A Preservative of Piety, Part 1 · Chapter 4 · Section 5
5. The blessing and promises of God ann…xed and assured to that Day and the Observers ther…of.
It is said in the Command…ment; The Lord bless…d the Sabbath day; It's true, that he blessed that seventh day whereon he rested, but not as a Seventh day, but as a Sabbath day, and so the blessing is entailed (as it were) and passeth from the Jews Sabbath on the Christian Sabbath. Now what is the meaning of this blessing, but that it was Gods mind, that it should be honourable and glorious amongst, and have singular priviledge & preheminency above other days? (d)Mercer. in Gen. 2.3. Benedictio, (ut inquiunt Hebraei) est accessio boni; faustum & felicem, Augustum & in signem intercaeteros hunc diem esse voluit, & praecipuo eum favore & honore dignatus est.for which end therefore he sanctified it, that is, set it apart to be wholly consecrated to Him and to his holy Service: In which way, it is not only lift up and honored above other dayes, and so, a blessed day; but is a blessed day also to the people of God by the use and benefit of his Ordinances, Psal. 65.4. wherein a blessedness is laid up.
In regard of this Prerogative of the day of Rest and Holiness, a Christian seeing that day approach, hath great cause to say, with an holy chearfulness, Come in thou blessed of the Lord (e)Gen. 24.31.. And they that appear before God on that day to receive soul-sustenance from him, may say within themselves (as David's servants that sought bodily relief) Let us now find favour in thine eyes, for we are come in a good day (f)1 Sam. 25.8.: in the Lords great Feast-day, wherein they of his Family even the whole Houshold of Faith are abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house, and are made to drink of the river of his pleasures (g)Psal. 36.8.. It's a day, wherein we may be spiritually enriched, for it is a blessed day, & the blessing of the Lord maketh rich (h)Prov. 10.22. See Aynsw. on Gen. 2.3. It is the abundant wealth of the world.. It is a day, wherein the people of God meeting, and being united together in his service, God commandeth the blessing, Psal. 133.3. And wherein from our great Lord, and head & glorious high Priest, the Oyl of Grace runs down abundantly (as Aarons Oyl sometimes did) to the very skirts, that is, to the very lowest of his true Members, to make them joyful, (for it is the Oyl of gladness, Psal. 45.7.) and as the dew of Hermon to make them fruitful, Psal. 133.1, 2, 3.
The pre…ious promises inviting to, and incouraging in, the Sanctification of the Sabbath, are presented to us from the mouth of the Lord by the Prophet Isaiah, chap. 58.13▪ 14. which Text of Scripture is so often made use of in this argument of the Sabbath, that I cannot leave it (though I have spoken much more then I thought to have done already) without looking a little into it. For which purpose I shall 1. Speak something to both the verses in general. 2. And something to that Sabbath-Piety described, v. 13.3. And then come to the Sabbath-promises, v. 14.
1. Of the Text in general.
Wherein two things lie in the way to hinder the use that divers godly and learned Writers have made of it for establishing the Lords Sabbath-day, (now) the Lords day.
1. Some hold (h)Calv. in locum.that the Sabbath is here named by way of allusion▪ and by a Synechdoche, and that the thing intended and designed in that description, v. 13. and so in the promise, v. 14. is to take men off from their own wits and wayes, and to stir them up to obedience and holiness in the whole course of their lives. And the truth is, that in the Sabbath all Religion is wrapt up; for God is eminently acknowledged, worshipped, professed and praised (as the three first Commandements require) upon that day; And all other Commandements are better observed by the good knowledge of God (h)2 Chr. 30.22.dispensed and dispersed then especially in the Ministry of the Word, acquainting men with their duties towards God and Man. But we may not mistake here; for albeit it be supposed, that all Religion is spoken to, yet it doth not follow from thence, that the Sabbath day (in the setting forth whereof the Text is so full) is to be excluded; nay rather, it is thereby the better established. As when a Father takes order in his last Will, that his Son shall go to the University, his meaning is, that his Son shall be a Scholar: but (withall) his mind is, that he shall go to the University, because that's the way to make him a Scholar, and therefore he expresseth nothing but that, for that contains the other. So it is here.
We may observe, (casting our eye upon this whole chapter) that as in the former part of it, the Prophet shewed their Religion was not to be placed in fasting; so here he declareth that the observation of the Sabbath, is not to be placed in resting (to which the Jews used to ascribe so much) but in the spiritual sanctification of that rest, which (indeed) hath and ought to have an influence, and to extend its vertue, into our whole life, to make it the more holy: But now mark, that as the Prophet before, in his Doctrine of a Fast, and his disciplining of their Fast, did not exclude the day of their Fast (and the observation thereof); but saith plainly [In the day of your Fast, v. 3.] so neither doth he here, where he delivereth the doctrine of the Sabbath, shut out the day of the Sabbath, but only sheweth that the Rest and leisure of that day, is to be bestowed in spiritual things appertaining to the substance, and tending to the furtherance of true Religion.
2. Some others may say, that if the Text to be understood of the weekly Sabbath, yet it speaks to the Jews only, not to us; and of their day, not of ours: Unto which, it may suffice to say, that as the fourth Commandement belongs to us▪ as well as to Jews, and the holy observation required there, belongs to us, in regard of our Sabbath, as well as to them, in regard of theirs; so in this Scripture, and in the whole Scripture of the Old Testament, whatsoever thing is Spiritual and of an Evangelical nature, it belongeth to us as well as to them, and may upon just accounts be more pressed on us then on them, because it is our happiness to have more means for, and therefore our duty to make further progress in, all things appertaining to godliness. It were very strange to say, or think, the Jews were to abstain from their own, self-pleasing thoughts, words, and actions on their Sabbath; and yet that Christians may think, speak, and do as they please on the Christian Sabbath. What, must the Sabbath be the Jews delight, and not ours? There is so much of Gospel in these things, that a learned Divine saith, What can be spoken more like then this is, to the perfect Precepts of Christ (i)Oecolampad. in loc.?
This will further appear by what follows to be spoken.
2. Of the Sabbath-duty, as it is prescribed (in way of Supposition) vers. 13.
If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, or (as some render it) for, or because of the Sabbath,— that is, If thou keep the Sabbath from polluting it, as it is before, chap. 56.2. to wit, by doing any act (treading any step) unsutable to it, and tending to the profanation of it, as we find otherwhere, the lifting up of ones hand and foot (k)Gen. 41.44. Vid. Jun. Tr…m, to be a Proverbial expression of enterprizing or attempting any thing; Here the foot is named, and in Isa. 56.2. the hand, and both put together, may shew that both hand and foot (the great Instruments of action) are to be kept, for the Sabbath sake, from doing any evil (l)Isa. 56.2.. Ask therefore, whatever thou art about, Is this a fit walk, or work for the Lords Sabbath day? else, Turn hand and foot from it.
What followeth, will confirm this Exposition, which is this, From doing thy pleasure on my Holy-day, that is, any thing which pleaseth thy self, and pleaseth not God on that day: so that to turn away the foot, is to keep from doing, that is, from doing any thing agreeable to our wills and not to Gods; it's true of things sinful (which on that day are out of measure sinful (m)As cruel exactions are bad any day, but worst on the Fast-day, Isa. 58.3. See Ezek. 23.38. Sins are worse by holy time and place, 2 King. 21.4.,) but there is no cause to restrain it, and apply it only to things sinful in themselves, for the six dayes work is not so, which yet the Commandement will have us to set aside. There are divers things not evil in their nature, which yet (like the counsel of Ahitophel, 2 Sam. 17.7.) are not good at that time; It is not enough, that things done on that day be good, for their matter, but they must be some way or other for God, whose day it is, it must be [his] work, and not a product of, not a thing arising from, and done for, thine own pleasure; one writing upon this, saith, Whatsoever shew of holiness there is in any work, yet if thou aim at thy own commod…ty in it, it is a servile work, and violates the Sabbath of the Lord (n)Oecolampad. in loc.. Every day, but especially on the Lords day, we should be like the Angels, and those Ministers of his that do his pleasure, Psal. 103.21. for then, we wait on our Lord, at his own appointed time; It cannot be well therefore to do what we please our selves when we attend our Lord, not on our working-day, but on his Holy-day, or the day of his Holiness (o)So the Hebrew hath it..
But Negative holiness, or to forbear evil is not enough: it is further added, — and call the Sabbath a delight, that is, as one speaks (p)Bullinger in loc., making the holy things of that day our delight, and exercising our selves about those delightsom things with delight of heart; such as we see in David, unto whom the Tabernacles of God were amiable, and he most glad to go to Him and them, Psal. 84.1. & 122.1, 2, &c.
The meaning of this, and the former part of the verse, is well and plainly expressed thus, (q)Dutch Annotations on Isai. 58.13.If thou restrain thy foot on the Sabbath, so as that thou do not whatsoever pleaseth thee; and if thou take delight in keeping it according to the Law, and Will of God, calling it the holy, (that is, the holy day) of the Lord, or a day consecrated unto him, and therefore honourable, or glorious. As a man of God is an honourable man (r)1 Sam. 9.6.; so is the day of God, an honourable day. Every day may be said to be glorious, because a pleasant thing it is to the eyes to behold the Sun (s)Eccl. 11.7.; but this, among other dayes, is like Solomon's Queen among other honourable Women (t)Psal. 45.9·, that is, it excels in glory (u)2 Cor. 3.9·, because on that day, the Sun of Righteousness (x)Mal. 4.2.shines forth in his brightness, & that into our hearts, (in the use of Ordinances, to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (y)2 Cor. 4 6.,) so that our eyes may see the King in his beauty (z)Isa. 33.17., and so be our selves beautiful (a)2 Cor. 3.18.,—and shalt honour him] that is, by honouring it, for when the holy things of God are profaned, He is profaned (b)Ezek. 22.26., whence it is said in the case of Eli his sons, Them that honour me, I will honour (c)1 Sam. 2.30..
That which followeth is but a repeating of what went before, yet so, as that what was laid down in the former part of the verse more generally, is laid forth in this later part more distinctly, a law being laid on our wayes, wills, and words, on the Lords Holy-day.
1. On our wayes] — not doing thine own wayes,] for, How is God honoured, if we do what we list? When Eli his sons would have, and do, what they pleased, not observing Gods order in his own Institutions, the Lords interpretation of it is, a despising of him (d)1 Sam. 2.15, 16, 30..
Now in proper spee…h, we are said rather to go, rhen to do (e)Bulling. in loc., our wayes; but, because by a mans wayes (in Scripture, and in our common speech also) are meant mens actions and course of life; therefore, this fitly expresseth unto us, that Gods mind is, that we should not act according to our own minds, nor do our own acts on Gods day. I say, on Gods day: for albeit it be true, that God binds us out from walking according to the world, and the flesh, any day; yet speech being made here of a special day which God appropriateth unto himself, therefore another interpretation seems more proper, which is this, not doing thine own ways, that is, not doing thy usual works (f)Dutch Annot.. On the six dayes we may do what we our selves have to do, but on Gods day we must do what God hath for us to do; All done on Gods day, must be Gods, not our own.
2. On our wills] — not finding thine own pleasure, or thine own will (g)Voluntates tuas. Pagnin.; but the Hebrew word signifieth such a will as wherein there is a delight and complacency (h)See Gen. 34.19. Psal. 111.2. where the same word is used: So 1 King. 5.8.. This is before applyed to the Fast; and this reproved, that on the day of their Fast, they found their pleasure, v. 3. And it is easily transfer'd, and by the same reason applyed to the weekly Sabbath; for howsoever the Fast was a day of Soul-affliction, and the Sabbath of soul-delight, and so, there was a difference between them; yet they were also so much alike, that their solemn Fast-day hath the name of Sabbath imposed upon it (i)Lev. 23.32.. And all their fasting dayes, were separating days, wherein they separated & sequestred themselves, not only so as not to do any sin, but so as that they were also precisely required not to do any work (k)— v 31.; no, not to give way to their own will, or find their own pleasure, on the Sabbath: therefore it is Gods will, that we should not only watch over our wayes without, but look to our wills within, which as far as they are our own (and not God…) should not be sought or found by us, or with us, on that day: they are on that day, as other creatures to Adam, not found meet companions for us, but too low, Gen. 2.20. In sum, No self-delight is to be admitted, that is against Sabbath-delight; Ne diem sanctum Domini suis commaculet voluntatibus. Hieron. in Isa. 58.
3. Our words] — not speaking a word, which is well explained from the words going before, where [our own] is expressed, by the supplying of the same here, and saying our own words, for the meaning is not on that day we should be mutes (l)Non requirit Silentium Harpocraticum. Bulling., and say nothing. Now our own words may be said to be of two sorts.
1. Such as are simply unlawful in themselves, which are evil any day, and worse on that day,
2, Such as are relatively unlawful, that is, in relation to that day, as being unsutable to it, and opposite to that holiness, and godly communication that is required on it. And that this is here comprehended, (for I do not exclude words simply evil, but reckon them on this day most abominable; I say, that this is here comprehended, to wit, the prohibition of common as well as condemned words) may appear, because here is a day, evidently separated and marked out from common dayes, on which (notwithstanding) there must be none of our own, that is, no sinful words, and therefore it's reasonable and congruous to conceive the meaning in this place to be, that we must speak none of our own words, that is, of our every dayes words (m)See Dr. Bownd, Doctrine of Sabbath, I. Book, p. 272, &c., but that a more holy and refined language is to be used on that holy day. Briefly, no words are to be spoken that day which are meerly our own, and not some way Gods, and relating to his honour and service, whose day it is: It is not a day to make Bargains, take Accounts, to talk of Kine, Horses, Hawks, Hounds, &c. (which on other dayes there's liberty to do), but all the leisure we have for communication, (or otherwise) should be sanctified; for the Rest must be holy the whole day. Yet, I do not mean, that every word is unlawful on the Sabbath that is in its nature earthly, or an expression of some worldly thing; for our necessities require some such words: and works also, as are in themselves, of a worldly and common nature (as about Apparel and Dyet, or other incidental things). But that which I humbly conceive is required, is this, That on that day, our discourse and conference generally should be of a more holy and heavenly strain; and that if other working dayes words be used, it may truly be put on the account of necessity, mercy, Christian civility, tending to the honour of Religion, the doing of good, the winning of others to goodness, or some other end fit to be intended on that day, and which cannot be so well attained but in that way, that is, by using vulgar and common words, no way to be numbred among spiritual expressions, unless in regard of the end, which an heart wherein there is an habit of holiness directs them unto. And whosoever give themselves leave to talk of what they please (assoon as they are out of Church) will be like to find less good by their having been in it, and less fitness to return again profitably unto it (n)Thus by giving way to ordinary words, the most confessed Du…ies of the Day are either marr'd or maim'd., or to be about any private religious Exercise, which that holy Day calleth them unto; for as evil communications corrupt mens minds and manners (o)1 Cor. 15.33., so worldly discourse useth to make the heart more worldly, and less apt for things heavenly, because prepossessed with earthly: which agreeing better, then that which is berter, with our natures, the heart is therefore more hardly won from them to a due attending to, and affecting of, the things of God.
O Ecolampad.Thus this later pa…t of the verse expounds the former; for he truly tu…ns not away his foot from the Sabbath, who in word, thought, and work, doth not his own will, but the will of God. Now all this easily passeth from the day to the way of God, and that substance of Piety which is every day a necessary duty; yet so, as that the spiritual observation of Gods holy day, is a special means thereof, and help thereunto; I say, the spiritual observation, and desire that should be observed, because they who speak more meanly of the Sabbath day, do seem to take the word Sabbat… in a strict sense, and to mean thereby an exact (but idle) observing of a day of …est, without further reference, and due respect to that sanctification of the Rest which the fou…th Precept plainly expresseth (p)Calv. in Isa. 58 13. Altiùs spectavit quàm ad externam cae…emoniam, hoc est, otium & quietem; in quo Judaei sanctitatem summam sitam esse putabant, — Quod nimis crassum est; admonet enim Propheta Psal. 92. Titulo: & v. 2, 3, 4. Sabbatum non rectè coli feriando, sed ordinatum esse ut celebretur Dei nomen, Calv. in Psalm. 92.2.. I say, I suppose they that speak less honourably of the day of the Sabbath, look at that empty Sabbatizing; for (otherwise) if any man shall plead for a resting from sin, and the practise of holiness every day, with the sleighting of the weekly Sabbath (as it ought to be observ'd) he plainly destroys what he pretends to build, and weakeneth Religion every day by weakning the reverence of that day; the which Sabbath-reverence and real respect to all Religion, are so linked together, that (howsoever there is a difference in regard of the degree, yet) few or none are found to regard either, who regard not both; As they regard not Learning that regard not Schooling, nor House keeping, that keep not Market-dayes; so they regard not godliness any day, who regard not the Sabbath-day wherein it is taught, and wherein all provisions are laid up for a godly life; And (on the other side), As they go not to School as they should, but loiter there, that get no learning; nor spend their time well at the Market, that bring home no Provision; so they never keep the Sabbath day rightly, whose desire and care is not to live every day religiously and Christianly. I shall add only this, They who carry this Text to mens general carriage, say, There is an allusion in it to the Sabbath-day; and saying so, they must needs (I think) grant that the Sabbath, to which the Prophet alludeth, had these things in it (that is, holiness of heart, tongue, and carriage) as in the Epitome, which are (afterward) to be spread forth at large, in all godliness of life, all the days of the week and of our life; only with this difference, that things lawful on other days, by the allowance of Scripture (and needful also,) are on the Sabbath-day, unlawful, because of the distinction made in the fourth Commandement, between the Rest and holiness of that weekly day, and the work and imployment of the six working-days; On all days we should be sober, righteous, and godly (q)Tit. 2.12.; but on the Lords-day we should be in the Spirit (r)Rev. 1.10·, more high, more ghostly, more heavenly; and, as Moses when he was with God in the Mount (s)Exod. 34.10., more resplendent by the beauty of Holiness.
Thus of the Sabbath-duty. I come now as the Text leads me.
3. To the Sabbath Promises, ver. 14.
In the opening of these Promises, I shall proceed the better, by taking along with me an Observation brought to my hand (t)O Ecolampad. in loc., which is this, As the Precepts (before) are Evangelical; so the Promises (here) are not Jewish, or earthly, but heavenly: for the good things mentioned in the former verse, are the operations of the Spirit of God, unto which the good things of this world being far inferior, they are not so sutable a reward; nor is it for Him that is most liberal, so to reward them. Yet, there is no cause of excluding those outward comforts, which the letter of the Text in the latter part of the verse layeth before us, and which are (other-where) promised to those that hallow the Sabbath-day (u)Jer. 17.24, 25, 26., the contrary evils whereunto came (as hath been shewed) on the Jews when they did profane it (x)Neh. 13.18.. But it's true, that worldly commodities and contentments, are not here promised only, (the first promise is very spiritual), nor chiefly; but rather, when these outward things are mentioned (sutable to the Ear and to the Heart, and to the state of a Jew, and which God was ready to perform to them in the letter,) I say, when these things are mentioned in the Old Testament) higher and more spiritual things are usually meant; yea, a reward reaching to Eternity, which through Jesus Christ our Lord (y)Rom. 6.23. Psal. 19.11.is given to the sincere and spiritual observers of Gods Commandements, whereof this of the Sabbath is one: and therefore the good promises laid down here, may well be taken in that extent; whereof there is the more reason, because the later promises here specified, are, in the tenour of them, and as they stand in the letter, proper to the Jewish people; and therefore, either this Scripture must not be for our use, or else, some other thing must be meant then the words in themselves express: I shall therefore take the Promises as they lie in the Text, and take in all the commodity and comfort, whether outward or spiritual, that may be truly collected from them, to encourage all men in the Sabbath duty, and consequently in the pursuit of all Religion; which is the thing that is intended in, and which ariseth from, the holy observation of the Sabbath-day.
Now whereas Pleasure, and Preferment, and Profit are the great Motives to make men to do willingly what is desired or required of them; all these are here set before us as the reward of Sabbath-Piety.
1. Pleasure] Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord; This is a special and most spiritual (z)Vid. Scultet. in locum, & Mercer. in Job 22.26.promise; unto that man to whom the study of Vertue, and Sanctification of the Sabbath is a delight, the Lord himself shall be in stead of all delights (a)Bulling. in loc.; which may be said to be (especially) by a more abundant fellowship with God on that day, wherein we lay all aside, that we may associate and solace our selves with Him. This delightsom Communion with God is enjoyed three wayes.
1. In the Ministery of the Word, whereby we have fellowship indeed with Ministers, but truly their fellowship, (and so that fellowship) is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, and what's the effect of it, but delight, and full joy (b)1 Joh. 1.3.? For the goodness of Gods House is very satisfying (c)Psal. 65.4. & 36.8., and by hearing the Word, we eat that which is good, and the soul delights it self in fatness (d)Isa. 55.2..
2. In the duty of Private Meditation, wherein the faithful soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness by the remembrance of God (e)Psal. 63.5, 6. Isa. 26 8, 9..
3 In Prayer; for delight in the Almighty is accompanyed with lifting up the face to God, to look for every good thing from Him, when (on the contrary) the hypocrite that delighteth not himself in him, will not always call on him (f)Job 22.26. & 27.10., but others are joyful in the House of Prayer, Isa. 56.7.
In such wayes as these, God makes his faithful servants to drink of the River of his delights (g)Psal. 36.8 Torrente deliciarum tuarum., having to do with God their exceeding joy, Psal. 43.4. And the delight is more large and full, by those many considerations (of one kind and another) by which this great Lord makes himself most amiable and wholly delectable (h)Cant. 5.16.to those that are acquainted with him; as, the great benefit of his Providence, which makes them resolve to own him, and set up their Rest in him (i)Gen. 28.21, 22.,) together with his safe and sweet protection, not only from outward but spiritual Enemies and Evils, which makes them fit under his shadow with great delight (k)Cant. 2.3·: unto which we may add their outward enjoyments, the comfortable use whereof (being well sum'd up) is nothing else but a delighting themselves in the great goodness of God (l)Neh. 9.25.. Briefly, the light of Gods countenance (m)Psal. 4.6, 7., the benefit of his counsel here, and the assurance of his glory hereafter, make his most afflicted servants (upon serious consideration, and Sanctuary (n)Psal. 73.17.information) exceedingly to rejoyce and glory in him, and to do as they do who would take their fill of delight one with another; and that is, to shut all others out, and say, None but Thee, Psal. 73.24, 25.
Thus the duty and reward have both one name; Delight in the Sabbath of the Lord, is the duty; and Delight in the Lord of the Sabbath, is the reward; O How poor and base are the delights of those men, unto whom the holiness of the Sabbath-day (yea, by the same reason, of any day) is a heavy and ill-belov'd business? They can delight in a Dinah (o)Gen. 3 4.19.; they have what they would have (p)1 Pet. 4.3. the Will of the Gentiles., when they walk in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of Wine, Revellings, Banquetings; And they that are something better, yet rejoyce and delight, in a thing of nought, as Wealth, Power, Policy (q)Amos 6.13.; their delights (at best) are but the delights of the sons of men, Eccles. 2.8. not of the sons of God: for They say, The desire of our soul is to thee, and the remembrance of thee (r)Isa. 26.8.. This is a well-grounded, well-placed, and hopeful delight; (for it is in Him that is Almighty (s)Job 22.26., al-sufficient) a profitable delight; for it's a very great absurdity and Atheism, to say, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God (t)Job 34.9., (I say, to say so deliberately, and not in some great tentation): It is a sweet delight: for it is in him that is altogether lovely (u)Cant. 5.16., the infinitely most amiable Object; and it is a satisfying delight, because that's a true saying, Delight thy self in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart, Psal. 37.4.
2. Here is Preferment] I will cause thee to ride on the High-Places; which being applyed to the Jews, seems to allude unto what God had already done for them, in throwing down, and making them, by way of conquest (x)Psal. 45.4. Revel. 6.2., to ride over the high places of the Earth, and namely of Canaan, the Cities whereof were walled up to Heaven (y)Deut. 1.28. & 32.13. & 33.29. ride on their necks. Septuagint. as Psal. 60.12.. But (taking it as it stands here) it doth withal assure them, that God would cause them to do the like in times to come, succeeding this Prophesie, (as Jer. 17.23, 26.) And yet the Jews found little of this in later times, but rather for their sins, (among which we may put Sabbath-profanation as one principal one, Neh. 13.18.) they found and felt that Enemies did ride over their heads (z)Psal. 66.12. with Lam. 5.5, 7, 8. & Neh. 9.37., and high places. Unto which we may adde, that in Gospel-times, (wherein this promise is not useless or truth-less) the Church (oft) finds little of these outward preheminencies, and much of the contrary; which considerations give just reason of reaching out further for the fulfilling, and benefit of this promise, and to make it common to others with the Jews, by interpreting it thus; Thou shalt overcome all that shall lie in thy way to hinder thy prosperity (a)Dutch Annot.. God will honour those who honour him and his holy day (b)1 Sam. 2.30.; yea, Why may not this be applyed to, and verified in, the subduing of spiritual Enemies, and casting down strong holds, (like those of Canaan) with every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God (c)2 Cor. 10.4, 5.: especially since this is done by the Lords Ordinances eminently dispensed on the Lords-day, and so is a reward sutable to the holy Observers thereof: Nay, why shall we not extend it yet further (to make the promise fuller) even to a treading (at last) on the necks of all Enemies (d)Rom. 16.20. Psal. 110.1., and a resting and residing in Heaven that high and holy place (e)Isa. 57.15., whereof that Mountain-Countrey, Canaan, was a Type? and where Sabbath is (at last and everlastingly) to be kept. Heb. 4.9.
I shall not (for all this) exclude, but a little touch upon, that outward and visible honour, which is agreeable to the letter of the Text. This may be observed in two things:
1. The advancing of that state wherein the Sabbath is best kept, expressed by Kings and Princes sitting upon the Throne of David, and riding in Charrets, and …n Horses (f)Jer. 17.24, 25.: No marvel; for the well observing of the fourth Commandement is a great help to the keeping of all the rest, unto the keeping whereof this promise is made, The Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail, and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath, Deut. 28.13. How hath this Nation flourished under the increase of Sabbath-Piety by the godly Laws of our religious Princes▪ And how low have we lately faln, upon the breaking forth afresh of Sabbath-prophaness, followed with the saddest Civil War?
2. In the adorning of those persons who reverence and carefully observe this day of God, and so thrive in godliness and the fear of God; There is no reason (here) to lay aside the Prophecy of Isaiah, chap. 56.3.—to v. 9. especially considering that it hath a respect to the times of the New-Testament, wherein Gentile-strangers were received into the Church (g)Compare Isa. 56.5, 7, 8. with Joh. 10.16. & Rom. 9.24, 25, 26. Eph. 2.12, 13.. Now in that Prophesie the Lord saith to Strangers and Eunuchs, that keep the Sabbath, and chuse the things that please him, and lay hold on his Covenant, (all which are like a golden Chain, of divers links, inseparable the one from the other; the keeping of the Sabbath from the rest, and the rest from that); I say, the Lord saith to such, (though they be strangers, and have no name in the Church; though they be Eunuchs, and so can have no children to preserve their name, nor be honoured by the name of Fathers) Even unto them will I give, in my House, and within my Walls, (that is, in the Church, the House of the living God, 1 Tim. 3.15. and within the wals of the spiritual Jerusalem, Psal. 87.4▪ 5.—) a name better then of sons and daughters, that is, better then that which ariseth from the begetting of sons and daughters. For what is the name of Fathers of sons, unto the name of sons of God, of the Lord God Almighty (h)See Joh. 1.12. 2 Cor. 6.18. 1 Joh. 3.1. Rev. 2.17. & 3.5, 12.? yet Strangers and Eunuchs shall have this Name given them, which is an everlasting name (for a son of God once, and a son of God ever, Rom. 8.17. 1 Joh. 3.1.) and which gives in with it an everlasting fame and honour, Psal. 112.6. Rev. 3.5. How honourable is the name of the Aethiopian Eunuch unto this day, after that by believing he was made the son of God? Act. 8.37. Joh. 1.12. yea, such shall be glorified at the last day, by Jesus Christ, before hi… Father and the Angels, 2 Thes. 1.10, 12. I say again, (after the Explication of this Prophesie) that there is no just reason to lay it aside in this argument of the Sabbath: For as the Covenant (mentioned there) and the condition of that Covenant, to wit, laying hold of it by faith, do still continue; so (albeit the Jews Sabbath be gone, yet) a Sabbath still remains, wherein as the Spiritual duties of the old Sabbath are to be performed, so the honou…s and priledges attending on, and promised to, tha… pe…formance may be expected; I mean, being interpreted a…cording to the spiritual state of the Gospel.
However, it is a clear truth, that honour and estimation still followeth the fear of God, I say, that fear of God, which is learned, and still better learned, by Sabbath-Instructions and Exercises (i)Psal. 34.11. Deut. 31.13. with Act. 13.14, 15, 27.; and it so far followeth it, that every one that will be accounted a Citizen of Zion, and heir of Heaven, is bound to honour those in whom this fear of God is found (k)Psal. 15.4.; As on the contrary, a vile person, (which is a name that falls heavily, on Sabbath-profaners, and profane livers, which two use to go together (l)Prov. 23.20, 21.,) is, and ought to be, of all such, contemned: not so, as to cast any reproach upon them, or that any should be wanting in doing all right to them, but so, as that they cannot have such an honourable place in an holy mans heart as others have.
And if we look on the state of things amongst our selves, it's easie to observe that they have not taken a good course, either for their comfort or honour: Unto one and another of whom, the Sabbath may say, Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall, but the Lord helped me (m)Psal. 118.13., yea, they themselves from whom the Christian Sabbath hath received but hard measure, yet, confess it meet, that Christians on the Lords day should abandon all worldly affairs, and dedicate it wholly to the honour of God (n)Mr. Breerwood Tract. 1. Sab. And again, That they that are so piously affected on the Lords-day, as to retire from secular business, and ordinary pleasures and delights, that they may more freely attend the service of Christ, are to be commended and incouraged (o)Bishop of Ely, p. 255. of his Treatise of the Sabbath-day. This is something like Bellarmines [Tutissimum est] lib 5. de Justificat. c. 7. Proposit. 3.. Whatever disputes therefore there be, yet the Conclusion is, that the holy observation of the Lords-day, (now, the weekly Sabbath-day) is a commendable thing, and redounds to the honour of those that so observe it. And it will ever be the honour of the Nation and Church of England, that there have been so many rel…gious Acts and actings for the holy and intire observation of the Lords-day. It may be said, I suppose, truly, and I hope, in regard of this matter of the Sabbath, inoffensively (because other Churches may excel in other things) I say, it may be said of the Church of England; Many Daughters of that Jerusalem, which is the Mother of us all, (Gal. 4.29.) have done vertuously, but thou excellest them all, Prov. 31.34.
To come now to the last thing.