A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 2 · Commentary · Section 8
SECT. VIII.
The laſt thing in this 4th com. to be handled is the reaſon of it in thes vvords, for in ſixe dayes the Lord made the heauen & earth, the ſea, & all that in them is, & reſted the 7th day; wherfore the Lord bleſſed the Sabbath day, & hallowed it, Exod. 20.11.
In theſe words, or in this reaſon to the com. theſe things are conſiderable, 1. That God bleſſed and hallowed the 7 h day. 2. The reaſon mouing God, to hallow it. 3. How theſe words, are a reaſon to the 4th comm. as for this third thing, it ſhall be handled in a Section by it ſelfe. For the firſt, that God ſanctified the 7th day, or Saturday Sabbath: ſee this plainely in this 4th com. Therefore the Lord bleſſed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exod. 20.11. ſee it alſo Geneſ. 2.3. So God bleſſed the ſeuenth day, and ſanctified it. So then, this Saturday, 7th day, Sabbath, is a bleſſed and a ſanctified day: looke vvhat God hath bleſſed, it ſhall be bleſſed: and what God hath ſanctified, it muſt be holy; the Saturday, 7th day, Sabbath therefore, is an holy Time, an holy day. Thus Muſculus fol. 62. God might (ſaith he) hauehave commanded onelyonly the actes and doings of the day, but to ſet out the matter more pithilie, he ſaid, Remember that thou ſanctify the day of the Sabbath: He chargeth that the day it ſelfe ſhall be reputed holy. Where Muſculus doth not onelyonly affirme, that the time and day was as well commanded, as thoſe dueties in the day, of reſt and holy exerciſes; but alſo ſaith, that the day it ſelfe is an holy day. Neither is this day holy, by any mans hallovving or ſanctifying of it, but by the proper worke of God himſelfe; for, ſaith theſe textes, the Lord bleſſed the Sabbath day, and ſanctified it: and, God bleſſed the 7th day, & ſanctified it. Hereby we ſee, hovv God hath choſen out the Saturday for an holy day, aboue all dayes of the weeke; and God hauing made it an holy day, he hath thereby put as much difference betvvixt it, & other dayes of the weeke, as vvas wont to be betwixt A Prieſt, & a common man: the Temple, & their common houſen: & as is now betwixt Sacramentall bread, & common bread at our tables. Hence it is, that Saturday the 7th day, is called, the Sabbath of the Lord Exod. 20.10. and, the holy of the Lord, Iſa. 58.13. and, my holy day, Iſa. 58.13. and my Sabbath, Iſa. 56.4. How meanly ſoeuer times now count of this day, yet you ſee by theſe names, and Epithites, how God eſtemed of it.
I come to the ſecond thing conſiderable, which is the reaſon vvhichwhich moued God, to hallovv this 7th day, Saturday, Sabbath: the reaſon then why God ſanctified this day, it vvas, becauſe himſelfe had reſted on this day, from his great & miraculouſe worke of the Worlds creation; ſee this moſt euidently Geneſ. 2.3. So God bleſſed the 7th day, & ſanctified it, becauſe that in it, he had reſted from all his vvorke. You ſee one reaſon then, of the Sabbaths inſtitution & conſecration: thus A Kingdome, doth ſolemnize the Coronation day, becauſe on that day the King came to his Crowne: men keepe their Birth dayes, and Marriage dayes, becauſe on thoſe dayes they were borne, & married: Thoſe Iewes Eſter. 9. kept the dayes of Purim, becauſe of their deliuerance from Hamans conſpiracy.
I come now to the vſes of theſe two points: and firſt, is it ſo, that therefore God ſanctified the Saturday, 7th day, Sabbath, becauſe that in it he had reſted from all his vvorke; why then ſay ſome men, it matters not which day, we giuegive God for a Sabbath, ſo be we giuegive him one &c? Here was a reaſon you ſee, mouing God to ſet apart Saturday, rather then Sunday, or any other day, to wit, becauſe he had reſted on that day: and had God a reaſon mouing him to make a choiſe of dayes then, & is there no reaſon at all now, but one day may be as meete as an other? hath length of time, worne this reaſon out of vſe? will any ſay, it matters not which day we keepe for Coronation day, birth day, or Marriage day? for Chriſts Paſſion day, reſurrection day, or aſcention day? Is there not ſome reaſon euen in thes, for one day aboue all others? euen ſo, is there not a reaſon, why the 7th day, ſhould be ſolemnized & reſted on aboue all others, ſince that God ſolemnized it, & reſted on it; and did therefore bleſſe it, & ſanctify it, becauſe himſelfe had Reſted in it? I deſire this may be obſerued, by ſuch as expound the com. to be meant of one of ſeuen: that is, of one day of the 7, or of ſome one day of the 7 or other? as if God had made no choiſe, or difference of dayes; & as if God had as well ſanctified Sunday, monday, tewſday &c. and made them Holy dayes, as Saturday his ſacred day.
There are beſids others, theſe reaſons why we ſhould celebrate this day, rather then any other, 1. becauſe on this day God reſted, and not on any of the other 6 dayes; & vve muſt imitate God. 2. God hallovved and ſanctified this day, & ſo he did not honour any other of the ſix dayes; but appointed them for worke. 3. God had ſpeciall reaſon to ſanctifie this day, becauſe himſelfe had reſted on it; but he had no reaſon ſo to ſanctifie any of the ſix dayes, for he reſted not on thos, but vvrought on them. 4. God commanded this day in ſpeciall to be ſanctified by his 4th comm. which vvere reaſon enough for vsus to put a difference of dayes, if we had none other. We ſee then, it is a friuolouſe obiection, to ſay the leaſt of it, for men to ſay, it matters not ſo much, which day we giuegive God for his Sabbath, ſo be he hath one. God is in louelove with his owne choiſe, no day can ſo pleaſe him, as his owne choſen day. The Iewes might as well hauehave ſaid, ſo be we offer Sacrifice in an houſe, & by a man, it matters not which houſe, nor what man: yet God had choſen his Temple before all Houſen, & his Prieſts aboue all men, therefore they durſt not alter Gods choiſe. Might not we as well ſay now, it matters not ſo much what man miniſtreth the Sacraments, ſo be a man doth it: nor what we drinke at the Lords Supper, ſo it be liquor? doe wee not abhorre ſuch obiections? If vve will keepe a Sabbath by the 4th com. vve muſt betake vsus to ſuch a day onelyonly, vntounto vvhichwhich this reaſon of the Sabbaths inſtitution mentioned in the 4th com. doth properly belong: it cannot be ſaid of any of the other 6 dayes Sunday, Monday, Tewſday, Wedneſday, Thurſday, or Friday, that God bleſſed or ſanctified any of them, becauſe he had Reſted on them: if therefore vve chooſe any of theſe 6 dayes, 1. vve keepe a day vvhichwhich God did not bleſſe nor ſanctify for that end. 2. We defeate & diſapoint God, of his maine reaſon & end, vvhichwhich moued him to ordaine & command the Sabbath, to bleſſe it and to ſanctify it; for, becauſe God had reſted on the 7th day, which is Saturday, Therefore the Lord bleſſed the 7th day, & hallowed it, Geneſ. 2.2.3. I pray let this point be well obſerued, for it is of great conſequence.
Vſe 2. is it ſo, that God hath ſanctified & hallowed, this 7th day, Saturday, Sabbath; hovv is it come about, that this ſacred time, is novv eueryevery where in all Churches ſo ſtrangly profaned? for, as thoſe Iewes, dealt then with the Temple, they bought in it, & ſould in it, & changed their money in it, Mat. 21.12. So doe we now profane the Saturday Sabbath, by hauing markets therein, by buying & ſelling therein; yea, vve refuſe not to doe the moſt baſe, ſeruill, drudgery vvorkes, that the Kitchine hath, on the Lords Sabbath day: vve are farre vnlike our heauenly Father in the vſe of this day; he ſanctified it, we profane it; he reſted on it, we worke on it; he commanded vsus to Remember it, we forget it. Theſe things conſidered, it is high time for eueryevery man, to make a ſerch & inquiſition, to know whats become of the Lords Sabbath? and to be well informed of the reaſon. why the Lords Sabbaths are now forgotten, & ſo ſtrangly profaned: The Prieſts lippes muſt preſerue knowledge, and people muſt ſeeke the law, at their mouths, Mal. 2.7. Wherefore I aduiſe people, to hauehave recourſe to their Miniſters in this matter, and in moſt ſeriouſe manner demand of them whats become of the Lords Sabbaths? & by what warrant this ſacred time, is now ſo profaned? and if they cannot for the preſent giuegive you a ſound reaſon, deſire them to take it into conſideration, & to ſtudy the point better, that ſo a full ſatisfaction may be giuen to Gods people in this matter, or elſe a reformation may be ſought: it is no dallying; the matter is weightie; that a ſacred day, ſo hallowed by God, ſhould be now ſo profaned, it ſtandeth eueryevery man vponupon, to hauehave ſound arguments for it, vnleſſe he will be guilty of the ſinne of profaning Gods Sabbaths, weekly, and tranſgreſſion of the 4th com. & ſleiting Gods example and preſident.
This one thing I dare confidently auovvch, that no Miniſter is able to ſhew, any text of holy writ, which doth neceſſarily aboliſh this 7th day Sabbath: as for thoſe textes Coloſſ. 2.16. Exod. 31.13. vvhichwhich are their maine textes, thers no neceſſity at all in them, for abolition of the Morall Sabbath; for there be anſvvers enough to them, & ſufficient enough, (as ſhall be ſeene hereafter, when we come to anſvver to all their obiections) if thoſe that oppoſe God in his Sabbaths, did but pleaſe to retaine them, and to ſanctify them: I am confident therefore, that it is nothing but their meere willes, & pleaſures, that makes them inueigh againſt the Lords Sabbaths: Let people therefore ſee to it, what manner of arguments & reaſons, they admit of from their Miniſters, for their profaning of the Lords Sabbaths, which he hath hallowed & ſanctified; let not eueryevery trifling probable argument be auailable, hauing but ſome liklihod to be ſo; but let them call for ſuch ſolid & ſubſtantiall reaſons, as doe proue the aboliſhing of the Sabbath day neceſſarily, cleerly, & vndeniably, to the full ſatisfying of their conſciences; & let Miniſters giuegive them no reaſons here, for their iuſtifiable profaning of the Lords hallowed Sabbath, but ſuch as will hould currant, before God, at the day of iudgement, when God ſhall call for an account of his ſacred time, & holy Sabbaths: neither let the people reſt ſatisfied, till they hauehave ſuch reaſons, for their profanation of the Sanctified 7th day Sabbath, as they doe verily beleeue are ſound & warrantable, & ſuch as God will accept at their hands, vvhen they ſhall be queſtioned therefore, before his Tribunall: for no probable contingent, & doubtfull arguments, will then paſſe for current, againſt an expreſſe commandement, and ſo ancient & ſacred an ordinance, as is Gods Sabbath. I conclud this point, with thoſe words of the voyce from heauen to Peter Act. 10.15. The things that God hath purified, pollute thou not. So ſay I to Miniſters, when your people repaire vntounto you, for reaſons, to iuſtify them in the profanation of the Lords ſacred & holy Sabbaths; hauehave a care, leaſt you dravv all the guilt of Sabbath breaking, & the ſinne of tranſgreſſion of the 4th com. vponupon your owne ſoules, and that by your reaſons, you doe not pollute the things, which God hath ſanctified & purified, the Lords Sabbaths I meane: the things that God hath ſanctified, pollute thou not.