternal Providence for the finishing or perfecting of that work which he had made but mutably perfect in the fore-part of the sixth day p. 42 CHAP. V. This term which he had made in Gen. 2. 2. hath relation to the Creation of 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 equivalent p. 137 Q 7. Did not the Jews hold it lawful to do works of mercy or of present necessity upon the Sabbath day
Messiah 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 the Re-creating of faln Adam and Eve 6 By this means they were made a part of Gods heavenly Host 7 By this means they were made the chiefest part of Gods Host here on earth 8 When all this was done then Christ was Heir of all things 9 When all this was done then Sathans Head-plot was broken 10 When all this was done then and not till then God could keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day from all his works because by this means he had finished that work that at first he had made but mutably perfect in the former part of the sixth day And therefore it follows by good consequence That the Sabbath was not ordained in the time of Adams Innocency But after his Fall and Re-creation by the Promised Seed CHAP. VII Proving that Gods rest on the Seventh Day was suâ—h a perfect rest that nothing could happen afterwards that could any whit lessen or disturb the perfection of his rest on the Seventh Day as it would have hapned if God had kept a Sabbath of rest whiles Adam stood in a mutable condition THe Text saith in the latter clause of Gen. 2. 2. That God rested the Seventh day from all his Works which he had made But God could not be said to keep a perfect rest from all his Works which he had made as long as Adam stood in a mutable condition for God knew from Eternity that Adam and Eve would presently fall from their Created perfections through the temptation of Satan and that thereupon the whole Creation would fall into utter confusion and that then God must either suffer Satan to take the Dominion of the whole Creation or else that he must begin again to make it more perfect than it was before by a new Creation Seeing therefore that one of these two things must necessarily follow upon Adams fall God could not keep a perfect rest on the Seventh Day from all his Works untill he had installed the Mediator into his Office and setled the whole government of all things upon his shoulders as upon our mighty God and Prince of peace Es 9. 6 7. If God had rested on the Seventh Day before he had setled the whole Creation upon the Mediator then the Devil might have rejoyced more upon the first seventh day than God 1 Because the Devil had made frustrate the glory of God in Mans Creation 2 Because he had spoiled the glory of Gods order in the residue of the Creation But God could not suffer this and therefore it follows that God could not keep a perfect rest as long as Adam stood in a mutable condition neither could he keep a day of rest after Adams fall until he had made Adam and Eve perfect again by a Recreation and until he had established all the residue of the Creation upon that sure Rock whose work is perfect Deut. 32. 4. But as soon as God had re-created fallen Adam and Eve as the first fruits of his Holy Militant Church here on earth and of his Church Triumphant in Heaven then and not till then God rested on the seventh day from all his Work which he had made and then his rest was a most perfect rest so that nothing was lacking to the perfection thereof and therefore nothing could happen afterwards that could any way lessen or disturb his rest because he rested upon that sure Mediator who had Covenanted to break the Devils Head-plot by his propitiatory Sacrifice or Sacrifice of attonement for fallen Adam and Eve and for all the Elect to the end of the world CHAP. VIII Of the true nature of Gods rest on the Seventh Day FIrst It must be remembred That Gods rest on the seventh day was not a Natural rest after the labour of his six Days Work for the Creator of all the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary Esa 40. 28. Secondly Neither was Gods rest on the seventh day a bare cessation from Creating any other sorts of Creatures though some inconsiderate Professors would have it to be no more thinking thereby to warrant their Carnal ease and their carelesse keeping of the Lords Day but such kinde of rest as this is Gods Soul doth hate Thirdly Neither was Gods rest upon the seventh day a bare contemplation of his visible Creation as others would have it thinking thereby to warrant their pleasant Re-creations and Contemplations upon the Lords Day by walking out into the Fields to behold the Works of God and to behold his eternal Power and God-head in the Creation thiâ— is not the true rest of the Sabbath for such duties as these a Heathen Philosopher may do upon the Sabbath Day and yet not observe the true rest of the Sabbath but this sort of Persons are mis-led by a false supposition that the Sabbath was first ordained as a day of rest in the time of Adams innocency for contemplation on the visible Creation only Fourthly The true nature of Gods rest on the seventh day That the true nature of Gods rest on the seventh day was his sweet content in the Mediator was his sweet content in the Mediator because he had made all his Creation perfect in the Mediator and because he had established Adams happiness upon the promised Seed as upon a sure Rock and firm Foundation and because he had put all the rest of the Creation under his feet As soon as God had thus renewed the face of the earth Psal 104. 30. and setled the government of all his Works upon the Person and Office of the Mediator then God rested on the seventh day with infinite content and sweet satisfaction rejoycing in the Works of his hands Psal 104. 31. but the thirtieth verse makes Gods Creation to be Spiritual as well as earthly and so doth Psal 100. 3. Psal 102. 18. Es 54. 5. Es 65. 18. This sweet satisfying rest which God took in setling all the works of his hands upon the Mediator is thus expressed by Moses In six days Jehovah made the Heavens and the Earth and in the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Exod. 31. 17. Gods resting was not from his wearinesse of labour in the work of Creation but from the heavie burden of Adams sin which had spoiled
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. 8. 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 To morrow 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 the seventh day come to be now called the Holy Sabbath but by a former command for every holy thing is first commanded of God and therefore that they might the better remember the holy Sabbath to sanctifie it Christ Jesus restrained the falling of Manna so that there was no Manna rained upon that day as there was upon all the other six dayes by which wonder God did charge the people to remember the Sabbath day and to prepare themselves for it by preparing the food of the Sabbath on the sixth day and yet for all this it came to passe that there went out some of the people to gather Manna and they found none thereupon the Lord Jesus said thus unto Moses How long refuse you to keep my Commandements and my Laws Exod. 16. 27 28. Hence it is evident that Jesus Christ had made a Law for the keeping of the Sabbath before he Exod. 16. 27 28. gave the fourth Commandment at Mount Sinai and no other time for that Command can be found in all the Scripture but Gen. 2. 3. and there it is couched under the word Sanctified therefore when God did sanctifie the first seventh day he did under that word not onely command Adam to sanctifie the seventh day but under that word he did also command him to prepare himself to sanctifie it for that word contains as much as if he had said to Adam Remember to sanctifie it by the practise of such publick and private Ordinances as I have blessed the seventh day withall for thy good and prepare thy self thereto with all carefulnesse From all these considerations it is evident that Jesus Christ hath ever been uniform in his command touching the sanctified use of the seventh day even from the very first institution of it in Gen. 2. 3. untill he had finished the typical rest of it by his Death and Resurrection and the Hebrew Doctors agree thus far for they say That all the Fathers observed the Sabbath before Moses time See Rambam in Gen. 26. fol. 46. and Aben Ezra in Exod. 20. Conclusion The word Sanctified in Gen. 2. 3. implies 1 A Command to sanctifie the seventh day in the practice of such Ordinances both publick and private as it pleased Jesus Christ to blesse the seventh day withall 2 It implies a Command to prepare themselves for Gods presence and so it contains as much as the preface to the fourth Command doth Remember the seventh day to sanctifie it for all sanctified things must be remembred by way of preparation or else God that is jealous of his sanctified time will destroy such as come unpreparedly into his holy presence CHAP. XI Shewing how God sanctified the outward Rest of the seventh Day to be a typical sign both of his own Rest and of mans Rest in the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot for mans Redemption GOd did not sanctifie the outward rest of the seventh day as a typical sign of his Resting from the labour of his visible Creation as I have elsewhere noted But God Rested the seventh day and sanctified that day of Rest because his soul did now rest upon the Rock Christ who had undertaken mans Re-creation and the government of the whole Creation in opposition to Sathans Head-plot then Gods Soul rested on the seventh day and was refreshed If God had rested on the seventh day whiles Adam stood in a mutable condition his â—est had been but an imperfect and uncertain rest because of Adams speedy fall God did not therefore rest nor sanctifie that rest as a typical sign of his rest and of mans rest in the Seed of the Woman till after Adams Fall and Re-creation as I have noted formerly And it is evident that God did not ordain the holy Rest of the seventh day nor any other thing to be a sanctified sign of his grace in Christ as long as any of those things did lack any thing to the perfection thereof As for example 1 When God sanctified the Tabernacle as a type of the humane nature of Christ he did not sanctifie it that is to say he did not command it to be sanctified as long as it lacked any thing to the perfection thereof but as soon as it had its perfection of being finished and reared up he sanctified it Num. 7. 1. 2 They did not sanctifie the Altar untill it was finished and made perfect neither might they offer any offering upon the Altar after it was made untill it was sanctified by the holy anointing oyl c. 3 God did not sanctifie Aaron and his Sons as a type of the Priestly Person of Christ untill they had compleatly fulfilled all the typical Ceremonies that did appertain to their Priestly Office Ex. 28. 3. 41. Ex. 29. 1. 9. Lev. 8. 10. 4 God did not sanctifie the first-born of Israel to his service untill he had perfectly redeemed them from the destruction that fell upon all the First-born of Egypt Num. 8. 17. but then after they were perfectly delivered he commanded Moses to speak to all Israel to sanctifie them to the Lord Exod. 13. 2. namely after a new Moon had gone over them for untill a new Moon had gone over them they lacked of the time that God had appointed for their redemption and then their price was given to the Lord Lev. 27. 6. 5 God did not command the Holy City to be sanctified untill the wall was finished and the doors thereof set up but as soon as all this was finished and perfected then it was sanctified and the Dedication thereof kept with great joy Neh. 3. 1. with Neh. 12. 27. c. Now from these and such like Instances It follows that God could not be said to sanctifie the outward rest of the seventh day to be a typical sign of his Rest and of mans Rest in the Mediator as long as Adam stood in a mutable or unconfirmed condition But as soon as God had perfected his Creation by a Re-creation and had established the Government of all upon the Rock Christ whose work is perfect then God blessed and sanctified the seventh day because in it he had rested from all his Work which God had created and made But
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
Seed of the Woman But yet still as the seventh day was the sanctified time of Gods worship so it must still continue for the exercise of those Spiritual Ordinances wherewith God hath blessed the seventh day for the use of all Nations to the end of the world and because there must not be any intermission of the seventh part of time according to the dayes of the week therefore the seventh day could not be changed to any other day than the first day of the week wherein the Seed of the Woman arose from the dead as an absolute Lord and Conqueror of Sathans Head-plot CHAP. XII Shewing how God did make the first seventh day famous by honouring the number Seven ever after with famous respects 1 GOD hath made the first seventh day famous in three regards 1 Because God did blesse it with many Spiritual Ordinances above all the other six dayes for mans best good 2 Because God did sanctifie it as so much time for the solemnity of his publick worship for ever 3 Because God did ordain it as a sanctified type or sign of fallen mans resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot II. God doth often use the number seven in an honourable memorial of the first famous seventh day 1 God hath contrived many of the Typical Ceremonies of our Redemption to be numbred by seven in an honourable respect to the first famous seventh day 3 He hath marked out many holy men of speciall note by the number seven in an honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day 3 He hath framed many parts of the Scripture Chronologie to the number seven in an honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day 1 I will begin to open the first touching the Typical Ceremonies 1 The typical Ceremonies of our Redemption are often numbred by Seven in an honourable memorial of the first famous seventh day Lev 8. 33. 35. Lev. 29. 30. of our Redemption Seven dayes were appointed for the consecration of the Priests into their Priestly office Exod. 29. 30. in all which seven dayes they must abide at the door of the Tabernacle night and day to keep the watches of the Lord that no defilement might befall them or the Sanctuary Lev. 8. 33 35. And the chief reason why their Consecration must last seven dayes was because the Sabbath which was ordained as a typical sign of our sanctification by Christ might passe over them in that space and therefore the Hebrew Doctors say of this action Great is the Sabbath for the High Priest entreth not upon his service after he is anointed untill the Sabbath do passe over him And also from these seven dayes of their Consecration the Hebrew Doctors did gather That the High Priest must be separated from his house before he might do the service of the day of Attonement seven dayes every yeer See Ains in the said places 2 The Altar was seven times sprinkled with oyl when it was consecrated to be a type of the Mediators anointing When he should make his soul a sacrifice for our sins Lev. 8. 11. Lev. 8. 11. 3 The blood of the Sin-offering which the High Priest offered must be sprinkled seven times before Jehovah for Attonement Lev. 4. 6. And on the day of Attonement he sprinkled the blood Lev. 4. 6. of Attonement seven times before the Mercy-seat Lev. 16. 14. and seven times upon the Altar Lev. 16. 19. This seven-fold Lev. 16. 14. sprinkling of the blood of Attonement did type out the perfect Attonement that the Seed of the Woman should one day make for all the true Israel of God by his propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement and therefore it was offered but once for all because it was perfect at once Heb. 10. 10 12 14. Heb. 10. 10 12 14. 4 The number of seven Sacrifices was often used as a typical number that God did much delight in no doubt in relation to the first famous seventh day As for example When David did fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed Edom they offered seven Bullocks and seven Rams because the Lord inabled the Levites to bear the Ark 1 Chr. 15. 26. And when Hezekiah caused the Levites to cleanse the Temple then he together with the Princes brought seven Bullocks and seven Rams and seven Lambs and seven He-goats for a Sin-offering 2 Chr. 29. 21. In like manner Jobs three friends brought unto Job as the Priest in those dayes seven Bullocks and seven Rams for a Burnt-offering Job 42. 8. Job 42. 8. And in the New Jerusalem the Prince shall offer in the dayes of unleavened-bread seven Bullocks and seven Rams without blemish daily at the time of the seven dayes Ezek. 45. 23. And Balaam in imitation of such customes and in imitation of the first famous seventh day which doubtlesse was famous a long time among the Heathens he caused Balack to build seven Altars and to prepare seven Bullocks Num. 23. 1. 5 In cleansing of Lepers the Priest must sprinkle them seven times with water wherein the blood of the Bird that was slain was mixed Lev. 14. 7. and seven times with oyl before the Lord vers 16. 51. 6 Elisha the Prophet bad Naaman to wash seven times in Jordan and then he should be cleansed of his Leprosie 1 King 5. 10 14. 7 God allotted seven dayes for the time of Purification from sundry kinds of uncleanesse 1 The Woman in child-bed must be seven dayes separated from the company of her husband for a Man-child just as long as she was separated in the time of her menstruousnesse and twice seven dayes for a female Lev. 12. 2. Lev. 15. 19. 2 He that touched a dead man must be unclean seven dayes before he could be purified 8 God ordained every seventh yeer to be a Sabbath of Rest in the land of Canaan after that Joshua had given the people rest in the seventh year of his reign and when seven times seven yeers were compleat then began the Jubilee with the fiftieth yeer Lev. 25. 4 8. 20. 9. The Lord ordained seven sorts of Festivial Sabbaths besides the seventh day as they may be counted in Lev 23. and the Feast of Unleavened bread was a Feast of seven dayes and the seventh month was famous above other months because it had most Festival Sabbaths in it and in the seventh month Solomon kept the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple seven dayes and seven dayes 1 King 8. 2. 65. and Hezekiah took order because of the general uncleannesse of the Priests and of the greater number of the people in the first month that the Feast of Unleavened-bread should be put off unto the fourteenth day of the second month and then after they had kept the Feast seven dayes the whole assembly took counsel to keep it other seven dayes not with another Paschal Lamb but onely with voluntary Peace-offerings and by this means they kept that
impiety and Apostacy God would confound their Language and scatter them upon the face of the earth and in memory of that Prophecie he called his Son Peleg and truly hee must needs be a rare Sabbath-keeper that kept the faith when all the rest of Noahs family fell away 2 God hath honoured Ebers memorial in another respect namely in that all the Nations of the Jews are called Ebrews after his name Gen. 14. 13. Gen. 39. 14 17. and it seems to mee that his constant abode was in the Land of Canaan because the Land of Canaan is called the Land of the Ebrews long before the Jews came out of Aegypt to dwell there Gen. 40. 15. And secondly because his great Grand-father Sem who was the King of Salem in the Land of Canaan is called the Father of all the Sons of Eber Gen. 10. 21. Sem was the Father of many other Families Gen. 10. 21 besides Ebers but for some special reason namely of their Co-habitation Ebers Sons are called Sems Sons for Sem is called the father of them which I conceive is to note out unto us that Eber was a close cohabiter and familiar with Sem in the faith of Christ when all the other Families did Apostatise and depart from them to Babylon to worship new gods Master Broughton saith That the Hebrew Tongue remained only in the faithful of Ebers House after the building of Babel and in them is continued the name of Ebrews as perpetually opposite to the builders of Babel to whom Eber preached that their tongues should be divided Prin. Posit p. 3. 3 Isaac was the seventh from Eber his faith is famous in his ready obedience to be sacrificed for he was at that time in the prime of his strength because he carried all the Wood for the Burnt-offering up the Hil Gen. 22. 6. and therefore he might wel be Gen. 22. 6. about thirty three years of age when he went with his Father Abraham up to the Mount of Moriah to be sacrifised and therefore also he was able by strength of Nature if he had been unwilling to be bound to have withstood his aged Father who was now one hundred and thirty three years old and therefore he was in the declining of his Natural strength and he might the more easily have withstood his aged Father because they two were alone and none there to help Abraham And now seeing Abrahams faith is recorded to be famous in that he did so readily obey Gods command not sparing to sacrifise his only Son at his command Isaacks saith is therewithall recorded to be no lesse famous in that he was so cheerfully willing to be bound and to be sacrifised they both knew that God was able to raise him up again from the dead Heb. 11. 19. Heb. 11. 19 and thus God made his obedience to be a sweet typical resemblance not only of the free and voluntary but also of the actual obedience of Jesus Christ to make his Soul a sacrifice for our sins Es 53. 10. Es 53. 10 4 Moses was the seventh from Abraham by no lesse rare Providence of God than Enoch was the seventh from Adam 5 Joshua was the seventh from his Grand-father Ephraim and David was the seventh son of Jesse 6 Judah was the seventh Patriarch as the Hebrew Doctors do in this order count him First Abraham second Isaac third Jacob fourth Ruben fifth Simeon sixth Levie seventh Judah and in this respect the Hebrew Doctors do compare him to the first seventh day Secondly In another respect they do compare him to the fourth Commandement namely as he was the fourth Son of Israel and so both these ways they do make his memorial Honourable by their allusion to the first famous seventh day See Ains in Gen. 49. 12. 7 Bazaliel the Master-work-man of the Lords Tabernacle was the seventh from Judah as it is evident by his Genealogie in 2 Chro. 2. 5 9 18 19 20. In all these holy Persons the providence of God ought to be sweetly considered for it doth manifestly call to our remembrance the famousnesse of the first seventh day by his disposing of great matters and gracious most often by sevens 3 God hath framed many parts and parcels of the Scripture 3 There are several parcels of the Scripture Chronologie that are fâ—amed to the number seven in an Honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day Levit. 25. 4 Chronologie to the number seven doubtlesse in an Honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day 1 When Gods people neglected the holy Sabbath and prophaned the holy Rest of it then God did threaten to punish them with Sabbatical years of punishment as in the Captivity of Babylon with ten times seven years Captivity that the Land might rest and enjoy her Sabbaths all the time it lay desolate 2 Chron. 36. with Ier. 25. Levit. 26. and is it not a manifest allusion to the first famous seventh day in that God doth call sevens of years Sabbaths of years Levit. 25. 4. and threaten them with Sabbatical years of punishment for prophaning the rest of the holy Sabbath 2 At the just end of these seventy years Daniel hath annexed a Sabbatical Chronicle which doth notably lead on not only the Sabbatical years of rest but even the weekly Sabbaths also unto the death and burial of Christ Dan. 9. 24. for 1 Christ dyed for our Redemption and rose again for our Justification in a Sabbatical Jubilee even in the twenty eighth Jubilee and from the liberties of the Jubilee the ancient Hebrew Doctors did fore-see and know and say That the Divine Majesty will be to Israel in a Iubilee Freedome Redemption and Finisher of Sabbaths See H. Bro. in Sinai Sight 2560. and in Req of Consent p. 13. 2 Daniel by his Sabbatical Chronicle doth also lead on the weekly Sabbaths to the death and burial of Christ for First Christ dyed on the first day of the feast of unleavened Bread which Iohn calls a High Sabbath Ioh. 19. 31. and Secondly on the next day which was the weekly Sabbath or seventh day his Body rested all that day in his Grave and his Soul in Heaven for as soon as he had finished the Work that God gave him to do hee rested from all his Works on the seventh day as God did from his Heb. 4. 10 own on the first seventh day 3 He rose again from the dead on the third day for Christ did fore-tel this to his Disciples that on the third day hee should be perfected Luke 13. 32. for as soon as he had performed Luke 13. 32 Mat. 12. 40 his propitiatory Sacrifice or his sacrifice of Attonement by which the Devils Head-plot was broken he was declared by his Resurrection to have made a perfect Conquest over Satan and a perfect Attonement with God his Father for mans Redemption and this day of his Resurrection was the first day of the week by Paul but John calls it the Lords
Day because in it Christ rose from the Dead as an absolute Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot and therefore now seeing his Death was declared to be a perfect sacrifice of Attonement God made him both Lord and Christ and thereupon Christ hath ordained that day to bee the day of his publick Worship in the place of the seventh day to the end of the world Thus have I declared the first seventh day to be made famous and honourable by three several sorts of instances that have relation to Gods resting and to Mans resting on the seventh day in relation to the work of our Redemption by the promised Seed CHAP. XIII Proving That though Christ hath abolished the seventh day by his death yet that 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 I Have already shewed you that God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he rested from all his works that belonged either to the heavenly or the earthly Host and that his finishing Act lay in this namely in ordaining the Seed of the Woman to break the Devils Head-plot and when that Head-plot was broken then God rested and was refreshed and then also he sanctified the outward rest of the seventh day to be a sign both of Gods rest and of Mans rest on the Seed of the Woman as soon therefore as the Seed of the Woman had broken the Devils Head-plot by his propitiatory sacrifice of Attonement the holy rest of the seventh day must cease as it was a type or sign of that which is now performed But yet withall I pray remember what I have said upon the word Sanctified namely that thereby God commanded fallen Man to set apart the seventh day for a double use 1. As the sanctified time of that Worship wherewith he had blessed the seventh day and 2. As a sanctified sign in this last respect the seventh day is abolished by the death of Christ but in the first respect namely as it was set apart for so much time to be imployed in the exercise of such Ordinances both publick and private as God had blessed the seventh day withall so it must continue namely the seventh part of time according to the days of the Week in a constant succession to the first seventh day to the end of the world And indeed the seventh part of time cannot bee translated to any other day of the Week but to the next day after the seventh day for if it had been translated to any other day God should have been a loser of his seventh part of sanctified time there would have been a vacuum in the revolution of the seventh part of time at least in the first translation of it to any other day but the first day of the Week and so the roundnesse of the seventh part of time would have been spoiled which must noâ— be admitted for as God did not allow lesse than six parts of the Week for Mans civil imployments so neither will he have lesse time for his publick worship than he appointed at first Therefore it would have been a great dishonour to Christ who is made of God to be both the Lord of his Church and the Lord of the Sabbath if he had left the day of his publick Worship arbitrary to each particular Church to transferre it to what day they pleased A man may with as good reason affirm That Christ hath left the outward Form of his publick Worship arbitrary to each particular Church as affirm That he hath left the day of his publick Worship arbitrary there is as much reason for the one as for the other for Jesus Christ by his death hath made as much alteration in the second Commandement in respect of his outward Worship as in the fourth Commandement in respect of the change of the day Secondly the very order of the Ten Commandements doth plainly tell us that all Gods publick Worship which is fully comprehended in the second Commandement must have a publick day appointed by God himself for the constant exercise of his said publick Worship and consequently it follows that as soon as Christ had abolished the seventh day by his death he being the Lord of his Church and the Lord of the Sabbath must establish another certain day in the place of the seventh day to the end of the world without any intermission or losse of time The order of the four Commandements of the first Table lyes thus 1 The first Commandement doth injoyn us to worship the true God alone in Unity and Trinity with the whole inward man 2 The second Commandement doth injoyn us to worship the true God with all such outward worship as he had commanded at that present or should command afterwards 3 The third Commandement doth injoyn us to worship God in a holy manner both publickly and privately and with outward reverence as well as inward 4 The fourth Commandement doth injoyn us to observe the seventh day not onely as a sanctified sign but also as the sanctified time of that worship wherewith God had blessed the seventh day as soon therefore as Christ the Seed of the Woman had accomplished that work of breaking the Devills Head-plot by his Propitiatory Sacrifice the seventh day in regard it was a sanctified sign must cease but as it was the sanctified time of Gods publick worship so it must not cease but it must still be continued or else Gods publick worship must suffer losse and confusion no other way can be found out by which the constant solemnity of Gods established worship may be continued but by translating the seventh day to the next day for by that means onely God shall still have the seventh part of time for his publick worship without interruption and by this means onely the twofold manner of sanctifying the seventh day doth attain its severall ends 2 Let it be a little further inquired into To what end did God command all his publick worship in the second Command and to what end did he command all his publick worship to be reverently performed in the third Command if the day of his publick worship in the fourth Command be wholly obliturated 3 Consider that the command of Christ is that all his publick worship must be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14. and seeing he doth require that the meanest circumstances of his worship be done decently and in order no doubt but he hath taken order that the main things of his publick worship should be done decently and in order and that cannot be without some publick day be uniform But if Christ Jesus hath left the day of his publick worship abitrary to his particular Churches they will hardly agree upon a way of decency especially in respect of the solemnity of time doubtlesse they will appoint several dayes of the week as every
Church shall think best for their own conveniencies yea it may be that some particular Churches may grow so corrupt that they may think one day in a month sufficient and others may think one day in two or three months sufficient for Gods publick worship and who can prevent such disorders as these if Jesus Christ hath not established a standing day There are some that professe Christianity that think that Jesus Christ hath not established a certain publick day in place of the seventh day and therefore they do still hold the Jewish Sabbath together with the Lords day As for example The Melchites or Syrians who are esteemed for number to be the greatest Sect of Christians in the Orient these do confound the day of Gods publick worship for they and the Maronites their neighbours do observe the Jewish Sabbath as solemnly as the Lords day See Brerewood in his Inquiries p. 129. And the Habbissines of Ethiopia who are another large Territory of Christians they also do reverence the Jewish Sabbath equal to the Lords day See Brerewood p. 155. But blessed be God that hath given the Churches of Europe a cleerer understanding of his will touching the day of his publick worship and yet notwithstanding it is also much to be lamented that some Christians do not onely hold the seventh day to be abolished but also that Christ Jesus hath not established any publick day in the place of the old But let me reason a little further Can any man that is well acquainted with the order of the Commandements of the first Table think that Christ who blessed the seventh day with several Ordinances for the good of faln man and that sanctified that day for the exercise of the said Ordinances should now obliturate that Commandement and sanctifie no day at all for the exercise of his said Ordinances Can any man think that Christ should now after his death be so far unlike to his first pattern Surely me thinks none should be so inconsiderate The holy Rest of the seventh day as it was a typical sign so I grant it to be abolished but not without any other in the place of it but by way of exchange for the next day And this the blessed Martyr Stephen doth explain to be the truth for when he was accused for affirming that Jesus of Nazareth should destroy the holy place and change the Customes that Moses had delivered unto them Act. 6. 14. his false witnesses did affirm this word Act 6. 14. Change against Stephen as if it had been an odious heresie to say so but how doth Stephen answer to this Accusation Doth he deny it No he doth acknowledge it to be a truth in it self and therefore in his Oration to the High Synedrion he doth confirm this to be a truth by saying thus to them Solomon built him a house Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands as saith the Prophet in Es 66. 1. What house will ye build for me saith the Lord or what place is it that I should rest in Hath not my hand made all these things Act. 7. 47. to 50. with these words Stephen doth conclude his Oration In these words he doth reprove the High Act. 7. 47. Synedrion because of their obstinate opposing the former Doctrine for his Doctrine tended to prove that God would not rest locally in a Temple made with mans hands and so consequently not in any other outward signs implying that God would onely rest in Christ the true Temple whom they had flain His false accusers did repeat though at unawares and as it were translate the words of the Angel Gabriel in Dan. 9. 26 27. Dan. 9. 26 27. namely that the Messiah should by his death destroy the City and Sanctuary and cause Sacrifice and Oblation to cease and this very thing in true effect Stephen had taught namely that Jesus of Nazareth should destroy the holy place and change the Customes that Moses had delivered and so consequently change the Sabbath and the Lord from heaven did justifie Stephen for this speech even in the face of the High Synedrion for as he looked stedfastly into heaven he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God And as he avouched this before them all Act. 7. 55 56. they that sate in the Council looked Act. 6. 15. Act. 7. 55. stedfastly on him and saw his face as the face of an Angel Act. 6. 15. And this doth evince that as Stephen did justifie his Doctrine by the words of the Angel Gabriel so God did justifie him by making his face to shine before the Council as the countenance of the Angel Gabriel by which miraculous glory in his countenance the Council might have seen that his Doctrine was warranted by the words of the Angel Gabriel Stephen affirmed that which his false witnesses affirmed against him as a blasphemous thing that Jesus of Nazaret should change the Customes of Moses Hence I reason thus If Jesus should do it then he did not leave it to be done in an arbitrary way by the discretion of particular Churches But Jesus himself did it Mark the phrase of speaking Jesus of Nazaret shall change the That Christ Jesus made three main changes in the ten Commandements Customes of Moses And it is also observable that Jesus of Nazaret did make three main changes in the ten Commandements two in the outward form of his publick worship contained in the second Commandement and one touching the day of his publick worship in the fourth Commandement 1 He changed Circumcision and all typical purifyings which were commanded in the second Commandement into the Sacramental Seal of Baptism 2 He changed the Passeover and all typical Sacrifices which were also commanded in the second Commandement into the Sacramental Seal of the Lords Supper 3 He changed the seventh day as it was a typical sign by translating it to the first day of the week wherein Christ rose as a Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot for the day of his publick worship as the seventh day was at first And the Apostle Paul doth reason much after the same manner as Stephen did If saith he the Priesthood be changed there must Heb. 7. 12. of necessity be a change of the Law Heb. 7. 12. but the Priesthood is changed for Christ was not of the Tribe of Levie but of Judah neither was he made a High-priest by man according to the Law of the carnal Commandement but by God after the power of endlesse life therefore Christ did not leave it to the power of his particular Churches to change the Ordinances of Moses but he had power from God to do it He taketh away the first that he Heb. 9. 10. might establish the second Heb. 9. 10. that is to say Christ onely had power to take away Sacrifices and all the other Customes of Moses that so he might ratifie his own Sacrifice in the
place of them all and therefore for the memorial of his Sacrifice he hath now ordained two Sacramental Seals which he hath annexed to the preaching of his Gospel the one he hath appointed as a Sacrament of initiation to his Church and the other as a Sacrament of confirmation to all beleevers And therefore Christ Jesus hath not now tyed his publick worship neither to typical persons nor to typical places nor to typical dayes and times for by his death he hath ended all the Types of his Death and he hath changed the Priest-hood of Levie into the number of the Elect Jer. 33. 18 21 22. and the typical place of his worship into particular Churches and into godly hearts saying In every place Incense Mal. 1. 11. shall be offered to my Name Mal. 1. 11. Joh. 4. 23. Act. 10. 35. And thirdly he hath changed all the typical Sabbaths of Moses into the Lords day for though the Sabbath was first given to Adam the very next day after his Creation and Fall yet as the holy rest of it was a typical sign so it must be reckoned among the Customes of Moses as well as Circumcision was for though at the first Circumcision was given to Abraham long before Moses yet it is reckoned among the Customes of Moses because he wrote first of it as it was a typical sign So in like sort though the Sabbath was first given to Adam as a typical sign yet it is reckoned among the Customes of Moses because he first wrote of it as a typical sign Exod. 31. 13. c. and also Moses doth reckon it among all the other Festival Sabbaths in Lev. 23. therefore it must be abolished by the death of Christ as well as all the other typical Customes of Moses by changing it into the Lords day Col. 2. 16 17. Gal. 4. 10. Act. 21. 21. Conclusion from the Premises That it is not in the power of any particular Church or Churches to make this change Christ onely hath power to do it and he hath done it as he is the Lord of the Sabbath and the Lord of his Church and that day cannot be altered by any Church or State to the worlds end CHAP. XIV Proving by several other particular grounds That Christ himself did appoint the day of his Resurrection in the place of the seventh day for the exercise of his publick worship 1 I Do not mean that Christ left the day of his publick worship Reason 1 to the discretion of his Apostles to appoint what day they thought good in place of the seventh day though their appointment had been a sufficient warrant for us knowing by what spirit they were guided but my meaning is that Christ himself did appoint the day and therefore in the day of his Resurrection he did use means to assemble his Disciples together that he might meet with them and declare unto them the things that appertained to the Kingdome of God he first appeared to Mary Magdalen and at her second coming to his Sepulchre he bid her tell his Disciples that He was risen from the dead Joh. 20. 17. 18. Then he appeared unto two of his Disciples as they went from Jerusalem to Emaus Luke 24. and he proved his Resurrection to them from the Scriptures and opened their understandings to understand what he said and this he did to draw them back again to the rest of the Disciples partly that they might testifie the certainty of his Resurrection and partly that they might not be absent from the Assembly when he should come unto them to instruct them further concerning his Death and Resurrection And at that Assembly he also opened their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures which he alleged for he said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead the third day Luke 24. 45 46. I grant it was somewhat late in the evening ere Christ came unto their Assembly but yet that time of the evening is plainly called the same first day of the week Joh. 20. 19. But the particular Joh. 20. 19. Scriptures which he alleged to prove his Resurrection are not recorded neither by Luke nor John but yet we may gather by consequence that when he spake of his Death and Resurrection he might well speak how he had ended all Moses Ceremonies and so consequently how he had ended the typical use of the Sabbath by his death and then doubtlesse he would nominate some other day in the place of it for the use of his publick Worship or else he had left it to disorder and confusion if he had left it arbitrary to particular Churches 2 As soon as Christ had ended all his instructions concerning Reas 2 his Death and Resurrection he appointed another meeting on that day seven-night Joh. 20. 26. and it is evident Joh. 20. 26 that this was the second time of his appearing to their Assembly because the next time after this is called the third time Ioh. 21. 14. I confesse if it can be proved that Christ had appeared to them on any other day between the day of his Resurrection and that day seven-night then his appearing on that day seven-night had not been so remarkable but seeing hee did not appear any more unto them till that day seven-night it strongly argues that he did purposely abstain from them the whole week to declare his election of that day in the place of the seventh day and I am the more confirmed in the truth of this because this second time of his meeting was not occasioned by any Sabbatical feast of the Iews for the last day of the feast of Unleavened bread which was a chief festival Sabbath was past two days before this second meeting and none of the festival days which doubtlesse his Apostles kept was any occasion of his meeting with them sooner than the same day seven-night after his Resurrection it argues therefore that this Assembly of the Apostles and Disciples was done by Christs directions and Luke doth testifie that Christ did give certain Commandements to his Apostles after his Resurrection being seen of them at times forty days and speaking that which appertained to the Kingdome of God Acts 1. 2 3. now what those Commandements were and what those things were which hee spake concerning the Kingdome of God is not recorded but yet it may be collected from the practise of the Apostles in that they used the first day of the week for Gods publick Worship in Christian Churches that Christ did command them to observe that day in place of the seventh day as soon as they were separated from the Iews Synagogues into particular Christian Churches and we may the rather conceive this to be a true collection because he did at this present give unto his Apostles a new Commission to preach the Gospel Ioh. 20. 21 22. and the Gospel Joh. 2◠〈◊〉 was preached not only in Synagogues on
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
Moses Ceremonies for saith he it is a good thing that the heart bee established with Grace and not with Meats which have not profiâ—ed them that have been exercised therein and in chap. 9. 10. he calls the observation of Meats and Drinks and divers Washings carnal Ordinances imposed unto them until the time of Reformation which time of Reformation was already come And also he exhorteth the Colossians saying thus Let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink or in respect of an holy day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come but the Body is Christ Col. 2. 16 17. Col. 2. 16 17 In these words the Apostle doth exhort them not to let any man to rule over them as Judges of their Christian liberty by inforcing and perswading their Consciences to the observation of Moses ceremonies seeing they were but shadows of something to come namely they were but shadows of somthing to be fulfilled by Christ for Christ the Body was already come in the place of them all yea saith the Apostle Let no man beguile you of your prize Col. 2. 18 20 namely of that precious liberty which Christ by his Death hath purchased for you from the bondage of Moses ceremonies v. 18. and then he passeth his sentence against the Authors of their disturbance saying They are but self-willed in humblenesse c. and then in ve 20. the Apostles conclude thus If ye be dead with Christ from the decrees of the world if you beleeve that Christ by his death hath ended decrees why as though yee lived in the world namely in the observation of Moses ceremonies which were composed but of worldly things and in that respect the Sanctuary is called a worldly Sanctuary Heb. 9. 1. Follow yee decrees c. That which I aym at by this discourse is this namely to declare that there were some beleeving Jews in the Church of Colosse that did earnestly contend not only for the observation of Moses ceremonies in general but also that did in particular contend for the observation of the Jewish Sabbath as the only commanded day of Gods publick Worship in Christian Churches and hence I infer that these beleeving Jews needed not to have contended so earnestly for the observation of the Jewish Sabbath if the Apostles had not laid the observation of it aside and required Christian Churches to observe the Lords Day for their Christian assemblies in the place of the seventh day Obj. 2. I conceive these beleeving Jews did not contend for the observation of the Jewish Sabbath as you think but for the observation of the other Festival Sabbaths against which only the Apostle doth speak Ans 1. If you will grant That the Apostle doth exhort the Church of Colosse not to submit their Consciences to the observation of their Festival Sabbaths then much more doth he exhort them not to submit their Consciences to the observation of their weekly Sabbaths or seventh day for the weekly Sabbath was a typical sign as well as their other Festival Sabbaths and therefore the death of Christ doth abolish them all alike 2 And more particularly I answer That Pauls meaning by the word Sabbaths in Col. 2. 16. doth not as I conceive point out Col. 2. 16 any other Sabbath but the seventh day only for Paul doth enumerate all the several sorts of their Holy-days under these three several expressions First saith he Let no man judge you in respect of a Holy-day Secondly Or of the New Moon Thirdly Or of the Sabbaths 1 Under the term Holy-day the Apostle doth comprehend their three yearly Holy-day Feasts for there are no other solemn commanded Holy-days in Moses except the New Moon and the ordinary Sabbath days and these are not included in the term Holy-day because they are distinguished and sorted out from them by other distinct terms neither doth the Apostle comprehend any human Holy-days in this number such as were sometimes commanded by their Sanedrim upon some special occasions as the days of Purim were Est 9. and as the day of Dâ—dication was Joâ— 10. 22. for these temporary Holy-days must Joh. 10. 22 not be Co-partners with the said yearly standing Holy-days of Moses neither do I think that the Apostle doth now forbid the observation of such occasional temporary Holy-days in Christian Churches but the Apostle doth out of all doubt dehort them from the observation of their three Festival Holy-days therefore by the term Holy-day which the Apostle distinguisheth from the two other sorts of Holy-days namely from the New Moon and from the Sabbath he must needs mean no other but the said three yearly Fâ—stival Holy-days 2 By the New Moon he Apostle means the first day of every New Moon which the Jews observed in all their Synagogues as a constant Holy-day for the hearing of Gods Word preached in all the costs of Israel Numb 28. 11. 2 King 4 23. 3 Therefore the term Sabbaths must needs mean their weekly Sabbaths which some Christian Jews that still remained zealous for the Law did labour tooth and nayl to perswade the Church of Colosse to observe for the day of their publick Worship but the Apostle told them that all this Bill of Decrees Christ had wiped away by his death Col. 2. 14. Col. 2. 14 3 It is yet further evident that these three terms in Col. 2. 16. do fully comprehend all the Holy-dayes that are in Moses because Moses doth comprehend them all in three the like termes in Num. 10. 10. Ye shall sound an Alarm 1 In the day of your Gladnesse Num. 10. 10. And 2 In your Solemn Feasts And 3 In the beginning of your months Though these three termes are not placed in the same order that Paul doth his in Col. 2. 16. yet they must needs comprehend all the Ceremonial Sabbaths or Holy-dayes of Moses For first by the day of their Gladnesse Moses doth mean such a day of gladnesse as he doth distinguish from their Solemn Feasts and from their New Moons which distinction ought not to be sleighted And therefore Baal Hattarim understands it of the Sabbath day And indeed no day hath the preheminence of gladnesse to this day for it was first ordained to be a day of rest to God because he had established Adams happinesse and the Government of the whole Creation on the Promised Seed who had undertaken to break the Devils Head-plot and therefore he rested in the Mediator and was refreshed and it was a typical sign of faln mans resting on the Mediator for his Redemption from Satans Head-plot and therefore it was the first great day of gladnesse to faln Adam and therefore as I have formerly noted the seventh day is placed among the Festival Sabbaths in the first place as the chiefest day of gladnesse Lev. 23. 3. Lev. 23 3. And indeed no other day can be meant by the day of gladnesse but the Sabbath or seventh day and the
reason is plain because all the other Holy-dayes in Moses are fully comprehended in the other two termes 4 Solomon in 2 Chron. 2. 4. doth expound the said three termes 2 Chron. 2. 4. by shewing the solemnity of all the sorts of Holy-dayes in the Temple-service for he built a Temple to the Lord namely To burn sweet incense before Him and for the continual Shew-bread and for the Burnt-offerings of the morning and evening 1 On the Sabbath dayes 2 In the New Moons And 3 In the Solemn Feasts of the Lord. This is a perpetual thing for Israel And moreover the Hebrew Doctors say That they did blow with the silver Trumpets in the Sanctuary 1 Over the Burnt-offerings of the Sabbaths 2 In the New Moons And 3 in the Solemn Feasts By these two Scriptures compared together with Col. 2. 16. and with Gal. 49 10 11. It is evident that all the solemn Holy-dayes in Moseâ— are comprehended under the said three termes And therfore by the term Sabbaths in Col. 2. 16. as it is distinguished from the New Moon and a Holy-day must needs be meant the weekly Sabbaths onely which some Christian Jews contended to have observed in their Christian Churches in opposition to the Lords day Object 3. It seems to me that our Saviour did not ordain his Resurrection-day in place of the seventh day because our Saviour in Mat. 24. 20. Mat. 24. 20. doth warn his Disciples to pray at the time of their destruction by the Romans that their flight might not be neither in the Winter nor upon the Sabbath day Now if Christ had abolished the Sabbath by his death as you affirm then be would not have given this caution of praying that their flight might not be on the Sabbath day so long after his death for it was about forty yeers after his death ere the City was destroyed by the Romans Ans Christ did not give this caution to his Disciples in the nature of a Command or forbidding but in the nature of a dis-allowing of the Jews superstitious opinion of the outward rest of the Sabbath so long after his death They might in that space have been better taught and instructed if they had not been enemies to the Gospel of Christ but because they would not be instructed therefore our Saviour told his Disciples that the Jews of Judea in general would hold such a superstitious opinion both of the holinesse of the Temple and of the outward rest of the Sabbath day that it would be a grievous calamity to them if they were forced to flye for their lives upon the Sabbath day more than upon any other day in the week But yet this must be marked that our Saviour speaks this to his Disciples but as a Prophetical Historian foretelling them what would be the common opinion of the Nation of the Jews in those dayes namely that they would be infected with such a superstitious opinion of the holinesse of the outward rest of the Sabbath that they would neither stir hand or foot to break the outward rest of the Sabbath by flight to save their lives This caution of our Saviour to his Disciples must needs be understood in this sense because the whole frame of his speech is fetched by way of allusion to a former like sad calamity which fell upon them under Antiâ—chus Epiphanes who did purposely molest them upon the Sabbath day as also in the Winter time and then they suffered extreme miseries by reason of their superstitious opinion of the outward rest of the Sabbath day which they might have prevented if they had held it lawful at first as they did at last that in case of necessity they might either fight or flie for their lives upon the Sabbath day Our Saviour in this his speech to his Disciples doth allude to the times of Antiochus and therefore he doth mention the Winter as well as the Sabbath day for Judas Maccabeus did cleanse the Temple and the Altar in the Winter Joh. 10. 22. and three yeers before it was polluted in the Winter 1 Mac. 1. 54. And secondly it was also polluted upon the Sabbath day 1 Mac. 2. 38. and now it was a time of grievous calamity to the Jews and therefore by way of allusion to this calamitous time our Saviour bad them pray That their flight might neither be in the Winter nor yet upon the Sabbath day for then they would do as they had done neither fight nor flye to save their lives This their blind zeal our Saviour reproves 1 Mac. 2 34. 36. 38. 41. and 2 Mac. 6. 11. It follows therefore by good consequence that our Saviour did not now in sadnesse teach his Disciples the continuance of the Sabbath so long after his death no more than he taught them the continuance of the service of the Temple by calling the Temple The Holy Place vers 15. But no man I think will say that Christ did then esteem the Temple to be the Holy Place but he names it so Docasâ—icâ—s because the Jews of Judea in general would then esteem it and call it the Holy place and in that respect also our Saviour doth call the Romans that should enter into the Temple The Abomination of Desolation just as Daniel had done Dan. 9. 27. By this it is evident that Christ spake by allusion to former times But he knew well enough that the holinesse of the Temple as well as the typical Rest of the Holy Sabbath were fully ended by his death I grant that the Temple was once truly called the Holy Temple because it was ordained to be a type of the holy humane nature of Christ wherein his God-head dwelt Job 2 But yet this typical holinesse of the Temple must needs have an end as soon as the Holy of Holies did but enter through the vail of his flesh into heaven to appear before God for us Dan. 9. 24. with Mat. 27. 50 51. Heb. 9. 14. and the goodlinesse also of the Temple must have an end as soon as he that was greater than the Temple had finished his Oblation Mat. 12. 26. and by the like reason also the Sabbath as it was a type of our resting on the Seed of the Woman to break the Devils Head-plot must end as soon as Christ had finished his Sacrifice of Attonement I will therefore conclude my answer to this Objection That Christ by this speech of his to his Disciples did but tell them what would be the coÌ„mon opinion of the Nation of the Jews at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem as I have already declared it but he intended no more to teach them the continuance of the Sabbath than the continuance of the Holinesse of the Temple neither did he by this Caution to his Disciples intend to prefer the Sabbath above the Lords day no more than he intended to prefer the Winter above the Summer of all which things he spake by way of caution to his Disciples what would be
the common opinion of the Jews at the destruction of Jerusalem Object 4. If Christ had ordained his Resurrection-day as the day of his publick Worship in place of the Sabbath or seventh day then me thinks the Apostles in their Writings should have recorded it with the Circumstances of it namely the time when and how he did ordain it if this had been done the matter had been out of question to all men Ans The Wisdome of God did not see it good to make all his Ordinances cleer to all men at the first sight when our Saviour was here upon the earth he did oftentimes open his mouth in Parables that they which see not might not perceive and that his best servants might dig for his hidden Treasures But I may say also it is not recorded that Christ did instruct any of his Apostles of the time when nor of the manner how he did first ordain John to baptise but because all men generally held John to be a Prophet therefore they concluded that he had received some authority from heaven to baptise subjects for Christ against he came into his Kingdome which he proclamed to be at hand and by the like authority we may conclude that the Apostles did command the observation of the Lords day for Gods publick Worship in the place of the seventh day because it was in frequent use in their dayes as I have proved and they being Prophets had special direction from Christ the Lord of the Sabbath so to direct his Churches which directions in all probability they received from him at his first comming to their Assembly in the evening of his resurrection-Resurrection-day or else in the evening of his second coming to their Assembly on that day seven-night Joh. 19. 20. 26. for then he opened their understandings to understand such Scriptures as he alleged concerning his Joh. 19. 20 26. Death and Resurrection Luke 23. 54. 47. and then also he gave them a new Commission to preach the Doctrine of the forgivenesse of sins in his name Joh 20. 21 22 23. and then he gave Commandements unto them and spake of such things as appertained to the Kingdome of God Act. 1. 2 3. doubtlesse therefore he did then instruct them concerning the day of his publick worship wherein they must preach forgiveness of sins in his name to all the world and this Commission he did again renew unto them before his ascension saying Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alwayes to the end of the world Whatsoever therefore the Apostles commanded the Christian Churches to observe they did it by vertue of Christs former command and therefore Paul saith I have received of the Lord that which I have delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11. 23. The Commandements therefore which the Apostles gave unto the Christian Churches they were the Commandements of Christ among which Commandements the observation of the Lords day must needs be one in place of the Sabbath which was fully abolished by the death of Christ CHAP. XVI Being an Answer to several Questions I whether Christians Quest 1 now under the Gospel are bound to observe the Lords day as strictly from all work and as holily in all the duties of Religion as the Jewes were to observe the Sabbath day THe Sabbath or seventh day must be considered either as it Ans 1 was a holy sign Or secondly as it was the holy time of Gods worship in the first sense the Lords day is not like the Sabbath for our Lords day is not a sign of a thing to be performed 〈…〉 as the Sabbath was but now our Lords day must be observed as a memorial that Christ hath fully broken the Devils Head-plot by his Mediatorial Sacrifice and this he hath declared to his Church by his Resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week and in remembrance thereof he hath now ordained that day to be imployed as the sanctified time of his worship in attending upon his Ordinances both publick and private as strictly from all work and as holily in all Christian duties as the Jews were to observe the Sabbath day under the Law and in remembrance thereof John doth stile it the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. Quest 2. Might not the Jews so much as kindle a fire upon the Sabbath day to dresse necessary food As Mr. Ainsworth seems to understand the Scriptures with the consent of the Hebrew Doctors in Exod. 16. 5. and Exod. 16. 5. Exod. 35. 3. in Exod. 35. 3. Ans I grant that Mr. Ainsworth doth so understand the Scriptures and so do some of the Hebrew Doctors But yet withall I say that the Scriptures rightly understood did alwayes allow the Jews as much liberty to kindle a fire for the dressing of necessary food upon the Sabbath day as it allows Christians on the Lords day as it is evident by the example of our Saviour himself for he went to a Feast upon the Sabbath day into the house of a chief Pharisee Luke 14. 1. and at the same time the Pharisee Luke 14. 1. had many other guests present for our Saviour marked them how they chose out the chiefest rooms at this Feast v. 7 8. And this Feast I conceive was a Wedding Feast though I also beleeve that the new maried parties were maried before this day not on this day It is unlawfull to begin a Mariage upon the Sabbath day Lev. 23 8. for the Jews held it utterly unlawful to begin their Mariage upon the Sabbath day See Ains in Lev. 23. 8. But yet they held it lawful to keep a Wedding Feast upon the Sabbath day and the reason is plain because they held it to be a lawfull custome to keep a Wedding Feast for seven dayes together of which number the Sabbath day must needs be one Judg. 14. 10 12. Gen. 29. 27 28. And this is a common rule among the Jews That whosoever marieth a Maid he shall rejoyce with her seven dayes not doing any work but eating drinking and making merry See Ains in Gen. 29. 27. And none could keep such a Feast of many persons in the cold Winter without the use of a fiâ—e to make their food comfortable to nature according to the nature of a Feast And it is further to be noted that whiles our Saviour was present at thâ— Feast he â—ound no fault with the act of Feasting but onely withing corrupt circumstances which did accompany this Feast 1 He found fault with some of the guests because they chose out the uppermost seats 2 He seemed to reprove the Governour of the Feast because he invited his rich friends onely vers 12. But Christ told him it had been more suitable to the Sabbath day if he had invited the poor to his Feast And yet I beleeve it was not sinfull to bid the rich for
for the dressing of necessary food for infirm or crasie bodies Quest 4. It seems to me that the Jews might not kindle a fire on the Sabbath Day to dresse any meat at all therewith for Moses saith thus To morrow is the Sabbath of Holinesse to Jehovah Bake that which yee will bake and seeth that which yee will seeth namely in the sixth day as it is in ver 5. and all that remaineth over lay it up for you as a reservation until the morrow Exod. 16. 23. From this Scripture I think it is evident That the Jews were prohibited Exod. 16. 23 to kindle a fire upon the Sabbath Day neither to bake or boyl any of their Manna but all must be done on the sixt day that so they might not kindle a fire for it on the Sabbath Day Ans This baking and boyling of their Manna before the Sabbath Day doth not forbid them to heat their Manna with fire in the Sabbath to make iâ— fit for infirm and weak stomacks but the baking and boyling forbidden by Moses upon the Sabbath Day was such a baking and boyling as was accompanied with laborious work such as might and ought to have been done on the sixt day as it appears by Numb 11. 8. there after the people had gathered their Manna they did prepare it with laborious Numb 11. 8 work several ways suitable to every ones taste or liking therefore they did First grinde it in Mills or beat it in Morters Secondly Then they baked it in Pans and made Cakes of it Thirdly Othersome did boyl it and thus it was several ways prepared and Cooked according to every ones taste and liking with laborious work on the sixt day now such kind of laborious works as these were forbidden to be done in the Sabbath Day because they might be done on the sixt day and in that respect the Hebrew Doctors say Whoso laboureth in the evening of the Sabbath he shall eat in the Sabbath See Ains in Levit. 16. 26. And truly I think there is no conscientious Christian that doth hold it lawful to defer or put off such like laborious works as these to the Lords Day for it is all one as if a man should defer the grinding of his Corn the baking of his Bread or the making of his Pies unto the Lords Day but no conscientious Christian that is judicious I think doth hold it unlawful to temper a Pudding of the Meal that was ground on the sixth day or to heat a Pye that was made on the sixt day or to boyl a necessary quantity of meat that was killed and quartered on the sixt day or to use that wood for fire that was carted home and cut ready for the fire on the sixt day or to use Water that was fetched home to the door on the sixt day all these and such like things might as lawfully be done by the Jews on the Sabbath Day as by godly Christians on the Lords Day and this is fully evident by our Saviour in that he did justifie his Apostles for their work in gathering of certain ears of Corn in other mens fields and rubâ—â—â—g the said ears to prepare it for food on the Sabbath Day and doubtlesse after the said rubbing it was either parched in the Fire or boyled in Water fit for the digesture of the stomack or else if they had eaten it raw it had been but course and hard food Now if it had been unlawful to prepare such a small quantity of food as was fit for the present support of nature on the Sabbath Day doubtlesse Christ would have commanded his Apostles before-hand to provide their Scrip full of Victuals namely on the sixt day but in as much as he had not made such provision on the sixt day but did justifie his Apostles for this work in the Sabbath Day by alleging the example of David in eating the Shew-bread in case of hunger he did thereby confute and reprove the Iews superstitious opinion of the outward rest of the Sabbath alleging also That the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Mar. 2. 27. as if Christ had said Mar. 2. 27. thus If man had been made for the Sabbath then man must have served the Sabbath before his own necessity but seeing man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man namely to serve mans necessity therefore it follows that the Sabbath was made ordained or instituted after man was in necessity and in misery namely after Adams Fall chiefly for the good of his sick and sinful Soul and therefore God did blesse it with suitable Ordinances and did sanctifie that day for the use of those Ordinances but yet withall the Sabbath was made to serve man in misery in respect of his Body that it might rest and be refreshed with convenient food Physick and the like and therefore godly Wisdome will make all the godly careful to improve the Lords Day so as that it may serve to the best good both of their sinful Souls and of their weak and frail bodies also Quest 5. Are Christians bound to rest on the Lords Day as strictly from bodily recreations and from all things that are not work as the Jews â—â—re on the Sabbath Day for the Hebrew Doctors say That the Jews must rest on the Sabbath Day from things that are not work as from climbing on a Tree riding on a Beast â—â— the like from the judging of Civil causes putting off the sâ—â—â—e and taking the Brothers Wife spoken of in Deut. 25. separating of Tythes first Fruits and the like valuing of things spoken of in Levit. 27. and from speaking with a mans 〈…〉 on the Sabbath Day what he will buy or how he will build his 〈…〉 the like as it is noted by Mr. Ains in Exod. 20. 10. and in 〈…〉 â—1 17. Ans I have shewed you on the word Sanctified in Chap. 10. That God sanctified the whole seventh day for his service not only the time of the publick Ordinances but the whole day and therefore it was sanctified for the use of private Ordinances as well as for the publick and therefore no time may be exempted from these holy Duties but in cases of necessary food Physick or the like cases of necessity therefore before we addresse our selves to Gods publick Ordinances wee must be careful to prepare our Souls to come with fear and reverence and so in our Hearing in our Praying Singing c. wee must take heed how wee Hear how we Pray and Sing so likewise afterwards we must examine our selves how our Soul â—ave profited by the publick Ordinances or else we may look 〈◊〉 Curse rather than a Blessing from the said Ordinances Hence it follows by necessary consequence That no good Christian can allow himself liberty to do such kind of exercises as you have named but they will interrupt the efficacie of those blessed and commanded Ordinances
of necessity on the Sabbath day but it was not so with the Jews from elder times Maymony saith If a Thief dig thorow a house upon the Sabbath day it is free for any to kill him with any death they can put him to See Ains in Exod. 22. 2. This they allowed Exod. 22. 2. as a case of present necessity it could not be deferred as a Magistrate may defer the putting off a Malefactor to death untill any one of the six dayes because the Magistrate hath the Malefactor in safe custody in some sure prison and therefore they say It is not lawfull to put a Malefactor to death on the Sabbath day because it is written 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 Calling See Ains in Exod. 18. 22. and yet notwithstanding See Ains in Exod. 35. 3. 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 Chirurgeonâ— 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 notwithstanding this restraint to a mile when the means of Grace did by any occasion fail in any of their Synagogues at home then they held it without scruple lawful to go further as we may see by the liberty that the People took in the days of Christ for then they did leave their Synagogues to follow his preaching from place to place and if Christ had held their practice to be unlawful doubtlesse he would have reproved them and bid them keep their own Synagogues and not follow him from place to place as they did and for the attaining of such excellent means of Grace the people also held it lawful to leave their own Synagogues and to break the outward rest of the Sabbath by longer Journies and greater Bodily labour and so we see that the Priests in the Law did break the outward rest of the Sabbath by their laborious killing and dressing of Sacrifices and yet they were blamelesse Mat. 12. 5. 1 Chro. 23. 31. and so also for their Bodily food they did kindle Fires to Rost and Boyl the portion of their Sacrifices fit for their stomacks every Sabbath Day for their portions must be eaten in the same day in which the Sacrifice was offered nothing thereof must remain until the morning but in case any part of their portions did remain until the morning it must be burnt Levit. 7. 15. Exod. 12. 10. I conclude therefore That the Jews had as much liberty in all respects to do any thing on the Sabbath Day tending to the good of their Souls or to their Bodies either in cases of necessity or mercy as Christians have upon the Lords Day but both sorts have corrupt hearts alike and have alike need to watch unto the sanctified improvement of the whole day and both sorts have the same Adversary the Devil to deal withall and therefore both sorts have need alike to keep a good watch over Satan and over their own corrupt hearts or else the spiritual efficacy of Gods Holy Ordinances will be lost and vain which is the only thing that the Devil desires to effect that he may rejoyce in the ruine of our Souls O that Christians therefore would submit their Consciences to the command of Christ to keep the Lords Day as strictly from outward works and as holily in all Christian duties as ever the Jews did or ought to have kept the Sabbath Day And so Jehovah cause his face to shine upon every Soul that truly honours the sanctified time of the Lords Day and the solemnity of all publick and private holy duties Amen Amen The end of the First Part. Holy Time OR The True Limits of the Lords Day I. Proving That the Lords Day doth begin with the Natural Morning and that the Morning of the Natural day doth begin at Mid-night and so consequently that the Lords Day must both begin with the Natural Morning at Mid-night and end with the Natural Evening at Mid-night II. Proving That the Jews beginning of the Day at the Sun-set Evening was only in relation to the date of the Person purified from his Levitical uncleanness III. That The Jews themselves did hold That the Natural day did continue after Sun-set till Mid-night Maymony saith Grateful is a Command that is done in the hour of the same so say I grateful is the sanctifying of the Lords Day in the hour of the same In his Treatise of Offering Sacrifice Chap. 4. Sect. 1. Part II. By WILLIAM PYNCHON Esq Published by Authority Printed at London by R. I. and are to be sold by T. N. at the Sign of the three Lions in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1654. Grace and Peace to such as desire to know when the Lords Day doth begin and end To the end they might abstain from their own Worldly imployments in the Lords own Sanctified time THis point is the more difficult to be explaned because I have not met with any beaten road from other Interpreters But I have laboured to make it evident 1 That the Sanctified and separated time of the Lords Day is just according to the Natural day 2 I have laboured to make it evident That the Natural day begins with the Morning 3 That the Natural morning begins at Mid-night 4 That the Natural day and so consequently the Lords Day doth begin with the Natural morning and doth end with the Natural evening at Mid-night And for the want of the knowledge of these things I perceive that many godly persons do the works of their ordinary Callings in some part of the Lords sanctified and separated day as those do that begin and end the Lords Day at the Sun-set Evening and for their better information I forced my self to compose this Treatise I finde that the chief ground of their error doth arise First from a mistaken interpretation of the first Darknesse to be a full Night of twelve hours and Secondly from a mistaken interpretation of the word Evening because they apprehend it to bee nothing else but a full Night These and sundry such like mistakes I conceive I have cleared I presum'd therefore that this insuing Treatise will be heartily welcome to every tender Conscience that doth truly desire to give unto the Lord his own separated and sanctified time Many godly Christians to my knowledge have been much exercised in their Studies and Meditations to finde out the true limits of the Lords Day that so they might abstain from the works of their particular Calling in every part of that sanctified and separated time from the beginning of the day to the full end thereof For their sakes also and at the special request of some of them I have laboured in this Treatise to prove That all the time of the first Darknesse was comprehended in the word Morning at last and that it took its beginning from the Mid-night at last namely as soon as all the several parts of the Natural day were shaped and set into their order And therefore the beginning of the Morning from the time of Mid-night must not be ascribed to the Romans as the
several purposes p. 61. 95 96. at Object 18 CHAP. V. Proving that the Passeover-Evening did begin and end according to the Natural Evening from Mid-day to Midd-night p. 63 And in this Chapter eighteen Objections are Answered Some think that no other Evening belonged to the Jews Sabbath but the Evening before the Sabbath but they are much mistaken for that was the Evening of the Sabbath no otherwise but onely in relation to the date of the person purified But the proper Evening of the Sabbath it self begun at Mid-day and ended at Mid-night as the Passeover Evening did p. 64. 110. 95. at Object 18. All Passeovers were Sacrifices and therefore the blood of them all must be sprinkled at the Lords Altar in his Temple p. 69 Blood was the Lords portion and in that respect he did prohibit the Jews to eat blood and likewise some sorts of fat p. 69 The Lord permitted many private Altars for Sacrifice in the dayes of Samuel for the use of a particular person or Tribe but he allowed but one publick Altar for the publick Sacrifices of all thâ— twelve Tribes such as the Passeovers were p. 70 The Passeover-day was none of the Jews Festival Sabbaths it was but a half Holy-day p. 72 No Levites but Priests onely must sprinkle the blood of the Sacrifice upon the Lords Altar p. 74 It was not convenient for above twenty persons to make their count for one Lamb-Passeover p. 75 A digression to open some difficult phrases about the Passeover because they are borrowed from the unusual known dialect of the Thalmud p. 77 The time of Christs Burial was at Star-light p. 83. 57. 105 Boker the Morning is put for the beginning of the Jews Ceremonial day which did exactly begin at Sun-set 86 The Jews accounted the first half of the night to belong to the former day as a true part thereof in the case of their Religious Feasting upon their Passeovers and in other cases also p. 90. 51. 64 110 The second part of the Passeover Evening was the appointed season for the time of their Religious Feasting from Sun-set till Mid-night p. 93 CHAP. VI. Proving that the day of Reconciliation was an extraordinary long Fasting Sabbath and therefore the beginning of that day ought not to be produced as an exemplary patern neither for the beginning of the Lords day nor yet for the beginning of any other Fasting day p. 98 No Fasting day among the Jews was so long as the day of Attonement was p. 110 CHAP. VII Answering their Objections more particularly that hold the Lords day to begin at the Sun-set Evening p. 103 Such as hold the Sabbath day to begin at the Sun-set Evening can never prove that Christ lay three dayes in his grave p. 104 Luke saith that the time of Christs burial was when it began to be Star-light p. 105. 57. 83 The Hebrew Doctors held the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath to be a true part of the Sabbath it self p. 110. 50. 64 The Hebrew Doctors allow no more but seven Furlongs and a half to an English mile p. 114 CHAP. VIII Proving that the punctual time of Christs Resurrection was in the Morning just at the time of Sun-rising p. 117 A TABLE OF Such Scriptures as are Illustrated or Explaned Genesis Chap. Vers Page 1 2 35 44 1 5 8 16 22 31 14 15 58 24 63 51 32 2 21 38 38 17 18 12 43 9 12 49 27 17 24 37 Exod. 8 21 22 13 12 6 19 65 79 12 7 68 12 8. 42 93. 95 97 12 11 48 12 1 2 61 12 14 62 12 22 47 12 27 69 12 29 48 12 33 39 47 12 38 12 12 41 48 76 12 45 74 13 3 49 82 14 24 37 16 12 20 19 10 28 19 22 68 22 31 54 23 8 90 24 5 68 27 1 71 29 39 41 19 30 8 20 30 19 20 52 Leviticus  15 69 1 9 64 1 11 â—4 3 17 69 5 2 50 6 9 89 6 20 24 6 26 102 7 2 14 69 74 7 15 61 87 97 102 7 16 17 19 81 86 87 7 18 64 89 10 19 88 11 15 15 11 24 32 50 13 48 13 16 4 91 22 5 6 7 55 60 22 9 10 55 87 23 4 5 22 64 23 7 8 49 83 101 23 11 15 16 87 23 15 18 40 56 23 20 63 90 23 32 99 23 40 14 25 8 9 61 Numbers 7 1 55 9 3 5 11 64 19 9 10 11 94 95 9 12 93 12 1 15 19 9 54 28 4 8 19 43 64 91 28 16 61 33 3 49 76 33 48 17 Deuâ—eronomy 8 15 14 11 24 59 11 30 17 58 16 1 36 16 2 4 80 90 16 4 81 86 16 5 6 68 69 72 76 16 15 88 97 21 23 106 23 10 11 51 54 23 15 97 Joshua 1 4 59 7 6 13. 14 28 53 8 29 106 10 3 96 24 4 59 Judges 3 15 37 19 19 76 Ruth 3 14 42 1 Samuel 1 1 21 1 19 21 17 16 29 20 5 25 20 26 71 30 17 40 56 85 87 2 Samuel 5 6 7 21 11 2 52 19 18 19 21 1 King 17 6 29 22 43 72 2 King 3 20 22 43 14 14 12 1 Chronicles 7 28 25 2 Chronicles 1 3 72 9 14 15 15 17 72 13 19 20 53 35 14 62 35 10 11 69 74 35 18 75 Ezra 9 2 11 Nehemiah 5 3 12 8 10 88 97 13 3 12 13 19 104 Job 3 9 2 23 8 19 45 58 26 7 44 37 2 46 38 6 7 40 Ps Psalms 5 3 4 35 19 5 59 37 6 76 40 8 9 13 50 1 59 51 18 21 55 18 51 78 9 60 72 78 68 72 89 12 45 89 13 45 90 6 29 90 14 36 104 34 11 106 35 11 110 3 43 113 3 58 119 176 36 Cha. Proverbs 3 24 11 4 18 76 6 1 12 7 9 2 63 13 19 12 15 15 12 22 26 12 24 21 15 Ecclesiastes 11 6 29 Esa 2 2 37 11 12 45 13 20 15 15 7 14 16 3 7 21 4 39 24 11 18 37 7 13 40 3 4 13 41 19 13 47 11 39 Jeremy 2 6 14 15 4 23 36 5 6 14 6 4 24 31 51 23 8 45 30 21 12 48 22 18 50 24 39 Ezekiel 6 14 17 20 5 11 24 26 27 115 27 13 11 27 17 11 33 21 22 115 47 15 46 Daniel 2 41 11 5 30 39 6 14 60 7 2 46 8 5 17 8 8 17 46 9 21 37 Hosea 10 15 36 Habbakkuk 1 2 37 1 8 14 3 7 15 Zephany 2 7 37 3 3 14 3 5 36 Zachary 2 6 45 12 9 36 14 7 13 28 Malachy 3 4 11 Matthew 12 40 104 14 15 23 20 25 24 31 46 26 2 79 26 17 77 78 26 18 20 75 93 27 57 82 10â— 27 62 63 57 85 27 66 85 28 1 18 108 111 28 2 118 Mark 1 13 14 1 32 60 106 109 1 35 42 14 1 78 14 3 12 79 93 14 17 93 15
9. 10. and with Lev. 13. 6. and see also Lev. 14. 9 17. and Num. 5. 2 3. and Numb 19. 2 7 11. Secondly Answerable thereunto the Ceremonial Law did ordain several degrees of purification from these several degrees of ceremonial uncleanness as you may find them noted also by Ainsworth in Lev. 5. 2. Lev. 14. 9 15. Lev. 15. 14. Num. 5. 7. Num. 19. 18. Gen. 35. 2. and in Exod. 19. Thirdly Not onely the manner how but also the time when they must cleanse themselves was ordained and appointed by the Ceremonial Law Some kind of defilements might be clensed in one day but the greatest degrees of their Ceremonial defilements required not only one but many dayes for their cleansing but all were commanded to begin their cleansing in the Evening in two degrees of time according to the two parts of the Evening for the natural Evening hath two equal parts as I have shewed in Chap. 2. and shall further shew it in the next Chapter In the first Evening which doth always begin at Mid-day they must baptize or wash themselves The Jews were cleansed from their ceremonial defilements 1. By washing in the afternoon And 2. By the Suns setting upon them after their baptizing In the second Evening which doth alwaies begin at Sun-set they did begin to date the day of their cleanness For by the setting of the Sun upon them after their washing two things were effected First Their cleanness by their former washing was confirmed or made perfect And secondly As soon as their cleanness was made perfect they began the day of their cleanness Object 1. Might not the unclean person baptize himself from his Ceremonial defilements in the latter evening after Sun-set as well as in the time of the first Evening before Sun-set Ans He might not because God had appointed the time of the two Evenings for two distinct degrees of their cleansing The first Evening from Mid-day to Sun-set was allotted to them for the washing or baptizing themselves from their ceremonial sins and this was onely as a preparation to the day of their cleanness And this I will labor to make evident several waies 1. Moses in Deut. 23. 11. doth command the unclean person to bath himself in water at the looking forth of the Evening So the Hebrew phrase is but it may be demanded what time is that that is meant by the looking forth of the Evening Answ I have shewed you in chap. 2. and in chap. 5. that the Evening doth first begin at the first declining of the Sun at Mid-day and that it looks forth towards his setting in the west from the very first declining of the Sun from Mid-day untill it depart from that Horizon and to this sense I have expounded the shadows of the Evening to look forth in Jer. 6 4. See Chap. 2. In like sort it is said of Isaack that he went out into the fields to meditate at the looking forth of the Evening Gen. 24. 63. In those daies they had no private upper Rooms to meditate in because they lived in Tents and therefore they used to sequester themselves by going out into the fields to meditate where they had Groves of Trees for shade and refreshing and thither the godly used to go to meditate or to study divine mysteries in the heat of the day at the first looking forth of the Evening See Ains in Psa 55. 18. In like sort they used to bathe or baptize themselves from their Ceremonial defilements at the looking forth of the Evening and then also the water was well warmed by the Sun and so made the more fit for bathing I grant also that it was lawfull for them to bathe themselves from their Ceremonial defilements all the time that the Sun looked forth by his shadowes towards the West till it was ready to depart out of that Horizon But this is to be marked that none were commanded to baptize themselves in any part of the morning onely the Priests were commanded to wash their hands and their feet every morning although they were clean before See Ains in Exod. 30. 19 20. neither were they commanded to baptize themselves after Sun-set for except they were baptized before Sun-set they could not begin the day of their cleannesse at Sun-set according to command 2 It is evident that the appointed season for baptizing themselves from all their Ceremonial defilements was in the time of the first Evening by the Example of Bathshebaes baptizing herself The Text saith it was in the Evening when David arose from his bed and walked upon the Roof of the Kings house then he saw a woman washing her self and the woman was very beautiful to look upon 2 Sam. 11 2. This Evening when David arose from his bed cannot be understood of the latter Sun-set Evening for then for want of Sun-light he could not have discerned her beauty from the Roof of his house but it must be understood of the afternoon Evening for in those hot Countries they used to sleep in the afternoon upon some Bed or Pallat as Ishbosheth did 2 Sam. 4. 5. from whence he arose and walked upon the flat Roof of his house and thence he beheld the beauty of Bathsheba as she was baptizing her self hence it may be gathered that the unclean persons did use to baptize themselves from their Ceremonial defilements in the afternoon Evening 3 It is also evident that they baptized themselves in the afternoon Evening from their Ceremonial defilements by a famous example in Josh 7. for when the Lords wrath was gone out against them in that the men of Ai slew about thirty six of Israel because that Achan had stoln the excommunicate thing then said the Lord to Joshua at the Even-tide Vp and sanctifie the people and say Sanctifie your selves against to morrow Josh 7. 6 13 14 15. and how else must they sanctifie themselves for the Lords presence at his Ark on the morrow but by washing themselves from their Ceremonial defilements for there were scarse any but they were defiled by one accident or other and none might come before the Lords Ark in their Ceremonial defilements upon pain of being cut off and before Joshua could make proclamation through the Camp for their purification and for their solemn meeting to seek the Lord for mercy on the morrow it would require a good space of time therefore this Evening cannot be understood of the Sun-set Evening but of the noon-tide Evening as I have explained the matter more at large in Chap. 2. 4 All Israel were warned when ever they came before the Lords presence in his Tabernacle to be cleansed from their Ceremonial defilements especially at their three solemn feasts but they were not tyed to the observation of their Ceremonial baptizing when they resorted to their Synagogues on their weekly Sabbath daies for in those places both the clean and the unclean might meet together in Gods worship as I have opened the matter in my
going down of the Sun in Deut. 16. 6. must not be understood of the very time of Sun-set but of the whole time of the Suns declining from Mid-day till it went down out of that Horizon Object 3. Though the Jews might not kill their Passeovers in Canaan in their private houses as they did in Egypt yet they might kill them at more Altars than one for the Lord was pleased to allow several Altars for Sacrifices in several places and by this means all the Passeovers in Canaan might be killed and the blood sprinkled just about the time of Sun-set Ans I grant that the Lord was pleased to permit the use of many Altars and High-places in the dayes of Samuel for there The Lord permitted many private Altars in the dayes of Samuel but he allowed but one publick Altar for the general Feasts of the twelve Tribes and for the Passeover day and for the daily Morning and Evening Sacâ—ifice was an Altar at Gilgal 1 Sam. 10. 8. 1 Sam. 11. 15. Secondly There was an Altar at Betbel 1 Sam. 10. 3. 5. Thirdly At Mizpeh 1 Sam. 7. 9. Judg. 21. 1 4. Fourthly At Ramab 1 Sam. 7. 17. and there were several Altars also in the dayes of Elijah for he complained to God that Jezabel had broken down his Altars But notwithstanding all this no Passeover might be killed at any of these Altars for the Passeover in Canaan was commanded to be observed as a general Feast but these Altars were private Altars onely raised by Gods allowance by some particular person upon some special occasion and were after permited to be used by some adjacent Tribe or persons and in that respect these Altars were made but of earth or stone that was unhewn But the Altar that God commanded to be erected as the general publick Altar of all the twelve Tribes was made of brasse at the cost of the twelve Tribes and this was placed at first in the Lords Tabernacle in the Wildernesse afterwards this Tabernacle together with the brazen Altar was placed by Joshua and the whole Congregation in Shilo in the Tribe of Ephraim Josh 18. 1. and there it continued for the place of the general Assembly of all the twelve Tribes for three hundred and fifty yeers till the death of Eli but after the Philistims had taken the Lords Aark 1 Sam. 4. 10 11. and slain the most valiant men of Ephraim in that battel Psal 78. 9. God was wroth with Shilo and forsook it Psal 78. 60. for by that great destruction of all the valiant men of Ephraim Shilo was now become too weak a place to guard the holy Tabernacle and the holy Altar and therefore it was by the Lords advice removed to Gibbeon 2 Chron. 1. 3 4 5. which was a Royal City and a place of great strength Josh 10. 2. lying in the Tribe of Benjamin and it was allotted to the Priests Josh 21. 17. and the Gibbeonites the ancient inhabitants were given to the Priests to cut wood and draw water for the house of the Lord Josh 9. 21 23. 27. and afterwards in Solomons dayes they were called Nethinims 1 Chron. 9. 2. And from henceforth this place was called the chief High-place because the Lords Tabernacle and the Lords Altar were placed therein 1 King 3. 4. and in that respect David took care to provide a competent number of Priests to attend it But afterwards when David had recovered the Ark from the Philistims and had brought it into the Tent that he had provided for it in Jerusalem He divided the Priests into two parts and he appointed Asaph and his brethren to minister before the Lord at Jerusalem 1 Chron. 16. 37. and he appointed Zadoc and his brethren to minister at the Lords brazen Altar at his Tabernacle at Gibbeon 1 Chron. 16. 39. But when Solomon had finished his Temple he caused the Priests first of all to bring the Ark of the Lord into its place provided for it in the Temple and then he caused the Priests to bring up the Tabernacle of the Congregation with all the holy vessels into the Temple 1 King 8. 4. and after this manner the Lord refused Ephraim and chose the Tribe of Judah and Mount Sion of Benjamin which he loved Psal 78. 68. This brazen Altar was made and consecrated to be the publick Altar for the General Assemblies of all the twelve Tribes Exod. 27. 1. Numb 7. 1. and in that respect where ever this Altar was placed there was the chief High place untill Solomon had made another brazen Altar in the place of it 2 Chron. 4. 1. At this Altar was offered the daily Morning and Evening sacrifices for all the twelve Tribes and the Passeovers of all the twelve Tribes and they might not be offered in any of the former private High places The Hebrew Doctors say They sacrificed not the Passeover in a private High-place no not in the time when private High-places were permitted and whosoever offereth the Passeover in a private High-place is beaten for it is said in Deut. 16. 5. Thou mayest not sacrifice the Passeover in any of thy gates we have been taught that this is a prohibition to kil it in a private High-place although it be in the time when private High-places were permitted See Ains in Deut. 16. 5. and such a private Altar as this was at Bethlem where Ishai had a yeerly Sacrifice and Feast for all the family 1 Sam. 20. 26. and such a private Altar as this did Saul build with stone 1 Sam. 14. 35. And of these Altars it is said that when Asa and Jehosaphat destroyed the Idolatrous High-places that they did not destroy these High-places 1 King 22. 43. 2 Chron. 15. 17. Now from all the premises it follows That seeing they might not kill their Passeovers at several High-places nor sprinkle the blood on several Altars but at the general High-place and at the general Altar onely That all the Passeovers in Canaan could not be killed and their blood sprinkled in so short a time as about the time of Sun-set and therefore that Command in Deut. 16. 6. at the going down of the Sun must not be understood of the Sun-set Evening but it must be understood of the whole time of the Suns declining from Mid-day till Sun-set just according to the time of the two Evenings in Exod. 12. 6. 2. Let me adde another Reason why the going down of the Sun in Deut. 16. 6. cannot be understood of the time of Sun-set namely The Passeover day was no Sabbath it was but a half holy-day because the fifteenth day according to the date of the person purified began at Sun-set but no Passeover might be sacrificed after the fifteenth day was come but all are commanded to be sacrificed in the fourteenth day at Even 3. No other part of the fourteenth day was commanded to be kept holy but the Evening of the fourteenth day The Jerusalemy and the Babylonian Thalmuds say that men
seventh day in the Evening before as they did this yeerly fasting-Sabbath For Maymony saith Such works as may be done on the Evening of a Feast-day they do not upon a Feast-day c. See Ain in 23. 7. By this testimony it is evident that they did not hold the Evening before their festival-Sabbaths to be as holy as the day it self 2 Maymony saith It is unlawful to do works in the Evening of the festival Sabbaths from the time of the Evening Sacrifice and forwards Even as on the Evenings of the Sabbaths and who so doth work in them shall never see a sign of a Bessing and he is to be rebuked and to be made to leave off by force though he is not for it to be scourged or excommunicated except in the Evening of the Passeover after Mid-day whoso doth work therein after Mid-day is to be scourged or excommunicated with the Niddui for the Evening of the fourteenth day of Nishan is not like the Evening of other festival dayes because in it are the Feast and the killing of Sacrifices See Ains in Lev. 23. 5. Two things are observable from this Record of Maymony 1 That the Jews did make some kind of preparation both to their festival-Sabbaths and to their Sabbath or seventh day from the time of the Evening Sacrifice and forwards 2 Hence it is evident that the Hebrew Doctors did not esteem any part of the Evening before their Sabbaths to be as holy as the day following because they did neither scourge nor excommunicate any man for working in the Evening before their Sabbaths as they did for working in the Passeover Evening and the reason is plain because they esteemed both the parts of the Passeover-Evening to be the very day of the Passeover it self but it seems they did not esteem the Evening before the Sabbath to be any true part of the Sabbath it self for doubtlesse if they had esteemed it as a true part of the Sabbath it self they would not onely have scourged and excommunicated such persons that did presume to work in the Evening before the Sabbath but also they would have stoned them to death if they had presumptuously broken the rest of the holy Sabbath Numb 15. 35. And as Maymony makes the Evening of the Passeover not like the Evening that went before their festival Sabbaths nor like the Evening that went before their weekly Sabbath So I may say of the Evening that went before the day of Attonement that it was more strict for holy rest than the Evening that went before any of the other Sabbaths From all the Premises I conclude that no day in all the yeer was commanded to be of such a length for strict Rest as this day was for the strict Rest of this day and the strict Fast of this day began in the Sacrifice Evening or else at the beginning of the latter Evening of the ninth day and it continued not onely till a little after the Sun-set Evening of the tenth day as Maymony saith But also it continued longer for some of the holy duties of the tenth day could not be finished till Mid-night after for 1 The Priests must eat their part of the publick Sin-offering Num. 29. 11. which must be eaten in the same day in which it was offered Lev. 6. 26. as other Sacrifices were Lev. 7. 15 18. and yet the Priests could not eat the holy flesh of this publick Sin-offering till after Sun-set for the fast of this day was not fully ended till after Sun-set and therefore also they might not begin to Cook that holy flesh untill the Fast was fully ended Hence it follows that the same day did still continue till after Sun-set yea untill it was Mid-night 2 The Priests had another work to do within the limits of this tenth day namely they must burn all the fats and peeces of all the publick Evening-sacrifices of this day which were many and some of their Evening-sacrifices were also offered neer unto Sun-set and therefore this work and duty of burning would require not only the more diligence but also the more time to finish this 〈…〉 â—ay of Attonement was sweet savor upon the Lords Altar in its own proper day as I have noted the commanded season thereof more at large in Lev. 6. 9. 3 It appears that some of the works which appertained to the morning-sacrifice of this tenth day must begin at Mid-night and that some of the works which must be done about the Evening-sacrifice were such as could not be ended untill the Mid-night after For the first work that must be done on this day in preparation to the Morning-sacrifice was the taking away the ashes from the Altar and these ashes they must begin to take away at Mid-night as Maymony saith See Ains in Lev. 6. 10. And in another place he saith they took away the ashes at Mid-night and ordered the wood c. and at the break of day they began to kill the daily Morning-sacrifice See Ains in Lev. 16. 4. In like sort they could not finish the burning of all the Evening-sacrifices of this day till Mid-night as I have shewed above from Lev. 6. 9. and yet over and above this full day from Mid-night to Mid-night they began their strict Fast and their strict Rest in the Evening of the ninth day which did increase the length of this day to be an extraordinary long Fasting-Sabbath Hence I conclude That the beginning of this day cannot be alleged as an exemplary pattern neither for the beginning of any other Fasting-day nor yet for the beginning of our Lords day as it is intended by those that allege it for the beginning and ending of the Jews weekly Sabbath from Even to Even CHAP. VII Answering their Opinion more particularly that hold the Lords day to begin at Evening And four Objections are Answered Object 1. IT is objected that our Lords day is come in the place of the Jewish Sabbath which began at Evening and for the proof of this they allege the Example of Nehemiah he is said to shut up the Gates of Jerusalem when it began to be dark before the Sabbath Neh. 13. 19. they expound the word Before and the word Dark in favour of their opinion thus 1 The word Before the Sabbath they say doth mean just before the face or present beginning of the Sabbath 2. The word Dark they say doth mean when it was full Twilight namely when the darknesse in the Skie was somewhat more than the light in the Skie for as long as the light in the Skie is more than darknesse they say the Sun is the cause of it and hence they conclude that the Sun cannot be said to be set till the darknesse in the Skie be more in quantity than the light in the Skie and this they make to be the punctual time of the Sun-set evening when the Jews Sabbath began namely when a Man could not see to read or a Woman to sâ—w Ans This
verses must be expounded with relation to the story of Adams Fall Re-creation and Reconciliation by the Promised-Seed And therefore it follows by necessary consequence that Adams Re-creation by the Seed of the woman must be considered as the finishing act of the six dayes creation before the seventh day was ordained to be a Sabbath And by this Rule of Exposition many words also in the said three verses must be so expounded as having a holy equivocation in them namely as having a mysticall sense as well as a literall As for example under this word Made and Created must be understood the mystical and spiritual Creation as well as the literal and visible Creation And under the word Finished must be understood not 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 Eve were Re-created before the seventh day that is to say in the Dâ—awn from Gen. 2. 1. If all the Host of Heaven and Earth were finished before the seventh day then it must needs follow that Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day 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 dwelieth Righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. 13. And it is 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 taken from the word Had finished as it is joyned to the 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 what else can that finishing act be but Adams Recreation by the Promised Seed 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 to 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 iâ— 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 That by him all things consist Col. 1. 17. and in this respect also he is See also ch 4 ch 6 at Sixthly 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 fro 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 he 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
Prophet Jeremy A new created thing in the Earth A Virgin shall compasse a man Jer. 31. 22. This whole Chapter is a Prophesie of the dayes of the Messiah as any considerate Reader may easily discern I put in the term Virgin instead of our translated term Woman and yet I find no fault with the term Woman provided the interpretation be of a Virgin-Woman but if the term Woman be taken for one that hath a Husband in that sense I dislike the term for it is no new created thing for a woman that hath a husband to compasse a man-child in her womb 2 I dissent from them that think the word Compasse doth mean the crafty fetches of an immodest woman seeking as an agent to circumvent some man or other into the bond of mariage This Interpretation cannot stand because this is no new created thing 3 I dissent from them that make this Woman to be the generality of the Jews that shall conquer the great Empire of the Turks for this new device doth not make this new created thing But to me it is most evident that this new created thing is nothing else but the humane nature of Christ encompassed in the womb of a Virgin First of the Virgin Eve And secondly of the Virgin Mary And at this new created thing no doubt but Adam and Eve did as much wonder as the Angels did at the hanging of the earth upon nothing Job 38. 7. yea this new created thing may justly ravish both Men and Angels with wonderment as it doth 1 Tim. 3. 16 1 Pet. 1. 12. Exod. 25. 20. By this Vision the Prophet Jeremy did call backsliding Israel to consider this new created thing saying by way of wonderment at their unbeleef How long wilt thou go about O thou backsliding daughter for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth A Virgin-woman shall compasse a man Hence it is evident that if this backsliding Daughter had but duly considered this new created thing it would have wrought true conversion in them as well as it did in Adam and Eve But who hath beleeved our report saith the Prophet in the like case Es 53. 1. Isaiah would have cured wicked Ahaz his unbeleef with this sign Es 7. 14. but this new created thing did not work admiration in his affections as it did in Adam and Eve and therefore it did him no good After Jeremy had propounded this new created thing for the conversion of back-sliding Israel he said I awaked and behold my sleep was sweet unto me Jer. 31. 26. it wrought sweet affections of joy in the consideration of it But if Jeremy had conceived as some Interpreters do that this woman had been a subtill immodest woman then I marvell how he could have had any sweet content in that consideration when he awoke By this woman therefore I do not only understand the Virgin Mary that did actually compasse the Humane nature of Christ in her womb but I do also understand the Virgin Eve that did virtually compasse him in her womb by faith for God did exhibit the Messiah to her in a gracious Proposition in the cool of the sixth day while she was a Virgin And it is remarkable that the Prophet Jeremy doth speak of this new created thing both in the time past and also in the time to come Behold saith he the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth and in the next clause he speaks of it as of a thing to come A Virgin shall compasse a man or a man-child for a man-child is called A man Job 3. 2. Joh. 16. 21. So then this phrase God had finished his work which he had made before the seventh day includes all this that I have spoken of the Humane nature of Christ as I have also noted it in Chap. 3. R. 2. Also the extent of this term created and made is very large for it is often applied to things that are new marvellous and glorious Es 65. 18. Ex. 34. 10. Num. 16. 30. also it is applied to Gods powerfull acts Deut. 3. 24. and to things that are done in a miraculous manner above nature Joh. 2. 9. In all which regards the humane nature of Christ as it was compassed in the womb of a Virgin that never knew man may well be called a glorious powerful and miraculous new created thing in the earth to the sound conversion of a true considerate heart 2 This new created thing the Prophet Agur doth make to be the greatest wonder of all the four which he doth name and compare together in Prov. 30. 18 19. Three things saith he are too wonderful for me yea four that I know not 1 The way of an Eagle in the air 2 The way of a Serpent from a Rock 3 The way of a ship in the midst of the Sea And 4 The way of a man in a Virgin The Hebrew word which is translated Woman in this place doth properly signifie such a woman as never knew man by carnal generation This Hebrew word is never used for a polluted Adultresse as some would have it to mean in this place 2 Neither is this Hebrew word used for a maried woman but alwayes for a Virgin that never knew man Examine the several places where this Hebrew word is used and that will confirm the truth of my observation It is used but six times only in Scripture Gen. 24. 43. Ps 68. 25. Cant. 1. 2. Cant. 6. 7. Es 7. 14. Prov. 30. 19. in the first five places no question is made by any to the contrary all the question is about this last place in Prov. 30. 19. and yet if the scope of the Prophet Agur in this Chapter be well marked there is no more question of this place than of the rest for in this Chapter the Prophet Agur doth speak of Christ in our nature and calls him Ithiel and Vcall vers 1. Mr. Broughton in Ecclesiastes pag. 11. saith that Agur speaks of Gods dwelling in Christ named Ithiel and Vcall which signifies God with me even the mighty so that we see the Prophet Agur doth call the Mediator Ithiel and Vcall in the very same sense that Esay calls him Immanuel the notation is much alike in both places Therefore seeing the Prophet Agur doth speak of Christ in our nature in the fore-front of this Prophesie what lets but that he may speak also of his wonderful strange conception in the womb of a Virgin the wonderfulnesse whereof he doth illustrate by way of comparison to three other things that are beyond the power of humane reason to find out For first who can find out the path-way where a ship hath gone in the middest of the Sea Or secondly the path-way where an Eagle hath flown in the midst of the air Or thirdly the path-way of a Serpent from the Rock Put fourthly who can find out how a Man-child can be conceived in the womb of a Virgin that never knew man the Prophet Agur
all his Creation till he had re-created Adam and setled him and all the rest of the Creation upon the Rock Christ and in this respect God doth often complain of Mans sin as a heavie burden to his Soul Amos 5. 2 13 Es 1. 14. And as the sin of the old World did grieve God to the heart Gen. 6. 6. so no doubt but Adams sin above any other sin did grieve him to his heart untill God had re-created Adam and Eve by the promised Seed and put the whole Creation under his government and then God rested the seventh day and was refreshed that is to say the grief of his heart which fell upon him in the sixth day by reason of Adams sin was removed from him by the Mediators undertaking to make a reconciliation by his propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement in the cool of the sixth day and from that day forwards God instructed Adam how to offer Sacrifices of Attonement as a liverly memorial thereof and thenceforth all Sacrifices of Attonement are called sacrifices of rest to Jehovah and sweet sacrifices of rest Gen. 8. 21. because Christs Sacrifice doth quiet and pacifiâ— Gods Soul that was so exceedingly displeased and grieved for Adams sin and therefore the Seventy call sacrifices of rest sweet Sacrifices which phrase of theirs Paul doth approve and use Eph. 5. 2. they are also called sacrifices of Attonement or propitiatory Sacrifices Upon this new settlement of the Creation upon the Mediator All the Trinity rested and were refreshed on the seventh day because they had perfected mans happiness by a Re-creation God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost were refreshed now all the blessed Trinity our blessed Creators and Makers did rejoyce in the works of their hands 1 The Father was refreshed with great joy of heart because he had found out a Reconciler and because his lost Son was found again Luk. 15. 2 The Son rejoyced and was refreshed because he had taken upon him the Person and Office of a Mediator that so hee might seek and save that which was lost Matth. 18. 11 12 13 14. 3 The Holy Ghost rejoyced and was refreshed because hee had re-created the heart of Adam and Eve and filled their Souls with joy unspeakable and glorious by inabling them to beleeve in the promised Seed as the Procurator of the Fathers Attonement by his propitiatory sacrifice And truly this work of Re-creation must needs be a ground of perfect rest and of joyful refreshing to such blessed Creators that could tell how to finde out such a mysterious way to create a-new that glorious work that was so confounded and spoyled by Satans Head-plot The Angels also rejoyced at the conversion of Adam and Eve saying Glory to God in the highest and on the earth peace and good will towards men Luk. 2. 14. and this must needs bee so because they rejoyce at the conversion of every sinner that repenteth Luk. 15. 7. Adam and Eve did also keep a blessed rest upon the Sabbath for their Souls were rejoyced and refreshed because they did by faith rest on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot And thus the first seventh day was a joyful day of rest and rerefeshing both to all the Trinity to all the Elect Angels and to repenting Adam and Eve and so it is to all true repenting and beleeving sinners Amen And it is further evident that Gods rest on the seventh day was nothing else but the quieting of his mind in Christs Sacrifice of Attonement because God is said to rest in several types of Christ as well as in the seventh day in relation to his resting on the Mediator for mans Redemption from Sathans Head-plot 1 The Land of Canaan is called Gods Rest Exod. 33. 14. Psal 95. 11. Heb. 4. 1. because God had appointed that Land to be the resting place of his Tabernacle and Temple Jos 22. 19. 2 Sam. 7. which did typifie the humane nature of Christ Joh. 2. 19. Heb. 8. 2. Heb. 9. 11. where his Sacrifices of Rest might onely be offered 2 The Tabernacle is called Gods Rest Psal 132. 8. 3 Zion is called Gods Rest Psal 132. 13 14. 4 The Temple is called Gods Rest 2 Chron. 6. 41. and the house of his Rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord 1 Chron. 28. 2. 5 All Sacrifices of Attonement are called Sacrifices of Rest because they have a sweet savor that gives rest to the disquieted senses Gen. 8. 21. Exod. 29. 18. Num. 15. 3. Ez. 20. 14. But no man I think will say that God did rest in any of these things otherwise than as they were types of the Mediators Person and Sacrifice wherein onely Gods soul doth rest as in the onely Mediatorial procuring cause of his Attonement for mans Redemption from Sathans Head-plot The Tabernacle wherein God did dwell among the Sons of Israel was three times over most carefully described by Moses 1 In Exod. 25. 2 In Exod. 36. 3 In Exod. 39. 32 to 43. This three fold telling of the Tabernacle which God did after cast off saith one of the Hebrew Doctors was not to shew that God did so highly rest in it for it self but to shew that he only rested in the Tabernacle of the Messiah and because the blessed Martyr Stephen knew that the High Sanedrim did rest after an outward hypocritical manner in the Temple he did upbraid their foolish confidence saying The most High dwelleth not or resteth not in Temples made with hands Act 7. 48. implying that the most High did onely rest in Christ that was typified by the Temple So then the place of Gods rest and of fallen mans rest lyes onely in the work of Reconciliation by the Mediators Sacrifice of Attonement Conclusion From all the Premises I conclude That Gods rest on the seventh day was his satisfying delight and his sweet content in Christ because he was ordained to be the Seed of the Woman to break the Devills Head-plot by his Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement and because God had setled the whole Creation upon the Mediator whose work was so perfect that nothing was lacking to the perfection thereof And therefore it follows that God ordained the Sabbath not in the time of Adams Innocency but after his Fall and Re-creation CHAP. IX Proving that God blessed the first seventh day with many Spiritual Ordinances such as were apt to convey Spiritual and Eternal blessednesse to faln man THis sentence God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it Gen. 2. 3. doth contain in it a full description how God did blesse the seventh day for the good of faln man 1 I will speak of the word Blessed in this Chapter 2 I will speak of the word Sanctified in the next Chapter 1 It is meet to inquire how God did blesse the first seventh day Did he blesse it with any natural blessing above the other six dayes Hath he bestowed a greater blessing of fairer weather or the
3. for by these Ordinances it is published to the world that Christ is the Seed of the Woman in whom all Nations of the earth are blessed Gen. 12. 3. Act. 3 26. Gal 3. 14. Object But here it may be objected That in likelyhood God did not ordain any publick Ordinances in the first seventh day nor in many other Sabbaths after because for a long time there was no competent number of persons to make a publick meeting and after that Adam Eve had children yet for many yeers they could not be able to understand the use and benefit of Ordinances and Ordinances cannot be called Publick where there is no more but two persons to meet together two persons cannot be called a publick Church-Assembly Two persons where no more can bâ— had may be called a true Church of Christ and may exercise Gods Ordinanceâ— after a publick maner Rev 11 3. Answ Two persons where no more can be had may be called a true Church of Christ and may exercise Gods Ordinances in a true publick manner for the Church of Christ under the persecutions of Antichrist is called by the name of Two Witnesses Rev. 11. 3. though the Church of Christ were many thousands in those times yet it is called by the name of Two Witnesses because by Moses Law two Witnesses were accounted sufficient to confirm any truth Deut. 17. Hence I infer that if no more but two can be had to testifie the truth against Antâ—christ they are to be esteemed as a true Church of Christ and therefore they may be called a true Church of Christ as well as two thousand and our Saviour saith That where two or three are gathered together in his name there he will be present in the midst of them Matth. 18. Mat. 18. 19 20. 19 20. Simeon and Levy made a Church when they agreed together to Gen. 49. 6. destroy the Sichemites for Jacob saith of them thus My glory be thou not joyned with their Rahal that is to say with their Church Gen. 49. 6. Their Church I grant was a Church of evill doers but yet they were a sufficient number to make a Church though at this time overcome with the temptation of revenge then why might not Re-created Adam and Eve make a Church of Christ much more and so consequently injoy Gods Ordinances as publick Ordinances seeing God did blesse the seventh day with Ordinances and sanctifie it that is to say God did command them to sanctifie it by the use of the said ordinances I conclude therefore that Christ Jesus did command Adam and Eve to exercise those Ordinances wherewith he was pleased to blesse the Sabbath as a Church of Christ and from thenceforth he hath and will continue his Church upon the face of the earth to the worlds end though it may and hath oftentimes been brought to a very small number as it was at the Flood and at the building of Babel and in the dayes of Abraham when God called him to come away from his Country and from his Idolatrous kindred Gen. 12. and in the dayes of Job and in the dayes of Enosh for after Seth had lived a hundred and five yeers which was Gen. 4. 26. two hundred thirty five yeers from the Creation of Adam then many of Adams children did not abide in the Truth they did not regard the Sabbath nor the Sabbath Ordinances but they regarded the Daughters of Cain more than the children of God and took them wifes of all that they liked And then grew prophanesse instead of calling upon the name of Lord Gen. 4. 26. Godly Seth for very grief of this prophane generation called his son Enosh that is to say Sorrowful So Tremelius in his Elder Editions doth read the text though Junius hath since altered him to a clean contrary sense and so doth Mr. Broughton read it and all the Hebrew Doctors in general and Mr. Ainsworth comes neer them But if the children of the Church had but continued to regard the holy Sabbath and the Ordinances thereof as they did in The disregarding of the Sabbath and the Ordinances thereof is the high way to all prophaness and Apostacy Adams first dayes before Abel was killed for Religion they could not have faln into so deep an Apostacy as they did in the dayes of Enoch for if men will but reverently attend unto the exercise of those spiritual Ordinances wherewith God did first blesse the seventh day they should doubtlesse be made partakers of the spiritual blessing that Christ Jesus hath annexed thereto for the good Shepherd Christ Jesus hath promised to all his Sheep that will be guided and governned by his Ordinances That he will make them and the places round about his Hill and to be a blessing and that there shall be showers of blessing upon them Ezek. 34. 26. and so the Prophet Isaiah Ezek. 34. 26. testifieth saying Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sabbath and poluteth it not and that taketh hold of my Covenant as Adam did when he beleeved that the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their Burnt-offerings and their Sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar Es 56. 2 6 7. Hence it is manifest that those that regard the Sabbath and the Sabbath Ordinances shall be blessed with spiritual blessings in heavenly things And if God blesse who shall curse for his blessing maketh rich Prov. 10. 22. it makes them rich with temporal blessings that diligently attend upon their Civil imployments and so it also maketh them rich with spiritual blessings that diligently attend upon Gods Sabbath Ordinances Gods blessing did increase the Widows oyl and the five loaves and two fishes and therefore his blessing is called Multiplication Gen. 1. 22. and sometimes it is called A rich reward 2 King 5. 15. and sometimes it is called Gods Liberality Prov. 11. 25. compared with 2 Cor. 9. 5. Yea Gods blessing is so plentifull and so powerfull upon his Sabbath Ordinances that he is said to Command his blessing upon Sion and life for evermore Psal 133. therefore his blessing wherewith he blessed the first seventh day must needs be mighty in operation even to the Re-creation and Conversion of many ten thousand souls Heb. 4. 12. Luke 11. 28. and therefore David doth by way of Exclamation cry out O blessed are they that dwell in thy house Psal 84. 4. namely they are thus blessed that do as it were dwell there by their frequent and constant resort to his Ordinances for his Ordinances are apt to convey blessings to the diligent soul And therefore Paul told the Romans that when he should come unto them He should come with abundance of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 15. 29. The Apostle made account that the preaching of the Gospel would inrich them with abundance of spiritual blessings and this blessing doth
I shall yet a little further endeavour to make this point more evident namely that the sanctified rest of the seventh day was ordained to be as a sanctified sign of fallen mans resting on the promised seed by faith for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot for Mans redemption and so consequently as a sign of mans eternal rest in Heaven hereafter Reas 1. Because the Sabbath in respect of the strict rest of it is called a sign of the everlasting Covenant Exod. 31. 13. 17. Exod. 31. 13 17 Hâ—b 4. 3 9 10 Heb. 4. 3 9 10. now there is no everlasting Covenant but that which is made in the Bloud of Christ and this Covenant of bringing man to Life thereby is the only sure thing to rest upon but this Covenant was not made with Man in innocency but after his Fall therefore the Sabbath was not ordained to be a sign of this everlasting Covenant till after Adam fell and therefore Adam fell before the seventh day Reas 2. Because God ordained sundry other things to be sanctified types and signs of mans resting on Christ by faith as Synonima to the rest of the seventh day as any that have their understandings wel exercised in the Scriptures may easily discern 1 Consider this that God sanctified the outward rest of all the Festival Sabbaths as the type of our resting on the Seed of the Woman by faith for the breaking of the Devils head-plot and this is evident by Moses description of them in Levit. 23. there he reckons up eight several Festival Sabbaths in order but hee puts the seventh day first because it is the chiefest of them all for it is the ground and foundation of all the rest and it is to be specially noted that Moses doth call the seventh day a Festival Sabbath ver 2. as well as all the rest and yet it was no Feasting Sabbath in respect of Belly-cheer as the rest were except in a Spiritual sense and in that sense the Holy Rest of them all did typifie the same spiritual resting on the seed of the Woman and the same spiritual feasting on the propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ for Mans redemption which was typified by their feasting on their Peace-offerings on their Festival Sabbaths and so the day of Attonement though it were a day of strict fasting yet it was a day of Spiritual feasting and resting on the promised Seed as the seventh day was 2 The sanctified rest of the seventh day did typifie the same things that Josuahs rest did for in six years War he conquered the Canaanites and in the seventh year the Land rested The Apostle doth make this rest and the rest of the seventh day to bee both alike Heb. 4. for he doth first make them to typifie our Spiritual rest on Christ by faith and secondly to typifie our eternal rest in Heaven at last Heb. 4. 3. 9 10. Heb. 4. 3 9 10 3 The Sabbatical years of rest in Lev. 25. and the Sabbatical Jubile of rest which is also called a great Sabbath in Levit. 25. 4. did alike typifie our resting on Christ by faith for our full deliverance from the servitude of Satan just answerable to the typical rest of the seventh day and in that respect Moses doth compare the typical rest of them all together in Exod. 23. Exod. 23. 10 11 12. 10 11 12. None can be ignorant of the manifold great troubles that did often fall out upon Gods people in the Land of Canaan soon after the rest which it had in Joshuahs seventh year but yet notwithstanding so sweet was that rest which Joshua obtained for them after six years War that God was pleased to make that year of rest to begin the Chronologie of all their Sabbatical years of rest from thence till all ended in the Death and Sacrifice of Christ who is the true rest of all beleeving sinners and by allusion to this typical rest our Saviour doth invite all poor and heavie laden sinners to come unto him and they shall find rest to their souls Matth. 11. 29. Es 11. 10. Eze. 34. 15 25 27 28 Jer. Mat. 11. 29 33. 15 16. Jer. 30. 10. And our Saviour in Luke 4. 19. doth expound the true nature of Luk. 4. 18 19 that spiritual rest that was typified by the Sabbatical rest of the Jubile 1 By calling it the acceptable year of the Lord and 2 By telling us in vers 18. that God had annoynted him to preach the Gospel to the poor to heal the Broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of Sight to the Blind and that he should set at liberty them that are bruised this opens the sweet rest and refreshing of Soul that every poor humbled sinner doth finde by the seed of the Woman in breaking the Devils Head-plot for their deliverance help and healing And this famous deliverance by the seed of the Woman was accomplished by his propitiatory sacrifice in a Sabbatical year of Jubilee namely in the twenty eighth Jubilee as may be seen in Brougbtons Consent 4 The redemption of Israel out of Aegypt by the Typical sign of the Bloud of the Paschal Lamb is laid down as the main reason why God did sanctifie the rest of the seventh day in Deut. 5. 14 15. and that shews that not the Visible but the Spiritual Deut. 5. 14 15 Creation was the true ground and reason why God blessed and sanctified the first seventh day Hence it follows from the Premises that the Holy Rest of the seventh day was a typical sign of our resting on Christ by faith for our redemption from Satans Head-plot Object Why doth God in Exod. 20. 11 command man to rest on the Exod. 20. 11 Sabbath Day from all bis Works because he rested on the seventh day from Creating the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein visible and invisible Col. 1. 16. seeing in Deut. 5. 15. he gives another differing reason as the only ground of commanding man to rest on the Sabbath Day Deut. 5. 15 because Jehovah thy God brought thee out of Aegypt by a strong hand namely by killing all their first born but delivering the first born of Israel by the bloud of the Lamb sprinkled on their door posts as a sign of their redemption c. Answ I answer that the true ground and reason of Gods rest and of his commanding man to rest in both places is alike there is no difference at all if the true sense of both places bee rightly understood for God rested not from the works of Creaation Our Redemption from Satans Head-plot was the last finishing act of the whole Creation therefore iâ— must needs be the only true reason of Gods rest and of his commanding man to rest on the first seventh day untill he had made the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein as Christ doth testifie Exod. 20. 11. now if all things in Heaven and Earth were made in six days then
Feast of Unleavened-bread seven dayes and seven dayes with joy 2 Chr. 30. 22 23. 2 Chr. 30. 22 23. 10 God honoured the seventh day by instructing Joshua how to subdue the City Jericho by the divine art of Seven he directed him to compasse about the City seven dayes with the Ark of Gods presence and seven Priests must go before the Ark having seven Trumpets made of seven Rams horns and on the seventh day they must compasse the City seven times and at the seventh time the seven Priests must blow with their seven Trumpets and then the wall of the City should fall down flat Jos 6. 4 5. This divine Miracle by the number seven was doubtlesse so done in honor of the first famous seventh day wherein God rested from all his works when he had made the Creation perfect and intire lacking nothing by the Redemption and Gubernation of the Promised Seed 11 It is not without a divine Allusion to the seventh day that the Golden Candlestick was framed into seven branches yea all the particulars of it were so contrived that when they are exactly counted they do amount to just six sevens as the Hebrew Doctors have cast them and they say that this number is so necessary that if it did but fail in one particular it failed in all See Ains in Exod. 25. 31. And accordingly if it be but regarded the sixth day and the seventh day have the most famous stories belonging unto them that are in all the Bible 12 The number seven is made famous by the Holy Ghost in the Mystical Revelation which Christ commanded the Apostle John to write for the use and benefit of his Redeemed servants to the end of the world There the Vision of the seven Golden Caandlesticks represented the seven Churches of Asia and to the said seven Churches there doth belong seven Stars and seven Angels there are also seven Angels with seven Trumpets and seven Angels with seven Incense cups of wrath pouring out seven plagues there are also seven Thunders uttering seven voyces and a Book with seven Seals there are also seven Spirits seven Horns and seven Eyes Rev. 5. On the contrary there is given to the Dragon seven Heads and seven Crowns Rev. 12. 3. and the seven Heads are the seven Mountains Rev. 17. 9. and there are also seven Kings c. Can all these particulars be without any allusion to the first famous seventh day I suppose that no advised Expositor dares affirm the contrary 2 I come now to the second thing to be marked touching the 2 Divers 〈◊〉 persons of rare eminency in Scripture are marked cut by the number 7 in an honorable remembrance of the first famous seventh day number Seven namely that God hath marked out many holy men of special note by the number seven in an honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day 1 Henoc is noted by the Holy Ghost to be a Prophet and to be the seventh from Adam Jude v. 14. He was rare in the faith of Christ Heb. 11. 5. and he was by the mighty power of God taken away from the wicked Apostate world because they were not worthy of him when he was Three hundred sixty five yeers old Gen. 5. 23. just answerable to the dayes of the yeer according to the course of the Sun and as he was the seventh Patriarch so when he was taken away there remained seven Patriarchs alive as witnesses of his Translation And by his name it is evident that his Father did at his Birth dedicate him to God in opposition to those Apostate times for the impiety of those dayes is noted out to our hand by the Prophecie of Enoch in Jude v. 14 15. Behold saith he the Lord cometh with thousands of his Saints to give Jude 14 15 judgement upon all men and to rebuke all the ungodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they have impiously committed and of all their wicked speakings which wicked sinners have spoken against him The horrible impiety of those days is also noted out unto us by the wicked tyrannical speeches of Lamech and Cain in Gen. 4. 23 24. and Gen. 4. 23 24 Job 22. 25 2 Pet. 2. 5 their impiety and wicked speakings is also noted out unto us by Job 22. 15. and by Peter for he calls them the world of the ungodly 2 Pet. 2. 5. Obj. Here it may be demanded how it can be proved that Enoch did Propbesy that the wicked world should be drowned by a deluge Ans Jude saith that Enoch did Prophesy saying Behold the Lord cometh with thousands of his Saints to give judgement upon all men and what other Judgement did come in general upon all men but the floud Secondly His Prophecy that God would destroy the wicked World by a Floud is briefly and yet plainly enough declared in the name which he gave to his Son at his birth for he called him Meth-u-shelach which in English sounds thus Meth hee dyeth or when this Childe dyeth U then Shelah he sendeth or God sendeth and what else did God send but the Judgement threatned upon all men in general as I noted above and what judgement was that but the floud This famous Prophet is called the seventh from Adam doubtlesse in an Honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day Moses saith He walked with God Gen. 5. 24. but the Apostle Gen. 5. 24 Heb. 11. 5 doth thus expound it He pleased God Heb. 11. 5 6. for when hee offered sacrifice he looked to Christ the true Sacrifice which only pleaseth God Mat. 3. 17. and in the course of his life he walked in obedience to Gods will Secondly Eber was the seventh from Enoch he was another rare man for grace and godlinesse for he kept the faith at the building of the Tower of Babel when all the other Families of Noah did Apostatise therefore God hath honoured his memonial in a double respect 1 In communicating unto him the spirit of Prophecy as well as he had done to Enoch as we may gather by the name which he gave his Son at the building of Babel for it is said that hee called his Son Peleg and the reason is added because in his days the earth was divided Gen. 10. 25. Now he that could give his Son Gen. 10. 2◠such a name as to declare such an event must needs be a Prophet and by this wee may certainly know that he preached to the builders of Babel that though they had high imaginations to build a Tower whose top might reach unto Heaven that they might in a near distance worship the Sun Moon and Starres thinking thereby to get themselves another Sem or name for now they had rejected Sems Tents and had removed themselves from Canaan where Sem and Eber lived into Babylon in despite of Sem who had the promise of the blessed Seed to come from his Ioyns therefore the Prophet Eber did tell them that for that
began to kill their Passeovers at half an hour after two a Clock but if the Passeover day fell out to be the * Some think of no other Evening belonging to the Jews Sabbath but the evening before the Sabbath but they are grosly mistaken for that was no otherwise the evening of the Sabbath but in relation to the new day to the purified person but the evening of the Sabbath it self began and ended as the Passeover evening did from mid-day to mid-night evening of the Sabbath namely that evening of the Sabbath which began at Mid-day then they began to kill their Passeover sooner But still this must be remembred which Maymony often noteth that they never kild any Passeover till after the daily evening Sacrifice and some other services that did ever accompany it See Ains in Numb 28. 4. But say the Hebrew Doctors God setteth no particular hour neither for the killing of the daily evening Sacrifice nor yet for the killing of the Passeover but in general he commanded them to be killed between the two evenings Hence it follows That if they killed the daily evening Sacrifice or the Passeover or the Peace-offerings in any part of the after-noon between the time of Mid-day and the Sun-set evening they were allowable and according to Gods own limited time But because God requires that all his Worship in all the Circumstances of it should be done decently and in order both in regard of time place and persons therefore the chief Rulers of the people thought it their duty to suit all the particular businesses about the Passeover and the daily evening Sacrifice to certain particular hours in the evening so as all things might be done with the best conveniency decency and order that one duty might not shoulder out another The Hebrew Doctors in the Babylonian Thalmud say thus the daily evening Sacrifice was killed at the eighth hour and a half and it was offered at the ninth hour and a half that is to say at half an hour after three a Clock But in the evening of the Passover it was killed at the seventh hour and a half and offered at the eighth hour and a half that is to say at half an hour after two a Clock But if the evening of the Passeover did fall out to be upon the evening of the Sabbath then it was killed at the sixth hour and a half that is to say at half an hour after twelve a Clock and it was offered at seven and a half See Ains in Exod. 12. 6. Buxtorfius also in his Hebrew Lexicon upon the word Gnarbaiim doth from the Hebrew Doctors shew that if the Passeover evening fell upon the Sabbath evening that then they began to kill the daily evening Sacrâ—fice at half an hour after twelve a Clock because of the manifold businesses that belonged to the Sabbath besides the killing of their Passeovers therefore that the doing of one duty might not thrust out another their Wise-men did set an order of time when they should begin to kill the daily evening Sacrifice which in all the days of the year was deferred to the last place exceptâ—on the Passeover evening and then it was ever preferred to the first place and when ever the Passeover evening fell upon a Sabbath then they began to kill it at half an hour after twelve a Clock and that was as soon as ever they could perceive the shadow of the evening to be stretched out or declined and the only reason why they began thus early upon the Sabbath evening was because they might have sufficient time to finish all the duties of the Sabbath and all their Passeovers before Sun-set for after Sun-set the blood of all Sacrifices became unlawful because God had expresly commanded all evening Sacrifices to be killed between the two Evenings and because they had much work to do on Passeover evenings especially when it fell on the Sabbath they must begin to kill the daily evening Sacrifice at the first declining of the Sun or else they could not kill all by Sun-set for in the time of Josiahs Passeover the Passeovers and Peace-offerings were so many that the Priests could not finish all till night 2 Chron. 35. 14. Obj. 1. You have often cited the Hebrew Doctors as if they did all agree in one That the Natural evening did begin at Mid-day but Mr. Thomas Shepheard in his third Part on the Sabbath Thesis 36. doth affirm that the Hebrew Doctors testimonies are of little worth because they do often contradict one another about the beginning of the evening for though some of them do say that the evening doth begin at Mid-day yet they are over whelmed with crosse testimonies from the most of their Fellows who begin it some about one some about two a Clock in the afternoon and Josephus who is one of most credit in his Writings tels us That they began their first evening about three a Clock in the afternoon Ans I would Mr. Shepheard had cited the particular places where the Hebrew Doctors do crosse one another about the beginning of the Evening for then the particular places should have been examined by the help of such as are expert in their Writings I grant that some of them do speak of the beginning of the Evening at one hour and some at another and yet all this without any contradiction for in regard of severall duties that must be trans-acted at several hours in the evening they had just occasion to speak of the beginning of the evening at several hours in relation to the said several duties that must begin at several hours of the said evening as I noted it in chap. 2. in answer to Obj. 1. at seventhly and as I have noted it immediately afore from the Babylonian Thalmud But if it do appear true that Josephus doth precisely begin the evening at three a clock and not in relation to some special duty then I grant that such a testimony is worthy of due consideration but I beleeve that Josephus is some way or other mistaken for the Thalmud called Jerusalemie which was finished since Josephus See Ains in Advertisement at the end of Deut. wrote namely about the year of our Lord two hundâ—ed and thirty and the other Thalmud called Babelie which was fiâ—ished about the year five hundred do record the Canons and Constitutions of the Jews according to which the Iews do live at this day and no question but they knew Josephus his opinion as well as others that were more antient Doctors and yet these do affirm that the evening begins at mid-day And Moses the sonne of Maymon who lived in the year of our Lord one thousand two hundred hath set down in plainer Hebrew the Expositions Canons and Traditions of the said Thalmuds and of the more antient Hebrew Doctors omitting the fabulous Discourses of the Thalmuds and this Maymony is of such esteem among the Jewish Nation that of him it is said From Moses the