Divine Poems, Commandment 4
Commandment IV.
IIII. Remember that thou keep holy ye Sabbath day &c.
'Tis not in the Common Creed
That he gather'd Sticks for need,
Who for Sabbath breaking dy'd,
For all wants were ſo ſupply'd,
That it ſeems he did tranſgreſs,
By Contempt, or Careleſsneſs.
He commits the ſame offence,
'Gainſt this Precepts moral ſence,
Who the Chriſtian Sabbaths wrongs,
And a Plague to him belongs.
Command. IV.
To hallow, do not thou forget
Thoſe times, which God apart hath ſet.
YOu that our Chriſtian Sabbath do deſpiſe,
Behold this Figure with regardful eyes:
For, though on us this Precept doth not lay
The Ceremonial ſervice of the day;
Or, to a Jewiſh Sabbath, us confine;
It n'retheleſs, a Duty doth enjoin,
Which no man living can be freed from
Till to the general Judgment Chriſt ſhall come.
For, Nature urges, that convenient Reſt,
Should be allowed both to Man and Beaſt,
Leſt their corporeal ſubſtance ſhould miſcarry
Before the time; And 'tis as neceſſary,
The Soul ſhould have ſome leiſure to attend
His will, on whom her being doth depend.
Freemen, may reſt their bodies when they pleaſe,
And Wiſe men, know how for to take their eaſe:
But, lab'ring Beaſts, and Men who are depraved,
Or, they whom wants, or Tyrants have enſlaved,
Had reſtleſs lived, till their life time ended,
Unleſs this holy Law had them befriended;
And they who to the fleſh moſt favour ſhow
For Soul affairs, but little time allow.
This God at firſt foreſaw, and for that cauſe
(Though in Mans heart he then ingrav'd his Laws
Eſſential, and long oblig'd him not
To ſuch additions as time ſince begot)
Yet when he found that error and tranſgreſſion
Had wholly raſed out the firſt impreſſion;
To ſtop Corruptions Growth, he afterward
To Rites, to times, and places had regard.
All men at firſt had liberty to take
What daies they pleaſed holydaies to make;
Or, for convenient Reſt. Nor did from all
This freedom ceaſe when God the Jews did call
To keep their Sabbaths; For, to one ſet day
No Nation were oblig'd ſave only they;
Nor, had the Gentiles any other ties
Save to obſerve it in a moral wiſe,
So far as might preſerve unto the Creature
The freedom and well being of its nature.
A Law concerning Reſt and holy Dues
Confin'd indeed the people of the Jews
To one ſet day, even one ſet day in ſeven,
To them were Ceremonies alſo given
Concerning it; which no man might tranſgreſs
(Save in great need) without much guiltineſs
That Law, which nature ſimply had received
At our firſt being was to them derived
With ſuch like Accidents as might be beſt
To keep them firm, and bring in all the reſt
In Gods appointed ſeaſon to embrace
The Law of Nature in the Law of Grace.
Their Cuſtoms and their Ceremonial day
With Chriſt was buried and ſo ſwept away.
When he aroſe from death, that to renew
And celebrate the Sabbath of the Jew,
We are no more obliged than to rear
Their Temple, and to build their Altar here,
And yet, leſt man's corruption and the lack
Of Accidents, might bring the Subſtance back.
Even to the firſt neglect, Chriſt diſt inſtate
His Church with power to change or abrogate
The Circumſtances of this Law, ſo far
As needful ſeem'd, Provided that it were
Eſſentially preſerved, and in this
She hath performed what required is.
For, though the time be changed, it retains
The ſame proportion; It for uſe remains
The ſame in Eſſence, and that being ſo
The ſame obedience, is now due thereto,
And, to what Circumſtance the Church thinks fit,
To help continue the right uſe of it.
Now therefore, though that every day be free
For works which truly neceſſary be;
And, though thoſe Worſhipers which are ſincere
May worſhip any day or any where,
Yet none can without guiltineſs deſpiſe
The Places, Rites or Times, of Sacrifice
Appointed by the Church, while they accord
What may be authorized by the word.
This Law is therefore broke when we deſpiſe
The Faſtings, Feaſtings, or Solemnities
The Church appoints, or if we ſhall deny
Such daies to honour and to ſanctify
By reſt from Common Labours, whenſoere
We may without much damage, them forbear;
Or, if we vilify thoſe Chriſtian Rites
Whereto the publick diſcipline invites,
Or, them perform not on their proper day
As often as conveniently we may.
This Law is broke, if to our lab'ring Beaſt,
Or, Servant, we allow not ſo much reſt
As nature ſhall require, and may conduce
To keep them able for our lawful uſe.
Or, if we ſhun not all occaſious too
Whereby we may againſt this Law miſdo.
And they are theſe; A hardned heart, a mind
Prophane, and unto Greedineſs inclin'd,
A falſe belief; falſe liberty; falſe knowledge,
Frequenting of the Company and Colledge.
Off falſe believers; (From whom ſelf will pride
And Superſtition no man can divide.
Let no man then that lawleſs freedom take
Which may occaſion ſtrife or ſcandals make,
By needleſs Labours, nor miſ-cenſure them
Who take ſome liberties which they condemn,
In things indifferent, and ſhall not move
In ſuch gainſt which their Governors approve;
And in their manners let them peaceful be,
Though they in their opinions diſagree.
Let not thoſe times the Church hath ſet apart
To reſt the body, to inſtruct the heart,
And to preſerve a due Commemoration
Of every bleſſed means of our Salvation,
Be judged vain, or, that they do not draw
Authority ſufficient for this Law:
But let them know for Truth, though not for news,
That all the Feaſts and Sabbaths of the Jews
Were but the Types of ours; and that if they
Shall for the Shades the Subſtance caſt away,
They are unwiſe; and guilty of offence
Againſt this Precept in the moral ſenſe.
Let thoſe who for the bodies eaſe and pleaſure
Part of this time allow; preſerve the meaſure
That's juſtly due, and in due manner too
Do that which is allowable to do:
Not for the Soul's well being caring leſs
Than to prevent the Bodies wearineſs.
Let them who of the Soul moſt heedful ſeem,
Remember, ſtill, the Body to eſteem.
A Portion of that Manhood, for whoſe ſake
Our Sabbath-maker did all Sabbaths make,
And give it ſo much liberty as may
Make pleaſant all the Duties of the day.
And ſince no private Spirit can impoſe
A Rule for all; let all be rul'd by thoſe
Who by a publick Spirit come to learn
What may a publick body beſt concern.
Or, if among us any one ſhall deem
There is a truer way made known to him;
So let him walk that he himſelf approve
To be in all his waies a Child of Love.
For ſure I am, that if the common peace
He keep until humility increaſe,
True knowledge in him he, then plain will ſee
Who beſt expounds this Law the Church or He.
Come Holy Ghoſt, ſo ſanctify my heart,
That from this Law I never may depart.
Amen.