A37049:778
A37049:778
London: printed for Dorman Newman, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. It hath the Particularity in it, that all the rest have; to wit, To be in the Singular Number; Thou shalt, &c. To show, That it speaketh to every one in particular: Yea though all the ⟨p. 200⟩Commands, concern all Ranks, yet only here, are Son, Daughter, Man-Servant, Maid Servant, and Stranger, expressly mentioned, as comprehended in it.
3. It hath the Particularity in it, that all the rest have; to wit, To be in the Singular Number; Thou shalt, &c. To shew, That it speaketh to every one in particular: Yea though all the ⟨p. 200⟩Commands, concern all Ranks, yet only here, are Son, Daughter, Man-Servant, Maid Servant, and Stranger, expresly mentioned, as comprehended in it.
4. There is a special Equity, holden out here in the Proportioning of this time: There are Six Days given us, to Labour on; and therefore it is all the Reason in the World, that the Lord have the Seventh: And if this Concession of God's, of Six Days to work on, be Moral (For all the time is God's; and we cannot, for our use, take any part of it, but by His grant; and there is no other Grant: But this dividing and proportioning of Time, betwixt him and us; in which Division too, he hath given us by far, the large •t Share; to wit, Six parts of Seven:) Then must the setting a part of a Seventh Day, be Moral also: And so the Command it self, wherein both are comprehended, viz. The Sixth given to us, and the Seventh reserved for him; they must needs stand and fall together: For they Mutually put each other; Thou shalt labour Six Days, and Rest on the Seventh; Thou shalt Rest on the Sabbath Day, and Labour Six.
4. There is a special Equity, holden out here in the Proportioning of this time: There are Six Dayes given us, to Labour on; and therefore it is all the Reason in the World, that the Lord have the Seventh: And if this Concession of God's, of Six Dayes to work on, be Moral (For all the time is God's; and we cannot, for our use, take any part of it, but by His grant; and there is no other Grant: But this dividing and proportioning of Time, betwixt him and us; in which Division too, he hath given us by far, the large •t Share; to wit, Six parts of Seven:) Then must the setting a part of a Seventh Day, be Moral also: And so the Command it self, wherein both are comprehended, viz. The Sixt given to us, and the Seventh reserved for him; they must needs stand and fall together: For they Mutually put each other; Thou shalt labour Six Dayes, and Rest on the Seventh; Thou shalt Rest on the Sabbath Day, and Labour Six.
5. This Day is claimed by the Lord, as a thing wherein he hath a special Propriety: It's the Lords Day; •or though he did give Six, yet he reserved a Seventh. And can, or dare, any say, That he discharged that, or dispensed it away from Himself, to any other? If not, it must be His still; and cannot without Sacrilege, be other ways applied.
5. This Day is claimed by the Lord, as a thing wherein he hath a special Propriety: It's the Lords Day; •or though he did give Six, yet he reserved a Seventh. And can, or dare, any say, That he discharged that, or dispensed it away from Himself, to any other? If not, it must be His still; and cannot without Sacriledge, be other wayes applyed.
Obedience to this Command, is pressed by an exceeding Weighty Reason, drawn from God's own Example; which maketh it clearly Relative, to it's First Institution, Gen. 2. Where it is said, That He Rested after Six Days Work, the Seventh Day; viz. the whole Seventh Day, and so should we▪ which is the more effectual, for proving the Morality of this Command: Because 1. It's a Reason that took place, even in Innocency, and so respecteth no Type or Ceremony. 2. It is Universal, belonging to all Men, who are God's Creatures: And therefore, since the Reason is perpetual, so must the Command be like-wise.
Obedience to this Command, is pressed by an exceeding Weighty Reason, drawen from God's own Example; which maketh it clearly Relative, to it's First Institution, Gen. 2. Where it is said, That He Rested after Six Dayes Work, the Seventh Day; viz. the whole Seventh Day, and so should we▪ which is the more effectual, for proving the Morality of this Command: Because 1. It's a Reason that took place, even in Innocency, and so respecteth no Type or Ceremony. 2. It is Universal, belonging to all Men, who are God's Creatures: And therefore, since the Reason is perpetual, so must the Command be like-wise.
7. This Command alone, and beside all others, is expressly pressed in the observation of it, not only on Masters and Rulers for themselves, but as taking burden on them, for all under ⟨p. 201⟩them, and within their Families to endeavour the sanctifying of the Lord's day with them, and by them as well as by themselves; whereby the extent of this Command is clearly and earnestly holden forth in more express terms, than in any other of all the Commands; though this be implied in them also.
7. This Command alone, and beside all others, is expresly pressed in the observation of it, not only on Masters and Rulers for themseves, but as taking burden on them, for all under ⟨p. 201⟩them, and within their Families to endeavour the sanctifying of the Lord's day with them, and by them as well as by themselves; whereby the extent of this Command is clearly and earnestly holden forth in more express terms, than in any other of all the Commands; though this be implyed in them also.
8. The observation of it is pressed and encouraged unto, by a special blessing which He hath annexed to the time set a-part by himself; He blessed it, that is, He made and still maketh it useful and refreshing as a special blessing to his people who keep his Ordinances, seeking Him therein; this day has a double portion and increase, beside any other day, for his Peoples Repose, Edification, Comfort, finding of His Presence, &c. And to say now that this Solemn-time were not moral, were to •ob the Church of a great blessing; seeing this day, set a part by God for his Service, hath the blessing, beyond any other day commanded, on it; and in the experience of his People often hath it been found to be so.
9. It is specially and singularly ushered in with a M •mento, or Remember, which is not expressed in any other Command; and, Shall we think, that where God saith Remember, there is nothing to be taken notice of; or, shall we think, that it saith not Remember now as well as then; and if so, Who can warrantably forget that which he biddeth remember? which is, not to keep the Seventh day, but the Sabbath holy unto the Lord: And may not all these Characters, putt together in one Command (so many not being to be found in all the other Commands if put together); May not all these, I say, convince us that it is the Lord's purpose to have this Command standing obligatory in its substance to the end of the world? Which is so pressed, that if there be little help from Nature's light, to determine the day, or to press its observation, it may be strongly born-in, by the more clear and weighty reasons.
And so we come to the fourth way proposed for making out the morality of this Command, which is by adducing some Arguments drawn from Scripture.
The first whereof is, If the Law bind under the New-Testament, not only in respect of its matter, as its natural; nor only as it is repeated in the New-Testament, but also by virtue of the Authority enacting it: then this Law of the fourth Command ⟨p. 202⟩though not explicitly determined by nature, and though it were not mentioned particularly in the New-Testament, must be binding also, for it hath that same Authority: But the first is true, and is acknowledged generally by Divines (excepting a few) and is clear by Christ and his Apostles their citing of it, as supposing it to be binding: Therefore the last must be true also.
The first whereof is, If the Law bind under the New-Testament, not only in respect of its matter, as its natural; nor only as it is repeated in the New-Testament, but also by vertue of the Authority enacting it: then this Law of the fourth Command ⟨p. 202⟩though not explicitly determined by nature, and though it were not mentioned particularly in the New-Testament, must be binding also, for it hath that same Authority: But the first is true, and is acknowledged generally by Divines (excepting a few) and is clear by Christ and his Apostles their citing of it, as supposing it to be binding: Therefore the last must be true also.
2. Arg. If this Command be founded on moral grounds, then it self must be moral: But the grounds on which it is founded are moral: Ergo, &c. 1. It is moral that God should have a solemn and chief set-time. 2. That he himself, and none other should determine that time, seeing no other could do it and bless it. 3. These reasons-in the Command it self dividing time, into six parts of it to us, and a seventh part to God; and God's resting after six days working; with his making only seven days in the week, and employing six of them to work, &c. these reasons, I say, are all moral and bin •ing now as before.
3. Arg. If all moral duties be contained in the ten Commands, then this Command must needs be moral: But the first is true: Ergo, &c. This Command containeth a moral duty, which is in none of the preceding Commands; to wit, the stinting and determining of the solemn and chief time to be set a part for God's worship, to be one day of s •ven. It is true, Time is commanded to be allowed to God's worship in those other Command • wherein the duties of worship themselves are commanded; for, worship cannot be performed more than any other duty, without some time; but that the chief time should be so much, and so often, is only determined in this Command; from which it appeareth, 1. That an indefinite time of worship, or for it, is not the morality of this Command, because this followeth necessarily, as being supposed needful for the performance of every positive duty contained in the other Commands; its morality, therefore, must be, The determining of •hat definite time. 2. We may hence see a reason why there is no new Command for this in the New-Testament; because this standeth in the Law; neither are, Thou shalt not Swear, Kill, &c. mentioned as new Commands more than this; so •hat, had they not been mentioned in the New-Testament (as ⟨p. 203⟩some are not) yet had they still obliged: It is just so as to this; and the reason why they are mentioned, may be supposed to be, because the main fault about them was defect and short coming, but in this it was excess, which our Lord also regulateth by holding forth the right observance of it, and clearing what was wrong, and so is supposed to confirm what he repealeth not.
3. Arg. If all moral duties be contained in the ten Commands, then this Command must needs be moral: But the first is true: Ergo, &c. This Command containeth a moral duty, which is in none of the preceding Commands; to wit, the stinting and determining of the solemn and chief time to be set a part for God's worship, to be one day of s •ven. It is true, Time is commanded to be allowed to God's worship in those other Command • wherein the duties of worship themselves are commanded; for, worship cannot be performed more than any other duty, without some time; but that the chief time should be so much, and so often, is only determined in this Command; from which it appeareth, 1. That an indefinit time of worship, or for it, is not the morality of this Command, because this followeth necessarily, as being supposed needful for the performance of every positive duty contained in the other Commands; its morality, therefore, must be, The determining of hat definit time. 2. We may hence see a reason why there is no new Command for this in the New-Testament; because this standeth in the Law; neither are, Thou shalt not Swear, Kill, &c. mentioned as new Commands more than this; so hat, had they not been mentioned in the New-Testament (as
4. Arg. If it be not free for men to carve out God's solemn chief time of worship at their pleasure, then is this Command moral (for that liberty is restrained, by this Command and no other): But it is not free for them to choose what time they please, or to carve it out: This seemeth to be only questionable, which is therefore thus confirmed.
If it be free to men to carve out what solemn and chief time is to be given to, and set a part for God's worship; then, either it is free to them to choose no time at all, or it is free for them to choose a longer or a shorter than this: But neither of these can be said; not the first as is clear; not the second, because it will not so quadrat • with the end; for if the time be shorter, it encroacheth on God's due; if it be longer, it encroacheth on God's concession of six days to work in. If it be shorter, it encroacheth on God's due (as is said) and our souls good; if longer, it encroacheth on our temporal Calling; and, Can any restrain man when God giveth him liberty?
If it be free to men to carve out what solemn and chief time is to be given to, and set a part for God's worship; then, either it is free to them to choose no time at all, or it is free for them to choose a longer or a shorter than this: But neither of these can be said; not the first as is clear; not the second, because it will not so quadrat • with the end; for if the time be shorter, it incroacheth on God's due; if it be longer, it incroacheth on God's concession of six days to work in. If it be shorter, it incroacheth on God's due (as is said) and our souls good; if longer, it incroacheth on our temporal Calling; and, Can any restrain man when God giveth him liberty?
Again, If it be free to men so to cut and carve at pleasure, on the solemn and chief time for God's worship, its either free for all men together to agree on a day, even one and the same; or its free for each Country, or each man, to choose what day they please; but neither of these are either possible or practicable to edification; therefore must the day be determined to them; and if so, then sure by this Command: And so its still binding, and cannot in that respect be altered without sin, which was the thing to be proved.
5. Arg. That there is a morality in a Seventh day, we may argue from four famous and main Witnesses.
The 1. whereof, is the general practise of all Christians (I say nothing of Heathens) Apostles, and generally all in the Primitive times have ever thought that one day of seven is to be observed, and have in less or more accordingly observed it.