The Doctrine of the Sabbath, Chapter 16
CHAP. 16.
THE Third thing which I propounded concerning mans sanctification so the Sabbath, is the consideration of the duties wherin it doth consist, which are of three sorts. First some are such are common to all Gods people in all ages of the world, and they be duties which are necessarie to the being of the Sabbath.
Secondly, some are proper to the Sabbath of the seventh daie, while the fathers under the Old Testament did expect Christ promised, and were to keep their Sabbath in memorie of the promise of Christ made to our first parents on the last day of the week. Thirdly some are proper to us who liue under the Gospel since Christ fullie exhibited a perfect Redeemer: & after the buriall of Moses, that is the utter abolition of all legall shaddows together with the materiall temple of the Jews.
The duties common to all such as are necessary to the being of an holy Sabbath at all times, & they are three especiallie. The first is a rest & cessation from all seculiar affaires & worldly pleasures, except only such as are necessarie for mans welbeing, & cannot be omitted or deferred without great hurt & danger of mans health, & life, & of the life and safety of the creatures which God hath made for mans use. The second is sanctification of the Sabbath, with such holy exercises of religion & of Gods worship as God requires in that age, & state of the Church in which they live. The third is sanctifying of that day of the week which God hath blessed & honoured with greatest blessings, aboue all other daies, & wherein he hath more fully revealed his holines, & opened the fountaine of holines for the sanctifying of his people. Concerning the first, to weet: rest and cessation from all worldlie affaires & bodilie delights, there is a doubt made by some, whether it doth equally concerne all Gods people, as wel christians under the Gospel, as the fathers of the old testament. Divers are of opiniō that Christians hauehave more liberty & are not so strictly bound to rest from all worldly affaires & bodily delights, as the fathers were befor Christ. But for the clearing of this point we are to note three specially things. First that rest & cessation from all seculiar businesse, & worldly pastimes is a dutie of the Sabbath which generally belongs to all men in all ages who are bound to keep a weekly Sabbath or holy daie by virtue of Gods sanctification of the Seventh daie. For first the very name (Sabbath) which God gaue to the day, signifies rest & cessation, & puts us continually in mind of this duty. And whosoever cals it by the name Sabbath, doth thereby acknowledge it to be a day of rest. Secondly, a maine ground of Gods first institution of the Sabbath, the rest from all workes of creation wherwith God rested in Christ the seventh day, who on that day was promised & took upon him to be mans mediatour (as hath been proved befor out of the words of this text. For Chtist the son of God vndertaking to repaire the works of creatiō, which were defaced by mans fal, & to restore al his by another kinde of work then creation, even by incarnation, obedience; suffering & satisfaction for sin in mans nature, & for the redemption of the world) did bring unto God the Creatour, rest & cessation from any more creation of new kindes of creatures. And upon this ground, even this perfecting of his worke of creation, by bringing in redemption, and in memory & for a signe of Gods resting in Christ promised, God sanctified the seventh daie to be an holy weeklie Sabbath, & bound man to this duty of rest on the Sabbath day from all secular businesse.
Thirdly, in all ages whensoever God repeated the law of the Sabbath, or vrged the observation of it, either by Moses or the Prophets we shall observe that rest and cessation is injoyned, as Exod. 20.10. The seventh day is the Sabbath, in it thou shal… do no maner of worke. & Exod. 31.14. thou shalt do no manner of worke therein. & Exod. 33.2. Devt. 5.14. whosoever doth any work on the sabbath shall surely be put to death. They might not gather man̄a on the sabbath day. Exo. 16.28. they who went out to seeke Manna are called trasgressours. And all the Prophets which in after times made mention of the Sabbath, vrged rest, & blamed all servile vvorks vvhichwhich concern this life: as Isa. 58.13. Jer. 17.27. Neh. 13.17.
Fourthly vve in these later daies, hauehave as much need of rest & more then men in former ages, and the greater hopes and more cleare evidences of rest and glorie in heaven which we hauehave, do more bind us to rest from worldly cares, and to set our mindes on heaven where our hopes are. These are strong arguments to prove that rest vponupon the Sabbath day, is a duty which generally belongs to all men in al ages, which the first thing serving to satisfie the former doubt & to proue the first generall duty.
Secondly, Gods sanctifying of the Sabbath, and his first commandement given to Adam for the keeping holy of the seventh day: binds all men, in all ages, to keepe a weekely Sabbath to the end of the vvorld, as I hauehave before proued, and therfore the duty of rest belongs to all.
Thirdly, they vvho hold the lavv of the vveekly Sabbath to be but for a time, and that it is novv abolished, they can shevv no Scriptures to vvarrant their opinion. That place vvhichwhich they object, Coloss. 2.16. speakes not in the singular number of the vveekly Sabbath, instituted here in my text. For though the day bee chaunged upon vveightie reasons and good ground.
Yet the Sabbathisme still remaineth to the people of God, not onelyonly the eternall, and heavenlie, but also the temporall Sabbath on earth which leads to the heavenly. The words of the Apostle speake of those Sabbaths or holy daies of the Iewes, which were tipicall, and shaddows of things to bee exhibited in Christ, such as were the first and last daies of the Passouer, Pentecost, and other great yearly feasts. The word Sabbaton, being of the plurall number, implies soe much, and the nameing of feasts, daies, and new moones which were shaddowes of the law, giuegive us just cause to conceiue that the Apostle intends only the festiuall and not the weekly Sabbaths. Or if we should grant that the weekly Sabbath is meant, among the rest, which the fathers obserued on the seuenth day: Yet the Apostle calls it a shaddow, onlie in respect of the particular day of the promise of Christ, which day is a bolished, & giues place to the first day, in which the promise was fullie performed, and Christ became a perfect Redeemer actuallie in his resurrection.
The Anti-Sabbatarians hauehave onelyonly two objections which hauehave some shew and coulour of reason at the first hearing.
ObjectionThe first is, that if it had beene the minde and will of Christ, that the weekly Sabbath should be continued and remoued to the Lords day, vnderunder the Gospell, then would he either by himselfe, or by his Apostles, hauehave giuen some expresse commandement to that purpose, which they say, he did not.
Answer.To this I answere. First that our Saviour spake fully to this point, when he said, that he came not to destroy, but to fulfill the law. It remaines therefore on their part to shew, that the Commandement of the Sabbath is no part of the morall law, or else they do but beate the aire and labour in vaine.
Secondlie, the Apostles themselves kept their holy assembles, & ordained in all Churches of the beleeving Gentiles that publick assemblies should be kept and exercises of the holy Sabbath perfomed ordinarily on the first day of the weeke, as I hauehave before proved, from. Act 20. & 1 Cor. 16.1, 2. And whatsoever they ordained was the comma… dement of che Lord 1 Cor. 14. vers. 27. Thirdlie, while the first temple was yet standing in the daies of the Apostles, and Moses was not yet buried and quite taken out of the way: Jt was not convenient that the Apostles should chaunge the day of the Sabbath among the beleeving Iewes. Yea they themselves in Iudea and all places among the Iewes, kept the seventh daie: among the Gentiles the Lords daie.
We never read that the Lords day was called a Sabbath in the Primitiue times next after the Apostles, nor since,Object. by any but onelyonly by Iewish Sabbatarians.
Howsoever these adversaries, put on a bold impudent face,Answer. to colour and countenance this objection: Yet herein publish a manifest untruth. For Igna…ius immediatly after the Apostles saith. That the Christians must keep their holy sabbath: not after the man̄er of the profane Iews of those times, with excessiue feasting, dauncing, and such carnall sports and pleasures, nor on their seventh day: But on the Lords day, the day of Christs resurrection, which he calls the Queene and supeeme Lady of daies, as I hauehave formerlie shewed.
Saint Hilary saith, Prolog. in Psalm.Nos in prima die perfecti Sabbathi festiuitate latae mur. i.e. We Christians rejoyce in the festiuity of our perfect Sabbath on the first day of the weeke. St. Augustine in the 25. sermon de tempore. Hauing rehearsed diuers notable blessings and prero…atiues which God of old honoured the first day of the weeke the Lords day, doth there affirme, that upon those grounds the holy Doctors of the C…urch, to weet: the Apostles. Who were taught by Christ, and inspired by the holy Ghost in all things which they decreed and ordained, hauehave by their decree remoued or rather transferred all the glory of the Iewish sabbathisme, vntounto the Lords day. And immediatly he adds this exhortation. Let us Christians therefore obserue the Lord day, and let us sanctifie it so as of old the Law giver commanded the fathers concerning the Sabbath saying. From evening to evening shall ye celebrate the Sabbath. And further he saith, that if wee from the evening of the Iewes sabbath the satturday, to the evening of the Lords day sequester our selves from all Rurall workes; and all seculiar busines and devote our selves onelyonly to Gods worship, then we rightly sanctifie the Lords sabbath according …he wordes of the law: (Yee shall not doe any worke in it.
Also Psalm. 32. He affirmes that keeping of the Sabbath is one of the things which belong to the louelove of God, and thus he exhorts every true Christian. Observa diem sabbati non Carnaliter, non Judaicis delicijs, &c. that is observe the day of the sabbath not carnally with Iudiciall delicacies, for they abuse their rest, and rest to naughtinesse for indeede it is better that men should digge all the day then daunce as they doe: But doe thou meditate on the rest in God and doing all things for obtaining that rest, abstaine from servile worke.
And in his 3. Tract at vponupon Iohn. He saith, We are more strictly commanded to keepe the Sabbath then the Iewes: For we are injoyned to keepe it spiritually. Jewes keepe it carnally in luxury and drunkennes, and it were far better that their women should be busied in working all the day in woll, then dance. The true Christian keepes the Sabbath spiritually, by refraining from servile worke. These and diuers other testimonies of the Auncients shew …ufficiently the falshode and vanity of this Objection. And that in the judgment of the most godly and learned fathers, the law of God bindeth us to keepe the Sabbath holy on the Lords day weekly. It is true that some part of the sevēth day was by reason of great multitudes of Iewes abounding in all countries, soe frequent and soe commonly known & called by the name of the Sabbath, & that name was so proper to the Saturday in those times, that if any had called the Lords day by that name, his wordes would bee understood by the hearers of the Iewes Sabbath, except …e had expounded his meaning as those fathers before named do in their speeches b…f…re mentioned. And againe the Iewes were soe superstitious in observing their Sabbath, …o contrarie to the Christian sanctifying of the Lords day, even with feasting, dauncing, and profane pomp, that the name of Sabbath through their abuse of it grew distastfull to godly Christians, even as in our time the old name Catholike; by reason of the Antichristian Papists, falsly vsurping and approbria…ing it to their Apostaticall Church and false religion, is growne to hauehave an ill sound in the eares of reformed Christians. And therefore t…e Auncients were very sparing in calling the name of the Sabbath, and seldome did they call the holy weeklie rest of Christians by that name, except onlie in case when they opposed it to the Jewish sabbath, and preferred it farre before their carnall observation.
But wheras in this Objection the aspersion and reproachfull name of Iewish Sabbatarians is laid on all them who call the Lords day the Cbristian Sabbath, and urge the sanctification of it, by the law of God. This is a point of such notable impudency and intemperancie, that it deserues the scourge & whip of Ecclesiasticall censure & punishment, to chastise and correct, rather then any arguments of reason or divinity to convince such Raylors. For in the Homilies which are comprehended and commanded in the Articles of our Religion, by law established: the Lords day is frequently stiled by the name of Sabbath, even no lesse then eight times in one Homily, which treateth of the time & place of praier.
And both there, and in the writings of the most godly diuines, and builders of our Church, Gods people are vrged by the law of God, even the fourth Commandement to keepe holy the Lords day, for the Christian weekly Sabbath, and in our divine service after the publicke rehearsing of that commandement in the congregation, are injoyned to pray in these words. Lo…d hauehave mercy upon us, and incline our hea…tes to keepe thy law And this you see the first generall duty of the Sabbath, to weet: Resting from worldly affaires clearly proved, and that while their is a Sabbath or weekly day of holy assemblies, either under the Gospel, all men are bound to observe this rest.
The second generall duty necessa…ily to be performed in the keeping of the Sabbath is sanctification, which is by mens devoting of themselves wholy to divine worship, & such religious actions, as God requirs in the times of the Church in which they live, such as are publick assemblies for praising God, praying to him, preaching, reading, expounding, and hearing of his word, commemoration of his great works, and rehearsing of his promises for common edification. Also private praier…, and meditations on heavenly things, domesticall instructions and the like. All these are necessary Sabbath duties to be observed of al men, in all ages, both under the old & new testament. First the words wherin Moses here in my text, discribes Gods first institutiō of the Sabbath, proue this fully. For here it is said that God sanctified it, that is, set it apart for holy exercises in the performance whereof men do sanctifie it. For sanctifying is either by infusion of holinesse into the thing sanctified, or setting it apart to holy use and exercise, but it had no holinesse infused into it, as I hauehave else where proved. Therefore it was sa…ctified, by consecration, that is, setting apart to holy use.
Secondly, it is called the holy Sabbath, that is: such a day of rest as is to be kept Exod. 16.23. before the giving of the fourth commandement as Moses shewes, saying. To morrow is the rest of our holy sabbath to the Lord, that is: this is a rest not of idlenesse, but from common affairs, that men may be exercised in holy duties onelyonly.
Thirdly, in the giving of the law from mount Sina, God commands expresly, that all his people doe remember to sanctifie and keepe holie the sabbath, which cannot be but by exercise of holy duties, and performance of holy service and worshippe vntounto God. Exod. 2….9.
L…stly, in all the scriptures of the law, which speake of the sabbath in the old Testament, it is called the Lords holy sabbath. And sanctification of it, is required as appeares, Exod. 31.15 &, 5.2. Deut. 5.12. And in the Evangellicall Prophets, which speake of the sabbath both of old, and also in the last daies of the Gospell, it is called the Lords Holy day. Isa. 58:13: & 66:23: and it is said, that all flesh, that is true Christians of all nations Shall from one Sabbath to another come to worship before the Lord & Ezech. 44.24. They shall hallow the Sabbath.
But here some perhaps will object. That none can truly sanctifie the Sabbath,Objection nor performe a…y holy duty, who are wholy carnall, & unregenerate and hauehave not the spirit of God dwelling in them, & sanctifying them, & such are many even in the bosome of the true Church. And therfore sanctification of the Sabbath, cannot be a generall duty performed by al men, nor requi…ed of all, but is a special duty pr…per to the elect Saints, who are truly sanctified, others were neuer able to sanctifie the sabbath and therefore it is not a duty which God can justly require of all in generall.
Answer.Jt is true indeed, that as a bitter fountaine & corrupt, can send forth no sweet and pure water, so no naturall man can performe a true & holy duty. Holines is a supernaturall guift of the holy Ghost, and he it is who enables men to performe all workes which are eternally holy: But as ther is a two fold sanctification the one internal, which is the wo…k of the holy Ghost in men; the other externall, which is the consecrating & setting apart of things naturall and artificiall to be imployed to an holy vse, and to supernaturall end, so also there are two sorts of holy exercise. Some which are eternally holy, as holy prayers and praises and all workes of true piety, which onelyonly holy men performe, by the power of the holy Ghost working in them and mouing them. Others are only externally holy, by outward consecration & seperation, because the are appointed to be done for holy use, & to be used in the worship of God, such are all outward religious duties, as sacrificing and such like performed by Hipocrites and carnall professours in the old Testament, such as Caine, Saul, and Elis wicked sonnes were. And reading, preaching, set formes of prayer, and gestures of worship performed by Hipocrites both before and under the Gospel. These later are in the power of Hipocrites and unregenerate men, who by a common guift and generall grace are enabled to performe farre more in this kinde then they do, or are willing to do. Now though all men cannot performe the first, yet so farr as they are able they are bound to performe the later sort of dut…es, among which are the externall sanctifications of the Sabbath, as frequenting holy and publick ass…mblies, singing of Psalmes, joyning with the Church in publick prayers and the like: which as they are able to do, so they are bound to do, and if they refuse in such things to conforme themselves, they are punis…ed both by God for disobedience to his law, and also by the Censures of the Church. The third generall duty necessarily required of all in the observation of the Sabbath is: That they keep for their holy Sabbath that verie day of the week, whether it be the first or seventh, which God hath blessed aboue all other daies with the greatest blessing, and which he hath sanctified aboue all other daies by more full relation of his own holines to the world, and opening of a more wide doore of holines for the san…tifying of all his people. Thus I prove. First most plainly from the words of my text, which describe Gods first institution of the Sabbath. First by blessing it aboue other daies with that greatest of blessings even the promise of Christ a perfect Saviour and Redeemer of mankinde. Secondly, by sanctifying it in revealing his holinesse to man, and sanctifying man by his spirit & the promise and thereupon appointing it to be kept holy. As I hauehave fully before proved.
Secondly, the Lord God himselfe, both in giving the law from mount Sina, and often repeating of the fourth Commandement by Moses, still vrgeth the obseruation of the weekly Sabbath upon this groūd: because he hath on that day Redeemed them out of the house of bo… dage with a mighty hand & streached out arme. Deut. 5.15. & in oth…r places: for indeede on the Sabbath he redemed them and sanctified the first borne to himselfe. Exod. 13. From whence we conclude, that Gods blessing of a day aboue other daies with greatest blessings, is a good ground for the keeping of it for his holy Sabbath, and so also is Gods sā ctifying of it by more speciall holines. Thirdly it is manifest, that all extraordinary and yearlie Sabbaths which God commanded Israell to keepe holy such as the first and seventh dai…s of the feasts of the Passover, Pentecost, & of Tabernacles were al enjoyned to be k…pt & observed in memory of greater blessings given on those daies, and of Gods sanctifying them by more full revelation of his holines. And therefore much more is the observation of the continuall weekly Sabbath grounded upon greater blessings given, & holines fully revealed on that day of the week which is to be observed for the Sabbath: & in whatsoever age, time, or state, of the Church men do live, they are bound by the first institution of the Sabbath, and by the first law which God then gaue for the keeping of it, as to obserue an holy weekly sabbath, so to obserue on that verie daie of the weeke, which God hath at that time and in that age revealed, and declared to be the day which he hath blessed and sanctified aboue all others daies of the weeke. As for example, while Christ was promised a redeemer of the world, and was not yet given, the day of the promise wherin he was first promised, and did undertake and begin to mediate for man, was the most blessed day which God had sanctified and blessed with the promise, which was the greatest blessing revealed and made knowne in the Old Testament. But when an other day of the weeke comes to be blessed with a greater blessing, even the giving of Christ, and the full exhibition of him a perfect redeemer, then is that the day which God hath sanctified aboue all daies, & then the law & the words of the first institutiōs bind mē to keep that for the holy Sabbath. And thus you see the generall duties which God requires of all men in generall which are necessary to the being of the Sabbath, and with out which there can be no right obseruation of a weekly sabbath holy to the Lord.