so Suppose that any one of us should seâ— to our neighbour our crop of Corn with a reservation to our selves of a seventh part according to the proportion of our Acres and we should say to them Remember I have reserved the seventh part to my self six parts I have sold you but a seventh is mine you shall not meddle with it Must this seventh upon such a demise needs be this or that Close surely no but such a seventh as either according to our bargain we shall choose or our Farmer shall set out This is the case all our time was Gods he hath freely given us six parts and reserved a seventh such a seventh as he shall appoint to himself Hath not God a liberty at his pleasure to set out a seventh to us 3. But say our Brethren it must needs be the seventh in order from the Creation for that was the day which God rested which is brought in the Commandement as an argument to urge upon us the sanctification of the Sabbath Ans 1. That our great Creators resting from his work of creation is brought as an argument to induce us to the observation of the Sabbath we freely grant but we say not as an argument for the particular day but for the same proportion of time God rested one day in seven therefore you must also so rest It is impossible we should rest that day in which God rested that day vanished and returned no more Our Brethren therefore can plead only for the seventh in the weekly Revolution and why not foâ— a seventh in Number only not in Order 2. But we may freely grant our Brethren that that argument held for the seventh iâ— order so far as it could be without any damage to our cause The Precept is onâ— thing the argument is another It doth not at all follow that because thâ— force of the Precept is perpetual thereforâ— the force of every argument should be sâ— also One argument brought hath a perpetual force Gods allowing us six dayes sâ— our own imployment what if the other haâ— a temporary force a force only for thaâ— time during which the Sabbath then instituted was to continue There is nothing more ordinary in Holy Writ than to annex arguments of an universal eternal force to Precepts that were to expire and arguments of a temporary particular vertue to Precepts that obliged for ever How often do we find this as an Argument affixed tâ— the Ceremonial and Judicial Laws confessed by all to oblige only the Jewes For 〈◊〉 am the Lord thy God To give but one instance Lev. 22 29 30. The Precept relates â—o a sacrifice of Thanksgiving it injoyned them to eat it all the same day to leave none of â—t till the morning for saith God I am the Lord God is all our Lord yet we are not â—ll bound to that Sacrifice or the rites relaâ—ting to it On the other side The Argument affixed to the first Commandement is I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage The command in the next words Thou shalt have no other Gods but me concerns us as well as the Jews but the argument from the deliverance from Egypt and the house of bondage literally only concern'd them So here The Precept Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day with the direction and first argument in those words Six dayes shalt thou â—aboâ—â— and do all that thou hast to doe but â—he seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God c. concerns all But the other Argument in those words For in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and â—ested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it We say only concerned the proportion of time not inforcing the same day in order or if it did had but a temporary force that day being then under divine institution and there being a need of that argument to quicken the Jews to observe it for those many years it was confessedly to continue after the giving of the Law in Sinai Nor indeed was it possible for all the World or for the Jews in successive times to keep the just seventh part of time from the Creation in a strict computation those who know any thing know how this computation was interrupted in Joshuah and Hezekiahs time and what a difference there is betwixt dayes in several climates and quarters of the World making it a thing impossible either for all people and the Precept concerns all or for the Jewish people afterwards dispersed over all the world to keep the punctual seventh day in order from the Creation according to a weekly revolution I conclude therefore that there is no pretence from the fourth Commandment for any to urge that we more glorifie God by obeying his will in the observation of the last than of the first day of the week yea it will anon appear we less obey God The fourth Commandement only requiring one intire day of seven and such a one as God had or should appoint If we prove God hath appointed another the fourth Commandment stands good and we are rebellious against God if we insist on the old Sabbath and neglect what God hath more lately appointed CHAP. IV. That the Lord Jesus Christ was Lord of the Sabbath and had a power as to alter all Laws relating to the acts of Worship so this Law relating to the solemn time of Worship I Cannot but be so far charitable to our Brethren ingaged against us in this controversie as to believe they will yield us what we have hitherto contended for so far as it extends only to a liberty for the Lord of Heaven and Earth after his giving the fourth Commandement to alter it for though we cannot assert such a liberty no not to the Eternal God as to such things in the ten Commandments which contain in them a morall goodness antecedaneous to the Precept being made so by the Eternall will of God and the things being of that nature that the contrary to them must necessarily impeach the glory of God which he cannot with consistency to his holy nature recede from yet for such things whose goodness meerly depends upon the Precept certainly without derogation to the Soveraign authority of God we must acknowledge a power reserved unto God to make an alteration of them So that though we cannot suppose that God should by any Precept successive to the morall Law give his creatures liberty not to glorifie him or to blaspheme him or to have any other gods besides him yet we must acknowledge a liberty to God if he pleased to alter the law for the time of his Worship that being a thing from which no glory further ariseth to God than as his will is obeyed Now I presume it a principle agreed betwixt us and our Brethren That Jesus Christ is God over all blessed for ever the
first day of the week more than any other Whereas both he and Mr. T. urge that the text only commands that every one should lay by himself not that he should give it to the Deacons Whence Mr. Tilham cavils that if this day had been their sabbath the Apostle would not have directed a survey of their estates how God had prospered them I have shewed before the Apostle commands this survey and a laying by themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the first day of the week We ask why against that day more than another but that it was a day when the Church used to meet and they might have an excellent opportunity to bring it in and have their hearts warmed by the duties of that day into a due chearfulness becoming them who give unto the Lord. But M. T. will not acknowledge a collection a Lords day or a sabbath duty For then he thinks the Apostle would not have added that there be no gatherings when I come Verily the mans ignorance is to be pitied Works of piety mercy and necessity are doubtless sabbath duties or our Saviour would never have healed lame persons on that day The Apostles meaning therefore doubtless is That there be no gatherings for these Brethren-strangers when I come But suppose it be yet Mr. T. tells us that a survey of their estates which the Apostle doth implicitly command that they may see how God had prospered them was no sabbath work But there is no need as I have said we should so translate it nor do I think it the sense that the laying aside should be on the first day of the week but against the first day of the week Here 's no survey of estates directed on that day In short say what we will our brethren so fond of this notion will make us believe that the strength of our argument from this text lies that we think that the Apostle here directed a collection on the first day of the week whereas we tell them that if it were so plain as if written with a Sun beam we do not think that would prove it a collection for the saints was a pious and charitable work but might be done or directed on any day But this is that we urge from the text It is plain from holy writ that the Apostles gave a peculiar honour to this day more than to any other day of the week Though on the seventh day the Apostles so long as the Jewish rites were indulged or so long as they had any hopes to convince the Jews when they came where the Jews had Synagogues went in and heard with them yea and preached to them Yet 1. They never met in a perfect Congregation of Christians on that day that we read of but on the Lords day they did Act. 20.7 2. The Apostle ordains their gospel sacrifice their collection for the poor Saints at Hierusalem rather against this day than any other But possibly we may find that as the Apostles unquestionably by direction from their Lord gave more honour to this day than to any other So our Lord himself also did so 1. This was the day on which he rose again from the dead This I am sure they will not deny and verily this is not inconsiderable Let us but here weigh two or three things 1. The Resurrection of Christ was the Lord Christs great work by which he shewed himself to be Lord and Christ and so confirmed the whole gospel and whatsoever he instituted in his worship It was that work of his which gave evidence to the vertue both of his life and death To this end saith the Apostle Christ both died and ROSE again that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living By this he was declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.4 Hence is our justification Rom. 4.25 Hence our peace of conscience Rom. 8.34 Hence our lively hope and the answer of a good conscience 1 Pet. 1.3 It was our great Lords first holy-day as I may say Of the day of Christs suffering he saith THIS IS YOUR DAY and the power of darkness a day in which God hath given leave to the Devil and his instruments to play their pranks But this was His day This was the Lord Christs rest The day in which he rested from the work of Redemption As his Father had done on the seventh day from the work of Creation 2. May we not soberly think that our great Lord should and did choose to lie in his grave on the sabbath day on purpose to let us know that that sabbath died with him and to rise the next day that he might point out unto us the new sabbath which he had made for the new heaven and new earth which he had now created on purpose to rise upon the first day that his Father by the change of the day might have no loss as to the time consecrated by the fourth commandment Our Lord could have ordered his death so as he might have died and risen again on the 2 3 4 or 5 days he chooseth so to dye that he shall be buried during the whole Jewish sabbath and early in the next morning he ariseth Leâ— us in the next place consider what he did when he was risen The Evangelists record not so full a communion of our Lord with the world nor with his disciples after the resurrection for forty dayâ— he was seen of them In that time counting the day on which he rose were seveâ— Christian sabbaths or first days of the week We read only of our Saviours appearing the two first of them 1. On the day of his resurrection he appeareth to Mary Magdalene looking in the grave for him and to some disciples goiâ—â— to Emaus Luk. 24.13 and to the Eleveâ— met at Hierusalem Luk. 24.36 Joh. 20 1â— and again 2. After eight days saith St. Joh. 20.26 We read but of two apparitions more thâ— one at the Sea of Tiberias Joh. 21. Thâ— other in Galilee which St. Matthew littâ— more than barely mentions Mat. 28.16 17 We do not think Christs appearing made sabbath but Christs owning his disciple meetings on these dayes by appearing theâ— to them speaks not a little in the case especially if it be observed that nothing of any worldly discourse is mentioned as passing at these times but our saviour at the Sea of Tiberias talks with them in their art freely But say our brethren zealous for the old sabbath 1. If the disciples of our Saviour had kept that day as a sabbath he or they would not have gone such a journey as 60 furlongs almost eight miles 1. Beza saith either Josephus is mistaken or some error is crept into the copy for he it is but 30 furlongs 2. The length of their furlongs we know not For our Saviour it was now no laâ—our to him to move Certain it is the way was so short as Luk. 24.33 in that 〈◊〉 hour they could return
affections on things above Certainly as our interest in the resurrection of Christ and the influence it hath upon us should ingage us to seek the things above in the whole course of our lives and at all times to set our affections upon things above so not to do it upon that day which God hath sanctified for our special commemoration of it will speak souls both little sensible of the great mercy of redemption and little influenced from that resurrection not risen with Christ as we ought to be Again let us consider the Christian Sabbath as a sign antecedent and prefigurative The Apostle seemeth thus to argue Heb. 4.8 9. There remains therefore a rest to the people of God For he who is entred into his rest he also hath ceased from his own work as God did from his Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest And a little before v. 4 5 6 7. of the same Chapter For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise And God did rest the seventh day from all his works And in this place again if they shall enter into my rest Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief Again he limiteth a certain day in David saying To day after so long a time as it is said To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts for if Jesus had given them rest he would not have spoken of another day There remains therefore c. The Apostles great business there as is evident is to exhort the believing Hebrews to a perseverance in the profession of the Gospel and to perswade those that yet believed not to imbrace it The argument which he useth is Lest they should fail of an entrance into Gods rest by which rest he undoubtedly means the souls rest in Heaven To this end he tells them 1. That there is such a rest v. 9. 2. That there is a Promise left of entring into this rest 3. That some and those to whom it waâ— first preached entred not in because of unbelief 4. That there is a day limited in which those must hear the Lords voice that will enter into this rest That there is such a Rest he proveth by two types The one that of Canaan the Jews after their laborious travailing in the Wilderness entring into Canaan v. 3. The second is that of the Sabbath for what sense else can those words have in this place He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise And God did rest the seventh day from all his work And v. 10. of Christ he saith he that is entred into his rest he also ceased from his own works as God did from his God the Fathers proper work was Creation the Sons proper work was Redemption When God had finished his work he rested and in commemoration of it he appointed his people to keep a day of Rest When Christ had finished his work of redemption he also rested and appointed us a day to rest in in commemoration of it both the one and the other are by the Apostle made prefigurative of that Rest which God hath prepared in Heaven for us which also it self is called vers 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a keeping of a Sabbath Now certainly the type should bear a proportion to what is signified by it Our rest on Earth should bear some proportion to our rest in Heaven Our rest in Heaven shall not only be a cessation from labour but from all sensual vain pleasure from all worldly discourse a continual pleasure in beholding and injoying God If we would keep a Sabbath perfectly certainly abating what is necessary for our selves or others for the sustentation of our bodyes and the preservation both of our selves and other creatures we should allow our selves no more labour than we shall have in Heaven no other pleasure than the Angels and Saints of God have there all whose pleasure is in the contemplation and injoyment of God Oh that we could thus sanctifie Sabbaths But this is my third argument to press my Brethren to a more strict observation of the Lords holy Day 4. A fourth argument by which I shall preâ— this strict sanctification of the Sabbath shall be the influence which it must necessarily havâ— upon us as to the duties of worship which we perform on that day There is hardly any person unless those given up to riot and wickedness but hath upon him some little awe and dread of the Sabbath Some duties they think should be done in it more than upon another day either out of Obedience to God in the fourth commandment or to the Church or to the state so commanding Indeed some will shuffle off with very little Some think hearing one is enough for their consciences In the afternoon they may labour or sport c. Others think it is no matter whether there be a Sermon or no but they think they should be longer at morning and evening prayer that day than upon other dayes Those who have any degree of sobriety in them judge that the greater part of the day should be spent in the publick or private exercise of Gods worship but we are not so strictly tied up as to abstinence from pleasure worldly labour vain or secular discourse I will for the present give them what I cannot grant them viz. that the precept is not so strictly to be expounded yet me thinks reason is enough in the case to enforce what we plead for It may be Christian thou art one of the latter sort a sober pâ—rson who doest think that the greatest part of that day should be spent in the solemn stated acts of worship but thinkest the intermediate time may be more loosly spent Do but consider what an influence thy strict or looser spending of the intermediate time must necessarily have upon thee 1. In reference to thy acts of worship 2. In reference to the effect and fruit of that worship First I say in reference to thy acts of worship If thou hast any thing of the seriousness of a Christian in thee thou wilt and must acknowledge that God must be served with thy spirit and with the utmost ferventy of thy spirit without distractions without any coldness and deadness of spirit with life love delight in thy approach to God c. Dost thou think that all thy time before thy acts of worship had not need be spent in reading in holy meditations in reading the word c. That when thou comest to serve the Lord in solemn acts of worship thy thoughts may not be scattered thy heart may not be dull and dead certainly a conscientious Christian finds all his time too little before he falls upon his duty to get his heart into such a frame and as he spends his previous or intermediate time less or more spiritually so he will find his heart less or more what
of the Apostles you read of the Apostles and other Christians exact as to the keeping of the Sabbath nor is it at all to our disadvantage that the women Luk. 23. rested on the Jewish Sabbath according to the Commandment for at that time there was no other to rest upon We plead for no sanctification of any other day than what God hath commanded and fall under the fourth Commandment which we have already proved that the Christian Sabbath doth 8. After all this may it not be worth your while to consider the difference of that return which your awakened conscience will make to you when you have spent a Sabbath according to this rule from that which your conscience will make after a looser observation Do not your Consciences sometimes check you when you have taken up too much of that sacred time in sleep in dressing and trimming up your selves or houses in needless labours in foolish pleasures in worldly discourses c. possibly they may smite you in the actions or presently upon them but if you cast up your accounts at night will they not chastise you bâ—fore you go to bed will they not sometimes tell you you have that day done or spake what you ought not to have said or done The testimony of Conscience is not wholly to be slighted in the case 9. Lastly shall I referr you to those who have taken notice of the Judgements of God upon Sabbath breakers How many have perished in their pleasures in their labours on that day Dr. Beard Mr. Clark Mr. Bernard have collected many of them I am aware that too too many abuse a Text of Solomon to avoid any force of this argument All things come alike to all men Enough hath been spoken by other holy men to shew that the Judgements of the Lord are not so to be slighted 'T is but very few years since that many prodigious appearances in the Air Water c. and two or three Comets one after another were slighted and laught at but the dreadfull Judgements of the Plague the Warr the Fire of London quickly baffled those men of reason and shewed us that God doth not ordinarily go out of the course of Nature but to shew some extraordinary work he is about and to warn men to prepare to meet him Certainly Lots Wife being turn'd into a Pillar of Salt though our Saviour had not fixed a Remember to it might have taught people that it is a dangerous thing contrary to a Divine Precept to look back We have a Precept to Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day there are some that will not believe this obligeth us but will adventure to work to sport and take their usual Recreations as on other dayes God in these actions strikes them lame dead c. Let who will slight these extraordinary Dispensations of God My soul entâ— not thou into their secrets unto their Assemblies mine honour be not thou united They shall all to me sound That Israel may hear and fear and do no more so wickedly It is time for me to finish this Discourse Will now any of you say to me What would you have us to do in this business how would you have us sanctifie the Sabbath unto the Lord I answer 1. I would have you the day or night before the Sabbath put all that business relating to your Familes in reference to the Sabbath in as great a readiness as you can The women prepared their spices and oyntment over night which they were to use early in the morning after the Sabbath Luk. 23.56 God allows us on the Sabbath to do things that are necessary but we must take heed of creating necessities needlesly We may make things necessary It may be necessary I should kindle a fire on the Sabbath and so must have fuel but not necessary I should go that day to buy Coals or cut down Wood that might have been done the day before There 's nothing truly necessary on that day but what could not have been done before nor cannot be put off longer 2. I would have you get up from your beds as soon that day as you use to do on other dayes if not sooner It is a day of holy spiritual rest not of sensuall carnall rest It is a wretched profanation of that day for people to make that day their sleeping time above all other dayes it speaks a soul not well awakened with the Conscience of its duty on the Sabbath-day Certainly we had rather need be up sooner from our beds that morning that we may neither come late to Worship nor make more haste than good speed going out without any preparation without any Family dutyes c. 3. For such businesses as are acts of mercy to man or beast or necessary for preservation of either I would have you do them without doubting Our Saviour hath licensed both these What is necessary for decency is as little to be doubted of but take heed of spending too much time in trimmings and dressings or being excessive in provisions of meat c. 4. Spend your time before you go to the Congregation which you can spare from necessary actions before mentioned in private Reading Meditation Prayer or in instructing the Families reading the Word to them praying singing Psalms with them c. 5. After you have heard the Word preached spend again your intermediate time in like manner privately or with your Family Discoursing also upon the Word which you have heard or upon other spiritual subjects as occasion offers it self 6. After your hearing in the latter part of the day do the same again Read hear pray catechize sing Psalms read good Books discourse upon spiritual subjects what you have read or heard 7. You need not doubt on this day if occasion be offered to visit the sick or the Prisoners to feed the hungry to cloath the naked with such sacrifice God is well-pleased yea he loves this mercy better than other sacrifice 8. You must have your times on that day to eat and drink by it your liveâ— are upheld and your strength and you refreshed and made fit for your duties But while you are eating and drinking remember our Lords discourses under the same circumstances Luk. 14.1 2 3. when he was at the Feast in the Pharisees house He discourseth of things lawfull on the Sabbath concerning humility charity to the poor concerning the Wedding Supper of the Gospel c. This it is to sanctifie a Sabbath unto the Lord to keep a day as the Lord hath chosen I beseech you be not so vain as to think that it is enough to rest from sin which is your duty every day and cannot be all the rest of the Sabbath Nor that it is enough to rest from labour and you may spend the day in sleep or idleness or sports and pastimes None of all these I am sure can be named an holy or spiritual rest Nor that it is enough to spend part of the dayâ— in religious duties God will not halve with you that day he requires a whole day at least a whole artificial day which the Sun measureth to us while we pretend to believe â— Sabbath morall let us live as if indeed we did believe it Whiles we contend for the Christian Sabbath in evidence of our 〈◊〉 of Christs being come in the flesh hâ—â—yling and resurrection against the Jewâ— who deny Christ so come and our Bâ—â—thren who though acknowledging Chrâ—â—â— come yet doubt whether as Lord of the Sâ—â—bath he made a change of the day Lâ— us not our selves run into a greater erroâ— of keeping no Sabbath at all FINIS