his Dsiciples that when troublous times would be some years after his Ascending into the highest Heavens they would be much in Prayer that upon the Enemies Invading their Land their flight might not be on the Sabbath lest they should be hindered from or disturbed in the Blessings of that seventh-day which alone has the Name of the Weekly Sabbath Thus is the whole Scripture profitable for the clearing and confirming of these two Reasons of Christs Assigning as I am now also further to manifest that it is so for his third Reason which is this because Aelohim sanctified the seventh which is the last day in every week that and that only and no other day of the week as the Weekly sabbath-Sabbath-day Thus at the First Creation and Institution the seventh day the seventh-seventh-day the seventh-seventh-day Aelohim sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his work which he Created for to make or to do He hath sanctified this same seventh-day he doth and he will sanctifie it setting it apart as the only weekly Sabbath-day for Spiritual services and for other holy ends he segregated it from all prophane common employments and usages and dedicated it to his own peculiar worship It was not to be reckoned nor counted amongst vulgar daies but was to be had and held as solemn and sacred holy and honourable desirable and delightful He hath put a difference between this seventh day and other daies by way of Excellency in a dignifying manner by appropriating and â—evering of it in the special holiness thereof from ordinary foregoing week-daies that are but of a common rank that it may be singularly filled up as becometh the sanctity or holiness of it By this derived or relative sanctity it is the peculiar appropriate day of Jehovah â—lohim He has separated Ordinances for his separated People on this separated day O how holy is Jehovahs seventh-day-sabbath on which he would have his Worshippers to be so Holy All here in this History of the Creation is actual and real Anticipations here have no such place as those pretend who would have this sanctification of the seventh day as a Weekly Sabbath to be only in Aelohims Decree and destination as if it took not place actually till the proclaiming of the Law at Mount-Sinai which was above two thousand years after for this Scripture as others also collated with it do evidently shew that it was thus set apart from the beginning of the World from Adams time and so downwards This History doth treat of Existences of Beings in their Created nature As Aelohim rested on that day Actually and it was made for Adam and for his posterity for that purpose and end that he and they might sanctifie it and that it might be a blessed day to him and to them The Creator and maker of daies did put apart the seventh-day from all and from every of other daies for peculiar uses and Ends. The Proof is convincing enough to the Ingenious and unprejudiced that the sanctification of the seventh-day-Sabbath was before the promulgation of it at Sinai Moses speaks of it as of a thing known using the same reasons and grounds of equity and much in the same words which Aelohim himself used in the proclaiming and referring to the first institution of labouring on the six fore going daies and Sabbatizing on the seventh where the seventh day is mentioned four times and Sabbath Sabbatism Rest Rested about six times declaring that in times past of old Jehovah had given the Sabbath for this end that in it there should be a ceasing from ordinary Labour and accordingly the People rested on the seventh-day-Sabbath at Mount-Sinai the promulgator of this Law himself delivers his mind to be still the same in much plainness of speech six daies thou shalt labour but the seventh day is the Sabbath in it thou shalt not do any work for six daies Jehovah made the Heavens and the Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore Jehovah hallowed the Sabbath day he sacrated it consecrated it sanctified it restored it to its holy use he spiritually distinguished it from the other foregoing six daies of the week Setting it apart for his more solemn worship and instituted service And thus you may carry this sanctification of it through the rest of the Scriptures that do treat on this subject for the People of God all along were Sabbath-keepers and Aelohim-worshippers They remembred this as that word of memoir and of remark bringing in this Law upon their hearts as of special observance The sanctification of the sabbath doth set out sometimes the whole worship of God for where this is duly observed it doth promote all other religion and it is put Prophetically by Isaiah for the spiritual worship under the New Testament dispensation it was instituted to the end that solemn service might be performed to the LORD therein therefore did his People hold publick conventions on the seventh day-Sabbath when they assembled to read to Interpret and to hear the word of Jehovah Aelohim And these were stated ordinances on every such day Then they put up their publick requests and made Prayers to the LORD they then pleasantly sang songs to him they had spiritual conferences holy Arguings heavenly meditations merciful actings It being a day of spiritual delight of heavenly joy and of high praising Then they offered up instituted sacrifices unto him to the honour of his name Which sacrifices now under this administration are spiritual glorious heavenly accepttable to God by Jesus Christ Thus and in such like holy services is it to be sanctified by us The seventh-day-Sabbath is therefore said to be holy unto the LORD's People as it is holy in its Institution and holy unto Aelohim And now is it not great and good reason that these reasons of Aelohims own giving should have a convincing-cogency and winning perswasiveness upon our hearts to yield obedience unto this holy Law of his which is every way so designed and fitted for our own Good I pass on to some other spiritual proofs of this After long and serious search into the whole scripture about this matter I find that all the Scriptures through where the holy Spirit doth speak of a weekly Sabbath day there the name and thing of a weekly Sabbath is given only to the seventh which is the last day of the week in the weekly revolutions and returns and successive courses of it and to no other day of the week as a weekly-Sabbath-day That there is no Command given for the Observation of any other day in the week as the weekly-Sabbath-day but only of the seventh day That there is no promise made to the observing of any other day in the week as the weekly Sabbath-day but only of the seventh day and that there is no threatning either Denounced against or executed upon any that have not observed any other day in
the week as the weekly-Sabbath-day but only against and upon such as observed not the seventh-day as such If it be thus then how nameless how Commandless how promiseless how threatless is the first day of the week as to this matter of the weekly-Sabbath-day Examine and search we the Scriptures in this case All the Scriptures through where the holy spirit speaks of a weekly-sabbath day the name and thing thereof that is of such a weekly-Sabbath-day is given only to the seventh which is the last day in the week in the weekly returns of it and to no other day of the week as a weekly-Sabbath-day On the seventh-day the seventh-seventh-day the seventh-seventh-day Aelohim Sabbatized he Sabbatized The seventh-seventh-day the seventh-seventh-day the seventh-seventh-day the seventh-seventh-day the rest of the Holy Sabbath a Sabbath the Sabbath the Sabbath the People rested on it The seventh day is the Sabbath in it thou shalt not do any work The seventh day is the Sabbath in it thou shalt not do any work In the seventh is the Sabbath of rest The seventh day a Sabbath of Rest The seventh day the Sabbath of rest Scores of times in the Scripture of the old testament the seventh day is called the Sabbath Several times also in the new Testament about threescore times The LORD Christ himself speaking Prophetically cals it the Sabbath-day Divers times in the Historie of the Acts of the Apostles after Christs Ascension to his Father Every Sabbath Paul reasoned in the Synagogue as his manner was No other day in the week is called the Sabbath-day This some of the most Learned amongst the adversaries of the seventh day having been convinced of and finding their labours fruitless in searching after the name Sabbath to be given to the first day of the week which is no where done they rather oppose the name Sabbath as not fit to be used now under the new-Testament-administration of Grace as applyed to the weekly seperated day for Holy rest and worship they reject it themselves that others too might the more abhor it by giving it an ill name miscalling it the Jewish-Sabbath So that these Enemies themselves being Judges they confess that all Churches do call the seventh day alone by the old name Sabbath It was the seventh this seventh day it is double-Articled on which God rested from all his works Consider further there is not all the Scriptures through any command given for the observation of any other day in the week asthe weekly-Sabbath-day but only the seventh which is the last day in the week in the weekly return of it At the first Creation of this seventh day It was instituted for Adam to do it and observe it as the weekly Sabbath day Thus before the Law was proclaimed how long refuse ye to keep my Commandements and my Laws Jehovah hath given you the Sabbath Let no man go out of his place on the seventh day for to gather Manna or to do any other servile work So the People rested on the seventh day Thus at the time of Promulgation Remember or to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Six daies shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of Jehovah thy God In it thou shalt not do any work It expresseth both a precept what to do and a prohibition what not to do Keep the Sabbath to sanctifie it as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee Six daies shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of Jehovah thy God In it thou shalt not do any work So express is this word of the Law-giver himself After the proclaiming of this Law six daies thou shalt do thy work and on the seventh day thou shalt rest Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep said Jehovah ye shall keep the Sabbath six daies shall work be done but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest Six daies thou shalt work but on the seventh day thou shalt rest In Eating-time or Plough-time and in Harvest thou shalt rest during the seventh-day-Sabbath If any time had more colouraable plea for working than other the Ploughing-time and the Harvest-time were the seasons the one to prepare the Ground and to cast in the Seed the other to reap and gather in the Fruit and increase Tillage was necessary for Harvest Harvest was necessary for sustenance yet the holy rest of the Sabbath must not be broken for these The prohibition reached in the very letter of it against these times Again these are the words which Jehovah hath commanded that ye should do them six daies shall work be done but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day a Sabbath of rest to Jehovah If any handy-work were to be spoken for as an exception to this general rule tabernacle-Tabernacle-work was the work yet this Law of the seventh-day-Sabbath must not be transgressed for the carrying on of such work for the preparing finishing and erecting of the Tabernacle though it were the appointed place under that dispensation of Grace for the publick Instituted worship and service of God Ye shall keep my Sabbath again ye shall keep my Sabbath and a third time in Leviticus ye shall keep my Sabbaths the like we have in the Books of the Prophets carry not forth any burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day nor do any work but ye shall hallow the Sabbath day according as I commanded your Fathers said Jehovah by Jeremiah to the People of God in his time much the same we have in Ezekiel bringing in the LORD thus bespeaking his People I Jehovah your God walk in my statutes observe my judgments and do them and Hallow my Sabbaths The same Prophetically in another place thus saith Adonai Jehovah the gate of the inner Court that looketh towards the East shall be shut the six working daies but on the Sabbath it shall be opened But the gate shall not be shut until the Evening The Prince shall offer the burnt Offering on the Sabbath-day Thus after the return from the Babylonish Captivity Zealous Nehemiah reproves the transgressors of this law and Command of the seventh day-Sabbath what Evil thing is this that ye do and profane the Sabbath-day I commanded and charged saith he This he did in pursuance of Jehovahs Express command and charge that no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day I said unto the Levites that they should cleanse themselves and come and keep the gates to sanctifie the Sabbath-day The same is mentioned in the New-Testament the holy Women had Rested on the Sabbath-day according to the Commandement They who were no friends to Christ could yet acknowledge this in the Principle for the matter of Right though they misjudged in a matter of Fact in point of practise and in a particular Case there are six daies in which men ought to work and not
the last and best day of the Week to take my sweet repose in him who formed all these things and who had brought forth such a world somewhat for me vile unworthy sinful me But that which was and is through the Grace of God an Holy Rest to me has been and is like further to be through the corruptions of men a troublesom Controversie from them Must I now be made a man of contention who have so much desired and endeavoured to be a man of Peace My LORD is going forth in his comely Honour riding upon the word of his Truth and he will prosper His Truth is victorious for this must I be valiant and earnestly contend in his strength For this end was he born and for this cause came he into the world that he should bear witness unto the Truth Every one that is of the Truth heareth his voice Happy is he who has a good report of the Truth it self In the Order of my pursuit after the refining and raising of useful Arts and profitable Knowledges I am now led to that day the Seventh which is the last day in the week wherein Aelohim the Creator himself did Sabbatize on this day he rested to contemplate his own Works For having now framed and disposed the glorious Fabrick and the goodly structure of the whole Universe and having put it into its beauteous ceconomy and regular Polity he closeth the week with a day blessed above all the other foregoing days of the Week The righteous cause of which sanctified Day I am now to plead against the many Contenders against it Having thus in a former Treatise attended followed and walked with Aelohim in some of his great Works on the several distinct six foregoing days of this created World I am now brought to Sabbatize and rest with and in Him on his Weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath There are divers profitable Disquisitions that might be made with respect to the Seventh which is the last Day of every Week For the advancement of this Holy Art and for the Improvement of this Spiritual Science which would be a great promoting to this useful Learning As Q. Whether every Day of the week be of equal length Particularly whether the Seventh-day which is the last day in every week be not longer in time and have more minutes in it than the First day of the week If the Seventh-day be found longer in time it has a concreated Excellency in nature unchangeable dignoscible to Sense Q. Whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be from Shabath or from Jachab If from Shabath there are many Truths and Duties which that word would clear up and also demonstrate the Observation of the weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath before the Promulgation of the Law of the Ten words at Mount Sinai Q. Whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do point out the daily and weekly seasons of created instituted time for daily-evening-and-morning-Worship and for weekly-Sabbath-Worship Q. Whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not in divers Scriptures set out the Seventh the last day of the Week and this in some places before Aelohims proclaiming of the Ten words at Horeb Q. Whether the LORD Jesus Christ having risen again the Third day according to the Scriptures that Third day be the Full complete Third day from the time of his burial and what that particular large day of the week was and what the certain hour of that particular large day was in which He did actually arise and what Scripture-evidence there is of this which is queried not at all in the least to question the Truth of his Resurrection which we firmly believe but rather to strengthen our Faith therein and to promote Scripture-knowledg of the Doctrine of Christs Resurrection upon which the whole of the Christian Religion doth so much depend and for some other good ends For the present there are some weighty reasons why I do not interpose my own Apprehensions about these Quaeries but leave them to those who are of studious inquiring Spirits who by a deeper search into the word of Truth in the Supplies of the Holy Spirit may make those Discoveries that will at once both convince and shame the ignorant-mistaking-World Whilst for the better satisfaction of serious seekers after Christs mind about the weekly-Sabbath I shall in a Word-way through the whole Scripture where this Case is spoken to and of treat of this one Enquiry returning a plain and as I judge a full Answer thereunto Q. Whether the Seventh Day which is the last Day in and of the Week in the weekly Revolutions and orderly Returns thereof has been from the beginning and so continued to be all the old-Testament-administration of Grace through and be so under the New Testament Dispensation of Grace all along to this Age of the Church and will be so to the end of this World the weekly-Sabbath-day A. The Seventh-day which is the last day in and of the week in the weekly Revolutions and orderly Returns thereof has been from the beginning and so continued to be all the Old-Testament-Administration of Grace through and is so under the New-Testament-Dispensation of Grace all along to this Age of the Church and will be so to the end of this World the weekly-sabbath-weekly-Sabbath-day The whole Scripture is profitable for this Doctrine and for this Duty This closing part of the History of the Creation is express for it When Jehovah Aelohim had finished all his Works relating unto the six foregoing days of this one week The LORD Christ now on the seventh-Seventh-day actually perfected and will continue actually perfect in the whole and in every part of it His delegated-delegated-work which he had made adornedly-really to exist preparedly perfected and He did then Sabbatize and his will was is and will be that from thence his people shall Sabbatize ceasing resting from other motion and work of the fore-mentioned creating kind In a Day that Seventh from all his Work the which he had made and he did and will bless in word and in deed in a continued way in the weekly revolutions of it as long as weeks shall last in this world That day That Seventh and he did and will sanctifie by severing it from a common use and destinating it to an Holy Use accomodating it to instituted Ordinances of solemn Worship the same because in it he hath sabbatized and will Sabbatize from all his work the which he had created pure without spot or blemish of corruptness or uncomeliness for to make This Seventh is a Number completely perfecting the Week For when such a number of days hath filled up the week then we begin again with one second third fourth fifth and sixth till it comes to another seventh And there the Week in the continued revolutions thereof doth still receive a perfective end The Greek Interpreters here as in a many of other Scriptures else where are Corrupters of the Hebrew Text who do translate in the sixth day for the Seventh and
Christ is the great Exemplary Pattern for his Disciples to imitate and to follow he rested on that Seventh-day and therefore his people must also rest on the same seventh-day Thus he himself doth argue He was the First-seventh-day-Sabbath-Observer and under all the several Administrations of Grace He called upon his People to do the same In the days of his flesh here on earth after he was born of the Virgin Mary he through the Weeks of his life yielded Obedience unto this Command by keeping the Seventh-day as the weekly Sabbath-day and no other day in the weekly return as such And this was and is a part of that perfect Righteousness which every sound believer doth apply to himself as his Plea of Justification in the sight of God for his Sin of Sabbath-breaking and every such believer is to conform in Sanctification to Christ in all the Acts of Christs Obedience to this Law of the ten words He as his Custom was went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath-day and stood up for to read He taught the people such as would give him the hearing on the Sabbath-days And whither shall we go to get our selves cloathed with Sabbath Righteousness but unto him putting on this Lord Jesus and making this Jehovah to be our Righteousness How can there be such an apt proper distinct suitable Sabbath-Righteousness from Christ applyed to the Soul but by those who make out after that weekly seventh-day-Sabbath-Righteousness which was in its perfection in Christ Those that observe any other day of the week as the weekly Sabbath cannot so directly go to Christ for such a days Righteousness not particularly for the First-days Righteousness as to a Sabbath which First day Christ all his life through never observed as the weekly Sabbath He has left us an example a Pattern a Copy such as Writing Masters do leave to their Scholars that we should follow his steps He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himself also to walk even as he walked Because as he is so are we in this World if we keep to his Rule and Example for the Scripture speaks of things as they ought to be taking it for granted that they be so and they are so so far forth as Believers do act regularly like themselves as doth become them According to this Pattern we have Paul practising after Christs Ascension into Heaven on every Sabbath-day it was his Custom and Usage his constant Practice the same Expression that sets out Christs continued weekly observing of the Seventh-day-Sabbath that it was usual to him is affirmed also of that eminent Servant of his That it was also usual to this Paul O that the same might be truly testified of more in our Day of Leaders and of their People that Christ might hold such forth before others and say Here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus The Holy Seed of Christ and of his Church are such as keep these Commands of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ O the happy Progresses O the blessed goings on with a strait foot of such as do his Commandments A Second Reason of his affixing to this Holy Law of the weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath who is Wisdom essential Wisedoms All Wisdoms in one is this For that Aelohim blessed the Seventh which is the last day in the week that and that only and no other day of the week as the weekly-Sabbath-day Thus it was from the beginning and thus it is and will be to hidden ages of hidden ages The blessing is its peculiar Portion and what is Man that he will take away this Heritage of Blessing from the Seventh-day to endeavour to settle it on any other day on the first day particularly where the LORD himself never so gave and secured it The Seventh-day the Seventh-day Aelohim blessed the Seventh-day he hath blessed it he doth bless it and he will bless it and it shall be blessed O blessed day which Jehovah himself hath blessed so blessed This blessing was afterwards renewed revived solemnly openly declared at Mount Sinai and affix'd to the seventh-seventh-day Six days thou shalt labour but the seventh-seventh-day is the Sabbath In it thou shalt not do any work For six days Jehovah made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh-day Wherefore Jehovah blessed that day that Sabbath the blessing is gone forth for this Seventh-day-Sabbath irreversibly from the Mouth of Jehovah Mashiach himself It has his Applaud and approve for its due estimation and deserved renown its noble majestickness and Royal imperialness How many are the Prerogatives and Priviledges which he hath Conferred upon it Christ is the Seventh-daies-benedictor and benefactor This is the day which he hath Dedicated to the Instituted worship and service of Jehovah Aelohim A day greatly to be desired and delighted in by his Children Friends and Servants as a day of holy rest and of Heavenly joy A day of sweet converse between him and his Saints A day that calleth upon them for a singingshouting-triumphing-rejoycing-frame and therefore there is a peculiar Psalm fitted for this purpose to this end Thus is the Crown of special Benediction put upon the head of the Seventh-day and no other foregoing day of the Week is to share with it in this princely honour Isaiah that evangelical Prophecier and Preacher has from Jehovah Pronounced those Blessed even to admiration O the happy Progresses O the happy goings on of such that do keep this Sabbath and not prophane it They shall enjoy many a covenant-favour O how choice Spiritual blessings are there that do visit the Hearts of Holy observers of this Seventh-day-Sabbath under the New-Testament Administration O what a Blessed day did Christ make it to be unto some whose sick bodies he healed whose sinful Souls he pardoned whose sadned Spirits he comforted unto whom his Gracious words were converting and Restoring teaching and enlightning quickning and strengthning whom he met in Sabbath ordinances and gave them the Blessing of this separated day and how many a Soul had cause to bless the LORD for ever who so prospered Pauls labours on the Seventh-day-Sabbath for blessing for good to them Christ taught daily in the Temple and Paul was often in the Synagogues on the foregoing daies of the Week and much good was done thereby but the whole Scripture doth take peculiar notice of this That the Seventh-day as the Weekly Sabbath-day carried away the Sabbath-blessings which no other day in the week did though the LORD do bless his People every day yet not with Sabbath-blessings but only on the seventh-day Aelohim gave a Special Blessing an appropriated Blessing to this day above all the other daies So true and good is that saying of Christ still That this Sabbath was made for Adam for Man for a blessing to him every way for his cheifest and choicest good It was Christs counsel to
in the Wilderness Hallow my Sabbaths Notwithstanding the Children rebelled against me they polluted my Sabbaths Then I said observe he takes notice a second time of this time of the Provocation was given him by them this way I would pour out my fury upon them to accomplish my anger against them in the Wilderness The like we have in another place of the same Prophet her Priests speaking of Jerusalem have violated my Law and have profaned my Holy things They have put no difference between the Holy and Profane neither have they shewed between the unclean and the Clean and have hid their Eyes from my Sabbaths even administrators about Holy things do some times hide their Eyes from Jehovahs Sabbaths and I am profaned among them Therefore have I poured out my indignation upon them I have Consumed them with the Fire of my wrath their own way have I recompenced upon their heads saith Adonai Jehovah Such a passage we also find in the Prophecie by Amos hear this O ye who saying when will the Sabbath be gone they thought the seventh day the longest day in the Week that we may set forth wheat making the Ephah Small and the Shekel great and perverting the Balances of deceit Jehovah hath sworn by the Excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of their works Shall not the Land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your Songs into Lamentation I will send a Famine of hearing the words of Jehovah Thus after that the People of God had returned from Babylonish captivity in Nehemiahs time when the Sabbath was profaned he as a Magistrate reproves and threatens those in Judah whom he saw treading Winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheaves and lading Asses as also Wine Grapes and Figs and all Burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day And I testified in the day wherein they sold victuals there dwelt men of Tyre also therein which brought Fish and all manner of ware and sold on the Sabbath unto the Children of Judah and in Jerusalem Then I saith he contended with the Nobles of Judah and said unto them what Evil thing is this that ye do and profane the Sabbath-day Did not your Fathers thus and did not our God bring all this Evil upon us and upon this City Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath Upon this he commands that there should no Burden be brought in on the Sabbath day And when the Merchants and the Sellers of all kind of Ware lodged within Jerusalem once or twice then he testified against them and said unto them why lodge ye before the Wall If ye do again I will lay hands on you From that time forth came they not on the Sabbath And he Commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves and that they should come to keep the Gates to Sanctifie the Sabbath-day For an improvement of this kind of Learning let the Studious search the Scriptures whether both the First and the second Temple were not burnt and the People captived in the one and fleeing into the other both these on the seventh-day-Sabbath And whether the First great Ejection and unchurching of the Jews were not also on the seventh-day-Sabbath and the Gospel more carried over to the Gentiles Having thus carried this Doctrine and Duty concerning the Weekly-Seventh-day-Sabbath through the whole Scripture with that arguing convincingness which is clear and evident to plain unprejudiced Judgments and understandings though so full a Testimony should suffice yet that I may the better make way for the answering of somewhat that may look a little like Objection I shall add this to the rest for a further Confirmation that Aelohim hath put this Weekly-Seventh-day-Sabbath into Created Nature The Human nature in the First Adam was made and framed to the Perfection of Holiness and of Righteousness in the Ten words which Ten words I take to be the only certain vniversal perfect summary and Comprehensive of that which is the Law of Nature in Mankind A full exact Copie draught and Transcript of the Law of Creation in the heart of Adam the Proclaimed and now Written word the same for sum and for substance which had a living Concreated impression on that Heart and mind of his As the true unchangeable Original-Law being not only the declared will but also agreeing with the Holy nature or Essence and being of the Creator himself an Holy just and good Law no waies differing from the Law which was given to and put into the Humane nature in the uprightness and integrity The purity and perfection of that Humane Nature This Law particularly of the Weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath and the due observation thereof was a part of this Law of Nature as it lay evidently in that Established order of Aelohims Creating the foregoing six daies of that one week the rule and pattern of all after-weeks being the working days and the seventh the last day of that Week being the weekly-Sabbath-day Such being the method which Aelohim used in the production of his Creatures on the several six daies and the disposal of his and of Mans Rest on the Seventh day Thus standeth the Relation in the weekly succession of daies which Aelohim made to be in the true nature of these Created existences really whilst the World stands to be instructive unto all mankind of what is his natural will and mans natural Duty There was in this Primitive Ordination a full evidence and a convincing Demonstration of Aelohims pleasure herein by his appointing a sufficiencie of light about this matter both in the Created nature of daies and of works and Rest respectively in those daies to give Adam to see and know what he ought to do what daies to work in and what day to rest on and also Innate in Adam himself for his instruction thereby discerningly to understand and Faithfully to improve this for the designed end true use and proper purposes Some notions of this Law as well as of the others of the Ten words are still retained and kept in man even though now fallen and in his corrupt state and renewing Grace doth restore in part to the first Created Holiness and Righteousness Aelohim Created Adam in his own Image In the Image of Aelohim Created he him And we are to put on the New man which according to God is Created in Righteousness and Holiness of Truth which is renewed unto knowledge according to the Image of him that Created him And the whole of this is still in being carefully faithfully unalterably preserved not only by Revelation in the Scriptures of Truth but also by Primitive Creation and Providential Continuation in the true Nature and in the real Existence of the things themselves All and every of the daies and Weeks that have been are and will be since the first Created Week in their ordinary revolutions and
successive courses are as the daies and week of that one Created week were At the First Creation was this Law given to Adam in respect of his humane Nature and in him given to all the World of Humane Creatures Even adversaries themselves in their Writings against the seventh-day-Sabbath have confessed that the Law given to Adam from the beginning is unalterable and therefore remains still in full force so that all men to the Worlds end are bound to yield obedience thereunto and that the Rest of the seventh-day-Sabbath was entred into from the Foundation of the World Christ himself the Creator rested the seventh day from all his works and that Aelohims resting on that Seventh-day-Sabbath doth necessarily imply Mans Resting on that day as well as Gods resting God's entring into that rest being the ground of Man's rest at the same time which they prove from Heb. 4. 3 4. The created nature of it as the seventh day and the cogent reason of it as the Weekly Sabbath-day not being peculiar to the Israelites but common to the Gentiles the Command is not proper to one of these only excluding the other but doth belong unto both the LORD 's resting on it which gave such occasion to his Blessing and Sanctifying of it has an Universal preceptive respect to Adam and to his whole Posterity it is a common Instruction and a general Command unto all men in all ages to labour in their particular callings functions and employments on those six fore-going days of the Week wherein Jehovah Aelohim made the Heavens and the Earth and to cease and rest from such labour on the seventh-seventh-day because in it He Sabbatized or rested from all his work This Law was made and it came with Authority in the beginning of the Created World and it shall continue and last to the end of the World Adam the Father of Nations and of Generations was put under the obligation of it and so are all his Off-spring from first to last throughout all Nations in all Generations Every Man has a teaching light and law of Nature which he doth carry about with and in him and is born and bred together with him There are still some reliques and remainders as dark Letters in an old Monument of those Holy Just Good and spiritual Laws of the Ten Words still to preserve and keep alive the memory of Man's first created Honour and Dignity His Rectitude and Uprightness as also for some other ends Though those seeds are corrupted now Natural right reason will teach men that seeing all men in all Nations do measure their time by Weeks and their Weeks by seven days they should besides what part they separate of their time as due unto God every day set apart one whole day of every week unto their Maker who has allowed them so liberal a portion of time wherein to provide for themselves and for their families there being no other proportion of time that can so well provide both for the worship and service of God every day as Evening and Morning of every day and every week as the whole Seventh which is the last day and also for the necessities of all Families as that which remaineth of the several six fore-going days of the Week and that is so well fitted to all functions and Callings and Employments There is that in every man who has the due exercise of his right reason that will directly answer unto this especially when compared with these created beings and more especially yet when having the advantage of Scripture-revelation The light and law of Nature when cleared up will tell men that all mens labour and motion being in order to Rest and Rest being the perfection and end of Labour into which labour and work and motion do pass that therefore the seventh which is the last day in every week is the most fit and proper whole day for a weekly religious rest unto the Creator for his Worship service and honour The natural reasonableness of this Command for observing the seventh-day-Sabbath doth suggest That Man and Beast should have his Resting-day every week The Ass that poor beast so much used to burdens and drudgery on other days must rest and the Stranger be refreshed on the weekly seventh-day-Sabbath That word in the Original which doth set our conventions for Worship to those who do understand it and who will make a diligent observation and due improvement of it would inform them that they may with their own eyes discern something of this in the motion of those Heavenly lights which would instruct men that set times of their Creator's appointing for solemn Assembling and for his instituted Service are directed to and pointed at by those Great Luminaries which the All-wise Aelohim hath set up in the Heavens As for many other good purposes so also particularly for this Great and Holy end This naturalness of the Weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath should make all the judgments and wills of grown reasonable Creatures to bend and to bow before it and should for ever stop the mouth of all gain-sayers never more to speak or write or print a word against that which is so Legible in its own created Existence Pure Primitive nature in Scripture is put sometimes for the essence of a being or for the Essential Properties of it Thus the Goddy-nature is His Essence His unchangeable Being a lively resemblance unto which communicable properties in Him such as His Wisdom Goodness Truth Holiness and such like are impartable to rational creatures especially to new creatures For otherwise as for His very Essentiality This is incommunicable to any meer Creature Hence as to Creatures Nature is put for the person or thing it self Indeed or In-truth really so For the essence and being of a Creature for that which is Concreated born with a Creature Connatural with it For that which is proper Genuine and Innate For the Natural Law particularly Aelohim will not change what He did create to be pure and good naturally essentially so It is the Seventh-days proper nature to be the Weekly-Sabbath This Seventh-day and the Weekly-Sabbath were Concreated It was so made and ordained according to pure Primitive Creation When the first pure created state of what Aelohim made was defaced by sin much of his doing in the World is to bring back to that Original purity and goodness Therefore the work of Redemption is set out by Creation and for the same reason it is called a renewed Creation So is his work of Preservation of and of Providence over his creatures So will his work of Regeneration and of Conversion still be Thus also his constituting of his Church Thus also his work of Instauration and of Renovation of the Heavens and of the Earth This work of first Creation by the creating Messiah is the rule and Standard the pattern and exemplar to which all must be brought It is as to the final cause
thereof for the glory of Aelohim The glory of Christ The good of the Elect and of the Believing The work of Creation in that one week of the Erected World was a glorious work every way perfect particularly of Man as Man That Sabbath which was thus from the beginning must still stand The first created Seventh-day-Sabbath is throughout the Scripture most natural according to the Scripture This alone and no other Day is the Sabbath in pure created Nature This Seventh in order has the natural name of Sabbath which the First second third fourth fifth and sixth have not The creation has a natural order The several works thereof having been so created in such due order in six distinct days doth carry that along with it in the very nature and order of their creation which would convince a natural conscience exercising right reason especially when the true information and clear discovery thereof is brought unto him by Scripture-revelation that the Creators wisdom doth shine forth in that order and that this self-evidencing light should be received entertained and improved with ready submission to its obliging Law which doth bind such a natural conscience to believe observe and obey it The first created time as to the weekly Sabbath was perfected and appointed in its proper prime pure and natural Created state and therefore the created order of the seven days of that one week must still keep their natural Names and so the last day of the week and no other is alone the seventh-day and the Sabbath-day Which day then cannot be altered unto a working-day Aelohim's Law must still be obeyed and his Example followed whilst Time has duration To carry the Sabbatizing rest from the seventh to the first day and the Labouring-service from the first to the seventh-seventh-day is contrary to the purest Created Nature There is not a translating either of the Work or of the Rest from one day of the week to another Aelohim would not have either of these to be separated from his from their appointed seasons It must abide to the End what was thus from the Beginning What the Holy Law of pure Nature doth confirm doth remain unmoved through all the Dispensations of Grace both of the Old and New-Testament-Administration This doth not destroy that which is pure and perfect in its natural created Being Scripture and Nature are in Harmonious Concord in this matter This seventh day is peculiarly sequestred by Aelohim for a Sabbath and has this Preeminence beyond all the rest the Vote and suffrage of Primitive Nature doth determine and conclude it to be so And what is Man that he attempts to change this Time and Law by a Devising of his own heart and to level this Honorable Day with the rest seeing it was the Institution of Aelohim in the very Forming of Created beings The Holy ends whereof were concreated uses natural and permanent for this portion of Time Which seventh day may not therefore be employed about the common ends uses and works of the six foregoing days of the Week Which six days in their order and names have their several distinct Existence as sense doth plainly demonstrate by the continued successive courses of Night and Day in their seasons At the first framing of Nature the very time it self of the seventh day was on that same day created and made an Holy Rest and was by Law and Sanction so declared The time it self of the seventh-day-Sabbath As such was and is and will be That distinct part of Time which was the object of Aelohim's blessing and sanctifying of it as the natural Weekly Sabbath to be a day of Holy Rest having Foundation in its own natural Existence This is manifestly evidenceable to every rational Man's revived nature and it is perfectly demonstrable by Scripture-revelation to every considering Believer who gives himself impartially to understand the substance and the end of Aelohim's creating of such a separated determinate portion of Time This is the true Doctrine and the Genuin meaning of the Weekly-Sabbath Man and this seventh-day-Sabbath being created in one and the same week will be coeval whilst Weeks do last They will live and stand together The fittedness of this Day was a Creating-Act The reason of which Day is of natural self-Manifestation and Obligation in which we are confirmed by Word-revelation This is the prime Make of it having its first rise with Created Nature and so is Perpetual and unchangeably fixed An Individual-Sabbath-day untransferrable to any other Day of the Week Sabbath-day and seventh-day are Connatural and Reciprocal Sabbath-worship and service must be done on the Day thereof All days of the week are not of equal accompt with God neither have they the same Honour Christ Himself hath put the Crown upon the Head of the Seventh-day and so let it enjoy its sole and lasting Royal Dignity It having a concreated Excellingness which will be and abide with it through the duration of the World A Primitive Constitution that must stand firm It is a distinct day and has a distinct word for it Thus let the Scriptural compleat Journal and its perfect Diary of that one Created Week in seven distinct days remain in its unmoveable Order And now if this Argument drawn from pure Primitive Created Nature be convincing and demonstrative let that Great Ratiocinator call to mind his Expressions I can consent saith he that all They take the seventh-day for the Sabbath who can prove it to be by meer natural evidence and in another place he thus writes This is the very hinge of all our Controversie For if this be once proved we shall easily consess that it he speaks of the Seventh-day-sabbath is not abrogated For Christ came not to abrogate any Law of Nature And further he writes That the great Laws of nature containing Man's Duty to God resulting from and manifested in our nature As related to God and in the nature of things or the works of God was still made the chief part of the Redeemer's Law So that this Law of nature whose sum is the love of God and of his Image is ever the Primitive unchangeable Law No title of this shall ever cease if Nature cease not The seventh-day thus speaks for it self and has its Creator and his word cogently pleading for it No other day of the week either in name or in nature is the Seventh-day The order of the Days is sensible from the first to the seventh He that can tell the days and knows their number understandeth that there must six go before in the same week ere he can come to the seventh A day which cannot be lost by all Mankind Will any apprehend that all and every of reasonable creatures have out slept just one whole day or more whereby this accompt is disturbed What colour is there for such an apprehension And if for Disputes sake such a groundless supposition were admitted yet the Day if thorowly searched after
man above and beyond the Fool. The Hebrews and Chaldees do set out an especial part of wisdom in Circumspection when the eyes in the Head are deligently used As Folly doth notably manifest it self in heedless walking The last instance is in Leviticus where there is the notificative prefix put before Adam which as the English Reader may find the Dutch Annotations in English do express that man which doth the same shall live by them It doth signally set out a singular excelling Adam or Man If other Scriptures be Collated that do speak of the same thing they have all and every one of them the emphatick Article The Pronoun Relative also doth directly with a strait foot lead to that same man Thus also the Greek has the prepositive Article in two several places of the New Testament where this Scripture is cited out of the Old Testament Let therefore those marks of Honour by Notes of Demonstration which the LORD hath put upon it still be worn as an Hereditary Crown set and established upon the head of the Weekly-Seventh-day-Sabbath That day of the Sabbath that day of this Sabbath As it is expressed in another Scripture It should further be considered here in a way of conâ—utation of those who would leave the appointing of Sabbath-times to the Church or State besides what has been already mentioned that the weekly Sabbath-day must be a particular known determinate Fixed standing day for all men to take notice of unchangeable in the weekly returns of it distinct from all other daies of the same week How else should there be a coming together for Jehova's solemn Instituted worship It must be such a stated constant day as that the Governours of Families might carefully and watchfully see to it that both they and their Children and Servants and the stranger within their Parts might remember to observe it That the freed Beasts might take some Natural Perception of it in whose custody soever he were kept whoever were the owner and possessor of it None but Jehovah Aelohim hath Authority to determine and to appoint this weekly sabbath-Sabbath-day Christ the Creator and Redeemer is LORD of the Sabbath and he has fixed it on the seventh the last day of the week The work of a Commanded day must be done in the day thereof on which Jehovah hath appointed it If men would expect from him acceptance of their work the word or thing we should have a word for every thing of a day must be done in his day How express are the Scriptures in this with respect to the Seventh-day-Sabbath In the Sabbath-day the seventh day-Sabbath in the weekly returns thereof there was to be the Ascension or Ascending Sacrifice of the Sabbath in his Sabbath Sabbath worship must be done on the proper day and time of it on the seventh day the last day of every week and not a day before in the same week nor a day after in another week They that will change a day from what Jehovah hath appointed do devise a day of their own Heart Jehovahs time and Law should not be Changed Sabbath-worship must be from the time of the Sabbath in his Sabbath One of the great opposers of the weekly seventh-day-Sabbath doth yet grant that Rest in the first notion of it doth include a respect to an Antecedent work or labour And that it is so every where declared And that it is vain to imagine the World was made in Six daies and those closed with a day of Rest without an especiall respect unto the obedience of rational Creatures Hereby then man in general was taught obedience and working before he entered into rest For being Created in the Image of God he was to conform himself to God As God wrought before he rested so was he to work before his Rest Thus he How then can the first day of the week be now the Resting day of that week where the Rest is made to go before the work and labour This being contrary to Greated Nature And it being a part of mans natural Created Image of Aelohim to conform unto him in working before Resting in the same week Meditation on the works as well as on the word of Christ and on Christ himself is a necessary useful duty And how can this be performed in its right proper place where the Sabbath is carried from the seventh to any other day of the week as for instance to the First day For this Computation would put the Seventh day back to the sixth day the Sixth to the Fifth day the Fifth to the Fourth day the Fourth to the Third day the third to the Second day the Second to the First day and it would set the First day forward to the Seventh quite inverting the order of the Creation and so would engage a man on the First day which was and is a working day to meditate on a sabbath-Sabbath-days priviledge and on the Creators Resting and mans Resting which was upon another day the seventh which is the last day of the week and on the Seventh day which by this wrong account is misreckoned the Sixth It would put a man upon meditating on the work of the Sixth day whereas it was Created and appointed the resting-Resting-day Thus every day would be set out of its due place And hence it is that such multitudes of namers of the Name of Christ do so little understand what the particular Created works of every day in the week are and so seldom meditate upon the peculiar works of their proper day Whereas when the seventh day closeth the week with a Sabbath day a day of Rest which is most natural then Meditation passeth naturally into Created order as to working and as to Resting To speak in propriety of speech there is but one only day in a week that is the Seventh day in the same week in orderly reckoning according to Created beings which is and must be and can be no other than the last day of the week every day has its own Peculiar proper Name And apt and â—it names are to be kept close unto especially when given by Jehovah Aelohim himself setting out the true nature and property of things This being one Testimony of his Sovereign LORDship to call persons and things by their own proper Names How else can there be a Peculiar Distinct Certain Knowledge of them Hence the Name is sometimes taken for the Person or thing thus the Name of God is put for God himself And thus the Name of Christ is put for the LORD Jesus Christ himself And what is observable the Law of Christ is by Christ himself expounded to be his Name Thus also with reference to a day the Name of the Number is sometimes inclusive of the day too It were of very profitable use if the daies of the Week were every one called by their own proper Names Is it not high time to throw
and Collated with other Scriptures For they wholly refer to another Matter and to other Sabbaths than the Flatterers of the first day do lay a wrong Claim to As for that word in the Feminin gender which they do translate First but signifieth One I have examined the Exactest * Concordances of the Greek New-Testament and I find it Seventy and nine times used there or about that number and upon a searche into all and every of the places the translation of one of the Learnedest who doth correct the Vulgar Latin Interpretation is One. I could mention more Translators if there were need only for the Information of such Readers as do understand only English the Dutch Annotators and Translators in five of those seven places forementioned in the Margin do acknowledge that the Greek word doth signifie One Only in two of the seven which yet do relate to the same Greek words they render it First without expresly mentioning the true proper significancy of the Greek word which is One which was in five other places done by them Whereby the discerning Reader may observe what their Judgment was in those other two places and no where else that I have yet found of all the rest of the Seventy and nine times do they translate it First but only in one place more I have taken care in going over every one of the particular places and I do not knowingly or willingly misreport any one Quotation The Masculin and Neuter gender of the same word whereof the sorementioned is the Feminin in their several Cases are used in the New Testament Two hundred and seventy or seventy one times As the forementioned Concordances do set them down in every one of which those words are rendred by one of the most Skilful-literal-Translators One In one place he leaves out one Clause in the Original wherein one of those words is and so he translates it not at all but leaves the Vulgar Latin Interpretation in the Margin where it is taken in and rendred One. And in another place he puts in one word for another and renders some One or a certain one for One. In all those Two hundred and seventy or seventy one places the Dutch Annotators and Translators do not in any one of all those Scriptures give this Word in either Masculin or Neuter Gender the significancy of First but always of One. No man that understands the Greek significancy of this Word can but confess if he will speak out the Truth that the Greek word is Properly Primitively One from a Verb which doth denote to be For a being is Unity As for the other word translated Sabbath Sabbaths Upon search I discover that It is used Sixty and eight times in the New Testament In every one of which places that Skilful-literal-Translator spoken of before doth render it Sabbath Sabbaths in the Singular or Plural according as the number is The Dutch Annotators and Translators do render it Sabbath Sabbaths in every one of the places according to the Greek though in Nine places they render it Week also Eight of which do relate to the matter under debate yet in every one of them acknowledging the Greek significancy in its propriety of speech to be Sabbath or Sabbaths All Lexicons and Languages that do derive it from the Hebrew do give this to be the true Genuine Primitive proper significancy of the word which the very sound of the Word doth prove to every Ear that hears it Let then the words be in the Translation as they truly really signify One of the Sabbaths Which if it were done and received as it ought to be what a Scriptureless thing would the first day of the week be discovered even by plain Understandings to be No Translation of Scripture is any further the Word of God than it doth exactly agree with the Original Those who do translate these words the first day of the week do borrow a Phrase which is meerly Talmudical and not Scriptural and it is Invented by Men not grounded upon the Word of God As the words themselves in their own sense are not at all either against the Weekly seventh-day-Sabbath or for the first day of the week as the weekly Sabbath now which is the Common pretence and the mistaken Plea So neither is the meaning of them in any of those places as they are Construed in Syntax standing in the coherence of the Text or as compared with other Scriptures Those places which are cited out of the Four Evangelists the other will be spoken to in their order do in all and in every one of them relate to the Passover-Sabbaths on one of which Christ arose from the Dead The Word of Truth doth here expresly call and name them Sabbaths and therefore we must own it that they were such to wit Sabbaths days of Holy Rest The Authority of the Scriptures should suffice upon which this Appellation doth strongly bottom All the Evangelists are express for the Passover at which time these seven Festival days were and other Scriptures in the Old Testament do agree hereto For under that former Dispensation there were other days in the year as the days of the Passover of Pentecost of Booths of the Fcast of Expiation which are called Sabbaths in express words Shadowie Figuring Typical Sabbaths they were The Weekly seventh-day-Sabbath is a natural Weekly-standing-Sabbath of a different nature from the other Consider further that the first and the last days of that Paschal-Festival are expresly called and named Holy Convocations or Convocations of Holiness So they were to be unto the Israelites They were not to do any Function of Servileneâ—s in them The same Command as to this that is given for the observation of the Weekly seventh-day-Sabbath in the Fourth Word Which doth shew that they were to be kept as Sabbaths The same thing for the Publick Worship and service they were to do To a day every one of those seven days of this Passover-Feast besides the Ascension the Burnt-Offering which was the Dayly-Sacrifice a Burnt-Offering of Continuation which was offered up every day without any intermitting The same thing also which was injoyned on the Seventh-day-Sabbath There were also all the offerings and oblations of the New Moon and somewhat more For it exceeded the sacrifices of the Feast by one Bull and a Ram. Every one of these seven days were Holy Assemblics Feasts to Jehovah and when performed aright they were the savour of his Rest The last day of this Paschal Festival is called in Hebrew a day of Restraint because though so many days together had been Sabbatized on before yet the people of God should not be weary of their priviledg but be willingly restrained one day longer from their servile Work and be retained together in the Publick Holy Assembly Thus deriving its significancy from a root that signities
of the Gospel to be expressed on this day the First day he speaks of nor to be any thing distinguished from the Night of other Days of the week So writes a Learned Man Thus we have a kind of half Holy-day set up by a Man in the room of an whole Seventh-days-weekly-Sabbath Created and Instituted by Jehovah Aelohim But what part of Time shall we reckon that Night-time to It must belong either to Working-day or Sabbath-day If to Sabbath-day-time then it is a part of the time of a sabbath-Sabbath-day If to Working-day-time then we have more time than Six working-Working-days in one Week which is contrary to Scripture-revelation and to Created Nature For the Evening is as Natural to the Created Days as the Morning The Creator Himself did some of his works in the Night As Particularly He created Darkness in the beginning of the Evening of the one Day in the first Week of the created World and the night-part of every one of the Large days and it is the Commendation of a Virtuosa-Woman that she and her Houshold do work some part of the Night Whereas we are expresly forbid to do any Work of our particular Functions on the Seventh-day-Sabbath all that kind of work is supposed to be done on the six foregoing days of the Week and I have before shewed that the Night-part as well as the Day-part belongs to the Weekly Sabbath-day And how doth this Assertion of that learned Man agree with another Affirmation of his so often repeated in that Book of his that That part of Time that is and will be accepted with God is declared and determined in the Fourth Commandment to be the seventh part of it or one day in seven If so Then how can this Learned Man and his Followers in This well groundedly expect Acceptance with God When the seventh-part of Time is not observed as the Weekly-Sabbath but one half of that Seventh part is cut off by him quite contrary unto what God has declared and determined in the Fourth Commandment This incoherence and inconsistence doth bewray the Darkness and doubtfulness that is upon the Minds and Hearts of the most Learned Opposers of the Weekly-Seventh-day-Sabbath What will become of Jehovah's Laws and Prescriptions if Men take such an Unwarranted Liberty at one blow to cut off the half of the Weekly-Sabbath contrary to the LORD's Appointments and contrary too unto their own Concessions and Assertions especially also when on this piece of a pretended Sabbath they give such a Loose to carnal Hearts as to leave any to be a Rule unto themselves for their words works and actions upon this half part of a day of Rest as if all others were Men of a Legal Spirit and were Judaizing Sabbatizers that will be exact according to the Scripture-rules of the good old way in these Matters Who sees not what an Unscriptural liberty even good men will be too prone to allow themselves if once they apprehend that this is referred unto themselves to judg Determinately of Where doth the whole Scripture leave any Man or Men to be rules unto themselves Must we not in all these Cases be Directed Determined and Judged by the Word Here again My heart would be at work in sweet thoughts and in raised affections towards a dear Redeemer who has done and suffered so much for his unworthy Creature that my Heart and Head and Hand may cease a while from giving answering Solutions to Fallacious arguings O how full how sutable a good is here Thou who readest this canst thou truly say this Redeemer is my Redeemer this Mediator hath loved me and hath given himself for me Redemption is wrought out and finished by Christ for me He will perfect it in me as well as for me All the just demands of the Father are fully satisfied by the Son of His love In the vertue of his Satisfaction and Intercession I will go to the Father and expect Audience and Assistance Acceptance and a Blessing O how well will it go with them and with their Cause who have Christ for their Advocate How sure is that Covenant of Grace which hath Christ for the Surety The Reader now may expect that I say something to that part of the Objection which doth suppose the work of Redemption to have been finished on the day of Christ's Resurrection So that He being then Gloriously Manifested to have Rested from it the Objectors think that Christ might have good cause to Honour the First day of the Week above any other day as the Weekly-Sabbath-day Here is Mens Thinking and Reasoning but the serious Inquirer doth look for Christ's Instituting and Commanding which he can never find in the Word as to the First-days being the Weekly Sabbath-day Redemption in the whole and in all and every of the parts of it and in all and every of the Fruits and effects of it I beleivingly confess praise and apply according to those growing measures of Scripture light and of saving Graces which the LORD hath graciously given me therein about this Both those great works of Jehovah-Christ Creation-work and Redemption-work are highly to be valued and one of them should not be set against the other let them both be brought in Creation-work and Redemption work too as proper matter for Meditation conference and Praise whereby the Seventh-day-Sabbath may be Celebrated and Sanctifyed in the Weekly returns of it The observationâ— of the Seventh-day-Sabbath is inforced by the Lawgiver himself to be kept holy to Jehovah by an argument drawn from salvation-Salvation-work from Redemption work The LORD Jesus Christ who is Redeemer was Creator too as I have clearly proved from self-evidencing-Scriptures It was he that Rested from his works of Creation Blessing Sanctifying and keeping the Seventh-day-Sabbath in the First week of the World Jehovah Christ as Mediator did himself at Mount Sinai Proclaim this Law of the Ten words whereof this of the Seventh-day-Sabbath is one It is he who is our one and our only Lewgiver It is he whose Voice then shook the Earth at that Mount It is he who was from his Father an Angel by delegated Office sent for this as for many other purposes to be with Moses in the Wilderness It is he who wrote this Law of the Ten words in the two Tables It is he who brought his People Israel out of Egypt and gave them this Law of the Seventh-day-sabbath It is he who came down upon that Mount attended gloriously with ten thousands of his holy Angels and promulgated this Law That Sixty Eighth Psalm doth evidently to a spiritual discerner commend Christ in his glorious Excellencies as to his wonderful person as to his wise Government and Gratious Administration particularly to the Israelites in their Journey out of Aegypt in giving them to Inherit the promised Land in confounding of their Foes all which Favours and Blessings to his Covenant people are set out to be the
this place together at least as to the full possession of that Rest If it should be pleaded by the Objectors from one of the Verses compared with other Scriptures that sound Believers do actually injoy some beginning of it here this we are perswaded of and experienced Believers are supposed in Scripture to have already somewhat of it as well as to hope for more of it here and to believe and expect their full everlasting possession of it in the heavenly Glory at the last when they have here finished that Work which the LORD sent them into the World to do and this is their every days happiness more or less as they more or less act as Believers O how often may the Spirit of a Believer be in the Heavenly Rest in one Day He may get thither into this Rest in one Holy Thought and how many of such thoughts may his thoughts be who thus doth act Faith Hope and Love aright upon this Object A sound Believer should check himself under his divertisements from this Felicity Return O my Soul to thy-my-Rests My Rests are thy Rests thy Rests are my Rests Be friendly to me and to thy self Sit down and silently Rest in Jehovah Aelohim There is an abundant entrance subministred to thee to me so to do This Epistle in one passage of this cited place do prove that Jesus or Joshuah For Joshuah or Jehoshuang in the Syriack Language and also by the Greeks denoteth a Saviour had not then given them that Rest spoken of in that Psalm referred to because then the Psalmist would not afterward have spoken of another Day and therefore that Rest which Joshuah or Jesus or Jesus by Joshuah set them in was not this Rest it self but a Type of this heavenly rest to believers for many entred into Canaan who never entred into Heaven Joshua had not given them that rest which is here spoken of So that this cannot be understood of the rest of the first day of the week as the weekly Sabbath-day seeing the Objectors do affirm though groundlesly and but pretendedly that the Captain Jesus of whom Joshuah was someways a Type gave his Disciples this first day rest Heaven is in other Scriptures set out by the Name of God's Rest This was Typified by the Ark and by the Temple and by Canaan and is plain enough spoken of in this passage to the Hebrews God's rest is in the highest Heavens there is the dwelling place of his Rest There doth Christ sit in Glory at the right hand of his Father in full perfect happy Rest where sound Believers also shall rest in and with Him For a little after this passage we are told Christ's Rest is in the Heavens in the highest Heavens the Holy of Holies So elsewhere in the same Epistle We saith he have a great High Priest who is gone thorow into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God and therefore let us hold fast our Christian profession For Christ is not entred into the Sanctuary that is made with hands which is an Antitype of the true that is of the Heavenly Sanctuary which was Figured by the other but into Heaven it self now to appear before the face of God for us with full satisfaction made to the Justice of his Father by the Sacrifice of himself offered up to his Father and with prevailing Intercession for those whom the Father gave unto him So that as his rest is divers times mentioned in this Epistle so also is Heaven often expresly mentioned besides other words that do set it out and there is likewise the phrase of thus entring in several times spoken of All these in the same Epistle which was of old under the former ministration typified by the High Priests entring into the Holiest once every year For the High Priest also was in this a Type of Christ who is called the Apostle and the High Priest of their Profession who are partakers of the Heavenly calling So that all these expressions thus put together which we do meet withal in the same Epistle do best reconcile this sense to the whole of the Epistle besides and to other Scriptures which do treat of the same Subject-matter that the entring in the Ingress into this rest is the entring into the Heavenly rest above Some beginnings of which Heavenly rest Believers do enter into here in that holy Heavenly Fellowship which they have with Jehohah Aelohim in Father Son and Holy Spirit and with the living Members of Christ's mystical Body Jesus the fore-runner being already entred into the innermost of the veil for them the Believers hope has a way of entring in there after him We have Ordinances now dispensed with more clearness Spirituality and Heavenliness then Believers under the former Administration had though they also enjoyed the same for sum and for substance yet under Types Shadows and Figures And therefore they are called Heavenly things which the pattern of Old did more darkly resemble These are not forced sences and interpretations of my own but such as are Natural and Familiar Plain and Obvious and in the express Language and literal words of the same Epistle Before I quite dismiss this about the rest I am to write somewhat about the significancy of the word Sabbatism The Greek Noun is derived from a Verb which doth signific I Sabbatize or I rest The seventy two Greek Interpreters do use the Verb in one Scripture where it doth set out the rest of the Land every seventh year they use it also in another place where it is applyed to the Seventh-day-Sabbath that being the weekly sabbatizing-Sabbatizing-day or resting-resting-day The Greek Noun in the proper significancy of the Word is an actual or active resting or Cessation from work or labour or from motion about such work and labour as is rested from a Requietion or Requiescence from this This being used in the Greek of the New Testament but once the means to come to a right apprehension of the true signification and the proper meaning of it in this place will be to examine what the Original of this Greek Word is in that Language from whence it is borrowed in the Old Testament Hebrew and what that word in the Hebrew Original doth contain and express in it How that word is used in the Scriptures from whence this Greek Noun hath its Origination as also what there is in the Context of this place in this part of the Epistle to the Hebrews about this matter enquired after What there is in that Psalm referred to here in this Epistle that may bring some light to this matter And what there is in the Word of Christ about this Phrase of Sabbath-keeping or keeping a Sabbath as the Objector doth render it It is not here unworthy of our noting That the Greek Tongue in a multitude of Words has its Origination from the Hebrew Language Its Alphabet and Letters hath its
derivation from hence What is its Alpha Beta Gamma Delta but Aleph Beth Gimel Daleth the power and force the vertue and value in the sound for the manner of pronunciation is much the same and many particular words do in their very sound declare though in some things the Greek Tongue is defective at least as now it is in use particularly in that it wants a Jod Consonant as also in that it has not an H in the middle or in the end of a word which is the reason why we so seldom meet with the Word of Words Jehovah or Jah or Ehieh in the Greek of the New Testament though the citations brought out of the Old into the New have often the word Jehovah and Jah expressed The Original of this Greek word Sabbatismos or Sabbatism is from the Hebrew word Shabbaton as the Greek Sabbaton is from the Hebrew Shabath The sound and the sense going together do enough speak this to every intelligent Man's Ear Thus in Chaldee Syriack and Arabick Shebath is a Sabbatism Shabbathon or Shabbaton which is the Original of that Greek word Sabbatismos or Sabbatism doth sometimes set out the Seventh-day-Sabbath or rest which Seventh day is expressed by this word as one of its Names and Appellations by which it is called Sometimes the first day of the seventh Moon is expressed by this word at another time the seventh year has that denomination and the day of explation also on the tenth day of the seventh Moon is so stiled The reason whereof is that these days and years were observed as Sabbaths when there was an Actual rest a cessation from Work and Labour The Context in this place of this Epistle doth evidence that what is expressed by Sabbatism in one Verse is in other Verses relating to the same matter called hy another word which is a resting reposing a cessation a rest from labour a ceasing from work Which two words much denoting one and the same thing here rest resting Sabbatism or Sabbatizing-rest are both of them in this place distinguished and severed from the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath to be observed here now Whereas the other promised is yet remaining to be enjoyed This discourse being grounded upon the ninty fifth Psalm it is observable that the word used there in the last verse is Menuchah rest quietness a quiet rest an acquiescing from Nuach he rested he was quiet he was at rest he acquiesced A place of quiet and of quiet rest in that place of the Psalm is set out by that word relating to a former passage in Moses time The Land of Canaan was a place of quiet rest when peaceably possessed by the Israelites And it was a Typical Figure of the promised rest and Sabbatism mentioned in this place of this Epistle Which word is applyed to several other things besides the weekly Sabbath As it is the word used to set out the shadowy rest in the Land of Canaan It is applyed to a Man a Man of rest It is attributed to an House an House of rest It is ascribed to Waters Waters of rest of rests and to divers things distinct and different from the weekly Sabbath-day or resting day as such As for the phrase of keeping Sabbath the Scriptures do usually add some other word unto Sabbath whereby to denote that expressiveness Such as to remember a Sabbath-day to this end of sanctifying it To sanctifie a Sabbath to keep Sabbaths to do the Sabbath and such like And some such phrases are applyed unto somewhat else besides the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath As to Sabbatize a Sabbath which was on the seventh year thus to enjoy or to accept or to will Sabbaths meaning the seventh years The next particular which I expressed that I would discover is that the He mentioned in one passage of this part of this Epistle is meant of the Believer The grounds why I so apprehend are as follow Because The tenth Verse of this fourth Chapter doth resume that which was spoken of in the third Verse in both which there is express mention made of the same rest and of the same persons in some of the same expressions where believing ones are said to enter into that rest The He is every such He as is believing and all such The ninth Verse is an inference from the sixth Verse and it hath respect unto that by a corollary he forceth the remainingness of a rest to the people of God Which rest is defined in the tenth Verse by Believers cessation from his works and this Definition is Illustrated by a collation of the example of God who then rested when he ceased from his works Seeing therefore it remaineth some to enter into that rest there remaineth therefore a Sabbatism to the people of God It must evidently follow that seeing the unperswadeable ones to whom this was first Evangelized or to whom the Gospel was first preached did not enter into the Typical rest of Canaan therefore there is a rest yet still behind which the believing people of God have a promise of entring into in the first Verse which is Typilied by that Prophetical word in the fifty ninth Psalm of which more in the next reason The Sabbatism or rest spoken of in the ninth and tenth Verses of this fourth Chapter is that which being Typified doth answer directly unto the Type thereof This Type in the eleventh Verse of the nineth fifth Psalm was the Land of Canaan which is called a rest out of which those of the Israelites who were twenty years old and upward were shut such as were unbelieving murmuring and unperswadeable who revolted from Jehovah Aelohim and in their heart returned back again into Egypt Their evil heart of unbelief made them depart from the living God Those of them who were believing as Caleb and Joshuah Caleb has a remark of He put upon him as the He eminently that had another Spirit with him and that did fulfill after Jehovah Christ and Joshuah was another such He. These and such as these did enter into that Typifying rest where after they had driven out their Enemies they enjoyed a peaceable rest and a quiet safety This Typical rest in the Land of Canaan did not Figure out a first day weekly Sabbath rest into which day as into a resting day weekly none of the Israelites either unbelieving or believing did enter upon as an Hebdomadal Sabbath But it did Typifie that rest in the better the Heavenly Countrey as is expressed in this same Epistle into which none do enter but the believing So that the He who entring into the rest of God in the tenth Verse is any one of the Believing people of God for whom the promised Sabbatism was said to be remaining in the words immediately foregoing in the ninth Verse Which also the reason brought to prove the soundness of the inference doth shew The Illative particle
Jesus the Son of God in the fourteenth Verse Neither is the parallel between the Works of the Father and the Works of the Son as if they were such different Works of a different Nature and of different Time which was not the matter under debate in the third and fourth Chapters of this Epistle as men have divided them the which what was mentioned before doth also discover For what things soever the Father doth these also doth the Son likewise Nor is the parallel between one Day of the Week and another Day of the Week and the first Day of the Week in the weehly Revolution For the to day mentioned in the Psalm and the seventh Verse doth not point out the particular first Day of the Week as distinct from the others Days of the same Week As if the Exhortation did peculiarly properly and openly belong unto that but it takes in the whole of our Day and Time wherein the sound of Christ's Voice comes unto us speaking by his Spirit in his Word from his Father every Day of the Week as appears from the thirteenth Verse of the third Chapter So that those expressions in the seventh and eighth Verses of the fourth Chapter which do speak of a certain day and of another day do set out a large providential Day a long time after the Israelites entring into Canaan the Land of Rest The Rest spoken of in the Psalm could not refer to this or the weekly Sabbath from the Worlds Creation for these were before whereas the Psalmist doth speak of a Rest that was future and yet to come as to those who were then alive As likewise it was to the Author of this Epistle and to the Believers in his Day and Time It was remaining even then A Rest a Sabbatism which was not then by him and those to whom he wrote fully entred into possessed and injoyed Though Believers so far as they had their Citizenship their Burgeship in Heaven and in the Spirit did converse with the glorious Inhabitants of the New City of that Heavenly Jerusalem did pass into somewhat of it and had some views and foretasts some beginnings and first fruits of it So that the parallel here is between Rest and Rest For as Jehovab Aelobim the Creator having finished his Works of the six foregoing Days in the first Week of the Created World did Rest on the seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath and look as the Israclites did Rest in the Land of Canaan after their labour and travel when they had peaceable quiet possession of that Land So shall believers also when they have done their generation-Generation-work and have finished the Work of their Day and Time in doing and in suffering the whole Will of our LORD have and injoyed a Rest a Sabbatism which will be fully compleated in that better Heavenly Country And so also is the parallel between entring or not entring into the typical Rest in the Land of Canaan and entring or not entring into that Rest which was typified thereby which was not a First-Day Rest as is pretended but the Heavenly Eternal Rest This parallel is held forth in the eleventh eighteenth and nineteenth Verses of the third Chapter and in the first third sixth tenth and eleventh Verses of the fourth Chapter And the parallel further holds between Believers and Unbelievers in the passage towards or entrance or not entrance into the Land of Canaan the Land of Canaan the Land of Typical Rest according as they were perswadable and obedient or not And Believers or Unbelievers since the time of that Psalm which I therefore mention because it is the Foundation of the Discourse in this place to the Hebrews and particularly at the time when the Author of this Epistle did write wherein all Ages since and those after us are also concerned For even these also according as they are found perswadable and obedient or not so shall they either enter into or come short of this typified promised Rest As it was in the Prophet David's time the offer of Grace as to the Promised Rest was made to the Israelites for this same Gospel was published unto them under that Ministration of Grace as unto us now under the present Dispensation of Grace in the second and third Verses of the fourth Chapter The Doctrine of Salvation by Faith in the Messiah being the Doctrine in David's time and in Moses Days and long enough before him and those of them who were believing obedient and perswadable in the sixth and seventh and eleventh Verses of that Psalm So that there was in part a fulfilling of this in David's time both as to the threatning part upon the unbelieving impenitent and disobedint dying away such and as to the promising part as to the believing repenting and obeying ones who died in the Faith And therefore it cannot be understood of the First Day of the Week in opposition to the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath as is pretended there being nothing at all of any such observation of the First Day in David's time And the same Gospel was published unto those in the time of the Author of this Epistle in the second Verse of the fourth Chapter even as unto the Israelites before and it had a further fulfilling than in that Authors time in the third Verse of the fourth Chapter and it still has and will have as the Exhortations do prevail in the first sixth seventh twelfth thirteenth fourteenth and fifteenth Verses of the third Chapter and the first third eleventh fourteenth and sixteenth Verses of the fourth Chapter The Works that Believers are said to Rest from in the tenth Verse of the fourth Chapter are according to Scripture-phrase and meaning elsewhere their labours Believers shall Rest from their labours from the labours of their particular Functions and Callings wherein they were exercised in their life time here and as for their labour in the LORD whilst they were here in which time they did abound in the Work of their LORD as also for their labour of Love in all their suffering as well as doing for Christ Believers will have satisfaction and complacency sweetness and delight in such works as these are though above in the heavenly Rest they will be wholly for ever free from sufferings as also from all corrupt mixtures and defectivenesses which were their sorrow grief and trouble here which they much laboured under where the Tempter shall no more assault them There is a Rest promised to Believers evidently and expresly in the first third and eleventh Verses of this fourth Chapter not now to mention other Verses in this passage of this Epistle which the Objector doth causlesly and groundlesly controvert And Rest is a cessation from such Labour and Work as into which that Labour and Rest doth pass which Rest in the better heavenly Country is so far from being unsuitable to the purpose of the Author of this Epistle that it is the main drift and scope of his arguing in the
third and sourth Chapters to exhort the Christianized professing Hebrews to take great heed lest they were shut out of it by their unbelief unperswadableness and disobedience as the unbelieving unperswadable and disobedient of old amongst the Israelities did not enter into the Land of Canaan which was a Type of this Rest The parallel of the As the Believers resting from his Works as God Christ God man rested from his Works holds here exactly enough in the sense of this Objector himself For he affirms that in the tenth Verse of the fourth Chapter of this Epistle and in his expression upon it that the Works which Christ did rest from were all that he did and suffered from his Incarnation to his Resurrection as the Mediator of the Covenant with all the Fruits Effects and Consequents of what he so did and suffered as belong to these Works And so shall Believers Rest when they shall pass into Glory from what they did and suffered for Christ here As Christ shall suffer no more and dye no more so Believers shall suffer no more dye no more when once raised as Christ is risen As Christ so ceased from Working as yet to continue the Work of his Grace in the preservation of the New Creature and orderly increase and propagation of it by the Spirit so shall Believers so cease from this working here as yet to continue in the full supplies of the holy Spirit for ever in the acting of Grace perfected in Glory in the freest largest exercising and putting forth thereof according to the capacities and powers of the New Creature when thus growing up to it s well proportioned measure of a perfect man keeping the New Creature by a Power received from Christ in its due order and putting it forth to the Glory of Jehovah Aelohim As Christ so Rested from his Works as to take Refreshment in his Works to have satisfaction and complacency in them as those which did set forth his praise and did satisfie his glorious design Thus Believers so far are delighted with what they have done and suffered for Christ as the Father is delighted and pleased in what his holy Spirit through Christ has in wrought in them and inabled them to Work for the setting forth of his Praise and for the promoting of his Glorious Design in the World whilst they were in it and so far they were conformed here to Christ in their doing and suffering here for Christ who will be their Eternal Righteousness even in Glory though they own nothing in any or in all their own Works as Meritorious of Reward or satisfactory to Divine Justice these being the Works of Christ the Mediator by his alone All-suffering Sacrifice So that here is a fair apt resemblance as to Works and as to Rest They do answer each other so far as Believers have a capacity in a way of similitude And this kind of doing and of suffering doth last as long as a Believers life doth last even upon the Seventh-day Sabbath in their weekly Returns according to the Duties of those Days as Christ's doing and suffering did last as long as his life did last even upon the Seventh-day Sabbath There is a Sabbath-service which a Believer is to do for Christ in Obedience to his Command and men of persecuting spirits will be laying on of crosses upon the Believer for his thus keeping the Seventh-day Sabbath holy to Jehovah though a Believer will rejoyce in such sufferings for Christ Only here the Reader may take notice that this Objector doth lay the foundation of his Sabbatizing on the Morning of the First Day of the Week when he supposeth that Christ by his then first rising from the dead did lay and perfect the Foundation of the New Creation I desire that this may be considered How can a serious inquiring spirit be satisfied from the Objectors arguing concerning a weekly-Weekly-day of Rest or Sabbath from Sun-rising to Sun-set of that First Day by an Argument drawn from Christs ceasing from his Works of Redemption on that Morning as he affirms when withal he doth acknowledge that Christ works did continue from his Inearnation to his Resurrection without any interruption never ceasing from it all the First Days of his Life Can a weekly half-half-day of resting from work be demonstratively inforced upon a rational intellect from three and thirty years continued working without any cessation from that working For that is the shortest time assigned to Christ's abode here on Earth though some do reckon more years than three and thirty The Creation of the World was finished in six Days which did lay the foundation of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath both in Word and Nature to continue every Week As a Law Rule and Pattern for man's working the six foregoing Days and for his resting on the Seventh which is the last Day of the Week Whereas now this Objector would urge upon our consciences a weekly observing of half a Day as a weekly Day of Rest or Sabbath from a continued Work thirty years out-right if not more The Conjunction For in the tenth verse of the fourth Chapter comes next to be searthed into This word doth set out a further Reason of the Conclusion which the Author of this Epistle had drawn from that Psalm and the Parallels which I mentioned before which was in the Sixth and Ninth Verses of the fourth Chapter that there was yet remaining a Sabbatism for the people of God For as God did work and then Rested from His Labors so must Believers work here which when they have finished they also shall Rest from their Labors For is a word which hath such a Syllogistical sense by which often the Reason of a thing is rendred by a Causal Rationality As also in other Languages There are such Conjunctions Rational Sometimes it sets out such a Probation as is by way of Special Declaration of that which before was spoken of in a more general position other times it is a rational transition of another Member of two or of more things propounded Sometimes it is a rational repeating of a Sentence begun a little before and it doth absolve and complete it though by another manner of Speech to mention no more Still it is a Rational All which do well agree here The Believing Israelites had their Work and Labour and then their Rest ensued thereupon when they entred into the Typical Land of Promised Rest and quietly enjoyed it when they had subdued their Enemies And so shall Believers after their Working-Labouring-Season is over here enter into that Promised Rest of which the other was a Type So did Believers who died in the Faith under the Old Testament-dispensation of Grace So do Believers now who so live and so die And so will Believers in the Ages after us As for the Import of the change of the Number from the Plural to the Singular which the Objector would fetch about to his own purpose thus The
was the Israelites called therefore the Region of the Fathers of the Israelites and the Land of the Hebrews The place which Abraham was to receive for an Inheritance The Inheritance of the Jews If there were need to to heap together many Scriptures about this how often is it set out by the Land of Promise or the promised Land or the Promises Or the Land which Aelohim sware to give to Abraham to Isaae to Jacob which Aelohim gave to his people for a possession and such like And this Canaan was also called The Inheritance of Aelohim This is called the place of Rest Jerusalem was more especially the Rest there More expresly yet it is said concerning the Typical Land that Canaan and the Rest there was a Type of this promised Rest in this place to the Hebrews brought out of the ninty fifth Psalm that this Land should enjoy her Sabbaths and that this Land should Rest and enjoy her Sabbaths Whereas it did not so Rest in their Sabbaths your Sabbaths they were theirs when the sinning Israelites dwelt upon it So also they are called her Sabbaths or Rests The Sabbaths of that Land when it was every seven years to have rested from Tillage and such Labour and Work And again your Sabbaths Your Ye shall Rest your Sabbaths speaking of the Typical Expiation-day-Sabbath it was their Rest Thus of Jerusalem of the Inhabitants thereof the Jews who had dwelt there It is said of them under their Babylonish Captivity that The Adversaries did mock at her Sabbaths Her the like is elsewhere I saith Jehovah will make to cease her Sabbath Her So that the Scriptures do affirm that the Rest or Sabbath was that Land's own Rest and it was the Israelites own Rest given of Jehovah And it is called Jehova's Rest too This is my Rest whatever this Objector doth suggest to the contrary And as for the beginnings of this Rest here Believers have and enjoyed it as theirs Thus the Psalmist bespeaks his soul My soul return unto Thy. My Rest It was his soul's and so his own Rest And thus in the New Testament comers to Christ do find Rest to their Souls It is their Souls Rest A Rest given to them of Christ Who is gone before to His Father's House to prepare Mansions for His thorow Disciples there in their Resting-Place which He has taken Actual Possession of in their Name that He and they may be together in Holy Happy Rest In the mean while He has given and left His Peace with them that their hearts might Rest in Him and when their time is come they shall Rest from their Labours with Him in Glory And now let the Reader with me make out after this remaining Sabbatism that this Promised Rest may be ours that we may not so much as seem to come short of it Then and there will be a Sabbatizing a ceasing as from much other Labour and Work so from these Strifes and Disputations The perfectly sanctified Spirit of Just men will come fully home to its Rest sitting down in Glory enjoying Christ and Rest in Him O the Blessedness of such O happy we and O happy our Progresses our goings on with a streight foot towards this if we be such believing obeying perswadable ones as shall enter into this Rest If the Reader be one who hath met with this Objector's arguing against the Seventh Day Sabbath it may be he would willingly have somewhat returned in Answer yet further unto some Grounds on which that learned Adversary doth lay the pretended change of the Weekly-Sabbath-Day from the Seventh to the First day I shall therefore transcribe what is written about this God saith he had of old determined the Renovation of All by a new Creation a new Law of that Creation a new Covenant and a new Sabbatical Rest unto His own Glory by Jesus Christ The Renovation of all things by Jesus Christ is prophesied of and foretold as a new Creation of All even of the Heavens and of the Earth and all things contained in them Isai 65. 17 18. and 66. 22. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Hence the State of things to be introduced thereby was under the Old Testament called the World to come Heb. 2. 5. In the Prophety of the New Temple or Church-state in those Days there is Especial Direction given for the Service of the Sabbath-Day Ezek. 46. 4. This Renovation of all things is said accordingly to be accomplished in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 17 18. Old things are passed away Behold all things are become New The Old Law Old Covenant Old Worship Old Sabbath all that was peculiar unto the Covenant of Works as such in the first Institution of it and its renewed Declaration on Mount Sinai all are gone and antiquated The Moral Law materially the same is now the Rule of our Obedience not merely and absolutely unto God as the Creator the First Cause and Last End of All But as unto God in Christ bringing of us into a New Relation unto Himself There is now a New Covenant part of the New Creation Jerem. 31. 32. Heb. 8. 9. No man can assert the same day of Rest precisely the Seventh-Day to abide as of old but he must likewise assert the same Law the same Covenant the same Rest of God the same way of Entring into it which yet as all acknowledge are changed On this we lay the Observation of the LORD's Day under the New Testament or a new Work of Creation Isai 65. 17. 66. 22 23. 2 Pet 3. 13. Rev. 21. 1. Rom. 8. 19 20. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. Or a Work of new Creation is undertaken and compleated This new Creation is accompanied with a new Law and a new Covenant or the Law of Faith and the Covenant of Grace Rom. 3. 27. 8. 2 3. 4. Jer. 31. 32 33 34. Heb. 8. 8-13 Vnto this Law and Covenant a day of Holy Rest unto the LORD doth belong which cannot be the same day with the former no more than it is the same Law or the same Covenant which were Originally given unto us Heb. 4. 9. Rev. 1. 10. This Day was limited and determined to the first day of the Week by our LORD Jesus Christ Thus this Objector In my reply to this after two premises I am to shew that this new Heaven and this new Earth spoken of in Prophetical Scripture This Renovation by a new Creation is not so finished and compleated but that it is yet to come in the largest fulfilling and accomplishing of it That there was a Covenant of Grace under the Old Testament Administration that the new Worship was Typically signified in the figuring pattern of old That the Law of Faith was a Law under the Old Testament dispensation That the old Law of the ten words is still the same It was the rule of obedience to them under the Old Testament as unto God in Christ and is still
great Church Assembly did he not teach in that Sermon of his at the Mount the same true Christian Doctrine which was delivered of old to his faithful Messengers from him the which to bring to his people And did he not vindicate the verity and purity of it from those corrupt wrong Interpretations that false Teachers had given of it Did not Christ who lay in the bosom of his Father declare and reveal the whole of the Will of his Father under that former dispensation of Grace so far as concerned that Dispensation And is it not one and the same Will still the difference in the manner of dispensing only well observed Were not they then taught all things and all Truths whatsoever that were necessary to Salvation Were not they fully and perfectly directed the true right way to Eternal Life Were not they strictly charged from Christ by his Servant Moses not to add to the words that he gave them in commandment nor to take from them And must not that Word then be a complete Directory and comprehensive sum of all Doctrinals as well as of other matters O who will give that this Word of Christ may ind wel in us copiously abundantly in all Wisdom O let it not stand as a stranger without doors but let us receive it in and find a place for it in our inmost parts That it may be as well known and familiar to us as the most dear delightful companions and the most near beloved Relations with whom we dwell and converse Let us be well acquainted with the whole of it and diligently compare it in the several parts of it Be we much and mighty in the Scriptures of both the Prophets and also of the Apostles receiving the whole as a Doctrine revealed from Heaven by Christ O that this were more found in our Hearts and Minds In our Memory and Conscience in our Wills and Affections That all the good Fruits thereof may abound and be more visible in the whole of our Life There we may learn all saving Wisdom There is the perfect Knowledge to be had of all things to be both believed and done that Eternal Life may be obtained There are Universal Principles of this Law of the ten Words which do pertain to Faith and Manners and these Practical Dictates which every one of these Laws doth include is a Fundamental Truth and Doctrine necessary to be believed as that we must have Jehovah Aelohim for our God and him alone that we must worship him according to his Institutions in his Word and not in any other way of Humane Inventing and imposing that we ought to have an holy reverent use of his Name That the Seventh day is his Sabbath in which we may not do the servile works of our particular calling that the Father and Mother are to be honoured and so of the rest Whoever doth believe the contrary to these is guilty of erring in Decalogical Fundamentals Have I not already demonstrated and proved by the whole Scriptures those great Doctrines concerning the Jehovahship the Christship the Mediatorship the Lordship the Lawgivership the Creatorship of the LORD Jesus Christ Would the Reader have more Doctrines thus manifested The Doctrine of Regeneration was preached of old The first Creation of Man was an exact Patten and a lively Samplar of this when man was made in the Image according to the likeness of his Makers he having a concreated resemblance unto his Creators in Knowledge in Righteousness in Holiness in Dominion in Glory this was defaced by the Fall of Man and is again restored to Sons and Daughters of God in Spiritual Recreation which is a new man renewed unto acknowledgement according to the Image of him who created him in Righteousness and Holiness of Truth As Paul doth speak David acknowledgeth in the Book of Psalms that a new heart is Creation-work So glorious and excelling a piece as that it is the making of a new World of Men and of Women A Work that none but the Almighty-creating power can do and therefore all the Honour and Glory of it must be given to him alone This is the humble confession called for Know ye that Jehovah he God he made us and not we his people and sheep of his pasture This is variously expressed in the Old Testament in very significant Words Moses sets it out by the circumcision of the heart So doth Jeremiah David by Creation and Renovation Isaiah by Jahovah's creating a people for his Glory for his Forming of them or Framing them anew by the Spirit of Regeneration Ezekiel by a Resurrection a Life from the Dead he calleth it a new Heart a new Spirit an Heart of flesh Jehova's giving of his Spirit in the innermost of the Covenant-people The Prophets often by conversion or turning from sin to Jehovah Aelohim What Spiritual Discerner doth not here see the same Doctrine which Christ preached to Nicodemus when he discovered to him the necessity of being born again from above otherwise there could be no seeing no entring into the Kingdom of God Affirming once and again and the third time that this must be Which when this great Doctor understood not what this Spiritual Regeneration was what that was which was born of the Spirit The LORD Christ reproves him for and convinceth him of his Ignorance Art thou a Teacher in Israel and knowest thou not these things Whereby he evidently shews that this was no such new unheard of Doctrine before but the same that was taught in Moses's Book and by the Prophets Wouldst thou be led to some other great Truth Consider that Doctrine about Justification Hath not Habakkuk declared that The Righteous by faith he shall live And is not this three if not four several times mentioned in the New Testament Hath not Paul confirmed the same shewing that The Righteousness without the Law only by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe hath testimony from the Law and the Prophets Doth not Jeremiah call Christ by this name Jehovah-tzidkenu Our Righteousness Did not Noah preach the same true sound Doctrine Was not that which was said of Abraham that He believed and it was imputed to him for Righteousness Was not this written not for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for our sakes also to whom it shall be imputed even to them that believe in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered over for our sins and was raised up for our Justification Were not Believers of old well instructed in the Doctrine of free Remission of sins O how kindly was David's heart affected herewith when he tasted the sweetness and enjoyed the good of this Truth O the blessedness the happy goings on of him whose trespass is forgiven whose sin is covered O how Blessed the man to whom Jehovah imputeth no iniquity and in whose spirit no deceit Thou O
ground and evidence enough in the things themselves thus made and Light and Reason enough in the Humane Intellect of Rational Beings to discern and to improve this to the very same ends Both these had Primitive concreated self-evidence however sin now have darkned and defaced things The indication of these Duties were at the first true real sufficient Some worn Letters of which original Ingraving are yet still remaining to be read These Laws resulting from the Humane Nature and from that Relation which created Man doth stand in to his creating Maker The Obligation which doth arise from hence must continue as long as the Humane Nature doth continue For it is Essential to our Formation and constitution as we are reasonable men and women and so is unchangeably binding And he that would make any one Law of pure primitive Nature alterable doth thereby though it may be not designedly yet eventually heave at the overturning of all the Laws of Nature This Primigenial Holiness and Righteousness in created Man bearing exact conformity to the holy Righteous Nature of creating Aelobim And Christ's coming was not to dissolve any one Law of the Decalogue or any thing of the Obligation to any Law therein but to maintain these Laws and their obliging All mankind brought under convincing demonstrations from distinguishing taste of the difference of good and of evil should acknowledge all and every of those holy just and good Laws to have a clear congruity to their Natures Who of all mankind that has the due exercise of rational abilities but must acknowledge that we ought to love the LORD our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and to love our neighbour as our selves On which two Commandments hang all the Laws and the Prophets For which we have the Authority of the LORD Jesus Christ himself He being the Law-giver and Law-Interpreter too Further yet People in some Scriptures are the Elect and Believers Whether of Jews or of Gentiles Who are also absolutely called People The Nations which shall be converted to the Faith of the Gospel renouncing Antichrist and his corrupt principles and practices are some of this people These both under the Old and New Testament Administration had this Law of the ten Words written not only in the Scripture Revelation but also on the two Tables of the Mind and Heart by the holy Spirit Thus is the Law of the ten Words specially and distinguishingly given to new Creatures and thus it will be renewed in the purer Churches in the later Days In this sense the Rule and Direction for renewed Holiness and for the Works and Duties of Grace and of Sanctification is called The new Law or Commandment the same with the Old only renewed Next of Ceremonials These are sometimes called The Law of Degrees placed in external Rites and by some such other Expressions These Rites were used about outward fleshie things such as Meats Drinks Washings and the like These so far as they were Typical Figuring and Representative of a Christ who was then to come to be born of a Virgin and to shed his blood were perfected and accomplished in Christ when he was so born and had so suffered was risen and had ascended And they did peculiarly belong to the People under the former dispensation Of this nature were some Ceremonies annexed to the Weekly-seventh-day Sabbath By these holy rites the Church and People of God under that administration were differenced and discerned as a People holy to God distinct from other prophane Nations An Old Testament Ceremonie is set out in Scripture by Flesh a carnal Ordinance an hand-writing of death an Element of the World weak and egene an Exemplar of Heavenly things unstable An Intolerable Yoak A shadow and such like Which are not properly applicable to the Seventh-day-Sabbath as such If any say it is an Exemplar of the Sabbatism in Heaven and so a Ceremonious Type Let then the Type stand as I have said till we can come at the Antitype Ceremonies sometimes do set out the inward spiritual things Graces Duties Priviledges which they did signify and teach A Ceremonie has been and is a Sign of somewhat that is natural and so they have been annexed to natural Spiritual Duties As Evening and Morning worshipping of God had divers Ceremonial Observances So the Weekly-Seventh-day-Sabbath Thus for Parents to give up themselves their Sons and Daughters to God is a natural dutie Yet this duty has Baptism even now under the new Testament-Ministration annexed to it Those things which are still of a concreated Spiritual Nature Were are and will be a duty The Epistle to the Hebrews is a Gospel-Exposition hereupon Though Multitudes of these Ceremonies were superadded to the Law of the ten Words as an Evangelical Explanation and Interpretation of them yet this doth not alter the true real nature of any of these ten words which are always a standing unalterable Rule of holy Righteous living As for the giving of this Law of the Ten words If this Law be considered As promulgated and proclaimed at Mount Sinai by Jehovah Aelohim thus there was somewhat in it which was a peculiar gift to the Israelitish Church and those who were proselyted to it beyond any other People As for the time when he brought them out of Egyptian bondage so for the place the Desert Jehovah gave them this in their Wildernesses condition At Mount Horeb or Mount Sinai in an Enemies Land that of the Amorites and of the Moabites Thus also For the persons They were those of that age who were then alive at that place who understood the Hebrew to whom He gave this Law So for the subservient Administrator by whose hand Jehovah Christ gave this Law to them Who was Moses there was Moses's a Ministery used in it Hence it is called the Law of Moses Moses wrote this Law in a Book Also for the manner of proclaiming With Trumpet Thunder Fire Audible Immediate voice of Aebolim himself and such like And thus too for the solemn imbodying of an whole nation into a Church-state These and some such other like were the peculiar Circumstances of that Promulgation in that day Yet is the Law still the same now The LORD Jesus Christ doth speak unto us even now in this Law of the ten Words What God did speak unto Moses He spake unto others in the days of Christs flesh when born of the Virgin Mary which was hundreds of Years after And these ten Words were written unto us If this Law be considered as the Law of nature so it was given to all mankind in Representative Adam As I have declared If it be looked on as Inwritten in the mind and Heart of the Regenerate by the Holy Spirit Thus it is peculiarly given to new Creatures As also I have manifested Thus I have laboured to clear and to
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ΣΑΒΒΑΤΙΚΗ ΗΜΕΡΑ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septima dies Dies Desiderabilis SABBATUM JEHOVAE The Seventh-Day-Sabbath the Desirable-Day The closing completing DAY of that FIRST Created Week WHICH Was is and will be the just Measure of all succeeding Weeks in their successive Courses BOTH For Working in the six foregoing DAYS and for Rest in the Seventh which is the Last Day by an unchangeable LAW of well-established Order Both in the REVEALED WORD AND IN CREATED NATURE The SECOND PART By FRANCIS BAMPFIELD Printed in the Year 1677. THE SUMMARY CONTENTS OF THE Second Part OF THIS TREATISE ATransition from the First to the Second Part Page 1 2 3 Of the Seventh-Day p. 3 4 Q. Whether the Seventh-day which is the last Day in every Week in the weekly Revolutions and orderly Returns thereof have been from the Beginning and so continued to be all the Old Testament-administration of Grace thorow and be so under the New Testament dispensation of Grace all along to this Age of the Church and will be so to the End of the World the weekly Sabbath day 4 The Answer at large given to this Inquiry is in the Affirmative that it is so from 4 to 149 Vnder this Answer are divers particular useful Truths and Duties opened As that the Seventh-day was Created for to be the weekly Sabbath the last day of the week being that Seventh and no other day of the week so Thus it was in the Primitive Creation 4 5 6 7 Which matter is resolved into a Scripture Determination 4 5 6 7 That all the Reasons which Jehovah Aelohim doth give for the due Observation of a weekly Sabbath do belong to to the Seventh which is the last day in every week and to no other day of the week as such 7 8 9 10 That Aelohim rested from his Works of the foregoing six days of the week on the Seventh day as the weekly Sabbath-day Which Seventh day Sabbath righteousness in Christ is that Righteousness which a Believer is to apply himself to cover his Sabbath-unrighteousness 7 8 That Aelohim Blessed the Seventh which is the last day in the week that and that only and no other day of the week as the weekly Sabbath day 8 9 That Aelohim sanctified the Seventh which is the last day in the week that and that only and no other day of the week as the weekly Sabbath-day 9 10 That all the Scriptures thorow where the Holy Spirit doth speak of a weekly Sabbath-day there the name and thing of a weekly Sabbath is given only to the Seventh which is the last day in the week in the weekly Revolutions and successive Courses of it and to no other day of the week as a weekly Sabbath-day Page 10 11 That no Command is given for the observation of any other day in the week as the weekly Sabbath-day but only of the Seventh which is the last day in the week in the weekly returns of it 11 to 15 Where is also further discovered that pretended unwritten Institutions for a First-day weekly Sabbath are a false deceitful wrong cooked rule which we may neither measure nor walk by 12 13 That Christ as Mediator had it not in Commission from his Father to change the weekly Sabbath-day from the Seventh to the First 13 14 15 That there is no Promise made to the observing of any other day in the week as the weekly Sabbath-day but only of the Seventh-day which is the last day in the week in the weekly returns of it 15 16 That there is no threatning all the Scriptures thorow either denounced against or executed upon any that shall not observe any other day in the week as a weekly Sabbath-day but only against and upon such as will not observe the Seventh-day which is the last day in every week 16 to 19 That Aelohim bath put this weekly Seventh-day Sabbath into Created Nature by a standing unchangeable Law 19 20 21 22 Here is declared what is meant by Nature in Scripture 20 21 22 Where also seeing it is called for by some as an argument to men is disoovered That this particular Seventh-day which we now count to be the last day of the week is the Seventh-day by the Judgement and Tradition of such Historical Records as many are so fond of although we do bottom our judgment and practice upon Scripture Revelation and created Nature 22 23 24 25 Objections against this Seventh-day Sabbath are answered from 25 to 147 Here is proved that it was not a seventh part of weekly time or a seventh day But the Seventh-day the last day in every week this and this only is the weekly Sabbath-day having a special honour put upon it by Aelohim himself by notes of Demonstration by particles by pronouns by praepositions all significant in their places to point out the Seventh-day to be the only certain known determinate fixed particular unchangeable day of the weekly Sabbath where the emphatickness of the Hebrew Ha is asserted 25 to 33 It is further evidenced that what is in the English Transsation in seven places of the New Testament the first day of the week is in every one of them in the Greek one of the Sabbaths in propriety of speech and so its colourable pretence for a First day weekly Sabbath is convincingly reprehended as Scriptureless from 33 to 45 That five of these seven places mentioned in the four Evangelists relate to the Paschal Sabbaths and not to the weekly Sabbath 33 to 41 That Believers in the times of Christ and of his Apostles before the New Testament was written could find nothing in all their Scriptures of the Old Testament for a pretended First day Sabbath 32 33 That in one place where it is The first of the Sabbath this speaks nothing to any change of the weekly Sabbath from the Seventh to the First day but has a quite another meaning both in the significancy and in the intendment of that phrase 35 36. 37 38 That the weekly Sabbath under the New Testament is not barely or no more than an half-holy-half-holy-day between Sun rising and Sun set but that it is an whole seventh-Seventh-day from Evening to Evening 38 That Christ's Redemption Work as well as his Creation Work has established the Seventh-day to be still the weekly Sabbath day 39 40 That Acts 20. 7. is no firm ground to bottom the pretended First day Sabbath upon 41 42 43 Neither is 1 Cor. 16. 2. 43 44 That the eleven Disciples did not meet on Christs Resurrection Day as a newweekly Sabbath day in memory of that Rising 45 That the weekly Sabbath under the new Dispensation is not left so much in the dark and deep as some pretend but is clearly the Seventh-day in the plain Precept as of old 46 47 That the true stating of the Matter of right in this Question about the weekly Sabbath doth not depend upon Ecclesiastical History Page 47 to p. 62 That mens cause of
40. r. doth speak of f. by Faith in Grace p. 122. l. 41. strike out that f. to fame p. 123. l. 44. r. to fame f. order lines p. 125. l. 38. r. orderlyness f. not the law p. 126. l. 11. r. the law f. do these p. 126. l. 14. do not these f also it is p. 126. l. 16. r. was it f. this of p. 126. l. 28. r. this Duty of f. to the the p. 127. l. 9. r. to the. f. strenthen for p. 127. l. 13. r. strengthen them for f. bringing p. 127. l. 15. r. hindering f. Christ's p. 129. l. 19. r. Christ f. this of p. 127. l. 51. r. this law of f. and twentieth p. 128. l. 6. r. and two and twentieth f. or p. 128. l. 7. r. and. f. the thirty p. 128. l. 14. r. the end of the thirty f. Truth p. 128. l. 19. r. Truths f. words written p. 128. l. 51. r. words were written f. 5. 30. p. 130. l. 12. r. 5. 13. f. Mat. 23. p. 130. l. 17. r. Mat. 7. 23. f. obliged p. 130. l. 23. r judged f. Second he p. 130. l. 31. r. Second word he f. words p. 130. l. 33. r. word f. according to p. 130. l. 34. r. against f. continud p. 130. l. 45. r. continued f. there p. 130. l. 46. r. their f. and dangerous p. 130. l. 47. r. and how dangerous f. must an p. 130. l. 52. r. must be an f. heat p. 131. l. 30. r. heart f. Postery p. 131. l. 37. r. Posterity f. Judgement p. 131. l. 48. r. Judgements f. Novelties p. 132. l. 13. r. Notices f. observed p. 132. l. 20. r. obliterated f. Second p. 132. l. 26. r. sound f. men a p. 132. l. 33. r. men besides children but a great mixture also a. f. of Mount Sinai also doth shew p. 132. l. 40 41. r. of Mount Sinai also doth shew f. their p. 132. l. 49. r. there f. when p. 133. l. 23. r. whom f. and other the Kingdom p. 133. l. 23. r. and over the Kingdoms f. not Jerusalem p. 133. l. 28. r. not only Jerusalem f. to that p. 134. l. 53. r. so that f. word p. 135. l. 20. r. words f. and to preach p. 135. l. 24. r. when he came to preach f. creature p. 135. l. 32. r. creatures f. preaching and uniting to p. 135. l. 33. r. Preaching and Prophetying to f. Prophets of p. 136. l 4. r. Prophets under f. under the Apostles of p. 136. l. 6. of the Apostles under f. the Principle p. 136. l. 21. r. the Principal f. expressions p. 136. l. 43. r. impressions f. thus in to p. 137. l. 21. r. thus into f. not for p. 137. l. 22. r. not only for f. their Scriptural p. 137. l. 36. r. this Scriptural f. calenders p. 137. l. 40. r. contradicters f. Jehovah's time p. 139. l. 31. r. Jehoshuah's time f. Moah p. 139. l. 39. r. Noah f. because Israels p. 140. l. 11. r. because of Israels f. acknowledge p. 140. l. 43. r. acknowledgeth f. Permen p. 140. l. 46. r. Penman f. charge p. 140. l. 48. r. change f. the proof p. 142. l. 57. r. for the proof f. proomise p. 345. l. 21. r. Promise f. it s p. 145. l. 34. r. it f. threatning p. 146. l. 15. r. threatnings f. circumstance p. 148. l. 40. r. circumstances f. but are p. 148. 41. r. but what are A TRANSITION FROM THE FIRST to the SECOND PART IN this inquiringly-spirited Age wherein there are such high Pretendings and costly attempts and industrious diligences used to meâ—â—orate Philosophy by experimental Disquisitions putting other kinds of Learning upon some natural Advance that Arts may be more artful and Sciences may be more Scientifick there is the louder Call given forth to the ingenious Professors of the Christian Religion to be upon a spiritual improve of those excelling Knowledges of this Art of Arts and Science of Sciences which has treasured up in it the most both mysterious secrets deep skills and useful discoveries Are other Talents traded withal and shall this be napkin'd up Give me a man who has attained to an eminent degree and is still continuedly reaching after and pressing towards larger measures of practical skilfulness how to live over believed Truths how to improve Scripture-Convictions how to fill up Christian Duties how to act sanctifying Graces how to mortifie Corruptions how to overcome Temptations how to exercise spiritual Senses how to bear crosses how to enjoy priviledges how to carry on and to order all the affairs of his particular lawful Calling in a Scripture-way for Kind for Principles for Rule and for Ends how to grow up into the later-day-Glory how to walk with God how to have distinct fellowship with the Father as the Father with his Son Jesus Christ the Mediator as such with the Holy Spirit as the Holy Spirit in their several Offices and Relations how to pass into such a mystical membership as may be an Heaven upon earth how to manifest and evidence an universal-growing holy-Conformity both in knowledg and in obedience to an whole Christ and to the whole Word of Christ in short how to be really a thorow Disciple of the LORD Jesus daily perfecting his Christianity bring me such a one and he shall be the wise man with me whilst the vain affecters of humane wisdom may not expect to be advanced to such a degree in this religious School of Christian Learning In the First Part of my endeavours to promote Scripture-knowledges I went over the Journal or Diary of the first created week so far as to the end of the sixth day culling out some few particular choice instances of Aelohims works in each of those six foregoing days of that week reducing them to their true proper pure primitive created nature or being according to Scripture-Revelation as an exemplary Specimen or proving tryal for the due advancement of Word-learning by the most approved and best-fitted means thereby to discover and to correct several errours in Paganish Philosophy to reprove and to reform the lazy negligence and superficial knowledg of some to quicken and excite the industry of others and to facilitate and direct their studying that they may no longer deter themselves from deeper researches into the incomparably best science by any appearing difficulties Having thus my self had a spiritual view of the created World through a Scripture-glass put it into the hands of the discerning Reader for him a while to delight his eye with the clear prospect of so beauteous an Object that might a while withdraw and feast my thoughts with sweet meditations upon Jehovah and upon his word and his works See and admire O my Soul what a glorious structure the wonder-working Creator hath set before thine eyes of Sense of Reason and of Faith If thou ascend into the higher Heaven there above the lower visible world maist thou take a pleasant view of Jehovah Christ in his human glorified
their pretended reason is frivolous lest the Heathen should think mistaking the phrase that Aelohim did work upon the Seventh-day-Sabbath Whereas he had finished the whole and every part of his creating work upon the several six foregoing days of this one week of the created world Only he did that on the Seventh-day which was proper Sabbath-Work As the making of the seventh-Seventh-day the resting from other Functions upon it to institute and observe Sabbath-duties employments and priviledges the blessing of it the sanctifying of it together with his preserving of the Creatures which he had made on the six foregoing days and with his and his Fathers providential working to the upholding of them in their Being Those who do call the First day the Seventh day and the Seventh day the sixth day making the First day to be both the First and the Seventh day and so do alter the names of the number of all the rest do invert the Order of nature in the First Creation For although in consistent quantity such as Extension of parts one beyond another there is not one second third fourth and so on or not one first and another last put into the nature of that created Being because these are not really in the confistent Nature thereof it being consistent altogether and so the first part may be the last part or the last part the first part according to mens common notion and reckoning and appointing of it to be so the LORD not having instituted herein any such Order of Numbring where we are to begin and how to go on and where to end yet in quantity successive as in duration and in time this is of a different consideration both in the nature of the thing and in Aelohims institution For this is really such in existence truly subsisting whether we imagine it or not neither is it left in our power to our disposal to put them into any other Order than the creating Messaiah hath so far as doth respect his established times and his instituted Seasons There is one day a second day a third day a fourth day a fifth day a sixth day and a seventh day in the several successive natures and durations of every one of them Here is part after part by temporary succession in a most direct line and in its proper Partitions and terminating points by an unchangeable Law and well-setled-order of the standing Creation The Work of the six foregoing Days Aelohim did rest from leaving man an example to follow him herein on the Seventh-day-Sabbath The Seventh-day is to be remitted unto Workers who laboured in their several lawful Functions on every day of the week before and therefore Aelohim blessed this Seventh-day because he himself rested on it and sanctified it unto Adam the Sabbath was made for Adam for all mankind in him He hath made he doth he will make it a blessed day in its weekly returns unto the due diligent observers thereof in obedience to his Command in obsequiousness to his Will in Conformity to his Example in Faith on his Truth Power and Promise For this Day hath he severed unto his own service along That Expression For-tomake or to-do doth not so appear to belong unto he had created as to relate unto he will sabbatize or ceasingly rest The preceding Hebrew accent doth somewhat teach this which doth often distinguish so that it signifies that Adam and his posterity ought to do this to observe the Seventh-day-Sabbath as holy and consecrated to Jehovah Aelohim it is their bounden duty to do the same The like phrase we find elsewhere in the Hebrew to make or to do the Day of Sabbath or the Sabbath Which is to observe to keep or to celebrate it The expression is full noting that that instituted-seventh-day-sabbath-Instituted-Seventh-day-Sabbath-work may not be left undone for that time or put off to any other season either before or after Having thus somewhat explained and applyed the Expressions concerning the Weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath in its primitive Creation and unchanged Institution I am now to make a little way for the giving the Reader a more particular distinct full Account according to the Scriptures of Truth why I do judge that the Seventh-day which is the last day in every week in the weekly Returns of it is alone that particular peculiar day in every Week which is the Weekly Sabbath-day to be kept Holy unto Jehovah Aelohim in obedience to his command as such that is to say as the alone weekly Sabbath-day If any man hereafter will engage by Writing or Printing in this Controversie against me whereby to endeavour to build up if he could his first day on the ruines of the Seventh-day-Sabbath let him take notice and remember that I mention my Judgment on this as in other cases Subject-matter to be according to the Scriptures of Truth and that I expect both he and I should submit our Judgment and Practise unto the Autoritative decisive Judgment of the Spirit of Christ in the word of Truth Those that do resolve such cases of Conscience about Duty or Sin into other Authorities do judge but according to appearance That judgment which is righteous judgment is such as is according to the Scriptures Words of Rightness O how powerful are they As for other arguing it hath not that Efficacy of convincing Pauls way of reasoning was out of the Scriptures and his Method of proving was from the Scriptures and Apollos took the same course to convince the erroneous They are the Scriptures that we are to search which those of Berea did daily even when a Paul was the Speaker to them which did evidence them to be a good kind of Christians and Believers These Holy Scriptures are the Scriptures of Truth The Word of Christ is the Word of Truth It is The Truth If any bring a Doctrine or a Reproof or a Correction or an Instruction they should have whatsoever things were written aforetime to be written for these the whole Scripture must be shewn to be profitable for these it was given for such an end That the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works We may not add unto the Word which Jehovah doth command us neither are we to diminish ought from it that we may keep his Commandments who is the God of his people which he doth command us These Holy Scriptures are they which are able to make us wise to Salvation Though eminent Apostles or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto us than we have received we should carry our selves towards him as towards one excommunicate If any let him be what he will though he have never so great a name for Learning and for Religion do teach otherwise and come not up to wholesom Words the Words of our LORD Jesus Christ these are nourishing healthy food other words not agreeing with these are empty Chass and to the Doctrine which is according to right Worship we
should withdraw our selves from such It has been great encouragement and sweet satisfaction unto me for divers years that I have Christ and his Word his Will and his Law for me in this Holy Contest His ten Words or Commandments how perfect and complete how standing and unchangeable a Rule of life are they in all and every of the matters of Duty to be performed and of Sin to be avoided It was Jehovah Christ himself who by his Spirit from his Father wrote upon the two Tables the Words of the Covenant the ten Words or Precepts This Scripture more especially I undervalue not any of the rest though this have its signal remark cannot be broken This is a perfect Law These words Jehovah spake and he added no more Christ would not have us so much as think that he came to destroy to dissolve the Law he came not to dissolve but to fulfill He confirms it by an high Asseveration that till Heaven and Earth do pass one Jod or Chirek one either Consonant or Vowel or any thing else originally belonging thereunto shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments and such do the most of men compt the weekly Sabbath though misjudgingly and will teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven but whosoever shall do and teach men the same shall be called Great in the Kingdom of Heaven This Law is established This Law or Testimony is sure or faithful or firm or constant it endures for ever it is standing-abiding continuing firm yet and perpetually This is the Rule of the New Creature by this must we walk This is to be bound up and sealed among Christs Disciples To the Law and to the Testimony must we refer all our Controversies in Religion for Determination and Resolution If any speak not according to this Word it is because No morning-light is as yet in them Here is the full comprehensive of what is our Duty to do Where or for what no Law is there is no Transgression or neither a Transgression Sin is not imputed where is no Law for Sin is a Transgression of the Law Then a Soul is guilty when it sinneth against any of the Commandments of Jehova in what ought not to be done and shall do against any of them This Law of the Ten words was put into the Ark and this alone and nothing else but this put there in which it was so closed as that it was not to be taken out or changed having a Crown of gold by Jehovah's own appointment put round about it This particular Law of the weekly-seventh day-Sabbath has a special mark of remembrance fixt unto it at the very entrance into it This must not be forgotten to be kept Holy and the Works of our particular Functions are expresly prohibited to be done on it This Seventh-day must be sanctified as the weekly Sabbath of Jehovah our God because all and every of those weighty Reasons which Jehovah Aelohim the Law-maker the Law-giver himself hath assigned and rendred and no Reasons can be so demonstrative and convincing as those which he doth give who is only wise from whence to inforce and perswade Obedience to his Command in observing of a Weekly-Sabbath-day Holy to him do properly belong and are applicable to the Seventh which is the last day in every Week in Order of time in the weekly returns of it As the weekly Sabbath-day and to no other day of the Week as such neither to the first second third fourth fifth or sixth day Six daies in the week we are to labour and the Seventh day in the same week is the Sabbath The Seventh-day the seventh-day has its peculiar Note of Honour put upon it There can be but one Seventh day in one Week in the weekly Order and Succession of the Seven days though each of the other foregoing six days in the week are one of seven or one of the seven daily parts of weekly time Every one of the other days of the week have another name as one the second the third the fourth the fifth the sixth Only the last day of the week is called the Seventh day and the Sabbath day Weeks will be to the worlds end concluded within the compass of Seven days One of Aelohims Reasons is because he rested upon the seventh day upon that and that only which is the last day in the week and upon no other day in the week as a weekly Sabbath-day This History of the Creation doth go this day over three times on or in the Seventh-day the Seventh-day the Seventh-day Aelohim rested and again a second time He rested Afterwards in Moses time a little before Christ's Proclaiming of the Law of the Ten words at Mount Sinai the Seventh-day and the rest or Sabbath on it are several times mentioned the Seventh-day the Seventh-day the Seventh-day and a fourth time the Seventh-day The Rest of the Holy Sabbath or a Resting of Holy Rest for Sabbath signifies a Rest a Sabbath the Sabbath the Sabbath the People rested on it At the Promulgation of this Law this same Reason is resumed again For in six days Jehovah made the Heavens and the Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the Seventh-day and therefore His people ought to rest on the same day as the Holy-Sabbath-day The Scriptures do carry this further along after the Promulgation of it Six days shall men work but on the Seventh-day the Seventh-day a Sabbath a Sabbath of rest a Sabbath-day the Sabbath the Sabbath Jehovab rested on this day and refreshed himself Six days thou shalt work but on the seventh-day thou shalt rest thou shalt rest Six days shall work be done but on the Seventh-day there shall be to you an Holy-day a Sabbath of rest to Jehovah the seventh-seventh-day is the Sabbath of rest the Sabbath the seventh day is the Sabbath to Jehovah Thus also in the After-Prophets in Jeremiah's days Bear no burden on the sabbath-Sabbath-day the sabbath-Sabbath-day the sabbath-Sabbath-day the sabbath-Sabbath-day sanctifie the sabbath-Sabbath-day to do no Work therein The Sabbath-day the Sabbath-day Thus in Nehemiah's time that zealous Reformer would not suffer Ware or any Victuals to be brought to be sold on the Sabbath-day on the Sabbath-day on the Holy-day the Sabbath-day the Sabbath the Sabbath-day the Sabbath the Sabbath the Sabbath No burden shall be brought in on the sabbath-Sabbath-day the Sabbath the sabbath-Sabbath-day The New Testament also doth take special notice of this The seventh-Seventh-day has the name of Sabbath or of Rest given it there above threeâ—â—ore times They rested Christs followers were silent from the Works of their particular Functions the seventh-seventh-day The seventh-Seventh-day God did rest the seventh-seventh-day from all his Works None of all this is said of any other day of the week Particularly not of the first and therein the LORD Jesus
drawn into orderly Obedience thereunto That the same Jehovah Aelohim who proclaimed the Holy Law together with the other Nine was their Aelohim theirs in a peculiar especial distinguishing manner who conformed in all things to his revealed will and stood compleat and perfect in his whole will and therefore should they be engaged and be encouraged to do the Sabbath day to Hallow it as he had commanded them Ye shall keep my Sabbaths I Jehovah if ye walk in my Statutes and keep my Commandments and do them then saith Jehovah I will give you this and that Blessing in Temporals and further I will set my Tabernacle amongst you and my Soul shall not abhor you and I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my People Sabbath-worship on the Sabbath-day in this Sabbath For the instituted day of the Weekly Sabbath must be observed to be accepted shall be a Savour of Rest to me said Jehovah Thus also in the Prophets That Evangelical Prophet Isaiah sweetly thus Blessed is the Man or O the blessedness or happy Progresses or Blessed goings on with a streight foot for such will make a good Progress in other Religion who are found walking on Prosperously in this Sabbath-way of that Aenosh and the son of Man of Adam that keepeth the Sabbath so that he doth not pollute it or not Prophane it For thus saith Jehovah to them that keep these my Sabbaths not those that are of Mens inventing and imposing Contrary to these seventh-day-Sabbaths which are of his Instituting and which he doth own as his peculiar and have chosen in what I delight or have pleasingly willed and who taking hold of my Convenant I will give unto them in my House and within my Walls an everlasting name that shall not be cut off I will bring them to the Mount of my Holiness and I will make them joyfull in my house of Prayer their Sacrifices and their Offerings shall be accepted upon mine altar And in another place Jehovah hath prophecyed and promised that he will raise up such as shall be Restorers of Paths to Sabbatize in saying if thou turn away from the Sabbath thy Feet to do thy pleasure on mine Holy day and thou call the Sabbath a delight the Holy of Jehovah Honorable and thou hast Honoured shalt Honour him not doing thy own waies nor finding thy own pleasure nor speaking thy own words then shalt thou delight thy self in Jehovah and I will cause thee to Ride upon the High places of the Earth and I will feed thee with the Inheritance of Jacob thy Father From the time of the Sabbath in his Sabbath all Flesh shall come for to bow down to my Face saith Jehovah The Prophet Jeremiah doth also bring good and comfortable words from Jehovah to right observers of the seventh-day-Sabbath Thus saith Jehovah bear no Burden on the sabbath-Sabbath-day Hallow ye the Sabbath day as I commanded your Fathers It shall come to pass if Hearkening ye shall Hearken unto me to bring in no Burden through the Gates of the City on the sabbath-Sabbath-day and shall Hallow the Sabbath day to do no work therein then shall there enter into the Gates of this City Kings and Princes sitting upon the Throne of David Riding in Chariots and on Horses they and their Princes the Men of Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and this City shall remain for ever and they shall come from the Cities of Judah and from the places about Jerusalem and from the Land of Benjamin and from the Plain and from the Mountains and from the South bringing Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices and Meat Offerings and Incense and bringing Sacrifices of Praise unto the House of Jehovah They are sweet precious Words those by the Prophet Ezekiel I saith the LORD gave them my starutes and shewed them my Judgements which if a Man do he shall even live in them Moreover I gave them my Sabbaths but they despised my Judgements which if a Man do he shall even live in them This is twice expressed as a gracious encouraging Promise and a Third time it is Covenanted there I Jehovah your Aelohim Hallow my Sabbaths that ye may know that I Jehovah your Aelohim and I will accept you with your Savour of Rest There is one Psalm that has several Choice promises in it and the Title of it is a Psalm or Hymn for the sabbath-Sabbath-day which is to be carried through that Psalm Those who keep the Seventh-day-Sabbath shall experience Jehovahs Loving kindness in the Morning and his faithfulness in the Nights they shall be made Glad through his work they shall Triumph in the Works of his Hands They shall have their Horn their Power their Strength their Defence their Glory their Honour their Dignity their Exaltation their Firmness their long-continued happiness like that of an Unicorn They shall be poured over with Green Oyl with new revivings and pleasant refreshings Their Eyes shall see on their spying Enemies and their Ears shall hear concerning the Evil-doers which rise up against them Such Righteous ones as are due Observers of this seventh-day-Sabbath shall grow like to a Palm-tree They shall grow like a Cedar-tree in Lebanon To them that are thus Planted in the House of Jehovah those they shall make to grow in the Courts of their God They shall bear Fruit yet in the Gray Age They shall be fat and green If all and every of these were opened and applyed at Large O how much of rich treasure is there in them The Chaldee upon the Title of this Psalm doth thus paraphrase An Hymn which the First Man Adam said for the Sabbath day And the Seventy two Greek Interpreters have a double Article here a Psalm of a Song unto that day of the Sabbath The same Sabbath-day that was the Seventh day of the Week from the Creation which was to be Sanctified as many other ways so particularly by Singing of Psalms This Psalm has divers Prophetical passages in it relating to New-Testament-promises especially in the Latter-day-glory of this dispensation of Grace It is Judged by the Hebrews to be penned by Adam when he beheld the Glorious Works of the Creator and commending it prophetically to after-ages The New-Testament gives us to know from the mouth of our LORD Christ himself the Commander and observer the blesser and the Sanctifier of this Seventh-day-Sabbath that It was made for Adam and in him for all mankind for their Happiness for their Good if they would be diligent observers of it And that to be forced to flee from Sabbath-work and enjoyments was to be driven from special priviledges which sore Judgement those who are Sabbath-observers should endeavour by Prayer to keep off lest otherwise it did so befal them Let it also be duly pondered upon in this one weighty consideration more that there is no threatning either denounced against or executed upon any that shall not observe any other day in
the Week as a Weekly-Sabbath-day but only against and upon such as will not observe the seventh day which is the last day in every Week In the Book of Moses before the Proclaiming of the Law of the Ten words at Mount Sinai the Israelites were to gather Manna on the six foregoing daies of the Week and on the sixth day that sixth the day immediately before the Seventh that there could be no mistake of the day the bread of two daies one part whereof being kept for Food on the seventh day Sabbath did neither melt nor stink neither was any Worm therein yet notwithstanding this wonderful appearance of Jehovah for the sustenance and Food of his people who but a little before had murmured and complained for want of Bread there were of the People who went out on the Seventh day for to gather Manna and they found none Upon this Jehovah steps in with his prohibition and threatning and said unto Moses how long refuse ye to keep my Commandements and my Laws See for that Jehova hath given you the Sabbath this Sabbath this noted day therefore he giveth you on that sixth day the Bread of two daies abide ye every Man in his place let no man not a Man of you if you dare to transgress it will be to your hurt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Particle of Dehorting and of Deprecating go out of his place on this seventh day And that this seventh-day Sabbath might have the more confirming Sanction Jehovah Aelohim continues this miraculous way of seeding of his people for about Fourty years and takes order for the preserving of a Pot of this Manna to be laid up to the Faces of Jehovah to be kept for their generations for the better establishing of the Doctrine of Weeks and of the certainty and duty of observing the seventh-day-Sabbath which admirable appearing if we reckon it seven times over for every Week six times for the fall of Manna on the six foregoing daies of each Week and a seventh time for the preserving of that part of the double portion on the Seventh day which was gathered on the Sixth day the Number amounts to above fourteen Thousand times At the Promulgation of the Law there was a threatning in the Prohibition six daies thou shalt Labour but the seventh day is the Sabbath In it thou shalt not do any Work So in Moses's repeating of this Law the seventh day is the Sabbath of Jehovah thy Aelohim in it thou shalt not do any work if thou wilt boldly transgress it will be at thine own Peril After the solemn reviving and publishing of this Law every one that defiâ—eth the Sabbath shall surely be put to death For whosoever doth any Work therein that Soul shall be cutt off from amongst his people Six daies shall work be done but in the seventh the Sabbath of Rest or a Sabbath of Sabbatism Holiness to Jehovah who doing a work in the day of that Sabbath to die he shall die whosoever doth work on the seventh-day-Sabbath shall be put to death Thus saith Jehovah if ye will not hearken unto me and will not do all these my Commandments particularly if ye will not keep my Sabbaths I also will do this unto you And then followeth Threatning upon Threatning Curse upon Curse Thus f when Jehovah had by a judicial Law declared against wilful transgressors a Soul that would sin with an high hand whereby such an one did Reproach Jehovah for which that Soul was to be cut off from among his People because he had despised the word of Jehovah and had broken his Commandment that Soul was utterly to be cut off his Iniquity was to be upon him And notwithstanding this Denunciation one of the Children of Israel would be gathering of Wood upon the Sabbath-day when those that found him thus Transgressing this Law and contemning this threatning had brought him unto Moses and Aaron and unto all the Congregation and they had put him in ward because it was not declared as to the particular kind of Death for the judicial Law was declared before as was but now mentioned should be done to him Hereupon Jehovah said to Moses that man shall surely be put to death All the Congregation shall stone him with Stones without the Camp And all the Congregation brought him without the Camp and stoned him with Stones and he died as Jehovah commanded Moses In the Book of the Prophets there is also a denouncing of Judgments against Profaners of the seventh-day-Sabbath Hear what Jehovah spake by the mouth of his servant Jeremiah thus said Jehovah unto me go and stand in the gate of the Children of the People whereby the Kings of Judah come in and by the which they go out and in all the Gates of Jerusalem and say unto them hear ye the word of Jehovah ye Kings of Judah and all Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem that enter in by these Gates Thus saith Jehovah take heed to your selves and bear no Burden on the sabbath-Sabbath-day nor bring in by the Gates of Jerusalem neither carry forth a Burden out of your Houses on the sabbath-Sabbath-day neither do ye any work but Hallow the Sabbath-day as I commanded your Fathers but they obeyed not neither inclined their Ear but made their Neck stiff that they might not hear nor receive instruction And if you will not hearken unto me to Hallow the Sabbath day and not to bear a Burden even entring in at the Gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath-day then will I kindle a Fire in the Gates thereof and it shall devour the Palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched Let Ezekiel now speak from the LORD I saith Jehovah caused my people to go forth out of the Land of Egypt and brought them into the Wilderness and I gave them my statutes and shewed them my Judgments which if a man do he shall even live in them Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them that they might know that I Jehovah who Sanctifie them But the House of Israel rebelled against me in the Wilderness they walked not in my statutes and they despised my Judgments which if a Man do he shall even live in them This promise mentioned twice here implyeth the contrary death even death upon death death unto death threatned against not-doers particularly against not-doers not-Hallowers of the seventh-day-Sabbath and my Sabbaths they greatly polluted Then observe the LORD catched at this season of their provoking of him I said I would pour out my fury upon them in the Wilderness to consume them Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the Wilderness that I would not bring them into the Land which I had given them Flowing with Milk and Hony which are the Glory of all Lands Because they despised my Judgments and walked not in my Statutes but polluted my Sabbaths But I said unto their Children
were with a Finger the Seventh day to be the Remarkable day of the whole Week a day to be Sabbatized and rested in distinct and separated from all and every of the other foregoing daies in the same Week All these Scripture-reasons are strong and might be enlarged upon This Note of Demonstration doth come from a word which doth signifie Lo Behold So that it doth set out the Gesture Posture and carriage of one who doth plainly and particularly point out a day to be specially observed by the Beholders and Hearers It doth significantly note a certain day and doth restrain and confine it to that and to that only It doth plainly Import an Emphatical Certitude Whence the Greeks have taken their Significant Article this being the Initial Letter of a Demonstrative Article And this the Hebrew Grammarians do generally acknowledge that It doth denote an Emphasis and is used to a Certain and known thing so distinctly and expresly is the Excellency of this Seventh day indigitated as its being the only day of the whole Week for the weekly Sabbath day to prevent any the least doubt or question about the matter For which end also there is this Emphatic-Article prefixed before the Sixth day in order of time which doth in that place Demonstrate that as the work of that Sixth day was somewhat more remarkable and that Aelohim has perfected all the Works which he propounded and purposed to Create in the foregoing Six daies of this one week of the Created World shewing a thing known and Signally illustrious and commendable So also that that day only was the Sixth day in the Weekly revolution and no other day and that the Weekly Sabbath must be reckoned in order of Created time the immediately next succeeding after that Sixth which was the seventh day the last day in the week Thus also in another place before the Promulgation of this Law of Mount Sinai these Emphatic Articles are Remarkable where it is once before the Sixth day to fix that to a certainty Which is the Immediate preceding day once before the Sabbath day and four times before the Seventh day that there might be not the least Colour or pretence for any mistake in that forementioned place in the History of the Creation There is a Particle which is not only a Note of the accusative Case but it doth also signifie the very self-same-substance of a thing Which together with this Notificative doth point out the seventh day Sabbath to be the most Glorious Renowned day of the hebdomadal revolution or weekly return of dayes not only Grammatically in the signification of these Prefixes but also Physically in the nature of the thing it self as the Seventh day the last day in the week That Particle is significant of a Person or thing which cometh from a word that doth denote a coming with speed It denoteth this Created day passive upon which the Creator Acted signifying the substance of the seventh day made being a note of an Article and also of Demonstration This Seventh-day besides its being thus notedly expressed is also set out by a Primitive Noun signifying him or it and also by an Affix contracted of another word which doth obtain the Nature and significancy of a Pronoun For Affixes are Demonstrative Pronouns signifying in him or in it The proper significancy of a Pronoun is to set out a certain and a Finite substance it signifyes somewhat more certain and more First than a Noun or a proper Name As if thou say this is my Father he is my Brother pointing but both the one and the other with the Finger to some by-stander it is better known than if thou shouldst say John is my Father Thomas is my Brother because there may be and are more Johns and more Thomas ' s. I Thou and he do more set out an Individuality than the Name of Caesar for neither when I say I canst thou understand another or communicate it with another Whereas when I say Caesar my understanding also may transmit it to another as from Augustus Caesar to Tiberius Caesar Hence the Hebrews call the Pronoun by a word which doth signifie Cognames because they are another kind of Cogname of the Principal name or Nown Nouns do properly signifie things and Cognames are Accessions to Names from some vertue or vice or event or such like in the things In the present Case the Seventh-day-Sabbath is an Hereditary Cogname received all down along in Scripture from the first Week of the Created World and is Inherent in its own excellency of Created Nature As a Noun doth Enuntiate what a Person or a thing is all the Affixes are Demonstrative To question the Emphaticalness of this Notificative besides that it is contrary to the Judgment of the exactest of Hebrew Lexicographers and Grammarians is also chiefly opposite to the true genuine Proper Signification and usage of the Letter in the Scriptures whoever doth assert that it doth not at all limit specifie or determine doth speak too hastily and unadvisedly It is Emphatically discretive that by which one thing is differenced and distinguished from another even where some other Hebrew Letters Consonants do exclude this Emphatick Note yet there the excluding Letter doth receive the point of the Excluded For Twelve times it is prefixed before those Letters which doth manifestly shew that this Letter will have some signifying place in the word It being a prefix of use and of some notable meaning where it is and will some way or other maintain its title and have a Compensation It s Primary signification is to hold forth what is joyned to it and to make its significate the more known A late learned Writer should therefore a little look over what he hath Written about this and somewhat further Consider and not conclude that the discerning inquirer in this age of growing Light will be so imposed upon by any mans bare say of Magisterial dictate without any probation at all to assert that this prefix to Sabbath in the Fourth word is Redundant and doth tend nothing to the Determination of a Certain day but only denotes one of seven Which doth now lead me to another cogent Reason for the Demonstrativeness and Notificativeness of this Prefix because the Law of the Seventh-day-Sabbath in the Ten words being much in the same words and expressions with the forementioned place in the History of the Creation has not only a special Note of Remembrance set before it remember thou or rather to remember and it doth set out one Main great End of Mans being Created even to remember the Seventh-day-Sabbath Man is bound for ever for it is infinitive indefinit to keep this in mind for himself and to mention and to speak of it to others It is the Duty of Created Man to look well to this that the Seventh-day-Sabbath be not forgotten by him but duly remembred in
away those Idolatrous Names of daies As Sunday c. of which Jebovah has prophesied that He will cut them off Having thus far attended the Weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath in its strait-footed walk in a plain path through the whole Scripture there thwarts the Reader now a straying company that would perswade him to get into another way along with them the way of the first day as the weekly-Sabbath as if this were now the New-Testament-Dispensation And for this they would have him to consider these Scriptures in the Margin as Translated out of the Greek into English Before I return an express direct Answer to the several particular Scriptures themselves I advise the Reader to ask these Transferrers of the Weekly-Sabbath-day from the seventh to the first day of the week when they judg it was that the first day of the week began to be the weekly Sabbath-day Most will say that it began on the particular day of Christ's Resurrection by Christ himself Some few will assert that it was a little after that Resurrection by the Apostles of Christ but all of them will acknowledge that it was before any part of the New-Testament was written It being so then let the Reader improve this last Concession and further demand of these men if one of the Apostles as Peter by name for Supposition had preached up this Doctrine that the Weekly Sabbath-day under the New-Testament-Administration of Grace was translated and changed from the Seventh which is the last day of Week to the first day of the week and that one of the Hearers had asked Peter upon what Scripture do you bottom this Doctrine How are whatsoever words of God were heretofore written Profitable and written for such a Doctrine What Answer do these Men imagine that Peter could have returned The New Testament was not then written and all the Scriptures which they then had were the Writings of the Old Testament Those of Moses and of the Prophets This Hearer searcheth these and can meet with no such thing in the Preceptive or Prophetical or Promissary part of that Word neither could any other refer him to clear-convincing-proofs of this How then could this Man be well satisfied that this was True Doctrine when he could not find it in his Bible but the quite contrary all the Old Testament through another day the Seventh in order of Created Time all along Commanded and commended And if this Hearer should further have asked Peter If I should work upon the seventh-day contrary to the Precept in the Law what Scriptures would bear me out in so doing when I appear before the righteous Judg who has in so many Words forbid this and so often in all the Scriptures that I have which speak of this thing and if I do not observe the first day as the weekly-sabbath-Weekly-Sabbath-day but do work on that day having Aelohim's Command and Example for it what Scriptures have you by which to reprove me After this Arguing what could Peter have replyed to this from Old-Testament-Scripture I leave the Reader further to improve this in his Study and Meditation For the Christianized believers did search the Scriptures whether those things which the Apostles of Christ taught them were so or not even in the Case of Paul himself who was one of the most Eminent and most used of them all I shall now in the supplies of the Spirit of Holiness according to the word of Truth discover the deceitful colours of these Mens wrestings of some Scriptures and then shew the Reader the convincing reprehension of those Colours Which colours how fair soever to outward appearance for a while yet are a false Disguise a Paint that will melt away before the fire of the Word The Fallacies are soon detected and confuted before a discerning and judicious an unprejudiced and Impartial Reader There are some Scriptures in our English Bibles of the New-Testament say these Objectors which do speak of the first day of the week as the day of Christ's Resurrection when he rested from his work of Redemption which is now appointed and determined as the Weekly-Sabbath-day unto the Church in memory of Christ's Resurrection One of the Sabbaths doth frequently occur and is the same with the first day of the week One being often put for First the Numeral for the Cardinal The generality of the Antients both Greek and Latin agree whose Testimony about the sense of aWord is the best Dictionary and Evidence we can expect and this same phrase used of the day of Christ's Resurrection by the Evangelists proveth it Thus they say The Resurrection of Our LORD Jesus Christ from the Dead on the third day according to the Scriptures I thankfully acknowledg together with the many exceeding great and precious priviledges and benefits thereof and through Mercy and Grace I do firmly believe and particularly apply This true Doctrine is one main part of that solid Foundation on which we are to bottom our Hope and O how gladly could I here lay aside this Controversie and be taken up with sweet Delight and with Rapturing joy into an Heavenly Meditation on an arisen Saviour Here could I leave this unkind World and wrangling-generation and get up above that I might rise with Christ to be where he is to behold his Glory O how willingly could I here breath and long desire and pant that this arisen Redeemer whom my Soul loves would be with my Spirit that my spirit might be more with him O that I might more Experimentally sensibly satisfyingly Know and acknowledge that Power that Vertue of his Resurrection That I might more and better Evidence my being planted into it by walking in Newness of life Here could I bid this Fallacious Sophistry of Quarrellers with Christ's weekly seventh-day-Sabbath to stay behind whilst I find my heart with much Complacencie safely lodged in a full Christ and in his sull Word O the Savourie-nourishing-Meditations that this Subject-Matter would afford Here the admiring Soul may pass into a spiritual-Rest by silent-Thinkings secret Adorings Marvelling-loves Exalting-Praises and Filling-enjoyments But the Reader expects an Answer In all the places of the New Testament relating to the matter in hand where the last English Translation doth render it the first day of the week the Words do properly signify one of the Sabbaths except only in one place where it is the first day of the Sabbath The meaning whereof may be afterwards opened All the other places you may find cited in the Margin and the words in the Greek rightly done into English in every one of these are one of the Sabbaths not the first day of the week nor the first of Sabbaths nor the alone Day or only day or Sabbaths Not at all concluding the first day of the week to be now the Weekly Sabbath-day in the room of the seventh which the words do not mean either in their proper Significancie or intended sense as they stand in Syntax or Coherence
Fruit of Christs Mediating for them with his Father He their Saviour and their God and the God of their Past-Present-and After-Salvarions who would make of their Posterity a Glorious new Christian Church in the latter daies As for redemption-Redemption-work it doth confirm the Law of the Ten words in the Type And the antitype must answer to the Type The Israel of God were to do the Weekly-Seventh-day-Sabbath and to keep it Holy to Jehovah their Saviour and Redeemer and so are believers under the New-Testament-Dispensation the Saviour himself this Redeemer having so observed it all his life through in the daies of his Flesh here on Earth when Born of the Virgin Mary The Ark which was one of the principal of all the Holy things of God and for which the Tabernacle mainly was set up which did Sanctifie the place where it did Rest this Ark had nothing in it but the two Tables of the Covenant And this Ark was a Type of Christ who had this Law in his Heart And did in his own Person Confirm it to every Letter and part of it by his Doctrine and Practice when more Familiarly Conversant here amongst men It was Christ as Mediator who appeared as man unto Abraham Moses Zechariah and others under that former Administration These works of Redemption were in the Types then and as for the Actual Perfecting and Accomplishing of these in the Person of the Mediator himself when he took to his Godhead the seed of Abraham and was made of the seed of David according to the Flesh and was made of a Woman these works may be said to take their beginning as to this of perfecting and accomplishing them in the antitype upon Christs First thus manifesting of himself in the Flesh And they were further carried on by him in his Life so declared by his Father and attested by his Spirit His Life was a Continued fulfilling of Redeeming-types And as for his Death upon the Cross there just before his giving up the Spirit and commending it into the hands of his Father he himself said it is Finished or accomplished or perfected namely for so much and for fo far he having but a little before on the same day of his Death in his Prayer to his Father declared that he had finished the work which the Father gave him to do This work of Reconciliation and Redemption Thus accomplishing it and perfecting the Types by steps and degrees Some Remainders whereof are further Fulfilled at his 〈◊〉 Resurrection Which also it self was a great work Yet was not this all For these works of Reconciliation and of Redemption had yet a further filling up and a more through perfecting when Forty daies from his rising again he ascended up into Heaven Where he appeared as the great High-Priest of his Peoples Holy profession as the Antitype with Blood and with Incense in that Holy of Holies having his satisfaction and intercession Further in his Glorious Person Actually accepted by his Father which was Typified of Old by the High-Priests entering into the Holy of Holies once every year upon the Atonement day or day of Expiation of which the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews gives an account of its being perfected and fulfilled in Christ To this Ascension of His into the Highest Heavens and his sitting there at the Right Hand of his Father where he appears for his People and intercedes on their behalf in a way suted to his Glorious Majesty in so raised an Exaltation to this doth belong his putting down of the Levitical Priesthood which was a shadow and Type and Figure of the Heavenly Priesthood of Christ and must now upon Christs Ascending and session give way and place to the Truth to the true antitype the High Priest being got into Heaven For whilst Christ was upon Earth the Levitical Priesthood continued at least as to some parts of their Office When the Reader puts all this together and sees how the Redemption-work was for so many years together before Christs Resurrection perfecting and accomplishing and finds Christ Travelling upon the day of his Rising with Two Disciples to Emmaus which was from Jerusalem about Sixty Furlongs which in Common Computation is about seven Miles and a half at least seven Miles too long a Journey for the weekly Sabbath day especially when it was a going off from a greater assembling at Jerusalem the Publick appointed place of worship and this about a private business to a little Village an Example not to be followed upon a pretended new Instituted weekly-sabbath-weekly-Sabbath-day And withal the Reader observes that some part of redeeming-Redeeming-work was actually compleated by Christ in a way of fulfilling of a Redeeming-Type which work was not done by him before either in his Birth or Life in his Death or Resurrection it will be time for him ponderingly to think on his waies and to turn his feet unto Jehovahs Testimonies to make hast and not to slacken to entertain his Commandments particularly this of the weekly-Seventh-day-Sabbath To set this right precept before him and no longer to put away this Institution of Aelohim from him Which is so full and plain and clear through the whole Scripture and no further to wander on misled by mens darkning-conjectures who would still keep up a day of their own setting up up the First day of the week which as to this of a weekly Sabbath-day is a Creationless and Scriptureless Restingless Blessingless and Sanctifyingless Nameless Thingless Commandless Promiseless and Threatless-day none of those being for it but all for the Seventh day The adversary being driven out of this hold seeks refuge for his First day Sabbath in some other Scriptures cited in the Margin which yet will not allow him Countenance and Warrant For say they the good Apostles met on the First day the day of Christs Resurrection which they then observed as the weekly-sabbath-weekly-Sabbath-day in memory of his Resurrection and of his compleating the works of Redemption on that day Christ taught the two Disciples on that day of his Rising on the same day he appeared to the Disciples and instructed them and did eat with them thus assembled and Blessed them The next First day of the week he chose to appear to them again And those Apostles Christ did Commission as his principal Church Ministers to teach the Churches all his Doctrine and to deliver them all his Commands and orders and so to settle and guide the first Churches Which Apostles did actually separate and appoint the First day of the week for Holy Worship especially in Church-assemblies They themselves frequently meeting upon that day for that end and enjoyning the Churches of their Plantation so to do who obeyed them in this The First day is mentioned as the day of the Disciples assembling to break Bread which though they did it oft on other daies yet no day else was peculiarly appointed for
and they were at that meeting where Christ appeared to the Eleven The Sun was gone in before that time So that if this pretended Historical Hint be mistaken by those Objectors so then is the next also which they alledg of a second appearing as to the particular day of it the place it self doth expresly confute their assertion For that appearing was after eight Days After observe which could not therefore be that very day which they name Not the first day by their own Computation Besides what cogency is there in this kind of arguing from Christ's appearing to the Disciples For he appeared often to them in the forty days between his Resurrection and Ascension and once when they were Fishing which is no weekly-sabbath-days-weekly-Sabbath-days-work and employment at which time also Christ did eat somewhat of what Fish they had taken Upon a due long serious Consideration of the whole of this matter There appears nothing to me not the least shew or colour of any sound Scriptural reasoning in all these Allegations which men in Reputation have been by a Traditionary Religion in this so fond of What a great way about do they go quite out of any Scripture-path to fetch in something that might look like an Argument with those who take up such matters of humane invention upon Trust from their misguiders who in this teach them to Err in a Dark-walk where they see not how nor whither they go and then tell them that the mind of Christ in this is a great Deep and not so easie for plain Understandings presently to fathom Whereas we who are brought under the New Testament-Administration of Grace are put into a state of clearer Light than those were in who were under the former Dispensation Doctrines Duties Graces Priviledges do shine forth in more Glory before us as the Apostle doth argue in the second of his Epistles to the Church at Corinth the design of which passage is to shew the New-Testament-Glory to be excelling They of old had a veil on their Ministration by Figures Types and Shadows whereas we now do at least we may and should behold things with unveiled Face As for the Laws of the Ten words particularly this of the Weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath they are clear as the Light And therefore the Holy Scriptures of Truth do give them that Name of Light of self-evidencing and clear-shining are they containing Commandments so right in all things so enlightening the eyes of mens understanding though otherwise they be but simple silly and weak the very opening entrance or door of which Word doth give light to make the silly ones to be understanding ones especially when the Commandment comes in the Demonstration of the Spirit and with Power and former pre-conceptions and prejudices are laid aside A Law so guiding the Obeyers of it to walk in such paths of Rightness a Law so true so holy so just so good so spiritual so perfect such a Law of Liberty setting a renewed enlarged heart so free to run in its Way A Law so comprehensive a Law so formed in right humane Nature being at the first concreated with it A Law so convincingly opening it self and its true mind and its proper meaning and so fully expounded throughout the whole Scripture which is a large exposition upon it insomuch as that all the rest of the Word so far as concerns Duties to be performed and sins to be avoided is but as it were Jehovah Aelohims Commentary upon and Interpretation of it So that here Those of an inquiring Spirit are led safely out of the Maze of those perplexing difficulties which the Objectors reasoning about the necessariness of human Histories to make up a full evidence of the Scriptures in the matter of the first day would hurry them into and such diligent re-searchers are brought into a plain way and the Good Old way or the way of hidden Ages or of Eternity The Words of this Law do carry a plain Evidence in them As all the rest so particularly the fourth Word or Command concerning the weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath It has in it self a common and familiar understanding the sense and meaning whereof doth appear at the very first sight It is but hear or read and every man that is endued with Reason and will exercise it without any prepossession or imposings will forthwith conceive aright of it That the weekly-Sabbath-day is the Seventh-day That the Seventh-day is the weekly-Sabbath-day This Objector doth assert it That it is agreed on that the Passover that year when Christ was cruciâ—yed fell on the Sabbath-day It must here be his meaning the Seventh which is the last day of the week which he takes to be the First day of that Feast of unleavened bread On which the Paschal Lamb according to Institution was to be eaten which was not the First day of the Week but the Seventh Upon this Supposition I would thus questioningly argue either Christ that year kept the very day of Passover according to Institution or not if Christ kept the true passover-Passover-day as I do not at all doubt but that he did for he was to fulfill all righteous Observances and accordingly he did It being the Work which his Father gave him to do and which he finished The Antitype directly answering in every thing with great exactness to the Type And the History in the written Word which doth report this matter of Fact in Christ doth expresly call that day on which he did with his Disciples eat the Paschal Lamb the Passover-day as the Scriptures in the Margin will undeniably prove and he dying the same day which was the Passover-day If this be granted by this Opposer to be the Weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath what then becomes of all the rest of his arguing and pleading for the First day which according unto this Supposition was not that particular day of the Week on which Christ arose from the dead For according to this that First day was the next immediate day after his death and could in no Sense be called the Third day on which he rose again If he say That the true Passover-day which not Christ but the Jews kept was the day next after the death of Christ we call for an Answer to the forecited Scriptures in the Margin and expect a Word-proof for what he asserts Although if that could be cleared yet has it no Rightness or Forcibleness of arguing in it to demonstrate what it is brought for as to a First-day-Sabbath But if those Scriptures do in so many express Words give the day of Christs being apprehended and condemned and crucified and killed the First day of unleavened bread and the Passover-day whilst we have the Scripture thus speaking we have no cause to be moved at what Humane Authorities and Church-Histories do record to the contrary And this has now brought me to an Examination of the validity or invalidity of Church-histories and of humane Authorities in these matters Though
the Western Churches did Further as in Low-Dutch the seventh Day is named Rust-dagh that is the Day of Sabbath or of Rest so in Teutonick or High Dutch or the German Tongue which is an ancient Nation and Language the last Day the seventh Day of the Week is called Samstag as if Schemtag that is the LORD's Day or the Day of the LORD It is further yet observable as to this that the Visions of Ezekiel and those of John well agreeing in many particulars which a diligent comparer may easily observe Ezekiel's Visions were on the fifth day of the fourth Moon which some affirm to have been the Seventh day Sabbath Jehovah's Day But upon the whole it is the first answer that I more stick unto namely that the Lordly Day is that great Providential Day when he will more visibly appear as King and LORD Whereas some do object that this word in Greek Lordly is applyed but to one thing more in the New Testament which is the Supper called the Lordly Supper or LORD's Supper or the Supper of the LORD What can there rationally necessarily convincingly be inferred from thence as to any establishing of the first day of the week in the room of the seventh as the weekly Sabbath in this place of the Revelation The Lordly Supper or Lordy Supper is expresly mentioned Whereas here is no express mention of the first Day as a Sabbath day not either of the words First or Sabbath nor their sense and meaning in the Text or Context nor any where else in all this Book or in the whole Scripture The Lordly Supper is so called in that it was instituted by our LORD It is to his Honour a Lordly Feast one great design and end of it being to exalt Christ in his Lordship and to shew forth the Death of this LORD till he came in his Lordly appearance in the later Day This Ordinance was received of the LORD by Paul It was the LORD who Instituted it It sets out the LORD's Death The Cup is called the Cup of the LORD The LORD's Body we read of also there Which Supper is not fixed to the first day of the Week The first Institution Administration and Participation of it was on another Day of the Week on the Passion Day on the Passover Day which is called a Sabbath For a further discovery that a Day in some Scriptures is used for a larger space of time than from one going in of the Sun on one day to the next going in of the Sun on the next day consider that in the Scriptures day doth sometimes set out the time of Christ's Reign and glorious Power The day of judging of his grand Adversaries John saw this in the Vision as if the time had been then present Will not that be a Lordly Day when Christ will glorifie and magnifie his Office of King and of LORD in the utter destruction of Enemies and in the eminent salvation of Friends It is called the Day of Christ the Day and Kingdom of God the presence of coming of Christ Do not these expressions significantly declare some glorious shining season of Christ's Lordly appearing It is named the Day of Jehovah about six and twenty times and in some of those places the Day of the Vengeance and of the Anger of Jehovah and the Day of Jehovah's Battel The great and terrible and dreadful Day of Jehovah the same expressions which are used in this Book of the Revelation And the Day of the LORD is mentioned five times expresly in the New Testament In which also it is set out by divers words that doth intend the same thing as his Day that is the Day of this LORD Christ who will then be revealed in his Lordly Power and Glory That Day pointing out that Age when these things should be The Day that Day The Days in the plural Number as being more than one and of longer continuance That great conspicuous Day of the LORD The Day of the LORD Jesus The times and the seasons which do relate to this Day of the LORD The Day approaching the last hour It is observed that in all Languages this Word Day doth sometimes signifie judgement here on Earth Hence a Days man or Umpire to judge between party and party Mans day and the Judgement of Men The Day that is the Judgement or trial shall declare Hence Day is sometimes put for the time of destruction Day doth sometimes denote a long continued duration as the Day of the Age or the Day of Eternity Other times Day points out the time of Grace and of Salvation And now upon this occasion having shewn that Day doth not always in all Scriptures point out any one particular Day of the Week distinctly from and in opposition to the rest of the Days of the Week I have here some fair opportunity to write a little about one other Scripture which some do urge to put a colour upon their first Day as if it did point out the first Day of the Week as the eminent transcendent determinate definite day of Christ's compleating the Work of Redemption on his Resurrection Day which say they was then and from thenceforth to be observed as the weekly Sabbath day in the room of the Seventh Thus they As to what doth concern Christ's Resurrection as also how and when he compleated the Work of Redemption I have written already and I am now to consider this Scripture which is mentioned by all and every of the four Evangelists In which Historical-fulfilling it is evident that much and the main of this Prophetical passage was fulfilled according to the Letter before Christ's Resurrection and upon another Day of the Week than that first Day of the Week for which it is so brought and pressed although if it could be proved to be otherwise yet doth it no way determine this Case about a pretended change of the weekly Sabbath from one Day of the Week to another from the Seventh to the First The chief men of the Jews who were counted the Builders did more notoriously refuse Christ the Head Corner Stone when being put to their choice they actually openly declaredly preferred a Barabbas who was a seditious Murderer before an innocent holy Jesus and this on a Day of solemn Judicature when the Judge Pilate sat upon Christ either for life or for death which also was by a joynt consent of chief Priests and Rulers and People who cry out all at once Away with this man and release unto us Barabbas This was before that Christ was crucified Also after his Death before his Resurrection the chief Priests and the Pharisees do call him a Deceiver and this before Pilate which was another refusing and rejecting of Christ Thus according as was Prophesied in that Psalm that the Builders would refuse that Stone which was to become for Head to the Corner so accordingly did they act as at many
the New Testament Administration of Grace Of this I give these Reasons grounded upon Scripture because that Day which is spoken of in that Psalm and made use of in this Epistle is such a Day as doth take in every Day in the Week as the Author himself doth interpret in the same Epistle speaking of the same Day in this very ease and instance now under debate where he puts the Christian Hebrews upon the faithful discharge of that Gospel-fellowship-duty of mutually exhorting one another daily or according to every Day as the Duty of every Day was when they had occasion and opportunity so to do whilst it is called to Day this Day and the next and still the next after that every Day whilst Grace is offered and whilst your time doth last whilst Christ's Voice from his Father doth speak unto you and whilst the Spirit of Christ in the Word and Ministry thereof doth call upon you That Hodiernal Day of which the Holy Spirit doth make mention in this Exhortation has its duration full home to this our Day and it appertaineth no less unto us than it did unto in David's time For the Illative Conjunction Therefore in the beginning of the seventh Verse of the third Chapter doth properly belong to Take heed in the beginning of the twelfth Verse as went before and so must be here understood Therefore as the holy Spirit exhorted your Fathers to obedience under pain of exclusion from the Rest of God so see ye well unto it that you yield obedience lest otherwise you also be shut out of the same Holy Heavenly Rest The Seventh-day is in this place mentioned with a double mark of Honour put upon it that Day that Seventh The Law concerning the Seventh-day Rest or Sabbath was given to Adam from the beginning and put into Created Being in the first Week of the Created World and is therefore unchangeable still standing in its due Force and in its full Authority Whereas in all this passage of this Epistle there is no mention made of the First Day either in express words or by any necessary consequence So that I may use the force of Christ's Reason and the strength of his Argument here which he did in another case bearing yet a very clear like date from the founding of the World from the beginning the First Day of the Week was not the Sabbath whereas the Seventh day was made Instituted and appointed for the Day of weekly Rest the same Week of the Creation when the foundations of the World were laid and when the Glorious Creator did set up his great Works The Day thereof prefixed by David must in this case be some other kind of Day even the determinate day of Grace and of Life and of Christ's speaking Voice during this Day and of the present time That expression in the Psalm to day or this day was spoken and written by David to the Priests and People in History if it refer to that special occasion of the transferring of the Ark when David called upon them to come unto that place of solemn convention for Publick Worship to the Faces of Aelohim the Ark being a sign of this he threatens those of that Day and Age to be shut out of God's Rest of Eternal Life as their Forefathers were shut out of Canaan in case that they did harden their hearts through unbelief as those had done before them which therefore cannot be understood of the First Day oi the Week as a New Sabbath-day take it as in part Historical though it be further Prophetical also which the Objectors would set up in the room of the Seventh day Sabbath For then according to this arguing the people in David's time were bound to alter the weekly Sabbath-day from the Seventh to the First Day of the Week It is evident by divers particular passages as well as by the whole drift of that Psalm that is was somewhat fitted for David's Day and time and for the people of his age although withal there is a Spirit of Prophesie in it For those Hebrews in the days of the Author of that Epistle to them and we in the present Generation are concerned in that Scripture as others also will be in the Ages after us Whatsoever is written in the Holy Scriptures is written unto all of us calling us unto Faith in and Obedience to the LORD Jesus Christ What God spake unto Moses in his time was spoken by God unto them in Christ's time when he conversed for some years visibly openly here on Earth in the Flesh and it is still spoken unto us and in this place to the Hebrews that Day did reach to the time of this Epistle and continueth to this Day and will preach to after times That expression in that Psalm to day or this day is that Day wherein the Voice of Christ by his Spirit from his Father in his Word and the Ministery thereof may and ought to be harkned unto believed and obeyed that is as long as this Call of Grace doth continue and the time of ones life doth last the whole season of Grace is this Day It is a Day taken largely For so a Day is sometimes taken for the whole time of conversation here on Earth For Time consisting of Days Months and Years For the Time of Life The Day of the Israelites was a long Day A Day of about forty Years with some of them in the Wilderness wherein they tempted and provoked God as is declared in that Psalm and elsewhere The Gospel the glad-tidings of Salvation by Faith in the Messiah was preached and the Doctrine of Redemption work revealed to the Israelites in Moses's time and long before that in Abraham's time and further back also and in David's time afterwards though unbelievers did not savingly profit by it To day or this day is every present Day whatever Day of the Week that Day be as it passeth along in order several Scriptures do lead to this sense and for every present Day of the time of the New Testament ministration of Grace There needs no further evidence of this than the diligent comparing of the Scriptures in hand That limited determinate Day is that Time which the Sovereign LORD over all hath set unto his speaking to particular persons and to their Life-time of hearing and it doth much refer unto that term of Years which he did set and fix in Moses his time to the unbelieving murmuring rebellious Israelites and is referred unto in another Psalm If To Day were meant of the First Day as the Weekly Resting Day then the Israelites had not been the same Example not so proper so resembling an Example of Admonition for the Prosessing Hebrews to take warning by lest running into their Sin they fell into their Judgments For the Israelites Sin and Judgments for the which they
therefore and the comparative like as in the seventh Verse of the third Chapter relating to the twelfth Verse of the same Chapter doth shew the exhortation to be inforced upon the Believer therefore as the Holy Spirit exhorteth you to believe and obey the Voice of Christ so look to it that you do believe and obey his Voice The reason is strong from an example of old because your Fathers who contemned the Voice of Christ and did not contemper the word with Faith were frustrated of the Heavenly rest The reason of which consequence is seeing there is the like reason of you and of them For both to you and them it was Evangelized in the second Verse of the fourth Chapter The whole drift of the Discourse from the seventh Verse of the third Chapter to the eleventh Verse of the fourth Chapter doth respect a professing people that would pass for the people of God and be accounted Travellers towards the promised Heavenly rest which none but the believing perswadeable obedient true spiritual Israel of God would enter into The Sabbatism or rest spoken of in the first third ninth tenth and eleventh verses of this fourth Chapter is a rest that remaineth in the sixth and ninth verses of the same Chapter A rest that was before them towards which they were travelling and short of which they should fear lest they came by their loytering behind in the first Verse A rest that in the time of the Authour of this Epistle when he wrote this was as to himself and the believing people of God then alive before them and they were left behind it as yet short of it Into which they were not as then so fully entred but they were under a promise or expectation thereof And the same may be said of his believing people who are now alive in the present day whilst it is called to day There is a promised rest which they should have in their eye which they are not as yet so thorowly passed into Of which that place in the Psalm was a Typical prediction The rest here is a rest yet in the promise yet to come and hoped for attainable enterable and enjoyable if unperswadeableness hinder not The Eleventh verse doth again introduce and enforce the principal exhortation by way of rational inferehee and by a doubled Argument Therefore let us study to enter into that rest that not any one sall by the same example of disobedience If we believe and obey Christ's Voice we shall then enter into it but if not we shall be shut out from it as those were who died away in their unperswadeableness The whole Context both in this place and in the Psalm doth evidently demonstrate that the rest here treated of and foretold by David is such a rest as out of which the unbelieving unperswadeable and disobedient living and dying such would be shut and into which the believing perswadeable and obedient such a people of God should enter and none but such Which therefore cannot be ineant of a pretended first day of weekly rest For if that had been the rest the believing had already actually entred into not only the outward but also the inward rest and even the unbelieving had actually entred into the outward part of that rest had they so far observed it as the weekly Sabbath Whereas the Israelites in Type in Moses's time had not entred so much as into the outward part of the Type of it That is to say not those of them who were above twenty years of Age when the Spies returned from searching the Land All except Joshuah and Caleb died short of Canaan that were above that number of years whether Believers or unbelievers All the Promises and the Threatnings the Exhortations and the Cautions and such like that are made use of in all this Discourse do plainly relate to a prosessing people according as they believe or believe not and so do enter or not enter into this rest As for what doth concern the parallel wherein it doth not hold and wherein it doth hold I shall open now my thoughts The Parallel here is not between God the Father as Creator and his Son Christ as Redeemer though there are some others that would have it so For the LORD Jesus himself the Christ the Mediator was the Creator not excluding the Father nor the Holy Spirit As I have proved before in this Treatise and have here again put some of the Scriptures into the Margin which the Reader may examine if he have need The Authour of this Epistle doth industriously prove and promote this great Truth of Christ's Jehovah ship or God-ship by his Creator-ship as well as by other Arguments from Scripture That God who is spoken of in the tenth verse of this fourth Chapter of this Epistle to the Hebrews is the same Christ by whom the Father made the Worlds the Ages He was the LORD in the beginning who laid the Foundation of the Earth and the works of whose hands the Heavens were as is declared in the second and tenth Verses of the first Chapter the same God who built all things in the fourth verse of the third Chapter Which doth make way for the following discourse concerning his rest and entring or not entring into it as Christian Professors did believe and obey or not As this Objector himself doth elsewhere confess upon the tenth Verse of the third Chapter that Christ is so brought in as God and expresly called God to make way for this following discourse about works and rest The same God whose voice from his Father by his Spirit in his Word the Israelites of Old and the Hebrews in this Authour's time were called upon to hearken unto in the seventh and fifteenth Verses of that third Chapter The same living God from whom they should take heed lest by an evil Heart of unbelief in them they did depart in the twelfth Verse Which the Authour doth expresly interpret of Christ in the fourteenth Verse The same God who was tempted provoked grieved disbelieved by the Israelites in the Wilderness in the eighth ninth tenth sixteenth and seventeenth Verses of this third Chapter which also is confirmed elsewhere in the Word the same God who did rest the seventh-Seventh-day from all his Works which were finished from the foundation of the World in the third and fourth Verses of the fourth Chapter The same God who has a people more pecularly belonging unto him in the ninth Verse The same God whose Word is quick and powerful or living and active and sharper than any two edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and of Spirit and of the Joynts or Nerves and Marrow and is a critical discerner or a Critick of the imaginations and thoughts of the Heart in the twelfth Verse hold forth also in other Scriptures The same God who is the great high Priest of his People passed into the Heavens as into the full Rest
Apostle saith he here changeth the manner of his Expression from the Plural absolutely We who believe or virtually in the name of a Multitude The people of God into that which is absolutely singular He that is entred A single person is here expressed One on whose Account the things mentioned are asserted And of this Change of phrase there can no reason be given but only to signifie the Introduction of a singular person Thus he To this I reply that other Reasons may be clearly assigned from the Context for that Change of Phrase and yet the same kind of persons be expresly meant with respect unto whom the things mentioned are asserted as I have already shewn to be the meaning of this place and other Scriptures compared do well agree in the like use of such a Phrase where the same persons or things spoken of are sometimes expressed in the Plural Number and sometimes in the Singular Take some few Instances That which in the fourth Chapter of this Epistle and fourth Verse is And He Rested This God in that Day that Seventh so significantly by a double Article is that Seventh-Day-Sabbath pointed out as I have observed to be that particular day the last day of the Week from the Creation to be the Weekly Sabbath Day It is not One day in Seven not a Seventh part of Time but That Seventh From All those Works of Him or of His. See here It is Works in the Plural This in another place to which it doth manifestly refer is thus expressed And He did perfect or finish Aelohim a word also Plural in the Hebrew whereas God in the Greek is Singular in a day This Seventh His Work Work in the Singular Number and He did Sabbatize in a day That Seventh from all His Work Work again in the Singular Number though with a Collective Particle which He had made Jebusites Plurally in one place is Jebusite Singularly in another place Enemies Plurally in one Scripture is Enemy singularly in another Scripture If the Reader have a Will to be further satisfied by more particulars about this let him examine and compare what places I have referred him unto in the Margin where the two last cited Scriptures do shew that Israel a Word Singular may have with it a Word Singular or Plural Where Thou is All and every one of such there spoken to as to one Man because every man particularly was concerned in what all of them did there We have more Instances in this Epistle and that particularly in this passage of it which doth relate to the matter in hand What in the eighth Verse of the third Chapter is Hearts in the Plural Number is in the eighth Verse of the ninety fifth Psalm out of which it is taken Heart in the Singular Number So what in the ninth Verse of the third Chapter of this Epistle is Works in the Plural Number is Work in the Singular Number in the ninth Verse of that Psalm Elsewhere the Singular Number doth in the same Verse follow presently upon the Plural Number Jehovah the Aelohim of his people repayeth them that hate him unto his faces to destroy him He will not delay to him that hateth him unto his faces he will repay him Him that is every one of such who hating him The Singular Number where it has a comprehensive significancy doth in divers Scriptures take in more Plurally As Soul Singularly which doth comprehend more Souls Plurally Thus Tree singularly doth take in Trees plurally So doth leaf in the singular number comprehend leafs in the plural number Where all the rest are of the same kind and Nature one is mentioned when more are included It doth take in every such one And thus it is in this tenth Verse of the fourth Chapter which is now under examination He who entring into Rest is such an one as is a Believer in the third Verse he whoever he be that believingly-perswadedly-obediently hearkeneth unto Christ's Voice All and every of such as are the people of God in the special sense spoken of immediately before in the ninth Verse there is yet remaining or left-put-off for a time a Sabbatism to the people of God The Word in the Greek is singular yet of plural signification as it is also in our English Tongue and then follows the Article he in the singular number whoever he be of that number of the people of God in the special sense The same there is in another Scripture the people the same Word singular in the Greek and in the English yet of plural signification who sitting in darkness who sitting is singular number yet also of plural comprehensiveness and the He in this place to the Hebrews doth emphatically note and point out those excelling ones that excelling one and every such excelling one as are of such another singular Spirit as Joshuah and Calob were who entred into the Type of Rest and after death into the Typified Spiritual Eternal Heavenly Rest having finished after Jehovah Christ in their life time All and every such as are Believing ones and of this people of God who alone they and all they every one of them they only and none else but they shall enter into this promised Rest As for others such as are unbelieving disobedient and unperswadable they living and dying away such will come short of that Rest He that doth desire more Scriptures about this may consult those in the Margin where what is spoken plurally is applyed singularly and what is expressed singularly doth refer to all and to every such one plurally Thus he that believeth on Christ in one Scripture is whosoever believeth on him in another Scripture This universal whosoever doth expound the indefinite He that is every One every such One he of such whosoever he be As also He in some Scriptures is interpreted and expounded by whosoever in other Scriptures As for what this Objector doth say that the Rest which this person is said to enter into is called his Rest absolutely Whereas the Rest which Believers are said to enter into is either called God's Rest or Rest absolutely but not their Rest or our Rest If this be admitted that the Rest here be the Rest of him who is the Author of it the He who is entring into it is not meant of the Believer For the same Rest which is the Authors Rest is also the Rest of the Believer of every Believer This Sabbatism is to the people of God it belongs to them there are the Subjects or the persons to whom this Rest is promised Jehovah Christ hath pursued this Rest for such and promised this Rest to such and when they enter into it it is theirs in more actual fulness They possess it they injoy it as their own As the Land of Canaan which was the Type of this Rest was Jehovah Aelohims to promise it and to give it to his Israel yet withal it
carnal compliance either with old Judaizers or with superstitious Pagans who had added divers of their own Ethnick corrupt mixtures of Idolatrous Worship which they gave to Sun Moon and Stars By the course and motion whereof Days Times Moons and Years were measured Gentile Philosophers having parcelled out the power of the only true God into the particular vertues of Elements and Creatures As the Lights in the Heavens Fire Water and Earth ascribing some portion of Deity to every one of these and so assigning a part of the Worship of God unto them too appointing times and seasons for their superstitious service These practices are blame worthy This were to go back either to the Old Testament dispensation or to return to their former Heathenish Rites which is three times rebuked and reproved What Again Again Backward But what is all this to the standing Law of the Seventh day Sabbath kept in an Holy Spiritual manner in obedience to Jehovah's command according to his Word Institution This is a matter of a distinct Nature from the other being a Law of another kind So that to lay aside all instituted natural seasons of Worship such as daily Evening and Morning Worship and weekly Sabbath Worship as some would infer from this place is in the issue to open a back-door for the main of Religion to be turned out at and to enforce it as others do from hence and from one Scripture more which they also wrest to the like wrong ill purpose as if it mattered not what day of the Week were kept or whether any day or no day at all So both were done to the LORD and we were now under no such particular Law This were to open a Gap to all superstition and prophaneness or to urge it as if we were now under no obligation of one special day in a Week but must keep every day of the week as Sabbath as some others Which is quite contrary to the whole Scripture and to the Word and Nature of a sabbath-Sabbath-day Which is a cessation from the ordinary labour a resting from the common work of our particular Functions which to do on every day of the Week were a sin expresly against the Letter of the Law of the fourth word which doth command us to work six days To spend the day in the Instituted work of Jehovah Aelohim This under a pretence of being always in a Sabbath is to mislead them to be never in a Sabbath Or as other some to plead from hence that they may keep both first day and Seventh-day too as Sabbaths every week this also is directly against the precept For we must work the six foregoing days of the Week and rest on the Seventh We do declare against all and every of these mistakes and miscarriages both in principle and in practice in whomsoever they are found Paul is supposed by these Objectors to speak against the observing of that which comes under the expression of weak and poor Rudiments Elements or first beginnings Whereas the ten Words are not such These are a Kingly Law Obedience to these is the Liberty of Children whereas subjection to the other in comparison of this was sometimes the Bondage of Servants The ten Words are a Kingly Law of Liberty If it be objected that the Typical Figuring shadowy part annexed of old to the Seventh-day Sabbath to be then observed such as the two He-Lambs and such like was a part of these weak and poor Rudiments We acknowledge that these have received their perfection and accomplishment in Christ now come born of a Virgin So that in this part which was Typically superadded we are not now so to observe the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath by such Types and Figures but after that glorious spiritual Heavenly manner as becometh those who are under this New Testament dispensation and thus to keep it is no bondage to a renewed Heart The more excelling in Knowledge in Grace and in Experience that any is the more free will they be to this when once they are led aright into it Let that therefore which Paul saith in the twelfth verse be considered here Be ye as I am for I have been as ye are As if he had said I was once superstitious whilst a Pharisee fond of un-Scriptural Traditionary seasons days and observances or an observer of Scriptural times and institutions in an un-Scriptural un-Spiritual manner as ye but now I bring all to a Word-Rule and so should you If the Reader do diligently observe it in his going over of this Epistle he may find the Law of the ten words established as a rule of Life in the whole of it and by enumeration and induction in several particular commands of it though withal he set out the different manner of dispensing of Grace under the Old and New Testament This improved and applyed might also be an answer to that part of the Objection which is formed from wresting that other place to the Colossians The great drift scope and design of the Apostle in this second Chapter is to set up and establish Jesus Christ as Head LORD Law-giver and the great Exemplar Contrary unto which amongst others were these great opposers the maintainers and defenders of corrupt Philosophy whereby some did endeavour to make a prey of Souls through affectation of humane Wisdom and vain deception according to the Tradition of Men according to the Elements of the World and not according to Christ Another sort of Adversaries were the Advocates for humane Inventions the pleaders for the institutions and impositions of Men besides and against the Scriptures of Truth in the matters of Faith and of manners of Doctrine Worship Discipline Government and Conversation they were Will-worshippers Some others there were who were hot contenders for the keeping up of such Ceremonies as were once Shadows and Types of a Christ who was then to come to be born in the flesh of a Virgin These Typical Institutions were perfected in Christ when he thus came These shadows now passed into the body and substance of them Believers were now complete in their Head Christ in the tenth Verse and had the true grace of what was under Types and Shadows before in the eleventh and twelfth verses That Chirograph by Rites which before they had as it were written exhibited signed sealed and delivered was now blotted out or cancelled Which before was their act and deed in the fourteenth and fifteenth Verses As for what they object that two He-Lambs of the first year perfect were an annexed part of the worship on the Seventh day Sabbath and two tenth parts of fine flower for a Meat-offering mingled with Oyl and the Drink offering thereof the Burnt-offering of the Sabbath in his Sabbath As if therefore the Sabbath too were to be laid aside with these If there were any force in this arguing then we should lay aside all Religion and Worship For what was there under that
old corrupt Principles the old crooked Rules the old selfish ends the old bad Frames the old uutoward Actings the erroneous mistakes the formality in Worship the old unscriptural Traditions the old Sins the old man's Conversion and such like These do pass away and all things contrary to these are become new A whole new man The Apostle speaks of what is peculiar to the New Creature in Christ as such For as for the old ceremonious Rites and their passing away even those that were not new Creatures but were carnal Professors of Christianity yet had these things passing away and they were put under a new Administation the new dispensation of Grace had Ordinances now in a more spiritual heavenly way and manner The passing away of old things here is of old things so far as they stand in opposition to the new Creature and unto that new life in and to Christ which now the converted person should live That as Christ so loved his people as to dye and rise again for them so should those in Christ thus evidence their Love to Christ by living no longer to themselves but unto him crucifying the old man mortifying the sins and lusts of that old man and vivifying or quickning the new man which was true in the Types and Figures before Christ was come born of the Virgin Mary and which is still true now after that Christ is come and ascended up into Glory But all this doth make nothing as to the passing away of the Law of the ten Words in all of them or in any one the least of them This is a distinct fort of Laws from the Typical Figuring Shadowy Institutions The Law of the ten Words as it always has been so is it now and still will be the Rule of the new Creature in Christ Jesus For what in one place is called the new Creatures Rule in another speaking to the same case is the keeping of the Commandments of God In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a new Creature And as many as walk according to this Rule Peace be on them and Mercy and on the Israel of God The Israel of old had no saving benefit barely by the outward sign of Circumcision whereas God's Israel then who had the sign and the thing signified too they had the Mercy and Peace who were new Creatures united to the Messiah by Faith working by Love who had their hearts circumcised to love Jehovah their God who had sin subdued and lust mortified And the uncircumcision under the new Dispensation was not of any good avail without the new Birth without conjunction to and communion with it and if the Regenerate the new Born the new Created would evidence and approve themselves to be such and to be in Christ they must obey him and keep his Commandments But what is all this to any change of the weekly Sabbath from the Seventh to the First Day of the Week To pass from one sort of Laws into another sort of Laws from the Law of figuring Types to the Law of the ten Words and to infer the passing away of any one of the Laws of the ten Words from the passing of Types into the Antitypes and of signifying Figures into their signified things is a transition from one kind to another a way of sophistical arguing of fallacious disputing captiously to over-reach the ignorant too credudulous vulgar and to defraud them of their right to the Truth As for that part of the Objection which doth speak of new Heavens and of new Earth pretended to be completed and finished on the Day of Christ's Resurrection from whence to conclude the passing away of the Seventh-day Sabbath to make room for a First-Day-weekly Sabbath it is so scriptureless so natureless so reasonless an inference that it should have been more preconsidered by this Arguer whether it do conclude and prove any thing but this that the Adversaries would fain have something or other that might carry a little colour and some shew with it if they know what For let it be pondered upon search and examination that all those places of Scripture which do speak of the new Heavens and the new Earth do relate to a further time for their full accomplishment than precisely to the Day of Christ's Resurrection That Prophesie in Isaiah hath an eye to the more large and spreading conversions of the two and ten Tribes in the latter days yet to come How was this then fulfilled on Christ's Resurrection-Day who of them was then converted what eminent new Creatorship was there then brought forth which might put any such signal remark upon the First Day of the Week as from thence to become the new weekly Sabbath When the most of the Disciples themselves did scarce believe him to be raised till after that Day was over And two Disciples with whom he had walked some Miles that Day had little belief of his Resurrection and little knowledge of him till he disappeared from them How few in comparison were brought in unto Christ and made new Creatures in all Christ's life time at his Death and Resurrection and forty Days after that till after his Ascension and after the pourings out of the Holy Spirit That forementioned Prophesie doth foretel that Nations shall be brought under the Jews Dominions when those new Heavens and new Earth shall appear This was not at the time of Christ's Resurrection-day nor ever since and they were then and have been since for sixteen hundred years or more so far Ruling over the Nations that they have been a scattered despised broken people without so much as any Political Kingly Government amongst themselves It foretels that those of Judah and of Israel should be gathered out of all Quarters East West North and South This also is behind yet unfulfilled That Euphrates would be dry Was this on Christ's Resurrection Day Or has it been since Is not this also yet to come upon their return to their own Land in the latter Days Will not their grand Enemy the Turk be then overthrown who has so long wrongfully possessed their Inheritance which when it is will be so great a work for the inhabited Earth to take notice of where the ear-report shall come or the eye-witnessing be that it will obscure the memory of former Acts. Another Prophesie by Isaiah doth fortel that at that time of the new Heavens and the new Earth the ten Tribes of Israel as well as the other two of Judah and of Benjamin shall according as to an express promise return home to their own Country and Land For Sharon was in Gilead which belonged to Manasseh The Valley of Achor was a parcel of the Tract of Jericho in the Tribe of Judah There will then be a new face of things in their glorious and blessed Renovation when there will be divers things accomplished which are not as yet fulfilled As
may be seen in the next Scripture cited in the Margin which is a part of this same Prophesie For observe here the Jews shall then be restored when this will be performed Their Foes will be terrified upon the report of the Jews repair home which is not fully verified The Nations will do homage to the Jews upon their Conversion whereas hitherto they have been dispersed among and subdued by the Nations are objects either of scorn or pitty to all Mankind where ever they are a great overthrow will be given to their open Enemies which is yet to come The converted Jews will turn to Jehovah Christ and will constantly and continuedly serve him according to Gospel Institution particularly by observing the Seventh-day Sabbath in his Sabbath which expression is used elsewhere referring to the Seventh-day Sabbath When these things shall come to pass the LORD will make crooked things to be streightness before his people when that Law of his to which the Isles do expect shall be magnified and made honourable as the Giver of it also will be So great and so glorious things being to come so long after Isaiah's Prophesyings Such as whereof all the World could not have foretold these are confirmed and verified by the Testimony of the Father in his Son by his Spirit in his Word As for what is Prophesied of by Ezekiel concerning the new Temple or Church state where especial direction is given for the service of the Sabbath-day this doth confirm and establish the Seventh-day Sabbath to continue under New Testament times For it speaks of such a Day of Sabbath in the same Week as has six working Days going before it which is expresly according to the same Law proclaimed Mount Sinai as one of the ten Words That which is alledged out of Peter was a Prophesie long after Christ's Resurrection and Ascension a little before Peter's death and not long before the destruction of the Temple and of the Jews which had a quite contrary Face and Nature from the glorious Renovation foretold Those new Heavens and new Earth that were prophesied were at that time of Peter's writing the Epistle in the Promise unfulfilled such as were yet expected and look'd out after and the whole Discourse doth manifest that it was not then accomplished That day of the LORD the same LORDLY Day spoken of in the Revelvtion the great providential Day of his LORDLY Appearance was not then come it Peter's time The Heavens were not then passed away with a noise they were not then perished in flames by fire the Elements were not then burnt and loosed or dissolved and melted the Earth and the works that were therein were not then burnt up The Heavens which are now saith he speaking of those that were in his Day and Time and the Earth are by the same Word laid up as a Treasure and are kept unto fire against the day of Judgment and of the Destruction of ungodly men or of corrupt Worshippers These things saith he shall perish They had not then perished The day of the LORD shall come It was not then come but they were to look for and to hasten unto the coming of it We according to his promise expect new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness We look for these things They were as yet but in the Promise They were under the Expectation of Believers They looked for them but they did not then see and enjoy them actually in their real Coming for they were not as yet come Thus also that Prophety by John in the Revelation when he had a Visional sight of a new Heaven and a new Earth upon the passing away of the first Heaven and the first Earth and when he saw the Holy City and the New Jerusalem and when a great Voice out of Heaven had told him that God would wipe off all tears from the eyes of his Covenant-people and that Death should be no more neither mourning nor crying nor any more trouble for the former things should pass away He that sat upon the Throne said Behold I make all things new Write for these things are true and faithful Is it not evident here that this Prophetie was many years after the Day of Christ's Resurrection And must not the Fulfilling be after the Prophetie Is there not enough in this very place to confute the Objector's Arguing Is the first Heaven and the first Earth yet passed away When ever was this fulfilled Is the new Heaven and the new Earth yet come Is the Holy City the New Jerusalem as yet come down from God out of Heaven Are there not tears found in the eyes of the LORD'S people to be wiped away Is there not death still Are these former things yet passed away Is not the LORD He who then foretold that he would make all things new John saw in a Vision and heard in a voice they would be so made but they were not actually so excellent on earth in John's Day and Time For there will be this new face of things in the Churches of Christ on earth This New Holy City Jerusalem is not said to go up to God into Heaven but it doth come down from God out of Heaven God will renew his Covenant with his people and he will Tabernacle with them God will put away Humane Ordinances Inventions Impositions and Traditions to set up his own Institutions all the Laws and Orders of his New House in their Purity and Power The Nations shall receive Light from this New Church so shiningly enlightned so clearly taught of him Church-Discipline shall be revived set up and exercised Distempers Diseases and Ulcers of Spirit of Soul and Body shall be healed and cured and removed by the Medicinal leaves of the Tree of Life All which do belong to a Church-State here on earth If other passages in this Book of the Revelation be collated it will appear that many things foretold to go before this are not yet fulfilled For there must be another manner of Conversion of the Tribes yet of all the Tribes which do include the Ten of Israel as well as the Two of Judah and Benjamin The twelve thousands of the several Tribes The New Church was to be erected after that the See of the Beast was overthrown The Returning Jews are called the Kings of the East There will be a laying dry the Waters of Euphrates as those of the Red Sea were of Old for Jehova's Redeemed ones to pass thorow The Turkish oppressing Tyrant will yet further destroy many of the Jews which grand Enemy shall at length be quite destroyed utterly ruined and his Power shall be broken to pieces The very place of this Conflicting Battel is particularly mentioned where his Overthrow shall be And there will yet be a glorious Christian Church of returning believing Jews erected
Instruments Meats and to other things It is also applyed to the Seventh-day Sabbath which Aelohim did sanctifie for holy Uses and to no other day of the whole week as such at the first Creation according to the Nature of its Essence in the order of its being before those after superadded Ceremonies and Shadows So that in this sense Right Reason would inform all reasonable men and women in the World that the Seventh the last day in every week has a concreated adaptness to be a day of holy Rest for the worship of their Maker and that they themselves should be an holy people separated to the service of the holy God Though his Church and People are thus sanctified and severed from other people by Jehovah in a peculiar especial manner his Elect yet more especially As for the Law of the ten Words if we look upon it in its superadded Ceremonies and some such other intermixed Annexes so it had somewhat peculiarly belonging to the Israelitish Church and people in Moses's time and to those of other Nations who were prosâ—lited to that Ceremonial Typical way under that Administration Whereas we under the New Testament have another manner of Dispensation of the same Grace in a more spiritual heavenly glorious way Although this Typical Figuring part made no real change even of old upon the Law of the ten Words If this be considered as it is an absolute and perfect Rule of Life comprehending all duties whatsoever and being that Image and Samplar unto which all mankind at the beginning in their representative Head were created in Wisdom in Holiness and in Righteousness which was afterwards promulgated and proclaimed by Jehovah Christ with a Covenant of Grace intermingled so it is that Law of Nature which inlightned Intellect or right Reason doth teach some notions whereof are still retained even now in man's fallen corrupted estate There are some Seeds of those Eternal Truths and Things some common principles of good and of evil both for the knowledge of God and of his Service and for those Duties which we owe unto our selves and unto our Neighbours This is born and bred with reasonable man every one doth carry it about with him every one coming into this World is inlightned therewithal which Remnants of this Law do serve for many good uses and purposes in civil converse amongst men and for some other ends In this sense the Law of the ten Words particularly that of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath is given to the whole World All mankind had it in their common representative the first Adam clearly fully perfectly and have still some Relicks of it left within them by the Law of Nature in the Light of Reason demonstrated by concreated Principles the foundations and grounds of which are knowable by Humane Intellect In this sense the Law of the ten Words particularly that of the weekly Seventh day Sabbath is given to the whole World all mankind had it in their common representative and have still some indwelling Notions of it left within them This Law in some parts of the natural Duties of it may yet by the Institution of Jehovah Aelohim be a sign of some mystical thing signified which doth make any real change in the natural Duty it self this standing still in its due force as before but it may have something further significant in it by the LORD 's special appointment As the State Duty and Priviledge of Marriage in the fifth and seventh Words Instituted in Paradise doth figure the great Mystery of that Mystical Union which is between Christ and his Church People come next to be considered People are sometimes in some Scriptures more especially taken for the Israelites and the Jews These are sometimes in the plural Number called Peoples This People had some peculiar Priviledges beyond other Peoples particularly as to the kingly manner of proclaiming and revealing the Law of the ten Words more in their sight and hearing at Mount Horeb and as to some things afterwards annexed to it which was the Pattern in the Mount Thus Jehovah's holy Sabbath was made known unto the Israelites after another manner than to other Nations Whilst they walked by this Rule of Life they were a wise and prudent people But when they transgressed greatly they were a rebellious people The Israelitish people so constituted as it then was are called The people of God The people of the God of Abraham These had some distinguishing favours in that day People in some other Scriptures are some times taken for all Nations besides Israel and besides those other Lands who were brought over to the true Religion Thus the Uncircumcised Nations strangers from the Covenant of God Indels profane and ungodly they also are called People and the People of the Earth and the abominable People Though these whilst such did not share in choice special Church-Priviledges yet some ways they had the Law of the ten words and amongst others the Law of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath particularly As this Law of the Decalogue is the natural concreated Law There are divers Records in Humane Authors for those to search after who are curious in such Disquisitions which do evidence that the Seventh-day Sabbath was generally observed by the Pagans as the weekly Holy Day The remaining Relicks of their Natural Life and Right Reason dictating the equity of this Law which also might be traditioned down to them The Pagan Idolaters so far conforming to the Laws and Practice of the Church of God They acknowledged the Seventh-day as more holy and owned its Rest from labour And the Ethnick Doctors in this way of teaching would Philosophize only on the Seventh-day Sabbath Then did they frequent their Temples and then some of them sung their Hymns to their Idol God These Precepts of the Decalogue were the Law of our Creation they are the natural Dictates of the Humane Essence in its rational Exercise ingraft Notions concreated Characters wrought into the essential composition of our natural Being the Sanction whereof has more or less a living impression in the Humane Existence The very order of the Days in the first created Week did teach the observation in the weekly seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath and made it a part of the Law of Nature Aelobim's Method in the Creatures Production which did so dispose of his Works and of his Rest hath confirmed this Order in laying its foundation in created Beings And this is a very forcible way of right arguing used by the LORD himself in his Word in divers cases The six forgoing Days of the Week for Work and the seventh the last Day of the Week for Rest These were from the beginning of the Creation Designed they were thus originally appointed by the Creator himself and so laid as a standing Law upon the Rational Creatures The natural equity whereof man's Representative in Adam readily submitted and subjected and conformed to there being both
distinguish that which the Objector did tumble into a confused heap and then from thence he drew wrong inferences He should better have bethought himself that when he would speak of the nature and Essence of a thing as particularly of a Sign or Ceremony and doth so define it that according to his own philosophical way all definitions of any thing should be universal or universally agreeing to the thing defined where-ever it is found it must be universally affirmed of that thing where-ever it hath a Being Whereas it is discovered that there is a Sign of Sanctification which yet is not so in his sense There are some natural Signs of this of sanctified Seasons separate for holy Services The Heavenly Luminaries were are and will be such Signs There is a notifying testifying-certifying Sign of Sanctification Both these the Weekly Seventh-day Sabbath has been is and will be It doth bespeak Holiness in the Nature and Being in the Name and Thing of it to the due observers of it and therefore doth widely differ from that which is meerly Ceremonial And both these Signs are Signs to all mankind O how special a gift was this Law of the k Seventh day Sabbath A choice favour One of the precious Mercies as to the Law To have all holy Rest even here in and with the LORD For unto this doth it Call To lodge in the bosom and heart of the Messiah O how delightful O how good O how pleasant I now return unto a further passage in a former another from this last Objector The next Particular to be demonstrated is that the new Worship was Typically signified in the figuring Pattern of old So that neither doth this make any change at all upon the weekly Sabbath to make it pass from one day of the Week unto another from the seventh to the first For as for that Typical Figuring Worship which was a part of the Pattern under that Administration in Types Shadows Figures and Rites which was performed on the Seventh-day Sabbath that way of Worship by Sacrifices of Lambs by Meat and Drink offerings Incense and such like as to this part these were perfected and accomplished in and by Christ when born of the Virgin Mary when living dying rising ascending But the Seventh-day Sabbath stands firm as one of the ten Words which are another sort of Laws that do abide for ever This Epistle to the Hebrews doth expresly affirm that the Spiritual Heavenly things of this New Testament of Glory were in the Pattern under the Old The parts of Worship now were then only in a more shadowy figuring manner and therefore you may find the same things as well as words transferred out of the Old into the New Testament Only spiritualized in the new As Priest Propitiatory Altar Sacrifices Offerings Incense and many such like Had this Ingager on the side for the cause of the first Day given instances in any particulars of VVorship in the place where he speaks of new VVorship it might have been discovered that the same was in the Pattern of Old to which Types then the Antitypes now do directly exactly answer If a skilful experienced Believer would write an exact Commentary upon the first second third fourth fifth and sixteenth Chapters of Levitious not now to mention much more in that Book and in Exodus Numbers and Deuteronomy and take off the Veil from them and give forth the true intended spiritual significant meaning of them by a collating of other suitable Scriptures particularly in the New Testament Every spiritual Discerner may quickly see there was Gospel-worship even then only differently for the manner dispensed The Ceremonies of old were Types and Figures and Shadows instituted of Jehovah Aelohim for these ends amongst others to be signifying Seals of the assurance of Christ's coming in the fulness of time to accomplish them and of those good things which Believers had then have now and shall have in after time in and by him whether they were Administrators of holy Things or particular Saints or the Saints generally all of them These were of old Signs and Seals of Regeneration of Justification of Sanctification of Acceptaon of Salvation and of eternal Life they were shadows of good things to come which shadows did continue until the time of correction at the coming of Christ in the Flesh born of the Virgin Mary which Christ was the Body of these things themselves the express form the summary substance of them They were now to pass into the spiritual things signified as those Typical Figuring signifying sealing Ordinances and Institutions of the New Testament Dispensation of Grace Baptism and the Supper of the LORD do really to believing partakers of them represent glorious things and will do so till Christ come to make all things new The forementioned time of correction did then eminently begin when Christ first openly shewed himself to be the same Messiah the same God manifested in the flesh for he was born a Saviour Of whom all the Prophets had foretold And it had still a further progress as he passed further on in his life fulfilling all Righteous Observances as afterwards by his Death and Resurrection The thorough perfection of which time of correction was when he ascended up into the Heavens The Holy of Holies there So that if we speak of God thus manifested in the flesh thus was Redemption Work in the Antitype carried on the complete finishing thereof was upon Christ's going up to his Father from Earth to Heaven For then and not till then was the thorough completed consummation of the Old Testament Administration and then and not till then was the full perfect initiation of the New Testament Dispensation as the Author of this Epistle to the Hebrews doth expresly declare it If men will lay any more stress and weight in their arguing about this to any particular time and day then the very form and the true Existence and real Essence and the consummating Consecration of that Priesthood of Christ which did set an end to and did put down the Aaronical and Levitical Priesthood before which the whole of the Antitypical Work of Redemption so far as it did relate to the Priestly Office of Christ the Mediator between God and Man was not perfectly filled up This doth stand and consist in those things which do belong unto the Ascension of our LORD Jesus Christ into Glory For whilst Christ was on Earth there were other Priests which offered gifts according to the Law of the Pattern who did serve unto the Pattern and Shadow of Heavenly things of Heaven it self and so long Christ had not the former typical Priesthood so unchangeably unpassingly to any other passing into him as the Antitype so long as he remained on Earth he was not such an High Priest as the Author of this Epistle doth plainly word it into which Heaven Christ did therefore ascend to
make a full end of all those Old Testament Types and Figures becoming now the glorious Mediator of the New Testament which is established or legitimated in better Promises The holy Spirit hereby signifying this that the way of this Heavenly Sanctuary the Holy of Holies was not yet made manifest to be perfectly accomplished till Christ ascended there whereby there is evident proof made that the Aaronical Levitical Priesthood being a Type Figure Pattern and Shadow of this Coelestial super-Coelestial Priesthood of Christ did stil stand till then and was not to give way and place as a Type and Figure unto the Antype and Truth until this great High Priest Christ went into Heaven The Birth the Life the Passion the Death the Resurrection the Ascension of Christ have every one of them somewhat peculiar in them as to the Redeeming-work and must all of them be put together for the thorough completing of so good and so gracious so great and so glorious a Work But those who would make the resurrection-Resurrection-day of Christ to speak that about a pretended change of the weekly Sabbath from the Seventh day to the first should consider that the perfect consummation of this Work in the Antitype was at Christ's ascending up into Glory Then did he Captive Captives unto himself which was done when he thus went up on high which was a part of Redeeming Work The effusion of his holy Spirit was one Fruit of Christ's Ascension thither Into Heaven he went in the name of his people for their good to take possession for them Now hereby was the Heavenly Holy of Holies opened Here did this high Priest intercede for those whom the Father gave unto him The Priests entring into the Holiest was a Type of this yet in some things there was a difference The Typical high Priest of old was to enter in there once every year But Christ entred into Anti-typical Heaven once for all The High Priest of old entred into the Type with the blood of Bulls and of Goats Christ entred into Heaven with his own blood The High Priest appeared of old before the Ark for the people a little while and then came away quickly agen But Christ for ever doth appear before God his Father having hereby obtained Eternal Redemption for those who are his What shall I more say about this To expound the whole of the Old Testament pattern as to the matters of worship and in all the other parts of that Administration and then to apply it in the new how exactly one doth correspond to the other were task enough for a long Life That the shadowy ceremonies and figuring Types of the Old Testament as such that is to say as shadowy ceremonies and figuring Types are done away and leave no obligation of duty upon Believers under this New Testament ministration to observe and perform the outward part of them I would thus demonstrate by Arguments drawn from those Propheties in the Old Testament which do foretel this The LORD Jesus Christ upon his coming in the flesh born of a Virgin was to cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease and thus he bespeaks his Father Sacrifice and Oblation thou wouldest not mine ears hast thou digged open burnt-offering and sin-offering thou askedst not Then said I lo I come in the Roll of the Book it is written of me My God I delight to do thy acceptable will and thy Law is within my Bowels Christ's Ear was digged open it was pierced and became listning to his Father's call and obedient to his Father's voice his Ears were bored by the Father whose servant for ever Christ was the Father fitted a Body to this beloved Son of his preparing and ordaining it to be an ordinary and expiatory sacrifice for the sins of the World it being impossible that ceremonial sacrifices should purge away sins which therefore were now refused as unprofitable and they received their perfection and accomplishment in Christ I argue further from those Scripture Names which are given unto those Rites and Ceremonies whereby their Nature is aptly expressed and significantly described sometimee they are set out by Types as they were under the old to which the Anti-types do directly answer in the New so that the old Types do give place and the new Anti-types do stand in their Room those Types being representing signs as of some spiritual thing signified then so also of some future thing come to pass now which being come to pass as it had a correspondency to the former so also did it do away the external part of that which had before adumbrated it They are in other places called shadows which are obscure representations of somewhat else that was the express form they were a picturing delineation and a well drawn Image of Heavenly things of future good things They were exemplars as so many Images representing of Christ and of his benefits They were a parable or collation an artificial prefiguring narration of somewhat else signified thereby a form of Ritual Worship which served for that time under that administration putting somewhat that was visible before the eyes which yet had a more inward mysterious meaning in it They were fleshy and flesh those external ceremonies and outward works were exercised about outward earthy crass infirm and fading things hence the Laws and commands about them are said to be fleshy precepts injoyning the offering up the flesh of bulls rams and goats they were fleshy rites and one of their signs that of Circumcision was a mark in the flesh The Reader should not here mistake me as if I were in this against all the outward part of Worship now under the New Testament whilst I declare the abolishing of those external sacrifices and outward Rites which were Typical and figuring of old A just respect of outward reverence is due unto Jehovah Aelohim where he doth manifest his gracious presence Here is a duty of veneration to be expressed by outward gesture Although the inward Worship be principally in several respects intended and required yet the outward and bodily part is not excluded but enjoyned also such as elevation of the Eye and palms of the Hands bowing kneeling and the like where meet circumstances of time and place and other parts of the case are fitted for it The LORD made the body of Man to be worshipped and glorified by as well as the Spirit and Soul and Believers have a promise and so are under expectation of having their bodies glorified as well as their spirits and souls in the World and Life to come and if they look for a glorifying reward they should perform a worshiping work though the inward worship be the life of the outward worship yet the outward must be expressive of the inward the one is not complete without the other Where there is only the outward worship without the inward there the worship doth
Rule of Obedience to them under the Old Testament as unto God in Christ and is still so a Rule unto us under the New In my entrance upon this I must express my aâ—horrence of that bold daringness in some who charge the LORD Jesus Christ himself with being in his life-time a counâ—enancer of some breaches of the Seventh-day Sabbath Thus flying in the face not only of this holy Law but also of the Supreme Lawgiver They give two Instances one in the twelfth of Matthew and the beginning of that Chapter the other in the fifth Chapter of John the ninth tenth and so on to the sixteenth Verse As to the the former concerning Christ's Disciples plucking the Ears of Corn and eating on the seventh-Seventh-day and Christ's pleading their Cause Consider well their Case in all the Circumstances of it They did what was lawful on the Seventh day it being a needful refreshing of their outer man thereby to strengthen for Sabbath-worship and Service where other provision was wanting a work of Mercy as Christ shewed it to be an action tending towards the Sanctification of the Sabbath and not bringing any Duty thereof It was according to what the Law of Jehovah did allow in the two last Verses of the twenty third Chapter of Deuteronomy which had foundation in right Nature and in just Equity amongst all Mankind who did allow this in a case of present necessity And this Christ's doth further exemplifie in a like case of David Concerning the later Where Christ healed the man diseased and bid him To take up his bed and walk And this on the sabbath-Sabbath-day The diseased man was there on his bed in the way of his cure a cure was lawful on the sabbath-Sabbath-day a doing good on such a day a work of necessity and of mercy and so lawful This was a Work that the diseased man could not foresee or prevent before the Sabbath came nor being healed was he to delay it till the Sabbath was over left he had lost that of his goods which his duty was so to preserve the Creator on the Seventh-day Sabbath preserved his Creatutes which he had made on the six foregoing days of the same week It was a publick Testimony of the truth of the Cure and of the power of the Healer who as God-man spake the cure It was an act of Faith and of Obedience in him who was whole and did not hinder any Sabbath-worship For you may find him in the Temple in the fourteenth Verse Having already proved that the LORD Jesus Christ was Admininistrator under the Old Testament and that he was the Promulgator of the Law of the ten Words at Mount Sinai who was to be believed and obeyed in that Day as well as now and that the end of the Law also the great design drift purport and meaning of it was Christ for Righteousness to every one that believeth That which is now upon my hand to defend and maintain is that it is still a Rule of Obedience now unto the New Testament for the confutation of Anomy or Antinomianism This Law of the ten Words was confirmed by the express Doctrine of our LORD Jesus Christ when he took to his God-head the Humane Nature born of the Virgin Mary and dwelt here on Earth and conversed with men for some years particularly in his Sermon at the Mount So that as he was the Proclaimer of them at Mount Sinai Thus also was he here again at the Mount the Preacher and Confirmer of them in the faithful discharge of his Kingly Prophetick Office He would not have any Disciple of his so much as to give way unto any one thought that he came to dissolve any of the least commands of this Law of the ten Words the least Consonant or Vowel or Point whatsoever it was that was originally this of Christ's own giving and writing from his Father by his Spirit in his Word Nothing not the least part of it was in any wise to pass from it Who-ever he were that did loose or dissolve one of these least Commandments more especial too if he did further teach men so such an one was not in a fiâ—â—edness for the New Testament Church-state which is set out by the Kingdom of Heaven He was neither to be admitted into this State where it was known or if he unawares crept in yet being discovered he was not to continue in that state without the exercise of Church Discipline And that Christ doth speak of this Law of the Ten Words is manifest for he doth give particular instances of particular Commands in the Decalogue Of the Sixth Word or Command in the one and twentieth Verses of that fifth Chapter of the Second or Fourth Words or Commands though set out after the manner of the Old Testament Dispensation which at that time was not so fully perfected and accomplished as I have shewed else where in the twenty third and twenty fourth Verses of that fifth Chapter where the manner of Worship and the times and seasons of Worship are spoken to and of Of the Seventh Word in the twenty seventh Verse and onwards to the end of the thirty second Verse Of the Third Word in the thirty third Verse and so forward to the thirty seventh Verse Of the First Word in the nineteenth Verse and further even to the end of the sixth Chapter If thou be a discerning unprejudiced Reader it is but open thy Bible and read those three Chapters and thou wilt conclude with me that this Sermon is Christ's reviving of and Commentary upon the Law of the Ten Words making this to be the Doctrinal Foundation upon which wise Believers are to bottom and to build The same Truth and Duties which are here taught and commanded by Christ are the same which the Prophets of old did commend to the people and which Moses also did deliver as may be seen in the Citations in the margin It was by this Law of the Decalogue that Christ doth prove the truth of his Doctrines and the equity of his Commands It is Christ's obedience unto the Law of the Ten Words wherein he propoundeth and setteth himself as a Pattern and Example for Believers to imitate and to follow him This Law of the Ten Words is affirmed in the New Testament to be in its own nature an Holy Just Good Spiritual Law a Perfect Law commanding all good and forbidding all evil All and every sin is a transgression of one or other of the Ten Words which are still the Believer's light to guide his steps aright in those straight ways wherein he is to walk The Apostles in the History of their Acts and in the Epistles which they sent to the Christian Churches are full of this Doctrine which doth constantly attend their preaching of that great Truth of Justification by faith in Christ particularly even as to the Laws of the Second Table The Prophesies
Disciple from an Antichristian Synagogue and a Worshipper of the Beast are the keeping of the Commandments of God and the having the Testimony of Jesus Christ Much peace to them that love Jehovah's Law and to them no stumbling block This will be the everlasting Rule of the Holiness and Righteousness of glorified Ones in Heaven If some one will do he shall know of this Doctrine whether it be of God or not O the happy straight goings on of that man who fearing Jehovah who delighting greatly in his Commandments Christ is the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him and the Father gives his Spirit unto such How freely and delightfully could I here inlarge in the commendation of this excellent perfect Law How good how holy how just is this Law for the matter intrinsecally externally good and holy and just consonant to the eternal Justice and Holiness and Goodness which is in the LORD himself whose Authority is stamped upon this and as such is given forth from him unto us to be a Rule How can this be abrogated or changed which is so full and comprehensive of that Righteousness and Holiness which is the perfect Image of the pure unchangeable Jehovah Aelohim were we more throughly conformed to it in our natures and actions we should be tied to it and to the Commander of it with an everlasting love love beyond expression How can the obligation of its mandatory power be other than eternal and immutable O how good is it in its kindly effects inlightning converting restoring quickning comforting and many other ways operating upon the heart when the holy Spirit doth put life and power into mens hearts for these productions This way of obedience to the ten Words is the way of lasting of hidden age and of everlastingness that way which alone of all ways will continue and hold out to the utmost duration when all the ways of Anomous of lawless ones shall perish Christ's Disciples should evidence and manifest their love to him by their friendliness to his Law The Doctrines and the Precepts of this Rule the promises and the threatning of it do some way or other lead to Christ and have him for their scope and this under the old as well as new Administration were not the believing Israelites to look unto the covenanted Messiah and to act Faith upon him Were they not by all the Types and Figures and Shadows of him to make application of him to themselves and of themselves to him and and to confirm their expectation of his coming Was not this that which made all their prayers and other services acceptable their spiritual relation which they had unto him How could mercy be done unto thousands as the Letter of this Law doth include if we exclude this Messiah or Christ out of his own Laws as if he were not intended there The Administration of this Law was Evangelical in its great design and main intention Can a believer but highly prize Christ and esteem him precious when he doth so look into the glass of this Law as to view and loath the spots on the face of his nature and life the least of which this Law doth discover and will not hide any of his deformities nor cover his wrinckles nor paint his ugliness In this case how great are the benefits by Christ to the Believer who is made of God to the Believer Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption The more that a Beliver doth honour Christ the more will he be carried out in a Spirit of Love to delight in the Commands of Christ When Adam was most holy he was most obedient and when he was most obedient he was most acted by a principle of Love Thus the holy blessed Angels do all in obedience and love to Christ for they also are under this Law and at command Even the LORD Jesus Christ himself kept these Commandments of his Father and did abide in his Love his ready chearful obedience to his Father must have an eye to a commanding Law The Law of the ten Words though it include a perfect holiness in its requirements yet doth it not exclude an Advocating Mediator in its intendments O how will mens faces be covered with shame at the last when they shall be judged by that Law which now they so much contend against When the LORD had given forth the Law of the ten Words it is said Not hath he added He added no more commands of this Nature This was almost forty years after the promulgation of the Decalogue at Mount Sinai He hath not added he doth not add he will not add will still be a true saying relating to this no more commands of this kind and sort for they are but ten Words a perfect Law to which nothing is to be added and from which nothing is to be substracted In this Book of Deuteronomy Moses repeated the ten Words or Commandments and presseth to the observation of this Law confirming the whole of it with promises to the believing and obedient and with threatnings against the unperswadeable and transgressing And Christ himself a little before his death foretold of the continuance of the Seventh-day Sabbath calling it by the name of Sabbath well towards forty years after his death though for the advancement of Sabbath-learning I propound to the Vertuoso and the Ingenuoso of the times to consider Q. Whether that expression Mat. 24. 20. Pray ye that your flight be not in the Sabbath do not relate to all and every of those great periods of time the destruction of Jerusalem the down-fall of Antichrist and the Tribulation of that time which shall make way for the later-day-Glory this seventh-Seventh-day Sabbath will last as long as this world lasteth to the utmost end of it Thus Reader have I through Mercy and Grace somewhat traded according to my Talent received for the Honour of my LORD and of his Works Words and Law and for the promoting of Scripture-sciences and Arts. It is with him what entertainment he will give it in thy heart and what blessing he will there put upon it O the Excellency of this Word Knowledge The Wise of heart will receive Commands They will treasure up Knowledge to draw it out in season Wisdom is found in their lips To the mouth of their Vnderstanding shall they be praised The Well-advised will hearken unto Counsel and those that fear the Command shall prosper Whereas the proud will be always wrangling and contending Contemners of the Word will quickly be corrupted The Law the Doctrine the Institution of a wise man is a clear Vein and Fountain of Lifes and a good Understanding will give Grace A Scorner seeks Wisdom and finds it not but Knowledge is easie unto him that understands it It is facile it is obvious it freely presents it self it is soon learnt it is easily gettable quickly attained A Fool has