A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 5 · Commentary · Section 3
SECT. III.
Hauing taken out of the way, their vſuall obiectiones, which they raiſe againſt the Lords Sabbaths, I come now to proue the point & that by good & ſtrong euidence out of Scripture: OnelyOnly one caution I deſire firſt to propound vntounto my Reader; which is, to deſire him in the feare of God, to empty his minde of all kinde of preiudice, & to lay aſide all foreſtalledneſſe of opinion, either of my perſon, or of the cauſe in queſtion, that ſo he may bring a mind like vntounto true ballances, equally poiſed.
It is true, that being it is an ordinance of God which I diſpute for, it ſhould incline eueryevery godly heart, rather to imbrace it then to reiect it; and rather to take parte with God, & with his ordinance, then againſt God & his ordinance, but if this cannot be obtained, yet let thus much be graunted, that no man reade theſe arguments, as wiſhing that Gods Sabbaths may rather be aboliſhed then continued & eſtabliſhed: for in vaine ſhall his reading & my writing proue, if he come with a mind fully bent againſt the point in queſtion beforehand, rather wiſhing that it may proue a falſehood then a trueth: for the better auoiding of this, let it be obſerued, that it is a property of an hardened heart, of a benumed conſcience, & of a man well nigh forſaken of God to reſiſt knowledge, & to dislike of the meanes thereof, when it is tendered vntounto him: for this purpoſe ſee Act. 28.27. For the heart of this people it waxed fat, & their eares dull of hearing, & with their eyes they hauehave winked, leaſt they ſhould ſee with their eyes, & heare with their eares, & vnderstand with their h…rtes, & ſhould be converted. Theſe words were verified vponupon thoſe ſtifnecked & hard hearted Iewes, who reiected the Goſpell of Chriſt, & Saluation both at once, becauſe they would not returne & be conuerted, therfore they winked, leaſt they ſhould ſee &c. for they had reſolued to goe on in their old way, what ſoeuer could be ſaid to the contrary: my earneſt requeſt therfore vntounto my Chriſtian Reader, is that he would not reſolue vponupon it beforehand, that he will hould on in his old way, and that he will not ſuffer his iudgement to be conuerted, what ſoeuer he ſhall find to the contrary: for it is a ſore iudgement of God vponupon any man, to winke with his eyes, that ſo hee may not ſee what he is taught: it is the propertie of an ingenuouſe Spirit rather with Samuel to ſay, Speake Lord, for thy ſervant heareth: That is, to be prepared to receiue & embrace, whatſoeuer cane beſhowne vntounto him, to be the minde & will of God, & ſo I come to my firſt argument, where by I ſhall proue vntounto you, that the Lords Sabbath of the 7th day, is now ſtill in force.