A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 168 (Question 58 cont.)
SERMON CLXVIII.
(3.) WHEREIN does the M…y of … Conſiſt?
Anſ. THAT we may take up a right … ception of this matter, we muſt call to … what it is for a Command to be M…, according as it hath already been ſtand, viz. Not meerly as it ſtands diſtribute…ty with that which is Poſitive, but as it is di…enced from Ceremonial and Judicial. Here then two Rules may ſuffice for the clea… … Caſe.
1. THAT the light of Nature … a Moral Reaſon for the keeping of a Sabbaths. And ſo far it is grounded on Natural Religion, inasmuch as the reaſon for it is fetched from the Nature of Man, and the Relation that he bears to the ſpecial Government of God and for that reaſon it obliges all Men Univerſally, and is of the ſame ſores in all A… perpetually.
NOW the light of Nature in fallen Man, will. if duly improved, afford him ſuch Con…ſions as theſe.
1. THAT Man was made Actively to Glorify God. He that acknowledgeth a God, and Man … be his Creature, as the very Gentiles do, …ſt confeſs that Man as ſuch, owes himſelt is God; that Argument is Convictive, Pſal. 100.2.3. Serve the Lord with gladneſs; come before his preſence with ſinging. Know ye that i… Lord be is God, it is be that hath made us, … we ourſelves; we are his people, and the …wordd… of his paſture. And it is equally rational, th… every Creature do ſerve God, according to the Capacity he hath put into it. Man therefore being made capable of devoting himſelf actively to the Glory of God, muſt …ds owe it to him, Rom. 12.1.
2. THAT there is a Worſhip due to God from …, wherein he is to ſerve him. It is true, … is to ſerve God in all his Actions of all …s, Civil, as well as Religious, by confor… to his Precepts therein, and ſubordinating … his other ends to God's Glory as his laſt … 3 Cor. 10.31. But there are Religious …ices, which are not only ultimately, but …tly to be performed to God; which all …ions have believed and practiſed; ſo that …er Heathen could define Man, a Creature … for Religion. In all Places, where a … is believed, ſome Worſhip is maintained, … they miſs it both in the Object and …em, Mich. 4.5.
3. THAT this Worſhip is due from the whole …. The Soul indeed is the next Subject … rational Powers in Man, and is there… principally concerned in this, but it is the Man as a Subject of Reaſon who owes … to God; and all his Senſes & Bodily … were made to be uſed by the Soul, as is Inſtruments in the performing of its impe…acts, and are therefore to be employed in this Worſhip. And as there is an Argument for this from the Redemption of the whole M… Cor. 6.20. ſo we may argue from the O…on of the whole; and the more forcea…ly, becauſe we are redeemed, that we may be … reſtored to the Service for which we … firſt made, and fell ſhort of, by the Apo…ſy.
4. THAT hence every Man hath a double …g in this Life, viz. a general and a particular. … maſon of this is alſo clear in the light of …ore. For all Men are to Worſhip God a their Lord after a religious manner; and … is a Calling common to all Men. And … Man is to look after his Support and …nance is this World; for which there … the ſeveral Employments which Men are … concerned in; God having made it Man's … to ſeek his Supply in a courſe of means. M… God is to be ſerved in both of theſe, … that reaſon both of them are to be …ld and purſued by Man while he lives. … …ay one be neglected under pretence of this …er; for common Reaſon will condemn … neglect on either hand;
5. THAT M…n muſt have ſpe…al … to engage in ſuch Paties of Worſhip, by which they may glorify him. It is a vain pretence that ſome make, that we ought always to glorify God in all that we can do, and on that account the whole Life of a Chriſtian ſhould be a continual Sabbath. For if beſides Man's making God's Glory his end in all he doth, there are ſpecial ſolemn acts of Duty, which he owes to God, in purſuit of his general Calling, there muſt be ſome ſpecial time allotted for his attending on them. Man is a Child of time, he muſt have time for tho doing of all his actions; if therefore he hath a work of Religion diſtinct to attend, he moſt have a diſtinct and ſeparate time for his applying himſelf to it, that he may not be diſtracted in … but at full & free liberty for the performance of it. And for this Reaſon will ſuffice, and w…ed not go to …evelation for it. And the g…ater and mo… important the Duty, the greater Reaſon for it.
6. THAT there ought to be ſome Preparation of time allotted for this ſervice. Since Man is to carry on both of theſe Callings through his Pilgrimage in this World, it is fit, both that there be a convenient quanity of time laid out for this as well as for the other; and that it have its ſuitable Revelation, for maintaining the Worſhip of God, … as that we may keep up our religious frames in & through our ſecular Employments; and not loſe the Worſhip of God by too long vocations, and ſo our particular Callings eat our our general one. And thus we ſee that the ground or foundation of a Sabhath is laid in the Law of Nature; and the light of Reaſon in Man carries Conviction of the equity of it, and the need that Mankind have in this regard.
II. THAT when God hath by a poſinve Precept …f…d this time, it is ſo made Holy Time, and a …or… Duty for us to obſerve it as ſuch: I ſhall eſſay the clearing of this Aſſertion in the following Concluſions,
1. THE H…neſs of time is a relation put upon it with reſpect to a Sacred Uſe. Time, in its own Nature is nothing elſe but the meaſure of the Creatures duration, and is not of the Eſſence, but an Adjunct to Second Beings. Now tho' the Holineſs of God is eſſental to him, and inſeperable from him; yet the Holineſs of other things, is ſomething that may be ſeperated from them; and in things that are in themſelves common, they become Holy by a ſeperating them to a peculiar and ſacred uſe. When they are devoted to God, and he forbids any common uſe to he made of them, therein there Holineſs conſiſts. In this regard was Iſrael ſaid to be Holineſs to the Lord. And on this account may Holineſs be aſcribed unto time. And this is ſignified in the body of the Command.
2. HENCE time becomes truly Holy by an Authoritative ſeperation of it to ſuch an Uſe. The Putting of ſuch a relation upon it, requires a Power or Authority in him who affixeth it thereto. It is not therefore in every ones power to put ſuch a ſtamp upon any portion of time, ſo as to bind the Conſcience to pay ſuch a reſpect to it. Men indeed may, and muſt in the time which they expend in attendance upon religious Duties, abſtain mean while from common Buſineſs, but that is not for the times ſake, but with reſpect to the Duties which cannot be otherwiſe done regularly or acceptably.
3. THAT no time is more Holy than other, Antecedently to ſuch a Separation. Neither can the nature of time it ſelf infer any ſuch thing, for it is all alike, and is indeed a common adjunct to other Beings as well as Man, who can put no difference upon i…. Nor do any of God's great Works put ſuch an holineſs on time, becauſe they were wrought on it; for then might any Day in the Week lay claim to it. So that nothing but a juridical determination of it, can put ſuch a ſtamp upon it. And for this reaſon God calls the Sabbath, his Sabbath, Fzek. 21.8.
4. THAT God is the Lord of time, and hence the determination of Holy Time, depends upon his Pleaſure and Command. That none but God can put Holineſs upon time, hath been already proved: And is further evident, becauſe the putting ſuch a difference between time in itſelf alike, is a thing Arbitrary, and the ſo determining it belongs to one who hath a Sovereign Power ever time, which can be no other but God. And becauſe this determination …eters to Worſhip, and is an Ordinance of it, which God hath reſerved to himſelf, and …ath not given liberty to any Creatures …o aſſume ſuch a power to themſelves: As hath been abu…da…tly pr…vel under the Second Commandment. Chriſt therefore in regard of his Mediatorial Diſpenſation hath told us, Mat. 12 8. The S…n of man is Lord alſo of the ſabbath day.
5. THAT hence becauſe the light of Nature ſaith that there is ſ…m time due …r this, is was agreeable to God's W…ſ…on and Government that be ſhould determin… a time for it, from the l… ginning. The reaſon of this is very manifeſt. For if Man be made for the active and voluntary Service of God, and muſt have a rule of Government to direct him in that Service, there is an hypothetical nece…ty that God do ſome way or other acquaint him with that Rule, or afford him ſome M…d…am by which he may be acquainted with it. If then the light of Nature requires that ſome time be thus ſeparated, and the ſlating of it in its diſtances and revolutions depends on the Divine Pleaſure, there muſt have been a Revelation of this at firſt unto Man, elſe he muſt have remained at an utter uncertainty about it.
6. HENCE when God hath ſo ſtated & ſanctifyed the time, it becomes a moral duty for us to obſerve it as Holy Time. Nor doth the Morality of it ſtand in the ſame point that Obedience to meetly Poſitive Inſtitutions do, by vertue of the Second Commandment, which obligeth us to obey God in all things which he enjoins, in ſubjection ſo his Sovert… but becauſe the duty itſelf is in its own … ture Moral, and owing to God by the … of Creation, tho' the Circumſtance of … practice of it be regulated by a Poſitive … cept, which neceſſarily depended upon … Arbitrement.
III. WHAT time is allotted to be obſerved … an Holy Sabbath?
Anſ. OUR Catechiſm tells us, that it is … te…e Day in Seven. And ſo much is expr… in the Command it ſelf; in which there … ſix days allowed for Labour, and one … crated to Religious Worſhip, in the Heb… … d…l Revolution. That firſtly had reſpect … the Creation, which had ſix days for … …ſh…ng of it, and God thereupon challenged the Serventh to himſelf. And hence th… viding of Time into Weeks, confiſt… … ſeven days, hath had a ſo…ting from the … gi…ning, even among Nations that had … q…a… rance with the Word of God, tho' … had l…ſt the primative reaſon of it. It … to be ſuppoſed, that our Divines intend, … God only determined that one day in … ſhould be thus kept, and left it to the lib… of Men to chuſe which of them they wo… ſo obſerve; for they aſſure us of the con… under the next Queſtion: only here we … the firſt and more general notification … God's mind ſignified to us, with reſpect … time that he ſaw meet to aſſign to be … Holy, viz. that it ſhould be one day of … As to thoſe that run it up higher, and … have it to intend either the fuſt or laſt … Seven, it is not very clear; for tho' God … at firſt determine it to be the Seventh, … gave no intimations that he would ever … that till a great while after, much leſs … it ſhould be the firſt of the Seven. And … know that the aſſignation of the definite … was Poſitive, and therefore could be … no further than as God revealed his ple… about it. But there are two Things … here …o be Obſerved which God fixe… … relably to be a Rule for Man, from the … ni…g to the end of time, with reſpect … the Sabbath, conſidered as a Moral Duty, … I That it ſhould be one Day in Seven … it ſhould be one whole Day in Seven.
HERE then,
1. GOD hath determined the Sabbath … Day in Seven. It is true, that he hath alſo limited the Day itſelf in his Word, … to his Wiſdom and Pleaſure, nor … there ever a time ſince the Creation, wherein it … not ſo fixed: but that was a ſecund… … in it, and variable; as will hereafter be … dered: but this is invariable. It was ſo … Covenant of Works made with Men in … cency, Gen. 2. begin. It was ſo in the … of this Covenant on Mount Sinai, Ex… 30. … And that it is ſo in the times of the Go… Adminiſtration, will afterwards be con…ered. And this is certain, that God never … by any Precept that is recorded, alter this appointment. And God's ſilence on this Heal … …eregh to ſet us down in this point. So that …er we muſt reſolve that there is no Sab… appointed under the Goſpel, or it is ſtill …ce, that one day of Seven is ſo; and that it is ſuch as God himſelf ſhall give order …, that Chriſtians are to obſerve Religiouſly. 3. THAT it ſhould be one whole Day in Seven. … was not only to be a part of a Day, nor … made up of parts of ſeveral Days, but it … to be one intire Day. And here Two things may come into Conſideraton,
1. What … of Day is intended?
2. At what timea … is to begin and end.?
1. WHAT ſort of Day is intended?
Anſ. THE more noted and vulgar diſtinctition of a Day, is into Natural and Artificial. The former confiſting of twenty-four Hours, …eabouts, Comprehending in it, both the … of Light & Darkneſs, ſo that the Night is … …ſtitutent part of it: The latter is the … of Light, beginning in the Morning, & ending the Evening; and it is put diſtributively … the Night. On which account we often … of Day and Night. Some there be who …ain it to the latter, and not only ſo, but … a porportion of it as Men are wont …arily to expend on other Days in their …ar Buſineſs. But it ſeems to be altogether …dleſs and diſallowable. And it is ge…ly agreed by ſuch as acknowledge that … hath appointed one Day of Seven to be …ved as a Sabbath, that it intends a ſeventh … of Time; and is therefore to hold the … proportion with the other Days of the …, which are allowed to Men for their … Affairs. For notwithſtanding natu… …poſe or refreſhment with food and ſleep … allowed on that Day, as well as on any …, this hinders not but that the time is … accounted Holy by the ſeparation of it …ling to Divine Precept. For the neceſſi… Nature are to be conſidered & relieved, … herely we may the better ſerve God in … holy Duties which he hath enjoyned us … upon. And it is certain, that the … Day in the firſt Inſtitution, and in the inovation of the Precpet is expreſs in the ſome manner that the other ſix Days of … are, pointing out that there is no … to be made between them and this, … the proportion of time. And therefore … the Sabbatical Duties are Moral; yet … the determination of the time, is At… with God, we are to have recourſe to … …ſtution for this. If therefore he hath … ſeventh part of Time for this Service, … no further to diſpute it. And that he … done ſeems to be very expreſs. Nor … we, any Scripture reaſon to conclude, … one he intends a Natural, and the other Artificial Day; or that the one contains …volution of Light and Darkneſs, and to other only the time of Day Light, or but … of that.
2. At what time it is to begin and end?
Anſ. THERE are very eager Diſputes among the Godly and Learned upon this Point, which would require much time to inquire into and adjuſt. But theſe Exerciſes are not deſigned to be Polemical; but only to ſearch into the truth of Principles. I ſhall therefore here only lay down a few general Rules or Concluſions, and leave them to the thoughts of all ſetions Chriſtians.
1. THAT there is no portion of time in itſelf more holy than other time. As ſuch it is all alike. And conſequently there can be no rule from the nature of time, by which we can determine what time is to be reputed Holy, …smp; what Common; but that hath already been conſidered
2. THAT is was at God's liberty to determine what preportion of time ſhould be Holy; and that both as to the beginnig and ending of it. This matter intirely depends on his good Pleaſure, If he had ſaid, I will have ſo much time ſeparated for religious Duties, whether it had been more or leſs; and that it ſhall begin at ſuch a time of the Day or Night, and continue for ſo many Hours, or Days, this Revelation of his Pleaſure about it muſt needs have determined the Caſe; becauſe he is the Sovereign Lord and diſpoſer of all our times, and of us too, who are bound to obey his Will in all things which he Commands us.
3. THAT as no great Work of God done in it, but only a Word of Inſtitution, makes any time Holy; ſo neither are we to reckon Holy Time to begin at the inſtant wherein ſuch a Work commenced. That God may, and hath ſo done, and appointed the Memorial of his great Works to be ſolemnized in ſuch times as he hath Sanctified, is evident by his Word, But then, that which ſtamped Holineſs on ſuch a time, was not the Work done, but the Command ſo to Commemorate it: tho' the conſideration of the Work itſelf may convince what reaſon there is for the Duty itſelf. Thus God appointed none of the ſix Days at firſt for a Sabbath, but the Day following, after the finiſhing of the Work of Creation; and tho' the light of Nature faith, that is was a convenient ſeaſon for it, and that God's Wiſdom is diſcovered in his ſo ſuiting of it yet his expreſs Command, and Sanctifying of that Day for this purpoſe, was that which put the ſtamp of a Sabbath upon it. And thus alſo, the time when a Work is done, or the inſtant of the compleating of it, affords no Argument, that the time ſhould be Holy from that inſtant: But it muſt have an Inſtitution for it. And if there be none, we are at an uncertainty, becauſe the determination of this matter is intirely Poſitive.
4. THAT it is the duty of God's People to ſeek ſatisfaction in their minds, about this Caſe. It is certain, that as no time is Holy, which God hath not made ſo by his Command, ſo we can put a reſpect of Holineſs upon no other time than ſuch as he hath ſo appointed, without an intrenchment upon his Authority. And tho' God will bear with the infirmity of his People, in many miſtakes which they too often labour of, while they know but in part, yet he hath made it their Duty to ſearch the Scriptures, and labour to be well informed in his Precepts; and if they miſtake through ſluggiſh neglect, they will bring Guilt upon themſelves. An all ſuch things as are done upon ſuch miſtakes, will be loſt labour. It cannot therefore be ſafe for us to take ſuch things upon truſt, but we ought to ſearch the Scriptures, and Pray to God for light, that we may underſtand his mind therein.
5. IT were much to be deſired that the People of God could joyntly agree in this matter, according to the mind of God. True, it is not a matter of Prudence, left to the diſcretion of Men to determine, becauſe the Inſtitution refers directly to the time, and therefore God's pleaſure therein is to be ſought, and carefully complied withal. And as, the Caſe is determined by God in his Word, it would be a great Bleſſing of his People in this matter, and prevent their divided Sentiments about it. For it ſome begin and end the Sabbath at one time, and ſome at another, it muſt be, not only that ſome labour under a practical miſtake, but alſo it becomes no little hindrance to the Duty it ſelf: Becauſe there is a civil Commerce among Men, and there are their Secular Affairs, which they may lawfully follow in common time; and if, while ſome are Sanctifying the time as Holy, others of their Neighbours are uſing it in Worldly Buſineſs, as their own time, Offence will be apt to ariſe, and Temprations will be offerred upon it, to count no time Holy.
6. THAT Chriſtians ought to bear one with another, in their differents Sentiments on this account, and avoid giving or taking of Offence. This hath been a matter of Controverſy, among Holy and Learned Men, and is ſtill ſo, which as God bears with, ſo ought they alſo to hear one with another till God ſhall pleaſe further to pour out his Spirit, and enlighten them in his mind. So that, although it is every Chriſtians Duty, to be perſwaded in his mind, and practice accordingly, and pay a religious reſpect to no other portion of time, than what he is perſwaded God hath appointed; yet there are theſe two things, which we have Warrant and Precept for, in the Word of God, viz. Not to Cenſure our Brethren, for differing from us in this regard, while we obſerve them to Live in the fear of God, and practice according to their Conſciences in this regard; and it ſhould put us upon this, becauſe we expect to have the like Charity from them, who think us to be in an Error; and alſo, To take beed of Scandalizing them, or being Scandalized by them, i. e. We ought not to lay a ſtumbling block before them by our Example, in giving Occaſion to them to Profane that time which they are perſwaded is Holy, or take Occaſion by their ſo doing, to do as they do, againſt the perſwaſion of our own Conſciences. And therefore on each part it is good to deny ourſelves In that which we account to be our lawful liberty; and we have this advantage in it, that we may attend Religious Duties when … is Occaſion, though without reſpect to the Holineſs of the time.
7. THAT it is generally agreed among ſuch as acknownedge the Morality of the Sabbath, thus a whole day is deſigned and ſet apart for Sacred uſe: And that this Day contains one Seventh Day of the Week, or twenty four hours, or thereabouts: and not only ſo, but that it is one Day, and not part of one, and part of another; and that this is a Scripture Truth we have before obſerved: ſo that the only Queſtion remaining is, when the Natural Day begins and ends.
8. THAT the beginning of the Natural Day, is not to be regulated by the Cuſtom of Noticing but by the Word of God. Diverſe Nations had their ſeveral Conſiderations on this account, as may be obſerved by their Hiſtories, but me have no ſuch Precept as enjoins us to follow this as a rule, viz. to begin the Sabbath … the Day is reckoned in the Place that we live in. For then there would be as many ſeveral Rules for this, as there are practices among Men.
9. THAT the Chriſtian Sabbath is to begin and end at the ſame time that the Sabbath was to do from the beginning. And the reaſon of the is, becauſe, tho' there be a Charge of the Day, yet no Change of the Time for the beginning of it from the Creation. And becauſe none but God hath Authority to make an alteration of the Poſitive Precepts, … not ſo altered, muſt ſtand.
10. THE Sabbath from the Greation, … renewed to Iſrael, ſeems to have begun in the Evening. The Natural Day did ſo, for … began with Darkneſs, which time of Darkneſs together with the following Light … Conſtitute the Firſt Day, which ſeems to be a Rule for the dating of the Days which followed. Hence Evening is in every one … before the Morning, which Words are … ly Syncedochical, Gen. 1. That the Jeſus Sabbath was to begin at the Evening, is … able from Lev. 23.27, with 32. Alſo … tenth day of this ſeventh month, there ſhall … day of atonement, it ſhall be an holy … unto you, and ye ſhall afflict your ſouls, and … an offering made by fire unto the Lord. ſhall be unto you a ſabbath of reſt, and ye ſhall … your ſouls in the ninth day of the month on … from even unto even ſhall ye celebrate you … hath. Nor doth it weaken the place, … it is mentioned under the Inſtitution of … ſpecial day. For it appears that ver. … an Explication of what was the tenth Day of the Month: And it is Obſervable that in the Old Teſtament, a Day is called … Evening M…ing, D…n. 8.14. and if the … Teſtament, a Nigh Day, 2 Cor. 11. 25. And … are aſſurred the Evening begins about or … after the ſetring of the Sun, Mark 1.32. A… it is very likely, that hte Jews then com… the Sabbath was ended. It is alſo appa… that the Days of the Month, were rea… from the Evening, Exod. 12.18, 19. And if ſometimes the Day be mentioned as beginning with the Morning, we may remember that, Day is not always intended of the long Bay of twenty four Hours, but ſometimes of the ſhorter Day, which is put Diſtributively with the Night, theſe two being the parts of a Natural Day. But I ſhall not here enter into Diſpute on this Point, which would be endleſs: But let all that Fear God be well Perſwaded in their Minds.
[AUGUST 25. 1702.]