world but of another Sabbath days rest besides what was in use before Fourthly Because it is meant of a day of rest to be celebrated in the house of God in his Worship So the Apostle concludeth verse 9. There remaineth therefore a Sabbatisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the celebration of a Sabbath for the people of God a word comprehending the Sabbath and Worship put together as was before observed And the coherence of the words Psal 95. implyeth as much O come let us worship and bow downe and kneel before the Lord our maker for we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts c. It appeareth also from the Apostles wherefore chap. 3. 7. His house are we wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith to day if ye will hear his voice c. So as if the question be what voice or what day the answer from the Psalm and from the Apostles inference must be this the day of worshiping the Lord our maker and of resting with him in his house and his voice whose house we are inviteing us unto it Fifthly Because the Apostle understands it of a day to be kept upon the same ground in relation unto Christ his ceasing from his works and entring into his rest as the seventh days Sabbath was in relation to God his ceasing from his works after his making the first creation and entring into his So it followeth verse 10. There remaineth therefore the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God for he that is entred into his rest that is Christ hath ceased from his works as God did from his And that it may appear that it is Christ of whom he thus speaketh I must stay yet a little longer upon these words for the clearing of it The Apostle in these words maketh a further application and explication of that ninty fifth Psalm for his purpose for whereas in that Psalm it is said that he is the Lord our maker and we the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand and therefore should come together worship and bow down and kneel before him he makes this the reason why this other day of rest of which David speaketh should be looked upon as a Sabbath thus to be celebrated in his house and worship as the former Sabbaths were because this our Lord and maker Jesus Christ spoken of in that Psalm hath entred into his rest and ceased from his works as God did from his And that it may appear that Christ is that Lord our maker whose voice we are to hear upon that day Consider what is said Heb. 3. 4 5 6. Christ the Apostle of our profession who built the house and built all things and is God he as a Son was faithful over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm to the end Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts He exhorts them in the words of the Prophet and brings it in with a wherefore upon what he had said of our being the house of Christ therefore he supposeth his voice it is we are to hear whose house we are which says the Apostle is Christ the Son of God who built both it and all things else His house are we wherefore to day if ye will hear his voice And that it may also be clear that those words v. 10. are to be understood of Christ his entring into his rest First I must a little mend the translation or rather the placing of the words therein for these words his own in the former part of the verse he that hath ceased from his own works which make them seem to be meant of a Beleevers ceasing from his sin which is his own work are not rightly placed there but should be in the latter clause thus He also hath ceased from his works as God did from his own works for so they are in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is as God did from the works peculiar to his first creation so did Christ from his Secondly consider the words v. 14. which are brought in with a seeing then pointing to something going before namely to his entring into his rest v. 10. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God c. Which can refer only to those words v. 10. of his entring into his rest for that supposeth his passing into the heavens Thirdly it cannot be meant of ceasing from sinne because it is such a ceasing as was God's ceasing from his works which was such as he took satisfaction in what he had done it was not onely Negative or a bare ceasing from labour that God entred into but a Positive rest and satisfaction Exod. 31. 17. He rested the seventh day and was refreshed And looked upon his work and said it was exceeding good But he that ceaseth from sin looketh upon that as evil and taketh no satisfaction in it at all Fourthly Consider that those words v. 10. are the Apostles argument to prove that there is another rest or keeping of a Sabbath remaining for the people of God besides what they had from the beginning of the world v. 3. and since Joshuahs time v. 8. for our ceasing from sin upon our rest in Christ by faith proveth no such matter Fifthly I may adde what our Saviour Christ saith of himself Mark 2. 28. Luke 6. 5. That he is Lord also of the Sabbath He is Lord of Heaven and Earth Lord of his House and Lord of his Worship There are differences of administrations but the same Lord. 1 Cor. 12. 5. and he is Lord also of the Sabbath which he could not be unlesse he also had entred into his rest ceasing from his works as God the first creator did when he ceased from his because the reason of the keeping of a Sabbath is put upon this because it is the day of our Lords entring into his rest Exod. 20. 11. Our everlasting Sabbath in Heaven will be an entrance into the joy of our Lord Math. 25. 21. so also the comfort of a Sabbath now is Communion with the Lord of the Sabbath in his own rest Therefore since he is Lord of the Sabbath he must enter into his rest as God did into his as the Apostle speaketh of him in this place By that which hath been said it appears that this is meant of Christ his ceasing from his works and entring into his rest Which being so it is evident concerning this other day of rest of which David speaketh saying To day if ye will hear his voice that the Apostle understands it of a day of rest to be kept upon the same ground in reference to Christ his entring into his rest as the seventh day was in reference unto God his entring into his
upon the same account when after the travaile of his soule in the new creation he entred the second time into his rest as it is declared that he did Heb. 4. 9. 10. as was shewed p. 11. 12. as also appeareth by what he saith of himselfe Mark 2. 28. that he is Lord also of the Sabbath which he could not be unlesse he also had a rest which he entred into as God did into his Because that was upon the first day of the week when he rose from the dead therefore by vertue of that command Remember the rest-day to keep it holy the first day of the week is now to be remembred and kept holy in as much as that is now the rest-day of the Lord our God as formerly the seventh day was As for his Ascention I confesse it is not so clear although very probable to be upon that day from Acts. 1. Acts 1. 3. 12. by the computation of the forty days from his Resurrection and the mention of a Sabbath dayes journey from mount Olivet to Jerusalem occasioned as is likely from their making that journey then upon that day vers 12. But albeit his rest was not compleated till he passed into the Heavens and sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high yet he first entred into it at his Resurrection in as much as he was raised in incorruption with a spiritual body and in glory 1 Cor. 15. 42. 43. 49. 20. And because he did then first cease from the travaile of his soul Which I say being upon the first day of the week there needeth no more to fix that command upon this day as a day which God hath sanctified and blessed because it comes within the general rule prescribed that the rest-day of the Lord must be remembred and kept holy and that the Lord blessed the rest-day and sanctified it So as if we should analyse that fourth commandement we may take it thus In that commandement we have 1. A duty commanded namely that the Lords rest-day that is the day wherein he entred into his rest be remembred that is that the memorial of it be solemnized and that by keeping of it holy In that sense the word remember is used Exod. 13. 3 4. to 9. Remember this day in which ye came out of Egypt c. So Hester 9. 27. 28. The Jewes ordained and took upon them and their seed and upon all that joyned themselves unto them that they would keep these two days according to their writing every year and that these dayes should be remembred and kept and that these days of Purim should not faile from among the Jews nor the memorial of them perish from their seed So the Lord here commands the memorial of his rest-day to be preserved by keeping that day holy 2. The duty explained by shewing 1 The nature of it 1. As to the day 1. In general one in seven six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but c. 2. In particular for that season it is declared of the week the seventh day to be the day The seventh day is the Sabbath or the rest of the Lord thy God 2. As to the manner of observing and keeping of that day namely thou shalt do no manner of work therein thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates In which by a Synecdoche all other Sabbath days duties are commanded 2. The reason of it 1. Because God made the world in six days and rested the seventh 2. Because he therefore blessed the rest-day and sanctified it because therein he had rested So as by this analysis we see that the seventh day was commanded to be kept in this manner not as the seventh but as the rest day of the Lord for that we see is the reason of the duty because God had rested therein and because he therefore blessed and sanctified the rest-day I have been the longer upon this point concerning the Sabbath because it receives so much a like measure in the world with this of Infant-Baptisme and the clearing of the one will help us in the other For in like manner also in this of Abrahams Covenant there is 1. A duty commanded viz. to keep that covenant viz. the token sign or seal thereof which is a part of it which Abraham and his seed were and are to keep 2. A declaration or explication what was then the token of it namely that the man-child be circumcised and in case the Child was not circumcised that the covenant was broken By all which we see that notwithstanding the token of the covenant was specified then to be the circumcising of the child which is now abolished Yet the command of keeping the covenant in performing that which is the token of it is still in force and lieth on the seed of Abraham even his spirituall seed to this day Secondly For answer further it is to be considered that baptisme is now in the roome of circumcision and is the very same for substance to us as circumcision was to them before Christ namely the token and seale of that covenant made with Abraham and his seed as appeareth Gal. 3. 27 29. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ And if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heires according to the promise By which we see as was before observed that whatever we have as Abrahams seed we have it all in Christ and what we have in Christ we have it all as Abrahams seed and that we are baptized into Christ that is our initiation into Christ and whatever we have in Christ and whatever we have as Abrahams seed is sealed unto us in baptisme By which it is evident that as circumcision was to them so baptisme now to us is the token and seale of that covenant made with Abraham and his seed A further proofe of this we have also Coll. 2. 11. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ being buried with him in baptisme wherein also ye are risen with him Where we see First that the thing signifyed or sealed or the spirituall fruit of circumcision was the circumcision of the heart in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh And that the very same is the spirituall fruit of baptisme signified and sealed thereby namely a death and buriall to sinne and a spirituall resurrection which is the same with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh Secondly that whereas Christ was circumcised and that not because he had a body of sinnes of his owne to be put off but the body of the sinnes of the flesh of the members of his mysticall body those only who are in Christ receive this benefit because they
are unnatural unsafe and false are quickly taken up and so the issue is according and in stead of setting up his Kingdome ere they are aware they are ready to set up something else wherein that I say no more no blessing is to be expected It is the blessing of God upon persons not their abilities how great soever whereby they are made active in being blessings unto any chiefly in managing affaires of his Kingdome which is a blessed Kingdome And we see that he conferreth blessings still according to his covenant as all that he hath ever done or doth for any of his people hath ever been and is according to a covenant And however we are apt to think that an omission of an ordinance or duty therein required makes no great matter yet he putteth much upon it and proceeds accordingly as he sees fit in giving and denying of his blessing and in leaving marks of his displeasure upon such as doe transgresse therein 2. As you would be blessings to Families and Nations as you are to have that priviledge by vertue of Abrahams Covenant so you must follow Abrahams steps Be not slothful saith the Apostle in the words next before my Text Heb. 6. 12. but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises If ye were Abrahams children saith our Saviour Joh. 8. 39. that is so as to inherit Abrahams promise and blessing for otherwise they were his natural seed ye would do the works of Abraham Think not therefore to be blessings to your neighbours or to your owne children or servants as Abraham was unlesse you follow his steps And that in three things especially 1. You must teach your Families as Abraham did Gen. 18. 19. I know him saith God that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him Implying that if family-duties be neglected notwithstanding the promise the blessing will not take effect God carries on his work of sanctification so as to take his people into communion with himself therein and to make them active in the work therefore he conferrs his blessings of that nature upon us by the use of means and they such as are fittest and most natural and proper to bring his work to passe Among all the means of grace there is none more effectual then family-instruction and example by means hereof are persons fitted and prepared for made more capable of benefit by publique preaching the younger sort especially Hereby the parents or family-governours authority example and interest is improved to a very great advantage to cause attention wakefulnesse of spirit readinesse to hear to read to ponder and consider the truth revealed in the Gospel That respect and love which usually is mutual in such relations is of mighty force to make endeavors of this nature happy and succesful The Lord knew this and therefore would not lose it therefore hath he promised to water such endeavours with the dew of his blessing He loveth there to blesse where there is something to be blessed by him Matth. 13. 12. 25. 29. Knowing therefore of what use his Saints might be to bring in others to himself especially those under their power guidance and tuition he hath therefore promised to make beleevers blessings unto families kindreds and nations Upon this account it was that Joshuah could undertake not only for himself but also for his house Jos 24. 15. Chuse ye whom ye will serve but as for mee and my house we will serve the Lord. Thus we read that Timothy knew the Scriptures from a Child 2 Tim. 3. 15. And this because the same faith dwelt in him which dwelt first in his Grand-Mother Lois and his Mother Eunice 2 Tim. 1. 5. We read also how the wise Solomon was instructed by his Mother This therefore is your way to encrease the Kingdome of Christ And yet this is not all 2. Another thing wherein you are to follow Abrahams steps is uprightness and singleness of heart in what you do for God Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be thou upright and I will make my covenant between me and thee and I will multiply thee exceedingly So Psal 112. 2. The generation of the upright shall be blessed A great part of a Christians work in his walking with God lieth in family-duties Now if he be but formal in it taking up a form of Godliness because he loveth to seem religious although he abound in duties of all sorts albeit a form of Godlinesse is better then nothing yet little good is done in such a case He that in sincerity and singlenesse of heart sets himselfe to glorifie God and to save the souls of such as are about him he it is that is a blessing where he liveth Such uprightnesse of heart engageth his affections in the work therefore what counsel or instruction he administers or what example he giveth taketh more impression What cometh from the heart goeth to the heart and there it fixeth with more authority and power A formal Christian is like unsavory salt that seasons not 3. You must not satisfie your selves with this Abraham must be followed yet one step further You must labour to be friends of God as Abraham was James 2. 23. that is you must be spiritual and heavenly Christians walking close with God no strangers to him observing narrowly his carriage towards you applying your selves to please him in all things to gaine upon his love to encrease in favour with him Such as keep acquaintance dayly and converse with God such persons alwaies are a blessing where they live As our Saviour saith they are like leaven apt to season such as are about them with the fear and love of Christ He that converseth much with God hath an humble meek and savory spirit He is rich in faith much of God appeareth still in all his conversation His presence therefore and example is a check to wickedness a provocation and encouragement to holiness of life As a friend of the Bridgroome he is a blessed meanes to bring many soules into the arms of Christ On the other side whoever he be that neglecteth this friendship is in very small capacity to be an instrument of spiritual good to any especially to those who are nearest to him who most observe his wayes and see into his actions A friend of the Bridegroome and the Bride must be a friend of God FINIS A SHORT DISCOURSE Concerning the MANIFSTATIONS of GOD unto his People IN THE LAST DAIES Wherein is shewed the manner of the Spirits work therein to be in the use of ordinary gifts not by extraordinary Revelations HEBR. 1. 1. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past to the fathers by the Prophets hath in these last daies spoken unto us by his sonne IN these words we have
nature of sanctification it is a giving up or a separating of a thing to God Rom. 12. 1. 2 Cor. 7. 1. and in voluntary agents it is a giving up of themselves to God else the will is not given up to him and so the man is not sanctified therefore in the sanctification of the understanding it is made active in its own illumination and gives up it selfe to the power of the word of truth and to God therein hence it is that whilst the spirit of God sanctifies us through the truth it begets in us a beliefe that it is the truth of God Secondly by this sanctification so far as it prevaileth for it is but in part in this world we are delivered from the corrupt biasings of the heart which are the cause of all our darkness and unbeliefe of all those shifts evasions wherby we are kept from owning his authority in his word men of corrupt minds they are who are reprobate concerning the faith 2 Tim. 3. 8. Thirdly in the work of sanctification the soule findes the infinite power of God in this truth in mortifying sinne in a new birth to righteousnesse and in filling of the soule with comfort which however is a work secretly carried on in the soule and so many times the power of the sanctifying word not much taken notice of in actual thoughts yet the soule wherein it is accordingly doth secretly owne and acknowledge this power of the word and God himselfe therein yea even when actual thoughts from the corruption of the unregenerate part are reasoning against it and would not see it Thus we see upon what further ground our beliefe of the truth as the truth and word of God depends besides the credit of the persons by whom we are instructed and taught therein Who notwithstanding may be acknowledged as Ambassadours from Christ who speak to us in the name of God and in his Authority upon a twofold account First from the nature of their work which is to instruct us in the truth of God in which although much of the truth slips besides our faith and knowledge because of the weaknesse both of Teacher and Hearer and it may be but very little of it is discovered unto us yet something is done in that behalfe so as we can say of this and that particular truth which we have learned by their meanes that it is indeed the word of God and how small soever that be yet it cometh upon our soules from our Teachers in the name of God and in his authority because as it will be granted that when we receive the truth of God in his authority it is not therefore to be supposed that we are presently possessed of all the truth of God at once nor of all that truth which is spoken to us should it be by persons of infallible gifts because we receive no more then what we understand so it is as true that how small soever that part of the truth of the Gospell be that we receive as truth we cannot but receive it in his name and authority because he is the God of truth and the things revealed in it are such as none else could reveale but he therefore called his truth John 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth And indeed that onely doe we receive in his name and authority which we receive as truth were it by persons of infallible gifts therefore I say so far as they are able to fasten any truth upon our understandings they are truly said even from the nature of their work to speake to us in the name of God Secondly from the nature of their office which is such as they are therein consecrated and appointed by a creating word of institution to be in this thing in stead of Christ himself unto the Church so as he saith to them He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10. 16. and 2 Cor. 5. 20. We sayes the Apostle are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God This the Apostle speaketh of himself and others as those to whom God had committed the ministery of reconciliation vers 19. Now that ministerie was committed not onely to Apostles and Evangelists He gave also Pastours and Teachers for the work of the ministerie Ephes 4. 11. 12. So Heb. 13. 7. Therefore I say by vertue of his word of institution they are in this capacity not by vertue of any infallibility or freedome from errour in their teaching The ministery is that Ordinance of God whereby the truth of God is by degrees to be discovered and whereby that which is discovered to be his truth should come upon the soule in the same Authority and Power as if God himselfe did speak it to us God could as easily have spoken to us himselfe from time to time but he chuseth rather and finds it necessary to deal with us according to our capacity that his terrour may not make us afraid as Elihu said to Job Job 33. 7. and to bring downe the knowledge of himselfe to such wayes and meanes agreeable to our condition as that we may receive it in earthen vessels and yet be assured that it is the word and truth of God and so as that in this Ordinance of the ministery we have that which is equivalent unto his speaking to us himselfe This is the manner of Gods dealing with his people in bestowing himself upon us that what we cannot have immediately by himselfe by vertue of his ordinances we should have in equivalency or in effect made good unto us which is one reason why the Scripture calleth a false Ordinance an Idol or a false god namely because that is the nature and use of the ordinances of the worship of God to be to us as in his stead or to be equivalently or in effect as Christ himselfe unto our soules Thus in the supper of the Lord we have his body and blood though not his body and blood in nature or by transubstantiation yet because that supper is his ordinance wherein we do enjoy the communion of his body and blood the bread and wine in that use and administration is equivalently or in effect the body and blood of Christ unto us So the Church wherein we worship God is called the body and house of Christ though as in it selfe considered consisting but of a few and of them it may be a great part Hypocrites it cannot properly or primarily be so called yet that being his ordinance wherein we enjoy communion with him as members of his mystical body and as the temples of the holy Ghost and wherein we do the work and enjoy the comfort which belongeth unto us as such therfore in equivalency and in the way of an ordinance that Church is to us the body and house of Christ 1 Cor. 12. 27. The Church of Corinth is called his body