A Threefold Treatise of the Sabbath, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of the divers opinions concerning the beginning and ending of the Lords day: and wherein conſcience may reſt it ſelfe.
THere are divers opinions about the beginning and ending of this our Chriſtian Sabbath.
Some hold it from midnight, to midnight; this is the judgement of very learned Divines: ſome ſay it beginneth in the Morning, and ſo holdeth on till the next Morning; not many of this opinion, as being weakeſt, and fartheſt from the truth. Some hold it to begin at the Evening, and to end at the Evening: and of this judgment are many ancient Fathers, and ſundry Councels. And the ancient obſervation of the Saturday in the afternoone, as a preparative thereto, may ſeeme to confirme as much.
But I am perſwaded, if we keep the day from the Morning to the Evening, the conſciences of men neede not trouble them about any other curious ſearch: So that there be a religious preparation to it, and a religious care in ending of it, not ruſhing into it with unſanctified hearts, nor concluding it with profaneſſe: For the nights are given for bodily reſt, and the day for labour (as the Pſalmist ſpeaketh) When the Sunne ariſeth, man goeth forth to his labours and work, untill the Evening, Pſal. 104. 22. 23. When the night commeth no man can work, ſaith our Saviour, Joh. 9. 4. Now a day for labour amongſt the Jewes was twelve houres, Joh. 11. 9. from ſix to ſix, Matt. 20. 1. 2. 8. but otherwiſe it was from the beginning of the Morning light, Gen. 1. 5. to the darke of the Evening, Judg. 10. 9. 14. 16. Joh. 8. 29. Prov. 7. 9. And wee ſee in the fourth Commandement that albeit, as it is held, a naturall day doth comprehend the night and day, yet is that time only mentioned in which men are to labour, and to doe all that they have to doe, in the ſix dayes, which is on the day time, and not in the night. And ſo, as they do well who labour painfully and honeſtly in the day light, and take the night for their quiet repoſe and reſt in the ſix dayes: In like manner do they well, who religiouſly ſerve the Lord Chriſt in the light of the day, though the night before, and the night after, they thankfully take benefit of the ſame for corporall reſt. Neither doe we read, that any were complayned of, or puniſhed, as breakers of the Sabbath; but for their tranſgreſſion and ſinne committed in the day time. Our Saviour Chriſt honoured this our Lords day, with his viſible preſence among his Diſciples and followers on the day time: At the Sun riſing early in the morning, Mark. 16. 2. 9. then after in the afternoone, continuing till the day was farre ſpent towards the Evening, Luk. 24. 29. John 20. 19. upon the ſame day at ſupper time; yea, I confeſſe it is probable to bee ſomewhat late within the Evening, and that ſpace properly called the beginning of the night, but not farre within. And wee read how the Jewes on the day time kept their Sabbath, and God appointed his ſervice in the Tabernacle and the Temple from Morning to the Evening ſacrifice, and had no ſacrifices in the night time. And thus was the Lords day kept, except upon ſome extraordinarie occaſions, as in Acts 20. 27. and as afterwards in the time of bloody perſecution, but not in ſetled dayes of peace.
Queſt. Here ſome may aske, Are we then to be careleſſe and regardleſſe of the night before, and the Evening after?
Anſw. Not ſo: for on other dayes we begin the Morning with prayer for a bleſſing, unleſſe we look for none; and end it in the Evening with prayſe and thankſgiving, if we be not unthankfull. If thus we doe, as we ought, on the week dayes, than much more on the Lords day, ſet apart for holy duties: The night of which day before, and the Evening after, are to bee more piouſly conſidered of, than the like times of the week dayes. Our Saturday halfe holy day, our Evening Prayer, as a preparative to the Sabbath, teach us to enter upon the Sabbath holily, and to take the nights reſt, not onelyonly for repairing ſtrength of body for labour, as on working dayes, but to bee more fit to doe ſervice and worſhip unto God, without drowzineſſe of ſpirit: And in the end of the day, to behave our ſelves ſo, as it may appeare wee have received a ſpirituall bleſſing that day, and have increaſed in knowledge and other holy graces, in the uſe of Gods holy ordinance.