The Doctrine of the Sabbath, Chapter 5 – Chapter 6
CHAP. 5.
1. Position negative.FIrst we must not in any case imagine. That Gods sanctifieing of the seventh day was the creating or in…useing of any naturall holynesse in to it, by which it was distinguished from other dayes of the weeke, and made more excellent then any of them. My reasons are:
First because creating of naturall holynesse in any thing, is a worke of creation: But God rested from all works of creation on the seventh day, and from making any thing which belonged to the naturall being of any creature, or to the natural frame and perfection of it, witnesse the wordes of my text, and the wordes of the Lord him selfe. Exod. 20.13.
Secondly the Scriptures which are the onelyonly rule of faith, and so all Doctrines of this kind do never mention any naturall holynesse in any creature which God made in the whole created frame of heaven and earth; all though God did create man perfect in his kinde, even in his own image.
Yet I doe not read, that this image comprehended any more in it, but naturall gifts and endowments onelyonly, as light of understanding, libertye of will, most free to good onelyonly, and well ordered affections all upright; also a comely frame and excellent temperatur of the body, fitt to be the seat, subject & instrument of a liveing reasonable naturall soule and spirit, and to rule over all other creatures. Salomon the wise preacher describeing the image and excellent frame wherein God created man, makes no mention of any holynesse, but onelyonly of naturall uprightnesse. God (saith he) made man upright. We never read of holynesse naturall to any but onelyonly to God.
Thirdly true holynesse is a gift of supernaturall grace given onelyonly in Christ, and proceeding f…om the holy Ghost shed on men through Christ, and dwelling in them as the immortall seed of God.
It belongs not to the naturall image of God wherein the first earthly Adam was created; but to the spirituall and heavenly image of the second Adam, Christ who is a quickening spirit & the Lord from heaven heavenly, whose image no man can bear but in the state of regeneration, when he is borne of the spirit, and begotten of God to a lively hope,1· Pit. 1.3▪ to the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which fadeth not a way; as I have largly here to fore proved by divers Scriptures which appose the image of true holynesse, and undefyled righteousnesse, which men have in Christ; to the image of the first Adam, but that upright image wherein he was first made, and that corrupt image where in to he was transformed by his fall, as appeares most plainely. 1. Cor: 15.45.49. & Eph. 4.23.24.
The thing which deceives many learned men, and carries them to thinke that holinesse was apart of mans naturall image in which he was created is this.Objection.
First they take it for granted, that all vprightnesse & purity of man in heart, soule, life, and conversation, by which he is conformable to the law of nature and to Gods will revealed, and his commandements given to him, is true holinesse and is so called in Scripture.
Secondly, they reade that Adam was made by God vpright and had that purity & vprightnesse which made him conformable to Gods law and revealed will, and this was Gods image in him, & herevpon they conclude, that Adam was created in true holinesse.
Answer.To this I hauehave heretofore vponupon another textfully answered, by laying downe a plaine distinction gathered from Gods word, and daily experience, and by applying it to this purpose. For I hauehave distingu…shed purity and uprightnesse by which man is conformable to the revealed will and law of God into two sorts. First there is a created naturall purity & vprightnesse founded upon naturall principles, which God gaue to man in his fi…st creation, by he which was conformable to Gods revealed will, to the law of his nature in the state of innocency, but this vprightnesse having no other roote, or foundation, but mans mutable nature and frame, was also mutable and was quickly defaced and corrupted by the subtilty of the tempter and mans fall. Secondly, there is a renewed or new created uprightnesse and purity of man in his heart and soule, life and conversation, which is found onelyonly in Gods elect & faithfull regenerat Children; by which they are here in some measure made conformable to the law and will of God; this although it is much ecclipsed and obscured by the remainders of naturall corruption which still dwell in Gods Saints in this fraile life and mortall body, and doth not shine forth in the true brightnesse of it, yet it proceeds from an eternall fountaine, the pure waters whereof spring vp unto life eternall, and cannot be defiled but remaine pure, though they passe through the dead sea of Sodom, the filthy lake of mans naturall corruptions, which dwell still in this body of death, this pure fountaine is the spirit of regeneration which God sheds through Christ on the elect, as our Saviour himselfe teacheth, Joh. 14.4. & 8.38.39. And because this spirit even the holy Ghost which daily renues them, being shed on them in there new birth Tit. 3.5.6. doth dwell in them as the mortall seed of God, & abides with them for ever Joh. 14, 16. and is stronger then the spirit of malice the Devill, which overthrew our first parents and ever since rules in all worldly men, 1 Iob. 4.4. Therefore it is true puritie and vprightnesse which cannot faile nor deceive us as Adams did; and this is that which the Apostle cals the new man and the righteousnesse and holinesse of truth, Ephess. 4.24. in the same sence that spirituall, supernaturall, and heavenly graces are called the true riches, that is the riches durable and incorruptible, which will neverly vntounto vsus: nor by failing deceive vsus, Luk. 16. As for the created purity and vprightnesse by which the first Adam was conformable to the law, it is never in all the Scriptures called by the name of holinesse, neither is it, or any morall virtue in any vnregenerate man, any true holinesse, because it proceeds not from the holy Ghost who dwels in the regenerate and works all true holinesse in in them. I wish that all the learned would seriously weigh this truth & embrace it with their hearts, and beare it continualy in their minds and memories: For this will at one blow raze to the very foundation all pelagian, Popish, Armian Hoeresies, concerning the power of mans fre… will, the efficacy and merit of mans naturall workes don before regeneration, and the falling away of men regenerate and justified, from the grace of God and from justifying faith and true holinesse, also concerning vniversall grace given to all men, by which they hauehave it in their owne power to be saved.
And if it would please the Lord to open the hearts of our people r…ghtlie conceive this difference, betweene the image of the first and second Adam, and betweene the created naturall vprightnesse of Adam, and the spirituall vprightnesse and infused holinesse wherein the second Adam was conceived and framed by the holy Ghost. This would ravish their hearts and fill them with admiration of the singular louelove of God to his elect in Christ, and of the singular excellencie of the grace & holinesse, and of those high prerogatives which the regenerate and faithfull receive and enjoy through him, which indeed soe farre exceed all that belonged to man in the state of innocency, as Christ the second Adam in his humanity exceeded the first Adam, and immutable grace exceeds mutable nature, and as eternall fruition of God in heavenly grace, excels the fruition of fading pleasures in an earthly paradise.
CHAP. 6
Secondly, Gods sanctifying of the seventh day was not the creation or infusing of any spirituall or supernaturall holinesse into it; by which it did excell all other dayes of the weeke. For first all spirituall and supernaturall holinesse: is created & infused by the holy Ghost, only into reasonable creatures Angels and men, and cannot be in any thing void of reason, vnderstanding, free will and affections. Although things without life, and creatures void of reason, are called holy by way of relation, because they are dedicated to an holie use: Yet nothing is called holie by holinesse of qualification, that is by holinesse inherent & heavenlie grace, qualitie and perfection, but onelie man and the holie Angels who are partakers of the holie Ghost; and hauehave him dwelling & working in them. For this holinesse is unstained puritie and vnspotted vprightnesse, which possesseth and informeth the vnderstanding, will, desires, affections and inclinations of resonable creatures, & makes them conformable to Gods revealed will and the rule of his law. S…e that to imagine holines infused into any time, place or any other thing, which hath not reason & vnderstanding and will, is a mere dreame, dotage and superstition. Times and places, as holy daies, and holie temples, are holie in Scripture not for any holines inherent in them, which they communicate to Gods people, but because these daies and places are dedicated to holie use, and in them God is pleased by his spirit working with his word and ordinances, to beg it, increase and stirre vp holy aff…ctions in men, and to come and enable them to performe holie actions, according to Gods will.
Secondlie, all true infused inherent holinesse, created and wrought by the holie Ghost, springs from an eternall fountaine, and is founded vponupon a sure rock which can never bee removed but standeth firme for ever. Where Gods spirit once informeth or taketh possession, and worketh true holinesse ther he abides for ever, Ioh. 14.16.
The Devill and all the powers of darknesse cannot prevaile, nor dispossesse him, for he is greater then they all, 1. Ioh. 4.4. Soe that if God had sanctified the seventh day; by infusing holinesse, and conforming it with the holy Ghost, it could never hauehave beene profaned, polluted and defiled by men, neither could there hauehave beene any chaunge, of it from the holy Sabbath to a common and ordinary day of the weeke, as now wee see, by Christs resurrection: It should hauehave continued Gods holy weekly Sabbath for ever, even as men once truly regenerate and sanctified by the holy Ghost; are by that spirit sealed vntounto the day of full redemption, Ephess. 4.30.