if it had been sinfull Christ would either have declined the invitation or else he would have born witnesse against it as a sinful practise but he did neither of these therefore it was not sinful to invite the rich to a Feast upon the Sabbath day where the Feast must last seven dayes together 2 I answer That it was as lawfull for the Jews to kindle a fire upon the Sabbath day to prepare warm food for infirm and weak stomacks which are almost in every family as it was to do any other work of mercy And it was lawfull to do works of mercy upon the Sabbath dayes as it is evident by our Saviours often shewing of compassion to weak and sickly persons upon the Sabbath day 3 I answer that the Priests did hold it lawfull to kindle new fires on the Sabbath dayes for the use of their Sacrifices I grant they had one constant and continual fire that was alwayes maintained by the side of the Altar but from this fire they used to kindle other fires for the burning of such parts of their Sacrifices as they offered on the Sabbath dayes Hence I infer that seeing Christ Jesus hath told us that he doth prefer mercy before Sacrifice no question but he allowed the Jews to kindle a fire for works of mercy as well as for the use of Sacrifices on the Sabbath day and therefore out of doubt they might kindle a fire on the Sabbath day to prepare necessary food for such as are infirm of nature See Mat. 12. 5 6. Mat. 12. 5 6. 4 I answer That the Priests did kindle new fires every Sabbath day to boyl or roast their portion of meat which was due unto them from each Sacrifice by Gods allowance for God commanded them to eat their part and portion in the same day wherein the Sacrifice was offered Lev. 7. 15. but they could not eat this portion unlesse they kindled a fire either to boyl it or roast it 5 On the day of Attonement which was a Sabbath of Sabbatism and therefore every was as strict for rest as the Sabbath or seventh day was yet then the High Priest which must of necessity often wash his Body for the several services of that day might in case he were an old man or sickly have his water wherein he bathed his body made warm by the use of Fire the Hebrew Doctors say They took off the cold from the water either by Irons made hot in the Fire or else by mixing of hot water with the cold See Ains in Lev. 16. 24. By these and sundry such like instances it is evident That the Jews might lawfully kindle a Fire upon the Sabbath Day to prepare warm meat for the comfort of the infirm the aged or sickly persons Quest 3. Is it not plainly said in Exod. 35. 3. Ye shall not kindle a Exod. 35. 3. fire in your Habitations upon the Sabbath Day Ans Though some that are both godly and learned Christians as well as some later Jews do hold it unlawful to kindle a Fire on the Sabbath Day to dresse any meat yet the more ancient Rabbins and many learned Christians also do restrain this Prohibition of kindling a Fire to Artificers only But for the better understanding of the true sense of this text it is necessary to compare it with the like prohibition in Exod. 31. 1 c. where the Lord commanded Moses to command Bezaliel to make the Tabernacle and all the appurtenances thereof with all diligence that is to say with all possible speed without any delay because it was to be for the place of the Lords residence among them Exod. 25. 8. 22. but yet notwithstanding this careful diligence the Lord commanded Moses saying in ver 13. Speak unto the Sons of Israel and say Verily or notwithstanding Exod 31. 13 as the Seventy read it my Sabbaths yee shall keep for it is a sign between me and you throughout your Generations to know that I am Jehovah that sanctifieth you In these words God gave a double reason why they might not do any work about the making of the Tabernacle upon the Sabbath Day 1 Because the Sabbath was the sanctified time for his publick Worship in these words Verily or notwithstanding my command of your diligence my Sabbathe yee shall keep 2 Because the Sabbath was a sanctifiâ—d sign between me and you throughout your Generations c. ver 13. 3 Unto all this a threatning is added in case any man did presume to do any work about the Tabernacle Every one that prophaneth it shall be put to dye the death ver 14 15. Exod. 31. 14 15 This phrase implies That for their double sin in prophaning Gods sanctified Time and Gods sanctified Sign they should bee put to dye such a kind of death as was after a sort a double death for 1. He must be stoned to death and 2. His dead body must be after his death hanged upon a Tree till Sun-set for the greater detestation of that Sin and for the greater terror of others for this is a thing upon Record in the Hebrew Doctors That all such Malefactors as deserved stoning to death must be hanged up afterwards upon a Tree as it is manifest also by the instance of the rebellious Son in Deut. 21. as I have opened the matter more at large elsewhere But if it be conceived by any that if any man will now presume to gather sticks upon the Lords Day he should be punished with stoning to death as the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath Day was I answer There is not the like reason because the Lords Day is not ordained to be a sanctified sign of Gods resting and of Mans resting in the Seed of the Woman to break the Devils Head-plot as the Sabbath was I conclude therefore by comparing the work of the Tabernacle in Exod. 31. with the work of the Tabernacle as it is repeated in Exod. 35. that the only reason why they might not kindle a fire in their Habitations on the Sabbath Day was to restrain them from their eager desire from their rash or superstitious zeal to prosecute the work of the Tabernacle which was commanded to be done with such careful diligence for the place of Gods residence among them the Lord doth prefix a prohibition to restrain them from kindling any fire for that work and to prevent their rash and heady zeal a threatning is annexed Whosoever doth any work namely of his particular Calling upon the Sabbath Day shall be put to death Exod. 35. 2. therefore yee shall kindle no fire for that businesse ver 3. And as it was unlawful for them to kindle a fire for such works as belonged to their particular Callings on the Week-days so out of all doubt it is as unlawful for Christians to kindle a fire on the Lords Day to do any such servile works as that was but wherein can you finde a prohibition wherein the Jews are forbidden to
for the Suburbs of their Cities might not exceed two thousand Cubits by measure Num. 35. 5. The like distance God appointed between the Camp of Israel and the Ark of the Lords Covenant when they passed over the River Jordan Jos 3. 4. From these eminent examples the Hebrew Doctors ordained that no Tent should be pitched in the Wildernesse nor no House in the Land of Canaan above two thousand Cubits from their Synagogue-assemblies which is an English mile and this distance they usually called A Sabbath dayes journey And this order was a provident provision both for the propagation of the Word for by such short distances from their Synagogues they must have many Synagogues and in order to a work of Mercy to their bodies that they might not weary their bodies by long travel when they came unto Gods presence to be partakers of his holy Ordinances but in cases of necessity they notwithstanding this restraint to a mile when the means of Grace did by any occasion fail in any of their Synagogues at home then they held it without scruple lawful to go further as we may see by the liberty that the People took in the days of Christ for then they did leave their Synagogues to follow his preaching from place to place and if Christ had held their practice to be unlawful doubtlesse he would have reproved them and bid them keep their own Synagogues and not follow him from place to place as they did and for the attaining of such excellent means of Grace the people also held it lawful to leave their own Synagogues and to break the outward rest of the Sabbath by longer Journies and greater Bodily labour and so we see that the Priests in the Law did break the outward rest of the Sabbath by their laborious killing and dressing of Sacrifices and yet they were blamelesse Mat. 12. 5. 1 Chro. 23. 31. and so also for their Bodily food they did kindle Fires to Rost and Boyl the portion of their Sacrifices fit for their stomacks every Sabbath Day for their portions must be eaten in the same day in which the Sacrifice was offered nothing thereof must remain until the morning but in case any part of their portions did remain until the morning it must be burnt Levit. 7. 15. Exod. 12. 10. I conclude therefore That the Jews had as much liberty in all respects to do any thing on the Sabbath Day tending to the good of their Souls or to their Bodies either in cases of necessity or mercy as Christians have upon the Lords Day but both sorts have corrupt hearts alike and have alike need to watch unto the sanctified improvement of the whole day and both sorts have the same Adversary the Devil to deal withall and therefore both sorts have need alike to keep a good watch over Satan and over their own corrupt hearts or else the spiritual efficacy of Gods Holy Ordinances will be lost and vain which is the only thing that the Devil desires to effect that he may rejoyce in the ruine of our Souls O that Christians therefore would submit their Consciences to the command of Christ to keep the Lords Day as strictly from outward works and as holily in all Christian duties as ever the Jews did or ought to have kept the Sabbath Day And so Jehovah cause his face to shine upon every Soul that truly honours the sanctified time of the Lords Day and the solemnity of all publick and private holy duties Amen Amen The end of the First Part. Holy Time OR The True Limits of the Lords Day I. Proving That the Lords Day doth begin with the Natural Morning and that the Morning of the Natural day doth begin at Mid-night and so consequently that the Lords Day must both begin with the Natural Morning at Mid-night and end with the Natural Evening at Mid-night II. Proving That the Jews beginning of the Day at the Sun-set Evening was only in relation to the date of the Person purified from his Levitical uncleanness III. That The Jews themselves did hold That the Natural day did continue after Sun-set till Mid-night Maymony saith Grateful is a Command that is done in the hour of the same so say I grateful is the sanctifying of the Lords Day in the hour of the same In his Treatise of Offering Sacrifice Chap. 4. Sect. 1. Part II. By WILLIAM PYNCHON Esq Published by Authority Printed at London by R. I. and are to be sold by T. N. at the Sign of the three Lions in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1654. Grace and Peace to such as desire to know when the Lords Day doth begin and end To the end they might abstain from their own Worldly imployments in the Lords own Sanctified time THis point is the more difficult to be explaned because I have not met with any beaten road from other Interpreters But I have laboured to make it evident 1 That the Sanctified and separated time of the Lords Day is just according to the Natural day 2 I have laboured to make it evident That the Natural day begins with the Morning 3 That the Natural morning begins at Mid-night 4 That the Natural day and so consequently the Lords Day doth begin with the Natural morning and doth end with the Natural evening at Mid-night And for the want of the knowledge of these things I perceive that many godly persons do the works of their ordinary Callings in some part of the Lords sanctified and separated day as those do that begin and end the Lords Day at the Sun-set Evening and for their better information I forced my self to compose this Treatise I finde that the chief ground of their error doth arise First from a mistaken interpretation of the first Darknesse to be a full Night of twelve hours and Secondly from a mistaken interpretation of the word Evening because they apprehend it to bee nothing else but a full Night These and sundry such like mistakes I conceive I have cleared I presum'd therefore that this insuing Treatise will be heartily welcome to every tender Conscience that doth truly desire to give unto the Lord his own separated and sanctified time Many godly Christians to my knowledge have been much exercised in their Studies and Meditations to finde out the true limits of the Lords Day that so they might abstain from the works of their particular Calling in every part of that sanctified and separated time from the beginning of the day to the full end thereof For their sakes also and at the special request of some of them I have laboured in this Treatise to prove That all the time of the first Darknesse was comprehended in the word Morning at last and that it took its beginning from the Mid-night at last namely as soon as all the several parts of the Natural day were shaped and set into their order And therefore the beginning of the Morning from the time of Mid-night must not be ascribed to the Romans as the
Mediator in two particulars  1 In regard of his office God created him to be a Mediatorial Priest before he could keep a perfect rest on the seventh day p. 46 2 In regard of his Humane Nature he was virtually made flesh of the Seed of the Woman before God could keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day p. 46 39 CHAP. VI. Proving that the whole World was made for the honour of the Mediator as the right Heir of it all p. 50 And hence it follows  1 That God could not keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day untill he had put the Mediator as the right Heir of all into his possession  2 Hence it follows that Adam must fall and be Re-created also on the day of his Creation before the Lord could keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day p. 50 CHAP. VII Proving that Gods Rest on the seventh day was such a perfect Rest that nothing could happen afterwards that could any whit lessen or dâ—sturb the perfection of his Rest on the seventh day as it would have happened if God had kept a Sabbath of Rest whiles Adam stood in a mutable condition p. 54 CHAP. VIII That the true nature of Gods Rest on the seventh day was his sweet content in the Mediator p. 55 56 All the Trinity rested and were refreshed on the seventh day because they had perfected mans happinesse by a Re-creation p. 57 CHAP. IX Proving that God blessed the first seventh day with many sorts of spiritual Ordinances such as were apt to convey spiritual and eternal blessednesse to faln man p. 59 God would never have blessed the seventh day with spiritual Ordinances if the Mediator had not been declared to faln man before the seventh day p. 60 God did not leave Adam and Eve to spend the first seventh day in private speculations but he blessed the first seventh day with variety of Ordinances both for publick and private use for their best spiritual good p. 60 God commanded Adam to preach every seventh day either upon his miserable Fall or else upon the riches of Gods grace for his recovery by the Promised Seed p. 62 God commanded Adam to joyn the duty of Prayer to the duty of Preaching p. 63 Jesus Christ taught Adam by the Sacrifice of a Lamb how he should be the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world p. 65 Two persons where no more can be had may be called a true Church of Christ and may exercise Gods Ordinances after a publick manner p. 68 The dis-regarding of the Sabbath and the Ordinances thereof is the high way to all Prophanenesse and Apostacy p. 70 Private duties are commanded on the Sabbath dayes as necessary Handmaids to the publick p. 72 CHAP. X. Shewing after what manner God did sanctifie the first seventh day p. 73 1 By ordaining it to be the separated time of his publick and private worship  2 By ordaining it to be as a sanctified sign of his Rest and of mans resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot by the work of his Redemption and Reconciliation p 73 When ever God did sanctifie any thing for mans use he did by that act command man to separate that thing to the Lords use p. 74 When God did sanctifie the first seventh day he did thereby command Adam to prepare himself for the better sanctifying of the said seventh day p. 75 CHAP. XI Shewing that God did sanctifie the outward Rest of the seventh day to be a typical sign both of his own Rest and of mans Resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot for mans Redemption p 78 Our Redemption from Sathans Head-plot was the finishing act of the whole Creation and therefore it was the true reason of Gods Rest and of his commanding Adam to rest on the first seventh day p. 82 CHAP. XII Shewing that God did make the first seventh day famous by honouring the number Seven ever after with famous respects p. 85 1 By contriving the Typical Ceremonies of our Redemption very often into the number of Seven doubtlesse in an honourable memorial of the first famous seventh day p. 86 2 By marking out divers rare and eminent holy persons by the number Seven p. 89 3 By contriving several parcels of the Scripture Chronology into the number Seven doubtlesse in an honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day p. 93 CHAP. XIII Proving That though Christ hath abolished the Seventh Day by his death yet he hath not left the day of his publick worship Arbitrary to particular Churches to appoint what day they please in the place of the seventh day as some unadvised Protestants do affirm p. 94 And that Christ Jesus hath made three main changes in the tenne Commandements p. 99 CHAP. XIV Proving by several other particular grounds that Christ himself did appoint the day of his Resurrection for the exercise of his publick worship in the place of the seventh day p. 101 Things Remarkable  ◠Touching the number eight three things are remarkable p. 113 2 That four Sabbaths did meet together and succeed each other at the Death and Resurrection of Christ ibid. 3 The Resurrection of Christ was made famous by three remarkable days p. 114 CHAP. XV. Propounding some reasons why the Apostles did allow of the Jewish-Sabbath or seventh day in their Synagogues for a time after it was abolished by the Death of Christ as well as of the Lords day in Christian Churches p. 116 The opposition which some beleeving Jews made in Christian Churches for their not observing the Jewish Sabbath doth fully prove that the Christian Churches had cast off the Jewish Sabbath and that they observed the Lords Day in the place of it p. 118 CHAP. XVI Being an Answer to several Questions  Q. 1. Whether Christians under the Gospel are bound to observe the Lords Day as strictly from all work and as holily in the practise of all duties of Religion as the Jews were to observe the Sabbath day p. 129 Hence this Question is moved Whether it be lawful to begin to solemnize a Marriage upon the Sabbath Answered no. p. 130 Q 2. Might not the Jews kindle a fire on the Sabbath day to dresse necessary food Answered Yes p. ibid. Q. 3. To the same purpose Answered p. 132 Q. 4. To the same purpose Answered p. 134 Q. 5. Are Christians bound to rest as strictly from all Works and Re-creations on the Lords day as the Jews were on the Sabbath day Answered Yes p. 135 Q. 6. Were Re-creations on the Sabbath day punished by the Magistrates among the Jews with the same kind of punishments that working on the Sabbath was Answered No. They used differing kind of punishments p. 136 Also that Magistrates are bound to punish the prophanation of any part of the Lords day whether it be by work or re-creation either by scourging or else by some Mulct that is
Messiah And therefore hence it follows That God could not keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day untill he had put all things in subjection under the feet of Christ as the proper Lord and right Heir of all the Creation and therefore Adam must fall and also be Re-created before the seventh day Conclusion God did perfect the whole Creation on the sixth day by ordering all things according to the Plat-form of his eternal Counsel and Providence 1 By ordering the Devils Fall 2 By ordering Adams Fall 3 By ordaining a Mediator and instating of him into his Priestly Office 4 By creating a humane nature for the Mediator of the seed of Eve 5 By his Office of Mediation he purchased the Spirit of his Father for the Re-creating of faln Adam and Eve 6 By this means they were made a part of Gods heavenly Host 7 By this means they were made the chiefest part of Gods Host here on earth 8 When all this was done then Christ was Heir of all things 9 When all this was done then Sathans Head-plot was broken 10 When all this was done then and not till then God could keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day from all his works because by this means he had finished that work that at first he had made but mutably perfect in the former part of the sixth day And therefore it follows by good consequence That the Sabbath was not ordained in the time of Adams Innocency But after his Fall and Re-creation by the Promised Seed CHAP. VII Proving that Gods rest on the Seventh Day was suâ—h a perfect rest that nothing could happen afterwards that could any whit lessen or disturb the perfection of his rest on the Seventh Day as it would have hapned if God had kept a Sabbath of rest whiles Adam stood in a mutable condition THe Text saith in the latter clause of Gen. 2. 2. That God rested the Seventh day from all his Works which he had made But God could not be said to keep a perfect rest from all his Works which he had made as long as Adam stood in a mutable condition for God knew from Eternity that Adam and Eve would presently fall from their Created perfections through the temptation of Satan and that thereupon the whole Creation would fall into utter confusion and that then God must either suffer Satan to take the Dominion of the whole Creation or else that he must begin again to make it more perfect than it was before by a new Creation Seeing therefore that one of these two things must necessarily follow upon Adams fall God could not keep a perfect rest on the Seventh Day from all his Works untill he had installed the Mediator into his Office and setled the whole government of all things upon his shoulders as upon our mighty God and Prince of peace Es 9. 6 7. If God had rested on the Seventh Day before he had setled the whole Creation upon the Mediator then the Devil might have rejoyced more upon the first seventh day than God 1 Because the Devil had made frustrate the glory of God in Mans Creation 2 Because he had spoiled the glory of Gods order in the residue of the Creation But God could not suffer this and therefore it follows that God could not keep a perfect rest as long as Adam stood in a mutable condition neither could he keep a day of rest after Adams fall until he had made Adam and Eve perfect again by a Recreation and until he had established all the residue of the Creation upon that sure Rock whose work is perfect Deut. 32. 4. But as soon as God had re-created fallen Adam and Eve as the first fruits of his Holy Militant Church here on earth and of his Church Triumphant in Heaven then and not till then God rested on the seventh day from all his Work which he had made and then his rest was a most perfect rest so that nothing was lacking to the perfection thereof and therefore nothing could happen afterwards that could any way lessen or disturb his rest because he rested upon that sure Mediator who had Covenanted to break the Devils Head-plot by his propitiatory Sacrifice or Sacrifice of attonement for fallen Adam and Eve and for all the Elect to the end of the world CHAP. VIII Of the true nature of Gods rest on the Seventh Day FIrst It must be remembred That Gods rest on the seventh day was not a Natural rest after the labour of his six Days Work for the Creator of all the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary Esa 40. 28. Secondly Neither was Gods rest on the seventh day a bare cessation from Creating any other sorts of Creatures though some inconsiderate Professors would have it to be no more thinking thereby to warrant their Carnal ease and their carelesse keeping of the Lords Day but such kinde of rest as this is Gods Soul doth hate Thirdly Neither was Gods rest upon the seventh day a bare contemplation of his visible Creation as others would have it thinking thereby to warrant their pleasant Re-creations and Contemplations upon the Lords Day by walking out into the Fields to behold the Works of God and to behold his eternal Power and God-head in the Creation thiâ— is not the true rest of the Sabbath for such duties as these a Heathen Philosopher may do upon the Sabbath Day and yet not observe the true rest of the Sabbath but this sort of Persons are mis-led by a false supposition that the Sabbath was first ordained as a day of rest in the time of Adams innocency for contemplation on the visible Creation only Fourthly The true nature of Gods rest on the seventh day That the true nature of Gods rest on the seventh day was his sweet content in the Mediator was his sweet content in the Mediator because he had made all his Creation perfect in the Mediator and because he had established Adams happiness upon the promised Seed as upon a sure Rock and firm Foundation and because he had put all the rest of the Creation under his feet As soon as God had thus renewed the face of the earth Psal 104. 30. and setled the government of all his Works upon the Person and Office of the Mediator then God rested on the seventh day with infinite content and sweet satisfaction rejoycing in the Works of his hands Psal 104. 31. but the thirtieth verse makes Gods Creation to be Spiritual as well as earthly and so doth Psal 100. 3. Psal 102. 18. Es 54. 5. Es 65. 18. This sweet satisfying rest which God took in setling all the works of his hands upon the Mediator is thus expressed by Moses In six days Jehovah made the Heavens and the Earth and in the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Exod. 31. 17. Gods resting was not from his wearinesse of labour in the work of Creation but from the heavie burden of Adams sin which had spoiled
were the Souls of Adam and Eve Re-created in the said six days as a true part of that sort of Creature which appertains to the spiritual Heavens and to the spiritual Earth and to the Church triumphant in Heaven hereafter and therefore seeing God made all things both in Heaven and Earth in six days he rested not on the seventh day till he had perfected Mans Creation by a Recreation procured by the redemption of the promised Seed which doubtlesse was the finishing work of Gods Creation on the sixth day so then our redemption from Satans Head-plot was the last finishing act of the whole Creation and therefore it was the only true reason of Gods rest on the first Sabbath Day and of his command why man should keep a holy rest on that day as it is also typified by the Redemption from Aegypt as in Deut. 5. 15. Hence it follows by necessary consequence that God ordained the sanctified rest of the seventh day to be a typicall sign unto fallen Man of his resting upon Christ by faith to break the Devils Head-plot for his Redemption by his propitiatory sacrifice in the fulnesse of time and then upon the performance thereof the typical use of the rest of the seventh day must cease and yet such a way must be found out by the Wisdom of God as that the seventh part of time according to the account of the days of the Week must not cease but it must still be preserved for the exercise of Gods publick Worship for seeing it hath pleased God to continue his plain and manifest Worship still to the end of the world it hath pleased him also to continue the seventh day for the exercise of his publick Worship to the end of the world and no other way can be found out to accomplish both these namely the ceasing of the seventh day as it was a typicall sign and the continuance of the seventh day without any intermission as it is the sanctified time of Gods publick Worship but by changing the seventh day into the first day of the Week as I shall hereafter shew more at large God willing And this answer to the abovesaid Objection is the rather to be credited because the Redemption from Aegypt by the typical blood of the Lamb is alleged by Christ as the general reasón to inforce his people to the observation of all the Commandements for the Angel of the Covenant saith thus in Exod. 20. 2. I Exod. 20. 2 Deut. 5. 14 15. am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt namely by the typical blood of the Paschal Lamb therefore remember the Sabbath Day to sanctifie it and so it must be applied as a reason to observe all the other Commandements and this sense is yet further inforced because all the precepts of the Law were sprinkled with the typical blood of Christs sacrifice of Attonement Exod. 24. 8. which doth plainly tell us that he by his sacrifice Exod. 24. 8. of Attonement hath procured his Fathers attonement for all our sins against all his holy Law 5 God doth account the violation of the Holy Rest of the seventh day by any mans work to be an exceeding great prophanenesse in every place of their abode for whiles his people were in their travels in the Wildernesse he did as deeply blame them for polluting the typical rest of the seventh day as he did after they were in a setled resting place in Canaan Eze. 20. 13. â—sou was branded with the title of Prâ—phaneness for contemâ—ing his Birth-right in the Land of Canaan because it was a type of the holy militant Church here on earth and of the holy triumphant Church in Heaven and the Jews were no lesse guilty of prophanenesse for despising the Typical rest on the seventh day by doing their own works therein for by doing their own works they committed a double sin on that day First They prophaned it as it was a sanctified sign and Secondly They abused it as it was the sanctified time of Gods Worship and therefore for this double sin God provided as it were a double death namely 1. Stoning to death Exod. 31. 14 15. for he that Exod. 31. 14 15. gathered sticks upon the Sabbath Day was stoned to death Num. 15. and 2. After they were stoned to death their dead Carcas was hanged upon a Tree for their deeper punishment and for the greater detestation of their sin as I have shewed elsewhere from the instance of the rebellious Son in Deut. 21. Yea God was so jealous for the holy rest of his Sabbath that he would not permit them to do any work at all about the promoting of the work of the Tabernacle though he had commanded that work to be done with all diligence Exod. 31. 13. as the place of his holy presence and residence among his people Exod. Exod. 31 13 25. 8 22. yet notwithstanding all this they might not do any work to further the building of it upon the Sabbath Day and the reason is added because I saith the Lord have ordained it to be a sign between me and you that you may know that I am the Lord that do sanctifie you that is to say I am the Lord that do command you to sanctifie the Sabbath Day as a sign of resting on Christ for when God doth sanctifie any thing for mans use hee doth thereby impose a command upon man to sanctifie that thing or to use it as a sanctified thing as I have erewhile noted in the beginning of this Chapter and therefore in this respect the Lord doth in Exod. 31. again and again inforce the observation of the Sabbath Day First By a fresh charge Yee shall keep the Sabbath and Secondly by a fresh reason It is holinesse to you namely it is a sign of Sanctification to you ver 14. yea it is Holinesse to Jehovah ver 15. and therefore in Exod. 16. 23. it is called the rest of Holinesse to Jehovah or an exact holy rest to Jehovah and in Exod. 31. 17. It is called a sign of the Everlasting Covenant between Exod. 31. 17 Jehovah and the Sons of Israel because Jehovah rested on the seventh day and was refreshed Conclusion It follows from all the Premises that God sanctified the rest of the seventh day not onely as the sanctified time of Gods worship both in publick and in private but also as a sanctified sign of Gods resting and of mans resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot by his propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement which he should accomplish at the very same time when the Devill by his instruments should peirce him in the foot-soals and therefore as soon as the Seed of the Woman had finished that sacrifice the Holy-rest of the seventh day ceased as well as all the other types of Moses Law 2 Cor. 3. 7. namely so far forth as it was a typical sign of the said resting on the
the common opinion of the Jews at the destruction of Jerusalem Object 4. If Christ had ordained his Resurrection-day as the day of his publick Worship in place of the Sabbath or seventh day then me thinks the Apostles in their Writings should have recorded it with the Circumstances of it namely the time when and how he did ordain it if this had been done the matter had been out of question to all men Ans The Wisdome of God did not see it good to make all his Ordinances cleer to all men at the first sight when our Saviour was here upon the earth he did oftentimes open his mouth in Parables that they which see not might not perceive and that his best servants might dig for his hidden Treasures But I may say also it is not recorded that Christ did instruct any of his Apostles of the time when nor of the manner how he did first ordain John to baptise but because all men generally held John to be a Prophet therefore they concluded that he had received some authority from heaven to baptise subjects for Christ against he came into his Kingdome which he proclamed to be at hand and by the like authority we may conclude that the Apostles did command the observation of the Lords day for Gods publick Worship in the place of the seventh day because it was in frequent use in their dayes as I have proved and they being Prophets had special direction from Christ the Lord of the Sabbath so to direct his Churches which directions in all probability they received from him at his first comming to their Assembly in the evening of his Resurrection-day or else in the evening of his second coming to their Assembly on that day seven-night Joh. 19. 20. 26. for then he opened their understandings to understand such Scriptures as he alleged concerning his Joh. 19. 20 26. Death and Resurrection Luke 23. 54. 47. and then also he gave them a new Commission to preach the Doctrine of the forgivenesse of sins in his name Joh 20. 21 22 23. and then he gave Commandements unto them and spake of such things as appertained to the Kingdome of God Act. 1. 2 3. doubtlesse therefore he did then instruct them concerning the day of his publick worship wherein they must preach forgiveness of sins in his name to all the world and this Commission he did again renew unto them before his ascension saying Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alwayes to the end of the world Whatsoever therefore the Apostles commanded the Christian Churches to observe they did it by vertue of Christs former command and therefore Paul saith I have received of the Lord that which I have delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11. 23. The Commandements therefore which the Apostles gave unto the Christian Churches they were the Commandements of Christ among which Commandements the observation of the Lords day must needs be one in place of the Sabbath which was fully abolished by the death of Christ CHAP. XVI Being an Answer to several Questions I whether Christians Quest 1 now under the Gospel are bound to observe the Lords day as strictly from all work and as holily in all the duties of Religion as the Jewes were to observe the Sabbath day THe Sabbath or seventh day must be considered either as it Ans 1 was a holy sign Or secondly as it was the holy time of Gods worship in the first sense the Lords day is not like the Sabbath for our Lords day is not a sign of a thing to be performed 〈…〉 as the Sabbath was but now our Lords day must be observed as a memorial that Christ hath fully broken the Devils Head-plot by his Mediatorial Sacrifice and this he hath declared to his Church by his Resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week and in remembrance thereof he hath now ordained that day to be imployed as the sanctified time of his worship in attending upon his Ordinances both publick and private as strictly from all work and as holily in all Christian duties as the Jews were to observe the Sabbath day under the Law and in remembrance thereof John doth stile it the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. Quest 2. Might not the Jews so much as kindle a fire upon the Sabbath day to dresse necessary food As Mr. Ainsworth seems to understand the Scriptures with the consent of the Hebrew Doctors in Exod. 16. 5. and Exod. 16. 5. Exod. 35. 3. in Exod. 35. 3. Ans I grant that Mr. Ainsworth doth so understand the Scriptures and so do some of the Hebrew Doctors But yet withall I say that the Scriptures rightly understood did alwayes allow the Jews as much liberty to kindle a fire for the dressing of necessary food upon the Sabbath day as it allows Christians on the Lords day as it is evident by the example of our Saviour himself for he went to a Feast upon the Sabbath day into the house of a chief Pharisee Luke 14. 1. and at the same time the Pharisee Luke 14. 1. had many other guests present for our Saviour marked them how they chose out the chiefest rooms at this Feast v. 7 8. And this Feast I conceive was a Wedding Feast though I also beleeve that the new maried parties were maried before this day not on this day It is unlawfull to begin a Mariage upon the Sabbath day Lev. 23 8. for the Jews held it utterly unlawful to begin their Mariage upon the Sabbath day See Ains in Lev. 23. 8. But yet they held it lawful to keep a Wedding Feast upon the Sabbath day and the reason is plain because they held it to be a lawfull custome to keep a Wedding Feast for seven dayes together of which number the Sabbath day must needs be one Judg. 14. 10 12. Gen. 29. 27 28. And this is a common rule among the Jews That whosoever marieth a Maid he shall rejoyce with her seven dayes not doing any work but eating drinking and making merry See Ains in Gen. 29. 27. And none could keep such a Feast of many persons in the cold Winter without the use of a fiâ—e to make their food comfortable to nature according to the nature of a Feast And it is further to be noted that whiles our Saviour was present at thâ— Feast he â—ound no fault with the act of Feasting but onely withing corrupt circumstances which did accompany this Feast 1 He found fault with some of the guests because they chose out the uppermost seats 2 He seemed to reprove the Governour of the Feast because he invited his rich friends onely vers 12. But Christ told him it had been more suitable to the Sabbath day if he had invited the poor to his Feast And yet I beleeve it was not sinfull to bid the rich for
of necessity on the Sabbath day but it was not so with the Jews from elder times Maymony saith If a Thief dig thorow a house upon the Sabbath day it is free for any to kill him with any death they can put him to See Ains in Exod. 22. 2. This they allowed Exod. 22. 2. as a case of present necessity it could not be deferred as a Magistrate may defer the putting off a Malefactor to death untill any one of the six dayes because the Magistrate hath the Malefactor in safe custody in some sure prison and therefore they say It is not lawfull to put a Malefactor to death on the Sabbath day because it is written that no fire shall be kindled upon the Sabbath day Exod. 35. 3. namely not for the use of any mans particular Calling as I have already opened this Text therefore no fire may be kindled upon the Sabbath day for the execution of a Malefactor for that was but the work of the Magistrates civil Calling See Ains in Exod. 18. 22. and yet notwithstanding See Ains in Exod. 35. 3. they held it lawfull for the Magistrate to put a Malefactor to death upon a Festival Sabbath as it appears by their practice in Joh. 19. 31. putting our Saviour to death on a Festival Sabbath for they did not hold those Sabbaths to be equal to the seventh day but if a Thief came to steal on the Seventh day and was taken in diging thorow an house they held it lawful for a private man to kill him on the Sabbath day though they did not hold it lawfull for a Magistrate to kill a Thief then because it was a case of present necessity for he might escape unlesse he were killed at that instant And truly Christians may do as much as this on the Lords day and no more without sin 2 Our Saviour confuted the Jews superstitious conceit of the outward rest of the Sabbath by examples from their own practice for when they took offence at his miraculous cures upon the Sabbath day he asked them why they held it lawful to untie their Cattle and lead them to the water upon the Sabbath day and so to give them Hay and Provender and to pull a Sheep out of the pit upon the Sabbath day and therefore said he Why may not I shew mercy to a Daughter of Abraham that is in misery upon the Sabbath day And seeing they held it lawfull for Abiathar to give the Shew-bread to hungry David he asked them Why it was not as lawful for his hungry Disciples to pluck ears of corn and to rub them and prepare them for the sustenance of their present hunger upon the Sabbath day and after Christ had cured the Criple he bad him take up his bed and walk to save it from spoyling and from losse upon the Sabbath day and when he cured blind eyes upon the Sabbath day with clay tempered into a salve he did it to warrant Chirurgeonâ— and Physitians that they might lawfully temper their Potions and Plasters upon the Sabbath day to cure the sick and weak By these and such like examples in the New Testament our Saviour declared what liberty God gave unto the Jews to do works of mercy or of present necessity upon the Sabbath day and truly those Christians that will contend for more liberty than this upon the Lords day do in effect deny that the Lords day was ordained with any solemn sanctity 3 Though the present Apostate Jews did malign our Savior for doing many works of mercy and in present necessity upon the Sabbath day yet the ancient Hebrew Doctors recorded by their later Doctors held otherwise They say that the perill of life puts away the Sabbath and therefore to a sick person that is in danger of death they do all things needfull for him upon the Sabbath day See Ains in Exod. 20. 10. And though the Hebrew Doctors do affirm that Circumcision in the time thereof doth drive away the Sabbath because there was a necessity of doing it on the eighth day See Ains in Gen. 17. 12. yet say the Hebrew Doctors in case of sicknesse they do not circumcise him that is sick untill he be well and again they circumcise none but children that are without sicknesse for perill of life putteth away all See Ains on Gen. 17. 13. And on the day of Attonement which was a Sabbath of Sabbatism for strict rest yet then they made ready provision of food for him that lead the Scape-Goat into the Wildernesse yea though that Sabbath was also an exceeding strict Fasting-day yet then at the end of every mile they said unto him that lead the Scape-Goat Lo here is meat and here is water and if his strength failed him and if he had need to eat he might eat See Ains in Lev. 16. 21. The Hebrew Doctors also say That if the High Priest were an old man or sickly he might have the water made warm wherein he washed his body on that strict Sabbath of Attonement either by Irons made hot in the fire or else by the mixture of some hot water with the cold See Ains in Lev. 16. 24. By these and the like testimonies we see that the ancient Hebrew Doctors held that the Sabbath was made for man in misery not onely for the curing of his sick and sinfull soul by those blessed Ordinances wherewith God did at first blesse the seventh day but even for the curing and comforting of his weak and sickly body and these are the chief ends for which the Sabbath was ordained from the very first Institution of it And the Hebrew Doctors were very careful to provide a remedy against immoderate toyl and labour to mens bodies in travelling to the publick Ordinances which were dispenced every Sabbath day in their Synagogues For by vertue of Gods Command there was a necessity laid upon all the Jews to resort to some holy Convocation in all their dwellings Lev. 23. 3. namely in all their Lev. 23. 3. Synagogues which must be placed in the midst of their dwellings Hence the Hebrew Doctors knowing the Command of God for such holy Convocations in all their dwellings and knowing the Command of God to rest on the seventh day from all their works did appoint a certain distance how far men might travel on the Sabbath day to the Synagogue and they thought good to restrain it to an English mile to prevent the labour of travel and the wearinesse of mens bodies which might unfit them for the reverend attention to Gods Ordinances and from this limited space it is that we read of a Sabbath dayes journey Act. 1. 12. They did not ordain this Sabbath dayes Acts 1. 12 journey for any Civil businesses of mens particular Callings but for the use of Religious duties and for works of mercy on the Sabbath day And this proportion of a mile they took from the example of Gods limits which he allowed to the Suburbs of their Cities
I The Time when the FIRST SABBATH was Ordained 1 Negatively Not in the Time of Adams Innocency as many say it was 2 Affirmatively It was Ordained after the Time of Adams Fall and Re-creation II The Manner how the First Sabbath was Ordained 1 By blessing the Seventh Day with many Spiritual Ordinances both for publick and private use 2 By Sanctifying that Day for the Exercise of the said Ordinances 3 By Sanctifying the outward Rest of that Day to be a Typical Sign both of Gods Resting and of mans Resting in the Seed of the Woman that was promised to break the Devils Head-plot namely by his Propitiatory Sacrifice And hence it follows 1 That as the Sabbath was Ordained to be a Typical sign so it must be abolished as soon as Christ had performed his said Propitiatory Sacrifice 2 As it was Ordained to be the Sanctified Time for the Exercise of the said blessed Ordinances so the next day of the week into which it was changed must continue without intermission to the end of the world PART II. III A Treatise of HOLY TIME concerning the true limits of the Lords Day when it begins and when it ends is hereunto annexed By WILLIAM PYNCHON Esq Published by Authority LONDON Printed by R. I. and are to be sold by T. N. at the three Lions in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1654. To the Reader Christian Reader THis Industrious and Judicious Author doth here present thee with two distinct Tractates concerning the Christian Sabbath or Lords Day In the former the Divine Institution of it is cleerly proved In the latter the time of its beginning is particularly determined In the former the erronious conscience which denies the morality of the fourth Commandement is strongly convinced In the latter the scrupulous conscience which doubts of the time when the Sabbath begins is fully satisfied In both the serious Reader will find great profit and delight The whole Discourse being illaborate and perspicuous wherein besides the main points intended in it divers other matters of important Cognizance are occasionally decided and discussed and many obscure Scriptures are excellently explained according to the genuine sense thereof And this learned Discourse hath its birth in a very seasonable time in respect of that wofull defection and Apostacy that is among us as from the truth and wayes of God in general so in a special manner from the Religious esteem and observation of the Lords day For never since the light of the blessed and glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ shined upon this our Goshen was the Sabbath Day so wickedly neglected and prophaned by the generality of people and the Divine Institution thereof so shamefully denyed and decried by many pretenders to Religion as it is at this day And therefore Good Reader we heartily commend this necessary and usefull work to thy diligent perusal and thy self and thy humble and sincere inquiries after Truth unto the guidance and blessing of the God of all Truth Tho. Clendon Elidad Blackwel Joh. Sheffield Tho. Stevens Minister of Peters in the Isle of Thanet To the Reader IF our Testimony be of any weight with the Judicious Reader and may contribute any thing to incourage his perusal of this Book we have to signifie upon that acquaintance we have had with it that we judge it very worthy the publishing and perusing both for that in the former part it doth strenuously plead for the morality of the Sabbath and in the latter part gives occasion to learned Brethren of a contrary apprehension to consider whether they have not reason to captivate their judgements to the Authors as touching the beginning and ending of the Sabbath Samuel Slater Tho. Walley A Table of the chief Heads CHAP. I. PRoving by five Reasons That Adam fell on the day of his Creation  Reason 1. Because Moses joyneth mans Creation Tryal Judgement and Promise to the same day Page 1 R. 2. Because he fell at the very first instant that ever he eat any thing p. 5 R 3. Because Adam being created after God in wisdome would not in wisdome have omitted to have eaten of the Tree of Life in the very day of his creation if the Devil had not first circumvented him by the unseen subtilty of his Temptation p. 6 R. 4. Because the Devil had not deserved the name of a subtil Serpent if he had left Adam at liberty to eat of the Tree of life but one whole day together p. 8 R. 5. Because the Woman fell while she was a Virgin p. 21 The time of the Fall of the Angels now called the Devil was when they were commanded to attend upon Adam and Eve at their first entrance into Paradise p. 10 The true nature of the first Covenant stood in obedience or disobedience not to a moral but to a positive command p. 12 The Devil knew the operation of the forbidden fruit better than Adam and Eve could do as long as they stood in their unconfirmed Innocency p. 15 CHAP. II. Proving by three Reasons that Adam was Re-created in the same day in which he was created and fell p. 23 Reason 1. From the order of Gods dealing with him immediately after his Fall p. 23 R. 2. From the new name Hevah Life which he gave to his wife p. 26 R. 3. From the word Enmity which God put into her as a holy qualification against the Serpent that had deceived her p. 28 The cool of the day in Gen. 3. when God came to examine Adam was about Mid-day p. 23 CHAP. III. Proving by a double Inference that Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day p. 30 1 Drawn from the word Host and Finished in Gen. 2. 1. p. 34 For if all the Host of Heaven and Earth were finished before the seventh day then it follows that Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day p. 34 2 Drawn from the word Had made in Gen. 2. 2. p. 35 For if God had made something in the sixth day that needed a new finishing act before the seventh day as the Text speaks then what can that finishing act else be but Adams Re-creation by the Promised Seed p. 35 Adam in his Innocency could not so well honour all his Creators as after his Fall and Re-creation p. 37 The Mystical as well as the Natural Creation was made and finished before the seventh day and therefore Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day p. 39 The Creation of the Humane Nature of Christ was the perfection of the whole Creation in the latter part of the sixth day p. 39. 46 CHAP. IV. God could not be said to keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day untill he had put out sundry opperations of his Eternal Providence for the finishing or perfecting of that work which he had made but mutably perfect in the fore-part of the sixth day p. 42 CHAP. V. This term which he had made in Gen. 2. 2. hath relation to the Creation of the
equivalent p. 137 Q 7. Did not the Jews hold it lawful to do works of mercy or of present necessity upon the Sabbath day Answered Yes p. 139 A TABLE OF Some Scriptures that are Explaned or Illustrated in this first Treatise Genesis Chap. Vers Page 1 26 37 1 28 36 2 1 30 34 2 2 30 2 3 59 2 8 10 2 9 3 7 2 17 14 16 17 2 19 10 2 23 26 2 25 14 3 1 5 13 3 2 5 3 7 14 3 8 23 3 9 23 3 11 25 3 12 25 3 13 25 3 15 25 35 39 50 62 3 17 14 3 20 27 3 22 7 4 23 24 90 4 26 69 5 24 90 6 6 56 8 20 67 10 21 91 10 25 91 22 4 115 22 6 92 32 24 47 49 6 69 Exodus 16 5 130 16 23 77 148 134 16 27 28 77 19 10 76 20 2 83 20 8 60 77 20 11 31 82 22 2 139 22 30 110 23 10 11 12 81 24 8 83 29 30 86 31 13 84 124 132 31 14 15 84 124 133 31 17 31 56 80 84 32 25 25 34 21 138 35 3 130 132 Leviticus 4 6 86 8 11 86 8 33 86 112 15 13 14 112 16 14 87 22 27 110 23 3 126 63 130 141 23 15 16 104 25 4 93 113 Numbers 6 24 27 71 8 17 74 10 10 125 11 8 134 Dâ—uâ—eronomy 5 14 15 82 83 17 6 31 â—5 9 31 32 4 41 1 Chron. 24 13 40 2 Chron. 2 4 125 30 22 23 88 Neh. 8 18 112 Job 22 15 90 42 8 67 87 Psalms 8 6 44 24 1 36 24 10 36 44 49 12 20 20 104 30 31 56 110 3 36 109 118 24 109 Proverbs 28 13 68 30 1 49 30 18 19 49 Esay 7 14 48 49 53 10 92 56 4 6 109 65 18 48 66 23 109 Jeremy 6 4 76 31 22 47 Ezekiel 34 26 76 46 4 5 109 Daniel 8 14 35 9 26 27 98 Joel 2 15 75 Amos. 5 21 112 8 5 138 Malachy 1 11 100 Matthew 4 2 6 11 29 81 12 5 6 131 12 40 93 16 18 41 17 1 103 24 20 126 Mark 2 27 60 124 Luke 1 69 70 68 4 18 19 28 81 114 9 28 103 13 32 93 115 14 1 130 24 49 104 John 1 3 40 5 22 23 27 52 6 53 47 7 22 111 7 37 112 8 44 19 10 22 124 19 19 31 114 158 19 20 26 129 20 19 101 20 21 103 20 26 102 103 110 Acts. 1 12 141 2 1 102 3 21 68 6 14 98 129 7 15 98 7 47 98 7 55 98 10 28 120 15 5 24 116 120 15 21 122 16 3 117 120 17 4 118 18 17 118 19 9 118 20 7 117 21 20 116 120 21 21 28 120 21 24 117 24 5 120 28 22 121 Romans 3 23 16 5 13 52 15 25 26 107 1 Corinth 9 20 120 11 23 107 16 1 2 105 2 Corinth 9 2 106 11 1 2 22 Galatians 2 3 4 120 2 5 120 4 9 10 11 121 Ephesians 2 10 40 42 Colossians 1 15 40 44 2 14 26 2 15 26 2 16 17 123 2 18 20 123 Hebrews 1 3 36 1 6 50 2 10 44 2 14 20 21 4 4 31 4 10 93 4 3 9 10 80 81 5 5 46 7 12 99 8 13 122 9 10 99 9 14 65 9 19 21 74 10 10 12 14 87 11 5 90 11 19 92 114 12 23 112 James 1 1 120 2 21 115 1 Peter 4 19 41 2 Peter 2 5 90 3 13 40 Jude 14 15 90 Revelation 3 12 27 3 14 44 5 11 12 13 45 52 11 3 68 Errata in the first part of this Treatise Page 15. Line 32. presented read pretended 17. 36. it self blot out and read the light is substracted 19. 12. for the manner r. for the want of this knowledge 22. 22. so many r. so Mary 51. 15. of r. for mans Redemption 53. 13. instating r. installing him 59. 13. The word And is to be blotted out as superfluous THE PREFACE MAny do affirm that the Sabbath was ordained in the time of Adams Innocency But I shall endeavour to prove that it was not ordained till after Adams Fall and Recovery And this I shall endeavour to make evident by proving these two points I That Adam disobeyed and fell in the same sixth day in which he was created and made II That God did recover Adam by a new creation even in the same sixth day in which he was created and fell CHAP. I. Proving by five Reasons that Adam Fell in the day of his Creation Reason 1. MOses doth manifestly declare that Adam fell in the day of his Creation because he joyneth Because Moses joyneth Adams creation triall judgement promise to the same day the story of his Temptation and Fall in Chapter 3. close to his Creation and seating in Paradise in Chapter 2. without mentioning of any other matter to come between Object Here it may be objected that Moses doth first set down the story of Adams creation in Gen. 1. and then he doth set down the Institution of the Sabbath in the beginning of Gen. 2. 2 3. which is in order of time before the story of Adams Temptation and Fall in Chap. 3. Answ Though Moses doth place the Institution of the Sabbath in Gen. 2. 2 3. before the story of Adams fall yet it is evident that he doth place it there onely by the figure Hysteron Proteron not because he had done with the story of the Sixth day in the first Chapter but because that story being large he would first in a brief sort lay down the story of all the seven dayes of the week together which he doth from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the third verse of the second Chapter and then he returns again to speak of the story of the sixth day more at large and makes a larger Narration of the Creation and Fall of Adam from the seventh verse of the second Chapter to the end of the third Chapter with variety of inlargements more than was in the first Chapter for repetitions have usually many new additions and so in true Chronology and in the order of story the Institution of the Sabbath in Gen. 2. 2 3. must be placed at the end of Gen. 3. as I have after discussed the matter in that Text. And the method of Moses in this large story of the sixth day is very observable and lyes thus 1 He sheweth the Matter and Form of Adams Creation in Chap. 2. vers 7. but this he had omitted in Chap. 1. 2 He sheweth Adams Lordship over the creatures for God commanded all the beasts of the field and all the fowls of the air to present themselves before Adam as their Lord that he might name them with names difining their nature and that they might wait upon him as their Lord and Master into Paradise vers 19 20. but in a part of his Lordship he was restrained because God did prohibit
is perfect Deut. 32. 4. and in this respect the Apostle Peter calls the Mediator the faithful Creator 1 Pet. 4. 19. whose work is perfect but Peters Greek Ctistes is borrowed from the seventy on 1 Sam. 22. Psal 18. 2. where the Hebrew is Rock and there it is the attribute of the Mediator and Christ told his Apostles that he would build his Church upon that Rock and that the gates of Hell should not overcome it Mat. 16. 18. Master Perkins on the Creed pag. 154. saith God is called the faithful Creator 1 Pet. 4. 19. because he did not leave his Works of Creation without his faithful care and providence as Masons and Carpenters leave their Houses as soon as they are built without any further care what becomes of them for God is a faithful Creator that will not let his Creation go to ruine Thus we see that Adam and Eve were twice Created in one day 1. They were made perfect but yet mutable in the former part of the sixth day as it appeared for presently by the sleight of Satan they lost their first Created perfections 2. God did Re-create them with supernatural perfections by the promised Seed in the end of the same day and this Creation was permanent because it was a Creation of God in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 10. and because Christ undertook to make all perfect therefore God rewarded Christ for this his work for at the same time the Lord put the whole Creation in subjection under the feet of Christ and when all this was done then the whole Creation was perfect and intire lacking nothing and therefore Gods rest on the Seventh Day was a perfect rest But if God had kept his rest on the Seventh day whiles Adam had stood in his mutable condition as some Expositors would have him to do then Gods rest especially on the first Sabbath had stood but upon a ticklish and litigious foundation CHAP. IV. That this Sentence Before the Seventh Day God had finished God did put out sundry operations of his eternal providence in the sixth day for the finishing of that work which he had created but mutably perfect before he could be said to keep a perfect rest on the seventh day The reason why God made Angels but mutably perfect at first was that they might fall and so might become the instrument of Mans fall the Work that he had made doth imply That God by his Eternal Counsel and Providence as the efficient cause had contrived to put out sundry opperations of his Eternal Providence in the sixth day for the finishing or perfect setling of all that Work which he had made but mutably perfect at first before he could keep a perfect rest on the Seventh Day BY the event of things now made known unto us we may in some sort see into the Plat-form of Gods eternal Providence how he had contrived to finish or perfect that Work that at the first he had made and created but mutably perfect before he could keep the Seventh Day as a day of perfect rest If God by his eternal Counsel and Providence had not contrived to make Angels mutably perfect as well as Man then Angels had not despised to attend upon Adam and Eve into Paradise as their charge was and then Angels had not become Devils and then Man had not been tempted by Satan and then man had not fallen and then God had fore-ordained a Mediator in vain Therefore that God might make his Free grace glorious to fallen Man and that he might make the Mediator glorious to the Souls of the Elect he made Adam at the first but mutably perfect that so he might fall and that so he might take occasion thereby to convince him and humble him in the sight of his sin and misery and that so he might take occasion thereby to reveal unto his Soul the way of eternal Salvation by the Seed of the Woman And for the more speedy effecting of all this he did by his eternal Counsel and Providence appoint his heavenly Angels as wel as his terrestrial Creatures to attend upon Adam and Eve into Paradise for he fore-knew that if he did but give his heavenly Angels charge to attend upon earthly Man with other earthly Creatures into Paradise that many Legions of them would despise Man in comparison of themselves and would neglect their charge that so in Justice God might deprive them of their pure Natural qualities and then he knew that they would become an envious company against the glory of Man and that they would agree together in one deep Head-plot altogether unseen to Man to seduce him and perswade him to eat of the forbidden Fruit that so they might be brought into the same Spiritual death with themselves and by this speedy Head-plot of theirs they made account not only to corrupt Adam and Eve but also to destroy the whole Generation of all Mankind But God that was wise in Counsel and wonderful in Working who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Wil Eph. 1. 11. had contrived how to break this Head-plot of the Devil in peeces by the Seed of the Woman this Divine Hâ—ad-plot the Angels that fell knew not of for if they had but known it then they would not have refused to attend upon Adam and Eve into Paradise and thus God by his eternal Counsel and Providence had contrived how to make this Head-plot of the Devil to be an occasion to declare his goodness to fallen Mâ—n both the goodness of Justice and the goodness of Mercy by making the Person and office of the Mediator better known and more admired and honoured of fallen Man than if Adam had stood still in his innocency As soon therefore as Adam was fallen God took occasion thereby to introduce the Mediator into his Priestly Office virtually that so he might reconcile and redeem Man and put him into a better estate again than he had by his first Creation and that thereby God might put all the rest of his Creation under the Government of Christ as the true Lord and proper Heir of all things for all things were created for him Col. 1. 16. or else if he had not restrained sin and been pre-ordained to bee the Heir of all things and to be ready at hand to take the Government of all upon him at Adams Fall the whole Creation had been instantly confounded by a general Rebellion and by a total Disorder which was the main thing that the Devil aimed at in his Head-plot but it was prevented because he had ordained Christ to be the right Heir of all to undertake the Government of all at the very instant of Adams Fall and so his Mercy is over all his Works as the Hen is over her Chickens Psa 145. From the Premises I reason thus The whole Creation was made at first for that very end for which it now serveth Psal 119. 91. But now all the whole Creation serveth to the
honour of the Mediator for God hath laid the Government of the whole Creation upon his Shoulders Es 9. 6 7. and hath given him dominion over the Works of his hands and hath put all things under his feet Psal 8. 6. 1 Cor. 15. 24. to 28. and in that hee hath put all things in subjection under him he left nothing that should not be subject to him Hebr. 2. 8. Therefore God had fore-ordained the Mediator to restrain the violence of corrupted Nature and to take upon him the right of Government as the right Heir of all things even from the first moment of Mans Fall for all things were created for him Col. 1. 16. and therefore God could not keep a Sabbath of rest untill he had put the right Heir into actual possession and in that respect Christ is stiled the Lord of all Hosts Psal 24. 10. because all the Hosts of Heaven and Earth were put under his Dominion even from the day of Mans creation and in that respect also Christ is stiled and called The beginning of the creation of God Rev. 3. 14. Col. 1. 15. Psal 102. 26. Heb. 2. 10. for hee was ordained before all things and by him all things do consist Col. 1. 17. Heb. 2. 10. 1 Cor. 8. 6. And this Dominion of the Mediator all creatures do and have acknowledged ever since the fall of Adam and therefore the four and twenty Elders do cast down their Crowns before him saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasures sake they are and were created Rev. 5. 11 12 13. Psal 145 10 11 12. Psa 89. 5. and Rev 5. 11 12 13. See also ch 6 at Sixthly our Saviour Christ doth still comfort his afflicted people with the constancy of his providence for their good saying I have made thee namely by a Re-creation and I will bear thee namely by my constant fatherly providence Es 64. 4. yea Christ by his over-ruling providence doth create and make the wicked to serve for his glory and for his Churches good by limitting and ordering all their wicked actions Behold saith Christ I have created the Smith and I have created the Destroyer to destroy Es 64. 16. yea Christ doth order the very devils by his over-ruling providence so that they cannot be so malicious as else they would be against man as we may see in the case of Job So then both Deceivers and Deceived all are from Him and by Him and for Him Rom. 11. 35. Job 12. 16. And thus we see that God hath put all things under the feet of Christ according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Eph. 1. 11. Act. 2. 23. And therefore it follows that God by his eternall Providence did ordain a Mediator against the day of Adams fall Eph. 1. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 20. 2 Tim. 1. 9. by whose Redemption and Gubernation the whole Creation was finished perfected settled and ordered before the seventh day and therefore these terms he had finished and had made before the 7th day do imply that Christ the Mediator did put out sundry operations of his eternal Providence in the sixth day for the finishing and perfect setling of all the Creation which at first he had made but mutably perfect before he could keep a contented setled rest on the seventh day Mr. Perkins on the Creed Pag. 159. saith One of the greatest works of Gods providence that can be is about mans Fall and Restauration First by the just permission of his Fall Rom. 11. 32. And secondly by destroying this head-plot of the Devill Gal. 3 22. CHAP. V. That this term which he had made Gen. 2. 2. hath relation to the Creation of the Mediator in two particulars 1 In regard of his Office as a Mediatorial Priest 2 In regard of his Humane nature GOD having provided a Mediator by his eternal Providence God created or installed the Mediator into his Priestly office before he could keep a perfect rest on the sevenâ—h day against the day of Adams fall for his Reconciliation and Re-creation was pleased accordingly to exhibit the said Mediator to Adam in a gracious declaration thereof to him but yet it was in a way of threatning to the Serpent that this Mediator should be the seed of that deceived Woman and that he should break his head-plot Gen 3. 15. namely by his propitiatory sacrifice or sacrifice of Attonement even at the same time when the Devill by his instruments should put him to death by peircing him in the foot-soals as a sinfull Malefactor on the Crosse and now God did not onely threaten the Devill to break his head-plot and not onely comfort Adam with the assurance of his Redemption but also he said to his Son This day have I begotten thee or created thee into the office of a Priestly Mediator Heb. 5. 5. with Psal 2. 7 8. and in this sense God is said to make or create Moses and Aaron when he installed them into the office of deliverers The humane nature of Christ was created and virtually made flesh of the sâ—ed of the woman before God could be said to keep a perfect rest on the seventh day See John Frith against Sir Tho. Moâ—â— p. 109. 1 Sam. 12. 6. and in this sense God could not keep a perfect rest on the seventh day untill he had created the Mediator into his Priestly office 2 The humane nature of Christ was created and exhibited in a gracious declaration of Adams redemption from the Devils Head-plot by the seed of the Woman as the perfection of all the Creation on the sixth day his humane nature is a creature and therefore it was virtually made flesh of the seed of the woman before it could be said That God had finished all his works which be had created and made and ther fore before he could keep a perfect rest on the seventh day Christ was as truly made flesh of the seed of the Virgin Eve on the sixth day as he was made flesh of the seed of David Rom. 1. 3. and his flesh was as truly eaten by faith of Adam and Eve and of all the godly Fathers that offered Sacrifices of Attonement by faith as it is eaten by us now for this Proposition is general and belongeth to the godly in all ages from the first Promise That unlesse ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man ye can have no life in you Joh. 6. 53. And for the confirmation of this first Promise that Christ should be made flesh of the seed of the woman Christ did often appear to the Fathers in the shape of a man Gen. 32. 24. Prov. 8. 31. to assure them that as he was truly exhibited in a gracious promise to our first Parents so he would in due time take our nature upon him and in this respect the humane nature of Christ was called by the
all his Creation till he had re-created Adam and setled him and all the rest of the Creation upon the Rock Christ and in this respect God doth often complain of Mans sin as a heavie burden to his Soul Amos 5. 2 13 Es 1. 14. And as the sin of the old World did grieve God to the heart Gen. 6. 6. so no doubt but Adams sin above any other sin did grieve him to his heart untill God had re-created Adam and Eve by the promised Seed and put the whole Creation under his government and then God rested the seventh day and was refreshed that is to say the grief of his heart which fell upon him in the sixth day by reason of Adams sin was removed from him by the Mediators undertaking to make a reconciliation by his propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement in the cool of the sixth day and from that day forwards God instructed Adam how to offer Sacrifices of Attonement as a liverly memorial thereof and thenceforth all Sacrifices of Attonement are called sacrifices of rest to Jehovah and sweet sacrifices of rest Gen. 8. 21. because Christs Sacrifice doth quiet and pacifiâ— Gods Soul that was so exceedingly displeased and grieved for Adams sin and therefore the Seventy call sacrifices of rest sweet Sacrifices which phrase of theirs Paul doth approve and use Eph. 5. 2. they are also called sacrifices of Attonement or propitiatory Sacrifices Upon this new settlement of the Creation upon the Mediator All the Trinity rested and were refreshed on the seventh day because they had perfected mans happiness by a Re-creation God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost were refreshed now all the blessed Trinity our blessed Creators and Makers did rejoyce in the works of their hands 1 The Father was refreshed with great joy of heart because he had found out a Reconciler and because his lost Son was found again Luk. 15. 2 The Son rejoyced and was refreshed because he had taken upon him the Person and Office of a Mediator that so hee might seek and save that which was lost Matth. 18. 11 12 13 14. 3 The Holy Ghost rejoyced and was refreshed because hee had re-created the heart of Adam and Eve and filled their Souls with joy unspeakable and glorious by inabling them to beleeve in the promised Seed as the Procurator of the Fathers Attonement by his propitiatory sacrifice And truly this work of Re-creation must needs be a ground of perfect rest and of joyful refreshing to such blessed Creators that could tell how to finde out such a mysterious way to create a-new that glorious work that was so confounded and spoyled by Satans Head-plot The Angels also rejoyced at the conversion of Adam and Eve saying Glory to God in the highest and on the earth peace and good will towards men Luk. 2. 14. and this must needs bee so because they rejoyce at the conversion of every sinner that repenteth Luk. 15. 7. Adam and Eve did also keep a blessed rest upon the Sabbath for their Souls were rejoyced and refreshed because they did by faith rest on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot And thus the first seventh day was a joyful day of rest and rerefeshing both to all the Trinity to all the Elect Angels and to repenting Adam and Eve and so it is to all true repenting and beleeving sinners Amen And it is further evident that Gods rest on the seventh day was nothing else but the quieting of his mind in Christs Sacrifice of Attonement because God is said to rest in several types of Christ as well as in the seventh day in relation to his resting on the Mediator for mans Redemption from Sathans Head-plot 1 The Land of Canaan is called Gods Rest Exod. 33. 14. Psal 95. 11. Heb. 4. 1. because God had appointed that Land to be the resting place of his Tabernacle and Temple Jos 22. 19. 2 Sam. 7. which did typifie the humane nature of Christ Joh. 2. 19. Heb. 8. 2. Heb. 9. 11. where his Sacrifices of Rest might onely be offered 2 The Tabernacle is called Gods Rest Psal 132. 8. 3 Zion is called Gods Rest Psal 132. 13 14. 4 The Temple is called Gods Rest 2 Chron. 6. 41. and the house of his Rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord 1 Chron. 28. 2. 5 All Sacrifices of Attonement are called Sacrifices of Rest because they have a sweet savor that gives rest to the disquieted senses Gen. 8. 21. Exod. 29. 18. Num. 15. 3. Ez. 20. 14. But no man I think will say that God did rest in any of these things otherwise than as they were types of the Mediators Person and Sacrifice wherein onely Gods soul doth rest as in the onely Mediatorial procuring cause of his Attonement for mans Redemption from Sathans Head-plot The Tabernacle wherein God did dwell among the Sons of Israel was three times over most carefully described by Moses 1 In Exod. 25. 2 In Exod. 36. 3 In Exod. 39. 32 to 43. This three fold telling of the Tabernacle which God did after cast off saith one of the Hebrew Doctors was not to shew that God did so highly rest in it for it self but to shew that he only rested in the Tabernacle of the Messiah and because the blessed Martyr Stephen knew that the High Sanedrim did rest after an outward hypocritical manner in the Temple he did upbraid their foolish confidence saying The most High dwelleth not or resteth not in Temples made with hands Act 7. 48. implying that the most High did onely rest in Christ that was typified by the Temple So then the place of Gods rest and of fallen mans rest lyes onely in the work of Reconciliation by the Mediators Sacrifice of Attonement Conclusion From all the Premises I conclude That Gods rest on the seventh day was his satisfying delight and his sweet content in Christ because he was ordained to be the Seed of the Woman to break the Devills Head-plot by his Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement and because God had setled the whole Creation upon the Mediator whose work was so perfect that nothing was lacking to the perfection thereof And therefore it follows that God ordained the Sabbath not in the time of Adams Innocency but after his Fall and Re-creation CHAP. IX Proving that God blessed the first seventh day with many Spiritual Ordinances such as were apt to convey Spiritual and Eternal blessednesse to faln man THis sentence God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it Gen. 2. 3. doth contain in it a full description how God did blesse the seventh day for the good of faln man 1 I will speak of the word Blessed in this Chapter 2 I will speak of the word Sanctified in the next Chapter 1 It is meet to inquire how God did blesse the first seventh day Did he blesse it with any natural blessing above the other six dayes Hath he bestowed a greater blessing of fairer weather or the
like upon that day more than upon any other day in the week no but on the contrary he restrained his Manna from falling on that day and bestowed it upon the Jews on all the other six dayes of the week Therefore the blessing wherewith God did blesse the seventh day was not a common natural blessing but doubtlesse it was a spiritual blessing in relation to the good of faln man Hence then we may conclude that God did blesse that day with divers spiritual Ordinances such as tended to make faln man blessed by opening the manner how the Seed of the Woman should break Sathans Head-plot for mans Redemption Adam in hâ—s Innocency had no need of any such spiritual God would nevâ—r have blessed the seventh day with spiritual Ordinances so as he did if the Mediator had not been declared to faln Adam before the 7 day Ordinances as God did blesse the seventh day withall neither could Adam in his Innocency sanctifie one day more perfectly than another for by nature he was pure without imperfâ—ction If there had been no other Argument in all the Scripture to prove that Adam sell and was Re-created on the sixth day by the Promised Seed This sentence He blessed and sanctified the seventh day had been sufficient to prove it for God would never have blessed the seventh day with such spiritual Ordinances as he did nor yet have sanctified that day for the time of his spiritual Ordinances if the Mediator had not been declared to faln Adam before the seventh day And this is further proved by some other Scriptures 1 God doth command us faln men in the fourth Commandement to remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it and the reason is added because in it he rested from all the works that he had made And for that reason Jehovah did blesse the seventh day and sanctifie it Exod. 20. 8 9 10 11. 2 The Prophet Isaiah saith That God did blesse the Sabbath day namely for the good of faln man For saith he Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sabbath and polluteth it noâ— Es 56. 2. 3 Our Saviour doth tell us that the Sabbath was made for man Mar. 2. 27. namely for the good of man in misery but Adam in God did not leave Adam Eve to spend the seventh day in private specul tions but he blessed the first 7 day with variety of Ordinances both for publick and private use for their best spiritual good his Innocency was not in misery therefore the Sabbath was not then made but as soon as he had eaten of the forbidden fruit he was in misery for then his soul was dead in sin and his body full of corruption and then the Sabbath was made for man Hence it follows by necessary consequence that God did not blesse the seventh day in Adams Innocency but after his Fall and Recreation 2 God did not leave Adam to himself after his Fall and Recreation to spend the seventh day in his own private meditations as he thought best but God blessed the seventh day with several publick Ordinances for the good of faln Adam and instructed him in the right use of those Ordinances if God had left Adam to spend the Sabbath in his own private speculations as he thought best doubtlesse his Religion would soon have been no better than a Samaritan Religion for Adam by his fall was become so corrupt in his affections and so blind in his understanding of Gods will that he would not nor could not have spent the Sabbath to his spiritual good It is a dangerous thing therefore to prefer a mans own private meditations and speculations to publick Ordinances upon the Sabbath God would not leave Adam to such a liberty to do as he thought best such a liberty will soon open a wide gap to Sathans delusions But God blessed the seventh day with his own publick Ordinances not excluding private meditations God blessed the seventh day both with publick and private Ordinances for publick Ordinances are not so much blessed as when they are attended with private preparation before with reverent attention at and with carefull rumination and application afterwards If there be not this care added to the publick Ordinances the Devill will soon steal away the seed that is sown out of our hearts and souls Now the manner how God was pleased to instruct Adam and Eve in the exercise of his publick Ordinances was by the lively Oracles of the Mediator and therefore doubtlesse as he was promised to be the Seed of the woman so he appeared to Adam in his humane shape as he did to Jacob Gen. 32. 24. And in this regard he is called The word of the Father even from the beginning Joh. 1. 1 2. And the Father gave him a Commandement what to say Joh. 12. 49 50. And he it was that did instruct all the Fathers And therefore Stephen saith That he the God of glory appeared to Abraham in Ur of the Caldes Act. 7. 2. and his apparition to Abraham was in such a familiar manner that it did work in him an inward regard and attention to his words whereby his soul was convinced and converted In some such manner did he appear to Adam and Eve when he did instruct them in the knowledge of his Person and Office and of the use of his publick Ordinances wherewith he was pleased to blesse the seventh day Now the several Ordinances wherewith God was pleased to blesse the seventh day I will distinguish into two sorts or ranks 1 Into such Ordinances as were plain and manifest 2 Into such as were Typical and Mystical 1 I will speak of the plain and manifest Ordinances These were often used without the typical but the typical could not well be used without some of these were added thereto By these plain and manifest Ordinances God appointed Adam as a Prophet by the exercise of them to instruct himself his wife and posterity by opening the misery of his fall and the remedy by the Promised Seed 1 The first sort of these manifest Ordinances was in preaching and proclaming his own miserable condition by his disobedience God comanded Adam to preach every seventh day either upon his miserable fall or else upon the riches of Gods grace for his recovery by the Promised Seed in eating of the forbidden fruit how he had lost Gods Image by Gods just hand of punishment and how he was corrupted in all the parts and powers of his soul and body by the poysonful counsel that Sathan breathed into Eves soul 2 Adam must preach open and declare to himself and his wife till they were increased in number the riches of Gods grace for his recovery by the Seed of the Woman which God had ordained to break the Devils Head-plot for their Redemption and in opening this he could not choose but open and declare the personal union of both the natures of the Mediator and the excellent dignity of his Office This blessed Doctrine Adam
I shall yet a little further endeavour to make this point more evident namely that the sanctified rest of the seventh day was ordained to be as a sanctified sign of fallen mans resting on the promised seed by faith for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot for Mans redemption and so consequently as a sign of mans eternal rest in Heaven hereafter Reas 1. Because the Sabbath in respect of the strict rest of it is called a sign of the everlasting Covenant Exod. 31. 13. 17. Exod. 31. 13 17 Hâ—b 4. 3 9 10 Heb. 4. 3 9 10. now there is no everlasting Covenant but that which is made in the Bloud of Christ and this Covenant of bringing man to Life thereby is the only sure thing to rest upon but this Covenant was not made with Man in innocency but after his Fall therefore the Sabbath was not ordained to be a sign of this everlasting Covenant till after Adam fell and therefore Adam fell before the seventh day Reas 2. Because God ordained sundry other things to be sanctified types and signs of mans resting on Christ by faith as Synonima to the rest of the seventh day as any that have their understandings wel exercised in the Scriptures may easily discern 1 Consider this that God sanctified the outward rest of all the Festival Sabbaths as the type of our resting on the Seed of the Woman by faith for the breaking of the Devils head-plot and this is evident by Moses description of them in Levit. 23. there he reckons up eight several Festival Sabbaths in order but hee puts the seventh day first because it is the chiefest of them all for it is the ground and foundation of all the rest and it is to be specially noted that Moses doth call the seventh day a Festival Sabbath ver 2. as well as all the rest and yet it was no Feasting Sabbath in respect of Belly-cheer as the rest were except in a Spiritual sense and in that sense the Holy Rest of them all did typifie the same spiritual resting on the seed of the Woman and the same spiritual feasting on the propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ for Mans redemption which was typified by their feasting on their Peace-offerings on their Festival Sabbaths and so the day of Attonement though it were a day of strict fasting yet it was a day of Spiritual feasting and resting on the promised Seed as the seventh day was 2 The sanctified rest of the seventh day did typifie the same things that Josuahs rest did for in six years War he conquered the Canaanites and in the seventh year the Land rested The Apostle doth make this rest and the rest of the seventh day to bee both alike Heb. 4. for he doth first make them to typifie our Spiritual rest on Christ by faith and secondly to typifie our eternal rest in Heaven at last Heb. 4. 3. 9 10. Heb. 4. 3 9 10 3 The Sabbatical years of rest in Lev. 25. and the Sabbatical Jubile of rest which is also called a great Sabbath in Levit. 25. 4. did alike typifie our resting on Christ by faith for our full deliverance from the servitude of Satan just answerable to the typical rest of the seventh day and in that respect Moses doth compare the typical rest of them all together in Exod. 23. Exod. 23. 10 11 12. 10 11 12. None can be ignorant of the manifold great troubles that did often fall out upon Gods people in the Land of Canaan soon after the rest which it had in Joshuahs seventh year but yet notwithstanding so sweet was that rest which Joshua obtained for them after six years War that God was pleased to make that year of rest to begin the Chronologie of all their Sabbatical years of rest from thence till all ended in the Death and Sacrifice of Christ who is the true rest of all beleeving sinners and by allusion to this typical rest our Saviour doth invite all poor and heavie laden sinners to come unto him and they shall find rest to their souls Matth. 11. 29. Es 11. 10. Eze. 34. 15 25 27 28 Jer. Mat. 11. 29 33. 15 16. Jer. 30. 10. And our Saviour in Luke 4. 19. doth expound the true nature of Luk. 4. 18 19 that spiritual rest that was typified by the Sabbatical rest of the Jubile 1 By calling it the acceptable year of the Lord and 2 By telling us in vers 18. that God had annoynted him to preach the Gospel to the poor to heal the Broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of Sight to the Blind and that he should set at liberty them that are bruised this opens the sweet rest and refreshing of Soul that every poor humbled sinner doth finde by the seed of the Woman in breaking the Devils Head-plot for their deliverance help and healing And this famous deliverance by the seed of the Woman was accomplished by his propitiatory sacrifice in a Sabbatical year of Jubilee namely in the twenty eighth Jubilee as may be seen in Brougbtons Consent 4 The redemption of Israel out of Aegypt by the Typical sign of the Bloud of the Paschal Lamb is laid down as the main reason why God did sanctifie the rest of the seventh day in Deut. 5. 14 15. and that shews that not the Visible but the Spiritual Deut. 5. 14 15 Creation was the true ground and reason why God blessed and sanctified the first seventh day Hence it follows from the Premises that the Holy Rest of the seventh day was a typical sign of our resting on Christ by faith for our redemption from Satans Head-plot Object Why doth God in Exod. 20. 11 command man to rest on the Exod. 20. 11 Sabbath Day from all bis Works because he rested on the seventh day from Creating the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein visible and invisible Col. 1. 16. seeing in Deut. 5. 15. he gives another differing reason as the only ground of commanding man to rest on the Sabbath Day Deut. 5. 15 because Jehovah thy God brought thee out of Aegypt by a strong hand namely by killing all their first born but delivering the first born of Israel by the bloud of the Lamb sprinkled on their door posts as a sign of their redemption c. Answ I answer that the true ground and reason of Gods rest and of his commanding man to rest in both places is alike there is no difference at all if the true sense of both places bee rightly understood for God rested not from the works of Creaation Our Redemption from Satans Head-plot was the last finishing act of the whole Creation therefore iâ— must needs be the only true reason of Gods rest and of his commanding man to rest on the first seventh day untill he had made the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein as Christ doth testifie Exod. 20. 11. now if all things in Heaven and Earth were made in six days then
kindle a fire on the Sabbath Day for the dressing of necessary food for infirm or crasie bodies Quest 4. It seems to me that the Jews might not kindle a fire on the Sabbath Day to dresse any meat at all therewith for Moses saith thus To morrow is the Sabbath of Holinesse to Jehovah Bake that which yee will bake and seeth that which yee will seeth namely in the sixth day as it is in ver 5. and all that remaineth over lay it up for you as a reservation until the morrow Exod. 16. 23. From this Scripture I think it is evident That the Jews were prohibited Exod. 16. 23 to kindle a fire upon the Sabbath Day neither to bake or boyl any of their Manna but all must be done on the sixt day that so they might not kindle a fire for it on the Sabbath Day Ans This baking and boyling of their Manna before the Sabbath Day doth not forbid them to heat their Manna with fire in the Sabbath to make iâ— fit for infirm and weak stomacks but the baking and boyling forbidden by Moses upon the Sabbath Day was such a baking and boyling as was accompanied with laborious work such as might and ought to have been done on the sixt day as it appears by Numb 11. 8. there after the people had gathered their Manna they did prepare it with laborious Numb 11. 8 work several ways suitable to every ones taste or liking therefore they did First grinde it in Mills or beat it in Morters Secondly Then they baked it in Pans and made Cakes of it Thirdly Othersome did boyl it and thus it was several ways prepared and Cooked according to every ones taste and liking with laborious work on the sixt day now such kind of laborious works as these were forbidden to be done in the Sabbath Day because they might be done on the sixt day and in that respect the Hebrew Doctors say Whoso laboureth in the evening of the Sabbath he shall eat in the Sabbath See Ains in Levit. 16. 26. And truly I think there is no conscientious Christian that doth hold it lawful to defer or put off such like laborious works as these to the Lords Day for it is all one as if a man should defer the grinding of his Corn the baking of his Bread or the making of his Pies unto the Lords Day but no conscientious Christian that is judicious I think doth hold it unlawful to temper a Pudding of the Meal that was ground on the sixth day or to heat a Pye that was made on the sixt day or to boyl a necessary quantity of meat that was killed and quartered on the sixt day or to use that wood for fire that was carted home and cut ready for the fire on the sixt day or to use Water that was fetched home to the door on the sixt day all these and such like things might as lawfully be done by the Jews on the Sabbath Day as by godly Christians on the Lords Day and this is fully evident by our Saviour in that he did justifie his Apostles for their work in gathering of certain ears of Corn in other mens fields and rubâ—â—â—g the said ears to prepare it for food on the Sabbath Day and doubtlesse after the said rubbing it was either parched in the Fire or boyled in Water fit for the digesture of the stomack or else if they had eaten it raw it had been but course and hard food Now if it had been unlawful to prepare such a small quantity of food as was fit for the present support of nature on the Sabbath Day doubtlesse Christ would have commanded his Apostles before-hand to provide their Scrip full of Victuals namely on the sixt day but in as much as he had not made such provision on the sixt day but did justifie his Apostles for this work in the Sabbath Day by alleging the example of David in eating the Shew-bread in case of hunger he did thereby confute and reprove the Iews superstitious opinion of the outward rest of the Sabbath alleging also That the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Mar. 2. 27. as if Christ had said Mar. 2. 27. thus If man had been made for the Sabbath then man must have served the Sabbath before his own necessity but seeing man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man namely to serve mans necessity therefore it follows that the Sabbath was made ordained or instituted after man was in necessity and in misery namely after Adams Fall chiefly for the good of his sick and sinful Soul and therefore God did blesse it with suitable Ordinances and did sanctifie that day for the use of those Ordinances but yet withall the Sabbath was made to serve man in misery in respect of his Body that it might rest and be refreshed with convenient food Physick and the like and therefore godly Wisdome will make all the godly careful to improve the Lords Day so as that it may serve to the best good both of their sinful Souls and of their weak and frail bodies also Quest 5. Are Christians bound to rest on the Lords Day as strictly from bodily recreations and from all things that are not work as the Jews â—â—re on the Sabbath Day for the Hebrew Doctors say That the Jews must rest on the Sabbath Day from things that are not work as from climbing on a Tree riding on a Beast â—â— the like from the judging of Civil causes putting off the sâ—â—â—e and taking the Brothers Wife spoken of in Deut. 25. separating of Tythes first Fruits and the like valuing of things spoken of in Levit. 27. and from speaking with a mans 〈…〉 on the Sabbath Day what he will buy or how he will build his 〈…〉 the like as it is noted by Mr. Ains in Exod. 20. 10. and in 〈…〉 â—1 17. Ans I have shewed you on the word Sanctified in Chap. 10. That God sanctified the whole seventh day for his service not only the time of the publick Ordinances but the whole day and therefore it was sanctified for the use of private Ordinances as well as for the publick and therefore no time may be exempted from these holy Duties but in cases of necessary food Physick or the like cases of necessity therefore before we addresse our selves to Gods publick Ordinances wee must be careful to prepare our Souls to come with fear and reverence and so in our Hearing in our Praying Singing c. wee must take heed how wee Hear how we Pray and Sing so likewise afterwards we must examine our selves how our Soul â—ave profited by the publick Ordinances or else we may look 〈◊〉 Curse rather than a Blessing from the said Ordinances Hence it follows by necessary consequence That no good Christian can allow himself liberty to do such kind of exercises as you have named but they will interrupt the efficacie of those blessed and commanded Ordinances
wherewith God hath blessed the seventh day and therefore such kind of exercises must needs be as sinful to be done by Christians upon the Lords Day as they were by the Jews upon the Sabbath days Quest 6. Were Recreations on the Sabbath punished among the Jews by the Magistrates with the same kind of punishments that working on the Sabbath was Ans They did not punish all sins alike but they made a difference for they punished the sin of working servile works on the Sabbath namely such kind of works as belonged to mens particular Callings on the Week-days with the heaviest kind of death that was in use among them namely with stoning to death as I have noted it in Chap. 10. 11. But the said Recreations or things that were not properly work they punished only with scourging for Maymony speaking of the day of Attonement which was a Sabbath of Sabbatism and therefore in all respects it must be observed with as strict a rest as the seventh day was saith thus All work for which men are to be stoned if they do it on the Sabbath Day they are to be cut off if they do it on the day of Attonement and whatsoever is unlawful to be done on the Sabbath which is not work is unlawful to bee done on this day and if he do it he is to be scourged as he is to be scourged for doing it upon the Sabbath Day See Ainsw in Levit. 23. 20. Thus we see that the Hebrew Doctors do make a difference of Sins and Punishments according to the difference of days and times 1 They held That servile working on the seventh day was to For cutting off see Ainsw in Exod. 22. 20. Lev. 20. 10. 17 18. Num. 9. 13 be punished with stoning to death 2 They held That servile working on the day of Attonement was to be punished with cutting off which is several ways to be considered 3 They held That servile working on their other festival Sabbathâ— was to be punished with Scourging or with Excommunication See Ains in Lev. 23. 5 7. But 4 All other things that were done on the seventh day which were not work though in some sort Recreations c. are like work the Magistrates punished with Scourging only or with Excommunication for a time for these two were esteemed among the Iews to be much alike equal punishments as I have shewed in the Iews Synagogues Discipline And truly such kind of Recreations are as sinful to be used by Christians on the Lords Days as they were to the Iews on the Magistrates are bound to punish the prophanation of any part of the Lords Day whether it be by Work or by Recreations either by Scourging or by some Mulct that is equivalent Sabbath Day because they take off the Heart from the advantage of improving the publick Ordinances to the Spiritual good of the Soul which God intended when he blessed and sanctified the seventh day for mans best good I say therefore that no conscientious Christian ought to take liberty to do such things on the Lords Day neither will any conscientious Magistrate permit such things to be done on that day though it be after all publick exercises are ended yea I do beleeve that godly Magistrates will not only be grieved at the practise of such sins but they wil be forward and ready to put out their power to suppresse such sinful practises by punishing such Malefactors either with scourging or with some mulct that is equivalent thereto Six dayes thou shalt labor and in the seventh day thou shalt cease in Earing time and in Harvest thou shalt cease Exod. 34. 21. Exod. 34. 21. Under these two words Earing time and Harvest All or any other works of a mans particular Calling are comprehended Hence I reason thus If the Plownan by whom the King is maintained Ecclâ—s 5. 9. must cease not onely from plowing but also from the Inning of his harvest upon the Sabbath day yea though all the six dayes had been rainy weather and that day fair then it follows that works of lesse consequence and of lesse necessity as civill Recreations and the like ought not to be done on the Lords day because it is the sanctified time of Gods publick worship as the seventh day was and therefore Christians are bound to have the like tender regard and the like tender care of it as Gods sanctified time though it be not a sanctified sign as the seventh day was and seeing God is pleased to give unto us six whole dayes for our necessary works and for our necessaâ—y recreations he may well require Christians to give unto him the full improvement of the seventh day for the bettering of our souls by his publick and private Ordinances or else we may expect a curse rather than a blessing from the carelesse observation of that day God is jealous of the prophanation of any part of his sanctified time for when the greedy Earth-worms among the Jews did but wish in secret in their hearts that the Sabbath were gone that they might set out their corn to sell Aâ—os 8. 5. Amos 8. 5. God took notice of their inward prophaning of his holy time and he was so displeased with them for their Inward earthly wishes that he Sware by the Excellency of Iacob saying Surely I will never forget any of their workâ— Shall not the land tremble for this and every one mourn that dâ—elleth therein vers 7 8. Now seeing God was so displeased with them for their secret prophanation of the sanctified time of his worship by their worldly thoughts and desires yea though it were but after Godâ— publick worship was ended then doubtlesse seeing Jesus Christ hath still reserved the seventh part of time for his publick worship he will not allow Christians now more liberty than the Jews had either to prophanâ— thoughts or to sporâ— and recreate themselves on the Lords day no though it should be after the publick exercise is ended God requires the heart on that day as well as the body to be imployed on spiritual things onely The promise in Es 58. 13. to such as make conscience of sanctifying the Sabbath in the inward man I confesse is made to that Sabbath of Sabbatism called the day of Attonement but yet this day of Attonement must be considered as it was a Sabbath of equal respect in regard of the sanctified time of Gods worship to the seventh day and therefore that which is unlawfull to be done in the one is unlawfull to be done in the other also both in respect of the outward and also in respect of the inward man Quest 7. Did not the Jews hold it lawfull to do works of mercy and works of present necessity on the Sabbath day Ans 1. In the dayes of our Saviour some of the Jews were so supestitious of the outward rest of the Sabbath that they were often offended with our Saviour because he did works of mercy and works
began to kill their Passeovers at half an hour after two a Clock but if the Passeover day fell out to be the * Some think of no other Evening belonging to the Jews Sabbath but the evening before the Sabbath but they are grosly mistaken for that was no otherwise the evening of the Sabbath but in relation to the new day to the purified person but the evening of the Sabbath it self began and ended as the Passeover evening did from mid-day to mid-night evening of the Sabbath namely that evening of the Sabbath which began at Mid-day then they began to kill their Passeover sooner But still this must be remembred which Maymony often noteth that they never kild any Passeover till after the daily evening Sacrifice and some other services that did ever accompany it See Ains in Numb 28. 4. But say the Hebrew Doctors God setteth no particular hour neither for the killing of the daily evening Sacrifice nor yet for the killing of the Passeover but in general he commanded them to be killed between the two evenings Hence it follows That if they killed the daily evening Sacrifice or the Passeover or the Peace-offerings in any part of the after-noon between the time of Mid-day and the Sun-set evening they were allowable and according to Gods own limited time But because God requires that all his Worship in all the Circumstances of it should be done decently and in order both in regard of time place and persons therefore the chief Rulers of the people thought it their duty to suit all the particular businesses about the Passeover and the daily evening Sacrifice to certain particular hours in the evening so as all things might be done with the best conveniency decency and order that one duty might not shoulder out another The Hebrew Doctors in the Babylonian Thalmud say thus the daily evening Sacrifice was killed at the eighth hour and a half and it was offered at the ninth hour and a half that is to say at half an hour after three a Clock But in the evening of the Passover it was killed at the seventh hour and a half and offered at the eighth hour and a half that is to say at half an hour after two a Clock But if the evening of the Passeover did fall out to be upon the evening of the Sabbath then it was killed at the sixth hour and a half that is to say at half an hour after twelve a Clock and it was offered at seven and a half See Ains in Exod. 12. 6. Buxtorfius also in his Hebrew Lexicon upon the word Gnarbaiim doth from the Hebrew Doctors shew that if the Passeover evening fell upon the Sabbath evening that then they began to kill the daily evening Sacrâ—fice at half an hour after twelve a Clock because of the manifold businesses that belonged to the Sabbath besides the killing of their Passeovers therefore that the doing of one duty might not thrust out another their Wise-men did set an order of time when they should begin to kill the daily evening Sacrifice which in all the days of the year was deferred to the last place exceptâ—on the Passeover evening and then it was ever preferred to the first place and when ever the Passeover evening fell upon a Sabbath then they began to kill it at half an hour after twelve a Clock and that was as soon as ever they could perceive the shadow of the evening to be stretched out or declined and the only reason why they began thus early upon the Sabbath evening was because they might have sufficient time to finish all the duties of the Sabbath and all their Passeovers before Sun-set for after Sun-set the blood of all Sacrifices became unlawful because God had expresly commanded all evening Sacrifices to be killed between the two Evenings and because they had much work to do on Passeover evenings especially when it fell on the Sabbath they must begin to kill the daily evening Sacrifice at the first declining of the Sun or else they could not kill all by Sun-set for in the time of Josiahs Passeover the Passeovers and Peace-offerings were so many that the Priests could not finish all till night 2 Chron. 35. 14. Obj. 1. You have often cited the Hebrew Doctors as if they did all agree in one That the Natural evening did begin at Mid-day but Mr. Thomas Shepheard in his third Part on the Sabbath Thesis 36. doth affirm that the Hebrew Doctors testimonies are of little worth because they do often contradict one another about the beginning of the evening for though some of them do say that the evening doth begin at Mid-day yet they are over whelmed with crosse testimonies from the most of their Fellows who begin it some about one some about two a Clock in the afternoon and Josephus who is one of most credit in his Writings tels us That they began their first evening about three a Clock in the afternoon Ans I would Mr. Shepheard had cited the particular places where the Hebrew Doctors do crosse one another about the beginning of the Evening for then the particular places should have been examined by the help of such as are expert in their Writings I grant that some of them do speak of the beginning of the Evening at one hour and some at another and yet all this without any contradiction for in regard of severall duties that must be trans-acted at several hours in the evening they had just occasion to speak of the beginning of the evening at several hours in relation to the said several duties that must begin at several hours of the said evening as I noted it in chap. 2. in answer to Obj. 1. at seventhly and as I have noted it immediately afore from the Babylonian Thalmud But if it do appear true that Josephus doth precisely begin the evening at three a clock and not in relation to some special duty then I grant that such a testimony is worthy of due consideration but I beleeve that Josephus is some way or other mistaken for the Thalmud called Jerusalemie which was finished since Josephus See Ains in Advertisement at the end of Deut. wrote namely about the year of our Lord two hundâ—ed and thirty and the other Thalmud called Babelie which was fiâ—ished about the year five hundred do record the Canons and Constitutions of the Jews according to which the Iews do live at this day and no question but they knew Josephus his opinion as well as others that were more antient Doctors and yet these do affirm that the evening begins at mid-day And Moses the sonne of Maymon who lived in the year of our Lord one thousand two hundred hath set down in plainer Hebrew the Expositions Canons and Traditions of the said Thalmuds and of the more antient Hebrew Doctors omitting the fabulous Discourses of the Thalmuds and this Maymony is of such esteem among the Jewish Nation that of him it is said From Moses the
sacrificed with the Lamb-Passeover the day before and which by the Laws allowance they might feast on all the next day till Sun-set but no longer Lev. 7. 16. These Peace-offerings are called the Passeover by the Lawonce in Deut. 16. 2. and they are also clearly comprehended under the term Passeover in 2 Câ—ron 35. 11. but they are most usually called the Passeover in the Writings of the Hebrew Doctors and from their custom John doth use the word Passeover in their sense John saith it was morning and it was the preparation of the Passeover and about the sixth hour which sixth hour according to their account by their great hours began at our ten a Clock and ended with our twelve a Clock and this time was called the Jews preparation in order to their Passeover Dinner and in that respect they were afraid to come into Pilates Common Hall lest they should be defiled and so might be made unfit to eat the Passeovers Peace-offerings at Dinner time Object 10. You say that by the allowance of the Law the Jews might feast on the Peace-offerings that were offered with the Passeover for two days and one night namely till the next day at Sun-set but not after Sun-set but John speaks of another preparation to the Sabbath his words in chap. 19. 31. run thus The Jews then because it was the preparation that the bodies should not remain upon the Crosse for that Sabbath was a high day besought Pilate that their leggs might be broken and that they might be taken down Ans This preparation is indeed a differing preparation from the former the former was their fore-noon preparation to their Passeover Dinner but this preparation was nigh unto Sun-set and so consequently it approached apace unto that festival Supper that did properly belong unto the Feast of unleavened Bread and in that respect they besought Pilate that their leggs might be broken and that they might be taken down lest their cruelty in suffering them to hang longer on the Tree should be a blot to their joyful Feast for this day was the first of unleavened Bread which was the first and the chief of all their High Sabbaths Now as soon as the chief Priests had made this request to Pilate Joseph of Arimathea did wisely espy the advantage of time and then he also went boldly unto Pilate requesting that he might have the Body of Jesus in his own power to bury it The time when this was done was when the Evening was come as two Evangelists do witnesse Mat. 27. 17. Mar. 15. 42. and so Tindall in his Bible doth translate and expound Mark 15. 42. thus When night was come because it was the evening that goeth before the Sabbath This preparation therefore in Joh. 19. 31. must needs be in relation to their solemn Festival Supper which did properly belong to this High Sabbath as John doth call it Before Dinner the Jews were careful lest they should be defiled by going into Pilates Judgement Hall and so should have been hindred from their Festival Dinner and now also at Sun-set they take the like care to avoyd cruelty c. If this Sabbath spoken of had been the weekly Sabbath or seventh Day then though they had been defiled they might have resorted to their Synagogues for there the clean and the unclean might meet together every Sabbath or seventh Day as I have observed in Chap. 4. but in case they had been defiled by any accident whatsoever at Sun-set they could not have eaten of their festival Sabbath-supper for all Israel were admonished to be clean at every solemn Feast saith Maymony Obj. 11. Why doth John call the first day of the Feast of unleavened Bread a high Sabbath Joh. 19. 31. Ans All the seven solemn Festival Sabbaths in Levit. 23. 7. are called High Feasts by the Geneva in Eze. 45. 17. But secondly this first day of the Feast of unleavened Bread was the very first of all those seven Sabbaths it was the day in which the Lord brought them out of Aegypt with a high hand and therefore the Lord did in a special manner charge them to remember this day for ever Exod. 13. 3. this Day and the weekly Sabbath have the word remember prefixed before them more than any other Sabbaths and in this regard the Hebrew Doctors in Deuteroproton and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do call Pascha day a great Sabbath but they do not give this high title to the proper Passeover day for that was no Sabbath it was but half Holy-day and therefore Moses doth not reckon it into the number of the Festival Sabbaths in Gen. 23. but they mean it of the first day of the Feast of unleavened Bread this day they called a great Sabbath and Pascha Day because in it they did festivally eat the remainder of their Peace-offerings which they had offered with the Lamb-Passeover on the fourteenth day But though they held this day to be a great Festival Sabbath and shewed great reverence to it now in their request to Pilate because it was theâ—r preparation time to their Festival Supper yet in the morning they held it lawful to judge Causes of Life and Death as we may see they did in our Saviours case and after Sun-set they held it lawful not only to bury but also to imbalm the Dead as the godly persons did to our Saviour See Ains in Lev. 23. 56. but they did not hold any of this work lawful to be done on their weekly Sabbath Luk. 23. 56. Obj. 12. Why doth John use the term Sabbath twice over in John 19. 31. doth he speak but of one kinde or of two sorts of Sabbaths Ans John speaks but of one high Festival Sabbath only now it was their immediate preparation to their high Festival Sabbath-Supper and therefore having satisfied their malice on Christ they besought Pilate that their leggs might be broken and that they might be taken down for that Sabbath was a high Sabbath I grant also that the weekly Sabbath was now begun according to the date of the person purified but not the seventh Day it self for this high Festival Sabbath was now in its full force and in its solemn Feast Secondly The time of Christs Burial is noted by Luke to bee when the said Festival Sabbath did begin to lighten Luk. 23. 54 The time of Christs burial was at Star-light so doth Mr. Broughton and Mr. Weames read it and so doth the Syriac read it in this phrase the Evangelist Luke doth plainly Thalmudize his words run thus That day was the preparation and the Sabbath began to lighten two things are observable 1. Luke saith this day was the preparation namely to their festival Supper 2. He describes the exact time when Christ was inclosed in the heart of the earth it was when this High Sabbath began to lighten namely in the first place with the Evening Star and that was a perspicuous mark of the near time of their Festival Supper
the fifteenth day except it be only in relation to the date of the person purified and thus Maymony above cited must be understood that the flesh of the Paschal Lamb was eaten on the fifteenth night namely according to the date of the person purified though in regard of the Feast it self it was but the fourteenth night still as in my next answer at fifthly I have cited his words Obj. 18. I desire to see yet further how you can prove that the latter evening at Sun-set was a true part of the fourteenth day in the case of their religious Feasting upon the Passeover Ans 1. I prove it by Exod. 12. 6 8 14. verses compared together the sixth verse commanded them to kill all their Passeovers between the two evenings this was the allowed season for the sacrificing of all their Passeovers in Aegypt 2. The eighth verse sets out the allowed season for the time of feasting they shall eat the flesh in that Night namely in that night that doth properly belong to the fourteenth day and then 3. In â—â—ose fourteen he doth unite these two solemn actions togetheâ— in these words This day shall be to you for a memorial yee shall festivally keep it for a feast unto Jehovah mark this phrase This day and yeâ— shall festivally keep it what day doth he mean olse but the fourteenth day afore spoken of â— and yee shall festivally keep it and yet the Feast was kept after Sun-set Hence it follows that the time of feasting on the Paschal Lamb after Sun-set was a â—rue part of the fourteenth day by Creation though it was the beginning of the fifteenth day to the person purified 2 It is evident that the Sun-set evening is a true part of the same fourteenth day by Creation by Numb 9. 11. In the second Month in the fourteenth day of the Month between the two evenings they shall do it with unleavened Cakes and bitter Herbs shall they eat it In this text Moses doth speak of a Two-fold action to be done in the evening of the fourteenth day of the month He speaks of doing it namely according to the Command that is to say of sacrificing it between the two evenings Secondly He speaks of the act of feasting with unleavened Cakes and bitter Herbs Moses doth not distribute these two Sacramental actions unto two severall Natural days but commands them both to bee done in the same fourteenth day of the month 3 It is evident by Jos 10. 3. that they kept the Feast of the Paschal Lamb on the fourteenth day of the Month at Even Joshuae names only the time of Feasting though the time of Sacrificing must be understood he saith plainly that it must be feasted on in the fourteenth day of the Month at even I cannot see how any man that loves plain truth can deny the Sun-set evening to be a true part of the former day 4 It is evident that the latter evening was a true part of the fourteenth day because the seven days of unleavened Bread have seven latter evenings belonging to them besides the latter evening of the fourteenth day so that they observed eight festival Evenings together and so Josephus doth number them in Antiq. lib. 2. ch 5. and hence it follows that the Festival Supper which belonged to the last day of unleavened Bread which was the one and twentieth day of the Month did also bear the date of the two and twentieth day to the person purified and this latter evening was the allowed season for all their Holy Festival Suppers and often-times it was little enough for they must boyl and rost all the flesh of their Peace-offerings which were of the greater kind as sheep and Oxen for no Fowls were allowed for Peace-offerings See Ains in Bev. 3. 6. this did much increase the quantity of their Provisions and therefore it required the longer time both to Cook it and to feast on it and all these days of Feasting were commanded to be done with great solemnity especially the first and the last and with many relations of Gods goodnesse for their deliverance out of Aegypt and with Songs and Psalms of praise Deut. 16. 15. Exod. 23. 15. Deut. 27. 7. See Ains in Exod. 12. 8. and in this respect the latter evening was a competent time for these religious Solemnities and to continue the time of feasting longer was a transgression for it is expresly commanded in Lev. 7. 15. that the holy flesh must be eaten in the same day in which it was sacrificed But if the Sun-set evening had been the true beginning of the Natural day then this Holy flesh could not have been eaten the same day as I have noted the reason thereof formerly and then God by Moses had commanded us to do that which is not possible to be done therefore the Sun-set evening is a true part of the same Natural day wherein the flesh was sacrificed Maymony saith as I noted in objection sixteen that the Priests did eat the two Loaves which were presented to the Lord with the Meat-offering of the Congregation on the day of Penticost in the same day and in half the night as the flesh of the most holy things were See Ains in Levit. 23. 20. so then in the judgement of the ancient Hebrew Doctors for Maymony doth but record their judgement the latter evening till mid-night was a true part of the same Natural day in which the Sacrifices were offered though yet notwithstanding the purified person began the date of his new day at the Sun-set afore 5 Thus saith Maymony after he had related divers circumstances about the Passeover then is brought in a Table furnished with bitter Herbs unleavened Bread and the Body of the Paschal Lamb and the flesh Chagigah which is saith he for the fourteenth day of the Month he doth not say which is for the fifteenth day of the Month though otherwise he doth call this time the fifteenth day of the Month both are true in a right sense namely in the sense formerly given and in another place Maymony saith thus The evening of the fourteenth of Nâ—shan is not like the evening of other Festival days because in it are the Feast and the killing of Sacrifices See Ains in Lev. 23. 5. He makes the time of feasting to belong to the fourteenth day and secondly he preferres this evening to the evening of the Festival Sabbaths and therefore prescribes a greater punishment for servile work done on this evening than for working in the evening before the Festival Sabbaths for so is the comparison to be made as I have noted it elsewhere because in this evening was solemnized the proper Feast of the fourteenth day but the evening before was but in way of preparation to the Sabbath it self Thirdly Maymony saith thus They searched out Leaven in the beginning of the night of the fourteenth day Maymony calls the night before the Feast of the unleavened Bread the fourteenth night and yet in
seventh day in the Evening before as they did this yeerly fasting-Sabbath For Maymony saith Such works as may be done on the Evening of a Feast-day they do not upon a Feast-day c. See Ain in 23. 7. By this testimony it is evident that they did not hold the Evening before their festival-Sabbaths to be as holy as the day it self 2 Maymony saith It is unlawful to do works in the Evening of the festival Sabbaths from the time of the Evening Sacrifice and forwards Even as on the Evenings of the Sabbaths and who so doth work in them shall never see a sign of a Bessing and he is to be rebuked and to be made to leave off by force though he is not for it to be scourged or excommunicated except in the Evening of the Passeover after Mid-day whoso doth work therein after Mid-day is to be scourged or excommunicated with the Niddui for the Evening of the fourteenth day of Nishan is not like the Evening of other festival dayes because in it are the Feast and the killing of Sacrifices See Ains in Lev. 23. 5. Two things are observable from this Record of Maymony 1 That the Jews did make some kind of preparation both to their festival-Sabbaths and to their Sabbath or seventh day from the time of the Evening Sacrifice and forwards 2 Hence it is evident that the Hebrew Doctors did not esteem any part of the Evening before their Sabbaths to be as holy as the day following because they did neither scourge nor excommunicate any man for working in the Evening before their Sabbaths as they did for working in the Passeover Evening and the reason is plain because they esteemed both the parts of the Passeover-Evening to be the very day of the Passeover it self but it seems they did not esteem the Evening before the Sabbath to be any true part of the Sabbath it self for doubtlesse if they had esteemed it as a true part of the Sabbath it self they would not onely have scourged and excommunicated such persons that did presume to work in the Evening before the Sabbath but also they would have stoned them to death if they had presumptuously broken the rest of the holy Sabbath Numb 15. 35. And as Maymony makes the Evening of the Passeover not like the Evening that went before their festival Sabbaths nor like the Evening that went before their weekly Sabbath So I may say of the Evening that went before the day of Attonement that it was more strict for holy rest than the Evening that went before any of the other Sabbaths From all the Premises I conclude that no day in all the yeer was commanded to be of such a length for strict Rest as this day was for the strict Rest of this day and the strict Fast of this day began in the Sacrifice Evening or else at the beginning of the latter Evening of the ninth day and it continued not onely till a little after the Sun-set Evening of the tenth day as Maymony saith But also it continued longer for some of the holy duties of the tenth day could not be finished till Mid-night after for 1 The Priests must eat their part of the publick Sin-offering Num. 29. 11. which must be eaten in the same day in which it was offered Lev. 6. 26. as other Sacrifices were Lev. 7. 15 18. and yet the Priests could not eat the holy flesh of this publick Sin-offering till after Sun-set for the fast of this day was not fully ended till after Sun-set and therefore also they might not begin to Cook that holy flesh untill the Fast was fully ended Hence it follows that the same day did still continue till after Sun-set yea untill it was Mid-night 2 The Priests had another work to do within the limits of this tenth day namely they must burn all the fats and peeces of all the publick Evening-sacrifices of this day which were many and some of their Evening-sacrifices were also offered neer unto Sun-set and therefore this work and duty of burning would require not only the more diligence but also the more time to finish this 〈…〉 â—ay of Attonement was sweet savor upon the Lords Altar in its own proper day as I have noted the commanded season thereof more at large in Lev. 6. 9. 3 It appears that some of the works which appertained to the morning-sacrifice of this tenth day must begin at Mid-night and that some of the works which must be done about the Evening-sacrifice were such as could not be ended untill the Mid-night after For the first work that must be done on this day in preparation to the Morning-sacrifice was the taking away the ashes from the Altar and these ashes they must begin to take away at Mid-night as Maymony saith See Ains in Lev. 6. 10. And in another place he saith they took away the ashes at Mid-night and ordered the wood c. and at the break of day they began to kill the daily Morning-sacrifice See Ains in Lev. 16. 4. In like sort they could not finish the burning of all the Evening-sacrifices of this day till Mid-night as I have shewed above from Lev. 6. 9. and yet over and above this full day from Mid-night to Mid-night they began their strict Fast and their strict Rest in the Evening of the ninth day which did increase the length of this day to be an extraordinary long Fasting-Sabbath Hence I conclude That the beginning of this day cannot be alleged as an exemplary pattern neither for the beginning of any other Fasting-day nor yet for the beginning of our Lords day as it is intended by those that allege it for the beginning and ending of the Jews weekly Sabbath from Even to Even CHAP. VII Answering their Opinion more particularly that hold the Lords day to begin at Evening And four Objections are Answered Object 1. IT is objected that our Lords day is come in the place of the Jewish Sabbath which began at Evening and for the proof of this they allege the Example of Nehemiah he is said to shut up the Gates of Jerusalem when it began to be dark before the Sabbath Neh. 13. 19. they expound the word Before and the word Dark in favour of their opinion thus 1 The word Before the Sabbath they say doth mean just before the face or present beginning of the Sabbath 2. The word Dark they say doth mean when it was full Twilight namely when the darknesse in the Skie was somewhat more than the light in the Skie for as long as the light in the Skie is more than darknesse they say the Sun is the cause of it and hence they conclude that the Sun cannot be said to be set till the darknesse in the Skie be more in quantity than the light in the Skie and this they make to be the punctual time of the Sun-set evening when the Jews Sabbath began namely when a Man could not see to read or a Woman to sâ—w Ans This
as I have shewed in chap. 5. in my answer to Object 16. And in this respect Ioshua let the dead Bodies of the Kings hang still upon the Tree untill the Sun was set that is to say untill the night was begun but if this command of burying them in the same day had meant in the same Ceremonial day then the dead Bodies might not continue hanging on the Tree untill the Sun was set except they had been buried some distinct time before Sun-set this clause therefore in the same day must be understood not of the same Ceremonial day which ended at Sun-set but of the same Natural day which continued after Sun-set till mid-night as I have shewed more at large in Chapter five in my answer to Objection sixteen and in chap. 4. ult and in other places also The chief Priests were first in their request to Pilate because it was the time of their preparation to their solemn High Sabbath-Supper for it was the first day of unleavened bread which was a high Sabbath and their Festival-Supper was to begin at Star-light therefore they besought Pilate that their leggs might be broken and that they might be taken away Joh. 19. 31. thus you see that the Priests in regard of their preparation to their Sabbath-Supper were first in their request unto Pilate presently upon this Pilate commanded that their leggs should be broken and Joseph perceiving their request first did wisely espy the advantage of time and without delay he went boldly unto Pilate and besought him that he might take away the Body of Jesus and Pilate gave him leave he came therefore and took the Body of Jesus Joh. 19. 38. this was all done in the neck of one another and this time is recorded by Matthew and Mark to be when the Sun-set evening was done From the Premises I reason thus If the Sun-set evening was come before Ioseph went to Pilate to begge the Body of Christ then the Sabbath Star might well be risen before the Body of Christ could be inclosed in the heart of the earth for Ioseph had many things to do after he had the grant of the dead Body before it could be inclosed in his Grave First he went to the Shops to buy severall peeces of Linnen to wrap the dead Body in according to the Iews manner Ioh. 20. 6 7. as we may see the manner in Lazarus burial Ioh. 11. 44. and Nicodemus also did take up some time to imbalm his Body which also was done with many circumstances according to the Iews custome Ioh. 19. 40. as it is set down by Mr. Ainsworth in Gen. 46. 4. and in Gen. 50. 2. and then though the place of burial were near yet it would require both hands and time to carry him thither and to rowl the stone upon the mouth of his Grave before hee could be said to be inclosed in the heart of the earth I grant also that all this was done with as much haste as might be because of the Iâ—ws preparation to their Festival Supper and yet as soon as this was done or could be done their High Festival-Sabbath began to lighten namely with the Evening Star at least if not with more Stars for it was a Canon among them not to begin their Festival-Suppers till three Stars did appear and doubtlesse Lukes phrase doth allude to that custom This Sabbath that did now begin to lighten was not the Sabbath it self for if the Sabbath it self had been begun at the rising of the Evening Starre then doubtlesse the holy Women had broken the holy rest of the Sabbath dâ—y because after all this they went to the shops and bought Odors and Oyntments Luke 23. 56. compared with Mâ—rk 16. 1. yea and after they had bought these Odors and Oyntments they went home and prepared them in a readinesse to perâ—ume the Body of Christ with them as soon as ever the Sabbath was past Mat. 28. 1. If they had bought them before his burial they would have persumed his Body before his burial â—s Nicodâ—mus did Therefore seeing these holy Women did all this work after the burial and after the Sabbath began to lighten it is an evident proof that the Sabbath it self did not begin neither at the Sun-set evening when the person purified began the date of his new day nor yet at the rising of the evening starre for if the Sabbath it self had been begun at either of these times then the holy Women had most grosly broken the holy rest of the Sabbath But the Holy Text doth witnesse on their side that they rested the Sabbath according to the Commandment Luk. 23. 56. Hencâ— I conclude from this practise of the holy Women that though the evening before the Sabbath doth bear the date of the day following to the person purified yet in proper speaking it is no part of the Sabbath it self it is only to be esteemed the Sabbath but by way of preparation and no more Secondly I answer That your exposiâ—ion of the word before may better carry this sense namely that this latter evening was indeed before the Sabbath it self and I have shewed in chap. 5. that the evening of the Sabbath is put by the Hebrew Doctors sometimes for the evening before the Sabbath and sometimes for the last half of the Sabbath it self but see more in this Chapter in the answer to the next objection Objct. 2. It seems to me that the Sabbath it self did begin and end at the Sun set Evening by the Jews practise for they held it unlawful before the Sun-set Evening was come for our Saviour to heal diseased persons But after the Sun-set Evening was come all manner of diseased persons came flocking to him for cure Mar. 1. 32. Hence it appears that the Jews held the Sabbath to be fully ended as soon as the Sun-set Evening was come Ans It is but the bare conjecture that they forbore to bring their sick persons till the Sabbath was ended I deny it to be the very reason I beleeve the onely reason why they came no sooner was because they had no sooner intelligence of his miraculous power to heal you do barely affirm that the Jews in general held it unlawful for our Saviour to heal diseased persons upon the Sabbath day but you are deceived Tremelius doth testifie from the ancient Hebrew Doctors that they held the contrary They held that the perill of life did drive away the Sabbath that is to say they held it lawful to use any means to prevent the danger of death upon the Sabbath day See Tremelius his Annot. in Mat. 12. 8. in the Syriack Testament Mr. Ainsworth also doth affirm from the Hebrew Doctors that they held it to be a Sabbath days work to visit the sick for they held that perill of life did drive away the Sabbath See Ains in Exod. 20. 10. See also my former Treatise 2 I do also apprehend by the circumstances of the story that the Jews of Capernaum were not
offended with our Saviour for his miraculous cure which he did upon that Sabbath day as the malignant Scribes and Pharisees sometimes were in healing one in the Synagogue that had an unclean spirit Mark 1. 27. 3 They took no offence at him for the curing of Peters wives mother of her Feavor presently after he had left the said Synagogue v 31. Therefore seeing they found no fault with Christ for neither of these miraculous cures before the Sabbath was ended doubtless they did not forbear to bring their diseased persons in respect of the Sabbath for they admired the power of God in these miracles and therefore as soon as the publick exercise was ended they spread his fame verse 28. and thereupon a multitude of the diseased persons of Capernaum came to him for cure with all the possible speed they could as it appears by their earnest pressing after so short a warning for I conceive by the circumstances of the story that it was but a little afore Sun-set when Christ left the Synagogue and then as soon as he had left the Synagogue he healed Peters wives mother which was another procuring cause that made the greater flocking to him but if his miraculous cures had been done sooner doubtlesse the fame thereof would have made the sick persons to have flocked sooner after him I grant that some of the malignant Scribes and Pharisees did sometimes take offence at Christ for his miraculous healing upon the Sabbath day But the people in general rejoyced at all the excellent things that were done by him upon the Sabbath day Luke 13. 17. for Christ did now heal a poor crooked woman upon that Sabbath day verse 11. And when the Ruler of the Synagogue took offence at it Christ by reasons put him to silence and the people rejoyced that Christ had put him to silence Therefore though some of the malignant Jews held erroniously that Christ ought not to heal upon the Sabbath day yet that is no good argument to prove that these Jews of Capernaum did purposely detain their sick persons till the Sabbath was ended I deny it to be the Reason I do apprehend rather that they did hastily flock to him rather than deliberately forbear till the Sabbath might be ended 4 Mr. Pemble on this place saith That this Evening was the Evening of the same day wherein Christ had done so much before as the inference shews plainly 5 It is evident to me from several testimonies of the Hebrew Doctors that they held the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath to be a true part of the Sabbath it self because they held it lawful to The Hebrew Doctors held the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath to be a true part of the Sabbath it self do many things in the Sun-set Evening before the Sabbath which they did not hold lawfull to be done in the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath 1 Maymony saith thus The two Loaves of New Corn for the Wave-offering on the day of Penticost were not Baked on the day of Pentecost because it was a Sabbath nor in the Evening before if it were a Sabbath See Ains in Lev. 23. 17. Two things are evident from this Testimony 1 That in the judgement of the Hebrew Doctors the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath was a true part of the Sabbath it self because they held it unlawfull to bake the said two Loaves of new corn in the Evening before the day of Penticost if it were a Sabbath But they might with out scruple have baked the said two Loaves in the said Evening before Penticost as well as on any other Evening if they had held that the Sabbath had then been fully ended See Ains in Lev. 23. 6 7. 2 Hence it is evident that the Hebrew Doctors did not hold the Evening before the Sabbath to be a true part of the Sabbath it self no otherwise than by way of preparation 3 Mamony gives another instance from the time of baking the twelve Loaves of Shew-bread he saith That the twelve Loaves of the Shew-bread might not be baked on the Sabbath nor on a Feast-day but in the Evening of the Sabbath they baked it and set it in order on the morrow See Ains in Lev. 24. 5. Hence this is remarable in this Hebrew Record That he makes a manifest difference between the Evening that goes before the Sabbath and the Sabbath it self he calls the Evening before the Evening of the Sabbath by custome peculiar to the Jews from the date of the new day to the person purified as I have formerly shewed he allows these twelve Loaves to be baked in the Evening of the Sabbath all the yeer long except it fell out to be in the latter Evening of a Festival-Sabbath and therefore it doth hence follow that not the Evening before but the Evening after their Festival-Sabbaths was a true part of their Festival-Sabbaths And so likewise Tremelius a Christian Jew doth make the Evening after the Sabbath to be true part of the Sabbath it self in his Translation and note on the Syriak Testament in Matth. 28. 1. Therefore by the judgement of the Hebrew Doctors the Festival-Sabbath was not ended at Sun-set and thence it follows that if their festival-Sabbaths were not ended at Sun-set then their weekly Sabbaths were not ended at Sun-set 4 Maymony saith thus Who so laboureth in the Evening of the Sabbath he shall eat in the Sabbath See Ains in Exod. 16. 26. Hence it follows that in the judgement of the Hebrew Canons the Evening before the Sabbath was no part of the Sabbath no otherwise but by way of preparation to the Sabbath for they say That he that will eat in the Sabbath must labour in the Evening of the Sabbath namely in the Evening before the Sabbath This they speak as I conceive of their laborious preparing of their Manna according to every ones palâ—t in a readiness against the Sabbath for though the Manna was a ready food of it self without preparing to some stomacks yet not to al til it were cooked to their palat and it could not be prepared in this sort without great labor for it was ground in Mills and beaten in Mortars Num. 1 1. 8 And in that respect the Hebrew Doctors say Who so laboureth in the Evening of the Sabbath shall eat in the Sabbath but in case they neglected this work in the Evening of the Sabbath they might not do it on the Sabbath day but they must rather fast and endure hunger for their negligence sake Hence it follows that the Evening before was called the Evening of the Sabbath no otherwise but by way of preparation and it is called the Evening of the Sabbath from their new date to the person purified his new day did ever begin at the Sun-set Evenning 5 Maymony saith thus Such works as may be done in the Evening before a Feast-day they do not upon a Feast-day they may not reap nor thresh nor winnow nor grinde corn nor the like upon a
Sabbath day for all these things may be done in the Evening of a Sabbath killing of Beasts baking of bread kneading of dough and the like may be done in the Evening of a Sabbath See Ains in Lev. 23. 7. in like sort their laborious preparation of their Manna must be done in the Evening of the weekly Sabbath Object 4. By the Evening of the Sabbath the Jews do not mean onely the Sun-set Evening but they accounted the Sabbath Evening to begin at three a clock in the afternoon before and in this respect Maymony saith thus It is unlawful to do works in the Evenings of the Festival-Sabbaths from the time of the Evening sacrifice and forward even as upon the Evening of the weekly Sabbaths and who so doth work in them shall never see a sign of blessing and he is to be rebuked and to be made to leave off by force Though he is not for it to be scourged or excommunicated except in the Evening of the Passeover after Mid-day who so doth work therein after Mid-day he is to be scourged or excommunicated with the Niddui for the fourteenth of Nishan is not like the Evening of other Festival dayes because in it are the Feast and the killing of Sacrifices See Ains in Lev. 23. 5. Ans I grant that the Jews did make some kind of preparation both to their Festival-Sabbaths and to their weekly Sabbaths also from the time of the Evening-sacrifice and forwards till Bed-time for though they did not begin their day of cleannesse till Sun-set yet in regard of the many works that were to be done against their Feast-dayes which I have immediately named and in regard of preparing their Manna c. against the Sabbath their wise men held it convenient to forbear and leave off the ordinary works of their calling from the time of the Evening-sacrifice and forwards till bed-time and in that respect the Magistrates themselves did forbear to sit in their Courts of Judicature after the time of the Evening-sacrifice See Ains in Exod. 18. 22. But this degree of preparation had no other command from God but the general rule of conveniency 2 It is evident from the said Testimony that they did not esteem any part of the Evening neither before nor after Sun-set to be as a true part of the Sabbath it self because they did neither scourge nor excommunicate any man that did any servile work in this Evening as they did for working in any part of the Passeover Evening from Mid-day till Mid-night but if they had in their judgement esteemed any part of the Evening before the Sabbath to be a true part of the Sabbath it self doubtlesse they would have punished such Transgressors more severely than for working upon the Passeover Evening for by Moses Law such persons ought to be stoned to death Numb 15. 34 35. Hence it follows first That the Evening before the Sabbath though it be called the Evening of the Sabbath according to their ceremonial custome yet it was no true part of the Sabbath it self but in way of preparation onely Secondly That the Sun-set Evening after the Sabbath was indeed a true part of the Sabbath it self 5 It is evident that the Evening after the Sabbath was esteemed to be a true part of the Sabbath it self by the testimony of the Evangelist John in Chap. 20. 19. the Text runs thus The same day at Evening being the fâ—rst day of the week John calls this Evening not the second but the first day of the week and yet it must needs be now a good space after Sun-set for there were two Disciples now present that came from Emaus and it was towards Evening before they came from Emaus and they could not well come from thence to Jerusalem in lesse than three hours space for it was sixty Furlongs from Emaus to Jerusalem Luke 24. 13. 29. 36. Mr. Goodwin and others allow eight Furlongs to an English or Italian mile but the Hebrew Doctors allow but seven Furlongs and a half to an English mile See Ains in Lev. 16. 21. The New Testament doth not follow the Italian Furlong but the Greek Furlong or stadium Olympicum which contains six thousand feet and the Hebrew Doctors say that two thousand Cubits make a mile See Aâ—ns in Exod. 16. 29. The New Testament doth follow thâ— Greek Customes as frequently as they followed the Greek Tongue Therefore in reason as the New Testament was written in Greek so it should follow the Greek stadium rather than the Italian besides I conceive that the Italian stadium came not into common use untill after the New Testament was written So then by the Hebrew Doctors account it was eight miles from Emaus to Jerusalem that is to say it was Eight English miles Now if you will allow but three hours time for the going of these eight miles it must needs be after Sun-set when they came to the Apostles and after they were come they spent some time in relating unto the Apostles what had happened to them the same day as they went to Emaus and as they were making this Relation Jesus came and stood in the midst of them Luke 24. 36. These circumstances considered it must needs be after the date of the Jews Ceremonial day before Christ came in among them and yet the Evangelist calls this time of the Evening the same day in which Christ rose from the dead and secondly he calls it the first day of the week So then by these two expressions the Evangelist puts the matter out of doubt to such as will be satisfied by plain consequences of Scripture that this latter Evening when Christ came into the house to the Apostles was a true part of the former day and yet it was after Sun-set and therefore it was after their Ceremonial day was begun 6 And lastly I may well bring hither all those five Arguments which I alleged in Chap. 5. to prove the latter Evening of the fourteenth day of Nishan to be a true part of the fourteenth day and therefore it follows by good consequence â—hat the latter Evening of the Sabbath was a true part of the Sabbath it self Obj. It appears to me that the Natural day begins at the Sun-set evening for the Lord telleth Ezekiel in the ninth year of Jeconiahs captivity that he should be dumb untill the day that Jerusalem should be destroyed and untill a Messenger should come to Ezekiel to tell the news thereof Ezek. 24. 26 27. this is the Prediction now the accomplishment of this Prophecy is set down in Eze. 33. 21 22. In the twelfth year of our captivity in the tenth Month and in the fifth day of the Month then one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto Ezekiel and said The City is smitten now saith Ezekiel The hand of the Lord had been upon me in the evening before he that had escaped came and had opened my mouth untill he came to me in the morning and when he
going down of the Sun in Deut. 16. 6. must not be understood of the very time of Sun-set but of the whole time of the Suns declining from Mid-day till it went down out of that Horizon Object 3. Though the Jews might not kill their Passeovers in Canaan in their private houses as they did in Egypt yet they might kill them at more Altars than one for the Lord was pleased to allow several Altars for Sacrifices in several places and by this means all the Passeovers in Canaan might be killed and the blood sprinkled just about the time of Sun-set Ans I grant that the Lord was pleased to permit the use of many Altars and High-places in the dayes of Samuel for there The Lord permitted many private Altars in the dayes of Samuel but he allowed but one publick Altar for the general Feasts of the twelve Tribes and for the Passeover day and for the daily Morning and Evening Sacâ—ifice was an Altar at Gilgal 1 Sam. 10. 8. 1 Sam. 11. 15. Secondly There was an Altar at Betbel 1 Sam. 10. 3. 5. Thirdly At Mizpeh 1 Sam. 7. 9. Judg. 21. 1 4. Fourthly At Ramab 1 Sam. 7. 17. and there were several Altars also in the dayes of Elijah for he complained to God that Jezabel had broken down his Altars But notwithstanding all this no Passeover might be killed at any of these Altars for the Passeover in Canaan was commanded to be observed as a general Feast but these Altars were private Altars onely raised by Gods allowance by some particular person upon some special occasion and were after permited to be used by some adjacent Tribe or persons and in that respect these Altars were made but of earth or stone that was unhewn But the Altar that God commanded to be erected as the general publick Altar of all the twelve Tribes was made of brasse at the cost of the twelve Tribes and this was placed at first in the Lords Tabernacle in the Wildernesse afterwards this Tabernacle together with the brazen Altar was placed by Joshua and the whole Congregation in Shilo in the Tribe of Ephraim Josh 18. 1. and there it continued for the place of the general Assembly of all the twelve Tribes for three hundred and fifty yeers till the death of Eli but after the Philistims had taken the Lords Aark 1 Sam. 4. 10 11. and slain the most valiant men of Ephraim in that battel Psal 78. 9. God was wroth with Shilo and forsook it Psal 78. 60. for by that great destruction of all the valiant men of Ephraim Shilo was now become too weak a place to guard the holy Tabernacle and the holy Altar and therefore it was by the Lords advice removed to Gibbeon 2 Chron. 1. 3 4 5. which was a Royal City and a place of great strength Josh 10. 2. lying in the Tribe of Benjamin and it was allotted to the Priests Josh 21. 17. and the Gibbeonites the ancient inhabitants were given to the Priests to cut wood and draw water for the house of the Lord Josh 9. 21 23. 27. and afterwards in Solomons dayes they were called Nethinims 1 Chron. 9. 2. And from henceforth this place was called the chief High-place because the Lords Tabernacle and the Lords Altar were placed therein 1 King 3. 4. and in that respect David took care to provide a competent number of Priests to attend it But afterwards when David had recovered the Ark from the Philistims and had brought it into the Tent that he had provided for it in Jerusalem He divided the Priests into two parts and he appointed Asaph and his brethren to minister before the Lord at Jerusalem 1 Chron. 16. 37. and he appointed Zadoc and his brethren to minister at the Lords brazen Altar at his Tabernacle at Gibbeon 1 Chron. 16. 39. But when Solomon had finished his Temple he caused the Priests first of all to bring the Ark of the Lord into its place provided for it in the Temple and then he caused the Priests to bring up the Tabernacle of the Congregation with all the holy vessels into the Temple 1 King 8. 4. and after this manner the Lord refused Ephraim and chose the Tribe of Judah and Mount Sion of Benjamin which he loved Psal 78. 68. This brazen Altar was made and consecrated to be the publick Altar for the General Assemblies of all the twelve Tribes Exod. 27. 1. Numb 7. 1. and in that respect where ever this Altar was placed there was the chief High place untill Solomon had made another brazen Altar in the place of it 2 Chron. 4. 1. At this Altar was offered the daily Morning and Evening sacrifices for all the twelve Tribes and the Passeovers of all the twelve Tribes and they might not be offered in any of the former private High places The Hebrew Doctors say They sacrificed not the Passeover in a private High-place no not in the time when private High-places were permitted and whosoever offereth the Passeover in a private High-place is beaten for it is said in Deut. 16. 5. Thou mayest not sacrifice the Passeover in any of thy gates we have been taught that this is a prohibition to kil it in a private High-place although it be in the time when private High-places were permitted See Ains in Deut. 16. 5. and such a private Altar as this was at Bethlem where Ishai had a yeerly Sacrifice and Feast for all the family 1 Sam. 20. 26. and such a private Altar as this did Saul build with stone 1 Sam. 14. 35. And of these Altars it is said that when Asa and Jehosaphat destroyed the Idolatrous High-places that they did not destroy these High-places 1 King 22. 43. 2 Chron. 15. 17. Now from all the premises it follows That seeing they might not kill their Passeovers at several High-places nor sprinkle the blood on several Altars but at the general High-place and at the general Altar onely That all the Passeovers in Canaan could not be killed and their blood sprinkled in so short a time as about the time of Sun-set and therefore that Command in Deut. 16. 6. at the going down of the Sun must not be understood of the Sun-set Evening but it must be understood of the whole time of the Suns declining from Mid-day till Sun-set just according to the time of the two Evenings in Exod. 12. 6. 2. Let me adde another Reason why the going down of the Sun in Deut. 16. 6. cannot be understood of the time of Sun-set namely The Passeover day was no Sabbath it was but a half holy-day because the fifteenth day according to the date of the person purified began at Sun-set but no Passeover might be sacrificed after the fifteenth day was come but all are commanded to be sacrificed in the fourteenth day at Even 3. No other part of the fourteenth day was commanded to be kept holy but the Evening of the fourteenth day The Jerusalemy and the Babylonian Thalmuds say that men
might follow their work and labour all the first half of the day but at Mid-day say they they must leave off and begin their Rest Maymony also saith It is not unlawful to do work in the fourteenth of Nishan save from the midst of the day and so forwards But saith he whosoever doth work in the Passeover Evening after Mid-day he is to be scourged oâ— excommunicated because the Evening of the fourteenth day of Nishan is not like to the Evening of other Festival dayes because in it is the Sacrifice and the Feast See Ains in Lev. 23. 5. From these Testimonies of the Hebrew Doctors may be observed these four Thalmudical Tenents 1 That the fourteenth of Nishan was not a full holy-day as some do unadvisedly affirm it was no more but a half-holiday namely the full Evening onely 2 That the Jews observed two sorts of Evenings to every Sabbath one before the Sabbath for the date of the person purified and another from Mid-day and so forwards for the Evening of the 14. of Nishan saith Maymony is not like unto the evening of other Festival dayes because in it is the Sacrifice and the Feast But the Evening of other Festival dayes meaning the Evening before had no sacrifice but yet the Mid-day Evening of every Festival Sabbath was as holy as the Passeover Evening and had Sacrifice and feasting belonging to it 3 That the Evening of the fourteenth day was the time of sacrificing all their Passeovers 4 That from the time of Sun-set till Mid-night was the time of Feasting on the Passeover and that it belonged to the Evening of the fourteenth day Hence I conclude that when Moses commanded them to kill all their Passeovers in the Evening about the going down of the Sun Deut. 16. 6. he did not mean it of the Sun-set Evening but of the Mid-day Evening for then the Sun doth first begin to go down or decline Object 4. If the businesse about the Passeover was so restrained as you say it was 1 To be killed by the Priests and Levites onely 2 To be killed at one Temple onely 3 And that the blood must be sprinkled at one Altar onely Then I do not see how they could sacrifice all the Passeovers of Canaan between the two Evenings from Mid-day to Sun-set for there could not be lesse than a hundred thousand Passeovers and Peace-offerings when all the twelve Tribes met together though you do allow twelve or thirteen persons to each Passeover Ans I think I have made it evident already 1 That all the Passeovers of Canaan were killed by the Priests and Levites onely 2 In one Temple onely 3 That all their blood was sprinkled by the Priests onely 4 On one Altar onely and all this was done in the appointed season thereof namely between the two Evenings And this was no impossible but a fecible thing if all circumstances of quick dispatch be rightly weighed 1 There was a competent number of Priests Levites that waited upon this service for though at first the number of the Priests and Levites in the Wildernesse from thirty yeers old to fifty was but eight thousand five hundred and eighty Num. 4. 48. yet at length they were so multiplied that in the dayes of David they were eight and thirty thousand men 1 Chro. 23. 3. So many hands therefore would make but light work of a hundred thousand Passeovers in the time of the first Evening from Mid-day till Sun-set 2 The place where they killed all their Passeovers and Peace-offerings was not strait but conveniently spacious for these kind of sacrifices might be killed in any part of the Court of the Temple because they were numbred among their lighter holy things But the most holy things such as the Burnt-offering Sin-offering and Trespasse-offerings were these must be killed neerer to the Altar than the Passeovers and Peace-offerings were namely upon the ground close by the North-side of the Altar Lev. 1. 11. Lev. 7. 2. But the light holy things such as the Passeover and Peace-offerings were them they killed and received the blood in Bowls in any part of the Court-yard saith Manymony See Ains in Lev. 1. 11. 3 Though no Levite might sprinkle the blood of any Sacrifice upon the Altar yet for the quicker dispatch of many Sacrifices they might kill and receive the blood in Bowls and so bring it No â—evites none but Priests onely must sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice upon the Altar to the Priests that stood ready at the foot of the Altar to receive it and to sprinkle it upon the Altar for no Levite but Priests onely might sprinkle the blood upon the Altar for the sprinkling of the blood was of the Essence of the sacrifice as the Hebrew Doctors do collect See Ains in Lev. 1. 5. 6. Exod. 12. 45. The Levites might kill and flay and receive the blood in Bowls and bring it to the Priests that stood ready to receive it at their hands at the foot of the Altar 2 Chron. 29. 34 35. 2 Chro. 30. 17. 2 Chron. 35. 11. and this occasioned the Priest to make the more quick dispatch and especially considering the Priests and Levites were so dextrous in their office they might kill a hundred thousand Passeovers and Peace-offerings between Mid-day and Sun-set and there is a cleer example that all this was done in the time and manner aforesaid in the eighteenth yeer of Josias and yet there never was the like Passeover kept in Israel namely not when Israel was joyned with Judah there was not the like Passeover and yet doubtlesse there were as many Paschal Lambs but never the like multitude of Peace-offerings that were added to the Passeover and in that respect they were called the Passeover as they are in Deut. 16. 2. 4. from the dayes of Samuel the Prophet unto that day 2 Chro. 35. 18. Object 5. How could so many thousand Passeovers be rosted in one Temple and how could so many thousand people sit there in companies to feast on their Passeovers Ans As for the great business of Rosting so many Passeovers It was not tyed precizely to the Temple as the sacrificing was for though there were many Passeovers Rosted in the Temple as there were in the dayes of Josiah 2 Chron. 35. 13. yet that business might also be transmitted to any house in the Holy City as I shewed a little before and as the example of our Saviour and his Apostles doth testifie for our Saviour was at Bethany when he sent two of his Disciples to make ready the Passeover 1 By carrying their Lamb to the Temple to be sacrificed and thence to a private house in the holy City to be rosted and as soon as the Sun-set Evening was come our Saviour came to the place appointed and as soon as the hour for feasting was come our Saviour sat down with the twelve and he continued in feasting with the twelve first on the Passeover and then 2 on their Peace-offerings