A59693:1004
Theses Sabbaticæ, or, The doctrine of the Sabbath wherein the Sabbaths I. Morality, II.…
Theses Sabbaticæ, or, The doctrine of the Sabbath wherein the Sabbaths I. Morality, II. Change, III. Beginning. IV. Sanctification, are clearly discussed, which were first handled more largely in sundry sermons in Cambridge in New-England in opening of the Fourth Commandment : in unfolding whereof many scriptures are cleared, divers cases of conscience resolved, and the moral law as a rule of life to a believer, occasionally and distinctly handled / by Thomas Shepard ...Theses Sabbaticæ, or, The doctrine of the Sabbath wherein the Sabbaths I. Morality, II. Change, III. Beginning. IV. Sanctification, are clearly discussed, which were first handled more largely in sundry sermons in Cambridge in New-England in opening of the Fourth COmmandment : in unfolding whereof many scriptures are cleared, divers cases of conscience resolved, and the morall law as a rule of life to a believer, occasionally and distinctly handled / by Thomas Shepard ...
London: printed by T.R. and E.M. for John Rothwell, 1650
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 Lord might have hid his Sabbaths from us and gone to another People, that would have been more thankful for them, and glad of them then we have been; and yet he hath been loth to leave us; and do we thus require the Lord? surely he hath no need of the best of us, or of our attendance upon him upon these days; its only his pity, which seeing us wearied with sorrows and wearying our selves in our sins, makes him call us back to a Weekly rest in his Bosom, who might have let us alone and tired out our hearts in our own folly and madness all our days; and do we thus requite the Lord? Certainly the time will come wherein we shall think (as once Jerusalem did in the days of her affliction) of all our pleasant things we once had in the days of our prosperity; certainly men shall one day mourn for the loss of all their precious time, who misspend it now, and (above all times) for the loss of their precious pleasant Sabbath seasons of refreshing, which once they had given them to find rest and peace in; when •he smoke of their tormenting everlasting burning shall ascend for ever and ever, wherein they shall have no rest day nor night; you shall remember and think then with tears trickling down your dry che•ks, of the Sabbaths▪ ⟨p. 94⟩the pleasant Sabbaths that once you had, and shall never see one of those days of the Son of man more: you shall mourn then to see Abraham's bosom a far off, and thousand thousands at rest in it, where you also might have bin as well as they if you had not despised the rest of God here in the bosom of his Sabbaths.
The Lord might have hid his Sabbaths from us and gone to another People, that would have beene more thankfull for them, and glad of them then we have beene; and yet he hath beene loth to leave us; and doe we thus require the Lord? surely he hath no need of the best of us, or of our attendance upon him upon these daies; its onely his pitty, which seeing us wearied with sorrowes and wearying our selves in our sinnes, makes him call us back to a Weekly rest in his Bosome, who might have let us alone and tyred out our hearts in our own folly and madnesse all our daies; and do we thus requite the Lord? Certainly the time will come wherein we shall thinke (as once Ierusalem did in the daies of her affliction) of all our pleasant things we once had in the daies of our prosperity; ertainly men shall one day mourne for the losse of all their precious time, who mispend it now, and (above al times) for the losse of their precious pleasant Sabbath seasons of refreshing, which once they had given them to finde rest and peace in; when he smoke of their tormenting everlasting burning shall ascend for ever and ever, wherein they shall have no rest day nor night; you shall remember and thinke then with teares trickling down your dry cheks, of the Sabbaths