like upon that day more than upon any other day in the week no but on the contrary he restrained his Manna from falling on that day and bestowed it upon the Jews on all the other six dayes of the week Therefore the blessing wherewith God did blesse the seventh day was not a common natural blessing but doubtlesse it was a spiritual blessing in relation to the good of faln man Hence then we may conclude that God did blesse that day with divers spiritual Ordinances such as tended to make faln man blessed by opening the manner how the Seed of the Woman should break Sathans Head-plot for mans Redemption Adam in hâ—s Innocency had no need of any such spiritual God would nevâ—r have blessed the seventh day with spiritual Ordinances so as he did if the Mediator had not been declared to faln Adam before the 7 day Ordinances as God did blesse the seventh day withall neither could Adam in his Innocency sanctifie one day more perfectly than another for by nature he was pure without imperfâ—ction If there had been no other Argument in all the Scripture to prove that Adam sell and was Re-created on the sixth day by the Promised Seed This sentence He blessed and sanctified the seventh day had been sufficient to prove it for God would never have blessed the seventh day with such spiritual Ordinances as he did nor yet have sanctified that day for the time of his spiritual Ordinances if the Mediator had not been declared to faln Adam before the seventh day And this is further proved by some other Scriptures 1 God doth command us faln men in the fourth Commandement to remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it and the reason is added because in it he rested from all the works that he had made And for that reason Jehovah did blesse the seventh day and sanctifie it Exod. 20. 8 9 10 11. 2 The Prophet Isaiah saith That God did blesse the Sabbath day namely for the good of faln man For saith he Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sabbath and polluteth it noâ— Es 56. 2. 3 Our Saviour doth tell us that the Sabbath was made for man Mar. 2. 27. namely for the good of man in misery but Adam in God did not leave Adam Eve to spend the seventh day in private specul tions but he blessed the first 7 day with variety of Ordinances both for publick and private use for their best spiritual good his Innocency was not in misery therefore the Sabbath was not then made but as soon as he had eaten of the forbidden fruit he was in misery for then his soul was dead in sin and his body full of corruption and then the Sabbath was made for man Hence it follows by necessary consequence that God did not blesse the seventh day in Adams Innocency but after his Fall and Recreation 2 God did not leave Adam to himself after his Fall and Recreation to spend the seventh day in his own private meditations as he thought best but God blessed the seventh day with several publick Ordinances for the good of faln Adam and instructed him in the right use of those Ordinances if God had left Adam to spend the Sabbath in his own private speculations as he thought best doubtlesse his Religion would soon have been no better than a Samaritan Religion for Adam by his fall was become so corrupt in his affections and so blind in his understanding of Gods will that he would not nor could not have spent the Sabbath to his spiritual good It is a dangerous thing therefore to prefer a mans own private meditations and speculations to publick Ordinances upon the Sabbath God would not leave Adam to such a liberty to do as he thought best such a liberty will soon open a wide gap to Sathans delusions But God blessed the seventh day with his own publick Ordinances not excluding private meditations God blessed the seventh day both with publick and private Ordinances for publick Ordinances are not so much blessed as when they are attended with private preparation before with reverent attention at and with carefull rumination and application afterwards If there be not this care added to the publick Ordinances the Devill will soon steal away the seed that is sown out of our hearts and souls Now the manner how God was pleased to instruct Adam and Eve in the exercise of his publick Ordinances was by the lively Oracles of the Mediator and therefore doubtlesse as he was promised to be the Seed of the woman so he appeared to Adam in his humane shape as he did to Jacob Gen. 32. 24. And in this regard he is called The word of the Father even from the beginning Joh. 1. 1 2. And the Father gave him a Commandement what to say Joh. 12. 49 50. And he it was that did instruct all the Fathers And therefore Stephen saith That he the God of glory appeared to Abraham in Ur of the Caldes Act. 7. 2. and his apparition to Abraham was in such a familiar manner that it did work in him an inward regard and attention to his words whereby his soul was convinced and converted In some such manner did he appear to Adam and Eve when he did instruct them in the knowledge of his Person and Office and of the use of his publick Ordinances wherewith he was pleased to blesse the seventh day Now the several Ordinances wherewith God was pleased to blesse the seventh day I will distinguish into two sorts or ranks 1 Into such Ordinances as were plain and manifest 2 Into such as were Typical and Mystical 1 I will speak of the plain and manifest Ordinances These were often used without the typical but the typical could not well be used without some of these were added thereto By these plain and manifest Ordinances God appointed Adam as a Prophet by the exercise of them to instruct himself his wife and posterity by opening the misery of his fall and the remedy by the Promised Seed 1 The first sort of these manifest Ordinances was in preaching and proclaming his own miserable condition by his disobedience God comanded Adam to preach every seventh day either upon his miserable fall or else upon the riches of Gods grace for his recovery by the Promised Seed in eating of the forbidden fruit how he had lost Gods Image by Gods just hand of punishment and how he was corrupted in all the parts and powers of his soul and body by the poysonful counsel that Sathan breathed into Eves soul 2 Adam must preach open and declare to himself and his wife till they were increased in number the riches of Gods grace for his recovery by the Seed of the Woman which God had ordained to break the Devils Head-plot for their Redemption and in opening this he could not choose but open and declare the personal union of both the natures of the Mediator and the excellent dignity of his Office This blessed Doctrine Adam
I shall yet a little further endeavour to make this point more evident namely that the sanctified rest of the seventh day was ordained to be as a sanctified sign of fallen mans resting on the promised seed by faith for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot for Mans redemption and so consequently as a sign of mans eternal rest in Heaven hereafter Reas 1. Because the Sabbath in respect of the strict rest of it is called a sign of the everlasting Covenant Exod. 31. 13. 17. Exod. 31. 13 17 Hâ—b 4. 3 9 10 Heb. 4. 3 9 10. now there is no everlasting Covenant but that which is made in the Bloud of Christ and this Covenant of bringing man to Life thereby is the only sure thing to rest upon but this Covenant was not made with Man in innocency but after his Fall therefore the Sabbath was not ordained to be a sign of this everlasting Covenant till after Adam fell and therefore Adam fell before the seventh day Reas 2. Because God ordained sundry other things to be sanctified types and signs of mans resting on Christ by faith as Synonima to the rest of the seventh day as any that have their understandings wel exercised in the Scriptures may easily discern 1 Consider this that God sanctified the outward rest of all the Festival Sabbaths as the type of our resting on the Seed of the Woman by faith for the breaking of the Devils head-plot and this is evident by Moses description of them in Levit. 23. there he reckons up eight several Festival Sabbaths in order but hee puts the seventh day first because it is the chiefest of them all for it is the ground and foundation of all the rest and it is to be specially noted that Moses doth call the seventh day a Festival Sabbath ver 2. as well as all the rest and yet it was no Feasting Sabbath in respect of Belly-cheer as the rest were except in a Spiritual sense and in that sense the Holy Rest of them all did typifie the same spiritual resting on the seed of the Woman and the same spiritual feasting on the propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ for Mans redemption which was typified by their feasting on their Peace-offerings on their Festival Sabbaths and so the day of Attonement though it were a day of strict fasting yet it was a day of Spiritual feasting and resting on the promised Seed as the seventh day was 2 The sanctified rest of the seventh day did typifie the same things that Josuahs rest did for in six years War he conquered the Canaanites and in the seventh year the Land rested The Apostle doth make this rest and the rest of the seventh day to bee both alike Heb. 4. for he doth first make them to typifie our Spiritual rest on Christ by faith and secondly to typifie our eternal rest in Heaven at last Heb. 4. 3. 9 10. Heb. 4. 3 9 10 3 The Sabbatical years of rest in Lev. 25. and the Sabbatical Jubile of rest which is also called a great Sabbath in Levit. 25. 4. did alike typifie our resting on Christ by faith for our full deliverance from the servitude of Satan just answerable to the typical rest of the seventh day and in that respect Moses doth compare the typical rest of them all together in Exod. 23. Exod. 23. 10 11 12. 10 11 12. None can be ignorant of the manifold great troubles that did often fall out upon Gods people in the Land of Canaan soon after the rest which it had in Joshuahs seventh year but yet notwithstanding so sweet was that rest which Joshua obtained for them after six years War that God was pleased to make that year of rest to begin the Chronologie of all their Sabbatical years of rest from thence till all ended in the Death and Sacrifice of Christ who is the true rest of all beleeving sinners and by allusion to this typical rest our Saviour doth invite all poor and heavie laden sinners to come unto him and they shall find rest to their souls Matth. 11. 29. Es 11. 10. Eze. 34. 15 25 27 28 Jer. Mat. 11. 29 33. 15 16. Jer. 30. 10. And our Saviour in Luke 4. 19. doth expound the true nature of Luk. 4. 18 19 that spiritual rest that was typified by the Sabbatical rest of the Jubile 1 By calling it the acceptable year of the Lord and 2 By telling us in vers 18. that God had annoynted him to preach the Gospel to the poor to heal the Broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of Sight to the Blind and that he should set at liberty them that are bruised this opens the sweet rest and refreshing of Soul that every poor humbled sinner doth finde by the seed of the Woman in breaking the Devils Head-plot for their deliverance help and healing And this famous deliverance by the seed of the Woman was accomplished by his propitiatory sacrifice in a Sabbatical year of Jubilee namely in the twenty eighth Jubilee as may be seen in Brougbtons Consent 4 The redemption of Israel out of Aegypt by the Typical sign of the Bloud of the Paschal Lamb is laid down as the main reason why God did sanctifie the rest of the seventh day in Deut. 5. 14 15. and that shews that not the Visible but the Spiritual Deut. 5. 14 15 Creation was the true ground and reason why God blessed and sanctified the first seventh day Hence it follows from the Premises that the Holy Rest of the seventh day was a typical sign of our resting on Christ by faith for our redemption from Satans Head-plot Object Why doth God in Exod. 20. 11 command man to rest on the Exod. 20. 11 Sabbath Day from all bis Works because he rested on the seventh day from Creating the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein visible and invisible Col. 1. 16. seeing in Deut. 5. 15. he gives another differing reason as the only ground of commanding man to rest on the Sabbath Day Deut. 5. 15 because Jehovah thy God brought thee out of Aegypt by a strong hand namely by killing all their first born but delivering the first born of Israel by the bloud of the Lamb sprinkled on their door posts as a sign of their redemption c. Answ I answer that the true ground and reason of Gods rest and of his commanding man to rest in both places is alike there is no difference at all if the true sense of both places bee rightly understood for God rested not from the works of Creaation Our Redemption from Satans Head-plot was the last finishing act of the whole Creation therefore iâ— must needs be the only true reason of Gods rest and of his commanding man to rest on the first seventh day untill he had made the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein as Christ doth testifie Exod. 20. 11. now if all things in Heaven and Earth were made in six days then
were the Souls of Adam and Eve Re-created in the said six days as a true part of that sort of Creature which appertains to the spiritual Heavens and to the spiritual Earth and to the Church triumphant in Heaven hereafter and therefore seeing God made all things both in Heaven and Earth in six days he rested not on the seventh day till he had perfected Mans Creation by a Recreation procured by the redemption of the promised Seed which doubtlesse was the finishing work of Gods Creation on the sixth day so then our redemption from Satans Head-plot was the last finishing act of the whole Creation and therefore it was the only true reason of Gods rest on the first Sabbath Day and of his command why man should keep a holy rest on that day as it is also typified by the Redemption from Aegypt as in Deut. 5. 15. Hence it follows by necessary consequence that God ordained the sanctified rest of the seventh day to be a typicall sign unto fallen Man of his resting upon Christ by faith to break the Devils Head-plot for his Redemption by his propitiatory sacrifice in the fulnesse of time and then upon the performance thereof the typical use of the rest of the seventh day must cease and yet such a way must be found out by the Wisdom of God as that the seventh part of time according to the account of the days of the Week must not cease but it must still be preserved for the exercise of Gods publick Worship for seeing it hath pleased God to continue his plain and manifest Worship still to the end of the world it hath pleased him also to continue the seventh day for the exercise of his publick Worship to the end of the world and no other way can be found out to accomplish both these namely the ceasing of the seventh day as it was a typicall sign and the continuance of the seventh day without any intermission as it is the sanctified time of Gods publick Worship but by changing the seventh day into the first day of the Week as I shall hereafter shew more at large God willing And this answer to the abovesaid Objection is the rather to be credited because the Redemption from Aegypt by the typical blood of the Lamb is alleged by Christ as the general reasón to inforce his people to the observation of all the Commandements for the Angel of the Covenant saith thus in Exod. 20. 2. I Exod. 20. 2 Deut. 5. 14 15. am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt namely by the typical blood of the Paschal Lamb therefore remember the Sabbath Day to sanctifie it and so it must be applied as a reason to observe all the other Commandements and this sense is yet further inforced because all the precepts of the Law were sprinkled with the typical blood of Christs sacrifice of Attonement Exod. 24. 8. which doth plainly tell us that he by his sacrifice Exod. 24. 8. of Attonement hath procured his Fathers attonement for all our sins against all his holy Law 5 God doth account the violation of the Holy Rest of the seventh day by any mans work to be an exceeding great prophanenesse in every place of their abode for whiles his people were in their travels in the Wildernesse he did as deeply blame them for polluting the typical rest of the seventh day as he did after they were in a setled resting place in Canaan Eze. 20. 13. â—sou was branded with the title of Prâ—phaneness for contemâ—ing his Birth-right in the Land of Canaan because it was a type of the holy militant Church here on earth and of the holy triumphant Church in Heaven and the Jews were no lesse guilty of prophanenesse for despising the Typical rest on the seventh day by doing their own works therein for by doing their own works they committed a double sin on that day First They prophaned it as it was a sanctified sign and Secondly They abused it as it was the sanctified time of Gods Worship and therefore for this double sin God provided as it were a double death namely 1. Stoning to death Exod. 31. 14 15. for he that Exod. 31. 14 15. gathered sticks upon the Sabbath Day was stoned to death Num. 15. and 2. After they were stoned to death their dead Carcas was hanged upon a Tree for their deeper punishment and for the greater detestation of their sin as I have shewed elsewhere from the instance of the rebellious Son in Deut. 21. Yea God was so jealous for the holy rest of his Sabbath that he would not permit them to do any work at all about the promoting of the work of the Tabernacle though he had commanded that work to be done with all diligence Exod. 31. 13. as the place of his holy presence and residence among his people Exod. Exod. 31 13 25. 8 22. yet notwithstanding all this they might not do any work to further the building of it upon the Sabbath Day and the reason is added because I saith the Lord have ordained it to be a sign between me and you that you may know that I am the Lord that do sanctifie you that is to say I am the Lord that do command you to sanctifie the Sabbath Day as a sign of resting on Christ for when God doth sanctifie any thing for mans use hee doth thereby impose a command upon man to sanctifie that thing or to use it as a sanctified thing as I have erewhile noted in the beginning of this Chapter and therefore in this respect the Lord doth in Exod. 31. again and again inforce the observation of the Sabbath Day First By a fresh charge Yee shall keep the Sabbath and Secondly by a fresh reason It is holinesse to you namely it is a sign of Sanctification to you ver 14. yea it is Holinesse to Jehovah ver 15. and therefore in Exod. 16. 23. it is called the rest of Holinesse to Jehovah or an exact holy rest to Jehovah and in Exod. 31. 17. It is called a sign of the Everlasting Covenant between Exod. 31. 17 Jehovah and the Sons of Israel because Jehovah rested on the seventh day and was refreshed Conclusion It follows from all the Premises that God sanctified the rest of the seventh day not onely as the sanctified time of Gods worship both in publick and in private but also as a sanctified sign of Gods resting and of mans resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot by his propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement which he should accomplish at the very same time when the Devill by his instruments should peirce him in the foot-soals and therefore as soon as the Seed of the Woman had finished that sacrifice the Holy-rest of the seventh day ceased as well as all the other types of Moses Law 2 Cor. 3. 7. namely so far forth as it was a typical sign of the said resting on the
to the Churches of Achaia Galatia Phrigia and Macedonia and doubtlesse as these parts of the world so many others did know that Christ Jesus had ordained the first day of the week for his publick worship in the place of the seventh day And truly John might well call it the Lords day in a double respect 1 In relation to the day of his Resurrection because in it he arose from the dead as the Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot Rom. 14. 9. â— Because He as the Lord of his Church and as the Lord of the Sabbath did ordain this day to be the day of his Publick Worship in the place of the seventh day to the end of the world And in both these senses David might well say This is the day which the Lord hath made let us be glad and rejoyce in it Psal 118. 24. Psal 118. 24. The Builders the Scribes and the Pharisees put Christ to death as an out cast Malefactor But thiâ— stone which the Builders refused is become the head of the corner for by his Resurrection he is become the Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot Now this is the day that the Lord hath made let us be glad and rejoyce in it Compare with this Psalm our Saviours Exposition in Mat. 21. 3 Why should not the title of the Lords day be as good an evidence that Christ was the Institutor of it in the place of the seventh day as the title of the Lords Supper is That Christ was the Institutor of it in the place of the Passeover A seventh Reason that doth perswade me that Christ himself Reason 7 hath ordained his Resurrection-day in the place of the seventh day is because God had determined beforehand as it appears by the Predictions of the Old Testament that he would in the dayes of the Gospel sanctifie some standing day for his publick worship in the place of the seventh day 1 It was Prophesied that in the dayes of Christ his people should come willingly at the time of assembling in holy beauty Psal 110. 3. I think none will deny these words to be uttered as a Psal 110. 3. plain Prophecie that the Christians of the New Testament must observe a certain day for the exercise of Gods publick worship in the place of the seventh day and of all their other Sabbaths 2 God calleth the worship of the New Testament by the name of the Sabbath Es 56. 2 4 6. implying thereby that we Christians shall not onely have a certain form of outward worship Es 56. 2. 4. 6. according to the second Commandement but also that we shall have a certain known day for the exercise of the said worship according to the fourth Commandement 3 It is Prophesied that Christians shall have more Sacrifices in their Sabbath than the Jews had under Moses Law Ezek. 46. 4 5. Ezek. 46. 4 5. compared with Numb 29. 9 10. This mystical speech doth imply First that Christians shall observe a certain form of publick worship And secondly that they shall observe a certain day for the exercise of that publick worship And truly it argues to me that God hath given over such men to a senselesse mind that though they are forced to grant that Christ hath ordained a certain form of publick worship yet do deny that Christ hath ordained a certain day for the exercise of that publick worship I cannot see how they can be separated without apparent hazard of barbarous confusion to Gods publick worship 4 It is Prophesied that the peoples shall be gathered together and the Kingdomes to serve the Lord Psal 102. 22. And that from month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come to worship before me saith the Lord Es 66. 23. Es 66. 23. These Scriptures do plainly teach us these two Doctrines 1 The utter abrogating of all Moses typical worship in the dayes of Christ because it is not possible for all Peoples and Nations to come to Jerusalem from month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath to worship before the Lord there 2 These words imply that the Christians of the New Testament shall be very active in Gods worship and in the observing of some known publick day for the exercise thereof An eighth Reason that doth much perswade me that Christ hath ordained his resurrection-Resurrection-day for the day of his publick worship Reason 8 in the place of the seventh day is taken from the Mystical number Eight for the day of Christs Resurrection in a continued reckoning of dayes is the Eighth day For he rested all the seventh day in his Grave and the next day being the Eighth day in order of dayes he arose as an absolute Conqueror and the Mystical number of Eight is a day of perfection in the Law and therefore a fit type of the perfection of Christ by his Resurrection on the Eighth day 1 No creature by the Levitical Law was allowable for sacrifice Reason 1 untill it was eight dayes old Lev. 22. 27. Exod. 22. 30. Lev. 22. 27. Exod. 22. 30. I cannot but wonder why the Lord did refuse it aâ— seven dayes old seeing the seventh day was the day of Gods perfect rest from all his works for then he rested in Christ that had made all perfect again after Adams fall by his Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement But when I consider again that his Propitiatory Sacrifice was not evident to be perfect untill he rose again from the dead as the Lord and alone Conqueror of Satans Head-plot on the first day of the week which day is also called the Eighth day by John Joh. 20. 26. Joh. 20. 26. I say by this consideration my wondring is staid and I do rather wonder at Gods wise Providence that would not accept any young beast as a perfect beast for Sacrifice untill the eighth day doubtlesse it was in relation to the manifestation of the perfection of Christ his Sacrifice by his Resurrection on the eighth day For though the number seven be a perfect number in some respects yet in other respects the number eight is a more perfect number The Youngling must continue under the Dam seven dayes during which space of time the Hebrew Doctors did call it Lacking Time because in that space it was not perfect for Sacrifice Although the Sabbath had passed over the head of it But on the eighth day it was accounted perfect and then and not till then it was accepted in Sacrifice Therefore in the case of Sacrifices of Attonement the number seven was not so perfect as the number eighth And what can this degree of perfection on the eighth day resemble fitter than the manifestation of the perfection of Christs propitiatory Sacrifice by his Resurrection on the eighth day And truly if he had not risen from death to life the next day after the seventh day his Sacrifice of Attonement by his death had been lost and vain 1 Cor. 15. 17. And answerable to the
I The Time when the FIRST SABBATH was Ordained 1 Negatively Not in the Time of Adams Innocency as many say it was 2 Affirmatively It was Ordained after the Time of Adams Fall and Re-creation II The Manner how the First Sabbath was Ordained 1 By blessing the Seventh Day with many Spiritual Ordinances both for publick and private use 2 By Sanctifying that Day for the Exercise of the said Ordinances 3 By Sanctifying the outward Rest of that Day to be a Typical Sign both of Gods Resting and of mans Resting in the Seed of the Woman that was promised to break the Devils Head-plot namely by his Propitiatory Sacrifice And hence it follows 1 That as the Sabbath was Ordained to be a Typical sign so it must be abolished as soon as Christ had performed his said Propitiatory Sacrifice 2 As it was Ordained to be the Sanctified Time for the Exercise of the said blessed Ordinances so the next day of the week into which it was changed must continue without intermission to the end of the world PART II. III A Treatise of HOLY TIME concerning the true limits of the Lords Day when it begins and when it ends is hereunto annexed By WILLIAM PYNCHON Esq Published by Authority LONDON Printed by R. I. and are to be sold by T. N. at the three Lions in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1654. To the Reader Christian Reader THis Industrious and Judicious Author doth here present thee with two distinct Tractates concerning the Christian Sabbath or Lords Day In the former the Divine Institution of it is cleerly proved In the latter the time of its beginning is particularly determined In the former the erronious conscience which denies the morality of the fourth Commandement is strongly convinced In the latter the scrupulous conscience which doubts of the time when the Sabbath begins is fully satisfied In both the serious Reader will find great profit and delight The whole Discourse being illaborate and perspicuous wherein besides the main points intended in it divers other matters of important Cognizance are occasionally decided and discussed and many obscure Scriptures are excellently explained according to the genuine sense thereof And this learned Discourse hath its birth in a very seasonable time in respect of that wofull defection and Apostacy that is among us as from the truth and wayes of God in general so in a special manner from the Religious esteem and observation of the Lords day For never since the light of the blessed and glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ shined upon this our Goshen was the Sabbath Day so wickedly neglected and prophaned by the generality of people and the Divine Institution thereof so shamefully denyed and decried by many pretenders to Religion as it is at this day And therefore Good Reader we heartily commend this necessary and usefull work to thy diligent perusal and thy self and thy humble and sincere inquiries after Truth unto the guidance and blessing of the God of all Truth Tho. Clendon Elidad Blackwel Joh. Sheffield Tho. Stevens Minister of Peters in the Isle of Thanet To the Reader IF our Testimony be of any weight with the Judicious Reader and may contribute any thing to incourage his perusal of this Book we have to signifie upon that acquaintance we have had with it that we judge it very worthy the publishing and perusing both for that in the former part it doth strenuously plead for the morality of the Sabbath and in the latter part gives occasion to learned Brethren of a contrary apprehension to consider whether they have not reason to captivate their judgements to the Authors as touching the beginning and ending of the Sabbath Samuel Slater Tho. Walley A Table of the chief Heads CHAP. I. PRoving by five Reasons That Adam fell on the day of his Creation  Reason 1. Because Moses joyneth mans Creation Tryal Judgement and Promise to the same day Page 1 R. 2. Because he fell at the very first instant that ever he eat any thing p. 5 R 3. Because Adam being created after God in wisdome would not in wisdome have omitted to have eaten of the Tree of Life in the very day of his creation if the Devil had not first circumvented him by the unseen subtilty of his Temptation p. 6 R. 4. Because the Devil had not deserved the name of a subtil Serpent if he had left Adam at liberty to eat of the Tree of life but one whole day together p. 8 R. 5. Because the Woman fell while she was a Virgin p. 21 The time of the Fall of the Angels now called the Devil was when they were commanded to attend upon Adam and Eve at their first entrance into Paradise p. 10 The true nature of the first Covenant stood in obedience or disobedience not to a moral but to a positive command p. 12 The Devil knew the operation of the forbidden fruit better than Adam and Eve could do as long as they stood in their unconfirmed Innocency p. 15 CHAP. II. Proving by three Reasons that Adam was Re-created in the same day in which he was created and fell p. 23 Reason 1. From the order of Gods dealing with him immediately after his Fall p. 23 R. 2. From the new name Hevah Life which he gave to his wife p. 26 R. 3. From the word Enmity which God put into her as a holy qualification against the Serpent that had deceived her p. 28 The cool of the day in Gen. 3. when God came to examine Adam was about Mid-day p. 23 CHAP. III. Proving by a double Inference that Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day p. 30 1 Drawn from the word Host and Finished in Gen. 2. 1. p. 34 For if all the Host of Heaven and Earth were finished before the seventh day then it follows that Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day p. 34 2 Drawn from the word Had made in Gen. 2. 2. p. 35 For if God had made something in the sixth day that needed a new finishing act before the seventh day as the Text speaks then what can that finishing act else be but Adams Re-creation by the Promised Seed p. 35 Adam in his Innocency could not so well honour all his Creators as after his Fall and Re-creation p. 37 The Mystical as well as the Natural Creation was made and finished before the seventh day and therefore Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day p. 39 The Creation of the Humane Nature of Christ was the perfection of the whole Creation in the latter part of the sixth day p. 39. 46 CHAP. IV. God could not be said to keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day untill he had put out sundry opperations of his Eternal Providence for the finishing or perfecting of that work which he had made but mutably perfect in the fore-part of the sixth day p. 42 CHAP. V. This term which he had made in Gen. 2. 2. hath relation to the Creation of the
Mediator in two particulars  1 In regard of his office God created him to be a Mediatorial Priest before he could keep a perfect rest on the seventh day p. 46 2 In regard of his Humane Nature he was virtually made flesh of the Seed of the Woman before God could keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day p. 46 39 CHAP. VI. Proving that the whole World was made for the honour of the Mediator as the right Heir of it all p. 50 And hence it follows  1 That God could not keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day untill he had put the Mediator as the right Heir of all into his possession  2 Hence it follows that Adam must fall and be Re-created also on the day of his Creation before the Lord could keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day p. 50 CHAP. VII Proving that Gods Rest on the seventh day was such a perfect Rest that nothing could happen afterwards that could any whit lessen or dâ—sturb the perfection of his Rest on the seventh day as it would have happened if God had kept a Sabbath of Rest whiles Adam stood in a mutable condition p. 54 CHAP. VIII That the true nature of Gods Rest on the seventh day was his sweet content in the Mediator p. 55 56 All the Trinity rested and were refreshed on the seventh day because they had perfected mans happinesse by a Re-creation p. 57 CHAP. IX Proving that God blessed the first seventh day with many sorts of spiritual Ordinances such as were apt to convey spiritual and eternal blessednesse to faln man p. 59 God would never have blessed the seventh day with spiritual Ordinances if the Mediator had not been declared to faln man before the seventh day p. 60 God did not leave Adam and Eve to spend the first seventh day in private speculations but he blessed the first seventh day with variety of Ordinances both for publick and private use for their best spiritual good p. 60 God commanded Adam to preach every seventh day either upon his miserable Fall or else upon the riches of Gods grace for his recovery by the Promised Seed p. 62 God commanded Adam to joyn the duty of Prayer to the duty of Preaching p. 63 Jesus Christ taught Adam by the Sacrifice of a Lamb how he should be the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world p. 65 Two persons where no more can be had may be called a true Church of Christ and may exercise Gods Ordinances after a publick manner p. 68 The dis-regarding of the Sabbath and the Ordinances thereof is the high way to all Prophanenesse and Apostacy p. 70 Private duties are commanded on the Sabbath dayes as necessary Handmaids to the publick p. 72 CHAP. X. Shewing after what manner God did sanctifie the first seventh day p. 73 1 By ordaining it to be the separated time of his publick and private worship  2 By ordaining it to be as a sanctified sign of his Rest and of mans resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot by the work of his Redemption and Reconciliation p 73 When ever God did sanctifie any thing for mans use he did by that act command man to separate that thing to the Lords use p. 74 When God did sanctifie the first seventh day he did thereby command Adam to prepare himself for the better sanctifying of the said seventh day p. 75 CHAP. XI Shewing that God did sanctifie the outward Rest of the seventh day to be a typical sign both of his own Rest and of mans Resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot for mans Redemption p 78 Our Redemption from Sathans Head-plot was the finishing act of the whole Creation and therefore it was the true reason of Gods Rest and of his commanding Adam to rest on the first seventh day p. 82 CHAP. XII Shewing that God did make the first seventh day famous by honouring the number Seven ever after with famous respects p. 85 1 By contriving the Typical Ceremonies of our Redemption very often into the number of Seven doubtlesse in an honourable memorial of the first famous seventh day p. 86 2 By marking out divers rare and eminent holy persons by the number Seven p. 89 3 By contriving several parcels of the Scripture Chronology into the number Seven doubtlesse in an honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day p. 93 CHAP. XIII Proving That though Christ hath abolished the Seventh Day by his death yet he hath not left the day of his publick worship Arbitrary to particular Churches to appoint what day they please in the place of the seventh day as some unadvised Protestants do affirm p. 94 And that Christ Jesus hath made three main changes in the tenne Commandements p. 99 CHAP. XIV Proving by several other particular grounds that Christ himself did appoint the day of his Resurrection for the exercise of his publick worship in the place of the seventh day p. 101 Things Remarkable  ◠Touching the number eight three things are remarkable p. 113 2 That four Sabbaths did meet together and succeed each other at the Death and Resurrection of Christ ibid. 3 The Resurrection of Christ was made famous by three remarkable days p. 114 CHAP. XV. Propounding some reasons why the Apostles did allow of the jewish-Jewish-Sabbath or seventh day in their Synagogues for a time after it was abolished by the Death of Christ as well as of the Lords day in Christian Churches p. 116 The opposition which some beleeving Jews made in Christian Churches for their not observing the Jewish Sabbath doth fully prove that the Christian Churches had cast off the Jewish Sabbath and that they observed the Lords Day in the place of it p. 118 CHAP. XVI Being an Answer to several Questions  Q. 1. Whether Christians under the Gospel are bound to observe the Lords Day as strictly from all work and as holily in the practise of all duties of Religion as the Jews were to observe the Sabbath day p. 129 Hence this Question is moved Whether it be lawful to begin to solemnize a Marriage upon the Sabbath Answered no. p. 130 Q 2. Might not the Jews kindle a fire on the Sabbath day to dresse necessary food Answered Yes p. ibid. Q. 3. To the same purpose Answered p. 132 Q. 4. To the same purpose Answered p. 134 Q. 5. Are Christians bound to rest as strictly from all Works and Re-creations on the Lords day as the Jews were on the Sabbath day Answered Yes p. 135 Q. 6. Were Re-creations on the Sabbath day punished by the Magistrates among the Jews with the same kind of punishments that working on the Sabbath was Answered No. They used differing kind of punishments p. 136 Also that Magistrates are bound to punish the prophanation of any part of the Lords day whether it be by work or re-creation either by scourging or else by some Mulct that is
him the tree of knowledge of good and evill 3 He shews the matter and manner of the Womans creation of Adams Rib vers 18. which he had omitted in Chap. 1. and it is placed in Chap. 2. vers 18. by the figure Hysteron Proteron because there was not to be found among all the other creatures that were brought before Adam a meet helper for Adam vers 20. she was the last sort of all the visible creatures of this world 4 God brings the woman to the man and joyns them together in Mariage as a meet helper for him vers 22. This was omitted in Chap. 1. 5 He shews that the place of their creation was without the borders of Paradise vers 8. 15. compared with Chap. 3. 23. 6 He describes the situation of that pleasant Garden of Paradise which God made for the place of their habitation as an addition to their happy condition by creation vers 8. c. but this is to be marked that Moses doth by the figure Hysteron Proteron place their aboad in Paradise vers 8. c. before the creation of the woman which figure he useth very often in this Chapter and in the third Chapter 7 He shews the special use of two Trees above the rest by special names vers 9. 8 He shews that God gave Adam and Eve a twofold command concerning these two Trees The first was a positive command saying unto them in the singular number because of their Mariage-union Of every Tree of the Garden thou mayest eat but of that Tree which doth most concern the good of thy present condition I have named the Tree of life therefore in the first place eat of the Tree of life and thou shalt live for ever for by the name of it God did not onely shew the use of it but also he shewed them their duty concerning it verse 9. compared with Chapter 3. 22. Secondly By way of prohibition and commination God commanded them saying Eat not of the Tree of knowledge of good and evill for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye the death Gen. 2. 17. 9 Unto all these particulars in this order connexed together Moses doth immediately proceed to speak of Adams temptation by the Serpent Gen. 3. 1. and of his Fall Gen. 3 6. And thus after this sort Moses doth adjoyn Adams fall fast to his Creation and seating in Paradise without making mention of any other matter that came between This Reason is further strengthned by the consent of sundry good Authors both ancient and latter Calvin saith in Gen. 3. 6. It may be gathered by the Narration of Moses That Adam and Eve did not long keep their Dignity which they had received for as soon as he had but said they were made making no mention of any other matter he passeth to shew the Fall Mr. Ainsworth also observeth in Gen. 3. 1. That mans fall and misery is immediately joyned to his creation and seating in Paradise Mr. Broughton also observeth in his Sinai-sight Tab. 1. That Moses joyneth mans Creation Triall Judgement and Promise to the same day before the woman was called Eve M. Broughton also in his shewing of corruptions in Religion p. 85. saith The first day in which Adam was made he disobeyed as all may see by the continued narration for Eve and for the Serpents Speech and Temptation and Judgement for Curse upon all the Earth The Hebrew Doctors also do generally hold that Adam fell on the day of his creation Mr. Broughton saith in Consent of Scripture that he never heard of any one of them that was of a contrary judgement and Mr. Ainsworth saith in Gen. 3. that the Hebrew Doctors hold that nothing in that Chapter was done after the sixth day of Creation and saith Maymony All our wise men do agree that this whole matter in Gen. 3. was done in the sixth day Rabbi Nathan doth make the story of the sixth day remarkable by joyning many things to the story of that day in sundry Rhetoricall expressions saying thus The same day that Adam was formed the same day that he was created the same day that his fashion was fashioned the same day that his mould was made the same day that his members were knit the same day that his veines were opened the same day that life was put into him the same day that he stood first upon his feet the same day that Eve was maried to him the same day that he gave names the same day that he entred into Paradise the same day that God gave him the Commandement the same day he disobeyed the same day he was driven out of Paradise Perkins on the Creed touching the time of Adams Fall saith The received opinion in former ages hath been that our first Parents fell the same day in which they were created and therefore Augustine writes That they stood but six hours and though we cannot determine the certain time yet in all likelihood saith he it was very short for after that Moses had set down the creation of man he presently without the interposition of any thing else comes immediately to the fall Irenaeus Conâ—ra Haere Lib. 1. speaking of the day of Adams Creation and Fall saith It is evident that the Lord obeying his Father suffered death in that day wherein Adam being disobedient unto God dyed for on the sixth day the day before the Sabbatb was his Passion which was the sixth day of the Creation of the world when man was formed Chrysostome on Matth. saith That Adam and Eve in the sixth day of the first week which was the very same day of their creation were cast out of Paradise Divers other Divines both Greeks and Latines are concurrent in the same opinion many of which are also cited by Mr. Broughton in his Consent of Scripture where he citeth this as a common saying among them That in one day Adam was formed and deformed And so consequently from this Reason it follows that the Sabbath was not instituted in the time of Adams Innocency but after his Fall Reason 2. Adam fell the very first time that ever he eat any thing and therefore he fell on the day of his creation for in reason he Adam fell in the day of his creation because he fell the very first time of his eating would not abstain from eating longer than that day seeing variety of meat was created ready for him to eat and an appetite created to desire food And that he fell the very first time of eating it is evident First By the Devils Question and secondly By the Womans Answer 1 The Devil in the Serpent demandeth this Question of the woman Hath God said Ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden Gen. 3. 1. mark how the Devils demand by way of Query is of a thing to come And indeed the Devill had not deserved the name of a subtil Serpent if he had demanded whether that might be done which had been
God as a necessary duty for God inforced his obedience to that act by an expresse command saying Be fruitfull and multiply and fill the earth Gen. 1. 28. Hence it follows 1 That they would not have omitted the act of Generation as soon as they had a fit opportunity which they should have had if they had slept but one night together in their innocency 2 If they had but once done the act it would doubtless have taken effect for God had promised to bless it and to make it powerful there cannot be any barreness in innocency and then Adam should have begotten and Eve should have conceived their first-born Cain without sin But the Scripture doth tell us that never any man was so conceived and born but Jesus Christ alone whose conception was not by the ordinary way of generation between Man and Woman but by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost hence it follows 1. That the Serpent had seduced the Woman before she knew her Husband after the manner of all flesh And 2. Hence it follows That she was seduced in the very day of her creation Master Calvin saith If they had stood but a short time the See Calv. on Gen. 3. 6. Blessing of God had not been in vain for propagation And Paul may wel allude to Eves being deceived by the Serpent even whiles she was a Virgin for he writeth thus to the Corinthians I have espoused you to one Husband that I might present you a chast Virgin to Christ but I fear lest by any means that as the Serpent beguiled Eve so your minds should be corrupted 2 Corinth 11. 1 2. The Apostle compares the guiles of false Teachers to the guiles of Satan and he compares their sincere mindes as long as they kept fast to the Truth to the Virgin Evt for so long as they kept their mindes unpolluted with false Doctrin they were Virgin-like but as Eve the Virgin was beguiled and defiled by Satans fair but false Doctrin so the Apostle feared lest their minds should be corrupted by the fair though false Doctrin of their false Teachers from that plainesse that is towards Christ for the Tempter did tempt them by many seducing Teachers 1 Thessal 3. 5. and the Spirit saith the Apostle speaketh evidently that in the latter days namely in the days of the Gospel some should depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrins of Devils 1 Timâ—thy 4. 1. as the Virgin Eve once did Erasmus maketh this Comparison As Evah a Virgin married and undefiled beleeved the speech of the Serpent brought forth Disobedience and Death so many a Virgin married and undefiled beleeved the Angel brought forth Obedience and Life Conclusion Having proved hitherto by five Reasons that Adam fell in the day of his Creation it follows by good consequence That the Sabbath was not ordained in the time of Adams Innocency but after his Fall CHAP. II. Proving by three Reasons that Adam was Re-created in the very same day in which he was Created and Fell. 1. IT is evident to me that Adam was Re-created in the very self-same day in which he was created and sell by the order of Reason 1 Gods dealing with him immediately after his Fall For immediately after he had bitten of the forbidden fruit and was thereby dead in corruption and sin from the life of Gods Image in which he was created Then God of his rich mercy came to him in the * The câ—ol or wind of the day means the Eventide as the Seventy translate it which begins at Mid-day for the Evening begins when the Sun begins to decline and then there doth usually arise a cooling wind called a Sea-turn which the God of nature hath ordained to cool the air in hot Countries cool or in the wind of the same day Gen. 3. 8. to confer with him and to enquire of him into what state and condition he had brought himself by eating of the forbidden fruit saying unto him by way of Query Adam Where art thou not in what particular place art thou as some ignorant persons do understand it for God was come to the very place where Adam was But into what case hast thou brought thy self by eating of the forbidden fruit And unto this searching Query Adam made a plain Answer saying in ver 10. I heard thy voyce walking in the Garden and I was afraid and because I was naked of thy Image in which I was created I hid my self This plain Answer of Adam doth imply two things 1 His fear of Gods wrath 2 The Reason of it 1 His fear of Gods wrath in these words I heard thy voyce walkking in the Garden the word implies That it walked along by him like roaring Thunder among the trees of the Garden And with such a dreadfull voice Christ manifested himself to the Israelites when he gave the Law at Mount Sinai to awaken and over-aw their sinful consciences as Gen. 3. 8. compared with Ex. 19. 16. doth manifest and explain the matter and in this respect the dreadfull voice of Thunder is called Gods voice Psal 29. 3. And this dreadfull voice of God did so terrifie his guilty conscience that it forced Adam to say I heard thy voice walking like Thunder in the Garden and I was afraid for the guilt of his conscience told him that he had grievously transgressed against Gods positive command in eating of the forbidden fruit 2 He gives another reason why he hid himself among the trees of the Garden namely because I was naked both in body and soul of my created qualities and therefore I hid my self among the trees of the Garden And thus Adams conscience was convinced of his sin and terrified with Gods dreadfull voice of inquiry concerning his sin and guilt and thereupon he made a plain confession That he was afraid and that he hid himself because he was naked The Text runs thus in Gen. 3. 8. They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool or in the wind of the day And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the Garden vers 9. And the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him Where art thou vers 10. And he said Who told thee that thou wast naked Hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat And by this searching Qâ—ery Adam Where art thou Adam was convinced and terrified with the sense of his sin and with the dread of Gods wrath and when he saw that he could by no means escape it he made a plain confession of his sin and misery and that he hid himself because he was naked of Gods Image and subject to inordinate lusts and thereupon to shame and horror of conscience and â—n like sort it is said that Aaron made the people naked to their shame when he made a Molten Calf for them to worship as a God Exod.
that act command man to sanctifie such persons to the Lord Every first-born of the Sons of Israel saith the Lord are mine both of Man and Beast for in the day that I smote every first-born in the Land of Egypt I sanctified them unto me Numb 8. 17. that is I commanded my people to sanctifie them to my service which they did perform First By setting apart some of the clean kind for Sacrifice And secondly by redeeming the rest with money which money God commanded to be imployed to his service either by buying some Sacrifices of Attonement therewith for the publick or else it must be for the repairing of Gods Sanctuary as Exod. 13. doth explain it 2 When God did sanctifie the Temple for the publick place of his Typical worship 2 Chr. 7. 16. 2 Chr. 30. 8. he did thereby command man to sanctifie it by performing every particular just as he commanded Solomon might not build the Temple after the fashion that he thought best but he must do it in all particulars as God commanded 1 King 9. 3. God did not leave any sanctified thing that did any way appertain either to the service of the Tabernacle or of the Temple neither to Moses discretion nor to Solomons wisdome but when God sanctified these places for his worship he commanded how and after what manner Heb 9. 19. 21. every thing should be done Ex. 25. 8 9 10. Exod. 39 42 43. Heb. 9. 19 21. 3 When God sanctâ—fied Cities of Refuge he did thereby command his people to sanctâ—fie them it is said that they sanctified Kedesh in Galilee for a place of refuge Jos 20. 7. they did sanctifie it because God had commanded them to sanctifie it Deut. 19. 2. they might not sanctifie any City but by vertue of Gods command as it is expressed in Num. 35. 6 11. 4 When God sanctified Festival dayes or Festival Sabbaths he did thereby command the Sons of Israel to sanctifie them Lev. 23. and Jeroboam is branded as a wicked opposer of Gods sanctified Sabbaths because he commanded a standing Holy-day to the Lord of his own head 1 King 12. 32 33. From these and such like examples it follows that when God sanctified the seventh day he commanded Adam and Eve to sanctifie the seventh day in the use of such Ordinances as he was pleased to blesse the seventh day withall Jesus Christ did not leave the sanctifying of the seventh day to Adams discretion in an arbitrary way how much time he would set apart for Gods service but by sanctifying the seventh day God commanded Adam to set apart the whole day for his service in such publick and private duties he had blessed the Sabbath withall 2 The word Sanctified implies another command to faln When God sanctified the seventh day he did thereby command Adam to prepare himself for the better sanctifying of the seventh day Joel 2. 15. Adam namely to prepare himself to the sanctification of the Sabbath First By an outward And secondly By an inward preparation Sanctifie a Fast call a solemn Assembly Joel 1. 14. that is to say Prepare your selves to meet me in a day of publick Fasting as it is explained in Joel 2. 15. Blow the Trumpet in Zion Sanctifie a Fast Call a solemn Assembly that is to say Warn the people by a Trumpet to prepare themselves to sanctifie a Fast Joels three terms in vers 5. are all Synonima and do all imply that Gods people must prepare themselves for a day of Fasting First Outwardly by sanctifying or washing their bodies and garments And secondly Inwardly by true humiliation of soul and in this sense also God commanded Joshua to sanctifie the people against they came into his presence on the morrow Jos 7. 13. Now all that Joshua did to sanctifie the people was no more but to warn them by a Proclamation through the Camp which usually was attended with the sound of a Trumpet saying Sanctifie your selves it is as much as if he had said God hath commanded you to sanctifie your selves First Outwardly by washing And secondly by inward repentance against you come into his presence on the morrow So when God commanded Moses to sanctifie the people to hear the Law delivered at Mount Sinai Moses did no otherwise sanctifie them but by commanding the people to prepare themselves in a sanctifiâ—d manner First By inward fear and reverence And secondly by outward washing and by abstinence from their wives two dayes together for their more reverent attention of Gods Law Exod. 19. 10. Jos 3. 5. Exod. 3. 5. 1 Sam. 16. 5. Num. 11. 18. Exod. 19. 10. Jer 6 4. So in like sort when God said Sanctifie War it is a command to prepare for War Jer. 6. 4. Jer. 51. 28. From these and such like instances it follows That when God sanctified the first seventh day he commanded Adam and Eve for the more solemnity to prepare themselves for the sanctifying of the seventh day God having made a promise to them in the end of the sixth day that the Seed of the Woman should break the head of the Serpent he sanctified the next day for a Sabbath of rest because he had blessed it with Ordinances and thereby he did command Adam and Eve to prepare themselves against they came into his holy presence on the morrow for sin had defiled them and therefore they needed to prepare themselves not onely by outward washing but also inwardly by true repentance Act. 22. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 15. Es 29. 23. or else instead of receiving good by that blessing wherewith God had blessed the seventh day they might expect a curse at least an outward curse upon their bodies as it fell out upon Aarons Sons when they did not sanctifie the Lord in his worship according to his command the Lord struck them with present death saying I will be sanctified in all that come neer me Lev. 10. 3. and when some of Ephraim and Manasses did come to the sanctified Passeover in the dayes of Hezekiah God was displeased with them because they had not prepared themselves thereto according to the sanctified or commanded preparation of the Sanctuary but Hezekiah prayed for them and the Lord heard him and healed the people 2 Chr. 30 18 19 20. 2 I will speak a little more of the word Sanctified as it implies a command to fallen man to prepare himself to sanctify the seventh day for all sanctified things must be remembred by way of preparation before hand that so they may be done in due time and order or else God that is jealous of his sanctified things will be displeased And therefore one Reason why the word Remember was after added to the fourth Commadement was not to adde a new sense to that Command more than it had to Adam under the word Sanctified but to increase the charge of preparation with more vehemency which at the first was couched under the word Sanctified for now the people of God had forgotten the
Day because in it Christ rose from the Dead as an absolute Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot and therefore now seeing his Death was declared to be a perfect sacrifice of Attonement God made him both Lord and Christ and thereupon Christ hath ordained that day to bee the day of his publick Worship in the place of the seventh day to the end of the world Thus have I declared the first seventh day to be made famous and honourable by three several sorts of instances that have relation to Gods resting and to Mans resting on the seventh day in relation to the work of our Redemption by the promised Seed CHAP. XIII Proving That though Christ hath abolished the seventh day by his death yet that he hath not left the day of his publick Worship Arbitrary to particular Churches to appoint what day they please in the place of the seventh day as some unadvised Protestants do affirm I Have already shewed you that God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he rested from all his works that belonged either to the heavenly or the earthly Host and that his finishing Act lay in this namely in ordaining the Seed of the Woman to break the Devils Head-plot and when that Head-plot was broken then God rested and was refreshed and then also he sanctified the outward rest of the seventh day to be a sign both of Gods rest and of Mans rest on the Seed of the Woman as soon therefore as the Seed of the Woman had broken the Devils Head-plot by his propitiatory sacrifice of Attonement the holy rest of the seventh day must cease as it was a type or sign of that which is now performed But yet withall I pray remember what I have said upon the word Sanctified namely that thereby God commanded fallen Man to set apart the seventh day for a double use 1. As the sanctified time of that Worship wherewith he had blessed the seventh day and 2. As a sanctified sign in this last respect the seventh day is abolished by the death of Christ but in the first respect namely as it was set apart for so much time to be imployed in the exercise of such Ordinances both publick and private as God had blessed the seventh day withall so it must continue namely the seventh part of time according to the days of the Week in a constant succession to the first seventh day to the end of the world And indeed the seventh part of time cannot bee translated to any other day of the Week but to the next day after the seventh day for if it had been translated to any other day God should have been a loser of his seventh part of sanctified time there would have been a vacuum in the revolution of the seventh part of time at least in the first translation of it to any other day but the first day of the Week and so the roundnesse of the seventh part of time would have been spoiled which must noâ— be admitted for as God did not allow lesse than six parts of the Week for Mans civil imployments so neither will he have lesse time for his publick worship than he appointed at first Therefore it would have been a great dishonour to Christ who is made of God to be both the Lord of his Church and the Lord of the Sabbath if he had left the day of his publick Worship arbitrary to each particular Church to transferre it to what day they pleased A man may with as good reason affirm That Christ hath left the outward Form of his publick Worship arbitrary to each particular Church as affirm That he hath left the day of his publick Worship arbitrary there is as much reason for the one as for the other for Jesus Christ by his death hath made as much alteration in the second Commandement in respect of his outward Worship as in the fourth Commandement in respect of the change of the day Secondly the very order of the Ten Commandements doth plainly tell us that all Gods publick Worship which is fully comprehended in the second Commandement must have a publick day appointed by God himself for the constant exercise of his said publick Worship and consequently it follows that as soon as Christ had abolished the seventh day by his death he being the Lord of his Church and the Lord of the Sabbath must establish another certain day in the place of the seventh day to the end of the world without any intermission or losse of time The order of the four Commandements of the first Table lyes thus 1 The first Commandement doth injoyn us to worship the true God alone in Unity and Trinity with the whole inward man 2 The second Commandement doth injoyn us to worship the true God with all such outward worship as he had commanded at that present or should command afterwards 3 The third Commandement doth injoyn us to worship God in a holy manner both publickly and privately and with outward reverence as well as inward 4 The fourth Commandement doth injoyn us to observe the seventh day not onely as a sanctified sign but also as the sanctified time of that worship wherewith God had blessed the seventh day as soon therefore as Christ the Seed of the Woman had accomplished that work of breaking the Devills Head-plot by his Propitiatory Sacrifice the seventh day in regard it was a sanctified sign must cease but as it was the sanctified time of Gods publick worship so it must not cease but it must still be continued or else Gods publick worship must suffer losse and confusion no other way can be found out by which the constant solemnity of Gods established worship may be continued but by translating the seventh day to the next day for by that means onely God shall still have the seventh part of time for his publick worship without interruption and by this means onely the twofold manner of sanctifying the seventh day doth attain its severall ends 2 Let it be a little further inquired into To what end did God command all his publick worship in the second Command and to what end did he command all his publick worship to be reverently performed in the third Command if the day of his publick worship in the fourth Command be wholly obliturated 3 Consider that the command of Christ is that all his publick worship must be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14. and seeing he doth require that the meanest circumstances of his worship be done decently and in order no doubt but he hath taken order that the main things of his publick worship should be done decently and in order and that cannot be without some publick day be uniform But if Christ Jesus hath left the day of his publick worship abitrary to his particular Churches they will hardly agree upon a way of decency especially in respect of the solemnity of time doubtlesse they will appoint several dayes of the week as every
he saith Vpon the first day of the week when ye are met together namely according to your usual custome Let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there may be no gathering when I come 1 Cor. 16. 2. Hence it is evident that the first day of the week when Christians met together or as the Apostles phrase is when they are met namely according to their usual and constant custome to worship God then he did exhort them to lay aside something for the poor for that day was a good day for their souls and therefore that season was a good season to lay aside something for the poor Saints that were at Jerusalem I grant that the word Every first day is not fully expressed in the Greek Text but yet it must necessarily be understood as it appears by the consequence for the Apostle did glory of their willing mind to them of Macedonia saying that Achaia in which Country the City of Corinth was seated was prepared Ayeer agâ— and that their zeal provoked many 2 Cor. 9. 2. But how could the Apostle have thus gloried of their zeal and of their willing mind 2 Cor 9. 2. to them of Macedonia if they had laid up something but once onely upon some one first day of the week and no more as some would have the Text to speak doubtlesse therefore they did lay aside something either every first day of the week or at least usually when they were met together for the exercise of Gods worship and in so doing their zeal was exemplary to provoke them of Macedonia to imitate their example and this is the rather to be beleeved because the Apostle doth still exhort them to perform that duty 2 Cor. 8. 10 11 12. I conclude therefore that though the word Every be not fully expressed in the Greek Text yet that it must necessarily be understood and therefore the Geneva Translation that puts it in is to be justified because it is according to the true sense of the place 2 Touching this phrase Let every one of you lay by him in store I dare not affirm that this is meant of laying up by the Deacons Collection but I rather think it was done by separating something by way of Vow for the use of the said poor in every one 's own hand which was as sure a course as if it had been put into the Box of the poor for in this phrase Let every one of you lay by him in store The Apostle doth Thalmudize as relating therein to a certain custome of the Jews in vowing something to the poor for the Hebrew Doctors say That Alms is comprehended in the general of Vows and therefore he that saith thus Lo this Shekel or this Shilling is an Alms he is bound to give it to the poor out of hand But if there be no poor present he is bound to separate it and to lay it Up till he find some poor See Ains in Deut. 23 21. The Apostle Paul did lay this duty of Vowing uppon the Churches of Galatia Corinth and Macedonia namely That every one of them should separate something for the poor and lay it up on the first day of the week when they were met together for that day was a fitter day for that duty than any other day of the week And the Hebrew Doctors do adde this to their former speech That if a man had purposed to give such a quantity to the poor but in his heart onely he was bound to pay it 3 Hence it is evident That the first day of the week was by Christs Institution the day of publick Worship in place of the seventh day or else the Apostle would never have given direction to the Churches to separate something for the poor when they were meâ— together on that day for the Apostle doth professe that in such matters he ordained nothing in the Church but what he received from the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 23. And that the things which he wrote unto them were the Commandements of the Lord 1 Cor. 14. 37. and therefore it follows that the Church of Corinth and 1 Cor. 11. 23. all other Christian Churches did usually meet together on this day by the special Command of Jesus Christ And seeing the Churches of Macedonia did contribute to the poor Saints of Jerusalem as well as the Churches of Achaia no doubt but Paul did order them to do it on every first day of the week answerable to the Rom. 15. 25 26 Churches of Galatia and Achaia Rom. 15. 25 26 27. And seeing Paul did observe the first day of the week to administer Act. 20. 7. the Lords Supper to the Church at Troas in Phrigia Act. 20. 7. It doth evidence that he was uniform in ordering all Christian Assemblies to be kept on that day for Troas was a neighbour Church to them of Galatia and therefore they kept the same day for Gods publick worship as they of Galatia and Achaia did Act. 16. 6. with Act. 18. 27. 5 A fifth Reason that doth perswade me that Christ himself Reason 5 hath ordained his Resurrection-day for the day of his publick worship in the place of the seventh day is the hot contention that many beleeving Jews did make in Christian Churches about the observation of the Jewish Sabbath for many of the beleeving Jews were still zealous for the observation of Moses Laws and this contention of theirs doth strongly perswade me that all Christian Churches had laid aside the observation of the Jewish Sabbath and that they did now observe the first day of the week in the place of it as I shall more fully explain the matter in Chap. 15. My sixth Reason is taken from the title of the Lords day in Reason 6 Rev. 1. 10. This title is an evident proof to all men that Jesus Christ himself did ordain the day of his Resurrection in the place of the sâ—venth day for John in his Epistle to the seven Churches of Asia doth name iâ— the Lords day as if it were a day that was familiarly known to the said Churches though they were many miles distant from each other But if it had been a new title of a new day not yet familiarly known to them John would have described it to them by some circumstantial demonstration but in as much as he doth no more but barely name it the Lords day without any further description of it It argues that this day by this time at least was familiarly known and grown into frequent use and practise among all the Christian Churches of Asia for at this time John wrote to the seven Churches of Asia in the reign of Domitian the Emperor which was about four and fifty yeers after the death of Christ by this time I say the name of the Lords day was familiarly known among all the Churches of Asia even as the first day of the week was familiarly known long before this
reason is plain because all the other Holy-dayes in Moses are fully comprehended in the other two termes 4 Solomon in 2 Chron. 2. 4. doth expound the said three termes 2 Chron. 2. 4. by shewing the solemnity of all the sorts of Holy-dayes in the Temple-service for he built a Temple to the Lord namely To burn sweet incense before Him and for the continual Shew-bread and for the Burnt-offerings of the morning and evening 1 On the Sabbath dayes 2 In the New Moons And 3 In the Solemn Feasts of the Lord. This is a perpetual thing for Israel And moreover the Hebrew Doctors say That they did blow with the silver Trumpets in the Sanctuary 1 Over the Burnt-offerings of the Sabbaths 2 In the New Moons And 3 in the Solemn Feasts By these two Scriptures compared together with Col. 2. 16. and with Gal. 49 10 11. It is evident that all the solemn Holy-dayes in Moseâ— are comprehended under the said three termes And therfore by the term Sabbaths in Col. 2. 16. as it is distinguished from the New Moon and a Holy-day must needs be meant the weekly Sabbaths onely which some Christian Jews contended to have observed in their Christian Churches in opposition to the Lords day Object 3. It seems to me that our Saviour did not ordain his Resurrection-day in place of the seventh day because our Saviour in Mat. 24. 20. Mat. 24. 20. doth warn his Disciples to pray at the time of their destruction by the Romans that their flight might not be neither in the Winter nor upon the Sabbath day Now if Christ had abolished the Sabbath by his death as you affirm then be would not have given this caution of praying that their flight might not be on the Sabbath day so long after his death for it was about forty yeers after his death ere the City was destroyed by the Romans Ans Christ did not give this caution to his Disciples in the nature of a Command or forbidding but in the nature of a dis-allowing of the Jews superstitious opinion of the outward rest of the Sabbath so long after his death They might in that space have been better taught and instructed if they had not been enemies to the Gospel of Christ but because they would not be instructed therefore our Saviour told his Disciples that the Jews of Judea in general would hold such a superstitious opinion both of the holinesse of the Temple and of the outward rest of the Sabbath day that it would be a grievous calamity to them if they were forced to flye for their lives upon the Sabbath day more than upon any other day in the week But yet this must be marked that our Saviour speaks this to his Disciples but as a Prophetical Historian foretelling them what would be the common opinion of the Nation of the Jews in those dayes namely that they would be infected with such a superstitious opinion of the holinesse of the outward rest of the Sabbath that they would neither stir hand or foot to break the outward rest of the Sabbath by flight to save their lives This caution of our Saviour to his Disciples must needs be understood in this sense because the whole frame of his speech is fetched by way of allusion to a former like sad calamity which fell upon them under Antiâ—chus Epiphanes who did purposely molest them upon the Sabbath day as also in the Winter time and then they suffered extreme miseries by reason of their superstitious opinion of the outward rest of the Sabbath day which they might have prevented if they had held it lawful at first as they did at last that in case of necessity they might either fight or flie for their lives upon the Sabbath day Our Saviour in this his speech to his Disciples doth allude to the times of Antiochus and therefore he doth mention the Winter as well as the Sabbath day for Judas Maccabeus did cleanse the Temple and the Altar in the Winter Joh. 10. 22. and three yeers before it was polluted in the Winter 1 Mac. 1. 54. And secondly it was also polluted upon the Sabbath day 1 Mac. 2. 38. and now it was a time of grievous calamity to the Jews and therefore by way of allusion to this calamitous time our Saviour bad them pray That their flight might neither be in the Winter nor yet upon the Sabbath day for then they would do as they had done neither fight nor flye to save their lives This their blind zeal our Saviour reproves 1 Mac. 2 34. 36. 38. 41. and 2 Mac. 6. 11. It follows therefore by good consequence that our Saviour did not now in sadnesse teach his Disciples the continuance of the Sabbath so long after his death no more than he taught them the continuance of the service of the Temple by calling the Temple The Holy Place vers 15. But no man I think will say that Christ did then esteem the Temple to be the Holy Place but he names it so Docasâ—icâ—s because the Jews of Judea in general would then esteem it and call it the Holy place and in that respect also our Saviour doth call the Romans that should enter into the Temple The Abomination of Desolation just as Daniel had done Dan. 9. 27. By this it is evident that Christ spake by allusion to former times But he knew well enough that the holinesse of the Temple as well as the typical Rest of the Holy Sabbath were fully ended by his death I grant that the Temple was once truly called the Holy Temple because it was ordained to be a type of the holy humane nature of Christ wherein his God-head dwelt Job 2 But yet this typical holinesse of the Temple must needs have an end as soon as the Holy of Holies did but enter through the vail of his flesh into heaven to appear before God for us Dan. 9. 24. with Mat. 27. 50 51. Heb. 9. 14. and the goodlinesse also of the Temple must have an end as soon as he that was greater than the Temple had finished his Oblation Mat. 12. 26. and by the like reason also the Sabbath as it was a type of our resting on the Seed of the Woman to break the Devils Head-plot must end as soon as Christ had finished his Sacrifice of Attonement I will therefore conclude my answer to this Objection That Christ by this speech of his to his Disciples did but tell them what would be the coÌ„mon opinion of the Nation of the Jews at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem as I have already declared it but he intended no more to teach them the continuance of the Sabbath than the continuance of the Holinesse of the Temple neither did he by this Caution to his Disciples intend to prefer the Sabbath above the Lords day no more than he intended to prefer the Winter above the Summer of all which things he spake by way of caution to his Disciples what would be
the common opinion of the Jews at the destruction of Jerusalem Object 4. If Christ had ordained his Resurrection-day as the day of his publick Worship in place of the Sabbath or seventh day then me thinks the Apostles in their Writings should have recorded it with the Circumstances of it namely the time when and how he did ordain it if this had been done the matter had been out of question to all men Ans The Wisdome of God did not see it good to make all his Ordinances cleer to all men at the first sight when our Saviour was here upon the earth he did oftentimes open his mouth in Parables that they which see not might not perceive and that his best servants might dig for his hidden Treasures But I may say also it is not recorded that Christ did instruct any of his Apostles of the time when nor of the manner how he did first ordain John to baptise but because all men generally held John to be a Prophet therefore they concluded that he had received some authority from heaven to baptise subjects for Christ against he came into his Kingdome which he proclamed to be at hand and by the like authority we may conclude that the Apostles did command the observation of the Lords day for Gods publick Worship in the place of the seventh day because it was in frequent use in their dayes as I have proved and they being Prophets had special direction from Christ the Lord of the Sabbath so to direct his Churches which directions in all probability they received from him at his first comming to their Assembly in the evening of his Resurrection-day or else in the evening of his second coming to their Assembly on that day seven-night Joh. 19. 20. 26. for then he opened their understandings to understand such Scriptures as he alleged concerning his Joh. 19. 20 26. Death and Resurrection Luke 23. 54. 47. and then also he gave them a new Commission to preach the Doctrine of the forgivenesse of sins in his name Joh 20. 21 22 23. and then he gave Commandements unto them and spake of such things as appertained to the Kingdome of God Act. 1. 2 3. doubtlesse therefore he did then instruct them concerning the day of his publick worship wherein they must preach forgiveness of sins in his name to all the world and this Commission he did again renew unto them before his ascension saying Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alwayes to the end of the world Whatsoever therefore the Apostles commanded the Christian Churches to observe they did it by vertue of Christs former command and therefore Paul saith I have received of the Lord that which I have delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11. 23. The Commandements therefore which the Apostles gave unto the Christian Churches they were the Commandements of Christ among which Commandements the observation of the Lords day must needs be one in place of the Sabbath which was fully abolished by the death of Christ CHAP. XVI Being an Answer to several Questions I whether Christians Quest 1 now under the Gospel are bound to observe the Lords day as strictly from all work and as holily in all the duties of Religion as the Jewes were to observe the Sabbath day THe Sabbath or seventh day must be considered either as it Ans 1 was a holy sign Or secondly as it was the holy time of Gods worship in the first sense the Lords day is not like the Sabbath for our Lords day is not a sign of a thing to be performed 〈…〉 as the Sabbath was but now our Lords day must be observed as a memorial that Christ hath fully broken the Devils Head-plot by his Mediatorial Sacrifice and this he hath declared to his Church by his Resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week and in remembrance thereof he hath now ordained that day to be imployed as the sanctified time of his worship in attending upon his Ordinances both publick and private as strictly from all work and as holily in all Christian duties as the Jews were to observe the Sabbath day under the Law and in remembrance thereof John doth stile it the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. Quest 2. Might not the Jews so much as kindle a fire upon the Sabbath day to dresse necessary food As Mr. Ainsworth seems to understand the Scriptures with the consent of the Hebrew Doctors in Exod. 16. 5. and Exod. 16. 5. Exod. 35. 3. in Exod. 35. 3. Ans I grant that Mr. Ainsworth doth so understand the Scriptures and so do some of the Hebrew Doctors But yet withall I say that the Scriptures rightly understood did alwayes allow the Jews as much liberty to kindle a fire for the dressing of necessary food upon the Sabbath day as it allows Christians on the Lords day as it is evident by the example of our Saviour himself for he went to a Feast upon the Sabbath day into the house of a chief Pharisee Luke 14. 1. and at the same time the Pharisee Luke 14. 1. had many other guests present for our Saviour marked them how they chose out the chiefest rooms at this Feast v. 7 8. And this Feast I conceive was a Wedding Feast though I also beleeve that the new maried parties were maried before this day not on this day It is unlawfull to begin a Mariage upon the Sabbath day Lev. 23 8. for the Jews held it utterly unlawful to begin their Mariage upon the Sabbath day See Ains in Lev. 23. 8. But yet they held it lawful to keep a Wedding Feast upon the Sabbath day and the reason is plain because they held it to be a lawfull custome to keep a Wedding Feast for seven dayes together of which number the Sabbath day must needs be one Judg. 14. 10 12. Gen. 29. 27 28. And this is a common rule among the Jews That whosoever marieth a Maid he shall rejoyce with her seven dayes not doing any work but eating drinking and making merry See Ains in Gen. 29. 27. And none could keep such a Feast of many persons in the cold Winter without the use of a fiâ—e to make their food comfortable to nature according to the nature of a Feast And it is further to be noted that whiles our Saviour was present at thâ— Feast he â—ound no fault with the act of Feasting but onely withing corrupt circumstances which did accompany this Feast 1 He found fault with some of the guests because they chose out the uppermost seats 2 He seemed to reprove the Governour of the Feast because he invited his rich friends onely vers 12. But Christ told him it had been more suitable to the Sabbath day if he had invited the poor to his Feast And yet I beleeve it was not sinfull to bid the rich for
if it had been sinfull Christ would either have declined the invitation or else he would have born witnesse against it as a sinful practise but he did neither of these therefore it was not sinful to invite the rich to a Feast upon the Sabbath day where the Feast must last seven dayes together 2 I answer That it was as lawfull for the Jews to kindle a fire upon the Sabbath day to prepare warm food for infirm and weak stomacks which are almost in every family as it was to do any other work of mercy And it was lawfull to do works of mercy upon the Sabbath dayes as it is evident by our Saviours often shewing of compassion to weak and sickly persons upon the Sabbath day 3 I answer that the Priests did hold it lawfull to kindle new fires on the Sabbath dayes for the use of their Sacrifices I grant they had one constant and continual fire that was alwayes maintained by the side of the Altar but from this fire they used to kindle other fires for the burning of such parts of their Sacrifices as they offered on the Sabbath dayes Hence I infer that seeing Christ Jesus hath told us that he doth prefer mercy before Sacrifice no question but he allowed the Jews to kindle a fire for works of mercy as well as for the use of Sacrifices on the Sabbath day and therefore out of doubt they might kindle a fire on the Sabbath day to prepare necessary food for such as are infirm of nature See Mat. 12. 5 6. Mat. 12. 5 6. 4 I answer That the Priests did kindle new fires every Sabbath day to boyl or roast their portion of meat which was due unto them from each Sacrifice by Gods allowance for God commanded them to eat their part and portion in the same day wherein the Sacrifice was offered Lev. 7. 15. but they could not eat this portion unlesse they kindled a fire either to boyl it or roast it 5 On the day of Attonement which was a Sabbath of Sabbatism and therefore every was as strict for rest as the Sabbath or seventh day was yet then the High Priest which must of necessity often wash his Body for the several services of that day might in case he were an old man or sickly have his water wherein he bathed his body made warm by the use of Fire the Hebrew Doctors say They took off the cold from the water either by Irons made hot in the Fire or else by mixing of hot water with the cold See Ains in Lev. 16. 24. By these and sundry such like instances it is evident That the Jews might lawfully kindle a Fire upon the Sabbath Day to prepare warm meat for the comfort of the infirm the aged or sickly persons Quest 3. Is it not plainly said in Exod. 35. 3. Ye shall not kindle a Exod. 35. 3. fire in your Habitations upon the Sabbath Day Ans Though some that are both godly and learned Christians as well as some later Jews do hold it unlawful to kindle a Fire on the Sabbath Day to dresse any meat yet the more ancient Rabbins and many learned Christians also do restrain this Prohibition of kindling a Fire to Artificers only But for the better understanding of the true sense of this text it is necessary to compare it with the like prohibition in Exod. 31. 1 c. where the Lord commanded Moses to command Bezaliel to make the Tabernacle and all the appurtenances thereof with all diligence that is to say with all possible speed without any delay because it was to be for the place of the Lords residence among them Exod. 25. 8. 22. but yet notwithstanding this careful diligence the Lord commanded Moses saying in ver 13. Speak unto the Sons of Israel and say Verily or notwithstanding Exod 31. 13 as the Seventy read it my Sabbaths yee shall keep for it is a sign between me and you throughout your Generations to know that I am Jehovah that sanctifieth you In these words God gave a double reason why they might not do any work about the making of the Tabernacle upon the Sabbath Day 1 Because the Sabbath was the sanctified time for his publick Worship in these words Verily or notwithstanding my command of your diligence my Sabbathe yee shall keep 2 Because the Sabbath was a sanctifiâ—d sign between me and you throughout your Generations c. ver 13. 3 Unto all this a threatning is added in case any man did presume to do any work about the Tabernacle Every one that prophaneth it shall be put to dye the death ver 14 15. Exod. 31. 14 15 This phrase implies That for their double sin in prophaning Gods sanctified Time and Gods sanctified Sign they should bee put to dye such a kind of death as was after a sort a double death for 1. He must be stoned to death and 2. His dead body must be after his death hanged upon a Tree till Sun-set for the greater detestation of that Sin and for the greater terror of others for this is a thing upon Record in the Hebrew Doctors That all such Malefactors as deserved stoning to death must be hanged up afterwards upon a Tree as it is manifest also by the instance of the rebellious Son in Deut. 21. as I have opened the matter more at large elsewhere But if it be conceived by any that if any man will now presume to gather sticks upon the Lords Day he should be punished with stoning to death as the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath Day was I answer There is not the like reason because the Lords Day is not ordained to be a sanctified sign of Gods resting and of Mans resting in the Seed of the Woman to break the Devils Head-plot as the Sabbath was I conclude therefore by comparing the work of the Tabernacle in Exod. 31. with the work of the Tabernacle as it is repeated in Exod. 35. that the only reason why they might not kindle a fire in their Habitations on the Sabbath Day was to restrain them from their eager desire from their rash or superstitious zeal to prosecute the work of the Tabernacle which was commanded to be done with such careful diligence for the place of Gods residence among them the Lord doth prefix a prohibition to restrain them from kindling any fire for that work and to prevent their rash and heady zeal a threatning is annexed Whosoever doth any work namely of his particular Calling upon the Sabbath Day shall be put to death Exod. 35. 2. therefore yee shall kindle no fire for that businesse ver 3. And as it was unlawful for them to kindle a fire for such works as belonged to their particular Callings on the Week-days so out of all doubt it is as unlawful for Christians to kindle a fire on the Lords Day to do any such servile works as that was but wherein can you finde a prohibition wherein the Jews are forbidden to
began to kill their Passeovers at half an hour after two a Clock but if the Passeover day fell out to be the * Some think of no other Evening belonging to the Jews Sabbath but the evening before the Sabbath but they are grosly mistaken for that was no otherwise the evening of the Sabbath but in relation to the new day to the purified person but the evening of the Sabbath it self began and ended as the Passeover evening did from mid-day to mid-night evening of the Sabbath namely that evening of the Sabbath which began at Mid-day then they began to kill their Passeover sooner But still this must be remembred which Maymony often noteth that they never kild any Passeover till after the daily evening Sacrifice and some other services that did ever accompany it See Ains in Numb 28. 4. But say the Hebrew Doctors God setteth no particular hour neither for the killing of the daily evening Sacrifice nor yet for the killing of the Passeover but in general he commanded them to be killed between the two evenings Hence it follows That if they killed the daily evening Sacrifice or the Passeover or the Peace-offerings in any part of the after-noon between the time of Mid-day and the Sun-set evening they were allowable and according to Gods own limited time But because God requires that all his Worship in all the Circumstances of it should be done decently and in order both in regard of time place and persons therefore the chief Rulers of the people thought it their duty to suit all the particular businesses about the Passeover and the daily evening Sacrifice to certain particular hours in the evening so as all things might be done with the best conveniency decency and order that one duty might not shoulder out another The Hebrew Doctors in the Babylonian Thalmud say thus the daily evening Sacrifice was killed at the eighth hour and a half and it was offered at the ninth hour and a half that is to say at half an hour after three a Clock But in the evening of the Passover it was killed at the seventh hour and a half and offered at the eighth hour and a half that is to say at half an hour after two a Clock But if the evening of the Passeover did fall out to be upon the evening of the Sabbath then it was killed at the sixth hour and a half that is to say at half an hour after twelve a Clock and it was offered at seven and a half See Ains in Exod. 12. 6. Buxtorfius also in his Hebrew Lexicon upon the word Gnarbaiim doth from the Hebrew Doctors shew that if the Passeover evening fell upon the Sabbath evening that then they began to kill the daily evening Sacrâ—fice at half an hour after twelve a Clock because of the manifold businesses that belonged to the Sabbath besides the killing of their Passeovers therefore that the doing of one duty might not thrust out another their Wise-men did set an order of time when they should begin to kill the daily evening Sacrifice which in all the days of the year was deferred to the last place exceptâ—on the Passeover evening and then it was ever preferred to the first place and when ever the Passeover evening fell upon a Sabbath then they began to kill it at half an hour after twelve a Clock and that was as soon as ever they could perceive the shadow of the evening to be stretched out or declined and the only reason why they began thus early upon the Sabbath evening was because they might have sufficient time to finish all the duties of the Sabbath and all their Passeovers before Sun-set for after Sun-set the blood of all Sacrifices became unlawful because God had expresly commanded all evening Sacrifices to be killed between the two Evenings and because they had much work to do on Passeover evenings especially when it fell on the Sabbath they must begin to kill the daily evening Sacrifice at the first declining of the Sun or else they could not kill all by Sun-set for in the time of Josiahs Passeover the Passeovers and Peace-offerings were so many that the Priests could not finish all till night 2 Chron. 35. 14. Obj. 1. You have often cited the Hebrew Doctors as if they did all agree in one That the Natural evening did begin at Mid-day but Mr. Thomas Shepheard in his third Part on the Sabbath Thesis 36. doth affirm that the Hebrew Doctors testimonies are of little worth because they do often contradict one another about the beginning of the evening for though some of them do say that the evening doth begin at Mid-day yet they are over whelmed with crosse testimonies from the most of their Fellows who begin it some about one some about two a Clock in the afternoon and Josephus who is one of most credit in his Writings tels us That they began their first evening about three a Clock in the afternoon Ans I would Mr. Shepheard had cited the particular places where the Hebrew Doctors do crosse one another about the beginning of the Evening for then the particular places should have been examined by the help of such as are expert in their Writings I grant that some of them do speak of the beginning of the Evening at one hour and some at another and yet all this without any contradiction for in regard of severall duties that must be trans-acted at several hours in the evening they had just occasion to speak of the beginning of the evening at several hours in relation to the said several duties that must begin at several hours of the said evening as I noted it in chap. 2. in answer to Obj. 1. at seventhly and as I have noted it immediately afore from the Babylonian Thalmud But if it do appear true that Josephus doth precisely begin the evening at three a clock and not in relation to some special duty then I grant that such a testimony is worthy of due consideration but I beleeve that Josephus is some way or other mistaken for the Thalmud called Jerusalemie which was finished since Josephus See Ains in Advertisement at the end of Deut. wrote namely about the year of our Lord two hundâ—ed and thirty and the other Thalmud called Babelie which was fiâ—ished about the year five hundred do record the Canons and Constitutions of the Jews according to which the Iews do live at this day and no question but they knew Josephus his opinion as well as others that were more antient Doctors and yet these do affirm that the evening begins at mid-day And Moses the sonne of Maymon who lived in the year of our Lord one thousand two hundred hath set down in plainer Hebrew the Expositions Canons and Traditions of the said Thalmuds and of the more antient Hebrew Doctors omitting the fabulous Discourses of the Thalmuds and this Maymony is of such esteem among the Jewish Nation that of him it is said From Moses the
seventh day in the Evening before as they did this yeerly fasting-Sabbath For Maymony saith Such works as may be done on the Evening of a Feast-day they do not upon a Feast-day c. See Ain in 23. 7. By this testimony it is evident that they did not hold the Evening before their festival-Sabbaths to be as holy as the day it self 2 Maymony saith It is unlawful to do works in the Evening of the festival Sabbaths from the time of the Evening Sacrifice and forwards Even as on the Evenings of the Sabbaths and who so doth work in them shall never see a sign of a Bessing and he is to be rebuked and to be made to leave off by force though he is not for it to be scourged or excommunicated except in the Evening of the Passeover after Mid-day whoso doth work therein after Mid-day is to be scourged or excommunicated with the Niddui for the Evening of the fourteenth day of Nishan is not like the Evening of other festival dayes because in it are the Feast and the killing of Sacrifices See Ains in Lev. 23. 5. Two things are observable from this Record of Maymony 1 That the Jews did make some kind of preparation both to their festival-Sabbaths and to their Sabbath or seventh day from the time of the Evening Sacrifice and forwards 2 Hence it is evident that the Hebrew Doctors did not esteem any part of the Evening before their Sabbaths to be as holy as the day following because they did neither scourge nor excommunicate any man for working in the Evening before their Sabbaths as they did for working in the Passeover Evening and the reason is plain because they esteemed both the parts of the Passeover-Evening to be the very day of the Passeover it self but it seems they did not esteem the Evening before the Sabbath to be any true part of the Sabbath it self for doubtlesse if they had esteemed it as a true part of the Sabbath it self they would not onely have scourged and excommunicated such persons that did presume to work in the Evening before the Sabbath but also they would have stoned them to death if they had presumptuously broken the rest of the holy Sabbath Numb 15. 35. And as Maymony makes the Evening of the Passeover not like the Evening that went before their festival Sabbaths nor like the Evening that went before their weekly Sabbath So I may say of the Evening that went before the day of Attonement that it was more strict for holy rest than the Evening that went before any of the other Sabbaths From all the Premises I conclude that no day in all the yeer was commanded to be of such a length for strict Rest as this day was for the strict Rest of this day and the strict Fast of this day began in the Sacrifice Evening or else at the beginning of the latter Evening of the ninth day and it continued not onely till a little after the Sun-set Evening of the tenth day as Maymony saith But also it continued longer for some of the holy duties of the tenth day could not be finished till Mid-night after for 1 The Priests must eat their part of the publick Sin-offering Num. 29. 11. which must be eaten in the same day in which it was offered Lev. 6. 26. as other Sacrifices were Lev. 7. 15 18. and yet the Priests could not eat the holy flesh of this publick Sin-offering till after Sun-set for the fast of this day was not fully ended till after Sun-set and therefore also they might not begin to Cook that holy flesh untill the Fast was fully ended Hence it follows that the same day did still continue till after Sun-set yea untill it was Mid-night 2 The Priests had another work to do within the limits of this tenth day namely they must burn all the fats and peeces of all the publick Evening-sacrifices of this day which were many and some of their Evening-sacrifices were also offered neer unto Sun-set and therefore this work and duty of burning would require not only the more diligence but also the more time to finish this 〈…〉 â—ay of Attonement was sweet savor upon the Lords Altar in its own proper day as I have noted the commanded season thereof more at large in Lev. 6. 9. 3 It appears that some of the works which appertained to the morning-sacrifice of this tenth day must begin at Mid-night and that some of the works which must be done about the Evening-sacrifice were such as could not be ended untill the Mid-night after For the first work that must be done on this day in preparation to the Morning-sacrifice was the taking away the ashes from the Altar and these ashes they must begin to take away at Mid-night as Maymony saith See Ains in Lev. 6. 10. And in another place he saith they took away the ashes at Mid-night and ordered the wood c. and at the break of day they began to kill the daily Morning-sacrifice See Ains in Lev. 16. 4. In like sort they could not finish the burning of all the Evening-sacrifices of this day till Mid-night as I have shewed above from Lev. 6. 9. and yet over and above this full day from Mid-night to Mid-night they began their strict Fast and their strict Rest in the Evening of the ninth day which did increase the length of this day to be an extraordinary long Fasting-Sabbath Hence I conclude That the beginning of this day cannot be alleged as an exemplary pattern neither for the beginning of any other Fasting-day nor yet for the beginning of our Lords day as it is intended by those that allege it for the beginning and ending of the Jews weekly Sabbath from Even to Even CHAP. VII Answering their Opinion more particularly that hold the Lords day to begin at Evening And four Objections are Answered Object 1. IT is objected that our Lords day is come in the place of the Jewish Sabbath which began at Evening and for the proof of this they allege the Example of Nehemiah he is said to shut up the Gates of Jerusalem when it began to be dark before the Sabbath Neh. 13. 19. they expound the word Before and the word Dark in favour of their opinion thus 1 The word Before the Sabbath they say doth mean just before the face or present beginning of the Sabbath 2. The word Dark they say doth mean when it was full Twilight namely when the darknesse in the Skie was somewhat more than the light in the Skie for as long as the light in the Skie is more than darknesse they say the Sun is the cause of it and hence they conclude that the Sun cannot be said to be set till the darknesse in the Skie be more in quantity than the light in the Skie and this they make to be the punctual time of the Sun-set evening when the Jews Sabbath began namely when a Man could not see to read or a Woman to sâ—w Ans This
offended with our Saviour for his miraculous cure which he did upon that Sabbath day as the malignant Scribes and Pharisees sometimes were in healing one in the Synagogue that had an unclean spirit Mark 1. 27. 3 They took no offence at him for the curing of Peters wives mother of her Feavor presently after he had left the said Synagogue v 31. Therefore seeing they found no fault with Christ for neither of these miraculous cures before the Sabbath was ended doubtless they did not forbear to bring their diseased persons in respect of the Sabbath for they admired the power of God in these miracles and therefore as soon as the publick exercise was ended they spread his fame verse 28. and thereupon a multitude of the diseased persons of Capernaum came to him for cure with all the possible speed they could as it appears by their earnest pressing after so short a warning for I conceive by the circumstances of the story that it was but a little afore Sun-set when Christ left the Synagogue and then as soon as he had left the Synagogue he healed Peters wives mother which was another procuring cause that made the greater flocking to him but if his miraculous cures had been done sooner doubtlesse the fame thereof would have made the sick persons to have flocked sooner after him I grant that some of the malignant Scribes and Pharisees did sometimes take offence at Christ for his miraculous healing upon the Sabbath day But the people in general rejoyced at all the excellent things that were done by him upon the Sabbath day Luke 13. 17. for Christ did now heal a poor crooked woman upon that Sabbath day verse 11. And when the Ruler of the Synagogue took offence at it Christ by reasons put him to silence and the people rejoyced that Christ had put him to silence Therefore though some of the malignant Jews held erroniously that Christ ought not to heal upon the Sabbath day yet that is no good argument to prove that these Jews of Capernaum did purposely detain their sick persons till the Sabbath was ended I deny it to be the Reason I do apprehend rather that they did hastily flock to him rather than deliberately forbear till the Sabbath might be ended 4 Mr. Pemble on this place saith That this Evening was the Evening of the same day wherein Christ had done so much before as the inference shews plainly 5 It is evident to me from several testimonies of the Hebrew Doctors that they held the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath to be a true part of the Sabbath it self because they held it lawful to The Hebrew Doctors held the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath to be a true part of the Sabbath it self do many things in the Sun-set Evening before the Sabbath which they did not hold lawfull to be done in the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath 1 Maymony saith thus The two Loaves of New Corn for the Wave-offering on the day of Penticost were not Baked on the day of Pentecost because it was a Sabbath nor in the Evening before if it were a Sabbath See Ains in Lev. 23. 17. Two things are evident from this Testimony 1 That in the judgement of the Hebrew Doctors the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath was a true part of the Sabbath it self because they held it unlawfull to bake the said two Loaves of new corn in the Evening before the day of Penticost if it were a Sabbath But they might with out scruple have baked the said two Loaves in the said Evening before Penticost as well as on any other Evening if they had held that the Sabbath had then been fully ended See Ains in Lev. 23. 6 7. 2 Hence it is evident that the Hebrew Doctors did not hold the Evening before the Sabbath to be a true part of the Sabbath it self no otherwise than by way of preparation 3 Mamony gives another instance from the time of baking the twelve Loaves of Shew-bread he saith That the twelve Loaves of the Shew-bread might not be baked on the Sabbath nor on a Feast-day but in the Evening of the Sabbath they baked it and set it in order on the morrow See Ains in Lev. 24. 5. Hence this is remarable in this Hebrew Record That he makes a manifest difference between the Evening that goes before the Sabbath and the Sabbath it self he calls the Evening before the Evening of the Sabbath by custome peculiar to the Jews from the date of the new day to the person purified as I have formerly shewed he allows these twelve Loaves to be baked in the Evening of the Sabbath all the yeer long except it fell out to be in the latter Evening of a Festival-Sabbath and therefore it doth hence follow that not the Evening before but the Evening after their Festival-Sabbaths was a true part of their Festival-Sabbaths And so likewise Tremelius a Christian Jew doth make the Evening after the Sabbath to be true part of the Sabbath it self in his Translation and note on the Syriak Testament in Matth. 28. 1. Therefore by the judgement of the Hebrew Doctors the Festival-Sabbath was not ended at Sun-set and thence it follows that if their festival-Sabbaths were not ended at Sun-set then their weekly Sabbaths were not ended at Sun-set 4 Maymony saith thus Who so laboureth in the Evening of the Sabbath he shall eat in the Sabbath See Ains in Exod. 16. 26. Hence it follows that in the judgement of the Hebrew Canons the Evening before the Sabbath was no part of the Sabbath no otherwise but by way of preparation to the Sabbath for they say That he that will eat in the Sabbath must labour in the Evening of the Sabbath namely in the Evening before the Sabbath This they speak as I conceive of their laborious preparing of their Manna according to every ones palâ—t in a readiness against the Sabbath for though the Manna was a ready food of it self without preparing to some stomacks yet not to al til it were cooked to their palat and it could not be prepared in this sort without great labor for it was ground in Mills and beaten in Mortars Num. 1 1. 8 And in that respect the Hebrew Doctors say Who so laboureth in the Evening of the Sabbath shall eat in the Sabbath but in case they neglected this work in the Evening of the Sabbath they might not do it on the Sabbath day but they must rather fast and endure hunger for their negligence sake Hence it follows that the Evening before was called the Evening of the Sabbath no otherwise but by way of preparation and it is called the Evening of the Sabbath from their new date to the person purified his new day did ever begin at the Sun-set Evenning 5 Maymony saith thus Such works as may be done in the Evening before a Feast-day they do not upon a Feast-day they may not reap nor thresh nor winnow nor grinde corn nor the like upon a
equivalent p. 137 Q 7. Did not the Jews hold it lawful to do works of mercy or of present necessity upon the Sabbath day Answered Yes p. 139 A TABLE OF Some Scriptures that are Explaned or Illustrated in this first Treatise Genesis Chap. Vers Page 1 26 37 1 28 36 2 1 30 34 2 2 30 2 3 59 2 8 10 2 9 3 7 2 17 14 16 17 2 19 10 2 23 26 2 25 14 3 1 5 13 3 2 5 3 7 14 3 8 23 3 9 23 3 11 25 3 12 25 3 13 25 3 15 25 35 39 50 62 3 17 14 3 20 27 3 22 7 4 23 24 90 4 26 69 5 24 90 6 6 56 8 20 67 10 21 91 10 25 91 22 4 115 22 6 92 32 24 47 49 6 69 Exodus 16 5 130 16 23 77 148 134 16 27 28 77 19 10 76 20 2 83 20 8 60 77 20 11 31 82 22 2 139 22 30 110 23 10 11 12 81 24 8 83 29 30 86 31 13 84 124 132 31 14 15 84 124 133 31 17 31 56 80 84 32 25 25 34 21 138 35 3 130 132 Leviticus 4 6 86 8 11 86 8 33 86 112 15 13 14 112 16 14 87 22 27 110 23 3 126 63 130 141 23 15 16 104 25 4 93 113 Numbers 6 24 27 71 8 17 74 10 10 125 11 8 134 Dâ—uâ—eronomy 5 14 15 82 83 17 6 31 â—5 9 31 32 4 41 1 Chron. 24 13 40 2 Chron. 2 4 125 30 22 23 88 Neh. 8 18 112 Job 22 15 90 42 8 67 87 Psalms 8 6 44 24 1 36 24 10 36 44 49 12 20 20 104 30 31 56 110 3 36 109 118 24 109 Proverbs 28 13 68 30 1 49 30 18 19 49 Esay 7 14 48 49 53 10 92 56 4 6 109 65 18 48 66 23 109 Jeremy 6 4 76 31 22 47 Ezekiel 34 26 76 46 4 5 109 Daniel 8 14 35 9 26 27 98 Joel 2 15 75 Amos. 5 21 112 8 5 138 Malachy 1 11 100 Matthew 4 2 6 11 29 81 12 5 6 131 12 40 93 16 18 41 17 1 103 24 20 126 Mark 2 27 60 124 Luke 1 69 70 68 4 18 19 28 81 114 9 28 103 13 32 93 115 14 1 130 24 49 104 John 1 3 40 5 22 23 27 52 6 53 47 7 22 111 7 37 112 8 44 19 10 22 124 19 19 31 114 158 19 20 26 129 20 19 101 20 21 103 20 26 102 103 110 Acts. 1 12 141 2 1 102 3 21 68 6 14 98 129 7 15 98 7 47 98 7 55 98 10 28 120 15 5 24 116 120 15 21 122 16 3 117 120 17 4 118 18 17 118 19 9 118 20 7 117 21 20 116 120 21 21 28 120 21 24 117 24 5 120 28 22 121 Romans 3 23 16 5 13 52 15 25 26 107 1 Corinth 9 20 120 11 23 107 16 1 2 105 2 Corinth 9 2 106 11 1 2 22 Galatians 2 3 4 120 2 5 120 4 9 10 11 121 Ephesians 2 10 40 42 Colossians 1 15 40 44 2 14 26 2 15 26 2 16 17 123 2 18 20 123 Hebrews 1 3 36 1 6 50 2 10 44 2 14 20 21 4 4 31 4 10 93 4 3 9 10 80 81 5 5 46 7 12 99 8 13 122 9 10 99 9 14 65 9 19 21 74 10 10 12 14 87 11 5 90 11 19 92 114 12 23 112 James 1 1 120 2 21 115 1 Peter 4 19 41 2 Peter 2 5 90 3 13 40 Jude 14 15 90 Revelation 3 12 27 3 14 44 5 11 12 13 45 52 11 3 68 Errata in the first part of this Treatise Page 15. Line 32. presented read pretended 17. 36. it self blot out and read the light is substracted 19. 12. for the manner r. for the want of this knowledge 22. 22. so many r. so Mary 51. 15. of r. for mans Redemption 53. 13. instating r. installing him 59. 13. The word And is to be blotted out as superfluous THE PREFACE MAny do affirm that the Sabbath was ordained in the time of Adams Innocency But I shall endeavour to prove that it was not ordained till after Adams Fall and Recovery And this I shall endeavour to make evident by proving these two points I That Adam disobeyed and fell in the same sixth day in which he was created and made II That God did recover Adam by a new creation even in the same sixth day in which he was created and fell CHAP. I. Proving by five Reasons that Adam Fell in the day of his Creation Reason 1. MOses doth manifestly declare that Adam fell in the day of his Creation because he joyneth Because Moses joyneth Adams creation triall judgement promise to the same day the story of his Temptation and Fall in Chapter 3. close to his Creation and seating in Paradise in Chapter 2. without mentioning of any other matter to come between Object Here it may be objected that Moses doth first set down the story of Adams creation in Gen. 1. and then he doth set down the Institution of the Sabbath in the beginning of Gen. 2. 2 3. which is in order of time before the story of Adams Temptation and Fall in Chap. 3. Answ Though Moses doth place the Institution of the Sabbath in Gen. 2. 2 3. before the story of Adams fall yet it is evident that he doth place it there onely by the figure Hysteron Proteron not because he had done with the story of the Sixth day in the first Chapter but because that story being large he would first in a brief sort lay down the story of all the seven dayes of the week together which he doth from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the third verse of the second Chapter and then he returns again to speak of the story of the sixth day more at large and makes a larger Narration of the Creation and Fall of Adam from the seventh verse of the second Chapter to the end of the third Chapter with variety of inlargements more than was in the first Chapter for repetitions have usually many new additions and so in true Chronology and in the order of story the Institution of the Sabbath in Gen. 2. 2 3. must be placed at the end of Gen. 3. as I have after discussed the matter in that Text. And the method of Moses in this large story of the sixth day is very observable and lyes thus 1 He sheweth the Matter and Form of Adams Creation in Chap. 2. vers 7. but this he had omitted in Chap. 1. 2 He sheweth Adams Lordship over the creatures for God commanded all the beasts of the field and all the fowls of the air to present themselves before Adam as their Lord that he might name them with names difining their nature and that they might wait upon him as their Lord and Master into Paradise vers 19 20. but in a part of his Lordship he was restrained because God did prohibit
done already 2 The Womans Answer to the Serpents Question runs still of a thing to come For the Woman said to the Serpent in Gen. 3. 2. We may eat or we shall eat so the Hebrew is of the fruit of the Trees of the Garden except of the fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden intimating saith Mr. Perkins on the Creed that as yet she had not eaten when the Devil tempted her and thus the Devills Question and the Womans Answer of a thing to come do both imply that as yet they had not tasted any part of the fruit of the Garden and doubtlesse Adam having variety of food set before him and a created appetite to eat he would not abstain from eating longer than the day of his creation seeing the purest nature craves daily food as we may see by our Saviours hungring and by all new-born creatures neither was Adam necessitated to last for want of food for variety of food was set before him and free liberty to eat thereof vers 16. neither was Adams appetite hindred through any infirmity of nature for as God had created variety of food for their eating so doubtlesse he created a true naturall appetite in them to desire food at the first convenient opportunity though their appetite was not irregular and painful to them as ours is to us And doubtlesse the devill was not ignorant that Adam and Eve had a true naturall appetite to desire food and therefore without any delay he fitted his temptation suitable to their natural appetite and the like crafty policie he used to our Saviour when he was an hungry and because there was no meat prepared for him in a readinesse as there was for Adam he fitted his temptation thereafter saying If thou be the Son of God make this stone bread Mat. 4. So then it appears by this reason that Adam would not forbear eating longer than the day of his creation and it appears by the Devils Question and the Womans Answer that as yet they had eaten no fruit till they had eaten of the forbidden fruit and therefore it follows First That Adam fell in the day of his creation And secondly that the Sabbath was not ordained in the time of Adams innocency but after his fall Because Adam being created after God in wisdom would not in wisdom have omitted to have eaten of the tree of life in the very day of his creation if the devil had not first circum vented him by the unseen subtilty of his temptation Reason 3. Adam and Eve being created after the image of God in Wisdom had not deserved the description of being made wise according to Gods Image if the devill had left them but one day to the freedome of their own will if they had not made choice to eat of the Tree of life in the first place First seeing God had commanded them to eat freely of every Tree of the Garden verse 16. And secondly seeing God had commended unto them the Tree of life by name for by the special name of it God did teach them to prefer it before all the other trees in the Garden for their best good And it is evident from Gods threatning in Gen. 2. 17. that seeing man must dye if he disobeyed by eating the forbidden fruit that Gods * See Mr. Ball on the Covenant p. 6. Covenant was with Adam for life if he had but first eaten of the Tree of life and this is manifest by the name of the Tree in vers 9. compared with Gods Irony in Chapter 3. 22. for by the name of it God shewed him what operation it had by vertue of his Covenant And Mr. Burges in Vindiciae legis lect 13. vindiciae faederis by Mâ— Blake and Ordinance Therefore if the Devill had let Adam and Eve alone but one whole day to the liberty and freedome of their own created wisdome doubtlesse they would both in wisdome and in obedience to Gods command and to Gods commendation of the Tree of life for their best good have eaten of the Tree of life in the first place as the chiefest and best food for it tended directly to the confirmation of them not onely in their present but also in their future happy condition And this the Devill knew right well and therefore he knew that unlesse he could by his subtill head-plot circumvent Adam and Eve by inticing them to eat of the Tree of knowledge of good and evill before they did eat of the Tree of life that he could never afterwards beguile them by any temptation whatsoever And it is also evident that Adam did well enough know the excellent use of the Tree of life by the name of it vers 9. as it appears by the speech of the blessed Trinity in Gen. 3. 22. Behold say they the man is become as one of VS to know good and evill and now lest he put forth his hand and take also of the Tree of life and eat and live for ever This speech of the blessed Trinity though it be spoken by way of Irony to Adam after his fall yet it implieth that Adam and Eve knew that if they had but eaten of the Tree of life in their innocency they had been confirmed in their present perfect condition for ever but now being fallen God doth mock their conceit as vain to think so for a modest Irony hath alwayes a contrary meaning to that which is spoken and the scope of such an Irony is to expresse a just reprehension of some sin as it may be observed in Judges 10. 14. 1 King 22. 15. 1 King 8. 27. And because the Tree of life had that vertue in it at first by Gods Covenant and Ordinance Therefore by way of comparison thereto Christ is now called the Tree of Life Rev. 2. 7. That whosoever beleeveth on him or feedeth by faith on his death and expiatory sacrifice or sacrifices of Attonement by which he hath broken the Devils head-plot he shall never perish but have everlasting life Reason 4. The Devil had not deserved or merited the name of a subtil Serpent if he had not by his subtil and guileful head-plot Because the Devil had not deserved the name of a subtill Serpent if he had left Adam at liberty to eat of the Tree of life but one whole day together circumvented Adam to make him eat of the forbidden fruit in the very first place even in the day of his creation before he left him at liberty to eat of any other fruit of the Garden For the crafty Devil in the subtil Serpent knew well enough that if he had but left Adam and Eve to the liberty of their own choice but one whole day together they would in wisdom and in obedience to Gods command that had commanded them to eat of every Tree and in relation to Gods commendation of the Tree of life above the rest of the fruit of the Garden have eaten of
thing that Satan aimed at in his temptation but blessed be God that provided Jesus Christ against that time of need But after this digression in setting out the degrees of the first Spiritual death as it must be understood in Gen. 2. 17. I will now return to speak a little more of the Devils speech and subtilty in deceiving the Woman and in making her his instrument to deceive Adam The Devil did not deal with the Woman about any Morall disobedience as he did with Christ after he had tried him with many other temptations for forty days together for he knew that Adams nature was framed after Gods Image in respect of Moral perfection but he deals with her about positive commands only for he knew that she was not so perfect in the knowledge of those things by Creation as she was in all Moral things he knew that the Woman was ignorant as yet of the positive Law that was given to the Angels to attend upon them as the visible Creatures were for they being Spirits their motions and actions were not subject to be discerned by bodily senses and in that respect also Eve was ignorant of their disobedience and fall and she was also ignorant that they had obtained leave of God to tempt her about the Tree of Knowledge which was a thing indifferent in its own nature to be eaten or refused but if the Woman had but known of these things then her Moral and Natural wisdome would have fortified her will against all Satans temptations whatsoever for we see by the example of Christ that when the Devil did perswade him by Peters tongue to pitty himself and not to go to Ierusalem to suffer then Christ could not be deceived by his perswasions because he knew that Peters tongue was acted by Satan and therefore hee said unto Peter Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me Mat. 16. 23. but for the manner of this knowledge the Woman could not call this Angel Satan and therefore she could not resist so stedfastly as else doubtless she would have done yea if the Angels that fell had but known of Mans glory by Gods election in Christ they would not have refused to serve man for in this manner the Apostle doth reason about the Sin of the Princes of this World had they but known saith he of the hidden Wisdom of God which he ordained before the world unto our glory they would not have Crucified the Lord of glory 2 Cor. 2. 7 8. so I may say of the Womans Fall if she had but known of the fall of Angels she would not have been deceived by the Serpent But because the Woman was ignorant of those positive Secrets and God was pleased not to reveal them to her as yet she was deceived and then she was easily made Satans Instrument to deceive her Husband and then they did experimentally know that some of the Angels were faln and that they had leave of God to tempt them and that the Devil was a Liar and a Murtherer from the beginning Joh. 8. 44. The Syriack on the word Beginning is Men Breshith that is by all Rabbins within the days of Creation and saith Mr. Perkins Our Saviour calls See Perkins on the Creed the Devil a Man-slayer from the beginning not from the beginning of the Creation or of Time but of Man and seeing saith he it is the nature of the Devil to shew his malice against Man with out ceasing no doubt but he took the first occasion that might possible be had to bring man to the same Damnation with himself And why is the Devil said to go up and down or to walk a-about seeking whom he may devour like a roaring Lion but to express his speedy diligence in his first temptation as well as in his after temptations 1 Pet. 5. 8. And why is the Devil called the Old Serpent Revel 12. but from his ancient deceiving of the understanding and will of our first Parents And why is he said to have the power of Death Heb. 2. 14. but from his first prevailing temptation in prevailing with our first Parents to eat of the forbidden Fruit. Why is hee called the subtile Serpent Gen. 3. 1. but from his subtilty in deceiving Eve while she was a Virgin 2 Cor. 11. 3. And thus Adam in Honour Created after Gods Image understood not for as yet he understood not that any of the Angels were become Devils or that they spake with the tongue of the Serpent he was like the Beasts that perish Psal 49. 20. Adam did not lodge a night in Honour Psal 49. 12. for hee was deprived of the glorious Image of God namely of his Moral and Natural perfections before night came Theophilact saith As man was formed the sixth day and did eat of the forbidden Fruit at the sixth hour so Christ healing the Fall was fastned to the Tree the sixth day and the sixth hour Austin also is of opinion that Adam stood in his innocency but six hours only From all this Discourse in this reason though it be long because I have interlaced several collateral considerations yet I hope profitable to the understanding of the weaker sort this Conclusion follows That the Devil had not deserved the name of a subtile Serpent if he had not presently and without delay namely as soon as Adam had received the Commandement to eat of all the Trees in the Garden and of the Tree of Life above the rest brought him by his subtilty to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and Evil in the first place before he had so much liberty as to go first to the Tree of Life for the Devil knew that if Adam had had but a little time free from his temptation his created Wisdome was such that he would have eaten of the Tree of Life in the first place and then the Devil had not deserved the name of a subtile Serpent but because the Devil by his speedy subtilty brought our first Parents to eat of the forbidden Fruit in the first place before they had liberty in the day of their Creation to eat of the Tree of Life therefore it follows 1 That the Devil hath justly deserved the name of a subtile Serpent 2 Hence it also follows that the Sabbath was not ordained in the time of Adams innocency but after his Fall Reas 5. Adam fell in the day of his Creation because he fell The Woman fell while she was a Virgin therefore Adam fell in the day of his Creation while the Woman was a Virgin namely before he knew her after the manner of all flesh If Adam and Eve had slept but one night together in their innocency doubtlesse in wisdome they would not have omitted the act of Generation 1 Because the desire of begetting Children to increase the kinde is not only something Natural but it is the most natural thing in the world 2 And more especially because it was laid upon him by
verses must be expounded with relation to the story of Adams Fall Re-creation and Reconciliation by the Promised-Seed And therefore it follows by necessary consequence that Adams Re-creation by the Seed of the woman must be considered as the finishing act of the six dayes creation before the seventh day was ordained to be a Sabbath And by this Rule of Exposition many words also in the said three verses must be so expounded as having a holy equivocation in them namely as having a mysticall sense as well as a literall As for example under this word Made and Created must be understood the mystical and spiritual Creation as well as the literal and visible Creation And under the word Finished must be understood not only the finishing of the visible Creation but of the mysticall and spirituall Creation also which must be finished I mean some of that kind by the Seed of the woman before the Host of Heaven can be said to be finished for the Host of the third heavens must be finished as well as the Host of the visible heavens before the end of the sixth day The like mystical interpretation I shall give of the word Rested Blessed c. when I come at them In brief I apprehend that there are ten severall words in the said three verses that must be expounded in a mystical sense as well as in a literal 1 The word Heavens 2 The word Earth 3 The word Finished 4 The word Host 5 The word Made 6 The word Rested 7 The word Blessed 8 The word Sanctified 9 The word Sabbath 10 The word Seventh But my work in this Chapter is only to prove that Adam and Reason 1 Eve were Re-created before the seventh day that is to say in the Dâ—awn from Gen. 2. 1. If all the Host of Heaven and Earth were finished before the seventh day then it must needs follow that Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day latter part of the sixth day and this I will endeavour to prove by a necessary consequence drawn from the first verse which runs thus And the heavens and the earth were finished and all the Host of them Hence I reason thus If all the several sorts and kinds of creatures which appertained to the Host of Heaven and Earth were finished before the seventh day then Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day for Gods Host was not finished untill some of that sort of creatures were finished which did appertain to the Host of the Church Militant here upon earth and to the Host of the Church Triumphant in heaven But all the severall sorts and kinds of creatures which appertained to the Host of heaven and earth were finished before the seventh day as the text doth plainly speak Therfore Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day and did appertain to the Host of the Church Militant here on earth and to the Host of the Church Triumphant in heaven before the seventh day or else God did not finish all the Host of heaven and earth before the seventh day which is to deny and contradict the words of the Holy Ghost It is out of question therfore that the souls of Adam Eve were Re-created and made perfect by the Redemption of the Promised Seed before the seventh day for that sort of creature doth appertain to the heavenly Host as well as the Angels and to Gods spiritual Host and Church here upon earth and in that respect the godly converts are called by the Figure Continent for the for the thing contained The new Heavens and the new Earth in which dwelieth Righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. 13. And it is further evident that such redeemed persons are a true part of Gods Host here upon earth because the Scripture calls the Church of Israel when it was redeemed out of Egypt the Lords Host Exod. 12. 41. Exod. 38. 8. Num. 1. 3. And wicked Antiochus is said to tread down Gods Host or Army underfoot when he persecuted the Church Dan. 8. 14. yea all and every part of Gods Militant Church here upon earth is called Gods Host or Army Psal 110. 3. Adam and Eve therefore must not onely fall into the spiritual death of sin in the day of their creation but they must also be Re-created the same day as a principal sort of those creatures which God did create and provide both for his earthly and also for his heavenly Host for the Text saith That the Heavens and the Earth were finished and all the Host of them which must be understood of every several sort of Host not numerically of the whole number but specifically of the severall kinds of each Host for no new thing of a new kind was created after the sixth day Therefore seeing God did finish all the Host of heaven and earth before the seventh day he must needs Re-create Adam and Eve before the seventh day that so they might be a part of his Militant Church Host or Army here upon earth to maintain an utter enmity against Sathan and his seed Gen. 3. 15. and so from the first sixth day and forwards God will have a Militant Church to continue here upon earth to fight the warfare of Christ against Sathan and his seed to the end of the world Reason 2. It is further evident that Adam was Re-created by the Promised Seed in the day of his creation by another Inference Reason 2 taken from the word Had finished as it is joyned to the If God had made something in the former part of the sixth day that needed a new act of finishing before the seventh day then what else can that finishing act be but Adams Recreation by the Promised Seed word Had made vers 2. From the frame of these words as they are laid down in the Pretertense it is evident that before the seventh day namely in the latter part of the sixth day God had finished some of that work which he had made but mutably perfect in the former part of the sixth day Hence I reason thus God had made some of his works so mutably perfect in the former part of the sixth day that there needed a new act of finishing or perfecting the same before the seventh day and what else can that finishing act be but Adams Re-creation by the Promised Seed and the putting of all the re rest of the Creation at the very instant of Adams fall under the Dominion and Lordship of the Promised Seed And this must needs be so because God had made appointed or fore-ordained Christ to be the right Heir of all his Creation and to uphold all things by the word of his powerfull providence Heb. 1. 2 3. and in that respect Adam must fall and be Re-created on the day of his creation that so the right Heir Christ Jesus might come into actual possession of all the Creation by means whereof the Heavens and the Earth and all their Host was finished before the seventh day and
is perfect Deut. 32. 4. and in this respect the Apostle Peter calls the Mediator the faithful Creator 1 Pet. 4. 19. whose work is perfect but Peters Greek Ctistes is borrowed from the seventy on 1 Sam. 22. Psal 18. 2. where the Hebrew is Rock and there it is the attribute of the Mediator and Christ told his Apostles that he would build his Church upon that Rock and that the gates of Hell should not overcome it Mat. 16. 18. Master Perkins on the Creed pag. 154. saith God is called the faithful Creator 1 Pet. 4. 19. because he did not leave his Works of Creation without his faithful care and providence as Masons and Carpenters leave their Houses as soon as they are built without any further care what becomes of them for God is a faithful Creator that will not let his Creation go to ruine Thus we see that Adam and Eve were twice Created in one day 1. They were made perfect but yet mutable in the former part of the sixth day as it appeared for presently by the sleight of Satan they lost their first Created perfections 2. God did Re-create them with supernatural perfections by the promised Seed in the end of the same day and this Creation was permanent because it was a Creation of God in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 10. and because Christ undertook to make all perfect therefore God rewarded Christ for this his work for at the same time the Lord put the whole Creation in subjection under the feet of Christ and when all this was done then the whole Creation was perfect and intire lacking nothing and therefore Gods rest on the Seventh Day was a perfect rest But if God had kept his rest on the Seventh day whiles Adam had stood in his mutable condition as some Expositors would have him to do then Gods rest especially on the first Sabbath had stood but upon a ticklish and litigious foundation CHAP. IV. That this Sentence Before the Seventh Day God had finished God did put out sundry operations of his eternal providence in the sixth day for the finishing of that work which he had created but mutably perfect before he could be said to keep a perfect rest on the seventh day The reason why God made Angels but mutably perfect at first was that they might fall and so might become the instrument of Mans fall the Work that he had made doth imply That God by his Eternal Counsel and Providence as the efficient cause had contrived to put out sundry opperations of his Eternal Providence in the sixth day for the finishing or perfect setling of all that Work which he had made but mutably perfect at first before he could keep a perfect rest on the Seventh Day BY the event of things now made known unto us we may in some sort see into the Plat-form of Gods eternal Providence how he had contrived to finish or perfect that Work that at the first he had made and created but mutably perfect before he could keep the Seventh Day as a day of perfect rest If God by his eternal Counsel and Providence had not contrived to make Angels mutably perfect as well as Man then Angels had not despised to attend upon Adam and Eve into Paradise as their charge was and then Angels had not become Devils and then Man had not been tempted by Satan and then man had not fallen and then God had fore-ordained a Mediator in vain Therefore that God might make his Free grace glorious to fallen Man and that he might make the Mediator glorious to the Souls of the Elect he made Adam at the first but mutably perfect that so he might fall and that so he might take occasion thereby to convince him and humble him in the sight of his sin and misery and that so he might take occasion thereby to reveal unto his Soul the way of eternal Salvation by the Seed of the Woman And for the more speedy effecting of all this he did by his eternal Counsel and Providence appoint his heavenly Angels as wel as his terrestrial Creatures to attend upon Adam and Eve into Paradise for he fore-knew that if he did but give his heavenly Angels charge to attend upon earthly Man with other earthly Creatures into Paradise that many Legions of them would despise Man in comparison of themselves and would neglect their charge that so in Justice God might deprive them of their pure Natural qualities and then he knew that they would become an envious company against the glory of Man and that they would agree together in one deep Head-plot altogether unseen to Man to seduce him and perswade him to eat of the forbidden Fruit that so they might be brought into the same Spiritual death with themselves and by this speedy Head-plot of theirs they made account not only to corrupt Adam and Eve but also to destroy the whole Generation of all Mankind But God that was wise in Counsel and wonderful in Working who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Wil Eph. 1. 11. had contrived how to break this Head-plot of the Devil in peeces by the Seed of the Woman this Divine Hâ—ad-plot the Angels that fell knew not of for if they had but known it then they would not have refused to attend upon Adam and Eve into Paradise and thus God by his eternal Counsel and Providence had contrived how to make this Head-plot of the Devil to be an occasion to declare his goodness to fallen Mâ—n both the goodness of Justice and the goodness of Mercy by making the Person and office of the Mediator better known and more admired and honoured of fallen Man than if Adam had stood still in his innocency As soon therefore as Adam was fallen God took occasion thereby to introduce the Mediator into his Priestly Office virtually that so he might reconcile and redeem Man and put him into a better estate again than he had by his first Creation and that thereby God might put all the rest of his Creation under the Government of Christ as the true Lord and proper Heir of all things for all things were created for him Col. 1. 16. or else if he had not restrained sin and been pre-ordained to bee the Heir of all things and to be ready at hand to take the Government of all upon him at Adams Fall the whole Creation had been instantly confounded by a general Rebellion and by a total Disorder which was the main thing that the Devil aimed at in his Head-plot but it was prevented because he had ordained Christ to be the right Heir of all to undertake the Government of all at the very instant of Adams Fall and so his Mercy is over all his Works as the Hen is over her Chickens Psa 145. From the Premises I reason thus The whole Creation was made at first for that very end for which it now serveth Psal 119. 91. But now all the whole Creation serveth to the
all his Creation till he had re-created Adam and setled him and all the rest of the Creation upon the Rock Christ and in this respect God doth often complain of Mans sin as a heavie burden to his Soul Amos 5. 2 13 Es 1. 14. And as the sin of the old World did grieve God to the heart Gen. 6. 6. so no doubt but Adams sin above any other sin did grieve him to his heart untill God had re-created Adam and Eve by the promised Seed and put the whole Creation under his government and then God rested the seventh day and was refreshed that is to say the grief of his heart which fell upon him in the sixth day by reason of Adams sin was removed from him by the Mediators undertaking to make a reconciliation by his propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement in the cool of the sixth day and from that day forwards God instructed Adam how to offer Sacrifices of Attonement as a liverly memorial thereof and thenceforth all Sacrifices of Attonement are called sacrifices of rest to Jehovah and sweet sacrifices of rest Gen. 8. 21. because Christs Sacrifice doth quiet and pacifiâ— Gods Soul that was so exceedingly displeased and grieved for Adams sin and therefore the Seventy call sacrifices of rest sweet Sacrifices which phrase of theirs Paul doth approve and use Eph. 5. 2. they are also called sacrifices of Attonement or propitiatory Sacrifices Upon this new settlement of the Creation upon the Mediator All the Trinity rested and were refreshed on the seventh day because they had perfected mans happiness by a Re-creation God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost were refreshed now all the blessed Trinity our blessed Creators and Makers did rejoyce in the works of their hands 1 The Father was refreshed with great joy of heart because he had found out a Reconciler and because his lost Son was found again Luk. 15. 2 The Son rejoyced and was refreshed because he had taken upon him the Person and Office of a Mediator that so hee might seek and save that which was lost Matth. 18. 11 12 13 14. 3 The Holy Ghost rejoyced and was refreshed because hee had re-created the heart of Adam and Eve and filled their Souls with joy unspeakable and glorious by inabling them to beleeve in the promised Seed as the Procurator of the Fathers Attonement by his propitiatory sacrifice And truly this work of Re-creation must needs be a ground of perfect rest and of joyful refreshing to such blessed Creators that could tell how to finde out such a mysterious way to create a-new that glorious work that was so confounded and spoyled by Satans Head-plot The Angels also rejoyced at the conversion of Adam and Eve saying Glory to God in the highest and on the earth peace and good will towards men Luk. 2. 14. and this must needs bee so because they rejoyce at the conversion of every sinner that repenteth Luk. 15. 7. Adam and Eve did also keep a blessed rest upon the Sabbath for their Souls were rejoyced and refreshed because they did by faith rest on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot And thus the first seventh day was a joyful day of rest and rerefeshing both to all the Trinity to all the Elect Angels and to repenting Adam and Eve and so it is to all true repenting and beleeving sinners Amen And it is further evident that Gods rest on the seventh day was nothing else but the quieting of his mind in Christs Sacrifice of Attonement because God is said to rest in several types of Christ as well as in the seventh day in relation to his resting on the Mediator for mans Redemption from Sathans Head-plot 1 The Land of Canaan is called Gods Rest Exod. 33. 14. Psal 95. 11. Heb. 4. 1. because God had appointed that Land to be the resting place of his Tabernacle and Temple Jos 22. 19. 2 Sam. 7. which did typifie the humane nature of Christ Joh. 2. 19. Heb. 8. 2. Heb. 9. 11. where his Sacrifices of Rest might onely be offered 2 The Tabernacle is called Gods Rest Psal 132. 8. 3 Zion is called Gods Rest Psal 132. 13 14. 4 The Temple is called Gods Rest 2 Chron. 6. 41. and the house of his Rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord 1 Chron. 28. 2. 5 All Sacrifices of Attonement are called Sacrifices of Rest because they have a sweet savor that gives rest to the disquieted senses Gen. 8. 21. Exod. 29. 18. Num. 15. 3. Ez. 20. 14. But no man I think will say that God did rest in any of these things otherwise than as they were types of the Mediators Person and Sacrifice wherein onely Gods soul doth rest as in the onely Mediatorial procuring cause of his Attonement for mans Redemption from Sathans Head-plot The Tabernacle wherein God did dwell among the Sons of Israel was three times over most carefully described by Moses 1 In Exod. 25. 2 In Exod. 36. 3 In Exod. 39. 32 to 43. This three fold telling of the Tabernacle which God did after cast off saith one of the Hebrew Doctors was not to shew that God did so highly rest in it for it self but to shew that he only rested in the Tabernacle of the Messiah and because the blessed Martyr Stephen knew that the High Sanedrim did rest after an outward hypocritical manner in the Temple he did upbraid their foolish confidence saying The most High dwelleth not or resteth not in Temples made with hands Act 7. 48. implying that the most High did onely rest in Christ that was typified by the Temple So then the place of Gods rest and of fallen mans rest lyes onely in the work of Reconciliation by the Mediators Sacrifice of Attonement Conclusion From all the Premises I conclude That Gods rest on the seventh day was his satisfying delight and his sweet content in Christ because he was ordained to be the Seed of the Woman to break the Devills Head-plot by his Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement and because God had setled the whole Creation upon the Mediator whose work was so perfect that nothing was lacking to the perfection thereof And therefore it follows that God ordained the Sabbath not in the time of Adams Innocency but after his Fall and Re-creation CHAP. IX Proving that God blessed the first seventh day with many Spiritual Ordinances such as were apt to convey Spiritual and Eternal blessednesse to faln man THis sentence God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it Gen. 2. 3. doth contain in it a full description how God did blesse the seventh day for the good of faln man 1 I will speak of the word Blessed in this Chapter 2 I will speak of the word Sanctified in the next Chapter 1 It is meet to inquire how God did blesse the first seventh day Did he blesse it with any natural blessing above the other six dayes Hath he bestowed a greater blessing of fairer weather or the
Seed of the Woman But yet still as the seventh day was the sanctified time of Gods worship so it must still continue for the exercise of those Spiritual Ordinances wherewith God hath blessed the seventh day for the use of all Nations to the end of the world and because there must not be any intermission of the seventh part of time according to the dayes of the week therefore the seventh day could not be changed to any other day than the first day of the week wherein the Seed of the Woman arose from the dead as an absolute Lord and Conqueror of Sathans Head-plot CHAP. XII Shewing how God did make the first seventh day famous by honouring the number Seven ever after with famous respects 1 GOD hath made the first seventh day famous in three regards 1 Because God did blesse it with many Spiritual Ordinances above all the other six dayes for mans best good 2 Because God did sanctifie it as so much time for the solemnity of his publick worship for ever 3 Because God did ordain it as a sanctified type or sign of fallen mans resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot II. God doth often use the number seven in an honourable memorial of the first famous seventh day 1 God hath contrived many of the Typical Ceremonies of our Redemption to be numbred by seven in an honourable respect to the first famous seventh day 3 He hath marked out many holy men of speciall note by the number seven in an honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day 3 He hath framed many parts of the Scripture Chronologie to the number seven in an honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day 1 I will begin to open the first touching the Typical Ceremonies 1 The typical Ceremonies of our Redemption are often numbred by Seven in an honourable memorial of the first famous seventh day Lev 8. 33. 35. Lev. 29. 30. of our Redemption Seven dayes were appointed for the consecration of the Priests into their Priestly office Exod. 29. 30. in all which seven dayes they must abide at the door of the Tabernacle night and day to keep the watches of the Lord that no defilement might befall them or the Sanctuary Lev. 8. 33 35. And the chief reason why their Consecration must last seven dayes was because the Sabbath which was ordained as a typical sign of our sanctification by Christ might passe over them in that space and therefore the Hebrew Doctors say of this action Great is the Sabbath for the High Priest entreth not upon his service after he is anointed untill the Sabbath do passe over him And also from these seven dayes of their Consecration the Hebrew Doctors did gather That the High Priest must be separated from his house before he might do the service of the day of Attonement seven dayes every yeer See Ains in the said places 2 The Altar was seven times sprinkled with oyl when it was consecrated to be a type of the Mediators anointing When he should make his soul a sacrifice for our sins Lev. 8. 11. Lev. 8. 11. 3 The blood of the Sin-offering which the High Priest offered must be sprinkled seven times before Jehovah for Attonement Lev. 4. 6. And on the day of Attonement he sprinkled the blood Lev. 4. 6. of Attonement seven times before the Mercy-seat Lev. 16. 14. and seven times upon the Altar Lev. 16. 19. This seven-fold Lev. 16. 14. sprinkling of the blood of Attonement did type out the perfect Attonement that the Seed of the Woman should one day make for all the true Israel of God by his propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement and therefore it was offered but once for all because it was perfect at once Heb. 10. 10 12 14. Heb. 10. 10 12 14. 4 The number of seven Sacrifices was often used as a typical number that God did much delight in no doubt in relation to the first famous seventh day As for example When David did fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed Edom they offered seven Bullocks and seven Rams because the Lord inabled the Levites to bear the Ark 1 Chr. 15. 26. And when Hezekiah caused the Levites to cleanse the Temple then he together with the Princes brought seven Bullocks and seven Rams and seven Lambs and seven He-goats for a Sin-offering 2 Chr. 29. 21. In like manner Jobs three friends brought unto Job as the Priest in those dayes seven Bullocks and seven Rams for a Burnt-offering Job 42. 8. Job 42. 8. And in the New Jerusalem the Prince shall offer in the dayes of unleavened-bread seven Bullocks and seven Rams without blemish daily at the time of the seven dayes Ezek. 45. 23. And Balaam in imitation of such customes and in imitation of the first famous seventh day which doubtlesse was famous a long time among the Heathens he caused Balack to build seven Altars and to prepare seven Bullocks Num. 23. 1. 5 In cleansing of Lepers the Priest must sprinkle them seven times with water wherein the blood of the Bird that was slain was mixed Lev. 14. 7. and seven times with oyl before the Lord vers 16. 51. 6 Elisha the Prophet bad Naaman to wash seven times in Jordan and then he should be cleansed of his Leprosie 1 King 5. 10 14. 7 God allotted seven dayes for the time of Purification from sundry kinds of uncleanesse 1 The Woman in child-bed must be seven dayes separated from the company of her husband for a Man-child just as long as she was separated in the time of her menstruousnesse and twice seven dayes for a female Lev. 12. 2. Lev. 15. 19. 2 He that touched a dead man must be unclean seven dayes before he could be purified 8 God ordained every seventh yeer to be a Sabbath of Rest in the land of Canaan after that Joshua had given the people rest in the seventh year of his reign and when seven times seven yeers were compleat then began the Jubilee with the fiftieth yeer Lev. 25. 4 8. 20. 9. The Lord ordained seven sorts of Festivial Sabbaths besides the seventh day as they may be counted in Lev 23. and the Feast of Unleavened bread was a Feast of seven dayes and the seventh month was famous above other months because it had most Festival Sabbaths in it and in the seventh month Solomon kept the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple seven dayes and seven dayes 1 King 8. 2. 65. and Hezekiah took order because of the general uncleannesse of the Priests and of the greater number of the people in the first month that the Feast of Unleavened-bread should be put off unto the fourteenth day of the second month and then after they had kept the Feast seven dayes the whole assembly took counsel to keep it other seven dayes not with another Paschal Lamb but onely with voluntary Peace-offerings and by this means they kept that
Church shall think best for their own conveniencies yea it may be that some particular Churches may grow so corrupt that they may think one day in a month sufficient and others may think one day in two or three months sufficient for Gods publick worship and who can prevent such disorders as these if Jesus Christ hath not established a standing day There are some that professe Christianity that think that Jesus Christ hath not established a certain publick day in place of the seventh day and therefore they do still hold the Jewish Sabbath together with the Lords day As for example The Melchites or Syrians who are esteemed for number to be the greatest Sect of Christians in the Orient these do confound the day of Gods publick worship for they and the Maronites their neighbours do observe the Jewish Sabbath as solemnly as the Lords day See Brerewood in his Inquiries p. 129. And the Habbissines of Ethiopia who are another large Territory of Christians they also do reverence the Jewish Sabbath equal to the Lords day See Brerewood p. 155. But blessed be God that hath given the Churches of Europe a cleerer understanding of his will touching the day of his publick worship and yet notwithstanding it is also much to be lamented that some Christians do not onely hold the seventh day to be abolished but also that Christ Jesus hath not established any publick day in the place of the old But let me reason a little further Can any man that is well acquainted with the order of the Commandements of the first Table think that Christ who blessed the seventh day with several Ordinances for the good of faln man and that sanctified that day for the exercise of the said Ordinances should now obliturate that Commandement and sanctifie no day at all for the exercise of his said Ordinances Can any man think that Christ should now after his death be so far unlike to his first pattern Surely me thinks none should be so inconsiderate The holy Rest of the seventh day as it was a typical sign so I grant it to be abolished but not without any other in the place of it but by way of exchange for the next day And this the blessed Martyr Stephen doth explain to be the truth for when he was accused for affirming that Jesus of Nazareth should destroy the holy place and change the Customes that Moses had delivered unto them Act. 6. 14. his false witnesses did affirm this word Act 6. 14. Change against Stephen as if it had been an odious heresie to say so but how doth Stephen answer to this Accusation Doth he deny it No he doth acknowledge it to be a truth in it self and therefore in his Oration to the High Synedrion he doth confirm this to be a truth by saying thus to them Solomon built him a house Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands as saith the Prophet in Es 66. 1. What house will ye build for me saith the Lord or what place is it that I should rest in Hath not my hand made all these things Act. 7. 47. to 50. with these words Stephen doth conclude his Oration In these words he doth reprove the High Act. 7. 47. Synedrion because of their obstinate opposing the former Doctrine for his Doctrine tended to prove that God would not rest locally in a Temple made with mans hands and so consequently not in any other outward signs implying that God would onely rest in Christ the true Temple whom they had flain His false accusers did repeat though at unawares and as it were translate the words of the Angel Gabriel in Dan. 9. 26 27. Dan. 9. 26 27. namely that the Messiah should by his death destroy the City and Sanctuary and cause Sacrifice and Oblation to cease and this very thing in true effect Stephen had taught namely that Jesus of Nazareth should destroy the holy place and change the Customes that Moses had delivered and so consequently change the Sabbath and the Lord from heaven did justifie Stephen for this speech even in the face of the High Synedrion for as he looked stedfastly into heaven he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God And as he avouched this before them all Act. 7. 55 56. they that sate in the Council looked Act. 6. 15. Act. 7. 55. stedfastly on him and saw his face as the face of an Angel Act. 6. 15. And this doth evince that as Stephen did justifie his Doctrine by the words of the Angel Gabriel so God did justifie him by making his face to shine before the Council as the countenance of the Angel Gabriel by which miraculous glory in his countenance the Council might have seen that his Doctrine was warranted by the words of the Angel Gabriel Stephen affirmed that which his false witnesses affirmed against him as a blasphemous thing that Jesus of Nazaret should change the Customes of Moses Hence I reason thus If Jesus should do it then he did not leave it to be done in an arbitrary way by the discretion of particular Churches But Jesus himself did it Mark the phrase of speaking Jesus of Nazaret shall change the That Christ Jesus made three main changes in the ten Commandements Customes of Moses And it is also observable that Jesus of Nazaret did make three main changes in the ten Commandements two in the outward form of his publick worship contained in the second Commandement and one touching the day of his publick worship in the fourth Commandement 1 He changed Circumcision and all typical purifyings which were commanded in the second Commandement into the Sacramental Seal of Baptism 2 He changed the Passeover and all typical Sacrifices which were also commanded in the second Commandement into the Sacramental Seal of the Lords Supper 3 He changed the seventh day as it was a typical sign by translating it to the first day of the week wherein Christ rose as a Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot for the day of his publick worship as the seventh day was at first And the Apostle Paul doth reason much after the same manner as Stephen did If saith he the Priesthood be changed there must Heb. 7. 12. of necessity be a change of the Law Heb. 7. 12. but the Priesthood is changed for Christ was not of the Tribe of Levie but of Judah neither was he made a High-priest by man according to the Law of the carnal Commandement but by God after the power of endlesse life therefore Christ did not leave it to the power of his particular Churches to change the Ordinances of Moses but he had power from God to do it He taketh away the first that he Heb. 9. 10. might establish the second Heb. 9. 10. that is to say Christ onely had power to take away Sacrifices and all the other Customes of Moses that so he might ratifie his own Sacrifice in the
place of them all and therefore for the memorial of his Sacrifice he hath now ordained two Sacramental Seals which he hath annexed to the preaching of his Gospel the one he hath appointed as a Sacrament of initiation to his Church and the other as a Sacrament of confirmation to all beleevers And therefore Christ Jesus hath not now tyed his publick worship neither to typical persons nor to typical places nor to typical dayes and times for by his death he hath ended all the Types of his Death and he hath changed the Priest-hood of Levie into the number of the Elect Jer. 33. 18 21 22. and the typical place of his worship into particular Churches and into godly hearts saying In every place Incense Mal. 1. 11. shall be offered to my Name Mal. 1. 11. Joh. 4. 23. Act. 10. 35. And thirdly he hath changed all the typical Sabbaths of Moses into the Lords day for though the Sabbath was first given to Adam the very next day after his Creation and Fall yet as the holy rest of it was a typical sign so it must be reckoned among the Customes of Moses as well as Circumcision was for though at the first Circumcision was given to Abraham long before Moses yet it is reckoned among the Customes of Moses because he wrote first of it as it was a typical sign So in like sort though the Sabbath was first given to Adam as a typical sign yet it is reckoned among the Customes of Moses because he first wrote of it as a typical sign Exod. 31. 13. c. and also Moses doth reckon it among all the other Festival Sabbaths in Lev. 23. therefore it must be abolished by the death of Christ as well as all the other typical Customes of Moses by changing it into the Lords day Col. 2. 16 17. Gal. 4. 10. Act. 21. 21. Conclusion from the Premises That it is not in the power of any particular Church or Churches to make this change Christ onely hath power to do it and he hath done it as he is the Lord of the Sabbath and the Lord of his Church and that day cannot be altered by any Church or State to the worlds end CHAP. XIV Proving by several other particular grounds That Christ himself did appoint the day of his Resurrection in the place of the seventh day for the exercise of his publick worship 1 I Do not mean that Christ left the day of his publick worship Reason 1 to the discretion of his Apostles to appoint what day they thought good in place of the seventh day though their appointment had been a sufficient warrant for us knowing by what spirit they were guided but my meaning is that Christ himself did appoint the day and therefore in the day of his Resurrection he did use means to assemble his Disciples together that he might meet with them and declare unto them the things that appertained to the Kingdome of God he first appeared to Mary Magdalen and at her second coming to his Sepulchre he bid her tell his Disciples that He was risen from the dead Joh. 20. 17. 18. Then he appeared unto two of his Disciples as they went from Jerusalem to Emaus Luke 24. and he proved his Resurrection to them from the Scriptures and opened their understandings to understand what he said and this he did to draw them back again to the rest of the Disciples partly that they might testifie the certainty of his Resurrection and partly that they might not be absent from the Assembly when he should come unto them to instruct them further concerning his Death and Resurrection And at that Assembly he also opened their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures which he alleged for he said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead the third day Luke 24. 45 46. I grant it was somewhat late in the evening ere Christ came unto their Assembly but yet that time of the evening is plainly called the same first day of the week Joh. 20. 19. But the particular Joh. 20. 19. Scriptures which he alleged to prove his Resurrection are not recorded neither by Luke nor John but yet we may gather by consequence that when he spake of his Death and Resurrection he might well speak how he had ended all Moses Ceremonies and so consequently how he had ended the typical use of the Sabbath by his death and then doubtlesse he would nominate some other day in the place of it for the use of his publick Worship or else he had left it to disorder and confusion if he had left it arbitrary to particular Churches 2 As soon as Christ had ended all his instructions concerning Reas 2 his Death and Resurrection he appointed another meeting on that day seven-night Joh. 20. 26. and it is evident Joh. 20. 26 that this was the second time of his appearing to their Assembly because the next time after this is called the third time Ioh. 21. 14. I confesse if it can be proved that Christ had appeared to them on any other day between the day of his Resurrection and that day seven-night then his appearing on that day seven-night had not been so remarkable but seeing hee did not appear any more unto them till that day seven-night it strongly argues that he did purposely abstain from them the whole week to declare his election of that day in the place of the seventh day and I am the more confirmed in the truth of this because this second time of his meeting was not occasioned by any Sabbatical feast of the Iews for the last day of the feast of Unleavened bread which was a chief festival Sabbath was past two days before this second meeting and none of the festival days which doubtlesse his Apostles kept was any occasion of his meeting with them sooner than the same day seven-night after his Resurrection it argues therefore that this Assembly of the Apostles and Disciples was done by Christs directions and Luke doth testifie that Christ did give certain Commandements to his Apostles after his Resurrection being seen of them at times forty days and speaking that which appertained to the Kingdome of God Acts 1. 2 3. now what those Commandements were and what those things were which hee spake concerning the Kingdome of God is not recorded but yet it may be collected from the practise of the Apostles in that they used the first day of the week for Gods publick Worship in Christian Churches that Christ did command them to observe that day in place of the seventh day as soon as they were separated from the Iews Synagogues into particular Christian Churches and we may the rather conceive this to be a true collection because he did at this present give unto his Apostles a new Commission to preach the Gospel Ioh. 20. 21 22. and the Gospel Joh. 2◠〈◊〉 was preached not only in Synagogues on
the seventh day but also in Christian Churches on the Lords Day yea and before his Ascension he did again command them to Preach and Baptise through all the world Matth. 28. doubtlesse therefore seeing he ordained Baptism as an appendix to the preaching of the Gospel and as a badge of the Christian Faith in Christian Churches he would not fail to appoint a solemn day seeing he had abolished the seventh day by his death in which day his command of Preaching and Baptising was ordinarily to be performed And why doth Iohn say That Christ did many other Signs in the presence of his Disciples which are not written Joh. 21. 25. but to teach us that these two times of his miraculous appearing to his Disciples on the first day of the week when the Doors were shut are written that we might beleeve that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God Ioh. 20. 30 31. and that he hath not only abolished the seventh day by his Death but that he hath also established his Resurrection-day in the place thereof in which he arose from the Dead as the Lord and Conquerour of Satans Head-plot Obj. You say That the second time of Christs appearing was the same day seven-night after his Resurrection but that cannot be because John saith it was eight days after Joh. 20. 26. Ans I answer When Iohns eight days come to bee rightly Joh. 20. 26 understood it will appear to be no more but seven nights and this may the better be beleeved because the Evangelist Luke doth make such a kind of reckoning of days as this is in Luke 9. 28. Luke 9. 28 there he saith that the day of Christs transfiguration was eight days after his former Miracle but yet in proper speaking it was no more but seven nights and this is evident because Matthew doth make the said space of time to be but six days Mat. 17. 1. Mat. 17. 1 This difference must thus be reconciled Luke counteth into the number of his eight days the day of the former Miracle and the day of the latter Miracle wherein Christ was transformed but Matthew doth not reckon neither the day of the first Miracle nor the day of the latter Miracle but only the six whole days that came between them so that if you will account Lukes eight days by nights then there will be found no more but seven nights but if you will reckon by days Artificial then if you take a part of the day wherein the first Miracle was wrought and a part of the day in which Christ was Transfigured then it was eight dayes but still it was but seven nights In like sort it was eight dayes from Christs first appearing to his next appearing as John speaketh if you count a part of the former and a part of the latter day into the number but if you account it by nights then it was no more but seven nights so that after a sort it was eight dayes but yet in true account of dayes natural which is according to the account of the dayes of the week it was no more but seven nights This Interpretation and Reconciliation hath the approbation of divers learned Divines both Ancient and Modern and none will oppose it but peevish persons that love to seek a knot in a Bulrush 3 A third Reason that doth perswade me that Christ hath ordained his resurrection-Resurrection-day as the day of his publick worship in Reason 3 the place of the seventh day is this namely because he made choice of the first day of the week in which he did send the promise of the Father unto his Disciples Luke 24. 49. Joh. 15. 26. Luke 24 49. Act. 1. 4. Act 2. 33. For when the day of Penticost was come they being all as one together there appeared unto them cloven Tongues like fire and it sate upon each of them Act. 2. 1. This day of Penticost was the first day of the week in which he arose from the dead as it may be calculated by the account of fifty dayes which must take their beginning from the second Sabbath that is to say from the second day of the Feast of Unleavened-bread or from the morrow after the first Festival day Lev. 23. 15 16. to the day of Penticost Lev. 23 15 16. Act. 2. 1. so named of fifty dayes Act. 2. 1. In the first Festival Sabbath Christ was crucified the morrow after was the Sabbath or seventh day in which he lay in his grave thence begins the reckoning to the day of Penticost Object It may be objected that Christ appeared with the promise of the Father to his Apostles on this day because it was the Festival day of Penticost rather than because it was the first day of the week Ans I answer That Christ had abolished the Command for the use of all Festival Sabbaths by his death and therefore his appearing now was not in honour of that Festival Sabbath but it was purposely because this day was the first day of the week in which he arose as a Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot and because he had now ordained it as the day of his publick worship in the place of the seventh day and in that respect also he made choice of this day to gift them with the immediate gift of Tongues for the more speedy spreading of the Gospel all the world over on the first day of the week as the constant standing day of his publick worship I conclude therefore that the same wonderfull providence that did order the Resurrection of Christ to fall out upon the first day of the week did order the day of Penticost to fall out at this time on the first day of the week And by this Miracle of fiery cloven tongues on this day Christ did not onely testifie that it was he that gave the Fiery Law at first when he sounded out the Law in fire at Mount Sinai which time hath ever since been called Penticost for the instruction of his people in faith and holinesse but also that it was he that would sound out his Law of the glad tydings of the Gospel to all Nations by this new gift of fiery tongues which he bestowed upon his Apostles whilst they were in a Church Assembly for the more effectual and more speedy spreading of the Gospel in all Christian Churches in every first day of the week and as an earnest thereof there were three thousand souls converted at this meeting 4 A fourth Reason that doth perswade me that Christ himself hath ordained his resurrection-Resurrection-day for the day of his publick Reason 4 Worship in the place of the seventh day is this namely because the Apostle did cause the Christian Churches of Corinth to assemble together on this first day of the week 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. The Apostle Paul did not now by this Epistle first begin to appoint this Church to meet together every first day of the week for
said eighth day John doth call the day of Christ his Resurrection the eighth day Joh. 20. 26. The Providence of God so guiding his Pen as pointing out unto us backward to the perfection of the mystical number eight in Moses Law My second Reason why the number eight did typifie the day Reason 2 of Christs Resurrection as more eminent than the seventh day is taken from the Law of Circumcision which was so strictly tied to the eighth day that though the eighth day did fall out upon the Sabbath day yet they must prefer the doing of the act of Circumcision because it was the eighth day rather than the act of rest because it was the seventh day Joh. 7. 22. And the Hebrew Doctors do affirm that Circumcision in the time thereof Joh. 7. 22. drives away the Sabbath that is to say A man must omit to keep the rest of the Holy Sabbath to circumcise his child on the eighth day if the Sabbath be the eighth day seven dayes together the young Infant was in his blood of uncleannesse but on the eighth day it must be circumcised for the full cleansing of it from all the pollution that did accompany it in the birth And Rab. Mâ—nacâ—em on Gen. 17. saith Circumcision was therefore done on the eigth day that the Sabbath might passe over it for there is no eighth day without a Sabbath and then as soon as it was circumcised it was accounted as a new creature as if it were risen again from death to life and this did typifie our first resurrection from the death of sin to the life of grace by vertue of Christs Resurrection whose resurrection-Resurrection-day is called the eighth day as I have ere-while noted from Joh. 20. 26. A third Reason is taken from the consecration of the Priests Reason 3 their persons were not perfectly consecrated to minister in their office untill the eighth day Lev. 8. 33. 35. Lev. 9. 1. Ezek. 43. 26 27. In like sort the Person and Sacrifice of the Mediator Lev. 8. 33. 45. was not declared to be fully accepted untill his Resurrection on the eighth day A fourth Reason is taken from the perfect cleansing of the Reason 4 Leper on the eighth day Lev. 14. 8 9 10. And from the cleansing of unclean Issues Lev. 15. 13 14. And from the cleansing of the Lev. 15. 13 14. polluted Nazarite Num. 6. 9 10. And from sundry such like Instances where no perfect cleansing was made untill the eighth day then and not till then their persons and sacrifices were acceptable unto God as persons that were newly risen from death to life doubtlesse this full acceptance of them of their Sacrifices on the 8th day did typifie the full acceptance of Christs Person and Sacrifice which was declared by his Resurrection on the eighth day for he rose from the dead on the next day after the seventh day A fifth Reason is taken from that special eighth day of the Feast Reas 5 of Tabernacles which was called also a Sabbath day This day was called the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles and it had a Commandement by it self above the other seven dayes because it was a greater Sabbath than any of the rest and in that respect John doth call it the great and last day of the Feast Joh. 7. 37. Joh 7. 37. And all the Tribes of Israel were bound to observe this day with a general Assembly above the other seven dayes Deut. 31. 10 11. 2 Chr. 7. 9. Neh. 8. 18. And that Assembly is called a General Assembly Neh. 8. 18. by the Seventy in Amos 5. 21. And by allusion to that term the Apostle Paul calls all the Israel of God The General Assembly of the first-born Heb. 12. 23. Amos 5. 21. Heb. 12. 23. And why was this eighth day made more eminent than all the other seven dayes but to type out unto us the eminency of the Resurrection-day of Christ above the seventh day for the exercise of Gods publick worship to the worlds end and the New Testament doth tell us of a great number of Christians that were gathered into a great Church Assembly on this day at Jerusalem Act. 2. 41. And this great Assembly was from divers parts and quarters of the world for many of the dispersed Jewes that did beleeve resorted to Jerusalem from remote Countries at Festival times and many that were converted to the faith did there continue untill they were dispersed again at the death of Stephen which dispersion God turned to the further enlargement of his Church for many of these dispersed Disciples preached the Gospel in sundry parts of the world where they travelled and by that means a multitude both of Jews and Heathens became Christians and these Christians in time made many Christian Church-Assemblies and they all used to meet together on the first day of the week which was the next day after the seventh and so it was the eighth day which was typified by the eighth and last day of the Feast of Tabernacles A sixth Reason is borrowed from the Jubilee Yeer which by Gods special Providence was ordained to be in the eighth yeer Reason 6 after the seventh seven and this sabbatical yeer was ordained to be a greater Sabbath than the seventh seven because it was ordained to give a more full deliverance to Gods people than the seventh seven Lev. 25. 4 8 20. The seventh seven was the forty and ninth yeer and the next Lev. 25. 4. yeer after the seventh seven was the eighth yeer and it was also the fiftieth yeer or the Jubilee yeer And both these Sabbatical yeers thus succeeding each other do most lively point out unto us how the Lords Resurrection-day by which we have a full Jubilee of deliverance from Satans Head-plot should succeed the Sabbath or seventh day Three things are remarkable touching the number Eight 1 That the number Eight was mystical as well as the number Seven 2 That the number Eight was a number of perfection as well as the number Seven 3 That the number Eight was a Sabbatical number as well as the number Seven Now seeing these things have been made cleer and cannot be denied how can it be denied but that the number eight must needs have relation not onely to the Resurrection of Christ on the eighth day that is to say on the next day after the seventh day but also that the said day must be established as a Sabbatical day among Christians in the New Testament in the place of the seventh day II It is no lesse wonderfull that four Sabbaths did meet together and succeed each other at the death and Resurrâ—ction of Christ 1 Christ did make his soul a Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement for our full Redemption from Satans Head-plot on a Festival Sabbath namely on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened-bread and this day John calls a High Sabbath Joh. Joh. 19. 31. 19. 31. 2 Christ rested all
the Sabbath or seventh day namely his body rested in his grave and his soul in Paradise 3 On the first day of the week he arose again from the dead as the Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot and in this respect he being the Lord of his Church and the Lord of the Sabbath did ordain it for the day of his publick worship in place of the seventh day to the end of the world 4 God by his eternal Counsel ordained and Christ in obedience to his Fathers will accomplished his Death and Resurrection in a Sabbatical Yeer of Jubilee And this Sabbatical Jubilee is also called The acceptable Yeer of the Lord Luke 4. 19. And from the typical signification of the Luke 4. 19. Jubilee-deliverance the Hebrew Doctors did fore-see and fore-say to the admiration of considerate Christians That the Divine Majesty would be to Israel in a Jubilee Freedome Redemption and Finisher of Sabbaths See Zâ—har on Lev. 25. Col. 2. 10. fol. 53. And to admiration also Kimchi upon Ezek 40. saith That the Messiah Redeems in a Jubilee See H. Bro. in Req p. 13. and in Sinai-sight Yeer of the World 2560. III Who can but admire also at the wonderfull Providence of God 3 The Resurrection of Christ fell out so that it was made famous by three remarkable dayes that the day of Christs Resurrection should fall out so as that it should be remarkable by three famous daies 1 It fell out upon the first day of the week 2 It fell out upon the eighth day 3 It fell out upon the third day 1 Christs Resurrection fell out upon the first day of the week wherein God created light out of darknesse and on that day Christ did arise out of his darksome grave to give light to the world Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 8 12. and so he made that day which was first in order in the Creation to be first in dignity by the work of his Resurrection he made that day which was the first fruits of time to be the first fruits from the dead 1 Cor. 15. Col. 1. â—6 2 Christs Resurrection fell out upon the eighth day namely on the next day after the seventh day which is the eighth day the eighth day was ordained by Moses Law to be a day of perfection above the perfection of the number seven which I have noted might well be to typifie the day of Christs Resurrection to come in the place of the seventh day 3 Christs Resurrrection fell out on the third day after his death and so Christ opened and alledged from the Scriptures that he must rise again from the dead on the third day Luke 24. 45 46. and doubtlesse the Resurrection of Isaac on the third day was a rare type of the Resurrection of Christ upon the third day for Isaac is said to have been offered Jam. 2. 21. and to have been raised up again from the dead after a sort on the third day Heb. Jam. 2. 21. 11. 19. for it was the third day from their coming out to sacrifice Heb. 11. 19. when he and his Father Abraham came to the place of performance and from that action the Hebrew Doctors do gather that the third day is mysterious in Scripture There are many a three days say they in Scripture of which one is the Resurrection of the Messiah See Ains in Gen. 22. 4. See also H. Bro. in his Reduction in Dan. 9. and Christ himself did fore-tel that On the third day he should Gen. 22. 4. be perfected Luke 13. 32. his meaning must needs be that Mediatorial Luke 13. 32. Sacrifice of Attonement should be declared to be perfect by his Resurrection on the third day Conclusion From all the Premises it appears that the day of Christs Resurrection was the most glorious day that God had honored and the most glorious day that could be thought on among true Christians and therefore it may perswade our consciences that if Christ hath ordained any day for his publick Worship in the place of the seventh day it must needs be that day of perfection wherein he arose as Lord and Conqueror oâ— Satans Head-plot and therefore the observation of it ought to be honored of all good Christians for evermore Amen CHAP. XV. Propounding some Reasons why the Apostles did allow of the Jewish Sabbath or seventh day in their Synagogues for a time after it was abolished by the death of Christ as well as of the Lords Day in Christian Churches THe Apostles knew well enough that Christ had ordained his Resurrection-day as the day of his publick Worship in place of the seventh day and therefore in that respect they appointed all Christian Churches to observe that day for Gods publick Worship and yet notwithstanding they still resorted to Gods publick Worship on the seventh day in the Jews Synagogues for a certain space of years after the death of Christ I say for some space of time the Apostles did allow by way of permission the use of the Sabbath or seventh day yea they did allow of the use of Sacrifices also in the Temple for a time for they knew that as long as Christ was willing to suffer the Temple to stand undestroyed that he was willing to suffer and permit the use of Sacrifices and Sabbaths and therefore for the weaknesse sake of many beleeving Jews that did as yet remain in their old Synagogues the Apostles did see it convenient to allow of the use of the seventh day for Gods publick Worship in their Synagogues according to their ancient known custom yea moreover the Apostles did see it convenient to allow of the use of Circumcision and of all the other Customs of Moses also for a time for the weaknesse sake of many ten thousand Iews that did beleeve in Christ because that many of these beleeving Iews did still continue to be zealous assertors of the customs of Moses Law Act. 21. 20. for many of these beleeving Iews were Acts 21. 20 not only eminent for faith in Christ but also they were eminent for zeal in Moses Law as we may see in the example of Ananias that opened Pauls eyes It is recorded of him that he was a godly man as pertaining to the Law Act. 22. 12 and it is also recorded that there were divers other Iews that did beleeve in Christ and yet they still continued zealous not only for Circumcision but also for all the other customs of Moses Act. 15. 5. Act. 15. 5. 24 and it was for the sake of these beleeving Iews that as yet remained in Synagogues that the Apostles did by way of permission allow of the use of the Sabbath day in their Synagogues till a convenient time of Reformation And out of this consideration it was that the Apostles in their Decrees at Ierusalem did not absolutely forbid the use of Circumcision Acts 15. and out of this consideration it was that Paul took liberty to Circumcise Timothy that so he might thereby
Moses Ceremonies for saith he it is a good thing that the heart bee established with Grace and not with Meats which have not profiâ—ed them that have been exercised therein and in chap. 9. 10. he calls the observation of Meats and Drinks and divers Washings carnal Ordinances imposed unto them until the time of Reformation which time of Reformation was already come And also he exhorteth the Colossians saying thus Let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink or in respect of an holy day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come but the Body is Christ Col. 2. 16 17. Col. 2. 16 17 In these words the Apostle doth exhort them not to let any man to rule over them as Judges of their Christian liberty by inforcing and perswading their Consciences to the observation of Moses ceremonies seeing they were but shadows of something to come namely they were but shadows of somthing to be fulfilled by Christ for Christ the Body was already come in the place of them all yea saith the Apostle Let no man beguile you of your prize Col. 2. 18 20 namely of that precious liberty which Christ by his Death hath purchased for you from the bondage of Moses ceremonies v. 18. and then he passeth his sentence against the Authors of their disturbance saying They are but self-willed in humblenesse c. and then in ve 20. the Apostles conclude thus If ye be dead with Christ from the decrees of the world if you beleeve that Christ by his death hath ended decrees why as though yee lived in the world namely in the observation of Moses ceremonies which were composed but of worldly things and in that respect the Sanctuary is called a worldly Sanctuary Heb. 9. 1. Follow yee decrees c. That which I aym at by this discourse is this namely to declare that there were some beleeving Jews in the Church of Colosse that did earnestly contend not only for the observation of Moses ceremonies in general but also that did in particular contend for the observation of the Jewish Sabbath as the only commanded day of Gods publick Worship in Christian Churches and hence I infer that these beleeving Jews needed not to have contended so earnestly for the observation of the Jewish Sabbath if the Apostles had not laid the observation of it aside and required Christian Churches to observe the Lords Day for their Christian assemblies in the place of the seventh day Obj. 2. I conceive these beleeving Jews did not contend for the observation of the Jewish Sabbath as you think but for the observation of the other Festival Sabbaths against which only the Apostle doth speak Ans 1. If you will grant That the Apostle doth exhort the Church of Colosse not to submit their Consciences to the observation of their Festival Sabbaths then much more doth he exhort them not to submit their Consciences to the observation of their weekly Sabbaths or seventh day for the weekly Sabbath was a typical sign as well as their other Festival Sabbaths and therefore the death of Christ doth abolish them all alike 2 And more particularly I answer That Pauls meaning by the word Sabbaths in Col. 2. 16. doth not as I conceive point out Col. 2. 16 any other Sabbath but the seventh day only for Paul doth enumerate all the several sorts of their Holy-days under these three several expressions First saith he Let no man judge you in respect of a Holy-day Secondly Or of the New Moon Thirdly Or of the Sabbaths 1 Under the term Holy-day the Apostle doth comprehend their three yearly Holy-day Feasts for there are no other solemn commanded Holy-days in Moses except the New Moon and the ordinary Sabbath days and these are not included in the term Holy-day because they are distinguished and sorted out from them by other distinct terms neither doth the Apostle comprehend any human Holy-days in this number such as were sometimes commanded by their Sanedrim upon some special occasions as the days of Purim were Est 9. and as the day of Dâ—dication was Joâ— 10. 22. for these temporary Holy-days must Joh. 10. 22 not be Co-partners with the said yearly standing Holy-days of Moses neither do I think that the Apostle doth now forbid the observation of such occasional temporary Holy-days in Christian Churches but the Apostle doth out of all doubt dehort them from the observation of their three Festival Holy-days therefore by the term Holy-day which the Apostle distinguisheth from the two other sorts of Holy-days namely from the New Moon and from the Sabbath he must needs mean no other but the said three yearly Fâ—stival Holy-days 2 By the New Moon he Apostle means the first day of every New Moon which the Jews observed in all their Synagogues as a constant Holy-day for the hearing of Gods Word preached in all the costs of Israel Numb 28. 11. 2 King 4 23. 3 Therefore the term Sabbaths must needs mean their weekly Sabbaths which some Christian Jews that still remained zealous for the Law did labour tooth and nayl to perswade the Church of Colosse to observe for the day of their publick Worship but the Apostle told them that all this Bill of Decrees Christ had wiped away by his death Col. 2. 14. Col. 2. 14 3 It is yet further evident that these three terms in Col. 2. 16. do fully comprehend all the Holy-dayes that are in Moses because Moses doth comprehend them all in three the like termes in Num. 10. 10. Ye shall sound an Alarm 1 In the day of your Gladnesse Num. 10. 10. And 2 In your Solemn Feasts And 3 In the beginning of your months Though these three termes are not placed in the same order that Paul doth his in Col. 2. 16. yet they must needs comprehend all the Ceremonial Sabbaths or Holy-dayes of Moses For first by the day of their Gladnesse Moses doth mean such a day of gladnesse as he doth distinguish from their Solemn Feasts and from their New Moons which distinction ought not to be sleighted And therefore Baal Hattarim understands it of the Sabbath day And indeed no day hath the preheminence of gladnesse to this day for it was first ordained to be a day of rest to God because he had established Adams happinesse and the Government of the whole Creation on the Promised Seed who had undertaken to break the Devils Head-plot and therefore he rested in the Mediator and was refreshed and it was a typical sign of faln mans resting on the Mediator for his Redemption from Satans Head-plot and therefore it was the first great day of gladnesse to faln Adam and therefore as I have formerly noted the seventh day is placed among the Festival Sabbaths in the first place as the chiefest day of gladnesse Lev. 23. 3. Lev. 23 3. And indeed no other day can be meant by the day of gladnesse but the Sabbath or seventh day and the
houres darknesse made up the first darknesse a compleat night of twelve houres with a double Twilight and so it became a true patterne and sampler to all other Creation Nights and then the last halfe of the said twelve houres darknesse went on towards the beginning of the Second Day And except this order be observed there cannot be found out a double Twilight to make the first Night a compleat patterne for all the other Creation nights Reason II. It is evident that the first Darknesse was not a compleat night by the order of that Dominion which God established for the ruling of the Artificial Day by the Sun before he gave Dominion to the Moon and to the Starres to rule the night But if the first Darknesse had been a full night before the Artificial day had received its shape and form then the Moon and Stars should have had their dominion before the Sun for doubtlesse the God of order would place them in their dominion in the day of their creation according to that priority of order which the day had of the night or the night had of the day Gen. 1. 14. 19. If the night of the fourth day had been first in order before the Artificial day then the Moon and the Stars should have had the priority of their dominion to rule the night of the fourth day before the Sun could have had its dominion to rule the artificial day and so by this account the Sun shall borrow its light from the Moon as the chiefest in the dominion of the fourth day Is not this to make the God of order to be the God of confusion in setting the Cart before the Horse by giving the first dominion to the Moon and the last dominion to the Sun as they do that make the first darknesse to be a compleat night Or else if you think to avoid this Rock by saying that the Sun only was created on the fourth day to rule the artificiall day and that the Moon and the Stars were not created and set into their rule and dominion till the fifth night is not this to run against the plain Text. For my part I shall think him a good Logician that holds the first darknesse to be a compleat night that can fairly get out of this Dilemma Reason III. If the first darknesse had been formed into a compleat night before the light was formed into a compleat artificiall day Then doubtlesse Moses would have called it Night as the proper name of its perfect shape and form before he called the light Day for it was Gods usuall custome to give names to things in the same priority of order as they had priority of form and shape As for example As soon as he had made man of the earth he called him Adam and as soon as he had made woman of his Rib he bid Adam name her and as soon as he had formed other creatures he brought them to Adam bid him name them with names defining their natures so doubtless if the first darknes had been first form'd into a compleat night he would have named it night in the first place but he called it nothing else but Darknesse at first saying the darknesse was namely it was a mis-shapen and uncreated thing But as soon as he had put a shape and limited it by a double Twilight he called it night as the name of its perfect form and shape But it could not receive this shape and form untill the light was first shaped and formed into an artificial day by its orderly shining upon the face of the earth for twelve hours together and then he called it day as the proper name of its perfect shape and form Hence we may cleerly perceive That Moses in Gen. 1. 5. doth name all the parts of the first natural day in their true priority of order as they were shaped and formed 1 Day 2 Night 3 Evening 4 Morning And secondly hence it follows that the first formed part of the naturall day was the artificiall day and not the night CHAP. II. Proving that Moses by the terme Evening in Gen. 1. 5. doth not mean the whole night But the latter halfe of the artificial day and the first halfe of the night LEarned Mr. Richardson saith That these two words Evening and Morning do set our Divines to School to finde out what is meant by them in the first Creation Most Interpreters say that the two Hebrew words Gnereb and Boker which we translate Evening and Morning in Gen. 1. 5. doe mean nothing else but night and day But I must crave leave to differ from them in judgement for these two Reasons Reason I. If Moses had called the first darknesse Evening and the artificiall day Morning Then in reason he would have placed the said termes in the same methodicall order in the end of the verse as he had done in the beginning of the said verse but he doth place them in a contrary order for in the beginning of the verse he names the Day before the Night but in the end of the verse he names the Evening before the Morning and what else doth this argue but that he did thereby intend that Gods people should take notice that the Evening and the morning were a differing division of the natural day from the division of Day and Night Reason II. If Moses had intended to call the first darknesse Evening as synonimous to the terme Night then doubtlesse some Scripture or other would have shewed them to be synonima seeing the said termes are so often repeated in the Bible But though I have made diligent search yet I cannot finde where the â—â—rm Morning is made synonimous to the ful artificial day nor where the term Evening is made synonimous to the whole night in a proper sense Therefore seeing they are no where synonima it is altogether unlike that Moses doth make them synonima in Gen. 1. 5. and no where else Object Why might not the first Darknesse be a full Evening and so a full night of twelve hâ—ures though it wanted a Twilight in the beginning of it might not God dispense with the Twilight in the first â—ighâ— Ans Why do you go about to make the most wise Creator and Governour of all things to be an imperfect Artist in his first pattern for if you make the first Night to want a Twilight in the beginning of it do you not thereby make him an imperfect Artist in his first pattern to the other creation dayes for it is manifest that the shape and form of the first creation day was a true pattern by which the rest were shaped and formed for as the text expresseth it in verse 5. so was the Morning and so was the Evening the first day so in like sort it is said of the second day in verse 8. and so it is said of the third day in verse 13. and so it is said of the fourth day in verse 19. and so
it is said of the fifth and sixth days all these dayes were shaped and formed just according to the pattern of the first day The addition of the Sun in the fourth day made no new part of Light more then the first day had as I have noted it already and therefore the manner how the Light did break out of Darknesse on the first day was in the same manner and order as we see the Sun doth in the Equinoctial 1 The Light ascended out of darknesse by degrees as the Sun doth now Gen. 32. 24. By means whereof it did first make a Twilight in the morning so the Hebrew phrase calleth it in Psal 119. 147. 2 Then after a while it began to shine upon the face of the earth Gen. 19. 23. 3 Then it ascended higher till it came to its height at mid-day as Es 16. 3. Act. 22. 6. Act. 26. 13. 4 Then it ceased to ascend and made a little stand for about halfe an hour 5 Then it began to decline or go down by degrees till it went out of the Horizon 6 Then it made a Twilight called the Twilight of the Evening Prov. 7. 9. 7 Then succeeded twelve hours darknesse the first half whereof made up the first darknesse a full night 8 Then the last halfe of the said twelve hours darknesse went on towards the beginning of the second day In this admirable order did the God of nature set together all the parts of the first naturall day But I have again set it out more fully in Section 4. Object 2. Some learned men say That Moses by the terme Evening and Morning in Gen. 1. 5. meant Night and Day no otherwise but by the figure Synecdoche onely They say that the Night is called Evening no otherwise but because it is begun of the Evening and that the artificial day is called Morning no otherwise but because it is begun of the Morning and so by this Exposition they make no other part of time to be called Evening but a little point of time onely at the beginning of the night all the rest of the night is called Evening say they but by the figure Synecdoche only In like manner they make no other part of the artificial Day to be called Morning but a little point of time in the beginning of the artificial day onely and this Exposition they borrow from Tremelius Annotation on Gen. 1. 5. or rather from Junius for it is easie to make it appear that Tremelius was of another judgement Ans A man had need of more patience then ordinary that shall spend his time to answer such fantastical conceits as this But in brief I think I have fully confounded this Objection 1 By proving that Moses in Gen. 1. 5. divided the first natural day into two equall parts two several wayes as I have exemplified it by the lines of longitude and latitude on a Compasse Diall in Sect. 4. and see also the gradations to the morning in Chap. 3. Sect. 2. at Sixthly 2 I answer by proving that Gnereb the Evening is a connexion of the latter halfe of the artificial day to the first halfe of the Night and so making it to be an equall part of time to Boker the Morning But the best way to answer this and many other Objections is to lay downe the true interpretation of Gnereb the Evening in the various use of it in the Scripture I am not ignorant that Gnereb is usually interpreted to signifie The Hebrew word Gnereb which is translated Evening in Gen. 1. 5. explained a mixing or mingling of things together but I dislike this interpretation because it is not possible by this interpretation to find out the true form shape of the Natural Evening I have therefore made diligent search into the various use of this word and I finde that Gnereb doth signifie not a confused mixing and mingling of things together but a connexing conjoyning or coupling of two or more distinct things together without confounding their severall species or natures and therefore Wine and Water mixed together cannot be called Gnereb neither can the confused mingling of Light and Darknesse together as it is in the Twilight be called Gnereb and yet that short time of Twilight is comprehended within the large limits of Gnereb because it is the partition of Gnarbaiim the two Evenings but the Twilight it selfe is ever expressed by two other severall Hebrew words and never by Gnereb The thing I ayme at in this Discourse is only to clear the true signification of Gnereb from a confused mixing or mingling of things together and to make it clear and evident that it only signifies a conjunction of two or more distinct things together and therefore that Gnereb in Gen. 1. 5. must signifie the conjunction of the last halfe of the Artificiall day to the first halfe of the Night and that these two distinct parts connexed are an even and equal portion of time to Boker the morning 2. I wil explaine the true meaning of this phrase in Gen. 1. 5. so was the Evening and so was the Morning First mark the dependence in the former part of the Verse it is said God called the light Day and the darknesse he called Night and then it follows so was the Evening but how was that was it framed out of the darknesse only No it was framed and formed both out of the said Light called Day and out of the said Darknesse called Night Conjunctim and not Divisim namely the Evening was framed by conjoyning the latter halfe of the Artificiall day to the first halfe of the Night and so was the Morning namely it was in like sort framed out of the Darknesse called Night and out of the Light called Day by conjoyning the last halfe of the Night to the first halfe of the Artificiall day and it is most evident that this was the true meaning of Moses because he doth afterwards explaine Gnereb the single Evening by Gnarbaiim the two Evenings eleaven times over and the reason is because the ful Natural evening hath two parts namely the first halfe is Day and the latter halfe is Night as I shal open the matter more at large both in this Chapter by and by and in Chapter the fist And from this interpretation of Gnereb in Gen. 1. 5. these three Conclusions do follow 1 That the First Darknesse is not nor cannot be called Gnereb the Evening 2 That the whole Night is not nor cannot be called Gnereb the Evening in a proper sense 3 That the Twilight cannot be called Gnereb the Evening And the reason is because none of these three have any distinct conjunction of species to make them Gnereb and from this interpretation of Gnereb I frame this Argument The first Darknesse by it selfe considered cannot be called Gnereb the Evening neither can the confused mixture of the Twilight be called Gnereb the Evening because Gnereb doth signifie not such a mixture as is confused
term Evening in Matthew described by this adjunct in Luke when the day begins to go down or decline it may truly be gathered by necessary consequence that the natural evening doth begin at mid-day at the first declining of the Sun and this evening hath two parts the first part begins at the first declining of the Sun as I have already expounded v. 15. and another evening doth begin at Sun-set in v. 23. Thirdly I prove that the full natural evening begins at mid-day at the first declining of the Sun by Deut. 16. 6. Thou shalt sacrifice the Passeover at Evening at the going down of the Sun at the season thou camest out of Egypt This Text is very pregnant to prove the point in question but because I have occasion to expound this Text at large in chap. 5. Therefore I refer the Reader thither Fourthly I prove that the full natural Evening begins at mid-day by 1 Sam. 20. 5. David doth there intreat Jonathan to meet him on the third day at Even and it appears that Jonathan was very careful to observe the punctual beginning of this appointed evening because it was a matter of weight and because David depended upon his punctual observation of the precise time therefore Jonathan did confirm his promise by an oath ver 13. besides David did over and above all this charge Jonathan to come to him quickly or diligently that is to say to be exact and to keep the appointed time diligently or punctually and accordingly Jonathan did manifest his diligence to observe the punctual time as it is evident because he went out into the field on the third day in the Morning which saith the Text was at the time appointed with David v. 35. Object 4. How can you make Jonathans Morning to be the appointed time with David seeing David did not appoint Jonathan to meet him on the third day in the morning but on the third day at even as v. 5. testifieth Answ Jonathans morning was the appointed time with David because Jonathans morning did end at mid-day and Davids evening did begin at mid-day at the first declining of the Sun now Jonathan could not have come quickly diligently exactly and punctually to the place appointed at the beginning of the evening unlesse he went out on the third day morning that is to say a little before the evening began but by his diligence in taking in a little peece of the morning at the beginning of his Journey he might well be at the place appointed according to the punctuall time of the appointed Evening and thus Jonathans Morning and Davids Evening do meet together at Mid-day and no other resolution can be given as I conceive to make Jonathans morning and Davids evening to agree together at one and the same appointed time but this Object 5. Why may not the appointed evening be understood of the night-evening and the appointed place be a great way off and in that respect Jonathan might begin his journey in the morning that so be might come to the place appointed at the time of the Sun-set evening Answ I perceive that men are loath to have any other evening but the night-evening and therefore they are willing to raise what Objections they can against the mid-day evening But I will give you divers Reasons why the appointed evening cannot be meant of the Sun-set evening First If the place of meeting had been so far off as to cause Jonathan to spend so much time in going thither as from morning till Sun-set then Jonathan could not have had time enough left to return back again into the City in the same day But the Text in ver 23. doth tell us that Jonathan did return the same day into the City therefore the appointed evening cannot be understood of the sun-set evening Secondly Jonathan returned alone without any company with him for he had sent his Boy back into the City before which in reason he would not have done if the place of meeting had been so far off as you make it Thirdly Jonathan knew that Saul was jealous of his familiarity with David and he knew also that Saul was much inraged against David at this time Therefore in wisdom Jonathan would not be so long absent from Saul as from morning till Sun-set nay it would have been Mid-night ere he could have returned if the place appointed to meet at had been so far off as you would make it and then Saul might well have suspected that Jonathan might have had some other errand into the field besides shooting at a mark by his long and late absence but Ionathan pretended no other errand but to shoot at a mark and therefore he took his Boy with him to witnesse so much if need should be 1. Hence it followes that the place of meeting was but a little way without the City for what need had a man goe farre to shoot at a Mark and so it asked but a little time to goe to it and to return from it 2 Hence it followes that the appointed Evening must be understood of the Mid-day Evening and not of the Sun-set Evening And thus Jonathans Morning and Davids Evening did fitly agree to the same appointed hour at Mid-day In like sort one Evangelist saith that Christ was crucified at the third houre Mark 15. 25. But John saith he was crucified at the sixt hour Joh. 19. 14. this differing relation of time may seem to have as great a difference as is between Jonathans Morning and Davids Evening and yet there is no difference aâ— all when things come to be rightly expounded For the Jewes divided the Artificiall Day into four great Hours just as they divided the Night into four great Watches Mark The Jews divided the day into four greaâ— hours as they divided the night into four watches 13. 35. every great hour contained in it three small houres The first great hour they called by the name of the third hour because it ended with the third small hour which we call nine a clock and their second great hour they called their sixt because it ended with the sixt small hour which we call twelve a clock and thus as soon as the first great hour ended with our nine a clock the second great hour began with our ten a clock And thus Peter Martyr in the Judges Mr. Godwin and Mr. Weames do accord these great hours with our small hours and just after this sort the end of Jonathans Morning in v. 35. and the beginnings of Davids Evening in v. 5. do fitly close and meet together at Mid-day Fifthly I prove that the naturall Evening doth begin at Mid-day by Josh 7. 6. There Joshua and the Elders fell down upon the Earth before the Ark of the Lord till Even-tide that is to say until Evening began Object 6. This Even-tide must be understood of the Sun-set Evening Answ I answer no it cannot be understood of the Sun-set Evening for Joshua had much
upon all this shining light from the East point to the West point the name Day as the proper name of his perfect shape and limit and in this order was the first Artificiall Day shaped out limited and named 7. Then shadow out a little peece of Twilight at the departure of the light out of that Horizon on the inside of the West point 8. Then take twelve hours darknesse and shadow out the first half of that Darknesse from the West point untill it meet with the place of the first darknesse at the North point 9. Then write upon all that Darknesse from the West point to the East point the name Night as the proper name of its perfect shape and limit and in this order was the night last shaped out limited and named Then let the other half of the last twelve hours Darknesse be set upon the out-side of the same Compasse Diall from the North point to the East point for the beginning of the second Day 10 Hence we may observe the Reason why the first Darknes could not be called Night at first namely because it wanted the form and limits of a Night for it wanted the shape of a twilight going before it and therefore until it had obtained that it was callâ—d nothing else but confuâ—ed darknes and it could not have this form til the last period of time belonging to the night was finished and it could not have that period till the first half of that twelve houres darknesse succeeding the Artificial Day had met with the first darknesse at the North point and that conjunction occasioned a mark of distinction in the middle of the night 11. By these marks of distinction the true Form and Figure of the two Lines of Longitude and Latitude from East to West and from North to South were clearly marked out 12. By this Line of division from Mid-day to Mid-night the Natural Day was again divided into two equal parts in a differing manner from the division of the Day from the Night the first half from Mid-day to Mid-night was called Gnereb the Evening and the other half from Mid-night to Mid-day was called Boker the Morning 13. After this sort hath the God of Nature halsed and quartered the Natural day by the Lines of Longitude and Latitude 14 By this method the God of Nature hath not only made the natural day to be a twiparty day consisting of light and darkness But also Secondly He hath made the Artificial Day to be a twiparty day because he hath made the one half of it to belong unto the Morning and the other half of it to belong unto the Evening Thirdly He hath also made the Night to be a twiparty Night because he hath made the one half of it to belong unto the Evening and the other half of it to belong unto the morning And in this regard the night is sometimes called nights in the plural number Psal 134. 1. Psal 92. 2. Fourthly He hath also made the Natural Evening to be a twiparty evening because it is a connexion of the latter half of the Day to the first half of the Night and in this respect it is called Gnereb a connexion and sometimes it is called Gnarbaiim the two Evenings because of the two parts of it Fifthly He hath also made the Natural Morning to be a twiparty Morning because it is a connexion of the first darknesse or of the latter half of the night with the first half of the Artificial day and in this respect it is often called Mornings in the plural number Psal 73. 14. Psal 101. 8. Job 7. 18. Lam. 3. 23. Is 33. 2. 15. The Reason why the first darknesse could not be called either Boker the Morning or Gnereb the Evening at first was because these names are names of the perfect shape and limits given unto these two parts of the Natural day and the first darknesse was a confused mis-shapen thing at first therefore it could not belong either unto the Morning or unto the Evening until it was first shaped and limited into a night for Boker the Morning is constituted of a part of the shaped Night as well as of a part of the shaped Artificial Day and the first darknesse could not be shaped into a Night until it had twelve houres darknesse succeeding the Artificial Day by means whereof the first half had a Twilight going before it and then as soon as it met with the first darknesse at the North point it First gave perfection of shape to the Night And Secondly It gave perfection of shape to the Evening And thirdly It gave perfection of shape to Boker the Morning And accordingly every part of this day had its name as soon as it had its perfect shape as for example when the shining light had finished its last period at the West point it was called Day in like sort when the darknesse had finished its last period at the North point it was called Night And then also the Evening and the Morning was the First Day Pharez and Zara were Twins and when they came to their Birth Zara thrust out his hand first thereupon the Midwife said this is first and she did mark it out for the first by a red thred yet notwithstanding Pharez did finish his Birth first and thereupon he was first named Pharez and Zara was last named though he begun his Birth first Even so the time called Morning began its birth first but yet notwithstanding the time called Evening was first perfected in its shape and limits and thereupon it was first called Gnereb O the wonderfull variety of Gods wisdom in contriving and setting together all the parts and parcels of this first Natural Day CHAP. III. Proving that the time of the first Darkness was called Morning at last namely as soon as that Darkness was formed into a Night MOses doth tell us Gen. 1. 1 2. That in the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth and that darkness was upon the face of the deep namely for the space of six hours before the light was created The Queston is Whether this first Darkness was called Morning or Evening The Answer shall be framed into three Heads or Sections I. I will prove that the Creation began in that part of time which at last was called Boker the Morning II. That the Morning begins in the dark Night III. That the Morning doth begin at Mid-night SECT I. Proving that the time of the first Darkness was called Boker the Morning at last FIrst It appears to me that the first Darkness was called Boker Boker the morning dâ—th signifie early the Morning at last namely as soon as all the parts of the Natural Day were formed Because Boker the Morning doth signifie Early See Ains in Psal 5. 4. and in this sense the Morning is put for the first opportunity of time for any business as in seeking unto God early by prayer and in this sense David saith
in Psa 5. 3. Jehovah in the morning or early I will direct my prayer unto thee and will look out or espie as he that keepeth watch and ward expecting what God will answer and the godly do often professe that they will look out early after God by the term Morning as in Psal 90. 14. and Psal 143. 8. and truly I conceive that the onely Reason why Buls and Cows And all the Herds of that kind are called Baker from whence Boker is derived is from their early seeking out for their meat from God sooner than other Cattle use to do for in the Evening or in the beginning of the Night they use to sit down and chew their Cud but in the early Night-morning they usually rise up and seek out for food before other sorts of Cattle Object 1. Boker the Morning is put for the beginning of the Artificiall Day because that is the fittest season to seek out or earâ—h after things that be lost or after things that are to be sought after men do not usually seek after things in the dark but as soon as the morning light appears then they begin to look and search after lost things and hence the beginning of the Artificiall Day is called Boker the Morning Answ I see no Reason to restrain the signification of Boker to mans seeking by the sight of his eyes in the time of the Artificial Morning onely but considering that Boker the Morning is placed among the works of Gods Creation before man was created it may be considered as Gods first early time in ordering the Creation in the best manner for God may be said to seek early after the manner of men not for want of knowledge in particulars but to set out his Wisdom and Prudence and Fatherly care and the like in the first Creation as these Scriptures do testifie Exod. 14. 24 27. Ezek. 34. 11 12 16. Psa 30. 6. Psa 90. 14. Isa 17. 14. Psal â—19 176. Zach. 12. 9. For by Wisdom the Lord founded the Earth and by Vnderstanding he established the Heavens â—rov 3. 19. and so by Wisdom and Understanding he formed all the parts of the First Day in such an exquisite Oâ—der that so it might be for an exemplary pattern to all the other Natural daies to the end of the world Secondly Early seeking may be done by advice counsel and meditation as well in the time of darknesse as in the morning light Thirdly When it pleased the Lord to uncreat Judab by his destroying Judgements namely by wars from the Enemy how did God order it to be done but by his early looking out and searching into things For thus saith the Lord I looked upon the Earth and loe it was without form and void and to the Heavens and they had no light Jer. 4. 23. for by their wicked confused Government they had provoked the Lord by wars to turn all their Commonwealth into a Chaos again This form of speech by contraries declares that God by his wise Providence did search out in the time of the first darkness how to adorn the earth with light and how to order all the parts of the first day in the best manner and in this respect Gods early Providence is often set out by the term Morning both in regard of his early Judgements upon a people and also in regard Boker the Morning is put for Gods early seeking either to punish the wicked or protects the godly of his early Preservation of his own people 1. His early and speedy Judgements upon the wicked are set out by the term Morning in Num. 16. 5. Zeph. 3. 5. Psal 73. 14 Ezek. 7. 7 10. and so in Hos 10. 15. In the morning shal the King of Israel be destroyed and in this sense I shall presently expound Isa 47. 11. 2. The term Morning doth often denote Gods early care and Providence in looking out for the Protection of his people Exod. 14. 24. Psal 46. 7. Hence I infer that seeing the word Morning doth signifie early seeking or early looking out it may well denote unto us that the first Darkness was not comprehended under the term Evening but under the term Morning for Gnereb the Evening is never put for early or first but it is always put for late or last because it was the latter part of the Day as I have shewed in my Answer to the third Objection of the former Chapter and more by and by Secondly It is further evident that the Morning time was first As Gnereb the Evening is put for last time So Boker the Morning is put for the first time or for the beginning of a thing and the Evening last by Gen. 49. 27. Benjamin shall ravine like a Woolf in the Morning he shall devour the prey and in the Evening he shall divide the spoile The Seventy render it The early Morning and truly seeing the first Darkness had the priority of time before the Artificial Morning it is not proper to put the Artificial Morning for first in preheminence of time before the first Darkness and therefore in reason the first Darkness must belong to the early Morning as well as the first half of the Artificial Day doth or else Jacob did not make a proper Allusion to the Morning and to the Evening if the first Darkness had been Evening for then the evening had been first in order of time search into the story of Events and see how Jacobs Prophecie doth relate to the term Morning and Evening the event of his Prophecie lyes thus 1. Ehud of Benjamin was raised up by God like a Woolf in the early morning to devour the Moabites and to deliver Israel Judg. 3. 15. Then God did also raise up Hester and Mâ—â—decai or Benjamin like a Wâ—olf as it were in the Artificial Morning to deliver the Jews and to devour Haâ—nan and all his Confederates in a hundred twenty seven Provinces Hest 8. and Hest 9. 2. In the Evening-time of the world God raised up Paul of Benjamin to divide the spoil with the other Apostles by the preaching of the Gospel for Paul is said to make the Word of God to abound from Jerusalem to Illyricum Rom. 15. 19. and it is further evident that the daies of the Gospel are called the Evening by Zeph. 2. 7. the Prophet doth there foretel that there shall be a remnant of the Jews namely of the dispersed Jews dwelling in several Countries that shall be called to rest or lie down in the Evening and to this remnant of dispersed Jewes did Peter and James write in the Evening-time of the Gospel to exhort them to rest and repose their Souls in Christ for Life and Salvation Zachary also doth use the term Evening for the last times namely for the daies of the Gospel and in that respect the time of the Gospel is often called the last dayes Isa 2. 2. Jer. 30. 24. Heb. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 5. 20. Zacharies phrase runs thus In the
discourse of the Jews Synagogues Discipline But under pain of the Lords displeasure none might approach to the Lords Sanctuary without their legal purifications as it is manifest by the example of Gods displeasure against some of Ephraim Manasses when they came to the Passeover in the daies of Hezekiah without their purifications but as soon as Hezekiah perceived their error which doubtless the consciences of the visited persons made them to acknowledge he prayed to the Lord for them the Lord was intreated and healed the people 2 Chron. 30. 19 20. and for the better avoiding of this error afterwards it was observed as a custom among the Jews to go out of the Country up to Jerusalem before the Feast of Passeover to purifie themselves Joh. 7. 55. which purification was effected by two degrees of cleanness First By baptizing themselves in the first Evening And secondly By the Sun-setting upon them after their baptizing as I have formerly proved the matter for none might approach the Sanctuary until they could declare their purification to the Priests that were the Porters 2 Chron. 23. 19. as Paul did Act. 21. 26. And the Lord did so much approve of their Ceremonial purity both by their actual baptizing and by their abstinence from unclean meats and from all other things else that might defile them That for that very obedience he doth cal the whole Nation All Israel are called men of Holiness in regard of their ceremonial purity Men of holiness Exod. 22. 31. for all the Nation in general were very careful to maintain this kind of holiness And the Hebrew Doctors say that if any man of the common people did but say I am clean to keep the sin-water he was to be trusted for there is no man of Israel too vild for it See Ains in Num. 19. 9. that is to say no man of Israel was too vild for it if he were but Ceremonially clean and in this sense all Israel were holy namely to the purifying of their flesh for the Law is not of Faith Gal. 3. 12. a man might keep the Law to the purifying of his flesh though they wanted saving-Faith to apply the blood of Christ for the cleansing of their consciences from the guilt of sin And thus much touching the first degree of time in which they must perform the first degree of their Ceremonial cleannesse SECT 2. I Come now to speak of the second degree of time wherein their Ceremonial cleanness was perfected and that was as soon as the Sun was set upon them after their Ceremonial baptizing and from that time also they began to date the new day of their cleanness First I prove that God ordained the Sun-set Evening to be the time of perfecting the cleanness of the baptized person ere he None were compleaâ—ly purified by being baptized til the Sun was set upon them could begin the day of his cleanness by Deut. 23. 10 11. There Moses saith thus to all Israel If there be in thee a man that is not clean by reason of an accident in the night then he shall go out of the Camp and he shall bath himself in water at the looking forth of the Evening and what then was he now made clean as soon as ever he had bathed himself in water The answer is no hee must yet stay a while longer without the Camp till his Sun be set and then when the Sun is gon down he shall come into the Camp Hence it is evident that his Ceremoniall purity was not compleat until his Sun was set but then it was compleat and therefore he did then begin to date the day of his cleanness Hence also I gather that their Ceremonial baptizing might be done in any part of the afternoon provided it were done before Sun-set because the Sun did look forth towards the place of his going down by his shadow from Mid-day til it went out of that Horizon as I have formerly explained the matter But if any were defiled by any accident in the night after his Sun was set upon him he must remain in that uncleanness untill a new baptizing in the next afternoon and till a new Sun-set Evening Secondly It is evident that none were compleatly purified till Sun-set by Levit. 22. 5 6 7. Moses saith thus If any man whether Priest or Israelite be made unclean by touching a dead creeping thing or the like unclean thing Then in ver 6. he shall be unclean untill the Evening he shall not eat of the holy things But first He shall bath himself in water Aâ—d then Secondly saith ver 7. when the Sun is gon down he shall be clean By this Text it is also evident that he did not attain to a perfect ceremonial cleanness by baptizing himself in water untill the Sun was gon down upon him after his bathing But as soon as his Sun was set then he was compleatly purified and then also he began to date the day of his cleanness and then also he might eat of the holy things Thirdly The Hebrew Doctors do abundantly testifie that no baptized person did begin the day of his cleanness untill his Sun was set for this is their common and peculiar phrase They shall be unclean untill their Sun be set But the common phrase of the Ceremonial Law saith thus They shall be unclean untill the Evening The unclean saith Maymony may not eat of the Heave-Offering untill their Sun be set See Ains in Lev. 22. 9 10. And hence it is evident that they held the baptized persons to have some degree of uncleanness upon them untill their Sun was set And therefore Maymony saith thus He that is baptized is the second in uncleanness untill his Sun be set And he that is so baptized if his Sun bee not set may not eat or drink of the Trumah or holy offerings nor of any meat or drink that is holy See Ains in Lev. 11. 32. and in Lev. 7. 20 21. and in Numb 19. 19 20 21. This phrase in the Law He shall be unclean untill the Evening is eight times over repeated in Lev. 11. and fourteen times over in Lev. 15. and often elsewhere But the Hebrew Doctors do usually express it He shall be unclean till his Sun be set they accounted the term Sun-set and the term Evening to be all one time Hence then it follows that the date of their new day of cleanness did alwaies begin at the Sun-set Evening Fourthly It is evident that the Jews began the date of their new day of cleanness at the Sun-set Evening because the Sun-set The Jews morrow began at Sun-set in Ceremonial respects Evening is called Their morning 1 Sam. 30. 17. David and his men are said to pursue after the Amalekites From the twilight unto the Evening of Their Morrow that is to say from the Twilight in the Morning until their Morrow which began at the Sun-set Evening it was a custom that was proper and peculiar unto them
it is Behind or it is due West On the contrary when Moses directed them to other places that Iay East he directed them thither by the Rising of the Sun Numb 21. 11. Numb 34. 15. Deuter. 4. 41 47. Josh 12. 1. Josh 19. 27 34. Secondly Let Joshua also shew his judgement about the time and place of Sun-set and he declares his judgement by another familiar example for he directed the Jews how to finde out the West bounds of Canaan not by the confused and obscure mark of Twilight but first by the perspicuous mark of Sun-set and secondly by the hindmost Sea Jos 1. 4. he makes the hindmost Sea and the going down of the Sun to be marks Synonima for the finding out of the West borders of Canaan and he doth also explain this hindmost Sea to be the great Sea at Sun-set Jos 23. 4. and Moses likewise doth call this Sea the Hindmost Sea Deut. 11. 24. But the Greek and Chaldee call it the Western Sea So then from the premises it follows That seeing the places that lye due West are marked out by the perspicuous mark of the going down of the Sun we must thereby understand that the Sun-set Evening doth begin as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight and therefore hence it follows that those that make the time of Sun-set and the time of Twilight to be all one for the begining of our Lords day do build their opinion but on a sandy foundation Thirdly The Hebrew Text doth often express the time of Sun-set by the going in of the Sun to lodge all night as it were in its chamber and it is said to go in as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of our Horizon See Ains in Psa 50. 1. on the contrary as soon as the body of the Sun is risen upon our Horizon in the morning it is said to come forth as a Bridegroom out of his chamber Psal 19. 5. Fourthly Experience will tell you that the Sun is set as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight or else if it be not set till the darknesse in the skie is more than the light in the skie then there is no Sun-set at all in the North of England when the daies are at the longest for experience doth testifie that the light is hardly out of the skie there all the night long except a little in the middle of the night and yet experience doth witnesse that the Sun doth truly set there every day Fifthly Let all Astronomers shew their judgement when the Sun doth set and they with one consent do testifie that the Sun doth set as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gon out of sight for they describe the time of Sun-set and the time of the Suns rising by the first appearing of the body of the Sun in the morning and by the body of the Sun going out of sight in the evening as all their Almanacks do testifie Sixthly Let the Evangelist Marke shew his judgement for he describes the Evening to begin at Sun-set Mark 1. 32. but Luke speaking of the same action saith It was when the Sun was setting Luke 4 40. put this together and it implies that the time of the beginning of the Sun-set Evening is as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight Seventhly Joshua doth testifie that the Evening is come as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight Jos 10. 26 27. and Daniel saith That Darius did labour to deliver him till the going down of the Sun Dan. 6. 14. But the Seventy say till Evening and Moses saith The soul that toucheth a dead creeping thing shall be unclean untill the Evening Lev. 22 6. but saith he in vers 7. He shall bathe himself in water and then he shall be clean when the Sun is gone down from all these places it is evident that the term Sun-set and the term Evening are terms convertible for the Sun-set Evening Eighthly It is evident by this reason that the latter Evening doth begin as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight because there is no interim between the End of the first Evening and the Beginning of the latter Evening and I have proved in Chap. 2. that the first Evening doth end as soon as ever the Sun doth leave off to make any more shadows upon the face of the Earth For the whole time of the first Evening is described by its shadows looking forth towards the place of its Rest or by the strotching out of its shadows upon the face of the Earth as I have expounded Jer. 6. 4. and therefore it follows by necessary consequence that the latter Evening must begin at that instant time This consequence is so cleer that none that loves plain truth can deny it But to prevent rash zeal and unadvised haste in feasting upon the holy flesh the Hebrew Doctors advised to stay a little time after Sun-set They begin their Religious Festival Suppers after Sun-set as soon as three stars appeared in the skie for the Sun must go down upon the baptized person before his Purification was perfected and then he began the date of his new day and then he was made fit to eat of the holy flesh yet they advised to stay a little time after Sun-set namely till three stars appeared in the skie Mamony saith That the unclean may not eat of the Heave-offering untill their Sun be set and three stars appear after the Sun is gone down See Ains in Lev. 22. 9. Thus have I shewed how God ordained the time of the two Evenings for the effecting of two degrees of cleannesse and now I shall in the next Section shew That all the latter Evening from Sun-set till Mid-night was appointed for the time of their Religious feasting upon their Passeovers and Peace-offerings and that this part of the night was a true part of the former natural day SECT 3. FRom the date of the new Day to the person purified at the Sun-set Evening we may see the true Reason that did inforce the Jewes to begin all their Ceremonial Sabbaths at that time and of all other dayes by occasion thereof But this beginning of the day was no more to be accounted for the beginning of the natural Day than the beginning of their yeer in Nishan was to be accounted for the first month by Creation for they began their yeer in Nishan upon the occasion of their famous deliverance out of Egypt in that month but from the Creation the yeer began in Tizri which now is called the Seventh month and this seventh month was afterwards made famous again by Joshua's Conquest of Canaan and by his division of the land thereupon to the nine Tribes and a half in this seventh month Jos 14. and in remembrance thereof they began all their yeers of Rest and all their Jubiles from that
with his prayers and exhortations It was not convenient for above twenty persons to joyn together for one Passeover the full time of the latter Evening from Sun-set till Mid-night Matth. 26. 18 20. By this example we see that thirteen persons may conveniently joyn together at one Passeover and the Hebrew Doctors say That twenty may make their account for one Lamb Exod. 12. 4. but not above twenty By this means we may perceive that all the Passovers in Canaan might well be dispatched in the Evening of the fourteenth day in the first Evening they might be all sacrificed and in the second Evening they might all be feasted on with Religious solemnity without any doubt to the contrary Reason 3. I will now return to prove by a third Reason that the going down of the Sun in Deu. 16. 6. must be understood from the first going down of the Sun from Mid-day till Sun-set because the next phrase will not suffer it to be understood otherwise At the season thou camest out of Egypt Object 6. Here it may be demanded what season was it in which they came out of Egypt Answ It was in the strength or in the body of the day Exod. 12. 41. namely it was about Mid-day The Hebrew Doctors say That as God brought Israel out of Egypt at Mid-day so he slew the first-born of Egypt at Mid-night The Israelites did not flye out of Egypt as persons frighted either in the Sun-set Evening or in the Twilight as it were through stealth or through fear as Zedekiah did out of Jerusalem Ezek. 12. but they went out of Egypt with a high hand in the fight of all the Egyptians Numb 33. 3. or they went out in the strength or in the body of the day for at Mid-day the Sun is in its greatest strength Prov. 4. 18. Psal 37. 6. Rev. 1. 16. but after the Mid-day is past namely as soon as the Sun is declined but a little towards the West or towards the place of Sun-set then the day is said to grow weak so the Hebrew speaks Jud. 19. 19. for then the Sun hath lost much of its strength which it had at Mid-day and then the day may be said to be spent or to be bowed down or declined all these phrases are used and may be compared together see Judg. 19. 19. with Mar. 6. 35. Luk. 9. 19. and Luk. 24 29. Object 7. Perhaps this phrase At the season thou camest out of Egypt doth not mean the time of the day but the time of the yeer when they departed and according to that time of the yeer Moses doth command them to kill all their Passovers Answ This Objection argues great ignorance in the plain story For the time of the yeer when they came out of Egypt was on the fifteenth day of Nishan Num. 33. 3. But Moses did straitly command them to kill all their Passeovers on the fourteenth day of Nishan between the two Evenings and this fourteenth day was so strictly commanded that it might not be altered though it fell out upon a Sabbath day Therefore this phrase At the season thou camest out of Egypt must not be understood of the time of the yeer but of the time of the day onely which was in the strength of the day that is to say at Mid-day in this season they are commanded to begin to kill their Passeovers in Canaan Exod. 12. 6. Lev. 23. 5. Num. 9. 3. Object 8. May not the sacrificing of the Passeover be changed from the A digression to open some difficult phrases about the passeover and they are the more difficult because they are borrowed from the Dialect of the Thalmud fourteenth day to the fifteenth day seeing Matth. saith thus On the first day of Unleavened-bread the Disciples came to Jesus saying Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passeover Matth. 26. 17. Now the first day of Vnleavened-bread was the fifteenth day of Nishan Answ This day which is called the First day of Unleavened bread cannot be rightly understood without the knowledge of the Jewish ancient Customes which are now for our information recorded in the Thalmuds and because this and many other phrases in the New Testament are recorded in the Thalmuds we may well say That the New Testament doth often Thalmudize because it useth many termes that are no where else to be found but in the ancient Hebrew Doctors and in the Thalmuds onely Now for Answer in a more special manner the Hebrew Doctors do comprehend under the general term of the Feast of Unleavened-bread and more especially under the first day of Unleavened-bread the Feast of the Paschal Lamb for though they are two distinct Feasts yet they are also so interwoven together that they may well be called the one for the other for though the Paschal Lamb was alwayes sacrificed on the 14. day between the two Evenings yet the time of feasting on that holy flesh was after Sun-set which was after the fifteenth day called the first of Unleavened-bread was begun according to the date of the person purified and yet the Feast of this Evening was no part of the Feast of Unleavened-bread for the sacrifices of that day were not yet killed but this Feast was the proper Feast of the Passeover belonging to the fourteenth day and with the Passeover also they might not eat any Leavened but Unleavened bread and in this respect Maymony doth call the Feast of the Paschal Lamb the Feast of Unleavened-bread and sometimes he calls the seven days of the proper Feast of Unleavened bread by the name of the Passeover interchangeably confounding the termer See Ains in Lev. 23. 7. and in this sense also Targum Jonathan calls the second day of Unleavened-bread the day that followed the first good day of Passeover See Ains in Lev. 23. 15. Hence you see that he cals the first day of Unleavened-bread The first good day of the Passeover and so interchangeably they call the proper feast of the Pascha the first day of Unleavened-bread and from this usual dialect among them the Evangelist Matthew saith That the Disciples came to Jesus Christ on the first day of Vnleavened bread saying Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to â—at the Passover And thus the Evangelists speak according to the Jewish Customes sometimes they call the proper feast of the Pascha the first of Unleavened-bread as Matth. 26. 17. and Mark 14. 12. and sometimes they call the proper Feast of Unleavened-bread by the name of the Passeover as Luke doth chap. 22. 1. But yet secondly The Hebrew Doctors do sometimes distinguish the proper Feast of the Pascha from the first day of the proper Feast of Unleavened bread Charkumi calleth the Evening of the first good day and that Night the Passeover But saith he the residue of the Feast from the first Night and so forwards is called the Feast of Unleavened-cakes See Ains in Lev. 23. 6. and according to this
distinction speaketh the Evangelist Mark Mar. 14. 1. after two dayes followed the Pascha and the Unleavened-bread and this distinction doth also agree with the twofold Command in Moses In the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passeover And in the fifteenth day which begins at Sun-set is the Feast Numb 28. 16 17. Object 9. Mr. Weams and others do affirm That the Jews ate not the Passover on the fourteenth of Nishan as Christ did but transferred it to the fifteenth day and to the beginning of the sixteenth day and he gives this reason for it because the next day after Christ had eaten his Passover is called the Preparation-day to the Jewish Passover Joh. 18. 28. Joh. 19. 14. Hence he infers that the Jews transferred the eating of the Passover till the next day after Christ had eaten his See Weams on the Ceremonial Laws Pag. 89. and the Annotat. of our old English Bibles in Mat. 26. Ans I beleeve that Mr. Weames and others have no better ground for this tenent but some frivolous Authors and therefore Mr. Godwin doth put a note of dislike upon such as follow such frivolous Authors and indeed it is a great impiety for us Christians to slander them with so grosse a transgression as this I beleeve that the Jews in their corruptest times before Christ were very strict in observing the letter of the Command and morâ— zealous also to punish such as did openly practise the contrary and it is most evident that they held so close to the letter of the Command that they would not transferre it to any other day though iâ— fell out to be on a Sabbath day it is a received Canon among them that the keeping of the Pascha on the fourteenth of Nishan doth put away the Sabbath as I have noted it formerly Secondly The Evangelist Mark doth testifie on the Jews behalf against all men that they kept the Pascha in the very self-same day that our Lord and his Disciples did for Mark doth expresse it thus In the first day of unleavened Bread when they Sacrificed the Passeover his Disciples said unto him Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou maist eat the Passeover Mark 14. 12. this term when they namely when the Iews in general sacrificed the Passeover then his Disciples said unto him Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou as wel as they maist eat the Passeover on the self-same day as the Iews in general did Thirdly Christ himself doth bear witnesse that the Iews in general did keep the Pascha in the very self-same day that hee did Yee know said Christ unto his Disciples that after two days the Pascha is kept Mat. 26. 2. he saith You know it that the Pascha is then kept it was a known custom among them that after two days the Pascha is kept namely generally of all the Iews Fourthly The Hebrew Doctors do protest that they punish him that passeth the fourteenth day for the killing of the Pascha Maymony saith it is an expresse Commandment to kill the Pascha in the month Nishan in the 14th day and saith he he that breaketh this Commandment and killeth it not in the 14th day being not defiled nor in a far journey is guilty of being rooted out or cut off thus the Iews protest against our slander See Bro. in his Advertisement of corruptions in Religion p. 104. Fifthly This our grosse mistake of the Iews practise doth arise from our mistake of the meaning of the word Passeover in Iohn 18. 28. he saith thus The Iews went not into Pilates common Hall test they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passeover and in ch 19. 14. Iohn saith It was the preparation of the Passeover and about the sixth hour Hence some that are not wel acquainted with the Iews customs which are now recorded in their Thalmuds as the learned do observe have collected this inference that the Iews transferred the Passeover from the evening of the fourteenth day to the evening of the fifteenth day and also to the sixteenth day but indeed in this term Passeover Iohn doth Thalmudize and therfore without the help of the Hebrew Doctors it is not easie to spel Iohns meaning they apply the term Passeover not only to the proper Feast of the Pascha but as I noted in my answer to the former objection they use it as a general term for the whole Feast of unleavened Bread and in that respect they count all the days of it as if they were the days of the Passeover but more especially they did account the first day of unleavened Bread to be a Passeover day because they did then feast on the Peace-offerings belonging to the Passeover for they sacrificed with the Paschal Lamb on the fourteenth day certain Peace-offerings of Sheep or Oxen and these voluntary Peace-offerings they called the Passeover because they were sacrificed together with the Paschal Lamb on the fourteenth day and by the Law they might bee eaten for the space of two days and one night Levit. 7. 16. now the Iews had eaten the Paschal Lamb the night before but they had not as yet ended their feasting on these Peace-offerings which Iohn calls the Passeover the term Passeover in this last sense is not understood of many but Mr. Broughton and Mr. Ainsworth have given special notice of the word Passeover in this sense and that the Hebrew Doctors had grounded their common use of it on the Law in Deut. 16. 2. 4. and Mr. Broughton cites Solomon Jarchi speaking thus in Deut. 16. If many belong to one Passeover then they adde to it Chagiga Oxen for the Holy-day feast and saith Jarchy presently after the proper sense of the Scripture is that the flesh of the Chagigah-Passeover which thou dost sacrifice in the evening with the Lamb-Passeover shal be eaten in the fourteenth day and in the fifteenth day take notice by the way that he makes no mention of the sixteenth day as Mr. Weames doth most falsly Maymony also saith When they offered the Passeover in the first Month they offered it with the Peace-offerings of the fourteenth day Oxen or Flock-beasts great or small Male or Female but they offered not the Chagigah if the Lamb sufficed the company and so it was voluntary and not forced by any affirmative Commandment and it was eaten two days and one night and not in the second night as M. Weames doth mistakingly say In these words Maymony doth tell us that Iohn spake from the depth of Thalmudique knowledge and in this sense also doth Mr. Ainsworth explain the equivocation of the word Passeover from the Hebrew Doctors in Deut. 16. 2 4. and in Lev. 7. 16. John saith it was morning and they went not into Pâ—aeâ—orion that they might not be defiled but might eat the Passâ—over not the Passeover strictly taken for that was eaten the night before but that they might eat their voluntary Peace-offerings which they had
seeing they might make but one meal of the Lamb-Passeover why should any man think of a longer time to feast on it than till the Mid-night Morning if it had been requisite to feast on it till day break our Saviour would have improved the full time but it is evident that he did finish all by Mid-night not onely the Supper of the Paschal Lamb but also the Peace-offerings which he adjoyned to the Paschal Lamb Joh. 13. 12. This 12. Ver. saith when he was set down again namely after he had ended the Lamb-Passeover in Verse 2. then he arose from Supper and washed his Disciples feet Verse 3. then he sate down again to feast upon the Chagigah-Passeover Verse 12. At which Feast they used to drink two or three cups of Wine which our Saviour improved for the institution of his own Supper they had no common Supper this night as some unadvisedly speak but all the flesh they ate was holy flesh and all their Feasting was with Religious joy for their Redemption together with his long Exhortations Thanksgivings Prayers and Psames I apprehend it was much about the time of Mid-night or rather before when he had ended all And it doth further appear that the Hebrew Doctors did fear it might be a Transgression to continue at their Religious Feasting The Jews accounted the first half of the night to be a part of the former day in the case of their religiâ—us Feasting on their Passeovers on the Pascha till the morning at day-break because they do of ten limit the time of their Religious Feasting but untill Mid-night Maymony saith That the two Lambs which were presented as a Meat-offering together with the Two Loaves for the Peace-offerings of the Congregation on the day of Penticost were eaten by the Priests in the Same Day and in Half the Night as the flesh of the most Holy things were See Ains in Lev. 23. 20. By this Testimony it is evident that all their holy things were eaten in the same day and in half the night except their voluntary Peace-offerings for they had allowance from the Law to feast on that flesh two dayes and one night Lev. 7. 17 18. Deut. 16. 2. 10. Secondly Consider this well for though the Hebrew Doctors do sometimes say that the fats and the peeces of the Burnt-offering may lye burning upon the Altar all night till break of day yet they do also say that their Wise men did advise the Priests not to continue the burning upon the Altar any longer than till Mid-night and in Exod. 23. 8. the Lord saith The fat of my Feast shall not remain untill the morning therefore it must be wholly consumed with fire before day-break And indeed they might not continue the burning any longer than til Mid-night without manifest Transgression espâ—cially at festival times for at festival times saith Maymony The Priests must take away the ashes from the Altar at the beginning of the third part of the night But on Reconciliation-days they took away the ashes at Mid-night See Ains in Lev. 6. 10. By this Hebrew Canon it is evident that they could not continue the burning of the fats and peeces of the Evening sacrifices untill day-break without transgressing this necessary order in cleansing the Altar by way of preparation to the morning sacrifices for they might not do any other work about the morning sacrifice till the ashes were taken from the Altar for that was the first work in order to the morning sacrifice and they could not do that work untill the burning of the fats and of the peeces of the Evening sacrifices were finished therefore they might not continue the burning any longer than till Mid-night at sometimes at least without Transgression especially in the night before the day of Reconciliation for then the Priests must take away the ashes from the Altar at Mid-night and by this it is evident that the ancient Hebrew Doctors held that the morning namely the root of it began at Mid-night because they did then give order to set things in a readinesse for the morning Sacrifice and after this work was done they had many other things to set in order before they could offer the morning Sacrifice and the usual time of killing the morning Sacrifice was before Sun-rising but on expiation-Expiation-day it was killed at day-break See Ains in Num. 28. 4. and Lev. 16. 4. By these Records of the Hebrew Doctors we may see the true Reason why they feared it might be a Transgression to continue the burning any longer than till Mid-night and why they feared it might be a Transgression to continue their Festival Suppers any longer than till Mid-night it was because they held the root of the morning to begin at Mid-night And Maymony saith Gratefull is a Commandement that is done in the hour of the same See Ains in Lev. 6. 10. And hence my Answer is to this Objection it is the safest way to expound the word Morning in Lev. 7. 15. and in Lev. 22. 30. c. to signifie that the root or the first beginning of the morning is at Mid-night for fear of Transgression After this Treatise was ready for the Presse I met with a passage in Dr. * See his third part of his Harmony p 194. Leightfoot on Mark 1. 35. worth the inserting into this place Although saith he the Jews did precisely begin their day from Sun-setting yet did they also make the Mid-night a distinctive period to part between day and day so as to determine Rem Diei in Diem suum Talmud in Beracoth Per. 1. From what time do they say over their Phylacteries at Even From the time that thâ— Priests go in to eat their portion of the Sacrifices till the end of their first Watch But saith R. Eliezer The Wise men said untill Mâ—d-night Ibid. in Pesach in Per. 10. The Passeover after Mid-night defiles the hands Jona Per. 1. Maym. in Tamid in Per. 2. The cleansing of the Burnt-offering Altar on the day of Expiation began from Mid-night Talm. in Zeuach in Per. 5. Trespasse-offerings might be eaten till mid-night Ibid. Lesser holy Offerings may be eaten till Mid-night Ibid. The Passeover is not eaten but in the night and it is not eaten but till Mid-night The meaning of these Passages is That whereas these things were to be done to day and might not be put off till to morrow If they were done any time before Mid-night it was reputed current as done to day Their Phylacteries were to be said over every day at Even If they were said over before Mid-night it served the turn for the day before And the parts of the Offerings that were to be eaten in the same day that the Offering was offered and might not be kept till the morrow if they were eaten before Mid-night it did serve the turn for the day before The Altar of Burnt-offering was to be cleansed every day but on the day of Expiation it began to be
cleansed from the Mid-night before and that was taken as done on the day of Expiation And so they observed to feast on the Passeover but untill Mid-night These things I have produced the rather because of this passage in Mark 1. 35. which calls it the Morning and yet it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much of the Night yet remaining for as they reckoned up till Mid-night for the day that was past So they reckoned the morning to begin at Mid-night to the day following Were I to discusse the Question about the beginning and ending of our Christian Sabbath I should think this matter worth consideration to that purpose And something parallel to this are those Texts in Exod. 12. 22. None of you shall go out of the door of his house untill the morning yet verse 29. at Mid-night the Lord smote the First-born c. verse 33. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people that they might send them out Deut. 16. 1. and God brought thee forth of Egypt by Night Now this Morning in Mar. 1. 35. in which Christ rose so very early and went out to pray was on the morrow after the Sabbath the day on which the Christian Sabbath was fixed ere long which may not be unobserved since so special a matter is mentioned of that day Thus farre out of Doctor Leightfoot which doth illustrate and strengthen that which I have said in sundry places about the beginning of the morning at mid-night Secondly I come now to speak of the second Part of the Passeover Evening which was for the use of their Religious Feasting from Sun-set to mid-night After my long digression to answer several Objections about the Iews customs I come now to speak of the second part of the Passeover Evening appointed for the time of their religious Feasting on their Passeovers and that was from Sun-set to Mid-night and this space of time was all the latter evening And this is evident 1 By the appointment of Moses 2 By the practise of our Saviour 1 Moses appointed all Israel to eat the flesh of the Paschal Lamb In that Night Exod. 12. 8 42. namely in that part of the night that belonged to the fourteenth day by Creation 2 It is evident that Christ did not sit down to eat the Passeover with his twelve Apostles until the latter evening was come for Christ himself was in the fore-noon or in the beginning of the after-noon at Bethany when he sent two of his Disciples to Ierusalem to prepare the Passeover and to present it to the Priests to be killed for them all between the two evenings Mar. 14. 3. 12. 13. then after it was sacrificed he bad them carry it to such a house and make it ready against his coming and in thus doing he did according to the Iews custom for their custom was that if thirteen or twenty did joyn together for one Passeover they did send one or two of their company to present it to the Priest and so to make it ready for the rest See Ains in Numb 9. 12. then at Sun-set they all met together and began the feast at the hour appointed This custom our Saviour observed for he came not in person to Ierusalem til the latter evening was come Mat. 26 20. Mar. 14. 17. and when he was come he did not sit down to eat until the appointed hour was come Luk. 22. 14. this hour in general was the latter evening at Sun-set but the particular hour of their feasting was not by the Hebrew Doctors Canons untill three Stars did appear after Sun-set See Ains in Lev. 22. 9. ◠It is evident that our Saviour did not begin to Feast on his Passeover untill the said evening was come and it is evident also that he finished all his religious exercises and solemnities within the space of this latter evening from sun-set till mid-night as I have opened the matter more in my answer to the sixteenth objection Object 17. How can you prove that the Passeover-Supper was celebrated in the night of the fourteenth day seeing you confesse that the fifteenth day began that night at Sun-set and the Hebrew Doctors affirm that the flesh of the Paschal Lamb was eaten in the fifteenth night how then can that night appertain both to the fourteenth and to the fifteenth day Ans It was the fifteenth night according to the date of the person purified as I have opened the matter in chap. 4. and otherwhere but in regard of the Feast it did still properly appertain to the fourteenth day As for example if a Iew were defiled on the Passeover day by any of the lighter sorts of uncleanesses what course must he take that he might not be deprived of the Passeover Feast the answer is he must bathe or baptise himself in Water at the looking forth of the evening that is to say in the after-noon And what then might hee then carry his Lamb to the Temple to be sacrificed No he might not yet go himself to the Temple because his clensing was not fully compleat but yet he might joyn with others and cause others to kill the Passeover for him because he was now in his first degree of cleansing and then as soon as the Sun was fully gone down upon him he was fully clean and then he began the date of his day of cleanenesse and then as soon as three Stars appeared after Sun-set he might sit down with the rest of that Society to eat the Passeover See Ains in Num. 9. 10. And thus the Sun-set evening was the fifteenth day to the Person purified and yet it was properly the fourteenth day still in respect of feasting on the Sacrifices and thus these two actions of Feasting and Purifying may wel bear the date of two severall days thus enter-woven together without any confusion or disorder 1. It was necessary that the Person purified should begin the date of his new day as soon as his Ceremonial cleanenesse was perfected by the setting of the Sun upon him after his Baptising as I have opened the matter in chap. 4. 2 It was also as necessary that the solemn act of feasting upon the flesh of their Sacrifices should bear the date of the same day with the said Sacrifices 1 Because the act of Feasting received no new degree of cleanenesse at Sun-set as the person purified did 2. Because the act of feasting in the latter evening after Sun-set had a necessary dependence upon the act of Sacrificing in the former evening for the act of feasting on the Holy flesh in the latter evening was but to help on the Spiritual application of that document that was typified and exhibited by the sacrifice in the former evening therefore seeing the act of feasting had such a necessary dependence upon the act of sacrificing I see no reason why this continued Sacramental Passeover should bear the date of two several proper Natural days I see no reason why the act of feasting should bear the date of
the fifteenth day except it be only in relation to the date of the person purified and thus Maymony above cited must be understood that the flesh of the Paschal Lamb was eaten on the fifteenth night namely according to the date of the person purified though in regard of the Feast it self it was but the fourteenth night still as in my next answer at fifthly I have cited his words Obj. 18. I desire to see yet further how you can prove that the latter evening at Sun-set was a true part of the fourteenth day in the case of their religious Feasting upon the Passeover Ans 1. I prove it by Exod. 12. 6 8 14. verses compared together the sixth verse commanded them to kill all their Passeovers between the two evenings this was the allowed season for the sacrificing of all their Passeovers in Aegypt 2. The eighth verse sets out the allowed season for the time of feasting they shall eat the flesh in that Night namely in that night that doth properly belong to the fourteenth day and then 3. In â—â—ose fourteen he doth unite these two solemn actions togetheâ— in these words This day shall be to you for a memorial yee shall festivally keep it for a feast unto Jehovah mark this phrase This day and yeâ— shall festivally keep it what day doth he mean olse but the fourteenth day afore spoken of â— and yee shall festivally keep it and yet the Feast was kept after Sun-set Hence it follows that the time of feasting on the Paschal Lamb after Sun-set was a â—rue part of the fourteenth day by Creation though it was the beginning of the fifteenth day to the person purified 2 It is evident that the Sun-set evening is a true part of the same fourteenth day by Creation by Numb 9. 11. In the second Month in the fourteenth day of the Month between the two evenings they shall do it with unleavened Cakes and bitter Herbs shall they eat it In this text Moses doth speak of a Two-fold action to be done in the evening of the fourteenth day of the month He speaks of doing it namely according to the Command that is to say of sacrificing it between the two evenings Secondly He speaks of the act of feasting with unleavened Cakes and bitter Herbs Moses doth not distribute these two Sacramental actions unto two severall Natural days but commands them both to bee done in the same fourteenth day of the month 3 It is evident by Jos 10. 3. that they kept the Feast of the Paschal Lamb on the fourteenth day of the Month at Even Joshuae names only the time of Feasting though the time of Sacrificing must be understood he saith plainly that it must be feasted on in the fourteenth day of the Month at even I cannot see how any man that loves plain truth can deny the Sun-set evening to be a true part of the former day 4 It is evident that the latter evening was a true part of the fourteenth day because the seven days of unleavened Bread have seven latter evenings belonging to them besides the latter evening of the fourteenth day so that they observed eight festival Evenings together and so Josephus doth number them in Antiq. lib. 2. ch 5. and hence it follows that the Festival Supper which belonged to the last day of unleavened Bread which was the one and twentieth day of the Month did also bear the date of the two and twentieth day to the person purified and this latter evening was the allowed season for all their Holy Festival Suppers and often-times it was little enough for they must boyl and rost all the flesh of their Peace-offerings which were of the greater kind as sheep and Oxen for no Fowls were allowed for Peace-offerings See Ains in Bev. 3. 6. this did much increase the quantity of their Provisions and therefore it required the longer time both to Cook it and to feast on it and all these days of Feasting were commanded to be done with great solemnity especially the first and the last and with many relations of Gods goodnesse for their deliverance out of Aegypt and with Songs and Psalms of praise Deut. 16. 15. Exod. 23. 15. Deut. 27. 7. See Ains in Exod. 12. 8. and in this respect the latter evening was a competent time for these religious Solemnities and to continue the time of feasting longer was a transgression for it is expresly commanded in Lev. 7. 15. that the holy flesh must be eaten in the same day in which it was sacrificed But if the Sun-set evening had been the true beginning of the Natural day then this Holy flesh could not have been eaten the same day as I have noted the reason thereof formerly and then God by Moses had commanded us to do that which is not possible to be done therefore the Sun-set evening is a true part of the same Natural day wherein the flesh was sacrificed Maymony saith as I noted in objection sixteen that the Priests did eat the two Loaves which were presented to the Lord with the Meat-offering of the Congregation on the day of Penticost in the same day and in half the night as the flesh of the most holy things were See Ains in Levit. 23. 20. so then in the judgement of the ancient Hebrew Doctors for Maymony doth but record their judgement the latter evening till mid-night was a true part of the same Natural day in which the Sacrifices were offered though yet notwithstanding the purified person began the date of his new day at the Sun-set afore 5 Thus saith Maymony after he had related divers circumstances about the Passeover then is brought in a Table furnished with bitter Herbs unleavened Bread and the Body of the Paschal Lamb and the flesh Chagigah which is saith he for the fourteenth day of the Month he doth not say which is for the fifteenth day of the Month though otherwise he doth call this time the fifteenth day of the Month both are true in a right sense namely in the sense formerly given and in another place Maymony saith thus The evening of the fourteenth of Nâ—shan is not like the evening of other Festival days because in it are the Feast and the killing of Sacrifices See Ains in Lev. 23. 5. He makes the time of feasting to belong to the fourteenth day and secondly he preferres this evening to the evening of the Festival Sabbaths and therefore prescribes a greater punishment for servile work done on this evening than for working in the evening before the Festival Sabbaths for so is the comparison to be made as I have noted it elsewhere because in this evening was solemnized the proper Feast of the fourteenth day but the evening before was but in way of preparation to the Sabbath it self Thirdly Maymony saith thus They searched out Leaven in the beginning of the night of the fourteenth day Maymony calls the night before the Feast of the unleavened Bread the fourteenth night and yet in