the Ceremonial part concerned them only and though we read not that it was Observed in those first Ages yet it follows not that it was not when many thousand things then done could not be expressed in so short a History Yea the same seems to be known to the Jews before the Law was given Exod. 16.23 c. To Morrow is the Rest of the Holy Sabbath c. When it was after that God gave it in the Command and if this Rest upon the seventh day be Ceremonious why not the Command of Labour on the six other days also And why doth not this cease to be a Duty as well as the other and then the idlest Persons may be the best Christians We may find this Command reaches even to the stranger that is within the Gates when I think the Ceremonies are not prest upon them Many Reasons also are given in the Command which belong to us as well as to the Jews as from the Equity of it God who is the Disposer of all gives us Six days and reserves one to himself which he calls his own The Sabbath of the Lord thy God And Christ tells us The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath and from his own Example he Rested and therefore Commands us to Rest the End was to Worship God in it and to Dedicate it to his Service for the Resting of Man and Beast upon it and distinguishing his People from others c. and doth not this concern us as well as the Jews God requires no less proportion of Service now than he did then and therefore no less time to do it in Our Bodies require as much Rest as theirs and our Souls as much Food and why should not we have the like time And this being the Substance of the Fourth Command I think neither Man nor Angel can alter it for who can proportion it better than God himself Nay the Circumstances in the delivering of this Law shews to be Moral It was spoken by God's Mouth as well as the other written by the same Finger of God in the same Tables of Stone put into the Ark where the Ceremonies were not it hath a special Memento put upon it Remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy Christ himself owns it when he bids the Jews Pray that their Flight be not in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day Mat. 24.20 which Flight was forty Years after his Death The opposition which wicked Men make against it proves it to be of God also for if the Devil herein prevail we might almost bid farewel to all our Religion 1. Direct Before thou canst make Conscience of Observing the Sabbath thou must be well convinc'd that it is thy Duty To this End I have already proved it to be of Divine Institution and a Branch of the Moral Law binding not only Jews but Christians also But I fore-see one main rub must be removed before the way be cleared that doubt which makes many to stumble Whether the first day of the Week or that which we call the Christian Sabbath be of Divine Institution and whether Christians be obliged to observe it as a Sabbath Much hath been Written by Divines to satisfie this doubt My purpose is not to speak much to it in this place this Treatise being of another Nature yet something is necessary for while this doubt remains who will make use of the following Directions 'T is true we cannot prove in Scripture neither is it said totidem verbis that Christ did Command that the Sabbath should be changed from the last to the first day of the week then there could be no Controversie but we have that which is equivalent to such a Command that it was changed by Divine Authority and very probably by Christ himself the Scripture yields us sufficient Witness Christ is called the Lord of the Sabbath and the Holy Ghost calls it his day Rev. 1.10 which seems to intimate he is the Author of it As the Sacrament is called his Supper because he Instituted it and had it not been altered by him I know not who would have been so bold to have distinguished it from other days by this Name he was every way as Faithful in his House as Moses was yet Moses we know by God's appointment stated a time for God's Worship Heb. 3.2.6 and no doubt a settled time is as necessary for us as for them to Serve God in We find Christ himself owning the day in his own Person as in his Resurrection and finishing the work of our Redemption a greater work than that of Creation and better deserves a special Memorial And the Apostle tells us He entred into his Rest and ceased from his own Work as God did from his Heb. 4.10 aluding to the Creation from which when God Rested he Ordained the Sabbath We may also Read that Christ after his Resurrection appeared divers times to his Disciples upon the first day of the Week when they were met together Read John 2.19 and again verse 26. And doubtless not without Divine Providence pointing out this day to us and after his Ascention when they were met together upon that day he pours out the Holy Ghost upon them Acts 2.12 We Read also that this was the day the Apostles did keep as a Sabbath and also the Churches met together to perform Sabbath days duties to Preach the Word to Administer the Sacraments Prayer Works of Charity c. Acts 20.7 1 Cor. 18.2 Vpon the first day of the Week let every one of you lay by in store as God hath prospered him And as 't is conceived forty Years after Christs Decease Saint John by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost calls it the Lord's day whereupon he received his Revelation Rev. 1.10 Neither do we Read that the Apostles ever kept any other day as a Sabbath 't is true indeed upon the Jews Sabbath they often Preached taking Advantage of the Multitude then gathered together which Advantage at other times they wanted Now if the change were thus made by Christ and his Apostles it was by the directions of the Spirit of God for the Apostles delivered but what they had received from God 1 Cor. 11.23 It was upon this day they met to Preach and break Bread Acts 20.7 1 Cor. 16.1,2 Now were there no Precept the constant Example of the Apostles and Churches in the Apostles time may satisfie us for they were Inspired by the Spirit of God and appointed them both by Doctrine and Example to Teach his Church and to this End gave them Instructions in the time between his Resurrection and Ascention which Instructions are not all Recorded yea the constant practice of the Church in all Ages since the Apostles time give us no little Light for though Christians have been at great difference among themselves about other matters yet few questioned the change of the day both Greeks and Latines both Papists and Protestants both Lutherans and Calvenists hold to this and
have found a Comfortable return and that which could not otherwise be obtained hath been gotten by Prayer and Fasting But our Pharisaical or Papistical Fastings our loose careless mock-fasts never did nor never will prevail with God for any Mercy or the removal of any Judgment 7. Direct In the last place look to thy Carriage after the Duty that thou demean thy self well for thy work is not done when the Exercise is ended Take heed of resting in the Duty or trusting to the work done this is Popish this will make thee lose all thy Labour 'T is not the hanging down the Head as God saith like a Bulrush for a day will serve thy turn This as other Duties are to be used as Boats or Bridges to help thee over to Christ Men do not make Boats or Bridges for their own sakes or to look upon but to make use of for the End they are suited to make not Prayer the end of Prayer or Fasting the end of Fasting Use them not for their own sakes but for Christ's sake to get nearer to him by them play not with the Stile or Ladder but Climb up Climb over by them Take heed of Priding in the Duty this is very inconsistent with it if it be performed with enlargement beware lest the Devil Fly-blow it Pride is a Worm which breeds in the best Fruits of the Spirit yea in â—…e Ruine of other Sins even in Humility it self Men may be proud of their Humility the Devil like the Spider can suck Poyson out of the choicest Flowers If thy Duties be thus fly-blown they will not down with God they stink in his Nostrils whatever conceit thou maist have of them Examine also at the close of the Duty how thy Heart hath demeaned it self in the Duty if bad thou hast cause to be humbled and make thy Heart smart for it ' most Men if they Examine any thing 't is the External part of the Duty and are troubled more at a mis-expression in the Duty than at the straying wandring of the thoughts or the deadness of the Heart But a Christians work lies most within he looks as God doth most upon the Heart though the other be not to be disregarded If thy Heart hath carried it self well there is cause of thankfulness none of Pride for who made thee to differ And what hast thou that thou hast not received View but thy failings and this may make thee vail thy Peacocks Plumes Hast got any strength by the Duty hold it fast and let it not go art got any thing nearer to God keep thy station and go not back lose not the ground thou hast gained by thy Duty If thy Heart be heated take heed of letting it cool again the wind of the World will quickly do it though the Exercise be over let not thy Spiritual Fervour and Heat be over Elijah walked in the strength of a meals meat forty days a Christian should exceed him in such extraordinary meals What good will it do a Man to work hard all day and have his work at Night as he found it in the Morning and to travel hard and at Night be where he set out Maintain the ground thou hast gotten in the Fight Hast thou put up Petitions to the Throne of Grace mark how they speed that thou maist behave thy self accordingly Most Men lose their Prayers as Boys do their Arrows they mark not where they light many know not whether God Answers them or no nor scarce what they have asked But those that are burthened with the Sins they confess and feel the want of the Mercies they desire take better heed An Hungry or a Thirsty Man that begs for Meat or Drink can easily perceive and tell you whether they had a Grant or a Denial Another that begs out of wantonness not wants heeds it not A Man that desires to have his Sores Cured he observes how the Plaister suits with it when a Beggar that gains by his Sores matters it not though they never are healed If God seem to deny thy Request 't is time to Examine what is the matter see whether it be Lawful or Convenient and if so follow thy Suit give God no rest he will first or last grant thy desire Sometimes he deferrs to make his People Cry the louder if it be a necessary thing take no denyal thy importunity will not Offend God as we see in the Parable of the Importunate Widdow Many Christians are short-winded they can Pray but a turn or two and then are out of breath like the Bethulians soon ready to faint If thou pray against Sin fight against it also hate it and detest it 'T is a vain thing to Imagine that God will subdue it without our endeavour If thou pray for Mercy work for it also this is the way And enter into Covenant with God to Live more Holily and more humbly and perform thy Covenant better not to Vow than to Vow and not perform Eccl. 5.5 If God grant thy Request return thanks Live thanks as well as speak thanks If he seem to deny wait upon him in the use of means and he will Answer in due time CHAP. XIV Directions for Days of Tanksgiving or Holy Feasting THE next Duty which I shall mention is Holy Feasting which is no part of God's Worship but is helpful to the Duty of Thanksgiving as Fasting is to Humiliation it hath been in use in the times of the Law and is not useless in the times of the Gospel where there is just Cause for such Spiritual Rejoycing God in the Time of the Law appointed several Feasts to be Observed by the Jews upon several Occasions Some Daily as the Morning and Evening Sacrifice some Weekly as the Sabbath in Commemoration of the Work of Creation and to Typifie out our Eternal Rest in Heaven Some Occasionally as the Thanksgiving of Moses Deborah and Barak c. Some Yearly and these either greater or lesser Feasts the greater Feasts were three the Passeover appointed to be kept in Memorial of Israels Deliverance out of Egypt which Typically holds out our Deliverance by Christ who was the true Pascal Lamb slain for the sins of the People of this Feast we may read Exod. 12.1 c. 23.15 Ezek. 42.21 and elsewhere The next was Penticost which was observed fifty days after wherein every Family Offered two Loaves of the first Fruits This is called the Feast of Harvest Exod. 23.16 The third was the Feast of Tabernacles Instituted in Memory that the Children of Israel Lived forty Years in the Wilderness and had no certain Dwelling Houses but Lived in Tents and yet God made Provision for them and hereby they were Taught and we may Learn if we are Strangers and Pilgrims here and have no constant abiding City but expect one in the Spiritual Canaan we may find this Feast mentioned Deut. 16.13 Josh 7.2 Exod. 23.16 where 't is called the Feast of In gathering at the end of the Year