The Practical Sabbatarian, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. The Promiſes in the Text, made over to Sabbath-Holineſs, explicated and unfolded.
ANd thus far we have aſſayed, to unfold the duty enjoyned in the Text, which is the holy and ſtrict obſervation of the Sabbath; and the Sabbath may be ſanctified by forbearing what is criminal, and by purſuing what is commendable: and what is both diſpleaſing or ſatisfactory, we have amply laid down in the Text, and hitherto hath been diſcuſſed. Now we come to the glorious reward of a due ſanctification of the Sabbath, which is folded up in a Tria hic praemia Sabbathum, deum que colentibus promittit Deus. Alap. Com. in Iſaiam.three-fold promiſe, mentioned in the Text; for one promiſe is not thought ſufficient by divine bounty to be a ſpur to this holy obſervation. It muſt not be a ſingle Diamond, but a Casket of Jewels. Here is a conſtellation of happineſs promiſed, a Tree of Life with many branches, as if God would tell us in the Text, how pleaſing, how grateful, what a Prov. 11. 18.ſweet ſinelling ſacrifice the conſcientious keeping of the Sabbath was to him; ſuch a Saint the Promiſes troope after him, they cluſter together to refreſh him; God gives the Bond and the Counterpane too. But more particularly, theſe promiſes they are not onelyonly rare, but comprehenſive, they are both temporal and ſpirituall, Gods bonds for left hand and right hand mercies.
And firſt God promiſes Ʋbertatem Voluptatis, abundance Prom. 1. Si in Sabbath… te abſtraxeris … deli…ii… carnis, deus dabit tibi ſuas delicias longe majores; ſcil. pro carneis dabit ſpiritusles, pro teciporalib… aeternas, pro humanis divinas. Pſal 104. 34. Cant. 4. 9.of Pleaſure, ſo the Text, [then ſhalt thou delight thy ſelf in the Lord.] As if God ſhould ſay, if my Sabbath be thy delight, then my preſence ſhall be thy delight; if thou take pleaſure in my day, thou ſhall ſind pleaſure in my ſelf; the ſame word foreign Gnanag, delight, which is uſed in the former verſe for our delight in the Sabbath, is here uſed for our delight in the Lord. Our duty ſhall not exceed his bounty: if we on a Sabbath delight in him, we on a Sabbath ſhall receive delights from him; God will meet the gracious ſoul, its breathings after God ſhall be compenſated with his bleſſings in God, thou ſhalt never loſe by ſatiating thy ſelf in God, thy underſtanding ſhall be delighted with meditation, thy deſires with ſatisfaction, thy heart with exhileration; he that is an Ocean of delight in himſelf, ſhall be thy delight. If thou takeſt pleaſure in Gods holy day, thy heart ſhall be more ſweetned in the thoughts of God, of his Faithfulneſs, of his Fulneſs, Incomprehenſibleneſs, Goodneſs, Tenderneſs, then in all ſliding and ſecular delights; for our delights in God are,
Moſt Pure, they are Chriſtalline pleaſures without ſpot or faeculency, they are incapable of exceſs: The ſoul may rejoyce Pſal. 94. 19.in God, and fear no ſurfet: There is no tang of ſin, or miſtake cleaves to them; as holy David, In the multitude of my thoughts Paſſim Haereſiarehae et Haeretici fuerunt voluptuarii, ea que de cauſâ plurimos habuerunt aſſectus ſicut et Epicurus plures diſcipulos habuit, quàm alit Philoſophi. Epiph…n.within me, thy comforts delight my ſoul. Now as for the pleaſures of this life, their object is ſordid: what is a Field, or a Bag, or a Hawk, or a Hound? The exceſs is eaſie, we moſtly over-do in outward delights; their ſatisfaction is ſenſual, only the ſmiles and laughter of duſt: their time is ſhort; the frolicks of this life, are onelyonly for this life, as long as a vapour laſts, and their end for the moſt part is heavineſs; a ſmiling countenance, a wanton palate, a catching eye, and a prancing phancy for the moſt part ending in a heavy heart: But our pleaſures in God are holy and undefiled, their riſing is their rarity, and their exceeding is their excellency.
Our delights in God are moſt abundant, they exceed the pleaſures of this life, as far as the receptive faculty of the Anima noſtra delectatione carere nequit; unam ſi non habet, quaerit, ſi non divinam, tum humanam.ſoul exceeds that of the body. A whole world cannot fill the ſoul, it is too vaſt in its deſires and entertainments; but a little proſpect can fill the theatre of the eye, a little wine the wanton vagaries of the palate, a little game the galloping fancies of the hunter. Our pleaſures in God, are a ſoul full of delight, Thy Comforts delight my ſoul, ſaith David; they are over-flowing waves of love, riſing and raviſhing Pſal. 94. 19.waters, which cover the ſea of mans heart.
Moſt ſatiating. Our pleaſures in the Creature cloy us, Our pleaſures in God comforts us; outward delights ſurfet, not Ecleſ. 1. 2. Voluptas eſt duplex, vel Terreſtris, vel Coeleſtis: Coeleſtes voluptates ſariant, nonſatur…ne & ideò diuturniores, terreſtres ſ…turant, non ſatiant; & ideò breviores, quòd etiam jam dileximus, pieni quidem pr…rſus nauſeamus. Baron.ſatiate, they have ſomething of the fleſh, and that will not alwayes go down. Solomon, the great Chymiſt of pleaſures, at laſt, after a thorough guſt of them, extracted nothing but wind from them, or the waters of Marah, either vanity or vexation of ſpirit. But the pleaſures we have in God, relate not to the body, which is a tireſome piece of fleſh, but to the ſoul which is full of life and activity, and delighting in God, which is its center, finds no Nauſea or wearineſs, but its motions are quicker and ſweeter, the nearer they come to the center. As holy David who was much in Communion with God, all his enjoyment of him, did but ſet him more on longing; nor did the Hart ever run ſo greedily to the waters, as his ſoul panted after God, Pſal. 42. 1, 2. My ſoul longeth, ſaith he; but longings are onelyonly Eccleſ. 1. 1. Pſal. 42. 1, 2. Judges 15. 18.in ſome caſes, Well then, my ſoul thirſteth, and thirſt muſt be ſatisfied, or elſe the thirſty perſon dies.
But ſecondly, God promiſes Ʋbertatem facultatis, abundance Prom. 2. Altitudines terrae ſunt luera rerum, blandiment… populorum, ſublimitas dignitatum, abundantia opum. Greg. Moral. Mat. 6. 32. Sanchez. Muſc. Marlorat. Verum Auguſt… haec dei verb…, & promiſſa altius et augu lius quid ſpectant ſcil. altitudines Coelorum. Alap. Altitudines terrae, i. e. altitudines coelorum, quae ſunt terra & ſedes non morientium, ſed viventium. Alap.of Revenue, ſo the Text; [I will cauſe thee to ride on the high places of the Earth.] It is very obſervable here, how a temporal promiſe is claſped in the armes of two ſpiritual promiſes; not as if the temporal promiſe was the evidence of greater love, but becauſe God will caſt in temporal bleſſings, as an overplus into the reward of obedience. Sanchez takes theſe high places of the Earth, mentioned in the Text, for the abundance and plenty of earthly increaſes, and ſaith, the promiſe moſt properly belongs to the Jewes; and to this opinion agrees both Muſeulus, Marlorat, and ſo the Septuagint interpret it, and they ſay, this ſpeech alludes to the Mountanous Country of the Jewes, which was abundant, nay, even luxuriant with Vines and Fruits; ſo that the meaning of the promiſe may be, That whoſoever obſerves the Sabbath holily, according to the preſcribed directions, they ſhall enjoy a richer and larger portion of outward things, then the common lot of the world: And this I ſuppoſe may be the meaning of this rare promiſe, although others repine at the ſtraightneſs of the expoſition, and will have ſome ſpiritual and more ſublime thing included; but leaving others to abound in their own ſenſe, I underſtand the promiſe of terreſtrial enjoyments; and ſo it is conſonant to another Scripture of the like nature, mentioned in Deut. 32. 13. So that he who obſerves the Sabbath, God Deut. 32. 13.will not onelyonly provide the banquet, but fill the basket for him; he ſhall not onelyonly enjoy ſpiritual comforts, but temporal good things, the very fruitfulneſs of the Earth ſhall be his portion.
Obj. But here it may be objected, that theſe promiſes mentioned in the Text, they are made onelyonly to the Jewes, they Fateor haec alludi ad illud, quod ait Moſes ad Judaeos. Deut. 32. 13. Alap.are Iſraels monopoly, and therefore they are no ground for Chriſtians to build upon, no promiſe for a Chriſtian to act his faith upon, ſuppoſe he obſerves Gods holy Sabbath with never ſo much ſeverity and purity. To which it may thus be replyed.
The Goſpel is not barren of temporal promiſes to encourage Godlineſs, a great part of which is the holy obſervation of the Sabbath; Godlineſs hath the promiſe of the life that now 1 Tim. 4 8.is, ſaith the Apoſtle. The Goſpel hath two breaſts of Conſolation, the promiſe of things temporal, and of things ſpiritual; nay, fuller breaſts then the Law hath: And though the high places, mentioned in the Text, may relate to the Vitae quae nunc eſt, ut ſcil. hic vitam pacatam longaevam, et rebus omnibus neceſſariis inſtructum agamus.mountanes of Judaea, which were fruitful and feracious, yet Sabbath-holineſs, being as grateful in Goſpel times, as formerly, it falls under the promiſe of the things of this life, which will riſe as high as the mountanes of Judaea, The things of this life mentioned by the Apoſtle, in the forecited place, taking in whatſoever may accompliſh the happineſs of this life, in its moſt comprehenſive circuit.
It is further Replyed, If the holy obſervation of the Sabbath be not peculiar to the Jewes, as moſt certainly it is not, Then whatever promiſe may be made by way of encouragement, The 20th of Exodus and the 12th verſ. let it be compared with the 6th of the Epheſians and the 3d verſ. Where what is promiſed in the Law, is likewiſe promiſed with enlargements in the Goſpel. Mat. 11. 30. Rev. 1. 10.cannot be peculiar to the Jewes. The Duty and the Promiſe alwayes go together, the Service and the Satisfaction. It is very ſtrange that God ſhould leave us Chriſtians the Duty, and give them, the Jewes, the Promiſe; we onelyonly ſhould act the toyle, and they injoy the triumph; how inconſiſtent is this with the eaſineſs of Chriſts Yoak? Chriſtians, if they act high duties, they ſhall ride upon high places. It muſt not be denyed, if making the Sabbath our delight belong not to us, neither do the high places of the Earth; but who can riſe to ſo great impudence, as to deny the former? And therefore if we muſt be in the ſpirit on the Lords day, we muſt not be denyed to be the inheritours of the fatneſs of the Lords Earth.
Nay, once more it is anſwered, That the promiſes made to the Jewes were for the moſt part temporal, and thoſe made to Chriſtians, for the moſt part ſpiritual, yet did not Deut. 30. 19. Iſa. 1. 9. 1 Tim. 6. 6. Magnum lucrum piet…s eſt; affert ſecum quicquid homini ſatis eſt. Maldon.the Jewes temporal promiſes exclude ſpiritual, nor the Chriſtians ſpiritual promiſes exclude temporal, but our obedience keeps the Key, which opens to both promiſes, to the Jew, and to the Gentile, and ſo in this particular caſe. A holy deportment upon Gods bleſſed Sabbath muſt be the readieſt way to make both Jew and Gentile happy and proſperous; the one before, the other ſince the coming of Jeſus Chriſt: And we muſt leave this rich promiſe in the Text, to be the Crown of Sabbath holineſs, to the Saints under and after the Law.
But thirdly, God promiſes ubertatem ſanctitatis, abundance Prom. 3. Tertium eſt hoc Sabbati, dei que cultus praemium; q. d. Dabo tibi inſignia illa b…na, quae promiſi Abrahae, Iſaaco et Jacobo ſcil. delicias, et divitias gratiae coeleſtis, a… deinde gloriae, et aeternae faelicitatis in …lo. Alap.of ſpiritual grace, ſo runs the Text; [And feed thee with the Heritage of Jacob thy Father.] Interpreters generally underſtand this promiſe of things ſpiritual, and ſupernatural; that the holy keeping of the Sabbath ſhall be crowned with the bleſſings of the upper ſprings, with rich gifts, heavenly graces, with the riches of heaven, with the treaſures from the mines above; Alludit ad terram Judaeis promiſſam; quae praefigurabat ſedem longe altiorem; Sic cibabo illos epulis coeli, ſaith holy Hierome; He alludes to the promiſed Land of the Jewes, which onelyonly typiſied and prefigured a better Country, a Country to come, ſaith that excellent Father. To the ſame purpoſe ſpeaks Cyril and Procopius. Thoſe who conſcienciouſly obſerve the Sabbath, they ſhall have outward enjoyments, and they ſhall be onelyonly pledges of 1 Cor. 2. 9. Vides hîc, ô Chriſtiane, quanta deus ſt…tuerit praemia, miſericordiae, et pietati.better enjoyments, the pawns and earneſts of enjoyments more glorious. As if the Lord ſhould ſay, As I led Jacob from the temporal promiſe of an earthly Canaan, to the promiſe of a heavenly; ſo will I do with thee, if thou obſerve my Sabbaths, thou ſhalt have a Jacobs reward; and what that is, our Saviour inſtructs us, Luk. 13. 28. where he ſaith, Luke 13. 28.You ſhall ſee Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God. Thus God he reduplicates his better promiſes on the heads of thoſe who carefully keep his Gen. 25. 33. Gen. 22. 36. Gen. 32. 28.Sabbath; they ſhall have the Heritage of Jacob, who gained both the Birth-right and the Bleſſing; they ſhall enjoy the Primogeniture, the firſt born of Mercies, nay Mercies with the Bleſſing, with the Fathers Benediction too; they ſhall ſucceed in Jacobs Heritage, who was mighty, and prevailed with God, who foyled the Angel in his ſpiritual Combat, and had the honour to have his Name and Cùm haec verba ex animo, ſimul que oculos circumfero, video que quàm pauci ſunt, qui delectentur in Domino ſabbati que &c.Eſcucheon changed, and into ſuch a name as included the Name of God himſelf, foreign El being the cloſe of foreign Iſrael, and foreign El is one of Gods own Titles. And truly here we may take up the contemplation of a learned man, who examining and ſurveying theſe pretious promiſes, was taken with a great admiration, that ſo few ſhould act the Duty in the Text, ſhould be conſcientious in Sabbath Obſervances, Hoc lugendum eſt, et magnoperè plangendum, inquit Forerius.perſwading himſelf, that the divineſs of theſe promiſes, might captivate the moſt refractory and diſingenious; and at laſt he concludes with moans, that ſo few in the world ſhould be taken with ſo rich a bait. To which I ſhall only add, we may here ſee how much infidelity, influences the hearts of moſt; for ſurely, did we not look upon theſe rare promiſes, as bonds without a ſeal, the Revenue of them would bride us to the moſt accurate and ſpiritual obſervation of Gods holy day; our reward would make the Sabbath our delight, and the greatneſs of the gain would inforce Mat. 16. 8.us to attempt this excellent piece of godlineſs. But the Quando doctrinam Chriſti intra animum non perpendimus, nec ad praxinreducere nitimur, ex hoc oritur occaecatio cordis, et foreign. Chemnit. 1 Sam. 15. 29.world is fallen under the ſame rebukes as once the Diſciples did, O ye of little faith, why reaſon you among your ſelves? ſaith Chriſt, why queſtion you the publick faith of Heaven, to the neglect of a duty ſo tranſcendently beneficial? And in the concluſion of the whole Text, we have the ſeal and confirmations of this Charter of bleſſings, [for the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it] and let us be fully aſſured with the greateſt certainty, that the ſtrength of Iſrael will not lye nor repent, for he is not a man that he ſhould repent.