A37049:868
A37049:868
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.
The next word is, the day of the Sabbath. By Sabbath here is meant rest, as it is exponed by the Apostle, Heb 4. and that not every Rest, but a Holy Rest from our own Works, that there may be access to positive Sanctifying of that day, for the Sanctifying of that day is the end, and this is but a mean and necessary supposed help, without which the day cannot be sanctified in Holy Duties; holy Duties and our own Works being for the time inconsistent; besides, that Rest on this day is not only called for, as ceasing from our ordinary affairs in the time of Worship is called for on any other day, but more especially and solemnly in respect of the day it self; for at other times our duties require a time for them, and therefore that time cannot be employed in another ordinary Work and in Worship also, but here the Lord requireth time and rest to be sanctified, and therefore we are to perform holy Duties in that time, because it is to be sanctified; ⟨p. 239⟩other times and rests are drawn after worship, this time and rest draweth Worship necessarily after it; hence it was that only the Jews feasts were called Sabbaths, I mean religious Sabbaths, not civil or politic, as their years were, because they included a rest upon Destination to an holy Use.
The next word is, the day of the Sabbath. By Sabbath here is meaned rest, as it is exponed by the Apostle, Heb 4. and that not every Rest, but a Holy Rest from our own Works, that there may be access to positive Sanctifying of that day, for the Sanctifying of that day is the end, and this is but a mean and necessary supposed help, without which the day cannot be sanctifyed in Holy Duties; holy Duties and our own Works being for the time inconsistent; besides, that Rest on this day is not only called for, as ceasing from our ordinary affairs in the time of Worship is called for on any other day, but more especially and solemnly in respect of the day it self; for at other times our duties require a time for them, and therefore that time cannot be employed in another ordinary Work and in Worship also, but here the Lord requireth time and rest to be sanctified, and therefore we are to perform holy Duties in that time, because it is to be sanctified; ⟨p. 239⟩other times and rests are drawn after worship, this time and rest draweth Worship necessarily after it; hence it was that only the Jews feasts were called Sabbaths, I mean religious Sabbaths, not civil or politick, as their years were, because they included a rest upon Destination to an holy Use.
That which is mainly questionable here is concerning the day, expressed in this Command, concerning which may be asked, 1. What sort of day, or the quamdiu. 2. How often, or the quoties. 3. What day of the seven or the quando. 4. When we are to reckon its beginning.
For Answer to the first we say, There are two sorts of days mentioned in the Scripture, one is Artificial of twelve hours, so the Jews divided their day, making their hours longer or shorter as the day was long or short, but they kept up the number of their hours alway; the other is a natural day, which is a seventh part of the Week, and containeth twenty four hours, taking in so much time as interveneth betwixt the Suns beginning to ascend, after midnight, the nocturnal Solstice, till it pass the Meridional altitude, which is the Suns Vertical point for that day, till it come to that same very point of Midnight again, which is the Suns natural course every twenty four hours, comprehending both the artificial day, which is from midnight to midday, and the artificial night also, which is from midday to midnight again.
For Answer to the first we say, There are two sorts of dayes mentioned in the Scripture, one is Artificial of twelve hours, so the Jews divided their day, making their hours longer or shorter as the day was long or short, but they kept up the number of their hours alway; the other is a natural day, which is a seventh part of the Week, and containeth twenty four hours, taking in so much time as interveneth betwixt the Suns begining to ascend, after midnight, the nocturnal Solstice, till it pass the Meridional altitude, which is the Suns Vertical point for that day, till it come to that same very point of Midnight again, which is the Suns natural course every twenty four hours, comprehending both the artificial day, which is from midnight to midday, and the artificial night also, which is from midday to midnight again.
The day mentioned here is the natural day, because it's a seventh day, proportionable to each of the six days, given unto us, and they with the seventh making up the Week, it must contain as many hours as any of the rest doth; but the six days wherein God made Heaven and Earth, &c. are natural days; therefore the seventh, to wit, the day of rest, must be so also.
The day mentioned here is the natural day, because it's a seventh day, proportionable to each of the six dayes, given unto us, and they with the seventh making up the Week, it must contain as many hours as any of the rest doth; but the six dayes wherein God made Heaven and Earth, &c. are natural days; therefore the seventh, to wit, the day of rest, must be so also.
Let us only for further clearing and for directing our own Practise speak here a word or two more, 1. We say it is a whole natural day, that is, as it's usually employed by us on any of the six Days for our own Works, that as we spend so much time in our ordinary Callings on other days, so would we employ so much in Gods Worship secret, private, and public on that day; what proportion of time we use ⟨p. 240⟩to give, or may and should give ordinarily to our Callings on other days, we would give as much to God and his Worship, to our Souls, and our spiritual state on the Lords day or Sabbath.
Let us only for further clearing and for directing our own Practise speak here a word or two more, 1. We say it is a whole natural day, that is, as it's usually employed by us on any of the six Dayes for our own Works, that as we spend so much time in our ordinary Callings on other dayes, so would we employ so much in Gods Worship secret, private, and publick on that day; what proportion of time we use ⟨p. 240⟩to give, or may and should give ordinarily to our Callings on other dayes, we would give as much to God and his Worship, to our Souls, and our spiritual state on the Lords day or Sabbath.
Therefore 2. there is not to be understood here a rigid pressing of all these hours to be spent in Duties of immediate Worship, but our Working and Waking time, having a respect to our infirmities, and also to our Duties, lest under pretext of infirmity we encroach upon Gods day, and give him less then we give to our selves, or should and may give him: And so in Scripture they accounted, what is betwixt rising and going to bed, as still the Work of one day, or one days Work; for as God in conceding six days to us, hath yet so done it, as there may be a Reserve of particular times for Worship called for from us to him every day, for keeping up our Communion with him; so on the seventh day doth the Lord allow so much conveniency of sleep and other refreshing, as may be subservient for the main end of the day, these being Works of mercy and necessity, which Christ allowed on the Sabbath, which was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
Therefore 2. there is not to be understood here a rigid pressing of all these hours to be spent in Duties of immediate Worship, but our Working and Waking time, having a respect to our infirmities, and also to our Duties, lest under pretext of infirmity we incroach upon Gods day, and give him less then we give to our selves, or should and may give him: And so in Scripture they accompted, what is betwixt rising and going to bed, as still the Work of one day, or one dayes Work; for as God in conceding six dayes to us, hath yet so done it, as there may be a Reserve of particular times for Worship called for from us to him every day, for keeping up our Communion with him; so on the seventh day doth the Lord allow so much conveniency of sleep and other refreshing, as may be subservient for the main end of the day, these being Works of mercy and necessity, which Christ allowed on the Sabbath, which was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
3. Yet care would be had lest under pretext of these we exceed, and apply too much of what is the Lords unnecessarily for our selves and on our lusts; and if we will wake for ordinary business, and keep upon such and such a Diet, other Days, yea if we might do it, or others no more strong then we, do it, the pretence of infirmity will not excuse u •, especially seeing hardly it can be often instanced, that timeousness at Gods Work in that day, or earnestness and continuance in it, hath proved hurtful, which we may account as a part of Gods blessing on the seventh day, that less meat and sleep may be as refreshful as more at another time; thus much for the quamdiu or the Continuance of the day.
3. Yet care would be had lest under pretext of these we exceed, and apply too much of what is the Lords unnecessarily for our selves and on our lusts; and if we will wake for ordinary business, and keep upon such and such a Dyet, other Dayes, yea if we might do it, or others no more strong then we, do it, the pretence of infirmity will not excuse u •, especially seeing hardly it can be often instanced, that timeousness at Gods Work in that day, or earnestness and continuance in it, hath proved hurtful, which we may account as a part of Gods blessing on the seventh day, that less meat and sleep may be as refreshful as more at another time; thus much for the quamdiu or the Continuance of the day.
Secondly, it may be inquired how often by virtue of this command that day doth recur? if it be one of seven? or, if it be the very seventh? And so if this day be to be taken definitely for the very seventh day after the Creation, or indefinitely for one day of seven, as the Lord should other ways determine, or had elsewhere determined; astricting then to a day, ⟨p. 241⟩but not any particular day by virtue of this command, but to such a day as was formerly described or prescribed from the beginning, during the Jewish State, and to such another day as God should after Christs coming reveal unto them, and pitch upon for his service? for taking it for granted, that a Seventh day as moral is commanded, it followeth to be inquired, whether it be the Seventh in number, that is, one of seven, or the seventh in order, that is, the Seventh day?
Secondly, it may be inquired how often by vertue of this command that day doth recur? if it be one of seven? or, if it be the very seventh? And so if this day be to be taken definitely for the very seventh day after the Creation, or indefinitely for one day of seven, as the Lord should other wayes determine, or had elsewhere determined; astricting then to a day, ⟨p. 241⟩but not any particular day by vertue of this command, but to such a day as was formerly described or prescribed from the beginning, during the Jewish State, and to such another day as God should after Christs coming reveal unto them, and pitch upon for his service? for taking it for granted, that a Seventh day as moral is commanded, it followeth to be inquired, whether it be the Seventh in number, that is, one of seven, or the seventh in order, that is, the Seventh day?
For answering this we would premit, 1. That there is a great difference betwixt these two; the one, to wit, that there be a Seventh doth concern the matter and substance of piety; the other, to wit, which of these Seven it be, is more circumstantial and is alike, if it be appointed by God, and have the blessing.
2. That it is usual for God in his commands concerning worship, not at first to express a particular definitely, but to deliver it in the bosom of a general indefinitely, mediately, and by clear consequence, as it were several Species under one Genus.
2. That it is usual for God in his commands concerning worship, not at first to express a particular definitely, but to deliver it in the bosome of a general indefinitely, mediately, and by clear consequence, as it were several Species under one Genus.
As for instance, 1. when Deut. 12.5. he commandeth his people to offer their Sacrifices in the place which he should choose, here there is a stinting or astricting of them to the place which God should reveal unto them; this before the Temple was built, tied them to the Ark, and sometimes to one place, and sometimes to another, as it was removed and placed, till it was brought to Jerusalem; but after the Temple was built and chosen for the place, it astricted men to that▪ yea when the Temple is destroyed, and Christ come, it astricteth men to no place by another, but it obligeth men to worship God every where in spirit and truth: It's true, this is a Ceremonial precept, and will not hold in all things, especially as to its abolition, yet while it stood by a positive Authority or Precept, it showeth that God may command a particular, as one day of seven, and yet not instantly so determine, but that one and the same command may enforce to diverse days at diverse times, upon supposition o • Gods manifesting his mind, even as by one command men were astricted successively to diverse places.
As for instance, 1. when Deut. 12.5. he commandeth his people to offer their Sacrifices in the place which he should choose, here there is a stinting or astricting of them to the place which God should reveal unto them; this before the Temple was built, tyed them to the Ark, and sometimes to one place, and sometimes to another, as it was removed and placed, till it was brought to Jerusalem; but after the Temple was built and chosen for the place, it astricted men to that▪ yea when the Temple is destroyed, and Christ come, it astricteth men to no place by another, but it obligeth men to worship God every where in spirit and truth: It's true, this is a Ceremonial precept, and will not hold in all things, especially as to its abolition, yet while it stood by a positive Authority or Precept, it sheweth that God may command a particular, as one day of seven, and yet not instantly so determine, but that one and the same command may inforce to diverse dayes at diverse times, upon supposition o • Gods manifesting his mind, even as by one command men were astricted successively to diverse places.
2. See it instanced in the second Command, wherein God ⟨p. 242⟩requireth such a worship, as he himself should prescribe, which is the moral affirmative part of it, and dischargeth all worship by Images, that is, its moral negative part thereof; by virtue whereof Believers were then tied, to offer Sacrifices, to Circumcise, to keep the Passover, &c. but now Believers are tied to Baptize, to celebrate the Lords Supper, &c. yet by virtue of one and the same command: so here, that command which requires the Seventh day from the Jews, may require the First day from us Christians, for the Sabbath, because these particulars are not expressly, directly, and immediately called for by these commands, but indirectly and by consequence; yet this second command tied the Jews to abstain from blood, and to circumcise, before the ceremonial Law was added to them, because these commands were formerly revealed to them, but it tied them to these accidentally (to say so) and by consequence only, even so we say of the fourth command as to the Seventh day, it being instituted before: consider for this Exod. 16.26. where six days for gathering of Manna, and a seventh for rest, are spoken of.
2. See it instanced in the second Command, wherein God ⟨p. 242⟩requireth such a worship, as he himself should prescribe, which is the moral affirmative part of it, and dischargeth all worship by Images, that is, its moral negative part thereof; by vertue whereof Believers were then tyed, to offer Sacrifices, to Circumcise, to keep the Passover, &c. but now Believers are tyed to Baptize, to celebrate the Lords Supper, &c. yet by vertue of one and the same command: so here, that command which requires the Seventh day from the Jews, may require the First day from us Christians, for the Sabbath, because these particulars are not expresly, directly, and immediately called for by these commands, but indirectly and by consequence; yet this second command tyed the Jews to abstain from blood, and to circumcise, before the ceremonial Law was added to them, because these commands were formerly revealed to them, but it tyed them to these accidentally (to say so) and by consequence only, even so we say of the fourth command as to the Seventh day, it being instituted before: consider for this
A third Instance is in Tithes, which was the Lords requiring a part of their Means or Substance, as this was a part of their time; he there required the tenth part of their increase, as here he doth the seventh part of their time; yet God in proportioning their estates, did not particularly limit to any exact and precise order, but as to this proportion of their estates whatever they were; so we say here, had not the day been determined otherwise then by this command, it would not have implied any particular definite day of the Seven.
A third Instance is in Tithes, which was the Lords requiring a part of their Means or Substance, as this was a part of their time; he there required the tenth part of their increase, as here he doth the seventh part of their time; yet God in proportioning their estates, did not particularly limit to any exact and precise order, but as to this proportion of their estates whatever they were; so we say here, had not the day been determined otherwayes then by this command, it would not have implyed any particular definite day of the Seven.
3. We premit, that though the Seventh day be called moral, as is expressed in the command, or understood, yet it is but moral-positive, and so alterable at the will of the Lawgiver, and therefore the question would not be much different, if acknowledging the Seventh day to be commanded to the Jews, as well as one of seven, we yet asserted the seventh to be discharged, and one of seven to be still retained, for so one of seven would be binding now, and not the Seventh.
4. Yet lest we should seem to admit somewhat changeable ⟨p. 243⟩in the very command it self precisely considered, we would put difference betwixt the commanding part of the Law, and its explicatory part; the command may be moral and indefinite, although some things in reasons and motives were not so; as in the preface which enforceth all the commands, and in the promise annexed to the fifth, there was something peculiar to that people, yet cannot we cast off all because of that; suppose there had no more been in this fourth command, but remember the day of rest to keep it holy, that would not have inferred the Seventh day, though we think the Jews, because of its former sanctification, would have been obliged to keep that day by virtue of this command: And suppose that in the explications or reasons there may be something added peculiar to that people (which cannot be a Seventh day, but at the most (if any thing) the Seventh day) yet that which is in the commanding part, will still stand moral, to wit, that the day of rest should be remembered; and if it can be made out that it was determined to the Jews to sanctify the Seventh day (though it were in the reasons added) and to us afterward to sanctify the First day, they will be both found to be a Seventh day, and a day of rest, and therefore to be remembered and to be sanctified; this would resolve into the same thing on the matter; yet we conceive it safest to assert that in this command God hath set apart a Seventh day to himself, which is to be sanctified by us, by our application of it to holy uses, but doth not by it expressly, directly, and primarily bind to the Seventh day, but secondarily and by consequence, to wit, as it was otherwise before declared by him, and so it bindeth now that same way to the sanctifying of the First day of the week, as being now revealed by God, just as in the former instances or examples we touched upon.
4. Yet lest we should seem to admit somewhat changeable ⟨p. 243⟩in the very command it self precisely considered, we would put difference betwixt the commanding part of the Law, and its explicatory part; the command may be moral and indefinite, although some things in reasons and motives were not so; as in the preface which inforceth all the commands, and in the promise annexed to the fifth, there was somthing peculiar to that people, yet cannot we cast off all because of that; suppose there had no more been in this fourth command, but remember the day of rest to keep it holy, that would not have inferred the Seventh day, though we think the Jews, because of its former sanctification, would have been obliged to keep that day by vertue of this command: And suppose that in the explications or reasons there may be something added peculiar to that people (which cannot be a Seventh day, but at the most (if any thing) the Seventh day) yet that which is in the commanding part, will still stand moral, to wit, that the day of rest should be remembred; and if it can be made out that it was determined to the Jews to sanctifie the Seventh day (though it were in the reasons added) and to us afterward to sanctifie the First day, they will be both found to be a Seventh day, and a day of rest, and therefore to be remembred and to be sanctified; this would resolve into the same thing on the matter; yet we conceive it safest to assert that in this command God hath set apart a Seventh day to himself, which is to be sanctified by us, by our application of it to holy uses, but doth not by it expresly, directly, and primarily bind to the Seventh day, but secondarily and by consequence, to wit, as it was otherwayes before declared by him, and so it bindeth now that same way to the sanctifying of the First day of the week, as being now revealed by God, just as in the former instances or examples we touched upon.
That a Seventh day (whatever it be which is chosen of God) and not the Seventh day in order, is to be sanctified by virtue of this command, as enjoining that, as the substance and matter of it, may be made out by these Arguments.
That a Seventh day (whatever it be which is chosen of God) and not the Seventh day in order, is to be sanctified by vertue of this command, as injoyning that, as the substance and matter of it, may be made out by these Arguments.