N00085:65
Gods call to his people to turn unto him; together with his promise to…
Gods call to his people to turn unto him; together with his promise to turn unto them. Opened and applied in II. sermons at two public fasting-days appointed by authority. / By Mr. John Davenport: B.D. and Pastor to the First Church of Christ at Boston in New-England. ; Published by the desire of sundry friends.Gods call to his people to turn unto him; together with his promise to turn unto them. Opened and applied in II. sermons at two publick fasting-dayes appointed by authority. / By Mr. John Davenport: B.D. and Pastor to the First Church of Christ at Boston in New-England. ; Published by the desire of sundry friends.
printed by S.G. Samuel Green for John Usher of Boston, 1669
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
1. If upon a Religious Account; None can sanctify Time to make a day holy to the Lord, but the sanctifying Spirit, in and by some Word of God in Scripture. The Feasts of Purim were Civil Festivals, called Good days of feasting, and sending gifts one to another, not Holy times, separated from common uses to holy. Now we no where find warrant in Scripture for setting apart the day of Christs Nativity from common use, to religious holy use: Indeed the day of his Resurrection, the first day of the week, that is by Christ sanctified to be the Christians Christian Sabbath: for that was the beginning of Christs Exaltation, but the day of his Birth, was the beginning of his Humiliation and Abasement; so that there is not a p••ity of reason between them.
1. If upon a Religious Account; None can sanctifie Time to make a day holy to the Lord, but the sanctifying Spirit, in and by some Word of God in Scripture. The Feasts of Purim were Civil Festivals, called Good dayes of feasting, and sending gifts one to another, not Holy times, separated from common uses to holy. Now we no where finde warrant in Scripture for setting apart the day of Christs Nativity from common use, to religious holy use: Indeed the day of his Resurrection, the first day of the week, that is by Christ sanctified to be the Christians Christian Sabbath: for that was the beginning of Christs Exaltation, but the day of his Birth, was the beginning of his Humiliation and Abasement; so that there is not a p••ity of reason between them.
2. If upon a Civil Account; How comes Christs Name to ⟨p. 19⟩be used in it, that it is called CHRISTMAS-DAY? whether Mass be taken in the Saxon sense, as signifying a Feast; or in the Popish sense, special Masses being appointed and used in Popery on that day, I will not now dispute: but if in the first sense, how is this Time abused by all profane, and loose spirited persons, unto Gluttony, Drunkenness▪ and mis-spending of precious time, in Gaming at Cards and Dice, and other wickednesses? as if Christ was born, and given to us, to set mens lusts at liberty, and their persons to serve sin, and Satan; or as if Christians would imitate the Pagans, in their Bacchanalia, and Saturnalia, rather then Christ in his temperance, and doing good.