Sina both by word of mouth in the audience of all Israel and also in Tables of stone written with his owne finger Iustine Martyr Tertullian Irenaeus and others of the Auncient seeme to have given the occasion of this opinion where they make it a question whether Adam Abel Noah Abraham Melchizedeck or any of the holy Fathers kept the seventh day for an holy Sabbath and affirme that Abraham beleeved and was justified and called the friend of God without circumcision or observation of Sabbath For from their words which are but doubtfull some late writers both Papists and Protestants doe goe about to prove that the Sabbath was not instituted by God untill the giving of the Law by Moses on Mount Sina And although the words of this Text written by Moses doe here plainely affirme the contrarie and tell us that on the seventh day God ended his worke rested and sanctified the seventh day Yet thus they wrangle and wrest the Text by a Childish forged sense and meaning First they grant the first words that on the seventh day God ended his worke and rested But they deny that he blessed and sanctified the Sabbath on the same day they say that here by way of Anticipation Moses mentions the blessing and sanctifying of the Sabbath not as a thing at this time done but as a thing which was first done in the giving of the Law on Mount Sina many ages after and that upon this ground which is here mentioned to witt his ending of his worke and resting on the first seventh day of the World And here Moses his purpose was to shew not the time but the equitie of the institution not the beginning but the ground of that Sabbath The paraphrase of the Text in their sense was thus And on the seventh day God ended his worke and rested and upon this ground he many ages after at Mount Sina instituted the seventh day to be kept by Jsrael for an holy Sabbath of rest But though some men of learning and divers out of effected errour and malâ—ce stand for this opinion yet indeed there is no ground for it in the Scriptures but many plaine proofes to the contrarie First this Text â—f we take the words as they runne shewes most manifestly that on the seventh day even thâ— next after the six dayes of the Creaâ—ion God ended or perfected his worke and on that day he restâ—d and also blessed and sanctâ—fied it to be his Sabbath Secondly there is no câ—lâ—ur of reason for any man to thinke that God shâ—uld lay the ground and foundation of the Sabbath on the first seventh day of the World and suffer it tâ— lye voide and of no use and never goe about to build on it till so many ages after God cannot endure to doe any thing in vaine nor to suffer any thing to lye void to be of no use which of it selfe is very useful Surely as he loved chos al the holy Fathers from the begining promisd to them the eternal rest of heaven wich they loked for and sought in tâ—e everlasting Citie which hath sure foundations and in the Countrie above in the World to come So he kept not back from them the outward signâ— sealâ— pledg therof his holy Sabbath wich was both a motive to make them bend tâ—eir whol cours towards that rest a meanes to further them in their way jorney to it also Thirdly the Lords owne words which he spake from Mount Sina in the commaundement of the Sabbath are most cleare and doe shew that God blessed and sanctified the Sabbath in the beginning on the first seventh day wherein he ended his woâ—k and rested For he doth not say I the Lord rested on the seventh day from works of creation and therefore I now blesse and sanctifie every seventh day of every weeke hereafter But the Lord rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath and sanctified it that is then of old in the beginning when he rested he blessed and sanctified it Fourthly the Sabbath-day was kept and observed by the Israelites a moneth before they came to Mount Sina Exo. 16.25.26 And Moses and the people knew that the seventh day after that God began to raine Manna from Heaven for to be their bread was the Lords Sabbath as his words doe plainely shew and that the Lord before that time hath by his word appointed it to be the rest of the holie Sabbath Veâ—s 23. And the words of the Lord to Moses when some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather Manna doe plainly shew that God had before that time given them Commaundements and Lawes concerning the rest of the seventh day For in the 28. Verse he saith How long will ye refuse to keep my Commaundements and Lawes Intimating that their going out on the seventh day was a refusing to kâ—ep his Lawes which of old he had given and before this had revealed to them For otherwise they could not be said to transgresse Lawes cannot be refused to be kept before they be given Wherefore it is a vaine praetence and shift which some use to decline this Argument viz. that the ceasing â—f the Manna on the seventh day and Moses his admonishing of the people to rest that day was but a praeludium of the fourth Commandement and a preparation to Gods promulgation of it For the words of the Text shew most plainely that the intermission of Manna was an evidence of the Sabbath already sanctified by the Commaundement of God the resting of the Jsraelites was observing and obeying of the Law already given the going out of some to gather Manna on the seventh day was refusing to keep Gods Law given in the first institution Now for Justine Martyr Tertullian Jraeneus their words doe not prove any thing for the maintaining of this opinion Tertullian denyes onely the perpetuall moralitie of the Law concerning the Iewish Sabbath and calls into question not the institution of it in the beginning but the observation of it by the first Fathers and Patriarches Iustine Martyr and Jâ—aeneus say that Abraham was justified without circumcision and observation of Sabbaths that is of the Ceremoniall Sabbaths commaunded by God in the Ceremoniall Lawes given by Moses not without observation of the weekly Sabbath as the word Zabbaton of the plurall number which they use doeth clearely declare That the weekly Sabbaâ—h was instituted from the beginning the best learned of the Fathers affirme as Origen Hiâ—rome Austine and others And although the Scriptures which briefly runne over the lives and acts of the Fathers make no expresse mention of their observation of the weekely Sabbath Yet we have divers places which minister very probable Arguments for this purpose In Genesis cap. 4.3 It is said that at the end of dayes Caine brought his offering to the Lord that is on the Sabbath which was the end of the weeke and the last of the dayes The
or medle with he did behold take notice of the wisdome goodnesse of God In a word his whole life was a constant obedient seruice of God and there was no inequality nor lesse worship of God in one then in another for he fully serued God at all times Wâ—osoever denyes this must needs deny therein mans perfection constant conformity to God in the state of innocency For where one day is kept better then another there is inequality and noe constant vniformity in himselfe nor conformitie to Gods will In the Second place they who hold that the Sabbath was first instituted after mans fall yet that it was writteÌ„ in mans heart in the state of innocency and he then was bound to keepe it they fall into many absurdities First that a man was bound to keepe a Sabbath before ever it was instituted SecoÌ„dly that God did by his word coÌ„maÌ„dmeÌ„t teach má in vain that which he was fully taught alreadie had writteÌ„ in his heart Thirdly that God gaue to man a law in vaine after his fall when he knew he was become vnable to keep it 3. They who hold that the Law of the Sabbath was not written in mans heart but was a positiue Law given in the state of innocency of the same nature with that Commandement of mans not eating of the tree of knowledge They doe make this Commandement of the Sabbath vtterly voyd by mans fall euen as that of not eating is now voyd and was not to bee renued after mans fall But of the vnsoundnesse and vanity of these opinions I shall speake more fully when I come to shew what kind of law that of the Sabbath is and how that commandement bindes men Now because I cannot find any solidity or satisfaction in any of these opinions J haue left humane writings even of the best learned and haue betaken my selfe wholy to the searching of the Holy Scriptures Gods most pure infallible Wâ—rd and what light J finde therein for the manifestation of the truth I will not hide nor cover but set it before you openly And for the time when God first instituted the Sabbath I conceive it to haue been not in the state of innocency but after mans fal imediately yet upon the seventh day wherein God rested from the worke of the creation as my text here sayth and although this may seeme to crosse the order of the History as is here laid down by Moses because mans fall related a while after his sanctification of the Sabbath even in the third Chapt. Yet let this moue no man for Moses doth not set downe al thiâ—gs in order as they were done in this the next Chapter but first he speaks of the finishing of Heaven and Earth and all the host of them and then of Gods rest and of the sanctifying of the seventh day then returnes to speak of thiâ—gs which were done before as the planting of the garden in Eden which was a worke of the third day and the making of the woman and forming her of a rib taken out of mans side and mans naming of al living creatures before the woman was made which things were done on the sixt day Also in this chapter the forming of the man is related before the planting of the garden and the watering of it with a river which was devided into foure Heads though it is most euident that before there was a man to till the ground God made every plant tree that was pleasant to the eye and good for food to grow out of the ground that is all the trees of the garden amongst the rest ver 5 Wherefore we must not cleave strictly to the order in which Moses sets things downe in this Chapter nor take all things to be first done which are here first related for then wee should beleeve that plants herbes trees man and woman were all created after that the workes of creation were finished and after Gods resting one the seventh day But to passe by all needlesse doubts let us come to the proofes of this point which proue strongly that Gods institution of the Sabbath was not in mans innocency but afâ—er his fall First the very words of my text affirme that the Sabbath was instituted on the seventh day for first it is said in expresse words that on the seventh day God rested blessed sanctified that day Secondly the things which gaue God occation to sanctifie the seventh day upon which the first institution of the Sabbath was grounded came not to passe neither were they in being vntill the seventh day that is Gods perfecting of the worke and resting from al he work which he had made the words of the text are very plain On or in the sevenâ—h day God ended his worke and rested and because of this resting he blessed and sanctified the seventh day And therefore the sanctifying of the seventh day which was the institution of the Sabbath cannot be before the seventh day The building could not bee beefore their was ground to build on neither could the worke goe before the cause and occation of it Thirdly it is against all reason to thinke that God actually blessed and sanctified the seventh day and made â—it his Holy Sabbath before it came into being Now this ground being very cleare that the Sabbath was instituted on the seuenth day from the beginning of the creatioÌ„ not before I proceed to a second ground to weet that man did fall towards the end of the sixt day even on the same day in which he was created which being fully proved Jt well necessarily follow That the fiâ—st institution of the Sabbath was after mans fall and not in the state of innocency First that man did fall vpon the very day of his creation the sixt day I proue by plaine Scriptures and by strong arguments grounded on them The first testemony is that speech of David Psalme 49.12 Man beeing in honour lodged not a night therein but became like the Beasts that perish Soe the words runne in the originall text we caÌ„not without wresting of the words from their proper sence in the Hebrew expound them of any other person but of the firâ—t Adam of his fall the word which is in our translation man is Adam in the Hebrew and the words which we read in our Engglish abideth not Bal-jalim and in the Hebrew signifie lodged not a night therein as appeareth by other Scriptures in which it is continually vsed to signifie lodging or tarrying for a night viz. Exod. 23.18 34.25 Devt 16. 4. where God forbids the Israelites to let the fat of their Sacrifice or any part of the flâ—sh of the Paschall lambe lodge with them all night till the morning and 2 Sam. 17.8 where Hushai saith to Absalom of his Father David that he was a man of warre and would not lodge with the people And 2 Sam. 19.8 where Joab saith to David there will
weekly Sabbath is founded which is briefely comprehended in these 3 particulars 1. Gods perfecting of the woâ—k crâ—ated 2. Gods â—est on the seventh day 3. Gods blessing of it Out of which particulars as I haue laid them open this Doctrine doth arise CHAP. 3. THat the first institutioÌ„ of the Sabbath on the seventh day of the first week of the world was grounded vpon Christ and occationed by the promise of him to be mans mediatour and the worlds redeemer And the true proper grounds of the sanctification of the weekly Sabbath vpon which it stands perpetually to the worlds end and to the eternall rest in heaven are Gods perfecting of the created world by bringing in redemption by Christ Gods rest delight and pleasure in Christs mediation and Gods blessing the seventh day with a blessing farre a boue the blessings all of other daies even the giving of Christ a perfect Saviour for mankinde This point is most plaine and manifest by that whih I haue before delivered But yet for the better setling of our Judgments and confirming of our hearts in the knowledge and beleefe of this truth Jt will not be amisse to add further proofes and reasons grounded on the sacred Scriptures First that which is the ground of Gods sanctifying the seventh day aboue all the other six dayes of the weeke must needes be somthing which came to passe one that day which farre excelled the workes created on the six dayes For the holy Scriptures and the common practise of all nations do concure in this that all holy daies whether weekly monthly or yearely are obserued and were first instituted in memory of some notable and extraordinary thing which on those dayes of the weeke moneth and yeare happened came to passe witnesse â—he passover Pentecost the feast Purim and dedication the feast of Christ nativity resurrection ascension our fifâ—h of November aâ—d many others But there can be nothing imagined greater then the works of creatioÌ„ which were all finished on the six daies but only the promise relation of Christ the redeemer the work of Redemption by him the eternall Sonne of God on that day openly undertaken and begune as I haue before proved First for Gods ceasing from his workes of creation and his bare rest from them it being a doing of nothing not making of good things cannot in any case be esteemed better then the workes of the six dayes wherin God created all things good and perfect with naturall perfection For doing of good is better in the judgment of all reasonable men then doing of nothing Secondly for Gods perfecting of the creation by bringing man and woman the last and chiefest of his creatures into being that waâ— on the sixt day and his making of every creature compleat and perfect in his kinde that was done on the severall dayes in which they were severally created they cannot be any ground of sanctifying the seventh day but rather of the six daies of the weeke Wherefore it remaines that Christ promised â— perfect redemptioÌ„ on the seventh day of the world beginÌ„ing actually to mediate for man to coÌ„municate his spirit supernaturall grace faith to our first parents is the ground of the institution of the weâ—kly Sabbath on that day· Secondly a supernaturall effect cannot proceed from a naturall cause a spirituall building cannot be surely setled on a naturall ground and foundation If the effect be supernaturall the cause must be such and if the buâ—lding be spirituall the foundâ—tion alsoe must be spirituall on which it is setled Now the sanctification of the Sabbath as it is Gods worke in the first institution it is a seperating of a day from naturall to heavenly spirituall and supernaturall vse and to workes which tend to such an end as cannot be obtained by creation but onely by the mediation of Christ and sanctification of the Sabbath as it is a worke and duty which God requires of a man is wholy exercised about things which concerne Christ which haue relation to him and which none can rightly performe without the communion of the spirit of Christ and the sauing guifts and graces of God in Christ. The Hebrew word Kadâ—sh signifies onely such workes in all the Scriptures wheresoever it is vsed never any thing is said to be holy or sanctâ—fying but in for and by Christ wherefore that ground of the Sabbath must needes be something in Christ or indeed Christ himselfe on the seventh day first promised and revealed a perfect and alsufficient Redemer and mediatour to gather all things to God Thirdly that which hath no proper or principall end or vse but such as presupposeth Christ and his mediation and is subordinate to him promised and to the revelation of redemption by him must needes be grounded on Christ and receive the first institution and Originall from the promise of him or him promised This is a certaine truth which with no culour of reason can be denied For God doth nothing in vayne he makes althings for there proper end vse and brings nothing into being before hee hath a proper end vse ready before hand for which it may serve Now the proper principall end vse of the Sabbath for which the Lord is said in the Scriptures to institute give it to his people is such as presupposeth Christ and his actuall mediation and is subordinate to the promise of redemtion by him First God himselfe testifieth both in the Law Exod. 31 13. also in the Prophets Ezech. 20.12 that he gaue his Sabbath to his people for this end and vse Thaâ— it might be a perpetuall signe betweene him and them to confirme them in this knowledge beleefe That he is their God who doth sanctifie them Secondly another maine vse for which God instituted the Sabbath is that it might be a signe and pledge to his people of the eternall rest or Sabbathisme which remaines for them in heaven and vntill they come to that rest they are bound to keepe a weekly holy Sabbath to put them in hope of that eternall rest soe much may be gathered from the Apostles words Heb. 4.3.9 Thirdly the Sabbath is for that end and use that by keeping it holy by sanctifying our selvs to the Lord and delighting our selvs in him and in his holy worshippe wee might grow up in holinesse without which none can come to see and enjoy God and soe might draw still more neere to God till we be fully fitted to see and enjoy him in glory and to come to his eternall rest in Heaven Now all these principall endes and vses of the Sabbath doe presuppose the promise of Christ and his mediation For first in him alone as he is our mediatour God becomes our God who doth sanctâ—fie us and without Gods shedding of the holy Ghost on us through Christ we can never be truly sanctified as appeares Rom. 8.9 Tit. 3.6 1 Cor. 1.30 And
Priests with all their robes and vestments also the sacrifices and all other holy things of the Tabernacle they all were sanctified by the speciall commandement of God and by direction of his word as Moses in the law testifies in Exodus 40. divers other places Soe the temple in Ierusalem and all the Holie things which are consecrated and dedicated to the service of God by Solomon are said to be hallowed and sanctified by God 1 King 9.3 and 2 Cron. 7.17 that is by Gods speciall commandement direction And Moses his dedication of all things in the law is said to bee by bloud and that by precepts spoken to the people according to Gods law Heb. 9. vers 19.22 And every creature of God is said to be sanctified to the use of the Saints by the word of God and by prayer 1 Tim. 4.5 Now if in all Gods word everie thing is said to bee sanctified by the word and speciall Commandement of God And wheresoever in all the Scriptures God is said to sanctifie any thing and to seperate it for holy Use The word Sanctifie doth necessarilye implie a Commandement and speciall law of God given for the seperating of it It were against all reason and common sence to deny heere in this text the wordes Blesse and sanctifie doe necessarilie alsoe implie that God gaue a speciall commandement and law for the keepeing of his holie weekelie Sabbath an holy rest unto him the Lord our God Thirdly whatsoever is sanctified by God and so dedicated to holy vse that it is not in the power of any creature to alter and chaunge and turne it to another use without sinne and transgression against God that is certainlie established by a spirituall law of God for where there is no law there is no transgression Now after that God had sanctified the seventh daie apointed it to be the rest of the holie Sabbath It was a sinne and transgression not to keepe it or to chaunge and alter it to common vse yea it was transgression against Gods commandements as appeares in the place before mentioned Exod. 16.23.28 Therfore Gods sanctifying the Sabbath was vndoubtedlie by giving of a commandement for the due keeping and observing of it But from this point thus proved there ariseth an objection the answering and removing whereof seemes to a matter of some moment For this being granted that God in sanctifying the seventh day immediatlie after the ending of the creation did giue a speciall law for the observation of the seventh day of every weeke as an holy Sabbath And if once consecrared by Gods law to holie use may in no case be turned to common and profane vse and whosoever doth chaunge it sinneth most greeviouslâ—e as appeares Exod. 30.32 Num. 16.38 and also by the destructâ—on of Kâ—ng Belshâ—zzâ—r for turning the hallowed Vessels of the Temple of Ierusalem to common and profane vse Dan. 5. It will here upon follow that Adams posterity in all ages are bound to keepe the weekely Sabbath on the seventh day and no creature may chaunge it to another daie without grieuous sinne And the Christian Churches which haue chaunged the Sabbath to the first day of the weeke haue made the seventh daie a common daie wherein they doe the workes of their private calling their worldlie businesse haue transgressed Gods law in so doing Neither haue they any warrant or ground from this first institution or the fourth commandement which the Sabbath of the Seventh daie to keepe their weekely Sabbath on the Lords day which is the first of the weeke For the satisfying of this objâ—ction and clearing of this doubt divers things may be answered First that in the most strict commandement of God by which he binds men to the keeping of holy assemblies and publick solemnities for the performance of religious duties worshippe and service to his majesties memorable of his extraordinary blessings and benefits though the solemne duties be limmited to some certaine and fit daies those particular duties be named in the law Yet if the substance of the Commandement be kept that is the holy solemnitie observed and the duties worship and service be performed in all full and ample manner as the law requires though the particular daies of the month yeare and weeke be chaunged vpon good reason and for weighty consideration The Lord doth dispence with alteration of that circumstance to another day and time which appeares by good reason and for just causes to bee more convenient and doth allow and accept that for the right performance of his law This is manifest by a plain instance and example given by God himselfe For the law of the passover which God gave to Israel did command them to keepe that feast in their generations vpon the fourteene day of the first month and that under paine of being cut off Exod. 12.14.18 Levit. 23.5 And yet upon just occasion such as Gods law approves either of uncleannesse of absence from home vpon a farre jouney it was lawfull to chaunge the particular time and to keepe the passover on another day more convenient even on the fourteenth day of the second moneth Num. 9.11 And soe Hezekiah and all the people of Israell and Iudah kept it and chaunged the day 2 Cron. 30. And hereby the Lord himselfe teacheth us that the Lawes which command holie solemnities and bind all his people in their generations to the due observation of them on certaine set daies such as the law of the weekly Sabbath the yearly Passover may stand in force and bee dulie observed though the particular daie of the weeke be chaunged vpon such grounds as Gods law approveth and for such causes and reasons as make that other day more fit and excellent for the solemnitie then that particular day of the weeke or of the moneth which is named in the law Secondly If any object that the law of the passover was ceremoniall and therefore might admit of some chaunges but it cannot be so in the law of the Sabbath if it be morall and perpetuall binding all man kinde to the worlds end To this I answere that for the time and season wherein ceremoniall lawes are in force they are equall in their obligation and binding of the persons commanded to lawes morall and perpetuall and therefore the argument and answer is good and firme and cannot with any good reason be rejected and denied Thirdly divers positive lawes which are morall and perpetuall and bind Adam and all his posterity in all their generations though they be firme and immutable in themselves in their obligation yet because the Duties of obedience which they impose vpon men and the men up on whom the duties are imposed are in their state and condition mutable and chaungable And the chaunges and alterations of the things commanded in times places and other relations and respects do not at all chaunge the law nor proue it ceremoniall and chaungable
vvhich is the last in the vveeke rather then any other if the Church so determine it if it bee obserued vvithout any superstitious conceipt of more holinesse in that day or annexed to it rather then any other The fourth opinion is that the first lavv for observation of the vveekly Sabbath vvas the fourth commandement given from mount Sina that is did bind only the Isralits to keep the seveÌ„â—h day of the vveek for an holy Sabbath untill the coÌ„ming of Christ but novv under the gospel it is abolishâ—d in respect both of the particular day also the strictnes of the obseruation only the equity of it remains in the Lords day the obseruation vvherof is commeÌ„ded to us by the example of the Apostles â—ovv the lavv of keeping it holy is only ecclesiasticall an holy ordinance of the Church· Thus you see vvhile men build vpon vnsure and vnstable grounds not upon the certain vvords of holy Scripture compared together made to runne in a svveet harmony hovv various different they are hovv contrary some of them in their opinions For the removing of all doubâ—s setling of mens judgments in a sure vvay so farre as God shal enable me I vvill endeavour to select single out vvhatsoever I finde in these severall opinions to be agreeable to the truth to the sacred vvord of God reject the rest vvill ad more over what is wanting to make up a perfect Doctrine not out of mine owne conjections but out of canonicall Scriptures for that is the sure rule of all necessary saving and sanctified knowledge that must be the sure guid when Fathers Councels Churches do lead vs into severall doubtfull wayes First for them who hold that the law of the Sabbath was written in mans heart in the Creation I hold it true insome part to weet thus far That God creating man in his owne Image did print this in mans heart That as he had his whole being from God especially his reasonable soule by which he was made able to understand the will of God revealed to him by his word so hee was bound to obey God and to serue him all his dayes with his whole heart and with all his might And if God did require of him any part of his time and commanded him to obsteine from some good and lawfull workes tending to his naturall good and well being to doe some speciall workes for his Lords pleasure in one day or more selected daies of the weeke or of every moneth or yeare he ought to doe it out of duty and obedience to his Lord and Creatour Thus farre J consent that the law is naturall written in mans heart to weet in generall and in respect of the common foundation J grant also that the law and commandement of God injoyning the rest of men their servants and cattell from hard labour the seventh day or one daie in every weeke is a thing so naturally helpfull needfull for the health and wellbeing of men ever since mans fall and the curse of barennesse laid upon the earth and the punishment of toyle some labour and faint sweating imposed on man kinde that mans own naturall reason will and affection must needes approue it and moue and incline his heart to the obedience of it and his inward thoughts cannot but accuse him of wrong done to his owne body and to the life of his labouring cattell and servants if he disobey it and in this respect it may be called a law of nature Yea I adde moreover that if wee take the law of nature in a large sence as some times it is taken that is for every law which commands such duties and such obedience as in there owne nature are very vsefull profittable to the parties commanded and which is grounded on such just causes weighty grounds as by the judgment of naturall reason are in their owne nature well worthy of such observance then the law commandement of keeping an holy Sabbath on the seventh day in the old Testament in thankfulnesse for Christ promised for a continuall memoriall of that great blessing one the first day of Christs resurrâ—ction now under the Gospell in thankfulnesse for Christ fully exhibited the worke of redemption by him perfected which so much excels the promise made on the seventh day as perfecting of a worke excels the beginning undertaking of it may both in respect of the particular day the sanctification of it be called a law of nature that is a law requiring such morall perpetuall obedience as is in the nature of it most just and worthy to be performed But that the law and Commandement which bound the fathers to keepe an holy rest one the seventh day of every weeke and us under the Gospel to keepe it on the first day especially and no other was in in the creation written imprinted in the heart of man so distinctlie and expressly that man had an inbred notion of it and a naturall instinct of himselfe to observe this law to keepe a weekly Sabbath on those uerie daies which God hath prescribed both to the fathers us This I must needs deny for these reasons following First Gods sanctifying of the Seventh day by his word and commandement and his institution of the Sabbath by a positiue law giuen as my text here shewes had beene vaine and needlesse if the law and the Sabbath of holie rest had beene expressly and particularly written in mans heart already For what man by the instinct of nature by his own naturall reason will and affection is lead and moved to do that hee is vainly needlesly vrged unto by any law or commandement being of himselfe without any monitor ready to performe it Secondly the very word Sanctify signifieth the setting apart of this day to a supernaturall and heavenly vse euen for the performance of such duties as are aboue the naturalll imaginations and thoughts of man and which his naturall reason would never haue revealed to him not his will lead him to do If God by his word and divine superturall revealation had not directed and moved him Therefore this law by which God sanctified instituted the Sabbath is not a naturall law but a divine and supernaturall precept Thirdly in the creation and state of innocency man was bound to serve God as his creatour and the author of all his being and to be content with that estate wherein God had placed him and saw to be very good and to looke no higher It was the inordinat desire of more knowledge and of an higher estate then God had revealed and promised which made our first parents so yeelding to the devils temptations and vndoubtedly it was an occasion of their sinne in eating of the forbidden fruite Now the serving of God as his Lord and Creatour was the duty of man euery day alike for the heavens aboue and the
the common ground of this lavv printed in mans heart in the creation and finding it among the ten commandements which are generally held to be the summe and substance of the law of nature doe call it a law of nature Others haue considered it as a speciall commandement given by God immediatly after the creation by word of mouth and not written in mans heart and do call it a positiue morall law Others haue considered it as it commands rest one the seventh day now altered by Christ which rest was a signe of Christs rest from the worke of redemption is a token pledge of eternall rest in heauen there upon hold it to be a ceremoniall law and hence ariseth the diuersity among Christians and almost civill warre betweene the Pastors of severall Churches yea amoÌ„g learned preachers of one the same Church Whereas indeed they all hold the truth in part but not wholy They all erre in this that they limit it every one to that speciall kinde of law which he hath hath chiefly in his eye and upon which he hath set his conceit Now make it a mixt law proue it manifestly there needs no more contention except some men wil contend without cause against reason out of a spirit of contention contradiction First this law as all other lawes is indefinitly comprehended in the generall law of nature for the generall law written in mans heart in the creation binds him to attend the wil of God to be ready to obey God his Creatour in all things whatsoever he either had already declared or should at any time to come reveale to bee his will and to bee a duty which he required of man And therefore the observing keeping of a weekly holy Sabbath devoting of a seventh part of every weeke to religious exercises to rest from bodily labour common worldly busines being expresly commanded by God declared at severall times upon severall occasions to be his will man is by the generall of nature bound to performe it in this respect we may truly say that the law of the Sabbath is a law of nature included indefinitly in that generall law dictate of nature written in mans heart in the creation Secondly though J cannot conceive that the keeping of an holy Sabbath weekly was a thing so distiâ—ct written in mans heart in the creation that man of himselfe by the instinct of his nature or by the light of his reason motion of his will would haue set either the seventh daie or any other of the seven daies of the weeke apart for rest or other duties of the Sabbath which God in the first institution required commanded also in his law giuen from mount Sina Yet because the keeping holy of a weekly Sabbath upon such grounds as are mentioned in this text for such ends vses as God hath ordained to weet commemoration of Gods mercy bounty in promising Christ preserving the knowledge memory of the covenant of eternall life rest in Christ training up of people in religion the feare worship of God in holines by which they are made fit to see enjoy God in glory because J say the keeping holy of a weekly Sabboth is in these respects a thing very good profittable yea necessary for the helpe of man and for the reparing of his nature corrupted Thirdly if we consider the law of the weekly Sabbath as it was given by God in the first institution in his blessing sanctifying of the seuenth day againe renewed inserted among the ten commandements given from mount Sina at other times upon diuers occasions repeated by Moses and by the Prophets from Gods mouth If we also consider that neuer the Sabbath it self nor the ground reason ocasion of it to weer Gods perfecting the creation by promising revealing redemptioÌ„ in Christ the rest which J haue before proved demonstrated were written â—n mans heart in innocency but were after mans fall revealed by God thereupon the holy rest commanded to bee kept on that day which God aboue other daies hath blessed and sanctified We may truely affirme that the commandement of the Sabbath in these respects is a positiue law of God not a law of nature requiring such particular duties as man of himselfe without Gods positiue commandement would haue observed Yea the word Memento Remember soe often added to the precept of the Sabbath as appeares Exod. 20.8 doth plainly shew that the keeping holy of a weekly Sabbath was not a thing printed in mans heart for then it had beene vaine needlesse for God soe often to use this word Remember to put them in mind of this duty by Moses the Prophets mans owne conscience would haue been his daily and continual Monitor Remembrancer his own thoughts would haue ben ready to accuse him for every omision neglect of it As the Apostle testifies of the worke of the law written in mans heart Rom. 2.15 Fourthly if we consider the law of the Sabbath as it commandeth man together with his children servants labouring cattell to rest from their wearisome labours bodily paine which came in by sinne by mans fall together with servile subjection difference of the Maister servant which weekly rest intermission from toyle labour granted to servants cattell by their Maisters as well as to themselves makes very much for good order in every state common wealth for peace society among meÌ„ in every family serves for an excellent civill politicall use so it is in the judgment of many learned godly Divines not without good reason hold to be a civill and politicall lavv Fifthly if we consider First the time of Gods first institution of the Sabbath as it fals under Chist even upon the seventh day of the world in which Christ was promised to redeeme man who was fallen in the latter end of the sixth day as is before shewed Secondly if wee consider the ground and reason of Gods institution of the Sabbath and sanctifying the seventh day even Christ promised the seed of the woman to breake the serpents head by whose actually undertaking beginning to mediate for man God did perfect the mutable worke of creation setled the world in an higher estate of the perfection supernaturall did rest in Christs mediation being that which was able to giue full satisfaction to his justice Thirdly if we consider that in the first institution the Sabbath day was sanctified blessed aboue the other six dayes that is vvas set apart to heavenly supernaturall vse which cannot be imagined but in under Christ in whome all things are sanctified We must needes know confesse that the commandement of the Sabbath even in and from the first originall and institution is a law Divine and Evangellicall commanding such an
men and having shewed what kinde of law this is which God hath giuen for the observation of the weekly Sabbath and how and in what manner it bindes the sonnes of Adam in all ages some in one kinde and some in another and Adam and all his posterity in some respects There remaines yet for all that hath beene said before one speciall point to be more fully proved That is concerning the Chaunge of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day what ground and warrant we haue for it and how the law of God by which God set apart the seventh day in the first institution and still in the fourth CoÌ„mandement and other repetitions of that law by Moses mentions on the seventh day for the weekly Sabbath can bind us Christ ans to keep holy the Lords day or warrant us to make it our Sabbath For the more full manifestation and proofe of this point and satisfiing of all doubts I will by the light of Gods sacred word and by the helpes which I shall finde in the writings and sayings of the best learned both ancient and moderne Christian divines do my best endeavour to shew and proue that the Lords day which is the first of the weeke and the day of Christs resurrection the fittest day of all the seven to be the holy weekly Sabbath of Christians That God before and in the first giving of the law of the Sabbath did intend and foresee the chaunge the grounds of the chaunge of it to the first day that God by Christ hath chaunged it And that the law of the Sabbath in the maine duties which it requires is more fully and in a better and more excellent manner obeyed by Christians in there observation of the Lords day and keeping it for the holy rest then it was by the fathers of the Old Testament in their keeping of the seventh and last day of the vveeke for their holy rest and vveekly Sabbath First to proue the conveniencie fitnesse of the Lords day to be the Sabbath under the Gospell aboue all other daies we haue diuers arguments The first I frame thus That day which is the first of dayes the first fruits of time especially of the time of grace is the fittest to be the Lords holy day aboue all other daies of the weeke in under the time of grace The Lord himselfe teacheth this for a plaine truth requiring the fruits of all things for an holy offering to himselfe under the law from the beginning when he taught Adam Adam did teach his sonnes Caine Abell to bring sacrifices of firstlings first fruits for offerings to him Gen. 4. Now the Lords day which is the first day of the week is the first of all daies in the world In it God began the creation the highest heavens which is the place of blessednes the heavenly host also the common masse matter of the whole visible inferior world the chiefest most gracious element the light that is the fiery heavens with the first beginning of the creation this day began so it is the first fruites of all times created although in the creatioÌ„ during the state of innocency the first fruites were no more holy theÌ„ the rest of the lump or masse sanctifying of things to holy use came in by Christ with the first promise of him the first time of Christ revealed being the seventh day was to be the holy Sabbath all the time in which Christ was onely promised not given Yet now seeing by the resurrection of Christ in which Christ waâ— exhibited a perfect redeemer and became the first fruites of them that sleep The first day of the weeke and of the world which was onely the first fruits of time before is by Gods providence become the first day firist frvites of the time of grace vnder Christ a perfect redeemer Therfore the first day which is now the first fruites of time both in the creaâ—ion and under pefect redemption which doth perfect and sanctifie the creation is now the fittest of all the dayes of the weeke to be the Lords holy Sabbath And it is against all reason for any to think any other day so fit to bee offered vp for the first fruites of every weeke and of our times to God as this day which is the day of the Lord Christ who is the true first fruites of all creatures and doth sanctifie the whole masse and lumpe of mankinde and all other creatures which are gathered vnto God in him In which day Christ arose from death and became the first frutes of them that sleepe that by the virtue of his resurrection hee might sanctifie the very grave to them that sleep in him might raise them up as to grace in this life soe alsoe to glory at the last day in the generall resurrection Secondly that day wherein the place of eternall rest and of the everlasting Sabbath which after this vvorld ended remaines for the people of God was created and brought into being and vvherein eternall rest was purchased and the way opened into that rest must needes in the judgment of reasonable men be the fittest day for the weekly Sabbath which is to all gods people a sure signe and pledge of eternall rest and of their everlasting Sabbath in heauen which weekly Sabbath is to be kept holy and sanctified by mediations on Heaven and Heavenly rest by such Holy exercises of religion as doe fit and prepare vs for the life of glory in Heaven Now the first daie of the weeke is the day wherin God created the place of eternall rest euen the highest Heavens which are from eternity decreed and ordained to bee the place in vvhich his elect shall keepe rheir eternall Sabbath after this life In this day also Christ arose from death perfected redemption and rested from that vvorke by vvhich he procured eternall life and Heavenly glory for God people upon this day hee opened the way to the Holie of Holies and made his first enterance both in his owne flesh also for all his members into that life eternall and that rest which they with him shall enjoy in the Heavenlie mansions Therefore vndoubtedlie this day of all the daies of the weeke most fit and and worthy to be kept an holy Sabbath of rest and to be sanctified with mediations on heaven and heavenly glory and with other exercises of religion which fit men for eternall rest in heaven Thirdly that day wherein God first created the light of this inferior visible world and wherein the light of the visible heavens did shine forth when it is once blessed with the rising up of a greater and more glorious light even the Sun of righteousnesse It is of all daies become the fittest most vvorthy to be the Lords holy weekly Sabbath which is to be hallowed by meditating vpon the inheritance of the Saints in light and by such holy
exercises as tend to make men meet to be partakers thereof Now the first day of the weeke the Lords day is the day wherein God first created the light of the visible world even the fiery heavens which shine forth ever since and give light to the inferiour world soe it is testified Gen. 1.3 And on this day Christ the Lord the sun of righteousnesse did rise up and did bring to light immortallity eternall life and became the great and glorious light of the world Therefore this day is the fittest and most worthy to bee the holie weeklie Sabbath and to be spent in meditation upon seeking for the inheritance of the Saints in light Fourthly that day which hath not only the same grounds and reasons in it upon which God first founded the Sabbath and sanctified the seventh day but also divers additions of the same kinde which make the grounds and reasons more forcible and excellent This is most fit and worhy to be the holy weekly Sabbath and such is the first day of the weeke and hath beene ever since it became the Lords day by the Lord Christ his resurrection For proofe whereof consider the grounds and reasons upon which God sanctified the seventh day 1. Gods ending or perfecting his created worke 2. Gods resting from that worke 3. Gods blessing of the seventh day by revealing on it the greatest blessing farre aboue any given in the creation These are the groundes here laid downe in my text which are rehearsed againe by God in the fourth commandement of the law And another reason drawne from the end and use of the Sabbath is also added Exod. 31.13 Ezech 20.12 to weet that the Sabbath might be a signe and token from God that hee is their God who doth sanctifie them that is by giving his Holy spirit with all saving graces in this life vnto them in Christ doth fit them for the fruition sight of his glory in the eternall rest in Heaven so makes the weekly Sabbath a pledge of the eternall Sabbath in the world to come also Now the godly learned heretofore who had no thought of founding the Sabbath on Christ promised on the seventh day of the world they do understand Gods ending of his worke to be either the finishing of the creation on the seventh day by adding some perfection or natural blessing to the creatures more then he had given on the sixt daies Or else that God had already ended perfected his worke before the seuenth day for this cause blessed sanctified the seventh day for a memoriall of the creation of the world and all things therein made perfect and compleat so appearing on that day And by Gods resting on the seventh day from all his worke which he created made they understand nothing else but Gods rest of mere cessation because this was the day wherein God hauing finished his worke made all things good had no occasion to worke any more by way of creation but rested from making more kindes of creatures Therefore God commanded man to rest after his example every seventh day and to keep it for a weekly Sabbath And by Gods blessing of the seventh day they doe understand Gods sanctifying of it to be a signe pledge of the eternall rest These being the grounds reasons in the opinion of the learned vpon which God sanctified the seuenth daie are in a more excellent measure to be found in the first day of the week on which day the Lord Christ rose from death· For first the Lord Christ on that day who is the Lord of the sabbath ended a greater worke then the creation even the great worke of redemption which on that daie he did perfect and finish by the last highest act of it even his resurrection in which he got the victorie triumphed ouer death the last enimie ouer him who had the power of death that is the Devill and did shew to the world that he had fully paid the ransome price of mans redemption satisfied justice wrought fulfilled all righteousnesse sufficient to justifie all that beleeve in him to settle them in Gods favour for ever So that here is a better ending finishing of a better work then that of the creation was which did perfect the mutable worke of creation so here is a bâ—tter ground of sanctifying the day in which it came to passe as diveâ—s learned writers haue rightly observed Secondly on this day the Lord Christ entered into a better rest then any from the creation can be he rested from all his laboures paines sufferings all workes which Gods infinite justice required for mans redemption by way of satisfaction Heb. 4.10 And he tooke possession of eternall rest for himselfe as the head and for his body the whole Church for every elect member thereof So that this resting is a more farre excellent ground reason of the sanctifying of this day to be the weekely Sabbath Yea though I do by Gods perfecting of his worke vnderstand his perfecting of the worke which was marred defaced by mans fal even the worke of creation his making of it more perfect and compleat by his promising of Christ and by Christs undertaking beginning his actuall Mediation first bringing in of supernaturall perfection And by Gods resting I vnderstand his resting so fully wholy in Christs mediation in his satisfaction undertaken for the repairing perfecting of the world which man by his fall had brought under vanity corruption that he put from him all thoughts purposes of going about any new worke of creation for the repairing therof and so is said to rest as I haue befor fully proved Yet I must confesse that on the Lords day which is the first of the weeke in which Christ did rise from death God did more fully excellently perfect all his worke brought in a rest which doth so farre excell that perfecting of his worke resting from creation on the first seventh day as the actuall performance of a promise giuing and fulfilling of a good thing promised vndertaken begun doth excell the promise the undertaking beginning of it And therefore J will bee bold vpon these grounds premises to conclude with the best learned both of the Auncient fathers and moderne Divines That there is more conveniency and fitnesse in the Lords day the first day of the week to be the Lords holy weekly Sabbath now under the Gospell And there are more excellent grounds and sure reasons for the sanctifying of it then any which are named or can be found in the seventh daie which was the Sabbath of the old Testament yea this day by meanes of Christs resurrection to glory in it is the surest pledge and token which outwardly can be given to Gods Church and people that God who raised him up is by him fully appeased satisfied and reconciled to his
people and is the Lord who doth sanctifie them will bring them to glory And thus I passe from the conveniency and fitnes of the Lords day which is the first of the weeke to shew the chaunge of the Sabbath unto that day both in Gods intention and purpose from the beginning also actually in the fulnesse of time by the glorious resurrection of the Lord Christ vp on that day Where by Gods assistance J shall make it appeare That this chaunge of the Sabbath to the Lords day is no humane invention or Eccesiasticall tradition but a thing which God the lawgiuer did purpose and intend from all eternity and foretold by the Prophets and by divers signs foreshewed of old and in fulnesse of time did by his Sonne Christ the Lord of the Sabbath command and actually bring to passe First Saint Augustine and divers other learned men haue heretofore obserued That God by some notable things which he in his wisdome made to concurre in the first day of the ceration did plainly foreshew in the beginning before the seventh day was sanctified or the law of the Sabbath given that it was his purpose and will and he in his eternall counsell had determined to advance in fulnesse of time that day aboue all other daies of the weeke to the honour of the holy weekly sabbath to a day of meditation on the eternall rest in heaven and a pledge to his people of the euerlasting sabbathisme which there remaines for them and the first fruites of their time offered vnto God in Christ and sanctified in him Those notable things are the three things before named 1. That God made that day the first fruites of all time 2. Created in it the place of eternall rest the highest Heaven in which the blessed saints shal injoy their blessed Sabbath whereof the weekly Sabbath is a signe and pledge to them in this life 3. In it he created the light of this visible world which things concurring in one and the same day God in his wisedome soe ordering it who doth nothing in vaine but every thing for some wise purpose and being good reasons to prove and grounds to make that day the fittest to be sanctified in Christ made the Châ—istian Sabbath as J haue before noted the learned from thence do gather and not without good reason That from the beginning God intended for this day the Honour of his weeklie Sabbath in the time of the glorious Gospel Secondly diuers of the Auncients haue observed That God raineing Manna first from Heaven to Israell on the first day of the weeke in the wildernesse as we read Exod. 16. did therefore foreshew that this was the day which he had appointed to be the day of the Lord Christ even the day wherein he who is the Heavenly Manna and bread of life should be given from Heaven in his incarnation and the day in which he should come out of the furnace of fiery afflictions and made a strong bread nourishment by his resurrection able to feed our soules spiritually to life eternal And from hence they inferr with the approbation of diuers graue Divines and schoolemen of later times that God did of old intend and purpose to make this day in the times of the Gospel after Christ fully exhibited and giuen unto us to be the bread of life heavenly Mannâ— his Holy weekly Sabbath and day of spirituall provision wherein Christians should make their weekly provision of spirituall food and heauenly Manna to feed their soules Thirdly diuers of the Auncient fathers haue observed and diuers both Schoolemen and godly learned writers of the reformed Church therein conseâ—t with them That the Lord did of old by his spirit-speaking in the Prophets fortell the chaunge of the Holy Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the weeke the Lords day and day of Christs resurrection The blessed Mâ—rtyr Jgnatius who lived and was growne in the knowledge of Christianity in the time of the Apostles and before the death of St. Iohn the Evangelilist as hee himselfe testifies doth in his Epistle to the Mâ—gnesians not onely affirme that the Lords day is the Queene and supreme Lady of all dayes but also endeavours to proue that God from the daies of old had ordained it to be the true Christian Sabbath and did foreshew so much by the wordes of the Prophet David in the title of the sixth Psalme wherein it is called a Psalme unto the eighth day that is in honour of the Lords day which as it is the first of the weeke counting from the creation everie weeke severallie by it selfe and the seventh if we begin our account with the next day after the Lords day as the Iews did with the next after their Sabbath So if we reckon forward from the beginning of the creation into an other weeke it is the eight day And also learned Augustine and others of the fathers as also diuers late writers do in this point concurre with him and affirme that God moving Dauid to make such Honorable mention of the eighth daie did foreshew his purpose and will to chaunge that day by Christs resurrection in to his Holy Sabbath Some also from Gods institutioÌ„ of circumcision one the eighth day after the birth of the child which was to be circumcised do gather that the eight day after the birth of the world to weet the Lords day was befor ordained of God to be not only the day of Christs resurrection victorie over sin death by which sin should be cut of destroyed but also the Christian sabbath and so both a speciall day of Circumcising their hearts to the Lord in the state of grace and also a pledge of the fulnesse of mortification and sanctification in the day of the last resurrection of enterance into the eternall Sabbath in heauen For this purpose also Saint Austen many other learned men in all ages since even to this day doe alledge the plaine words of David Psal. 118.24 where hauing Prophetically fortold the glorious resurrection of Christ. Thow after that the Iewes had crucified put him to death hee should rise up to be the head corner stone even the rock foundation of the Church for so our Sauiour Mat. 21.42 the Apostle Act. 4.11 do expound Davids words he immediatly affirmes that this is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it That this is the day of the Lord Christ as St. Iohn cals it Revel 1.10 which the Lord hath made That is in his degree hath already appointed to be his holy day we that is in the time of the Gospell when this stone is become the head of the corner will rejoyce be glad in it that is rejoyce befor the Lord with all joy serve him be glad in him with Sabbatical holy solemnity if we consider wel the matter and substance of the 92. Psalme which is
he is promised or fully exhibited Thirdly because there is none of all the Sonnes of men who live in the Church and know the word law of God discern their own frailtie but know how hard it is for them to continue in grace in the knowledge of Christ in the understanding of the misteries of godlinesse without often exercises of religious duties as well in publick as in private without much hearing publick instruction in the word and law of God Therfor every rational man must needs know acknowledg himselfe bound by the light of reason his naturall appetite of his own happinesse to use all means for continuance increase of grace of heavenly knowledg in himselfe needfull to salvation especially this keeping of an weekly Sabbath which he findes by experience to be ameans to hold him fast to Christ. But if any who liue are borne in the Church in such times places wherin they haue sufficient means to know Gods revealed will and law for the keeping of an holy Sabbath weekly do through negligence idlenesse malice or perversnesse remaine wilfully ignorant of this law will of God as well as diuers alients This shal in no case excuse them neither doth it from the bond of this duty no more then it doth froÌ„ the bond of any other laws of which they are wilfull ignorant but God will punish them both for their failing in this duty for their wilfull shutting of their eyes eares and refusing to know his will law Now because a great part of mankind even of Adams posterity do liue out for the Church many nations for many ages even all pagans and Heathen infidels never heard of the Sabbath nor of Gods word vvhich requires the vveekly observation of it We are in the second place to consider vvhether this law of God and this his blessing and sanctifying of the seventh day doth in any respect bind them to this duty And first that ignorance of the law doth not exempt them from the duty it is manifest by plaine reasons First because they had means from Adam and their first progenitours to know this law for when the earth was devided into severall nations and countries the fathers and first founders of euery nation did know that God had in sanctifying the seventh day given this commandement to our first parents and their seed in their loynes But they by wilfull neglect of this duty brought the law into obliuion and their children rejoycing to follow their licentious waies and to put farre from all thoughts of this duty and all regard of this law became wilfully ignorant of Gods will yea they skorne to hearken to Gods word if it be brought vnto them Secondlie no ignorance which is not invincible but might be avoided by due care diligence can exempt a man from any dutie which God hath commanded all mankind to performe Our Saviour tells us that he which failes of his duty out of simple ignorance and doth not his Lords will because he knew it not shal be punished and beaten though with fewer stripes Because God is the Lord of all euerie man ought to enquire after learn his will And therefore Heathen people though they know not this law shal be beaten for neglect of this dutie because they ought to know God and to learne his will who giues them life breath and all things And if they who faile though simple ignorance must be punished though in a lesse measure then wilfull profaners Jt must needes follow that they are bound to the duty though not so strict lie nor in that manner and measure as they who live in the Church in such times and places where they know or may know the law and word of God Thirdlie all mankinde even the most barbarous and sauage nations as they haue their being and all guifâ—s of nature from Gods creating hand and power So they haue all these things continued vnto them by the mediation of Christ and by a common and vniversall virtue of him the Redeemer they are vpheld in life and health and strength in this world And Christ as Mediatour procures all these things to them after a secondarie manner for his elects sake which are either to spring after many ages out of their loines or to receive benifit of their laboures in subduing the earth making it habitable and fit for his people to dwell in and so preparing a place for his Church or the like In this respect God is called the Saviour of all men but especially of them that do beleeve Of all in as much as he preserues them innaturall life but of the faithfull fullie and perfectlie in that he saues them from eternall death and hell and brings them to life eternall And hereupon it is that all things are said to be and to consist in and by and for Christ. Coloss. 1.17 and hee is said to be a ransome for all men that is reaching to all in some measure manner and degree even to infidels to obtaine common guifts for them and to the elect perfectlie to redeeme them Now they who partake the benefit of the Christ the blessed seed promised to Adam they are bound to the dutie which God requires in thankfulnesse for it and for a continuall commemoration thereof Therfore all mankinde even the most barbarous are bound to the duty of keeping an holie sabbath weeklie though they doe not know that which bindes them to it and leades them to the performance thereof Fourthlie Gods blessing of a seventh daie and sanctifying it by his commandement given to our first parents is as easilie to be learned and knowne and kept in memorie as many other things of lesse moment which Heathen Jnfidels doe learne and know and kepe in memory for worldlie respects As for example to measure the times of the world by Yeares and Yeares by months and months by weekes and weekes by seven daies this because the Heathen finde to be verie commodious for worldlie and civill respects therefore they are carefull to learne and remember it and all such things And it is as easilie and as possible to to learne and know Gods law concerning a weeklie Sabbath and they would and might learne it if they were as carefull for their soules and to serve God as they are for their life and to serve their owne lusts and this world And if they would travell and send abrâ—ad into farre countries to learne heavenlie knowledge and holy bevaviour as diligentlie as they do to learne humane knowledge and worldly wisedome art skill they could not be ignorant of Gods law concerning the weekelie Sabbath But they refuse to learne this as they do to learne true religion and shut their eyes against it as they doe against the knowledge of Christ. Therefore as Turkes and other infidels who haue Gods word professed in their Countries cities and among them though they cannot rightlie call vpon
seuenth day Yet the Apostle calls it a shaddow onlie in respect of the particular day of the promise of Christ which day is a bolished giues place to the first day in which the promise was fullie performed and Christ became a perfect Redeemer actuallie in his resurrection The Anti-Sabbatarians haue onely two objections which haue some shew and coulour of reason at the first hearing The first is that if it had beene the minde and will of Christ that the weekly Sabbath should be continued and remoued to the Lords day vnder the Gospell then would he either by himselfe or by his Apostles haue giuen some expresse commandement to that purpose which they say he did not To this I answere First that our Saviour spake fully to this point when he said that he came not to destroy but to fulfill the law It remaines therefore on their part to shew that the Commandement of the Sabbath is no part of the morall law or else they do but beate the aire and labour in vaine Secondlie the Apostles themselves kept their holy assembles ordained in all Churches of the beleeving Gentiles that publick assemblies should be kept and exercises of the holy Sabbath perfomed ordinarily on the first day of the weeke as I haue before proved from Act 20. 1 Cor. 16.1 2. And whatsoever they ordained was the commaâ—dement of che Lord 1 Cor. 14. vers 27. Thirdlie while the first temple was yet standing in the daies of the Apostles and Moses was not yet buried and quite taken out of the way Jt was not convenient that the Apostles should chaunge the day of the Sabbath among the beleeving Iewes Yea they themselves in Iudea and all places among the Iewes kept the seventh daie among the Gentiles the Lords daie We never read that the Lords day was called a Sabbath in the Primitiue times next after the Apostles nor since by any but onely by Iewish Sabbatarians Howsoever these adversaries put on a bold impudent face to colour and countenance this objection Yet herein publish a manifest untruth For Ignaâ—ius immediatly after the Apostles saith That the Christians must keep their holy sabbath not after the manÌ„er of the profane Iews of those times with excessiue feasting dauncing and such carnall sports and pleasures nor on their seventh day But on the Lords day the day of Christs resurrection which he calls the Queene and supeeme Lady of daies as I haue formerlie shewed Saint Hilary saith Nos in prima die perfecti Sabbathi festiuitate latae mur. i.e. We Christians rejoyce in the festiuity of our perfect Sabbath on the first day of the weeke St. Augustine in the 25. sermon de tempore Hauing rehearsed diuers notable blessings and preroâ—atiues which God of old honoured the first day of the weeke the Lords day doth there affirme that upon those grounds the holy Doctors of the Câ—urch to weet the Apostles Who were taught by Christ and inspired by the holy Ghost in all things which they decreed and ordained haue by their decree remoued or rather transferred all the glory of the Iewish sabbathisme vnto the Lords day And immediatly he adds this exhortation Let us Christians therefore obserue the Lord day and let us sanctifie it so as of old the Law giver commanded the fathers concerning the Sabbath saying From evening to evening shall ye celebrate the Sabbath And further he saith that if wee from the evening of the Iewes sabbath the satturday to the evening of the Lords day sequester our selves from all Rurall workes and all seculiar busines and devote our selves onely to Gods worship then we rightly sanctifie the Lords sabbath according â—he wordes of the law Yee shall not doe any worke in it Also Psalm 32. He affirmes that keeping of the Sabbath is one of the things which belong to the loue of God and thus he exhorts every true Christian. Observa diem sabbati non Carnaliter non Judaicis delicijs c. that is observe the day of the sabbath not carnally with Iudiciall delicacies for they abuse their rest and rest to naughtinesse for indeede it is better that men should digge all the day then daunce as they doe But doe thou meditate on the rest in God and doing all things for obtaining that rest abstaine from servile worke And in his 3. Tract at vpon Iohn He saith We are more strictly commanded to keepe the Sabbath then the Iewes For we are injoyned to keepe it spiritually Jewes keepe it carnally in luxury and drunkennes and it were far better that their women should be busied in working all the day in woll then dance The true Christian keepes the Sabbath spiritually by refraining from servile worke These and diuers other testimonies of the Auncients shew â—ufficiently the falshode and vanity of this Objection And that in the judgment of the most godly and learned fathers the law of God bindeth us to keepe the Sabbath holy on the Lords day weekly It is true that some part of the seveÌ„th day was by reason of great multitudes of Iewes abounding in all countries soe frequent and soe commonly known called by the name of the Sabbath that name was so proper to the Saturday in those times that if any had called the Lords day by that name his wordes would bee understood by the hearers of the Iewes Sabbath except â—e had expounded his meaning as those fathers before named do in their speeches bâ—fâ—re mentioned And againe the Iewes were soe superstitious in observing their Sabbath â—o contrarie to the Christian sanctifying of the Lords day even with feasting dauncing and profane pomp that the name of Sabbath through their abuse of it grew distastfull to godly Christians even as in our time the old name Catholike by reason of the Antichristian Papists falsly vsurping and approbriaâ—ing it to their Apostaticall Church and false religion is growne to haue an ill sound in the eares of reformed Christians And therefore tâ—e Auncients were very sparing in calling the name of the Sabbath and seldome did they call the holy weeklie rest of Christians by that name except onlie in case when they opposed it to the Jewish sabbath and preferred it farre before their carnall observation But wheras in this Objection the aspersion and reproachfull name of Iewish Sabbatarians is laid on all them who call the Lords day the Cbristian Sabbath and urge the sanctification of it by the law of God This is a point of such notable impudency and intemperancie that it deserues the scourge whip of Ecclesiasticall censure punishment to chastise and correct rather then any arguments of reason or divinity to convince such Raylors For in the Homilies which are comprehended and commanded in the Articles of our Religion by law established the Lords day is frequently stiled by the name of Sabbath even no lesse then eight times in one Homily which treateth of the time place of praier And both there and in the
Hebrew words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifie at the end of dayes and howsoever they are taken to signifie in processe of time by some Learned Translaters yet in no other place of Scripture doe I finde that they signifie any other end of dayes but of a certaine sett number of dayes either of thirtie or forâ—ie or many dayes Or of the dayes of a whole yeare as 2 Sam. 14.26 where it is said at the end of dayes according to dayes tâ—at is of every yeare Absalom polled his head And 1 King 17.7 at the end of dayes that is of a yeare â—s Tremellius translates the words the brooke dried up Now I see no reason why we shâ—uld undeâ—stâ—nd by the end of dayes the end of the yeare that Caine and Abel did onely at the end of the yeare offer to God or after a long time but that on every seventh day of the weeke which is the weekely Sabbath they sacrificed to God undoubtâ—dly their Father Adam who taught them to sacrifice which Worshâ—pp God first instituted on the seventh day he also taught them the day of Gods holy worship even the Sabbath which God had sanctified and this was the end of the dayes of the weeke Also in the same fourth of Genesis in the last verse it is said that when Seths Children began to increase that then men began to call on the name of the Lord that is as learned Iunius well expounds the words they began to assemble themselves together in publicke assemblies to pray unto God and worship him even all Seths seed who were Gods people and were called by the name of the Lord that is the Children of God as we see Gen. 6.2 Now as they had solemne and set meetings so undoubtedly they had a set time even every Sabbath or seventh day and set places or Churches for without set time and place there can be no solemne invocation or worshipp in solemne assemblies as common sense teacheth And that Noah when he came out of the Arke began to observe the rest of the Sabbath and did offer a sacrifice of the rest that is of the holy Sabbath and that God was well pleased with it Me thinkes the Hebrew words in the originall Text teach very plainely for it is said that God smelled a savour of the rest that is he acceptâ—d it as a pleasing Sabbath sacrifice the Hebrew empâ—raticall and demonstrative particle here added to sett forth a speciall rest implies so much And the word which is in the Hebrew rest is of the same note and originall with the word which Exod. 20.11 in the fourth commaundement is used to signifie Gods resting on the seventh day Now all these things well weighed and laid together doe shew that this opinion though held by some learned men is but a meere dreame and idle fancie And indeed the very first words in which God gave the fourth commaundement to wit remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy are of themselves alone a sufficient argument to prove that the Lord did not in giving the Law from Mount Sina first institute the Sabbath day but onely did renew the memory of it and of the first institution thereof by renewing and receiving his old commandement by which he on the first seventh day of the World did sanctifie it There is another opinion which divers both auncient and moderne Christians do hold upon a better ground for they do gather coÌ„clude with one generall consent from the plaine words of this Text that God in the beginning immediatly after the creation ended did give the law of the Sabbath and did blesse and sanctifie the seventh day of the first weeke of the world and every seventh day of every weeke following and commanded it to be kept an holy Sabbath in memory of his rest on the seventh day But howsoever they all agree in the generall yet in divers speciall and particular things they doe much differ 1. Some hold that the law of the Sabbath was given to man in the state of innocency before his fall on the sixth day and that it was written in mans heart that he ought to keepe the seventh day holy and that if man had continued in his integrity he would have kept the seventh day of every weeke an holy rest unto the Lord his God 2. Others hold that the Sabbath was instituted not in the state of innocency nor before mans fall which happened towards the end of the sixth day but that on the seventh day when God rested from the worke of Creation he then did blesse sanctifie that every seventh day and appointed it to be a weekly Sabbath the law by which he instituted the Sabbath was no other but such as was written in mans heart in the creatâ—oÌ„ that man by the instinct of nature would haue obeyed that law and kept the Sabbath in the state of innocnecy if he hâ—d stood continued therein 3 A third sort are of opinion that the Sabbath was instituted and the Commandement for the keeping therof given in the state of innocency and yet not till the seventh day for they imagine that man stood more then one day and did in his innocency keepe the Sabbath and if he had continued would haue alwaies kept it not by any instinct of nature or light of naturall reason created in him moveing him so to do but by a possitiue law and Precept giuen by God of the same nature and kinde with the Commandement of abstaining from the tree of knowledge of good and euill In all and euery of these opinions I finde some failling and noe consent and perfect agreement with the word of God First they all go too farre and haue not one word in scripture to warrant their opinion that Adam in the state of innocency should and would haue kept every seventh day for an holy rest that God would haue required it at his hands For all Scriptures which mention the Sabbath do speake of it as of an holy signe looking altogether towards Christ and towards the state of grace and glory in him and not towards the state of innocency It is most certain that man in that state was perfect with naturall perfection at all times equally disposed to obey God to serue him and to remember his Creation and to honour his Creatour He needed no obseruation of any day to put him in minde of any thing which he had before known which god had revealed to him his memorie was perfect and he knew whatsoever was needfull for him to know or doe in that present state And his will was every mâ—ment ready to doe whaâ—soever he knew to be right hee needed no signe to adâ—onish him of his duty or to moue him to do it in due seasâ—n He did not labour nor weary himselfe every day was to him a daâ—e of delight and pleasure of rest and recreation and in every creature which he did see
discouerie of his nakednes and sowing of figge leaues together for aprons Gods voyce was heard walking in the garden in the coole of the day that is after the sunne was gone down the seventh day begunne that Adam hid himselfe the words of the text affirme plainly in the third Chapter Also that after the conventing examining and arraigning of the man the woman and cursing of the serpent and also of the earth passing sentence of punishment on the persons of the man and woman to weet sorrowes labours in this life in the end thereof bodily death and returning to durst God for a comfoâ—table remedie of all these evils promised Christ to redeme man kinde from them all and to purchase for them eternall life and glory the history as it in the same third chapter laid downe shewes most clearly and I do verily beleeve that all reasonable men especially all true Christians will most freely confesse and willingly grant That Christ in the day wherein hee was first promised and did actually undertake to redeeme the world brought in a greater perfection vnto the worke of creation or the things created then they had befor given to them on the six dayes in there creation to weer supernaturall grace and heauenly and spirituall gifts of holinesse which exalt man to astate immutable and eternall Now seeing it is a truth most manifest that in the seventh day God the Father promising the blessed seed Christ to destroy the workes and to breake the head and power of the Dâ—vill the Old serpent and the Sonne of God actually vndertaking mans redemption and beginning to mediate for man And God the Holy-Ghost inspiring by the promise and through Christ grace and faith into both the man the woman to beleeue that out of her who was the instrument of death to man should Christ spring who is the life and light of men and so shee should become Chavab that is the living one or mother of all living there was a supernaturall perfection brought into the world And God brought his worke which hee made to a better estate and shewed a further end of things created Surely it should be too much perverstnes in us and too grosse resisting of our owne reason guided by the text it selfe If wee should dâ—ny or refuse to beleeue that this perfecting of Gods worke is here meant in this place and is the true ground of blessing the seventh day to be the Lords holy Sabbath And thus J hope I haue fully discovered the true sence meaning of the first words shewed how we are to vnderstand this which is here said to weet And on the seventh day God ended or perfected his wâ—rke J proceed to the next words And on the seventh day God rested from all his worke which he had mâ—de to which I â—dde the repetition of the same wâ—rds with some addition in the later end of the third ver namely that he rested from all the worke which he created even from making any more so the words in the Hebrew do runne Now for the word rested it is in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shabath of which the name of the Sabbath is derived and it doth not signifie a resting of God for to refresh himselfe as being weary nor resting from all working absolutly and simply but ceasing from making any more kindes of creatures for God doth alwaies as a provident Lord and Father work in the continuall generatioÌ„ of particular creatures in multiplying preserving ordering and disposing of them as our Saviour shewes Iohn 5.17 Here therefore we are to vnderstand that on the first sixt dayes the Lord shewed his good will and pleasure in making every thing very good and perfect with naturall perfection So in the seventh day hee rested wholy fro making any new kinde of creature by way of former creation And man being fallen and hauing brought confusion into the world and corruption and vanity vpon the creatures Christ is promised and actually vndertakes and begins to enterceede for man and to be his redeemer and Saviour and by this meanes God may bee sayd to rest divers wayes First whereas the rigour of justice required that man should dye and perish in the same day wherein hee sinned and the creatures made for his vse should together with him be distroyd so should God haue bin busied in executioÌ„ of justice destroying his former work in making a new world of creatures the eternall word the Sonne of God vndertooke mans Redemtion brings rest to God by that meanes from destroying the former and making a new or second worke of creation which is truely called resting from all the worke which he had made Secondly the naturall estate and bâ—st being and perfection which man and other creatures had by creation shewing it selfe mutable by mans fall so appearing If God should haue proceeded and gone on in the same manner of working as he had done in the sixt dayes of the creation there should haue been no rest nor end of his work of making remaking But Christ vndertooke the worke of redemption and as an alsufficient Saviour to perfect for ever them that are sanctified by the coÌ„munioÌ„ of his spirit spiritual supernaturall grace to renue them after his heavenly Image of true vnchaâ—gable holines doth this way bring rest to God fâ—oÌ„ the work or busines of creation sets on foot a new more admirable work in which God resteth and on which he taketh much delight and by which his creatures are reconciled and made pleasing and acceptable to him Thirdly Christ who was promised to become the seed of the woman for mans redemption bâ—ing the eternall wisdome and mighty word of God and able to beare vp the pallace of the earth when it and all the whole tents thereof were disolued and the first foundations thereof were out of course as the Psalmist speakes Psal. 5.3 82 5.8 God doth justly settle his rest on him and commits to him the ruling governing and judging of the world as he is medidiatour and the Sonne of man So our Saviour himselfe affirmes Iohn 5.22.27 Now that on the seventh day God did not barely rest from his worke of creating and making creatures but also that in and by Christ promised on that day hee found rest and rested the severâ—ll wayes before named the holy Scriptures and also common reason doe plainly shew First a bare resting from creation and not working is not a matter of such moment benefit that it should be the ground of blessing and sanctifying of one day in seven every week to the solemne memory of it Holy dayes and feasts mentioned in the Scriptures haue alwaies beene appointed by God and set apart for the commemoration of some great extraordinary workes delivering Jsraell out of Egypt giving of the Law and such like Secondly that Gods resting on the seventh day was more then this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
earth beneath and all creatures in them serving daily for mans naturall good welbeing even every day equallie did put man continually in mind of his duty to weet that he was to loue and serue the Lord with all his heart soule and strength at all times for this is the righteousnesse of a mans owne workes and of his owne person which God required of man in the first covenant in the state of innocency even his constant obedience to the vvhole and law and revealed will of God all his dayes withouâ— one dayes intermission Therefore the Sabbath which requires service of God and worship loue of him as mercifull a Redeemer and that upon one day of the weeke more then all the rest vvas not knowne nor commanded nor observed by nature in the state of innocency Fourthly the lavv of nature written in mans heart requires no particular duty but such as his owne naturall reason and vvill did direct lead him vnto in the creation and vvhich belonged to him in the state of innocency But the lavv of the Sabbath from the first institution commands and requires such things â—nd such vvorkes and duties as did not concerne man in the state of innocency As 1 Rest of man and beast from their vvearisome labour for their refreshing upon one day in seven This man had no need of neither vvas their any need of such rest because the toile and labour of man and beast came in after the fall vvhen God cursed the earth for mans sinne Secondly it requires in generall sanctification of the seventh day by holy and religious exercises and in particular by sacrificing to God by prayer and supplication and by meditating on heavenly things and on eternall rest and by studying all holy duties vvhich might fit men for the sight and fruition of God in heavenly glory All which vvhat soever other holy Sabbath duties and vvorks are mentioned in the word of God do belong to man only since the promise of Christ the blessed seed And in the state of innocency man had no occasion of any such duties he had no need of sacrificing vntill Christ his ransome and sacrifice for sinne vvas promised he neither could have any thought ar meditations of glory in Heauen or studies to fit and sanctifie himselfe for the fruition thereof untill Christ the onlie vvay to eternall rest glory vvas promised vvhat use had he of prayers and supplcations to God for any good thing needful vvhen he lacked nothing or for deliverance from evill vvhen as yet noe evill vvas knovvne in the vvorld What occcasion could he haue to praise God either for Christ before he did so much as dreame of Christ or had any thought of him at all As for naturall guifts and blessings he vvas by them admonished and provoked every day alike to loue serve honour and praise God vvherefore seeing the vvorkes and duties of the Sabbath are holy and tend onely or chiefly to the supernaturall and heavenlâ— life and to the eternall rest which Christ hath purchased in heauen for man vndoubtedly the lavv of the Sabbath vvhich expresly commands such workes and duties everie seuenth day is a positiue supernaturall and divine law not any dictate of nature imprinted in mans heart in the creation Fiftly every law of nature is common to all man kinde and is written as well in the hearts of heathen as of Christians so that the conscience of men whoe never heard of God or of his word is a monitor to admonish them of the duty which that law requires and an accuser if they transgresse that law and men haue no more need to be put in mind of those duties then of any other which the law of nature requires But the law of the Sabbath hath no footsteppe of impression in the hearts of barbarous heathen nations It is quite forgoten among them and onely Gods people who have his written law and word continually read and preached do keepe the Sabbath And God in giving it to Israell in written tables in repeating it often afterwardes still calls upon them to remember it thereby shewing that it is not as the law of nature printed in mans heart but is a law giuen by word and writing and from thence learned and therefore easilie and quickly forgotten Sixthly If it were a naturall law founded upon the creation and binding man to keepe a weekelie holy day in thankfulnesse for his creation and for the creatures made for his vse then it should in all reason binde man to keepe Holy the six dayes in vvhich God Created all things and especiallie the sixth daie wherein God made man himselfe and gaue him rule and dominion over all creatures For holy celebrations are kept weekely or yearely one the dayes in which the blessing and benefits solemnized and celebrated were first bestovved one men Therefore it is not a naturall law grounded on the creation Lastly Christ came not to chaunge the law of nature nor to take away any part of the obedience therof but to establish and fulfill it in every jot and title as he himselfe testifieth Mat. 5.17.18 And yet the law of the Sabbath soe farre as it requires keeping holy the seventh day as the fathers were bound in the old Testament is changed by Christ and by his resurrection in which hee finished the worke of redemption and was exhibited a perfect redeemer And the observation of the seventh and last day of the weeke is abolished And the first day of the weeke even the day of Christs resurrection is sanctâ—fied and substituted in the place of it and so was obserued by the Apostles after them by all true Christian Churches for the Lords day and for the Queene and châ—efe Princesse of all daies as the blessed Martyr Ignatius cals it Epist. ad magnesiâ—s pag. 31. Therefore it is not a law of nature printed eâ—grauen in mans heart J could alleadge more reasons but J hold this perfect number of seven sufficient for this present purpose J will therefore proceed to the next thing which is the discovery of the seuerall kindes of lawes which God hath given to men the briefe discription of every kind particularly by which J shall come to demonstrate what kind this of the Sabbath is CHAP. 11. THE Lawes of God which he hath given to men are of two sorts either lawes printed in mans heart which we cal lawes of nature Or else Positiue lawes which God hath commanded in his word over and above or besides the lawes of naâ—ure Thâ— Law of nature is that will of God which hee as Lord and creatour hath imprinted in mans heart in the creation even that naturall disposition which God gaue to man when he made him in his owne Image by which he doth informe man in the knowledge and moue him to the practise of all duties which belong to him and which he requirs of him for naturall wellbeing continuance in that life good
particular day it selfe and the rest tyed to it was a tipe and figure of the death of Christ and of his rest in the grave and of the rest and ease which Christ by his death should bring to all Gods people from the burden of legall rites and from the guilt of sinne and horrour of conscience which as an heavy load did presse them downe and from the masse of corruption like a weight hanging fast one them all which Christ abolished by his death and redemption and so put an end to the Sabbath as it was tied to the last day of the weeke This being commonly held for a certaine truth by the learned Fathers and writers of all ages after them untill this day proues so farre as their authority and reason will reach that though the keeping holy of a weekly Sabbath is a perpetuall day to which all Gods people are bouÌ„d in all ages yet the particular day was mutable and another speciall day was to be appointed and consecrated by him who is the Lord of the sabbath wherin an holy rest fitter for the time and state of the new Church must be kept with better service and solemnity Instead of bodily sacrifices there must be offering up of spirituall sacrifices of praises praiers alms works of piety charity for-slaughtering of beasts ther must mortifying of corruption by holy contrition and killing of all brutish lusts and carnall pleasures and delights by seperating our selues and sequestring our mindes from them Instead of darke shaddowes of the law and obscure promises of Christ to come there must be the light of the Gospel shining in the Church preaching of Christ crucified and raised up and set at Gods right hand and there must be seeking of Gods face in his name and mediation and of accesse vnto God in him by one spirit Now what day can any man conceive in any reason so fit as the Lords day the first of the week wherin we christians keep our weekly sabbath This undoubtedly is the most fit and convenient of all daies as I haue largely before proued Yea that this vndoubtedly is the onely particular day which Gods law bindes us to keepe holy all the time of the Gospell even untill we come to the eternall rest in heaven I will as briefly as I can proue and demonstrate in the last place and so conclude this point of sanctifycation of the Sabbath as it is the worke of God the lawgiver and is distinguished from mans duty and worke of sanctification CHAP. 13. THE First which is the maine foundamentall argument is drawn from the foundation upon which God hath from the beginning builded and surely setled the weekly Sabbath It is a thing most certaine and undeniable that whatsoever things are inseperably joyned cleaue fast together they stand move together the one cannot moue to any place but the other of necessity must moue with it Whatsoever is firmly sâ—tled on a rock and inseperably fastened to it founded on it must needes moue with the rock and cannot moue to any place but where the rock is moved upon which ground I argue thus That which is from the beginning founded upon Christ and so surely setled and firmly builded vpâ—n him by God the founder of al things that cannot be seperated it must needs moue and chaunge the place with Christ and cannot be moved nor chaunge and remove to any place but onely to that which Christ is removed The weekly Sabbath from the first institution is founded by God firmly builded and sure setled upon Christ the redeemer and is in seperably joyned to him Thereâ—ore it cannot move nor chaunge the place nor be remoued from the seventh day to any other day of the weeke vnlesse Christ the Redeemer change his day and moue together with it and if he doth chaunge his solemne day it must needes be chaunged and removed with him to the same day The proposition is undeniable the assumption also J haue fully proved before in the laying open the grounds of the Sabbath and therefore the conclusion is a most manifest truth That whensoever Christ chaungeth his day and chooseth another the Sabbath must needes bee chaunged to the same day Which conclusion fully proved I lay it down for a good ground and argue thus upon it That day which Christ leaveth and passeth from it vnto another which he chooseth for his speciall and particuler day From that day the Sabbath also is chaunged and moved and the other day which Christ hath chosen becoms also immediatly the particular day of the holy weekly Sabbath Now the seventh day which was the speciall day of Christ in the old Testament because on it Christ was promised a Redeemer of the world and did first undertake openly and actually to mediate for man is now ceased to be Christs peculier day he hath left it hath chosen the first day and made that his speciall and peculiar day aboue all other daies of the weeke when in it he got the victory ouer death and by his resurrection entered into his glory and eternall rest and of a redeemer in promise became a redeemer indeed fully perfected mans redemption Therefore ever since hath the weekely Sabbath beene removed to the first day and that is the peculiar day of the weekely Sabbath Secondly that God did from the beginning purpose in himselfe and by many evidences did declare his intent to chaunge the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day also in the first institution of the Sabbath and in the giuing of his law for the keeping of it did intend to bind us under the Gospel to the keeping of our weekly Sabbath on the first day of the weeke as he bound the fathers to the seventh day in the Old Testament J proue from the determinate counsell and forknowledge of God concerning the chaunges which he foreknew and determined to bring to passe in the foundation groundes and prerogatiues of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week It is a thing which all men who haue any true knowledge of God must needes know and acknowledge for an undoubted truth that God whose wisedome is infinit and his wife providence ordereth and disposeth all things doth never any thing in vaine he never laies the foundation in any place but there also he intends the building he never brings in the proper causes any where or in any time but then and there he intends to bring in to produce the proper effects of them and whatsoever commandement God giues to men to performe some speciall duty upon some speciall grounds and for some singular causes occasions reasons by that commandement he binds them to performe the duty whensoever and whersoever he shewes the grounds and reasons to them and giues and offers the causes and occasions So that if it be made to appeare unto us that now under the Gospel God had according to his owne
determinat counsell and forknowledge chaunged the foundation of the weekly Sabbath and removed it all the grounds reasons accasions and praerogatiues of it from the seventh day to the first which is the Lords day we must needs see and acknowledge that it was the Purpose minde will of God to make the Lords day our weekly Sabbath and in his giving of the first law of the Sabbath which in the maine substance of it is perpetuall to binde all his people after the full exhibition of Christ to the last resurrection to keep the Holy weekly Sabbath on that day onely Now these things may sufficiently appeare by the opening and proving of divers things befor which I haue observed out of this text by urging pressing them home to this present purpose a little more fully here againe I shall put them out of all doubt and question and make them manifest clear to al who do not wilfully shut their eares against the truth First that the foundation of the Sabbath is Christ the Redeemer that all the true proper grounds reasons and occasions of keeping one day in every week Holy to the Lord are only to be found in Christ and came in with him as I haue before fully proued And as God first promised Christ to come the seed of the woman for the Redemption of mankind Christ did undertake for man to mediate for him on the first seventh day of the world and thereupon that day was sanctified to be the weekly sabbath So God had in his immutable counsell determined to exhibit Christ a perfect Redeemer by him to perfect mans redemption on the first day of the weeke and so to remoue Christ the foundation from the seventh day of the weeke to the first day together with all other grounds reasons occasions prerogatiues of the Holy Sabbath What greater chaunge could be or ever was hard of in Christ the maine foundation both of the Sabbath of the vniuersall Church then when of a redeemer promised on the seventh day and so continuing all the time of the old Testament while the fathers beleeued onely in him promised not yet come He became a Redeemer fully exhibited in his resurrection on the first day of the week changed the state of the Church and bringing her from the Nonnage and childish estate of bondage vnder the rudiments of the world and legall rites carnall ceremonies to the fulnesse of her time which God had appointed to her full age in the new testament And hereby that first day of the weeke became the chiefest day of the Lord Christ even his speciall particular day came to haue all the subordinat grouÌ„ds high prerogatiues of the Sabbath For in it God perfected his worke which he had made in the creation by the worke of redemption not promised undertaken onlie as in the seventh day but by a better kind of perfecting and ending even by redemption fullie finished on that daie Christ rested from that greater worke of redemption declared by his resurrection that he had made ful satisfaction for mankind to the justice of God that God rested in his satisfaction now actually made performed by a more excellent manner of resting then that wherwith he rested on the seuenth in that satisfaction only undertaken promised on that day Christ gott the victory over death hell sin the world the Devill and becomming immortall not subject to die or suffer any more entered into the glorious state of exaltation and into his eternall rest and made way for men to that eternall rest wherof the Sabbath is both a liuely pledg also a powerfull meanes to fit men for it And in al these respects God blessed the first day of the week with a blessing farre aboue his blessing of the seventh day for that was the promise undertaking only this was the performance perfecting of redemption therfore so farre excels that as the giuing of a great guift perfecting of a worke exceeds the promise of that guift undertaking of that worke Now that that this remouing of the maine foundation of the weekly Sabbath together with the subordinat grounds occasions prerogatiues of it from the seventh day to the Lords day the first of the weeke came to passe by the determinate counsell foreknowledge and providence of God and that from the beginning and in the first giuing of the law of the weekely Sabbath God did purpose and intend this chaunge it appeares most plainly by diuers reasons First because God is no idle spectator but the provident Lord disposer of all things which come to passe in the world nothing can come to passe but so as he hath appointed and in the time season which he hath determined The flood and generall deluge by which the old world was destroyed came to passe in the very yeare and day which God had prefixed did for tell to Noah one hundred and twenty yeares before The end of Jsraell peregrination and servitude in Egypt came to passe just at the end of foure hundred and â—hirty yeares in the same day which God had determined foretold to Abraham Exod. 12.41 and so the deliverance of the Isralites out of captiuity and the decree for their return came out at Gods appointed time which he had foretold by Ieremiah the Prophet Dan 9.2 23. And the particular time of Christs satisfaction and attonement for sinne and bringing in of eternall righteousnesse was determined by God and came to passe at the end of the seventy sevens of yeares as it was revealed to Daniell in the same Chap. 24. ver And in a word the very time of Christs resurrection by the virtue whereof we are fully redeemed and shall in our verie bodies be raised vp to life eternall and rest in glorie as the Apostlâ— testifies Rom. 6.5 1 Cor. 15.13.21 Philip. 3.10 1 Pet. 1.3 It was determined by God befor the foundation of the world as the words of St Peter do shew 1 Pet. 1.2 Secondly God in the very creation from the first beginning of the world did foreshew that he had a purpose to honour the first day of the weeke aboue all the other daies and to make it the Lords day and Christian sabbath by the resurrection of Christ. In that he made it the first fruites of time and in it created the highest heaven the place of the eternall Sabbath and brought forth the light of this inferiour world by which naturall prerogatiues he made this day the fittest of all daies of the weeke to be the day of Christs resurrection wherein he the sun of righteousnesse light of the world rose up with healing in his wings and became the first fruites of them that sleepe and by virtue whereof he will bring the faithfull into the eternall rest wherof the weekly Sabbath is a pledge will make them partakers of the
Churches of Galatia 1 Cor. 16.1.2 to weet that they should observe the first day of the week and in their Holy assemblies on that day offer up pleasing Sabbath sacrifices that is do good distribute to the necessities of the saints with which sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 Therefore vndoubtedly it is the ordinance and commandement of Christ which the Apostle receiued from him That the first day of the weeke should be the Holy Sabbath and the day of weekly Holy assemblies to all Christians The 8. argument is drawn from the blessing of stability wherwith God hath blessed the Sabbath of the first day the joy and comfort great benefit which most godly religious christians finde in it and the tediousnes of it to carnall people the loathsomnesse of it to all such as are opposites to Christ and from his grace This is most true which graue and learned Gamaliell gaue in the counsell of the high priests and elders of the Iewes That which is of men and not an ordinance of God if it concerne religion it will come to nought it cannot continue in force nor prosper any long time Act. 5.38 And surely if the Christian Sabbath keeping holy of the first day of the weeke were an invention of men and not the ordinance of the the Lord Christ it could not prevaile and stand in force in all Christian Churches and in all ages by an uniforme consent without interruption The most godly zealous and religious Christians would find no solid joy and comfort in it nor any blessing from God in their religious obseruation of it And the world of carnall men who hate Christ his ordinances would not be so opposite to it as to hate and loath it For the world loveth her own But all carnall worldlings and profane persons do so hate it as they hate Christ and it is loathsome and tedious to them notwithstanding many and great oppositions of profane persons Yet we see it stands firme in all ages since the Apostles and in all Christian Churches None but Heretiques haue rejected it all godly Christians finde solid joy abudance of blessings in the strictest observation of it Therefore it is most certainly no humane invention but Christs ordinance It is he who hath made the first day of the weeke his owne Holy day and our weekly Sabbath The Ninth Arg. is drawn from the manifestatioÌ„ of Gods wrath against the open profaners of the Lords day and from the great fearefull judgments which God hath in former ages doth still execute on the dispicers polluters of the christiaÌ„ Sabbath It is certain that the Lord doth not cut of or consum meÌ„ in wrath but for some notable scandalous sinnes transgressions against some expresse law commandement hee makes no men examples of vengance by sudden and fearfull dâ—struction and notable plagues but for some notable sinne all notable sinnes are transgressions of Gods law comitted against his revealed will word Now as the Histories of all ages do afford many examples of fearefull judgments suddenly executed inflicted on wilfull profaners of the Lords day in former times So I could rehearse and relate aboue 30. examples of Gods vengance which he hath shewed openly in this land within the space of two yeares upon such as haue shewed open contempt of this Christian sabbath some of whith hee hath sticken with sudden death by his mediate hand others he hath devoured with waters and some he hath cut of by surfets which they got in dauncing drinking on the Lords day and soÌ„e he hath fired out of their houses in the middest of their drinking jollity consumed al their substance And these judgments haue suddenly unexpectedly befallen them in the very act of their transgression while they were in the midst of their actions very busie about their owne workes sports pleasure And these things are as cleare as the light and manifest to our eyes outward sences that God is most severe against the profanation of this day and that it is apparent that his sonne Christ made this day his Holy Sabbath and commands all men to keep it Lastly we haue clear testimonies both from the Apostles them selves that the day wherin Christians keepe their Sabbath even the first day of the week is the Lords peculiar day Revel 1.10 And also from all the most auncient fathers and learned Christian writers which succeeded the Apostles in the next ensuing ages that the Lord Christ changed the Holy Sabbath to this day consecrated it by his resurrection that all Christian Churches from the time of the Apostles kept their holy rest in it devoted it to publick exercises of religion and of Gods worship counted it the Queene of daies the supreme Lady princesse worthy to be observed sanctified with Sababaticall solemnities Ignatius cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist ad magnesios Justin Martyr 2. Apol. pag. 77. discribes the observation of it in his times and tels us that Christians spent it in reading preaching prayer administration of the Sacraments offering of almes other publick worship of God in their publick assemblies besides priuate exercises of religion Tertullian also acknowledgeth this first daies sabbath none other lib. adversus Gent. p. 41. 155. Eusebius lib. 4. Eccles. Histor. cap. 22. brings in the profession of Dionysius Corinthius who saith thus This day we kept holy the Lords day St. Austen in his 119. Epistle and in the 22. booke De Civit Dei Cap. 30 serm de verbis Apostoli 15. And many other which it would be a tedious thing here to reherse especially seeing J haue before mentioned diuers of their testimonies which tend to this purpose and shall produce some also hereafter Now upon all these arguments laid togither J hope wee may boldly and confidently conclude against all both Iewish Sabbatarians who retaine the old abolished Sabbath of the seventh day and also vnchristian Antisabbatarians who deny the Lords day to bee the Sabbath vnder the Gospell which Gods people by Gods law and Christs appointment are enjoyned to keepe Holy to the Lord. And that this Sabbath of the Lords day cannot bee chaunged but must stand firme and be still in force among all Gods people vntill the end of the world and the last resurrection I will briefly demonstrate shew by two plaine reasons which I hope none will deny and thus I frame them The first is grounded on Christs wordes Mark 2. vers 28. thus I frame it That which hath Christ as hee is become the Sonne of man Lord of it must needs exist and haue a being under him as he is the sonne of man that is in the time of the Gospell The Sabbath hath Christ the sonne of man Lord of it Mark 2.28 Therefore it continues in being under Christ. Whatsoever ordinance of God is given to his People to bee unto
God nor beleeue in Christ without preaching of the word which they will not looke after but skorne it Yet they are bound to repent and beleeue and shall perish for rejecting and not vseing the meanes to git faith So it is with other infidels further of they shall perish for not using such meanes as are in their power wherby they might come to know this other duties which they are boūd to performe in thankfulnes for Gods gracious promise of Christ the redeemer for the commō benifits which they receiue through him CHAP. 16. THE Third thing which I propounded concerning mans sanctification so the Sabbath is the consideration of the duties wherin it doth consist which are of three sorts First some are such are common to all Gods people in all ages of the world and they be duties which are necessarie to the being of the Sabbath Secondly some are proper to the Sabbath of the seventh daie while the fathers under the Old Testament did expect Christ promised and were to keep their Sabbath in memorie of the promise of Christ made to our first parents on the last day of the week Thirdly some are proper to us who liue under the Gospel since Christ fullie exhibited a perfect Redeemer after the buriall of Moses that is the utter abolition of all legall shaddows together with the materiall temple of the Jews The duties common to all such as are necessary to the being of an holy Sabbath at all times they are three especiallie The first is a rest cessation from all seculiar affaires worldly pleasures except only such as are necessarie for mans welbeing cannot be omitted or deferred without great hurt danger of mans health life of the life and safety of the creatures which God hath made for mans use The second is sanctification of the Sabbath with such holy exercises of religion of Gods worship as God requires in that age state of the Church in which they live The third is sanctifying of that day of the week which God hath blessed honoured with greatest blessings aboue all other daies wherein he hath more fully revealed his holines opened the fountaine of holines for the sanctifying of his people Concerning the first to weet rest and cessation from all worldlie affaires bodilie delights there is a doubt made by some whether it doth equally concerne all Gods people as wel christians under the Gospel as the fathers of the old testament Divers are of opiniō that Christians haue more liberty are not so strictly bound to rest from all worldly affaires bodily delights as the fathers were befor Christ. But for the clearing of this point we are to note three specially things First that rest cessation from all seculiar businesse worldly pastimes is a dutie of the Sabbath which generally belongs to all men in all ages who are bound to keep a weekly Sabbath or holy daie by virtue of Gods sanctification of the Seventh daie For first the very name Sabbath which God gaue to the day signifies rest cessation puts us continually in mind of this duty And whosoever cals it by the name Sabbath doth thereby acknowledge it to be a day of rest Secondly a maine ground of Gods first institution of the Sabbath the rest from all workes of creation wherwith God rested in Christ the seventh day who on that day was promised took upon him to be mans mediatour as hath been proved befor out of the words of this text For Chtist the son of God vndertaking to repaire the works of creatiō which were defaced by mans fal to restore al his by another kinde of work then creation even by incarnation obedience suffering satisfaction for sin in mans nature for the redemption of the world did bring unto God the Creatour rest cessation from any more creation of new kindes of creatures And upon this ground even this perfecting of his worke of creation by bringing in redemption and in memory for a signe of Gods resting in Christ promised God sanctified the seventh daie to be an holy weeklie Sabbath bound man to this duty of rest on the Sabbath day from all secular businesse Thirdly in all ages whensoever God repeated the law of the Sabbath or vrged the observation of it either by Moses or the Prophets we shall observe that rest and cessation is injoyned as Exod. 20.10 The seventh day is the Sabbath in it thou shal◠do no maner of worke Exod. 31.14 thou shalt do no manner of worke therein Exod. 33.2 Devt 5.14 whosoever doth any work on the sabbath shall surely be put to death They might not gather man̄a on the sabbath day Exo. 16.28 they who went out to seeke Manna are called trasgressours And all the Prophets which in after times made mention of the Sabbath vrged rest blamed all servile vvorks vvhich concern this life as Isa. 58.13 Jer. 17.27 Neh. 13.17 Fourthly vve in these later daies haue as much need of rest more then men in former ages and the greater hopes and more cleare evidences of rest and glorie in heaven which we haue do more bind us to rest from worldly cares and to set our mindes on heaven where our hopes are These are strong arguments to prove that rest vpon the Sabbath day is a duty which generally belongs to all men in al ages which the first thing serving to satisfie the former doubt to proue the first generall duty Secondly Gods sanctifying of the Sabbath and his first commandement given to Adam for the keeping holy of the seventh day binds all men in all ages to keepe a weekely Sabbath to the end of the vvorld as I haue before proued and therfore the duty of rest belongs to all Thirdly they vvho hold the lavv of the vveekly Sabbath to be but for a time and that it is novv abolished they can shevv no Scriptures to vvarrant their opinion That place vvhich they object Coloss. 2.16 speakes not in the singular number of the vveekly Sabbath instituted here in my text For though the day bee chaunged upon vveightie reasons and good ground Yet the Sabbathisme still remaineth to the people of God not onely the eternall and heavenlie but also the temporall Sabbath on earth which leads to the heavenly The words of the Apostle speake of those Sabbaths or holy daies of the Iewes which were tipicall and shaddows of things to bee exhibited in Christ such as were the first and last daies of the Passouer Pentecost and other great yearly feasts The word Sabbaton being of the plurall number implies soe much and the nameing of feasts daies and new moones which were shaddowes of the law giue us just cause to conceiue that the Apostle intends only the festiuall and not the weekly Sabbaths Or if we should grant that the weekly Sabbath is meant among the rest which the father 's obserued on the
to rest and cease from all worldly cares and all laboures and affaires of this life on the Lords day which is consecrated by the resurrection of Christ to be the weekly Sabbath of all Christians But if these Scriptures be diligently searched and all circumstances well weighed It will appeare vpon good reason that both sides are mistaken and that the forenamed Scriptures do not import any such rigorous rest or burden some cessation For first of all though the Pharises and other strict sects and Rabbinicall Doctors and expounders of the law did of later times alittle before and at the appearance of our Saviour in the flesh expound the law soe strictly in respect of the carnall and literall sence that thereby they laid heavy burdens vpon men as our Saviour doth charge them Matth. 23.4 Yet it was not so from the beginning but even the Isralites themselves who lived vnder the law as under a Scoole maister and under the rudiments of the world they had liberty to go out of them places and dwellings a Sabbath days journey which was as their Rabbinnes writes two thousand cubites that is as some take it an Italian mile in the opinion of others two miles And 2 King 11.6.7 It is recorded the Priests and people went in and out to and from the house of the Lord on every Sabbath day They did also kindle fire for sacrifices burnt offerings which they did offer unto God double morning and evening everie Sabbath daie after they had killed and dressed the beasts and this according to the strict sence and strained exposition of the Law which the Scribes and Pharises gaue of it was a breach of the law and prophanation of the Sabbath as our Saviour shewes Matth. 12.5 Secondly the scribes and Pharises did not expound the law as forbidding all bodily workes For they do circumcise Children apply medicines to heale the sores of the Circumcised on the Sabbath when it happened vpon the eight day after the birth of Children as our Saviour also shewes Joh. 7.23 They led their oxen asses to the water and if a sheepe or oxe or asse did fall into a pit they did pull it out on the Sabbath because these were works of necessity Luk. 13.15 14.5 And the chiefest and strictest of the Pharises did make great feasts invited many guests our Saviour himselfe amongst the rest who did not refuse to take part with them Luk. 14.1 did obserue how the invited guists did choose out the chiefest roomes ver 7. Which shewes plainly that dressing of necessary and convenient meat was not forbidden by the law on the Sabbath day neither did the Pharises so expound the law Thirdly for the places of Scrpture before alleaged let us take a perticular view of them in order and we shall see that they are much mistaken First that place Exod. 16.29 doth not enjoyne every man to keepe his place and not to goe out of their campe to gather Manna on the seventh day the reason prefixed shewes this plainly to weet because God gaue them on the sixth day Manna sufficient for that day the seventh The exposition which some make of the 23. ver is very idle ridiculous namly that the Isralites were commanded to bake and seeth on the sixth day that which they were to eate on the seventh And therefore it was not lawfull to bake and seeth on the Sabbath For Moses doth not bidde them bake for the Sabbath which was the morrow after but onely that which they were to eate on the present day and to reserve the ouerplus which they did not bake and seeth vntill the seventh day and though they did so and did not bake and seeth it yet it did not putrifie neither were any worms therin which had it beeÌ„ sodde or baked for baking and seething do naturally and as an ordinarie means preserue things from stincking and putrefaction In the next place the wordes of the fourth commandement in it thou shalt not do any worke they do not forbid religious workes which tend either to inward or outward sanctification of the Sabbath day nor workes of mercy charity or necessity which are necessarie for the safety and preseruation of the life of man or beast Though the perverse Scribes and Pharises out of their Hipocrisie did â—oo strictlie expound and interpret the law of the Sabbath against our Savious doeings and held it unlawfull to Heale the sick on the Sabbath daie though it were but by speaking a word yet their practise which they received from the fathers of killing and offering sacrifices circumcising their children leading their oxen to the water to drinke and drawing their sheepe asses and other profittable cattell out of a ditch did shew that they were taught from the beginning a contrary lesson of more liberty which our Saviour approueth and thereby convinceth them of grosse errour and Hipocrisie Thirdly that place of Exod. 3 35. where they are forbidden to kindle a fire in all their habitations on the Sabbath day is not a generall commandement binding all simplie at al times but a perticular precept binding in some cases for they kindled fires and burned sacrifices twice every Sabbath they also kindled fires to dresse necessary and comfortable meat Exod. 12 16. Where God forbidding all manner of workes on the Sabbath of the Passouer which were commanded to be kept as strictly and to be sanctified with holy assemblies and solemnities as much as the weekly Sabbath yet exceps that which is to be done in dressing necessarie meat Wherefore the kindling of a fire here forbidden is expounded by some Rabbines to be onely making of fires to burne malefactors But indeed if we looke to that which followeth it will appeare that Moses being about to summon the people to bring all materials gold silver brasse jron and other materials and also silke purple and other stuffe for the building of the altar the tabernacle and all things therunto belonging doth first call to their remembrance the law of the Sabbath and doth giue them a charge from God that in building of the tabernacle the place of his worship they abstaine from all worke on the Sabbath day vnder paine of death and that they doe not kindle a fire to melt gold or silver or brass for the Altar or the arke or any holie thing in the tabernacle For God abhorres the breaking of his law or prophaning his Sabbath vnder the pretence of building an House or tabernacle or altars to him And this is no more then our builders of the famous Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul in this city are on our Lords day the Christian Sabbath at this time bound to observe and do abserue very strictly Fourthly the forbidding of all worke vnder paine of death Exod 31.14.35.2 And the commanding of him to be stoned who gathered sticks on the sabbath day Num. 15.35 are not thus to be understood that every breach of the sabbath by any bodily
and therupon sanctified it And because from Adam untill Noah Christ was promised to be the seed of the woman And then he was promised to come of the seed of Shem afterwards Abraham was singled out of Shems family Christ the blessed seed was promised more specially to come of his seed even of Isaak the sonne of promise of Iacob Isaaks younger sonne And of all the tribes of Jsraell Judah was nominated And of all the families of Iudah Davids house was chosen David received the promise that he should be the progenitor of Christ. And all the Prophets in all ages in their Prophesies of Christ foretold that he should be made of the seed of David according to the flesh Therefore the fathers from Adam untill Noah and after him untill Abraham Isaak Iacob their seed posterity in their severall families still made a commemoration of Christ promised to come of them in all their weekly Sabbaths And when God had enlarged his Church in all the Tribes of Israel had by Moses recorded the promise of Christ that he should be the seed of AbrahaÌ„ c. after the Prophets had foretold that the Messiah was to come of Davids royal seed then they were all bound to preach Christ. and to commemorate the promise of him after a most solemn manner to their publick â—ssemblies on every Sabbath day And this was a prime duty and speciall worke of their sanctification of that day As we reade Luk. 16.29 Act. 15.21 The second speciall duty was offering of Sabbath sacrifices which were types and shaddowes of Christ and of redâ—mption and reconciliaâ—ion of men vnto God in him For as they did more solemnly rehearse the promises of Christ so also they did offer more solemne sacrifices in a double measure both morning and evening everie Sabbath day this God commanded by Moses to Israell Num. 28.9 And vndoubtedly Caine and Abell being instructed by Adam did bring their â—fferings on the seventh day which ended the weeke Gen. 4.3 And Noah his pleasing sacrifice was a sweet savour of rest that is a Sabbath sacâ—ifice Gen. 8.21 As J haue largely before proved The third speciall dutie was an holie assembly or holie convocaâ—ion which they were commanded to keepe on all other yearly festivall Sabbaths so every weekly Sabbath day as we reade Lâ—vit â—3 38 For although while the Church people of God were but a small number and despersed in severall places and families as in the familie of Melchisedek and Abraham and Lot and afterwards in the family of Iâ—b and of the sonnes of Abraham and Iacob before that Israell grew vp to be a nation there were few publicke holy assemblies kept either on the Sabbath or vpon any other occasion The Godly fathers did onelie call togither their houshould and families by themselves and did commaund and teach them to keepe the way of the Lord and to remember this Covenant as is testified particularly of Abraham Gen. 18.19 and in another place Where he is said to build altars and there to worshippe God As Gen. 12.7 13.4 as also it is said of Job c. 1.5 That he rose up early and sanctified his seven sonnes and offered vp burnt offerings according to the number of them Yet it is manifest that whensoever in any age there was a great increase of Gods people and an enlargment of his Church ouer a whole nation and countrie the Sabbath was by Gods appointment sanctified with holy assemblies After the birth of Enosh when the family of Seth began to increase and multiply it is said that men began then to call upon the name of the Lord. Or as some not unfittly doe translate the words then they began to call men by the name of the Lord that is Adam and his sonnes especially Seth his Children began to separate themselves from the wicked and profane people of Caines race and being gathered into a Church were called the children of God Gods people and did assemble themselues togither in set places and at set times every Sabbath day to worshippe God and to call upon his name as appeares in the Fourâ—h Chapter of Gen. ver 26. Thus Luther and Iunius expound that place as the words will uery well beare this exposition so also both Scripâ—ure reason confirme it For Gen. 6.2 The people of God who were gathered into the Church professed pure Religion in their assemblies are called by the name of God even the sons of God and by this title are distinguished from the wicked and profane who are called the sonnes of Adam that is carnall earthly corrupt men Secondly it is manifest that Abell long before Seth and Enosh did worshippe God and call upon his name and so undoubtedly did Adam and Seth before this time in their priuate families and therefore here cannot bee meant the first begining of mens calling upon Gods name and worshipping him but certainly the first beginning of Gods worship in publick assemblies of the Church in set places and at set times even everie Sabbath day As for them who translate this place that when Enosh was born men began to profane the name of the Lord they make way for diuers absurdities First that calling upon Gods name is profanation of it Secondly that profanation began in the family of Seth or at the least by the increase of his posterity Thirdly that there was no profanation of Gods name committed by Caine and bloody Lamech before this time contrary to that which is recorded before in this Chapter ver 8. 24. Where Lamech is brought in skorning of Gods threatnings And as we haue some monuments of antiquity which shew that holie assemblies were observed as religious duties of the holy Sabbath from the beginning So after that Israell became a nation and God set up his Church and tabernacle among them we haue most cleare and expresse commandements of God given by Moses to them and all their posterity that they should do no servile worke as appeares Levit 23.3.7.8 Num. 28 18 29.1 Deut. 16.8 And that the Priests and Levites togeâ—her with the people assemble together in the Temple on the Sabbath day it is recorded 2 King 11.5 2 Cron. 23.8 But I need not insist vpon further proofe of this point For everie man of reason must needes confesse that no publick holy Sabbath duties can be performed but in publick assemblies The Fourth speciall duty of the Sabbath unto which Gods people under the law were bound after the time of the law written by Moses and the publishing of the promises in the Scriptures of the Propheâ—s was the publick reading and expounding of the law the Prophets by the Priests and publick teachers and reverent hearing of them by the people This is manifest by the places before named to proue asolemne rehearsall of the promise to weet Luk. 16.29 Ast 15 21. And that on the Sabbath day For as those Scriptures do
of the weeke which they are bound to keepe for their weekly Sabbath This is that which is most controverted called in question among the learned in this age therfore comes to be first proued and clearly demonstrated by testimonies and proofes out of the holy Scriptures which being performed I proceed in the next place to the dutie of rest will shew how far Christians are bound unto it on their weekly Sabbath the Lords day And in the last place I will come to the speciall duties of sanctification by which that day is to be kept holy to the Lord now under the Gospell First for the day it selfe Some are of opinion that it is the same which was from the begining that is the seventh last day of the week This opinion is grounded upon the bare letter of the law as it was giuen both in the institution and sanctifying of the seventh day renewed againe in the fourth Commandement and understood by the fathers in the old Testament J confesse that the words of the law if we take them as they were limited to the fathers not considering wiâ—hall how and upon what grounds and conditions God made the seventh day the weekly Sabbath they seeme to favour their opinion For if we conceiue no moâ—e but a mere cessation and rest of God from his works on the six daies created to be the ground of the law then we may also conceiue that the law of the weekly Sabbath binds all mankind to that particular day in all ages because the ground is the same to all men equally belongs to all men in all times to the worlds end Oâ—hers are of opinion that the law of the Sabbath being but a mere ceremoniall law is a bolished by the comming of Christ and bindes not us under the Gospell to any particular day And that it is free for the Church of God to appoint any day for their holy assemblies and that Christians haue no Sabbath neither are bound to keepe any such rest as the law required in the old Testament Others hold that the law of the Sabbath is naturally simply morall in the generall nature of it as it requires a weekly Sabbath to be sanctified and kept holy and that the particular determination of the daie is an honour and prerogatiue which belongs to Christ the Redemer who is the Lord of the Sabbath And that it was the purpose of God from all eternity and in the first giving of the law as to consecrate the seventh day in memory of God perfecting all the works of creation resting from them on that day so also to consecrate by the resurrection of Christ the first day of the weeke to be ever after the weekly Sabbath in honour and memory of the worke of redemption which on that day was fully perfected by Christs rising from the dead and entering into that state of glory in which he rests for ever hauing no more to do for the ransoming and redeming of mankinde Gods justice being full satisfied The first of these opinions being grounded vpon a carnall vndestanding and imperfect sence of the words of the law hath but a weake and sandy foundâ—tion and because as the first authors of it were blasphemous hereticks which erred in diuers fundamental points of christian faith and Religion Soe also the reviuers of it are either cursed Anabaptists or men who doe not rightly vnderstand the law nor the groundes and conditions vpon which it requires an holy weekly Sabbath Therefore it is justly hated and rejected as a Jewish errour the maintainers thereof haue in all true Christian Churches of all ages beene branded with the name of hereticall and Iudaicall Sabbatarians And I need not spend any precious time in confuting it and the frivolous fallacies by which it is maintained The second opinion being too rashly conceived and vnadvisedlie professed and held by some godly Divines of the reformed Churches who in this point do much contradict themselves also being an unsound opinion and therefore well relished by Popish Schoole-men malicious Iesuites licentious Liberâ—ines and men of profane hearts hath no ground in the Scriptures nor any sound Orthodox writings of any auncient fathers Yea bringing great confusion into the Decalouge which is the summe of the morall law and laying a foule staine upon our Church which hath appointed the commandement of the Sabbath to be read among the tenne Commandements and enjoynes the people to pray that God would incline their hearts to keepe that law as well as all and everie one of the rest Therefore I shall not spend any time in the confutation of it The arguments which are brought for the confutation of the contrary truth will sufficiently raze and vtterly abolish it out of the hearts of all true Christians The third opinion is most agreeable to the holy Scripture and the common Doctrine of the Orthodox writers both of auncient and later times especially of the most godly and learned in the Church of England who haue heretofore writen learned treatises of the Sabbath and expositions of the ten Commandements of the Decalogue And therefore I wil bee bold here againe to commend it to you for an undoubted truth which I haue aboundantly proued confirmed by many demonstratiue convincing arguments already partly in that large search which J haue made before into the nature of the law of the sabbath and that description which I haue made of it but most fully in that passage where I proued the change of the day by the resurrection of Christ from the seventh to the first day of the weeke now vnder the Gospel and brought diuers argumenâ—s to shew that the law which God gaue for the keeping holy of a seventh day in every weeke at the first institution of the Sabbath here in my text and renewed againe on mount Sina and giue â—fâ—en in charge by Moses to Israell doth now as strictly binde us to keepe an holy Sabbath on the Lords day in everie weeke as it bound the auncient people of God in the old Testament to keepe the Sabbath of the seventh day But for the confirming of your hearts in the beleife of this truth and in the knowledge of this duty I will not multiply any new arguments onely that you may more firmely retaine it in your memories and still beare it in minde that you are in conscience bound to keepe only the Lords daie and none other for your weekly Sabbath in these times of the Gospell J will briâ—fly touch and explaine some principall heades which haue beene before laid down at large and in ample manner The summe whereof is this Namely That although the law of the Sabbath is not a law of nature in â—hat rigid sence in which some do conceive it that is a law written in mans heart expresly and distinctly in the creation which by the mere instinct of nature and direction of naturall reason did lead man to keepe everie seventh day of the
weeke an holie Sabbath to the Lord. But that indeed it came in after mans fall together with the promise of Christ and therefore is more fitly called a law of grace and a Positiue Evangellicall law requiring duties of obedience to God which chiefly and especiallie tend to begit grace and increase holinesse in men Yet it is not simply Positiue nor soe Evangellicallie morall but that it may in some sence and respect bee called naturall also For first it requires some duties of obedience which in their owne nature are Good and profittable though the law giuer had not by expresse commandement revealed his will that they should be done such is the giuing no wof rest intâ—rmission of bodilie labour and toile to our bodies and to the bodies of our servants and labouring cattell one whole day in everie weeke ouer and besides that which they haue in the time of sleepe in the darknesse dead of the night This is according to naturall reason and common equitie Secondly it commands some duties of Gods Worship and service which man by the law of nature was bound to performe in his innocency and which are naturally morall as lauding and praising God and giuing to him all honour and reverence in the most solemne and puâ—lick manner Thirdly it commands such holy spirituall works of grace such duties of sanctification as in theiâ— own nature worke to the sanctifying of men more more to make them capable of eternall rest in heaven of the full fruition of God As for example Meeting upon a set daie in everie week in holy assemblies for to heare read Gods word publick instructions exhortations mutuall provocations to piety sanctity Christian charity Fourthly the patticular day of the week which the law commands to be kept for an holy Sabbath is separated upon such a just ground reason in the first institution of the Sabbath and blessed by God with such a blessing aboue other daies of the week that whosoever knows the law true intent meaning of it rightlie undeâ—stands the ground of the Sabbath mentioned in the law he must by the light both of nature grace he forced to confesse acknowledge the particular day which the law commands to bee kept an holie Sabbath both in the old new testament For the law doth not command one day in seven to be an holy rest simply merely for the pleasure of the lawgiuer because he would haue it soe for no other reason but for very good reason upon a ground because he dignified the day of the Sabbath blessed it aboue all other daies with a singular blessing our owne reason doth tell us that the particular day of the weeke which hath in it the true reasons the honour blessing of the sabbath it ought by the law to be obserued for the holy sabbath none other while it retaines that honour blessing hath the true reasons properly annexed to it Now it it most manifest to all who read the Scriptures are well exercised in Gods word law That as the seventh last day of the weeke was blessed honoured adorned by God with the greatest blessing which God gaue to the world in the old Testament to weet the promise of Christ the Redeemer of the world Gods entring into the Couenant of grace of eternall life salvavation with man also Gods perfecting of the whole worke of creation by revealing giving in promise the worke of Redemption his resting in Christs mediation on that day vndertaken begun And therefor every reasonable man must by his own reason be induced lead to acknowledg that day the fittest most worthy of all daies in the week to be the holy Sabbath to be spent in thankfull commemoration of Gods free loue bountie to mankinde During the whole time of the old Testament before the comming of Christ. So likewise God hauing now under the Gospel transferred this honour to the first day of the week that is become a blessed day aboue all other daies being blessed of God with a blessing farr more excellent then that of the seventh day to weet the actuall performance of the promise by giving exhibiting Christ a perfect actuall redeemer in his resurrection without which resurrection all our preaching of Christ all our faith in Gods promises would prove vaine as the Apostle proueth 1 Cor. 15. Therfore every man must out of common reason equity conclude that together with the ground reason of the Sabbath which God hath now removed from the seventh to the first day he hath also remoued the honour festiuall solemnity of the Sabbath Also his first law which enjoyneth man to keep that day for the holy Sabbath which God hath blessed with the greaâ—est blessing doth bind all Christians to obserue the Lords day for their weekly Sabbâ—th under the Gospel And in a word that it were a thing most vnequall unjust if a man or any Church should goe about to set up for the weekely Sabbath any other day which God hath not dignified honoured with so great a blessing Now upon these prâ—missed reasons I hope it appeares manifestly First that though the Commandement of the weekly Sabbath is no dictâ—te of nature but a positiue Evangellicall law yet it doth by common naturall reason as well as by the light of grace direct every reasonable man to the partilar day of the weekly Sabbath as to the seventh day in the old Testament so to the first in the new Testament And no resonable man can deny it to be the most equall which this law binds men unto but vpon the true grounds of the Sab well weighed considered must be forced to confesse that as the seventh day was most worthy of the honour of the Sabbath had it before Christs full exhibition in his resurrection so ever since the Lords day the first of the week is become the true Sab of Christians none hath power to giue that honour to any other day Secondly it is here manifest that though Christ the sonne of God made also the son of man mans redeemer is the Lord of the Sab the determination of the particular day of the week depends on him and none other haue the honour prorâ—gâ—tiue to appoint the particular day but he only Yet we must not conceiue that Christ by his bare will sets downe the particular day that the day is to be obserued only because of his bare will commandement that any other is as fit worthy as the seventh the first if he would be pleased at any time to commâ—nd the same But we are to hold thâ—â— Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath hath the determinatioÌ„ of the particular day depends on him the Redeemer onely because the hoâ—y Sabbath is founded and builded upon him and in him alone
the weeke And in honour of the resurrection of Christ on that day hath from the time of the Apostles agreed to keepe that day for the Lords day not out of any opinion that God hath blessed sanctified it aboue all other daies of the weeke but onely for good orders sake and that it is lawfull for Gods people after publick exercises of religion and some needfull rest and refreshing to use necessarie laboures and bodily recreations which in themselves are not sinfull and unlawfull neither do hinder publick duties of religion and of Gods worship But on the contrarie it is the common doctrine of the most godly and learned in the Church of England ever since the reformâ—â—ion of religion held maintained taught that although Christians are by Christ freed from the observation of the seventh day which was the Sabbath of the old Testament and from that servile bondage and rigorous rest which the law litterally and carnally vnderstood did impose on them or rather they by their carnal exposition wresting of the law did impose on themselves as not kindling of a fire nor liberty to heal the sick nor to do any worke of charitie and necessity on the Sâ—bbath day which could not without danger be deferred Yet they are bound by the law which was first giuen here in my text and after by Moses and the Prophets to keepe in everie weeke an holy rest and that on the first day which is the Lords day because God hath blessed it with a blessing aboue all other daies even by exhibiting Christ a perfect redeemer in his resurrection and hath thereby consecrated that day to be his holie sabbath And that all bodilie laboures sports and recreations and all worldly negociation are by Gods law strictly prohibited now under the Gospell as they were in the daies of the Patriarches and Prophets and under the law Because indeed and in truth they crosse the holie purpose of God which he hath manifested in his law and are impediments of those holy exercises which are required in the sanctification of his holie day This doctrine and practise I hold to be the best and this we are all bound to receiue and imbrace and to cleaue vnto it not onely because it is the Doctrine of our Mother Church commended to us in the book of homilies established by divets lawes statutes and constitutions still in force but also because it is most consonant to the sacred Scriptures the precepts and practise of the Apostles and to the common Doctrine of the purest and most holy Orthoxe of the auncient fathers in the Primitiue times and ages next succeeding after the Apostles as by Gods assistance as J shall make cleare and manifest In the justifying proving of this Doctrine and in laying open the speciall duties of Christians which concerne rest and cessation from all worldly negociation and bodilie laboures on the Lords daie which is the Christian Sabbath I will shew First of all That rest and câ—ssation from all bodilie laboures about the worldlie businesse and from all servile and and earthlie workes which concerne this fraile life is a necessarie dutie which God requires by his law of all Christians on the Lords daie which is their Holie weeklie Sabbath vnder the Gospell 2. That Gods law rightlie understood doth in respect of rest from worldly cares and all bodily workes and pleasures as strictly binde us vnder the Gospell on the Lords day as it bound the fathers upon their seventh day in the old Testament 3. I will shew how far Gods word law doth allow of bodily exercises which concerne this life and how farre in such exercises we may goe with good warrant upon the Lords holy Sabbath and what exercises are condemned in the word of God CHAP. 19. FOR the full proofe of the first point there are many strong and invincible arguments grounded vpon the word and law of God upon the generall consent of Orthodox divines both auncient and moderne even upon the confession of them who in this point much differ and seeme to deny that the Lords day either is or ought to be called a Sab. The first Argument is drawn from the words of the law which forbids all workes to be done on the Sabbath day either by man himselfe or his children servants or cattell as Exod. 20 10. Deut. 5.14 where it is said In it thou shâ—lt not do any worke thou nor thy son nor thy servant nor thy cattell Exod. 35.2 Leuit. 23.7 Yee shall do no servile workâ— therein whosoeveâ— doth any work therin shall be put to death The reasons why the Lord requires rest from all servile worke on the Sabbath day are two First because he who is the Lord our God and our Redeemer hath on that day rested from his worke and him we ought to imitate if we will enter into his rest Secondly because he hath blessed the day which is his Sabbath aboue all daies of the weeke and wheresoever the causes and reasons stand firme there the law is still in force Now this law of the Sabbath doth reach to the Lords day As J haue proved before the reasoÌ„ vpon which it requirs rest froÌ„ seâ—vile works are much more to be found in the Lords day which is the Christian Sab then in the Old Sabbath of the seventh day For in it Christ who is God ouer all blessed for ever and who is our Redeemer from a greater then Egyptian bondage even the slauery of sinne death and hell and the Divell hath rested from the great worke of redemption as God the Creatour did one the seventh day from the worke of creation And this day is now by Christs resurrection in which Christ perfected mans redemption blessed with a blessing farre more excellent then any wherewith God blessed the seventh day Therfore this is the Sabbath now under the Gospell in it God requirs of us by his law a rest total cessatioÌ„ froÌ„ al servile works Secondly whatsoever day is the Lords holy day a day of holy convocations assemblies that is a Sab of rest froÌ„ al servile works worldly busines this is manifest Exod. 12.16 31.15 35.2 Leuit. 32.3 7 which places do plainly shew that every day which is holy to the Lord and a day of holy assemblies is a Sab of rest no worke may be done therin And so likewise in all the law the Prophets every day which is a day of holy convocation an holy day is called a Sab day of rest from our own works pleasures every Sab is called the Lords holy day for these two are termini convertibiles termes which may be naturally affiâ—med one of another as apeares Neh. 9 14 Isa 58 13 Now the Lords day in the time of the Gospell is the chiefe of all holy dayes among Christians It was sanctified observed by the Apostles for their day of holy assemblies from the first publishing
as the Greeke writers speake Lastly it seems by divers other Reasons very probable that man did fall on the sixt day before he had eaten of the tree of life which if he had beene left to himselfe and if he had not beene prevented and seduced by the Devill he would haue done First because the Covenant of life by mans owne workes of obedience being sealed by his eating of that tree which was the seale of that Covenant as appeares by Gods speech Gen. 3.23 Man had beene confirmed in that naturall life estate wherein God created him and the Devill could haue had no power either to seduce him or to prevaile by his temptations Secondly the things which Adam did after his creation and before his fall could not be done orderly and distinctly in lesse then a good part of a day First God brought all living creatures before him and hee tooke notice of them and gaue to every kinde of creature fitt names before the woman was made as appeares ver 20. Then God cast him into a deep sleep and tooke one of his ribs and formed it into a woman and brought her to him After that God gaue them the blessing of fruitfulnesse and said be fruitfull and multiply he also gaue them rule and dominion over all creatures and appointed them all Trees bearing fruit and Hearbes bearing seed for their meat and set man to keep and dresse the garden and withall hee gaue them the commandement to abstain from the tree of knowledge of good evill before they were tempted drawne into sinne transgression Therefore their fall must needes be towards the end of the day after the ninth houre at the same time of the day in which Christ sufferd death and gaue vp the ghost as the Gospell shewes Math. 27.46 and soe the day and houre of mans first sinne was the daie and houre of death for sinne according to Gods threatning ver 17. Thirdly after their fall the sight of their nakednesse they sewed fig leaues together made them Aprones by this time we may suppose that the sunne did set the coole of the day approached even the breathing winde which coÌ„monly blowes afâ—er the setting of the sun did blow in the night of the seuenth day at which time they heard Gods voice walking in the garden which was tirrible vnto them partly by reason of the darknes of the night and partly through the conscience of their sinne and the shame of nakednesse which sin brought vpon them hereupon they hid themselues froÌ„ Gods presence among the trees of the garden which shelter was too vaine foolish no way able to hide them froÌ„ Gods pure eyes Therefore certainly they did sinne and fall towards the end of the sixt day in which they were created And justly might Adam haue cursed the day of his creation if Christ had not immediatly betimes on the seventh day been promised and had not actually and openly vndertaken to become the seed of the woman and began to be an actuall mediatour for mans redemption And thus I haue by the help light of Scriptures made it plaine and manifest that mans first sinne and fall was on the sixt daie And that the first institution of the Sabbath being vpon the seventh day must needs be after mans fall and not in the state of innocency CHAP. 2. NOw this proving demoÌ„strating of the first point in my text â—o weet the time of the first institutioÌ„ of the Sabbath doth lead vs directly as it were by the hand vnto the second maine point that is the ground upon which the Sabbath was founded and the true outward moving cause and occation of the first institution of it First we may hence collect that the ground of the Sabbath is not any thing revealed or done on the sixe daies of the creation therfore there was no vse of the Sabbath nor place for it in the state of innocency neither is it a commemoratioÌ„ of any thing then brought into beeing but rather of Gods resting from creation and ceasing to proceed further in perfecting the world by way of creation Secondly that the true ground must bee sought and found among the things which came to passe on the seventh day and after the state of innocency which ended at mans transgration and fall now this we will seeke in the next words of the text The ground of the Sabbath And on the seuenth day God ended his worke which he had made and on the seuenth day God rested froÌ„ all his workes which he had made and God blessed the seuenth day In these words we may obserue three distinct things concurring on the seventh day First Gods ending or perfecting of the whole worke or busines of the creation Secondly Gods resting from that worke and ceasing to proceed that way and â—iving over to vphold the world to repaire man other creatures which were â—rought vnder corruptioÌ„ through his fall made subject to vanity by the meer worke of creation Thirdly Gods blessing the seventh daie by revealling therein agreat blessing farre a boue all the good which he shewed in the sixt daies of â—he creation That these are the true grounds of the Sabbath and that God because of these concurring comming together on the seventh day did sanctifie it made it an Holy Sabbath to be kept by man for an Holy rest the words following immediately do shew where it is said God did sanctifie the seventh day because in it he rested from all his worke of creation and from dealing doing that way These three points I will therefore proue and explaine out of rhe words of the text in there order First for Gods ending or perfecting of his workes which he had made that is expressed in the first words God ended his workes which he had made the words in the Originall Hebrew text are these Vaiecal Elchim melachtâ— asher gnassah which are diuersly translated and expounded by the learned translaters and expositers of this text The Uulger Latine runnes thus Cumpleuitque Dâ—us opus suum quod fecerat That is God finished his worke which he had made or God made his worke compleat on the seventh day The Greeke Septuagints render the words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is God perfected his worke on tâ—e sixt day The Caldee paraphraseth thus On the seventh day God delighted in his worke which hâ— had made Tremâ—llious Junious and many other learned expositers do reade the words thus That before the seventh day God had ended his worke had finished it on the seâ—enth day that is when the seventh day come he had ended the creation The words thus diversly translated seemes to haue severall meaning and may bee taken in divers and severall sences The Uulger Latine which is all one with our English translation seems to make this the sence of the words That on the seventh day God made an end of his worke which
and faithfull receive and enjoy through him which indeed soe farre exceed all that belonged to man in the state of innocency as Christ the second Adam in his humanity exceeded the first Adam and immutable grace exceeds mutable nature and as eternall fruition of God in heavenly grace excels the fruition of fading pleasures in an earthly paradise CHAP. 6 Secondly Gods sanctifying of the seventh day was not the creation or infusing of any spirituall or supernaturall holinesse into it by which it did excell all other dayes of the weeke For first all spirituall and supernaturall holinesse is created infused by the holy Ghost only into reasonable creatures Angels and men and cannot be in any thing void of reason vnderstanding free will and affections Although things without life and creatures void of reason are called holy by way of relation because they are dedicated to an holie use Yet nothing is called holie by holinesse of qualification that is by holinesse inherent heavenlie grace qualitie and perfection but onelie man and the holie Angels who are partakers of the holie Ghost and haue him dwelling working in them For this holinesse is unstained puritie and vnspotted vprightnesse which possesseth and informeth the vnderstanding will desires affections and inclinations of resonable creatures makes them conformable to Gods revealed will and the rule of his law Sâ—e that to imagine holines infused into any time place or any other thing which hath not reason vnderstanding and will is a mere dreame dotage and superstition Times and places as holy daies and holie temples are holie in Scripture not for any holines inherent in them which they communicate to Gods people but because these daies and places are dedicated to holie use and in them God is pleased by his spirit working with his word and ordinances to beg it increase and stirre vp holy affâ—ctions in men and to come and enable them to performe holie actions according to Gods will Secondlie all true infused inherent holinesse created and wrought by the holie Ghost springs from an eternall fountaine and is founded vpon a sure rock which can never bee removed but standeth firme for ever Where Gods spirit once informeth or taketh possession and worketh true holinesse ther he abides for ever Ioh. 14.16 The Devill and all the powers of darknesse cannot prevaile nor dispossesse him for he is greater then they all 1. Ioh. 4.4 Soe that if God had sanctified the seventh day by infusing holinesse and conforming it with the holy Ghost it could never haue beene profaned polluted and defiled by men neither could there haue beene any chaunge of it from the holy Sabbath to a common and ordinary day of the weeke as now wee see by Christs resurrection It should haue continued Gods holy weekly Sabbath for ever even as men once truly regenerate and sanctified by the holy Ghost are by that spirit sealed vnto the day of full redemption Ephess 4.30 CHAP. 7. THE affirmatiue positions wherein J will shew how God sanctified the seventh day are three First God did on that day reveale himselfe to man a most pure and holy God more then in all the six daies of the creation For in creating all things of nothing he shewed his power And omnipotencie in making al things good and perfect in there kind And in setting the heavens and the earth and all creatures in such an excellent comelie order hee shewed his wisdome and goodnesse And in making man vpright in his owne image giving him dominion over all living creatures to order them according to his will and to the law written in mans heart he declared his righteousnes But on the seventh day by promising Christ a perfect redeemer and Sauiour he manifested and revealed his most perfect purity holinesse diverse waies First by his suffering of man to liue in his sight and to approach to his presence when he was corrupted by his fall and become filthy and abominable and in the strictnesse and rigor of justice worthy to be destroyed with eternall death God did plainly shew that he is a God infinitly holie and cannot receive the least spot and staine of mans corruption approaching to his presence but appeares most pure and glorious and shines forth bejond all measure by making an holy vse of mans vncleannesse and ordering and disposing it to the more full manifestation and communication of his glorie goodnesse to his elect in Christ For as the purity of gold doth more appeare by abiding most pure and perfect in the midst of consuming fire and a furnace of fire full of uncleane ashes and after the touching of things most vncleane Soe Gods perfect purity and holinesse appeares most infinit and vnspotted in that he suffers vncleane man made filthy and abominable by sinne to live in his sight and presence doth order dispose his uncleannesse to an holy end doth meddle with it touch it yet is no whit diminished or obscured therby but made more bright and resplendent in the eyes of the world Secondly God by his promising of Christ to become maÌ„ in mans nature to make a ful perfect satisfaction to justice for mans sin did shew his infinit purity holy hatred of sin more then by any worke of creation In that rather then maÌ„s sin filthines should not be punished to the full his justice fully satitisfied he would giue his own Son a person of infinit value to bear the curâ—e sufferedthe whole punishment of sin in mans nature and so to make full satisfaction for it Thirdly the revealing of Christ and promising of him to be a second Adam who is the Lord from heaven heavenly and a quickening spirit through whom he doth richlie shed his spirit on Adam and all his elect seed in their generation which holy spirit doth dwell in their frail earthly sinfull bodies as in a Tabernacle temple all the time of this fraile life is not stained nor defiled with their corruptions but doth abide most pure and holy and doth overcome mortifie and kill by a long and lingring death the old man of sinne in them and workes in them that spirituall purity and holinesse which though it be not like a grain of mustard seed yet cannot bee destroied or defiled but increaseth more and more and prevaileth against all powers of darknesse this doth aboue all shew the infinit puritie and holinesse of God and of his spirit And therfore J conclude that God by promising and revealing Christ on the seventh daie did then first shew himselfe infinitly pure and did manifest vnspotted holinesse more then in all the six daies of the creation and this is the first point of his sanctifying of the daie to bee an holie Sabbath of rest vntill the full exhibition of Christ a perfect actuall redeemer on the day of his resurrection CHAP. 8. SEcondly God on the seventh daie did though Christ promised â—â—ed the holie Ghost
haue a law giuen to Adam when all mankinde were in his loynes commanding a duty even the sanctifying of a weekely Sabbath which hath beene and is of as great use after Christ as before For as the Isralites were bound unto this duty by God Exod. 16.23.28 20.8 euen in al their generations as appeares Jer. 17.21 so also Gods people are bound to it under the Gospell whether they be strangers which joyn themselves to the Lord and lay hold on his Covenant Isa. 56.6.7 that is Churches of the beleeving Gentiles or naturall Isralites after their long hardnesse in the last daies converted to Christ the repairer of the breach and builder up of the old wast places after many generations Isa. 58.12.13.14 And J do not thinke there is any man professing Christianity dare be so impudent as to affirme that any of Gods people in any age are exempted froÌ„ the Holy duties by which the Sabbath is sanctified and a seventh day in every weeke kept Holy to the Lord or that we in these evill and perillous times haue not as much neede of them for the upholding of true religion for the increasing of grace godlinesse in our hearts Therefore undoubtedly all mankinde in all generations and ages are bound to keepe a weekly Sabbath My second argument is drawne from the duty it selfe of keeping Holy a seventh day weekly to the Lord and thus I frame it Everie duty imposed on Adam and his posterity by Gods commandement which is in it selfe perpetually Holy and just and of as great use to all men in all ages as necessarily in all respects as it was in Adam when God first enjoyned it by his law That belongs to all mankinde and all the posterity of Adam are bound thereunto in all ages to the end of the world The keeping of an Holy weekly Sabbath and sanctifying of a seventh day in every weeke is such a duty Therefore it belongs to all mankinde and all Adams posterity are bound to it in all ages to the end of the world The proposition is so manifestly true thâ—t there can be no acception against it to deny it is to deny that greatest of Gods commandements which saith that Gods people ought to feare the Lord and walke in his wayes to loue and serve them with all their heart and with all their soule and with all their might Deut. 6.5 10.12 For whosoever exempts himselfe or others from a duty which is perpetually holy just usefull necessary for all men he in so doing refuseth to serue God with all his heart soul might and teacheth others to transgresse that great commandement The assumption also is an undoubted truth For first there can be no time nor age named since mans fall corruption which brought all mankind vnder the bondage of hand toylsome labour eating his bred with the sweat of his face wherin the rest of one day in every weeke is not usefull profiâ—table needfull for mens bodies most just equall to be granted to their labouring servants toyling cattell the verie light of naturall reason reqiures it for the coÌ„mon good welbeing of all men He who denies this to himselfe and to his children servants cattell he is an unjust unmercifull man not to be numbred among the righteous who are good mercifull to the life of their beasts Prov. 12.10 Secondly justice equity require that seing the life of man is a pilgrimage on earth here on earth there is no abiding place for him nor any felicity true rest or perfection to be found but in heaven maÌ„ should not spend all his time all his thoughts studies in about the things of this world but that he should haue a set time at lest one day in every week wherin he resting ceasing from worldly cares laboures delights should wholy devote himself to heavenly meditations and to holy exercises which may fit him prepare him for the place of rest teach direct him in the right ready way thereunto enable him to walke wisely therin Who thinks it to much to consecrate one whole day in seven unto religious exercises which may fit him for eternal life he is undoubtedly most vnequall in his judgment a judge of unjust things Thirdly it is a thing not only good holy in it selfe that man of his owne accord much more being commanded by God should devote one whole day in every weeke to the mediate worship of God in thankfulnes for his creation redemption the vse of Gods creatures restored to him in Christ with some advantage But also very vsefull necessary for the seasoning of mans weekly laboures with justice piety for the coÌ„tinuance increase of holines religioÌ„ in his heart and for the enlightening of his mind rectifying of his will sanctifying of his affections and fitting him to undertake and begin all his weekly laboures in the feare of God to direct them to the right end and to perfect and finish them happily by Gods favour and blessing Jf any man shall dare to deny this we may justly feare that he is rude ignorant of those heavenly and spirituall things whereof all Gods people haue continually experience in themselves And the constant practice of Gods people who in all ages haue observed and kept a weekly Sabbath holy to the Lord and therby haue profitted in all piety and holinesse will convince them of grosse blindnesse stupidity Adam no doubt did every seventh day devote himselfe to Gods worship and taught his first sonnes Caine Abell to bring their offerings to God at the end of daies that is every last day of the weeke for that is the most proper sence of the words in the Hebrew text Gen. 4.3.4 And so soone as the posterity of Seth began to multiply and increase they gathered themselves into a Church were called the children of God or Gods people and hereby they were distinguished from the carnall and profane progeny of Caine then they began to invocate and call upon the name of the Lord that is to worship God in publick assemblies Gen 4.26 Whereas Adam Abell and Seth had invocated and worshipped God in their own private families onely now the faithfull being multiplied did frequent publick assemblies which could not be but in set places and at set times surely euery weeke on the seventh day which God had blessed and sanctified Also after that generall Apostacy which came in by vnequall mariages of the sonnes of the faithfull with the daughters of the profane the destruction of the the old world with the flood Righteous Noah who was saved in the Arke with his familie immediatlie after began to observe the holy rest of the seventh day for it is said that the Burnt offering which he offered on the Altar of every cleane beasts and cleane foule vnto the Lord was a sweet smelling
are to be found all the meane and essentiall grounds and reasons both of the Sabbath and alsoe â—f the particular day wherein hee requires that it should be obserued If he had not undertaken mans redemption from death and hell and mans exaltation to eternall rest and glory there had beene neither any place for mans keeping of a Sabbath nor anie use of it to fit him for heaven or to be a pledg of eternall rest in heaven Jf God had not on the seventh day promised Christ the blessed seed to redeeme man from death to purchase life for him and to continue to him the benefit of the creatures and to perfect his creation Surely it had not been the most blessed day of the weeke neither would God haue instituted it to be a weekly Sabbath at the first and soe to continue untill the comming of Christ. And if God had not raised up Christ on the first day of the weeke and so exhibited him aperfect redeemer and fully performed his promise Then the first day had not beene made a more blessed day then the seventh and all other daies of the weeke And the Lord Christ would never haue made that day of the weeke his Sabbath alwaies after neither would his holy Apostles by inspiration of his spirit being moued to call it the Lords day and to obserue it and teach others to obserue it for their day of holy assemblies for the performing of all holy Sabbath duties And thus we see Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath and so determines the particular day of the weeke not by his bare will word but by bringing in such blessings on the seveÌ„th or first day of the week as made the one of them most worthy under the new testament to bee the holy Sabbath to be kept and obserued of all Gods people vnto the observation whereof they are justly lead by the light both of grace and nature And it is not either in the power of man or any other creature or in the just will of God or agreeable to the will of the Lord Christ and the wisedome of his spirit to appoint any other day for the weekly Sabbath but onely the day of the Lord Christ that is the day of him promised in the old and the day of him fully exhibited in the new Testament The first of which and no other the fathers were bound to keepe for their holy rest of old And the later and no other is our weekly Sabbath and the due obseruation of that particular is the first speciall Sabbath duty of all Christians under the time of the Gospell untill the last resurrection The second sort of speciall duties vnto which all true Christians are bound unto in their obseruation of the Lords day which is the christian Sabbath are the duties of rest cessation from all worldly affaires which now follow to be handled in the nâ—xâ— place Concerning which J finde much diuersity both of opinion and practise not only betweene true Christians of the reformed Churches and Antichristian Papists other hereticks but also in the reformed Churches among themselves First for the Church of Rome and all that are of her faction devoted to her superstition and Idolatry and marked with the marke of the beast which beares up the Romish Babylon though diuers of their learned Scoole-men haue heretofore maintained a very strict obseruation of rest on the Lords day Yet now in later times both in Doctrine practise they are growne uery desolate especially the Romish Catholicks which liue among us turning the Lords day into a day of liberty and spending a great part of it in sports plaies revelling other bodily exercises which are carnall fleshly prophane and impious As if so be their irreligious prophanenesse were at strife with their Idolatrous religion and at great emulation contending which should out go ouer runne the other in carrying them with greater speede to hell Yea to shew and make it manifest to the world that the Romish man of sinne is that great Antichrist which exalts himselfe aboue al that is called God euen aboue the true God the Lord Iesus Christ whose vicar he in hipocrisie makes himself The Church of Rome doth teach and urge her Uassals to keâ—p yearelie holie daies most strictly which are of her owne devising which the pope hath commanded to be observed in honour of his Cananized Saints in the mean time opposeth with many great profanations the Lords day which the Lord hath consecrated by his resurrection Which day being blessed by God with the greatest blessing aboue all other daies of the weeke is by the law vvhich God gaue from the beginning commanded to bee kept for the Lords holy Sabbath vveeklie Secondly there are of the hereticall faction of the Anabaptists Antimonians families other such prophane Sectaries which make little soâ— any lavv of God or man saving onlie the dictate of their faniticall â—pirit And left the commandemeÌ„t of the vveekly Sab least they should seeme to be subject to Gods lavv and to be be his servants vvhich they account slauerie and not absolute Libertines and sonnes of Beliall vvhich haue cast of the Lords yoke These esteem and obserue no daie at all but according to their own fancie make the Lords day so far as they dare for feare of men a market day of buying and selling waâ—es a daie of labour and of bearing and carrying our burdens as they well know who haue beene at Amsterdam where such heretickes and sectaries are tolerated Thirdlie among Christians of the reformed Churches there is a difference both in Doctrine and practise Some of the reformed Churches who out of their extreme hatred to Popish superstition and to all Popish rites and Ceremonies being unwilling to retaine any thing which was used in poperie except there bee some expresse Commandement or example for it in the Scriptures especiallie of the new Testament and labouring to overthrow the whole Hierachie and gouernment of the Church by Bishops all bodily rites they do in the heat of their zeale so violently set themselues against Popish superstious holie dayes that they goe about to take away all observations of daies and they haue proceeded so farre as to deny that any either weekely Sabbath or yearelie set feast ought to be kept holy by any speciall law or commandement of God They teach that the Sabbath as it was commanded to be kept of old was a mere ceremoniall shaddow of things which are accomplished in Christ and that is now a bolished But because it is a thing necessary for the hauing of holy assemblies and for good order in the Churches that there should be a set day either a seseventh or sixth day of eight dayes And because the law of nature requires that Christian people should haue some daies of rest from hard labour for the refreshing of themselves and their seruants and cattell therefore the Church of God mâ—y appoint any day of
of the Gospell among the Gentiles on that they did meet together to heare the word to receiue the sacrament of the Lords supper Act 20 7 And on that day St Paul ordained that the collections offerings should bee made for the Saints 1 Cor 16 12 which were things proper for holy publicke assemblies So St John cals it by the name of the Lords day Revel 1 10 that is the day which is universall sacred holy to the Lord in an high degree For whatsoever things haue the Lords name named on them are such as all confesse many examples of Scripture proue abundantly All the auncient fathers doctors of the Church who immediatly in the â—ext ages succeed the Apostles do proclaime it to be the chief holy day of Christians even the Queene supreme Lady of dayes So Ignatius cals it as J haue often before noted also the day of their holie assemblies wherin they did come together to preach read expound heare Gods word to worshipp God to pray to praise God with their one voyce to receiue the Sacramentt and offer up almes So Iustin Martyr affirmes The rest of the most learned fathers as Basill Nazianzene Chrysostome Hyerome Austen do all extoll it for the Lords high roiall holy daie the chiefâ— primate first fruites of daies as the learned of all sides know coâ—fesse even Calvin his followers who made a doubt scruple of calling it the Sab or observing it for a Sab of holy rest by any warrant from Gods law Therefore none can with any good reason deny that one maine duty of this day is rest from all earthly workes Thirdly wheresoever there is as much use of holie rest cessation froÌ„ all worldlie affaires as there was of old when God first gaue afterwards repeated and urged the law of the weekly Sab there a Sab of rest ought to be kept weeklie even by the Com of God This is truth undeniable For no laws of God commâ—nding things which are but tipes figures are at any time abrogated vntill the things commanded cease to be of use as the Apostle shewes in the 8 9 10 cap of Heb Now Christ who is the body and substance of all types and shaddowes hath not by his comming so fulfilled the rest of the weekly Sabbath but there is as great as holy and as necessary use of it to us Christians as there was to the people of God in the Old Testament First we haue as much and more need of refreshing our weak bodies and the bodies of our servants and labouring cattell then they had by keeping a weekly Sabbath for we are grown farre more weake and feeble and of shorter life then they were Secondly we haue as great neede of seperating sequestring and recalling our minds and affections from all worldly cares negociations and pleasures â—hat we may haue pleasure and freedome to worship and serue God and devote one day in everie weeke to publick assemblies for our edification in grace faith and holinâ—sse For we are more full of infirmities and doe decay and grow corrupt more and more as all the world doth and haue need of all outward helpes more then they Thirdlie as rest from all workes and labours which concerne this life was necessarie and of great vse to Adam and al the fathers to withdraw their hearts and mindâ—s from placing their felicitie and seeking happinesse in this world and to put them in remembrance that being fallen from that integrity in which they were created and the first covenant of life by mans owne workes being broken and made voyd by the first fall and disobedience there is no hope of life or of any true blessednesse Soe it is of no lesse use but of much more necessitie for us who are farre more eagre after the world more readie to place our felicitie in earthly things and more proud and arrogant readie to glorie in our own merits to boast of our own righteousnesse â—s we see by common course of the world which now a daies soe madlie doateth after Popish and Pelagian merits Fâ—urâ—hlie as Gods commanding of a weeklie rest to be given to man and beast and the resting of the fathers on the Sabbath day from servile workes and labour which came in as a curse for sinne were of great vse to teach them and to be a pledge and token unto them that God did rest in Christs mediation and his justice was fullie satisfied and his wrath appeased towards them by that satisfaction which Christ had vndertaken to make and that the sting of sinne and death and the bitternesse of the curse was taken awaie by him So likewise it is of the same use still to us and we haue as much need of the same weekly holie râ—st to make us feele more sensible and relish more sweetly the virtue of Christs satisfaction the sweetnesse whereof wee through our dullnesse can hardlie tast and relish and many amongst us make a doubt whether there be any such satisfaction of Gods justice needfull at all or any appeasing of his wrath by Christ. Fifthly as Gods injoyning of rest was of use to the fathers to testifie to them his prouident care ouer his creatures both men and beasts and his hatred and detestation of mercilesse crueltie and unjust oppression Soe it is much more usefull to us for the same purpose in these last daies and perillous times wherein men are become fierce cruell implacable without naturall affection as experience teacheth and the Apostle foretold 2 Tim. 3.2.3 Lastlie as the weekly rest of the old Sabbath grounded upon the obscure promise of Christ was commanded by God that it might bee a meanes to stirre up the fathers to looke for true comfort ease refreshing in Christ if they did by faith flee to him whensoever they did travell under the burden of their sinnes and Satans temptations as wee read that Iob did cap. 16.21 and 19.25 Soe now it is much more usefull to stirre us up to seeke to Christ when wee are heavie laden and groane under the burden of sinne and of the miseries which come by sinne and of Satans dangerous temptations Seeing as Satan doth now â—ore rage like a Roaring Lyon 1 Pet 5.8 And is full of wrath because his time growes shorter Revel 12. So we haue Christ actuallie given and revealed and in the Gospell calling and inviting us and promising rest and refreshing for our soules in such causes of distresse if we come to him Jn a word to us the rest of the Lord Christs day is a more liuelie pledge of eternall rest by him prepared in heaven for us These things being cleare and manifest the conclusion following vpon these praemises it this That we are as much or more bound by Gods law to keepe the Lords day as a Sabbath of weekly rest by ceasing from all affaires of this life laying aside all worldlie cares and resting from
with the spirituall and heavenly obseruation of the Lords holie day in which God requires serious sanctification and graue and sober conversations as our own Ecclesiasticall Constitutions do affirme the reason is the same in both Thirdly in all other things consecrated by God himselfe and by his word and commandement to holy and heavenly use it hath alwayes beene counted a greevious offence to ad our owne naturall inventions and diuises to them or to turne them to common civill and mere naturall use either in whole or part except in case of necessity So undoutedly it is by the same reason a greevious offence willingly and purposly to imploy the Lords holy daie or any part thereof to common naturall and civill sports and delights Now the first is manifest by the word and law of God Nahab Abihu the sonnes of Aron were consumed by fire from the Lord when they offered sacrifices with common fire Lev. 10. Because they added to the holy offering that which was common Alsoe the sonnes of Ely did sinne greeviously in turning any part of the consecrated flesh to feede their owne bellies 1 Sam. 2. Saul in turning Gods sacrifice to a prophane use and forcing himselfe to doe it in ordinately that he might make the people to stand to him and keep them from scattering sinned and lost his Kingdome 1 Sam. 13. And when the Jewes prophaned Gods house of praier which was the holie place by buying selling and money chaunging it was so vile in our Saviours eyes and so wicked that he who in other things was a meeke Lambe being moved with zeale did like a Lyon Roare against them fell violentlie upon them and whipt them out with disgrace Iohn 2. Now the Lords Sabbath is an holie day sanctified by God immediatlie after the Creation and commanded in the fourth Commandement to be kept holy And our Sauiour by his Resurrection hath consecrated blessed the Lords day aboue all other dayes of the weeke and made it the Lords Sabbath more holie then the first as haue beene before abundantly proved And as all true Christian Churches so our Church more especiallie both by Doctrine and practise hath openlie approved this for the Lords Sabbath Therefore no part of this day ought to be turned to nautrall ciuill or carnall sports and delights Lastly though our Churches the places of our holy assemblies and our communion tables haue no particular expresse commandement for them from God but onely are consonant and agreable to the houses of God in Israel and we haue no other warrant for them but the example of Gods people in the Old Testament our own experience reason teaching that they are very necessary for publick assemblies and holie service the plot of ground is chosen by men and the materials and framing of them and the forme of them are all the workes of men God hath neither appointed the place as in the temple of Ierusalem nor the materials the forme as in the Tabernacle the Arke Altars which were built by Moses Yet we would count a great offence to turn any part of the Church to be a place for common sports plaies or a dancing Schoole and to play at dice or Cards or other profane games vpon the Communion Table Now then seeing we count it unlawfull to profane the places consecrated to holy vse by men inimitation of God and not by expresse commandement given for the separation of the ground or the place We ought more to count it unlawfull to spend any part of Gods holy day in carnall sports being a time sanctified by his expresse word and blessed with the greatest blessing Fourthly and in the last place whatsoever recreations and exercises of body and mind are necessary required for the bettering of our sanctification of the Lords day the enabling of us to perform with more cheerfulnesse strength and courage the holy worship of God and the work and service of his holy Sabbath and which are also intended by vs onely to that end and use them we may vse And so farre as they serve to further and in no wise to hinder Gods holy worship and the immediate works and duties thereof This is manifest by Gods allowing to his people in the law dressing of meat Cheerfull feasting on his Sab and holy daies Which are needfull to cheere up men and to provoke them to worship him with all thankfulnesse of heart also to put on our best apparell that we may come decently to Gods house As these are lawfull being directed to holy use so undoubtedly honest refreshing with recreations which cheer up the heart refresh the spirits are lawfull when they are helpfull to holy exercises and are directed to that end as stirring of the body walking in to gardens or fields to take fresh aire being found very helpefull to Preachers to reviue their spirits sâ—rengthen their loynes cleare their voyces sharpen and quicken their wits and memories and being done only to that end are lawfull So also walking into the corne feilds in â—ommer oâ— harvest or into meddowes or Pastures in the spring both to refresh our Bodies spirits and to give vs occasion to admire Gods bountie in clothing the bodies and his Fatherlye providence in making the earâ—h so fruitfull and to laud and praise him is lawfull for vs. And if after publick private exercise we doe soe walke about diuers together conferring of heavenly things taking occasion by sight of earthly blessings to provoke one another to thankfulnesse acknowledgment of Gods loue this no doubt is a recreation fitt for the Lords day and helps much our devotion and this seemes to haue beene practised by our Saviour who went through the corne feilds on the Sabbath day Mat. 12.1 and his Disciples with them CHAP. 22. IN the last place J come to the speciall Duties of holinesse by which The Lords Sabbath is especially said to be sanctified which I will run through as breifly as I can so far as brevity may stand with plainesse perspecuity And first of all you shall see that the most strict sanctification of the Lords day which is taught and urged by the godly learned both auncient and moderne Christian Divines Is no Judaisme I would haue you to take speciall notice that whatsoeuer things the Iewes and naturall Isralites were bound by the law â—o perfoâ—me in the sanctification of the old Sabbath which were meerely tipicall and ceremoniall and were ordained and practised onely to signifie some things which are fullie accomplished in Christ that we hold to be so abolished and made void that Christians ought in no case to obserâ—e or practise them on their new Sabbath the Lords day For they are all removed with the chaunge of the day we ought to a voyd them as much as we avoyd the old Sab which was the seventh day from the begining of daies in the creation As for example offering the sacrifices of slaine beasts and
heart and soule is required in vsing the publick holie ordinances of God and in approaching neare to him to worship him in his holy place his owns house As wee reade Leviticus 20.7 1 Peter 1.15.16 The holinesse that becomes Gods house is not vanishing showes and shaddowes which passe awaie in the doing and vsing of them as bowing cringing and such gestures but a spirituall and eternall holinesse which lasts for ever and can never bee defaced nor perish as David shewes Psal. 93.5 It is better then thousands of Rammes Mich. 6.6.7.8 It is putting on of Humility Mercy meeknesse and all other affections and departing from all iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 It is the Jmage of Christ in the new creature which is created after God in righteousnesse and holinesse that is which cannot lye nor deceiue by faiding but lasts for ever Ephes. 4.24 Thirdly to call to mind those Scripturs which require holy preparation as Eccle. 5.1 which shewes Gods anger against such as come to his house without due furniture and a wedding garment as Mat. 22.12 Fourthly to meditate on that whereof the Sabbath is a signe and pledge vnto us even our Resurrection to eternall life and to the eternall Rest of glory in heaven in the sight and fruition of God whom none can see without holinesse Thiâ— is most powerfull to stirre up spirituall affection and to quicken grace in our hearts The third meanes is earnest prayer to God for his spirit and increase of his spirituall grace in our hearts that is of great force if it be importunate Luk. 11.13 18.1 and fervent Iam. 5.16 And therefor when the Lords day begineth in the evening or day going of the Satturday we must make speciall prayers for this purpose as also in the morning when we awake and see the light of the Lords holy day Jn the next place after we are thus prepared wee must set our selves wholy to the performance of the duties of holinesse which are required for the sanctification of an holy Sabbath to the Lord which are either publick or private The first publick duty is diligent assembling of our selues with the congregation of Gods people in the house of God the place of publick assemblies This is so necessary that without it there can be no solemne service nor publick worship of God performed by us This the Lord requires in the law where he joynes these two together as in seperable companions even holy convocations and keeping of a Sabbath Ex. 12.16 These our Saviour Christ did frequent though Lord of the Sabbath as well as the fathers did under the law as appears Mark. 1.27 And so did his Apostles on the new Sabbath the Lords day 1 Cor 16.1.2 The second publick duty in the publick worship of God is Praier lauding and Praising him and offering vp sacrifices of thankfulnesse and the first fruites aâ—d calues of our lippes in a solemne orderly and decent manner and order This the holy men of God carefully performed in the House of God on their Sabbath in the old Testament as David shewes Psal. 5.7 42.4 And this our Saviour commandes to us for an holy duty in Gods house where hee cals the house of God the house of prayer Mat. 21.13 that not only to the Jews but also to al beleeving nations as the Prophets words by him cited do shew Isa. 56 7. This the godly at Philippi where they had no Synagogue nor Church performed in a publick assembly by a Riuers side Act. 16.13 This was practised by the first Christians at Iudaea Act. 2.46.47 and this the Apostle injoynes Heb 13.15 This David foretold Psal. 118.24 In a word all Scriptures which teach us to call upon God to pray to confesse our sinnes to humble our selves before God to worshippe him and to giue thankes and do commend these for holy duties they doe much more teach vs to performe them on the Lords day in our holy assemblies The third sort of publicke duties are the holy ordinances of God which tend properly to beget and increase holinesse and to teach Christians Gods holy worship and feare to weet the publick reading and and expounded of the word of God and preaching and Catechising on the Mininisters part and on the peoples part reverent attention hearing of the word of God This was a constant practise from the daies of old which the Fathers obserued soe long as the Church of the Jewes and first temple was standing As appeares Ast. 13.15 cap. 15.21.27 Also by our Saviours practise preaching in the Sinagogues every sabbath day Luk. 4.16 Mar. 1.31 And this the Apostles practised in holie assemblies which they appointed to be kept on the Lords day and this they commanded to be performed by all the Christian Churches as appeares Act. 11.25 20 7. 1 Cor. 16.1 14.23.26 Colos. 4.14 1 Thes. 5.27 Fourthly besides preaching reading and expounding of the holy Scripturs ther is also the administration of the Sacraments as of Baptisme and the Lords Supper the later of which especially is an holy sab daies ordinance of Christ first instituted in the assembly of his Apostles not to be administred and receiued ordinarily but in Sab asseÌ„blies and publick meeting of the Church comming together on the Lords day as we gather from Act. 20.7 1 Cor. 11.20.33 And that publick Baptisme is most fit to bee administered on the Lords day in the publicke assembly these reasons shâ—w 1. Because it is joyned with preaching Mathew 28.16 Secondly because it is the receiuing of the Baptized into the true Visible Church Thirdly in publick it may bee better perfomed by the joynt prayers of the whole Congregation· Fourthly it may much profit the whole publick congregation of Gods people by putting them in minde of the covenant made in Baptisme The fifth sort of publick Sabbath duties are workes of mercy charity which are fruites of faith working by loue Unto which duties the publick Ministers soe often occasion is offered are to excite up the people and they ought to offer freelie and to make collections for the poore Saints This St. Paul taught 1 Cor. 16. 1 2 and this was in times and ages next after the Apostles practised and performed as Iustin Martyr testifies Apolog. 2 pag. 77. Sixthly publick censures of the Church and actions of correction are most fitly performed in publick assemblies of the whole Church on the Lords day such as open rebuke of scandalous sinners before all the people that others may feare Excommunication and casting out excluding from outward communion obstinate and refractary offenders as hereticks adulterers incestuous persons such like Receiving into the Church of God such as were cast out upon their humble confession and publick repentance openly before the whole Church These are not to be done in corners but in the face of the Church as St. Paul ordained by commandement from the Lord by direction from the spirit of God 1 Tim. 5 20 1 Cor. 5.4
not one abide with thee one night And Psal. 30.5 where it is said that weeping may lodge for a night but joy commeth in the morning And soe in all other Scriptures this word is vsed And the learned Hebrews who best know the propriety of the phrase vnderstand this place of Adam and of his falling on the day of his Creation and not continving one night in the honourable state of innocency· The Second testimonie is that speach of our Sauiour Ioh. 8. 44. where he saith that the Devill was a murtherer of maÌ„ alier from the begâ—nning abode not in the truth By the beginning is meant the first day of mans Creation it is never absolutely vsed in any other sence but for the time of the first Creation Now if the Devill did lie deceiue murther maÌ„ by drawing him to sin froÌ„ the first day of maÌ„s being it follows that man did fall the sixt day on which was the day of his creation The third proofe is grounded on the words which passed between the woman the serpent T he serpents speech implies that as yet they had not eaten of any tree that he set upoÌ„ the woman immediately after that God had given them commandement not to eate of the tree of knowledg the words which he usetâ— Yâ—a or is it even soe they are a forme of speech vsed by one that standing aloofe and ouer hearing what was forbidden doth immediatelie step in and askes the party to whom the commandement was given if it were even soe as he conceived And the womans answâ—r is in such a word as is of â—he future tence in Hebrew and signifies not an act past or present but a power liberty to eate heereafter when they shâ—uld haue occation and the true translation of her words is we may or will hereafter eate of the fruite of the trees of the garden Alsoe it is very likely that if they had eaten of the fruite of any tree of their owne accord before their temptation fall their reason will and appetite would haue led them to the tree of life which was neere at hand even in the midest of the garden close by the forbidden tree Ver. 9. The very name wherâ—of was amiable and vnto which the naturall desire of man did of it selfe cheifly carry him as Gods words do intimate Chapt. 3.2 But that they had not yet reâ—ched forth their hands to take and eate of that tree that speech of God shews Chap. 3.23 wher he saith that he wil cast Adam out of the garden Least hee put forth his hâ—nd and â—ake and eate of the tree of life which was the state of naturall life Now this had beene too late if they had alreadie before eaten of it Fourthly soe soone as God had created the woman and given her to the man he gaue them the blessing of fruitfulnesse and the desire of procreation of children which is most naturall to man he did bid them increase and multiply soe we reade Chapt. 1.28 vndoubtedly they would not haue neglected the blessing of multiplying and increasing mankind but if they had continued in their integrity one night the woman by companying with the man would haue conceiued a pure seed without sinne for there was no barrennesse of the wombe in innocency that came in as a curse after the fall Chapt 3.16 Fâ—ftly the vâ—rity of God threatening and the strictnessâ—â—f his justice required that in the same day wâ—erein man sinned in the same should the sentence of death bee executed the words of the law are very peremtory ver 17. In the day that thou eaâ—st thou shalt surely dye Which sentence was fully and truly execuâ—ed though not on Adam himselfe yet on Christ the second Adam mans surety The fiâ—st Adam all his posterity are the same day made subject to death wherein they act or pertake actually of this transgression Christ the secoÌ„d Adam who vndertooke to satisfie the Law for this sinne and to suffer the punishment due to it and all sin wâ—ich spring fâ—oÌ„ this root did certainly dy on the same day at the same houre of the day in which the first Adam transgressed so Irenaeus divers of the ancients other acute writers do hold they well observe that on the sixt day of the weeke on which day Adam was created and after the ninth houre of that day that is in the afternoone and toâ—ards the end of the day Christ suffered both a cursed bodily death on the Crosse and also the agonies and paynes of tâ—e second death as he sheweth by his crying out My God My God why hast thou foâ—saken mee And by his word Consummatum est that is the fulnesse and vtmost extremity of torments is come or now is the utmost exâ—remity of my paynfull suffering And therefore it is very probable and cannot without scornefull wrangling be denied that Adams fall was about the same time of the sixt day which doth make good the word of God and shew the verity of his threatning law and his admirable wisdome and providence in thinking of manâ— Redemption before he would suffer man to fall Sixtly if Adam had stood any while even one daie or night or more vntill he had eaten of the tree of life which seemes to be aseale of the first Couenant of life by workes of natural righteousnes it is likely that he could not haue falne nor the Devill been suffered to tempt him or if after the tast of the sweetnes of the tree of life and the sealing of the couenant of life by his owne workes of obedience he had fallen surelie his fall had been more desperate even totall and finall apostacy for which God alloweth no Sacrifice to be offered nor prayer to be made from which there is no recoverie nor renueing by repentance The Devill being created with the Angells amongst the supernaturall host on the first day and having seene the glory of God and tasted of the Heavenly joys all the sixt dayes of the creation vntill man was created and all the frame of the world finished and Lordship given to man over all inferiour creatures he then after this tast falling away and not abiding in the truâ—h but leaving his first estate did sin more disperately rebelliously against the light and his sinne is so hatefull to God that hee will not accept of any satisfaction for it neither could the Sonne of God under take for him But mans fall being at the first before he had tasted of the tree of life the full sweetnesse fruision of earthly fellicity and springing not Originally from himselfe but from the Devill who deceived him therefore there is mercy with God for him Gods giving of Christ and Christs vndertaking for man is an argument that Adam did fall in the day of his creation before he had tasted of the tree of life and that he was made maâ—d formed and deformed in one day
haue the weâ—kely Sabbath in most high esteeme which was first grounded vpon Christ promised came in upon the seventh day of the world â—ogether with the word of promise and the glad tidings of the worlds redempâ—ion by Christ â—nd with the perpeâ—uâ—ll commandements of repenting and beleeving in Christ which are the great commandements of the Gospell which Holy and blessed Sabbath hath still continued and gone a long with Christ prâ—mised on the seventh day during the time of the old Testament and siâ—ce the full exhibition of Christ in his resurrection hath advanced forward together with Christs vnto the fiâ—st day of the weeke in whâ—ch day he perfected mans redemption triumphed over death rose vp and was advanced to glory immortallity Surely they who professe loue to Christ and profane the weekely Sabbath they are no better then painted Hipocrties yea rather they are to bee numbred among those bold audacious and scandalous sinners who presume to pull a sunder those whome God hath inseperably joyned together that is the sabbath and Christ the Lord of the sabbath who while they professe Christ in word doe indeed deny the power of true Chrâ—stian godlinesse and do what in them lieth to turne the publick worship of God into sacrilegious profanation and soe to provoke the eyes of his glory Thus much for the second maine thing herâ— offered in this text that is the ground of the holy weekly Sabbath CHAP. 4. THE third maine thing which here offers it selfe and which I haue propounded to be handled more largly as comprehending in it divers speciall points of great weight and moment as the Sanctifying of the seveÌ„th day â— as Gods blessing of it so far as blessing signâ—fiâ—s Goâ—s setting of it apart to be kept observed for a blâ—ssed memoriall of the promise of Christ as it is apart of the fiâ—st institution of the sabbath Fâ—r Gods blessing of a day or any other thing dâ—th signifie 1. His giving of some notable benefit on that day or to the thing blessed 2. his setting of it apart to a blessed end vse in the former sence it belongs to the ground of the Sabbath and so I haue spoken of it before Jn the later sence it belongs to Gods act of Institution and as in effect the same with sanctifying of the seventh day onely this I conceiue to be the difference that Gods sanctifying of a thing is his seperating of it by his word and commandement to a supernaturall and extraordinary vse either profittable or unprofittable to it selfe as hâ—s seperating of things to be his instruments of just vengance for the destruction of his enemies and seperating men to some holy offce for a time as Saul to Prophesie Eâ—â—eâ— sonnes to bee Priests and Iudas to bee an Apostle by which office they received no true blessing but it turned to their greater curse at last But Gods blessing of a day or any other thing is his setting of it apart for a blâ—ssed vse and his pronouncing and demanding it by his holy pâ—werfull word to be a blessed daie or blessed thing and to serve for holie blessed vse and so blessing is that speciall sanctifying which is seperating of things to a blessed use and come here to bee handled vnder Gods sanctâ—fyng of the â—eventh day For Gods sanctifying iâ— this place is a blessed sanctifying of the daie to a blessed vse and the word blessed is put before to make us clearlie see and vnderstand soe much I will therefore insist only upon sanctifying which comprehends blessing in it and will first open and expâ—und the word and so proceed to points of Doctrine The Hebrew word Kadash is never vsed in any other sence in all the Scriptures but onelie to signifie seperating of things from their ordinarie and naturall vse to some vse more then naturall or aboue nature the fitting preparing of them for that use as for example compining of nations in an holie league against Babell or other wicked state to execute on them Gods just reuenge Jer. 6.4 12.3 22.7 51.27.18 and seperating some cities for refuge Iosh. 20.7 whensoever this word is attributed to God in all the Scripture it signifies eiâ—her Gods seperating things or times for holy vse by his word and commandement or by some hâ—linesse shewed or some extraordinarie holie word done in them as Exod. 9.44 2. Cron. 7.20 or else Gods infusing of his holie spirit and of spirituall and supernaturall grâ—ces gifts of holâ—nesse into men by whâ—ch they are seperated from carnall men and prepared for Heavenlie glory as Exod. 31.13 Levit. 20.8 Ezec. 2.12 Ier. 1.5 where God is said to sanctifie his people and to make tâ—em holy that so they may be fitt to come nerer to him And frequently in the new Testament the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in this sense as Eph. 5.26 Heb. 2.11 Here the word signifies not sanctifieing by infusing holinesse and making holy but Gods consecrateing that is seperating the seventh day to an holy heavenly spirituall and supernaturall use by hâ—â— word and commaundement or by some holy worke done first in it or some holinesse first revealed upon it For this was the day in which God by his gracious promise of Christ and by the new covenant of life made with mankind in him did communicate his spirit to our first parents and wrought in them faith and all holy graces needful to salvation and so of Ishah a woman who brought wo to man made our first mother Chavah that is the mother of life in Christ to all liueing This day God here upon commaunded to be sanctified of men and kept holy by holy exercises which tend to the honour praise and to the solemne commemoration and memoriall of Christ promised and of his own rest in Christs mediation and this day he appointed to man to be a signe and pledge of the aeternall Sabbath in heaven after the end of the world which in six dayes he created Here therefore we see wherein especially Gods sanctifieing of the seventh day to be an holy Sabbath of rest did consist Which that it may yet appeare more fully and distinctly in all the particulars J will reduce the summe of all into a few positions some negative and some affirmative which being by evident testimonies of Scripture and by good arguments grounded on the word of God proved and confirmed The trueth will be so cleare and manifest that the simple shal be able to understand the true sanctification both of the seventh day which was the old Sabbath of the old Testament and also of the Lords day the Christian Sabbath of the new Testament under the gospell CHAP. 5. FIrst we must not in any case imagine That Gods sanctifieing of the seventh day was the creating or inâ—useing of any naturall holynesse in to it by which it was distinguished from other dayes of the weeke and made more excellent then any
of them My reasons are First because creating of naturall holynesse in any thing is a worke of creation But God rested from all works of creation on the seventh day and from making any thing which belonged to the naturall being of any creature or to the natural frame and perfection of it witnesse the wordes of my text and the wordes of the Lord him selfe Exod. 20.13 Secondly the Scriptures which are the onely rule of faith and so all Doctrines of this kind do never mention any naturall holynesse in any creature which God made in the whole created frame of heaven and earth all though God did create man perfect in his kinde even in his own image Yet I doe not read that this image comprehended any more in it but naturall gifts and endowments onely as light of understanding libertye of will most free to good onely and well ordered affections all upright also a comely frame and excellent temperatur of the body fitt to be the seat subject instrument of a liveing reasonable naturall soule and spirit and to rule over all other creatures Salomon the wise preacher describeing the image and excellent frame wherein God created man makes no mention of any holynesse but onely of naturall uprightnesse God saith he made man upright We never read of holynesse naturall to any but onely to God Thirdly true holynesse is a gift of supernaturall grace given onely in Christ and proceeding fâ—om the holy Ghost shed on men through Christ and dwelling in them as the immortall seed of God It belongs not to the naturall image of God wherein the first earthly Adam was created but to the spirituall and heavenly image of the second Adam Christ who is a quickening spirit the Lord from heaven heavenly whose image no man can bear but in the state of regeneration when he is borne of the spirit and begotten of God to a lively hope to the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which fadeth not a way as I have largly here to fore proved by divers Scriptures which appose the image of true holynesse and undefyled righteousnesse which men have in Christ to the image of the first Adam but that upright image wherein he was first made and that corrupt image where in to he was transformed by his fall as appeares most plainely 1. Cor 15.45.49 Eph. 4.23.24 The thing which deceives many learned men and carries them to thinke that holinesse was apart of mans naturall image in which he was created is this First they take it for granted that all vprightnesse purity of man in heart soule life and conversation by which he is conformable to the law of nature and to Gods will revealed and his commandements given to him is true holinesse and is so called in Scripture Secondly they reade that Adam was made by God vpright and had that purity vprightnesse which made him conformable to Gods law and revealed will and this was Gods image in him herevpon they conclude that Adam was created in true holinesse To this I haue heretofore vpon another textfully answered by laying downe a plaine distinction gathered from Gods word and daily experience and by applying it to this purpose For I haue distinguâ—shed purity and uprightnesse by which man is conformable to the revealed will and law of God into two sorts First there is a created naturall purity vprightnesse founded upon naturall principles which God gaue to man in his fiâ—st creation by he which was conformable to Gods revealed will to the law of his nature in the state of innocency but this vprightnesse having no other roote or foundation but mans mutable nature and frame was also mutable and was quickly defaced and corrupted by the subtilty of the tempter and mans fall Secondly there is a renewed or new created uprightnesse and purity of man in his heart and soule life and conversation which is found onely in Gods elect faithfull regenerat Children by which they are here in some measure made conformable to the law and will of God this although it is much ecclipsed and obscured by the remainders of naturall corruption which still dwell in Gods Saints in this fraile life and mortall body and doth not shine forth in the true brightnesse of it yet it proceeds from an eternall fountaine the pure waters whereof spring vp unto life eternall and cannot be defiled but remaine pure though they passe through the dead sea of Sodom the filthy lake of mans naturall corruptions which dwell still in this body of death this pure fountaine is the spirit of regeneration which God sheds through Christ on the elect as our Saviour himselfe teacheth Joh. 14.4 8.38.39 And because this spirit even the holy Ghost which daily renues them being shed on them in there new birth Tit. 3.5.6 doth dwell in them as the mortall seed of God abides with them for ever Joh. 14 16. and is stronger then the spirit of malice the Devill which overthrew our first parents and ever since rules in all worldly men 1 Iob. 4.4 Therefore it is true puritie and vprightnesse which cannot faile nor deceive us as Adams did and this is that which the Apostle cals the new man and the righteousnesse and holinesse of truth Ephess 4.24 in the same sence that spirituall supernaturall and heavenly graces are called the true riches that is the riches durable and incorruptible which will neverly vnto vs nor by failing deceive vs Luk. 16. As for the created purity and vprightnesse by which the first Adam was conformable to the law it is never in all the Scriptures called by the name of holinesse neither is it or any morall virtue in any vnregenerate man any true holinesse because it proceeds not from the holy Ghost who dwels in the regenerate and works all true holinesse in in them I wish that all the learned would seriously weigh this truth embrace it with their hearts and beare it continualy in their minds and memories For this will at one blow raze to the very foundation all pelagian Popish Armian Hoeresies concerning the power of mans freâ— will the efficacy and merit of mans naturall workes don before regeneration and the falling away of men regenerate and justified from the grace of God and from justifying faith and true holinesse also concerning vniversall grace given to all men by which they haue it in their owne power to be saved And if it would please the Lord to open the hearts of our people râ—ghtlie conceive this difference betweene the image of the first and second Adam and betweene the created naturall vprightnesse of Adam and the spirituall vprightnesse and infused holinesse wherein the second Adam was conceived and framed by the holy Ghost This would ravish their hearts and fill them with admiration of the singular loue of God to his elect in Christ and of the singular excellencie of the grace holinesse and of those high prerogatives which the regenerate
and giving the advantage by the ruine of all the walles about the Citty did impose a necessity vpon them to take and destroy the Cittie on that day and this worke was dispensed with and approved by God and so are all of the like kinde For necessity hath no law Secondly by the same rule other works of necessity as labour in queÌ„ching fire when mens houses are on fire or the towne in danger or in stopping of a breach when the sea or some overflowing river breakes through the banks and is readie to draw some part of the countrie and to destroy men and beasts and there is a necessiâ—y of Removing men beasts corn other good creaturs that they be not be drowned swallowed vp And in a word wheresoever God brings men into that necessity that they cannot be kept in welbeing without present help by some worke done on the Sabbath day such workes are not forbidden on that day Neither killing of sheep and oxen nor dressing of them nor grinding corne nor baking bread to refresh an armye returned from battell and ready to faint without present sustenance by dressing and preparing some part of the praey which they haue taken Our Saviour in the Gospell proues this clearlie Mat. 12. Where by Davids example who did take and eate the shew bread in his necessity he defends his Disciples their act of plucking â—ares of corn rubbing and eating them on the Sab also alloweth leading of cattell to drink the drawing theÌ„ out of pits such like But because occasion is here offered to speak of all kinds of actions which are allowed to be don from which men are not bound to râ—st wholy on the Lords day It will be expected of some that I should speak of actions and exercises of sport and recreation whether men be altogether restrained from them or whether any of them be lawfull to bee vsed on the Lords day Now because I will not provoke nor exasperate any who seem of contrary judgment especially men of great place authority I will propound my judgment which I conceiue to be agreable to Gods word onely ingenerall rules gathered out of the holy Scriptures which all understanding Christians may easily apply to the particulars 1. Jt is acknowledged by all godly learned divines That nor creations or sports which feed and cherish mens corrupt carnall affections are at any time lawfull as Idle Uaine jefting wanton gestures and daliance which increase lust and occasion wantonnesse and therefore least of all to be tollerated on the Lords day For this is seeking of our own pleasures polluting the Lords holy day which the Prophet Jsaiah condemnes Isa 58. 2. Honest and lawfull sports and recreations such as shooâ—ing wrastling and other games of actiuity hunting hawking angling and the like though they be lawfull at other times yet they are not to be tollerated on the Lords day in any measure if they be found to hinder men from publick worship seruice of God and publicke set duties of piety fit for the day or to withdraw them from private duties requisit in Christian families as prayer reading meditation repetition and examining of Doctrines by the Scripture which haue beene publickly preached and heard private instructions exhortations and mutuall provocations to piety and to praising of God by singing Psalmes and the like Whatsoever sports and recreations do hinder these and withdraw people from them they are on the Lords day impious and prophane how lawfull soever on other daies In this point all Godly grave and learned Divines do agree And how sinfull prophane and hatefull to God such sports are on the Lords day The Lord himselfe doth continually shew and declare by the many examples of dreadfull judgments and tokens of his wrath which hee hath shewed and doth still shew in this and in all ages for such doings dorwning some in their swimming breaking the backs armes legges and necks of other in their wrastling stricking with horrible lamenesse and with dreadly surfers and sudden death leapers dauncers hunters hawkers riders bowlers and such like And let every man take heed that his own heart do not deceiue him and that he doe not flatter himselfe in his follie when it is manifest that such sports are a mans owne pleasures condemned by the Prophet Isa. 58. And are seen and known daily to steale away mens hearts from holy duties and to turne their affections from heavenly and spirituall things wherein they ought chiefly to delight Thirdly as men may not do the lawfull works of their calling neither in providing meat drinke cloathes or other necessaries on the Lords day with a bare respect of naturall good and worldly profitt because this is doing of his owne waies and workes and not the worke of God Unto which Gods holy day is wholy consecrated and set apart Except onely in case of necessity when men and beasts cannot otherwise bee preserued in life health and being or when Gods people without such workes cannot be made fit able to serue God cheerfully as they ought on that day So also no bodily sports Recreations and pleasures are to be tolerated or used merely to cherish the flesh to refresh the body and to procure bodily strength but onely such as are in verie deed needfull in themselves and used and intended by Gods people with this purpose and â—o this end that they may with more abilitie alacrity and cheerefulnesse do the holy workes and performe the holie duties of Gods worship and service which are proper to the Lords holy day First this is manifest by the words of the Lord Isa. 58.13 Where he requires of his people that they turne away their feete from doing their owne pleasure on his holy day and call the sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord Honourable and honour him not doing their owne wayes nor finding their owne pleasure By their owne waies and pleasures we are to understand not onely their corrupt sinfull workes filthy words and vaine carnall pleasures which proceed from nature corrupted and naturally tend to increase transgression for they are to be abhorred every daie and at all times but here by their owne waies words and pleasure we are to understand such as proceed from nature created good and are onely intended to that end and haue none other effect For such though at other times lawfull and honest Yet on Gods holy daie are prophane common and inordinate as these words imply Secondly as it is not lawfull to use Gods holy word in jeasting nor with it to mingle our owne vaine talke nor to play with holy things because this is taking of Gods name in vaine Soe undoubtedly to use worldly delights and to sport our selues with uanishing earthly naturall and ciuill pleasures which are neither usefull to helpe and further us in holy devotion nor intended by us to that end is a prophanation of Gods holy day and an intermingling of our owne prophannesse