The Temple Measured, Part 15
Concerning the beginning and ending of the Sabbath.
THe evening before the Sabbath is a preparative to,Pro. 2. and the evening after is an application of the Sabbath; but the beginning of holy time is the morning light. 1. The firſt day in Geneſis 1. began with morning light. 1. God called the light day, and the darkneſs night, therefore light and darkneſs together is not the day, but the light as diſtinguiſhed from the night or darkneſs. Day in the firſt words of the Text, is taken for the time of light, therefore it is ſo taken (one would think) in the next words immediatly following. When it is ſaid that morning and evening, or evening and morning were the firſt day, it ſeems not congruous to ſay that the day and the night were the firſt day. 2.Gen 24.63 Exo. 19.18. Lev. 11.24. Evening is generally taken for the later part of the day by Moſes himſelf. The Sacrifices of the evening were Sacrifices of the ſame day. The evening which was to be obſerved in the day of expiation, before the tenth day, is referred to the ninth day, Lev. 23.32. 3. The Hebrew word uſed by Moſes is not naturally appliable to the night, becauſe it ſignifies a mixture of light and darkneſs in the notation of it. Verba ſunt nota rerum. 4. It ſeems thus to be underſtood, from the fourth day, the Sun is made the rule and meaſure of the day. The ſpace of darkneſs before that the light was created in unknown, and the time of light is a certain principle of computation. 5. The Jews began their natural day with light.Gen. 7.10. Exod. 24. Deut. 9.9. Moſes is wont to place the day before the night; and ſo it is to be obſerved in the Sabbath Pſalms, it calls for praiſe in the day, and in the night alſo, Pſal. 92. The Sun is made the meaſure of the day at diſtinguiſhed from the night, and is alſo ſet before the night, Gen. 1.16. A ſecond general Argument is taken from the nature of the Sabbath, as it was ſignificative it had reference to the time of light wherein men uſe to work, and wherein we ſhall enjoy God for ever. The time of light in both Hemiſphaeres might be comprehended, but Moſes ſpeaks according to the vulgar. 3. God ended the ſixth days work in the ſixth days night, according to that Hemiſphaere wherein Adam was created; and conſequently the ſeventh day, or the ſeventh part of time, which was Sanctified, began with morning light. 4. God Sanctified but the ſeventh day, and yet if both Hemiſphaeres ſhould begin their Sabbath from the evening of both Hemiſphaeres, there ſhould be a day and an half Sanctified, becauſe the ſecond evening begins twelve hours after the firſt. 5. Foraſmuch as Moſes did underſtand by day (and that in the ſame narration) the time of light, it argues that the Sabbath day was obſerved correſpondently. 6. The Reſurrection of Chriſt is the meaſure of obſerving the Lords day, as the Jews going out of Aegypt by night was the meaſure of the Feaſt of the Paſsover, and the Lord roſe about the break of day, foreign Matth. 28.1.
Object. Evening is ſet before the morning, Gen. 1.
Anſ. This is but in one place, the current of Moſes phraſe runneth otherwiſe. 2. Evening is not ſpecified in the ſeventh day, and therefore if evening ſhould be the time of night in this one place, the ſeventh day might rather be taken (according to the more general acception) for the time of light. 3. In Gen. 1.16. it is certain that the diſtinct time of light is called day, and if it were ſo certain that the night were at any time meant by evening (in the ſame Chapter) then one might be put to the other. It is not unuſual for Scripture to ſpeak (ordine retrograde) as Luke doth in the genealogy of Chriſt. The evening being the laſt part of the day in the thought, comes firſt to be ſpoke of.
Object. You ſhall keep the Sabbath from evening to evening.
Anſ. This is appropriated to the Sabbath of expiation, for it is called Sabbath in the ſingular number, and only expreſſed in the Inſtitution of expiation, and that of the Paſsover. It is preſſed home in the Inſtitution of the Paſsover,Lev. 23.3.6. and of the day of expiation, but never intimated when the weekly Sabbath is ſpoken of. 3. One of the Sabbaths is not intended, and there is no more reaſon for the including of the weekly Sabbath in that injunction. The Jews were to recken on the morning of the Sabbath of the Paſsover, to the morning after ſeven Sabbaths, fifty days, for the celebration of the feaſt of firſt fruits, Lev. 23.15.16. The reaſon of obſerving the Paſsover in the evening is expreſſed, and is proper thereto. The faſt doth properly take in the night, becauſe it did beſt ſute a time of affliction, that muſt precede the morning of victory and conſolation, Zech. 14.16. The evening (ſaith Heſychius) ſignified tempora veſpertina, in quibus dominus advenis. The Rabbins record that none were to work on the evening of the ordinary Sabbath, but yet not upon pain of ſcourging, or any civil puniſhment, as it was to work on the evening of the Paſsover. That act of Nehemiah in ſhutting the gates, was nothing but a juſt preparation for the Sabbath. It is expreſſed that the gates were ſhut before the Sabbath, the evening before the Sabbath, not the evening of the Sabbath. 4. There is no ſervice appointed for the evening of the ordinary Sabbath, they were to faſt the evening of expiation, and on the Paſsover evening there were many ſolemnities of Worſhip.
Object. The Iews ended in the evening.
Anſ. They are indeed ſaid to bring their ſick after Sun ſet to our Saviour. Some Iews did ſuperſtitiouſly obſerve the Sabbath, and would chuſe rather to be overcome by the Romans, then to fight on the Sabbath day: and I ſuppoſe that all of them obſerved the evening before the Sabbath gratis or without ground.A Rabbins option. Buxtorf. comnet. Maſoreth, p. 17. It was the option of a Rabbin that his end might be like theirs, that began the Sabbath with thoſe of Tiberias, & ended it with thoſe of Tſepphoria the reaſon was, becauſe they of Tiberias began it too ſoon, and they of Tſepphoris continued it too long. The Iews had their ſuperſtitious Sabbatiolum.
Object. Our Saviour did lie three dayes and an hall in the grave.
Anſ. The morning that Chriſt roſe in, will make up the due time, as well as the evening that Chriſt was buried in. That morning began a day (according to our ſuppoſition) as that evening according to the contrary opinion. Beſides, we muſt begin the three dayes and half from the beginning of Chriſts Paſſion, if we will finde the time juſtly correſpondent. And it may be the three dayes and half ſhall be moſt exactly verified in Chriſts myſtical Body, which is the Church, Rev. 11.
The Sabbath or holy time, is the time of light. 1.Pro. 2. Day is properly taken for the time of light in Scripture phraſe. Day is day, and night is night. The Iews were wont to divide the time of light into twelve hours, and counted it their day. It is true, a natural day with reference to the whole circuit of the Sun in both Hemiſphaeres, conſiſteth of twenty four hours: With reference to one Hemiſphaere, dies Civilis (as we ſpeak) conſiſteth of twelve hours, but the Romans ſo called their day when it took in the night alſo. In the computation of time we call that a day which takes in the night alſo, but than we ſpeak with reference to the natural day of the whole world, not to the natural day of one Hemiſphaere. 2. The ſeventh day ſignified the lightſome day of Heaven, where there is no night. And it was appointed to ſignifie the time of working, which we call an artificial day. 3. Elſe a day and a half ſhould be ſanctified. Part of the eighth day is obſerved by the world conſtantly if night and day alſo be obſerved. The gaining and loſing of time by navigation, is dependent on an extraordinary or unuſual motion of a two or three: But the eighth day in part, ſhall be obſerved by half the world ordinarily or conſtantly, and that according to Gods Inſtitution, if day and night together, muſt be counted holy. 4. How do we ſanctifie time by ſleeping? Why may it not be as good to ſet up an work, as to be a bed and ſleep, except it be for preparation? 5. It is ſutable to the firſt Inſtitution by Moſet, To morrow (ſaith Moſes) is the Sabbath of reſt.Exo. 16.23. The Manna which ſignified Chriſt, fell in the morning, becauſe the time of grace is repreſented by the time of light. The Quailes, which ſignified fleſhly, bodily and external ſervices came in the evening, the time of darkneſſe. Thus the Jews and Papiſts have exceſſively luſted after, and delighted in fleſhly ſervices, until their Worſhip ſtank both before God and men. The Iews ended their Sabbath in the evening, but what teſtimony is there to prove that it was their duty, to begin their Sabbath in the evening as part of holy time? Many do now ſuppoſe that the Iews began their natural day, or rather their Civil day (if we ſpeak like the Romans) in the evening. They ſay it was Gods Inſtitution, Lev. 23. but there is no appearance of any Inſtitution for the beginning of ordinary time: and that Inſtitution rather argueth, that ordinarily, the day was not begun in the evening. Some obſerve that it was only the beginning of their religious dayes. It was anciently concluded that the Iews began their day with the Perſians and Chaldeans, in the morning, and it is anſwerable to the current of Scripture. Many Fathers and Schoolmen do peremptorily hold, that the firſt day began with the light, and therefore underſtand by evening the end of light, by morning the end of darkneſſe, and all do not conceive that day doth there take in the night.
Object. It ſeems Luk. 23.54, 56. that the Iews in time of our Saviour eſteemed the evening preceding to be part of the Sabbath.
Anſw. I anſwer, this was a time of Superſtition and Ignorance, and the Evangeliſt may ſay that the Sabbath approached, with reference to the evening preparation, and the morning following. 2. The Iews erred in counting that day the day of preparation, and yet the Evangeliſt calleth it the day of preparation, becauſe it was ſo with the Iews: So he may ſay the Sabbath approached, meaning the evening, becauſe the evening was reputed a part of the Sabbath by the Iews. It is concluded that that day which the Iews called the day of preparation; was indeed the firſt day of unleavened bread, becauſe our Saviour had obſerved the Paſsover, the day before this their day of preparation.