apart long before Eleventhly Whatsoever is a simple moral Precept or one of the ten Commandments as materially so the Holy Ghost doth convince all Believers of now under the Gospel as I have shew'd before and also he reproves them for the neglect or breach of all such Precepts but the Holy Ghost doth not convince Believers 't is their Duty to observe the Seventh-day Sabbath for reprove them for the neglect or breach of â—t tho they work and bear Burdens on that as well as on any other day of the week therefore 't is no moral Precept Twelfthly That which is a pure moral Precept is written in the Hearts of all true Believers by the Holy Ghost God promised in Gospel-times he would not write his Law in Tables of Stone put in the fleshly Tables of our Hearts now the Law of the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath is not written in the Hearts of Believers by the Spirit therefore 't is no moral Precept Tillam saith the moral Law is written in the Hearts of all Believers and so saith Mr. Soarsby and they say right yea even the whole moral Law we being created again in Christ Jesus in the Image of God but no Law of the Seventh-day Sabbath is written in our Hearts Ergo To conclude we may hereby learn to distinguish between those parts contain'd in some of the ten Commandments that are simply moral and oblige us as the Law is in Christ's hand and what was judicial For 1. The Preface to the whole Ten was Judicial 2. The second Command obliged the Jews to observe the whole Ceremonial Law and that part of God's visiting the Sins of the Fathers on the Children unto the third and fourth Generation belonged to the Covenant of Works and not to us 3. That in the fourth Command also of the seventh precise day belonged to the Covenant of Works and so to them only 4. The Promise annexed to the fifth only belonged to the Israelites that inherited the Land of Canaan 5. In the tenth Commandment Vsury or Interest of Mony Houses c. was forbid to the Jews from their poor Brethren but that was only a Judicial Law and is no Law to us Thus we may see that the moral Law is only a Law to us as in the hand of Jesus Christ SERMON VI. Proving that the Law of the Decalogue was given to no People but the People of Israel That the Moral Law is transferr'd from Moses into the Hand of Christ as Mediator Gal. iv 10 11. Ye observe days and months c. THat it is not the Duty of believing Gentiles to keep the old Seventh-day Sabbath I have proved by many Reasons The fourth was it is not their Duty by virtue of the Decalogue given to the People of Israel in Exod. 20. First Because the precise Seventh-day Sabbath is not the moral part of the fourth Commandment this I have proved by Twelve Arguments I shall now proceed and give you the next Reason why it is not the Duty of believing Gentiles to keep the Seventh-day Sabbath from hence Secondly The Decalogue given to none but the Jews as written Exod. 20. It cannot be their Duty to keep that Day from thence because the Law of the Decalogue and particularly the Seventh-day Sabbath mentioned therein was given to no People or Nation but the People of Israel only and the proselyted Stranger 1. I shall prove this directly from express Texts out of the Old Testament 2. From direct and express Texts out of the New Testament 3. I shall answer some of the chiefest Objections brought by the Seventh-day Sabbatarians against what I shall say But before I proceed let me premise two things 1. That all the World were under the Law of the first Covenant as made with the first Adam All the World under the Law of Works in the first Adam the common Head of all Mankind and that the substance of that natural and simple moral Law is written in the Hearts of all his Off-spring tho much darken'd by the Fall and actual Sin especially in some 2. That whatsoever is naturally or simply Moral contained in the Decalogue is given forth by Jesus Christ anew in the New Testament as I have proved and as so consider'd the sum or substance of those Ten words are obligatory on all Mankind Now First As to the Proofs out of the Old Testament 1. The very Preface to the Decalogue declares to whom all the Commandments contained therein was given Exod. 20. 2. viz. those very People God brought out of the Land of Egypt that People which he sanctified or set apart for himself above all People on the Earth as also by the promise annexed to the fifth Commandment viz. That thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee This shews the Laws of the Decalogue were only given to the People of Israel Again 2. 'T is said Deut. 4. 8. What Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as this Law which is set before you this Day Now if this Law was given to all People in the World or to any one Nation or People besides Israel then the whole World or that particular People as well as the Israelites had Laws and Statutes as great and righteous as Israel had tho they might not have them in so clear a Revelation or manner as they had 3. It is expresly said Psal 147. 19 20. He shewed his Word to Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any other Nation and for his Judgments they have not known them Praise ye the Lord. How vain as well as sinful is it to go about to contradict God's Word Here it is laid down Affirmatively and Negatively It was given to Israel and not to any other Nation c. Dr. Chamberlen saith See Mr. Ives's Saturday no Sabbath p. 18 19. It was given to Israel as a Privilege only and to other Nations by way of Punishment to judg them by it Answ Men may say what they please after this manner But I shall prove that no Nation or People but that of Israel who were under that Law shall be judged by it 4. How often doth God by Moses and other of his Servants Exod. 31. 17. declare that the Sabbath was given to Israel It is a Sign between me and the Children of Israel Neh. 9. 14. c. Also Nehemiah speaking of Israel saith God made known to them his holy Sabbath To them and the Psalmist says not to any other Nation Take two or three Arguments further to evince this 1. The Law of the Decalogue was given only to a People in covenant with God The Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai given only to the House of Israel and because the whole House of Jacob were taken into that legal typical Covenant which peculiarly referr'd to that People therefore God gave them that Law and the Sabbath as a
come in the Flesh at least of his being King and Law-giver to his Church And to lay the Foundation of all religious solemn Worship in the observation of a Day as the Seventh-day precisely had no relation to any natural or moral Precept nor was instituted or approved by Jesus Christ cannot but be unpleasing to them who desire to have their Consciences immediately influenced by his Authority in all their approaches unto God But Christ herein is supposed to have built the whole Fabrick of his Worship on the Foundation of Moses and to have grafted all his Institutions into a Stock that was not of his own planting 11. Moreover it is evident that the Consequence of their Opinion concerning the necessary observation of the Seventh-day Sabbath as the Doctor saith It tends to Schism tends to the increasing and perpetuating of Schisms and Differences among Christians And those are the worst saith he and most pernicious which occasion or draw after them any thing whereby men are hindred from joining together in the same publick solemn Worship whereby they yield unto God that reverence of his Glory But now upon a supposition of an adherence by any unto the Seventh-day Sabbath all Communion among Professors in solemn Gospel-Ordinances is rendered impossible For if those of that Perswasion do expect that others will be brought unto a relinquishment of an Evangelical observance of the Lord's Day Sabbath they will find themselves mistaken The evidence which they have of its appointment and the experience they have had of God's presence in its religious observation will secure their practice in this matter c. The Seventh-day Sabbath men on the other hand supposing themselves obliged to meet for solemn Worship on the Seventh-day which the other account unwarrantable for them to do on the pretence of any binding Law to that purpose and esteeming it unlawful saith he to assemble religiously with others on the First-day on the plea of Evangelical Warranty do absolutely cut off themselves from all possibility of Communion in the administration of Gospel-Ordinances with any other Churches of Christ And whereas most other breaches as to Communion are in their nature capable of healing without a renunciation of those Principles in the minds of men which seem to give countenance to them the distance is here made absolutely irreparable while the Opinion maintained is owned by any I will press this saith he no further but only by affirming that Persons truly fearing the Lord ought to be very careful and jealous over their own Understanding before they embrace an Opinion and Practice which will shut them from all visible Communion with the generality of the Saints of God in the World To which let me add How can they have Communion with us if they consider and observe the Consequences of their Principle Are not we guilty of absolute Immorality i. e. the literal breach of one Precept of the first Table Can they or we have Communion with such as bow down to a graven Image or profane the holy Name of God or are guilty of Murder c. And thus you may see what the natural and genuine Consequences of this Principle are and that it not only tends to lay the Generation of the Righteous under the guilt of the breach of a moral Precept and renders them guilty in their sense of the breach of the whole Law but hath other bad Consequents attending it also And this may tend to convince all that consider of what I say that the Morality of the fourth Commandment doth not consist in that precise Seventh-day Sabbath and discovers how blind these Men are Brethren tho I believe many who keep this Day and affirm it is a moral Precept are very pious and good Christians Some of them are for free Grace c. and do not affirm what I say nor may be see it not to be so or will not say thus What then yet I will appeal to all thinking impartial Persons whether I do not infer the direct natural Consequence of their Principle Moreover let me ask here this Question how it can stand consistent with a good Conscience for a Minister to forbear preaching in any Congregation some part of Morality or a moral Precept I grant that Love Wisdom Charity Peace c. may prevent some Men from preaching some Duties of mere positive right for a short time at least that are disputable and not Essentials of Salvation But what are such things to a simple moral Precept both materially and formally one of the Ten Commandments as they affirm their Sabbath is Suppose a Minister preaches to a Congregation that he knows are generally guilty of worshipping a Graven Image or of profane Swearing or of Adultery or of killing their innocent Neighbours would not he preach against these horrid Evils for fear he should offend the Congregation or if he forbear so to do would he not be shamefully guilty of great Sin and of their Blood also Happy is the Man that condemns not himself in the thing he allows I know what some have said about Polygamy if they answer me let them use that Argument I am prepared to reply But let none think I speak thus to expose any of them out of Prejudice for I can appeal to Almighty God I have none against any of their Persons But it is to expose their Principle and Practice in love to their Souls and to the Souls of other Persons But before I conclude with this old Sabbath I must add one dangerous Consequence more of their Principle 12. Is not that a dangerous Error that reflects nay casts Contempt upon the Holy Ghost in respect of his Work and Office which is to convince Believers of all Sin especially of all immoral Evils under his most clear and glorious Ministration since our Saviour's Ascension into Heaven Now I ask our Opponents Whether the holy Spirit doth convince all Believers that they ought to keep the old seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath or reprove them for Immorality in the non-observance thereof Sirs as these things aggravate their Evil in what they affirm so it clearly tends to overthrow the pretended Morality of that precise seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath for the holy Spirit never convinces Believers of any such Duty nor reproves them for working on that day or for bearing of Burdens on it any more than on any other day in the week to their dying day But it lets them silently fall asleep without the least sense of any such pretended immoral Evil. Besides the generality of Believers after their utmost inquiry search and seeking to God in all sincerity cannot be convinc'd it is their Duty to keep this Day Would the Holy Ghost thus leave the Generation of the Godly under Sin and such Ignorance think you were this a moral Duty And as to such as do observe it I am satisfied the Spirit of God never taught them so to do But they in this are left to themselves and have a Zeal
Mistake lie at their door for certainly a mistake it is and that the morrow after the Sabbath could not be the Passover is clear because 2. It must be such a Morrow after the Sabbath as never falls upon the weekly Sabbath the reason is plain because it is the beginning of Harvest when they put in their Sickle to the Corn or their Harvest Levit. 23. 10. Which the are expresly forbidden to do upon their weekly Sabbath Exod. 34. 21 22. Six days thou shalt labour but on the seventh thou shalt rest both in earing Time and Harvest And see how this is coupled with the Feast of first Fruits in the very same place Thou shalt observe the Feast of Weeks c. 3. Observe it if the morrow after the Sabbath Levit. 23. had been the Morrow after the Passover this would often have fallen on the weekly Sabbath for the Passover being fixed upon the 15th of Nisan whenever this 15th of Nisan fell upon the Friday the morrow after it must be Saturday and so they must begin to reap their Harvest on the weekly Sabbath against the express Command of God The Hebrew Doctors foresaw this Inconvenience and had no other way to salve it but by affirming that this reaping did drive away the Sabbath and that it was lawful on the Sabbath-day A most impious Opinion for it crosses the very Letter of God's Law in â—aring-time and harvest thou shalt rest 4. The morrow after the Sabbath at the beginning of their Account must be such a Morrow as concludes it Levit. 23. 15 16. therefore it could not be the morrow after the Passover-Sabbath or any Festival for there was no such Sabbath at the end of any Account whatsoever 5. The Passover-Sabbath was fixed to a certain day of the Month namely the 15th of the first Month Numb 28. 17. and thus all their other Festivals had their fixed days But this Feast of Pentecost is no where affixed in all the Books of Moses to any certain day of the Month Nor indeed could it be unless God should make a Ceremonial Law to cross the Law of Nature or rather limit the course of Divine Providence to ripen their Corn just against such a day of the Month which as Dr. Vsher observes is a very great presumption that the Feast of Pentecost was a moveable Feast but immoveable as to the day of the Week so varying that it might always fall upon the day immediately following the ordinary Sabbath 6. The Antitype is the best Key to unlock the Type And this is clear in the New Testament for that Christ was our first Fruits in reference to his Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 20. St. Paul assures us and that he rose from the dead on the morrow after the weekly Sabbath all the four Evangelists do inform us And Tho. Tillam has granted that these things must be punctually fulfilled by Christ as well in the Time * Truth or Antitype as in the Type From his own Grant therefore I conclude that the Day of first Fruits was the first day of the Week and therefore was the Day of Pentecost to the everlasting honour of that Lord's Day and the Glory of God the Holy Ghost who sanctified it by his Presence and Power sending down a new supply of Tongues from Heaven as if all the Tongues upon Earth were not sufficient to sound forth the Praises of this Redeemer and spread the Gospel all over the World on the first day of the Week as an earnest whereof there was a glorious beginning made on this Day The Gospel was now published to some of all Nations there being a great concourse even of every Nation under Heaven met at Jerusalem Acts 2. 5. and at this Meeting three thousand Souls were converted and baptized ver 41. A double Baptism was indeed dispensed this Day the Apostles were now baptized with Fire and three thousand Converts with Water which was such a Solemnity as the Church of God never saw the like to that day nor since Our Adversary Tillam Confesses Pag. 81. that this was the most glorious Sabbath that ever the Church enjoyed only he perswaded himself and others it was the Saturday-Sabbath but herein he befools himself and deceives others 5. 'T is strange indeed any should once suppose the Feast of Pentecost could ever fall on the Seventh-day Sabbath because as the Wave-Offering was to be offered the morrow after the Sabbath so from that very day inclusively they were to count seven Sabbaths and then the morrow after the last of the seven was the fifth day i. e. Pentecost I need not say any more to this To conclude after all attempts to the contrary the Glory of the Spirit 's Mission rests on the first day of the Week This day the Church of Christ was visited from on high the Promise of the Father was sent the blessed Spirit came the Disciples were assembled Peter preached and three thousand were converted and baptized and all this is written Why the Church assembled as Mr. Sprint argues Why on this Day Why the Holy Ghost Why preaching why conversion and administration of the Sacraments Why the Promise of Christ accomplished all on this Day but still to declare the Will of Christ in appointing blessing and sanctifying of this Day to his Church and making it a day of publick solemn Worship as a Day in all its Prerogatives above all other Days A Day of Christ's Resurrection by which we are justified in which he ceased from his Work as God did from his on the Seventh and so hath the same reason for a Day of Rest the Day 〈◊〉 the Holy Spirit 's descension by whom we are sanctified a Day of assembling and preaching on which Sinners were converted and Believers edified by which the whole Trinity is glorified And where is he now who said none can prove one whole first Day was kept in religious Worship in all the New Testament Was not this first Day so kept and established for us to observe and keep from morning to evening SERMON II. The Institution and Foundation of the first Day proved from Heb. 4. 8 9 c. That it is the Day which the Lord hath made for Divine Worship That the Disciples and Primitive Churches assembling together upon that Day is a full proof of the same MY Brethren I have endeavoured to prove that the first Day of the Week our Lord Jesus Christ hath appointed to be the special Day of Rest and for the Worship of God under the Gospel First By virtue of his Command who was with his Disciples forty days giving them Commandments c. before his Ascension which are not expressed Secondly Because Pentecost was the first day of the Week when this Day was confirmed by the miraculous effusion of the Holy Ghost But to proceed Thirdly My next Argument shall be taken from Christ's Resting or ceasing from his Works upon that day as God did from his And this indeed
c. of falâ—â— Brethren that went from Jerusalem and taughâ— the believing Gentiles that unless they were circumcised and kept the Law of Moses they coulâ— not be saved or that it was needful for them 〈◊〉 to do ver 15. 1. Pray observe the matter well for noâ— we may expect to hear if ever whether 〈◊〉 be the Duty of believing Gentiles or not 〈◊〉 keep the Seventh-day Sabbath because thâ—â— was none of the least Precepts of the Law 〈◊〉 Moses and this was one thing no doubt which these false Brethren taught them to observe 2. All the great and chief Apostles meet together abont this matter and consulted what Answer to send and they had the extraordinary presence of the Holy Ghost with them â—o dictated to them what to write 3. And this was the Result Act. 15. 29. viz. For it seem'd â—â—d to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you greater Burden than these necessary things that â—abstain from Meats offer'd to Idols and from â—ood and from things strangled and from Forâ—cation from which if ye keep your selves ye â—ll do well Fare ye well Note these things were forbidden in the â—â—w and these things they commanded them â—t to do but not one word that they should â—â—ep the Sabbath given in Moses's Law this is â—ne of those things they should observe therefore it is not the Counsel or Mind of the â—oly Ghost that Gentile Believers should keep at Day 6thly Act. 20. 27. Paul says positively that he had not â—â—nned to declare to the Saints all the Counsel of â—d Ver. 20. And how he kept back nothing that was proâ—able to them but had shewed them all things c. â—ow I challenge any Man in the World to â—ew that Paul ever made known or shew'd â—em this thing viz. that it was their Duty to â—â—ep the Seventh-day Sabbath therefore I inâ—â—r this is none of the Counsel of God nor â—ofitable to Believers in Gospel-days From â—hence I argue thus i.e. Arg. 1. Paul declared all or the whole Counâ—â— of God Paul did not declare the Seventh-â—â—bbath Ergo that is none of the Counsel of â—od 2. If he did declare the Seventh-day Sabbath 〈◊〉 make it known to the Saints to be God's Counâ—â— some one Man or another can shew us the â—ace where it is written but no one Man can â—â—ew us the place where it is written that he declared or made known to the Saints that the seventh-seventh-day Sabbath was the Counsel of God Ergo it is none of the Counsel of God to 〈◊〉 Saints or Gospel-Believers 7thly The holy Spirit saith our Lord 〈◊〉 receive of mine Joh. 16. 13 14. and shew it unto you Again 〈◊〉 saith The Spirit of Truth shall guide you 〈◊〉 all Truth But the Spirit of Truth neither guides Believers into the observation of the seventh Day c. in the Word or New Testament nor by his inward Motions Influence and Operations on their Hearts therefore it 〈◊〉 none of their Duty to observe that Day 8thly If not one Gospel-Church observed 〈◊〉 Seventh-day Sabbath in meeting together as 〈◊〉 Church to discharge the Duties of 〈◊〉 Worship then it is not the Duty of Believerâ— in Gospel-days to observe it But not onâ— Gospel-Church c. observ'd the Seventh-day Sabbath c. Therefore 't is not Believers Duty in Gospel-days to observe it Let them shew us where one Gospel-Church did observe that day in meeting together as 〈◊〉 Church to discharge the Duties of Gospel Worship and I will give up the Cause So much in this respect there is in an Apostolical Precedent in my Judgment for what was the Practice of one Church as a Church was the Duty and Practice of every Church 9thly Gentile Believers ought not to observe the Seventh-day Sabbath because the Churches in the Gospel time observed in Religious Duties and Worship the first day of the week and we are not required to keep two days in every week in God's solemn Worship 10thly Because the Law of God written in the Hearts of all Believers doth not teach them to observe the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath And this brings me to the last general Argument Sixthly No Law of the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath written in the Hearts of God's New Covenant Children If it be not the Duty of believing Gentiles to keep the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath from the Law written by the Spirit of the living God in the Hearts of all his New-Covenant Children it is not their Duty to keep it because by no other Law I have proved it is their Duty and now I shall prove that it is not their Duty to keep it by virtue of this Law 1. If it was their Duty by this Law to keep â—â—t the holy Spirit besure had left it written in the New Testament for whatsoever Law is written in our Hearts it is but the same in substance in respect to all simple moral Precepts with what is written in the New Testament 2. Consider that God expresly says in the new Covenant Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts Saith Paul 2 Cor. 3. 3. Written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of Stone but in the fleshly Tables of the Heart This shews we are not to go to the Tables of Stone to Mount Sinai for the Law of God now the Antitype of that is come God's Finger has wrote his Law in better Tables tho naturally our Hearts were like Stone yet his Spirit can and hath written his Law there What is God's Law but a Transcript or a gracious Impression of his holy Nature or his Divine Image stampt on our Souls Now then read this blessed Book ye New-Covenant Saints look within ye holy and renewed ones and see if you can find the knowledg of the seventh Day or that you have this Precept written in your Hearts and inward parts Were you ever by this Law led to know or reproved for not observing the Seventh-day Sabbath Let me close this with an Answer given to Tillam by Mr. Warren 1. Tillam saith Warren on the Sabb. p. 18 19. It was written in Adam's Heart and for this he quotes Rom. 2. 2. That it was written afterwards in Tables of Stone for which he cites Gal. 3. 19. 3. That it is written in the fleshly Table of renewed Hearts To which Mr. Warren answereth speaking to the latter The Experience of almost all renewed Hearts in Heaven and Earth doth contradict it for to speak in the Language of Eliphas â—ob 5. 1. Call now if there be any that will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn either Scripture-Saints or Church-Saints ask St. Paul St. Cyprian St. Chrysostom St. Augustine and they will tell you that your antiquated Sabbath was so far from being in their Hearts that they have wrote against it with their Pens Turn over the Works of the eminent Fathers Add
and the Courts at Westminster Saturday is called Sabbati or Dies Sabbati True as supposing by Tradition this day of our week to be what the Jews called the Sabbath in their week but do you not know also in the same Records Sunday is called Dies Dominicus the Lord's-day And if those prove Saturday to be the Jewish Sabbath why should not these as well prove Sunday to be the Lord's-day All the difference is as to that you were quick-sighted but blind as to this You may observe also that the one is Sabbati or Dies Sabbati in the Genitive case in the same form with Dies Saturni and as the other days are but the Lord's-day is Die Dominico in the Ablative meaning I suppose that Saturday is the day which had been the Jewish Sabbath but this the day which is the Lord's-day Which different Construction seems plainly to intend in our Law a different import of the words by Dies Saturni or Dies Lunae we do not mean a Day instituted by Saturn or the Moon as by Dies Dominica we do mean the Day instituted by our Lord like as by Coena Dominica we mean the Supper instituted by our Lord So that these Records do you no Service at all but Disservice I shall here before I close add a few Syllogistical Arguments for our Opponents to answer Arg. 1. If the holy Spirit doth write the whole Moral Law of God in the Hearts of all true Believers but doth not write the Law of the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath in their Hearts then the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath is no Moral Precept but the former is true Ergo. Arg. 2. The holy Spirit doth convince all Gospel-Believers of all immoral Evils or of every simple moral Precept the holy Spirit doth not convince all Gospel-Believers it is an Evil not to observe the seventh Day as a Sabbath nor that this is a moral Precept Ergo 'T is not an immoral Evil to work upon that day c. Or thus Arg. 3. The holy Spirit guides all true Believers into all Truths that result from the holy Nature of God or that are good and therefore commanded the holy Spirit doth not guide all true Believers to observe the seventh Day as a Sabbath Ergo the Seventh-day Sabbath is no such Truth c. Arg. 4. If the New Testament be a perfect Rule of Faith and Practice and there is no Precept nor Precedent for the observance of the Seventh-day Sabbath the Seventh-day Sabbath ought not by us to be observed but the former is true Ergo 't is not our duty to observe that Day Arg. 5. If Christ and Paul after him have made known or declared the whole Counsel and Will of God or whatsoever we should believe observe and practise but have not made known or declar'd it is our duty to observe the seventh Day then 't is not our duty to observe it but the former is true Ergo. Arg. 6. If the Law of the Seventh-day Sabbath as given by Moses belonged wholly or was annexed to the Judgments of the Mosaical Oeconomy and the Judgments of the Mosaical Oeconomy belong not to the Gospel-Church then the Law of the Sabbath as given by Moses belongs not to us but this is so because Death was the Penalty of the breach thereof Ergo. Object What if we grant that all the ten Commandments belonged or were annexed to the Mosaical Oeconomy are all the ten Commandments abrogated therefore or not in force to us Answ I have shewed that the whole Moral Law is given forth by Christ considered as Mediator and that we are not obliged to observe them as given by Moses and the precise seventh Day being no simple Moral Precept but merely Judaical pertaining to the Covenant of Works our Lord hath not nor could confirm that Precept in the Gospel so that it appears the Sabbath only belonged to the Mosaical Oeconomy and will you affirm that of all the Ten. One Sabbatarian * Mr. Edw. Stennett on the Sab. p. 50. saith That all the ten Commandments had the Penalty of Death annexed to them to be inflicted by the Magistrate which saith he is an evident distinction between Moral Laws and Laws Ceremonial c. Again he saith Pag. 53. See the Snare broken the Sabbath having the same Penalty that the other nine have it convincingly proves the Morality of it Answ 1. This shews that none of the ten Commandments as given by Moses are in force to Believers or oblige the Gospel-Church but only belong'd to the Jewish Policy as formally deliver'd Exod. 20. and tho the Moral Law given by Christ as Mediator doth oblige us yet the precise seventh Day being no Moral Precept but only Judaical is gone it not being given forth anew in the Gospel nor could be given with its old Sanction viz. the Penalty of Death to be inflicted on such that break it because the Gospel-Church is no Political Body or Civil State they can't inflict Death on such as transgress this or other Precepts 2. Nay nor ought such to die that profane the holy Name of God or disobey their Parents or commit Adultery c. by any Law given by Christ in the Gospel * And do not such as affirm otherwise strangely Judaize those Temporal Punishments only belonged to the Mosaical Oeconomy many in the Gospel-Church before call'd were guilty of the gross breach of divers moral Precepts yet were not to be put to death Christ came not to take away Mens Lives but to save them both from temporal and eternal Death 3. Moreover it is a grand mistake to say that the Penalty of Death distinguisheth Moral Laws from Ceremonial for he that in the days of Atonement did not afflict his Soul Levit. 23. 29. must die or be cut off and whosoever toucheth the Mount shall be surely put to death Exo. 19. 13. And he that was not circumcised must die or he cut off so for divers other Sins †Exod. 30. 33 38. Lev. 7. 20 21 25 27. 17. 4 9. that were not Moral Precepts Pray read Heb. 10. 28. Paul shews that in this respect we are not come to Mount Sinai but to Mount Sion Heb. 12. 18. and sad it is to see any so left as to endeavour to carry the People back again to that fiery Law which was so terrible as the Apostle shews ver 21. But it is no marvel they do thus when they that intimate the Law and Covenant Exod. 20. was the Covenant of Grace If I have an Answer God sparing my Life you shall see what some of their chief Writers have said as to this and some other things that may seem more distasteful to all pious Christians Arg. 7. If the first Day was observed as a day of Worship by the Apostolical Church and no other day of the week then the first Day is that day of Worship which we should observe but the first Day was so observed c. Ergo. Arg. 8. If Moses as
take so much pains and to travel so far for and in the due Celebration of the Lord's-day as if another should do the like without his Occasions and Circumstances it would be a profanation of it 3. I do not believe it unlawful to dress a Dinner or Supper on the lord's-Lord's-day Refreshments helpful to Nature so far as to refresh it that it may have a supply of Spirits to go on chearfully in the Duties of holy Worship saith the Doctor are lawful and useful to macerate the Body with Abstinences on this day is required of none and to turn it into a Fast or to fast upon this day is generally condemn'd by the Antients Wherefore to forbear provision of necessary Food for Families on this day is Mosaical and the enforcement of the particular Precepts about not kindling a Fire on this day baking and preparing the Food of it the day before cannot be insisted on without a Re-introduction of the seventh Day precisely to whose observation they were annexed and thereby of the Spirit of the old Covenant 1. Provided always these Refreshments be seasonable for the time of them and not when publick Duties require our attendance on them And 2. Accompanied with singular regard to the Rules of Temperance As 1. That there be no appearance of Evil. 2. That Nature be not charged with any kind of Excess so far as to be hindered rather than assisted in the Duties of the Day 3. That they are accompanied with Gravity and Sobriety and Purity of Conversation To which let me add certainly Masters of Families ought to take heed they do not put their Servants upon greater Labour on that day * Nor their Beasts neither since God allows them this one day of the Week for Rest than needs must so as to hinder them from a due attendance as often as possible on God's publick Worship Now what Dr. Owen saith quite differs from that overheated Zeal which appeared in some Godly Ministers in former times What think you of what Dr. White †Bishop of Ely on the Sabbath p. 235. Mr. Tho. Rogers Pref. before the Articles relates in his Treatise of the Sabbath concerning some Zealots in his time about sixty years ago I have read and many there be alive which will justify it how it was preach'd in a Market Town in Oxfordshire that to do any servile Work or Business on the Lord's-day is as great a Sin as to kill a Man or to commit Adultery It was preached in Somersetshire that to throw a Bowl on the Sabbath-day is as great a Sin as to kill a Man It was preached in Norfolk that to make a Feast or Wedding Dinner on the Lord's-day day is as great a Sin as for a Father to take a Knife and cut his own Child's Throat It was preached in Suffolk I can name the Man and I was present when he was convened before his Ordinary for preaching the same that to ring more Bells than one on the Lord's-day to call the People to Church is as great a Sin as to commit Murder Such unaccountable Zeal hath done no small mischief to the Cause of Christ Two things I observe from what the Doctor notes 1. That these Men thought we are under the like Obligation in observance of the first Day as the Jews were on their seventh Day 2. That they thought the Morality of the fourth Commandment consisted in the observation of the Lord's-day or the first Day of the week and so is a pure Moral Precept both which I utterly deny and the contrary I have proved Secondly in the Affirmative I do say that the first Day tho it be of mere positive Right ought to be observed wholly to the Lord He that observes a day let him observe it to the Lord and day much more the Lord's-day 1. To the Lord not to our selves i.e. for our external Profit or Pleasure 2. To the Lord that is the whole day not a part of it but the whole day from Morning to Evening III. That we begin the Day early in the Morning first in private and then in Family Devotion 1. In reading some part of God's Word and 2. In Prayer laying aside all worldly business but what is of absolute necessity and as much as in us lies all worldly Discourse and earthly or worldly Thoughts that the Lord on his Day may have our Hearts as well as our Ears Tongues and Feet and then to attend the publick Worship and that early on the first Day of the week to seek Jesus as Mary Magdalen did Certainly it is a horrid shame in any to take more liberty for Sleep or otherwise to gratify the Flesh on this day than they do on other days of the week when imploy'd in doing their own Business Do Men require the whole Day and with the greatest care and diligence to do their Work And doth not the holy God require our utmost care and diligence in his Work and Service Mal. 1. 14. Cursed is the Deceiver which hath in his Flock a Male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing c. Again it is said Jer. 48. 10. Cursed be he that doth the Work of the Lord negligently or deceitfully that is with a cold and careless Spirit My Brethren God is a great King and a jealous God for his Name and sacred Worship Levit. 10. 3. and he will be sanctified by all that draw near to him And we must I say shew greater Care and Zeal in our serving him on his Day if possible than in doing Work for Man 1. He requires it of us Eccl. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might 2. He more deserves it from our hands Should a Servant come to his day's Work at ten a Clock certainly his Master would soon turn him off O take heed lest God severely rebuke you for your sloth and carelesness in not attending early on his publick Worship IV. In the Evening to close the Lord's-day in reading instructing our Families and in repeating what we have heard or in meditating thereon and in Prayer and singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Thus the Primitive Christians kept the Lord's Day * Read Dr. Young on the Lord's Day of the next Age to the Apostles V. Preparation for the Publick Worship is very necessary therefore besure you always come into the Church from your Closets bearing your Ministers upon your Hearts that so the Word of God may run and be glorified and your own Souls secretly fed and edified together And let no small matters hinder you neither the length of the way nor weather say with your self Sure I would not make these a plea or excuse were I to receive some great earthly Profit VI. As to the Publick Worship that consists in reading God's Word Preaching Prayer and singing of Psalms with a free and charitable contribution for the poor Saints on every First-day of the Week
Command concerninâ— it * He alludes to Adam in Paradise where we can find no express positive Command and if it be not seated morally in thâ— fourth Commandment it is now certain thâ— the necessary observance of it is taken away 10. On the other extream whether thâ— seventh day from the Creation of the Worldâ—â— be to be observ'd precisely under the New Tâ—â—stament by virtue of the fourth Commanâ—â—ment and no other The assertion hereâ—â— supposeth that our Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 Lord of the Sabbath hath neither chang'd 〈◊〉 nor reform'd any thing in and about the reâ—ligious observation of an holy day of Rest unto the Lord whence it follows that such an Observation can be no part or act of Evangelical Worship properly so call'd but only a moral Duty of the Law †Let our Jewish Sabbatarians consider well what the Doctor positively asserts here 11. Whether on the supposition of a non-obligation in the Law unto the observation of the seventh day precisely and of a new day to be observ'd weekly under the New Testament as a Sabbath of the Lord on what grounds it is to be observ'd 12. Whether from the fourth Commandment as one Day in seven or only unto some part or portion of Time or whether without any respect unto that Command as purely Ceremonial For granting as most do the necessity of the observation of such a Day yet some say that it has no respect at all to the fourth decalogical Precept which is totally and absolutely abolished with the rest of the Mosaical Institutions Others say that there is yet remaining in it an Obligation to the Sacred Separation of some Time or portion of Time unto the solemn Service of God and some say that it precisely requires the sanctification of one Day in seven 13. If a Day be so now to be observed it is enquired on what Ground or on what Authority there is an alteration made from the Day observed under the Old Testament to that now in use that is from the last Day to the first Day of the Week whether was this Translation of the Day of the solemn Worship of God made by Christ and his Apostles or by the Primitive Church c. 14. If this were done by the Authority of Christ and his Apostles whether by an express Institution of this new Day or whether a direct Example be sufficient no Institution being needful for the First Day for if we suppose there is no Obligation to the observance of one Day in seven indispensibly abiding and on the supposition that an Obligation to keep one Day in seven doth abide then no Institution is necessary or can be properly made as to the whole nature of it * No express Institution is needful for the observance of the first Day but Examples only if the 7th part of Time or one day in seven do abide in the 4th Command Thus far the Doctor who says many other things necessary to be considered about the observation of a Day of Worship whether as to the Work of the Day it ought to be kept with the like strictness as the Jewish Sabbath in all respects and what Duties are to be performed on it as also as to the proper Limits of that Day some pleading it ought to be from Evening to Evening as the Jews kept it or from Morning to Evening that is from after twelve a Clock in the Morning to twelve the next Evening c. From what the Doctor notes it appears that the Case in controversy calls for much study and diligence and it may be accounted an Act of great weakness in any Persons to observe the Seventh Day to the disturbance of the Church without enquiring of such as God has enlightned in these things and to whom the care of their Souls are committed to see what can be said against it Is it wisdom to advise with those only that are for it and not with such also as are directly against it This shall suffice for the Propositions I first proposed I shall endeavour to clear most of those things that seem difficult which may have been the occasion of some Persons if not all going astray and falling into the Error I purpose clearly and largely to detect This brings me to the next general Head of Discourse proposed Secondly I told you I should lay down diveâ—â— Arguments to prove the Truth of our Proposition That it is not the Duty of Gentile Believers to keep the Seventh Day as a Sabbath iâ— Gospel-times First The General Proposition I shall lay down one General Proposition to discover the Method I shall pursue foâ— proving what I have taken in hand 1. If the Law of God written in Adam's heart in Innocency did not oblige him to keep the Seventh Day as a Sabbath that Law cannot oblige Gentile Believers to keep it 2. If a positive Law or express Institution supposed to be given to Adam before or just after his Fall doth not oblige Gentile Believers to keep it 3. If the Law written in the Hearts of the Gentiles or the most refined and enlightned among them doth not oblige Gentile Believers to keep it 4. If the Law of Moses or the Law written in the two Tables of Stone doth not oblige Gentile Believers to keep it 5. If the Gospel by any Precept or Example doth not oblige them to keep the Seventh Day as a Sabbath 6. And lastly If the Law written in the Hearts of all Gospel-Believers by the Holy Spirit doth oblige them to keep the Seventh Day as a Sabbath to the Lord Then I infer it is not their Duty to keep the Seventh-Day c. for I know no other way or means whereby Gentile Believers can pretend to know they are obliged to keep the Seventh-Day as a Sabbath or a Day of Rest and solemn Worship But by none of these ways or means believing Gentiles are obliged to keep the Seventh-Day as a Sabbath c. therefore it is not the Duty of Gentile Believers to keep it To proceed 1. Let it be considered that if the keeping of the Seventh-Day as a Sabbath i. e. that precise Day from the Creation of the World were a purely natural or simply moral Precept no doubt but it was legibly written in Adam's Heart I mean as a Law of Creation and so part of the holy Image of God or of the same nature with all other moral Precepts that result from the Perfections of God's holy Nature and not from the Soveraignty of his Will only And if it was so written in Adam's Heart in Innocency he needed no positive Law to make it known to him What was any thing that was purely or simply moral even that which belonged to good Manners or to true natural Godliness or Righteousness not made known to Adam to perfect Adam this certainly cannot be That spiritual Worship which is due to God Charnock on the Attributes p. 131. saith Mr. Charnock is known
bringing a better hope did And so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Testament In all this it is plain that it is the whole Frame of the Mosaical Law that is changed and the New Testament set up in its stead Heb. 9. 18 19. Neither was the first Testament dedicated without Blood For when Moses had spoken every Precept to all the People according to the Law c. Here the Law before said to be changed is said to contain every Precept And Ephes 2. 15. it is the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances which Christ abolished in his Flesh which cannot be exclusive of the chief part thereof Object This is the Doctrine of the Antinomians that the Law is abrogated even the Moral Law Answ It is the Doctrin of the true Antinomians that we are under no Divine Law neither of Nature nor of Christ But it is the Doctrin of Paul and all Christians that the Jewish Mosaical Law is abolished Object But do not all Divines say that the Moral Law is of perpetual Obligation Answ Yes because it is God's Law of Nature and the Law of Christ Object But do not most say that the Decalogue written in Stone is the Moral Law and of perpetual Obligation Answ Yes for by the word Moral they mean Natural and so take Moral not in the large sense as signifying a Law de moribus as all Laws are whatsoever but in a narrower sense as signifying that which by nature is of universal and perpetual Obligation So that they mean not that it is perpetual as it is Moses's Law and written in Stone formally but as it is that which is natural And they mean that materially the Decalogue containeth the same Law which is the Law of Nature and therefore it is materially in force still But they except still certain Points and Circumstances in it as the prefatory Reason I am the Lord your God that brought you out of the Land of Egypt and especially this of the Seventh-day Sabbath Quest How far then are we bound to keep the Law Answ 1. As it is the Law of Nature 2. As it is own'd by Christ and made part of his Law And therefore no more of it bindeth directly than we can prove to be either the Law of Nature or the Law of Christ Thus Mr. B. Object But Christ saith he came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfil them and that not one jot or tittle of the Law shall pass away till all be fulfilled Answ The whole Moral Law Christ hath fulfilled in our Nature for us and in our stead in his Life And by his Death he hath antitypically fulfilled all the Prophecies concerning himself in reference to such things and hath abolished the Ceremonial Law also for till then not a tittle of that could pass away Is a fulfilling the Law a destroying it Besides all simple moral Precepts of the Law as in Christ's hand stand firm for ever therefore he came not to destroy the Law yet is he the end of it for Righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. tho as a Rule of Life in his hands it obligeth them perpetually Moreover Ch. 5. 20. Brethren 't is said the Law enter'd Chap. 7. 9. that the Offence might abound c. and the Commandment came c. Now this entering of the Law and coming of the Commandment The use of the Law at in Christ's hand chiefly refers to the Law as it is in Christ's hand set home with Power by the Spirit upon the Conscience The bare entrance of the Law on Mount Sinai as in Moses's hand was with Thundering and Lightning but without Rain I mean without Contrition or Brokenness of heart Men may read Moses's Law and hear it preach'd every day nay write it on the Walls of their Houses and carry it in their Bosoms but yet it may have no operations on their Hearts no 't is the Ministration of the Law in Christ's hand by his Spirit that wounds the Conscience pierces and melts the hard Heart that God's Law may be written there The Ministration of the Law in Christ's hand answers the chief design of God in giving it forth and renders the Minstration of it by Moses of little or no use for as in his hand it is done away but the Law by the Spirit greatens Sin or makes Sin abound and Grace superabound Sin thus by the Law becomes exceeding sinful and it doth not only wound but slay the Soul Sin taking occasion by the Commandment Rom. 7. 11 12. deceived me and by it slew me Wherefore the Law is holy c. O blessed be God for the Law as it is in Christ's hand Thus Sin reviv'd 〈◊〉 I dy'd saith Paul I dy'd as to any hope of Justification or eternal Life by the Law The Jews who had the Law only as in Moses's hand were puff'd up or fill'd with Pride they as Paul before Conversion or the coming of the Commandment in and by the Spirit as in Christ's hand were alive so he thought himself alive in a justified state but when the Commandment came it was then quite otherwise with him So that Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and also to make it of great use to all that receive the Spirit of Christ which Spirit is a Spirit of burning before it is a Spirit of Consolation or a Spirit of Boâ—dage before it is the Spirit of Adoption and so a Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ Gal. 3. 24. Thus we do not make void the Law through Faith but establish it God in Christ hath magnified the Law and made it honourable and that three ways 1. In sending his own Son in our Nature to keep it perfectly and to die for our breach thereof Christ was made under the Law to this very end O how doth it magnify the Law to see Godman thus conform to it and die to bear the Penalty thereof for us 2. He magnifieth the Law in putting it into the hands of his own Son as Mediator to give it forth Doth not the Dignity and Glory of the Lawgiver add to the Glory of the Law given Is not Christ a more glorious Person than Moses See Heb. 1. 8 9 10. 2. 2 3. This Man was accounted worthy of more Glory than Moses Heb. 3. 3. But alas some would have Moses partake of some part of Christ's Glory he must be their Lawgiver 3. By making of it as in Christ's hand of far greater use to Believers as I have shewed than ever it was in the hands of Moses and so to answer God's Design in it Let me only add that all Moses's Law even the Decalogue was political as one observes God's Law was for the particular political Government of the Jewish Nation as a typical Church and political Body and therefore when their Kingdom or Policy ceased the Law as Political and their figurative Sabbath could not
or People of Israel and that it is utterly abolished it being a sign of the Covenant of Works 3. So I shall now prove that our Lord has appointed the first day of the Week for us to observe under the Gospel For First Consider Jesus Christ the Son of God as Mediator is the only Head Sovereign Lord and Lawgiver to his Church and therefore it may seem strange that the special Day or Time of Gospel-worship in his own Kingdom-state should not be given forth by himself But that Moses should have that Honour ascribed to him and that we should commemorate the glorious Work of the New Creation or Redemption on the old Day which was partly appointed for remembrance of the Work of the first Creation Isa 65. 17. is very strange for the Prophet tells us that upon the creating of the new Heaven and the new Earth the former shall be no more remembred that is as I conceive not in such a way of remembrance i. e. by the observation of that former Day appointed in part on that very account For certainly God's glorious Works of the first Creation shall otherwise be never forgot and 't is evident the Text refers to the Gospel day Jerusalem Paul applys to the New Testament Church Secondly Now in my Text our blessed Lord gives forth his Commission Go and teach all Nations baptizing them c. and then these words are added teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you What many of those Commands were we know not It is also said Acts 1. 2 3. that he was with his Disciples forty days and forty nights having given Commandment to his Apostles whom he had chosen Yet neither in this place are those Commandments expressed only he bid them not to depart from Jerusalem till they received the promised Spirit and were indowed with Power from on high Now no doubt but during these 40 days he fully settled all things appertaining to his Spiritual Kingdom and instructed them in all matters they should both do and teach And can any rationally judg that he did not then command them which day in seven he would have observed as a Day of Rest and solemn Worship Thirdly In the pursuit of what I aim at consider that from the day of his ascension into Heaven till the day of Pentecost there were but ten days during which we do not read they had any special general Assembly for Religious Worship tho on the two first days some were together and on both those days he appeared to them And remarkable it is that there were two Jewish Sabbath-days between his Ascension and the day of their first general solemn meeting Now had not the old Sabbath been gone certainly they had assembled on both those days but no doubt our Lord had told them on what day they should first meet together in expectation of the Gift and Promise of the Father which day he purposed to ratify as the only Day of Gospel-worship by a marvellous effusion of the Spirit To me nothing deserves more to be observ'd than this viz. on what day of the Week the first general Gospel-Assembly was held after our Lord's Resurrection and just upon or soon after his Ascension for no doubt that was the day which Christ did settle in his Gospel-Church And that they were bid to be altogether on this day and to wait till it was come seems plainly implyed in the very words of the Text Acts 2. 1. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come fully come doth not that denote they waited for it Quest Well and what then Answ Why they were all with one accord in one place Certainly this Assembly of the Church on this day was by divine appointment and our Lord might order their first assembling together then I mean on this first day of the Week because Pentecost fell out then and because he knew that great multitudes would be together then to celebrate that Feast And therefore as S. Chrysostom notes God sent down the Holy Ghost at that time of Pentecost because those men that did consent to our Saviour's death might publickly receive rebuke for that bloody Act and so bear record to the power of our Saviour's Gospel before the World This day I say was the first day of the Week and then the mighty effusion of the Holy Ghost came upon the Apostles c. and no less than three thousand Souls were converted on this Day These were two of the most wonderful things that ever were done by our Lord. And thus our Lord first ratified and confirmed the precise Day which no doubt he had command his Disciples to meet upon as the Day of Gospel-Worship before he in any marvellous manner confirmed any Ordinance pertaining to Gospel-worship after his Resurrection The Jewish Sabbath I must tell you never was after so glorious a manner confirmed And remarkable it is that God first gave the Sabbath to the Jews Exod. 16. before he gave any written Laws of Worship they had their Sabbath a month before they came to Mount Sinai where the Law was given So Christ first confirmed the Gospel-day of Worship before he confirmed any Gospel-Ordinance of Worship after his Resurrection Obj. But we deny that Pentecost was the first day of the Week because the Jewish Rabbins suppose that by Sabbath Lev. 23. 11. is not meant the weekly Sabbath but the 1st day of unleavened Bread wherein they are followed by some Christians also Answ I shall prove that Pentecost was the first day of the Week 1. By the Word of God 2. By Universal Tradition 3. By the Testimony of most approved Writers and then what will become of your fabulous Rabbinical traditional Jews or of such Christians who too fondly admire their Writings which contradict the Holy Scripture Now The day of Pentecost the first day of the Week I say the day of Pentecost was not as Tillam and others pretend the seventh-day of the Week or the Jewish Sabbath but the first-day or the Lord's Day But let me premise 1. That Pentecost is the same which is called the Feast of Harvest Exod. 23. 16. and the Feast of Weeks Deut. 16. 10. this all agree in 2. That it is called by a Greek name Pentecost or the fiftieth day because always to be observed on the fiftieth day from the offering of the wave sheaf as we read Lev. 23. 15 16. 3. Now that this day of Pentecost was not upon the Jewish Sabbath but on the day after it is expresly asserted in the last mentioned Text Lev. 23. 11. And he shall wave the Sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you â—n the morrow after the Sabbath the Priest shall wave it And in ver 15 16. they were commanded to count from thence seven Sabbaths and on the morrow after the seventh Sabbath to keep the fiftieth day or Pentecost The Wave-offering was the morrow after the weekly Sabbath Observe the Sheaf was to
Pentecost Acts 2. 1. It was call'd the Feast of Weeks or of sevens because from the waving of the Sheaf they reckoned as many weeks to this Feast as there be days in seven weeks which evidently shadowed out some weekly Festiyal under the Gospel the day whereof was noted by that Pentecost Acts 2. 1 2. 2. It was call'd the Feast of First-fruits and of Harvest because as they began their Harvest upon the first of the fifty days when they offered the Sheaf of First-fruits so they ended it upon the fiftieth day which was properly the Feast-day Upon which they offered the Wave-loaves And these fifty days or seven weeks were the appointed weeks of their Harvest and by the offering of the Sheaf at the beginning of their Harvest there their after-Fruits were sanctified And the offering of the â—oaves on the fiftieth day was not only an Euâ—haristical Oblation but also a token of the Harvest being finished 3. It is called the Feast of Pentecost Deut. 16. 9. because it was ever kept the fiftieth day the fiftieth â—ow reckoned from the morrow after the â—abbath that is the first day of the week â—ut what mark had they to know their morrow 〈◊〉 Moses tells them when you shall reap the Harvest of your Land or when you begin to â—eap it for so 't is expounded in Deut. 16. 9. Begin to number the seven Weeks from such a â—ime as thou beginnest to put the Sickle to the â—orn So that when they began their Harvest they must begin their account of fifty â—ays And the first of the fifty was the morrow of the Sabbath or the day following the Sabbath namely the first day of the week Dr. Usher in his Letter to Dr. Twiss p. 91 92. and as they began so they must end their account on the same day as the first so the fiftieth day or day of Pentecost must be on the morrow of the last Sabbath Levit. 23. 15 16. And this is injoin'd by the express Command of God to be observ'd as a Statute for ever throughout their Generations This is the plain Scripture-account and who can but observe the Wisdom of God in ordering the matter thus viz. That this Feast of Weeks should never fall upon the seventh-day but always upon the first day of the week the morrow after the Sabbath or the day immediately following it if at least his Statute-Law had always been observ'd And what else could this presignify as Dr. Vsher speaks but that under the state of the Gospel the Solemnity of the weekly Service should be celebrated upon that day Now I hope that famous Pentecost Act. 2. 1. will be no Parable tho we state it according to the Divine Oracle upon the first day of the week the morrow after the Jews Sabbath We need no Almanack to help us here the Bible is sufficient Nor say I do we need the Traditions of the blind doting Rabbins But to proceed because the Sabbatariaâ— stand so much upon supposed Mysteries in the Feast of Pentecost See Dr. Usher's printed Letter according to their Traditional Account I shall acquaint them with the real Mysteries of Christ accomplished exactly according to this Scriptural Account where they may see the Type and the Truth admirably concurring For as at the time of the Passover 1 Cor. 5. 7. Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us and lay in his Grave the whole Jewish Sabbath following So on the morrow after the Sabbath when the Sheaf of the first Fruits was offered to God Jesus Christ rose from the dead 1 Cor. 15. 20. and became the First-fruits of them that slept and many of the Saints that slept rose likewise after him Mat. 37. 52 53. From hence was the Account taken of the seven Sabbaths or fifty Days and upon the morrow after the seventh Sabbath which was our Lord's Day was that famous Feast of Weeks that day of Pentecost Acts 2. 1. Upon which day the Apostles having themselves received the first Fruits of the Spirit begat three thousand Souls with the Word of Truth and presented them as the first Fruits of the Christian Church to God and to the Lamb. Here was the Feast of Loaves in the Antitype that feasted some thousands of Souls And from that time forward do the Waldenses note that the Lord's Day was observed in the Christian Church in the place of the Jewish Sabbath Thus Dr. Vsher that Library of Learning Object If it be objected That in this Discourse he states Christ suffering at the Feast of the Passover and so falls in with the vulgar Opinion which takes the morrow after the Sabbath Levit. 23. for the morrow after the Passover Sabbath I answer That cannot be for he had declared before that the Sabbath there intended is the weekly Sabbath and the morrow after it is the first day of the Week And he cites Isychius and Ruportius in interpreting it so before him to whom I shall be bold saith * Mr. Warren Nazianzeâ— Orat. 44. he to add Nazianzen who was before them all who speaking of the Feast of Pentecost says This Nation meaning the Jewish Nation uses to consecrate to God not only the first of their Fruits and first born but the first Fruits of their Days and Years also Thus the illustrious number of Seven has carried the honour of Pentecost for Seven being composed upon it self makes fifty wanting but one day which we have taken from this future Age being both the eighth and the first Day His Argument is clearly this that the Jewish Pentecost was fain to be beholden to the Christians eighth day or first day of the Week to make up the compleat number of fifty days And the like he says a little before concerning their Jubilee every fiftieth year for seven times seven makes but forty nine to perfect the number they borrowed the first day of the Week and so consecrated to God the first of their Days as well as of their Land So that this computation of the fifty days to Pentecost from the morrow of the Sabbath wants no Authority to back it either divine or humane But the Word of God is our best Warrant and we may be satisfied that Dr. Twiss was no Child at Argument nor one that would be perswaded on slight grounds but upon Bishop Vsher's discovery of this Truth by the forementioned Scripture-evidence he professed he received great satisfaction and acknowledges that the mystery of the Feast of first Fruits was opened to the singular advantage and honour of the Lord's Day Object The only Objection against this Interpretation is the Judgment of Mr. Ainsworth and our English Annotators who take the Sabbath Levit. 23. for the Feast of the Passover Sabbath Answ 1. Herein they are led by the common Opinion of the Hebrew Doctors who indeed are excellent Guides when they keep the beaten Road of Scripture but in many things made void the Commandments of God by their Traditions Let this
17. ch 66. 22 23. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Rev. 21. 1. Rom. 8. 19. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. This new Creation is accompanied with a new Law and Covenant or the Law of Faith and Covenant of Grace Rom. 3. 27. ch 8. 2 3 4. Jer. 31. 33 34. Heb. 8. 8 9 10 c. To this Law and Covenant a day of holy Rest unto the Lord doth belong which cannot be the same with the former no more than it is the same Law or same Covenant which was originally given Heb. 4. 9. Rev. 1. 10. That this day was limited and determined to the first day of the week by our Lord Jesus Christ is that which shall now further be confirmed First Pag. 366. On this day he rested from his Work by his Resurrection for then he laid the Foundation of the new Heavens and new Earth and finished the Works of the new Creation when all the Stars sang together and the Sons of God shouted for Joy On this day he rested from his Works The drift of the Apostle here is to shew how the first day is established as our day of Rest under the Gospel as God did and was refreshed as God was for tho he worketh hitherto in communication of his Spirit and Graces as the Father continueth to do in his Works of Providence after the finishing of his Works of the old Creation tho these Works belong thereunto yet he ceaseth absolutely from that kind of Work whereby he laid the Foundation of the new Creation henceforth he dyeth no more and on this day was he refreshed in the view of his Works for he saw it was exceeding good Now as God's Rest This the Doctor shews the Apostle chiefly intends and his being refreshed in his Work on the seventh day of old was a sufficient Indication of the precise day of Rest which he would have observed under the Administration of that original Law and Covenant so the Rest of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his being refreshed in and from his Work on the first day is a sufficient Indication of the precise day of Rest to be observ'd under the Dispensation of the new-Covenant now confirm'd and established And the Church of Christ could not pass one Week under the New Testament Pag. 267. or in a Gospel-state of Worship without this Indication For the Judaical Sabbath as sure as it was so and as sure as it was annexed to the Mosaâ—â—l Administration of the Covenant was so far abolish'd as not to oblige really the Disciples of Christ in Conscience to the Observation of it whatsoever any of them might for a season apprehend And if a new day was not now determined there was no day or season appointed for an observance of an holy Rest unto the Lord nor any pledg given us of our entering into the Rest of Christ Accordingly this Indication of the Gospel-day of Rest § 10. and Worship was imbraced by the Apostles who were to be as the chief Corner Stones in the Foundation of the Christian Church For immediately they assembled themselves on that day and were confirmed in their Obedience by the Grace of our Lord in meeting with them thereon Joh. 20. 19 26. And it appears on this day only he appeared to them when they were assembled together altho occasionally he shewed himself to sundry of them at other seasons Moreover from this time forward this day was never without its solemn Assemblies as shall further be cleared afterwards Thus the Doctor He then proceeds further to prove more fully from this of Heb. 4. the Foundation and Institution of the Lord's-day in which he has certainly not only out-done all Expositors before him but hath made it very plain that the first day is here by the Apostle declared to be established by Christ's Rest and our resting in him and to be the day of Rest and solemn Worship under the Gospel as God's resting from his Work was the Foundation of the old Sabbath He cites Heb. 4. 3 11. moreover he opens the many Rests mentioned Pag. 269 230 231 c. and proves the Rest spoken of in the Psalms to intend the Rest of Christ and his People in the Gospel-Dispensation and not the eternal Rest above but that Rest which all that believe do enter into after Christ had done all our Work and ceased or finished his Work for ever as God finished his and as a pledg of his Rest hath left us a day of Rest There remaineth therefore a Sabbatism for the People of God Here is both the Foundation and Institution of the first day as a day of Rest or a Gospel Sabbath and the manner of our entering into it as well as the abrogation of the old day The Foundation Pag. 279. saith he of the whole is laid down ver 10. For he that is entered into his Rest § 20. has ceased from his Works as God did from his i. e. that as God ceased working rested and took satisfaction and complacency in his Work never working any more in creating and so a Rest followed on that day so Christ ceased and rested from the Work of Redemption on the first day and a Rest followed for us on that day he taking Rest and Complacency in his Work There is the Rest of the one and the other and these saith he also have their mutual proportion Now God rested from his own Work of Creation 1. By ceasing from creating only continuing all things by his Power in their order and propagation to his Glory 2. By his Respect to them and Refreshment in them as those which expressed his Excellencies and set forth his Praise and so satisfied his glorious Design 1. So Christ also must cease working i. e. he must die no more suffer no more but only continue the Work of his Grace and Power in the preservation of the new Creation and the orderly increase and propagation of it by his Spirit 2. He takes delight and satisfaction in the Works he hath wrought for he sees of the travel of his Soul P. 284. and is satisfied In brief all that he did and suffered in and from his Incarnation to his Resurrection as Mediator of the Covenant with all the Fruits and Effects and Consequences of what he so did whereby the Church was built and the new Creation finished belongs to his Works His Rest that ensued on these Works hath two parts 1. A cessation from his Works which was eminent and answered God's Rest from his Works 2. Satisfaction in his Works and the glorious Product of them as those which had an Impression on them of his Love and Grace Psal 16. 7. Now lest any should suppose that Christ rather ceased from his Works Christ ceased from his Work on the day of his Resurrection P. 284. Sect. 23. when he died because it is said 't is finished c. which certainly refers to all those things that were Types or
Prophecies of him to that time for the Work of Redemption could not be finished till he rose from the dead Take what the Doctor further saith to this It remains saith he only that we enquire into Christ's entrance into his Rest both how and when he did so even as God entered into his on the Seventh-day For this saith he must limit and determine a Day of Rest to the Gospel-Church Now this was not his lying down in the Grave His Body indeed there rested for a while But that was no part of his mediatory Rest as he was the Founder and Builder of the Church For 1. It was part of his Humiliation Not only his death but his abode and continuance in the state of death was so and a principal part of it For after the whole human Nature was united to the Person of the Son of God to have it brought into a state of dissolution or to have the Body and Soul separated from each other was a great Humiliation And every thing of this nature belonged to his Work and not to his Rest 2. This separation of Body and Soul under the Power of Death was penal a part of the Sentence of the Law which he underwent And therefore Peter declares that the Pains of Death were not loosed but by his Resurrection Acts 2. 24. This therefore could not be his Rest or any part of it 3. Nor did he first enter into his Rest at his Ascension then he indeed took possession of his Glory But to enter into his Rest is one thing and to take possession of Glory another And it is placed by the Apostle as the Consequent of his being justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3. 16. But this his entring into Rest was in and by his Resurrection from the dead For 1. Then and there he was freed from the Sentence Power and Stroke of the Law being discharged of all the Debts of our Sins which he had undertaken to make satisfaction for Acts 2. 24. 2. Then and therein were all Types all Predictions and Prophecies fulfilled which concerned the Work of our Redemption 3. Then and therein his Work was done which answered to God's Creating-work 4. Then and therein he was declared the Son of God with Power Rom. 1. 4. Thus did the Author of the new Creation P. 286. Sect. 24. the Son of God the builder of the Church having finished his Work enter into his Rest And this was on the morning of the first day of the Week And hereby he did limit and determine the Day for our Sabbatical Rest under the New Testament for now was the old Covenant utterly abolished and therefore the Day which was the Pledg of God's and Man's Rest therein was to be taken away and accordingly was as we have proved And this is that which the Apostle affirms as the substance of all he hath evinced P. 287. Sect. 25. namely that there is a Sabbatism for the People of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is framed by our Apostle from an Hebrew Original with a Greek Termination and he useth it as that which is comprehensive of his whole sense which no other word would be for he would shew there is a Sabbatical Rest founded in the Rest of God God-man remaining for the Church and therefore makes use of the same word whereby God expressed his own Rest when he sanctified the Seventh-day for a day of Rest thereon Again he further proves that the Apostle asserts an Evangelical Sabbath or day of Rest to be constantly observed in and for the Worship of God under the Gospel Thus far and to this effect speaks Dr. Owen 'T is my Brethren the Apostle's business in this Chapter as the Doctor has proved to shew an Institution of the first day of the Week and this upon the great Work of Redemption and Christ's resting from his Works as God did from his as also the manner of his entering into his Rest which was not till all our Work was done by our Surety and our Burden was born by him for us for till then we could not enter into his Rest And being in his Rest he has appointed this Day as a Pledg thereof that we may begin with God give him the first Day and so seek first the Kingdom of God First as to the early days of our Life first in the Day and first in every day of the Week Brethren we have Rest before we work or labour for it and so work from Rest Life and Peace and not work for Life or to enter into Rest that way as they were to do under the old Covenant Remarkable is that passage of Paul As many as walk according to this Rule that is the Rule of the new Creature or new Creation Peace be on them And as in matters of Worship so in respect to the new Day of Worship the Apostle pronounceth Peace to such c. And thus I have shewed how the first Day was confirmed by the miraculous effusion of the Spirit and also the Foundation and Institution of this Day as here laid down by the Apostle Fourthly The first Day made by the Lord for a Day of Rest Joy and Gladness in God's Worship My fourth Argument to prove the Institution of the first Day of the Week shall be taken from Psal 118. 22 23 24. The Stone that the Builders refused is become the head Stone of the Corner This is the Lord 's doing and it is marvellous in our sight This is the Day the Lord hath made we will be glad and rejoice in it 1. Pray observe that our Lord became the Head-stone of the Corner on the day of his happy Resurrection on this day the Gospel-Church took its beginning On this day he entered into his Rest and was invested with actual Victory over all his Enemies and clothed with Soveraign Power and Authority as King and Law-giver 2. Well and what saith the Holy Ghost This is the Day the Lord hath made 1. He speaks as all Expositors note of the particular day of Christ's Resurrection 2. And that this is the Day which the Lord hath made How made God created that and every day of the Week at first But this Day is constituted or made for some special end and use above any other day in the Week Nothing lies more plain in the Text than this 3. The Lord hath made it i. e. instituted or appointed it to these great Ends not the Apostles not the Church not Man but the Lord himself hath made it 4. And then the Gospel-Church and all Gospel-Believers signified by this word we resolve upon this Great Authority to observe it we will rejoice and be glad in it Here it is foretold that God hath singularly made created or instituted this Day for us to meet together and to worship him with joy and gladness of heart and accordingly we have proved it was confirmed I challenge any man to shew us a
Reason why any day besides this can be here intended Obj. The Prophet alludes to the general Gospel-day or else only to that very precise day on which Christ rose not that that day should successively be kept Answ We deny not but that the general Gospel-days of Grace came in with this day but in the days of the Gospel this Text also shews God hath made or appointed a particular Day to be observed with rejoycing and gladness of Heart not the seventh but the first Day For it is evident this day was the day when our Lord was made or became the Head-stone of the Corner viz. the day of his glorious Resurrection Where is the general Day of the Gospel called a Day made Is not this as much as that at the beginning the Lord blessed and sanctified the seventh day 'T is not there said he sanctified it for men successively to keep Now 1. Here is expressed a particular Day and what day 't is the Verses going before shew 2. 'T is a day made or instituted for singular use 3. It is a day made by the Lord to that end 4. For us to worship God in or to rejoice in before him with gladness of our Heart God meeteth him that rejoiceth and that remembers him in his ways 1. God hath made or instituted this Day for singular nay for the highest and chiefest End and Purpose 2. And what day have we cause to rejoice in keep and observe like this day For has not Redemption-work the preference of Creation-work The Glory of Creation-work was mar'd by Sin but Redemption-work Redemption-Grace restores the Image of God to us again and puts us into a far better condition than we were in at first In Redemption-work the glory of all God's Attributes shines forth so they did not in the first Creation The day of Christ's Resurrection is the day of our deliverance from Sin the Law Wrath Death Devils and all Enemies for ever This is the Day the Lord has made more honorable and glorious and more to be remembred than God's creating the Heavens and the Earth Are there any dare say that the first Creation ought more to be remembred than the second or the new Creation Or doth the Covenant of Works excel the Covenant of Grace or the Law the Gospel Did God's finishing his Work call for a day of remembrance and doth not Christ's finishing his Work call for the same Certainly it doth and therefore this is the day the Lord hath made and we will rejoice and be glad in it◠And doth not the Apostle say Heb. 4. 9. upon the same foot of account There remaineth 〈◊〉 Rest i. e. a day of Rest to the People of God This is the day in which Christ our Surety received for us our free Justification i. e. our discharge from the Curse of the Law from Sin and Eternal Wrath. On this day Christ made an end of Sin finished Transgression and brought in everlasting Righteousness therefore this is the day the Lord hath made and we will rejoice and be glad in it 1. The Lord made and created the Seventh-day and afterwards made it a Sabbath to answer the end and design of the old Creation and old Covenant So the Lord created the first day and when the new Creation was brought in he made it for a day of sacred Rest and for his solemn Worship answering the end and design of the new Creation 2. The Seventh-day Sabbath was made for Man under the legal and typical Church of Israel so the first-day was made for Man the new Man or for all the true Israel of God under the Gospel or for the Gospel-Church 3. God made the Seventh-day an honourable day answering his design in the first Creation and Christ has made this day a more honourable day answering his design in Redemption or new Creation 4. God made the Seventh-day a day of Rest because in it he ceased for ever from first-Creation Works and took complacency in his Works So the Lord Christ hath made the first day a day of Rest because in it he ceased for ever from the Works of Redemption never to die or offer any more Sacrifice for Sin and took complacency in his Work This is therefore the day the Lord hath made and we will rejoice and be glad in it How made saith one not by Creation for so it was made before 5. And as the seventh Day was instituted and confirmed before the Law was given to Israel Exod. 16. so the first Day was confirmed Act. 2. by the mighty effusion of the Spirit before any other Gospel-Precept was confirmed after the Resurrection of our Lord. It is called Dies Dominicus p. 71. saith Dr. Young Dominicum because as Austin notes the Lord made it this saith he perhaps will be of no great weight with some since the Lord made all days but he seems to have made this day after a special manner namely by his Resurrection from the dead the Commemoration of which Benefit exceeded the Memory of the old Creation or else because it was destinated for worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ c. Thus it was prophesied what Day Christ would ordain for his Service under the Gospel and which Believers should observe with Joy in his Worship Psal 118. compar'd with Acts 4. must needs saith Mr. Warren be meant the day of Christ's Resurrection and doth not the Spirit speak expresly this is the day the Lord hath made it is a day of the Lord 's making and will he that is Tillam make nothing of that what else can be made of it but a Prediction of a Divine Institution which is equivalent to a Precept especially when 't is expounded by an Apostolical Practice as this hath been what can a day made long before in respect of Creation be stiled the day which the Lord hath made then in respect to a Divine Institution an Institution then it is and that on the occasion of Christ's Resurrection Fifthly My next Argument to prove that the Lord hath appointed the first day of the Week as a day of Rest and solemn Worship shall be taken from those clear Examples we have in the New Testament of the Disciples and Churches of Christ meeting together in God's Worship upon this day 1. Let this be considered That that day which the Saints and Churches in the Apostles time observ'd must be the precise day in every week which ought to be kept till our Lord comes again And 2. That an Apostolical Precedent or Example is equivalent or of like Authority with an Apostolical Precept so that had we no more than this it would be a sufficient warrant for the observation of this day Now as the observation of the first day as I have proved hath its Rise Foundation and Institution from the Resurrection of our Lord from the dead so we find on that very day the Apostles were assembled Joh. 20. 19. tho Thomas was not there and our
that Justin Martyr gives of the Practice of all Churches in the next Age i. e. on the day called Sunday there is an Assembly of all Christians whether living in the City or Country and because of their constant breaking of Bread on that day it was called Dies Panis August Epist 118. And Athanasius proved that he brake not a Chalice at such a time Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 22. because it was not the first day of the week when it was used And whosoever reads this Passage without prejudice will grant that it is a marvellous adrupt and uncouth Expression if it do not signify that it was the common observance among all the Disciples of Christ which could have no other Foundation but that only laid down before of the Authority of the Lord Christ requiring it of them And saith he I doubt not but Paul preach'd his farewel Sermon after all the ordinary Service of the Church was perform'd which continued till midnight And all the Objections I have met with against this Instance amounts to no more than this i. e. that the Scripture says that the Disciples met together to break Bread yet indeed they did not so And this by what the Doctor says vanishes into Smoak 1. From the whole I may argue If the Apostles and Primitive Christians did observe the first day of the week as their prime and chief time for solemn Worship in season and passed over the old seventh Day then is the first day of the week and not the seventh that precise Day Christ has appointed to be observ'd in his solemn Worship under the Gospel But this was the prime and chief time for solemn Worship in season c. Ergo. 2. And if those meetings on the first day were not such as used to be formerly on the seventh day I desire to know a reason 1. Why their Meetings on the first day should be particularly recorded rather than their Meetings on the seventh 2. And why also the one is so oft mentioned i. e. their Meetings on the first day and no mention at all that they met on the seventh day in the New Testament from the Resurrection of Christ as a Church-assembly to worship God or discharge any part of Religious Duties nor of their meeting on the second third fourth c. Object But it seems as if they came not together till the evening of this day tho it was the first day of the week and so it proves not that this whole day ought to be kept in solemn Worship Answ For this there is not the least shadow of Proof What tho Paul continued his Speech till midnight might not some other Ministers spend the former part of the day in Preaching Exhortation or in Prayer Or might not Paul as some of us do preach twice himself on that day and they refresh themselves about the middle of the day I find one Author speaking thus Durham on the Ten Command p. 264. Paul spending this whole day in that Service and continuing his Sermon till midnight yet accounting it still one day in solemn meeting doth confirm this Day to be more than an ordinary day or than other days of the week as being specially dedicated to these Services and Exercises and totally spent in them It is said that they came together on the first day of the week and no doubt but it was in the morning of that day for so we find they did on the same day of the week Acts 2. 1 2. for when Peter began to preach it was but the third hour which is our nine of the Clock in the morning Sixthly The Lord's day the first day of the week Rev. 1. 10. My sixth Argument to prove that the first day of the week ought to be observed as a day of Rest and solemn Worship under the Gospel shall be taken from that Appellation given to this day Rev. 1. 10. where it is called the lord's-Lord's-day I was in the Spirit on the Lord's-day Surely this Royal Name or Title adds no small honour to this illustrious Day as it was the first day of Time mentioned in the beginning of the first Book of the Bible so it is the last day of Fame noted in the beginning of the last Book of the Bible to the Praise of him who is our Alpha and Omega The very Name speaks the Lord Christ to be the Author of it Mr. Warren p. 191. who upon the day of his Resurrection was declared both Lord and Christ I find saith my Author an elegant and pious Poem written by Sedulius an Antient Christian * Vid. Sixti Senensis Biblioth Sanct. p. 308. Jerom's Junior being by him translated to this effect After sad Sabbaths th' happy Day did dawn Whose lofty Name from Lord of Lords is drawn A blessed Day that first was grac'd to see Christ's rising and the World's Nativity I shall endeavour to prove that after Christ's Resurrection and Ascension there was a peculiar Day belonging to the Lord above any other day of the week and that this Day was not the old Jewish Sabbath-day but the first day of the week 1. That there was a peculiar Day or one precise Day of the week observed to the Lord in which the Churches assembled together for the Worship of God none will deny God lays claim to one day in seven as his Day 2. And now that this was not the seventh day of the week appears because we no where read that any one Gospel-Church ever assembled together on that day from the Resurrection of Christ Now if that had been the Day the Lord Christ had appointed as Mediator and Lawgiver besure we should have had it mentioned in some place as the very day in which the Churches or at least some one Church did meet together but this we do not find therefore that is not cannot be the day 3. We read of their meeting together no less than four or five times from our Lord's Resurrection and after his Ascension on the first day of the week Joh. 20. 19. and ver 26. Acts 2. 1 2. ch 20. 7. to which I might add 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. 4. No doubt the Apostle John when he says on the Lord's-day refers to a certain particular Day well known to all the Churches to whom he was to write nay known to all Believers and Saints of that time 5. And evident it is that the Jewish Sabbath-day is no where either in the Old or New Testament Isa 58. 3. called the Lord's Day tho it is called the Lord's Sabbath and the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Lord in the Old Testament as one observes is the usual name of God indefinitely Dr. Walls p. 46. without particularizing this or that of the three Persons And the Sabbath of the Lord thy God doth not appropriate it to the second Person more than to the first or third And tho the second Person or Christ considered as God made the
World and gave the Ten Commandments as well as he gave forth all the Ceremonial Law the three Persons being the same one God yet Christ is contradistinguished i. e. referring to his Human Nature or the Anointed of God as Mediator or God-man And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord in the New Testament is commonly and peculiarly applied to our Lord Christ as 1 Cor. 8. 6. But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ c. So Eph. 4. One Lord one God and Father c. and to this Lord doth the Day here refer Iâ— the fourth Commandment that which is called the Sabbath of the Lord thy God speaking of Israel is meant of God indefinitely and not of one Person contradistinguished to the other Two The Work of Creation is commonly ascribed to God the Father and so the old Seventh-day Sabbath is properly the Father's Day not Christ's tho all the three Persons created the World 6. This day is called the Lord's Day in a like sense as the Holy Supper is in some places called the Lord's Supper 1 Cor. 10. 21 22. ch 11. 27. in which places is meant the Lord Christ God and Man This may answer their common Objection viz. Object It might be called the Lord's Day in respect of God the Creator not of Christ the Redeemer and therefore may be meant the Seventh-day Sabbath Besides the World was made by Christ and he gave the Law on Mount Sinai I further tell them this Name or Appellation Christ refers to our Lord as Mediator or as he is God and Man But the second Person was not God and Man when the World was made or when the Law was given on Mount Sinai Tho the second Person or Christ as God created the World and with the Father and Holy Ghost is that one God that gave the Law yet Christ the Anointed or as Mediator God in our Nature actually existed not till the fulness of time was come 2. And why may not they call the Lord's Supper and the Lord's Table so with respect to God the Creator or Christ as Creator 3. Consider that in the New Testament Christ as Mediator is actually exalted to be Lord of 〈◊〉 of all Persons Men and Angels and of all things For to this end Christ both died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14. 9. 4. So that as the term Lord is peculiarly ascribed to Jesus Christ as Mediator so certainly is the day here called his Day And as the Supper is called the Lord's Supper because he instituted it and it wholly refers to Christ so the first day is called the Lord's Day because the Lord Christ instituted or appointed it as the special Day of his Worship and as it refers to his glorious Resurrection Object If the Scriptures be the Rule to judg whether that day be not the Lord's Day which and which only as distinguished from other days of the Week the Son of Man is Lord of Answ 1. Christ is Lord of all days no doubt because he is Lord of all things but the Seventh-day Sabbath is no where appropriated to Christ as Mediator nor ever called the Lord's Day 2. When 't is said in the New Testament that the Son of Man is Lord also or even of the Sabbath-day he shews that it was in his power to dispose of it for he gives this as a reason for his doing that which the Pharisees counted Sabbath-breaking and by which he oftentimes offended them And so it is far from being a reason of his establishing it to abide a Sabbath in his Kingdom-state And as one well observes it seems plainly to mean that that being a positive Law belonging to Moses our Lord had power to change it or dispense with it as well as other Positive and Mosaical Laws As it is said Eph. 1. 22. He hath made him Head over all things to the Church not Head to all things So he is Lord over all Days but all are not separated to his Worship As it is said Joh. 17. 2. Thou hast given him Power over all Flesh So it may be said thou hast given him Power over all Days that he may sanctify one to his own peculiar service and use and leave the rest common to us to work in 7. There is On the Sab. p. 223. saith Mr. Shepherd no other day on which mention is made of any Work or Action of Christ which might occasion a holy day but this only of his Resurrection which is exactly noted of all the Evangelists to be the first day of the Week and by which work he is expresly said to have all Power given him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28. 18. and to be actually Lord of the dead and living Rom. 14. 9. And therefore why should any other Lord's Day be dreamed of Why should Mr. Brabourn imagin that this day might be some superstitious Easter-day which happens once a year The Holy Ghost on the contrary not setting down the Month or Day of the Year but the Day of the Week wherein Christ rose therefore it must be meant of a weekly Holy-day here called the Lord's Day 8. This was the day in which Christ ceased from his Wâ—â—k and rested as the Father ceased from his Work and rested on the Seventh-day and therefore this is his Day as the other was the Father's Day there being a day remaining to him and to us thro him from the same foot of account in the times of the Gospel as we have proved 9. That 't is this day which is called the Lord's Day because of his frequent appearance on it after his Resurrection and because after his Ascension he crown'd it with that miraculous effusion of the Holy Spirit to put a Glory upon it and to confirm it as that day appointed for his People to wait upon him in 10. John Owen on the Sab. p. 292. in calling it the Lord's Day did not surprize the Churches with a new Name but denoted to them the time of his Vision by the name of the Day which was well known to them And there is no solid reason why it should be so called but that it owes its preeminence and observation to his Institution and Authority And no man who shall deny these things can give any tolerable account how when and from whence this day came to be so called it is the Lord's Day as the Holy Supper is called the Lord's Supper by reason of his Institution 11. Because as I have proved the Lord hath made it therefore it is called the Lord's Day This is an Argument saith a Reverend Author * Mr. Will. Fenner on the Sab. p. 81. used by the Church of God in all Ages for twelve hundred years St. Austin used it in his time The Psalmist prophesieth of the Resurrection of Christ â—sal 118.
â—4 The Stone which the Builders refused is beeome the Head-stone of the Corner This is the Lord 's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Our Lord saith he expounds it of his Crucifixion and Resurrection This is the Day the Lord hath made And we desire to be built upon this Corner-stone We will be glad and rejoice in this day we will keep it as a glorious day a day of Thanksgiving and rejoicing in God Again he saith it was prophesied that the first day of the Week should be the Sabbath-day i. e. the Lord's Day Isa 11. 10. In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse which shall stand up for an Ensign to the People and to him shall the Gentiles seek and his Rest shall be glorious Not only the Father's Rest shall be glorious as when he had created the Heaven and Earth and rested on the Seventh-day but Christ's Rest shall be glorious for all Divines agree that the Prophet speaks of the Rest of Christ from the Work of Redemption As God the Father rested from his Work and his Rest was glorious for four thousand years together so Christ's Rest from his Work shall be glorious Thus Mr. Fenner Object Perhaps some will say This only refers to the Gospel Spiritual Rest which we have by Christ and not to a peculiar Day of Rest Answ The Rest spoken of here may be meant of that and from thence we have also a day of Rest allowed us And by comparing this with Heb. 4. I can't see but it clearly has respect to this Day of Rest the Lord's Day because the Seventh-day is called the Father's Day of Rest and the day of Christ's Resurrection is also Christ's Day of Rest as we have proved Object It may refer to the Great Lord's Day Rev. 20. 12. the Day of the last Judgment I saw the dead c. for a thousand years with the Lord is as one day Thus the Sabbatarians Answ 1. These men would have it to be any day rather than the very day the Holy Apostle means i. e. the First-day one while 't is the day of Christ's Birth or the day of his Death or some Feast-day or else the day of Judgment whereas we find the Gospel-Church observed no day but the First-day of the Week the day of our Lord's Resurrection 2. There is a great difference between these two Phrases the Lord's Day and the Day of the Lord for such an Interpretation of the Lord's Day would render it an uncertain time and so directly cross the scope of John in setting down Mr. Ley Sund. Sab. 1. The Place where 2. The Day when 3. The Vision it self And as one observes it is void of all judgment to take it for the Day of Judgment for in the readiest construction of the words St. John spoke of a Day that was in being before he had the Vision and a Day well-known to the Churches at that time But was the Day of Judgment then come or hath it yet been There are more than a thousand years since John was on that Day in the Spirit c. This is an idle dream Mat. 24. 36. for of that day and hour knoweth no Man A Learned Writer answers four Questions on this Text Mr. Geo. Hughs of Plym Aphorisms of the Sab. p. 135. Rev. 1. 10. 1. How will you prove this to be the First-day of the Week 2. How will it be made good that this Name imports a Sabbath 3. How can it be declared or proved that the Lord himself imposed this Name 4. What influence had John upon him in declaring this Name He gives excellent Answers to all these Querys I shall cite but a part of them 1. No indefinite or undetermined time is meant by this day as some would have it but 't is a distinct and determined day owned by the Lord the word is plain the Lord's Day noting one single day 2. Neither can it refer to the Seventh-day 't is as irrational to say this Lord's Day is the old Sabbath as to affirm the Lord's Supper means the Passover This Lord's Day was revealed after his coming in the Flesh but the Seventh-day long before As he was revealed newly in the Gospel to be the one Lord Jesus Christ our Mediator so a new day of his was revealed also which the Church never knew before viz. his Resurrection which was notoriously known to be the Lord's Day 3. He proves it can't be attributed to the day of his Nativity 4. That this Title the Lord's Day was not imposed upon any extraordinary time by reason of the great Revelation given out to John therein 1. He was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day before he received those Revelations therefore they could not be the ground of this Appellation To pretend to Prolepsis here is a miserable shift 2. He writes to the seven Churches in Asia and informs them of the Time known to them when he had these Revelations viz. the weekly Lord's Day It is the Day which he himself made to declare himself to be the Son of God the chief Corner-stone the Foundation of the Church Secondly He answers the second Question viz. That this Title imports a new Day of Rest to be his P. 140. for four Reasons One is this The word used here denoting the Lord's Day is but once to be found in the New Testament where we read of the Lord's Supper and all grant it signifieth an Ordinance where-ever the word is used and therefore so here Thirdly That the Lord Jesus himself put his Name upon this Day 1. The giving or bestowing of God's Name on any time thing or person is reciprocal with himself therefore none but the Lord could put his Name upon this day Who hath the disposing of the Lord's Name but himself Will you say the Apostles or the Church might do it What without the Lord's Commission or Command They would not they durst not God never intrusted any of them to bestow his Glory or call his Name upon any thing but only declaratively from himself 2. All Power in Heaven and Earth was given to the Lord Christ to settle his Church and to appoint Ordinances and to change Times according to the Father's Pleasure therefore he only authoritatively could change the Sabbath and put his Name upon this Day Fourthly To the fourth Query he saith The Influence of Power which the beloved John had in naming this Day is only ministeral or instrumental the Lord Jesus giveth it and he wrote it This is the highest of their claim who are Ministers by whom Souls are brought to believe the Gospel And no more was he but a faithful Messenger to declare that to be the Lord's Day upon which the Lord himself had fixed his Name And thus enough hath been said to prove that this day called the Lord's-day was the first day of the week but to put it further out of doubt in the last place 12. The
solemn Worship And so all along down to this day 't was kept and observ'd even by our blessed Reformers as the Lord's-day or a Day of his appointing c. Therefore from the whole we note it was no Popish Innovation nor as Tillam falsly affirms a Device of Antichrist who changed Times and Laws c. But no more at this time SERMON IV. Proving there is one day of the week in season to preach the Word and that it is the first Day That Collections by Divine Authority are to be made every first Day c. and that the Churches did meet on that day That God hath inflicted dreadful Judgments on such as have profaned the Lord's-day Several Arguments further urged shewing when the Lord's-day begins and how it ought to be observed SEventhly The Lord's Day is that Day in season in which the Word ought to be preached c Another Argument for the observance of the first Day shall be taken from Paul's Charge to Timothy Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season c. 2 Tim. 4. 2. From whence I note there is one day above all others in the week as the day in season when the Word is to be preached 1. In season implies a fit time for doing a Work and so here a particular day Christ hath appointed for his Worship Prayer Preaching and Administration of all other Ordinances 2. But if there was not one precise day appointed by Christ to the end and all days were alike under the Gospel then on all days the Word would either be in season or out of season but since there is a time in season and times out of season I argue there is one special Day appointed for those great things to be done upon 3. Solomon saith Eccl. 3. 1. to every thing there is a season and a time to every Purpose under Heaven i. e. a certain set time appointed by God to be observed with the greatest diligence to the end for which it is ordained And hath God set a time to every thing and for every Purpose and Work and yet set no particular time for his Worship This cannot be for we have proved one day in seven he claims from the fourth Command and in Gospel-times it must be the first Day of the week 1. Because the old Sabbath is gone 2. Because on this day Christ rested from all his Works as God did from his 3. Because this Day he owned and confirmed by the miraculous effusion of his Spirit 4. Because on this Day his Disciples met together and he approved it by his gracious appearance and preaching Peace to them 5. Because 't is called the Lord's-day 6. Because no Church met in a special manner on any other day in the New Testament So that this Day is the day in season or there is none at all but that can't be because there is a special season appointed to every thing and purpose under Heaven 4. This Day is the day in season because it sutes with the state of Gospel-Believers we first entering into Rest through Jesus Christ who has done for us all we had to do and born all those Burdens we were to bear in order to our entering into Rest therefore it can't sute with us to keep the old Sabbath which injoyn'd the Creature to do and live i.e. to labor to do all that God commanded in obedience even to the whole Law if ever they would have Rest and Peace So that the Jews Day shewed they were to work for Life according to the tenor of the first Covenant but our Day shews we work from Life and we have Rest Life and Peace first or are justified and so obey and this from better more Evangelical Principles So that in Comparison of this day this special season all other days of the week are out of season for Gospel-work and Service Eightly The first day of the week is appointed by Christ under the Gospel to be observed Collections for the poor Saints to be made upon the first day of the week because all the Gospel-Churches were required this day to make Collections for the poor Saints 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. As I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye upon the first Day of the week let every one lay by him as God hath prospered him that there be no Gatherings when I come 1. Observe what was the Practice of one Church as a Church was the Practice of every Church Besides Paul saith that the same thing he had given Orders about in the Churches of Galatia and so no doubt in all Churches 2. Paul in causing the Churches to be obedient in this matter received this Authority from Christ as he intimates plainly enough in 1 Cor. 14. 37. If any Man think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual let him acknowledg that the things I wrote unto you are the Commandments of the Lord. And elsewhere he shews that without the same Authority he durst not make the Gentiles obedient either by word or deed 3. Here is a Duty injoyn'd then by Christ's Authority on all the Churches and not by Paul any other ways than ministerially which is upon every first Day to make Collections for the poor Saints they must deposite their Alms all on the same day which could not be done unless the Churches did assemble upon that day and besure it was injoyned on that day because they then did meet together for solemn Worship and because such Acts of Mercy suted Sabbath-Duties and were well-pleasing to God 4. Besides no Man can assingn a reason why the Churches should be required on every first Day to make Collections for the Poor if it were not the usual Day in which they assembled themselves together Object That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Greek for one and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may as well be rendered one day of the week as the first day of the week Thus Mr. Bamfield on Acts 20. 7. Answ Take Dr. Wallis's Answer Christian Sab. p. 30 31 40 41. viz. Surely this Author cannot think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth any where signify other than the first Day of the week Moreover all who well understood the Greek-Tongue agree that the word is here the same as in Mat. 28. 1. Mark 16. 2. Luk. 24. 1. Durham on the Commands p. 269. 'T is clear saith one to be the first Day of the week since the same Phrase used by the Evangelists is made use of here by the Apostle who no question follows the Evangelists Moreover our Adversaries acknowledg and cannot help it that by that Greek Phrase used by the Evangelists is meant the first Day of the week tho call'd one of the Sabbaths or the first from the Jewish Sabbath therefore this is a meer Cavil Now every one knows who understand any Dr. Wallis thing of this nature that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the proper name
a Lawgiver abode no longer than till Christ put an end to his Ministration See Isa 33. 22 and Christ as Mediator is our only Lawgiver under the Gospel yet hath not commanded us to observe the Seventh-day Sabbath then 't is not our duty to observe it but Moses as a Lawgiver abode no longer c. Ergo. Arg. 9. If all Sabbaths given to the Jews without exception were shadows of things to come whereof the Body is Christ then was their weekly Sabbath a shadow but all their Sabbaths without exception were shadows c. Ergo. Arg. 10. Whatsoever Practice it be that opens a door to Judaism and genders to Bondage can be no Truth of Christ but the observation of the old Seventh-day Sabbath opens a door to Judaism c. Ergo * They plead for the Law as given in Horeb with the Statutes and Judgments Arg. 11. Whatsoever Principle and Practice reflects upon the Honour of Christ as Mediator King and Lawgiver to his Church who was more faithful than Moses can be no Truth of Christ but the Principle and Practice of the old Jewish Sabbath reflects c. Ergo. evident 't is Christ hath nowhere taught or commanded it so that if it be our duty we must go to Moses's Law for it and 't is foolish to say Christ as Mediator gave the Law of the Decalogue tho as God he gave not that only but the whole Ceremonial Law also Arg. 12. That Principle and Practice that has many evil and dangerous Consequents attending it is no Truth of God but the Principle and Practice of some who keep the seventh Day is so attended c. Ergo. To conclude Let no Christian any more doubt that the Lord's Day is that day we ought to observe to him in all Sacred Devotion and Piety Consider 1. God hath built all things upon Jesus Christ and so this Day of Rest wherefore it stands as fast as its Foundation 2. God the Father declared Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee that is from the dead and this was on the First-day of the Week 3. This was the First-day of Christ's Kingdom 4. This Day Christ rested from his Work therefore this day remains as a day of Rest to us 5. This Day our Redemption was finished and Christ received our discharge from Sin and Wrath for ever 6. On this Day the Typical Sabbath was ceased and all Shadows of the Law vanquished 7. In him whom the old Sabbath shadowed forth must we seek our Rest and a day of Rest we in him being freed from all legal Labour servile Fear and from the burden of all Sin and Misery 8. On this Day the Disciples met and Christ preached Peace to them and on this day millions of Souls have been converted 9. On this Day John saw Jesus Christ walking in the midst of the seven Churches in Asia 10. This Day was confirmed by the miraculous effusion of the Spirit 11. On this Day the Gospel-Churches met together to break Bread and to discharge all parts of Gospel-Worship 12. This is the Day when preaching the Word is in season 13. On this day Collections were made for the Poor in all the Churches of the Saints 14. This is the Lord's Day all other days he allows us to do work upon but this is wholly his own Day he lays claim to this only O give it wholly up to him 15. This Day all the Godly have observed in every Age of the Church to these present Times 16. For profaning this Day God hath inflicted many sore and fearful Judgments And thus I shall close what I shall say at present for the observation of the First-day of the Week as a Day of Rest and solemn Worship When the Lord's Day begins 1. Some think we ought to begin it at the time when the Jews began their Sabbath When the Lord's Day begins others from Midnight to Midnight others from Morning to Evening Take what Dr. Owen saith to this which I think is very full and clear Some Owen on the Sabb. p. 323. saith he contend that it is a natural Day consisting of 24 hours beginning with the evening of the preceding day and ending with the same of its own and accordingly so was the Church of Israel directed Levit. 23. 32. Altho that doth not seem to be a general direction for the observation of the weekly Sabbath but to regard only that particular extraordinary Sabbath which was thus instituted namely the day of Atonement on the tenth day of the seventh month vers 27. However suppose it to belong also to the weekly Sabbath it is evidently an addition to the Command particularly suted unto the Mosaical Pedagogy that the Day might comprize the Sacrifice of the proceeding Evening in the Service of it from an Obedience whereunto we are freed by the Gospel Neither can I subscribe to this Opinion and that because in the Description and Limitation of the original Seven Days it is said of each of the Six that it was constituted of an Evening and a Morning but of the Day of Rest there is no such description it is only called the Seventh-day without any assignation of the preceding Evening unto it 2. A Day of Rest according to Rules of natural Equity ought to be proportioned to a day of Work or Labour which God hath granted unto us for our own use Now this is to be reckoned from Morning to Evening Psal 104. 20 21 22 23. Thou makest darkness and it is night c. Man goeth forth to his labour until the evening The day of Labour is from the removal of darkness and the night by the light of the Sun until the return of them again which allowing for the alterations of the day in the several seasons of the year seems to be the just measure of our Day of Rest 3. Our Lord Jesus Christ who in his Resurrection gave beginning and being to this especial Day of holy Rest under the Gospel rose not until the Morning of the First-day of the Week when the beamings of the light of the Sun began to expel the darkness of the Night or when it dawned towards Day as is variously expressed by the Evangelists This with me determines this whole matter 4. Meer cessation from Labour in the Night seems to have no place in the spiritual Rest of the Gospel to be expressed on this Day nor to be by any thing distinguished from the Night of any other day in the Week 5. Supposing Christians under the Obligation of the direction given by Moses before-mentioned it may intangel them in the anxious scrupulous Intrigues which the Jews are subject unto about the beginning of the Evening it self about which their great Masters are at variance which things belong not to the Oeconomy of the Gospel Upon the whole matter I am inclinable to judg and do so that the observation of the Day is to be commensurate to the use of our natural
and if our Congregations do not need such a weekly Collection yet it ought to be made for others who may need our help In which Contribution every one save Receivers ought to be Givers according to their Ability tho it be but two Mites and often on this day also the Lord's Supper is to be celebrated These were the practices of the Primitive Christians as Dr. Young abundantly hath shewed out of the Writings of the first Antient Fathers as Ignatius Justin Martyr c. VII Meditation is a great Duty on the Lord's Day On the Sab. p. 345. as Dr. Owen shews and this 1. In respect of God himself whose Glory we must make our end in all we do We ought to meditate on the Majesty Greatness Omnisciency and Holiness of God in our Approaches to him in Prayer and hearing his Word c. and so on all the days of our lives 2. We ought to meditate on Jesus Christ in a peculiar manner as the special Author of that Ordinance in which we approach to him and come together to celebrate Consider his Rest God takes up his Rest in Christ his Satisfaction and Complacency in him and in the Way and Covenant of Rest for us thro him therefore this is a sutable Subject of Meditation on this day 3. Let us meditate upon the Glory and Excellency of Christ's Person and of his wonderful Love 4. The Day it self and its sacred Services are to be meditated upon and those Privileges we are partakers of On this Day our Rest was perfected for then Christ rose again for our Justification and spoke Peace to his Disciples and so he doth to us On this day we were justified in Christ accepted in Christ pardoned in Christ as in our Head and Representative on that very First-day he rose from the Dead Therefore let Faith on this day be exercised and let us labour for thankful Hearts and rejoice with singing on this day which the Lord hath made to this end Caution Let all take heed that none profane the Lord's Day nor any way cast contempt upon it which may be done many ways 1. By doing servile Work on this day out of a covetous mind How some profane the Lords Day and so instead of doing the Lord's Work on his day they do their own 2. By walking in the Fields for their own carnal pleasure and recreation O this is an abominable Evil. 3. In gaming and playing or sporting on the Lord's Day 4. In taking upon them needless Journeys to visit their Friends because they cannot they pretend spare any other day to do it for fear of outward loss to themselves and Families Christ shall suffer the loss of his Honour and Service rather than they will lose any part of one of their own days 5. Some will not spare time on working days for themselves or Servants to take a Potion of Physick to remove Distempers of the Body but refer it to the Lord's Day which certainly is a horrid Evil And can they think God will bless that Physick Is it not Sacrilege to rob God of his Day for any external advantage which he hath dedicated and set apart for his own Worship c. He that converts any time of the Lord's Day Watson 's Body of Divinity p. 335. saith one to worldly Business is a worse Thief than he that robs on the High-way for such a Thief does but rob Man but this Thief robs God he robs him of his Day 6. Such as spend part of it in casting up their Debts or setting their Shop-books right 7. Such as take liberty to lie long abed on the Lord's Day and prefer their carnal Ease above the Honour of Christ and his sacred Worship to the reproach of his Church and grief of his Ministers 8. Such as spend more time on the Morning of the Lord's Day to dress and trim their Bodies than they take in Prayer Reading and Meditation to prepare their Souls for God's holy Worship These should be taken notice of and reproved perhaps all the Morning is spent thus and not two Minutes either in Prayer Reading or Meditation 9. Such as neglect coming into the publick Worship of God on the Lord's Day till perhaps near half the Dutys of Worship are over by this God is provoked and shame attends our Assemblies and our Sacred Religion is exposed to reproach How far do the Papists for Zeal in their false Religion out-do many who would be thought the most refined Protestants How early are they at their Devotion on this day as well as on other days of the Week Let us reform in this case for the Lord's sake or else throw off our Profession God's Soul loaths lukewarmness let us either be hot or quite cold lest God spew us out of his Mouth 10. In worldly and needless Discourses how much time on the Lord's Day is this way idly wasted and the day this way profaned as well as in many other ways which I shall now omit to mention To close all Let us make due preparation for the Worship of God on his Day and rejoice at the approach thereof wherein we have a Prize for our Souls put into our hands and may injoy God's Presence if not wanting to our selves This is the Queen of Days as Ignatius called it which God hath crowned with Blessings on which day the Spirit most gloriously descended and the dew of the same Spirit still falls upon our Souls and we may write This was the day of our new Birth and in which Christ often carried our Souls into his Banquetting-house and also feasted us with the fat things thereof This know assuredly as you grow cold in respect of the day of Worship you do certainly grow cold as to the Worship it self and in this lies one of the great Evils of our present Day What Zeal did attend Christians in this Nation in former times and how religiously did they observe the Lord's Day Let us call to mind our espousal Love and do our first Works lest Christ remove our Candlesticks out of their places FINIS ADVERTISEMENT THE confession of Faith put forth by the Elders and Brethren of many Congregations of Christians baptized upon Profession of their Faith in London and the Country The Third Edition with almost forty of the Ministers Names prefixed to it As also the Catechism agreeable to the Confession of Faith owning Election and final Preseverance necessary for the Instruction of Youth in the Fundamentals of Religion The Remainder of the Impressions of these two Books with the full and true Right of printing of them for the future are sold to the Bookseller Mr. Marshal at the Bible in Grace-Church-street London It is desired that all Persons that are desirous to promote such useful Books may apply themselves to the said John Marshal to be furnished with them Books printed for and sold by John Marshall in Grace-Church-street writ by Mr. Benj. Keach THE Display of Glorious Grace or the Covenant of Peace opened in fourteen Sermons lately preached In which the Errors of the present day about Reconciliation and Justification are detected The Breach Repaired in God's Worship or singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs prov'd to be an holy Ordinance of Jesus Christ Wherein the chief Arguments of many Learned Divines who have wrote on that Subject are recited as Mr. Cotton of New-England Mr. Sydenham Dr. Roberts Dr. Owen Mr. Caryl Dr. Du-Veil Mr. Wells c. With an Answer to all Objections As also an Examination of Mr. Isaac Marlow's two Papers one called a Discourse concerning Singing c. the other An Appendix wherein his Arguments and Cavils are refuted Spiritual Songs being the Marrow of the Scripture in Songs of Praise to Almighty God c. with 100 Divine Hymns on several occasions as now practised in several Congregations in and about London The second Edition with a Table of Contents