idle word especially for those that they shall thus vainly babble foorth vpon the Sabbath And so much touching the outward breach of the Sabbath But yet here is not all for a man to cease from §. Sect. 4. these outward workes for these concerne the very beasts as well as man we must therefore consider that as a man doth consist of two parts a bodie and a soule so God hath a regard vnto them both and as he requires of the bodie an externall rest that no labour may hinder holinesse so he requires of the soule an internall rest from all sinne and that rest indeed is proper to man and it is to rest from the workes of the flesh which Esay 58. 13. are also called our waies or workes and these are properly and indeede seruile and the worst kinde of seruile workes of all others And therefore as other thy workes are here forbidden which are seruile because they hinder holinesse so these kinde of seruile workes aboue all others are forbidden because they not onely hinder holinesse but are opposite vnto it so farre foorth as hee which is subiect vnto them is free from holinesse Rom. 6. 20. Against these therfore it is that Esay so bitterly inueigheth I cannot abide your Sabbaths c. Esai 1. 13. But why so vers 15. he giueth a reason for your hands are full of blood And Esai 58. when they come vnto him in hypocrisie and seemed to finde fault with God that he would not accept their fast which had the nature of a Sabbath and as appeareth in the end of the chapter is called his holy day God yeeldeth them a reason why he did not accept it Behold saith he ye fast to strife and vnto debate to smite with the fist of wickednesse vers 4. Hauing thus shewed their fast then he rates them for it vers 5. Is it such a fast saith he that I haue chosen that a man should afflict his soule for a day call yee this a fast or an acceptable day vnto the Lord c. And hauing thus rated them then he shewes them what a true fast is to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heauie burthens to take away the yoke and putting foorth of the finger vnderstand to any euill work and wicked speaking if any man doe these things hee keepes a true rest I know well this rest from our sinnes must bee kept in the whole course of our liues yet vpon the Sabbath aboue all wee must take heede that sinne enter not vpon vs because it is opposite vnto the sanctitie thereof § Sect. 5 And as wee must haue a speciall care of committing any sinne because that is truly seruile so must we take heede that we doe not make the duties of holinesse seruile also by not regarding the manner of doing them which is that they bee done in faith and in obedience to Gods commandement For if wee shall doe these workes to that end that we may merit by the doing of them either the fauour of God or man then they become seruile works also and we haue our reward Or if wee doe them in hypocrisie the manner of doing them aright not obserued then God regardeth them not For he that in this manner killeth an oxe is as if hee slew a man and he that sacrificeth a sheepe as if he cut off a dogges head his oblation is as swines blood and his incense as the blessing of an Idoll Esai 66. 3. And therefore Matth. 7. Christ calleth such workers of iniquitie because though they did good workes for they prophecied and cast out diuels yet they did them not well but in hypocrisie for God doth not onely require at a mans hands that he doe good but also that he doe it well for if thou doest well saith God to Cain shall it not be accepted He doth not say if thou doest good it shall be accepted but if thou doest well to shew that good things must be well done And that he meaneth so appeareth in that which he presently addeth But if thou doest not well saith he sin lieth at the doore thereby putting it out of doubt that if a good thing be not well done it is sinne and in regard hereof it is that Esai chap. 58. reckoneth the hypocrite a Sabbath-breaker though hee did humble himselfe by fasting c. And therefore let the hypocrite and popish meritmonger bee well assured that though they digge deepe to couer their sinnes and dissemble deeply with God at the Church yet let them be well assured I say that their owne sinne will finde them out Num. 32. 23. and that it will waite and tarrie them like their dogges at the doore yea and will hunt them and neuer leaue them vntill it haue brought them vnto destruction if they learne not to serue the Lord aright And lastly as the soule must keep this Sabbath or rest from sin vpon this day especially so must we look also that our minds and thoughts be not carried away with the meditation of worldlie matters For God requireth not onely thy bodie but thy soule yea thy very thoughts Luk. 10. 27. And howsoeuer vpon the weeke it be lawfull for thee to ponder these things yet vpon the Sabbath thou must not thinke thine owne will Esai 58. 13. A man must not therefore busie his head vpon the Sabbath about his worldly businesse nor about the effecting of his delights in the weeke following but he must bee wholie as it were another man from that which he was in the weeke before and he must vpon the Sabbath let fall the care of these earthly things as Elias did his mantle when hee was rapt vp into heauen To conclude therefore this point of the rest whosoeuer vpon the Sabbath doth no seruile worke of his ordinarie vocation neither in his house at home nor in the citie nor in the fields abroad nor at sea sauing onely such as are of necessitie to be done or are for the performance of Gods worship commanded or else warranted by his extraordinary command and also forbeareth all recreations sports playes or pastimes keeping his tongue from vaine words and his heart from wickednesse and worldly cares hee truly and in deede keepeth the rest of the Sabbath And this much touching the first dutie required in the obseruation of the Sabbath which is to rest CHAP. IIII. The rest of the Sabbath must bee sanctified Sect. 1. What it is to sanctifie a thing Sect. 2. The duties of the Sabbath are publique priuate or mixt Sect. 3. On the Sabbath there must be a publique assemblie Sect. 4. How we are to behaue our selues in it Sect. 5. The publique duties are preaching and hearing Sect. 6. Administring and partaking the Sacrament Sect. 7. Execution of discipline Sect. 8. § Sect. 1 THat rest is here commanded we haue alreadie seene but that is not all this The rest of the Sabbath must be sanctified rest must bee sanctified For it is not
chaunge this day they may not for this were to become as the Princes of Iudah to change the land-markes Hos 5. 10 and to plucke vp Gods stakes and bounds which hee hath set for his Sabbath yea to take away his Sabbath and to appoint a day of our owne in steed thereof were yet to come neere vnto the fact of Nadab and Abihu who in steede of fire from heauen brought straunge fire Leuit. 10. 1. which sinne God punished with death and may not we feare the like at his hands if in steed of that day which he hath appointed we shal institute vnto him a day of our owne for which if hee punish vs not yet hee may iustly returne it vpon vs with this reproofe Who required this at your hands Isai 1. 12. But be it graunted were it so that the Church might alter this yet they must bee lead thereto by some great reason that may ouerwaigh that for which it was instituted to bee kept vpon this day but greater reasons cannot bee yeelded for any day than for this of which wee haue spoken before which being considered there cannot another day be placed in the roome thereof neither yet if another day might be placed could a fitter day be placed and therefore not another so well And therefore being it is so that this day is set apart by the church I say more though yet that were sufficient by the Apostles to be kept holie let vs be contented to keepe it holie as the Apostles haue left it knowing that although we may sometimes sanctifie that which is common yet wee haue no power to make that commō which is sanctified For that is a destruction or a snare vnto a man to deuoure that which is sanctified Prou. 20. 25. Now that which may seeme to make against That place of the Romanes chap. 14. explaned this which I haue written is that of the Apostle Rom. 14. 5 6 where hee seemeth to make all daies alike either to bee obserued or not obserued True it is that hee saith some men count them so but yet the Apostle maketh no such account for the question moued there being not betwixt the Iew and the Gentile as some would haue it but betwixt the stronger and the weaker as appeareth chap. 15. 1. about eating of hearbes and keeping of daies which arose as may seeme vpon this occasion that forasmuch as the restitution of our former estate was now wrought by Christ therefore wee as in the beginning our fathers did should eate hearbes and no flesh Now as in these controuersies he setteth downe their tenents on both sides both what the stronger held and what the weaker so he sheweth either of them their duties towards other Now the tenents were thus The stronger beleeued that they might eate all things the weaker he eateth herbes He doth not say beleeueth as to the former but eateth thereby distinguishing it from the other So againe vers 5. This man esteemeth one day aboue another that is the stronger which appeareth in that there was a day both commaunded receiued and approoued in the Church as I haue alreadie shewed and therefore that must bee the stronger then the weaker must needes be to hold euery day alike So then if men count all daies alike it is an argument of their weaknesse yet we that are perswaded that one day is aboue another as the Lords day aboue all the rest ought not to despise the weaker but to beare with their infirmitie so long as it may be for their good to edification chap. 15. 2. And this is our minde towards those that through ignorance or weaknes account of the Lords day but as of another day So long as it may bee for their good to edification wee will beare with their infirmitie which yet if they shal hold obstinately and defend with an high hand we are to rebuke them sharply that others may feare Now if any man to auoide the point of this argument shall say that the Iewes are they which are meant by the weake because they did eate herbes and obserue daies First I would haue them to shew me where it may appeare that they were restrained of eating flesh Secondly if they were those whom the Apostle meant that kept and obserued daies I would know of them also whether they thinke they kept them to the Lord which the Apostle affirmeth which if they say I see not how the Apostle might be afraide of them so farre that hee might thinke he had laboured amongst them in vaine in that they kept a day holy vnto the Lord. And this much touching this question whether the day of rest may be chaunged againe or not CHAP. IIII. That the whole Sabbath day is to be kept Sect. 1. And the night also in a sort Sect. 2. When the Sabbath beginneth and endeth Sect. 3. § Sect. 1 BVt now there is another sleight of Sathan and that is when he cannot The whole day must be kept holie leade vs beyond the marke then he labours to haue vs come short of it And to that end he beareth thousands in hand that they are not bound to rest the whole day and keepe the whole day holie but onely the time of the publike exercises But for this they are to know that God requireth in the commandement that we rest the whole day and that we keepe the whole day holy for if he had meant but a part of the day he could haue said so much but in that he requireth a day in the commandement he putteth it out of question If thou thy selfe shouldest hire a man to worke with thee a day wouldest thou not looke that hee should worke with thee a whole day Or a seruant to dwell a yeere with thee wouldest thou not looke that hee should dwell a whole yeere with thee How is it then that thou vnderstandest God to halfes when his word is as plaine as thine Doest thou not think that Ananias was iustly punished because he brought but a part when hee should haue brought the whole And shall not God as iustly punish thee if thou keepest but a part when thou shouldest keepe the whole Indeede this word whole is not expressed but yet it is implied and necessarily vnderstood in that hee requireth a day And that his meaning is so appeareth euidently also by the reasons hee bringeth afterwards to perswade thee thereunto For first thou knowest the whole weeke consisteth of seuen daies Of these he giues thee sixe and keepes one for himselfe now such daies as he giues thee to doe thy businesse in such and so long a day he reserues for himselfe but euery one of thy daies hath foure and twentie houres and therefore he must haue so many to his day or els thou hast more than sixe daies giuen thee or if not giuen then thou takest it as Hophnie did the flesh and then thou robbest God of part of his day and so thou committest theft which were the case
else Yes presently he addeth and thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou tariest at home and goest abroad c. vers 7. And so much touching the exercises of the Sabbath CHAP. VII Of those things that hinder the sanctifying of the Sabbath namely sloth Sect. 1. Proud and curious decking our selues Sect. 2. And the dumbe ministerie Sect. 3. § Sect. 1 IT remaineth that we speake of the lets that keepe vs from the sanctifying of the Sabbath For these also are here forbidden as is manifest by that exposition which Christ giueth vpon adulterie Mat. 5. where he doth not alone forbid adulterie but also looking vpon a woman to lust after her whereby hee sheweth that the occasion must bee shunned aswell as the sinne it self Now amongst many lets whereby we are hindred from keeping the Sabbath holie these foure insuing are specially faultie first sloth secondly pride thirdly idle and dumme Ministerie fourthly forgetfulnesse of our businesse that is left vndone vntill the Sabbath Which vices although they be forbidden in other commaundements yet as they bee the occasions of the breach of this they bee here also forbidden as in another case to call thy brother foole is a sin against the ninth commaundement and is a kinde of false witnesse yet as it proceedeth from anger it is a breach of the sixth and Christ reckoneth it murther Matth. 5. 21. In the 8. of Luke sinne is compared to thornes now the propertie of thornes is not onely to wound and prick but also they are foulded one in another Nah. 1. 10. As is sinne which is the transgression of the law 1. Ioh. 3. 4 so is the law a man can hardly breake one commaundement and not all Iam. 2. 10. And so although these bee sinnes directly forbidden in the other commandements yet as they be occasions of the breach of the Sabbath they are here also forbidden And first of all that sloth is an occasion of the Sloth a let that we keepe the Sabbath no better breach of the Sabbath appeareth in that men cannot bee plucked out of their beds vpon the Sabbath but they turne themselues vpon their beds as the doore vpon the hinges Prou. 26. 14. and say as it is Prou. 6. 10. Yet a little more sleepe a little slumber as though God had giuen vs one sleeping day in seuen And so indeede we account of that day as an idle day and that then wee may sleepe because wee haue nothing to doe therein But Christ was of another minde on the Sabbath for hee rose early in the morning before it was light and went foorth to pray and then returned againe into the Synagogue to teach Mar. 1. 35. 38. And Dauid saith that his eyes did preuent the morning watch It behoueth vs therefore more timely to arise vpon the Sabbath that we may both prepare our selues to the exercises of religion and come timely § Sect. 2 Well but will some say they lie the longer in bed because they be not well but when they bee Pride a let that we keepe the Sabbath no better vp then they do better demeane themselues then I speake of Surely no for then another let doth presently incounter them and they be not readie to go to Church and this way the women especially breake the Sabbath in that they take more paines in tiffing themselues on that day than in the whole weeke besides their haire forsooth must be laid out like rammes hornes I mistake it was the fashion indeed but now it is like goates their ruffes must be laid out vpon wiers like poste and raile and their farthingales bearing vp their cloath like a round table If God should see his creature would he know it to be any of his making And I assure you their attire is so strange that it puts sober matrons to their wits how to go in their attire and yet to goe like women of their sort and calling Now all this while that these gallants are a trimming holinesse it selfe must waite for them for her deuotions must not be solemnized till they bee readie At last in comes Bernice and Agrippa with great pompe to heare and thē must euery bodies eyes be borrowed to look vpon these trim guilded weather-cocks For this is their follie or pride shall I say Surely it is their foolish pride or their proud follie to loue to bee noted and so they be though it bee but with a black coale for whereas they think others wonder at their beauty because they stare vpon them they wonder at their follie Well it was Salomons fault that he was foureteene yeeres a building of his owne house and but seuen in building the Lords but I think when God shall come to examine them they will not be able to giue such an account I thinke he shall not haue one of three but scarce one of twentie yeeres and houres Well these sailes of pride they be too bigge they will ouerturne your barkes their philactaries be too broad they hinder your entrance for the way is narrow and the gate is straight Will you stand all day a trimming when God calles you to the sermon Doth he require these things at your hands to come thus guised or disguised rather No no it is your hidden apparell that hee requires an vncorrupt heart a quiet spirit that is it that before God is much set by 1. Pet. 3. Hee lookes vpon the inside and not vpon the outside And therefore throw away these things as Dauid did Sauls armour he could not fight with it no more can you well pray with this yea if you bee truly touched with the zeale of religion these things will fall from you but if they doe not there is one that hath promised to pull them away Esay 3. 18. § Sect. 3 Wel but notwithstanding when they become to the Church and set then they behaue themselues The dumme Ministerie a let that we keepe not the Sabbath Ioh. 5. 7. better Surely then that excuse of the lame man must serue them they haue no body to put them into the poole when the water is troubled Their Minister is some hungrie Legat or wandring Leuite that will serue for tenne sheckles by the yeere For the most think if he be best cheape he is best and they require no more at his hands but that hee should say nothing and this is an especiall cause of the breach of the Sabbath in that the leaders are dumme and stand in their places onely for a cipher in Augrum and no number Well they may weare a blacke garment to deceiue but he is no Prophet More than reade he can doe nothing and that peraduenture the Clarke or his boy can doe better than hee It is well for them that the law hath ordained common prayers and chapters and Homilies to bee read but if these should bee taken away from them they were no more able to goe on in the worke
leaues In the first leafe whereof is written the dutie of man to God Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God and this Christ calleth the first and great commandement And in the second because God will not be loued alone but will haue man also loued with him is written the dutie of man to man Thou shalt lâ—ue thy neighbour as thy selfe Now in the first of these which teacheth mans dutie to God are contained foure commaundements The first whereof teacheth Gods inward worship the second his outward worship the third the reuerent vse of them both and the fourth the time when his worship is especially to be performed And in the second table are contained sixe commandements in the first whereof are taught speciall duties and these mutuall as of the superiour to the inferiour and of the inferiour to the superiour in these words Honour thy father and thy mother In the other fiue are contained generall duties And first because life is the ground of all the rest therefore in the fâ—rst of them which is the sixth he taketh order for the preseruation of life Thou shalt not kill Secondly because as life must be perserued so he would haue vs liue an honest life Therefore he giueth a commandement for that Thou shalt not commit adulterie Then thirdly because an honest life must be honestly maintained God takes order for that also he will haue no stealing Thou shalt not steale And as he hath taken order for our goods so also for our good names he will haue no false witnesse borne Thou shalt not beare false witnesse And last of all because as when we see many pipes and conduits infected we goe to the fountaine because from thence comes the corruption so sinne being conueighed by the heart as water by the pipes from the fountaine because from the heart come euill thoughts for it is indeed the very puddle and sinke of all sinne God therefore giues vs a commaundement to keepe vs from the first motions and ticklings of sinne although neither heart consent nor deed follow In these words Thou shalt not couet And this is the generall straine of these ten words as Moses calleth them Deut. 4. 13 vpon which hang the whole law and the Prophets Matth. 22. 40. § Sect. 2 But now betweene the commaundements of the first table and of the second there is great difference For they of the first table are hedged All the commandementâ— of the first table haue their reasons added so haue not these of the second except the first in with many reasons The others are barely set downe without any reasons added whereof I take this to be the cause for that these of the second table are such things as euen a naturall man in a sort consenteth easily vnto For say vnto him Thou shalt not kill content saith he for then shall no man kill me Thou shalt not commit adulterie agreed saith he for then shall not my wife or daughter bee defiled Thou shalt not steale I like it well saith he for then I shall keepe my goods and so of the rest But come vnto the commaundements of the first table it is not so here is more adoe to perswade men to obedience Must we loue God aboue all We loue pleasures more than God 2. Tim. 3. 4. Must we serue God as he requireth in his word We will not serue him but as we please as those 2. King 17. 41. that feared the Lord and serued their images also Must his worship bee done with reuerence that is precisenes Must we serue him on the Sabbath why when shall we play then God seeing this our peruersnesse in things concerning him vseth reasons and those most effectuall to perswade vs vnto the obedience of them they being such things as a naturall man doth not easily admit § Sect. 3 But amongst them all in no one commandement hath God vsed more effectuall reasons to The reasons of this commandement of great force to perswade perswade by than in this it needing indeed greater fortification than any of the rest because the assault against it is stronger than against any of the rest For the diuell hath stirred vp some that denie that there should be any Sabbath at all but that euery time should be alike Others acknowledge a time but cannot agree vpon the day Others confesse the day but yet denie that the whole day should be kept holy God shall haue but one houre or two of the day And we are almost of the Iewes minde the time is not yet come Hag. 1. it is too soone to goe to Church too soone to heare too soone to pray In regard of which slacknes of ours he vseth foure reasons all of great moment to perswade vs. And first because he knoweth that nothing will perswade so well with vs as a benefit therefore in the first place he vseth this argument of his bountie he giues thee sixe daies to keepe one where if he should commaund thee to keepe sixe daies and giue thee but one thou oughtest to haue done it for that ones sake how much more then sith he hath giuen thee sixe daies to keepe one Secondly lest thou shouldest doubt of the equitie thereof he sheweth thee what right he hath vnto it in that he saith it is his Sabbath It is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God And wilt thou then withhold the right from the owners thereof Prou. 3. 27. Or as the Apostle reasoneth shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot so wilt thou take the Sabbath of the Lord thy God and make it the Diuels Sabbath which if thou keepest not vnto the Lord thou keepest vnto the Diuel as the Idolaters that sacrificed vnto their Idols sacrificed vnto the Diuels 1. Cor. 10. 20. Thirdly lest thou shouldest say that hee is like the Pharisies that bound heauie burdens and grieuous to bee borne and laid them vpon other mens shoulders but would not themselues mooue them with one of their fingers he sheweth that it is no other thing that he commandeth then that which himselfe did for he kept it holy And therefore as Abimelech said What ye see me to do do ye the like so what you haue seene God to doe doe yee the like Lastly if none of these will perswade yet let that mooue thee to regard it which moueth all men their benefit for Gods blessing resteth vpon them that keep it § Sect. 4 Now this is not all that God vseth a greater number and weight of reasons to perswade by but he hath more specially dealt in this commandement than in any of the rest For first if you marke it in the very entrance God setteth a What things this commandement containeth in it in speciall watch as it were in the gate which all the rest of the commandements want though neuer so orderly set downe Remember saith he the Sabbath As if he should say think on this day afore hand and
which if any dare be so shamelesse as to affirme of the ceremoniall law yet they shall be vndone and proue nothing thereby against vs but all for vs namely that the Sabbath shall continue it being as they say ceremoniall But the truth is it cannot be vnderstood of any other law than of the Decalogue or tenne Commaundements as I haue alreadie shewed And yet further to shew that Christs meaning was so he presently falleth into an exposition of certaine precepts of the Decalogue wherein the Pharisies had taught amisse But now will some man say he doth not there expound the Sabbath and therefore the Sabbath is not reestablished Answ Besides that hee little considereth what I haue shewed that euery iot and title thereof is established as firme as the heauens and that he that breakes the least commaundement and teacheth men so shall bee the least in the kingdome c. Besides all this I say he may abolish by this reason the rest of the commandements that are not there expounded He must therfore know that there was another reason that caused Christ not to speake any thing of the Sabbath for it was Christs intent and purpose there to shew how they came short in the exposition of the law and made the commandements speake lesse than they did whereas they extended the Sabbath too farre as touching the outward ceremonie and made it speake more than in truth it did And therefore his intent being to shew how they came short in the exposition of the law it was not meete to bring in an instance quite besides his intention § Sect. 7 And that it was the minde of our Sauiour Christ that the Sabbath should continue as it appeareth The Sabbath continued by Christ by that which I haue alreadie alleaged so also by that Matth. 24. 20. where he wils that his children which should liue about 40. yeeres after his ascention should pray that their flight might not be vpon the Sabbath hee doth sufficiently declare that he held not this commandement in account of a ceremonie but of a morall precept For first if it had been ceremoniall they might haue fled without any care for it had bin abolished fourtie yeeres before Secondly hee should haue done ill to haue vsed this as a scar-crow or as a bugge to fray children with when there was no such thing Yea thirdly if this commandement had been ceremoniall hee should haue contradicted his owne doctrine in establishing that which himselfe did take away by his death And last of all had he held it a ceremonie hee should rather haue taught them not to haue stood vpon the keeping of it being it had been a great sinne for them to haue retained it and made an account of it it being abolished and done away before Now as for those that would qualifie Christs speech by saying that he spake not as he meant but according vnto the superstition of the Iewes that held it vnlawfull as they say to flee vpon the Sabbath and that therfore his speech was directed vnto them which held this error First this their euasion hath no ground For how will they make it appeare that the Iewes held it vnlawfull vpon the Sabbath to flee for preseruation of life being they had no ground for it in the Scriptures Secondly their owne practise was to the contrary for they fled out of Egypt vpon the Sabbath Exod. 12. And as for that in the book of Macchabees that some would not fight vpon the Sabbath besides that it is no scripture we see them in the same place condemned for it and the case generally resolued by their brethren to the contrarie as they might well doe hauing such presidents in the Scriptures for their so doing as 2. King 11. and in the destructiō of Iericho Iosh 6. and elswhere Thirdly if there had bin any infected with that error he would rather haue willed them to haue prayed for the change of their mindes than for the chaunge of their flight Fourthly be it that some held it vnlawfull to flee vpon the Sabbath yet what was that vnto his Disciples who were not possessed with that error for this was spoken vnto his disciples apart as we see vers 3. And lastly if hee had spoken to such as had held that error he would rather haue continued his forme of speech which he vsed in the former verse and as there hee saith Woe be vnto them which are with childe in these daies manifestly speaking of others so he would rather haue continued that forme of speech and haue said Woe bee vnto them that in these daies shall hold it vnlawfull to flee vpon the Sabbath for then had the speech been plaine But it is certaine that as the forme of Christs speech was altered so the words looked quite another way as namely vnto the hindrances and lets that might befall vnto them And first to the bodily lets if their flight should fall in the winter the shortnes of the day together with the foulenesse of the way might bee combersome Therfore pray saith he that your flight be not in the winter And with this it well fitted that hauing set downe their bodily lets and grieuances he should in the second place set downe the spirituall lets and grieuances which might befall them if their flight should bee vpon the Sabbath For how could this but grieue them to see not onely abomination or desolation in the Temple but abomination of desolation to be set vp in the high places euen in place and steede of Gods worship and that in the time of his worship also how could this I say be any other than grieuous vnto them and therfore exceeding grieuous because then also vpon the sight thereof they were to bee depriued both of Gods word and worship and to bee driuen out into exile Yet if troubles and afflictions must needs come a man would desire that they might not come at the worst or in the middest of his happinesse And if a man must needs die yet he would desire to end his prayers first and first to be prepared thereto In regard of which Christ willeth them to pray that their flight might not be vpon the Sabbath that is that though it were vneuitably decreed that their flight should bee yet that the extremitie of it might be something mitigated for the elects sake And this I hope that notwithstanding these wrenches it is euident that Christs meaning was that the Sabbath should continue § Sect. 8 The more iniurie therefore they offer vnto God that would nullifie this his commaundement The morall law was long before the ceremoniall and make it stand but as a Iewish ceremonie when as yet it is more anciently descended than to take his beginning with the ceremoniall law For in the writings of Israel mention is made of the keeping of the Sabbath by that patterne that cannot erre euen by God himselfe before the giuing of the ceremoniall law or before Israel
his Epistle ad Magnesianos not only that this day was chosen of the Church but also why it was done namely that all occasions might be cut off from the Christians of Iudaizing And August tom 2. ad Ianuar. Epist 119. saith that the Lords day was deliuered to Christians by the Lords resurrection and thereof it began to be celebrated And last of al Cyril in Ioh. lib. 17. cap. 58. saith it must needes bee that the eighth day on which Christ appeared to Thomas must bee the Lords day Loe thus haue you a clowde of witnesses all testifying this day to bee the Lords day but of the other daies which they call feasts no such matter Neither yet had these feasts been so ancient would any of them so iustly deserued the name of the Lords day as this because in nothing he did so much shew himselfe to be Lord as in this his rising againe from the dead for therefore hee died and rose againe that hee might bee Lord of the quick and dead Rom. 14. 9. And therefore as the Lord would haue the Israelites after their comming out of Egypt there and then to begin the account of their moneths in remembrance of their great deliuerance from their bondage in which they were in vnder Pharaoh Exodus 21. 2. so would hee haue vs in remembrance of our great deliuerance from the thraldome of sinne and spirituall bondage of the diuell by Christs suffering and rising againe there and then to begin our account The conclusion then of this point is that seeing the seuenth from the creation was not commanded in the morall law but was ceremoniall and therefore meete to be changed and being it might bee done without any preiudice to the commaundement The Apostles did well to change the time of the Sabbath which was kept euery seuenth from the creation into the seuenth from the redemption § Sect. 9 Hauing thus made the truth of this point euident it remaineth now that we remoue such lets Obiections answered and cleere such doubts as may any waies seeme to arise in the hearts of men whereby they might be hindred from admitting this truth And here first may these places of the Apostle Galat. 4. 10. and Col. 2. 16 17. incomber some whose mindes are not so well established in the present truth in the first of which places the Apostle seemeth to condemne all set times and in the second to cleere men from any iust imputation or condemnation for the not keeping of them and by name of the Sabbaths so that it may seeme we are set free from keeping any Sabbaths at all for saith the Apostle Let no man condemne you in respect of the Sabbath For answere whereunto as I will not greatly contend for the time of the Sabbath it being as I haue alreadie shewed done away and the abolishing thereof may by this place iustly be warranted for hee here speaking against the obseruation of times especially those that were Iewish it may as iustly be extended against the time of the Iewish Sabbath as any other feast amongst them especially being that the time of the Sabbath is called the Sabbath as in this commandement the seuenth is the Sabbath that is the time of the Sabbath and Leuit. 23. 3. The seuenth shall be the Sabbath of rest that is the time of rest or the time of the Sabbath As I say I will not contend with them for the day which the Iewes kept it being abolished so by no meanes can I be drawne so much as once to imagine that therefore the Sabbath should be together with the Iewish day abolished being that Christ hath warranted the whole law and euery iot or tittle of it to remaine Yea but you will say the Sabbath it selfe is ceremoniall for Exod. 31. 13. it is made a signe of our sanctification A signe what then Is it therefore a ceremonie and shadow Is there no difference thinke you betweene a signe and a shadow For my part I haue euer held that shadowes signifie things to come but signes things alreadie come aswell as to come Againe shadowes and the bodie or substance of them can neuer bee together but when the one is come the other is gone and where the one beginneth there the other endeth but the signe and the thing signified neuer agree better than when they goe together Indeede I confesse the shadowes may in some sense bee said to bee signes but that all signes should bee shadowes that will neuer bee made good by the dint of any argument be it neuer so sharpe As for example the signes in Egypt were tokens of Gods anger yet they were not shadowes the Sacraments are signes confirming our faith Rom. 4. 10. yet no shadowes the miracles that Christ wrought were signes shewing foorth his glorie Ioh. 2. 11 yet no shadowes the Rainbow was a signe putting God in minde of his couenant that hee would not againe the second time drowne the earth Gen. 9. 13. and 15 and then may not the Sabbath also be a signe that is a document or instruction to teach vs our sanctification or a signe memoratiue to put vs in minde of our sanctification but that it must presently therewith become a shadow Why then become not all these signes shadowes aswel as it Indeede I confesse that the strict keeping of the rest by the Iewes commanded Exo. 16. 23. was a shadow as also was the seuenth day yet that the rest commanded in the precept was so or had any ceremonie annexed that I denie But be it so that the rest in the commandement had also a signification added vnto it yet from the beginning it was not so but came afterwards and was made so vnto the Iewes who were to be lead on vnto Christ by these things as children by their A. b. c. and first elements as it were of religion and may not this that is meerely accidentall and added vnto it fall away but that it must destroy that also with it which is substantiall If this should be graunted I see not but that the whole law must also be abolished because there was no commandement but had some ceremonie or other as I haue alreadie prooued added vnto it Yea and the Sacraments must also bee done away because the outward signes were shadowes and so we should be without either word or Sacrament with which this would suite well to abolish the time of them both that there might not bee so much as any speech of God or godlinesse But how farre much better haue the Apostles done who haue abolished that which was ceremoniall and added vnto the morall law retaining and keeping still the substance and law it selfe as also they doe in retaining and keeping the same Sacraments which the Iewes had 1. Cor. 10. 3 4 though they chaunge the signes which they had And what I pray you hath this commaundement deserued why it should not finde the like fauour with the rest to remaine although the day bee changed
by the name of the day precedent And so much for the day of rest THE SECOND BOOK TREATING OF THE DVTIES OF THE SABBATH CHAP. I. Of the preparation vnto the Sabbath by remembring it before hand Sect. 1. 2. The things to be remembred are to settle our affaires Sect. 3. And our affections Sect. 4. § Sect. 1 IN the former discourse we haue seene these foure things handled First that the Sabbath is perpetuall Secondly that the day is changed Thirdly that it cannot againe be changed And fourthly that the whole day must be kept holie All which things being discussed it remaineth that we proceede vnto the handling of the duties of the day And first I will speake of the preparation vnto the Sabbath which we are put in minde of when he wils vs to remember this day which words import so much as if hee should haue said Thou art by nature forgetfull and negligent in the performance of any holie dutie and therefore thou haddest neede to thinke vpon this day before hand and to remember it that thou Why the word remember is placed before the commandement maist bee prepared to keepe it holie And me thinkes God deales in this like a Master that giuing many things in charge vnto his seruants yet one thing in speciall aboue all saith he remember this So dealeth God in this case Thou shalt haue none other Gods Thou shalt not make any grauen image Thou shalt not take my name in vaine these commaundements thou shalt obserue but especially remember this to sanctifie my Sabbath And although this word remember bee placed but in the beginning yet it hath a reference vnto euery word in this commandement for he requireth not onely that we should remember the day when it is comming but also we must remember to rest vpon it when it is come Neither is it sufficient that we rest on that day but we must remember to sanctifie that rest and that thou must remember to do thy self and not that alone but that thy children and seruants also doe it Indeed were it not that wee were more negligent in this than in any other dutie God would not haue vsed this speciall remembrance but seeing in good things wee are like the Disciples that slept though thrice admonished when the Pharisies could wake well enough without any admonition at all God therfore willeth vs to remember the Sabbath thereby as it were stirring vs vp to the performance of our duties And as God willeth vs to remember in regard of our forgetfulnesse in good matters so doth he will vs much more to remember in regard of the easinesse that is in our nature to bee drawne away to that which is euill from Gods seruice When Balaam heard a messenger sent with that ambassage I will promote thee to great honour what haste made hee to bee gone to Balac though hee went vpon the point of a sword Numb 22. 21. The young man as soone as euer hee heard that Syren in the Prouerbs sing Come let vs take our fill of loue hee followes her straight way though as an oxe vnto the slaughter Pro. 7. 12. Which easinesse of ours to bee insnared and inticed God obseruing as a most louing friend willeth vs to be aduised and before hand to remember that we who by nature are so facill and easie be not abused § Sect. 2 But much more doth he will vs to remember in regard of our manifold lets and excuses which we pretend and to let passe those lets which one once sported himselfe merrily with as the couerlet the partlet the phillet and the frontlet which things many times bee le ts vnto vs as when wee lie too long in bed or stand a good part of the day in trimming yet they bee not the greatest lets How say you to those lets which kept those that were bidden vnto the wedding that they could not come as merchandise a farme fiue yoke of oxen a wife and such like Are not these things many times le ts vnto vs that we cannot keepe the Sabbath Now for the preuenting of all these God willeth vs to remember that it is his Sabbath thereby shewing vs that the very respect of the Sabbath must weigh downe all our worldly lets O but faith the master when hee should goe to Church I must needes goe talke with my seruants and tell them what they shall doe the next weeke Yea but thou must remember to goe to Church for God will talke with thee and tell thee what thou shalt doe the next weeke I but saith the seruant my master commaunded me and I must go do my masters businesse Yea but God saith thou must goe doe his businesse hee commaunds both thee and thy master too and therefore remember the Sabbath saith hee Yea but will some man say I must needs go doe a thing I forgot to doe the last weeke The more shame for thee for doth not God will thee to remember it Yea but I had forgotten it and therefore now I must goe doe it Indeed as if because through negligence thou going from home and leauing thy cloake behind if it should chance to raine and thou wanting thy cloake shouldest therefore meeting thy neighbour take away his were it therefore lawfull because thou haddest forgotten thine So wilt thou because through thy negligence thou forgettest thy businesse when thou shouldest haue done it wilt thou I say therefore take Gods time and imploy it about thy businesse Well I dispute not whether it be lawfull to doe it but this I am sure it is sinfull for thee to forget to doe it before for thou shouldest haue remembred it and indeede this doth nothing but argue thy vnto wardnes vnto good things for thou vsest not so to pleade in the weeke daies when thou shouldest goe about thy worldly businesse Sir I haue forgotten this day to pray with my familie to instruct them to reade some part of the Scripture c. Thou neuer remembrest this in the weeke or if thou doest thou presently dispensest with thy selfe for the omission of it but on the Sabbath thou easily remembrest any of thy worldly businesse and thou wilt not omit to do them though holinesse it selfe attend thee in the meane season Which easily sheweth what it is that runneth in our minds namely our worldly affaires for these we remember at euery turne and not onely so but we forecast all inconueniences before hand As for example is a man going to a market or faire before he goes he sits down first and forecasts what things he lackes where and of whom he may buy them at the best hand yea he remembers all his wants and rather than hee will forget any of them when he comes thither hee will set them downe in writing tables or binde a threed about his finger to put him in remembrance or else commaund some of his seruants to remember him when he cōmeth thither that he may be sure to dispatch all his
more will I thinke that when God did forbid works of our ordinarie vocation that he meant to allow works of pleasure such as are our works of recreations and pastimes as we call them Which will the better appeare if wee consider the reason why these workes of our ordinarie vocation are forbidden vs vpon the Sabbath which is not that they are vnlawfull in themselues but because they destroy the rest and take vp the mind that it cannot be imployed in Gods businesse now these doing the same things are by the same reasons forbidden Wee must vnderstand therefore that this commandement is of the same nature with the rest and as in them by one sinne forbidden are vnderstood all of the same kinde as by murther is forbidden all crueltie whether inward or outward and by adulterie all wantonnes and vncleannes as offending against chastitie Matth. 5. so by these seruile workes named as breaking the rest of the Sabbath are forbidden al workes that breake the rest of the Sabbath onely those excepted which God hath dispensed with of which before And therefore all such workes as are done for recreation as bowling shooting hunting hawking wrestling playing at cat and such like howsoeuer in the weeke they may be allowed yet are vpon this day vtterly vnlawfull and forbidden Yea and me thinks the reason standeth more strongly against them for as from that Leuit. 19. 15. Thou shalt not fauour the poore in iudgement A man may implie a portion from the stronger that hee must then much lesse fauour the rich So here thou maist not doe any worke of thine ordinary vocation vpon the Sabbath which yet at other times thou art commaunded to doe then much lesse maist thou doe the workes which no where are required of thee but onely by way of permission are at sometimes allowed And surely if you marke it you shall finde more danger in these of the last sort than in the other for that they more carrie away the minde from God than these of our ordinarie vocation doe for who is it that had not rather goe to Church than goe to work but who is it I speake of the multitude that had not rather goe to play than goe to Church But when then will some one demaund shall wee haue time for recreation if not vpon the Sabbath If thou wilt haue time for that allow part of thine owne for that is thy worke and therfore thou must allow part of thy time to doe it in but Gods time thou maist not for that he hath reserued for his owne businesse Let me aske thee one question If thou shouldest allow vnto thy seruāt of thy sixe daies fiue whole daies to do his businesse and to recreate himselfe in them and shouldest reserue vnto thy selfe but one wouldest thou take it well at his hands if thou chiding him for neglect of thy businesse vpon that day he should answer when should I vse recreation if not now Which answere if thou wilt not take at thy seruants hands doest thou thinke that God will accept of it at thine that hath dealt more liberallie with thee than thou with thy seruant And therfore out vpon it that thou shouldest offer this vnto him vpon his Sabbath to pleade thus for libertie and recreation when yet in truth all the recreations in the world cannot be answerable vnto the recreations of the Sabbath for what can recreate or refresh a man more than to drinke of the waters of life What can glad a man more than to heare of the forgiuenes of his sinnes To one that is in prison fast bound in fetters what greater recreation than to heare of his inlargement and what greater comfort than to come vnto the sealing of his pardon And are these things offered vnto vs vpon the Sabbath and yet doe we like children runne after butterflies and let these things alone If wee doe it well shewes that since we were created we neuer were yet recreated and borne againe for if we were the enioying of these things would be vnto vs aboue all the recreations in the world But then here it will be demaunded of me Not al recreations at all times vpon the Sabbath vnlawfull whether I doe vtterly disallow all recreations vpon the Sabbath Not so neither for it may sometimes come so to passe that recreation may bee more necessarie for a man than his meate as also it may so fall in the weeke daies yea and sometimes the setling of a mans minde free such is partly the corruption and partly the weaknes of our nature may bee a furtherance vnto vs in the performance of the duties of godlinesse as well as in other duties of our owne And therefore so farre foorth as it is either of necessitie for the present preseruation of our health or of necessitie for the present furtherance and fitting of vs vnto the seruice of God we may vse it But by this allowance will some say euill men will take liberty vnto themselues vnder these pretences to prophane the Sabbath by their sports Answ It may well be so that they which stumble at Christ to their ruine and they that wrest his word to their owne condemnation will also wrest this libertie to bring themselues into the bondage of sinne yet must not this let vs to giue that allowance vnto Gods children which hee hath left him in his word But as for such as abuse their libertie I admonish them in the feare of God that they make not Gods commandements like cheuerell laces to stretch them euery waie to their owne bents and purposes For if they doe I appeale vnto the highest Iudge of all the earth that they haue no such libertie giuen them And therefore if they take it their blood bee vpon their owne heads if they bring themselues by their libertie to bee the sonnes of bondage But as for the children of God I know they will and shall finish their saluation with feare and trembling And thus wee haue seene how these workes of recreations are also forbidden vs vpon the Sabbath § Sect. 2 The third sort of workes which are here forbidden vs are our sports which commonly wee Pastimes vnlawfull vpon the Sabbath call pastimes which indeed though they be but recreations in their owne nature yet as wine by his long standing becommeth vineger so doe these sports and recreations by the excessiue vse or rather abuse of them become sinfull that is when wee vse them not to make our selues thereby fit to redeeme time which the Apostle requireth but rather to spend time and vainely to passe it And therefore if the former were vnlawfull which did after a sort build vp a man then how much more these that destroy a man who by the excessiue vse of them is made vnfit vnto the performance of any duties of which sort of pastimes are stage-plaies cards and dice-playing vpon the Sabbath as also Beare-baitings Cock-pits and such like All which in particular to confute were