of any hour to be the bounds of the Sabbath as it sooner or later riseth or sets Were not the Mariners of the men of Iudah bound to observe the seventh day in all the several coasts where they made their voyages Did God limit them to the rising or setting Sun of Indea onely c. Thus far New Englands answer to that argument taken up by Mr. Ienison against them into whose treasury I shall cast my mite upon consideration of 1. Act. 2.5 15.11 13.14 17.1 The Proselytes of Ierusalem out of all Nations under heaven whose undoubted observation of the Sabbath in their several Countreys is a full confutation of this aiery argument 2. There will probably be granted some variation between â—â—ai and Sion yet the Sabbath punctually observed in both places Captain Ienison is not ignorant of four hours difference in the rising Sun between England and the American Colonies and yet the same first day observed both here and there But by the way we may observe that the wounds he would give unto the seventh day Sabbath fall as heavily upon the first day whereunto he pretends great devotion with his Brethen for if the seventh be uncertain the first must needs be so and thus whiles he would weaken the true Sabbath he opens a gap to that impiety of rejecting the authority of the fourth Commandement which sober spirits abhor But our God hath not bound us to the obedience of such hours but of such a day the Clock is not to be our guide but the Sun Here they object That in some though scarce any habitable Regions the Sun for many moneths leaves not their view whence they suppose an impossibility of observing the sabbath The answer is That in all parts the Sun is ever upon motion his Eastern Western circuits are not onely observed but exactly measured familiarly each four and twenty hours so as not onely to know their times of repose but possibly to shame us in the abuse of ours should the clouds or other meteors in ercept their sight of the Sun or ours the fowls of the heaven would give information 〈◊〉 8.7 And as sleeping and working time is easily discerned each four and twenty hours with like facility may the six working days be distinguished from the Sabbath If once the heart be free to yeeld obedience it will cease to create * Prov. 22.13 and invent difficulties and the renewed nature will no less breath after the souls weekly Sabbath than the old nature will expect its accustomed repose The Suns daily circuit and weekly revolution is no such difficulty to a devout soul But whither are we roving Will not our own Climate contain us Joh. 21.21 22. Are we not more inquisitive with Peter to know what other Nations shall do then to study our own duty We should even shame to slight Gods Sabbath whiles the Heavens declare his glory and whiles we fancy Bugbears of uncertainty in observing the exact time Lo day unto day uttereth speech Psal 19. night unto night sheweth knowledge there is no speech or language where their voice is not heard What beter directions can we desire then this faithfull witness of Heaven by his several circuits exactly measuring out our time and informing our eye as words instruct our ear When his fix days light leaves our Land 't is then time to leave our labours For then doth the glorious Lamp of Heaven like a Herald proclaim the approaching Sabbath that Saints may set open the everlasting Gates for the King of Glory I would not leave this scruple wherewith the self condemning adversary reproached his own principles till the path rendred so abstruse and intricate attain its promised perspicuity Isa 35. even to the weakest sight that so way faring men though fools may not erre therein Wherefore observe that in the beginning when Heavens bright Eye declined the sixth Evening in Eden the holy God gave unto man not onely a precept but a fair president also in ceasing from the work of Creation to sanctifie and observe his holy Sabbath Howbeit at the same hour it was impossible for other Climates of the World regularly to begin the Sabbath for the more Western parts must wait for the Suns warning or else they should not sanctifie the seventh day exactly as measured and regulated by the Sun which God hath purposely set for signs and for seasons Gen. 1.14 and for days and years Having therefore proclaimed rest in Paradise leaving man with his Maker to sanctifie the Sabbath away he posts as a Bridegroem from his Chamber Psal 19. rejoycing as a Giant to run his race and so coursing in his circuit through the Heavens he declares to the Regions sooner or later as fast as he can sly when to cease from their six days servitude to sanctifie the exact seventh day Sabbath Yea when mounting the other Hemisphere the interposition of the terrestrial Globe makes their Meridian the Antipodes Midnight yet is the seventh day as measured by the Sun punctual and certain in each Region God hath not engaged us to the same hours but to that assured seventh day or seventh part of time regulated by the glorious Lamp ordained for times and seasons for days and years Where then lies the difficulty of the seventh days certainty which was suggested to the people with such a cloud of confusion But lastly the difference between out Summer and Winter Sabbath in this little Island is as evident to every A B C Christian as is the certainty of the seventh day in the midst of such variation for who knows not that our Winters Sabbath begins four hours sooner then in Summer and ends upon the same account making full eight hours difference between Summer and Winters Sabbath But though the hours so much differ yet the seventh day surrounded by the Sun is unalterabiy the fame and the Sabbath certain as in Summer and Winter season with us so in each Climate and Countrey throughout the world And therefore 't is but an aiery flourish borrowed from the Bishops and perhaps a vaunt of more Aâ— then suits education or capacity to compass the earth for an agument to prove the variation of time which is so obvious and familiar in our little angle and yet I suppose never begat the least scruple in any Christian neither is there the least cause But I hope the adversary sees great cause by this time to be ashamed of his cloudy speculation amusing the people and humbly to confess he did he knew not what against New Englands testimony and Scripture evidence and so obtain the benefit of Christs Petition Luk. 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do Carnal hearts might with more reason contend against the Lords Supper in some Countreys for want of Wine then against the Lords Sabbath for want of Light But when Grace shall make Saints as zealous for the Sabbath as the Sacrament
A third sort are content to observe their Sabbath by halves and having twenty four hours to their own days they shut up their Sabbath with one half and say an artificial day of twelve hours is sufficient A fourth declares that the evening is the time their Sabbath must begin Shep. beg sab p. 34. and sadly bewails the secret knots and difficulties that are found in the beginning of their first day Sabbath calling for humility and many tears But whiles thus they are confounded in their languages labouring with manifold difficulties to find some beginning of Mans Sabbath behold the lively Oracle of Gods unchangeable seventh day Sabbath opening all prison doors breaking all bars untying all knots and like Ariadue's Clue leading the perplexed spirit out of his Labyrinth whiles he returns by Christs direction to the beginning where in the infancy of time we meet with Gods spirit in a night of darkness brooding upon a confused Chaos Gen. 1.2 3. to produce a world of Wonders So that manifest it is night was the beginning of time in which the rude mass was made before any light appeared and this darkness with the ensuing light compleated the first day and so the second third fourth fifth and sixth wherein the Almighty finished the whole fabrick of heaven earth and sea leading man Gods Master-piece to the highest admiration And no sooner did the sixth days sun cease with the compleating of this peerless Potentate but Elohim ceased to shew his vertue and power in creation and withdrawing himself into himself he immediately sanctified the seventh day Sabbath to enjoy his own infinite beatitude delighting himself with full satisfaction in the pure and spotless works of his hands for as yet sin had not soiled the creature but whiles Iehovah celebrated his Sabbath with man for whom it was made Mar. 2. last Iob 38.7 lo the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy So that here the Lords Sabbath without the least loss of time exactly begins when with the sixth days sun the worlds creation ends and therefore such as desire to be holy as God is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 1 Joh. 3.3 must not onely observe this seventh day Sabbath but begin this holy Rest according to the pattern shewed in the Mount that is when the sixth circult of the sun shews us 't is time to cease from earthly labors as Iehovah in his royal Law hath proposed himself for our example Exo. 20.11 This hath been the constant course of believers I suppose it will scarce be questioned in Moses time since even the ceremonial Sabbaths because honoured as Sabbaths were so to be observed Lev. 22.32 From even unto even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath So after the Jews were rewarded in Babylon for slighting the Sabbath * 2 Chro. 36.22 did honest Nehemiah set to the exact observance of this day by causing Ierusalems gates to be shut before the Sabbath even whiles the declining sixth day sun by descending the Mountaines surrounding Ierusalem cast some obscurity upon the City gates a good example for earthy minds who wil not leave their servile labours till the last minute but perhaps allow themselves liberty to do some houshold business after the Sabbaths beginning We lie under equal engagements at least with ancient Israel which should oblige us to such evening sacrifice as appears to be their custome by that Psalm designed for the Sabbath Psal 92.1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises unto thy Name O most High to shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning thy faithfulness every night This sacrifice very well becomes Christians who should not be out-stript by those devour Tribes whose joys are further expressed by the Prophet Isa 30.29 Ye shall have a song as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept Hence 't is evident with what affection and at what time they set to the solemnity of this highest Sabbath Neither is the New Testament wanting of instructions when to begin this holy Rest for even after the sufferings of our Saviour the Saints did not onely observe the Sabbath but the Spirit is express in the beginning of the solemnity as is recorded for the everlasting honour of the precious women that having attended their Saviour to his sepulchre Luk. 23.55 56. They returned and prepared spices and oyntments and rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandement That part of the preparation day that remained after Christs burial these precious souls improved in preparing Aromaticks to embalm their beloved Luk. 23.54 but as the sixth day ended and the Sabbath drew on their work was done for so well were they discipled by our Saviour as not to violate his holy Sabbath no not to embalm his blessed body And yet some scoffers in these last days are so bold as to cast â—ilâ—â— in the faces of such as tread in these Saints stops reproaching them as worshippers of A dead Christ Col. 2.14 15. Act. 2.26 who was never more active then in the grave being there a conquerour not a sufferer But leaving these in scorners Chair the same Testament which thus shews us the Saints beginning of the Sabbath informs us also of the end by our Saviours example Mar. 1.21 who having performed the publick duties of the day retired to Peters house further to honour the Sabbath with his wonted miracles ver 19. Luk. 13.14 And though the envious Pharisees taught that the people should nor come for healing on the Sabbath day yet hereby we learn when the holy season determines by the liberty the people took according to the Pharisees doctrine Mar. 2.32 And at evening when the Sun did set they brought unto him all that were diseased So that 't is abundantly manifest Deu. 16.6 that from Even to Even or from Sun to Sun the Sabbath is to be celebrated Thus the Jews constantly observe it and thus all faithfull Christians ought to sanctifie it who by scripture authority are thus set free from all that confusion and contention which as a scourge from God porplexeth the observers of the supposed first day Sabbath who know not when to begin nor when to make an end But here it will be objected That upon this account the first day raust be utterly discarded since the 4th Commandment as wel requires six days service as the 7th days Sabbath To which I answer 1. That whereas the Lord doth expresly require cessation from work on the Sabbath day he doth not by a negative require that we never cease from work upon any of the six days for then we must never feast nor fast nor use any kind of recreation throughout the week 2. The Hebrew tense hath a various aspect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet it is rather future then imperative and may well enough point out the creatures earthy inclinations thus Six days thou
calamities of his rebellious Nation he directs his dear Disciples when to depart from those direfull miseries but especially to be importunate in prayer for forty years together Mat. 24 15. that they might not be forced to fly in the Winter for then the foul ways and short days would make it irksome to their bodies especially to breeding and nursing mothers and no less was the care of this tender shepheard to the souls of his Saints whom he bears in his bosome as also to the sanctity of his Sabbath and therefore adds this petition to their forty years Prayer that they might not be put to fly on the Sabbath day to the dishonour of God and trouble of their spirits in prophaning the sacred season for the preservation of their bodies which was designed for the sweetening of their souls in Hearing Prayer and Praise amiddest the precious societies of Gospell Saints It cannot easily be imagined that Christ should be so carefull in securing his Sabbath had it been ceremonial Col. 2.16 17. at such time as all ceremonies were abolished by Apostolical Proclamation Object And yet it is imagined and the best is but imagined that the Disciples were onely warned of fleeing on the Sabbath by way of prevention of Jewish persecution Answ And can it be conceived rationally that Vespatians Armies and Titus Ensigns should strike no more terrour then that the Jews in stead of securing themselves should trifle away their time in persecuting the Christians Had their flight been on the Sabbath yet seeing they were not to carry any thing no not their clothes they could not be counted transgressours Moreover so superstitious were the Jews that they durst not fight for their life much less persecute others and therefore this could not be intended by our Saviour but his sole designe was to have his seventh day Sabbath sanctified by his Disciples And as our Redeemer thus generally and particularly owned this Sabbath by his holy word so he gloriously crowned it above all other dayes by his mighty works viz. such miracles as never man wrought Mat. 11 20 11 20 If then those Cities were most honoured and engaged where his mighty works were done upon the same account is that day to bee most highly esteemed which Christ crowned with his greatest wonders God forbid that Gospel Saints should side with envious Sadduces in reproaching our Saviour for putting forth his glory on that blessed day but rather with heighthened affections let that Sabbath be religiously celebrated wheron such divine vertue was shewed Neither doth our great exemplar cease here to honour his Sabbath but having owned it by his word and crowned it with his works his constant care both in life and death was to leave a lively president for his people His constant custome during life is visible to all that can read the fourth Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospel and for his cessation from his work of redemption the same day of the week and time of the day that the father ceased from his work of creation entring exactly into his rest on the Sabbath as God did this is such a misterious discovery and full confirmation of the seventh day Sabbath as for ever binds all believers by a double obligation to this sweet soul-refreshing duty of which more may be spoken in due time This may suffice abundantly for the confirmation of the seventh day Sabbath by our blessed Saviour The third thing promised 3 Approbation is his approbation of that holy spirit which was appointed by the Saviour of souls to be a constant guide to Gods people So that whatsoever this blessed spirit shall approve of we may safely receive as tried gold weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary and rest upon 〈◊〉 as infallible truth Three things will fully evince the holy spirits approbation of the seventh day Sabbath 1. Luk. 23. ult His high Encomium 2. His mighty operation 3. His constant appellation 1. His high applause given to the pious womens practise of resting according to the Commandement is a full proof of divine approbation For though they celebrated the Sabbath upon Christs crucifixion yet Saint Luke was not inspired to write his Gospel till after Christs ascension as is evident in his preface and confessed by our learned adversaties Luk. 1.2 3 4. Leigh Syst p. 822. That divers years after when all Levitical institutions lost their power of binding the whole Law and each principle thereof doth binde all under the Gospel If then such praise were given to the holy womens celebration that the spirit so long after records it to their honour That they rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandement let the conclusion of the parable be the obedient souls instruction Luk. 10.37 Go and do thou likewise set to the Sabbaths observation according to the Commandement if thou wouldst have like praise of Gods spirit Though this might satisfie a willing soul yet others see such a measure of self-denial required in this duty that either God must stoop to their arms in recording the celebration of the 7th day Sabbath after Christs ascension or else they will not obey Well the blessed spirit sweetly condiscends and by the most glorious manifestation and wonderful operation that ever visited the earth confirms the seventh day Sabbath For it was upon this blessed day that he gloriously descended upon the Apostles to the amazement of men Act. 2. for though Antichrist hath long deceived us and we have taken it upon trust that Pentecost was upon the first day of the Week which he hath long honoured with Whitson Ales Wakes and May games yet in plowing up the truth with Gods heifer we shall finde such treasures of long-unveiled misteries in this renowned day as can never sufficiently be admired And the first mistery that displayeth it self Ez. 13.6 waâ— 19.1 11. lieth in the institution of the Feast called Pentecost or the fiftieth day for as the fiftieth day after the first Passeover and wonderfull deliverance from the Egyptian â—urnace the spirit descended in fire upon Sinai to instruct the twelve Tribes of Israel even so the fiftieth day most exactly after Christ our Passeover was sacrificed for us and had wrought our mighty deliverance from that worse then Egyptian bondage Heb. 2.14 15. did the same eternal spirit descend in fire upon Sion to inspire the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. And surely this harmonious descent upon the fiftieth day both at Sinai and Sion Barthol de propr rerum p. 152. cannot but be soul-ravishing satisfaction to the religious Christian for the confirmation of his faith in the true Messiah As also this marvellous dispensation upon the seventh day Sabbath cannot but affect his heart with this royal rest which the spirit so eminently approves by his superlative presence And the clearing of this fiftieth day to be the seventh day Sabbath will open more divine misteries as so many coals from the Altar to
be glad in But as the Sabbath day enjoyned in the fourth Commandement against the reason there rendred For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it Saints For your souls sake search the Scripture if ever you find the Lord resting upon the first day I have proveâ— unto you that when he arose the first daâ— he was so far from resting that he travelled 15 miles that very day and encouraged his Disciples so to doe Ask your consciences in the fear of God if this were sanctifying a new Sabbath The ancient Christians who called it the Lords day did never terme it the Sabbath day but religiously celebrated the seventh day Sabbath with it But see what partiality this is to avouch that to be the Lords day which is so uncertain in Scripture and to reject the seventh day which is constantly called the Sabbath And thus I have faithfully opened the 3 Scriptures which neither singly nor joyntly give the least ground to observe the first day as a Sabbath So that Scriptures failing they flee to unscripturall consequences to support their supposed change First Arg. 1 They tell us that the worke of Redemption is greater then the worke of Creation and therefore the greater worke deserves the honour of the day Answ 1 I may demand with the Almighty to lost Adam who told thee that thou wast naked who told thee the work of Redemption was the greater who told thee the greater â—ork if it were so deserves the honour of the day hath God no other way to bear up the honour and preserve the memory of Redemption but thy supposed Sabbath Then learne to know that for the honour of the glorious work of creation God hath instituted his holy Sabbath and for the commemoration of the gracious work of Redemption he invites thee if thou hast grace to his sacred Supper Wherefore cease presumptuous man to set up thy posts by Gods Pillars blesse his name for his Royall Sabbath to meditate on the worke of his hands and sound forth his praise for his precious Supper that sets forth the Love of his heart Arg. 2 A second reason is raised from the Israelites obligation to offer their first-borne and first-fruits and therefore t is thought more equall to offer the first day for a Sabbath then first to serve our selves six dayes and put of Gods Sabbath till the seventh Answ 1 T is most equall to offer unto God what he requires and therefore none other Sabbath will bâ— accepted but that very seventh day which God hath sanctified I freely joyne thus far with the adversaries argument That it is most meet for man to offer unto God his first day But I feare my Antagonists will not stick to their own conclusions when they are remembred that the seventh day is mans first day he being made on the sixth day and immediately the seventh day Sabbath made for him to offer his first fruites unto his maker who in very deed accepts no other Sabbath but mans first day since then the adversary himselfe hath concluded that mans first day is most equall to offer unto God for his Sabbath let him either stand to his own argument Job 5.12.13 1 Cor. 1.1 and see that he offer none other Sabbath to the Lord then mans first day or else be for ever condemned by his own mouth Thus the Lord disappointeth the devices of the crafty and snareth them in their own wisdome yet will they not cease their vaine jangling Arg. 3 But tell the people that as no Manna was to be found on the seventh day so those that observe the seventh day Sabbath cannot find Christ the true Manna upon it Ans Then the Apostle was unwise to preach constantly upon that day whereon no spirituall Manna fell Act. 2.41 1â— 42 44 45. 6.13.14 but blessed be the Lord of the Sabbath that multitudes of Jewes and Gentiles have found such plenty of the heavenly Manna upon this blessed seventh day Sabbath that the adversary may stop his mouth with shame yea many living witnesses can bear their joyfull testimony to the free effusion of Gospel grace upon the true sanctified seventh day Sabbath Another reason is rendred why the first day should be observed viz. Arg. 4 from the successe of sermons in the conversion of souls on that day Ans It may be feared many are judged converts that never knew the power of the Spirit Conversion is a turning from sin to the faith and order of the Gospell which many supposed converts will be found short of If more persons be truely converted on the first day then upon other days the honour is due to Gods grace in that meanes which more abounds on the first day then other dayes and he that commands the word to be preached in season and out of season will not faile to follow it with his blessing at all seasons witnesse the notable successe of Lectures But if conversion of souls be a seale to Gods Sabbath never was day so crowned with true converts in the Scripture as the seventh day instances whereof have been already given in that famous 50 day Acts 2. and 13. and 16. and 18. cap. Argu. 5 But 't is supposed that serveing God on the seventh day Sabbath is to put new wine into old bottles Old things are passed away all things are become new 'T is true Answ Old sins are passed away and all old Ordinances Curses and Covenants but surely old Scriptures and old promises and Gods old loving kindnesses are not passed away The good old way promising rest to our soules Jer. 6.16 Heb. 10.20 is none other then the Gospel New and living way The new commandement of Christs Apostle is the old commandement that was from the beginning John 3.17.8 And the very first institution that we here of in the beginning is the seventh day Sabbath therefore if we are Christs Disciples indeed let us reform in observing the true Sabbath as we are directed about the true marriage Mat. 14.5.6 i. e. looke to the beginning we do no more put new wine into old bottles by celebrating the Antient Sabbath then by joyning in the antient way of marriage The purest water is at the spring head 1 Joh. 2.24 Let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the beginning if that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father If you will not believe that the Sabbath which was from the beginning doth still remaine to be observed unlesse you hear the same in so many words give me leave to take off the Translators vail and let but Gods Spirit speake in his owne language wherein the holy Oracles were written and you will soon be informed Heb. 4.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thero remaineth therefore the celebration of the Sabbath to the
people of God I know 't wil be suddenly objected Psal 132. there 's no mention of the Sabbath in our English Bibles only there remaineth a rest to the People of God Indeed the greater is their sin who have abused the word Sabathismos translating that only rest which signifies the celebration of the Sabbath Mar. 28.13.14 as any Grammer School-boy may see in his common Dictionary and the greatest Adversaries of the Seaven day Sabbath are not able to deny If any shall plead Psal 27.19 20. That seeing the keeping of the Sabbath is a Rest therefore the Translators may be excused in rendring the word Rest let them know that although every Sabbath is a Rest yet every Rest is not a Sabbath We rest in our beds yet who is so simple to call that a Sabbath That word which so often is rendred Rest in Heb. 3.4 is quite another Greeke word So that their sin cannot be excused who have perverted the sence and by mis translation and their own additions to the Scripture have obscured the Sabbaths Gospel-glory more then once or twice as in Col. 2.36 they have destroyed the A postles scope by their addition of Dayes so in Acts 18.4 they have translated that word Reasoning to the undervaluing of the Sabbath which in Acts 20.7 they English Preaching for the greater advancement of the first day But since so great a cloud of obscurity is cast over the Sabbath by translating that barely rest which signifies so clearly the celebration of the Sabbath and finding many perplexing their spirits to find out what rest is to pressed by the spirit In Heb. 3. 4. I shall endeavour to helpe their understandings who through some cursorie consideration of the Scripture have supposed that it only intends some one single Rest whereas upon a serious search into these two Chapters there will be found a five-fold rest 1 Typicall 2 Spirituall 3 Evangelicall 4 Morall and 5 Eternall though indeed they are as mysteriously and promiscuously held forth as those interwoven predictions of our Lord Jesus In the 4 of Mat. and the book of the Revelation which are purposely so delivered to exercise the faith and mind of wisdoms children I shall therefore through grace lay open this five-fold rest as it appeares to be the mind of the Spirit by the Apostle Heb. 3. ver 3.5.6 7 whose scope is to warne and admonish Christians by Israels woes of falling short of the true Rest and having shewed the difference between Christ and Moses with their two houses he takes his Text as it were from David Psal 45.7 exhorting Christs house by faith to walk in Gods wayes * vers 10 12 13 14. from which Israel swerved and so fell short of that Rest termed another day whereof Joshuah's Canaan was only a Type This being the Apostles scope by that Typicall rest to shadow forth that other day viz. Gospel grace and Glory by Christ The entrance into which grace is the Saints spirituall rest For saith the Apostle We which have beleeved doe enter in to rest This is that promised rest to heavy-laden souls the delightful fold of believing Lambs The very same resting place saith Christ my Father makes for me have I prepared for you even mine own bosome and all I look for from you in liew of this great love Iohn 1.18 is as thus as I rest in my Fathers bosome and you in mine so I may rest in yours Wherefore let each spirituall Virgin Spouse conlude My beloved shall lye as a bundle of myrrhe all night between my breasts Can. 1.13 And having thus attained their Spirituall rest by Faith the Saints third repose I term 4 Rest Evangelical a Church estate caled by the Apostle The house of Christ the Zion of God built up of Spirituall stones the rest which God himselfe hath chosen Heb. 31.6 12.22 Ps 132.13 14. and all should choose that have entred by faith into that Spirituall rest For the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation this is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Here Christ hath promised his precious presence to the worlds end and this should be that on thing in believers desires whilest pretenders to Spirituallity are passing from mountaine to hill forgetting their resting Place 4. As Christs Church is his resting place where we may find him and rest in him So he hath a solemn resting time or Gospel-Season which is the noon time rest after which the Spouse enquires not only where but when Tell me ô thou whom my soul loloveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy slocks to rest at noon At this Season Christ sits in his meridian glory amidst his flocks in his weekly returne to his beloved this I call his Morall rest or the mannerly attendance which the Church owes unto Christ entring his Royal palace deckt in robes of righteousness when the Royall Scepter is gratiously extended to every trembling Hester The neglect of this morall rest was wofull Israels sin for which the Lord destroyed them in the Wildernesse as is plain Ezek. 20.13 and this being compared with the Apostles Admonition to the Christians plainly points out the Sabbath that remains to the people of God He sets forth Israels fin and Israels sorrow on this wise Although God finished his works from the foundation of the world and thereupon speaks Gen. 2. And God rested the the seventh day from all his works yet neither the glory of his wonderfull Creation authority of his institution or observation of his holy Sabbath to keep up the Creators honour could engage them to follow his example but so highly did they provok him in the wildernesse by refusing his Statutes and despising his judgments in generall but especially in poluting his Sabbaths that he sware in his wrath they should not enter into his rest but for their sins and particularly sabbath-breaking he consumed them in the Wildernesse Wherefore the Apostle concludes in applying all unto believers exhorting them to labour in the use of that meanes which Israel neglected To enter into the eternall rest after the true Jesus least any man fall by the same example of unbeliefe or disobedience as the Greeke signifies Christians believe it this is the summe of the Apostles admonition so to presse after our eternall rest that we fall not after Israels example of disobedience Ezek. 20.13 in rejecting Gods statutes despising his judgments and in particular poluting his seventh day Sabbath which he made and wherein he rested for a patterne to all that enjoy the benefit of his works of creation But especially for Christians who by entring into his spirituall rest through faith are become the people of God There remaineth therefore the celebration of the Sabbath to the people of God for he that is entred into his rest he also hath ceased from his works as God did from his own works And here we have considerable first the continued duty that is The celebration of the Sabbath 2.
The persons exhorted to the duty and they are such as by entring into the spirituall rest through faith are the people of God 3. Here 's the ground and reason of the duty and this is twofold 1. Gods rest from Creation 2. Christs rest from Redemption First as to the remaining duty the celebrating of the Sabbath I need say little having already shewed that the seventh day Sabbath is one of those lively Oracles that Israel received from Sinai to give unto us And that our God hath especially commanded us to whom these Oracles are given to REMEMBER his seventh day Sabbath to sanctifie it and t is our mercy that his holy spirit doth here record what the translators were loath to reveale in english That there remaineth the keeping of the Sabbath to the people of God I know t is set downe in the margin of our Bibles the keeping of a Sabbath whence they would evade the seventh day Sabbath and set up a Sabbath of their own although the Dictionaries and Lexicons render it plainly the keeping of the Sabbath But let the people of God celebrate the seventh day Sabbath untill they can find the holy Spirit calling any other day a Sabbath and then let them change The second thing is the persons exhorted to this duty and they are believers entred into their spirituall rest and therefore t is most irrationall to affirm this remaining Sabbath to be nothing but a spirituall rest into which believers enter verse 3. and so become the people of God and as Gods people they are to celebrate the Sabbath There remaineth therefore the celebration of the Sabbath to those that are already the people of God And I hope such as are the people of God will remember to observe it as being under a double obligation I Gods institution and observation making himselfe our president of which I have already spoken 2. Christs cessation from his great works and entring thereupon into his rest and this is laid down as the Gospel reason why the Sabbath remaines to the people of God For he that is entred into his rest he also hath ceased from his works as God did from his owne works Some conceive That believers are here said to enter into rest but then it would be needless to excite them to enter in the verse following It is Christ only * Heb. 4.12 whose entrance into rest is here intended who ceased from his works as God did from his and therefore there remaineth che celebration of the Sabbath to the people of God Here then the mysterious payment of mans Ransome is matter of high admiration being the same day that man was made and that very day and time of the day whereon God finished the glorious work of creation and so ceasing from his labours our Saviour exactly entered into his rest that very day and time as God began his rest povidentially ordering his body to be taken down and laid to rest in his Sepulchre in the Close of the sixth day that no part of his Sabbath should be violated and thus ceasing from his works as God did and entering into his Rest exactly as God did it laies believers under a double engagement to sanctifie the seventh day Sabbath That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father i.e. As the Father engageth us to honour him in celebrating the sabbath because he rested on it from the works of Creation John 5.23 So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even so the Son engageth us to sanctifie the same holy sabbath because he rested in it from the works of our redemption There remaineth therefore the keeping of the Sabbath to the people of God Mr Aspinwall and others would perswade us without one word from God that Christ entred into his rest upon the day of his Resurrection whereas he journeyed fifteen miles that very day which was no faire president for celebrating a Sabbath But that he entred into rest the true seventh day Sabbath when he had finished his great worke of Redemption the Scripture gives full evidence Our deare Redeemers soule was no sooner seperated from his body but his better part immediately entred into glory by his own resignation of it into Gods custody saying Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit And now the converted theife reaped his promised fruits To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And soon after our Saviours soul had taken possession for us of glory his blessed body was laid to rest in the grave the quiet cell of a weary soul There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest Job 17.3 There are some that deny Christs rest in the grave mistaking that text of Gods loosing The pains of death As if God had not then loosed the pains of death Luke 24 25 26. when Christ resigned his spirit into his protection and for his body that also was far from pains for having finished his work John 19.30 Heb. 1.14 Rev. 14.13 and by one offering for ever perfected them that are sanctified he enjoyed that rest from his labours which is the lot of those that dy in the Lord yea the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the grave his heart rejoiced his tongue was glad and his flesh did Rest in hope Act. 2.26 Whiles the Deity held Christs body and soul asunder like a man with a drawn sword in one hand and a Scabberd in the other which the third day he again put into his sheath Since then it is so fully manifest that Christ ceased from his works as God did from his own works and so entring into his rest exactly celebrated the seventh-seventh-day Sabbath quietly and out of the reach of desperate enemies his soul in glory his body in the grave we must conclude that there remaineth therefore the celebration of the Sabbath to the people of God And so according to our pretious Saviours example let us resolve through grace with the close of the sixt day to recall our better part and resign it to Gods service saying Return unto thy Rest O my soul Psa 116. for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee and likewise with the burial of Christs body burying all our earthly business in the grave of oblivion Let us at last begin to consecrate the true seventh day-Sal bath as a day of delights to the Lord and so obtain mercy for the Sabbath pollution of our daies of ignorance and Christ will not fail to pour oyl and wine into those wounds our souls have received amongst Thieves who have stollen and taught us to steal holy time from God And thus grace by weekly returns from Sabbath to Sabbath shall so strengthen our hearts that at last we shall arrive at our expected home our joyfull jubilee a Sabbath whose Sun shall never set 5 Rest eternal which is that true eternal rest
Disciples to pray Mat. 24.20 That their slight might not be in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day of grace i. e. that they might not flye at all when as yet he had commanded them to flye 2. If the day of grace be our enjoyned Sabbath then we must be sure as long as the Gospel lasts to do no servile work according to the Commandement but here it 's also conceived that the works now prohibited are our sins Answ 1. The Law did no less prohibit sin then the Gospel 2. This conceit supposeth God thus commanding six days of the Laws duration thou shalt or mayest labour and do all thy work of sin but the day of grace is the Sabbath in it thou shalt not sin thou thy son and which is extreamly absurd thy cattle and the stranger that is within thy gates Either this opinion must reject the rest of the fourth Commandement as it doth the seventh day or els it puts it self upon more then an Egiptian task to keep his son servants strangers from sin As for the poor cattle they are uncapable of such a Rest as cessation from sin and the merciless Notionist is reasoning them out of that natural rest wherewith the merciful God hath priviledged them so that if there be no rest required but from sin the poor bruits may rue the time of Christs comming into the world 't were well for them that Peter had prevailed to build Tabernacles that they might have still enjoyed the good dayes of Moses And as for English servants their condition would be little different from Turkish slaves so that they might well bewail MESSIAH's birth should this opinion prevail for the boundless desires of earthy-minded Masters would seldome be weary of the way of getting wealth neither would their pretended spirituality dictate what day to spare their wearied servants But instead of the Angels good tydings of great joy to all people servants would soon cry out sad tidings of great sorrow to be thus deprived of the happy rest for soul and body and constrained to toil and travel on the Sabbath Thus by Origens allegorical Divinity making cessation from sin the onely Gospel Sabbath the letter of Gods Law which cals for corporal rest and spiritual service is perverted Christs Sermon abused Exe. 20. Is 58.13 the Royal Sabbath like a typical ceremony rejected the poor bruits wearied servants defrauded and manifold absurdities introduced to the great dishonour of the great Law-giver and grievous sin of such as assert the onely Sabbath is to abstain from sin which that soul shall do indeed who abstains from labour on Gods Sabbath servile work being the known sin of the fourth Commandement Cease from thy shallow conceits thou deluded slighter of holy Sabbaths The Saints day of eternal cestation from sin and sorrow is not yet come we see Babylon yet in beeing the Jews uncalled all the eath in confusion the day of peace is indeed approaching when such onely as are found in ways of obedience shall enter in by the gate to the glorious City of everlasting Rest Thus having through Divine aid vindicated the Sabbaths morality from those inventions and aspersions raised against it I shall now proceed to the second part in the Position Viz. The select season or precise time determined by him who is hasting to the ruine of that blasphemous Little Horn for his change of Times and Laws THat the seventh day was the Lords holy Sabbath Gen. 2.2 Heb. 4.3 from the Worlds foundation to our Saviours Passion is undeniable And yet such is satans envie at the Sabbath that he suggests a possibility of alteration by the Suns station in Joshua's time and retrogradation in Hezekiah's dayes But it may easily bee understood that when the same power who placed the Sun in its Sphere stayed its course one day and commanded it to return backwards another this did only lengthen those individual days and then returned to its natural motion but altered not the next day at all 2. It must be concluded that our Saviour who fulfilled the Law exactly observed punctually the very Sabbath and the scripture testifies that the holy women rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandement Luk. 23. ult that is upon the very seventh day which God instituted and required to bee observed And the whole world though different in Religion will give full testimony that neither the Heathens saturday so called long before Christs time the Turks friday the Papists sunday nor any other day in the week hath since met with any change so that I may with as much reason question whether my right hand be that the world calls so as I may question whether saturday be the very seventh day seeing the Jews also dispersed through the world punctually observe it And yet what a deal of dust hath been raised from the Prelates ashes by an old Professour of New England-way against their principles and his own conscience his great Argument borrowed from the Bishops is this That since all Regions cannot observe the same hours for the Sabbath by reason of the various rising and setting of the Sun therefore the seventh day is not universally moral Answ What will not enmity to Gods Sabbath set upon seeing such a one as Capt. Jenison is not ashamed to use the old Prelates worm-eaten Arguments in flat opposition to his Brethren Me thinks it should wound his soul to receive answer from Mr. Shepheard with approbation of the consociated Elders of New England in detestation of such deceit thus The fourth Commandement must stand firm Shep. sab pag. 147. the Heaven and Earth must fall asunder the Lord will rather waste Kingdomes and the whole Christian world with fire and sword then let one tittle of his Law perish the Land must rest when Gods Sabbath cannot c. And surely it may sadly affect their hearts in New-England if ever this reacheth their eye or ear that one of their professed members in a great publick assembly should combat the Sabbath with the same weapons foyled by them And in hopes it will make the Captain ashamed and silence all adversaries I shall transcribe the solid answer of reverend Mr. Shepheard to the cloudy argument which he saith Carpanter and Heylin compassed the whole earth and heavens to find out To think saith he that the Sabbath was proper to the Jews Shep. sab pag. 148. because they onely were able to keep and exactly observe the time of it being shut up as Mr. Primvose saith within a little corner of the earth and that the Gentiles are not therefore bound to it because they cannot exactly observe the time of it in several quarters of the earth so far distant is a very feeble argument for why might not all Nations exactly observe the rising and setting of the Sun according to several Climates by which the natural day and so this if the Sabbath is exactly measured and which God hath appointed without limitation
they will find less difficulty in observing the seventh Circuit of the Sun then in supplying the defects of their native soyl by plowing the Ocean for the fruit of the Vine Having thus by Sun-beams and Scripture streams rescued the certainty of the seventh day from the clouds of obscurity it will be time with all humility to enquire at the gate of Grace Whether this seventh day be the unaltered solemn season for holy service under the Gospel That there is a special season designed distrinct from common time is generally asserted and received by Scripture-Christians and one would think that the Levellers of dayes and duties should even be thunder-smitten with the Apostles alarm 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome Preach the Word be instant IN SEASON OUT OF SEASON i. e. on the Sabbath day on the Week dayes in Gods time in mans time and this sense will be found the saving truth if we take that igitur in the Text for our direction to the fore-going Chapter I charge thee therefore i. e. since thou art so well instructed in the truths of the Old Testament the onely known Scriptures when thou wast a childe which are able to make thee wise through faith unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.14 therefore be instant in season out of season Now the onely moral season those scriptures in joyn us is the famous seventh-day Sabbath never changed till the little horn arose No wonder then the same spirit by another Apostle highly approves our fulfilling the royal Law accoring to the Scriptures Ja. 1.8 which as to the season of worship is none other in the royal Law then the seventh-day Sabbath and therefore we shall approve our selves noble Bereans indeed by searching the Scriptures whether this thing be so concluding that if the Scriptures bee able to furnish the man of God throughly to all good works 2 Tim. 3.17 then the seventh day Sabbath is that certain designed season which God will own as a good work in such as observe it Proud man presumes to make all seasons equal and alike but the good spirit promised by Christ to lead us into all truth puts undeniable difference between season and season And the Apostle which layes so great a charge upon Timothy to Preach in season out of season doth thus declare his own practise That he had been with the Saints At all seasons Acts 20.18 And he expounds his meaning first that he had preached publikely i. e. as in open places so in the solemn season designed by God for publike worship And from house to house Vers 20. i. e. improving all opportunities night and day Now that the seventh-day Sabbath was the special season for Gospel service namely prayer and preaching the Apostles practise yea his constant practise is pregnant proof as will be shewed in its proper place This is not left to the liberty of any creature to alter Acts 13. 16. 17. 18 though some who thereby justifie the abhominations of the little hom do assert but not for want of ignorance that 't is not that special seventh day that is enjoyned but A seventh day whereas we have not onely the Pattern in the Mount namely the precise time of Gods Rest to point out the Sabbath day but to end all cavils he points twice in the fourth Commandement to that very seventh on which he rested by the emphatical demonstrative particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that 't is not a seventh but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seventh day and further requires that we should keep Is holy because he blessed IT and sanctified IT And therfore they had need make sure work of a very clear word for a change or repeal of that seventh day against the day of judgement for fear of being left speechless And as for such as suppose A seventh day or A seventh part of time is the morality of the fourth Commandement they will never help themselves by it for if it be a seventh day then it cannot be A sixth day or an eighth day or any other but simply A seventh day unless they will destroy their own morality and so for the other notion of a seventh part of time which they confess is purely moral if so then no other time but simply the seventh part must from week to week be devoted to Gods worship throughout all ages for whensoever the seventh part of time is altered the Morality must needs be destroyed But by such vain jangling it seems they had rather have any Sabbath or no Sabbath then the true sanctified Sabbath which God hath especially designed and whereon the choicest blessings may be in faith expected All other dayes were good wherein God wrought but the seventh day was and is peculiarly blessed wherein God rested And therefore Antichrist engageth earthly powers more especially to prophane the seventh as the chief Market day and rakes up all the filth he can finde to defile the Lords Sabbath and affright the Saints from following the Lord in observing it His grand odium wherewith Mr. Aspinwal hath polluted his Title page is That it was the Jews Sabbath like that scornfull reproach of Pilate cast upon Christ Joh. 18.35 who was indeed a Jew and Lord of the Sabbath in which sense Gospel-saints may very safely embrace this blessed Jews Sabbath who hath proclaimed himself as well Lord of his Sabbath as of his Supper and there 's safe shelter under the skirts of this Jew But in scripture dialect 't is Jehovah's Sabbath and no where term'd the Jews Sabbath that I know of but this I know that as it was instituted before there was any distinction either of Jew or Gentile so it remains in full force to the people of God for ever ever since that wall of partition was demolished Christian is the fourth Command for the Sabbath made odious because it was given to the Jews thou maist even cast off all the Commandements upon the same account Why the whole Law was given to the Jews the holy Scriptures was given to the Jews Ast 7.38 They received the lively Oracles to give unto us Observe Christian these lively Oracles are Gods moral Laws which by a lively voice he committed to them Rom. 8.2 and that not onely for themselves but to give unto us As they received them from God so they gave them unto us and therefore see thou keep them as they gave them and amongst the rest the express seventh-day Sabbath And beware of slighting it because given to the Jews Let but this scoff drive thee to disdain what was given to the Jews and so living and so dying thou shalt assuredly be damned For the Scriptures that are able through faith in Christ to make wise unto salvation were given to the Jews 2 Tim. 3 Our Lord Jesus himself was a Jew
and given to the Jews and will shortly come in his glory to make them a glorious people neither will any thing more hasten mercy to Sion Ps 102.13 14. then Christians taking pleasure in her stones and favouring the dust thereof that is the times and Laws changed by Antichrist For 't is impossible that ever that beloved people should receive the Messiah while they see his Disciples disobedient to Gods royal commands We who were once drown'd in the delusion can now discern and detest that Popish impiety of image-worship in defiance of the second Commandement and yet they can plead as plausibly for Idolatry by their wretched distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as wee can possibly for change of the Sabbath As their image-worship is one great stumbling-block to long forsaken Israel so our weekly wallowing in Sabbath pollutions sadly obstructs the hopes of their conversion Heb. 6.6 and indeed puts our dear Saviour to an open shame as may appear by a passage lately communicated which exceedingly affects my soul and so I hope it will my Readers thus The Jews in London are very much affected with our keeping of the Sabbath and do frequent our meeting places every Sabbath in the latter part of the day and truly I hope the Lord will in time awake upon them to imbrace the truth As yet they keep on their Hats in the time of prayer I am well acquainted with their Rabbi He and the rest of the Jews with him were so taken with Brother Sallars prayer for the restauration of the Kingdome to Israel Acts 1.6 as that they desired that they might have it in writing promising that they would print it and send it to all the places where the Jews inhabit I told them also your resolution to preach up the Sabbath and they are very much taken therewith desiring the Lord to prosper you in your endeavours therein I perceive it is a great stumbling block to them as to believe Christ to be the Messiah because Christians violate the Sabbath for say they if Christ were not a Sabbath-breaker why are Christians and if Christ were a Sabbath breaker then he was a sinner and if a sinner what benefit can we expect by the death of an evil doer And thus you see what evil consequents follow the non-observance of the Lords holy Sabbath I hope this may be usefull to your Auditors especially to those of your society Reader doth not thy heart with mine tremble before the Lord in the perusal of these lines why if the offence of one little one deserve so great punishment Mat. 18.6 what will be the doom of Sabbath-breakers after warning whose weekly disobedience so much dishonours Christ and stumbles all the Tribes of Israel how vain are their petitions for Israels conversion whose practise so much obstructs the glorious work Cast ye up Isa 57.14 cast ye up prepare the way take up the stumbling blocks out of the way of my people Awake awake Saints the seventh seal is opened and the seventh day Sabbath breaks through those Romish fogs that long obscured it under the Heathenish title of saturday or Saturns day The same blasphemous Horn that rob'd us of the Holy Scriptures hath long deprived us of the Holy SABBATH telling us that it was Jewish 'T is high time wholly to depart from Popish pollutions Zech. 8.13 and fulfill part of that Prophesie in taking such hold on the skirts of the Jews as to observe all their Moral Laws with delight Let nor the unscriptural odium of a jewish Sabbath startle us any more then a jewish SAVIOUR But let us put on Ruths resolution in meeting the Jews saying Thy Scriptures shall be my Scriptures thy Promises shall be my portion thy salvation shall be my expectation thy seventh day shall be my Sabbath thy Messiah shall be my SAVIOUR and thy God my God And thus shall we take up the stumbling blocks obstructing their return who can neither brook Babels abominations in the breach of Gods second Royal Law nor Protestants weekly prophanation of the Sabbath with deep disobediance to the fourth Commandement Which is most dreadfull in such as continue sabbath-breakers for earthly advantage after some light of Gods Law hath broken in upon their souls at least to suspect that it may be Gods Sabbath So that they have nothing to say against it and yet through the worlds snares and love of relations dare continue to act against it wallowing Weeke after Weeke in Sabbath pollutions till the just judgement of GOD at last leave them through custome of sin to a scared conscience Another odium cast upon the seventh day Sabbath by Gallio like indifferents and luke-warm Laodiceans is that 't is but a circumstance of time But the wise experienced Preacher doth speedily confute their folly in a sentence worthy our observation Who so keepeth the Commandement shall feel no evil thing and a wise mans heart discerneth both TIME and judgement Eccl. 3.5 Such as dare be careless of keeping the Commandements and judge themselves so wise as to contemn that TIME which God hath ordained to make men wiser we shall leave to that wisdome which is meer foolishness with God 1 Cor. 3.19 even to trifle with that precious time which weekly conveys precious plants into the Palace and special presence of their Prince But whereas 't is objected That holy time and holy place were both of like force Let such shew us the least syllable in Gods moral Law enjoyning holy place 2 Tim. 4.1.2 Joh. 4.20 21. 1 Tim. 2.8 and we shall well weigh it and in the mean time do our duty in that holy time which is expresly commanded us of God knowing that our Law-giver hath as fully confirmed this holy time as he hath laid common all holy place Thus these devices fail as not able to foyl this shining season Gods sanctified seventh day Sabbath which stands with strength in Gospel times Let our next business therefore be to know when to enter upon this holy rest for it cannot be conceived that God who hath been so punctual in prescribing the precise time of Circumcision the Passeover Penticost and other ceremonies should leave us to our liberty for the beginning of his holy Sabbath But oh the amusing Meanders perplexing and distracting Labyrinths that do even drink up their spirits who assert the Sabbaths change to the first week-day being not able to find when to begin their supposed Sabbath Some affirming it beins in the morning when the Lord arose but what hour they are not able to say since God hath purposely concealed Christs rising as he did Moses burial place to prevent our sin so that whether to begin their Sabbath at break of day or Sun-rising they are uncertain and know not what to do Others are moved but by what rule or reason I know not to appoint midnight for the entrance of their Sabbath when most are asleep
as hath been shewed was first laid in that pure pleasant Paradise Eden where God rested and inseparably united the Sabbath to the seventh day The second holy Mountain wherein God established this foundation truth Sinai was Mount Sinat made glorious by the terrible Majesty of the Lord descending with shrill trumpet in dreadful tempests thunder and lightening where with a lively voice he immediately delivered this lively Oracle crowning this seventh day Sabbath with the very same honour and dignity as the other nine Royal statutes and recording the same in Tables of stone which by his new Covenant he writes in renewed hearts so that if Christians stand obliged to those ten Commandements as so many lively Oracles committed to the Jews to be given unto us Rom. 3.2 Act. 7.38 Iam. 2.8 and that we shall do well in observing these royal Laws according to the Scripture that is according as God himself hath written them then must this very seventh day Sabbath as one of those Royal Laws be for ever observed by saints without alteration or diminution and the rather since this foundation oracle obtains confirmation in the third glorious holy Mountain even in the heighths of Gospel Sion where the very same seventh day Sabbath instituted by the Father is established by the Son which is the second point proposed wherein I shall prove 2 Confirmation That the seventh day Sabbath sanctified by Iehovah is ratified by Iesus upon a two-fold account 1. He owns it by his Words 2. He crowns it by his Works And if this be cleared then surely Christians should carefully observe it both in word and work 1. Our blessed Redeemer confirms the seventh day Sabbath by his Word more generally amongst the rest of those Royal statutes which he assures us shall continue in every tittle not so much as one Hebrew point to be diminished or altered til the heavens be no more and the earth be removed and all be compleated and fulfilled Christian turn to thy Bible and behold with horror the dreadful doom which thy Redeemer hath denounced against such as shall transgress the least of his Laws and teach others to be disobedient Mat. 5.18 19. O how dangerous is the disobedience to this duty seeing it is undeniable that the seventh day Sabbath is a tittle and more then a tittle of that royal Law the wilfull offence of one point whereof renders the Rebel a transgressor of all Gods Laws Iam. 2.10 Suppose the Sabbath were the least Commandement yet saith Christ our King Comp. Mat. 5.19 with Act. 3.23 He that breaketh and bids others break the least of these Commandements shall be cut off from Gods Kingdome Neither doth Christ in flesh whiles the ceremonial Law was in full fore onely confirm the whole moral Law but even since his ascention by his holy spirit he moves his Apostles to establish the whole every part of the ten words Rom. 3. Do we then make void the law through faith saith Paul God forbid yea we establish the law Which cannot be the ceremonial Law Christ having utterly abolished all those beggarly elements It must be onely that * holy Rom. 7.7 12 14. just good spiritual Law which ends with this Command Thou shalt not covet And not in part is this Law perpetuated but in every point saith the other Apostle Jam. 2.10 And therefore let such as after warning slight the seventh day Sabbath make sure work that it be no point of that Law whose every jot and tittle is established by Christ and his Apostles And yet after this full confirmation how fain would vain contentious flesh find out a device to live in disobedience to that precious heavenly Law Object for 't is objected That Christ hath not expresly and particularly established the fourth Commandement and therefore it may be no sin to slight the seventh day Sabbath Answ By this reasoning the Papists may excuse all their Idolatry since Christ hath not expresly and particularly confirmed the second Commandement and therefore they may as lawfully make and worship Images as we may prophane the seventh day Sabbath 'T is sad to strengthen Antichrists lewdness by weakening Christs Law 2. Christ hath confirmed every tittle and his Apostles every point of the Royal Law will not this suffice if not behold the kindness of Christ condescending to our weakness shewing us as it were the very print of the nails fastening his seventh day Sabbath for ever as a foundation Oracle not onely in Eden and Sinai but in the beauty of Sion for he doth expresly own the seventh day Sabbath particularly with the honour that none other Law enjoys professedly acknowledging it to be his Sabbath proclaiming himself Lord of it and most punctually observing it yea solemnly averring that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it And indeed this spotless Lamb did faithfully fulfil this Law of the Sabbath as the rest without the least violation of any tittle even then when those presumptuous spirits charged him Mar. 2.27 28. He cheeking their blind conceit who thought belike that Man was made for the Sabbath and informs them that the Sabbath was made for Man and not Man for the Sabbath that is for mans benefit and comfort both body and soul even as the Laws of a Nation are made for the subjects and not subjects for the Laws And further be compleats his answer to their false accusation by proclaiming himself Lord of the Sabbath as if he should say The Sabbath is mine I am the Lord of it I made it for Man that he should sanctifie it and therefore having given Man a precept and pattern to keep it I shall not make my self a president to prophane it as you superstitiously suppose Certainly Christs engagement to fulfil it to the least jot or tittle with his professed owning of it claim to it and care for it as its Lord is the fullest confirmation that can possibly be desired That which Christ lays claim to as Lord must needs be confessed to be his esteemed and honoured as his the Bride is his for he is her Lord Psal 45.11 the Harvest is his Heaven and Earth is his the Angels are his and all to be esteemed his who is proclaimed Lord of all Therefore we celebrate the holy Supper because 't is the Lords Supper and therefore we ought to sanctifie the holy Sabbath because he declares himself Lord of the Sabbath He gave it the institution when he made the world he gave it confirmation when he redeemed the world and his Saints must endeavour to observe every jot and tittle of it to the end of the world For as he doth expresly own his holy day in asserting himself Lord of the Sabbath so he takes special care by particular instruction that his Saints might avoid the violation of this rest on earth even whiles he himself should rest triumphantly in Heaven wherefore after his predictions of the approaching
the vanity of that Anti-christian invention But 3. We must learn to distinguish between Ceremonials and Morals both are not alike confirmed when they are together mentioned Act. 5.20 42. The Apostles preached and prayed in the Temple yet are they not of equal authority The Royal Sabbath is indeed mentioned with New Moons and sacrifices but it is no more rejected then Prayer and the prayer hearing God which are mentioned together * Isa 1.13 14 15. 57.6 7. 3d. Obj. A third objection is newly made by Mr. Aspinwal who grants Pentecost to be indeed the seventh day but thinks the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated fully come should rather be rendred fully past Pag. 5. Whence he would perswade that the Spirit did not descend upon the true day of Pentocost but upon the Jews false day of Pentecost which he saith was the first day of the week 1. The Greek being a Gerund in Do signifies fulfilling and most certain it is that as the saints were fulfilling the true Pentecost on the seventh day the spirit of Christ descended early upon them 2. His great mistakes are manifest in that our Lord Jesus who was punctual as he grants p. 5. to his own Law exactly celebrated the Passeover upon the 5th day the Jews on the 7th and such distance must needs be at the true and false Pentecost the true on the 7th the false not as he asserts on the first day but on the second so that his supposition of all those wonders which he would have done on the Jews Pentecost* do utterly vanish Pag. 35. and the glory of the 7th day Sabbath whereon those mighty things were wrought as I have convincingly proved is more abundantly confirmed seeing himself grants pag. 34. That those actions of the spirits effusion glorious conversion baptism breaking bread c. are signal characters of our Christian Sabbath Thus whiles we seek for wisdome in Gods way of counting his numbers Pro. 2.4 Rev. 13.18 we find the ancient Sabbath of the Lord our God within the mysterious numbers of Pentecost which saints should esteem as highly approved by the spirits glorious manifestation To which may be added 3ly His constant Appellation Christs promise was that the blessed spirit shall be ever with us to instruct us in all his truths And since this infallible guide doth constantly call the seventh day the Sabbath it must be received as a word of truth from God that cannot lie And truly 't is high presumption to alter the perfect word of God in calling any day the Lords Sabbath which the Lord never dignified with any such honourable appellation Let but the least authority be produced for honouring any other day as a Sabbath day in the Gospel besides the Lords honourable seventh day and the controversie will soon be ended I know what some have endeavoured to pacifie their perplexed spirits about the Sabbath who would perswade themselves that the first day of the week was thus honoured by the Evangelists in terming it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first of the Sabbath Mat. 28.1 But first Answ here 's no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned the glory of the Sabbath DAY is onely given to the seventh day whiles the first day of the week is termed like other common days the first of the Sabbath the second of the Sabbath the third c. 2. Whether they take this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for one of the Sabbaths or the first of the Sabbaths to be sure 't is not any one of the sanctified Sabbaths instituted or authorized by the Lord our God Father Son or Spirit neither can it be the first of the Sabbaths in their sense for the seventh day was undeniably the first Sabbath If they say it was the first individual Gospel Sabbath then I suppose that first day in the 1 Cor. 16.1 may be the twentieth Sabbath at least and yet that also is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As for the proper signification and sence of the word it is the first of the week in English for Sabbath is an Hebrew not an English word and must be rendred week where ever it points at any time except the seventh day or some ceremonial sabbath as as the Pharisees vaunt shews Luke 18.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I fast twice on the Sabbath that is not twice in one day but twice a week The Evangelist fairly follows that form of expression used by the Septuagint which the Apostles more frequently observed then the Hebrew as being more common amongst the Gentiles where especially their work lay terming the week days the first of the sabbath the second of the sabbath c. instead of the heathen names of Sun-day Moon day c. which I hope may satisfie all such as had rather use scripture then heathenish names As in the title of Psal 24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first of the Sabbath or Week Ps 48. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second of the Sabbath or Week Psal 94. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sourth of the Sabbath or the fourth of the Week c. The Sabbath day is the peculiar honour given to the seventh day alone Luk. 4.16 Act 13 14. 16.13 c. So that if we be followers of God as dear children and take the blessed spirit for our guide in all our expressions and actions we must honour the Sabbath with holy devotion which he hath so honoured with highest Encomiums we must reverence that day above all daies in which he so gloriously descended upon the first pure Church solemnly assembled If this be not the pattern shewed Christians in the Mount I desire them to shew me some other pattern of some pure Church but if this be the undoubted pattern shewed this blessed day in the Mount Then Christian look well to thy walk Heb. 8.5 See that thou make all things according to the Pattern shewed thee in the Mount And since the spirits appellation is a further approbation of the seventh day which is the onely day he honours with the royal name of Sabbath day See thou presume not to call any day the Sabbath day but that which he hath so called See thou observe that for the Sabbath day which he hath so crowned It is the presumption of the little Horn not onely to change times but that this time of Gods solemn worship might be for ever buried in oblivion he hath devested it of this royal appellation of the Sabbath day and obscured its glory under the detestable name of Saturday i.e. Saturns day and so sheweth himself to be that Antichrist misteriously opposite to Christ devoting that very day to the father of Daemons or chief of idolized Devils which our Lord hath designed owned crowned and approved his chief day for Gospel worship And truly Christians the holy spirit would not that you should have fellowship with Devils 1 Cor. 10.20 Our English Laws have somewhat lessened this impiety wherein the
the Father Established by the Son Approved by the Spirit and Observed by the Saints And if these will not prevail with Christians so called to break off their weekly prophanation of this sanctified Sabbath I shall leave them to the righteous judgement of the great day and for their sakes who obtain the grace of self-denial to cast off their carnal encumbrances and joyn with the ancient Gospel Saints in observing the Sabbath I shall now descend to the 4th part of my general Pofition and as I have confirmed the Sabbaths Authority so I doubt not through Christ strengthening me to prove its Porpetuity THE Fourth head Perpetuity of the seventh day Sabbath The infinite wisdome who is Lord of the Sabbath foreseeing the high presumption of the little horn such as to change both times and lawes and knowing that all truths ebbe and flow in the sonls esteeme as holy time is sleighted and observed was graciously pleased most strongly to secure that law against which Satan and his eldest Son would make their first and fiercest assault For t is to be observed that the horn attempted first to change times and then laws well knowing that holy laws are taught and learned especially in holy times and therefore he first prevailed with Constantine as is declared to change the Sabbath time into the first day But against this designe doth the good God graciously guard his Sabbath and Alarm his Saints to be especially mindfull of this truth setting a superscription as it were a watchword upon the portall of this precept REMEMBER the Sabbath day to keep it holy telling us expresly what day it is The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God so that if the Lord be indeed thy God thou must observe that seventh day for his Sabbath which he hath so carefully required thee to remember as knowing that Antichrist would doe his utmost to cause thee to forget it either in slighting of it as a ceremony or else in changing this blessed day Jeroboam-like and burying its very name under the odious and most detestable name of Saturday that it may therefore be known to his Saints as no ceremony but a perpetual unchangeable Royall Law the Lord hath fenced it above all other Laws first positively keep it holy Secondly negatively doe not work upon it and that thou maist never be insnared to change or alter it I charge thee carefully to Remember this Law in a speciall singular manner This may for ever silence their conceits who would slight the seventh day Sabbath as a jewish ceremony though their consciences know it was instituted before any Jew or ceremony had being Ten Royall Laws the Lord delivers to his Saints and knowing that all of them would be more or lesse observed as his Sabbath should be sanctified or slighted he bids he forbids he marks it above all the rest that it may be remembred and yet disobedient spirits dare reject it as ceremoniall and put upon the highest an absurdity as grosse as likely can be imagined As if wisdome it selfe should with so much care command the exact remembrance of a ceremony above all his morall Laws for thus vaine man would render his maker I your Lord God doe here deliver you ten precents nine of which are perpetuall but one â—s a changeable ceremony wherefore I chang you to observe all my nine royall precepts but especially observe my perishing Sabbath which is but a meer ceremony besure you sanctifie that besure you doe not prophane that besure you remember that I lay it as a speciall command upon your souls to remember my mutable ceremoniall seventh day Sabbath more especially Me thinks gracious hearts should tremble to put such an absurdity upon God himselfe as binding us to remember that which as a mutable ceremony should be forgotten and buried in oblivion yea and which is yet more absurd if more may be they render the reason of sanctifying the seventh day Sabbath on this wise For in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth and rested the first day wherefore the Lord blessed the first day for his Sabbath and sanctified it either we must put this absurdity also upon our God or else we must cast off the fourth commandement at least the reason of it must be rejected or else which is better then a thousand shifts we must returne from the little horn to our first husband and do the Saints first works and religiously remember the seventh day Sabbath to sanctifie it Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse Isa 64.5 those that remember thee in thy wayes If it be objected that not Christians but Jewes are commanded to remember and observe the seventh day Sabbath I answer 1. That not the Christians but the Jewes were first commanded the rest of the ten commandements If Christians are to walke by the Jewes nine commandements as a righteous rule they are no lesse oblieged to every jott and tittle of the Jewes ten commandements The Royall Law of God was dispenced to the Jewes not only for themselves Act. 7.38 But to give unto us as that first faithfull martyr of the Lord Jesus taught in his funerall sermon when filled with the irresistable wisdome of the holy Spirit he sealed the faith of the Gospell with his blood and amongst the rest of those Evangelicall verities which the protomartyr prized as the Christians priviledges this is undeniably an eternall truth That the Jewes did receive those lively Oracles from mount Sinai to give unto us Here then 't is evident first what Lawes are Gods lively Oracles namely those precious precepts which God himselfe by the Angell of his presence delivered with a lively voice in the mount Sinai one of which lively Oracles is the seventh day Sabbath 2. To whom these lively Oracles were delivered and this is agreed on all hands that the only people so highly priviledged above all the world were the beloved Israelites 3. For whom and to what end were these lively Oracles from mount Sinai delivered to Israel And this is as cleare by blessed Stephens divine Testimony They received the lively Oracles from the mount Sinai to give unto us that is unto me Stephen an Officer in the church of Christ and to all my brethren for whose faith in the true Messiah I am now pleading my last they received the lively Oracles to give unto us Christians this is cleare that the Jewes received the lively Oracles from the Mount Sinai to give unto us though we have no heart to receive them yet God hath a heart of love to give them not only to the Jewes but even to us Christians 4. Then the fourth inquiry will be whether these lively Oracles from Sinai were given us to be broken or kept to be slighted or observed If to be kept and observed then either we must deny the seventh day Sabbath to be one of Sinai's lively Oracles or deny Stephens doctrine of their being delivered to the Jewes to
his servants Gen 22.5 at the bottom of the hill whiles he ascended to sacrifice his son Isaac No work may be done in our ordinary callings 1 Works of necessitie Josh 6.14.15 1 Kings 20.19 Acts 20.6 27.20 2 Works of piety unlesse in case of necessitie as soudiers in War Saylers in their voyages though I supose no warrant can be found for setting forth on Gods Sabbath Physicians Chirurgeons Midwives and any other in straits Ministers may and must Labor at all seasons but especially in this season I mean Ministers of Christ who Preach freely and live honourably of whatsoever is freely given but for hirelings bargaining Preachers who pretend to Gods work yet dare not trust him for wages Mic. 3.5.11 these do their own works and not Gods work like to the tradesman that labours for advantage This holy day the poor may be supplied the sick visited and a sabbath dayes journey lawfully performed which I conceive is so far as a person may ride or go without toil to such meeting where his soul may be most refreshed For where no Law is there is no transgression A sabbath days journey is Scripture 3 Works of conveniency the extent of it is left to conscience Convenient food is to be received with thanks which each sincere Sabbath keeper will remember so to provide and prepare before the sabbath that his servants souls be not deprived of sustenance by staying at home to provide for his body We find the Lord of the sabbath content with bread Luke 14.1 and his Disciples with ears of corn on the sabbath day As for the Jewish prohibition of kindling a fire it is not mentioned but in the ceremonial Law and so concerns not Christians who though not in danger of stoning yet I hope will find somewhat else to do then gather stickes on the sabbath In brief I doubt not but a person principled with the love of God will so remember to sanctifie the sabbath as to order all his business to be as much as possible in the worship of Jehovah 3. As we must leave our unlawful lusts and servile labours so we must part with our own lawful pleasures and be sure we plead not for any pastimes or whatsoever may please the flesh further then Gods word will warrant and what can please or delight a devout soul like Christs presence amidst his saints in the use of gospel ordinances T is the revealed will of God that we should turn away our foot from defiling the Sabbath and from doing our pleasures on his holy day that we should call the Sabbath our delight the holy of the Lord honourable and honour our God upon it not doing our own wayes nor finding our own pleasures nor speaking our own words Is 58.13 And therefore being thus prepared by removing all obstructions making all possible preparations and being furnished with heavenly directions let us religiously set to the observation and sanctification of this blessed Sabbath And upon our entrance into Sabbath duties If there be the hapy conveniency of saints that may assemble together as through mercy is our priviledge when the sixth day is done then be sure to turn away thy foot from sabbath pollution and being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace take the wise mans precept Eccl. 5.1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God If thou shouldest have no society to sanctifie the Sabbath with thee yet thou canst not want company having the promised presence of the Lord of the Sabbath and his holy Angels to attend thee Heb. 1. ult When thy beloved hath been lodged all night between thy brests and thy soul is warmed with his bosom embraces let not the sun shame thee by his salute before thou salute thy Lord in secret in the private family if such advantage be given thee or else the garden fields grove or water side may furnish thee with matter enough for meditation Indeed no place can exclude the Creators glory from a contemplative sabbath keeper When the doves begin to flee to their windows Is 60.8 let no secret or private duty much lesse emcumbrance keep thee from the flocks of Christs companions and being assembled stir up the gift and grace that is in thee till Jacobs ladder mount thy soul to Jacobs height of admiration How dreadful is this place this is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven surely the Lord is in this place Gen. 28.16.17 And now let the awfull dread of the Lord of the Sabbath before whose peircing eyes thy actions and affections are naked and open engage thy soul and body to such a mannerly demeanour as becoms a saint in so great a service Keep thy heart with all diligence because of the Almighty Prov. 24.23 1 Cor. 11.10 keep thy body in a comely deportment because of the Angels Remember thou art upon a moral duty wherefore do all things decently and in order pray when the saints pray Saints must be like Aaron Hur holding up Moses hands 1 Cor. 14.40 they must be like the heavenly host singing forth the praises of God together they must doe all things as becoms the blessed communion of Saints breath after the fullest communion with God that is attainable in this state of grace the communion to be sought by every Sabbath keeper must be 1. A choice communion such as the saint must prefer to all enjoyments Never let the soul think to sanctifie Gods Sabbath that does not esteem one day in Gods courts better then a thousand Psal 84.10 Let him never imagine his service shall be accepted unlesse he endeavour at least to make a Moses a Maries a Davids choice One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after He that makes such a a choice he shall enjoy the comforts promised to Christians Psalm 27.4 Is 56.4 5 6 7 that keep Gods Sabbath from polluting it even them saith the Lord will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer God cannot choose but delight in that soul who makes his choice of Sabbath communion with his maker 2 It must be a close communion Thâ— Sabbath keeper must be in his Saviours â—osome all the day Can. 8.1 O saith the spouse that thou wert my brother that suâ—ked thâ— brests of my mother I would kiss thee c. It is good for me saith the Psalmist to draw near to God O Christian keep close and let him not go till he send thee to thy house with a blessing in thine heart 3. Thou must labour for a clear communion 3. Ps 63.2 Content not thy self till thou seest his power and his glory as his saints hase seen him in his sanctuary 2 Cor. 3.18 Acts 2. Presse after primitive experience to behold as in a glâ—sse the glory of the Lord till thou be changed
chiefly engaged was a Tradesman a sad Omen to the decayed Clergy who silently admired his invenâ—on whiles he opposed his own Nâ—w England princlples manifestly sinning against his light in rendring the Sabbath ceremoâ—aâ— bâ—cause given to the Jewes for a signt over whose deplorable condition New England thus laments It may affect ones heart with great mourning to see the many inventions of mens hearts to blot out this remembrance of the Sabbath day Shep. Sab. they first cast it out of Parâ—dâ—se and shut it out of the world until Moses time when in Moses time 't is published as a Law and crowned in the same manner as all Moral Laws yet then they make it to be but a ceremonial Law continuing onely till the comming of Christ Jesus Thus New England mourns over such impieties and 't is cause of grief indeed that one of their own professed Members should so openly oppose their impregnable doctrine of the morality of the Sabbath It is truth that the Sabbath was given to the Jews for a sign Exo. 31.13 and so was Christ himself Isa 7.14 Euk. 2.11,34 but it followes not that either Sabbath or Saviour must be therefore ceremonial The Saints are set for signes so is the holy spirit 1 Joh. 4.13 Isa 8.18 Eze. 20.12 20. yea for the very same sign as the Sabbath is viz. That you may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you There the same honour is put upon the Sabbath as upon the holy Spirit yea let the self-denying Disciple know that in the conscientious observance of Gods Sabbath he shall not long want the blessed sign of Gods sanctifying presence The Sabbath is indeed a signe of goed things formerly produced Exo. 20. 31.13 as the worlds creation or else of good things at present enjoyed as Gods sanctifying grace but never was it set for a sign of good things to come like the ceremonial * Compare Col. 2.17 18. with Lu. 4.18 19 21. Deut. 6.5 6 7 8. 13.18 c. Mat. 22.17 Sabbaths I might here retort the vaunting language of the Preacher of Peters of cutting off Goliahs head with his own sword for if the Morality of the Sabbath cease by being a sign to the Jews in their generations upon the same account must the whole Law cease to bee Moral since Gods spirit hath set it also for such a sign Thus while vain man findes out inventions to slight Gods Sabbath as a Jewish ceremony because given to that people for a sign he rejects the Holy spirit Scriptures Christ and all as so many Jewish ceremonies Neither is it possble to escape the Dilâ—â—â—ma by saying that the Sabbath is Moral but the seventh day Ceremonial for though the seventh day and Sabbath be terms convertible in the fourth Commandement yet even in the place mentioned the term seventh day is not set for the sign but the term Sabbath And whereas the same person puzzled the people by a third inwention but without the Book Object That if we observe the Jews Sabbath we must also offer the Jâ—ws sacrifices 1. Answ Now England Divinity might have instructed him That if sacrifices could make the Sabbath ceremonial then they may make that day and every day ceremonial but sacrifices make not the Sabbath ceremonial therefore not the day 2. Heb. 7. All sacrifices were recorded types of Christ and therefore abolished but the Sabbath did never type out Christ therefore never abolished nor changed 3. The seventh day Sabbath is part of the Law Moral where no syllable is found of sacrifices 't is therefore as absurd to conclude we must offer sacrifice if we will keep the Sabbath as to say we must keep the Ceremonial Law if we observe the Moral When these fancies fail and the Sabbath can neither be expelled Paradise nor confined to Canaan A third invention is found to make Christ a bolster to disobedience by proclaiming him a Sabbath-breaker Who never transgressed no not a tittle of the least Ceremony For had he failed of the smallest service he could never have been the Saviour of the world God must have a Lamb without spot or blemish The charge brought against Christ is 〈◊〉 1. That he justified his Disciples in plucking Ears of Corn as well he might when the Law expresly allows it Deut. 23 25. without restraint of time and where no Law is there 's no transgression If the Phariseos were righteous over much who had so deeply suffered for slighting the Sabbath formerly shall the Lord of the Sabbath be censured for allowing that to his hungry Disciples which even the Hipocâ—ites themselves did not deny their beasts that is Luk. 3.15 Necessary food If Professors are not ashamed to joyn with Scribes and Pharisees in censuring our Saviour as a Sabbath-breaker yet let not these continue bold whiles Christs words make the others blush Luke 13.17 And whiles our Advocate performs his office in pleading the cause of his Disciples let Christians learn to content themselves by the Apostles examples with a slender Sabbath days Dinner rather then prophane the sanctified feason to make provision for their perishing bodies Trust to his word who hath promised to such as first seek his King dome that all things needfull shall be supplied he will never leave thee nor forsake thee but rather then fail Mar. 6.34 he will put forth a beam of his Divinity to feed thee who dost faithfully follow him Wherefore resolve to serve him though he feed thee but with Ears of Corn and this also be grudged by superstitious Pharisees A second charge jointly brought by the Hipocrites of old and present Professours against our innocent Saviour is about the Cripples miraculous cure Jâ—â— â—â— 8 and carrying his Bed on the Sabbath Whereas they were no more capable of understanding the supposed violated Scripture then of discerning the person they quarrelled with The scope of the Scripture is onely to restrain traffick and travel for gain in our ordinary callings Jer. 13.21 Neh. 13 11 c. but not to obstruct any work simply for Gods glory and spiritual profit neither did the man transgress any letter of the Law for 't is Thy work the Law forbids but this was properly the Lords work to confirm the miracle wrought upon a helpless and almost hopeless creature The Word of God freely allowes bearing Mat. 12 5. of Burdens for his own honour even on the Sabbath Joh. 7.21 23. Josh 6.12 c. 1 Kin 20 28 29. as in Circumcsion and Sacrifiees in the miraculous taking of Jericho and in * Heb. 2.1 2 3 4. war And so lar was our dear Redeemer from slighting the Sabbath that he singled out that Sanctified season to honour it with his chief miracles Gods spirit enjoyns exact obedience to those truths that were confirmed by * Heb. 2.1 2 3 4. maricles and as the wo was greater to those ungratefull Cities where his chief maracles
secret hand of providence eminently appears in preserving the honourable memory of the seventh day Sabbath for whereas the Heathenish names of Weeks daies are still retained in the decrees of the highest Courts passed on the seventh day the Acts have the proper appellation Die Sabbati But 't is sad that such as so honour it with their Pen should prophane it so openly in their practise And though Satan should prevail with them to become my persecutors I cannot but in faithfulness remember them That as their Laws look for obedience till by the same power that enacted them they shall be repealed so it is most equal they should cease from prophanation of this royal Law of Jehovah till a repeal form the same power can be proved or that the blessed spirit hath any way altered or changed it How sad would a sentence of this import be when 't is too late to reform O thou Prince and Parliament Out of thy own acts I will judge thee who hast recorded the seventh day Die Sabbati and yet hast proclaimed thy chief Markets upon this my Sabbath You profess it in words but prophane it in works you honour it in your Laws but shame it in your lives Oh can it be hoped that a Josiah-like spirit should set upon reformation instead of persecution 2 Rin. 22 8 10 1â— ca. 23 instead of penalties to begin with Sabbath practise Is there no other way to confute Sabbath Keepers then by fine or imprisonments Must Prelatical principles appear after so many Engagements and solemn Protestations of liberty why yet here 's this remedy The will of the Lord be done And so I have done with my three first Proposals for the authority of this truth 1 The Father Institution 2 The Sons confirmation 3 The Spirits approbation And now proceed to the fourth namely 4. The Saints observation 4 Saints observation whereinto I have already made some entrance As first the precious womens practice after our Saviours sufferings when all ceremonies were abolished They rested the seventh day according to the Commandement And doubtless 't is a blessed thing to be found obedient to Gods Commandements 2. It hath been clearly and plainly shewed that even after our Lords highest exaltation the most glorious assembly of saints that ever the world saw was upon the seventh day Sabbath most exemplarily celebrated with prayer preaching baptizing incorporating communicating and all this eminently approved and sealed by the spirits miraculous and special grace in the conversion of thousands suâ—â— a day no Age ever produced Well may this day deserve the honour of a pattern in the Mount and to be exemplary to all posterity 3. The great wisdome of God eminently shines in concealing the practice of the Apostles deputed to serve the Circumcision Gal. 2.9 2 Tim. 1.11 since it must be acknowledged that if the Apostle of the Gentiles who was the great rejecter of ceremonies did constantly celebrate the seventh day Sabbath then much more those Apostles among the Jews whose forbearance was much even in ceremonials The Gospel then being the Epitome of things most necessary onely presents us with Pauls practice for our Christian pattern who expresly requires our conformity in these words Phil. 4.9 Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you Here 's a general injunction which must be observed only with these limitations That Pauls practise be plain possible peaceable Evaugelical and unrepealed or else it binds not 1. It must be plain such as our Lord hath promised to his Lambs Joh. 16.25 2 Cor. 3.12 Col. 2.8 We must take heed of Philosophy and vain deceits of men who set up Ordinances by consequences and have some plain precept or president for our practice and such is the seventh day Sabbath There 's not a plainer precept in all the scripture not any thing more plain then Pauls practice herein and therefore to be observed by saints who desire the presence of the God of peace 2. It must be possible for some things Paul practised impossible for saints as mighty miracles travels c. But for the seventh day Sabbath though flesh and bloud think it a bondage to be detained a day from the Dunghil yet to the self denying Saint 't is a most pleasant season and his soul can seal to it as an easie yoke a light burthen a day exceeding a thousand therefore in this Paul is to be followed 3. His practise must be peaceable if we tread in his steps for Paul was but a man Acts 13.39 and sometimes a very angry man his precept may possibly exceed his practise herein If it be possible as much as in you lieth live peaceably with all men Rom. 12.18 and let the peace of God rule in your hearts Now the seventh day Sabbath is a day of rest and peace which sweetly calms the perplexed spirit so that thus far wee may freely follow Pauls practise 4. It must be Evangelical for we may not follow Paul in his compliance with the Jews in ceremonials no not to gain the Jews 1 Cor. 9.20 and therefore let Paul pass into the Temple to purifie himself with his Votaries this is no president for me But for the sacred seventh day Sabbath as it was instituted before any ceremonie was in the world for was confirmed Evangelically by the Son of God and by his holy Spirit and therefore in this Evangelical duty I shall attend Paul 5. It must be unrepealed if it oblige Saints for something Paul did which himself after repealed Gal. 5.1 2 3. as the Circumcision of Timothy which he solemnly declares to be utterly destructive to Christianity and therfore waving that let Christians conform to the Apostles practise of the seventh day Sabbath which is proved to be plain possible peaceable truly Evangelical and never in the least tittle repealed or any way altered And thus doing we shall follow Paul as Paul followed Christ 1 Cor. 11 1 2. For as it was undeniably Christs custome to celebâ—ate the seventh day Sabbath so it was Pauls mannet to observe the same day The words are the fame in the Greek both of Christs practise * Luk. 4.16 Acts 17.2 and Pauls the Penman is the same and all the difference in English is onely this Christs custome and Pauls manner Christ as his custome was went went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day Luk. 4.16 And Paul as his manner was did the same thing Acts 17.2 Christ preached and Paul preached and where lies the difference between Christs obsetvation of the seventh day Sabbath and Pauls observation of the seventh day Sabbath It is made a great argument for the observation of the first day Act. 20.7 That Paul once preached on that day but it is as clearly declared Acts. 18.4 that Paul preached every Sabbath day onely the Translators have not dealt so clearly
spiritual pretences in literal disobedience the Lord will perswade his pretious ones to receive the Alarm of the seventh Angel sounding forth the antient glory of the Lords Sabbath Re. 10.6 swearing by him that liveth for ever and ever That time shall be no longer Me thinks none should be so simple as to suppose the seventh Angel should put an end to all time seeing it is evident that his Alarm must yet pass among Many peoples and Nations and Tongues Vers 11. and Kings But in swearing that time should be no longer is meant that the mystery of God by his Prophets should be finished which is the mystery of iniquity Vers 7. and the mysterie of Israels glory and since it is impossible that Sion should be raised but in the ruins of Babylon after a time times and the dividing of time the seventh Angel means that the time changing horn shall no longer prevail Dan. 7.25 26 27. but the Lords Sabbath time and the Lords supper time shall be recovered by the Saints who keep the commandements of God as well as the faith of Jesus Wherefore awake arise and arm your selves ye obedient souls to Jehovahs Sabbath at the distinct sound of the seventh Angel who swears for your encouragement that you shall be no longer deprived of your appointed time changed and obscured by the mystery of iniquity as the grand obstruction and stumbling block to Israels glory And to quicken your souls to this heavenly royal duty Ja. 4.12 Je. 5 22. consider t is the will of that one Royal Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy will you not fear him will you not tremble at his presence who hath declared himsel Lord of the sabbath not to break it no not in one title but that faints thould sanctifie it Mat. 24.30 because it is hiâ— will who will shortly set forth his Royal Mâ—jesty in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory to take account of all his Citizens who shew their hatred to him in slighting that sabbath whereof he is the Lord which he hath for ever established by a perpetual decree Ah! what can be expected by sâ—bbath-breakers when the Royal Lord of the sabbath shall appear Luke 19.27 But those mine enemies who would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me Happy souls who shall then be found observing his sabbath because it is the will of the Royal Law-giver Because it is a Royal Law a lively Oracle the Christians Legacy a holy just spiritual commandement Rom. 7.12 14. a perfect Law of Liberty setting the heaven-born soul free from that earthy bondage to which dunghil-drudges would willingly be slaves being then chiefly in bondage when called from the World to wait upon God But the soul that is a Saint indeed takes sweet delight in this Royal Law which not onely allowes him the open freedome of Jehovahs Courts his ear his heart a whole day together Ja. 1.25 but sends him away laden with blessings fraught with spiritual favours shaming himself that he can yet be no more like this Royal Lawgiver in the sanctification of this Royal Law whiles his soul labours to be transformed into the same Royal image 1 Cor. 3.18 because it is a Royal Law and yet Because it is ordained for a Royal people For 1. The Lord did not institute it till he had made his Royal image to rule as Soveraign over all his works and when he had made man he presently made this royal Law of the sabbath for man Mark 2 ult 2. The Lord did not afterwards dispense this lively oracle with the rest till he had prepared a royal people to imbrace it and when he had instructed them as his peculiar treasure his royal nation of Priests Exod. 19.5 his Israel that is in the Hebrew A Prince with God then he dispensed this Law in great Majestie and glory to them 3. He did not bequeath it under hand and seal unto us Christians till he had furnished his new spouse with the glorious graces of his holy spirit But when great grace was upon all the Church And seven men were singled out the most royally adorned of them all Acts 4.33 then the first and most Princely of all these seven was selected whose name signifies A Crown And whiles the power of the spirit appeared in the purest lustre for the vindication of the faith of Jesus Acts 6.3.5 by the Peerless Protomartyr this glorious deed of gift was made to all Christians by the precious Doctrine of Stephen who assures us in the word of the Lord that Israel received the lively oracles from the Mount of Sinai to give unto us and having declared this blessed truth he suddenly sealed it with his blood Acts 7.38 And now it cannot be but Gods royal people should bethink themselves of this royal Doctrine delivered by the first Christian Martyr and as becomes a royal people set to the sanctification of the royal sabbath of our royal Lord Jehovah in Jesus the Lord of the Sabbath And Gods Saints shall no sooner search the Scriptures whether this be so or no but presently they shall be made noble men and women Acts 17.11 and when once they are brought into obedience of this and therest of those lively oracles which seeming Saints must stumble at they are presently proclaimed A Royal Priesthood 1 Pet 2.8 9. a chosen generation a holy Nation a peculiar People And as they grow up in obedience to Stephens lively Oracles all which are set opâ—n especially on Gods Sâ—bbath they shall be transformed into Christs image and the same Character stampt upon them as once upon Gideons Brethren As thou wast Jesus Jud. 8.18 so are they each one resembling the children of a King And whiles this royal race are sanctifying the Royal rest of their Royal Redeemer Behold Num. 23.4 the Lord his God is with him and the shout of a King is among them Now who would not be one of these who would not sanctifie this true Sabbath as becometh such a Law such a Lawgiver such a people 1. The way to perform this is by preparation the Lord our God would have us to remember so to sanctifie his sabbath as to remove all impediments that might any way obstruct out solemn celebration Then away with all your lusts and lovers I will wash mine hands in innocencie so will I compasse thine Altar O Lord. Psal 26.6 Sin is doubled on the sabbath day Sin is sinfull at all seasons but exceeding sinful in this sanctified season A way with all your labours In it thou shalt do no work that is no servile gainful work Sx days thou maist do all thy work in six dayes thou must so finish thy work that the seventh may be wholly designed to My work saith the Lord whose service is pure freedom Saints must so leave their labours as Abram left
our God that will accept of our service and give us true repentance and pardon for sabbath prophanation and that he will honor us to set up and celebrate his long slighted sabbath according to his faithful promises in several scriptures where the gracious soul may find out the work of his generation Wherefore let such as are sincere unite heart and voice with one shoulder Comp. Is 58.12 69.1 2 3 4. with Acts 15.16 Rev. 11.1 2. to advance this lively oracle to its antient glory I know this doctrine would be readily embraced by earthworms did it but produce such priviledges as are their prized portions a fat benefice a gainful office or a good market but how can such embrace Gods sabbath who are greedy of gain and sit upon thornes whiles they are at such services O the Egyptian bondage of such obedience to a home-born slave When will the new moon be gone that we may sell corn Jer 2 14. Amos 3.6 and the sabbath that we may set forth wheat said the like drudges of old Indeed all the discipline of the Gospel together calls not for such a measure of self-denyal Phil. 3.13.19 as this weekly duty of the holy Sabbath But in recompence of our obedience though our creation mercies oblige us to whatsoever the creator calls for the most High hath freely held forth very many priveledges to encourage us in our service 1. 1 Fredom Ps 84. 'T is no smal priveledge to be exempted from dunghil drudgeries to enjoy a whole day in a week in sweet Sabbath communion with our God Christians often complain for want of spiritual enjoyments and acquaintance with Christ the Sabbath opens the door of the holy of holies as a spring of spiritual joyes 2. 2 Fulness He who so freely handed forth health to body and soul on the Sabbath day by himself and his Apostles will not now fail to pour out of his spirit to such as seek him in his own wayes Acts. 16.14 he that opened Lydias heart upon his holy Sabbath will also open thine If thou set open the everlasting doors for the King of Glory 3. 3 Knowledge If once the soul set to the advance of those times which Anti-christ hath changed the promise will pursue him whiles he pursues his purpose many shall runne to and fro Dan. 12. and knowledge shall be increased yea the day is now dawned and will shine more and more as the Sabbath is sanctified that the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea The sabbath keeper shall enjoy the legacy that Christ hath left him He. 2.13 Peace Jo 14.27 Ps 119.165 great peace have they that love thy laws and nothing shall offend them the Lord longs to invest thy soul with this priviledge of peace Isa 43.73 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea He that will but follow Paul as well in sabbath keeping as in other gospel duties Ph. 4.9 shall be sure to enjoy the God of peace 2. The prince of peace 3. A life of peace Isa 26.3 4. A death of peace Psalm 37.37 5. And after death eternal peace Isa 57 2 5. 5 Pleasure The obedient foul shall not want his pleasure whose delight is placed in sanctifying Gods sabbath Isa 57.13 Iob. 36.11 6. Plenty 1 Tim. 4.3 Let him not fear scarcety for he may be assâ—â—ed of plenty which no man enjoyes but he that can be content with what God sends 7. prosderity Jos 1 7 8. All that he takes in hand shall prosper and all shall work together for his good his very miseries have mercy in their bowels witness Moses Mordecai Joseph Paul Heb. 11. the whole catalogue of Saints 8. Victory And whiles he is combating perhaps sometimes foiled he is assured of a compleat conquest Gen. 49.19 Gad saith Jacob A troop shall overcome him but he shall overcome at the last he shall overcome the beast and his image the triple-crowned monster Pope Prelate and persecuting Presbyter yea he shall not fail of an absolute victory over the mark of the Beast the changer of times and Laws i. e. he shall raise the foundations of many generations in restoring the Lords Sabbath time and the Lords supper time 9. Trials Phil. 1.29 And howsoever he meet with many difficulties such as must be expected in a work of this high nature even all that malicious men and Divels can do yet let the obedient soul build upon it that all his Trials shall end in Triumph 10. Triumph It is the faithful promise of the Sabbaths Lord to make a rich return for all the reproofs sorrows and sufferings of Christian Sabbath-keepers and we may rest upon it for it is a gracious Gospel-promise I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly Zeph. 3.18 who are of thee to whom the reproach of it was a burthen then Sabbath-keepers sorrow shall end and then Sabbath-slighters sorrows shall begin Jesus Christ himself forewarns had they hearts to consider that as it was in the dayes of Noe so shall it be also in the dayes of the Son of Man Now it appears in the dayes of Noah the deluge came upon the world on the seventh-day Heb. 2.14 Luke 17.26 Gen. 7.10 See the margin and the Apostle speakes exprâ—sly though scoffers remain willingly ignorant of this admonition that as the old world perished by water so this is reserved for fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men It will be sad for professâ—rs to be found fighting under Anti-christs banner in Sabbath-profâ—nation after admonion 2 Pet. 3.3 4 5 6. Ah poor slumbering souls it is not hearing fasting feasting baptising that will avail in that 〈◊〉 day it is not Lord Lord we have prophesied in thy name we have done many things by thy power alas miserable muck-worms many things will not serve their turn Mat. 7. â—2 he who keeps the whole law and offends wilfully in one point he is guilty of all God gave ten commandments to Israel and Israels duty was to deliver them as so many lively oracles unto us Ja. 2.12 now one of those lively oracles enjoynes the seventh day Sabbath Acts. â— 38 it will not avail to tell Christ they have kept nine of them in the very letter if the tenth be slighted in the letter they must then see and feel that not one jot or title of those lively oracles is in the least altered Confess Pag. 33. Eze. 33.4 or ANY WAY dissolved as Englands whole assembly have in words confessed Wo and alas what will become of those that Jeroboam-like have changed the time expresly appointed in that Law which they say Christ hath not ANY WAY dissolved but much strengthened to binde Gospel Saints