as long as you live Take heed of corrupt Books and broachers of error you may be too credulous too cautelous you cannot be Let neither the pompous Phrases nor proud threats of men either allure you or affright you from the truths of God T. T. abounds in both these Artifices charming some with his Rhetorick scaring others with his Bulls and big words as he does William Sloat by name leaving him as his Printed Book speaks under the unpardonable sin to the judgement of the great day and yet this William Sloat is known to be a man of sober conversation professing Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ only he must be expunged out of the Catalogue of Christians for not being able to keep the Jews Sabbath and damned to the fiery furnace of Hell because he could no longer dance after this mans Pipe or bow down to Images that he has set up in his fancy Opinions I mean To conclude I beseech you Christians for the Lords sake and your souls sake hold fast the Good Old Truths of Christ in this hour of Englands temptation and cleave to that Good Old Cause the Christian Sabbath which the rigid Prelatical party sought to subvert by the Book of Sports and many pernicious Pamphlets and practises till the wrath of God brake out upon the land in those late bloody showers the Remembrance whereof methinks should daunt the heart of the most Goliah-like Adversary that shall dare to draw the sword of defiance the second time against this Christian Cause If any will be so fool-hardy as still to fight against God and the Lamb in profaning and teaching others to profane his day by working as formerly some did by sporting yet be exhorted all you that fear God and love the Lord Jesus to keep holy the Lords day making it no otherwise a working-day then by working out your salvation with fear and trembling which is the humble and hearty advice of Yours in all Gospel-Offices EDM. WARREN A TABLE of the Contents Position 1. THe Sabbath made alterable as to the day in the first institution of it evidenced by three Arguments Arg. 1. From the time when it was instituted Viz. after the fall Adam sinned the same day in which he was created proved by five Arguments page 1. to 7. Two Objections answered to p. 17. Arg. 2. From the command by which it was instituted p. 17. to 21. Arg. 3. From the ground or occasion on which it was instituted either Gods providence or promise p. 21. to 32. Seven Considerations premised to clear it p. 33 34 35. Two Scruples resolved p. 37 38 39. Position 2. THat the Old Sabbath was further manifested to be alterable as to the day in the second Edition of the Sabbath For 1. It was never propounded as the substance of any moral Law Here the fourth Commandement is vindicated at large p. 46. to 58. 2. It seems to be pointed at as a sign in the Ceremonial Law p. 70. Sundry Objections answered p. 59. to 70 78. Position 3. THe Old Sabbath was further evidenced to be alterable in the after-Observation of it p. 78 to 83. Position 4. THat the Sabbath was actually altered and changed from the Last to the First day of the Week by the authority of Christ upon the account of his Resurrection c. Four main Arguments to prove it Arg. 1. From the New Creation p. 83 to 90. Arg. 2 From the New Covenant The Covenant changed in a threefold expressure of it in the Mandatory the Promissory and shadowy part p. 90. to 105. The Old Sabbath proved to be of a shadowy nature from Col. 2.16 17. p. 106 107 108. Four Objections answered from p. 109 to 112. Arg. 3. From the Introduction of a new rest Hebr. 4. explained and vindicated to p. 122. Four Objections answered to p. 130. Arg. 4. From the designation of a new day with the discharge of the old The old seventh day Sabbath is discharged from Obligation under the Gospel p. 130. to 138 Four Objections removed The First day of the week is designed for a day of weekly solemn Worship For 1. This is the day above all others on which in the vacancy of the old seventh day God hath set his mind in the Law p. 158 159. 2. This is the day above all days on which Christ has set his special mark in the Gospel A seven-fold mark he has set upon it 1. His resurrection from the dead this day p. 161. to 169. 2. His frequent apparitions on this day p. 169. to 175. Four Objections silenced 3. His gracious speeches and actions at those apparitions 4. The Mission of the Holy Ghost this day The day of Pentecost proved to be the first day of the week p. 179. to 187. Two Objections answered 5. The Inscription of Christs blessed name on this day 't is the Lords day p. 190 191 192. Three Objections answered 6. The Apostles and Apostolical Churches observation of it Acts 20.7 cleared Six Objections satisfied 7. Apostolical prescription about it 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Four Objections answered to p. 214. The Best Antiquity for the Change of the Day TEstimonies of the Antients 1. Ignatius 2. Justin Martyr 3. Dionysius 4. Tertullian 5. Origen 6. Cyprian 7. Athanasius 8. Hilary 9. Ambrose 10. Hierome 11. Chrysostome 12. Augustine 13. Eusebius from p. 216. to 232. Opposite Testimonies answered to p. 245. Position 5. THe Lords day the Christian Sabbath proved and Cavils refuted from p. 236. to 242. Position 6. THe Sabbath begins in the morning Four Objections answered from p. 242. to 246. Position 7. THe Lords day must be kept holy to the Lord. Rules of Direction 1. For Preparation to the Sabbath 2. Sanctification of it 1. By holy rest from our own works words and thoughts 2. By holy work both in private and in publike from p. 246. to the end ERRATA PAge 4. Marg. for John 29. read John 19. p. 54. marg for evening Communicant r. Evangelical Communicant p. 80. for merval r. marvel p. 86. l. 5. for latter r. letter p. 91. marg for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 97. for must with a promise r. meet with a promise p. 107. for â—â—brae and praeterita r. umbra praeteritae p. 109. after it is very questionable add I say p. 126. marg for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 132. for stay r. stop p. 180. l. 1. r. wonderful p. 181. l. 5. for there r. their p. 182. l. 9. r. where ibid. for some r. come for were r. was p. 192. for constitution r. contestation p. 194. l. 31. add the p. 216. marg for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Other false spellings and false pointings there are which the Reader is requested to look upon rather as Errors of the Press then the Pen yet no other then such as are common and ordinary in all Treatises printed in the Authors absence POSITION
substance of the law I do not say they are abrogable as ceremonies but alterable as circumstances they may be changed for better things and not a tittle of the law annulled but rather fulfilled by it according to that of our Saviour till heaven and earth pass one jot Mat. 5.18 or one tittle shall not pass from the law till all be fulfilled I say the law is not destroyed but rather fulfilled by the varying of some circumstances as by changing their typical deliverance from Egypt into our spiritual deliverance from sin and the land of Canaan meant in the fifth Commandment into England where we dwell And because the fourth Commandment and the fifth are neer neighbours methinks the one may fairly expound the other It cannot be denyed Ephes 6.3 The Apostle in repeating that promise leaves out the words which the Lord thy God giveth thee because they were more appropriate to the Jews and to us the argument is entire without them See Weems Chris Syn. that the promised land intended occasionally in the fifth Commandment was the land of Canaan neither do I deny that the day on which God is said to rest in the fourth Commandment was the seventh day from Creation yet all will grant that the argument or inducement of the fifth Commandment is not to be restrained to that land only for then it were no argument at all to us Now I would ask any rational man why the argument of this fourth Commandment should be limited to that particular day from Creation more then the argument of the fifth Commandment to that particular land of Canaan since both the one and the other are but occasionally insinuated And to limit the inducement of a moral law to an occasional circumstance is the ready way to evacuate and make void the whole law But we shall put it out of all doubt that Gods example here propounded is only for one day in seven directly substantially and properly for the old seventh only consequentially indirectly or occasionally and that by a double consideration 1. Because it is here urged as a reason of what went before 2. Because the reason of this reason is chiefly for one day in seven 1. This example of God in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day is alleged as a reason of the forementioned clause six dayss shalt thou labour but the seventh is the Sabbath so much is clearly implyed in the connexive or causal particle For six dayes shalt thou labour and rest a seventh For so did Jehovah thy God Now the reason annexed to any rule must if there be any amiguity in it be expounded by the rule the rule must not be interpreted by the reason for the rule is not brought for the reason but that for the rule Therefore as the former receives strength by the latter so the latter must receive light from the fotmer Now the standing rule for the weekly Sabbath is this Six dayes shalt thou labour but a seventh is the Sabbath Here the term seventh is general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indifferently signifies a seventh or the seventh a and the being particles proper to the English tongue are defective in the Hebrew and Latine To supply which defect the schooles distinguish of Diet septimus formaliter and Dies septimus materialiter as was noted before 'T is not said this or that seventh but leftat large And where God has left a latitude we may not dare to put a limitation that were to enclose Gods Common and intrench upon his Royalty Well then the Rule being only express for a seventh day in general the reason or argument here brought to perswade to the observation of such a general seventh is taken from Gods example who also rested a seventh day which although it were the last of seven yet being only alledged as a reason of the forementioned rule it can signifie no more then the rule it self of which it is a reason And so it is clear that the sense of this latter clause in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh must be only according to the sense of the former clause six dayes shalt thou labour but a seventh is the Sabbath that is a seventh in proportion directly And thus the first day of the week is as much the Sabbath of the fourth Commandment to Christians as ever the last of the week was to the Jewes being one day in seven as well as that To dispute for the same day on which God rested and infer a necessity of observing that day because we must observe that proportion is to argue à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter a well known fallacy For the argument is only direct for such a proportion six for labour and a seventh every week for rest not this or that seventh from any prefixed period 2. Let us look into the reason of this reason and then the case will be yet more clear the reason or equity of any law is the life and strength of the law And it is the design of Gods wisdome in imposing laws upon his creatures to propose such reasons in those lawes as shall make them appear congruous and suitable to those common principles of right and equity Psalm 119.18 Rom. 7.12 Deus ideò leges suas judicia vocat quod aequiffima sunt quae praescribit impressed upon the creature And hence Gods lawes are so often styled Judgments because in all things they are just and equal and certainly that sense of the argument which doth most shew the equity of the Commandment is the best and truest sense Now let us consider the equity that Gods example carryes with it in reference to the aforesaid proportion of six dayes for labour and one in seven for rest As thus if the great God who needs not a moment of time either for work or rest as being neither subject to weakness nor weariness if he I say were pleased when he had work to do even a world to make to take six dayes for his work and one in seven for rest how much more should we men still hold to this proportion who by reason of corporal weakness and spiritual wants need such a competency of time both for secular imployments and soul refreshments Thus there is convincing strength of reason and equity in it But now to argue for the particular day God wrought first six dayes and then rested the last of seven therefore we must first work and then rest has no such argumentative force in it especially to us Christians who living under a Covenant of pure grace do rather work by rest then rest by works and therefoe the Sabbath being suitable to the Covenant we may rather judg it equitable to begin the week with a day of rest and work the six dayes after then to work the six first dayes and then rest the last seventh Even dim-eyed nature judges it most
equal to a A Jove principium begin with God b Supervacua necessariis post-ponenda sunt Senec. ep 49. and give the precedency to things most necessary and grace both not gain-say it but rather approve it for is it not most reasonable that I should serve my gracious Lord in the duties of his worship because I serve my self in the works of my calling But the truth is Gods example is neither directly for first or last of seven but for one in seven perpetually The force of Gods argument lies in this that we should dedicate one day in seven to rest for six working dayes indulged to our selves And herein we imitate Gods example in labouring six dayes and resting one in seven weekly For farther satisfaction in this argument let the ingenuous Reader consult Mr. Cawdrey and Mr. White of Dorch two burning and shining Lights who have gone before me if any little spark be here added let the Father of lights have all the glory 4. And lastly let us come to that which for memories-sake I call the benedictive part of the Commandment wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day c. observe the phrase not seventh day but Sabbath day or day of rest is blessed The Commandment both opens and shuts begins and ends with the term Sabbath day not seventh day Certainly if the foregoing argument drawn from Gods example had intended only the seventh day from Creation this conclusion flowing from that argument had fallen upon that day also but we see the term is evidently changed that we may not mistake Gods meaning by a supposed strictness in the term seventh day see how the Lord condescends to our weakness writing Sabbath day or day of rest instead of seventh day The Word Abbath like a finger points both forward and backward directiug us how to expound the whole precept in a large and not in a limited sense Doubtless if the Lord God had intended to tye up his Church in all ages to the seventh day from the Creation he would have fixed the command upon that day only especially in the conclusion of it why should not that precise day be mentioned here as well as in the Institution Gen. 2. There he is said to bless and sanctifie the seventh day here only the Sabbath day a more probable reason to me is not imaginable then this the Commandment is of a larger extent then the Institution And besides the Institution of the old day Gen. 2. was but temporary and mutable whereas the precept it self is more and perpetual see then how wisely the Lord our Law-giver has contrived it that it should not be restrained to that particular seventh day To conclude with this conclusion the whole weight and stress of the Commandment you see leans upon large and general terms the Preceptive part is for a day of rest in general the Benedictive part is of the same latitude and although the seventh day be placed in the middle betwixt both yet it is not fixed upon one day more then another unless it be occasionally which indeed is no fixure at all what hinders therefore but the whole substance of the precept may stand in the fall of the day since it was never incorporated into the moral substance of this or any other command It is I must needs say a truth to me as evident as the light it self that the fourth Commandment in all the substantials of it makes as much for the Lords day being one in seven of Gods appointment as ever it did for the old Sabbath And here I cannot sufficiently admire and adore the depth of Divine wisdome that the ever glorious God foreseeing and foreappointing the change of the day took care to contrive and pen the commandment in such expressions as might aptly suite the old day while it lasted and as equally sort with the new now it is substituted in the roome of the old That the Jewes upon the discovery of so happy a change might not loath their old Sabbath the precept was occasionally and circumstantially fitted to that and that we Christians having a new might not be limited to the old it is substantially adapted to this I shall need add no more if men did not wilfully wink I should thinke here were light enough in this Lamp of the Law to convince them As for the adversaries objections scattered here and there in his book they vanish like so many vapours before the Sun being brought forth and tryed by the evidence of this truth To assert the whole Lawes morality T.T. Obj. 1. p. 14. Answ and yet plead the Sabbaths mutability scarce savours of rationality These are fine words but feeble arguments and indeed his book is full of them But to answer his Jingle if by Sabbath he mean the seventh day from Creation what irrationality is it to plead the mutability of that day and yet hold the morality of the Law Since that day was never a tittle of the Lawes morality Neither can he affirm it without gross absurdity prove it I am sure he cannot by all his sophistry If God by a positive moral law bind all men in all ages to such a particular day as himself appointed Obj. 2 p. 119. then either they must prove that God hath made his moral law mutable by appointing some other day or else restore the seventh day-Sabbath What pitiful chopt Logick is this Ans Why can the particular day be no where appointed but in the moral law his not he himself often affirmed that it was instituted elsewhere And must the moral law needs go to wrack when a new day is appointed Let him first prove that the old day was any essential part of the moral law till I see that I may safely affirm that in the change of the day as an occasional circumstance the substance of the law remains unchangeable as a man may change his old clothes for new yea and alter his temperament too and yet be still the same man as long as for substance he has the same soul and body Some do assert but not for want of ignorance that t is not that special seventh day Obj. 3 pa. 47. but a seventh day that is injoyned whereas we have not only the pattern in the mount namely the precise time of Gods rest to point out the day but to end all cavil he points twice in the Commandment to that very day on which he rested by the Emphatical demonstrative particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that 't is not a seventh but Hashebigni the seventh day therefore they had need make sure of a very clear word for the change of the day for fear of being left speechless at the day of Judgment And so he runs on to th end of the page spinning a large web but when all comes to all it is but a cobweb we shall sweep it down by degrees And If by the assertours of the forementioned truth Answ 1 he mean
venerable and solemn because thereon our Saviour as the rising Sun having dispellea the darkness of death shone forth by the light of his resurrection And elswhere t Dies Sabbati evat dierum Ordine posterior sanctificatione legis anierior sea ubi finis legis advenit qui est Christus Jesus Rom. 10.4 resurrectione sua octavam sanctificavit caepit eadem prima esse quae octava est habens ex numeriordine praerogativam ex resurrectione Domini sanctitatem The Sabbath day was the last in order of dayes but the first in sanctification under the Law but when the end of the Law was come to wit Jesus Christ Rom. 10.4 and by his Resurrection had consecrated the eighth day that which is the eighth began to be the first being dignified by the precedency of the number and sanctified by the Resurrection of the Lord. Then speaking further by way of allusion to Luke 6. he addes u Vbi Dies Dominica â—aepit praecellere qua Dominus Resurrexerit Sabbatum quod primum erat secundum haberi caepit a primo prima enim requies Cessavit secunda successit unde ad Hebr. scribens Apostolus ait post hac die restat ergo requies populo Deim requies ergo vera non in operis cessatione sed in Kesurrectionis est tempore Ambr. Enar. in Tit. Psalm 47. When the Lords day on which our Lord arose began to excel the Sabbath which was the first began to be accounted the Second from the first For the first rest ceased and the second succeeded Whence the Apostle writing to the Hebrewes Ch. 4. speaks of another day there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God Therefore the true rest is not now in the cessation of the work meaning the work of Creation but in the time of the Resurrection 'T is as much as if he had said the true Sabbath is not now the seventh day or last day of the week but the first day of the week this is that other day mentioned Heb. 4. this is the rest or Sabbatism that remaineth to the people of God I do the rather cite these sayings of the two worthy Father Ambrose because T.T. quotes him also for the saturday-Saturday-Sabbath which he was a zealous disputer against And although he preacht on that day it was but in preparation to the Lords day Hierom 10. Anno 385. Hierom is the next writer of note and eminency in the Church of God and he also speaks very honourably of the of the Lords day In his book against Vigilantius (w) Per unam Sabbati hoc est in die Dominico omnes conferre quae Hierosolymam in solatium dirigerentur praecipit Paulus Item ad Hedib quaestio 4. the Apostle Paul saith he commanded almost all Churches that there should be collections for the poor upon the first day of the week which is the Lords day And elsewhere he informs us how it was observed by the religious in his time x Dominicos dies orationi tantum lectioni vacant Ad Eustoch namely That they designed the Lords day wholly unto prayer and reading of the holy Scriptures For which he commends them and by commending approves their practice But of observing the Jewes Sabbath he speaks not a word only he interprets Gal. 4.10 as a repeal of the Saturday Sabbath and so does Tertullian also Libr. 1. Contr. Marc. Ch. 20. After Hierom comes Chrysostom Chrysostom 11. Anno 398. a painful and powerful preacher in his time and her how he thunders against Judaizing Christians y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will close my Sermon saies he with the words of Moses I call heaven and earth to witness against you that if any of us present or those that are absent shall go to look upon the Trumpets or meet in the Synagogues or go up to Matrona a Synagogue of the Jewes two or three miles from Antiochia in Daphne a pleasant village as himself describes it elswhere or joy in their Fasts or partake of their Sabbaths or perform any other Jewish custom great or small I am clear from the blood of you all these words shall stand up in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ between me and you and if you obey they shall give you great boldness but if you disobey or conceal any of them that presume to commit such like things they shall rife up as vehement witnesses against you c. See how zealous this holy man was against Jewish rites and customes and amongst the rest against their Sabbaths Neither was it blind zeal but zeal according to knowledge for he knew and ha's told us z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Paul perswaded the Churches of Christ to leave off Circumcision to slight the Sabbaths and dayes legal dayes he means and all other ceremonials And again a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ ha's freed us from these Jewish observances neither was his practice in these things intended for ouru pattern for as he kept the passeover with the Jewes not that we should keep it with them but that he might introduce the truth in stead of the shadow in like manner he also endured Circumcision and observed Sabbaths and celebrated their Festivals and did all these things at Jerusalem but to none of these are we subject Yet lest we should think Chrysostom an enemy to the Christian as well as the Jewes Sabbath consider what he sayes in another place treating of almes where he occasionally touches that Text 1 Cor. 16.1 2. concerning the collection for the Saints on the first day of the week and asks this question what reason the Apostle had to command this day for the oblation of their alms And answers it thus b Hom. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Item 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi supre Because this day they did abstain from all workes and the Soul was more cheerful by the rest of the day besides the good things received this day for on this day death was destroyed the curse was dissolved sin vanquished the gates of Hell broken in peices therefore saies he if we so honour our Birth-dayes how much more ought we to honour this day which may well be called the Birth-day of all Mankind and how often does this Father call the First day of the week the c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In John 20. 1 Cor. 16.2 Lords day a royal day a day of rest and the like so others extol it Ignatius calls it the Queen of days the first day of the week and the first day of the world as truly the chiefest as it is undoubtedly the first of dayes saies Eusebius a most Holy day sayes Athanasius higher than the highest saith Nazianzen So sincerely were the Antients devoted to the solemnity of this day that in honour of Christ the Author of it they thought they could never sufficiently grace and garnish it
so the second third fourth c. This is a meer mistake Answ For we deny that the first darkness Gen. 1. was the evening or night of the first day that darkness upon the face of the deep for ought appears to the contrary lasted not longer than a moment the night of the first day was that which followed the light after God had separated the light which he called day from the darkness which he called night to object the order of the words is vain Moses himself takes off that Objection by inverting that order in the following words for v. 4. he puts light before darkness and day before night The Ceremonial Sabbaths because honoured as Sabbaths were to begin at even as 't is said Obj. 2 Levit. 23.32 From even to even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath This law concerned only the day of atonement Answ which was an extraordinary Sabbath for rest and strictness being their yearly Fast wherein they were to afflict themselves by abstinence from i Joel 1.13 and 2.16 sleep as well as food and this is so far from proving that their weekly Sabbath began at even that to me it is a good Argument to prove the contrary for it looks like a particular exception from a general rule and to specifie the beginning of this extraordinary Sabbath at Even had been needless if their ordinary Sabbaths had begun at the same time Nehemiah caused Jerusalems gates to be shut before the Sabbath even while the declining Sun cast some obscurity on the city gates Obj. 3 Neh. 13. â—9 This was to prevent the profanation of the Sabbath the next day Answ and it were to be wished all Christian Magistrates would have the like care of the Lords day Besides 't is said he caused the gates to be shut when they began to be dark and yet saies the Text this was before the Sabbath which seems rather to intimate that in Nebemiahs time the Sabbath did not begin in the evening otherwise as Mr. C. notes he had done it not before but in the Sabbath The precious women having attended our Saviour to his Sepulchre returned and prepared spices and ointments Obj. 4 and rested the Sabbath according to the Commandment This as we said before was after the sun-set evening besides the holy Women did not forbear to anoint the body of Christ that evening because of the weekly Sabbath Answ but possibly because of the Jews Passeover-Sabbath John 19.31 or rather the Jews preparation to it of which we read John 19.42 We are sure Mark 16.2 they came not to anoint him till the morning of the Resurrection-day and it may be they stayed so long in conscience of the Sabbath which was not ended till the morning after mid-night therefore 't is most likely our Lord had taught them that the Sabbath begins and ends in the morning if it had ended at Sun-set we may rationally think they had visited the Sepulchre before they slept that night and not have put it off till the next morning As for those multiplied Scriptures that call for evening-sacrifices Psal 92 1. Isai 30.29 they make as much for us as for him if not more Since as we count the after-evening from sun-set till mid-night a part of the Sabbath and spend it our waking houres at least in Sabbath-duties repetition meditation prayer and praise so we hold a preparation necessary the evening before Of which in the next Position POSITION VII The Lords Day must be kept holy to the Lord. THe very appellation of it together with the Observation of the Apostles and Primitive Christians is sufficient proof of this 'T is a pious and ponderous speech of a late worthy Writer Dr. Cheynels Treatise of the Blessed Trinity p. 402. The approved practise of the primitive Christians declares the doctrine of the Apostles and the doctrine of the Apostles shews what was the command of Christ the Lord of the Sabbath concerning the sanctification of the first day of the week which is therefore called the Lords day and the Christian Sabbath If it be the Lords day as we have proved then let it be consecrated to the Lord as holy and honourable Isai 58.13 even to that Lord whose name it bears to him I say who hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written Rev. 19.16 King of kings and Lord of Lords even the Lord of glory a Lord as far above the greatest lords on earth as they are above their meanest Subjects 'T is the Lords day and therefore the Lords due let us render to Christ the things that are Christs Why did the Lord make this day but that all his faithful subjects and servants should keep it and keep it holy to him that made it O let the law of the living God over-awe our Consciences which is still in force for a day of weekly worship at his appointment and such we have proved the Lords day to be More Arguments might be produced But those already urged are sufficient to secure this truth from the dread of that downfall threatned by the Adversary The Devil and his agents may puff at the Christian Sabbath but confident I am they shall as soon blow out the Sun with a pair of bellows as totally extinguish this Ordinance of Christ the chief ground of my confidence is the Word of God upon which it is founded and next to that the writings of the antients so many in several Countries and several ages bearing witness as one man to this Christian cause with whom although I would be loth to err in any thing yet do I the less mistrust my self to err while I keep them company and do with more confidence look an adversary in the face when my quiver is full of their Testimonies as a late Author speaks on another occasion To draw to a Conclusion from Doctrinal Positions about the Christian Sabbath we shall descend to some practical Directions I cannot stand to speak fully and largely to the duties of the day neither need I other Treatises have done it already as Mr. Sprints Mr. Shepheards Dr. Gouges but especially Mr. Philip Goodwins only for the help of those that want those excellent helps I shall hint a few things and commit all to the blessing of him whose day and honour I have argued and contended for Briefly the practice of the Christian-Sabbath stands chiefly in two things viz. In preparation to it and sanctification of it 1. There must be solemn and serious preparation the evening before to get our hearts into a Sabbath frame this the Lord calls for in the very front of the Commandement Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy remember it before it comes that you may keep it holy when it comes this word Remember should be as a bell to toll us in from our Shops and Farms to our Chambers and Closets there to commune with our own hearts to cast up our spiritual accounts to call over our
THE JEWS SABBATH ANTIQUATED AND THE LORDS DAY INSTITUTED By DIVINE AUTHORITY OR The Change of the Sabbath from the Last to the First Day of the Week asserted and maintained by Scripture-Arguments and Testimonies of the Best Antiquity with a Refutation of sundry Objections raised against it The Sum of all Comprized in Seven Positions By EDM. WARREN Minister of the Gospel in COLCHESTER REV. 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanasius in Hom. de sement ad init Imprimatur EDM. CALAMY LONDON Printed by David Maxwel for W. Weekly of Ipswich and are to be sold by John Rothwel at the Fountain in Cheapside and also by Nath. Web and Will. Grantham at the Black Bear in Pauls Church-yard 1659. To the Right Worshipful JOHN GVRDON Esq Justice of Peace in the County of SUFFOLK HONOURED SIR THe design of this Dedication is not so much to shelter the ensuing Treatise under the protection of your name let it stand or fall at the bar of Scripture and right reason as to shew my real and unfeigned gratitude for the many and much-obliging favours you have been been pleased to heap upon me both while I lived under your roof and since my removal to a more publike station I thought thus with my self It is the first and likely to be the last time of my appearing in Print therefore the best and fittest season to signifie my due resentment of your love and friendship which from first to last since my acquaintance with you I have experienced so firm and constant as also to shew the precions esteem I still have of you and your pious Family which as I found so I left most religiously devoted to the practise of the truth here pleaded for the keeping holy of the Lords day the undoubted Christian Sabbath it is verily no small joy to me in these days of liberty and loosness to find any especially of your rank walking in this truth of Christ Go on dear Sir in this good old way of truth and holiness be you still a friend to this good day the Lords Day and the Lord will be a friend to you in in an evil day yea in that great day of his appearing Concerning which as Paul prayed for Onesiphorus and his houshold the Lord grant that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day so prays for you and yours The Unworthiest of Christs Ministers EDM. WARREN A Word by way of Preface to the Courteous Reader With a Word of Advice to my Christian Friends and Hearers in and about the Town of Colchester Good Reader I Shall not tire thy patience with any tedious Prefatory Discourse only hint a Word or two concerning the occasion of this Treatise with the Method observed in the composure of it about a year and half since or something more amidst that African brood of Erroneous Books which the lawless liberty of the Press has Midwiv'd into the world came forth a Treatise swelling as with a Timpany of vain glorious confidence for the Jews Saturday-Sabbath so no less opprobious contempt of the Lords day our Christian Sabbath The Author of it Mr. Tho. Tillam by Name by Profession an Anabaptist was pleased in Print to found a challenge and provoke me to the combat in answering of it It was some time before I was fully resolved what to do the sense of my own Insufficiency bespake my silence and willed me rather to sit still in obscurity than venture abroad to the view of a captious and quarrelsom World Besides my Pastoral charge and Preaching-work would scarce afford me that leisure which others of more natural promptness and dexterous parts and gifts might well enough spare for such an Imployment But on the other hand the spreading of this Jewish Leaven together with the pressing Importunity of some Christian Friends perswaded me to undertake this work which accordingly I did and after I had spent much time and written many sheets in answering this Author Page by Page I found his Method so confused his excursions so many his eructations of putrid choler and calumny so bitter that I had not the patience to follow him any longer in that wildgoose-chase but laid all aside and resolved upon a new Method namely to assert the Truth thetically in distinct Positions and answer his most material Arguments as Objections against it He would fain perswade silly people That Antichrist changed the Sabbath and goes about to prove it from Dan. 7. where we read of a little horn that thought to change Times and Laws and with this little horn he makes a loud noise up and down his Book But who told him that this horn was Antichrist Our best Expositors take it to be meant of Antiochus Epiphanes and indeed Dan. 8. cleerly proves it But what desperate insolency is this to take the crown of Christ and set it upon the head of Antichrist Is not the change of the Jewish Law attributed to Christ Hebr. 7.12 and did he not also change their times and seasons of worship was their weekly Sabbath exempted I pray where or how not by the fourth Commandement for we have proved that the seventh day from the Creation was never the substance of that precept nor by any clause in the New Testament for there it is rather repealed 'T is true the Moral duty of rest remains still in a holy day of weekly recourse according to the Commandment but the old Sabbath being of a shadowy nature in the after observation if not in the first Institution of it is certainly done away by Christ the substance of all Legal shadows yet not simply but in way of exchange for a new day of the same number though not of the same shadowy nature What I have argued for the change of the day is sufficiently authorized by the Scriptures the Fathers and our own judicious Divines My Arguments are but few in number more might have been added but for oppressing the Reader 's either purse or patience Mr. Cawdrey and Mr. Palmer have largely handled what I have but briefly touched If what I have written be answered with scurrilous gibes and railing Rhetorick as Mr. Jenisons Book was My next answer shall be nothing but silence and contempt which I the rather hint because the Adversary has threatned a Reply before he read my Book right or wrong it seems he is resolved to have the last word for which I purpose never to contend If I know my own heart 't is truth not triumph that I seek and thirst after truth I say grounded upon the Scriptures sealed with the blood of Martyrs attested by the Primitive Fathers and maintained by the pens of the most Reformed Writers such is the truth here asserted and I shall own nothing as an Answer to it but that which fully answers all these Now my Christian Friends and Brethren I beseech you love and live this truth stand to it stand for it and stand in it
among Christians redeemed from the earth Obj 2 T.T. p. 61 62. To this I may easily answer without any great study Answ that the constant celebration of two dayes in a week is more then the Law requires or the Gospel allowes More then the law requires for that calls but for one day in seven Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy not Sabbath-dayes Exod. 20 8. Again six dayes shalt thou labour not five dayes Chrysostomes descant upon it is very pithy Tom. 5. p. 5 23. The week contains seven dayes sayes he Now see how the Lord hath distributed these dayes he hath not taken the greatest part to himself and left us the least neither has he taken half and left half requiring three for himself and leaving us but three no the Lord is more liberal he hath given thee six and taken but one for himself So he And indeed the Law saith the same I know it is disputed whether these words six dayes thou shalt labour be preceptive or permissive only but to me it is past dispute that they carry a preceptive force for the injunction of working six dayes is delivered in the same commanding terms v. 9. with the inhibition of work on the seventh day v. 10. T. T s gloss therefore falls to the ground Exod. 20.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 10.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Six dayes shalt thou labour that is God gives thee leave sayes he as if it were but a bare permission Or six dayes thou wilt labour pointing out the creatures earthly inclination as if there were a prediction in the words But let me advise him in the fear of God to read over the Commandement once more not as he would have it but as it is in the Original since he professes skill in the language of Canaan and then I shall ask him whether those words verse 10. On the seventh day thou shalt do no worke be not imperative If so why not also these Six dayes shalt thou labour since the forme of speech is one and the same It nothing helpes him that the word is otherwise translated Exod. 31.15 six dayes may worke be done for whatever the translation be the tense is the same and it may as well be rendred shall as may And so learned Ainsworth reades it And thus his Critical flourish proves but an empty flash For my part I look upon these words Six dayes shalt thou labour as having the force and vertue of a precept and command in them not directly injoyning us to labour upon any day for that belongs rather to the 8th Commandment but injoyning us such a proportion of time Eph. 4.28 Among the Jewes when holy dayes were so frequent there was never any weekly holy day ordained to go cheeke by jole with the Sabbath But their holy dayes were either monethly or yearly Mr. George Abbot p 118. Periculum mortis tollit Sabbathum necessitas non habet ferias six dayes together within the compass of which our labours must be confined 'T is as if the Lord had said Thou shalt not ordinarily labour more nor less then six dayes together nor rest more or less then one in seven ordinarily That God was pleased to appoint the Jews a greater number of holy dayes as Passeover Pentecost c. and so a lesser number of working-dayes was only in extraordinary cases as our fasting-dayes and thanksgiving-dayes are The fourth Commandment was to be the standing rule only for ordinary time both of weekly work and weekly rest And as those words on the seventh day thou shalt doe no work hinder not but souldiers in time of war may fight a battel and Citizens in case of fire breaking out may quench the flames upon the Sabbath day It was never the Apostles meaning nor in their power when God by a perpetual Law had given us six dayes for labour and destined a seventh for rest to turn it into five dayes labour and two dayes rest Idem ibid. the precept interdicting only the servile works of our ordinary callings In like manner these words six dayes shalt thou labour hinder not but in case of extraordinary judgements or unusual mercies we may set apart dayes of prayer and of praise but ordinarily and weekly to keep two dayes of rest and leave but five dayes for labour is utterly inconsistent with the fourth Commandment And here a word with our new Sabbath-keepers at Colchester you are erroneously taught to think you are bound in conscience to rest from labour two dayes every week else you are woful earth-wormes miserable worldlings dunghill drudges and what not Now I beseech you bring conscience to the rule hath not God said six dayes shalt thou labour and will you listen to man contradicting God and telling you nay thou shalt labour but five dayes only What Antichristian usurpation and Tyrannical imposing upon mens consciences is this to tell them in Print as T.T. does It is not one day in seven will serve your turn when the books shall be opened Why p 3. Why what are those books Shall not the book of the law be one of them And what is written there How readest thou Is it not plain six dayes shalt thou labour and do all thy work Blot this clause out of Gods book Deut. 12.32 or alter the figure and write five instead of six And be sure God will blot out thy name out of the book of life Consider this you that suffer your consciences to be mancipated and enslaved to the dictates of Man Either you must make the week longer by a day or confess in limiting conscience to five dayes only for labour you break the Law under a pretence of keeping it yea you totally make void the Commandment of the living God in subverting the equity of it this is one thing The letter of the Law will bear but one day in seven for holy rest yea the liberty of the Gospel will allow no more ordinarily Rom. 3.21 For do we by faith make void the law God forbid Nay rather we establish the law Yet if we allow but five dayes in the week for labour we must unavoidably make void the law in this particular And besides the observation of dayes legal dayes is disputed against by the great Apostle as contrary to Christian liberty It is but a poor evasion to say Col. 2.16 Gal. 4. â—0 compared with Gal. 5.1 The Apostle speaks only of festival dayes Passeover Pentecost and the like for if these were inconsistent with Gospel-liberty as the adversary grants how much more two dayes every week which amount to more at the years end then all those Jewish festivals twice told The Church in the Apostles time had no other holy day besides the Lords day And the fourth Commandment enjoyns the labour of six dayes Mr. Perkins in Galat. Let him therefore sadly consider the dangerous consequences of his errour forcing him at once both
28.4 Abraham the father of the faithful then to David and others in after-ages till at last it was fully accomplished by the most glorious resurrection of Christ from the dead whereby he trode on the Serpents head and all to-bruised it This consideration will out deep in the adversaries cause and to set the better edge upon it let it be further considered 7. And lastly the Holy Ghost has fully assured us that Christ in the promise was of the same antiquity with the confessed ground of the seventh dayes Sabbath c Heb. 3.3 4. The Apostle confesses that one ground or occasion of singling out that precise seventh day was Gods ending his work evidenced by his entring upon his rest And when this was done the same Apostle in the same place informs us the works sayes he were finished from the foundation of the world Now hear another Apostle guided by the same Spirit speaking of Christ in the same terms not differing in a tittle d Revel 13.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Observe the difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one signifies from the other before Joh. 17.24 Eph. 1.4 Thus he styles him the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world he does not say the Lomb slain before the foundation of the world as if it intended Christ in the eternal purpose of God but from the foundation of the world which clearly speaks Christ in the promise of Godfrom the beginning Now by the foot-steps of these two Texts compared how visibly may we trace the Antiquity of Christ in the promise and find a Saviour promised before a Sabbath instituted The seventh day-Sabbath was instituted upon Gods finishing of his works now as the works were finished from the foundation of the world so Christ was slain from the foundation of the world slain I say in respect of his Fathers promise and his own personal beginning to undertake that work which he was to perform in a way of suffering and dying so that when the Father ended his work of Creation the Son entred upon his work of redemption and thereby added a further perfection to the first work Whereupon God rested the seventh day and blessed it That is appointed it for a day of spiritual blessings upon the account of Christ the promised and blessed seed All which particulars premised it will be a truth of unquestionable evidence that the institution of the old seventh day was founded and bottomed upon Christ in the promise And now a dim eye may easily discern mutability lying at the very foundation of the day and thus it may be demonstrated A day founded upon Christ in the promise must necessarily be changed when the promise shall be fully accomplished Argum. But the old seventh day was founded upon Christ in the promise as appears by the premises Therefore c. The proposition needs no confirmation or if it does take it thus If the greatest duty founded upon Christ in the promise was to vary and change with the promise how much more the day For instance the great duty of believing in the Lord Jesus It cannot be denyed but one and the same Christ was the object of saving faith in all ages before the law under the law and under the Gospel Heb. 13.8 Rev. 1.8 Christ Jesus the same yesterday to day and for ever being he which was and which is and which is to come And so the faith of Gods elect which was and is and is to come looks to the same object But yet according to the different state of the object the eye of faith has had a different and various aspect Old Testament-believers who went before looked to him that should come after we that come after in the New Testament look to him that is gone before As long as Christ was in the promise they believed in the Messiah to come now the promise is fulfilled we believe and know that the Son of God is come And though still we look for his second coming to judge the world 1 Joh. 5.20 yet his first coming to save the world by his blessed Incarnation his bitter Passion and glorious resurrection we no longer expect as to come but look upon as already come and gone Well then you see how this great duty of believing circumstantially varies and changes with the promise and why because it was founded upon Christ in the promise And verily if the old Sabbath had the same foundation as we have proved then it must admit of the same variation As long as Christ continued in the promise the seventh day from the Creation was the Sabbath day but now the promise is accomplished the * Note that well day must be altered for the first foundation upon which it stood is removed And as we cannot now call that true faith which looks upon the Messiah as yet to come in the sense above mentioned so neither can we count that the true Sabbath which leans upon the promise of a Messiah to come Look to it if you keep the old seventh day you must keep Christ still in the old promise and together with the Jews Sabbath profess the Jews faith the twelfth Article of whose cursed Creed is this I believe with perfect faith that the Messiah is yet to come Buxtorf Synag c. 1. p. 4. And thus deluded creatures may see what they have gotten by siding with forlorn infidels against the principles and practises of the Christian world But I must here resolve a scruple or two and then I shall put a period to this first part You will say if the old seventh day were founded upon Christ in the promise Scrup. 1. then it must have been changed as soon as Christ was manifested in the flesh It followes not Resol 1. for the promise was not fully accomplished when Christ was manifested in the flesh but when he was justified in the spirit by his resurrection from the dead then indeed it was completely fulfilled as Paul and Barnabas do plainly testifie to the Jews at Antioch Act. 13.32 33. Acts 13. The promise which was made unto our fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adimpleoit Arius Mont. in that he hath raised up Jesus again So that the day of Christs resurrection was infallibly the day of the old Sabbaths expiration for then the promise upon which it was founded was fully accomplished of which more hereafter But will not this argument overthrow the duty as well as the day the Sabbath it self as the old seventh day Scrup. 2 Not in the least Resol for a Sabbath or day of rest in general is moral-natural and so perpetual but the fixing of it on that precise seventh day was meerly positive if not ceremonial Therefore the particular day may be and is cashiered and yet the duty Sabbath or holy rest still retained as the duty of solemn fasting is still
in force although the particular day in which the Jewes were appointed to fast is abolished viz. f Levit. 16.29 ch 23.27 29. See Dr Downam Christian Sanc. p. 8 9. the tenth day of the seventh moneth And why may not the duty of solemn resting as well as the duty of fasting stand in the fall of the day That which was circumstantial and shadowy is done away but that which was substantial and moral still remaineth And thus we have by Scripture-light found the old Sabbath as to the day alterable and changeable in the first institution of it and have added something by way of overplus for the actual change of the day I shall now conclude this first position with the accommodation of an Historical passage recorded by Ammianus Marcellinus concerning Julian the Apostate Ammian Marâ—â—l Hist lib. 23. it is to this purpose That he the said Julian out of enmity to the Christians projected the rearing up of the Jewish ceremonies that he might supplant the new religion by the old and to that intent he encouraged them to rebuild their Temple at Jerusalem and sent one Alypius into those parts furnished with treasure to forward the work Hocque modo elemento destinatius repellente cessavit inceptum but no sooner had the work-men attempted to lay the foundation then certain balls of fire bursting out from beneath dissolved their work and made them desist from their enterprise I shall personate none in the application of this only this I shall say in general that as the Jews Temple was destroyed on their g Dion fol. 748. Sabbath day so their Sabbath yea their whole Civil and Church-State was dissolved together with their Temple And this grounded confidence I have that whoever shall reare up that antiquated seventh day with a design to supplant the new Sabbath by the old he shall meet with such Sanctuary-fire such Scripture-light and evidence breaking out from under the foundation of the old day as shall either burn his fingers or which is all the hurt I wish him enlighten his conscience that he shall see his error and confesse as h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys quod Christus fit Deus he said of the Temple that no power or policy of man is able to raise what Christ hath razed POSITION II. That the old Sabbath as to the day was further manifested to be alterable in the second edition of the Sabbath I Am not ignorant that as the Sabbaths First Institution is much disputed so the Second Edition as to time and place may be much controverted also But taking it for granted as I do that the first institution lay neer the worlds foundation then the second Edition of it will be found in the wilderness of Sin at the falling of Mannah or upon mount Sinai at the giving of the Law Nehem. 9.13 And here we meet with a double argument to make it further evident that the old seventh day was alterable or liable to change 1. First Because it was never propounded as the substance of any moral Law 2. Secondly It seems to be pointed at as a sign under the ceremonial Law 1. First That the old seventh day from the Creation was never propounded as the substance of any moral law that is so as the day could not be changed but there must also of necessity be a change of the Law in the substantials of it For the clearing of which let it be premised that whereas the fourth Commandment is the only precept in the Decalogue which concerns the Sabbath First I do most freely grant that the fourth Commandment is a moral and perpetual precept yet not moral natural unless it be in the first clause concerning a day of rest in general but rather moral positive and in the substance of it perpetual I say in the substance of it because it is the judgment of some learned and godly that the whole Decalogue as well as the fourth Commandment was in some circumstances peculiar to the Jewes by reason of the time place and people to whom it was delivered But the substance of it is common to all like as almost all Scripture is for substance common and for circumstance proper and peculiar because much of it was written occasionally as Mr. Abbot observes Now that which is circumstantiall and occasional in a moral Law may be mutable and yet the substance of the Law be perpetual as the preface prefixed to the first Commandment and the promise annexed to the fifth being both circumstantially peculiar to the Jews were in that respect mutable yet the Commandments themselves remain immutable and belong to us as well as to them So in this fourth Commandment that which indirectly and occasionally respected the Jews might admit of a circumstantial alteration and yet the Commandment it self in all the substantials of it be as much in force to us as ever it was to them that is for such a numeral day though not the same individual day for one day in seven though not the old seventh which might be and for ought I can see to the contrary is changed upon a double account in respect of the promise upon which it was instituted as a ceremonial at least a temporary ordinance and in respect of the precept by which it was observed as an occasional circumstance In the substance of it And therefore we need not as some do make the Commandment partly moral and partly ceremonial but grant it wholly moral and hold the day mutable as indirectly and occasionally pointed at as the Land of Canaan was in the fifth commandment And thus the change of the day is no prejudice at all to the morality of the Commandment as not being of the substance of it Indeed to have altered the number from one day of seven to one day of ten or from one of seven to two of seven ordinarily had been to wound the precept in the substantials of it and in plain terms to blot out one of Gods ten Commandments not so to alter the day from one seventh to another seventh which was but a circumstantial variation To those that affirm the fourth Commandment to be temporary in reference to the proportion of one day in seven because in that point we grant it positive I have only this to say that we judg it not to be meerly positive but moral positive and so perpetual as the event hath proved it For although the particular day were changed by the refurrection of Christ yet the proportion of one day in seven has been still preserved inviolable by the practise of the Apostles and Churches ever since And as one well observes no other solid reason can be rendred why the Apostles and primitive Churches should weekly celebrate the day of Christs resurrection if it had not been in reference to the fourth Commandment had not their consciences been under the binding power of this precept why might they not have done by
the resurrection day as after ages have by the Incarnation the Passion or the Assention day have kept it once a year only not once a week as they did and we do But this by the way to illustrate my concession which is this that the fourth Commandment for the substance of it that is for a Sabbath in general yea a seventh day Sabbath and that of Gods appointment is a moral and perpetual precept this I freely grant and firmly believe But 2. That the old seventh day is either in part or in the whole De substautia praecepti non est ut septimum diem precise quo etiam Deus cessavit ab operibus sanctificemus sed dicm quieti consecratum à Deo ipso mediatè vel immediatè Zanch. in praec 4. the moral substance of this Commandment or that the morality of the law-lyes in the particularity of the day this I utterly deny And I shall with the rest of my Brethren affirm and maintain the contrary as an undoubted truth of God Namely that the fourth Commandment doth principally and properly and as the moral substance of it prescribe only such a proportion one day in seven at Gods appointment to be spent in holy rest not this or that particular seventh day unless it be indirectly and occasionally To explicate this the second commandment is usually and aptly alledged as a commentary upon the fourth the form of worship and the time of worship being neerly allyed to each other Now as in the second Commandment we have the rule of solemn worship in general without specifying the particular ordinances of worship whether sacrifices and offerings as under the Law or Prayer Preaching Baptisme and breaking of bread as under the Gospel all which we re consequentially injoyned in the second Commandment but neither of them directly in like manner in this fourth commandment we have a rule for the solemn time of worship a seventh day or one in seven at Gods appointment But whether it should be reckoned from the worlds Creation or from Christ resurrection is not here determined particular duties of worship and the particular day of worship being to vary and change with the different age and state of the Church The wisdome of the Law-giver has so contrived these two Commandments that both the day and the duties as occasionals might be changed without any change of his moral and immutable Lawes But there is native light and evidence enough in the fourth Commandment it self to convince us of this truth Prov. 6.23 For as Solomon sayes the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light Only we must look to the sense and not wholly liften to the sound of the letter for in all lawes the meaning of the Law-giver Isai 8.20 Non in verbis sed insensu non in superficie sed in medulla non in foliis sed in radice ratiouis Hieron in Gâ—l 2. Tertull. de Carne Chrsti and the sense of the Law is to be respected not the letter only as he sayes well the mind of God is not so much in letters and syllables as the sense and meaning Not in the out-side but in the pith and marrow not in the leaves of words but in the root of reason for which we must digg deep by serious study and prayer before we can discern it Now if laying aside all prejudice we would thus look into this perfect Law of liberty as those that look to be judged by it another day Jam. 2.12 I doubt not but we shall find one day in seven at Gods choice not the old Seventh day to be the soul and substance of it which that it may the better be demonstrated I shall for methods sake distribute this fourth Commandment into these four parts 1. Exod. 20.8 The preceptive part Remember the Sabbath or day of rest to keep it holy 2. V. 9.10 The directive part Six dayes shalt thou labour but a seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God c. 3. V. 11. The argumentative part For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh 4. The benedictive part or the conclusion Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it Now if all these four parts of the Commandment be directly for a seventh day in number or proportion and but indirectly occasionally and consequentially for a seventh day in order then the substance of the Commandment is for one day of seven not the last of seven But the premises are true and to demonstrate their truth let us come to tryal 1. We shall examine the Preceptive part Remember the Sabbath day or day of rest to keep it holy This I hope is not be restrained to the old seventh day Sabbath and seventh day cannot be terms convertible here for then there were a tautology in the Commandment as Mr. Cawdrey observes It were as if God should say Remember the seventh day Sabbath the seventh day is the Sabbath which is such a flat tautology as the God of Wisdome will never own in so short a summe of words No it s evident that hitherto the precept is comprehensive and large not limitted to one day more then another for Sabbath day if you will hear the Hebrew word speak English is no more but a day of rest and that is any day set apart for solemn worship by divine authority It is applicable to the first day of the week as much as ever it was to the last A judicious Author does piously and pithily illustrate it by that second table precept Honour the King Mr. Bernard late of Batcomb 1 Pet. 2.17 If Saul be King honour him if he be dead or displaced and David be King then honour King David To neither of them directly but successively and consequentially it might be accommodated to both So remember the day of rest to sanctifie it while the old seventh day was the day of rest the Jews were bound to sanctifie that If that be changed and the first day of the week be chosen in its room we are as much bound to sanctifie that and this by the same law for as the change of the person took not away the precept of honouring the King Hac enim ratione nos quoque proeceptum hoc servamus dum sanctificamus diem dominicum quia hic quietis nobis est dies sicut Judaels fuit septimus Zanch. in praec Col. 2. Syg so the change of the day made not void the command of sanctifying the Sabbath And thus as learned Zanchy tells us We Christians keep the Sabbath as much as ever the Jewes did in keeping holy the Lords day which is a day of holy rest as well as their was For if it be a day of holy rejoycing it must needs be a day of holy rest since it is both improper and impossible to keep a set or solemn day as a day of holy rejoycing in Christ and at the same time
to follow our worldly imployments worldly labour and the sweat of the brow has too much of the curse in it to consist with a day of thanksgiving or holy rejoycing in the Lord. The Scripture frequently calls festival dayes Sabbaths and if Sabbath be a sit name for other dayes of the same nature Why not for this And therefore I cannot but wonder that T.T. who grants the Lords day to be a day of rejoycing according to that of the Psalmist Let us rejoyce and be glad therein should deny it to be a Sabbath or a day of holy rest as he wickedly and profanely doth calling a mans Sabbath discovering his enmity against the thing by carping at the name yea condemning of it why has he the face to call the Jewish festivals Sabbaths or dayes of rest as being either fasting dayes or feasting dayes and yet deny the Lords day this titular honour Inenaem Phil. p. 74. Is it a day of less account then the Passeover day Pentecost day Expiation day and other Ceremonial dayes which the Scripture terms Sabbaths How suitable is a name of rest to a day of rest as the Lords day is Nay I have already proved that it is greater then these yea greater then the old Sabbath it self therefore sure its a day of rest as shall be farther proved in the close of this Treatise And if this be a day of holy rest it is as much intended in these words Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it as ever the Jewes Sabbath was But the seventh day was Sabbath day when the Law was given Obj. therefore it is to be understood of that day and none but that You may as well say Answ the fifth Commandment Honour thy father and mother is to be understood of such particular parents as were then living and none but them And then the Quakers will have a fine plea for their barbarous rudeness and unmannerly behaviour towards superiours Tell them of honouring their parents that 's a wilderness-duty may they say it intended only the Israelites parents now t is a dead letter and out of date As simple and sottish a plea as this would be yet it is no better to say the fourth Commandment intended only the Jews Sabbath and the old seventh day because that was only in being when the precept was given Alas that was meerly occasional and accidental to the Commmandment not at all of the essence or substance of it True that was the only weekly Sabbath then but it was not alwayes so to be as the event hath proved But the truth is this first clause Remember the Sabath day to keep it holy did directly point at no peculiar day more then another but being the law of nature it only requires a day of rest in general to be sanctified to wit what day soever it fall upon And this is very considerable since in the judgment of all the learned and godly Deut. 5.12 the prime morality and main substance of the Commandment lies in this clause And hence it is observed that Moses in the repetition of the Law inserts this memorable parenthesis when he had said See Mr. Shepheard Thes 122 and Dr. Twiss Sect. 6. Keep the Sabbath day to sanctifie it immediately he addes these words as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee between the preceptive and the following parts intimating that the substance of the command lies mainly though not only here Well a day of rest must be sanctified sometimes * Natura dictat aliquan to vacuam quieti diem Gerson the light of nature teaches it and the law of God requires it But the next question will be in what proportion and number of dayes it must be stated how seldome or how often it must return If this be left to mans determination there will be nothing but confusion superstition or irreligion One man perhaps will contend that one day in a * As the eighth day of every moneth was observed by the Grecians and the ninth day by the Romans Plutarch in vita Thes Macrobius Saturn lib. 1. c. 16. moneth is sufficient another a little more devout will say nay it must be once a fortnight at least a third with T.T. will run into another Ebionitish extreem and exact two dayes in a week though he bear little good will to one of them Well to end the strife we must consult the Divine oracle to the law and to the testimony have recourse to the Commandment in the second part of it 2. The Directive part in these words six dayes shalt thou labour but the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord thy God as if the Lord had said Your Sabbath shall be once a week or one day in seven at my appointment this agrees best with the order of the precept The law of nature being setled in the first clause that a day of rest must sometimes be kept and kept holy the very next scruple is about the number how often it must be kept whether once a quarter or once a moneth or once a week The order whether it shall be the first or last day of such a number is not the next inquiry in all reason the number and proportion must first be stated For the order presupposes the number the moneth must be agreed upon before the day of the moneth and the week before such a day of the week And accordingly this positive directory is given us to point out the number principally Six dayes shalt thou labour but a seventh day is the Sabbath that is your Sabbath shall be neither a daily nor a monethly nor a yearly but a weekly Sabbath The Phrase is exclusive as one observes implying thus much thou art not to keep the sixth day or one of six Dies septimus ipse unus est dierum qui omnes septem sunt August de Oen. ad lit l. 4. c. 18. or the tenth day or one of ten but the seventh day that is one of seven or one in a week The terme seventh is opposed to all other numbers either ninth tenth or twentieth as also to the six working-dayes which clearly intend such a number as six in seven and so the seventh day is as much as one in seven Six dayes shalt thou labour but a seventh day is the Sabbath a seventh what seventh pray note it the Lord sayes not the seventh from the Creation he nameth no day if he had the law had been limitted to that day but because the law-giver intended to chuse a new day and not to change his old law you see he has left it in large and general terms neither can it be restrained to one day more then to another To make it plain by a similitude or two Suppose a rich man who has seven Lambs in a way of unusual bounty make such a proposal as this to his poor neighbour I will freely give you six of them upon condition you keep
as needs he must those that maintain the fourth Commandment to be moral for one day in seven not the old seventh day then let me tell him his charging them with no want of ignorance argues in himself no want of impudence for upon whom does this arrogant censure fall but upon all the Learned Zealous and pious servants of God called Puritans who have encountred the rigid prelatical party in this controversie as a p 73. Dr. Bownd b Hexap in Gen p 43. Dr. Willet c Sect. 6. Dr. Twiss d Dies Domin l. 1. c. 10 Dr. Young e Mosaic Sab. p. 70. Mr. Bernard of Batcomb f in Gen. 2. moral of the fourth Co. Mr. White of Dorch g Doctr. of the Sab. vind p. 236 Mr. Byfield h of the Sab. p. 78. Mr. Fenner i Declar. the Sab. p. 101. Mr. Cleaver k p. 6. 36. Mr. Sprint l part 2. c. 7. throughout Mr. Cawdrey and Mr. Palmer and whom not of savory name in the Church of Christ do they not all affirm the same thing That the Comandment is substantially moral for one day in seven not that old seventh day and must all these modern worthies be branded for meer ignoramus's And not only these but all the Ancients too whose testimony they have all along cited Surely this man is very wise in his own conceit that he can thus look upon the greatest lights of these latter dayes as fools and dunces But I shall not answer him in his folly therefore to proceed Whereas he objects that we have Gods pattern in the mount the precise time of his rest to point out the day Answ 2 As in the first Institution of the supper Christ made use of unleavened bread yet his example binds us only to the use of bread not that which is unleavened So for the first Institution of the Sabbath God rested on the seventh day from Creation yet his example binds us only to a day of that number not that particular day See the new Annot. in Exod. 20. Attersolls new Cov. I answer as before that Gods pattern or example is directly propounded in the Commandment to point out the proportion not the particular day The proportion I say of one day in seven for rest in opposition to six working dayes And therefore the number of Gods working dayes is specified in the example as well as the day of his rest for in six dayes the Lord made Heaven Earth and Sea and rested the seventh day plainly intimating that the main force of the example is to bind us to such a number of dayes six for labour and one in a week for rest not such an order as first or last of seven Or admit there were some thing else in it namely that indirectly and occasionally it did lead the Jews to that old seventh day that is during the significancy of that day and the supereminency of the first Creation yet when a new Creation is finished and a new rest from a greater work manifested upon another day that indirect and occasional force of the example for the old day must needs be out of force to us being subordinated and swallowed up by the glory of a greater work and a better rest upon another day And that without any violation of the precept at all yea or the example either in the direct scope of it for one day in seven A new day might be and is instituted and yet the main scope both of the precept and example still observed in our labouring six dayes and resting every seventh Only that which was circumstantial and occasional is altered upon the account of the new Creatio or Redemption which comparatively was to put out the memory of the old Creation as it is plain Isai 65.17 And that thus it should be that the occasional force of Gods example as to the old day should be out of force to us and yet a weekly Sabbath to be still observed by the moral and direct force of the command me thinks it is not obscurely signified in the Commandment it self if we do but compare two places together Exod. 20. with Deut. 5. at the first giving of the Law in thunder and terrour Exod. 20.11 compared with Deut. 5.15 the Sabbath is wholly inforced from the Creation and Gods example in resting from that work as was said before but in the repetition or second-giving of the law by the hand of Moses a typical mediatour Deut. 5. you see the reason from the Creation is quite left out and the Sabbath is altogether inforced by a type of our Redemption viz. their deliverance from the Egyptian bondage Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt Mr. G. Abbot Vindic. Sabb. a most accurate Treatise never yet answered So also see learned Ainsworth in Exod. 20. and the Lord brought thee thence by a mighty hand therefore he commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day lively intimating as a learned Author observes the subsistence of the fourth Commandment under the Gospel and the binding authority of it by the incorporation of a new reason drawn from our Redemption or spiritual deliverance by Christ instead of the old reason drawn from the Creation which is here utterly omitted And as he sayes well it is worthy to be considere whether such a repetition of the fourth Commandment not Seorsim or by it self alone but together with the whole decalogue in its proper place and order with such a material omission or alteration be not very significant and what can it more properly signifie then this that under the second and best dispensation of the Law that is under the Gospel the main argument for our weekly Sabbath should be the work of Redemption Surely their deliverance from Egypt literally considered was not comparable to the work of Creation that it should here be propounded as the reason of the Sabbath and the other left out but as a type of the most glorious and gracious work of Redemption there was much weight in it And if the type it self were thus significant Argum. a minori as to carry the force of a reason for the weekly Sabbath setting aside the Creation how much more should the antitype which excells all types in glory as much as the Su does the shadow It will perhaps be objected That this argues the perpetuity of the old seventh day under the Gospel I answer No it quite overthrowes it for in as much as it signifies the weekly celebration of a Sabbath in memory of Redemption rather then of Creation it evidently implyes that when this greater work should be finished the memory of the Creation upon which the old day was fixed should be swallowed up by the worke of Redemption and then the day it self must unavoidably be changed It s true while the type lasted and Redemption was rather figured then fulfilled the old day was still to be obseved
the Law is abrogated I look upon them as words ' of course which in a Controversie weigh no more then a feather yea as beggerly fallacies for they all along begge the question taking that for granted which hath been soundly whipt with a denyal by sundry learned pens viz. that the seventh day from the Creation was ever an express tittle of the Commandment a seventh day in a week indeed is more then a tittle of the Law and this number is still continued in the observation of the Lords day all the Christian world over And I doubt not but it shall continue to the end of the world although the old day be changed as in the celebration of the Passeover the precise order of time was sometimes altered for whereas the fourteenth day of the first moneth was the time appointed at first Exod. 12.18 yet Hezekiahs great passeover was kept on the fourteenth day of the second moneth 2 Chron. 30.5 Where you see the precise individual day altered upon occasion yet the number the fourteenth day still observed See this illustration further cleared by Mr. G. Abbot p. 37. and Mr. Walker p. 49. So upon a greater and better occasion the Sabbath is altered as to the day yet the seventh day in number still kept intire in this as the fourteenth in the other And so the Sabbath now as well as the Passeover then for substance preserved notwithstanding the circumstantial and occasional change of the day And thus through the conduct of my gracious Guide leading me by Scripture light and the foot-steps of my dear companions in the cause of Christ I have safely passed the pikes of opposition and vindicated this royal law from the false glosses and erroneous discants of the adversary carrying this conclusion all along before me as a truth triumphing over all contradiction That the old seventh day was never propounded as the substance or special subject of any moral law I shall but touch upon the second 2. That it seems to be pointed at as a sign under the ceremonial law yea it does more then seem so if the text be impartially viewed Exod. 31. from v. 13. to v. 18. where we find a special charge imposed upon the Jews to observe the Sabbath and that upon sundry considerations 1. From the end of it Verily my Sabbath ye shall keep for it a sign between me and you V. 13. throughout your generations to know that I am Jehovah that sanctifieth you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the words run in the Hebrew And this is farther explicated v. V. 14. 14. ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore for it is holy or holiness to you thereby expounding what was meant by his sanctifying of them in the verse before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if the Lord had said the keeping of my Sabbaths shall be a distinctive badge and cognisance of your Covenant-holiness Sabbathum est signum quod Deus Israclem sanctificat ut Sabbathum sanctifionvit scil segregando eosex Gentibns profanls in peculiarem sibi popnlum Lavat in Exek Hom. 26. a sign that I do sanctifie you and separate you to my self above all the people of the earth for an holy and peculiar people for as the Lord is said to sanctifie the Sabbath so also to sanctifie Israel that is by separating it from all other dayes and them from all other nations to be holiness to himfelf And this is the first special reason why they should keep the Sabbath throughout their generations as a sign or mark of distinction to difference them from the rest of the profane world 2. From the perill of profaning it v. 14.15 Every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death for whosoever doth any work therein that soul shall be cut off from amongst his people c. A law shortly after executed in the letter of it by stoning to death one that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day Numb 15.36 which rigour for ought I can find to the contrary lasted no longer then the Israelites peregrination in the wilderness where as one sayes an extraordinary strict rest was imposed upon them because they were extraordinarily accommodated for it Being as the Saints in heaven are immediately at Gods finding having Mannah without means daily provided for them and hence it is said Numb 15.32 While the children of Israel were in the wilderness they found a man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day and stoned him to death Note the Phrase while they wore in the wilderness not elsewhere for when they were out of the wilderness we never read of the like punishment inflicted It seems then that this strict kind of rest and rigour was restrained to that time and place only 3. Another argument to inforce their observation of the Sabbath is taken from the moral equity of it verse 15. Six dayes may work be done but the seventhis the Sabbath As if the Lord had said ye may well afford me one day in seven since I have given you six in seven And this again is reinforced by Gods example in the latter part of v. 17. For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day Now it concerns us to inquire in this context what was proper to the Jews and what common with them to us What is moral and perpetual what judicial or ceremonial and temporary For that morals and judicials are here mingled together none can deny and the difficulty will be how to sever the one from the other and to shew in what sense the Sabbath was made a sign what the significancy of it was and especially what kind of sign whether a permanent sign as the Rain bow or a transient sign as the cloudly pillar in the wilderness There are sundry sorts of signs spoken of in Scripture I shall onely instance in those that are of prime note and pertinency to resolve the case in hand 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josh 4.6 7. So also the Passeover was and the Lords supper is a sign being both memorative Exod. 12.26 Mat. 26.26 1 Cor. 11.24 There are remembrancing signs as the twelve stones taken out of Jordan for every tribe one were set up as a sign to after-ages for a memorial to the childen of Israel that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark And such a kind of sign it is commonly thought the Sabbath was a memorial of the Creation But that it is so propounded or intended here cannot easily be proved since the Lord does not say I have given you my Sabbaths as a sign that I created the world but for a sign that I the Lord do sanctifie you And although it be added v. 17. It is a sign betwixt me and the Children of Israel for ever Ainach majoris distinctionis pausae est accentus Buxtorf Thes Gram. for in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth c. Yet it
is not said it shall be a sign that in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth For there is a notable pause in the middle which divides the sentence and the sense also The seventeenth verse containes two distinct arguments or reasons why they should keep the Sabbath 1. Because it was a sign 2. Because it was set apart upon the occasion of Gods work and rest in the beginning 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 2.3 1 Joh. 3.18 There are indicating or evidencing signes such are the Characters of saving grace But neither can this be the sense of the word sign in this place It is a sign that I the Lord do sanctifie you What savingly why then all were Israel that were of Israel for the Sabbath was given to all neither was it so much their keeping the Sabbath as Gods giving them a Sabbath to keep which is here made a sign Witness Ezekiel Moses his interpretor I have given them my Sabbath for a sign Ezek. 20.13 to know that I the Lord do sanctifie them Therefore 3. There are distinguishing or differencing signs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as do visibly mark out a people for Gods peculiar select and sanctified ones above all other people of the earth And in this sense the Sabbath is here given the Jews as a sign a sign of his sanctifying them that is in one word as Calvin speaks a sign of his segregating and singling them out from the rest of the nations as his peculiar people Siquis un◠verbo reddere vellet sanctificare est segregare Cal. Praelec in Ezek. 20. Ita Simler in Exo Levit. 21.8 ch 2.32 So also Simlerus and to the same effect is that of Lavater aforementioned The Sabbath was a sign of Gods sanctifying them as the Sabbath it self was sanctified that is separated from other common dayes and set a part for holy ends and uses And so the Word sanctifie is usually if not only taken in Scripture when it is applyed to the whole bulk or body of a people as here it is Well the Sabbath was given to the people of Israel as a sign of Gods sanctifying them but how long throughout their generations That is during the Oeconomy of the Law as long as the people of Israel should be the only peculiar people of God Exod. 12.14 The very same Phrase is used concerning the Passeover ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations by an ordinance or ever which clearly speaks it a temporary ordinance But Secondly We must distinguish of Sabbaths as well as of signes very briefly the Word Sabbath signifies one of these three things either 1. The moral duty holy rest or 2. The penal rigour of that rest or 3. The precise day of rest Now 1. It cannot be meant of the moral duty simply considered since that extends beyond their generations for there remaineth a rest Heb. 4.9 10. or keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God still neither 2. Can itwell be understood of that penal rigour resting from all work upon pain of corporal death for this in all likelihood lasted not out half their generations being calculated chiefly for their wilderness estate as was saidbefore Therefore 3. It must be the precise day of rest the old seventh-day-seventh-day-Sabbath or nothing which is here set as a sign throughout their generations and this I take to be the true intent of the Holy-Ghost both here and Ezek. 20. The case seems clearly to me to be stated in this wise The old seventh day was at first given to Adam and his posterity as the only true Sabbath during the pre-eminency of the Creation and Christ in the promise and that it was conscientiously kept by the holy Patriarchs for some ages after I doubt not though some of the Ancients seem to deny it but to be sure in tract of time the sinful race of Adam forsaking the true God did also forget the true Sabbath Now when it pleased God out of that degenerate lump of mankind to form Israel or the seed of Abraham a peculiar people to himself he gave them his old Sabbath again in a new Edition That among other ends it might be a visible sign to distinguish them from the rest of the world Other nations no doubt had their Sabbaths as well as their gods but as Israel must serve the only true God so they must also observe the then only true Sabbath Ezod 31.13 So much is implyed in the text Verily my Sabbath ye shall keep saith the Lord. The Word my is Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it points at the precise day of Gods appointment the seventh and last day of the week therefore this and mainly this was made a sign of Gods sanctifying the Jews throughout their generations which being so how evidently doth it follow that the day was design'd for change and that now it is certainly changed by the will and appointment of God For if the Jews generation be extinct and they that were once the people of God have now a Lo-ammi written upon them Ho. 11.20 1 Thes 2.15 16. Ye are none of my people how shall that day any longer stand as a Sabbath wich was given them as a sign of their being the peculiar people of God and that for a season only till their generations were expired Maledic domine Nazarais Lord curse the Christians is one of their daily imprecations vid Trapp in Hosea Either let the adversay say the blaspheming Jews who powre out daily curses instead of prayers are still the Covenant-people of God in so much as still they retain that Saturday-Sabbath And then he shall speak like a true Jew indeed or let him confess their saturday-Sabbath which was once the crown of their glory is now no better then the badge of their blasphemy whereby they would make the world believe that they are still the sanctified people of God though they trample underfoot the blood of his Son whereby they should be sanctified I speak not this as insulting over the misery of the Jews but as lamenting the sin of apostate Christians who take up that day as a badge of their Saintship which the infidel Jews wear as a badge of their blasphemy and enmity against Christ and Christians Indeed it was once an illustrious sign of their sanctification but it was limited to their generations as the Passeover was and therefore if the one be expired so is the other upon the same account And in this respect I dare boldly affirm and I doubt not to maintain it that it is every whit as lawful for a Christian to celebrate that old Sacrament the Passeover as to observe the old Sabbath For the one was as well a sign as the other and the one was ordained for a season as well as the other There are a few feeble objections to face this argument but the bare repetion with the premises will be
correspondent to the change of the Covenant it self and accordingly such a change of the Sabbath I do here assert not in respect of the substance or duty holy rest but the circumstance of time the day upon which that duty was formerly fixed and stated And that such a change of the Covenant there is and such a change of the Sabbath by one and the same Christ i Hebr. 12.24 mediator of the Covenant and k Mark 2.28 Lord of the Sabbath and both these occasioned by the exhibition of a new and a better Covenant upon his glorious resurrection from the dead we come now to demonstrate To this purpose we shall reflect upon the old Covenant in a threefold Covenant-expressue of it and shew what a visible change Christ has made in it and how inseparably the change of the Sabbath is interwoven with it 1. In the mandatory part of it I mean the Decalogue or law of the ten Commandments that this was a l Jep 31.31.32 Deut. 5.2 ch 29.1 1 Kings 8 9.21 2 Chron. 6.11 Psalm 105.11 piece of the old Covenant promulgated upon Mount Sinai I suppose none will question And that even this has undergone not only mitigation but some kind of mutation by our glorious Gospel-law-giver none need to question only we must state it warily and soberly not affirming with the blundring Antinomians hand over head that the law of Moses is out-lawed and abrogated without any distinction This were to coyn a lye to confirm the truth of God for it is certain that those lively m Acts 7.38 Oracles n Ex. 20.1 propounded by God himself upon Mount Sinai and afterwards expounded by Moses and the Prophets in the Old Testament by o Mat. 5.21 to the end Christ and his p Rom. 7.12 14 ch 13.8 9 10. Ephes 6.1 2 3. James 2.8 9 10 12. 1 John 2.9 10 Apostles in the New are still in force under the Gospel not onely as declarative of the law of nature but as positively preceptive also in the matter and substance of them yea as perpetually directive as a rule of life and obedience both in respect of duties to be performed and sins to be avoided As to have the only true God and no other to be our God to worship this only true God with his own prescribed worship and no other to use his holy name most reverently and religiously to sanctifie his holy Sabbath to honour Father and Mother to avoid Idolatry Blasphemy Murder Adultery Theft c. These are as much duties and sins under the Gospel as ever they were under the Law and in this sense the Moral law is q Rom. 3.31 1 Cor. 9.21 established by Christ and r Mat 5.17 18. Christus finisest legis Rom. 10.4 sed finis persiciens non intersiciens August in John tract 55. Tom. 9. ratified even to a tittle You will ask me then wherein les the change I answer not in the substance but in some circumstantials peculiar to those times and appropriate to that people the Church of the Jewes for as I hinted before almost all Scripture had some circumstantial peculiarity and propriety to those times and that people to whom it was immediately given and so had the Decalogue 'T is true in the substance and morality of it it was equally calculated both for Jewes and Christians yet some particulars in it in regard of circumstance either direct or indirect were proper to the Jewes onely as the preface to the first Commandment I am the Lord which brought thee out of the land of Egypt which in the letter of it concerns not us for literally and properly we were never in Egypt not in bondage there so also the promise annexed to the fifth commandment which in the particularity of it belonged to the Jewes only pointing at the land of Canaan The like may be said for the positive part of the second Commandment touching Gods worship as then by ceremonial observances as also the positive part of the fourth Commandment which occasionally and indirectly prescribed the celebration of the Jews seventh day and that with this additional circumstance within thy gates all these were adjuncts of the old Covenant and appropriate to the Jews Now the new Covenant taking in ſ Isai 2.3 See Mr. Roberts on the Covenant and Mr. Abbot against Broad Gentiles as well as Jewes must necessarily vary these circumstantials in the moral law by construing them in a new Covenant-sense to accommodate it to these new confederates as thus by changing their temporal deliverance from Egypts thraldom into out spiritual deliverance from the thraldom of sin and Satan the land of Canaan into any other part of the earth where the heirs of the promise shall dwell their legal worship into our Gospel-worship their gates into our jurisdictions in a word their seventh day into our seventh day which analogically at least is as much intended by seventh day in the fourth Commandment as England by Canaan in the fifth Commandment If it be demanded when and by whom this change was introduced I answer by the blessed Mediator of the new Covenant and that immediately upon his resurrection from the dead for then he was given both for a t Isal 42.6 light and a Covenant to the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mas. 28 19 20. Mark 16.15 Luke 24.47 John 20.23 then was the Churches Charter formerly confined among the Jews graciously extended to the Gentiles then it was that our Lord was pleased to issue forth that high commission as one calls it for the discipling of all the Gentiles by Baptisme and so bringing them into Covenant requiring his Apostles to tender the whole Covenant to them both in the promises and the precepts of it and the fore as the Prophet Jonah shortly after his resurrection went to Nineveh so Jesus Christ after his to Galilee where according to fore-appointment he gave his disciples a solemn meeting and laid a solemn charge upon them to teach the Gentiles to observe whatsoever he had commanded them Now if the precept of the Sabbath were included among the rest of those commands as 't is like it was it must be in such a sense as would comport with their new Covenant-state which must needs exclude the old seventh day since that was a branch of the old Covenant peculiar to the Jews and urged upon them by such a reason or inforcement as in the letter of it concerned not the Gentiles at all viz. their deliverance out of Egypt Deut. 5.15 Mystically indeed it concerned us as well as them as implying out Redemption by Christ but in that sense it quite carries away the Sabbath from their old seventh day in as much as the accomplishment of our Redemption fell upon the first day of the week viz. by the glorious resurrection of our Saviour but for which we had remained still in the Egypt of our u 1 Cor. 15.17 sins as the Apostle witnesseth
the Sabbaths here specified were a shadow of things to come whereas the Lords day as one well observes is only a memorial of something past to wit the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ So that to argue from hence against all difference of dayes under the Gospel as the old Anabaptists and Familists do is evidently to stretch the Text beyond the stapse But to urge it against all the Jewes Holy-dayes their weekly Sabbath and all is not at all to force it For First The Apostle seemes to speak distinctly and distributively enumerating the several sorts of dayes in observation among the Jewes Holy-day New moons Sabbaths and the gradation from yeerly holy-dayes to monthly new Moons and from them to weekly Sabbaths is visible enough to such as are not blinded with prejudice See Mr. Shepheard Thes 20. part 2. Secondly The plural term Sabbaths is usually put for the singular the Sabbath or seventh day now under dispute Yea I cannot find any one Text in all the new Testament where it is applied in the same number to any other day or Sabbath but the old seventh-day-Sabbath * Math. 12.1.5.10.12 Mark 1.21 ch 2 24. ch 3. v. 2. Lu. 4.31 ch 13 v. 10. Acts 13 14. in all these Texts t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seven or eight times the same word as it is here set down in the plural number is used for that old weekly Sabbath and not so much as once for any yearly Sabbath therefore inall reason that precise weekly Sabbath must be here I willnot say in cluded only but principally intended Thirdly * 2 Kin. 4.23 even in the old Testament where ever New Moons and Sabbaths go coupled together unless the phrase be figurative 1 Chro. 23.31 2 Cron. 1.4 ch 8.13 ch 31 v. 3. Nehem. 10.33 Ezek. 45.17 Hos 2.11 Amos 8.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in Isai 66.23 the Jews weekly Sabbath is denoted by it as appears by those several Scriptures cited in the margin in most of which their annual Sabbaths are excepted and distinguished by another name scil Feasts to which answers the words holy-day in this place Colos 2.16 For indeed the word in the original fignifies a feast or festival day Thus let Scripture expound Scripture and truth will be truth in spight of errour take the whole sentence together holy-day new Moon Sabhaths and if it be an Old Testament-phrase it alwayes implies the old seventh day-Sabbath or take the words Sabbaths singly by it self and if it be a New Testament-term as 't is like it is it ever I think I may truely say ever signifies the same seventh day unless when it is put for the week which here it cannot be The conclusion then is undeniable that the Jews seventh day Sabbath was a shadowy Sabbath and therefore it cannot be our Christian Sabbath for what have we to do with shadowes under the Sun-shine of the Gospel under the clear and bright discoveries of Christ 2 Cor. 3.18 when we may with open face as in a glass behold the glory of the Lord. Oh that the spirit of truth would take away that vail that lies upon the hearts of men that vail of errour and darkness which keeps out the light of this truth for a truth it is a plain truth as plain as Scripture can make it that the Sabbaths here mentioned were a shadow of things to come and I have made it evident that the old Sabbath as to the day is here chiefly intended it is not necessary that I should trouble the Reader to tell him my judgment what kind of shadow it was or what was shadowed by it in particular whether Christs rest that day full and whole in the grave or his rest the next day from the grave or a believers rest in Christ a compleat Saviour But this is certain a shadow it was of which something in Christ was the body and the body being come the shadow must be gone And so I might proceed to another argument but I must first remove some objections wherewith the Adversary has indeavoured to block up our way But all in vain First he tells us T.T. Obj. 1. p. 23.24 25. 't is evident at first sight that only such Sabbaths are ceased as were shadows of good things to come but the seventh day was never such a Sabbath A sign indeed of good things past and present it was but never termed a shadow of things to come This proceeds upon his accustomed fallacy Answ petitio principij a begging of the thing in question for he would make us believe that the old seventh day was none of the Sabbaths here intended which if we deny as we do then he has lost his conclusion for in this very Text it is termed a shadow of things to come what if we grant it a sign of something past so were the annual Sabbaths as he calls them Passeover Pentecost c. the one of their preservation in Egypt the other of the giving of Gods law yet both shadowes of things to come or else the Apostle was much mistaken The blessed Spirit by two other terms declares clearly what Sabbaths are ceased Ob. 2 1. Such as were against us 2. Contrary to us and such were those annual Sabbaths requiring great labour and travel in coming three times a year from all parts to Jerusalem the seventh day-Sabbath was never in the least against us nor contrary to us unless so far as we are against God and contrary to him as 't is elsewhere added 'T is very questionable Answ 1 whether these three annual Festivals Passeover Pentecost and the feast of Tabernacles be ever termed Sabbaths in Scripture indeed the Sabbatical years as every seventh year and every fiftieth year ae five or six times termed a Levit. 25.8 c. 26.34 35 43. Sabbaths 2 Chron. 36.21 but the Jews themselves could never say these were against them or contrary tot hem the one being a year of rest to their lands the other a year of release to their servants The weekly Sabbath or seventh day directly intended in the fourth Commandment I grant is nto againt us Answ 2 neither are we against it we own it we observe it and shall do I trust till we enjoy our everlasting Sabbath in Heaven But The seventh-day-Sabbath imposed upon the Jews or rather the hand-writing of Ordinances not Gods hand-writing but Moses hand writing was in some sense against us Gentiles and contrary to us as it was a piece of that old partition-wall which separated the Jewes from the Gentiles and occasioned b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Compare Col. 2.14 with Ephes 2.14 15 16. See the Dutch Annot. enmity between them that such a division or partition-wall there was we read in Ephes 2. whereby the Jews and Gentiles were parted and shut up as it were one from another that there was no correspondency between them and the symboll of this
separation was the old Sabbath whereby the Jewish Nation was distinguished from all other people in the world as we shewed before out of Exod. 31. Now the Lord Jesus came to take down this separation wall and to make up a Union betwixt Jew and Gentile and this he did partly by his death blotting out the hand writing of Ordinances or law of Commandments contained in Ordinances and partly by his e Acts 4.11 Ephes 2.20 resurrection where he was made the corner-stone of his Fathers house to unite both parts of he building together that all might be d Gal. 3.28 one in Christ Jesus This I take to be the sense of the place But the Prelates have perverted the Text Obj. 3 T. T. for unto the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which only signifies Sabbaths they have deceitfully added dayes as though there were no Sabbathe but Sabbath dayes they have destroyed the Apostles scope by their addition of dayes The pious and judicious Translatours have rightly rendered it Sabbath-dayes for so the word is used in all those other texts above mentioned p. 136. Answ yea when there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joyned with it and the like I have observed in e Dialogue with Trypho Justine Martyr f Hom. de semente Athanasius and other expert Grecians who do generally dispute against the Jews weekly Sabbath under the term which is here used therefore this Author does most unworthily and wrongfully charge those worthy instruments who made the Scriputres speak true English with fraud and deceit God will one day require an account of these hard speeches yea scoffs and impious slanders But he has not done yet Whereas by this bold and absurd addition some would cast off the seventh day as Ceremonial Obj. 4 who yet plead strongly for the morality of the Sabbath it is very considerable that this Text toucheth not the day at al but the duty that is the Sabbath for the Apostle mentions not the day or time as a shadow but Sabbaths None but a bold and absurd Anabaptist would call this an absurd addition Answ 1 for it is the usual and proper Translation of the word elsewhere and if he should read it thus let no man judg you in meat or drink or in respect of a festival day or a new Moon or the Sabbath day it were no wrong to the Text for so we read the same word Mat. 12.1 Understanding it of the old Sabbath day Answ 2 The duty of holy rest in general is not here intended at all for that is usually intimated in a word of the singular number and stands firm in the fourth Commandment as also g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 24.20 'T is only the particular day or the respective limitation of the duty to that day that is here reckoned among the shadows of things to come look how their festival dayes are called shadowes so is their Sabbath not the moral duties required on those dayes as solemn h 2 Chron. 30 21 22. Neh. 8.6 worship praise and thanksgiving for then it were a sin to keep a day of thanksgiving but the set dayes together with the ceremonial duties which they were accustomed to a re here discharged and the like I may say of their weekly Sabbath And therefore his conclusion will not hold That we may as warrantably reject the moral law upon that expression of the law being changed as the seventh day upon this word of Sabbaths being a shadow The distinction of moral and ceremonial may as well be applied to Sabbaths as lawes and till he can prove that the old seventh day is excepted from these shadowy Sabbaths as we can prove the moral law to be from that which was mutable he must confess it was but a shadow and so either abrogated or altered or both as the ceremonial i H. br 7.12 law and the priest-hoods were and if so let him judg whether the Apostles rule ought not to be regarded Let no man judg you in respect of shadowy Sabbaths and let T. T. timely bethink himself how he will answer the breach of this rule at the Barre of Christ when his own book shall without repentance be brought in as a bill of indictment against him for judging censuring condemning not only faithful Ministers and Christian-people but Magistrates Princes Parliaments charging them with little less then the sin against the Holy-Ghost because forsooth they disown the brat of his brain p. 50. and reject the Saturday-Sabbath let this unjust judg take heed he be not judged with a witness I shall ere long read him a sharp sentence out of Justin Martyr But first I shall endeavour to convince him by two or three Arguments more That the Sabbath is certainly changed from the last to the first of the week and that by Divine Authority Christ ending his work Arg. 3 ad hominem and entring into his rest layes the foundation of a new Sabbath upon the day of his rest But he ended his work and entred into his rest upon the first day of the week by his resurrection from the dead Therefore then and thereby he laid the foundation of a new Sabbath upon that day of his rest Both feet of this argument stand upon Scriputre-ground or the grant of the adversary as shall appear in the prosecution of it First That our blessed Redeemers ending his work and entring into his rest laid the foundation of a new Sabbath seemes to be the Apostles conclusion Hebr. 4.9.10 There remaineth therefore the keeping of a Sabbath as the Tranlators render it in the Margin to the people of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he that hath entred into his rest that is Christ hath ceafed from his workes as God did from his own workes That it is spoken of Christ T. T. plainly grants p. 141. yea peremptorily determines in these words It is Christ only whose intrance into rest is here intended and therefore there remaineth the keeping of the Sabbath to the people of God A Sabbath I should rather say I may lawfully proceed upon his own grant and so wound him with his own weapon For however he wrests this Scripture and uses it as a sheild to defend his Saturday-Sabbath I believe upon trial it will be found a sword to destroy it Which will the better appear if we look into the contents of the third and fourth Chapters and withall have an eye to the scope of the whole Epistle which will be an excellent key to unlock this intricate Text. Breifly to touch upon the general scope it is very probable that these Christian Hebrews were about casting off the Ordinances and worship of the New Testament and revolting from Christ to Moses for the prevention and cure of which Apostacy St. * For if the cloth may be known by the lâ—st as M. Ward was wont to say the Epistle is most likely to be his the phrase and
style being very agreeable to his other Epistles Paul is inspired by the Holy Ghost to write this Epistle wherein his main design is to disswade them from this sin as appeares by several passages sparsed here and there as ch 4.14 Where he exhorts them to hold fast their profession and observe it well ch 7 8 9. When he had argued that upon the coming of Christ there was to be change of the Priesthood and Law of old-Testament worship-hereupon he concludes ch 10. Let us hold fast the professio of our faith without wavering and verse 38. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him That is if any man draw back from Gospel-ordinances to abrogated Legal rites therfore again ch 12. v. 25. 26 27. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh whose voice shakes not only earth but Heaven also Which shaking signifies the removing of things that are made that is Old-Testament-Ordinances such as were alterable that the things which cannot be shaken may remain that is Gospel-institutions Having found out his main mark which he aimes at namely to disswade them from Apostatizing to legal worship and perswade them to persevere in Gospel-worship let us consider in the next place See Mr. Carter on Heb. 6. what arguments he uses to prevaile with them herein First Inasmuch as the Ordinances of the Old Testament were given by Angels and by the hand of Moses a Typical Mediator therefore in the two first ch he sets forth the excellency and dignity of Christ above Angels proving him to be the very Son of God and then ch 3. he prefers him before Moses inasmuch as Moses was but a Servant in Gods house but Christ a Son yea the ownet and builder of the house and such a builder as made not only the little house the Church but the great house the world also ch 3. v. 4. therefore they had little reason to return from Christ to Moses Secondly Having thusprepared them he fals upon his intended subject viz. A serious disswasive from Apostacy And because they were about to cast off the Solemn worship of the new Testament for t is expresly said ch 10. v. 25. That the manner of some was to forsake the assembling of themselves together which assemblies in the Churches of Christ were alwayes upon the first day of the week therefore to Preach down this sin among others the Apostle takes a Text out of Psalm 95. and spends the best part of two chapters in the opening and applying of it The words you have at large ch 3. v. 7 8 9. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts c. His voice that is the voice of Christ our great Prophet spoken of before and that upon his own day his day of grace in generall and his day of Solemn worship in particular for so it followes in that Psalm Let us how down and worship before him And let it be noted the words cited out of the Psalm are not so much Davids exhortation to the people of his time as a prophetical prediction of Gospel-times Plalm 95. 6 7. Isaiah 2.3 wherein he brings in the people of God as also the Prophet Isaiah does mutually inviing and calling upon one another to hear the voice of Christ yea to come and worship before him else how could the Apostle apply it to these Christians Further oh 3. v. 12. he advises them to take heed of an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God i. e. by forsaking his Ordinances and worship and in particular his day of solemn worship of which David here seemes to spea lest they should provoke God by their Apostacy as Israel did by their infidelity till he sware against them in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest whose sin and punishment is further exemplified to the end of that chapter Now because it might be thought that Gods oath did only concern the Israelites exclusion out of Canaan the Holy Ghost informs us that there was a Prophecy in that History and a promise in that Threatning Therefore we are admonished ch 4.1 To fear lest a promise being left us of entring into rest any of us should seem to come short of it But how does the Apostle ground his admonition What need Christians fear Yes good reason for v. 2. To us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them Therefore having the like priviledges we may expect the like punishment if we pervert those priviledges or Apostatize from them through unbelief for that was Israels undoing the word Preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it v. 2. hence they fell short of Gods rest in Canaan which was a type of our eternal rest in Heaven into which none but believers do enter v. 3. For unbelievers are out off by Gods oath as it followes I have sworn in my wrath * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nota jurantis 1 Sam. 14.45 Psalm 89.35 Jer. 38.16 if they shall enter that is they shall not enter the sense must be supplied thus if ere they come there let me not be reputed a God of truth Thus far we have traced the Apostles argument and found it mainly tending to this to caution these Hebrews against Apostacy and against infidelity as the root of that Apostacy against Apostacy I say not from Moses fot they were * Acts. 21.20 They were all zealous of the law tenacious enough that way but from Christ and his institutions and probably from the Christian Sabbath which some conceive to be the day pointed at by David But because they were apt to think that the day and the rest of which David spake was the old seventh day and the rest of Canaan which they were but too much devoted to to root out this conceit in the following verses the Apostle removes these two supposed rests and plainly shews that neither the one nor the other could be intended either by David or himself First It could not be * Exod. 35 2. meant of the old seventh day which is sometimes styled a Sabbath of rest For although the works were finished from the foundation of the world and God did rest the seventh day from all his works yet in this place again he saith if they shall enter into my rest v. 4 5. His argument stands thus David expresly mentions a day and a rest to some so much the word shall implies if they shall enter but the rest of the old seventh day was already entred into three thousand years before Davids time even from the foundation of the world See dr Gouge Comment on the Hebr. Therefore that could not be this The force of the argument lies in this that things spoken of different times whereof the one is of time past the other of time to come cannot be the same for instance that * Ezek. 34.24
ch 37.25 David who dyed many hundred years before Christ cannot be the same David who is promised to be a Prince amongst Christians So here the day or rest of which David speaks being to come and not then entred into could not be the rest of the old seventh day since that was entred into long before even from the foundation of the world This is the true and genuine sense of those words although and again Although is a discretive term * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a note of distinction importing thus much that albeit there is mention made of a day of rest in the beginning of the world yet it is as another distinct day and rest that is here intended So also this Adverb again is to be taken of another rest-day then that which is mentioned in the former verse for although the old seveuth day were spoken of by Moses as the first and most famons rest in the beginning yet now again so many thousand years after that David speaks of another rest if not another rest-rest-day and if any Sabbath or day of rest be here intended either by David or Paul it will certainly prove fatal to the old Sabbath for I would humbly propose this quere to the consideration of the learned Whether the Psalmists intimation that there should be a day of solemn worship under the Gospel and the Apostles assumption that it could not be meant of the old seventh day will not amount to this conclusion that the old seventh-day-Sabbath is to be no day of rest or solemn worship under the Gospel If T.T. quarrel at this conclusion let him thank himself for the premises one of them at least for he grants a moral rest or Sabbath to be here meant and I will thank the Holy-Ghost and S. Paul for the other for they have assured me that the seventh day from the Creation could not be meant by David no nor Secondly The rest of Canaan neither in the sense above mentioned for although that be sometimes termed the * Deut. 12.9 Josh 1.15 rest which God gave Israel under the conduct of Jesus or Joshua yet sayes the Apostle v. 8. If Jesus had given them rest that is if he had given them the rest of which David here speaks then would he not afterward have spoken of another day where note by the way t is a day of rest which the Psalmist seems to scope at else why should the Apostle thus interweave the one with the other If Joshuah or Jesus had given them rest then would he not afterwards have spoken of another day Note again the same Argument is here used against the supposed place of rest that was urged before against their conceived time of rest the old seventh day both these were entred into long before Davids time whereas he spake by the spirit of prophecy concerning things to come a long time after and hereupon the Apostle concludes There remaineth therefore a rest or the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God distinct and different from the old Sabbath yet not much unlike it in respect of the ground of it for he that hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his works as God did from his own works And this is spoken only of Christ sayes T.T. Be it so then I hope our proposition will not offend him that when our blessed Lord Jesus ended his work and entred into his rest he laid the foundation of a new Sabbath on that day of his rest only t is like this word new Sabbath will stick in his stomach yet it needs not for we cannot put the old Sabbath into the Apostles conclusion because he himself puts it out of the premises But we shall not wrangle about words by new Sabbath I mean only a new Sabbath-day and for peace-sake I am content the proposition should pass in these terms The day on which Christ ended his works and entred into his rest must be our Christian Sabbath day The assumption followes Secondly That Christ ended his work and entred into his rest by his resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week for proof whereof we may proceed upon another of the Adversaries Principles for thus he argue Christs entring into his rest on the seventh day T.T. p. 144 145. Our dear Redeemers soul was no sooner separated from his body but his better part immediately entred into glory and soon after his blessed body was laid to rest in the grave Where although I cannot but mind him of his gross mistake about the cricumstance of time for t is evident that as our blessed Redeemers soul entred into Paradise on the sixth day the same day that he dyed witness his words to the dying theef this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise so also his sacred body was interr'd the same day even a Mark 16.42 Luke 23.53 54. the day before the Sabbath not on the seventh day as this sophister would make silly people believ e yet I shall take him at his word in the main of his argument namely that when our Saviour entred into his glory he entred into his rest But I assume By his resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week our Lord entred into his glory and for this I have his own word more then once or twice in the 24 of Luke he overtakes the two Disciples going to Emmaus and as they were talking together with sad hearts about the sufferings and the death of Christ and also relating what they had heard but could hardly believe concerning his resurrection he takes them up with a sharp rebuke b Luke 24.25 26. O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory to enter into his glory you will say that is to be understood of his ascention into Heaven nay verily he spake it of his resurrection from the dead where their chief doubt lay and so himself expounds it for the same day at night he appears to the rest of his Disciples and these among them preaching the same Doctrine and saying c V. 46. Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day this was that he had so often inculcated before his death d Math. 16.21 ch 17. 23. Mark 9.31 ch 10. 34. Luke 9.22 ch 18. 31 32 33. That he must go up to Jerusalem and suffer and die that all things which were written in the prophets concerning him should be accomplished that he should be delivered up to the gentiles that they should crucifie and kill him and that the third day he should rise again according to the Scriptures so that what one Text speaks of his suffering and entring into glory others interpret of his dying and rising again the third day and that Christ by his resurrection entred into his glory
it agrees not with the scope of the context which is to disswade them from unbelief as the root of Apostasie ch 3. 12. Take heed Brethren of an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God where the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 18.19 word doth properly and without all question signifie unbelief And the Apostles rendring of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies either unbeliefe or disobedience by another word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies unbelief only v. 18.19 does evidently speak his meaning namely that we should take heed of falling by Israels example of unbelief which is the mother of all * John 16.8 9 vice as faith is the mother of grace And therefore ch 4. v. 1. he cautions us to fear lest a promise being left any of us should seem to come short Now the promise is the ground of Faith as the precept is of obedience I conclude therefore it is not so much Israels disobedience as Israels unbelief upon which the stress of the argument is laid To take the Apostles admonition as a caution against the neglect of the old Sabbath is utterly to mistake his main mark and scope For his grand design is to prevent their Apostasie from Christ and his Gospel not from Moses and his law And I am perswaded if any Sabbath-breaking be here intended it is to deterre them from the breach of the Christian Sabbath To understand this Scripture there remaineth the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God of the old seventh-day-Sabbath Answ 3 is utterly to invalidate the Apostles argument because it confounds that distinction of rests on which he grounds his argument For 't is evident See Mr. White of Dutch in this Tex p. 230 the Apostle speaks of several and distinct rests and insists most strongly upon the opposition between Moses words Gen. 2. and the words of David Psalm 95. not Psalm 45. as T.T. misquotes it and makes it most manifest that David could not mean the rest of the Sabbath of which Moses speakes Gen. 2. for Hebr. 4.3 thus he reasons David speaks of a rest to come but Moses speakes of a rest past therefore David cannot mean the rest of the old Sabbath of which Moses speaks which was entred into so long before And verse 5. he takes up the same opposition again and in this place i. e. of David again if they shall enter who sees not a manifest opposition betwixt these two have entred and shall enter That word although v. 3. relates not to the sin of Israel but the saying of David And thus this Authors first fancy is battered There remaineth therefore the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God but no the old Sabbath T is set down in the Margin of our Bibles the keeping of a Sabbath whence they would evade the seventh-day Sabbath Obj. 2 T.T. although the Dictionaries and Lexicons render ib plainly the keeping of the Sabbath The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answ without an Article and therefore this is a meer causless cavil and as for Lexicons that render the Greek into Latin I suppose be will find neither a nor the in any of them for these are English particles and as for Latin Dictionaries he may look long enough before he will find the word in any of them for t is a pure Grecism And thus I think he has shewed his Scholarship with a witness No wonder such an accurate Critick casts odium upon the Translatours t is much he does not give us a Bible of his own making The Scripture gives full evidence Obj. 3 p. 144. that Christ entred into his rest the true seventh day he means the old seventh day when he had finished his great work of Redemption and for this he cites Acts 2.26 where t is said his flesh did rest in hope The* word signifies only thus much Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his flesh did remain in hope and it may be as well rendred remain as rest It implyes no such thing as Sabbatical rest He cites Job 17.3 for Job 3.17 an argument he is not infallable As for Job 3.17 which he misquotes again it makes nothing for his purpose All that it speaks is this There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary are at rest Teaching us that the grave is a place of rest from external impressions of violence and cruelty as also from trouble labour and sorrow to the people of God They shall rest in their beds sayes the Prophet Yet I hope he will grant the grave is a softer bed to Saints then it was to our Saviour for as he took away the sting of death by dying and rising again so also the horror of the grave by being buried Certain it is that Christs burial was a part of his humiliation and while he lay in the grave he lay under the sorrowes paines or chains of death as the Holy Ghost witnesseth Acts 2.24 And who ever doubted but our Saviours durance in the Sepulchre was penal Even the Lutherans who attribute more then is meet to the buriall of Christ as they do to his body do confess that it was a part of his humiliation and that hereby he underwent that penalty Gen. 3.19 vide Gerh. Supplem ad Chem. Harm p. 230. as well as his death upon the Crosse How then did he rest from the work of Redemption as long as he lay under the arrest of death in the prison of the grave Certainly all his humiliation work was Redemption-work from his Birth to his burial and setting aside his Crucifixion we have reason to think our Redeemer was not so much humbled all the three and thirty years of his life as the three dayes and three nights after his death while he lodged in the heart of the earth Before he was but as the Sun in a cloud but now as the Sun under a total Eclipse as to the view of the world And doubtless for the blessed Son of God and Lord of Glory to lie down in the a Psalm 22.15 Ephes 4 9. dust of death and suffer himself to be trampled under the feet of that Tyrant was no small degree of abasement But to be sure whatever our blessed Redeemers rest were before his Resurrection either that of his Soul in glory or the other of his body in the grave it could make nothing for the saturday-Saturday-Sabbath for neither of these rests were entred into on the seventh day but both on the sixth day The b John 19. v. 14 31.42 day before the Sabbath he was crucified and the same day he was buried otherwise how is it said That he rose again the third day c 1 Cor. 15.4 according to the Scriptures Methinks this should make the Objector blush to look back upon his anti-scriptural conclusion That Christ entred into his rest on the true seventh-day-seventh-day-Sabbath expounding it of his rest in the
grave But a word with you Sir did the Lord Jesus indeed enter into that rest of the grave the seventh day of the week why then it seems he rose again from the dead the second day and rested but two dayes and two nights in the grave and had he not need be greater then an Angel that shall take upon him to coine such new Creeds and preach such new Gospels for sear of the Apostles d Gal. 1.7 8. Anathema To salve this he tells us p. 145. that our Saviours body was laid to rest in the Sepulchre in the close of the sixth day Very good Why then does he say in the next page that he entred into this rest on the seventh day Thus at once he contradicts both himself and the Scriptures But to conclude this author has little reason to vaunt and glory as he does in this new invention For to make Christs rest in the grave a ground of the weekly Sabbath is neither proper in respect of the thing nor proportionable in respect of the time For the thing it self how altogether improper and incongruous is it to keep a weekly festival in memory of our Saviours Funeral to make that day a day of rejoycing which was rather a day of mourning For so the Ancients held it and therefore kept it as a Fast ergo not as a Sabbath for the Sabbath was ever reckoned among the solemn c Ier. 23.2 3. Feasts of the Lord which one consideration is sufficient to shew the judgment of antiquity in this controversie For they kept the * Diem Solis laetitiae indulgemus Tertul. Apol. c. 36. Sabbato usque ad galli cantum jejunium producite et illucescente uno Sabbatorum qui est dominicus desinite Constit lib. 5. c. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan lib. â—3 Tom. 3. Haeres 75. Lords day as a day of spiritual joy and gladness and spent the whole Saturday the time of Christs lying in the grave in Fasting and mourning alledging for their practise that speech of our Saviour When the Bride-groom is taken from them then shall they fast Luke 5.35 Again it holds no proportion in respect of the time for our Saviour lay three dayes and three nights in the grave therefore this can be no pattern for a weekly Sabbath I doubt the best of our new Sabbath-keepers would be weary of resting so long at a time But the stress of T. T s Argument is laid upon Christs entring into rest therefore there remaineth the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God and here I shall lay the stress of my answer having manifestly proved that Christs entrance into rest was not on the seventh day no not in this authors own new notion of rest And whereas he addes that the taking down of our Saviours body from the Cross and laying it in the sepulchre in the close of the sixth day was providentially ordered I answer true providentially indeed for hereby the Holy Ghost has admirably provided against this future error of raising the old seventh-day-Sabbath from the dead and building it up anew upon the grave of Christ where it rather lies buried never to rise again For if the blessed body of Christ were laid in the grave on the sixth day then he entred not into that rest nor indeed any rest at all on the seventh day But on the first day of the week he entred into his true rest and ceased from his work of Redemption as God the Father did the seventh day from his work of Creation therefore there remaineth the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God upon the day of Christs resting from his work the day of his rising from the dead And we have grand reason to think that Christ had a significant meaning in prolonging his Resurrection to the third day which was the first of the week as the Father had in lengthening out the Creation to the seventh day which was the last of the week For as the Father could have created the world in a moment so could the Son have quickned and raised himself from the grave assoon as he was in it either the same day or the seventh if he had pleased But he purposely and providentially passed over that day and crowned the first of the week with the glory of his resurrection which plainly speakes it his will and pleasure to make that day the day of our weekly rest in which our Lord himself rested from his greatest work Oh! But Christ rested not on the day of his Resurrection Obj. 4 T. T. p. 120. for he journeyed fifteen miles that very day which was no fair president for celebrating a Sabbath And again he travelled fifteen miles upon this supposed new Sabbath and this not to any Church-meeting but from Jerusalem where most of his disciples were purposely joyning with the two disciples that were journeying on foot seven miles and a half into the Countrey He means the disciples going to Emmaus Luke 24.13 14. This is his last refuge and 't is a very sorry one For First This travel was without labour and if he had journeyed that day from earth to Heaven and back again from Heaven to earth it had been no impeachment to his holy rest any more then the motion of an Angel sent upon Gods errand would be a profanation of his Sabbath certainly the body of Christ at his resurrection was a glorious body and able to move from earth to Heaven as some think in a moment And whether he did not locally though not so solemnly as afterwards ascend into Heaven and descend again the very day of his resurrection is disputed by some I shall not positively assert it but modestly propound it to further inquiry whether those words a John 20.17 Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go and tell my brethren I ascend do not seem to imply that even now in the morning of the resurrection-day he was about to ascend and whether the same day at night returning again and bidding them touch or b Luke 24.39 handle him do not argue that now he had ascended Again whether those words c Eph. 4.8 11. When he ascended up on high he gave gifts unto men some Apostles some Prophets c. must be necessarily limited to his last ascention or whether they may not be construed of some former ascention Since it seems those gifts were given upon the very day of his resurrection for then d John 20. towards the evening or end of that day the Gospel-Ministry was constituted then the Apostles received their mission and commission e v. 19. As my Father hath sent me even so send I you f v. 21. whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Yea then they received the g v. 22. Holy Ghost For he breathed on them and saith unto them receive ye the
Oracles of God Observation does imply obligation And how can this stand with the soveraignty of God But I suppose his meaning is that God rested the seventh day what then Therefore it was no rudiment had nothing Typical or ceremonial in it It followes not Psam 132.8 2 Chron. 6 41. How often is God said to rest in Types of Christ is not the Tabernacle stiled Gods rest And the Temple and the Temple Worship are not t Gen. 8.21 Exod. 29.18 Numb 15.3 Sacrifices and oblations called a Savour of rest unto God not that Gods soul rested in any of these rests properly nor the people of God neither But he rested in Christ and so did they in these things only as Types or prefigurations of Christ to come And thus he is said to rest on the seventh day We have proved before that man sinned and fell the sixth day and that Christ was promised and actually invested in the office of Mediatorship before the Sabbath was instituted And hereupon God rested the seventh day not only from the work of Creation but from the weight and burthen of Adams sin For God complains of sin as a heavy u Isai 1.14 Amos 5.2.13 burthen and as the sins of the old world are said to * Gen. 6.6 grieve him at his heart so no doubt did the sin of Adam But Christ interposing to make reconcilation God rested the seventh day and was refreshed Exod. 31.17 That the old Sabbath was instituted after the fall besides what has bin formerly alledged appears plainly from that of our Saviour x Mark 2.28 The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath For man that is for man in misery not man in innocency for the context speaks of necessitous indigent man man subject to hunger and thirst and want T is spoken upon the occasion of the hungry disciples plucking the ears of Corn and eating out of pure necessity on the Sabbath day The Pharisees presently censure them as Sabbath breakers Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath day having power to dispose of it at his pleasure but sayes the Lord of the Sabbath you quarrel without cause For the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath That is the Sabbath was made for the good and benefit of man in misery Principally for the good of his sick and sinfull soul but partly for the support of his weak and frail body also that it might rest and be refreshed with convenient food Physick and the like which clearly argues that the Sabbath was made ordained and instituted after man was in necessity and misery namely after Adams fall and therefore t is said That God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it Gen. 2.3 Blessed it how not with natural blessings that the Sun should shine brighter or the weather be fairer that day then another No the blessings of the Sabbath were of another nature spiritual blessings such as were suitable to the state of fain man such as God has pronounced Fallen man blessed withall otherwise the institution had never concerned any one man since the fall How could it if the blessings contained in it had bin nothing but Paradise blessings But we shall not inculcate former arguments only add one consideration more to make it further manifest that Gods rest on the seventh day was partly if not chiefly in relation to Christ the promised Messiah T is a saying of the Hebrew Doctors and it agrees well with the a Heb. 2.10 Rev. 5.11 12 13. Scriptures that the world it self had not bin made but for the Messiah For all things were made by him and for him and he is the b Heb. 1.2 heir of all things and that as Mediatour and we have reason to think that Gods heart were more set upon Christ when he set up this visible frame of Heaven and earth then upon all the world besides How unlikely therefore is it that the glorious Creator should set apart a day of rest till the grand design upon which his thoughts had run from all eternity and which was chiefly in his eye when he made the world the glorifying of himself in his Son by investing him with the government of the world and putting him as heir of all things into actuall possession of his hereditary Dominions had some actual inchoate existence 'T is cleare that God did not rest from his other works of Creation till he had made man because till then he had not attained his subordinate end of making the rest of his creatures and t is credible that he would not rest after he had made man till he had made Christ Mediatour and put the government of all upon his shoulders because till then he had not attained his ultimate end for which he made man and all the rest of the world besides Certain it is that the Creation was made but mutably perfect at first and therefore it cannot be conceived how God could keep a setled rest the seventh day till he had setled and established the Creation on Christ the rock c Deut. 32.4 whose work is perfect And this I conceive to be the true and undoubted sense of that saying Gen. 22. On the seventh day God ended Finished or perfected his work namely by establishing it upon Christ that sure foundation 1 Peter 4.18 hence he is styled a faithfull Creator in that he did not leave his work of Creation in a mutable estate as Masons and Carpenters when they have built their houses leave them without any further care what becomes of them but as a faithful Creator * God was not the author or approver of mans falbut only the orderer and over ruler of it to bring good out of evill he over ruled the Fall of Adam for a greater good namely for the establishment of his mutable work by bringing in Christ the right heir setting him as e Ps 8.6 He. 2.8 1 Cor. 15.24 Lord over all the works of his hands puting all things under his feet making him f Josh 3.11 Neb. 9.6 Dan. 10.14 15. Acts 10.36 Lord of the whole world and of all things therein to whom doth appertain the Dominion of the Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens the earth and all that is therein Thus on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made or perfected his work which he had made That which he had made perfect at first with mutable perfection he now perfected again by a further degree of supperadded perfection namely by the promise of Christ and his personall undertaking as Mediatour by whom all things g Col. 1.16 consist And accordingly God rested the seventh day not in the changeable Creature but in Christ the rock and so the Sabbath was stated on the seventh day upon the account of Christ in the promise upon the performance of which promise the seventh day ceases to be any longer a day of rest But
enough is said to shew the discharge of the old seventh day from obligation under the new Testament We shall only remove some of the Adversaries chief objections and then lay down our grounds for the Christian Sabbath He objects Obj. 1 The Fathers institution of the seventh day which makes it as perpetual as the Ordinance of marriage But This is fully answered in the first Position Answ where we have proved that the Fathers institution of the old seventh day was upon such grounds as exposed it to alteration Thither I referr the Reader and shall follow the objector to his next Argument From the Sons confirmation of the seventh day Obj. 2 Christ has confirmed it sayes he 1. T. T. p. 72. to p. 79. By his words 2. By his works By his words more generally among the rest of his royal Lawes which he hath ratified even to a point or Tittle Math. 5.18 Teaching his Apostles to do the like Rom 3. James 2.10 More particularly by proclaiming himself Lord of the Sabbath day Mark 2.28 As if he had said the Sabbath is mine I am Lord of it I made it for Man and having given him a precept and pattern to sanctifie it I shall not make my self a president to profane it Now that which Christ layes claim to as Lord must needs be confessed his Therefore do we celebrate the holy Supper because t is the Lords Supper Again Math. 24.20 He instructs his disciples to pray that their flight might not be on the Sabbath day namely forty years after his death at what time all Ceremonies were abolished by Apostolical proclamation And as thus he has owned the seventh day Sabbath by his words so he has also crowned it by his workt c. This is the main strength and force of his Argument But alas it is to feeble to fetch life into a dead Sabbath that has lain sixteen hundred years in the grave we shall discuss every particular in it and return several answers to it We grant indeed that the Lord our Lawgiver has ratified his royal Moral Law even to a point or a tittle Answ 1 inasmuch as he came to fulfil the Law not to dissolve and destroy it But how is every tittle to be taken Not strictly and graphically for every vowel point and prick of a letter in the Law but for the substance and least matter of it the least Commandment in it so our Saviour expounds himself Matth. 5.19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments and teach men so shall be least in the Kingdome of God teaching us that by jot or tittle of the Law verse 18. he meant the least Commandment of the Moral Law v. 19. Thus also St. James ch 2.10 He that shall offend in one point is guilty of all By one point he means any one precept or Commandment in the Decalogue He explains himself by the reason rendred verse 11. For he that said Do not commit adultery said also Do not kill As if he had said the same God that gave one Commandment gave all therefore when any one point or precept is violated the contempt reflects upon the whole Law the least sin being an affront to Gods soveraignty So then the sense of both places is the same the least point or precept of the Moral Law is in force under the Gospel and if the least much more the fourth Commandment which indeed is none of the least But what of all this The fourth Commandment is established by Christ therefore the seventh day in weekly succession from the Creation the Consequence is infirm For that day was never directly stated in the Commandment the fourth Commmandement sayes not Thou shalt keep holy the last day of the week and not the first but a seventh day Sabbath or one in seven the old seventh day may be and is repealed and yet the Commandement ratyfied to a tittle in the matter yea in the very letter of it evangelically considered to wit as it is explained by Christ according to the will of God though not the carnal reasonings of men But of this formerly That Text Mark 2.28 rightly interpreted makes nothing for the old Sabbath but much against it For these words The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath day do speak Christs power to alter and change it not his purpose to establish confirm it under the Gospel 't is a title much like that Math. 21. where he stiles himself Lord of the vineyard as having power to let and lease it out to other Husbandmen Mark 12.9 Dominus rectè dicitur alicujus rei qui in illam jua potestatem habet extollendi immutandi Aretius in Luc. 6. Christ was Lord of the Sabbath that is had power to change the day Engl. Annot. in Mar. 2. Luke 20.15.16 And thus he was Lord of the Sabbath having authority to alter and adjourn it to another day the Sabbath was the vineyards Land-mark or the Churches distinctive limit he that had power to transplant the vineyard had no less power to transpose the Sabbath He was Lord of the vineyard and Lord of the Sabbath in a like notion Suppose it spake as the objector speaks I am Lord of the Sabbath the Sabbath is mine yet still the same sense recurres is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own As our Lord speaks in another case Math. 20.15 The Temple was his as well as the Sabbath Mal. 3.1 and styled his a Ps 132.14 rest forever and his b Isai 56.7 house of prayer for all people more then I remember was ever said of the seventh day Sabbath yet the Temple is destroyed and as Christ never meant to tye up his Gospel worshippers to that typical place of worship so neither to that typical time of worship He was Lord of both while they lasted that he might dissolve both when their season was expired that he might legally and ex officio give his people a discharge from both As for the Authors crafty collation of these two expressions Lord of the Sabbath day and Lords Supper whereby he would insinuate the equall authority and perpetuity of that Legal Sabbath with this Evangelical Sacrament it savours of more sophistry then solidity of Argumentation let the unlearned know that as the terms are different in the Greek so the phrase in our English Dialect imports different things 't is one thing to call Christ Lord of this or that another thing to say t is the Lords to say he was Lord of the Sabbath and that before his death is nothing so much as to to say this is the Lords Supper and that after his resurrection The former imports the office or authority of Christ the latter implyes his Ordinance And let the objector know that this Epithet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is never used but twice in the new Testament namely for the Lords Supper the Lords day Rev. 1.10 The Holy Ghost
the first day of the week not directly indeed but by very good consequence as Mr. Cawdrey and Mr. Byfield do convincingly argue it For sayes the one our Saviour does here speak of a Sabbath indefinitely and a Sabbath to be observed long after his death even at the destruction of Jerusalem and this was spoken to his disciples apart from the multitude sayes the other v. 3. and the period of time here pointed at was forty years after his death when the Jewish Sabbath was gone and the Gospel sufficiently published whereby the ceremonial Law was evacuated and become not only dead but deadly Not that the old Law of a Sabbath the fourth Commandment was then out of force but the Law of the old Sabbath And then the conclusion is this Christ shewes a Sabbath to continue and a religious respect due to a Sabbath still after his death yet not the Jewes Sabbath therefore he intended the Christian Sabbath to be observed according to the fourth Commandment As for the Jewes Sabbath t is certain that it was void at this point of time yea long before this forewarned flight the Apostles and Christians had their assemblies apart from the other Jewes and kept the Lords day the first day of the week as on the Great day of Pentecost Acts 2. and at Troas Acts 20.7 And although sometimes the Apostles did preach on the seventh day yet as Mr. C. notes it was only before the time mentioned Acts 20 never after and only in other Cities abroad not at Jerusalem for there we never read a word of the Sabbath in all the story of the Acts. I conclude therefore with that reverend Author that no reason can be given why our Saviour in this prophetical caution should regard the Jewish Sabbath but altogether the contrary in regard the Christians inhabiting in Jerusalem and the Coasts about Judea preferred the Lords day before it and it would be grievous to gracious hearts to have their holy rest interrupted with the noise of warlike tumults and the hurry of a tumultuous flight well might the disciples be taught to pray Lord when ever we be driven from the place of our Residence let it not be on a day of holy rest for that would be as uncomfortable to our souls as a winters flight would be cumbersome to our bodies Not that it would be sinful or unlawful when life lay at stake to flye on the Sabbath for to save a mans life is a Sabbath-dayes duty and a matter of far greater moment then to leade a beast to the water or pull an oxe out of a pit both which are allowable it may therefore be scored down among the rest of T. T 's errors and oversights that he makes it a sin to flye on the Sabbath day when peril of life puts a man upon it for hâ— terms it a dishonor to God and prophaning his sacred season p. 77. and yet he sayes in the next page That had their flight bin on the Sabbath as long as they carried nothing they could not be counted Transgressors Which may pass for another of his contradictions But for a closure to this answer we have deliberately weighed our Saviours words and sayings concerning the Sabbath but cannot find that ever he spake one word or one syllable in countenance of the old seventh day as the Sabbath of Christians his words prove no such thing And lastly Whereas his workes are pleaded as the crown of that day Answ 4 I am content if the author think good to venture the whole weight of the cause in this bottom That day which Christ has crowned with his greatest wonders is to be most highly esteemed among Christians 'T is his own grant p. 78. and 't is a truth now let him have but a little patience and we shall prove by undeniable Arguments that in this respect the first day of the week carries away the Crown from all other dayes old Sabbath and all If Christs resurrection his often apparitions the mission of his Spirit the inspiration of his Apostles the conversion of three thousand souls ot once be worthy the name of wonders surely the first day of the week is a day of wonder a day of honor and renown above all the dayes that ever the Sun shone upon The most glorious day that ever God created the most solemn day that ever the Church celebrated a day that has crowned Christ and a day that Christ himself has crowned with the greatest glory of any day that ever dawned upon the world Rom. 1.4 I speak but the words of truth and soberness Luke 13.32 Psalm 118.24 Joh. 20.22 23. Cant. 3.11 the Lords day is no day of small things 't is the day of the Lords power the day of his perfection the day of his praise and glory the day of his bounty and blessing the day of his espousals and of the gladness of his heart which can be understood so properly of no day as of this the Resurrection day Let prophane Esaus despise it and proud Notionists oppose it at their peril Behold King Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals and in the day of the gladness of his heart never was Christ more visibly Crowned by his Church then on the Lords day which also was the day of his espousals when he was made sure to his Church by a sure Covenant even the sure mercies of David Hos 2.19 20. Acts 13.34 but let neither of them blame me if I honor and esteem it above all dayes till they can shew me another day which the Saviour of the world has honored and exalted above it Never tell me of one or two miracles wrought on the seventh day yet I desire to adore Christ in all his miracles but shew me such a confluence of wonders and wonderful transactions wrought by him whose name is wonderful on that day as on this and I will confess I have lost the day Alas It cannot be that one transcendent act the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead the finishing act of our Redemption weighs down all the honor of the seventh day with advantage 'T is objected that our Saviour was pleased to put forth his Divine vertue on the seventh day in sundry miracles miracles of healing and the like I answer 'T is very true and to him be all the glory But if it were an honor to that day that our Heavenly physitian healed the sick what a Crown of glory was it to his own day that he raised the dead Yea that being dead he raised himself from the dead so also if he dignified the seventh day by casting out unclean Spirits how much more the first day by sending his holy Spirit If his preaching in the Synagogues were an honor to the seventh day how much more his presenting himself in that great Assembly of Divines twice at least on the first day of the week Did Christ ever
rise from the dead on the seventh day Did he ever appear to his disciples on that day Did he breath forth the blessed Spirit on that day Did he ever preach a Sermon after his Resurrection on that day But I need go no further here is light enough if men had but eyes I hope by this time the Objector sees the invalidity of his second Argument that which he calls the Sons confirmation He proceeds to a third from the Spirits approbation of the seventh day What ever the blessed Spirit shall approve of Obj. 3 we may rest upon it as an infallible truth T. T. p. 81. to 94. But he has highly approved of the seventh day witness first his high applause of the pious womens resting on the seventh day according to the Commandment Luke 23. ult Which although it were after Christs crucifixion yet St Luke was not inspired to write his Gospel till after his ascention Secondly The Spirits glorious manifestation and mighty operation on the day of Pentecost Acts 2. Which he would fain perswade us to be the seventh day Thirdly The Spirits constant appellation calling the seventh day and none but that the Sabbath day c. Here is a great shew of Argument but it signifies little and concludes nothing when it comes to scanning For Although it seem to be spoken in praise of these holy women Answ 1 that they rested the Sabbath-day according to the Commandment yet as was elswhere noted this was before our Saviours resurrection not after And how ever they are commended for keeping the Sabbath before Christs resurrection yet others are condemned or sharply blamed for observing dayes the seventh day not excepted after Christs assention I mean as the Apostle does Jewish dayes Gal. 4.10 O but St. Luke wrote not his Gospel till after the ascention Answer What then was the old Sabbath therefore in force at that time by the same rule he may conclude the Passeover mentioned by the same Evangelist in the * ch 22 v. 7. foregoing Chapter was then in force too We are to judge of these womens practise according to the date of their act not according to the date of the Evangelists book Besides some take these words to be no commendation but a bare historical narration And if the particular day be here intended as referring to the Commandment they conceive it may be spoken signantèr and according to the original the Text may be rendered thus they returned and prepared spices and ointments * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rested that Sabbath day indeed according to the Commandment that is they rested indeed that Sabbath day but never after upon that day according to the Commandment Again others expound it thus it was not the particular day on which the Sabbath was then kept so much as their * Mr. Collier against Fisher p. 13 14. manner of keeping it which is looke at in referring to the Commandment and so the commendation pitches rather upon the quomodo then the quando therefore it is not said they rested the seventh day as T.T. prints it but they rested the Sabbath day or day of rest according to the Commandment the most that can be made of it is this that t is a commendable thing to dedicate a day of rest to religious and holy rest The Spirits appellation argues not his divine approbation Answ 2 my meaning is The Holy Ghosts often I cannot say alwayes calling the seventh day Sabbath day proves not his approbation of that day for our Christian weekly holy-day under the Gospel because under the same name and title he has bin pleased to disown that day Colos 2.16 No matter though it be sometimes called Sabbath after it was discharged for so is circumcision called circumcision and the other Festivals of the Jewes Pentecost especially called * 1 Cor. 16.8 Pentecost long after it was degraded from the dignity of a solemn Festival as a man may be called by his proper name afer he is dead and buried And so I might proceed to the refutation of his next notion about the feast of Pentecost viz. That it fell that year on the Saturday or seventh day but this shall receive a more full answer in a more fit and proper place His fourth and last Argument for the seventh day is from the Saints observation which runs chiefly upon the practice of Paul it would be too tedious to transcribe his whole story Take the strength of it as it follower in this plausible Objection As it was Christs constant custome to celebrate the seventh day Sabbath Luke 4.18 So it was Pauls Acts 172. Obj. 4 and such as his custome was such was his commission and we must be followers of Paul as he was of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 t is his own rule Philip. 4.9 Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do Only it must be understood with these limitations that Pauls practice be plain possible peaceable Evangelicall and unrepealed for we may not follow Paul in his compliance with the Jewes in ceremonials no not to gain the Jewes But his practice in observing the seventh day was truly Evangelical and never in the least tittle repealed nor altered neither was it his single practice but the custome of all his companions and associates Acts 13.13 14. ch 15.40.16 13 17 24. And that not only among the Jewes but the Gentiles also Acts 13.42 ch 18.4 Therefore he did it not to please the Jewes but purposely for a pattern to the Gentiles Hence he exhorts the Corinthians Gentile Churches to follow him as he followed Christ and it was at Corinth that he kept the Sabbath Acts 18. Therefore this was the pattern wherein he would have them be his followers and us also for the Epistle is written to us as well as to them 1 Cor. 1.2 Thus he pleads Pauls custome and addes It was his constant custome and whereas saies he it is made a great Argument for the observation of the first day that Paul preached once that day Acts 20.7 it is as clear Paul preached every Sabbath-day Acts 18.4 Only the Translators have not dealt so clearly upon which account among others he charges them with sin yea with inexcuseable sin p. 139. because Acts 20.7 they render the word preaching for the greater advancement of the first day whereas Acts 18.4 they call it reasoning to obscure the seventh day although the Greek word be the same in both places Then he frames an objection against himself which he can never an swer Obj. Paul only took that opportunity to preach to the people To which he answers 1. They that object thus speak without book 2. They make the Apostle a constant dissembler 3. They may as warrantably lay this crime to Christ himself that he took such opportunities and not in conscience of the Sabbath Thus he words it out and casts seducing glosses upon the sacred Scriptures to beguile unstable
man that as the Christian religion was professed so the Christian Sabbath was practised when there was no Christian Magistrate in the world and that all the Christian world over long before Constantines time Which one would think were enough to put to silence lying lips O Obj. 3 but Merator and Dr. Hen in tell us that in the Aethiopick Churches both dayes are still observed True Answ but they tell us also Dr. Heylin I am sure does that both dayes are observed as Sabbaths and accordingly called For they call the Saturday the Jewes Sabbath and the Lords day the Christian Sabbath so that what ever their practice be 'T is none of their pinciples that the Saturday-Sabbath is the Christian Sabbath And as for their practice 't is little to be regarded considering their corruption For together with the Saturday-Sabbath they observe * Mr. Breerwoods inquiries circumcision too on the eighth day with many other Jewish and Anti-Christian customes Blessed be God for that better light which shines in the Churches of Europe The testimonies taken out of Socrates do only prove that in his time namely 400 years after Christ some Churches did meet together and break bread on the old Sabbath Which we deny not only we say that the Lords day had stil the preheminence and that in four things as learned Dr. Young ha's observed 1. That the Saturday-Sabbath was never the day of solemn assemblies in all Churches for the constom of holding assemblies on that day never obtained in the Churches of Rome and Alexandria as Sozomon testifies lib. 7. c. 19. Whereas all Churches had their Church-meetings on the Lords day not one excepted 2. The Saturday or old Sabbath was never kept as a solemn Festival for in many Churches it was a weekly Fasting-day and once a year in all Churches namely Easter-Eve Constit lib. 7. c. 24. and lib. 5. c. 15. being the day of Christs greatest abasement while he lay in the grave and under the sorrowes of death whereas every Lords day throughout the year was held a solemn Festival Constit lib. 7. c. 31. 3. All Ordinances were never administred with that uniformity on the old Sabbath as on the Lords day August ep 118. Socrates lib 5. c. 22. as the Ordinance of the Lords Supper which in the purest Churches was appropriate to the Lords day which was therefore called the day of bread as we noted before Athan. Apol. 2. Hence that memorable passage of Athanasius who being accused for Breaking a Communion-cup clears himself thus That time instanced by his accusers was no Communion-time for it was not the Lords day 4. Their conventions on the old Sabbath were ever arbitrary not urged as of necessity unless by Ebion and his followers who were therefore condemned as Hereticks But the observation of the Lords day was ever held a Christian duty and never were any stigmatized with that black brand of Heresie for observing of it nay it was the badge of Christianity I am a Christian I dare not intermit it to all these I may add 5. The old Sabbath was never the Christian Sabbath or day of rest but a working-day So in Ignatius's time Anno 314. he counselled Christians to work upon it and the Council of Laodicea made a decree to this purpose That Christians ought not to Judaize and to rest from work on the Sabbath-day but to prefer the Lords day before it and to rest thereon from labour In which words as Mr. Cawdrey well observes this Synod did but expound the sentence of of holy Ignatius I might instance also the Council at Eliberis Carthage Arragon Mascon Chalons and other both Fathers Councills and Christian Emperours but others have prevented me in this kind of Antiquity So much for the fourth Position POSITION V. That the Lords day or first day of the week commonly called Sunday is the Christian Sabbath or day of holy rest THis does naturally result from the premises For the day being changed and yet the law concerning the Sabbath continued and established the new day must needs be a day of rest as it rests on the authority and morality of the fourth Commandment and as it succeeds the old day in Sabbath-solemnity Yet it is not so much the name as the thing that I contend for For although I am fully convinced that as our spirituall exercises are called Sacrifices because they succeed in the place of the Jewes Sacrifices so and much more significantly may our Lords day be termed Sabbath because it * Succeeds I mean not in any ceremonious respect but in relation to the fourth Commandment succeeds in the place of the Jewes Sabbath yet I had rather insist upon the thing than the name because the one being proved the other cannot well be denyed No rational man will stick at nominal respect where there is a real right to it A name of rest will be easily granted due to a day of rest now that the Lords day is without dispute a day of rest appears thus Cum de re constat propier quam vorba dicuntur de verbis non debore contendi c. August cont Acad. l. 3. c. 13. First As it is the day of our Redeemers rest from his painful work of Redemption his rising from the dead was his resting from his work By his Resurrection this day he entred into his rest for hereby as was said before he entred into his glory which will further appear by comparing two texts together viz. John 7.39 with John 20.22 The first tells us That the spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified therefore when the Spirit was given surely then Christ was glorified Now the other Text informs us That upon the day of Christs Resurrection the Spirit was given For he breathed on them and said Receive the Holy Ghost Now therefore undoubtedly the Lord of glory was crowned with glory not that he entred into the place of rest and glory upon the day of his Resurrection but into the state of rest and glory the place is but accidental to the state that which I modestly propounded to further inquiry page 128. Namely Whether Christ did not locally ascend into Heaven on the very day of his Resurrection has been since concluded and resolved in the Negative by a Reverend Brother from that Text of Scripture Hebr. 9 12. by his own blood he entred once into the Holy place Which seems to a gue strongly that our blessed High Priest entred once and but once into Heaven To which I do now freely subscribe Errare possum Haereticus esse nolo Secondly The Lords day is a day of Religious Assemblies for solemn weekly worship therefore also a day of religious rest from civil and secular imployments Since 't is impossible for men to meet together about solemn Worship and at the same time to follow their worldly occasions observed as Sabbaths as the Feast of unleavened bread * Deut.
16.8 On the seventh day shall be a solemn Assembly to the Lord thy God thou sahlt do not work therein And as the seventh or last so also the first day of that Feast was to be a day of rest because a day of Convocation On the first day shall be a holy convocation ye shall do no servile work therein saith the Lord. Numb 28.17 18. Now that first day of unleavened bread being a memorial of their Redemption from Egypt was typical of our Christian Sabbath as was noted before And besides there being a moral equity in Gods argument that a day of holy Worship and holy Convocations must be a day of rest it is as applicable to the Lords day as ever it was to any day for we have abundantly proved that this is a holy Convocation-day and 't is a good note that of Mr. Ainsworth on Deut. 16.8 That the Hebrew word Gnat-sereth which we translate solemn Assemblies does also signifie restraint from labour whereby the Holy Ghost would teach us that Holi days set apart for solemn assemblies must be days of holy rest and restraint from work Such is the Lords day to us Christians and no other day but that a day of solemn Assembly it is and has bin from the Apostles days till now yea a day of solemn Worship therfore a day of rest or Sabbath day yea a day of solemn weekly worship therefore the undoubted Sabbath of the fourth Commandment which is the standing rule for a day of weekly worship and but a day ordinarily for the Commandment numbers out six days in the week for worldly business As when a man makes two Wils the last does ipso facto make void the first although there be no express clause to signifie the repeal or revocation and one for religious exercises neither more nor lesse So that supposing there were no repeal of the last day of the week yet the first day being instituted by Divine Authority makes void the last and takes possession of its place by the warrant of the Divine Precept it self Again as the Ministry and the Sacraments appointed by Christ are used by virtue of the second Commandment so the day appointed by Christ must be observed by virtue of the fourth Commandment because this is the general scope both of the second and fourth Commandment that we must observe all the Institutions of God from time to time I might argue further from that prophetical speech of our Saviour Matth. 24.20 where he presignifies to his Disciples that there should be a Sabbath in force long after his death at such time as the old seventh-day-Sabbath was either quite out of doors or out of date at least therefore he spake of the Christian Sabbath which we are obliged both by Law and Gospel to observe The Ancients indeed do seldom apply the title of Sabbath to the Lords day yet sometimes they do They were but too jealous of Judaizing in this particular Orat. in Christi Resurrect Ex illo Sabbato praesens hoc Sabbatum agnosce c. Sic quâ— que ritè sanctificamus Sabbatum Domini Dicente Domino omne â—pus c. Tract de tempore 152. Gregory Nyssen is express for having spoken of the old Sabbath he presently adds from that Sabbath acknowledge thou this present Sabbath the Lords day this day of rest which God hath blessed above other days For in this the only begotten Son of God did truly rest from all his works So also Austin or he that writ the Book De tempore having pleaded the due celebration of the Lords day he concludes with respect to the fourth Commandment concerning the Sabbath so do we rightly sanctifie the Sabbath of the Lord as the Lord hath said In it thou shalt do no work Hence that Royal Edict of Charles the Great published in the year 789. We ordain says he according as it is commanded in the Law of God that no man do servile work on the Lords day To which may be added the decree of King Edgar expresly stiling the Lords day the Sabbath day Diem Sabbati ab ipsa Die Saturni hora pomeridiara tertia usque in Lunaris diei dilaculum festum agitari taking order that the Sabbath should be celebrated from Saturday three a clock in the afternoon till Munday morning at break of day and this was in the year of Christ 959. seven hundred years ago better Antiquity than any can be produced or so much as pretended against this appellation If it be objected That this was in times of Popery I answer That even since the Reformation the Lords day hath been frequently called by the name Sabbath Those precious but persecuted Saints To all these might be added the Church of England Can. 70. So Hom. of time and place of prayer the Waldenses in a Catechism of theirs teach their children to call it by this name And the holy Martyr Bp Hooper in his treatise on the ten Commandements uses the same Dialect some scores more might be reckoned if need were But leaving these Authors I return to the Objector who sets all his wits a work to prove the Lords day a working day most sinfully and shamefully abusing the Scriptures to this purpose I am loth to stain my Paper with his profane Sophisms yet lest his ignorant and erroneous Proselites should take them for unanswerable Arguments I shall briefly sum up all into one Objection and return several answers to it Object T.T. p. 14. of his Pamphlet In stead of that honour put upon the first day of the week First The Father wrought upon it Gen. 1. and therefore we should be his followers as dear children Ephes 5.1 Secondly The son travelled upon it Luke 24.13 15. And he hath given us an example that we should do as he hath done John 13.15 Thirdly The Saints cast their accounts upon it 1 Cor. 16.2 And so may we Thus he quotes Scripture to as good purpose as that Arch Sophister did Matth. 4 But we shall answer him soberly though he deserve it not Answ 1. That which was the Fathers working-day at the Worlds Creation was the Sons Rest day from the work of Redemption and we must not be sollowers of God in contradiction to Christ or oppose the works of God against the Word of God lest in stead of followers as dear children we be found fighters against him as desperate enemies the first day of the week was a common day when it was made at first Gen. 1. but since it is made again and made a solemn day a day of holy worship Psal 118.24 therefore no working day now but to such as have no God to worship or no hearts to worship him God the Father wrought upon the first day of the week yet Israel must not work on this day once a year at least Viz. on the day of unleavened bread as often as it fell on this day Numb 23.18 why because it was a day
wants and if we have hearts to weep over our week day sins and stir up our selves to take hold of Christ that we may make peace with God they that have any acquaintance with heart-work find it hard to have to do with a dusty world full of sins and snares and not be defiled or intangled with it earthly things are apt to leave a tincture upon the most holy and heavenly hearts There must therefore be a rubbing off this rust of the world a washing these dirty hearts and hands before we are fit to draw nigh to God in solemn Worship Exod. 19.14 What were those Ceremonial washings of old but emblematical predictions and documents of preparation to Gospel-worship and if I mistake not something to this purpose is prophesied concerning the purest times and Churches in these later days Rev. 15.2 3. Revel 15. We read of those that had gotten the victory over the Beast and his Image i. e. those that had shaken off the yoke of Anti-Christian Tyranny and Superstition standing upon a sea of glass with the harps of God in their hands those harps in their hands speak them in a posture of publike worship But what means their standing upon a sea of glass Why among other things I conceive it alludes to that Laver or * 1 Kings 7.23 sea in Solomons Temple in which the the Priests were wont to * 2 Chron. 4.6 wash when they went to worship and it may teach us thus much that the people of God under the Gospel as well as they under the Law must wash before they worship there must be some preparation Secondly the sanctification of the Sabbath follows and this also consists in two things Holy rest and holy work First we must keep it as a day of holy rest to the Lord resting from our own works our own words and our own thoughts 1. We are bound upon the Lords day to rest and cease from our own works whether works of labour or works of pleasure if I may so distinguish The Lords day must neither be our working-day nor our play-day both these are prohibited by the letter of the fourth Commandment and the analogy of that Text which seems to be written as a Commentary upon the Commandment Isai 58.13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thy own words c. In which words we have the lively Picture and Pourtraiture of a true Sabbath in both parts of it it must be celebrated with rest from our own ways works words pleasures and this rest must be accompanied with a spiritual rejoycing in God and delight in his Sabbath arising from an honourable esteem of the day considering whose day it is namely the Lords Now the scope of this Text is as applicable to our Christian Sabbath as ever it was to the Jews Sabbath ours being first a day of holy rejoycing in the Lord as well as theirs Psal 118.24 Secondly a day which hath the Lord for its author as well as theirs Thirdly a day every whit as honourable as theirs yea a degree above it being instituted upon a more noble account Viz. The most gracious and glorious work of Redemption Fourthly a day in all respects as holy as theirs holy I mean in respect of separation and dedication to holy duties as prayer preaching breaking of bread praise and thanksgiving Acts 2.1 and 20.7 Psal 118.27 28. Therefore it must be kept with rest from accustomed labour and pleasure as well as theirs and that by vertue of the fourth Commandment which requires the sanctifying of one day in seven of divine appointment as a Sabbath with rest from servile works and secular imployments And let it be further considered both the fourth Commandement and the Prophet Isaiah in commenting upon it do first and chiefly call for sanctity Secondarily for rest First Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it then Thou shalt do no work Sanctification is required as the end cessation from labour as the means the one as principal the other as accessary Now both Prophets and Apostles have markt out the Lords day as a holy day to be spent in holy duties of solemn worship and that weekly therefore by the Law of God and nature we are bound to keep it as a day of weekly rest otherwise we separate the end from the means which cannot be rest from servile work being an inseparable adjunct to a day of solemn worship What then shall we say to those that afterwarning make the Lords day either a common working-day or a sporting day the former I may fitly call the Devils workmen who will one day pay them their wages the other the flesh's Bondmen whose pleasure in the end will prove torment without end The Lord awaken both to repentance better then that of Esau whose sin of the two is greater then his * Hebr. 12.16 there are prophane Esau's under the Gospel and they are the worst of Esau's there is also a sin called * Rom. 2.22 Sacrilege condemned in the Gospel and Sabbath-breaking is very like it when sinners lay sacrilegious hands upon that which is consecrated to the Lord for a sin much like to which Ananias and his wife were once stricken with sudden death and how many such dreadful strokes have been felt and heard in these later days I shall not repeat what has been already committed to record by others Mr. Bernard Mr. Byfield and sundry others have been serious observers of Gods heavy hand in this kind I could say something of what I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears But I shall forbear Numb 10.1 2. when men are struck dead in the very act of their sin as Vzzah in touching the Ark Nadab and Abihu in offering strange fire when the sin and the judgement meet together and do one point at the other surely Gods hand is not to be slighted Mr. Byfield has related many such tremendous strokes upon those that have presumed to work on the Lords day and ended their lives and their work together having no more respit between their sin and their execution or expiration then with trembling lips to tell others the secret reflections of their own guilty Consciences and how many Malefactors have we heard at their execution bewailing their profanation of the Lords day as the leading-cause of all their mischiefs and miseries Now the Conscience of the sinner smarting under Gods revengeful rod is many times like a finger to point out the sin for which God smites as we see in the case of a Judges 1.7 8. Adonibezek To be short the exemplary judgments of God against this sin of Sabbath-breaking falling in so great variety and happening so thick together in many places do call aloud to the
day of the Lord will be as a day of refreshing to some so a stormy day of tempests and terrors to others and a great part of the tempest of that day will fall upon the thoughts and hearts of men for * Eccles 12. ult God will bring every secret thing into judgement we must be accountable not only for idle words but vain thoughts And thus much of the first thing we must keep the Sabbath as a day of rest but we must not rest in this rest we must not make it a Sabbath of idleness but a Sabbath of holiness we must not so much cease from working as change our work servile work for soul work worldly imployments for spiritual exercises That is the next thing 2. To our holy rest we must join holy work and this is either publike or private something indeed must be done in private before the publike our closet-devotions and Family duties common to other dayes must not he omitted this day but rather augmented their Sacrifices under the Law were * Numb 28.9 doubled upon the Sabbath-day and observe it Exod. 3.7 their first service was the burning of Incense before the Lord. Matth. 28.1 Mark 16.2 John 20.1 Now prayer is our Incense let this be our morning exercise in private Seek the Lord O my soul seek him early do as Mary Magdalen did she was early up to seek him whom her soul loved she was last at the Cross and first at the Sepulchre in the dawning while it was yet dark very early in the morning say the Evangelists Oh that our love to Christ could keep pace with hers Shall we love the world better than Christ if we have a journey to go about worldly concernments we can set out betimes oh that we were as wise for our souls as we are for our bodies let not sleep that devourer of time beguile us of our golden hours in the morning in which we are freshest and fittest for converse with God let the sluggard that sleeps with the Sun-beams in his face remember that saying of Austin If the Sun could speak how roundly might it salute thee with this reproof I laboured more then thou yesterday and yet I am risen before thee to day But this is too low an Argument behold the Sun of righteousness is risen and he rose early this day therefore let us not sleep as do others but say and sing with the Church f Isai 26. â— With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Having performed our morning exercises in private how cheerfully should we repair to the publike Assemblies and draw nigh to God in publike Ordinances on this acceptable day this season of grace when Christ sits in State as one speaks scattering treasures of grace amongst hungry and thirsty Saints that are poor in Spirit and wait for spiritual alms at the Throne of grace g Psal 84.1 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord My heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God And again h Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord. For the i Psal 87.2 Lord loveth the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Jacob and most sweetly the Prophet Isaiah speaking of Gospel-times k Isai 2 1 2. Many people shall go and say Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths A most lively prediction of our Christian solemn Assemblies the select season of which is signified by t he practice of the Apostles and Primitive Saints to be the first day of the week on this day they met to break bread and Paul preached to them Acts 20.7 on this day they were all together with one accord in prayer Acts 2.1 with chap. 1.2 4. and at these meetings the Scriptures were read by the Apostles command Tertul. Apol. cap. 39. Col. 4.16 1 Thes 5.27 to which may be added singing of Psalms usual at their solemn Assemblies 1 Cor. 14. an Ordinance by which God is much glorified and the souls of his people sweetly cheered and refreshed what greater act of honour can we do to the great God here on earth then publikely to praise him in the great Congregation especially on the Lords day Psal 111.1 when all the Churches of Christ in the world joyn consort with us in this melodious duty Hebr. 10.25 Let us not therefore forsake the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is while we enjoy publike Liberties and Ordinances let us improve them we know not how soon the songs of the Temple may be turned into howlings and Ichabod may be written upon all our Church-doors the glory is departed from Israel Lam. 1.4 16. the ways of Sion de mourn because none come to her solemn assemblies The Lord forbid that ever we should live to see that woful day wherein we shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man but shall not see it Let not our neglect of the Lords day provoke the Lord to deprive us of it let us conscienciously wait upon God in Sabbath-Assemblies and publick Ordinances lest we be forced for contempt of the publike to seek our bread in secret wandring up and down in caves and dens of the earth destitute afflicted tormented as we read of some better than our selves Heb. 11.38 39. Lastly The publike solemnities of the day being ended what remains but that we return again to our private exercises searching the Scriptures concerning the truths taught in publike as the * Acts 17.11 noble Bereans did to which we may joyn Repetition and Conference to whet the Word upon one anothers hearts let not our souls be weary of Sabbath-work only take heed as of resting in the rest so also in the work of the day for what one truly speaks of duties and actings of grace they are good duties and good graces but bad Christs the like may I say of Sabbaths never so well kept they are good Sabbaths but bad Saviours let our rest and confidence be only in Christ and to such as take him for their rest his work is but recreation and so indeed we should esteem it in a spiritual sense not looking upon it as a sowr task or a rigid exaction but calling the Sabbath a delight we should keep it accordingly even the whole day with the whole man as a day of delights to the Lord being transported beyond flesh and the world and having our conversation in heaven as much as is possible for creatures cloathed with flesh To come to a closure There is a double duty to be performed in private on the Lords day which I seriously advise Christians
cannot with any colour of reason be denyed surely when he entred into his Kingdome he entred into his glory but by his resurrection from the dead he entred into his Kingdome being solemnly invested with Kingly power and soveraignty c Math. 28.18 Having all power in Heaven and earth put into his hands and f Rev. 3.7 the keys of David the Government of the Kingdom laid upon his shoulders to dispense lawes pronounce pardons pass sentence of life and death g John 20.23 to bind and loose at his princely pleasure In a word it was by his glorious resurrection from the dead that God h Psalm 2.6 7. set him as King upon his holy hill of Sion saying thou art my son this day have I begotten thee Christs resurrection-day was in a special manner his Coronation-day and as earthly Princes are wont on their Coronation-dayes to shew themselves to their subjects in all their royalty casting about their silver and gold so the Lord Jesus delights on this day to manifest himself to the souls of his people scattering his precious gifts and graces in the assemblies of his Saints for as this is the day which the Lord hath made so t is the day in which he himself was made i Rom. 14.9 Lord of the living and the dead k Acts 2.36 ch 3. 15. ch 5. 30 31. Lord and Christ Prince of life King of Heaven and earth a King indeed he was in the l Math. 2.2 cradle a King on the m ch 27. 37. Cross but never so much or so manifestly a King upon earth as when he conquered that King of terrours and carried away n 1 Tim. 6.16 that incomparable Title the blessed and only potentate the King eternal and immortal o Rom. 6.9 who dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him He that shall deny Christs entring into glory by his resurrection will rob him of much of his glory t is true he entred not into the place of glory in his whole person till his ascention but into the state of glory he entred by his resurrection if the bodies of the Saints shall be raised in p 1 Cor. 15.43 glory how much more was the blessed body of Jesus Christ If the glory of the stars be such what is the glory of the rising Sun But I must not expatiate here a word more and I have done He that hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his works as God did from his whence I gather that it is not only Christs rest but the reason of that rest the consummation of the work of redemption which occasions our Sabbath as Gods finishing the work of Creation did the old Sabbath Hebr. 4.3 4. And this the word Rest implies being a demonstrative proof of the accomplishment of the work for even a wise man if he undertake a work will not rest till it be finished or if he do he is p Luke 14.29.30 laugh'd at for his lost labour and therefore much more when the all-wise God is said to rest may we conclude his work is perfected To speak properly if rest imply only a cessation from work we cannot say that God rested from his work of Creation on the seventh day more then he has done ever since or Christ from his work of redemption therefore we must take in the consummation of each work as the ground of each rest otherwise all the time after should be of equal account with the last day in respect of Creation and with the first day in respect of Redemption Now the question will be when the work of Redemption was consummate and complete Doubtless not till the top-stone was laid till Christ was made the head of the corner which the q Act. 4.10 11. Apostle assures us was by his resurrection from the dead for if this had not been done the work had been all to do again If Christ had suffered dyed and been swallowed up of death and corruption in the grave and never risen again then had we remained still in our sins and all our preaching of Christ and faith in Christ had been vain 1 Cor. 15.17 It was by our Saviours joyful resurrection therefore that the work of our Redemption was manifestly accomplished and hereupon Christ rested from his work as God did from his and as when God rested from the work of Creation he appointed a Sabbath although he did not rest from works of Providence in like manner Christ hath appointted a Sabbath upon his resting from the work of Redemption by price although he doth not rest from the work of Redemption by power till all his enemies by vanquished and all his elect saved as a * Dr. Cheynels Treatise of the blessed Trinity pag. 403. learned Author speaks And so much for this Argument on Hebr. 4. only some objections Treatise of the must be removed for T.T. takes this Text of Scripture and wofully wrests it to his own and others misguidance in countenance of the Saturday-Sabbath I shall briefly answer his several Arguments as objections against what has been spoken The polluting of Gods seventh-day-Sabbath was wofully Israels sin Obj. 1 T.T. p. 141. for which the Lord destroyed them in the wilderness as 't is plain Ezek. 20.13 And this being compared with the Apostles admonition to these Christians plainly points out the Sabbath which remains to the people of God he sets forth Israels sin and sorrow on this wise although God finished his work from the foundation of the world and thereupon speaks Gen. 2. Yet neither the glory of his wonderful Creation or authority of his institution could engage them to follow his Example but so highly did they provoke him especially in polluting his Sabbaths that he sware in is wrath they should not enter into his rest c. Wherefore the Apostle concludes in applying all to believers exhorting them in the use of that means which Israel neglected to enter into the eternal rest lest any should fall after the example of Israels unbelief or disobedience as the Greek signifies and then he concludes Magisterially Christians believe it this is the summe of the Apostles admonition But I must tell him they had need of a very strong faith that can believe such incongruous stuffe as this is For Although it be granted that Sabbath-breaking were one of I sraels sins in the wilderness Answ 1 yet it will not follow that this sin is here intimated by the Apostle as the cause of their ruine but rather the sin of unbelief For so 't is expresly affirmed ch 3. v. 18.19 To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief So ch 4. v. 2. v. 6. v. 11. And whereas T.T. tells his Reader that the word signifies disobedience I must tell him it is his mistake to render it so in this place for
weak Christians he goes into the Temple to purifie himself the Jewes which were of Asia make a loud out cry against him V. 28 saying Men of Israel help this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people and the law and this place By which Testimonies t is evident that St. Paul was a rigid Non-conformist and that he did mightily cry down the customes of Moses in all Christian Churches If you ask me what customes I answer they are not particularly mentioned onely these two Epistles do witness that he had decryed circumcision the old Sabbath and other dayes and rites of legal worship therefore in all likelyhood these were some of those condemned customes And hereupon it seems the old Ebionites rejected Pauls writings rating him as an * Apostatam legis eum dicentes Iren. lib. 1. ch 26. Apostate because he wrote against the customes of Moses chiefly circumcision and the old Sabbath both which the Ebionites eagerly contended for and therefore they were branded for Hereticks to all succeeding generations and well they deserved it But it may be demanded by what warrant did St. Paul cry down these Mosaical customes and upon what ground I answer his warrant was e Gal. 1.1 he that raised Christ from the dead gave him his commission signed in Heaven and his ground was good For the Lord Jesus himself was designed to change these customes so much St. Steven does upon the matter affirm for he was accused for saying That f Acts 6.14 Jesus of Nazareth should change the customes which Moses had delivered Mark the expression the very word change is brought in as an Article against this blessed Martyr The only crime they had to lay to his charge was this that he should say Jesus of Nazareth should change the customes which Moses had desivered 'T is true they accused him for speaking blasphemy against Moses law and therefore they are called g V. 13. false witnesses or false accusers but like enough that which they called blasphemy St. Steven had spoken very like in his dispute with the h V. 9 10. Libertines Cyrenians and Alexandrians he might speak something to this effect that Christ should destroy the Temple and change the law and ordinances which Moses had given them Whether he did affirm it or no the thing it self is a certain truth the Lord Jesus has changed the Traditions of Moses he has changed the i Heb. 7.12 law and the Priesthood the Covenant and the Seales of the Covenant circumcision for Baptism the Passeover for the Lords Supper the typical k Mal. 1.11 John 4.21 place and times of worship all things lyable to change he has certainly changed and among the rest the old Sabbath which was mutable from the beginning as we have shewed elsewhere But I conceive St. Steven had indeed asserted this truth for being charged with it does he deny it No he rather stands to maintain and justifie it ch 7. * V. 47. and accordingly God justifies him by making his face to shine before the Council like the face of an l ch 6. 15. Angel for indeed it was the Doctrine of an m Dan 9.26.27 Angel which he had delivered and to come to some issue that which I would further observe is this St. Paul although at that time neither Saint nor Paul was present at the Martyrdom if not the tryall of Steven and did n Acts 22.20 ch 26. 10. consent to his death and doubtless he could not but know the cause for which he suffered which was partly this Reader note this as a convincing argument that a Sabbath or day joyned with other Jewish holy-dayes yet distinguished from them can be no other then their seventh day Sabbath and this is often condemned never commanded in all the new Testament therefore thou must make a new Gospel if thou wilt maintain that old Sabbath for saying that Jesus of Nazareth should change the customes which Moses had delivered a truth sealed with the blood of this Protomartyr Now I would offer it to further consideration whether this might not be one ground of this great Apostles after zeal against the Ordinances Rites and Customes which Moses had delivered and in particular circumcision and the old Sabbath But I shall not go by guesse and conjectural probability Thus much I infer from the premises as matter of certainty The customes which Paul taught people to cast off were the customes delivered by Moses Acts 21.21 which were destinated to be changed by Christ Acts 6.14 But Paul taught people to cast off circumcision and the old Sabbath Colos 2.12.16 Gal. 4.10 ch 5. 2. Therefore these were the customes delivered by Moses and destinated to change by Christ That circumcision was none Question but the scruple is about the Sabbath for it may be objected the Sabbath was long before Moses time as old as Adam Apostate Adam at least I answer so also circumcision was long before Moses time being given at first to o Gen. 17.9 10 Acts 7.8 Abraham yet circumcision is said to be given by p John 7.22 Moses because he was the first that wrote of it and the like may be said for the old Sabbath which was one of those customes delivered or made known by the hand of Moses Neh. 9.14 and ranked with the rest of those ceremonial festivals Levit. 23. But to be sure whatever St. Steven in his dispute with the Libertines and Cyrenians asserted St. Paul in his Epistles to the Colossians and Galatians hasevidently concluded the discharge of the old seventhday T. T. has little to say to Gal. 4. only this * p. 23. That Paul does not here condemn the observation of all dayes c. onely beggarly seasons and elements Neither do we say that all dayes are here condemned or disallowed The Lords day the first day of the week we are sure is not for this was established by this very Apostle in these very Churches of q 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Galatia and to condemn this had been to crosse his own Ordinance But we say all Judaicall dayes for dayes months years do all referr to that specialty Jewish solemnities are here discharged and condemned and among the rest the old seventh day And as for the objectors Minatory charge If any man be so bold to call this a beggarly element at his peril be it Let the Holy Apostle answer it He had best tell St. Paul at your peril be it Paul if you dare call the old Sabbath a shadow of things to come or a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poore Rudiment for so he may qualifie the termes if he please but where lies the peril Why not the old Sabbath a poore rudiment he hints this as his reason Because God instituted and observed it Observed it how did God observe it Take heed of unbeseeming termes When we speak of the glorious God we had need speak as the