A Demonstration of Family Duties, Proposition 45
XLV. PROPOSITION. As the ſanctifying and religious obſerving of the Sabbath day, doeth not exempt and excuſe Chriſtians from the performance of ſome religious duties upon the ſixe working daies (as it hath beene ſhewed and proved above, Propoſit. 7.) ſo neither doeth the performance of ſome religious duties on the ſixe working daies morning and evening uſually, and at other times of the day, or whole daies occaſionally, give any exemption or liberty unto them, from their ſanctifying o… the Sabbath day wholly: But they are bound to keepe the Sabbath day holy, both in a forbearance of all civill works & recreations; and alſo in an applying of themſelves to pious ſervices throughout the day, either in publick or private, or ſecret, as occaſion and opportunity ſerveth.
PROOF. This is the maine ſcope of the fourth commandement of the Decalogue, Exod. 20.8, 10. Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy. — In it thou ſhalt not doe any worke, thou, nor thy ſonne, nor thy daughter, nor thy manſervant, nor thy maid-ſervant, &c. And thus the godly have been wont to approve themſelves, both in the old and new Teſtament. See this in the religious Eunuchs, and ſons of ſtrangers, who kept Gods Sabbath, and did not pollute it: Iſaiah, 56.4, 6. The Apoſtle John being in the Iſle called Patmos, was in the ſpirit, or ſpiritually exerciſed on the Lords day: Revel. 1.10. The diſciples at Troas obſerved the firſt day of the weeke or Lords day, comming together to the word and Sacrament, and converſing therein throughout the day.
I. REAS. Becauſe the Lord hath bleſſed and hallowed the Sabbath day unto religious exerciſes, and propounded his owne example to be a preſident herein. See Exod. 20.11. And he reſted the ſeventh day: Wherefore the Lord bleſſed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
II. REAS. Becauſe ſuch families as keepe the Sabbath day holy, doe thereby declare themſelves to be the people of God: for… hallowing the Sabbath is an indicant ſigne of acknowledgment of reſpect unto the affirmative parts of the three firſt commandements of the firſt Table; viz. of having the Lord to be ones God, and worſhipping, and honouring him, &c. See Ezek. 20.19, 20. I am the Lord your God: walke in my Statute…, & keepe my Iudgments, & doe them: And hall… my Sabbaths, and they ſhalbe a ſigne betweene… and you; that ye may know that I am the Lor… your God.
III. REAS. Becauſe the Lord hath made very precious promiſes to all ſuch as doe conſcionably keepe and ſanctify the Sabbath day. See Iſa. 58.13, 14. If thou turne away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleaſure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and ſhalt honour him, not doing thine owne waies, nor finding thine owne pleaſure, nor ſpeaking thine owne words: Then ſhalt thou delight thy ſelfe in the Lord, and I will cauſe thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, an… feede thee with the heritage of Jacob th… father; for the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it. This goodneſſe of God ſhoul… prevaile with his people to feare him, an… keepe his commandements. See Hoſ. 3.5.
IV. REAS. Becauſe of the ſeverity of God againſt profaners, and breakers of the Sabbath day, manifeſted by his threatning and executing of puniſhments. See Jerem. 17.27. But if you will not hearken unto me, to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to beare a burden, even entring in at the gates of Ieruſalem on the Sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it ſhall devoure the palaces of Ieruſalem, and it ſhall not be quenched. Exod. 35.2. Whoſoever doeth worke therein, ſhalbe put to death. Numb. 15.36. And all the Congregation brought him (the Sabbath breaker) without the campe, and ſtoned him with ſtones, and he died, as the Lord commanded Moſes. This terrour of the Lord ſhould perſwade men. See 2 Cor. 5.11.
I. OBSERV. The law of the Sabbath day is one of the ten commandements, Exod. 34.28. It is one of the lawes of nature written in mens hearts, that ſufficient time be taken unto Gods ſolemne worſhip; which God according to his infinite wiſdome hath appointed & determined ſhalbe one of ſeven. See Rom. 2.14, 15. Eccleſ. 3.1. compar. Exod. 20.10, 11. Act. 20.7.
II. OBSERV. The doing of the works of piety, mercy, and neceſſity, on the Sabbath day in a due way, are not any breach or profanation of the day, but rather ſuch duties as ought to be done, & which doe alſo tend to the ſanctifying thereof; as being agreeab… to the minde of God, who is the Lord … the Sabbath day, and will have mercy an… not ſacrifice; inaſmuch as he made the Sabbath for man, and not man for the Sabbath See Math. 12.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Mark. 2.2…. Luk. 13.15, 16.
III. OBSERV. It is a vaine & ſinfull pretence of Anabaptiſts and Libertines, that i… theſe daies of the Goſpell our Chriſtian l… berty freeth us from the ſtrict obſervation of any one day of the weeke unto the Lord, more then any other of the ſixe, pretending that every day ought to be a Sabbath day to Chriſtians; alledging and objecting Coloſſ. 2.16. Hebr. 4.10. in defence of their errour, and ſo for want of underſtanding, learning, and ſtability, doe wreſt theſe, & other places in the Apoſtle Pauls Epiſtles, to their owne deſtruction, as the Apoſtle Peter ſheweth, 2 Pet. 3.15, 16.
The text, Coloſſ. 2.16. Let no man therefore judge you in meate, or in drinke, or in reſpect of an holy day, or of the new Moone, or of the Sabbath daies, is to be underſtood of Jewiſ… feſtivities in their ſeverall kindes, and not of the morall Sabbath day. But if the morall Sabbath day be at all meant, then it is only in reſpect of obſerving the laſt day of the weeke; ſith the firſt day of the weeke was now appointed to be obſerved for the Sab…ath day in the daies of the new Teſtament. …ee Act. 20.7. 1 Corinth. 16.2. Revel. 1.10.
The text Hebr. 4.10. For he that is entred …nto his reſt, he alſo hath ceaſed from his owne …orke, as God did from his, is to be underſtood …ouching the ſtate & condition of the people …f God, that did live and were under the old Teſtament, aſwell as of their ſtate that doe …ive and are under the new Teſtament, and …herefore ought not to be reſtrained unto …heſe daies and times of the Goſpell: For ſo …he ſcope and coherence of the text doeth …aſily and plainly make manifeſt to any conſiderate and judicious reader thereof.