bare and naked Asseveration will not salve all Cant. 3. 5. their doubts Besides God appointed the Sabbath which Cant. 8. 4. was celebrated in the times of the Law and shall not he Ecclesia non debet nec potest mutare sabbatum qui aliter dicunt falso me interpretantur Prideaux appoint the Sabbath which is celebrated in the times of the Gospel Nay is it not necessary and agreeing to natural equity that he who appoints the manner and matter of worship should also appoint the sufficient and necessary time of worship Are not all men even the Governours of the Church and the greatest Potentates obliged to render to God the homage of observing a sufficient time for worship Or shall we deny God the priviledge which every common Landlord assumes to himself to appoint the days of payment of his own homage What if the Church cannot Quando deus sanctificat sabbatum est sanctificatto constitutiva Cùm homo sanctificat sabbatum est sanctificatio invocativa Weems agree if she apostatize or grow heretical which is no new thing in the world where then shall God find his sufficient time for Sabbath-observation In a word all the power of the Church is founded on the fifth Commandement and not on the fourth and she may as well appoint the worship it self required by the second Commandement as the sufficient time of it required by the fourth And it is well observed by the learned Weemes God onely may sanctifie a Sabbath for himself for the Sabbath is not to be reckoned among private goods but it is to be reckoned among such things as are common to all as are the fire and the water therefore Tempus non est inter privata bona sed inter bona communia qualia sunt â—er aqua quod divini juris est nullius â—â— bonis est Weems man cannot separate time as God doth for his service and worship and there separation is but occasional accidental and mutable Thus learnedly and rationally this worthy man argues that the Sabbath being a common good to the world the institution of it is not to be attributed to any Convention of fallible men but onely to him who is the Lord of Heaven and Earth And surely he who created the Sun the Index of time doth and must appoint the Sabbath which is the quintessence and best part of time These sublime institutions as the Sabbath Sacraments Ordinances c. which have a general concourse in the good and to the benefit of Mankind as they speak the glory so they evidence the determination of God their Author The same Authority which institutes a day may abrogate it and alter it but the Church cannot abrogate and alter Ejusdem est refigere â—ujus est figâ—re the Lords day It is a Canon of the Civil Law They who can enact can repeal and this may be instanced in the Festivals and Sabbath of the Old Testament God alone ordained them and he did cancel and abrogate them Now it is the judgment of our most classick and authentical Divines That the Church cannot alter the Lords day So Certè quamvis dies dominicus sit juris canonici consuetudine tamen nunquam abrogaâ—â—tur Azor. Quid ergò An diem dominicum jure divino esse stabilitum asseremus Ego quidem Auditores sine cujusdam praejudicio lubentissimè concedo in istam sententiam Prideaux Dr. Fulk that eminent Champion of the Protestant Religion who profligated the Romish Cause in answering the Rhemists Testament he thus avers our Plea To change the Lords day saith he and keep it on a Monday or any other day the Church hath no authority for the Lords day is no matter of indifference but a necessary prescription of Christ himself delivered to us by the Apostles This is most clear and plain and let the learned Professor of Oxford the famous Prideaux give his opinion in this Cause I am not satisfied saith he with the Ordinance of the Church for the Lords day because Church-Ordinances may with the same facility be broken as they are made which absolutely to affirm of the Lords day were unadvised And besides could the Church remove the Lords day to Monday Tuesday or any other day what becomes of the day of Christs resurrection the first day of the week upon which not onely the Fathers in the primitive times but likewise our later Divines do so confidently and truly bottom and found it And will it not sound very harshly and unseemly that the Nox est tempus ante Christum plaenum tenebris infidelâ—tatis peccati sed dies est tempus praesens evangelii quo Sol i. e. Christus lucis suae gratiae et amoris radios toto Orbe diffundit Cyprian great and eternal Jehovah should ordain and appoint the Sabbath of the Old Testament and a company of fallible men subject to be attached by a writ of Error should institute the Sabbath of the New Testament when Religion shone with a brighter ray and scriptural ministrations were far more glorious Or to speak in the Apostles language When the Night was far spent and the Day was at hand Rom. 13. 12. That day so much rejoyced in by Abraham and his believing Posterity so much admired by the Martyrs in the primitive times Once God and Man wonderfully united in the same Person made one Saviour but God and Man strangely are Copartners to make two Sabbaths and that the old Sabbath now entombed in the Grave of Christ should have a divine Author and the Christian new Sabbath which is to endure to the worlds end should onely be fixed upon humane Authority is I suppose beyond the reach of ordinary apprehensions But the learned Prideaux wisely observes The Canon of the Church doth not Dies dominicus practicè moraliter est immutabilis Suarez give to this day any Divine Authority which before it had not but sheweth rather what they received from their Ancestors to be transmitted by them to their posterity Nay Suarez the Jesuit will acknowledge That the Lords day practically and morally is immutable and subject to no alteration and therefore it cannot be of humane Authority And indeed it is a dangerous thing to the whole Fabrick of Religion should an humane Ordinance limit the necessary Ecclesiastica disciplina Authoritas nimiâ facilitate enervatur et irrita redditur Alap time of Gods worship Or that the Church should not assemble but at the pleasure of the Clergie and then perhaps not well agreeing among themselves for what would men busied about their Farms their Yokes of Oxen and domestick affairs would not they set at naught a humane Ordinance Would not prophane men easily dispense with Nonnullum quod audivimus aut vidimus argumentum nos adhuc in contrarium flexerit quin ut nomen illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aequè respexerit institutionem Christi ac resurrectionem Dr. Wells their
sorrow Titus an Heathen Emperour when a day was past and he hâ—d done no good Pedr. de Mex Hist Imper. on that day was wont to break out into sighs and sorrow to those who were about him and cry O my friends I have lâ—ft a day The loss of any day is matter of moan but Ezek. â—9 14. to lose the Lords day and the Lord in that day this is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation In nature the interpâ—sition of the Earth between the Sun and the Moon causeth an eâ—clipse and surely when earth vain thoughts earthly discourse froth and negâ—ect have interposed between God and thy soul on his own day what an ecclipse of sadness Eccles 12. 5. should it cause upon thy heart Upon the loss of friends we go in mourning and why not in the loss of Sabbaths which are good friends to the soul Christ waited for thee in every Ordinance thou didst not give him the meeting go home and like the Dove bemoan the loss of 2 Kings 2 12. thy mâ—â—e It is most equal when Ordinances are not our Tristitia nobis data est ut dole â—mâ—s non de morte sed de peccato ibi solâ—â—â— utilis est â—â—â—stitia alibi est inutilis Chrysost treasure that they should be our trouble and what we want in good we should make up in gâ—iâ—â— When Elisha went with Elijah and a chariot of fire parted them asunder carrying Elijah to heaven and leaving Elisha on earth Elisha looked up and cryed my Father my Father Hath God and thee O Christian been parted asunder on a Sabbath and hath the Lord left thy heart on earth and himself gone to heaven O think sadly of this and with bitter moan cry out my Father my Father Repent for the loss of the Lords day and lament after the Lord of that day Sad hearts do well become empty Sabbaths It is very doleful to pine for thirst at the wells mouth If thy heart hath been dead in duties let it be drowned in sorrows Christ looks through the lattice in every Ordinance if thou hast turned thy back upon him by neglect or a vain spirit say with the Church Is any sorrow like unto my sorrow Lam. 1. 12. Search into the cause of this heartless and fruitless passing away Gods precious Sabbath It is good for a Christian to examine what way-lâ—id his work what kept God and his soul a sunder It may be thou didst not tune thy heart by holy preparation Loâ—se strings make no musick every peg must be wound up Vndressed gardens yield no delightfull prospect Mattaina praeparatio necessaria est per diligentem cultus consideratiorem et opis divinae implorationem Riv. in Decalog nor do the nowers grow but on the bâ—ds where the Gardiner hath used his industry and his artifice Thou hast not happily plâ—wed up thy heart aforehand by prayer and meditation and so it is fallow when it comes to Ordinances Holy duties themselves are harsh when the heart is out of tune Marshalled armies engage in battle and prepared hearts engage most properly and most beneficially in Ordinances 1. Cor. 11. 28. To examine our selves is not onely the preface to a Sacrament but to every holy Ordinance No wonder thou art dead in the Sanctuary if thou art deficient in the Closet thou didst lose the morning and therefore thou didst lose the day See is not this the cause thou art so heavy and so stupified in holy Administrations The clock was not wound up and therefore it did not strike Thou wast not Jer. 14. 9. with God in secret and therefore thou didst not meet God in publick so thou looked'st for healing and behold trouble The fire must be blown before it turn into a flame Prepared physick contributes to the cure there must be the Apothecary to prepare as well as the Physician to prescribe Medicines Barascue est feria sexta quâ—m nos vocamus diem veneris quae praeparationis nomine appella tuâ— quia Judâ—i sâ—lâ—bant illo the necessaria paâ—are â—â— proxâ—me 〈◊〉 Sabbatu◠〈◊〉 â—b omni opâ—re servili cessâ—â—dâ—m erat Ger. Our hearts must be taken pains withall before they are fit for the Ordinances of a Sabbath The Jews had a Preparation day as well as a Sabbath day John 19. 43. The heart must be broken by repentance raised by meditation spiritualized by prayer over-awed by a sense of the Divine Majesty before it is fit for communion with God It was a serious prayer of holy Hezekâ—ah 2 Chron. 30. 18 19. The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God and the Lord God of his Fatheâ—s though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary And in the subsequent verse it is said The Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people Experiment this preparatory work and no doubt but thy complaint will cease and the case will be satisfied It may be thy thoughts are low of Sabbath gains Men will not run a race for a trivial prize Merchants venture to Sea Phil. 1. 14. not for Pibbles but Pearles Thou lookest on Ordinances as empty breasts and so thou liest carelesly at them But this is a strange and a sinful mistake Faith the best of graces is the fruit of hearing Rom. 10. 17. The Spirit the best of gifts is the fruit of praying Luke 11. 13. And Christ Christus illâ— tri-dâ—◠〈◊〉 et sepulturae fuit â—â—â—ciculus Myâ—rhae propter dâ—lâ—rem sed pâ—st triduanum dolâ—rem absorpsit laetitia et fâ—ctus est â—t botrus Cypriâ—n vineâ—s engedâ—i illa myrrha â—â—mmutata est in vinum suavissinum et salutare the best of banquets is the fruit of Sacramental receiving Mat. 26. 26. Are not Ordinances the Exchequer of soultreasure more sweet then the clusters of Camphire Lam. 1. 14. more transcendent then mountanes of Spices Cant. 8. 14. More pleasant then the Vineyards of Engeâ—di Cant. 1. 14. Surely thou art mistaken sinner Didst thou ever consider Prayers have held the hands of the Father Exod. 32. 10. Gospel doctrines have employed the tongue of the Sâ—n Luke 4. 43 44. And a shower of the spirit hath fallen upon the Congregation at a Sermon Acts 10. 44. Nay the whole Trinity have been present at a Baptism Mat. 3. 16. Such fruitfull wombâ— must not be called Barren But this sinfull level which so prostrates Ordinances is no more then the evidence of Satans power and that he leads thee to much Del Rio. captive at his pleasure None will call Ordinances empty but the Father of lies What is it which causeth thy neglect of or slightness in Sabbath duties It may be the force of a temptation Satan hath an enmity to our communion with God It was the Evil one hindred Paul from going to the Thessalonians to scatter and disseminate the truths of the Gospel 1 Thes 2. 18. He stirred up the Jewes against the
support of Religion and keeps it from flights or falls Every devout worshipper on the Lords day is but a lessar pillar to shoar up godliness and piety in the world While publick worship is seriously frequented and private duties are frequently performed while the sacred word of God is diligently attended the blessed Sacrament devoutly received while holy prayers with moystened eyes and melting hearts are affectionately poured forth and sent up to God on his own holy day while these things are in ure in a Nation piety and Religion are above the fears of decay Religion sails or sinks with the Sabbath when both are embarqued in the same Vessel and where this Sancta diei dominicae exercitia labascentem pietatem religionem sustinent holy day is constuprated by vanity and prophaneness profession is laid waste and desolate the sanctification of Gods day keeps up Gods fear in the Church but that being suspended the gap is made and the Church lies open to all kinds of sinful incursions A learned man tells us that Guntheram a pious King of France fighting against the Goths with unhappy success did sedulously enquire into the cause Guntheramus Francorum Rex pientissimus contra Gothos infaelici successu se pugnasse observaverat tanti mali fonte paulò altius investigato cui malo ut obviam iretur statutum est diem dominicum religiosè custodiendum per universum c. of it and taking notice of the neglect of the Bishops instructing the people as likewise observing the prophaneness of the people in dishonouring the Lord he presently concluded this was the proper source and cause of his late discomfiture and calamity and therefore he immediately commanded That the Lords day should be carefully and solemnly observed throughout his whole Dominions as being the most proper remedy and most likely Cure for those distempers which had shaken the happiness both of Church and State God usually calculating his providence according to the observation of his day smiling upon those places where it is religiously observed and evidencing his displeasure where it is slighted or contemned Arg. 9 The sanctification of the Sabbath is the discharge in a great measure of that duty pressed by the Apostle Phil. 3. 20. Let your conversation be in heaven All the duties of the Sabbath Nonne pudet te corpore coelum suspicere mentem in terrâ repere caput sursum cor deorsum habere Bern. are but transactions with Heaven Our prayers are our approach and appeal to Heaven and therefore we are said to lift up a prayer Jer. 7. 16. Our hearing the word is only hearing News from Heaven Acts 20. 27. And our Sacramental receipts are only the tasting of the fruit of the Vine which we shall drink new with Christ in his Fathers Kingdom Mat. 26. 29. The Ordinances of a Sabbath are heavenly Ordinances the end of a Sabbath is to bring us nearer to heaven and the Communion of Saints whâ—ch we enjoy upon a Sabbath is a sweet resemblance of that Society the Saints shall enjoy in heaven And though we cannot pretend to 2 Cor. 12. 2. Pauls rapture into the third heaven or to Johns extasies upon this holy day yet in a conscientious use of divine administrations Rev. 1. 10. we travel fairly on towards heaven and happiness Secular works which savour of earth are to be banished this day Exod. 20. 10. Carnal hearts which rellish earth are unsutable to this day Rev. 1. 10. And pleasurous delights which are the liquorish froth of earth are to be avoided on the Sabbath day Isa 58. 13. Our Sabbath is the day-break and twilight of heaven and glory which if we improve to work our spiritual works in a little time will bring us to a perfect noon Arg. 10 Let us be exact on the Lords day in honour to Christ it is his Resurrection day On this day the Sun rose which lightens Dies dominicus Christi resurrectione declaratus est et ex illo caeâ—it habere festivitatem suam aeternam non solùm spiritus sed et corporis requiem praefigurat Aug de Civ dei every one which comes into a better world on this day the Conqueror shewed himself when he had laid all his enemies in the grave from whence he sprang This was the day of Mankinds restauration of the worlds wonder and of the Believers joy This day was the fresh spring of our happiness the initials of a Christians boast On this day Mosaical rites and legal Ceremonies were fully and totally routed and so put to flight and then dyed together the Synagogue and the Sanedrim Christ is the true Joseph who on this day left his prison and was promoted to honour Christ is the real Moses who breaking through death and dangers Acts 13. 31 32 saw Pharaoh and his host Satan Death and Hell and Heb. 1. 5. all spiritual wickednesses drowned in the Sea Christ is the Resurrexisti domine quà m â—â—â—ulatè celeritèr O fortunati labâ—res O gloriosa certamina quae talem finem sortiuntur Pâ—ssionem excepit Resurrectio mortem immortalitas ignonimiam gloria infirmitatem virtus Tempestatem serenitas Bellar. 2 Cor. 5. 1. true Mordecai who foiling Haman and all his enemies delivered the true Israel from tyranny and oppression and on this day kept his Purim Christ is the true Jonas who being cast into the Sea in a tempest of frenzy and cruelty on the third day was cast on the shore and survived to more gracious purposes In a word glorious were the conflicts happy the labours blessed the rest and most triumphant the Resurrection of our dear Redeemer Now as it is reported of Caesar when he would cry Quirites that word put new life into his Souldiers in the sorest battels So when we think our Sabbath is Christs Resurrection day this should put new life into all our duties and devotions This was the day of wonders when our blessed Samson carryed away the gates of Hell to lay our way open to the City of the New Jerusalem the City not made with hands eternal in the heavens CHAP. LIII The Resurrection of Christ is not only a real ground for the institution but a cogent Argument for the holy observation of the Lords day WHen our hearts are dead and curdled into formality upon the Lords day then every one of us should thus bespeak his soul O my soul this day is the triumph of thy Redeemer when he trod upon the Serpents head when Gen. 3. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in Hexam he took from death its sting from hell its standard suppose my soul thou hadst stood by the Sepulcher and seen the Sun of Righteousness covered with a cloud before now shining forth most gloriously on the morning of the Resurrection day how would this have raised and ravished thy heart How glad were the Disciples when they saw the Lord they believed not for joy John 20.
he had not looked on Bathsheba with such a wanton Psal 1. 2. eye Holy meditation would have quenched the fire of that lust This heavenly duty hath this advantage in it it presses the thoughts for the service of Christ nor will permit them to wander in a sinfull liberty Meditation it puts life into Ordinances and makes them sweet and savoury to the soul Ordinances they are like The third advantage of meditation cloaths which have no warmth in themselves but as they are heated by the body which wears them and so Ordinances have no energy or quickning power in themselves but as the divine spirit co-operates with them and our serious meditation makes them fruitfull and effectual If we canvas an Ordinance or two we shall find this more apparent and manifest Shall we instance In Prayer Meditation before prayer is like the tuning of an Instrument and the fitting it for melody and harmony This holy duty of meditation doth mature our conceptions excite our desires and screw up our affections what is the Preces non tam verbis quam animo aestimantur Chemnit reason there is such a discurrency in our thoughts such a running of them to and fro when we are in Prayer like dust blown up and down with the wind but onely for want of meditation And what is the reason that our desires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in prayer are like an arrow shot out of a weak bow that they do not reach the mark but onely upon this account we do not meditate before prayer He who would but consider before he comes to prayer the pure Majesty of God the holiness of his Nature the quickness of his Eye the strength of his Hand and that he will be sanctified by all Acts 1. 14. who draw near to him as likewise those things he is to pray Ipsa majestas dei est origo et fundamentum gloriae Gloria ex Majestate emanat sicut radius â sole Alap for the pardon of Sin the spirit of Grace the assurance of Gods Love an inheritance with the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. How would this cause his prayer to ascend as incense before God David expresses prayer by meditation Give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation Psal 5. 1. In hearing the word the benefit of it much depends upon meditation Before we hear the word meditation is the plough Dum terra labori et agriculturae respondet ipse deus novas pluvias et novas solis caelique influentias immutit which opens the ground to receive the seed and after we have heard the word meditation is as the harrow which covers the new sown seed in the earth that the Fowls of the air may not pick it up Meditation makes the Word full of sap and juice life and vigour to the attentive hearer What is the reason that most men come to hear the word as the beasts came into the Ark they came in unclean and they went out unclean it is because they do not meditate on the truths they hear they put truth into shallow and neglective memories and they do not draw it out by serious meditation It is said of the Virgin Mary that she pondered Luke 2. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tanquam semen in agro those things in her heart A steddy and considerate meditation on divine truth would produce warm affections zealous resolutions and holy actions If we will profit by the Word let us conscionably meditate on the Word In receiving the Sacrament Meditation puts a taste upon that divine feast Examination is commanded before we approach this Supper now this duty of Examination is best managed by meditation He who meditates aright concerning 1 Cor. 11. 28. him who is the Author the Object the end of the Haec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in tribus pâ—rtibus consistit 1 In agnitione miseriae et peccatorum magnitudinis reatus gravitatis 2. In fide et fiduciá mediatoris ne desperatione absorbeamur 3 In serio resipiscentiae et novae obedientiae proposito Par. Luke 22. 15. Sacrament and considers with himself what rich testimonies of Grace there are to the worthy receiver how will this dispose the soul to that holy Ordinance And he who meditates of his infinite misery out of Christ and of his happiness in a dear Redeemer how will this encourage and sharpen his desires to come to the Lord Jesus and meet him at his own table And in receiving we should meditate on the sufferings of Christ for the Sacrament is onely the abridgement of Christs agony And we should likewise meditate on the affections and loves of Christ for the Sacrament is a Copy of his love The Sacrament is food and so we must receive it with an appetite and strong desires but this food must be carefully concocted by meditation The fourth advantage we receive by meditation is the strengthning and recruit of our Graces Indeed grace The fourth advantage by meditation and meditation are reciprocal causes of each other meditation maintanes grace and grace exercises meditation A gracious heart with Moses ascends the mount of meditation Exod. 24. 15. to meet with God and then his face shines his graces are more illustrious and resplendent Meditation feeds three royal Graces with supply and support First Faith receives recruit from this heavenly duty Fides est quasi columnâ— et fundamentum in terrâ jactum fides inter omnes res est solidissima certissuna et firmissima Chrysost Heb. 11. 19. When our faith languisheth and our thoughts are ready to terminate in despair then meditation brings a cordial it fixes upon the power of God which is faiths great supporter in all our temptations When the soul shall meditate thus that God by his own Fiat his own Word gave being to the World and raised this glorious superstructure where man now inhabits and that his power is no less then infinite reducing into act and being whatsoever the Divine Will shall command how doth this underprop our faith and preserve it and secure it against the quick-sands of unbelief Haec suit invicta illa fidei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et basis in mandato et promissionibus dei radicaâ—a Thus Abraham meditates on Gods power and this meditation so steels and backs his faith that it breaks through the most rigorous and fierce onsets of tryal and temptation and so becomes laureat and victorious Another grace which flourishes and thrives on the Mount of meditation is Hope Faith is confirmed and hope is enlarged 1 Tit. 1. 1. Tit. 2. 13. Col. 1. 5. Quaerat aliquis quando perâ—eniam ad speratum gaudium respoâ—dendum cum deus dederit nullae sunt lâ—ngae morae ejus quòd certò donabit Tert. Psal 103 5. by meditation the hand of faith is strengthned and the wing of hope is plumed by this excellent duty If a Christian should consider by
Son too He takes upon him the rags of our flesh and they are farther torn by sorrows and afflictions and at last dipt in bloud How Christ glosses upon his own love Joh. 15. 13. and sheweth us that death was the most sincere testimony and the most superlative Character of entire love his wounds dropt more love than bloud his arms spread upon the Cross were stretched out for amicable and Cùm inimici essemus reconcilâ—ati sumus deo per sanguinem filii sui et Christus mortuus esâ— pro â—â—â—cis et si nondum qâ—iâ—â—m amantibuâ— sed tamâ—n jam amatis Bern. amiable embraces There was a threefold Inscription upon the Cross of Christ I will only a little invert it let it be this The wisdom of the Father the love of the Son and the Salvation of sinners Christs heart was full of love Joh. 10. 15. He lays down his life it is not forced from him Ioh. 10. 18. he deposits it as the pawn of his affection Christ dies for his friends saith Bernard happily not yet loving him yet already beloved by him The mercy of God did most illustriously shine in the glorious work of Mans Redemption The Apostle Rom. 5. 10. Rom. 5. 8. assures us that Christ died to reconcile enemies to his Father and what would have been the issue of enemies how bitter Coristus ex charitate suâ et Patris pro â—ohn injustis et malefactoribus peccatoribusque mori voluit Christus ergo longe omnem omnium hominum charitatem superat et transcendit Alap in Rom. Ezek. 16. 6. their portion how full of wrath their Cup how sure their slaughter Luke 19. 27. But Christ comes to die for us in this low and lost condition Ezek. 16. 6. when we were ready to receive the reward of enemies when we were falling by the hand of Justice as so many enemies How sweet and seasonable was this pity and compassion we had all the Characters of misery upon us which are fastned upon the Church of Laodicea Rev. 3. 17. we were blind miserable poor and naked both helpless and hopeless then Christ redeemed this dying Captive crew by the ransom of his bloud and as the price of his death Our Messiah must die for us when nothing else can help us and his wounds must bleed to stanch ours his bloud must be our balsam his Corrosives our Cordials his fresh wounds must cure our festred ones Heart-breaking pity and mercy brings our beloved to the slaughter when mankind was ready to drop into the flames Alapide observes There was more charity Gen. 42. 25. â—en 44. 1. and pity in one Christ dying for sinners then there can be bowels in all mankind Joseph in pity preserves his Family from famine Christ in softer bowels preserves his people from raine The wisdom of God was greatly seen in the work of mans Redemption in this work there was apparent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3. 9 10. the manifold wisdom of God as the Apostle speaks all the embroydery and artifices of rare contrivance and wisdom Omnes illae â—ultae variae eâ—pâ—gnantes inter sâ—râ—tiones quibus usâ—s â—â—t deus in redimendis electâ—s Christo conjungendis omnes haerationes ab aeterno definitae fuerunt in divino consilio admirabilem vere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fuisse aeternam Dei sapientiam Zanch. in Eph. Zanchy observes that many seeming contrarietiâ—s and contradictions were reconciled in the Redemption of mankind Jew and Gentile dissevered in Name Nature and Priviledge are copulated in the same Gospel with the joyful news of our Redemption by Christ God and Man at an infinite distance united in the same person of Christ who is our blessed Redeemer Justice and Mercy in a mutual antipathy one to the other meet and kiss each other in the same work of our Redemption What an efflux of wisdom was this that the Son of God should die to free the Sons of men that so the Sons of men should become the Sons of God what rare contrivance of divine wisdom That justice should be executed and yet mercy no way impaired that justice should over-take the surety but mercy should be displayed to the sinner that our pardons should be written in anothers bloud our favours should lie in anothers smiles our persons clothed with anothers robe of spotless righteousness Rom 13. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 19 20 Heb. 7. 25. Rev. 1. 5. Christus jam vivit non sibi sed nobis nostram causam agens in conspectu dei that our Prayers should be heard upon the account of anothers intercession Heb. 7. 25. That our souls should be cleansed in the bath of anothers bleeding Rev. 1. 5. All these methods of interwoven wisdom may be both our wonder and meditation Christ is the wisdom of his Father 1 Cor. 1. 24. not only as he was his Son and his Character but as he was our All-sufficient Redeemer The power of God did eminently appear in the work of our Redemption Love brought Christ to the grave but power Heb 9. 14. brought him out of the grave Justice laid the weight of sin upon Christ but power sustained him under that burden Simplicius est res postulat de ipsâ Christi divinitate intelligere hunc phrasm aeternum scil spiritum quae nisi aeternam fragantiam humanae Christi victimae ospirasset utique satisfactoria pro mundi peccatis aeternaeque justitiae meritoria esse non poâ—â—isset Par. which would have crushed men and Angels into nothing It was nothing but Almighty power which supported Christ and carryed him effectually and gloriously through the work of mans Redemption which must necessarily be exerted to sustain Christ under those effusions and chataracts of divine wrath which were poured out upon him and to raise him from that grave where he lay breathless for an appointed time What but omnipotency could break the bonds of death and petarre the Sepulchre to make way for the Resurrection of a glorious Redeemer CHAP. XXI God exceedingly to be praised in his works of Grace and Glory LEt us meditate on the morning of Gods holy day upon the works of grace Now divine grace may be taken in a Rom. 8. 28. Rom. 9. 11. Eph. 1. 11. Eph. 3. 11. double sense First Either for grace the cause which is nothing but the favour and good-will of the Lord his rich grace and mercy folded up in purposes of eternal love and therefore the Apostle 2 Tim. 1. 9. joyns Gods purpose and his grace together Gratia ab aeterno data in decreto scil Dei praedestinatione et haec donandi voluntas absoluta est et irrevocabilis Alap to evidence his gracious purposes of favour which he had from eternity towards his dear Saints These methods of grace are various and admirable The rejection of the Jews and the calling in of the Gentiles the different dispensations used in the Church before the Law under the
the same Augustin averres Chrysostom assures us That the words of Ipse de cantatorum psalmorum Davidicorum verba inter canendum prolata recenset Chrysost Homil. de verbis Isai 1. lib. 5. Davids Psalms were the constant matter which was sung that which did feed the voyce and the rejoycing of Christians in his time Thus singing of Psalms was the usual and commendable practice of the golden times of the Church And sing to the Lord Psalm 47. 6. must be the command which must lead us up and down a Sabbath and especially put an Higgaion Selah upon the close of it Now for our more comfortable management of this heavenly service and spiritual recreation we must consider Singing of Psalmes hath excellent Presidents That service is much sweetned which is exemplified by the best Patterns We have the best of Persons going before us in this Job 38. 7. way of holy delight The Morning stars of the Church have sung together Heb. 2. 10. 1. Christ himself the Captain of our sanctification as well as our salvation hath gone before us in this holy practice he sang a Hymn with his Apostles Mat. 26. 30. He sang with the Apostles to shew us that Psalms are calculated not onely for the publick Congregations but private Families He sang not with the multitude but with the Disciples And Christ sang in the Evening to evidence that the Evening of his own day is the most fit season for this heavenly duty And he sang immediatly before he suffered Hymni sunt laudes dei cum cantico Et si sit laus non dei non est hymnus si sit laus dei et non cantetur non est hymnus Oportet ergo ut sit hymnus habeat haec tria et laudem et dei et canticum August Psalmi Davidici sunt sacri hymni Philo. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Archimusico vincenti praecentori cui cura est de re musicà instatque ut ad debitum finem perducatur Prefecto cantorum Occurrit in Psalmis 35 vicibus Bithn to seal this Ordinance with his blood And if it be Queried what Hymn Christ sang Learned Expositors are various in their opinions and shoot so much at Rovers that I shall not stay to take up their arrows But it is not without remark that Augustin gives us the full and rare description of an Hymn which may help us in this case Hymns saith he are the praises of God set forth in singing If it be praise and not of God it is no hymn And if it be praise of God and these praises are not sung it is not an Hymn And therefore if it be an Hymn it must have these three things It must be praise the praise of God and that with a song Christ then was versed in this holy practice and so the Holy Ghost pens a Psalm for the Sabbath viz. the 92 Psalm that as there is the Lords Prayer to guide us in that holy duty so there i◠the Lords Psalm too to excite and stir us up in this feraphical Service 2. Godly Princes have glorified God in this duty 2 Chro. 29. 30. David composes Psalmes and Hezekiah commands them to be sung The chief Magistrate joynes with the chief Musician And he that takes the Scepter in his hand to govern the people he likewise takes the Harp in his hand to sing the praises of the Lord Psalm 98. 5. David and Asaph Hezekiah and the Levites all joyn to sing forth the praises of God There was among the Jews a Prefect of songs as well as a Governour of the People 3. The Holy Apostles those bright luminaries of the Church they have made this musick in their Sphears Acts 16. 25. Paul and Silas sang praises to God in their Exod. 15. 1. darkest Dungeon though their feet were their tongues were not in the stocks 4. Eminent Fathers Some have been cited already to give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Quest 117. ad Orthodoxos in their testimony to the praise and practice of this duty I will onely superadd one more One most worthy among the worthiest famous Basil who thus discants upon singing of Psalmes Look whatever is profitably dispersed throughout the whole Scriptures the same is gathered together Est Psalmus animarum tranquillitas Pacis Arbiter optimarum disciplinarum promptuarium Psalmus turbas et fluctus cogitationum compescit iracundiam mollit est elementum incipientibus incrementum proficientibus c. Basil in the Book of the Psalmes and therefore this Book of Psalmes was preserved that those who are Children in years or altogether young in manners might in shew sing in meeter but in truth might instruct their own souls the instructions of the Psalmes being sung both at home and abroad A Psalm brings quietness to the mind is a peace-maker repressing the perturbations and passions of the mind it doth mollifie anger and procure love and friendship among men suggesting unto the mind a certain concord and a common bond to unite men together and compelling men to the harmony of one Quire A Psalm is instruction to the ignorant an increase to them that profit and one voice of the whole Church This doth beautifie solemnities and causes Godly sorrow for Psalms do pull tears out of the most stony hearts Thus far the Renowned Father launches forth in the praise of Psalmes Ho◠institutum in hodierum diem retentum Aug. Confes that spiritual incense as he is pleased to call them And from the Primitive Church this heavenly service hath been propagated down to our very times This duty like the Sun which runs through the several signs of the Zodiack hath passed the tempers and dispositions of every Age. Singing of Psalms hath not onely excellent presidents but enforcing reasons The Psalmist saith It is a good thing to sing unto our God Psal 47. 1. This duty being like a fruitfull Cloud in the Summer season which is not onely our screen against the heat but melts into a showre for the earths refreshing It doth not onely make a Canopy for us to keep of the scorching Sun but makes a draught for the ground to satisfie its parching thirst So we do not onely magnifie God in singing of Psalms but we solace our selves and put our Josh 6. 20. own hearts into a spiritual delight This duty is much to Edification Our souls are built up as the walls of Jericho were pulled down by loud sounding forth the praises of the Lord while we praise God we engage him and as holy musicians after we have drawn our tongues and hearts into the Quire we shall have our reward The Apostle advises Cum hilaritati inservimus aedificationis et utilitatis mutuae memores esse debemus Daven the Ephesians to speak to one another in Psalms Eph. 5. 19. The Christian at the same time carrying on a three-fold design 1. He praises God 2. He works divine truth upon his
to bind conscience Others have raised the Jewish Sabbath out of the grave of Christ to walk as a Ghost up and down the world when the Lords day hath for more then sixteen hundred years been its peaceable successor And thus Satan hath every way endeavoured to invalidate the power and ecclipse the glory of the blessed Lords day the holy observation of which he is the greatest enemy of And to this day this Apollyon and Abaddon a destroyer in any language attempts Rev. 12. 9. nothing more industriously then to draw men into a sluggish and sinful frame either to idle away Sabbaths or to spend them profusely in riot and prophaness How many proud persons waste the Sabbath at a Glass or dressing box How many intemperate persons drown their Sabbath Eph. 5. 18. 1 Pet. 4. 3. in luxuries and excess and are fill'd with wine instead of the holy spirit How many are catched at the bait of a Procul abjiciamus impura carnis opera et insanum voluptuandi studium Wal. mad eagerness after pleasure and delight as Walaeus calls it But let us watch against all these wiles and depths of Satan And indeed we should double our guards for there is not an Ordinance but Satan attempts to evacuate and make it a barren womb and a dry brest to the soul If Joshua stand before the Lord Satan will be at his right hand Zach. Rev. 2. 24. 3. 1. He cursedly â—nvies all our converses with God and would raise a cloud and thick darkness to hinder the transmissions of divine love Now he cannot beat life out of the Ordinance prayer will be a prevailing duty maugre Satans malice and therefore he would beat love out of us he would take us off by his snares and enticements either he would disturb us by his temptations or charm us by his perswasions or disengage us from holy and close communion with God by his flatteries and insinuations This Serpent for his subtilty and Lion for his cruelty will like Tertullus Gen. 3. 1. 1 Pe. 5. 8. Luke 22. 31. to Paul Acts 24. 5. attempt us most forcibly when we are pleading the cause of our souls in holy Ordinances on Gods holy day If the Sons of God present themselves before the Lord Satan comes among them Job 1. 6. If we attend in hearing the word the wicked one comes and is Mark 4. 15. ready to catch away the seed which is sown in the heart Mat. 13. 19. Satan enters Judas at the Passeouer John 13. 1 Thes 2. 18. 27. and some Divines assert at the Sacramental Supper How often doth Satan raise noise and disturbance to divert our thoughts and damp our desires when we are engaged in holy prayer that so our distractions may sower and disaffect our most melting devotions And therefore let us cast our selves upon this threefold experiment Let us Petition the Lord to fetter and chain up this roaring Lion so to muzzle him that he may be a Lion without a paw and a Serpent without a sting God cannot only tread Satan non deponit Odium sed vertit ingenium et cruentas inimicitias ad quietas convertit insidias Leo. Satan under his own but under our feet Rom. 16. 20. He can pinion Satan with a check and a rebuke Zach. 3. 2. He can chase him away with the prohibition of a word Mat. 4. 10. He that can bind Satan for a thousand years Rev. 22. can shackle him for a few Sabbaths Satan is a cruel but a conquered enemy Heb. 2. 14. He is a wolf in a chain Now prayer cannot only obtain the good spirit but Apostolus ait Deus conteret satanam sub pedibus nostris ut indicet infirmitotem nostram et salutem can restrain and bind up the evil one and bridle both his injections and disturbances and if thou prayest that thy enemy strike not Christ will pray that thy faith fail not Luke 22. 32. to shield off the fiery darts of the Devil Eph. 6. 16. And to stand against the wiles of the evil one Eph. 6. 11. Brayer can exercise the evil spirit fasting and prayer can Acts 26. 18. 2 Cor. 2. 11. cast Satan out of our bodies Mark 9. 29. much more out of our duties Resist the Devil It is the Apostles counsel 1 Pet. 5. 9. and the benefit will be He will fly from thee Now this Satan vetus hostis est cum quo praeliam gerimus sex mille annorum complentur ex quo hominem Diabolus oppugnat omni genere tentandi et artes atque insidias deficiendi usu ipso vetustatis addidicit Par ex Cypr. lib. de Exhort Martyr ad Fortunat resistence must be made by resting upon Christ by faith so taking in Christ as our second in the encounter and being fixed in holy resolution as the Apostle hints in the fore-cited Text. It is true as Paraeus observes out of Cyprian Satan is an old and experienced enemy but the shield of faith can secure us and the sword of the spirit can subdue him Christ put him to flight with a Scriptum est It is written Satan only batters yielding combats The bird is easily caught which flies into the snare His fiercest stroks are avoided by repulse We best resist him when we will not admit him into parley Let us remember he is the God of this world and so cannot interpose for hurt in spirituals unless we give him the advantage If he be a Prince it is of the Air 2 Eph. 2. And so by his own power cannot endamage us in things heavenly and divine He never conquers but when we let fall the weapons We never lose but give away the Victory and his insultation is the reward of our pusillanimity Let us not tempt the tempter by a frothy and slight spirit Indeed corrupt hearts are his territories and claim Satan maketh his greatest rapes on wandring and light spirits he Gen. 34. 1 2. is Beelzebub a God of flies who buzzes about vain dispositions Psal 108. 1. with his troublesome assaults and therefore on Gods Luke 11. 15. blessed day let us say with the Psalmist our heart is fixed Psal 57. 7. our heart is fixed Psal 57. 7. If our hearts are centerd in God we are above the attachments of the evil one Foolish men usually meet Satans temptations but being immured in Ordinances and onely minding Christ in our devotions this common enemy chained at Christs Cross as Origen speaks will leave us as he did our Master and dear Redeemer Mat. 4. 11. We must watch our Corruptions they are never so violent in their sallies as on Gods own day Pride will go in the most garish dress on the Sabbath and many happily will study more to bring a new fashion then a new heart into the Congregation Vlcerous consciences on this day will quarrel with divine truth or at least with the messengers of it Corrupt wounds will not endure the
tabernacle for Mercurius The beauty of holiness is written on Gods house where Ordinances are marrow and fatness and communion with Christ the wine on the lees Let us no more halt between two Opinions If Jehovah be God let us keep his day holy but if with Julian we have Apostatized to the Idols of the Gentiles let us proclaim it to the world by making the Sabbath a stage to Dagon est deus venter quia ventris gratiâ colebatur deducitur à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frumentum Alap act our lewdness upon Alapide doth elegantly and pregnantly observe that Dagon mentioned in the Scriptures 1 Sam. 5. 2 3 4. is nothing but a belly god if then we will turn Philistinis and worship their Idol we may with more excuse pursue our surfets on the Lords day In the Primitive times a holy observation of the Lords day was an infallible sign of a Christian Professour and in all times lewdness upon that day spake a totalchange from that holy profession but if we are still ambitious of the name of Christian let the holy observance of Gods blessed day be our testimonial for to live in pleasures on that day speaks us dead while we live 1 Tim. 5. 6. To pollute the Sabbath by vioious practices is to break many Commnadments at once The Adulterer on a Sabbath breaks the 7th and the fourth Commandment the Swearer breaks the third and the fourth Commandment the rioter breaks the sixth and the fourth Commandment Prophaneness on a Sabbath is a multiplyed sin a twisted wickedness it is as the Prophet speaks Isa 5. 18. to draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with a cart rope We may say of this lowdness as Leah said of Gad Behold a troop Gen. 30. Si quis ad hoc Sabbatum requitsceret at memoriam beneficiorum dei recolerct interim tamen in aliud peceatum incidit Annon judicandus erat violasse hoc praeceptum de sanctificando Sabbato Est 11. Estius sharply expostulates If God give us a Sabbath to solemnize his great and glorious benefits if on this day we fall into any sin shall we not be accounted violatours of this holy day Both the streams meet the particular sin committed and the breach of the Sabbath This Sabbath prophanation brings forth twins at least this evil is as the grapes of Sodom which were in clusters Deut. 32. 32. It is not a common seam-rent but it is a rent in the whole cloath This cursed emphasis may be annexed to every lewdness on the Sabbath the sinner added this to all the rest of his evils he brake the Commandment also concerning Sabbath-holiness and observation Luke 3. 20. To prophane Gods holy and sacred day is not only morally sinful but it is opinionatively evil and Popish It is the Finito priùs sacro licet iter facere venari studere super lites propter pecuniam Vendere Animalia occidere ad victum constituere Theatra prospectaculis Tol. inst Sacerdot l. 4. c. 25. round assertion of Cardinal Tollet That the publick service being over on the Sabbath it is lawful to ride journeys to hunt and follow the game to plead Causes for money and advantage to kill beasts for provision to set any thing to sail and to set up Theatres for plays and shows This then is the Doctrine of the Romish Conclave So we see to act loosly on the Lords day is not only the corruption of our life but of our opinion and it taints our judgment as well as our conversation it is the distemper of the head as well as of the heart and is a plain striking hand with the Mother of Harlots Rev. 17. 5. So that to act our debaucheries upon Gods holy and blessed Sabbath it is to turn Jew to turn Heathen to turn Papist nay to turn every thing but Saint and in so doing we are not only prophane Felis. f. 305. Catan in Chatec Rom. f. 235. Tit. Fest f. 185. but heretical To add only one thing more to what hath been said a Learned man observes that it is put into the Roman Catechise that it is lawful to kill provisions bake fish mend and repair Bridges High-wayes Churches teach Vaulx Chatec c. 3. f. 53. prophane Arts Card Fence Fiddle and make musick for gain and hire on Gods most blessed day CHAP. XLII An expostulation with Enthusiastick persons who cry down the Sabbath under the specious pretence that every day is a Christians Sabbath IT hath been the lot of the Christian Sabbath in all ages of the Church even from the very Resurrection of Christ and the first dawnings of the Gospel to run the gantlet and to endure the lashes of virulent and impetuous adversaries Ebionitae Sabbatum diei dominicae pari observantiâ celebrandum adjungebant Euseb l. 3. c. 21. Presently after the Apostles the Ebionites vented their malice against it and did proclaim to the world that the Jewish Sabbath was to be observed by all with great Reverence nay with equal respect to the Christian both were to walk hand in hand with equal degree of honour and veneration as Eusebius that Ecclesiastical Historian of Renown informs us at large Others there were who treading in the steps of former Hereticks asserted the Jewish Sabbath to deserve as rich a Crown as the Christian and to be celebrated with as much care and observation And these are mentioned by Clemens Roman Episc l. Constit Apostol 2. c. 63. c. 7. c. 24. Clemens Romanus in his second book of Apostolical Constitutions But against these the venerable Council of Laodicea passed sentence in detestation of the errour as may be seen in the Canons of that Council But it is no wonder if those who deny the Divinity of Christs Person as the Ebionites Sâ—n. Laodic Can. 29. did will likewise take away the honour of his day and bring in an obsolete Festival to strip it of a moiety of its glory and observance whenas two Suns may as well become the firmament as two Sabbaths the Church In the grosser times of Popery Gods day lay under some Chatec Rom. part 3. in tertium praecept Catan in Chat. Rom. fol. 234. eclipse as well as his truth and then it was horribly defiled by stupendious idolatry by Will-worship Mass-worship Bread-worship Saint-worship Image-worship and other Mysteries of Antichristian hypocrisie then it was hard Canis Chat. cap. 3. fol. 84. to find the gold of a Sabbath in the rubbish of superstition In these latter dayes our Christian Sabbath like Christ the Author of it hath been Crucified between two thieves Prophane persons on the one hand and Familistical spirits on the other the former wounding it by grosser abominations How many in these latter ages have known no Temple but a Tavern no Sanctuary but a Stews no Chalice but a drinking Bowle no Psalm but an immodest Song no Communion but good fellowship on Gods holy day And
liberty but licentiousnesse the loosning of the râ—ines not the laying hold on our Priviledge To that which is cleared from Scripture may be added the testimony of the Reverend Perkins who writing on Revel 1. 10. saith thus The day which is here called the Lords day among the Jews was the first day of the week called sometimes by us Sunday It is called the Lords day for two reasons 1. Because on this day Christ rose from death to life for Christ was buried on the evening of the Jews Sabbath which is our Friday and rested in the grave their whole Sabbath which is our Saturday and rose the first day of the week early on the morning which is our Sunday 2. The first day of the week according to the Jewes account came instead of the Jewes Sabbath and was ordained a day of Rest for the times of the New Testament and sanctified for the solemn worship of the Lord and for this cause especially it is called the Lords day the manifestation whereof as some think John chiefly intended in this title And it is most consonant to the tenour of the New Testament to hold That Christ himself was the Author of the change of the Sabbath from the last to the first day of the week and my reasons are these 1. That which the Apostles delivered and enjoyned in the Church that they received from Christ either by voice or instinct for they delivered nothing of their own head But the Apostles delivered and enjoyned this Sabbath to the Church to be kept a day of holy rest to the Lord as appeareth 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. where Paul ordained in the Churches of Galatia and Corinth that the collection for the poor should be on the first day of the week this he left not to the choyce of the Church but appointed it by Authority Apostolical from Christ Now the day of collecting for the poor as appeareth in the Histories of the Church was on the Sabbath day when the people were assembled for Gods service For this was the custome of the Church for many yeares after Christ Apostolicâ institutione Collecta fieri solebat die dominico ubi conveniebant fideles in ecclesiâ Hinc patet Apostolorum tempore muta tum esse Sabbatum in diem dominicum First to have the Word preached and the Sacraments administred and then to gather for the poor And for this cause in the writings of the Church the Lords Supper is called a Sacrifice an Oblation Because therewith was joyned the collection for the Poor which was a spiritual Oblation not to the Lord but to the Church for the relief of the Poor and this collected relief was sent to the poor Saints abroad 2. The Apostles themselves kept this day for the Sabbath of the New Testament Acts 10. 27. And it cannot be proved that they observed any other day for an holy Rest unto the Lord after Christs ascention save onely in one case when they came into the Assemblies of the Jewes who would keep no other then their old Sabbath of the Law All this and more that man of renown in the Churches of Christ hath left upon record to assert the Christian Sabbath as a set and standing day for the solemn worship of God every week till the second coming of Christ And therefore clamorously to plead a liberty to worship God as where so when we please in Gospel-times is not onely a contradiction to holy Writ but it is likewise a giving the lye to the Testimony of the most approved Lights of the Church To be left to our selves to serve God when we please and not to be tyed to any set day of solemn worship is not Christian liberty but unchristian misery This is our snare not our priviledge If we may serve God at any time we will serve God at no time Mans corrupt nature is not so accommodated Rom. 8 7. to spiritual Ordinances that it should be often fledged with satisfaction and delight The Jews who had a clear command for Sabbath observation were weary of Quidam asserâ—â—â—t omnes dies esse aequales quilibet dies est Sabbatum Christianis sed hi dum Sabbatum multiplicant annihilant multitudo festorum interficiet Sabbatum their Sabbaths and wished them over that they might set forth Wheat Amos 8. 5. And yet this people was disciplined by God himself and carryed in his bosom Numb 11. 12. Shall men be left to themselves to serve God when they please when will the worldling shut up his shop to be at leisure for holy worship and communion And when will Proud persons leave consulting the Glass in their Chamber to consult with the glass of Gods word The covetous person will hardly spare time for solemn and divine services and to wait upon the worship of the Almighty Voluptuous persons will be lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God 2 Tim. 3. 4. And those who frequent the stews will seldom approach the Sanctuary Truly to leave man to his own liberty to serve God is only to give the reins to loose nature to range in the broad way which leads to destruction We see experimentally that all Laws divine and humane which concern the Sabbath cannot shackle corrupt man and keep him close to a due observation of it Some sin it away in acts of gross prophaneness some trifle it away in foolish talk and recreations some formalize it away in sleeping at Ordinances or neglecting family duties and he who keeps it strictly and purely is a Job 33. 23. De iis timenduÌ„ qui omnes dies aequant dum dies aequant aequarent etiam divitias dum arripiunt praeceptum è decalogo opes arriperent e loculo Professor one of a thousand To take all obligations from conscience that it may serve God when it pleaseth and not be tied to any set time is to spur forward corrupt man to irreligion who is too forward of himself A grave man seriously asserts Lay waste the Sabbath and lay waste all Religion that blessed day being the hedge to keep in Man to his duty which being broken down how should we turn as wild beasts of the forrest So that this ruinous opinion will easily prove the unhappy Parent of a thousand soul-destroying mischiefs it not being probable that laying aside Mic. 5. 8. the Sabbath of the Lord we should lie under the smiles of the Lord of the Sabbath It is true that under the New Testament all places in a fair sense are equally holy but it doth not follow from hence that all times are so and Walaeus stands stiffly to it the Mat. 18. 20. argument is invalid For it is not easie or meet but is very John 4. 21. dissonant from divine wisdom to appoint in his word all 1 Tim. 2. 8. particular places where his people should meet their meetings Mat. 1. 11. being to be in so many thousand several Provinces and
us this fair relation of their behaviour on the Sabbath We have our Conventions saith he on the Sabbath and sit down with great silence and the people speak not a word unless it be in the praise of their Teachers one of the most grave of the Priests reads the Law and expounds it and this is done all the day long till twilight and so the people g◠away more knowing in the Law of God And this relation Eusebius takes notice of in his eighth book of Evangelical preparation the second Chapter Thus then upon the credit of one of their most famous Authors it was the shutting in of the evening put a stop to their publick services besides the remains of duty to be acted at home so that their whole Sabbath was a golden thread spun out in heavenly and devout performances which may cover the faces of many Christians with shame who trifle away their precious Sabbaths in vain and flatulent impertinencies To add but a word The Jews zeal for Sabbath-observation sometimes gave so good an heat that mistaking the force of the fourth Commandment In it thou shalt do no manner of work Exod. 20. 10. they would not adventure to rost an Apple to pluck an herb to climb a tree or those things which are most harmless and inoffensive nay not to defend themselves when assaulted by the enemy on the Sabbath day and by this means they became a prey to their Joseph lib. 12. cap. 8. Adversary Antiochus Epiphanes whereupon Matthias made a Decree that it should be lawfull upon the Sabbath to resist their Enemies which Decree they understanding Joseph lib 14. cap. 8. strictly as if it gave them onely leave to resist when they were actually assaulted and not to use any stratagem on that day to prevent their enemies by raising of Rams or setting of Engines undermining c. They became a prey a second time to Pompey But afterwards they arrived at a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 better understanding of this Decree and now they have a Proverbial speech Peril of life drives away the Sabbath As the Christians use a Proverb much to the same purpose Necessity knows no holy dayes And this scruple concerning such small things as were before mentioned as likewise not Hospin de Orig. Festor cap. de Sab. warring on the Sabbath Hospinian puts a fair construction upon and thinks it rather mistake then superstition And so we have seen the fair portraicture of Sabbath-observation as it was sometimes drawn by Jewish practice when they were serious and advised and not effascinated with sensuality and idolatry and truly it was very commendable and deserves imitation and will certainly heat the furnace of eternal fire seven times hotter to Sabbath-breaking Dan. 3. 19. Christians CHAP. XLIV Holiness doth as well become the Christian as the Jewish Sabbath if we look back to the Infancy of the World IT is not unusual with many persons to look upon the strict observation of the Sabbath as a piece of servitude which onely belonged to the Jews and that Christs coming Externus dei cultus à naturae lege et jure existit cùm illud à naturâ comparatum est ut tempus aliquid iis quae ad cultum pertinent opportunè et liberaliter demiss Azor. loosned the reins and gave Christians a greater liberty Now to refute this unhappy fancy shall be the design of this and some subsequent chapters and the only way to accomplish the attempt is to shew that the Sabbath every way belongs as much to Christians as to Jews and therefore the holy keeping of it concerns as much the one as the other for holiness is the end of the Sabbaths command To cease from servile works is the Command and Sanctification is the end of that Command as the School-men speak Now to evidence this the more plainly and demonstratively we must run up the Sabbath to the fountain head to Gen. 2. 3. Septimum diem deus non accommodum putabat ad creandum sed ad quietem adaptum statuit Theodor. the primitive institution of it which we find in the very infancy of the World Gen. 2. 3. The Sabbath at first was given to the Sons of Adam and not to the Sons of Abraham and it was a Sun which did not onely shine upon the coast of Judaea but upon the whole world and so every way belongs to us as well as to the Jews This will be more clear if we canvass the words of the institution recorded in the forementioned Gen. 2. 3. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his works which he had created and made Observatio sab bati omnino praecepta suit ante Mosen quia in primâ creatione deus eam sanxit Par. in Gen. Before I pass to a further explication of the text I shall take notice as others have done that all our translatours of the Bible in the Contents of this Chapter put in the first Sabbath instituted And therefore the apprehension of these learned men which put the sacred Scriptures into an English dress and made them speak our mother tongue might prevail much against the cavils of any of our own Nation But for the more clear explication of Gen. 2. 3. we must enquire into the meaning of these words Blessing and Sanctifying and I suppose the worthy Chrysostome may here be an authentical expositour and thus he descants on this text Gen. 2. 3. He sanctified it wbat means that word he Chrysost in Gen. sanctified it he separated it therefore the Divine Scripture teaching us the cause why he sanctified it addeth because in it he rested from all his works Now hence God would teach us from the beginning to separate and set apart one whole day in the circle of every week to the exercise of spiritual things For for this cause did the Lord finish all the fabrick of the world in six dayes and honoured the seventh day with his blessing and sanctified it because in it he rested from all his Illa sanctificatio Sabbati nihil aliud esse potest quà m mandatum de illo die sanctificando Adamo datum Dr. R. works To this worthy Father let the famous Bishop of Armagh succeed in the explanation of this text To sanctifie a Sabbath saith he is either to keep it holy or to make it holy and seeing God cannot keep any day more holy then another the meaning must be he made it holy which is as much as to command the keeping of it holy And it is observable God blessed the Sabbath not with natural blessings that the Sun should shine brighter and the weather prove fairer on Zanch. de hom Creat lib. 1. Sab. fin libr. this day rather then another but the blessings of a Sabbath are of another nature they are spiritual blessings converse with God holy and divine meditation c. which blessings proclaim
reverence and devotion honour the Lords Day and abstain from all carnal actions and all earthly labours and go to the publick Assemblies devoutly The Council of Aken which was held 800 years ago Forbids all Marriages on the Lords Day as being too often introductive of unseemly vanities most improper for that holy day In a Council at Rome it was decreed That no Market should be kept on the Lords Day no sentence should be past though the offence of the Malefactor should require it In a Council at Coy it was decreed That men should do no servile work nor take any journey on this day At a Council in Petricow it was decreed That Tavern-meetings Dice Cards and such like pastimes should be abandoned on this Holy day The Council of Eliberis decreed If any man inhabiting the City come not to Church for three Lords days together let him to kept so long from the Sacrament that he may well seem corrected for it And the famous Council of Laodicea decreed That Christians ought not to Judaize and to rest from work on the Jewish Sabbath but prefer the Lords day before it and rest thereon from labour If any be found to Judaize let him be Anathema And thus we may say with the wise man Prov. 11. 14. In the multitude of Counsellors there is safety the Governors of the Church in their grave and solemn Conventions have in all ages remembred to establish the honour and Holy observation of the Lords day The Lords day hath met with acceptance and veneration in all ages of the Church In the Primitive times it was universally Ignat. Epist ad Magnes 4. Iren. l. 4. c 19 20. Tertul. Apol. c. 39. Orig. contra celsum Ambros Serm. 62. August tract 5. in Joan. Euseb eccles Hist l 4. c. 23. Hieron Epist ad Eustochium Cyril in Joan. l. 12. c. 58. Greg. l. 11. Epist 3. Justin Mart. Apolog. 2. embraced owned and observed And Ignatius Justin Martyr Irenaeus Origen Tertullian Basil Athanasius Chrysostom Hierome Ambrose and Augustine c. were but the trumpets of its praise These famous lights in the best dayes of the Church liberally contributed to the glory of the Lords day and cast in freely to the treasury of its commendation and observance And these Orthodoxal Fathers both Greek and Latin do with one mouth testifie concerning the Christian Sabbath 1. The Original thereof which they say was first established by Christs own blessed and inspired Apostles 2. The cause and occasion of this day In memory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord who rose as upon this day and triumphed over death and hell 3. They bear honourable testimony exhibit general approbation and give notice of their continual practice in the sanctifying of the Lords day in their several times and ages 4. They effectually established it by their practice preaching Athanas de circumcis Sabbat Chrysost Serm. 5 de Resur Felis f. 292. Vaulx Cath. c. 3. Ribera in Apoc Catech. Roman part 3. f. 319. Stella in Luc. Rhem. Test in Apoc. Eccii Enchyrid tit de sestis fol. 134. Hos confess fol. 300. and writings that the memory of it might never be lâ—st nor the prefixed time be changed or altered The Papists coming between the primitive and the later purity as a Nettle between two Roses as they kept the Letter of Gods word the matter of Baptism the Doctrine of the Trinity so they kept the time and doctrine of the Lords day And they did always acknowledge 1. That the Lords day was by the Apostles themselves established and some of them say Dominico jussu by the command of the Lord himself 2. That this was done by them in the memorial of the Lords resurrection 3. That those texts of Scripture Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. Rev. 1. 10. do manifestly confirm this day 4. That it is a day above all other dayes to be honoured and esteemed 5. That the observation thereof is pars cultus divini part of divine worship and so consequently jure divino of divine right All this the Papists have freely acknowledged although they are so subject to the epilepsie of errour and the spiritual falling-sickness nay although they are so byassed by interest their fundamental maxime and so closely chained to the Popes Chair But in this particular we will grant them infallibility Nay in the darkest times of the Church when the Sun of Abbas in cap. de feriis Aâ—gelus in verbo Feriae Sylvester in verbo Dominici Quaest 1. Et dicit hanc esse communem opinionem quod dies dominicus est jure divino Pisanella in verbo dominica truth shone most faintly and was behind the blackest cloud even then many School-men of note and eminency acknowledged the Divine right of the Lords day and gave in their plentiful attestations to that important truth And Sylvester one of them is bold to assert that this was the common opinion among them the Lords day was so venerable in the Church it could not be contemptible in the Schâ—â—lâ— Learning in the very worst times knew not how to become sacrilegious and to rob the Lords day of the honour of its diâ—ine original it knew not how in the very midst of the triumphs of Idolatry which was most rampant in the middle times of the Church to sink down the Lords day into An. Dom. 189. An. Dom. 822. an humane Ordinance And one thing is observable that those two famous Edicts of Charles the Great and his Son Ludovicus Pius concerning the holy observation of the Lords day were dated from those times when the Church of Christ was covered with the blackness of darkness and the Spouse had on her the thickest veil As for the times of Reformation these latter ages of the Melanct in Cateches Buâ—â—r de regno Christi Gallas in Exâ—d Jun. in â—enes Faius in Thes Zanch. in quartum praecept Chemnit harm Evangel Beza in Thâ— Geneven Piscat in observat in Gen 2 3. world have not blemished the glorious work of reformation with degrading the Lords day from its due just and Scriptural honour More then a Jury of Forraign Divines acquitting this blessed day from the mean original of an humane institution And if they shall be called in they are ready to avouch it Beza Junius Piseator Rolloche Chemnitius Walaeus Bucer Melancton Gallasius Viretus Amesus Peter Martyr Zanchius Pareus and Faius c. all concurring in their sentence That the Lords day was consecraâ—eâ—â—y the holy and infallible Apostles Nor are there deficient Divines of note of our own who give in the same verdict and joyn issue with the suffrages of those beyond the Seas what the eminent Perkins his opinion was in this cause hath already been suggested Let me now produce the testimony of the famous Mr. Joseph Meâ—e whose worth and learning was not of an ordinary sâ—â—ture and thus he expresseth him-himself I say therefore that the Christian as well as the Jew after
quam jus Domini the right of an indulgent Father then of an Authoritative Lord. Mans good and benefit is twisted into Gods Command as rich embroydery is put upon a piece of sine cloth This is a Precept not only prefaced with a memento but seconded with an appeal to mans reason and conscience Let us take a view of the force of this equity It is most equal that God should have one in seven to add somewhat to what hath been said already If God gives us six dayes shall we deny him one It is the confession of Mr. Brerewood Our adversary in this cause of the Sabbath That it is meet that Christians dedicate the Lords Day wholly to the Lord and to the honour of his name and that we should not be less devout in the celebration of the Lords day then the Jews in the celebration of their Sabbath because the obligation of our thankfulness is more then theirs Thus far our adversary pathetically exhorts us to keep Gods blessed day wholly and fully to himself Holy Greenham saith If God had given us one day for our selves and kept fix for himself it had been equity in him to command and duty in us to obey But now God hath kept but one for himself and that for our profit too to break this Commandment then when God hath shown such liberality it must needs be a stupendous sin It was a rational discourse of Joseph with his Mistriss Gen. 39. 9. My Master hath kept back nothing from me but thee because thou art his Wife and therefore how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God God hath kept no day in the week from us but only the first day because it is his Sabbath how then can we do this great wickedness to prophane his Sabbath and sin against God This amplified Adams guilt he was only forbidden one Tree in the Garden and he must eat of that and this will aggravate our sin we are only forbidden one day in the week and yet we must do our owne 2 Sam. 12. 4. work please our own corruptions and gratifie our flesh and Datur Sabbatum homini ut se segreget et quiescat propter dei gloriam Aben. Fzr. sense on that very day Nathans parable which he used to David 2 Sam. 12. 3 4. is rightly calculated for every one who prophanes Gods day Hath God only one day which he hath kept to himself and sanctified to his service and laid as it were in his bosome and shall men be so unworthy then when their hearts tempt them to vanity they must take the time of this one day to please and gratifie their own corrupt hearts when they are rich in time and have six days every week given them for themselves I may here take up that of the Apostle Rom. 8. 1. Shall we sin and continue in it because Grace abounds Gods bounty should encourage not dispirit our duties it should be a spur to holiness and not a gap to prophaneness Psal 119. 164. 2. And most equitable it is that Time being one of the most precious blessings on this side eternity a jewel of inestimable worth a golden stream dissolving and as it were continually running down by us out of one eternity into another yet too seldome taken notice of till it be quite passed by us and from us It is most just I say and meet that he who hath the dispensing of other things less precious and momentous should be the supreme Lord of our time especially Eccles 9. 12. when he takes so little to himself as one day in seven And our guilt must boyle up to a great heighth if we dash the eighth Commandment upon the fourth to break both in pieces and rob God of his little spot of time the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Homil 5. in Mat. day to waste it upon our lusts sloath or vanities It is a zealous and pathetical speech of the excellent Chrysostome What desperate folly is it saith he for people to bestow five or six dayes upon the affairs of the world and not to give one day to spiritual things Therefore let men be perswaded that at least they would set one day apart wholly to these things whatever they do on the week dayes one of the seven dayes must be set apart to our common Lord. Let us observe the Argument of this holy man not only Gods indulgence but our own dependance commands Sabbath-holiness God is the common Lord and shall we not consecrate one day in the week to his service to the great Jehovah in whom we live move and have our being Acts 17. 28. His time is not only in our hand but our times are in his hand Psal 31. 15. And if we abuse his time he can shorten ours And besides all our labours which are as the humming of a Bee or the fluttering of a Butterfly are not so valuable to take up six dayes as his sacred worship which is Psal 31. 15. not only our homage and tribute but our way to life and salvation to take up one day Gods honour and glory which is promoted on his own day by all devout and holy Christians is infinitely more considerable then all our worldly gains and petty interest which is carried on the other six dayes Bucer saith most truly and gravely He discovers himself a most deplorable despiser not only of his own salvation but of divine bounty and indulgence and not fit to Deploratum sanè iâ—se contemptorem demonstrat sicut salutis propâ—iae sic admirandae dei ergà nos beneficentiae ecque omnino indignum qui cum populo dei vivat qui non studet tum ipsum diem domino deo suo glorificando et providendae suae propriae saluti sanctificaro maximè quùm deus nostris negoâ—iis et operibus quibus praesentem vitam sussentemus sex dies concesserit live among Gods people who doth not study to spend one day in seven viz. the Lords day to the glory and honour of the Lord and to look after his own salvation especially seeing God hath given us six dayes for our labours and employments to sustain our selves in this present life This holy man thinks him unworthy of any station in the Church of God who hath so far sunk himself below the shadow of all reason and justice as not to take Gods grant in giving us six dayes for our selves and so to conscerate the seventh in holy duties and exercises to the glory of a bountifull and a gracious God And indeed the waste and prophanation of Gods day only one in seven would fill any pen with gall and turn the smoothest tongue into a sword such sacrilegious and unreasonable men who prophane this blessed day a day in a week would fill any face with blushes and any tract with sharpness Dr. Twisse observes that Gomarus and Rivolus two learned men though much differing from other Divines in
observe in this Edict of this worthy Prince not unfitly called Pius that the Crimes committed on this day were onely rustical works which might easily meet with an Apologie and lay a specious claim to a dispensation yet the judgments mentioned are fearful and tremendous And the use this noble Emperour makes of these doleful Providences is most excellent and commendable becoming the Throne of Majesty a fit Motto for Princes Courts and Kings Pallaces Luke 7. 25. where holy zeal would be as genuine and proper as soft Rayment and to live piously as becoming as to live delicateâ—y God for the prophaning of his Sabbath hath poured forth wrath upon whole Towns and Corporations as may be abundantly testified by these ensuing Instances Gâ—â—gorius Thronensis who lived a thousand years since and upward in the end of the fifth Century according to Greg. Turon Beliarmines Chronology this learned man a verred That for the dishonour done to the Lords day fire from Heaven burnâ—d â—oth men and houses in the Town of Limâ—ges in France But to come nearer home at Tiverton in Devonshire which was often admonished of the prophanation of the Lords day which day was very much polluted by their An. Dom. 1598. keeping a Market the day following and notwithstanding they would not reform presently after the Ministers death upon the third of April 1598 a suâ—den fire from Heaven consumeth the whole Town in less than half an hour excepting onely the Church Court-house and Alms-house and in this fire was consumed four hundred dwelling houses and fifty persons were destroyed The same Town fourteen years after on the fifth of Auguâ—t 1612. for the same sin was wholly consumed excepting some thirty poor peoples houses the School-house and the Alms-house Thus God redoubled his wrath as he did Pharaohs Dream Gen. 41. 32. to confirm this great Truth viz That Sabbath prophanation is a crying and God-provoking sin and shall be pursued with the severest extremity Stratford upon Avon was twice on fire and both times on the Lords day whereby it was almost consumed and chiefly for prophaning that blessed day and contemning the These two Instances are cited by Bishop Baily word of God out of the mouth of his faithful Ministers And is it not just that Market-Towns should be laid waste where the Souls Market-day is despised and prophaned And it is no wonder if we make Gods day the stage of sin if he make our houses the fuel of wrath God hath brought ruine upon Churches for the sacrilegious abuse of his holy Sabbath the blow which was first given to the German-Churches was on the Lordâ— day which was too carelesly observed among them and on that day Prague Mr. Sheph. in Bohemia was lost a fatal loss which filled the Papists with fury and rage and caused the true Professors of Religion to rowl in ashes Thus Sabbath-prophanation paved the way to their ensuing and intolerable miseries The prophanation of Gods day hath blasted whole Kingdoms and populous Nations The Council of Matiscon imputed the irruption of the Goths into the Empire to the prophanation of the Sabbath Germany may now see that one great cause of their late trouble was that the Sabbath wanted its rest in the days of their quietness and many moderate men have thought that the abuse of the Lords day was a principal procurer of Gods anger since poured forth upon poor England in a long tedious and bloody War and such observed that our Fights of greatest importance were fought on the Lords day As the Fight at Edgehill Newbury c. as pointing at our sin in the punishment and Gods wrath was written in Dominical letters And it is remarkable that Edgehill Fight which was fought on the Sabbath-day first brake the Peace and made an irreconcilable breach between the two contending Parties Indeed God is very jealous of his own blessed day which when men dare to prophane it is not in populous Towns to watch against nor in City-Gates to shut out nor in mighty Kingdoms to resist or beat back his furious and severe indignation Therefore let all the premised Examples in their several varieties cause us to walk with all due circumspection and to keep Gods holy day with just solemnity and holy devotiâ—n and so we may secure our selves against these heavy strokes which have broken others Jer. 19 11. like a Potters vessel CHAP. L. Some Remarkables relating to the dreadful Fire of LONDON which began on the Lords Day Sept. 2. 1666. THat God doth threaten the fiering of Cities for the pollution of his holy day is clear and manifest from Scriptural attestation and more especially from that remarkable Text of Scripture Jerem. 17. 27. the words of the Text are these But if you will not hearken unto me to hallow the Sabbath-day and not to bear a burden even entring in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath-day then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof and it shall devour the Palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched In this solemn Text we have 1. A specification of the judgment that God will punish Sabbath-pollution with viz. Fire 2. The specification of the Object that this fire shall fall Si violatur Sabbatum vorabit ignis portas urbis i. e non extinguetur ignis donec consumat totam urbem Scimus tunc temporis babitos fuisse conventus in portis Duc suerunt loca celeberrima incensum item fuit templum consumpta domus fuerunt Calv. upon viz. A City not a Village a place of meanness and poverty but a City a place of stateliness and plenty a City a place of traffick and safety 3. Here is the specification of the City Not every City neither but Jerusalem the best of Cities not the subordinate but the Metropolitan City It was not Tyberias a Maritime City not Caesarea Stratonis a Garrison City not Tyre a merchandizing City nay not Samaria the chief City of the Kingdom of Israel but Jerusalem the Metropolis of stately Judah which only was crowned with the honour of being called the City of God Psal 87. 3. Jerusalem where Gods honour dwelt Jerusalem where Gods Temple stood Jerusalem the general Rendezvous of Worshippers at set and solemn times Jerusalem whose fame was noised all the World over yet God threatens this Jerusalem with fâ—re and flames for prophaning his Sabbath and did God onely threaten it No He fully executed his threats upon it Jer. 39. 8. And the Chaldaeans burnt the Kings house and the houses of the people with fire and brake down the walls of Jerusalem God did not onely light and shake the Match in a threat but shot off the Piece in tremendous execution he lays Jerusalem waste which would not hallow his holy Sabbath And is not famous London the sad counterpane of destroyed Jerusalem Englands Metropolis lies in its rubbish fire hath taken hold of it and turned it into ashes What those Chaldaeans were
the time of the Sabbath Let us labour to get high esteemes of the Sabbath day We Praescrip 3. keep those things most charily we prize most We lock up Jewels which we value but we leave out other things which we despise and contemn One great reason why men practice Sabbaths no more is because they prize them no Apparet in Sâ—râ—pâ—uris hunc diem esse solennem ipse enim est primus dies seculi c. Aug. more Sabbaths fall in their opinion and therefore they sink in their observation They look upon the Sabbath as a common day a day of leisure to please themselves with carnall rest or sensual delight Only their shâ—ps are shut and so they cannot follow the works of their Calling but their hearts are open to entertain any temptation and so they mind the Magistrate more then Jehovah upon his own day Dies dominicus est dies Regalis in quâ— Imperator ascendit ab inferis Chrysost But serious and gracious persons have always spoken highly of Gods blessed Sabbath The Apostle John calls it the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. which is the Lord Christ his day for this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is appropriate to our Saviour Christ both in regard of the dignity and excellency of his person and because of the greatness and largeness of Ne ipsam quidem dominicam diem Jâ—nctissimi festi ullâ inreverentiâ habuere c. Athanas his dominion as likewise in respect of his bounty towards the members of his mystical body Acts 4. 36. Joh. 20. 13 28. Revel 17. 14. Cap. 19. 16. Now things and persons which are named the Lords are sacred and venerable in an high degree So The grace of our Lord Rom. 16. 24. The spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 17. The beloved of the Lord Rom. 16. Is solus et unus reverâ est proprius et dominicus dies et melior est aliis innumerabilibus diebus sive qui communitèr intelliguntur sive qui a Mose c. Hier. 8. The glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. The word of the Lord 1 Tim. 6. 3. The cup of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 27. Et sic Convivium dominicum the Lords banquet Tertul. lib. 2. ad Vxor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hierosol Catech. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The body of the Lord. Athanas ad Epict. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Scripture of the Lord. Clem. Alexandr Ignatius the blessed Martyr of Christ who lived in the Apostles age and was St. Johns Disciple maketh the Lords day the Queen the Princess the Lady Paramount of all dayes Eusebius in the life of Constantine the Great lib. 4. cap. 18. stileth the Lords day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In truth and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ignat. very deed the principal and the first Chrysostome calleth it a Royal day And Gregory Nazianzen Orat. 43. saith it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Higher then the highest and with admiration wonderfull above all other dayes Basil calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first fruits of dayes Chrysologus Ser. 77. saith It is the primate among days And Hierome in Marc. 16. The Lords day is better then other common dayes and then all the Festivals New Moons and Finitur septimus dies dominus est sepultus reditur ad primum dominus est resuscitatus domini resuscitatio promisit no bis aeternam diem et consecravit diem dominicam Aug. Sabbaths of Moses his Law The Lords day saith Maximus Taurinensis is venerable and a solemn day among Christians because like the Sun rising and dispelling infernal darkness Christ the Sun of Righteousness shined forth unto the world by the light of his Resurrection And the incomparable Augustine saith The Seventh day is ended the Lord was buried a return is made to the first day the Lord is raised the Lords Resurrection promised us an eternal day and it did consecrate unto us the Lords day Justin Martyr calls our Sabbath Sunday as many others after him and not without very good reason That being the Chiefest of dayes as the Sun is the most glorious of all the Planets and therefore the Civil Law calls Cod. Justin lib. 3. tit 12. our Sabbath The venerable and much honoured Sunday Our Sabbath is called Sunday to honour Christ who is the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4. 2. Enlightning every one who Nos jure optimo diem quem Mathematici solis vocant domino ascripsimus et illius cultui totum mancipavimus quoniam nulla re magis imaginari possumus praepotentis et universim supereminentis Christi Mâ—jestatem quà m per splendidissimum solis lumen Et Leo est solare animal Cael. Rhodig cometh into the world and who by his triumphant Resurrection caused the heavenly light of Truth and Grace to appear in full lustre to them who sate in darkness and in the shadow of death And Gaudentius Brixianus speaks fully to this purpose It behoved Christ saith he the Sun of Righteousness with the fair and pleasant light of his Resurrection to dispell the gross darkness of the Jews and melt the frozen cold of the Gentiles and so reduce all things that we reclouded with the black vail of confusion by the Prince of darkness into the state of prime tranquility And Ambrose concurs in his judgement This day is called Sunday saith he because Christ the Sun of Righteousness arose from death to life upon this day to enlighten the Children of this world Hierom tells us It is called Sunday because on that day Light rose in the world and the Sun of Righteousness appeared in whose wings healing may be found So Christ made it Sunday not only from his beams but likewise from his wings for as there was light in the one so there was Cypr. Epist 33. Orig. in Exo. Homil. 7. contr celsum cure in the other and both together gave it this Name And nothing more speaks the glory of Christ then Light and the Sun is the fountain of light and therefore our Sabbath is Tertul. de Coron Mil. called Sunday as Coelius Rhodiginus observes Nay Christ himself is called Light John 3. 19. And the Gospel is named Light Rom. 13. 12. No wonder then if that day on which Christ is worshipped and the Gospel is preached is called Sunday But in all ages our blessed Sabbath flourished in an honourable Bellarm. Tem. 1 de cult Sanctor cap. 11. lib 3. Dominica dies primatum obtmet et major est inter alios dies Durand Rational lib. 7. de Festiv esteem Bellarmine himself saith The Sabbath is a day above all other days to be esteemed And so Durand gives the Lords day all primacy and assigns it a majority for worth and honour above all dayes And it is very observable that Easter-day so much cryed up by some was once the unhappy cause of much contention in
the Church But the Lords day was alwayes celebrated in the Church with joy and unanimity nor ever was the spring of controversie or contention This glorious day alwayes shone bright in the Church without the ecclipse of contempt or disuse And indeed our sweet and lovely Sabbath is a Jewel of inestimable worth a golden stream dissolving and running by us for us to make use of for our passage to a glorious eternity Man never forgets himself more then when he knows not his time and falls below the brute Creatures who understand their seasons Jer. 8. 7. How many observe not the time of Christs coming to meet his people upon his own Eccles 9. 12. blessed day David was wont to say One day in thy Courts is Psal 63. 2. better then a thousand Psal 84. 10. And the same judgement Psal 42. 4. must we pass upon the Lords day before we shall come to a Jer. 8. 7. due observation of it Sabbaths are kept as they are valued And as is our apprehension so is our observation We should look upon the Sabbath as one of the dayes of the Son of man a season put into our hands for life and salvation Luke 17. 22. Luke 19. 42 43. and this would steer our hearts to a Amos 8. 11. devout celebration of it Did we prize the Sabbath as our Rabbini docent Judaeos Sabbatum suum ideò venerasse ut illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnium dierum good wind for our Port our seasonable gale for our coast our indulgent call to our Rest surely we should spend it with God for we know not how soon the things with the day and the day with the things may be past and gone It is observed of the Jews thy so much honoured their Sabbath that they Reginam appellarunt were wont to call the whole week by the name of Sabbath Luke 18. 12. And they were used to say the first second third or fourth day of or after the Sabbath and this they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did as learned men observe not only 1. To discriminate themselves in calling the dayes of the week otherwise then the Gentiles who called them by the names of their Idols But Mark 16. 2. 2. To demonstrate the dignity of the Sabbath day and Luke 18. 12. Hier. ad Hed. quaest 4. Theoph. in Luke 18. that above all dayes it was with them in greatest account And ought not Christians much more hold up an high and honourable esteem of the Gospel Sabbath which is a far more glorious day Most assuredly our practice will keep pace with our repute and if we look not upon the Sabbath as the Tremel in Syriac Para phras day of God we shall never keep it as the day of God And strange it is that the Sabbath should not be precious in our eyes when eternal life is but our great Sabbath our long Sabbath which hath no evening as Ambrose and Augustine Ambros in Psal 119. observe Nay Epiphanius tells us That Christ is but our more durable Sabbath and we rest in this Sabbath when we August de Civ dei repose our hearts and hopes in him Nay a good Conscience as Augustine saith is the bed of God the Palace of Christ the Epiphan lib. 1. Heres 30. Temple of the Holy Ghost the Paradise of Delights and the Sabbatum dei est illud quo ab opere exteriori cessare dicimur et sacramentum interioris Sabbati ubi mens sancta per bonam conscientiam à peccato quiescit Hugo Rev. 2. 10. standing Sabbath of the Saints Thus holy Augustine in his tenth Sermon to his Brethren in the wildernoss A good Conscience indeed is our continual Sabbath our constant feast and rest And therefore in keeping Gods Sabbath let us be faithfull unto death and he will give us a never ceasing Sabbath when we shall wear a Crown of life In the saddest and sorest times when Kingdomes are shaking and Cities sinking nay all Gods Ordinances seem to be taking their leave in a Land yea when all externals in the world are at the worst yet then there may be an internal Sabbath in the heart and an eternal Sabbath in the heavens for all those who are here consciencious in keeping the externall Sabbath viz. the Lords day with all holiness and accurateness of observation Aquinas well observes There is a Sabbath of Sabbatum est duplex Pectoris Temporis time every first day of the week and a Sabbath in the breast inward rest and quietation Now the one leads to the other Aquin. 1mâ— 2dae quaest 100. Artic. 5. when we are Critical in keeping the Sabbath of time we may be confident in the enjoyment of a Sabbath and Rest in our bosoms Piety on a Sabbath will assuredly end and conclude in a Paradise in the bosom and when we have rested with Christ on his day he will certainly sup with us at night and bring grace and peace with him Rev. 3. 20. Let us keep every day as a Sabbath A good week will fore-run Praescrip 4. a good Sabbath as the Sabbath should influence the whole week so the whole week should prepare for the Sabbath And indeed the whole term of our life should be a continued Sabbath in two respects In cessation from the service of sin Sin must always be our corrosive not only on the Lords day but on our day we have no vacation for evil sin is a spot on the week though a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. deeper on the Sabbath as Christ is always the Saints love so sin is always the Saints load How bitterly doth Paul complain of his inbred corruption Rom. 7. 17 18 21 23 24. And so Augustine condoles his condition by reason of sin Alas saith he Sin follows I fly and yet I fall I fight and yet I am captive I run from it and yet I am drawn to it I would rest and yet I cannot be quiet one day nay not an hour Now thus to rest from sin is an every Qui cessat ab operibus seâ—uli spiritualibus vacat iste est qui diem festum Sabbatorum agit neque onera portat in viâ onus est omne peccatum neque ignem accendit c. Et in loco suo sistit neque recedit ab eo Quis est locus animae Justitia est locus ejus veritas sapientia sanctificatio Etomnia c. Orig. days Sabbath there is no day but sin prophanes it sin is the blemish of the shop as well as the Sanctuary and is a brand upon the week as well as the Sabbath It is observable there was no death stigmatized with a Curse but the death of the Cross but on the contrary there is no day but is stigmatized with sin and iniquity Every day must be a Sabbath to us in abstinence from sin It is rarely observed of