The Lords Day Vindicated, Tract · Section 17
SECT. XVII.
THUS by God's Help, and (I hope) his Guidance, I have conſidered all his Arguments that he urges for his Sabbatarian Opinion; and have ſhewen their Invalidity and Weakneſs: And all the Solutions that he brings to diſannul all our Proofs for the Dominical Tenet; and ſuppoſe that I have vindicated ours from all his Attempts, and ſhewen how they remain ſolid and ſubſtantial. Other things which follow, being but Appendixes to this Diſcourſe, and not of ſo great Moment, I ſhall but touch upon them. As Page 83. about the Beginning of the Sabbath. He would have it to begin at Even; and we willingly grant him, that the Seventh-day-Sabbath did ſo; for it began when God had ended his Works of Creation, which was the Evening before the Sun-riſing of the Seventh Day. But, I judge that now the beſt Time to begin our Lord's Day with, is in the Morning; becauſe, 1. 'Twas on that Time of the Day, early in the Morning, about Break of day, that our Lord Jeſus reſted from his Work of Redemption: Wherefore, if the foregoing Evening of the Old Teſtament-Sabbath, was its moſt convenient Beginning; becauſe then God ended his Work of Creation, and reſted then: So he Morning-Light of the Firſt Day, is the moſt convenient Time for its Beginning; becauſe then God reſted from his much more Glorious, and really (in his Humanity) Laborious Work of our Redemption. 2. Becauſe the Holy Scripture expreſly begins it thus, placing the Concluſion of the Seventh Day at the beginning of the Morning of the Firſt Day, Mat. 28.1. In the End of the Sabbath as it began to dawn toward the Firſt Day of the Week; and conſequently then that Day began. 3. Becauſe 'tis the moſt convenient Time; becauſe moſt obſervable, leſs lyable to Prophanations, upon the account of Miſtakes; and ſo to turbulent Spirits, leſs obnoxious, &c. but this is not ſo ſubſtantial a Diſpute. Let every Perſon give up and conſecrate the whole Lords-day to the Service of God; I mean, the whole Artificial Day; or rather the whole lightſome Part thereof; and then let him begin either at Even or Morning; I doubt not, but if it be conſcientiouſly done in the Name of Chriſt, God will accept him. But, there he muſt not ſcandalize others by doing Common or Mechanick Works upon the following Evening of that Day; which the Generality of Chriſtians, among whom he lives, account as Sacred.
He ſeems Page 84. to imply, that there ſhould be Morning and Evening religious Service every Day in publick: But there is ſcarcely any preaching Miniſter can have ſo much Leiſure, beſide his own perſonal and domeſtical Devotions: And beſide our People will not attend it every day; and then the proper publick Duty of the Sabbath, to be but once, and begin about Noon. I, for my Part, believe the Times of publick Worſhip on the Lord's-day are moſt conveniently ordered already: Twice, once in the Morning about Nine; and ſo in the Evening about Two. An Interval being for the Refreſhment of the outward Man, and Recruits of the Spirit, for a more vigorous and enlarged ſerving of God in the Evening: Beſide, we know in the Country, 'tis convenient to keep ſome Perſons at home; or one Perſon, when Houſes are ſolitary and lyable to Injury, by thoſe who ſhould know them totally deſtitute of an Inhabitant; and in Country and City, Families that have Children, which muſt be kept at home, either through Weakneſs, or ſuch as would diſturb the Congregation by their Preſence, muſt have ſome one or other to take care of them: Now in ſuch Caſes, one Servant or Perſon, may be at home in the Morning, and another in the Evening; and ſo all partake of the publick Worſhip every Lord's-day; which could not ſo conveniently be done by one ſingle aſſembling the Congregation: But however to meddle herein, would be very impertinent, and would rather ſavour of a reſtleſs Fancy (to ſay no worſe) than of a peaceable and prudent Spirit.
The other Pages home to the 90th. I overlook; becauſe in them I find, either ſuch things as do not belong to the Sabbath, nor to this Controverſy at all: Or if they do, they are ſuch as are written already, (at leaſt the Subſtance) and anſwered.