Messiah And therefore hence it follows That God could not keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day untill he had put all things in subjection under the feet of Christ as the proper Lord and right Heir of all the Creation and therefore Adam must fall and also be Re-created before the seventh day Conclusion God did perfect the whole Creation on the sixth day by ordering all things according to the Plat-form of his eternal Counsel and Providence 1 By ordering the Devils Fall 2 By ordering Adams Fall 3 By ordaining a Mediator and instating of him into his Priestly Office 4 By creating a humane nature for the Mediator of the seed of Eve 5 By his Office of Mediation he purchased the Spirit of his Father for the Re-creating of faln Adam and Eve 6 By this means they were made a part of Gods heavenly Host 7 By this means they were made the chiefest part of Gods Host here on earth 8 When all this was done then Christ was Heir of all things 9 When all this was done then Sathans Head-plot was broken 10 When all this was done then and not till then God could keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day from all his works because by this means he had finished that work that at first he had made but mutably perfect in the former part of the sixth day And therefore it follows by good consequence That the Sabbath was not ordained in the time of Adams Innocency But after his Fall and Re-creation by the Promised Seed CHAP. VII Proving that Gods rest on the Seventh Day was suâ—h a perfect rest that nothing could happen afterwards that could any whit lessen or disturb the perfection of his rest on the Seventh Day as it would have hapned if God had kept a Sabbath of rest whiles Adam stood in a mutable condition THe Text saith in the latter clause of Gen. 2. 2. That God rested the Seventh day from all his Works which he had made But God could not be said to keep a perfect rest from all his Works which he had made as long as Adam stood in a mutable condition for God knew from Eternity that Adam and Eve would presently fall from their Created perfections through the temptation of Satan and that thereupon the whole Creation would fall into utter confusion and that then God must either suffer Satan to take the Dominion of the whole Creation or else that he must begin again to make it more perfect than it was before by a new Creation Seeing therefore that one of these two things must necessarily follow upon Adams fall God could not keep a perfect rest on the Seventh Day from all his Works untill he had installed the Mediator into his Office and setled the whole government of all things upon his shoulders as upon our mighty God and Prince of peace Es 9. 6 7. If God had rested on the Seventh Day before he had setled the whole Creation upon the Mediator then the Devil might have rejoyced more upon the first seventh day than God 1 Because the Devil had made frustrate the glory of God in Mans Creation 2 Because he had spoiled the glory of Gods order in the residue of the Creation But God could not suffer this and therefore it follows that God could not keep a perfect rest as long as Adam stood in a mutable condition neither could he keep a day of rest after Adams fall until he had made Adam and Eve perfect again by a Recreation and until he had established all the residue of the Creation upon that sure Rock whose work is perfect Deut. 32. 4. But as soon as God had re-created fallen Adam and Eve as the first fruits of his Holy Militant Church here on earth and of his Church Triumphant in Heaven then and not till then God rested on the seventh day from all his Work which he had made and then his rest was a most perfect rest so that nothing was lacking to the perfection thereof and therefore nothing could happen afterwards that could any way lessen or disturb his rest because he rested upon that sure Mediator who had Covenanted to break the Devils Head-plot by his propitiatory Sacrifice or Sacrifice of attonement for fallen Adam and Eve and for all the Elect to the end of the world CHAP. VIII Of the true nature of Gods rest on the Seventh Day FIrst It must be remembred That Gods rest on the seventh day was not a Natural rest after the labour of his six Days Work for the Creator of all the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary Esa 40. 28. Secondly Neither was Gods rest on the seventh day a bare cessation from Creating any other sorts of Creatures though some inconsiderate Professors would have it to be no more thinking thereby to warrant their Carnal ease and their carelesse keeping of the Lords Day but such kinde of rest as this is Gods Soul doth hate Thirdly Neither was Gods rest upon the seventh day a bare contemplation of his visible Creation as others would have it thinking thereby to warrant their pleasant Re-creations and Contemplations upon the Lords Day by walking out into the Fields to behold the Works of God and to behold his eternal Power and God-head in the Creation thiâ— is not the true rest of the Sabbath for such duties as these a Heathen Philosopher may do upon the Sabbath Day and yet not observe the true rest of the Sabbath but this sort of Persons are mis-led by a false supposition that the Sabbath was first ordained as a day of rest in the time of Adams innocency for contemplation on the visible Creation only Fourthly The true nature of Gods rest on the seventh day That the true nature of Gods rest on the seventh day was his sweet content in the Mediator was his sweet content in the Mediator because he had made all his Creation perfect in the Mediator and because he had established Adams happiness upon the promised Seed as upon a sure Rock and firm Foundation and because he had put all the rest of the Creation under his feet As soon as God had thus renewed the face of the earth Psal 104. 30. and setled the government of all his Works upon the Person and Office of the Mediator then God rested on the seventh day with infinite content and sweet satisfaction rejoycing in the Works of his hands Psal 104. 31. but the thirtieth verse makes Gods Creation to be Spiritual as well as earthly and so doth Psal 100. 3. Psal 102. 18. Es 54. 5. Es 65. 18. This sweet satisfying rest which God took in setling all the works of his hands upon the Mediator is thus expressed by Moses In six days Jehovah made the Heavens and the Earth and in the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Exod. 31. 17. Gods resting was not from his wearinesse of labour in the work of Creation but from the heavie burden of Adams sin which had spoiled
place of them all and therefore for the memorial of his Sacrifice he hath now ordained two Sacramental Seals which he hath annexed to the preaching of his Gospel the one he hath appointed as a Sacrament of initiation to his Church and the other as a Sacrament of confirmation to all beleevers And therefore Christ Jesus hath not now tyed his publick worship neither to typical persons nor to typical places nor to typical dayes and times for by his death he hath ended all the Types of his Death and he hath changed the Priest-hood of Levie into the number of the Elect Jer. 33. 18 21 22. and the typical place of his worship into particular Churches and into godly hearts saying In every place Incense Mal. 1. 11. shall be offered to my Name Mal. 1. 11. Joh. 4. 23. Act. 10. 35. And thirdly he hath changed all the typical Sabbaths of Moses into the Lords day for though the Sabbath was first given to Adam the very next day after his Creation and Fall yet as the holy rest of it was a typical sign so it must be reckoned among the Customes of Moses as well as Circumcision was for though at the first Circumcision was given to Abraham long before Moses yet it is reckoned among the Customes of Moses because he wrote first of it as it was a typical sign So in like sort though the Sabbath was first given to Adam as a typical sign yet it is reckoned among the Customes of Moses because he first wrote of it as a typical sign Exod. 31. 13. c. and also Moses doth reckon it among all the other Festival Sabbaths in Lev. 23. therefore it must be abolished by the death of Christ as well as all the other typical Customes of Moses by changing it into the Lords day Col. 2. 16 17. Gal. 4. 10. Act. 21. 21. Conclusion from the Premises That it is not in the power of any particular Church or Churches to make this change Christ onely hath power to do it and he hath done it as he is the Lord of the Sabbath and the Lord of his Church and that day cannot be altered by any Church or State to the worlds end CHAP. XIV Proving by several other particular grounds That Christ himself did appoint the day of his Resurrection in the place of the seventh day for the exercise of his publick worship 1 I Do not mean that Christ left the day of his publick worship Reason 1 to the discretion of his Apostles to appoint what day they thought good in place of the seventh day though their appointment had been a sufficient warrant for us knowing by what spirit they were guided but my meaning is that Christ himself did appoint the day and therefore in the day of his Resurrection he did use means to assemble his Disciples together that he might meet with them and declare unto them the things that appertained to the Kingdome of God he first appeared to Mary Magdalen and at her second coming to his Sepulchre he bid her tell his Disciples that He was risen from the dead Joh. 20. 17. 18. Then he appeared unto two of his Disciples as they went from Jerusalem to Emaus Luke 24. and he proved his Resurrection to them from the Scriptures and opened their understandings to understand what he said and this he did to draw them back again to the rest of the Disciples partly that they might testifie the certainty of his Resurrection and partly that they might not be absent from the Assembly when he should come unto them to instruct them further concerning his Death and Resurrection And at that Assembly he also opened their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures which he alleged for he said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead the third day Luke 24. 45 46. I grant it was somewhat late in the evening ere Christ came unto their Assembly but yet that time of the evening is plainly called the same first day of the week Joh. 20. 19. But the particular Joh. 20. 19. Scriptures which he alleged to prove his Resurrection are not recorded neither by Luke nor John but yet we may gather by consequence that when he spake of his Death and Resurrection he might well speak how he had ended all Moses Ceremonies and so consequently how he had ended the typical use of the Sabbath by his death and then doubtlesse he would nominate some other day in the place of it for the use of his publick Worship or else he had left it to disorder and confusion if he had left it arbitrary to particular Churches 2 As soon as Christ had ended all his instructions concerning Reas 2 his Death and Resurrection he appointed another meeting on that day seven-night Joh. 20. 26. and it is evident Joh. 20. 26 that this was the second time of his appearing to their Assembly because the next time after this is called the third time Ioh. 21. 14. I confesse if it can be proved that Christ had appeared to them on any other day between the day of his Resurrection and that day seven-night then his appearing on that day seven-night had not been so remarkable but seeing hee did not appear any more unto them till that day seven-night it strongly argues that he did purposely abstain from them the whole week to declare his election of that day in the place of the seventh day and I am the more confirmed in the truth of this because this second time of his meeting was not occasioned by any Sabbatical feast of the Iews for the last day of the feast of Unleavened bread which was a chief festival Sabbath was past two days before this second meeting and none of the festival days which doubtlesse his Apostles kept was any occasion of his meeting with them sooner than the same day seven-night after his Resurrection it argues therefore that this Assembly of the Apostles and Disciples was done by Christs directions and Luke doth testifie that Christ did give certain Commandements to his Apostles after his Resurrection being seen of them at times forty days and speaking that which appertained to the Kingdome of God Acts 1. 2 3. now what those Commandements were and what those things were which hee spake concerning the Kingdome of God is not recorded but yet it may be collected from the practise of the Apostles in that they used the first day of the week for Gods publick Worship in Christian Churches that Christ did command them to observe that day in place of the seventh day as soon as they were separated from the Iews Synagogues into particular Christian Churches and we may the rather conceive this to be a true collection because he did at this present give unto his Apostles a new Commission to preach the Gospel Ioh. 20. 21 22. and the Gospel Joh. 2◠〈◊〉 was preached not only in Synagogues on
like upon that day more than upon any other day in the week no but on the contrary he restrained his Manna from falling on that day and bestowed it upon the Jews on all the other six dayes of the week Therefore the blessing wherewith God did blesse the seventh day was not a common natural blessing but doubtlesse it was a spiritual blessing in relation to the good of faln man Hence then we may conclude that God did blesse that day with divers spiritual Ordinances such as tended to make faln man blessed by opening the manner how the Seed of the Woman should break Sathans Head-plot for mans Redemption Adam in hâ—s Innocency had no need of any such spiritual God would nevâ—r have blessed the seventh day with spiritual Ordinances so as he did if the Mediator had not been declared to faln Adam before the 7 day Ordinances as God did blesse the seventh day withall neither could Adam in his Innocency sanctifie one day more perfectly than another for by nature he was pure without imperfâ—ction If there had been no other Argument in all the Scripture to prove that Adam sell and was Re-created on the sixth day by the Promised Seed This sentence He blessed and sanctified the seventh day had been sufficient to prove it for God would never have blessed the seventh day with such spiritual Ordinances as he did nor yet have sanctified that day for the time of his spiritual Ordinances if the Mediator had not been declared to faln Adam before the seventh day And this is further proved by some other Scriptures 1 God doth command us faln men in the fourth Commandement to remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it and the reason is added because in it he rested from all the works that he had made And for that reason Jehovah did blesse the seventh day and sanctifie it Exod. 20. 8 9 10 11. 2 The Prophet Isaiah saith That God did blesse the Sabbath day namely for the good of faln man For saith he Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sabbath and polluteth it noâ— Es 56. 2. 3 Our Saviour doth tell us that the Sabbath was made for man Mar. 2. 27. namely for the good of man in misery but Adam in God did not leave Adam Eve to spend the seventh day in private specul tions but he blessed the first 7 day with variety of Ordinances both for publick and private use for their best spiritual good his Innocency was not in misery therefore the Sabbath was not then made but as soon as he had eaten of the forbidden fruit he was in misery for then his soul was dead in sin and his body full of corruption and then the Sabbath was made for man Hence it follows by necessary consequence that God did not blesse the seventh day in Adams Innocency but after his Fall and Recreation 2 God did not leave Adam to himself after his Fall and Recreation to spend the seventh day in his own private meditations as he thought best but God blessed the seventh day with several publick Ordinances for the good of faln Adam and instructed him in the right use of those Ordinances if God had left Adam to spend the Sabbath in his own private speculations as he thought best doubtlesse his Religion would soon have been no better than a Samaritan Religion for Adam by his fall was become so corrupt in his affections and so blind in his understanding of Gods will that he would not nor could not have spent the Sabbath to his spiritual good It is a dangerous thing therefore to prefer a mans own private meditations and speculations to publick Ordinances upon the Sabbath God would not leave Adam to such a liberty to do as he thought best such a liberty will soon open a wide gap to Sathans delusions But God blessed the seventh day with his own publick Ordinances not excluding private meditations God blessed the seventh day both with publick and private Ordinances for publick Ordinances are not so much blessed as when they are attended with private preparation before with reverent attention at and with carefull rumination and application afterwards If there be not this care added to the publick Ordinances the Devill will soon steal away the seed that is sown out of our hearts and souls Now the manner how God was pleased to instruct Adam and Eve in the exercise of his publick Ordinances was by the lively Oracles of the Mediator and therefore doubtlesse as he was promised to be the Seed of the woman so he appeared to Adam in his humane shape as he did to Jacob Gen. 32. 24. And in this regard he is called The word of the Father even from the beginning Joh. 1. 1 2. And the Father gave him a Commandement what to say Joh. 12. 49 50. And he it was that did instruct all the Fathers And therefore Stephen saith That he the God of glory appeared to Abraham in Ur of the Caldes Act. 7. 2. and his apparition to Abraham was in such a familiar manner that it did work in him an inward regard and attention to his words whereby his soul was convinced and converted In some such manner did he appear to Adam and Eve when he did instruct them in the knowledge of his Person and Office and of the use of his publick Ordinances wherewith he was pleased to blesse the seventh day Now the several Ordinances wherewith God was pleased to blesse the seventh day I will distinguish into two sorts or ranks 1 Into such Ordinances as were plain and manifest 2 Into such as were Typical and Mystical 1 I will speak of the plain and manifest Ordinances These were often used without the typical but the typical could not well be used without some of these were added thereto By these plain and manifest Ordinances God appointed Adam as a Prophet by the exercise of them to instruct himself his wife and posterity by opening the misery of his fall and the remedy by the Promised Seed 1 The first sort of these manifest Ordinances was in preaching and proclaming his own miserable condition by his disobedience God comanded Adam to preach every seventh day either upon his miserable fall or else upon the riches of Gods grace for his recovery by the Promised Seed in eating of the forbidden fruit how he had lost Gods Image by Gods just hand of punishment and how he was corrupted in all the parts and powers of his soul and body by the poysonful counsel that Sathan breathed into Eves soul 2 Adam must preach open and declare to himself and his wife till they were increased in number the riches of Gods grace for his recovery by the Seed of the Woman which God had ordained to break the Devils Head-plot for their Redemption and in opening this he could not choose but open and declare the personal union of both the natures of the Mediator and the excellent dignity of his Office This blessed Doctrine Adam
arise from Gods blessing of the first seventh day with Sabbath-Ordinances And therefore as soon as Christ Jesus had given order about his Sabbath-Worship at Mount Sinai and had in special commanded them to observe the seventh day by a holy convocation in or among all their dwellings namely in their Synagogues as I have afore expounded it then he made a gracious promise to his people saying In all places where I shall record my name I will come unto thee and blesse thee Exod. 20. 24. and in this respect Christ Jesus did appoint the Priests in the Sanctuary and Zeliach Tzibbur in the several Synagogues to pronounce a gracious blessing upon the assembly that had attended Gods Ordinances at their departure Numb 6. 24. and to this blessing the Lord was also pleased to adde a gracious promise in vers 27. saying They shall put my name upon the Sons of Israel and I will blesse Numb 6. 24. 27. them and this blessing is often remembred and repeated as an incouragement to all the godly to attend his Sabbath-Ordinances Psal 115. 13. Psal 134. 3. Psal 147. 13. Object You seem to apply Gods blessing to his Sabbath-Ordinances only but experience doth tell us that God doth often blesse the preaching of the Word upon the Week-days to the conversion of many souls Ans I answer It is most true that God doth often blesse the preaching of his Word on the Week-days as well as upon the Sabbath days to the conversion of many thousand Souls but that lets not but that preaching must still be accounted as one of his Sabbath-Ordinances because God did first appoint it for the Sabbath day and it is now but borrowed to the Week-days by the good hand of God upon mens Spirits as a furtherance to faith and holinesse And I beleeve there are many thousand Souls that will readily witnesse to the truth of this Doctrin who by Gods blessing on the Word preached on the Week-days have been turned from Darknesse to Light and from the power of Satan to God and such persons doubtlesse will with Nehemiah account the Sabbath Day among the number of those special blessings that God bestowed upon his people as a sign of his special grace in Christ Nebem 9. 13 14. Hitherto I have spoken of Gods blessing the seventh day with publick Ordinances now I shall speak something of private Ordinances where-with God hath also blessed the seventh day Gods blessing of the Sabbath is his blessing at large even his Private duties are commanded on the Sabbath dayes as necessary handmaids to the publick blessing upon the whole day he blessed the seventh day with as large a blessing as may be namely not onely with publick but also with private Ordinances and therefore he sanctified the whole day to his service he did not sanctifie that part onely wherein his publick Ordinances were dispenced but the whole day and therefore the whole day must be set a part to his service and therefore when the publick Ordinances are ended private duties must take place that the whole day may be blessed to our souls and sanctified to the Lords service Let no man therefore mistake me for though I do not make private duties to be commanded in the first place yet I beleeve that private duties are commanded and blessed of God as necessary handmaids to the publick and there are good reasons for it 1 Our barten hearts our stony hearts our thorny hearts will not suffer the blessed seed of the Word the take root and to thâ—ive there unlesse we do prepare them like to well-manured ground 2 In hearing Christ gives this caution Take heed how you hear and the Hebrew Doctors say When any go to hear the Law read See Ains in Deut. 31. 11. or expounded they must prepare their hearts and make their ears attentive to hear with fear and reverence and with joy and trembling as in the day when the Law was given on Moune Sinai though they were great wise men which knew the whole Law every whit they were bound to hear with great attentivenesse and so God required a carefull preparation of his people at the hearing of the Law Ex. 19. 3 After hearing our Saviour doth exhort his hearers saying Take heed what you hear Mar. 4. 24. Mar. 8. 15. and in this respect the men of Berea are commended by the Holy Ghost because they seached whether those things which Paul preached were so or no Act. 17. 11. And of four sorts of hearers our Saviour makes but one good Mat. 13. And Christ Jesus doth exhort us by Moses saying These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt whet them upon thy children and shalt speak of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thon lyest down and when thou risest up Deu. 6. 6 7. Now if God required such diligence as this every day then much more upon the Sabbath day and especially after the publick Ordinances are ended And all this did Adam well understand when God is said to blesse and sanctifie the seventh day as I shall further shew on the word Sanctifie in the next Chapter CHAP. X. Shewing how God did Sanctifie the seventh day 1 GOD did not sanctifie the seventh day by putting any inherent sanctity into that day more than into the other six dayes of the week for God doth not put inherent sanctity into any earthly creature but into the Elect number onely 1 Pet. 1. 12. 2 How then did God sanctifie the seventh day Answ In a two-fold respect 1 As the separated time of his publick and private worship 2 As a sanctified sign of Rest in the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devills Head-plot 1 God did sanctifie the seventh day for the separated time of his publick worship and in this sense the word Sanctified doth imply a double command of God to fallen man 1 It implies that God commanded Adam â—o set apart the seventh day from all worldly uses and to attend upon those spiritual Ordinances wherewith he had blessed the seventh day 2 It implies that God commanded fallen Adam to prepare his soul and body to come with all due care and reverence into the presence of God to be partakers of his Sabbath-Ordinances 1 I will speak of the word Sanctifie as it implies the command of God to Adam to set apart the seventh day from all worldly uses and to attend upon those spiritual Ordinances wherewith God had blessed the seventh day And this is evident 1 Because God did never sanctifie any thing for the use of fallen man but he did thereby command fallen man to sanctifie When God did sâ—nctifie any thing for man he did by that â—ct command man â—o sâ—nctifie that thing by separatâ—ng it to the Lords use Num. 8. 17. it to the Lords use As for example when God did sanctifie any persons to his service he did by
Feast of Unleavened-bread seven dayes and seven dayes with joy 2 Chr. 30. 22 23. 2 Chr. 30. 22 23. 10 God honoured the seventh day by instructing Joshua how to subdue the City Jericho by the divine art of Seven he directed him to compasse about the City seven dayes with the Ark of Gods presence and seven Priests must go before the Ark having seven Trumpets made of seven Rams horns and on the seventh day they must compasse the City seven times and at the seventh time the seven Priests must blow with their seven Trumpets and then the wall of the City should fall down flat Jos 6. 4 5. This divine Miracle by the number seven was doubtlesse so done in honor of the first famous seventh day wherein God rested from all his works when he had made the Creation perfect and intire lacking nothing by the Redemption and Gubernation of the Promised Seed 11 It is not without a divine Allusion to the seventh day that the Golden Candlestick was framed into seven branches yea all the particulars of it were so contrived that when they are exactly counted they do amount to just six sevens as the Hebrew Doctors have cast them and they say that this number is so necessary that if it did but fail in one particular it failed in all See Ains in Exod. 25. 31. And accordingly if it be but regarded the sixth day and the seventh day have the most famous stories belonging unto them that are in all the Bible 12 The number seven is made famous by the Holy Ghost in the Mystical Revelation which Christ commanded the Apostle John to write for the use and benefit of his Redeemed servants to the end of the world There the Vision of the seven Golden Caandlesticks represented the seven Churches of Asia and to the said seven Churches there doth belong seven Stars and seven Angels there are also seven Angels with seven Trumpets and seven Angels with seven Incense cups of wrath pouring out seven plagues there are also seven Thunders uttering seven voyces and a Book with seven Seals there are also seven Spirits seven Horns and seven Eyes Rev. 5. On the contrary there is given to the Dragon seven Heads and seven Crowns Rev. 12. 3. and the seven Heads are the seven Mountains Rev. 17. 9. and there are also seven Kings c. Can all these particulars be without any allusion to the first famous seventh day I suppose that no advised Expositor dares affirm the contrary 2 I come now to the second thing to be marked touching the 2 Divers 〈◊〉 persons of rare eminency in Scripture are marked cut by the number 7 in an honorable remembrance of the first famous seventh day number Seven namely that God hath marked out many holy men of special note by the number seven in an honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day 1 Henoc is noted by the Holy Ghost to be a Prophet and to be the seventh from Adam Jude v. 14. He was rare in the faith of Christ Heb. 11. 5. and he was by the mighty power of God taken away from the wicked Apostate world because they were not worthy of him when he was Three hundred sixty five yeers old Gen. 5. 23. just answerable to the dayes of the yeer according to the course of the Sun and as he was the seventh Patriarch so when he was taken away there remained seven Patriarchs alive as witnesses of his Translation And by his name it is evident that his Father did at his Birth dedicate him to God in opposition to those Apostate times for the impiety of those dayes is noted out to our hand by the Prophecie of Enoch in Jude v. 14 15. Behold saith he the Lord cometh with thousands of his Saints to give Jude 14 15 judgement upon all men and to rebuke all the ungodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they have impiously committed and of all their wicked speakings which wicked sinners have spoken against him The horrible impiety of those days is also noted out unto us by the wicked tyrannical speeches of Lamech and Cain in Gen. 4. 23 24. and Gen. 4. 23 24 Job 22. 25 2 Pet. 2. 5 their impiety and wicked speakings is also noted out unto us by Job 22. 15. and by Peter for he calls them the world of the ungodly 2 Pet. 2. 5. Obj. Here it may be demanded how it can be proved that Enoch did Propbesy that the wicked world should be drowned by a deluge Ans Jude saith that Enoch did Prophesy saying Behold the Lord cometh with thousands of his Saints to give judgement upon all men and what other Judgement did come in general upon all men but the floud Secondly His Prophecy that God would destroy the wicked World by a Floud is briefly and yet plainly enough declared in the name which he gave to his Son at his birth for he called him Meth-u-shelach which in English sounds thus Meth hee dyeth or when this Childe dyeth U then Shelah he sendeth or God sendeth and what else did God send but the Judgement threatned upon all men in general as I noted above and what judgement was that but the floud This famous Prophet is called the seventh from Adam doubtlesse in an Honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day Moses saith He walked with God Gen. 5. 24. but the Apostle Gen. 5. 24 Heb. 11. 5 doth thus expound it He pleased God Heb. 11. 5 6. for when hee offered sacrifice he looked to Christ the true Sacrifice which only pleaseth God Mat. 3. 17. and in the course of his life he walked in obedience to Gods will Secondly Eber was the seventh from Enoch he was another rare man for grace and godlinesse for he kept the faith at the building of the Tower of Babel when all the other Families of Noah did Apostatise therefore God hath honoured his memonial in a double respect 1 In communicating unto him the spirit of Prophecy as well as he had done to Enoch as we may gather by the name which he gave his Son at the building of Babel for it is said that hee called his Son Peleg and the reason is added because in his days the earth was divided Gen. 10. 25. Now he that could give his Son Gen. 10. 2◠such a name as to declare such an event must needs be a Prophet and by this wee may certainly know that he preached to the builders of Babel that though they had high imaginations to build a Tower whose top might reach unto Heaven that they might in a near distance worship the Sun Moon and Starres thinking thereby to get themselves another Sem or name for now they had rejected Sems Tents and had removed themselves from Canaan where Sem and Eber lived into Babylon in despite of Sem who had the promise of the blessed Seed to come from his Ioyns therefore the Prophet Eber did tell them that for that
wherewith God hath blessed the seventh day and therefore such kind of exercises must needs be as sinful to be done by Christians upon the Lords Day as they were by the Jews upon the Sabbath days Quest 6. Were Recreations on the Sabbath punished among the Jews by the Magistrates with the same kind of punishments that working on the Sabbath was Ans They did not punish all sins alike but they made a difference for they punished the sin of working servile works on the Sabbath namely such kind of works as belonged to mens particular Callings on the Week-days with the heaviest kind of death that was in use among them namely with stoning to death as I have noted it in Chap. 10. 11. But the said Recreations or things that were not properly work they punished only with scourging for Maymony speaking of the day of Attonement which was a Sabbath of Sabbatism and therefore in all respects it must be observed with as strict a rest as the seventh day was saith thus All work for which men are to be stoned if they do it on the Sabbath Day they are to be cut off if they do it on the day of Attonement and whatsoever is unlawful to be done on the Sabbath which is not work is unlawful to bee done on this day and if he do it he is to be scourged as he is to be scourged for doing it upon the Sabbath Day See Ainsw in Levit. 23. 20. Thus we see that the Hebrew Doctors do make a difference of Sins and Punishments according to the difference of days and times 1 They held That servile working on the seventh day was to For cutting off see Ainsw in Exod. 22. 20. Lev. 20. 10. 17 18. Num. 9. 13 be punished with stoning to death 2 They held That servile working on the day of Attonement was to be punished with cutting off which is several ways to be considered 3 They held That servile working on their other festival Sabbathâ— was to be punished with Scourging or with Excommunication See Ains in Lev. 23. 5 7. But 4 All other things that were done on the seventh day which were not work though in some sort Recreations c. are like work the Magistrates punished with Scourging only or with Excommunication for a time for these two were esteemed among the Iews to be much alike equal punishments as I have shewed in the Iews Synagogues Discipline And truly such kind of Recreations are as sinful to be used by Christians on the Lords Days as they were to the Iews on the Magistrates are bound to punish the prophanation of any part of the Lords Day whether it be by Work or by Recreations either by Scourging or by some Mulct that is equivalent Sabbath Day because they take off the Heart from the advantage of improving the publick Ordinances to the Spiritual good of the Soul which God intended when he blessed and sanctified the seventh day for mans best good I say therefore that no conscientious Christian ought to take liberty to do such things on the Lords Day neither will any conscientious Magistrate permit such things to be done on that day though it be after all publick exercises are ended yea I do beleeve that godly Magistrates will not only be grieved at the practise of such sins but they wil be forward and ready to put out their power to suppresse such sinful practises by punishing such Malefactors either with scourging or with some mulct that is equivalent thereto Six dayes thou shalt labor and in the seventh day thou shalt cease in Earing time and in Harvest thou shalt cease Exod. 34. 21. Exod. 34. 21. Under these two words Earing time and Harvest All or any other works of a mans particular Calling are comprehended Hence I reason thus If the Plownan by whom the King is maintained Ecclâ—s 5. 9. must cease not onely from plowing but also from the Inning of his harvest upon the Sabbath day yea though all the six dayes had been rainy weather and that day fair then it follows that works of lesse consequence and of lesse necessity as civill Recreations and the like ought not to be done on the Lords day because it is the sanctified time of Gods publick worship as the seventh day was and therefore Christians are bound to have the like tender regard and the like tender care of it as Gods sanctified time though it be not a sanctified sign as the seventh day was and seeing God is pleased to give unto us six whole dayes for our necessary works and for our necessaâ—y recreations he may well require Christians to give unto him the full improvement of the seventh day for the bettering of our souls by his publick and private Ordinances or else we may expect a curse rather than a blessing from the carelesse observation of that day God is jealous of the prophanation of any part of his sanctified time for when the greedy Earth-worms among the Jews did but wish in secret in their hearts that the Sabbath were gone that they might set out their corn to sell Aâ—os 8. 5. Amos 8. 5. God took notice of their inward prophaning of his holy time and he was so displeased with them for their Inward earthly wishes that he Sware by the Excellency of Iacob saying Surely I will never forget any of their workâ— Shall not the land tremble for this and every one mourn that dâ—elleth therein vers 7 8. Now seeing God was so displeased with them for their secret prophanation of the sanctified time of his worship by their worldly thoughts and desires yea though it were but after Godâ— publick worship was ended then doubtlesse seeing Jesus Christ hath still reserved the seventh part of time for his publick worship he will not allow Christians now more liberty than the Jews had either to prophanâ— thoughts or to sporâ— and recreate themselves on the Lords day no though it should be after the publick exercise is ended God requires the heart on that day as well as the body to be imployed on spiritual things onely The promise in Es 58. 13. to such as make conscience of sanctifying the Sabbath in the inward man I confesse is made to that Sabbath of Sabbatism called the day of Attonement but yet this day of Attonement must be considered as it was a Sabbath of equal respect in regard of the sanctified time of Gods worship to the seventh day and therefore that which is unlawfull to be done in the one is unlawfull to be done in the other also both in respect of the outward and also in respect of the inward man Quest 7. Did not the Jews hold it lawfull to do works of mercy and works of present necessity on the Sabbath day Ans 1. In the dayes of our Saviour some of the Jews were so supestitious of the outward rest of the Sabbath that they were often offended with our Saviour because he did works of mercy and works
first darknesse he did at last call it Boker the Morning namely after the whole time of the Naturall day had run its course and after the Darknesse was formed into a Night Hence it followes that the composition of Gnereb was formed first from the latter halfe of the Artificiall day and from the first halfe of the Night but that little peece of light that remaines after Sun-set is no part of the Artificiall day which is due to Gnereb but it is a true part of the Night and it is presently confounded with darknesse and it is therefore called Twilight and therefore it cannot fitly be called Gnereb 2 I answer That seeing Gnereb is halfe Day and halfe Night it often comes to passe that any one of these parts is Gnereb the Evening is often by the Figure Synecdoche put for the Sun-set evening so it is also put by the Figure Metonymia for the West called Gnereb the Evening by the Figure Synecdoche and both parts together is often called the two Evenings the first Evening takes its beginning at mid-day and the latter Evening begins at Sun-set which doth alwayes set due West when the dayes are in the Equinoctial and in that respect our English Translators doe put the West for Gnereb in Dan. 8. 5. but Tremelius doth there put Sun-set for Gnereb and the seventy in that place doe put the South-west Wind for Gnereb and that Wind is one of the foure Winds of Heaven into which the Kingdome of Alexander was divided after his death as Daniel prophesied Dan. 8. 8. And truly seeing the South-west Wind proceeds indifferently both from the South and from the West conjoyned it doth most fitly answer to the conjunction or connexion of Gnereb but it is evident that Gnereb is often put for the West by the Figure Metonymia 1 Chron. 7. 28. 1 Chron. 12. 15. 1 Chron. 26. 16. 18. 30. and often elsewhere and in this respect the Twilight is contained within that portion of time which is called Gnereb but yet the Twilight by it selfe is never called Gnereb but two other Hebrew words are used to express the time of Twilight as I noted afore 3 Gnereb is Figuratively put by Translators for the plaines of Moab neere Jericho Num. 33. 48 49 50. Numb 36. 13. Deut. 1. 1. Deut. 11. 30. because they lye West at the setting of the Sun where the latter Evening doth begin but the seventy in all the said places doe put the West for Gnereb because the situation of the plaines of Moab lay in the West part of Canaan at the going downe of the Sun from whence the latter evening doth begin but see more of this latter evening in chap. 4. in the answer to Obj. 2. 4 Gnereb the Evening is Figuratively put for the last times Gnereb the Evening is often put for the last dayes and for the last end of a thing Gen. 49. 27. because the time of Gnereb the Evening doth follow after the time called Boker the Morning See more in Chap. 3. in Ans to Obj. 1. 5 Gnereb is Figuratively put for the last dayes even for the dayes of the Gospel called in Zach. 14. 7. the Evening time In the Evening time it shall be light the allusion is most fit and proper to the first Evening which doth alwaies begin at Mid-day at the first declining of the Sun and then the Sun is in its greatest strength both for light and heat and then Christ Jesus appeared to Paul for his conversion that he might send him among the Gentiles that sate in darknesse to open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God Act. 22. 6 14. Act. 26. 13 18. and he made the word of God to abound through a great part of the world even from Jerusalem to Illiricum Rom. 15. 19. In this evening time of the world the Gospel did shine in its ful strength for now Christ and his twelve Apostles and seventy Disciples and divers other Prophets and Teachers did confirme their doctrine with signs and wonders to the conversion of many ten thousand soules that formerly sate in darknesse under the power of Satan 6 Gnereb is put for the last end of a thing as in Isa 24. 11. The mirth of the land is Gnereb that is to say ceased or ended And in this sense Matthew puts the evening of the Sabbaths in the plurall number for the end of the weeke Mat. 28. 1. for the Jews used to date all the days of the week from the Sabbath day in this order the first of the Sabbath the second of the Sabbath and so on till the week ended with the Sabbath it selfe In like sort they did sometimes call the whole week the Sabbath and the seven weekes to Penticost they called seven Sabbaths Levit. 23. 15. and the Pharisee said I fast twice in the Sabbath Luk. 18. 12. or twice in the week now if the Evening had been the beginning of the Natural day then all these allusions from Gnereb to the last times or to the last end of a thing had been very improper and very absurd 7 Gnereb by the figure Synecdoche is often put for any particular hour in the afternoon or in the beginning of the night for the Jews were to transact many Civil and many Religious actions in the severall houres of Gnereb the Evening and in that respect any of those houres may be called Gnereb the Evening But at first when Moses did conjoyn and set together all the parts and parcels of the first natural day No question but he did use Gnereb in its full and proper sense for the conjunction of the latter half of the Artificial day with the first half of the night as the even and equal part of time to Boker the morning and that is the thing which I mainly aime at in all my discourse upon Gnereb SECT 2. It is further evident that Gnereb must be taken for such a connexion of things as doth still preserve the Species distinct because Gnarbaiim in the duall number is put for the connexion of any two things without confounding their species But especially it is Eleven times over put for the two parts of the Naturall Evening I Find upon search that Gnereb the Evening is eleven times over called Gnarbaiim in the duall number because the God of Nature had from the first day divided the natural Evening into two parts which are rightly called the two Evenings by many Translators These two Evenings were famously known to all the Jewes in Egypt for when Moses commanded them to kill the Passeover between the two Evenings Exod. 12. 6. he did not explain what he meant by the two Evenings he did not make any circumstantiall description of them which had been necessary if they had not been familiarly acquainted with the several limits of them but he doth onely barely name them as a thing that was familiarly known to them Five times
as I have shewed in chap. 5. in my answer to Object 16. And in this respect Ioshua let the dead Bodies of the Kings hang still upon the Tree untill the Sun was set that is to say untill the night was begun but if this command of burying them in the same day had meant in the same Ceremonial day then the dead Bodies might not continue hanging on the Tree untill the Sun was set except they had been buried some distinct time before Sun-set this clause therefore in the same day must be understood not of the same Ceremonial day which ended at Sun-set but of the same Natural day which continued after Sun-set till mid-night as I have shewed more at large in Chapter five in my answer to Objection sixteen and in chap. 4. ult and in other places also The chief Priests were first in their request to Pilate because it was the time of their preparation to their solemn High Sabbath-Supper for it was the first day of unleavened bread which was a high Sabbath and their Festival-Supper was to begin at Star-light therefore they besought Pilate that their leggs might be broken and that they might be taken away Joh. 19. 31. thus you see that the Priests in regard of their preparation to their Sabbath-Supper were first in their request unto Pilate presently upon this Pilate commanded that their leggs should be broken and Joseph perceiving their request first did wisely espy the advantage of time and without delay he went boldly unto Pilate and besought him that he might take away the Body of Jesus and Pilate gave him leave he came therefore and took the Body of Jesus Joh. 19. 38. this was all done in the neck of one another and this time is recorded by Matthew and Mark to be when the Sun-set evening was done From the Premises I reason thus If the Sun-set evening was come before Ioseph went to Pilate to begge the Body of Christ then the Sabbath Star might well be risen before the Body of Christ could be inclosed in the heart of the earth for Ioseph had many things to do after he had the grant of the dead Body before it could be inclosed in his Grave First he went to the Shops to buy severall peeces of Linnen to wrap the dead Body in according to the Iews manner Ioh. 20. 6 7. as we may see the manner in Lazarus burial Ioh. 11. 44. and Nicodemus also did take up some time to imbalm his Body which also was done with many circumstances according to the Iews custome Ioh. 19. 40. as it is set down by Mr. Ainsworth in Gen. 46. 4. and in Gen. 50. 2. and then though the place of burial were near yet it would require both hands and time to carry him thither and to rowl the stone upon the mouth of his Grave before hee could be said to be inclosed in the heart of the earth I grant also that all this was done with as much haste as might be because of the Iâ—ws preparation to their Festival Supper and yet as soon as this was done or could be done their High Festival-Sabbath began to lighten namely with the Evening Star at least if not with more Stars for it was a Canon among them not to begin their Festival-Suppers till three Stars did appear and doubtlesse Lukes phrase doth allude to that custom This Sabbath that did now begin to lighten was not the Sabbath it self for if the Sabbath it self had been begun at the rising of the Evening Starre then doubtlesse the holy Women had broken the holy rest of the Sabbath dâ—y because after all this they went to the shops and bought Odors and Oyntments Luke 23. 56. compared with Mâ—rk 16. 1. yea and after they had bought these Odors and Oyntments they went home and prepared them in a readinesse to perâ—ume the Body of Christ with them as soon as ever the Sabbath was past Mat. 28. 1. If they had bought them before his burial they would have persumed his Body before his burial â—s Nicodâ—mus did Therefore seeing these holy Women did all this work after the burial and after the Sabbath began to lighten it is an evident proof that the Sabbath it self did not begin neither at the Sun-set evening when the person purified began the date of his new day nor yet at the rising of the evening starre for if the Sabbath it self had been begun at either of these times then the holy Women had most grosly broken the holy rest of the Sabbath But the Holy Text doth witnesse on their side that they rested the Sabbath according to the Commandment Luk. 23. 56. Hencâ— I conclude from this practise of the holy Women that though the evening before the Sabbath doth bear the date of the day following to the person purified yet in proper speaking it is no part of the Sabbath it self it is only to be esteemed the Sabbath but by way of preparation and no more Secondly I answer That your exposiâ—ion of the word before may better carry this sense namely that this latter evening was indeed before the Sabbath it self and I have shewed in chap. 5. that the evening of the Sabbath is put by the Hebrew Doctors sometimes for the evening before the Sabbath and sometimes for the last half of the Sabbath it self but see more in this Chapter in the answer to the next objection Objct. 2. It seems to me that the Sabbath it self did begin and end at the Sun set Evening by the Jews practise for they held it unlawful before the Sun-set Evening was come for our Saviour to heal diseased persons But after the Sun-set Evening was come all manner of diseased persons came flocking to him for cure Mar. 1. 32. Hence it appears that the Jews held the Sabbath to be fully ended as soon as the Sun-set Evening was come Ans It is but the bare conjecture that they forbore to bring their sick persons till the Sabbath was ended I deny it to be the very reason I beleeve the onely reason why they came no sooner was because they had no sooner intelligence of his miraculous power to heal you do barely affirm that the Jews in general held it unlawful for our Saviour to heal diseased persons upon the Sabbath day but you are deceived Tremelius doth testifie from the ancient Hebrew Doctors that they held the contrary They held that the perill of life did drive away the Sabbath that is to say they held it lawful to use any means to prevent the danger of death upon the Sabbath day See Tremelius his Annot. in Mat. 12. 8. in the Syriack Testament Mr. Ainsworth also doth affirm from the Hebrew Doctors that they held it to be a Sabbath days work to visit the sick for they held that perill of life did drive away the Sabbath See Ains in Exod. 20. 10. See also my former Treatise 2 I do also apprehend by the circumstances of the story that the Jews of Capernaum were not