The Practical Sabbatarian, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. There muſt be ſerious preparation before the ſolemn day of the Sabbath.
HAving thus in general diſcuſſed the Doctrine propounded, I come now to a more particular handling and ventilation of it, and in ſo doing,
Firſt, Lay down divers duties, which are to fore-run the Sabbath.
Secondly, Lay down a plat-form, how we muſt ſpend every part of Gods holy day.
Thirdly, Give divers rules for the more compleat and ſtrict obſervation of the Sabbath.
Fourthly, Propoſe many cautions to prevent the pollution of this bleſſed day: With many other things which will occur for the more manifeſt enucleation and confirmation of the doctrinal truth propounded.
But to begin with the firſt thing propoſed, (viz.) what we muſt do by way of preparation for this holy day. Indeed the Sabbath is not to be ruſhed upon; Man muſt not break in upon a Sabbath, as the horſe ruſheth into the battel, as Jeremiah ſpeaks, without premeditation and previous conſideration. Jer. 8. 6.Ignatius calls the Sabbath the Queen of dayes, and Queens have their trains going before them; there muſt be Ignat ad Magneſ.a train of duties precedeing the holy Sabbath. On the Saturday Quomodo Maria Virgo inter omnes mulieres principatum tenet; ita inter caeteros dies, haec ſole…nis dies. Hier.let us prepare for the Lords day. We know tuned Inſtruments play the ſweeteſt; before they are tuned, they jar, and make a harth ſound. Our hearts are theſe Inſtruments which muſt beforehand be tuned by ſeveral duties, or or they will jar and be diſcompoſed upon the Sabbath. Phyſick is prepared before it is taken; and our hearts muſt be prepared, before we take and enjoy the Ordinances of a Sabbath. There is a preparing dreſs before we go to any feaſt; and muſt not the ſoul be dreſt before the feſtival of the Sabbath, that great banqueting of the inward man? There is a dawning light before the riſing Sun: ſome glimering duties muſt be the harbingers of the approaching Sabbath. Indeed matters ſhould be ſo ordered every day, ſo as to prepare for this day. As our whole life ſhould be a preparing for death, ſo the whole week ſhould be a preparing for the Sabbath: But as this precious day doth more approach, ſo preparatory work muſt more increaſe. Holy Nehemiah ſhut the Gates of the Neh. 13. 19.City (viz.) Jeruſalem, when it began to be dark, the In veteri teſtamento, ut impedimenta omnia celebrationis hujus diei i… tempore auferrentur, Fideles pridiè Sabbati divino mandato om…ia ſua, quantum poterant ad eum firem componebant. Wal.evening before the Sabbath, leaſt the night time ſhould be prophaned by bearing burdens in it; and he did this, leaſt the men of Tyre ſhould occaſion the Jews to break the Sabbath day, by bringing in wares upon that night. This holy mans care would not ſuffer any to caſt dirt upon the portal, or entrance of the Sabbath; he very well knew there muſt be ſome time ſpent in trimming the ſoul to meet its Bridegroom on his own holy day. A due preparation for this bleſſed Sabbath, lies more eſpecially under a five-fold injunction.
Of neceſſity. It is neceſſary we ſhould take ſome time to compoſe our ſpirits for the duties of the following Sabbath. Our thoughts in the week how are they looſe, and careleſly diſhevelled; ſome time there muſt be to bind them up together, and put them into order. The Lord in the fourth Exod. 20. 8.Commandment enjoynes us to remember the Sabbath; and to Id ipſum qu… que in hoc praecepto certo r…ſpectu, m…rale eſt, ſcil. u… diebus antecedentibus omnia noſtra, quantum fieri poteſt, ita i…ſtituamus, ut per eorum negligen tiam, à ſanctificatione hujus diei, non impediamur.remember the Sabbath, it is before hand to mind and manage matters that concern the Sabbath-ſanctification, that when it comes, it may be holily kept; for every duty on the Lords day, there muſt be a due preparation, for Prayer, for Hearing, for Sacraments, &c. Now if we muſt prepare for ſingle duties, when they lye more aſunder, ſure we muſt prepare for the Sabbath, when ſuch duties are linked together; And this is more conſiderable, if we take notice, we are not only to be in the duty, but in the ſpirit, in the prompt, powerfull and preciſe tranſaction of every ſervice on the Lords day. And beſides all this, doth not the Lord upon this day come in comfortable viſits to the ſouls of his people? and muſt not they prepare for his preſence? It was the opinion of ſome, Rev. 1. 10.that Chriſts perſonal coming to Judgement will be on the Sabbath day: This is moſt ſure, that Chriſts ſpiritual coming Lactant. Lib. 7. Cap. 1. Auguſt. de Temp. Serm. 154.in mercy, is for the moſt part on the day of the Sabbath; and ſhall there then be no preparation? When a great man is to come to our houſes, how are all our Rooms dreſſed up: When a great God is to come to our hearts, ſhall not we prepare Neh. 13. 22.and dreſs our hearts for his entertainment?
Of Equity. The Miniſters they prepare for the Sabbath-good of Gods people, and ſhall not the people of the Lord prepare for their own? Faithfull Miniſters before the Sabbath, do not onelyonly prepare matter to ſpeak, but they prepare their hearts to ſpeak the matter. Bernard in a Sermon thus breaks out to his people; To prepare you meat, my heart all Bern. in Feſt. omn. Sanct. Serm. 1.this night hath been ſeething within me, and in my meditations I have been inflamed, as with fire. And is it not equal and moſt rational, that Chriſtians ſhould meet their Miniſters in holy preparation, and plow up their fallow ground to receive Jer. 4. 3.that immortal ſeed, which Gods holy Seeds-men are ready to caſt into it? Calvin complains of ſome Chriſtians in his 1 Pet. 1. 23.time, who no otherwiſe regarded the Sabbath then thereon to Calv in Deut. 8. Serm. 34.attend their worldly affairs, the which they reſerved to themſelves that day, as if they had no other day to deliberate for the whole week to come. Now ſhall men on the Sabbath prepare for the week, and ſhall not we in the week, prepare for the Sabbath? Is Mammon more to be minded then God?
Of advantage. 1. The duties of the Sabbath will the better and freer come off. If we be ſedulous in holy preparation, we ſhall then with more dexterity, agility and facility, tranſact the ſeveral parts of Gods ſervice. One cauſe why we are often unactive in duty, and drive heavily, is, becauſe we did not before-hand oyle our wheels, inure our ſelves, we did not the day before, labour with God by Prayer, and with our own hearts by care and induſtry. Oftentimes a Chriſtian is ſtraightned, ſtiff and bound up in the ſervices of a Sabbath, and knows not how to go on in holy duties, and all this ariſes from neglect of holy preparation: The heart hath not been dealt withall, to ſupple it for more voluntary and chearfull performances. Preparatory work would wind up the clock of the ſoul, that it would go, and ſtrike, it would pray, hear, contemplate, and act any Sabbath ſervice, with far greater pleaſantneſs and conſonancy.
2. If we prepare, the mercies of the Sabbath will the larger and fuller come in; according to our preparations, will be our Gen. 44. 1.participations. According to the number and meaſure of ſacks, the ſons of Jacob prepared, and carried with them out Ex lege & mandato dei. 23 Luc. 54. in omnibus Chriſtianis conventibus requiritur, ne debito ſuo fructu haec pietatis publicae exercitia priventur, ut inquam, animus ad eandem quo que ſanctificationem ritè preparetur. Wal.of Canaan, ſo were they filled with Corn, when they came to Joſeph in Aeygpt: And according as we prepare our hearts at home in the week time, ſo our comfortable fillings ſhall be, when we come before the Lord on his own day. He that expects from his field a large crop, and a plenteous harveſt, muſt before hand take pains in plowing, and well preparing the ground; we do not before hand take preparatory pains, and that is the reaſon we reap ſo little in Sabbath-time; man naturally is ſlow of heart, Luke 24. 25. Duty and Induſtry muſt help Nature, that ſo our ſluggiſh hearts may be fitted for the receiving of thoſe bleſſings which uſually attend the Sabbath day. Emptied veſſels take in the liquor. Pruned Vines become fruitfull and feracious: And dreſſed Gardens caſt the ſweeteſt ſmells. And ſo the heart mollified with penitential tears, pruned by reſolute mortification, and turned up by frequent ſearch, will be accommodate for the magnificent plantations of Sabbath graces.
Of Zeal and Fervency. Can we obſerve the ſeveral Holy-dayes to have their Eves, wherein ſome Service and Liturgy muſt be uſed for preparation? The Chappels and Cathedrals foreign. Hippo.muſt be frequented, and prayers muſt be made, becauſe ſome Saints day is approaching; and the neglect of this duty is adjudged an indignity by many great ones in the Church. Shall a day dedicated to a Saint, to an Apoſtle, to a Martyr, be uſhered in with preparatory ſervices, and muſt the holy Sabbath, the day dedicated to the Lord Jeſus, God bleſſed Rom. 9. 5. Chriſtus eſt deus foreign ſuper omnes, aut ſuper omnia eodem ſenſu. Par.for ever, have no Eve, no preparatory duties, no ſervices to proclaim its coming? But the preceding day muſt be ſpent in a more eager purſuit of the World; then we frequent the Markets, mind our ſhops, reckon with our workmen, pierce further into the night for our worldly buſineſs, and we catch greedily after the flying week now drawing towards an end; what is this but to give more honour to the Saints day then the Sabbath day, to an ordination of the Church, then an inſtitution of Chriſt? Shall the bleſſed Sabbath have no evidence, no ſign of its coming, no preparatory Prayers, no precurſory pains? Muſt the holy days Eve have the Cathedral for ſervice, and not the Sabbath Eve have the Cloſet for preparation? Where is our zeal for Gods honour, and Gods day? It is very ſtrange, that the Saints Feſtivals ſhould be introduced with greater ſolemnity then Chriſts holy day; Surely this doth not become the Chriſtian, who is, or ſhould be ſick of love with his beloved.Cant. 2. 5.
Of Holy Ingenuity. Shall we be out-vied by the Jewes, the vagabond Jewes in our preparations for the Sabbath? Shall they be ſo exact, and we ſo negligent? Let not a blaſphemous Jew riſe up in judgement againſt us. And here I ſhall open the care of the Jewes in preparing for the Sabbath. Scalig. de Emend. temp. Lib. 6 p. 261.The Jewes formerly gave, and for the preſent do give, very ſolemn and great honour to their Sabbath. The week days they called foreign Cholim, Prophane; as the Greeks call them foreign working days: and in reſpect of the different degrees of holineſs of dayes, the Sabbath day is not unfitly Scalig. de Emend. temp. Lib. 6. p. 269.compared to a Queen, or to thoſe who are termed primary Wives, other feaſt dayes to Concubines or half-wives, working dayes to Hand-maids. The Jewes began the Sabbath at ſix of the clock the night before; And this the Graecians called foreign. And the Hebrews foreign foreignBiath Haſabbath, the enterance of the Sabbath. Their preparation Joſeph. Anti. lib. 16. cap 10.to the Sabbath began at three of the clock in the afternoon, which the Hebrews call foreign Gnereb ha-Sabbath, the Sabbath Eve, and this the Fathers called Caenam foreignpuram, the pure Supper, the phraſe being borrowed In vitibus Paganorum coen… pura appellabatur illis apponi ſolita, qui in caſto erant, quod Graeci dicunt foreign Iſa. Cauſab. Mark 15. 42. Luke 23. 54.from the Pagans, whoſe Religion taught them in their ſacrifices to certain of their Gods and Goddeſſes, to prepare themſelves by a ſtrict kind of holineſs (obſerve the very Heathens prepared for their ſacrifices to their Idol Gods and Goddeſſes:) This preparation for the Sabbath is by the Evangeliſt called foreign, a preparation, Mark 15. 42. whoſe words are theſe, And now when Even was come (becauſe it was the preparation (i. e.) the day before the Sabbath.) To the ſame purpoſe the Evangeliſt Luke, Luk. 23. 54. And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on. And among the Jews the whole day was a kind of preparation; for on this preparation day they might not go more then three Parſoth; now a Parſa contained ſo much ground, as an ordinary man might go ten of them in a day; and Judges on this day might not ſit in Judgement upon life and death, &c. And ſo carefull were the Jews of obſerving the time of their preparation for the Sabbath, that the beſt Buxtorf. Synag. Judaic. Cap. 10 … …almud.and wealthieſt of them, even thoſe who had many ſervants, did with their own hands further the preparation; ſo that ſometimes the Maſters themſelves they would chop herbs, ſweep the houſe, cleave▪wood, kindle the fire, and ſuch like. In old time, they proclaimed the preparation with noyſe of Trumpets or Horns; but now the modern Jewes proclaim it by the Sexton, or ſome under Officer of the Church, whom they call foreign Shihach Tſibbur, the foreign Hoſpin. de Feſt. Jud.meſſenger of the Congregation; and this meſſenger adviſed them, that they ſhould prepare ſeaſonably for the worthy Celebration of the Sabbath. Hoſpinian tells us, (and his teſtimony is Authentical) that when the Sexton gives notice of the approaching Sabbath, that then they prepared all thoſe meats they were to feed upon the ſucceeding Sabbath, and put them upon a table covered with a clean cloth, then they waſhed their heads, pared their nails, and prepared their Sabbath apparel. The Sun ſetting, the woman Occidente ſole, mulieres lumina Sabbataria accendunt, & mulier quae que domi, ambas ſuas manus verſus lumen expandit, et precatiunculam quandam peculiarem demurmurat. Hoſp. Cum aliqui longiore ſpatio iti…eris ab hoſpitio aut aedib… ſuis abiit, die Veneris, quàm die Sabbatino conficere licet, in agris, vel mediâ ſylvâ ubicun que ille ſit, manere, et ibidem quieſcere, et Sabbatum ſervare, neglecto omni periculo, et injuriâ cibi et po…us debet. Hoſp. The day before the Sabbath, the Jews called Sabbatulum, the little Sabbath, on which they made ready againſt the great day of the Sabbath.of the houſe ſets up lights, and a ſhort prayer being made, then they go into the Synagogue, and in their going, wiſh one another a joyfull Sabbath; and when they return, they ſpread the table with ſome proviſions, and alwayes ſet ſalt on the table, to intimate an inward ſavourineſs, and they put on two loaves of bread, and then give thanks in theſe words, Bleſſed art thou O Lord our God, the King of the World, who brings forth bread out of the ground; and then the Maſter of the Family breaks ſome to thoſe, who ſit down with him, and in a larger quantity then at other times, for the honour of the Sabbath, for then ſparingneſs is intolerable. And the ſame Author Hoſpinian obſerves, that when any perſon is further from his home on the Friday, then he can reach to obſerve the Sabbath ſtrictly, he remains where he was, in the fields, or in the middle of a wood, and willingly incounters any hazzard, and the want of meat or drink, rather then he will intrench upon the holy Sabbath. And thus exact the Jewes are in bodily and ſpiritual preparations; they would not prophane the Sabbath with an unpared nail; they waſh their heads to betoken inward purgation; they ſet up lights to denote ſpiritual illumination; they go into the Synagogue the day before the Sabbath, to fit them for the ſanctuary on the holy day of the Sabbath; Joſeph Jud. Antiq. Lib. 16. Cap. 10.and theſe Jewes were ſo conſcientious in theſe preparations, that Joſephus reports, it was taken notice of all the World over, inſomuch that Caeſar Auguſtus upon ſome complaint, wrote unto every Province where the Jewes reſided, That it was his pleaſure, that the Jewes ſhould enjoy their ancient Is it not meet for Chriſtians, whoſe Sabbath exceeds that of the Jews, to prepare themſeves thereunto? We have no ſheep or oxen to prepare; we have the more time to make ready our hearts and ſouls for ſpiritual ſervice. Mr. G.Priviledges, and among the reſt, that they ſhould not be compelled to appear before any Judge on their Sabbath dayes, or the day before their Sabbaths after nine of the clock upon their preparation dayes. Their Conſcientious Religion in this particular, procured them favour with Heathen Princes, the Roman Emperour, and obtained indulgence for them. And ſhall the Jew be ſo accurate and diligent in his preparations, and the Chriſtian ſo looſe and careleſs? Doth the knowledge of Chriſt no more influence us? Let us even bluſh to be out-done by a rejected and obſtinate Jew, the Son of a Curſe, which adheres to that Generation from Age to Age. Shall thoſe branches which are cut off, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, ſpread in their carefull and dutifull obſervances, and we who are branches growing on the ſtock, be contracted, and fall ſhort in a due and neceſſary compoſing of our ſelves for the Lords day, the weekly memorial of our Rom. 11. 21.Lords Reſurrection? Surely it will be more tolerable for Rom. 11. 17.Jeruſalem and Samaria in the day of judgement, then for Mat. 11. 21.many Chriſtians, who wreaking out of the world, ruſh upon Sabbaths without the pauſes and interpoſitions of a due preparation. But happily now ſome being evinced, would ſet upon the work, did they fully underſtand it; they would keep a Sabbath Eve, did they know how legitimately and ſuitably to ſpend it: Therefore the next Chapter ſhall be the clew to lead us into this Labyrinth.