Sunday as their Sabbath whereon our Saviour rose again from the dead and shew'd himself to his Disciples Another difference betwixt us is that we are not obliged to that Iudaïcal strictness but are allow'd a chearfull freedom yet not so as to make it a day of pastime for it follows that it is THE SABBATH OF THE LORD THY GOD as appointed by him or To the Lord thy God as dedicated to his especial service a day wherein thou art to contemplate the works of the Lord wrought in the Creation and the mercyes of thy God shown forth in thy Redemption a time set apart not for thy business much less for thy sport but for God's glory and publick worship to be spent wholly in performances of holy dutyes IN IT THOU SHALT DO NO MANNER OF WORK Nothing of common drudgery of thy ordinary vocation of thy weeks work none of thy work for it 't is not meant that we should sit still and doe nothing but works of piety as going to Church and the Priest's offering their Sacrifices in the Old Law c. are God's work and works of necessity as provision of food c. are the works of Nature and works of Charity as healing the sick taking the oxe or ass out of the pit c. are works of Grace And these must and may be done without any violation of the Sabbath THOU God here cals all the family to an account so careful he is of his own day And whereas in the other Commandements Thou is directed to every body here it carryes a special warrant to the superiour seeming to require of him that he not onely keep it himself in his own person but take care also that all in his charge keep it too Thou whether thou art magistrate master or mistress of the house father tutor or whatever governour imploy thy authority to see my Sabbath duely observ'd Yet not so as that the superiours negligence shall be an excuse for the inferior's for they are all spoken too here by name AND THY SON Children are naturally more apt to neglect their duty then able to perform it or indeed willing to understand it They must be taught it then and kept to it Acquaint thy son therefore with my wayes and instruct him in my fear Train him up in good courses that he may not be prepossess'd with vicious customs Bring him to Church let him be couversant in Scripture and learn the principles of Religion and seek me early that he may grow up as in stature so in wisedom and grace and favour with God and good men AND THY DAUGHTER No age nor sex priviledg'd from Sabbath-duty And these two words include all inferiours who are not in a servile condition all children pupils scholars citizens subjects whose respective governours are particularly to heed their observance of this day THY MAN-SERVANT AND THY MAID SERVANT All thy servants whether hired or bought all that doe thee work and receive thy wages Neither thy Avarice nor their own lust shall imploy them and cause them to absent themselves from my service Servants that day 〈◊〉 God's servants and their master's fellow-servants yet to be commanded and overlook'd by their masters that they do serve God And indeed it is the master's great interest to see that this day be well observ'd in his family since he cannot well expect that his own work should prosper if God's work be neglected or that those servants will be faithfull in his service who doe not care to serve God THY CATTLE The Greek reads here as 't is express'd in Deuteronomie and thy oxe and thy ass and thy cattle i.e. all labouring beasts which man makes use of for tillage of the ground for carriage of burdens for going of journeys c. that they also may rest from their usual labour and may have a time of refreshment for there is a charity too due to these brute-servants and the good man is mercifull to his beast But does God take care of oxen Though they have a share in his providence yet what are they concern'd in his Law which is spiritual and holy 'T is for man's sake whom they serve in whose charge they are that they are here mention'd And indeed should the cattle have been left out it might have look'd like an allowance to worldly-minded men to have set them on work the attendance of that would have prov'd the imployment of men too for that beasts will hardly work alone without the direction oversight of men NOR THY STRANGER THAT IS WITHIN THY GATES He that sojourns with thee within thy city so the Magistrate is concern'd or thy guest in thy house and so 't is the duty of the Master of the family to see that strangers of what countrey or religion soever comply with this Law and doe not violate the Sabbath-rest by travell keeping market following their merchandise or any other worldly occasions The Hebrew words are sometimes taken in a special strict sense so as that the stranger means one of another countrey converted to the Iewish profession and observances call'd otherwise a Proselyte and the Gates being the place of session or assize where the Iudges and Magistrates met for the tryall and decision of causes mean the civil power and jurisdiction But they are here questionless to be taken in the larger and more common sense FOR IN SIX DAYES THE LORD This is the reason of the Command and shews farther the equity of it that we would not think much to doe as God himself did and indeed the morality of it too for this reason concerns all mankind Heathen as well as Iew wherefore to intimate the universal obligation it hath it sayes not the Lord thy God as before but only the Lord. MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH THE SEA AND ALL THAT IN THEM IS He finish'd the work of creation and did all which he had to do in that first week of the world And it would be worth our imitation to consider how God takes a review of every day's work and it would be well for us that we could every night before we take our natural rest take account of our actions and see that they are good and at the weeks end before we enter upon this spiritual rest survey the work of the whole week and say of it not that it were exceeding good but that at least it were not exceeding evil Two things in the method of God's working may be worth our particular notice that the evening is mention'd still before the morning as if God had taken counsel o're night what he should doe next day and that God made man last on the very Sabbath-eve as if he had made him for no other purpose then to keep the Sabbath in the admiration of his works and the celebration of his praise AND RESTED THE SEAVENTH DAY God might have been working on still and set forth his power in new productions for Omnipotence cannot be
to call upon the Lord and to give thanks unto the name of the Lord c. Not unto us but to thy name give the glory i.e. to thy self for so the opposition stands not to us but to thy self Sometimes it is taken for fame and renown and glory which accompanies a good name and makes it like good oyntment the Giants of old were men of name to wit famous renowned men much talked of Christ's name after he had wrought some miracles was spread abroad throughout the country i.e. he grew famous We will make mention of thy name saith the Psalmist often and will speak well of thy name and sing praises to thy name i.e. set forth thy praise in verse and contribute the skill of my tongue and harp which are my glory in the celebration of the glory Then 't is taken for those abilityes virtues which commend a man to fame and raise an admiration and esteem of him as power wisdom goodness mercy c. And such are the glorious attributes of God the excellencies and perfections of his nature as How excellent is thy name in all the earth sayes David when he meditates upon the works of creation wherein those attributes of his doe most conspicuously shine forth to the amazement of any serious beholder And lastly it comprehends all the effects atchievements of the divine attributes whether produced by common providence in the world such as are his works daily accidents extraordinary events or by special grace such as are his word and ordinances the Sacraments the Gospell his Ministers his Sabbaths his Temple his inheritance persons places times and things dedicated to his service and whatsoever wears upon it a stamp of holiness to the Lord. Thus in thy name will we tread down our enemies i.e. by thy assistance and help and by the conduct of thy providence so ordering it defeating the counsels and breaking the strength of our adversaries In thy name we have prophecied and cast out devils c. by virtue of thy commission by thy command and appointment and the warrant of thy word Baptizing them in the name of the Father c. to wit into the profession of the Gospell into the worship and service of God faith in his promises and obedience to his commands Nor is the principal and usual signification to be laid aside God having many such names given him in Scripture both proper as Iehovah Iah Elohim Adonai Shaddai and appellative even a full Alphabet of names as the Syric Grammarians reckon them And so too Holy and reverend is his name Our petitions here begin in God's name a form so well liked that it came to be taken up even up even in the civil affairs of life wills contracts c. and made use of at last as a stale to countenance the worst designs of cheat prostituted to base self-ends even to the infamy of a Proverb And surely if we facing our prayers with it make it only a vizar to our own corrupt desires we doe it a fowl reproach and profane it when we pray it may be sanctified To Sanctify hath also a doubtful meaning according to the thing it is applyed to The Philosopher has in a moral respect rank'd things into three forms For there are some things absolutely and in their own nature good others as naturally bad and a third sort of indifferent things which in their own nature are neither good nor bad but according as they are used His distinction may find room here and accordingly admit of a threefold Sanctification That which is in it self holy is sanctified when 't is acknowledged and reverenc'd as holy And thus we are bid to Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself the holy One. That which is by nature evill and corrupt is sanctified by being made holy and having that nature renewed according to righteousness And thus God sanctifies us by his spirit creating us to good works in Christ Iesus and he bids us also Sanctify our selves by a diligent attendance on the holy ordinances and holiness of life and conversation That which is of a middle and indifferent nature is sanctifyed when we set it apart from common service and apply it to holy uses So our meat is sanctified by the word and Prayer so the Priest with his vests the Temple with it's utensils the Sabbath c. become sacred and inviolable And who offers a violence to any thing that thus belongs to God's peculium is profane and sacrilegious Our request then in this petition is That all things may be done to the glory of God that he would order his own counsels and all the dispensations of his providence and his grace to the utmost advantages of his own praise that he would sanctify us that we might sanctify him in our hearts that we may fear before him that is dreadfull in holiness that we may entertain reverent thoughts of him admire him in his infinite perfections be astonished at his unsearchable glory study his praises meditate on his goodness delight our selves in him and speak well of his name and set forth his noble acts that we may take notice of him in his out-goings observe his providences mark his particular supplyes and restraints regard his mercies with thankfulness and mend under his judgements that we may wait on him in his sanctuary in the use of his ordinances go to his house in his fear praise his name in the assembly among those that keep holy dayes attend to his word keep his Sabbaths honour his Ministers and give due respect to every thing that belongs to him and that we use not any of his names or titles but upon weighty occasions and with great reverence And lastly that our whole life be so holy and blameless that we may not give occasion for God's name or his wayes to be evill spoken of but rather that our light may so shine before men that they seeing our good works may glorify our Father which is in Heaven And this being done will promote set forward the interests of his Kingdom and so speed the second petition too THY KINGDOM COME God is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings the great Soverain of the world who does whatsoever he pleases and neon saith unto him what dost thou who hath resisted his will or given him counsel For that the word signifies also in the Chaldee dialect those two things being necessary to compleat a Monarch's right and make him absolute to doe what he doth by a clear and full authority and power of his own and by his own counsel and pleasure to act and determine that power He is the great Basis and support of all societies and governments in the world For the powers that are are ordain'd of God By me King's reign and for him too being his Vice-gerents and sword-bearers to be a terror to evill-doers
beneath or that is in the water under the earth Thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandements III. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain For the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vain IV. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Six dayes shalt thou labour and do all thy work But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man servant nor thy maid servant nor thy cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it V. Honour thy father thy mother that thy dayes may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee VI. Thou shalt not kill VII Thou shalt not commit adultery VIII Thou shalt not steal IX Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his man servant nor his maid-servant nor his ox nor his ass nor any thing that is thy neighbours THE TEN COMMANDEMENTS GOD when he had erected the stately frame of the World and furnished the scene of nature with various kinds of creatures prescribed an order course in which every thing should move for his command doth as well determine the actings of his creatures as it did produce their beings Thus the great wheel of nature keeps an orderly and constant course and as in a watch or some other curious piece of workmanship every small parcel of his work observes the rule of it's motion and is by that principle the workman's hand put into it guided to those ends for which it was made And this is the Law of Creation by which all creatures pay an obedience to their Creatour for as they depend upon his power to Be so 't was fit they should be directed by his wisdom to Act. This is indeed the Law of Nature which God as supreme Soveraign and absolute Lord and proprietour of all things has the sole right of imposing By this the heavenly bodyes dispense their influences and steer their motions which when excentrical are not irregular The Sun knows his place of rising and setting and it must be miracle that either stops him in his wonted rode or puts him back The Moon is constant to her changes and all the stars fixt to their stations nor doe the wandring stars rove out of those bounds which God hath set them The very inconstancy of weather and vicissitude of seasons is order'd by this Law and when any thing in the Elements happens extraordinary as that fire should refuse to burn water deny to drown c. 't is because a more particular warrant hath superseded the general commission which was sign'd at first for the law giver has power to alter his own laws make what exceptions he please which was the ground of Abraham's Faith who though by the general precept forbidden to kill any one yet upon special command thought himself obliged to sacrifice his own and onely Son To this Law are subject the Sea also ebbing and flowing from towards the shore God having appointed it its bounds beyond which it may not go and the Earth with all plants and fruits which grow on the surface of it and stones and minerals in the bowels of it according to the rules of each kind Of this Law a paricular branch is that which we call natural instinct whereby living creatures which are indued with sense and motion and a faculty of propagating their like to wit Birds Beasts Fishes and creeping things are regulated in the managery of their care and converse Hence springs that tender affection which all damms have for their young ones the conjugal fidelity of pairs the rules of order and government amongst societies such as Sheep Bees c. After this manner it pleas'd the faithfull Creatour to provide a Law for the well-being of his creatures without which the universe would have been still a meer Tohu and Bohu void and without form This is that ligament which binds the jarring Elements in a league of amity and sets every thing a work quietly to its own ends so as to preserve the whole and were it not for this all things would run into confusion But man being a creature of a more excellent make and having the imprese of divinity stamp'd upon him being made in the likeness of God was not to be coop'd up within the same measures as his fellow-creatures and be guided to his duty by blind instincts and a reason without him but had a greater latitude as of knowledge so of liberty allow'd him for it was thought fit that he who was to have dominion over the rest and to act Soveraign among other creatures should be intrusted with the government of himself Wherefore he had an understanding a will given him whereby he might see and choose his rule and might determine himself to a generous obedience And these faculties of his were as all things else were that God made at first very good his understanding right and wise his will holy and just of perfect sufficience to lead him to the right and of as perfect an indifference to leave him to the wrong besides his affections pure and free from all disorder Now that man might not pride himself in the reflection upon his own excellencies and that God might from this his Vicegerent and Prince of the Creation have some small acknowledgment of subjection it pleased him to make a command of tryall in a slight matter indeed the eating of an Apple but loaded with a grievous threat In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dy the death The breach of so easy an injunction upon so solemn a denunciation aggravating the ingratitude and the contempt of the offender And see how hard it was to persist in good even for him who before never knew evill How slippery a State Innocence when there is but the least temptation to debauch it How frail a thing the best of men if he be left to himself A toy tempts Adam from his obedience and his happiness together and from Eve's hand which administred the sin he took his death too Then were forfeited all the glorious priviledges of his Creation then were defaced all the resemblances of divine perfections then was his soul as well as body left naked of all graces and virtues his original righteousness turn'd into original sin then were his dayes cut short by
Law of the Lord must meditate in it day and night that so he may time his duties aright and be like the tree planted by the river side which bringeth forth its fruit in due season and thus whatsoever he does shall prosper GOD SPAKE Three months after the children of Israel's departure out of Egypt when they had pitch'd their Tents in the wilderness of Sinai when they had fresh in memory that wonderful deliverance which God wrought for them in their passage over the red-Sea from Pharaoh and his hoast besides those many dreadful miracles which he had shown in Egypt God mindful of the Covenant which he had made with Abraham and his seed the Israelites being now in a convenient place in a desert retired from the observation as well as the invasion of their enemies strikes a league with them that if they will obey his voice and keep his Covenant he will own them for his peculiar people and upon their acceptance of these terms after two dayes solemn preparation the Divine Majesty came down with Thunders and Lightnings and thick Clouds and seated himself upon the top of the Mount Sinai in the midst of fire and smoke with the noise of Trumpet that the Mountain and the Camp both shook with fear and whether by the ministry of an Angel or rather by some other more immediate way with audible voice face to face pronounced the tenour and conditions of the Covenant comprehended in the words of the Law ALL THESE WORDS Christ the second Person is called the Word but he is the word begotten as the Word is the immediate and essential issue of the Mind The whole Scripture too is God's Word that is was by God inspired into the holy pen-men they writing according to the dictates of the Spirit whence that form of speech especially among the Prophets Thus saith the Lord and The Word of the Lord came unto me But these Words God himself utter'd which therefore call for the more heedfull attention and awfull regard If the Lyon roares shall not the beasts of the forrest tremble every word should sound in our eares like a clap of Thunder cause an Earth-quake in our bowels for the Highest hath utter'd his voice even a mighty voice All these words too which requires an universal obedience We are not to pick and choose but receive them all with a like readiness of Faith as the clear manifestations of God's will God at the first creation for every dayes work spoke and it was done Oh! that he would so speak to our hearts that his Spirit may accompany his Word and help us to doe what he commands us to doe O Lord give us strength to perform thy Commands and then command what thou wilt SAYING The Rabbins have a tradition or fiction that God pronounc'd the Law twice over the first time with that hast as if the whole Law had been but one word but at the second going over leisurely and distinctly Whereupon they say that in this portion of Scripture the accents are upon every word doubled to denote that double delivery the one a note of speed the other of stop and pause This I suppose they gather from the two words here used as if he spoke them in hast and said them at leisure or whether they thought it fit the Law should be delivered twice by word of mouth as well as twice written upon tables Whether this were so or no matters not much only it should be our prayer and endeavour that they might be spoken over twice to us to the ear first and then to the heart to the inward man as well as to the outward though we have not the advantages of those terrours and dreadful circumstances wherewith the Law was at first delivered to prepare us with a prostrate humility and a devout reverence yet let us imagine that we hear the trumpet sound to judgement and awaken our attention and let us think we see the flames of Hell those everlasting burnings whither the transgressors of this Law must be dispatch'd and possess our souls with fear and hearken what the Lord will say to his servants The Preface Had God surpris'd them with this terrible appearance they might have been swallow'd up in their fears and been lost in those dazling amazements therefore he gave them two dayes time to prepare themselves here before he makes known to them his Law he acquaints them with the Lawgiver and that he might put their affections into a suitable temper for so solemn an occasion he makes an Introductory Preface wherein he lays down the arguments of their obedience taken partly from his power Soveraignty in that he is the Lord partly from his mercy and kindness seen first generally in that relation wherein he plac'd himself to them as being their God and more particularly discover'd in a late great deliverance he wrought for them and that both in respect of place out of a strange country he had brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt and in respect of condition out of a slavish and toilsom drudgery out 〈◊〉 the House of bondage I Who now speak to thee from the midst of fire out of the thick cloud the fear of thy Fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob I that appear'd to Moses in the burning bush cloathed with Majesty and dread I who have carried thee upon Eagles wings and have brought thee thus to my self to shew my statutes unto thee and to make known my laws Hear O Israel and fear and observe to do for I AM THE LORD The maker of all things the absolute Soveraign of the World Iehovah the Fountain of beings who give being also to my word and promise there is nothing resists my will for my power is infinite wherefore stand in aw and fear before me the subjection and homage of all creatures being due to me by right of creation all things are my servants for from me and to me are all things I spake the Word and they were are created I made all things according to my good pleasure and for my own glory and men more especially for my service and amongst all the sons of men I have chose you for my select people for I am THY GOD by Covenant as well as by Creation by promise no less then by providence I made my self known to thy Fathers and engag'd my loving kindness to them and to their posterity after them I took a particular care of you when you were but few in number that the Nations about you might do you no harm I supported you under your burdens in Egypt and multiply'd you when you were sorely oppress'd in so much that of seventy persons you are become a great people I have own'd you as my charge and have done wondrous things for you in the land of Cham and HAVE BROUGHT THEE OUT with a strong hand and stretched out arm in the sight pursuit of Pharaoh all his hoast
Mercyes to them and theirs after them who have a respect for me and a care to keep my commands Now if we would take notice how full the world is of Idolatry when neer three parts of four in the whole habitable world are Mahumetans and Pagans and the greatest part of Christianity is ingag'd in Image-worship what cause have we to fear the severest judgements of a jealous God How guilty has this Land of late been of the basest Idolatry in the blasphemous addresses to usurping powers and imputing the villanous artifices of wicked men to the holy Spirit of God How have schisms like armyes of locusts over-spred and eat up the Churches of God in these Nations every one severally inventing falâ—â— wayes of worship and setting up thâ—â— abomination of desolation How has Idolatry and Antichristian doctrine prevail'd amongst us and been eagerly assisted by a seeming opposition How many Corahs Dathans and Abirams have been own'd follow'd by giddy multitudes that have offer'd strange fire and maintain'd rebellion against the sacred orders and institutions of the Church What credit hath Sorcery and Astrology of late years gotten that many have forsaken their own prudence and God's providence too and given themselves up to a lying spirit How is Self and Sin made the great Idol of all our devotions and how do we every day provoke God to jealousy with our lusts Sure then we have great reason to pray in the Churches words Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law As the second gives order for the carriage of our Body so the third sets down a rule for the chief part of the body the Tongue That prescribes postures This regulates our speech That takes care for Gods Worship This for his Name It likewise consists of two parts the Precept it self and the Reason of the precept THOU SHALT NOT TAKE to wit into thy mouth thou shalt not mention make use of God's name in thy ordinary discourse And more particularly thou shalt not swear as the three Eastern Interpretations have it exactly to the Hebrew phrase for to lift up God's Name signifies to swear and so in the 24. Psalm He that hath not lift up his soul to vanity is expounded by the words immediately following That has not sworn deceitfully THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD. God's Name is here put not only for those appellations whereby he is distinguish'd but for the divine Attributes also for his Word and his Works and all other discoveries which he makes of his Essence power wisdom goodness as has been said before in the first Petition of the Lord's Prayer IN VAIN Idly to no purpose rashly upon every slight or silly occasion in common talk or in any frivolous matter without due reverence and heedfulness or falsly in the defence and justification of a lye and thus the word in its latitude includes the three qualifications of an Oath that it be made in judgement in justice and in truth The reason follows FOR THE LORD WILL NOT HOLD HIM GUILTLESS THAT TAKETH HIS NAME IN VAIN i.e. He will not clear and acquit him and let him scape unpunish'd that shall dare to call the all-knowing God to witness a lye Two Observes that word Iehovah or Lord helps us to as having a double Emphasis One is that however a false or a vain swearer may pass as to the notice and penalty of humane Lawes God will find out the offender and punish him Another is that it is said here only the Lord whereas before 't was said the Lord thy God to shew that perjury and rash oaths are sins of that nature that God will not only punish his own people for but even the Heathens and Infidels whose Lord indeed he is but he is not their God And Heathen story is full of such examples wherein the breach of oath has been constantly followed with remarkable vengeance And that is intimated in that negative threat which signifies more then it speaks out He will not hold him guiltless meaning that he will most certainly punish The sense of the Command then is this Thou shalt not use my Name upon a design of cheat and to cover a lye thou shalt not forswear thy self by calling me to witness a known falshood and thus call some heavy vengeance upon thine own head But thou shalt when thou art call'd by the Magistrate thereunto bear faithfull witness to the truth which thou knowst and shalt make good thy promises Thou shalt not blaspheme my Name by rash and needless oaths nor upon every mean paultry occasion make mention of it but shew a reverence and a regard to it and take it into thy mouth with solemn care and weighty consideration When necessity so requires and Authority commands for the decision of strife and to put an end to controversie thou shalt swear by me and by me alone who onely know the secrets of hearts and am able to avenge the falshood Thou shalt have an awfull respect for every thing that belongs to me thou shalt peruse my word with diligence and attention reading and hearing and meditating in it day and night It shall never depart out of thy mouth Thou shalt honour my Ministers the Preachers of my Word the dispensâ—rs of my holy Ordinances Thou shalt magnifie and praise my Name in the remembrance of all my wondrous works Thou shalt take notice of my Iudgements and my mercyes and in all events speak well of my Name and whatsoever falls out in the affairs and interests of the world to say still the Name of the Lord be praised And to conclude Thou shalt walk in my fear in thy distress call upon my Name be frequent in Prayer and in praise lift up thy heart and thy voice to me who hear in Heaven and so order thy conversation that thou mayst not cause my Name to be evill spoken of but shalt live suitably to thy holy profession that all that see thy good works may glorifie me and by thy example may be taught to love and fear my Name Let us but take a view of our selves and see whether we are such as the Lord will hold guiltless Have not we taken the Lord's Name in vain when generally it has been used as a stale to base interest and a cloak for hypocrisie and tyranny when our Pulpits have prefix'd the Name of the Lord to the blackest designs and those who would be thought strictest in prosessing the Name of the Lord have set on foot rebellion under the title of the Cause of God when there has been such breaking of Oaths and making of Covenants against the Laws of God and man In so much that for our swearing backward and forward as the villany of these late times has taught men to doe we may justly be term'd the perjur'd Nation when our orthodox teachers have been thrown into corners with indigence and contempt that the basest of the
tired nor Infinity be exhausted but he was pleas'd to put a period to his own extraordinary actings and by his own will determin the products of his boundless power Again if he had pleas'd he could have dispatch'd all his works in a day in a moment and not have made such leisurely progress and have done all at once But he chose a number of dayes to accomplish his great design in six dayes that there might be an orderly proportion and distance of time betwixt the productions of the several creatures and but six that the glory of his workmanship might not receive any disparagement from a seeming delay Now whether these six dayes in which the world was making were meant to signifie the continuance of the world for so many thousand years a thousand years being in Gods reckoning but as a day and the seaventh day of rest to typifie another thousand years of Christ's reign or an everlasting Sabbath in Heaven or whether any other mystery lye hid in the number of seaven whence fond antiquity might appropriate the seaven Planets each to his day and fonder Art divide the week according to planetary hours may be guess'd but cannot certainly be known Wherefore it may suffice us that it pleas'd God so to order his work and so to appoint a holy rest and he sure had very great reason for observing that order and making this appointment THEREFORE THE LORD BLESSED THE SABBATH-DAY AND HALLOWED IT He stamp'd upon it a particular respect set it aside from common imployment and business of life for holy and spiritual exercises that it might be spent in the commemoration of his wonderful works And if the institution were so solemn upon the account of Creation how much more will the memory of our Redemption heighten the solemnity and improve the observance of this holy day which our blessed Lord and Saviour the holy Iesus blessed by his rising again from the dead and hallowed by his apparition and discourse with his holy Apostles who have by their example recommended to the Church of God as the Christian Sabbath the first day of the week the day of our Lords Resurrection for which reason it is also call'd the Lord's Day Besides this weekly solemnity and day of rejoycing it is acknowledg'd even by those who are no great friends to the Churches authority that the Church hath power to appoint and set aside for the publick worship of God other peculiar dayes as occasion shall require such as are Anniversary Fasts and Feasts nor is the commemoration of the benefits obtain'd by Christ as his Nativity Passion Ascension c. and of the holy Apostles and other Scripture-Saints more ancient though it be handed to us from the most ancient and the best times then 't is convenient the fundamentals of religion being thus scatter'd through the course of the year and the Holy-dayes next to the Lords-day being the great remarks cognisances of Christianity This reason drawn from the creation which is the moral reason of the precept is in Deuteronomie which is the repetition of the Law omitted and another of a politick concern brought in stead of it as if the command were grounded upon an indulgence to servants and that upon a reflection upon the condition of the Israelites in Egypt where they had been made serve in a cruel bondage mention'd in the Preface Though those words there I suppose might be added only as a reason for the servants and the cattles rest and an argument to inforce the equity of that rather then to be the bottom and ground of the Sabbath it self and yet it seems strange that immediately after Moses tells them God spake these words and no more The sense of the command is this Thou shalt take great heed to the observation of my day and shalt sanctify my Sabbath and keep it holy with exercises of publick private devotion Thou shalt wait upon me in my sanctuary and appear before me in the great assembly Thou shalt come to my house in my fear and enter my courts with due reverence Thou shalt attend to my word obey my voice and shâ—lt bestow this sacred time wholly on the meditation of my Law Thou shalt receive my word with faith and wait upon me in the use of my ordinances Thou shalt set one day in seaven aside from all worldly concernments and thy usual employment and dedicate it and thy self to me Thou shalt prepare thy self and forecast thy business that no other thoughts may distract thee Thou shalt keep it a holy rest to the Lord shalt cause all that belong unto thee to keep it Thou shalt not do thy own works nor speak thy own words nor think thy own thoughts on that day but be taken up with the study of God's word and with the consideration of his works Thou shalt serve me faithfully on thy six dayes of work in a diligent attendance upon the dutyes of thy calling that thou mayst on my day of â—est meet with a blessing find pardon for thy failings and receive strength for thy performances Thou shalt breed up thy children in my fear and acquaint them with my wayes Thou shalt instruct thy houshold and make me known unto strangers Thou shalt be merciful to thy servants and thy cattle and shalt let them injoy the benefit of the Sabbath-rest Thou shalt so observe this rest as not to give thy self up to sloath and idleness nor spend the time in sports and vain recreations but make it a rest from sin as well as from work Thou shalt more particularly imploy thy self in remembring the Lord thy Creatour and thy Redeemer and thankfully acknowledging his benefits Lastly Thou shalt so pass this weekly Sabbath in holy meditations and a heavenly conversation that thou mayst fit thy self for the celebration of an everlasting Sabbath to be kept hereafter with Angels and Saints in Heaven after thou art deliver'd from the troubles of a wicked world How far have we come short of the observation of the Sabbath in these our times who forget the day and neglect the duty who neither labour on the six dayes nor rest on the seaventh as we should doe who profane the sanctuary and pollute the holy place using no reverence and behaving our selves in Gods presence with more rudeness then we would in the presence of men who have made our devotions but a lip labour and plac'd religion in the ear and have excluded God's word contained in the holy Bible and the wholsome forms of the Church to make room for the bold conceits and seditious discourses of men who have preferred Enthusiasms before the written word who have preach'd up rebellion and sacriledge and demolish'd the Churches of God in the Land broken down the sacred ornaments with axes and hammers who have multiplied sects and heresies and dishonour'd God in his solemn worship and in the publick assemblyes who have made void God's ordinances refus'd to
put in execution punish transgressors reward well-doers preserve peace and good order amongst men Protect thy subjects with the Scepter and the Sword be diligent in thy office and know that thou hast a great account to make to him by whom Kings reign who is no respecter of persons Thou shalt not abuse thy power to license thy own lusts and become arbitrary nor oppress thy subjects with unjust taxes and insolent carriage nor yet by a fond clemencie indanger thy Authority and lessen that reverence which is due to thy place Ye People shall receive my Ministers as my messengers and Embassadors from God and obey those that are over you for they watch for your soul 's good and think them worthy of double honour and allowance who both govern and teach the Bishops and overseers of the flock and own them with all fair respect who labour amongst you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and esteem them very dearly for their works sake and communicate freely to them in temporals who impart to you spirituals ye shall not slight their sacred function with disgraceful terms nor rent the Church with faction and schisms and heap to your selves teachers but submit your selves to all lawful orders constitutions and not be carryed about with every puff of doctrine nor entertain new-fangled opinions and unwarrantable practises in the wayes of my worship and Ecclesiastical Government And ye Pastors shall look to your selves and the whole flock over which the holy Ghost has made you overseers ye shall preach in season out of season ye shall doe all for edification and divide the word aright ye shall admonish exhort reprove and be burning as well as shining lights that ye may in your lives recommend the power of Godliness ye shall not Lord it over your brethren nor doe the work of the Lord carelessly Thou Servant shalt account thy Master worthy of all honour and shalt serve him with fear and trembling with singleness of heart as unto Christ and shalt doe him faithful service And thou Master shalt shew kindness forbearing threatnings knowing that thy Master also is in Heaven and shalt give thy servant comfortable maintenance and shalt not defraud the Labourer of his hire nor keep back thy servant's wages and thou shalt see to their carriage and govern them in my fear that they may become my servants also Ye Wives be subject to your Husbands and see that you reverence them Ye Husbands love your wives as Christ hath loved the Church and cherish them as your own flesh Ye young men rise up before a gray-head and have respect to the face of the aged Hearken to their advice and learn by their example And ye Old men behave your selves with that gravity and wisdom that ye may gain your selves the reverence of the younger sort and be as way-marks for the imitation of posterity In fine ye who have any advantage of learning wisdom honour estate c. or any other excellence above your brethren so imploy it and lay it out to their benefit that you may procure honour to your selves and God may have the glory To conclude whoever thou art carry thy self with honour and respect to every one in whom thou seest any part of God's Image and look on him as thy superiour who hath any gift or ability which thou hast not preferr thy equals pitty and help thy inferiours This Commandement as was said before being plac'd in the middle has an influence both wayes so as to secure both God's Worship and mans Propriety The Magistrates sword must defend the faith though it may not propagate it and if Authority be once trampled upon every one will doe as they did when there was no King in Israel what seemeth good in their own eyes When the hedge of Government is broken down neither Religion nor Law shall bound us all opinions and practises are current and 't will be an Usurper's interest to have the people divided Lives and Liberties Estates and Consciences and all lye open to arbitâ—ary force as a Prize for him that dares be most Villan And this has been England's case in the no less sad then wicked times of Anarchy and confusion when damnable Heresies broke forth numerous sects swarmed up and down when there was an intolerable Toleration of all Religions but the right when we comply'd with illegal powers and were aw'd by Courts of High Injustice when partyes bore rule as false to one another as they were injurious to the publick when our sins grew up and multiplyed with our calamityes and God's judgements and our provocations improv'd one another when our Oaths of Allegiance were eluded with the Solemn cousenage of a League and sinful combination when we were bewilder'd with the witch-crafts of Rebellion and knew not the things which belong'd to our peace but pretended to reform abuses by destroying the offices when with tumults and Libels we drove our Dread Soveraign from his home rais'd a war against him chas'd him as a Partridge over the mountains and offer'd violence to the Lord 's anointed when with undutyful hands we seized his Sacred Person confin'd him to prisons and vex'd his righteous soul when we for 't was our sins did it and we are all Accessary by a villanous mockery of Iustice brought him to his tryal sentenced him and which is more than our posterity will have the heart to believe done though we could find hands to doe it barbarously murder'd our Gracious King at his own Palace-gate adding all the direful circumstances of aggravation to that hellish impiety when ever since our Iosiah's death our great sin has been our punishment we have suffer'd in acting and been constantly exercis'd with unconstancy of wicked changes when Loyalty hath been persecuted as the greatest Crime and many have shorten'd their dayes for their faithfulness to their Prince and after that our Crown Head too was fallen when the Father of our Countrey liv'd in exile and our Mother the Church mourn'd in private and was sed with the bread of tears when Sacred Orders were despised and labourers thrust themselves into the harvest to cut down dignityes and profits root and branch when the Holy Ordinances were dispensed by the Ignorant and Civil Offices administred by the Base when there was no regard had to the Ancient and the Wise to the Noble and the Learned but contempt was powred out upon Princes In short when we have thus rebell'd against King and Priest and cast off Authority to purchase a freedom for schism and mischief what need have we hereafter to pray fervently with the Church Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law But as our Litanyes are requisite to deplore the national breach of this Commandement and deprecate it for the future so are our Thanksgivings due to Almighty God for his wonderful deliverance of us from those great in conveniencies and sins we labour'd under