The Practical Sabbatarian, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. The Doctrinal obſervation compriſed in the Text, propounded and proved.
HAving thus taken in pieces the Text, by a large and copious explication, I ſhall now ſet it together again in a ſolemn and ſerious obſervation, (viz.)
Doctr. That God hath lockt up many rich bleſſings in ſweet and ſure promiſes, for thoſe who ſpiritually and conſcientiouſly obſerve his holy day.
Thus the Inventory in the Text preſents us with delights for the inward man, with ſupplies for the outward, Iſa. 56. 2.with a reſerve of happineſs for them both. Such ſhall ſucceed in the Heritage of Jacob, who keep holily the Sabbath; Now to Jacob, God was his protection here, and his portion hereafter. There is no Duty wears a richer Crown in the performance of it, then the ſerious obſervation of the Sabbath; for beſides the pleaſures, riches, and grace promiſed in the Text, the Lord, Jer. 17. 24, 25, 26. gives Jer. 17. 24, 25, 26.us additional promiſes; the words recorded in the Text quoted are theſe; And it ſhall come to paſs, if ye diligently hearken to me, ſaith the Lord, to bring in no burdens through the Gates of this City on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day to do no work therein; then ſhall there enter into the Nota hunc locum pro cultu Sabbati apud Judaeos, et diei dominicae apud Chriſtianos. Alap.gates of this City Kings and Princes ſitting upon the Throne of David, riding in Chariots, and on Horſes, they and their Princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jeruſalem, and this City ſhall remain for ever; and they ſhall come from the Cities of Judah, and from the places about Jeruſalem, and from the Land of Benjamin, and from the Plain, and from the Mountanes, and from the South, bringing burnt Offerings and Sacrifices, and Meat-offerings, and Incenſe, and bringing ſacrifices of praiſe unto the houſe of the Lord. See in this Scripture, in theſe two verſes, a heap of rich promiſes, more valuable then a pile of Diamonds, a mountane of Spices, or a rock ſet with Pearls. The promiſes cluſtered and piled up in theſe verſes, they are conſiderable in a five-fold notion.
They are full of pomp and ſplendour, Kings entering into the Gates of the City. Where the Sabbath is duly obſerved, Proſperity ſhall guild that Nation; their Princes ſhall be Pace, gloriâ, et vebus proſperis erunt affluentes: Currus et equi ſunt gloria regum. Gen. 25. 27. Mat. 6. 29.reſplendent, their Nobles flouriſh, their Potentates ſhine, in the dazling rayes of glory; ſuch a people ſhall not onelyonly ſucceed in the heritage of Jacob, who dwelt in Tents, but in the flouriſh of Solomon, who dwelt in Palaces. The holy keeping of the Sabbath ſheds beams of honour and renown upon a Nation.
Theſe promiſes they are full of largeneſs and amplitude; they are not perſonal, ſo much as national. A good obſervation of the Sabbath, can diffuſe mercies, ſcatter them up and Quum nihil, aut parum eſſet praeſidii… urbe tuendâ et conſervando regni ſtatu, Jeremias promiſit tanquam ſingulare dei benefi…ium, Reges fore ſtabiles cum ſuis proceribus; et extendit Propheta fructum hujus promiſſionis ad totum corpus, non tantùm ad proceres ſed ad plebem, tanquam ſociam hujus benedictionis, et gratiae dei: Regnum erectum erit, et totus populus cognoſcet ſe agere ſub fide, et tutelâ Dei. Calvin.down a Land: So the Text makes mention of Kings, and Magiſtrates of Publick Authority, Cities, places of publick Receit. The good keeping of the Sabbath procures publick benefits, opens the ſtore-houſes of bleſſings to Cities and Nations, it is the riſe and ſpring of Epidemical happineſs. And our own Nation formerly, in the ſtrict obſervation of Gods holy day, did taſt the ſweetneſs of theſe Cataracts of mercy; it lay under national happineſs, and proſperous abundance, to the wonder and aſtoniſhment of all the world: nor was our felicity in the wain, till the Inhabitants of this Land grew looſe and careleſs on Gods holy day, and then it fell under the ſhadows of ſore and diſmall afflictions; and our Sun was darkned, and made the world wonder, gazing at its Eclipſe.
They are full of ſtability; ſo the very words of the Text; And this City ſhall remain for ever. Mercies they are more Heb. 7. 25. Chriſtus in coelo, orat pro nobis tanquam Pontifex. Hap.ſweet; by how much they are the more ſtable. Duration it felicitates and enriches every poſſeſſion. Chriſt is the chiefeſt good, becauſe he ever lives to make interceſſion for us. Thoſe ſweets are pretious which are permanent; and therefore the grace of the ſpirit is more valuable then the Gold 1 Pet. 1. 7.of Ophir, for Gold is periſhing Gold; Now theſe promiſes 1 Pet. 1. 18.are of permanent good things, and ſo the more tranſcendent. The holy obſervation of the Sabbath, it intails Ʋrbi erit ſalva ſivere et piè colat deum, id que teſtatur obſervatione Sabbathi. Calv.mercy and bleſſings on a Perſon, upon a Family, or a City. Mercy ſhall not be our phyſick, but our food: It lengthens our dayes of proſperity. If thou wouldeſt put thy owne name, and the names of thy Family into a long leaſe of Grace and Favour, be very ſtrict in Sabbath Obſervation.
They are full of impartiality, Sabbath-holineſs ſhall ſhed a bleſſing on City and Country, ſo the Text; They ſhall come from the Cities of Judah, from the places about Jeruſalem, Jeremias hic planè ſignifi…at communem f…re hanc b…atitu…inem tot… populofrom the Plain, from the Mountanes, &c. This bleſſed performance of Sabbath ſanctity, it ſhall proſper the Citizen; and the Country man, the Shop, the Farme, the Cottage, nay, the poor inhabitant of the mountanes, who hath but a ſhed or a Cave to ſhelter him, ſhall not be exempted the dewes of this benediction. The holy obſervation of Sabbaths knows no diſtinction of perſons.
They are full of ſpirituality. They ſhall bring burnt offerings and ſacrifices, and meat offerings, and incenſe; ſo the Text. The due obſervation of the Sabbath, ſhall procure ſoul-mercies, affluences for our better part, the ſweets of Ordinances, divine Influences, rich Graces, coeleſtial Communications, not onelyonly the redundancies of outward proſperity, Jeruſalem florebit, templu… que mirè frequentabitur.but the participations of better proſperity; It ſhall fill our underſtandings with light, our minds with refreſhment, and our hearts with joy. They that have delight in the Sabbath of God, ſhall find delight in the God of the Sabbath, Chriſt ſhall be their Paradiſe. We have now ſeen what treaſures of temporal and ſpiritual riches are laid up in this bleſſed Scripture; and what need there any other bait to catch our affections, to love, and keep Gods holy Sabbath? This duty is an heir of the ſweeteſt promiſes, ſuch a duty as may ſeem to carry the Key of Gods choyſeſt treaſures about it. God ſaith to him who holily obſerves his day, as once Ahaſuerus ſaid to Heſter, What is thy requeſt, Eſther 5. 3.and it ſhall be given thee? Indeed, not a holy ſigh, not an affectionate prayer, not a ſavoury diſcourſe, not a heavenly duty, not a divine meditation, which is ſhot up to Heaven on a Sabbath day, ſhall loſe its reward: Holy ſacrifices are then more eſpecially a ſweet ſmelling ſavour in the noſtrils of Gen. 8. 21.God. It was a rare promiſe God made to the Eunuch, who kept his Sabbath, Iſa. 56. 4, 5. the words run thus; For thus ſaith the Lord to the Eunuchs that keep my Sabbath, and chooſe the things which pleaſe me, and take hold on my Covenant, Iſa. 56. 4, 5.even to them will I give in my houſe, and within my walls, a place, and a name, better then of ſons and daughters; and I will give them an everlaſting name that ſhall not be cut Nomen (i. e.) memoria, fama, gloria; Hanc enim filii parentibus conciliant.off. Thus if Eunuchs keep Gods Sabbath, God will repair all their contempts in the World, and they ſhall be had in everlaſting remembrance; and though their grave bury all the memory of them in ſilence, becauſe they have no progeny to bear up their name, yet their name ſhall be engraven in Gods houſe, which ſhall out-vie the duration of the moſt numerous off-ſpring. Nay, the Lord, as if he was unwearied in making bonds of love to the holy obſervation of his Sabbath, makes a rich promiſe to the very ſtrangers; ſo Iſa. 56. 6, ….the Text, Iſa. 56. 6, 7. the words are theſe; Alſo the ſons of the ſtrangers, that joyn themſelves to the Lord, to ſerve him, and to love the Name of the Lord, to be his ſervants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my Covenant, even them will I bring to my holy Mountane, and make them joyful in my houſe of prayer; their burnt offerings, and their ſacrifices ſhall be accepted upon my Altar. Here God makes a three-fold promiſe of the beſt kind, (viz.) ſpiritual, to the very ſtrangers who keep his Sabbaths undefiled.
Firſt, They ſhall enjoy the Ordinances, I will bring them to my Holy Mountane, ſaith God. Thoſe who ſanctifie the Sabbath, they ſhall not want a Sabbath to ſanctifie; they ſhall Iſa. 25. 6. Per convivium medullatorum, …en intelliguntur carnales, ſed ſ…irituales deliciae, et ſummae voluptates.enjoy ſeaſons of prayer, opportunities of love, means of grace, and feed upon the fat things of Gods houſe. Gods Sabbaths are faſtned by an holy improvement, and fledged to be gone by a careleſs abuſe. Nothing ſo enſures our Sabbaths, as a conſcientious obſervation.
Secondly, They ſhall be refreſhed by Ordinances: I will make them joyfull in my houſe of Prayer: Prayer ſhall be their Paradiſe, hearing their Heaven, meditation their Triumphant flight, Sacraments their ſavoury meat, which their ſouls ſhall delight in: All the Ordinances ſhall be as the holy Alymbecks Gen. 27 4.to drop ſweetneſs into the ſoul of him, who undefiledly keeps the Sabbath.
Thirdly, They ſhall be accepted in Ordinances. God will fill the Temple where they meet with ſmoake, they ſhall have ſure ſigns of his preſence, fire ſhall fall down upon their 1 Kings 8 10ſacrifices, as a teſtimony of Gods acceptation. And all this the very ſtrangers ſhall enjoy, thoſe who are not inoculated into 1 Kings 18 38.a Jewiſh ſtock, but onelyonly tranſplanted from ſome other Nation, now joyning with the people of God; all which abundantly ſhews how gratefull the holy obſervation of the Exod. 20. 8.Sabbath is to God. And indeed when
Firſt, The Author of the Sabbath is holy,
Secondly, The Duties holy,
Thirdly, The Command holy, Exod. 20. 8.
Fourthly, The Day holy,
Nay, Fifthly, The Deſigne holy, (viz.) to carry on the work of Grace and Holineſs on our ſouls; it muſt needs b… very acceptable, we our ſelves ſhould be holy, our thoughts, Sicut in vitiis, qui ingratum …ixerit, omnia dixerit; Ita in divinis …ffi…iis, qui Sabbatum dicit; omnia dicit. Acts 20. 7.our deſires, our ſervices, our diſcourſes, our actions on this bleſſed day. One who prophanes the Sabbath, he is the ſcandal, the abuſe, the ſpot, the deflouring reproach of this holy day, the Antipodes of the Sabbath. In the Primitive times, the Saints made a Collection of Duties, as well as of Charity, as if no part of that day ſhould run over to any impertinency.
Firſt, And what a ſtrange prophaneſs, nay, prodigality doth it import, that for the gratifying of our vanity, a wanton Prophaners of Gods Sabbaths, they are prodigal of divine promiſes.palate, a voluptuous inclination, a little fleſhly eaſe, the covetous craving after an unſeaſonable gain, the purchaſe of a little waſte time upon a Sabbath, we ſhould diſinherit our ſelves of all that ſuperlative happineſs, thoſe many promiſes folded up in Scripture have made over to a ſtrict obſervation of that holy day, this bleſſed Sabbath? What inhumane and frantick prodigality doth this imply?
Nay, ſuch are prodigal, not onelyonly of their own good, but of Gods honour. This is one of his ten words, charged by the Creator of Heaven and Earth upon man; Remember the They are prodigal of Gods honour.Sabbath day to keep it holy; and the engroſſing of this charge, God doth not leave to any Amanuenſis, but he will write it Exod. 20. 8.with his own ſinger, and alſo to intimate that his intentions were to perpetuate this (with other precepts of the decalogue) in the morality thereof. The Lord himſelf imprinted Deut. 4. 13.it not in paper, but upon tables of ſtone; yea, when the firſt tables of ſtone were broken, his Majeſty gives expreſs order to Moſes, to have other tables, like to the former prepared, and he wrote thereon the ſame Law the ſecond time. Exod. 34. 1, 28. Praecide tibi, (i. e.) in tuam …ilitatem. Rab. Sol.As the Lord delighted in the firſt inſtitution of the Sabbath, ſo he accounts himſelf honoured in its ſanctification; and his complaint, and charge is againſt them, who are regardleſs of his Sabbath; I am prophaned amongſt them; and what do thoſe who prophane his Sabbath, but break the tables of Ezek 22. 26.ſtone the ſecond time, and caſt a diſhonour upon him, who delights to be called the Lord of the Sabbath?Mark 2. 28.
Nay, the prophaners of the Sabbath are highly prodigal of Gods favour, for they provoke him by the ſin of ſacriledge; for it being the Sabbath, and the Lords day, that time is ſtoln Such are prodigal of Gods favour.from God himſelf which is ſpent otherwiſe then he alloweth; and how ſad is this robbery and theft? And that ſmart ſentence which was miſapplyed unto Chriſt (for he ſtrictly kept the Sabbath of the Lord his God) may be applyed to John 9. 16. Sabbathi prophanatio, contemptus eſt totius legis dei, et divini cultus. Leid. Prof.that perſon, who is an ordinary prophaner of this holy time, This man is not of God, becauſe he keepeth not the Sabbath day. And indeed according to a mans regard, or diſregard of the Sabbath, is his reſpect, or diſreſpect to all the reſt of Gods Commandments. The Sabbath obſerved, is the comp…ndium and Epitome of the whole practice of Piety; and the tranſgreſſion of the Sabbath, is the violation of the whole Law of Sub obſervatione Sabbati, breviter comprehenditur, ſ…mma t…tius Pre…atis. Calv. Exod. 16. 28.God. When the people of Iſrael went to gather Manna on the Sabbath day, obſerve Gods complaint to Moſes, Exod. 16. 28. How long refuſe ye to keep my Commandments and my Laws, ſaith the Lord. Obſerve Laws and Commandmentts, in the plural number; in that they break the Commandment Totum divinum cultum, ſuo ambitu complectitur Sabbathum. Auguſt. ad Caſulanum. Concil. Pariſ. Lib. 3. Cap. 5.of the Sabbath, God accounts it as the breach of all his Commandments; it is a ſin againſt all his concernments. It was a memorable ſaying of Auguſtine, Let us ſhew our ſelves Chriſtians by keeping holy the Lords day. And the Council of Paris, We do admoniſh all the faithfull for the ſalvation and good of their ſouls, that they would give due honour and reverence unto the Lords day; becauſe the diſhonour of it, is both contrary to Chriſtian Religion, and doth without all doubt bring deſtruction to the ſouls of all that continue in it. And Bulling. Concio. 65.holy Bullinger obſerves, He that deſpiſeth the Sabbath, makes no great account of the true Religion. The Prophets when they Ezek. 20. 16. Ezek. 22. 8. Ezek. 23 38.would complain of the decay of Religion, they cry out, the Sabbaths polluted. Indeed in the not obſerving Gods holy day, there is not onelyonly impiety, but great diſingenuity, for the Ezek. 20. 12. Ezek. 20. 20.Sabbath is given us, not as a task, but as a priviledge, to be a pledge of our intereſt in God, and a confirmation of our hope Heb. 4. 4, 5, 8, 9.of further ſanctification, as alſo of our everlaſting Sabbatiſme, or reſt, after our weariſom wandrings in this world; it is given for the ſweetning of our wilderneſs-way unto the heavenly Canaan; it is our ſpiritual feaſting every week; it is our day of delight; in this day St. John was in his Sabbathum delicatum, quia delicatè, et tenerè eſt obſervandum.divine rapture, and no doubt but many of Gods dear ſervants, have abundant experience of ſpiritual cordials, given in upon the conſcientious keeping of this day, and St. John's Garments of joy have fell in ſome meaſure upon 2 Kings 2. 13.them.