where no more can be had may be called a true Church of Christ and may exercise Gods Ordinance after a publick maner Rev. 11 3. Answ Two persons where no more can be had may be called a true Church of Christ and may exercise Gods Ordinances in a true publick manner for the Church of Christ under the persecutions of Antichrist is called by the name of Two Witnesses Rev. 11. 3. though the Church of Christ were many thousands in those times yet it is called by the name of Two Witnesses because by Moses Law two Witnesses were accounted sufficient to confirm any truth Deut. 17. Hence I infer that if no more but two can be had to testifie the truth against Anâ—ichrist they are to be esteemed as a true Church of Christ and therefore they may be called a true Church of Christ as well as two thousand and our Saviour saith That where two or three are gathered together in his name there he will be present in the midst of them Matth. 18. Mat. 18. 19 20 19 20. Simeon and Levy made a Church when they agreed together to Gen. 49. 6 destroy the Sichemites for Jacob saith of them thus My glory be thou not joyned with their Kahal that is to say with their Church Gen. 49. 6. Their Church I grant was a Church of evill doers but yet they were a sufficient number to make a Church though at this time overcome with the temptation of revenge then why might not Re-created Adam and Eve make a Church of Christ much more and so consequently injoy Gods Ordinances as publick Ordinances seeing God did blesse the seventh day with Ordinances and sanctifie it that is to say God did command them to sanctifie it by the use of the said ordinances I conclude therefore that Christ Jesus did command Adam and Eve to exercise those Ordinances wherewith he was pleased to blesse the Sabbath as a Church of Christ and from thenceforth he hath and will continue his Church upon the face of the earth to the worlds end though it may and hath oftentimes been brought to a very small number as it was at the Flood and at the building of Babel and in the dayes of Abraham when God called him to come away from his Country and from his Idolatrous kindred Gen. 12. and in the dayes of Job and in the dayes of Enosh for after Seth had lived a hundred and five yeers which was Gâ—n 4. 2â— two hundred thirty five yeers from the Creation of Adam then many of Adams children did not abide in the Truth they did not regard the Sabbath nor the Sabbath Ordinances but they regarded the Daughters of Cain more than the children of God and took them wifes of all that they liked And then grew prophanesse instead of calling upon the name of Lord Gen. 4. 26. Godly Seth for very grief of this prophane generation called his son Enosh that is to say Sorrowful So Tremelius in his Elder Editions doth read the text though Junius hath since altered him to a clean contrary sense and so doth Mr. Broughton read it and all the Hebrew Doctors in general and Mr. Ainsworth comes neer them But if the children of the Church had but continued to regard the holy Sabbath and the Ordinances thereof as they did in The disregarding of the Sabbath and the Ordinances thereof is the high way to all prophaness and Apostacy Adams first dayes before Aâ—el was killed for Religion they could not have faln into so deep an Apostacy as they did in the dayes of Enoch for if men will but reverently attend unto the exercise of those spiritual Ordinances wherewith God did first blesse the seventh day they should doubtlesse be made partakers of the spiritual blessing that Christ Jesus hath annexed thereto for the good Shepherd Christ Jesus hath promised to all his Sheep that will be guided and governned by his Ordinances That he will make them and the places round about his Hill and to be a blessing and that there shall be showers of blessing upon them Ezek. 34. 26. and so the Prophet Isaiah Ezek. 34. 26. testifieth saying Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sabbath and pâ—luteth it not and that taketh hold of my Covenant as Adam did when he beleeved that the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their Burnt-offerings and their Sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar Es 56. 2 6 7. Hence it is manifest that those that regard the Sabbath and the Sabbath Ordinances shall be blessed with spiritual blessings in heavenly things And if God blesse who shall curse for his blessing maketh rich Prov. 10. 22. it makes them rich with temporal blessings that diligently attend upon their Civil imployments and so it also maketh them rich with spiritual blessings that diligently attend upon Gods Sabbath Ordinances Gods blessing did increase the Widows oyl and the five loaves and two fishes and therefore his blessing is called Multiplication Gen. 1. 22. and sometimes it is called A rich reward 2 King 5. 15. and sometimes it is called Gods Liberality Prov. 11. 25. compared with 2 Cor. 9. 5. Yea Gods blessing is so plentifull and so powerfull upon his Sabbath Ordinances that he is said to Command his blessing upon Sion and life for evermore Psal 133. therefore his blessing wherewith he blessed the first seventh day must needs be mighty in operation even to the Re-creation and Conversion of many ten thousand souls Heb. 4 12. Luke 11. 28. and therefore David doth by way of Exclamation cry out O blessed are they that dwell in thy house Psal 84 4. namely they are thus blessed that do as it were dwell there by their frequent and constant resort to his Ordinances for his Ordinances are apt to convey blessings to the diligent soul And therefore Paul told the Romans that when he should come unto them He should come with abundance of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 15. 29. The Apostle made account that the preaching of the Gospel would in rich them with abundance of spiritual blessings and this blessing doth arise from Gods blessing of the first seventh day with Sabbath-Ordinances And therefore as soon as Christ Jesus had given order about his Sabbath-Worship at Mount Sinai and had in special commanded them to observe the seventh day by a holy convocation in or among all their dwellings namely in their Synagogues as I have afore expounded it then he made a gracious promise to his people saying In all places where I shall record my name I will come unto thee and blesse thee Exod. 20. 24. and in this respect Christ Jesus did appoint the Priests in the Sanctuary and Zeliach Tzibbur in the several Synagogues to pronounce a gracious blessing upon the assembly that had attended Gods Ordinances at their departure Numb 6. 24. and to this blessing
not made with Man in innocency but after his Fall therefore the Sabbath was not ordained to be a sign of this everlasting Covenant till after Adam fell and therefore Adam fell and before the seventh day Reas 2. Because God ordained sundry other things to be sanctified types and signs of mans resting on Christ by faith as Synonima to the rest of the seventh day as any that have their understandings wel exercised in the Scriptures may easily discern 1 Consider this that God sanctified the outward rest of all the Festival Sabbaths as the type of our resting on the Seed of the Woman by faith for the breaking of the Devils head-plot and this is evident by Moses description of them in Levit. 23. there he reckons up eight several Festival Sabbaths in order but hee puts the seventh day first because it is the chiefest of them all for it is the ground and foundation of all the rest and it is to be specially noted that Moses doth call the seventh day a Festival Sabbath ver 2. as well as all the rest and yet it was no Feasting Sabbath in respect of Belly-cheer as the rest were except in a Spiritual sense and in that sense the Holy Rest of them all did typifie the same spiritual resting on the seed of the Woman and the same spiritual feasting on the propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ for Mans redemption which was typified by their feasting on their Peace-offerings on their Festival Sabbaths and so the day of Attonement though it were a day of strict fasting yet it was a day of Spiritual feasting and resting on the promised Seed as the seventh day was 2 The sanctified rest of the seventh day did typifie the same things that Josuahs rest did for in six years War he conquered the Canaanites and in the seventh year the Land rested The Apostle doth make this rest and the rest of the seventh day to bee both alike Heb. 4. for he doth first make them to typifie our Spiritual rest on Christ by faith and secondly to typifie our eternal rest in Heaven at last Heb. 4. 3. 9 10. Heb. 4. 3 9 10 3 The Sabbatical years of rest in Lev. 25. and the Sabbatical Jubile of rest which is also called a great Sabbath in Levit. 25. 4. did alike typifie our resting on Christ by faith for our full deliverance from the servitude of Satan just answerable to the typical rest of the seventh day and in that respect Moses doth Exod. 23. 10 11 12. compare the typical rest of them all together in Exod. 23. 10 11 12. None can be ignorant of the manifold great troubles that did often fall out upon Gods people in the Land of Canaan soon after the rest which it had in Joshuahs seventh year but yet notwithstanding so sweet was that rest which Joshua obtained for them after six years War that God was pleased to make that year of rest to begin the Chronologie of all their Sabbatical years of rest from thence till all ended in the Death and Sacrifice of Christ who is the true rest of all beleeving sinners and by allusion to this typical rest our Saviour doth invite all poor and heavie laden sinners to come unto him and they shall find rest to their souls Matth. 11. 29. Es 11. 10. Eze. 34. 15 25 27 28 Jer. Mat. 11. 29 33. 15 16. Jer. 30. 10. And our Saviour in Luke 4. 19. doth expound the true nature of Luk. 4. 18 19 that spiritual rest that was typified by the Sabbatical rest of the Jubile 1 By calling it the acceptable year of the Lord and 2 By telling us in vers 18 that God had annoynted him to preach the Gospel to the poor to heal the Broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of Sight to the Blind and that he should set at liberty them that are bruised this opens the sweet rest and refreshing of Soul that every poor humbled sinner doth finde by the seed of the Woman in breaking the Devils Head-plot for their deliverance help and healing And this famous deliverance by the seed of the Woman was accomplished by his propitiatory sacrifice in a Sabbatical year of Jubilee namely in the twenty eighth Jubilee as may be seen in Brougâ—tons Consent 4 The redemption of Israel out of Aegypt by the Typical sign of the Bloud of the Paschal Lamb is laid down as the main reason why God did sanctifie the rest of the seventh day in Deut Deut. 5. 14 15 5. 14 15. and that shews that not the Visible but the Spiritual Creation was the true ground and reason why God blessed and sanctified the first seventh day Hence it follows from the Premises that the Holy Rest of the seventh day was a typical sign of our resting on Christ by faith for our redemption from Satans Head-plot Object Why doth God in Exod. 20. 11 command man to rest on the Exod. 20. 11 Sabbath Day from all bis Works because he rested on the seventh day from Creating the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein visible and invisible Col. 1. 16. seeing in Deut. 5. 15. he gives another differing reason as the only ground of commanding man to rest on the Sabbath Day Deut. 5. 15 because Jehovah thy God brought thee out of Aegypt by a strong hand namely by killing all their first born but delivering the first born of Israel by the bloud of the Lamb sprinkled on their door posts as a sign of their redemption c. Answ I answer that the true ground and reason of Gods rest and of his commanding man to rest in both places is alike there is no difference at all if the true sense of both places bee rightly understood for God rested not from the works of Creaation Our Redemptâ—on from Satans Head-plot was thâ— last finishing act of thâ— whole Creation therefore it must needs be the only true reason of Gods rest and of his commanding man to rest on the first seventh day untill he had made the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein as Christ doth testifie Exod. 20. 11. now if all things in Heaven and Earth were made in six days then were the Souls of Adam and Eve Re-created in the said six days as a true part of that sort of Creature which appertains to the spiritual Heavens and to the spiritual Earth and to the Church triumphant in Heaven hereafter and therefore seeing God made all things both in Heaven and Earth in six days he rested not on the seventh day till he had perfected Mans Creation by a Recreation procured by the redemption of the promised Seed which doubtlesse was the finishing work of Gods Creation on the sixth day so then our redemption from Satans Head-plot was the last finishing act of the whole Creation and therefore it was the only true reason of Gods rest on the first Sabbath Day and of his command why man should keep a holy rest
expressed in the Greek Text but yet it must necessarily be understood as it appears by the consequence for the Apostle did glory of their willing mind to them of Maâ—edonia saying that Achaia in which Country the City of Corinth was seated was prepared A yeer ago and that their zeal provoked many 2 Cor. 9. 2. But how could the 2 Cor. 9. 2. Apostle have thus gloried of their zeal and of their willing mind to them of Macedonia if they had laid up something but once onely upon some one first day of the week and no more as some would have the Text to speak doubtlesse therefore they did lay aside something either every first day of the week or at least usually when they were met together for the exercise of Gods worship and in so doing their zeal was exemplary to provoke them of Macedonia to imitate their example and this is the rather to be beleeved because the Apostle doth still exhort them to perform that duty 2 Cor. 8. 10 11 12. I conclude therefore that though the word Every be not fully expressed in the Greek Text yet that it must necessarily be understood and therefore the Geneva Translation that puts it in is to be justified because it is according to the true sense of the place 2 Touching this phrase Let every one of you lay by him in store I dare not affirm that this is meant of laying up by the Deacons Collection but I rather think it was done by separating something by way of Vow for the use of the said poor in every one 's own hand which was as sure a course as if it had been put into the Box of the poor for in this phrase Let every one of you lay by him in store The Apostle doth Thalmudize as relating therein to a certain custome of the Jews in vowing something to the poor for the Hebrew Doctors say That Alms is comprehended in the general of Vows and therefore he that saith thus Lo this Shekel or this Shilling is an Alms he is bound to give it to the poor out of hand But if there be no poor present he is bound to separate it and to lay it Up till he find some poor See Ains in Deut. 23 21. The Apostâ—e Paul did lay this duty of Vowing uppon the Churches of Galatia Corinth and Macedonia namely That every one of them should separate something for the poor and lay it up on the first day of the week when they were met together for that day was a fitter day for that duty than any other day of the week And the Hebrew Doctors do adde this to their former speech That if a man had purposed to give such a quantity to the poor but in his heart onely he was bound to pay it 3 Hence it is evident That the first day of the week was by Christs Institution the day of publick Worship in place of the seventh day or else the Apostle would never have given direction to the Churches to separate something for the poor when they were met together on that day for the Apostle doth professe that in such matters he ordained nothing in the Church but what he received from the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 23. And that the things which he wrote unto them were the Commandements of the Lord 1 Cor. 14. 37. and therefore it follows that the Church of Corinth and 1 Cor. 11. 23. all other Christian Churches did usually meet together on this day by the special Command of Jesus Christ And seeing the Churches of Macedonia did contribute to the poor Saints of Jerusalem as well as the Churches of Achaia no doubt but Paul did order them to do it on every first day of the week answerable to the Rom. 15. 25 26 Churches of Galatia and Achaia Rom. 15. 25 26 27. And seeing Paul did observe the first day of the week to administer Act. 20. 7 the Lords Supper to the Church at Troas in Phrigia Act. 20. 7. It doth evidence that he was uniform in ordering all Christian Assemblies to be kept on that day for Troas was a neighbour Church to them of Galatia and therefore they kept the same day for Gods publick worship as they of Galatia and Achaia did Act. 16. 6 with Act. 18. 27. 5 A fiâ—th Reason that doth perswade me that Christ himself Reason 5. hath ordained his Resurrection-day for the day of his publick worship in the place of the seventh day is the hot contention that many beleeving Jews did make in Christian Churches about the observation of the Jewish Sabbath for many of the beleeving Jews were still zealous for the observation of Moses Laws and this contention of theirs doth strongly perswade me that all Christian Churches had laid aside the observation of the Jewish Sabbath and that they did now observe the first day of the week in the place of it as I shall more fully explain the matter in Chap. 15. My sixth Reason is taken from the title of the Lords day in Reason 6. Rev. 1. 10. This title is an evident proof to all men that Jesus Christ himself did ordain the day of his Resurrection in the place of the seventh day for John in his Epistle to the seven Churches of Asia doth name it the Lords day as if it were a day that was familiarly known to the said Churches though they were many miles distant from each other But if it had been a new title of a new day not yet familiarly known to them John would have described it to them by some circumstantial demonstration but in as much as he doth no more but barely name it the Lords day without any further description of it It argues that this day by this time at least was familiarly known and grown into frequent use and practise among all the Christian Churches of Asia for at this time John wrote to the seven Churches of Asia in the reign of Domitian the Emperor which was about four and fifty yeers after the death of Christ by this time I say the name of the Lords day was familiarly known among all the Churches of Asia even as the first day of the week was familiarly known long before this to the Churches of Achaia Galatia Phrigia and Macedonia and doubtlesse as these parts of the world so many others did know that Christ Jesus had ordained the first day of the week for his publick worship in the place of the seventh day And truly John might well call it the Lords day in a double respect 1 In relation to the day of his Resurrection because in it he arose from the dead as the Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot Rom. 149. 2 Because He as the Lord of his Church and as the Lord of the Sabbath did ordain this day to be the day of his Publick Worship in the place of the seventh day to the end of the world And in both these senses David might well say This
the Sabbaths 2 In the New Moons And 3 in the Solemn Feasts By these two Scriptures compared together with Col. 2. 16. and with Gal. 4 9 10 11. It is evident that all the solemn Holy-dayes in Moses are comprehended under the said three termes And therfore by the term Sabbaths in Col. 2. 16. as it is distinguished from the New Moon and a Holy-day must needs be meant the weekly Sabbaths onely which some Christian Jews contended to have observed in their Christian Churches in opposition to the Lords day Object 3. It seems to me that our Saviour did not ordain his Resurrection day in place of the seventh day because our Saviour in Mat. 24. 20. Mat. 24. 20. doth warn his Disciples to pray at the time of their destruction by the Romans that their flight might not be neither in the Winter nor upon the Sabbath day Now if Christ had abolished the Sabbath by his death as you affirm then he would not have given this caution of praying that their flight might not be on the Sabbath day so long after his death for it was about forty yeers after his death ere the City was destroyed by the Romans Ans Christ did not give this caution to his Disciples in the nature of a Command or forbidding but in the nature of a dis-allowing of the Jews superstitious opinion of the outward rest of the Sabbath so long after his death They might in that space have been better taught and instructed if they had not been enemies to the Gospel of Christ but because they would not be instructed therefore our Saviour told his Disciples that the Jews of Judea in general would hold such a superstitious opinion both of the holinesse of the Temple and of the outward rest of the Sabbath day that it would be a grievous calamity to them if they were forced to flye for their lives upon the Sabbath day more than upon any other day in the week But yet this must be marked that our Saviour speaks this to his Disciples but as a Prophetical Historian foretelling them what would be the common opinion of the Nation of the Jews in those dayes namely that they would be infected with such a superstitious opinion of the holinesse of the outward rest of the Sabbath that they would neither stir hand or foot to break the outward rest of the Sabbath by flight to save their lives This caution of our Saviour to his Disciples must needs be understood in this sense because the whole frame of his speech is fetched by way of allusion to a former like sad calamity which fell upon them under Antiochus Epiphanes who did purposely molest them upon the Sabbath day as also in the Winter time and then they suffered extreme miseries by reason of their superstitious opinion of the outward rest of the Sabbath day which they might have prevented if they had held it lawful at first as they did at last that in case of necessity they might either fight or flie for their lives upon the Sabbath day Our Saviour in this his speech to his Disciples doth allude to the times of Antiochus and therefore he doth mention the Winter as well as the Sabbath day for Judas Maccabeus did cleanse the Temple and the Altar in the Winter Joh. 10. 22. and three yeers before it was polluted in the Winter 1 Mac. 1. 54. And secondly it was also polluted upon the Sabbath day 1 Mac. 2. 38. and now it was a time of grievous calamity to the Jews and therefore by way of allusion to this calamitous time our Saviour bad them pray That their flight might neither be in the Winter nor yet upon the Sabbath day for then they would do as they had done neither fight nor flye to save their lives This their blind zeal our Saviour reproves 1 Mac. 2 34. 36. 38. 41. and 2 Mac. 6. 11. It follows therefore by good consequence that our Saviour did not now in sadnesse teach his Disciples the continuance of the Sabbath so long after his death no more than he taught them the continuance of the service of the Temple by calling the Temple The Holy Place vers 15. But no man I think will say that Christ did then esteem the Temple to be the Holy Place but he names it so Docasticâ—s because the Jews of Judea in general would then esteem it and call it the Holy place and in that respect also our Saviour doth call the Romans that should enter into the Temple The Abomination of Desolation just as Daniel had done Dan. 9. 27. By this it is evident that Christ spake by allusion to former times But he knew well enough that the holinesse of the Temple as well as the typical Rest of the Holy Sabbath were fully ended by his death I grant that the Temple was once truly called the Holy Temple because it was ordained to be a type of the holy humane nature of Christ wherein his God-head dwelt Joh. 2 But yet this typical holinesse of the Temple must needs have an end as soon as the Holy of Holies did but enter through the vail of his flesh into heaven to appear before God for us Dan. 9. 24. with Mat. 27. 50 51. Heb. 9. 14. and the goodlinesse also of the Temple must have an end as soon as he that was greater than the Temple had finished his Oblation Mat. 12. 26. and by the like reason also the Sabbath as it was a type of our resting on the Sèed of the Woman to break the Devils Head-plot must end as soon as Christ had finished his Sacrifice of Attonement I will therefore conclude my answer to this Objection That Christ by this speech of his to his Disciples did but tell them what would be the coÌ„mon opinion of the Nation of the Jews at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem as I have already declared it but he intended no more to teach them the continuance of the Sabbath than the continuance of the Holinesse of the Temple neither did he by this Caution to his Disciples intend to prefer the Sabbath above the Lords day no more than he intended to prefer the Winter above the Summer of all which things he spake by way of caution to his Disciples what would be the common opinion of the Jews at the destruction of Jerusalem Object 4. If Christ had ordained his Resurrection-day as the day of his publick Worship in place of the Sabbath or seventh day then me thinks the Apostles in their Writings should have recorded it with the Circumstances of it namely the time when and how he did ordain it if this had been done the matter had been out of question to all men Ans The Wisdome of God did not see it good to make all his Ordinances cleer to all men at the first fight when our Saviour was here upon the earth he did oftentimes open his mouth in Parables that they which see not might not perceive and that his
best servants might dig for his hidden Treasures But I may say also it is not recorded that Christ did instruct any of his Apostles of the time when nor of the manner how he did first ordain John to baptise but because all men generally held John to be a Prophet therefore they concluded that he had received some authority from heaven to baptise subjects for Christ against he came into his Kingdome which he proclamed to be at hand and by the like authority we may conclude that the Apostles did command the observation of the Lords day for Gods publick Worship in the place of the seventh day because it was in frequent use in their dayes as I have proved and they being Prophets had special direction from Christ the Lord of the Sabbath so to direct his Churches which directions in all probability they received from him at his first comming to their Assembly in the evening of his Resurrection-day or else in the evening of his second coming to their Assembly on that day seven-night Joh. 19. 20. 26. for then he opened their understandings to understand such Scriptures as he alleged concerning his Joh. 19. 20 26. Death and Resurrection Luke 23. 54. 47. and then also he gave them a new Commission to preach the Doctrine of the forgivenesse of sins in his name Joh 20. 21 22 23. and then he gave Commandements unto them and spake of such things as appertained to the Kingdome of God Act. 1. 2 3. doubtlesse therefore he did then instruct them concerning the day of his publick worship wherein they must preach forgiveness of sins in his name to all the world and this Commission he did again renew unto them before his ascension saying Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and Io I am with you alwayes to the end of the world Whatsoever therefore the Apostles commanded the Christian Churches to observe they did it by vertue of Christs former command and therefore Paul saith I have received of the Lord that which I have delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11. 23. The Commandements therefore which the Apostles gave unto the Christian Churches they were the Commandements of Christ among which Commandements the observation of the Lords day must needs be one in place of the Sabbath which was fully abolished by the death of Christ CHAP. XVI Being an Answer to several Questions I Whether Christians Quest 1. now under the Gospel are bound to observe the Lords day as strictly from all work and as holily in all the duties of Religion as the Jewes were to observe the Sabbath day THe Sabbath or seventh day must be considered either as it Ans 1. was a holy sign Or secondly as it was the holy time of Gods worship in the first sense the Lords day is not like the Sabbath for our Lords day is not a sign of a thing to be performed by Christ as the Sabbath was but now our Lords day must be observed as a memorial that Christ hath fully broken the Devils Head-plot by his Mediatorial Sacrifice and this he hath declared to his Church by his Resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week and in remembrance thereof he hath now ordained that day to be imployed as the sanctified time of his worship in attending upon his Ordinances both publick and private as strictly from all work and as holily in all Christian duties as the Jews were to observe the Sabbath day under the Law and in remembrance thereof John doth stile it the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. Quest 2. Might not the Jews so much as kindle a fire upon the Sabbath day to dresse necessary food As Mr. Ainsworth seems to understand the Exod. 16. 5. Exod. 35. 3. Scriptures with the consent of the Hebrew Doctors in Exod. 16. 5. and in Exod. 35. 3. Ans I grant that Mr. Ainsworth doth so understand the Scriptures and so do some of the Hebrew Doctors But yet withall I say that the Scriptures rightly understood did alwayes allow the Jews as much liberty to kindle a fire for the dressing of necessary food upon the Sabbath day as it allows Christians on the Lords day as it is evident by the example of our Saviour himself for he went to a Feast upon the Sabbath day into the house Luke 14. 1. of a chief Pharisee Luke 14. 1. and at the same time the Pharisee had many other guests present for our Saviour marked them how they chose out the chiefest rooms at this Feast v. 7 8. And this Feast I conceive was a Wedding Feast though I also beleeve that the It is unlawfull to begin a Mariage upon the Sabbath day Lev. 23 8. new maried parties were maried before this day not on this day for the Jews held it utterly unlawful to begin their Mariage upon the Sabbath day See Ains in Lev. 23. 8. But yet they held it lawful to keep a Wedding Feast upon the Sabbath day and the reason is plain because they held it to be a lawfull custome to keep a Wedding Feast for seven dayes together of which number the Sabbath day must needs be one Judg. 14. 10 12. Gen. 29. 27 28. And this is a common rule among the Jews That whosoever marieth a Maid he shall rejoyce with her seven dayes not doing any work but eating drinking and making merry See Ains in Gen. 29. 27. And none could keep such a Feast of many persons in the cold Winter without the use of a fire to make their food comfortable to nature according to the nature of a Feast And it is further to be noted that whiles our Saviour was present at this Feast he found no fault with the act of Feasting but onely with some corrupt circumstances which did accompany this Feast 1 He found fault with some of the guests because they chose out the uppermost seats 2 He seemed to reprove the Governour of the Feast because he invited his rich friends onely vers 12. But Christ told him it had been more suitable to the Sabbath day if he had invited the poor to his Feast And yet I beleeve it was not sinfull to bid the rich for if it had been sinfull Christ would either have declined the invitation or else he would have born witnesse against it aâ— a sinful practise but he did neither of these therefore it was not sinful to invite the rich to a Feast upon the Sabbath day where the Feast must last seven dayes together 2 I answer That it was as lawfull for the Jews to kindle a fire upon the Sabbath day to prepare warm food for infirm and weak stomacks which are almost in every family as it was to do any other work of mercy And it was lawfull to do works of mercy upon the Sabbath dayes as it is evident by our Saviours often shewing of compassion
only the finishing of the visible Creation but of the mysticall and spirituall Creation also which must be finished I mean some of that kind by the Seed of the woman before the Host of Heaven can be said to be finished for the Host of the third heavens must be finished as well as the Host of the visible heavens before the end of the sixth day The like mystical interpretation I shall give of the word Rested Blessed c. when I come at them In brief I apprehend that there are ten severall words in the said three verses that must be expounded in a mystical sense as well as in a literal 1 The word Heavens 2 The word Earth 3 The word Finished 4 The word Host 5 The word Made 6 The word Rested 7 The word Blessed 8 The word Sanctified 9 The word Sabbath 10 The word Seventh But my work in this Chapter is only to prove that Adam and Reason 1. Drawn from Gen. 2. 1. If all the Host of Heaven and Earth were finished before the seventh day â—hen it must needs follow that Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day Eve were Re-created before the seventh day that is to say in the latter part of the sixth day and this I will endeavour to prove by a necessary consequence drawn from the first verse which runs thus And the heavens and the earth were finished and all the Host of them Hence I reason thus If all the several sorts and kinds of creatures which appertained to the Host of Heaven and Earth were finished before the seventh day then Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day for Gods Host was not finished untill some of that sort of creatures were finished which did appertain to the Host of the Church Militant here upon earth and to the Host of the Church Triumphant in heaven But all the severall sorts and kinds of creatures which appertained to the Host of heaven and earth were finished before the seventh day as the text doth plainly speak Therfore Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day and did appertain to the Host of the Church Militant here on earth and to the Host of the Church Triumphant in heaven before the seventh day or else God did not finish all the Host of heaven and earth before the seventh day which is to deny and contradict the words of the Holy Ghost It is out of question therfore that the souls of Adam Eve were Re-created and made perfect by the Redemption of the Promised Seed before the seventh day for that sort of creature doth appertain to the heavenly Host as well as the Angels and to Gods spiritual Host and Church here upon earth and in that respect the godly converts are called by the Figure Continent for the for the thing contained The new Heavens and the new Earth in which dwelleth Righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. 13. And it iâ— further evident that such redeemed persons are a true part of Gods Host here upon earth because the Scripture calls the Church of Israel when it was redeemed out of Egypt the Lords Host Exod. 12. 41. Exod. 38. 8. Num. 1. 3. And wicked Antiochus is said to tread down Gods Host or Army underfoot when he persecuted the Church Dan. 8. 14. yea all and every part of Gods Militant Church here upon earth is called Gods Host or Army Psal 110. 3. Adam and Eve therefore must not onely fall into the spiritual death of sin in the day of their creation but they must also be Re-created the same day as a principal sort of those creatures which God did create and provide both for his earthly and also for his heavenly Host for the Text saith That the Heavens and the Earth were finished and all the Host of them which must be understood of every several sort of Host not numerically of the whole number but specifically of the severall kinds of each Host for no new thing of a new kind was created after the sixth day Therefore seeing God did finish all the Host of heaven and earth before the seventh day he must needs Re-create Adam and Eve before the seventh day that so they might be a part of his Militant Church Host or Army here upon earth to maintain an utter enmity against Sathan and his seed Gen. 3. 15. and so from the first sixth day and forwards God will have a Militant Church to continue here upon earth to fight the warfare of Christ against Sathan and his seed to the end of the world Reason 2. It is further evident that Adam was Re-created by the Promised Seed in the day of his creation by another Inference Reason 2. If God had made something in the former part of the sixth day that needed a new act of finishing before the seventh day then whâ—t else can that finishing act be but Adams Recreation by the Promised Seed taken from the word Had finished as it is joyned to the word Had made vers 2. From the frame of these words as they are laid down in the Pretertense it is evident that before the seventh day namely in the latter part of the sixth day God had finished some of that work which he had made but mutably perfect in the former part of the sixth day Hence I reason thus God had made some of his works so mutably perfect in the former part of the sixth day that there needed a new act of finishing or perfecting the same before the seventh day and what else can that finishing act be but Adams Re-creation by the Promised Seed and the putting of all the re rest of the Creation at the very instant of Adams fall under the Dominion and Lordship of the Promised Seed And this must needs be so because God had made appointed or fore ordained Christ to be the right Heir of all his Creation and uphold all things by the word of his powerfull providence Heb. 1. 2 3. and in that respect Adam must fall and be Re-created on the day of his creation that so the right Heir Christ Jesus might come into actual possession of all the Creation by means whereof the Heavens and the Earth and all their Host was finished before the seventh day and in this respect Christ is eminently stiled Jehovah Sabbaoth that is to say The Lord of all Hosts Ps 24. 10. because they were made for his service that he as their proper Lord might rule them and govern them all for it is said See also ch 4 ch 6 at Sixthly That by him all things consist Col. 1. 17. and in this respect also he is called The Lord of all the whole world and of all things therein Jos 3. 11. Act. 10. 36. Phi. 2. 11. Ps 24. 1. Neh. 9. 6. To him also doth appertain the Dominion of the Heavens and of the heaven of heavens the earth and all that is in them Deut. 10. 14 15. And because all Government is his therefore it
some man or other into the bond of mariage This Interpretation cannot stand because this is no new created thing 3 I dissent from them that make this Woman to be the generality of the Jews that shall conquer the great Empire of the Turks for this new device doth not make this new created thing But to me it is most evident that this new created thing is nothing else but the humane nature of Christ encompassed in the womb of a Virgin First of the Virgin Eve And secondly of the Virgin Mary And at this new created thing no doubt but Adam and Eve did as much wonder as the Angels did at the hanging of the earth upon nothing Job 38. 7. yea this new created thing may justly ravish both Men and Angels with wonderment as it doth 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 12. Exod. 25. 20. By this Vision the Prophet Jeremy did call backsliding Israel to consider this new created thing saying by way of wonderment at their unbeleef How long wilt thou ga about O thou backsliding daughter for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth A Viâ—gin-woman shall compasse a man Hence it is evident that if this backsliding Daughter had but duly considered this new created thing it would have wrought true conversion in them as well as it did in Adam and Eve But who hath beleeved our report saith the Prophet in the like case Es 53. 1. Isaiah would have cured wicked Ahaz his unbeleef with this sign Es 7. 14 but this new created thing did not work admiration in his affections as it did in Adam and Eve and therefore it did him no good After Jeremy had propounded this new created thing for the conversion of back-sliding Israel he said I awaked and behold my sleep was sweet unto me Jer. 31. 26. it wrought sweet affections of joy in the consideration of it But if Jeremy had conceived as some Interpreters do that this woman had been a subtill immodest woman then I marvell how he could have had any sweet content in that consideration when he awoke By this woman therefore I do not only understand the Virgin Mary that did actually compasse the Humane nature of Christ in her womb but I do also understand the Virgin Eve that did virtually compasse him in her womb by faith for God did exhibit the Messiah to her in a gracious Proposition in the cool of the sixth day while she was a Virgin And it is remarkable that the Prophet Jeremy doth speak of this new created thing both in the time past and also in the time to come Behold saith he the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth and in the next clause he speaks of it as of a thing to come A Virgin shall compasse a man or a man-child for a man-child is called A man Job 3. 2. Joh. 16. 21. So then this phrase Ged had finished his work which he had made before the seventh day includes all this that I have spoken of the Humane nature of Christ as I have also noted it in Chap. 3. R. 2. Also the extent of this term created and made is very large for it is often applied to things that are new marvellous and glorious Es 65. 18. Ex. 34. 10. Num. 16. 30. also it is applied to Gods powerfull acts Deut 3 24. and to things that are done in a miraculous manner above nature Joh. 2. 9. In all which regards the humane nature of Christ as it was compassed in the womb of a Virgin that never knew man may well be called a glorious powerful and miraculous new created thing in the earth to the sound conversion of a true considerate heart 2 This new created thing the Prophet Agur doth make to be the greatest wonder of all the four which he doth name and compare together in Prov. 30. 18 19. Three things saith he are too wonderful for me yea four that I know not 1 The way of an Eagle in the air 2 The way of a Serpent from a Rock 3 The way of a ship in the midst of the Sea And 4 The way of a man in a Virgin The Hebrew word which is translated Woman in this place doth properly signifie such a woman as never knew man by carnal generation This Hebrew word is never used for a polluted Adultresse as some would have it to mean in this place 2 Neither is this Hebrew word used for a maried woman but alwayes for a Virgin that never knew man Examine the several places where this Hebrew word is used and that will confirm the truth of my observation It is used but six times only in Scripture Gen. 24. 43 Ps 68. 25. Cant. 1. 2. Cant. 6. 7. Es 7. 14. Prov. 30. 19. in the first five places no question is made by any to the contrary all the question is about this last place in Prov. 30. 19. and yet if the scope of the Prophet Agur in this Chapter be well marked there is no more question of this place than of the rest for in this Chapter the Prophet Agur doth speak of Christ in our nature and calls him Ithiel and Vcall vers 1. Mr. Broughton in Ecclesiastes pag. 11. saith that Agur speaks of Gods dwelling in Christ named Ithiel and Vcall which signifies God with me even the mighty so that we see the Prophet Agur doth call the Mediator Ithiel and Vcall in the very same sense that Esay calls him Immanuel the notation is much alike in both places Therefore seeing the Prophet Agur doth speak of Christ in our nature in the fore-front of this Prophesie what lets but that he may speak also of his wonderful strange conception in the womb of a Virgin the wonderfulnesse whereof he doth illustrate by way of comparison to three other things that are beyond the power of humane reason to find out For first who can find out the path-way where a ship hath gone in the middest of the Sea Or secondly the path-way where an Eagle hath flown in the midst of the air Or thirdly the path-way of a Serpent from the Rock Put fourthly who can find out how a Man child can be conceived in the womb of a Virgin that never knew man the Prophet Agur makes this fourth thing a greater wonder than the other three And this last the Prophet Jeremy calls a new created thing in the earth and seeing all sorts of creatures were created in six dayes it follows that this new created thing of the humane nature of Christ in the womb of a Virgin was created and exhibited to fallen Adam and Eve in a gracious Propetical Dâ—claration on the sixth day before that God could keep a perfect rest on the seventh day CHAP. VI. Proving that the whole world was made for the Honour of the Mediator as the right Heir of all 1 Hence it follows That God could not keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day untill he had put the Mediator as the right Heir of
by the Mediators undertaking to make a reconciliation by his propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement in the cool of the sixth day and from that day forwards God instructed Adam how to offer Sacrifices of Attonement as a lively memorial thereof and thenceforth all Sacrifices of Attonement are called sacrifices of rest to Jehovah and sweet sacrifices of rest Gen. 8. 21. because Christs Sacrifice doth quiet and pacifie Gods Soul that was so exceedingly displeased and grieved for Adams sin and therefore the Seventy call sacrifices of rest sweet Sacrifices which phrase of theirs Paul doth approve and use Eph. 5. 2. they are also called sacrifices of Attonement or propitiatory Sacrifices Upon this new settlement of the Creation upon the Mediator All the Trinity rested and were refreshed on the seventh day because they had perfected mans happiness by a Re-creation God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost were refreshed now all the blessed Trinity our blessed Creators and Makers did rejoyce in the works of their hands 1 The Father was refreshed with great joy of heart because he had found out a Reconciler and because his lost Son was found again Luk. 15. 2 The Son rejoyced and was refreshed because he had taken upon him the Person and Office of a Mediator that so hee might seek and save that which was lost Matth. 18. 11 12 13 14. 3 The Holy Ghost rejoyced and was refreshed because hee had re-created the heart of Adam and Eve and filled their Souls with joy unspeakable and glorious by inabling them to beleeve in the promised Seed as the Procurator of the Fathers Attonement by his propitiatory sacrifice And truly this work of Re-creation must needs be a ground of perfect rest and of joyful refreshing to such blessed Creators that could tell how to finde out such a mysterious way to create a-new that glorious work that was so confounded and spoyled by Satans Head-plot The Angels also rejoyced at the conversion of Adam and Eve saying Glory to God in the highest and on the earth peace and good will towards men Luk. 2. 14. and this must needs bee so because they rejoyce at the conversion of every sinner that repenteth Luk. 15. 7. Adam and Eve did also keep a blessed rest upon the Sabbath for their Souls were rejoyced and refreshed because they did by faith rest on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot And thus the first seventh day was a joyful day of rest and refreshing both to all the Trinity to all the Elect Angels and to repenting Adam and Eve and so it is to all true repenting and beleeving sinners Amen And it is further evident that Gods rest on the seventh day was nothing else but the quieting of his mind in Christs Sacrifice of Attonement because God is said to rest in several types of Christ as well as in the seventh day in relation to his resting on the Mediator for mans Redemption from Sathans Head-plot 1 The Land of Canaan is called Gods Rest Exod. 33. 14. Psal 95. 11. Heb. 4. 1. because God had appointed that Land to be the resting place of his Tabernacle and Temple Jos 22. 19. 2 Sam. 7. which did typifie the humane nature of Christ Joh. 2. 19. Heb. 8. 2. Heb. 11. where his Sacrifices of Rest might onely be offered 2 The Tabernacle is called Gods Rest Psal 132. 8. 3 Zion is called Gods Rest Psal 132. 13 14. 4 The Temple is called Gods Rest 2 Chron. 6. 41. and the house of his Rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord 1 Chron. 28. 2. 5 All Sacrifices of Attonement are called Sacrifices of Rest because they have a sweet savor that gives rest to the disquieted senses Gen. 8. 21. Exod. 29. 18. Num. 15. 3. Ez. 20. 14. But no man I think will say that God did rest in any of these things otherwise than as they were types of the Mediators Person and Sacrifice wherein onely Gods soul doth rest as in the onely Mediatorial procuring cause of his Attonement for mans Redemption from Sathans Head-plot The Tabernacle wherein God did dwell among the Sonâ— of Israel was three times over most carefully described by Moses 1 In Exod. 25. 2 In Exod. 36. 3 In Exod. 39. 32 to 43. This threefold telling of the Tabernacle which God did after cast off saith one of the Hebrew Doctors was not to shew that God did so highly rest in it for it self but to shew that he only rested in the Tabernacle of the Messiah and because the blessed Martyr Stephen knew that the High Sanedrim did rest after an outward hypocritical manner in the Temple he did upbraid their foolish confidence saying The most High dwelleth not or resteth not in Temples made with hands Act 7. 48. implying that the most High did onely rest in Christ that was typified by the Temple So then the place of Gods rest and of fallen mans rest lyes onely in the work of Reconciliation by the Mediators Sacrifice of Attonement Conclusion From all the Premises I conclude That Gods rest on the seventh day was his satisfying delight and his sweet content in Christ because he was ordained to be the Seed of the Woman to break the Devills Head-plot by his Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement and because God had setled the whole Creation upon the Mediator whose work was so perfect that nothing was lacking to the perfection thereof And therefore it follows that God ordained the Sabbath not in the time of Adams Innocency but after his Fall and Re-creation CHAP. IX Proving that God blessed the first seventh day with many Spiritual Ordinances such as were apt to convey Spiritual and Eternal blessednesse to faln man THis sentence God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it Gen. 2. 3. doth contain in it a full description how God did blesse the seventh day for the good of faln man 1 I will speak of the word Blessed in this Chapter 2 I will speak of the word Sanctified in the next Chapter 1 It is meet to inquire how God did blesse the first seventh day Did he blesse it with any natural blessing above the otheâ— six dayes Hath he bestowed a greater blessing of fairer Weather or the like upon that daymore than upon any other day in the week no but on the contrary he restrained his Manna from falling on that day and bestowed it upon the Jews on all the other six dayes of the week Therefore the blessing wherewith God did blesse the seventh day was not a common natural blessing but doubtlesse it was a spiritual blessing in relation to the good of faln man Hence then we may conclude that God did blâ—sse that day with divers spiritual Ordinances â—uch as tended to make faln man blessed by opening the manner how the Seed of the Woman should break Sathans Head-plot for mans Râ—demption Adam in his Innocency had no need of any such spiritual God would never have blessed the seventh day
is the day Psal 118. 24. which the Lord hath made let us be glad and rejoyce in it Psal 118. 24. The Builders the Scribes and the Pharisees put christ to death as an outcast Malefactor But this stone which the Builders resused is become the head of the corner for by his Resurrection he is become the Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot Now this is the day that the Lord hath made let us be glad and rejoyce in it Compare with this Psalm our Saviours Exposition in Mat. 21. 3 Why should not the title of the Lords day be as good an evidence that Christ was the Institutor of it in the place of the seventh day as the title of the Lords Supper is That Christ was the Institutor of it in the place of the Passeover A seventh Reason that doth perswade me that Christ himself Reason 7. hath ordained his Resurrection-day in the place of the seventh day is because God had determined beforehand as it appears by the Predictions of the Old Testament that he would in the dayes of the Gospel sanctifie some standing day for his publick worship in the place of the seventh day 1 It was Prophesied that in the dayes of Christ his people should come willingly at the time of assembling in holy beauty Psal 110. 3. I think none will deny these words to be uttered as a Psal 110. 3. plain Prophecie that the Christians of the New Testament must observe a certain day for the exercise of Gods publick worship in the place of the seventh day and of all their other Sabbaths 2 God calleth the Worship of the New Testament by the name of the Sabbath Es 56. 2 4 6. implying thereby that we Christians Es 56. 2. 4. 6. shall not onely have a certain form of outward worship according to the second Commandement but also that we shall have a certain known day for the exercise of the said worship according to the fourth Commandement 3 It is Prophesied that Christians shall have more Sacrifices in their Sabbath than the Jews had under Moses Law Ezâ—k 46. 4 5. Ezek. 46.4 5. compared with Numb 29. 9 10. This mystical speech doth imply First that Christians shall observe a certain form of publick worship And secondly that they shall observe a certain day for the exercise of that publick worship And truly it argues to me that God hath given over such men to a senselesse mind that though they are forced to grant that Christ hath ordained a certain form of publick worship yet do deny that Christ hath ordained a certain day for the exercise of that publick worship I cannot see how they can be separated without apparent hazard of barbarous confusion to Gods publick worship 4 It is Prophesied that the peoples shall be gathered together and the Kingdomes to serve the Lord Psal 102. 22. And that from month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come to worship before me saith the Lord Es 66. 23. Es 66. 230. These Scriptures do plainly teach us these two Doctrines 1 The utter abrogating of all Moses typical worship in the dayes of Christ because it is not possible for all Peoples and Nations to come to Jerusalem from month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath to worship before the Lord there 2 These words imply that the Christians of the New Testament shall be very active in Gods worship and in the observing of some known publick day for the exercise thereof An eighth Reason that doth much perswade me that Christ hath Reason 8. ordained his Resurrection-day for the day of his publick worship in the place of the seventh day is taken from the Mystical number Eight for the day of Christs Resurrection in a continued reckoning of dayes is the Eighth day For he rested all the seventh day in his Grave and the next day being the Eighth day in order of dayes he arose as an absolute Conqueror and the Mystical number of Eight is a day of perfection in the Law and therefore a fit type of the perfection of Christ by his Resurrection on the Eighth day 1 No creature by the Levitical Law was allowable for sacrifice Reason 1. Lev. 22. 27. Exod. 22. 30. untill it was eight dayes old Lev. 22. 27. Exod. 22. 30. I cannot but wonder why the Lord did refuse it as seven dayes old seeing the seventh day was the day of Gods perfect rest from all his works for then he rested in Christ that had made all perfect again after Adams fall by his Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement But when I consider again that his Propitiatory Sacrifice was not evident to be perfect untill he rose again from the dead as the Lord and alone Conqueror of Satans Head-plot on the first day of the week which day is also called the Eighth day by John Joh. 20. 26. Joh. 20. 26. I say by this consideration my wondring is staid and I do rather wonder at Gods wise Providence that would not accept any young beast as a perfect beast for Sacrifice untill the eighth day doubtlesse it was in relation to the manifestation of the perfection of Christ his Sacrifice by his Resurrection on the eighth day For though the number seven be a perfect number in some respects yet in other respects the number eight is a more perfect number The Youngling must continue under the Dam seven dayes during which space of time the Hebrew Doctors did call it Lacking Time because in that space it was not perfect for Sacrifice Although the Sabbath had passed over the head of it But on the eighth day it was accounted perfect and then and not till then it was accepted in Sacrifice Therefore in the case of Sacrifices of Attonement the number seven was not so perfect as the number eighth And what can this degree of perfection on the eighth day resemble fitter than the manifestation of the perfection of Christs propitiatory Sacrifice by his Resurrection on the eighth day And truly if he had not risen from death to life the next day after the seventh day his Sacrifice of Attonement by his death had been lost and vain 1 Cor. 15. 17. And answerable to the said eighth day John doth call the day of Christ his Resurrection the eighth day Joh. 20. 26. The Providence of God so guiding his Pen as pointing out unto us backward to the perfection of the mystical number eight in Moses Law My second Reason why the number eight did typisie the day Reason 2. of Christs Resurrection as more eminent than the seventh day is taken from the Law of Circumcision which was so strictly tied to the eighth day that though the eighth day did fall out upon the Sabbath day yet they must prefer the doing of the act of Circumcision because it was the eighth day rather than the act of rest because it was the seventh day Joh. 7. 22. And the Hebrew Doctors do affirm that