a nimble faculty to climb trees and made choice of the fairest fruit and then he presented it to the woman that she might view it and look upon it 3 By this means he gained her natural appetite to it for the Text saith She saw it was good for meat and that it was a desire to her eyes and that it was a tree to be coveted to make one wise And thus by this means her deceitfull servant got in upon her 4 Upon this advice of her faithfull servant she took thereof and did eat 5 As soon as she was gained to the will of Sathan then at the same time he made her his instrument to gain her husband as soon therefore as she had tasted of the forbidden fruit she reached out her hands and gave some of it to her husband and he did eat without any suspicion of hurt from her that was given to him to be a meet helper and her act of giving was prevalent with him because instead of telling him that death was in her eating she used words of perswasion as it is most evident because he is said to hearken unto the voice of his wife Gen. 3. 17. and then the eyes of them both were opened and then they knew that they were naked afore this they knew that they were naked without cloaths and yet they were not ashamed because their created nakednesse was covered and adorned with pure created qualities Gen. 3. 7. Gen. 2. 25. But now the case of their nakednesse was altered by the justice of God for Gods determinate sentence was In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death and this death was formally executed upon them according to the time and manner threatned and now Adam knew what evil was and what death was experimentally as the fallen Angels did for now they were made naked and bare of their pure created qualities A digression to shew that the death threatned in Gen. 2. 17. was executed â—e death â—â—â—â—atned in â—â—â— 2. 17. was eâ—â—â—uted on mâ—â— nature in thrâ—â— degrees on mans nature in three degrees Consider that the first Covenant was made with Adam concerning mans nature in general as I have formerly noted and accordingly did God execute that death upon Adams nature as it was the original of mans nature in general 1 Therefore as Paul speaketh They were deprived of the glorious Image of God Rom. 3. 23. And this deprivation saith M. Perkins was inflicted by God as a deserved punshment for the sin of Adam and See Pâ—â—ins on the Cred. p. 162. See P. Martyr in Rom 5 and Bâ—â—an in his Com. pl. p. 104. this losse of Gods Image saith Peter Martyr was from the justice of God and I find it commonly held by other eminent Divines that God for the sin of Adam took away his created perfections from Adam as he took away his spirit of Government from Saul because he spared Agag against Gods positive Command 1 Sam. 16. 14. for they were not yet confirmed and therefore they were but lent him in case he disobeyed but the Graces of Gods Spirit which Christ hath purchased for the Re-creation of the Elect after Gods Image cannot now be utterly lost by the commission of many sins because they are purchased to be confirmed to them and not to fail untill they come to the fruition of an eternal Paradise in heaven The Image of God wherewith Adams Nature was adorned would have kept him and all his Posterity for ever from death if he had but first eaten of the Tree of Life but because he did first eat of the forbidden Fruit he was deprived of Gods Image And then secondly Death in Sin fell upon his Nature When the Souls of men are Created and placed in their Bodies saith Mr. Perkins God forsakes them not in regard of their substance or faculties of their Soul but only in respect of his See Perkins on the Creed p. 162. own Image whereof the Soul is deprived And he asketh this question How can the Soul dye the second Death His answer is That the Soul dyeth not by being utterly abolished but because it is as though it were not and because it ceaseth to be in respect of Righteousnesse and Fellowship with God and indeed saith he this is the death of all deaths when the Creature hath subsisting and being and yet is deprived of all comfortable fellowship with God 2 The second degree of that Death threatned in Gen. 2. 17. was death in sin and this death fell upon Adams nature at the very See Perkins in the right way of dying wel instant as soon as God had substracted his Image from him for we see by experience that as soon as the God of Nature hath substracted the light of the Sun from our Horizon there remains nothing but obscure darkness and then no Artificers nor Scholars can work or write after their Masters perfect Copy but instead thereof they work and act irregularly and transgress against their Masters copy Even so as soon as God in Justice had substracted the Light and Life of his Image from Adam what remained but obscure darkness in his minde and then what could he do else but think and act irregularly and that continually as long as he did continue in that darkness and this darkness after the light it self is mystically applied to mans corrupt estate Eph. 4. 18. Eph. 5. 8. being alienated from the life of God Eph. 2. 1. When the Soul is deprived of Gods Image saith Mr. Perkins then follows a defect or want of righteousness and I may also say then follows a natural proness to all kinde of iniquity so that the very thoughts and imaginations of the heart are only evil and that continually and this frame is called Original sin to us though Adams Original sin was his actual eating of the forbid-Fruit and this is the second degree of that death threatned in Gen. 2. 17. 3 A third degree of that death was that Adam was now under the power and slavery of Satan which had the power of death Heb. 2. 14. to do his wil and pleasure in all things to the full and to be under the power of a Tyrant is death Psal 18. 4. But it pleased God in his eternal Counsel and Providence to provide Jesus Christ to take possession of the world as the right Heir of it as soon as Adam fel and so to uphold all things by the word of his power Heb. 1. 2 3. by which means both Satans power tyranny and malice and mans corrupt desires and endeavours are restrained and ordered so that now they cannot do that wickedness which else they would do and were it not for See Capel on Tempt p. 55 56. and see more in ch 3. in R. 2. this Government of Christ at the instant of Adams fall no man can imagine what destructive mischiefs would have faln at that very instant upon the whole Creation which was the very
God as a necessary duty for God inforced his obedience to that act by an expresse command saying Be fruitfull and multiply and fill the earth Gen. 1. 28. Hence it follows 1 That they would not have omitted the act of Generation as soon as they had a fit opportunity which they should have had if they had slept but one night together in their innocency 2 If they had but once done the act it would doubtless have taken effect for God had promised to bless it and to make it powerful there cannot be any barreness in innocency and then Adam should have begotten and Eve should have conceived their first-born Cain without sin But the Scripture doth tell us that never any man was so conceived and born but Jesus Christ alone whose conception was not by the ordinary way of generation between Man and Woman but by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost hence it follows 1. That the Serpent had seduced the Woman before she knew her Husband after the manner of all flesh And 2. Hence it follows That she was seduced in the very day of her creation Master Calvin saith If they had stood but a short time the See Calv. on Gen. 3. 6. Blessing of God had not been in vain for propagation And Paul may wel allude to Eves being deceived by the Serpent even whiles she was a Virgin for he writeth thus to the Corinthians I have espoused you to one Husband that I might present you a chast Virgin to Christ but I fear lest by any means that as the Serpent beguiled Eve so your minds should be corrupted 2 Corinth 11. 1 2. The Apostle compares the guiles of false Teachers to the guiles of Satan and he compares their sincere mindes as long as they kept fast to the Truth to the Virgin Evt for so long as they kept their mindes unpolluted with false Doctrin they were Virgin-like but as Eve the Virgin was beguiled and defiled by Satans fair but false Doctrin so the Apostle feared lest their minds should be corrupted by the fair though false Doctrin of their false Teachers from that plainesse that is towards Christ for the Tempter did tempt them by many seducing Teachers 1 Thessal 3. 5. and the Spirit saith the Apostle speaketh evidently that in the latter days namely in the days of the Gospel some should depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrins of Devils 1 Timâ—thy 4. 1. as the Virgin Eve once did Erasmus maketh this Comparison As Evah a Virgin married and undefiled beleeved the speech of the Serpent brought forth Disobedience and Death so many a Virgin married and undefiled beleeved the Angel brought forth Obedience and Life Conclusion Having proved hitherto by five Reasons that Adam fell in the day of his Creation it follows by good consequence That the Sabbath was not ordained in the time of Adams Innocency but after his Fall CHAP. II. Proving by three Reasons that Adam was Re-created in the very same day in which he was Created and Fell. 1. IT is evident to me that Adam was Re-created in the very self-same day in which he was created and sell by the order of Reason 1 Gods dealing with him immediately after his Fall For immediately after he had bitten of the forbidden fruit and was thereby dead in corruption and sin from the life of Gods Image in which he was created Then God of his rich mercy came to him in the * The câ—ol or wind of the day means the Eventide as the Seventy translate it which begins at Mid-day for the Evening begins when the Sun begins to decline and then there doth usually arise a cooling wind called a Sea-turn which the God of nature hath ordained to cool the air in hot Countries cool or in the wind of the same day Gen. 3. 8. to confer with him and to enquire of him into what state and condition he had brought himself by eating of the forbidden fruit saying unto him by way of Query Adam Where art thou not in what particular place art thou as some ignorant persons do understand it for God was come to the very place where Adam was But into what case hast thou brought thy self by eating of the forbidden fruit And unto this searching Query Adam made a plain Answer saying in ver 10. I heard thy voyce walking in the Garden and I was afraid and because I was naked of thy Image in which I was created I hid my self This plain Answer of Adam doth imply two things 1 His fear of Gods wrath 2 The Reason of it 1 His fear of Gods wrath in these words I heard thy voyce walkking in the Garden the word implies That it walked along by him like roaring Thunder among the trees of the Garden And with such a dreadfull voice Christ manifested himself to the Israelites when he gave the Law at Mount Sinai to awaken and over-aw their sinful consciences as Gen. 3. 8. compared with Ex. 19. 16. doth manifest and explain the matter and in this respect the dreadfull voice of Thunder is called Gods voice Psal 29. 3. And this dreadfull voice of God did so terrifie his guilty conscience that it forced Adam to say I heard thy voice walking like Thunder in the Garden and I was afraid for the guilt of his conscience told him that he had grievously transgressed against Gods positive command in eating of the forbidden fruit 2 He gives another reason why he hid himself among the trees of the Garden namely because I was naked both in body and soul of my created qualities and therefore I hid my self among the trees of the Garden And thus Adams conscience was convinced of his sin and terrified with Gods dreadfull voice of inquiry concerning his sin and guilt and thereupon he made a plain confession That he was afraid and that he hid himself because he was naked The Text runs thus in Gen. 3. 8. They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool or in the wind of the day And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the Garden vers 9. And the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him Where art thou vers 10. And he said Who told thee that thou wast naked Hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat And by this searching Qâ—ery Adam Where art thou Adam was convinced and terrified with the sense of his sin and with the dread of Gods wrath and when he saw that he could by no means escape it he made a plain confession of his sin and misery and that he hid himself because he was naked of Gods Image and subject to inordinate lusts and thereupon to shame and horror of conscience and â—n like sort it is said that Aaron made the people naked to their shame when he made a Molten Calf for them to worship as a God Exod.
like upon that day more than upon any other day in the week no but on the contrary he restrained his Manna from falling on that day and bestowed it upon the Jews on all the other six dayes of the week Therefore the blessing wherewith God did blesse the seventh day was not a common natural blessing but doubtlesse it was a spiritual blessing in relation to the good of faln man Hence then we may conclude that God did blesse that day with divers spiritual Ordinances such as tended to make faln man blessed by opening the manner how the Seed of the Woman should break Sathans Head-plot for mans Redemption Adam in hâ—s Innocency had no need of any such spiritual God would nevâ—r have blessed the seventh day with spiritual Ordinances so as he did if the Mediator had not been declared to faln Adam before the 7 day Ordinances as God did blesse the seventh day withall neither could Adam in his Innocency sanctifie one day more perfectly than another for by nature he was pure without imperfâ—ction If there had been no other Argument in all the Scripture to prove that Adam sell and was Re-created on the sixth day by the Promised Seed This sentence He blessed and sanctified the seventh day had been sufficient to prove it for God would never have blessed the seventh day with such spiritual Ordinances as he did nor yet have sanctified that day for the time of his spiritual Ordinances if the Mediator had not been declared to faln Adam before the seventh day And this is further proved by some other Scriptures 1 God doth command us faln men in the fourth Commandement to remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it and the reason is added because in it he rested from all the works that he had made And for that reason Jehovah did blesse the seventh day and sanctifie it Exod. 20. 8 9 10 11. 2 The Prophet Isaiah saith That God did blesse the Sabbath day namely for the good of faln man For saith he Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sabbath and polluteth it noâ— Es 56. 2. 3 Our Saviour doth tell us that the Sabbath was made for man Mar. 2. 27. namely for the good of man in misery but Adam in God did not leave Adam Eve to spend the seventh day in private specul tions but he blessed the first 7 day with variety of Ordinances both for publick and private use for their best spiritual good his Innocency was not in misery therefore the Sabbath was not then made but as soon as he had eaten of the forbidden fruit he was in misery for then his soul was dead in sin and his body full of corruption and then the Sabbath was made for man Hence it follows by necessary consequence that God did not blesse the seventh day in Adams Innocency but after his Fall and Recreation 2 God did not leave Adam to himself after his Fall and Recreation to spend the seventh day in his own private meditations as he thought best but God blessed the seventh day with several publick Ordinances for the good of faln Adam and instructed him in the right use of those Ordinances if God had left Adam to spend the Sabbath in his own private speculations as he thought best doubtlesse his Religion would soon have been no better than a Samaritan Religion for Adam by his fall was become so corrupt in his affections and so blind in his understanding of Gods will that he would not nor could not have spent the Sabbath to his spiritual good It is a dangerous thing therefore to prefer a mans own private meditations and speculations to publick Ordinances upon the Sabbath God would not leave Adam to such a liberty to do as he thought best such a liberty will soon open a wide gap to Sathans delusions But God blessed the seventh day with his own publick Ordinances not excluding private meditations God blessed the seventh day both with publick and private Ordinances for publick Ordinances are not so much blessed as when they are attended with private preparation before with reverent attention at and with carefull rumination and application afterwards If there be not this care added to the publick Ordinances the Devill will soon steal away the seed that is sown out of our hearts and souls Now the manner how God was pleased to instruct Adam and Eve in the exercise of his publick Ordinances was by the lively Oracles of the Mediator and therefore doubtlesse as he was promised to be the Seed of the woman so he appeared to Adam in his humane shape as he did to Jacob Gen. 32. 24. And in this regard he is called The word of the Father even from the beginning Joh. 1. 1 2. And the Father gave him a Commandement what to say Joh. 12. 49 50. And he it was that did instruct all the Fathers And therefore Stephen saith That he the God of glory appeared to Abraham in Ur of the Caldes Act. 7. 2. and his apparition to Abraham was in such a familiar manner that it did work in him an inward regard and attention to his words whereby his soul was convinced and converted In some such manner did he appear to Adam and Eve when he did instruct them in the knowledge of his Person and Office and of the use of his publick Ordinances wherewith he was pleased to blesse the seventh day Now the several Ordinances wherewith God was pleased to blesse the seventh day I will distinguish into two sorts or ranks 1 Into such Ordinances as were plain and manifest 2 Into such as were Typical and Mystical 1 I will speak of the plain and manifest Ordinances These were often used without the typical but the typical could not well be used without some of these were added thereto By these plain and manifest Ordinances God appointed Adam as a Prophet by the exercise of them to instruct himself his wife and posterity by opening the misery of his fall and the remedy by the Promised Seed 1 The first sort of these manifest Ordinances was in preaching and proclaming his own miserable condition by his disobedience God comanded Adam to preach every seventh day either upon his miserable fall or else upon the riches of Gods grace for his recovery by the Promised Seed in eating of the forbidden fruit how he had lost Gods Image by Gods just hand of punishment and how he was corrupted in all the parts and powers of his soul and body by the poysonful counsel that Sathan breathed into Eves soul 2 Adam must preach open and declare to himself and his wife till they were increased in number the riches of Gods grace for his recovery by the Seed of the Woman which God had ordained to break the Devils Head-plot for their Redemption and in opening this he could not choose but open and declare the personal union of both the natures of the Mediator and the excellent dignity of his Office This blessed Doctrine Adam
Christ Jesus did kindle Adams sacrifice at first with fire from heaven for he did usually kindle the sacrifices of the Fathers with fire from Heaven as a sign and token to them that his death was a propitiatory sacrifice of Attonement and that their persons were thereby received into full favour Lev. 9. 23. Judg. 13. 19 20 23. 1 King 18. 38 39. 2 Chron. 7. 1 2 3. Psal 20. 3. And doubtlesse Christ Jesus told Adam that this fire from heaven did represent his Eternal Spirit by which his humane nature should one day be offered up unto God without spot as a propitiatory sacrifice for his eternal Redemption Hâ—â— 9 14. But afterwards when Cain came to offer his sacrifice upon the same Altar Christ Jesus did not kindle his sacrifice from heaven as he kindled Adams and Abels sacrifice and by that Cain knew that God did not accept his person as he did his brother Abel and thereupon he hated his brother Abel because his works were good and his own evill for Cain wanted faith in the Seed of the woman which was promised to break the Devils Head-plot by his propitiatory sacrifice which was taught and typified by sacrifices This mystery God kept secret in types from such as wanted faith even from the beginning of the world Rom. 16. 25. and therefore it was kept secret from the Heathen Nations But in the fulnesse of time Christ Jesus sent his Apostles to publish the unsearchable riches of this mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ Eph. 3 8 9. Col. 1. 26. Col. 2. 3. 3 God instructed Adam in sundry other kinds of Ceremonial types that tended to sanctification before he came to present his person and sacrifice before the Lord. As for example Christ Jesus taught him 1 How to purifie his person by washing his body and his garments in clean water just like as he taught Moses afterwards Exod. 3. 5. Exod. 19. 10. or else by changing his soul garments for fair as Jacob being first taught did also teach his hous-hold to do when he went into Gods presence to worship Gen. 35. 2. 2 God instructed Adam how to put a difference between beasts for sacrifice how he should refuse the unclean and offer the clean just as he instructed Noah before he entred into the Ark Gen. 7. 2. It is absurd to think that God did blesse the first Sabbath with differing Ordinances from those in Moses or that God did instruct Adam to worship him in a differing way from that which he did after establish by Moses and the Prophets Doubtlesse therefore when God instructed Adam after what manner he must offer sacrifices of Attonement he also instructed him how to understand and how to open the plain meaning of all and how he should preach it to others and how to pray either by way of confession of his sinfulnesse or petition for some special grace or thanks-giving or singing of Psalms as he did after instruct and appoint by Moses and the Prophets 1 When God appointed sacrifices of Attonement he appointed to joyn preaching therewith sometimes at least and therefore he appointed the Levites to joyn preaching to their sacrifices for they are commanded to teach his judgements unto Jacob and his Law unto Israel Deut. 33. 10. Lev. 10. 11. Mal. 2. 6. 7. 2 When they offered Burnt-offerings Christ Jesus taught them to make Petition and Supplication to the Lord for his favour in Christ 1 Sam. 13. 12. Job 42. 8. Ezra 6 9 10. and doubtlesse Christ Jesus taught Adam to do so for this kind of sacrifice was Job 42. 8. chiefest and it was first in use even from the beginning of the world for Noah did offer his Burnt-offering Gen. 8. 20. and Christ Jesus did appoint it as the first and chief sacrifice in Moses Gen. 8. 20. Lev. 1. 2 3 When they offered Sin-offerings or Trespass-offerings they must lay both their hands with all their might upon the head of their sacrifice and confesse their sin to God over the head of their Sin-offering and their trespasses to God over the head of their Trespass-offering But why must they impose both their hands with all their might upon the head of these Sacrifices The Answer is because by this Imposition they were taught and instructed to rest and repose their souls by a strong faith upon the propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ for the full Attonement of all their sins and trespasses of which they made confession as I have opened the point more at large in the Meritorious price of mans See the meritorious price of mans Redemption on Lev. 4. Redemption on Lev. 4. And touching the point of Confession the Hebrew Doctors have a sentence that is worthy of due observation they say That without particular confession of their known sins no Attonement is made for them by their Sin-offerings or by their Trespass-offerings And this is just according to the rule in Prov. 28. 13. He that hides his Prov. 28. 13. sin shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy and no question but Jesus Christ taught Adam thus to do when he offered his sin or his Trespass-offerings 4 When they offered Peace-offerings they imposed their hands on the head of their Peace-offerings And secondly then they made confession of their peace but especially they blessed God for their peace with God in breaking the devils Head-plot by the Seed of the Woman Lev. 3. With these and such like spiritual Ordinances God did blesse the first seventh day And these blessed Ordinances could not chuse but fill the souls of Adam and Eve with joy unspeakable and glorious causing them to break out into songs of praise as Zachary did Luke 1. 68. saying in effect as he did Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for be hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us c. as he spake by the mouth of all his holy Prophets ever since the world began Luke 1. 69. In these words Luke 1 69 70. Act. 3 21. Zachary doth affirm these two things First That there have been holy Prophets ever since the world began and therefore Adam was a Prophet Secondly That all the Prophets even from the beginning of the world have spoken and rejoyced in this Horn of salvation therefore Adam did speak with joy of heart of this Horn of salvation and made many Psalms of praise for the Seed of the Woman that should break the Serpents head for his Redemption And doubtlesse God made these Ordinances to be a rich blessing to the souls of Adam and Eve for by them they were more fully instructed and confirmed in their blessed condition by the Promised Seed And God is pleased still to blesse his people all the world over by his plain and manifest Ordinances as the Conduit-pipes of his spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus Epb. 1.
impiety and Apostacy God would confound their Language and scatter them upon the face of the earth and in memory of that Prophecie he called his Son Peleg and truly hee must needs be a rare Sabbath-keeper that kept the faith when all the rest of Noahs family fell away 2 God hath honoured Ebers memorial in another respect namely in that all the Nations of the Jews are called Ebrews after his name Gen. 14. 13. Gen. 39. 14 17. and it seems to mee that his constant abode was in the Land of Canaan because the Land of Canaan is called the Land of the Ebrews long before the Jews came out of Aegypt to dwell there Gen. 40. 15. And secondly because his great Grand-father Sem who was the King of Salem in the Land of Canaan is called the Father of all the Sons of Eber Gen. 10. 21. Sem was the Father of many other Families Gen. 10. 21 besides Ebers but for some special reason namely of their Co-habitation Ebers Sons are called Sems Sons for Sem is called the father of them which I conceive is to note out unto us that Eber was a close cohabiter and familiar with Sem in the faith of Christ when all the other Families did Apostatise and depart from them to Babylon to worship new gods Master Broughton saith That the Hebrew Tongue remained only in the faithful of Ebers House after the building of Babel and in them is continued the name of Ebrews as perpetually opposite to the builders of Babel to whom Eber preached that their tongues should be divided Prin. Posit p. 3. 3 Isaac was the seventh from Eber his faith is famous in his ready obedience to be sacrificed for he was at that time in the prime of his strength because he carried all the Wood for the Burnt-offering up the Hil Gen. 22. 6. and therefore he might wel be Gen. 22. 6. about thirty three years of age when he went with his Father Abraham up to the Mount of Moriah to be sacrifised and therefore also he was able by strength of Nature if he had been unwilling to be bound to have withstood his aged Father who was now one hundred and thirty three years old and therefore he was in the declining of his Natural strength and he might the more easily have withstood his aged Father because they two were alone and none there to help Abraham And now seeing Abrahams faith is recorded to be famous in that he did so readily obey Gods command not sparing to sacrifise his only Son at his command Isaacks saith is therewithall recorded to be no lesse famous in that he was so cheerfully willing to be bound and to be sacrifised they both knew that God was able to raise him up again from the dead Heb. 11. 19. Heb. 11. 19 and thus God made his obedience to be a sweet typical resemblance not only of the free and voluntary but also of the actual obedience of Jesus Christ to make his Soul a sacrifice for our sins Es 53. 10. Es 53. 10 4 Moses was the seventh from Abraham by no lesse rare Providence of God than Enoch was the seventh from Adam 5 Joshua was the seventh from his Grand-father Ephraim and David was the seventh son of Jesse 6 Judah was the seventh Patriarch as the Hebrew Doctors do in this order count him First Abraham second Isaac third Jacob fourth Ruben fifth Simeon sixth Levie seventh Judah and in this respect the Hebrew Doctors do compare him to the first seventh day Secondly In another respect they do compare him to the fourth Commandement namely as he was the fourth Son of Israel and so both these ways they do make his memorial Honourable by their allusion to the first famous seventh day See Ains in Gen. 49. 12. 7 Bazaliel the Master-work-man of the Lords Tabernacle was the seventh from Judah as it is evident by his Genealogie in 2 Chro. 2. 5 9 18 19 20. In all these holy Persons the providence of God ought to be sweetly considered for it doth manifestly call to our remembrance the famousnesse of the first seventh day by his disposing of great matters and gracious most often by sevens 3 God hath framed many parts and parcels of the Scripture 3 There are several parcels of the Scripture Chronologie that are fâ—amed to the number seven in an Honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day Levit. 25. 4 Chronologie to the number seven doubtlesse in an Honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day 1 When Gods people neglected the holy Sabbath and prophaned the holy Rest of it then God did threaten to punish them with Sabbatical years of punishment as in the Captivity of Babylon with ten times seven years Captivity that the Land might rest and enjoy her Sabbaths all the time it lay desolate 2 Chron. 36. with Ier. 25. Levit. 26. and is it not a manifest allusion to the first famous seventh day in that God doth call sevens of years Sabbaths of years Levit. 25. 4. and threaten them with Sabbatical years of punishment for prophaning the rest of the holy Sabbath 2 At the just end of these seventy years Daniel hath annexed a Sabbatical Chronicle which doth notably lead on not only the Sabbatical years of rest but even the weekly Sabbaths also unto the death and burial of Christ Dan. 9. 24. for 1 Christ dyed for our Redemption and rose again for our Justification in a Sabbatical Jubilee even in the twenty eighth Jubilee and from the liberties of the Jubilee the ancient Hebrew Doctors did fore-see and know and say That the Divine Majesty will be to Israel in a Iubilee Freedome Redemption and Finisher of Sabbaths See H. Bro. in Sinai Sight 2560. and in Req of Consent p. 13. 2 Daniel by his Sabbatical Chronicle doth also lead on the weekly Sabbaths to the death and burial of Christ for First Christ dyed on the first day of the feast of unleavened Bread which Iohn calls a High Sabbath Ioh. 19. 31. and Secondly on the next day which was the weekly Sabbath or seventh day his Body rested all that day in his Grave and his Soul in Heaven for as soon as he had finished the Work that God gave him to do hee rested from all his Works on the seventh day as God did from his Heb. 4. 10 own on the first seventh day 3 He rose again from the dead on the third day for Christ did fore-tel this to his Disciples that on the third day hee should be perfected Luke 13. 32. for as soon as he had performed Luke 13. 32 Mat. 12. 40 his propitiatory Sacrifice or his sacrifice of Attonement by which the Devils Head-plot was broken he was declared by his Resurrection to have made a perfect Conquest over Satan and a perfect Attonement with God his Father for mans Redemption and this day of his Resurrection was the first day of the week by Paul but John calls it the Lords
otherwise and therefore it follows by good consequence that Adam did give her that new Name by way of excellency namely because she had now received the new life of Faith in that seed of hers that should break the Devils Head-plot And secondly because she was the first Woman that did live by faith therefore she must needs be the Mother of all that should after live by faith in her Seed Christ and in that respect she as well or rather more fully than Sara may well be called the Mother of all that do live by faith 1 Pet. 3. 6. Gal. 4. 22. 28. 31. 2 As Adam doth testifie his Wives faith so also he doth fully testifie his own faith in giving her the new name Hevah his faith is fully evident by this because by this new name he did so clearly distinguish her present new Spiritual condition from her corrupted condition Immediatly before this not only the Woman but Adam also were Spiritually dead in corruption and sin but it pleased God to take such a speedy course for their humiliation and conviction and for their reconciliation and conversion by the Seed of the Woman that Adam thereupon in testimony both of his own faith and of his Wifes faith did by way of excellency call her Hevah and so he changed her name from Isha to Hevah that is to say from woman to life And thus we have seen how the Seed of the Woman Christ Jesus did honour his first Parents with the life of faith and as hee did honour them so doubtlesse he did continue to honour all his Natural Parents after the flesh sooner or later with the like honour of the life of faith and therefore they do ill that makâ— the several wicked Kings of Solomons house in Matth. 1. to bee his Fathers after the flesh Christ came not of Solomons house as the Apostate Jews and some unadvised Christians do hold but he comes of Solomons brother called Nathan and all his Natural Fathers are laid down in Luke 3. and I make no question but he did honour every one of them with the grace of true faith according to his first example and this may teach all good children to honour their Parents with their best abilities Reas 3. It is evident that Adam and Eve were re-created in the day of their Creation and Fall by the word enmity against The conversion of our fiâ—st Parents is recordâ—â— in he Womans enmity against the Seâ—pent and hâ—s Seed the Serpent I will saith God put enmity between thee and the Woman At the first the Woman looked upon the Serpent as a faithful and diligent servant for her good and that the Angel that gave it speech was a good Angel and therefore the Woman was in great amity with them and with the Serpents fair and specious perswasions but now God told the Devil in the Serpent that he would from this time forth put enmity instead of amity betwixt him and the Woman and betwixt both their Seeds This enmity between the Dâ—vil and the Woman ariseth from two contrary Principles 1 The Dâ—vils enmity against the Woman is because by her re-creation and reconciliation which was effected by her Seed Christ he was disappointed of his Head-plot which was to bring the whole race of Man under his power and dominion 2 The Womans enmity against Satan is manifestâ—d by seeking the ruine of his dominion by advancing the Kingdom and power of Christ in her Soul by getting an assurance of her Redemption from Satans Hâ—ad-plot reconciliation with God pardon of sin and power against corrupt affections for time to come This holy qualification of enmity which God by his Spirit had now put into Eves Soul against Satans Hâ—ad-plot is another sure note of her sound conversion which was effected and brought to passe in the cool of the self-same day in which Adam was created and fell Dâ—ubtlesse the Woman did now say in her heart as David once said in Psalm 139. Do not I O Jehovah hate them that hate thee and am not I grieved for those that rise up against thee with perfection of hatred do I hate them they are to me for â—nemies Psal 139. 21 22. But though the woman was now converted reconciled and justified from the condemning power of her sins yet she was not freed from temporal afflictions and chastisements and therefore it pleased God to lay upon her certain degrees of punishment for her humiliation and upon all her sex for her sake First because she was first in the Transgression God made her desires subject to her husband Gen. 3. 16. Secondly God made her and all her Sex to bring forth children in pain and sorrow But notwithstanding these degrees of her humiliation God hath honoured the woman with a certain special honour above the man because Jesus Christ the Mediator was conceived and born of the seed of the woman alone without the help of man and therefore Adam might not reproach his wife because she was first in the Transgression but he must and did honour her because she was to be the chief outward instrument of Christs Incarnation And secondly because she was made an heir as well as Adam of the promise of life by faith 1 Pet. 3. 7. and in that respect there is now no difference between the male and the female but all are one in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. 28. And the woman also may comfort her self in Christ notwithstanding her painful travell in Child-birth that she shall be saved by the promised seed of the woman if she continue in faith and love and sanctification 2 Tim. 2. 15. Conclusion Having in this Chapter made it evident by three Reasons as I conceive that Adam and Eve were Re-created and effectually converted from Sathan to God in the day of their Creation and Fall It follows by good consequence That God did not ordain the Sabbath in the time of Adams Innocency but after his Fall and Re-creation by the Promised Seed CHAP. III. Proving that Adam and Eve were Re-created before the seventh day namely in the latter part of the sixth day I Will labour to make this evident by a double inference 1 From the word Host and Finished Gen. 2. 1. 2 From the word Had made and Finished Gen. 2. 2. But for the better discerning of the said Inferences I will first labour to explain the text in Gen. 2. 1 2 3. Vers 1. And the Heavens and the Earth were Finished and all the Host of them Vers 3. And before the seventh day God had finished the work that he had made And he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had made Verse 3. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it be had rested from all his works which God had created and made Two things must be marked for the better understanding of these words 1 Touching the translation of the word Before in vers 2. 2 Touching the circumstance of
in this respect Christ iâ— eminently stiled Jehovah Sabbaoth that is to say The Lord of all Hosts Ps 24. 10. because they were made for his service that he as their proper Lord might rule them and govern them all for it is said That by him all things consist Col. 1. 17. and in this respect also he is See also ch 4 ch 6 at Sixthly called The Lord of all the whole world and of all things therein Jos 3. 11. Act. 10. 36. Phi. 2. 11. Ps 24. 1. Neh. 9. 6. To him also doth appertain the Dominion of the Heavens and of the heaven of heavens the earth and all that is in them Deut. 10. 14 15. And because all Government is his therefore it is from him that Kings do reign and rule Prov. 8. 15 16. It follows therefore that God ordained Christ to be the right Heir and sole Governour of all the Hosts both of heaven and earth on the sixth day and before God could be said to rest on the seventh day 1 God made Adam in the former part of the sixth day after his own Image as the glory of all his Creation and gave him Dominion over all his visible creatures Gen. 1. 26. 28. But it pleased God in his divine Wisdome to make Adam but mutably happy that so he might fall by the sleight of Sathan and lose his pure qualities wherein he was created after Gods Image and that he might thereby also lose his Dominion over all the visible Creation that so Christ the right Heir might have the possession of all for as soon as Adam fell by his disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit both Adam and all the Creation did presently fall into confusion and disorder And thereupon Sathan might well triumph and boast as he did in the dayes of Job that he had walked to and fro in the earth as the Lord and Conqueror of it because he had not onely brought Adam and Eve into Captivity under the spiritual death of sin and the whole Creation into confusion and disorder but also because he had robbed the holy Trinity of all the glory of their glorious Creation 2 God was pleased in his infinite Wisdome and Providence to let all this come to passe that so the holy Trinity might take occasion thereby to declare unto fallen Man how wonderful they were in Counsel and how excellent in working in that they could tell how to make Man mutably perfect and how to let Man fall by the sleight of Satan and how to break the Devils Head-plot by the promised Seed and how to reconcile and recreate Man and how to make fallen Man know and honour his Creators more than otherwise he could ever have done if hee had stood still in his first integrity of Nature for if Adam had still continued in his Created perfections he could not have honoured the Mediator so as he did after his Fall seeing hee needed not a Mediator in that condition neither could he have so much honoured Gods Mercy in the Mediator as he did after his Fall and Re-creation 3 By this time I think any man may easily see the reason why all the three Persons in the God-head had a hand in the Creation of the World and more eminently in the Creation of Man Gen. 1. 26. surely the chief reason was That God might make Adam in his Innocency could not so wel honour all his Creators as after his Fall and Re-creation Adam by his Fall and Recreation the better able to know and honour all the three Persons in the God-head as his Creators for Adam could not honour all his Creators so well in his Innocency as after his Fall and Re-creation and in this respect all the three Persons in the God-head are called our Creators Eccles 12. 1. Psal 149. 2. and our Makers Job 35. 10. Es 54. 5. and truly such Creators could not rest on the Seventh Day from all the Works which they had Created and made until they had made man to know them to be their Creators by a Re-creation which Adam could not do as long as he stood in his Innocency but as soon as his Creation was finished and made perfect by a Re-creation then faln man both knew and honoured all his Creators and the Mediator in special to be the Mediator of his Re-creation of his Reconciliation and eternal Redemption and then God rested on the Seventh Day because he had finished his Creation by the promised Seed 4 After Adams fall it pleased God so to question with Adam about his miserable condition by his Fall that he made him sensible of his misery and then it pleased God to make his Mercy known to him in the Mediator It was a terror to the Devil to hear that the Seed of the Woman should break his head Gen. 3. 15. but because it was a great comfort to faln Adam for God declared the Mediator both in his Person and Office to faln Adam and by Gods description Adam could not chuse but know that his Person must needs be both God and Man he could not chuse but know that he that must break the Devils Head-plot must needs be God and that he that must be born of the Seed of the Woman must needs be Man and then for his Office hee could not chuse but know that it must be a Mediatorial office of reconciliation or else such a miserable sinner as he could never be restored again into Gods favour In all these respects faln Adam could not chuse but know and honour the Father for his great Mercy in propounding such a Mediator and he could not chuse but know and honour the Mediator of his Redemption more than if he had stood still in his innocency and he could not chuse but know and honour the Holy Ghost because his heart and minde was recreated and made new by the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost for the sake of the Mediator 1 Pet. 1 2. Fallen Adam of himself had no skill nor will to finde out a Mediator till the Holy Ghost did inable him to beleeve that the Seed of the Woman should one day give his Soul as a Mediatorial Sacrifice of attonement even then when the Devil should peirce him in the foot-soals for the procuring of his Fathers reconciliation by which he should bee eternally redeemed from the Curse due to his disobedience and from the guilt of his sin and so be received into Gods favour as his adopted son O the infinite Wisdom of God that could tell how to augment mans happinesse and his own praise by Adams sinful disobedience if Adam had continued still in his innocency he should have been continued only in his Natural perfections and have been a Lord above all the rest of the visible Creation but in that condition he could not have so much honoured all his Creators as he did after his recreation neither should he have attained to that degree of happiness as after his Fall
by the Mediator neither could the Holy Trinity have been so glorious in his Soul as they were after his Fall and recreation 5 This sentence before the seventh day God had finished the work that he had made is a remarkable sentence full of Spiritual weight and worth because it imports that though Adam and Eve were created but mutably perfect in the former part of the sixth day yet that they were recreated and made perfect by the promised Seed in the latter part of that day namely before the seventh day and that this finishing act of Gods Creation by a Recreation was the perfection of the whole Creation so that nothing could be added to it afterwards to make the Creation The Creation of the Human Nature of Christ in the latter part of the sixth day was the perfection of the whole Creation more perfect to the worlds end for by the Creation of the Human nature of Christ of the Seed of the Woman which must be created in the sixth day for it is a Creature and therefore it was truly existing in that Prophetical declaration of it Gen. 3. 15. I say this addition to the Creation in the cool of the sixth day made the whole Creation perfect and intire lacking nothing and so much the word had made and had finished must import namely it must import such a finishing act and perfection of all the Creation as must have as full and as large a The Mystical as well as the Natural Creation was finished and made before the Seventh day and therefore Adam and Eve were re-created before the seventh day sense as can be contained in the Scriptures namely it must have a Mystical sense as well as a Literal John saith Chap. 1. 3. All things were made by him even all things without exception that were made were made by him in six days therefore we must not leave any sort of Creature out of the Work of those six days excepting him that did create them so that whatever Mystical thing is found in any part of the Scripture to be Created by God in relation to Man or to the Mediator it must be included as a particular Commentary or Exposition of these terms had finished had made had created Before the seventh day Arius denied Christ to be of the same nature with his Father See the Sum of Divinity by Jo. Downham p. 35. See also more here in ch 5. and made him only a Creature yet he held him to be an excellent Creature and as it were a secondary God Created before the World and by whom God Created the World and saved Mankind and therefore as a God in Office to be adored not in Essence The like he saith of the Holy Ghost But seeing it is plain that God made all Creatures in six days both the Son and the Spirit if they were Creatures must have been comprehended in that work Hence I inferre that seeing the Human nature of Christ was a Creature and differing much from fallen man because he was conceived by the Holy Ghost it must be comprehended in the Creation of the sixth day and therefore his Human nature did exist in that Prophetical declaration of being made of the Seed of the Woman to break the Serpents head John saith All things were made by him even his own Human nature and without him was nothing made that was made John 1. 3. and the Apostle makes Christ as Mediator to be the first of all things that he might be the Head of his Body the Church that in all things he might have the preheminence therefore Adam and Eve must be Re-created in the day of their Creation that so from that day forward Christ might be the Head of his Body the Church that in all things he might have the preheminence Col. 1. 15. to 19. and in this respect also Christ is said to save us and to call us by a holy Calling before the world was 2 Tim. 1. 9. because he was ordained to his Office before the world was 6 The very frame of the words in Gen. 22. being delivered so often in the pretertence may assure us that not only the first natural being or existing of the Creation is meant but that the very best supernatural being thereof is also meant for if the adding of some Common gifts to Nature be called a Creation Eze. 28. 14 15. then the super-adding of saving gifts to fallen man must needs be esteemed as the highest degree of all Gods Creation as these Scriptures do testifie Ier. 33. 26. Ezek. 43. 1. 7. 15. 21. Es 44. 2. Ephes 2. 10. Psal 100. 3. Psal 102. 18. Hence it follows that seeing the Heavens and the Earth were finished after they had been made it must be understood that they were finished by the Redemption and Gubernation of the promised Seed before the seventh Day and therefore that Adam and Eve must necessarily be recreated on the sixth day and so by the Figure Synedoche and also by the figure Continent for the thing contained they must be a part of the New Heavens and of the New Earth as well as all other re-created Souls are Es 51. 16. Es 65. 17 18. Es 66. 22. Es 41. 20. Psal 96. 11. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Rev. 21. 1. The finishing act of that which God had created in the end of the sixth day by the promised Seed may well be resembled to the finishing act of the Temple by Joash and Jehoiâ—da they imployed faithful Work-men to repair it after that wicked Athaliah had destroyed it and then it is said That a Healing went up upon the work 1 Chro. 24. 13. that is to say the breaches and decays thereof were healed repaired and amended for to heal a thing is to repair it or to make it perfect and sound again 2 Chro. 7. 14. Psal 60. 2. 2 Chro. 34. 10. and thus the Temple which had been made was re-created finished and perfected by those faithful men ver 14. In like sort after that Satan by his malicious Head-plot had ruinated and broken down that glorious Temple-work of Gods Creation by inticing Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden Fruit then God laid help upon one that was able and faithful to repair it for in the end of the sixth day God told the Devil by way of threatning and Adam and Eve by way of Promise That the Seed of the Woman should break this Head-plot of the Devil by his Mediatorial obedience when he should make his Soul a propitiatory Sacrifice for his sin even at the same time when the Devil should peirce him in the foot-soals as a sinful Malefactor now God could not declare this but by his Sons pre-consent contract and Covenant upon his undertaking Gods Attonement or Reconciliation was procured and the holy Spirit was procured thereby also for Adams re-creation and so a Healing went up upon the Creation by this faithful Workman and blessed Mediator Christ Jesus the strong Rock whose work
is perfect Deut. 32. 4. and in this respect the Apostle Peter calls the Mediator the faithful Creator 1 Pet. 4. 19. whose work is perfect but Peters Greek Ctistes is borrowed from the seventy on 1 Sam. 22. Psal 18. 2. where the Hebrew is Rock and there it is the attribute of the Mediator and Christ told his Apostles that he would build his Church upon that Rock and that the gates of Hell should not overcome it Mat. 16. 18. Master Perkins on the Creed pag. 154. saith God is called the faithful Creator 1 Pet. 4. 19. because he did not leave his Works of Creation without his faithful care and providence as Masons and Carpenters leave their Houses as soon as they are built without any further care what becomes of them for God is a faithful Creator that will not let his Creation go to ruine Thus we see that Adam and Eve were twice Created in one day 1. They were made perfect but yet mutable in the former part of the sixth day as it appeared for presently by the sleight of Satan they lost their first Created perfections 2. God did Re-create them with supernatural perfections by the promised Seed in the end of the same day and this Creation was permanent because it was a Creation of God in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 10. and because Christ undertook to make all perfect therefore God rewarded Christ for this his work for at the same time the Lord put the whole Creation in subjection under the feet of Christ and when all this was done then the whole Creation was perfect and intire lacking nothing and therefore Gods rest on the Seventh Day was a perfect rest But if God had kept his rest on the Seventh day whiles Adam had stood in his mutable condition as some Expositors would have him to do then Gods rest especially on the first Sabbath had stood but upon a ticklish and litigious foundation CHAP. IV. That this Sentence Before the Seventh Day God had finished God did put out sundry operations of his eternal providence in the sixth day for the finishing of that work which he had created but mutably perfect before he could be said to keep a perfect rest on the seventh day The reason why God made Angels but mutably perfect at first was that they might fall and so might become the instrument of Mans fall the Work that he had made doth imply That God by his Eternal Counsel and Providence as the efficient cause had contrived to put out sundry opperations of his Eternal Providence in the sixth day for the finishing or perfect setling of all that Work which he had made but mutably perfect at first before he could keep a perfect rest on the Seventh Day BY the event of things now made known unto us we may in some sort see into the Plat-form of Gods eternal Providence how he had contrived to finish or perfect that Work that at the first he had made and created but mutably perfect before he could keep the Seventh Day as a day of perfect rest If God by his eternal Counsel and Providence had not contrived to make Angels mutably perfect as well as Man then Angels had not despised to attend upon Adam and Eve into Paradise as their charge was and then Angels had not become Devils and then Man had not been tempted by Satan and then man had not fallen and then God had fore-ordained a Mediator in vain Therefore that God might make his Free grace glorious to fallen Man and that he might make the Mediator glorious to the Souls of the Elect he made Adam at the first but mutably perfect that so he might fall and that so he might take occasion thereby to convince him and humble him in the sight of his sin and misery and that so he might take occasion thereby to reveal unto his Soul the way of eternal Salvation by the Seed of the Woman And for the more speedy effecting of all this he did by his eternal Counsel and Providence appoint his heavenly Angels as wel as his terrestrial Creatures to attend upon Adam and Eve into Paradise for he fore-knew that if he did but give his heavenly Angels charge to attend upon earthly Man with other earthly Creatures into Paradise that many Legions of them would despise Man in comparison of themselves and would neglect their charge that so in Justice God might deprive them of their pure Natural qualities and then he knew that they would become an envious company against the glory of Man and that they would agree together in one deep Head-plot altogether unseen to Man to seduce him and perswade him to eat of the forbidden Fruit that so they might be brought into the same Spiritual death with themselves and by this speedy Head-plot of theirs they made account not only to corrupt Adam and Eve but also to destroy the whole Generation of all Mankind But God that was wise in Counsel and wonderful in Working who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Wil Eph. 1. 11. had contrived how to break this Head-plot of the Devil in peeces by the Seed of the Woman this Divine Hâ—ad-plot the Angels that fell knew not of for if they had but known it then they would not have refused to attend upon Adam and Eve into Paradise and thus God by his eternal Counsel and Providence had contrived how to make this Head-plot of the Devil to be an occasion to declare his goodness to fallen Mâ—n both the goodness of Justice and the goodness of Mercy by making the Person and office of the Mediator better known and more admired and honoured of fallen Man than if Adam had stood still in his innocency As soon therefore as Adam was fallen God took occasion thereby to introduce the Mediator into his Priestly Office virtually that so he might reconcile and redeem Man and put him into a better estate again than he had by his first Creation and that thereby God might put all the rest of his Creation under the Government of Christ as the true Lord and proper Heir of all things for all things were created for him Col. 1. 16. or else if he had not restrained sin and been pre-ordained to bee the Heir of all things and to be ready at hand to take the Government of all upon him at Adams Fall the whole Creation had been instantly confounded by a general Rebellion and by a total Disorder which was the main thing that the Devil aimed at in his Head-plot but it was prevented because he had ordained Christ to be the right Heir of all to undertake the Government of all at the very instant of Adams Fall and so his Mercy is over all his Works as the Hen is over her Chickens Psa 145. From the Premises I reason thus The whole Creation was made at first for that very end for which it now serveth Psal 119. 91. But now all the whole Creation serveth to the
makes this fourth thing a greater wonder than the other three And this last the Prophet Jeremy calls a new created thing in the earth and seeing all sorts of creatures were created in six dayes it follows that this new created thing of the humane nature of Christ in the womb of a Virgin was created and exhibited to fallen Adam and Eve in a gracious Propetical Declaration on the sixth day before that God could keep a perfect rest on the seventh day CHAP. VI. Proving that the whole world was made for the Honour of the Mediator as the right Heir of all 1 Hence it follows That God could not keep a perfect Rest on the seventh day untill he had put the Mediator as the right Heir of all into his possession 2 Hence follows That Adam must fall and be Re-created on the day of his Creation This is proved by an induction of some particulars 1 THe Angels were made to serve the Mediator even as he was ordained to be the seed of the woman Psal 91. 11 12. Heb. 1. 6. and therefore they did sing for joy not onely at the birth of Christ when he was born of the Virgin Mary Luke 2. 14. But doubtlesse they did as much rejoyce to hear that joyfull news to fallen Adam and Eve that he should be the seed of the woman to break the Devills Head-plot and ever since that day they desire to pry into that joyfull and glorious mystery 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 12. 2 The woman was in a special manner made for the Honour of the Mediator as well as for Admas Society and Posterity for without the womans seed Christ could not have been promised to be the seed of the woman that was fallen and that her seed should break the Devils Head-plot Gen. 3. 15. 3 The Sabbath was made for the Honor of the Mediator for he was Lord of the Sabbath even as he was the Son of Man Mar. 2. 28 4 The distinction of the natural day into Morning and Evening was so contrived by Gods providence for the Honour of the Mediator for the glad tydings of his Propitiatory Sacrifice was constantly remembred and typified by the Morning and Evening Sacrifices for that division of the day into morning and evening is a differing division from day night as I have shewed at large in my book of Holy Time and therefore according to the usual time of the Evening Sacrifice Christ performed his Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement about the midst of the first Evening for the first natural Evening begins at Mid-day at the first declining of the Sun and continues till Sun-set where the night begins and in the midst of this evening namely about three a clock in the afternoon Christ made his soul an Evening Sacrifice of mans Redemption 5 The several sorts of Beasts and Fowls were made for the Honour of the Mediator and though some of them were by Gods Providence to be of a ravenous kind namely as soon as Adam fell yet they could not destroy fallen man from the face of the earth neither could they wholly destroy their fellow-creatures that were of a tame kind because the Lord God had ordained a Mediator to be the right Heir of them all and to rule them all by restraining their corrupt desires and guiding them as soon as Adam fell so that the hungry Lions could not devour Daniel without his license and as for the rest of the creatures which were ordained to be of a more quiet and harmless kind God called them clean Beasts and some of them he ordained for the use of Sacrifices as the fittest to typifie the innocency of Christs humane nature and the perfection of his Sacrifice 6 All sorts of creatures were made for the Honor of the Mediator and therefore as soon as Adam fell God put all things in subjection under his feet And there was nothing that was not made subject unto him Heb. 2. 8. Psal 8. 6. Col. 1. 16. Eph. 1. 22. Yea God made him the head over the spirits of just men made perfect by the Fathers forgivenesse that is to say by the Fathers justification Heb. 12. 23. and that Dominion is called the first oâ— the chiefest Dominion Mic. 4. 8. and this Dominion God gave him in the day of Adams Fall and Re-creation Yea all creatures in general do yeeld obedience unto the Mediator as their proper Lord and Governour Rev. 5. 13. as I have noted more at large in Chap. 3. R. 2. and in Chap. 4. Yea when the Mediator was here upon earth in his humane nature all creatures obeyed him as their Lord for he rebuked the boy sterous winds and the raging sea and they obeyed him He commanded the liquid waters to bear him as the dry land and they obeyed him He commanded a hundred fifty three great fishes to come into Peters Net and not to break it and they obeyed him Joh. 21. He commanded that fish that had swallowed a Stater to come to Peters Angle to pay his tribute and that obeyed him He commanded the Asse-colt whereon never man sate to carry him with all gentlenesse to Jerusalem as if it had been tamed by former riding and it obeyed him He commanded diseases of all sorts to depart from the sick and they obeyed him Yea he commanded the Devils to come out of certain men and women and they obeyed him Yea at the time of Noahs flood He commanded all sorts of creatures as well the wild ravenous kind as the tame kind to come of their own accord into Noahs Ark and to live quietly together and they obeyed him Gen. 7. 8 9. But the wicked world because they despised the Spirit of Christ in Noah therefore Christ commanded a deluge of water to seize upon their bodies and their souls he sent to the prison of Hell 1 Pet. 3. 19. 7 God gave the Mediator an absolute Dominion over all Tyrants so that they cannot do as much mischief to his people as they desire For Christ ruleth even in the midst of his enemies Psal 110. 2 5 6 7. Psal 2 9. 10 11 12. Prov. 8. 15 16. And therefore the Father hath committed all judgement to his Son because all men should honor the Son as they honor the Father Joh. 5. 22 23. And hath given him Authority to execute judgement because he is the Son of Man Joh. 5. 27. And if he had not been declared to be the Son of Man just upon Adams Fall the Devill would have made a hellish confusion of the Creation at that instant but he was prevented by the right Heir that stood ready to take the Government of all upon him as soon as ever Adam fell From these and the like considerations it is evident that God created the world for the Honor of the Mediator and that he might rule it as the right Heir of it And the Hebrew Doctors have a common saying agreeing with this That the world had not been created but for the
all his Creation till he had re-created Adam and setled him and all the rest of the Creation upon the Rock Christ and in this respect God doth often complain of Mans sin as a heavie burden to his Soul Amos 5. 2 13 Es 1. 14. And as the sin of the old World did grieve God to the heart Gen. 6. 6. so no doubt but Adams sin above any other sin did grieve him to his heart untill God had re-created Adam and Eve by the promised Seed and put the whole Creation under his government and then God rested the seventh day and was refreshed that is to say the grief of his heart which fell upon him in the sixth day by reason of Adams sin was removed from him by the Mediators undertaking to make a reconciliation by his propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement in the cool of the sixth day and from that day forwards God instructed Adam how to offer Sacrifices of Attonement as a liverly memorial thereof and thenceforth all Sacrifices of Attonement are called sacrifices of rest to Jehovah and sweet sacrifices of rest Gen. 8. 21. because Christs Sacrifice doth quiet and pacifiâ— Gods Soul that was so exceedingly displeased and grieved for Adams sin and therefore the Seventy call sacrifices of rest sweet Sacrifices which phrase of theirs Paul doth approve and use Eph. 5. 2. they are also called sacrifices of Attonement or propitiatory Sacrifices Upon this new settlement of the Creation upon the Mediator All the Trinity rested and were refreshed on the seventh day because they had perfected mans happiness by a Re-creation God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost were refreshed now all the blessed Trinity our blessed Creators and Makers did rejoyce in the works of their hands 1 The Father was refreshed with great joy of heart because he had found out a Reconciler and because his lost Son was found again Luk. 15. 2 The Son rejoyced and was refreshed because he had taken upon him the Person and Office of a Mediator that so hee might seek and save that which was lost Matth. 18. 11 12 13 14. 3 The Holy Ghost rejoyced and was refreshed because hee had re-created the heart of Adam and Eve and filled their Souls with joy unspeakable and glorious by inabling them to beleeve in the promised Seed as the Procurator of the Fathers Attonement by his propitiatory sacrifice And truly this work of Re-creation must needs be a ground of perfect rest and of joyful refreshing to such blessed Creators that could tell how to finde out such a mysterious way to create a-new that glorious work that was so confounded and spoyled by Satans Head-plot The Angels also rejoyced at the conversion of Adam and Eve saying Glory to God in the highest and on the earth peace and good will towards men Luk. 2. 14. and this must needs bee so because they rejoyce at the conversion of every sinner that repenteth Luk. 15. 7. Adam and Eve did also keep a blessed rest upon the Sabbath for their Souls were rejoyced and refreshed because they did by faith rest on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot And thus the first seventh day was a joyful day of rest and rerefeshing both to all the Trinity to all the Elect Angels and to repenting Adam and Eve and so it is to all true repenting and beleeving sinners Amen And it is further evident that Gods rest on the seventh day was nothing else but the quieting of his mind in Christs Sacrifice of Attonement because God is said to rest in several types of Christ as well as in the seventh day in relation to his resting on the Mediator for mans Redemption from Sathans Head-plot 1 The Land of Canaan is called Gods Rest Exod. 33. 14. Psal 95. 11. Heb. 4. 1. because God had appointed that Land to be the resting place of his Tabernacle and Temple Jos 22. 19. 2 Sam. 7. which did typifie the humane nature of Christ Joh. 2. 19. Heb. 8. 2. Heb. 9. 11. where his Sacrifices of Rest might onely be offered 2 The Tabernacle is called Gods Rest Psal 132. 8. 3 Zion is called Gods Rest Psal 132. 13 14. 4 The Temple is called Gods Rest 2 Chron. 6. 41. and the house of his Rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord 1 Chron. 28. 2. 5 All Sacrifices of Attonement are called Sacrifices of Rest because they have a sweet savor that gives rest to the disquieted senses Gen. 8. 21. Exod. 29. 18. Num. 15. 3. Ez. 20. 14. But no man I think will say that God did rest in any of these things otherwise than as they were types of the Mediators Person and Sacrifice wherein onely Gods soul doth rest as in the onely Mediatorial procuring cause of his Attonement for mans Redemption from Sathans Head-plot The Tabernacle wherein God did dwell among the Sons of Israel was three times over most carefully described by Moses 1 In Exod. 25. 2 In Exod. 36. 3 In Exod. 39. 32 to 43. This three fold telling of the Tabernacle which God did after cast off saith one of the Hebrew Doctors was not to shew that God did so highly rest in it for it self but to shew that he only rested in the Tabernacle of the Messiah and because the blessed Martyr Stephen knew that the High Sanedrim did rest after an outward hypocritical manner in the Temple he did upbraid their foolish confidence saying The most High dwelleth not or resteth not in Temples made with hands Act 7. 48. implying that the most High did onely rest in Christ that was typified by the Temple So then the place of Gods rest and of fallen mans rest lyes onely in the work of Reconciliation by the Mediators Sacrifice of Attonement Conclusion From all the Premises I conclude That Gods rest on the seventh day was his satisfying delight and his sweet content in Christ because he was ordained to be the Seed of the Woman to break the Devills Head-plot by his Propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement and because God had setled the whole Creation upon the Mediator whose work was so perfect that nothing was lacking to the perfection thereof And therefore it follows that God ordained the Sabbath not in the time of Adams Innocency but after his Fall and Re-creation CHAP. IX Proving that God blessed the first seventh day with many Spiritual Ordinances such as were apt to convey Spiritual and Eternal blessednesse to faln man THis sentence God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it Gen. 2. 3. doth contain in it a full description how God did blesse the seventh day for the good of faln man 1 I will speak of the word Blessed in this Chapter 2 I will speak of the word Sanctified in the next Chapter 1 It is meet to inquire how God did blesse the first seventh day Did he blesse it with any natural blessing above the other six dayes Hath he bestowed a greater blessing of fairer weather or the
that act command man to sanctifie such persons to the Lord Every first-born of the Sons of Israel saith the Lord are mine both of Man and Beast for in the day that I smote every first-born in the Land of Egypt I sanctified them unto me Numb 8. 17. that is I commanded my people to sanctifie them to my service which they did perform First By setting apart some of the clean kind for Sacrifice And secondly by redeeming the rest with money which money God commanded to be imployed to his service either by buying some Sacrifices of Attonement therewith for the publick or else it must be for the repairing of Gods Sanctuary as Exod. 13. doth explain it 2 When God did sanctifie the Temple for the publick place of his Typical worship 2 Chr. 7. 16. 2 Chr. 30. 8. he did thereby command man to sanctifie it by performing every particular just as he commanded Solomon might not build the Temple after the fashion that he thought best but he must do it in all particulars as God commanded 1 King 9. 3. God did not leave any sanctified thing that did any way appertain either to the service of the Tabernacle or of the Temple neither to Moses discretion nor to Solomons wisdome but when God sanctified these places for his worship he commanded how and after what manner Heb 9. 19. 21. every thing should be done Ex. 25. 8 9 10. Exod. 39 42 43. Heb. 9. 19 21. 3 When God sanctâ—fied Cities of Refuge he did thereby command his people to sanctâ—fie them it is said that they sanctified Kedesh in Galilee for a place of refuge Jos 20. 7. they did sanctifie it because God had commanded them to sanctifie it Deut. 19. 2. they might not sanctifie any City but by vertue of Gods command as it is expressed in Num. 35. 6 11. 4 When God sanctified Festival dayes or Festival Sabbaths he did thereby command the Sons of Israel to sanctifie them Lev. 23. and Jeroboam is branded as a wicked opposer of Gods sanctified Sabbaths because he commanded a standing Holy-day to the Lord of his own head 1 King 12. 32 33. From these and such like examples it follows that when God sanctified the seventh day he commanded Adam and Eve to sanctifie the seventh day in the use of such Ordinances as he was pleased to blesse the seventh day withall Jesus Christ did not leave the sanctifying of the seventh day to Adams discretion in an arbitrary way how much time he would set apart for Gods service but by sanctifying the seventh day God commanded Adam to set apart the whole day for his service in such publick and private duties he had blessed the Sabbath withall 2 The word Sanctified implies another command to faln When God sanctified the seventh day he did thereby command Adam to prepare himself for the better sanctifying of the seventh day Joel 2. 15. Adam namely to prepare himself to the sanctification of the Sabbath First By an outward And secondly By an inward preparation Sanctifie a Fast call a solemn Assembly Joel 1. 14. that is to say Prepare your selves to meet me in a day of publick Fasting as it is explained in Joel 2. 15. Blow the Trumpet in Zion Sanctifie a Fast Call a solemn Assembly that is to say Warn the people by a Trumpet to prepare themselves to sanctifie a Fast Joels three terms in vers 5. are all Synonima and do all imply that Gods people must prepare themselves for a day of Fasting First Outwardly by sanctifying or washing their bodies and garments And secondly Inwardly by true humiliation of soul and in this sense also God commanded Joshua to sanctifie the people against they came into his presence on the morrow Jos 7. 13. Now all that Joshua did to sanctifie the people was no more but to warn them by a Proclamation through the Camp which usually was attended with the sound of a Trumpet saying Sanctifie your selves it is as much as if he had said God hath commanded you to sanctifie your selves First Outwardly by washing And secondly by inward repentance against you come into his presence on the morrow So when God commanded Moses to sanctifie the people to hear the Law delivered at Mount Sinai Moses did no otherwise sanctifie them but by commanding the people to prepare themselves in a sanctifiâ—d manner First By inward fear and reverence And secondly by outward washing and by abstinence from their wives two dayes together for their more reverent attention of Gods Law Exod. 19. 10. Jos 3. 5. Exod. 3. 5. 1 Sam. 16. 5. Num. 11. 18. Exod. 19. 10. Jer 6 4. So in like sort when God said Sanctifie War it is a command to prepare for War Jer. 6. 4. Jer. 51. 28. From these and such like instances it follows That when God sanctified the first seventh day he commanded Adam and Eve for the more solemnity to prepare themselves for the sanctifying of the seventh day God having made a promise to them in the end of the sixth day that the Seed of the Woman should break the head of the Serpent he sanctified the next day for a Sabbath of rest because he had blessed it with Ordinances and thereby he did command Adam and Eve to prepare themselves against they came into his holy presence on the morrow for sin had defiled them and therefore they needed to prepare themselves not onely by outward washing but also inwardly by true repentance Act. 22. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 15. Es 29. 23. or else instead of receiving good by that blessing wherewith God had blessed the seventh day they might expect a curse at least an outward curse upon their bodies as it fell out upon Aarons Sons when they did not sanctifie the Lord in his worship according to his command the Lord struck them with present death saying I will be sanctified in all that come neer me Lev. 10. 3. and when some of Ephraim and Manasses did come to the sanctified Passeover in the dayes of Hezekiah God was displeased with them because they had not prepared themselves thereto according to the sanctified or commanded preparation of the Sanctuary but Hezekiah prayed for them and the Lord heard him and healed the people 2 Chr. 30 18 19 20. 2 I will speak a little more of the word Sanctified as it implies a command to fallen man to prepare himself to sanctify the seventh day for all sanctified things must be remembred by way of preparation before hand that so they may be done in due time and order or else God that is jealous of his sanctified things will be displeased And therefore one Reason why the word Remember was after added to the fourth Commadement was not to adde a new sense to that Command more than it had to Adam under the word Sanctified but to increase the charge of preparation with more vehemency which at the first was couched under the word Sanctified for now the people of God had forgotten the
Seed of the Woman But yet still as the seventh day was the sanctified time of Gods worship so it must still continue for the exercise of those Spiritual Ordinances wherewith God hath blessed the seventh day for the use of all Nations to the end of the world and because there must not be any intermission of the seventh part of time according to the dayes of the week therefore the seventh day could not be changed to any other day than the first day of the week wherein the Seed of the Woman arose from the dead as an absolute Lord and Conqueror of Sathans Head-plot CHAP. XII Shewing how God did make the first seventh day famous by honouring the number Seven ever after with famous respects 1 GOD hath made the first seventh day famous in three regards 1 Because God did blesse it with many Spiritual Ordinances above all the other six dayes for mans best good 2 Because God did sanctifie it as so much time for the solemnity of his publick worship for ever 3 Because God did ordain it as a sanctified type or sign of fallen mans resting on the Seed of the Woman for the breaking of the Devils Head-plot II. God doth often use the number seven in an honourable memorial of the first famous seventh day 1 God hath contrived many of the Typical Ceremonies of our Redemption to be numbred by seven in an honourable respect to the first famous seventh day 3 He hath marked out many holy men of speciall note by the number seven in an honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day 3 He hath framed many parts of the Scripture Chronologie to the number seven in an honourable remembrance of the first famous seventh day 1 I will begin to open the first touching the Typical Ceremonies 1 The typical Ceremonies of our Redemption are often numbred by Seven in an honourable memorial of the first famous seventh day Lev 8. 33. 35. Lev. 29. 30. of our Redemption Seven dayes were appointed for the consecration of the Priests into their Priestly office Exod. 29. 30. in all which seven dayes they must abide at the door of the Tabernacle night and day to keep the watches of the Lord that no defilement might befall them or the Sanctuary Lev. 8. 33 35. And the chief reason why their Consecration must last seven dayes was because the Sabbath which was ordained as a typical sign of our sanctification by Christ might passe over them in that space and therefore the Hebrew Doctors say of this action Great is the Sabbath for the High Priest entreth not upon his service after he is anointed untill the Sabbath do passe over him And also from these seven dayes of their Consecration the Hebrew Doctors did gather That the High Priest must be separated from his house before he might do the service of the day of Attonement seven dayes every yeer See Ains in the said places 2 The Altar was seven times sprinkled with oyl when it was consecrated to be a type of the Mediators anointing When he should make his soul a sacrifice for our sins Lev. 8. 11. Lev. 8. 11. 3 The blood of the Sin-offering which the High Priest offered must be sprinkled seven times before Jehovah for Attonement Lev. 4. 6. And on the day of Attonement he sprinkled the blood Lev. 4. 6. of Attonement seven times before the Mercy-seat Lev. 16. 14. and seven times upon the Altar Lev. 16. 19. This seven-fold Lev. 16. 14. sprinkling of the blood of Attonement did type out the perfect Attonement that the Seed of the Woman should one day make for all the true Israel of God by his propitiatory Sacrifice of Attonement and therefore it was offered but once for all because it was perfect at once Heb. 10. 10 12 14. Heb. 10. 10 12 14. 4 The number of seven Sacrifices was often used as a typical number that God did much delight in no doubt in relation to the first famous seventh day As for example When David did fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed Edom they offered seven Bullocks and seven Rams because the Lord inabled the Levites to bear the Ark 1 Chr. 15. 26. And when Hezekiah caused the Levites to cleanse the Temple then he together with the Princes brought seven Bullocks and seven Rams and seven Lambs and seven He-goats for a Sin-offering 2 Chr. 29. 21. In like manner Jobs three friends brought unto Job as the Priest in those dayes seven Bullocks and seven Rams for a Burnt-offering Job 42. 8. Job 42. 8. And in the New Jerusalem the Prince shall offer in the dayes of unleavened-bread seven Bullocks and seven Rams without blemish daily at the time of the seven dayes Ezek. 45. 23. And Balaam in imitation of such customes and in imitation of the first famous seventh day which doubtlesse was famous a long time among the Heathens he caused Balack to build seven Altars and to prepare seven Bullocks Num. 23. 1. 5 In cleansing of Lepers the Priest must sprinkle them seven times with water wherein the blood of the Bird that was slain was mixed Lev. 14. 7. and seven times with oyl before the Lord vers 16. 51. 6 Elisha the Prophet bad Naaman to wash seven times in Jordan and then he should be cleansed of his Leprosie 1 King 5. 10 14. 7 God allotted seven dayes for the time of Purification from sundry kinds of uncleanesse 1 The Woman in child-bed must be seven dayes separated from the company of her husband for a Man-child just as long as she was separated in the time of her menstruousnesse and twice seven dayes for a female Lev. 12. 2. Lev. 15. 19. 2 He that touched a dead man must be unclean seven dayes before he could be purified 8 God ordained every seventh yeer to be a Sabbath of Rest in the land of Canaan after that Joshua had given the people rest in the seventh year of his reign and when seven times seven yeers were compleat then began the Jubilee with the fiftieth yeer Lev. 25. 4 8. 20. 9. The Lord ordained seven sorts of Festivial Sabbaths besides the seventh day as they may be counted in Lev 23. and the Feast of Unleavened bread was a Feast of seven dayes and the seventh month was famous above other months because it had most Festival Sabbaths in it and in the seventh month Solomon kept the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple seven dayes and seven dayes 1 King 8. 2. 65. and Hezekiah took order because of the general uncleannesse of the Priests and of the greater number of the people in the first month that the Feast of Unleavened-bread should be put off unto the fourteenth day of the second month and then after they had kept the Feast seven dayes the whole assembly took counsel to keep it other seven dayes not with another Paschal Lamb but onely with voluntary Peace-offerings and by this means they kept that
the Sabbath or seventh day namely his body rested in his grave and his soul in Paradise 3 On the first day of the week he arose again from the dead as the Lord and Conqueror of Satans Head-plot and in this respect he being the Lord of his Church and the Lord of the Sabbath did ordain it for the day of his publick worship in place of the seventh day to the end of the world 4 God by his eternal Counsel ordained and Christ in obedience to his Fathers will accomplished his Death and Resurrection in a Sabbatical Yeer of Jubilee And this Sabbatical Jubilee is also called The acceptable Yeer of the Lord Luke 4. 19. And from the typical signification of the Luke 4. 19. Jubilee-deliverance the Hebrew Doctors did fore-see and fore-say to the admiration of considerate Christians That the Divine Majesty would be to Israel in a Jubilee Freedome Redemption and Finisher of Sabbaths See Zâ—har on Lev. 25. Col. 2. 10. fol. 53. And to admiration also Kimchi upon Ezek 40. saith That the Messiah Redeems in a Jubilee See H. Bro. in Req p. 13. and in Sinai-sight Yeer of the World 2560. III Who can but admire also at the wonderfull Providence of God 3 The Resurrection of Christ fell out so that it was made famous by three remarkable dayes that the day of Christs Resurrection should fall out so as that it should be remarkable by three famous daies 1 It fell out upon the first day of the week 2 It fell out upon the eighth day 3 It fell out upon the third day 1 Christs Resurrection fell out upon the first day of the week wherein God created light out of darknesse and on that day Christ did arise out of his darksome grave to give light to the world Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 8 12. and so he made that day which was first in order in the Creation to be first in dignity by the work of his Resurrection he made that day which was the first fruits of time to be the first fruits from the dead 1 Cor. 15. Col. 1. â—6 2 Christs Resurrection fell out upon the eighth day namely on the next day after the seventh day which is the eighth day the eighth day was ordained by Moses Law to be a day of perfection above the perfection of the number seven which I have noted might well be to typifie the day of Christs Resurrection to come in the place of the seventh day 3 Christs Resurrrection fell out on the third day after his death and so Christ opened and alledged from the Scriptures that he must rise again from the dead on the third day Luke 24. 45 46. and doubtlesse the Resurrection of Isaac on the third day was a rare type of the Resurrection of Christ upon the third day for Isaac is said to have been offered Jam. 2. 21. and to have been raised up again from the dead after a sort on the third day Heb. Jam. 2. 21. 11. 19. for it was the third day from their coming out to sacrifice Heb. 11. 19. when he and his Father Abraham came to the place of performance and from that action the Hebrew Doctors do gather that the third day is mysterious in Scripture There are many a three days say they in Scripture of which one is the Resurrection of the Messiah See Ains in Gen. 22. 4. See also H. Bro. in his Reduction in Dan. 9. and Christ himself did fore-tel that On the third day he should Gen. 22. 4. be perfected Luke 13. 32. his meaning must needs be that Mediatorial Luke 13. 32. Sacrifice of Attonement should be declared to be perfect by his Resurrection on the third day Conclusion From all the Premises it appears that the day of Christs Resurrection was the most glorious day that God had honored and the most glorious day that could be thought on among true Christians and therefore it may perswade our consciences that if Christ hath ordained any day for his publick Worship in the place of the seventh day it must needs be that day of perfection wherein he arose as Lord and Conqueror oâ— Satans Head-plot and therefore the observation of it ought to be honored of all good Christians for evermore Amen CHAP. XV. Propounding some Reasons why the Apostles did allow of the Jewish Sabbath or seventh day in their Synagogues for a time after it was abolished by the death of Christ as well as of the Lords Day in Christian Churches THe Apostles knew well enough that Christ had ordained his Resurrection-day as the day of his publick Worship in place of the seventh day and therefore in that respect they appointed all Christian Churches to observe that day for Gods publick Worship and yet notwithstanding they still resorted to Gods publick Worship on the seventh day in the Jews Synagogues for a certain space of years after the death of Christ I say for some space of time the Apostles did allow by way of permission the use of the Sabbath or seventh day yea they did allow of the use of Sacrifices also in the Temple for a time for they knew that as long as Christ was willing to suffer the Temple to stand undestroyed that he was willing to suffer and permit the use of Sacrifices and Sabbaths and therefore for the weaknesse sake of many beleeving Jews that did as yet remain in their old Synagogues the Apostles did see it convenient to allow of the use of the seventh day for Gods publick Worship in their Synagogues according to their ancient known custom yea moreover the Apostles did see it convenient to allow of the use of Circumcision and of all the other Customs of Moses also for a time for the weaknesse sake of many ten thousand Iews that did beleeve in Christ because that many of these beleeving Iews did still continue to be zealous assertors of the customs of Moses Law Act. 21. 20. for many of these beleeving Iews were Acts 21. 20 not only eminent for faith in Christ but also they were eminent for zeal in Moses Law as we may see in the example of Ananias that opened Pauls eyes It is recorded of him that he was a godly man as pertaining to the Law Act. 22. 12 and it is also recorded that there were divers other Iews that did beleeve in Christ and yet they still continued zealous not only for Circumcision but also for all the other customs of Moses Act. 15. 5. Act. 15. 5. 24 and it was for the sake of these beleeving Iews that as yet remained in Synagogues that the Apostles did by way of permission allow of the use of the Sabbath day in their Synagogues till a convenient time of Reformation And out of this consideration it was that the Apostles in their Decrees at Ierusalem did not absolutely forbid the use of Circumcision Acts 15. and out of this consideration it was that Paul took liberty to Circumcise Timothy that so he might thereby
kindle a fire on the Sabbath Day for the dressing of necessary food for infirm or crasie bodies Quest 4. It seems to me that the Jews might not kindle a fire on the Sabbath Day to dresse any meat at all therewith for Moses saith thus To morrow is the Sabbath of Holinesse to Jehovah Bake that which yee will bake and seeth that which yee will seeth namely in the sixth day as it is in ver 5. and all that remaineth over lay it up for you as a reservation until the morrow Exod. 16. 23. From this Scripture I think it is evident That the Jews were prohibited Exod. 16. 23 to kindle a fire upon the Sabbath Day neither to bake or boyl any of their Manna but all must be done on the sixt day that so they might not kindle a fire for it on the Sabbath Day Ans This baking and boyling of their Manna before the Sabbath Day doth not forbid them to heat their Manna with fire in the Sabbath to make iâ— fit for infirm and weak stomacks but the baking and boyling forbidden by Moses upon the Sabbath Day was such a baking and boyling as was accompanied with laborious work such as might and ought to have been done on the sixt day as it appears by Numb 11. 8. there after the people had gathered their Manna they did prepare it with laborious Numb 11. 8 work several ways suitable to every ones taste or liking therefore they did First grinde it in Mills or beat it in Morters Secondly Then they baked it in Pans and made Cakes of it Thirdly Othersome did boyl it and thus it was several ways prepared and Cooked according to every ones taste and liking with laborious work on the sixt day now such kind of laborious works as these were forbidden to be done in the Sabbath Day because they might be done on the sixt day and in that respect the Hebrew Doctors say Whoso laboureth in the evening of the Sabbath he shall eat in the Sabbath See Ains in Levit. 16. 26. And truly I think there is no conscientious Christian that doth hold it lawful to defer or put off such like laborious works as these to the Lords Day for it is all one as if a man should defer the grinding of his Corn the baking of his Bread or the making of his Pies unto the Lords Day but no conscientious Christian that is judicious I think doth hold it unlawful to temper a Pudding of the Meal that was ground on the sixth day or to heat a Pye that was made on the sixt day or to boyl a necessary quantity of meat that was killed and quartered on the sixt day or to use that wood for fire that was carted home and cut ready for the fire on the sixt day or to use Water that was fetched home to the door on the sixt day all these and such like things might as lawfully be done by the Jews on the Sabbath Day as by godly Christians on the Lords Day and this is fully evident by our Saviour in that he did justifie his Apostles for their work in gathering of certain ears of Corn in other mens fields and rubâ—â—â—g the said ears to prepare it for food on the Sabbath Day and doubtlesse after the said rubbing it was either parched in the Fire or boyled in Water fit for the digesture of the stomack or else if they had eaten it raw it had been but course and hard food Now if it had been unlawful to prepare such a small quantity of food as was fit for the present support of nature on the Sabbath Day doubtlesse Christ would have commanded his Apostles before-hand to provide their Scrip full of Victuals namely on the sixt day but in as much as he had not made such provision on the sixt day but did justifie his Apostles for this work in the Sabbath Day by alleging the example of David in eating the Shew-bread in case of hunger he did thereby confute and reprove the Iews superstitious opinion of the outward rest of the Sabbath alleging also That the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Mar. 2. 27. as if Christ had said Mar. 2. 27. thus If man had been made for the Sabbath then man must have served the Sabbath before his own necessity but seeing man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man namely to serve mans necessity therefore it follows that the Sabbath was made ordained or instituted after man was in necessity and in misery namely after Adams Fall chiefly for the good of his sick and sinful Soul and therefore God did blesse it with suitable Ordinances and did sanctifie that day for the use of those Ordinances but yet withall the Sabbath was made to serve man in misery in respect of his Body that it might rest and be refreshed with convenient food Physick and the like and therefore godly Wisdome will make all the godly careful to improve the Lords Day so as that it may serve to the best good both of their sinful Souls and of their weak and frail bodies also Quest 5. Are Christians bound to rest on the Lords Day as strictly from bodily recreations and from all things that are not work as the Jews â—â—re on the Sabbath Day for the Hebrew Doctors say That the Jews must rest on the Sabbath Day from things that are not work as from climbing on a Tree riding on a Beast â—â— the like from the judging of Civil causes putting off the sâ—â—â—e and taking the Brothers Wife spoken of in Deut. 25. separating of Tythes first Fruits and the like valuing of things spoken of in Levit. 27. and from speaking with a mans 〈…〉 on the Sabbath Day what he will buy or how he will build his 〈…〉 the like as it is noted by Mr. Ains in Exod. 20. 10. and in 〈…〉 â—1 17. Ans I have shewed you on the word Sanctified in Chap. 10. That God sanctified the whole seventh day for his service not only the time of the publick Ordinances but the whole day and therefore it was sanctified for the use of private Ordinances as well as for the publick and therefore no time may be exempted from these holy Duties but in cases of necessary food Physick or the like cases of necessity therefore before we addresse our selves to Gods publick Ordinances wee must be careful to prepare our Souls to come with fear and reverence and so in our Hearing in our Praying Singing c. wee must take heed how wee Hear how we Pray and Sing so likewise afterwards we must examine our selves how our Soul â—ave profited by the publick Ordinances or else we may look 〈◊〉 Curse rather than a Blessing from the said Ordinances Hence it follows by necessary consequence That no good Christian can allow himself liberty to do such kind of exercises as you have named but they will interrupt the efficacie of those blessed and commanded Ordinances
it is Behind or it is due West On the contrary when Moses directed them to other places that Iay East he directed them thither by the Rising of the Sun Numb 21. 11. Numb 34. 15. Deuter. 4. 41 47. Josh 12. 1. Josh 19. 27 34. Secondly Let Joshua also shew his judgement about the time and place of Sun-set and he declares his judgement by another familiar example for he directed the Jews how to finde out the West bounds of Canaan not by the confused and obscure mark of Twilight but first by the perspicuous mark of Sun-set and secondly by the hindmost Sea Jos 1. 4. he makes the hindmost Sea and the going down of the Sun to be marks Synonima for the finding out of the West borders of Canaan and he doth also explain this hindmost Sea to be the great Sea at Sun-set Jos 23. 4. and Moses likewise doth call this Sea the Hindmost Sea Deut. 11. 24. But the Greek and Chaldee call it the Western Sea So then from the premises it follows That seeing the places that lye due West are marked out by the perspicuous mark of the going down of the Sun we must thereby understand that the Sun-set Evening doth begin as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight and therefore hence it follows that those that make the time of Sun-set and the time of Twilight to be all one for the begining of our Lords day do build their opinion but on a sandy foundation Thirdly The Hebrew Text doth often express the time of Sun-set by the going in of the Sun to lodge all night as it were in its chamber and it is said to go in as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of our Horizon See Ains in Psa 50. 1. on the contrary as soon as the body of the Sun is risen upon our Horizon in the morning it is said to come forth as a Bridegroom out of his chamber Psal 19. 5. Fourthly Experience will tell you that the Sun is set as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight or else if it be not set till the darknesse in the skie is more than the light in the skie then there is no Sun-set at all in the North of England when the daies are at the longest for experience doth testifie that the light is hardly out of the skie there all the night long except a little in the middle of the night and yet experience doth witnesse that the Sun doth truly set there every day Fifthly Let all Astronomers shew their judgement when the Sun doth set and they with one consent do testifie that the Sun doth set as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gon out of sight for they describe the time of Sun-set and the time of the Suns rising by the first appearing of the body of the Sun in the morning and by the body of the Sun going out of sight in the evening as all their Almanacks do testifie Sixthly Let the Evangelist Marke shew his judgement for he describes the Evening to begin at Sun-set Mark 1. 32. but Luke speaking of the same action saith It was when the Sun was setting Luke 4 40. put this together and it implies that the time of the beginning of the Sun-set Evening is as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight Seventhly Joshua doth testifie that the Evening is come as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight Jos 10. 26 27. and Daniel saith That Darius did labour to deliver him till the going down of the Sun Dan. 6. 14. But the Seventy say till Evening and Moses saith The soul that toucheth a dead creeping thing shall be unclean untill the Evening Lev. 22 6. but saith he in vers 7. He shall bathe himself in water and then he shall be clean when the Sun is gone down from all these places it is evident that the term Sun-set and the term Evening are terms convertible for the Sun-set Evening Eighthly It is evident by this reason that the latter Evening doth begin as soon as ever the body of the Sun is gone out of sight because there is no interim between the End of the first Evening and the Beginning of the latter Evening and I have proved in Chap. 2. that the first Evening doth end as soon as ever the Sun doth leave off to make any more shadows upon the face of the Earth For the whole time of the first Evening is described by its shadows looking forth towards the place of its Rest or by the strotching out of its shadows upon the face of the Earth as I have expounded Jer. 6. 4. and therefore it follows by necessary consequence that the latter Evening must begin at that instant time This consequence is so cleer that none that loves plain truth can deny it But to prevent rash zeal and unadvised haste in feasting upon the holy flesh the Hebrew Doctors advised to stay a little time after Sun-set They begin their Religious Festival Suppers after Sun-set as soon as three stars appeared in the skie for the Sun must go down upon the baptized person before his Purification was perfected and then he began the date of his new day and then he was made fit to eat of the holy flesh yet they advised to stay a little time after Sun-set namely till three stars appeared in the skie Mamony saith That the unclean may not eat of the Heave-offering untill their Sun be set and three stars appear after the Sun is gone down See Ains in Lev. 22. 9. Thus have I shewed how God ordained the time of the two Evenings for the effecting of two degrees of cleannesse and now I shall in the next Section shew That all the latter Evening from Sun-set till Mid-night was appointed for the time of their Religious feasting upon their Passeovers and Peace-offerings and that this part of the night was a true part of the former natural day SECT 3. FRom the date of the new Day to the person purified at the Sun-set Evening we may see the true Reason that did inforce the Jewes to begin all their Ceremonial Sabbaths at that time and of all other dayes by occasion thereof But this beginning of the day was no more to be accounted for the beginning of the natural Day than the beginning of their yeer in Nishan was to be accounted for the first month by Creation for they began their yeer in Nishan upon the occasion of their famous deliverance out of Egypt in that month but from the Creation the yeer began in Tizri which now is called the Seventh month and this seventh month was afterwards made famous again by Joshua's Conquest of Canaan and by his division of the land thereupon to the nine Tribes and a half in this seventh month Jos 14. and in remembrance thereof they began all their yeers of Rest and all their Jubiles from that