A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 167 (Questions 57-58)
SERMON CLXVII.
QUESTION LVII.
WHICH is the Fourth Commandment?
ANSWER.
THE F…urth Commandment is, Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy, ſix days ſha…t thou labour and do all thy work, but the ſeventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou …alt not do any work, thou, nor thy ſon, nor thy daughter, thy man ſervant, nor thy maid ſervant, nor thy cattel, nor thy ſtranger that is within thy gates: for in ſix days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and reſted the ſeventh day: wherefore the Lord bleſſed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
UNDER the former Command we conſidered the due performance of God's Worſhip, with reſpect to our behaviour towards God in it. It follows that we n…w confider it with reſpect to the time, which is Appointed & Sanctified by God, for the more ſolemn performance of Worſhip; and the way or manner of improving this time to the end of it. Which time we call a Sabbath, and now under the Goſpel Diſpenſation, the Lord's Day; about which there have beer, and ſtill are many hot Diſputes among Chriſtians, in ſeveral reſpects; upon which I ſhall not Diſcourſe Polemically, but endeavour to propoſe the Scripture Doctrine concerning each of them, which may be diſtinctly conſidered under the following Queſtion.
QUESTION LVIII.
WHAT is required in the Fourth Commandment?
ANSWER.
THE Fourth Commandment requires the keeping holy to God, ſuch ſet times as he hath appointed in his Word; expreſly one whole Day in Seven, to be … holy Sabbath to Himſelf.
THE great deſign of this Precept, in … inſtruct and direct us about holy Time, and the right improvement of it in the Worſhip of God. And our Anſer ſuppoſeth that there is ſuch time, as is to be accounted Holy, and that it is ſo, by vertue of God's Appointment in his Word: and alſo what prop…tion of time is ſo allotted, and … w…at end.
FOR the more full laying forth the Truths contained in this Aphoriſm, we may …
1. What Sabbath is intended in this Command?
2. How the Command appears to be a … … cept?
3. What Time is allotted to be … a… an holy Sabbath?
I. WHAT Sabbath is intended in this …
Anſ. BY a Sabbath in general we are to underſtand, a Time which is ſet apart from what time, for a Day of Reſt unto God, by Divine App…ntment. The word Sabbath, whatſoevers other purpoſes it is ſometimes uſed for, d…th for the moſt part intend a time of Co…ion from ordinary Employments, and dev… … the Duties of Worſhip. It ſignifies a Reſt o… C… tion. Not that on it Men are wholly … ceaſe from all Employment, for there … Sacred Services appointed for the People of God to attend on ſuch Occaſions; as will afterwards be conſidered; but becauſe Men were on it to ceaſe from ſervile Work, of … cular Buſineſſes, and devote themſelves to ſuch as were Sacred. Now there were ſ… ral times ſo ſeparated by God in the … Paedagogy, all of which are for that reaſon called Sabbaths, becauſe God had for bidden Worldly Buſineſs to be done upon them, and required his People to ſpend them, in thoſe that were Religious. Such were the ſeveral … enumetated in the Books of Meſes, … the great day of Expiation; becauſe God … put a ſtamp of Holineſs upon them, by a poſitive Precept, which he had given about them: hence called Sabbaths, inthe plural. For the Sabbath nextly treated of in this …, is the weekly Sabbath, or that which is to be celebrated one Day in Seven, and is therefore called the Seventh Day, becauſe from the firſt Appointment of it, it was … to the laſt of the Seven, in the Heb…dal Revolution. Now to the Conſtitution of ſuch a Sabbath, it is requiſite,
THAT it have an Holineſs ſtampt upon it. … muſbe eſteemed, and improved as holy Time. Whether this Holineſs be natural or … , is diſputed; but that any diſtinct … of time, ſhould in its won nature be holy, above any other, antecedently to an in…ion for it, is hard to conceive: but that it may have a relative adherent inſeperable who is Lord of time, is beyond any juſt ex…; for what elſ is relative Holineſs but the ſeparation of a thing from Common, and ſtoring of it to Sacred uſe: in which re…, the Tabernacle, and all the Utenſils of … ſaid to be Holy: and this any portion of time is capable of, when it is Authora… exempted from the reſt of time, for … Holy Performances which are to be done … .
2. THAT this Holineſs be put upon it by Dividen Authority. This or that time, if Holy, muſt be ſo either in itſelf of its own Nature, … by Inſtitution; and if thus, it belongs to …uted Worſhip, and ſo refers to the Seced Command; under which we obſerved, … either Angels nor Men, can by their his Authority, make any Inſtitution of Wor… And for this Reaſon, God calls them His …aths, Lev. 19.30.26.1. As for Days of … and Thanksgiving we muſt obſerve, that ſuch as were ſet and ſtated among God's … People, they had an expreſs Command for them, from God himſelf, and ſo the participated inthe Nature of a Sabbath; … for others that are Occaſional, though they belong to the Duties of Worſhip, as to the Service itſelf, which alſo neceſſarily re… that there be a ſuitable time taken up to them; yet the time itſelf is not Holy, but other time, and it is kept, not for the ſake of the time, but of the Duty, which cannot …ife be performed; and it is of the ſame … with the time we ſpend in our Family … Clofer Worſhip, or in Lectures; which will be attended by ſome. While others are … , in common Buſineſs; which ought not to be, if the time itſelf were Holy. And … know that Jereboam Sinned, not only in …ing up the Calves, to be a falſe Medium, … in appointing a Day for his Worſhip, … own deviſing, I King. 12. 33. So that … have a Sabbath which is ſtated, we muſt find an Ordinance of God for it, and that it is a durable Ordinanc… hath the Seal of God's Authority upon …elſe we do nothing. And we have a great … of reaſon to do it at this time, becauſe it is ſo much deſpiſed and neglected; and it is evident, that all Goodlineſs goes wofully to decay there withal, And it is an Obſervation, that hath formerly been made, and experience proves it every day, that the Power of Religion will always fare among a People, as the Sabbath doth. Let us then proceed to enquire.
II. HOW this Command appears to be a Moral Precept?
Anſ. SOME there are that altogether … this Command to be Moral and make it part of the Ceremonial Law, and others are at el… where and bom to ſix the Morality of it. There is need therefore, that ſomething be here offered to clear this meatter; for it we look at this Command to be meerly Ceremenial and not Moral, it is then aboliſhed with the Law of Ordinances, and there is no ſuch Duty lying upon Men in Goſpel times, as the keeping of a Sabbath, and then farewel Religion, There are Three Enquires that may be made here,
(1.) What it is for a Command to be Moral?
(2.) How it appears that this Fourtly Command is ſo?
(3.) Wherein the Morality of it conſiſts?
(1.) WHAT it is for a Command to be Moral?
Anſ. THIS word Moral, is an equivocal word, and is made uſe of by Men in varicus ſenſes. Something whereof was formerly conſidered, when we treated of the Moral Law in general. I ſhall here only add to obſerve, that there is a …wofold diſtinſtion uſually given of the Laws of God: the former is of thoſe that are Natural, and ſuch as are Poſitive; the firſt of which are frequently called Moral, and the other inſtituted: But the word Moral, is not always underſtood in this reſtrained ſenſe, nor are we ſo to take it here. For there are ſome Poſitive Laws, which may in a ſound ſenſe, be called Moral, and are by ſome Divines ſaid to be Moral Poſitive, and how they are ſo, will be anon conſidered, The latter is the uſual Diſtribution of the Divine Laws, into Moral, Ceremonial, and Judicial. to which three Heads, all the Statutes in Moſas's Paedagory are reduced; and the difference between theſe, is warily to be obſerved; and whatſoever doth nor belong to one of the two latter, muſt needs be referred. to the firſt. Here therefore we may take up theſe general Rules.
1. THAT which the Light of Nature dictates to be a Duty incumbent on men, is Moral. This is agreed on all Hands: God put into Man a Natural Conſcience, and it belongs to his Practical Underſtanding. Now on this Conſcience God at firſt Imprinted the Law Moral, which was the Rule according to which Man was to be treated in the ſpecial Government of God: and though Sin hath much defaced that Inſcription; yet there are the remains of it adiding, which tell men, this ought to be done, that to be avoided, and his Conſcience accordingly, either accuſeth of excuſeth him, Rom. 2.14, … For when the Gennles which have not the … do by nature the things centained in the law, thoſe having not the law, are a law unto themſelves: Which ſhew the work of the law written in their bearts, their conſcience alſo bearing witneſs, and their thoughts the mean when accuſing, or olſo excuſing one another. Now whatſoever is thus atteſted unto by Conſcience, is a Moral Duty; for Mars reaſon, as he cannot but approve of ſuch things to his Judgment, ſaith that this atiſeth from the Nature of the things itſelf, whereas Coremonial and Judicial Laws are in themſelves Arbittary and though God hath a reaſon why he enjoyns them, yet it doth not ariſe from the Nature of the things themſelves, nor would they ever have been known to be Duties, nor indeed would have at all been Duties, if God had nor ſo preſcribed them by his Sovereign Authority; and in this regard they are entirely Poſitive.
2. THAT which is a Rule in its own Nature ſuited to mankind, as they are bound for God's Glory as their inſiend, is to be accounted Moral. For this was the proper deſign of the Moral Law. And it was perſect and every way compleat on this account, as we are aſſured by that Encomiun given it, Iſal. 19.7, &c. For God having made Man to glorily him, as a Cauſe by Counſel, gave him this Law for his Direction; hence that Pſal. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. The other Laws indeed, were given in Wiſdom, to help God's People in their Glorifying of him, and he accommodated them for this deſign, but they did not ſuit to Man as Man, but in ſome Circumſtances, and particularly as conſidered in his lapſed Eſtate: and the whole Uſe & Eſſicacy of them depended on the Will of God who gave them, and were to put man in mind of his Sin and Miſery; the Apoſtle therefore hath thoſe remarks on the Ceremonies of that Law, Heb. 9.9 10.4. Which was a ſigure for the time then preſent, in which were offered bath gifts and ſacrifices, that could not make him that did the ſervice, perfect, as pertaining to the Conſcience. For it is not poſſible that the blood of buils and of geats ſhouls take away ſins.
3. THAT which is a Rule equilly encumbent on all Mankind, ſince the Apoſtacy, is Moral. And this follows from the former. And I ſay ſince the Apoſtacy; for poſſibly, if Man ha ſtood, the Tree of Life and of Knowledge, would have continue Sacramental, though that is uncertain, which yet were Ceremonial, as well as Arbitrary. For that Law which was given to Mankind in Adam to be a rule of Life, was the moral Law. And it is as truly a Sin in the Heathen to violate any of theſe Rules, as for the People of God. And therefore the wrath of God is out againſt thoſe as well as theſe for all ſuch Tranſgreſſions, Rom. 1.18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven againſt all ungolineſs, and unrightecuſneſs of men, who hold the trial in unrighteouſneſs. We therefore are told … cerning ſuch Sins, in Lev. 18.27, 28. To all theſe abminations have the men of the … done, which were before you, and the land is … bled. That the land ſpue not you out alſo … defide it, as it ſputed out the nations that … before you. Whereas the Ceremonial and … dicial Laws of Iſael, did not blind the other Nations; it was no Sin for a Canabith to eat Swines fl…ſh, &c.
4. THAT Rule which is perpetual and Inchangable, is accounted Moral. That which was a Rule to man before the fall, and after it, in the times before Chriſt's coming into the World and after it, till time hall … is ſuch; becauſe it belongs to that rule of Relative Juſtice, which God had fixed from the firſt, when he plighted a Covenant with Man in his ſtate of Integrity: That Law of which Chriſt hath ſaid, Mat. 5.18. Till … ven and earth paſs, one jote or one tittle ſhall no wife paſs from the law, till all be full… The other Laws were temporaty and miſesble, and tho' they continued during ſuch … Aers, yet they were not unchangable, and therefore the word forever, which is … times annexed to them, intends properly an Age, and in reſpect of them, ſuch a … Hence the Apoſtle in the Epiſtle to the … brews, by many Arguments proves the … quation and Abolition of the Moſaical … gogy, particularly, Chap. 7.12, 18, 19.8, … And though the Sacraments of the New … ment are to abide through the Aera of the Goſpel Diſoebſation, which will continue to the end, yet they were not from the … ning, but were introduced upon the being in of the Goſpel Kingdom.
5. THAT Command whoſe Reaſon is … gable, is to be counted Moral. That all … Precepts are unchangable, we before … but that we may judge of them to … we muſt inquire into the reaſon of the … itſelf. It is true, the reaſon of our Object to all Commands, as well Moral as …, it unalterable, viz. the Supream right that God hath to Command us; but the reaſon of the Command it ſelf is another thing: For Moral Precepts are ſuited to the nature of this, as bound to ſuch an end. And when the perſon of the Command is in regard of its …ive tendency to lead us to our great end, it is moral. The reaſon of the other … was not perpetual: The reaſon of the Ceremonial, was firſtly to point to a Chriſt to come, amd to prepare Men for him: The reaſon of the Judicial, was to be a mound between Iſrael and the other Nations. But now Chriſt is come, and the wall of Separation is paſſed down, and all difference between Jew and Gentile ceaſe. According to, Eph. 2.14, 19. Col. 3 11.
6. THOUGH a Law may inthe Circumſtances of it be Poſitive, yet the ground of it being Moral, the Law it ſelf is to be accounted ſo. Who thor a Law purely Poſitive, whoſe reaſon is … in the Law of Nature may be called Mo… … well be queſtioned: but that a Law … have the foundation in the Law of Creation, and yet the determination of the Cir…ces of it be Athitrary, is unqueſtion…le. And when God hath ſo determined … the Law may be ſaid to be Moral Poſi…. And ſuch are the Inſtitutions of the … natural Duties to be performed in the …ined Worſhip of God. Such are the …ticular Ordinances for Church Aſſemblies, … P…y, Preach, and Ho… the Word of God. … the reaſon is, becauſe the Duties being … the ſtanting of them by God's will, doth not …ake them ceaſe to be ſo, the Law of … requiting us to yield Obedience to … therein.
(2) HOW this Command appears to be ſo?
… THERE are ſome reaſons to prove the … of it, which are inſerted in the body … Command; which may afterwards … to be conſidered. Here only let me … theſe few Conluſions, to be weighed.
1. THIS Command was given to Man in Inno…, continued from the fall till Moſes, revived … Moſes, and renewed in the days of the … And this proves its Morality accord… the Rule premiſed, taken from its per…. There are four Aſſertions in this …, all which have been diſputed and … by the Anti-Sobb…terians, but ſeem to … good footing in the Word of God.
(1.) IT was given to Man it Innocency. Not … we to look farther for ther proof of this, … Gen. 2. begin in which we have an … of God's fixing and eſtabliſhing a … …ect, upon his having finiſhed the … of Creation, which was done in fix … not doth it make any juſt exception, … it is ſaid, ver. 2. that he finiſhed his Work … Seventh Day; for it is in the preter tenſe, … is alſo uſed for the preterpluſerfect, viz. … when the Seventh Day came, he had … perfected that Work, and accordingly … it. And then, ver. 3.4. tells us, that … it, and ſanctified it; ſo that the Day … was the Subject of this Bleſſing, which … an addition of ſome Goodneſs, which … by Sanctifying it, which is therefore … of the former. Now things are … to be Sanctifyed by God, when they are … and dedicated to holy uſes. And … …ning is explained, in Exod. 20.11. … we with any reaſon ſuppoſe that … …tified that Day for himſelf, but for … And therefore it was not that indivi… …, but that Day in the Week, as the … Reaſon of the Fourth Command … …fers.
(2) IT was continued from the Fall until … For tho' there is no account given in … …p…ures of the renewing of this Pre… d…ring that time; or of the obſervation … any of the Partie…hs, before or after … till then; yet we are both a…red … was appointed at firſt, and upon the … of it on Mount Sinai, there in the ſome reaſon given of it, Exed. 20. which intimated, that it retai… its force all that while. And therefore … find M…ſes ſpeaking of it, as a thing well known before then, Exed. 16.23.
(3.) IT was revived under Moſes. And that which is more obſervable, at the renewal of the publication of the Moral Law, Exed. 20. And the reaſon given for it is, as we obſerved, the ſame with that in Gen. 2. begin. Nor doth the appointing of Ceremonial rites to be obſeived on this day, make the day it ſelf to be Ceremonial, in as much as God had appointed a Ritual or Ceremonial Worſhip to be atrended by that People; and the e… of a Sabbath is for the Worſhipping of God in the inſtitutions which he hath appointed; and there were alſo Moral Duties of Natural Worſhip to be performed on it, as Prayer and Praiſing of God.
(4.) IT is renewed in the times of the Goſpel. I might here infiſt upon other probable Arguments, but I ſhall only obſferve, that as this was fore predicted in the Old Teſtament, particularly, Pſal. 118.24. This is the day which the Lord bath made, we will rejoyce and he glad in it. By God's making it, he intends not his Creating it, for ſo the emphaſis were loſt, and there would be no more in it, than any other day. It is therefore added, We will rejoyce, &c. Noting that it was to be a Day ſet apart for holy Duties; and this is pointed at, ver. 23. which refers to Chriſt and Goſpel times. And Iſai. 11.10. which properly refers alſo to Chriſt. Of which more afterwards. So it is expreſly intimated and intended. Heb. 4.9, 10. There remaineth therefore a reſt to the people of God. For he that is entred into his reſt, be alſo hath ceaſed from his own works, as God did from his. For the Apoſtle is there deſignedly ſpeaking of a new Day or Aera of the Church in Goſpel times, in which God's Worſhip ſhould be eſtabliſhed, and particularly, a keeping of a Sabbath, as the word reſt, intends. And if we underſtand it Synecdochically to include all Goſpel Worſhip under it, yet ſo this muſt be a Principal part of it.
2. IT was given with the reſt of the moral Law on Mount Sinai. It is true, God gave to Moſes the Ceremonial and Judicial Laws, for the greateſt part of them, on the ſame Mountain, but not after the ſame manner. Theſe were given to M…ſes by himſelf, and he was to publiſh them to the People, and commit them to writing. And they were given after the other, as an Appendix to them. But this Law was given to them from the mouth of God himſelf, who ſpake out of the Fire to the whole Congregation. And he ony ſpake theſe Ten Words, as they are called, and added no more, Deut. 5.22. Now the other Nine are all moral Precepts, and why this alone ſhould be merely Ceremonial, is not eaſily ſolved. Beſides they were written with the reſt, on the Tables of Stone, to denote, not only the hardneſs of their Hearts, but alſo the durableneſs of the Precepts: theſe were put into the Ark of the Covenant. Now the Ark was a Type of Chriſt; and this ſignified to us, that Chriſt only was able to keep this Law for us invi…alble: and was to aſſure us, that the keeping of a Sabbath, was an Unchangable Duty, incumbent on God's Covenant People.
3. THIS Precept comprehended under it the Strangers who dwell in the Land. And for this reaſon it was not Ceremonial. For tho' it were true, that their bought Servants that were Originally Strangers, were capable of, nay were to be brought to the Ceremonial Worſhip of the Nation; yet they were to be introduced to all the reſt by Circumciſion: nor might they eat the Paſſover, or of any Sacrifices until then, being looked at, as unclean. But then a Stranger, by whom we underſtand, one who was neither a Servant, nor a Proſelyte, but a Sojourner among them; one who neither was Circumciſed nor made Profeſſion of the Religion of that Nation: I ſay, ſuch an one, tho' he was not bound to obſerve the Ceremonial Law, yet he was bound by the Law of the Sabbath. And the reaſon of this ſeems to be Moral, or becauſe it was a Precept laid on Mankind from the beginning. And if it be objected, that they were only prohibited Servile Work on, that Day, leſt otherwiſe they ſhould give evil Example to the Iſraelites: It may be replied, that the ſame reaſon would hold for other Ceremonies as for this, if it were one; whe…as we find otherwiſe concerning a thing that dieth of it ſelf, Dent. 14.2. notwithſtanding it was Ceremonially unclean.
4. THIS Statute was given with reſpect, not to Civil, but Sacred Concerns, and war therefore no Judicial Law. It is a received Rule, that as the Ceremonial, Law properly referred to Worſhip, ſo the Judicial, to Civil Concerns; but it is Evident, that the keeping of a Sabbath belongs to the firſt Table, and is therefore proper to Worſhip, and ſo cannot belong to the Judicial, which belonged to the Second, and Conſequently, if it were not Ceremonial, it follows that it is Moral.
5. THE keeping of a Sabbath, or ſetting apart of ſome time for Religious Service, bath been obſerved by almoſt all the Nations in the World, and ſuch as were altogether ſtrangers to the Moſaical Paedagogy. I need not to produce particular Inſtances for this, with which the writings of the Heathen Authors do abound. And whereas ſome Object, that they borrowed them from the Jews, and did it in imitation of them, this will not hold, for, beſides that in the times before the Babylonian Captivity, thoſe ſtrange Nations had little, if any acquaintance, either with the Laws or Cuſtoms of the Iſraelitiſh Polity; they alſo bear a peculiar Prejudice againſt that People, who had any acquaintance with them, and mocked at their Superſtitions as they called them. But the true reaſon was, becauſe the light of reaſon in them, told them, that if there was a God, he was to be Worſhipped, and … quently, that it was highly rational, th… ſome time of Solemn Worſhip ſhould be conſecrated to him: though they were Ig… of the time, which he had ſperated for himſelf, and Conſequently took upon them to appoint times, according to their own vain imaginations: however, they had this gea… Conviction on their Conſciences, that th… was ſomething owing to God upon this account; and no wonder if they ſhould err in the particulars, in whom the Law of Nat… had but dark remains, and inaſmuch, as the determination of the time depended, … Divine deciſion.
6. THE reaſon for the keeping of a … is Moral and Perpetual. And thi… … in regard of the Author of the Precept, who is God, and ſo there is the higheſt reaſon for our Obedience to all his Poſitive Precept whatſoever, but alſo in reſpect of the … itſelf; ſo that this Law is itſelf, Holy Ju… and Good, and every way ſuited to Humane, Nature, or for the good of Man, as he is … for the active Glorifying of God as his … End. But this will be more particularly … ſidered in thoſe things that follow.
USE. ALL that I ſhall here ſay, by … of Application is, Let us hold faſt this Pri… and not ſuffer ourſelves to be robbed of it. … is there any one Command, that we … to be more care… about, whether we … der, the great at tempts in the Chriſtian … to undermine the Doctrine of a Sabbath…, … ſome on one pretence, by others on … or what are the fatal Conſequences in … of Religion itſelf, where Sabbaths the … regarded, as being accounted not Divi… … Humane Inſtitutions: Which will … appear afterwards.
[JULY 28. 1702.]