The Practical Sabbatarian, To the reader
TO THE READER.
Courteous Reader,
IT may be the Subject here handled may not pleaſe thy Palate, becauſe it is not ſome Rarity. Common Diſhes more quiet than pleaſe, and gratifie Neceſſity more than Deſire. We are not fo fond of the Choritas ergo animas eadem feribit, & inculcat; Amor ſpiritualis omne taedium abſorbet, & omnem ſegnitiem. Alap.Herbs as of the Flowers of the Garden; of thoſe Plants which are to be put in the Pot, as of thoſe which are to lie in the boſom. Reader, at the firſt caſt of thy eye upon this Book, when thou ſeeſt the Sabbath to be the Theam of it, thou wilt happily be apt to conclude, Nihil dictum, quod non dictum prius, Nothing can be more ſaid, than what hath been ſaid before: And to what purpoſe ſhould I ſurvey an old Work in a new Edition? An ancient perſon is little mended in his beauty, by putting on a new Suit of Apparel. The Sabbath hath been often diſcuſſed by the Pens of Learned men: Nay, the Reſt of God hath had little Reſt from Men; there hath been ſo many Tracts and Treatiſes about it. Now to take away this pretended Surfeit, and ſo to bring the Reader to an Appetite.
It is anſwered firſt, That moſt Tracts upon the Sabbath have been Polemicàl, they have Mr. War.been the jars and digladiations of Divines; Mr. C. and▪ſome contending whether the laſt or the firſt day of the week be our Sabbath, ſome ſtriving Mr. P.whether the whole day be to be given to God, Mr. L. Eſtr.or only part, and the reſt may be ſpent in corporal Mr. Byſ.Refreſhments, or delightful Recreations? Other Controverſies are ſtarted and handled, Dr. Tw.whether the Lords day be bottomed upon Eccleſiaſtical, Mr. Ab.or Divine Authority? Whether the Sabbath was firſt founded in Paradiſe, or upon Mount Sinai in the firſt delivery of the Decalogue? VVhether we muſt begin the Sabbath in the Evening on the Saturday, or early on the Morning on the Lords day? &c. Theſe and the like Polemicks have for the moſt part filled thoſe Pages which have been written upon the Sabbath: Now broken ſtrings make no muſick in the Ears of the people, Theological Debates are fitter for the Schools than the Vulgar, Pro & con more diſquiet than ſatisfie the ordinary Reader.
Many have written upon the Sabbath occaſionally; as that Subject hath been brought in among others in their Volumes, deſigned to ſome more comprehenſive purpoſe: Many Mr. G.have ſpent ſome leaves upon the Sabbath by Mr. Thom.the bye: the Sabbath hath been the Branch, Mr. S.not the Tree, the Flower, not the Garden; It hath onelyonly taken up ſome inconſiderable part of the work which they have expoſed to the Worlds view. Now occaſional Diverſions can put no Nauſea upon full Treatiſes, no more than the putting of a Flag into a Cockboat can ſtop the building of a Ship.
There are ſome who have written upon the Sabbath doctrinally, without any application to Conſcience: the principal deſign of theſe Mr. Gr.Writings hath been to inform the Judgment, Dr. B.and ſettle the Mind; Conduct hath been more Mr. Walk.aimed at, than Converſation, and Opinion Mr. B.more conſulted than manners. The end of Mr. G.theſe Books hath been rather to preſerve us from Errour, than prophaneneſs, from miſtake than miſcarriage.
Now Reader, the deſigne of the enſuing Introduxit me Rex in cella… vinari…m, inquit ponſa; hoc eſt, juſsit introire ad Altare Dei & illi… ſumere calicem ſalutarem Domini. Del. Rio.Treatiſe is different from all theſe, it aimes more at the Heart than the Head, at our practice than at our judgment, it is more for reformation than information. The deſigne of this Tract is, to be a Munduction to lead us to a right keeping of a Sabbath, how to converſe with God, and banquet with Jeſus upon his own day, how to ſpend the Lords day exactly according to the Lords will. This Tract ſhoots at Conſcience, if poſſible to wound it for Sabbath-ſin, and to win it to Sabbath-holineſs: It is an Alarm, rather than an Aſterisk, to call us to the ſanctity of a Sabbath, than to point at the Criticiſms of it, or its bare knowledge. Other Treatiſes have vindicated the Sabbath from falſe gloſſes; this preſſeth the Sabbath upon Chriſtian practices, and is put out to bear teſtimony againſt the ſcandalous abuſes of that ſacred and heavenly Day.
But ſuppoſing there ſhould be ſome coincidency with former Tracts in this preſent Treatiſe, as oftentimes there is a ſimilitude in Pictures, when they are drawn for ſeveral perſons; yet Courteous Reader, let it not be impertinent, that I ſhould be thy Remembrancer; the Apoſtle Paul writes the ſame things to the Philippians Phil. 3 1.which were before ſuggested to them, and Apoſtolus eadem repetit; ut ex cautis fi…nt cautiores, et tutiores à periculis, et ſic haec praxis nec inutilis eſt, nec moleſta. Zanch.he ſaith, It was not grievous to him, but ſafe for them. Philip of Macedon had an Officer on purpoſe, to mind him every Noon at Dinner of his death and mortality; the ſame Meſſage did impreſs, not nauſeate him: things of concernment are never too much riveted upon us: Now Sabbath-holineſs is not onelyonly our obedience, but our intereſt, not onelyonly conforms to God, but concerns our precious and immortal ſouls. And it is to be obſerved, the Nail is Eccleſ. 12. 11.faſtned by the Maſter of the Aſſemblies: a ſervant may bring it, but the Master muſt faſten it; the ſame things, if ſpiritual, may pleaſe, but not nauſeate a gracious ſoul.
The general prophaneneſs which at this day caſts a black veil upon the face of Gods Facit indignatio verſum.bleſſed Sabbath, calls for ſome to pluck it off, and rend it: deep wounds muſt have the more Balm to heal them, and the more Vinegar to waſh them. Sometimes the Times, as well as Theams, find work and employment for the Pen: what Pages doth devout Salvian ſpend Salv. de Provid.in exclaming againſt the Impieties of thoſe times he lived in? Nay, the very Heathen Poets turned Satyriſts when the times turned Aude aliquid. b…evibus Gyaris et …rcere dignum, ſi vis eſſe aliqui…; Probitas laud…tur et alget. Juven.ſcandalous. Let it be no offence, that the Author deplores a prophaned Sabbath, and contributes his two mites to its reformation; Quis talia fando temperet a lacrymis? When Gods Sabbath is covered with pollution, let it not ſeem ſtrange, if Gods Miniſters are filled with lamentation, and put their tears in Print. The prophanation of Gods Day calls not onelyonly for Preaching, but Writing to ſuppreſs it; and not onelyonly for the Magiſtrates ſword (which may it be weilded to that holy purpoſe) but the Miniſters Pen.
Nay, ſuppoſe the Materials which may be met with in this enſuing Treatiſe, be found lying on the ground in ſome other Volume, or Tracts; let not the Author be ſaid to have beaten the Air, if he have picked them up, and put them together for ſpiritual edification: The Corpus eccleſ… debet eſſe … …ctum, quia ſi membru… … ſit …, nil vi…ris, aut ſp…us …ip…et … corpore. Hier.building of a houſe of ſtone, requires not onelyonly the Qu…ry, but the Maſon; the drawing of the Pictur ſtands in need not onelyonly of the Colours, but of the Pencil and the Painter. It is the work of the ſpirit fi…ly to joyn together the whole Body of Chriſt, as the Apoſtle notes, Epheſ. 4. 15. And if the Author hath onelyonly added method to matter, and hath brought but ſome tacks and loops to this Tabernacle work, and hath put the ſcattered links into one Chain, let it not be deemed a ſuperfluity.
Nor can it eaſily be conceived, that the large Field of the Sabbath hath been ſo encloſed by former labours, but ſome part yet may remain to be hedged in; and if there be ſome gleanings left after the Harveſt, it is worth the Authors pains to gather them up, and make Bread of them to feed invaluable ſouls, as he ſaid, facile eſt, it is an eaſie thing; ſo it may be ſaid, utile eſt inventis addere, it is a very profitable thing to add to what is already found out: It is not a deſpicable work to take notice of others eſcapes, and to fill up the vacancies where they are diſcerned: Volumes are as Ponds, not as Springs, they do not overflow, they are capable of a ſupplement. If any more Ore be digged out of the Mine, which formerly was not eſpied, let the Author in this be pardoned.
One thing more may be added, The Author preſumes, Books on the Sabbath are more in Scholars ſtudies, than the peoples hands; he doth not take notice, that this ſubject is trite and worn by the peruſals of the Vulgar, he thinks no ſolemn ſubject in Divinity is more unknown to common Capacities; his little experience cannot finde the people to be much verſed in Volumes of this nature, nor can he obſerve their tract, that they have travelled Exod. 20. 8.this way: It may be, many have met with the Sabbath as it is laid down in the fourth Commandement, Deut. 4 13.one of Gods Ten words, but as it Deut. 10. 4.is unfolded and applied in a practical Treatiſe: this ſeldom falls in the way of the peoples travel. Therefore, Courteous Reader, accept of the tender of this enſuing Tract, which is heartily levelled at thy ſouls good; And remember the ſeaſon when it is put into thy hands, v…z. When the Sabbath of the Lord lies under much contempt, deriſion, and prophanation. But as the Prophet was pulled out of a dark and deep Dungeon by caſt clouts and rotten raggs that onelyonly ſeem fit for the Dunghil, Jer. 38. 11, 12, 13. So if the Father 2 Cor. 1: 3.of mercies ſhall graciouſly pleaſe, that this enſuing Tract ſhall be any means to draw Sabbaths out of thoſe Dungeons of ſcorn and abuſe, into which they ſeem now to be caſt, let the Lord have the praiſe, my ſoul ſhall have the comfort, the Reader ſhall enjoy the Benefit, Gods holy Day its juſt Vindication; which that the Lord may mercifully vouchſafe, and that much ſucceſs may crown this weak Endeavour, ſhall be the inceſſant and earneſt prayer of,
Reader, Thy real and true Servant for Soul-advantage, John Wells.
THE Practical SABBATARIAN.
ISAIAH 58. Chap. 13, 14. Verſes.
If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleaſure on my Holy Day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and ſhalt honour him, not doing thine own wayes, nor finding thine own pleaſure, nor ſpeaking thine own words:
Then ſhalt thou delight thy ſelf in the Lord, and I will cauſe thee to ride upon the high places of the Earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy Father: for the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it.