that he had sometimes found things so with himself Hieron in lib. de virgin Seru. that it seemed to him as if he had been triumphing among Troops of Angels and singing Hallelujahs with the Saints in heaven Yea walking arme in arme with Christ in the Galleries of eternal glory The Apostle is to this purpose 2 Cor. 12.2 3. I know a man in Christ above fourteen years ago whether in the body I cannot tell or out of the body I cannot tell God knowes such a one caught up into the third heaven And I knew such a man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knowes how he was caught up into Paradise heard unspeakable words c. This of the Apostle St. Paul does import the highest pitch of a persons being in the Spirit And of such a being in the Spirit the Apostle St. John does here speak his experience I was in the Spirit on the Lords day This for Explication Now for Confirmation Upon the Lords day good mens thus being in the Spirit See Why 't is sensible to some and How 't is possible to others 1. Some of Gods Saints are sensibly in the Spirit upon the sabbath-Sabbath-day Indeed This day is fittest for the Spirits working yea And they are fittest this day for the working of the Spirit The Sabbath it is a fit day for the Spirit thus to work for 'T is a day blessed Gen. 2.3 and 'T is a day sacred Exod. 20.11 1. The Sabbath being a blessed day it is fit for the blessed Spirit to be about his work Day blessed Note The blesser of it and The blessing on it The blesser of this Sabbath-day is God God above all blessed for ever hath made this day blessed As that is cursed which God curses So that is blessed which is blessed of God The blessing of this Sabbath-day is great As God hath blessed his Servants above other men So he hath blessed his Sabbaths above other time As Isaac had a blessing for Esau but no such blessing as had passed upon his brother Jacob So God hath a blessing for every day but no such blessing as he hath passed upon his Sabbath The very blessing of blessings is the blessing on the Sabbath so that well now may the blessed Spirit be about his most blessed works this being the most blessed day 2. The Sabbath being a sacred day a day sanctified and made holy it is meet for the works of this holy Spirit The holy Ghost As he loves to live in holy persons So he loves to move in holy seasons And so working there is Holy Holy Holy Viz. Gods holy Spirit the work is by Gods holy servants the work is in Gods holy Sabbath the work is on God hath poured out the holy oyl upon the head of the Sabbath as the precious oyntment upon the head of Aaron some drops of which may indeed run down upon the other dayes Upon the head of this day God hath set the holy Crown whence the Ancients well call it The King of dayes The Spirit of God t is termed a Kingly or Princely Spirit Psal 51.12 Vphold me with thy free Spirit Or as the Septuagint reads it Thy Princely Spirit The works of Gods Princely Spirit are most proper for this Princely day this high and holy day it best suites to the work of the most high and holy Spirit of God Gods holy Spirit may its true take A sinful subject to work in And yet a holy Sabbath to work on But his best works in souls sanctified are most seasonable upon this sanctified day Yea and the holy Spirit being now about his best businesse Both honours the Lord of the Sabbath And honours the Sabbath of the Lord. The Lord is highly honoured in the holy Spirits workings for He brings in Christs presence through his Ordinance And he drawes up Christs Ordinance through his presence The presence of Christ is by the Spirit so brought in by the Spirit the Ordinance of Christ is so wrought up as lifts up the Lords honour high The Lord never hath so high honour in a Sabbath-Ordinance as when therein appears his Sabbath-presence The holy Spirit by Christs presence supplies the want of an Ordinance improves the worth of an Ordinance by the presence of Christ And by all this is Christs honour held up in being the Lord of the Sabbath Yea the Sabbath it self is much honoured thereby Gods people whose hearts have been made to sparkle and spring through the Spirit of God upon the sabbath-Sabbath-day they esteem the day of the Sabbath Not onely as their resting day But rather as their rising day A day Not so much for the earthly easing of their bodies As for the heavenly actings of their souls This day in their hearts they so highly honour that for it they long and in it they labour and all with delight O how honourable in the heart of this Holy Apostle was the Christian Sabbath having there on been ravished in the Spirit He writing to the Churches of Christ first gives it this high Title THE LORDS DAY For the honour both of the Lord and the day Upon such accounts the Holy Ghost may well to chuse take up this as a day most fit for his great and wonderfull works 2 The Sabbath it is the day wherein Gods Saints are most fit for these wonderfull workings in the Spirit This day they being From the world most severed And with themselves best gathered 1. Upon the Sabbath Gods Saints are most remote from the world Greg. Moral lib 1. and so meetest for the Lord and fittest for intimate converse with God One observes that our Saviour being entred into a ship Mark 4. He commanded his Disciples to put a little from the shoare but not to lanch out into the deep Thus true Christians in the week-time may put the ship of their soules a little off from the land removing so far from their worldly affaires as by and by to step back into the businesse of their lawful callings but on the Sabbath they put the ship further off from the shoare and lanch out into the deep withdrawing themselves quite from their earthly occasions and applying themselves wholly to the solemne service of God Another speaking to the Church of Christ does something thus expresseâ— himself O chaste and holy spouse Bernard Christ thy heavenly Husband that will not all the week crowd in to thee through a throng of worldly cares yet upon the Sabbath will give thy soule most sweet visits While Zaccheus was among the presse of people he could not behold Christ but climbing up into a sycomore-tree then he saw him a good man in the presse of his week-day-imployments can get no view of Christ yet then the Sabbath-day is as the sycomore-tree on that he climbes and comes close to Christ Then his heart is in the best frame freest for God being furthest from the world 2. Upon the Sabbath
himself unto his Disciples Joh. 20.19.20 Upon this first day of the week when they were assembled he shewed them His hands and His side Then were they glad Thus upon the Sabbath the Lord shewes to his servants Both his hands And his side His hands That is the great things he hath wrought in them and for them acts of his glorious Attributes His side That is the good thoughts he hath further towards them intendments of eternal good will All which makes for the manifestation of Gods great glory And although we can never mention that glory which God did nor before possesse yet we may manifest that glory of God which our souls did not before perceive We never see the Sun of Gods glory to shine so bright as upon this blessed day It being the very end why this day was blessed that thereon the brightnesse of Gods glory might be the better seen 2. The Sabbath is set up to promote mans good In his spiritual part and In his spiritual estate To wit his soul in the concerments of grace thar he may be cast into a spiritual mould and become a spiritual man The appointments of Sabbath-time is to set and keep souls in a spiritual frame Both by the first infusions of grace And by the further additions of grace Mans heart is hardly put into a spiritual temper and as hardly kept in a spiritul order It would never rise from corruption or soon fall into confusion were it not for Sabbath-assistances Should we have onely week-time and be all for worldly things and have no time of Sabbath for soul-concernments into what an ill case would our souls soon sink As Abraham accounted all his earthly comforts nothing while he went childlesse sonlesse so should we esteem all our worldly enjoyments nothing if we went Sabbathlesse Indeed did we go Sabbathlesse we should be in danger to go Saviourlesse Christlesse heavenlesse to lose God and all that is spiritually good But that we may not lose but gain God and all spiritual good this day is drawn out from the common lump of time and set apart to advance as Gods spiritual praise so mans spiritual profit Thus the ends of the Lords day are spiritual 4. The opposites are spiritual against the day As Satan and Seducing men 1. Satan against the Sabbath-day as he is a spiritual he is a spiteful foe he knowes if he can make this fall other things will fly As the Assyrian General said to his forces Fight neither against great nor small but against the King of Israel So sayes Satan to all his instruments Contend neither with great nor small but with the day of the Sabbath down with it down with it Satan against the Sabbath seeks Either to beat it out from men Or to beat men off from it Here may I make a mournful mention of a good woman who by reason of her soul safflicted condition I have had with her the occasion of many a sad conference and though her usuall estate was full of extreame strange assaults yet I have frequently observed and the same her self hath oft freely confessed that still as the Lords day grew nearer her temptation grew stronger Never such sad bouts and sore buffets as upon some Saturday-nights Whereby she hath been ordinarily unfitted for the following Sabbath and oft times violently hindred especially from the publick Ordinances for divers Lords dayes together unto her after great grief Wherein I cannot but conclude the wiles and subtil works of Satan as the Sabbaths great enemy Yea Satans design is Either that men may not at all mind it Or that they may not spiritually spend Either to draw them from the day in its duties Or to dull them in the duties of the day A zealous sanctification of the Sabbath Satan to his utmost power opposes He cannot abide the spirit of burning should be upon us in the businesse of Gods blessed day As the holy Spirit puts us into the fire the unclean spirit oft casts us into the water so that our hearts heavenly kindled are commonly cooled The Divels Ephes 6.12 are called spiritual wickednesses or the spirituals of wickednesse as t is in the Greek As they are wicked Spirits So they are the spirits of wickednesse And as they are so spiritually bad so they cannot abide what is spiritually good As spiritual sinning against God they most seek to provoke so spirituall serving of God they most seek to prevent The divel can be content men should forbear bodily acts of filthinesse if they will but pursue spiritual sinfulnesse so can he be content men should perform outward acts of Religion if they will but cease from spiritual service they may be at all thâ— Ordinances of God upon the Lords day so they be not spiritual in any not misse a Sabbath so they passe not any spiritually 3. Seducing persons are Sabbath-opposers These are called spirits 1 Tim. 4.1 Because there be spirits that act them And becaâ—sâ— they act like spirits They be men whom spirits act viz. the spirit which iâ— of the world the spirit of the Divel the spirit of pride and falsehood â—â—e spirit of error and Antichrist c. They be men who act as spirits with subtilty sedulity agility restlesse and unwearied creeping up and down compassing places to and fro abusing Scripture to propagate error c. These oppose Gods precious Sabbath seeking Either directly to overturn it Or remotely to undermine it Directly By Atheistical arguing against all Gods holy times and things professedly and profanely despising of and disputing against as the doctrine of Sanctification so the day which God hath sanctified Remotely By setting against such as are Sabbath supports viz. Against Ordinances used in publick And against instruments of publick use Ordinances they clamour down especially some as singing of Psalmes administring of Sacraments c. endeavouring if possible to pull away one Ordinance after another till they leave the day destitute of all As Rachel weepiâ—g for her children Hence there is such a sad ceasing of several Ordinances in some Congregations that the Lords day may speak like Jacob Joseph is not and Simeon is not and will ye take Benjamin away also all tâ—is is against me Gen. 43. Instruments theâ— thrust sore at that are for Sabbath-Use Ministers by their law must be laid in the dust Their endeavours are to deal worse with the Servants of Christ then Hanun with the servants of David 2 Sam. 10.4 He shaved off the one half of their Beards and cut off their Garments in the middle c. But these seek to shave and cut off all both countenance and maintenance and to leave Ministers under poverty and perpetual reproach And are not these Enemies to Sabbaths and publick Assemblies And are all these Sabbath-ward spiritual The Ordainer of it spiritual The Ordinances in it spiritual The ends for it spiritul The opposites against it spiritual And shall not we be spiritual so as that we may be
of Religion before all other things in the world Deut. 16.17 18. We see what Injunctions are set upon the Supreame Magistrate in this regard and therefore Magistrates subordinate are chiefly to see to such things above all to look that the dayes and duties of Gods worship be carefully kept up by all within the Gates as of their Domestick so of their Civil Jurisdiction Exod. 20.10 Yea you kave bound your selves by solemn oathes Though civil things are principally expressed yet all is in order to a higher end and greater good True some Magistrates as Jehu and Jeroboam have made the matters of God subordinate to their own interests and the outward peace of their kingdoms but it hath ever proved the fatal miscarriage of such misplacing Governours State-ends must all be subordinate the chief and uppermost end of all in power is to preserve the things of God The main end therefore of all your engagements is to maintain Gods worship his holy Sabbaths and whatever serves for his honour As an oath hath a Divine Ground so it is for ends Divine And though many simple men that be brought before you discern God no more in oaths then Christ in Sacraments and therefore can take yea and break oaths as Sampson his Wit hs at their wills Yet what a solemn and sacred thing an oath is you well know Hereby you are bound as to do just things betwixt man and man so to do things just for God much more And as you are bound so you are backed and backed so as may well work up your warmest courage in the cause of God for the WAYES and DAYES of God You are backed with good Lawes against all open offenders and seen-Sabbath-sinners Evil doers upon the Lords day You are backed with the prayers of all Gods precious people who pour out their hearts to God to preserve blesse and prosper all pious Magistrates by whose means Godlinesse may be promoted amongst men 1 Tim. 2.1 2. You are backed with the promises of God the presence of God God is with you be valiant Be valiant for God is with you The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour sayes the Angel to Gideon Judg. 6.12 Be strong and of a good courage ayes God to Joshua I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee Onely be thou strong and very couragious Chap. 1. vers 5 6 7. And therefore worthy SIRS I beseech you against all encounters cloath your selves with courage You are to encourage others inferiour Officers are by your language carriage countenance counsel commands to become couragious and therefore be you your selves full of fiery courage The Audaciousnesse of men to sin even Sabbath-sins And the dulnesse of men even to Gods Sabbath-service calls loud for courage in Christian Magistrates Our Saviour had his scourge or whip with which he drove men out of the Temple with their sheep and oxen from their buying and selling Magistrates had need have their whips penal Lawes in force to drive men into publick places of Gods pure worship with their children and servants to hearing Gods holy Word and other duties upon the Lords day Good SIRS so far as you can put on with enkindled courage Such must not be soft wood but heart of Oak that are in the place of civil pillars not men of easie facil flexible timorous natures but men of unbended unbiassed dispositions resolutions full of fortitude valour magnanimity and of Masculine spirits c. Theodoret hath a good observation upon that in Leviticus Levit. 4.22.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. where the Ruler for his sin is enjoyned to offer an he-Goat the private man a she-Goat for though the female may fit the ruled yet the male most suites such as rule Some think that hence Constantine was termed Revel 12. the Churches Male or man-child because of his manly zeal for Gods Church the Lords day and all the affairs of the Gospel Gentlemen I hope you bear with me I conceive I am not excentrick but move within my own sphere while I seek to incite you with courage to set to it for God Num. 10. Joshua 6.20 When of old the Armies of Israel were to go out in Battel the Priests were to blow the trumpets T is meet for us that are Gospel Ministers to be as Gods Trumpetters or Drummers to draw up the spirits raise the courage of all that are to engage on Gods side for Sabbaths and all his sacred concernments against sinful men among â—hich Magistrates and men in office must have a main stroke If I may by these expressions and by this present Dedication more hearten you up for God and more heighten your zeal for the beating down of sin and well-being with us of Gods blessed Sabbath I have my design Who am ready to serve you in all such affairs Philip Goodwin Watford July 20. 1654. To the Reader Dear Christian A Quickening and a wakening providence that appeared in the place of my abode about a year ago put me then on publikely to preach and presse the practical observation of the Christian-Sabbath And though upon that sad providential passage I thought it seasonable to say something upon that subject yet at first I onely intended two Sermons as one dayes exercise but I found the Bread so abundantly to multiply even in the breaking that I could not but acknowlege the bounty of a Divine hand Whereupon I proceeded and upon the same further insisted That soul-provision which was therein made though some hungrily received yet others hungrily refused so that I could not but clearly see As God with So the Divel against Which made me more to mind the matter Hereupon having for divers dayes discoursed I was soon after much moved to transcribe some Notes thereof by me that were very unlegible in their first Draught These after coming into the hands of several friends they much encouraged me further to communicate the same I considering they were both Gracious and Judicious thought it might be the Lords voice and that whereunto I ought to listen Likewise considering of the matter it self I could not but confesse it might be of necessary use in the concernments of the Sabbath For whereas there are two sorts Sabbath-ward whose case is sinful and sad So here are two parts applying proper remedies for their recovery and cure He is not onely a stranger but a stone in our English Israel who doth not sensibly discern concerning Gods sacred Sabbath As some putting off the practice of all good thereon so others not expressing any spirit of life therein As some slighters of the Sabbath-day-duties so others slighty in the duties of the Sabbath day As some living in a fearful neglect so others resting in a formal discharge of a few feeble and faint performances The former part is pertinent to put men on to the practice of Sabbath-service The latter part is pertinent to pull men up in the service of
the Sabbath that they practise And indeed as the leavers of the Lords-day-duties so the liveâ—esse in the duties of the Lords day who would not condole their conditions and endeavour to quicken their affections These latter we as Ministers should much lament and if possible amend The wonted way and day of Gods worship how doth it wax old in our Land Like David when he was old and stricken in years they covered him with cloathes but he gat no heat wherefore his servants said to him Let there be sought for my Lord the King a young Virgin and let her stand before the King and let her cherish him and let her lie in thy bosome that my Lord the King may get heat 1 Kings 1.1 2 3. 'T is not ordinary cloaths or bare outward Ordinances that will bring warmth into this blessed day that now seems with us to wax old and cold We must seek for the Spirit of God the spirit of duty which as the soul being brought into its bosome will put new life with warmth thereinto And were but the Lords day thus recovered to its heat and health other duties of Religion would not long lie sick yea though all religious duties with divers lie dead in our dayes yet if this live they would live likewise Of the lively Lords day we may say as 't is said of Eve Gen. 3.20 She was the Mother of all living As the Lord of the Sabbath is the Father so the Sabbath of the Lord is the Mother of all spiritual life In the womb of a wel-spent Sabbath are the most vigorous and best spiritual conceptions In the armes and by the breasts of such blessed Sabbaths are born and brought up many new-born babes for God yea let the Spirit of the Lord spring life in the Lords-day-duties and Ministerial endeavours how soon would sunk Christians decaying and dying professors be fetched back that are going apace to the grave of Apostasie And other raised that are â—ven dead and buried in sin Indeed some have sunk so low and God-ward been dead so long that we may say of them as Martha of her brother Lord by this time he stinketh Joh. 11. yet we might look to see even such Lazarusses arise from their Sepulchers of sin upon the spiritual living of Sabbaths and the sacred service of God such things I also considering my encouragments have encreased thus publickly to appear in this present Treatise Yet as great cause requireth reflecting upon my many infirmities crosse thoughts have sometimes beset me not knowing what to do but looking up to the Lord at length I resolved to let it go considering likewise that the Lord oftentimes does great matters by litle and unlikely means The Prophet was pulled out of a dark deep Dungeon by cast clouts and rotten rags that onely seemed fit for the Dunghil Jer. 38.11 12 13. If thâ— Lord will my poor weak word may be some means to draw Sabbaths and sacred Ordinances out of those Dungeons of contempt into which they seem now to be cast And therefore good Reader joyn with me in prayer that a blessing from above may abide this book and that the great God of heaven would go with it from heart to heart and make it some help to this holy Sabbaths and servants Now the good Lord put life into every leafe line and letter and the Lord out of his goodnesse more enliven my soul and thine Who am thine in the Lord glad to do thy soul any good Philip Goodwin August 9. 1654. To the Reader THe matters of Almighty God and of mans immortal soul are things of the greatest concernment in all the world This truth is in the generall readily acknowledged by all and yet there is no one truth more contradicted by the constant courses of the most of men The businesse of the Sabbath is a convincing instance for although Gods honour and mens welfare are very much engaged herein yet many in opinion and more in their practice do oppose the right observation thereof as holy to the Lord. First Gods concernment herein may many wayes be made manifest This is one of those ten Commandements charged by the Creatour of heaven and earth upon man â—eut 4.13 â—â—o 31.18 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy And the engrossing of this charge God did not leave to any Amanuensis but he writ it with his own finger â—eut 4.13 â—â—sworth Also to intimate that his intentions were to perpetuate this with the other precepts of the Decalogue in the morality thereof the Lord himself imprinted it not in paper but upon Tables of stone yea when the first Tables of stone were broken â—xo 34.1 â— â—en 2.2 â—hald Paâ—phr â—a 58.13 â—oc ad â—eum non â—d homines â—ferri deâ—t Calv. â—ark 2.28 his Majestie gave expresse order unto Moses to have other Tables like to the former prepared and he wrote thereon the same Law the second time As the Lord delighted in the first institution of the Sabbath so he accounts himself honoured by its sanctification yea he taketh this as a title of glory to be called The Lord of the Sabbath whereas this is his complaint and charge against them who are regardlesse of his Sabbath I am profaned amongst them Ezek. 22.26 Secondly Mans obligations to keep the Sabbath would neither be judged few nor weak Ezek. 20.12 Ezek. 20.20 Ezek. 20.12 Heb 4.4 5 8 9. if principles of sacred self-love might prevail For the Sabbath is givin not as a task but as a priviledge to Gods people to be a pledge of their interest in God and a confirmation unto their hope of their further sanctification as also of their everlasting Sabbatisme or rest after their wearisome wandrings in this World â—sa 58.13 Sabbathum deliciarum And for the sweetning of the Wildernesse-Way unto the heavenly Canaan the Lord hath provided a Sabbath for our spiritual feasting every Week in which respect he commandeth us to call it and to observe it as a day of delight The Text opened and improved in this ensuing Treatise giveth instance of an heavenly rapture Isa 58.13 Sabb thum delicatum quia delicatè et te nerè est observanduâ— Lapid locum â—n with which Saint John in his exile was refreshed on the Lords Day and the servants of Christ have in all ages had abundant experience of spiritual Cordials given in upon their consciencious keeping of this Sabbath therefore the rather should we observe it with holy tendernesse as Solomon counselleth every one to keep Gods Law as the Apple of his eye Prov. 7.2 Upon the first consideration we may condemn the profaners of the Sabbath as guiltie of sacriledge Exo. 20.10 Rev. 1.10 for it being the Sabbath of the Lord and the Lords Day that time is stollen from God himself which is spent otherwise then he alloweth And how sad this sacriledge and theft is I find unfolded in the following Treatise Onely observe
this sin against God in Sabbath-abuse is abominable and inexcusable because we are charged only with one day weekly to be kept as holy unto the Lord. I remember Deut. 5. that Moses maketh mention of this as an Act of Gods great indulgence towards man and that having written the ten Commandments he added no more And should not we with obediential submission acknowledge the same concerning the Sabbath Upon the second consideration men may without uncharitablenesse be censured also as inexcusably regardlesse of their own soules good both in regard of grace and comfort here and hereafter who disrespect the Sabbath day which is the Market-day of the soul as worthy Mr. Rich. Rogers was wont to call it And that smart sentence which was misapplyed unto Christ for he strictly kept the Sabbath of the Lord his God may be applyed to that person who is a wilfull ordinary profaner of that holy time Joh 9.16 This man is nor of God because he keepeth not the Sabbath day According to a mans regard or disregard of the Sabbath is his respect or disrespect unto all the rest of Gods Commandements Here I might take occasion to bewail bitterly Englands wofull declinings both in matters of doctrine and practice concerning the Sabbath In former times no Reformed Church was so famous either for soundnesse in judgment or exactnesse in conversation in relation to the Lords Day But our Apostasie began to be Notorious when the Book for the allowing of sports on that day was promoted to gratifie the profane and Popish party then predominant in England And hereupon many both Bishops and others for alas how apt are men even Ministers among others to swim down the tide with them who bear rule appeared in the Pulpit and in the Presse to decry the moralitie and exact observation of the fourth Commandment Many worthy servants of Christ looked upon Germanies Warres as a fruit of this high provocation there and they have judged our late-yeares troubles an effect of the like profanation At this day notwithstanding our Covenanted Reformation how wofully is Gods Sabbath neglected every where and may we not say that the loosenesse of them who are Atheistically wicked is not so dangerous to poor England as the carnal liberty of such who pretend unto the highest pitch of sanctitie How many even amongst them under pretence of Gospel immunities and of observing every day as a spiritual Sabbath do both take and plead for that libertie on the Lords Day which old Puritans amongst whom the power of godlinesse shined gloriously did decry and abominate Many years since I heard this speech uttered with much affection from famous Mr. John Rogers Take away the Sabbath and Religion will soon wither And is not this too much verified amongst our selves in England at this day We have had and we have Acts Ordinances Orders for the better keeping of the Lords Day but who knoweth not that the life of the Law lyeth in the execution Proclamations and Papers will not pluck down profanenesse except they be strengthened by the vigorous actings of persons in power The Lord threateningly complaineth of the Priests in former times because they hid their eyes from the Sabbath Ezek. 22.26 The meaning of the complaint is judged to be either more generally their regardlesnesse thereof 〈◊〉 more particularly their not taking notice when and how and by whom profaned that they might by roproof seek redresse This I mention that we Ministers may mind our Duties in this regard more The Reverend Authour of this Usefull Treatise hath expressed vigorous affections with forcible arguments to awaken quicken and encourage people unto the better keeping of the Christian Sabbath And what considerations can be more commanding and conquering unto an ingenuous experienced Christian then those two hinted and handled from the Text which this godly man undertaketh and pursueth to good purpose in this present Treatise viz. 1. Christ whose Day the Sabbath is in a way of sanctified peculiarity 2. Spirituall joy with which the Lord is wont to crown the sanctifiers of this his holy Day The former usefull Works of this my worthy good friend have found so good acceptance amongst Gods people that I hope this piece for its own sake rather then for my poor Testimony will also be welcomed and improved I commend this savoury Treatise to thy serious perusal and thy self therein to the blessing of God Almighty I am Thy friend and servant in and for Jesus Christ Simeon Ashe August 7. 1654. THE Contents of the first Part. 1. HOw God from the Beginning before the Law ordained a set Day for Religious Duties pag. 6 2. How God after under the Law did more unfold and confirm the same pag. 7 3. Why Christ under the Gospel should have a set Day for his Service p. 10 4. Wherein the work of Redemption surpass'd the work of Creation p. 11 5. Wherefore the first Day of the week is called The Lords Day p. 15 6. What warrant for the change of the Sabbath from tke last to the first Day p. 34 7. Their Objections answered who oppose the Doctrine of the Lords Day p. 36 c. 8. Of the Lords-Day-Duties what they are and where to be perform'd p. 58 125 9. Their Objections answered who neglect the Duties of the Lords Day p. 65 c. 10. The Multitudes of sinners against the Lords Day discovered p. 20 c. 11. The Magnitude of their sin opened in several respects p. 83 c. 12. The sad Judgments to which Sabbath-breakers are subject p. 96 c. 13. Gods Delay of executing Judgment upon many that mis-spend his Day why p. 110 c. 14. What all are to do to help on due Sabbath-observance p. 120 c. 15. What especially some are to do that the Sabbath-Day may be duly observed p. 132 c. 16. The Necessary Use of the Sabbath To whom and for why p. 138 c. 17. The probable losse of the Lords Day when and wherefore p. 148 c. 18. How the Lords Day being removed may be long before its return p. 160 c. 19. How the Lords Day may remain amongst some as a sore curse p. 166. c. 20. How equal it is to observe one Day in seven holy to God p. 169 c. 21. The excellency of the Lords Day being well observed p. 179 c. 22. The commodity of well keeping this our Christian Sabbath p. 196 c. 23. The comforts of the Christian Sabbath well kept p. 214 24. Their Objections answered who cannot find the comfort and profit p. 225 c. 25. How the Lords Day in the worst times may be certainly and sweetly continued p. 244. THE CONTENTS of the second Part. 1. TO be in the Spirit on the Lords Day as S. John was what it is p. 259 2. Why some of Gods Servants are on the Lords Day in the Spirit p. 281 3. How any others of the servants of God may be in the
Spirit on the Lords Day p. 293 4. The properties of Gods Spirit towards good men p. 294 5. The properties of good mens spirits towards the Lord. p. 300 6. Unsanctified men cannot be on the Lords Day in the Spirit why p. 309 7. A false spirit moves mightily in them how that is discovered p. 325 8. How far some such men may be moved by the Spirit of God p. 343 9. Objections by and about some in this regard answered p. 357 10. Some of Gods Saints on the Lords Day are not in the Spirit why p. 354 11. Spiritually to spend the Lords Day what it contains p. 380 12. Motives that incite spiritually to spend the Lords Day of two sorts p. 389 13. Duties requisite to a spiritual spending the Lords Day of three sorts p. 433 14. Preparation for the Lords Day wherefore and wherein it is p. 437 15. How the Lords Day is to be begun carried on and ended p. 452 16. What is required after the Lords Day is over p. 468. A short Epistle to the Reader touching the Errata's Courteous Reader THough thou art no fault-finder yet thou mayest find many faults in a few sheets both through the Defects of the Authour and through the Mistakes of the Printer These latter are either lesser or greater Very many words false-spelled * As centre for center survile for servile and such like and mis-printed yet the sense of the place preserved These and such errours being lesse I let passe But many words are printed so much amisse as destroy the very sense of the place And among such errours more grosse Note these In the main Text. Page 33. line 12. for sports read spots p. 34 l. 24. for use r. cause p. 37. l. 25. for breach r. branch p. 54. l. 3. for meal r. wheale p. 96. li. 15. for renounced r. removed p. 107. l 4. for note r. find p. 108. l. 4 for frogs r. fogs p. 121 l 21. for conjunction r. conviction p. 135. l. 14. for Yea r. So. p. 142. l. 27. for in dayes past r. in dayes future p 145. l 6. for but r. yea pa. 153. â— 3. for cause r. case pa. 217. line 10. for Goats r. Groats p. 250. l. 2. for pre r. preserve p. 2â—2 line 12. for whole man r. whole of man p. 353. l. 16. for fixed r. fired p. 372 l. 18. for fixed r. fired p 389 l. 16. for spirituality read spiritual pag. 412. l. 23. for provoke r. promote p. 419. l. 16. for condile r. condole c. Errata in the Mergent Pag. 41. pro sâ—dendum lege ludendum pag. 24. pro ancle leg ante pa. 253. pro sancto leg sancta ibid. pro quiscâ—ns leg quiescens ibâ—d pro Exem leg Erem pag. 322. pro pessima lege pessimi pag. 328. pro August leg August These Good Reader and some other such Bruises the Body of this Book in the Birth hath suffered which yet thou mayest much heal by applying thereunto thy charitable Interpretations which he humbly entreats who heartily desires Gods honour herein and thy Benefit hereby Philip Goodwin THE LORDS DAY Enlivened Revel 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day SAint John among the Apostles is compared to the Eagle among the birds and truly let him be observed but onely as the Text present reports therein he is found to fly exceeding high soaring upward with heavenly wings yea he did as it were pass out of the world into the Spirit to converse with God in sublime mysteries upon the day of the Lord. I was in the Spirit upon the Lords Day Indeed if we reflect upon the foregoing verse we may view him in a very low place and case I John who also am your Brother written to some afflicted Churches of Christ and companion in tribulation c. Other Histories also tell into what troublesome times he was turned how Souldiers having apprehended him in Asia Non multum ante temporis Apocalypsin vidit Joannes Sed pene nostro seculo ad finem Domitiani Imperii Irenaeus li. 5. cont Valent and hurried him to Rome where being brought before Domitian under whom was the second if not the saddest of the ten persecutions this cruell Emperour caused him for the cause of Christ to be cast into a Cauldron of boyling oyl out of which by a strange providence being escaped he was after carried to prison in the Isle Patmos which as Geographers write was a barren beggarly place a little desert Island lying in the Aegean Sea where sure this good man met with misery so much as might have sunk his Soul But though he was world-ward in a woe case all the week yet he was in a high rapture and Heavenly posture when the Lords day came I was in the Spirit upon the Lords Day In the words of the Apostle are observable Somewhat implyed And Somewhat expressed Or his Concession And his Assertion That which he silently grants and secretly yet certainly implyes is That there was then a Lords Day in use and which he himself in his sufferings observed That which he positively expresses and plainly affirms is That upon this Day of the Lord he was in the Spirit I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day As there were two brazen Pillars whereupon the burden of Solomons Porch was placed 1. Kin. 7. So the burthen of following discourse shall all be brought and layd through the Lords help upon two Principall Points 1. Point That even in the times of the Gospel there hath been and is continued a day which is the Lord Christs by a peculiar claim THE LORDS DAY 2. Point that some of the Servants of the Lord have been and others may be in the Spirit on this day of the Lord. The Apostle is plain from his own experience I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day Upon these two bottomes I shall endeavour to raise the Religious observance of the Christian Sabbath and to lift up the Lords Day unto its highest and holiest use And now enter the first That the Lord Christ our dear Saviour hath a day that is peculiarly His THE LORDS DAY All daies indeed are the Lords The Lord Christ in all daies hath an undoubted interest yea and a double power for their dispose Natural and Oeconomicall An originall power and property pertaines to him as he is God coessentiall and coeternall with his Faher A derivative property and power as he is Christ the Mediator For as God the Father hath put all things so all times into his Son Christs hands We find Genesis 1. the whole space of time divided into Dayes and Nights Now there is not a night or day but is the Lords Psalme 74.16 The day is thine the night also is thine Yet there is a day which is THE LORDS by an excellency and in a super-eminent and immediate manner As we see Psalme 50. the Lord sayes that all creatures are his Every beast of the Forrest is mine the
difficulltie But the redemption of souls was difficult and painfull To effect the former God did but speak the word VVhereas to fulfill the latter the Lord Christ did shed his dearest blood 3. Most profitable unto us men is this mighty work of Christ Indeed to have earth to tread on air to breath in meat to feed of light to walk by are benefits but the subduing the strength of the Divell the removing the sting of sin with all the astonishing and sad sequels thereof The reconciliatian of Gods anger and The reparation of mans nature These and the like are benefits more abundantly benenficiall 'T is a mor admirable and andvantagious work for Christ to pull brands out of the fire then for God to bring a world out of the water After such works then may not Christ well require a day of religious rest A Sabbath to be sanctified for his service one day in seven Secondly The same honour is due to the Son that was done to God the Father John 5.23 All men should honour the Son of God even as they honour the Father In the times of the Old Testament all men did honour the Father with a day of holy worship and was a special part of his honour therefore all men must honour Christ the Son in the times of the New Testament with a set day for his solemne service To Christ for his Honour is ascribed The service of the day and therefore The day for the service is his due We find Christ honoured by attributing to him the Word Coloss 3.16 The Sacraments of Baptisme Act. 8.16 of the Supper 1. Cor. 11.24 So prayer John 16.23 Yea the whole Gospel-Ministery 1. Cor. 4.1 Sure then he ought for his honours-sake to have a Sabbath-day for the exercise of all these And are there not as great endeavours in these last dayes to lay the honour of Christ in the dust as ever before was to trample down the glory of God the Father Yea and far greater For Christ and the things of Christ As they are much above nature created So they are most against nature corrupted Yea and the corruption of nature was never so active and opposite against the dignities of Christ as in these last daies 1 John 2.18 Little Children it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrists shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that t' is the last time or the last hour as in the Greek And the divell knowing his time is short as he is the more malicious Quanto potestas Diaboli decrescit in tempore tanto crescit in malignitate so he is the more expeditious and industrious to dash down all the dignities of Christ and to hinder him the honour of his day which for his honour is his due Thirdly that the first day in the week is the day due to Christ THE LORDS DAY And this is fitly called the Lords day for a double cause Because of what was done by the Lord on this day and Because of what upon this day was done unto the Lord First Such things the Lord did upon this day as might well denominate it The Lords Day as 1. His resurrection from the dead upon this day Luk. 24.1 2. John 20.1 Very early in the morning did this Sun rise upon the first day in the week And well might he settle this day most observable for by his this day rising he made himself Most honourable Most profitable Most comfortable First Hereby honourable manifesting his marvellous Power when after three daies dead the Sepulchre sealed the stone rolled a strong watch placed yet he broke through all bars beat down all opposition as a Triumphing Conquerour over death and devills Lazarus John 11. When he rose came up with his grave-clothes bound but Christ cast off his grave-clothes leaving them in the Sepulchre Joh. 20. signifying he had victory over death wereas Lazarus was subject to die again Plus erat de sepulchro surgere quam de cruce descendere plus mortem resurgendo destruere quam vitam descendendo servare Greg◠The Jewes cryed Let him come down from the Crosse and we will believe T' was more sayes one for Christ to ascend from his sepulchre then to descend from the Crosse more to vanquish death by rising then to save his life by escaping O the honour of this 2. Hereby profitable The death of Christ was at the sowing of the Corn Joh. 12.24 The raising of Christ is as the springing up of the Corn. The benefits of Christs death are reaped in his resurrection the death of Christ was as the casting of Joseph into the pit selling him into Egypt and putting him into Prison the raising of Christ is like the preferring of Joseph by which he comes into a capacity to enrich all his Relations 3. Hereby comfortable O the joy of a raised Christ The Christians in the Primitive Church were wont when they saw one another to have this joyful salute The Lord is risen and the others ordinary answer was True 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plus gaudere propter resurrectionem gloriosam quam dolere propter passionem ignominiosam Bern. The Lord is risen indeed We should not so much mourn saith a good Author at Christs ignominious Passion as we should rejoyce at his glorious resurrection The day therefore of Christs rising may well set up this Christian Sabbath 2. Christs appearing to his Disciples was upon this day he shewed himself five times upon the very day he rose first to Mary Magdalen in the morning Mark 16.9 Secondly to the women Matth. 28.9 10. Thirdly to the two Disciples Luk. 24.18 Fourthly to Peter Luk. 24.33 Fifthly to the Eleven Mark 16.14 Excepting Thomas Joh. 20.24 When the Disciples were assembled Christ came in and he stood in the midst among them as the tree of life in the midst of Paradise and unto them we may observe He spake peace and He gave power He said unto them Peace be unto you Peace From outward foes and From inward fears And when fears were out joyes were in Joh. 20.20 Then the Disciples rejoyced when they saw the Lord never did their spirits so spring within them Never before did such a day of comfort dawn And upon this day he gave them a threefold power To Preach the Gospel To administer the Sacraments and To exercise Church-Discipline As is evident Matth. 28.16 17 18 19 20. Mark 16.15 16 17. Joh. 20.21 22 23 c. Hereby He did both sanctifie the day for such Ordinances And he did signifie such Ordinances were for the day And again the very next first day of the week after he arose from the dead he appeared to his Disciples Thomas being with them Then he did for his sake more familiarly and fully unfold himself then before This made one say He was more beholding to Thomas doubting then to Peter believing for upon the occasion of that Disciples doubts our dear
Lord upon this day drew forth most infallible testimonies of the truth of his resurrection and so left not onely to his present Disciples but to his succeeding servants a more firm foundation for their faith in himself and a more strong Argument to inforce their following observance of the same day Joh. 20.26 27 28 29. August detempore Ser. 25. Bellarm de cultu sanctorum l. 3. cap. 11. Tertul. li. de carne Christi 3. The Mission or Christs sending down of the holy Ghost was upon this day It appears the Apostles met upon the day of Pentecost Act. 2.1 this was a day instituted in remembrance of the Law delivered to Moses in the Mount fifty dayes after their departure out of Egypt Answerably whereunto the holy Ghost and Gods love thereby Rom. 5.5 is sent out and shed abroad the fiftieth day after Christ our Passeover was Sacrificed for us which by computation of the learned both Orthodox and Popish was the first day of the week Christ being gone up the holy Spirit he comes down A blessed bargain saith an ancient Writer hereby was made betwixt heaven and earth to triumphing Saints was given the presence of Christs body and to Militant Saints was sent the comforts of Christs Spirit The Spirit of Christ the Comforter came down upon this day That cannot but be a holy day wherein the holy Ghost came down There be 3. works of excellency applyed to the three Persons in Trinity to wit The work of Creation to God the Father The work of Redemption to God the Son And The work of Sanctification to God the holy Ghost Times and things Persons and seasons he sanctifies The holy Spirit passing through this day hath made it holy This being the day of the Lord his thus doing 't is THE LORDS DAY 2. To the Lord upon this day hath been done Sabbath-service In the Primitive times and In posteriour times The holy Apostles punctually set apart this first day of the week for the worship of God And they were men eminently endowed with the Spirit of Christ Yea men intimately acquainted with the secrets of Christ men immediately instructed by the person of Christ Christ in his own person before his death did discover things to them as to no other men John 15.15 and after his resurrection they were the men whom he did commissionate to erect a Gospel-Church and to order all things therein and therefore he did continue with them for the space of forty dayes before he ascended that he might fully furnish them for those great appointments wherein he found them faithfull And how successeful they were we see Act. 2. when on this same day were gained three thousand souls at one Sermon O blessed day blessed day And as for the Apostle Paul I shall pray you to ponder both His practice and His precept binding the day His practice in the day is plainly expressed Act. 20.7 And upon the first day of the week when the Disciples came together Paul preached unto them and continued his speech till midnight being to depart on the morrow c. His precept for the day is plainly implyed 1 Cor. 16.1 2. the Apostle there speaking of Collections for Saints upon the first day of the week when they should meet about the works of Gods worship adds this As I have ordained in the Churches of Galatia Piscator in Gene. 2.3 fol. 52 c. even so do ye In that He Ordains such duties for the day He Ordains the day for such duties And above fourty years after this as Chronologie saith Saint John tells us in the text of such a continued day The Lords day And as for other good Authors since the holy Apostles they report concerning the Christian Sabbath upon the first day of the week things of two sorts Some more remote as being a Preparance for it and Some more immediate asserting the observance of it Some things they recite as referring to this first-dayes-Sabbath August de tempo Ser. 25. Austin notes that this very day was the first day of the Worlds Creation when Angels Elements and lights were made and that of all the six dayes-works the work of the first day was greatest because then the first matter and Model the principals and Platform of all was laid Austin also observes that this was the day of Noahs entring into the Ark August de civit Dei lâ—b 16. cap. 26. of Infants receiving Circumcision of Mannas first falling in the Wildernesse Origen before him saith that if the Manna were gathered six dayes together as the Scripture declares Origen Homil. 7. in Exod. and it ceased upon the seventh day which was the Sabbath without doubt it began on the first day which is the Lords day and so he concludes the Lords day to be more excellent then the Jewish Sabbath This was the day say others of Christs Nativity and Baptisme of the Stars appearing at Bethlehem to the Wise men of Christs feeding five thousand persons and other particulars which are in this case collected But I proceed to such as insist upon matters more immediate affirming this first day of the week to be celebrated for the Sabbath of Christians In Eusebius we read the witnesse of Dionysius the Corinthian that they diligently kept holy this Lords day in those times Tertullian naming the Solemnities of Christians begins first with the Lords day which they he saith most carefully kept declaring their exercises theron Justin Martyr names the same day and shewes their works Ignatius against some that being Christians would retain the Jewish Sabbath saith in plain terms Plinius sub Trajano scripsitsolitos hoc stato die convenire Christianos ancle lucem carmenque Christo quasi â—eo communi voce dicere postea Sacramento se obstringere non in scelus aliquod ne furia ne latrocinia ne adulteria committerent c. Magdeb. cent 2. cap. 6. We celebrate no longer the Sabbath of the Jewes but every one that loves Christ keepeth now holy the Lords day An Historian writes of the Christians custome in the Emperour Trajans time how they met upon this same set day early in the morning sung a Psalm received the Sacrament and bound themselves in Covenant to fly sin c. And t' was a common question put to Christians when they were brought before Pagan Governours Dost thou observe the Lords day and the ordinary answer then was I am a Christian and I dare not intermit it I shall shut up my discourse about this setling the Christian Sabbath onely by considering Something that Christ himself said concerning that and Something concerning that Christ said of himself That which our Saviour saith of the Sabbath we find Matth. 24.20 Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath-day We may observe the Sabbath our Saviour means it was for such as were converted to the faith of Christ and 't was for to remain long after the death of
Christ 1. The Persons that the Sabbath was for appears to be the praying Saints of God though Jewes by Nation Christians by profession and therefore the day they ought to observe was suitable 2. The season of this Sabbath-day was during that Sabbath which should be at the time of the sacking and sad desolating the City Jerusalem About fourty years after Christs death that dreadful and terrible time came when according to the voyce heard in the Temple Let us depart hence Gods people departed thence to Pella and other places and for the Unconverted Jewes as Eusebius reports whereas they had sold Christ for thirty pence thirty of them were sold for a peny and so many hundreds of them who crucified Christ were crucified themselves in one day that there were not places enough for Crosses not Crosses for bodies Then then were Gods faithful ones fain to fly for their lives yet then were they to be serious and incessant in Sabbath-day-duties then all Ceremonies were abolished And that special day which the Jew had observed being Ceremonial was before abrogated and a seventh day as a holy Sabbath upon an another account then kept and so to continue 2. That which our Saviour saith of himself as concerning the Sabbath we see Mark 2.28 The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath-day Which notes in Christ touching this day two things His Authority for it and His Propriety in it The Sabbath is such a day that the Lord Christ For it gives a special command and In it keeps a special Interest Other time the Lord allots and allows men for their ordinary affairs but this day he reserves as his proper and peculiar Portion Truly may we say of the Sabbath as 't is said of Jacob Psal 135.4 The Lord hath chosen it unto himself for his peculiar treasure Vox segulah significat rem quandam auctam charam sive the saurus fuerit sive res aliae quae cunquâ— His Segullah Time the Lord gives out but this he keeps as his store and as that which to him is most dear THE LORDS DAY Christ he is clearly the Lord of all but especially THE LORD OF THE SABBATH The Sabbath at first considered with other dayes As Christ hath separated it from them So Christ hath elevated it above them Above all dayes he doth estimate this 't is emiminently his And he the Lord of this day It being from him in respect of its Rise And it being for him in respect of its Use Christ was the raiser of it and Christ is the ruler in it This is that high day he hath set upon stable grounds This is that great day he doth guide unto noble ends The grounds on which this day is erected are The Lords abundant care of And His abiding Covenant with his Church and people throughout all ages Such is the care the Lord hath for the spirituall profit of his People and to perpetuate the Practice of Religion as thereupon he appoints this present day Yea and that it might abide he hath bound it by covenant to continue through all generations Vid. Willets Hexapla in locum Exodus 13.16 17. The ends to which this day is directed are The honour of God And The happinesse of man Hence is that Isay 58.13 If thou call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him And hence is that Isay 56.2 Happy or blessed is the man that doth this the son of man that layeth hold on it that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it To say now no more this is that sweet day upon which Saint John had such Soul-ravishing-Revelations in the Spirit I was in the Spirit upon the Lords Day The Use two-fold Of Information Of Exhortation First we are here informed of mens fearful evills relating to the Lords Day viz. Both The sinfull evill they are guilty of The Penall evill they are subject to First to set out the sinfulnesse of men against the Sabbath I shall consider and clearly discover The Multitude of the sinners And The Magnitude of the sin Sinners against the Holy Sabbath are of severall sorts Some sinning against the doctrine of the day And Some sinning against the duties of the day 1. Some that in point of judgment lye crosse to the Lords Day Of such There be some grosse in their opinion And others in their opinion more loose The former deny the day Positively and in whole The latter deny the day respectively and in part Those that do not at all believe the Lords Day are of two sorts Some that more Sordidly declare it Some that more subtilly conceale it 1. There be some that publiquely proclaime their denyall of this Holy Day and of them we may observe two sorts Some that did never better appear in time past And Some that in time past did much better appear Some that have been so Sottishly and abominably bred up that a conviction of the Lords Day they never let in Sabbath-Principles they never laid up And some whose education and profession hath formerly declared their belief of the Lords Day but now run in ranting and riotous waies publishing their opinions against all Sabbath-observance yea are come to scorn and mock at the Sabbaths of the Lord like those Lam. 1.7 Of such what shall I say But declare them utterly unclean because the Leprosie is in their heads I allude to that Levit. 13.44 verse Secondly there be others that carrie Some Sabbath-day-shew they abstain from their ordinary works and meet where some matters of Religion are managed but not from any tye upon conscience or obedience to any divine Authority The Papists upon an Ecclesiasticall and others upon a Politicall account and because of the civill power otherwise in their own opinions they are set Sabbath-free They do not embrace the Sabbath that 's crosse to their inward principles yet they doe not disclaim the Sabbath that may prove their outward Prejudice This is plain hypocrisie in the Lords Day and woe to such hypocrites in the Day of the Lord. I proceed next to consider them that assent somewhat to a Sabbath-day but their assent thereunto is not right and through Of such there be two sorts Some which deny that this is the Day And Some who deny that of the Day which is Some grant the Lord hath a Day for his service but they plead against the first and for the last day in the week the particular day which the Jewes kept to be still the standing Sabbath-day In this is a subtile design of Satan when he sees as Sabbath-men will have he seeks to set it where it may be sure to fall and though about this scruples may be in some consciencious yet the principall Patrons for the Jewish Sabbbath do it out of a secret design to lay waste the Lords Day Conatus eorum tanquam Pestilentissimus est retundendus Musc Loc Com. Part. 1. fol. 148. This made Musculus to
Sabbath 'T is necessary for a man to follow his lawfull calling and to be diligent in his worldly businesse When we read sayes Bernard that Adam in the pleasant place of Paradise was appointed to work shall we think that the sons of Adam in the troublesome Wildernesse of this world are placed for play No 't is necessary for the sons of men to be industrious in their lawful affairs Moses putting his hand in his bosome 't was leprous but putting it out 't was made whole God hath given men hands for a threefold work sayes one To lift them up in prayer to God To stretch them out in charity to the poor and To put them down by labour in a lawful calling So that for a man in his lawful calling to labour it is necessary viz. in its season But herein to labour upon the Lords day is dangerous The gain of this day may be as the gold of Tholosse as the cole brought to the nest setting the young and all on fire Luk. 10. Reproof is given to Martha by our Saviour for her being about ordinary affairs assuring her that One thing was needfull Needfull it was for Martha to be about her houshold businesse Yea but not then when Christ was present and an opportunity served for soul-advantage which her sister Mary minded Thus though 't is needfull for Christians to look after their lawfull occasions in the world yet not upon the Lords day the season for soul-advantages 4. Are such wordly walks and works necessary and are the works of Gods worship arbitrary yea upon the Sabbath is not the service of God much more necessary As the Apostle said Act. 4. Whether it be more needfull to obey God or men judge ye So say I Whether it be on the Sabbath more needfull to serve God or your selves judge ye whether more needfull to take care for your temporal or your eternal being judge ye Among necessaries that which is most necessary is to be first minded Object We see none so exact our neighbours are not so nice but take their liberties on the Sabbath and why not we the same Answ 1. We must live by precept not by example 't is the Law of God and not the lives of men that must be our rule As he that will be for God must crosse the most of men so he that would go to heaven must leave the greatest part of the world behind him He shall never write a good hand that makes the world his Copy nor shall he ever well observe a Sabbath who frames himself unto the common platforme 2. If patterns are to bo followed Be ye then followers of God as dear children Ephes 5.1 In six dayes God made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hollowed it Likewise let us look unto the Lord Christ Luk. 4.16 He went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day as his custome was c. Learn we ought of Christ though not as Austin observes to walk on the waters yet to work in Gods worship upon the Sabbath-day 3. If we will take our Model herein after the manner of men 't is best to look back to preceding Saints Gods Church and people considered as past and present may be compared to that cloud Exodus 14. which was partly bright and partly dark The bright part was before to give light to the Israelites and the dark part behind to blind the Egyptians The Saints and people of God aforetime were as the bright side of the cloud shining clear in Chistianity strict in all the waies of God and most exact in Sabbath-service such as now professe themselves the Saints of God are as the following dark side of the cloud more dim and dull in holy duties more loose upon the Lords Day having lesse of the life and lustre of religion O let us but think what was the care of Christians not many years ago to improve Sabbaths and all the service of God such follow with holy Apostles and Martyrs and the spirits of just men made perfect 4. If herein we will take such as are present for our pattern Blessed be the Lord some are left that hold up religion to the life and with great care look to the Lords Day and the duties thereof Indeed there are divers of whom we may complain Chrysost in Matth. Hòm 3. as Chrysostome of some in his time Whereby sayes he shall I know you to be Christians Do you not delight in any place more then in the Courts of the Lords house and take pleasure in any time more then in the hours of the Lords day Yet some few are found faithfull to the Lord and his Day and such we should duly observe 5. When an age is in religion loose 't will be the more any mans credit and comfort to be exact and strict To be a precise Sabbath-keeper in a Sabbath-breaking-age that 's a mans honour For a man to remain sound in his principles and punctuall in the practicall observation of the Sabbath when opposite evills are high and huge August de Tempo Serm. 23 2◠in times and places that strange birds build their nests when multitudes in Townes and Parishes as Austin resembles them are like Toades and Frogs in fens and puddles Croaking against the Lords Day When many as Musculus upon the fourth commandement complaines Beza in Cant. Solo Hom. 30. Bucer◠in Psal 92. the like Beza Bucer and others laments pittifully prophane the Lords holy Day this is praise then to be painful pure and permanent in the practice of all the Lords-Day-duties Object We for our selves observe the Sabbath but there are some with us that will have their liberties and who can help it Answ Superiours must help as much as is possible that others under them as well as themselves observe the Lords Day Therefore as many of us as have others within our gates and under our government we ought as much as in us lyes upon the Lords Day to endeavour the drawing them to holy duties which may appear plain through a double proof The precept of God about them The property of God in them 1. God gives his precept for them herein as we find in the fourth Commandement The Seventh day is the Sabbath in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant c. If it be our duty to keep them from ordinary work for the case of their bodies then to bring them to holy ordinances for the good of their Souls and the bodily rest we are to allow them lyes upon this account they are to rest from the common works of their vocation in order to the exercises of religion in private and publike upon the Lords Day Luke 13.15 Doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his oxe or his asse from the stall and lead him away to watering and ought not each one of
he had seen very many yet he never saw the like Thus much may evidence that though now the Lord lets alone the most Sabbath-slighting-men yet he does evident execution on some To inform men of himself and To reform men in themselves 1. By this God brings out unto men more of the knowledge of himself Psal 9.16 The Lord is known by the judgement he executeth c. God executing judgement upon such as pollute his holy day is known to be a holy God Some such the Lord lets alone that his patience may be seen and some he proceeds against that his justice may be known August de civit Dei cap. 8. Austin is excellent in this God now punishes some sinners that the Attribute of his present justice may be observed but God he reserves others that the Doctrine of his future Judgement may be believed If God should punish none he would not be known to be just If God should for present punish all the need of a Judgement day to come might be questioned 2. By this God brings on more men to amendment of life at least 't is the Lords end in executing judgement upon some Law-breakers to stop others in the breaking of his Law when God bodily beats any sinner down his aime is to strike thereby upon the hearts Of all sorts of sinners but Especially upon sinners of that sort God in doing visible and terrible execution upon some Sabbath-breakers hereabouts expects that all who break his blessed Sabbath Interim plectuntur quidam quo caeteri corrigantur c. Cypr. de lapsis Serm. should heare and fear repent and amend Cyprian doth sweetly presse the recovery of some relapsed Christians from the dreadful examples of Gods judgements upon some Apostates And this use our Saviour makes of those eighteen whose brains were beaten out by the fall of the Tower of Siloam to provoke others unto speedy repentance Luk. 13.4 5. Except c. Alsted Chronol We read of one Waldus in France who seeing a man suddenly to fall down dead it so struck upon his heart that he went home reformed his family admonished his friends to repent and became famous being the founder of the Waldenses O that the hand of the great God would now reach all your hearts who have seen and heard of what God hath in justice done in the fearful falls of some who defiled his Sabbath For except ye repent Pereunt impii non ut pereant sed ut pereundo alios proficiant Seneca ye shall all likewise perish O repent repent That the Lord may have the praise of his justice And that you may have the profit of his judgements The exhortation followes And in prosecuting this present use attend Both the Matters men are to be exhorted to And the Motives men are to be exhorted by The most material things to which I would incite concerning the Christian Sabbath be To Assent in judgement and To Assist in practice Let all assent that this Sabbath ought to be observed and let each assist in the observation of the Sabbath and let 's seriously see that our Sabbath-assent be Full without doubting in it and Firme without swerving from it With some little varying let me presse in the words of the Apostle 2 Thess 2.1 2 3. Now we beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that ye be not soon shaken in mind neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as if the Lords day should not be at hand and ever in your hearts Let no man deceive you by any means for that day is and must be and will be owned except there come a sad and fearful falling away through the subtilties of that man of sin O let us take and keep such a conjunction upon our consciences concerning this day and duty as may be strong and stable Indeed to be well settled in the point of the Sabbath we have exceeding good cause considering we have Not onely the help of Nature But also the help of Scripture There be some lessons the light of nature leads to viz. That there is a God That this God must be worshipped That there must be a time set to worship him in Than 't is meet for God to appoint his own way and time of worship 'T is true to determine the seventh part of time for the worship of God is above the dictate of Nature hence the Heathen in derision were wont to call a Jew the seventh man because he observed a seventh day wherein to worship God We have not onely principles of nature but expressions of Scripture nor onely consequentiall deductions but also positive assertions to settle our beliefe concerning a holy Sabbath yea we have Not onely the help of the Law But also the help of the Gospel The Gospel guides into most glorious truths viz. That there is a Christ That this Christ is God That therefore he must have Divine worship That for his worship he must have a set seventh day as God had That every first day in the week is the day set for the solemn worship of Christ yea help Not onely of the Gospel of Christ But also of all the Churches of Christ In ages past And present They all with an harmonious consent subcribe this truth and hand over to us this testimony That the Lords day Is the Lords due Yea Not onely the Churches of Christ without us But also the Spirit of Christ within us helps The Spirit of Christ though he savingly converts but few yet he does forcibly convince the most most men amongst us are hereby convinced of this fundamental in Religion viz. That the Lords day ought to be observed Let us not then dimme the light nor drown the voyce within us that cryes Sabbath Sabbath Let us not suffer our minds to be corrupted with any poysonous opinions in this point But Brethren stand fast and hold the institutions of God according as you have been taught Silence all doubts about and disputes against the Lords day and stick close to that truth herein which you have professed and imbraced O let not any of you let in the least thought ever to live Sabbath-free indeed 't is a day all men must alway be free for and free in but not any ever freed from Bulling in Rom 4 et 5. 'T was a good observation of a learned Writer The Sabbath as it came in with the first man so it most not go out but with the last man As it was from the beginning of the World so it must continue till the worlds end And therefore for the Lords sake and your own souls sake suffer none to seduce you as to conceive a Sabbath-cease but keep your Intellectuals sound in Sabbath-Tenents and while you live labour to keep pure your Sabbathp-rinciples And as for practices 2. Let all and every one assist unto the service of the Sabbath day Suitable to the
parts of the service Suitable to their places for the service Concerning the service of the Lords day it self observe The spring of it and The spread of it What it must proceed from and What it must extend unto 1. Sabbath-service must proceed from a spring of love The service of our Christian Sabbath-love Amor meus pondus meum eo feror quocunque feror Aug. 'T will facilitate it and 'T will perpetuate it Love it will lead out and carry through the wole businesse of this blessed day with ease to the end Love is the best Load-stone through all the Lords day-duties This is one of the dayes of the Lords appearing which every Christian is bound to love 2 Tim. 4.8 And who ever loves the day will not leave the duty 2. The service of the Sabbath is of such extent that there are divers duties duly to be performed Both secretly in our Habitations And openly in the Congregation In our private dwellings Religious duties upon the Lords day are required of every one as Prayer Meditation and holy Conference Prayer whereby we speak to God Meditation whereby we speak to our selves And good Conference whereby we speak one unto another Prayer The Sabbath is indeed a day God hath sanctified yet 't is not sanctified as to us nor we to it without prayer Our Sabbath in heaven shall all be imployed in praysings of God but prayer to God must have a prime part of every Sabbath we observe on earth Are there Sbbbath duties to be performed we must pray that God would make us able Are there Sabbath mercies to be received we must pray that God would count us worthy Meditation The Sabbath is the day for the bodies rest from earthly affairs and therefore the mind is then most meet to be about the best businesse Theophil in Marc. 1. et 21. One well notes that the Lord commands rest upon the Sabbath that men might read the Word and meditate upon the Word they read The Word and the Works of God are indeed every day to be meditated on but most upon the Lords day Augustine gives this reason why God was six several dayes in the works of the World to wit that upon the seventh day man might the more orderly think upon those Works of God Conference The Sabbath is the day when all in a family have more liberty to be together then on any other day On the week dayes persons in a house are as Bees in a Hive that go forth several wayes to work but on the Lords day their common work abroad ceases so that they may the better set themselyes to assist each other in soul concernments Exhorting one another while it is called to day Heb. 3.13 In our publick meetings The religious duties which upon the Lords day are required be Either more ordinary Or lesse ordinary Ordinary and constant duties for the exercise of all As Prayer to God Hearing the Word and Singing of Psalmes Prayer Upon the Lords day though one be made the Mouth yet 't is meete there should be as many praying hearts as present bodies Prayer was a principal thing the practice of which the Primitive Christians continued in their congregated assemblies Act. 2.42 Austine sadly complains of some in his time August de tempore Serm. 251. who when they should be entring in the Church doors they are tarrying in the Church-yard playing without when they should be praying within idly talking of the world when they should be seriously seeking the Lord c. O that this abuse had dyed in his dayes but the Lord knows it lives for us to lament Hearing Upon the Lords day a great duty is diligent attention to Gods word read and preached They sayes a reverend Writer who rightly use the Sabbath day Gualt in Marc. 3. Hom. 23. they go to the publick assemblies to hear the holy word of God And herein what was the practice of Gods people in the time of the Apostles is plain Act. 13.14 15 16 42 44. Act. 15.21 Act. 20.7 c. And Justine Martyr who dyed for the cause of Christ in the year of our Lord 170. in his second Apologie for Christians reports the people of God to gather into one place perpetually on the Lords day to hear the Scriptures read and to attend exhortations thereupon Singing Upon the Lords day it being the day of Saints sweetest delight holy Psalmes are seasonable to be sung And in ancient times there were some Psalmes penned and purposely appointed for the Sabbath day as is expressed in the Preface of Psal 92. Pliny in his letter to Trajan tells how in those times the Christians upon their set dayes of solemn worship used early in the morning sweetly to sing together unto the praise of God August lib. 9. confessio cap. 6. Austin in this publike exercise sayes he had often wept for joy joy c. Some seek to cut off and cast this comfortable service quite out of doors contrary to the example of Christ Matth. 26.30 the practice of the Apostles Act. 16.25 and other expresse texts in the New Testament August in lib. Psal Prolog Basil de virt laud. Psal Tom. 1. as Colos 3.16 Ephes 5.19 Jam. 5.13 Among other ancient Writers Basil speaks large in the praise of praysing God in this way and abundantly blesses God for the Book of the Psalmes as a fit foundation for this duty Lesse ordinary yet frequent duties upon the Lords day to be done they do relate to Sacraments administring Censures inflicting and Necessities supplying Sacraments The transacting of these suites best unto the Sabbath season One well observes that upon the day of the ancient Sabbath the sacrifices were doubled Danaeus Ethic. Chr. lib. 2. cap. 10. And our Sacraments succeeding these should not onely come in their room but be at their time as services most seasonable for the day of our Sabbath Chrysostome reports how in the primitive times the Lords day had a double name 't was called Chrysost de Resurr Serm. 15. The day of light and The day of bread Of light Because on that day the Sacrament of Baptisme was wont to be openly administred Of bread Because the Sacrament of the Lords Supper used to be celebrated on that day in the Assemblies of Christians And this was the manner of the Disciples in the time of the Apostles Act. 20.7 Censures The exercise of Discipline is fit for the Lords day when the servants of Christ are assembled then to remove from among them scandalous persons both in opinion and practice that 's a plain place 1 Cor. 5.4 In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together viz. on our Lords day and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan c. And the first power for this purpose that our Saviour gave to his Disciples was upon the day of our Christian Sabbath the first day of
the week see Joh. 20.19 23. Therein directing them as on this day to exercise that power and that power it does appear was upon this present day principally put in execution afterward thus Origen Cyprian and others relate Orig. can Cels lib. 3. Cypr. ad Pomp. Epi. 62. Greg Nys orat And O how pure and clean would our waters boyl could we on this day so cast off our scum Help Lord c. Necessities The duty of charitable relief is proper for the Lords day 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Tertullian tells in his Apologie for Christians how carefull the Christian Churches were to works of mercy on the Lords day whereby their Brethren in bonds were bountifully supplied and the bellies of the afflicted refreshed Irenaeus contra Valenti lib. 4 cap. 19â— Another of the Ancients does excellently note from the example of our Saviour Luk 13.15 that the right sanctifying the Sabbath day does consist in acts of pitty works of mercy and how charitable deeds become this comfortable day Luk. 14.1 2 3 4 5. is full These Sabbath-duties some way concern the whole body of a people more promiscuously 2. There be some duties on the Sabbath that do concern some persons principally as Magistrates and Ministers Parents and Masters All ought to concur in their care for the keeping of this day Indeed the Lords day is the Fort-royal of Religion let all stand to it in their places we be not beaten out of that especially now when so many lay siege thereunto Some set their wits awork and oppose the doctrinal part of it Others set their wills awork and impugne the practical part of it and as they will not rest on the Lords day so they will not let the Lords day to be at rest but mount their Cannons and make what batteries they can c. O let all and especially such as may do more then others now bestirre themselves to raise the Sabbath siege and to maintain our Sabbath Fort if we dye let us dye in a couragious keeping of this indeed if this be taken all is lost hold this and yet there is hope Let us that are in publike places play the men As the two milch-kine 1 Sam. 6. being coupled together they bore up and carried on the Arke of God Thus let Magistrate and Minister be united to hold up the holy day of God and the holy worship of God upon his day Let Sabbath-breakers for multitude be like a numerous Army if Magistrate and Minister would but joyn we should route them all O how commendable were it if these two in this regard would agree like Joab and Abishai his brother 2 Sam. 10.11 12. If the Syrians be too strong for me then thou shalt help me but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee then I will come and help thee onely be of a good courage let us quit our selves like men for our people and for the Cities of our God and the Lord do that which seemeth him good So let us do what we are able to the utmost for the Sabbaths and the service of our God and then the Lord do with us what seems him good O that those who bear the sword were fired with some of that Sabbabth-zeal that once Nehemiah had Chap. 13.17 18 19. 'T was a high praise that Ambrose gave of Theodosius that he was more solicitous to preserve the things of God as a Magistrate then to preserve himself as a man And it was a good caution that Austin gives upon Psal 2. Magistrates are to be admonished Vid. Pet. Martyr in judg cap 1. saith he as not to grant men immunity to any false worship so not to allow men liberty to leave the true worship of God The Magistrate upon the Lords day is not onely to see men forbear the outward works of their callings but to see that they be about the visible works of Gods worship August Bonif. comiti Epi 50. praecip Tom. 7. Cont. epist Parmeniani lib. 1. cap. 7. Tom. 7. lib. 2. contra Epist Gaudentii cap. 16.17 Austin more then once commends Imperial Lawes against the Donatists for separating from the publike worship of God and gathering into private houses upon the Lords day there to promote their Anti-magisterial opinions Which Lawes were to punish the ordinary people with fines of Money their leaders with banishment the places of their meeting to be forfeited to the Emperour and that none of them should have power to bestow their goods by will or to enjoy any Legacy to them by will bequeathed And he gives Instances of the execution of these Laws and the good successe thereof encouraging the Magistrate therein And when people are brought to the publike Pool Joh. 5.2 3. the Minister is as the Angel that upon this Sabbath-season must move and work in the waters to wit be active in all the Ordinances of God that such as by divine assistance step close in may meet God for the cure of their souls And as the Minister is more immediately to manage the worship of God upon this holy day yea his place is to presse that men do not on this day of the Sabbath satisfie themselves in a bare bodily way to worship God but to see they on the Sabbath serve God in Spirit and truth Thus these two as the two Cherubims that looked one towards another and both upon the Mercy-seat they should with respect look one upon another and both upon the service of the Sabbath that so the Lord may have his day and his due Lastly Let governours of families Parents and Masters contribute their best assistance to see the Sabbath well observed for which end towards their children and servants there is required upon the Lords day a double duty A taking of them to the publike means And a taking with them private pains 1. You are to bring them with you unto the publike Ordinances In the time of the Old Testament people that went to worship God they carried their flocks and their herds with them Hose 5.6 that in sacrifice they might offer them up to God In these times of the New Testament men are to carry their children and servants with them to the worship of God upon his holy day offering them up with themselves as a sacrifice to God When 't was required that the whole body of the Israelitish people should go out from their dwellings in Egypt to serve the Lord together in the Wildernesse Pharaoh called Moses and said Go ye serve the Lord but let your flocks and your herds be stayed but what sayes Moses We will go with our flocks and our herds with our sons and our daughters with our young and with our old will we go there shall not a hoofe be left behind for we must hold a feast unto the Lord and serve the Lord our God Exod. 10.9 24 26. Such Religious resolutions become Christians in the present case 2. Such of you as are heads
their estate to be sinful And towards both there 's a necessity of Sabbaths 1. For such men as are sinfull and do not know it but are utterly in the darke Gen. 1. we find that at the beginning there was darknesse as a black vaile drawn over the face of the deepe but God upon the first day in the week created light which was exceeding good God upon the first day of the week our Christian Sabbath creates that good light which scatters darknesse that before covered the face of the soul and causeth such discoveries of things never before seen 1 Cor. 14.23 24 25. If the whole Church be come together viz. on the Lords day there comes in one ignorant and he hearing the Word is convinced is judged the secrets of his heart are made manifest and so falling down he worships God c. And indeed this is one great end of Sabbaths and Sermons Act. 26.18 2 Cor. 4.4 5 6. 2. For such men as know themselves sinful Sabbath-service is necessary that they may consider how sad it is to persist in known sins Luk. 12.47 Joh. 15.22 24. Jam. 4.17 For some our Saviour sayes Father forgive them they know not what they do but of several we may say Father affright them they know what they do They transgresse Gods Lawes abuse his mercies they oppose his Servants and they know what they do The former need Sabbaths to convince them of the evil they know not And these latter need Sabbaths to convert them from the evil they know Yea to all sorts of sinners there 's such a necessity of these dayes and duties as that there is little likelyhood of any saving good to the souls of such as lay aside the Lords day but they who come not within Sabbath-compasse their case becomes incurable Though a man be never so diseased and sick yet as long as he lyes at Physick keeps his purging dayes and uses good means for health there is hope he may do well but when he neglects his healing time lets his disease run will not come under the Physicians hands then his case growes desperate and dye he must Even so though a man be never so sinful yet as long as he keeps within Sabbath-compasse and comes under the means of soul-cure there is hope he may amend but if he neglects the Lords day leaves off holy duties damne he must 2. For men in a regenerate estate the Lords day is of necessary use Of whatsoever sort we consider them Of such Some are in sins relapsed and Others are in sorrowes distressed All need these Sabbath-helps 1. Relapsed Christians need Sabbath-relief Whether their spiritual decay be In opinion In affection Or practice The service of the Lords day is of necessary concernment to clear truth clouded to quicken love deaded and to introduce the duties of a holy life neglected 2. Distressed Christians need Sabbath-succours Sabbath-Cordials are required for the recovery of fainting spirits and the reviving of drooping dying hearts Again Gods Saints are to be considered either As more weak Or more strong And unto them all the Lords day is a day of deep concernment 1. For weak ones they need Sabbath-supplies Dayes wherein they may draw near and derive virtue from Christ into all their feeble parts Dayes wherein as babes from the breasts of the Lord they may suck in soul-nourishing milk of grace and mercy to breed them up 2. For strong ones they need Sabbath-supports that they may stand fast in their good estate and plight The highest and holiest of Gods Saints ought to be under Sabbath-observance 't is a reserve for heavens priviledge to be above Ordinances and present Administrations 'T is the City of the Heavenly Jerusalem that needs not the light of the Sun neither of the Moon Revel 21.22 While we live as we need the Moon viz. the world with its creatures and comforts for the bearing up of our bodies So we need the Sun viz. Christ with his holy times and things for the well-being of our souls Some say of the time that is spent upon the service of Christ as they said of the oyntment poured out upon the body of Christ What need this waste Matth. 26.8 But as St. Paul said A necessity is laid upon me and woe to me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 So may every one say A necessity is laid upon me and woe to me if I sanctifie not the Sabbath The sanctifying of the Sabbath is as the One thing needfull to Christians in religion and unto the religion of Christians 'T is said of Jacob that his life was bound up in the life of his son Benjamin So the life of a Christian and the life of his religion is bound up in the life of Sabbaths As Rachel said Give me children or else I dye so a Christian sayes Give me Sabbaths or else I dye Religion sayes Give me Sabbaths or else I die The Sabbath is as the soul of Christian-Religion if that departs all becomes as a Carcase upon which the Vermin of corrupt opinions prey 't is necessary then this continue 2. Of losing the Lords day there is danger And here we shall discover The grounds of the losse and The greatnesse of the losse The grounds on which we may see the Sabbath in hazard to be lost and the Lords day in our dayes likely to cease are The sinfulnesse of men and The righteousnesse of God 1. Men being monstrously sinful put upon us this present peril of being deprived of the Lords day to wit Wicked men against us more remote and Wicked men amongst us more immediate 1. Men of the Romish Religion in remote Nations are they not bigg with a design to make our Sabbaths cease As some of the Powder-Traitors 1605. Confessed the cause why they sought to blow up the Parliament-house was because that was a place wherein against the Romish Religion so many Lawes were made And do not Popish parties in all places plot against the Sabbath day because that is the time wherein against their Idolatrous worships so many truths are taught And are not now their hopes high by our present Wars to deprive us of our precious times and things to raise Rome in the ruines of poor Protestant Nations Does not Antichrist crow ovet these Christian Kingdomes as once Tyrus over Jerusalem Aha aha she is broken that was the gates of the people she is turned unto me I shall be replenished now she is laid waste 2. Among our selves how many seek to set us beside our Sabbath-mercies As Both Papists And Atheists Papists Who secretly consult in our chief Cities to lay us Sabhath-waste Jesuits who can cunningly comr like Countrey-men and be seen like Souldiers Citizens Lawyers Preachers in any posture to promote their projects Atheists These like Pharaoh's-frogs are found covering the land and croaking against the Lords day in every Pond in every Parish Men that would have no God for a Sabbath would have no Sabbath for
the Sabbath God he makes breaches in mens Government when men make breaches in Gods Commandement The way to keep good Government whole is to keep Gods Sabbath Holy Yea this will bring on obediential respects to governours that are good People that profane and pollute Gods Sabbaths will contemne and reject good Rulers That is a sad case Lam. 2.6 The Lord hath destroyed the places of the publike assemblys he hath caused the Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the KING and the PRIEST That is God then as a testimony of his terrible displeasure did suffer such to be despised Where Sabbaths are not remembred There Superious are not regarded None so soone give to Caesar the things that are Caesars as they who first give to God the things that are Gods Remarkable is Gods Method in the ten Commandements Remember the Sabbath and then the next Honour thy Father whether they be Natural Civil or Spirituall Fathers The way to honour the Father is first to remember the Sabbath No marvell if such as make little of the fourth Commandement make nothing of the fifth Indeed none will make more of the fifth Commandement then they that make most of the fourth We shall find it clear That such as most imbrace Gods Commandements They will best obey Gods Vice-gerents 2. The men this sanctifying the Sabbath is profitable for are Sinners and Saints Men that remain in their finfull estate the Sabbath is good For their conforming in some part For their transforming throughout Through Sabbath-day-impressions some men bad are brought to the outward performance of religious actions As Herod hearing John Baptist preach probably at such appointed times was so far wrought upon that her everenced John and did many good things Mark 6.20 If Sabbaths were laid aside men would not have the face of visible profession nor so much as keep the tongues of Christians but turn into absolute Atheisme yea brutish Barbarisme forgetting the Lord to be God and themselves to be men Christianity would soon cease and not long after humanity sink The Name of God the knowledge of Christâ— civilities among men are all kept up by a Sabbath-support Yea besides such more common commodities some by Sabbaths-meanes are brought to a soul-saving change In that glasse of the Gospel which this day is held up some beholding the glory of the Lord are changed from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 This is the day wherein the net is cast out that drawes many to shore Yea fishes that could never be caught are brought in by a Sabbath-tyde Through the warme beames of a Sabbath-sun some new creatures are ingendred that were before but as filthy dung Such ciences of saving graces are graffed into the soules of some upon the Sabbath-day as that after they prove trees bearing the best fruit who were before but as Crab-tree-stocks Men that are removed into a sanctified estate the Sabbath does exceedingly concern their good That they which are fallen may stand and That they which stand may not fall Such as are fallen through sin are set up through Sabbath-helps The helps of a Sabbath have recovered decayed Christians impoverished places and persons have been relieved by Sabbath-Collections and so by Sabbath-petitions have some had sweet relief who were sunk low in their souls estate Nothing better by way of means then holy Ordinances upon the Lords day to recover soul-Consumptions Some that have been as Aarons dry Rod yet through this dayes blessing have blossom'd and born abundance after of the best fruit Mark 2. we see our Saviour upon the Sabbath day healing of a man that had a withered hand O how many withered hearts bath Christ upon the Sabbath cured How many cast down by the Divel hath the Lord upon this day raised Matth. 12.11 And Jesus said unto them What man among you having his sheep fallen into a pit will not pull it out on the Sabbath day Out of deep pits of Apostasie the Lord hath pulled poor relapsed Saints upon the Sabbath day 'T was upon this Lords day that Paul raised Eutichus fallen down from the third loft Act. 20. O how many in our dayes are fallen from the third loft lamentably lapsed In judgement Affection and Practice Yet we hope that in some of them there is some life left and that the Lord will ere long raise and recover them through tht benefit of this blessed day Others that have not yet fallen the Sabbath is of singular use to settle them fast 'T is conceived by sound Authors from several grounds that our first Parents fell from their created Innocency upon the sixth day of the week the very same day wherein God had made them Should they have stood up and possessed out the service of the ensuing Sabbath they would have been more settled in their obedience and better confirmed for their continuance but Satan subtilly assaults them before the Sabbath or the seventh day comes and so more easily were they conquered and cast down The Sabbath with the service thereof is soul-quickning Saint-strengthening The Christian Sabbath is the main sinew of Christian Religion if this be stopt or obstructed and vital blood does not well passe all the parts weaken wither waste and die but if all passes well in Sabbath-veines then all grows and gathers strength and is more vigorous lively and lasting Sabbaths serve to make the Saints of God more pure perfect and permanent That 's holy which the Sabbath sanctifies and that is strong which rhe Sabbath ratifies and that is blessed upon which passes the blessing of the Sabbath Some Collect from Levit. 22. 27. that the Lamb appointed for the Paschal sacrifice was not allowable before it was eight dayes old And some of the Rabbins render this reason because nothing in the world was to be reputed perfect untill a Sabbath had passed over it but then was a thing clean compleat and blessed when it had gone under the blessing of a Sabbath Yea such is the benefit of this blessed day that as it brings all things to be blessed to us so it brings us to be in all things blessed Isay 56.2 Yea all things that concern our good not onely for time but eternity are brought in at this Sabbath-door Isay 56.5 As Caleb gave his daughter the upper and the lower springs so God hath given his day the good things both of Earth and Heaven Thus the careful keeping of Christian Sabbath is profitable Lastly the Lords day duly kept is delectable For the delights and comforts that do accompany the carefull keeping of this holy day consider Both the persons they are to And the properties they are of 1. The persons to whom the Lords day well kept is a delight are Superiour and Inferiour Persons superiour that herein take pleasure are God and his Holy Angels 1. God himself Father Son and holy Ghost take herein great delight
darknesse might be over all the Land for some few years Those strange astonishing turnings which we have seen in our times whether they tend to the overturning of the holy times and things of God God knows Should we have our deserts and some their desires there would soone be seen a sad sinking of Sabbaths Should some succeed in their designs yet the Day of God might say as the Church of God Mieh 7.8 Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise c. Yea and 't is hopeful it would not be long after its falling before it is rising We are in the last times wherein God as he hath great works to do so great works he may permit men to do yet in all he will have quick dispatches Should the Gospel-Sabbath and the Gospell with the Sabbath be beaten down in England yet mangre the might and malice of all their enemies we have some grounds to hope it would not be long before the Lord lifts them up again The time for the conversion of the Ancient Jews and the subversion of the Antichristian Rome now draws nigh for the batteries of whose external part God will make use of Externall Powers And it appears by consulting Revel 17. that these Nations of Europe who have taken part with the beast and born her up shall beat her down The most Orthodox that I meet make England one of those ten hornes which shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire Now sure it will be England beset with Sabbaths that shall send out and be assistant in this Service When Joshuas shall be forth abroad with their armies in the valleys many Moses's shall be at home in the mount especially on the Lords Day preaching and praying with hands lifted up unto the most High God then shall be the ruine of this Romish Amalek this day drawes near I think indeed it is impossible punctually to determine the time of Romes finall fall except we could be exact in the time of Antichrists first originalls but certain that time does apace approach Therefore should any party acted by the Spirit of Antichrist for a time interrupt the Lords Day and oppresse the precious priviledges thereof yet they shall not long prevail they shall prove but as Athanasius said of Julians power A cloud that will presently passe Indeed should Sabbaths fail and fall in respect of sinfull men as I have said before there would be grounds of great fear that it might be a long time before God returns them but in respect of good men there is and will be good grounds of hope God will shorten that sad time For the Elects sake those daies shall be shortened Matth. 24.22 Our Saviour there speaks of such a sad time as even upon Sabbath-days there might be such dangers that men instead of resting and serving God they should then be running to preserve themselves verse 20. Ai but such a time should not be long For the Elects sake God would cut it short Indeed as the least time of the Lord of the Sabbaths absence So the least time of the Sabbath of the Lords hinderance to gracious hearts will be grievous long Bernard upon that saying of our Saviour John 16. Yet a little while and ye shall see me and a little while and ye shall not see me A little while Lord says he A little while Thou canst not be gone the least while but it will be a long time So the Sabbath cannot cease the smallest season but the time to Gods Saints will seeme exceeding long and therefore that time which in it self and to others would indeed be long God for their sake makes it short 2. There is a possibility notwithstanding the projects of men and perils we are in to preserve with us the present liberties of the Lords Day But then let us observe Some things towards the Sabbath of the Lord And some things towards the Lord of the Sabbath Towards the Sabbath of the Lord let us labour To advance Sabbath-esteemes and To revive Sabbath-decays The Sabbath we ought all to consider in respect Of its worth And its work In its worth let us rise to higher opinions and In its work let us strive to quicker affections 1. Let our opinions rise higher in the worth of the day Indeed with the best Gods holy times are of too low esteemes but with the most Gods glorious Day is covered with great contempt buried in the minds of men under the Tombestone of deep forgetfulnesse or under heapes of base and unbeseeming thoughts Lamentations 4.2 The precious stones of Zion comparable to fine gold how sayes the Prophet are they esteemed as earthen Pitchers the work of the hands of the Potter So may I say the precious Sabbaths of God better then the finest gold how are they esteemed as ordinary week-dayes fit onely for the common work of mens labouring hands But let us estimate this above all other times and things Let God and his holy Sabbath have the highest roome in our hearts and the chief place in the prime of our thoughts The Jewes were wont to call the whole week by the name of the Sabbath and to say Chrysost in 1. Cor. 16. Hom. 43. Hieron ad Hedibi Quaest 4. Theophyl in Luc. 18. Lyra. in eundem Beza in 1. C. 16. 1. Tremel in Syriac Paraphras Matth. 28.1 c. the first second third c. Day of or after the Sabbath and so the Greek in some texts of the New Testament reads it as Luk. 18.12 Mark 16.2 c. This they did as learned Writers observe 1. For to discriminate themselves in calling the dayes of the week otherwise then the Gentils who called them by the names of their Idols 2. For to demonstrate the dignity of the Sabbath-day and that above all the dayes of the week it was with them of the greatest account they had that reverend esteem thereof as to denominate the whole week thereby And ought not Christians much rather to hold up an high and honourable esteem of the Gospell-Sabbath as a more glorious day 2. Let our affections become quicker in the work of the day O how of late hath the Lords day layen a dying through the dulnesse yea deadnesse of Christians in the duties thereof The way to revive the Sabbaths of God is to revive the service of God and the way to revive the service of God is to revive Gods Saints in the service And if that we would have such Sabbath-revivings Therein Let our visions of God be clearer And our approaches to God be closer 1. The clearer upon the Sabbath we can see God the better will our revivings be It is said Gen. 45. that when Jacob saw the waggons that Joseph his Son had sent his spirit within him revived Did his spirit revive when he saw the waggons his Son had sent O what were his revivings of spirit when he saw
day and for ever Christ who is The Lord our righteousnesse he is the Lord our Sabbath So chat we shall have a Sabbath last as long as Christ lives A good conscience Sabbatum Dei illud quo exterius â—b opere cessasse dicitur Sacramentum est interioris Sabati ubimens sancto per bonam conscientiam a peccato quiscâ—ns c. Hugo Chrysost Homil. 17. in Genes August Serm. 10. ad fratres in Exem as it is a continual feast so a Sabbath of rest Prov. 15.15 Esay 57.20 The wicked are like the troubled Sea that have no Sabbath of rest Tell me not sayes Chrysostome the man hath a sumptuous Table is cloathed mith silks attended with servants shews me his conscience there is a hurry of lusts a tumult of sins A continual Sabbath-lesse man A good conscience 't is sayes Austin the bed of God the Palace of Christ the Temple of the holy Ghost the Paradise of delights the standing Sabbath of Saints c. Let us be faithful in the Sabbath that may possibly cease and then may we be sure of a never ceasing Sabbath In the saddest most unsetled seasons when customes are changing and Kingdoms are shaking and all Gods Ordinances seem to be taking their leave in a Land yea when all externals in the world are at worst yet there is an internal Sabbath in the heart and an eternal Sabbath in the heavens whereof every Saint may be sure Sabbatum duplex Pectoris et Temporis Aquinas 12ae quest 100. Art 5. Suppose there should be here no more Sabbaths remaining yet there is a remaining Sabbath Heb 4.10 And though the Lords day will end the Lord himself will be a never ending day THE LORDS DAY Enlivened Revel 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day THe holy Apostle in the words present plainly reports The Season upon which he was set and The condition into which he was put The Season which he was on It was the Lords Day The condition which he was in He was in the Spirit I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day The Point we are next to prosecute is That it is sensible to some and possible for all pious men to be in the Spirit on the Lords Day This Doctrine I shall endeavour To clear To prove and To presse For the clearing of truth it is fit to unfold What is the Spirit in which they may be on the Lords Day and What it is for them on the Lords Day to be in the Spirit Spirit This is to be considered both as it relates To God and To Man Omnes Nomenis Jehovae literae sunt spirituales ut denotetur Deum esse Spiritum Alsted Spirit This as unto God does import Either the whole divine Essence Or one personall subsistence The whole Essence of the God-head is Spirit As Christ King Priest and Prophet is one compleat Saviour So God Father Son and holy Ghost is one spirituall being And as in the Spirit they are but one being So in their being they are but one spirit Thus God is a Spirit John 4.24 Thus Spirit is attributed as unto God 1 Tim. 3.16 1. Pet. 3.18 c. 2. The third Person subsisting in the God-head is Spirit As there is God a Spirit So there is the Spirit of God Through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God Rom. 15.19 The things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 c. This is called The Spirit of truth John 14.17 The Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 The Spirit of holinesse Rom. 1.4 The Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 Spirit This as appropriate to man implies Either the whole soul of man Or the superiour facultie of the soul 1. For the soul wholly in the substance thereof As every individuall man hath his soul So the soul of every single man it is his spirit Each man is a compound creature made up of soule and body Hence men are compared to Gideons souldiers Judg. 7.16 Ambros de Spir. Sa. lib. 1. cap. 16. Each having his â—arthen pitcher and Lamp therein when the earthen pitcher of mans body is broken by death the Lamp of his soul abides burning either in heaven or hell Thus Matth 10.28 Mans soule while in his body is called his Spirit Isay 26.9 Ex egests vid. Augustin in locum et Ambros Com. in loc With my soule have I desired thee in the night and with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Luk. 1.46 47. Mary said My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour 2. Spirit That is the soules superiour facultie As the soule it is spirit So there is the spirit of the soule Or The spirit of the mind as the Apostle calls it Rom. 12.2 This is the intellectual or the knowing power of the soule Who knowes the things of man save the spirit of man which is in him 1. Cor 2.11 Thus 1 Thess 5.23 the Apostle mentions body soul and spirit Indeed this is most applicable to man as born of God considered Not onely in his proper constitution But also in his further restitution As the woman in the Gospell who hid her leaven in three measures of meal till the whole lump was leavened Thus the Lord layes his Grace in these three parts body soule and spirit till the whole man is sanctified Now such a man so spirited is fit to be in the spirit on the Lords Day On the Lords Day in the spirit Spirit it is taken as referring both to God and man The Spirit of God and the spirit of man meeting 2. What it is for a godly man on the Lords Day to be in the Spirit In the Spirit This notes Both his soules habitual condition as settled And his soules actuall condition as moved 1. The soul of a sanctified man according to his settled condition considered is in the spirit Being by grace habitually planted and effectually put into God Father Son and Holy Ghost John 17.21 That they sayes Christ to his Father may be one in us In us That they are not in thee onely nor in me alone but in us viz. Father Son and holy Spirit Every gracious soul Rests in God Abides in Christ and Lives in the Spirit Bernard 1. In God there is a resting Psal 37.7 The soule of every true Believer sayes a learned Writer Hath a double Mansion One wherein it rules viz. the body and The other wherein it rests viz. God The soule of every Saint is settled in God as in its centre The force of some temptation may seeme to unsettle his soule and as it were to separate it from God but then as Noah's Dove out of the Ark it finds no rest back again it comes God is its centre and out of God truly it can never be taken maugre all the malice of hell 2. In Christ there is his abyding John 15.7 In the heart of Christ and In the
hand of Christ As by force none can pluck him from the strength of Christs hand So by fraud none can take him out of the lov of Christs heart In Christ Not onely as a man But as a member Not the least bone of Christs mysticall body can be broke off nor the smallest stone be struck out of this building The weakest branch ever abides in this vine 3. In the Spirit there the believing soul lives Gala. 5.25 If ye live in the spirit walk in the spirit That life by which the soules of Saints live Both for its entrance And its progresse It is in the Spirit the Spirit being the Principle From which their life was first received And by which their life is after preserved As man is kept alive by his soules being in the body So a Saint is kept alive by his souls being in the Spirit It is through the Spirit that converted Christians are set into God and put into Christ Therefore sure the holy Spirit does not leave their soules out of himself but they are likewise in the Spirit Rom. 8.9 Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit In the Spirit thus are not onely some but all the Saints of God And in the Spirit thus are Gods servants not onely upon the sabbath-Sabbath-day but at all other times they are never out of the Spirit nor ever shall Yea in the Spirit thus is the whole man of every good man The man whole if Not the whole man The man whole is so in the Spirit as that he is a spiritual man Gal. 6.1 Take him with his bodily part and about his weekly work yet he is a spiritual man and a man that is in the Spirit Now to be in the Spirit on the Lords day though 't is to be in the Spirit thus yet it is more then thus to be on the Lords day in the Spirit So in the Spirit signifies the spiritual transactions of mans sanctified soul as it is moved and acted by the Spirit of God and as mans renewed spirit through the Spirit of God moves and acts upon the Lords day exercised in the Spirit That is In the graces of the Spirit and In the comforts of the Spirit 1. In the Spirit That is in the graces of the Spirit exercised all the Lords day then acting in graces Various and Vigorous On the Sabbath the soul is set a work in several graces and such as seem to be of a differing nature as faith and fear heavenlinesse of mind and humblenesse of heart repeatings for sin yet relyings on God Tremblings of soul yet restings on Christ Dreading God in the justnesse of his Judgements yet loving God whose judgements are just A real longing for promised mercies and yet a quiet staying for those mercies long By hope expecting good things to come and yet by faith possessing the same things at present Utterly unsatisfied in Gods hiding his face yet patiently waiting for God while his face is hid And though this be the continued posture of gracious souls yet into this they are put and on in this they are kept through Sabbath-day-quicknings In the Spirit On this day grace is enlivened in them and they lively in grace In gracious actings their hearts were before as the Chariots of Pharaoh that drove heavily now in the activities of grace their hearts are as the Chariots of Amminadib that ran swiftly Before the members of the new-man were as the lame Cripple that lay at the gate but then they became as the cured Cripple Whose ancle-bones receiving strength he stood up and went on leaping and praysing God Act. 3.8 Yea upon the Lords day the soul of a sincere Saint may be in the lively actings of grace Both reflect And direct 1. Reflect actings That soul which in the week-season walks out in with the body about the businesse thereof upon the Sabbath-day it turns in upon it self most seriously considering its own concernments Gregor moral lib. 31. cap. 17. An ancient Writer spiritually expounding that place Prov. 24.27 Prepare thy work without in the field and afterward go in and build thine house Understands by the field man's body and by the house the heart and soul of man In the week a mans work more lyes in the field viz. about the businesse of his bodily being but upon the Lords day his work more lyes in the house viz. the work of the soul is more gathered then within it self And as Christs Spouse-sayes Cant. 1.7 They have made me to keep other Vineyards but mine own Vineyard have I not kept So upon the Sabbath sayes a good mans soul within him all the week I have been made to minde a multitude of worldly affairs but mine own concernments have been set aside Now return into thy self O my soul O my soul now bethink thy self And is not this to be in the Spirit upon the Lords day the soul of a Saint being then seriously set Upon deep intuitions and Diligent Inquisitions Narrowly looking in it self and Throughly searching of it self One of the Ancients compares holy men on the earth Gregor moral li. 19. Sect. 30. unto those holy Angels of heaven Revel 4.8 that are said to be full of eyes within and without In the week Gods Saints make use of their eyes without looking after their necessary callings and occasions in the world but upon the Sabbath they more solemnly set a work their eyes within looking inward upon the true estate of their souls Upon the Sabbath are a Saints most serious soul-searches and heart-discourses I communed with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search sayes David Psal 77.6 Upon the Lords day with great diligence is the soul of a Saint set To find out things that are and To find up things that were Within he finds so much of sin and so little of God as makes his heart lie low and brings him to be in spirit poor Matth 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit August lib. 1. de Serm. Do. in monte Ambros lib. 5. in Luc. cap de beatit Basil in regulis contract quaest 205. Not poore of spirit as if any without the Spirit of God were blessed but poor in spirit that is good men poore in the spirit of their own mindes out of a sight of soul-sins and sense of soul-wants or poor in spirit That is sayes one poore for the spirit Of the spirit they may discern little but desire much That good they seek after which they never possesse And that good they seek for which seemes to be lost The woman in the Parable Luk. 15. having lost a piece of silver She lights a candle and sweeps the house and seeks diligently till she finds it O this is good seeking in the spirit upon the least losse of God to go into the house of the Heart and there using The candle of knowledge and The Besome of Repentance Diligently seeking till somewhat more of God may appear When hearts
and hopes have been down and dead yet then to look back and call to mind mercies of old tracing the former foot-steps of God in their soules looking up and reading over the Lords love letters long since sent and then comes quickening life into their hopes and hearts Psal 77.5 6 7 8. Lam. 3.18 19 20 21 22. And though these gracious actings may be at other times yet I appeal to the most experienced Christians whether they have not found themselves best bent about such Soule-work upon the Sabbath-day 2. Direct actings Upon the day of the Sabbath the soules of Gods Saints may be set a work Onwards towards the People of God and Upwards towards the God of his People In grace admirably acting towards their Brethren Both in sufferings scattered And in service assembled 1. Where ever a good mans body be found or fixed yet in spirit he goes visiting his fellow-servants in prisons and the forreign Churches of Christ in all their afflictions Beza reports of Calvin That he was so tenderly affected to Christian Churches remote as if he had carried them on his shoulders or born them in his bosome often sighing out Vsque quo Domine How long Lord more lamenting the Churches calamities then his own adversities Thus the holy Apostle 2 Cor 11.28 29. Besides those things that are without viz. severall sad afflictions upon his own body that which cometh upon me daily more then all the rest the care of all the Churches Who is weak and I am not weak Who is offended and I burn not c. Yea and in such Christian compassions to others in affliction Gods dear Saints are most deep upon that day wherein they see their own sweet liberties priviledges and Gods precious things peaceably possessed 2. Where ever a good mans body abides yet in soul he will be sure at some place in which Gods People publikely meet for Sabbath-service David when in body he was banished and lay hid in the Land of Hermon yet he was in spirit at Jerusalem and went with good people to the Temple for the service of the Sabbath My soul sayes he thirsteth for God for the living God Oh when shall I come appear before God viz. In body also When I remember these things I pour out my soule within me for I had gone with the multitutde I went with them to the House of God with the voyce of joy and praise with a multitude that kept Holy Day Psal 42.1 2 3 4. The Jewes that were bodily at Babylon yet in soule they kept their Sabbaths at Jerusalem Psalme 137.5 6. Jonah though his body was in the bottom of the sea and belly of the Whale yet in spirit he was in the Temple at Jerusalem Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again towards thy holy Temple Jonah 2.4 Though the body of Saint John was a prisoner at Patmos an Island as some write near Affrica yet was he in spirit with the Churches of Christ at Asia and with them he kept the Lords Day When Saint Paul was in body at Philippi yet in spirit he was with Gods Saints in their assemblies at Corinth I verily as absent in body yet present in spirit have judged concerning him that hath done this deed in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ when viz. on the Lords Day ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one to Satan c. So when he was in body at Rome yet in spirit he was with Gods assembled Saints at Colosse Though sayes he I am absent from you in the flesh yet I am with you in the spirit rejoycing to behold your order viz. in their Church-assemblies c. Colossians 2.5 But above all are the soules Sabbath-actings in Grace God-ward Though the body is then carried out by the soul Yet the soule to God is then carried beyond the body A mans soule is then so set as that it incites the body and the body is so brought on that it sayes to the soule as Ruth to Naomi Whither thou goest I 'le goe where thou stayest I will stay thy God shall be my God and thy people my people nothing but death shall part thee and me As Joseph and Mary went together to seek Christ So on the Sabbath soul and body in publike and private go together to serve God Even upon week-dayes when the body as Martha is about worldly and household-businesse the soule as Mary sits at the feet of Christ But upon the Sabbath when they be both serving of God yet the soul does the most and the best work Body and soul are upon the Sabbath as those two Disciples that went out to Christs Sepulchre but the soule is as that Disciple which out-ran his fellow John 20.4 It comes quickest in and closest up to Christ Yea. suppose the heart and mind of a good man may all the week-time be as a boat that beares upon the ground yet upon the Sabbath the soule may be set as a boat upon a strong stream and goes as a Ship full saile for God In meditations of him And applications to him O the admirable meditations this day on God! The mind that in the week hath been as the foot of Jacobs ladder standing upon the earth upon the Sabbath the soule hath been as the top of that ladder reaching up to heaven in high thoughts of God One observes of the Virgin Mary Hieron Epist 17. when the holy Ghost had over-shadowed her and that holy thing was conceived in her womb she arose went up into the hill-countrey Luke 1.39 When the holy Spirit comes upon the soule of a Saint and holy thoughts are conceived in the heart O how the mind mounts up hill to God in heaven Such a soule-frame is most frequent in Sabbath-time And O the close applications this day made to God In prayer and In praises A good Expositor gives this glosse upon what the Apostle does here expresse Vid. Aret. in Locum I was in the Spirit That is he was in prayer upon the Lords Day It is one thing to be at prayer And another to be in prayer There is never a day comes over a good mans head but he is at prayer Bernard in Fâ—st Pen-Pentec Serm. 1. but to be in prayer on the Lords Day that is more Not only praying by the Spirit but in the Spirit of prayer Prayer does not onely ascend to God from the soule but the soule it self ascends to God in prayer In prayer wrestling with God and With God reasoning in prayer So that such beames break out Greg. Orat. de laudib Basilii as make the mans heart burn and his face shine It is reported of Basil that the Emperour Valence coming in upon him while he was in prayer he saw such lustre in his face as struck him with terrour that he fell back Luk. 9.29 And Jesus went up into
a Mountain to pray and as he prayed the fashion of his countenance was altered and his raiment was white and glistering Thus for a Saint to be set in Sabbath-Prayer that his grace is vigorous and his face is glorious This is then to be in the spirit Yea upon the Lords Day to be in the prayses of God on high and in the high praysings of God As adoring God for his goodnesse received from him So admiring God for goodnesse perceived in him In such Sabbath-celebrations of God blessed for ever and of Christ for ever blessed of God as to say Psalme 45.1 2. My heart is inditing of a good matter my tongue is the pen of a ready writer Thou O King art fairer then the Children of Men God hath blessed thee for ever c. Some birds how sweetly do they sing when they soare up into the aire and in a sun-shine-day sit in trees upon the highest Twigs Thus some of Gods Saints upon the Sabbath-day with hearts meeting and mindes mounting O the melody that they make in heavenly Hallelujahs unto God Of such it may be safely said they are in the spirit upon the Lords Day This will be further unfolded In that which followes In the Spirit That is in the comforts of the Spirit considered In their heights And breadths Heights of comfort Upon the Sabbath the soul sanctified may be carried in comforts high Both for matter And measure The matter of the comforts wherein the soul of a Saint may upon the Sabbath ascend is exceeding high Higher comforts had John in Patmos then Adam in Paradise The Apostle upon the Lords day had comfortable converses with God in Christ which our first parents had not in the day of their Innocency They rejoyced in God a Creator But not in Christ a Redeemer And they be far lower delights in which the most of men do since solace themselves upon the Sabbath-day Upon Gods holy day men find onely their own pleasure Esay 58.13 But Gods Saints can find soul refreshing comforts in Christ the Lord upon the Lords day With delights in the Lord their hearts leap Yea and the measure of their comforts may mount their minds so high upon this holy day as to make them to be like Moses upon mount Pisgah viewing Canaan flowing with milk and hony The soul of a sincere Christian upon the Sabbath may be as it were swimming in a Sea of sweet delights unto the Land of promise He whose heart hath been as a Boat that could not be got up because of low water all the week yet it hath been brought up in a high spring-tyde of spiritual comfort upon the Lords day Comforts so high that he is ready to sing with Simeon a Nunc dimittis Now Lord let thy servant depart in peace Now the man would gladly die and be gone to God content never to see his habitation or relations on earth more his soul being so fired and filled with joy upon Gods holy day in his house of prayer Esay 56.7 Breadths of comfort Upon the Sabbath the pious soul spreads it self in sweet delights God having given to a good man for his comfort as Caleb did to his Daughter the upper and the lower springs A Christian in his lower comforts the further he goes the narrower they grow and the lesser they be but in his comforts upward the higher he rises the greater are their encreases when he is most lively let in they are most largely let and laid out Sabbath comforts may be exceeding broad All things that meet being made into comforts and. All things for comforts being made to meet Into comforts are made all things that meet the soul of some Saint in the service of the Sabbath The crosses of the world are the encreases of comfort Gods rod and his staffe cause comfort Psal 23.4 As sufferings abound consolations abound 2 Cor. 1.3 The more outward troubles the more inward triumphs The Apostle was never so in the Spirit of comforts as when he was a prisoner at Patmos Under his greatest confinements he had his sweetest enlargements His every day-afflictions encreased his Sabbath-comforts To his soul nothing was sad when the Sabbath came Yea upon the Lords day a believer being in the Spirit the worst evils greaten the best comforts Sin remitted Hell removed Death vanquished Divel conquered do all encrease his comforts Out of every eater comes meat He gathers grapes of thorns and figs of thistles Upon Sodom sayes Salvian God rained hell out of heaven Upon the Sabbath God to his Saints raises Heaven out of Hell Hell Divel Death Sin Crosses Curses all encrease their Sabbath-Cordials Yea upon the Sabbath a gathering of all comforts considered according To several sorts And seasons Comforts of differing sorts receive a Sabbath-change Earthly comforts are made heavenly those delights that lye in worldly relations possessions promotions creature-accomodations and contents in the Spirit are made spiritual As a man in carnal comforts makes all comforts carnal so a Saint in spiritual delights makes all delights spiritual The upper and lower springs run all into one stream and upon the Lords day become all as of one kind Comforts of differing seasons are brought within the Sabbath-compasse A Christians case becomes such That in Spirit good past is then with him presenr And good future he is then present with in Spirit Things past come in for comfort at present Luther reports that sometimee and especially upon a sacrament-Sacrament-day the death of Christ was as full and fresh upon his spirit as if he were then at mount Calvary and as if that were the very day and hour wherein our dear Lord died Thus a Christian may be so in the Spirit of comfort upon the sabbath-Sabbath-day as if that were the very day when Christ broke the bars of the grave flung the stone off the Sepulchre and rose again from the dead Or as if it were the very day when with the holy Apostles he stood and saw the Lord Christ taken up into heaven to sit down at the right hand of God Now to his comfort he can recal the comforts found in former dayes and duties That very Sabbath his soul comfortably possesses all the Ordinances of Jesus Chhist He sees as it were the Lord opening his bowels his bosom and drawing out both brests of his blessed Word and Sacraments bidding his soul suck and be fully satisfied And unto things future he comes for his present comfort Not onely as at a distance a believer may look at heaven and the felicities thereof but his soul in the Spirit of comforts may be so carried out as if heaven were already possessed 'T was a brave expression of the Martyr to his cruel tormentors Work your will upon my weak body as for my soul it is in heaven already and over that Caesar hath no power And as such may be a Christians case in the day of his sufferings so may it be in THIS DAY of his service Jerom professes
Gods Saints are best brought together both In Body And Mind Christians being thus gathered upon the Lords Day lie in the readiest way for these high workings of the Spirit Act. 2.1 2. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place And suddenly c. Day of Pentecost This fiftieth day so the word imports it was the first day in the week Vid. Cypri de Spir. San 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the best affirm even our Lords Day They were all That is Basil de spi Sancto ca. 27. August de temp Ser. 251. all the eleven Apostles of Christ as is plainly expressed Act. 1.26 In one place In an upper Chamber at Jerusalem they were all Bodily gathered together With one accord Their minds were met as well as their bodies They were all in one house with one Heart waiting for the promises of the Lord. And suddenly there came That is with all speed the Spirit of God came down upon them so as never before for Manner and Measure The manner A sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind all about the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and sat upon each of them The measure And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake with other tongues August Ser. 2 ad fratr in eremo as the Spirit gave them utterance The Spirit spake in them and they spake in the Spirit the wonderfull works of God The Spirit was poured in upon them and they poured it out in the Spirit Gods work was wonderfull and thus being upon the Lords Day gathered they found such spiritual fierings and fillings That evil spirit oft assaults the souls of Gods Saints when they are solitary single and severed Matth 4.1 But the good Spirit of God descends upon the soules of his servants met in their solemn assemblies One well observes that the dry bones which the Prophet saw Ezek. 37. the Spirit of God did not enliven them while they lay scattered in the field but when the bones came together bone to his bone then the Spirit of life came into them and they stood up upon their feet vers 7 8 9. Thus Gods servants when together they are upon the Sabbath assembled then these kindlings and comfortable quickenings come Yea though their hearts and thoughts were all the week more scattered about in the world yet they are better gathered in to the Lord upon the Sabbath-day And the souls of Gods people put into such a Sabbath-posture are most prompt and best prepared for comfortable converse with God in the Spirit And in the Spirit on the Lords day some actually are that so they may the better For present receive the mysteries of Faith and For future perform the duties of obedience Faith That the apprehensions of this may hereby be enlarged and man unto the Dimensions hereof may hereby be better enabled By being in the Spirit a Christian is made more able to reach out unto the lengths breadths heights depths of faith and by believing to find out and fetch in the vast Mysteries of God in the Gospel Gospel-truths vailed are hereby clearly revealed and closely received Hence St. John came to receive such close and clear revelations from God which he could never have reached had he not on the Lords day been in the Spirit His whole Book that is so mysterious to others Jerom. epist ad Paulin. things therein were perspicuous to him To him therefore several of the Ancients so apply that Ambros lib. 3. de Spir. Sancto cap. 21. August de civit Dei lib. 20. cap. 17. Revel 22.1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life clear as Crystal proceedinding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Things to him issued from God all pure and clear This made John the Baptist a greater Prophet then Esay or any other before him things intricate to others were explicate to him Now the Apostle could not have been capable of such clear discoveries had he not been first in the Spirit upon the Lords day Upon the Lords day being in the Spirit a Christian rides in the Chariot of faith triumphant from earth yea possibly as out of Hell into Heaven where he sees those glorious mysteries of mercie that concerns his souls comfort yea and what may be of singular concernment for the souls of others Obedience That the several conditions of this may be the better fulfilled Both in service And suffering Gods servants by being in the Spirit are abundantly fitted Both for Affliction And Action Act. 20.22 23 24. And now sayes the Apostle behold I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there save that the holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide me But none of these things move me neither count I my life dear to my self so that I may finish my course with joy and the Ministery which I have received of the Lord to testifie the Gospel of the Grace of God O what a fixed frame of heart had the holy Apostle to honour God both By doing And dying He was bound in the Spirit The Spirit that is compared to winde did now upon the Apostle blow with such a full gale that he went as a ship full saile unto the Port God had appointed The spirit of this good man did not hang loose but was girt up to go thorow with the work whatever came The Spirit hemm'd it about loosened him from all that might any way hinder but so gathered up his heart for God and the Gospel as to further him in his way and work One telling a Martyr that it was hard to burn It is indeed said he for him that hath his soul liâ—ked to his body as a Theefs foot in his fetters but for him that hath his soul set above his body it is easie to burn Kindle fire I come Saviour Another having put one foot into the flame steps back saying The flesh shrinks and sayes On earth it is better to burn The Spirit sayes In heaven it is sweet to shine The flesh sayes wilt thou shorten thy life The Spirit sayes It is nothing nothing to life eternal The flesh sayes Wilt thou leave thy friends The Spirit sayes Christ and his Saints society is better c. And so in the power of the Spirit he flings himself into the fiercest flames And the souls of Gods Saints may expect such Spiritual supports in the dayes of their suffering who serving God have been in the Spirit on the Lords day The truth of all which some have sensibly found 2. That others of Gods Saints possibly may find their souls thus in the Spirit on the Lords day This proved By the properties of the Lords Spirit towards them and By the properties of their spirits towards the Lord. As for the Spirit of the
Lord towards them 'T is a Spirit enriching and ruling 'T is a Spirit raising and resting on them 1. The Spirit enriches the people of God by imparting to them What is precious and excellent and What is Plenteous and abundant The riches of grace Ephes 1.7 which is compared to enriching gold Revel 3.18 This in abundance is brought in by the Spirt 2 Cor. 3.18 An evil spirit is reported to have brought to some in league with him Remigi lib. de Daemo pieces in appearance of true gold but they were never the richer for when they went to use them all turned into whithered leaves And so with false gold of seeming grace does Satan deceive the souls of some But the good Spirit of God brings into the souls of Gods Saints such gold of grace as is of real and rare use for their great enriching God-ward Men rich in earthly gold and the ordinary wealth of the world are able to compasse and accomplish those things that others cannot Such as the Spirit of the Lord hath largely enriched with Gospel-gold O what great things are they enabled to do O what fellowships with the Father converses with the Son communion with the holy Ghost are they prepared for And may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords day 2. The Spirit he rules the people of God by exercising over them Both a Negative and A Positive power A power whereby he holds them off from what he dislikes They cannot with others wade into the waies of the world the Spirit will not let them they cannot shift their sails as the wind change in every turn of times And though as Nazianzen said of Athanasius they be as loadstones to draw others in to God yet they are as Adamants that will not warp wind bend or break or shrink from God The Spirit of the Lord will not let them they cannot they care not yea the Spirit may keep them from something which may seeme good to them because of some greater good in the sight of God When Saint Paul was going to preach the Word at Asia the Holy Ghost forbade him and being about to go to Bithynia the Spirit suffered him not Act. 16. And a power the Spirit doth daily exercise over the People of God to lead them on to what the Lord requires Rom. 8.14 Gala. 5.18 Ezechiel the Prophet saw four wheeles which were sometimes carried on upon the earth and sometimes lifted up above the earth according as the spirit of the living creature moved that was in the wheeles Thus the Soules of Gods Saints are set a going sometimes they rise higher and sometimes they run swifter as the Spirit of the living God leads that is in their hearts Good men The Spirit leads them they may not be at a losse yea And when they are at a losse yet the Spirit leads them August de cor et gra Cap 2. Id. de Grat. et lib. Arb. Cap. 1. God led the people of Israel through the wildernesse not onely by a pillar of fire but by a pillar of the cloud Nehem. 9.19 The Spirit leads Gods people through the world as a fire that gives them light that so they may not lose their way sometimes there is such a cloud they cannot see their way yet then the Spirit leads them and when they are at a losse it is that voice behind them saying This is the way walk in it Esay 30.21 Now they that are thus under the daily conduct of the Spirit may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords Day 3. The Spirit raises the people of God lifts up a good man being down through amazing meditations Either of God in the Heights of his Majesty Or of himself in the depths of his Misery When the Prophet was fallen upon his face through affrighting thoughts at the glorious presence of God in a vision Then the Spirit entred into him and set him upon his feet Ezek. 2.2 Ezek. 3.24 The usuall cause of a Christians casting down is the sad apprehensions of his severall sins so that he seemes to himself as if his soul were sinking into the depths of hell then the Spirit helps him up By recalling former mercies and By revealing further Mysteries The Spirit recalls or causes a Christian to remember The promises of mercy the Lord hath made and The experiences of mercy himself hath found John 14.26 The Spirit shall bring all things to your remembrance viz. The gracious sayings and glorious doings of God in dayes past are drawn a fresh into the thoughts of dejected Saints The Spirit reveals or makes such mysteries of mercy manifest as were not before known Eph. 1.17 18. That God the Father of glory may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened ye may know what is the hope of his calling c Thus the Spirit pulls up poore Saints pittifully plunged Being down Either in sins Or in sorrowes The Spirit raises Saints in their sad relapses have sweet illapses the Spirit letting in such light and heat as heaves up their hearts dark down and dead They who in ordinary dayes may have such experiences of Spirit-helps may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords Day 4. The Spirit rests upon the People of God so the Apostle expresses it 1 Pet 4.14 This imports The Spirits Presence Both intimate And pertuate With the people of God They have the friendly and familiar presence of the Spirit in close acquaintance Communions and Communications as is not to any other men They have the presence of the Spirit in his continued workings Without Intermission and Without Termination The Spirit within them does never intermit all his actings Though he is in the soule as the pulse in the arme that does not alway beat with the same sensible strength and evennesse Motions may to a good mans feeling be more weak and low yet even in such distempers he is still stirring As when the body of a man is asleep yet there in the soul is acting So when the soule of a Saint is asleep yet there in the Spirit is working Neither can any period possibly be put to such an operative presence of the Spirit in the People of God The gracious soul is on earth as the Spirits centre the settled presence here of is not in any other soul The Spirit of Noah's Dove hovers over the hearts of earthly men but a holy and humble heart is to the Spirit as Noah's Ark to the Dove there he rests John 14.16 I sayes Chrsst will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter even the Spirit of truth and he shall abide with you for ever Your bodies have had my corporall presence for a time but in your soules the presence of my Spirit shall remain for ever Now they that have in them such a perpetuall presence of the Spirit may not they be in the Spirit upon the
Lords Day 2. We shall consider their spirits towards the Lord For suitablenesse And capablenesse For the pliablenesse and Indefatigableness of them 1. Suitable are the spirits of Saints to the Lord Christ Christ and the things of Christ and the spirit of a Saint so suite That his Spirit hath onely a sympathy with them And they onely can satisfie his Spirit The sympathy of a good mans spirit is with the things of Christ His heart hath a kind of Antipathy to things of an other nature Even the things of the world his Spirit opposes refuses rises if of them any tenders be to take him off from Christ When Valence the Emperour sent to Basil the offer of great preferments the good mans spirit was up in an anger and made this answer Let him offer these ratles to children and not to Christians When some bade stop Luthers mouth with preferments one of his Adversaries answered It is no boot that Germane Beast cares not for gold God himself sayes Luther shall not put me off with these things Hooper when one offered him a pardon for life if he would recant he cryed out If you love my soul away with it For Gods sake away away with it But to such men the things of Christ truths of Christ waies of Christ Words of Christ Commands of Christ do accord And herein also are the Spirits of Gods Saints satisfied How was it with that holy man who replyed to his friend Speak to me while you will no words can satisfie me except you mention Christ Write to me what you please it will not satisfie me unlesse in your letters I may read Christ Give me never so much I cannot be satisfied except you help me to somewhat of Christ Christ and the things of Christ were onely things that satisfied the spirit of this precious man Suitable things are ready to run into one another to mix and hold fast together This made Nebuchadnezzars Image to fall asunder because it was made up of such unsuitable matter things of such a differing nature This makes famous professors to fall and divers to desert Christ because the things of Christ do not suite to their spirits The spirits of sincere Saints are agreeable to gracious objects the very frame of their hearts is fitted to the waies of truth and holinesse Among good things with that which is best their spirits best agree The more holy and pure any person or Ordinance is the better there with their spirits accord The new nature and settled temper of their spirits is most suitable to the Lord himself and may not they be in the Spirit upon the Lords Day 2. Capable are the spirits of Gods servants to take in of the Lord largely Their hearts are compared to Vialls Revel 5.8 A Viall is a vessel narrow beneath and wide above The hearts and spirits of good men are more closed downward and more open upward Of enlarged capacities Christ-ward And though of Christs fulnesse they have already received grace for grace yet there is room to receive more In these two we may comfortably conclude there 's room viz. Gods glorious heaven and Mans gracious heart As God in his heaven hath more room for good men So good men in their hearts have more room for God Holy mens spirits are let out and their hearts made wide By Godly sorrowes for sin and By earnest desires for God By Godly sorrowes Christians cast out sin Beata anima quae est instardomus Jacobi in qua nulla simulaâ—hra nulla effigies vanitatis Amb. de fuga secuâ— cap. 5. and so make more room for Christ in their hearts Hence the heart of a holy man is made as the house of Jacob in which is no place allowed for the least representation of vanity the very images of evil thoughts are thrown out and the whole house is set apart for the precious things of God and the more plenty of these appearing the more he labours heart-enlargement As the rich man Luk. 12. when he saw plenty of Corn upon the ground he pulls down his barns and builds greater that he may have more room to receive in such fruits Thus a Godly man by repentance pulls down his heart he sees it is too narrow for the vast things of God and thereupon labours to make his heart as capacious as possible And by every penitential breaking builds it better By earnest desires also after God he brings his heart into a better and bigger capacity O whom Lord have I in heaven but thee and who on earth do I desire besides thee Psal 73. Yea for Sabbath-enjoyments of God the Spirit of a pious man pants Psal 42.1 2. He even faints for more full fellowships and fruitions of God As against sin he thinks his heart can never be close enough shut So for God he thinks his heart can never be wide enough open Of sin he would fain have lesse when he hath least and when he hath most of God he yet desires more And by such wayes the soul of a Saint is set wider for God and thus the spirits of Christians become more capable to take in more largely the things of the Lord and may not they then be in the Spirit on the Lords day 3. Plyable are the spirits of Gods people for the Lord to let out themselves freely Their hearts towards the Lord are waxy and willing in all wayes of well-pleasing Judg. 5.9 Psal 110.3 Being oyled with an holy Unction And wheeled with holy affections The oyl of grace is poured upon the hidden man of the heart which makes all the spiritual members of the new man to be agil and nimble for God As it is said to Christ Heb. 1.9 God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnesse above thy fellowes So may we say to the soul of a Saint God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of grace and goodnesse above thy fellowes The heart it is first and most sanctified and therefore may well be most free and forward for God In man no marvel the sensitive powers and corporal parts are lesse plyable As the oyntment was first and most poured upon the head of Aaron and from thence drops went down to his beard and skirts of his garments Thus the oyl of grace is primarily and principally upon the heart of a Christian and from thence it descends into all the powers parts of the man so that this hath cause to come in first and come off freest for God as indeed it daily does When other parts rest the heart runs Yea the heart of a holy man is set upon such wheeles as make it move quick for Christ Judgement cleared affections fired 1 Chron. 29.3 I have sayes David set my affection to the house of my God and hence he was so lively and liberal labouring to lift up the honour of God in preparing for him a house The dispositions and affections in the soul of a Saint
are such as that his heart is prompt prepared for every precept purpose and providence O God my heart is prepared my heart is prepared sayes David One observes how he doubles the expression to imply he was willing to a differing condition Paratum cor meum ad prospera paratum ad adversa paratum ad sublimia paratum ad humilia paratum ad universa quae preceperis c. Bern. Ser. 2. de quadrages If God would have him high or low rich or poor a shepherd again or a Prince still His heart was prepared prepared Thus is it with a pious man his heart is prepared to put on after God in any condition his Spirit is upon such wheels of love to the Lord that he is oft carried out beyond and before he is aware Cant. 6.12 Or ever I was aware my soul made me as the Chariots of Amminadib The spirit of the Spouse did unexpectedly rise and run out after Christ as a Chariot upon the wheeles And are the spirits of Gods Saints set into such a frame for the Lord and may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords day 4. Indefatigable are the spirits of Gods people in following the Lord. In Gods worship their spirits are unwearied when their bodies are weakened Their spirits may be weary in but are never weary of any worship of God or any work for God in his worship their hearts and minds Being pitched down And girt up for God The heart of a holy man is pitched down and firmly resolved for God his mind does not fluctuate hover and waver in unsettled uncertainties he is not upon demurs and disputes confers not with flesh and blood Baron An. 261. num 30. Cyprian that blessed Martyr when the Governour bad him advise with himself answered Sir do your office in a righteous cause I am not now to resolve A man of a wavering spirit is soon wearied out and wrought off from God A good man indeed his heart is fixed for God though he be not fixed firmely in the wayes of God yet for the wayes of God he is firmely fixed Though he hath some doubtings in his way yet he hath not doubtings of his way and so walks on unweariedly His heart will not be tyred or turned out Yea the heart of a holy man is girt up and closely united to God his mind is not divided between the Lord and the world Frederick the Elector of Saxony who was a prisoner to Charles the fifth being offered liberty and dignity if he would come to Masse answered I have but one Master one soul and one Saviour I dare not serve two A man of a double heart that halts between God and Baal God and Mammon never holds out He may seem for a while to out-run many but he will be weary A gracious man his spirit is not onely for God gathered in one but it is so knit up as to be one with God 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit and hence he holds out to the end never weary And they who in the wayes of the Lord are of such unwearied spirits may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords day There is none of Gods Servants but possibly now may be as some of the servants of God cettainly have been upon the Lords day in the Spirit I was in the Spirit upon the Lords day The USE IS Of Information Of Exhortation 1. This may clearly declare the ill case of two kinds of men neither of which are in the Spirit on the Lords day Some that are not nor possibly can Some that pâ—ssibly may yet are not 1. 'T is the sad case of all unsanctified men they neither are nor possibly can be upon the Lords day in the Spirit This will plainly appear considering Both what they be And what they do Men remaining in a sinful estate we may observe what they be Both privatively And positively Privatively They cannot be in the Spirit on the Lords day because They be without the Spirit of the Lord And towards the Lord they be without spirit 1. As men in natures estate are without God and without Christ Ephes 2.12 so they are without the holy Spirit Rom. 8.9 Jude 19. As when man was to be created the three Persons they all concur Let us make man Gen. 1.26 And no sooner is man corrupted but they all conclude with a Let us leave man So that every sinful man is forsaken of God the Father Son and holy Ghost Such men be without Gods holy and blessed Spirit whether we consider Some more prophane Others more refined Men that expresse nothing but vice and vanity sons of Belial chief servants to the Divel such as do that for the Divel as he cannot do for himself Satan himself because of spiritual being cannot commit many sins But men that herein they may fulfil his will they run into drunkennesse and all kind of corporal uncleannesse they swear and curse steale and commit adultery and wallow in all worldly filthinesse and have they the Spirit of holinesse Men whose mouthes are as that Gate of Jerusalem out at which was carried forth all the filth of the City Their throats are as open Sepulchres their tongues are set on fire of hell and have they the holy Spirit of God in their hearts Other men there are who professe better They speak high but live low Their voice is Jacobs but their hands are Esaus Like Peters fish that had silver in the mouth but none in the belly Nothing of the spirit appears in their waies yet much of the Spirit may be heard in their words As if the Dove were in their Arks onely and none had the Spirit of God but they Thus Muncer the Anabaptist while he called Luther a spiritlesse man a silly soule one without the Spirit of God he pretended himself to be all full of the Spirit c. Men may think they have the Spirit yet not have the Spirit which they think And indeed whatever any unregenerate man think they all are without the good Spirit of God They cannot have the Spirit who are not born of the Spirit and they who never yet all their daies were born of the spirit they cannot be in the Spirit on the Lords Day On the Lords Day a man may not be in the Spirit that yet every day dwells the Spirit in him And can they be on the Lords Day in the Spirit of God who to this day have not Gods in-dwelling Spirit in them 2. Such men God-ward are without spirit As Absalom stole away the peoples hearts from David So sin and Satan hath enticed and taken away all these mens hearts from God Hose 4.11 Or else the world hath so won upon them that their hearts and spirits are gone God-ward The Queen of Sheba when she was at King Solomons Court and saw the house he had built and the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants
and the attendance of his Ministers and their apparell and his cup-bearers and his ascent c. There was no more spirit in her 1. King 10.4 5. Thus the honours pleasures and profits of the world do so work upon the hearts of many that they have no more spirit left in them Without Spirit That is Without judgement to know and Without courage to doe the will of God Without judgement to discern good Hose 7.11 Ephraim is a silly Dove without heart Gods Saints are as Innocent doves without gall and others are as silly doves without heart without any wisdom of spirit The spirit of man sayes Solomon is the candle of the Lord. Many a man is a dark Lanthorn without a candle having in him no knowing spirit to give him light he gropes after God in the dark Act. 17.23 So without courage to pursue any saving good or withstand any destructive evill when they should stand up in Gods cause and soules defence they have no spirit Joshua 5.1 When the Kings of the Amorites and all the Kings of the Canaanites heard that the Lord had dryed up the waters of Jordan from before the Children of Israel so thâ—t they were passed over their hearts mâ—lâ—ed neither was there spirit in them any more We seâ— severall men Who though set in a superiour station And though of Christ they make a visible profession Yet if any difficultie appear or danger approach they have no spirit for God is or good only their care is to secure themselves The King of Navarre when Beza blamed him for his spiritlessenesse in the cause of Christ he replyed That for Christian religion he would lanch no further to sea then if a storm did arise he might be sure himself to return safe to shoare Men who thus towards the Lord are without spirit they cannot be in the Spirit on the Lords Day Positively It is not possible such persons on the Lords Day should be in the Spirit Because In the flesh They be in the flesh which is evill And they be in an Evill Spirit Flesh It is in several Texts taken for that which is lawfull and good Psalme 79.2 Eph. 5.13 Rom. 9.3 1. Cor. 7.18 But Flesh ordinarily intimates that which is evill and naught as mans naturall corruption and sinfull condition 1. Cor. 5.5 Coloss 2.13 Gala. 5.24 1 Pet. 4.6 c. In this flesh are all unregenerate men Rom. 7.5 Rom. 8.8 Not onely flesh in them that is the case of the best Christians Rom. 7.18 but in the flesh as a fish in the water Not onely sin in them but they in sin as the Leviathan in the Sea In sin they sport and take delight They live in sin and yet are dead in sin Sin is as the Sepulchre in which they lie dead and buried they lie in sin as a swine in the slow They are in sin as a Malefactor in his fetters in the Gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity Act. 8.23 They are so in sin as they are nothing but sin so in the flesh that they are all and only flesh We may say of such mens persons prayers services hopes and hearts as the Prophet of the Egyptian horses they are flesh and not spirit Isay 31.3 These therefore cannot be in the Spirit on the Lords Day Their fixed condition is in the flesh Yea on the Lords Day they cannot be in this good Spirit of God For They have an evill spirit in them And they are in an evill spirit An evill spirit is in them Eph. 2 2. The spirit that now works in the children of disobedience The Greek hath two in 's The Spirit does inwork in them to signifie how exceeding inward Satan that evill spirit is at work in wicked men Every sinfull soule is such an Ark wherein is the Raven though not the Dove the Divell though not the Spirit of God Though in them is not the Holy Spirit yet the unclean spirit is in them Matth. 12.44 The unclean spirit saith I will return into my house The Divels house is every evil heart We see there the house may be swept and garnisht yet the Divels swept A man may be free from some grosse pollutions horrid thoughts of Atheisme Blasphemy Butchery of the Lords Lambs may be thrown out of the heart Garnished A man may be furnished with gifts parts performances a fair outward profession some flashes of good affection yet he may be the house wherein the Divel dwels Jam. 4.5 Do ye think the Scripture saith in vain The spirit that dwells in us lusteth to envy He speaks of us as men not of us as Saints In all men naturally the evil spirit dwells A spirit that moves to all lusts of envy hypocrisie pride infidelity sensuality Can they who have such an evil spirit in them be in the Spirit on the Lords day Yea but this is worse they are in an evil spirit Mark 1.23 And there was a man with an unclean spirit In an unclean spirit the Greek reads it So Mark 5.2 When Jesus was come out of the ship there met him a man in an unclean spirit Every sinful man is in Satan as in a Prison in the Divel as in a Dungeon In the power of the Divel Act. 26.18 In the snare of the Divel 2 Tim. 2.26 In the mouth of the Divel as Jonah in the belly of the Whale Yea sinful men they are strongly acted and they do strangely act in this evil spirit and therfore they cannot be in any spirit that is good upon the LORDS DAY 2. Such cannot be on the Lords day in the Spirit appears by what they daily do Both in respect of their own spirits God-ward And in respect of the Spirit of God They cannot be in the Spirit on the Lords day For They draw their spirits from the Lord And against the Lord they turn their spirits 1. From the Lord they withdraw their spirirs Whereas Gods dear Saints when their bodies are brought into bonds or are bound upon their beds yet then they in holy worships engage their hearts to approach near to God Jer. 30.21 But other men when in outward worships their bodies be brought in to God yet then they remove their hearts far off from God Esay 29.13 A good man watches his heart to hold it in to God he does not slip away his heart from God though while he is with God his heart may give him the slip This made a holy man in the midst of prayer cry out O Lord August in 2 Sam. 7. â—7 my heart hath left both thee and me But every sinful man he takes his heart off and turns it away from God As the Levite Judg. 19 divided his Concubine and sent her several parts into all the coasts of Israel thus many a man when he should bring in his heart and knit it up for God he divides it and sends it into all the parts of the world leaving none for God True Christians though God makes
them suffer yet their hearts stick to God All this is com upon us yet our heart is not turned back though thou hast sore broken us c. Psal 44.17 yea when Satan makes them sin yet their hearts hold to God 'T is said of Peter his heart did not forsake Christ when his tongue denied him Corde tenuit illum quem voce negavit Greg. But these men when they do not outwardly sin yet in heart they go away from God They do not onely in heart fall back but they draw back their hearts from God Heb. 10.38 Now they that thus daily draw back their spirits from God they cannot be in the Spirit on the Lords day 2. Against the Lord they turn their spirits The spirits of all unconverted are turned against God Both by Original corruption And by actual rebellion Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God 'T is more then if he had said The carnal man is an enemy to God The mind the best part of corrupt man is enmity which notes monstrous malevolence The Greek word is in the plural Enmities To import multiplyed perversnesse As there are many excellencies in God for man so there are many enmities in man against God Enmities against all the Attributes of God Enmities against all the Ordinances of God Enmities against all the actings of God in the world The spirit of man from his birth is bitterly bent and utterly turned against God But further every man does act up his spirit in rebellion against God blessed for ever Turns his spirit against God This Eliphas does falsly charge upon that good man Job 15.13 But this charge may truly be drawn up against every evil man he turns his spirit makes his mind to swell against God The least risings of spirit against God a good man groans under and grieves for Hieron epest 32. ad Abiga There is nothing once said a precious man that I have all my life more laboured against then a swelling mind a stiffe neck and a stubborn heart A wicked man he hardens his heart stiffens his neck and turns his spirit against God He heightens his inward corruption and becomes a hearty enemy against God by thoughts words and deeds Col 1.21 Or if there be outward restraints from evil works yet his spirit is turned against God The impenitent theefe when his body was nailed to the Crosse yet his spirit was turned against Christ A mans body may be bound from sin and yet his heart bent against God The bow of the bad heart may be bent up though no arrowes of evil works or words be shot out Peter Martyr in Genes A Learned Writer makes the Rain-bow in the heavens an admirable Embleme of peace For though sayes he we see a bow yet we see no string or arrow An unregenerate mans heart is a bow that hath both strings and arrows The strings of the bow are the corruptions and ill dispositions of the heart and the arrows are the evil cogitations and thoughts thereof A multitude of these arrows a man le ts fly in the face of God which argues the acted enmity of his heart against God he is at heartwarre with his spirit is bent against the Lord such cannot be in the Spirit on the Lords day Lastly on the Lords day these cannot be in the Spirit For The gifts of the Spirit they abuse and The grace of the Spirit they oppose 1. The Spirit of God in the gifts thereof they pervert The Holy Ghost helps them to knowledge remembrance utterance c. These they take and turn them to a wrong use As the Israleites who took their ear-rings jewells and bracelets of gold and therewith made an Idol As the Divell he hath large knowledge and great abilities but of all he makes an ill use so it is his design upon sinfull men that whatever good things God gives them for his praise and their profit may be imployed to their harme and Gods dishonour As Eve whom God gave to Adam for his meetest help was made the Engine of his greatest hurt Of this rib sayes one the divell made a dart and wounded man to death with that should have sweetened his life Basil Divers act the Divells part they take things given them for their chiefest good and turn them to the greatest evil CoÌ„rruptio optimi pessimi As the divells could never have been such vile and venemous spirits as they are had they not once had excellencies above other creatures And so there are several that could never have been so transcendently sinfull in prodigious opinions and practices as now they be had they not had rare parts and admirable abilities above their Brethren And can we think that they who thus abuse the gifts of the Spirit should be in the Spirit on the Lords Day 2. The Spirit of God in the graces thereof they resist Act. 7.51 Ye stifnecked and uncircumcised in heart and cares ye do alwaies resist the Hâ—ly Ghost viz. in all his gracious workings Men who make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof they make opposition against the Spirit and withstand the works thereof And though as with bellowes they blow up the Divells fire yet as with buckets of filth they quench out the sparks of the Spirit As when the Angells were entred into Lots house the men of Sodom from every quarter compassed the house by force and fury to fetch them forth Genes 19.3 Thus when any good motions enter into the hearts and minds of some men they are up in arms and out of quiet till they can crush them and cast them forth How oft do they in effect say to the Spirit as Pharaoh to Moses Get thee from me see my face no more till at length the Spirit replyes to them as Moses to Pharaoh Be it as thou-hast said Lo I will see thy face no more for ever Exodus 10.28.29 Some when they are in soule affrighted they would have the peace of the Spirit to calme them but though they are in sin polluted they will not have the grace of the Spirit to cleanse them And because they regard not the grace of the Spirit they resist the Spirit of grace And can such be in the Spirit upon the Lords Day Indeed the Lords Day is the main time they thus gainsay the Spirit of God upon the sabbath-Sabbath-day they most beat back Gods blessed Spirit and can they this day be in the Spirit Object Upon the day of the Sabbath sure some sinfull men meet with Spirituall movings and therefore they may this day be in the Spirit Answer By way of concession By way of distinction Upon the Lords day as at other times men may by a false spirit be forcibly moved have stronge impulses strange raptures and revelations from a lying spirit As the Divell can transform himself into an Angell of Light so he can conforme himself to the Spirit of Light And as Satan can in
Ephod and enquired of the Lord saying Shall I pursue after this Troop and shall I overtake them 1 Sam. 30. Thus Jehoshaphat before he would march with Ahab to Ramoth-Gilead he desires all the Prophets of God and God by the Prophet Micaiah might be consulted with Ahab transported with a false spirit presses onely Horse and away Let Micaiah say what he will To Ramoth-Gilead he must 2 Chron. 18. Whereas counsel given a good man takes and turnes his designes So David when he was with his men upon the march against the house of Nabal Abigail meets him and he stops upon her advice blessing God that he shed no blood 1 Sam. 25. Now an evil spirit having sprung a design at least seemingly good yet violently provokes and impetuously presses to prosecute men not considering or consulting except with such as are on the same mind No seeking to God except some prayer as a colour They first resolve their businesse and then go to prayer then ask counsel but if contrary come they cast off all Yea this spirit it drives and will rarely leave or let them have time to take advice Satan that evil spirit in the Serpent having upon Eves sight of the pleasant fruit begun to move gave her no time to seek God confer with her husband or consider the sad events onely eat she must So Judas the Divel suggesting a Booty to betray his Master he immediately goes out Joh. 13. rises from Supper even when the best dish was to come as the Learned conceive he never stayes to speak a word but away about his work He considers not what guilt of blood he should bring Matth. 27.3 Then Judas which betrayed him when he saw what was done he repented himself c. It seems he thought things would never have come to that That spirit which thus drives men in considerately precipitately c. 't is not the Spirit of God 4. A roving spirit that wheeles and whurries men obout is not the Spirit of God Men rove Psal 78.8 Esay 19.14 Jam. 1.6 7 8. Observe From what and In what There is a spirit that in moving makes men to rove viz. Ordinarily from the rules of Scripture And often from the rules of Reason Scripture-rules men rove from They will make Scripture go with them as far as ever they can and being they must go further they leave it They wrest and rack Scripture and stretch it as far as for their own advantage Thus that wicked spirit did with our dear Lord Matth. 4. Thus doe such unstable spirits in these last dayes 2 Pet. 3.16 They make holy Scriptures as their hired servants who when they will no further serve their design they turn them off Every good man moved and managed by Gods good Spirit sayes to Scripture as Ruth to Naomi Where thou goest I will go where thou stayest I will stay thy God shall be my God and thy people my people nothing but death shall part thee and me Sozomen reports of Constantine that whatever was pressed he would say Bring me the Book of God when things were disputed and various wayes urged he used still to stand up and call for Gods Book commanding all should there settle and none from thence swerve That spirit which in moving men makes them swerve and rove from Gods good Word is not the Spirit of God Yea beyond the rules of reason as well as Scripture men are made to rove through an ill-moving spirit Hence they roll and rove Both from using reason And from reason used They do not use that reason which might stay themselves From men of no reason the Apostle prays he may be delivered That we may be delivered from unreasonable men 2 Thess 3.2 Neither can that reason which others use stay them As they have not reason to rule themselves no more will they be ruled by reason Grounds of reason and strength of arguments will no more bound nor bind them then green wit hs could Samson The things in which an evil spirit moving makes men to rove are Both inward And outward Viz. In their opinions And affections In their discourses And courses Men of rolling spirits who hold many things yet hold to nothing Like those Arrians of whom Athanasius reports now they held one thing and anon another and never were at any certain stay Socrat. Scho. lib. 1. cap. 25. wandring Stars fixed to no Orb Meteors carried about with every gust as children tossed to and fro with every wind Ephes 4.14 They like and dislike cry up and cry down hot and cold ramble and rest at no point unstable in all their wayes Constantly inconstant men given to change See Seneca lib. de tranq and that love to wander as unsetled as the waves of the Sea Such Christians even Heathens condemn Such motions are not from the Spirit of God 5. A renting spirit that moves men to make divisions and fractions is not the Spirit of God The Spirit of God 't is All is uniting The Spirit of faith The Spirit of love The Spirit of patience By faith the Spirit unites and knits us up to God and by love the Spirit unites and knits us one unto another and by patience the Spirit unites and knits each one within himself And for want of the Spirit of God in these graces there are a multitude of sad severings For want of faith a man breaks and falls off from God For want of love a man breaks and falls off from his Brethren And for want of patience a man breaks in pieces and falls asunder within himself All evidences an evil spirit present and prevalent Mark 9. There is a man possessed with a spirit that did oft-times cast him into the water and into the fire and wheresoever it did take him it did tear him that he gnashed his teeth and foamed at the mouth O what a spirit does possesse such men as does cast them into that water whereby their love is quenched and into that fire whereby their wrath is kindled and so takes them as it tears them with impatiency infidelity and separation from Christian-society Sure such have not the Spirit of God Jude 19. These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit 'T is not the Spirit of God that hath moved some to separate themselves from our publick Assemblies Vid. Cameron de Eccles tract de Schism They having no good cause for it and There being many bad effects upon it No cause good If we in our assemblies are not separated from God they have no cause to separate from us Are we separate from God Is not the drift of our daily endeavours to draw men to God Is not this the bent of our businesse to bring men into obedience to God communions with God to set up God in hearts and houses Is it not the enjoyments of God after which we seek Is it not worshippings of God in Spirit truth after which we presse
that people must not be content except in Ordinances they come up to God And cannot the experience of many Christians speak that among us through mercy they meet with much of God And are we separated from God And what cause have they to separate from us Yea if with us there be sufficient means for salvation then they have no sufficient cause for their separation For salvation have not we with us meanes sufficient Meanes apt and able to bring home and build up proper and prevalent through God for converting of sinners and confirming of Saints If any shall seek a proof of Christ speaking in us the Apostles answer is proper Prove your own selves examine your selves whether you be in the faith Know ye not your own selves c. 2. Cor. 13.4 5. If their soules were ever sensible of any saving good let them consider our Assemblies Through our way of worshipping God lies there no path to life everlasting What will they say to those Martyrs and precious men that are dead and gone And what will they say to those thousands of Gods dear Saints that yet live and with us worship God with love and delight Must they be all shut out of heaven If not why do these then separate themselves on earth Many effects bad both to themselvet and others Some we feel and More we fear Hence are our desired unions broke and hoped reformations stopped and monstrous deformations and divisions come instead Pharez is born when we looked for Zarah Genes 38.27 c. Tamar being in the time of her â—t raval behold twins were in her womb And it came to passe when she travelled then one put out his hand and the Mid-wife bound thereon a scarlet thred saying This came out first And it came to passe as he drew back his hand behold his brother came out and she said How hast thou broken forth This breach be upon thee therefore his name was called Pharez And after his brother came out that had the scarlet thred on his hand and his name was called Zarah Have not we in this Land had our time of travell and hath not a sweet settlement and good government sometimes been brought so neer the birth that we have said This will come out first But how hath it been drawn back and such a Monster born of which we may say How hast thou broken forth This and that breach be upon thee Breaches at home breaches abroad wars continued strifes encreased civill States disturbed Protestant Nations perplexed brotherly Leagues and Covenants laid violate contrary to all civill sacred and religious bonds What bloody breaches have been made but above all sad and bad is our breach with God This breach be upon thee c. Since some have forsaken our assemblies O what abundance of others are broken off from all the Ordinances and holy worship of God from the Sabbath and service of God! O what a Spirit of Atheisme fills mens heads hearts and houses How are the exercises of religion laid by yea left off both in publike and private Yea how do men break out in waies of profanenesse to the shame not onely of their persons but of our religion and Nation This Breach be upon thee Men ceasing that which is good soon pursue that which is evil Men who cast off the worship of God will easily follow the works of the Divell This dividing and rending spirit that moves men to make such separations and schisms of which there are sequells so sad sure is not the Sprit of God 2. A ranting spirit that sets men upon sensuall practices and pleasures is not the Spirit of God Jude 19. Sensuall having not the Spirit The Spirit of God and the sensuall delights of the flesh are utterly opposite though the lusts of the flesh and spirit of the Devil do easily accord A man led by a loose spirit loves that which suits his sinfull lusts and carnall contents Micah 2.11 If a man walking in the spirit and falshood do lie saying I will prophesie unto thee of wine and strong drink he shall even be the Prophet of this people Not any will so forwardly forcibly prophesy of wine strong drink as the man who walks in a spirit of falshood With these things he thinks to content others they being the things wherewith himself is most pleased As Saul possessed with an evill spirit nothing could quiet him but instruments of musick while one was by him curiously playing upon the Harpe his heart was refreshed 1 Sam. 16.23 Thus some their sweetest refreshment and greatest contentments are in the merriments of the world in revelling and rioting luxury and sensual delicacies indulging the delights of the flesh such as stretch out their wits for to rear up their lusts setting off their abominable vices with plausible pretences to cover their carnall nature they run over Scripture and speake much of the Spirit they may live the more in the flesh As Rachel that sits over her fathers Idols and sayes It is with her after the manner of women Thus they brood and hide their filthy designes and say it is with them after the manner of men moved by the Spirit But 't is not the Spirit of God that moves in these men Men may be strangely acted onely by a Spirit of error And as at other times so also upon the Lords day lift up by a spirit of delusion This lying and deluding spirit As in some things he may seemingly take the way So he may at sometimes subtilly take the day viz. Of the usual workings of Gods holy Spirit that he may the more undiscernably deceive the souls of sinful men and women As Satan crept into Paradise and in that place beguiled our first Parents So he gets into the Sahbath and upon this day seduces divers persons J b 1.6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord add Satan came also among them He seemed as if on that day he had something to do as well as they Though undoubtedly whatever this evil spirit does is not to bring men to a care of and love to the Sabbath as it is the Lords holy day But his drift indeed is to draw men to an idle neglect and a low esteem of this day of the Sabbath 2. Upon the Sabbath men may have many Spititual motions from the good Spirit of God Movings of the Spirit in them and Yet they no movings in the Spirit As the Spirit of God upon the Sabbath moves in sanctified souls So likewise may he then move in sinful and unsanctified hearts Here observe Wherein it may be evidenced and Whereby it may be differenced Good evidence may be given that Gods Spirit may move in sinful men upon the sabbath-Sabbath-day so as that in respect of spiritual good things they may be brought To Observe Discern Assent To Admire Affect Resolve 1. The Spirit may so move as that men may much observe
what is said upon the Sabbath concerning things Spiritual and Eternal not barely to hear but to hearken not onely to imploy the ear but to apply the mind to mark things mentioned to consider and ponder what is preached and pressed When our Saviour upon the Sabbath preached the Gospel in the Synagogue of Galilee the people were so moved that they pressed with eagernesse to lesson and learn what he delivered Luk. 5.1 Thus people may possibly under the preaching or the Gospel have their thoughts so helped and their hearts so held as to heed what they hear 2. Gods Spirit may upon the Sabbath so move as that men may discern and see much into the matters of God and according to the Word of God become very knowing Divine things may not onely be opened to their understanding but their understandings open to things Divine Numb 24.4 Heb. 6.4 Through the Spirit their minds may so be enlightened and their eyes so opened that into the good things of the Gospel they may have a great insight Their heads may be gold though their feet be clay Their understandings may have light though their affections no heat Though the tree of life be not yet planted that may bring forth fruit unto God yet they may have a tree of knowledge so full of leaves that therewith they may flourish in the World 3. Gods Spirit may move upon the Sabbath so as men may assent to the truth of Gods revealed will so as to believe the reports God hath made in his Word to be all infallibly true A man may be brought to yield such an allowance and to give that credit to whatever God speaks in Scripture that his soul may secretly say Truth Lord. Though that which most transcends reason as the mysteries of the Gospel yet to each the soul inwardly sayes Truth Lord. Though that which condemns his own course and discovers his own case to be naught yet conscience concludes Truth Lord. That secret way is sinful sayes God and must be broken from Yea sayes the man Lord I believe it That way is holy just and good and must be walked in Lord I believe it That is necessary to be sought and that is worthy to be embraced Lord I believe it Luk. 8.13 Act. 8.13 All which is brought on by the blessed Spirit of God 4. Gods Spirit may so on the Sabbath incite as to set men in admiring at the greatnesse of Gods grace and mercy wondring at Gods works and words Luk. 4.14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee and taught in their Synagogues on the Sabbath day there they admired him and he was glorified of them all After he came to Nazareth and went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath-day where preaching upon some part of the Prophet Esay the people before him witnessed and wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out at his mouth Luk. 4.17 18 22. 5. Gods Spirit may be so inciting upon the sabbath-Sabbath-day as that men may be much moved to affect the good things of God hereby they may be brought To desires of them and To delights in them Spiritual good things men may be desirous of When our Saviour in a Sermon Joh. 6. preached about the Bread which comes down from heaven and giveth life to the World some of his hearers were so stirred that they broke out saying Lord ever give us this Bread Thus when men hear of heavenly things their hearts may spring witn desires and their souls secretly say O Lord ever give us this good Yea with joy may their hearts dance and leap Luk. 8.13 Thus some rejoyced in the Ministery of John the Baptist Joh. 5.35 With gladnesse of heart did Herod hear him Mark 6.20 6. Gods Spirit may on the Sabbath so move as that men may resolve upon obedience to God and his holy Commands Deut. 5.27 Go thou near say the people to Moses and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou to us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it Jer. 42.4 5 6. I will pray sayes the Prophet to the people unto the Lord your God and whatever the Lord shall answer I will declaer to you and keep nothing back Then they said to Jeremiah The Lord be a true and faithfull witnesse between us if we do not according to all things for which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us Whether it be good or evil we will obey the voice of the Lord our God Thus people under the Gospel their hearts may be wrought to a real resolving upon the right way not onely something perswaded but their present purposes pitched to practise and prosecute that which is good These and such like good movings may the Spirit of Grace have upon the hearts of sinful men upon the day of the Sabbath and yet are far from being like Gods Saints in the Spirit upon the Lords day Now between these there is a discernable difference Gods Saints upon the Sabbath are so in the Spirit as no other ever are Those Spiritual motions that are in other hearts may be found defective in a four fold respect Viz. of Depth Breadth Heigth and Length For depth Those Spiritual movings that are in carnal hearts are but superficial and shallow they do not reach down into the inmost parts of the heart in deep humblings and soul-afflictings so as at first to lay the foundation deep A man admires the mercy of God in Christ but does not abhor himself for sin in the dust as that dear Saint of God who when he was affected and wondred at the glory of God he saw he also reflecting upon his own infirmities abhorred himself in dust and ashes Job 42.2 Gods Saints are first moved to deep and bitter self-bemoaning sorrowes Jer. 31.18 and after comes in sweet soul-quickning comforts Matth. 5.4 Others are like that stony ground Matth. 13.20 who when they heard the Word immediately they received it with much joy the seed sprung upward but downward took no deep rooting as in the good ground Luk. 8.13 14 15. When the Spirit moves upon true believers it makes them to bottom well to dig deep and lay the foundation on a rock and then raise their building in holy resolutions and sweet affections with suitable performances but others all the motions they feel puts them upon some fair buildings without any deep bottomings Matth. 7. Luk. 6. For breadth Those Spiritual movings that are in carnal hearts are but straitened and narrow they do not spread out either in respect Of subject Or object They do not reach out into all the powers of the soul so as to take up the whole soul for God Thus does the Spirit move in the Saints of God having a wonderful work in the whole soul so as that they are set about God and good with their whole heart and whole desires 2 Chron. 15.5 All their joyes and desires are in
and after God Whom have I in heaven but thee and who on earth do I desire besides thee Psal 73.25 Others they desire God but there is somewhat besides their soul is set upon In their affections or resolutions God he hath not the whole heart or whole soul and spirit Neither do those good motions they have reach out to all the precious things of God Something of God they would have but not whole God O how are they delighted to hear of the loving kindnesse patience pity mercy of God But the omniscience omnipresence purity holinesse of God they are not so taken with or stirred at pleased with The Death of Christ for their salvation Not the life of Christ for their imitation Fain have that of Christ which justifies But care not for that of Christ which sanctifies A Saint of God spiritually moved desires to know nothing but Christ and him crucified And God forbid sayes the Apostle I should glory in any thing save in the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ Gala. 5.14 Moses can prize the reproaches of Christ Heb. 11.26 Others onely regard somewhat of Christ the honours of Christ the happinesse of Christ the comforts of Christ but to bear the Crosse of Christ and to possesse the Grace of Christ and to stoop to the yoak of Christ this is grievous For height Those spirituall movings that are in carnal hearts cause them Heaven-ward to make some assayes but up to heaven they do not in soule ascend as Gods Saints who mount up and have communion with Christ 1 John 1.3 and have their conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 sitting down in heavenly places with Christ Eph. 2.6 Upon some movings of the Spirit others hearts and minds like Grashoppers leap up but fly not far Or as a vapour that ascends out of the earth into the lower regions of the air but never rises to get up into the highest region but when the heat or force is a little over as a heavy body it falls back again and that which was like to be fire proves but water When the minds of carnall men are most mounted and their hearts most heightened yet they do not come to that pitch of pious affections and positive resolutions as whereunto Gods people are raised They do not so highly admire nor so highly desire nor so highly esteem the holy things of God as do the dear Saints of God in their heavenly converses with God when God by his Spirit carries them as upon Eagles wings For length Those Spiritual movings that are in carnal hearts are for the most part sudden and short as sparks of fire that are soon quenched out Esay 50.11 Or as morning dewes that are soon dried up Hose 6.4 Through the workings of the holy Spirit O in what a hopeful way for heaven are the hearts of men sometimes set but things do not abyde all being by and by beate down This made Chrysostom observe a sad difference between the work of the Minister in his calling and the work of other men in their earthly trades and ordinary imployments Men commonly as they leave their work so they find it But the Ministers work who is a Co-worker with God for peoples spirituall good it is one day set forward and another backward Upon some Sabbath O how mighty are men moved how sweetly are their soules disposed how are their affections fixed and their resolutions raised as if the new building would pass on apace but by that time a Minister comes again to his work all is dashed down so broken as not a stone is left upon a stone The work is new to begin yea the case perhaps worse then it was before As water once warmed being ward cold some say is afterward the more hardly heated Those holy heatings warmings workings movings meltings mountings and meetings of God which good men have through the help of Gods holy Spirit are more remaining and better abyding such good things are stablished and nourished in them that are vanishing and perishing in others Luk. 8.13 John 6.67 60. Gala. 4.15 16. The Spirit does so act and stir in the hearts of holy men and their soules upon the Sabbath may so act and stir in the Spirit as is not possible for any other persons The peculiar priviledge of pious men to be in the Spirit on the Lords Day 2. We yet grant there be severall of Gods Saints who though they possibly may yet upon the Lords day in the Spirit they actually are not Because Either they go from Ordinances Or they rest in Ordinances Some upon the Sabbath forsake Gods publike Ordinances and for that cause they are not in the Spirit The wise God will so honour his own holy appointments that such as sinfully desert them shall not comfortably possesse him But they shall comfortably enjoy him who carefully attend them O how much of Gods good Spirit have good men met when they have been on the Sabbath assembled in the use of Ordinances John 20.19 upon the first day in the week when the Apostles were gathered together The Greek word does signifie such a gathering as in Church-Assembly it being a word of Ecclesiasticall use and so applyed in severall texts Act. 4.31.11.26.13.44.14.27.20.8 1 Cor. 5.4 Then the Lord breathed on them and they received the Holy Ghost When Peter was preaching the Gospel the holy Ghost fell upon all them that heard the Word Act. 10.44 It is in the use of Ordinances Christ hath promised his Spirituall presence Matth. 28.19 20. As the presence of Christ in body is not enjoyed but in the heavenly Jerusalem Grego Moral lib. 18. et cap. 15. the generall Assembly the Church of the first-born where are gathered an innumerable company of Angells and the spirits of just men made perfect Hebr. 11.22 23 24. So the presence of Christ in Spirit is not to be expected but in the holy Assemblies of Gods Militant Saints met to honour God gathered to glorifie God in the way of his Ordinances Word and Sacraments c. It is true divers of Gods dear Saints can by experience speak that they have met with much of Christ in Spirit and much of the Spirit of Christ in private duties as Meditation and Prayer c. But then this comfortable experience hath been to Christians Either while publick Ordinances also were attended Or when Ordinances in publick could not be enjoyed 1. Christians while they remain upon the Lords day diligent in publick duties may in duties private meet with much of Gods Spirit Christians may even in the week-time have sweet incomes of Spirit in their private Closets the better to prepare them for encourage them to and carry them through the publick service of the Sabbath when the Lord with enlarged measures of refreshing mercies may more fully flow in upon them 2. The souls of sincere Christians may have in the private exercises of religion large enjoyments of God through the Spirit being deprived of publick Ordinances
and debarred from the open liberties of the Lords day Yea when they are held and hindred from ordinary works of Gods worship God may more immediately and abundantly in the best comforts break in upon them As the Israelites when they were in the wildernesse and could not have comfortable crops from the earth God gave them Manna immediate from heaven but when they were come into Canaan if they would have a harvest they must mind their seed-time and plow and sowe in the season When Gods servants are settled where the means of Grace may be had and the work of Gods worship may be performed they must not think to have Spiritual comforts as Manna immediate from heaven Some upon the Sabbath they forsake the solemn worship of God and depart from the publick Ordinances of God and so are not in the Spirit on the Lords day Object In Spirit God himself is departed from the publick Assemblies and therefore mens forsaking of them hinders not from rheir being on the Lords day in the Spirit What prejudice can it be to forsake God-forsaken Ordinances wayes and means wherein God is not now to be found Answ Thus some have suggested to justifie their sinful separation for how can they make good their going from us if they grant that God is with us With what face can they forsake those Ordinances with which God himself is present Present is God in Spirit with publick Ordinances though Not sensibly at all seasons Nor savingly to all persons Nor effectually for all purposes 1. God in Spirit and the Spirit of God is in Ordinances present when not apparant He hath secret and undiscerned wayes of working This holy Spirit hath his hidden accesses unto the souls of men The dewes of divine grace they fall in small and insensible drops The seed of sanctifying grace is sowen by an invisible hand Great works are done by a deep and intimate energie of the Spirit of grace whereof no present notice is taken As Joseph by his servant put his silver cup into Benjamins sack when neither he nor any of his Brethren knew it Thus God by his Spirit puts sanctifying grace into the souls of men when not themselves much lesse others are able to perceive the same In the conversion of Saint Paul 't is said Act. 97. that they who were with him in his journey they heard a voyce but saw no man In the publick preaching of the Gospel the whole Congregation hear a voyce but do not see what secret works the Spirit of God hath in the hearts of men to promote their good And though the Lord is not ever appearingly present with publick Ordinances yet he hath not forsaken them God does never forsake his precious servants yet he is not alwayes with them sensibly present As at the pool of Bethesda people who desired a cure they waited for the moving of the water there being certain seasons when the Angel of God stirred in the same So there be some special seasons when the Spirit of God stirs in Ordinances and therefore thereon people must wait that would have a cure 2. Gods Spiritual presence it is with publick Ordinances though upon several they have no saving work Though divers under Gospel-dispensations be blinded hardened ruined Act. 19.8 9. Exod. 14. We find a cloud that cast darknesse upon the Egyptians so that it blinded them and brought them to run upon their own ruine yet with that very cloud God was present thereby giving light to the Israelites and leading them in the way to Canaan Nehem 9.12 1 Sam. 4. The Philistines having in a set battel worsted the Army of Israâ—l the Elders of Israel cryâ—d out Let us fetch the Ark of the covenant iâ—to the field it may save us from the hands of our enemies And accordingly they caused the Ark of the covenant to be brought into the Camp But the Philistines fight and Israel was smitten with a very great slaughter and the Ark it self was taken yet the Ark 't was Gods ordinance and wi h it was Gods immovable presence as may appear by the plagues God inflicted upon the Philistines who carried the Ark captive It was a curse to them yet Gods own blessed appointment for his peoples profit The preaching of the Gospel it is to several a savour of death yet with the Gospel preached God is graciously present for the saving good of the souls of some 2 Cor. 2.16 Heb 4.12 The word of God it is a two edged sword it hath a killing edge and wounds some to death yet through God it hath a curing edge some being saved by the very Word which wounds them Christ himself who is a Corner-stone upon whom many a blessed building is raised yet he is a Rock of offence and a stone at which some stumble and fall and rise no more 1 Pet. 2.7 8. Notwithstanding God is never separated from his Son but abides with him for ever Joh. 16.32 3. In publick Ordinances God by his holy Spirit is present even unto all persons for some or other good purpose For the best highest purpose is God Spiritually present to some persons in the use of his Ordinances so that they are effectually wrought upon and brought in to grace and glory And surely where ever the net is cast out there are some fish to be caught and where the candle is lighted up there are some lost groats to be found though but few And as for other persons for other good purposes though of lower concernment is God in Spirit present so that though they are not by grace renewed yet they are through grace restrained Hence as Saint Paul complaines that he could not do the good he would So sinners they cannot do the evill they would Might good men have their minds they would be much better And might wicked men have their wills they would be far worse Hence men are not onely brought to forbear many things evill but drawn to do divers good things Thus Herod heard John Baptist gladly reformed much that was evill Josephus lib. 15. cap. 8. et 12 c. and performed many things good Mark 6.20 Josephus reports of this Herod many excellent things he did as acts of Justice acts of Fortitude acts of Liberality In the time of a famine how he caused all his vessels of Gold and Silver to be melted and therewith corn to be bought for the relief of the poore People under the preaching of the Gospell that are not effectually converted yet are ordinarily convinced have some Illuminations Inclinations Qualifications Commiserations Operations whereby others may have profit though themselves perish All which are the actings of Gods good Spirit and the evidences of Gods sure presence in the use of his Ordinance Let not any then say that God hath forsaken any of his administrations but let men rather reflect and fear lest themselves should be forsaken of God This was commendable in King Saul 1. Sam. 28.15 O sayes he The
Philistines make war against me and God is departed from me and answereth mâ— no more neither by Prophets nor by dreames c. He does not say God is departed from his Prophets God is departed from his ordinary waies of answer but God is departed from me c. Persons that do not find profit by the Word should misdoubt their own conditions for Gods Word does good to them that walk uprightly Micah 2.7 Such as say God is gone from publike ordinances it argues their hearts are gone if their bodies be with us they do but learn the Language of such as are gone from us both in body and Heart But God is with us Object None have such comfortable discoveries of God by the the Spirit as some that are departed from publick Assemblies Answ Some that have been damnable seducers have given out that they through the Spirit have had glorious discoveries of God The Spirit of God descending upon our Saviour like a Dove when he had heaven opened and God speaking This is my beloved Son Matth. 3.16 17. in allusion thereto and imitation thereof a grand Impostor having taught a white Pigeon to take pease out of his ear reported to the people that it was the holy Ghost imparting the mind of God to him in most comfortable Mysteries for the which he was much admired of many And our Saviour having promised the sending of the Spirit the Comforter that should make known all things from the Father Alsted Chronolo Haeresium 38. pag. 382. Joh. 14. One impudently affirmed not onely that he had extraordinary Spiritual comforts from God but that he was the very Spirit of God the Comforter and that God had sent him to make known most comfortable messages to the Churches of Christ whereupon he had many favourers and followers Luther cites several sects in his time who though they fled from the Word as Owles from the light yet they pretended to high raptures and ravishments through the Spirit and tâ—us especially the prime leaders with lyes as loadstones drew parties after them c. And there are in our dayes divers whose language it loud of large discoveries they have from and comforts they have in God through the Spirit never so as since they separated from our publick Assemblies before they were full of fears and doubts but now they are in the firmest settlements and fullest assurance free from all sad thoughts filled with the joyes and comforts of the holy Ghost having intimate acquaintance with the mind of God and understanding in the deep Mysteries of Christ This I shall onely say that if it be really so let us see more of it Both in their lives and actions And in their deaths and afflictions In the actings of their lives how little of the power of this appears Either towards God above them Or towards men about them If they say they now see and know so mâ—â—h taste and partake so much trust and confide so much in God let them evidence it by their exact actings and strict livings so as to out strip others in all goodnesse kindnesse meeknesse mercifulnesse c. As the Apostle speaks to the man who boasts of his belief Shew me thy faith by thy works Jam. 2. So may we say to such Let them shew their comforts and confidence in God by their holy working humble walking sin-subduing self-denying loving those that they count their enemies and praying for those they call their persecutors Math. 5.46 47. That saying of our Saviour to the Pharisees may fitly be applyed If ye love them which love you what reward have you Do not even the Publicans the same And if ye salute your brethren onely what do you more then others Do not even Publicans so c Nay instead of doing more then others in their conversations and actions they expresse lesse of the power of godlinesse and practice of holinesse keep lesse to the rules of righteousnesse and in the paths of peaceablenesse then other Christians do and yet they speak of higher raptures greater discoveries sweeter comforts stronger confidence then other Christians have I question whether these be any more then self-deceiving conceits arising from Satans-subtil designs 2. In their deaths and daies of deep distresse how little likewise do they lay forth of that firm confidence and those full comforts they speak of in God It were easy to instance from among the Anabaptists and such other Sects how especially the prime leaders who have spoken of raptures and ravishing revelations by the Spirit yet some of them have died ragingly and in a frenzie others stupidly their heart sinking within them like a stone And have not some been seen who have carried it boldly out while the Sun hath been warm under which they have set and while the Sea hath been calme over which they have sailed but when the winds have been rough and their hopes as ships have been wrackt their vapourings have vanished History reports of a river that at every Mid-Summer swelleth and runneth over the bancks but in Mid-Winter is cleane dried up Thus some while they have had prosperous successe their confidence and comforts have risen high but when they have been down in the depths of their distresse all have been damped and dashed to the dust As Pharaohs Chariots that carried him fast and ran swift upon the Land but when they were in the Sea then they went heavy and their wheeles fell off The Jewes said of our Saviour Let us see him come down from the Crosse we will believe in him But of such we may say Let us see them go up to the Cross let us see how they can look death devill God in the face keeping up the heights of their comforts confidence and then we may the better believe them In the mean while let not Christians believe they may have high comforts heavenly raptures through the Spirit yet neglect holy Ordinances Christian Assemblies the Lords Day and the duties thereof Though some men be in Sabbath-day-duies that are out of the Spirit yet let none think to be in the Spirit that lie out of duties upon the day of the Sabbath As whoever would sail over Sea to a friend in another Land must have both a ship and a wind so whoever would in soul ascend from earth unto God in heaven must have the help Both of Gods holy Ordinances And of Gods holy Spirit The Ordinance as the Ship and The Spirit as the wind As the Ship of an Ordinance cannot move without the wind of the Spirit so the wind of the Spirit will not blow without the Ship of an Ordinance And therefore as a man must desire the wind So he must take care that he be in the Ship else if he goes to Sea his soul will sink and not ascend Some neglect the Ordinances of God and the duties of the Sabbath and therefore are not in the Spirit upon the Lords Day 2. Some others they so
rest in Ordinances that therefore they are not upon the Lords Day in the Spirit This may be considered Both in respect of the Ordinances they use And in respect of their use of Ordinances 1. The Ordinances that some upon the Sabbath use are of a lower rank viz. Reading of Scriptures Hearing of Sermons and Prayer to God In these they rest and do not rise to duties of a higher sort viz. Sequestred Meditation Sacramental participation and Solemn congratulation These three duties are as Davids 3. Worthies that outwent all their fellowes 2. Sam. 23.23 In reading and hearing Gods Word truths are more transient but in meditation they are more stayed and established In the Word are rare things uttered and opened But in the Sacrament they are also sealed and settled In prayer to God we seek the supplying our wants and serving our present necessities c. But in prayses of God we set up Gods worth exalting his Bounty and Beauty In the Ministery of the Word God comes as it were down into the world to us In meditation we go as it were out of the world up to God Of Isaac 't is said he went into the field to meditate but of a Christian it may be said he goes out of the field viz. out of the world to meditate dilate and delight his thoughts upon God Of God he cannot take in so much by the hearing of the ear as he doth by the thoughts of his heart In the Word we hear discovered the Love of God by his voice In the Sacrament we see uncovered the Love of Christ in his Crosse herein the soul by a working faith walks into the wounds of Christ banquets upon his bruised body and bathes it self in his blessed blood By prayer we receive mercy from God By Praises we give glory to God Now 't is more excellent to give then to receive Prayer is the sole work of Saints militant on earth praises is also the work of Saints triumphant in Heaven As in an Orchard the ripest and sweetest fruit and that which is most pleasant to sight and taste is to be gathered from off the upper boughs of trees So the sweetest comforts of the Spirit that most refresh the heart and ravish the soules of Saints are to be found in these upper duties upon the Day of the Sabbath Now because Christians do not rise unto these higher performances but rest in those lower services therefore they are not in the Spirit upon the Lords Day 2. The use that some upon the Sabbath have of sacred Ordinances is onely in a lower way viz. so as that their hearts in holy duties Are heavy and sad Or lazie and dead And empty of God Thus they rest and do not rise to that higher way of using Gods holy Ordinances viz. so as in religious exercises to have their hearts Cheered Fixed and Filled with God First they perform the Service of the Sabbath all with sadded hearts in a lumpish way Their spirits bowed down with a burden of black apprehensions so as that all the Lords day long they have no list to lift up themselves Fishermen when upon the waters of the Sea they cast out their nets they not onely hang on lead but they put on cork that they may the better bear them up and bring them out whereas when Christians upon the duties of the Sabbath draw out their hearts having no cork of encouraging hope but all lead of desponding thâ—ughts and distrusting feares they cannot bear up their souls sink in the service of God Matth. 28.8 it is said of some good women that they went from Christs Sepulchre upon his Resurrection-day with fear and great joy but some Christians they come and go from Gods Ordinances upon the Lords Day with great fear but no joy so that when they should be in the triumphs of the Spirit thâ—â—r spirits are filled with troubles Tâ—â— Sabbath it is the day whereon Christ came up from his Sepulchre in which before he lay dead and buried buâ— the Sabbath 't is the day whereon some Christians go down into the Sepulchre of sorrowes and bury their soules under sad doubts in which graves of darknesse they rest when from them they ought to rise Upon the day of the Sabbath the soules of Gods Saints should send out sweet comforts as the conduits of a City that run with wine upon the day of some triumph Upon this day the minds of all good men should mount up into heaven and comfortably converse with God from morning to night drinking deep of those rivers of pleasure that are in Gods presence Now this Christians do not whose hearts are upon this day down in deep fears and sorrows 2. Gods Saints may sometimes transact the duties of the Sabbath with deadnesse of heart in a livelesse and luke-warm way Dead Sacrifices and Jewish Sabbaths suited but dead services and Christian Sabbaths do not accord Gospell-Sabbaths require living Sacrifices yea a lively soul in every service As the true mother in the Kings could not be content with a dead child in her bosome no more should a true Christian be satisfied with a dead heart in holy duty especially upon the Lords Day The day wherein deadnesse should be turn'd into life weaknesse into strength and earthly coldnesse into heavenly heatings For want of this Sabbaths passe with small profit The day may be long yet little work done Souldiers who meet and muster upon a training day and diâ—charge their Muskets withâ—ut bullet or shot they make a noise but no execution is done Christians meet and gather on the Sabbath day discharge their duties without feâ—vour and heat some noise is made but little work wrought no rising of heart no ascending of soul no being in the Spiâ—it on the Lords Day As Christians should not rest in livelesse low or weak graces but labour to enliven and still more to strengthen those divine qualities so they should not rest in livelesse low and flat performances but endeavour to grow to greater life warmth and strength in all holy duties Not sloathful in businesse but fervent in Spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. For want of fervency of Spirit there is so much sloathfulnesse in the businesse of Gods blessed Day Fervency or zeal is to duty as the soul to the body without which all is but a cold carcase Zeal is to the Soule as oyl to the wheele whence it goes quick and is agil in all the waies of Gods worship This is that Pillar of fire which as it must go along with us in the night of our suffering so in the day of our service Service and soul and all dies as this decayes As upon the wasting of radicall heat the body growes into weaknesse sicknesse and death so in the soul of man and Service of God all languishes and declines as spiritual heat abates It is said of John the Baptist he was a burning and a shining light When Christians are before men shining in actions
but are not towards God burning in affections they keep dayes and carry on duties in a spiritlesse way And for lack of such sparklings and springings of soul they are not in the Spirit on the Lords day 3. Pious men may possibly passe Sabbaths resting in Gods Ordinance without enjoying Gods presence God having made those heavenly creatures Sun Moon and Stars yet rested not till he had created man so man having used holy duties Word Sacraments and Prayer yet therein should not rest till he can attain God When the Jewes were gone out of Egypt and were in their way to Canaan God told them they should have his Angel to go before them but himself would not go with them which when they heard they all mourned and none would put on his Ornaments Exod. 33.2 3.4 Gods servants in Sabbaths should not be satisfied though they had the Ministery of Angels except God himself be present When Rebecca was in her journey to Abrahams house with his servants she rode on the Camel but she did not rest on the Camel when she saw Isaac who was to be her husband she lighted down and modestly met him Gen. 24.63 64. Jacob rejoyced to see the wagons his son Joseph had sent yet was not the seeing of them nor being in them that satisfied Jacob but thereby to go into Egypt and see and enjoy Joseph himself It becomes Christians to rejoyce when God gives them Ordinances to use yet is not the highest Ordinances they can have upon this holy day wherein they should rest contented except thereby they can come to some communion with God It is reported of Master Bradford the Martyr that he would never leave off in holy duties till he found therein somewhat of God as in prayer he would not give over till he had some intimation from God of his love in meditation till he had some manifestation of Gods presence quickening and quieting his heart Gods servants even upon Sabbath dayes when duties are most solemn and settled should not rest satisfied except God shewes upon them some token for good and seals upon their souls some impression of his presence which they may carry with them all the week The Church Cant. 3. being at a losse for her beloved she goes to the watchmen and enquires of them And 't was but a little said she tâ— at I passed from them but I found him whom my soul loveth We are not so far to passe Instruments and Ordinances as not to make use of them or attend in them but we are to passe them a little in respect of any relyance on them or resting in them As evil things unrepented of carry us from God so good things rested in keep us from God It is for Pharisees and Papists to rest in good works done Christians should rise higher and reach at a GOD in every good work at Christ a Saviour in every service of the Sabbath When Samuel was to anoint one of the family of Jesse to be King over Israel Jesse made seven of his sons to passe before the Prophet and as they passed one after another the Prophets word was This is not he Neither this he c. Then sayes Samuel Is there not yet another And Jesse said There remains yet the youngest and behold he keeps the sheep And Samuel said Send and fetch him for we will not sit down till he come hither And Jesse sent and brought in David Then sayes the Prophet This is he and he anointed him 1 Sam. 16. Thus upon a Sabbath when Instruments Ordinances Ministers Scriptures Prayers Sermons Sacraments and all passe one after another the souls of Gods Saints should secretly say Is there not yet another The Lord our righteousnesse we cannot sit down till he comes hither And when the Lord himself appears in an Ordinance each soul should say This this is he Some they sit down in Ordinances though no Christ comes in little or nothing of the Lord himself is seen and so their hearts rise not The Virgin Mary comming into the house where Elizabeth was she being with child the babe leaped in her womb and she was filled with the holy Ghost and said with a loud voice Whence is this that the mother of my Lord should come to me Luk 1. Now it was not so much the Mother of the Lord as the Lord in his Mother that made the child in Elizabeth leap 'T is not the Ministers of Christ nor the Ordinances of Christ but Christ in his Ministers and Christ in his Ordinances that makes the hearts of holy men to leap upon the Lords day Thus they are filled with the holy Ghost and fixed with the Spirit of God Now because Christians do not rise to a high minding the presence of Christ but rest in a low using the Ordinances of Christ they are not in the Spirit on the Lords day Use Exhortion Let this incite all Gods Saints to such a spiritual spending of the Gospel-Sabbath that upon this day they may be in the Spirit Two things 't is here meet to mark Viz. The matter whereof this is comprised and The motives whereby this is enforced Spiritually to spend the Lords day does comprise principally these two things viz. The influence of Gods Spirit with us and The concurrence of our spirits with God 1. The inflowings of Gods Spirit so as to work in a double way viz. Of Resistance And Assistance There being mighty oppositions against us we need the Spirit of God for their resisting and There being many imperfections about us we need the same Spirit for our assisting 1. The blessed Spirit upon the Sabbath to resist Satan and what he secretly suggests to damp the duties of the day Indeed the Divels design is not onely to dull us in but if possibly to drive us from this day in all the duties thereof And when he cannot keep off our bodies to carry away our hearts he comes oft like a flood a flood of water to hinder a flame of zeal Revel 12.15 And the Serpent cast out of â—is mouth water as a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood When Satan sees that upon the Sabbath we will go out to the Ordinances of God to quench and carry away our hearts he then causes temptations to come as a flood viz. Both in abundance And with violence Against this the best helper is Gods holy Spirit Esay 59.19 VVhen the enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him Thus ate the billowes beat back and the floods dryed up and Satans designs dashed and our souls upon the Sabbath set in a more hopeful way for Spiritual work 2. The Spirit of God upon the Sabbath to assist and help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 Our infirmities likewise the Spirit helpeth for we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self makes intercession for us with groanes that cannot
be uttered 'T is not prayer nor any other part of Gods service upon the Sabbath that we can spiritualy perform except the Spirit assist The Spirit helpeth Or claspeth in with us together as the Greek word notes As when a businesse is too big a work too weighty for one others put to their helping hands lifting and labouring together The work of the Sabbath especially to be spirituall therein is above our abilities except the Spirit closes in and sets to his assisting hand service will be sleepy and souls will be dead As 't is said that the whole soul is in the whole body and the whole soul in every part of the body to animate and actuate all Thus the holy Spirit must be wholly in the whole body of Sabbath-businesse and whole in every particular duty that all may be active heavenly and lively Upon the Lords day Gods people need the help of Gods holy Spirit Both to transport them And to support them 1. The Spirit upon the Lords day to transport and carry them out in holy duties beyond ordinary formalities and their own abilities though in the week their wings have been wetted in the world yet upon the Sabbath they are made fit to fly and soar up to God Though upon this day Christ rose from the dead yet it was fourty dayes after he ascended into heaven But to a Christian through the Spirit as it is his resurrection day so it is his Ascension day As on this day he comes up from the dead So on this day he goes up unto God 2. The Spirit upon the Lords day to support and keep them up in holy and heavenly frames of heart That in Gods service they sink not Either through sinful inclinations Or through Satans temptations Good mens hearts are as Moses hands when they are lifted up they must be born up Ever since Adams fall mans natural motion is downward The soul that ascends will soon descend if Gods blessed Spirit does not bear it up This made David pray when he saw the people for the service of the Temple with their hands liberal and their hearts lively O Lord God sayes he keep this up for ever in the thoughts of the hearts of thy people c. And Satan he sets in to sink the soul down when it is highest in holy movings and heavenly mountings Matth. 4. we find when our Saviour was taken up into the holy City and sâ—t upon a pinacle of the Temple then Satan solicits him that if he were the Son of God he might cast himself down Such is Satans design when he sees Gods Saints taken up in holy service and set upon the pinacle in the practical part of holy Sabbaths then he privily puts in presently to pull them down but the Spirit helps and holds them up 2. There must be the close concurrings of our spirits with God or the Lords day cannot be spiritually spent Not our bodies barely but our very souls must so set in with God in Sabbath-service as Freely to stirre and Firmely to stand 1. To stirre freely with readinesse and willingnesse of mind moving about the businesse of Gods blessed day Though there seems difficulty in work and Though there is diversity of work Although some of the service of the Sabbath may seem difficult yet with a prompt and ready mind to move thereto and with all agility apt to act therein As some of the men that Mosâ—s sent to search Canaan they came back and their hearts sunk O say they The Cities aâ—e walled and the people are strong and we can never do the work But Caleb who had another spirit and was of a ready and resolute mind Come sayes he let us go up and take it at once Num. 13.30 Some are as awke to enter upon holy Sabbaths as upon walled Cities their hears shrink back and they say The service is too great they cannot do it whereas Christians of another spirit whose minds are bent upon Sabbath-businesse they say Come let us go up through God we shall do great things this day Yea to have a heart free and fit to move although the duties of the Lords day be divers viz. Works of piety works of charity Works together works asunder Sometimes lowly abasing our selves for sins committed Sometimes highly advancing God for good vouchsafed c. As a well-tuned instrument the strings are ready to stir upon a light touch to divers lessons which the Musician may play as he please one after another Thus to have a well-framed heart apt upon the Lords day to its divers duties prompt to pray swift to hear ready to distribute prepared to every good work 1 Tim. 2.21 Tit. 3.1 Yea to have a heart freely moving not onely about divers Ordinancts but about the same Ordinance To set in a way of work severall graces and To set the same grace several wayes a work As in prayer in hearing the Word in receiving the Sacrament in any one such service of the Sabbath to act up in the soul several graces Faith Hope Love Sincerity Humility Fervency c. To have the heart in a ready exercise of all these at the use of any Ordinance Yea such an Ordinance one of these is wherein the soul of a Christian is to exercise the same grace several wayes As in receiving the Supper of the Lord there is a manifold use of faith Faith here it is as an eye to see as a hand to take as a tongue to taste as a mouth to feed as the stomach to digest retein c. Thus when Gods Saints upon the Sabbath do not onely use sacred Ordinances but therein also exercise several and suitable graces yea and are active in their exercise so that their spirits are quick in co-working with the good Spirit of God then indeed do they Spiritually spend this holy day 2. To stand firmely when the Saints of God upon the Lords day as they labour to get their hearts up so they are loath to let them down all the day long Whereupon they strongly strive Rising to stand fast they may not fall and Falling to rise they may the faster stand 1. That rising their hearts may stand fast and not fall in holy duties while the day lasts As when General Joshua was in the heat of battel against the enemies of Israel having his spirit fixed he looks up to the firmiament saying Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and the Sun stood still and hasted not to go down about a whole day So a Saint of God when he is in the heat of Sabbath-service his affections all on a flame he looks in and says to his soul O my soul now stand thou still Hold here and so the heart holds up and the soul stands still all the Lords day 2. That falling their hearts may rise again to a more fixed affectionate performance of all holy duties Prov. 24.16 The righteous falleth seven times a â—â—y and risâ—th again Seven times even upon
the seventh day the Sabbath day the hearts and souls of Gods Saints are subâ—ect to fall from those heatings and heightenings they then have in duties holy But then they struggle in holy heats of heart to rise higher and to fix faster Psal 108.1 O God my heart is fixed my heart is fixed Fixed and loosened and fixed again Warmed and cooled and kindled again so as that the fire is greater and flame hotter More abounding and abyding through the businesse of Gods blessed day Thus when Gods Spirit flowes in upon us and our spirits fall in with God so as with agility to act and with stability to be set in all sweet wayes of Sabbath-works This is Spiritually to spend the Lords day 2. The Motives that may incite all Gods Saints to such a Spiritual spending the Gospel-Sabbath may arise from things of two sorts observable viz. Some more antecedential and Some more consequential Arguments from things antecedent which may set all the servants of God upon a Spiritual passing this present day may be to consider Sabbath-ward these four things all which we find to be spiritually viz. The Ordainer of it The Ordinances in it The ends for it and The opposits against it 1. The Ordainer of this day the Lord Christ the things Spiritual concerning him we may discern by considering of him Both as he once was And as he now is 1. Christ the Lord of the Sabbath was Spiritual In his Conception and Birth In his Conversation and life In his Passion and death In his Resurrection from the dead And in his Ascension to heaven 1. Christ in his Conception and Birth was spiritual he being conceived of the holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin â—nd the Angel said unto her The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Luk. 1.35 36. 2. Christ in his Conversation and life was Spiritual Lo the heavens were opened uâ—to him and the Spirit of God descending like a Dove lighted upon him Matth. 3.16 Joh. 1.32 His joyes were Spiritual Luk. 10 21. His words were Spiritual Joh. 6.63 All his wayes in the world both towards God and men were Spiritual Heb. 7.26 3. Christ in his Passion and death was Spiritual He through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Heb. 9.14 Even when he was condemned in the world he was justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 4. Christ in his Resurrection from the dead was Spiritual Rom. 1.4 He was declared to be the Son of God by the Spirit of holinesse in his resurrection from the dead Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus dwell in you c. Christ put to death in the flesh but quickened in the Spirit 1 Pet. 3.18 5. Christ in his Ascension to heaven was Spirituall As he went up to God by a Spiritual assistance so upon a Spiritual design viz. to send down the holy Spirit of promiâ—e Joh. 16.7 It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter the Spirit of truth will not come unto you but if I depaâ—t I will send him unto you which we find fulfilled Act. 1. Act. 2. 2. Christ the Lord of the Sabbath he is Spiritual Both in his positive condition And in his Relative transactions Considered in himself according to his glorified estate he is all Spiritual His blessed body is now brought beyond all humane infirmities filled with beauty clarity agility impassibility immortality through the eternal Spirit In his humbled estate he was endowed and adorned with the Spirit what then in his honoured estate God gave him then the Spirit not by measure Joh. 3.34 O what immense and immeasurable fillings of the Spirit were in a crucified much more in a glorified Christ Such an infinite fulnesse of the Spirit is fixed in Christ whereby he is compleately fitted to the perfect performance of all his excellent offices Yea and Christ in his actings is now every way Spirituall Both in what he does with God for men And in what he does with men for God With God for men Christ hath his Spiritual exercise Christs acting as an Advocate with the Father 1 Job 2. His appearing and pleading our cause in the presence of God Heb. 9.24 His making Intercession at the right hand of God Rom. 8.33 As this is founded in the sufficiency of his Merit So it is performed by the efficiency of his Spirit As a meer man Christ does not manage his Mediatorship with God but Christ in Spirit presents unto God the Father for his members His deserts and His desires Both what for his people he hath purchased and what to his people God hath promised that they may perfectly possesse Joh. 17.21 23 24. And with men for God Christ acts all Spiritually As Christ executes his Priestly office in heaven So he fulfils his Prophetical and Regal office on earth in a way of Spirituâ—l working As with Ordinances by the Spirit does Christ teach So by the Spirit with officers does Christ govern As his Kingdom is Spiritual which he governs So his government is spiritual of his Kingdome It is through the Spirit that Christ does such great things in our dayes as it was through the Spirit that Christ did so many good things in the dayes of his flesh Being anointed with the holy Ghost he went about dâ—ing good Act. 10.38 He now sits on his throne in heaven yet by the holy Ghost he transacts manifold and marvellous things on earth By the Spirit he writes his Law in the hearts of his people and rules his people by the Law in their hearts Leads his flock in the way they should walk and Feeds his flock as they walk in the way c. Thus Christ the Lord of the Sabbath is Spiritual And shall not we be Spiritual in the Sabbath of the Lord 2. The Ordinances in the Lords day are Spiritual likewise Go through all the appointments of God that are for this dayes exercise Are they not Spiritual If we seriously consider things that concern The Word Prayer Sacraments Singing of Psalmes Collections for the poor c. Are they nor all duties to be spiritually done Doth not Both the precepts of God binde us hereto And the practise of the binde us hereto Godly 1. For the Word As it is of a Spiritual nature So it is in a Spiritual manner to be managed Both on the Ministers and On the peoples part Every part of Gods precious Word is Spiritual The Law is Spiritual Rom. 7.14 The Gospel that is Spiritual Rom. 1.11 Yea because the Law in Spirituality comes short of the Gospel the Gospel in glory out-goes the Law As it is excellently opened 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8. They that preach the glorious Gospel that is so surpassingly Spiritual must endeavour to do it in the evidences and efficacies of the Spirit
in Preparing Declaring Conferring Confirming All are spiritual Christ the hidden Manna for the heart and the hidden Man it self of the heart which God makes ready by causing hungring humble and holy Desires by quickening Graces calling up all Divine qualities abilities c. That presenting and setting forth Christ as Shew-bread on the Table evidencing and opening Christ his Wounds his Worth c. That giving Christ his Body to be eat and his Blood to be drunk that is meat indeed and drink indeed whole Christ given out c. That settling soules in the assurance of his love so as they may proceed in the paths of Piety and Peace Are not all these spiritual Acts What we are to do in Remembring Discerning Applying Imploying All are spiritual To remember Christ cruc fiâ—d by Meditation to look back on the bitter sufferings and bloody death of our blessed Lord till the heart be warm'd and wound up To discern Christ so as that the outward Elements are as bright Glasses and broad Lattices through which we see the Lord looking and behold the Bounty of his Goodnesse and Beauties of his Holinesse To apply Christ so as to take and eat not barely the bread of the Lord but also the Bread which is the Lord. Potiphar's wife had the Garment but Joseph himself fled from her The Elements are but the garments 't is Joseph himself and Jesus himself that we apprehend To imploy and make use of Christ so as to go from the Table of the Lord in the power of the Lord and strength of his might meet for all managements In these spiritual actings lyeth the life of the Lords Supper 4. For singing of Psalmes This is a spiritual service Ephes 5.18 19. Be filled with the Spirit Speaking to your selves in Psalmes and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your hearts unto the Lord Coloss 3.16 1 Cor. 14.15 I will sayes the Apostle pray with the Spirit and pray with the understanding also I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the understanding also Luther was wont to make a large and lively use of the Psalmes of David Johan Manl. loc Com. Pag. 43. According as he had his several sufferings he had his suitable Psalmes Having been under Satans sad Assaults Come sayes he to some company about him Let us go sing the 130 Psalm in despight of the Devil A precious Minister once in England now with God being upon the waters with some friends in a Boat Come sayes he let us sing the 16 Psalm And when they had pass'd through those words Of perfect joy are in thy face And pleasure for evermore His spirit so wrought and heart so leap'd that he affectionately broke out What pleasure for evermore O let us sing that again Nicepho Hiâ— Eccles lib. 3. ca. 37. History speaks much of the zeal of the Primitive Christians how by singing of Psalmes they were wont to make hard work seem easie and long journeys appear short and bitter cups taste sweet In all their Travels and Troubles Doubts and dark conditions they use to ease themselves and chear their soules by this heavenly service which they spiritually performed however now sinfully slighted 6. Collections for the Poor This is also a Duty to be spiritually done Both Pondering And Pitying Persons in Poverty Pondering and considering such as are in a poor condition Psal 41.1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor and the needy Not onely relieves them with his hand but layes their case to heart Considers the poor The ground of their poverty whether it be good whether that it be from Gods hand upon them or mens hands against them for Gods sake The degree of their poverty whether that it be great Considers the poor and needy That is such as are miserably poor needinesse noting extream poverty Quanta nobis paupertas imò egestas Seneca Epist ad Lucillum A good man so considers this as according to the poores Necessity he proportions his Charity To help he does not onely reach out his hand but drawes out his heart If thou draw out thy soul to the Hungry Esay 38.10 With Bowels of Pity compassionating persons in their impoverished condition There is little of this Duty done except with the bounty and contributions of the hand there goes the Pity and compassions of the heart 1 Cor. 13.4 If I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and haâ—e not chariâ—y 't is nothing Liberal alâ—es are nothing without a fpirit of love Love to Christ and love to men as the members of Christ herein lyes the life of liberality This is spiritual 6. Inflicting of Censures This is also to be done Both with a spirit of zeal against the offending person And with a spirit of love unto the person offending There ought to be anger and grief against the scandal of the man and yet compassion and love towards the man that is scandalous 1 â—or 5.2 3. Ye have not mourned that he which hath done this deed be taken from among you I verily as absent in body but present in spirit have judged concerning him that hath done this deed In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ To deliver such to Satan for the destruction of the flesh yet with affections to the soul That the Spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus This casting out must have a spiritual carriage and be upon spiritual accounts Thus all the businesse that belongs to the Lords day is and ought to be spiritual 3. The ends for which the Lords day was appointed are also spiritual Whether we consider The end primary viz. The glory of God or The end secondary viz. The good of man And these are to be our spiritual aims in Sabbath-times that the Lords gracious ends and ours may suite 1. Sabbaths are seasons set apart for the exalting the glory of God Both in his spiritual being And in his spiritual working That the glorious being of God blessed for ever might the better be set out the Sabbath was set up Although there is no day wherein we can add any glory to God yet on this day does God open much of his glory to us Apud Persas persona regis sub specie Majesta tis socâ—u litur c. Justin lib. 1. Historians report that it was a great part of the pomp of the Persian Kings that they were seldom seen but upon some very high dayes they use to shew themselves to their people in their most Princely attire when they were so much the more admired and adored The Sabbath is that high and holy day whereon God so shewes himself to his servants in his garments of glory that they are made much to admire and adore him who at other seasons is more conceal'd Our Saviour after his resurrection and begun glorification still took this day to discover
in the spirit on the Lords day Thus are the antecedent arguments arguments from things subsequent let us see viz. what desirable effects will follow upon spiritual spending of the Lords day Hereby we shall raise Our souls advantage The Sabbaths excellency The Lords acceptance and The Lands concernments 1. To be spirituall in the Sabbath will be exceedingly for our souls advantage It will be operative for our present good on earth and It will be preparative for our future good in heaven This will work us much spiritual good on earth For hereby Grace shall be encreas'd into Comforts and Comforts shall be encreas'd through Grace 1. Hereby comes a comfortable encrease of Graces for if we be spiritual upon the Lords Day in duties Then Grace is acting in Us and We are then acting in Grace The which actings makes for the augmentings of it Grace it acts in Us. When we are spiritual on the Sabbath then grace is not in the Spark but in the Flame and so rises and runs on Grace is then not barely in the root but in the branch so that it springs and spreads out We act in Grace This addes to its further degrees The way to enjoy that Grace we have not is to imploy that Grace we have While we are spiritually spending the Sabbath we are in the Imployments and so in the Improvements of grace Grace is greatned in us and we do great things through Grace Elisha when he had not onely the Mantle but the Spirit of his Lord Elijah he went and wrought wonderful works When upon the Sabbath we have not barely the Mantle viz. the Ordinance of Christ but also the Spirit of Christ yea wrapp'd in the Spirit as a Mantle then are we meet to leap Mountains and look Devils in the facâ— To Triumph in the Lord and tread Death in the dust 1 Cor. 15.54 2. Hereby comes in a gracious encrease of Comforts Comforts spiritual are springing While the Lords Day is spiritually spending Being in the Spirit which is the Comforter we cannot but be in the Comforts of the Spirit 'T is a true Rule That most cheeres the heart which best clears the estate But spiritually to spend the Lords Day it clears a Christians good estate God-ward An external observing of the Sabbaâ—h does distinguish us fâ—om Pagans But a spiritual spending the Sabbath does difference us from Hypocrites An Hypocrite in the Sabbaths outward observation may seem very precise Luk. 13.14 15. But he never rises to be spiritual in the Sabbaths of God and service of God A spiritual-spent Sabbath is a sure sign of a sincere heart and saving estate This therefore may well be a cause of the Incomes of Comfort Would we have the profit peace and comfort of the Lords Day let us be spiritual then in our Duty They who spend the Sabbath spiritlesse they passe the Sabbath profitlesse comfortlesse The more we have of the Spirit on the Sabbath the more we shall have of profit by the Sabbath and comfort in the Sabbath This will secure us from the worst of Judgments And the best of Mercies this will assure us of The worst of Judgments to wit such as are spiritual hereby we escape and the best of Mercies that is such as are spiritual through this we partake Divers that come out on the Sabbath and do the outward service yet they fall short of spiritual Mercies and they fall under spiritual Miseries because they rise not to spiritual Duties By being spiritual in the service of the Sabbath O the sweet Soul-advantage that is unto the Saints of God! Yea this it fits us for all spiritual good in Heaven puts into us Heart-capacities for Heaven-felicities In Heaven all is spiritual enjoyments spiritual imployments spiritual company comforts spiritual To be spiritual in the holy Sabbath As it best declares the Heavenly estate So it best prepares for the state of Heaven That Sabbath which Saints shall for ever have with God will all be spiritual That this Sabbath may be as a resemblance of that and an Introduction to that we ought to be spiritual 2. To be spiritual will much advance the Sabbaths excellency O how much is the Beauty and Glory of Gods-Day gone the honour and lustre of the Lords-Day lost Undoubtedly our Duty is as together To condole the Dignity of it down So to endeavour to raise up the Dignity 'T is matter of bitter sorrow to see the Sabbath so Eclipsed One writes of the Barbarians in the East-Indies that seeing the Sun Eclipsed in the year 1600. they fasted wept and cry'd all the day long O we miserable people the Dragon hath devour'd the Sun alas alas we have lost the Sun c. O how much may we lament in England to see the Brightnesse of Gods blessed Day dimm'd the light and life of the Lords Day lost How hath the Devil with his doctrines and the doctrines of Devils almost devoured the Sabbath We have the Body of the Day but the soul of the Day the Spirit of the Day is gone with the greatest part even of professing Christians who though they retain the Truth they have let go the life of Religion and may well weep over dead Dayes and Duties To recover amongst us true Sabbath-life 't is requisite That God enliven the Day to us and That we towards God be lively in the Day 1. We must labour with the Lord who quickens the Dead to enliven this Day When the Ruler of the Synagogues Daughter was dead no sooner did our Saviour say Damsâ—l arise but her spirit came into her again and she arose straightway Luk. 8.54 55. Let but our Lord say over his Dead Sabbath Day arise and the Spirit will come into it again and straightway all will be well O what quickenings kindlings when the Spirit of life and the Spirit of burning from above shall abide upon Sabbaths the service and servants of God setting all on a fire When Elijah Elisha were going together there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire and a whiâ—lwind came which caught up Elijah and he was carried into heaven 2 King 2.11 Thus upon the Sabbath when Gods servants are together and there appear Instruments and Ordinances all on a fire Ministers on fire and Sermons on fire and the Spirit as a whirlewind comes O what carryings then up of hearts into heaven This is the Honour of the Day 2. We must labour with our selves in all the Lords Dayes-Duties to be lively and with the Spirit of the Lord to act high for God and to be heart-warm at work All the Sacrifices of the Sabbath must be Burnt-offerings Every service fir'd with zeal Indeed for Christians while they are on the Week-dayes in worldly company to be cool'd is common Peter never gat such a cold as at the High Priests fire among those servants he warm'd himself till he lost his heat but for Christians when they are together on the Sabbath in holy Assemblies to have
hearts cold and affectiont flat as 't is a dishonour to the Lord of the Sabbath so 't is a dishonour to the Sabbath of the Lord. Christians should be like Angels who are called Seraphims for their fiery zeal in the service of God And so to be zealous in Sabbath-Duty will raise the Dignity of the Sabbath This will admirably evidence As Gods Interest in the Day So the excellency of this Day of God The more we have herein of Heat and fervour life and vigour the better we demonstrate the Day is Gods As the true Mother in the Kings cry'd The living son is mine so sayes God The living Sabbath is mine As when Christ was raised from the Dead then he was declared to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 So let the Sabbath rise from the dead to its due life and lustre and then 't will appear to be the Day of God Yea the more Vigorous and Spiritual we be in the Day the more glorious and excellent will the day be O what advantage is to the bodies of men when after death they are rais'd again Read 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. It is sowen in corruption it is raised in incorruption it is sowen in dishonour it is raised in honour it is sowen in weaknesse it is raised in power it is sowen a natural body it is raised a spiritual body Thus will it be with the Lords Day when it shall be raised from the dead as it will be more spiritual in its Nature so it will be more transplendent in its Lustre greater in power higher in honour all redounding to the dignity of it This will bring the Sabbath as the Sun to break forth from under those black clouds with which it is now darkened 3. The Lords acceptance will be certain if we spiritually sanctifie the Sabbath This with the Lord will be acceptable because it is suitable As to the precepts which God gives So to God which gives the precepts 1. The precept or command given of God requires a spiritual care in Sabbath-keeping Remember the Sabbath-day to keep iâ— holy This implies a remembrance of the Sabbath day to keep it spiritually let the spirituality of the day be raised and the sanctitie of the day will not sink but be better seen This will hold out the dayes-hidden holinesse and meet Gods command that calls to keep it holy And such Sabbath-keeoing is to God well-pleasing Esay 56.4 It being that which complies with Gods prescribed Will Esay 58.13 2. God himself from whom such precepts proceed is hereby resembled God is a Spirit and a spiritual being so that spiritual-spent Sabbaths and spiritual-performed duties do best suite a Spiritual God and so are accepted A good God being spiritual spiritual good is most acceptable to God 1 Pet. 2.5 To offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God Acceptable because spiritual With such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 That best likes God Which is most like to God To be spiritual on the Sabbath the Lord likes it and loves it it is so pleasing to God that he does highly prize it and praise it As it is a thing for the praise of God So it is a thing with God of praise To be in the spirit of the Sabbath and to be on the Sabbath in the spirit As it will make for Gods praise from us So it will prove our praise with God The Apostle declaring who are now to be accounted Jewes and what is circumcision under the Gospel sayes Rom. 2.28 29. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision that is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God So may we say He is not a Sabbath-keeper that keeps it onely outwardly but he is a keeper of the Sabbath that keeps it inwardly and that is observation of the Lords day that is in the heart and in the spirit whose praise though it may be not of men it will be of God God at the great day will give him praise in the presence of men and Angels Yea present praise will God by his Spicit speak to such as spiritually spend his holy day And O how sweet will it be for God in a Sabbath to say to our souls Well done well prayed well preached well heard to day my dear servants Now that which the Lord thus praiseth we may be sure much pleaseth the Lord. Yea to sanctifie the Sabbath in a spiritual way the Lord is so pleased with it that he takes pleasure in it then the Lords day is the Lords delight The Sabbath so kept on earth causes joy in heaven It is meet sayes the Father in the fifteenth of Luke to his friends about him It is meet we should rejoyce for this my son was dead and is alive was lost and is found So sayes God Blessed for ever to all in blisse about him T is meet we should rejoyce for this my Sabbath was dead and is alive the glory of it was lost and gone but is now returned again 4. The Lands general concernments will through the Sabbaths spiritual observance be much promoted Both in the Ecclesiastick And in the Civil State Let the spirit of the Lords day be well up in the Land Then will Gods Ordinances remaine that are present And God will remaine present with his Ordinances 1. Gods Ordinances with us will abide What makes God remove precious means from among a people but their dulnesse in his Sabbaths and service their falling from their fervent affections their leaving their first love and life as we see in the case of that languishing Church Revel 2.4 5. I have somewhat sayes Christ against thee thou hast left thy first love Remember from whence thou art fallen and do thy first works or I will come and remove the Candlestick out of his place Let Christians be carried out with a spirit of love and life in the Sabbaths and service of the Lord and though the Lord may lay some sad afflictions upon them yet he will continue the means of Grace among them And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner but thine eyes shall see thy teaches And thine ears shal hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk in it Esay 30.20 2. God himself will also abide with his Ordinances Let the Sabbath be so spiritually sanctified Then as God will be with the Ordinances his people use So God will be with his people in use of Ordinances Then may Ordinances say to Gods Saints and Saints may say to Ordinances Emmanuel God with us God with us in service and suffering makes all sweet That is a precious promise Esay 43.1 When thou art in the water I will be with thee and when thou art in the
fire I will be with thee Water and fire both may referre to afflictions be they various and violent God will be with Yea in the waters of suffering and in the fire of service God is with us Or though we cannot say God is with us when we are in the water to wit when we be cold or lukewarme in his work Yet we may be sure God is with us when we are in the fire to wit fervent and zealous in the works of his worship Is God with us in the fire of heavy afflictions And is not God with us in the fire of holy devotions And let the Lord thus abroad in the Land be with his service and servants and with his servants in service O what great and good things will follow As the cleansing out of pollutions And the closing up of divisions Pollutions cleansed Were the holy Spirit thus up in the Nation the unclean spirit would be soon forced to passe out of the Land Zach. 13.2 This would not onely keep informing Ordinances that are but reforming Ordinances that are not would be also brought in In our English-house we might hope to have the Besome as well as the Candle Luk. 15.8 As the Candle of good Doctrine So the Besome of good Discipline The Besome of Discipline to sweepe out dust As well as the Candle of Doctrine to drive out darknesse 'T is lamentable to see how the Leprosie hath taken our house Levit. 14. And O what an infection hath broke out even in the new building Infliction of due censures would be a good means to remove the plague-stones out of the wall and so to heal the house and help its standing Could we but encrease our Sabbath-zeal sure Church-Keyes would not lie so rusty yea the civil sword would have a sharper edge When God came down upon Sinai in thunder and lightning fire and much smoak God commanded Moses to set bounds about the Mount that the people might not presumptuously break in Thus were there for the Sabbath that fire of zeal that is fits the Civil Power would set bounds that persons might not so profanely break out Those intolerable tolerations we now see would soon cease Those Anti-Congregations that are now Assembly against Assembly in the same place at the same time It is the cause of many sad evils Hence is it that if there be any that will not afford their presence at the publick preaching of the Word or if there be any that cannot abide the power of the Word publickly preached there be those by that will invite them from us and abet them against us Hence is it that the common sort account Sabbath dayes and duties but as indifferent things matters they may use or omit if they please Hence is it that the vilest of men have learned to vilifie and blaspheme the wayes which God hath blessed to speak evil of the Instruments and Ordinances God hath sanctified and by which God is glorified and which of God shall one day be justified c. Did but the spirit of the Lords day rule in the Land those that are opposite we should either reduce or restrain Those grosse abuses and great prophanenesse that is grown amongst us would be either redressed or suppressed Divisions closed If Christians on the Sabbath were higher raised by a spirit of fervency they would at other times be better ruled by a spirit of unity Were there in men more of the spirit of life upon the Lords day there would be more among men of the spirit of love all the week long Men are not spiritual but carnal which is the cause divisions are common There is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnal and walk as men For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal 1 Cor. 3.3 4. To heal the Land of divisions will be Both the beauty and The safetie of it Beauty Rents and divisions are to a Land as fits of convulsions to a child which draws the mouth awry and pulls parts out of their place and causes all to be uncomely cure the Convulsions and the beauty of the Babe returns Safety Rents and divisions are to a Nation as cracks and clifts in a building which yet Art may stop and the house may be strong and the dwellings therein may be safe and sweet Now that which will most powerfully repair our breaches is the Spirit of the Lord which is a Spirit of love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1.7 As it is a spirit of love it unites affections and As it is the spirit of a sound mind it unites opinions And so brings all into one Nothing can so cause union of spirits as the spirit of union Were we more carried out by a spirit of power we should be more carried on with a spirit of peace This spirit would be in us out of Sabbath-service were we in the spirit upon the service of the Sabbath yea O the abundant benefits that would abide our Nation upon this spiritual being and being in the Spirit Then would the works of the Divel be dissolved the darknesse of ignorance dispelled Errors outed blasphemies banished the Gospel cherished truth established iniquity would be lesse the love of many would wax warme formalities would fall and the power of Godlinesse rise Ministers would be vigorous and Magistrates valorous and Christians in Gods cause Couragious Inferiours well governed and Families well ordered so that Old England would become New and we should find New England in Old O happy day O let me beseech all that my weak words may reach for our souls sakes for the Sabbaths sake for the Lords sake and the Lands sake let us be spiritual spiritual in Sabbath-service O let us be like St. John in the text upon the Lords day in the Spirit I was in the Spirit on the Lods day Now that the Lords day may be thus spiritually spent there be duties of three sorts to be observed Anteceden t Concomitant Consequent Antecedent duties Before the Sabbath comes Christians that would well keep the day are required to be Both valiant in resisting temptations against it And diligent in making pâ—eparations for it Temptations that may turn soulâ— aside from this observing the Sabbath may proceed From some more remote or From some more immediate There be some remote that may suggest what may draw off from the Lords day and its spiritual duties There be evil spirits now abroad whose bent is to beat down the day of God and to beat off from the soul-benefitting duties thereof As the spirit of Atheisme And the spirit of Sectarisme The spirit of prophanenesse and The spirit of separation The former fight against the Sabbath day and its due observers in open field by professed battels The latter labour to cut off the Lords day and all its lovers by secret and subtill Stratagems Men that separate from our settled Congregations and run wilde in their opinions
Grant some of them meet on Sabbath-dayes in their religious duties yet themselves say they do it not out of obedience to any divine Command or upon the acknowledgement of any Gospel-Canon binding the conscience more to this then to other dayes As for many they pretend to have things so immediate from God that they are utterly against the use of any holy means or times As Ehud told Eglon he had a message from God and in the mean while thrust him through the belly with a Dagger Judg. 3. Some they say they have a message from God and that they alone have the mind of Christ in the mean time they strike through Gods holy day and stab into the very heart of Christian Religion Dear Christians do not hearken to any of these but stoutly withstand them as being strongly resolved for the Lords day and the lively duties thereof 2. Some immediate that may seek to hinder the holy observation of the Sabbath As sinful relations Deut. 13.6 7. If thy brother the son of thy Mother or thy son or thy daughter or the wife of thy bosome c. shall intice thee secretly saying Let us seek another God let us set our selves Sabbath-free thou shalt not consent to him nor hearken to him thou shalt not conceal him c. Yea perhaps ancient intimate acquaintance such of whom thou mayest say as David Psal 55.14 We took sweet counsel together and walked unto the house of God in company spent many a sweet Sabbath together travelled together many a mile to hear the good Word of God went home with hearts warmed full of comfortable conference by the way c. Now course and counsel is quite contrary all to carry off from Ordinances and to discourage care about the Lods day and duties All such must be stifly withstood and you strongly resolved not to lose the Lords-day priviledge When Ahab sought to perswade Naboths vineyard from him 1 King 21. Naboth answers Ahab saying The Lord forbid it me that I should give away the inheritance of my fathers unto thee Thus if you meet any man that would bereave you of your Sabbath-right say The Lord forbid it me that I should give away the sacred time of God my Father If Divel or World profit or pleasure seek to pull aside say The Lord forbid that I should so give away the day of my dear Redeemer c. Thus must you with courage crush temptations 2. Care must be to make for the day due preparations In order to the Sabbath day a double preparation is due More general and remote More special and immediate Matters must be so ordered every day as to prepare for this day As our whole life should be a preparing for death so the whole week should be a preparing for the Sabbath But as this precious day does more approach so preparative work must more increase For that more solemn preparation when the Sabbath day draws nigh observe Wherefore it is required and Wherein it is performed Things that do require and that may encourage Christians to a right preparation for the Sabbath day are The necessities of it The equities for it and The commodities by it 1 Things necessary that for this day we do prepare are Because This preparation is a duty of the Lords commanding And the Sabbath is the day of the Lords comming 1. Hath not the Lord commanded every man to prepare for the Sabbath before it comes Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy Remembring properly is of things absent not present And words of Remembrance or knowledge do import both affection and action To remember the Sabbath 'T is aforehand to mind and manage matters that concern the Sabbaths sanctification or that when it comes it may be holily kept Yea for every Duty of the Lords day must be a due preparance Yea take up any holy task at any other time and for it we ought to prepare Before we pray we must prepare for prayer and before we hear prepare for hearing Prepare for a Sermon and prepare for a Sacrament Now if God would have us prepare for single Duties when they lye more asunder sure we should prepare for the Sabbath when such duties are laid more together or as Jacob and Esau one hold the heel of the other Yea this Day when we are not onely to be in the Duty but in the Spirit in the prompt and powerful and precise transaction of every service we had need to prepare 2. Doth not the Lord upon this Day come in comfortable visits to the soules of his Saints and must not they prepare for his presence When Christ was to come in the flesh preparation was made And must not we make preparation when Christ is to come in the Spirit 'T was the Opinion of some of the Ancients Lactant. lib. 7. ca. 1. Augu t. De Temp. Serm. 154. that Christs personal coming to Judgment will be on the Sabbath Day Christs Spiritual coming in Mercy is to be sure on the Day of the Sabbath We see when the Bridegroom was to come Matth. 25. the Virgins especially the wise trimm'd their lamps and prepared oyl in their vessels The Sabbath 't is the Day when our Bridegroom comes how ought we to trim our Lamps and get ready oyl in our vessels When a Great Man is to come to our houses how are all the rooms dress'd up When a Great God is to come to our hearts 't is necessary we be well prepared 2. 'T is Equal and Meet for us to prepare upon the Sabbaths approach as may appear if we observe the practice of several Some past and Some present In time past the people of the Jews their practice was to prepare for their Sabbath Luk. 23.54 And that day was the preparation for the Sabbath drew on That day they call'd their Sabbatulum or their little Sabbath on which they made ready against the great Day of their Sabbath came Yea the Jews in honor of their Sabbath and that they might the more mind it and be in the better preparednesse for it they use as some Learned observe to call the whole week a Sabbath P. Mart. in Gen. 1. Tremel in Syriac Paraphr Mat. 28.1 Theophyl Matth. 28.1 The first day of the Sabbath and the second day of the Sabbath and so on And thus much is clear according to the Greek in several Texts in the New Testament Luk. 18.12 24.1 And is it not meet then for Christians whose Sabbath exceeds that of the Jews to prepare themselves thereunto We are eased of the businesse of Sacrifices have no Sheep and Oxen to prepare we have the more time to make ready hearts and soules for spiritual service Secondly The practice of severall present makes such Sabbath-preparation meet as may appear if we ponder Both the good actings of some And the evil of others For good actings in order to the Sabbath Observe Both the good that God doth in his People And the
House of God upon his Holy Day Meet God himself in the use of Holy Things 2. God must be seriously sought unto Prayer in this preparative work hath a Principal Task Our Prayer should precede the Sabbath In Sunder If not Together It hath been the manner of some the day before the Sabbath to meet and spend some time in seeking God by Prayer and quickening one another This fervently perform'd would lay a great Ground of a GOOD DAY indeed to follow Melancthon who lived with Luther in lamentable times though his heart was ordinarily oppressed with fears yet finding on a time a company of good Christians together praying Now sayes he there be some good dayes coming Say dayes be evil yet how would this raise hopes in hearts that there be many good dayes coming if the Lords Day this good Day were by a holy prayer duly prepar'd for Indeed for want of prayer-preparation Gods good Day may be as to us an evil Day But upon due preparing Prayer we may safely say of an approaching Sabbath Behold even as to us there is a Good Day coming O pray pray pray before-hand pray that Ordinances may be accompanied Instruments encouraged pray that there may be dischargings of sins enlarging of soules Seek to set our hearts well upon the wheeles Pray that we may be upon the wing in the work Pray sayes our Saviour that your Flight be nâ—t on the Sabbath day Matth. 24. But thus pray that your Flight may be on the Sabbath day to wit from earth to Heaven holding a holy converse with God 2. Towards the world what we are to do in this due preparing for the Lords Day is Sequestration from the Matters of the World And Reconciliation with Men in the World 1. We must make off from worldly Hinderances As Mariners that intend a Voyage to Sea they put the Ship off from the Land so if we mean to serve God on the Sabbath our hearts and minds must be put off from the world Put off thy shoes sayes God to Moses for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground Exod. 3.5 We must put off earthly affections for the Sabbath we are to observe is a Holy Day The affaires and cares of the world we must cast off for 't is not fit with them to come before the Lord in the Day of the Sabbath Joh. 5.10 the Jewes said unto the man whom Christ had cured It is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed because it is the Sabbath day Upon the day of the Sabbath it is not lawfull for to carry about us our worldly minds and matters Therefore from these we must get free before A bird sayes a learned Writer that she may fly Musculus loc comm praecept 4. she flutters with her wings and frees her self all she can from what may hinder her flight And shall not we when we are to come to Gods service on the Sabbath labour aforehand to deliver our selves from all earthly lets who are in our spirits upon the Lords day to be lifted much higher sayes he then birds can fly It was Nehemiahs care when the Sabbath came on to have the Gates of the City shut up that not any might enter in with their burdens It ought to be our course to shut up the Gates of our souls when the Sabbath is at hand that no burdensome cares may come in That Christ might make us a Sabbath to keep in body he first rose from the earth In heart we must rise from the earth before ever we can well keep the Sabbath Christ hath made 2. We must make up earthly differences before the Lords day comes While we are at a sinful distance with men we shall hardly make any good Sabbath approach to God Some they come to Sabbath-day-service in weekday-malice So that on the Sabbath thougb their bodies be together their hearts are asunder When you come together in one place sayes the Apostle I hear there be divisions among you This is not to eat the Lords Supper 1 Goâ— 11. Though on the Sabbath we meet in one publick place yet if we have our private grudges amongst us and unreconciled dissensions betwixt us this is not to keep the Lords Sabbath If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and remember thy brother hath ought against thee leave thy gift and go first and be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy sacrifice Matth. 5.23 If men unreconciled were unmeet for a legal sacrifice how unmeet then are unreconciled Christians for a Gospel-Sabbath It sets us off from God and gives way to the Divel to end a day in strife and wrath but in an angry case to end a week is worse then to let the Sun go down upon our wrath gives place to the Divel against the next day Ephes 4.27 There is no Sabbath-duty but strife and wrath renders us unfit for unfit to hear unfit to pray I will sayes the Apostle that men pray lifting up pure hands without wrath 1 Tim. 2.8 They that will be swist to hear must be slow to wrath Jam. 1.19 O then especially when the Lords day approaches we should put away all bitternesse wrath and anger and evil speaking and kindly close one with another Did we thus at the end of every week make up breaches distances would not grow so great and Lords dayes would be better spent Thus much for Antecedaneous duties to the day of the Sabbath Let us now consider the dayes Concomitant duties These referre To the entrance The progresse and To the end of the day 1. For the right entring of the Lords day our duty is That our bodies be early up and That our hearts be largely ope Bodies up early A great ground of our Christian Sabbath is Christ his Resurrection upon this day Now Christ he rose early in the morning Before the rising of the Sun our Saviour was risen Matth. 28.1 Mark 16.1 It is the judgment of Orthodox Authors that our Sabbath day begins in the morning when Christ rose Shall a Christ be quick to get out of his grave and shall a Christian be slow to get out of his bed Shall the Lord make haste to begin the day even soon after midnight say some And shall we make no haste when the day is begun When our Saviour saw Zaccheus in the Sycomore-tree he said to him Make haste and come down fot this day I must abide at thy house O the haste that he then made to get down c. Luk. 19.5 6. A Christian in the morning as he lies in his bed should think as if the Lord looked down from heaven saying Make haste and get up for this day I must abide in thine heart and this day thou must meet me in mine house When Abraham was to offer his son in sacrifice to God He rose early in the morning and sadled his Asse and took two of his servants and Isaac his son with wood cleaved for a burnt-offering
and went to the place of which the Lord had told him Gen. 22.5 6. And shall not we on the Sabbath morning be early up our selves and our famlies to go to the place the Lord hath appointed and to offer our bodies and souls in service to God The Israelites who lay in siege against Jericho upon the seventh day they being to compasse the City seven times the text sayes And it came to passe on the seventh day that they rose up early about the dawning of the day and they compassed the City after the same manner seven times Joshua 6.15 Upon the Sabbath day we are to compasse the City of God seven times to encompasse heaven with multiplied prayers and thetefore we stould be early up To helps hereunto let us take to wit A timely going to rest the night before and An entire love to the work of the day that followes 'T is too common a fault even with some professing Christians they clog the night before the Sabbath with a multitude of worldly businesses which brings them to sit up late A Sabbath let And a certain fault Hence in the morning when they should be up with God they lie sleep-bound in their bed And alas we have too little love to the Lords-day-work and so but little list to be at the work of the day Were there love to it we should long to be at it Our minds would be upon it in the night and we should catch the first hour of the day With my soul have I desired thee in the night and with my spirit within me will I seek thee early sayes the Prophet to God Esay 26.9 Hearts open largely The door of the heart upon the entrance of the Sabbath must be set wide shut to the world but open to God Ezek. 46.1 Thus saith the Lord God The gate of the inner Court that looketh toward the East though shut all the six working dayes yet shall be opened as soon as the Sabbath comes Thus the gate of the heart that is the inward Court however kept shut all the week yet as soon as the Lords day is come it ought to be opened to wit In delights at the day of the Lord and In desires to the Lord of the day Delights at the day should enlarge the heart joy to see a Sabbath appear A learned Author reports that near the Pole where the nights endure divers Moneths the inhabitants in the end of such a night when the Sun begins to be seen they deck themselves in their best apparel and get up to the highest mountains with joy saying Behold the Sun the Sun appeareth The day the day is come Were we for several moneths kept without a Sabbath how would our spirits spring at such a dayes appearance Why should the commonnesse of the Suns shining and the Sabbaths comming diminish the mercie How should we every Lords-day-morning have our minds mounting and say Behold the Sabbath of the Lord It is come it is come Desires to the Lord our hearts should be enlarged in The day being begun we should begin to pour out our hearts and breath out our requests to God in prayer that he would prosper us with his presence O how well will it be if God shall say Go and prosper pray and prosper preach and prosper hear this day and prosper Fear not for I am with thee I will help thee I will uphold thee I will strehgthen thee Thus in the morning we shall have encouraging mercies if we take care to perform our morning duties Moses Exod. 34.4 rose up early in the morning and presented himself before God in the top of mount Sinai with two tables of stone ready hewed in his hand for the finger of God to write what he would Thus a Christian on the Lords-day-morning should present himself before God upon the mount of meditation and prayer with a heart ready for what God will that day write thereupon waxy and willing to take whatever impression God please to stamp therein Not any of us are then to be content to have a heart stiffe and straight hard and dead The true Mother 1 King 3. was filled with trouble when in the morning she found a dead child by her 'T is the trouble of a true Christian when on a Sabbath day-morning he finds a dead heart in him a heart that 's hard cold and closed up His labour is to begin with a heart lowly and lively to feel those quickenings and kindlings of heart as may encourage to the day in all the duties thereof 2. For the progresse and principal part of the Lords day our duties are considerable In their varieties for matter And in our properties for manner For matter the varieties of duties on the Lords day required have been already declared For manner in performing the Lords day-duties we in our properties must be Knowing Willing Unite Fervent Cheerfull Watchfull Knowing Knowledge it must be the Guide Usher Pilote and promptor of practice In mysteries of faith we may as a blind man sometimes not see our way But in matters to obedience we must not go blind-fold but the eye of understanding must see how we ought to go and what we ought to do So in Sabbath-work we must know how to manage the matter of God and actions of Godlinesse We must know how to order and time our duties that each act may go out in its place Ignorant people in the publick Congregation will be reading when they should be praying and praying when they should be hearing c. Every work sayes Solomon is beautiful in its season We must know how to season and proportion our duties not greaten one to straiten another Like one that Artificially drawes out the picture of a man as he sets every part in its place so he gives every part its due proportion which is the beauty of the body So it is the beauty of the whole body of Sabbath-day-duty when every member hath its measure every act is in order and the whole businesse of Religion hath its due proportion We must also know whereat to aime and how to eye God whence to fetch strength and how to go straight wherein lies our wants and where our supplies c. Willing Psal 100.3 Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power or a people of willingnesses in the plural To shew how exceeding willing-hearted the Lords people should be in the day of the Lords power The day wherein the Lord powerfully converts men and that day wherein men by a spirit of power are converted to the Lord a day of Grace a Gospel-day Indeed the day of the Sabbath is a day of the Lords power wherein all the Lords people should be most willing in the work of the Lord. In what we can do we are willing and What we cannot do we are willing to On the Lords day we would do more good and more for God if we could 'T is a complaint that
on the Sabbath a gracious soul sighs up into heaven Lord I would better break out but my sins beset me I would faster run on but my own heart hampers me Lord I would otherwise serve thee but my thoughs hinder me fears and cares encompasse me help Lord. Unite Not onely the will but the whole soul yâ—â— the whole man and the whole might is knit and bound up for God in every good work body and soul must not lie severed nor any heart in it self scattered 'T was a sad sin in him who upon the Sabbath-day gathered up sticks that lay scattered on the ground Num. 15.32 But it is our duty on the day of the Sabbath to gather up together our hearts and thoughts that are scattered upon the earth and wandring about in the world We should say as the Prophet Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me O my soul and all that is within me pray O my soul and all that is within me hearken c. Vnite my heart sayes David that I may fear thy Name So let each soul say Lord unite my heart that I may hear thy Word Unite my heart that I may hold fast thy truth keep holy thy day Fervent The zeal of Gods house and zeal of the Lords day should even eat us up Our hearts should burn within us like fire See what God by Moses sayes to the Jewes Exod. 35.3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your houses upon the Sabbath-day But upon the day of the Sabbath our duty is to kindle a fire throughout all our hearts The fire of zeal fits the service of God On the Sabbath we should go up to God in a Chariot of this fire The force of this fire would carry us into the highest heaven from the lowest earth And from earth to heaven is a good Sabbath-dayes-journey Yea such a burning fire of zeal on the Sabbath would bring heaven as it were down to the earth God into our hearts Exod. 3. we read how the presence of God appeared in a burning Bush In burning hearts in burning prayers appears much of the presence of God 'T was the praise of holy Hezekiah he appointed burnt-offerings for the Sabbath dayes 2 Chron. 31.3 Burning sacrifices for blessed Sabbaths Cheerfull Several of the Ancients much insist upon that care and course which becomes Christians in carrying on the Sabbath more strictly then the Jewes were wont August Enar. in Psal 32. Tom. 8. part Pag. 242. Aug. Tract 3. in Joan. 1. Tom. 9. Ignat. Epist ad Magnes Pag. 57. Hilar. prolog in Psal oper p. 335. Whereas they kept the Sabbath carnally in feasting dancing and sensual delights We Christians must Sabbatize or keep the Sabbath spiritually in holy joyes heavenly contents and religious delights we must feast and dance too but our feasting must be conversing with God our meat and drink to do the will of God Our dancing must be the leaping of soul to see the face of the Lord in the glasse of the Gospel And though on the Lords day we be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse yet we must be filled with the Spirit The comforts of the Spirit are sweeter and better then all the wine in the world and of this we should take our Lords day draughts Cant. 5.3 On this day we should drink wine with our milk eat our hony-comb with our hony be in the Garden and gather Myrrhe with our Spice This is the day that the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad therein Psal 118.24 Psal 42. sayes David Why art thou cast down O my soul why art thou disquieted within me Himself gives the cause His banishment that he could not now go with the multitude to the house of God with the voyce of joy and praise among them that keep holy day Such as can come to God's house upon his holy day should not come with dejected souls but with the voyce of joy and praise triumphing in God Watchful For our Sabbath day watch observe What we are to watch against and What we are to watch for 1. Against the incursions of the Divel we are to watch all the Lords day long That God who will Revel 20. bind up Satan for a thousand years can easily bind him for Sabbath-dayes But yet even upon such dayes Satan is much let loose Job 1.6 There was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them The Sons of God on that day came before God for good but Satan had ill designs to hinder them that would honour God VVhen Joshua the high Priest stood before the Angel of the Lord Satan stood at his right hand to resist him Zech. 3.2 'T was the policy of Pompey Vespasian Titus and other enemies of the Jewes soreliest to assault the City Jerusalem on the Sabbath dayes when they refused to defend themselves Upon Sabbath dayes are the Divels most desperate designs He is ever bad but worst upon the best dayes O watch watch A harming Divel on a helping day 2. For the incommings of the Spirit of Christ let us watch upon the Lords day As when the Dove sate upon the Ark Noah put forth his hand took her in When the Spirit of the Lord begins to light upon our hearts we should presently hand it in Embrace his first motions open and give him entrance otherwise Ordinances will do us little good Gen. 1. We find a dark lump of earth and water but if the Spirit of the Lord had not moved upon the face of the water the world had never been made nor living creatures brought forth 'T is the Spirit upon the Word that causes a new creation living Christians O then when we are under the Word and in the midst of the waters of Ordinances waite and watch for the good Spirit of God Other birds drive away but bid the Dove welcome 3. At the end of the Lords day let us see to our duty lest we begin in the Spitit and end in the flesh Nebuchadnezzars Image the head and upper part was gold but the feet and lower part Iron and Clay In the morning and beginning of the Lords day our hearts have heavenly heat and at evening the end of the Sabbath all is Iron and Clay Hearts hard and cold 't is ill when a Christians affections are as the grasse the Prophet speaks of Psal 90.6 In the morning it flourisheth and in the evening it is cut down dryed up and withered Plutarch reports of a River that runneth sweet in the morning but bitter in the evening 'T is the property of some sinful men if they have done somewhat on the Sabbath in the service of God they are the more bold to sin even before the day is gone like the Harlot Prov. 7.14 18. I have peace-offerings with me this day I have payed my vowes come let us take our fill of love till the morning That very day
she had been at sactifice she presumes sordidly to sin But 't is the property of persons truly pious whatever good they have done upon the Lords day they labout to compleat the service will not neglect their evening-sacrifice in private prayer meditation conference care of their families keeping up their kindled affections least in the cool of the evening they lose the heat of the day Or lest by neglect of the evening they lose any part of the day Gods sincere servants they keep the Sabbath as Souldiers keep a City they look with care to every Gate and part thereof And such care becomes Christians Sabbath-ward not to watch one Gate and leave another open to work one part and be the other idle To be quick and lively at first and to stagger and grow sluggish at last Yea some experienced Christians can say that upon their continued care throughout the Sabbath though their hearts in the former part of the day have been down dull and dead yet towards the latter end the Lord hath come with large enlivenings of soul As the poor Israelites weary in travel and fainting for food ready all day long to perish with hunger At even there went forth a wind from the Lord that brâ—ught so many Quailes from the Sea as came and covered the Camp O the quickening comforts that God in great abundance hath brought in upon the evening of a Sabbath to the souls of his Saints who before in the day were ready to sink with sadnesse and deadnesse Of this day to some we may say as the Prophet of another day Zech. 14.6 7. It shall come to passe in that day that the light shall not be clear nor dark but it shall come to passe that at evening-time it shall be light and living waters shall go out Christians should never be satisfied to end the Sabbath-day in the dark and in a drought without some sweet refâ—eshings from God Lastly for subsequent duties when the day is done and gone they come forth upon a double case In case it hath not been well with us In case with us it hath been well If we have been dull in our dutie and met with little of mercy then our endeavours should be To enquire the cause and To lament the losse 1. We should reflect to find out the cause of our heartlesse and fruitlesse passing Gods precious day What way layd our work what kept God and our souls asunder all the day long When the Egyptians were pursuing the Israelites God set a cloud betwixt them that darkned the camp of the Egyptians so that they and the camp of Israel came not near one another all the night Exod. 14.20 What hath caused a dark cloud betwixt us and God so that we have not come near one another all the day Enquire this 2. We must sadly bewaile the losse of a Sabbath 'T was the rxpression once of a great man when a day was gone and he had not done that good he was wont he brake out to some about him O my friends I have lost a day The losse of any day is matter of mourning but to lose the Lords day and the Lord in the day may cause a loud cry When Elisha was going with Elijah and a Chariot of fire came and parted them asunder carrying Eijah to heaven and leaving Elisha on the earth he looked up and cryed My Father my Father 2 King 2. Hath God and thee O Christian been parted asunder upon the Sabbath and hath the Lord left thy heart upon the earth and gone himself up into heaven O think so upon this as to cry My Father my Father Repent for the losse of the Lords day and lament after the Lord that on his day thou hast lost If on the Lords day we have been fired in duty and filled with mercy and found much of God both in mercy and duty In that case the things of us required are To be thankfull To be carefull To be faithfull To be fruitful 1. For to be thankful all have much cause Yet some have more cause to be thankful For the space of the Sabbath and the use of Ordinances all ought to be thankful to God Had not our good God prevented evil designs we had had no Sabbaths And had not God preserved us a Sabbath we had been like the places of Papists and Pagans Except the Lord of Hosts had left us a Sahhath we had been as Sodome and had been like unto Gomorrah Rom. 9.29 The Lord hath shewed himself loath to leave us yea expressed his love to our Land in the lengthened liberties of Sabbaths The Sabbath in the first appointment was a pledge of large love but in the perpetuall preserving the Sabbath the pledge of Gods love is larger He is worthy say the Jewes of the Centurion to Christ for whom thou should do this for he hath loved our Nation and built us a Synagogue Luk. 7.5 The Lord is worthy of this praise for he hath loved our Nation and kept us a Sabbath The Prophet reproves the sin of some who say not in their hearts Let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth both the former and the latter rain in his season and reserveth the appointed weeks of the harvest Jer. 5.24 O the sin of such who say not in their hearts Let us fear love laud the Lord who reserveth to us the appointed dayes of the Sabbath which is a greater mercy then to reserve for us the appointed weeks of the harvest But how much more thankfull ought some of us to be to our good God who giveth us not onely the space but the grace of the Sabbath not onely the use but the juyce of Ordinances when Sabbaths Sermons Sacraments are to several but saplesse things When the the Lord giveth us with his holy Sabbath his holy Spirit Nehem. 9.14 20. Thou O Lord commandedst thy people precepts and statutes by the hand of Moses thy servant and madest known unto them thy holy Sabbath And thou gavest them also thy good Spirit to instruct them and withheldest not Manna from their mouths but gavest them water for their thirst What cause had they Such cause have we to be thankfull to whom the Lord with a Sabbath of mercy gives the mercies of the Sabbath A comfortable day and the comforts of the day O let the Lord have the high and heated praises of our hearts in heavenly Hallelujahs 2. Let us be very careful to keep off from sin and Satan Satan after the best spent Sabbaths hath oft the worst assaults 'T was the expression of an experienced precious man I look for the Divel every munday-morning I am sure then he will come to rob my soul of Sabbath-good if possible I read of a great Captain who being very sad the day after a mighty victory one enquired the cause who answered Yesterday my heart was too much lifted up I had need lye low to day Have any of our hearts been raised
and ravished enlivened and enlarged upon the Lords day we had need look to it on the following day and keep our selves lowly lest that mind which hath been one day heavenly be the next day haughty Pride is a worme apt to breed within the best wood Beware beware 3. Let us be faithful to keep up the good we have got we are apt to catch cold after the greatest heats And after some close attendance in Gods service to grow more loose and remisse in duty Let us look to our selves we do not lose the things we have wrought we do not break the bounds we have set or slack the holy bonds wherewith we have been begirt To be unloosened on the Sabbath from week-day bonds is comfortable but in the week-time to unloose the Lords-day bonds is abominable 4. Let us be fruitful to bring forth more good for God both in our general and particular callings That our week day carriage may be the springing up of Sabbath-day seed yea our whole lives must be a walking in Sabbath-day strength Tertul. C. Jud. 4. Origen in Numb Hom. 23. cont Cels lib. 8. Pag. 522. c. Chrysoâ—t in Matth. tract 29. Aug. de civit Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. Idem Epist 119. cap. 12. Et de cons Evang. lib. 2. cap. 77. And thus ought we to keep a holy Sabbath throughout the whole course of our dayes Divers of the Ancients dwell much upon this perswading Christians so to practise piety and pursue sanctity as to perpetuate a Sabbath As upon the Lords day we should be full of spirits so after the Lords day we should be spiritual still As on that day we should live in the Spirit so afterward we should walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 This I say then Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh If all the week we be carnal how can it appear we are spiritual on the Sabbath A good Author speaks well in this case Have we well served the Lord upon his day Bucer in Matth. 12.11 let our manners shew it let our works prove it let the holinesse of our lives decleare it Who will believe that he hath been present in publick Assemblies and with a sincere heart hath heard Gods holy Word who passes the following part of his life more loosely vainly carnally coveteously c 'T is this will evidence that on the Sabbath we have been with Jesus when afterward our faces and graces shine our lips and lives hold out the praises of Christ and the power of his Gospel When the Lords day comes we should be as lively firy and full as if we were then to begin and end Gods work We should be found in such a frâ—me every Lords day as if that were the first Sabbath that ever we spent and as if it were the last day that we should live on this earth or as if the weight of all our work lay upon that single Sabbath for which we were sent into the World or as if our eternal being were to be determined hereby And yet after the day is over we must endeavour still to be doing as if no work were done For as we must be all abundant and fervent on the Sabbath day in the service of God as if after were no holy duties So we must be as full and forward to all following duties as if there had been no Sabbath before Before the Sabbath day and after we must do all the good we can even as if there were no Christ to be relyed upon and yet our relyance both in life and death must be on our dear Lorld as if there never had been the least good done We must be precise for the Sabbath-day and duty And yet yet Duty shall not be our Redeemer Nor the Sabbath our Saviour Whether Sabbath-day or week-day we will do as much good as ever we are able but begin and end all in Christ The end with us shall be the glory of the Lord And with the Lord in glory shall be our end Amen Amen FINIS AN Alphabetical Table directing to some Principal things in this Treatise A ADam in Innocency to keep the Sabbath pag. 7 175 Advocate how Christ is and for whom p. 402 Angels they have a twofold knowledge p. 216 Angels all Ministring spirits pag. 227 Angels helpers in all holy Duties p. 228 Angels delight in Sabbath-service p. 217. Atheists of two sorts p. 32 Antichrists ruine how wrought p. 198 Augustine's answer to a Manichees p. 328 Assent to Divine truths what p. 121 B BAbylons fall two-fold p. 203 Baptisme of Infants why many against it p. 401 Baptisme of Infants its great use pag. 340 Book of Psalmes how excellâ—nt p. 129 Blood of Christ what it purchased p. 92 Blessing of God how desireable p. 197 Breaches abundance how they come p. 339 C CHange of the Sabbath upon a double cause p. 34 Christian liberty wherein it consists p. 36 37 Charitable Duties how fit for the Sabbath p. 66 132 Church-Discipline exercised on the Lords Day p. 131 Censures in the Church how to be inflicted p. 407 Chearfulnesse in Gods service required p. 462 Collections for the poor how to be managed p. 340 Conscience good what it is p. 253 Conscience troubled how sad p. 222 Contentions of Brethren how bad p. 328 Communion with Christ how sweet pag. 102 Christ spiritual in all his Estates p. 390 Covetousnesse the root of evil p. 50 D DAyes all how they are the Lords p. 4. Difference of Dayes how under the Gospel p. 38 Doctrine of the Lords Day strongly to be held p. 122 Day of Judgment drawes near p. 116 Delights in the Lords Day required pa. 456 Desires after God discovered p. 350 Discipline requisite in the Church p. 429 Divel a bitter enemy to tht Sabbath pag. 410 Divel large in knowledge p. 321 Divels called spiritual wickednesses why p. 412 Divisions the evil of them p. 431 Divisions how closed p 432 E ENgland one of the ten horns p. 241 England old how made new p. 433 Enmities in man against God p. 319 Errours against the Sabbath how sad p 83 F FAther 's of three sorts p. 208 Faith beyond feeling p. 335 Faith hath its Dimensions p 289 Faith its various Vse p. 387 Faith in the state and in the Acts differenced p 235 Faith the best beloâ—ed Grace p. 248 Fervency in prayer how fit p. 398 Forgetfulnesse of God how sinfull pag. 87 Fourth Commandment most excellent pa. 9 G GOd what he best liketh p 424 Gospel whereunto it guideth p. 122 Gospel vailed in the Law p. 177 Gospel it excels the Law p. 190 Government of Christ how ordered p. 394 Grace in its actings most excellent p. 416 Ground why to be till'd by Adam p. 7 H HAnds given for a threefold work p. 75 Hearts of Gods Saints like Vials p 302 Heart is the best part in a Saint p. 305 Heart of a wicked man as a bow p. 321
his son who sent the waggons The Ordinances upon the Lords day they are the waggons that for us God hath sent it is some reviving to see them O but to see God whence these waggons are and whose the Ordinances be how reviving is that O sayes David to God that I may see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Psal 63.2 2. The closer upon the Sabbath we can draw to God the better will our revivings be We read 2 King 13.21 of a dead man that being let down into the Sepulchre of Elisha as soon as he touched the bones of the dead Prophet he presently revived Thus Christians whose hearts are dead yet coming close to God in the Sabbath have sudden soul-revivings and most comfortable quicknings And this is the way to recover the life of the Lords day and so to settle the liberties thereof which at least to some seem to be shaking Towards the Lord yet further that his day may endure let us Keep in the presence of the Lord Keep up prayer to the Lord. 1. The presence of the Lord kept in with us will hold holy Sabbaths amongst us Indeed let the Lord depart and then the dayes of grace and means of grace will immediately remove When Christ goes he calls Come with me my Sabbaths Ordinances and all my holy Institutions Time was Christ walked in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.13 That is those seven once famous Churches of Asia had the presence of Chirst with them and the Ordinances of Christ among them the Lords day was a known day But now the Sabbath of the Gospel and the Gospel with the Sabbath is gone because Christ there was not kept O sayes Martha Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died If thou hadst been present my brother had not departed So may those Asian people now say to Christ Lord if thou hadst aboad with us thy holy Times and Things had never been stirred Matth. 28.20 Christ there hath promised his presence even in the use of Ordinances unto the end of the world The way to retain Christs presence Is to believe his promise No hands like faith to lay hold upon Christ Faith sayes Luther is like the beloved Disciple it leans in Christs bosom it will not leave him nor let him go Faith it produces A vigorous love and A vertuous life Unto a people both will bind Christ 2. Prayer to the Lord kept up by us will hold holy Sabbaths amongst us In the land were the Spirit of prayer up Sabbaths would never go down Indeed it will be a hard matter to make Sabbaths stand if still praying hands fall O pray pray pray And in prayer plead with God To send out more Sabbath-labourers and To blesse Labourers more in the Sabbath 1. Pray that more may be sent out who will be faithful in the labours of the Sabbath Matth. 9.37 38. The harvest is plenteous but the labourers are few pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth lavourers into his harvest Many places in this Land are as fields of ripe Corn and alas how do the Divels those fouls of the air Math. 13.4 and wicked men those swine of the earth Matth. 7.6 wholly waste and spoil all for want of Sabbath-labouring men to gather into Gods Barn In divers places upon the Lords day O what dark doings people being as a black Lanthorne without any Candle And shall not we pray that God would set up lights and send out labourers that his day may be duly observed and that we may pre his day 2. Pray that those who are sent out may be fruitful in their Sabbath-labour that they may see the travels of their souls and be satisfied That Gods good work may prosper in their hands and their peoples hearts That every Sabbath they spend and every Sermon they preach may prove as the bowe of Jonathan which from the Battel never returned empty There is a precious promise fit in prayer to be pressed Esay 54.10 11. As the rain comes down and the showers from heaven and returns not thither but watereth the earth making it bud and bring forth seed to the sower and bread to the eater So sayes God shall my Word be that goes out of my mouth it shall not return to me void O pray we that neither the Red or the Black horse be harnessed out to the Battel But that Christ on the white horse may conquer Rev. 6. Many souls in the Sabbath by the Gospel may be gained over to God This would perpetuate Sabbaths and make the Lords day lasting Last of all unto Gods Saints a Sabbath in some sense is sure never to cease Gods people Shall either have the Sabbath of the Lord Or to them the Lord will be a Sabbath Ezek. 11.16 Thus saith the Lord I will be to them as a little Sanctuary in the Countries where they shall come Gods people in Babylon when they could not go to worship God in the great and beautifull Temple at Jerusalem yet then God was as a little Temple to them And this little Temple was better then the great Thus the Saints of God when they cannot have the Sabbath that is present God will be to them a Sabbath more precious God is the best Sabbath 1 Sam. 1.8 Elkanah sayes to Hannah his Wife Am not I better to thee then ten sons One God better then ten Sabbaths and twenty Sermons to the souls of his Saints No Sabbath of God is like God a Sabbath no Sabbath-rest like to the rest that is in this Sabbath no comfort in a Sabbath like this Sabbath of comfort Yea let Gods sincere Saints live or die they have a Sabbath will last an everlasting Sabbath If they live their Sabbath will be ever with them and If they die they shall be ever with their Sabbath Ambros in Psal 119. August de cavit Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. Some of the Ancients were wont to call that eternal life God gives in heaven The great Sabbath And That long Sabbath-day that hath no night O but then God himself who in heaven gives life eternal what a Sabbath is he O the height and depth breadth and length of this Sabbath Christus est magnum sempiter-numque Sabbatum cujus parvum illud Judaicum exemplar in illo siquidem Sabbato requiescimus cum in illo solo spem ponimus cum hunc toto cordis amore diligimus c. Epiphan lib. 1. Haeres 30 Greg. Nyss de Resurre Orat. 1. Yea I find of the Ancients who affirme that to Gods dear Saints in the dayes of the Gospel there is a double enduring Sabbath viz. Christ And a good conscience Christ is the great and eternal Sabbath which in the Gospel God hath set up and in this Sabbath we rest when we repose our hearts and hopes upon him This is an unchangeable Sabbath Christ the same yesterday to