Londons Resurrection, Discourse 11
DISCOURSE XI.
That a ſtrict obſervation of the Lords day might greatly promote the rebuilding of the City.
THe Lords Day is not that Sabbath which was firſt ſo called, for that was the laſt day of the week, whereas it is the firſt; yet a Sabbath it is, and doubtleſs injoyned, in, and by the ſame Commandment that the Jewiſh Sabbath was, viz. the fourth; for whoſoever doth not acknowledge it ſo to be, muſt either ſay that there is no Sabbath at all, or day of holy reſt to be kept under the New Teſtament, and conſequently, that there are now but nine Commandments in the Moral Law, the fourth being abrogated and expired; whereas Chriſt hath told us, That till heaven and earth paſs, one jot ſhall in no wiſe paſs from that Law, Mat. 5.18. or elſe they muſt ſay, that the laſt day of the week is that which ought alwayes to be obſerved by Chriſtians (as it is by Jews) for the only Sabbath, and weekly holy day, that is for ever to be celebrated in obedience to that Command. Moſt Chriſtians are averſe from Judaizing, in taking Saturday for their Sabbath, chuſing rather to imitate the practiſe of the Apoſtles, whoſe manner it was to obſerve not the laſt, but firſt day of the week, which we conclude they would not have done, but by Warrantie and Commiſſion from Chriſt (who alone was Lord of the Sabbath) ſo to do.
Yet ſome few Chriſtians there are, who ſymbolize with the Jews in their Saturday-Sabbath, and keep the ſame day as holy as they can: And verily (if in this caſe I may ſpeak my mind freely) they are much leſs too blame who keep a Saturday Sabbath, than they who keep none at all; who underſtand that Commandment as the Jews do, than they who make as if it were abrogated and diſannulled.
But he that ſhall fall into neither of the extremes aforeſaid, but ſhall confeſs that the firſt day of the week is that which was inſtituted for Chriſtians by the fourth Commandment, muſt needs own it to be a Sabbath, becauſe inſtituted and appointed by and under that name, Exod. 20.8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy: and v. 11. The Lord bleſſed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
That it was neceſſary I ſhould prove there is a Sabbath yet in being, and that the day which men ought weekly to obſerve as holy to the Lord, thoroughout all Ages, is called the Sabbath, to the end I might ſhew that the Promiſes made, and incouragements given to ſuch as have kept, or ſhall keep holy the Sabbath day, are not inſignificant, and out of date, as to us, who live under the New Teſtament.
Having done that, it will be eaſie to prove what I have affirmed in the Title of this Chapter, viz. that a ſtrict obſervation of the Sabbath (for ſo is the Lords day to Chriſtians) would greatly promote the building of the City; witneſs that pregnant promiſe, which of its ſelf were a ſufficient teſtimony, Iſa. 58.12, 13. And they that ſhall be of thee, ſhall build the waſt places, thou ſhalt raiſe up the foundations of many generations, and thou ſhalt be called the repairer of the breach, and reſtorer of paths to dwell in: If thou turn away thy foot from my 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 own wayes, nor finding thine own pleaſure, nor ſpeaking thine own words, v. 14. I will cauſe thee to ride upon the high places of the earth; (that is, to dwell aloft in places of ſecurity and ſafety) or the words may glance at the Land of Judea, being much of it Mountainous, and feed thee with the Heritage of Jacob thy Father; that is, with the good things of the Land of Canaan, g…ven for an inheritance to him for his poſterity. See Iſa. 56.6, 7. Every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, even them will I bring to my holy Mountain, that is, to Mount Sion, on which the Temple was ſcituate. See alſo Jer. 17.24. If ye hallow the Sabbath to do no work thereon, then the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem, and this City, ſhall remain for ever: v. 28. But if you will not hallow the Sabbath day, I will kindle a fire which ſhall devour the Palaces of Jeruſalem, and it ſhall not be quenched.
From thoſe Texts I infer, that unto keeping the Sabbath, ſeveral promiſes of God, building and bleſſing of Cities, and furniſhing men with deſirable habitations are made; as on the other hand, the profaning and polluting of the Sabbath is threatned, with the deſtruction of Cities, and of their Inhabitants; which being true in the general, or in theſi, it muſt needs be in hypotheſi, or in particular, that a Religious obſervation of the Sabbath day would help to build our City.
Who knows not that Nehemiah was a great and principal Agent in the building of Jeruſalem after it was burnt, Nehem. 2.5. and what Magiſtrate was ever more zealous than he (if ſo zealous) to have the Sabbath day kept holy? witneſs his contending with Merchants, and Tradeſmen of all ſorts; yea, with the very Nobles of Judah, for profaning the Sabbath, Nehemiah 13. from 15. to v. 22. Did not your Fathers thus (ſaid he) to the Nobles? and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon our City, viz. deſtruction by fire, yet ye bring more wrath upon Iſrael by profaning the Sabbath. If profanation of Sabbaths procure the burning of Cities, the ſanctification of that day will promote the building thereof.
It is ſaid, Eadem eſt ratio loci & temporis; time and place are much akin; if we would have regard to Gods time, he would have reſpect to our place, or places; if we would mind his day, would he not mind our dwellings? the ſanctifying of Sabbaths, is the intruſting of God with the ſeventh part of our time (even then when time is moſt precious with us) Now God is alwayes bountiful to them that do greatly truſt him, Mal. 3.10. Bring all the tithes into the Storehouſe, and prove me therewith, ſaith the Lord, if I will not poure you out a bleſſing, that there ſhall not be room enough to receive it; as if God had ſaid, Do but truſt me with the tenth part of the encreaſe, and you ſhall ſee what the other nine ſhall amount to. If we in like manner would truſt God with the ſeventh part of our time (for ſo our Sabbaths are) doubtleſſe the other ſix would through the bleſſing of God, turn to a much better account.
I doubt not to ſay that one day in ſeven (that is, every Lords day) we might promote the building of London, much more in Churches and Cloſets, than we could do in working upon the reſpective foundations, for that indeed would ſet it back, and might provoke God to ſwear in his Wrath, it ſhould never be brought to perfection.
I obſerve what is ſaid of Manna, Exod. 16.29. The Lord hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the ſixth day, the bread of two daies, let no man go out of his place on the ſeventh day, viz. to gather Manna. God made them amends for forbearing to progue on the Sabbath-day.
They that did as God had appointed them on the Sabbattical year, viz. Neither ſow their Fields, nor prune their Vineyards, Levit. 25.4. nor reap what grew of its own accord, intirely for themſelves, but let it lye in common to others, loſt no more by ſo doing, than a Husbandman doth by letting his ground lye fallow when it is out of heart, that it may yield a greater encreaſe hereafter; ſee Levit. 25.20. If ye ſhall ſay, what ſhall we eat the ſeventh year, behold we ſhall not ſow nor gather in our encreaſe, not for two years together, when a Sabbattical year, and a Jubile came together) verſe 21. Then will I command my bleſſing upon you in the ſixth year, and it ſhall bring forth fruit for three years. He knew not what he ſaid, who derided Chriſtians as men that loſt the ſeventh part of their time becauſe of the Sabbaths they kept, whereas Sabbaths kept as they ought to be, are no loſſe, but the moſt profitable part of time.
But alas, we ſo carry the matter as to loſe a great part of that hallowed time, which is of all our time moſt precious, making holyday of a great part thereof, in ſuch ſenſe, as Children do underſtand holy-daies; viz. as meer paſtimes and play-daies; I fear we begin our Sabbaths too late, and end them too early; we do not remember the Sabbath ſoon enough to keep it holy as we ſhould, and we forget it too ſoon, we are not intent enough, either upon preparation before, or proſecution afterwards. The Sabbaths which men generally keep now a daies, are not only unlike to thoſe of glorious Saints and Angels in Heaven, but to ſuch as were kept by thoſe good Chriſtians, whom ſome intended to reproach by fixing upon them the honourable name of Puritans, which ſort of men, I remember one that was none of them himſelf, had wont to divide into two ranks, ſaying, there was the Knave Puritan (that is one, that was ſo but in pretence, and for a colour) and there was the Knave's Puritan, whom he confeſſed to be a very honeſt man, and of an excellent ſort) but out of malice called a Puritan by ſuch as were Knaves themſelves; becauſe that to ſuch as themſelves, the Name was odious; though both Name, and Perſon were ſo only for their goodneſs. Now having heard a diſtinction to that effect, I muſt explain my ſelf, and tell you that it was the Knave's Puritan (that is, he, and ſuch as he, whom Knaves had wont to call ſo) of whom I affirm, that he had wont to keep Sabbaths at anotherguiſe rate, than we obſerve them kept now a daies, (ſuch as Reverend Dod, Hilderſham, &c.) and yet they were not upon their good behaviour (as we are) for the building a poor City lying in aſhes. They would have bluſht to have ſeen our Sabbaths; Oh that we could bluſh to think of them: they would ſcarce have been able to think us ſincere Chriſtians, obſerving us to have ſo ſmall a regard to the fourth Commandement; They would have often rebuked us ſharply, for our Sabbath-daies diſcourſe, and minded us of the Text that ſaith, we ſhould not ſpeak our own words on the Lords day, Iſa. 58. when in this reſpect ſhall we be followers of thoſe worthies aforeſaid, who now inherit the Promiſes? A City, the greater part of whoſe former Inhabitants were ſuch Sanctifiers of Gods Sabbaths as they were, would certainly not long lye in Aſhes, but God would cauſe the waſt places thereof to be built. Alas that now our City is down in the duſt, ſuch Maſter-builders as they (in the ſenſe I have ſpoken to) are dead, and gone.
I wonder not that ſuch as are enemies to Religion, have a particular grudge againſt the Sanctifying of the Sabbath, or appointing it to be ſanctified, ſith the preſervation of all practical godlineſs (ſo far as is in men to preſerve it) doth ſo much depend thereupon. For alas what time have men and women, who lye down late, and riſe up early, all the week long, to get their livings (as the greater part of people do) I ſay, what time could, or would they generally reſerve to look after God, and their ſouls, if it were not for the Lords Day, preſerved by the ſanction of the Magiſtrate from violation, by mens open following of their Trades, and deſigned for religious uſes.
But it is not the common-place of the Sabbath that I undertook to handle in this Chapter, but what, and how great a tendency, a due care taken both by Magiſtrates, and people, for the Sanctification of that day, would have to promote the building of our City, and that I hope I have demonſtrated.