seuenth day Yet the Apostle calls it a shaddow onlie in respect of the particular day of the promise of Christ which day is a bolished giues place to the first day in which the promise was fullie performed and Christ became a perfect Redeemer actuallie in his resurrection The Anti-Sabbatarians haue onely two objections which haue some shew and coulour of reason at the first hearing The first is that if it had beene the minde and will of Christ that the weekly Sabbath should be continued and remoued to the Lords day vnder the Gospell then would he either by himselfe or by his Apostles haue giuen some expresse commandement to that purpose which they say he did not To this I answere First that our Saviour spake fully to this point when he said that he came not to destroy but to fulfill the law It remaines therefore on their part to shew that the Commandement of the Sabbath is no part of the morall law or else they do but beate the aire and labour in vaine Secondlie the Apostles themselves kept their holy assembles ordained in all Churches of the beleeving Gentiles that publick assemblies should be kept and exercises of the holy Sabbath perfomed ordinarily on the first day of the weeke as I haue before proved from Act 20. 1 Cor. 16.1 2. And whatsoever they ordained was the commaâ—dement of che Lord 1 Cor. 14. vers 27. Thirdlie while the first temple was yet standing in the daies of the Apostles and Moses was not yet buried and quite taken out of the way Jt was not convenient that the Apostles should chaunge the day of the Sabbath among the beleeving Iewes Yea they themselves in Iudea and all places among the Iewes kept the seventh daie among the Gentiles the Lords daie We never read that the Lords day was called a Sabbath in the Primitiue times next after the Apostles nor since by any but onely by Iewish Sabbatarians Howsoever these adversaries put on a bold impudent face to colour and countenance this objection Yet herein publish a manifest untruth For Ignaâ—ius immediatly after the Apostles saith That the Christians must keep their holy sabbath not after the manÌ„er of the profane Iews of those times with excessiue feasting dauncing and such carnall sports and pleasures nor on their seventh day But on the Lords day the day of Christs resurrection which he calls the Queene and supeeme Lady of daies as I haue formerlie shewed Saint Hilary saith Nos in prima die perfecti Sabbathi festiuitate latae mur. i.e. We Christians rejoyce in the festiuity of our perfect Sabbath on the first day of the weeke St. Augustine in the 25. sermon de tempore Hauing rehearsed diuers notable blessings and preroâ—atiues which God of old honoured the first day of the weeke the Lords day doth there affirme that upon those grounds the holy Doctors of the Câ—urch to weet the Apostles Who were taught by Christ and inspired by the holy Ghost in all things which they decreed and ordained haue by their decree remoued or rather transferred all the glory of the Iewish sabbathisme vnto the Lords day And immediatly he adds this exhortation Let us Christians therefore obserue the Lord day and let us sanctifie it so as of old the Law giver commanded the fathers concerning the Sabbath saying From evening to evening shall ye celebrate the Sabbath And further he saith that if wee from the evening of the Iewes sabbath the satturday to the evening of the Lords day sequester our selves from all Rurall workes and all seculiar busines and devote our selves onely to Gods worship then we rightly sanctifie the Lords sabbath according â—he wordes of the law Yee shall not doe any worke in it Also Psalm 32. He affirmes that keeping of the Sabbath is one of the things which belong to the loue of God and thus he exhorts every true Christian. Observa diem sabbati non Carnaliter non Judaicis delicijs c. that is observe the day of the sabbath not carnally with Iudiciall delicacies for they abuse their rest and rest to naughtinesse for indeede it is better that men should digge all the day then daunce as they doe But doe thou meditate on the rest in God and doing all things for obtaining that rest abstaine from servile worke And in his 3. Tract at vpon Iohn He saith We are more strictly commanded to keepe the Sabbath then the Iewes For we are injoyned to keepe it spiritually Jewes keepe it carnally in luxury and drunkennes and it were far better that their women should be busied in working all the day in woll then dance The true Christian keepes the Sabbath spiritually by refraining from servile worke These and diuers other testimonies of the Auncients shew â—ufficiently the falshode and vanity of this Objection And that in the judgment of the most godly and learned fathers the law of God bindeth us to keepe the Sabbath holy on the Lords day weekly It is true that some part of the seveÌ„th day was by reason of great multitudes of Iewes abounding in all countries soe frequent and soe commonly known called by the name of the Sabbath that name was so proper to the Saturday in those times that if any had called the Lords day by that name his wordes would bee understood by the hearers of the Iewes Sabbath except â—e had expounded his meaning as those fathers before named do in their speeches bâ—fâ—re mentioned And againe the Iewes were soe superstitious in observing their Sabbath â—o contrarie to the Christian sanctifying of the Lords day even with feasting dauncing and profane pomp that the name of Sabbath through their abuse of it grew distastfull to godly Christians even as in our time the old name Catholike by reason of the Antichristian Papists falsly vsurping and approbriaâ—ing it to their Apostaticall Church and false religion is growne to haue an ill sound in the eares of reformed Christians And therefore tâ—e Auncients were very sparing in calling the name of the Sabbath and seldome did they call the holy weeklie rest of Christians by that name except onlie in case when they opposed it to the Jewish sabbath and preferred it farre before their carnall observation But wheras in this Objection the aspersion and reproachfull name of Iewish Sabbatarians is laid on all them who call the Lords day the Cbristian Sabbath and urge the sanctification of it by the law of God This is a point of such notable impudency and intemperancie that it deserues the scourge whip of Ecclesiasticall censure punishment to chastise and correct rather then any arguments of reason or divinity to convince such Raylors For in the Homilies which are comprehended and commanded in the Articles of our Religion by law established the Lords day is frequently stiled by the name of Sabbath even no lesse then eight times in one Homily which treateth of the time place of praier And both there and in the
are to be found all the meane and essentiall grounds and reasons both of the Sabbath and alsoe â—f the particular day wherein hee requires that it should be obserued If he had not undertaken mans redemption from death and hell and mans exaltation to eternall rest and glory there had beene neither any place for mans keeping of a Sabbath nor anie use of it to fit him for heaven or to be a pledg of eternall rest in heaven Jf God had not on the seventh day promised Christ the blessed seed to redeeme man from death to purchase life for him and to continue to him the benefit of the creatures and to perfect his creation Surely it had not been the most blessed day of the weeke neither would God haue instituted it to be a weekly Sabbath at the first and soe to continue untill the comming of Christ. And if God had not raised up Christ on the first day of the weeke and so exhibited him aperfect redeemer and fully performed his promise Then the first day had not beene made a more blessed day then the seventh and all other daies of the weeke And the Lord Christ would never haue made that day of the weeke his Sabbath alwaies after neither would his holy Apostles by inspiration of his spirit being moued to call it the Lords day and to obserue it and teach others to obserue it for their day of holy assemblies for the performing of all holy Sabbath duties And thus we see Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath and so determines the particular day of the weeke not by his bare will word but by bringing in such blessings on the seveÌ„th or first day of the week as made the one of them most worthy under the new testament to bee the holy Sabbath to be kept and obserued of all Gods people vnto the observation whereof they are justly lead by the light both of grace and nature And it is not either in the power of man or any other creature or in the just will of God or agreeable to the will of the Lord Christ and the wisedome of his spirit to appoint any other day for the weekly Sabbath but onely the day of the Lord Christ that is the day of him promised in the old and the day of him fully exhibited in the new Testament The first of which and no other the fathers were bound to keepe for their holy rest of old And the later and no other is our weekly Sabbath and the due obseruation of that particular is the first speciall Sabbath duty of all Christians under the time of the Gospell untill the last resurrection The second sort of speciall duties vnto which all true Christians are bound unto in their obseruation of the Lords day which is the christian Sabbath are the duties of rest cessation from all worldly affaires which now follow to be handled in the nâ—xâ— place Concerning which J finde much diuersity both of opinion and practise not only betweene true Christians of the reformed Churches and Antichristian Papists other hereticks but also in the reformed Churches among themselves First for the Church of Rome and all that are of her faction devoted to her superstition and Idolatry and marked with the marke of the beast which beares up the Romish Babylon though diuers of their learned Scoole-men haue heretofore maintained a very strict obseruation of rest on the Lords day Yet now in later times both in Doctrine practise they are growne uery desolate especially the Romish Catholicks which liue among us turning the Lords day into a day of liberty and spending a great part of it in sports plaies revelling other bodily exercises which are carnall fleshly prophane and impious As if so be their irreligious prophanenesse were at strife with their Idolatrous religion and at great emulation contending which should out go ouer runne the other in carrying them with greater speede to hell Yea to shew and make it manifest to the world that the Romish man of sinne is that great Antichrist which exalts himselfe aboue al that is called God euen aboue the true God the Lord Iesus Christ whose vicar he in hipocrisie makes himself The Church of Rome doth teach and urge her Uassals to keâ—p yearelie holie daies most strictly which are of her owne devising which the pope hath commanded to be observed in honour of his Cananized Saints in the mean time opposeth with many great profanations the Lords day which the Lord hath consecrated by his resurrection Which day being blessed by God with the greatest blessing aboue all other daies of the weeke is by the law vvhich God gaue from the beginning commanded to bee kept for the Lords holy Sabbath vveeklie Secondly there are of the hereticall faction of the Anabaptists Antimonians families other such prophane Sectaries which make little soâ— any lavv of God or man saving onlie the dictate of their faniticall â—pirit And left the commandemeÌ„t of the vveekly Sab least they should seeme to be subject to Gods lavv and to be be his servants vvhich they account slauerie and not absolute Libertines and sonnes of Beliall vvhich haue cast of the Lords yoke These esteem and obserue no daie at all but according to their own fancie make the Lords day so far as they dare for feare of men a market day of buying and selling waâ—es a daie of labour and of bearing and carrying our burdens as they well know who haue beene at Amsterdam where such heretickes and sectaries are tolerated Thirdlie among Christians of the reformed Churches there is a difference both in Doctrine and practise Some of the reformed Churches who out of their extreme hatred to Popish superstition and to all Popish rites and Ceremonies being unwilling to retaine any thing which was used in poperie except there bee some expresse Commandement or example for it in the Scriptures especiallie of the new Testament and labouring to overthrow the whole Hierachie and gouernment of the Church by Bishops all bodily rites they do in the heat of their zeale so violently set themselues against Popish superstious holie dayes that they goe about to take away all observations of daies and they haue proceeded so farre as to deny that any either weekely Sabbath or yearelie set feast ought to be kept holy by any speciall law or commandement of God They teach that the Sabbath as it was commanded to be kept of old was a mere ceremoniall shaddow of things which are accomplished in Christ and that is now a bolished But because it is a thing necessary for the hauing of holy assemblies and for good order in the Churches that there should be a set day either a seseventh or sixth day of eight dayes And because the law of nature requires that Christian people should haue some daies of rest from hard labour for the refreshing of themselves and their seruants and cattell therefore the Church of God mâ—y appoint any day of
inheritance of the Saints in light as the Scriptures testifie 1 Cor. 15.20 Coloss. 1.12 Vpon these premises before proved at large and here againe pressed home to the purpose The conclusion followeth necessarily That it was the purpose intent and will of God to make the first day of the weeke the Lords day and the Christian Sabbath and in the first institution of the Sabbath and by his first law of the Sabbath which in the maine substance of it is perpetuall to binde all his people in the time of his glorious Gospell to observe that day onely for their holy weekly Sabbath vntill they come to that wherof the Sabbath is a liuely pledge even the eternall rest of glory in Heaven Thirdly whatsoever tends most to the perfect fullfilling of any speciall law and commandement of God given to men and is manifestlie made known to man to be most agreeable to Gods will revealed in that law and to the endes and uses which God openly pretendeth therein that man is chiefly bound to do by that law and commandement This is a most certaine and undoubted truth For Gods generall commandement is that we loue him with all our heart and worship and serve him with all our soule and all our strength Deut. 6 5. Mat. 22.37 Now the will of God revealed in this first institution and sanctifying of the sabbath and in the fourth Commandement of the law is often repeated urged by Moses the Prophets is more perfectly fulfilled in the right sanctification of the Lords day vnder the Gospell then it was in the observatioÌ„ of the seveÌ„th the sabbath of the old Testament whatsoever necessary duty God in the law of the sabbath requireth of maÌ„ from the beginning Or whatsoever end and use he openly pretendeth his law of the keeping of the holy sabbath that is more fully obtained effected and brought to passe by an holy sanctification of the Lords day and by keeping it an holy Sabbath to the Lord now vnder the Gospell Therefore by the law of the sabbath given at the first and by the fourth commandement it is repeated and explaned Christians are bound to to keepe the Lords day which is the first of the weeke for their weekly Sâ—bbath If any man doth make doubt of the assumption in this Syllogisme It is easily proved by a particular enumeration both of the particular substanciall and necessary duties which Gods word requires in the Sabbath and also of the ends and uses for which God requires an holy sabbath to be kept every seventh day The First maine dutie from which the seventh day requirs the name of Sabbath is rest and cessation from all worldly labours pleasures and delight wherein man is to withdraw his mind from worldly cares and secular affaires which concern this fraile earthly life and is to giue rest and refreshing to his owne body and to the bodies of his children servants straungers and toyling cattell as appeares Exod. 20.10 Isa 58.13 And the proper end and use of this rest is First to admonish man that he must not place nor seeke felicity in this world nor since his fall and breaking of the Covenant of workes by his disobedience hope for any happinesse or felicity either here or else where to be purchased by his owne workes of righteousnesse which he either is or was able in the first creation to performe in his owne person Secondly to shew that Gods just wrath appeased by Câ—rist and the sting of death and the curse and bitternesse of mans sorrowes and toilsome laboures which God imposed on him for his transgression is taken away and God will not haue his people to torment their bodies which continuall toile and painfull labour but to ease and refresh themselves with a weekly rest Thirdly to make men take notice that God hath a provident and fatherly care of his creatures both men and beasts hates all mercilesse cruelty oppression of their very bodies and will haue them so refreshed eased that they may last the longer and goe cheerfully through their weeklie labours Fourthly to shew that in Christ vpon whom the Sabbath is founded there is spirituall rest and ease and refreshing of the soul from the heavie burden of sinne and the miserâ—es of sinne to be found of all them who being heavy laden do flee to him and in him place their hope and confidence Fifâ—ly to put in mind of Gods resting in Christs mediation from the worke of creation and that he hath wholy given over all purposes and thoughts of repairing the world and restoring man fallen and corrupted by any worke of creation and hath set his mind on another kind of worke even the work of redemption by Christ and the new creation of heavenly spirituall and supernaturall graces and perfections in men by his holy spirit Sixthly to be a signe and memoriall of Christ his full perfecting of the worke of mans redemption and of his perfect satisfaction made to the justice of God for fraile sinfull men Lastly to be a token and pledge of the eternall rest in heaven and of the Sabbathisme which after the labours and troubles of this life the elect and faithfull people of God shall enjoy for ever in the world to come Now there is no day in all the weeke in which this first maine dutie of the Sabbath can be well be performed for the ends and uses as on the Lords day which is the Christian Sabbath The seventh day never yeelded halfe so much light helps to Gods people in the old Testament for these purposes as the Lords day doth to us vnder the Gospell For the Lords day in which Christ arose from death and entered into his glorie and perfected the worke of Redemption It discovers Christ the maine foundation of all rest even of the Sabbath it selfe more plainly unto us and in it being bewtified and adorned with so manie blessings and prerogatives which Gods word gives to it wee may as in a cleare glasse see and behold Christ with open face we see in his resurrection Gods justice fully satisfied his wrath appeased redemption fully perfected Gods resting in Christ mediation eternall rest purchased by Christ for us and gained to himselfe heaven opened unto us sin death and hell already ouercome and conquered And therfore there is no day by many degrees soe fit as this day of Christs resurrection to make us rest comfortably in our bodies and minds from worldly cares and bodilie lâ—boures and in our soules and consciences from the burden of sinne and the guilt thereof No daie or time can so plainly shew vnto us that our fellicity is not in this world nor to be obtained and purchased by the righteousnesse of our owne workes This sets before us Christ raised for our justification This shews Gods aboundant mercy and compassion â—o us and that hee hates all cruelties and oppressions And this is a speciall meanes to bring us to the assurance
in the creatione neither is the law of it written in mans heart in the the creation it was the fall of man and his corruption which caused his to stand in need of a weekly rest and of holy Sabbath exercises to worke good in him and to bring him neerer to God And being made for mans use he may in case of necessity dispence with outward obseruations of the Sabbath the same must giue place to works of necessity which cannot be omitted either without losse of life or some certaine losse or mischiefe The third clause Therefore is the sonne of man Lord also of the sabbath doth giue us to understand that the use of the Sabbath was founded on Christ promised to be Lord of the sabbath and was in under him made man and necessary for the profit of man corrupted not for man in innocency Therfore Câ—rist the son of man is Lord of the Sabbath that is he hath thâ— true proper right and propriety in it for to make it serve for his use being the Lord possessor of it and he hath authority and power ouer it so that it is at his command either to be or not to be in vse either the seventh day or upon some other day of the weeke Now we never read that Christ exercised any Lordship ouer the Sabbath as hee is the son of man either to command it or to chaunge it but only in thesâ— two respects First that he brought it first into the world by undertaking to be the seed of the woman the sonne of man so it was setled on the seventh day in which he was promised during the time of the old Testament while he was a redeemer prâ—mised Secondly that he by his resurrection in which he perfected redemption did consecrate the first day and made it the most honourable day fit to be the Sabbath of the new Testament and also gaue commandement to his Apostles so to ordaine in all Churches Besides this Lordship and power of Christ as sonne of man ouer the Sabbath we cannot conceiue or imagine any other Therefore undoubtedly he hath chaunged it to the first day of the weeke and as Lord of it hath given commandement for this chaunge and alteration The sixth Arg. is drawne from Gods sanctifying of the Lords daie by his sonne Christ more fully and excellently then he did the seventh day in the first institution of the Sabbath For seeing the making of the seventh day to be the Holie Sabbath is the sanctifying of it as the words of my text shew and also the words of the law Exod. 20.13 It must needes hereupon be granted that what day God by his Son Christ hath in all respects more fullie and excellentlie sanctified then the seventh day was sanctified when God made it the Sabbath That daie God by Christ hath made his Holie Sabbath and so it is worthie to bee esteemed and soe is to be observed in the new Testament But now it is most certaine and manifest That the Lord God by his son Christ hath in all respects more fullie and excellentlie sanctified the first daie of the weeke in which Christ arose from death as appeares by diuers things which I haue formerlie touched First he in that daie more abundantlie revealed his holines to the world in that he declared Christ our Redeemer and the head of the whole bodie the Church To be the Sonne of God with power according to the spirit of Holinesse by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.3 Secondlie he then opened as it were the flood-gates of Heaven that Holinesse might be more abundantly with his spirit powred out upon all flesh when Christ was raised up and exalted by Gods right hand that he might shed his spirit on all sorts of people of all nations as wee read Act. 2.33 Yea in that in the feast of Pentecost which was the first day of the weeke and the 49. day after Christs resurrection the Holie Ghost was sent downe vpon the Apostles to sanctifie them and to lead them into all truth and to giue them the guifts of tongues to preach the Gospell unto all nations which they presently did and the same day converted 3000. soules herein he both shewed his Holinesse more abundantly then before Thirdly It is piously held by manie Divines that among other things which after his resurrection Christ spake to his Disciples concerning the Kingdome of God that is the Church under the Gospell this was one namely of the keeping of the Holy Sabbath and holie assemblies or gathering of the saints togither vpon the first day of the weeke For immediatly after the Apostles observed that day and all churches in all ages since haue followed their example Therefore it is God who by his Sonne Christ hath made this first day that is the Lords day the weekly Sabbath of Christians J might here adde for further proofe of this truth an observation of diuers godly and learned writers to weet that our Saviour sanctified the first day of the weeke more then any other day by his promise and example in that he did most commonly appeare to the Disciples after his resurrection and came amongst them when they were assembled together on that day and taught and instructed them and breathed on them so we reade Luk. 24.13.36 Ioh. 20.19.26 Seventhly That which the Apostle taught by word and writing and ordained in all Churches of Christian Gentiles and confirmed by their constant practise is undoubtedly a Commandement which they received from the Lord Christ so it appeares Act. 15.28 where they professe that what they prescribed to the ChirstiaÌ„ Churches was the dictate and sentence first of the holy Ghost and then of them joyntlie And our Saviour tells us that the Holie Ghost leads men into all trueth by speaking his word onely to them and calling it to their remembrance Ioh. 16.13.14 therefore it was Christ his word and ordinance St. Paul also professeth that he deliuered unto them such traditions as be received from the Lord 1 Cor. 11.23 And againe he saith 1 Cor. 14.37 Jf any man thinke himselfe to be a Prophet or spirituall let him know that the things which J write unto you are the Commandements of the Lord. Now it is manifest in the Gospel and in the writings of the new Testament that it was a constant practise of the Apostles to keep their assemblies with one accord on the first day of the weeke so we read Ioh. 20.19.29 Act. 2.1.2 and in those their assemblies the Lord Christ presented himselfe to them bodily and by the visible appearance and powerfull operation of his spirit Also Act. 20.8 St Paul on that day kept an holie assembly at Troas and there he preached and administered the sacrament of the Lords supper and performed Holie exercises of the Christian Sabbath And the same Apostle gaue a precept and commandement to the Corinthians even the same which he there saith hee had ordained in the
Churches of Galatia 1 Cor. 16.1.2 to weet that they should observe the first day of the week and in their Holy assemblies on that day offer up pleasing Sabbath sacrifices that is do good distribute to the necessities of the saints with which sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 Therefore vndoubtedly it is the ordinance and commandement of Christ which the Apostle receiued from him That the first day of the weeke should be the Holy Sabbath and the day of weekly Holy assemblies to all Christians The 8. argument is drawn from the blessing of stability wherwith God hath blessed the Sabbath of the first day the joy and comfort great benefit which most godly religious christians finde in it and the tediousnes of it to carnall people the loathsomnesse of it to all such as are opposites to Christ and from his grace This is most true which graue and learned Gamaliell gaue in the counsell of the high priests and elders of the Iewes That which is of men and not an ordinance of God if it concerne religion it will come to nought it cannot continue in force nor prosper any long time Act. 5.38 And surely if the Christian Sabbath keeping holy of the first day of the weeke were an invention of men and not the ordinance of the the Lord Christ it could not prevaile and stand in force in all Christian Churches and in all ages by an uniforme consent without interruption The most godly zealous and religious Christians would find no solid joy and comfort in it nor any blessing from God in their religious obseruation of it And the world of carnall men who hate Christ his ordinances would not be so opposite to it as to hate and loath it For the world loveth her own But all carnall worldlings and profane persons do so hate it as they hate Christ and it is loathsome and tedious to them notwithstanding many and great oppositions of profane persons Yet we see it stands firme in all ages since the Apostles and in all Christian Churches None but Heretiques haue rejected it all godly Christians finde solid joy abudance of blessings in the strictest observation of it Therefore it is most certainly no humane invention but Christs ordinance It is he who hath made the first day of the weeke his owne Holy day and our weekly Sabbath The Ninth Arg. is drawn from the manifestatioÌ„ of Gods wrath against the open profaners of the Lords day and from the great fearefull judgments which God hath in former ages doth still execute on the dispicers polluters of the christiaÌ„ Sabbath It is certain that the Lord doth not cut of or consum meÌ„ in wrath but for some notable scandalous sinnes transgressions against some expresse law commandement hee makes no men examples of vengance by sudden and fearfull dâ—struction and notable plagues but for some notable sinne all notable sinnes are transgressions of Gods law comitted against his revealed will word Now as the Histories of all ages do afford many examples of fearefull judgments suddenly executed inflicted on wilfull profaners of the Lords day in former times So I could rehearse and relate aboue 30. examples of Gods vengance which he hath shewed openly in this land within the space of two yeares upon such as haue shewed open contempt of this Christian sabbath some of whith hee hath sticken with sudden death by his mediate hand others he hath devoured with waters and some he hath cut of by surfets which they got in dauncing drinking on the Lords day and soÌ„e he hath fired out of their houses in the middest of their drinking jollity consumed al their substance And these judgments haue suddenly unexpectedly befallen them in the very act of their transgression while they were in the midst of their actions very busie about their owne workes sports pleasure And these things are as cleare as the light and manifest to our eyes outward sences that God is most severe against the profanation of this day and that it is apparent that his sonne Christ made this day his Holy Sabbath and commands all men to keep it Lastly we haue clear testimonies both from the Apostles them selves that the day wherin Christians keepe their Sabbath even the first day of the week is the Lords peculiar day Revel 1.10 And also from all the most auncient fathers and learned Christian writers which succeeded the Apostles in the next ensuing ages that the Lord Christ changed the Holy Sabbath to this day consecrated it by his resurrection that all Christian Churches from the time of the Apostles kept their holy rest in it devoted it to publick exercises of religion and of Gods worship counted it the Queene of daies the supreme Lady princesse worthy to be observed sanctified with Sababaticall solemnities Ignatius cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist ad magnesios Justin Martyr 2. Apol. pag. 77. discribes the observation of it in his times and tels us that Christians spent it in reading preaching prayer administration of the Sacraments offering of almes other publick worship of God in their publick assemblies besides priuate exercises of religion Tertullian also acknowledgeth this first daies sabbath none other lib. adversus Gent. p. 41. 155. Eusebius lib. 4. Eccles. Histor. cap. 22. brings in the profession of Dionysius Corinthius who saith thus This day we kept holy the Lords day St. Austen in his 119. Epistle and in the 22. booke De Civit Dei Cap. 30 serm de verbis Apostoli 15. And many other which it would be a tedious thing here to reherse especially seeing J haue before mentioned diuers of their testimonies which tend to this purpose and shall produce some also hereafter Now upon all these arguments laid togither J hope wee may boldly and confidently conclude against all both Iewish Sabbatarians who retaine the old abolished Sabbath of the seventh day and also vnchristian Antisabbatarians who deny the Lords day to bee the Sabbath vnder the Gospell which Gods people by Gods law and Christs appointment are enjoyned to keepe Holy to the Lord. And that this Sabbath of the Lords day cannot bee chaunged but must stand firme and be still in force among all Gods people vntill the end of the world and the last resurrection I will briefly demonstrate shew by two plaine reasons which I hope none will deny and thus I frame them The first is grounded on Christs wordes Mark 2. vers 28. thus I frame it That which hath Christ as hee is become the Sonne of man Lord of it must needs exist and haue a being under him as he is the sonne of man that is in the time of the Gospell The Sabbath hath Christ the sonne of man Lord of it Mark 2.28 Therefore it continues in being under Christ. Whatsoever ordinance of God is given to his People to bee unto
in Christ we are called to be Saints and sanctified 1 Cor. 1.2 Secondly there is no thought or hope of eternall rest in heaven but in and by Christ hee brings us into that and by going before us makes way for us Heb. 6.20 9 24. Jt is that which never entered into the heart of man his reason conceives it not till God doth reveale it by his spirit given though Christ 1 Cor. 2.9.10 Thirdly no man can haue accesse vnto God but in Christ there is no approach to the throne of grace but in him Heb. 4.16 It is Christ alone who for his peoples sake sanctified himselfe that they also might be sanctâ—fied Ioh. 17.19 And there is no growing up in grace holinesse but in him and by vnion and communion in one body with him as our head Eph. 13·16 vpon these infalible premises it followes necessarily that the proper end and use of the Sabbath presupposing Christ the first institution thereof must needes be grounded on Christ also Fourthly if Christ as he is the Sonne of man vnited in one person vnto God and so our mediatour be the Lord of the Sabbath so that the alteration and chaunge of it from one of the seven dayes to another is onely in his power and depends wholy on some chaunge in him then the institution of it is grounded one the promise of him and upon his mediation Now the Antecedent is manifest by our Sauiours owne words Mat. 12.9 where hee calls himselfe Lord of the Sabbath day And by his resurrection and becomming the head stone of the corner the Sabbath is chaunged from the day of him promised vnto the day of the full exhibition of him aperfect actuall redeemer in his resurrection as David foretold Psal. 118. And the practise of the Apostles in all Churches of Christian Gentiles doth aboundantly declare Act. 20.7 and 1 Cor. 16.2 wherefore undoubtedly Christ promised was the first ground of the institution of the Sabbath as our Saviour in that place of the Gospel Mat. 12.9 affirmes it was made for man that is not only for mens use but also for him the son of man upon the promise undertaking of him to become man the seed of the women for mans redemption for destroying the workes of the Divill VSE This Doctrine thus fully proved confirmed is a Doctrine of speciall use to worke in the hearts of all true Christians who have all their hope confidence in Christ an high holy reverence esteeme of the Lords holy weekly Sabbath to provoke stirre them up to a carefull conscionable diligent observation thereof in all their generations for the promoting propagating of pietye for the increase of devotion and advauncement of Religion in all succeding ages If the observation of the weekly Sabbath were but a dictate of nature written in mans heart in the creation then were the chiefe end and ayme of it no more but an earthly felicitye and the fruition of a naturall life in an earthly paradise It should be no better then one of the duties which belong to the old couvenant of life justification by mans owne works which is abolished and made void by mans fall And It is wholy frustrated of the proper end use of it which was justification life by workes of a mans own doing And so being not a part of the wisedome which is from above it should be of lesse esteme and of common and ordinary account with holy Christian Saintes Or if the Sabbath were a legall rite and ceremoniall ordinance onely such as were sacrifices burnt offerings circumcision and legall purifications which were shadowes of things to come then should it be abolished by the full exhibition of Christ and the observation thereof among Chistians of the beleeveing Gentiles were no better then setting up of abominations which make desolate by cutting men of from Christ. But here we are taught better things concerning the Lords holy weekely Sabbath to weet that it is an holy Heavenly Euangelicall ordinance wholy grounded upon Christ and depending onely upon him first instituted upoÌ„ the promised Christ limitted to the seventh day of the weeke in which he was promised to be mans redeemer did undertake in some measure begin actually to mediate and to intercede for man with God and commaunded to be kept onely on that seventh day during the tyme of the old Testament while Christ was onely promised the fathers sought salvation in him to come And now ever since the full exhibition of Christ a perfect redeemer in his resurrection necessarily imposed on all Christians and limitted by virtue of the first institution and foundation of it upon Christ to that day even the first day of the weeke which is the greatest day of Christ appearing in the nature of man on earth that is the day of his resurrection to glory and immortalitie and the day of his complete victory and triumph in his owne person over sin death the Devill all the powers of darknesse So that though the particular dayes of the weekely Sabbath that is the seventh of the weeke in the old Testament and the first in the new and under the Gospell may truly be called temporarye and caeremoniall because they have their set tymes and seasons the one the tyme and season onely under Christ promised the other the tyme and season under Christ fully exhibited that is the whole tyme of grace under the Gospell vntill we come both in soules and bodyes to the etternall Sabbath and rest in heaven when Christ Mediatour haveing destroyed all enimyes and delivered up the Kingdome to God his father God shal be all in all Yet they are such ceremonies as are holy in their seasons not by signification and consecration to holy and supernaturall use only as legall shadowes were but also materially and in respect of the very duties which are performed in observation of them yea and effectively because the due observations of them properly tends to begitt and increase true holynesse in Gods people Besides if we consider the observation of a weekely Sabbath simply in it self without limitation to a particular day so it is a perpetuall ordinaunce of God which bindes all mankind to the end of the world And there is none of all Adams posteritye but by Gods first institution he is bound to keep the holy weekely Sabbath upon that very day of the weeke which by the word of God and the ground of the institution appeares to be most seasonable in the age and the state of the Church under which thy live and have their being on earth Now these things being soe how it is possible that any true syncere Christian who as by one spirit and by a true lively faith soe also in his whole heart and in all holy affections is vnited vnto Christ and hath all his hâ—pe confidence in him as in his only Redeemer Lord Saviouâ— should not
exercises as tend to make men meet to be partakers thereof Now the first day of the weeke the Lords day is the day wherein God first created the light of the visible world even the fiery heavens which shine forth ever since and give light to the inferiour world soe it is testified Gen. 1.3 And on this day Christ the Lord the sun of righteousnesse did rise up and did bring to light immortallity eternall life and became the great and glorious light of the world Therefore this day is the fittest and most worthy to bee the holie weeklie Sabbath and to be spent in meditation upon seeking for the inheritance of the Saints in light Fourthly that day which hath not only the same grounds and reasons in it upon which God first founded the Sabbath and sanctified the seventh day but also divers additions of the same kinde which make the grounds and reasons more forcible and excellent This is most fit and worhy to be the holy weekly Sabbath and such is the first day of the weeke and hath beene ever since it became the Lords day by the Lord Christ his resurrection For proofe whereof consider the grounds and reasons upon which God sanctified the seventh day 1. Gods ending or perfecting his created worke 2. Gods resting from that worke 3. Gods blessing of the seventh day by revealing on it the greatest blessing farre aboue any given in the creation These are the groundes here laid downe in my text which are rehearsed againe by God in the fourth commandement of the law And another reason drawne from the end and use of the Sabbath is also added Exod. 31.13 Ezech 20.12 to weet that the Sabbath might be a signe and token from God that hee is their God who doth sanctifie them that is by giving his Holy spirit with all saving graces in this life vnto them in Christ doth fit them for the fruition sight of his glory in the eternall rest in Heaven so makes the weekly Sabbath a pledge of the eternall Sabbath in the world to come also Now the godly learned heretofore who had no thought of founding the Sabbath on Christ promised on the seventh day of the world they do understand Gods ending of his worke to be either the finishing of the creation on the seventh day by adding some perfection or natural blessing to the creatures more then he had given on the sixt daies Or else that God had already ended perfected his worke before the seuenth day for this cause blessed sanctified the seventh day for a memoriall of the creation of the world and all things therein made perfect and compleat so appearing on that day And by Gods resting on the seventh day from all his worke which he created made they understand nothing else but Gods rest of mere cessation because this was the day wherein God hauing finished his worke made all things good had no occasion to worke any more by way of creation but rested from making more kindes of creatures Therefore God commanded man to rest after his example every seventh day and to keep it for a weekly Sabbath And by Gods blessing of the seventh day they doe understand Gods sanctifying of it to be a signe pledge of the eternall rest These being the grounds reasons in the opinion of the learned vpon which God sanctified the seuenth daie are in a more excellent measure to be found in the first day of the week on which day the Lord Christ rose from death· For first the Lord Christ on that day who is the Lord of the sabbath ended a greater worke then the creation even the great worke of redemption which on that daie he did perfect and finish by the last highest act of it even his resurrection in which he got the victorie triumphed ouer death the last enimie ouer him who had the power of death that is the Devill and did shew to the world that he had fully paid the ransome price of mans redemption satisfied justice wrought fulfilled all righteousnesse sufficient to justifie all that beleeve in him to settle them in Gods favour for ever So that here is a better ending finishing of a better work then that of the creation was which did perfect the mutable worke of creation so here is a bâ—tter ground of sanctifying the day in which it came to passe as diveâ—s learned writers haue rightly observed Secondly on this day the Lord Christ entered into a better rest then any from the creation can be he rested from all his laboures paines sufferings all workes which Gods infinite justice required for mans redemption by way of satisfaction Heb. 4.10 And he tooke possession of eternall rest for himselfe as the head and for his body the whole Church for every elect member thereof So that this resting is a more farre excellent ground reason of the sanctifying of this day to be the weekely Sabbath Yea though I do by Gods perfecting of his worke vnderstand his perfecting of the worke which was marred defaced by mans fal even the worke of creation his making of it more perfect and compleat by his promising of Christ and by Christs undertaking beginning his actuall Mediation first bringing in of supernaturall perfection And by Gods resting I vnderstand his resting so fully wholy in Christs mediation in his satisfaction undertaken for the repairing perfecting of the world which man by his fall had brought under vanity corruption that he put from him all thoughts purposes of going about any new worke of creation for the repairing therof and so is said to rest as I haue befor fully proved Yet I must confesse that on the Lords day which is the first of the weeke in which Christ did rise from death God did more fully excellently perfect all his worke brought in a rest which doth so farre excell that perfecting of his worke resting from creation on the first seventh day as the actuall performance of a promise giuing and fulfilling of a good thing promised vndertaken begun doth excell the promise the undertaking beginning of it And therefore J will bee bold vpon these grounds premises to conclude with the best learned both of the Auncient fathers and moderne Divines That there is more conveniency and fitnesse in the Lords day the first day of the week to be the Lords holy weekly Sabbath now under the Gospell And there are more excellent grounds and sure reasons for the sanctifying of it then any which are named or can be found in the seventh daie which was the Sabbath of the old Testament yea this day by meanes of Christs resurrection to glory in it is the surest pledge and token which outwardly can be given to Gods Church and people that God who raised him up is by him fully appeased satisfied and reconciled to his
men and having shewed what kinde of law this is which God hath giuen for the observation of the weekly Sabbath and how and in what manner it bindes the sonnes of Adam in all ages some in one kinde and some in another and Adam and all his posterity in some respects There remaines yet for all that hath beene said before one speciall point to be more fully proved That is concerning the Chaunge of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day what ground and warrant we haue for it and how the law of God by which God set apart the seventh day in the first institution and still in the fourth CoÌ„mandement and other repetitions of that law by Moses mentions on the seventh day for the weekly Sabbath can bind us Christ ans to keep holy the Lords day or warrant us to make it our Sabbath For the more full manifestation and proofe of this point and satisfiing of all doubts I will by the light of Gods sacred word and by the helpes which I shall finde in the writings and sayings of the best learned both ancient and moderne Christian divines do my best endeavour to shew and proue that the Lords day which is the first of the weeke and the day of Christs resurrection the fittest day of all the seven to be the holy weekly Sabbath of Christians That God before and in the first giving of the law of the Sabbath did intend and foresee the chaunge the grounds of the chaunge of it to the first day that God by Christ hath chaunged it And that the law of the Sabbath in the maine duties which it requires is more fully and in a better and more excellent manner obeyed by Christians in there observation of the Lords day and keeping it for the holy rest then it was by the fathers of the Old Testament in their keeping of the seventh and last day of the vveeke for their holy rest and vveekly Sabbath First to proue the conveniencie fitnesse of the Lords day to be the Sabbath under the Gospell aboue all other daies we haue diuers arguments The first I frame thus That day which is the first of dayes the first fruits of time especially of the time of grace is the fittest to be the Lords holy day aboue all other daies of the weeke in under the time of grace The Lord himselfe teacheth this for a plaine truth requiring the fruits of all things for an holy offering to himselfe under the law from the beginning when he taught Adam Adam did teach his sonnes Caine Abell to bring sacrifices of firstlings first fruits for offerings to him Gen. 4. Now the Lords day which is the first day of the week is the first of all daies in the world In it God began the creation the highest heavens which is the place of blessednes the heavenly host also the common masse matter of the whole visible inferior world the chiefest most gracious element the light that is the fiery heavens with the first beginning of the creation this day began so it is the first fruites of all times created although in the creatioÌ„ during the state of innocency the first fruites were no more holy theÌ„ the rest of the lump or masse sanctifying of things to holy use came in by Christ with the first promise of him the first time of Christ revealed being the seventh day was to be the holy Sabbath all the time in which Christ was onely promised not given Yet now seeing by the resurrection of Christ in which Christ waâ— exhibited a perfect redeemer and became the first fruites of them that sleep The first day of the weeke and of the world which was onely the first fruits of time before is by Gods providence become the first day firist frvites of the time of grace vnder Christ a perfect redeemer Therfore the first day which is now the first fruites of time both in the creaâ—ion and under pefect redemption which doth perfect and sanctifie the creation is now the fittest of all the dayes of the weeke to be the Lords holy Sabbath And it is against all reason for any to think any other day so fit to bee offered vp for the first fruites of every weeke and of our times to God as this day which is the day of the Lord Christ who is the true first fruites of all creatures and doth sanctifie the whole masse and lumpe of mankinde and all other creatures which are gathered vnto God in him In which day Christ arose from death and became the first frutes of them that sleepe that by the virtue of his resurrection hee might sanctifie the very grave to them that sleep in him might raise them up as to grace in this life soe alsoe to glory at the last day in the generall resurrection Secondly that day wherein the place of eternall rest and of the everlasting Sabbath which after this vvorld ended remaines for the people of God was created and brought into being and vvherein eternall rest was purchased and the way opened into that rest must needes in the judgment of reasonable men be the fittest day for the weekly Sabbath which is to all gods people a sure signe and pledge of eternall rest and of their everlasting Sabbath in heauen which weekly Sabbath is to be kept holy and sanctified by mediations on Heaven and Heavenly rest by such Holy exercises of religion as doe fit and prepare vs for the life of glory in Heaven Now the first daie of the weeke is the day wherin God created the place of eternall rest euen the highest Heavens which are from eternity decreed and ordained to bee the place in vvhich his elect shall keepe rheir eternall Sabbath after this life In this day also Christ arose from death perfected redemption and rested from that vvorke by vvhich he procured eternall life and Heavenly glory for God people upon this day hee opened the way to the Holie of Holies and made his first enterance both in his owne flesh also for all his members into that life eternall and that rest which they with him shall enjoy in the Heavenlie mansions Therefore vndoubtedlie this day of all the daies of the weeke most fit and and worthy to be kept an holy Sabbath of rest and to be sanctified with mediations on heaven and heavenly glory and with other exercises of religion which fit men for eternall rest in heaven Thirdly that day wherein God first created the light of this inferior visible world and wherein the light of the visible heavens did shine forth when it is once blessed with the rising up of a greater and more glorious light even the Sun of righteousnesse It is of all daies become the fittest most vvorthy to be the Lords holy weekly Sabbath which is to be hallowed by meditating vpon the inheritance of the Saints in light and by such holy