made a curse for us hath taken off from us and redeemed us from this curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 and seeing this exact obedience which the strictnesse of the Law required is now made impossible unto us by reason of the weaknesse of our nature corrupted by Adams fall God through Christ hath been pleased to moderate unto us the rigour of the Law in respect of the obedience required therein and is pleased to accept our sincere constant and faithfull endeavours to performe to the uttermost of our power what we are able to doe although we come short of what the Law requires and are accepted where there is a willing mind according to that which we have and not according to that which we have not 2 Cor. 8.12 The Second benefit which we have by Christ in relation to the Law 2. And from exacting our obedience to Justification is that whereas the Law requires of us perfect obedience to every commandement thereof to be performed by us in our owne persons for the attaining of eternall life as our Saviour implies in his answer to the young man Mat. 19.19 Now Christ having in his own Person perfectly fulfilled the whole Law Mat. 3.15 his Righteousnesse apprehended by Faith is imputed to us and accounted ours as if we our selves had performed it is accepted by God for the justifying of us before him Phil. 3.9 Rom. 5.18 19. so that we have thereby a just title to eternall life which otherwise we could have laid no claime unto by any righteousnesse of our own which is so farre from justifying of us before God that the best of it before him is no better then filthy rags Jsa 64.6 rendring us abominable in his eyes which are purer then to behold evill So that in his sight no man living in himselfe can be justified Psal 143.2 Lastly 3. And from that ill effect of the Law to quicken our lusts by Christ we are freed from an ill effect which the Law wrought in us yet only occasionally not properly by it selfe for the Commandement is holy just and good Rom. 7.12 But sinne taking occasion by the Commandement slew us so that the Commandement which was ordained to life we find unto us to be unto death Rom. 7.10 11. because the Law laying a restraint upon our corrupt lusts but bringing with it no power of the Spirit to enable us to subdue and conquer them by making a barre against them caused them to swell the higher and to rage the more violently as waters doe when they are penned by a damme that is made against them which the Apostle calls the reviving of sinne when the Commandement came Rom. 7.9 But Christ bringing with him the Spirit of grace and Sanctification by which those corrupt lusts are in some measure mortified and subdued the Spirit of Christ taking away that enmity and contrariety of the flesh against the Law and working our hearts to a complyanie therewith By giving his Spirit to work us to a compliance with Law causeth it to work in us a quite contrary effect to that which it hath in naturall men an exceeding love unto Gods Testimonies Psal 119.167 an holy delight in them ver 77. Rom. 7.22 for the sweetnesse which we find in them Psal 119.103 so that our hearts incline to performe them alwaies even to the end v. 112. This gracious effect of the Spirit working with the Law in the hearts of the godly is part of that new Covenant which God promiseth to make with his people unlike the Covenant which he made with their fathers which they brake to write his Law in their inward parts Ier. 31.32 33. and 32 40. A DIGRESSION CONCERNING THE MORALITY OF THE Fourth Commandement BY Iohn White Master of Arts and Preacher of Gods word in Dorchester in the County of Dorset LONDON Printed for Richard Royston A Digression concerning the Morality of the Fourth Commandement SECT I. That the Law of the Sabbath in the fourth Commandement is Morall and therefore perpetuall FOr the evidencing of this truth The first Argument it was given to the whole nature of man in Adam our first Argument shall be drawn from the Institution of this day of holy Rest immediately upon mans creation recorded Gen. 2.3 which upon the examining thereof will appeare so strong and cleare in it selfe that it might be sufficient to convince any man that is not forestalled before-hand by too much prejudice And it may be thus framed What Law soever was given to our first Parents in the beginning without relation to their present state bindes all mankind to the worlds end But such was this Law of the Sabbath It is true that there happened upon the fall of our first Parents a change in the Law Two changes of the Law given to Adam occasioned by his fall which was given them by God in the beginning The First change happened to the whole Law in respect of the conditions and in part of the use of it For whereas of man in the state of innocency and perfection full and perfect obedience to the whole Law was required 1. In respect of the whole Law perfect obedience thereunto being then possible to be performed by him in his own Person whereunto he was sufficiently enabled by the perfection of his nature in which he was created but by the fall of Adam that ability was so farre weakned that such obedience was made impossible to him or any of his posterity after him But by his fall made now impossible the righteousnesse of Christ is accepted for us now in stead of our personall obedience the Righteousnesse of Christ who in our nature fulfilled the whole Law is imputed to us for our justification and our obedience is required only as a fruit of that faith by which we are justified This makes so great a change in the Covenants made betweene God and man before and since the Fall that they are usually esteemed to be two diverse Covenants the former before the Fall we call the Covenant of workes and this latter since the Fall we tearme the Covenant of Grace The Second change which happened in the Law 2. In respect of some Laws given Adam in respect of his condition rather then of his nature by occasion of Adams fall was in respect of some duties commanded in the Law the Sacramentall tree of life and the whole use thereof were of necessity taken away because the promise whereof that tree was the Seale was voide by Adams breach of the Covenant to which it was annexed And the charge of keeping and dressing Paradise was by like necessity utterly voide when man for his rebellion was cast out of that Garden Other commandements as those concerning mans labour and womens subjection to their husbands were made straighter then they were before but the substance of these Laws remained still And these changes happened only in such particulars as respected rather the state of mans
of holy rest consecrated to the Lord thy God Now things are said to be Gods for the peculiar interest that he hath in them whether by Creation as Psal 100.3 He made us and therefore wee are his people By redemption or purchase so the children of Israel God challengeth to be his own because he had bought them Isa 43.1 By deputation or designation as Christ is called Gods king Psal 2.6 and David a Type of Christ Psal 89.19 20. Or by advancing or honouring so a day may be called Gods because he hath advanced or honoured it above other daies Psal 118.24 Or lastly by consecration and dedication to God so the Priests are the Lords Levit. 20.26 the tythes vessels c. the Lords for his service Now in both these latter respects the day of holy rest is the Lords day as he calls it his Sabbath Exod. 31.13 Both because his works have advanced that above any other day and besides because upon that ground it is consecrated to him and set apart for his service To restrain men from violating of the holy rest of the Sabbath it is sufficient that it is the Lords but to make a deeper impression of it upon mens hearts he thought fit to adde The Lord thy God a dreadfull name to his people Deut. 28.58 This foundation being laid that the Sabbath is the Lords No manner of works that is of thy calling not excluding he hath a sufficient ground to take upon him to dispose of it and therefore in the next ensuing clause strictly enjoyns In it thou shalt do no manner of worke he means none of the works mentioned before properly called our own works 1. Works about Gods service or works of our particular callings As for works about Gods service such as were those about the service of the Tabernacle justified by our Saviour Mat. 12.5 Works of necessity for the creatures preservation which also Christ allows Mat. 12.11 2. Works of necessity from which also God himself ceaseth not Joh. 5.17 Works of mercy 3. Works of mercy though not of absolute necessity such as was the restoring of the mans withered hand Matth. 12.12 13. yea though it be to our selves vers 7. they are not to be accounted among the works forbidden upon this day If there were any stricter rest then this enjoyned the Jews which perhaps will not so easily be proved it is not required by any restraint in this Commandement and therefore not exacted upon us Christians As for the forbidding of the kindling of a fire and dressing of meat Exod. 16.5.13 35.3 they were inhibitions which determined as it is most probable with the Israelites peregrination in the wildernesse and laid upon them by other laws so that hitherto we meet with nothing ceremoniall in this fourth law The last main branch of this law is the reason or confirmation of it No reason annexed to any law but only to this fourth Commandement But before we undertake the opening of the phrases and tearms in which it is penned we cannot but take notice of one thing by the way that we find no reason annexed to any other Commandement of the Decalogue but to this alone We find indeed some Sanctions annexed to the second third and fift Commandements but none save this fourth is confirmed by a reason The cause hereof can be no other but this because whereas the duties commanded in other laws are either laws of nature or at least approvable by naturall reason as soon as they are delivered Because the grounds of other laws are evident in themselves but the ground of this law could not be known unless it had been revealed because the grounds upon which those lawes are founded are evident in themselves the grounds of this fourth Commandement could not have been known unlesse they had been revealed by God himself Indeed that God must be publikely worshipped That a set time must be appointed and that it must be a time of rest from private employments are dictates of naturall reason But why we must observe a weekly Sabbath and not a monthly and why the seventh or first day of the week rather then the third or fourth no man could have found out the reason unlesse God had revealed unto us the Creation of the world in six daies and his resting upon the seventh by the consideration whereof the equity of this law clearly and manifestly appears and upon the manifestation thereof is as easily approved and assented unto even by the light of naturall reason So then the reason alledged in this Commandement shews us not why God ordained a Sabbath which the very light of nature taught even the very heathen as we know but why he commands a weekly Sabbath and why upon such a day of the week rather then upon any other That therefore which we are to search after in the examining of this reason is how the equity of these two particulars is discovered therein that we may acknowledge this Commandement also to be just and good as S. Paul speaks of all the rest Rom. 7.12 yea equall and right concerning all things as the Prophet David speaks Psal 119.128 and thereupon submit unto it not by constraint but by a willing mind 1 Pet. 5.2 Now concerning the former of those two particulars why God allots out such a proportion of time as one day weekly for his Sabbath we have already in a great part discovered the equity thereof in the explication of this law wherein it appears that so much time may be spared without prejudice to our particular callings which if it should be denied God makes farther manifest by this reason annexed which we have before us To make it appear that six daies in the week are sufficient for the dispatch of our secular affairs one ground must be supposed Why we may spare one day of seven for this holy rest which is unquestionable that mens labours about the things of this world are onely for the conservation of the creatures and fitting of them for mans use That ground being laid this reason for the strengthning of our faith laies before us the example of God himself who created the world and all things therein in six daies from whence we may strongly reason that he that without the help of mans labour created the world in six daies can easily by mans labour of six daies support and conserve the world If it be questioned whether he will do it reason will easily conclude that the same goodnesse that moved God to give a being to things that were not will much more move him to conserve and provide for the things that are being all the work of his own hand seeing we know him to be a faithfull Creator as the Apostle calls him 1 Pet. 4.19 Wherefore we find that the godly for the strengthning of their faith and dependence on God upon any incident occasion usually have recourse to the creation of the world
changing the word Seventh into Sabbath which is of larger signification the day of rest is not so precisely tied to the last day of the week in this fourth Commandement as it is in the Law given to Adam Gen. 2. why then should we not think that God intended in this law given by Moses to leave the set day of this holy rest more at large then he had done in the Commandement given to Adam Why God might think it fit to do so And might do because till Christ came the Creation of the world was Gods greatest work and fittest to ground the law of the Sabbath upon we see manifest reason for untill the fall of man there could be no day fitter for the observation of an holy rest unto God then the last day of the week in which by the rest of God from creating the creation of the world was declared to be fully perfected which was the greatest work then done or to be done if man had not fallen But now when man was fallen But mans redemption by Christ being a greater work required the altering of the Sabbath to the First day of the week and therefore to be redeemed and created anew which was a greater work then his creation at the first so that a greater work and mercy of God to men was to be remembred there was in a sort a necessity of changing the day of rest from the last to the first day of the week on which mans redemption was to be perfected And consequently it was fit that the law given to man fallen and to be redeemed should be so penned in generall tearms that when this glorious work of mans redemption should be perfected there might be a change of the day of rest without any change of the law A second exception that we take against the drawing of the reason of this fourth Commandement 1. To urge the keeping of the Sabbath from the act of resting shews not the equity of the law from the example of God resting on the Sabbath day to bind us thereupon to the observation of the same day for the day of our rest is this A law we know is a rule of equity and to give a reason of a law is to make it appear to be so God then in giving this for a reason of this Commandement could have no other aime before him but by this reason to shew the equity of this law both in appointing the proportion of time for an holy rest and in limiting it to such a particular day Now to draw the reason of our resting from Gods resting Because Gods condition and ours is not alike shews no equity in the law at all We cannot make good this position It is equal and just that we should rest because God rested There is infinite odds between Gods condition and ours God might rest as long and as often as he pleased seeing he hath al-sufficienty in himself and is not supported by labour as men and their estates are who if they should cease from their labors too long or too often must necessarily perish So that by reasoning in this manner that we must rest because God rested too cannot make the equity of this law appear at all Seeing therefore the equity of the law cannot be evidenced by reasoning from Gods meer act of resting upon that day let us now trie whether the other way of deducing the reason of the law from Gods advancing and honouring the seventh day by his resting thereupon and establishing the rule of our rest thereupon do not more cleerly manifest the equity of this law in that particular But drawing the reason from Gods honouring of that day by his rest the equity of the law is evident If we draw the reason of the law from the honouring of the seventh day by Gods resting upon that from all his works we may conceive that he argues in this or that manner That day which is honoured by God above other daies by his most eminent works of mercy to mankind shall be the day of holy rest to be consecrated to him for his worship but the day in which God ended and perfected the creation of the world is the day honoured and advanced above all other daies by that wonderfull work therefore that shall be the day of your holy rest In this syllogisme the minor or second proposition only is expressed in the words of the law and that too only in part for there is no more said but that God rested that day not that he honoured that day by his rest which notwithstanding is necessarily implied for he that saith that Christ rose the first day of the week must mean as much as if he had said Christ made the first day of the week honourable memorable by his resurrection on that day As for the major or first proposition in this syllogisme it is a principle acknowledged by all men by the light of nature It is evident that daies and times in themselves are all equall that which advanceth one day above another must be some memorable event that hath happened on that day Again that such memorable events ought to be the ground upon which such daies as God hath marked out by them Laying down a ground upon whcih God instituted other feasts And the Church and advanced above other daies ought to be observed above other daies is as cleer and evident Wherefore we see that God himselfe hath taken that for his ground of justifying the feasts of Passeover and Pentecost and in imitation of him the Jews upon the same ground took upon them the observation of the feast of Purim Hest 9.21 Yea the very heathens led thereto by the light of nature 23. Yea the very heathen themselves as all histories testifie have alwaies made the daies of their birth of founding their Cities of obtaining memorable victories and the like to be daies of annuall observance in joy and feasting So that to consider the day of Gods rest as a day advanced above other daies and thereupon to ordain that to be a day of holy rejoycing in God in remembrance of his great and glorious works is to shew an equity acknowledged by light of nature in the institution of the Sabbath Now whereas God both in all his waies God therefore purposing to shew the equity of this law could not but set down the reason so as that might best appear but more especially in his laws takes speciall care to make it appear unto men that they are all equall and just in all things as the Prophet David acknowledgeth Psal 119.128 both for his own honour and withall to draw us the more cheerfully to obey and serve him we cannot imagine that he being to give a reason of this law and having so fair a ground by which he might manifest the equity thereof even to naturall reason it self should conceal that and propose another reason in which the equity
innocency in which he then stood then the nature of man in generall and are therefore excepted in the Major proposition wherein is asserted no more but that these laws are perpetuall which were given to Adam as a man not as to perfect man This proposition thus understood is founded upon this ground of truth God made his Covenant with Adam in respect to his nature not to his person that God established his Covenant with Adam principally in respect of his nature and not so much in respect of his person so that by consequent it must follow that all who are partakers of that nature are bound by that Covenant Of this faith we have an evident demonstration in the punishment which light upon the whole nature of man for Adams transgression which of necessity supposeth the sinne of mans whole nature in Adams person in whom it was then included seeing otherwise we know the sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father Ezek. 18.20 So that the argument holds strongly and convincingly in this manner As appeares because the nature of man becomes guilty of the breach of that Covenant If Adams breach of Covenant made between God and him brought guilt upon all his posterity that is upon the whole nature of man then it must needs follow that the Covenant obliged the whole nature of man it is utterly impossible that one should become a guilty person by breach of a Covenant to which he was never bound But the punishment inflicted upon the whole nature of man makes it evident that the whole nature of man was made guilty by Adams transgression wherefore the whole nature of man was bound in the Covenant which God made with Adam and consequently is obliged by the Law which was given in that Covenant Unto this argument Secondly Christ urgeth the Law of mariage given in Paradise as then in force may be added another proofe taken from our Saviour Christs reasoning with the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 19.48 about their question concerning divorce which they pretended to be permitted by Moses his Law Deut. 24.1 2. For in disputing with them our Saviour grounds his argument against the divorce pretended to be permitted by the Law of Moses because it crossed that Law given unto Adam So that all the strength of our Saviours argument against their divorce must rest upon this Maxime Implying that the Law given in the beginning is unalterable That which the Law given to Adam in the beginning did not allow that ought not to be allowed which is all one as if he had said that the Law given to Adam from the beginning is unalterable and therefore remaines still in full force so that all men to the worlds end are bound to yeeld obedience thereunto Some perhaps may object Objection 6 that this answer of our Saviour Christ unto the Pharisees is applied by him to that particular case alone which was then proposed but extends not farther and therefore determines no more but that the law of marriage which was given to Adam in the beginning stands still in force but resolves nothing concerning the Obligation of the rest of the Laws which were given to Adam at the same time whether they be of force still or no. Answer To which exception two things may be answered First we say that seeing our Saviour resolves that the divorce supposed to be permitted by the law of Moses is therefore not to be allowed because it was contrary to the law of marriage given by God to Adam in the beginning then by all the rules of Logick and reason it must necessarily follow that whatsoever is contrary to any Law established in the beginning must needs be unlawfull because the reason of disallowing that kind of divorce is not drawn frō any thing that is peculiar to the Law of marriage but from that which is cōmon to all the rest of the Laws which were given at the same time as well as to that particular namely that the Law given by God from the beginning did not permit it Secondly if our Saviours answer to the Pharisees wherein he condemnes the divorce pretended to be permitted by the law of Moses be restrained to Marriage only and extend not to the rest of the Lawes given at the same time it leaves unto the Pharisees a faire ground of exception against such a resolution of the question proposed For they might easily have replied that this law was not in force any more then the rest of the Laws given at the same time to our first Parents now it is absurd to imagine that our Saviour who knew their cavilling humours by experience would leave them that starting hole Wherefore when he condemnes the divorce pretended to be permitted by Moses for that only reason because it was contrary to the Law given to Adam in the beginning he must necessarily inferre that the Laws which were then given are still in force both unto us and unto the end of the world The major proposition of that syllogisme that concludes the morality and perpetuity of the Sabbath namely that all laws given to Adam which had respect to his nature and not to his present condition are morall and perpetuall being thus fully cleared and confirmed there remains only the minor or second proposition to be made good which consists of two branches Now the law of the Sabbath was given from the beginning The first that this law of the Sabbath was given to Adam in Paradise The second that it was given to him in respect of his nature and not of his person that is to him as a man not as an innocent or perfect man Of these two branches the opposers of the morality of the Sabbath meddle not with the latter but oppose only the former affirming that the institution of the Sabbath by God was not from the beginning The reasons of which opposition we shall examine after we have given our reasons for the proving of the contrary namely that the Sabbath was instituted by God from the beginning The dispute concerning the day in which Adam fell whether it was on the sixth day on which he was created or on the next day which seems more probable if all things be duly weighed as also of the time when the Sabbath day was first instituted whether it was before Adams fall while he was yet in Paradise or after his fall when he was driven out of Paradise is not of any great moment to the point which we have in hand although seeing in the series of the history written by Moses we find the giving of this and diverse other laws recorded before Adams fall we have reason to think all things to have been done in the same order in which they are related unlesse we had better arguments then meer surmises to induce us to judge otherwise it is enough to our present purpose to have that acknowledged which no man denies that the law was given
most employed in secular affairs are said to sanctifie a day by leaving of their labours in secular things that they may spend their time in holy duties And how can God sanctifie a day by his act of resting But how God can be said to sanctifie one time above another seeing he is holy in all his works Ps 145.17 who can imagine Others interpret the words Sanctified and Blessed 2. Sanctified means that he decreed to do it only as Jer. 1.5 to expresse not what God did at present but what he decreed then to act and do afterward viz. when he gave his Law to his people by the hand of Moses upon mount Sinai And to give the better countenance to this interpretation they parallel it with another place Jer. 1.5 where God tels Jeremiah that he sanctified him before he came out of the womb In which place Sanctified can signifie no more Answer then he decreed to sanctifie Now to forbear all other exceptions against that parallel place in Jeremiah Where doth Blessed signifie Decreed to blesse admit the word Sanctifie signifie decree to sanctifie where doth the word Blessed signifie decree to blesse But admit such an instance might be found for that also Again it is taken so in one proves not that it must be so in this This were a mad form of reasoning The words Sanctified and Blessed in one place signifie Decreed to sanctifie and blesse where the circumstances of the Text admit other interpretations therefore the same words where they may have a better construction according to their usuall and proper signification must be interpreted in a sense lesse proper and usuall though no necessity urge us thereunto If such a liberty as this were admitted we should never be able to draw any certain conclusion out of any place of Scripture whatsoever A third sort there are who acknowledge that these words 3. It is related in Genesis by anticipation Gen. 2.3 import an institution but that is say they related in that place by way of anticipation referring and pointing out unto us a time when this was done more then 2400 years after when the Law was given by Moses upon mount Sinai Now this interpretation must suppose the whole third Verse Gen. 2. to be inserted there by a Parenthesis and then some clause must be added by way of supply to make up some such sense as this But what enforceth to admit an anticipation This resting of God upon the seventh day was the reason and ground of Gods sanctifying and blessing the seventh day in the Law which God gave unto his people by the hand of Moses upon mount Sinai But first what incongruity with the scope of this place or with any circumstances of the Text in which this is related or with any other place of Scripture or with any principle of faith enforceth us to allow such an anticipation in this place as we are forced to admit in some other places because we cannot otherwise find how they may agree either the words with themselves or with some other place of Scripture without which necessity to admit anticipations were to confound all order of Scripture For the countenancing of this anticipation they say that Moses Gen. 2. having mentioned Gods rest vers 2. upon the seventh day had thereupon a fit occasion to point at the Law which being given afterwards It cannot be proved that the Law was given before Genesis was written was grounded upon that rest of God which is here related To which we answer First this conceit supposeth that which no man in the world shall be ever able to prove that the book of Genesis was written by Moses after the giving of the Law otherwise how could Moses in this place give a reason of that Law which was not then in being but it seems more probable if conjectures may have any place in reasoning that the book of Genesis as it is placed first in order The contrary seems more probable so was first written For it is manifest by Saint Stephens words Act. 7.25 that God had revealed himself to Moses before he went out of the land of Aegypt into Midian and had designed him to be the deliverer of his people Again that Moses during his abode in Midian had leisure enough to pen that history it is evident in it self Lastly that the penning and reading of that history might be of singular use to stir up the children of Israel to go up out of Aegypt to take possession of the land of Canaan in which their Fathers had been so long a time sojourners and so blessed and advanced by God that they were esteemed as Princes amongst those with whom they lived especially God having so freely and fully given that land to them and their posterity is so evident that no man can with any colour deny it So that it must needs follow that in setling their anticipation upon such a supposition they build at the best upon a very uncertain ground Besides 2. The pointing at the Law in Genesis had been superfluous it had been meerly superfluous to have pointed at the ground of instituting the Sabbath in this place in Genesis seeing it is cleerly expressed in the body of the Law given by Moses Now whosoever considereth what brevity Moses useth in penning the history of the world allowing but 6 Chapters to the setting out of an history of 1650 yeares must needs judge it to be very improbable that he would lengthen it with needlesse and uselesse repetitions Lastly all that can be inferred on it the fairest that are produced to countenance this fained anticipation proves no more but this if all were granted that they alleage that there may be an anticipation but how will they prove that it must be and that is it which it concerns them to make good especially seeing there are so many strong if not convincing arguments which prove the contrary as we have shewed already Hitherto there appears for ought that we see no great occasion Arguments against the giving of the Law of the Sabbath to Adam or use at all of this pretended anticipation Gen. 2.3 which notwithstanding we must be enforced to acknowledge if it can be proved that the Sabbath was not Instituted before the giving of the Law by Moses upon mount Sinai or till the first intermission of the raining of Manna which was not long before it Wherefore they endeavour to prove that the Law neither was nor could possibly be given to Adam in Paradise This maintainers of that opinion labour to make good by three Arguments First 1. It was impossible for Adam to observe the Sabbath that it were absurd to conceive that God would give Adam a law which was impossible for him to observe Secondly that he should give him a law 2. It was needlesse which to him in the state of innocency 3. The Patriarchs till Moses his time never kept
of the law could not be manifested at all Nay farther whereas God insists so much upon that ground especially in the institution of the Passeover Especially seeing he doth it in ordaining other feasts of lesse importance Exod. 12.42 it seems very strange that he should against his custome neglect or passe by that ground upon which he instituted other feasts in the institution of the greatest of all feasts that ever was ordained in the Church It seems therefore more then probable that this reason drawn from Gods resting upon the seventh day must be deduced not from Gods act in resting on that day but from the consequent of that rest the honouring of that day by his resting therein Some man perhaps may reply that whether the very act of Gods resting Objection 1 or the honouring of the day wherein he rested be made the ground of appointing that the day of our rest Which way soever we draw the reason it still enforceth the observation of the seventh day it is all one because either way it binds us still to the observation of the same seventh day We answer that although to the Jews it was all one which way soever the reason was deduced yet it makes a wide difference in the Commandement to ordain the day to be observed because God rested upon that day or to command it to be observed because God honoured that day by his resting therein Answer for Gods resting being a particular act Not so for the act of Gods resting is appliable only to that day But the honouring of the day thereby is appliable to other daies cannot be communicated to any other then that very day wherein he rested but the honouring of that day being of a speciall nature may be communicated to any other day that shall be honoured in like manner So that if the reason be drawn from Gods act of resting upon that day if we change the day we alter the law but if we draw the reason from Gods advancing of the day by his resting therein above other daies we alter not the law when we observe another day upon the same ground It may be objected yet farther that this rule by which this holy day of rest is assigned in this generall way is both uncertain and obscure Uncertain Objection 2 because if the advancement of one day above another by some eminent mercy bestowed on that day The rule thus laid down is 1. Uncertain 2. Obscure be our rule for the observing or altering the day of holy rest it may fall out that divers daies being made remarkable by such events it will be hard to judge which of them is most eminent and consequently pointed out unto us by God to be observed Answer To this we answer that the Sabbath day must needs be esteemed the highest of all consecrated times 1. Not uncertain as being perpetually univerfally and more frequently to be observed then any other festival day Because it is grounded upon the honouring of the day by the greatest most universall and perpetuall mercy bestowed on the Church Whence it must needs follow that the work of mercy upon the memory whereof that day is founded must be such as not only brings an universall and perpetuall benefit but besides the greatest of all benefits unto the Church Now that the works of creating the world by Gods word in the beginning and since of the redemption of it by Jesus Christ are the most eminent of all the mercies bestowed by God upon man and indeed the fountain and foundation of all the rest the benefits whereof remain to the worlds end is more evident then the light And of these two the later being in all respects the far greater mercy and therefore deservedly carrying the observation of this holy day in remembrance thereof yet hath the wisdome of God so ordered it that in the consecrating this day of rest both should be remembred the creation in the proportion of the time by setting apart one day of seven and the redemption by changing the Sabbath from the last day of seven to the first in which our Saviour by his resurrection from the dead perfected that glorious work So then the rule for the observation of the day of this holy rest is not uncertain as is pretended Neither is this rule so obscurely laid down unto us 2. Nor obscure because the light of naturall reason may discover it but that it may be understood of as many as desire seriously to search into it For whereas the light of nature acknowledgeth teacheth as we have shewed already this principle that the observation of festivall daies is most fitly grounded upon the remembrance of some memorable event or other which hath hapned upon those daies which are to be observed when we read in this Commandement that God appoints his Sabbath to be kept upon the day on which he finished the Creation of the World even naturall reason will suggest that in this institution God observes the rule of nature in ordering that for the day of this solemne Feast on which the greatest generall benefit which till the Redemption of the world by Jesus Christ had been wrought for mankind from the beginning was accomplished Now that rule which the very light of nature approves being observed by God in appointing the day for this holy rest naturall reason will lead us on to conclude that when a more eminent work then the Creation of the World is performed it must carry the observation of the Sabbath unto that day on which it was accomplished upon the same ground and by the same rule by which it was first ordained to be observed upon another day Reason easily drawes particular directions out of generall rules when it finds the grounds of that rule appliable to more then that particular For instance the command for Circumcising Infants because they were within the Covenant quickly taught the Church of God the Baptizing of Infants upon the same ground because they are within the same Covenant It may be farther objected that the rule for the observation of the Sabbath had been much plainer 3. The rule had been plainer if God had said you shall keep theseventh day in memory of the Creation till I perform the greater work of your Redemption if God had laid it down in expresse tearms as thus You shall keep the Sabbath upon that day which you shall finde most honoured above other daies by my most eminent Work which I shall accomplish upon that day or yet more clearly till the coming of Christ you shall observe the last day of the week for your Sabbath in remembrance of the Creation of the world and after Christs resurrection you shall celebrate the first day of the week in memory of the redemption of mankind Answer which was perfected by him We answer 1. So might the second Commandement have been plainer we grant that the rule had been plainer if
Neither indeed are their writings compared with the Scriptures revealing the glory of God in the face of Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 so much as the light of a candle to the Sun shining at noon day As for the mystery of the Trinity it is generally acknowledged to bee a secret unsearchable by naturall reason or discoverable any way but by the revelation of the Word and Spirit Next unto God 2. The Creation of the world with the manner order of it may follow the Creation of the world which we likewise beleeve by faith Heb. 1.3 which although the Heathen upon the consideration of the creatures by the light of naturall reason were forced to acknowledge and consequently that it must be the work of a God yet that the creatures were made by Gods meere word finished in sixe days and created in such order as we finde mentioned Gen. 1. no Heathen man ever took upon him to relate neither seeing man was made the last of all creatures was it possible for him to divine what was done before he had any beeing wherefore the Scriptures so exactly describing the time means and order of the Creation must needs be the Word of the Wisdome of the Father who was brought forth ere the mountains were setled Prov. 8.25 present when he prepared the heavens ver 27. by his Father when he appointed the foundations of the earth ver 29 30. Thirdly the state of man before his fall 3. The history of mans fall and the consequents of it the whole history means and manner of his fall with all the circumstances thereof especially the corruption that it brought upon the whole nature of man which we tearm Originall sin together with the subjection of all men to the curse and wrath of God thereby and the manner how it is propagated both in the stain and guilt of it to posterity as they are things unsearchable by naturall reason so the memory of them being once lost together with the antiquities of the first times of the world or at least imperfectly and uncertainly delivered and related to posterity through so many hands as it must needs passe before the time of Moses it was impossible but the full and certain knowledge of them must be hidden from such as had no better light then that of nature to search them out wherefore we find that they are wholly passed over in all writings of Heathen men but in the Scriptures are clearly opened as far as they are necessary to be known which shews them to be the Word of God seeing they reveal these things that cannot be taught by humane reason Fourthly 4. Mans Redemption by Christ that wonderfull mystery of mans Redemption by Jesus Christ being a secret that never entred into mans heart 1 Cor. 2.19 was never so much as dreamed of by any naturall man neither doe we finde the least syllable of it in any Heathen mans bookes The truth is it seems so incredible a thing to flesh and blood that the Prophet not without cause when he begins to speak of this wonder asks who hath beleeved his report Esa 53.1 and the Apostle tels us that when it was preached the learned Grecians accounted it foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.27 or a meere phantasie Now that which seems incredible to reason when it is known was very unlikely to be found out by reason at the first before it was known If there were no more but this that this wonderfull work proceeded meerly from the free motion of Gods will without any other cause moving thereinto then his own love and compassion as Christ himself affirms Iohn 36.16 And the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.10 how could any man divine what God purposed in his own heart before he had wrought it unlesse himself had revealed it So that it must needs be granted that this word which sets out unto us the mystery of our Redemption by Christ must be the Word of God himself Lastly 5. The benefits thereof the condition into which man is redeemed by Christ is another mystery hidden from the eyes of all that see by no clearer light then that which naturall reason yeelds them It was utterly impossible for any man Uniō with Christ Adoption Justification Renovation by the light of nature to have discovered our mysticall union into one body with Christ by the Spirit our adoption by grace to be the sons of God our Justification by faith through the imputation of Christs righteousnesse our Renovation or new birth wherein our hearts are changed by the effectuall working of the spirit Resurrection of our bodies to glory the restitution of our bodies to life again with a change from the state of corruption to incorruption of naturall and earthly bodies to spirituall and heavenly and our glorious and ever blessed condition to be enjoyed hereafter in the immediate and everlasting fruition of God in the highest heavens Wherefore we finde not so much as any mention of these things among any of the Heathen unlesse perhaps they stumble upon the immortality of the soul which yet they rather dream of then understand distinctly Wherefore the Scriptures revealing unto us so clearly all these things which naturall reason could neither teach nor comprehend must needs be acknowledged to be the Word of God It appears then hitherto 2ly Many rules of life 1. The inward disposition of the heart toward God in fear love faith that the principles of faith laid down in the Scriptures must needs be acknowledged to be revealed by God and not by man The same truth will be evidently manifested in the rules of practise if they be duly weighed To begin with the duties to be performed unto God and first with the affections and right disposition of the heart The Apostle tels us we cannot beleeve on him of vvhom vve have not heard Rom. 10.14 and the Psalmist affirms that they onely trust in him that know his name Psal 9.10 and we know that it was the lively representation of God unto him that strook that deep impression of fear into Iobs heart and made him vile in his own eyes To bee wrought in us only by the full discovery of God unto us Iob 40.4 42.5 6. The truth is those holy affections of love fear and affiance in God cannot be grounded on any other then a true and distinct knowledge of him which as we have seen already the light of naturall reason could never discover so that none can prescribe unto us the right disposing of the heart towards God in those holy affections of love fear and faith in him but the same that can reveal unto us the right knowledge of himself As for the outward duties of worship 2. And outward duties of worship that they cannot be devised by men but must be appointed by God himself the very light of nature taught Heathen men themselves Wherefore we finde that those forms of worship which they observed the wisest amongst
in the daies of Ioshua therefore David could not threaten them to be excluded out of either of those rests there could therefore be no other but the rest of heaven out of which they might be excluded because there was no other but the rest of heaven to be entred into in Davids time from which yet they might and were in danger to be shut out by unbeleefe That the Rest of the Sabbath was entred into from the foundation of the world the Apostle expresly affirmes in these words And God rested the seventh day from all his works But say our opposits the Apostle here affirmes no more but that God entred into that Rest of the seventh or Sabbath day but he speakes not one word of mans entring into rest on that day Nowun to this we answer that these particulars which follow cannot be denied First that the conclusion which the Apostle intends to prove is that unbeleefe shuts a man out of heaven Secondly it is as manifest that to prove this he produceth the Prophet Davids testimony threatning men to be shut out of Gods Rest if they hardned their hearts by unbeleefe as their Fathers had done Thirdly it is evident that the Apostle assumes that David by this rest could meane nothing else but heaven Fourthly it is as cleare that he proves that the Psalmist by the Rest which he mentions in that place could meane no other Rest but heaven because there was no other rest left out of which men might be excluded but heaven in Davids dayes In the Fift place to make that good the Apostle proceeds by way of enumeration or induction and reckons up three severall sorts of Rests which might be called Gods Rests namely the Rest of the Sabbath the rest of Canaan and the Rest of heaven Sixtly the Apostle farther assumes that the rest which David mentions could not be the rest of the Sabbath nor the rest of Canaan Seventhly it cannot be denied but that he affirmes that the people had many yeares ages before Davids time entred into Canaan under the conduct of Ioshua Every one of these particulars is so cleare in it selfe that no man with any colour of reason can deny any of them The question is only by what argument the Apostle proves that by the Rest mentioned by David he could not meane the rest of the Sabbath for that only branch was left to be made good to make up the full demonstration of the conclusion that the Apostle tooke on him to prove that by that rest out of which David threatens them to be excluded by unbeleefe the Psalmist could not mean Canaan all men will acknowledge that the Apostle reasons thus The Prophet David could not threaten them to be shut out by unbeleefe from that rest which they had in their own possession but of the rest of Canaan they had been possessed long before even from the dayes of Ioshua Now it remaining upon the Apostle's hand to prove that David by Gods rest could not meane the Sabbath he must of necessity take up the same argument by which he had before proved that he could not mean Canaan by Gods rest that is because they had entred into that rest many yeares before In like manner if he will make good his argument he must prove that David could not mean the rest of the Sabbath because they had entred into that rest long before The opposites tell us that the Apostles words can import no more but that God entred into the rest of the Sabbath from the foundation of the world but there is no mention made of mans entring into that rest at that time But how vain this exception is we are now to shew If we understand these words Heb. 4.4 only of Gods entring into his rest on the seventh day as the letter of the Text at the first view seemes to carry it the Apostles argument if it be brought into form must be thus framed That rest which was entred into already could not be the rest which David meant because he speaks of a rest yet to come But the rest of the Sabbath was entred into long before Davids time even by God himselfe from the foundation of the world Therefore the rest of the Sabbath could not be the rest that David meant in that place I grant indeed that the conclusion necessarily follows out of these premises But I affirm withall that the major proposition is utterly false and no way futes with the scope of the Apostle in this disputation For it is true that notwithstanding Gods entring into the rest of the Sabbath David could not mean that rest in this place because it is possible that men might not enter into that rest although God did it is only mens entring into that rest that makes it impossible to be meant by David here who speaks of excluding men from entring into that rest which he there means from which they could not be shut out if they had entred already and therefore if they had entred into the rest of the Sabbath before David could not mean that rest in that place So then the opposition lies not between mens excluding and Gods entring both which might perhaps stand together but between mans excluding and mans entring upon which the whole weight of the disputation lies and that so evidently that it may be justly wondred that any man that desires to submit to the truth should not acknowledge it If therefore we frame the major proposition so that it may sute with the Apostles scope which best interprets the meaning it must be composed in this form or at least to this purpose That rest into which the Jews had entred already could not be the rest out of which David threatens that they should be excluded by unbeliefe Whereunto if we adde this minor or second proposition But into the rest of the Sabbath God had entred from the foundation of the world there could follow no conclusion at all But if we adde our minor proposition and so form our syllogisme thus That rest into which the Jews had entred from the beginning cannot be the rest out of which those that harden their hearts by unbeliefe are threatned to be excluded But into the rest of the Sabbath men had entred from the beginning Therefore the rest of the Sabbath could not be that rest out of which they are threatned to be excluded that harden their hearts through unbeliefe This conclusion naturally and necessarily follows out of the premises and fully sutes with the whole course of the Apostles disputation and with the scope at which he aimes If there were no other Argument but this which we have already produced to prove thta the Apostle although he names onely Gods resting on the Sabbath day yet must necessarily imply mans resting on that day as wel as Gods and that mans entring into the rest of the Sabbath sutes most fully with the Apostles scope but Gods entring into that rest makes
nothing to his purpose in this disputation unlesse it be to shew the ground of mans rest at the same time it might sufficiently satisfie any man that is willing to be guided by reason Notwithstanding as we have taken notice of the main drift at which the Apostle aims in this disputation so it will not be amisse to consider the grounds which the Apostle laies for the raising of his argument To prove then that David threatens unbelievers to be shut out of heaven which he here calls by the name of Gods rest he laies this for his ground that this name of Gods rest can be applied onely to three things the Sabbath Canaan and Heaven Now these three being all members under one generall head and distinguished one from another must needs have something common to them all and something proper and peculiar wherein they differ That which is common to them all is first that they are Gods rests that is rests which God ordains for and bestowes upon men Secondly that they are therefore rests into which men may enter The difference between these rests is that two of them were possessed by men already and one of them was yet to come Now the Prophet Davids words expresly mention a rest to come and to conceive and affirm that the Apostle building his argument upon this distinction as it plainly appears he doth should impertinently intend to bring in Gods resting in his own person is to confound this distinction of rests which the Apostle lays for the ground of his Argument and by consequence his whole disputation that is built thereupon To conclude the Apostle not only laies downe a distinction of the severall kinds of Gods rests in that dispute Heb. 4. but farther in applying it to his purpose insists most strongly upon the opposition between the words in Gen. 2. and the words of David Psal 45. by which he makes it manifest that David could not mean that rest of the Sabbath that Moses speaks of Gen. 2. For Heb. 4.3 thus he reasons David speaks of a rest to come but Moses speaks of a rest past therefore David cannot mean the rest of the Sabbath of which Moses speaks which was entred into so long before And again v. 5. he takes up the same opposition in these words And in this place of David again If they shall enter both in the 3. and 5. vers the Apostle insists upon Davids expressions If they shall enter which he shews cannot refer to the rest of the Sabbath which was entred into as Moses relates long before Now wherein stands this opposition between the relation of Moses that God rested the seventh day Davids intermination they shall not enter there is no opposition between these two expressions God hath entred and They shall not enter but between these two They have entred and They shall not enter there is a manifest opposition whereas therefore the Apostle presseth strongly this opposition ver 3. ver 5. it must be granted that though he expresseth only Gods resting on the seventh day yet he specially intends mans resting which was grounded thereupon Some amongst the opposites grant that the Apostle may in the 3. 4. verses of Heb. 4. though he mention Gods resting too as being instituted and grounded upon Gods resting upon the same day But this they say was intended only indirectly and by consequence Neither say they doth the Apostle limit Gods resting and mans resting unto the same time but mentions only Gods rest which was indeed from the foundation of the world but not mans rest which began only from the delivering of the Law by Moses To this we answer that it must needs be that mans resting is principally and directly intended in that place by the Apostle although it be not expresly mentioned that Gods resting is only named as the ground of the institution of mans rest so that when he affirmeth that God rested from the foundation of the world he implies that man rested with him at the same time seeing as we have shewed the whole weight of his Argument lies upon mans and not upon Gods resting And when he affirms that man had already entred into that rest it was fit for him to assigne the time when he entred into that rest as he doth afterwards set down the time when he entred into the rest of Canaan because the expressing of the time of entring into that rest is that which gives most strength to his Argument Besides if mans resting upon the giving of the Law by Moses were meant by the Apostle it was easie for the Apostle to have named that time as it was to name the other But what may be the reason may some say why the Apostle in this place principally intending and meaning mans resting on the Sabbath mentions notwithstanding only Gods resting on the Sabbath day but speaks not a word of mans resting on that day and proves that out of Gen. 2.2 when he might as easily have proved the other out of the verse following To this we answer that the whole course of the Apostles dispute shews evidently what he means Secondly we say that Gods rest sufficiently implies mans resting at the same time as being the very ground and foundation upon which the rest of man on the Sabbath day was grounded Thirdly why the Holy Ghost was pleased rather to imply mans resting on the Sabbath day under the phrase of Gods resting then to expresse in plainer tearms we can no more give a reason then we can tell why the same spirit of God sets downe divers disputations in such broken expressions that need the supply of many clauses to make up the sense cleer and full or why in other places of Scripture he shadows out many things under obscure phrases which might as easily have been expressed in clearer and plainer forms SECT II. Answer to the Arguments against the Institution of the Sabbath in Paradise TO avoid the Institution of the Sabbath recorded Gen. 2.3 Exceptions against this argument from Gen. 2. in expresse and plaine tearms and so distinctly related in that place that any man may justly wonder that any one endewed with reason should oppose so cleer an evidence the opposites have invented strange interpretations of these words Blessed and sanctified which carry the Institution 1. There is related onely what God did not what he ordained Some interpret them as relating an act of God what he did not as his command what he appointed men to do as if the words signified no more but this That God honoured and advanced the day by his resting thereon This absurd interpretation the very letter of the text sufficiently and plainly confutes which relates Gods resting and his sanctifying that rest Answer as two distinct Acts Gods resting and sanctifying are related as two distinct acts the one grounded on the other vers 3. That he sanctified the day because he had rested therein Besides men because they are
over in few words Again for three reasons we cannot conceive that in this Exod. 16. there is any institution of the Sabbath at all For first 2. There happened at that time no memorable event to ground an institution here is no ground of instituting a festivall day seeing that must needs be some memorable event which dignifies that day that is to be consecrated above other days which is a rule which God and the Church and even heathen men by the light of nature guided themselves by Secondly here is no convocation of the people 3. The people are not convened as they ought to have been to receive this law who ought to have been assembled to hear that law that they must all obey as they were not only Exod. 20. when God himself delivered them the morall law upon mount Sinai but also when Moses his servant delivers unto them from God the Ceremoniall and Judiciall Laws Exod. 34.32 35.1 whereas here we find only a meeting of the Elders But only the Elders and that occasionally only and that too occasionally not by the call of Moses but their voluntary recourse to him to enquire the reason why the people had gathered a double portion of Manna on the sixth day and what should be done with it Thirdly 4. Here is no direction for the observation of this new feast here is no direction for the observation of this new feast and without it the law is not only imperfect but in effect no law at all Whereas there is a full direction for the use of their double portion of Manna which makes it evident that the ordering of their Manna must needs be the only charge which the Lord sent by Moses to the people Others therefore there are who go not so far as to plead for the institution of the Sabbath in this Exod. 16. Objection 21 Though the words amounted to an institution yet they are a preparation to a following institution but will have these words of Moses to be only in the nature of a preparation to an institution which was to follow To this also we answer First that this opinion is pressed with the same difficulties that the former is if things be duly weighed Answer 1. The same reasons are against that too 2. There is no like instance in giving any other law 3. What needs it 4. Why is this ground omitted in the fourth Commandement Secondly let them but give us one instance of any such kind of preparation used before the giving of any other law Thirdly let them shew us what need there is of any such preparation at all when the people were almost immediately after to be prepared in so solemn a manner for the receiving of that and the rest of the laws Lastly if the giving of a double portion of Manna on the sixth day or the ceasing of Manna on the seventh were such great means to win credit to this new Sabbath how is it that neither the one nor other is so much as once mentioned in that whole fourth Commandement wherein notwithstanding is so fully and largely laid down the ground of the institution of that law especially this mercy being so new and fresh in memory whereas God in the fourth Commandement goes back to the beginning of the world to seek out another and firmer foundation of instituting the Sabbath without mentioning of this at all Thus when all circumstances are duly weighed it will easily appear to any not forestalled by prejudice that in this Exod. 16. Moses speaks of the Sabbath to the Elders of Israël Whence it appears that Moses mentions the Sabbath to the Elders Exod. 16.23 as a thing known as of a thing well known unto them before-hand and by consequent which the Jewes were wel-acquainted with before the Law was given to Moses on mount Sinai whereupon it must needs follow that they received it from the Patriarchs delivered from hand to hand as other truths and laws of God were and consequently by that the Patriarchs in their generations observed the Sabbath although their observation thereof be not left upon record by Moses whose task was not to write a diary of the Fathers lives but to leave to posterity the remembrance of the most memorable examples both of their actions and of the events that befell them both for Gods honour and our instruction SECT III. The morality and perpetuity of the Sabbath proved out of the fourth Commandement IF this principle which will at last appear to be an undoubted truth were generally received and acknowledged that the whole Decalogue is morall and consequently immutable this question concerning the morality of the Sabbath were at an end Now the generall opinion wherewith most men are possessed but without any firm ground either out of reason or Scripture that it must needs be granted that there is something ceremoniall in the fourth Commandement either the set day or the strict rest of the Sabbath or both hath been a great occasion of begetting and cherishing this errour that there is something mutable in the Decalogue and consequently that it is neither morall nor perpetuall If therefore upon a due and thorough examination of all the severall clauses and expressions which we meet with in the fourth Commandement we can make it appear that there is nothing in that fourth Commandement that is any way ceremoniall and therefore mutable we shall remove a great scruple which hath long troubled the minds of many men divers of them much esteemed both for their learning and piety Before we begin to take this task in hand it will be needfull to premise this one thing by way of caution That in this case we are not bound to prove that the phrases and expressions which we meet withall in this Commandement The words of of the fourth Commandement in a fair construction enjoyn nothing ceremoniall neither in the day nor rest can have no other sense then that in which we take them It will be sufficient for us to make it appear that according to the usuall course of grammaticall construction and without any incoherence or incongruity with other parts of the law they may be taken in such a sense as we give them For if we can but make this appear that our construction of the words is as fair and proper as any other that is given by others the consequent of establishing the immutability of the Decalogue is of that weight that I conceive any man of two probable interpretations will be willing to embrace that which most makes for the establishing of the morall law Which is as much as needs to be proved It must therefore be our care to make it appear that the sense which we give of the words of this law may stand according to a fair and usuall manner of grammaticall construction and those that will oppose us must prove on the other side that it cannot stand That we may proceed
a particular day Ha doth not alwaies notifie 2. Where it doth it points out things by their eminency as well as by their particularity of purpose to point out a particular day as that particule usuall restraines an indefinite signification to a particular To this we answer First though this particle ha doe often notifie or put an Emphasis to the word to which it is prefixed yet very often it hath no notification nor Emphasis at all Secondly when it does notifie it notes out things by their eminency as well as by their particularity as if we should translate it in English That seventh day why may it not signifie that eminent Seventh day Objection 2 as well as that particular seventh day Ha added to a Numerall notes alwaies a particular Yea they replie but Ha added to a Numerall notes alwaies a particular of that number We answer divers instances may be given to the contrary where ha prefixed to a Numerall notes nothing at all Answer Not alwaies Instances to the contrary The foure branches of the River of Paradise are reckoned up by the names of first second third and fourth Gen. 2.11.13 14. where ha is prefixed to them all yet signifies indefinitely without Emphasis or respect to order The Pillars in the Temple Jachim and Boaz are numbred the first and second 1 King 7.16 and have ha prefixed yet signifie no more but one and the other without reference to order Iosephs brethren answer him concerning themselves and their brethren One is not the particle ba which is prefixed notes not which of their brethren whether eldest or second or sixth or eleventh it was that was not But suppose ha Objection 13 in this place notifies a particular why may it not note a partibular in proportion as well as in order Seventh in the reason of the Commandement implies seventh in order therefore it is so to be understood here The Second reason which they bring to prove that Seventh in this place must necessarily signifie seventh in order or the last of seven is this The same seventh day say they must be meant in this place in the explication of the Commandement which is meant afterwards in the confirmation of it But in that confirmation the seventh day mentioned is the last of seven therefore it must be so taken here Answer To this we answer It will appeare when we come to the reason that it is not so taken there that admitting that the tearme seventh is so taken in the next verse that proves not that it is so to be taken here unlesse it be manifest withall that the force of the reason of the Commandement lies in the taking of the tearme Seventh in that sense which will appeare to be otherwise for we shall shew that the strength of the confirmation of the argument lies in the tearme Seventh taken indefinitely not taken particularly that is for seventh in proportion not for seventh in order All words and phrases used in Arguments are not argumentative All tearms in an argument are not â—rgumenttaive some of them serve only to fill up the sense but prove nothing at all As for example Moses Deut. 4.15 16. to disswade the people from making any resemblance of God reasons in this manner Some are added to fill up the sense only and have no force of reason in them You saw no manner of similitude when the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire take heed therefore lest you corrupt your selves In this argument the naming of the place where and the fire in which God appeared to his people only fill up the narration the whole force of the argument lies in this that because they saw no similitude therefore they should make none So it is in Gods mentioning his Rest on the seventh day In this CoÌ„mandement which we have before us Gods manifesting of the perfecting of the worlds Creation by his resting on the seventh day could not be clearly expressed without mentioning the day in which he rested which was indeed the seventh day from the Creation but the Lord proves nothing from the order but from the proportion of the time wherein he rested In arguing the tearms of the proporsion to be proved must where there is any Ambiguity interpret the tearmes of the argument because the argument is brought for the proporsition to be proved not the proposition for the argument The proposition to be proved then being that one day in seven must be consecrated unto God and the arguments brought to prove it being taken from Gods resting one day in seven although that happened to be the last of the seven daies yet the proportion of the time of rest being the only thing intended to be proved is the only thing to be respected both in the argument and in the tearms wherein it is expressed So then hitherto we see no reason why the tearme Seventh in the explication of the Commandement may not be taken indefinitely for one in seven as well as particularly and strictly for the last in seven Yea if all circumstances be duly weighed the taking of the tearme Seventh indefinitely best sutes with the principall scope which God aimes at in this Law and with the coherence of the Text. The strongest of those arguments which evince this truth it will be most convenient to forbeare till hereafter In the meane time we may take notice of this by the way that the very clause precedent to these words directs us to take the tearme Seventh in this place indefinitely The allowing of sixe daies for labour indefinitely directs to take the seventh indefinitely as pointing only at the proportion and not all at the order of the time wherein we are to rest First this is evident and unquestionable that God dividing the whole week into seven parts allowes unto us sixe daies for the dispatch of our businesse in our secular affaires and reserves the seventh for himselfe for his own worship In the next place it is as cleare that as the sixe daies allowed for labour are to be taken so we must take the seventh which is set apart for this holy Rest Now that these sixe daies allowed unto us for our labour are to be taken indefinitely and to be respected only according to the proportion of the time I conceive no man with any colour of reason can deny seeing the maine thing that God insists on and labours to cleare unto us is that sixe daies are sufficient for the dispatch of our secular affaires Now if the proportion of time be all that God respects in the sixe daies of labour then the proportion of time must needs be all that God can intend in the seventh day which he sets apart for a day of rest The next clause in the Law followes Is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God that is Sabbath of the Lord thy God that is consecrated and dedicated to him a day
it had been so expressed And questionlesse the second Commandement had been plainer if it had been expressed in some such manner as this Thou shalt not worship me with any worship of thine owne devising but in such manner and in the use of such ordinances as I shall prescribe 2. And the Commandement for baptizing of Infants And it had been plainer if our Saviour in giving commission to his Apostles to baptize had exprefly named the Infants of beleeving Parents as he did in commanding them to be Circumcised Many passages in Scripture might have been expressed in plainer tearms then those in which they are delivered It is enough to satisfie any sober mind that God who was at liberty to expresse himselfe as he pleased thought it fit to speak to us in this manner We may adde farther if we observe it well God manifests great wisdome in penning the second The discovery of such changes to follow had brought the services into contempt and fourth Commandements in this obscure manner for if God had in the second Commandement expressed himselfe at full that the Iews should for the present worship him according to the ordinances which Moses gave them but after the comming of the Messiah they should in stead of them use such Rites as he should ordaine And if in the fourth Commandement he had thus expressed himselfe Your Sabbath for the present shall be the last day of the week but after the Resurrection of Christ you shall change it to the first day of the week the discovery of the changes to come in the Rites and form of Gods worship had in all probability bred in Gods people a contempt of those duties which they were to perform at present as being temporary and imperfect and such as were to give place to better ordinances that were to succeed them which they could not endure to heare of Acts. 6.14 It pleased God therefore to pen the Law in such a form that his people might understand out of it as much as concerned them to practise at present and yet we Christians might find in it farther directions when there should be occasion to make use of them Gods wisdome in concealing these changes illustrated by the policy of Princes Thus Princes sometimes to keep their Counsells secret send out their commands with sufficient instructions what to doe at present and with farther Commissions sealed up and not to be opened till they come to the place where those farther directions which are contained therein are to be put in execution Having now examined the reason of this Commandement For in the Law shews the equity of the proportioning of the time set a part for this rest and shewed how it must be deduced and applied let us next consider the words wherein it is expressed This particle For referres both to our labour of sixe daies and rest upon the seventh manifests the equity of the Law in requiring such a rest of us as if we deale providently in managing our affaires needs not to hinder them seeing God allows as much time to us for the dispatch of our business as he took up in the Creation of the world requiring no more of us but the setting apart one day in seven to be kept holy in remembrance of the Creation of the world and that too for our own comfort improvement in grace and for the farther quickning and strengthening of our souls In sixe daies God made all things and therefore by sixe daies labour can and will assist thee to dispatch all thy work as well as for his own honour and glory In sixe daies God made heaven earth c. and therefore both is able and as a faithfull Creator will be ready to assist and prosper thee so in all thy labours that all thy businesse shall be dispatched in sixe daies namely whatsoever thy calling and needfull occasions shall require to be done as God in sixe daies created whatsoever was needfull as is implied in these words All that in them is It hath been before observed that Gods creation of the world is often mentioned as a meanes to move men to depend upon him and it may be probably conceived is remembred here to stay our murmuring at the sparing of one day weekly from our implomyments And rested the Seventh day which must not therefore be the last day of the week And rested c. And 1. thereby established his work 1. And rejoyced in it but is mentioned here only as one of seven not as the last of seven This was not a totall cessation whereof God being a continuall Act is uncapable but only a resting from works of Creation and implies two acts of God The first the establishing and setling all his works to continue in himselfe according to his own Ordinances Psal 119.89 90 91. The other his rejoycing and delighting himselfe in the work of his hands This Rest of God was not as ours for a day only for he never wrought in the work of Creation any more and may perhaps point at our eternall Rest wherein we shall cease from all our labours for ever Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day Therefore the Lord blessed c. as declaring by his rest that the Creation was perfected and sanctified it because he had by his resting on that day manifested the perfecting of the Creating of the world all things being made that were needfull so that there was no cause to goe on with that work of Creation any longer wherefore in memory of this great work of the Creation of the world God sanctified this day as being dignified above other daies by perfecting of so glorious a work Gods blessing of the day is the ordaining of it to be a day of blessing a day of thriving in Grace and abounding in spirituall comforts a day of rejoycing in God and his goodnes and encouraging our selves by the remembrance thereof to serve the Lord with chearfulnesse and gladnesse of heart Sanctifying is a setting apart of the day unto God to be imployed in holy exercises as preaching hearing reading praying c. Thus farre then we find in examining the phrases and expressions of the fourth Commandement nothing that may enforce us to acknowledge any thing to be Ceremonious in this Law nor consequently mutable seeing the set day of rest being not commanded there in particular but onely assigned by a generall rule which is appliable to the Sabbath of the Christans as well as to that of the Jewes in changing of the first day of rest there is nothing altered in the Law It remaines only that we examine whether we finde any Ceremony in the rest which if we doe not we must acknowledge that the Church of God is for ever bound to the observation of this Objection 1 as much as to any other of the Morall Laws The rest of the Sabbath was a type of Christs rest in the grave and therefore abolished
4. Recordation and application afterward hearing of the word without recordation meditation and particular application after we have heard profits not much more then our meats do without digestion Adde unto all these 5. Instructions to the family 6. Works of mercy instructions to the family Works of mercy in visiting of the sick comforting the afflicted relieving the poor c. and we shall find little spare-time left on the Lords day for other then religious and holy employments As for the objection that the Jews are precisely restrained from going out of their places to gather Manna on the Sabbath day or kindle a fire throughout their habitations on that day Exod. 35.3 For the restraint from going out to gather Manna we know that must needs be taken away when Manna ceased and bound the Jews no longer who had liberty otherwise not only to go out of their places but to go small journies on the Sabbath daies as appears Acts 1.12 As for the inhibition to kindle a fire on the Sabbath day some conceive it respected only the building of the Tabernacle which work though God would have hastned yet he would not have the rest of the Sabbath violated for the furthering thereof nor so much as a fire kindled in any of their tents about that work to which they alleage that charge of building the Tabernacle and of forbidding work on the Sabbath day go both together both Gods direction to Moses Exod. 13.11 13. and in the delivery thereof to the people Exod. 35.2 3 4. Howsoever that inhibition of kindling fire was but temporary during the Israelites peregrination in the wildernesse The reasons by which it appears that this restraint of kindling a fire on the Sabbath day was only temporary Restraint from kindling a fire on the Sabbath was but temporary 1. It hath not the form of a continuing ordinance 2. It crosseth our Saviours rule The Sabbath was made for man 3. The loosing of a beast on the Sabbath allowed 4. Christ was at a great feast on the Sabbath which could not be without a fire are these First we find not the usuall clause which is added in most ordinances which were to continue added in this restraint that it should be observed throughout their generations Secondly this seems to crosse our Saviours generall rule Mark 2.27 That the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath he means for mans comfort and refreshing for which kindling of fire and dressing of meat may be and are in a sort necessary Thirdly our Saviour allows the loosing of a beast from the stall and leading of him to the water on the Sabbath day now we know the beast might be provided for by setting water in the stall over-night which would refresh it sufficiently and better then meat dressed overnight could comfort many men Fourthly we find our Saviour present at a great feast Luk. 14.1 where many and it seems persons of quality vers 7.12 were bidden now it is very unlikely that the provisions for that feast were dressed over night and if it were dressed on that day neither would the Pharisee have permitted nor our Saviour have countenanced the dinner with his presence if dressing of meat kindling of fires on the Sabbath day had been forbidden by the law Now why the dressing of Manna while the Israelites were in their peregrination in the wildernesse was forbidden though the dressing of other meats might be allowed afterwards there may be some reason given For Manna it may be might be as good and comfortable eaten cold as hot and the preparing overnight might be no inconvenience at all howsoever it is out of question that in that unsetled condition of the Israelites wandring in the wildernesse when they were enforced to pick up fewell where they could get it baking and boyling must needs be more troublesome and laborious then it was afterwards in Canaan where being setled in their dwellings they had all things whereof they were to make use for such works provided and ready at hand But to conclude suppose the strictnesse of the rest unto which the Iews were bound Howsoever such strictnesse of rest was not required of them by the fourth Commandement to have been as great as they imagine it must needs be granted that there is no clause in the fourth Commandement that enjoyns it which requires no more then a rest from our ordinary secular employments that we may be at leisure to attend wholly upon the duties of religious worship that we consecrate the whole day unto God as the words of that law do cleerly expresse it So the rest of the laws that enjoyn such strictnesse of rest being taken away the fourth Commandement may remain fully in force in every clause of it And as it hath been already intimated it concerns us to take speciall notice of Gods expression Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work by which he can mean nothing else but the works of our particular callings which only may be properly called our works for there be generall works which be proper to all callings and subordinate thereunto as to eat and drink and to cloath our selves and to make use of the rest of the comforts of this life by which we are strengthned and enabled to labour in our particular callings These cannot properly be called our works and are as well to be done on the Sabbath as on other days with this difference only that whereas they are done on other days to enable us to labour they are to be done on the Sabbath to strengthen us to holy duties These reasons which we have laid down before amount to little lesse then a Demonstration that the rest of the Sabbath must be the rest of a whole day or the seventh part of the week which we Christians have both as much cause and as much need to consecrate unto God as ever the Iews had in times past And that we may do it with as little detriment to our selves in our secular affairs and with as much assurance to have our labours of six days so blessed that they shall be sufficient for the dispatch of our needfull employments is evident by the reason which is annexed to that Commandement which proves it by the creation of the world by God in six days a ground of faith which concerns us as well as the Iews Wherefore seeing we have as great reason as great helps and as great encouragements by the assurance of Gods blessing upon our six days labour to sanctifie an entire day of holy rest unto God as the Iews had And seeing the expresse words of the law appoint the whole day to be consecrated unto God why should not we take our selves to be as strongly bound as the Iews were to the keeping of the holy rest of this whole day which we call the Sabbath seeing there appears no sufficient reason why we should judge any jot or title of this law