Christ is the great Exemplary Pattern for his Disciples to imitate and to follow he rested on that Seventh-day and therefore his people must also rest on the same seventh-day Thus he himself doth argue He was the First-seventh-day-Sabbath-Observer and under all the several Administrations of Grace He called upon his People to do the same In the days of his flesh here on earth after he was born of the Virgin Mary he through the Weeks of his life yielded Obedience unto this Command by keeping the Seventh-day as the weekly Sabbath-day and no other day in the weekly return as such And this was and is a part of that perfect Righteousness which every sound believer doth apply to himself as his Plea of Justification in the sight of God for his Sin of Sabbath-breaking and every such believer is to conform in Sanctification to Christ in all the Acts of Christs Obedience to this Law of the ten words He as his Custom was went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath-day and stood up for to read He taught the people such as would give him the hearing on the Sabbath-days And whither shall we go to get our selves cloathed with Sabbath Righteousness but unto him putting on this Lord Jesus and making this Jehovah to be our Righteousness How can there be such an apt proper distinct suitable Sabbath-Righteousness from Christ applyed to the Soul but by those who make out after that weekly seventh-day-Sabbath-Righteousness which was in its perfection in Christ Those that observe any other day of the week as the weekly Sabbath cannot so directly go to Christ for such a days Righteousness not particularly for the First-days Righteousness as to a Sabbath which First day Christ all his life through never observed as the weekly Sabbath He has left us an example a Pattern a Copy such as Writing Masters do leave to their Scholars that we should follow his steps He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himself also to walk even as he walked Because as he is so are we in this World if we keep to his Rule and Example for the Scripture speaks of things as they ought to be taking it for granted that they be so and they are so so far forth as Believers do act regularly like themselves as doth become them According to this Pattern we have Paul practising after Christs Ascension into Heaven on every Sabbath-day it was his Custom and Usage his constant Practice the same Expression that sets out Christs continued weekly observing of the Seventh-day-Sabbath that it was usual to him is affirmed also of that eminent Servant of his That it was also usual to this Paul O that the same might be truly testified of more in our Day of Leaders and of their People that Christ might hold such forth before others and say Here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus The Holy Seed of Christ and of his Church are such as keep these Commands of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ O the happy Progresses O the blessed goings on with a strait foot of such as do his Commandments A Second Reason of his affixing to this Holy Law of the weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath who is Wisdom essential Wisedoms All Wisdoms in one is this For that Aelohim blessed the Seventh which is the last day in the week that and that only and no other day of the week as the weekly-Sabbath-day Thus it was from the beginning and thus it is and will be to hidden ages of hidden ages The blessing is its peculiar Portion and what is Man that he will take away this Heritage of Blessing from the Seventh-day to endeavour to settle it on any other day on the first day particularly where the LORD himself never so gave and secured it The Seventh-day the Seventh-day Aelohim blessed the Seventh-day he hath blessed it he doth bless it and he will bless it and it shall be blessed O blessed day which Jehovah himself hath blessed so blessed This blessing was afterwards renewed revived solemnly openly declared at Mount Sinai and affix'd to the seventh-day Six days thou shalt labour but the seventh-day is the Sabbath In it thou shalt not do any work For six days Jehovah made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh-day Wherefore Jehovah blessed that day that Sabbath the blessing is gone forth for this Seventh-day-Sabbath irreversibly from the Mouth of Jehovah Mashiach himself It has his Applaud and approve for its due estimation and deserved renown its noble majestickness and Royal imperialness How many are the Prerogatives and Priviledges which he hath Conferred upon it Christ is the Seventh-daies-benedictor and benefactor This is the day which he hath Dedicated to the Instituted worship and service of Jehovah Aelohim A day greatly to be desired and delighted in by his Children Friends and Servants as a day of holy rest and of Heavenly joy A day of sweet converse between him and his Saints A day that calleth upon them for a singingshouting-triumphing-rejoycing-frame and therefore there is a peculiar Psalm fitted for this purpose to this end Thus is the Crown of special Benediction put upon the head of the Seventh-day and no other foregoing day of the Week is to share with it in this princely honour Isaiah that evangelical Prophecier and Preacher has from Jehovah Pronounced those Blessed even to admiration O the happy Progresses O the happy goings on of such that do keep this Sabbath and not prophane it They shall enjoy many a covenant-favour O how choice Spiritual blessings are there that do visit the Hearts of Holy observers of this Seventh-day-Sabbath under the New-Testament Administration O what a Blessed day did Christ make it to be unto some whose sick bodies he healed whose sinful Souls he pardoned whose sadned Spirits he comforted unto whom his Gracious words were converting and Restoring teaching and enlightning quickning and strengthning whom he met in Sabbath ordinances and gave them the Blessing of this separated day and how many a Soul had cause to bless the LORD for ever who so prospered Pauls labours on the Seventh-day-Sabbath for blessing for good to them Christ taught daily in the Temple and Paul was often in the Synagogues on the foregoing daies of the Week and much good was done thereby but the whole Scripture doth take peculiar notice of this That the Seventh-day as the Weekly Sabbath-day carried away the Sabbath-blessings which no other day in the week did though the LORD do bless his People every day yet not with Sabbath-blessings but only on the seventh-day Aelohim gave a Special Blessing an appropriated Blessing to this day above all the other daies So true and good is that saying of Christ still That this Sabbath was made for Adam for Man for a blessing to him every way for his cheifest and choicest good It was Christs counsel to
were shut out of that Rest which the Psalmist doth speak of was not their not entring into the Observation and Rest of the First Day which was none either of their Duty or Privilege They had no Law for the keeping of any other Day but only the Seventh and of what there is no Law there is no Transgression for Sin is the Transgression of the Law but their Sin was hardening of their Heart through unbelief and unperswadeableness and disobedience contrary to Christ's Mind and Will in His Word and by His messengers These in David's time had no Ground to expect to enjoy the Rest of a pretended New day of Weekly Sabbath under the New Testament Dispensation It is therefore from Day to Day in a continued Succession of Days Christ's Command to hearken to His Voice is an Actual Command given forth by Him to His People every Day which would more set this out if it were rendred Participially in the Present Tenses as it is in several Scriptures It doth deoote the Continuedness of the Command as the Successiveness of the Day As the Day is mistaken by the Objector so also is the Rest The Rest spoken of in this Epistle brought thither out of that Psalm is not meant either there or here of the Weekly-Sabbath-Rest As to the First Day of the Week in opposition to the Seventh let the following Arguments be exactly weighed in the Scripture ballance One is because the People in David's time were not bound to make out after the First-Day-Rest not being under any obligation to keep the First Day of the Week as their Weekly Day of Rest or Sabbath The Law of the Seventh-Day Sabbath was upon them as was shewed but a few lines before Further The Rest mentioned in both these places in that Psalm and in this Epistle was such a Rest as the people to whom David and the Author of this Epistle did write this had not as yet Then entred into they were not possessed of it whilst they remained in a State of unbelief neither ever would if they passed into the other World in that State of Unbelief impenitence disobedience and unperswadableness What Rest can then be named for the People of David's Time as is proved in the fore cited place of this Epistle in the Margin to enter into but only that Spiritual Eternal Rest of with and in Jehovah the Messiah As for the Rest of the Weekly-Sabbath That was from the Foundation of the World when God Rested from All His Works on the Seventh Day and accordingly blessed and sanctified that Particular Day as the Day of the Weekly Sabbath The Syriack and the Aethiopick Languages do express the Seventh Day by the word Sabbath in the fourth Verse of this fourth Chapter And this Rest at least as to the outward part of it was Entred upon by the Israelites in David's time and by their Forefathers long before The Rest mentioned in the forecited places of this Epistle is such a Rest as he and others had a Probability as well as Possibility though with difficulty and studiousness to enter yet into unless by their own unbelief and hardening of their Heart they did fall short of it Let Vs fear Vs He includes Himself Whereas if the First-day-rest pretended from hence to be the Christians Weekly-Sabbath had been the Rest here meant what difficulty or studiousness was there as to their entring upon this so far at least as to the External Duty and Privilege and especially as to the particular Case of the Author of this Epistle and of other of the Believing among those Hebrews in his Day who are supposed by these Objecters to have already entred upon the First-Day-Rest that is pretended which Author so earnestly exhorted the Hebrews to Enter upon the same Rest For we are to observe that he joyneth himself with the Hebrews to quicken up himself as well as them unto an Holy Fear lest he and they otherwise fell short of the Promised Rest through want of due diligence and through careless negligence though he himself reckon himself among the Believers He inforceth his exhortation by this Argument amongst others in the fourteenth Verse of the third Chapter drawn from a very profitable effect of it even from the consortship and society and fellowship that such will have with Christ in that heavenly inheritance if they retain firm even unto the end that beginning of confidence or subsistence by which Faith is described in this Epistle As for any partakership of Christ in a way of conformity to him with respect to the observation of weekly Sabbath-day it could have no relation to the First Day of the Week which Day Christ observed not as a Sabbath but through the whole of his life kept the Seventh day as the weekly Sabbath-day The great Design of this Epistle the same thing which doth run all the Scripture through where occasion is given and taken to speak of this matter is to prove that a state of unbelief lived layn and dyed in will shut the guilty of it out of the sweet satisfying injoyment of the True Spiritual Eternal Heavenly Rest For to this particular purpose is it that he fetcheth his proof out of that Psalm confirming what he had said by the Testimony of David shewing that the Psaimist by that Rest could mean nothing else and nothing less but the Spiritual Eternal heavenly Rest there being no other Rest left out of which the unbelieving were threatned to be shut in that Psalm called so great a Salvation in the third Verse of the second Chapter of this Epistle The Rest of the weekly Sabbath had been entred upon already and as for the Canaan Rest that was some ages before David's Time entred upon and into by the surviving Israelites under the leading of Joshuah or Jesus or if you will of Jeshuang or Jesus by Joshuah Whereas the Rest promised here in the first verse of the fourth Chapter was such a Rest as Joshuah did not bring the Israelites into in the eighth Verse though he led them into Canaan the Type of it as the causal conjunction doth evidently prove which is an Answer to a tacit Objection if any did say that Joshua had placed the Fathers in that Rest As for that Canaan Rest it was actually possest by David and the Israelites of his Day This Land of Canaan is called the Land of Immanuel Isai 8. 8. that is of Christ because it was a sign of the Heavenly Inheritance obtained by Christ Heb. 11. 9 11. The Rest therefore that David speaks of must be a Rest yet to come The other Rests particularly mentioned having been already then entred into a Rest which they should fear they might be shut out from a Rest not past but yet to come This Epistle speaks of Believers entring into this promised Rest after their working season is at an end appears by comparing some Verses in
third and sourth Chapters to exhort the Christianized professing Hebrews to take great heed lest they were shut out of it by their unbelief unperswadableness and disobedience as the unbelieving unperswadable and disobedient of old amongst the Israelities did not enter into the Land of Canaan which was a Type of this Rest The parallel of the As the Believers resting from his Works as God Christ God man rested from his Works holds here exactly enough in the sense of this Objector himself For he affirms that in the tenth Verse of the fourth Chapter of this Epistle and in his expression upon it that the Works which Christ did rest from were all that he did and suffered from his Incarnation to his Resurrection as the Mediator of the Covenant with all the Fruits Effects and Consequents of what he so did and suffered as belong to these Works And so shall Believers Rest when they shall pass into Glory from what they did and suffered for Christ here As Christ shall suffer no more and dye no more so Believers shall suffer no more dye no more when once raised as Christ is risen As Christ so ceased from Working as yet to continue the Work of his Grace in the preservation of the New Creature and orderly increase and propagation of it by the Spirit so shall Believers so cease from this working here as yet to continue in the full supplies of the holy Spirit for ever in the acting of Grace perfected in Glory in the freest largest exercising and putting forth thereof according to the capacities and powers of the New Creature when thus growing up to it s well proportioned measure of a perfect man keeping the New Creature by a Power received from Christ in its due order and putting it forth to the Glory of Jehovah Aelohim As Christ so Rested from his Works as to take Refreshment in his Works to have satisfaction and complacency in them as those which did set forth his praise and did satisfie his glorious design Thus Believers so far are delighted with what they have done and suffered for Christ as the Father is delighted and pleased in what his holy Spirit through Christ has in wrought in them and inabled them to Work for the setting forth of his Praise and for the promoting of his Glorious Design in the World whilst they were in it and so far they were conformed here to Christ in their doing and suffering here for Christ who will be their Eternal Righteousness even in Glory though they own nothing in any or in all their own Works as Meritorious of Reward or satisfactory to Divine Justice these being the Works of Christ the Mediator by his alone All-suffering Sacrifice So that here is a fair apt resemblance as to Works and as to Rest They do answer each other so far as Believers have a capacity in a way of similitude And this kind of doing and of suffering doth last as long as a Believers life doth last even upon the Seventh-day Sabbath in their weekly Returns according to the Duties of those Days as Christ's doing and suffering did last as long as his life did last even upon the Seventh-day Sabbath There is a Sabbath-service which a Believer is to do for Christ in Obedience to his Command and men of persecuting spirits will be laying on of crosses upon the Believer for his thus keeping the Seventh-day Sabbath holy to Jehovah though a Believer will rejoyce in such sufferings for Christ Only here the Reader may take notice that this Objector doth lay the foundation of his Sabbatizing on the Morning of the First Day of the Week when he supposeth that Christ by his then first rising from the dead did lay and perfect the Foundation of the New Creation I desire that this may be considered How can a serious inquiring spirit be satisfied from the Objectors arguing concerning a Weekly-day of Rest or Sabbath from Sun-rising to Sun-set of that First Day by an Argument drawn from Christs ceasing from his Works of Redemption on that Morning as he affirms when withal he doth acknowledge that Christ works did continue from his Inearnation to his Resurrection without any interruption never ceasing from it all the First Days of his Life Can a weekly half-day of resting from work be demonstratively inforced upon a rational intellect from three and thirty years continued working without any cessation from that working For that is the shortest time assigned to Christ's abode here on Earth though some do reckon more years than three and thirty The Creation of the World was finished in six Days which did lay the foundation of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath both in Word and Nature to continue every Week As a Law Rule and Pattern for man's working the six foregoing Days and for his resting on the Seventh which is the last Day of the Week Whereas now this Objector would urge upon our consciences a weekly observing of half a Day as a weekly Day of Rest or Sabbath from a continued Work thirty years out-right if not more The Conjunction For in the tenth verse of the fourth Chapter comes next to be searthed into This word doth set out a further Reason of the Conclusion which the Author of this Epistle had drawn from that Psalm and the Parallels which I mentioned before which was in the Sixth and Ninth Verses of the fourth Chapter that there was yet remaining a Sabbatism for the people of God For as God did work and then Rested from His Labors so must Believers work here which when they have finished they also shall Rest from their Labors For is a word which hath such a Syllogistical sense by which often the Reason of a thing is rendred by a Causal Rationality As also in other Languages There are such Conjunctions Rational Sometimes it sets out such a Probation as is by way of Special Declaration of that which before was spoken of in a more general position other times it is a rational transition of another Member of two or of more things propounded Sometimes it is a rational repeating of a Sentence begun a little before and it doth absolve and complete it though by another manner of Speech to mention no more Still it is a Rational All which do well agree here The Believing Israelites had their Work and Labour and then their Rest ensued thereupon when they entred into the Typical Land of Promised Rest and quietly enjoyed it when they had subdued their Enemies And so shall Believers after their Working-Labouring-Season is over here enter into that Promised Rest of which the other was a Type So did Believers who died in the Faith under the Old Testament-dispensation of Grace So do Believers now who so live and so die And so will Believers in the Ages after us As for the Import of the change of the Number from the Plural to the Singular which the Objector would fetch about to his own purpose thus The
Instruments Meats and to other things It is also applyed to the Seventh-day Sabbath which Aelohim did sanctifie for holy Uses and to no other day of the whole week as such at the first Creation according to the Nature of its Essence in the order of its being before those after superadded Ceremonies and Shadows So that in this sense Right Reason would inform all reasonable men and women in the World that the Seventh the last day in every week has a concreated adaptness to be a day of holy Rest for the worship of their Maker and that they themselves should be an holy people separated to the service of the holy God Though his Church and People are thus sanctified and severed from other people by Jehovah in a peculiar especial manner his Elect yet more especially As for the Law of the ten Words if we look upon it in its superadded Ceremonies and some such other intermixed Annexes so it had somewhat peculiarly belonging to the Israelitish Church and people in Moses's time and to those of other Nations who were prosâ—lited to that Ceremonial Typical way under that Administration Whereas we under the New Testament have another manner of Dispensation of the same Grace in a more spiritual heavenly glorious way Although this Typical Figuring part made no real change even of old upon the Law of the ten Words If this be considered as it is an absolute and perfect Rule of Life comprehending all duties whatsoever and being that Image and Samplar unto which all mankind at the beginning in their representative Head were created in Wisdom in Holiness and in Righteousness which was afterwards promulgated and proclaimed by Jehovah Christ with a Covenant of Grace intermingled so it is that Law of Nature which inlightned Intellect or right Reason doth teach some notions whereof are still retained even now in man's fallen corrupted estate There are some Seeds of those Eternal Truths and Things some common principles of good and of evil both for the knowledge of God and of his Service and for those Duties which we owe unto our selves and unto our Neighbours This is born and bred with reasonable man every one doth carry it about with him every one coming into this World is inlightned therewithal which Remnants of this Law do serve for many good uses and purposes in civil converse amongst men and for some other ends In this sense the Law of the ten Words particularly that of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath is given to the whole World All mankind had it in their common representative the first Adam clearly fully perfectly and have still some Relicks of it left within them by the Law of Nature in the Light of Reason demonstrated by concreated Principles the foundations and grounds of which are knowable by Humane Intellect In this sense the Law of the ten Words particularly that of the weekly Seventh day Sabbath is given to the whole World all mankind had it in their common representative and have still some indwelling Notions of it left within them This Law in some parts of the natural Duties of it may yet by the Institution of Jehovah Aelohim be a sign of some mystical thing signified which doth make any real change in the natural Duty it self this standing still in its due force as before but it may have something further significant in it by the LORD 's special appointment As the State Duty and Priviledge of Marriage in the fifth and seventh Words Instituted in Paradise doth figure the great Mystery of that Mystical Union which is between Christ and his Church People come next to be considered People are sometimes in some Scriptures more especially taken for the Israelites and the Jews These are sometimes in the plural Number called Peoples This People had some peculiar Priviledges beyond other Peoples particularly as to the kingly manner of proclaiming and revealing the Law of the ten Words more in their sight and hearing at Mount Horeb and as to some things afterwards annexed to it which was the Pattern in the Mount Thus Jehovah's holy Sabbath was made known unto the Israelites after another manner than to other Nations Whilst they walked by this Rule of Life they were a wise and prudent people But when they transgressed greatly they were a rebellious people The Israelitish people so constituted as it then was are called The people of God The people of the God of Abraham These had some distinguishing favours in that day People in some other Scriptures are some times taken for all Nations besides Israel and besides those other Lands who were brought over to the true Religion Thus the Uncircumcised Nations strangers from the Covenant of God Indels profane and ungodly they also are called People and the People of the Earth and the abominable People Though these whilst such did not share in choice special Church-Priviledges yet some ways they had the Law of the ten words and amongst others the Law of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath particularly As this Law of the Decalogue is the natural concreated Law There are divers Records in Humane Authors for those to search after who are curious in such Disquisitions which do evidence that the Seventh-day Sabbath was generally observed by the Pagans as the weekly Holy Day The remaining Relicks of their Natural Life and Right Reason dictating the equity of this Law which also might be traditioned down to them The Pagan Idolaters so far conforming to the Laws and Practice of the Church of God They acknowledged the Seventh-day as more holy and owned its Rest from labour And the Ethnick Doctors in this way of teaching would Philosophize only on the Seventh-day Sabbath Then did they frequent their Temples and then some of them sung their Hymns to their Idol God These Precepts of the Decalogue were the Law of our Creation they are the natural Dictates of the Humane Essence in its rational Exercise ingraft Notions concreated Characters wrought into the essential composition of our natural Being the Sanction whereof has more or less a living impression in the Humane Existence The very order of the Days in the first created Week did teach the observation in the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath and made it a part of the Law of Nature Aelobim's Method in the Creatures Production which did so dispose of his Works and of his Rest hath confirmed this Order in laying its foundation in created Beings And this is a very forcible way of right arguing used by the LORD himself in his Word in divers cases The six forgoing Days of the Week for Work and the seventh the last Day of the Week for Rest These were from the beginning of the Creation Designed they were thus originally appointed by the Creator himself and so laid as a standing Law upon the Rational Creatures The natural equity whereof man's Representative in Adam readily submitted and subjected and conformed to there being both
away those Idolatrous Names of daies As Sunday c. of which Jebovah has prophesied that He will cut them off Having thus far attended the Weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath in its strait-footed walk in a plain path through the whole Scripture there thwarts the Reader now a straying company that would perswade him to get into another way along with them the way of the first day as the weekly-Sabbath as if this were now the New-Testament-Dispensation And for this they would have him to consider these Scriptures in the Margin as Translated out of the Greek into English Before I return an express direct Answer to the several particular Scriptures themselves I advise the Reader to ask these Transferrers of the Weekly-Sabbath-day from the seventh to the first day of the week when they judg it was that the first day of the week began to be the weekly Sabbath-day Most will say that it began on the particular day of Christ's Resurrection by Christ himself Some few will assert that it was a little after that Resurrection by the Apostles of Christ but all of them will acknowledge that it was before any part of the New-Testament was written It being so then let the Reader improve this last Concession and further demand of these men if one of the Apostles as Peter by name for Supposition had preached up this Doctrine that the Weekly Sabbath-day under the New-Testament-Administration of Grace was translated and changed from the Seventh which is the last day of Week to the first day of the week and that one of the Hearers had asked Peter upon what Scripture do you bottom this Doctrine How are whatsoever words of God were heretofore written Profitable and written for such a Doctrine What Answer do these Men imagine that Peter could have returned The New Testament was not then written and all the Scriptures which they then had were the Writings of the Old Testament Those of Moses and of the Prophets This Hearer searcheth these and can meet with no such thing in the Preceptive or Prophetical or Promissary part of that Word neither could any other refer him to clear-convincing-proofs of this How then could this Man be well satisfied that this was True Doctrine when he could not find it in his Bible but the quite contrary all the Old Testament through another day the Seventh in order of Created Time all along Commanded and commended And if this Hearer should further have asked Peter If I should work upon the seventh-day contrary to the Precept in the Law what Scriptures would bear me out in so doing when I appear before the righteous Judg who has in so many Words forbid this and so often in all the Scriptures that I have which speak of this thing and if I do not observe the first day as the Weekly-Sabbath-day but do work on that day having Aelohim's Command and Example for it what Scriptures have you by which to reprove me After this Arguing what could Peter have replyed to this from Old-Testament-Scripture I leave the Reader further to improve this in his Study and Meditation For the Christianized believers did search the Scriptures whether those things which the Apostles of Christ taught them were so or not even in the Case of Paul himself who was one of the most Eminent and most used of them all I shall now in the supplies of the Spirit of Holiness according to the word of Truth discover the deceitful colours of these Mens wrestings of some Scriptures and then shew the Reader the convincing reprehension of those Colours Which colours how fair soever to outward appearance for a while yet are a false Disguise a Paint that will melt away before the fire of the Word The Fallacies are soon detected and confuted before a discerning and judicious an unprejudiced and Impartial Reader There are some Scriptures in our English Bibles of the New-Testament say these Objectors which do speak of the first day of the week as the day of Christ's Resurrection when he rested from his work of Redemption which is now appointed and determined as the Weekly-Sabbath-day unto the Church in memory of Christ's Resurrection One of the Sabbaths doth frequently occur and is the same with the first day of the week One being often put for First the Numeral for the Cardinal The generality of the Antients both Greek and Latin agree whose Testimony about the sense of aWord is the best Dictionary and Evidence we can expect and this same phrase used of the day of Christ's Resurrection by the Evangelists proveth it Thus they say The Resurrection of Our LORD Jesus Christ from the Dead on the third day according to the Scriptures I thankfully acknowledg together with the many exceeding great and precious priviledges and benefits thereof and through Mercy and Grace I do firmly believe and particularly apply This true Doctrine is one main part of that solid Foundation on which we are to bottom our Hope and O how gladly could I here lay aside this Controversie and be taken up with sweet Delight and with Rapturing joy into an Heavenly Meditation on an arisen Saviour Here could I leave this unkind World and wrangling-generation and get up above that I might rise with Christ to be where he is to behold his Glory O how willingly could I here breath and long desire and pant that this arisen Redeemer whom my Soul loves would be with my Spirit that my spirit might be more with him O that I might more Experimentally sensibly satisfyingly Know and acknowledge that Power that Vertue of his Resurrection That I might more and better Evidence my being planted into it by walking in Newness of life Here could I bid this Fallacious Sophistry of Quarrellers with Christ's weekly seventh-day-Sabbath to stay behind whilst I find my heart with much Complacencie safely lodged in a full Christ and in his sull Word O the Savourie-nourishing-Meditations that this Subject-Matter would afford Here the admiring Soul may pass into a spiritual-Rest by silent-Thinkings secret Adorings Marvelling-loves Exalting-Praises and Filling-enjoyments But the Reader expects an Answer In all the places of the New Testament relating to the matter in hand where the last English Translation doth render it the first day of the week the Words do properly signify one of the Sabbaths except only in one place where it is the first day of the Sabbath The meaning whereof may be afterwards opened All the other places you may find cited in the Margin and the words in the Greek rightly done into English in every one of these are one of the Sabbaths not the first day of the week nor the first of Sabbaths nor the alone Day or only day or Sabbaths Not at all concluding the first day of the week to be now the Weekly Sabbath-day in the room of the seventh which the words do not mean either in their proper Significancie or intended sense as they stand in Syntax or Coherence
Fruit of Christs Mediating for them with his Father He their Saviour and their God and the God of their Past-Present-and After-Salvarions who would make of their Posterity a Glorious new Christian Church in the latter daies As for Redemption-work it doth confirm the Law of the Ten words in the Type And the antitype must answer to the Type The Israel of God were to do the weekly-seventh-day-Weekly-Seventh-day-Sabbath and to keep it Holy to Jehovah their Saviour and Redeemer and so are believers under the New-Testament-Dispensation the Saviour himself this Redeemer having so observed it all his life through in the daies of his Flesh here on Earth when Born of the Virgin Mary The Ark which was one of the principal of all the Holy things of God and for which the Tabernacle mainly was set up which did Sanctifie the place where it did Rest this Ark had nothing in it but the two Tables of the Covenant And this Ark was a Type of Christ who had this Law in his Heart And did in his own Person Confirm it to every Letter and part of it by his Doctrine and Practice when more Familiarly Conversant here amongst men It was Christ as Mediator who appeared as man unto Abraham Moses Zechariah and others under that former Administration These works of Redemption were in the Types then and as for the Actual Perfecting and Accomplishing of these in the Person of the Mediator himself when he took to his Godhead the seed of Abraham and was made of the seed of David according to the Flesh and was made of a Woman these works may be said to take their beginning as to this of perfecting and accomplishing them in the antitype upon Christs First thus manifesting of himself in the Flesh And they were further carried on by him in his Life so declared by his Father and attested by his Spirit His Life was a Continued fulfilling of Redeeming-types And as for his Death upon the Cross there just before his giving up the Spirit and commending it into the hands of his Father he himself said it is Finished or accomplished or perfected namely for so much and for fo far he having but a little before on the same day of his Death in his Prayer to his Father declared that he had finished the work which the Father gave him to do This work of Reconciliation and Redemption Thus accomplishing it and perfecting the Types by steps and degrees Some Remainders whereof are further Fulfilled at his 〈◊〉 Resurrection Which also it self was a great work Yet was not this all For these works of Reconciliation and of Redemption had yet a further filling up and a more through perfecting when Forty daies from his rising again he ascended up into Heaven Where he appeared as the great High-Priest of his Peoples Holy profession as the Antitype with Blood and with Incense in that Holy of Holies having his satisfaction and intercession Further in his Glorious Person Actually accepted by his Father which was Typified of Old by the High-Priests entering into the Holy of Holies once every year upon the Atonement day or day of Expiation of which the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews gives an account of its being perfected and fulfilled in Christ To this Ascension of His into the Highest Heavens and his sitting there at the Right Hand of his Father where he appears for his People and intercedes on their behalf in a way suted to his Glorious Majesty in so raised an Exaltation to this doth belong his putting down of the Levitical Priesthood which was a shadow and Type and Figure of the Heavenly Priesthood of Christ and must now upon Christs Ascending and session give way and place to the Truth to the true antitype the High Priest being got into Heaven For whilst Christ was upon Earth the Levitical Priesthood continued at least as to some parts of their Office When the Reader puts all this together and sees how the Redemption-work was for so many years together before Christs Resurrection perfecting and accomplishing and finds Christ Travelling upon the day of his Rising with Two Disciples to Emmaus which was from Jerusalem about Sixty Furlongs which in Common Computation is about seven Miles and a half at least seven Miles too long a Journey for the weekly Sabbath day especially when it was a going off from a greater assembling at Jerusalem the Publick appointed place of worship and this about a private business to a little Village an Example not to be followed upon a pretended new Instituted weekly-Sabbath-day And withal the Reader observes that some part of Redeeming-work was actually compleated by Christ in a way of fulfilling of a Redeeming-Type which work was not done by him before either in his Birth or Life in his Death or Resurrection it will be time for him ponderingly to think on his waies and to turn his feet unto Jehovahs Testimonies to make hast and not to slacken to entertain his Commandments particularly this of the weekly-Seventh-day-Sabbath To set this right precept before him and no longer to put away this Institution of Aelohim from him Which is so full and plain and clear through the whole Scripture and no further to wander on misled by mens darkning-conjectures who would still keep up a day of their own setting up up the First day of the week which as to this of a weekly Sabbath-day is a Creationless and Scriptureless Restingless Blessingless and Sanctifyingless Nameless Thingless Commandless Promiseless and Threatless-day none of those being for it but all for the Seventh day The adversary being driven out of this hold seeks refuge for his First day Sabbath in some other Scriptures cited in the Margin which yet will not allow him Countenance and Warrant For say they the good Apostles met on the First day the day of Christs Resurrection which they then observed as the weekly-Sabbath-day in memory of his Resurrection and of his compleating the works of Redemption on that day Christ taught the two Disciples on that day of his Rising on the same day he appeared to the Disciples and instructed them and did eat with them thus assembled and Blessed them The next First day of the week he chose to appear to them again And those Apostles Christ did Commission as his principal Church Ministers to teach the Churches all his Doctrine and to deliver them all his Commands and orders and so to settle and guide the first Churches Which Apostles did actually separate and appoint the First day of the week for Holy Worship especially in Church-assemblies They themselves frequently meeting upon that day for that end and enjoyning the Churches of their Plantation so to do who obeyed them in this The First day is mentioned as the day of the Disciples assembling to break Bread which though they did it oft on other daies yet no day else was peculiarly appointed for
Which is a standing unchangeable Rule of Life uniform and always one and the same They were written once and a second time in Tables of Stone by Jehovah Christ which doth shew amongst somewhat else their renewed durableness It was the Writing of Aelohim and the Record of them is to remain for ever So that a due difference must be put between this weekly Seventh-day Sabbath as it is such a standing established Rule of Life in created Nature one of the ten Words and between some Typical Institutions and superadded Rites and Figuring Shadows afterwards annexed to this Sabbath There is a plain evident difference between these two sorts of Laws Let Moses be heard concerning this in what he said to the Israelites Jehovah declared unto you his Covenant which he commanded you to do the ten Words observe these are distinctly expressed and severed from the Figuring Laws and he wrote them upon two Tables of Stone and Jehovah commanded me at that time to teach you Statutes and Iudgements that ye may do them in the Land whither ye are going over to possess it May we not discern here that Moses doth put a clear difference between the Laws of the ten Words which were publickly openly spoken and given by the LORD Christ in his own Royal Person from his Father to all the people and were written with the Finger of his own Spirit between these and those other shadowy Ordinances which were privately spoken to Moses only and by him and by his Ministery brought to the people and written by him These figuring Statutes admitted of a change and yet the Law of the Seventh day Sabbath doth remain unchangeable a perpetual Law And if any think that there is yet further any thing significative annexed to this day by Jehovah's Institution of Christ's second coming and of the heavenly Sabbatism then let that so far when any will clear it up from Scripture stand firm and unmoved till that time If the naturalness and self evidence of the Law of the ten Words were to receive a change because of superadded Institutions fitted to that Dispensation particularly as to Signs then the naturalness and self evidene of every one of them by this kind of arguing were to receive a change Was there not a Law for Fringes by the Institution of Jehovah Aelohim himself throughout the Generations of the Israelites for this end that they might see and remember all his Commandments This outward Rite was a memorative Sign or a religious Sign to help their memories and to further their sanctification To lead them unto a continual remembrance and practice of all the Law of the ten Words Thus also their Phylacteries were for a Sign upon their Hand and for a Memorial between their eyes that Jehovah's Law might be in their Mouth This was a Typical Memorial or Monument Which is the proper meaning of the Original Word By this outward Sign Jehovah Aelohim would have them to apply all their serious study and all their careful practice unto the keeping of all and every of the Laws of the ten Words All the outward Rites of the Ceremonial Laws were Signs typical Figures and significant Shadows instituted of God as Seals and Pledges to assure Believers of Christ and of those good things which his Faithful Obedient Perswadable ones have in and by him A due difference therefore should be put between Signs and Figures Signs and Shadows For although in the general and in common there be somewhat of a Sign in Figures and Shadows yet every Sign is not a Figure and Shadow but has somewhat particularly specially distinct A Figure doth set out and foreshew some Truth Duty Grace or Priviledge which is afterwards more clearly to be revealed though even then to be known believed done acted and injoyed A Shadow doth give some dark resemblance and it is a betokener of a Body which is to come in the place thereof and is in the appointed season to be exhibited whereas a Sign as it doth in some instances point out somewhat which is yet afterward to be looked for so in other cases it doth assure Believers of somewhat that is already gone and performed and in somewhat else it may stand and be joyned together with that which is signified thereby and be of special usefulness at one and the same present time The Ark wherein was nothing but only the ten Words in two Tables and the propitiatory Covering which was over the Ark were Types Figures and Shadows of Christ So that if Ceremonial Annexes should make void the Law of the Seventh-day Sabbath that way of arguing would lay aside and make void all the other Laws of these ten Words Sanctification is either that which was natural and concreated at the first and is now restored to and inwrought in some a spiritual transforming-Sanctification whereby the LORD doth regenerate and renew his People by the Power and Grace of his holy Spirit The Seventh-day Sabbath duely observed and well filled up having a suitable growing knowledge of and obedience to the rest of the revealed Will of God summarily comprehended in the ten Words would be a notifyingtestifying-certifying Sign of this Sanctification as has been shewn Or it is a Ritual Ceremonial Sanctification whereby under the former Dispensation in the use of some outward Rites and Ceremonies some persons and things which had some ways contracted some uncleanness were sanctified or purified which were typical and significative of in ward spiritual transforming Sanctification and of real inwrought Holiness and Purity Of this sort of Signs were their Blood sprinklings their Water-washings and such like Baptism is such a Sign under the new Dispensation Thus the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath if it be taken under this consideration as it had under the Old Testament Administration divers Ceremonial Laws added unto it both for preparation before and for cleansing in and after in some cases in this respect that which was superadded to it was a Sign of Sanctification to the Israelitish Church beyond any other people unless others came in and embraced the same true Religion and then there was one Law for the Israelite and for the Stranger When the Forreigner or Sojourner did leave the Worship of Idols and other heathenish practices of the Infidel World Thus that people were injoyned some out ward ceremonial Sanctifyings for the reviving of the Law of the ten Words But these Figures and Shadows made no real change upon the fourth Word the Law of the Seventh day Sabbath as neither did they upon any other of the ten Words Or Sanctification is the separating of somewhat from a common use and destinating and setting of it apart for some special singular holy Use Thus in several Scriptures some persons were Sanctified as the Administrators about holy things the Israelitish people which is also applied to the chosen Vessels Sanctification in this sense was applyed to the Tabernacle Temple Altar
generation observed the Sabbath on the seventh day by that Generation he speaketh of the whole time from the beginning of the world full home to Christ which is a Testimony that the seventh day was not changed in Moses's time from what it was before Moses one of the Authors cited in the Margin doth acknowledge that the Pagan gentils observed the seventh day every where this custom prevailed to observe the same seventh day which the Jews used to keep holy so common was it grown Pleaders for the Dominical day do lay the foundation of their observing of it upon Christs Resurrection which they assert to be on the first day of the week on this day saith one of them speaking of the Dominical day the world received its beginning The first day of the week because of Christs resurrection saith another is the birth-day of the whole humane nature Why did the Heathen the Pagans scoff at the Jews for observing the seventh day as Sabbath if they both kept one and the same day before Moses and a different day after Moses and after Christ which the Pagans called the seventh day why do they name the seventh day which was kept festival in Palestine if another day were the seventh and why do they call the Jews seventh days by the name of Sabbaths if they did not judge them so to be and why do they give unto the Jews the name of Sabbatarians several of the Pagans do deride all Sabbaths one of them says that the Sabbaths of the Jews were dedicated to sloth or idleness Another calleth the observation of the Sabbath an evil solemnity and Foolishness and says that to observe the Sabbath was ridiculous because that in so doing they lose the seventh part of their life one of the First day-men writeth that the Gentiles and all the Heathen did not keep the seventh day which the Patriarchs did according to Institution they did altogether hate the only true holy day and would not observe it themselves but they erected other days to an holy and Religious use the Romans he saith further anciently instituted every ninth day and the Graecians every eighth day and neither of them the seventh the Romans dedicated their ninth day to Jupiter the Graecians consecrated the eighth unto Neptune but neither of them consecrated the seventh unto the LORD and these two were the chief of the Heathen Philosophers we saith he speaking of Christians that are for the First-day keep not the same day which was from the beginning So that the Reader may by this discern how much men will be at a loss who resolve this case into humane Authorities and Histories which are many of them so quite cross and contrary to Scripture-truth and which do so contradict one another satisfaction and settlement such as is sound and demonstrative can never come in that way Another Advocate for the first-day doth declare that Cyprian Tertullian and Hilary do call the Dominical-day the eighth from the Creation the Enemies derided the Christian-sabbath saith Ruffinus Athanasius saith that he observed the Sabbath day not as it was in the first age in the beginning of the world Philo the Apostles contemporary asserteth the seventh day-sabbath's observation to be according to the Law of nature constituted by God at the Creation of Nature Athanasius acknowledgeth that the seventh-day-sabbath was observed from the Creation till Christ The seventh day of every week in order from the Creation was Sacred not only to the Hebrews but Gentiles thus the Author cited in the Margin with much more if it were needful which might be added to discover the invalidity of the objectors arguing who doth bring many humane Authorities against himself and his own assertion and against whose way of arguing many contradicting humane authorities are and may further be brought so widely will men wander whilst they go astray from the word-way of the LORD's Precepts One of the learnedest in this Century doth affirm the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the express Letter of it as it is written and read in its obvious meaning of the fourth Commandment pointeth at the Sabbath as it was in the first Institution the Seventh day from the Creation The very Gentiles both Civil and Barbarous both ancient and of later days as it were by an universal kind of Tradition retained the distinction of the Seven Days of the VVeek notwithstanding that great variety of differences which is betwixt them in the ordering of their Years and Months Every where they attributed some Holiness to the Seventh-day they were not ignorant that the VVorks of the Creation were finished on the Seventh But whither have these Objectors diverted me I now return O what a many peculiar honours hath the LORD put upon this Law in his Word The Ark in which was nothing else put but only these ten Words had many Dignities conferred upon it It was made of durable Wood not so subject to putrefaction this Wood was overlaid within and without with pure Gold It had a Crown of Gold round about The Pot of Manna was before it by which Jehovah Aelohim confirmed the Seventh-day Sabbath Out of this Ark Jehovah spake by Oracle This was an assurance of Aelohims gracious presence amongst his people and that he did dwell there There must they worship before him with a proomise of acceptance The Propitiatory covered it There between the Cherubims the LORD himself sat I could fill up much more paper upon this one Argument The Lawgiver himself was the Writer of this Law The Law is one of Christ's Names The Name of Aelohim was given to the Ark of the Covenant It being an illustrious Symbol of his presence All the prefiguring prophetical Scriptures in the Old Testament relating to this Law have a New Testament significancy and sense What a multitude of Scriptures might here be heaped together in commendation of this Law It has an invincible firmness There Precepts are true and certain The Church is governed by this Law as its Rule Christ himself submits his Doctrine to be examined by it There is Perspicuity in this Law It is perfect in its Nature and Doctrine When the Spirit of the LORD doth bring it on with living Efficacy and with saving Power O how wonderful are its effects It begets Faith its Regenerates it nourisheth it makes to be growing it inlightens it gives heavenly saving Wisdom it restores and strengthens the Soul it exciteth a lively firm Consolation it joyeth and refresheth the Heart it kindleâ—h a love to God in the Heart it furnisheth with Armour aginst temptations and assaults It doth guard against captious Sophistry and Treachery It leadeth to Life and to eternal Salvation Nothing may be added to it or taken from it Moses leads to Christ and Christ sends to Moses They appeared together at the Mount of Transfiguration The characteristical Notes and the distinguishing Marks that do difference an Evangelical Reformed Christian Church and
there it were to be cut off and so cease to be a Sign For it takes in all the parts of Time all the spaces of Duration it has been a Sign it is now a Sign and it will be a Sign And in the other place the latter Verse doth take in the past Time which they render â—uturely In the former Verse it is Infinitive and Indefinite Thus the Seventh-day-Sabbath is a Sign between Jehovah and his Covenant-people that they are a separate sanctified people a special token of his distinguishing kindness unto such as are inwardly in Covenant with him and some ways a Priviledge even to those who are as yet but outwardly in Covenant with him as it brings them under the Instituted Ordinances of that Day The Seventh-day-Sabbath in a Documental Sign giving Institution in this Pledge of Christ's Love who having been the Creator is the Redeemer too and will be sanctification to his Covenant-people who are in a special manner his new created peculiarly redeemed and separatedly sanctified Ones As this Seventh-day-Sabbath has its Nature Institution Use and End put into Scripture-Revelation so it is a peculiar Sign to those unto whom this Word-discovery is made especially when to their inner man and will be such to the Worlds end to all and every of those who are so choicely favoured It is a witnessing evidencing Sign to know this where Spiritual-Worshippers are Right Sabbath-keepers Were there a more Universal-holy-through growing-Conformity in Knowledge and in Obedience to this and to every other just holy and good Law of Jehovah Aelohim experience would prove to spiritual senses what Faith is to believe from Word-Revelation that the Weekly Seventh day-Sabbath would be such a Sign as would the holy Spirit of the LORD witnessing together with a renewed Spirit in the Saints point out unto them and declare in them that such are some of Jehovah's peculiar people in special Covenant with them like as the holy Fruits of the regenerating Spirit are such a notifying-testifying certifying Sign of translation from death to life This is a Sign which doth still continue O who will give that there were more of this evidencing Sign as to the natural Seed of such of Israel of old as were spiritualized and new born so to the Spiritual Seed of Israel now that there is a mutual convenanting and communion between Jehovah Aelohim and such a people of his that they might know him to be theirs and themselves to be his This is a Sign that is still put into a Promise and will even now and in after days be made good to right Spiritual Observers of Jehovah's weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath A Sign to know here is one great End and special Use of this Sign which is also a lasting-standing continued one that Jehovah doth sanctifie such and is their God Whoever he be that can well evidence an Universal Obedience and Conformity to an whole Christ and his whole Word particularly as to his due sanctifying of the weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath of Jehovah his God which would much influence and operate upon all other Religion would have Aelohim's Covenanted-Love more manifested to him by the incouraging Sign it would be a token to him for this and for much other good It is promised and it would be injoyed actually injoyed for the present even now and this Spiritual Rest with Christ in God here would by improving of Mystical-membership in relation to the Glorified Ones above be some beginning of that eternal Sabbatism in Heaven Thus a Natural Duty is sometimes made a Sign of a Spiritual Priviledge Against this it hath been further objected that Circumcision is called a Sign of the Covenant between Jehovah Aelohim and his Covenant people in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto them And so is the Seventh-day-Sabbath called a Sign between Jehovah and his people throughout their Generations which they were to observe throughout their generations for an everlasting Covenant between him and the Sons of Israel it a Sign for ever And therefore they were to cease together For Answer to this in the General Here is a Fallacy of Composition and Division by taking some things severally and apart which are to be taken conjoynedly and by taking other things conjoynedly which are to be taken apart Some things here would be well divided and severed which are ill joyned and other things would be well joyned which are ill divided Here the divided sense must be separated from the compounded and the compounded sense from the divided There is another Fallacy in the comparing of these two Circumcision and the weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath Because it is not of the same thing in the same manner according to the same part to the same person and thing in the same time And there is a translation from one kind to another Though in some thing these two do more generally agree yet in other things they do specially differ which doth discover both a deceit and a defect a confusedness and a captiousness in the Objector This will further open it self by a more particular distinct considering of what doth follow All Signs are not mutable or changeable Signs to end with the Old Testament Dispensation Sun Moon and Staâ— have been are and will be to the end of this World natural and instituted Signs These Luminaries are Witnesses of God's faithfulness in his Covenant to Generation of Generations Thus also are Day and Night such a Sign The Rain-bow whenever it doth appear is to be a Sign to the Worlds end a Sign or Token of God's Covenant with mankind that he will no more drown this whole Earth with Water Jehovah's weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath has been already manifested to be both a Natural Instituted and notifying Sign Such an immutable unchangeable Sign as that Jehovah Aelohim will in no Generation not even under this New Testament Administration put an end to his sanctifying of his people Whereas Circumcision was a Typical Mutable Changeable Sign which passed into it more spiritual and heavenly Antitype when the Old Testament Dispensation was brought to its accomplish perfected End All Signs are not laid aside under the new Dispensation The Signs mentioned before even the Luminaries Day and Night the Rain bow So also the Seventh-day Sabbath were Signs under the Old and do still continue to be Signs under the New Testament admiâ—â—â—â—ration Such a Sign Circumcision is not as to that of the Foreskin of the Flesh for this doth cease So that Circumcision was another kind of Law than the Natural Law of the Seventh-day Sabbath The Type and Figure of fleshy Circumcision was Temporary and Changeable This Sign which was the Seal of the Covenant of Grace did belong to other sorts of Laws to the Ceremonial Law as it was Typical Figuring and Shadowing and so doth widely differ in the whole kind from the Natural Law of the ten Words whereof this of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath is one