The Temple Measured, Part 14
Concerning the Morality of the Sabbath.
SOmething is natural in the fourth Commandment: 1.Pro. 1. The obſervation of all ſeaſons for Worſhip, or for immediate Worſhip (as ſome ſpeak). Time is connatural to Worſhip, as concreated with the motion of the creature; yet natural ſeaſons may as well belong to this Commandment, as natural circumſtances to the third. 2. Some conſtant and ſtate time is ſecondarily natural: A ſet time is as natural as a ſet place, and a ſet time may be univerſally obſerved, though a ſet place cannot, ſince the inlargement of the borders of the Church. A ſet time is neceſſary for the encouragement of Laborers and Servants, it is neceſſary for the promoving of Society Spiritual, and for the preventing of Civil damages. If ſome ſhould keep Markets on that day, in which others are Worſhipping of God, this would be a loſs to the Commonwealth. Thus far a time appointed for Worſhip is a natural mediums, not an Inſtituted medium of Worſhip. Thus far the fourth Commandment is naturally Moral.
The obſervation of a ſeventh day is poſſitively or diſciplinarily Moral,Pro. 2. and perpetually a duty. 1. The grounds of the firſt inſtitution are perpetual, and ubi ratio eſt perpetua, praceptum eſt perpetuum. Azorius obſerveth a meetneſſe in acknowledging of Gods works, by the firſt fruits of our works. The ſame grounds that were obſervable for the firſt obſervation of the ſeventh day, do laſt to the end of the World. Time was from the beginning divided by weeks, and the ſeventh day was alſo anciently obſerved amongſt the Heathen, it was foreign as Philo calleth it. It is evident that the ſeventh day was not inſtituted only by way of anticipation or deſtination for time future. The reaſon of the obſervation of the ſeventh day was contemporary to the Inſtitution of it. For it was Inſtituted with reſpect to Gods ending of his works. And the form of the fourth Commandement doth ſhew, that it was to be celebrated at the firſt Inſtitution, becauſe it is Inſtituted with reverence to Gods ending of his works. 2. It was Inſtituted before the Revelation of Chriſt, and therefore had ſomething in it which was not to be aboliſhed with ſuch Ceremonies, as had only relation unto Chriſt. It was at firſt liberae inſtitutionis, but it is not now liberae obſervationis, becauſe it was Inſtituted in the beginning. Cain and Abel ſacrificed at the ſame time, it may well be the Sabbath. The Chalde Paraphraſt on the 92. Pſal. ſaith, that Adam indicted it for the celebration of the Sabbath. The Jews may neglect this day in Egypt for fear of Pharoah: but yet it ſeemeth (by Exod. 16) that it was not unknown to the Jews. It is poſſible there may be a natural equity in a ſeventh day of Worſhip, which is unſcrutable in reſpect of us. One ſaith well, that men and Angels could not deviſe ſo juſt a time for Worſhip. Moſes ſpeaks of the Sabbath as of a former Ordinance, when he Inſtituted the gathering of Manna; and God confirmeth it by the miraculous detention of Manna upon that day. 3. It was eſtated in the Moral Law, written with the finger of God, alwayes repeated with the other Commandements, and eſtabliſhed with all the ſolemnities of Gods preſence on the Mount. 4. The breach of this Commandement is expreſſely puniſhed by the Judicial Law: The breach of a meer ceremony is not expreſſely puniſhable in the Judicials of Moſes. 5. If a ſet and fixed time for Worſhip be neceſſary, and God muſt appoint this time, and there be no other appointed by God but this, then this muſt needs be ſo Moral, as to continue in force. There is a neceſſity, that the Church ſhould have a ſet time for Worſhip, becauſe it was neceſſary for Adam in the ſtate of Innocency, and becauſe it is proportionately convenient with a ſet place. What that, our experience is as good as a thouſand witneſſes. The neceſſity of Gods immediate deſignation of a ſet time, is argued from Gods undertaking of it under the Law. The ſet times of Worſhip (for perpetuity) were all immediately appointed and expreſſed by God. 2. From Gods Inſtituting a ſet time to Adam. Adam was more wiſe to chuſe a juſt time then we are. 3. From Gods challenging this prerogative, in all conſtant or ſtanding Ordinances of Worſhip. 4. From experienced danger of ſuperſtition in times of our own election. 5. From the example of the godly in the pureſt times of Worſhip. In latter times it hath been attempted to change times and Laws, but not allowed. Antichriſt is brought in by Daniel as thinking he ſhould prevail in his inſolent preſumptions, againſt the Ordinances of God, even in reſpect of changing times, Daniel 7.25.
The ſeventh day ſeems not to be naturally Moral,Pro. 3. and as it was ſignificative of Chriſts reſting in his grave, it is generally eſteemed Ceremonial. The Moſaical acceſſion of ſignification was buried with other Ceremonies in the grave of Chriſt: And that it is not naturally Moral, theſe following conſiderations do argue, 1. The ſtrength of natural reaſon is not by any means able to demonſtrat that a ſeventh day is more obſervable for Worſhip then another naturally. 2. It was given to Adam by revelation, not ingraven in his heart by Creation as the natural Law was. 3. The Moral reaſons ſpecified are not neceſſary but Arbitrary. 4. Other ſevens of time in the ſeaſts were Arbitrary, and the reaſons of their Inſtitution of like nature. The deliverance out of Egypt might have beſpoken a perpetual remembrance in a Feaſt of Paſſover amongſt the Jews. 5. At leaſt, a particular ſeventh is not naturally Moral: The firſt ſeventh was not, becauſe it is not now, the preſent ſeventh is not, becauſe it was not in the beginning. Why ſhould a ſeventh day be naturally more holy then a ſeventh week, monethmonth or year? 6. Our Saviour compareth it but to a Ceremony,Mark 2. as being alterable and ſubordinate to the natural Law. 7. This particular time is no more Moral then a particular place. The obſervation of Zanchi and others (that it is the Sabbath, not the ſeventh day from the Creation, which is ſpecified in the fourth Commandment) may not be altogether ſound, for that very ſeventh day from the Creation is expreſſed in the body of the Commandment. Something was intederted in the fourth Commandement, and alſo in the fifth, that concerneth the people of God only before the Law. The preface to all the Commandements, in ſome reſpect, only concerneth the people of the Iews.
They were to take notice of the ſeventh day from the Creation as applyed to them, we of the ſeventh day from the Reſurrection, as the Commandment is applicable to all. The reaſon of obſerving a ſeventh day concerned all, the reaſon of obſerving the ſeventh day from the Creation, concerned thoſe only that lived before the time of grace.
There was ſomething Ceremonial or typical,Pro. 4. in the firſt Inſtitution of the Sabath, by way of anticipation. The ſeals of the Covenant, the tree of Wiſdom, and the tree of Life, were (in part) typical, in reference to Chriſt and the Church, though but tranſiently and in the way of anticipation. Chriſt was not revealed when thoſe Sacraments were Inſtituted, when Adam and Eve were created, yet they were all types of Chriſt and the Church, Eph. 5.29. The Wedding day of Adam and Eve was the Sabbath, and did juſtly ſignifie the wedding of the lamb, when the whole work of redemption ſhall be finiſhed in point of application, as it is already in point of ſatisfaction. The whole Garden, the Soveraignty of Adam over all Creatures, the Rivers that watered the Garden, the riches thereof,Rev. 21. the gold and precious ſtones, all type out the heavenly Paradiſe both of Grace and Glory, in the way of anticipation. Pererius hath collected out of Hugo de vict. an elegant type of the new Creation in all the works of the ſix dayes, ſo that the Sabbath may juſtly come in thereupon, to ſignifie the reſt of Chriſt and of the Church after that their work is ended. Thus the reſt of Chriſt in his grave may be Antitypical to Gods reſting on the Sabbath, after that Chriſt had finiſhed the work of ſatifaction on the Croſſe. Thus the reſt of the Goſpel may be Antitypical to Gods reſting on the Sabbath, Chriſt had ended his work under the Law. Thus the reſt that yet abides the people of God, may be Antitypical, when the Churches work is all over, when the marriage of the lambe is come,Jus voluntarium eſt foreign repertum temporis & uſus. when every one ſhall ſit under his Vine and under his Fig tree, Zech. 3.10. In all theſe reſpects the Sabbath was Ceremonial, and that in the way of anticipation, at the firſt Inſtitution, and ceaſeth at the coming of Chriſt. The preface to the Commandements concerneth all typically, becauſe we have all a Feaſt of a Paſsover, and are delivered out of a myſtical Egypt: So the ſeventh day from the Creation concerneth all in way of type. We all enjoy a Sabbath of grace, upon Chriſts finiſhing the work of the new Creation, in point of ſatisfaction. As the Sabbath was a remembrance of Gods reſting from his works, ſo it belonged to the ſecond Commandment not to the fourth: OnelyOnly Gods reſting is one poſitive ſanction of the ſeventh day, and urged in the Commandement for the furthering of its obſervation.
The ſeventh day from Chriſts reſurrection,Pro. 5. is to be obſerved in the place of the ſeventh day from the Creation. 1. It was preſignified in the circumciſion of the eighth day, to denote the circumciſion of the heart upon this day, Col 2.11. Joſhuah circumciſed all Iſrael, when they came into the holy Land, and we muſt all be circumciſed that do ſpiritually, ſavingly enter into the Land of grace under the Goſpel; But the Goſpel is the ſpecial ſeaſon for circumciſing, and for the eſpouſing of the Church to Chriſt, the the ſecond Adam. 2. Chriſt choſe this day to meet his Diſciples, and it is in ſpecialty obſerved and recorded. Junitu ſuppoſeth that Chriſt met his Diſciples every eighth day, till his aſcenſion. Iohn was raviſhed on the Lords day. The ſpirit was powred out on the Lords day. 3. From the practice of the Primitive Church and of the Apoſtles, Acts …0. & 1 Cor. 16.Apoſtolorum accurata obſervatio vice praecepti eſſe debet, as Calvin ſpeaks of Impoſition. Inſt. 1.4. c. 3 S. 16. The Apoſtles practice in matters of common concernment, conſulted & continued, is authentical, 1 Cor. 11. & Tit. 1. They would not practiſe beſides the Commandments of Chriſt, nor ſuffer others, Col. 2. 4. It is called the Lords day, as the Supper is called the Lords Supper, Rev. 1. The denomination ſeems to refer to ſome Inſtitution. The Apoſtle approves of the ſpecial obſervation of the firſt day of the week, by adding another ſolemnity thereunto, 1 Cor. 16. It had been ſuperſtition to have obſerved a ſet day ſolemnly, conſtantly and univerſally, without ſome Divine Inſtitution in place of, or together with the former Sabbath, if former arguments be ſound. It may be lawful to obſerve ſome ſet … in way of method, in particular places, as natural mediums of furthering Worſhip, yee how can a day be Inſtituted with reference to the reſurrection of Chriſt as rememorative or prenuntiative, without will-Worſhip or foreign? It is lawful to ſerve God in ſet times, but it is unlawful to ſerve God with ſet times, to make the time it ſelf a part of Inſtituted Worſhip, when it is not Inſtituted by God. Thoſe indeed which in Primitive times denied the Lords Supper, may wel queſtion the Lords day: Yet the Lords day was ſo univerſally obſerved in primitive dayes, that a Chriſtian being asked this queſtion, ſervaſti diem dominicum? It was wont to be anſwered, Chriſtianus ſum, non poſſum intermittere. 5. If the ſeventh day from the Creation was obſerved by Gods Law, how could the Apoſtles change the day, without ſome poſitive warrant from God? Some Chriſtians did obſerve both the Jewiſh and the Chriſtian Sabbath, but the Apoſtles ſpeak only for the Lords day. 6. The Sabbath mentioned in Eſa. 58. Ezek. 46. Math. 24. doth typically hold forth a Chriſtian or a perpetual Sabbath. Thoſe places do in way of type moſt evidently reach to the Chriſtian Church, and that in Ezek. is a prophetical deſcription of the Chriſtian Church. Some dayes muſt anſwer to thoſe, and what in like proportion can be thought of! Would our Saviour ſpeak to his Diſciples of a Sabbath, if they would not, or ſhould not be ſo conſcientious of a Sabbath, as to pray with reference to it?Mat. 24. 7. A ſeventh day is poſitively Moral, and we are now to have no other ſeventh day then this. Quomodò Maria mater domini, principatum tenet inter omnet mulieres, ita inter caeterel dies haec omnium mater eſt: So Auſtine concerning the Lords day. 8. We have need of a ſet day, and of a ſet day by Gods own appointment (ſith it muſt be permanent and univerſal) and we are now to have no other ſet day then this. 9. The day of the Reſurrection of Chriſt, is the day of the declaration of the work of Redemption, wherein Chriſt finiſhed the work of the new Creation, and therefore deſerveth the alteration of the day from the firſt Creation, and Chriſt is Lord of the Sabbath, Mark 2. The work of Redemption was more worthy our remembrance then that of Creation. Calvin acknowledgeth that ſuch works as are avocamenta à ſacris ſtudiis & meditationibus, are not alowable on the Lords day. It is ſtrange that Brentius ſhould affirm, that we are no more obliged to keep one day in ſeven, then one in fourteen. The equity of the ſeventh day (at leaſt) is apparent in the Apoſtles obſervation of the firſt day of the week; yet the inſtitution or injunction of that day may not be natural or expreſly contained in the fourth Commandment.