Dies Dominicus Redivivus OR The Lords Day Enlivened OR A TREATISE As to discover the practical part of the Evangelical Sabbath So to recover the spiritual part of that Pious Practice to its primitive life Lamentably lost in these last Declining times By PHILIP GOODVVIN M. A. Preacher of the Gospel and Pastour of the publike Congregation at Watford in Hartford shire Mark 2 7. The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath Luk. 4.16 And Jesus camt to Nazareth and went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day as his custome was Imprimatur Ed. Calamy LONDON Printed by J. L. for Andrew Keâ—be and are to be sold at his Shop over against St. Margarets-hill in Southwark 1654. TO THE VVorshipful the Justices of the Peace adjacent Gentlemen AS the most high God hath set you up to be supreame persons in the places of your aboade so he hath been pleased to put precious opportunities into your hands for the honouring of him as Christian Magistrates Now among the many things requisite for Religious Magistrates that they may honour the most high God mention I shall onely make Of Knowledge and Courage Knowledge to examine and state things right Courage to determine and act right things Knowledge as the eye seeing what is just to be done Courage as the hand doing what is seen to be just If courage be without knowledge the eye of justice is blind If knowledge be without courage the sword of justice is blunt Though your knowledge I do not question yet your courage I would quicken And therefore I humbly beseech you to consider In what cases And for what causes courage is comely in every Christian Magistrate The cases that require courage are either Civil or Religious Civil cases that tend to the good of the body Politick Religious cases â—hat tend to the good of the body Ecclesiastick These cases last are not the least Yea as the Church is more excellent then the Common-Wealth so a Christian Magistrate is more to mind the affairs of Gods Church then the concernments of any civil State Magis miror Davidem sallantem quam pugnâ—â—tem Hence Gregory professed he did more commend David dancing before the Ark then fighting with the Philistines All his courage in conquering enemies was not like his zeal for Religion and the holy worship of God Moses having brought Israel out of Egypt Romae quâ—tie scunque Senatus cogâ—baâ—ur nulla de re prius quâ—â—â— de religâ—one agebaâ—â—tâ— Varro lib. 14. cap. 17. before he settled the Common-Wealth he prescribed the way of Gods worship Our dear Lord little looked after Civil Judicature but much laboured the purging of the Temple T is Religion as Lactantius oft teacheth that maintains humane Societies civil Subordinations Lact. de vera sepient lib 4. cap. 4. which otherwise could not subsist but savage cruelties and sensual impieties would pull all in pieces Yea there is no State City or Town but it prospers in temporals according as Religion and things that relate to God are nourished and do flourish Dilexi virum qui cum corporâ— solveretur magis de statu Ecclesiarum quam de propriis periculis angâ—bâ—tur Ambros in vit Theodosii See Hag. 1. God bids some consider whether they did not thrive according as they promoted the building of the Temple How well went it with the Common-Wealth of Israel when Josiah and Jehoshaphat bestirred them in a Religious reformation And how was Solomons and Rehoboams Kingdome shaken when they did not regard Religion but corrupted the worship of God leaving the things of God to lie naked and open to enemies and evils The Gold blue silk and purple would never have been so safe or shined so well within the Tabernacle had not the outside been covered with red skins and Goats hair Such a shelter ought Magistracy to be to Gods Church and all the things of Religion therein whereby they may the better and the brighter shine And as the care and courage of Magistrates ought to be most in the matters of God So among them their zeal ought to be most earnest in the matter of the Sabbath The Sabbath observed is the Compendium and Epitome of the whole practice of Piety As the transgression of the Sabbath is the violation of the whole Law of God When the people of Israel went to gather Manna on the day of the Sabbath God makes his complaint to Moses their Magistrate saying Exod. 16.18 How long will they refuse to keep my Commandements and to obey my Lawes Lawes and Commandements in the plural In that they broke the Command of the Sabbath God accounts it as a breach of all his Commandements and a sin against all his concernments This Moses is to be affected with And therefore all that are in office under God ought to be most burning in zeal against Sabbath-sins sinners and for due observing the day of the Sabbath Such was the zeal of the first and best reformers as we find in Scripture Euseb lib. 3. cap. 10. Socrat. lib. 5. Russin Ecc. bi lib. 2. Gen. 3.24 The Magistrates duty in this point See Pag. 132 133 134. and in the Histories of all ages In this case therefore of the Lords day in the Lords Name let me call upon you who about us bear the civil sword to be towards this Gospel Sabbath as the Cherubims with their flaming sword towards that tree in Paradise preserving the way thereof and observing the work therein c. SIRS so far as possibly you can draw out your care and lift up your courage so as to be a wall of fire for this dayes defence that on this day the visible parts of Gods worship be performed and therefore that the places of Gods worship be diligently frequented As I would beseech your zeal against the principal places of Satans service I mean Rotten Alehouses the Suburbs Seminaries of Hell the Nurceries of sin and Synagogues of sinners so for the places within your precincts of Gods publick worship The worship of God in publick upon the Lords day by your personal presence and by your Magisteriall power expresse how much you prize No marvel David had such a desire to build a house to God when he cryes out Psal 84. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord Blessed are they that dwell in thy house c. How you highly esteeme the publick Ordinances of God declared by your close endeavours to support both the DAY and the place of their publick use The causes that may encourage zeal in these cases mount your minds and raise your spirits for God and all that is Gods His Sabbaths and service I beseech you observe How hereto you are bound and How herein you are backed You are bound that about these things above all you burn in zeal Hath not God bound you And have not you bound your selves God hath bound you not onely as men but as Magistrates by his holy commands to mind the matters
this sin against God in Sabbath-abuse is abominable and inexcusable because we are charged only with one day weekly to be kept as holy unto the Lord. I remember Deut. 5. that Moses maketh mention of this as an Act of Gods great indulgence towards man and that having written the ten Commandments he added no more And should not we with obediential submission acknowledge the same concerning the Sabbath Upon the second consideration men may without uncharitablenesse be censured also as inexcusably regardlesse of their own soules good both in regard of grace and comfort here and hereafter who disrespect the Sabbath day which is the Market-day of the soul as worthy Mr. Rich. Rogers was wont to call it And that smart sentence which was misapplyed unto Christ for he strictly kept the Sabbath of the Lord his God may be applyed to that person who is a wilfull ordinary profaner of that holy time Joh 9.16 This man is nor of God because he keepeth not the Sabbath day According to a mans regard or disregard of the Sabbath is his respect or disrespect unto all the rest of Gods Commandements Here I might take occasion to bewail bitterly Englands wofull declinings both in matters of doctrine and practice concerning the Sabbath In former times no Reformed Church was so famous either for soundnesse in judgment or exactnesse in conversation in relation to the Lords Day But our Apostasie began to be Notorious when the Book for the allowing of sports on that day was promoted to gratifie the profane and Popish party then predominant in England And hereupon many both Bishops and others for alas how apt are men even Ministers among others to swim down the tide with them who bear rule appeared in the Pulpit and in the Presse to decry the moralitie and exact observation of the fourth Commandment Many worthy servants of Christ looked upon Germanies Warres as a fruit of this high provocation there and they have judged our late-yeares troubles an effect of the like profanation At this day notwithstanding our Covenanted Reformation how wofully is Gods Sabbath neglected every where and may we not say that the loosenesse of them who are Atheistically wicked is not so dangerous to poor England as the carnal liberty of such who pretend unto the highest pitch of sanctitie How many even amongst them under pretence of Gospel immunities and of observing every day as a spiritual Sabbath do both take and plead for that libertie on the Lords Day which old Puritans amongst whom the power of godlinesse shined gloriously did decry and abominate Many years since I heard this speech uttered with much affection from famous Mr. John Rogers Take away the Sabbath and Religion will soon wither And is not this too much verified amongst our selves in England at this day We have had and we have Acts Ordinances Orders for the better keeping of the Lords Day but who knoweth not that the life of the Law lyeth in the execution Proclamations and Papers will not pluck down profanenesse except they be strengthened by the vigorous actings of persons in power The Lord threateningly complaineth of the Priests in former times because they hid their eyes from the Sabbath Ezek. 22.26 The meaning of the complaint is judged to be either more generally their regardlesnesse thereof 〈◊〉 more particularly their not taking notice when and how and by whom profaned that they might by roproof seek redresse This I mention that we Ministers may mind our Duties in this regard more The Reverend Authour of this Usefull Treatise hath expressed vigorous affections with forcible arguments to awaken quicken and encourage people unto the better keeping of the Christian Sabbath And what considerations can be more commanding and conquering unto an ingenuous experienced Christian then those two hinted and handled from the Text which this godly man undertaketh and pursueth to good purpose in this present Treatise viz. 1. Christ whose Day the Sabbath is in a way of sanctified peculiarity 2. Spirituall joy with which the Lord is wont to crown the sanctifiers of this his holy Day The former usefull Works of this my worthy good friend have found so good acceptance amongst Gods people that I hope this piece for its own sake rather then for my poor Testimony will also be welcomed and improved I commend this savoury Treatise to thy serious perusal and thy self therein to the blessing of God Almighty I am Thy friend and servant in and for Jesus Christ Simeon Ashe August 7. 1654. THE Contents of the first Part. 1. HOw God from the Beginning before the Law ordained a set Day for Religious Duties pag. 6 2. How God after under the Law did more unfold and confirm the same pag. 7 3. Why Christ under the Gospel should have a set Day for his Service p. 10 4. Wherein the work of Redemption surpass'd the work of Creation p. 11 5. Wherefore the first Day of the week is called The Lords Day p. 15 6. What warrant for the change of the Sabbath from tke last to the first Day p. 34 7. Their Objections answered who oppose the Doctrine of the Lords Day p. 36 c. 8. Of the Lords-Day-Duties what they are and where to be perform'd p. 58 125 9. Their Objections answered who neglect the Duties of the Lords Day p. 65 c. 10. The Multitudes of sinners against the Lords Day discovered p. 20 c. 11. The Magnitude of their sin opened in several respects p. 83 c. 12. The sad Judgments to which Sabbath-breakers are subject p. 96 c. 13. Gods Delay of executing Judgment upon many that mis-spend his Day why p. 110 c. 14. What all are to do to help on due Sabbath-observance p. 120 c. 15. What especially some are to do that the Sabbath-Day may be duly observed p. 132 c. 16. The Necessary Use of the Sabbath To whom and for why p. 138 c. 17. The probable losse of the Lords Day when and wherefore p. 148 c. 18. How the Lords Day being removed may be long before its return p. 160 c. 19. How the Lords Day may remain amongst some as a sore curse p. 166. c. 20. How equal it is to observe one Day in seven holy to God p. 169 c. 21. The excellency of the Lords Day being well observed p. 179 c. 22. The commodity of well keeping this our Christian Sabbath p. 196 c. 23. The comforts of the Christian Sabbath well kept p. 214 24. Their Objections answered who cannot find the comfort and profit p. 225 c. 25. How the Lords Day in the worst times may be certainly and sweetly continued p. 244. THE CONTENTS of the second Part. 1. TO be in the Spirit on the Lords Day as S. John was what it is p. 259 2. Why some of Gods Servants are on the Lords Day in the Spirit p. 281 3. How any others of the servants of God may be in the
Christ 1. The Persons that the Sabbath was for appears to be the praying Saints of God though Jewes by Nation Christians by profession and therefore the day they ought to observe was suitable 2. The season of this Sabbath-day was during that Sabbath which should be at the time of the sacking and sad desolating the City Jerusalem About fourty years after Christs death that dreadful and terrible time came when according to the voyce heard in the Temple Let us depart hence Gods people departed thence to Pella and other places and for the Unconverted Jewes as Eusebius reports whereas they had sold Christ for thirty pence thirty of them were sold for a peny and so many hundreds of them who crucified Christ were crucified themselves in one day that there were not places enough for Crosses not Crosses for bodies Then then were Gods faithful ones fain to fly for their lives yet then were they to be serious and incessant in Sabbath-day-duties then all Ceremonies were abolished And that special day which the Jew had observed being Ceremonial was before abrogated and a seventh day as a holy Sabbath upon an another account then kept and so to continue 2. That which our Saviour saith of himself as concerning the Sabbath we see Mark 2.28 The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath-day Which notes in Christ touching this day two things His Authority for it and His Propriety in it The Sabbath is such a day that the Lord Christ For it gives a special command and In it keeps a special Interest Other time the Lord allots and allows men for their ordinary affairs but this day he reserves as his proper and peculiar Portion Truly may we say of the Sabbath as 't is said of Jacob Psal 135.4 The Lord hath chosen it unto himself for his peculiar treasure Vox segulah significat rem quandam auctam charam sive the saurus fuerit sive res aliae quae cunquâ— His Segullah Time the Lord gives out but this he keeps as his store and as that which to him is most dear THE LORDS DAY Christ he is clearly the Lord of all but especially THE LORD OF THE SABBATH The Sabbath at first considered with other dayes As Christ hath separated it from them So Christ hath elevated it above them Above all dayes he doth estimate this 't is emiminently his And he the Lord of this day It being from him in respect of its Rise And it being for him in respect of its Use Christ was the raiser of it and Christ is the ruler in it This is that high day he hath set upon stable grounds This is that great day he doth guide unto noble ends The grounds on which this day is erected are The Lords abundant care of And His abiding Covenant with his Church and people throughout all ages Such is the care the Lord hath for the spirituall profit of his People and to perpetuate the Practice of Religion as thereupon he appoints this present day Yea and that it might abide he hath bound it by covenant to continue through all generations Vid. Willets Hexapla in locum Exodus 13.16 17. The ends to which this day is directed are The honour of God And The happinesse of man Hence is that Isay 58.13 If thou call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him And hence is that Isay 56.2 Happy or blessed is the man that doth this the son of man that layeth hold on it that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it To say now no more this is that sweet day upon which Saint John had such Soul-ravishing-Revelations in the Spirit I was in the Spirit upon the Lords Day The Use two-fold Of Information Of Exhortation First we are here informed of mens fearful evills relating to the Lords Day viz. Both The sinfull evill they are guilty of The Penall evill they are subject to First to set out the sinfulnesse of men against the Sabbath I shall consider and clearly discover The Multitude of the sinners And The Magnitude of the sin Sinners against the Holy Sabbath are of severall sorts Some sinning against the doctrine of the day And Some sinning against the duties of the day 1. Some that in point of judgment lye crosse to the Lords Day Of such There be some grosse in their opinion And others in their opinion more loose The former deny the day Positively and in whole The latter deny the day respectively and in part Those that do not at all believe the Lords Day are of two sorts Some that more Sordidly declare it Some that more subtilly conceale it 1. There be some that publiquely proclaime their denyall of this Holy Day and of them we may observe two sorts Some that did never better appear in time past And Some that in time past did much better appear Some that have been so Sottishly and abominably bred up that a conviction of the Lords Day they never let in Sabbath-Principles they never laid up And some whose education and profession hath formerly declared their belief of the Lords Day but now run in ranting and riotous waies publishing their opinions against all Sabbath-observance yea are come to scorn and mock at the Sabbaths of the Lord like those Lam. 1.7 Of such what shall I say But declare them utterly unclean because the Leprosie is in their heads I allude to that Levit. 13.44 verse Secondly there be others that carrie Some Sabbath-day-shew they abstain from their ordinary works and meet where some matters of Religion are managed but not from any tye upon conscience or obedience to any divine Authority The Papists upon an Ecclesiasticall and others upon a Politicall account and because of the civill power otherwise in their own opinions they are set Sabbath-free They do not embrace the Sabbath that 's crosse to their inward principles yet they doe not disclaim the Sabbath that may prove their outward Prejudice This is plain hypocrisie in the Lords Day and woe to such hypocrites in the Day of the Lord. I proceed next to consider them that assent somewhat to a Sabbath-day but their assent thereunto is not right and through Of such there be two sorts Some which deny that this is the Day And Some who deny that of the Day which is Some grant the Lord hath a Day for his service but they plead against the first and for the last day in the week the particular day which the Jewes kept to be still the standing Sabbath-day In this is a subtile design of Satan when he sees as Sabbath-men will have he seeks to set it where it may be sure to fall and though about this scruples may be in some consciencious yet the principall Patrons for the Jewish Sabbbath do it out of a secret design to lay waste the Lords Day Conatus eorum tanquam Pestilentissimus est retundendus Musc Loc Com. Part. 1. fol. 148. This made Musculus to
conclude their cunning endeavours were perillous and pestilent and by all meanes possible to be suppressed Such men lift up Moses to throw down Christ advance God the Father to abase Christ the Son and to deface his glory due Zanchius de oper redempt li. 1. ca. 19 fol 612. And though they seem to be for God and his Law yet 't is an unlawful and ungodly thing sayes Zanchius as to have no certain day for Gods publick service so to undermine and to overturn that day which is certainly setled for the Lords Day Secondly some grant this to be the very Lords Day but they do not believe 't is a day so precisely to be celebrated As there are few so far Atheists as absolutely to deny there is a God A God many grant there is that yet deny the true God and many acknowledge the true God that yet cannot be convinced he is such a God so just holy pure and perfect Thus there are few so far opposite to Sabbath as wholly to deny there is any day A day they yield there is but then they do not confesse the right day or they do not confesse the day aright a day to be kept so holy and strict this they withstand whence they are very loose and take large liberties upon the Lords Day And of these there are two sorts Some so minded for want of better Instructions And some so minded from the force of base Corruptions 1. Some have strange latitudes in their judgements of the Lords Day and indeed the very Doctrine of some Churches and Canons of Synods set the door wide allowing liberty for worldly labour recreations and sports upon the Sabbath-day But these are black sports that blemish their beauty in the sight of God 2. Some who live where they might learn better the light of the Lords Day in the Doctrine of it breaking out more bright and shining forth clear and pure yet they cannot see the holinesse of the Day through the filthinesse of their flesh and their dear indulgings of their delightful lusts Neither are they willing to see the Sabbaths Sanctity lest it should disturb their sinful security If for the Lords Day they should be strict in their opinions they could not with conscience-quiet be loose in their practice these persons in this point of corrupt principles and erroneous judgements object divers things as 1. Objection The Sabbath is mutable and moveable from one day to another and therefore may be removed quite and made utterly to cease Answer The Sabbath 't was mutable being altered from the last to the first day of the week but 't is not possible there should be such another change in that there can never possibly be such another cause To that change we may consider a double cause concurring The material cause for it and The actuall cause of it The cause upon which the day was altered viz. Christs Resurrection The cause through which the day was altered viz. Christs Institution So that the cause on which and the cause by which this was done all was Christ In this change of the Sabbath we may observe a double use Originall and Organicall The primary Id sine dubio tenendum quod Ecclesia ab Apostolis Apostoli à Christo Christus à Deo suscepit c. Tertul. Nostrae potestatis non est sanctificare Deus est qui sanctificat c. Muscul Loc. Com. Praecept 4. principall efficient cause of that change was Christ The holy Apostles were the Secundary and Instrumentall cause for to such purposes all their power was from Christ who did extraordinarily call qualifie and commissionate them upon such accounts as never can come the like The Lord himself set up his own Sabbath and indeed 't is onely for him to give a being to a Sabbath that can give a blessing to a Sabbath this is the work of the Lord alone to blesse and sanctifie a day Therefore not any person may assume power nor by any power may persons presume to alter and settle any other Sabbath Men must not alter the ordinance for the day as they may not alter the ordinances in the day to bring in other Sacraments another Gospell Gal. 1.8 If an Angel from heaven should preach another Gospel to you then that you have received let him be accursed and so he that shall cry up amongst you any other Sabbath then what ye have observed let him be accursed 2. Object 'T is contrary to Christian liberty to be limited to a day wherein to worship God Answer Christian liberty learned out is taken Either more strictly Or more largely Strictly Christian liberty is a release from Mosaical Ceremonies and Judaical circumstances but this doth not free from a fixed day for the Lords service which is not a ceremonie a circumstance but the very Soul and substance of Christian religion Largely Christian liberty or Gospel-freedome it does comprise these two things Freedom from the service of sin and Freedom in the service of God First to be free from sins servitude this implies freedom from death and divel the curse of the Law and the wrath of God the sequels of sins slavery Sins service is the sorest bondage Austins Position is proper August de civit Dei li. 3. cap. 4. A good man though he serves yet he is free a wicked man though he reigns he is a servant Rome saith he is the great Mistresse of the World yet the drudge of sin Chrysos Hom. 19. in priorem Epi. ad Corinth and hence Chrysostome concludes Joseph was the freeman and his Mistesse who obeyed her lusts was the servant 2 Pet. 2.19 While they promise themselves liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought into bondage Secondly to be free in the service of the Lord is sweet liberty this is the case of Christians whatever they do towards God as their duty 't is under a freetenure viz. the Covenant of Grace T is through a freee mover viz. the Spirit of Christ yea and their own spirits set free by Christ The precepts of the Lord are a good mans large walks Psal 119.45 I shall walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts BEDDACHAH at large that is the onely free life that 's spent in seeking serving obeying and blessing God So then into Christian liberty let 's look never so farre we shall not find that a discharge from the Lords day is any breach thereof And therefore a strict observance of this Lords day is no breach thereof 3. Objection Under the Gospel there is no difference of dayes to be observed Answer For satisfaction herein we shall consider first That there is a difference between dayes which it is sinful for to observe And Secondly That yet there is a difference of the Sabbath from other dayes which not to observe is sinful Sinful it is to observe such a difference of days as is Heathenish Jewish
parts of the service Suitable to their places for the service Concerning the service of the Lords day it self observe The spring of it and The spread of it What it must proceed from and What it must extend unto 1. Sabbath-service must proceed from a spring of love The service of our Christian Sabbath-love Amor meus pondus meum eo feror quocunque feror Aug. 'T will facilitate it and 'T will perpetuate it Love it will lead out and carry through the wole businesse of this blessed day with ease to the end Love is the best Load-stone through all the Lords day-duties This is one of the dayes of the Lords appearing which every Christian is bound to love 2 Tim. 4.8 And who ever loves the day will not leave the duty 2. The service of the Sabbath is of such extent that there are divers duties duly to be performed Both secretly in our Habitations And openly in the Congregation In our private dwellings Religious duties upon the Lords day are required of every one as Prayer Meditation and holy Conference Prayer whereby we speak to God Meditation whereby we speak to our selves And good Conference whereby we speak one unto another Prayer The Sabbath is indeed a day God hath sanctified yet 't is not sanctified as to us nor we to it without prayer Our Sabbath in heaven shall all be imployed in praysings of God but prayer to God must have a prime part of every Sabbath we observe on earth Are there Sbbbath duties to be performed we must pray that God would make us able Are there Sabbath mercies to be received we must pray that God would count us worthy Meditation The Sabbath is the day for the bodies rest from earthly affairs and therefore the mind is then most meet to be about the best businesse Theophil in Marc. 1. et 21. One well notes that the Lord commands rest upon the Sabbath that men might read the Word and meditate upon the Word they read The Word and the Works of God are indeed every day to be meditated on but most upon the Lords day Augustine gives this reason why God was six several dayes in the works of the World to wit that upon the seventh day man might the more orderly think upon those Works of God Conference The Sabbath is the day when all in a family have more liberty to be together then on any other day On the week dayes persons in a house are as Bees in a Hive that go forth several wayes to work but on the Lords day their common work abroad ceases so that they may the better set themselyes to assist each other in soul concernments Exhorting one another while it is called to day Heb. 3.13 In our publick meetings The religious duties which upon the Lords day are required be Either more ordinary Or lesse ordinary Ordinary and constant duties for the exercise of all As Prayer to God Hearing the Word and Singing of Psalmes Prayer Upon the Lords day though one be made the Mouth yet 't is meete there should be as many praying hearts as present bodies Prayer was a principal thing the practice of which the Primitive Christians continued in their congregated assemblies Act. 2.42 Austine sadly complains of some in his time August de tempore Serm. 251. who when they should be entring in the Church doors they are tarrying in the Church-yard playing without when they should be praying within idly talking of the world when they should be seriously seeking the Lord c. O that this abuse had dyed in his dayes but the Lord knows it lives for us to lament Hearing Upon the Lords day a great duty is diligent attention to Gods word read and preached They sayes a reverend Writer who rightly use the Sabbath day Gualt in Marc. 3. Hom. 23. they go to the publick assemblies to hear the holy word of God And herein what was the practice of Gods people in the time of the Apostles is plain Act. 13.14 15 16 42 44. Act. 15.21 Act. 20.7 c. And Justine Martyr who dyed for the cause of Christ in the year of our Lord 170. in his second Apologie for Christians reports the people of God to gather into one place perpetually on the Lords day to hear the Scriptures read and to attend exhortations thereupon Singing Upon the Lords day it being the day of Saints sweetest delight holy Psalmes are seasonable to be sung And in ancient times there were some Psalmes penned and purposely appointed for the Sabbath day as is expressed in the Preface of Psal 92. Pliny in his letter to Trajan tells how in those times the Christians upon their set dayes of solemn worship used early in the morning sweetly to sing together unto the praise of God August lib. 9. confessio cap. 6. Austin in this publike exercise sayes he had often wept for joy joy c. Some seek to cut off and cast this comfortable service quite out of doors contrary to the example of Christ Matth. 26.30 the practice of the Apostles Act. 16.25 and other expresse texts in the New Testament August in lib. Psal Prolog Basil de virt laud. Psal Tom. 1. as Colos 3.16 Ephes 5.19 Jam. 5.13 Among other ancient Writers Basil speaks large in the praise of praysing God in this way and abundantly blesses God for the Book of the Psalmes as a fit foundation for this duty Lesse ordinary yet frequent duties upon the Lords day to be done they do relate to Sacraments administring Censures inflicting and Necessities supplying Sacraments The transacting of these suites best unto the Sabbath season One well observes that upon the day of the ancient Sabbath the sacrifices were doubled Danaeus Ethic. Chr. lib. 2. cap. 10. And our Sacraments succeeding these should not onely come in their room but be at their time as services most seasonable for the day of our Sabbath Chrysostome reports how in the primitive times the Lords day had a double name 't was called Chrysost de Resurr Serm. 15. The day of light and The day of bread Of light Because on that day the Sacrament of Baptisme was wont to be openly administred Of bread Because the Sacrament of the Lords Supper used to be celebrated on that day in the Assemblies of Christians And this was the manner of the Disciples in the time of the Apostles Act. 20.7 Censures The exercise of Discipline is fit for the Lords day when the servants of Christ are assembled then to remove from among them scandalous persons both in opinion and practice that 's a plain place 1 Cor. 5.4 In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together viz. on our Lords day and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan c. And the first power for this purpose that our Saviour gave to his Disciples was upon the day of our Christian Sabbath the first day of
God Yea what numbers of two sorts may we see all setting against our Sabbath-enjoyments Men of rotten principles and Men of wretched practices As Herod and Pilate both agreed for the Lords death so these both joyn against the Lords Day As the blessed body of Christ was crucified between the Theeves so the blessed day of Christ is now crucifying between loose Sectaries and prophane sinners And Lord help who labours to rescue it Who sees not our Sabbath-slightnesse wearinesse and willingnesse to be set Sabbath-free The barrennesse of the best and the ingratitude of the greatest part what does it foretell but an approaching time of turning out and overturning Sabbaths 2. God being infinitely righteous makes the danger of this more exceedingly dangerous God in his just way of Judgements makes mournfull removes of such sweet mercies either When men to follow their sins forsake his Sabbaths Or when men observe his Sabbaths but in their sins Isay 1.13 Your Sabbaths and your solemn Assemblies I cannot away with your hands are full of blood Bloody hands cannot hold Gods blessed day Those things will away that God cannot away with 'T is not all the powers nor policies of men and Divels can pull away Sabbaths from a Land if there the Lord will hold them neither is it all the Prayers and Powers of Saints and Angels can keep Sabbaths in a Land if thence the Lord will take them Let not us in England think we have such a settled Fee-simple of the Sabbath as that there is no disinheritting or such an entaile as cannot be cut off The Apostle Rom. 11. speaking of Gods cutting off the Chuch of the Jewes a learned Expositor puts the question How did God cut them off Olevian And then gives the answer By taking from them his Word Sacraments and Sabbaths Lam. 2.6 The Lord hath caused the solemn feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion What in Zion The Lord loves the gates of Zion Psal 87.2 The Lord hath chosen Zion Psal 132.13 The Lord dwelleth in Zion Psal 76.2 yet God causes Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion Yes Zion and Sabbaths are parted with the losse of Sabbaths even Zion is punished And O England doest not thou fear such a day drawing near Art thou better then Zion 2. How great the losse of the Lords day will be we may mournfully foresee in four things viz. The Matter it will be of This was Preached at a time when no lesse lay in danger The Subject it will be to The Season it will be in and The Sequels that will be thereupon 1. The matter the losse will be of In the ceasing of Sabbaths a pawse is put unto the precious things of God as the Gospel with its glorions administrations Was it not a sad cause with the City Jerusalem when the sucklings swooned in the streets and the children cryed to their Mothers Where is Corn and Wine And will it not be for poor people pittifull to cry to their Ministers Where is the Word and Sacraments Where be those blessed refreshments we were wont to find That was a dolefull day Jer. 14.3 when little ones were sent to the waters but they returned with vessels empty because the pits were dry And will it not be a wofull day for men women and children to go for the water of the Word whither they were wont but to return with vessels empty for the pits are dry or full of mud and dirt What the present sinking of the springs and drying of the streams may mean I much fear to think Will not that losse be great wherein the Word of life is lost What sayes Luther is the World without the Word but a dark hell And what is a Land without the Gospel but a black Lanthorne without a candle The keeping of the Sabbath hath been the honour of our Nation and the Gospel the glory of our Land when the one is down the other will be gone and then may we write Ichabod upon all our doors I read of a Germane Minister when he saw hopes of the Gospels-passage he cryed out with joy Let it come let it come O but to let it go what bitter cryes will it cost 2. The Subject this losse will be to It will be the souls of men will suffer sorely herein Sabbath-losse is a soul-losse A soul in our Saviours account is of more worth then all the World Matth. 16.26 Even the worst soul sayes Austin is better then the best body As the Apostle sayes of man he was not made for the woman but the woman for the man And so sayes Chrysostome the soul was not made for the body but the body for the soul which is the better part If we lose health Wealth and all the things of the world that relate to the body 't is but a little losse But if we lose the Word Sacraments and Sabbaths it being a losse that relates to the soul it is exceeding great 3. The Season this losse is likely to be in makes it more lamentable We find it foretold Math. 24 that towards the latter end of the World there should be times of great tribulation Nation should rise against Nation c. Ill in such a time to be without Sabbat as It was wofull for those Virgins Matth. 25. when there was a cry at midnight Behold the Bridegroom comes and then their Lamps were out and their oil to seek And doleful will it be for those Nations when they shall be in their Nights of Trouble and hear nothing but cries Behold more misery comes and then to have their Lamps out their burning and shining lights gone Have not our hopes been high to see Sabbaths more firmly settled the Gospell more clearly preached Ordinances more purely administred and if after all all should be dashed down in the dirt and we left in the dark how dreadful would this be To lose Sabbaths at any time were sad but at such a time as this 4. The sequels of the losse make it most lamentable Fearfull effects will follow the losse of the Lords Day viz. the desolating the places of publike assemblies Levit. 26.31 Lam. 2.6 Psal 74.4 5 6. The Prophet thus sadly sighs it out to God Thine enemies roar in the midst of the congregation they set up their ensigns for signs A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees viz. to build places for Gods publike Worship But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers They cast fire into thy Sanctuary yea they say in their hearts Let us take the houses of God in possession let us destroy them together and burn up all the Synagogues of God in the Land Decet Sacerdotes cum Templis interire Titus with his Roman army when he ruined Jerusalem burnt the Temple he commanded the Priests of the Lord to be slain Time will come says our Saviour to his Disciples that they which kill
will fight for me Which when the Duke heard he disbanded his forces saying he would not contend with that man that engaged God in his quarrel Let who will resolve warre against us this dayes reforming would prevent the Lands ruining Indeed while Religion is languishing Nations are perishing while Sabbaths are sinking Cities are shaking O what a controversie hath God! O what a fire did God threaten within the walls of Jerusalem for the breach of his blessed day Jer. 17.27 Breakin gs of Sabbaths brings burning of Cities And the best way for the safe keeping of Cities is the well keeping of Sabbaths 2. The sanctification of the Sabbath is of singular use against evil ones As the Devil And Antichrist Much good against the Devil may this day be done To the delivering from him and To the conquering of him O the rare rescues of souls from the power of Satan upon the Sabbath day Luk. 13.16 We see a poor woman eighteen years bound by the Divel was upon the sabbath-Sabbath-day loosed from her bond Some under the sore bondage of Satan twenty thirty fourty years have been delivered upon the Lords day God hath made heavy chains to fall off and Iron gates to fly open which hath put the Jaylor the Divel in a rage to see upon the Sabbath souls pulled out of his prison and sinners set free from his fetters And O the successeful Battels that have been sought against Satan upon this day of the Sabbath We read Josh 10. That when five Kings came out in Battel against Israel there was a day the Sun stood still and the Moon stayed at the command of Joshua And sayes the text There was no day like that before it nor after it that the Lord so hearkened to the voyce of man for the Lord fought for Israel and they had that day a very great victory vers 13 14 c. Thus upon the Lords day combinations of Devils have been broken and beaten no day like this wherein God hearkens to the voyce of man Heaven and Earth stand still God fights and the Divel falls Luk. 10.18 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Yea and much good may be done this day against Antichrist and all his Adherents both by The preachings of Christs Gospel And the prayings of Gods people This dayes preaching of the Gospel brings on Babylons fall Rev. 14.6 An Angel flies in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach to men that dwell on the earth And what followes v. 7 8. Another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen The words are doubled to foretell a double fall of Babylon The one Spiritual The other Literal Babylons spiritual fall viz. in the hearts of Princes and people this is wrought by the Word Babylons literal fall viz. in its visible pomp and power this shall be done by the sword The former falling makes way for the latter The more purely the Word is preached and the more clearly the Gospel shines the more the Mysterious workings of that man of sin is made manifest and the more he loses in the minds of men 2 Thes 2.8 Then shall that wicked one be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and destroy with the brightnesse of his coming It notes the coming of Christ in the clearnesse of the Gospel to cast down Antichrist and call home the Jewes Amen Lord Jesus come quickly 2. Sabbath-dayes prayings of the people of God this brings Babylon down Luther was wont to call his and the Churches Teares and Prayers their great Guns and Cannons Upon the Lords Day the Lords people play with their Cannons aganst the walls of Babylon and make irrepairable batteries and breaches Joshua 6. Every day the army of Israel went round the city of Jericho but on the Seventh day they compassed the city seven times And at the seventh time the Priests blew the trumpets and the people shouted and then the walls fell and the City was taken Every day the Saints of God in their sighs and suits should besiege Babylon but on the Sabbath day beset it seven times Ministers preach and people pray Upon this day all the souldiers of Jesus Christ must march out of their quarters into the open fields to fight the battel of the Lord against Satan and Babylon Hell and Rome and when they be in prayer fervent then they are in the heat of battel then shout shout this would make walls fall O even upon this account let us keep up Sabbaths and therein cry mightily Jerem. 50.14 15. Put your selves in aray agâ—inst Babylon round about all that bend the bowe shoot at her spare for no arrowes shout against her round about her foundations are fallen her walls are thrown down Upon this day let all Gods people in all parts put themselves in aray against Rome Mysticall Babylon pour out teares put up prayers all Artillery-Christians bend the bowe shoot spare for no arrowes cry again and again With the hands of the Prayer of faith lay hold as Sampson upon the pillars of the great Philistine-house bowing himself with all his might then down it fell Judges 16.30 O let us every Lords day bow our selves with all our might 2. Samuel 17.13 Counsell was given to Absalom that if David were got into a City all Israel should bring ropes to that City and draw it into the River till not one small stone be found there Is not Antichrist got into a City Every Sabbath let all Gods Israel bring their ropes pull hard by holy prayer draw all into the River till not a stone be left upon a stone No marvell Antichrist and the divell seeks to throw down Sabbaths for Sabbaths will throw down the divel and Antichrist Again great is the profit of this precious Sabbath For good things towards men and For men towards good things First this brings on things that much concerns mens good In Church And in State Let Sabbaths be well observed and we shall see Good Governours to be obeyed and Good obedience to Governours To keep holy the Sabbath is a sure way to settle a succession of Governours that are good Jerem. 17.24 25 26. If ye diligently hearken to me saith the Lord and hollow the Sabbath-day Then shall there enter into the gates of this City KINGS and PRINCES sitting upon the throne of David riding in Chariots and on horses they and their Princes the men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and this City shall remain for ever This speaks good things to the State And they shall come from the Cities of Judah and the places about Jerusalem and from the Lana of Benjamin c. bringing burnt-offerings and Sacrifices of praise unto the house of the Lord. This speaks good to the Church and all upon this account The well keping the Sabbath If then in Church and State we would have things go well and do desire a series of such settled as may govern for God let us see to the Sanctification of
darknesse might be over all the Land for some few years Those strange astonishing turnings which we have seen in our times whether they tend to the overturning of the holy times and things of God God knows Should we have our deserts and some their desires there would soone be seen a sad sinking of Sabbaths Should some succeed in their designs yet the Day of God might say as the Church of God Mieh 7.8 Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise c. Yea and 't is hopeful it would not be long after its falling before it is rising We are in the last times wherein God as he hath great works to do so great works he may permit men to do yet in all he will have quick dispatches Should the Gospel-Sabbath and the Gospell with the Sabbath be beaten down in England yet mangre the might and malice of all their enemies we have some grounds to hope it would not be long before the Lord lifts them up again The time for the conversion of the Ancient Jews and the subversion of the Antichristian Rome now draws nigh for the batteries of whose external part God will make use of Externall Powers And it appears by consulting Revel 17. that these Nations of Europe who have taken part with the beast and born her up shall beat her down The most Orthodox that I meet make England one of those ten hornes which shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire Now sure it will be England beset with Sabbaths that shall send out and be assistant in this Service When Joshuas shall be forth abroad with their armies in the valleys many Moses's shall be at home in the mount especially on the Lords Day preaching and praying with hands lifted up unto the most High God then shall be the ruine of this Romish Amalek this day drawes near I think indeed it is impossible punctually to determine the time of Romes finall fall except we could be exact in the time of Antichrists first originalls but certain that time does apace approach Therefore should any party acted by the Spirit of Antichrist for a time interrupt the Lords Day and oppresse the precious priviledges thereof yet they shall not long prevail they shall prove but as Athanasius said of Julians power A cloud that will presently passe Indeed should Sabbaths fail and fall in respect of sinfull men as I have said before there would be grounds of great fear that it might be a long time before God returns them but in respect of good men there is and will be good grounds of hope God will shorten that sad time For the Elects sake those daies shall be shortened Matth. 24.22 Our Saviour there speaks of such a sad time as even upon Sabbath-days there might be such dangers that men instead of resting and serving God they should then be running to preserve themselves verse 20. Ai but such a time should not be long For the Elects sake God would cut it short Indeed as the least time of the Lord of the Sabbaths absence So the least time of the Sabbath of the Lords hinderance to gracious hearts will be grievous long Bernard upon that saying of our Saviour John 16. Yet a little while and ye shall see me and a little while and ye shall not see me A little while Lord says he A little while Thou canst not be gone the least while but it will be a long time So the Sabbath cannot cease the smallest season but the time to Gods Saints will seeme exceeding long and therefore that time which in it self and to others would indeed be long God for their sake makes it short 2. There is a possibility notwithstanding the projects of men and perils we are in to preserve with us the present liberties of the Lords Day But then let us observe Some things towards the Sabbath of the Lord And some things towards the Lord of the Sabbath Towards the Sabbath of the Lord let us labour To advance Sabbath-esteemes and To revive Sabbath-decays The Sabbath we ought all to consider in respect Of its worth And its work In its worth let us rise to higher opinions and In its work let us strive to quicker affections 1. Let our opinions rise higher in the worth of the day Indeed with the best Gods holy times are of too low esteemes but with the most Gods glorious Day is covered with great contempt buried in the minds of men under the Tombestone of deep forgetfulnesse or under heapes of base and unbeseeming thoughts Lamentations 4.2 The precious stones of Zion comparable to fine gold how sayes the Prophet are they esteemed as earthen Pitchers the work of the hands of the Potter So may I say the precious Sabbaths of God better then the finest gold how are they esteemed as ordinary week-dayes fit onely for the common work of mens labouring hands But let us estimate this above all other times and things Let God and his holy Sabbath have the highest roome in our hearts and the chief place in the prime of our thoughts The Jewes were wont to call the whole week by the name of the Sabbath and to say Chrysost in 1. Cor. 16. Hom. 43. Hieron ad Hedibi Quaest 4. Theophyl in Luc. 18. Lyra. in eundem Beza in 1. C. 16. 1. Tremel in Syriac Paraphras Matth. 28.1 c. the first second third c. Day of or after the Sabbath and so the Greek in some texts of the New Testament reads it as Luk. 18.12 Mark 16.2 c. This they did as learned Writers observe 1. For to discriminate themselves in calling the dayes of the week otherwise then the Gentils who called them by the names of their Idols 2. For to demonstrate the dignity of the Sabbath-day and that above all the dayes of the week it was with them of the greatest account they had that reverend esteem thereof as to denominate the whole week thereby And ought not Christians much rather to hold up an high and honourable esteem of the Gospell-Sabbath as a more glorious day 2. Let our affections become quicker in the work of the day O how of late hath the Lords day layen a dying through the dulnesse yea deadnesse of Christians in the duties thereof The way to revive the Sabbaths of God is to revive the service of God and the way to revive the service of God is to revive Gods Saints in the service And if that we would have such Sabbath-revivings Therein Let our visions of God be clearer And our approaches to God be closer 1. The clearer upon the Sabbath we can see God the better will our revivings be It is said Gen. 45. that when Jacob saw the waggons that Joseph his Son had sent his spirit within him revived Did his spirit revive when he saw the waggons his Son had sent O what were his revivings of spirit when he saw
his son who sent the waggons The Ordinances upon the Lords day they are the waggons that for us God hath sent it is some reviving to see them O but to see God whence these waggons are and whose the Ordinances be how reviving is that O sayes David to God that I may see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Psal 63.2 2. The closer upon the Sabbath we can draw to God the better will our revivings be We read 2 King 13.21 of a dead man that being let down into the Sepulchre of Elisha as soon as he touched the bones of the dead Prophet he presently revived Thus Christians whose hearts are dead yet coming close to God in the Sabbath have sudden soul-revivings and most comfortable quicknings And this is the way to recover the life of the Lords day and so to settle the liberties thereof which at least to some seem to be shaking Towards the Lord yet further that his day may endure let us Keep in the presence of the Lord Keep up prayer to the Lord. 1. The presence of the Lord kept in with us will hold holy Sabbaths amongst us Indeed let the Lord depart and then the dayes of grace and means of grace will immediately remove When Christ goes he calls Come with me my Sabbaths Ordinances and all my holy Institutions Time was Christ walked in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.13 That is those seven once famous Churches of Asia had the presence of Chirst with them and the Ordinances of Christ among them the Lords day was a known day But now the Sabbath of the Gospel and the Gospel with the Sabbath is gone because Christ there was not kept O sayes Martha Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died If thou hadst been present my brother had not departed So may those Asian people now say to Christ Lord if thou hadst aboad with us thy holy Times and Things had never been stirred Matth. 28.20 Christ there hath promised his presence even in the use of Ordinances unto the end of the world The way to retain Christs presence Is to believe his promise No hands like faith to lay hold upon Christ Faith sayes Luther is like the beloved Disciple it leans in Christs bosom it will not leave him nor let him go Faith it produces A vigorous love and A vertuous life Unto a people both will bind Christ 2. Prayer to the Lord kept up by us will hold holy Sabbaths amongst us In the land were the Spirit of prayer up Sabbaths would never go down Indeed it will be a hard matter to make Sabbaths stand if still praying hands fall O pray pray pray And in prayer plead with God To send out more Sabbath-labourers and To blesse Labourers more in the Sabbath 1. Pray that more may be sent out who will be faithful in the labours of the Sabbath Matth. 9.37 38. The harvest is plenteous but the labourers are few pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth lavourers into his harvest Many places in this Land are as fields of ripe Corn and alas how do the Divels those fouls of the air Math. 13.4 and wicked men those swine of the earth Matth. 7.6 wholly waste and spoil all for want of Sabbath-labouring men to gather into Gods Barn In divers places upon the Lords day O what dark doings people being as a black Lanthorne without any Candle And shall not we pray that God would set up lights and send out labourers that his day may be duly observed and that we may pre his day 2. Pray that those who are sent out may be fruitful in their Sabbath-labour that they may see the travels of their souls and be satisfied That Gods good work may prosper in their hands and their peoples hearts That every Sabbath they spend and every Sermon they preach may prove as the bowe of Jonathan which from the Battel never returned empty There is a precious promise fit in prayer to be pressed Esay 54.10 11. As the rain comes down and the showers from heaven and returns not thither but watereth the earth making it bud and bring forth seed to the sower and bread to the eater So sayes God shall my Word be that goes out of my mouth it shall not return to me void O pray we that neither the Red or the Black horse be harnessed out to the Battel But that Christ on the white horse may conquer Rev. 6. Many souls in the Sabbath by the Gospel may be gained over to God This would perpetuate Sabbaths and make the Lords day lasting Last of all unto Gods Saints a Sabbath in some sense is sure never to cease Gods people Shall either have the Sabbath of the Lord Or to them the Lord will be a Sabbath Ezek. 11.16 Thus saith the Lord I will be to them as a little Sanctuary in the Countries where they shall come Gods people in Babylon when they could not go to worship God in the great and beautifull Temple at Jerusalem yet then God was as a little Temple to them And this little Temple was better then the great Thus the Saints of God when they cannot have the Sabbath that is present God will be to them a Sabbath more precious God is the best Sabbath 1 Sam. 1.8 Elkanah sayes to Hannah his Wife Am not I better to thee then ten sons One God better then ten Sabbaths and twenty Sermons to the souls of his Saints No Sabbath of God is like God a Sabbath no Sabbath-rest like to the rest that is in this Sabbath no comfort in a Sabbath like this Sabbath of comfort Yea let Gods sincere Saints live or die they have a Sabbath will last an everlasting Sabbath If they live their Sabbath will be ever with them and If they die they shall be ever with their Sabbath Ambros in Psal 119. August de cavit Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. Some of the Ancients were wont to call that eternal life God gives in heaven The great Sabbath And That long Sabbath-day that hath no night O but then God himself who in heaven gives life eternal what a Sabbath is he O the height and depth breadth and length of this Sabbath Christus est magnum sempiter-numque Sabbatum cujus parvum illud Judaicum exemplar in illo siquidem Sabbato requiescimus cum in illo solo spem ponimus cum hunc toto cordis amore diligimus c. Epiphan lib. 1. Haeres 30 Greg. Nyss de Resurre Orat. 1. Yea I find of the Ancients who affirme that to Gods dear Saints in the dayes of the Gospel there is a double enduring Sabbath viz. Christ And a good conscience Christ is the great and eternal Sabbath which in the Gospel God hath set up and in this Sabbath we rest when we repose our hearts and hopes upon him This is an unchangeable Sabbath Christ the same yesterday to
hearts cold and affectiont flat as 't is a dishonour to the Lord of the Sabbath so 't is a dishonour to the Sabbath of the Lord. Christians should be like Angels who are called Seraphims for their fiery zeal in the service of God And so to be zealous in Sabbath-Duty will raise the Dignity of the Sabbath This will admirably evidence As Gods Interest in the Day So the excellency of this Day of God The more we have herein of Heat and fervour life and vigour the better we demonstrate the Day is Gods As the true Mother in the Kings cry'd The living son is mine so sayes God The living Sabbath is mine As when Christ was raised from the Dead then he was declared to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 So let the Sabbath rise from the dead to its due life and lustre and then 't will appear to be the Day of God Yea the more Vigorous and Spiritual we be in the Day the more glorious and excellent will the day be O what advantage is to the bodies of men when after death they are rais'd again Read 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. It is sowen in corruption it is raised in incorruption it is sowen in dishonour it is raised in honour it is sowen in weaknesse it is raised in power it is sowen a natural body it is raised a spiritual body Thus will it be with the Lords Day when it shall be raised from the dead as it will be more spiritual in its Nature so it will be more transplendent in its Lustre greater in power higher in honour all redounding to the dignity of it This will bring the Sabbath as the Sun to break forth from under those black clouds with which it is now darkened 3. The Lords acceptance will be certain if we spiritually sanctifie the Sabbath This with the Lord will be acceptable because it is suitable As to the precepts which God gives So to God which gives the precepts 1. The precept or command given of God requires a spiritual care in Sabbath-keeping Remember the Sabbath-day to keep iâ— holy This implies a remembrance of the Sabbath day to keep it spiritually let the spirituality of the day be raised and the sanctitie of the day will not sink but be better seen This will hold out the dayes-hidden holinesse and meet Gods command that calls to keep it holy And such Sabbath-keeoing is to God well-pleasing Esay 56.4 It being that which complies with Gods prescribed Will Esay 58.13 2. God himself from whom such precepts proceed is hereby resembled God is a Spirit and a spiritual being so that spiritual-spent Sabbaths and spiritual-performed duties do best suite a Spiritual God and so are accepted A good God being spiritual spiritual good is most acceptable to God 1 Pet. 2.5 To offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God Acceptable because spiritual With such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 That best likes God Which is most like to God To be spiritual on the Sabbath the Lord likes it and loves it it is so pleasing to God that he does highly prize it and praise it As it is a thing for the praise of God So it is a thing with God of praise To be in the spirit of the Sabbath and to be on the Sabbath in the spirit As it will make for Gods praise from us So it will prove our praise with God The Apostle declaring who are now to be accounted Jewes and what is circumcision under the Gospel sayes Rom. 2.28 29. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision that is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God So may we say He is not a Sabbath-keeper that keeps it onely outwardly but he is a keeper of the Sabbath that keeps it inwardly and that is observation of the Lords day that is in the heart and in the spirit whose praise though it may be not of men it will be of God God at the great day will give him praise in the presence of men and Angels Yea present praise will God by his Spicit speak to such as spiritually spend his holy day And O how sweet will it be for God in a Sabbath to say to our souls Well done well prayed well preached well heard to day my dear servants Now that which the Lord thus praiseth we may be sure much pleaseth the Lord. Yea to sanctifie the Sabbath in a spiritual way the Lord is so pleased with it that he takes pleasure in it then the Lords day is the Lords delight The Sabbath so kept on earth causes joy in heaven It is meet sayes the Father in the fifteenth of Luke to his friends about him It is meet we should rejoyce for this my son was dead and is alive was lost and is found So sayes God Blessed for ever to all in blisse about him T is meet we should rejoyce for this my Sabbath was dead and is alive the glory of it was lost and gone but is now returned again 4. The Lands general concernments will through the Sabbaths spiritual observance be much promoted Both in the Ecclesiastick And in the Civil State Let the spirit of the Lords day be well up in the Land Then will Gods Ordinances remaine that are present And God will remaine present with his Ordinances 1. Gods Ordinances with us will abide What makes God remove precious means from among a people but their dulnesse in his Sabbaths and service their falling from their fervent affections their leaving their first love and life as we see in the case of that languishing Church Revel 2.4 5. I have somewhat sayes Christ against thee thou hast left thy first love Remember from whence thou art fallen and do thy first works or I will come and remove the Candlestick out of his place Let Christians be carried out with a spirit of love and life in the Sabbaths and service of the Lord and though the Lord may lay some sad afflictions upon them yet he will continue the means of Grace among them And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner but thine eyes shall see thy teaches And thine ears shal hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk in it Esay 30.20 2. God himself will also abide with his Ordinances Let the Sabbath be so spiritually sanctified Then as God will be with the Ordinances his people use So God will be with his people in use of Ordinances Then may Ordinances say to Gods Saints and Saints may say to Ordinances Emmanuel God with us God with us in service and suffering makes all sweet That is a precious promise Esay 43.1 When thou art in the water I will be with thee and when thou art in the
and went to the place of which the Lord had told him Gen. 22.5 6. And shall not we on the Sabbath morning be early up our selves and our famlies to go to the place the Lord hath appointed and to offer our bodies and souls in service to God The Israelites who lay in siege against Jericho upon the seventh day they being to compasse the City seven times the text sayes And it came to passe on the seventh day that they rose up early about the dawning of the day and they compassed the City after the same manner seven times Joshua 6.15 Upon the Sabbath day we are to compasse the City of God seven times to encompasse heaven with multiplied prayers and thetefore we stould be early up To helps hereunto let us take to wit A timely going to rest the night before and An entire love to the work of the day that followes 'T is too common a fault even with some professing Christians they clog the night before the Sabbath with a multitude of worldly businesses which brings them to sit up late A Sabbath let And a certain fault Hence in the morning when they should be up with God they lie sleep-bound in their bed And alas we have too little love to the Lords-day-work and so but little list to be at the work of the day Were there love to it we should long to be at it Our minds would be upon it in the night and we should catch the first hour of the day With my soul have I desired thee in the night and with my spirit within me will I seek thee early sayes the Prophet to God Esay 26.9 Hearts open largely The door of the heart upon the entrance of the Sabbath must be set wide shut to the world but open to God Ezek. 46.1 Thus saith the Lord God The gate of the inner Court that looketh toward the East though shut all the six working dayes yet shall be opened as soon as the Sabbath comes Thus the gate of the heart that is the inward Court however kept shut all the week yet as soon as the Lords day is come it ought to be opened to wit In delights at the day of the Lord and In desires to the Lord of the day Delights at the day should enlarge the heart joy to see a Sabbath appear A learned Author reports that near the Pole where the nights endure divers Moneths the inhabitants in the end of such a night when the Sun begins to be seen they deck themselves in their best apparel and get up to the highest mountains with joy saying Behold the Sun the Sun appeareth The day the day is come Were we for several moneths kept without a Sabbath how would our spirits spring at such a dayes appearance Why should the commonnesse of the Suns shining and the Sabbaths comming diminish the mercie How should we every Lords-day-morning have our minds mounting and say Behold the Sabbath of the Lord It is come it is come Desires to the Lord our hearts should be enlarged in The day being begun we should begin to pour out our hearts and breath out our requests to God in prayer that he would prosper us with his presence O how well will it be if God shall say Go and prosper pray and prosper preach and prosper hear this day and prosper Fear not for I am with thee I will help thee I will uphold thee I will strehgthen thee Thus in the morning we shall have encouraging mercies if we take care to perform our morning duties Moses Exod. 34.4 rose up early in the morning and presented himself before God in the top of mount Sinai with two tables of stone ready hewed in his hand for the finger of God to write what he would Thus a Christian on the Lords-day-morning should present himself before God upon the mount of meditation and prayer with a heart ready for what God will that day write thereupon waxy and willing to take whatever impression God please to stamp therein Not any of us are then to be content to have a heart stiffe and straight hard and dead The true Mother 1 King 3. was filled with trouble when in the morning she found a dead child by her 'T is the trouble of a true Christian when on a Sabbath day-morning he finds a dead heart in him a heart that 's hard cold and closed up His labour is to begin with a heart lowly and lively to feel those quickenings and kindlings of heart as may encourage to the day in all the duties thereof 2. For the progresse and principal part of the Lords day our duties are considerable In their varieties for matter And in our properties for manner For matter the varieties of duties on the Lords day required have been already declared For manner in performing the Lords day-duties we in our properties must be Knowing Willing Unite Fervent Cheerfull Watchfull Knowing Knowledge it must be the Guide Usher Pilote and promptor of practice In mysteries of faith we may as a blind man sometimes not see our way But in matters to obedience we must not go blind-fold but the eye of understanding must see how we ought to go and what we ought to do So in Sabbath-work we must know how to manage the matter of God and actions of Godlinesse We must know how to order and time our duties that each act may go out in its place Ignorant people in the publick Congregation will be reading when they should be praying and praying when they should be hearing c. Every work sayes Solomon is beautiful in its season We must know how to season and proportion our duties not greaten one to straiten another Like one that Artificially drawes out the picture of a man as he sets every part in its place so he gives every part its due proportion which is the beauty of the body So it is the beauty of the whole body of Sabbath-day-duty when every member hath its measure every act is in order and the whole businesse of Religion hath its due proportion We must also know whereat to aime and how to eye God whence to fetch strength and how to go straight wherein lies our wants and where our supplies c. Willing Psal 100.3 Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power or a people of willingnesses in the plural To shew how exceeding willing-hearted the Lords people should be in the day of the Lords power The day wherein the Lord powerfully converts men and that day wherein men by a spirit of power are converted to the Lord a day of Grace a gospel-Gospel-day Indeed the day of the Sabbath is a day of the Lords power wherein all the Lords people should be most willing in the work of the Lord. In what we can do we are willing and What we cannot do we are willing to On the Lords day we would do more good and more for God if we could 'T is a complaint that
and ravished enlivened and enlarged upon the Lords day we had need look to it on the following day and keep our selves lowly lest that mind which hath been one day heavenly be the next day haughty Pride is a worme apt to breed within the best wood Beware beware 3. Let us be faithful to keep up the good we have got we are apt to catch cold after the greatest heats And after some close attendance in Gods service to grow more loose and remisse in duty Let us look to our selves we do not lose the things we have wrought we do not break the bounds we have set or slack the holy bonds wherewith we have been begirt To be unloosened on the Sabbath from week-day bonds is comfortable but in the week-time to unloose the Lords-day bonds is abominable 4. Let us be fruitful to bring forth more good for God both in our general and particular callings That our week day carriage may be the springing up of Sabbath-day seed yea our whole lives must be a walking in Sabbath-day strength Tertul. C. Jud. 4. Origen in Numb Hom. 23. cont Cels lib. 8. Pag. 522. c. Chrysoâ—t in Matth. tract 29. Aug. de civit Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. Idem Epist 119. cap. 12. Et de cons Evang. lib. 2. cap. 77. And thus ought we to keep a holy Sabbath throughout the whole course of our dayes Divers of the Ancients dwell much upon this perswading Christians so to practise piety and pursue sanctity as to perpetuate a Sabbath As upon the Lords day we should be full of spirits so after the Lords day we should be spiritual still As on that day we should live in the Spirit so afterward we should walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 This I say then Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh If all the week we be carnal how can it appear we are spiritual on the Sabbath A good Author speaks well in this case Have we well served the Lord upon his day Bucer in Matth. 12.11 let our manners shew it let our works prove it let the holinesse of our lives decleare it Who will believe that he hath been present in publick Assemblies and with a sincere heart hath heard Gods holy Word who passes the following part of his life more loosely vainly carnally coveteously c 'T is this will evidence that on the Sabbath we have been with Jesus when afterward our faces and graces shine our lips and lives hold out the praises of Christ and the power of his Gospel When the Lords day comes we should be as lively firy and full as if we were then to begin and end Gods work We should be found in such a frâ—me every Lords day as if that were the first Sabbath that ever we spent and as if it were the last day that we should live on this earth or as if the weight of all our work lay upon that single Sabbath for which we were sent into the World or as if our eternal being were to be determined hereby And yet after the day is over we must endeavour still to be doing as if no work were done For as we must be all abundant and fervent on the Sabbath day in the service of God as if after were no holy duties So we must be as full and forward to all following duties as if there had been no Sabbath before Before the Sabbath day and after we must do all the good we can even as if there were no Christ to be relyed upon and yet our relyance both in life and death must be on our dear Lorld as if there never had been the least good done We must be precise for the Sabbath-day and duty And yet yet Duty shall not be our Redeemer Nor the Sabbath our Saviour Whether Sabbath-day or week-day we will do as much good as ever we are able but begin and end all in Christ The end with us shall be the glory of the Lord And with the Lord in glory shall be our end Amen Amen FINIS AN Alphabetical Table directing to some Principal things in this Treatise A ADam in Innocency to keep the Sabbath pag. 7 175 Advocate how Christ is and for whom p. 402 Angels they have a twofold knowledge p. 216 Angels all Ministring spirits pag. 227 Angels helpers in all holy Duties p. 228 Angels delight in Sabbath-service p. 217. Atheists of two sorts p. 32 Antichrists ruine how wrought p. 198 Augustine's answer to a Manichees p. 328 Assent to Divine truths what p. 121 B BAbylons fall two-fold p. 203 Baptisme of Infants why many against it p. 401 Baptisme of Infants its great use pag. 340 Book of Psalmes how excellâ—nt p. 129 Blood of Christ what it purchased p. 92 Blessing of God how desireable p. 197 Breaches abundance how they come p. 339 C CHange of the Sabbath upon a double cause p. 34 Christian liberty wherein it consists p. 36 37 Charitable Duties how fit for the Sabbath p. 66 132 Church-Discipline exercised on the Lords Day p. 131 Censures in the Church how to be inflicted p. 407 Chearfulnesse in Gods service required p. 462 Collections for the poor how to be managed p. 340 Conscience good what it is p. 253 Conscience troubled how sad p. 222 Contentions of Brethren how bad p. 328 Communion with Christ how sweet pag. 102 Christ spiritual in all his Estates p. 390 Covetousnesse the root of evil p. 50 D DAyes all how they are the Lords p. 4. Difference of Dayes how under the Gospel p. 38 Doctrine of the Lords Day strongly to be held p. 122 Day of Judgment drawes near p. 116 Delights in the Lords Day required pa. 456 Desires after God discovered p. 350 Discipline requisite in the Church p. 429 Divel a bitter enemy to tht Sabbath pag. 410 Divel large in knowledge p. 321 Divels called spiritual wickednesses why p. 412 Divisions the evil of them p. 431 Divisions how closed p 432 E ENgland one of the ten horns p. 241 England old how made new p. 433 Enmities in man against God p. 319 Errours against the Sabbath how sad p 83 F FAther 's of three sorts p. 208 Faith beyond feeling p. 335 Faith hath its Dimensions p 289 Faith its various Vse p. 387 Faith in the state and in the Acts differenced p 235 Faith the best beloâ—ed Grace p. 248 Fervency in prayer how fit p. 398 Forgetfulnesse of God how sinfull pag. 87 Fourth Commandment most excellent pa. 9 G GOd what he best liketh p 424 Gospel whereunto it guideth p. 122 Gospel vailed in the Law p. 177 Gospel it excels the Law p. 190 Government of Christ how ordered p. 394 Grace in its actings most excellent p. 416 Ground why to be till'd by Adam p. 7 H HAnds given for a threefold work p. 75 Hearts of Gods Saints like Vials p 302 Heart is the best part in a Saint p. 305 Heart of a wicked man as a bow p. 321
Spirit on the Lords Day p. 293 4. The properties of Gods Spirit towards good men p. 294 5. The properties of good mens spirits towards the Lord. p. 300 6. Unsanctified men cannot be on the Lords Day in the Spirit why p. 309 7. A false spirit moves mightily in them how that is discovered p. 325 8. How far some such men may be moved by the Spirit of God p. 343 9. Objections by and about some in this regard answered p. 357 10. Some of Gods Saints on the Lords Day are not in the Spirit why p. 354 11. Spiritually to spend the Lords Day what it contains p. 380 12. Motives that incite spiritually to spend the Lords Day of two sorts p. 389 13. Duties requisite to a spiritual spending the Lords Day of three sorts p. 433 14. Preparation for the Lords Day wherefore and wherein it is p. 437 15. How the Lords Day is to be begun carried on and ended p. 452 16. What is required after the Lords Day is over p. 468. A short Epistle to the Reader touching the Errata's Courteous Reader THough thou art no fault-finder yet thou mayest find many faults in a few sheets both through the Defects of the Authour and through the Mistakes of the Printer These latter are either lesser or greater Very many words false-spelled * As centre for center survile for servile and such like and mis-printed yet the sense of the place preserved These and such errours being lesse I let passe But many words are printed so much amisse as destroy the very sense of the place And among such errours more grosse Note these In the main Text. Page 33. line 12. for sports read spots p. 34 l. 24. for use r. cause p. 37. l. 25. for breach r. branch p. 54. l. 3. for meal r. wheale p. 96. li. 15. for renounced r. removed p. 107. l 4. for note r. find p. 108. l. 4 for frogs r. fogs p. 121 l 21. for conjunction r. conviction p. 135. l. 14. for Yea r. So. p. 142. l. 27. for in dayes past r. in dayes future p 145. l 6. for but r. yea pa. 153. â— 3. for cause r. case pa. 217. line 10. for Goats r. Groats p. 250. l. 2. for pre r. preserve p. 2â—2 line 12. for whole man r. whole of man p. 353. l. 16. for fixed r. fired p. 372 l. 18. for fixed r. fired p 389 l. 16. for spirituality read spiritual pag. 412. l. 23. for provoke r. promote p. 419. l. 16. for condile r. condole c. Errata in the Mergent Pag. 41. pro sâ—dendum lege ludendum pag. 24. pro ancle leg ante pa. 253. pro sancto leg sancta ibid. pro quiscâ—ns leg quiescens ibâ—d pro Exem leg Erem pag. 322. pro pessima lege pessimi pag. 328. pro August leg August These Good Reader and some other such Bruises the Body of this Book in the Birth hath suffered which yet thou mayest much heal by applying thereunto thy charitable Interpretations which he humbly entreats who heartily desires Gods honour herein and thy Benefit hereby Philip Goodwin THE LORDS DAY Enlivened Revel 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day SAint John among the Apostles is compared to the Eagle among the birds and truly let him be observed but onely as the Text present reports therein he is found to fly exceeding high soaring upward with heavenly wings yea he did as it were pass out of the world into the Spirit to converse with God in sublime mysteries upon the day of the Lord. I was in the Spirit upon the Lords Day Indeed if we reflect upon the foregoing verse we may view him in a very low place and case I John who also am your Brother written to some afflicted Churches of Christ and companion in tribulation c. Other Histories also tell into what troublesome times he was turned how Souldiers having apprehended him in Asia Non multum ante temporis Apocalypsin vidit Joannes Sed pene nostro seculo ad finem Domitiani Imperii Irenaeus li. 5. cont Valent and hurried him to Rome where being brought before Domitian under whom was the second if not the saddest of the ten persecutions this cruell Emperour caused him for the cause of Christ to be cast into a Cauldron of boyling oyl out of which by a strange providence being escaped he was after carried to prison in the Isle Patmos which as Geographers write was a barren beggarly place a little desert Island lying in the Aegean Sea where sure this good man met with misery so much as might have sunk his Soul But though he was world-ward in a woe case all the week yet he was in a high rapture and Heavenly posture when the Lords day came I was in the Spirit upon the Lords Day In the words of the Apostle are observable Somewhat implyed And Somewhat expressed Or his Concession And his Assertion That which he silently grants and secretly yet certainly implyes is That there was then a Lords Day in use and which he himself in his sufferings observed That which he positively expresses and plainly affirms is That upon this Day of the Lord he was in the Spirit I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day As there were two brazen Pillars whereupon the burden of Solomons Porch was placed 1. Kin. 7. So the burthen of following discourse shall all be brought and layd through the Lords help upon two Principall Points 1. Point That even in the times of the Gospel there hath been and is continued a day which is the Lord Christs by a peculiar claim THE LORDS DAY 2. Point that some of the Servants of the Lord have been and others may be in the Spirit on this day of the Lord. The Apostle is plain from his own experience I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day Upon these two bottomes I shall endeavour to raise the Religious observance of the Christian Sabbath and to lift up the Lords Day unto its highest and holiest use And now enter the first That the Lord Christ our dear Saviour hath a day that is peculiarly His THE LORDS DAY All daies indeed are the Lords The Lord Christ in all daies hath an undoubted interest yea and a double power for their dispose Natural and Oeconomicall An originall power and property pertaines to him as he is God coessentiall and coeternall with his Faher A derivative property and power as he is Christ the Mediator For as God the Father hath put all things so all times into his Son Christs hands We find Genesis 1. the whole space of time divided into Dayes and Nights Now there is not a night or day but is the Lords Psalme 74.16 The day is thine the night also is thine Yet there is a day which is THE LORDS by an excellency and in a super-eminent and immediate manner As we see Psalme 50. the Lord sayes that all creatures are his Every beast of the Forrest is mine the
difficulltie But the redemption of souls was difficult and painfull To effect the former God did but speak the word VVhereas to fulfill the latter the Lord Christ did shed his dearest blood 3. Most profitable unto us men is this mighty work of Christ Indeed to have earth to tread on air to breath in meat to feed of light to walk by are benefits but the subduing the strength of the Divell the removing the sting of sin with all the astonishing and sad sequels thereof The reconciliatian of Gods anger and The reparation of mans nature These and the like are benefits more abundantly benenficiall 'T is a mor admirable and andvantagious work for Christ to pull brands out of the fire then for God to bring a world out of the water After such works then may not Christ well require a day of religious rest A Sabbath to be sanctified for his service one day in seven Secondly The same honour is due to the Son that was done to God the Father John 5.23 All men should honour the Son of God even as they honour the Father In the times of the Old Testament all men did honour the Father with a day of holy worship and was a special part of his honour therefore all men must honour Christ the Son in the times of the New Testament with a set day for his solemne service To Christ for his Honour is ascribed The service of the day and therefore The day for the service is his due We find Christ honoured by attributing to him the Word Coloss 3.16 The Sacraments of Baptisme Act. 8.16 of the Supper 1. Cor. 11.24 So prayer John 16.23 Yea the whole Gospel-Ministery 1. Cor. 4.1 Sure then he ought for his honours-sake to have a Sabbath-day for the exercise of all these And are there not as great endeavours in these last dayes to lay the honour of Christ in the dust as ever before was to trample down the glory of God the Father Yea and far greater For Christ and the things of Christ As they are much above nature created So they are most against nature corrupted Yea and the corruption of nature was never so active and opposite against the dignities of Christ as in these last daies 1 John 2.18 Little Children it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrists shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that t' is the last time or the last hour as in the Greek And the divell knowing his time is short as he is the more malicious Quanto potestas Diaboli decrescit in tempore tanto crescit in malignitate so he is the more expeditious and industrious to dash down all the dignities of Christ and to hinder him the honour of his day which for his honour is his due Thirdly that the first day in the week is the day due to Christ THE LORDS DAY And this is fitly called the Lords day for a double cause Because of what was done by the Lord on this day and Because of what upon this day was done unto the Lord First Such things the Lord did upon this day as might well denominate it The Lords Day as 1. His resurrection from the dead upon this day Luk. 24.1 2. John 20.1 Very early in the morning did this Sun rise upon the first day in the week And well might he settle this day most observable for by his this day rising he made himself Most honourable Most profitable Most comfortable First Hereby honourable manifesting his marvellous Power when after three daies dead the Sepulchre sealed the stone rolled a strong watch placed yet he broke through all bars beat down all opposition as a Triumphing Conquerour over death and devills Lazarus John 11. When he rose came up with his grave-clothes bound but Christ cast off his grave-clothes leaving them in the Sepulchre Joh. 20. signifying he had victory over death wereas Lazarus was subject to die again Plus erat de sepulchro surgere quam de cruce descendere plus mortem resurgendo destruere quam vitam descendendo servare Greg◠The Jewes cryed Let him come down from the Crosse and we will believe T' was more sayes one for Christ to ascend from his sepulchre then to descend from the Crosse more to vanquish death by rising then to save his life by escaping O the honour of this 2. Hereby profitable The death of Christ was at the sowing of the Corn Joh. 12.24 The raising of Christ is as the springing up of the Corn. The benefits of Christs death are reaped in his resurrection the death of Christ was as the casting of Joseph into the pit selling him into Egypt and putting him into Prison the raising of Christ is like the preferring of Joseph by which he comes into a capacity to enrich all his Relations 3. Hereby comfortable O the joy of a raised Christ The Christians in the Primitive Church were wont when they saw one another to have this joyful salute The Lord is risen and the others ordinary answer was True 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plus gaudere propter resurrectionem gloriosam quam dolere propter passionem ignominiosam Bern. The Lord is risen indeed We should not so much mourn saith a good Author at Christs ignominious Passion as we should rejoyce at his glorious resurrection The day therefore of Christs rising may well set up this Christian Sabbath 2. Christs appearing to his Disciples was upon this day he shewed himself five times upon the very day he rose first to Mary Magdalen in the morning Mark 16.9 Secondly to the women Matth. 28.9 10. Thirdly to the two Disciples Luk. 24.18 Fourthly to Peter Luk. 24.33 Fifthly to the Eleven Mark 16.14 Excepting Thomas Joh. 20.24 When the Disciples were assembled Christ came in and he stood in the midst among them as the tree of life in the midst of Paradise and unto them we may observe He spake peace and He gave power He said unto them Peace be unto you Peace From outward foes and From inward fears And when fears were out joyes were in Joh. 20.20 Then the Disciples rejoyced when they saw the Lord never did their spirits so spring within them Never before did such a day of comfort dawn And upon this day he gave them a threefold power To Preach the Gospel To administer the Sacraments and To exercise Church-Discipline As is evident Matth. 28.16 17 18 19 20. Mark 16.15 16 17. Joh. 20.21 22 23 c. Hereby He did both sanctifie the day for such Ordinances And he did signifie such Ordinances were for the day And again the very next first day of the week after he arose from the dead he appeared to his Disciples Thomas being with them Then he did for his sake more familiarly and fully unfold himself then before This made one say He was more beholding to Thomas doubting then to Peter believing for upon the occasion of that Disciples doubts our dear
The former and The latter Some men they take the one but then leave the other and will not let the Lord have his time entire They say of the Lords day as she in the Kings of the living child Divide it Divide it Yea they make the time of the Sabbath like the Vaile of the Temple at Christs death to be rent in twain viz. between the Lord and the World or which is worse between the Lord and their lusts whereas not a bone of Christs body was to be broke so not an hour in his day As not a member of that so not a minute of this As our Saviour said concerning the loaves and the fishes Gather up the fragments let nothing be lost so he seems to say concerning his holy Sabbath Gather up the parcells thereof let not minutes be lost which are precious like the least parings of gold It hath been perillous to clip a Kings Coyn t is more dangerous to clip the Lords day O the dreadful death and doome of Ananias who kept back part of the price and brought onely a certain part and laid at the Apostles feet whereas before 't was all in his own power Act. 5.3 4. But this holy time was never ours nor ever was any part thereof in our power therefore to keep back any hour of this holy day is worthy of death If no part be the Lords why do you give him any if the whole be the Lords why do you put him off with part 2. The places wherein religious exercises are to lye upon the Lords day being Both publike And private Some rest in the publike and neglect the private And others are all for the private and contemn the publike First There are some all whose religion upon the Lords day lyes at Church no praying reading of Scriptures repeating of Sermons instructing their charge or any such duty done in their houses all the day long 'T is said Exod. 12. that there was a great cry at midnight in all the dwellings of Egypt for there was not a house where there was not one dead but not so much as upon the Lords day from the dwellings of divers does any holy cry go up to heaven 'T is doubtfull in divers houses there are not any alive by grace to bewaile them that lye there dead in sin while yet 't is easie to hear and evident to see what rudenesse they suffer in their children and servants on the Sabbath day Hast thou kept the commandement of the Lord said Samuel to Saul in destroying all Amelek What then means the bleating of the Sheep and lowing of the Oxen which I hear to day So may we say to many a man hast thou kept the commandement of the Lord in observing his Sabbath What meanâ— then the laughing and sporting and foolish talking of children and servants which is then heard in their houses Such parents and ungoverning governours sure the Lord will one day charge with the breach of his blessed Sabbath See what God sayes to Eli 1 Sam. 2.29 Wherefore kickest thou at my sacrifice and honourest thy sons above me c did Eli kick at the sacrifice of God no but his sons did and he restreined them not and therefore Gad accounts it upon him Will not God thus say to some Fathers and Masters Wherefore prophane ye my Sabbath and why have ye polluted my holy day for they so do in their children and servants whom herein they do not restrain They are careful to provide for family necessities but carelesse to perform family-duties though it be the Lords day when they should look to all within their gates Exod. 20.10 2. There are others what they do in Gods service on the Sabdath 't is private for in the publike Assemblies they are seldome or never seen For the Israelites to sit still in their houses when a thick darknesse was abroad in all parts of the land was excusable I pray God there be not a near approach of such a time upon England when through worse then an Egyptian darknesse people be constreined to stay at home in their houses But to lye at home on the Lords day while through the open light of the Gospel the land is like Goshen is an inexcusable evil And sure Chrysost in Act. 3. Hom. 9. Hom. 2. in 1 Cor. 1. 't is no good presage when people despise publike Ordinances even on the Lords day does not to such the Lord say 1 Sam. 2.29 Wherefore do ye kick at my sacrifice and at mine offering which I have commanded in my habitation Read but those Gospel-Prophesies and Promises Isay 2.2 3. Isay 56.7 Mich. 4.1 which import the gatherings of Gods people for his publike worship There are those who withdraw themselves from such duties and while they think to prejudice others they do themselves the greatest wrong 'T is clear they do not onely fall from holy ordinances but they fall into ugly errours and filthy evills many of them come to act Chrysosto Serm. cont Anomeos Chrysostome concludes that there is nothing more causes stablenesse in the truth and keeps up holinesse of life and corrects opposite vanities and vices then a constant frequenting of the publick assemblies and a careful and chearfull there hearing the holy Word of God And hence Augustin so earnestly exhorts and perswades in some of his Sermons Aug. de tempore Ser. 251. not to separate but to congregate upon the Lords Day and to the Gospel publickly preached to apply themselves Just Mart Apol. 2. Justin Martyr reports of the Christians in the primitive times how they would call one another out of their houses to meet together in the most solemne manner they might upon the Lords Day And if we come out of the Ocean of the Ancients and go into the streames of our late * Calv. in Deut. 5. c. Pet. Mart. in 1. Sam. 1.3 Bucer in Math. 12.11 Zanch. in 4. Precep Bullinger Gualterus in Act. Writers as they all urge the observance of the Lords Day so they presse the practice of publike duties in open assemblies as most necessary unto the right and religious observation thereof Give me leave I hope I dote not on any holinesse of places but prize the publike gatherings of Gods people especially upon the Lords Day to tell you that such servants the Lord hath had in preceding times that would pitch upon places of publike worship not onely therein to serve the Lord but to suffer for the Lord therein thither they would run to die where they use to pray and rather then they would be driven from them they would be destroyed in them thinking it good going together from thence to heaven Eusebius reports that under the cruell persecution of Dioclesian many thousand Christians were burned in the Temple of Nicomedia being assembled to celebrate the Day of Christ And another mentions how at Ments in Germany Hieron Epistol ad Geront the Citie being taken in the Church were
the week see Joh. 20.19 23. Therein directing them as on this day to exercise that power and that power it does appear was upon this present day principally put in execution afterward thus Origen Cyprian and others relate Orig. can Cels lib. 3. Cypr. ad Pomp. Epi. 62. Greg Nys orat And O how pure and clean would our waters boyl could we on this day so cast off our scum Help Lord c. Necessities The duty of charitable relief is proper for the Lords day 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Tertullian tells in his Apologie for Christians how carefull the Christian Churches were to works of mercy on the Lords day whereby their Brethren in bonds were bountifully supplied and the bellies of the afflicted refreshed Irenaeus contra Valenti lib. 4 cap. 19â— Another of the Ancients does excellently note from the example of our Saviour Luk 13.15 that the right sanctifying the Sabbath day does consist in acts of pitty works of mercy and how charitable deeds become this comfortable day Luk. 14.1 2 3 4 5. is full These Sabbath-duties some way concern the whole body of a people more promiscuously 2. There be some duties on the Sabbath that do concern some persons principally as Magistrates and Ministers Parents and Masters All ought to concur in their care for the keeping of this day Indeed the Lords day is the Fort-royal of Religion let all stand to it in their places we be not beaten out of that especially now when so many lay siege thereunto Some set their wits awork and oppose the doctrinal part of it Others set their wills awork and impugne the practical part of it and as they will not rest on the Lords day so they will not let the Lords day to be at rest but mount their Cannons and make what batteries they can c. O let all and especially such as may do more then others now bestirre themselves to raise the Sabbath siege and to maintain our Sabbath Fort if we dye let us dye in a couragious keeping of this indeed if this be taken all is lost hold this and yet there is hope Let us that are in publike places play the men As the two milch-kine 1 Sam. 6. being coupled together they bore up and carried on the Arke of God Thus let Magistrate and Minister be united to hold up the holy day of God and the holy worship of God upon his day Let Sabbath-breakers for multitude be like a numerous Army if Magistrate and Minister would but joyn we should route them all O how commendable were it if these two in this regard would agree like Joab and Abishai his brother 2 Sam. 10.11 12. If the Syrians be too strong for me then thou shalt help me but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee then I will come and help thee onely be of a good courage let us quit our selves like men for our people and for the Cities of our God and the Lord do that which seemeth him good So let us do what we are able to the utmost for the Sabbaths and the service of our God and then the Lord do with us what seems him good O that those who bear the sword were fired with some of that Sabbabth-zeal that once Nehemiah had Chap. 13.17 18 19. 'T was a high praise that Ambrose gave of Theodosius that he was more solicitous to preserve the things of God as a Magistrate then to preserve himself as a man And it was a good caution that Austin gives upon Psal 2. Magistrates are to be admonished Vid. Pet. Martyr in judg cap 1. saith he as not to grant men immunity to any false worship so not to allow men liberty to leave the true worship of God The Magistrate upon the Lords day is not onely to see men forbear the outward works of their callings but to see that they be about the visible works of Gods worship August Bonif. comiti Epi 50. praecip Tom. 7. Cont. epist Parmeniani lib. 1. cap. 7. Tom. 7. lib. 2. contra Epist Gaudentii cap. 16.17 Austin more then once commends Imperial Lawes against the Donatists for separating from the publike worship of God and gathering into private houses upon the Lords day there to promote their Anti-magisterial opinions Which Lawes were to punish the ordinary people with fines of Money their leaders with banishment the places of their meeting to be forfeited to the Emperour and that none of them should have power to bestow their goods by will or to enjoy any Legacy to them by will bequeathed And he gives Instances of the execution of these Laws and the good successe thereof encouraging the Magistrate therein And when people are brought to the publike Pool Joh. 5.2 3. the Minister is as the Angel that upon this Sabbath-season must move and work in the waters to wit be active in all the Ordinances of God that such as by divine assistance step close in may meet God for the cure of their souls And as the Minister is more immediately to manage the worship of God upon this holy day yea his place is to presse that men do not on this day of the Sabbath satisfie themselves in a bare bodily way to worship God but to see they on the Sabbath serve God in Spirit and truth Thus these two as the two Cherubims that looked one towards another and both upon the Mercy-seat they should with respect look one upon another and both upon the service of the Sabbath that so the Lord may have his day and his due Lastly Let governours of families Parents and Masters contribute their best assistance to see the Sabbath well observed for which end towards their children and servants there is required upon the Lords day a double duty A taking of them to the publike means And a taking with them private pains 1. You are to bring them with you unto the publike Ordinances In the time of the Old Testament people that went to worship God they carried their flocks and their herds with them Hose 5.6 that in sacrifice they might offer them up to God In these times of the New Testament men are to carry their children and servants with them to the worship of God upon his holy day offering them up with themselves as a sacrifice to God When 't was required that the whole body of the Israelitish people should go out from their dwellings in Egypt to serve the Lord together in the Wildernesse Pharaoh called Moses and said Go ye serve the Lord but let your flocks and your herds be stayed but what sayes Moses We will go with our flocks and our herds with our sons and our daughters with our young and with our old will we go there shall not a hoofe be left behind for we must hold a feast unto the Lord and serve the Lord our God Exod. 10.9 24 26. Such Religious resolutions become Christians in the present case 2. Such of you as are heads
and hopes have been down and dead yet then to look back and call to mind mercies of old tracing the former foot-steps of God in their soules looking up and reading over the Lords love letters long since sent and then comes quickening life into their hopes and hearts Psal 77.5 6 7 8. Lam. 3.18 19 20 21 22. And though these gracious actings may be at other times yet I appeal to the most experienced Christians whether they have not found themselves best bent about such Soule-work upon the Sabbath-day 2. Direct actings Upon the day of the Sabbath the soules of Gods Saints may be set a work Onwards towards the People of God and Upwards towards the God of his People In grace admirably acting towards their Brethren Both in sufferings scattered And in service assembled 1. Where ever a good mans body be found or fixed yet in spirit he goes visiting his fellow-servants in prisons and the forreign Churches of Christ in all their afflictions Beza reports of Calvin That he was so tenderly affected to Christian Churches remote as if he had carried them on his shoulders or born them in his bosome often sighing out Vsque quo Domine How long Lord more lamenting the Churches calamities then his own adversities Thus the holy Apostle 2 Cor 11.28 29. Besides those things that are without viz. severall sad afflictions upon his own body that which cometh upon me daily more then all the rest the care of all the Churches Who is weak and I am not weak Who is offended and I burn not c. Yea and in such Christian compassions to others in affliction Gods dear Saints are most deep upon that day wherein they see their own sweet liberties priviledges and Gods precious things peaceably possessed 2. Where ever a good mans body abides yet in soul he will be sure at some place in which Gods People publikely meet for Sabbath-service David when in body he was banished and lay hid in the Land of Hermon yet he was in spirit at Jerusalem and went with good people to the Temple for the service of the Sabbath My soul sayes he thirsteth for God for the living God Oh when shall I come appear before God viz. In body also When I remember these things I pour out my soule within me for I had gone with the multitutde I went with them to the House of God with the voyce of joy and praise with a multitude that kept Holy Day Psal 42.1 2 3 4. The Jewes that were bodily at Babylon yet in soule they kept their Sabbaths at Jerusalem Psalme 137.5 6. Jonah though his body was in the bottom of the sea and belly of the Whale yet in spirit he was in the Temple at Jerusalem Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again towards thy holy Temple Jonah 2.4 Though the body of Saint John was a prisoner at Patmos an Island as some write near Affrica yet was he in spirit with the Churches of Christ at Asia and with them he kept the Lords Day When Saint Paul was in body at Philippi yet in spirit he was with Gods Saints in their assemblies at Corinth I verily as absent in body yet present in spirit have judged concerning him that hath done this deed in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ when viz. on the Lords Day ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one to Satan c. So when he was in body at Rome yet in spirit he was with Gods assembled Saints at Colosse Though sayes he I am absent from you in the flesh yet I am with you in the spirit rejoycing to behold your order viz. in their Church-assemblies c. Colossians 2.5 But above all are the soules Sabbath-actings in Grace God-ward Though the body is then carried out by the soul Yet the soule to God is then carried beyond the body A mans soule is then so set as that it incites the body and the body is so brought on that it sayes to the soule as Ruth to Naomi Whither thou goest I 'le goe where thou stayest I will stay thy God shall be my God and thy people my people nothing but death shall part thee and me As Joseph and Mary went together to seek Christ So on the Sabbath soul and body in publike and private go together to serve God Even upon week-dayes when the body as Martha is about worldly and household-businesse the soule as Mary sits at the feet of Christ But upon the Sabbath when they be both serving of God yet the soul does the most and the best work Body and soul are upon the Sabbath as those two Disciples that went out to Christs Sepulchre but the soule is as that Disciple which out-ran his fellow John 20.4 It comes quickest in and closest up to Christ Yea. suppose the heart and mind of a good man may all the week-time be as a boat that beares upon the ground yet upon the Sabbath the soule may be set as a boat upon a strong stream and goes as a Ship full saile for God In meditations of him And applications to him O the admirable meditations this day on God! The mind that in the week hath been as the foot of Jacobs ladder standing upon the earth upon the Sabbath the soule hath been as the top of that ladder reaching up to heaven in high thoughts of God One observes of the Virgin Mary Hieron Epist 17. when the holy Ghost had over-shadowed her and that holy thing was conceived in her womb she arose went up into the hill-countrey Luke 1.39 When the holy Spirit comes upon the soule of a Saint and holy thoughts are conceived in the heart O how the mind mounts up hill to God in heaven Such a soule-frame is most frequent in Sabbath-time And O the close applications this day made to God In prayer and In praises A good Expositor gives this glosse upon what the Apostle does here expresse Vid. Aret. in Locum I was in the Spirit That is he was in prayer upon the Lords Day It is one thing to be at prayer And another to be in prayer There is never a day comes over a good mans head but he is at prayer Bernard in Fâ—st Pen-Pentec Serm. 1. but to be in prayer on the Lords Day that is more Not only praying by the Spirit but in the Spirit of prayer Prayer does not onely ascend to God from the soule but the soule it self ascends to God in prayer In prayer wrestling with God and With God reasoning in prayer So that such beames break out Greg. Orat. de laudib Basilii as make the mans heart burn and his face shine It is reported of Basil that the Emperour Valence coming in upon him while he was in prayer he saw such lustre in his face as struck him with terrour that he fell back Luk. 9.29 And Jesus went up into
Lord towards them 'T is a Spirit enriching and ruling 'T is a Spirit raising and resting on them 1. The Spirit enriches the people of God by imparting to them What is precious and excellent and What is Plenteous and abundant The riches of grace Ephes 1.7 which is compared to enriching gold Revel 3.18 This in abundance is brought in by the Spirt 2 Cor. 3.18 An evil spirit is reported to have brought to some in league with him Remigi lib. de Daemo pieces in appearance of true gold but they were never the richer for when they went to use them all turned into whithered leaves And so with false gold of seeming grace does Satan deceive the souls of some But the good Spirit of God brings into the souls of Gods Saints such gold of grace as is of real and rare use for their great enriching God-ward Men rich in earthly gold and the ordinary wealth of the world are able to compasse and accomplish those things that others cannot Such as the Spirit of the Lord hath largely enriched with Gospel-gold O what great things are they enabled to do O what fellowships with the Father converses with the Son communion with the holy Ghost are they prepared for And may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords day 2. The Spirit he rules the people of God by exercising over them Both a Negative and A Positive power A power whereby he holds them off from what he dislikes They cannot with others wade into the waies of the world the Spirit will not let them they cannot shift their sails as the wind change in every turn of times And though as Nazianzen said of Athanasius they be as loadstones to draw others in to God yet they are as Adamants that will not warp wind bend or break or shrink from God The Spirit of the Lord will not let them they cannot they care not yea the Spirit may keep them from something which may seeme good to them because of some greater good in the sight of God When Saint Paul was going to preach the Word at Asia the Holy Ghost forbade him and being about to go to Bithynia the Spirit suffered him not Act. 16. And a power the Spirit doth daily exercise over the People of God to lead them on to what the Lord requires Rom. 8.14 Gala. 5.18 Ezechiel the Prophet saw four wheeles which were sometimes carried on upon the earth and sometimes lifted up above the earth according as the spirit of the living creature moved that was in the wheeles Thus the Soules of Gods Saints are set a going sometimes they rise higher and sometimes they run swifter as the Spirit of the living God leads that is in their hearts Good men The Spirit leads them they may not be at a losse yea And when they are at a losse yet the Spirit leads them August de cor et gra Cap 2. Id. de Grat. et lib. Arb. Cap. 1. God led the people of Israel through the wildernesse not onely by a pillar of fire but by a pillar of the cloud Nehem. 9.19 The Spirit leads Gods people through the world as a fire that gives them light that so they may not lose their way sometimes there is such a cloud they cannot see their way yet then the Spirit leads them and when they are at a losse it is that voice behind them saying This is the way walk in it Esay 30.21 Now they that are thus under the daily conduct of the Spirit may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords Day 3. The Spirit raises the people of God lifts up a good man being down through amazing meditations Either of God in the Heights of his Majesty Or of himself in the depths of his Misery When the Prophet was fallen upon his face through affrighting thoughts at the glorious presence of God in a vision Then the Spirit entred into him and set him upon his feet Ezek. 2.2 Ezek. 3.24 The usuall cause of a Christians casting down is the sad apprehensions of his severall sins so that he seemes to himself as if his soul were sinking into the depths of hell then the Spirit helps him up By recalling former mercies and By revealing further Mysteries The Spirit recalls or causes a Christian to remember The promises of mercy the Lord hath made and The experiences of mercy himself hath found John 14.26 The Spirit shall bring all things to your remembrance viz. The gracious sayings and glorious doings of God in dayes past are drawn a fresh into the thoughts of dejected Saints The Spirit reveals or makes such mysteries of mercy manifest as were not before known Eph. 1.17 18. That God the Father of glory may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened ye may know what is the hope of his calling c Thus the Spirit pulls up poore Saints pittifully plunged Being down Either in sins Or in sorrowes The Spirit raises Saints in their sad relapses have sweet illapses the Spirit letting in such light and heat as heaves up their hearts dark down and dead They who in ordinary dayes may have such experiences of Spirit-helps may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords Day 4. The Spirit rests upon the People of God so the Apostle expresses it 1 Pet 4.14 This imports The Spirits Presence Both intimate And pertuate With the people of God They have the friendly and familiar presence of the Spirit in close acquaintance Communions and Communications as is not to any other men They have the presence of the Spirit in his continued workings Without Intermission and Without Termination The Spirit within them does never intermit all his actings Though he is in the soule as the pulse in the arme that does not alway beat with the same sensible strength and evennesse Motions may to a good mans feeling be more weak and low yet even in such distempers he is still stirring As when the body of a man is asleep yet there in the soul is acting So when the soule of a Saint is asleep yet there in the Spirit is working Neither can any period possibly be put to such an operative presence of the Spirit in the People of God The gracious soul is on earth as the Spirits centre the settled presence here of is not in any other soul The Spirit of Noah's Dove hovers over the hearts of earthly men but a holy and humble heart is to the Spirit as Noah's Ark to the Dove there he rests John 14.16 I sayes Chrsst will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter even the Spirit of truth and he shall abide with you for ever Your bodies have had my corporall presence for a time but in your soules the presence of my Spirit shall remain for ever Now they that have in them such a perpetuall presence of the Spirit may not they be in the Spirit upon the
of Religion before all other things in the world Deut. 16.17 18. We see what Injunctions are set upon the Supreame Magistrate in this regard and therefore Magistrates subordinate are chiefly to see to such things above all to look that the dayes and duties of Gods worship be carefully kept up by all within the Gates as of their Domestick so of their Civil Jurisdiction Exod. 20.10 Yea you kave bound your selves by solemn oathes Though civil things are principally expressed yet all is in order to a higher end and greater good True some Magistrates as Jehu and Jeroboam have made the matters of God subordinate to their own interests and the outward peace of their kingdoms but it hath ever proved the fatal miscarriage of such misplacing Governours State-ends must all be subordinate the chief and uppermost end of all in power is to preserve the things of God The main end therefore of all your engagements is to maintain Gods worship his holy Sabbaths and whatever serves for his honour As an oath hath a Divine Ground so it is for ends Divine And though many simple men that be brought before you discern God no more in oaths then Christ in Sacraments and therefore can take yea and break oaths as Sampson his Wit hs at their wills Yet what a solemn and sacred thing an oath is you well know Hereby you are bound as to do just things betwixt man and man so to do things just for God much more And as you are bound so you are backed and backed so as may well work up your warmest courage in the cause of God for the WAYES and DAYES of God You are backed with good Lawes against all open offenders and seen-Sabbath-sinners Evil doers upon the Lords day You are backed with the prayers of all Gods precious people who pour out their hearts to God to preserve blesse and prosper all pious Magistrates by whose means Godlinesse may be promoted amongst men 1 Tim. 2.1 2. You are backed with the promises of God the presence of God God is with you be valiant Be valiant for God is with you The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour sayes the Angel to Gideon Judg. 6.12 Be strong and of a good courage ayes God to Joshua I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee Onely be thou strong and very couragious Chap. 1. vers 5 6 7. And therefore worthy SIRS I beseech you against all encounters cloath your selves with courage You are to encourage others inferiour Officers are by your language carriage countenance counsel commands to become couragious and therefore be you your selves full of fiery courage The Audaciousnesse of men to sin even Sabbath-sins And the dulnesse of men even to Gods Sabbath-service calls loud for courage in Christian Magistrates Our Saviour had his scourge or whip with which he drove men out of the Temple with their sheep and oxen from their buying and selling Magistrates had need have their whips penal Lawes in force to drive men into publick places of Gods pure worship with their children and servants to hearing Gods holy Word and other duties upon the Lords day Good SIRS so far as you can put on with enkindled courage Such must not be soft wood but heart of Oak that are in the place of civil pillars not men of easie facil flexible timorous natures but men of unbended unbiassed dispositions resolutions full of fortitude valour magnanimity and of Masculine spirits c. Theodoret hath a good observation upon that in Leviticus Levit. 4.22.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. where the Ruler for his sin is enjoyned to offer an he-Goat the private man a she-Goat for though the female may fit the ruled yet the male most suites such as rule Some think that hence Constantine was termed Revel 12. the Churches Male or man-child because of his manly zeal for Gods Church the Lords day and all the affairs of the Gospel Gentlemen I hope you bear with me I conceive I am not excentrick but move within my own sphere while I seek to incite you with courage to set to it for God Num. 10. Joshua 6.20 When of old the Armies of Israel were to go out in Battel the Priests were to blow the trumpets T is meet for us that are Gospel Ministers to be as Gods Trumpetters or Drummers to draw up the spirits raise the courage of all that are to engage on Gods side for Sabbaths and all his sacred concernments against sinful men among â—hich Magistrates and men in office must have a main stroke If I may by these expressions and by this present Dedication more hearten you up for God and more heighten your zeal for the beating down of sin and well-being with us of Gods blessed Sabbath I have my design Who am ready to serve you in all such affairs Philip Goodwin Watford July 20. 1654. To the Reader Dear Christian A Quickening and a wakening providence that appeared in the place of my abode about a year ago put me then on publikely to preach and presse the practical observation of the Christian-Sabbath And though upon that sad providential passage I thought it seasonable to say something upon that subject yet at first I onely intended two Sermons as one dayes exercise but I found the Bread so abundantly to multiply even in the breaking that I could not but acknowlege the bounty of a Divine hand Whereupon I proceeded and upon the same further insisted That soul-provision which was therein made though some hungrily received yet others hungrily refused so that I could not but clearly see As God with So the Divel against Which made me more to mind the matter Hereupon having for divers dayes discoursed I was soon after much moved to transcribe some Notes thereof by me that were very unlegible in their first Draught These after coming into the hands of several friends they much encouraged me further to communicate the same I considering they were both Gracious and Judicious thought it might be the Lords voice and that whereunto I ought to listen Likewise considering of the matter it self I could not but confesse it might be of necessary use in the concernments of the Sabbath For whereas there are two sorts Sabbath-ward whose case is sinful and sad So here are two parts applying proper remedies for their recovery and cure He is not onely a stranger but a stone in our English Israel who doth not sensibly discern concerning Gods sacred Sabbath As some putting off the practice of all good thereon so others not expressing any spirit of life therein As some slighters of the Sabbath-day-duties so others slighty in the duties of the Sabbath day As some living in a fearful neglect so others resting in a formal discharge of a few feeble and faint performances The former part is pertinent to put men on to the practice of Sabbath-service The latter part is pertinent to pull men up in the service of
and things To be ungrateful to God is bad to be forgetful of God is worse but to be perfidious with God worst of all Theft Though God hath given man the Sabbath for his use yet he still continues therein his own interest and lets it go upon no other account then to have it religiously kept therefore they that take it from God upon other terms and turn it to other ends shall be thrust among theeves in the great day of the Lord. Perhaps a man may say with Samuel Whom have I ever defrauded whose Oxe or Asse have I taken c Some though they have not theeved from their neighbour yet they have stollen from God the time of his holy day Who is not afraid to be found such a Felon August lib. 4. in Exod. habetur 14. q. 15. c. Robbery Austin well observes that Robbers are worse then theeves Theeves they take nothers goods secretly by fraud when the owners are not aware But Robbers they take openly by force the owners looking on Thus men take away the Sabbath day under Gods all-seeing eye that which God holds they profanely pluck away among high-way-Robbers shall such be ranked not repenting Mal. 3.8 Will a man rob God yet ye have robbed me But ye say Wherein have we robbed thee even in the dayes and times of the Sabbath Yea and this greatens the sin of such men they that theeve and rob they possibly may plead necessity having nothing of their own whereon to live But the Lord hath allowed men time of their own for any needfull and lawfull work and yet to rob him of his Sabbath Sacriledge August super Joann habetur 13. q. 4. This is worse then all the rest Austin does admirably aggravate this sin and he makes it so much the greater because it is a sin which cannot be committed but against God alone Augu. cont Cres lib. 4. cap. 10. And what way can it be worse committed against God then by polluting the holy time of his Sabbath To abuse sanctified time is such Sacriledge as the Lord most abominates Thou then that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledge Rom. 2.22 Why is it not worse Sacriledge to take this blessed day from Gods holy worship then to take the silver Cup from the communion Table or the great Bible from the reading Desk Be not deceived here be heaps upon heaps many sins piled upon this sin yea more might be mentioned as disobedience rebellion unbeliefe pride self-conceit a base and low esteem of the wayes of God Word of God worship of God all concurre to make this sin hateful and horrible in the height thereof 2. For the breadth This sin is of a large spread Both against God the Father of Christ And against Christ the Son of God 1. This sin against the Sabbath day considered in the duties thereof does reach so far against God as it is found to be a sin Against all the Attributes of God Against all the Ordinances of God 1. The Attributes of God are herein all sinned against He that takes not care to keep the Sabbath of God slights the wisdom of God disobeys the will of God despises the mercy of God provokes the Justice of God contemns the power of God abuses the patience of God defiles the holinesse of God defaces the beauty of God yea as it were undermines the whole being of God blessed for ever No marvel if they that observe no Sabbath should believe there is no God 2. The Ordinances of God are herein all sinned against to sin against Ordinances is to pollute those holy vessels wherein are laid up for us the treasures of heaven and to cut those precious pipes that convey to us the water of life To sin against Ordinances is to break those Chariots wherein the Lord rides towards us and to sink those Boats which are to carry us over to God To sin against Ordinances is to cast by those clear Lanthornes wherein the light of the Lord shines and to fling dirt in those bright glasses wherein the face of our God is seen Word Sacraments and Prayer all are as it were pulled in peeces and put out of doors when the Lords day is laid by and Sabbaths set aside 2 This sin against the Sabbath day in its duties reaches also so far against Christ as it s found to be a sin Against the estates of Christ and Against the offices of Christ Christ considered in his estates is by this sin injured Both as humbled in his death And as honoured in his resurrection 1. To sin against the Lords day is to sin against the Lords death This holy day was one of those precious things Christ purchased and with his blood bought As with his blood he bought a people to serve him so with his blood he bought this time for them to serve him in To sin then against the day of Christ is to sin against the blood of Christ What sin so abominably black as to sin against Christs blessed blood I was nothing sayes Austin and God made me with his word Aug. Serm. 151. de tempore I was worse then nothing and Christ redeemed me with his blood what shall I say shall I ever sin we may well add 2. To sin against this institution of Christ is to sin against the resurrection of Christ August ad Janua 119. cap. 13. ad Casul 86. Idem de civit Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. Idem de verb is Apost Serm. 15. Chemni exam cap. de diebus festis Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 8. Austin does oft in his writings praise the practice of the Apostles in that they did observe this first day of the week to be the Lords day upon the account of Christs resurrection So Chemnitius commends it much saying that the celebration of the day of Christs resurrection was the best way for the abrogation of Judaisme and the exaltation of Christianisme in the world Sozomene sets this down for the honour of Constantine that in the Law he made for the keeping of this day he laid the strength of his reason upon Christs resurrection On the contrary how crosse is this to Christ who rose from the dead this day And what a sinful shame is this to them that professe Christianity to cast by that day whereon Christ rose from the dead Oh the sin of such as put this day to death when Christ died that it might live and how abominable is it to bury this blessed day which God raised together with Christ This is a wickednesse worthy to be cryed down 2. Christ considered in his offices is herein injured Both as a King And as a Prophet 1. Christ as a King is herein cast off 'T is one of the Regalities of a King to appoint his own time when his servants shall attend Berna Serm. 2. in Epipha Christ as one well notes though his kingdom be not of this world yet he hath his kingdom in this
the day of his Birth but I never read of any that cursed the day of his New Birth This is the day of rescuing the prey from the mighty the day of opening the Prison-dores and setting the captive free Exod. 12.42 It is a night much to be observed to the Lord for bringing them out from the Land of Egypt This is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations So may we say of the Sabbath 'T is a day much to be observed to the Lord for bringing souls from the bondage of sin This is the day much to be observed to the Lord of all the children of God throughout all generations This hath been the day of many a spiritual Marriage or the day of Gods espousing many souls to Christ Thus hath God honoured this his holy day highly And as for this holy day it doth highly honour God exalting all that appertains to God It beautifies the service of God It dignifies the servants of God 1. Hereby the service of God is beautified Eccles 3.11 Every work sayes the Wise man is beautiful in its season Holy duties are best in season upon holy dayes Preach the Word sayes the Apostle 2 Tim. 42. Be instant in season and out of season rebuke exhort c. In season That is upon the Sabbath day Out of season That is in the week-time So several sound Expositors upon the place Prov. 25.11 Words spoken in season are like apples of gold in pictures of silver Thus Prayers made and Sermons preached in season are as golden apples in silver pictures one helping to honour the other The golden apples grace the silver pictures and the silver pictures set out the golden apples Thus the Sabbath-service advances the Sabbath-season and the Sabbath-season exalts the Sabbath-service and all lifts up the honour of God who hath prepared silver dishes for golden apples and put golden apples into silver dishes Appointing blessed dayes for sacred duties and sacred duties for blessed dayes 2. Hereby the servants of God are dignified God in giving the whole Law and so in proclaiming the Command for the sanctifying of the Sabbath made use of the Ministery of Angels not for necessity to him but dignity to them 'T was an honour to the Angels to be present and assistant when the Sabbath was set forth Gala. 3.19 .. Thus God in the continued management of the Sabbath and carrying on the sanctification thereof in the world makes use of the Ministery of men as a dignity to them Among other respects there are two most remarkable things that do dignifie the office of Ministers above all other Functions The subject they are imployed for viz. The Souls of men And the Season they are imployed in viz. The Sabhaths of God Other callings their work lies upon the week-daies but the Minister in his businesse lies bound for the Sabbath O let not any earthly discouragements sink the soules of my dear brethren but let 's honour that God who hath so honoured us as to bend and bind our businesse to this blessed Day Hath God magnify'd our office to labour on this day Let us magnifie our office by this days-labour Steadfast immoveable abounding in the Lords work upon the Lords day That God who hath blessed the day for our work will blesse our work in the day 2. The Sabbath consider'd as Christian hath honour Christianity brings on dignity Theodosius accounted himself more noble as he was a Christian then as he was an Emperour Hence Luther professed He had rather be a Christian beggar then Heathen Alexander Our Sabbath is Christian and therefore excellent The excellencie of our Christian Sabbath may be seen by two sorts of things Some more Principal Some lesse Principal The principall things that put a price upon the Sabbath lie In the appointing of it and In the abyding of it This day may appear precious if we ponder The person by whom and The reason for why 't was appointed 1. The person through whom this appointment came was Christ and his Institution August de temp Serm. 36. To this Austin applies that prediction of the Prophet Psal 118.24 This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad therein Jesus Christ himself set out this Sabbath-time Christ in person Christ in the Apostles THE LORD CHRIST Coelum eâ— Christus non patiantur hyperbolen O how excellent is he Christ and Heaven says Luther in their praise can be no excesse Too little we may speak never too much All the excellencies of God and man meet in Christ That then must needs be excellent whereof Christ is the Author That Child is nobly born which can call Christ Father The Sabbath derives its pedigree from Christ 2. The reason upon which this Day was ordained was Christ in his Resurrection The Resurrection of Christ was the first degree of his exaltation Had he not risen from the dead he had never ascended into heaven never sat down at the right hand of God And therefore his rising day may well be our resting day that day on which Christ took the first step to all his great honours is an honourable day and a day much to be honoured God hath highly honoured this day As by converting on it the Souls of men So by raising on this day the Body of his Son 2. We may see this days excellency in its permanency As the Priesthood of Melchizedeck was more excellent then the Priesthood of Aaron because of its order for ever Hebr. 7.17 So the Sabbath of Christians is more excellent then all the Sabbaths of the Jews because it continues To this Sabbath it might be said in regard of all the Jewish Sabbaths They shall perish but thou remainest and they shall all wax old as doth a garment As a vesture shalt thou roul them up and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail Heb. 1.11 12. To this day all the powers of earth hell shall never put a period Lastly we may look into the large dignity of this Day From the timing of it and From the naming of it 1. This day is so tim'd as is a help to its honour 'T is the first day in the week We have a rule That the first in every kind is more excellent then all the rest August de civit De. ili 11. Cypria Serm. de Spir. S Austin Cyprian and other of the Ancients much advance the excellency of the Sabbath from the circumstance of time That 't is the seventh Day The number seven being most perfect that which they say comprises many mysteries of moment But that which is more meet for us to consider is the settling of our Christian Sabbath upon the first day of the week Luke 2.23 we read how 't was written in the Law that every Male that first opened the womb was called holy to the Lord our Sabbath it is
what is said upon the Sabbath concerning things Spiritual and Eternal not barely to hear but to hearken not onely to imploy the ear but to apply the mind to mark things mentioned to consider and ponder what is preached and pressed When our Saviour upon the Sabbath preached the Gospel in the Synagogue of Galilee the people were so moved that they pressed with eagernesse to lesson and learn what he delivered Luk. 5.1 Thus people may possibly under the preaching or the Gospel have their thoughts so helped and their hearts so held as to heed what they hear 2. Gods Spirit may upon the Sabbath so move as that men may discern and see much into the matters of God and according to the Word of God become very knowing Divine things may not onely be opened to their understanding but their understandings open to things Divine Numb 24.4 Heb. 6.4 Through the Spirit their minds may so be enlightened and their eyes so opened that into the good things of the Gospel they may have a great insight Their heads may be gold though their feet be clay Their understandings may have light though their affections no heat Though the tree of life be not yet planted that may bring forth fruit unto God yet they may have a tree of knowledge so full of leaves that therewith they may flourish in the World 3. Gods Spirit may move upon the Sabbath so as men may assent to the truth of Gods revealed will so as to believe the reports God hath made in his Word to be all infallibly true A man may be brought to yield such an allowance and to give that credit to whatever God speaks in Scripture that his soul may secretly say Truth Lord. Though that which most transcends reason as the mysteries of the Gospel yet to each the soul inwardly sayes Truth Lord. Though that which condemns his own course and discovers his own case to be naught yet conscience concludes Truth Lord. That secret way is sinful sayes God and must be broken from Yea sayes the man Lord I believe it That way is holy just and good and must be walked in Lord I believe it That is necessary to be sought and that is worthy to be embraced Lord I believe it Luk. 8.13 Act. 8.13 All which is brought on by the blessed Spirit of God 4. Gods Spirit may so on the Sabbath incite as to set men in admiring at the greatnesse of Gods grace and mercy wondring at Gods works and words Luk. 4.14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee and taught in their Synagogues on the Sabbath day there they admired him and he was glorified of them all After he came to Nazareth and went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath-day where preaching upon some part of the Prophet Esay the people before him witnessed and wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out at his mouth Luk. 4.17 18 22. 5. Gods Spirit may be so inciting upon the Sabbath-day as that men may be much moved to affect the good things of God hereby they may be brought To desires of them and To delights in them Spiritual good things men may be desirous of When our Saviour in a Sermon Joh. 6. preached about the Bread which comes down from heaven and giveth life to the World some of his hearers were so stirred that they broke out saying Lord ever give us this Bread Thus when men hear of heavenly things their hearts may spring witn desires and their souls secretly say O Lord ever give us this good Yea with joy may their hearts dance and leap Luk. 8.13 Thus some rejoyced in the Ministery of John the Baptist Joh. 5.35 With gladnesse of heart did Herod hear him Mark 6.20 6. Gods Spirit may on the Sabbath so move as that men may resolve upon obedience to God and his holy Commands Deut. 5.27 Go thou near say the people to Moses and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou to us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it Jer. 42.4 5 6. I will pray sayes the Prophet to the people unto the Lord your God and whatever the Lord shall answer I will declaer to you and keep nothing back Then they said to Jeremiah The Lord be a true and faithfull witnesse between us if we do not according to all things for which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us Whether it be good or evil we will obey the voice of the Lord our God Thus people under the Gospel their hearts may be wrought to a real resolving upon the right way not onely something perswaded but their present purposes pitched to practise and prosecute that which is good These and such like good movings may the Spirit of Grace have upon the hearts of sinful men upon the day of the Sabbath and yet are far from being like Gods Saints in the Spirit upon the Lords day Now between these there is a discernable difference Gods Saints upon the Sabbath are so in the Spirit as no other ever are Those Spiritual motions that are in other hearts may be found defective in a four fold respect Viz. of Depth Breadth Heigth and Length For depth Those Spiritual movings that are in carnal hearts are but superficial and shallow they do not reach down into the inmost parts of the heart in deep humblings and soul-afflictings so as at first to lay the foundation deep A man admires the mercy of God in Christ but does not abhor himself for sin in the dust as that dear Saint of God who when he was affected and wondred at the glory of God he saw he also reflecting upon his own infirmities abhorred himself in dust and ashes Job 42.2 Gods Saints are first moved to deep and bitter self-bemoaning sorrowes Jer. 31.18 and after comes in sweet soul-quickning comforts Matth. 5.4 Others are like that stony ground Matth. 13.20 who when they heard the Word immediately they received it with much joy the seed sprung upward but downward took no deep rooting as in the good ground Luk. 8.13 14 15. When the Spirit moves upon true believers it makes them to bottom well to dig deep and lay the foundation on a rock and then raise their building in holy resolutions and sweet affections with suitable performances but others all the motions they feel puts them upon some fair buildings without any deep bottomings Matth. 7. Luk. 6. For breadth Those Spiritual movings that are in carnal hearts are but straitened and narrow they do not spread out either in respect Of subject Or object They do not reach out into all the powers of the soul so as to take up the whole soul for God Thus does the Spirit move in the Saints of God having a wonderful work in the whole soul so as that they are set about God and good with their whole heart and whole desires 2 Chron. 15.5 All their joyes and desires are in
himself unto his Disciples Joh. 20.19.20 Upon this first day of the week when they were assembled he shewed them His hands and His side Then were they glad Thus upon the Sabbath the Lord shewes to his servants Both his hands And his side His hands That is the great things he hath wrought in them and for them acts of his glorious Attributes His side That is the good thoughts he hath further towards them intendments of eternal good will All which makes for the manifestation of Gods great glory And although we can never mention that glory which God did nor before possesse yet we may manifest that glory of God which our souls did not before perceive We never see the Sun of Gods glory to shine so bright as upon this blessed day It being the very end why this day was blessed that thereon the brightnesse of Gods glory might be the better seen 2. The Sabbath is set up to promote mans good In his spiritual part and In his spiritual estate To wit his soul in the concerments of grace thar he may be cast into a spiritual mould and become a spiritual man The appointments of Sabbath-time is to set and keep souls in a spiritual frame Both by the first infusions of grace And by the further additions of grace Mans heart is hardly put into a spiritual temper and as hardly kept in a spiritul order It would never rise from corruption or soon fall into confusion were it not for Sabbath-assistances Should we have onely week-time and be all for worldly things and have no time of Sabbath for soul-concernments into what an ill case would our souls soon sink As Abraham accounted all his earthly comforts nothing while he went childlesse sonlesse so should we esteem all our worldly enjoyments nothing if we went Sabbathlesse Indeed did we go Sabbathlesse we should be in danger to go Saviourlesse Christlesse heavenlesse to lose God and all that is spiritually good But that we may not lose but gain God and all spiritual good this day is drawn out from the common lump of time and set apart to advance as Gods spiritual praise so mans spiritual profit Thus the ends of the Lords day are spiritual 4. The opposites are spiritual against the day As Satan and Seducing men 1. Satan against the Sabbath-day as he is a spiritual he is a spiteful foe he knowes if he can make this fall other things will fly As the Assyrian General said to his forces Fight neither against great nor small but against the King of Israel So sayes Satan to all his instruments Contend neither with great nor small but with the day of the Sabbath down with it down with it Satan against the Sabbath seeks Either to beat it out from men Or to beat men off from it Here may I make a mournful mention of a good woman who by reason of her soul safflicted condition I have had with her the occasion of many a sad conference and though her usuall estate was full of extreame strange assaults yet I have frequently observed and the same her self hath oft freely confessed that still as the Lords day grew nearer her temptation grew stronger Never such sad bouts and sore buffets as upon some Saturday-nights Whereby she hath been ordinarily unfitted for the following Sabbath and oft times violently hindred especially from the publick Ordinances for divers Lords dayes together unto her after great grief Wherein I cannot but conclude the wiles and subtil works of Satan as the Sabbaths great enemy Yea Satans design is Either that men may not at all mind it Or that they may not spiritually spend Either to draw them from the day in its duties Or to dull them in the duties of the day A zealous sanctification of the Sabbath Satan to his utmost power opposes He cannot abide the spirit of burning should be upon us in the businesse of Gods blessed day As the holy Spirit puts us into the fire the unclean spirit oft casts us into the water so that our hearts heavenly kindled are commonly cooled The Divels Ephes 6.12 are called spiritual wickednesses or the spirituals of wickednesse as t is in the Greek As they are wicked Spirits So they are the spirits of wickednesse And as they are so spiritually bad so they cannot abide what is spiritually good As spiritual sinning against God they most seek to provoke so spirituall serving of God they most seek to prevent The divel can be content men should forbear bodily acts of filthinesse if they will but pursue spiritual sinfulnesse so can he be content men should perform outward acts of Religion if they will but cease from spiritual service they may be at all thâ— Ordinances of God upon the Lords day so they be not spiritual in any not misse a Sabbath so they passe not any spiritually 3. Seducing persons are Sabbath-opposers These are called spirits 1 Tim. 4.1 Because there be spirits that act them And becaâ—sâ— they act like spirits They be men whom spirits act viz. the spirit which iâ— of the world the spirit of the Divel the spirit of pride and falsehood â—â—e spirit of error and Antichrist c. They be men who act as spirits with subtilty sedulity agility restlesse and unwearied creeping up and down compassing places to and fro abusing Scripture to propagate error c. These oppose Gods precious Sabbath seeking Either directly to overturn it Or remotely to undermine it Directly By Atheistical arguing against all Gods holy times and things professedly and profanely despising of and disputing against as the doctrine of Sanctification so the day which God hath sanctified Remotely By setting against such as are Sabbath supports viz. Against Ordinances used in publick And against instruments of publick use Ordinances they clamour down especially some as singing of Psalmes administring of Sacraments c. endeavouring if possible to pull away one Ordinance after another till they leave the day destitute of all As Rachel weepiâ—g for her children Hence there is such a sad ceasing of several Ordinances in some Congregations that the Lords day may speak like Jacob Joseph is not and Simeon is not and will ye take Benjamin away also all tâ—is is against me Gen. 43. Instruments theâ— thrust sore at that are for Sabbath-Use Ministers by their law must be laid in the dust Their endeavours are to deal worse with the Servants of Christ then Hanun with the servants of David 2 Sam. 10.4 He shaved off the one half of their Beards and cut off their Garments in the middle c. But these seek to shave and cut off all both countenance and maintenance and to leave Ministers under poverty and perpetual reproach And are not these Enemies to Sabbaths and publick Assemblies And are all these Sabbath-ward spiritual The Ordainer of it spiritual The Ordinances in it spiritual The ends for it spiritul The opposites against it spiritual And shall not we be spiritual so as that we may be
fire I will be with thee Water and fire both may referre to afflictions be they various and violent God will be with Yea in the waters of suffering and in the fire of service God is with us Or though we cannot say God is with us when we are in the water to wit when we be cold or lukewarme in his work Yet we may be sure God is with us when we are in the fire to wit fervent and zealous in the works of his worship Is God with us in the fire of heavy afflictions And is not God with us in the fire of holy devotions And let the Lord thus abroad in the Land be with his service and servants and with his servants in service O what great and good things will follow As the cleansing out of pollutions And the closing up of divisions Pollutions cleansed Were the holy Spirit thus up in the Nation the unclean spirit would be soon forced to passe out of the Land Zach. 13.2 This would not onely keep informing Ordinances that are but reforming Ordinances that are not would be also brought in In our English-house we might hope to have the Besome as well as the Candle Luk. 15.8 As the Candle of good Doctrine So the Besome of good Discipline The Besome of Discipline to sweepe out dust As well as the Candle of Doctrine to drive out darknesse 'T is lamentable to see how the Leprosie hath taken our house Levit. 14. And O what an infection hath broke out even in the new building Infliction of due censures would be a good means to remove the plague-stones out of the wall and so to heal the house and help its standing Could we but encrease our Sabbath-zeal sure Church-Keyes would not lie so rusty yea the civil sword would have a sharper edge When God came down upon Sinai in thunder and lightning fire and much smoak God commanded Moses to set bounds about the Mount that the people might not presumptuously break in Thus were there for the Sabbath that fire of zeal that is fits the Civil Power would set bounds that persons might not so profanely break out Those intolerable tolerations we now see would soon cease Those Anti-Congregations that are now Assembly against Assembly in the same place at the same time It is the cause of many sad evils Hence is it that if there be any that will not afford their presence at the publick preaching of the Word or if there be any that cannot abide the power of the Word publickly preached there be those by that will invite them from us and abet them against us Hence is it that the common sort account Sabbath dayes and duties but as indifferent things matters they may use or omit if they please Hence is it that the vilest of men have learned to vilifie and blaspheme the wayes which God hath blessed to speak evil of the Instruments and Ordinances God hath sanctified and by which God is glorified and which of God shall one day be justified c. Did but the spirit of the Lords day rule in the Land those that are opposite we should either reduce or restrain Those grosse abuses and great prophanenesse that is grown amongst us would be either redressed or suppressed Divisions closed If Christians on the Sabbath were higher raised by a spirit of fervency they would at other times be better ruled by a spirit of unity Were there in men more of the spirit of life upon the Lords day there would be more among men of the spirit of love all the week long Men are not spiritual but carnal which is the cause divisions are common There is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnal and walk as men For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal 1 Cor. 3.3 4. To heal the Land of divisions will be Both the beauty and The safetie of it Beauty Rents and divisions are to a Land as fits of convulsions to a child which draws the mouth awry and pulls parts out of their place and causes all to be uncomely cure the Convulsions and the beauty of the Babe returns Safety Rents and divisions are to a Nation as cracks and clifts in a building which yet Art may stop and the house may be strong and the dwellings therein may be safe and sweet Now that which will most powerfully repair our breaches is the Spirit of the Lord which is a Spirit of love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1.7 As it is a spirit of love it unites affections and As it is the spirit of a sound mind it unites opinions And so brings all into one Nothing can so cause union of spirits as the spirit of union Were we more carried out by a spirit of power we should be more carried on with a spirit of peace This spirit would be in us out of Sabbath-service were we in the spirit upon the service of the Sabbath yea O the abundant benefits that would abide our Nation upon this spiritual being and being in the Spirit Then would the works of the Divel be dissolved the darknesse of ignorance dispelled Errors outed blasphemies banished the Gospel cherished truth established iniquity would be lesse the love of many would wax warme formalities would fall and the power of Godlinesse rise Ministers would be vigorous and Magistrates valorous and Christians in Gods cause Couragious Inferiours well governed and Families well ordered so that Old England would become New and we should find New England in Old O happy day O let me beseech all that my weak words may reach for our souls sakes for the Sabbaths sake for the Lords sake and the Lands sake let us be spiritual spiritual in Sabbath-service O let us be like St. John in the text upon the Lords day in the Spirit I was in the Spirit on the Lods day Now that the Lords day may be thus spiritually spent there be duties of three sorts to be observed Anteceden t Concomitant Consequent Antecedent duties Before the Sabbath comes Christians that would well keep the day are required to be Both valiant in resisting temptations against it And diligent in making pâ—eparations for it Temptations that may turn soulâ— aside from this observing the Sabbath may proceed From some more remote or From some more immediate There be some remote that may suggest what may draw off from the Lords day and its spiritual duties There be evil spirits now abroad whose bent is to beat down the day of God and to beat off from the soul-benefitting duties thereof As the spirit of Atheisme And the spirit of Sectarisme The spirit of prophanenesse and The spirit of separation The former fight against the Sabbath day and its due observers in open field by professed battels The latter labour to cut off the Lords day and all its lovers by secret and subtill Stratagems Men that separate from our settled Congregations and run wilde in their opinions
on the Sabbath a gracious soul sighs up into heaven Lord I would better break out but my sins beset me I would faster run on but my own heart hampers me Lord I would otherwise serve thee but my thoughs hinder me fears and cares encompasse me help Lord. Unite Not onely the will but the whole soul yâ—â— the whole man and the whole might is knit and bound up for God in every good work body and soul must not lie severed nor any heart in it self scattered 'T was a sad sin in him who upon the Sabbath-day gathered up sticks that lay scattered on the ground Num. 15.32 But it is our duty on the day of the Sabbath to gather up together our hearts and thoughts that are scattered upon the earth and wandring about in the world We should say as the Prophet Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me O my soul and all that is within me pray O my soul and all that is within me hearken c. Vnite my heart sayes David that I may fear thy Name So let each soul say Lord unite my heart that I may hear thy Word Unite my heart that I may hold fast thy truth keep holy thy day Fervent The zeal of Gods house and zeal of the Lords day should even eat us up Our hearts should burn within us like fire See what God by Moses sayes to the Jewes Exod. 35.3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your houses upon the Sabbath-day But upon the day of the Sabbath our duty is to kindle a fire throughout all our hearts The fire of zeal fits the service of God On the Sabbath we should go up to God in a Chariot of this fire The force of this fire would carry us into the highest heaven from the lowest earth And from earth to heaven is a good Sabbath-dayes-journey Yea such a burning fire of zeal on the Sabbath would bring heaven as it were down to the earth God into our hearts Exod. 3. we read how the presence of God appeared in a burning Bush In burning hearts in burning prayers appears much of the presence of God 'T was the praise of holy Hezekiah he appointed burnt-offerings for the Sabbath dayes 2 Chron. 31.3 Burning sacrifices for blessed Sabbaths Cheerfull Several of the Ancients much insist upon that care and course which becomes Christians in carrying on the Sabbath more strictly then the Jewes were wont August Enar. in Psal 32. Tom. 8. part Pag. 242. Aug. Tract 3. in Joan. 1. Tom. 9. Ignat. Epist ad Magnes Pag. 57. Hilar. prolog in Psal oper p. 335. Whereas they kept the Sabbath carnally in feasting dancing and sensual delights We Christians must Sabbatize or keep the Sabbath spiritually in holy joyes heavenly contents and religious delights we must feast and dance too but our feasting must be conversing with God our meat and drink to do the will of God Our dancing must be the leaping of soul to see the face of the Lord in the glasse of the Gospel And though on the Lords day we be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse yet we must be filled with the Spirit The comforts of the Spirit are sweeter and better then all the wine in the world and of this we should take our Lords day draughts Cant. 5.3 On this day we should drink wine with our milk eat our hony-comb with our hony be in the Garden and gather Myrrhe with our Spice This is the day that the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad therein Psal 118.24 Psal 42. sayes David Why art thou cast down O my soul why art thou disquieted within me Himself gives the cause His banishment that he could not now go with the multitude to the house of God with the voyce of joy and praise among them that keep holy day Such as can come to God's house upon his holy day should not come with dejected souls but with the voyce of joy and praise triumphing in God Watchful For our Sabbath day watch observe What we are to watch against and What we are to watch for 1. Against the incursions of the Divel we are to watch all the Lords day long That God who will Revel 20. bind up Satan for a thousand years can easily bind him for Sabbath-dayes But yet even upon such dayes Satan is much let loose Job 1.6 There was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them The Sons of God on that day came before God for good but Satan had ill designs to hinder them that would honour God VVhen Joshua the high Priest stood before the Angel of the Lord Satan stood at his right hand to resist him Zech. 3.2 'T was the policy of Pompey Vespasian Titus and other enemies of the Jewes soreliest to assault the City Jerusalem on the Sabbath dayes when they refused to defend themselves Upon Sabbath dayes are the Divels most desperate designs He is ever bad but worst upon the best dayes O watch watch A harming Divel on a helping day 2. For the incommings of the Spirit of Christ let us watch upon the Lords day As when the Dove sate upon the Ark Noah put forth his hand took her in When the Spirit of the Lord begins to light upon our hearts we should presently hand it in Embrace his first motions open and give him entrance otherwise Ordinances will do us little good Gen. 1. We find a dark lump of earth and water but if the Spirit of the Lord had not moved upon the face of the water the world had never been made nor living creatures brought forth 'T is the Spirit upon the Word that causes a new creation living Christians O then when we are under the Word and in the midst of the waters of Ordinances waite and watch for the good Spirit of God Other birds drive away but bid the Dove welcome 3. At the end of the Lords day let us see to our duty lest we begin in the Spitit and end in the flesh Nebuchadnezzars Image the head and upper part was gold but the feet and lower part Iron and Clay In the morning and beginning of the Lords day our hearts have heavenly heat and at evening the end of the Sabbath all is Iron and Clay Hearts hard and cold 't is ill when a Christians affections are as the grasse the Prophet speaks of Psal 90.6 In the morning it flourisheth and in the evening it is cut down dryed up and withered Plutarch reports of a River that runneth sweet in the morning but bitter in the evening 'T is the property of some sinful men if they have done somewhat on the Sabbath in the service of God they are the more bold to sin even before the day is gone like the Harlot Prov. 7.14 18. I have peace-offerings with me this day I have payed my vowes come let us take our fill of love till the morning That very day
Hearing Gods Word a Duty p. 128 Hereticks not endure Scripture p. 364 Honour to Christ due as to God p. 305 Humble how necessary p 325 Humility how wrought p. 326 Hypocrite how far observing the Sabbath p. 417 I IDlenesse on the Sabbath a great sin pag. 52 Judgments of God upon Sabbath-breakers p. 103 Jewish Sabbath ceased p. 31 Judgment Day now approaching p. 116 Jewes had divers Sabbaths p. 176 Israel a more excellent Name then Jacob. p. 189 Isle Patmos where it was p. 2 John the Apostle compared to the Eagle p. 1. Intercession of Christ how performed pa. 393 Judgments of God on Sabbath-breakers p. 105 K KNowledge of God by his Judgments p. 118 Knowledge necessary to practice p 458 Knowledge to sin against it sad p. 144 L LAst dayes many Antichrists p. 14 Law given by Christ p. 141 Law and Gospel differing p. 38 Libeâ—ty under the Gospel what it is p. 36 Light of Nature to what it leads p. 122 Love the spring of all Gods Mercies p. 470 Love the spring of all our obedience p. 125 Lords Day how excellent a Name p. 189 Lords Prayer how excellent p. 190 Lords Supper how excellent p. 191 Lord of the Sabbath why Christ so called p. 24 Lord of Hosts why God so stiled p. 112 M MAgistrates who honour them most p. 208 Magistrate his duty on the Lords day p. 134 Minister on the Lords Day his duty p. 135 Masters of Families their duties thereon p. 136 Ministers Office most excellent wherein p. 184 Mission of the Holy Ghost when it was p. 19 Meditation how excellent p. 370 Man a compound creature p. 257 Ministers work differing from others p. 353 Ministers must preach though none profit p. 229 Motions spiritual how discovered p. 348 N NAzienzen's saying of Athanasius p. 326 Necessary what works are for the Sabbath p. 74 Necessary the Sabbath for all sorts of men p. 144 O OBedience to God is a debt upon all p. 141 Obedience double due to God p. 148 Ordinances their great Vse p. 369 Ordinances the best not above them p. 147 Ordinances of God are all spirituall pa. 395 Order in Gods service requisite p. 459 P PAtience its necessary Vse p. 335 Pleasures of sin and sinful pleasures differ p. 43 Places of publick Worship to be frequented p. 63 Publick preaching above private reading p. 64 Punished here some sinners are and not other so why p. 118 Psalmes of David fit to be sung pag. 129 People of God more excellent then oâ—her men p. 190 Power given to the Apostles threefold p. 18 Prayer the admirable force thereof p. 204 Praising of God more excellent then prayer p. 371 Preparation to the Sabbath opened pag. 444 Presence of God how with his Ordinances p. 358 R RAnting condemned p. 341 Rainbow sign of peace p. 321 Reading the Scriptures in publick necessary p. 367 Reason cannot rule many men p. 334 Redemption surpasses the work of Creation p. 11 Robbery worse then theft p. 88 Resurrection of Christ how excellent p. 16 Remembrance of Good what it implyes p. 438 Reliance must be on Christ alone p. 476 Relapsers of three sorts p. 146 Resting in Ordinances how bad p. 369 Ruine of Rome drawes nigh p. 241 S SAbbath how it ought to be continuall p. 39 Sabbath the whole Day to be kept p. 56 71 Sabbath-breaking how great a sin p. 86 Sabbath not sanctified is polluted p. 95 Sacrifices dead suited Jewish Sabbaths p. 374 Sacriledge how great a sin p. 89 Sin worse then punishment p. 109 Sin against Ordinances how great p. 90 Singing of Psalmes a sweet Duty p. 128 Soul of man how excellent p. 154 Sacraments to be administred on the Sabbath day p. 130 Segullah what it signifies p. 26 Sacrament of the Supper how excellent p. 191 Separation the evils thereof p. 337 Seducers why called spirits p. 413 Seraphims why Angels so called p. 422 Soul of man hath a double Mansion p 260 Spirie how variously taken p. 257 Spirit of God moves freely p. 329 T THankfulnesse for Sabbath liberties p. 470 Tree of life more excelllent then the Tree of knowledge p. 345 Trinity of persons their proper works p. 20 U UNity among Christians the good fruits thereof p. 433 Vnity in Religion how obtained p. 432 Vnthankfulnesse a great sin p. 86 W VVAldenses whence their Rise p. 120 Watchfulnesse in Gods servants needfull p. 463 Withering branch and root how sad p. 166 Week-day Lectures their good p. 174 Weâ—k-day plâ—asures their danger p 221 Works not to be done on the Sabbath two sorts p. 42 Works on the Sabbath to be done of two sorts p. 51 Works Christ did the same God did p. 10 Willingnesse required in Gods service pag. 459 Word preached better then Word read pa. 64 Wrath unfits men for good Duties p. 452. Z ZEal in Gods service good p. 375 Zion deprived of Sabbaths sad pa. 152 Some Scriptures occasionally explained Genesis ch ver pag. 2. 3. 197 13. 8. 327 Exodus ch v. pag. 32. 19. 161 Leviticus ch ver pag. 26. 33. 153 1 Sam. ch v. pa. 28. 15. 363 Job ch ver pag. 1. 6. 228 Proverbs ch ver pag. 24. 27. 183 25. 11. 183 Psalm 41. 1. 306 51. 12. 283 108 1. 306 Esay ch ver pag. 43. 1. 413 Jeremiah ch ver pag. 17. 27. 104 Lamenta ch ver pag. 2. 6. 103 Amos. 4. 7. 111 Matthew Ch. Ve. Pag. 5. 3. 266 12. 44 316 24. 20. 24 Mark ch ver pag. 1. 23. 316 2. 28. 26 Luke ch v. pag. 2. 37. 73 5. 6. 237 15. 8. 267 John ch ver pag. 20. 24. 17 Romans ch ver pag. 8. 7. 319 8. 9. 262 8. 26. 382 9. 16. 230 12. 2. 258 Galatians ch ver pag. 3. 9. 141 5. 25. 261 2 Timothy ch v. pag. 4. 2. 183 2 Thessalonians ch v. pag. 2. 8. 204 Hebrews ch ver pag. 4. 12. 360 1 Peter ch v. pag. 2. 2. 64 Jam. ch ver pag. 4. 5. 316 1 John ch v. pag. 4. 1. 325 Revelations ch ver pag. 4. 8. 265 5. 8. 302 12. 15. 381 14. 6. 203 21. 22. 147 22. 1. 290 FINIS