Selected quad for the lemma: rest_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
rest_n	day_n	moses_n	sabbath_n	2,236	5	9.7438	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07208	Hearing and doing the ready way to blessednesse with an appendix containing rules of right hearing Gods word. By Henry Mason, parson of S. Andrews Vnder-shaft London.	Mason, Henry, 1573?-1647.	1635 (1635)	STC 17609; ESTC S102307	184,084	830

spilt as is sowen in that time and if besides occasions of the world do keep us from hearing or hinder us in preparing for it what in this case is bestowed on the world is stollen from God and our owne soules And therefore in the Decalogue where God commanded the Jews to sanctifie the seventh day as a day of rest for Gods service hee telleth them that they had six daies allowed thē to do their own works in but the seventh was a Sabbath of rest in which being freed from the world they should bee at leasure for God For better keeping of which day Moses commanded them that the day before the Sabbath they should (a) Exod. 16.23 bake what they had to bake and seeth what they had to seeth that so they might have no businesse of their own to do when they were to keepe Gods holy day And from hence it was that the Jews called the sixth day of the week (b) Matt. 27 6● Luk. 23.54 the preparation of the Sabbath Some have thought that this was a peculiar title of the day going before the Passeover and sure there is reason to think that it was in an especiall maner used before that day because as that (c) Joh. 19.31 Sabbath day was an high day so this preparation day should be observed with more solennitie and care that it might usher in that great day with the more honour But yet I take it every Sabbath day had his preparation day going before according to that rule of Moses mentioned before And so (d) Parasceve Graeca vox est Latinè dicas praeparationem Eo nomine Judaei vocabant sextam Sabbathi seu sextam Hebdomadae diem eò quòd illo die pararent necessaria omnia ad vivendum die subsequenti ne qua re otium Sabbathi violare cogerentur Brugens in Matt 27.62 Vox Parasceve qua Romani hanc solam feriam sextam compellant communis est omnibus totius anni feriis sextis Parasceve verò praeparatio interpretatur quo nomine Judaei qui inter Graecos conversabantur sextam Sabbathi quae nunc à nobis sexta feria nominatur appellaba●● c. Antiq. Liturg. tom 2. de feria sexta pag. 925. Vide Ca aeū in Cassian Instit lib. 5. cap. 24 pag. 12. learned men generally do affirm Answerably whereunto and as I take it in imitation thereof the Christian Church hath beene accustomed to keepe Saterday half holy day that in the afternoon they might ridd by-businesses out of the way and by the evening service might prepare their mindes for the Lords day then ensuing Which custome and usage of Gods people as I will not presse it upon any mans conscience as a necessary dutie so every man will grant mee that Gods people as well Christian as Jewish have thought a time of preparation most fit for the well observing of Gods holy day And upon this ground I may be bolde to advise every good Christian that before the exercises of the LORDS day he will take care to lay aside worldly occasions and to cleare his minde from the thought of them that so he may have nothing to do with the world while hee is to converse with God nor bee distracted with earthly thoughts when hee is to bee busied about heavenly things In regard whereof I cannot but blame their loosenesse who follow the businesses of their trade in the morning of the Lords day or spend other parts thereof in talking with their servants about the disposing of the next weeks work as if they meant to make the Lords day a preparation day for the week following By which meanes it falleth out not seldome that such people come tardy to Church and heare without attention when they are come and go away without profit when all is done I like not their rigour who allow no word nor thought on a Sabbath day but such as is spirituall nor can I approve their loosenes who take so much libertie for themselves as hindereth any substantiall dutie of Gods service More I say not at this time grant mee but thus much and then ye will not denie but so much preparation is necessary as may make us fit for the duties of Gods service and may make the exercises of an holy day profitable for our soules II. A second preparative duty for right hearing is that wee refresh the body with seasonable moderat comforts that the senses spirits being refreshed the minde may bee made more chearefull in Gods service For our soules work as our bodies are fitted for them and the reason is because the senses of the body are the servants of the soule the spirits are the instrumēts by which it worketh Now if a master-workman doe want servants to assist him he will do but a little work and if hee want tooles or have none but blunt ones he can do no work or none to any pupose And so if the bodily senses bee decaied and the spirits wasted the minde cannot be free or forward in good duties And consequently if we desire that our soules may be fresh lively in hearing or praying or praising God it will be necessary that the body bee kept in vigour by its usuall refreshings And these refreshings are two especially moderat diet and seasonable sleepe In these I require two things 1. that there bee a competent use of them allowed to the body and 2. that this use be moderat and seasonable And this the Apostle meant when hee said Make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 for by these words (a) Cassian Inst Ib. 5 c. 8. pag. 116. saith a good writer non curam ejus omnimodis interdixit sed ut in desideriis fieret denegavit He did not forbid all care but denied the fulfilling of its lusts Voluptuosam ademit diligentiam carnis gubernationem vitae necessariam non exclusit hee tooke away the sensuall care of the flesh but not the right ordering of it according to the course of nature 1. It is necessary that there bee allowed a reasonable use of them that the senses may bee lively and active for their work For wee read of the Egyptian yong man that by long fasting hee was ready to die but when he had eaten some food then saith the Text his spirit came againe to him 1 Sam. 30.12 And so Ionathans eies were enlightened by eating a little honey in his hunger 1 Sam. 14.27 And againe if the people had beene suffered to eate of the spoile of their enemies there had beene a farre greater slaughter among the Philistines ver 30. (b) Efficaciùs semper corde concipitur quicquid sensim absque nimio labor corporis intimatur Cassian Collat. 14 cap. 19. pag. 651. And so in this case sleepe and food are necessary refreshings that wee may bee chearefull in Gods service And the reason is cleare in experience For we see that the famished body is unfit for worke

and the hungrie belly thinketh more of eating drinking then of praying or learning Gods word and the man that is weary with long labour had rather sleepe then meditat or heare It is said of Sisera that hee was fast a sleepe and weary and the meaning is say the Learned (c) Vatabl in Jud. 4.21 pressus sopore prae lassitudine that by reason of his weariness he fell into a dead sleepe The conclusion is some refreshing is necessary for the body that it may be serviceable for the soule And this is the first thing that I say 2. The second is that this refreshing must be seasonable and moderat For as emptines breedeth faintnesse so fulnesse is a burden and both of them disable the soule in her functions For as the Egyptian was not able to tell his tale when hee wanted meat so Nabal was not fit for good counsell when he was filled with wine and good cheare 1. Sam. 25.36 37. And for this cause our LORD giveth us warning Take heede to your selves that your hearts be not overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Luk. 21.34 This sheweth that meat drink if they be immoderat are a burden to the soule Likewise sleepe if it bee seasonable refresheth nature and maketh men fit for their worke but unseasonable sleepe is an hinderance to good imployments which made Solomon to say that if a man love sleepe he will come to poverty Pro. 20.13 6.11 And so it is in the spirituall state of mens soules Those that give themselves to sleepe when they should watch and work in Gods service will doubtlesse come to great poverty in Gods graces And no marvell For if men sleepe when they should come to Church they deprive themselves of some part of Divine service and if they sleepe when they are come they deprive themselves of all the fruit that they should reape by it and consequently they lose the helps meanes which God hath appointed for the enriching of their soules with divine graces The conclusion is Comforts of nature in meat and sleepe are necessary for attentive hearing so they bee moderate and seasonable But in both these refreshings men do oftentimes offend and hee that would have good of these comforts must bee carefull to avoid those errours which be these 1. Men offend in eating and drinking seldome in defect but many times by excesse It was sometimes a fault among the Primitive Christians when men in their zole did take the kingdome of heaven by violence that they fasted so long till they fainted and therefore were reproved by the Ancient Fathers for their austerity and rigour But our times are not greatly guilty of that fault Our sinne is that by too full feeding wee become unfit for holy duties For whoredome and wine and new wine take away the heart as the Prophet speaketh Hos 4.11 And surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of the world do overcharge the heart that it cannot keep watch against the great day as our Saviour saith Luke 21.34 The meaning of which speeches is that by eating and drinking and caring for the world excessively or overmuch the soule of man is pressed downe and laid groveling upon the earth so that it is unfit for any heavenly thoughts And this we find to bee true by dayly experience For if we feed to the full on the Lords day at dinner wee are the worse disposed to heare or pray or serve God any way in the afternoone And therefore if we desire to profit by our hearing we must beware of full feeding especially we must take heed that a full stomacke doe not cause a drowsie head 2. In sleeping men offend both wayes both by defect and excesse 1. By defect and so they offend who on the Saterday night do continue so long at their worke that they are sleepie the next day when they should serve God in good duties For this wee may be well assured of that they who work when they should sleepe will sleep when they ought to work because nature if it be defrauded of its ordinary rest will still bee seeking of a supply of that which is wanting And therefore those that would be cheerefull in holy exercises on the Lords day must give themselves sufficient rest the foregoing day Yea and if I might advise they should allow somewhat more then ordinary at that time because it is harder to forbeare sleepe in the Church where wee sit still without moving then it will bee in our shops or in places abroad where we are stirring and moving about our occasions and intent upon our Trades and businesse 2 Wee offend herein by excesse also So they do who slugge it so long in their beds on the Service-day as that some part of Gods service is past before they are ready to come This fault deserveth reprofe in two respects 1. Because it argueth a great coldnesse in holy duties and a dead spirit to God-ward For what wee do willingly and with a cheerefull minde that wee do speedily and without lingring or delay Wee reade of Shechem Hamors sonne when hee had a grant of Dinah Iacobs daughter to be his wife upon condition that hee and his people would bee circumcised that he deferred not to doe the thing because hee had delight in Iacobs daughter Gen. 34.19 And so if men have a delight in spirituall exercises they will take the first opportunity and not deferre and loyter about the businesse So when Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son the Text saith noting thereby his ready obedience that hee rose early in the morning to go speedily about the work Gen. 22.3 And of Iacob it is said in like sort that to expresse his thankfulnesse for Gods mercies hee rose up early in the morning and set up a pillar c. Gen. 28.18 And so on the contrary of wicked men who pursue their sinfull pleasures with delight it is said that they rise early to go about their work So drunkards are said to rise early in the morning that they may follow strong drink Isa 5.11 And the inhabitants of Ierusalem rose early and corrupted all their doings Zeph. 3.7 Yea and God himselfe to note his hearty desire of mans salvation saith of himselfe I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but yee heard not Ier. 7.13 and verse 25 I have sent unto you all my servants the Prophets dayly rising up early and sending them By all which and other places of the like kind we may see that early rising for the doing of any thing is taken as an argument of hearty affection and love to the same thing And so on the contrary slugging and delaying is an argument of little affection and love And hereby it appeareth that their devotion is cold in Gods service who lie in bed so long that they come late and tardie to the worke 2. This fault of slugging long in bed is