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 fasâ— 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 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 an other 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-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 sew Ans This exposition of the beginning of the Sun-set evening and of the beginning of the Sabbath is a new-found devise I have already shewed the vanity of it in Chapter 4. in my answer to Obj. 2. That the Sun-set evening is truly come as soon as ever the Body of the Sun is gone out of fight and that Darknesse is then begun because the shining of the Sun is gone from off the face of the earth and Darknesse is said to begin at the going down of the Sun in Gen. 15. 17. and then the Jews began to set their Night-watches and then the purified person began the date of the day of his cleanenesse and therefore if the Sabbath it self did begin in the evening at all it began then namely according to the date of the day of the purified person which began as soon as ever the Body of the Sun was gone out of sight as I have shewed in chap. 4. and then if Nehemiah did not set a Watch at the Gates of Jerusalem till the darknesse in the Skie was more than the light in the Skie he did not that which was sufficient to preserve the Holy rest of the Holy Sabbath especially seeing they began to make some preparation to the observation of the Sabbath from the time of the Evening Sacrifice before as I have observed from the Hebrew Doctors But I perceive that such as hold the Sabbath it self to begin in Such as hold the Sabbath to begin â—t the Sun set evening can never prove that Christ lay three days in his Grave the evening are necessitated to seek out such odde expositions as this of the time of the Sun-set evening because else they see that they can never prove that Christ lay three days inclosed in the heart of the earth Mat. 12. 40. and they know that Christ rose from the Dead on the first day of the Week Joh. 20. 19. Hence it follows that he must be inclosed in the heart of the earth in the very self-same Friday in which he was Crucified for the first day of the Week in which he arose from the Dead is called the third Day after 1 Cor. 15. 4. and in these respects it is of necessary consequence to describe the precise time both of his Burial and also of his Resurrection or else a doubting Conscience cannot be rightly established in the truth of his three days lying in the Grave But such as hold the Sabbath to begin at the Sun-set evening can never prove it unlesse they can prove that Christ was inclosed in the heart of the earth some distinct time before Sun-set but Luke saith that the time of Christs Burial was when it began to be Star-light Luk. 23. 54. that is not possible to be done for Luke saith that the Sabbath began to lighten with Star-light when he was inclosed in his Grave Luk. 23. 54. Master Broughton Mr. Weames and the Syriac do render the Translation so and the Seventy use the same Greek word in Job 25. 5. for the light of the Moon and it may as well be used for the light of the Stars for they are called Stars of light Gen. 1. 14 16. Psal 148. 3. Let all the circumstances of time about the burial of Christ bee cast up and laid together and then it will put
Gnarbaiim is eleven times over put for the two distinct parts of the natural Evening p. 19 And because Gnarbaiim the two Evenings are but the two distinct parts of the full natural Evening therefore the Seventy Interpreters do translate them in the singular as one proper Evening p. 22 And the Hebrew Text doth often make the two Evenings to be but one proper Evening p. 23 SECT 3. Proving by seven demonstrative grounds that the natural Evening begins at Mid-day at the first declining of the Sun p. 24 The Jews divided the Artificial day into four great hours as they divided the Night into four Watches p. 27 CHAP. III. This Chapter hath three Sections and five Objections are answered SECT 1. Proving that the time of the first Darknesse was called Boker the Morning at last namely after all the parts of the natural day were shaped framed and set together p. 35 Boker the Morning doth signifie Early p. 35 Boker is put for Gods early seeking out either to punish the wicked or to protect the godly p. 37 Boker is put for the first time and for the first beginning of a thing p. 37 Boker is put for the Sun-set Evening because the time of Sun-set is the first beginning of the Jews Ceremonial day of Cleannesse for then the person purified began the date of his day of Cleannesse p. 40 56 86 SECT 2. Proving that the Morning doth begin in the darknight p. 41 SECT 3. Proving that the Morning in all likelihood doth begin at Midnight besides the former certain proof from the exact beginning and sending of the natural Evening from Mid-day to Midnight p. 44 CHAP. IV. This Chapter hath three Sections and four Objections are answered Proving that the Jews Custome in beginning their weekly Sabbath at the Sun-set Evening was occasioned by their Ceremonial Custome because the persons that were Ceremonially purified were commanded to begin the date of their new day of Cleannesse at that point of time p. 50. And hence it follows 1 That this accidental beginning must not be accounted for the true beginning of the natural day 2 Therefore the Sun-set Evening is not the right time for us Christians to begin our Lords day p. 50 The Jews were cleansed from their Ceremonial defilements in two degrees of time 1 In the time of the afternoon by washing or baptizing their bodies 2 In the time of the second Evening which did alwayes begin at Sun-set then and not till then they must begin the date of their day of Cleannesse p. 51 54 All Israel are called men of Holinesse in regard of their outward purity by their Ceremonial Cleansings p. 54 The Jews Morrow began at Sun-set in Ceremonial respects onely p. 56 86 It is disputed by some that the Sun-set Evening is not fully come untill it be full Twilight or somewhat past or else they confesse it cannot be proved that Christ lay three dayes in his grave p. 57 104 The time of Sun-set is fully come as soon as the body of the Sun is gone out of sight and therefore before it is Twilight p. 57 The time of Christs burial was at Star light p. 7. 105 They did not begin their Religious Festival Suppers untill three Stars appeared in the sky p. 60 The Jews observed a double date of the day 1 They observed the date of their Ceremonial day 2 They observed the date of the Natural day for 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 puâ—ified 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 the twelve Tribes such as the Passeovers were p. 70 The passeover-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
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 after-noon 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 discourse of the Jews Synagogues Discipline But under pain of the Lords displeasure none might approach to the Lords Sanctuary without their legal purificatīons as it is manifest by the example of Gods displeasure against some of Ephraim Manasses when they came to the Passeover in the daies of Hezekiah with out their purifications but as soon as Hezekiah perceived their error which doubtless the consciences of the visited persons made them to acknowledge he prayed to the Lord for them the Lord was intreated and healed the people 2 Chron. 30. 19 20. and for the better avoiding of this error afterwards it was observed as a custom among the Jews to go out of the Country up to Jerusalem before the Feast of Passeover to purifie themselves Joh. 7. 55. which purification was effected by two degrees of cleanness First By baptizing themselves in the first Evening And secondly By the Sun-setting upon them after their baptizing as I have formerly proved the matter for none might approach the Sanctuary until they could declare their purification to the Priests that were the Porters 2 Chron. 23. 19. as Paul did Act. 21. 26. And the Lord did so much approve of their Ceremonial purity both by their actual baptizing and by their abstinence from unclean meats and from all other things else that might defile them That for that very obedience he doth cal the whole Nation All Israel are called men of Holiness in regard of their ceremonial purity Men of holiness Exod. 22. 31. for all the Nation in general were very careful to maintain this kind of holiness And the Hebrew Doctors say that if any man of the common people did but say I am clean to keep the sin-water he was to be trusted for there is no man of Israel too vild for it See Ains in Num. 19. 9. that is to say no man of Israel was too vild for it if he were but Ceremonially clean and in this sense all Israel were holy namely to the purifying of their flesh for the Law is not of Faith Gal. 3. 12. a man might keep the Law to the purifying of his flesh though they wanted saving-Faith to apply the blood of Christ for the cleansing of their consciences from the guilt of sin And thus much touching the first degree of time in which they must perform the first degree of their Ceremonial cleannesse SECT 2. I Come now to speak of the second degree of time wherein their Ceremonial cleanness was perfected and that was as soon as the Sun was set upon them after their Ceremonial baptizing and from that time also they began to date the new day of their cleanness First I prove that God ordained the Sun-set Evening to be the time of perfecting the cleanness of the baptized person ere he None were compleatly purified by being baptized til the Sun was set upon them could begin the day of his cleanness by Deut. 23. 10 11. There Moses saith thus to all Israel If there be in thee a man that is not clean by reason of an accident in the night then he shall go out of the Camp and he shall hath himself in water at the looking forth of the Evening and what then was he now made clean as soon as ever
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 their 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 The time of Christs burial was at Star-light when the said Festival Sabbath did begin to lighten Luk. 23. 54 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 but they did not begin their Festival Supper till three Stars appeared as I have noted in chap. 4. and Luke doth relate to this custom of theirs in shewing that the time of Christs Burial was when the Sabbath began to lighten but I beleeve the chief Priests did deferre the time of their feasting now somewhat longer than at other times because they had some businesse to do with Pilate before they could intend their Festival Supper for they went to Pilate to intreat him that the Sepulchre might be made sure until the third day because this Deceiver said that he would rise again the third day Mat. 27. 62 63. This request of their 's no doubt did occasion their delay to begin their High Sabbath Supper till more than three Stars appeared in the Skie this night Obj. 12. You say the Priests went to Pilate to intreat him to make sure the Sepulchre before they kept their Festival Supper but it is out of doubt I think that they did not go to Pilate till the next morning for Matthew calls the time of their going to Pilate the next day that followed their preparation Mat. 27. 62. Ans Ignorance of the Iewish Customs makes many misconstructions the next day began at Sun-set as I have sufficiently explained the matter in Chap. 4. Sect. 2. and this day followed their Preparation to their Festival Supper for their preparation in the after-noon was either by washing away of some light defilements or else it was their preparation of holy flesh by offering sacrifices c. But Matthews meaning lyes fair and round thus The next day after their preparation which began at the Sun-set evening they assembled unto Pilate to make the fore-said request Hence note that they did not go to Pilate to make this request till the next day namely not till after Sun-set and then also they had commission to make him sure by appointing such a Watch and all this they did after it was Star-light Their Satanical policy would not suffer them to stay so long as until the next morning for then Pilate would have said to them Why did you neglect to set a Watch about his Sepulcre over night as soon as he was buried for if his Disciples had had any minde to steale him away they would have done it in the first part of the night and doubtlesse when the Souldiers came to the chief Priests to tell them what had happened the chief Priests would have said that his Disciples stole him away before they began their watch but the chief Priests could not plead that excuse because they went presently to the sepulchre and made it sure sealing the stone and setting a watch Matth. 27. 66. Hence it follows that they went to Pilate in the beginning of their next Ceremonial day namely presently after Sun-set before they began their Festival Supper 2 Pilates answer to their request implies that they came over-night for Pilate saith You have a Watch go make it sure as you know Hence it follows that they came to Pilate when Watches were wont to be set but if they had not come to him til the next morning then in reason he would have said Get Warders and make it sure Hence it follows that the next day in which
Festival Supper which belonged to the last day of unleavened Bread which was the one and twentieth day of the Month did also bear the date of the two and twentieth day to the person purified and this latter evening was the allowed season for all their Holy Festival Suppers and often-times it was little enough for they must boyl and rost all the flesh of their Peace-offerings which were of the greater kind as sheep and Oxen for no Fowls were allowed for Peace-offerings See Ains in Lev. 3. 6. this did much increase the quantity of their Provisions and therefore it required the longer time both to Cook it and to feast on it and all these days of Feasting were commanded to be done with great solemnity especially the first and the last and with many relations of Gods goodnesse for their deliverance out of Aegypt and with Songs and Psalms of praise Deut. 16. 15. Exod. 23. 15. Deut. 27. 7. See Ains in Exod. 12. 8. and in this respect the latter evening was a competent time for these religious Solemnities and to continue the time of feasting longer was a transgression for it is expresly commanded in Lev. 7. 15. that the holy flesh must be eaten in the same day in which it was sacrificed But if the Sun-set evening had been the true beginning of the Natural day then this Holy flesh could not have been eaten the same day as I have noted the reason thereof formerly and then God by Moses had commanded us to do that which is not possible to be done therefore the Sun-set evening is a true part of the same Natural day wherein the flesh was sacrificed Maymony saith as I noted in objection sixteen that the Priests did eat the two Loaves which were presented to the Lord with the Meat-offering of the Congregation on the day of Penticost in the same day and in half the night as the flesh of the most holy things were See Ains in Levit. 23. 20. so then in the judgement of the ancient Hebrew Doctors for Maymony doth but record their judgement the latter evening till mid-night was a true part of the same Natural day in which the Sacrifices were offered though yet notwithstanding the purified person began the date of his new day at the Sun-set afore 5 Thus saith Maymony after he had related divers circumstances about the Passeover then is brought in a Table furnished with bitter Herbs unleavened Bread and the Body of the Paschal Lamb and the flesh Chagigah which is saith he for the fourteenth day of the Month he doth not say which is for the fifteenth day of the Month though otherwise he doth call this time the fifteenth day of the Month both are true in a right sense namely in the sense formerly given and in another place Maymony saith thus The evening of the fourteenth of Nâ—shan is not like the evening of other Festival days because in it are the Feast and the killing of Sacrifices See Ains in Lev. 23. 5. He makes the time of feasting to belong to the fourteenth day and secondly he preferres this evening to the evening of the Festival Sabbaths and therefore prescribes a greater punishment for servile work done on this evening than for working in the evening before the Festival Sabbaths for so is the comparison to be made as I have noted it elsewhere because in this evening was solemnized the proper Feast of the fourteenth day but the evening before was but in way of preparation to the Sabbath it self Thirdly Maymony saith thus They searched out Leaven in the beginning of the night of the fourteenth day Maymony calls the night before the Feast of the unleavened Bread the fourteenth night and yet in 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
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 doâ—h 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 first Authors of it as many unadvisedly do nor yet to any other Nation but it is the most ancient Scripture-Computation from the very first created day and so consequently it must needs be the true beginning of the Jews Sabbath This Tenent may happily seem strange at the first to such as have long held both in their judgement and practise That the Jews Sabbath and so consequently the Lords Day did properly begin at the Sun-set evening and of this judgement and practice are most of the Churches in New England and in that respect many Professors among them do without scruple take liberty in the Sun-set Evening of the Lords Day to do the servile works of their particular Callings and others take liberty to use Recreations But it is worthy to be taken notice of that whole Churches do many times erre both in their judgement and practice or else how could so much Corruption Superstition Idolatry and Prophanenesse creep in to several reformed Churches as there hath done from time to time in sundry ages Being therefore intreated by some godly persons in New England and being also moved thereunto by the fear of God I have taken this difficult Task in hand lest to confute this corrupt judgement and practice it should spread like Leaven to the corrupting of Posterity and so I rest Thine in the Lord WILLIAM PYNCHON The chief Heads of this Treatise OF HOLY TIME CHAP. I. PRoving that the first Darknesse in Gen. 1. 2. was not a compleat Night By three Reasons Page 1 The true Definition of a compleat Night It is the absence of the Suns shining for the space of twelve Hours p. 3 CHAP. II. Proving that Moses by the term Evening in Gen. 1. 5. doth not mean the whole Night but the latter half of the Artificial Day and the first half of the Night p. 6 This Chapter is distributed into four Sections and six Objections are answered SECT 1. The Hebrew word Gnereb translated the Evening in Gen. 1. 5. is explaned in p. 9 1 The first Darknesse cannot be called the Evening in a proper sense p. 10 2 Neither can the whole night be called Gnereb the Evening in a proper sense p. 10 3 Neither can the Twilight be called Gnereb the Evening in a proper sense p. 10. And therefore it is a great mistake in our larger Annotation in Mat. 26. 20. to say that Harab properly signifieth mixed namely the mixture of Light and Darknesse in the Twilight and in that sense mis-applying Deut. 16. 6. which is meant of the time of sacrifising the Passeover and not of the time of feasting Our Ancestors held Gnereb the Evening to be at all times of the yeer an even and equal part of time to Boker the Morning p. 16 Gnereb the Evening is often put by the figure Synecdoche for the later half of the Evening which doth alwayes begin at Sun-set and end at Mid-night p. 16 Gnereb is often put by the figure Metanomia for the West because the later Evening begins at Sun-set which when it is in the Equinoctial doth alwayes set in the West p. 17 Gnereb the Evening is often put by the figure Metanomy for the last dayes and also for the last end of a thing because it is the last half of the natural day p. 17 SECT 2. Gnereb signifies such a connexion of several species as doth ever preserve the said several species distinct and intire without any confused mixture and so Gnarbaiim in the Dual number doth explain it and therefore
time in going thither as from morning till Sun-set then Jonathan could not have had time enough left to return back again into the City in the same day But the Text in ver 23. doth tell us that Jonathan did return the same day into the City therefore the appointed evening cannot be understood of the sun-set evening Secondly Jonathan returned alone without any company with him for he had sent his Boy back into the City before which in reason he would not have done if the place of meeting had been so far off as you make it Thirdly Jonathan knew that Saul was jealous of his familiarity with David and he knew also that Saul was much inraged against David at this time Therefore in wisdom Jonathan would not be so long absent from Saul as from morning till Sun-set nay it would have been Mid-night ere he could have returned if the place appointed to meet at had been so far off as you would make it and then Soul might well have suspected that Jonathan might have had some other errand into the field besides shooting at a mark by his long and late absence but Ionathan pretended no other errand but to shoot at a mark and therefore he took his Boy with him to witnesse so much if need should be 1. Hence it followes that the place of meeting was but a little way without the City for what need had a man goe farre to shoot at a Mark and so it asked but a little time to goe to it and to return from it 2 Hence it followes that the appointed Evening must be understood of the Mid-day Evening and not of the Sun-set Evening And thus Jonathans Morning and Davids Evening did fitly agree to the same appointed hour at Mid-day In like sort one Evangelist saith that Christ was crucified at the third houre Mark 15. 25. But John saith he was crucified at the sixt hour Joh. 19. 14. this differing relation of time may seem to have as great a difference as is between Jonathans Morning and Davids Evening and yet there is no difference at all when things come to be rightly expounded For the Jewes divided the Artificiall Day into four great Hours just as they divided the Night into four great Watches Mark The Jews divided the day into four great hours as they divided the night into four watches 13. 35. every great hour contained in it three small houres The first great hour they called by the name of the third hour because it ended with the third small hour which we call nine a clock and their second great hour they called their sixt because it ended with the sixt small hour which we call twelve a clock and thus as soon as the first great hour ended with our nine a clock the second great hour began with our ten a clock And thus Peter Martyr in the Judges Mr. Godwin and Mr. Weames do accord these great hours with our small hours and just after this sort the end of Jonathans Morning in v. 35. and the beginnings of Davids Evening in v. 5. do fitly close and meet together at Mid-day Fifthly I prove that the naturall Evening doth begin at Mid-day by Josh 7. 6. There Joshua and the Elders fell down upon the Earth before the Ark of the Lord till Even-tide that is to say until Evening began Object 6. This Even-tide must be understood of the Sun-set Evening Answ I answer no it cannot be understood of the Sun-set Evening for Joshua had much businesse to doe after this which must be done before the time of Sunset for the Lord commanded Joshua to sanctifie the people against the morrow Vers 13 14. But Joshua could not sanctifie them at the Sun-set Evening for then the day of their cleannesse must begin by the order of the Leviticall Law they must therefore be washed from their defilements in the afternoon or else they could not begin the day of their cleannesse at their Sun-set Evening and in case they did not begin the new day of their cleannesse at Sun-set they might not come before the Lords Arke on the morrow to beg Attonement for Transgressors as I have opened the matter more at large in Chap. 4. Now Joshua could not have sanctified the people in a fit manner to come before the Lords Ark on the morrow if he had lain still upon the earth till the Even-tide at Sun-set for Joshua must have a large time to inform all the people by a Proclamation through all the Camp what was the cause of the Lords anger and what they must do by way of preparation before they could obtain the Lords favour The thing they must do by way of preparation was to sanctifie themselves from their Ceremonial defilements by washing their Bodies and their Cloaths according to the Ceremonial customs as they are set down in Exod. 19. 10. Gen. 35. 2. and this must be done in the same Even-tide wherein the Lord spake to Joshua and to the Elders saying Vp and sanctifie the people and say sanctifie your selves against to morrow Vers 13. Now then consider the time that must be taken up for this Proclamation throughout all the Camp and consider the time they must have for the washing of all their Bodies and their Cloaths before Sun-set and then it will necessarily force us to understand this Even-tide of the Noon-tide Evening and not of the Sun-set Evening Sixthly I prove That the full naturall Evening begins at Mid-day when the Afternoon begins because the Evening in Scripture is often put for the Afternoon as the morning is put for the Forenoon In the morning sow thy seed and in the Evening let not thy hand rest Eccles 11. 6. Solomons meaning is that men should be as diligent in doing good at all times as the Husbandman is in seed-time he will not rest from sowing his seed neither Forenoon nor afternoon because he knows not which will prove best A wise and diligent Husband-man will go out to sow his seed in the afternoon Evening and not defer it till the Sun-set Evening therefore by Solomons account the Evening begins with the Afternoon at Mid-day 2. It is said Psal 90. 6. In the morning the grasse flourisheth and groweth up but in the evening it is cut down and withereth The Husbandman doth not use to go out to mow his grasse in the evening after Sun-set or if he sometimes do so yet it doth not wither in the evening after Sun-set But Husbandmen use to take the opportunity to mow their grasse in the afternoon and then it withereth therefore the Evening begins with the afternoon 3. It is said in 1 Sam. 17. 16. that Goliah drew near Morning and Evening forty days together But Souldiers doe not use to call for a Pitched Battle in the evening after Sun-set but either in the Forenoon or in the Afternoon Evening 4. It is said 1 King 17. 6. That the Ravens brought bread and flesh to Elijah morning and evening but
parts of it Fifthly He hath also made the Natural Morning to be a twiparty Morning because it is a connexion of the first darknesse or of the latter half of the night with the first half of the Artificial day and in this respect it is often called Mornings in the plural number Psal 73. 14. Psal 101. 8. Job 7. 18. Lam. 3. 23. Is 33. 2. 15. The Reason why the first darknesse could not be called either Boker the Morning or Gnereb the Evening at first was because these names are names of the perfect shape and limits given unto these two parts of the Natural day and the first darknesse was a confused mis-shapen thing at first therefore it could not belong either unto the Morning or unto the Evening until it was first shaped and limited into a night for Boker the Morning is constituted of a part of the shaped Night as well as of a part of the shaped Artificial Day and the first darknesse could not be shaped into a Night until it had twelve houres darknesse succeeding the Artificial Day by means whereof the first half had a Twilight going before it and then as soon as it met with the first darknesse at the North point it First gave perfection of shape to the Night And Secondly It gave perfection of shape to the Evening And thirdly It gave perfection of shape to Boker the Morning And accordingly every part of this day had its name as soon as it had its perfect shape as for example when the shining light had finished its last period at the West point it was called Day in like sort when the darknesse had finished its last period at the North point it was called Night And then also the Evening and the Morning was the First Day Pharez and Zara were Twins and when they came to their Birth Zara thrust out his hand first thereupon the Midwise said this is first and she did mark it out for the first by a red thred yet notwithstanding Pharez did finish his Birth first and therupon he was first named Pharez and Zara was last named though he begun his Birth first Even so the time called Morning began its birth first but yet notwithstanding the time called Evening was first perfected in its shape and limits and thereupon it was first called Gnereb O the wonderfull variety of Gods wisdom in contriving and setting together all the parts and parcels of this first Natural Day CHAP. III. Proving that the time of the first Darkness was called Morning at last namely as soon as that Darkness was formed into a Night Moses doth tell us Gen. 1. 1 2. That in the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth and that darkness was upon the face of the deep namely for the space of six hours before the light was created The Queston is Whether this first Darkness was called Morning or Evening The Answer shall be framed into three Heads or Sections I. I will prove that the Creation began in that part of time which at last was called Boker the Morning II. That the Morning begins in the dark Night III. That the Morning doth begin at Mid-night SECT I. Proving that the time of the first Darkness was called Boker the Morning at last FIrst It appears to me that the first Darkness was called Boker Boker the morning doth signifie early the Morning at last namely as soon as all the parts of the Natural Day were formed Because Boker the Morning doth signifie Early See Ains in Psal 5. 4. and in this sense the Morning is put for the first opportunity of time for any business as in seeking unto God early by prayer and in this sense David saith in Psa 5. 3. Jehovah in the morning or early I will direct my prayer unto thee and will look out or espie as he that keepeth watch and ward expecting what God will answer and the godly do often professe that they will look out early after God by the term Morning as in Psal 90. 14. and Psal 143. 8. and truly I conceive that the onely Reason why Buls and Cows And all the Herds of that kind are called Baker from whence Boker is derived is from their early seeking out for their meat from God sooner than other Cattle use to do for in the Evening or in the beginning of the Night they use to sit down and chew their Cud but in the early Night-morning they usually rise up and seek out for food before other sorts of Cattle Object 1. Boker the Morning is put for the beginning of the Artificiall Day because that is the fittest season to seek out or earth after things that be lost or after things that are to be sought after men do not usually seek after things in the dark but as soon as the morning light appears then they begin to look and search after lost things and hence the beginning of the Artificiall Day is called Boker the Morning Answ I see no Reason to restrain the signification of Boker to mans seeking by the sight of his eyes in the time of the Artificial Morning onely but considering that Boker the Morning is placed among the works of Gods Creation before man was created it may be considered as Gods first early time in ordering the Creation in the best manner for God may be said to seek early after the manner of men not for want of knowledge in particulars but to set out his Wisdom and Prudence and Fatherly care and the like in the first Creation as these Scriptures do testifie Exod. 14. 24. 27. Ezek. 34. 11 12 16. Psa 30. 6. Psa 90. 14. Isa 17. 14. Psal 119. 176. Zach. 12. 9. For by Wisdom the Lord founded the Earth and by Vnderstanding he established the Heavens Prov. 3. 19. and so by Wisdom and Understanding he formed all the parts of the First Day in such an exquisite Order that so it might be for an exemplary pattern to all the other Natural daies to the end of the world Secondly Early seeking may be done by advice counsel and meditation as well in the time of darknesse as in the morning light Thirdly When it pleased the Lord to uncreat Judah by his destroying Judgements namely by wars from the Enemy how did God order it to be done but by his early looking out and searching into things For thus saith the Lord I looked upon the Earth and loe it was without form and void and to the Heavens and they had no light Jer. 4. 23. for by their wicked confused Government they had provoked the Lord by wars to turn all their Commonwealth into a Chaos again This form of speech by contraries declares that God by his wise Providence did search out in the time of the first darkness how to adorn the earth with light and how to order all the parts of the first day in the best manner and in this respect Gods early Providence is often set out by the term Morning both
grant that all Israel departed out of Egypt on the fifteenth day of Nishan Numb 33. 3. But how prove you that they began their journey at Midnight or that the fifteenth day began at Mid-night Answ The circumstances of the Text do prove it plain enough for as soon as the Egyptiaus saw all their first-born slain at Mid-night they feared lest they should be all slain and therefore they did urge the Israelites in all haste to depart and the Israelites knew all this before-hand and accordingly they prepared for their speedy departure and because of this their preparation they are said to depart out of Egypt in the night Deut. 16. 1. compared with Exod. 12. 29 31 42. The Egyptians therefore as soon as their first-born were slain at Midnight urged the Israelites in haste to depart and then also the Israelites did depart out of the doors of their houses because the morning of the fifteenth day was come but yet they could not fully depart out of Egypt untill the body of the self same day was come namely not till it was Mid-day See Ains in Exod. 12. 41. they had many businesses to do after they went out of the doors of their houses before they could fully depart for they must assemble together 600000 men befides women and children and many connexed people and cattle and before all this could be put into a fit posture for their orderly marching away it was Mid-day and yet they made extraordinary haste to bring things thus soon to passe and through their great haste they took their Dough as it was unleavened and carried it upon their shoulders ver 34. and thenceforth the fifteenth of Nishan was commanded to be remembred and to be observed as a Festivall Sabbath for ever and as the first day of the Feast of unleavened bread Exod. 13. 3. Lev. 23. 7. Deut. 16. 3. Their Journey in the night began in this order as soon as the first-born of Pharaoh and the Nobles were slain at Mid-night then in their perplexed fear they did hastily call up Moses and Aaron to depart and then they gave the Alarm to the rest and as the first of them marched through the land of Goshen the rest fell in by Troops but before they could be all marshalled to depart in fit order it was Mid-day and in this sort their march began at Mid-night and was compleated by Mid-day according to Numb 33. 3. Conclusion From all the premises which I have laid down under three Heads or Sections it follows That the time of the first darkness after the Creation of the Earth was Morning and not Evening And secondly That it began at that time which the God of Nature made Mid-night at last namely as soon as all the parts of the Naturall day were formed and framed together CHAP. IV. Proving That the Jewes Custom in beginning their weekly Sabbath at the Sun-set Evening was occasioned by their Ceremonial Custom namely Because the persons that were ceremonially purified from their ceremonial Defilements were commanded to begin their new day of cleanness then and hence it follows first That that accidental beginning of the Day must not be accounted for the true beginning of the Natural Day And Secondly Hence it follows That it is not the right time for us Christians to begin our Lords Day at the Sun-set Evening as the Jews did by their ceremonial Custom onely SECT 1. THe Jews were often guilty of sundry degrees of sins of uncleanness against the Ceremonial Law besides their sins against the Moral Law as you may find them noted and distinguished by Mr. Ainsworth in Lev. 11. 24 25 32. and in Lev. 12. 6. and in Lev. 22. 7. compared with Numb 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
the beginning of the Sun-set Evening is as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight Seventhly Joshua doth testifie that the Evening is come as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight Jos 10. 26 27. and Daniel saith That Darius did labour to deliver him till the going down of the Sun Dan. 6. 14. But the Seventy say till Evening and Moses saith The soul that toucheth a dead creeping thing shall be unclean untill the Evening Lev. 22. 6. but saith he in vers 7. He shall bathe himself in water and then he shall be clean when the Sun is gone down from all these places it is evident that the term Sun-set and the term Evening are terms convertible for the Sun-set Evening Eighthly It is evident by this reason that the latter Evening doth begin as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight because there is no interim between the End of the first Evening and the Beginning of the latter Evening and I have proved in Chap. 2. that the first Evening doth end as soon as ever the Sun doth leave off to make any more shadows upon the face of the Earth For the whole time of the first Evening is described by its shadows looking forth towards the place of its Rest or by the stretching out of its shadows upon the face of the Earth as I have expounded Jer. 6. 4. and therefore it follows by necessary consequence that the latter Evening must begin at that instant time This consequence is so cleer that none that loves plain truth can deny it But to prevent rash zeal and unadvised haste in feasting upon the holy flesh the Hebrew Doctors advised to stay a little time after Sun-set They begin their Religious Festival Suppers after Sun-set as soon as three stars appeared in the skie for the Sun must go down upon the baptized person before his Purification was perfected and then he began the date of his new day and then he was made fit to eat of the holy flesh yet they advised to stay a little time after Sun-set namely till three stars appeared in the skie Mamony saith That the unclean may not eat of the Heave-offering untill their Sun be set and three stars appear after the Sun is gone down See Ains in Lev. 22. 9. Thus have I shewed how God ordained the time of the two Evenings for the effecting of two degrees of cleannesse and now I shall in the next Section shew That all the latter Evening from Sun-set till Mid-night was appointed for the time of their Religious feasting upon their Passeovers and Peace-offerings and that this part of the night was a true part of the former natural day SECT 3. FRom the date of the new Day to the person purified at the Sun-set Evening we may see the true Reason that did inforce the Jewes to begin all their Ceremonial Sabbaths at that time and of all other dayes by occasion thereof But this beginning of the day was no more to be accounted for the beginning of the natural Day than the beginning of their yeer in Nishan was to be accounted for the first month by Creation for they began their yeer in Nishan upon the occasion of their famous deliverance out of Egypt in that month but from the Creation the yeer began in Tizri which now is called the Seventh month and this seventh month was afterwards made famous again by Joshua's Conquest of Canaan and by his division of the land thereupon to the nine Tribes and a half in this seventh month Jos 14. and in remembrance thereof they began all their yeers of Rest and all their Jubiles from that month See Ains in Exod. 12. 1 2. Lev. 25. 8 9 10. Exod. 34. 22. Deut. 14. 22. and likewise the yeers of all Servants and Leases began at this time Lev. 25. And after this manner they observed a double date according to the beginning of their double day The Jews observed both the date of their ceremonial day and the date of their natural day for several purposes See Ains in Lev. 23. 20. 1 The person purified began the date of his day of cleannesse from the Sun-set Evening 2 They dated the time of their Religious feasting according to the natural day till midnight after for by the Law they were expresly commanded to eat the flesh of their Peace-offerings in the same day in which it was sacrificed Lev. 7. 15. now it was not possible for them at sometimes at least to eat the holy flesh of their Passeovers and of their commanded Peace-offerings in the same Ceremonial day because the time of sacrificing their Passeovers and Peace-offerings did many times continue until it was night namely till Sun-set and so it fell out in the time of Josias Passeover 2 Chron. 35. 14. Hence it follows by a necessary consequence That the command to eat the holy flesh in the same day must be understood not of the same Ceremonial but of the same natural day and in case any of the holy flesh had remained uneaten in the same day in which it was sacrificed it must be burnt and then sometime it must be all burnt and none of it eaten namely when it was sacrificed at the point of Sun-set Secondly If the date of their Ceremonial day had born all the sway then they must not only have finished the killing of all their Sacrifices but of all their Religious feasts also before Sun-set and then our Saviour and his Apostles had sinned because they kept their Religious Feast after Sun-set namely in the night wherein he was betrayed for though they caused their Passeover to be sacrificed on the fourteenth day yet they deferred the time of their feasting till after Sun-set when the fifteenth day was begun according to the date of the person purified But if you will grant that our Saviour did not sin against that Command of eating their Passeover in the same day then you must also grant that the same fourteenth day by Creation was not ended at Sun-set but continued still till Mid-night after Thirdly Hence it follows that seeing all Ceremonial Customes are now abolished by the death of Christ that Gods people ought not to Judaize in beginning the Lords day according to the Jews Ceremonial Customes but according to the beginning and ending of the natural day from midnight to Mid-night Objection 3. How could the Jewes observe a double date of a double day in one and the same naturall day without confusion Answ Their double date of their double day was not strange to them no more than their double date of their double yeer was to them they could sort out such things as belonged to the beginning of the yeer from the seventh month from the things that belonged to the beginning of the yeer in the first month without any confusion at all so in like manner they could sort out all those Religious duties that belonged
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 Prophet to Moses the sonne of Maymon there was none like this Moses and from him also I have cited several testimonies that the evening begins at mid-day therefore seing these publick and general Recorders do testifie that the evening begins at mid-day how can they be over-whelmed with crosse testimonies as Mr. Shepheard doth unadvisedly affirm and I little question but Josephus is taken in a wrong sense by Master Shepheard and if the place had been cited it should have been examined and a more particular answer returned and take notice by the way that I do not find any other Objection in Mr. Shepheard that is of any moment but it is already fully answered here and there in this Treatise Object 2. Why do you make the whole time of the first Evening from Mid-day to Sun-set to be the time of killing all their Passeovers in Canaan seeing Moses makes the time of killing all their Passeovers in Aegypt to be about the time of Sun-set for Moses saith thus in Deut. 16. 6. Thou shalt sacrifice the Passeover in the evening about the going down of the Sunne in the season thou camest out of Aegypt Ans The time of killing all their Passeovers in Aegypt was commanded to be between the two evenings Exod. 12. 6. that is to say between the time of the fiâ—st Evening which began at mid-day and the beginning of the evening which began at Sun-set so that they might have killed all their Passeovers presently after Mid-day or they might have staid till neer Sun-set provided it were done before Sun-set but they could not kill all their Passeovers in Canaan at an instant at the time of Sun-set as they might have done in Egypt for 1. In Egypt every first-born of every family might kil the Paschal Lamb. 2 They might kill it in their own private house 3 They might sprinkle the blood of it upon their door-posts without going to the Altar But in Canaan they must have a longer space of time to do these works in for 1 The first-born of every family might not kill their Sacrifices in Canaan but in their place the Lord chose the Tribe of Levy See Ains in Exod. 19. 22. Num. 3. 12. 41 45. Exod. 24. 5. and the number of this Tribe I conceive were not so many as the first-born were in Egypt and therefore could not kill all in so short a time 2 The Levites had many more businesses to do about the Passeover in Canaan than in Egypt especially if the Passeover fell out upon a Sabbath for saith Maymony They kill not the Passeover but after the daily evening sacrifice after the burning of incense and after they have trimmed the Lamps and besides in Canaan they used to kill many Peace-offerings therewith all this would require more time than the first-born of every family needed in Egypt for the killing of the Paschal Lamb onely without these other services 3 They might not kill their Passeovers in Canaan in private houses as they did in Egypt but all their Passeovers must be brought to be sacrificed at the place the Lord should choose to place his brasen Altar at which at first was at Shilo and at last in Solomons Temple See Ains in Deut. 16. 5 6. with Exod. 12. 7. Deut.
12. 5 11 12 14 18. and in respect hereof the Hebrew Doctors say He that killeth holy things out of the Court of the Sanctuary if he do it presumptuously he is guilty of cutting off See Ains in Lev. 17. 2 5 8 9. nay though a Priest did kill a Sacrifice in the Temple it self yet it might become unlawful if the blood thereof were but carried out of the Temple before it was sprinkled upon the Altar for thus saith Maymony The blood of the holy things that goeth out of the Court becommeth unlawful for Sacrifice yea though they bring it in again and sprinkle it upon the Altar yet it is not acceptable See Ains in Lev. 1. 5. If the Jewes had thought it as lawful for them to kill the Passeover in a private house ever since the destruction of the Temple as they did at the first Passeover in Egypt then doubtlesse they would not have omitted to sacrifice the Passeover now in all the places of their dispersion but ever since their Temple was destroyed they have been without the Passeover and without all other Sacrifices for the space of sixteen hundred yeers together And thus speaketh Mr. Broughton from the Hebrew Doctors He that shall kill the Pascha ever since Jesus Christ conquered Canaan in a private house had been held an open enemy to the truth of God And Maymony saith That now they can have no sacrifice because they can have no Temple neither can they kill the Paschal Lamb but instead thereof they onely use Vnleavened bread with bitter herbs and wine in their private houses See Ains in Exod. 12. 8. Hence it follows that seeing all the Passeovers must be brought to one publick place that it would require a longer space to kill one after another than they needed in Egypt where every house might kill their Lamb at one hour Fourthly In respect of the place of sprinkling it must be all All Passeovers were sacrifices therefore the blood of them all must be sprinkled on the Lords Altar done at one Altar and therefore it would require a longer time than they needed in Egypt for there every first-born might sprinkle the blood upon the door-posts of his own private house at one hour together but the sprinkling of the blood of all the Passeovers in Canaan could not be done in so short a space because all must be done at one Altar one after another Lev. 1. 5. for all Passeovers were Sacrifices Exod. 12. 27. Exod. 23. 18. Exod. 34. 25. and no Levites but the Priests onely must sprinkle the blood of all Passeovers and of all Sacrifices upon the Lords Altar 2 Chron. 30. 16. 2 Chron. 35. 11. And because the Lord did appropriate the blood of all Sacrifices Blood was the Lords peculiar portion therefore he prohibited the Jews to eat blood and also some sorts of fat to himself as his peculiar right to make attonement for mens souls therefore in that respect he did straitly prohibit the Jews that they should not eat any blood See Ains in Lev. 3. 17. Lev. 7. 2 14 26 27. Lev. 17. 6 10 11 12. Deut. 12. 27. and for this very reason also he forbad them to eat such parts of the fat as he did challenge for his own Altar and in this respect also he did challenge the fat of their Passeovers as much as of any other Sacrifice all which he commanded to be burned upon his Altar for a sweet savour of Attonement as the former Scriptures do testifie Now from the consideration of these four Circumstances it follows that all the Passeovers in Canaan could not be sacrificed in so short a time as about the time of Sun-set and therefore this phrase about the 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 Sacrifice was an Altar at Gilgal 1 Sam. 10. 8. 1 Sam. 11. 15. Secondly There was an Altar at Bethel 1 Sam. 10. 3. 5. Thirdly At Mizpeh 1 Sam. 7. 9. Judg. 21. 1 4. Fourthly At Ramah 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
of the day that is to say at Mid-day in this season they are commanded to begin to kill their Passeovers in Canaan Exod. 12. 6. Lev. 23. 5. Num. 9. 3. Object 8. May not the sacrificing of the Passeover be changed from the A digression to open some difficult phrases about the passeover and they are the more difficult because they are borrowed from the Dialect of the Thalmud fourteenth day to the fifteenth day seeing Matth. saith thus On the first day of Unleavened-bread the Disciples came to Jesus saying Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passeover Matth. 26. 17. Now the first day of Vnleavened-bread was the fifteenth day of Nishan Answ This day which is called the First day of Unleavened bread cannot be rightly understood without the knowledge of the Jewish ancient Customes which are now for our information recorded in the Thalmuds and because this and many other phrases in the New Testament are recorded in the Thalmuds we may well say That the New Testament doth often Thalmudize because it useth many termes that are no where else to be found but in the ancient Hebrew Doctors and in the Thalmuds onely Now for Answer in a more special manner the Hebrew Doctors do comprehend under the general term of the Feast of Unleavened-bread and more especially under the first day of Unleavened-bread the Feast of the Paschal Lamb for though they are two distinct Feasts yet they are also so interwoven together that they may well be called the one for the other for though the Paschal Lamb was alwayes sacrificed on the 14. day between the two Evenings yet the time of feasting on that holy flesh was after Sun-set which was after the fifteenth day called the first of Unleavened-bread was begun according to the date of the person purified and yet the Feast of this Evening was no part of the Feast of Unleavened-bread for the sacrifices of that day were not yet killed but this Feast was the proper Feast of the Passeover belonging to the fourteenth day and with the Passeover also they might not eat any Leavened but Unleavened bread and in this respect Maymony doth call the Feast of the Paschal Lamb the Feast of Unleavened-bread and sometimes he calls the seven days of the proper Feast of Unleavened bread by the name of the Passeover interchangeably confounding the termes See Ains in Lev. 23. 7. and in this sense also Targum Jonathan calls the second day of Unleavened-bread the day that followed the first good day of Passeover See Ains in Lev. 23. 15. Hence you see that he cals the first day of Unleavened-bread The first good day of the Passeover and so interchangeably they call the proper feast of the Pascha the first day of Unleavened-bread and from this usual dialect among them the Evangelist Matthew saith That the Disciples came to Jesus Christ on the first day of Vnleavened bread saying Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to â—aâ— the Passover And thus the Evangelists speak according to the Jewish Customes sometimes they call the proper feast of the Pascha the first of Unleavened-bread as Matth. 26. 17. and Mark 14. 12. and sometimes they call the proper Feast of Unleavened-bread by the name of the Passeover as Luke doth chap. 22. 1. But yet secondly The Hebrew Doctors do sometimes distinguish the proper Feast of the Pascha from the first day of the proper Feast of Unleavened bread Charkumi calleth the Evening of the first good day and that Night the Passeover But saith he the residue of the Feast from the first Night and so forwards is called the Feast of Unleavened-cakes See Ains in Lev. 23. 6. and according to this distinction speaketh the Evangelist Mark Mar. 14. 1. after two dayes followed the Pascha and the Unleavened-bread and this distinction doth also agree with the twofold Command in Moses In the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passeover And in the fifteenth day which begins at Sun-set is the Feast Numb 28. 16 17. Object 9. Mr. Weams and others do affirm That the Jews ate not the Passover on the fourteenth of Nishan as Christ did but transferred it to the fifteenth day and to the beginning of the sixteenth day and he gives this reason for it because the next day after Christ had eaten his Passover is called the Preparation-day to the Jewish Passover Joh. 18. 28. Joh. 19. 14. Hence he infers that the Jews transferred the eating of the Passover till the next day after Christ had eaten his See Weams on the Ceremonial Laws Pag. 89. and the Annotat. of our old English Bibles in Mat. 26. Ans I beleeve that Mr. Weames and others have no better ground for this tenent but some frivolous Authors and therefore Mr. Godwin doth put a note of dislike upon such as follow such frivolous Authors and indeed it is a great impiety for us Christians to slander them with so grosse a transgression as this I beleeve that the Jews in their corruptest times before Christ were very strict in observing the letter of the Command and moâ—â— zealous also to punish such as did openly practise the contrary and it is most evident that they held so close to the letter of the Command that they would not transferre it to any other day though iâ— fell out to be on a Sabbath day it is a received Canon among them that the keeping of the Pascha on the fourteenth of Nishan doth put away the Sabbath as I have noted it formerly Secondly The Evangelist Mark doth testifie on the Jews behalf against all men that they kept the Pascha in the very self-same day that our Lord and his Disciples did for Mark doth expresse it thus In the first day of unleavened Bread when they Sacrificed the Passeover his Disciples said unto him Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou maist eat the Passeover Mark 14. 12. this term when they namely when the Iews in general sacrificed the Passeover then his Disciples said unto him Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou as wel as they maist eat the Passeover on the self-same day as the Iews in general did Thirdly Christ himself doth bear witnesse that the Iews in general did keep the Pascha in the very self-same day that hee did Yee know said Christ unto his Disciples that after two days the Pascha is kept Mat. 26. 2. he saith You know it that the Pascha is then kept it was a known custom among them that after two days the Pascha is kept namely generally of all the Iows Fourthly The Hebrew Doctors do protest that they punish him that passeth the fourteenth day for the killing of the Pascha Maymony saith it is an expresse Commandment to kill the Pascha in the month Nishan in the 14th day and saith he he that breaketh this Commandment and killeth it not in the 14th day being not defiled nor in a far journey is guilty
Evening before was not the beginning of the Natural day it was but the beginning of the new day to the person purified he must of necessity begin his new day then or else he could not partake in the solemnities of their Sacrifices the day following but the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath was a natural part of the former day and the proper Feast of the Sabbath was then celebrated and the Prophet Isaiah hath reference to this Custome when he saith Ye shall have a Song as in the Night when a holy Solemnity is kept Isa 30. 29. for they kept their Religious Suppers till Mid-night and it is evident that all their Religious Feasts were kept with songs and with such like expressions of joy in the Messiah for his Redemption Es 23. 15. Deu. 16. 15. Judg. 21. 19 21. and in this respect all kind of sadnesse and mourning was forbidden at their solemn Feasts because it did prophane that joyful Ordinance Lev. 10. 19. Neh. 8. 10. Object 16. You seem to limit the time of their solemn Festival Supper but untill Mid-night but the prohibition in Lev. 7. 15. saith Ye shall not leave ought thereof untill the morning This implies a permission to continue their Religious Feasting not onely untill Mid-night as you would have it but untill day-break as the Hebrew Doctors expound it Ans I confesse the Hebrew Doctors do expound the word Morning in this Text to mean day-break but yet they do also often correct that Exposition for they say more than once that they feared it might be a transgression to continue the time of their solemne Suppers any longer than till Mid-night The Hebrew Doctors say That not onely the sacrifice of confession of Peace-offerings but of other kinds of sacrifices also might be eaten all the night long till break of day As for example The Nazarites Ram and the bread that came with it whether it were the portion of the Priests or the portion of the Owners These might be eaten all the night long til break of day and the same law they say was for the Sin-offerings and for the Trespas-offerings for the Peace-offerings of the Congregation and for the residue of the Meat-offerings All these say the Hebrew Doctors may be eaten all the night long till break of day But yet saith Maymony To keep men far from Transgression our wise men have said They are not to be eaten but untill MIDNIGHT See Ains in Lev. 7. 18. In like sort they say of the residue of the Burnt-offerings that they might lye burning upon the Altar all the night long untill the morning that is say they till break of day Lev. 6. 9. but yet they do also correct that Interpretation for they say Our wise men have said that the Priests might not let the fats or peeces of the Burnt-offering lye burning upon the Altar but untill Mid-night for fear of Transgression The Hebrew Doctors say also that they might continue feasting upon the flesh of the Paschal Lamb till morning Exod. 12. 10. that is say they till break of day but yet they say also that none of the company might eat again after he had slept though it were in the beginning of the night See Ains in Exod. 12. 10. Hence it is evident that they did allow none to make any more but one distinct meal of the Paschal Lamb and truly so small a creature needed not so long a time to feast on it but their voluntary Peace-offerings which they offered with the Paschal Lamb and in that respect did call them the Passeover they might feast upon that flesh till day-break for they had two dayes allowance to eat them by the Law Lev. 7 17 18. therefore seeing they might make but one meal of the Lamb-Passeover why should any man think of a longer time to feast on it than till the Mid-night Morning if it had been requisite to feast on it till day break our Saviour would have improved the full time but it is evident that he did finish all by Mid-night not onely the Supper of the Paschal Lamb but also the Peace-offerings which he adjoyned to the Paschal Lamb Joh. 13. 12. This 12. Ver. saith when he was set down again namely afer he had ended the Lamb-Passeover in Verse 2. then he arose from Supper and washed his Disciples feet Verse 3. then he sate down again to feast upon the Chagigah-Passeover Verse 12. At which Feast they used to drink two or three cups of Wine which our Saviour improved for the institution of his own Supper they had no common Supper this night as some unadvisedly speak but all the flesh they ate was holy flesh and all their Feasting was with Religious joy for their Redemption together with his long Exhortations Thanksgivings Prayers and Psames I apprehend it was much about the time of Mid-night or rather before when he had ended all And it doth further appear that the Hebrew Doctors did fear it might be a Transgression to continue at their Religious Feasting The Jews accounted the first half of the night to be a part of the former day in the case of their religious Feasting on their Passeovers on the Pascha till the morning at day-break because they do often limit the time of their Religious Feasting but untill Mid-night Maymony saith That the two Lambs which were presented as a Meat-offering together with the Two Loaves for the Peace-offerings of the Congregation on the day of Penticost were eaten by the Priests in the Same Day and in Half the Night as the flesh of the most Holy things were See Ains in Lev. 23. 20. By this Testimony it is evident that all their holy things were eaten in the same day and in half the night except their voluntary Peace-offerings for they had allowance from the Law to feast on that flesh two dayes and one night Lev. 7. 17 18. Deut. 16. 2. 10. Secondly Consider this well for though the Hebrew Doctors do sometimes say that the fats and the peeces of the Burnt-offering may lye burning upon the Altar all night till break of day yet they do also say that their Wise men did advise the Priests not to continue the burning upon the Altar any longer than till Mid-night and in Exod. 23. 8. the Lord saith The fat of my Feast shall not remain untill the morning therefore it must be wholly consumed with fire before day-break And indeed they might not continue the burning any longer than til Mid-night without manifest Transgression espâ—cially at festival times for at festival times saith Maymony The Priests must take away the ashes from the Altar at the beginning of the third part of the night But on Reconciliation-days they took away the ashes at Mid-night See Ains in Lev. 6. 10. By this Hebrew Canon it is evident that they could not continue the burning of the fats and peeces of the Evening sacrifices untill day-break without transgressing this necessary order in cleansing the Altar
testimony of the Evangelist John in Chap. 20. 19. the Text runs thus The same day at Evening being the first day of the week John calls this Evening not the second but the first day of the week and yet it must needs be now a good space after Sun-set for there were two Disciples now present that came from Emaus and it was towards Evening before they came from Emaus and they could not well come from thence to Jerusalem in lesse than three hours space for it was sixty Furlongs from Emaus to Jerusalem Luke 24. 13. 29. 36. Mr. Goodwin and others allow eight Furlongs to an English or Italian mile but the Hebrew Doctors allow but seven Furlongs and a half to an English mile See Ains in Lev. 16. 21. The New Testament doth not follow the Italian Furlong but the Greek Furlong or stadium Olympicum which contains six thousand feet and the Hebrew Doctors say that two thousand Cubits make a mile See Ains in Exod. 16. 29. The New Testament doth follow the Greek Customes as frequently as they followed the Greek Tongue Therefore in reason as the New Testament was written in Greek so it should follow the Greek stadium rather than the Italian besides I conceive that the Italian stadium came not into common use untill after the New Testament was written So then by the Hebrew Doctors account it was eight miles from Emaus to Jerusalem that is to say it was Eight English miles Now if you will allow but three hours time for the going of these eight miles it must needs be after Sun-set when they came to the Apostles and after they were come they spent some time in relating unto the Apostles what had happened to them the same day as they went to Emaus and as they were making this Relation Jesus came and stood in the midst of them Luke 24. 36. These circumstances considered it must needs be after the date of the Jews Ceremonial day before Christ came in among them and yet the Evangelist calls this time of the Evening the same day in which Christ rose from the dead and secondly he calls it the first day of the week So then by these two expressions the Evangelist puts the matter out of doubt to such as will be satisfied by plain consequences of Scripture that this latter Evening when Christ came into the house to the Apostles was a true part of the former day and yet it was after Sun-set and therefore it was after their Ceremonial day was begun 6 And lastly I may well bring hither all those five Arguments which I alleged in Chap. 5. to prove the latter Evening of the fourteenth day of Nishan to be a true part of the fourteenth day and therefore it follows by good consequence hat the latter Evening of the Sabbath was a true part of the Sabbath it self Obj. It appears to me that the Natural day begins at the Sun-set evening for the Lord telleth Ezekiel in the ninth year of Jeconiahs captivity that he should be dumb untill the day that Jerusalem should be destroyed and untill a Messenger should come to Ezekiel to tell the news thereof Ezek. 24. 26 27. this is the Prediction now the accomplishment of this Prophecy is set down in Eze. 33. 21 22. In the twelfth year of our captivity in the tenth Month and in the fifth day of the Month then one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto Ezekiel and said The City is smitten now saith Ezekiel The hand of the Lord had been upon me in the evening before he that had escaped came and had opened my mouth untill he came to me in the morning and when he had opened my mouth I was no more dumb From these two Scriptures compared it is evident that the evening before the Messenger came and the morning after he was come are termed the same day therefore it follows by good consequence that the same day began in the evening Ans This is a strange collection to prove the evening to be the beginning of the Natural day the vanity of this collection will appear by the opening of two words in this Prophecy which must not be taken as you do in strict propriety of speech but in a figurative sense I mean the word Day and the word Dumb. 1 I say the word Day must not be taken in a strict sense for a proper Natural day of twenty four hours but it must be taken Figuratively for a time to come as it appears by the computation of time for Ezekiel is said to be dumb in the ninth year of Jeconiahs captivity in the tenth Month and in the tenth day of the Month Eze. 24. 1 2. in which day Ezekiels wise dyed vers 18. which was the pleasure of his eyes vers 16. and her death was for a sign unto the Iews that the Temple which was the pleasure of their eyes vers 21. should be destroyed and then in that day namely when the Temple should be destroyed he that escapeth in that day should come to Ezekiel and tell him And in that day viz. in time to come Ezekiels mouth should be opened unto him which escaped to tell him and then he should speak and be no more dumb ver 26 27. This is the Prediction now compare the story of events and that lyes thus The Temple was burnt on the tenth day of the fifth Month in the eleventh year of Zedekiah Jer. 52. 12 13. and there is no record to be found that any Messenger came to Ezekiel to tell him in the same day neither is it possible for any man to come from Jerusalem to Chaldea in one Natural day of twenty four hours therefore the Messenger that came to him in that day came to him in that day which is Figuratively put for the time to come for the Messenger came not to Ezekiel until seventeen Months after that the Temple was destroyed for hee came not till the fifth day of the tenth Month and in the twelfth year of Jeconias captivity Ezek. 33. 21. therefore this phrase the same day must not be understood of the same Natural day but of day at large for the term day is often put for a large time to come as in Ezek. 23. 38 39. Ezek. 33. 12. and in Deut. 27. 2 See Ains 2 Ezekiel is said to be dumb in the ninth year Ezek. 24. 12. 27. till the Messenger came to him in the twelfth year of Ieconiahs captivity in all which space Ezekiel was not dumb from ordinary speech as Zachary was Luk. 1. 20. neither yet was he dumb from Prophecying against other Nations as it appears by Eze. 26. 1. and Eze. 29. 1. and Eze. 31. but he was dumb or silent from Prophecying any more against the unbeleeving Iews as chap. 3. 26. untill this Messenger came with special tidings to certifie him how all things were accomplished as he had fore-told and now at the coming of this special Messenger Ezekiels mouth was opened again
to utter another Prophecy of the utter ruine of the remnant of the Iews that were left Ezek. 33. 2 3. and from this time forth he was no more dumb that is to say he was no more restrained from Prophecying to them of their utter ruine So then this Messenger was sent to Ezekiel on purpose to tell him the present state of things and to inquire of him what should be the future event of the remnant that were left Ezekiel could not chuse but hear of the burning of the Temple long before this Messenger came to him partly by the poor Captives and partly by the Souldiers and also he could not chuse but hear of the death of Gedaliah before this special Messenger came but such accidental tidings did not answer to the sign that was given for the time of his new Prophecying for the sign was this That a special Messenger should be sent unto him from Ierusalem to Chaldea in a day that is to say in a time to come and then Ezekiels mouth should be opened unto him to utter some new Prophecy to him though it was not according to their expectation for he fore-tels that the remnant that were left should likewise come to destruction Besides â—he hand of Prophecie that came upon Ezekiel in the Evening before the Messenger came may be taken as well for the first as for the latter Evening for God did often give Visions to his Prophets in the first Evening at the time of the Evening Sacrifice Act. 3. 1. Dan. 9. 21. Act. 10. 3 9. Therefore unlesse it can be proved that this Evening was the Sun-set Evening no concluding argument can be drawn from this Text to prove the Natural day to begin at the Sun-set Evening no though the term Day and the term Dumb had been spoken properly So then from all the premises I conclude that not the Evening before but the Evening after the Sabbath was a true part of the Sabbath it self and therefore they that take liberty to busie themselves about worldly matters in the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath do prophane that holy time that God hath sanctified to his own use CHAP. VIII Proving that the punctual time of Christs Resurrection was in the morning just at Sun-rising DOubtlesse it is a matter of necessary consequence not onely to prove cleerly the punctual time of Christs burial but of his Resurrection also for if the time of his Resurrection be uncertain how can a doubting conscience be satisfied that Christ lay three dayes in the heart of the earth according to the Prediction Therefore as I have proved the time of Christs burial to be finished when their Festival-Sabbath began to lighten by the Evening-star so I say also that the time of his Resurrection was just about the time of Sun-rising on the first day of the week Christ did not rise from his grave before day-break as some would have it nor at day-break as others would have it by uncertain guesses Matthew saith that Mary Magdalen went out of the door of her house in the first day of the week when it began to dawn intending to perfume his burial with the sweet Odors that she had prepared in the Evening before the Sabbath Matth. 28. 1. But Mark saith That the Sun was just risen when she came to the Sepulchre Mark 16. 1. she spent all that space of time between day-break and Sun-rising partly in calling upon other holy women to go with her Luke 24. 10. and partly in going so much ground as was from her lodging to the Sepulchre and then when she was come to the Sepulchre there was a mighty Earthquake Mat. 28. 2. and then his grave was opened such a like Earthquake there was at the death of Christ which opened divers of the graves of the Saints and after the Resurrection of Christ they did rise also out of their graves and came into the holy City and appeared unto many Mat. 27. 52 53. By this Earthquake at Sun-rising when Mary Magdalen came to the Sepulchre it is evident that Christ did not rise out of his grave untill these holy women came to be witnesses of the time of his Resurrection I confesse that many Interpreters do think that Christ was risen before these holy Witnesses came to the Sepulchre but such conjectures may not be admitted for it is a point of necessary consequence to be proved That Christ lay three dayes in the heart of the Earth but if you say That Christ was risen before these holy Witnesses came then you cannot cleerly prove that Christ lay three dayes in the heart of earth for it may be demanded how long was he risen before they came If you say it was but one hour before I may as well say it was seven or eight hours before and then how can you satisfie a doubting conscience that Christ lay three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth I cannot think that Christ would suffer his own Prediction to remain so obscure without manifest proof of the full accomplishment of it Therefore I conclude that Christ rose not out of his grave till the holy women came to be Witnesses of the same which was also evidently declared unto them by this Earth-quake at their coming to the Sepulchre just at Sun-rising though they could not make that use of it till afterwards Object 1. This Earthquake might be past before the holy women came to the Sepulchre and they might know it afterward only by the Souldiers relation Ans Christ did never shew himself to any wicked man after his Resurrection Joh. 14. 19. Joh. 16. 20 22. Act. 10. 41. Therefore it is not like that he would make the Roman Souldiers to be the only Witnesses of this Earthquake which did evidence the time of his Resurrection I conceive the holy women would not give much credit to the testimony of the Roman Souldiers except this Earthquake had been general to all the parts of the City as wel as to that particular place but it seems to me that this Earthquake was not generally spread over the City but it was limited only to that particular place where Christs Sepulchre 〈◊〉 as a special testimony of the time of his Resurrection In like 〈◊〉 that place only where the Apostles were when they were threatned by the Hgh Priests was shaken as a testimony of encouragement to them not to be afraid of Tyrants Act. 4. 31. Act. 2. 2. Act. 12. 7. and so there was an Earthquake that opened the particular place where Paul was imprisoned Act. 16. 26. the bare testimony of the Souldiers would have been but of small credit to prove so weighty a matter as the time of Christs Resurrection was Therefore I conclude that Christ arose not from his Grave till these holy women came to testifie the time of his Resurrection by an Earthquake which happened at their first coming to his Sepulchre and that was just at Sun-rising I conceive that the holy women at first were amazed and did not know what use to make of this Earthquake Joh. 20. 9. but afterwards they did plainly perceive that it was a manifest demonstration of the time of his Resurrection and after this Earthquake Mary Magdalen went to the Apostles and told them that Christ was risen from the dead and she followed the Apostles back again to the Sepulchre And 3. when they saw no body in the Sepulchre they returned home 4 But Mary Magdalen staid still behind and then Christ himself did appear unto her as John doth testifie From all the premises it is evident that Christ lay in the heart of the earth about four hours of the sixth day and the whole Sabbath and about five hours of the first day of the week namely from Mid-night till Sun-rising and after this sort Christ lay three dayes and three nights in the heart of the Earth But those that begin the Sabbath at the Sun-set-Evening can never prove that Christ lay three dayes in the heart of the Earth Therefore that opinion must needs be of evill consequence First Because it falsifies the said Prediction And secondly Because it leads men to do servile works in the latter Evening of the Lords day as manyfold experience of mens worldly practises doth testifie in New England as soon as the Sun-set Evening of the Lords day is come It this Treatise may be of any use to satisfie a doubting conscience touching the time of Christs Burial and Resurrection and touching thâ— limits of the Lords day Give glory to God who giâ—â— gifts to men for that purpose Even so AMEN FINIS