day it self The lesser Evening is the latter part of the day it self As for morning there is the morning watch and the morning it self And the large day consisteth of twenty four hours even a night and a day as hath been shewed or a night day as Paul speaketh * 2 Cor. 11.25 Now these things being considered as a preparation whereby you may understand how I reckon the day branching it out in the several parts thereof I come now to give you several grounds for my practise of keeping the Lords day from Evening to Evening THe first is because that God from the Creation ordered the Evening to go before the Morning before ever the Sun or Moon were Created It s said the Evening and the Morning was the fâ—rst day * Gen. 1.5 The Evening and the Morning was the second day * v. The Evening and the Morning was the third day * v. And the same Order followeth throughout the whole Week After the Sun was made to rule the day and the Moon to rule the night the Evening and the Morning was the fourth day * v. 19 where we see The Evening is placed before the Morning as it followed the fifth and sixth day * v. 23.1 And the Prophet David setting forth the Order of Gods Creation saith in the hundred and fourth Psalm * Psalm â—04 19 24. He appointed the Moon for seasons the Sun knoweth his going down Thou makest darkness and it is night wherein all the Beasts of the Forrest do creep forth The young Lyons roar after their prey and seek their meat from God The Sun ariseth they gather themselves together and lay them down in their Dens Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the Evening Wherein we may see he placeth the night before the day in respect of time for the darkness which was called night was before the light which was called day And God caused the light to shine out of darkness unto which the Apostle alludeth orderly in his spiritual applications to the Corinthians saying God who Commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts giving the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ * 2 Cor. 4.6 MY second ground why I keep the day which God hath made * Psa 118.24 holy from Even to Even is from Gods institution and Commandement unto Israel saying in Leviticus * Levit 23.32 From Even to Even shall ye rest your Sabbath And that Sabbath which God Commands to be sanctified is a large day of twenty four houres the night going before the day of twelve hours as is nâ—ted before which time is the seventh part of the week And as we are not to take part of one day to make up another day so we are not to take part of one week to make up another week for the days and weeks remain as from the Creation The beginning of the day begins with the Evening therefore the beginning of the week begins with the Evening also and so from Even to Even the Jews were Commanded to celebrate their Sabbath And this was well known to the Jewes which made them when Christ was crucified upon the preparation day before their Sabbath to make such hast because that the Sabbath was coming on for the ninth hour was come before Jesus bowed the Head and gave up the Ghost * John 9.30 34. The Jews therefore because it was the preparation that the bodies should not remaine upon the Cross on the Sabbath-day for that Sabbath-day was a high day besought Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away Then came the Souldiers and brake the legs of the first and of the other that was crucified with him But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already they brake not his legs c. Now if the Sabbath had not begun at Evening but at Midnight or Morning in all probability they would not have made such haste to break the legs of them that were crucified wherby they might dy speedily and so be taken away immediatly seeing that then they would have had a long time even till midnight or day to bury them in and especially considering that Jesus was dead already and it was probable that the other two would not have lived long after him but that there might have been time enough to have buried them before midnight And another reason which confirmeth it that the Jewes then began their Sabbath at Evening appeareth from Johns Testimony which saith * v. 41.42 That in the place where he was crucified there was a Garden and in the Garden a new Sepulcher wherein was never man yet layed There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jewes preparation day for the Sepulcher was nigh at hand Now the Lords day began when the Jewes Sabbath ended But the seventh day Sabbath began at Even and ended at even thereâ—ore the Lords day Sabboth beginneth at even and is to be celebrated from Even to Even MY third ground why I begin this Honourable day at Even and so keep it from Even to Even is from the practise of the Godly and particularly of Nehemiah * Neh. 13.19 which testifieth saying and it came to pass that when the Gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath I Commanded that the Gates should be shut and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath and some of my Servants set I at the Gates that there should no burthen be brought in on the Sabbath-day So the Merchants and sellers of all kinds of Wares lodged without Jerusalem * v. 20.21 once or twice then I testified against them and said unto them why lodge ye before the Walls c. MY fourth ground why I keep the day from Even to Even is from the consideration of the Death Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ who declared that as Jonas was 3 days and 3 nights in the Whales Belly so should the Sun of man be 3 days 3. nights in the heart of the Earth * Mat. 12.40 Now Jesus Christ was crucified on the sixth day of the week and died after the ninth hour was come and was buried before the twelfth hour of the day and lay all night and the next day and the next night so that of nights there is but two at the utmost And if he should have layn another night he could not have risen the third day for then it would have been the fourth day But the Scripture declareth and we are bound to believe that he rose again the third day which was the first day of the week and therefore in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ we are to account the days as it was from the Creation the Evening and the Morning is a large day of twenty fower hours which being considered together a part
THE EVENING-STAR Appearing to the SAINTS Directing them to celebrate their Holy Rest even the Sabbath-day not from Morning to Morning nor from Midnight to Midnight but from Even to Even according to the Word of God First written in a Letter at the earnest Request of a Friend for his satisfaction concerning the beginning of the Sabbath Day And here published for the generall good of all that profess Christianity and in order to the rectifying of some things in the late Act concerning the observation of the Lords Day There is an Epistle to the Parliament in the Conclusion tending also to the taking away of the Popish Prelaticall and Antichristian Presbyterian-Penalties contained in sevrall Acts and Ordinances of Parliament which have been and still are put in execution against the best sort of religious Protestants Unto which is also anexed A new Christian Creed built upon the old foundation of the holy Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ being the cheef Corner Stone By SAMUEL CHIDLEY Cler. London Printed by John Clowes 1650. The Preface and Epistle Dedicatory To the Saints on earth Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplyed Beloved AS Jehovah hath chosen you to be his holy special and peculiar People above all the people that are upon the face of the Earth * Deut. 7.6 14.2 Exod. 19.5 Isa 56. Rom. 10.12 so he hath given unto you signs Sacraments amongst which the Sabbath is a sign between him and you to testifie That he is Jehovah which sanctifieth you * Exod. 31.13 17. Therefore ye are commanded to Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy * Ex. 20.8 From the Creation of the world God did appoint one day of seven to be a Sabbath not onely because he had rested on the seventh day from all his Workes which he had created and made * Deut. 31.17 Gen. 2.2 But that both man beast might have rest and resreshment also * Deut. 5.14 which thing remaineth substantially unto this day as sure as God is merciful who hath not left it to the wills of men but hath established this Liberty upon the grounds of certainty In old time God did institute the seventh day for a * Ex. 20. â—0 See â—r Ansâ—orth's â—ranslaâ—ion Sabbath but there was not that desirable perfection in it for acception as was upon the first day of the wick the morrow after the Jews Sabbath which was higher and more honourable because of the Wave-sheaf * Lev. 23.10.11 1â— and first fruits ** verâ— 15 21 then presented before the LORD those lively Types of Jesus Christ who is the first fruits of them that sleep * 1 Coâ— 15.20.23 who rose from the dead on the morrow after the Sabbath As therefore the Jews were to observe it as a Sabboth and a holy convocation by solemn Proclamaion it was to be unto them And they were to do no servile work therein * Lev. 23.21 So must the Christians now in the dayes of Christ our Lord * Psa 110.31 who honoured this day by his presence in the midst of his Disciples after his Resurection upon the first day of the Week * Joh. 20 19. and eight days after that * er 26. even upon the second first day * Lev. 23.15.16 he came again gave them more fuller manifestations and confirmations of his Resurrection breathing on them that they might receive the Holy-Ghost and after his Ascension into Heaven sent down the Holy-Ghost upon his Disciples on the fiftieth day which was the morrow after the Jews Sabbath * Acts 2.1 And on the Lords day also he ravished with his spirit that Disciple John whom he so dearly loved before his death And then and there in the Isle of Pathmos he im parted that great Revelation which is called The Revelation of Jesus Christ which he had received from the bosome of the Father * Rev. 1.1 10. This first day of the week is the day of Christs power * Psalmâ— 110.2 on which day the disciples met together to break bread and to practise the other Ordinances of God for the setting forth of Jesus Christ who holdeth his Ministers in his right hand and walketh in the midst of his Churches * Acts 20.7 1 Cor. 16.2 Rev. 1.12 13 20. 2.1 7.16 This is the day of our holy solemnity to be kept in Sion the City of the Saints solemnities upon which day our Lord Christ was made perfect * Luke 13.32 Heb. 5.9 an High Priest for ever not after the Law of a carnaâ— commandement but after the power of an endless life * 7.16 then the stone which the Builders refused became the head of the Corner â— Ps 118. Then the right hand of Jehovah was exalted and did valiantly Then Christ said I shall not dye but live and declare the works of Jehovah * Ps 118.18.19 For although for a little while as precious seed he lay in the heart of the earth yet through the quickning Spirit of God which came upon him as the dew of Heaven he arose and sang and Jehovah was then his strength and song and also became his Salvation * v. 14. This day is a joyful good day This Sabbath is a delight holy of Jehovah honourable * Isa 58.13 Ps 118.22 it is the day of his marvelous doings This is the day which Jehovah hath made * ver 24. our God hath entred into Covenant with us this day * Isa 54 9 10. to give us the sure mercies of David * Acts 13.34 This is the wedding-day of Jesus Christ with his beloved spouse * Isa 54.5 it is his Coronation-day the day of his espousals and the day of the gladnes of his heart * Cant. 2.11 O come then and let us be glad and rejoyce in it with him and let the voyce of joy and rejoycing be heard in the Tabernacles of the righteous Is not this the great Market day of our souls wherein there is Proclamation made Ho every one that thirsteth come unto the waters of life And he saith moreover Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness incline your ear come unto me hear and your souls shall live And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David * Isa 55.1 3. And the spirit and the Bride say come and he that heareth saith come and let him that is a thirst come And whosoever will let him take of the Well of the water of life freely * Rev. 22.17 O how sweet are the Christal streams of the Christian Brooks which proceed from the Throne of God and of the Lamb And how pleasant and pretious is the Tree of Life on either side the River of Righteousness the meat where of is good for food and the leaves thereof for Medicine Blessed are
of that twenty four hours is to be taken for the whole twenty four houres but if they should be severed and reckoned by the twelve hours then there must be six times twelve hours considered and out of every one of the twelve houres we are to take a part or else we cannot make up the number of three distinct days and three distinct nights And though we should take a part of one distinct day of one distinct night for the whole day and night to make up the number yet it must of necessity be above four times twelve hours that is forty eight houres or else a day and a night of the time will be wholly excluded But Christ did not lie in the grave forty hours he lay but a small time on the first day of his Burial which was the sixth day of the week for presently the Evening came which night he lay in the grave and all the next day which was the Jews Sabbath And Mark saith * Mark 16.1.3 That when the Sabbath was past Mary Magdalen and Mary the Mother of James and Solome had brought sweet pices that they might come and anoint him And very early in the morning the first day of the week they came unto the Sepulcher at the rising of the Sun and Christ was risen before * v. 6. and appeared first to Mary Magdalen * v. 9. And Luke saith it was very early in the morning that they came to the Sepulcher and Christ was risen before * Luke 24.1.6 And Matthew saith * Mat. 28.1 2 3 4 5 6. That as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary to see the Sepulcher and behold there had been a great Earth-quake for the Angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the dore and sate upon it His countenance was like lightning and his Rayment white as Snow and for fear of him the Keepers did shake and became as dead men And the Angel answered and said unto the Women fear not ye for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified He is not here for he is risen as he said And as they went to tell his Disciples behold Jesus met them saying All Hayle and they came and held him by the feet and worshipped him * v. 9. Now when he was risen early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalen and she went out and told them that had been with him as they mourned and wept * Mark 16.9 11. And they when they had heard that he was alive and had been seen of her believed not Now John sheweth the manner how he appeared to Mary Magdalen saying * Ioh. 20.1 17. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalen early when it was yet dark unto the Sepulcher and seeth the stone taken away from the Sepulcher then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter and to the other Disciple whom Jesus loved and saith unto them they have taken away the Lord out of the Sepulcher and we know not where they have laid him Peter therefore went forth and that other Disciple and came to the Sepulcher so they ran both together and the other Disciple did out-run Peter came first to the Sepulcher And he stooping down and looking in saw the linnen Clothes lying yet went he not in Then cometh Simon Peter following him and went into the Sepulcher and seeth the linnen Clothes lye And the Napkin that was about his head not lying with the linnen Clothes but wrapped together in a place by it self Then went in also that other Disciple which came first to the Sepulcher and he saw and believed for as yet they knew not the Scriptures that he must rise again from the Dead Then the Disciples went away again unto their own home but Mary stood without at the Sepulcher weeping And as she wept she stooped down and looked into the Sepulcher and seeth two Angels in white sitting the one at the head and the other at the feet where the Body of Jesus had layn and they say unto her woman why weepest thou she saith unto them because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him And when she had thus said she turned her self back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus Jesus saith unto her woman why weepest thou whom seekest thou she supposing him to be the Gardner saith unto him Sir if thou have born him hence tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away Jesus saith unto her Mary she turned her self and saith unto him Rabboni which is to say Master Jesus saith unto her touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God Now all these things were before he met the women and that they caught him by the feet And before Mary Magdalen was at the Sepulcher Jesus Christ was risen while it was yet dark even towards day And therefore seeing Jesus Christ rose the third day and not the second day The night before the day-light must be concluded to be part of the large natural day else we shall destroy our Article of our Faith That Christ rose again the third Day Divers other scriptures might be alleadged as that of Pilates wifes Dream about Christ the first Day of the three * Mat. 27.19 compared with Job 33.14 17. from that which the chief Priests and the Pharisees did upon the preparation day when they came to Pilate and would have the Sepulcher kept until the third day Job least his Disciples should come by night and steal him away and say unto the people he is risen from the Dead * Mat. 27.62 64. And also how they gave larg mony unto the Souldiers * Mat. 18.11 14. saying say ye His Disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept And if this come to the Governours eares we wil perswade him and secure you But this is sufficient not only to overthrow the opinion of those that would exclude the night as if it were no part of the Lords day or Sabbath as if they might follow their Trades in the night of our holy solemnity so they do but keep the fourteenth part of the week not minding that the night is part of the large natural day of 24. hours which is the seventh part of the week As also it reproveth those that begin not to rest till the morning and hold it from morning to morning thereby altering from the Creation for from the Creation the Evening was before the Morning And God said not from morning to morning but from Even to Even * shall you rest your Sabbath tell what songs and sounds will best please the company to draw their minds
those that keep his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of life and enter in through the Gates into the Holy City Remember therefore the Sabbath day to keep it holy as the Lord hath Commanded particularly to consider the time of celebration thereof which is from even to even Now that you may not forget duly to prepare your selves against the night of our holy solemnity I have published this following Epistle to prove that the Evening and the Morning is the first day from the Creation and that the Sabbath or Lords day is to be kept not from Morning to Morning nor from Midnight to Midnight but from Even to Even Thus saith Jehovah If you can break my Covenant of the day my Covnant of the night that there should not be day and night in their season then may also my Covenant be broken with David my servant that he should not have a Son to Reign upon his Throne and with the Levitos the Priests my Ministers * Jer. 33.20.21 Now here followeth the Letter which was Written at the earnest request of a friend for his satisfaction concerning the beginning of the sabbath-Sabbath-day Loving friend I Understand by an old acquaintance and loving friend of mine that you have a great desire to receive some Grounds from me in Writing wherefore I keep the Lords Day from Evening to Evening and not hold it from Mid-night to Mid-night Truly at the first I thought it most meet that seeing we are both in one Town and can freely and frequently come to talk face to face it were better so to do then to write unto you with ink and pen but further considering what my friend had told me that you could better declare your mind in writing then by speech though I doubt not but that in discourse you are able to give reason and to receive reason I therefore have thought it not amiss to spare some time from my pressing urgent occasions to satisfy your desire by writing considering the smallness of your request and how that if this writing satisfy you you may send it unto your friends in the Country for their satisfaction seeing we cannot speak with them by word of mouth but if these lines which I shall here present you withall satisfy you not nevertheless it will serve as an entrance into more fuller discourse between us upon this subject And now to the matter in hand It is good to mind what we are to understand by a day in this present controversie and that will lead us to the day By a day in the Scriptures we are to understand either a day of twelve hours or a large day of twenty four hours A day of twelve hours Christ speaketh of when he saith * John 11.9 Are there not twelve hours in the day And so he sheweth by the Parable of the vineyard * Matt. 20. v. 1. to the 13. where those that were hired at the eleventh hour wrought one hour and then the day was at an end therefore as there are twelve hours in the day so likewise there are twelve hours in the night And so it appeareth that the day and night are both of an equal length and so it was when there was neither Sun nor Moon for the week consisteth of seven parts and every of those parts is twenty-four hours a piece none being longer or shorter then other this may appear by Exodus * Exod. 20.9.10.11 where it is said Six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do and the seventh day is a Sabbath c. And when the seventh day ended then the week began again as may appear by Leviticus * Levit. 23.15.16 where it is written And ye shal Count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the Wave-Offering Seven Sabbaths shall be compleat even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days c And in Deuteronomy these are called seven weeks * Devt 16.9.10 The night in the Scriptures as it consisteth of twelve hours equal with the day so it is divided into four equal parts See which parts are called four watches * Luke 12.38 Matt. 14.25 In the fourth watch of the night Jesus walked on the Sea The first watch of the night beginneth when the first hour of the night beginneth even at the time which is commonly called six a clock at night and is the evening-watch and lasteth three houres The second watch is from the end of the first watch and lasteth till midnight or the sixth hour of the night which is commonly called twelve a clock The third watch of the night is from the end of the second watch lasteth also three hours even till the ninth hour of the night And then at the end thereof beginneth the fourth watch and lasteth three hours even till the first houre of the day which is commonly called six a clock in the morning and is called the morning watch In the morning watch it is said * Exod. 13.24 The Lord looked unto the Host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the Cloud and troubled the Host of the Egyptians now the Pillar of fire was to lead them by night Therefore at this time when God looked through the Pillar of fire though it was the morning watch yet it was part of the night even of the twelve hours See also in Mark * Mark 13.35.36 where Jesus Christ divideth the night into four watches saying thus Watch ye therefore for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh at even or at Midnight or at the Cock-crowing or in the dawning * some Translations say in the dawning Other saith in the morning or morning least coming suddainly he find you sleeping Now in a temporal respect the night is made for Man to sleep in and those that sleep sleep in the night But in extraordinary cases men are to watch unto which Jesus Christ alludeth when he saith watch lest when he cometh he find you sleeping Moreover I conceive that as the latter part of the Night or Evening is called Morning so the latter part of the Day or Morning is called Evening because it is next to it and next before it So it was Commanded that the Passe-over should be slain between the two Evenings * Exod. 12.6 That is to say in the lesser Evening before the twelfth hour of the day which was the beginning of the Evening for the next day and they were to rost it eat it at night and not to let ought of it remain untill the morning but that which remained till morning they were to burn it with fire * v. 10 So that there is two Evenings to one day there is the greater Evening and the lesser Evening The greater Evening is the night * Job 7.3.4 before the