Sermon 3: The Jewish Sabbath abrogated, or, The Saturday Sabbatarians… by Benjamin Keach | AskReformation

Skip to content

:252p. 61–63

But in Answer to this (which indeed needs •one at all) take what a learned Man hath •id for a reason why Noah stayed seven days, and again other seven days:¹ Noah, saith he, desired to know whether the Waters were decreased. Now the Waters being regulated by the Moon, Noah was most especially to regard her Motions: for as she is either in Opposition or Conjunction with the Sun in her increase or wane, there is proportionably an increase or falling of the Waters. Noah then considering the Moon in her several quarters, which commonly we know are at seven days distance, sent forth his Dove to ⟨p. 62⟩bring him tidings: for the Text tells us, that he sent out the Raven and the Dove four times; and the fourth time, the Moon being in the last quarter, when both by the ordinary course of Nature the Waters usually are, and by the Will of God were then much decreased; the Dove which was sent out, had found good footing on the Earth. There is greater reason to believe this than to suppose it referred to the Sabbath.^* Scaliger, saith my Author, one while thought the day on which, Noah left the Ark and offered Sacrifices, to be the seventh day; but in the next Edition he fixed that day to be the fourth day of the week. Now after the Flood we find God gave to Noah and his Sons some express Laws and Commands, i. e. not to eat Blood, and forbidding Murder, &c. Now this is the time doubtless to hear of a Sabbath, and of the charge about it, if God had given it either to Adam before or after the Fall; but not one word is mentioned, for 'tis not said, Remember the seventh day, &c. or ye shall observe my Sabbath.³ Now from Shem, Ham and Japheth, both Jews and Gentiles, proceeded even the whole World; and to me it seems not probable, had the Sabbath been commanded, that Jehovah should not at this time have given them a charge about it, there being then so few positive Laws instituted; here is Blood forbid to the whole World, and Murder, but not one word of a Sabbath, or seventh day to be observed.⁴ The Rabbins speak of seven Precepts given to Noah and his Sons, but exclude the Seventh-day Sabbath out of that number. If we have it not mentioned here, be sure we shall not meet with it till we come to Moses; but here we have it not, nor indeed was it possible for some of them to keep that precise ⟨p. 63⟩day, being scattered to the furthermost ends of the Earth.

But in Answer to this (which indeed needs •one at all) take what a learned Man hath •id for a reason why Noah stay'd seven days, and again other seven days:¹ Noah, saith he, desired to know whether the Waters were decreased. Now the Waters being regulated by the Moon, Noah was most especially to regard her Motions: for as she is either in Opposition or Conjunction with the Sun in her increase or wane, there is proportionably an increase or falling of the Waters. Noah then considering the Moon in her several quarters, which commonly we know are at seven days distance, sent forth his Dove to ⟨p. 62⟩bring him tydings: for the Text tells us, that he sent out the Raven and the Dove four times; and the fourth time, the Moon being in the last quarter, when both by the ordinary course of Nature the Waters usually are, and by the Will of God were then much decreased; the Dove which was sent out, had found good footing on the Earth. There is greater reason to believe this than to suppose it refer'd to the Sabbath.^* Scaliger, saith my Author, one while thought the day on which, Noah left the Ark and offered Sacrifices, to be the seventh day; but in the next Edition he fixed that day to be the fourth day of the week. Now after the Flood we find God gave to Noah and his Sons some express Laws and Commands, i. e. not to eat Blood, and forbidding Murder, &c. Now this is the time doubtless to hear of a Sabbath, and of the charge about it, if God had given it either to Adam before or after the Fall; but not one word is mention'd, for 'tis not said, Remember the seventh day, &c. or ye shall observe my Sabbath.³ Now from Shem, Ham and Japhet, both Jews and Gentiles, proceeded even the whole World; and to me it seems not probable, had the Sabbath been commanded, that Jehovah should not at this time have given them a charge about it, there being then so few positive Laws instituted; here is Blood forbid to the whole World, and Murder, but not one word of a Sabbath, or seventh day to be observ'd.⁴ The Rabbins speak of seven Precepts given to Noah and his Sons, but exclude the Seventh-day Sabbath out of that number. If we have it not mentioned here, besure we shall not meet with it till we come to Moses; but here we have it not, nor indeed was it possible for some of them to keep that precise ⟨p. 63⟩

1Abulensis.
*De Emendat. Temp. l. 5.
3Gen. 9. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
4Seven Precepts given to Noah, but no Sabbath.

:256p. 63–64

Jacob was a Man that fled from Idolatry […] God's Command, and lived a godly Life: and tho we read of his performing many Acts of Worship, yet nothing of his keeping the ⟨p. 64⟩seventh day as a Sabbath; no, tho we read of his hard Service when he kept Laban's Sheep both in Winter and Summer, which might have caused him to complain of his being incommoded from a strict observation of that day, had he known it as his Duty; but in all his Complaints not one word of this. We know among us how Shepherds are hindered in Sabbath-Observations, of which many have complained, or may have occasion to do. Moreover during Joseph's being in Pharaoh's Court, nor before, do we read of his observing this Sabbath, and when Jacob came into Egypt, we read […] of his observation thereof, nor of the Egyptian keeping of it; or had they forgot it, besu• there would have been some notice taken of Jacob's keeping it, nor would he have avoided i• that he might please Pharaoh and his Servants.

Jacob was a Man that fled from Idolatry 〈…〉 God's Command, and liv'd a godly Life: and tho we read of his performing many Acts of Worship, yet nothing of his keeping the ⟨p. 64⟩seventh day as a Sabbath; no, tho we read of his hard Service when he kept Laban's Sheep both in Winter and Summer, which might have caused him to complain of his being incommoded from a strict observation of that day, had he known it as his Duty; but in all his Complaints not one word of this. We know among us how Shepherds are hindered in Sabbath-Observations, of which many have complained, or may have occasion to do. Moreover during Joseph's being in Pharaoh's Court, nor before, do we read of his observing this Sabbath, and when Jacob came into Egypt, we read 〈…〉 of his observation thereof, nor of the Egyptian keeping of it; or had they forgot it, besu• there would have been some notice taken of Jacob's keeping it, nor would he have avoided i• that he might please Pharaoh and his Servants.

:265p. 66–67

Eighthly, Since we read of no Sabbath till Moses's time, Exod. 16. only that God sanctified the seventh day; what makes our Brethren so boldly say that Adam in Innocence kept it, and all the Patriarchs from Adam to Moses? This may seem strange to any thinking Man, i. e. that they should affirm this, seeing they require an express Command from us for the keeping of the first day, or else all is nothing with them. Brethren, this I will say, that had we no more ground to keep the Lord's day in solemn Worship, as a day of Rest, than they can find for the Patriarchs keeping of the seventh day as a Sabbath, we ⟨p. 67⟩should not say one word more for it: I challenge them to show us one place where a Sabbath is so much as once mentioned, or any express or implicit Command given to any to observe it; or one Example from the Creation of the World that any Man or Woman ever kept the seventh day as a Sabbath until we come to Moses, Exod. 16. I shall, God assisting, show that we have more than mere Examples of the Gospel Primitive Churches for observing in a solemn manner the Lord's-day, or the first day of the week, when I come to that part of my Work.

Eighthly, Since we read of no Sabbath till Moses's time, Exod. 16. only that God sanctified the seventh day; what makes our Brethren so boldly say that Adam in Innocence kept it, and all the Patriarchs from Adam to Moses? This may seem strange to any thinking Man, i. e. that they should affirm this, seeing they require an express Command from us for the keeping of the first day, or else all is nothing with them. Brethren, this I will say, that had we no more ground to keep the Lord's day in solemn Worship, as a day of Rest, than they can find for the Patriarchs keeping of the seventh day as a Sabbath, we ⟨p. 67⟩should not say one word more for it: I challenge them to shew us one place where a Sabbath is so much as once mention'd, or any express or implicit Command given to any to observe it; or one Example from the Creation of the World that any Man or Woman ever kept the seventh day as a Sabbath until we come to Moses, Exod. 16. I shall, God assisting, shew that we have more than meer Examples of the Gospel Primitive Churches for observing in a solemn manner the Lord's-day, or the first day of the week, when I come to that part of my Work.