The Lords Day Vindicated, Tract · Section 16
SECT. XVI.
HE begins Page 75. to betake himſelf to the Command it ſelf, and would from thence collect an abſolute Neceſſity of the perpetual Obſervance of the laſt day of the Week; aſſerting the Morality of the whole Command, and endeavouring from ſome Paſſages and Letters of that Law, to ratify his own Opinion herein. Therefore I ſhall take leave with as much Brevity and Plainneſs as I can, to give my weak Thoughts about it; and leave it to the Learned and Judicious to determine. Here we muſt premiſe a Diſtinction or two: 1. Between Moral and Poſitive; between that which is Good, Juſt and Holy in it ſelf; which emerges from the right Conſtitution of the rational Creature, and ſo would be a Duty, if 'twere never externally injoyned by God; And that which has no ſuch innate Goodneſs, neither would have been performed as a Duty by Man, were it not impoſed by a ſuperadded Precept. 2. Between that which is Purely, Naturally and Abſolutely Moral in it ſelf, and that which is Secondarily, Reſpectively and Poſitively Moral: The former is that ſpoken of above; the latter is that which, though the rational Creature could not of it ſelf have judged a Duty, yet when 'tis once impoſed by Command, and ſo revealed to be the Legiſlator's Pleaſure, there is diſcerned in the thing it ſelf, a very great Equity, Goodneſs and Suitableneſs to Gods Glory, or the Creatures Good, or both: As in the caſe of Tithes, or the Tenth of every Mans Eſtate to be devoted to Pious Uſes, for the Maintenance of the Worſhip of God, and of thoſe that are by him called thereto, and imployed therein: Though the Light of Nature could not primarily, and from it ſelf, have diſcovered and devoted this very preciſe proportion to the immediate Service of God as abſolutely neceſſary; Yet when God does once require it, it muſt needs cloſe with it, as very reaſonable and juſt, that God, who gives all, and whoſe all is, ſhould have the Tenth part devoted and ſeparated to his own Service: So that the Goodneſs of this, does not only ariſe from the Will of the Legiſlator, but alſo from the Nature of what is required, when 'tis once diſcerned to be the Legiſlator's Pleaſure. So that it is neither purely poſitive, nor yet primarily Moral, diſcovered only by the Promulgation of the Legiſlator; and then embraced at, and acknowledged to be moſt juſt and good by the Creature, from whom 'tis required: Whereas, what is purely poſitive, has nothing juſt or good in it ſelf; nor diſcernable after its Impoſition. 3. In the Fourth Command we muſt diſtinguiſh between; 1. The Duty commanded; 2. the Explication of the Duty; and 3. the Arguments and Motives thereto. And ſo, without any more nice Diſtinctions we proceed by God's Aſſiſtance to our Apprehenſions about this Matter.
1. The Duty Commanded, or the Subſtance of the Fourth Command, which is in the firſt Words of that Command, Remember the Sabbath-day, (or the Day of the Sabbath,) to keep it holy, (or to ſanctify it:) Where we acknowledge the Reſt, or the holy Reſt, to be primarily and abſolutely Moral, which this right Judgment of the rational Creature dictates, directs to, as that which it ows to its Creatour, Preſerver, and Benefactor; even a ſet and ſolemn Time ſeparated and devoted to the immediate Service, Praiſes and Adoration of God; who, becauſe of his own Infinite and Incomparable Excellencies, deſerves all their Praiſes and Adoration; and becauſe of their own innumerable and ineſtimable Benefits received from him, merits all their Love and Obſervance: Which Imployment, the rational Creature would acknowledge to be the moſt noble and excellent, the moſt happy and bleſſed that it can be imployed in, being the Imploying of the moſt noble Faculties of the Soul, in their moſt excellent Acts, about the moſt raiſed and glorious Object: This, I ſay, the true Light of Nature would direct unto; and ſo is purely moral: But whether it would have directed to a Separation of a whole intire Day thereto, I cannot reſolve: Though this alſo may be moſt probable; being a Time ſo limited, meaſured and diſtinguiſhed, by the antecedent and ſubſequent Darkneſs; or by the Preſence, Light and Motion of the Sun in the Hemiſphere. But here, I believe, we may take for granted, that the rational Creature in its Rectitude, would have actually conſecrated to ſo divine Worſhip, and imployed in divine Worſhip, all that Time that could have been duly and conveniently ſpared from the Refreſhment of the Body, and thoſe due Preparations, which muſt be made for his decaying outward Man; ſo that Adam would have ſubſerviated, (had he ſtood in his Innocence) all his tilling of the Garden, all his eating, drinking and ſleeping; all the Recruits of his Body, to the ſolemn Manner, as that which was the End of his being; the due of his God from him, and the higheſt and moſt bleſſed Imployment of himſelf. This, I ſay, would have been, had he beenleft to the Dictates of his own Knowledge, which was given him of God, of himſelf, and of his Ingagements to the Author of his being, and well-being; and not been preſcribed by a Precept from his Lord and Sovereign. But however, this all muſt acknowledge, that a Time of Reſt, (For that's the engliſh of Sabbath) to be ſet apart and ſanctified to the immediate Service of the moſt high and muniſicent God, is purely moral: And it may be alſo thought, that an intire Day may bid fairly for it. And this, I ſay, is the Subſtance of this Precept, and really moral.
But here, before I proceed, I muſt obviate a little Criticiſm, which the Author here ſeems to lay a great Streſs upon; and that is about ה (hè) in the Original, which he would fain have to be very emphatical, and to ſignifie, That, by way of Eminency here in this Verſe, the beginning of the Command, the Words are Remember the Day of Reſt. (Eth Jom Hasſhabbath.) I would enquire of him, whether this rendring of theſe Words, be not as proper, as any he can render it by: Whether the Day of Reſt, be not ſo proper, as the Day of a Reſt, or the Day of that Reſt. For every one that hath but peeped into the Hebrew Bible, very well knows that that Letter ה, ſerves many times, if not moſt times, only for a Letter and Ornament of writing, without any Signification whatever: And, whether I render it by an Engliſh Particle or no, he cannot blame me; if I will, he hath no Reaſon to quarrel me, if I render it A or The; nor I, much, to quarrel him, though he chuſes to tranſlate it That. For neither A, nor The, nor That, are found in the Original; but are only Engliſh Particles: And, I would fain know what Emphaſis the ſame Hebrew Particle hath before [Shamajim, Aretz, and I am] Heaven, Earth and Sea; and whether the Tranſlation either without a Particle, or with that which carries no Emphaſis, be not far better than the Tranſlation with an Emphatical one: As for Example, the Lord made Heaven and Earth and Sea, or the Lord made the Heaven, the Earth and the Sea, are not better than, the Lord made that Heaven, that Earth and that Sea; for if we take this Particle That, Emphatically, it ſeems to ſignifie, that there are more Heavens (for we ſuppoſe the viſible Heaven or inferiour one, is here meant) and Earths and Seas, than One; and that 'tis Emphatically and Eminently meant of thoſe in the in Command, beyond the others; whereas there is no other Heaven, Earth, or Sea, but what is meant in the Command; and therefore would be very impertinently rendred by an Emphatical That. From whence I would ask this Gentleman; what reaſon there is why ה before Sabbath, and Shebigni, ſhould be more Emphatical, than before thoſe other Words in the ſame Command: Sure that Opinion wants ſolid and deep Foundations, that muſt be upheld by ſuch ſuperficial and weak ones. Thus much for the firſt part of the Command, the Subſtance and unqueſtionably moral Part thereof.
2. We have the Explication of that Part of the Command in its following Words. Six Days ſhalt thou labour and do all thy Work; and the Day, the Seventh, a Sabbath to the Lord thy God; (is or ſhall be, or both) a Sabbath to the Lord, that is dedicted to the Worſhip and Service of Him. Thou ſhalt do no Work; thou nor thy Son, nor thy Daughter, &c. Where we have one Day in Seven, or of Seven, declared and ſignified to be that Day of Reſt, or Holy Sabbath, which was commnded in the Beginning. And here our Authors contend, and worthily, that this Seventh Day in this Peace, is not an Ordinal Seventh Day, that is, the next Day after the former Six Days: But rather a Proportional (If I may ſo expreſs it) Day, or a diſtributed part of the Seven; that is, that of Seven days God will have one entire day to be ſanctified to him and his Service, without ſpecifying what day of the Seven it ſhould be. And I am ſure he has no reaſon nor ground from the Command hitherto, to except againſt this underſtanding of the Seventh day. In this Explication of the Command we have two things.
1. The Portion of Time, or the Part of the days that God will have ſanctified to an Holy Reſt; the Seventh. 2. How he will have the Reſt obſerved: By an Abſtinence of all ſorts of Perſons from earthly and worldly Employments, (except ſuch as do not interfere with its due Sanctification) that they may be wholly in Body and Soul buſied in his Service; as is clearly enjoyned in that word in the Subſtance of the Command, (to Sanctifie it.) As to this Seventh part of time ſo ſanctified and ſeparated to Divine Service, this is not Primarily and Purely Moral; though we acknowledge it to be Secondarily and Poſitively ſo: Not ſuch a meaſure of Time as the Wiſdom of Man in Innocency would have preciſely ſeparated to Divine Worſhip; and not one day more, nor one day leſs, of all the Weekdays. I think I have ſhewn before, that the light of Nature would have ſeparated and dedicated all to the ſolemn Service of God; all the time that it could ſpare from the due Recruits of Nature; Which I doubt not but in an Eſtate of Innocency, would have been a greater Meaſure and part of Time than the Seventh: For now we find by Experience, that even after the Fall, ſince that the Earth is curſed for our Sins, and requires a great deal more Labour and Time to be lain out upon it, for the Production of our neceſſary Suſtinence, than before the Fall: Now that our weak, craſie and diſtempered Bodies call for a great deal more Care and Time for their Suſtentation, their Recruits and Reparation, than when they had a perfect Temperature, were compleatly Healthy, Strong and Immortal, in Innocency; and many other Civil, Domeſtick Affairs take up, and muſt have, a great deal of our time, which would have exacted none of it in Innocencency: And yet we experience (I ſay) that ſix in ſeven allotted us for theſe things, are ſufficient enough; and we can very well ſpare a Seventh day for the ſolemn Service of God, without any Detriment to our Bodies, or our civil Concerns: Yea, and have many other Seaſons and good Opportunities given us to ſerve God in: And doubtleſs had God ſeen fit to have required the ſixth part of our time; it would have been ſo alſo. Wherefore I conclude, that the ſeventh part of the Week, or one day of the Seven, is not primarily Moral; becauſe the light of Nature could not have preciſely dictated it to us: Which methinks I could demonſtrate by this Suppoſition; Suppoſe a Perſon that is againſt the Morality of the Sabbath, that judgeth no day of the week more Holy than another, ſhould by Providence be thrown among Mahonietans or Heathens, and preaching the Goſpel to them, ſhould be Inſtrumental to convert any of them to the Chriſtian Faith: I aſſert, that in ſuch a caſe (and he would certainly be horribly uncharitable that ſhould judge the contrary) if they did keep all the reſt of the Moral Precepts with a ſound Faith in Chriſt they would infallibly be ſaved, though they never ſeparated one day of the week intirely to Gods Worſhip and Service: But now if they did allowedly live in any Breaches of the other Commands; (yea ſuppoſing ſome of them ſhould never have been expreſly taught them by their Converter) as if they did not acknowledge the only true God in their Souls; if they did worſhip Idols; if they did Swear Falſly or Vainly; if they were Rebellious and Undutiful to Parents and Magiſtrates; if they lived in Hatred, and were Cruel; if in Wantonneſs, and were Laſcivious; in Theft, and Couzenage; or were Oppreſſing, in Lying, Slandering, and Falſe Witneſſing; or in an inward Love and Delight in any of theſe Sins, they ſhould certainly Periſh: And why? But becauſe all the other Commands are primarily Moral; and this of the ſeventh part of time is not ſo: Yea in, keeping the other Commands, they keep the Morality of this alſo; Commands, they muſt ſeparate time to the performance of that Divine Service, which is the prime Morality of the fourth Precept. Thus I think 'tis clear, that the Sanctification of one Seventh day of the week, is not abſolutely and primarily Moral; but yet it may alſo be concluded, to be ſecondarily and poſitively ſo; that is, that upon the Revelation of the Will of the Legiſlator and his Injunction, the rational Creature cloſes with it, as that which is Holy, Juſt and Good; as that which is infinitely reaſonable; for what can be more ſo, than that is ſeventh part of time ſhould be devoted to his Service, whoſe all our time is; eſpecially when it is alſo for the Creature's chief good.
3. We have the Reaſons to inculcate its Obſervation: 1. The Legiſlator's own Example, becauſe he was ſix days in creating the World, and ceaſed from thoſe works on the Seventh day, reſted on the Seventh day: and 'tis hence only, in all this Command, that they can have any ſhew or ground to plead for the laſt day, or the Seventh day of the week, to be the Sabbath or Reſt that God did command; which is no way cogent, becauſe it may be meant a Seventh day, by way of part or portion, and not the Seventh day of order nor in number of the week. And it may be thus underſtood, Becauſe I was ſix dyas in making the World, and then reſted; ſo ſhall you be ſix days buſie in your common lawful Imployments; and then a Seventh you ſhall conſecrate to me and my Worſhip. So that in this Senſe it doth not injoyn the laſt day, the Seventh day of the week in order, but a Seventh day in proportion of time: For which we have this to lead, That ſeeing Gods Example is made the great Fundamental Argument of the Seven-day-Reſt, it ſhould hence follow, that if Adam had exactly followed the Pattern, then the Sixth day of the week would bid faireſt for the day of Reſt of all the Seven, becauſe then Adam muſt have worked ſix days before his Holy Reſt, as God did; and then being created, as we may ſuppoſe, about the latter end of the ſixth day of the Creation, he muſt have wrought the day following (which is the Seventh) and ſo the five other days following, and reſted upon the Sixth day as his firſt Sabbath; for that would have been the day after his ſix days Labour or Work: For 'tis clear, that the Seventh day after the beginning of the Creation, (though it were ſo with reſpect to Gods Works; yet) 'twas the very next day after Adam was; and could not but be within a very few hours (if hours) after his Creation; ſeeing it begun in the Evening: And ſo Adam and Eve were ſo far from an exact Imitation of God in the Obſervance of the firſt Sabbath, that in his particular they were contrary thereto; for God wrought ſix days firſt, and then reſted the Seventh; but Adam reſted his firſt day, and then wrought the ſix days following: God's Reſt was in the Concluſion of his Work; and Man's Reſt was in the beginning of his Work, in his firſt ſeven days; which I think ſomewhat enervates this ſolitary Plea they have here for the laſt Week-day-Sabbath. But yet we will Suppoſe that in this Clauſe, God did there injoyn the laſt day of the Creation-week to be the Sabbath; but then we ſay this is purely Poſitive, and no way Moral at all, neither Primarily nor Secondarily; for it is were ſo, the Morality thereof muſt ariſe from the Reaſon that is given for it, viz. Gods Example; even becauſe he made his work of Creation in ſix days, and reſted on the Seventh: But this is no way cogent, or (rather) Moral, not ſuch a thing as the light of Nature would engaged us to: For 1. God is not to be imitated by us in all that he does; neither could the rational Creature conclude upon Gods Revelation of his having ended his work on the Seventh day, that therefore he muſt work ſix, and reſt the Seventh, without an expreſs Injunction; which therefore God gave here. 2. If we could ſuppoſe, that ſuch a Collection of imitating God, could have been apprehended by Man, without Relevation; then the Sixth day of the week, would by him be pitched upon for his own Sabbath of Reſt; becauſe the Sixth day of the following week would have been his Seventh day after his Six days working, as before. 3. Gods making of the World, in ſix days, was a pure Revelation; for Man could never have known it of himſelf; no not in the Eſtate of his pure Knowledge: Becauſe, for ought he could know, God might have made the World ſimultaneouſly, all at once, or by one word ſpeaking; for he knew he might ſo have done, if he had pleaſed; he could not know that God did gradually, or progreſſively make the Creatures; much leſs that he took up ſix days for it, neither more nor leſs: Indeed the Order, and Method, the Time and Duration of the work of Creation, muſt be by Revelation to Man, ſeeing he was created the laſt of all the Creatures: So that in this reſpect 'tis not Moral; neither could it ever be the Dictate of Man's Mind. 4. God cannot properly Reſt, becauſe he cannot be ſaid properly to Labour: Reſt properly is a Refreſhment after Wearineſs, Iſa. 40.28. The everlaſting God, the Creator of the Ends of the Earth, fainteth not, neither is weary. Conſequently neither reſteth; for he does all he does with an infinite Facility, and perfect Immobility; and takes no more pains in creating the World, than in creating a Fly; that is, none at all. And beſides, as before, God works ſtill in his works of Preſervation and Providence, which are altogether as Great and Glorious, and ſome of them more Great Glorious, than were the works of Creation: So that in this reſpect this Argument is not Moral; not ſuch a Motive as could have been found out by the Mind of Man. Laſtly, If this were ſuch a cogent Reaſon in it ſelf, or a Moral Motive for the Sanctification of the Seventh day, in the Repetition of the Fourth Command, why is it not ſo much as mentioned? For Deut. 5.13-15. there is not a word concerning it; but whereas in the other Commands all the Motives that were uſed, and adjoyned to them in their firſt Edition, are here again repeated; yet this is quite and clean left out in this ſecond Edition of the Fourth Command; and in lieu thereof, their mighty and wonderful Deliverance out of the Land of Egypt is inſerted, that 'twas therefore becauſe he ſaved them, that he commanded them to keep the Sabbath-day. What this ſhould ſignifie I cannot well ſee, unleſs God would hereby teach us, that the Salvation of his Church is a far more great and glorious work in it ſelf, and far more beneficial and happy to us, than that of the Creation, (for the Deliverance of Iſrael out of Egypt by the hand of Moſes, was a Type of the Deliverance of the univerſal Church from the Devil, from Sin, from Hell, from the Curſe, from Death and the Grave; by our Lord Jeſus Chriſt) and that when this ſhall be compleated (as we know 'twas at our Savour's Reſurrection, it being the Concluſion of his Eſtate of Humiliation by which he purchaſed our Salvation, and an entrance into his Glorification, where he would procure it, apply, and effect it) then the Reaſon annexed to the Fourth Command from the ceaſing the Works of Creation, ſhould (in a ſenſe) be lain by; and that of the Redemption of the Church be ſubſtituted in its place: And ſo conſequently as the Seventh-day-Sabbath was obſerved in Commemoration of the works of Creation, until a more admirable work of God ſhould be accompliſhed; ſo the firſt day ever after ſhould be the Holy Reſt; when that Supream of all the works of God, our Redemption, ſhould be reſted from on that day. I do verily believe Gods neglecting the works of Creation, and ſubſtituting that of the Churches Redemption, as the gread Foundation and Reaſon of keeping the Holy Reſt, here in Deut. declares this unto us.
But I refer it to wiſer Heads: Only from what has been here ſpoken, I will conclude, that this part is purely Poſitive; both the Seventh Week-day-Sabbath, and this Motive upon which 'tis grounded, God's working ſix days and reſting the Seventh, which is a Motive to us to obſerve it, as well as it ſeems a Reaſon in God to require it. Wherefore here I would fain demand of this Gentleman, why he ſhould be ſo exceedingly Zealous for the Perpetuity of the Seventh-day-Sabbath, when 'tis both a Ceremonial and Poſitive Precept: Ceremonial, as it ſignifies Gods own Reſt from his Works paſt; and as it ſignifies our future Reſt in Heaven from all our Labours in this preſent Life: And purely Poſitive, ſeeing all the former Ceremonial and Poſitive Precepts concerning Worſhip, are aboliſhed by the coming of Chriſt: Why ſhould this then ſolitarily be excluded, and ſtand in its Strength and Vigour, when all its other Companions are thrown to the Ground and vaniſh? I know no reaſon, but becauſe this was written by the ſinger of God upon ſtone. But this altereth not the nature of the Command it ſelf; neither can it from hence plead a greater Privilege; for all the former had God for their Author as well as this, and God's Mouth is as Authoritative as his Finger: Wherefore we may well conclude, that ſeeing there is no reaſon can be given, why the Seventh-day-Sabbath ſhould not recede and give place, as well as all other Ceremonial and Poſitive Precepts to our Lord Chriſt at his coming, and his new, and more glorious Adminiſtrations; that it is, and ought to be, excluded with them, and give place to a more glorious day, in Commemoration of a more glorious work, and Gods reſting from it: Even the firſt day, our Lords glorious triumphing day.
The other two reaſons of this Fourth Command follow, which are Gods Bleſſing the Sabbath day, and Hallowing it. Where 'tis worthy our Obſervance (though this Author deems it a Triffe) that 'tis the Sabbath day, not the Seventh day of the Week, that is here bleſſed and hallowed: As if God would hint, that the Sabbath, upon what day ſoever (of his own Appointment) ſhould be Bleſſed; even the firſt as well as the Seventh day of the Week, when in the latter days his Sons glorious Reſt ſhould Authorize that day; and as it ſhould alter all other Ceremonial and poſitive Ordinances of his own Appointment, ſo alſo this Ceremonial and Poſitive day, into that other, which with all the other Ordinances and Inſtitutions of the Bleſſed Redeemer, ſhould laſt to the end of the World. From which Diſcourſe concerning the Nature of the Fourth Command, all that follows in his third or fourth Pages after, is ſufficiently anſwered, and ſo his next anſwer to another Objection againſt his Opinion, P. 82.