The Divine Appointment of the Lords Day, Part · Chapter 8 – Chapter 9
CHAP. VIII.
Of the beginning of the Day.
Quest. 1. When doth the Lords day begin? Answ. 1. If we can tell when any day beginneth, we may know when that beginneth. If we cannot, the necessity of our ignorance, will shorten the trouble of our scruples by excusing us.
2. Because the Lords day is not to be kept as a Jewish Sabbath ceremoniously, but the Time and the Rest are here commanded subserviently for the work sake, therefore we have not so much reason to be scrupulous about the hours of beginning and ending, as the Jews had about their Sabbath.
3. I think he that judgeth of the beginning and ending of the day, according to the common estimation of the Countrey where he liveth, will best answer the ends of the Institution. For he will still keep the same proportion of time; and so much as is ordinarily allowed on other dayes for work, he will spend this day in holy works; and so much in rest as is used to be spent in rest on other dayes; (which may ordinarily satisfie a well informed Conscience) And if any extraordinary occasions (as journeying or the like) require him to doubt of any hours of the night, whether they be part of the Lords day or not, 1. It will be but his sleeping time, and not his worshipping time, which he will be in doubt of: and 2. He will avoid all scandal and tempting others to break the day, if he measure the day by the common estimate: whereas if the Countrey where he liveth do esteem the day to begin at Sunsetting, and he suppose it to begin at Midnight, he may be scandalous by doing that which in the common opinion is a violation of the day. If I thought that this short kind of solution, were not the fittest to afford just quietness to the minds of sober Christians in this point, I would take the pains to scan the Controversie about the true beginning of dayes: But left it more puzzle and perplex, than edifie or resolve and quiet the Conscience, I save my self and the Reader that trouble.
CHAP. IX.
Quest. 2. HOw should the Lords day be kept or used?
Answ. The Practical Directions I have given in another Treatise. I shall now give you but these generals.
I. The day being separated or set apart for Holy Worship, must accordingly be spent therein. To sanctifie it, is to spend it in holy exercises: How else should it be used as a Holy Day? I was in the Spirit on the Lords day, saith St. John, Rev. 1. 10.
II. The principal work of the day is, the Communion of Christians in the publick exercises of Gods worship. It is principally to be spent in holy assemblies. And this is the use that the Scripture expresly mentioneth, Acts 20. 7. and intimateth 1 Co…. 16. 1, 2. And as most Expotors think, John 21. when the Disciples were gathered together with the door shut for fear of the Jews. And all Church History assureth us, that in these holy Assemblies principally, the day was spent by the ancient Christians. They spent almost all the day together.
3. It is not only to be spent in holy exercises, but also in such special holy exercises as are suitable to the purposes of the day. That is, it is a day of Commemorating the whole wo… of our Redemption; but especially the Resurrection of Christ. Therefore it is a day of Thanksgiving and Praise; and the special services … it must be Laudatory and Joyful exercises.
4. But yet because it is sinners that are called to their work, who are not yet fully delivered from their sin and misery, these praises must be mixed with penitent Confessions, and with earnest Petitions, and with diligent Learning the will of God.
More particularly, the publick exercises of the day are 1. Humble and penitent Confessions of sin. 2. The faithful and fervent prayers of the Church. 3. The Reading, Preaching and Hearing of the Word of God. 4. The Communion of the Church in the Lords Supper. 5. The Laudatory Exhortations which attend it. And the singing and speaking of the praises of our Creator and Redeemer and Sanctifier; with joyful Thanksgiving for his wonderful benefits. 6. The seasonable exercise of holy Discipline on particular persons, for comforting the weak, reforming the scandalous, casting out the obstinately impenitent, and absolving and receiving the penitent. 7. The Pastors blessing the people in the name of the Lord. 8. And as an appurtenance in due season, Oblations or Contributions for holy and Charitable uses, even for the Church and Poor, which yet may be put off to other dayes, when it is more convenient so to do.
Qu. But who is it that must be present in all these exercises?
Answ. Where there is no Church yet called, the whole day may be spent in Preaching to, and teaching the unconverted Infidels: But where there is a Church, and no other persons mixt, the whole exercises of the day must be such as are fitted to the state of the Church. But where there is a Church and other persons (Infidels, or impenitent ones) with them, the day must be spent proportionably in exercises suitable to the good of both; yet so that Church-exercises should be the principal work of the day. And the ancient laudable practice of the Churches was, to Preach to the Infidel auditors and Catechumens in the morning, on such Subjects as were most suitable to them, and then to dismiss them, and retain the faithful (or baptized) only; And to Teach them all the Commands of Christ; To stir them up to the Joyful commemoration of Christ and his Resurrection, and to sing Gods praises, and celebrate the Lords Supper with Eucharistical acknowledgments and joy. And they never kept a Lords day in the Church, without the Lords Supper; In which the bare administration of the signes was not their whole work; but all their Thanksgiving and Praising exercises, were principally then used, and connexed to the Lords Supper; which the Liturgies yet extant do at large express.
And I know no reason but thus it should be still; or at least but that this course should be the ordinary celebration of the day.
Qu. But seeing the Sabbath was instituted in the beginning, to commemorate the work of the Creation, must that be laid by now, because of our commemoration of the work of our Redemption?
Answ. No: Our Redeemers work is to restore us to the acknowledgement and Love of our Creator. And the Commemoration of our Redemption fitteth us to a holy acknowledgement of the Almighty Creator in his works: These therefore are still to go together; according to their several proper places: Even as the Son is the way to the Father, and we must never separate them in the exercise of our Faith, obedience or Love. A Christian is a sanctified Philosopher: And no man knoweth or acknowledgeth Gods works of Creation and Providence aright, in their true sense, but he that seeth God the Creator and Redeemer, the Beginning, the Governour and the End of all. Other Philosophers are but as those Children, that play with the Book and Letters, but understand not the matter contained in it; or like one that teacheth boyes …litide literas pingere, to write a curious hand, while he understands not what he writeth.
Obj. But to spend so much of the day in publick as you speak of, will tire out the Minister by speaking so long▪ Few men are able to endure it.
Answ. 1. How did the Christians in the Primitive Churches? They met in the morning, and often (as far as I can gat…er) parted not till night, (And when they did go home between the Morning and Evening Service, it was but for a little time.)
Obj. Then they made it a fast and not a festival.
Answ. It was not the use then to eat dinners in those hot Countreys; much less three meals a day, as we do now. And they accounted it a sufficient feasting, to feast once, at Supper, which they did at the first all together at their Church-meeting, with the Sacrament; But afterward finding the inconvenience of that they feasted at home, and used only the Sacrament in the Church: which change was not made without the allowance of the Apostles; Paul saying, 1. Cor. 11. Have ye not houses to eat and drink in? or despise ye the Church of God?
2. I further answer that the work of the day being done according to the primitive use, it will be no excessive labour to the Minister: Because in the Celebration of the Lords Supper, he is not still in one continued speech, but hath the intermission of Action, and useth shorter Speeches which do not so much spend him. And the people bear a considerable part, to wit, in Gods praises, which were spoken then in their laudatory tone, and are now uttered by the singing of Psalms (which should not be the least part of the work.) And though their manner of singing was not like ours, in Rithmes and Tunes mel…diously, (as neither were the Hebrew, Greek or Latine Poems so sung;) but as most think, more like to our Cathedral singing, or saying; yet it followeth not that this is the best way for us, seeing use hath made our Tunes and Meeter, and way of singing more meet for the ends to which we use them, that is, for the chearful consent of all the Church; Neither should any think that it is a humane unlawful invention, and a sinful change, to turn the old way of singing (used in Scripture times and long after) into ours; For the old way of singing was not a Divine institution, but a use; and several Countreys had their several uses herein: And God commandeth us but to Praise him, and sing Psalmes, but doth not tell us what meeter or tunes we shall use, or manner of singing, but leaveth this to the use and convenience of every Countrey: And if our way and tunes be to us by custome more convenient than those of other Nations in Scripture times, we have no reason to forsake them, and return to the old (Though yet the old way is not to be judged a thing forbidden.) And we see that custome hath so far prevailed with us, that many thousand Religious people, do cheerfully sing Psalmes in the Church in our Tunes and way, who cannot endure to sing in the Cathedral or the ancient Scripture or primitive way, nor to use so much as the Laudatory Responses.
3. And I further answer that every Church should have more Ministers than one, as the ancient Churches had besides their Readers; and then one may in speaking ease another.
4. But lastly I answer, that These circumstances being alterable according to the state of Countreys & Conveniences, I do not discommend the custome of our Countrey, and of most Christian Churches in our times, in making an intermission, and going home to dinner; as being fittest to our condition. And then there remaineth the less force in the objection, as to the weariness of the Ministers, or the people.
I … to say more of the publick Church-performances, having described them all in a small Book called Vniversal Concord, and having exemplified all except. Preaching, in our Reformed Liturgie given in to the Bishops at the Savoy.
Only here, I will answer them, who object much that the Ancient Churches spent not the whole day in exercises of Religion, nor farbad other exercises out of the time of publick worship, because we read of little other observation of it by them, but what was done in the publick Assemblies.
Answ. 1. We find that they took it to be a sanctified or separated day; And they never distinguish, and say, that Part of the day only was separated and sanctified to such uses. If they did, which part is the sanctified part of the day? what houres were they which they thought thus separated? But there is no such distinction or limitation, in the writings of the ancient Doctors. 2. What need you find much mention, what they did out of the time of publick Worship, when they spent all the day frequently at first, and almost all the day in after times (with small intermission) in publick Worship? Do you stay but as long at Church as they did, even almost from Morning till Night, and then you will find little time to Dance or Play in. But yet, 3. There want not Testimonies that they thought it unlawful to spend any part of the day, in unnecessary diversions from holy things, as Dr. Young hath shewed.
III. So much of the day as can be spared from publick Church-worship, (and diversions of necessity) should be next spent most in holy family-exercises. And in those unhappy places where the publick worship is slenderly and negligently performed, (on some small part only of the day) or not at all, or not so as it is lawful to joyne in it, (as in Idolatrous Worship, &c.) there Family worship must take up most of the day: And in better places, it must take up so much as the publick Worship spareth.
And here the summ of holy exercises in Families is this (which having elsewhere directed you in, I must but briefly name.)
1. To see that the Family rise as early on this day as on others, and make it not a day of sleep and idleness: And not to suffer them to violate prophane or neglect the day, by any of the sins hereafter named.
2. To call them together before they go to the solemn Assembly, and to Pray with them and praise God, and if there be time, to read the Scripture, and tell them what they have to do in publick.
3. To see that Dinner and other common employments make no longer an intermission than is needful; And to advise them that at their meat and necessary business, they shew by their holy speeches, that their minds do not forget the day, and the employments of it.
4. To sing Gods praises with them, if there be time, and bring them again together to the Church-assembly.
5. When they return either to take some account of them what they have learned, or to call them together to pray for a blessing on what they have heard, and to sing praises to God, and to urge the things which they have heard upon them.
6. At Supper to behave themselves soberly and piously: And after Supper to shut up the day in Prayer and Praise; And either then or before, either to examine or exhort inferiours, according as the case of the persons and families shall require (For in some Families it will be best on the same day to take an account of their profiting, and to Catechize them: And in other Families that have leisure, other daies may be more convenient for Catechising and Examinations, that the greater works of the Lords day may not be shortened.)
IV. So much of the day as can be spared from publick and family worship, must be spent in secret, holy duties: such as are, 1. Secret Prayer. 2. Reading of the Scriptures and good Books. 3. Holy Meditation; 4. And the secret Conference of bosome friends. Of which I further adde▪
1. That where publick or family worship cannot be had (as in impious places) there secret duties must be the chief, and make up the defect of others. And it is a great happiness of good Christians who have willing minds, that they have such secret substitutes and supplies; That they have Bibles and so many good Books to read, That they may have a friend to talk with of holy things; But much more that they have a God to go to, and a Heaven to Meditate on, besides so many Sacred Verities.
2. That my judgement is, that in those places where the publick Worship taketh up almost all the day, it is no sin to attend on it to the utmost, and to omit all such Family and secret exercises as cannot be done, without omission of the publick. And that where the publick exercises allow but a little time at home, the Family duties should take up all that little time, except what some shorter secret Prayers or Meditations may have, which will not hinder family duties. And that it is a sinful disorder to do otherwise. Because the Lords day is principally set apart for publick worship; And the more private or secret is as it were included in the publick: Your Families are at Church with you; The same Prayers which you would put up in secret, you may (usually) put up in publick, and in Families: And it is a turning Gods Worship into a Ceremony and Superstition, to think that you must necessarily put up the same Prayers in a Closet, which you put up in the Family or Church, when you have not time for both. (Though when you have time, secret prayer, hath its proper advantages, which are not to be neglected.) And also, what secret or family duty you have not time for on that day, you may do on another day, when you cannot come to Church Assemblies. And therefore it is an Errour to think that the day must be divided in equal proportions, between Publick, Family, and Secret Duties: Though yet I think it not amiss that some convenient time for Family and Secret duties be left on that day; but not so much as is spent in publick, nor nothing neer it.
If any shall now object, [I do not believe that we are bound to all this ado, nor so to tire out our selves in Religious exercises: Where is all this ado commanded us?]
I answer, 1. I have proved to you that in Nature and in Scripture set together as great a proportion of time as this for holy exercises is required.
2. But O what a Carnal unthankful heart; doth this objection signifie? What, do you account your Love to God, and the Commemoration of his Love in Christ, a toile? What if God had only given you leave, to lay by your worldly business, and idle talk and Childish play, for one dayes time, and to learn how to be like Christ and Angels, and how to make sure of a Heavenly Glory, should you not gladly have accepted it as an unspeakable benefit? O what hearts have these wretched men that must be constrained by fear to all that is good, and holy, and spiritual; and will have none of Gods greatest mercies, unless it be for fear of hell (And they shall never have them indeed till they love them!) What hearts have those men, that had rather be in an Alehouse, or a Play-house, or asleep, than to be in heart with God? That can find so much pleasure in jesting and idle talking and foolery, that they can better endure it, than to peruse a Map of Heaven, and to read and hear the Sacred Oracles! Who think it a toile to praise their Maker and Redeemer, and a pleasure to game and dance and drink! Who turn the glass upon the Preacher, and grudge if he exceed his hour; and can sit at a Tavern or Alehouse, or hold on in any thing thats vain, many hours and never complain of weariness! Do they not tell the world what enemies they are to God, who love a pair of Cards, or Dice, or Wanton Dalliance, better than his Word and Worship? Who think six dayes together little enough for their worldly work and profit, and one day in seven too much to spend in the thoughts of God and life Eternal? Who love the dung of this present World, so much better than all the joyes above, as that they are weary to hear of Heaven above an hour at a time, and long to be wallowing in the dirt again? Is it not made by the Holy Ghost, a mark not only of wicked men, but of men notoriously wicked, to be Lovers of pleasures more than of God? 2 Tim. 3. 4.
O Sinners, that in these workings of the wickedness and malignity of your hearts, you would at last but know your selves! Is it not the Carnal mind that is thus at enmity to God, and neither is nor can be subject to his Law, Rom. 8. 6, 7, 8? Which will you take to be your friend; Him that loveth your company, or him that is a weary of it, and is glad when he hath done with you, and is got away? What would you think of Wife, or Child, or Friend, if they should reason as you do, and say, What Law doth bind … to be so many hours in the House, or Company, or … of my Husband, my Father, or my Friend… You do not use if you have a Feast, or a Cup of Wine before you, to ask, Where doth God Command me to Eat or Drink it? You can do this without a Command! If you hear but of a gainful Market▪ you ask not, Where doth God make it my duty to go to it? If one would give you Money or Land, you would scarcely ask, How prove you that I am bound to take it? You would be glad of Leave, without Commands. If the King should say to you▪ Ask what you will, and I will give it you, you would not say, Where am I bound of God to ask? And when God saith, Ask and it shall be given you, you say, How prove you that I am bound to ask? You can sing ribbald Songs, and Dance without a Command; You can Feast, and Play, and Prate, and Sleep, and Loyter in idleness without a Command; But you cannot learn how to be saved, nor praise your. Redeemer without a Command. A Thief can Steal, a Fornicator can Play the Bruit, a Drunkard can be Drunk, an Oppressour can make himself hateful to the Oppressed, not only without Law, but against it? But you cannot Rejoice in God, nor live one day together in his Love and Service, without a Law, no nor with it neither. For because you had rather not Love him, it is certain that you do not Love him: And because you had rather play than pray, and serve the flesh than serve your Maker; it is a certain sign that you do not serve him, with any thing which he will accept as Service. For while he hath not your hearts, he hath nothing which he accepteth. Your Knee and Tongue only is forced against your will to that which you call serving him: But your Hearts or Wills cannot be forced. When you had rather be elsewhere, and say When will the Sermon and Prayer be done, that I may be at my Work or Play? God taketh it as if you were there where you had rather be.
I pray you deal openly, and tell me, you that think a day too long for God, and are weary of all holy work, What would you be doing that while, if you had your choice? Is it any thing which you dare say is better? Dare you say, that playing is better than Praying, and a Piper or Dancing is better than praising God with Psalms? Or that your Sleep, or Games, or Chat or Worldly business is better than the Contemplation of God and Glory! And will those deceivers of the people also say this, who teach them that it is a tedious uncommanded thing, to serve God so long? I think they dare not speak it out. If they dare, let them not grudge that they must be for ever shut out of Heaven, where there will be nothing else but holiness. But if you dare not say so, Why will you choose the worse, before the better? Why will you be weary of well doing, that you may do ill? Why are you not more weary of every thing than of holiness, unless you think every thing better than holiness.
Especially those men, 1. Whose judgement is for will-worship, should not ask, where is there a Command, for any good which they are willing of. But doth not this shew that you had rather there were no Command for it? Be judges your selves. 2. And they that are for making the Churches a great deal more work than God hath made them, (O what abundance hath Popery made; and what a multitude of new Religious particles!) methinks should not for shame say that God hath tired them out, and made them too much work already? Do you cry out, What a weariness is this one day, when you would adde of your own such a multitude of more dayes, and more work?
Yet though I talk of doing it willingly if you had no forcing Law of God, but bare leave to receive such Benefits, my meaning is not that God hath left any such things indifferent or made them only the matter of Counsels and not of Commands: For he hath made it our duty to receive our own benefits, and to do that which tendeth to our own good and Salvation. But if it had been so, that we had only leave to receive so great mercies without any other penalty for refusing, than the loss of them, it should be enough to men that Love themselves, and know what is for their good. Much more when commands concurr.