A Threefold Treatise of the Sabbath, Section 26
SECTION XXVI. How the Day was kept.
THe people of God, having ceaſed from their labours, as the Law commanded, Exod. 20. 8. and 31. 14. Luk. 23. 56. and betaking themſelves to the holy reſt, and to make an holy uſe thereof unto the Lord, it being an holy day, and the reſt of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord, Exod. 16. 23, and 35. 2. They thus obſerved the day, and kept it holy.
I. Before the publike meeting.
1. They began with private preparation, as they were commanded.
1. To look unto their feet before they entred into the houſe of the Lord, Eccleſ. 5. 1.
2. To reconcile themſelves one to another, Matth. 5. 23, 24.
3. To be of a clean Converſation, Pſ. 26. 6. elſe God regarded not their coming, Iſai. 1. 12. 16, 17. and 66. 3. Pſal. 50. 16, 17.
4. To have an high eſteem of their Aſſemblies: as holy Convocations, Lev. 23. 3. and the houſe, as the houſe of God, 1 Chr. 9. 27. Pſ…. 27. 4. ſuch were bleſſed, as did abide there, Pſal. 84. 4.
II. In going. It was
1. With ſingular affection, of love to the place, Pſal. 26. 8. and deſire to dwell there, Pſ…. 27. 4. and vehement longing for it, Pſ…. 42. 1, 2. and 84. 1, 2.
2. With care for others exciting them to go: the Paſtors, the people, Jer. 31. 6. and they one another, Jer. 50. 4, 5, Mich. 4. 2. and the parties excited to be glad thereof, Pſa. 122. 1.
3. It was with the voice of joy and praiſes, Pſa. 42. 4.
4. Their end in going was to be taught, and underſtand, and that they might walk in Gods wayes, Iſai. 2. 2. Nehe. 8. 13.
III. At the entring, and in the Congregation.
1. They worſhipped at the Gate and entrance, Ezek. 46. 3.
2. They kneeled down before God, Pſ. 95. 6. 2 Chr. 6▪ 13. 1 K. 8. 54. and made their prayers, Iſa. 56. 7. Eſr. 6. 10. Act. 16. 13. Luk. 1. 10. 1 Chr 16. 4: and 23. 30. 1 Cor. 14. 16. Some appointed for it. 1 Chr. 6. 31. 32. and 16. 4.and 3. 1. Num. 6. 23.
3. They gave thanks, Pſal. 26. 12. unto God, Pſa. 35. 18. and 111. 1. ſtanding, 1 King. 8. 55. to which the people anſwered, Amen, Amen, and bowed their heads, and worſhipped, Neh. 8. 6.
4. They ſung Pſalms, 2 Chr. 29. 30. Pſa. 95. 2. and 92. ſee the Title, a Pſalm for the Sabbath, and it was joy, to ſome, to be there, Pſa. 84. 10.
5. The Scriptures were read, Act. 15. 21. Deut. 31. 11, 12, 13. Luk. 4. 16, 17. Act. 13. 15.
6. With the reading, they had alſo afterwards the Word preached, for the Prieſts office was to teach, Mal. 2. 7. Deut. 33. 10. 2 Chron. 30. 22. and 35. 2. And it was a miſery, I. to want a teaching Prieſt, 2 Chron. 15. 2. and II. for them to be ignorant of the Law in handling it, Jer. 2. 8 or III. to have ſuch as preached the word, and yet not to live thereafter, Mat. 23. 1. And this preaching was either an expoſition of the words, as they read them, Neh. 8. 3. 8. or to make an exhortation, or, as we call it, a Sermon upon the words, as Chriſt did, Luke 4. 16. 31. and 13, 10. Mar. 6. 2. as Saint Paul did, Act. 13. 15, 16. and as it was uſuall every Sabbath day, Act. 15. 21.
The peoples behaviour was, they ſtood up, Neh. 8. 5. They had their eyes upon the Teacher, Luk. 4. 20. and their ears were attentive, Neh. 8. 3.
7. There were Offerings, and caſting into the Treaſury, Mar. 12. 41. Luk. 21. 1.
8. In the Concluſion there was a bleſſing pronounced upon the people, 2 Chron. 30. 27. Lev. 9. 22, 23. as God commanded, Num. 6. 23, 27. and then did break up the Congregation, Act. 13. Deut. 21. 5. and 10 8. 1 Chr. 23. 13.43, and the people departed, verſ. 42.
IV. After the diſmiſſion of the Congregation.
It was the duty of all, and no doubt ſome did,
1. Meditate upon that they had heard: for if this was dayly, Pſal. 1. 2. then much more on this day: Aben Ezra, on Exod. 20, ſaith, behold the Sabbath Datum eſt ad Conſideranda …pe…a dei & meditandum in Lege ejus.
2. They ſearched the Scriptures afterwards, touching the things taught, Act. 17. 11.
3. They taught their children, for this was a charge upon them dayly, then much more, no doubt, now, when they reſted in their houſes, Deut. 6. 6, 7. and 11. 19.
4. They were to be mindefull this day,
1. Of their deliverance out of Egyp…, and how to ſhew mercy to their men and maid-ſervants, to the ſtrangers, and to their very cattell, Deut. 5. 14, 15.
2. Of the Lord their God, and how he did ſanctifie them, Ezech. 20. 20. Exod. 31. 13, 14.
3. Of another reſt, ſpirituall, here, and heavenly hereafter, Heb. 4. 9, 11.
5. They this day were to ſhew their delight in the Lord, count the day honourable to the Lord, and learn to expreſſe ſelf denyall of their own thoughts, delights, and work, Iſ. 58. 13, 14.
6. On this day they did not faſt, Judith 8. 6. but made merry, for it was called the day of their gladneſſe, Num. 10. 10. wherein they might cheerfully refreſh themſelves, and ſend relief unto the poor, after ſuch former duties done towards the Evening; but this mirth was for their underſtanding of the Word, Neh. 8. 9, 10, 11, 12. It is true, that this holy day to the Lord was the feaſt of Tabernacles, but why they might not now do ſo on the Sabbath day, I ſee nothing to the contrary. For the ſtrict precepts in the Wilderneſſe were out of date; and the Primitive Church, who obſerved our Chriſtian Sabbath in the roome of the Jewiſh did make a feaſt after the end of Divine ſervice.
See for the obſervation of that Sabbath, Philo Judaeus de vita Moſis, de vita Contempla: De legatione ſua ad Cajum C…ſarem cited by Wall…us de Sab. pag. 127. 134. 135. 136. See alſo Dav. Kimch…on Pſa. 92. cited by Goniarus in his Book de Sab. pag. 81.