The Doctrine of the Sabbath, Thesis 12 – Thesis 19
Thesis 12.
But if we consult with Scriptures and the very words of this fourth Commandement, we shall finde two things concurring to make up a servile worke. 1. If any worke be done for any worldly gaine profit, or livelyhood to acquire and purchase the things of this life by; (which is the principall end of weeke day labour, Eph. 4.28. 1 Thes. 4.12.) this is a servile worke, all one with what the Commandement calls Thy work: Hence buying, selling, sowing, reaping, which are done for worldly gaine, are unlawfull on this day, being therefore servile works: hence also worldly sports and pastimes (which are ordained of God to whet on worldly labour, not necessary every day but onelyonly at some seasons) are therefore most proper appurtenances unto daies of labour, and are therefore unlawfull upon this day: holy Times are no more to be sported on, then holy places; hence also on the other side, to rub the eares of Corne, to dresse meat for comfortable nourishment of man, because they respect not worldly gaine, are no servile workes nor yet unlawfull, but may be more lawfully done for the comfort of man then to lead his horse to the water this day, Luke 6.2. & 13.15 & 14.5. hence also such works as are done onelyonly for the preservation of the Creatures, as to pull a sheepe out of a ditch, to quench fire in a Towne, to save Corne and Hay from the sudden inundation of Water, to keepe Fire in the Iron mills, to sit at sterne and guide the ship, and a thousand such like actions (being not done properly for worldly gaine) are not unlawfull; God himselfe not ceasing from workes of preservation, when he did from those of creation: hence also such works as are not works of immediate worship, but onelyonly required necessarily thereto, as killing the Sacrifices in the Temple, travelling a Sabbath daies journey to the publique assemblies, being no servile workes for outward gaine, are not unlawfull upon this day.
2. Such worldly works, which though they be not done for worldly gaine or profit, yet if by a provident care and foresight they might be done as well the weeke before, or may as well be done a week after the Sabbath, these also are servile works: for thus the Commandment expresseth it, Six daies thou mayst doe all thy work, (meaning which can be done as well the week before) and if all cannot be done, it may therefore be as well done the week after. Hence the building of the Tabernacle (which was not so much for mans profit as Gods honour) because it might be done upon the six daies seasonably enough▪ hence it is prohibited upon the Sabbath day, Exod. 31. If a man hath Corn in the field, though he may pretend that the weather is uncertain, and it is ready to be brought into the Barn, yet he is not to fetch it in upon the Sabbath day, because there is no eminent danger of spoyle the Munday after, and then he may fetch it in as well as upon that day: the like may be said concerning Sea mens setting sayle upon the Sabbath day, though they be uncertaine of a faire gale upon the day after. Yet we must trust Gods providence, who almost in all such matters keeps us at uncertainties: hence also the sweeping of the house ought not to be done now, if it may as well be done the day before: so also to buy any things at shops, or to wash clothes; if they may be done the week before or after, they must not be done upon this day: hence on the other side works of necessity, which cannot be so conveniently don… the day before or after, are not unlawfull upon this day, as to flie in persecution, to watch the City, to fight with the Enemy, Math. 24.24. 2 Kings 1.2. Hence also works of necessity, not onelyonly for preservation of life, but also for comfort and comelinesse of life, are not unlawfull: for tis a grosse mistake to thinke that works onelyonly of absolute necessity are allowed onelyonly upon this day: for to lead an Ox to water, which in the strictest times was not disallowed of, is not of absolute necessity; for it may live more then a day without it; onelyonly its necessary for the comfort of the life of the beast: how much more is allowed to the comfort of the life of man? the Disciples possibly might have lived longer then the Sabbath without rubbing Corn eares, and men may live on Sabbath daies generally without warm meat, yea …hey may fast perhaps all that day; yet it is not unlawfull to eate such meat, because its necessary for the comfort of life. Hence also to put on comely garments, to wash hands and face, and many such things as are necessary for the comelinesse as well as the comfort of life, are not unlawfull now: there is sometime an inevitable necessity by Gods providence, and sometime a contracted necessity through want of care and foresight; in this case the work may sometime be done, provided that our neglect beforehand be repented of: in a word, he that shall conscientiously endeavour that no more work be done on the Sabbath then what must be done for the ends mentioned, that so he may have nothing else to doe but to be with God that day, shall have much peace to his own conscience herein, against Satans clamours: hence lastly, not onelyonly outward servile work, but servile thoughts, affections, and cares, are to be cast off this day from the sight of God, as others are from the eyes of men; servile thoughts and affections being as much against the fourth Commandement as unchaste and filthy thoughts against the seventh.
Thesis 13.
That we are to abstaine from all servile work, not so much in regard of the bare abstinence from work, but that having no work of our own to mind or do, we might be wholly taken up with Gods worke, being wholly taken off from our own, that he may speak with us, and reveale himselfe more fully and familiarly to us (as friends do when they get alone) having called and carried us out of the noyse and crowd of all worldly occasions and things.
Thesis 14.
Holy rest therefore being for holy work, it may not be amisse to enquire what this work is, and wherein it consists: for which end I shall not instance in any the particular severall duties in publique and private, of holinesse and mercy, because this is to be found in all who write upon this subject: I shall onelyonly speake of that kind of holinesse which the Lord requires in all publique and private duties, and is to run thorow them, and as it were animate them; and in truth to finde out this, and observe this, is one of the greatest difficulties (but yet the greatest excellency) of a Christian life. It consists therefore in these five things,
Thesis 15.
The first; The Holinesse upon this day ought to be immediate: I doe not meane, without the use of publique or private means, but in respect of worldly things: for we are commanded to be holy in all manner of conversation all the week in our worldly affaires, 1 Pet. 1.17. Holinesse is to be writ upon our cups and pots, and hors-bridles, and ploughs, and sickles, Zach. 14.20.21. but this holinesse is more immediate; we enjoy God by and in the creature, and in our weekly occasions and providences: but do we think that there is no more holinesse required upon the Sabbath? verily every day then should be our Christian Sabbath, which is most false; and therefore some more immediate holinesse is required now on this day which is not then, nor required of us every week day; and what can this be but drawing neer to God this day more immediately, and as neer as mortall man can do, and casting aside the world and getting out of it, and so to be neere God in Prayer, in hearing the Word, in Meditation, &c? Psal. 95.5.6. if it were possible to be with and enjoy Christ in Heaven where there are no meanes we should this day long for it, and prize it; but because this cannot yet be, and that the Lord comes down from Heaven to us in his ordinances, and thereby makes himselfe as neer to us as he can in this fraile life; hence we are not onelyonly to draw neer to Ordinances, but to God and Christ in them, upon this day, and so be as neere them with greatest immediatenesse that we can, Psalm. 42.1, 2. Psalm. 63.1, 2, 3. Adam did enjoy God in his calling the week day, but this was not so immediate as he was to have upon the Sabbath day.
Thesis 16.
The second is this holinesse ought not only to be immediate, but also speciall, and in our endeavours after the highest degree, and with the greatest intention of holinesse: for we are bound every day to be holy in more immediate and neere approaches to God some time or other of the day; but now we are called to be more specially holy, because both the day and our selves are now set apart for it in a more speciall manner: we are to love, feare, delight in God, and pray to him, and muse on him every day, but now in a more speciall manner all these are to be done; the Sabbath is not onelyonly called holy, but holinesse to the Lord, Exod. 31.15. which shewes that the day is exceeding holy, and suitably our affections and hearts ought therefore so to be: the Sacrifice on this day was to be doubled, Numb. 28.9. the Lord would have double honour from us this day: that as in the weeke time we are sinfully drowned in the cares of this world and affections thereto: so upon every Sabbath we should be in a holy manner drowned in the cares and thoughts and affections of the things of God; and hence we are commanded to call the Sabbath our delight, and not to think our own thoughts, or doe our own workes this day, Esay 58.13. David said Psalm 43.4. that he would goe to the Altar of God (the place of publique worship) to God his joy, yea his exceeding joy: so are we not onelyonly to draw neere to Altar, Word, Sacraments, Prayer, but to God in them; nay to God in them as our exceeding joy, our exceeding love, our exceeding feare, &c. especially upon this day; there is scarse any week but we contract soyle from our worldly occasions, and by touching worldly things; and we suffer many decayes and lose much ground by temptations herein; now the Lord pitying us, and giving us a Sabbath of Recovery, what should we doe now but return, recover, and renew our strength, and like the Eagle cast our bils, and stand before our God and King this day of State and Royall Majesty, when all his Saints compass… his Throne and presence, with our most beautifull Garments, mourning, especially that we fall so farre short of Sabbath acts and services? we should not content our selves with working-day holinesse, joyes, feares, hopes, prayers, praises: but Sabbath joyes, feares, praises, must be now our ornaments, and all within us must be raised up to a higher straine: that as God gives us this day, speciall grace, means of grace, seasons of grace, speciall occasions of grace, by reviewing all our experiences the week past, so there is good reason that the Lord should be honoured with speciall holinesse this day.
Thesis 17.
The third is; This holinesse ought to be not onelyonly immediate and speciall, but constant and continued, the whole day together. For upon every day of the week we are to take some time for converse with God; but our worldly occasion soon call us off, and that lawfully; but Sabbath holinesse must be constant and continued all the day; if the Lord was so strict that he would not lose a moments honour in a ceremoniall day of rest, Levtt. 23.3…. what shall we thinke the Lord expects upon this day which is morall? the Lord would not be honoured this day onelyonly by fits and flashes, and sudden pangs, which passe away as the early dew; but as tis in the Psalme for the Sabbath, Its good to sing of his loving kindnesse in the morning, and of his faithfulnesse every night, Psal. 92.1, 2. and though this be a wearisome thing to the flesh to be so long pent in, and although we cannot perfectly doe it, yet its a most sweet and glorious work in it selfe, to think that the infinite glorious God should call a poor sinfull creature to be with him and attend upon him all the day long; to be ever with the Lord is best of all, but next to that to be with him a whole day together: they that see how fit they are to be for ever banisht from the presence of the most High, and how exceeding unworthy to come into it, cannot but infinitely and excessively prize that love of Jesus Christ, this day to come and enter into his rest, and lie in his very bosome, all the day long, and as a most loving friend loth to part with them, till needs must, and that the day is done.
Thesis 18.
The fourth is, This holinesse ought not onelyonly to be immediate, speciall and constant, but all these holy duties are thus to be performed of us as that hereby we may enter into Rest; so as that our soules may finde and feele the sweet of the true Rest of the Sabbath; and therefore it must be a sweete and quieting holinesse also: for the Sabbath is not only called a Sabbath of Rest in respect of our exemption from bodily labour, but because it is so to be sanctified as that on this day we enter into Rest, or such a fruition of God as gives rest to our soules; otherwise we never sanctifie a Sabbath aright, because we then fall short of this which is the maine end thereof, untill we come so to seeke God as that we finde him, and so finde him as that we feele Rest in him, in drawing neare to him and standing before him: that as God after his six daies labour did Rest and was refreshed in the fruition of himselfe, so should we after our six daies labour also, be refreshed in the presence of the Lord; That in case we want meanes upon the Sabbath, yet he may be in lieu of them unto us; and in case we have them and finde but little by them conveyed to us, yet that by that little we may be carried on the wings of faith beyond all meanes unto that Rest which upon this day we may find in his bosome: that as Christ after his labours entred into his Rest, Heb 4. so we ought to labour after the same Sabbatisme begun here on earth, but perfected in Heaven; that after all the weary steps we tread, and sinnes and sorrowes we finde all the weeke, yet when the Sabbath comes we may say returne unto thy Rest oh my soule. The end of all labour is rest; so the end of all our bodily and spirituall labour, whether on the weeke-daies of Sabbath day, it should be this Rest: and we should never think that we have reached the end of the day untill we Taste the Rest of the Day: nor is this Rest a Meteor in the Ayre and a thing onelyonly to be wisht for, but can never be found; but assuredly those who are wearied with their sinnes in the weeke and wants on the Sabbath, and feele a neede of rest and refreshing, shall certainly have the blessing, viz. the Rest of these seasons of refreshing and rest, and the comforts of the Holy Ghost filling their hearts this day. Isa. 10.2, 3, 4. Isa. 56.5, 6, 7, 8. Isa. 58.13, 14. Psal. 36.7, 8. Not because of our holinesse which is spotted at the best, but because of our great high Priests holinesse, who hath it written upon his forehead to take away the iniquity of all our holy Offerings: Ex. 28.36.38. and who hath garments of grace, and bloud to cover us and to present us spotlesse, before the face of that God whom we seeke and serve with much weakenesse, and whom at last we shall finde, when our short daies worke here is done, and our long looked for Sabbath of glory shall begin to dawn.
Thesis 19.
Now when the Lord hath inclined us thus to Rest and sanctifie his Sabbath, what should the last act of our holinesse be bvt diffusive and communicative, viz. in doing our utmost that others under us or that have relation to us, that they sanctifie the Sabbath also, according to the Lords expresse particular charg in the Commandement; Thou, thy Sonne, thy Daughter, thy Servants, the Stranger within thy Gates; the excellency of Christs holinesse consists in making us like himsele in holinesse; the excellency and glory of a Christians holinesse is to endeavour to be like to the Lord Christ therein: our Children, Servants Strangers who are within our Gates, are apt to prophane the Sabbath; we are therefore to improve our power over them for God, in restraining them from sinne, and in constraining them (as farre as we can) to the holy observance of the Rest of the Sabbath; least God impute their sinnes to us who had power (as Eli in the like case) to restrain them and did not; and so our Families and Consciences be stained with their guilt and bloud.