used to express the resting place of Thorns laid up to be burned 2 Sam. 23.7 Now because those dayes which it pleased God to set apart for himself were dayes in which he did require a cessation from labour to that end that they might better attend Religious dutyes these dayes were called Sabbaths and that as well before the giving of the Law upon Sinai Exod. 16.25 26 29. as after in innumerable Texts So as the word is indifferently used to signifie the weekly Sabbath as those other holy dayes which God appointed the Jews twice in Holy Writt we find the word with a little alteration doubled Exod. 16.23.35.2 we translate it a Sabbath of Rest In the Hebrew it is but the doubling of the same word or words or of a word from the same root and of the same significancy A rest of rest signifying it was not to be a bare cessation from labour but an holy religious rest So as the fourth Commandement is no more than Keep holy a day of Rest And because God had instituted but one such day in the revolution of a Week therefore by an usual figure the word doth sometimes signifie a week as Lev. 23.15.25.8 and so in the New Testament But that usage of the word in this case wâ— have nothing as yet to do with 2. A second thing which our Brethreâ— should know and observe is That thosâ— little particles a and the are English particles not found in the Hebrew but put 〈◊〉 by translation to make up the sense according to our way of speaking the Hebreâ— hath no more than Remember to keep holy dâ— of Rest or day of Sabbath and it is indifferent whether according to our Englisâ— way of speaking we put in a or the noâ— can any argument on either side be fetcheâ— from those supplyes to the Text. These things being premised we say That there are three things or four whicâ— the Fourth Commandement requireth oâ— us 1. That we should keep some solemn time 〈◊〉 a time of holy Rest unto the Lord. 2. That it should be one day of seven a seventh part of our time 3. That it should be an intire day 4. That it should be such an intire day of seven as God hath appointed But that this day should be the seventâ— day in order from the Creation we say falleth not at least primarily under the Fourth Commandment I say primarily not secondarily it doth as that was the day which God had appointed to the Jews Now we say 1. That this is not a singularity but divers divine Precepts both of those which were temporary to the Jews and of those which are of perpetual concernment have just such an interpretation allowed even by our Brethren and by all judicious Christians God commanded Deut. 12.5.11 You shall offer all your sacrifices only in the place which the Lord your God shall choose I would ask our brethren whether this Precept did not oblige them to offer their Sacrifices in the Tabernacle while that lasted and in the Temple afterwards when God had chosen that and in Ezra's Temple when that was builded You shall remember saith God to keep holy a Sabbath day one day in seven for an holy rest such a one as God shall choose for a Sabbath why must this be the seventh from the Creation only and not that only till God should choose another which done the Commandment as much obligeth to that We say in the second Commandment God requires of us observance of the Acts of Instituted Worship which with the Jews quite differed from ours Yet the command obliged both them to sacrifice anâ— us to preach hear receive the Lords Supperâ— How so The Commandment only requireâ— of us in the generall to worship God according to his will The fifth Commandment requires us to Honour the King wheâ— it was given the Jews were bound to honour Moses their chief Magistrate at thaâ— time and many years after they were bound to honour Ahaz Hezekiah and all in forceâ— of the same Precept God requires by thâ— Fourth Commandment that his People in all Ages should keep holy to him a Sabbath day He expounds himself thus One day in seven in which we shall not labour hâ— any bodily labour and such a day as 〈◊〉 should appoint You will say then how did the Jews know or how shall we know what to keep We answer the Jewâ— knew by a Law given them of the same Age with that for Sacrifices many hundreds of years before the Law given at Sinai and by a temporary Law often repeated and quite of another kind from the Fourth Commandment which day must hold still if we can neither find it expired nor repealed nor another substituted in the room of it buâ— if we can find any such sacred Record The Fourth Commandment is not destroyed but established That required a Sabbath a day one of seven such day as God had or should appoint We plead only for a new appointment of the particular day to the New Earth the New World which God made by the sending of his Son into the world in the mean while the Fourth Commandement doth neither require this nor that day otherwise than as that day was at that time by another Law by God set apart Let us hear what our Brethren object 1. Some of them have observed an emphatical note in the Hebrew as much as that Sabbath Remember to keep holy the day of that Sabbath Answ We yield it that the affix Î is indeed sometimes emphatical but hundreds of places are to be shewed where it is not so as no argument of force can be drawn from it 2. But we may grant it so it is not that day but the day of that Sabbath if the note of Emphasis had been to the word signifying day it had been far more to our Brethrens purpose But what is it to our Brethrens purpose that it is the day of that rest or that Sabbath We will grant them that it is no ordinary rest but a special emphatical rest a spiritual holy religious rest which God requireth not a meer cessation from labour but a rest of rests as God sometimes calls it an holy rest in which we musâ— not think our own thoughts 2. But say our Brethren you grant thâ— God requires by the Fourth Commandement 〈◊〉 seventh day how can it be a seventh if it 〈◊〉 a first day can the first be the seventh Answ All this runs upon the formeâ— mistake that the fourth Commandemeâ—â— requireth the seventh in order from the Creation which we have denyed it require no more than such seventh Day as God haâ— or should appoint Suppose seven pieces oâ— Silver on a Table before us either the one or other of the outermost pieces may be the seventh accordingly as we begin to count We must suppose the seven dayes of the Week so to lye before the great Lord oâ— our time surely that is the seventh whicâ— God will appoint and make
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
to Hierusalem and find the eleven and others gathered together We in a time of persecution oft go as far to hear a sermon and yet do not break the sabbath 2. But they say the text saith Christs second appearing was after eight dayes Joh. 20.26 But so it is said that after three dayes the Son of Man must rise again Mar. 8.31 Yet we know he rose on the third day The Grecians had that liberty in their laâ—guage of expressing themselves as to expresâ— a thing as done when once began Afteâ— eight dayes is no more than after the eight day was begun as after three dayes was nâ— more than after the third day was began Our Saviour being now ascended intâ— Heaven we find the disciples returninâ— from mount Olivet to Hierusalem Act. 1 â—â— and read little of them but of their continuing in prayers and supplication and choosing an Apostle till the day of Pentecost What was done in the day of Pentecost we find Act. 2. Then the Holy Ghost descended and before that we read of thaâ— descending of the Holy Ghost the Evangelists observed They were all with one 〈◊〉 in one place A phrase fully expressing 〈◊〉 Christian Church-meeting I am not Ignorant what a stir Mr. Tilham keeps 〈◊〉 prove this was upon the Jewish sabbath We say with I think better evidence it was upon the Lords day 1. It was Gods express law that the Jews should rest on the seventh day both 〈◊〉 earing and in harvest Exod. 34.21 22. 2. The law for the feast of Pentecost yoâ— shall find Levit. 23.10 11 12 15 16. â—hen you be come into the land which I shall â—â—e you and shall reap the harvest thereof then 〈◊〉 shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of â—â—r harvest unto the Priest and he shall wave 〈◊〉 together with the offering of a lamb withâ—â— blemish on the morrow after the sabbath 〈◊〉 shall wave it And you shall count unto 〈◊〉 from the morrow after the sabbath from 〈◊〉 day you brought the sheafe seven sabbaths â—ill be compleat even until the morrow after â—he seventh sabbath you shall number 50 dayes Deut. 16.9 Seven weeks shalt thou number â—nto thee begin to number the seven weeks him such time as thou beginnest to put sickle â—â—to thy corn I must first take notice of a base cheat Mr. Tilham puts upon his reader Tilham 7 day sabbath p. 82. â—â—lling them that Moses from God appointed Israel to bring on the â—â—orrow after their passover sabbath â—sheaf of their first fruits c. Good reader look into all the texts that mention it and see if God sayes a word of their Passover Sabbath but v. 11. The morrow after the sabbath Which was undoubtedly the weekly sabbath Besides their passover sabbath was tied to a day It is not to be imagined their corn should alwayes be riâ— just that day to wit the 14 day of â— first moneth Now they were not to couâ— till they had put their sickle into their corâ— Deut. 16.9 1. I observe first it was impossible thâ— Pentecost should ever fall upon the Jewish sabath for on the sabbath day they were â— God 's law to rest Exod. 34.21 22. even earing and harvest So the soonest they couâ— begin to put their sickle into their coâ— must be the first day of the week 2. They were then to expect till thâ— next sabbath and from the morrow afteâ— to count which makes it necessary thâ—â— the feast of Pentecost should alwayes fall 〈◊〉 the first day of the week 3. Here was a Church-meeting of Christians met in one place on the first day of the weeâ— 4. Christ who when on the Earth 〈◊〉 we heard did honour those meetings wiâ—â— his own company here he sends the comforter gives them on this day the promise of thâ— Father It is true Mr. Ainsworth and some other think the passover sabbath was meant bâ— let any one consider with reason how it wâ—â— possible unless the corn in Palestina was alwayes ripe before the fifteenth day of the month Abib so as they had reaped some of it for till that there was no beginning to count for Pentecost but Mr. Ainsworth is far from fathering this as Mr. Tilham doth on Moses it was only a notion taken up by that holy man from some Rabbins But enough of this whoso will read this argument from our Saviours Apparitions and the descending of the Holy Ghost improved to the height may have it admirably done by Mr. Warren late Minister of the Gospel in Colchester in his excellent Book called The Jewish Sabbath antiquated and the Lords day instituted from p. 169 to 187. where so much is indeed said upon this whole Subject as I think very little is to be added to it But there is yet behind one Text more insisted on almost by all Divines in this case it is that Rev. 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords day and heard behind me a great voice as of a Trumpet saying c. V. 11. and I turned to see the voice that spake with me and being turned I saw seven golden Candlesticks and in the midst of the seven Candlesticks one like unto the Son of man c. who is described further v. 13 14 15 16. where he is said to have the Stars in hiâ— right hand and out of his mouth went forâ— a two-edged sword Christ himself opens the Vision v. 20. The seven starrs are the Angels of the seven Churches and the seven Candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven Churches St. John at this time was by the Roman Emperour banished into the Isle of Pathmos for the Gospel sake Here he seeth a Vision Two things as to the present Controversie are considerable in it 1. What he saw 2. When he saw it 1. What he saw He saw the Lord Jesus Christ in the middest of his Gospel Churches walking before him in the purity of Gospel Administrations and reaching forth godly Ministers to them and furnishing them with his Word which is as a sharp two-edged sword This plainly was the Vision interpreted by the Lord himself Revel 1.20 2. When saw he this On the Lords day he was in the Spirit on the Lords day then he heard this voice then he saw this Vision 3. I am aware that this Text hath so disturbed the leaders in this Controversie opposite to us that they have exercised their wits to find out a Lords day not the first day of the week Mr. Brabourn Mr. Tilham and one of more learning and worth than both of them think it might be the day of Judgement which indeed is called the day of the Lord Phil. 1.16 but never the Lords day Again the Apostle speaks of a known day and of a day in being then but neither of these is true of the day of Judgement not yet come nor to be known when it shall come Matth. 24.36 Of that day and hour knoweth no man Others think it might be the day of
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