A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 3 · Commentary · Section 5
SECT. V.
A ſecond text produced to proue the Lords day, a Sabbath day, is Pſal. 118.24. This is the day, which the Lord hath made; let vsus reioyce & be glad in it. Here ſay ſome, the word made may be tranſlated Sanctified; & further, this day here ſpoken of, was a type of the very day of Chriſts reſurrection, on the Lords day, or firſt day of the weeke: & therfore God made or Sanctified this day for a Sabbath. Before I anſwer this text, leaſt ſome ſhould obiect vntounto me, that I debaſe their cauſe, by bringing in ſuch weake textes, as no man of note will make vſe of this way; for to this purpoſe, one M. Pottes, an auncient diuine, beiond the Seaes, obiected this very text vntounto me, as finding fault with me, for putting it into my former booke, ſo lightly hee eſteemd it. now to wipe away ſuch preiudiciall thoughts, let it be knowne, I could inſtance Authoures in printed bookes, who doe vrge it; but ſparing them, I will nominate one of my 10 aduerſaries ſtanding vponupon this text ſtifly, and it is M. Gallard, Miniſter of Sprowſton in Norff: ſometyme pupill to the foreſaid M. Pottes, and ſo I come to the anſwer.
My 1. anſwer to this Text is, that vvhereas M. Gallard ſaith, the vvord made, may be tranſlated ſanctified. I anſwer him, that ſo the vvord may be tranſlated made alſo; and that to tranſlate it made, is the more fitting in this place, all our Tranſlators both old and nevv, doe beare me vvitneſſe; for they all render it made: Novv if it may be tranſlated made; how vvill he proue, that it muſt be tranſlated ſanctified? for hee muſt remember, that it is his part to proue, that the vvord muſt neceſſarily be tranſlated Sanctified. Happily he vvill ſay, that the vvord ſignifieth to ſanctifye, vvhen it is referred to dayes &c. but, ſo the vvord vſually ſignifieth alſo, vvhen it is referred vntounto men, and yet in one place it ſignifieth appointed or ordeined, thus the Medes & Perſians are ſaid to be ſanctified of God, Iſa. 13.3.17. That is, appointed of God to execute his iudgements; & vvhy may not the vvord then be once ſo meant alſo, vvhen it is referred to dayes?
2. I anſvver him, ſuppoſe it muſt be tranſlated ſanctified, then I diſtinguiſh of Sanctification of dayes; ſome dayes are ſanctified for Sabbaths, for the Church to Reſt on; other ſome dayes are ſanctified for other endes, as for ſome particular mans vſe in the Church, as here in this text Pſ. 118.24. This day which the Lord made or ſanctified, he made it or ſanctified it, for Dauids vſe properly, for the day wherin he ſhould come to the Crowne; and ſo typically for Chtiſt his vſe, and for the day wherein he ſhould be honourablie raiſed from the dead, the Lords day; now this Pſalme is to be vnderſtood in this latter ſenſe, as he that hath but halfe an eye may ſee; how then vvill he proue, that this Lords day, whereon Chriſt roſe, was ſanctified for the Church to ſanctifie, vvhen it vvas ſanctified for Chriſt alone to riſe in? for this day, vvas not ſanctified for the vvhole Church and people, but for Chriſt alone: not for the Church to reſt on, but for Chriſt to riſe on.
3. I anſwer by an other diſtinction, the word Day is ſome time taken in Scripture for a ſhorte & ordenary day of 12. howres or the like; and ſometime it is taken for a long ſpace of time, conteining many dayes, vveekes, moneths, or yeeres, as Ioh. 8.56. Abraham reioyced to ſee my day &c. and 2. Cor. 6.2. behold now the day of ſaluation. Now the word Day in Pſa. 118.24. may be taken in this latter ſenſe, for all that time vvherein Dauid raigned, and ſo for all that time of Chriſt vponupon the earth after his reſurrection; or longer, wherein he raigneth in his Church as King; how then vvill M. Gallard doe to proue, that by day here, muſt be meant a ſhorte & ordenary day of 12 or more howres, or a weekly Sabbath day?
4. I anſwer, ſay the vvord day be to be taken for a ſhort day, then let it be proued, that this is a prophecy of a weekly day, as of eueryevery Sunday or Lords day: for it may be a prophecy of a yeerly day onelyonly, as of Easter day, ſince on that day Chriſt roſe from the dead: and if it be no otherwiſe, how will they doe for a weekly Sabbath, on eueryevery Lords day?
5. I anſwer, that this Pſalme cannot be a prophecy, that the Lords day, or day wherein Chriſt was to riſe, ſhould be a Sabbath day; and that I proue, becauſe Chriſt kept not this Lords day, or day of his reſurrection, vvhen it came, as a Sabbath day, but as a vvorking day; for hee trauailed vp and downe, too and fro, on that day; and ſo did his Diſciples; yea the Apoſtles themſelues were ignorant, that this firſt Lords day, ſhould be a Sabbath: for they beleeued not, that Chriſt was riſen, but ſorrowed & vvept, all the day long vntill it vvas nere night; and ſo could not kepe it a Sabbath in memory of the reſurrection: Theſe things hauehave bene proued alredy: Novv had this Pſalme bene a prophecy that the firſt Lords day, vvhereon Chriſt roſe, ſhould hauehave bene a Sabbath day, Chriſt muſt hauehave kept this day, together vvith his Diſciples, as a Sabbath day: becauſe Chriſt muſt fulfill all things prophecied of him. And thus much for anſvver to this abuſed text of Scripture.