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A41671
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The sabbaths sanctification ... by W.G.
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Gouge, William, 1578-1653.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing G1395; ESTC R31086
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24,639
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54
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the many evidences which he giveth of the Jewes superstition herein are a sufficient refutation of this erroneous opinon For this purpose reade Mat. 12. 1 2 c. Luke 13. 15 16. 14. 4 5. Joh. 7. 23. These five are errours in opinion Aberrations in practise follow whereof two concerne others 56 Q. What is the sixt aberration A. Keeping others from sanctifying the Lords day The Law layeth the charge of sanctifying the Sabbath on men not onely for themselves but also for others especially for such as are under their charge For the Law thus expresseth the prohibition of servile workes In it thou shalt not doe any Worke thou nor thy Sonne nor thy Daughter nor thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattell nor thy stranger Which is Within thy gates Yet there be many so farre from procuring others and those under their charge to sanctifie the Lords day as they hinder them and suffer them not to doe it Such are they that use to make great feasts on the Lords day rather for pomp then necessity or to relieve the poore or set out enterludes or such kinde of solemnities for meere pleasure and they who having others to attend upon them spend all the fore-noone in attiring and adorning themselves and all they who imploy servants or others upon secular affaires contrary to the commandement These and other like to these pull their owne and others blood upon their owne soules They have cause to feare the doome denounced Jer. 34. 16 17. 57 Q. What is the seventh aberration A. Scossing at such as make conscience of sanctifying the Lords day There are many not onely deceived in their understanding but also so perverted in their will and so impious in their heart as they cannot endure such as are better enformed then themselves or that beare and shew a better respect to God and his worship then they doe Therefore to discourage men from their pious courses they brand them with ignominious titles as Precisians Puritanes Sabbatarians and Jewes Herein they doe exceedingly aggravate their sinne and shew themselves like him that was borne after the flesh whose doome was to be cast out Gen. 25. 9 10. Gal. 4. 29 30. David was troubled with such in his daies for thus he complaines Psal. 119. 51. The proud have had me greatly in derision But yet marke his resolution in this that follows yet have I not declined from thy Law To which purpose note also 2. Sam. 6. 16 20 21 22. These two last aberrations in practise have respect to others The soure last that follow have respect to men themselves 58 What is the eight aberration A. Doing servile Workes openly on the Lords day Many that are convinced in their judgements concerning the equity of sanctifying the Lords day yet have their hearts so possessed with covetousnesse and their minds so filled with the affaires of this world as they are loath to spare a day from their worldly employments to the honour of God and the spirituall edification of their owne soules They are like those who being invited to a great supper made their excuses from their secular affaires Luke 14. 16 18. Great was the zeale of Nehemiah against such Neh. 13. 15 16 17. The faires that in many places are kept and open selling of commodities are too publicke and open profanations of the Lords day 59 Q. What is the ninth aberration A. Deviding the Lords day betwixt God and themselves Some thinke they doe sufficiently sanctifie the Lords day if they goe to Church and serve God some part of the day though they spend the other part thereof in their owne affaires Herein they shew themselves like to those who set their threshold by Gods thresholds and their posts by Gods posts whereby they defile Gods holy name Ezek. 43. 8. 60 Q. What is the tenth aberration A. Wearisomenesse in the duties of the Lords day Many that live in Countries Cities Townes Parishes and Families where good orders for sanctifying the Lords day are strictly observed are thereby brought to performe the duties tending thereto but because they have no delight therein they are exceeding weary thereof and thinke it the longest and most tedious day in the weeke saying When Will the Sabbath be gone Amos 8. 5. This wearisomnesse takes away all the glory and comfort of what they doe it is neither acceptable to God nor profitable to their owne owne soules Therefore let us not be weary in well-doing Gal. 6. 9. 61 Q. What is the eleventh aberration A. Profaning the Lords day under a pretence of keeping it The Government under which men live and the lawes of their Governours which they dare not transgresse make many to forbeare the ordinary workes of their calling the doing whereof is in all mens opinions an apparent profanation of the Lords day therefore Lawyers will forbeare to pleade at the barre Tradesmen will shut up their shops Husbandmen will forbeare the ordinary tillage of their ground work-men their usuall labour and others that which in the sixe daies they busie themselves about But yet under pretence of that externall keeping the Lords day they will take advantage of doing sundry other things which are plaine prophanations of the day wherein they doe not celebrate the Sabbath of the Lord but the Sabbath of sundry other things all which may be brought to foure heads and under them all profanations of the Sabbath may be comprised as the particulars following will shew 62 Q. What is the first kinde of Sabbath that is not the Lords A. The Sabbath of worldlings Worldlings are such as have their minds so set upon the things of this world as they take all the advantages that possibly they can to get and heape up the things of this world and to that end they will turne those things that are ordained to another end even the meanes which are afforded to attaine to eternall life to their worldly advantages 63 Q. What is the Sabbath of worldlings A. Doing his works on it In that ordinary works of a calling are forborne there is a shew of keeping a Sabbath but that forbearing of such works giveth occasion to worldlings to do other things that prove as advantageable to them and which must be done at other times if they were not then done For instance the Lawyer will on the Lords day when he pleads not at the barre because the Law suffers it not appoint his Clients to come to him to informe him in their causes The Trades-man that shuts up his shop will then cast up his books and send his servants to his Creditors to require his debts The Farmer will then take his time to meet with his neighbours to make bargaines to buy and sell their commodities So in other cases advantages being taken for the things of this world from a shew of keeping the Lords Sabbath makes it to be not the Sabbath of the Lord but the Sabbath of worldlings 64 Q. What is a second kind
afford us six daies to doe our owne worke therein Is it not then most meet and equall that we should give a seventh to God and to the honour of his Name may not God in this case say is not my demand equall Doe not they who take this day to themselves deale worse with God then he did with his neighbour who had many sheepe of his owne yet tooke from his poore neighbour the one onely one which he had 2. Sam. 12. 4. 79 Q. What seventh motive A. The helpe it brings to keepe the other Commandements An especiall part of sanctifying the Lords day consists in reading Gods Word in hearing it preached in conferring about it in meditating on it and in calling upon God Now by those duties which are about Gods Word we are instructed in God and in our duties to him how we may take him alone for our God how we may worship him and honour his name aright yea we are instructed also in all duties which we owe to our neighbour By Gods Word also we are perswaded and enduced to endeavour after those things wherein we are instructed And prayer is an especiall meanes to get the Holy Ghost Luke 11. 13. This precept therefore is to be observed as simply in regard of it selfe so relatively in respect to all other the precepts and thereupon an especiall memento is set before it alone 80 Q. What eight motive A. The spirituall benefit thereof Jer. 17. 26. A conscionable sanctifying of the Lords day by a due observing of those divine ordinances which God hath prescribed is an especiall meanes to convert such as have formerly lived in their naturall corrupt estate and to quicken and increase the graces which have beene formerly wrought in us We by reason of the flesh in us are prone as heavy things to fall downe and as water to waxe cold But the Lords day by the ordinances thereof is an especiall meanes of renewing what is decaied As waites of a clock by oft winding up are kept continually going so grace by the foresaid duties is kept in continuall exercise The Lords day is a spirituall market day wherein we may get such spirituall provision as may feed and sustaine our soules the whole weeke following and so weeke after weeke while here we live in this world 81 Q. What ninth motive A. The temporall benefit of it Deut. 5. 14. Surely a daies rest in every weeke is very needfull and usefull for man and beast especially for such as labour all the sixe daies Experience gives good proofe thereof Howsoever such as on no day take any great paines find no such benefit thereby yet others doe And the wise God saw it to be so For which end he expresly commanded that the beast should rest Exod. 20. 10. Now the beast can reape no other then a temporall benefit There is therefore a temporall benefit thence arising Some masters are so covetous and gripulous as if there were not a seventh day for rest set apart they would never afford any daies rest to servants or cattell but so weary them as their strength would quickly be exhausted It remaines then that as the rest of every night so the rest of every seventh day is usefull and needfull and a great temporall good is thereby brought to man and beast 82 Q. What tenth motive A. Promises to observers thereof Isa. 58. 13 14. Promises great and pretious promises being made by one that is able to performe what he promiseth and withall is true and faithfull and in that kind will not faile to make good his word are a strong motive to stirre up men to doe with the uttermost of their power the things whereunto such and such promises are made But promises great and many by God himselfe of whose power and truth no question can be made are made to such as are conscionable in keeping the Sabbath as appeares Isa. 56. 2 4 6. and 58. 13 14. Jer. 17. 24 25. 83 Q. What eleventh motive A. Threats against profaners of it What promises cannot do on hard hearts threats may doe For they are of force to affright men and in a manner to force men to obedience The Lord therefore being willing every way to try how men may be wrought upon useth this remedy and the rather he useth it that judgement and the execution thereof may be prevented For this is the proper end of threatnings before hand that after-judgements may be avoided so as in regard of the end whereat they aime they appeare to be evidences of Gods favour For these reade Exod. 31. 14 15. Ier. 17. 27. Ezek. 20. 13 21. 84 Q. What twelfth motive A. Judgements executed on such as violated it Execution of judgement hath a threefold end The first aimeth at him on whom the judgement is executed by the sence and smart thereof to be drawne to repentance Thus was Manasseh wrought upon by a fearefull judgement executed on him 2. Chron. 33. 12 13. The second aimeth at others that if they on whom the judgement is executed be so hardned as it move them not yet others may be warned thereby For this end the judgements on impenitent sinners of old is set before Christians to admonish them 1. Cor. 10. 6 c. Heb. 3. 12. Jude ver. 5 6 c. The third aimeth at God that if neither they on whom judgements are executed nor others that see them or heare of them be wrought upon yet God may be justified In which respect he is said to be knowne by the iudgement which he executeth Psal. 9. 16. He thereby is knowne to be a mighty a just a wise God a God that hateth iniquity Read Dan. 9. 7. and Neh. 9. 32 33. Now judgements being terrible to such as feele and to such as see them or heare of them they must needs be a forcible motive to restraine men from profaning the Sabbath Instances of fearefull judgements executed for this sinne are in Numb. 15. 32. and 2 Chron. 36. 21. Neh. 13. 18. 85 Q. What thirteenth motive A. The safety of sanctifying it Act. 4. 19. There is great question about the Sabbath whether it ought now to be sanctified and wholy dedicated to God or no Now to one that is not perswaded one way or other I would propound this question whether may be the safer to sanctifie it or not to sanctifie it If on the one side it still remaine as a precept whereunto we are all bound then it is a palpable transgression of the Law not to sanctifie it and in this case woe to the transgressors thereof But suppose the precept doe not still absolutely bind us yet if voluntarily we set apart a seventh day to the honour of God and the spirituall edification of our owne soules provided that superstition be not placed in the keeping of the day surely there is no sinne therein nor any great inconvenience So that questionlesse it must needs be the safest course to sanctifie the day Among other motives let this also be well considered FINIS Of peoples uttering Amen See The Guide to goe to God 243 Exod. 5. 7 8. * Christ is said Mar. 8. 31. to rise againe after three daies which is to be taken inclusively the whole third day being included Againe where Mat. 17 1. Mar. 9. 2. it is said that Christ went into the Mount where he was transfigured six daies after Luke 9. 28. saith about eight daies after Matthew Mark speake exclusively leaving out the day wherin he was last with all his Disciples and the day wherein he came to the Mount and meane only the six daies betwixt Luke speakes inclusively including the foresaid two daies Catechis 1c uit Catechis Vicelij Catechis B. llarm Lege Alanum Copum cap. 21. Dialogi 4.