many t to say no more he knows the way I take * Job 23.10 Prayer and Professors are Strangers Prayer is another thing than many imagine and many times I think I never prayed yet but if ever I prayed it was for this And praised be his holy name he hath heard me and helped me through this intricate work which was the hardest knot to untie that ever I took in hand in my Time I gave up my self to the Conduct of God As I was never for on work by any mans Word Letter or Print or ever had the least hint of this Opinion from man so I never asked any creature any one Question concerning it in all the time I have been upon the search of it This I tell you to this end viz If you think I erre you may blame no man but my self and if you think I am right you may give God and not man the praise ¶ Sir Parent Cautioned here is a Providence which you may not lightly passe over viz This concern of the Sabbath falling on me so soon after our Conference under the Tree which seems to be for your Sake I thought not of it in our First Dialogue I was concerned with it in our Second Dialogue though not being ready for it I did not tell you of it but I am no sooner prepared for this Third Dialogue but you are driven out by Yesterdayes opposition to draw me to it And let me tell you In all this labour I have had you in my eye much desiring your Sound settlement for the Sabbath Here is a voice of God speaking to you which I desire you may hear And I pray consider seriously with your self what account you will give at the Great Day if you will not hear Gods voice so Audible nor see his word so Visible but will bottom your Sabbatical opinion on mans Tradition which hath no ground in Gods word Fath. I am shattered and unsettled like a troubled Sea after a Storm by this New sudden assault of my Old opinion but when there comes a Calm and my mind Quiet I suppose I shall settle upon your foundation so you may freely speak what you have farther to say as if I was already of your mind Min. I counsel you to pray God to settle you on a sure foundation Parent Counselled as day and night I have done and by which means I am at length come to the desired Haven towards which I have been long rowing And though by the way I have had many a fall down into the deep yet I ever rose upon this Text * MAT. XII XL And my Antagonists being Answered upon this even firm sound ground I Stand * MAT. XII XL and from this Opinion I shall Never depart while I Live except Christ comes from Heaven and declares me deceived ¶ Having set the Sabbath upon its own Base or rather shewed you where GOD hath set it Praest at pauca avidè discere quam multa cum taedio devorare Erasmus and on what Foundation he hath Bottomed its Beginning and as I hope settled you upon that Foundation I shall for your profitable practice Drop a few Directions for the Sabbath Day and so dismisse you ¶ 1 Remember the Sabbath day before it comes to Prepare for it 1 Direct Memento and let none of yours remember it to Prophane it If you forget or neglect the Sabbath you lose it and let it fall If the Sabbath falls Sin and Satan too rises to your Ruine REMEMBEâ— is a word of THUNDER Remember the Sabbath is Never to be forgot while the World stands A Popish Opinion Popish writers say There was no Sabbath before Sinai but the Sabbath came in with the First man and must go out with the Last man REMEMBER Prepare Simile If a great man was to come to your House you would make great preparation REMEMBER the Great GOD is to come this day to your Heart Lift up your heads O ye Gates c. and the King of Glory shall come in †Ps 24.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag The Septuagint Title of this Psalm shews it to be A psalm for a Sabbath ¶ 2 Begin the Sabbath when the Sabbath begins i e at Even 2 Direct End the work of the precèdent day when the day ends i e at Even If you care not when you Begin the Sabbath peradventure God will not care when you End it nor how unprofitably you Spend it ¶ 3 Rise early in the morning 3 Direct Sleep not away the Sabbath so you may sleep away Salvation and the Soul Be not Sleeping when you should be Praying Pray him to give Blessing to the Sabbath who gave Being to the Sabbath Let the body be early Up and the heart early Ope. Before you rise count Christ is calling as to Zacheus viz Make hast and come down UP for to day I must abdie at thy house * Lu. 19.5 ¶ 4 Be not slothfull in duty on the Sabbath day 4 Direct The sluggard is Satans Cushen Simile Come not to a Sermon to be a Seat for Satan to sit on Satan entered Jâ—â—â—s Simile at Supper-time into idle souls at Sermon time The Sabbath is a day of Merchandise for the Soul †Better than of Silver and Gold Idlenesse is Never good nor Ever so had as on Sabbath-dayes Some had rather sweat their browes Six dayes for the Body than their brains One day for the Soul Do your duty on this day or you do nothing and do every duty in Season You cry O the Times we must hear comfortable Doctrine to strengthen our Faith In vain is comfortable Doctrine without conformable Life A Christian weakens his Faith more by a Sin than a Minister can strengthen it by a Sermon ¶ 5 Be spiritual in every duty on the Sabbath day 5 Direct In order to This be spiritual on Other dayes He that is carnal Six dayes is not like to be spiritual One day Be not content with outward expressions and actions without inward affections not with the Body of duty without the Soul of duty not with the Gift without the Grace of duty ¶ 6 Beware of your own Works 6 Direct Do nothing but of necessity viz what you cannot do the day before nor forbear till the day following e g To quench Fire To stop Water †Sea-bank breaches To save the life of Man or Beast To move Malt To gather and save Saffron In such case we break the Sabbath except we break it But do these Spiritually and with Speedy dispatch ¶ 7 Beware of your own Words 7 Direct What may not be Done may not be Said or talked of Talk not of News except necessary This discourse eats as a Canker Simile and hath eat out the Life of Religion long ago We talk much of the Papal Plot as if we were well acquainted with it but this Part of the Plot we are ignorant of viz Satans design to make us talk away our Time till we talk our selves down the Stream Simlie like the Fool whose lips swallow up himself †Eccless 10.12 If men were acquainted with their ignorance of God they would think all their time too little to talk of God ¶ 8 Take heed of your own Thoughts 8 Direct By them many break the Sabbath and few know it What men do Openly or speak Audibly is seen and heard by men but a man may think Ang thing Every thing and all men know Nothing but God knows all The body tongue or hand may be bound up from sin and the heart Bent for it against God Such secret Sabbath breakers are reserved in Store for the day of Wrath. ¶ 9 Be sorry for the sins of Sabbath dayes Sigh and Cry 9 Direct for all the abominations that abound on Sabbath dayes God groans under them if you are at ease while God is pressed God will take no pleasure in your Rest ¶ 10 Be acquainted with the emptinesse of Religion 10 Direct without a due observation of the Sabbath day The 4. command for a Sabbath is called Gustos primae tabulae keeper of the first table the 5 command for honour of Parents is called Custos secundae tabulae keeper of the second table He that keeps not the 4 command is locked out of the First table and is like to do GOD no Service he that keeps not the 5 command is shut out of the Second table and is like to do Man none well but to be Abominable and Disobedient and to Every good work Reprobate * Tit. 1.16 That these Drops may Water Epilogue c make Better LORD put Life to every Line and Letter Fath. That his may be as you do Say I will go hasten home and Pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ERRATA Pag 13 lin 25 for bitternesse read bitternesses Pag 19 lin 22 for Low read Law Pag 37 lin 24 for plentitudinem read plenitudinem Pag 136 lin 17 for full Horrour read full of Horrour
sayings in a Literal sense is absurd foolish agrees not with faith or good life N B Blessed are your eyes †Mat. 13.16 take this literally and its ridiculous to think their eyes were Blessed and all the body and soul beside Cursed but this is by your figure Synechdoche when a Part is put for the Whole or è contra but the whole 3 dayes and 3 nights are not put for parts bits and moments as you imagine ¶ If your Qu be An let us come towards a Close I have given you a true account of the Day of Jesus's death of the Time of his burial of the Time he lay dead of the Time of his resurrection But you neither tell when Jesus Died or how long he lay Dead or when he Rose for you have nothing in the Bible to prove your opinion by 1 The day of Jesus's death is not said to be the 6 day 2 The Sabbath ensuing is not said to be the 7 day 3 The first day is not said to be the morrow after That Sabbath but when it s spoken of it s thus phrased viz the first day of the week * Joh. 20.1 When the Sabbath was past †Mar. 16.1 i e the moral Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the end of the Sabbaths * Mat. 28.1 i e Ceremonial and Moral N B This moral Sabbath fell in between two Ceremonial Sabbaths viz the first and last dayes of unleavened bread and after the 16 of Nisan Such a Sabbath we read of called the second Sabbath after the first †Lu. 6.1 Mat. 12.1 idem so called because it followed the first i e the Passeover Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Second first Sabbath so called because it fell after the first and before the second Ceremonial Sabbath Scaliger de emend temp It was the next Moral Sabbath after the 16 of Nisan which day was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Deutera or second day of the 7 the Wave-day from whence they counted the Pentecost The Disciples rubbing the cars of Corn * Lu. 6.1 tell us it was at this time of year which we are treating of i e at beginning of Harvest which began the 16 of Nisan the first of the 50 dayes Hence the name of the month 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abib which signifies an ear of corn this is in March †Buxtorf Heb LEX Pag 1. The fiftieth day was at end of Harvest in April or May. Fath. Well! you go quite crosse to the common account of the Church for Ages and to Christians and learned Ministers now living I fear this will be offensive if I should make it known Min. And as crosse to my self you would say if you knew how much its against the hair with me to displease men I design not to displease or please men farther than for their profit My main design is to please God and my Conscience if in so doing I do accidentally displease men I must harden my self in that sorrow †Job 6.10 And may I but engage God and my Conscience to stand by me I have enough were all the world to rise up in arms against me As for mens Hearts they are in Gods Hand and with him I leave it to turn them To or Fro me as he please I have learned to know I am not to live by mens Smiles nor to die by their Frowns ¶ Sir Concession you are at liberty to tell your Authors what I have told you but counsel them not to Back-bite me for that is uncomely If they have any thing to reply more than your Self desire them to do it to my Face But let them know their Replication must come from holy Scripture else it will be lost labour It will be in vain to tell me I oppose the opinion of the Church for So many ages or I am opposite to the Church that now is National or Congregational †I mean all in separation from the National and so in Pag 213. or to this or that learned Minister or Dr. The Question with me concerning an opinion is not Whose is it but What is it If they bring any thing out of Philo Josephus Manasse Ben Israel or any of the Talmudical Doctors or Jewish Rabbies that will give light to a Dark Text I will embrace it but if it comes to darken a Clear Text or to disprove a Plain Text I shall utterly reject it and therefore to convince me it will be in vain to produce it Fath. I presume you have not been long of this perswasion Did you never speak of the time of Christs resurrection in Preaching pray what account did you give the people of it Min. Sir I shall deal ingeniously with you The Author's way in his Work I have sometime preached a Sermon for the observation of the Sabbath day For a beginning I directed to the morning supposing it to be the time of Jesus's rising But I secretly thought I wanted a bottom for I could not tell what time in the morning Jesus rose and was as if my heart did not stand by me in it I marvel now in what Mist I was groping at Noon day for the time of Jesus's rising in the morning for that was not at all to be expected Nor need the time of his resurrection be expressed when the time of his Burial viz Even and the time of continuance in the Grave viz 3 dayes and 3 nights are both expressed The shame of this Bottomlesse counsel for a beginning of the Sabbath I am willing to bear but I knew no better yet my ignorance will not excuse my negligence I should have made better Search But I was never concerned about it till you and I had talked under the Tree since that I have been much perswaded that the Common count for the day of Christs death was not True but that he lay longer dead And because I had never discoursed any man concerning it I searched some Expositors of Texts relating to it and found them all opposite to me so I see if I went on I must go against the Stream And seeing I could find nothing For me I sought to find all I could Against me and to know the Full strength of this Stream This being found I laid these learned Authors By and fell to work by the search of the Scriptures and Prayer for I could not give it over And though many a time after Much study and Little hope I have been Crushed as if I should give up the ghost yet I could Not give it over but continued in prayer to God viz that if the Common count of the day of Christs death was true he would cause me to acquiesce in it but if my perswasion was true that he would be pleased to help me to understand it and make it out to You and not leave me to erre in it To this purpose I did implore God with many prayers and
†Ex. 4.3 But when he handled it in Faith and Obedience it ceased to be a Serpent to Slay him and became a Rod to Stay him 4 The Fathers Rod If he use it Well it will be his Staff Correct thy Son and he shall give thee Rest * Pro. 29.17 If the Rod be So used as to fetch Folly out of the childs Heart and make it Wise what then My Son if thine Heart be Wise my Heart shall rejoyce even mine * Pro. 23.15 Thus if Good Successe But if No good successe yet if the Parent perform his Part it will be his Stay though the Child falls Down into Hell Fire Fath. Now give me some Direction in this Rod Correction Min. I will so 1 Direct for Rod Correction The first Direction shall be by way of Caution with respect to the Original Signification of the word Rod viz A Staff Hence you are in NO wise to imagine that you may beat a Child with a Staff as if you were to beat a Bull or a Bear in so doing the Child may reply as the Philistine to David Am I a Dog NO but with a Rodof small Twigs or such like which will Smart but not Hurt ¶ 2 Do it Timely Chasten thy son while there is hope * Pro. 19.18 q d 2 Direct There will be No hope if hardened by long neglect So heart hardening is Sin that some Children under the Rod have reply'd to their Parents Ay Kill me if you will I will Never yield Childrens corruptions are the Cords by which Satan binds them to the Stake to be Burned and draws them down to hell to be Damned If you will cut these Cords do it Early and you do it Easily But while you neglect your Duty Behold a Double Miserie viz Satan is both Softening your Childrens Hears for his own Suggestions and Hardening them against your Instruction and Correction So that the Heart will be as Soft Wax to Satans Temptation to receive the Least Impresson and as a Hard Flint to GODS Word a Mans Rod. Past Cure Till at length it may be to as much Purpose to correct a Child as to whip a Post or a Wild Beast ¶ 3 Do it Tenderly 3 Direct Lovingly Pitifully Patiently Not Passionately Wrathfully or Angerly It was a Sweet Saying of Plato to his provoking Scholar Parent learn of Plato I could find in my heart to Beat thee but that I am Angry with thee Parents put Children to pain for Satans pleasure Some parents will not correct their Children till Provocation hath put them into a Passion He that is moved by Passion to Correction obeyeth not GOD but the DEVIL and Passion and God will not Blesse but Curse such correction N B God corrects His Children in Love to learn you to correct Your Children in Love Make it manifest to your childrens Consciences and Capacities that you correct them in Obedience to GOD and in Love to their Souls and the it 's like to have Good Successe ¶ 4 Do it Secretly 4 Direct Put not a poor Child to Publick Shame Let not a child be Corrected as if a man was to be Executed i e upon a Stage but have it into the House of Correction i e some close Corner or Chamber If your Childrens Faults are offensive to your Neighbours or Publick it 's convenient to let them Know of Correction for good Example Sake and lest they think you Wink at Wickednesse ¶ 5 Do it Unanimously 5 Direct Let Father and Mother remember the Insitution Conjunction Injunction of God for their Union from the Beginning They shall be One †Gen. 2.24 Did he not make One and wherefore One to seek a Godly Seed Heb a seed of God * Mal. 2.15 God is speaking against Unlawfull Marriage and Disunion in Life N B Marriage according to Gods Institution accompanied with a Godly Conversation and Union in the Education of Children is an Excellent way of Good Successe in seeking a Godly Seed But if Disunited in this Deed if there be a Disunion in Correction the Faulty Child flees from one to the other for Shelter And thinks the Child of the next evil Act I will Venture for my Mother will save me from my Fathers Rod. This Hardens and Spoils and makes a child Love one and Hate the other and love that parent Most that Least deserves it Note the Fruit of this Parental Diversity of Education by this Text. A Wise Son makes a Glad Father * Pro. 10.1 Why not a glad Mother too It 's when the sons Wisdom is a fruit of the fathers Wise godly education But a Foolish Son is the heavinesse of his Mother Why not of his Father too It 's when the sons Folly is a fruit of the mothers Fondnesse which serves to make children Fools which folly she must Feed on as the bitter fruit of her doings It ' Strange yet True viz That Mothers had need Learn to Love their Own Children * Tit. 2.4 If they do not they are like to Love them so as to learn God to Loath them and so as to Shelter them from the Rod that should Save them Parents must not one Oppose another But let Both agree and Both be present and Acquiesce in this Act of Rod Correction Vis unita fortior ¶ 6 Do it Proportionably to the Fault 6 Direct And that must be sometimes Softly and sometime Sharply If God will Plague David and Spare Doeg it is the Lord let him do as he will Gods Will is his Rule Gods Word is Mans Rule by which Word the offender is to be beaten according to his Fault by a certain number of stripes †Deu. 25.2 To which the Law of the N T is Consonant * Lu. 12.47 And Laws of Justice among Christians and Heathens for even some of These have been Excellent in their love To and exercise Of Justice Consider what Circumstances of a childs Fault do Aggravate it e g Such a Time Sabbath Day and in Sermon Time Often Warned of it Little Tempted to it Done with Delight Sweet Meat must have Sowre Sauce Consider what may Lessen the Fault e g Much Temptation to it Little Warning of it Ignorance of the Evil of the Act. He that knows and yet does evil shall be beaten with Many stripes †Lu. 12.47 He that knows not with Few stripes Much Correction for Little Transgression is not Equity but Cruelty Little Correction for Much Transgression is Impiety Foolish Pity Both Unjust Unsuitable Unprofitable next to Nothing if not Worse than Nought ¶ 7 Do it Effectually 7 Direct To which end it must sometime be done Smartly A Rod is such a Plaister for a childs Sore as will not Cure without Smart Let it Smart till the child Submit Let not the Rod Go till the Child do kindly Kisse it away God will do thus by His Children and you must do thus by Your