at all First Those who keep the Jewish but not the Christian Sabbath which is the Errour of those Christians who mistake the ceremonial for the moral Obligation of the Fourth Commandement Supposing the Morality of the Commandment to consist in keeping the Seventh day which God enjoyn'd the Jews whereas that is the positive and ceremonial part of the Commandment accommodated to the Oeconomy and political State of the Jews binding them only and not the Gentiles and no longer neither then till the entrance and settling of the Gospel State by Christ and the Holy Ghost And now for any Christian whether Jew or Gentile to keep the ceremonial Law is in effect to deny Christ and to expect a Messiah yet to come to keep the shadow and reject the substance the Ceremonial Law being but the shadow of good things to come but the body is of Christ Secondly they likewise are to be blamed who keep both days the Jewish and the Christian too Thus the Ebionites of old who being Apes of others would keep the Sabbath with the Jews and Sunday with the Christians But truely I think our Charity ought to be extended to these as the more harmlesly erroneous and more pardonable Offenders in regard partly through mistake and weakness partly out of a scrupulous and tender Conscience they keep both days probably with an honest design and desire and not out of peevish obstinacy that they may be in the right But though they are excusable à tanto yet not à toto 't is plainly an Errour and inconsistent with our duty enjoyn'd in the Fourth Commandment which requires but one day in seven as God's peculiar and allows the other six for our own labours and to keep two Sabbaths in a Week seems to be wise above what is written and to do more than is our duty And though the Apostles and the Christians with them did for a time keep both days that is the Jewish and the Christian Sabbath yet that was for the same reason that Circumcision was for a while kept a foot viz. to comply with the weakness and prejudice of the Jews to whom St. Paul says he became as a Jew that that he might gain the Jews and to give the abolish'd Ceremonies which were dead with Christ an honourable burial but 3dly And especially they are worthy of reproof who keep no Sabbath at all or at least in such a manner as is equivalent to the not keeping of it First Some there are that keep no Sabbath at all as the Atheist and prophane Worldling There are a sort of men who sufficiently declare themselves to be Atheists and Mammonists who fear not to deny God his due who have no manner of sense of duty which they owe to the Lords day but purposely and designedly oppose and slight and prophane it If they have any business to do any visit to make not out of Charity but complement any journey to go any Accounts to make up any Letters to write or the like God's day must be the time for 't tho it might be confessedly as well done on any other day of the week no necessity compelling Yea when no business offers they will frame excuses to keep 'em from God's house either they must sleep or play or drink or talk or walk away the time which others devoutly spend in the publick Service of God and preparing themselves for another World Nothing so irksome and tiresome as what God Commands no time so lies upon hand as on that day they know not what to do they are weary of themselves and of the time and study for some diversion or other and blame the lingring time and wish and say with those in the Prophet When will the Sabbath be over that we may set forth Corn that we may be at our traffick and Trades again And if they are prevail'd with by some devouter Neighbour or an argument ab inutili damno which the Law presents them upon total neglect to go to the house of God how tedious and burdensome is the time there What an insipid tasteless thing is the Service of God How do they tacitely chide the slow-pac'd sands in the Preachers Glass and grow angry with him if he exceeds his hour when the time spent on sports and pleasures and business of the World is thought too swift of foot An hour spent at a Sermon yea and upon God's day too is thought too long when a play of three or four hours is done too soon If this is not an evidence of an Atheistical and worldly spirit I know not what is Is this the Character of a man that fears and loves the honour of God What and delight in nothing less shun his company and fly from his presence and avoid Communion with him and break his Laws and sacrilegiously rob him of his just dues which the Prophet Malachy wonders at Mal. 3.8 Will aman rob God Will he rob God that made him and governs him and that has power to bless or to curse him to save or to destroy him This is a thing was never heard of amongst the most barbarous and Idolatrous whomsoever they rob they will not rob their God The primitive Christians I am sure abhor'd such sacriledge But O how unlike the Primitive sanctity is the practice of this sacrilegious Age this perverse and adulterous generation They made it their meat and drink to do the Will of God they would not be absent for a World from the publick Assemblies of the Saints on the Lords day unless invincible necessity did hinder and would not depart thence without the Christian viaticum without the heavenly Repast and Banquet the Communion of the Body and Blood of their dear Lord. Thus they kept the Sabbath indeed not doing their own but the Work of God and call'd and accounted the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and did honour him not doing their own ways nor finding their own pleasures nor speaking their own Words But at what lame and deficient and preposterous rate do the generality of Christians now keep the day They keep it very well if to keep it be to break it if to sanctifie it be to prophane it if to observe and honour it be to slight and pollute it They keep it very well who seldome or never attend the publick Worship and are as careless of private Duties they keep it very well indeed who never receiv'd the Sacrament in their lives or at least observe it as a Passeover Feast in the truest Notion of it as to the time i. e. once in a year and that to still the clamours of the Law and their Consciences not being mov'd from a principle of Love to their Redeemer to do this in remembrance of him not at all affected with what St. Paul insinuates and recommends in these VVords as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords Death till he come but Secondly There
all that has been said is no Argument to prevail with some They value not the Law of Nature nor the Law of their Creator nor the Blood nor Love of their Redeemer They are not fond of the Character of being a good Christian but they aspire after that of a good subject though I profess 't is a Riddle to me how he that is not a good Christian can be a good Subject but this Title and Character they are proud of and glory in and desire above all things to be accounted good Subjects Well but tell me you that are ambitious of this Title and are so little fond of that of a Christian is he a good Subject that breaks the Kings Laws You 'l readily answer no. 4. Consider therefore which is my fourth Argument that not to keep the Sabbath but to break and prophane it is to break the Kings Law to trespass against the Law of our temporal Governour which enjoyns the pious Observation of the Lord's day by repeated sanctions of Parliament under Penalties to be inflicted on the violaters of it So that in a word Sabbath-breakers are neither good Christians nor good Subjects 5. My Fifth and Last Argument is drawn from the benefits and advantages of the due and conscionable Observation of the day This day is a blessed day The Lord blessed the Seventh day and hallowed it 'T is a day of blessings of many blessings and the cheifest and best of all spiritual ones and the pledge of eternal This is the day wherein pardons are sealed to penitent Sinners and the Sentence of Guilt and Condemnation reversed and Reconciliation ratified in the blood of Christ This is the day that the Sun of Righteousness ariseth with healing under his wings to dispel and scatter the Clouds that sit upon the angry face of God's Justice to clear up the Heavens above and make it serene and pleasant on the Earth beneath and take off the Sable Mantle that black and dark covering which over-spreads the troubled Breasts the aking hearts and afflicted wounded consciences of Sinners and give them rest and peace and joy in the comfortable and refreshing gleams and illustrious shine of the light of God's countenance This is the day of feasting and banqueting for the Soul Now it Feasts with Angels and with Saints yea with the whole glorious Trinity I will come and sup with him and he with me This is the Souls treasuring it 's enriching day It lays up Treasures where neither Moth nor Rust do corrupt and where Theives cannot break through and steal Now the Soul is enriching it self growing rich towards God Now is her attiring day wherein she buys and puts on her glorious Robes the white Robe the Upper Garment of her Saviour's Righteousness and those inner Linings of inherent Holiness These she now buys and puts on that she may be in a readiness to meet the Bridegroom And this is the Market-day for the buying of this Provision this spiritual Food and Raymment and the getting of these Riches Ho every one that thirsteth so runs the Royal Style of that gracious Proclamation Isa 55.1 Come ye to the water and he that hath no money come buy Wine and Milk without money and without price And Rev. 3.18 I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white rayment that thou mayest be cloathed and the shame of thy nakedness do not appear And he that neglects the opportunity on the Market day for the buying of this Provision for his Soul for the other days of the Week are taken up in making provision for the Body in getting temporal food and rayment and riches he I say that lets slip the opportunity on the Market day for the buying of this Provision for his Soul this spiritual food and rayment and the getting of these riches when or how will he buy and get them How can he expect that his Soul should be nourished to eternal Life How can he be but wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Finally this shorter is a pledge to the due Observer of that longer and eternal Rest with we expect in Heaven an Ante-past a Preludium of that eternal Sabbath which we hope to celebrate in the other World that Rest which the Apostle observes remains to the people of God Heb. 4.9 There remaineth therefore a Rest to the people of God The word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a day or time of Rest 'T is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies any common rest but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a Sabbatical Rest a Rest that has affinity with a Rest bordering and conterminous on the temporal Sabbath which is a type and pledge and pregustation of that eternal Sabbath of rest which remains to the people of God a rest infinitely satisfactory and delighting fully compleat and perfect a rest from labour and working from sinning and suffering from diseases and pains from cares and fears from the vanities and vexations of this mortal Life O let us labour to enter into that rest as the Apostle exhorts Heb. 4.11 And happy is that man that spends the temporal Sabbath of rest here in preparation for and expectation of that eternal Sabbath of rest hereafter Happy is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing He will bid him enter into a better rest and joy He will then take him by the hand and conduct him from the Earthly to the Heavenly Jerusalem from the material to the Spiritual holy Temple where the Lamb is worshipped in the Regions of Glory He will translate him from Rest on Earth to Rest in Heaven from the Company of Saints Militant to the Chorus of the Saints Triumphant from the solemnities of a temporal Sabbath in the State of Grace to the Celebration of an eternal Sabbath of Rest in Glory To which God of his infinite Mercy bring us all for Jesus sake to whom be ascribed by us and the whole Church all Honour Power Praise Dominion and Glory now and for ever Amen FINIS
it serves to illustrate but not to prove the point in hand speaking the probability but not the certainty of the thing I have somewhat to offer in the next place that will put the matter out of all doubt and therefore 2. My second Argument I draw from the Authority of the Apostles who did nothing of themselves but by commission from Christ Mal. 28.19 20. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations c. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World How could he be with them when he was to be taken from them and depart into Heaven He tells them Joh. 14.26 where he promises to send his Spirit as his Vicar General to supply his place and absence and direct them about all things relating to his Kingdome But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you and Chap. 16.13 14. When he the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you So that what the Apostles did they did by Divine Warrant Now we have both Apostolical precept and practise to warrant the observation of the day 1. For Precept 1 Cor. 16.1 As I have ordained in the Churches of Galatia so do ye and what that Ordinance was he tells them v. 2. Vpon the first day of the Week let every one of you lay by him in store as God has prosper'd him that there may be no gathering when I come He ordains their Collections for the poor Saints and oblations should be on that day And why should that day be the Collection day rather than any other had it not been observ'd holy in those times and that Christians did use on that day to assemble The collection therefore being enjoyn'd on that day and that in the weekly returns of it for the collection was not to be made at once and no more but time after time till it swell'd to a Treasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gathering a Treasure as the greek word signifies adding something weekly as God had prosper'd every man this I say is an argument that the day was celebrated as the Christian Sabbath the work being so suitable to the day and then most effectually promoted by the opportunity that offer'd it self through the numerous assembly of Christians There is one thing objected against the validity of this place for the proof of the point in hand and that is the Greek phrase which the Objectors say is not truly translated the first day of the Week the words in the Greek being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word for word is on one of the Sabbaths So that say they the Apostle intended the collection should be made on the Sabbath day the seventh and not the first day of the Week To this I answer that the Translation is good and warrantable Chrys in 1 Cor. Hom. 43. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as St. Chrysostome the learned Grotius and Dr. Hammond observe yea St. Chrysostome interprets it the Lords day The word Sabbath is oftentimes put for the whole Week which is signified by that Notion Lev. 15.23 Seven Sabbaths shall be compleat i. e. seven Weeks So St. Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week in the Greek 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twice in the Sabbath And 't is observable that the same Phrase is used concerning the day of the Resurrection Mat. 28.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is render'd without any objection against it the first day of the Week And so St. Luke 24.1 and Joh. 20.1 There is the like Phrase in the Greek and the like Translation in English Now they may as well deny the Resurrection of Christ to be on the first day of the Week as the Christian Assemblies to be on that day by force of the same Objection the Phrase being in each place the same and therefore must needs have the same signification And St. Mark seems so to expound the other Evangelists Chap. 16.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot possibly with any sense be understood of the Sabbath but the first day of the Week and the Greek Scholiast confidently renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day on which the Apostles were wont to keep their Assemblies which is the next thing that we are to take notice of and inquire into viz. 2. Their practice We find in the 2d of the Acts that the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were assembled for religious exercises on the first day of the Week the usual solemn time of their meeting in honour and memory of their Lords Resurrection And Act. 20.7 We read that upon the first day of the Week when the Disciples came together to break Bread i. e. the Sacramental or Eucharistical Bread St. Paul Preached to them ready to depart on the morrow 'T is true we have but a few hints in Scripture of the observation of the day which is enough however to signifie the usage of the Church then there being no more need for the Apostles to inform the Christians and others of that time that the first day of the Week was the Christians day for the publick and solemn Worship of God and religious exercises than for an English Man to write a History to inform his Country men that Sunday is kept in England as the Christian Sabbath and that the Word of God is Preached and the Lords Supper administred on that day it being matter of fact of common and notorious usage Yea into so great Reputation and such general and common usage was the observation of this day grown amongst the Christians even in the Apostles times that it had obtain'd a peculiar name appropriate to the Original and occasion of it as the Apostle St. John observes Rev. 1.10 I was in the spirit on the Lords day in the spirit i. e. in spiritual Exercises and Meditations on the Lords day i. e. the first day of the Week in which the Lord rose from the dead Observe St. John does not say on the day which is worthy to be call'd the Lords day but he speaks it as a Notion or Phrase of general and common use a Title given to the day a known discription of it whereby they might easily understand what day he meant The Lords day so called either because Christ rose on that day and it was by the Church peculiarly dedicated to his honour or it is so called as the Sacrament is called Coena Dominica the Lords supper and the Lords Prayer Oratio Dominica because the Lord instituted the one and taught and commanded the use of the other Athanas Homil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉