Common Places, Part 2 · Chapter 7
The ſeuenth Chapter. The fourth precept; of ſanctifieng the ſabboth daie.
In Gen. 2, at the beginning.IN the ſeuenth daie God finiſhed his worke, which he had made; not that he created anie thing the ſeuenth daie, but that ſo farre forth, as our vnderſtanding reacheth, it might be knowne, that he finiſhed all things the ſeuenth daie; when as we knowe that there was nothing made by him vponupon that daie. Some thinke that the letter Caph which is added vntounto Iod dooth ſignifie, Before: and they cite the place out of the 25. chapter of Deuteronomie; verſe. 4.Thou ſhalt not mooſill the oxe, before the treading out of the corne. But it prooueth it not; bicauſe héere we may alſo vnderſtand it, in the treading out. Howbeit héere in verie déed there is no queſtion: for the ſame conſummation, perfection, or finiſhing of cretures is not anie worke added to things created the ſixt daie; but that on this ſeuenth daie, the things are noted to hauehave béene finiſhed and made perfect. In that he reſted the ſeuenth daie, vnderſtand it not, from labour, but from the worke of creating. For, Reſt, may betoken two things; How the word reſt, is to be vnderſtood.either the end and termination of that which is doone, and ſo it is taken in this place; or elſe as a refreſhing after labour, which thing muſt not be aſcribed vntounto God (for without anie maner of labour did he create the world.) But as the Hebrues ſaie, in the letter He, which is vttered with a breth onelie; By the word of the Lord were the heauens made, and all the hoſte of them, with the breath of his mouth: verſe. 6. The number of ſeuen.Pſalme 33. Let vsus héere paſſe ouer the myſteries of the number of ſeuen, wherewith vndoubtedlie God is delighted; ſéeing he hath compriſed in that number, the great and noble things, which he made and commanded. And this onelie let vsus note, that of euerie ſeuen daies, one muſt be reſerued vntounto God. How did God ceaſe from working, Ioh. 5, 17.ſéeing he now alſo worketh? Yea and he is a pure and méere act: neither is that moſt bleſſed action of his ſtaid at anie time. We ſaie that this muſt be vnderſtood of other new creatures, whereof God created none afterward: yet he alwaies worketh, in gouerning and preſeruing of them: for; In him we liue, mooue, and hauehave our being, Acts. 17, 28.and while he inioieth himſelfe, who is the eternall felicitie.
Wherefore let them go, There is onelie one world.which looke for more worlds after this world of ours. One onelie world there is, and the ſelfe-ſame end of creatures, according as it is héere deſcribed. Neither is there cauſe, why man néed to feare, leaſt anie creature ſhould be made aboue him. And this is not the leaſt glorie of man, that God did reſt after the creation of him, and that in him he finiſhed the worke of the whole world. It is ſaid, that God bleſſed the ſeuenth daie. Gen. 2, 3. What is ment by bleſſing the ſeuenth daieBut To bleſſe, is, To giuegive and beſtowe ſome thing. What hath God giuen vntounto vsus by this ſeuenth daie? Verie much: euen this world filled and fraught with all good things. What maruell is it if afterward it were moſt acceptable vntounto him, to be worſhipped vponupon the verie ſame daie; ſéeing it is written, Deu. 15, 14.GiueGive him of that wherewith he hath bleſſed thee? He bleſſed the ſeuenth daie. This did he chéeflie giuegive vntounto it, that therein men ſhould reſt, and applie themſelues to the ſeruice of God. Rabbi Agnon ſaith, that this bleſſing dooth light vponupon thoſe, which obſerue and ſanctifie the ſame ſabboth. Neither did the obſeruation héereof béegin, when the lawe was giuen in Sina; but it was celebrated before that time: as appéereth in the raining downe of Manna, Exodus the 16.verſe. 23.
2 To ſanctifie (as it is taken in this place) is, To appoint ſome thing to the worſhipping of God: The ſanctification of the ſabboth.for, elſe-where it ſignifieth diuerſe things. And God ſanctified the ſabboth, by the verie déed it ſelfe, when he reſted from his worke. The which ſanctification, he not onlie rehearſed afterward in the lawe, but alſo obſerued it in act: ſéeing vponupon that daie he gaue no Manna to the people in the wilderneſſe. But whether ſhall the people, either in that daie, or in anie other daie be idle? No trulie. But euen as God ceaſed not from all action, but onelie from the bringing foorth of naturall things: After what maner we ſhould reſt.euen ſo we alſo muſt abſteine from the déeds of our corrupted nature; yet not to be diſcouraged from obeieng the motions of God: naie rather, we muſt the more perſiſt in in this onelie worke vponupon the holie daies. And ſo dooth Paule expound in the fourth chapter to the Hebrues; verſe. 10,that we ſhould refraine our ſelues not from euerie kind of worke, but from our owne works: which a chriſtian man ought to doo ſo long as he liueth. So then we in chriſtianitie muſt not be accuſed, bicauſe we kéepe not the ſabboth daie [of the Iewes] ſéeing we hauehave conſecrated all the time of our life into a ſabboth. And therefore vnderſtand ye it allegoricallie, that this ſeuenth daie is named to hauehave neither morning nor euening, for bicauſe this is in verie déed a perpetuall reſt vntounto the children of GOD.
Here conſider thou the order of things. Some things are created for man, therefore man was made after them. But man was made for the ſeruice of God; therefore ſtraitwaie after his creation, was brought in the bleſſing and ſanctification of the ſabboth. Hereby men are admoniſhed, A holie daie beſides the ſabboth may be appointed by the church.that if the church giuegive them commandement to imploie themſelues in the ſeruice of God vponupon anie daie in the wéeke; this is not altogither the deuiſe of man: and that it dooth not apperteine onelie to the lawe of Moſes, but that it had alſo a beginning from hence, and that it ſerueth to the imitation of God. But if thou demand, why the daie of obſeruation of the ſabboth, is not reteined here in our church? I anſwer, that we hauehave moſt of all reteined the ſame; ſo that we ought to hauehave all daies to be ſuch, as we ſhould reſt from our owne works. But that one daie, rather than another, ſhould be choſen for the outward worſhipping of God, it was frée for the church, through Chriſt, to appoint that, which it ſhould iudge moſt fit for the purpoſe. Neither did it iudge amiſſe, if in obſeruing of the Lords daie, it preferred the memorie of our preſent reſtoring; that is, the reſurrection of Chriſt, before this finiſhing of the workmanſhip of the world.
Why God did chooſe onelie one daie in the weeke.3 But Paule, by the one of the ſabboths, ment the daie of the holie aſſemblie. God might indéed hauehave aſſigned all, or manie daies, for the worſhipping of him; but ſéeing he knew that we were commanded to eat our bread in the ſweat of our face, he requireth of vsus one daie in the wéeke, wherein leauing off from other works, we ſhould applie our ſelues onlie vntounto him. And euen as in other ceremonies, there is ſome thing perpetuall and eternall; and ſome thing changeable and temporall (Euen as in circumciſion and baptiſme it is a perpetuall thing, that they which belong vntounto the couenant of God, and are ioined to the people of God, ſhould be marked with ſome outward ſigne; yet neuertheles, the kind of ſigne was mutable and temporall. For God, at his owne will, appointed the ſame to be doone, either by cutting awaie of the foreſkin, or elſe by the waſhing of water. Perpetuall alſo and eternall it is, that ſo long as the church is here conuerſant vponupon the earth, a maintenance of liuing is due vntounto the miniſters thereof. But whether the ſame ſhould ariſe by tenths, or by certeine lands, or by monie paid out of the common treaſurie, it may diuers waies be doone, according as is moſt fit for the regions and times:) Euen ſo is it aſſured and firme, When and why the ſabboth day was turned into the Lords daie.that there is one daie in the wéeke reſerued for the ſeruice of God: whether of the daies be appointed, that is temporall, and may be changed. In old time, by order of the lawe, the ſabboth was obſerued, for to reuiue the memorie of making of the world: but now the Lords daie is vſed in the remembrance of the reſurrection of Chriſt, and therfore to confirme the hope of our reſurrection to come. But when this alteration was made, we hauehave it not expreſſed in the holie ſcriptures: yet in the Reuelation of Iohn, we hauehave expreſſe mention of the Lords daie. And it is verie likelie, that the firſt chriſtians, for a certeine time, reteined the Iewiſh cuſtome of méeting togither vponupon the *That was vponupon Saturdaie.ſabboth daie. But the thing (as we ſée) was afterward changed.
4 And why I ſhould thinke, that in that place is vnderſtood the Lords daie, In the Hebrue One ſignifieth the firſt. Gen. 1, 5.I am led by the Hebrue phraſe, wherein one ſignifieth the firſt: as in the booke of Geneſis; And the euening & morning were one daie, that is, The firſt daie. Alſo in another place, when it is written; Looke In the booke De votis, pag. 76. ſet foorth at Baſil.In one of the monethmonth, it is ment, The firſt daie of the monethmonth. And when it is written; One monethmonth, it muſt be vnderſtood, The firſt monethmonth. Alſo we read in the Goſpell of Marke, the 16. chapter; verſe. 2.And earlie in the morning in one of the ſabboths, they came vntounto the ſepulchre, the ſun being now riſen: where manifeſtlie by one of the ſabboths, is vnderſtood the Lords daie. Matt. the 28: In the euening of the ſabboth, when the firſt daie of the weeke began to dawne. verſe. 1.So it is alſo written in the 24. chapter of Luke, verſe. 1. verſe. 1.and in the 20. of Iohn. And to inflame our minds to giuegive almes vntounto the poore, Paule did verie fitlie chooſe the daie of the holie congregation; Why Paule chooſeth for almes the daie of the holie congregation.bicauſe of the word of God, publike praiers, and godlie leſſons, which be vſed vponupon that daie: through all which things we be put in remembrance of the benefits, which God for his merciemercy ſake hath beſtowed vponupon vsus. Alſo we receiue the ſacraments, wherby is renewed the memorie of that moſt excellent benefit: I meane the death of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
And what chriſtian mind is not perſuaded to benefite his neighbour, by the godlie remembrance of ſo great a good turne? Who is it that will not, when he reuolueth in himſelfe with a godlie mind, that the ſonne of God gaue himſelfe vntounto death, euen to the death of the croſſe for his ſake, that will not (I ſaie) alonelie impart ſome of that earthlie riches, which is beſtowed vponupon him; but rather giuegive himſelfe for his brethren? We confeſſe alſo the communion of ſaints, which will be either verie ſlender, or none at all; vnleſſe it be confirmed by liberalitie towards the poore. But there is no token of godlineſſe, or communion of Chriſtians more excellent, than is charitie. Neither are we for this cauſe to be accuſed as obſeruers of daies, and of times, Gal. 4, 10.as were the Galathians; as though we attribute more holineſſe to one daie, than to an other. We onelie for order ſake, and a certeine ciuill cuſtome of the church, doo méet togither vponupon that daie, rather than vponupon an other. But in the epiſtle to the Galathians, either they are reprehended by Paule, which renewed the Iewiſh feaſt daies; or elſe the Ethniks, which ſuperſtitiouſlie obſerued the daies of the Aegyptians, or of thoſe that profeſſed the Mathematicall ſciences.
In 1. Sam. 1. verſe. 3.5 Moreouer, there may be manie cauſes reckoned, whie GOD would hauehave the people yéerelie, beſides the ſabboth daie, to aſcend to the place which he had choſen for religion ſake. Exo. 23, 15.Firſt he appointed the ſame, bicauſe the remembrance of his benefits ſhould not be forgotten, but ſhould be reuiued by yéerelie peregrinations. For in the feaſt of Paſſeouer was celebrated the memorie of their deliuerance out of Aegypt; and in the Pentecoſt, the remembrance of the lawe giuen by Moſes. Further, in both the ſolemnities, there was thanks giuen for the new fruits receiued. Three principall feaſt daies of the Iewes.For in the feaſt of Eaſter, they offered the firſt fruits of barlie; and at Pentecoſt they offered bread made of new wheat. Laſtlie, in the feaſt of Tabernacles was remembred the benefit, whereby God ſuſtained the fathers by the ſpace of fortie yéeres in the wilderneſſe; and thanks were giuen, bicauſe they had now gathered in all the ſorts of fruits. And rightlie were theſe thrée principall parts of the gifts of God called to remembrance, in theſe thrée peregrinations: for they be ſpeciall good things, wherein conſiſteth the ſocietie of man. For the firſt felicitie of anie nation is, that there be a common-weale, and that it be frée: and this the Iewes obteined, when they were deliuered out of the hard bondage of Aegypt. The ſecond felicitie is, to hauehave lawes and religion proper to themſelues: for no common-weale conſiſteth without lawes and religion. The third is, that there be no want of things neceſſarie for life. Wherefore, the remembrance of theſe benefits was yéerelie renewed by the commandement of God.
Further, an other cauſe of this aſcending to the feaſts at Ieruſalem, was, that the mutuall concord of the people in diuine ſeruice and religion might be preſerued. For when the Iewes were once gathered togither, and did their ſacrifices, all after one and the ſelfe-ſame order; it was moſt prudentlie prouided, that ſundrie religions ſhould not ariſe. The firſt cauſe was, that the prieſts and Leuits might openlie teach them concerning the lawe and holie ſeruice, whereby the people returned home much better inſtructed, than when they came thither. There is alſo a ſixt cauſe alledged, that in ſuch an aſſemblie, and mutuall beholding of one another, charitie might the more growe and increaſe among the tribes. For they ſawe and talked one with another, they kept their feaſts togither; and that which was moſt of all, they ioined in publike and ſolemne praiers togither. Furthermore, by theſe peregrinations, there inſued a neceſſarie ſuſtentation of the holie miniſterie. For the oblations and ſacrifices were multiplied, the greateſt part whereof came to the prieſts and Leuits. Beſides this, the minds of them that praied, was confirmed, that God would heare their praiers: for he promiſed, that in that place he would fulfill the praiers of the people. Which cauſe vndoubtedlie ſhould mooue vsus, to celebrate holie congregations: for notwithſtanding that we may praie at home; yet ſéeing he promiſed that he will allow of our praiers, Matt. 18, 19where two or thrée ſhall be gathered togither in his name; therefore the appointed celebrations of the méeting togither in the church muſt not be neglected.
Moreouer, God would, that by ſuch godlie peregrinations, they ſhuld teſtifie their obedience; eſpeciallie, in that they did not chooſe the place, wherevnto they had acceſſe; but it was appointed by the will of God. And it muſt not be omitted, that that place did repreſent Meſſias vntounto the fathers, without whom no works of men, though they be trim and goodlie in ſhew, can pleaſe God. Laſtlie, that worke was a notable exerciſe of faith: for, ſo often as they were to go vp vntounto the place, which was aſſigned for diuine ſeruice, the Hebrues were compelled to leaue all vacant and without gard at home. For the enimies were at libertie in the meane time, to breake foorth, to waſte, and deſtroie althings. Howbeit, they obeied the word of God, and little regarded whatſoeuer ſhould happen; committing all that euer they had to the ſafegard of God. And ſo great a confidence had they towards God, as they doubted not, but he would defend their borders, although they were deſolate. Thrée times euerie yéere it behooued euerie one of mankind to ſhew himſelfe before the Lord; and that at thoſe certeine and determinate feaſts, which I hauehave before mentioned. But the women, forſomuch as either they were great with child, or elſe might eaſilie be hindered vponupon other iuſt cauſes, were not bound ſo to doo. Howbeit, when they had no other impediment, they came of their owne accord.
In Gen. 40. at the end.6 But to celebrate ſolemnelie the daie of a mans birth, it hath béene a cuſtome of all nations: and in my iudgment, it is not doon amiſſe, ſo that there be vſed a godlie modeſtie. Surelie it is a notable gift, that we may be reckoned among the number of Gods creatures. And who doubteth, but that it is well doone, to giuegive thanks vntounto God for it, and in thanks-giuing to teſtifie the ioifulneſſe of mind, by an outward token of ſome modeſt banket? The vſe of honeſt pleaſures is ſuch, as they hauehave alwaies godlineſſe ioined with them. But in the meane time, let vsus remember that, which we ſée happened in the banket of Herod, when he celebrated his birth daie. For he vſed things, which were not decent; namelie, the danſings of yoong women, and raſh ſwearings: whereof followed that cruell example, Matth. 14, 6.ſo as he ſtrooke off the head of Iohn. This is not to giuegive God thanks for his great benefit, but to ſerue the bellie and gréedie deſires. Further, it muſt not be allowed in chriſtians, that they ſhould kéepe in ſolemne remembrance the originall of their fleſh; and yet be forgetfull of their regeneration in Chriſt. This benefit ought chéeflie to ſticke in our minds, that we be planted and ingraffed into Chriſt.