The Practical Sabbatarian, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. The Text further opened and explained.
ANd thus I have run through the negative directions in Iſa. 58. 13.the Text, I now come to the poſitive. There is ſomething Commanded, as well as ſome thing prohibited on a Sabbath; ſomething for us to do, as well as ſomething for us to forbear: Now theſe practical and poſitive directions, they are not very many, but very rare, and what they want in number, they make up in weight, they are ponderous, though not numerous, and they are principally four, like the four Elements, to conſtitute the holy obſervation of a Sabbath.
There is a Command for delight; ſo the Text [and call the Sabbath a delight.] Our Sabbaths muſt be our ſatisfaction; not our burden, but our bleſſing; the ſinner muſt not Pſal. 27. 4. Mat. 18. 20.take that pleaſure in the dalliances of the world, as we ſhould do in the duties of a Sabbath. This is the day of divine loves, and ſpiritual complacencies between Chriſt and Cant. 2. 3. Delitias tum tuas, tum Domini. Alap.the ſoul, when Chriſt and the Soul meet together in the Garden of the Ordinances, where they begin that communication, which ſhall laſt to Eternity; then the believer ſits under the ſhadow of Chriſt with great delight. As God makes the Sabbath his reſt, ſo he would have it to be ours. The Sabbath muſt not be our toyle, but our triumph; the Sanctuary muſt be our banqueting houſe, Duty our delight; Pſal. 42. 3. 4.It muſt be the joy of our ſouls to aſſociate with Chriſt, to pour out our requeſts in prayer, to entertain the diſcourſes of divine will, and to enjoy ſpiritual love, which is better then wine. The Sabbath in the primitive times was called Cant. 1. 2. Nos in primâ die, perfecti Sabbathi feſtivitate laetamur Hilar. in Prol. in Pſalm.the feaſt of the Sabbath, and feaſts are not uſually times of tediouſneſs but pleaſantneſs, ſuch times paſs away with gratefull delight; and ſurely it muſt needs ſoyle the character of a Chriſtian, to let thoſe wheels drive heavily which are in the Chariots of Aminadah. Doth it not very much unbecome us to be weary of that day, which God hath appointed Cant. 6. 12.for fellowſhip with himſelf, and for the tranſacting of the great affairs of Eternity?
There is a Command for Reverence. So the Text, [the holy of the Lord.] Si colueris Sabbathum, quaſi diem ſanctum, gloriae, & glorificationi Domini conſecratum. If Pſal. 2. 12.thou obſerve the Sabbath as a holy day, conſecrated, and ſet apart to the glory and glorifying of God, as he well gloſſes upon it. There are two holy paſſions adorne a Sabbath, Joy and Fear; the one for the benefits of God, the Pſal. 2. 11. Diſcamus die Dominico, non quaerere gloriam noſtram, pompoſe incedendo, et ſplendidé nos veſtiend…, ſed Dei gloriam quaeramus; & hoc nobis erit glorioſum, quod gloria dei per ros & alios celebretur. Iſa. 66. 2.other for the preſence of God, the one for his goodneſs, and the other for his greatneſs. Upon a Sabbath we muſt, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks, rejoyce with trembling. It was the ſaying of a Learned man; Ʋpon the day of a Sabbath, let us not promote our own Glory, by ſtately walking, rich attire, and pompous appearances, but let us exalt Gods Glory by holy duties, and this will be more glorious and honourable to us. Upon the Sabbath let us tremble at Gods Word, as the Lord ſpeaks by the Prophet, Iſa. 66, 2. Let us lye at Gods feet, let us be awfull of Gods preſence, let us exalt Gods Name, and this is to ſanctifie a Sabbath. Humble hearts, and not fine cloaths, the bowing of the ſoul, not the plaiting of the hair, or the ordering of the Dreſs, ſpeaks the Sabbath Glorious.
The Lord calls for high eſtimations of the Sabbath. So the Text, [Honourable.] The Word foreign Machhid, in the foreignOriginal, ſignifies that which is Glorious, and that which is Ponderous. Every Sabbath is a price put into our hands, Luke 19. 42.a good wind for Heaven, the ſouls term time, that a…tionius Pſal. 118. 24.temporis, that juncture of time which the ſoul hath to cla… up for Eternity. On this day more eſpecially, the Scepter of Grace is held out to lay hold upon. One obſerves, our Eſth. 5. 2.Sabbath is called the Lords day, not onelyonly becauſe it is the Commemoration of our Lords Reſurrection, but becauſe of the benefits we receive from the Lord that day, and the duties we perform to the Lord that day; and therefore if we will practice the Text, we muſt prize the Sabbath, we muſt call it honourable; and indeed it is ſo, in a manifold reſpect.
If we look upward; This is the day in which more eſpecially we ſing the praiſes of the Lord, we recount his hohour, wherein our hearts bubble forth in holy thankſgivings; and therefore the Pſalm, whoſe inſcription calls it a Pſalm for the Sabbath, is wholly Laudatory, It is a ſong Pſal. 92. foreignfor the Sabbath day, ſo is the very title. And indeed what is the Lords day, but primitiae Coeli, the dawning of Glory, the beginnings of Heaven, the tuning of the muſick which ſhall laſt for ever, to every true believer. On the Lords day the Saint makes it his grand affaire to advance the Lords Honour.
If we look downward, the Sabbath ſtill is honourable: Then the Lord crowns us with his graces, honours us with his preſence, meets us in his ordinances, puts all marks and characters Mat. 18. 20.of honour on his people; then the King ſits at his Cant. 1. 12.Table, and ſends forth his Spicknard, with the ſweet ſmell of it. The Holy Sabbath is the bleſſed time when the Lord Sponſa contactu ſponſt ſui, planè divinam ſuavitatem acquiſivit. Del. Rio. 1 John 1. 3. Mat. 18. 20.bows the Heavens, and comes down, and vouchſafes his people fellowſhip with himſelf, ſweet and ſalvifical communion; in a word, then the Father drops his grace, then the Son promiſes his preſence, then the Spirit purſues his work in the aſſemblies of his Saints.
If we look outward, if we caſt our eyes upon other days, the other ſix days of worldly toyle and labour. The very gleanings of a Sabbath, are better then the Vintage of the Judges 8. 2.week. In other dayes we onelyonly reap the curſe of the firſt Adam, to eat our bread in the ſweat of our brows; on the Gen. 3. 19.holy Sabbath, we reap the bleſſing of the ſecond Adam, we gather the fruits of his glorious purchaſe, we enjoy the ordinances of his grace, lye under the impreſſions of his ſpirit, and inherit the ſweets of his preſence; and therefore compare the Sabbath with other dayes, and what is the droſs of a week, to the gold of a Sabbath? This day is nothing but the ſouls weekly Jubilee.
If we look forward towards eternity, the Sabbath in this regard is honourable; it is the ſpecial day for the ſoul to dreſs and trim it ſelf in to meet▪ its Bridegroom; this is our peculiar Fuit illud Sabbathum, Gen. 2. 3. Typus aeterni illius Sabbathi in …ae…is, in quo electi animâ et corpore, à peccatis, calomitatibus, et miſeriis hujus vitae requieſcent: Deus in illis, et ipſi in Deo. Gen. 66. 23. Ʋltra hunc mundum eſt veri Sabbathi obſervatio. Orig. Prov. 34. 2 Cor. 10. 4. 2 Cor. 4. 7. In Sabbatho totus Deo, dei que voluntati cognoſcendae annuntiandae, et edimplendae vaces. Alap.time to prepare for eternity. The Lords day is the day of Commemoration for Chriſts Reſurrection, and the day of Preparation for ours. The Sabbaths are as the rounds of a Ladder, by which we climb up to our Fathers houſe; our preſent Sabbaths work being ſanctified, becomes the way to our future Sabbaths reſt. On this holy day, the ſoul more eſpecially waits at wiſdomes gates, and brings its corruptions to the ſlaughtering power of the Word, inricheth it ſelf with Goſpel-treaſures, feeds its graces upon Goſpel proviſions, and every way accommodates its ſelf for the imbraces of eternity.
There is another command in the Text, (viz.) of fruitfulneſs; ſo the Text, [and ſhalt honour him.] Now there is nothing more honours God then our holy fruitfulneſs, this gratiſies his Will, this magnifies his Grace, this adorns his Goſpel, this glorifies his Name. Our Saviour ſaith expreſly, John 15. 8.Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit. We exceedingly honour God, when on a Sabbath day, we Sint ſubmiſſi, tractabiles, et ſequaces mores. Cyr.weep much in the Cloſet, pray much in the Familie, hear much in the Sanctuary, when we tremble at Gods Word, rejoyce in Gods Ordinances, melt in Gods preſence, when Sabbaths ſoften us, ripen us, raiſe us, and bring us to a nearer conformity to Chriſt; when this ſun-ſhining day of a Sabbath melloweth us, and maketh us look fairer, and more beautiful: Thus we ſpread our branches, and Gods Name together.