The Practical Sabbatarian, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. What thoſe Preparatory Duties are, that muſt fore-run the Sabbath.
THus far we have travelled to aſſert the duty, that we muſt prepare for Gods holy day; our next task is, to unfold and open the duty, how we ſhould prepare for a Sabbath. Every one who takes the pencil into his hand, cannot draw a Picture, Preparation for the Sabbath is eaſier confeſſed then underſtood, and many can ſooner acknowledge then give an account of it; and that we may therefore neither erre in the omitting, nor yet in the doing of it, we muſt underſtand, Sabbath preparation compriſeth theſe ſeveral duties.
We muſt the day before the Sabbath, for ſome time ſequeſter our ſelves wholly from the world, and all the affairs of it; we muſt for ſome time make off from worldly hinderances, as Mariners that intend a voyage to Sea, they put off the ſhip from Land; ſo if we mean to ſerve God on the Sabbath, our hearts and minds muſt be off from the world. Put off thy ſhooes, ſaith God to Moſes, for the place whereon thou ſtandeſt is holy ground. We muſt put off earthly affections, Exod. 3. 5.for the day we are approaching to, is a holy day. A Bird, ſaith Muſculus, That ſhe may fly, ſhe fluttereth with her Muſc. Loc. Com. Praecep. Quarto.wings, and frees her ſelf all ſhe can, from what may hinder her flight: And ſhall not we throw off before-hand what may hinder our flight upon a Sabbath, or ſtop us in our careire to Jeſus Chriſt? The Jewes were angry with the man who carried his bed upon a Sabbath day. How many carry their Joh. 5. 10.beds before the Sabbath, lie ſleeping on the downe of carnal pleaſures, and temporal profits, and do not awaken to compoſe themſelves for the Glorious Sabbath of God; they lie ſnorting in carnal eaſe, and prepare not for ſpiritual enjoyments. That Chriſt might make us a Sabbath to keep, in body he firſt roſe from the earth. In heart we muſt riſe from the earth, before we can well keep the Sabbath Chriſt hath made. One well obſerves, That a total ſequeſtring of Mr. Walk.our ſelves from all worldly buſineſs, and putting away all earthly thoughts, cares and delights, will cleanſe the affections from droſs, and make room for the entrances of holineſs, for ſpiritual Praeparemur ad Sabbatum, ne ſpinis ac curis hujus ſeculi, quibus cor hominis eo tempore obſidetur, incrementum, et fructus verbi divini in…er…ipiatur, et evellatur ex animis noſtris; ut Chriſtus in Parabola ſeminantis abundantèr docet. Wal.devotion, and the motions of the Holy Ghoſt; (and he gives this reaſon) For no man can ſerve two Maſters at once, God, and the World: Let us therefore by way of preparation caſt out earthly and carnal thoughts, and ſpiritual and heavenly affections will the more eaſily enter, and be predominant. So then in the firſt place, we muſt ſet apart ſome time for the trimming and rigging of the ſoul, to be fit to launch into a Sabbath; we muſt come off from the ſtage of the World, into the tyring room, quietly and ſpiritually to compoſe our ſelves for the heavenly employment of the ſubſequent day; there muſt be a pauſe and ceſſation from the entangling warfare of the world. And we muſt enter into our Cloſets, and commune with our hearts, and be ſtill, that ſo adviſedly we may enter upon the ſouls harveſt day.Pſal. 4. 4
The ſecond Duty preparatory to the Sabbath, is holy Meditation. We muſt meditate on thoſe things which may quicken grace in our hearts,
Firſt, As chiefly upon the greatneſs, holineſs, and infinite Majeſty of the Lord, before whom we are to appear Sit et nobis paraſceue non tantùm q…ae domos ſed quae animos ad ſacra feſta peragenda praeparet. Muſc. Gen. 41. 14the approaching Sabbath, and to preſent our ſelves when the light of the day cometh; this will certainly move, and ſtir up ſpiritual devotion and affection, as we ſee by experience in worldly things, how carefull we are to trimme and fit our ſelves, when we are to go to an earthly King, or ſome great Nobles.
And in the next place, let us meditate what holineſs and purity, eſpecially of heart and ſoul is required in uſing the Lev. 20. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 15, 16.holy Ordinanoes of God, and in approaching near to him. And that Holineſs which becomes the bleſſed Sabbath, and the Ordinances of it, is the putting on humility, mercy, Humilitas primum, medium, & ultimum in Scholâ Chriſti. Alap.meekneſs, and all other affections, and departing from all iniquity, 2 Tim. 2. 19. It is the Image of Chriſt in the New Creature, which is created after God in Righteouſneſs and Holineſs; Eph. 4. 24. This is the embroydery we are to Eph. 4. 24.wear, when we meet with the King of Saints on his own day.Rev. 15. 3.
We are to meditate on thoſe Scriptures which require holy preparation, as Eccleſ. 5. 1. which ſhews Gods anger againſt ſuch who approach his preſence in an unprepared frame, Eccleſ. 5. 1.Mat. 22. 12. The wiſe Virgins trimmed their lamps before they entered the Bride-Chamber; and we muſt trimme our Mat. 22. 12.ſelves before we enter the Preſence-Chamber upon the ſolemn day of his appearance. God diſguſts mans regardleſneſs; Mat. 25. 7.and a curious plaiting of the ſoul pleaſes our Beloved: The harder our labour is to fit our ſelves for Gods preſence, the ſweeter will our wages be, in the influences of that preſence.
Let us meditate on that whereof the Sabbath is a ſigne and a pledge, (viz.) Our reſurrection to Eternal Life, and to the Eternal Reſt of Glory in Heaven, in the fight and fruition of God, whom none can ſee without holineſs. And Tertiam requiem notat Atoſtolus. Heb. 4. 7. quae per duas praecedentes, (ſcil.) per requiem Sabbati, et requiem in Canaan anagogicè fuerit ſignificata, quam nobis praeſtat Jeſus Chriſtus. Heb. 12. 14. Heb. 12. 2.this will be moſt powerfull to ſtir up ſpiritual affection, and to quicken Grace in our hearts. Our life ſhould be a continual preparation for our Eternal Sabbath; and ſome time ſhould be granted for a temporary preparation for our weekly Sabbath, we ſhould be very active in this work, and deſpiſe the toyle and trouble, looking to the joy that is ſet before us, whereof the weekly Sabbath is to every Saint a happy Harbinger.
Thirdly. Our third Duty which muſt precede the holy obſervation of the Sabbath, is ſelf examination, and this is two fold:
Firſt, External. We muſt reflect back upon the paſt week, and review our Erratas; ſin before muſt be found out, leaſt we come to Sabbath-work, with week-day guilt. On the Saturday in the Evening, we muſt caſt up our ſpiritual accounts, and when we have found the Jonah, caſt him overboard Jon. 1. 15.by holy faith, and ſerious repentance. It is very unſeemly to keep a Sabbath with our filthy Garments, with Zach. 3. 4.unwaſhen hearts, with untuned tongues, with untamenting eyes, with unrepented ſins. When Joſeph was to come into Gen. 41. 14.the preſence of Pharaoh he ſhaved himſelf, and changed his rayment, and came in to Pharaoh; And ſhall not we throw off our ſinfull incumberances, and put off our priſon clothes, our noyſome irregularities by diligent ſearch, and holy repentance, when the day draws on, and we are to come into the Effunde cortuum, ſicut aqu…m coram facie Domini, extolle ad eum manus tuas pro remedio peccatorum tuorum, accipe igitur lamentum. Hier.preſence of the great God? Our memories ſhould be the ſurveyours to view, and our conſciences the ſecretaries to ſet down, our hearts the mourners to lament the ſins of the week; that Chriſt would bring his ſpunge to blot them out, before Gods holy day comes upon us. It is obſervable, thoſe herbs riſe high in the Summer time, that in the Winter ſhrink loweſt in the ground; and thoſe hearts that in the week-time are laid loweſt, they riſe higheſt upon the Sabbath day: There muſt be ſoul-humblings for the daily treſpaſſes of the week, elſe the day of Gods ſervice comes, but we cannot comfortably and confidently ſerve God on that day, eſpecially if any fouler ſpot hath deformed any day of Joſh. 24. 19.the week.
Secondly, But there muſt be an inward examination, as well as an outward, a ſearch into our thoughts, our deſires, our delights, our diſpoſitions, what they have been the foregoing week; we muſt examine the paſſages of our ſouls, how it hath fared with the inward man. The Pſalmiſt commands heart communion, a ſerious diſcourſe concerning the Pſal. 4. 4.behaviours of the heart. As the Shop-keeper caſts up his Ex corde, vita et actio procedit.accounts, not onelyonly concerning his debts abroad, but his wares at home; He turns every piece in the cheſt, to ſee how it goes with his eſtate. We muſt dive into our ſouls, and ſee what growth of grace, what decays of corruption; what ornaments and additional beauty we have gained all the week before; whether Chriſt hath given us new bracelets Ezek. 16. 11. Armillae ſignificant, nihil indecorum eſſe agendum, ſed manus (i. e.) opera debere eſſe decora. Orig.and Jewels, ſuperadded grace, or whether we are more wrinckled in the complexion of our ſouls, and look more like to the old man. Holy Maſter Greenham ſends us to civil and wordly wiſdome, for the practiſe of this duty; We ſee, ſaith he, worldly thriving men, if not every day, yet at leaſt once in the week, they ſearch their books, caſt up their accounts, confer their expences with their gain, and make even their reckonings, whereby they may ſee whether they have gained Eph. 4. 22.or loſt, whether they are beforehand or come ſhort; and ſhall Mr. Greenh.not we much more, once a week at leaſt, call our ſelves to a reckning, by examination what hath gone from us, what hath come towards us, how we have gone forward or backward in godlineſs; that if we have holy increaſes, we may then give thanks to God; and if we have come ſhort, to travel with our ſelves the more earneſtly, to recover our former loſs. In a word, the impartial ſurvey of our inward man, will neceſſarily lead us to a more profitable obſervation of Gods holy day, ſeeing thoſe wants will be ſcarecly ſupplyed which lye undiſcovered: Let us therefore the evening or day before the Sabbath, withdraw our ſelves from the noyſe of the world, and ſo quietly call our ſelves to an account concerning our progreſſe or regreſſe in Religion the foregoing week.
Let us further prepare for the Sabbath, by ſtirring up in our ſelves holy affections. It is fit the ſoul ſhould be on the wing upon the Lords day?
Firſt, we ſhould long for the day of God, as the Pſalmiſt ſaith, Pſal. 42. 1, 2. My ſoul thirſteth for the living God; O when ſhall I come and appear before God! And as ſhe ſaid, Pſal. 42. 1, 2.Judges 5. 28. Why are thy Charriots ſo long in coming, and Judges 5. 28.why tarry the wheels of thy Charriot? So, O when will the Sabbath come, that we may ſell all, and buy the pearl of price? O when will the day come, that we may have communion with God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt?
Secondly, And we ſhould long for God on his holy day. Indeed there is nothing in God but what may ſet us on longing; his Glory, his Bounty, his Purity, &c. Chriſt is altogether Cant. 5. 16.lovely; and lovelineſs inticeth affection; Beauty will attract love; rich Pearls draw every eye; ſo let us entertain Quiſquis diligit deum, ſ…gitta haec in corde ejus haeret, et ſ…gittarius, tam fugit, tam ſequitur, & ambo m…nent cum amante. Del. Rio.in our thoughts whatſoever may ingratiate God and his Ordinances; and let us kindle the fire on the day before the Sabbath, that it may fl…me forth, and burn bright on that holy day. A good man on Saturday evening going to bed, leaped, and cryed out, It is but one night more, and I ſhall be in the houſe of God upon his holy day, and meet God himſelf in the uſe of holy things. Let us before hand fall ſick of Love, and then how gratefull will the appearances of Cant. 2. 5.our Beloved be, upon his own bleſſed day?
The fifth Duty preparatory to the Sabbath, is earneſt and fervent prayer. Indeed prayer is the omniprevalent Engine, which can do wonderfull things, things above expectation, among others, it can admirably fit the ſoul for the Sabbath.
Firſt, For the Prayer of Faith can prevail with God for the pardon and forgiveneſs of ſin, and pardon'd ſin will prepare …randus eſt deus, ut nihi… l…nguoris in nobis, et ruinae priſtinae relinquat ne rurſ… mali ſeminis pullalent rediviva plantaria. Hierom.the ſoul for Sabbath-mercy; thoſe who are clogg'd with ſin, will quickly be tyred in duty. Now the Sabbath is onelyonly the Mart, and ſpiritual Fair of duties: The unpardoned ſinner may ſpend, not keep a Sabbath, may paſs away the time of it, not enjoy the benefit of it. Prayer I ſay can prevail for pardon: The Lord directs us to this very means to procure forgiveneſs, ſo Hoſ. 14. 2. Take unto thee words, and turn unto the Lord, and ſay, take away all iniquity, and receive us graciouſly. God will give pardon, but prayer muſt Jam. 5. 15.importune the gift. David he prayes for forgiveneſs, and Dum oratur deus, ut omnem auſerat iniquitatem, ut non ſolùm peccata, ſed eti…m omnes peccatorum ſibras evellat. Hier.he obtains it. On the Eve of a Sabbath, let us be earneſt for the pardon of the ſins of our lives, of the ſins of the paſt week; let the week be cleared before we adventure upon a Sabbath. A ſenſe of pardon will ſweeten every ſervice of a Sabbath, make Duty delight, and Pains a paradiſe, Ordinances ſhall be our incomes, not our incumberances. Be earneſt for pardon, and the Sabbath ſhall not only piouſly, but pleaſingly be obſerved.Pſal. 51. 11.Omnem aufer iniquitatem; eſt prima petitio, quae alias omnes meritò praecedit Riv.
Prayer can obtain the ſpirit. The donation of the ſpirit is promiſed to Holy Prayer. Now our hearts are the ſpirit's Luke 11. 13.work-houſes. The ſpirit can chain up corruptions, draw out grace, blow away the froth and vanity of the ſoul, open Spiritualia bona licet corporalia longiſſimo intervallo poſt ſerelinquat, tamen ſine conditione petere audem…, certum eſt Chriſtum ea nobis impetraſſe, et patrem propter ipſum nobis d…turum eſſe. Chemn. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Eph. 1. 13. Mal. 3. 2.the heart for the entertainment of Goſpel-meſſages, every way put us into a ſweet and Sabbath diſpoſition. The ſpirit is a ſpirit of ſanctity, to make the heart gracious; the ſpirit is a ſpirit of liberty, to make the heart free and enlarged; the ſpirit is a ſpirit of purity, it is fullers ſope, and a refiners fire, to purge and cleanſe the ſoul; and ſo adaequately prepare the Chriſtian, for the divine duties of the Sabbath.
Prayer layes the foundation of Sabbath bleſſings; the prayer of faith keeps the Key of Gods treaſury door. Bleſſings indeed, which are really ſo, are the fruits of prayer. Prayer it can open the womb; Hannah prayes, and the obtains 1 Sam. 1. 27.a Samuel: It can melt the Heavens, it can open the priſon Jam. 5. 16. 18.doors, it can avail very much; and prayer can turn a Sabbath into the ſouls bleſſed harveſt; it can open the heart, procure Acts 12. 7.a bleſſing upon Ordinances, engage Chriſts preſence, Lutherus ait, utinam eodem ardore orare poſſum; tum dabatur reſponſum, fi…t quod velis. Lutr. 2 Cor. 6. 2.make duties fruitfull, and ſpiritual Manna nouriſhing: Prayer can make the Sabbath a time of grace, an opportunity of life, a day of ſalvation, a term of love. It hath been the manner of ſome Chriſtians, the day before the Sabbath, to meet and ſpend ſome time in ſeeking God by prayer, and quickning one another; this fervently performed would lay a great ground of a good day indeed to follow; and therefore let us Pray, pray, pray beforehand, that divine Ordinances may be accompanied with divine benedictions; that ſins may Mat. 24. 20.be diſcharged, that our ſouls may be enlarged, and hearts may be upon the wheele. Our Saviour ſaith, Pray that your flight be not on the Sabbath day; but let us pray, that our flight may be upon the Sabbath, our flight towards Heaven; when the ſoul is upon the wing, and the heart upon its ſpeed towards Jeſus Chriſt. A believer on a Sabbath ſhould make haſte to enjoy the embraces of his beloved, which are as the Faeminae Chriſtum ſecutae, pridie Sabbati, id circò ad futuram corporis Chriſti condituram omnia praeparabant ut Sabbatho ſecundumlegem quieſcerent. Wal.Eſpouſals, forerunning an Eternal wedding day.
The Eve before the Sabbath, we ſhould ſpend more time then uſually in family duties. Our preparation muſt not only be the work of the Cloſet, but the work of the Family; Then we ſhould read the Scriptures, refreſh one another with holy diſcourſes, be more ſolemn in our addreſſes to God; Shall we prepare no more for a Sabbath, that bright ſpot of time God gives us for our ſouls, then for another day? Will we approach the Princes preſence, with the ſame diſregards we will converſe with the Peaſant? Eſther purified Eſt. 2. 12.and perfumed her ſelf with Oyle of Myrrh, and ſweet Odours, before ſhe came into the prefence of Ahaſhuerus; and ſhall our Families have no holy anoynting, no divine quickning, before the day come we muſt enter the preſence of the King of Kings, nay the God of Kings? Shall there be nothing to put a Selah upon a Sabbath Eve? Let us take ſome time the evening before the Sabbath to teach our little ones the holineſs and Solemnity of a Sabbath, let us tell them how jealous God is of his Sabbaths, what ſevere puniſhments he hath overtaken Deut. 6. 7.thoſe with, who have violated his holy day. Let us Numb. 15. 36.bring up our ſervants in the Holy Trade of Sabbath obſervation; let us leave it upon their Conſciences the night before the Sabbath, how accurately, and carefully God will be ſerved on his own day; and inform them what it coſt Aarons Sons for offering ſtrange fire. Governours Lev. 10 3.of Families ſhould take pains with thoſe ſubordinate to them, in begetting an awe upon their hearts, and ſo fit them for Sabbath duties. Surely we ſhould more ſolemnly prepare for the day of the Soul, then for the dayes of our Calling; for the ſervices of the Sanctuary, then for the gains of the Shop: God's day gives us a more ſolemn ſummons, then mans day doth. And now having thus prepared our ſelves in the diſcharge of the forementioned duties, let us retire our ſelves to our reſt, and let the hand of faith draw the curtains about us, and ſo quietly repoſe our bodies, till the approaching Pſal. 4. 8.morning of Gods holy day, and how that muſt be paſſed and ſolemnly obſerved, comes next under our moſt ſerious diſcuſſion.