and the Gentiles besought him that these words might be taught to them the next Sabbath vers 42. And the next Sabbath came almost the whole City together to hear the word of God vers 44. So that its clear that the Sabbath was Pauls resting day and preaching day both to Jews and Gentiles that being the day that the Gentiles used to hear and though they had a desire to hear the same words again yet it must be next Sabbath and Paul fulfils their desire and preaches to them the next Sabbath and almost the whole City came to hear Can we think that if there had been no Sabbath that Paul would have countenanced them so in their ignorance Or if the first day had been a day that were observed would he not have told them so and that they might have heard the word before the next Sabbath And when Paul came to Philippi a Gentile City mind what is said Act. 15.12 13. We were in that City abiding certain days and on the Sabbath day we went out of the City by a river side where prayer was wont to be made and we sate down and spake unto the women that resorted thither The seventh day hath its title still as is said by the spirit in the Acts speaking of certain dayes this is singled out and called the Sabbath day with an account how they spent it and the blessing they received upon it they resorted to the place of prayer and there they preached and Lydias heart the Lord opened to attend to the words of Paul And in Act. 17.2 it is said That Paul as his manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath dayes reasoned with them out of the Scriptures And when Paul came to Corinth which was a Gentile City he found Aquila a Jew and his wife Priscilla and because they were of the same craft he abode with them and wrought for by their occupation they were Tent-makers and he reasoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath day and perswaded the Jews and Greeks Act. 18.2 3 4. So that its manifest that the Greeks kept the Sabbath as well as the Jews and that though Paul wrought at his trade and made Tents yet he rested every Sabbath day and as we have an account how he spent his time namely in working at his trade so we have an account how he spent this time to wit the Sabbath Now if it be such a strong argument for the observation of the first day because Paul preached upon it once what is this for the observation of the seventh day that Paul did not only preach constantly upon it but where ever the Spirit speaks of it he calls it the Sabbath day without the least hint that so he did to condescend to the weakness of others And let it be shewed by the Scripture that the Apostles did countenance and own any shadow that was done away so as they owned and countenanced the keeping of the Sabbath and therefore we may follow the Apostles as they followed the Lord in this matter though we have not a express word that the Churches kept it And indeed I think I may say in this case as the Apostles said in another case that it would have been superflous for the Apostles to have told any people in their time that such or such a Church kept the Sabbath it being a truth not so much as questioned that we hear of but Jew and Gentiles both observed it But now I cease answering objections having spoak to those that are the most material of them that I have heard and I shall proceed to another ground 8. Consider the bondage and slavery that both man and beast would be in if this doctrine were received for truth would it noâ— how ever have this tendency to bring the world more into Atheisme For men would not allow themselves nor servants time to rest in nor to hear the word of God if they were perswaded that there were no Sabbath yea and the greatest part of Saints are left to the mercy of mercyless men most of them being children and wives and servants and they cannot challenge a day in seven nor a day in seventy as their right to rest upon and to worship the Lord in from any command of God if this doctrine be true that the Sabbath is abolisht and what is this but to bring a yoak of bondage upon us that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear we should not so much as take notice of the time how it goes in probability for the way of numbering is by sevens But some will say it is good to observe one day in seven if it be not a constant day that will be confessed for one to observe one day and another to observe another day others are for a seventh day to be constantly observed but why not the seventh day which God hath commanded for the seventh day is the Sabbath it plainly appears that there is something of the Table Law yet upon the Table of the hearts of most men though much worn out by much transgression for men generally plead to have one day in seven to rest in and yet because of custome they contend against this Holy Just Law of God that was made in mercy for man I am perswaded in my very heart and that not without good ground that if the seventh day had been observed as the first day is that no man that owns the Scripture would have questioned whether it ought to be observed or no or at least no opposition would have been made against it and when all is said custom and worldly interest are the two great things that stand in opposition to it 9. And lastly Consider those great and precious promises made to them that keep the Sabbath according to the inside and spirituality of it not that we are so to spiritualize it as to make void the letter but according to the letter as Christ doth for instance Ye have heard saith Christ it hath been said of old time thou shalt not commit adultery but I say unto you whosoever looketh on a woman and lusteth after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart Mat. 5.28 Now if it be adultery to lust doubtless it is to act and this is forbidden in the Commandment for the Commandment is thou shall not commit adultery but Christ unfolds this Commandment and gives such a sense of it as the Scribes and Pharisees understood not Again the sixth Commandment is Thou shalt do no murther and John saith Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer 1 Joh. 3.15 Now all murther was forbidden in the command but this was not understood to be murther but John opens the spirituality of the command and the same may be said of the fourth command Remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy all servile work is forbidden in it and that the Pharisees understood but they did not understand that works of mercy as curing the sick healing the diseased
break my Statutes and keep not my Commandements vers 30 31. Then will I visit their transgression with a rod and their iniquity with stripes vers 32. Neverthelesse my loving kindness will I not utterly take away nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail Mark it this Covenant was with Christ though with David in the Type in the behalf of all the seed and chastisements must be the portion of the seed if they break the Law of God though his Covenant stand fast now as this Covenant reaches all the seed so doth the Law and the punishment for the breach of it and if so then what Law is it that reaches all the seed if not the Law of the Ten Commandements with those Laws which are comprehended in them 5. These Commandments are eminently distinguished and marked out from all the Ceremonial Laws both to shew their eminency and perpetuity they are said to be the work of God Exod. 32.16 and the Psalmist saith The works of his hands are verity and judgement and these works are called all his Commandments Psal 111.7 and they are Ten Deut. 4.13 Exod. 34.28 And therefore I conceive Wisedoms son is to bind them upon his fingers to shew the number of them there being for each finger one and that both hands might be active in them And Zachary and Elizabeth are said to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord Luke 1.6 They are distinguished from the Cerimonial Ordinances and called all the Commandments to set forth their number as before is said and their eminency and therefore they are so frequently called in the Scripture The Commandments of God distinct from the other Laws which were shadowy in the time of the Law of shadow â— As these places of Scripture besides many others do shew viz. Deut. 5.31 and 6.11 and 7.11 Deut. 8.11 and 11.1 and 30.16 1 Kin. 2.3 and 8.58 2 Chro. 19.10 Neh. 1.7 and 10.29 c. and distinct from the testimony of Jesus in clear Gospel times Rev. 12.17 Where note the dragons war is with the remnant of the Womans seed which keep the Commandments of God and the Testimony of Jesus and again here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Rev. 14.12 And when the man would know what he should do to be saved Christ told him that he knew the Commandments A cloud of witnesses would come in if need were for the confirmation of them But further observe what the Scripture saith to their duration the Psalmist saith All his Commandments are sure they stand fast for ever and ever and are done in truth and uprightnesse Psalm 111.7 8. Note it all his Commandments which are the works of his hands as aforesaid these all stand fast for ever and ever that is not only in the time of the ministration of the letter which was in a sense for ever but for ever and ever that is under both ministrations that of the letter and that of the spirit in Old Testament times and in the New and search and see if you can find any word that doth speak of any thing that is said to abide or stand fast for ever and ever which comes short of the time aforesaid And when God hides his face from the house of Jacob then is the time that the Testimony is bound up and the Law is sealed among the disciples Esay 8.16 17. Clearly relating to the time that the Jews rejected the Gospel and the disciples are commanded to make use of the Law as well as the Testimony to try the Doctrines of others by vers 20. all which shewes the perpetuity of this Law of God which will further appear if we consider What our Lord saith in Matth. 5.17 18. Think not that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets I came not to destroy but to fulfil But the question will be what Law this is To me it appears to be the Law of the Ten Commandments for these reasons 1. First because this comes in as the motive to provoke his disciples to let their lights shine in the world that men might see their good works and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven vers 16. Therefore it must be such a Law as the doing of it holds forth good works to publique view 2. It is such a Law as Christ professeth he came not to destroy but the Ceremonial Law he did destroy in this very sense so that none are to be in the practise of it he blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his crosse Col. 2.14 3. Destroying of the Law is here put in direct opposition to fulfilling of it to destroy is to take out of the way or to blot out as before but to fulfil the Law is to do that which is contained in the Law therefore saith Christ to John when he went to be baptised It becometh us to fulfil all righteousness that is to perform it Matth. 3.15 and the Apostle saith That love is the fulfilling of the Law what Law why this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal and the like Rom. 13.8.9 Love worketh no evil to his neighbour therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law vers 10. So that to fulfil the Law of the Ten Commandments is not to blot them out or make them void that were to destroy them which Christ came not to do but on the contrary to do the things contained in them which he did exactly in his life and so was offered up a Lamb without spot 4. This is such a Law as must stand in force every jot and title of it till Heaven and Earth pass away Matth. 5 19. but Heaven and Earth are not yet passed away therefore this Law stands firm but because it is said in the Text Till all be fulfilled hence some affirm that all was fulfilled at the death of Christ and this fulfilling of it holds forth the abrogating of it But did Heaven and Earth pass away then or did Christ by his taking upon him all that guilt which was due to us and by his perfect fulfilling of it in his walk take us from our obedience God forbid because Christ fulfilled the righteousness of the Law must not we fulfill it Even as Archippus was to fulfil his ministry Col. 4.17 which would be absurd to think that that was to put it to an end The Apostle saith that for this end Christ dyed Rom. 8.3 4. saying For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sent forth his son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit But what is the fulfilling of the righteousness of the Law First to do the righteous things contained in
bringeth forth death and the Commandements preach death to the transgressers of them so that they are called the ministration of death and condemnation because man hath broken them and so is under the curse of them which Christ hath delivered believers from 3.13 and the ministration of it is really done away that is as I said before The reading of the Law by a Typical priesthood which the Jews would have set up in the room and place of the ministration of the spirit and whereas they lived under the hearing of the bare letter of the Law which gave no strength to perform we live under the hearing of the Gospel which is spirit and life John 6.36 But that the matter of the Law or commanding power of it should be done away this Scripture doth not in the least prove but it is used in the hand of the spirit to convince of sin This the same Apostle proves Rom. 7.7 Who saith he had not known sin but by the Law he had not known lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet this will appear evident if you consider the 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. verses of this Chap. Obj. 2. Another Scripture is frequently urged Acts 7.37 A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall you hear From which it is concluded that we are to hearken only to Christ and not to Moses Answ If by hearing of Christ you mean hearing only what he spake with his own lips when he was on earth then we are not to hear his Apostles but if you mean by hearing of him is to hear what he spake upon earth and what he spake by his spirit in his Apostles then why are we not to hear what he spake by his spirit to his Prophets seeing we are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ being the chief Corner-stone Ephesians 21.20 And if such who are of this perswasion would be true to their principle to hear Christ hear him what he saith Luke 16.31 They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them For if they will not believe Moses and the Prophets they will not believe though one rise from the dead And he counsels to keep the Commandments Matth. 19.17 18. and reproves for the breach of them as also for the making of them void by traditions Matth. 15.6 as might be made appear by many other Scriptures Therefore there is nothing of weight in this objection to shake the thing asserted Obj. 3. Moses was faithful over his house as a servant so Christ is faithful over his house as a son Now if Christ hath not given us all the Laws that we are to observe this is to make Christ less faithful then Moses Answ Doubtlesse Christ as a son is faithful over his house as Moses was faithful over his house as a servant But we are to consider what was Moses his house and what is Christs house Moses his house I conceive was the Tabernacle his faithfulness did appear in that he did all things according to the pattern shewed to him in the mount Christs house are the Saints the true Tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched and not man Heb. 8.2 5. of which the other was a shadow And as Moses as a servant gave forth ordinances for his house so Christ as a son hath given out ordinances for his house but the Ten Commandments are a Law which belongs to men as they are men though they be no part of Christs house it being as before is proved the Law written in their very hearts Obj. 4. But when certain of the Sect of the Pharisees arose and said it was needful to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses the Apostle proves them to be tempters of God in putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which they nor their Fathers were able to bear Act. 15.5 10. Answ Are the Ten Commandments such a yoke as is not to be born Is it a yoke to have no other God but Jehovah and to abstain from murder theft adultery and the like For so it must be if you judge that the whole Law is here slighted But the thing in difference here is whether such and such laws are to be kept or no and the stress that is laid upon the keeping of them namely the pressing of them as things without which they could not be saved as vers 1. and therefore the Apostle in answer to this shews that the Gentiles had received the Gospel and did believe God having given to them the Holy Ghost and put no difference between them and the Jews purifying their hearts by faith vers 7 8 9. and that through the grace of Jesus Christ both sews and Gentiles should be saved vers 11. and as the Apostle opposeth the keeping of these Laws for such a purpose as to be sared thereby so the bare keeping of them is forbidden and therefore saith James ver 19 20. My sentence is that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned unto God but that we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of Idols and from fornication from things strangled and from blood So that the Apostles judgement is that the Gentiles should keep some part of the Law And therefore the question was not Whether any part of the Law should be kept and the reason seems to be in vers 20. why they would write no more for Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogue ever Sabbath day So the Apostles and Elders write vers 24. For as much as we have heard that certain men that went out from us have troubled you with words subverting your souls saying you must be circumcised and keep the Law to whom we gave no such Commandment Now can we be so gross as to think that is subverting mens souls and contrary to the commandments of the Apostles and Elders to bid them love the Lord their God with all their hearts and with all their strength and to worship him alone and not take his name in vain and the like for this is to keep the Law But the difference was about other Laws as well as circumcision and they are as really forbid to keep them as they are forbid circumcision and therefore it cannot be the Law of the Ten Commandments but the Law of shadows as is manifest Chap. 21. when Paul came to Hierusalem the brethren told him that it was reported that he taught all the Jews which were among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the customes vers 21. therefore they counsel Paul to purifie himself with some others that it might be seen that he walked orderly and kept the Law vers 24. But as touching the Gentiles which believe we have written and concluded that they observe no such things vers 25. so that
together on the first day of the week and did break bread and Paul taught unto them Act. 20. Answ This is all the meeting or preaching that ever we find was upon the first day except the disciples being together for fear of the Jews mentioned before that meeting was at evening so this seems to be because when they came together Paul preached with them and continued his speech until midnight it is not likely then that they observed the day and came together in the morning seeing he continued his speech so long And secondly as we have the cause of the disciples being together with their doors shut so we have the cause of this meeting Paul was ready to depart on the morrow vers 7. upon an extraordinary occasion Paul having many things to communicate to them as appears by his discoursing with them till midnight and talking till break of day vers 11. But that which makes the Objecters lay such stress upon this Text is because the disciples came together to break bread which they judge to be the Lords Supper Suppose it were so what doth this make for the observation of the first day more then Christs first instituting the supper upon the fifth day of the week as is generally conceived doth make for the observation of it But there is no proof that this was the Supper of the Lord that they came to pertake of but it seems to be such breaking of bread as the margin of some Bibles refers unto Acts the 2.46 They continued dayly with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladnesse of heart So Luc. 24.30 35. And it is explained what breaking of bread it was vers 11. where it is said when he was come up again and had broken bread and eaten and talked a good while till break of the day he departed here is eating and talking it is not solemnized as the Supper of the Lord But some would have this common breaking of bread and the other in verse 7. to be the Supper it is very unlikely that here should be two sorts of breaking of bread at one time by the same persons and yet nothing spoke distinctly by which we might know the one from the other so that the most that can be said is but a supposition it cannot be proved that this was the Lords Supper And how weak a ground this is for the observation of this day as a Sabbath or more then any other day or to limite the administration of the Supper to this day I leave to the truly wise in heart to judge Obj. But the Church had their gatherings upon the first day of the week from which it appears that it was the day that they met together upon 1 Cor. 16.2 Answ The words are these Vpon the first day of the week let every one lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come Here is no proof for their meeting together but rather on the contrary every one of them was to lay by him in store as God had prospered him no publique gathering but private laying up but because the Apostle saith in the close of the verse that there be no gatherings when I come therefore it is thought the Scripture cannot be so understood because it would not prevent gatherings but is this fair when a Text of Scripture stands alone to put such a sense upon it as doth plainly contradict the very letter of it when it saith let every one of you lay by him in store then to say the meaning is to have publique gatherings and but one store and would not the end of the Apostle be fully answered namely to have no gatherings if each of them did lay by them in a store as God had prospered them in the world ready against the Apostle came they knowing of his coming and when he came was it not as easie to carry it with them to him as for us to carry our Bibles to a meeting and what need would there be then of gatherings And this way of giving would not be Pharisee-like but according to the words of Christ Mat. 6.11 Take heed that you do not your alms before men to be seen of them otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in Heaven but when thou doest thine almes let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth vers 3. that thine almes may be in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly ver 4. Obj. But John was in the spirit upon the Lords day and had that glorious revelation upon it which is conceived to be the first day of the week Rev. 1 10. Answ It is true John was in the spirit on the Lords day but the question will be what day that was if any one of the seven it must be the Sabbath for no other day is so called but it God calls it his Holy Day Isay 58.13 and Christ saith he is Lord even of the Sabbath day and if so then it is his day for he is Lord of it and that by way of eminency not as some would have it to shew that he is Lord of every day but as it is the Sabbath for so it is said the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day So that this notion that the Lords day is the first day is meerly taken up on trust one from another without one word in the Scripture to prove it so Ob. But it wil be yet objected by those that are for no Sabbath from the words of the Apostle Col. 2.16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ from whence it is concluded that the Sabbath was but a shadow The Apostle speaks here of such Sabbaths as were a shadow of things to come but the seventh day Sabbath was in commemoration of something past to wit the work of creation as appears in the Commandments and none are to be judged for not observing of it Answ There were Holy-dayes and Sabbaths besides the seventh day Sabbath or the Sabbath of the Lord thy God for so it is called in the commandment as doth appear in Levit 23.39 now because it is implyed in the words of the Apostle that Sabbaths were shadows and done away by the body of Christ doth it therefore follow that all Sabbaths were so any more then where the words of the Apostle implies that men shall be saved proves that all men shall be saved and if we consider the verses before it will plainly appear that the Apostle is not speaking of any of the Ten Commandments in the 15. verse the Apostle is speaking to the Gentiles shewing how they were dead in their sins and in the uncircumcision of their
goeth before the morning because the darkness was before the light vers 1 2 3. Obj. But some will say it is not said the evening and the morning was the seventh day Answ If the evening and the morning be the sixth day the evening and the morning must needs be the seventh day unless we should think that the seventh day hath no night belonging to it some think that the reason why no mention is made of the evening of the seventh day is because the Sabbath is a day of joy and delight or an earnest of the new Jerusalem state wherein shall be no night Rev. 21.25 Night doth frequently in the Scripture hold forth a stare of affliction but the Sabbath is a holy sanctified time on it the Creatour rested and was refreshed and commanded the observation of it that his creatures might be refreshed Nehemiah's practise is sufficient proofe for the beginning of the Sabbath at evening Chap. 13.19 who when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark he commanded them to be shut till after the Sabbath And if you would know when the evening begins the Evangelist doth inform you Mark 1.32 At even when the Sun did set they brought unto him all that were diseased when the Sun doth set then begins the evening then begins the holy rest or seventh day Sabbath and so the disciples of Christ began the Sabbath and so the Lords ancient people celebrate the Sabbath unto this day But what confusion are they in who say the Sabbath was changed from the seventh day to the first day and yet observe neither but pare of the first day and part of the second day for they begin their Sabbath at midnight when a good part of the first day is spent and they end at midnight when a good part of the second day is spent and yet they will have this to be a Sabbath yea and a first day Sabbath and will highly charge a man to be an offender if he work one hour upon the first day though themselves work five and thus we see how Antichrist hath changed times as well as Laws Dan. 7.28 a first day Sabbath in stead of the seventh day Sabbath in stead of from even to evening from midnight to midnight when most are fast a sleep being insensible of the beginning of their Sabbath or of the ending of it But blessed be the Lord that he hath revealed this his ancient useful honorable truth to wit the Holy seventh day Sabbath notwithstanding all the inventions of Antichrist to bury it in oblivion and that he is pleased to separate a remnant that are resolved to search and try their ways and to turn unto him to follow him in the wayes of his precepts notwithstanding the dragons wrath who will not take things upon trust nor go upon the legs of men but will try all things and hold fast that which is good for they are virgins and the Lamb they will follow though their company be small and their charges great they will not be afraid of the Sabbath because it was given to the Jews no more then they are afraid of the Adoption and the glory and the promises and the other nine lively Oracles which were all given to the Jews Rom. 9.4 And this I may modestly say to the praise of the Lord of the Sabbath and without boasting that if the Saints did know how the Lord delights to meet with his people in this way of obedience in celebrating the Sabbath they would soon call the Sabbath a delight the Holy of the Lord honorable and honour him by ceasing from their own works as God did from his and do those works which are suteable for the blessed season But I shall say no more at present save only this that who ever they are that would follow the Lord in this appointment of his they must labour much in the strength of his spirit to get this world under them for it stands in direct opposition to earthly men and earthly principles therefore pray with the Psalmist Psal 119.36 Incline mine heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousnesse FINIS
THE ROYAL LAW CONTENDED FOR OR Some Brief Grounds serving to prove that the Ten Commandements are yet in full force and shall so remain till Heaven and Earth pass away ALSO The Seventh Day Sabbath proved from the Beginning from the Law from the Prophets from Christ from his Apostles to be a duty yet incumbent upon Saints and Sinners By a Lover of Peace with Truth Edward Stennet They that forsake the Law praise the wicked but such as keep the Law contend with them Prov. 28.4 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man Eccles 12.13 The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath therefore the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath Mark 2.27 28. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments Psal 119.6 LONDON Printed in the Year 1658. TO ALL That truly fear the LORD and tremble at his Word IT was not in the least my purpose to expose the ensuing discours to publique view but to communicate it onely to some private Christian friends as a reason of the hope that is in me in relation to the Law of the Lord. I being in a good measure sensible of my own weakness and unfitnesâ— for such a work but the Lord was pleased to bless these my weak endeavours with the successes of conviction to some and refreshment to others of his dear servants who were my encouragers after solemne waiting upon our Heavenly Father unto this which I can truly say I was dead unto although I was and am perswaded that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the truth therein contained but my weakness in the management of it was the great obstruction But I am willing to press after a likeness to Jesus Christ who made himself of no reputation and to learn of him who was meek and lowly in heart I am not so conceited to present this Treatise as a thing that 's rare or new either to the Saints or World for if they will look about them they may see this truth in a better dress and lustre but it may be the tender Lambs and Sucking-Babes of Jesus Christ may better understand my stammering tongue then those that speak more distinctly and that 's one main encouragement to me I do profess in the presence of him who tryes the heart and reines Light hath broak forth since I wrote these papers about the Law in general and the Sabbath in particular it being five or six months since they were written yet notwithstanding I am now encouraged by the Lord I trust and by his people to speak this on the house top which was spoken to me in secret because so many of the Lords people are so deluded that they have rejected the Law of God and live in a weekly profanation of his Holy Sabbath thinking that Christ abolisht the whole Law at his death though Christ utterly denys it and would have none to harbour such a thought Mat. 5.17 although many of the men of this opinion may be good yet it makes their error not one Jote the better For this flows from their carnality and not their spirituality for the carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 But because truth springs up out of the earth and righteousness looks down from Heaven and the ancient honourable institution of Jehovah now begins to shine with such clearness that it cannot be razed out of the tables and therefore all is cast away together which is such an invention as would not have been thought on by many I am certain if Sabbath Light had been concealed The two ancient institutions of the Lord in Paradise were Mariage and the Sabbath both which are called and esteemed honorable Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honorable in all and in Isay 58.13 the Sabbath is called the Holy of the Lord honorable and Christ leads us to the beginning of them both when the question was whether men might put away their wives for every fault the answer is that Moses did but suffer it to be so because of the hardness of their hearts but from the beginning it was not so Mat. 19.34 35.36 37. and when the Pharisees were so ignorant that they thought works of mercy were not to be done upon the Sabbath day Christ leads them to the first institution of it and tels them it was made for man Mark 2.24 27. Both these institutions were made for the good and benefite of man in his Paradise estate which is sufficient proofe for their duration Paul saith that the man was not created for the woman but the woman for the man 1 Cor. 11.9 and our blessed Lord of the Sabbath saith that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Then Christians be noble spirited and search the Scriptures with all readiness of mind and with hearts longing after truth get as remote from earth and earthly things as you can and into the secret chamber of your beloved and when you are the most transported from earth to heaven in near and close communion with him then try and judge by his word and spirit weighing Scripture with Scripture in an equal ballance and be as cautious in taking up objections against this truth as you are of being in the practise of it T' is sad to see and that which wounds my spirit much that persons professing godliness should be so inconsiderate as to catch at any thing that comes next to hand to strike at that which a differing Saint affirms is truth without considering the weight of what is offered or whither their own objections lead them I have seen more gall and wormwood at the bottom of those objections that have been made against the Sabbath then ever I saw in any objections against any other command and even some Christians are so weak that all passes for currant that flows from a man that 's good and able but where are those virgin spirits that are redeemed from the earth and from among men that lay persons interests customes by whilest they judge between truth and error where ever they are they are men which will follow the Lamb when others are left behind They will not be affrighted at the seventh day Sabbath because nicknamed called the Jews Sabbath no more then they are at the God of the Jews they will not refuse to keep the Sabbath because a man was stoned any more then they will refuse Jehovah to be their God because those that worship strange Gods were to be put to death and if they be told they go back to the Law they can answer blessed are they that do his Commandements that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the gate into the City when the breakers of the Law are left without Rev. 22.14 15. Do you therefore that fear the Lord
and think upon his name lye down at his feet and cry earnestly for his spirit to lead you into all truth that you may not kick against the pricks in this chastising day wherein the Lord is teaching his people out of his Law and fitting them for the Kingdom of glory which is at the door Now the Lord is discovering every part and piece of Babylon that the Saints may know the better how to reward her but because the Saints begin to own the Lord as King and Law-giver the Dragon is wroth and knows that this will destroy his Kingdom and so would endeavour to perswade persons that the Law of God is abolished well knowing that if he could perswade them to abelief of this they will soon say there is nothing to be done till Christ come in person I would not make too large a gate to so small a City but shall hasten to a conclusion with a word to the little remnant that keep the Sabbath according to the Commandement Precious Brethren you are under great and precious promises for your encoutagement though your opposers are great and numerous I think often of what is said of Asher Deut. 33.24 25. Let Asher be blest with children let him be acceptable to his brethren and let him dip his foot in oyl his shooes shall be Iron and Brass and as is his dayes so shall his strength be Asher seems to hold forth the remnant that the Lord will use in the latter dayes to tread down the wicked withal and Ashers bread shall be fat yea he shall yield Royal dainties Gen. 49.20 and if you my Brethren fulfil the Royall Law according to the Scripture ye shall doe well though your Brethren frown upon you at present yet you shall be acceptable unto them and what if your work be difficult if your strength be sutable you need not complain you may tread upon Scorpions if your shooes be Iron and Brass your feet will be like Hinds feet if they be dipt in oyl which will cause you to run without wearinesse and walk without fainting So he prayes Who is only through grace a servant of CHRIST though unworthy to be so called EDWARD STENNET Some Brief Grounds serving to prove that the Ten Commandements are yet in ful force and shall so remain till Heaven and Earth passe away FIrst The matter of the Ten Commandements was written in the Heart of Adam before his fall as doth appear Gen. 1.27 God created man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him Eccles 7.29 God hath made man upright but he sought out many inventions And the Apostle plainly asserts that the Gentiles which had not the Law in the letter of it did by nature the things contained in the Law which sheweth the work of the Law written in their hearts Rom. 2.14 15. Now if the Gentiles had the work of the Law written in their bearts in their sinful state doubtless they had it in more perfection in their state of innocency as considered in Adam for the letter of the Law was added because of transgression Gal. 2.19 Now if there were transgression before the letter of the Law was added that implies there was a Law before and in that the letter of the Law is said to be added it implies that the matter of it was in being before but much worn out by sin and that is one reason why the Lord was pleased to add the letter Let it be considered how it can stand with Scripture or right reason that Jesus Christ should abrogate this Law did Christ blot out this Law out of the hearts of all men by his death Rom. 2.15 then all men have not the Law of Nature to guide them for we cannot be so gross as to imagine that the Law is put into their hearts upon a new account for that were to bring all men under the new Covenant 2. God spake all these Commandments unto the people and they heard his voice Deut. 5.22 23 24. with great Majesty and Glory and he added no more and he wrote them upon two Tables of Stone and delivered them unto Moses all which holds forth their perpetuity they are spoken by God they are wrote by him in Tables of Stone so was never any Ceremony Job desires that his words were graven with a pen of Iron and Lead in a rock of stone for ever Chap. 19.24 3. After the first tables were broke which I suppose did signifie the Israelites breaking of the first Covenant for Moses brake them upon that account Behold the Ark as it stands under the mercy feat they having made a Golden Calf and so had broke the Commandement Moses was then commanded to hew two Tables like unto the first and God wrote the same words again upon them Deut. 10.1 2 3 4. and they only of all the Laws were put into the Ark and when the Ark is set in its proper place between the Cherubims there is nothing in it but the two Tables 1 Kings 8.9 Now the Ark was a Type of Christ and the putting the Law into it did signifie the putting of it into the heart of Christ Psalm 40.6 7 8. Thy Law is in my heart and from thence they are transcribed into the hearts of the seed of Christ according to the new Covenant Jer. 31.33 Where God promises to put his Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Now what Law is this that must be put in the heart when the Law of sacrifice is abolished Heb. 10.6 7 8 9. compared with that forementioned in the Psalmes that this is the Law that is here spoken of is manifest if we consider first how proper and suitable it is for the heart of a believer Paul calls it the Law of his mind Rom. 7.23 and in 22. he professeth he delights in the Law of God after the inward man and God saith he will put his Law in the heart and write it there 2 Cor. 3.2 3. both which phrases hold it forth to be the same Law that was wrote by God and put into the Ark mans heart is the Tables and God himself is the writer the matter written is the Law and hear what Wisdome saith to this Prov. 7.1 2 3. My son keep my words and lay up my commandements within thee keep my commandements and live and my Law as the apple of thy eye bind them upon thy fingers write them upon the table of thine heart Now what Laws are these but the Table-Laws which were then in being and Wisdoms son is to have them writ upon the fleshly Tables of his heart 4. When God promiseth to exalt his first-born higher then the Kings of the Earth and that his Covenant should stand fast with him Psal 89.28 29. and that his seed should endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven yet he saith If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments if they