The Doctrine of the Sabbath, Chapter 19
CHAP. 19.
FOR the full proofe of the first point, there are many strong and invincible arguments grounded vponupon the word and law of God, upon the generall consent of Orthodox divines both auncient and moderne, even upon the confession of them who in this point much differ, and seeme to deny that the Lords day either is, or ought to be called a Sab.
1. Argument.The first Argument is drawn from the words of the law, which forbids all workes to be done on the Sabbath day either by man himselfe, or his children, servants, or cattell, as Exod. 20:10. Deut. 5.14: where it is said. In it thou sh…lt not do any worke thou nor thy son nor thy servant nor thy cattell: & Exod. 35.2 Leuit. 23.7. Yee shall do no servile work… therein, whosoeve… doth any work therin shall be put to death. The reasons why the Lord requires rest from all servile worke on the Sabbath day are two.
First because he who is the Lord our God and our Redeemer, hath on that day rested from his worke, and him we ought to imitate if we will enter into his rest. Secondly, because he hath blessed the day which is his Sabbath aboue all daies of the weeke, and wheresoever the causes and reasons stand firme, there the law is still in force. Now this law of the Sabbath doth reach to the Lords day: (As J hauehave proved before) & the reasō vponupon which it requirs rest frō se…vile works are much more to be found in the Lords day which is the Christian Sab: then in the Old Sabbath of the seventh day. For in it Christ who is God ouer all blessed for ever, and who is our Redeemer from a greater then Egyptian bondage, even the slauery of sinne, death and hell, and the Divell, hath rested from the great worke of redemption as God the Creatour did one the seventh day from the worke of creation. And this day is now by Christs resurrection in which Christ perfected mans redemption, blessed with a blessing farre more excellent then any wherewith God blessed the seventh day. Therfore this is the Sabbath now under the Gospell, & in it God requirs of us by his law a rest & total cessatiō frō al servile works. Secondly whatsoever day is the Lords holy day, & a day of holy convocations & assemblies that is a Sab: of rest frō al servile works & worldly busines,2 Argument. this is manifest Exod. 12.16. & 31.15. & 35.2: & Leuit. 32.3:7: which places do plainly shew, that every day which is holy to the Lord and a day of holy assemblies, is a Sab: of rest, & no worke may be done therin. And so likewise in all the law & the Prophets every day which is a day of holy convocation, & an holy day is called a Sab: & day of rest from our own works & pleasures & every Sab: is called the Lords holy day, for these two are termini convertibiles, termes which may be naturally affi…med one of another, as apeares Neh. 9:14: & Isa: 58:13: Now the Lords day in the time of the Gospell is the chiefe of all holy dayes among Christians: It was sanctified & observed by the Apostles for their day of holy assemblies from the first publishing of the Gospell among the Gentiles, on that they did meet together to heare the word & to receiue the sacrament of the Lords supper Act: 20:7: And on that day St Paul ordained that the collections & offerings should bee made for the Saints 1 Cor: 16:12: which were things proper for holy & publicke assemblies: So St: John cals it by the name of the Lords day: Revel: 1:10: that is, the day which is universall, sacred, & holy to the Lord in an high degree. For whatsoever things hauehave the Lords name named on them, are such, as all confesse & many examples of Scripture proue abundantly: All the auncient fathers & doctors of the Church who immediatly & in the …ext ages succeed the Apostles, do proclaime it to be the chief holy day of Christians; even the Queene & supreme Lady of dayes: So Ignatius cals it as J hauehave often before noted: also the day of their holie assemblies wherin they did come together to preach, read, expound, & heare Gods word, to worshipp God, to pray & to praise God with their one voyce, to receiue the Sacramentt and offer up almes. So Iustin Martyr affirmes: The rest of the most learned fathers, as Basill, Nazianzene, Chrysostome, Hyerome, & Austen, do all extoll it for the Lords high roiall holy daie, the chief…, primate, & first fruites of daies, as the learned of all sides know & co…fesse, even Calvin, & his followers, who made a doubt & scruple of calling it the Sab: or observing it for a Sab: of holy rest by any warrant from Gods law. Therefore none can with any good reason deny, that one maine duty of this day is rest from all earthly workes. Thirdly,3. Argument. wheresoever there is as much use of holie rest & cessation frō all worldlie affaires, as there was of old when God first gaue, & afterwards repeated and urged the law of the weekly Sab: there a Sab: of rest ought to be kept weeklie even by the Com: of God. This is truth & undeniable. For no laws of God comm…nding things which are but tipes & figures, are at any time abrogated, vntill the things commanded cease to be of use as the Apostle shewes in the 8 9: & 10 cap: of Heb:
Now Christ who is the body and substance of all types and shaddowes, hath not by his comming so fulfilled the rest of the weekly Sabbath, but there is as great, as holy and as necessary use of it to us Christians, as there was to the people of God in the Old Testament.
First, we hauehave as much and more need of refreshing our weak bodies, and the bodies of our servants and labouring cattell then they had, by keeping a weekly Sabbath, for we are grown farre more weake and feeble, and of shorter life then they were.
Secondly, we hauehave as great neede of seperating, sequestring, and recalling our minds and affections from all worldly cares negociations, and pleasures, …hat we may hauehave pleasure and freedome to worship and serue God, and devote one day in everie weeke to publick assemblies for our edification in grace faith and holin…sse. For we are more full of infirmities, and doe decay and grow corrupt more and more, as all the world doth, and hauehave need of all outward helpes more then they.
Thirdlie, as rest from all workes and labours which concerne this life was necessarie and of great vse to Adam, and al the fathers, to withdraw their hearts and mind…s from placing their felicitie and seeking happinesse in this world, and to put them in remembrance, that (being fallen from that integrity in which they were created, and the first covenant of life by mans owne workes, being broken and made voyd by the first fall and disobedience) there is no hope of life or of any true blessednesse. Soe it is of no lesse use, but of much more necessitie for us, who are farre more eagre after the world, more readie to place our felicitie in earthly things, and more proud and arrogant, readie to glorie in our own merits, & to boast of our own righteousnesse, …s we see by common course of the world, which now a daies soe madlie doateth after Popish and Pelagian merits.
F…ur…hlie, as Gods commanding of a weeklie rest to be given to man and beast; and the resting of the fathers on the Sabbath day, from servile workes and labour which came in as a curse for sinne, were of great vse to teach them, and to be a pledge, and token unto them, that God did rest in Christs mediation, and his justice was fullie satisfied, and his wrath appeased towards them, by that satisfaction which Christ had vndertaken to make, and that the sting of sinne and death, and the bitternesse of the curse was taken awaie by him. So likewise it is of the same use still to us, and we hauehave as much need of the same weekly holie r…st, to make us feele more sensible, and relish more sweetly the virtue of Christs satisfaction, the sweetnesse whereof wee through our dullnesse can hardlie tast and relish, and many amongst us make a doubt whether there be any such satisfaction of Gods justice needfull at all, or any appeasing of his wrath by Christ.
Fifthly, as Gods injoyning of rest was of use to the fathers to testifie to them his prouident care ouer his creatures, both men and beasts, and his hatred and detestation of mercilesse crueltie and unjust oppression: Soe it is much more usefull to us for the same purpose in these last daies and perillous times, wherein men are become fierce, cruell, implacable, without naturall affection, as experience teacheth, and the Apostle foretold. 2 Tim. 3.2.3.
Lastlie, as the weekly rest of the old Sabbath grounded upon the obscure promise of Christ, was commanded by God, that it might bee a meanes to stirre up the fathers to looke for true comfort, ease & refreshing in Christ, if they did by faith flee to him, whensoever they did travell under the burden of their sinnes, and Satans temptations, as wee read that Iob did cap. 16.21. and 19.25. Soe now it is much more usefull to stirre us up to seeke to Christ, when wee are heavie laden, and groane under the burden of sinne, and of the miseries which come by sinne, and of Satans dangerous temptations. Seeing as Satan doth now …ore rage like a Roaring Lyon, 1 Pet 5.8. And is full of wrath because his time growes shorter Revel. 12. So we hauehave Christ actuallie given and revealed, and in the Gospell calling and inviting us and promising rest and refreshing for our soules in such causes of distresse, if we come to him. Jn a word, to us the rest of the Lord Christs day is a more liuelie pledge of eternall rest by him prepared in heaven for us:
These things being cleare and manifest, the conclusion following vponupon these praemises it this. That we are as much or more bound by Gods law to keepe the Lords day as a Sabbath of weekly rest, by ceasing from all affaires of this life, laying aside all worldlie cares, and resting from all our owne ordinarie and common workes and labours.
Fourthlie,4. Argum. they who are more spirituall and hauehave hauehave liuely hope of Heaven, and hauehave the spirit shed on them more abundantlie, they are more bound by Gods law to sequester themselves and withdraw their mindes from worldlie cares, and more to minde heavenlie things as at all other times, so on the Lords holie daie, which is consecrated to heavenly, spirituall and religious worship and seruice of God, & is a pledg to them of eternall rest with Christ in heaven.
For to whome God hath given, more of them shall more bee required.
Now it is most plainly testified in the Scriptures. That Christians vnderunder the Gospell are more spirituall, and hauehave the spirit more abundantly shed on them through Christ, then the Fathers had Act. 2.17. & Tit. 3.6. The Ministery of the new Testament is the ministery of the spirit not of the letter 2 Cor. 3.6. And we hauehave now more evidence & more assurance of the blessed hope reserued in heaven for vsus. Colos. 1.5. There is Christ our life and Treasure Colos. 3, 1.2. And there our hearts ought to be, and not on earthly things. We must now be ready if Christ call vsus to sell all and to giuegive to the poore, that we may hauehave treasure in heaven.
Therefore we are bound by the law especially on the Lords day our weekly holy day, to be more sequestered from the world, and to rest wholy from all cares and labours about earthly things, that we may be wholy deuoted to heavenly things and to divine meditations.
5. Argu:Lastly, though Auncient Fathers and Doctours of the Church did much condemne in their writings, the observation of the Sabbath after the manner of the later Iewes,Chrisostom in Cor. 16. Augst ser. 25 1. de temp: Gregor. Magn Epist: lib: 11.3: to weet: in idlenesse, and from resting from all worldly affaires, that they might spend the day in vaine sports and delights, and in wanton leaping and dauncing, which in the graue judgment of these learned Fathers: Was worse and more prophane then plowing and digging and working in woll. Yet notwithstanding they doe generally commend the Lords day as a day of rest to all Gods people from all rurall workes and worldly affaires, that they may be at leasure to exercise themselues in holy duties, and be wholy devoted to the worshipp of God. And hereupon it is, that the learned of these later times; especially the builders of Gods Church in this land, do most frequently in respect of this rest and cessarion from al seculiar affaires call the Lords day the Sabbath of Christians, as appeares in the first part of the Homily of the time and place of prayer, and do affirme that as the Fathers in the old Testament were bound to rest one the seventh day from all manner of worke: Soe also are Christians bound on the Lords day to rest and that by the law of God.