A Modest Plea for the Lords Day, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The firſt Conſideration. That God hath no more glory, nor the Souls of Chriſtians any more reall advantage, from the obſervation of the Seventh day from the Creation, than from the obſervation of the Lords Day as the Chriſtian Sabbath; nor can be any pretence of this nature but that of ſtricter Obedience to the Commandment.
I Take it to be an excellent notion of that holy and eminent Servant of God, Mr. Thomas Sheppard, that the thing which makes a Law morall, is a goodneſs in the thing, commanded precedent to the command, yet cauſed by the eternal will of God. Ceremonial Laws were therefore good becauſe commanded, but the matter of every Moral Law muſt have ſome goodneſs, that is ſome equity, ſome ſuitableneſs in it to the nature, and to the Concernment of men and women, preceding the command, eſpecially if we rightly conſider man as he ſtands related to God, and to his Neighbour, as he is made up of Body and Soul, both ordained to an eternal exiſtence. The light of nature ſhewing us, that there is a God, and but one God, he, our Creator, Preſerver, Governour, an Eſſence of glorious Majeſty, purity and holineſs, &c. If we had never heard of the firſt, ſecond, or third Commandements, Nature would have told us, it was fit we ſhould give the higheſt homage of our Souls to him alone, worſhip him according to his will, not blaſpheme his Name, nor uſe any thing related to him irreverently, which is the ſubſtance of the three firſt Commandments. The ſame will be yielded as to the 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The very light of Nature, would have ſhewed us a fitneſs, and ſutableneſs in the things there commanded, to humane Society, if we never had heard of the Commandment. The ſame light of Nature alſo would have ſhewn us, that ſome time muſt be ſpent in the ſervice of God. That it was reaſonable ſome due proportion of time ſhould be ſo ſanctified. Indeed that this ſhould be a ſeventh part rather than a ſixth, Nature would not have ſhewn us, that is, morall, poſitive, but being directed, Nature will preſently allow it equal, holy, juſt and good.
This Original goodneſs in the obſervation of a ſeventh part of our time as holy to the Lord muſt lye either in this,
That from ſuch a Religious Obſervation our Creator will reap ſome glory.— Or this,
That from it, Man, as to Soul or Body will reap ſome conſiderable advantage.
Both which are moſt undoubtedly true, both as to ſome proportion of time, and as to a ſeventh rather than a leſſer part of our time. The honour we bring to God by Acts of Worſhip, being only in the publiſhing of his Name, and Works. The more frequently we do exalt his Name, and publiſh his Works, the more Glory we bring him.
Again, Ordinances being the way through which our Lord Jeſus uſeth to paſs, the more we have of Religious Duties and Ordinances, the more advantage ariſeth to our immortal Souls, if we be not wanting to our ſelves. But now what reall advantage any ſoul can have from the ſanctification of the laſt more than of the firſt day of the week, will poſe the moſt ſerious Chriſtian to determine: Is his Soul to be advantaged by Praying, Hearing, Singing, breaking Bread? All theſe certainly are done on the Lords day, and with this advantage in a far fuller communion of Chriſtians, than thoſe have who keep the ſixth day, as to which the far larger part of Chriſtians, and Proteſtants, yea and the ſevereſt livers of them, are not ſatisfied. The only thing which I can think of, as ſeeming in the leaſt to abate the edge of this conſideration, is, That God is more glorified, becauſe a ſtricter Obedience is given to his revealed Will. And indeed Samuel hath taught us, That the Lord hath not ſo great delight in Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices as he hath in our obeying his voyce; that to Obey is better than Sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of Rams. Now our Brethren pretend a more ſtrict obedience to the will of God, in the ſanctification of the ſeventh than in the ſanctification of the firſt day: I ſhall therefore in the next Chapter argu… that caſe with them. In the mean time, i… is worthy of our Brethrens ſecond thought… whether under the Goſpel it be uſual with God to enjoyn his People Precepts of mea… Obedience, I mean ſuch from whence their Souls ſhall reap no advantage, nor he any glory, only in this as we ſhew our ſubmiſſion to the will of God. Our gracious God hath made his yoke eaſie by commanding us nothing but ſuch, by performing of which, we further glorifie him, than by a meer Obedience, and from which alſo we reap ſome reall advantage to our Bodies or Souls. Such I am ſure are all the other moral Precepts, by a performance of them, we really (beſides obedience to the will of God) do our ſelves or others ſome good, and bring God ſome reall glory further than by the acknowledging of him our Soveraign, and yielding him a ſuitable homage. But as to this, there can be no ſuch pretence, neither Souls nor Bodies of our ſelves or others are more advantaged, nor God more honoured by our obſervation of the ſeventh, than of the firſt day, nor is God more honoured, if it doth not appear he is more obeyed. It is agreed on both hands, that one intire day ought to be ſanctified, by the ſolemn performance of all duties of inſtituted Worſhip, both publickly and privately, Reading the Word, praying, preaching, hearing, adminiſtring and receiving the holy Sacraments, ſinging of Pſalms, viſiting, and adminiſtring to the neceſſities of the ſick, and of the poor. Now I ſay it cannot be imagined what good our ſelves, or others ſhall reap more by the performance of theſe duties on the ſeventh than on the firſt day: Nor what honour God ſhall have if it doth not appear, that a ſtricter obedience is yielded to the command of God by the ſanctification of the ſeventh, than by the ſanctification of the firſt.