Exposition of the Moral Law, Book 1 · Commandment 4

Exposition of the Moral Law · Book 1 · Commandment 4

p. 197Commandement IV.

EXERCITAT. I. Of the word Sabbath, how it is taken in the Scriptures.

Exod. 20.8. Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy.

THe word Sabbath is not tranſlated,The word Sabbath is not tranſlated in any language. but kept in the originall, and paſſeth in all languages, as the word Cherubim, Paſcha, and ſuch.

But when it ſignifieth a whole weeke, then it is tranſlated; as Levit. 23.15.The Sabbath ſignifieth a whole weeke. And you ſhall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the ſheafe of the waue offering: ſeven weekes ſhall be complete. In the Hebrew it is, ſeven Sabbaths ſhall be complete. So in the Goſpell, Ifaſt twice in the weeke. Luc. 18.12.

It is diſtinguiſhed from other Sabbaths by (He) demonſtrative, Haſabbath, ה Demonſtrativum. foreign Sabbathum ſabbathorum.and it is called Sabbath Sabbathon, a Sabbath of Sabbaths, Exod. 31.15. that is, an excellent Sabbath. Matthew retaineth the firſt, calling it Sabbath, and the Apoſtle, Heb. 4.9. tranſlateth Sabbathon foreign, it is not a diminitive here, as ſome p. 198would make it, becauſe nun is added to it, as though it ſignified foreign, or a preparation to the Sabbath; but it is doubled here to ſignifie an excellent Sabbath above other Sabbaths. The Hebrews expreſſe the ſuperlative diverſely,foreign ſometimes they adde the name of God (El) to it, when they would expreſſe a great or excellent thing as el gabbiſh, great haileſtones. Ezek. 13.11 ſo ariel a ſtrong lyon, 2. Sam. 20.

Secondly, they expreſſe the ſuperlative by putting two ſynonima or words that are equivalent in ſignification together,foreign e coeno luti. as Pſal. 40.2. He brought me out, Mittit hajaven, è coeno luti, the mirie clay. And thirdly, by doubling the ſame word, as Gen. 14.10. putei, putei, to ſignifie many and deepe pits:foreign putei putei. and ſo here, Sabbath Sabbathon to ſignifie that great Sabbath. The Iewes comparing this Sabbath with other Sabbaths they call it the Queene, and their other Sabbaths as Paſcha pentecoſt, and feaſt of Tabernacles, they compare them but to concubines, and the dayes betwixt the firſt day of the feaſt, and the laſt great day of it, they compare them but to handmaids.

This Sabbath exceeds all other Sabbaths.

Queſt. Why then is that called a high Sabbath, Ioh. 19.31. (For that Sabbath day was an high day) when the Iewes transferred their paſcha to it, was the ſabbath day more holy, becauſe of this tranſlation of the paſcha to it?

Anſw. Why the Sabbath was called a high Sabbath.It is called a high day here onelyonly in eſtimation of the Iewes, for the Scriptures ſpeake of things ſometimes s men conceive of them; as Ioh. 18.28. And they themſelves went not into the Iudgement hall, leſt they ſhould be defiled: The Scripture Speaketh of things as men conceive of them.that is, as they thought or conceived, they ſhould be defiled.

And from this word Sabbath ſundry languages doe forme and derive their word ſignifying the Sabbath. p. 199as the Syriack calleth it Sabba, Diverſe derivations of the word Sabbath.and the Greekes following the Syriack, call it foreign, and in the plurall number foreign having the accent in the penult ſyllable: but when it is derived from the Hebrew word Sabbath, then the Greeke termination is foreign having the accent in antepenultima, and the Apoſtle following Helleniſmum, or the Grecizing Iewes teacheth us to put the accent in penultima, therefore they who derive it from the Hebrew word Sabbath are miſtaken.

All the reſt of the feaſts take their denomination from it, as the feaſt of expiation. Levit. 16.21.The reſt of the feaſts take their denomination from the Sabbath. So the ſeaventh yeares reſt, and the Iubile the fiftieth yeares reſt are all called Sabbaths; and the whole weeke is called the Sabbath. Levit. 23.15. Luc. 18.12.

The heathen who lived out of the Church,The prophane derivation of the Sabbath according to the heathen. as Plutarch, made a profane derivation of this word Sabbath, deriving it from foreign Bacchus, and when they ſaw the Iewes keepe it, they ſaid, they kept orgya Bacchi, the feaſts of Bacchus.

The concluſion of this is,Concluſion. all the feaſts tooke their denomination from the Sabbath, and were called Sabbaths from it; therefore they were but vaſſals to the Sabbath, and like ſervants called after their maſters name, and were to bee aboliſhed, whereas the Sabbath ſhould indure.

p. 200EXERCITAT. II. When the Sabbath day beginneth. Commandement IV.

Gen. 1.8. And the evening and the morning were the firſt day.

FOr the underſtanding of this, when the Sabbath beginneth, we muſt know firſt, what is a naturall day, and what is an artificiall day:The naturall day what. A naturall day is the ſpace of twenty foure houres, meaſured by the preſence and abſence of the ſunne; the preſence of the ſunne is called the day, and the abſence of it is called the night.

An artificiall day what.An artificiall day is from the ſunne riſing to the ſunne ſetting, as Exod. 18.14. Why ſitteſt thou thy ſelfe alone, and all the people ſtand by thee from morning unto even, and ſo Ioh. 11.9. Are there not twelve houres in the day.

When the naturall day began.The naturall day began in the morning, becauſe the light was the firſt thing that was created; this light meaſured the three firſt dayes when it ſhined; and it made the night when it withdrew it ſelfe: but from the fourth day after the creation, the ſunne meaſured the day, and the moone the night.

The darkeneſſe which was upon the face of the depth was not the firſt night.That darkeneſſe which was upon the face of the earth made not the firſt night, it was no part of time, but punctum temporis; for time is the meaſure of motion, and it began with the light, and ſhall end with it. Rev. 10.6. Then there ſhall be no more time.

Secondly, the night is the privation of light, and the habit goeth alwayes before the privation; therefore p. 201the day was before the night.

Pſal. 104.19. Hee appointed the moone for ſeaſons, Obj. the ſunne knoweth her going downe. Hee appointed the moone for ſeaſons, here the moone is reckoned firſt, becauſe the night was before the day, and the ſunne waiteth upon her and knoweth her ſeaſons.

The ſunne knoweth Mebhoo, occaſum ſuum, Anſw. his owne going downe, and not her going downe;foreign Sol novit occaſum ſuum, et non ejus, ſcilicet Lunae. for Shemeſh is in the common gender: and the ſunne waiteth not upon the moone, but ſhe waiteth upon the ſunne; becauſe ſhe hath all her light from the ſunne. Secondly, David keepeth not the order of time here,The order of time not alwayes kept in the ſcriptures. Object. no more then hee doth in reckoning up of the plagues of Egypt. Pſal. 106.

But the evening and the morning were the firſt day, therefore the evening hath beene before the morning.

The evening is the ending of the light here, Anſw. foreign veſpera finis diei a foreign miſcere, ſic dicta, quod tunc lux tenebris commiſceri inciptat▪and the morning is the ending of the night; the evening is called Gnerebh from Gnarabh miſcere, becauſe it is partly day, and partly night; and it is called crepuſculum, from the old Latine word crepera, which ſignifieth dubius, as when wee doubt whether it bee day or night, and it is amidſt betwixt day and night.

There is a twofold midſt, medietas aequidiſtantiae, Medietas Interpoſitionis. AEquidiſtantiae.& medietas interpoſitionis; as the ſunne in the dayes of Ioſhua is ſaid to ſtand upon Gibeon, and the moone in the valley of Ajalon. Ioſh. 10.13. The ſunne ſtood South-weſt from the campe of Ioſhua where it pitched at that time, in Makkedah as ye goe to Bethoron. Verſ. 10. which lay betwixt Gibeon and Ajalon. The ſunne in the South-weſt maketh three after noone, and yet the ſunne is ſaid to ſtand in the midſt of heaven. Verſ. 15. although it was three houres paſt the meridionall, this was medietas interpoſitionis.

The ſecond is, medietas aequidiſtantiae, as when a thing participateth equally of both the extreames; now when p. 202Gnerebh is called the evening,Gnerebh the evening belongeth to the day, and not to the night, what ſort of midſt is it? it is not medium aequidiſtantiae here, but medium interpoſitionis; and therefore it belongeth to the day, and not to the night.

When Chriſt is ſaid to lye three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth:How Chriſt lay three dayes and three nights in the grave. Chriſt was crucified betwixt two evenings at that time when the Paſcall Lamb was killed; the evening here is reckoned for the firſt day; and the next foure and twenty houres are reckoned for the ſecond day; and he roſe upon the third morning, that was the third day; the morning here Synecdochice is taken for the whole day, and the night following.

Obj. But it was ſaid before, that the morning belonged to the night going before, how then beginneth it a new day when Chriſt is ſaid to riſe the third day?

Anſw. Varro de lingua latina.There is a threefold morning, Firſt, when there is more darkneſſe than light. Secondly, when there is a like darkneſſe and light.A three fold morning. Thirdly, when there is more light than darkneſſe. The firſt morning belongeth to the night going before; the ſecond ſtandeth as a midſt betwixt both the day and the night; and the third morning belongeth to the day following: this is cleare out of the ſcripture;The Evangeliſts reconciled concerning the time when Chriſt roſe. for Mathew Cap. 28.1. ſaith, foreign that is, Serum Sabbathi, the Iewes Sabbath being ended, it began to dawne to the firſt day of the weeke; the firſt part of thoſe words have relation to the firſt morning, in which there is more darkneſſe than light, and the latter part hath relation to the third morning, in which there is more light than darkneſſe. The firſt morning Marke calleth it foreign, the Iewes Sabbath being ended, Luke calleth it foreign, upon the firſt day of the weeke when there was great darkneſſe as yet. Marke calleth the third morning foreign, earely in the morning the firſt p. 203day of the weeke, when there was more light then darkneſſe, and Iohn explaineth this, foreign, while as yet there was ſome darkneſſe; when the women roſe to goe to the ſepulchre, it was the firſt morning being very darke:The time when the women came to the ſepulchre. when they were going to it it was betwixt light and darkneſſe, this was the ſecond morning; but when they were at the ſepulchre, Chriſt was riſen, that was the third morning. Now when it is ſaid the evening and the morning was the firſt day; by the morning here is underſtood the firſt part of the morning ending the night,Gnerebh the even is the ending of the day, and not the begining of the night. rather than beginning the day, as by the firſt part of Gnereb is underſtood, the ending of the day, and not the beginning of the night.

Ezek. 24.26.27. Object. The Lord ſheweth the Prophet in a viſion that Ieruſalem ſhould bee deſtroyed, and hee commanded him to hold his peace and not to ſpeake of the deſtruction of it to the people; and the Lord giveth him a ſigne, that his mouth ſhould bee opened in that day that the citie ſhould be deſtroyed, and that in that day he would ſend one to tell him; hee was dumbe all this while, and the accompliſhment of this prophecy we ſee. Ezek, 33.22. Where the Prophets mouth was opened unto him in the evening, and the meſſenger came to him in the morning: therefore the morning is a part of the night preceeding, and the day beginneth at the night.

Ezekiel ſetteth downe expreſſely the yeare, Anſw. the monethmonth, and the day when he ſaw this viſion. Ezek. 24.1. And he opened not his mouth concerning this matter; from the nineth yeare to the twelfth, at which time Ieruſalem was deſtroyed. Cap. 33.22. Then the hand of the Lord was upon him, and opened his mouth, and hee ſpake the ſelfe ſame night that the citie was deſtroyed, and in the morning of that day the meſſenger came to him; but this morning could not be a part of that day in p. 204which the citie was deſtroyed, and in which his mouth was opened; becauſe there was three dayes journey betwixt Ieruſalem and Babylon, where Ezekiel was in the captivitie for the preſent: therefore this teſtimonie will not ſerue the turne to prove that the morning was a part of that day in which his mouth was opened.

Obj. If it be ſaid that all this was done in viſion; therefore hee that eſcaped that night came to Ezekiel that morning.

Anſw. Was Ieruſalem deſtroyed onelyonly in viſion? did Ezekiel hold his peace all this time onelyonly in viſion? and ſaw the Prophet this day of the deſtruction of Ieruſalem only in a viſion?All theſe things concerning the deſtruction of the temple, were really done and not in viſion. this cannot ſtand; wherefore all theſe were really done, and he told him of the deſtruction of the citie; which hee could not doe in one night being ſuch a deſtance betwixt Ieruſalem and Babylon. This text then will afford no more but this, in that day that the man eſcapeth hee ſhall come to thee, and tell thee of the diſtruction of the citie; and not this, that hee ſhall come the ſelfe ſame day that he eſcapeth.

Ob. Gen. 29.23. Leah was brought to Iacob in the evening, that is, in the night; otherwiſe Iacob would have diſcerned her: therefore the evening belonged to the night, and not to the day.

Anſw. The evening hath ſundry periods in the ſcripture, before it bee called night properly,The evening hath ſundry periods. as the morning hath. Firſt, when the ſunne is declining, ſecondly, when the ſunne is ſetting, the time betwixt theſe two was called inter duas veſperas, betwixt two evenings. Exod. 12.6. Theſe two evenings belong properly to the day; then there is a third part of the evening, when it is darke night, and this belongeth to the night▪ and it was in this evening that Laban brought Leah to Iacob.

Now becauſe the day beginneth at the morning and not at the evening, it followeth, that the Sabbath muſt p. 205begin at the ſame period, at which the day began at the creation.

This fixed period at which the Sabbath beginneth muſt be after midnight,The time when the Sabbath doth begin is after midnight. when it is dawning towards the day, that is, when the day is aſcending upward, therefore Matthew ſaith, Cap. 28.1. When it began to dawne towards the firſt day of the weeke: in the originall it is foreign from foreign which ſignifieth to waxe towards the light, although it bee not light;foreign Candela ſeparationis. it ſignifieth not Habhdil the candle of ſeparation, with which the Iewes uſed to make a diſtinction betwixt the Sabbath and the day following; neither doth it ſignifie the light of the ſtarres, as ſome would have it; neither the riſing of the morning ſtarre; but that time onelyonly when the Sabbath beginneth to be kept, and dawneth towards it.

If this bee the true beginning of the day after midnight,Ludovicus de Dieu inannotat. in Matth. then the nations who keepe a diverſe period of the beginning of their day from this, decline from the firſt inſtitution; as the Vmbrians at midnight, the Aſtronomers at mid-day, the Babylonians at the ſunne riſing, the Athenians at the ſunne ſetting.

Midnight can not be properly the beginning of the day,The inconveniences that would follow if the Sabba…h began at any other time than after midnight. becauſe it partly partaketh of the day going before and partly of the day following; for the beginning of the day muſt be after midnight, and it is de media nocte, and not media nox when it beginneth.

It cannot begin at the mid-day, for this is contrary to the firſt inſtitution; for here there is neither morning nor evening.

Thirdly,Why the Sabbath cannot begin at the light. it cannot begin at the light with the Babylonians; for here there would follow a great abſurditie: becauſe they who dwell farre North from the equinoctiall line, or farre South from it; they have the ſunne in ſummer the whole foure and twenty houres, and in winter they want the light of the ſunne the whole day: p. 206therefore if the Sabbath began here with the light, then their Sabbath ſhould bee twice as long in the ſummer, and none in the winter: therefore there muſt be another period at which the day beginneth, than the light, or the riſing of the ſunne.

Why it cannot begin at the ſunne ſetting.Laſtly, the ſetting of the ſunne cannot be the beginning of the naturall day, for this is contrary to the order of creation, as is ſaid before: therefore no man ought to invert the order of nature for the beginning of the day, except God come in by his divine inſtitution & change it, as when hee brought the children of Iſrael out of Egypt in the evening, and inſtituted the Paſſover as a memoriall of that deliverance, he began that day at the evening, which obſervation they kept from that night in which they came out of Egypt, untill that morning when Chriſt roſe againe from the dead.

The Evangeliſts ſpeake of the diviſion of the day, according to the Romans computation.The Evangeliſts when they ſpeake of the morning when Chriſt roſe, they ſpeake according to the reckoning of the Romans, and not according to the reckoning of the Iewes. The Iewes at this time had many cuſtomes of the Romans amongſt them, becauſe they were ſubject to them; the Iewes divided their night in three watches, the firſt they called caput vigiliarum, Lament. 2.19. then they had the middle watch. Iud. 7.19. and the morning watch. Exod. 14.14. But after the manner of the Romans they divided their night into foure watches, And hee came to them in the fourth watch. Marc. 6.48. So they dated their yeares according to the reigne of the Princes, who reigned over them, as Luc. 3.1. In the fifteenth yeare of the reigne of Tiberius Caeſar. So the Prophets often times doe reckon by the heathen Kings. So when Alexander came to Ieruſalem, they reckoned their times from his comming, and they called it Aera Alexandri, and ſo, Aera Seleucidarum Alexandri: and ſo here they followed the Romans p. 207in counting of their day. The Romans divided their day and night into ſixtene parts,The Romans divided their day and night into ſixtene parts. the firſt part was called Diluculum, 2 Ortus ſolis, 3 Aſcenſio diei, 4 Antimedium diei, 5 Meredies, 6 Pomeridianum tempus, 7 Declinatio diei, 8 Occaſus ſolis, 9 Crepuſculum, 10 Conticinium, Vide Roſini antiquitates.11 Aſcenſio noctis, 12 ante medium noctis, 13 Intempeſtiva nox, 14 De media nocte, 15 Declinatio noctis, 16 Gallicinium: all this time De media nocte, untill the riſing of the ſunne is called the morning.

A Demonſtration to ſhow at what time the day began in the creation.

Thy Sunne ſhall no more goe downe, neyther thy Moone withdraw it ſelfe: for the Lord ſhall be thine everlaſting light and the dayes of thy mourning ſhall be ended. Eſay. 60.20.

god who comanded light to shine out of darknes hath shyned in our harts to giuegive y^e light of his glorie in christ 2 cor. 4.6.

p. 208EXERCITAT. III. Of the Morall, Judiciall, and Ceremoniall part of the Sabbath day. Commandement IV.

Nehem. 9.14. And madeſt knowne unto them thy holy Sabbath, and commandedſt them precepts, ſtatutes and lawes by the hand of Moſes thy ſervant.

SOme of Moſes lawes are both morall, judiciall and ceremoniall.That the firſt borne ſhould have a double portion was both morall, judiciall, and ceremoniall. Example, to give a double portion to the eldeſt, there is ſomething naturall in this law, to give a double portion to the eldeſt, becauſe he was his fathers ſtrength and firſt begotten: there was ſomething judiciall in this law, he muſt have a double portion; becauſe hee was to maintaine the prerogative of the firſt borne in Iſrael: and there was ſomething ceremoniall in this law, as he got a double portion; becauſe hee was a type of Chriſt, Who was the firſt borne amongſt many. Rom. 8.29.

The judiciall part of the law ceaſeth now, becauſe the commonwealth of Iſrael ſtandeth not now. The ceremoniall part of the law is taken away, becauſe the eldeſt now is not a type of Chriſt the firſt borne: but the morall part of the law remaineth, that the eldeſt ſhould have a double portion, becauſe hee is his fathers ſtrength.

Poſi ivum Morale. Divinum.So in the law of the Sabbath there is ſomething morale poſitivum, the morall poſitive part of the law; and ſecondly, ſomething poſitivum divinum, the divine poſitive part of the law, and both thoſe remaine ſtill. p. 209Thirdly, there are ſomethings judiciall in this law, and ſomethings ceremoniall, and thoſe two are abrogated.

The morall poſitive part of this law,What is morale poſitivum in the Sabbath. and the divine poſitive part doe remaine: the School-men ſay well, Cultus eſt à natura, modus à lege, & virtus à gratia. Cultus eſt à natura, nature it ſelfe teacheth us that there muſt be a time given to the ſervice of God, and this is morale poſitivum, the morall poſitive part of the law, Remember that thou keepe the reſt. But to keepe the ſeventh day,What divinum poſitivum. Modus eſt à lege, this was the divine poſitive part: but the ſpirit of God teacheth us to ſanctifie the Sabbath, and this is à gratia, from his grace.

This is the morall poſitive part of the law,All people have apointed a certaine time for the worſhip of God. to have a time for the worſhip of God; therefore all people have appointed a certaine time for his worſhip, the Mahumetans keepe the ſixt day of the weeke; the Iewes the ſeventh; the Chriſtians the firſt day; and the Indians the fourth day.

The divine poſitive part of the law is to keepe it within ſeven dayes, this is the limitation of God himſelfe, for nature would not teach us to keepe one of ſeven, more then one of eight.

How can this law bind us more than any other of Moſes judiciall lawes; Queſt. ſeeing it is not the morall poſitive part of the law?

This divine poſitive part bindeth all men, Anſw. This divine poſitive law bindeth us ſtrictly, becauſe it was given to Adam before his fall.becauſe it was given to Adam before his fall, and hee repreſented all mankinde; therefore this divine poſitive law hath a greater force to binde us, then other of Moſes poſitive lawes which did binde onelyonly the Iewes in Iudea.

It may be ſaid that ceremonies are changable: Ob. but this keeping of the Sabbath is a ceremony; therefore &c.

Ceremonies of order appointed by the Church may Anſw. p. 210be changed,Ceremonies of order may be changed by the Church. but this cannot be changed; for although it be not the naturall part of the law, yet it hath the properties of the naturall part; for that which is the morall and divine naturall part of the law, cannot be revoked without a ſtaine of the Lords holineſſe, as that adulterie ſhould be no ſinne;The morall divine naturall part of the law cannot bee revoked without a ſtaine of Gods holineſſe. but this circumſcription of the day might be altered to the fourth or fifth day without any ſtaine of Gods holineſſe; yet becauſe it is the divine poſitive part which God himſelfe hath ſet downe, and gave to Adam before his fall, therefore it cannot be altered or changed.

The judiciall part of the Sabbath is the eaſe of man and beaſt.The judiciall part of this law is the eaſe of man and beaſt. So in the ſeventh yeare the land was to reſt for the eaſe of man and beaſt. Levit. 25.6. for the ſtranger and for thy ſervant &c. The Lord had a ſpeciall reſpect to his people as he was their governour, law-giver, and captaine, Iudg. 8.23. And they were Feudarij his fewers who in a ſpeciall manner held their land of him, and in this reſpect eſpecially, hee gave them their judiciall lawes.

The ceremoniall part of this law of the Sabbath.The ceremoniall part of this law conſiſted in the manner how they kept their ſabbath, they had a double ſacrifice for it, they might kindle no fire on it, Exod. 35.3. They might dreſſe no meat that day, they were limited to a Sabbath dayes journey, their Sabbath began in the evening and ended in the evening, and it was a type to them of all the benefits which they were to receive in Chriſt to come.

Not to kindle fire on the Sabbath was a ceremoniall law.They might kindle no fire this day, this was a ceremoniall part of their ſervice; and it ſeemeth but to have continued as long as they were in the wilderneſſe. When Chriſt went to eate bread in the houſe of one of the chiefe Phariſees upon the Sabbath day, Luc. 14.1. is it probable that there was no fire that day to dreſſe the meat? Their Sabbath was a day of joy unto p. 211them, and they laid aſide their ſackcloth that day, and they had a feaſt that day,The Iewes Sabbath was a day of joy to them. which was a part of their ceremoniall worſhip, Iudith. 10.3.

Whether are wee as ſtrictly bound to keepe the Sabbath, as the Iewes were under the law? Queſt.

Wee are not ſo ſtrictly bound to the letter, Anſw. as they were in the wilderneſſe; for wee may kindle fire upon the Sabbath, and dreſſe meate, providing that it be done ſoberly, and without any hinderance to the divine worſhip; if we conſider afterwards againe, how the Sabbath to them was a feaſt, wee have not ſuch a liberty as that:The Sabbath a part of the Iewes pedagogie. for it was a part of their pedagogie under the law. When they made a feaſt that day, it was a remembrance to them of the benefits which they were to get in Chriſt to come,The Sabbath was a type to the Iewes of all the benefits which they were to receive in Chriſt. and therefore that occaſion ceaſing, we are not bound to it; wee may faſt upon the Sabbath, and humble our ſelves when occaſion ſerveth: but wee are more bound to the morall reſt than they were; the Lord ſaith, Ioel 2.19. Rent your hearts and not your garments: Wee are more bound to the morall reſt of the Sabbath than the Iewes were.the morall part of this law bindeth us more then it did binde the Iewes, in reſpect of the greater meaſure of knowledge which wee have now; but the literall part of the law did binde the Iewes, but it doth not binde us; for they were to rent their cloathes as well as their hearts in the day of humiliation.What a Sabbath dayes journey was.

They might go no further that day than a Sabbath dayes journey; they meaſured their iourney two wayes;foreign diaeta terrae. the firſt was their common meaſure, and that was called Cibhrath haaretz, diaeta terrae, Gen. 35.16. that is, as much ground as a man might goe from morning to breakfaſt, or from breakfaſt to dinner; the Seventy tranſlate it foreign, that is, as much ground as a horſe will runne in a carrear or a ſpurt: ſo farre was it betwixt Bethlehem and Rama. The ſecond meaſure of their iourney, was the meaſure for the Sabbath, p. 202which was as farre diſtant as betwixt the uttermoſt tent and the tabernacle,foreign Terminus Sabbaths. which was two thouſand cubits, Ioſh. 3.4. And this they called Tehhum Sabbath, terminus Sabbathi; foreign miliare.and ſo they call it mil miliare, that is, an Italian mile: The Syriack hath it, almoſt ſeaven furlongs: but when they came to Canaan, they might goe as farre upon the Sabbath as the ſpace betwixt their houſes and their Synagogues, every mans houſe was not ſo nere the Synagogue as mount Olivet was to Ieruſalem; How farre the Iewes might goe upon the Sabbath in Canaan.thus much ground of two thouſand cubits kept ſtill the name of a Sabbath dayes journie, although they might go further upon the Sabbath then two thouſand cubits. Some doe hold that a Sabbath dayes journey after that they came to Canaan was as much ground, as they might goe after the evening ſacrifice was ended, but this would be a very uncertaine meaſure of ground; for then it might be longer or ſhorter, according to the length or ſhortneſſe of the day.

This was a part of the ceremoniall Sabbath to begin at the evening, and end at the evening, Nehem. 13.19.This was ceremoniall in the Sabbath to begin at the evening. And it came to paſſe, that when the gates of Ieruſalem began to be darke, before the Sabbath, I commanded the gates to be ſhut.

Laſtly, their Sabbath was a pledge to them of all the benefits which they were to receive in Chriſt to come; in the allegoricall ſignification, their Sabbath ſignified to them Chriſt reſting in the grave;What the Sabbath ſignified allegorically, tropologically and anagogically. in the tropologicall ſignification, it ſignified to them their reſt from their ſervile works, and works of the fleſh: and in the anagogicall ſignification, it ſignified to them their eternall reſt.

Queſt. But is not our Sabbath a type to us of our eternall reſt?

Anſw. It is an arbitrary type, but not a deſtinate, type for all types are ceaſed now to us; wee may ſay, as wee reſt p. 213this day for our labours;Typus Deſtinatus. Arbitrarius. ſo we ſhall reſt one day in the heavens from our ſinnes, but this is onelyonly an arbitrarie type. So the head and the body are but arbitrarie types of Chriſt and his Church: ſo the ſeaven golden candleſticks. Revelat. 1.13. are but arbitrarie types to the ſeaven Churches in Aſia, and compariſons are borrowed from thoſe.

How ſhall wee diſcerne thoſe things which are forbidden by a morall law, Queſt. from theſe things which are forbidden by a ceremoniall law?

That which is forbidden by a ceremoniall law is forbidden at one time, and not at another. Example, Anſ. To know what things are forbidden by a ceremoniall, and what by a morall law.to kindle fire upon the Sabbath is a ceremoniall law, becauſe it was forbidden to them only upon the Sabbath; they might kindle fire at the Paſcha and the Pentecoſt. So abſtinence from leaven, was but a ceremoniall law, becauſe it was forbidden only at the Paſcha, and not at the reſt of the feaſts; but to buy and ſell is forbidden in all their three feaſts: therefore it is a morall precept, they might buy nothing upon the day of the Paſſover, therefore they bought all neceſſaries the day before. Ioh. 13.27. So that which is forbidden to ſome perſons and not to all is a ceremoniall thing. Example, no Nazaret might drinke wine, and the Prieſt might not drinke wine when he entred into the Congregation, but other perſons might drinke wine, therefore it is but a ceremoniall law. So for the place, no man might carry a veſſell through the temple. Mark. 11.16. but out of that place, any man might carry a veſſell, therefore it was but a ceremoniall law.

The concluſion of this is, this law of the Sabbath hath ſomething morall, judiciall, and ſomething ceremoniall, therefore wee muſt ſtudy to diſtinguiſh thoſe three, that wee may know what part of the commandement bindeth us perpetually in this precept.

p. 214EXERCITAT IIII. Of the difference betwixt the Sabbath and other feaſt dayes. Commandement IIII.

Exod. 31.15. The ſeaventh day is a Sabbath of Sabbaths unto the Lord.

foreign dies bonus.FIrſt, the Sabbath day differed from Iom Tobh, a good day; Secondly, it differed from Gnazeroch, dies interdicti; Thirdly, from Mognadim their three great feaſts.

Dies bonus, a good day what.Firſt, it differed from dies bonus, a good day. 1. Sam. 25.8. a good day, was a day wherein they met onelyonly to be merry, but they kept no religious exerciſe that day:

The Chaldee paraphraſt upon this ſaith, we are commanded to keepe the Sabbath and good dayes, that is, the feaſts; and not to goe above two thouſand cubits, but good dayes are not ſo taken in the ſcriptures as applied to their feaſts: but to a day for banqueting onelyonly. And it was feſtum fori, Faſtum Fori. Chori.non chori, as the ſchoolemen ſpeake; ſuch a feaſt was that commemoration of Pur, it was commanded by Mordechai to bee kept in remembrance of the reſt frō their enemies;Pur was a politicke ceſſation onelyonly. it is not called Mogned, as the reſt of their feaſts are, but Tzemim tempus, it is not called a Sabbath; it is ſaid there that they reſted from their enemies,foreign tempus. foreign ceſſare. the word is Nuah, but not Shabbath to reſt, but not to reſt as on the Sabbath or on their feaſts. The dayes of Pur were but a politicke ceſſation, and they were good dayes,foreign quieſcere. but not holy dayes.

Ob. But the Iewes have a liturgie appointed for this day, therefore it may ſeeme to be a holy day; upon this day p. 215they read the booke of Eſther, as may be ſeene in their Calendar.

The liturgie was not appointed by Mordechai, Anſw. The Iewes liturgie upon the dayes of Pur was not appointed by Mordecha….but by the Iewes afterward; the Iewes at this day upon the foureteenth and fifteenth of Adar read the hiſtory of Eſther, and as often as mention is made of Haman, they knocke upon the table of the Synagogue,Vide Schinlerum in voce Pur. foreign dies interdicti as though they would beat out his braines, and they cry, curſed be Haman, but bleſſed be Mordechai; curſed be Zereſh, but bleſſed be Eſther.

Secondly, the Sabbath differed from Gnazereth, The Sabbath differed from Gnazereth,or dies inter dicti. Ioel. 1.13. they are called Gnazereth, or dies interdicti, becauſe the hands of men were ſhut up at theſe times from worke; and theſe were kept when ſome great and heavy judgement of God was upon the Church.Gnazereth or dies interdicti were appointed to be kept for ſome great judgement. Such was the faſt of the fourth monethmonth when Ieruſalem was taken. Ier. 29.6. So the faſt of the fift monethmonth, the ſeaventh day, for the burning of the temple, this faſt, Ier. 51.12. is ſaid to be kept the ninth day, it ſeemeth then that this faſt was kept both the dayes, for the great deſolation that was then; their third faſt was kept in the ſeventh monethmonth Tiſhri, and this was for the ſlaughter of Gedaliah. 2. King. 25.25. Their fourth faſt was in their tenth monethmonth Tebbeth, when Nebuchadnezzar burnt Ieruſalem: theſe Gnazereth were but occaſionall, and not perpetuall as the Sabbath was, therefore Zach. 8.19. The Lord promiſed to turne theſe faſts into joy and gladneſſe, and into cheerefull feaſts.

Thirdly,The Sabbath differed from their great feaſts. the Sabbath differed from the feſtivall daies called Mognadim.

The firſt difference betwixt thoſe feaſts and the Sabbath was this;The feaſts had no preparation as the Sabbath had. thoſe feaſts had no foreign or preparation going before them, but the Sabbath had ſtill a preparation going before it, and it was called foreign or pervigilium Sabbathi.

p. 216Ob. It may be ſaid, Ioh. 19.14. It was the preparation to the Paſſover; therefore the Paſſover had a preparation as well as the Sabbath.

Anſw. It is called the preparation to the Paſſouer, becauſe the Sabbath & the Paſſover fell both together, and then they transferred the Paſcha to the Sabbath, and that is called a great Sabbath. Ioh. 19.31. And the preparation was then in reſpect of the Sabbath, and not in reſpect of the feſtivall day; their other feaſts beſides the Sabbath needed no preparation.

The feſtivall dayes were transferred to the Sabbath, and why?Secondly, the Sabbath and their feſtivall dayes differed in this, they uſed to transferre their feſtivall dayes to the Sabbath, but the Sabbath ſtood immoveable, and could never be removed to any of their feaſts: they uſed, as the Iewes ſay, to transferre their other holy daies to the Sabbath, propter olera & mortuos, that is, becauſe their meates and dead bodies could not bee kept from corruption two dayes together, and eſpecially in Tiſri anſwering to our Autumne: therefore they made the feaſt day a common day, and upon it they prepared their meat and buried their dead, and they transferred the religious exerciſes of that day to the Sabbath.

All the ſacrifices of their feaſts gave way to the Sabbath. Talmud in tract. de paſchate. cap. 5.So the ſacrifices of all their feaſts gave way to the Sabbath; their dayly evening ſacrifice was killed at eight of the clocke and an halfe, according to the Iewes counting of their houres, that is, halfe an houre before three, and offered at the ninth houre and an halfe, that is, halfe an houre after our three: but in the evening of the Paſſover it was killed halfe an houre before ſeaven, and offered halfe an houre before eight, that is, according to our calculation, it was killed halfe an houre after one, and offered halfe an houre after two of the clock; and this they did that they might reſt the evening of the Sabbath.

Fourthly, the Sabbath had a double ſacrifice appointed p. 217for it,The Sabbath had a double ſacrifice. whereas their feaſts had their owne particular ſacrifices.

Fiftly,The Sabbath was kept in the wilderneſſe. the Sabbath was kept in the wilderneſſe and in the captivity, and he that brake the Sabbath in the wilderneſſe, was ſtoned to death, but thoſe feaſts were not kept in the captivity, and the Paſſover but once kept in the wilderneſſe. Num. 9.5.

Laſtly,The whole weeke took denomination from the Sabbath. the Sabbath and other feſtivall dayes differ in this, the whole weeke tooke the denomination from the Sabbath. Luc. 18.12. I faſt twice in the Sabbath, that is, in the weeke. So Act. 13.42. The Gentiles beſought that theſe words might be preached unto them, foreign, that is, in the middle of the weeke.

The difference betwixt the Sabbath and the weeke dayes was this,The difference betwixt the Sabbath and weeke dayes. every Sabbath day they came to heare the ſcriptures, read and expounded. Marc. 1.21. Luc. 4.31. So Act. 14.15. and 15.21. but on the weeke dayes they met but occaſionally, as Act. 17.10. Eſay. 58.2. They ſeeke mee dayly to know my wayes: they ſought the Lord dayly, but the Sabbath day was the appointed time to ſeeke.

The concluſion of this is,Concluſion. the Iewes had many Sabbaths, and now wee have but one, and therefore wee ſhould be more carefull in obſerving of it; nam vis unita fortior. For as a river divided into many ſtreames runneth the more ſlowly, and united into one runneth the more ſtrongly, ſo the affections ſet upon moe objects are not ſo intended, as when they are ſet upon one.

p. 218EXERCITAT. V. Of the ſanctification of the Sabbath. Commandement IIII.

Eſay. 58.13. If thou turne away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleaſure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and ſhall honour him, &c. Then I will cauſe thee ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Iacob.

God who made the creature, hath onelyonly power to ſeparate it for a holy uſe.GOD ſanctifieth his Sabbath, and man ſanctifieth it, God ſanctifieth the Sabbath becauſe he made it; he that made the creature hath power to ſanctifie it, and to ſeparate it for a holy uſe: he that made the bread and the wine may ſet a new ſtampe upon theſe creatures, and appoint them for his ſacrament. So he that made the dayes may ſeparate a day for his owne uſe and ſervice,Sanctificat… Conſtitutiva. Invocativae. and this is conſtitutiva ſanctificatio; but when man is ſaid to ſanctifie the Sabbath, it is but invocativa ſanctificatio, that is, he deſires of God that grace, that he may ſanctifie it, and keepe it holy.

How the Lord is ſaid to ſanctifie the Sabbath.Againe God is ſaid to ſanctifie it. Ezek. 20.12. I gave them my Sabbath to bee a ſigne betwixt me and them, that they may know that I am the Lord who ſanctifieth them; the Lord ſanctifieth this day when hee ſanctifieth man to keepe it holy. A man is ſaid to doe a thing when he indeavours to doe it, although he doe it not, but the Lord giveth a man grace and ſanctifies him.

Time is called holy improperly.The Lord is ſaid to ſanctifie the Sabbath, becauſe he ſeparateth it from a prophane uſe to a religious uſe; time in it ſelfe is not ſanctified, it is but numerus motus; p. 219and it is called holy improperly onelyonly, becauſe it is the meaſure of holy actions: ſo the Angell ſaid to Sara, I will returne to thee at the time of life. Gen. 18.14. Time in it ſelfe doth not live, it is onelyonly the meaſure of living things:The Sabbath is the meaſure of holy actions. ſo the Sabbath is ſanctified when it is made the meaſure of holy actions. Workes to be done that day, are the workes for the ſoule eſpecially, all the weeke long a mans travell is for his mouth. Eccleſ. 6.7. and the Sabbath is for the ſoule, a noble day in reſpect of the weeke dayes; and he that exerciſeth himſelfe that day as he ought, is the Lords freeman.

There are ſundry ſorts of people who ſanctifie not the Sabbath, ſome mocke the Sabbath and ſcorne it.Some are mockers of the Sabbath. Lament. 1.7. The adverſaries ſaw her, and did mocke at her Sabbaths. Auguſtine ſaith of Seneca, that he mocked the Iewes becauſe they ſpent the ſeaventh part of their life in idleneſſe, and the heathen called the Iewes Sabbatarij, in deriſion.

There is another ſort of people who thinke the Sabbath a burden to them. Amos. 8.6.Some are weary of the Sabbath. When will the new moone be gone, that wee may ſell corne; and the Sabbath, that we may ſet forth wheat?

There are ſome who make the Sabbath their delight.To ſome the Sabbath is a delight. Eſay. 58.13. Some kept the Sabbath of the golden calfe; Aaron ſaid, To morrow is a feaſt to the Lord. Exod. 32.5.Three ſorts of men who doe not ſanctifie the Sabbath. and how kept they this feaſt? They ſate downe to eat and to drinke, and roſe to play. Verſ. 6. Others keepe it as the ox keepeth the Sabbath, they reſt from labour, but they ſerve not the Lord that day, but they know not that Sabbath a Sud, that internall and ſecret reſt. There is a third ſort who begin the Sabbath,foreign arcanum ſecretum. but continue not in the worſhip of God, they thinke that a part of it is ſufficient for God, and they make it diem interciſum, a halfe holy day, and ſome will abſtaine from labour that day, but not from paſtime; but the ſanctification of the Sabbath p. 220requireth both abſtinence from labour and paſtime, and that for theſe reaſons.

Reaſons proving abſtinence from labour and paſtime on the Sabbath.The firſt is taken from the inſtitution of the Sabbath, the Sabbath was inſtituted in innocency, when man Reaſ. 1 might have wrought without tediouſnes or ſweat of his browes,The Sabbath given to Adam, in which hee might meditate upon Gods worke. the Lord appointed not this reſt for any weariſomeneſſe or want of recreation; but the Sabbath was inſtituted, that hee might have a day to meditate upon Gods workes freely;The end of the Sabbath is not reſt chiefly. in the weeke dayes he was dreſſing the garden which would have brought ſome diſtraction to the minde; therefore the Lord would have a day ſet a part for himſelfe, that man might meditate upon him and his workes: Now if Adam who had no ſinne within him, or evill example without him, notwithſtanding of his well diſpoſed heart to Gods ſervice had need of a day; what need have wee then of a day who are ſinners? This argument ſerveth againſt thoſe who thinke that the end of the Sabbath is, that men may refreſh themſelves, this could not befall Adam becauſe he was not weary; reſt I grant is commanded here, but it is ad aliud, for holineſſe, and not for gaming.

Reaſ. 2 The ſecond reaſon is taken from the end of the inſtitution,The Sabbath not appointed for paſtime. the negation of labour is the poſition of holyneſſe and ſanctification, the one is taken away that the other may bee placed; but paſtime and gaming after publique ſervice are a let to the reſt of this day, for it is all alike holy. The Romans made a law ne quis lanam Tarento eveheret, that none ſhould carrie wooll out of Tarentum, but ſome who carried ſheepe out of Tarentum were puniſhed as tranſgreſſors of the law; becauſe they who carried out ſheep carried out wooll: & quod una via prohibetur, ad id alia via perveniri non poteſt, that which is forbidden one way, we cannot come to it by another way; to prophane the Sabbath by workes is forbidden, therefore it is forbidden alſo to prophane it by paſtime.

p. 221No time hath any inherent holineſſe in it,Reaſonable creatures are the ſubject of holineſſe. for reaſonable Reaſ. 3 creatures are onelyonly the ſubject of holineſſe; altars, garments and veſſels had a typicall holineſſe; this was relative onelyonly to the things ſignified by them, and not in the things themſelves; time then muſt bee called holy improperly, becauſe it is the meaſure of holy actions, but paſtimes and gaming cannot be called holy actions. Reaſ. 4

That which is moſt large and moſt permanent, is the principall and eſſentiall part of the commandement. But albeit David could not have acceſſe to the houſe of the Lord,Men are bound to keepe the Sabbath by private exerciſes if they cannot keepe it publikely. as the ſwallowes and the ſparrowes had to the altar, yet hee was bound to keepe the Sabbath, and in the captivitie they were bound to keepe this day holy, as a man in priſon is bound to keepe it holy by private exerciſes; therefore Chriſt biddeth his Diſciples pray that their flight be not on the Sabbath. Mat. 24. This argument maketh againſt thoſe who thinke that wee are bound to thinke upon divine ſervice no longer then we are in the Church.

Small workes are forbidden that day;Small workes are forbidden on the Sabbath. was it not a Reaſ. 5 ſmall thing to goe out at their doores in the morning and to ſtoope downe and gather a little Manna betwixt five and ſixe of the clocke, yet the Lord ſaid, how long will ye breake my commandements? and Mary Magdalene would buy nothing for the annoynting of Chriſt untill the Sabbath was paſt. Seeing then the Lord forbiddeth ſuch ſmall things, we cannot ſay that the Sabbath was inſtituted for refreſhing of our wearied bodies onley.

They ſay that the …nne ſhineth in ſome places almoſt twenty and foure houres, Object. ſhall a man keepe all this time holy? it is impoſſible.

Put the caſe that we dwell under the pole where the ſunne ſhineth halfe a yeare, Anſw. the Sabbath day is not to be meaſured here by light and darkeneſſe, but by the p. 222revolution of the ſunne to the ſame point,Where the ſunne ſhineth long, the Sabbath is to be meaſured by the revolution of it to the ſame point. Concluſion. in a part of which time a man may ſleepe and take his reſt, as hee that hath a night in that time.

The concluſion of this is, God giveth us ſixe whole dayes to our owne uſe, therefore we ſhould give him a whole for his Sabbath, or elſe wee have two meaſures in our bagge, a little to meet out with, and a great to receive in, which is abomination to the Lord.

EXERCITAT. VI. That man is commanded to labour ſixe dayes. Commandement IV.

Exod. 20.9. Sixe dayes ſhalt thou labour and doe all that thou haſt to doe.

Whether is this a precept or permiſſion.SIxe dayes ſhalt thou labour; the Lord commandeth his people to labour ſixe dayes, this is not a permiſſion but a precept, it is not left arbitrarie to them, as if hee ſhould ſay, Ye may labour, but it is commanded, Ye ſhall labour ſixe dayes. So Act. 1.22. One ſhall be a witneſſe with us of his reſurrection, that is, I command him to bee a witneſſe, and not this way, it is free for him to be a witneſſe, or he may be a witneſſe.

Object. Then it may bee ſaid that a man may not recreate himſelfe upon the weeke dayes.

Anſw. The ſchoolemen ſay well, that affirmative precepts doe not ſo ſtraitly binde as negatives doe: Affirmativa ligant ſemper, ſed non ad ſemper, negativa ligant ſemper & ad ſemper: the affirmatives binde not ſimply without intermiſſion, but the negative precepts binde without intermiſſion.

p. 223They had their morning ſacrifice when they entred to their worke, and their evening ſacrifice when they ended their worke: they gave God the firſt part of the day and the laſt, although they were dayes appointed for worke. And Iob. 23.12. I have eſteemed the words of his mouth more then my neceſſary food. They would not omit this dutie for their meate, farre leſſe for their labour: & they divided the day in three parts, the firſt ad tephilla, orationem: the ſecond ad torah, legem; The Iewes gave a part of the worke dayes to the Lord.and the third ad malacha, opus: although they were dayes appointed for worke, yet they gave the Lord his part of them every day.

Sixe dayes ſhalt thou labour. God hath given man ſixe dayes, therefore it is good reaſon that hee give the Lord one:Great reaſon that God have one day ſeing hee giveth ſixe to man. hee gave Adam leave to eate of the fruit of all the trees in paradiſe, except one; therefore hee ſhould have reſerved that one, for God. If the Lord had given but one day to man, and taken fixe to himſelfe, yet he was to obey; but now when hee hath given him fixe, and taken but one to himſelfe, how can any man refuſe to give him this day? what if the Lord had commanded thee ſome great thing wouldeſt not thou have done it? 2. King. 5.13.

Sixe dayes ſhalt thou, labour that thou mayſt reſt the ſeventh, a man ſhould alwayes remember Gods ſervice, and make it his laſt and principall end. 1. Cor. 10.31. Whether therefore yee eate or drinke, or whatſoever yee doe, doe all to the glory of God. He ſhould be diligent in his calling upon the weeke dayes, that hee may reſt upon the Sabbath from the workes of his calling. Hee that is not faithfull in his calling,To be diligent in their calling, and to keepe the Sabbath goe together. will never care to keepe the Sabbath; and he that keepeth the Sabbath will be diligent in his calling: thoſe two are like the two cherubins whoſe faces looked one towards another.

There is a ſpeciall note of remembrance ſet before p. 224the Sabbath as a phylactery to cauſe men to remember it; and this is a part of the phylactery, Doe all that thou haſt to doe: doe the worke of thy calling upon the weeke dayes, that thou mayſt keepe the Sabbath.

Queſt. Whether may a man ſeparate a weeke day for the ſervice of God or not?

Anſw. Levit. 19.23. When a man planted a vineyard, the Lord commanded that hee ſhould not eate of the fruit of it for three yeares, and all that time the trees ſhould be uncircumciſed; but the fourth yeare the fruit of it ſhould be holy unto the Lord, and in the fift yeare they are bidden profane their vineyards, that is, to turne them to common uſes; there was no man might uſe the fruit of the fourth yeare,A man cannot ſeparate a day to make it holy. but it was dedicated to God, and in the fift yeare they were commanded to make it common: ſo no man may profane the Sabbath appointed for Gods ſervice, ſo neither may they ſeparate any of the reſt of the dayes of the weeke, to make them holy for Gods ſervice as the Sabbath. When a man ſeparateth a particular day for the worſhip of God, it maketh it not holy, as the Sabbath is. Seir the Caſuiſt ſaith, Eccleſia poteſt abolere dies feſtos, determinatio diei eſt a jure humano, Seirus lib. 7. cap. 13.& conſuetudo plurimum poteſt in jure humano, ſanctificatio eſt a lege divina, the Church may aboliſh holy dayes, for the determination of them is but from man, and cuſtone prevaileth much in the lawes of men; but the ſanctification of a day is from God: God onelyonly may ſanctifie a Sabbath for himſelfe, tempus non eſt inter privata bona: but it is numbered among ſuch things as a…e common to all, as the aire and water: & quod divini juris eſt, nullius in bonis eſt; therefore man cannot ſeparate time as God doth for his ſervice, and their ſeparation is but occaſionall and alterable.

Concluſion.The concluſion of this is, God hath given man ſixe dayes to labour and doe his owne worke, that hee may p. 225keepe the Sabbath, and have Gods bleſſing upon his travels; he muſt ſeeke a bleſſing upon the Sabbath to all his travels in the weeke dayes. For Except the Lord build the houſe, they labour in vaine that build it, except the Lord keepe the city, the watchman watcheth but in vaine. Pſal. 127. So they labour in vaine who worke all the weeke, except the Lord bleſſe their travels; and the Sabbath is the day in which hee bleſſeth the works of his children, He openeth his hand every day and ſatisfieth the deſire of every living thing, Pſal. 144.16. But hee hath another ſtorehouſe which he openeth to his children upon the Sabbath.

EXERCITAT. VII. No worke to be done upon the Sabbath. Commandement. IV.

Exod. 20.10. In it thou ſhalt not doe any worke, thou nor thy ſonne, nor thy daughter, nor thy manſervant, nor thy maidſervant, thy cattell, nor thy ſtranger that is within thy gates.

THe interdiction is here ſet downe, not to breake the Sabbath, firſt the father is forbidden, the ſonne and the daughter, the manſervant and the maidſervant who ſhould religiouſly obſerve it, and the ſtranger is forbidden that he ſhould not give offence to others, and thirdly the beaſt that he ſhould not give an occaſion to worke that day.

Firſt,Reformation muſt begin at the head. the father of the family is forbidden to doe any worke. Reformation muſt begin at the head firſt, as in a p. 226kingdome, at the king. Pſal. 101. this is his gate. So in a Magiſtrate, as in Ioſhua cap. 24. I and my houſe will ſerve the Lord; this is his gate. So the maſter of a private family. Moſes before hee was a magiſtrate ſhould have circumciſed his ſonne. When reformation beginneth at the head, then the Scripture ſaith, Salvation is come to thee and to thine houſe, Luc. 19.9. becauſe they are the meanes to inſtruct and informe their houſehold: and even as the balme laid upon Aarons head ran downe to the hem of his garment, Pſal. 133.2. So when the father of a familie is religious, then religion deſcendeth from him to his children, to his manſervant, and to his maidſervant.

Nor thy ſonne, nor thy daughter, thy manſervant nor thy maidſervant. Obſerve that in matters of religion there is no difference betwixt bond and free,In matters of religion no difference betwixt male and female, bound or free. male and female, Galat. 3.28. betwixt bond and free; therefore the ſervant payed the halfe ſhekell as well as the maſter did, Exod. 30.15. betwixt male and female; therefore the daughters in Canaan might ſucceed to their fathers inheritance as well as the males, Num. 36.

Neceſſitas obedientia non excuſat ſervum, ſed neceſſitas coactionis excuſat ſervum.Thy manſervant, nor thy maidſervant. Some hold that ſervants may worke upon the Sabbath day at their maſters commandement, and that the commandement is onelyonly given to the maſter,Seitus lib. 7. cap. 28. en caſibus. and that the ſinne lyeth upon him if he cauſe his ſervant to worke, and not upon his ſervant: but the Lords commandement forbiddeth all equally, whether they be maſters or ſervants, the meaneſt ſervant is within the covenant as well as their maſter who commandeth. Nehemiah did conteſt with his ſervants for breaking of the Sabbath, He ſaw ſome treading winepreſſes upon the Sabbath day, and bringing in ſheaves, and loading aſſes, and alſo wine, grapes and figges, and all manner of burdens which they brought in Ieruſalem upon the Sabbath, Neh. 13.15. the moſt part of theſe were p. 227ſervants: and why did Nehemiah conteſt with them, if ſervants were not bound to keepe the Sabbath as well as their maſters?

And the ſtranger that is within thy gates. Advena Iuſtitia. Porta.There were two ſorts of ſtrangers amongſt them, the firſt was advena juſtitia, and the ſecond advena portae. Advena juſtitiae was he that was a proſelyte and converted, and he was either Toſhebh, inhabitans, foreign Inhabitans. foreign Externus foreign.who was converted and had dwelt long amongſt them; the ſeventy tranſlate it foreign, a pariſhoner: Or Ger who was newly converted, the Seventy tranſlate him foreign a proſelite. Such proſelytes were Arauna the Iebuſite, Vriah the Hittite, Ebed-melech, Iethro and ſuch. David maketh mention of theſe ſtrangers, Pſal. 135.19. Bleſſe the Lord o houſe of Iſrael: Bleſſe the Lord o houſe of Aaron: Bleſſe the Lord o houſe of Levi: yee that feare the Lord bleſſe the Lord: yee that feare the Lord, that is, all ſtrangers converted, and proſelytes who were joyned to Iſrael and Aaron. Eſay 65.3. Let not the ſtranger ſay, the Lord hath ſeparated mee. They might eate the paſſover with the reſt of the Iſraelites, Exod. 13.48. and of theſe ſtrangers it is not meant here, for the charge is directly given to them as to the Iſraelites, that they ſhould do no manner of worke; but it is meant of that ſtranger that was advena porta, Strangers that were not converted are meant here.ſuch ſtrangers as dwelt amongſt them occaſionally, but were not converted, or become Proſelytes, thoſe were bound to reſt from their labours upon the Sabbath, that they ſhould not give offence to the people of God; Such were that mixed multitude that came out of Egypt, Exod. 12.38. Num. 11.4. And an hundred and fifty three thouſand and ſixe hundreth in Salomons time, 2. Chron. 2.17. And thoſe ſtrangers, if they continued any while amongſt the Iewes, they were to learne the ſeven precepts of Noah; and this way they were to be brought peece and peece to the trueth, untill they came to be proſelytes.

p. 228Now the beaſt is commanded to reſt upon the Sabbath,The beaſt is not the proper ſubject of this law. the beaſt here is not the proper ſubject of this law. The Schoolemen ſay well, quando finis praecepti particularis alius eſt à re precepta in genere, tunc non cadit ſub praeceptum: When the end of the particular precept is different from the generall precept, then it falleth not under the generall precept. The end of the law is, that God ſhould be worſhiped upon the Sabbath; the reaſon why the beaſt ſhould not worke, is, becauſe if the beaſt ſhould worke, the man muſt worke with the beaſt: the Lord ſaith, Thou ſhalt not muzze the mouth of the oxe &c. hath God regard of oxen? Why the beaſt ſhould not work.1. Cor. 9.6. The Lord gave this law, not for the oxe cauſe, but for mans cauſe: ſo here when hee biddeth the beaſts reſt upon the Sabbath, it is not for the beaſts ſake, but for mans ſake; the beaſts becauſe they have laboured for man all the weeke long, they ſhould reſt; but this is a duty required in the ſixt Commandement, The mercifull man hath pitty upon his beaſt, Prov. 12.10. Piety is the ſubject of the firſt table, and mercy of the ſecond.

Concluſion.The concluſion of this is, that all muſt be within the covenant from the higheſt, to the loweſt none is excepted. Deut. 29.10. You ſtand this day all of you before the Lord your God: your captaines of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Iſrael, your little ones, your wives, and the ſtranger that is in thy campe, from the hewer of the wood unto the drawer of the water, that thou ſhouldeſt enter in covenant with the Lord thy God this day.

p. 229EXERCITAT. VIII. Whether the Sabbath was from the beginning or not. Commandement IV.

Exod. 20.11. For in ſixe dayes the Lord made heaven and earth, the ſea and all that in them is, and reſted the ſeventh day.

WE have ſhewne who ſhould reſt upon the Sabbath, the next thing to be conſidered, is, the reaſon why wee ſhould reſt upon the Sabbath, becauſe God reſted from all his workes; the reaſon why the Iewes did keepe the Sabbath upon the ſeventh day from the creation, was,The reaſon why wee keepe the firſt day of the weeke. becauſe God reſted that day from all his workes: which reaſon bindeth not us Chriſtians now directly, becauſe God reſted not from all his workes upon our Sabbath; but becauſe Chriſt reſted from all his workes upon our Sabbath; triumphed over death and hell; therefore wee ſhould keepe it.Why the ſeventy tranſlate it, God reſted the ſixt day.

The ſeventy tranſlate theſe words thus, God reſted from his workes the ſixt day; and they give the reaſon why they tranſlate it the ſixt day, and not the ſeventh, leſt king Ptolomie ſhould have asked them; did God worke any thing upon the ſeventh day before hee reſted? but it ſhould not be tranſlated,God reſted from creating of new kindes that are perfect. he reſted from all his workes quae fecit, ſed quae fecerat, that is, hee reſted from all his workes the ſeventh day which he had made the ſixt day, and where it is ſaid, he reſted from all his workes, it is to be underſtood (as the Schoolemen ſay) hee ceaſed a no vis ſpeciebus perfectis creandis, ſed non ab imperfectis: p. 230when he createth daily, ſoules of men, theſe are not perfectae ſpecies, for the body is begotten by generation, and the ſoule is only created of nothing. Pſ. 102.18. The people that ſhall be created &c. this is meant of their ſoules, & not of their bodies:foreign Nutrix ab foreign fid…lem eſſe. for their bodies are begotten by generation. When the beaſts are begotten it is a worke of generation, but not of creation: and the Lord ceaſed not from ruling & preſerving thoſe creatures which he had made:God reſted not from the workes of his providence and preſervation. therefore Prov. 8.30. it is ſaid, I was as a nurſe with him: and even as great men commit their children to nurſes; ſo the Lord after that he created the world, committed the care of it to his providence, as to a nurſe.

God reſted from all his workes; therefore hee would have us to reſt from our workes.

Foure ſorts of reſt.There are foure ſorts of reſt, the firſt is a naturall reſt, as when Chriſt ſat downe at the well to reſt him. Ioh. 4.6. Secondly, a reſt from ſinne; thirdly, a typicall reſt, Heb. 4.9. fourthly, that eternall reſt in heaven, Eſay 66.23. Sinne is our moſt proper labour, and moſt weariſome labour, to worke in bricke and clay in Egypt was not like it,Sinne is the moſt weariſome labour. it is called foreign, labor, and it is like quickſilver, Habet principium motus in ſe, ſed non quietis, ſtill trembling, but never at reſt. Wee muſt reſt alſo from the workes of our callings, in our callings There is much vexation of ſpirit, Eccles. 1.14.

Reſt is the habit, and moving a privation; when a man reſteth that he may labour againe, that is not a perfect reſt; when a man is carried contrary to nature, then the motion is violent, and the reſt is comfortable: the motion of ſinne is contrary to nature, therefore the reſt from ſinne muſt be comfortable;The motion of ſinne is contrary to nature. they who reſt not from ſinne here, ſhall not reſt in the life to come, Revel. 14.11. They that worſhip the beaſt ſhall never reſt, neither day nor night.

God ſets downe his example for imitation.The Lord ſetteth downe his example for imitation p. 231to us becauſe he reſted that day, Ob. and ſo wee may learne that the inſtitution of the Sabbath was from the beginning, which is contrary to thoſe who hold that the Sabbath was not ordained to be kept, till after the Lord had rained down, Manna. Exod. 16. And they ſay that theſe words (The Lord reſted from all his workes the ſeventh day) were a reaſon added to Moſes Sabbath, when the law was given, but not to Adams Sabbath before the fall.

But we anſwere, Anſw. in the reaſon of the commands there is ſome thing naturall from the beginning, and ſome thing added by Moſes: Something in the Sabbath naturall from the beginning, and ſomething added by Moſes.in the reaſon of the fift commandement; this was juris naturae, given to Adam and all his poſterity before the fall, Honour thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be long, that is, that thou mayſt live a long time happily here, and then to be tranſlated to another life: but this was juris Moſaici; That thy dayes may bee long in the land whither thou art to goe. So this was juris naturae in the reaſon added to the Sabbath, thou ſhalt reſt from all thy workes, becauſe God reſted from his workes, but this is onelyonly juris Moſaici, that the Sabbath ſhould be a ſigne betwixt God and them; and belongeth not to Adams Sabbath. Ezek. 20.10. I brought them out of Egypt and gave them my Sabbaths, that they might be a ſigne betwixt me and them: To reſt upon the Sabbath was naturall to it from the beginning; but that it ſhould be a ſigne betwixt God and the people was acceſſorie to it in Moſes time.The Sabbath was a particular ſigne to them of their bringing out of Egypt, and they ſhould alwayes remember to keep it; becauſe the Lord brought them out of Egypt; the Sabbath was from the beginning, but it was acceſſory to the Iewiſh Church that it was made a ſigne, as the rainebow was from the beginning; (the reflexe of the ſunne in a cloud) but it was not a ſigne to the world untill after the deluge.

But they ſay, Object. wee read nothing in the whole hiſtory of Geneſis of the Sabbath, or that any of the Patriarches kept it.

p. 232We read nothing that the adulterous or inceſtuous perſons were put to death before Iudahs time, did the Patriarches ſuffer this ſinne to bee unpuniſhed all this time?The Patriarches had an appointed time for Gods worſhip. and is it probable that the holy men of God who ſacrificed to the Lord and worſhiped him, had not a certaine time for his worſhip determinate to them? the Lord ſanctified his Sabbath as ſoone as he reſted from his workes, and he ſet up the ſunne and the moone Lemognadim, foreign In ſtatuta tempora.(which is the word uſed afterwards in the law for their holy conventions) ad ſtatua tempora. What appointed times were then for his worſhip, if not the Sabbath? for as yet they had none of their anniverſary feaſts.

Object. Againe they ſay, that the words ſet downe in the law; that thou maiſt reſt, and thy ſervant may reſt, belonged not to Adams Sabbath, for Adam before the fail was not wearied, and there ſhould have beene no ſervile ſubjection before the fall; therefore theſe words belong onelyonly to Moſes Sabbath.

Anſw. Although Adam ſhould not have beene wearied in dreſſing of the garden,Albeit man had ſtood in innocency, yet there ſhould have beene diſtinctions of ſuperiority, degrees and ſexes. yet hee behoved to reſt, that hee might exerciſe himſelfe onelyonly in the worſhip of God; and although ſervile ſubjection came in after ſinne, yet if man had not fallen, there ſhould have beene degrees of ſuperiority and inferiority, and there ſhould have beene a diſtinction of ages, ſexes, and dignities.

Ob. Ioh. 7.22. Chriſt maketh an oppoſition betwixt two lawes, one of circumciſion, and another of the Sabbath; and he ſaith that circumciſion is kept, not becauſe Moſes inſtituted circumciſion, but becauſe it was from the fathers: and becauſe Moſes law of the Sabbath was given after the law of circumciſion; therefore it is that infants are circumciſed upon the Sabbath, and yet the Sabbath is not broken.

Anſw. The Sabbath was given after circumciſion with the p. 233reſt of the ceremonies belonging to it, which Chriſt eſpecially meaneth of here; but the morall part was given to Adam before his fall;Chriſt maketh an oppoſition betwixt the ceremony of the Sabbath and the ceremony of circumciſion. he maketh but oppoſition here betwixt the ceremonie of circumciſion, and the ceremonie of the Sabbath; the leſſe neceſſarie ceremonie gave place to the greater, and the Iewes ſay, when a child was to bee circumciſed upon the Sabbath, yet the morning ſacrifice behoved to be offered firſt before the child was circumciſed; and then all the reſt of the ceremoniall worſhip in the Sabbath gave place to circumciſion

And where they urge us, Obj. that there is no example of the Patriarches who kept the Sabbath before the Manna was ſent downe. Anſw. It may ſeeme out of Iob that they kept the Sabbath in his time (which was before the law was given.) It is ſaid that Iob had ſeaven ſonnes, and they went and feaſted in their houſes every one his day; Iobs children kept the Sabbath.and then it is ſubjoyned, Iob. 1.6. That there was a day when the ſonnes of God came to preſent themſelves before the Lord. Pineda in Iobum.Now who were the ſonnes of God here? but Iobs children who aſſembled themſelves to worſhip God upon the ſeaventh day?

They ſay that theſe words, God reſted the ſeaventh day and ſanctified the Sabbath, are ſet downe foreign,The ſanctification of the Sabbath was not ſet downe by way of anticipation. by way of anticipation; becauſe God promiſed to ſanctifie that day afterward: this carrieth no probabilitie with it, that God is ſaid ſanctifie it, becauſe he was purpoſed to ſanctifie it afterwards; for then he might be ſaid to ſanctifie the mount Moriah when he created it, becauſe afterwards hee was to build the temple there, and to ſanctifie the Paſcha and the Pentecoſt, becauſe afterwards he was to appoint them for holy uſes.

The concluſion of this is, wee live not by examples,Concluſion. but by rules, but Gods example was a rule to the Iewes, and Chriſts example ſhould bee an example to us to p. 234keep the Sabbath: God reſted from the beginning upon that day, and the law hath firſt reſpect to Adams Sabbath, and not to Moſes Sabbath.

EXERCITAT. IX. Of the change of the Sabbath to the firſt day of the weeke. Commandement. IV.

Revelat. 1.10. I was in the Spirit on the Lords day.

CHriſt when he roſe he changed the Iewiſh Sabbath into his day, and called it the Lords day. Chriſt is ſet downe as an example of imitation to us,Chriſt teacheth both by word and deed. and hee teacheth us two wayes, by his doing and by his teaching. Act. 1.1. Of all that Ieſus began both to doe and to teach. The Apoſtles followed him becauſe hee roſe that day, and kept that day: therefore they called it his day, Iohn was raviſhed in the ſpirit, The Sabbath is called the Lords day emphatically.foreign, he ſetteth the article foreign before it, as if he would ſay, that Lords day; all dayes are the Lords dayes, but this day is emphatically called the Lords day; becauſe hee, as Lord of the Sabbath, changed it: and Beatus Renanus commenting upon Tertullian obſerveth well, that it was the manner in the Apoſtles dayes, to call things rather the Lords than Chriſts,Things called the Lords rather then Chriſts. as the Lords ſupper, the Lords table, ſo the Lords day; becauſe he inſtituted all theſe.

Secondly, Chriſt hath ceaſed from his owne workes, as God did from his. Heb. 4.10. Here foure things are to be conſidered. Firſt, God had a reſt, and Chriſt had a reſt; God reſted after the creation, and Chriſt reſted after p. 235the redemption;Gods reſt upon the Sabbath, and Chriſts reſt upon his Sabbath compared together. God reſted when hee had made the world, and Chriſt reſted when he made the new world. 2. Cor. 15.17. Old things are paſt away, behold all things are become new. Secondly, God is ſet for an example to the Iewes in the creation, & by like conſequence Chriſt reſted that day from all his labours. So ſhould Chriſtians reſt upon this Sabbath from all their labours. And this example of Chriſt bindeth Chriſtians as forcibly to keepe this Sabbath, as the example of God did binde the Iewes to keepe their Sabbath.

Thirdly, the Apoſtle 1. Cor. 16.2.The Apoſtles kept this firſt day of the weeke. commanded that upon the firſt day of the weeke a collection be made for the Saints, and he ſpeaketh of this day not as a new day, but as a day well knowne among the Chriſtians; for this epiſtle to the Corinthians was written in the fiftieth and ſeaventh yeare of Chriſt, that is, twenty three yeares after his death.

The Lord changed the Prieſt-hood from the firſt borne to the Leviticall prieſthood. So when the people of Iſrael came out of Egypt, hee changed their account; whereas before they reckoned from Tiſhri, now hee commanded them to reckon from Niſan, becauſe of the great benefit of their deliverance out of Egypt: So now he will have the Sabbath to be reckoned from his reſurrection, and not as the Iewes reckoned.

VponUpon this day the Lord created the heaven and the earth; this day the Angels were created,Many notable things done this day. this day the Lord gave Manna to the Iſraelites, this day the Spirit came downe upon the Apoſtles, and upon this day circumciſion was inſtituted; as Chryſoſtome obſerveth; becauſe Chriſt who roſe this day was to circumciſe the heart.

When the Lord changed the Sabbath day, Queſt. what ſort of change was this?

There are foure ſorts of changes in religion: Firſt, Anſw. p. 236when the eſſence and ſubſtance of religion is changed.Foure ſorts of changes in religion. Secondly, when the ſtate of religion is changed: Thirdly, when the eſſence is changed in part; Fourthly, when the rites in religion are changed.The change of the eſſence.

The firſt change is when the eſſence of religion is changed, as when a Turke becommeth a Chriſtian, this is as when a man is raiſed from death to life.

The change of the ſtate of a thing.The ſecond change is, when the ſtate is changed, as when Chriſt changed the Sabbath into the Lords day; this is as when a boy becommeth a man.

The change of the eſſcence in part.The third change is, when the eſſence is changed in part, as when one profeſſeth the truth, but in ſome point he is hereticall; hee is converted in this point, here the eſſence is changed in part; this is, as when a man who is ſicke becommeth whole.

The change of the rites.The fourth change is, when the rites are changed, this is like the change of a mans cloathes: the change here of the Sabbath into the Lords day, was but a change in the ſtate and in the rites, but not in the eſſence; neither in the whole nor part.

Concluſion.The concluſion of this is; Chriſt who is Lord of the Sabbath. Mat. 12.8. hath power to change the Sabbath. There are foure memorable changes which Chriſt made,Foure memorable changes which Chriſt made. the firſt is his miraculous change, as when hee changed water into wine; the ſecond was the changing of the ordinances, he changed the ceremonies of the law into the goſpell; and the Sabbath from the ſeaventh day to the firſt day of the weeke; the third is when he changeth man from nature to grace; and the fourth is when hee changeth men from grace to glory, and in all theſe hee goeth from the more imperfect to the more perfect.

p. 237EXERCITAT. X. That workes of neceſſity doe not violate or profane the Sabbath. Commandement IIII.

Mat. 12.11. What man ſhall there be amongſt you that ſhall have one ſheepe, and if it fall into a pit upon the Sabbath day, will not lay hold on it and lift it out?

ALthough the Lord hath diſcharged ſervile workes to be done upon the Sabbath,God alloweth ſuch ſervile workes as belong to his worſhip to bee done upon the Sabbath. yet he alloweth ſuch workes to bee done upon it which ſerve for his owne worſhip. To circumciſe was a ſervile worke, yet becauſe it ſerved for his worſhip; therefore he allowed it. So the killing of beaſts was a ſervile worke, yet becauſe it ſerved for his worſhip the Lord approved it.

Secondly,Workes of charity may be done upon the Sabbath. workes of charity are the workes of the Sabbath, as to cloath the naked and to feed the hungry, yet all workes of charity are not to bee done that day, eſpecially ſuch, quae ſola intentione operantis ad miſericordiam diriguntur. Example, a man upon the Sabbath buildeth a bridge, this worke he propoſeth to himſelfe as a worke of charity, yet this is a ſervile worke and may not be done that day, but in caſe of great neceſſity.

Workes of neceſſity may be done that day; there is a double neceſſity, inevitable neceſſity, and contracted neceſſity: Inevitable neceſſity is ſuch that wee can no wayes eſchew it, ſee it, nor helpe it;Neceſsitas Inevitabilis Contracta. as when fire upon a ſuddaine cometh upon a houſe on the Sabbath day; this inevitable neceſſity breaketh not the Sabbath.Inevitable neceſſity profaneth not the Sabbath. The ſecond ſort of neceſſity is a contracted neceſſity, when p. 238men doe not diſpoſe of their affaires all the weeke long, they draw upon themſelves a neceſſity to breake the Sabbath.

Neceſsitas Imminens. Praſens.Againe, wee muſt diſtinguiſh betwixt danger imminent, and danger preſent; if the danger be not imminent, that ſort of neceſſity profaneth the Sabbath. Example, the weather is like to bee ſtormy, therefore a man may cut downe his corne, or lead it home upon the Sabbath; this ſort of neceſſity breaketh the Sabbath,Preſent neceſſity profaneth not the Sabbath. but if the danger bee preſent, that ſort of neceſſity breaketh not the Sabbath. Example, if a floud ſhould carry away the corne, in that caſe a man may goe and ſave the corne, and that neceſſity doth not violate the Sabbath, and in this caſe wee profane the Sabbath unleſſe wee profane it.

Queſt. What if a poore tradeſman cannot earne as much all the weeke as will intertaine his wife and family, whether may he worke upon the Sabbath day to intertaine them, or not?

Anſw. There is a twofold neceſſity, firſt, a pinching neceſſity,Neceſsitas non habet legem ſed ſibi legem facit. ſecondly, an extreme neceſſity: if hee and his family be onelyonly pinched, for that ſort of neceſſity hee muſt not breake the Sabbath;Non licet ſumere lucrum hoc die, niſi mera neceſſitas cogat, ſi principaliter ob lucrum fiat tunc eſt opu… ſervile. but if his neceſſity be an extreame neceſſity, then albeit he worke upon the Sabbath, he profaneth it not; but the Lord alloweth it.

As workes of neceſſity profane not the Sabbath, ſo the commandement of the ſuperior profaneth it not.Extreme neceſſity profaneth not the Sabbath. God commanded the Iewes to doe no ſervile worke upon the Sabbath, yet hee commandeth them to compaſſe the walls of Iericho ſeaven dayes;The commandement of God the ſuperior, breaketh not the Sabbath. here the Iewes might ſafely breake the Sabbath at the commandement of their ſuperior.

The caſuiſts grant too much liberty to the peo…le in doing ſervile workes.Servile workes are forbidden that day, but the Romiſh Caſuiſts grant too much liberty to the people in teaching them what are ſervile workes, and what are p. 239not. Example, they ſay that windemills, and water mills may grind that day, becauſe they require no great worke, nor toile or labour; but they ſay, if a man ſhould grinde at a man-mill, that were a ſervile worke: So they hold that fiſhes coming but once in the yeare,Vide Azpilaetam de violatione ſeſiorum. as hering, that it is lawfull for the fiſhers to fiſh that day: likewiſe they hold that men may make merchandiſe that day, providing that it be of things on which a certaine price is ſet downe. So they held that workes of the minde are not ſervile workes, and that they may be done on the Sabbath, if they be not bodily workes; as a lawyer may informe his client: ſo ſuch workes as are common to the maſter with the ſervant; as to write, they hold them no ſervile workes.

The Iewes were profane violaters of the Sabbath,Seyrus de feſtis. as we may ſee in the dayes of Eſay, and Ieremie, and ſo continued on till the dayes of Nehemiah; but afterward they fell into another extremitie in the dayes of the Macchabes, The ſuperſtition of the Iewes in keeping of the Sabbath.and then they became ſuperſtitious obſervers of the Sabbath, 1. Macch. 2.36. They fled into a city upon the Sabbath, neither threw they ſton…s at them who purſued them; but ſaid let us all dye in our innocencie; heaven and earth ſhall teſtifie for us, They would not fight to de…d them upon the Sabbath.that yee put us to death wrongfully. So they roſe up againſt them upon the Sabbath, and ſlew them with their wives and children, to the number of a thouſand people. but Matthias verſe 41. made this decree, If it fall out upon the Sabbath that our enemies invade us, we will defendour ſelves, that there may be a people left upon the Sabbath to keepe the Sabbath.

Philo in his ſecond booke of the life of Moſes, ſaith, Sabbatum quietem adferre, non tantum mancipijs, ſed etiam arboribus & ſtirpibus. Therefore Matt. 12. and Luc. 6. When the Diſciples pulled the eares of corne upon the Sabbath; they ſaid, that the Diſciples did that which was not lawfull upon the Sabbath. They would bury no body p. 240upon the Sabbath, therefore the body of Chriſt was taken downe from the croſſe before the ſunne ſet.The Phariſees extent in ſuperſtitious obſerving of the Sabbath. The Lord commanded, Ier. 17. that they ſhould carrie no burdens upon the Sabbath, but the Phariſies extended it thus farre,The precept. The Phariſees extent.that it was not lawfull for the ſick man to take up his bed upon the Sabbath.The precept. Ioh. 5. They might make no journey upon the Sabbath,The Phariſees extent. but the Phariſies extended it thus farre (as Origen teſtifieth of thoſe who were called Doſithaei) that they would not ſtirre out of the place where they ſat upon the Sabbath;Cyneſius apud Euoptium. and Cyneſius reporteth of a Iew, who was at the helme of the ſhip before the Sabbath, but ſo ſoone as the ſunne ſet, hee left the helme of the ſhip and caſt himſelfe along in the ſhip, and read all that night, and the day following upon the booke of the law: and although they threatened him with death, yet hee would not take the helme in his hand to guide the ſhip again: yet Chriſt & his Diſciples went through the corn upon the Sabbath.

Workes of neceſſity may be done that day, but the Iewes hold,The precept. The Phariſees extent. that they might not bury the dead that day; this is a worke of piety, and oftentimes of neceſſity, therefore it might be performed that day. A phyſitian may goe to viſit his patient that day, and the midwife may goe to helpe a woman in childbirth that day, and a ſmith may ſhoe a poſt-horſe that day, providing that hee be about the buſineſſe that concerneth the eſtate.

The ſuperſtitious Iewes will ſuffer their beaſts to carry no more upon them then their haltar or bridle;The Phariſees extent. they will not ſaddle their horſe that day; whereas the Shunamitiſh woman deſired one of the aſſes to be made ready, and a ſervant to be ſent, that ſhee might goe to the man of God; her husband ſaid, Wherefore wilt thou goe to him to day, it is neither new moone nor Sabbath. 2. King. 4.22.23. It was their cuſtome to doe ſo on the p. 241Sabbath and new moones. In the dayes of Chriſt they would have pulled out their ſheepe or oxe out of a pit upon the Sabbath, Matt. 12.13.The precept. but afterward they would let the beaſt lye ſtill untill the morrow;The Phariſees extent. but if it was a mariſh place or deepe ditch wherein the beaſt was in preſent danger, then they uſed to hire ſome poore Chriſtian for a trifle to pull out the beaſt for them. They hold that it is not lawfull for the blinde to leane upon a ſtaffe that day, but for the lame it is lawfull:Schichardus de Sabbatho ex Tal. becauſe the blinde may want the ſtaffe, but not the lame. They teach, that if a man be wounded a day before the Sabbath, and the plaſter be laid to his wound,The Phariſees extent. hee may ſuffer the plaſter that day to lye ſtill at the wound, but if he take it away, he may not lay to a new plaſter that day.The Phariſees extent. They hold that if a flea bite a man that day, hee may take it, but not kill it; & if a thorn pricke him in the foote that day, he may not pull it out. And laſt, they hold that a Tailor may not carry a needle, farre leſſe a ſword.

Men runne into extremities in religion,Men oftentimes run into extremities in religion. Peter will not have Chriſt to waſh his feete at the firſt, but then he falleth into the other extremitie, Not my feete onelyonly but alſo my hands and my head. Ioh. 13.9. So here they were profane breakers of the Sabbath, and then they became ſuperſtitious obſervers of it: but we ſhould keepe the golden mediocritie, and turne neither to the right hand nor to the left. Deut. 5.32.

The concluſion of this is, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath, and therefore in neceſſity Concluſion. 1 man is Lord of the Sabbath (albeit not the ſupreme Lord) and may breake it, but hee muſt take heed that he draw not on this neceſſitie; for then hee ſhall be anſwerable to him who is the great and ſupreme Lord of the Sabbath, and ſhall be holden guilty as tranſgreſſor of his law.

Secondly, if wee ſanctifie the Lord in this life,Concluſion. wee p. 242ſhall keepe that eternall ſabbath with him in the heavens; the ſanctification of the Sabbath in this life is but the firſt fruits, and the full harveſt ſhall be in the life to come. When the foundation of the ſecond temple was laid, all the people ſhouted for joy, Ezra 3.11. In hope that the temple ſhould be finiſhed: ſo if we lay the foundation of the ſanctifying of the Sabbath in this life, wee may rejoice, becauſe it ſhall be finiſhed in the life to come.

Concluſion. 2 It is ſaid of all the reſt of the dayes, The evening and the morning were the firſt day, the ſecond day; the third day &c. but it is not ſaid, that the evening and the morning were the ſeventh day; to put us in remembrance that our Sabbath ſhall be an eternall Sabbath, and never have an end.

Of the puniſhment for the breach of the Sabbath.

Thoſe who brake the Sabbath under the law were to be put to death Exod. 21.Why they were put to death under the law who brake the Sabbath. and Levit. 24. the reaſon of this was, becauſe their Sabbath was a pledge to them of all the benefits which they were to receive in Chriſt to come. So the prieſts daughter was to be burnt quick if ſhe defiled her ſelfe by committing whoredome, the reaſon was becauſe her father was a type of Chriſt to come:Why the Prieſts daughter was burnt quicke. if a preachers daughter now ſhould commit whoredome, ſhee ſhould not be burnt quicke for it, becauſe her father is not a type now of Chriſt to come; I grant ſhe ſhould be more ſeverely puniſhed in reſpect of her offence, than any other woman, the breach of the Sabbath now is to be puniſhed with death: but otherwayes at the magiſtrates arbitrement.

Queſt. Why did they put him in priſon who gathered ſticks upon the Sabbath, doubting whether he ſhould be put to death or not, ſeeing it expreſſely commands, Exod. p. 24321. that he who breaketh the Sabbath ſhould be put to death.

They knew not that this which ſeemed but a ſmall fault to them, ſhould be puniſhed with death. Anſw. Secondly, they knew not what ſort of death hee ſhould be put to; and therefore they put him in priſon to know the minde of the Lord.

Domine Deus, quaecunque dixi de tuo, agnoſcant & tui: ſi qua de meo,Auguſtinus lib. 15. de Trin. cap. ult. & tu ignoſce & tui.