The Doctrine and Law of the Holy Sabbath, Sermon 2
Sermon Second.
Exod. 31.12, 13.
And the Lord ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying, Speak thou alſo unto the Children of Iſrael, ſaying,
Verily my Sabbaths ye ſhall keep; for it is a ſign between me and you thro'out your Generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth ſanctify you.
THE great Law of the Sabbath is here repeated to Moſes, and by him unto the Children of Iſrael with an awful Preface, in a moſt commanding Manner, and with a moſt powerful Reaſon annexed. More Authority and Commandment can't be well put into fewer words.
THE laſt time I ſpake in this place, I propoſed to ſpeak to theſe two Doctrines. I. That the Great GOD has moſt ſtrictly and vehemently required the Sanctification of the Sabbath day. II. That it is a ſign between Him and us that he is the Lord that doth ſanctify us.
I cou'd not quite get thro' the firſt Doctrine on the laſt Lecture, namely,
I. D. THAT the Lord our God has moſt ſtrictly and vehemently required us to keep his Sabbaths. Verily my Sabbaths ye ſhall keep.— It was a Law to Man from the beginning of the World, and the firſt Law that was given to him, even in his ſtate of Innocence. It was one of the firſt things given in Commandment to Iſrael upon their leaving Egypt. It was one of the ten Words, the ten Commandments, given from Sinai, in that auguſt and fearful manner. It was repeated and inculcated upon the delivery of the Ceremonial and Judicial Law, and was indeed inſerted into the latter. Moreover. God has from the beginning very dreadfully threatned and terribly puniſhed the violation of this Commandment. And by the mouth of all his Holy Prophets he has vehemently inſiſted on the Sanctification of the Sabbath day, complained of and declar'd againſt the profanation of it; and they have made in God's name the moſt gracious promiſes to the people of God in caſe of their religious Obſervation thereof.— Thus thro' the Scriptures of the Old Teſtament we find abundant proofs and plain Illuſtrations of our Doctrine.
I ſhall continue the proof of this great Truth thro' the Scriptures of the New Teſtament. The religious and ſtrict Obſervation of the Lord's day is there alſo directed to, preſcribed and enjoyned; but more by the holy practice and example of our Lord Jeſus and his Apoſtles, than by precepts.
THE Law of a Sabbath was nothing peculiar to the Jewiſh Church. It was before them, even a Law from the beginning of the world, and it continues after them, unto the End of time. There remaineth the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God, and it will do ſo while the world laſts. The Law is Moral, and of perpetual Uſe, univerſal Obligation. We need the priviledge of a Sabbath now, its uſe and benefit to our Souls; as much as the People of God did heretofore: And we owe this homage, honour and ſervice to God as much now as his People of old did. A weekly Sabbath is a ſmall rent and acknowledgement unto the LORD of our lives, in whoſe hand all our time is.
LET us look into the holy Goſpels, the Acts of the Apoſtles, the Epiſtles of Paul, and the Revelations of John, and read the mind of Chriſt reſpecting the religious Obſervation of the Sabbathday. And let us bear in mind that the Practice of Chriſt and his Apoſtles is a Law to us in this matter. For (as a late worthy Writer *Mr. Wright on the religious Obſervation of the Lord's-Day.has it) Actions do certainly make a Law, where they ſufficiently publiſh the Mind and Will of the Lawgiver, as much as words. If then we can find Actions of our Lord Jeſus, and of his Apoſtles after him, equivalent to a verbal Precept, for the Obſervation of the Chriſtian Shbbath, we muſt needs account it his Inſtitution and Commandment to us.
IN the bleſſed Life of our Saviour we read once and again of his going into the Synagogues, to attend the publick Worſhip of God on the Sabbath days. Luke 4.6. As his Cuſtom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day. This he did to teach and require us to keep the Sabbath as he did. He has given us this Example that we ſhould follow his ſteps. So he ſerv'd and worſhip'd God, fulfilling all Righteouſneſs, and ſo muſt we. He came not to deſtroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfil them. Had he put an end to the Sacred weekly Sabbath, it had deſtroyed the Law and the Prophets with a witneſs. But Chriſt fulfilled this Law, and kept many a Sabbath to the glory of God in a perfect manner, ſo as no meer man, nor all the Holy men of God together, ever did or can do. He has taught us how to Sabbatiſe; how to ſpend our Sabbaths in the ſolemn Aſſemblies, and in works of piety and mercy. Many a high Exerciſe of devotion, and many a good work of charity, did he upon the Sabbath-day. He fill'd up the Holy time with work, and the work with Spirit. For theſe very works of God like goodneſs he was ſometimes reproached as a breaker of the Sabbath; but it turn'd to the confuſion of his ignorant and ſuperſtitious, if not hypocritical and malicious Accuſers. As in Mark 3. Init. He ſanctified and honour'd the Sabbath by his divine Sermons, and by his miracles of mercy on that bleſſed day. He made it a Day of his Bleſſing to men, both on temporal and ſpiritual accounts. Luk. 13.10, 17. He kept that bleſſed Law for his Elect, which Believers themſelves keep ſo poorly and imperfectly.— He alſo taught his Diſciples and followers to obſerve and keep the Sabbath-day, Indeed ſome of the ſuperſtitious Phariſees did ſometimes tax the Diſciples with taking undue liberties on the Holy Sabbath. But what was it? they plucked an ear of corn and eat of it as they paſſed thro' a field. They were hungry and it was but a proper and needed taſte, and an ordinary haſty bit, for their ſupport and refreſhment in the ſervices of the day. The Women alſo that followed our Lord Jeſus, and miniſtred unto him, were ſtrict Sabbatizers: Luk. 23. ult. They reſted on the Sabbath day according to the Commandment. Tho' they were preparing ſpices for the dead body of their dear Saviour, yet they laid by the holy care and labour of love till the Sabbath was over. Verily God's Sabbaths did they keep; even as if the words of my Text were then in their remembrance, and they conſidered that as the holy work of the Tabernacle was to give place to the holy Reſt of God's day, ſo their pious miniſtring to that ſacred Temple of the Deity, our Lords Body.— And that was the laſt Seventh day Sabbath which the Diſciples kept. For early in the morning of the next day, being the firſt day of the week theſe Women came unto the Sepulchre, bringing the Spices which they had prepared;†See Luk. 24.1, 13, 34, 36. And John 20.1, 16, 19, 26. and they found not the Body of Jeſus, but had a viſion of Angels who told them of his reſurrection from the dead.— And that ſame day the Lord himſelf appeared ſeveral times to one and another of his Followers; to Mary Magdalene, to the two diſciples on their way to Emmaus, to Simon, and to the ten together in the Evening: when he bleſſed them, breathed on 'em, and gave them their Commiſſion. That day ſeven night, being again the firſt day of the week, the Lord appeared again unto them, Thomas being then preſent, and ſhewed them his hands and his feet.— Now by the Reſurrection of Chriſt on the firſt day of the week, and by his repeated viſits to them on this day, the Inſpired Apoſtles (under the infallible Conduct of the Holy Ghoſt) from thenceforth held their ſolemn Meetings, their holy Convocations, on this day of the ſeven, and called it the Lord's-Day.— On this firſt day of the week, the Diſciples were all with one accord in one place, *Act. 1.1, 2.aſſembled as on their holy Sabbath, when ſuddenly there appeared the cloven Tongues of fire and ſat upon them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghoſt; and ſpake in every language the wonderful works of God; the proper ſervice of the Sabbath day. That this day of Pentecoſt was the firſt day of the week is eaſily computed and proved. The day after the Paſſover was the firſt day of the feaſt of unleavened bread; (ſee Lev. 23.5, 6.) which was as a Sabbath to the Jews; They were to have an holy Convocation on it, and to do no ſervile work thereon. On the next day was the Offering of the firſt-fruits unto the Lord: And from this day, (the next but one after the Paſſover) they were order'd to count fifty days, or ſeven weeks complete; and then was the feaſt of Pentecoſt, ſo called from the fiftieth day. Now ſee how theſe things were all fulfilled in the Dying and Reſurrection of our Lord Jeſus, and in the pouring out of the Spirit on the day of Pentecoſt.— Our bleſſed Lord Jeſus was ſlain at the Paſſover, which fell that year on a fryday: Then was the Lamb of God offered, Chriſt our Paſſover ſacrificed for us.— That Evening therefore was the preparation, as it is called John 19.31. ſcil. the preparation both for the weekly Sabbath, and alſo for the Feaſt of unleavened bread; which made that Sabbath a high day. The Jews therefore were earneſt with Pilate to have the Bodies taken down early from the Croſs. This whole Sabbath our Lord's Body lay in the grave. And the next morning early, being the firſt day of the week, the next day but one after the Paſſover, the day of the offering of the firſt-fruits unto the Lord, he roſe from the dead, and became the firſt-fruits of them that ſleep. Now compute juſt ſeven weeks from this day of our Lord's Reſurrection, and the firſt day of the eighth week, even the fiftieth day, was the day of Pentecoſt; when the Spirit, (the promiſe of the Father) was pour'd out from the aſcended Jeſus upon his Apoſtles, as they were aſſembled together for his ſolemn Worſhip. Then (as one ſays) they themſelves received the firſt-fruits of the Spirit, and thro' the word of truth begat three thouſand ſouls to Chriſt; and preſented them as the firſt-fruits of the Chriſtian Church unto God and to the Lamb. Thus did our Lord Jeſus honour and hallow the firſt day of the week by giving the Sanctifier and the Comforter thereon. So did he ſhed Him forth in his miraculous Gifts and in his ſaving Graces, abundantly on that day. He poured out the Bleſſing from on high, and bleſſed the Day, to be an holy Sabbath unto Himſelf; and unto us, the day for our "ſeeking and receiving ſpiritual bleſſings. Such Actions (ſays One) do as fully declare and expreſs the mind and will of Heaven as any words could do— Eſpecially if we find (as we do) in the ſacred Writings, that the Apoſtles and primitive Chriſtians did thenceforth obſerve the firſt day of the week for their religious Aſſemblies, and for the Adminiſtration of the ſpecial Ordinances of Chriſt thereon. And this we do expreſly read, that they did come together on the firſt day of the week to break bread, and that Paul preached to them. Act. 20.7. They were wont to come together to hear and to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, on that day. It is ſpoken of as their uſual practice, and they were "under the infallible Direction of the Holy Ghoſt in Actions of this nature and importance. So that their Example and practice herein muſt amount to a Law and Inſtitution to the Chriſtian Church; interpreting to us the mind and giving us the will of Chriſt in this matter. And to borrow the words of a late Writer, As Moſes was faithful in ſettling the matters of the Jewiſh worſhip and of the Tabernacle, being authoriſed by God and guided by him in the doing it; ſo the Apoſtles were to ſettle the Orders of the Goſpel Church, and were faithful to Him who appointed them— Moreover you know, how that the Apoſtle Paul directed the Church of Corinth, and the Churches of Galatia, to have their Collections for the Saints on the firſt day of the week; So (ſays he) I have given order, and ſo do ye: Upon the firſt day of the week let every one lay by him in ſtore, as God has proſpered him. 1 Cor. 16.1, 2. — Some have obſerved, and the remark is of great weight, That the firſt day of the week is the only day ſpoken of thro' the New Teſtament, as a day religiouſly obſerved; but that this day is ſeveral times over ſo ſpoken of. A day ſacred in the Apoſtles times for Holy fellowſhip and communion, for breaking of bread and for prayers, and for works of piety and charity; for the publick teſtimony of their faith in Chriſt and love to all his Saints.— To add no more, They called it the Lord's-day; and on it the beloved Diſciple had his Viſion of Chriſt, one like the ſon of man amidſt the ſeven golden Candleſticks. Rev. 1.10. I was in the Spirit (in a ſpiritual Extaſie or Rapture) on the Lord's day. Whoſe day?*Ubi Johannes dicit ſe raptum fuiſſe in Spiritu Die Dominico; non ſane Sabbatho Judaeorum, quod procul dubio nominaſſet; non aliquo tantum die Septimanae, quia ſic ambiguus eſſet titulus, ad implicandum potius quam explicandum comparatus, ſed die illo quo Chriſtus reſurrexerat, quo convenire ſolebant Apoſtoli ad ſacra peragenda, et quo Paulus ordinaverat collectas haben…as, prout moris erat in primitiva Eccleſia. Cum ergo de illo die tanquam nota et in Eccleſia uſitata loquitur, dubium non eſt quin ex recepto Eccleſiae uſu hoc nomine inſignita ſit. Turret. Vol. 2, p. 103. but the Lord Jeſus, whoſe Revelations he now received. And aſſign a reaſon, if you can, for another day of the week, to be called his, beſides the firſt, whereon he roſe from the dead. As the Sacrament of the body and blood of Chriſt is called the Lord's Supper, ſo is the Chriſtian Sabbath the Lord's day. Both the one and other are inſtituted, ſeparated and appropriated unto his worſhip, and the religious remembrance of Himſelf.— The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath, Lord of our time and lives. He has power to change the day. And there is the ſame reaſon why it ſhould pleaſe the Lord Redeemer to take the firſt day of the week for his own day, and make it the weekly Sabbath to the Church, upon his Reſurrection thereon from the dead; as there was why the Lord Creator pleaſed to bleſs the ſeventh day, and the ſeventh part of time, becauſe he reſted from his work of Creation after ſix days. For the work of mans Redemption is a work of God equally glorious with that of his Creation, and ſo equally worthy of a ſacred, inſtituted, perpetual Memorial. And the reſurrection of Chriſt was really his reſting from his work of our redemption, having compleated it in his death. Nor does the change of the day of the week in the leaſt take away from the Memorial of the Work of Creation every Sabbath day; for the ſeventh part of time is yet ſacredly obſerved in Commemoration thereof.— Upon all therefore, We have now the ſame Reaſons for our religious Obſervation of the firſt day of the week, that the Church of old had for their keeping holy the ſeventh day. The reaſons to them were, God's ſpecial propriety in the ſeventh day, his own Example and reſting thereon, and his bleſſing it. And for theſe reaſons we keep the firſt day of the week holy to Chriſt, becauſe of his ſpecial propriety therein, (his reſting on it, and taking it for his own) his own Example and his bleſſing it. On every Account it is the Lord's day, the Chriſtian Sabbath.— Jeſus has given us this Reſt, upon his ceaſing from his redeeming work as God did from his of Creation; and upon his entring into his reſt. There remaineth therefore a Reſt to the people of God; a ſpiritual reſt in Chriſt, and the keeping of a weekly Sabbath to him.
AND thus I have briefly traced thro' the Scriptures of the New Teſtament, ſome of the things occurring there, for our keeping holy the Sabbath-day.— And ſo I diſmiſs the firſt part of my Text, Verily my Sabbaths ye ſhall keep.— I come now to the Reaſon annexed, which is the other part, For it is a Sign between me and you thro'out your Generations, that I am the Lord that doth ſanctify you.
2. D. THAT the Lord's-day, or weekly Sabbath, is a Sign between God and us, that he is the Lord our Sanctifier.
IT is great Condeſcention and Grace in God to us, to annex a reaſon unto any of his Commandments. His Sovereign will is the higheſt reaſon.— Yet is there much of Majeſty and much Grace in this Reaſon, It is a Sign between me and you. And will God in very deed give us ſuch a Sign and Token between Himſelf and us? will he in very deed deal ſo with Man upon the Earth? And give a ſtanding Sign too, thro'out all the Generations of men on earth? O the favour and Grace to duſt and aſhes! while He humbleth himſelf to behold the things that are above!
BUT what is the Lord's Sabbaths a Sign of thro' all the Generations of men? Why they ſignify and let us know, 1. That he is the Lord and our Lord: Lord of the world, and Lord of our time and lives. The great Proprietor and abſolute Diſpoſer of them. 2. That he is the Lord our Sanctifier. This is that Glory wherein he delights to appear unto his Creatures, and for which to be adored by them. So the Seraphims worſhip him above, and cover their faces, crying, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hoſts. And ſo we worſhip the Lord in the Beauties of Holineſs on earth; His Sabbaths being unto us the ſign, and his Ordinances the bleſſed means of holineſs and Sanctification.
THE Lord our Sanctifier. It ſpeaks the utmoſt favour, grace and mercy to us, and the utmoſt holineſs in the Lord our God. He is the Sanctifier of all whom he ſaves. His Elect are choſen unto Salvation thro' ſanctification of the Spirit. And he has appointed his Holy Sabbath and all the Ordinances of his worſhip, under the bleſſing of his Spirit, to be the ſeaſon and means of the Regeneration and Sanctification of ſouls, and of their growth and increaſe in Holineſs.
GOD's Sabbaths were from the beginning of the world given for a Sign and a Memorial. They are a Sign that in ſix days the Lord made Heaven and earth— Our Lord's days are now a Sign of the Reſurrection of Chriſt from the dead. And in ſhort, both the Jewiſh and Chriſtian Sabbath are a Sign to fallen man, of a Covenant of Grace and Salvation granted to him thro' Jeſus Chriſt; the promiſed ſeed of the Woman, but the Only Begotten of the Eternal Father.
TO be ſure, The Obſervation of a weekly Sabbath is a very public and open thing; a thing of much Solemnity and Significancy. It is a perpetual and univerſal Memorial of ſomething very great and important between God and man.— Every child is ready to ask, What meaneth this Service? what ſignifies ſuch a weekly Solemnity? —God anſwers in my Text, It is a ſign between Me and you. Surely then a ſign of ſomething very great and good on God's part, and worthy of his bleſſed and glorious Name, and of ſomething very good and great, beneficial and neceſſary to us! Yes truly: the work and grace is great on God's part, to be our Sanctifier! the benefit and mercy vaſt to us, our Sanctification!— This, this is ſignified by the weekly Sabbath. What more worthy of the Holy God? what more important to polluted, guilty and periſhing Sinners? Of his mercy he thus ſaves us.
THE Text ſpeaks plainly of two things,
1. Of a Covenant between God and fallen man: It is a Sign between me and you thro' out your Generations.
2. Of a Covenant of holineſs, or of our Salvation in a way of Sanctification; that I am the Lord that ſanctifieth you. Therefore theſe two things lie before me,
1. To ſhow that the Lord's Sabbaths continued to fallen man, are a ſign and token of the Covenant of Grace made with him thro' Jeſus Chriſt.
2. It is a ſign and token of Chriſts ſaving us in the way of Holineſs or Sanctification.
1. THE Lord's Sabbaths continued to fallen man, are a ſign and token of the Covenant of Grace made with him in Jeſus Chriſt. It is a ſign between … and you. Here is ſomething mutual between … parties, God and man; ſignificant of great grace and favour to man on the part of God, and of ſpecial and holy bonds and duty to God on the part of man; Now what can this be but a faderal and Covenant ſtipulation? and what can it be referred unto, but only the Covenant of Grace and Salvation by Jeſus Chriſt? Aſſign ſomething elſe if you can.
INDEED the Sabbath was given and inſtituted to Man in his State of Innocence, and that even before the Covenant of works was given unto Adam. But Man having ſinned and broken the firſt Covenant, had forfeited and loſt the Priviledge and honour of a Sabbath. There remained no room or place for any Sabbath to him till it was reſtored in the Covenant of Grace.— But as it pleaſed God, according to his Eternal Counſel and purpoſe, immediately to reveal unto fallen man hss Covenant of Grace and Salvation, thro' Jeſus Chriſt the promiſed Seed of the Woman; So the Law of the Sabbath did naturally and in courſe revive and take place again.— For it is nothing peculiar either to the Covenant of Grace, or to the Covenant of works, that there ſhould be a Sabbath; but it muſt needs be common to either, that there be ſome appointed time ſacred unto the public and ſolemn worſhip of God.— IF then God pleaſed to give a new Covenant to Man after his fall, it muſt needs bring him a new Right and liberty to worſhip God; and conſequently muſt revive the Priviledge and Law of a Sabbath to him.— And other Foundation can no man lay, for this priviledge and liberty of Worſhip, than this which is laid, Jeſus Chriſt, and the Covenant of Grace in and thro' him. It is truly one of the Benefits of Redemption, and a great and neceſſary one. It is the Gift of Grace by Jeſus Chriſt; it is the purchaſe of his Death, and the fruit of his Reſurrection, that there remaineth the keeping of a Sabbath to the Children of fallen Adam.— This is a Benefit of the New Covenant, without which there had remained no place for prayer, praiſe or worſhip to fallen man; and conſequently no day ſacred to theſe Duties.
HENCE the Sabbath is ſaid to be given for a Covenant, and to be obſerved as ſuch; and the ten Commandments are called God's Covenant: Deu. 4.13. He declared unto you his Covenant; even ten Commandments. But it is the fourth Commandment which ſtands peculiarly as the moſt viſible token of the Covenant of God; according to the 16. v. of our Context, Ye ſhall obſerve the Sabbath for a perpetual Covenant. And Ezek. 20.20. It is a ſign between me and you, that I am the Lord your God.— Every Sabbath day we do publickly and ſolemnly confeſs and avouch the Lord Jehovah to be the true God, and God alone, and that he is our God and Redeemer, and that we are his people and worſhippers, and will be devoted to him for ever. Theſe two things are therefore put together by the Holy Ghoſt, Iſa. 56.4, 6. The keeping God's Sabbaths, the taking hold of his Covenant, and the joyning our ſelves unto the Lord.— We keep God's Sabbaths as a ſign of our faith in and devotion to the God of Iſrael, as the great Creator and High Poſſeſſor of heaven and earth. According to what we read in my Context, v. 17. It is ſign between Me and the Children of Iſrael for ever, that in ſix days the Lord made all things, and in the ſeventh he reſted and was refreſhed.— Again, We covenant with God thro' Chriſt, as the Lord our Redeemer, in our keeping his Sabbaths. It was to the Church of Iſrael, and is to the Chriſtian Church, a Memorial of redeeming Grace and Mercy. When God had redeemed Iſrael out of Egypt, he then ſaid to them, Deut. 5.15. Remember that thou waſt a Servant there, and that the Lord thy God bro't thee out thence with a ſtrong hand and by a ſtretched out arm; Therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day. Here was a ſuper-added and ſpecial reaſon to Iſrael for their religious obſervation of the Sabbath. Some learned men have argued and inſiſted on it, that the ſeventh day from the Overthrow of Pharaoh at the Red Sea was the Jewiſh Sabbath. And if it were ſo yet might it be the ſeventh day from the Creation alſo. But to be ſure, in memory of this their Redemption, as well as of the World's Creation, they were to keep their Sabbaths.— Now this ſeems to me a plain Prefiguration of our Chriſtian Sabbath, in memory of Chriſt's finiſhing the work of our Redemption. For if the Sabbath was unto the Jews a ſign of their Covenant relation and obligations to God as their Saviour and Redeemer; is it not more ſo unto us under the Goſpel, and from the day of the completion of the Spiritual and Eternal Redemption by the Son of God? If that deliverance which was but the Type came into a conſtant Remembrance, and was a ſtanding reaſon of the weekly Sabbath till the Reſurrection of Chriſt; ſhall not the Eternal Redemption by Him, which is the Subſtance, be had in a perpetual Remembrance by us upon the weekly Sabbath; and be a ſpecial reaſon to us for our Sanctifying the ſame?— Wherefore no doubt but from the fall of Man unto the End of the world, the Sabbath has been ordained, and by the worſhippers of God ought to be obſerved, in memory of Man's Redemption as well as of his Creation, and to the honour of God our Redeemer as well as Creator; and ſo we keep it, as a redeemed people, bought with his Blood; and every Lord's-day we covenant anew with our Saviour, to glorify him in our bodies and ſpirits which are his.— The Covenant ſtands for ever, becauſe the Redeemer liveth, therefore the Sabbath abides: The Covenant of his peace is not removed, and the God of the whole Earth is he called, who is the Holy One of Iſrael, the Redeemer.— God openly and ſignificantly covenants with his Church and people every Sabbath day. He meets them to bleſs 'em, as they aſſemble to worſhip him. He gives a name and place within his walls, even an everlaſting name. He does this (ſays the Prophet) Iſa. 56.6. while we joyn our ſelves unto him, to ſerve him and to love his Name.— Wherefore God owns his people, as well as they him, every Lord's-day. He meets them in his own appointed time and ways. He ſeals to his Covenant, and ſhews it to them, and his ſecret is with them while they keep his Sabbath.— The riſen Saviour viſits his aſſembled Diſciples from week to week, and is ſtill in the midſt of them, and ſays, peace be unto you; yea and ſhews them his hands and his feet when they come together to break bread.— Thus the Sabbath is the abiding and conſpicuous Sign of a Church ſtate; and it is for Stipulation and mutual Covenanting between God and his people.— It is a ſign between Me and you.
2. It is an evident token, and bleſſed means, of Man's Salvation in a way of holineſs and ſanctification. That I am the Lord that ſanctifieth you. A parallel place we have, Ezek. 20.12. Moreover alſo I gave them my Sabbaths to be a Sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that doth ſanctify them.— This, this is at laſt the thing ſignified, the thing covenanted. God covenants with his people to be their Sanctifier in their obſervation of his Sabbaths; they covenant to be holy to him and to ſeek his ſanctifying grace, and live as his ſanctified Ones.
GOD's Sabbaths were to the Jews a ſign of his ſelecting them from other people and conſecrating them unto himſelf, his worſhip and ſervice; to be unto him as a kingdom of prieſts, a holy nation. If he had not ſo ſet 'em apart for himſelf, he would not have revealed to them his Sabbaths, to ſet up his Worſhip among them: And they that worſhip him muſt be ſanctified, muſt ſanctify themſelves hereunto.
MOREOVER, The Obſervation of the Sabbath ever was, is and will be, a ſpecial means of the Sanctification of God's Elect. He ſanctifies them by his Spirit in his Word and Ordinances, the Means of grace and holineſs, wherein his Sabbaths are ſanctified, and wherein his people apply to him as their Sanctifier. If we keep God's days, they will be the means of our ſanctification. It is a ſign that God has ſanctified us if we love his Sabbaths; and to keep them is the grand means of our increaſe in holineſs.
THUS the Holy Sabbaths of God do exhibit him unto us, not only as the Lord our Creator and Redeemer, but alſo as the Lord our Sanctifier. Not only is the Sabbath ordained to ſerve unto the honour and worſhip of God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth; and of Jeſus Chriſt his only Son our Saviour, but alſo of the Holy Ghoſt (proceeding from the Father and the Son) our Sanctifier.
SANCTIFICATION is the ſpecial work of the Holy and Eternal Spirit of God. In remembrance of his glorious deſcent from the Aſcended Saviour we keep our Lord's days. He is in his Word and Ordinances, the which he has inſpired and inſtituted, and makes them the effectual means of holineſs unto all ſincere and fervent Worſhippers.
HE is himſelf the Holy One, infinitly holy. He would have us holy. He only can make us ſo. His Sabbaths and worſhip are holy, and ſanctifying to us. We wait on him in them for his ſanctifying influences and Operations. He bleſſes his Sabbaths and Inſtitutions for this end. He ſanctifies his Elect thro' his Truth, his Word is the Truth. We acknowledge him as the Lord our Sanctifier, apply to him and glorify him as ſuch, in the way of Sabbath Sanctification. And they that do ſo, find him to be their Sanctifier. His Sabbaths are under his bleſſing the ſpecial means of that little Holineſs that is in the world. Not only is the form of Godlineſs kept up in the world by the keeping the Sabbath day, but alſo that power of Godlineſs which is, or ever has been, in the Church of God, is owing hereunto. In this way Sinners muſt ſeek after Sanctification, and in this way they experience and find it. As it is written in the Pſalm or Song for the Sabbath-day; Pſ. 92.13. They that be planted in the houſe of the Lord, ſhall flouriſh in the Courts of our God; to ſhew that▪ the Lord is upright;— A God faithful to his Covenant and true to his Inſtitutions, to own and bleſs them.
AND thus I have offer'd ſome hints toward the explaining my Text, How the Sabbaths of God are a ſign between Him and his people, that he is the Lord that doth ſanctify them.
NOW the Argument from all is, That verily his Sabbaths we muſt keep. And you may eaſily perceive a variety of Argument, cogent and very weighty, in what has been ſaid.— The Lord's day is unto us the primary, perpetual and univerſal Memorial of the Covenant of Grace, which God has made with fallen man; and ſhall we not thankfully and religiouſly celebrate the Memorial of this Grace of God unto us?— It is the badge and livery of our being the Covenant People of God; our public and ſolemn Confeſſion of the Lord Jehovah, Father Son and Holy Ghoſt, our glorious Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier.— It is the great and ſolemn Profeſſion of our Faith in, our devotion unto, and our covenanting with, the moſt High God, Poſſeſſor of heaven and earth.— It is the inſtituted Means to us of Grace here and Glory for ever; of preſent Communion with God and of ſeeing him hereafter; of his having any ſervice and glory from us in this world, and of our finding bleſſedneſs in him in that which is to come.
End of the text · Benjamin Colman, The Doctrine and Law of the Holy Sabbath (1725)