form untill the light was first shaped and formed into an artificial day by its orderly shining upon the face of the earth for twelve hours together and then he called it day as the proper name of its perfect shape and form Hence we may cleerly perceive That Moses in Gen. 1. 5. doth name all the parts of the first natural day in their true priority of order as they were shaped and formed 1 Day 2 Night 3 Evening 4 Morning And secondly hence it follows that the first formed part of the naturall day was the artificiall day and not the night CHAP. II. Proving that Moses by the terme Evening in Gen. 1. 5. doth not me an the whole night But the latter halfe of the artificial day and the first halfe of the night LEarned Mr. Richardson saith That these two words Evening and Morning do set our Divines to School to finde out what is meant by them in the first Creation Most Interpreters say that the two Hebrew words Gnereb and Boker which we translate Evening and Morning in Gen. 1. 5. doe mean nothing else but night and day But I must crave leave to differ from them in judgement for these two Reasons Reason I. If Moses had called the first darknesse Evening and the artificiall day Morning Then in reason he would have placed the said termes in the same methodicall order in the end of the verse as he had done in the beginning of the said verse but he doth place them in a contrary order for in the beginning of the verse he names the Day before the Night but in the end of the verse he names the Evening before the Morning and what else doth this argue but that he did thereby intend that Gods people should take notice that the Evening and the morning were a differing division of the natural day from the division of Day and Night Reason II. If Moses had intended to call the first darknesse Evening as synonimous to the terme Night then doubtlesse some Scripture or other would have shewed them to be synonima seeing the said termes are so often repeated in the Bible But though I have made diligent search yet I cannot finde where the term Morning is made synonimous to the ful artificial day nor where the term Evening is made synonimous to the whole night in a proper sense Therefore seeing they are no where synonima it is altogether unlike that Moses doth make them synonima in Gen. 1. 5. and no where else Object Why might not the first Darknesse be a full Evening and so a full night of twelve houres though it wanted a Twilight in the beginning of it might not God dispense with the Twilight in the first night Ans Why do you go about to make the most wise Creator and Governour of all things to be an imperfect Artist in his first pattern for if you make the first Night to want a Twilight in the beginning of it do you not thereby make him an imperfect Artist in his first pattern to the other creation dayes for it is manifest that the shape and form of the first creation day was a true pattern by which the rest were shaped and formed for as the text expresseth it in verse 5. so was the Morning and so was the Evening the first day so in like sort it is said of the second day in verse 8. and so it is said of the third day in verse 13. and so it is said of the fourth day in verse 19. and so it is said of the fifth and sixth days all these dayes were shaped and formed just according to the pattern of the first day The addition of the Sun in the fourth day made no new part of Light more then the first day had as I have noted it already and therefore the manner how the Light did break out of Darknesse on the first day was in the same manner and order as we see the Sun doth in the Equinoctial 1 The Light ascended out of darknesse by degrees as the Sun doth now Gen. 32. 24. By means whereof it did first make a Twilight in the morning so the Hebrew phrase calleth it in Psal 119. 147. 2 Then after a while it began to shine upon the face of the earth Gen. 19. 23. 3 Then it ascended higher till it came to its height at mid-day as Es 16. 3. Act. 22. 6. Act. 26. 13. 4 Then it ceased to ascend and made a little stand for about halfe an hour 5 Then it began to decline or go down by degrees till it went out of the Horizon 6 Then it made a Twilight called the Twilight of the Evening Prov. 7. 9. 7 Then succeeded twelve hours darknesse the first half whereof made up the first darknesse a full night 8 Then the last halfe of the said twelve hours darknesse went on towards the beginning of the second day In this admirable order did the God of nature set together all the parts of the first naturall day But I have again set it out more fully in Section 4. Object 2. Some learned men say That Moses by the terme Evening and Morning in Gen. 1. 5. meant Night and Day no otherwise but by the figure Synecdoche onely They say that the Night is called Evening no otherwise but because it is begun of the Evening and that the artificial day is called Morning no otherwise but because it is begun of the Morning and so by this Exposition they make no other part of time to be called Evening but a little point of time onely at the beginning of the night all the rest of the night is called Evening say they but by the figure Synecdoche only In like manner they make no other part of the artificial Day to be called Morning but a little point of time in the beginning of the artificial day onely and this Exposition they borrow from Tremelius Annotation on Gen. 1. 5. or rather from Junius for it is easie to make it appear that Tremelius was of another judgement Ans A man had need of more patience then ordinary that shall spend his time to answer such fantastical conceits as this But in brief I think I have fully confounded this Objection 1 By proving that Moses in Gen. 1. 5. divided the first natural day into two equall parts two several wayes as I have exemplified it by the lines of longitude and latitude on a Compasse Diall in Sect. 4. and see also the gradations to the morning in Chap. 3. Sect. 2. at Sixthly 2 I answer by proving that Gnereb the Evening is a connexion of the latter halfe of the artificial day to the first halfe of the Night and so making it to be an equall part of time to Boker the Morning But the best way to answer this and many other Objections is to lay downe the true interpretation of Gnereb the Evening in the various use of it in the Scripture I am not ignorant that Gnereb is usually interpreted to
in regard of his early Judgements upon a people and also in regard Boker the Morning is put for Gods early seeking either to punish the wicked or protect the godly of his early Preservation of his own people 1. His early and speedy Judgements upon the wicked are set out by the term Morning in Num. 16. 5. Zeph. 3. 5. Psal 73. 14 Ezek. 7. 7 10. and so in Hos 10. 15. In the morning shal the King of Israel be destroyed and in this sense I shall presently expound Isa 47. 11. 2. The term Morning doth often denote Gods early care and Providence in looking out for the Protection of his people Exod. 14. 24. Psal 46. 7. Hence I infer that seeing the word Morning doth signifie early seeking or early looking out it may well denote unto us that the first Darkness was not comprehended under the term Evening but under the term Morning for Gnereb the Evening is never put for early or first but it is always put for late or last because it was the latter part of the Day as I have shewed in my Answer to the third Objection of the former Chapter and more by and by Secondly It is further evident that the Morning time was first As Gnereb the Evening is put for last time So Boker the Morning is put for the first time or for the beginning of a thing and the Evening last by Gen. 49. 27. Benjamin shall ravine like a Woolf in the Morning he shall devour the prey and in the Evening he shall divide the spoile The Seventy render it The early Morning and truly seeing the first Darkness had the priority of time before the Artificial Morning it is not proper to put the Artificial Morning for first in preheminence of time before the first Darkness and therefore in reason the first Darkness must belong to the early Morning as well as the first half of the Artificial Day doth or else Jacob did not make a proper Allusion to the Morning and to the Evening if the first Darkness had been Evening for then the evening had been first in order of time search into the story of Events and see how Jacobs Prophecie doth relate to the term Morning and Evening the event of his Pâ—ophecie lyes thus 1. Ehud of Benjamin was raised up by God like a Woolf in the early morning to devour the Moabites and to deliver Israel Judge 3. 15. Then God did also raise up Hester and Mâ—rdecai of Benjamin like a Woolf as it were in the Artificial Morning to deliver the Jews and to devour Haâ—an and all his Confederates in a hundred twenty seven Provinces Hâ—st 8. and Hest 9. 2. In the Evening-time of the world God raised up Paul of Benjamin to divide the spoil with the other Apostles by the preaching of the Gospel for Paul is said to make the Word of God to abound from Jerusalem to Illyricum Rom. 15. 19. and it is further evident that the daies of the Gospel are called the Evening by Zeph. 2. 7. the Prophet doth there foretel that there shall be a remnant of the Jews namely of the dispersed Jews dwelling in several Countries that shall be called to rest or lie down in the Evening and to this remnant of dispersed Jewes did Peter and James write in the Evening-time of the Gospel to exhort them to rest and repose their Souls in Christ for Life and Salvation Zachary also doth use the term Evening for the last times namely for the daies of the Gospel and in that respect the time of the Gospel is often called the last dayes Isa 2. 2. Jer. 30. 24. Heb. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 5. 20. Zacharies phrase runs thus In the Evening time it shall be light Zach. 14. 7. It is very suitable to compare the last daies of the Gospel to the Evening because it is the last half of the Natural Day and it is most suitable also to compare the light of the Gospel to the light of the Evening for the Evening begins at Mid-day at the first declining of the Sun and then the day is most clear and bright and so it continues till almost Sun-set and in the last days when the Apostles had a Commission to preach the Gospel in all the world the Gospel gave a light most clear to many souls that sat in darkness But if the Evening had been no other time but the dark Night as the most would have it then Zacharies Allusion to the light of that Evening had been but a poor comparison to set forth the light of the Gospel for in such an Evening there is no other light but Star-light or Moon-light at the best and that is but a poor light to illustrate the light of the Gospel by in the days of the Apostles Thirdly As the Evening is often put for last so the Morning is put for first in Dan. 9. 21. The man Gabriel whom I had seen in a vision at First or in the Morning so the Hebrew speaks Fourthly It is evident by another Allusion that the Morning is before the Evening because the term Morning is put for the very first beginning of a thing and in this sense Isaiah is most elegant Isa 47. 11. Evill shall come upon thee O Babylon and thou shalt not know the morning thereof or the beginning thereof The Hebrew word signifies the early Morning but the Geneva doth render it the Beginning and by this phrase the Holy Ghost did by a Periphrasis describe the beginning of Babylons ruin by the early Morning Object 2. Good Divines do take the term Morning here for the beginning of the Artificial Day and the word Morning in that sense doth not hinder but that the first Darkness was Evening Answ I have already answered this Objection immediately before I told you there that if the first Darkness had been called Evening then doubtless the Evening would have been put for the first beginning of any thing and the Morning for last but because the Morning is put for the first beginning of a thing therefore it is out of all doubt to me that the first Darkness did belong to the Morning and not to the Evening 2. I answer further that the Morning of Babylons fall cannot be so conveniently compared to the Morning of the Artificial day as to the dark early morning because the Artificial Morning is apparent and perspicuous to all men But the ruin of Babylon was not perspicuous at first but it was carryed on in a speedy and obscure manner by the Persians so that the Babylonians had no suspition or discerning of their fall as yet therefore the Morning of the Artificial Day was not so suitable to exemplifie the manner of their speedy ruin as the early dark Morning was for it was done speedily ere they were aware Jer. 50. 24. as it appears by these two considerations 1. Isay did foretel that Babylon should be destroyed in the Night Isa 21. 4. 2. Isay did foretel
of the world Hence it follows that then it is morning in some Countries near unto mid-night especially when the daies are at the longest and known experience doth tell us that in the North parts of England the day doth sometimes begin to break near unto mid-night and indeed the day-light when the daies are at the longest is scarse ever out of the Sky in those parts except a little while about mid-night Hence it follows that seeing it is day-break sometimes near unto Mid-night then why may not the morning begin at mid-night all the year long as well in one Country as in another seeing the God of Nature hath set such an eminent mark upon mid-night and upon mid-day which doubtless was to set out the bounds and limits of the Natural morning and of the evening Fifthly Both Scripture and experience doth tell us that there is a certain Star called the Morning Star which at some time of the year is seen to arise not long after Mid-night and all men call it morning as soon as that Star is risen and in some parts when the daies are at the longest it riseth near unto Mid-night but it alwaies riseth before it is day break Sixthly It is evident that the morning begins in the dark night by this phrase in Psal 110. 3. The womb of the early Morning I purpose not to meddle with the mystical sense of these words because it concerns not the Argument in hand but I will onely meddle with the phrase for the phrase sake onely for this phrase must have some proper allusion to some natural truth Mibschar we translate Morning but saith Mr. Ainsworth the letter M is a Preposition signifying From or Before and in that respect some translators do render the text thus Before the womb of the early Morning this phrase must have an allusion to some proper truth and I can find nothing that may so fitly be called the womb of the early Morning as the first darkness was for out of this darkness God created the morning light and in this respect the Morning may well be divided into several degrees of time 1 The first Darkness was the womb of the Morning light 2 From the womb of the morning proceeded the Son of the morning called the morning Star as soon as it was created and it is now called the Son of the morning Isa 14. 12. 3. Then follows the ascending of the morning or day-break Gen. 32. 24 26. 4 Then follows the time of killing the morning Sacrifice namely when the face of all the East is inlightned which is between day-break and Sun-rising See Ains in Num. 28. 4. And certain it is that the morning Sacrifice was not onely slain but also offered before Sun-rising because the Meat Offering which was alwaies offered after the Burnt Offering was offered before Sun rising as it appears by 2 King 3. 20 22. and the Burnt Offering was alwaies first Lev. 1. and then the Meat Offering Lev. 2. now though the Morning Sacrifice was offered before Sun-rising yet the Evening Sacrifices of all sorts must be offered before Sun-set For the Hebrew Doctors say that after Sun-set the blood of all Sacrifices became unlawful See Ains in Lev. 1. 6 9. 5. Then follows the morning of the Artificiall day at Sun-rising Psal 104. 22 23. for God did appoint the Sun to rule and limit the Artificiall day Gen. 1. 6. Then followed the time of morning Prayer at the third hour of the day namely at our nine a clock First By these gradations to the morning we may see the vanity of their opinion that hold no other time to be called the morning properly but a point of time onely at the beginning of the Artificial day all the rest they say is called the morning improperly Secondly By these gradations to the morning it is evident that the first darkness was the root or womb of the morning and therefore at last it was called Morning SECT 3. Proving that the Morning in all likelihood doth begin at mid-night besides the former certain grounds from the exact beginning and ending of the Evening FIrst I will endeavor to prove that the morning doth begin at mid-night by an argument drawn from Job 26. 7. compared with Gen. 1. 2. Job saith That God stretcheth out the North upon the empty and saith Moses The Earth was empty and void namely as long as darkness was upon the face of the deep But as soon as the light was created the earth could not be said to be empty and void any longer for then the deep was adorned with the light as with a most glorious ornament Object 4. The first Darkness did continue twelve hours upon the face of the deep after the general matter called Earth was created Or thus how long was the Earth empty and void before the light was created Answ The answer is from Job That the Earth was empty and void all the space of time that the North point is stretched out upon a Compass Dial namely the space of six hours for the North point on a Compass Dial doth stretch it self out untill it meet with the beginning of the East point the four ends of the two Lines of Longitude and Latitude do make the four Cardinal Points of the Compass North East South and West Hence it follows that the North point is stretched out to the East point and that is just six hours by the Compass Dyal and so long saith Job the Globe was empty but as soon as God created Light out of Darkness which began to appear by degrees first By a Twilight and then shined forth at the East point then the Earth was no longer empty and void but it was adorued with the light If any man can give a better Interpretation for the stretching out the North upon the Empty I shall bee glad to see it But if the first Darkness had been twelve hours long then Job should have said that God stretched out the West point as well as the North point upon the Empty but Job doth not say so but only that he stretched out the North upon the Empty and therefore it follows 1 That the first Darkness was not twelve hours but only six hours long upon the face of the deep before the light was created 2 Hence it follows that the first half of that twelve hours Darkness that succeeded the Artificial Day did make up the first darkness to be a just Night of twelve hours and after this manner both these parts of Darkness did meet together at the North point as I have exemplified the matter upon a Compass Dyal and the North Land in Jer. 23. 8. may according to the Hebrew be read from the Land of darkness And why else doth the Prophet in Psal 89. 12. begin the time of the first Creation in order from the North point but to remember us where and how long the darkness did continue upon the face of the deep after the Earth was
doubtlesse Lukes phrase doth allude to that custom This Sabbath that did now begin to lighten was not the Sabbath it self for if the Sabbath it self had been begun at the rising of the Evening Starre then doubtlesse the holy Women had broken the holy rest of the Sabbath day because after all this they went to the shops and bought Odors and Oyntments Luke 23. 56. compared with Mark 16. 1. yea and after they had bought these Odors and Oyntments they went home and prepared them in a readinesse to perfume the Body of Christ with them as soon as ever the Sabbath was past Mat. 28. 1. If they had bought them before his burial they would have perfumed his Body before his burial as Nicodemus did Therefore seeing these holy Women did all this work after the burial and after the Sabbath began to lighten it is an evident proof that the Sabbath it self did not begin neither at the Sun-set evening when the person purified began the date of his new day nor yet at the rising of the evening starre for if the Sabbath it self had been begun at either of these times then the holy Women had most grosly broken the holy rest of the Sabbath But the Holy Text doth witnesse on their side that they rested the Sabbath according to the Commandment Luk. 23. 56. Hence I conclude from this practise of the holy Women that though the evening before the Sabbath doth bear the date of the day following to the person purified yet in proper speaking it is no part of the Sabbath it self it is only to be esteemed the Sabbath but by way of preparation and no more Secondly I answer That your exposition of the word before may better carry this sense namely that this latter evening was indeed before the Sabbath it self and I have shewed in chap. 5. that the evening of the Sabbath is put by the Hebrew Doctors sometimes for the evening before the Sabbath and sometimes for the last half of the Sabbath it self but see more in this Chapter in the answer to the next objection Object 2. It seems to me that the Sabbath it self did begin and end at the Sun-set Evening by the Jews practise for they held it unlawful before the Sun-set Evening was come for our Saviour to heal diseased persons But after the Sun-set Evening was come all manner of diseased persons came flocking to him for cure Mar. 1. 32. Hence it appears that the Jews held the Sabbath to be fully ended as soon as the Sun-set Evening was come Ans It is but the bare conjecture that they forbore to bring their sick persons till the Sabbath was ended I deny it to be the very reason I beleeve the onely reason why they came no sooner was because they had no sooner intelligence of his miraculous power to heal you do barely affirm that the Jews in general held it unlawful for our Saviour to heal diseased persons upon the Sabbath day but you are deceived Tremelius doth testifie from the ancient Hebrew Doctors that they held the contrary They held that the perill of life did drive away the Sabbath that is to say they held it lawful to use any means to prevent the danger of death upon the Sabbath day See Tremelius his Annot. in Mat. 12. 8. in the Syriack Testament Mr. Ainsworth also doth affirm from the Hebrew Doctors that they held it to be a Sabbath days work to visit the sick for they held that perill of life did drive away the Sabbath See Ains in Exod. 20. 10. See also my former Treatise 2 I do also apprehend by the circumstances of the story that the Jews of Capernaum were not offended with our Saviour for his miraculous cure which he did upon that Sabbath day as the malignant Scribes and Pharisees sometimes were in healing one in the Synagogue that had an unclean spirit Mark 1. 27. 3 They took no offence at him for the curing of Peters wives mother of her Feavor presently after he had left the said Synagogue v 31. Therefore seeing they found no fault with Christ for neither of these miraculous cures before the Sabbath was ended doubtless they did not forbear to bring their diseased persons in respect of the Sabbath for they admired the power of God in these miracles and therefore as soon as the publick exercise was ended they spread his fame verse 28. and thereupon a multitude of the diseased persons of Capernaum came to him for cure with all the possible speed they could as it appears by their earnest pressing after so short a warning for I conceive by the circumstances of the story that it was but a little afore Sun-set when Christ left the Synagogue and then as soon as he had left the Synagogue he healed Peters wives mother which was another procuring cause that made the greater flocking to him but if his miraculous cures had been done sooner doubtlesse the fame thereof would have made the sick persons to have flocked sooner after him I grant that some of the malignant Scribes and Pharisees did sometimes take offence at Christ for his miraculous healing upon the Sabbath day But the people in general rejoyced at all the excellent things that were done by him upon the Sabbath day Luke 13. 17. for Christ did now heal a poor crooked woman upon that Sabbath day verse 11. And when the Ruler of the Synagogue took offence at it Christ by reasons put him to silence and the people rejoyced that Christ had put him to silence Therefore though some of the malignant Jews held erroniously that Christ ought not to heal upon the Sabbath day yet that is no good argument to prove that these Jews of Capernaum did purposely detain their sick persons till the Sabbath was ended I deny it to be the Reason I do apprehend rather that they did hastily flock to him rather than deliberately forbear till the Sabbath might be ended 4 Mr. Pemble on this place saith That this Evening was the Evening of the same day wherein Christ had done so much before as the inference shews plainly 5 It is evident to me from several testimonies of the Hebrew Doctors that they held the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath to be a true part of the Sabbath it self because they held it lawful to The Hebrew Doctors held the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath to be a true part of the Sabbath it self do many things in the Sun-set Evening before the Sabbath which they did not hold lawfull to be done in the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath 1 Maymony saith thus The two Loaves of New Corn for the Wave-offering on the day of Penticost were not Baked on the day of Pentecost because it was a Sabbath nor in the Evening before if it were a Sabbath See Ains in Lev. 23. 17. Two things are evident from this Testimony 1 That in the judgement of the Hebrew Doctors the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath was a true part of the
time in going thither as from morning till Sun-set then Jonathan could not have had time enough left to return back again into the City in the same day But the Text in ver 23. doth tell us that Jonathan did return the same day into the City therefore the appointed evening cannot be understood of the sun-set evening Secondly Jonathan returned alone without any company with him for he had sent his Boy back into the City before which in reason he would not have done if the place of meeting had been so far off as you make it Thirdly Jonathan knew that Saul was jealous of his familiarity with David and he knew also that Saul was much inraged against David at this time Therefore in wisdom Jonathan would not be so long absent from Saul as from morning till Sun-set nay it would have been Mid-night ere he could have returned if the place appointed to meet at had been so far off as you would make it and then Soul might well have suspected that Jonathan might have had some other errand into the field besides shooting at a mark by his long and late absence but Ionathan pretended no other errand but to shoot at a mark and therefore he took his Boy with him to witnesse so much if need should be 1. Hence it followes that the place of meeting was but a little way without the City for what need had a man goe farre to shoot at a Mark and so it asked but a little time to goe to it and to return from it 2 Hence it followes that the appointed Evening must be understood of the Mid-day Evening and not of the Sun-set Evening And thus Jonathans Morning and Davids Evening did fitly agree to the same appointed hour at Mid-day In like sort one Evangelist saith that Christ was crucified at the third houre Mark 15. 25. But John saith he was crucified at the sixt hour Joh. 19. 14. this differing relation of time may seem to have as great a difference as is between Jonathans Morning and Davids Evening and yet there is no difference at all when things come to be rightly expounded For the Jewes divided the Artificiall Day into four great Hours just as they divided the Night into four great Watches Mark The Jews divided the day into four great hours as they divided the night into four watches 13. 35. every great hour contained in it three small houres The first great hour they called by the name of the third hour because it ended with the third small hour which we call nine a clock and their second great hour they called their sixt because it ended with the sixt small hour which we call twelve a clock and thus as soon as the first great hour ended with our nine a clock the second great hour began with our ten a clock And thus Peter Martyr in the Judges Mr. Godwin and Mr. Weames do accord these great hours with our small hours and just after this sort the end of Jonathans Morning in v. 35. and the beginnings of Davids Evening in v. 5. do fitly close and meet together at Mid-day Fifthly I prove that the naturall Evening doth begin at Mid-day by Josh 7. 6. There Joshua and the Elders fell down upon the Earth before the Ark of the Lord till Even-tide that is to say until Evening began Object 6. This Even-tide must be understood of the Sun-set Evening Answ I answer no it cannot be understood of the Sun-set Evening for Joshua had much businesse to doe after this which must be done before the time of Sunset for the Lord commanded Joshua to sanctifie the people against the morrow Vers 13 14. But Joshua could not sanctifie them at the Sun-set Evening for then the day of their cleannesse must begin by the order of the Leviticall Law they must therefore be washed from their defilements in the afternoon or else they could not begin the day of their cleannesse at their Sun-set Evening and in case they did not begin the new day of their cleannesse at Sun-set they might not come before the Lords Arke on the morrow to beg Attonement for Transgressors as I have opened the matter more at large in Chap. 4. Now Joshua could not have sanctified the people in a fit manner to come before the Lords Ark on the morrow if he had lain still upon the earth till the Even-tide at Sun-set for Joshua must have a large time to inform all the people by a Proclamation through all the Camp what was the cause of the Lords anger and what they must do by way of preparation before they could obtain the Lords favour The thing they must do by way of preparation was to sanctifie themselves from their Ceremonial defilements by washing their Bodies and their Cloaths according to the Ceremonial customs as they are set down in Exod. 19. 10. Gen. 35. 2. and this must be done in the same Even-tide wherein the Lord spake to Joshua and to the Elders saying Vp and sanctifie the people and say sanctifie your selves against to morrow Vers 13. Now then consider the time that must be taken up for this Proclamation throughout all the Camp and consider the time they must have for the washing of all their Bodies and their Cloaths before Sun-set and then it will necessarily force us to understand this Even-tide of the Noon-tide Evening and not of the Sun-set Evening Sixthly I prove That the full naturall Evening begins at Mid-day when the Afternoon begins because the Evening in Scripture is often put for the Afternoon as the morning is put for the Forenoon In the morning sow thy seed and in the Evening let not thy hand rest Eccles 11. 6. Solomons meaning is that men should be as diligent in doing good at all times as the Husbandman is in seed-time he will not rest from sowing his seed neither Forenoon nor afternoon because he knows not which will prove best A wise and diligent Husband-man will go out to sow his seed in the afternoon Evening and not defer it till the Sun-set Evening therefore by Solomons account the Evening begins with the Afternoon at Mid-day 2. It is said Psal 90. 6. In the morning the grasse flourisheth and groweth up but in the evening it is cut down and withereth The Husbandman doth not use to go out to mow his grasse in the evening after Sun-set or if he sometimes do so yet it doth not wither in the evening after Sun-set But Husbandmen use to take the opportunity to mow their grasse in the afternoon and then it withereth therefore the Evening begins with the afternoon 3. It is said in 1 Sam. 17. 16. that Goliah drew near Morning and Evening forty days together But Souldiers doe not use to call for a Pitched Battle in the evening after Sun-set but either in the Forenoon or in the Afternoon Evening 4. It is said 1 King 17. 6. That the Ravens brought bread and flesh to Elijah morning and evening but
grant that all Israel departed out of Egypt on the fifteenth day of Nishan Numb 33. 3. But how prove you that they began their journey at Midnight or that the fifteenth day began at Mid-night Answ The circumstances of the Text do prove it plain enough for as soon as the Egyptiaus saw all their first-born slain at Mid-night they feared lest they should be all slain and therefore they did urge the Israelites in all haste to depart and the Israelites knew all this before-hand and accordingly they prepared for their speedy departure and because of this their preparation they are said to depart out of Egypt in the night Deut. 16. 1. compared with Exod. 12. 29 31 42. The Egyptians therefore as soon as their first-born were slain at Midnight urged the Israelites in haste to depart and then also the Israelites did depart out of the doors of their houses because the morning of the fifteenth day was come but yet they could not fully depart out of Egypt untill the body of the self same day was come namely not till it was Mid-day See Ains in Exod. 12. 41. they had many businesses to do after they went out of the doors of their houses before they could fully depart for they must assemble together 600000 men befides women and children and many connexed people and cattle and before all this could be put into a fit posture for their orderly marching away it was Mid-day and yet they made extraordinary haste to bring things thus soon to passe and through their great haste they took their Dough as it was unleavened and carried it upon their shoulders ver 34. and thenceforth the fifteenth of Nishan was commanded to be remembred and to be observed as a Festivall Sabbath for ever and as the first day of the Feast of unleavened bread Exod. 13. 3. Lev. 23. 7. Deut. 16. 3. Their Journey in the night began in this order as soon as the first-born of Pharaoh and the Nobles were slain at Mid-night then in their perplexed fear they did hastily call up Moses and Aaron to depart and then they gave the Alarm to the rest and as the first of them marched through the land of Goshen the rest fell in by Troops but before they could be all marshalled to depart in fit order it was Mid-day and in this sort their march began at Mid-night and was compleated by Mid-day according to Numb 33. 3. Conclusion From all the premises which I have laid down under three Heads or Sections it follows That the time of the first darkness after the Creation of the Earth was Morning and not Evening And secondly That it began at that time which the God of Nature made Mid-night at last namely as soon as all the parts of the Naturall day were formed and framed together CHAP. IV. Proving That the Jewes Custom in beginning their weekly Sabbath at the Sun-set Evening was occasioned by their Ceremonial Custom namely Because the persons that were ceremonially purified from their ceremonial Defilements were commanded to begin their new day of cleanness then and hence it follows first That that accidental beginning of the Day must not be accounted for the true beginning of the Natural Day And Secondly Hence it follows That it is not the right time for us Christians to begin our Lords Day at the Sun-set Evening as the Jews did by their ceremonial Custom onely SECT 1. THe Jews were often guilty of sundry degrees of sins of uncleanness against the Ceremonial Law besides their sins against the Moral Law as you may find them noted and distinguished by Mr. Ainsworth in Lev. 11. 24 25 32. and in Lev. 12. 6. and in Lev. 22. 7. compared with Numb 9. 10. and with Lev. 13. 6. and see also Lev. 14. 9 17. and Num. 5. 2 3. and Numb 19. 2 7 11. Secondly Answerable thereunto the Ceremonial Law did ordain several degrees of purification from these several degrees of ceremonial uncleanness as you may find them noted also by Ainsworth in Lev. 5. 2. Lev. 14. 9 15. Lev. 15. 14. Num. 5. 7. Num. 19. 18. Gen. 35. 2. and in Exod. 19. Thirdly Not onely the manner how but also the time when they must cleanse themselves was ordained and appointed by the Ceremonial Law Some kind of defilements might be clensed in one day but the greatest degrees of their Ceremonial defilements required not only one but many dayes for their cleansing but all were commanded to begin their cleansing in the Evening in two degrees of time according to the two parts of the Evening for the natural Evening hath two equal parts as I have shewed in Chap. 2. and shall further shew it in the next Chapter In the first Evening which doth always begin at Mid-day they must baptize or wash themselves The Jews were cleansed from their ceremonial defilements 1. By washing in the afternoon And 2. By the Suns setting upon them after their baptizing In the second Evening which doth alwaies begin at Sun-set they did begin to date the day of their cleanness For by the setting of the Sun upon them after their washing two things were effected First Their cleanness by their former washing was confirmed or made perfect And secondly As soon as their cleanness was made perfect they began the day of their cleanness Object 1. Might not the unclean person baptize himself from his Ceremonial defilements in the latter evening after Sun-set as well as in the time of the first Evening before Sun-set Ans He might not because God had appointed the time of the two Evenings for two distinct degrees of their cleansing The first Evening from Mid-day to Sun-set was allotted to them for the washing or baptizing themselves from their ceremonial sins and this was onely as a preparation to the day of their cleanness And this I will labor to make evident several waies 1. Moses in Deut. 23. 11. doth command the unclean person to bath himself in water at the looking forth of the Evening So the Hebrew phrase is but it may be demanded what time is that that is meant by the looking forth of the Evening Answ I have shewed you in chap. 2. and in chap. 5. that the Evening doth first begin at the first declining of the Sun at Mid-day and that it looks forth towards his setting in the west from the very first declining of the Sun from Mid-day untill it depart from that Horizon and to this sense I have expounded the shadows of the Evening to look forth in Jer. 6 4. See Chap. 2. In like sort it is said of Isaack that he went out into the fields to meditate at the looking forth of the Evening Gen. 24. 63. In those daies they had no private upper Rooms to meditate in because they lived in Tents and therefore they used to sequester themselves by going out into the fields to meditate where they had Groves of Trees for shade and refreshing and thither the godly used to go to
the beginning of the Sun-set Evening is as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight Seventhly Joshua doth testifie that the Evening is come as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight Jos 10. 26 27. and Daniel saith That Darius did labour to deliver him till the going down of the Sun Dan. 6. 14. But the Seventy say till Evening and Moses saith The soul that toucheth a dead creeping thing shall be unclean untill the Evening Lev. 22. 6. but saith he in vers 7. He shall bathe himself in water and then he shall be clean when the Sun is gone down from all these places it is evident that the term Sun-set and the term Evening are terms convertible for the Sun-set Evening Eighthly It is evident by this reason that the latter Evening doth begin as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight because there is no interim between the End of the first Evening and the Beginning of the latter Evening and I have proved in Chap. 2. that the first Evening doth end as soon as ever the Sun doth leave off to make any more shadows upon the face of the Earth For the whole time of the first Evening is described by its shadows looking forth towards the place of its Rest or by the stretching out of its shadows upon the face of the Earth as I have expounded Jer. 6. 4. and therefore it follows by necessary consequence that the latter Evening must begin at that instant time This consequence is so cleer that none that loves plain truth can deny it But to prevent rash zeal and unadvised haste in feasting upon the holy flesh the Hebrew Doctors advised to stay a little time after Sun-set They begin their Religious Festival Suppers after Sun-set as soon as three stars appeared in the skie for the Sun must go down upon the baptized person before his Purification was perfected and then he began the date of his new day and then he was made fit to eat of the holy flesh yet they advised to stay a little time after Sun-set namely till three stars appeared in the skie Mamony saith That the unclean may not eat of the Heave-offering untill their Sun be set and three stars appear after the Sun is gone down See Ains in Lev. 22. 9. Thus have I shewed how God ordained the time of the two Evenings for the effecting of two degrees of cleannesse and now I shall in the next Section shew That all the latter Evening from Sun-set till Mid-night was appointed for the time of their Religious feasting upon their Passeovers and Peace-offerings and that this part of the night was a true part of the former natural day SECT 3. FRom the date of the new Day to the person purified at the Sun-set Evening we may see the true Reason that did inforce the Jewes to begin all their Ceremonial Sabbaths at that time and of all other dayes by occasion thereof But this beginning of the day was no more to be accounted for the beginning of the natural Day than the beginning of their yeer in Nishan was to be accounted for the first month by Creation for they began their yeer in Nishan upon the occasion of their famous deliverance out of Egypt in that month but from the Creation the yeer began in Tizri which now is called the Seventh month and this seventh month was afterwards made famous again by Joshua's Conquest of Canaan and by his division of the land thereupon to the nine Tribes and a half in this seventh month Jos 14. and in remembrance thereof they began all their yeers of Rest and all their Jubiles from that month See Ains in Exod. 12. 1 2. Lev. 25. 8 9 10. Exod. 34. 22. Deut. 14. 22. and likewise the yeers of all Servants and Leases began at this time Lev. 25. And after this manner they observed a double date according to the beginning of their double day The Jews observed both the date of their ceremonial day and the date of their natural day for several purposes See Ains in Lev. 23. 20. 1 The person purified began the date of his day of cleannesse from the Sun-set Evening 2 They dated the time of their Religious feasting according to the natural day till midnight after for by the Law they were expresly commanded to eat the flesh of their Peace-offerings in the same day in which it was sacrificed Lev. 7. 15. now it was not possible for them at sometimes at least to eat the holy flesh of their Passeovers and of their commanded Peace-offerings in the same Ceremonial day because the time of sacrificing their Passeovers and Peace-offerings did many times continue until it was night namely till Sun-set and so it fell out in the time of Josias Passeover 2 Chron. 35. 14. Hence it follows by a necessary consequence That the command to eat the holy flesh in the same day must be understood not of the same Ceremonial but of the same natural day and in case any of the holy flesh had remained uneaten in the same day in which it was sacrificed it must be burnt and then sometime it must be all burnt and none of it eaten namely when it was sacrificed at the point of Sun-set Secondly If the date of their Ceremonial day had born all the sway then they must not only have finished the killing of all their Sacrifices but of all their Religious feasts also before Sun-set and then our Saviour and his Apostles had sinned because they kept their Religious Feast after Sun-set namely in the night wherein he was betrayed for though they caused their Passeover to be sacrificed on the fourteenth day yet they deferred the time of their feasting till after Sun-set when the fifteenth day was begun according to the date of the person purified But if you will grant that our Saviour did not sin against that Command of eating their Passeover in the same day then you must also grant that the same fourteenth day by Creation was not ended at Sun-set but continued still till Mid-night after Thirdly Hence it follows that seeing all Ceremonial Customes are now abolished by the death of Christ that Gods people ought not to Judaize in beginning the Lords day according to the Jews Ceremonial Customes but according to the beginning and ending of the natural day from midnight to Mid-night Objection 3. How could the Jewes observe a double date of a double day in one and the same naturall day without confusion Answ Their double date of their double day was not strange to them no more than their double date of their double yeer was to them they could sort out such things as belonged to the beginning of the yeer from the seventh month from the things that belonged to the beginning of the yeer in the first month without any confusion at all so in like manner they could sort out all those Religious duties that belonged