therefore and the comparative like as in the seventh Verse of the third Chapter relating to the twelfth Verse of the same Chapter doth shew the exhortation to be inforced upon the Believer therefore as the Holy Spirit exhorteth you to believe and obey the Voice of Christ so look to it that you do believe and obey his Voice The reason is strong from an example of old because your Fathers who contemned the Voice of Christ and did not contemper the word with Faith were frustrated of the Heavenly rest The reason of which consequence is seeing there is the like reason of you and of them For both to you and them it was Evangelized in the second Verse of the fourth Chapter The whole drift of the Discourse from the seventh Verse of the third Chapter to the eleventh Verse of the fourth Chapter doth respect a professing people that would pass for the people of God and be accounted Travellers towards the promised Heavenly rest which none but the believing perswadeable obedient true spiritual Israel of God would enter into The Sabbatism or rest spoken of in the first third ninth tenth and eleventh verses of this fourth Chapter is a rest that remaineth in the sixth and ninth verses of the same Chapter A rest that was before them towards which they were travelling and short of which they should fear lest they came by their loytering behind in the first Verse A rest that in the time of the Authour of this Epistle when he wrote this was as to himself and the believing people of God then alive before them and they were left behind it as yet short of it Into which they were not as then so fully entred but they were under a promise or expectation thereof And the same may be said of his believing people who are now alive in the present day whilst it is called to day There is a promised rest which they should have in their eye which they are not as yet so thorowly passed into Of which that place in the Psalm was a Typical prediction The rest here is a rest yet in the promise yet to come and hoped for attainable enterable and enjoyable if unperswadeableness hinder not The Eleventh verse doth again introduce and enforce the principal exhortation by way of rational inferehee and by a doubled Argument Therefore let us study to enter into that rest that not any one sall by the same example of disobedience If we believe and obey Christ's Voice we shall then enter into it but if not we shall be shut out from it as those were who died away in their unperswadeableness The whole Context both in this place and in the Psalm doth evidently demonstrate that the rest here treated of and foretold by David is such a rest as out of which the unbelieving unperswadeable and disobedient living and dying such would be shut and into which the believing perswadeable and obedient such a people of God should enter and none but such Which therefore cannot be ineant of a pretended first day of weekly rest For if that had been the rest the believing had already actually entred into not only the outward but also the inward rest and even the unbelieving had actually entred into the outward part of that rest had they so far observed it as the weekly Sabbath Whereas the Israelites in Type in Moses's time had not entred so much as into the outward part of the Type of it That is to say not those of them who were above twenty years of Age when the Spies returned from searching the Land All except Joshuah and Caleb died short of Canaan that were above that number of years whether Believers or unbelievers All the Promises and the Threatnings the Exhortations and the Cautions and such like that are made use of in all this Discourse do plainly relate to a prosessing people according as they believe or believe not and so do enter or not enter into this rest As for what doth concern the parallel wherein it doth not hold and wherein it doth hold I shall open now my thoughts The Parallel here is not between God the Father as Creator and his Son Christ as Redeemer though there are some others that would have it so For the LORD Jesus himself the Christ the Mediator was the Creator not excluding the Father nor the Holy Spirit As I have proved before in this Treatise and have here again put some of the Scriptures into the Margin which the Reader may examine if he have need The Authour of this Epistle doth industriously prove and promote this great Truth of Christ's Jehovah ship or God-ship by his Creator-ship as well as by other Arguments from Scripture That God who is spoken of in the tenth verse of this fourth Chapter of this Epistle to the Hebrews is the same Christ by whom the Father made the Worlds the Ages He was the LORD in the beginning who laid the Foundation of the Earth and the works of whose hands the Heavens were as is declared in the second and tenth Verses of the first Chapter the same God who built all things in the fourth verse of the third Chapter Which doth make way for the following discourse concerning his rest and entring or not entring into it as Christian Professors did believe and obey or not As this Objector himself doth elsewhere confess upon the tenth Verse of the third Chapter that Christ is so brought in as God and expresly called God to make way for this following discourse about works and rest The same God whose voice from his Father by his Spirit in his Word the Israelites of Old and the Hebrews in this Authour's time were called upon to hearken unto in the seventh and fifteenth Verses of that third Chapter The same living God from whom they should take heed lest by an evil Heart of unbelief in them they did depart in the twelfth Verse Which the Authour doth expresly interpret of Christ in the fourteenth Verse The same God who was tempted provoked grieved disbelieved by the Israelites in the Wilderness in the eighth ninth tenth sixteenth and seventeenth Verses of this third Chapter which also is confirmed elsewhere in the Word the same God who did rest the Seventh-day from all his Works which were finished from the foundation of the World in the third and fourth Verses of the fourth Chapter The same God who has a people more pecularly belonging unto him in the ninth Verse The same God whose Word is quick and powerful or living and active and sharper than any two edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and of Spirit and of the Joynts or Nerves and Marrow and is a critical discerner or a Critick of the imaginations and thoughts of the Heart in the twelfth Verse hold forth also in other Scriptures The same God who is the great high Priest of his People passed into the Heavens as into the full Rest
40. r. doth speak of f. by Faith in Grace p. 122. l. 41. strike out that f. to fame p. 123. l. 44. r. to fame f. order lines p. 125. l. 38. r. orderlyness f. not the law p. 126. l. 11. r. the law f. do these p. 126. l. 14. do not these f also it is p. 126. l. 16. r. was it f. this of p. 126. l. 28. r. this Duty of f. to the the p. 127. l. 9. r. to the. f. strenthen for p. 127. l. 13. r. strengthen them for f. bringing p. 127. l. 15. r. hindering f. Christ's p. 129. l. 19. r. Christ f. this of p. 127. l. 51. r. this law of f. and twentieth p. 128. l. 6. r. and two and twentieth f. or p. 128. l. 7. r. and. f. the thirty p. 128. l. 14. r. the end of the thirty f. Truth p. 128. l. 19. r. Truths f. words written p. 128. l. 51. r. words were written f. 5. 30. p. 130. l. 12. r. 5. 13. f. Mat. 23. p. 130. l. 17. r. Mat. 7. 23. f. obliged p. 130. l. 23. r judged f. Second he p. 130. l. 31. r. Second word he f. words p. 130. l. 33. r. word f. according to p. 130. l. 34. r. against f. continud p. 130. l. 45. r. continued f. there p. 130. l. 46. r. their f. and dangerous p. 130. l. 47. r. and how dangerous f. must an p. 130. l. 52. r. must be an f. heat p. 131. l. 30. r. heart f. Postery p. 131. l. 37. r. Posterity f. Judgement p. 131. l. 48. r. Judgements f. Novelties p. 132. l. 13. r. Notices f. observed p. 132. l. 20. r. obliterated f. Second p. 132. l. 26. r. sound f. men a p. 132. l. 33. r. men besides children but a great mixture also a. f. of Mount Sinai also doth shew p. 132. l. 40 41. r. of Mount Sinai also doth shew f. their p. 132. l. 49. r. there f. when p. 133. l. 23. r. whom f. and other the Kingdom p. 133. l. 23. r. and over the Kingdoms f. not Jerusalem p. 133. l. 28. r. not only Jerusalem f. to that p. 134. l. 53. r. so that f. word p. 135. l. 20. r. words f. and to preach p. 135. l. 24. r. when he came to preach f. creature p. 135. l. 32. r. creatures f. preaching and uniting to p. 135. l. 33. r. Preaching and Prophetying to f. Prophets of p. 136. l 4. r. Prophets under f. under the Apostles of p. 136. l. 6. of the Apostles under f. the Principle p. 136. l. 21. r. the Principal f. expressions p. 136. l. 43. r. impressions f. thus in to p. 137. l. 21. r. thus into f. not for p. 137. l. 22. r. not only for f. their Scriptural p. 137. l. 36. r. this Scriptural f. calenders p. 137. l. 40. r. contradicters f. Jehovah's time p. 139. l. 31. r. Jehoshuah's time f. Moah p. 139. l. 39. r. Noah f. because Israels p. 140. l. 11. r. because of Israels f. acknowledge p. 140. l. 43. r. acknowledgeth f. Permen p. 140. l. 46. r. Penman f. charge p. 140. l. 48. r. change f. the proof p. 142. l. 57. r. for the proof f. proomise p. 345. l. 21. r. Promise f. it s p. 145. l. 34. r. it f. threatning p. 146. l. 15. r. threatnings f. circumstance p. 148. l. 40. r. circumstances f. but are p. 148. 41. r. but what are A TRANSITION FROM THE FIRST to the SECOND PART IN this inquiringly-spirited Age wherein there are such high Pretendings and costly attempts and industrious diligences used to meâ—â—orate Philosophy by experimental Disquisitions putting other kinds of Learning upon some natural Advance that Arts may be more artful and Sciences may be more Scientifick there is the louder Call given forth to the ingenious Professors of the Christian Religion to be upon a spiritual improve of those excelling Knowledges of this Art of Arts and Science of Sciences which has treasured up in it the most both mysterious secrets deep skills and useful discoveries Are other Talents traded withal and shall this be napkin'd up Give me a man who has attained to an eminent degree and is still continuedly reaching after and pressing towards larger measures of practical skilfulness how to live over believed Truths how to improve Scripture-Convictions how to fill up Christian Duties how to act sanctifying Graces how to mortifie Corruptions how to overcome Temptations how to exercise spiritual Senses how to bear crosses how to enjoy priviledges how to carry on and to order all the affairs of his particular lawful Calling in a Scripture-way for Kind for Principles for Rule and for Ends how to grow up into the later-day-Glory how to walk with God how to have distinct fellowship with the Father as the Father with his Son Jesus Christ the Mediator as such with the Holy Spirit as the Holy Spirit in their several Offices and Relations how to pass into such a mystical membership as may be an Heaven upon earth how to manifest and evidence an universal-growing holy-Conformity both in knowledg and in obedience to an whole Christ and to the whole Word of Christ in short how to be really a thorow Disciple of the LORD Jesus daily perfecting his Christianity bring me such a one and he shall be the wise man with me whilst the vain affecters of humane wisdom may not expect to be advanced to such a degree in this religious School of Christian Learning In the First Part of my endeavours to promote Scripture-knowledges I went over the Journal or Diary of the first created week so far as to the end of the sixth day culling out some few particular choice instances of Aelohims works in each of those six foregoing days of that week reducing them to their true proper pure primitive created nature or being according to Scripture-Revelation as an exemplary Specimen or proving tryal for the due advancement of Word-learning by the most approved and best-fitted means thereby to discover and to correct several errours in Paganish Philosophy to reprove and to reform the lazy negligence and superficial knowledg of some to quicken and excite the industry of others and to facilitate and direct their studying that they may no longer deter themselves from deeper researches into the incomparably best science by any appearing difficulties Having thus my self had a spiritual view of the created World through a Scripture-glass put it into the hands of the discerning Reader for him a while to delight his eye with the clear prospect of so beauteous an Object that might a while withdraw and feast my thoughts with sweet meditations upon Jehovah and upon his word and his works See and admire O my Soul what a glorious structure the wonder-working Creator hath set before thine eyes of Sense of Reason and of Faith If thou ascend into the higher Heaven there above the lower visible world maist thou take a pleasant view of Jehovah Christ in his human glorified
the last and best day of the Week to take my sweet repose in him who formed all these things and who had brought forth such a world somewhat for me vile unworthy sinful me But that which was and is through the Grace of God an Holy Rest to me has been and is like further to be through the corruptions of men a troublesom Controversie from them Must I now be made a man of contention who have so much desired and endeavoured to be a man of Peace My LORD is going forth in his comely Honour riding upon the word of his Truth and he will prosper His Truth is victorious for this must I be valiant and earnestly contend in his strength For this end was he born and for this cause came he into the world that he should bear witness unto the Truth Every one that is of the Truth heareth his voice Happy is he who has a good report of the Truth it self In the Order of my pursuit after the refining and raising of useful Arts and profitable Knowledges I am now led to that day the Seventh which is the last day in the week wherein Aelohim the Creator himself did Sabbatize on this day he rested to contemplate his own Works For having now framed and disposed the glorious Fabrick and the goodly structure of the whole Universe and having put it into its beauteous ceconomy and regular Polity he closeth the week with a day blessed above all the other foregoing days of the Week The righteous cause of which sanctified Day I am now to plead against the many Contenders against it Having thus in a former Treatise attended followed and walked with Aelohim in some of his great Works on the several distinct six foregoing days of this created World I am now brought to Sabbatize and rest with and in Him on his Weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath There are divers profitable Disquisitions that might be made with respect to the Seventh which is the last Day of every Week For the advancement of this Holy Art and for the Improvement of this Spiritual Science which would be a great promoting to this useful Learning As Q. Whether every Day of the week be of equal length Particularly whether the Seventh-day which is the last day in every week be not longer in time and have more minutes in it than the First day of the week If the Seventh-day be found longer in time it has a concreated Excellency in nature unchangeable dignoscible to Sense Q. Whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be from Shabath or from Jachab If from Shabath there are many Truths and Duties which that word would clear up and also demonstrate the Observation of the weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath before the Promulgation of the Law of the Ten words at Mount Sinai Q. Whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do point out the daily and weekly seasons of created instituted time for daily-evening-and-morning-Worship and for weekly-Sabbath-Worship Q. Whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not in divers Scriptures set out the Seventh the last day of the Week and this in some places before Aelohims proclaiming of the Ten words at Horeb Q. Whether the LORD Jesus Christ having risen again the Third day according to the Scriptures that Third day be the Full complete Third day from the time of his burial and what that particular large day of the week was and what the certain hour of that particular large day was in which He did actually arise and what Scripture-evidence there is of this which is queried not at all in the least to question the Truth of his Resurrection which we firmly believe but rather to strengthen our Faith therein and to promote Scripture-knowledg of the Doctrine of Christs Resurrection upon which the whole of the Christian Religion doth so much depend and for some other good ends For the present there are some weighty reasons why I do not interpose my own Apprehensions about these Quaeries but leave them to those who are of studious inquiring Spirits who by a deeper search into the word of Truth in the Supplies of the Holy Spirit may make those Discoveries that will at once both convince and shame the ignorant-mistaking-World Whilst for the better satisfaction of serious seekers after Christs mind about the weekly-Sabbath I shall in a Word-way through the whole Scripture where this Case is spoken to and of treat of this one Enquiry returning a plain and as I judge a full Answer thereunto Q. Whether the Seventh Day which is the last Day in and of the Week in the weekly Revolutions and orderly Returns thereof has been from the beginning and so continued to be all the old-Testament-administration of Grace through and be so under the New Testament Dispensation of Grace all along to this Age of the Church and will be so to the end of this World the weekly-Sabbath-day A. The Seventh-day which is the last day in and of the week in the weekly Revolutions and orderly Returns thereof has been from the beginning and so continued to be all the Old-Testament-Administration of Grace through and is so under the New-Testament-Dispensation of Grace all along to this Age of the Church and will be so to the end of this World the weekly-Sabbath-day The whole Scripture is profitable for this Doctrine and for this Duty This closing part of the History of the Creation is express for it When Jehovah Aelohim had finished all his Works relating unto the six foregoing days of this one week The LORD Christ now on the Seventh-day actually perfected and will continue actually perfect in the whole and in every part of it His delegated-work which he had made adornedly-really to exist preparedly perfected and He did then Sabbatize and his will was is and will be that from thence his people shall Sabbatize ceasing resting from other motion and work of the fore-mentioned creating kind In a Day that Seventh from all his Work the which he had made and he did and will bless in word and in deed in a continued way in the weekly revolutions of it as long as weeks shall last in this world That day That Seventh and he did and will sanctifie by severing it from a common use and destinating it to an Holy Use accomodating it to instituted Ordinances of solemn Worship the same because in it he hath sabbatized and will Sabbatize from all his work the which he had created pure without spot or blemish of corruptness or uncomeliness for to make This Seventh is a Number completely perfecting the Week For when such a number of days hath filled up the week then we begin again with one second third fourth fifth and sixth till it comes to another seventh And there the Week in the continued revolutions thereof doth still receive a perfective end The Greek Interpreters here as in a many of other Scriptures else where are Corrupters of the Hebrew Text who do translate in the sixth day for the Seventh and
on the Sabbath In obedience to this Law and Command of Christ it was that Paul preached and the People heard the word of God on this Sabbath-day some years after Christ was Ascended up into Glory Whither can the Observers of the First day as the Weekly Sabbath-day go to find out Commands in the whole Scripture for their day One of the adversaries of the seventh-day-Sabbath who appeared in Writing against a Letter of another to him upon his own desire which conteined some reasons and Scriptures for the weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath He in delivering his Judgment concerning the First day upon this Question whether there be any Express word for the Institution of the first day of the week to be observed as the Lords-day the day for his Weekly Sabbath has these passages we might say that it might be Instituted though it be not Recorded he meaneth in the Scriptures When and where and again t is acknowledged saith he we have no express word in so many letters and Words or Syllables for the Institution of the First day of seven And a Third time what if it should be said that he that is that Jesus Christ the Mediator did according to his Power actually change the day though when and how it be not recorded And a Fourth time why might he not Institute this he intends the first day although it be not expressed when or where and though it be not recorded Observe here thou who readest this with a desire to have the mind of Christ in this matter Suppose in the serious tenderness of thy Heart thou shouldest enquire of this Answerer whether there be any Institution of the First day of the week to be Observed as the Weekly Sabbath-day under the New-Testament in the Room of the weekly seventh-day-Sabbath and he should say there may be an Institution of the First day of the Week as the Weekly-Sabbath-day though it be not recorded Suppose thou shouldest further ask when for the time might this Institution be if it were at all And he should reply there might be an Institution though it be not recorded when for the time Put case thou demand of him further where for the Place might this supposed Institution be And he should tell thee there might be an Institution though it be not Recorded where for the place Upon this thou further propoundest this to him how is this pretended Institution for the occasion or manner that I might be somewhat Directed in my practise if it were manifested to be my Duty to observe the first day as the weekly Sabbath-day To which he should return thee these words there might be an Institution though it be not recorded how for the occasion or manner Can such answers as these give thee any Convincing Demonstration or satisfying Evidence What After all thy Trading in Sabbath-Religion wilt thou at last be sent thou knowest not whether to pretended unwritten verities for thy Religion Art thou under any Obligations of Conscience in these matters to beleive further than what is written Can thy spiritual Appetite savour in such Cases what is not written As for any other Framed Fancyed Forged Grounds of Instituting the First day as the weekly Sabbath-day from pretended practise of the Apostles for this end in this or any other Author I meet with or from what other Reasons Conjecturally unscripturally suggested it will be spoken unto in its place Only here is one part of the fore-mentioned passage which I would write somewhat about lest the force of the answerers Arguing should be thought to be passed by unobserved which is that expression according to his Power whereby the answerer intends that Jesus Christ as Mediator had Power to Change the Weekly Sabbath from the Seventh which is the last day to the First day of the Week What Power the LORD Jesus Christ as Mediator has received I thankfully acknowledge and through Mercy and Grace purchased by him for me and freely richly given from the Father to me in the supplies of the holy Spirit I have been for several years an applyer of a liver upon and somewhat an Improver of though I find great cause to be deeply humbled for that I have put it to no better use As for the Power of Christ considering him as mediator we have it from his own Mouth in his life time that the Father had given all Judgment unto the Son That the Father hath given unto Christ Power to do Judgment because he is the Son of Man that the Father hath given all things into his hand And a little before his death that the Father gave him power of all Flesh And after his Resurrection that unto him all Authoritative Power was given in Heaven and on Earth This is my Faith and my Food Yet withal it must be considered that Christ as Mediator was one put into Office by his Father and sent by him in a delegated Function having his proper work assigned him And thus his Power was Limited Let us search whether the whole Scripture be profitable for this In the Law of Moses there is a Prophesie that Jehovah the Aelohim of his People would raise up unto them a Prophet meaning the LORD Jesus Christ as is manifest by a collation of those other Scriptures which do so interpret this from the midst of them of their Brethren like unto Moses unto him they were to hearken and I said Jehovah the Father will give my words into his Mouth and he shall speak unto the People all that I shall Command him And it shall come to pass that the Man who will not hearken to my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him Remark here It was the Father who raised up Christ to this Office of being a Prophet they were the Fathers words which were given into Christs Mouth and Christ was to speak unto the People all that which the Father should Command him They must be the Fathers words and it must be in the Fathers Name that Christ was to speak To this Clause in the Commission must Christ keep close And accordingly so he did In the Book of the after-Prophets you may read Jehovah the Father thus speaking concerning his Son Christ behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect my Soul delighteth I have given my spirit upon him he shall bring forth Judgment to the Nations Christ as Mediator was his Fathers Servant he took upon him the Form of a Servant and the Servant must keep close to the will and word and Command of him whose Servant he is especially in this case where all and every of the words and wills and Commands of the Father are Holy just and good And it is fore told of Christ that he would when he had a bodie Prepared for and taken to him thus bespeak his Father I take pleasure O my Aelohim to do thy well-pleasing thy will as Christ else where in the history of
this not as I will but as thou Not what I will but what thou will Not my will but thine be done Lo I come to do thy will I utter thy truth and thy Salvation I do not conceal thy bountifulness and thy Faithfulness in the great Congregation Christ did not in the least go beyond or beside his Fathers will and word The New Testament is full of this The sitting at Christs right Hand and at his left was not in Christs Power to give but or except or if not to those for whom it is prepared of my Father so Christ told the Sons of Zebedee and their Mother It was his to give but only to such as were specified in the Fathers Grant to him Thus he elsewhere affirms of himself what the Son hath seen and heard that he testifieth no more no less no other than that he whom god hath sent that is Christ whom the Father hath sent speaketh the words of God My meat is that I do the will of him that sent me and Finish his work The Son can do nothing of him self except he see the father do it whatsoever he doth also doth the Son likewise I can of my self do nothing I seek not my will but the will of the Father that sent me The Father gave me works to finish The father himself hath sent me Iam come in my Fathers name I came down from Heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me my Doctrine is not mine but his that sent me If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self he that speaketh of himself seeketh his own Glory but he that seeketh his Glory that sent him the same is true and no unrighteousness is in him I am not come of my self but he that sent me is true I do nothing of my self but as my Father hath taught me I speak these things I do alwaies those things which he hath appointed I speak that which I have seen with my Father I came not of my self but he sent me I have not spoken of my self but the Father which sent me he gave me a Commandment what I should say and what I should speak and I know that his Commandment is life everlasting Whatsoever I speak therefore even as the Father said unto me so I speak the words that I spake unto you I speak not of my self the word which you hear is not mine but the Fathers which sent me I have kept my Fathers Commandements all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Thus also the LORD Jesus Christ acknowledgeth in his Prayer to his Father Father thou hast given thy Son Power over all Flesh that he should give eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do I have manifested thy name unto the Men which thou gavest me out of the world Thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy word I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me I have given them thy word and the world hath hated them An exact punctual just accompt of this great undertaking and Transacting will Christ give and deliver up to his Father in the latter day The discerning Reader may see how express Christ is in this matter he exerciseth his Power according to his Fathers will and word And the Father as also the Son from the Father hath not revealed any such thing in the word of truth as the Change of the Weekly Sabbath from the last to the first day of the Week There is no appearance of any such Institution or Command Christ came not to make a Change in any one of the Laws of the ten words where did the Father put any such words into Christs mouth and where did Christ ever speak any such words As Christ was to speak what words the Father put into his mouth So also the Holy Spirit of Truth whom the Father sent in Christs name he was not to speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear saith Christ to his Disciples that shall ye speak How much less should any meer Man or Men speak a word about a pretended Change of the Sabbath which is a saying of their own and not a word from the Father Son and Holy Spirit in this or in any other Case It was the LORDs charge and Promise to Moses I will be with thy mouth and with Aarons mouth and will teach you what ye shall do speak thou all that I say unto thee And Moses has a Scripture-testimonial that he was Faithful in all Gods House It is mentioned to his Praise above forty times that Moses did as Jehovah commanded him The same was in Jeremiahs commission which he confesseth Jehovah said unto me I have put my words in thy mouth and this Jehovah affirms of Jeremiah my words in thy mouth Thus saith Jehovah was the usual message that the Faithful Prophets brought to the People and it is expresly mentioned about one thousand and five hundred times in the Scriptures besides other such like words as thus saith Jehovah Aelohim of Israel and thus saith Jehovah of Hosts often Now who can say with any truth in his saying thus saith Jehovah The first day of the Week is the Sabbath Weekly in the Room of the Seventh the last day of the Week I am now to speak of the Promise There is no Promise made to the observing of any other day in the Week as the Weekly-Sabbath-day but only of the seventh-day which is the last day in the Week in the weekly returns of it Here all that might be resumed which is Written about Aelohims Blessing of the seventh day and that only as the Weekly Sabbath-day To which also might be added all those promises which more at large are made over to those that keep and obey all and every of the Commands of Jehovah Aelohim Whereof this of observing of the Weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath is one But I would keep close to this Subject matter The seventh-day-Sabbath is a gift from Jehovah Aelohim to be a sign between him and between his People to the end they may know that he is Jehovah sanctifying them And that he is Jehovah their God How free is that Love how rich that Grace which is put in to this Covenant And this is annexed to the seventh day as the Sabbath of Rest Holiness to Jehovah What kind of sign this is may be spoken unto in another place Moses in his repeating of this Law of the Weekly seventh-day-Sabbath doth four several-times put this Covenant of Grace by Express terms into this Command whereby Hearts should be the more
the other do depend hanging on them as doors do upon their Cardins or Hinges as One two three four and soon In that first Instance that we have in the Scriptures of the Hebrew word for One One Day there was then no other Day in Being or in Order which might note any other Number It shews what that was and is which made and doth make up that one compleat full Day to wit Evening and Morning Darkness and Light Night and Day Numerals Cardinals do answer to a Question made by asking How many To which the Answer then must if rightly be made One Only one There being then in the nature of Day-Existences but only that One day a large compleat Full-Day In the Hebrew it is expresly in number One Day There is an Holy Harmony and a consenting Oneness between the Old Testament and the New all sweetly and joyntly Concurring in the same Heavenly Doctrine As for what they further Object that If it were one of the Sabbaths then the Greek word for One should be of the Neuter not of the Feminin Gender to agree with its Substantive Consider One is a Numeral Cardinal properly not Ordinal Noun Adjective and therefore it doth signify a thing in the Concrete In reason or signification it must have another word joyned with it which sometimes one Scripture doth add when another Scripture speaking of the same thing doth not express the particular Substantive that belonged to it to put us upon a diligent search and a due collating of Scriptures Compare those two Scriptures in the Margin for this Which do relate to the Passover-Festival What in one of the places is the First of the Unleavened is in the other the First Day of those unleavened Thus in the places under Debate a Greek word which doth signify Day is to be understood because these are Parallel places with another place where this is particularly expressed with respect to this self-same-thing and so is not my Excogitated Fancy but the plain Interpretation of the Holy Spirit Himself who dictated and inspired this word of truth The place should be examined where it is In a Day that One of those Sabbaths Here the word One has the word Day going before it and must again have that word Day brought and added to it to stand by it Where One being an Adjective partitive and being here taken Partitively doth rejoyce in a word of the Genitive Case The word for Day also in other Scriptures relating to other matters is also expresly added to this Adjective One and is so be rendred One day One of those days There needs no more about this For the Objectors themselves do acknowledg that Day is here understood though not expressed in these places Which now puts me upon examining of that place where it is the first of the Sabbath First here being an Adjective of the Feminin Gender and Governing Sabbath a Substantive which is of the Neuter Gender must necessarily be supplyed by some other word as all that know any thing of Grammar-significancy and Syntax do acknowledg Now what that word must be we are to enquire That word which I judg must supply it here must be some such word as doth signify an Hour or point or moment or minute or such like as doth point out some of the first part of the earliness of the morning of that Sabbath when Christ stood before Mary and appeared and manifested himself unto her to have been arisen before This being one of those particular Sabbaths which are mentioned in a former verse of the same Chapter in the Plural number and these Sabbaths were but a little before demonstrated to be the Sabbaths of the Paschal-Festival and therefore proves nothing as to a supposed pretended change of the Weekly-Sabbath-day from the seventh to the first day of the Week Further if we compare two Scriptures It is expresly said of another day referring to the same Passover-Feast which this day under Debate doth That it was the first day of that Feast Unleaveneds when they of that Dispensation were to meet to cat unleavened Bread throughout the Seven days of that Passover-festival Consider then Can this latter day which came after be the First day when there is another going before relating to the same matter the same Feast which is called or named the First-day There is somewhat much like this in another Scripture on the day of Christ's Crucifixion when he dyed on that day Jesus was led by Caiaphas to the Praetorium or Judgment-house and it was Early-morning or Morning-season or rather Morning-Early Hour or Watch For some word here must be understood Thus with respect to the matter in hand t is the Earliness of the Morning of that Sabbath as I said which is there pointed out as you may observe in the History by every one of the Evangelists that do mention it So that it is Rationally Scripturally inferred that First must be supplyed with Hour or some such word We read elswhere of a Third Sixth Ninth and Eleventh Hour of the day and of twelve hours of the Day and these do make up an whole day as distinguished from the Night-part And therefore there is a First Hour of the Day The beginning of numbring the Day part of a large Day is from the going forth of the Light and of the Sun The first Hour whereof is the first Twelfth part so numbred of the Day-part On the first hour of that Sabbath of that Day one of the Paschal-Sabbaths Christ appearing to be standing before Mary Christ having been arisen from the Dead sometime before that For there passed some time between Christ's Actual Arising and this appearing Mary had been at the Sepulchre before this while it was yet Dark and Christ was arisen then She found not her LORD there whereupon she ran and gave an accompt to Peter and came about again remaining a while at the Sepulchre having some conference with the Angels and with Christ himself a while before she knew Him Mary came very much in the Morning So that Christ's standing before Mary points out not his first Minute of arising but his time of appearing to her Sabbath here being in the Singular Number one particular distinct Sabbath-day of those Paschal-Sabbaths forespoken of and therefore cannot be a proper supply to First For then it must run thus The First day of the Sabbath Whereas This Sabbath was it self a Day Here in the Way how groundless and Scriptureless is the Conjecture of that Advocate for the First day-Sabbath who from hence to wit Christ's time of arising as he judgeth it would date the beginning of the First days pretended Holy Rest to be the Morning of the First day of the week and to last but from Morning till the Evening making the Night-part to be no part of the weekly-Sabbath and as having no place in the spiritual Rest
the context or any necessary unavoidable consequence present any such thing to an impartial unprejudiced understanding which doth report a matter of fact done upon another day not medling with any state of this question about this matter of Right Has the First day of the Week either the name of the Weekly Sabbath or the substance and essence of it Is there any one word of Command found here requiring beleiving Christians to observe the First Day as the Weekly Sabbath Is there any Promise made over to the weekly observers of it As such Is there any threatning denounced here against the not-observers of it As such Is there any mention made of Christs being the Author of it As such Is there any one expression of its being instituted by Christ As such Is there any one word or Phrase against the the Seventh daies being now any longer the Weekly-Sabbath-day Can this Objector satisfie and establish thee upon any firm ground such as is Scriptural by any contrary arguing wherein nothing of all this can befound The plain Historical Narration doth inform us that Paul abode at Troas seven daies in the sixth verse And whether he came to Troas on the First day of the week search may be made Troas standing near the Sea of Hellespont in Asia the less whether Paul came from Philippi that was scituated in Greece which was on the other side of Hellespont or of the Euxine Sea which Sea did lie between Europe and Asia the less Macedonia whence Paul came was a Province in Graecia There at Troas Paul stayed seven daies inclusively in the fifth and six verses of this twentyeth Chapter spending a Seventh-day-Sabbath amongst them and then went away from them the next Week in the Seventh and eleventh verses after the Weekly-Seventh-day-Sabbath The Objector therefore mistaking the day to be the first day of the week whereas It was the weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath all that which he doth wrongly build upon that mistake falleth to the Ground together with that mistake This answer drawn up from the true proper translating of the words one of the Sabbaths I mainly stick to as plain convincing and self Evidencing though I have elsewhere drawn up much more about it We are not hurried away with noise and multitude But that which swayes with us and keeps our hearts in an awesul fear and trembling-joy and believing establishment with sweet satisfaction nourishing delight and great complacency is the Word of the adored Almighties clearly opened well-agreeingly-collated soundly understood and rightly applyed Christ and his word have their Authority with us beyond any man or men whatsoever or any or all of their sayings to the contrary His words do always best express things according to the true Nature of them in their own familiar sense which the Holy Spirit doth give of them in their respective places The same Genuin significancy has this Phrase in that passage to the Corinthians where also it is in true propriety of speech not the first day of the Week but one of the Sabbaths meaning according to the proper significancy of the words phrase and thing either one of the Sabbaths between Passover and Pentecost inclusively as in the former place of which two Feasts he makes express mention in the same Epistle and of one of them in the same Chapter or else one of the Sabbaths of one or other of those Three great Festivals spoken of else where The Feast of Unleaveneds The Feast of Sevennies and the Feast of Booths or leaf-hutts especially at the time of ingathering the yearly Fruits and increase of the Earth at which time they were able by such a revolution of a year to pass a Judgment upon Jehovahs Blessing of them which cannot be so well estimated on every Weekly return for then all the Males that appeared before the Faces of Jehovah were not to appear empty but every man according to the gift of his Hand or according to the Blessing of Jehovah his God which is much the same with the expression in this Epistle which he had given him And this reply has consent and agreement with other Scriptures and with the nature of the Duty of Charitable Relieving and is evident upon the same place It is the confession and acknowledgment of an adversary as was Noted a few leafs before that about the time of the writing of the Books of the New-Testament both the Jews themselves and all the Heathen that took notice of them called all their Feasts and solemn assemblies their Sabbaths Because they did no servile work in them they had the general Nature of the weekly Sabbath in a cessation from Labour It is known and confessed saith he that at that time when Paul wrote to the Church at Colosse which they suppose to be about twenty and nine years after Christs Ascension into Heaven all Iudaical observation of daies or the daies which they religiously observed whether Feasts or Fasts Weekly Monthly or Annual were by themselves and all other called their Sabbaths They were so called by God himself from their Analogy Thus he And this First Epistle to the Corinthians is reckoned by some to be sent unto that Church about two and twenty years after Christs ascension So that to translate the words one of the Sabbaths is the most proper significant Rendring the most pertinent to the drift and Scope and the most Harmonious in consent with the whole Scripture that treats of this matter The believing Corinthians were to lay a way by themselves somewhat of their income proportionable to the LORD 's prospering of them in a way or Journey of their particular Trades Functions and callings Thus gathering some Treasure that they might have in a readiness that which might afford a necessary supply of the poor Saints at Jerusalem that the collection might be in a preparedness against that time when Paul was to call for it and to carry and distribute it to that End Let the Reader here observe that Corinth to the Church in which City Paul did write this Epistle out of one passage of which the Adversary would raise an objection was that city where Paul had been a publick preacher according to all or every Sabbath So that Paul did keep the Seventh-day-Sabbath there in that Particular place constantlyin this City of Achaia A City Scituate near the Sea where he taught the word of God one whole year and six months and that by a special Call and encouragement from the LORD Jesus Christ So far was he from setting up the First day in the room of the Seventh Day as to the weekly-Sabbath that even there he was a diligent Observer of every Seventh-day-Sabbath For so the Holy Spirit himself calls that day the Sabbath Here is therefore no firm bottom in this place objected to ground a transferring of the weekly Sabbath from one day to another which is nothing at all the design of this place as neither is it
word and for this they pretend and plead the example and Spirit of Elias as if their case and Spirit had been of the same kind when it was hellish Fire of their own kindling and of the Devils blowing up which they should rather have endeavoured to quench and to put out We must not beleive every Spirit but ought to try the Spirits whether they are of God The Spirit of others and our own Spirit that we may know the Spirit of truth according to Christ and his word and may difference it from the Spirit of Errour which is against Christ and his word There was a time when persecuting Saul verily thought with himself that he ought to do many contrary things to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth which when he was preaching Paul he discerned were his great Errour and his gross Sin and he openly condemns himself for and doth write his confession and retractation The Spirit who is the truth and the word which is the truth do go together Once more men do not therefore erâ— because they know not the doubtful Questionings of unsettled Sceptick's and of Cosmical Suspecters The Doctrine of Probabilities So the word signifies in that place to the Colossians cited in the margin is a misleading Doctrine It would beguil men by doubtful disputations and by deceitful conclusions with such cunning perswasions as do carry a fair shew such as Logicians and Rhetoricians Philosophers and Orators do usually bring under the shadowie colour of probable Reasons and likely Arguments to make nothing of all things and any thing of every thing by their sophistical Quidlibets and Fallacious Quodlibets But Sound serious well discerning right Judging beleivers should not suffer themselves thus to be imposed upon and deluded A thorow wholesome Scripture-knowledge is one approved remedy against Heart-doubtings either to prevent them or to cure them This would bring in sound Truth upon and leave them with a renewed Heart with a no-doubt there of them God cannot lye at any time though men do so too often He is true Whilst men are so overcome of doubtings and waverings not in the way which is sometimes the case of sound Beleivers but about the way how can they go on with such conviction and comfort with such sweetness and satisfaction Let not the Reader misjudge this a Diversion and that too long a one also For besides that it contains a direct answer to the Objection which did call for it so doth it fully promote the grand designe of this Treatise All unscriptural Antiscriptural waies methods arguings and endeavourings to turn any from the Errour of their way to the Truth is no adapted means for the attaining of this end And therefore in the Demonstrating proofs that I have brought for the confirming and establishing of the Seventh day the last day of the Week to be still the weekly Sabbath they are such as are carried through the whole Scripture and have their Foundation in pure primitive created Nature I do not send and refer them to humane Authorities and Histories and Traditions as this Objector doth The Scripture-way is the only convincing converting way Other Mediums by self-excogitated and man-invented Artifices are like to leave Erring men but the more profound Atheists the more learned Infidels and the more subtil Hereticks Though arguments as to men may be drawn from their own Concessions assertions histories and other Authorities of mens sayings writings and printings which was somewhat of the way that Paul sometimes took with Ethnicks and Philosophers whereby to stop their Mouths and to convince them from thence As Christ also will one day by the same Medium condemn many from their own acknowledged principles not improved yet this will not convincingly convert a plain sound believer having Spiritual discerning in the truths and things of the Spirit of God and being well acquainted with the Scriptures is far better secured against dangerous damnable Errours than the most learned of vain affecters of humane wisdom The only summary of all sound truth for the confuting and condemning of all Errour is to be searched after in the Scriptures of truth where the Restauration Proficiency and advancement of all useful learning is When can a serious inquiring Spirit come to any firm settlement and sound satisfaction if he were to refer all to the extrascriptural Judgment and Histories of Churches Heresies and Schisms profanenesses and disorders quickly crept in into particular Churches that were of Apostolical plantation As Pauls Epistles to them do evidently declare And since that one particular Church doth sometimes contradict another particular Church in their confessions of Faith and the contention is so hot and so high as that they withdraw from one another and will not have mutual Communion with each other As for the universal Church how shall a particular beleiver be well groundedly ascertained what is the concurrent Judgement of the Universal Church How fruitless and vain have their attempts hitherto been who have endeavoured by conference and Writing and Cost and Labour and Pains and Travel to be Church-Reconciliators Church-peace-makers They dyed away and never lived to see their designe accomplished Still there are differences and divisions kept up amongst the Churches one great cause whereof has been that the Attempters and promoters of Church-union and peace have been setting up some confession of Faith and Articles of Religion of humane Composure which they would have all to joyn in and subscribe to Which course will never be able to accomplish that designe The whole Scripture of Truth is the one and the only rule of this Suppose yet further that I knew that the Concurrent Judgment of all the Churches of Christ all the inhabited Earth over were of one mind and of one way in some things yet neither could this alone or mainly secure me from fears of Erring For the whole Church has erred and may actually err Under the Old Testament the LORD himself appointed a special Sacrifice for Atonement and reconciliation in this particular Case when the whole Congregation or Church of Israel did err through ignorance in omitting some commanded duty or in Committing some forbidden Sin And that they actually did thus ignorantly err for some hundreds of years together we have it recorded in the word Thus under the New Testament in Christs time the Church of the Jews which at that season was the only Church of God generally those of them that were in Judea and the scattered of the tribes in other parts did greatly Err about Christs Reign on Earth whom they concluded would be as a Temporal Prince to come with outward pomp and power for the raising of Israel to high promotion in the world and to restore again the Kingdom to Israel And this Corrupt leaven still sowred and swelled their Spirits even after that some of them became Disciples of Christ who still were stiff to this wrong Tenet and the good Apostles themselves did long mistake about
Jehovah forgivest the iniquity of my sin To this agreeth that of Isaiah who brings in Jehovah himself thus speaking I I for my self blot out thy transgressions and remember not thy sin And the same Prophet doth record it of Hezekiah that he thankfully acknowledged this Thou O Jehovah hast cast behind thy back all my sins And that was the same which Isaiah had experienced in his own case Thus speaks the Prophet Micah in an holy triumphing manner Who is a mighty God like unto thee Forgiving iniquity and passing by the transgression of the remnant of his Inberitance Thou wilt cast all their sins into the bottom of the Sea And long before him this was revealed to Moses when Jehovah proclaimed this to be part of his Name He who forgiving iniquity and trespass and sin How often was this Truth preached over in the Sacrifices for Sin offerings and in their Typical Washings and Purifications and such like which held forth this in the spiritual meaning of them And Christ appointed some who in their Function by Office were to teach Jacob his Judgments and Israel his Law to shew them what those Truths and Things were that were so shadowed out by those Figures Thus also was not the Sanctification or Holiness of a Covenant-people The Declared Will of Jehovah Aelohim Is not the Command express in Moses's Book Ye shall sanctifie your selves and be holy for I Jehovah your God And ye shall keep my statutes and do them I Jehovah who sanctifie Ye shall set to it to be holy and ye shall be holy for I holy Has he not put that honour upon them by calling them Saints His Saints An holy People in Covenant with him How many ways did he preach this Doctrine to them The Priests must be Holy the Levites Holy the Prophets Holy the People Holy the Convocation Holy the Sabbath Holy the Place of Worship Holy the City Jerusalem is named Holy the House Holy the Mount Holy the Land Holy the Garments Holy the Tabernacle Holy the Temple Holy the Scriptures Holy the Law Holy the Covenant Holy Did not their whole Burnt-Offerings call upon them to be sanctified throughout their whole intire Spirit and Soul and Body to be kept unblamable Did not the Precepts to abstain from prohibited Pollutions and to use prescribed cleansings in case of contracted uncleanness speak the same Truth Was not the Law of the ten Words a comprehensive perfect Doctrine of all Holiness and Righteousness And are not the Sermons of the faithful Prophets full of Dehortations from sin and of Exhortations to Holiness If thou wouldest be instructed in the Doctrine of the Resurrection Did not the LORD Christ himself prove and teach this out of the saying of Jehovah Aelohim unto Moses in the Bush I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but the God of living From whence he doth infer that though Abraham Isaac and Jacob were dead as to their body yet they were still alive in their Spirit and Soul which bodies were parts of them and therefore their bodies should in time rise again For hereby it was evident that there is another life after this is ended which those departed Saints that were dead as to this life had their shares and parts in So that God not only was heretofore but still now is and will be their God after their death The Bodies of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob shall rise and therefore the bodies of the dead shall rise they shall live again whereas now they are dead and therefore they shall arise For he is their God now they are dead and therefore they shall live again though now they be dead For God is not the God of the dead who are so dead that they shall never live again So that he declaring himself to be their God ever since they were dead it must unanswerably follow as convincingly concluding that their bodies shall live again With what a clear judgement and holy confidence doth Job speak the same truth I know said he that my Redeemer living and that the latter one shall rise upon the dust Therefore after I shall awake and that the worms have digged through this yet in my fiesh I shall see God Whom I shall behold to me and mine eyes have seen and not a stranger My reins are consumed within my bosom Was not Christ's Resurrection plaintly taught in the sixteenth Psalm Where Christ himself doth thus express his sure hope of rising again from death the third day My flesh shall dwell in considence for thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol Thou wilt not give thy gracious Saint to see corruption doth not Peter so interpret this And did not Paul so explain and apply this And if the head be raised must not the members of that body to which the head is so nearly related in union and in fellowship be raised also Hath not David left behind him a lively Testimony of his firm belief of this in his day and time When he set out the different apprehensions that he had concerning his expressed happiness in another better hâ—â— and world from what the unbelieving men of this World had They those mortal men of this transitory World they counted their good things to be their part and portion here in this life I saith he as if he all past into this this was his Belief this was Hope this his Portion this his Happiness I in justice shall view thy faces shall be satisfied when I shall awake with thy image There would be a day when he should awake out of the dust of the Earth from the sleep of death when he should see and know plainly and perfectly and bear the Image of the Heavenly The Psalmist speaks of a Morning when those that sleep in the dust of the Earth shall awake and rise He believed that Aelohim would redeem his soul from the hands of Sheol because he would receive him A glorious Testimony of his belief of a Resurrection Daniel in his Prophetick Spirit speaks of a time when many of them that sleep in the dusty Earth shall awake some unto everlasting life and some unto reproach and shame everlasting Which doth also point to a Day of Judgement following of this Resurrection Though Daniel in this place doth not seem to speak of the last general Resurrection yet hereby insinuating the Doctrine thereof According as Enoch also the seventh from Adam is recorded by Jude to have Prophetyed Behold the LORD hath come with his holy ten thousands to do judgement against all and convincingly to reprove all those corrupt Worshippers of them concerning all those their works of corrupt worship which they have impiously done and of all their hards which they have spoken against the LORD who sinners worshiping corruptly The wicked shall not stand up in judgement as is
declared in the first Psalm Sinners will then fall and be condemned This Daniel saw in that glorious Vision wherein the Judge of all shewed himself sitting upon his Throne having thousand times thousands ministring unto him and ten thousand times ten thousands standing before him Where Judgement set it self and the Books were opened Thus did Solomon close the Book of his Experiences of his folly in seeking a happiness in creature injoyments which were all vanities having minded others of the Day of their Death A serious Meditation of which might prove either a prevention or a remedying of this evil malady The Dust shall return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it He leaves behind him with those who came after him these acceptable words of Truth the end of the Word of all hath been heard these same Aelohim or adored Almighties in Father Son and holy Spirit fear thou and those Commandments of his keep thou because this all that Adam or for this all Adam or the whole of that first Adam or all of Man or the whole Man here is all the main of all our Religion when we have spoken and written and printed never so much about Religion this is our grand spiritual and eternal concern thine and mine and every other mans Because Aelohim will make to come into Judgement every Work all Work with all that is hidden be it kept never so secret from other men here if good and if evil or whether good and whether evil Wouldst thou who readest this have the Graces of the holy Spirit in wrought by him in the hearts of his Covenant people to pass under the same Scripture-examination Did not the Believers under the Old Testament Dispensation l obtain by Lot like precious Faith with those under the New Administration Hath not the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews given us a large Catalogue of such as were full of lively fruitful-working-Faith Doth he not give us an Historical Account of the Faith of Abel of Enoch of Noah of Abraham of Sarah of Isaac of Jacob of Joseph of Moses of Gideon of Barak of Sampson of Jephthah of David of Samuel and of the Prophets And of the wonderful Fruits and Effects of this Grace in them How eminent was Abraham more especially and particularly this way Who has this honourable Title put upon him that he is called The father of the faithful Did not James in his Epistle Exhort the Christian Brethren to take for an Example of suffering of evil and of long suffering the Prophets who have spoken in the Name of the LORD Behold said he we count them blessed that endure Ye have heard of the patience of Job and ye have seen the end of the LORD that the LORD is of so much Bowels and Compassionate How lively was Abraham's Hope who against Hope believed in Hope What a Man of Hope was David Who that savours of and that frames to his renewed Spirit can considerately read Davids Psalms and not see this Grace often put forth into Act by him How constant an expectant was he unto Jehovah Aelohim in variety of difficult and trying Cases And how often doth he call earnestly upon others to be much in this The good whereof he had so often proved to his great satisfaction and to his raised joy How full of love was his heart towards Christ and towards the Law of Christ So that when he could not express the whole of what he thus felt stirring within him he gives a vent to his heart by his Exclamations O how I Love And by his longings after more O what an holy Fear had he of this glorious God And O how much did David's heart stand in awe of his Word Shall I speak of Duties Was not this David the Man to whom God himself gave Testimony and said I have found David of Jesse a man after mine heart who shall will-do all my wills How full of Prayings Praisings Singings and of such like Religious Services is that one Book of Psalms Wouldst thou hear somewhat of their Priviledges Doth not James bear witness that Abraham was called a friend of God Did not Enoch walk with God Had he not Testimony that he pleased God Did not Noah find Grace in the Eyes of Jehovah Did not he also walk with God Were not the believing ones of the Israelites Sons and Daughters to Jehovah their Aelohim Were not they made partakers of the same Adoption and Love by Faith in Christ What a fulness of assurance of Faith had Abraham How filled with joy and peace in believing was David whilst he walked in the ways of Jehovah O what gladness was there often given into his heart How often was the Light of the Faces of Jehovah lifted up over him In this Light did the gracious Saints of old walk on who were marvellously separated unto Jehovah Aelohim In his Name were they glad all the day and in his Justice were they exalted for he was the Glory of their strength They were satisfied with his favourable acceptation and were full with his blessings The Sons of Israel were a people near him Halelujah Jehovah's portion was his people even then Jacob was the Line of his Inheritance they his portion and he theirs Hear some of their holy Breathings To me how precious are thy thoughts O God! How mightily increased are the summs of them Would I tell them they will be more than the sand I awake and still I with thee How precious thy mercy O Aelohim And the Sons of Adam hope for safety in the shadow of thy wings They shall be plenteously moistened with the fatness of thy house and the stream of thy pleasures thou wilt give them to drink Because with thee the Well of life In thy light we see light Extend thy mercy to them that know thee and thy justice to the right of heart How much thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them who fearing thee Were not these things forewritten for the use of Believers now When Jacob found Jehovah Christ in Bethel did he not there speak with praying Believers in after Ages When Aelohim turned the Sea into Dry When his people passed thorow the River on foot did not the Saints in after Generations there rejoyce in him The Faithful then and the Faithful now are fellow-servants and fellow-brethren and joynt-heirs of the same promised Glory They confessed that they were Guests and Strangers upon Earth they were desirous of and sought a better the heavenly Countrey Therefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God Happy they who are in Abraham's bosom who are taken into intimate society conjunction love and glorious fellowship with him How full of heavenly joys is that blessed State of Christ's Spiritual Kingdom which is a Being with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ΣΑΒΒΑΤΙΚΗ ΗΜΕΡΑ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septima dies Dies Desiderabilis SABBATUM JEHOVAE The Seventh-Day-Sabbath the Desirable-Day The closing completing DAY of that FIRST Created Week WHICH Was is and will be the just Measure of all succeeding Weeks in their successive Courses BOTH For Working in the six foregoing DAYS and for Rest in the Seventh which is the Last Day by an unchangeable LAW of well-established Order Both in the REVEALED WORD AND IN CREATED NATURE The SECOND PART By FRANCIS BAMPFIELD Printed in the Year 1677. THE SUMMARY CONTENTS OF THE Second Part OF THIS TREATISE ATransition from the First to the Second Part Page 1 2 3 Of the Seventh-Day p. 3 4 Q. Whether the Seventh-day which is the last Day in every Week in the weekly Revolutions and orderly Returns thereof have been from the Beginning and so continued to be all the Old Testament-administration of Grace thorow and be so under the New Testament dispensation of Grace all along to this Age of the Church and will be so to the End of the World the weekly Sabbath day 4 The Answer at large given to this Inquiry is in the Affirmative that it is so from 4 to 149 Vnder this Answer are divers particular useful Truths and Duties opened As that the Seventh-day was Created for to be the weekly Sabbath the last day of the week being that Seventh and no other day of the week so Thus it was in the Primitive Creation 4 5 6 7 Which matter is resolved into a Scripture Determination 4 5 6 7 That all the Reasons which Jehovah Aelohim doth give for the due Observation of a weekly Sabbath do belong to to the Seventh which is the last day in every week and to no other day of the week as such 7 8 9 10 That Aelohim rested from his Works of the foregoing six days of the week on the Seventh day as the weekly Sabbath-day Which Seventh day Sabbath righteousness in Christ is that Righteousness which a Believer is to apply himself to cover his Sabbath-unrighteousness 7 8 That Aelohim Blessed the Seventh which is the last day in the week that and that only and no other day of the week as the weekly Sabbath day 8 9 That Aelohim sanctified the Seventh which is the last day in the week that and that only and no other day of the week as the weekly Sabbath-day 9 10 That all the Scriptures thorow where the Holy Spirit doth speak of a weekly Sabbath-day there the name and thing of a weekly Sabbath is given only to the Seventh which is the last day in the week in the weekly Revolutions and successive Courses of it and to no other day of the week as a weekly Sabbath-day Page 10 11 That no Command is given for the observation of any other day in the week as the weekly Sabbath-day but only of the Seventh which is the last day in the week in the weekly returns of it 11 to 15 Where is also further discovered that pretended unwritten Institutions for a First-day weekly Sabbath are a false deceitful wrong cooked rule which we may neither measure nor walk by 12 13 That Christ as Mediator had it not in Commission from his Father to change the weekly Sabbath-day from the Seventh to the First 13 14 15 That there is no Promise made to the observing of any other day in the week as the weekly Sabbath-day but only of the Seventh-day which is the last day in the week in the weekly returns of it 15 16 That there is no threatning all the Scriptures thorow either denounced against or executed upon any that shall not observe any other day in the week as a weekly Sabbath-day but only against and upon such as will not observe the Seventh-day which is the last day in every week 16 to 19 That Aelohim bath put this weekly Seventh-day Sabbath into Created Nature by a standing unchangeable Law 19 20 21 22 Here is declared what is meant by Nature in Scripture 20 21 22 Where also seeing it is called for by some as an argument to men is disoovered That this particular Seventh-day which we now count to be the last day of the week is the Seventh-day by the Judgement and Tradition of such Historical Records as many are so fond of although we do bottom our judgment and practice upon Scripture Revelation and created Nature 22 23 24 25 Objections against this Seventh-day Sabbath are answered from 25 to 147 Here is proved that it was not a seventh part of weekly time or a seventh day But the Seventh-day the last day in every week this and this only is the weekly Sabbath-day having a special honour put upon it by Aelohim himself by notes of Demonstration by particles by pronouns by praepositions all significant in their places to point out the Seventh-day to be the only certain known determinate fixed particular unchangeable day of the weekly Sabbath where the emphatickness of the Hebrew Ha is asserted 25 to 33 It is further evidenced that what is in the English Transsation in seven places of the New Testament the first day of the week is in every one of them in the Greek one of the Sabbaths in propriety of speech and so its colourable pretence for a First day weekly Sabbath is convincingly reprehended as Scriptureless from 33 to 45 That five of these seven places mentioned in the four Evangelists relate to the Paschal Sabbaths and not to the weekly Sabbath 33 to 41 That Believers in the times of Christ and of his Apostles before the New Testament was written could find nothing in all their Scriptures of the Old Testament for a pretended First day Sabbath 32 33 That in one place where it is The first of the Sabbath this speaks nothing to any change of the weekly Sabbath from the Seventh to the First day but has a quite another meaning both in the significancy and in the intendment of that phrase 35 36. 37 38 That the weekly Sabbath under the New Testament is not barely or no more than an half-holy-day between Sun rising and Sun set but that it is an whole Seventh-day from Evening to Evening 38 That Christ's Redemption Work as well as his Creation Work has established the Seventh-day to be still the weekly Sabbath day 39 40 That Acts 20. 7. is no firm ground to bottom the pretended First day Sabbath upon 41 42 43 Neither is 1 Cor. 16. 2. 43 44 That the eleven Disciples did not meet on Christs Resurrection Day as a newweekly Sabbath day in memory of that Rising 45 That the weekly Sabbath under the new Dispensation is not left so much in the dark and deep as some pretend but is clearly the Seventh-day in the plain Precept as of old 46 47 That the true stating of the Matter of right in this Question about the weekly Sabbath doth not depend upon Ecclesiastical History Page 47 to p. 62 That mens cause of
their pretended reason is frivolous lest the Heathen should think mistaking the phrase that Aelohim did work upon the Seventh-day-Sabbath Whereas he had finished the whole and every part of his creating work upon the several six foregoing days of this one week of the created world Only he did that on the Seventh-day which was proper Sabbath-Work As the making of the Seventh-day the resting from other Functions upon it to institute and observe Sabbath-duties employments and priviledges the blessing of it the sanctifying of it together with his preserving of the Creatures which he had made on the six foregoing days and with his and his Fathers providential working to the upholding of them in their Being Those who do call the First day the Seventh day and the Seventh day the sixth day making the First day to be both the First and the Seventh day and so do alter the names of the number of all the rest do invert the Order of nature in the First Creation For although in consistent quantity such as Extension of parts one beyond another there is not one second third fourth and so on or not one first and another last put into the nature of that created Being because these are not really in the confistent Nature thereof it being consistent altogether and so the first part may be the last part or the last part the first part according to mens common notion and reckoning and appointing of it to be so the LORD not having instituted herein any such Order of Numbring where we are to begin and how to go on and where to end yet in quantity successive as in duration and in time this is of a different consideration both in the nature of the thing and in Aelohims institution For this is really such in existence truly subsisting whether we imagine it or not neither is it left in our power to our disposal to put them into any other Order than the creating Messaiah hath so far as doth respect his established times and his instituted Seasons There is one day a second day a third day a fourth day a fifth day a sixth day and a seventh day in the several successive natures and durations of every one of them Here is part after part by temporary succession in a most direct line and in its proper Partitions and terminating points by an unchangeable Law and well-setled-order of the standing Creation The Work of the six foregoing Days Aelohim did rest from leaving man an example to follow him herein on the Seventh-day-Sabbath The Seventh-day is to be remitted unto Workers who laboured in their several lawful Functions on every day of the week before and therefore Aelohim blessed this Seventh-day because he himself rested on it and sanctified it unto Adam the Sabbath was made for Adam for all mankind in him He hath made he doth he will make it a blessed day in its weekly returns unto the due diligent observers thereof in obedience to his Command in obsequiousness to his Will in Conformity to his Example in Faith on his Truth Power and Promise For this Day hath he severed unto his own service along That Expression For-tomake or to-do doth not so appear to belong unto he had created as to relate unto he will sabbatize or ceasingly rest The preceding Hebrew accent doth somewhat teach this which doth often distinguish so that it signifies that Adam and his posterity ought to do this to observe the Seventh-day-Sabbath as holy and consecrated to Jehovah Aelohim it is their bounden duty to do the same The like phrase we find elsewhere in the Hebrew to make or to do the Day of Sabbath or the Sabbath Which is to observe to keep or to celebrate it The expression is full noting that that Instituted-Seventh-day-Sabbath-work may not be left undone for that time or put off to any other season either before or after Having thus somewhat explained and applyed the Expressions concerning the Weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath in its primitive Creation and unchanged Institution I am now to make a little way for the giving the Reader a more particular distinct full Account according to the Scriptures of Truth why I do judge that the Seventh-day which is the last day in every week in the weekly Returns of it is alone that particular peculiar day in every Week which is the Weekly Sabbath-day to be kept Holy unto Jehovah Aelohim in obedience to his command as such that is to say as the alone weekly Sabbath-day If any man hereafter will engage by Writing or Printing in this Controversie against me whereby to endeavour to build up if he could his first day on the ruines of the Seventh-day-Sabbath let him take notice and remember that I mention my Judgment on this as in other cases Subject-matter to be according to the Scriptures of Truth and that I expect both he and I should submit our Judgment and Practise unto the Autoritative decisive Judgment of the Spirit of Christ in the word of Truth Those that do resolve such cases of Conscience about Duty or Sin into other Authorities do judge but according to appearance That judgment which is righteous judgment is such as is according to the Scriptures Words of Rightness O how powerful are they As for other arguing it hath not that Efficacy of convincing Pauls way of reasoning was out of the Scriptures and his Method of proving was from the Scriptures and Apollos took the same course to convince the erroneous They are the Scriptures that we are to search which those of Berea did daily even when a Paul was the Speaker to them which did evidence them to be a good kind of Christians and Believers These Holy Scriptures are the Scriptures of Truth The Word of Christ is the Word of Truth It is The Truth If any bring a Doctrine or a Reproof or a Correction or an Instruction they should have whatsoever things were written aforetime to be written for these the whole Scripture must be shewn to be profitable for these it was given for such an end That the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works We may not add unto the Word which Jehovah doth command us neither are we to diminish ought from it that we may keep his Commandments who is the God of his people which he doth command us These Holy Scriptures are they which are able to make us wise to Salvation Though eminent Apostles or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto us than we have received we should carry our selves towards him as towards one excommunicate If any let him be what he will though he have never so great a name for Learning and for Religion do teach otherwise and come not up to wholesom Words the Words of our LORD Jesus Christ these are nourishing healthy food other words not agreeing with these are empty Chass and to the Doctrine which is according to right Worship we
should withdraw our selves from such It has been great encouragement and sweet satisfaction unto me for divers years that I have Christ and his Word his Will and his Law for me in this Holy Contest His ten Words or Commandments how perfect and complete how standing and unchangeable a Rule of life are they in all and every of the matters of Duty to be performed and of Sin to be avoided It was Jehovah Christ himself who by his Spirit from his Father wrote upon the two Tables the Words of the Covenant the ten Words or Precepts This Scripture more especially I undervalue not any of the rest though this have its signal remark cannot be broken This is a perfect Law These words Jehovah spake and he added no more Christ would not have us so much as think that he came to destroy to dissolve the Law he came not to dissolve but to fulfill He confirms it by an high Asseveration that till Heaven and Earth do pass one Jod or Chirek one either Consonant or Vowel or any thing else originally belonging thereunto shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments and such do the most of men compt the weekly Sabbath though misjudgingly and will teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven but whosoever shall do and teach men the same shall be called Great in the Kingdom of Heaven This Law is established This Law or Testimony is sure or faithful or firm or constant it endures for ever it is standing-abiding continuing firm yet and perpetually This is the Rule of the New Creature by this must we walk This is to be bound up and sealed among Christs Disciples To the Law and to the Testimony must we refer all our Controversies in Religion for Determination and Resolution If any speak not according to this Word it is because No morning-light is as yet in them Here is the full comprehensive of what is our Duty to do Where or for what no Law is there is no Transgression or neither a Transgression Sin is not imputed where is no Law for Sin is a Transgression of the Law Then a Soul is guilty when it sinneth against any of the Commandments of Jehova in what ought not to be done and shall do against any of them This Law of the Ten words was put into the Ark and this alone and nothing else but this put there in which it was so closed as that it was not to be taken out or changed having a Crown of gold by Jehovah's own appointment put round about it This particular Law of the weekly-seventh day-Sabbath has a special mark of remembrance fixt unto it at the very entrance into it This must not be forgotten to be kept Holy and the Works of our particular Functions are expresly prohibited to be done on it This Seventh-day must be sanctified as the weekly Sabbath of Jehovah our God because all and every of those weighty Reasons which Jehovah Aelohim the Law-maker the Law-giver himself hath assigned and rendred and no Reasons can be so demonstrative and convincing as those which he doth give who is only wise from whence to inforce and perswade Obedience to his Command in observing of a Weekly-Sabbath-day Holy to him do properly belong and are applicable to the Seventh which is the last day in every Week in Order of time in the weekly returns of it As the weekly Sabbath-day and to no other day of the Week as such neither to the first second third fourth fifth or sixth day Six daies in the week we are to labour and the Seventh day in the same week is the Sabbath The Seventh-day the seventh-day has its peculiar Note of Honour put upon it There can be but one Seventh day in one Week in the weekly Order and Succession of the Seven days though each of the other foregoing six days in the week are one of seven or one of the seven daily parts of weekly time Every one of the other days of the week have another name as one the second the third the fourth the fifth the sixth Only the last day of the week is called the Seventh day and the Sabbath day Weeks will be to the worlds end concluded within the compass of Seven days One of Aelohims Reasons is because he rested upon the seventh day upon that and that only which is the last day in the week and upon no other day in the week as a weekly Sabbath-day This History of the Creation doth go this day over three times on or in the Seventh-day the Seventh-day the Seventh-day Aelohim rested and again a second time He rested Afterwards in Moses time a little before Christ's Proclaiming of the Law of the Ten words at Mount Sinai the Seventh-day and the rest or Sabbath on it are several times mentioned the Seventh-day the Seventh-day the Seventh-day and a fourth time the Seventh-day The Rest of the Holy Sabbath or a Resting of Holy Rest for Sabbath signifies a Rest a Sabbath the Sabbath the Sabbath the People rested on it At the Promulgation of this Law this same Reason is resumed again For in six days Jehovah made the Heavens and the Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the Seventh-day and therefore His people ought to rest on the same day as the Holy-Sabbath-day The Scriptures do carry this further along after the Promulgation of it Six days shall men work but on the Seventh-day the Seventh-day a Sabbath a Sabbath of rest a Sabbath-day the Sabbath the Sabbath Jehovab rested on this day and refreshed himself Six days thou shalt work but on the seventh-day thou shalt rest thou shalt rest Six days shall work be done but on the Seventh-day there shall be to you an Holy-day a Sabbath of rest to Jehovah the seventh-day is the Sabbath of rest the Sabbath the seventh day is the Sabbath to Jehovah Thus also in the After-Prophets in Jeremiah's days Bear no burden on the Sabbath-day the Sabbath-day the Sabbath-day the Sabbath-day sanctifie the Sabbath-day to do no Work therein The Sabbath-day the Sabbath-day Thus in Nehemiah's time that zealous Reformer would not suffer Ware or any Victuals to be brought to be sold on the Sabbath-day on the Sabbath-day on the Holy-day the Sabbath-day the Sabbath the Sabbath-day the Sabbath the Sabbath the Sabbath No burden shall be brought in on the Sabbath-day the Sabbath the Sabbath-day The New Testament also doth take special notice of this The Seventh-day has the name of Sabbath or of Rest given it there above threeâ—â—ore times They rested Christs followers were silent from the Works of their particular Functions the seventh-day The Seventh-day God did rest the seventh-day from all his Works None of all this is said of any other day of the week Particularly not of the first and therein the LORD Jesus
Christ is the great Exemplary Pattern for his Disciples to imitate and to follow he rested on that Seventh-day and therefore his people must also rest on the same seventh-day Thus he himself doth argue He was the First-seventh-day-Sabbath-Observer and under all the several Administrations of Grace He called upon his People to do the same In the days of his flesh here on earth after he was born of the Virgin Mary he through the Weeks of his life yielded Obedience unto this Command by keeping the Seventh-day as the weekly Sabbath-day and no other day in the weekly return as such And this was and is a part of that perfect Righteousness which every sound believer doth apply to himself as his Plea of Justification in the sight of God for his Sin of Sabbath-breaking and every such believer is to conform in Sanctification to Christ in all the Acts of Christs Obedience to this Law of the ten words He as his Custom was went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath-day and stood up for to read He taught the people such as would give him the hearing on the Sabbath-days And whither shall we go to get our selves cloathed with Sabbath Righteousness but unto him putting on this Lord Jesus and making this Jehovah to be our Righteousness How can there be such an apt proper distinct suitable Sabbath-Righteousness from Christ applyed to the Soul but by those who make out after that weekly seventh-day-Sabbath-Righteousness which was in its perfection in Christ Those that observe any other day of the week as the weekly Sabbath cannot so directly go to Christ for such a days Righteousness not particularly for the First-days Righteousness as to a Sabbath which First day Christ all his life through never observed as the weekly Sabbath He has left us an example a Pattern a Copy such as Writing Masters do leave to their Scholars that we should follow his steps He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himself also to walk even as he walked Because as he is so are we in this World if we keep to his Rule and Example for the Scripture speaks of things as they ought to be taking it for granted that they be so and they are so so far forth as Believers do act regularly like themselves as doth become them According to this Pattern we have Paul practising after Christs Ascension into Heaven on every Sabbath-day it was his Custom and Usage his constant Practice the same Expression that sets out Christs continued weekly observing of the Seventh-day-Sabbath that it was usual to him is affirmed also of that eminent Servant of his That it was also usual to this Paul O that the same might be truly testified of more in our Day of Leaders and of their People that Christ might hold such forth before others and say Here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus The Holy Seed of Christ and of his Church are such as keep these Commands of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ O the happy Progresses O the blessed goings on with a strait foot of such as do his Commandments A Second Reason of his affixing to this Holy Law of the weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath who is Wisdom essential Wisedoms All Wisdoms in one is this For that Aelohim blessed the Seventh which is the last day in the week that and that only and no other day of the week as the weekly-Sabbath-day Thus it was from the beginning and thus it is and will be to hidden ages of hidden ages The blessing is its peculiar Portion and what is Man that he will take away this Heritage of Blessing from the Seventh-day to endeavour to settle it on any other day on the first day particularly where the LORD himself never so gave and secured it The Seventh-day the Seventh-day Aelohim blessed the Seventh-day he hath blessed it he doth bless it and he will bless it and it shall be blessed O blessed day which Jehovah himself hath blessed so blessed This blessing was afterwards renewed revived solemnly openly declared at Mount Sinai and affix'd to the seventh-day Six days thou shalt labour but the seventh-day is the Sabbath In it thou shalt not do any work For six days Jehovah made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh-day Wherefore Jehovah blessed that day that Sabbath the blessing is gone forth for this Seventh-day-Sabbath irreversibly from the Mouth of Jehovah Mashiach himself It has his Applaud and approve for its due estimation and deserved renown its noble majestickness and Royal imperialness How many are the Prerogatives and Priviledges which he hath Conferred upon it Christ is the Seventh-daies-benedictor and benefactor This is the day which he hath Dedicated to the Instituted worship and service of Jehovah Aelohim A day greatly to be desired and delighted in by his Children Friends and Servants as a day of holy rest and of Heavenly joy A day of sweet converse between him and his Saints A day that calleth upon them for a singingshouting-triumphing-rejoycing-frame and therefore there is a peculiar Psalm fitted for this purpose to this end Thus is the Crown of special Benediction put upon the head of the Seventh-day and no other foregoing day of the Week is to share with it in this princely honour Isaiah that evangelical Prophecier and Preacher has from Jehovah Pronounced those Blessed even to admiration O the happy Progresses O the happy goings on of such that do keep this Sabbath and not prophane it They shall enjoy many a covenant-favour O how choice Spiritual blessings are there that do visit the Hearts of Holy observers of this Seventh-day-Sabbath under the New-Testament Administration O what a Blessed day did Christ make it to be unto some whose sick bodies he healed whose sinful Souls he pardoned whose sadned Spirits he comforted unto whom his Gracious words were converting and Restoring teaching and enlightning quickning and strengthning whom he met in Sabbath ordinances and gave them the Blessing of this separated day and how many a Soul had cause to bless the LORD for ever who so prospered Pauls labours on the Seventh-day-Sabbath for blessing for good to them Christ taught daily in the Temple and Paul was often in the Synagogues on the foregoing daies of the Week and much good was done thereby but the whole Scripture doth take peculiar notice of this That the Seventh-day as the Weekly Sabbath-day carried away the Sabbath-blessings which no other day in the week did though the LORD do bless his People every day yet not with Sabbath-blessings but only on the seventh-day Aelohim gave a Special Blessing an appropriated Blessing to this day above all the other daies So true and good is that saying of Christ still That this Sabbath was made for Adam for Man for a blessing to him every way for his cheifest and choicest good It was Christs counsel to
his Dsiciples that when troublous times would be some years after his Ascending into the highest Heavens they would be much in Prayer that upon the Enemies Invading their Land their flight might not be on the Sabbath lest they should be hindered from or disturbed in the Blessings of that seventh-day which alone has the Name of the Weekly Sabbath Thus is the whole Scripture profitable for the clearing and confirming of these two Reasons of Christs Assigning as I am now also further to manifest that it is so for his third Reason which is this because Aelohim sanctified the seventh which is the last day in every week that and that only and no other day of the week as the Weekly Sabbath-day Thus at the First Creation and Institution the seventh day the seventh-day the seventh-day Aelohim sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his work which he Created for to make or to do He hath sanctified this same seventh-day he doth and he will sanctifie it setting it apart as the only weekly Sabbath-day for Spiritual services and for other holy ends he segregated it from all prophane common employments and usages and dedicated it to his own peculiar worship It was not to be reckoned nor counted amongst vulgar daies but was to be had and held as solemn and sacred holy and honourable desirable and delightful He hath put a difference between this seventh day and other daies by way of Excellency in a dignifying manner by appropriating and â—evering of it in the special holiness thereof from ordinary foregoing week-daies that are but of a common rank that it may be singularly filled up as becometh the sanctity or holiness of it By this derived or relative sanctity it is the peculiar appropriate day of Jehovah â—lohim He has separated Ordinances for his separated People on this separated day O how holy is Jehovahs seventh-day-sabbath on which he would have his Worshippers to be so Holy All here in this History of the Creation is actual and real Anticipations here have no such place as those pretend who would have this sanctification of the seventh day as a Weekly Sabbath to be only in Aelohims Decree and destination as if it took not place actually till the proclaiming of the Law at Mount-Sinai which was above two thousand years after for this Scripture as others also collated with it do evidently shew that it was thus set apart from the beginning of the World from Adams time and so downwards This History doth treat of Existences of Beings in their Created nature As Aelohim rested on that day Actually and it was made for Adam and for his posterity for that purpose and end that he and they might sanctifie it and that it might be a blessed day to him and to them The Creator and maker of daies did put apart the seventh-day from all and from every of other daies for peculiar uses and Ends. The Proof is convincing enough to the Ingenious and unprejudiced that the sanctification of the seventh-day-Sabbath was before the promulgation of it at Sinai Moses speaks of it as of a thing known using the same reasons and grounds of equity and much in the same words which Aelohim himself used in the proclaiming and referring to the first institution of labouring on the six fore going daies and Sabbatizing on the seventh where the seventh day is mentioned four times and Sabbath Sabbatism Rest Rested about six times declaring that in times past of old Jehovah had given the Sabbath for this end that in it there should be a ceasing from ordinary Labour and accordingly the People rested on the seventh-day-Sabbath at Mount-Sinai the promulgator of this Law himself delivers his mind to be still the same in much plainness of speech six daies thou shalt labour but the seventh day is the Sabbath in it thou shalt not do any work for six daies Jehovah made the Heavens and the Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore Jehovah hallowed the Sabbath day he sacrated it consecrated it sanctified it restored it to its holy use he spiritually distinguished it from the other foregoing six daies of the week Setting it apart for his more solemn worship and instituted service And thus you may carry this sanctification of it through the rest of the Scriptures that do treat on this subject for the People of God all along were Sabbath-keepers and Aelohim-worshippers They remembred this as that word of memoir and of remark bringing in this Law upon their hearts as of special observance The sanctification of the sabbath doth set out sometimes the whole worship of God for where this is duly observed it doth promote all other religion and it is put Prophetically by Isaiah for the spiritual worship under the New Testament dispensation it was instituted to the end that solemn service might be performed to the LORD therein therefore did his People hold publick conventions on the seventh day-Sabbath when they assembled to read to Interpret and to hear the word of Jehovah Aelohim And these were stated ordinances on every such day Then they put up their publick requests and made Prayers to the LORD they then pleasantly sang songs to him they had spiritual conferences holy Arguings heavenly meditations merciful actings It being a day of spiritual delight of heavenly joy and of high praising Then they offered up instituted sacrifices unto him to the honour of his name Which sacrifices now under this administration are spiritual glorious heavenly accepttable to God by Jesus Christ Thus and in such like holy services is it to be sanctified by us The seventh-day-Sabbath is therefore said to be holy unto the LORD's People as it is holy in its Institution and holy unto Aelohim And now is it not great and good reason that these reasons of Aelohims own giving should have a convincing-cogency and winning perswasiveness upon our hearts to yield obedience unto this holy Law of his which is every way so designed and fitted for our own Good I pass on to some other spiritual proofs of this After long and serious search into the whole scripture about this matter I find that all the Scriptures through where the holy Spirit doth speak of a weekly Sabbath day there the name and thing of a weekly Sabbath is given only to the seventh which is the last day of the week in the weekly revolutions and returns and successive courses of it and to no other day of the week as a weekly-Sabbath-day That there is no Command given for the Observation of any other day in the week as the weekly-Sabbath-day but only of the seventh day That there is no promise made to the observing of any other day in the week as the weekly Sabbath-day but only of the seventh day and that there is no threatning either Denounced against or executed upon any that have not observed any other day in
the week as the weekly-Sabbath-day but only against and upon such as observed not the seventh-day as such If it be thus then how nameless how Commandless how promiseless how threatless is the first day of the week as to this matter of the weekly-Sabbath-day Examine and search we the Scriptures in this case All the Scriptures through where the holy spirit speaks of a weekly-sabbath day the name and thing thereof that is of such a weekly-Sabbath-day is given only to the seventh which is the last day in the week in the weekly returns of it and to no other day of the week as a weekly-Sabbath-day On the seventh-day the seventh-day the seventh-day Aelohim Sabbatized he Sabbatized The seventh-day the seventh-day the seventh-day the seventh-day the rest of the Holy Sabbath a Sabbath the Sabbath the Sabbath the People rested on it The seventh day is the Sabbath in it thou shalt not do any work The seventh day is the Sabbath in it thou shalt not do any work In the seventh is the Sabbath of rest The seventh day a Sabbath of Rest The seventh day the Sabbath of rest Scores of times in the Scripture of the old testament the seventh day is called the Sabbath Several times also in the new Testament about threescore times The LORD Christ himself speaking Prophetically cals it the Sabbath-day Divers times in the Historie of the Acts of the Apostles after Christs Ascension to his Father Every Sabbath Paul reasoned in the Synagogue as his manner was No other day in the week is called the Sabbath-day This some of the most Learned amongst the adversaries of the seventh day having been convinced of and finding their labours fruitless in searching after the name Sabbath to be given to the first day of the week which is no where done they rather oppose the name Sabbath as not fit to be used now under the new-Testament-administration of Grace as applyed to the weekly seperated day for Holy rest and worship they reject it themselves that others too might the more abhor it by giving it an ill name miscalling it the Jewish-Sabbath So that these Enemies themselves being Judges they confess that all Churches do call the seventh day alone by the old name Sabbath It was the seventh this seventh day it is double-Articled on which God rested from all his works Consider further there is not all the Scriptures through any command given for the observation of any other day in the week asthe weekly-Sabbath-day but only the seventh which is the last day in the week in the weekly return of it At the first Creation of this seventh day It was instituted for Adam to do it and observe it as the weekly Sabbath day Thus before the Law was proclaimed how long refuse ye to keep my Commandements and my Laws Jehovah hath given you the Sabbath Let no man go out of his place on the seventh day for to gather Manna or to do any other servile work So the People rested on the seventh day Thus at the time of Promulgation Remember or to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Six daies shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of Jehovah thy God In it thou shalt not do any work It expresseth both a precept what to do and a prohibition what not to do Keep the Sabbath to sanctifie it as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee Six daies shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of Jehovah thy God In it thou shalt not do any work So express is this word of the Law-giver himself After the proclaiming of this Law six daies thou shalt do thy work and on the seventh day thou shalt rest Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep said Jehovah ye shall keep the Sabbath six daies shall work be done but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest Six daies thou shalt work but on the seventh day thou shalt rest In Eating-time or Plough-time and in Harvest thou shalt rest during the seventh-day-Sabbath If any time had more colouraable plea for working than other the Ploughing-time and the Harvest-time were the seasons the one to prepare the Ground and to cast in the Seed the other to reap and gather in the Fruit and increase Tillage was necessary for Harvest Harvest was necessary for sustenance yet the holy rest of the Sabbath must not be broken for these The prohibition reached in the very letter of it against these times Again these are the words which Jehovah hath commanded that ye should do them six daies shall work be done but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day a Sabbath of rest to Jehovah If any handy-work were to be spoken for as an exception to this general rule Tabernacle-work was the work yet this Law of the seventh-day-Sabbath must not be transgressed for the carrying on of such work for the preparing finishing and erecting of the Tabernacle though it were the appointed place under that dispensation of Grace for the publick Instituted worship and service of God Ye shall keep my Sabbath again ye shall keep my Sabbath and a third time in Leviticus ye shall keep my Sabbaths the like we have in the Books of the Prophets carry not forth any burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day nor do any work but ye shall hallow the Sabbath day according as I commanded your Fathers said Jehovah by Jeremiah to the People of God in his time much the same we have in Ezekiel bringing in the LORD thus bespeaking his People I Jehovah your God walk in my statutes observe my judgments and do them and Hallow my Sabbaths The same Prophetically in another place thus saith Adonai Jehovah the gate of the inner Court that looketh towards the East shall be shut the six working daies but on the Sabbath it shall be opened But the gate shall not be shut until the Evening The Prince shall offer the burnt Offering on the Sabbath-day Thus after the return from the Babylonish Captivity Zealous Nehemiah reproves the transgressors of this law and Command of the seventh day-Sabbath what Evil thing is this that ye do and profane the Sabbath-day I commanded and charged saith he This he did in pursuance of Jehovahs Express command and charge that no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day I said unto the Levites that they should cleanse themselves and come and keep the gates to sanctifie the Sabbath-day The same is mentioned in the New-Testament the holy Women had Rested on the Sabbath-day according to the Commandement They who were no friends to Christ could yet acknowledge this in the Principle for the matter of Right though they misjudged in a matter of Fact in point of practise and in a particular Case there are six daies in which men ought to work and not
away those Idolatrous Names of daies As Sunday c. of which Jebovah has prophesied that He will cut them off Having thus far attended the Weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath in its strait-footed walk in a plain path through the whole Scripture there thwarts the Reader now a straying company that would perswade him to get into another way along with them the way of the first day as the weekly-Sabbath as if this were now the New-Testament-Dispensation And for this they would have him to consider these Scriptures in the Margin as Translated out of the Greek into English Before I return an express direct Answer to the several particular Scriptures themselves I advise the Reader to ask these Transferrers of the Weekly-Sabbath-day from the seventh to the first day of the week when they judg it was that the first day of the week began to be the weekly Sabbath-day Most will say that it began on the particular day of Christ's Resurrection by Christ himself Some few will assert that it was a little after that Resurrection by the Apostles of Christ but all of them will acknowledge that it was before any part of the New-Testament was written It being so then let the Reader improve this last Concession and further demand of these men if one of the Apostles as Peter by name for Supposition had preached up this Doctrine that the Weekly Sabbath-day under the New-Testament-Administration of Grace was translated and changed from the Seventh which is the last day of Week to the first day of the week and that one of the Hearers had asked Peter upon what Scripture do you bottom this Doctrine How are whatsoever words of God were heretofore written Profitable and written for such a Doctrine What Answer do these Men imagine that Peter could have returned The New Testament was not then written and all the Scriptures which they then had were the Writings of the Old Testament Those of Moses and of the Prophets This Hearer searcheth these and can meet with no such thing in the Preceptive or Prophetical or Promissary part of that Word neither could any other refer him to clear-convincing-proofs of this How then could this Man be well satisfied that this was True Doctrine when he could not find it in his Bible but the quite contrary all the Old Testament through another day the Seventh in order of Created Time all along Commanded and commended And if this Hearer should further have asked Peter If I should work upon the seventh-day contrary to the Precept in the Law what Scriptures would bear me out in so doing when I appear before the righteous Judg who has in so many Words forbid this and so often in all the Scriptures that I have which speak of this thing and if I do not observe the first day as the Weekly-Sabbath-day but do work on that day having Aelohim's Command and Example for it what Scriptures have you by which to reprove me After this Arguing what could Peter have replyed to this from Old-Testament-Scripture I leave the Reader further to improve this in his Study and Meditation For the Christianized believers did search the Scriptures whether those things which the Apostles of Christ taught them were so or not even in the Case of Paul himself who was one of the most Eminent and most used of them all I shall now in the supplies of the Spirit of Holiness according to the word of Truth discover the deceitful colours of these Mens wrestings of some Scriptures and then shew the Reader the convincing reprehension of those Colours Which colours how fair soever to outward appearance for a while yet are a false Disguise a Paint that will melt away before the fire of the Word The Fallacies are soon detected and confuted before a discerning and judicious an unprejudiced and Impartial Reader There are some Scriptures in our English Bibles of the New-Testament say these Objectors which do speak of the first day of the week as the day of Christ's Resurrection when he rested from his work of Redemption which is now appointed and determined as the Weekly-Sabbath-day unto the Church in memory of Christ's Resurrection One of the Sabbaths doth frequently occur and is the same with the first day of the week One being often put for First the Numeral for the Cardinal The generality of the Antients both Greek and Latin agree whose Testimony about the sense of aWord is the best Dictionary and Evidence we can expect and this same phrase used of the day of Christ's Resurrection by the Evangelists proveth it Thus they say The Resurrection of Our LORD Jesus Christ from the Dead on the third day according to the Scriptures I thankfully acknowledg together with the many exceeding great and precious priviledges and benefits thereof and through Mercy and Grace I do firmly believe and particularly apply This true Doctrine is one main part of that solid Foundation on which we are to bottom our Hope and O how gladly could I here lay aside this Controversie and be taken up with sweet Delight and with Rapturing joy into an Heavenly Meditation on an arisen Saviour Here could I leave this unkind World and wrangling-generation and get up above that I might rise with Christ to be where he is to behold his Glory O how willingly could I here breath and long desire and pant that this arisen Redeemer whom my Soul loves would be with my Spirit that my spirit might be more with him O that I might more Experimentally sensibly satisfyingly Know and acknowledge that Power that Vertue of his Resurrection That I might more and better Evidence my being planted into it by walking in Newness of life Here could I bid this Fallacious Sophistry of Quarrellers with Christ's weekly seventh-day-Sabbath to stay behind whilst I find my heart with much Complacencie safely lodged in a full Christ and in his sull Word O the Savourie-nourishing-Meditations that this Subject-Matter would afford Here the admiring Soul may pass into a spiritual-Rest by silent-Thinkings secret Adorings Marvelling-loves Exalting-Praises and Filling-enjoyments But the Reader expects an Answer In all the places of the New Testament relating to the matter in hand where the last English Translation doth render it the first day of the week the Words do properly signify one of the Sabbaths except only in one place where it is the first day of the Sabbath The meaning whereof may be afterwards opened All the other places you may find cited in the Margin and the words in the Greek rightly done into English in every one of these are one of the Sabbaths not the first day of the week nor the first of Sabbaths nor the alone Day or only day or Sabbaths Not at all concluding the first day of the week to be now the Weekly Sabbath-day in the room of the seventh which the words do not mean either in their proper Significancie or intended sense as they stand in Syntax or Coherence
preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles as if this had scarce been their duty though it were expresly put into their Commission from the mouth of Christ Till Peter was righter informed by a Vision from Heaven The written word of Christ has an Authority above and beyond the Authority and Testimony of the most eminent Apostles or Angels of Heaven If a Paul had brought his own word contrary to Christs word what were Pauls saying It must be rejected and in that the hearers were to carry themselves towards Paul as if he had been an excommunicate If a Prophet bring a word contradictory to the word of the LORD he should not be hearkened unto If an Angel from Heaven speak otherwise than the God of Angels and would teach disobedience against the word of Jehovah Fellowship should not be kept up with him It is one erroneous part of Antichristianism to set up the Testimony of men or the Authority of the Church in the seat of Christ and of his written word The The Antichrist is the Anomous one the Lawless one the Antinomian And Anomy or Lawlesness or Antinomianism is the great comprehensive sin of the Latter daies And they are Lawless ones that are the erring seducing ones Men as to their Church state have their foundation and bottom their existence and life under a God in Christ from the written word of Christ whereas these Scriptures of Truth have not their groundwork and being from any meer man or men Church or Churches A Church is made up of Believers as the prefaces of the Epistles to the Churches do shew and Believers must have a word to sound and to live upon All true doctrines are to be fetched hence and to be grounded and proved here The Conventions of Pagans and the Synagogues of Sutan are not owned as Churches of Christ because they are not according to Christ and the word of Christ Men though passing into never-so-noted-a-Church-way yet may actually be in process of time so Obstinate in Heresies so Idolatrous in Worship and so scandalous in profaneness as to cease to be a true-Scripture-Church and must be separated from The Christian Church at Rome in Pauls time has another manner of Character given of it in his Epistle to them than the Satanical Synagogue at Rome has by John in the Revelation who saw in a Vision the foul Apostasie thereof Separation in such Cases is holy and a duty The holy Scriptures of Truth do not give a Sovereign Authority to the Testimony of men they did not send us to humane Witness to Church History to unwritten Tradition to fetch Credibility to it It is the Glorious excellency of this Word of Christ to be the one and the only rule of Judging in all Cases both here now and at the Last Judgment day Which no Testimony of men is honoured withal The whole Scripture is God-inspired whose Testimony is the greatest and the most Credible so are not the after-humane-Testimonies Traditions Histories and Authorities The Books of Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy as commonly now called are more Antient than all other written printed bookes The true pure Word of God is of greatest Authority mens Writings are a Postscript The Grace of sound and of Saving Faith must have Almighty Power Infallible truthfulness unchangeable faithfulness and infinite Wisdom to bottom and to build firmly upon A Believers assent and consent to the Infallible Authority of the written word hath been is and may be brought forth without mens-Testimony History Tradition and Authority Many have been made to believe this before they came to any such Human helps and who neither knew read or considered such Church Histories and Traditions which therefore could not be the cause immediate Adequate and Efficient thereof Where the word it self doth work effectually and savingly in a believing heart there it is embraceingly recieved not the word of man but as it is in truth the word of God Saving Faith cannot bottom upon mens Testimonies which humane Writers will still be needing further Arguments and Testimonies to confirm it The Testimony of man can never of it self perswade and enable savingly to credit the infallible Authority of the written word till the Holy Spirit do infuse sound saving Faith and call and draw it forth into Act Though the other pretended cause of Humane Testimonies and Authorities be put into act yet this effect of sound believing doth not follow Many remain Infidels under the highest esteem and strongest perswasions of Church-Histories and of mens Testimonies and some tempted Saints yet cannot be cured of their unbelieving Fears and of their distrustful doubts by any humane Tradition History or Authority till the Spirit and word of Christ from the Father do come with Demonstration and with Power Saving Faith is Supernatural which mens Testimony from Extrascriptural Arguments is not they do each differ in their whole kind and one cannot be in another The best read Historians and other wise learned men of the World are not the soonest brought to assent and consent to the Authority of the word by the force of any or of all humane Arguments If this Faith which is greater in its self and in its Spiritual effects could be inwrought by mens Testimony then other particular objects of Faith or Truths or things to be beleived which are less Such as are the several Doctrines about Spiritual Eternals Invisibles but not these and therefore neither that also Even as to matters of Fact past besides knowing of them by Inspiration Voice or Visions and by natural causes arguing from them to the effects by humane Report which is called History or Tradition they may be known some other waies when they are needful to be known Matters of Fact past have been and still may be known by lots which where the Case and Cause do call for it is a way of natural appeal to the allknowing God Thus was Achans matter of past fact known and thus also was Jonathans past Fact discovered And thus also in the tryal of Jealousie past Facts of works of darkness in Adulterous Acts were brought to light by an Oath of Execration taken by the suspected party and a solemn address thereupon made to the Heart-searching all-knowing Aelohim And this also I would propound to the Ingenious and Studious for the advance and Augment of this best of Sciences Scripture-knowledges whether by lots and Oathes of Execration natural Appeals solemn-Addresses and by miracles other waies the truthfulness of Scripture-revelation would not yet under the present dispensation of Grace For I revive not any of the Old Testament Figures Types and shadows about any of these then used be thus still confirmed were a Spirit of Faith mingled with a word of Faith put into the prayer of Faith As for Humane report the experience that we have had of our own day and time doth inform us how partial men are in these
Histories where private interest and particular partyship do incline them to write over favourably of themselves and of their own Facts and how hatred of and prejudice against others who are of contrary Principles and practises do put them upon hard misconstruings and wrong misreportings of the Actions of their Adversaries So that it is a rare Ingenuity in an Historian to give a true Narrative of the matter of Fact in the several Circumstances of it under the opposition of an Enemy Especially if some Ages have passed away since the matter of Fact there is the less certainty and credibility And more especially yet if there have been such ages coming between which were Ages of thick darkness of prevailing Ignorance and of gross imposture and when in such cases as wherein Antichrist has imposed much upon the Churches by his Humane Additions Supplements and Traditions thereby to obscure or to corrupt or to thrust out to take from or to add to what is Christ's mind in his Word which is the present case And he who reads the story of Eustathius the Popes Legat in Roger Hoveden by what counterfeit Artifices and false Pretences and forged Visions feigned Voices and lying Wonders he introduced the observation of the first Day of the Week here into England no longer ago than in the Reign of King John may unless he very much dote on such humane fallible Testimonies see cause enough to give little credit to such Church-Histories as would so report the matter of Fact as thereby to determine the matter of right which those who go this way generally do whilst they place the first day in the Week in the room of the seventh day as the weekly Sabbath-day under the New Testament ministration So that I am the less fond or rather not at all fond of Humane Histories in these matters relating to sin or duty from cited Church Authorities in matters of Fact having my esteem heightned from Scripture Records and word-commands chiefly in such cases where the whole Scripture doth contain such Reasons of the LORD 's own assigning founded in the very Nature of Created Existences such names and things such Precepts and Prohibitions such Promises and Threatnings such suitable Examples and such like as these which do uniformly throughout speak a quite contrary thing and go a quite different way from those sayings which Church-Registers do wrong tell me and from that By-path into which Humane Histories would mislead me as they would in this case when they would take me off from the due observation of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath to drag me along to keep the first day as a separated day for holy Worship I am bound to believe Scripture History as a true report from the infallible veracity of a truthful Aelohim it is necessary this Faith to my Salvation But I am not under such an obligation neither is it so necessary for me to believe Humane History so many hundreds of years ago especially such circumstances as have been mentioned before in such matters of fact as are but pretended to be transacted in Scripture times chiefly to whom they are so argued against the whole of other Scripture How can this objector prove to me that those Ecclesiastical Histories whose certainty and credibility of reporting this he so much cryeth up were directed and dictated thereunto by the Spirit of Truth in this matter And if not how can my Faith be swayed by their Authorities Jehovah Aelohim himself appointed Scripture Histories to be written by the Prophets and Priests these Historiographers were ocular Witnesses in much of that which they wrote and registred and in this as also in the rest they were God inspired So were those Evangelists and Apostles also who wrote the New Testament History As for Tradition we receive what is scriptural Believers are delivered from Patro-traditional conversation such as is unscriptural we receive the commandments which Christ hath delivered but we reject Humane Traditions which are not according to Christ and his Word If the case were so that all the Men and Speakers and Writers and Printers and Books and what other humane Authorities did tell me what I know evidently is expresly otherwise in Christ and in the Word of Christ it were of no validity with me The Prophets and the LORD Jesus Christ the sender of his Prophets did refer the Jews not to the Traditions of Rabbines especially when they were such Traditions as would have UNLORDED him and his Word of his and of its due Authority but to the Law to the Scriptures Scripture Traditions which are allowed of in the Word of Christ we approve of about sound Doctrine and Faith of the Truth and holy conversation and about observing of a naturally comly decent order in Church-assemblies But we reject what is of mens own and in their own name It is an Observand in Scripture that the Scriptures do refer to Scriptures often may we meet with such expressions it is written and as it is written and for it is written and according to that which is written This is under the LORD the Judging Rule and the Lawful Determiner in all cases By this were Truths confirmed and by this were errours confuted Even whilst the Apostles were alive there were false supposititious writings thrust upon some as if they had been the Apostles own true Writing and therefore the Apostles subscribed their Epistles with their own hands they used some peculiar subscription such a subsigning as was well known to the Churches How much more was the World like to be imposed upon when they were dead and gone by the writings of men who would be fathering of their own unscriptural brats of false tenets upon the Apostles there being many Antichrists gone forth even in John's time Paul whilst living to confute the falshood yet was strongly charged with saying and asserting of that which he utterly denies though others would affirm it to be so he was evil-spoken of and wrongfully accused as if he had expresly taught a damnable Doctrine which he wholly disowneth And if they were so bold in his days how can we be so over confident of a matter of fact reported by a mere humane traditionary Knowledge above sixteen hundred years ago without any God-inspired Scripture Revelation or Natural Demonstration How can any man to his own or others satisfaction affirm that by Humane History he certainly knows that all the Christian Churches have constantly set apart and observed the first day for holy Worship when he cannot certainly know that he hath read all humane Histories that have recorded that particular matter of fact Or that no humane History hath recorded a quite different both Principle Judgement and Practice in some particular Church or Churches and when the matter of fact for any evidence he hath to the contrary may have been quite otherwise in some Church or Churches which yet is not recorded in any humane History This
writing and to keep the Records of it well attested especially when another doth claim a former Title for some hundreds of years As this of the seventh-day Sabbath did for some thousands of years for some ages beyond the memory of man and when they could not but foresee that their Title would be so much called in question and controverted and especially too where the Matter of Fact is pretended as it is by this Author so much to prove the Matter of Right All Matters of Fact that do pass into Historical Writing are fittest to be written in the same age wherein they were done as being then better known in their circumstances by sensible demonstrations which cannot be so well discerned in after ages How fond are Traditionists of unscriptural humane Antiquities and Universalities Whereas Errors have been ancient even as long full home to the times of the Apostles Even then did the Mystery of iniquity begin to work there were even then many Antichrists and Malignant Assemblies and when the Antichrist shall be revealed there would be a great Apostasie and Defection from the Truth The Revelation hath foretold that all the World would go a whoring after the Beast and would worship the Beast and the Dragon that gave him power yet are these some of their Notes of a visible Church Antiquity and Universality which that they might be the sooner imposed upon the hoodwinck'd credulous World have another vain pretence going along with them altogether as unscriptural and vain as they that is that the Church cannot err And they falsly call their particular Romish Synagogue the Catholick Church I expectingly believe and hopingly wait for a coming day when our plain tender sincere upright-hearted people will be undeceived and no longer to suffer themselves to be deluded and imposed upon by such confident Assertions as this Objector doth bring them As if that which beyond all doubt must assure them that de facto the first day was by the Apostles separated for holy Worship especially in publick Church Assemblies is the full and unquestionable expository evidence of the practice of all the Churches in the World since the very days of the Apostles For so has this Learned Author affirmed Reader bethink thy self what thy Faith must resolve it self into if it will follow this misguiding How can such believers as never traded in this kind of humane Learning ever come to undoubted assurance about the matter How can they be fully ascertained of this who were never versed nor are ever like to be neither are under any such obligation by any Scripture Precept to be throughly versed and understandingly read in all and every of the Writings of all and every of the Ecclesiastical Histories that do write about this Or if it were possible and facible that they could compass this of which I can see no end who yet have more helps and advantages this way than the most How can they unquessionably be confirmed in this perswasion that there never was any one Church of Christ that did escape the Humane Church-Record and History And if so who can tell them but that that particular Church might be of a different judgement and practice What doth this kind of arguing in this Author mean What would it have our people to resolve their satisfaction and assurance concerning the pretended first day Sabbath into that report which their humane fallible Guides do make unto them of this without their tryal of it The Word of Christ doth call upon them to try the spirits whether they be of God and to prove all things that are thus brought them by Teachers by the Scripture-canon and Touch stone as the one and the only infallible Rule What a kind of Faith is that which is a trusting of fallible men without tryal a depending upon Humane Authorities without Scripture Evidence The God-inspired Authority of Christ and of his Word is fully attested within the holy Scriptures own bounds and needs not step out to Humane Histories Authorities and Traditions However this Author would buz into the ear such amazing expressions as this that it is impossible it should be otherwise than as such Humane Historie doth record of the practice of all the Churches since the times of the Apostles and that this Testimony is infallible Humane History and that part of it which they call Ecclesiastical History however it be a pleasant study and an employ someways in its place profitable yet of all kinds of Scientifick Learning is one of the weakest common places of arguing and the least convincing for demonstration because it doth resolve its probations into the fallible Testimonies of lying men and so doth not cannot give any firm full satisfaction to an inquiring Spirit and studious Mind who will still be doubtful and afraid how he doth bottom his Faith in so weighty a case as is now before him upon such an unsure and unsafe ground as he can build no firmness of belief and certainty of knowledge upon even the uncertain witness of deceivable men what their eyes and ears and tongues and pens have reported to us who are so many hundred years come into the World after they were dead and gone that way of disputing therefore which this mighty man of Humane Reason has walked in to find out some place if he could where to make his First day Sabbath cause to stand is such a by-path as doth mislead his Reader into bogs where he cannot settle and stay with any good confidence and sound comfort Such arguments may take with over credulous minds and with passive intellects who through idleness and guile of spirit in a matter which would ingage them in so much of self-denyal and of cross bearing had rather use another man's writings and reasonings than be at the pains of studying of the Scriptures and of exercising their own understanding What has at large been written in trying this Objectors spirit upon the former Scriptures in an answer also to the next mentioned by him in the Revelation which he calleth another Historical hint of the New Testament How can a change of the weekly Sabbath-day from one day to another from the seventh to the first be soundly proved from this other Scripture where he that is of a serious spirit and doth diligently inquire after word-satisfaction about this matter cannot find either Sabbath or First day either in terms plainly expressed or clearly implyed or necessarily inferred in this place or in the context or in the design of the Holy Spirit here or by comparing of it with other places of Scripture Those that would lay the foundation of so great a change should see their Scripture grounds to be more evident convincing and firm What one Word is there in this Scripture that doth warrant any new Instition from Christ for the observing of the First day as the weekly Sabbath-day What one word is there here of command so to observe the First day What one word
other times so at these two seasons one in Christ's life time the other after his death and both before his rising The chief Priests did count themselves and were counted by others to be Builders yet thus notoriously did they refuse Christ The word in the Psalm according to the Hebrew in its propriety of signification is they have reprobated rejected despised refused scorned or turned away from and that expression in a place of the New Testament doth signifie ye have earnestly desired and refused and that when Judge Pilat had absolved him in his own declared judgement yet did they crave earnestly that a man murderer and a seditious one might be freed and that Christ whom yet they could not justly charge with any crime or the least sin might be crucified Then and thus was Christ reprobated of these men Was it not an eminent Day of monstrous rejecting when the question being put to them whether of the two they would have to be released they preferred a seditious Murderer Though there were other times of their refusing and rejecting of Christ before this and that on the Seventh day Sabbath but it was more notorious on the Passion day It was also Prophesied in that Psalm that the people would pray O Jehovah save now or prosper now blessed be he that cometh in the Name of Jehovah This was fullfilled before the Day of Christ's crucifixion when he rode into Jerusalem and the people went forth to meet him crying Hosanna Hoshignana in the Hebrew or Hosanna as it is put into the Greek These things are plain familiar and clear evident of themselves upon the bare reading of them and are not any forced interpretations of my own What a far way about do Objectors go and carry their Followers along with them to bring them at last to that which is no proof at all of that for which they have brought them thither As for the Day spoken of which Jehovah made for his people to rejoyce in it is the large Day of Grace under the New Testament Dispensation of Grace which doth take in many a Natural Day And as for spiritual rejoycing it is every days work though more especially upon the Seventh-day Sabbath so that in short there being not in the Scriptures urged by Objectors either First day or Sabbath-day either in the letter of the words or in any necessary consequence naturally flowing from thence or any design that looks any thing like a change of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath translating it to any other day How any satisfaction can such a change be inferred and inforced from hence To return therefore a while unto that place in the Revelation although there must be some particular distinct determinate Day of the Week when John first saw the beginning of this Vision For all that doth come to pass in time must necessarily be on one Day or other of the Week yet this Lordly Day here spoken of had not this design at all in it to set up the first day in the room of the seventh The skilful in the Greek Tongue do know that an Adjective joyned to a Substantive doth usually mean the Genitive Case of that Substantive as the Lordly Day is the Day of Lordship or Day of the LORD So we find this expressed in other Languages In Hebrew it is in the Day of our LORD in Syriack a Day of the LORD So in Spanish in a Day of the LORD In Greek the Participles have sometimes the force of the Nouns So in English the LORD's Day or the Day of the LORD as in the other instance where the word is used the LORD's Supper or the Supper of the LORD For which Supper we have evident express both Institution appointing of it and command injoyning us to do it Promise making over and sealing the benefit of Christ's Death to such as partake of it worthily after a due sitting manner and threatning denouncing judgements against the profaners of this Ordinance None of all which either Institution Command Promise or Threatning have we yet after all our search found for the first Day to be the Day of the weekly Sabbath in the place of the seventh so that here is no foundation for belief and practice to build upon Where any one place of Scripture is so interpreted as not to have the Harmonious Oneness and the well agreeing consent of the whole Scripture where they do treat of that matter or subject there that is the interpretation of mens own private spirit and not the interpretation of the Spirit of Aelohim And therefore the cause of the first day as the weekly Sabbath not having the whole Scripture profitable for the proving of it cannot stand in the judgement notwithstanding one misinterpreted Scripture is yet further alledged to defend it if the urger of it could be any Art plead it One historical hint more this Objector doth suppose may be with respect to the Day of Pentecost which he thinks was that year on the first Day of the Week when the pourings out of the holy Spirit were on the Apostles and so thinks it to be the Day separated by the Apostles for holy Worship especially in publick Church Assemblies and yet he says he was loth to name the day of the sending down of the Holy Ghost Holy Spirit it should have been said was given as a proof because that some do controvert it but it seemeth to him a very considerable thing I must therefore return somewhat in answer unto this It is much of the Artifice in the present age as in some other cases so concerning the matter under debate to darken and obscure some particular places of Scripture either by corrupt Translations or by false Interpretations upon which to ground their wrong Inferences and conjectural consequences and then to perswade the plain people how deep these things do lie and how much they should lean upon the Wisdom and Advice of their Church Guides who much study humane Histories for them to lead them through what through those dark Mazes into which these Guides have misled them Whereas the Scriptures about the weekly Sabbath are full of clear Light and of satisfying self-evidence to those who are made throughly willing to do the acceptable Will of Jehovah Aelohim What conviction can there be brought in upon the understanding concerning any change of the weekly Sabbath-day from the seventh to the first day of the week where is not either expressed or implyed any thing at all of any such change and where the Reader cannot find the first day spoken of or hinted to to any such purpose The Passover is acknowledged by this Author on this year of Christ's Death to be a Seventh-day Sabbath If so then including that day in the number of fifty and seven Sabbaths reckoned and added to that day Pentecost or the fiftieth day was a Seventh-day Sabbath also for so was the computation seven times
Believers are said to Rest from What the force of the Conjunction is in this place What the change of the Number from the Plural to the Singular may import As for the meaning and scope of this Scripture in this Epistle The Considerate Reader is desired after his serious seeking of the LORD by the prayer of Faith to be taught of Him and to be led into the Truth diligently to observe how the Aim and Design of this Epistle in this part of it is to confirm and establish the professing Hebrews in the Faith and Doctrine of the LORD Jesus Christ which would be the better done if they hearkened unto what Christ had said in a both Historical and Prophetical Psalm to this purpose and to caution and charge them against an evil heart of Unbelief that would fall off from the Living God and harden them through the seducingness of that sin that he might the more speedily and thorowly awaken and quicken them up to attend unto and to follow his spiritual and wholsome Counsel which was so seasonable in such a time when they were so persecuted for their Discipleship to Christ He sheweth what dangerous Evils were near and what great Mischiefs would follow if they did give way to their unbelief distrust and carnal fear they would then backslide from their Heavenly Calling and from their Holy Profession And if they did live and did in such a state of unbelief and of unperswadedness of unrepentingness and of disobedience they would be shut out of that Spiritual Heavenly Eternal Rest of God in Christ And that his manner of Arguing might be the more convincing and prevailing he brings a strong evident proof of it out of one of the Psalms it being that Scripture which the Author of this Epistle doth Comment upon and expound here Where the Holy Spirit by the Prophet David who penned that Psalm for him having exhorted the Israel of God to laud Jehovah the Messiah The Rock of His people's Salvation and to obey His Voice whilst the Day of His Grace and of their life did last Earnestly dehorting those of his Time and Age from that unbelief which would have an hardening effect upon their heart and exclude them out of Aelohim's Heavenly Rest As the like prevailing unbelief and hardness and disobedience and unperswadableness had shut out many of their Fore fathers out of that Canaan-Rest which was a Type of the Heavenly Rest the Figure of a Better Rest in a Better Country For the preventing of which Exclusion that his speech might come with the more weight upon their spirits David doth bring in Aelohim himself exhorting the people that they would not follow the bad Example of their Fore-fathers who were not of a Teachable Mind nor of a Practical Understanding nor of an Inclinable Will nor of an Obedient Carriage and so die away in their Wilderness-state This dreadful Example he makes use of to awe the Christian Hebrews in his Day unto an abiding stâ—dfast in the Christian Religion lest otherwise they also did fall after the same Example of unbelief and of disobedience and so loytered behind and came not safe-full-home to the Heavenly Rest That the forcibleness of his right Arguing words might not be abated by any who would be Replying that there were other Rests besides the Heavenly Rest which also were spoken of in the Word of God as if it may be the Psalmist spake of one or other of those Rests and not of that Spiritual Eternal Heavenly Rest therefore he reckons up several kinds of Rests There was the Rest of the Seventh-day Sabbath This the Prophet David did not particularly mean in that Psalm because this Rest of the Seventh-day Sabbath was from the foundation of the World the last day of the first created Week Which therefore being from the beginning thus honoured both by Aelohim's Word and in its own Created Nature must remain the Weekly Sabbath-Day to the end of the World And this Rest as to the outward part at least of keeping the Seventh day as the only Weekly Sabbath-day they in David's time had already actually entred upon in the Weekly returns of it Further There was the Rest of and in Canaâ—n which is called the Rest of Jehovah and expresly the Rest where after their Travels and Journcyings their Warrings and Conquests Jehovah Christ gave Rest unto his people Jerusalem in Canaan has more particularly and specially the Name of the Rest he doth declare that neither was this the Râ—ll which David threatned the unbelieving and disobedient in his time to be shut out of For David and they had been and then actually were in Canaan that promised Land of outward Rest Jehovah Christ by his servant Joshua had led their Fore-fathers into that Rest long before some hundreds of years ago before David's Day David therefore speaketh of another Day after those things in a prophetical manner and of another Rest than either of the two forementioned the Seventh-day Sabbath Rest or the Canaan Rest neither could it be meant of any other Rest by any Enumeration of any other particular but only of the Spiritual Eternal Heavenly Rest of and with a God in Christ If any thought that that passage in the Psalm might be understood of any other Rest but this Heavenly one the Author of this Epistle would readily have demonstrated the mistake The Rest that David spake of out of which Jehovah Christ from his Father by his Spirit in his Word threatned confirmingly by an Oath to shut the unbelieving and unrepenting the disobedient and the unperswadable they living and dying such was such a Rest as those who were in a state of unbelief were not actually possessed of A Rest in a Promise a Rest yet further to come offered and tendered unto them set plainly and openly in a Wor. Revelation before them if they did not by their own affected ignorance and wilful transgression exclude themselves out of it A Rest into which sound Believers had entred did and should enter and so cease from their own works Seeing therefore that there yet further remaineth such a Rest so glorious a Sabbatism for the people of God he presseth the professing Hebrews to study and endeavour how to enter into this promised Rest by yielding the due Obedience of Faith in and unto Christ Having thus opened and applyed the Scriptures that we might look the deeper and see the clearer into the sense and scope of it I am next to shew that the Day to Day or this Day expressed in the Psalm and referred unto in the Epistle is not to be understood of the First Day of the Week in the weekly returns of it so as to shut out all and every of the other Days of the Week and particularly as to this of Rest excluding the Seventh day from being the weekly Sabbath for Christians to observe under
the New Testament Administration of Grace Of this I give these Reasons grounded upon Scripture because that Day which is spoken of in that Psalm and made use of in this Epistle is such a Day as doth take in every Day in the Week as the Author himself doth interpret in the same Epistle speaking of the same Day in this very ease and instance now under debate where he puts the Christian Hebrews upon the faithful discharge of that Gospel-fellowship-duty of mutually exhorting one another daily or according to every Day as the Duty of every Day was when they had occasion and opportunity so to do whilst it is called to Day this Day and the next and still the next after that every Day whilst Grace is offered and whilst your time doth last whilst Christ's Voice from his Father doth speak unto you and whilst the Spirit of Christ in the Word and Ministry thereof doth call upon you That Hodiernal Day of which the Holy Spirit doth make mention in this Exhortation has its duration full home to this our Day and it appertaineth no less unto us than it did unto in David's time For the Illative Conjunction Therefore in the beginning of the seventh Verse of the third Chapter doth properly belong to Take heed in the beginning of the twelfth Verse as went before and so must be here understood Therefore as the holy Spirit exhorted your Fathers to obedience under pain of exclusion from the Rest of God so see ye well unto it that you yield obedience lest otherwise you also be shut out of the same Holy Heavenly Rest The Seventh-day is in this place mentioned with a double mark of Honour put upon it that Day that Seventh The Law concerning the Seventh-day Rest or Sabbath was given to Adam from the beginning and put into Created Being in the first Week of the Created World and is therefore unchangeable still standing in its due Force and in its full Authority Whereas in all this passage of this Epistle there is no mention made of the First Day either in express words or by any necessary consequence So that I may use the force of Christ's Reason and the strength of his Argument here which he did in another case bearing yet a very clear like date from the founding of the World from the beginning the First Day of the Week was not the Sabbath whereas the Seventh day was made Instituted and appointed for the Day of weekly Rest the same Week of the Creation when the foundations of the World were laid and when the Glorious Creator did set up his great Works The Day thereof prefixed by David must in this case be some other kind of Day even the determinate day of Grace and of Life and of Christ's speaking Voice during this Day and of the present time That expression in the Psalm to day or this day was spoken and written by David to the Priests and People in History if it refer to that special occasion of the transferring of the Ark when David called upon them to come unto that place of solemn convention for Publick Worship to the Faces of Aelohim the Ark being a sign of this he threatens those of that Day and Age to be shut out of God's Rest of Eternal Life as their Forefathers were shut out of Canaan in case that they did harden their hearts through unbelief as those had done before them which therefore cannot be understood of the First Day oi the Week as a New Sabbath-day take it as in part Historical though it be further Prophetical also which the Objectors would set up in the room of the Seventh day Sabbath For then according to this arguing the people in David's time were bound to alter the weekly Sabbath-day from the Seventh to the First Day of the Week It is evident by divers particular passages as well as by the whole drift of that Psalm that is was somewhat fitted for David's Day and time and for the people of his age although withal there is a Spirit of Prophesie in it For those Hebrews in the days of the Author of that Epistle to them and we in the present Generation are concerned in that Scripture as others also will be in the Ages after us Whatsoever is written in the Holy Scriptures is written unto all of us calling us unto Faith in and Obedience to the LORD Jesus Christ What God spake unto Moses in his time was spoken by God unto them in Christ's time when he conversed for some years visibly openly here on Earth in the Flesh and it is still spoken unto us and in this place to the Hebrews that Day did reach to the time of this Epistle and continueth to this Day and will preach to after times That expression in that Psalm to day or this day is that Day wherein the Voice of Christ by his Spirit from his Father in his Word and the Ministery thereof may and ought to be harkned unto believed and obeyed that is as long as this Call of Grace doth continue and the time of ones life doth last the whole season of Grace is this Day It is a Day taken largely For so a Day is sometimes taken for the whole time of conversation here on Earth For Time consisting of Days Months and Years For the Time of Life The Day of the Israelites was a long Day A Day of about forty Years with some of them in the Wilderness wherein they tempted and provoked God as is declared in that Psalm and elsewhere The Gospel the glad-tidings of Salvation by Faith in the Messiah was preached and the Doctrine of Redemption work revealed to the Israelites in Moses's time and long before that in Abraham's time and further back also and in David's time afterwards though unbelievers did not savingly profit by it To day or this day is every present Day whatever Day of the Week that Day be as it passeth along in order several Scriptures do lead to this sense and for every present Day of the time of the New Testament ministration of Grace There needs no further evidence of this than the diligent comparing of the Scriptures in hand That limited determinate Day is that Time which the Sovereign LORD over all hath set unto his speaking to particular persons and to their Life-time of hearing and it doth much refer unto that term of Years which he did set and fix in Moses his time to the unbelieving murmuring rebellious Israelites and is referred unto in another Psalm If To Day were meant of the First Day as the Weekly Resting Day then the Israelites had not been the same Example not so proper so resembling an Example of Admonition for the Prosessing Hebrews to take warning by lest running into their Sin they fell into their Judgments For the Israelites Sin and Judgments for the which they
this place together at least as to the full possession of that Rest If it should be pleaded by the Objectors from one of the Verses compared with other Scriptures that sound Believers do actually injoy some beginning of it here this we are perswaded of and experienced Believers are supposed in Scripture to have already somewhat of it as well as to hope for more of it here and to believe and expect their full everlasting possession of it in the heavenly Glory at the last when they have here finished that Work which the LORD sent them into the World to do and this is their every days happiness more or less as they more or less act as Believers O how often may the Spirit of a Believer be in the Heavenly Rest in one Day He may get thither into this Rest in one Holy Thought and how many of such thoughts may his thoughts be who thus doth act Faith Hope and Love aright upon this Object A sound Believer should check himself under his divertisements from this Felicity Return O my Soul to thy-my-Rests My Rests are thy Rests thy Rests are my Rests Be friendly to me and to thy self Sit down and silently Rest in Jehovah Aelohim There is an abundant entrance subministred to thee to me so to do This Epistle in one passage of this cited place do prove that Jesus or Joshuah For Joshuah or Jehoshuang in the Syriack Language and also by the Greeks denoteth a Saviour had not then given them that Rest spoken of in that Psalm referred to because then the Psalmist would not afterward have spoken of another Day and therefore that Rest which Joshuah or Jesus or Jesus by Joshuah set them in was not this Rest it self but a Type of this heavenly rest to believers for many entred into Canaan who never entred into Heaven Joshua had not given them that rest which is here spoken of So that this cannot be understood of the rest of the first day of the week as the weekly Sabbath-day seeing the Objectors do affirm though groundlesly and but pretendedly that the Captain Jesus of whom Joshuah was someways a Type gave his Disciples this first day rest Heaven is in other Scriptures set out by the Name of God's Rest This was Typified by the Ark and by the Temple and by Canaan and is plain enough spoken of in this passage to the Hebrews God's rest is in the highest Heavens there is the dwelling place of his Rest There doth Christ sit in Glory at the right hand of his Father in full perfect happy Rest where sound Believers also shall rest in and with Him For a little after this passage we are told Christ's Rest is in the Heavens in the highest Heavens the Holy of Holies So elsewhere in the same Epistle We saith he have a great High Priest who is gone thorow into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God and therefore let us hold fast our Christian profession For Christ is not entred into the Sanctuary that is made with hands which is an Antitype of the true that is of the Heavenly Sanctuary which was Figured by the other but into Heaven it self now to appear before the face of God for us with full satisfaction made to the Justice of his Father by the Sacrifice of himself offered up to his Father and with prevailing Intercession for those whom the Father gave unto him So that as his rest is divers times mentioned in this Epistle so also is Heaven often expresly mentioned besides other words that do set it out and there is likewise the phrase of thus entring in several times spoken of All these in the same Epistle which was of old under the former ministration typified by the High Priests entring into the Holiest once every year For the High Priest also was in this a Type of Christ who is called the Apostle and the High Priest of their Profession who are partakers of the Heavenly calling So that all these expressions thus put together which we do meet withal in the same Epistle do best reconcile this sense to the whole of the Epistle besides and to other Scriptures which do treat of the same Subject-matter that the entring in the Ingress into this rest is the entring into the Heavenly rest above Some beginnings of which Heavenly rest Believers do enter into here in that holy Heavenly Fellowship which they have with Jehohah Aelohim in Father Son and Holy Spirit and with the living Members of Christ's mystical Body Jesus the fore-runner being already entred into the innermost of the veil for them the Believers hope has a way of entring in there after him We have Ordinances now dispensed with more clearness Spirituality and Heavenliness then Believers under the former Administration had though they also enjoyed the same for sum and for substance yet under Types Shadows and Figures And therefore they are called Heavenly things which the pattern of Old did more darkly resemble These are not forced sences and interpretations of my own but such as are Natural and Familiar Plain and Obvious and in the express Language and literal words of the same Epistle Before I quite dismiss this about the rest I am to write somewhat about the significancy of the word Sabbatism The Greek Noun is derived from a Verb which doth signific I Sabbatize or I rest The seventy two Greek Interpreters do use the Verb in one Scripture where it doth set out the rest of the Land every seventh year they use it also in another place where it is applyed to the Seventh-day-Sabbath that being the weekly Sabbatizing-day or resting-day The Greek Noun in the proper significancy of the Word is an actual or active resting or Cessation from work or labour or from motion about such work and labour as is rested from a Requietion or Requiescence from this This being used in the Greek of the New Testament but once the means to come to a right apprehension of the true signification and the proper meaning of it in this place will be to examine what the Original of this Greek Word is in that Language from whence it is borrowed in the Old Testament Hebrew and what that word in the Hebrew Original doth contain and express in it How that word is used in the Scriptures from whence this Greek Noun hath its Origination as also what there is in the Context of this place in this part of the Epistle to the Hebrews about this matter enquired after What there is in that Psalm referred to here in this Epistle that may bring some light to this matter And what there is in the Word of Christ about this Phrase of Sabbath-keeping or keeping a Sabbath as the Objector doth render it It is not here unworthy of our noting That the Greek Tongue in a multitude of Words has its Origination from the Hebrew Language Its Alphabet and Letters hath its
third and sourth Chapters to exhort the Christianized professing Hebrews to take great heed lest they were shut out of it by their unbelief unperswadableness and disobedience as the unbelieving unperswadable and disobedient of old amongst the Israelities did not enter into the Land of Canaan which was a Type of this Rest The parallel of the As the Believers resting from his Works as God Christ God man rested from his Works holds here exactly enough in the sense of this Objector himself For he affirms that in the tenth Verse of the fourth Chapter of this Epistle and in his expression upon it that the Works which Christ did rest from were all that he did and suffered from his Incarnation to his Resurrection as the Mediator of the Covenant with all the Fruits Effects and Consequents of what he so did and suffered as belong to these Works And so shall Believers Rest when they shall pass into Glory from what they did and suffered for Christ here As Christ shall suffer no more and dye no more so Believers shall suffer no more dye no more when once raised as Christ is risen As Christ so ceased from Working as yet to continue the Work of his Grace in the preservation of the New Creature and orderly increase and propagation of it by the Spirit so shall Believers so cease from this working here as yet to continue in the full supplies of the holy Spirit for ever in the acting of Grace perfected in Glory in the freest largest exercising and putting forth thereof according to the capacities and powers of the New Creature when thus growing up to it s well proportioned measure of a perfect man keeping the New Creature by a Power received from Christ in its due order and putting it forth to the Glory of Jehovah Aelohim As Christ so Rested from his Works as to take Refreshment in his Works to have satisfaction and complacency in them as those which did set forth his praise and did satisfie his glorious design Thus Believers so far are delighted with what they have done and suffered for Christ as the Father is delighted and pleased in what his holy Spirit through Christ has in wrought in them and inabled them to Work for the setting forth of his Praise and for the promoting of his Glorious Design in the World whilst they were in it and so far they were conformed here to Christ in their doing and suffering here for Christ who will be their Eternal Righteousness even in Glory though they own nothing in any or in all their own Works as Meritorious of Reward or satisfactory to Divine Justice these being the Works of Christ the Mediator by his alone All-suffering Sacrifice So that here is a fair apt resemblance as to Works and as to Rest They do answer each other so far as Believers have a capacity in a way of similitude And this kind of doing and of suffering doth last as long as a Believers life doth last even upon the Seventh-day Sabbath in their weekly Returns according to the Duties of those Days as Christ's doing and suffering did last as long as his life did last even upon the Seventh-day Sabbath There is a Sabbath-service which a Believer is to do for Christ in Obedience to his Command and men of persecuting spirits will be laying on of crosses upon the Believer for his thus keeping the Seventh-day Sabbath holy to Jehovah though a Believer will rejoyce in such sufferings for Christ Only here the Reader may take notice that this Objector doth lay the foundation of his Sabbatizing on the Morning of the First Day of the Week when he supposeth that Christ by his then first rising from the dead did lay and perfect the Foundation of the New Creation I desire that this may be considered How can a serious inquiring spirit be satisfied from the Objectors arguing concerning a Weekly-day of Rest or Sabbath from Sun-rising to Sun-set of that First Day by an Argument drawn from Christs ceasing from his Works of Redemption on that Morning as he affirms when withal he doth acknowledge that Christ works did continue from his Inearnation to his Resurrection without any interruption never ceasing from it all the First Days of his Life Can a weekly half-day of resting from work be demonstratively inforced upon a rational intellect from three and thirty years continued working without any cessation from that working For that is the shortest time assigned to Christ's abode here on Earth though some do reckon more years than three and thirty The Creation of the World was finished in six Days which did lay the foundation of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath both in Word and Nature to continue every Week As a Law Rule and Pattern for man's working the six foregoing Days and for his resting on the Seventh which is the last Day of the Week Whereas now this Objector would urge upon our consciences a weekly observing of half a Day as a weekly Day of Rest or Sabbath from a continued Work thirty years out-right if not more The Conjunction For in the tenth verse of the fourth Chapter comes next to be searthed into This word doth set out a further Reason of the Conclusion which the Author of this Epistle had drawn from that Psalm and the Parallels which I mentioned before which was in the Sixth and Ninth Verses of the fourth Chapter that there was yet remaining a Sabbatism for the people of God For as God did work and then Rested from His Labors so must Believers work here which when they have finished they also shall Rest from their Labors For is a word which hath such a Syllogistical sense by which often the Reason of a thing is rendred by a Causal Rationality As also in other Languages There are such Conjunctions Rational Sometimes it sets out such a Probation as is by way of Special Declaration of that which before was spoken of in a more general position other times it is a rational transition of another Member of two or of more things propounded Sometimes it is a rational repeating of a Sentence begun a little before and it doth absolve and complete it though by another manner of Speech to mention no more Still it is a Rational All which do well agree here The Believing Israelites had their Work and Labour and then their Rest ensued thereupon when they entred into the Typical Land of Promised Rest and quietly enjoyed it when they had subdued their Enemies And so shall Believers after their Working-Labouring-Season is over here enter into that Promised Rest of which the other was a Type So did Believers who died in the Faith under the Old Testament-dispensation of Grace So do Believers now who so live and so die And so will Believers in the Ages after us As for the Import of the change of the Number from the Plural to the Singular which the Objector would fetch about to his own purpose thus The
so a rule unto us under the New And then let me be discharged from this Scholastick War Let this be one premise which is several times in short expressions here and there in this Treatise That it is a choice priviledge and a special liberty which Believers do enjoy under the New Testament Administration of Grace Christ profiteth them nothing by his coming in the Flesh born of the Virgin Mary to accomplish and to perfect the Types of old which did so set out his thus coming who keep themselves still under the former dispensation of Types Shadows and Figures We thankfully acknowledge to the Honour of our LORD that gracious administration especially now towards the latter-day glory of it that we are brought under which if compared with the former under the Old Testament as to the different manner of dispensing For otherwise we are to discover in it's place that the Christian Religion is one and the same for Doctrines Duties Gifts Graces Priviledges under both has excelling advantages such as these for the measures and for the degrees of them It has more lively efficaciousness more quick sensible Fellowship It has more clear convincing Light and more abounding spreading knowledge And blessed be Jehovah who is in this providential day clearing up and reviving some too long neglected Truths and Duties amongst some others this about the weekly Seventh day Sabbath It has more manifested Grace It has a more spiritual way of Worship It has a more excelling Holiness refined purity and shining Glory having through the Spirit who is the LORD more power to transform into this those who with unveiled Face do look into this Glass It has more enlarged liberty of heart in the way and service of the LORD It has more of self evidencingly revealed mysteries It has more Royal privileges set out therefore by a Kingdom of God and of Heaven And the things of it are called Heavenly things This is meant of a Church State here on Earth For above in the Heavenly glory there are no unfruitful ones no Tares no Scandals no Doers of Iniquity no bad Fish no foolish ones This New Testament Church State has the name of a Kingdom of Heaven as it doth much resemble that glorious Kingdom which is above in Heaven in its way of Government In its order of subjection in its sights of Faith in its enjoyments of Communion in its service of Delight and in its conformity of Holiness Here these are in growingness of measure There they are in fulness of Perfection This new Church State has much brought down from Heaven to it Such as are gracious visits from Jehovah-Aelohim in Father Son and Holy Spirit Angelical Ministry like-affectionedness of the perfectly sanctified spirits of just Men and Heavenly Messengers with the Everlasting Gospel This new Church State is drawn up to be much in the Spirit in Heaven above by joynt unions By mutual Fellowships and it doth believe and expect a new Heaven and a new Earth and a new City where they shall be all the Saints and Believers both of Old and New Testament together with one another and with the elect Angels and with their LORD to hidden Age ever as yet Thus it grows up into a Spiritual Kingdom How large and delightful a Field is here for Heavenly Meditation The manner of administring is not now by obscure Types and by darkish shadows as of old but without a veil and open faced yet Christ is the substance of both the Old and the New Testament the same promises and rewards of Life everlasting were in this Christ and purchased by him and there was one way and the same mean of receiving of this under both which was Faith in the Messiah The difference that is between the Old and the New doth discover it self in the Form of dispensation which had a diversity for the manner of it in the Old from the New But this made no real specifick difference or change in the essentials of the Christian Religion Under the Old Believers had an eye towards a Messiah who was then to come in the Flesh to be born of a Virgin and so they eyed the Pattern and Propheties and Promises looking for the coming Christ What were all the Figures and Types the Rites and Shadows but confirmers of their Faith in and encouragers of their hope of Christ's coming In the New we have it revealed that Christ is now actually already come to accomplish those Types and to perfect Salvation by his personal Sacrifice The Reader may therefore be well satisfied in this that our pleading of the cause of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath as it hath no tendency in it self so no design in me To cast any back or to hold any under the Old Testament Administration as to the Types Shadows and Figures of it much less to draw off or to thrust back any from coming into and enjoying of New Testament priviledges I shall not say that it was the Objectors intended aim but it is evidently consequential from his manner of discourse that his Lines about this would secretly insinuate into the Reader of them as if the Assertors and Observers of the weekly Seventh day Sabbath did Apostatize into Judaic ceremonies I have here another opportunity to wipe off a slanderous charge which some have brought in against us as if we stood guilty according to those two Scriptures in the Margin of catching at the shadow and letting go the body Let it be granted that the Elements Rudiments or first beginnings mentioned in that place of the Epistle to the Galatians are the Mosaical Rites ceremonial Laws and shadows of a Christ who under that dispensation was then to come to be born of a Virgin but is now already come so born This then doth shew that the Apostle condemneth their superstitions observing or their keeping besides Right and Equity as that word which they tranflate ye observe doth signifie when taken in an ill sense Especially when it was with an opinion of acceptance and justification in the sight of God thereby such either un-Scriptural days as were never instituted by Jehovah Christ or Scriptural days in an un-Scriptural manner This were a foul matter of sinful Fact sharply to be reprehended As when either the right object a God in Christ is not worshipped or when for the matter of observing it is not New Testament Worship Or when for the Form of observing of Times and of Worship there was not an orderly address unto Jehovah Aelohim To the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit in a word way not in a spiritual manner not from inward principles of new Nature of Faith of Love and of Obedience or when the ends of observing of Days and Times were not right ends when the Gospel designs of humbling emptying and abasing of Man and of exalting and glorifying of a God in Christ were not promoted thereby when there was a
old corrupt Principles the old crooked Rules the old selfish ends the old bad Frames the old uutoward Actings the erroneous mistakes the formality in Worship the old unscriptural Traditions the old Sins the old man's Conversion and such like These do pass away and all things contrary to these are become new A whole new man The Apostle speaks of what is peculiar to the New Creature in Christ as such For as for the old ceremonious Rites and their passing away even those that were not new Creatures but were carnal Professors of Christianity yet had these things passing away and they were put under a new Administation the new dispensation of Grace had Ordinances now in a more spiritual heavenly way and manner The passing away of old things here is of old things so far as they stand in opposition to the new Creature and unto that new life in and to Christ which now the converted person should live That as Christ so loved his people as to dye and rise again for them so should those in Christ thus evidence their Love to Christ by living no longer to themselves but unto him crucifying the old man mortifying the sins and lusts of that old man and vivifying or quickning the new man which was true in the Types and Figures before Christ was come born of the Virgin Mary and which is still true now after that Christ is come and ascended up into Glory But all this doth make nothing as to the passing away of the Law of the ten Words in all of them or in any one the least of them This is a distinct fort of Laws from the Typical Figuring Shadowy Institutions The Law of the ten Words as it always has been so is it now and still will be the Rule of the new Creature in Christ Jesus For what in one place is called the new Creatures Rule in another speaking to the same case is the keeping of the Commandments of God In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a new Creature And as many as walk according to this Rule Peace be on them and Mercy and on the Israel of God The Israel of old had no saving benefit barely by the outward sign of Circumcision whereas God's Israel then who had the sign and the thing signified too they had the Mercy and Peace who were new Creatures united to the Messiah by Faith working by Love who had their hearts circumcised to love Jehovah their God who had sin subdued and lust mortified And the uncircumcision under the new Dispensation was not of any good avail without the new Birth without conjunction to and communion with it and if the Regenerate the new Born the new Created would evidence and approve themselves to be such and to be in Christ they must obey him and keep his Commandments But what is all this to any change of the weekly Sabbath from the Seventh to the First Day of the Week To pass from one sort of Laws into another sort of Laws from the Law of figuring Types to the Law of the ten Words and to infer the passing away of any one of the Laws of the ten Words from the passing of Types into the Antitypes and of signifying Figures into their signified things is a transition from one kind to another a way of sophistical arguing of fallacious disputing captiously to over-reach the ignorant too credudulous vulgar and to defraud them of their right to the Truth As for that part of the Objection which doth speak of new Heavens and of new Earth pretended to be completed and finished on the Day of Christ's Resurrection from whence to conclude the passing away of the Seventh-day Sabbath to make room for a First-Day-weekly Sabbath it is so scriptureless so natureless so reasonless an inference that it should have been more preconsidered by this Arguer whether it do conclude and prove any thing but this that the Adversaries would fain have something or other that might carry a little colour and some shew with it if they know what For let it be pondered upon search and examination that all those places of Scripture which do speak of the new Heavens and the new Earth do relate to a further time for their full accomplishment than precisely to the Day of Christ's Resurrection That Prophesie in Isaiah hath an eye to the more large and spreading conversions of the two and ten Tribes in the latter days yet to come How was this then fulfilled on Christ's Resurrection-Day who of them was then converted what eminent new Creatorship was there then brought forth which might put any such signal remark upon the First Day of the Week as from thence to become the new weekly Sabbath When the most of the Disciples themselves did scarce believe him to be raised till after that Day was over And two Disciples with whom he had walked some Miles that Day had little belief of his Resurrection and little knowledge of him till he disappeared from them How few in comparison were brought in unto Christ and made new Creatures in all Christ's life time at his Death and Resurrection and forty Days after that till after his Ascension and after the pourings out of the Holy Spirit That forementioned Prophesie doth foretel that Nations shall be brought under the Jews Dominions when those new Heavens and new Earth shall appear This was not at the time of Christ's Resurrection-day nor ever since and they were then and have been since for sixteen hundred years or more so far Ruling over the Nations that they have been a scattered despised broken people without so much as any Political Kingly Government amongst themselves It foretels that those of Judah and of Israel should be gathered out of all Quarters East West North and South This also is behind yet unfulfilled That Euphrates would be dry Was this on Christ's Resurrection Day Or has it been since Is not this also yet to come upon their return to their own Land in the latter Days Will not their grand Enemy the Turk be then overthrown who has so long wrongfully possessed their Inheritance which when it is will be so great a work for the inhabited Earth to take notice of where the ear-report shall come or the eye-witnessing be that it will obscure the memory of former Acts. Another Prophesie by Isaiah doth fortel that at that time of the new Heavens and the new Earth the ten Tribes of Israel as well as the other two of Judah and of Benjamin shall according as to an express promise return home to their own Country and Land For Sharon was in Gilead which belonged to Manasseh The Valley of Achor was a parcel of the Tract of Jericho in the Tribe of Judah There will then be a new face of things in their glorious and blessed Renovation when there will be divers things accomplished which are not as yet fulfilled As
from whom other Nations shall receive a shining Light giving them Honour doing them Homage and bringing in their Glory to them whom the King of Saints so much will delight in as to dignifie them with the Glory of his presence compleating and perpetuating their Purity and Peace their Holiness and Happiness So that these are Works which were never yet so finished and which yet remain behind to be done That Prophesie in Jeremiah doth speak much the same thing For there is foretold the destruction of the Enemies of the Jews which will be in the last days the usual expression setting out the accomplishment of this glorious Mystery as other Scriptures do declare Then will Jehovah renew a Covenant with all the Families of Israel All with the ten as well as with the other two Tribes Here also is the place expressed from what part of the inhabited Earth their return should first be even from the North. The Call would be to the generality of that people to come unto Christ and so great a multitude would be converted to him as were not to be numbred by man Jehovah himself would be their Conductor and Leader in the way of their Return The LORD 's providential appearance would be so wonderful in this that the Nations afar off and remote in distance from them would upon report hereof brought unto them much praise Aelohim for his Grace and Favour towards his People The Lamention was foretold then would be great when Innocents were slain at Christ's Birth but for greater in the latter Days after that when the Israelites would repent and turn unto Christ then should they return home to their own Land to dwell in their Cities Their Enemies would be overthrown by a Woman these Converts should peaceably inhabite their Country and become very happy in being made a pure glorious Church The new or renewed Covenant would be firmly ratified and surely established with them Jerusalem would once again be rebuilt Have these gladtyyings yet had their through fulfilling are they not Works yet to be performed That other Scripture in the Epistle to the Hebrews has the same Import and Design as to the Covenant and the renewing of it Here is no determinate Day of Christ's Resurrection mentioned when this Promise was to have its exact precise fulfilling and if we would point any particular time more than other according to this kind of arguing it was rather the Fruit of Christ's Ascension if it relate to those times so near Christ when this High Priest entred into the Holy of Holies For this Chapter doth more particularly set out the High Priesthood of Christ entred into Heaven with Blood and with Incense satisfying and interceding there fitting at the Right hand of his Father Raigning having all Power sending Messengers to teach his People and so is more consummately a glorious Priest King and Prophet together actually bestowing upon Believers all those purchased covenanted Blessings for which he intercedes on their behalf as Pardon Peace Grace Mercy Reconciliation Assistance Acceptance and such like which he did for Believers before but in another way of dispensing For whilst he remained on Earth even after his Resurrection till he ascended into Heaven the Levitical Priesthood did continue So that the Honour is more in some respect put upon Christ's Ascension if we will date these new things about that time when Christ went up into the highest Heavens For then more especially was the new and living Way new made by Christ's entring into the Holy of Holies into the highest Heaven As to what doth relate to the New Testament Ministration as such more spiritually dispensed we have several times acknowledged that without making any change in the sum and substance of the Christian Religion in the Law of the ten Words The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews doth set out the excellency of the New Testament above and beyond the Old as to the clearness and gloriousness of dispensing the same Truths and Things of God which were of old under a darker administration This new Covenant spoken of has had in all Ages since the writing of that Epistle some particular fulfillings when the Regenerating Spirit doth write the Holy Law of the ten Words on the two Tables of the Mind and Heart of any person and people especially if they be of the converted Hebrews who are more eminently concerned in this Promise the most of which is yet behind unaccomplished and waits for the larger conversions of that people in days yet to come For that is a prophetical Scripture yet taken out of that place in Jeremiah which has been spoken unto already and which is again mentioned towards the closing up of the New Testament Canon as reserved for one of the choicest Blessings of the last days The newest things then will be the last things called therefore the newest Times For the fulfilling of this the whole Creation doth groan and wait especially those who have the First Fruits of the Spirit they groan in themselves expecting the Adoption Redemption of their Body The rest of the Creation long to be delivered from the wrong that is done to them by fallen Devils and by sinful men They labour under their subordination to vanity their oppresling servitude their travelling pain their use and service being so quite perverted from what it was at their primitive make and they shall be freed when the New Created-State shall come For which Holy longers do expect and hope when Tzijon shall put on her Royal Ornaments when the new Heavens and the new Earth shall appear clothed with their new glorious Dress when the Elect have been all gathered in unto Christ when the Saints shall be possessed of the full and whole of their Heavenly Inheritance to which they are adopted of their glorious Liberty to which they are appointed from remaining indwelling Sin to a complete Holiness from persecutions temptations sorrows and other troubles to an uninterrupted peace and happy Sabbatism from their strange Country where they meet with such unkind usage to their purchased Home and prepared Palace in their new City when their Body shall be more perfectly Redeemed that it may be transformed into a likeness unto Christ's glorious Body together with their Spirit and Soul all together fully to injoy this God in Father Son and holy Spirit for ever to glorifie him in consort with the blessed Inhabitants of that Heavenly Country where they may have all their waitings for fulfilled all their Prayers answered all their longings satisfied all their capacities filled up with a suitable good Then shall groanings pass into shoutings and sighings into singings O for that day O who will give this O how could Hearts sick of Love for more of Christ in clearness of Vision and in fulness of injoying even leap out of the Body and forthwith give a spring into Glory O how
good is it to be here But I must come down to this Mount and do further work yet for my LORD and Master I am now to evidence from the Scriptures of Truth that there was a Covenant of Grace under the Old Testament Administration This Doctrine of Grace is that which must lay the foundation for an after assertion of mine about a Law of faith under the Old Testament For Grace and Faith are companions Rich Grace abounding Mercy free Love from the Father in and through his Son Christ revealed to and in his people doth by his Spirit in his Word Inwork the Grace of Faith in them and calls forth acts of Faith from them that Christ may be made to them Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that no flesh might glory in his Presence but that those who glory mighty glory in the LORD and saving justifying Faith doth bottom upon the Power and Truth of God manifesting his unchangeable free Grace to Believers giving them this Grace of Faith whereby they apply Christ and his Righteousness unto themselves for their justification in the fight of God making them to acknowledge that they are justified accepted and saved not of Works neither of themselves but by Grace through and for Christ In Order to the Augmentation of this Holy Science I would propound these Questions to further Disquisition Q. Whether where ever in the Old Testament he that appeared as a Man or as an Angel and withal is called Jehovah be not always Christ manifesting himself under that Dispensation of Grace Q. Whether if all the Hebrew Words which in the Old Testament do set out Grace Mercy Sweet Savour Acceptance free Favour Covenanting Atonement Reconciliation Propitiation Pardon and such like withal Synonyms and Phrases relating thercunto If all these were put together it would not bring great Light to this Doctrine of a Covenant of Grace Q. Whether there be clear Scripture-Evidences that ever there were any Covenant made between God and Man of Salvation by Works only without Free Grace in a Mediator on God's part and without Faith in a Messiah on Man's part So that Man's Justification and Eternal Life was solely and merely upon this one only condition of mans perfect perpetual absolute personal obedience to the whole Law of God to all and every of his Commands Before I pass more thorowly into the Proof of a Covenant of Grace under the old Dispensation it may be of some use to open that expression of a New or a Renewed Covenant in the Prophesie of Jeremiah and in the Epistle to the Hebrews The Hebrew word for New is several times rendred Renewed by the English Translators themselves as the Reader may see in the Scriptures cited in the Margin the Hebrew often signifying not New for the Kind but another of the same thing for Kind The same word which is in Jeremiah A Covenant Renewed as New Days and New Mercies are Renewed Days and Renewed Mercies Thus a new Commandment of Love is a Renewed Commandment of the good old duty of Love Thus also in the Greek Language in that forementioned Instance it was an old Command renewed and revived So it is also in the Verb. Hence the Renewing of our Mind and the Renewnig of the Holy Spirit That it has this sense in the eighth Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews will yet more clearly appear when I shall discover that all and every of the particulars expressed in that Covenant are such as have been as were in their nature real Existence and actual Being under the Old Testament dispensation In this as in other great Undertakings in this Treatise my Calls are more vocal than others from the LORD to commit my soul by well doing unto this Faithful Creator and loving Redeemer Jehovah Christ Considering the much opposition I have met with heretofore about this and other such Enquiries and may yet further be exercised with But he who made all things is also the Head of the Body of his Body the Church that in all he might hold the Chief For so it pleased the Father who in and through and by his Son has in all Ages of the world manifested and dispensed much of the freeness of this Love and of the Riches of his Grace which that it might be made firm unto his people he hath put into a Promise made sure with his Oath That Covenant which Aelobim in Christ made with his people was a Covenant of Grace one and the same both in the Old and New Testament differing only in the manner of dispensing As also is the whole of the Christian Religion one and the same in both for Doctrines and Duties for Graces and Privileges and such like parts of this Religion which doth vary only in the several ways of Administration By a Covenant of Grace I mean the LORD' 's free promising of Life of Wisdome of Righteousness of Sanctification of Redemption of all good things to his people believing in Christ who are thus specally favoured by him The Instances which I shall particularize in will be those after Adam's Fall Such a Gracious Covenant the LORD made with his people who were under the Old Testament-dispensation How much of Grace was there put into that one comprehensive Promise The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's head I shall gather a little out of that full store of this which is to be found and put it together Noah was one that found grace in the eyes of Jehovah a just man perfect in his Generations he walked with Aelohim It is one of Jehovah's Names that he is gracious And it is the special privilege of his people that he has a peculiar favour for them This Grace doth Paul in what he wrote to the Church of Rome oppose unto Works and unto Debt It was the free meroy of God in Christ Noah did not deserve it And it was by faith that Noah pleased God and served him with acceptance With this Noah did Aelohim establish his Covenant that Noah should enter into the Ark he and his Sons and his Wife and his Sons wives with him where they should be saved from the common drawning Noah in faith and in abedience prepares the Ark to the saving of his houshold through the which be condemned the World and was heir of the righteousness which is by faith as is mentioned in the Epistle to the Hebrews Peter calleth him A Preacher of Righteousness That this was typical and had some further spiritual meaning in it the same Peter doth declare by shewing that Baptism under the New Testament was an Anti-type to this an answerable Figure saving of Believers by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ This Doctrine of the Free Covenant of Mercy of Righteousness and of Salvatiou by Faith in Christ did Noah commend to his hearers and it was sealed up towards the Faithful in that wonderful deliverance in the Ark which
did shadow forth Salvation through Faith in Christ and that Believers of the Posterity of Noah should be Heirs by Faith of the righteousness of Christ which was in this Type made a special Free Covenant with them whilst the unbelieving and unperswadable the impenitent and disobedient living and dying such would perish and be destroyed After the Flood Noah thus saved builds an Altar to Jehovah which was a Figure of Christ by whom we are to offer the Sacrifice of Praise always unto God as is interpreted in the Epistle to the Hebrews It is Christ the spiritual Altar who doth sanctifie the offering and the gift On this Altar which Noah did build Noah offered up burnt Offerings of every clean Beast and of every clean Fowl The LORD Christ was hereby Typified who performed his Office of Mediation as in all the other parts of it so in the discharge of his Priestly Function offering up of himself a propitiatory Sacrifice to God his Father more especially for those whom the Father gave unto him This he did by the everlasting Spirit without spot This was signified hereby expiation and the doing away of sin by the slain Sacrifices of Christ himself Jehovah smelled a smell of rest in what Noah did graciously accepting of the Sacrifice thus offered and again makes a Covenant with Noah of rich Mercy in Christ by and through whom Believers should be freed from the Curse For another confirmation of this gracious Promise the LORD makes it sure unto Believers by a sign He gives them a visible Token at some Seasons for the encouragement of his peoples Faith that when they saw him giving his Bow in the Cloud they might believe that he would remember his Covenant that they might rest on him and on his faithfulness in the true performance of the Word of his Grace This Covenant made with Noah that there should not be any more a Flood to destroy the Earth doth the Prophet Isaiah apply to the Covenant of Grace made with Believers in Christ confirmed by Oath For as he swore that the Waters of Noah should no more go over the Earth so he hath sworn that he will be no more angry with his Covenant-people nor rebuke them And the Rainbow which is a visible sign of his special Favour is both in Ezekiels Vision and in the Visions of John in the Revelation used as a sign of Grace from God to his people in Christ It was a gracious Testimony of Christ's glorious Majesty This Covenant of Grace was afterward renewed to Abraham and that several times wherein Jehovah did promise to bless him and to bless all the Families of the Earth in him in the promised Seed in Christ Abraham is called The father of all believers The LORD Christ appeared unto Abraham about eight times unto Isaac about three times and unto Jacob about seven times for the more establishing incouragement of Faith in his Promises so many we have upon written Record This free gracious Covenant and Promise doth Paul in his Epistles to the Romans and to the Galatians affirm improve and apply It was sealed by Circumcision to Abraham and that which was sealed was the Righteousness of Faith and his Faith was therein confirmed by Jehovah's Oath as the Scriptures in divers places have recorded It was full of Mercy and Favour and Jehovah forgets it not but as he hath remembred so he doth and will remember for his people this his holy Covenant The Covenant of the Law proclaimed afterwards at Mount Sinai could not disanul this Covenant with Abraham which was confirmed afore of God in respect of Christ as Paul argues with many convincing Arguments especially two if this be well considered that there was a Covenant of Grace in that Covenant at Mount Sinai which Jehovah the Aelohim of his people did then and there strike with his people at Horeb. The Typical Signs and Shadowing Figures delivered more privately there unto Moses together with the many annexed gracious Promises relating thereunto with respect to Priest Sacrifices Altar and such like do cast a clearer shining Light upon this before the Eyes of every Spiritual Discerner that will diligently compare the New Testament Commentary particularly the Epistle to the Hebrews upon that part of Moses's Book where the Veil that was upon the Face is taken off And if further this may also be demonstrated concerning the Law of the ten Words which was proclaimed with more open Solemnity and glorious Majesty that this also has in it the same Covenant of Grace the Kingly Law will then the more commend it self to the hearts of all the Disciples of Christ This Law has in the Scriptures the Name and the Thing of a Covenant of Grace It is called a Covenant such an one as has Grà ce in it For if we consider it as having the supperadded Law of Types and of Figures annexed to it So this Covenant was not dedicated without Blood The patterns of heavenly things were purified by the Blood of Sacrifices whereby Christ was held forth as confirming the Promises to Believers by his own Blood The Prophet Haggai makes mention of this Covenant made with them in Christ And Paul in declaring the Priviledges and Advantages of that People doth reckon up these that they were the adopted people of God the Ark of the Covenant in which the ten Words was put were amongst them was their Glory all full of Grace there were the Covenants the two Tables of them the Law-giving and the Instituted-worship was theirs and so were the Promises too which went along together with those other favours So that to be estranged from the Citizenship of Israel was to be strangers to the Covenants of Promise The Words there spoken are called The Words of the Covenant The two Tables on which the Words were written by the Finger of Aelohim himself have the name of the Tables of the Covenant of the Testimony of the Tables of the Testimony The Ark into which the Law of the ten Words and this only was put is honoured with the Title of the Ark of the Covenant the Ark of the Testimony covered over with Mercy and crowned round about with Gold and Grace The Tabernacle in which this Ark was treasured up and kept is said to be the Tabernacle of the Testimony O how full of Grace is all this Consider well who was the Law-giver Jehovah Aelohim from the Father in the holy Spirit by the LORD Christ spake with lively voice faces in faces and this unto all the people It was this Christ who was Administrator and Dispenser at Mount Sinai He was the Proclaimer of his own Kingly Law there as hath been already proved by the Scriptures It was he whom the Father gave for a Covenant of the people He who is the Mediator of the Covenant He who was the Angel of the Covenant He who was the
will remember unto them said Jehovah Aelohim speaking of his Covenanting Israel walking obediently the Covenant of Ancestors them whom I brought forth out of the Land of Egypt before the eyes of the Heathen to be unto them a God I Jehovah Thus did he often in that Book of Moses make over himself to his people in Christ such delight did he take in taking occasion to tell them that he was and would be a God unto them Was not here Covenanting Grace and Redeeming Love It was the faine that was made before with Jacob Isaac and Abraham as sometimes the order of words is In other places is mentioned from Abraham downwards to Isaac and Jacob But in one place of Moses's Book it is mentioned renewed and confirmed going upward from the people near a deliverance in Egypt to Jacob to Isaac to Abraham the Father of the Faithful Thus leading them to that former and more ancient Promise and Gospel-covenant of Grace in Christ Believers could say in the Psalmist's time that J. â—â—lohim was their portion for ever Hath the LORD graciously promised that a chosen People shall be his people So they were of old in Moses's days If ye shall walk in my Stntutes thus spake he to them and keep my Commandments and do them then I will walk among you and will be to you a God and you shall be to me a People Jehovah hath avouched or hath caused to say or to promise by giving his and by taking thy Word thee to be unto him for a People of peculiar Treasure as be hath spoken unto thee and to keep all his Commandments For Jehovah ' s Portion is his people Jacob the Line of his Inheritance Ho hath divided and separated them unto himself as his allotted part and peculiar Possession Hath he promised Covenant teaching and Knowledge This also was a Covenant privilege of Old He taught them his name Jehovah and made himself known to them by that name in putting a Being into his Promises made to their Fathers for their deliverance and proclaimed this Name to Moses His people sate down at his feet receiving of his Words Thus were Christ's Disciples even then taught by him as their Master Thou saith he to his people then hast been made see to know that Jehovah he Aelohim none else besides him And thou shalt know and cause to return into thy heart that Jehovah he Aelohim in the heavens above and on the earth beneath none else This doth particularly relate to their being instructed to acknowledge Christ's Jehovahship In David's time the Secret of Jehovah was to them who feared him and his Covenant to make them for to know He revealed in the inner Man of Believers the hidden Mysteries of Wisdom Will he be merciful to the unrighteousness of his Covenant-people no more remembring their sins and their iniquities The same free Mercy and Grace was manifested under the former Dispensation Christ hath put it into the second Word or Command and proclaimed it as his Name when Moses went up into Mount Sinai as Jehovah had commanded him taking in his hand the two Tables of Stone Jehovah Jehovah God pitiful and gracious long suffering and much in Mercy and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and trespass and sin Doth not the blessedness of man consist in this Whereupon Moses makes haste and bows himself and pleadeth this in Prayer Pardon thou O LORD our iniquity and our sin Was not this the meaning of the Sin Offerings and of the Trespass Offerings with the annexed promises of Pardon and of acceptation Did not the covering Merch seat which was altogether as broad as the Ark wherein were the two Tables preach this Did it not set out the merciful covering and propitiation of sins Was not this a precious Figure of Jesus Christ by and through whom received by and through Faith in him his peoples transgranssings of the Law of the ten Words are freely fully forgiven and wholly covered How full are the Books of Moses of the Psalms and of the Prophets of this comforting Doctrine So that all these Promises in the Covenant of Grace have been are and will be the same under both the Dispensations All the difference is that in the last days there will be a more clear discovery of this gracious Covenant A more glorious way of dispensing a more through inabling to the keeping of it For to this especially have the expressions of difference an eye and respect between the old and renewed Covenant Spoken of in Jeremiah and in the Epistle to the Hebrews compared There will be larger pouring out of the holy Spirit and blessing from the Father in the Name of the Son in those latter purer times that are near at hand So that this Covenant shall not be broken as it has been under former Dispensations of Grace but be better kept with more exactness and faithfulness with more intireness and continuedness in the fulness and perfection of it Halelujah I will confess Jehovah with all the heart Gracious He. He will Remember his Covenant for ever toward his people The secret of Jehovah to them who fearing him and his Covenant to make them for to know All the paths of Jehovah Mercy and Truth to them that keep his Covenant and Testimonies and that remember his precepts for to do them Have respect unto the Covenant For ever thou wilt keep for thy Saints thy excelling Ones thy Mercy and thy Covenant faithful to them The whole of the Christian Religion for Doctrines Graces Duties Priviledges and such like parts of that Religion is one and the same under both the Old and New Testament Is not the Word called the Word of Christ Is not Christ named the speaking-one both by Daniel and by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews Doth not Christ call himself the Word and the Word of God Is not He the sum and the subject matter of the whole Scriptures Is not he the Author of them Hath he not said of himself he is the one Doctor or Teacher of his Disciples Is he not the great Prophet Is he not the LORD God of the holy Prophets Did he not at Mount Sinai speak by his own voice from Heaven Was it not his forewithessing Spirit who from him spake in the Prophets of old declaring the sufferings that should befal Christ and the glory that was to follow as saith Peter in his first Epistle Was not that passage in the ninety and fifth Psalm To day if you will hear his voice applyed to the voice of Christ in what was written to the Hebrews Has not Christ himself declared that those who searched the Scriptures might find them testifying of him And what other Scriptures had they at that time but those of the Old Testament When he himself in the days of his flesh did exercise his publick Ministery preaching the glad tydings of Justice in the
there it were to be cut off and so cease to be a Sign For it takes in all the parts of Time all the spaces of Duration it has been a Sign it is now a Sign and it will be a Sign And in the other place the latter Verse doth take in the past Time which they render â—uturely In the former Verse it is Infinitive and Indefinite Thus the Seventh-day-Sabbath is a Sign between Jehovah and his Covenant-people that they are a separate sanctified people a special token of his distinguishing kindness unto such as are inwardly in Covenant with him and some ways a Priviledge even to those who are as yet but outwardly in Covenant with him as it brings them under the Instituted Ordinances of that Day The Seventh-day-Sabbath in a Documental Sign giving Institution in this Pledge of Christ's Love who having been the Creator is the Redeemer too and will be sanctification to his Covenant-people who are in a special manner his new created peculiarly redeemed and separatedly sanctified Ones As this Seventh-day-Sabbath has its Nature Institution Use and End put into Scripture-Revelation so it is a peculiar Sign to those unto whom this Word-discovery is made especially when to their inner man and will be such to the Worlds end to all and every of those who are so choicely favoured It is a witnessing evidencing Sign to know this where Spiritual-Worshippers are Right Sabbath-keepers Were there a more Universal-holy-through growing-Conformity in Knowledge and in Obedience to this and to every other just holy and good Law of Jehovah Aelohim experience would prove to spiritual senses what Faith is to believe from Word-Revelation that the Weekly Seventh day-Sabbath would be such a Sign as would the holy Spirit of the LORD witnessing together with a renewed Spirit in the Saints point out unto them and declare in them that such are some of Jehovah's peculiar people in special Covenant with them like as the holy Fruits of the regenerating Spirit are such a notifying-testifying certifying Sign of translation from death to life This is a Sign which doth still continue O who will give that there were more of this evidencing Sign as to the natural Seed of such of Israel of old as were spiritualized and new born so to the Spiritual Seed of Israel now that there is a mutual convenanting and communion between Jehovah Aelohim and such a people of his that they might know him to be theirs and themselves to be his This is a Sign that is still put into a Promise and will even now and in after days be made good to right Spiritual Observers of Jehovah's weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath A Sign to know here is one great End and special Use of this Sign which is also a lasting-standing continued one that Jehovah doth sanctifie such and is their God Whoever he be that can well evidence an Universal Obedience and Conformity to an whole Christ and his whole Word particularly as to his due sanctifying of the weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath of Jehovah his God which would much influence and operate upon all other Religion would have Aelohim's Covenanted-Love more manifested to him by the incouraging Sign it would be a token to him for this and for much other good It is promised and it would be injoyed actually injoyed for the present even now and this Spiritual Rest with Christ in God here would by improving of Mystical-membership in relation to the Glorified Ones above be some beginning of that eternal Sabbatism in Heaven Thus a Natural Duty is sometimes made a Sign of a Spiritual Priviledge Against this it hath been further objected that Circumcision is called a Sign of the Covenant between Jehovah Aelohim and his Covenant people in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto them And so is the Seventh-day-Sabbath called a Sign between Jehovah and his people throughout their Generations which they were to observe throughout their generations for an everlasting Covenant between him and the Sons of Israel it a Sign for ever And therefore they were to cease together For Answer to this in the General Here is a Fallacy of Composition and Division by taking some things severally and apart which are to be taken conjoynedly and by taking other things conjoynedly which are to be taken apart Some things here would be well divided and severed which are ill joyned and other things would be well joyned which are ill divided Here the divided sense must be separated from the compounded and the compounded sense from the divided There is another Fallacy in the comparing of these two Circumcision and the weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath Because it is not of the same thing in the same manner according to the same part to the same person and thing in the same time And there is a translation from one kind to another Though in some thing these two do more generally agree yet in other things they do specially differ which doth discover both a deceit and a defect a confusedness and a captiousness in the Objector This will further open it self by a more particular distinct considering of what doth follow All Signs are not mutable or changeable Signs to end with the Old Testament Dispensation Sun Moon and Staâ— have been are and will be to the end of this World natural and instituted Signs These Luminaries are Witnesses of God's faithfulness in his Covenant to Generation of Generations Thus also are Day and Night such a Sign The Rain-bow whenever it doth appear is to be a Sign to the Worlds end a Sign or Token of God's Covenant with mankind that he will no more drown this whole Earth with Water Jehovah's weekly Seventh-day-Sabbath has been already manifested to be both a Natural Instituted and notifying Sign Such an immutable unchangeable Sign as that Jehovah Aelohim will in no Generation not even under this New Testament Administration put an end to his sanctifying of his people Whereas Circumcision was a Typical Mutable Changeable Sign which passed into it more spiritual and heavenly Antitype when the Old Testament Dispensation was brought to its accomplish perfected End All Signs are not laid aside under the new Dispensation The Signs mentioned before even the Luminaries Day and Night the Rain bow So also the Seventh-day Sabbath were Signs under the Old and do still continue to be Signs under the New Testament admiâ—â—â—â—ration Such a Sign Circumcision is not as to that of the Foreskin of the Flesh for this doth cease So that Circumcision was another kind of Law than the Natural Law of the Seventh-day Sabbath The Type and Figure of fleshy Circumcision was Temporary and Changeable This Sign which was the Seal of the Covenant of Grace did belong to other sorts of Laws to the Ceremonial Law as it was Typical Figuring and Shadowing and so doth widely differ in the whole kind from the Natural Law of the ten Words whereof this of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath is one
Which is a standing unchangeable Rule of Life uniform and always one and the same They were written once and a second time in Tables of Stone by Jehovah Christ which doth shew amongst somewhat else their renewed durableness It was the Writing of Aelohim and the Record of them is to remain for ever So that a due difference must be put between this weekly Seventh-day Sabbath as it is such a standing established Rule of Life in created Nature one of the ten Words and between some Typical Institutions and superadded Rites and Figuring Shadows afterwards annexed to this Sabbath There is a plain evident difference between these two sorts of Laws Let Moses be heard concerning this in what he said to the Israelites Jehovah declared unto you his Covenant which he commanded you to do the ten Words observe these are distinctly expressed and severed from the Figuring Laws and he wrote them upon two Tables of Stone and Jehovah commanded me at that time to teach you Statutes and Iudgements that ye may do them in the Land whither ye are going over to possess it May we not discern here that Moses doth put a clear difference between the Laws of the ten Words which were publickly openly spoken and given by the LORD Christ in his own Royal Person from his Father to all the people and were written with the Finger of his own Spirit between these and those other shadowy Ordinances which were privately spoken to Moses only and by him and by his Ministery brought to the people and written by him These figuring Statutes admitted of a change and yet the Law of the Seventh day Sabbath doth remain unchangeable a perpetual Law And if any think that there is yet further any thing significative annexed to this day by Jehovah's Institution of Christ's second coming and of the heavenly Sabbatism then let that so far when any will clear it up from Scripture stand firm and unmoved till that time If the naturalness and self evidence of the Law of the ten Words were to receive a change because of superadded Institutions fitted to that Dispensation particularly as to Signs then the naturalness and self evidene of every one of them by this kind of arguing were to receive a change Was there not a Law for Fringes by the Institution of Jehovah Aelohim himself throughout the Generations of the Israelites for this end that they might see and remember all his Commandments This outward Rite was a memorative Sign or a religious Sign to help their memories and to further their sanctification To lead them unto a continual remembrance and practice of all the Law of the ten Words Thus also their Phylacteries were for a Sign upon their Hand and for a Memorial between their eyes that Jehovah's Law might be in their Mouth This was a Typical Memorial or Monument Which is the proper meaning of the Original Word By this outward Sign Jehovah Aelohim would have them to apply all their serious study and all their careful practice unto the keeping of all and every of the Laws of the ten Words All the outward Rites of the Ceremonial Laws were Signs typical Figures and significant Shadows instituted of God as Seals and Pledges to assure Believers of Christ and of those good things which his Faithful Obedient Perswadable ones have in and by him A due difference therefore should be put between Signs and Figures Signs and Shadows For although in the general and in common there be somewhat of a Sign in Figures and Shadows yet every Sign is not a Figure and Shadow but has somewhat particularly specially distinct A Figure doth set out and foreshew some Truth Duty Grace or Priviledge which is afterwards more clearly to be revealed though even then to be known believed done acted and injoyed A Shadow doth give some dark resemblance and it is a betokener of a Body which is to come in the place thereof and is in the appointed season to be exhibited whereas a Sign as it doth in some instances point out somewhat which is yet afterward to be looked for so in other cases it doth assure Believers of somewhat that is already gone and performed and in somewhat else it may stand and be joyned together with that which is signified thereby and be of special usefulness at one and the same present time The Ark wherein was nothing but only the ten Words in two Tables and the propitiatory Covering which was over the Ark were Types Figures and Shadows of Christ So that if Ceremonial Annexes should make void the Law of the Seventh-day Sabbath that way of arguing would lay aside and make void all the other Laws of these ten Words Sanctification is either that which was natural and concreated at the first and is now restored to and inwrought in some a spiritual transforming-Sanctification whereby the LORD doth regenerate and renew his People by the Power and Grace of his holy Spirit The Seventh-day Sabbath duely observed and well filled up having a suitable growing knowledge of and obedience to the rest of the revealed Will of God summarily comprehended in the ten Words would be a notifyingtestifying-certifying Sign of this Sanctification as has been shewn Or it is a Ritual Ceremonial Sanctification whereby under the former Dispensation in the use of some outward Rites and Ceremonies some persons and things which had some ways contracted some uncleanness were sanctified or purified which were typical and significative of in ward spiritual transforming Sanctification and of real inwrought Holiness and Purity Of this sort of Signs were their Blood sprinklings their Water-washings and such like Baptism is such a Sign under the new Dispensation Thus the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath if it be taken under this consideration as it had under the Old Testament Administration divers Ceremonial Laws added unto it both for preparation before and for cleansing in and after in some cases in this respect that which was superadded to it was a Sign of Sanctification to the Israelitish Church beyond any other people unless others came in and embraced the same true Religion and then there was one Law for the Israelite and for the Stranger When the Forreigner or Sojourner did leave the Worship of Idols and other heathenish practices of the Infidel World Thus that people were injoyned some out ward ceremonial Sanctifyings for the reviving of the Law of the ten Words But these Figures and Shadows made no real change upon the fourth Word the Law of the Seventh day Sabbath as neither did they upon any other of the ten Words Or Sanctification is the separating of somewhat from a common use and destinating and setting of it apart for some special singular holy Use Thus in several Scriptures some persons were Sanctified as the Administrators about holy things the Israelitish people which is also applied to the chosen Vessels Sanctification in this sense was applyed to the Tabernacle Temple Altar
ground and evidence enough in the things themselves thus made and Light and Reason enough in the Humane Intellect of Rational Beings to discern and to improve this to the very same ends Both these had Primitive concreated self-evidence however sin now have darkned and defaced things The indication of these Duties were at the first true real sufficient Some worn Letters of which original Ingraving are yet still remaining to be read These Laws resulting from the Humane Nature and from that Relation which created Man doth stand in to his creating Maker The Obligation which doth arise from hence must continue as long as the Humane Nature doth continue For it is Essential to our Formation and constitution as we are reasonable men and women and so is unchangeably binding And he that would make any one Law of pure primitive Nature alterable doth thereby though it may be not designedly yet eventually heave at the overturning of all the Laws of Nature This Primigenial Holiness and Righteousness in created Man bearing exact conformity to the holy Righteous Nature of creating Aelobim And Christ's coming was not to dissolve any one Law of the Decalogue or any thing of the Obligation to any Law therein but to maintain these Laws and their obliging All mankind brought under convincing demonstrations from distinguishing taste of the difference of good and of evil should acknowledge all and every of those holy just and good Laws to have a clear congruity to their Natures Who of all mankind that has the due exercise of rational abilities but must acknowledge that we ought to love the LORD our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and to love our neighbour as our selves On which two Commandments hang all the Laws and the Prophets For which we have the Authority of the LORD Jesus Christ himself He being the Law-giver and Law-Interpreter too Further yet People in some Scriptures are the Elect and Believers Whether of Jews or of Gentiles Who are also absolutely called People The Nations which shall be converted to the Faith of the Gospel renouncing Antichrist and his corrupt principles and practices are some of this people These both under the Old and New Testament Administration had this Law of the ten Words written not only in the Scripture Revelation but also on the two Tables of the Mind and Heart by the holy Spirit Thus is the Law of the ten Words specially and distinguishingly given to new Creatures and thus it will be renewed in the purer Churches in the later Days In this sense the Rule and Direction for renewed Holiness and for the Works and Duties of Grace and of Sanctification is called The new Law or Commandment the same with the Old only renewed Next of Ceremonials These are sometimes called The Law of Degrees placed in external Rites and by some such other Expressions These Rites were used about outward fleshie things such as Meats Drinks Washings and the like These so far as they were Typical Figuring and Representative of a Christ who was then to come to be born of a Virgin and to shed his blood were perfected and accomplished in Christ when he was so born and had so suffered was risen and had ascended And they did peculiarly belong to the People under the former dispensation Of this nature were some Ceremonies annexed to the Weekly-seventh-day Sabbath By these holy rites the Church and People of God under that administration were differenced and discerned as a People holy to God distinct from other prophane Nations An Old Testament Ceremonie is set out in Scripture by Flesh a carnal Ordinance an hand-writing of death an Element of the World weak and egene an Exemplar of Heavenly things unstable An Intolerable Yoak A shadow and such like Which are not properly applicable to the Seventh-day-Sabbath as such If any say it is an Exemplar of the Sabbatism in Heaven and so a Ceremonious Type Let then the Type stand as I have said till we can come at the Antitype Ceremonies sometimes do set out the inward spiritual things Graces Duties Priviledges which they did signify and teach A Ceremonie has been and is a Sign of somewhat that is natural and so they have been annexed to natural Spiritual Duties As Evening and Morning worshipping of God had divers Ceremonial Observances So the Weekly-Seventh-day-Sabbath Thus for Parents to give up themselves their Sons and Daughters to God is a natural dutie Yet this duty has Baptism even now under the new Testament-Ministration annexed to it Those things which are still of a concreated Spiritual Nature Were are and will be a duty The Epistle to the Hebrews is a Gospel-Exposition hereupon Though Multitudes of these Ceremonies were superadded to the Law of the ten Words as an Evangelical Explanation and Interpretation of them yet this doth not alter the true real nature of any of these ten words which are always a standing unalterable Rule of holy Righteous living As for the giving of this Law of the Ten words If this Law be considered As promulgated and proclaimed at Mount Sinai by Jehovah Aelohim thus there was somewhat in it which was a peculiar gift to the Israelitish Church and those who were proselyted to it beyond any other People As for the time when he brought them out of Egyptian bondage so for the place the Desert Jehovah gave them this in their Wildernesses condition At Mount Horeb or Mount Sinai in an Enemies Land that of the Amorites and of the Moabites Thus also For the persons They were those of that age who were then alive at that place who understood the Hebrew to whom He gave this Law So for the subservient Administrator by whose hand Jehovah Christ gave this Law to them Who was Moses there was Moses's a Ministery used in it Hence it is called the Law of Moses Moses wrote this Law in a Book Also for the manner of proclaiming With Trumpet Thunder Fire Audible Immediate voice of Aebolim himself and such like And thus too for the solemn imbodying of an whole nation into a Church-state These and some such other like were the peculiar Circumstances of that Promulgation in that day Yet is the Law still the same now The LORD Jesus Christ doth speak unto us even now in this Law of the ten Words What God did speak unto Moses He spake unto others in the days of Christs flesh when born of the Virgin Mary which was hundreds of Years after And these ten Words were written unto us If this Law be considered as the Law of nature so it was given to all mankind in Representative Adam As I have declared If it be looked on as Inwritten in the mind and Heart of the Regenerate by the Holy Spirit Thus it is peculiarly given to new Creatures As also I have manifested Thus I have laboured to clear and to
make a full end of all those Old Testament Types and Figures becoming now the glorious Mediator of the New Testament which is established or legitimated in better Promises The holy Spirit hereby signifying this that the way of this Heavenly Sanctuary the Holy of Holies was not yet made manifest to be perfectly accomplished till Christ ascended there whereby there is evident proof made that the Aaronical Levitical Priesthood being a Type Figure Pattern and Shadow of this Coelestial super-Coelestial Priesthood of Christ did stil stand till then and was not to give way and place as a Type and Figure unto the Antype and Truth until this great High Priest Christ went into Heaven The Birth the Life the Passion the Death the Resurrection the Ascension of Christ have every one of them somewhat peculiar in them as to the Redeeming-work and must all of them be put together for the thorough completing of so good and so gracious so great and so glorious a Work But those who would make the Resurrection-day of Christ to speak that about a pretended change of the weekly Sabbath from the Seventh day to the first should consider that the perfect consummation of this Work in the Antitype was at Christ's ascending up into Glory Then did he Captive Captives unto himself which was done when he thus went up on high which was a part of Redeeming Work The effusion of his holy Spirit was one Fruit of Christ's Ascension thither Into Heaven he went in the name of his people for their good to take possession for them Now hereby was the Heavenly Holy of Holies opened Here did this high Priest intercede for those whom the Father gave unto him The Priests entring into the Holiest was a Type of this yet in some things there was a difference The Typical high Priest of old was to enter in there once every year But Christ entred into Anti-typical Heaven once for all The High Priest of old entred into the Type with the blood of Bulls and of Goats Christ entred into Heaven with his own blood The High Priest appeared of old before the Ark for the people a little while and then came away quickly agen But Christ for ever doth appear before God his Father having hereby obtained Eternal Redemption for those who are his What shall I more say about this To expound the whole of the Old Testament pattern as to the matters of worship and in all the other parts of that Administration and then to apply it in the new how exactly one doth correspond to the other were task enough for a long Life That the shadowy ceremonies and figuring Types of the Old Testament as such that is to say as shadowy ceremonies and figuring Types are done away and leave no obligation of duty upon Believers under this New Testament ministration to observe and perform the outward part of them I would thus demonstrate by Arguments drawn from those Propheties in the Old Testament which do foretel this The LORD Jesus Christ upon his coming in the flesh born of a Virgin was to cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease and thus he bespeaks his Father Sacrifice and Oblation thou wouldest not mine ears hast thou digged open burnt-offering and sin-offering thou askedst not Then said I lo I come in the Roll of the Book it is written of me My God I delight to do thy acceptable will and thy Law is within my Bowels Christ's Ear was digged open it was pierced and became listning to his Father's call and obedient to his Father's voice his Ears were bored by the Father whose servant for ever Christ was the Father fitted a Body to this beloved Son of his preparing and ordaining it to be an ordinary and expiatory sacrifice for the sins of the World it being impossible that ceremonial sacrifices should purge away sins which therefore were now refused as unprofitable and they received their perfection and accomplishment in Christ I argue further from those Scripture Names which are given unto those Rites and Ceremonies whereby their Nature is aptly expressed and significantly described sometimee they are set out by Types as they were under the old to which the Anti-types do directly answer in the New so that the old Types do give place and the new Anti-types do stand in their Room those Types being representing signs as of some spiritual thing signified then so also of some future thing come to pass now which being come to pass as it had a correspondency to the former so also did it do away the external part of that which had before adumbrated it They are in other places called shadows which are obscure representations of somewhat else that was the express form they were a picturing delineation and a well drawn Image of Heavenly things of future good things They were exemplars as so many Images representing of Christ and of his benefits They were a parable or collation an artificial prefiguring narration of somewhat else signified thereby a form of Ritual Worship which served for that time under that administration putting somewhat that was visible before the eyes which yet had a more inward mysterious meaning in it They were fleshy and flesh those external ceremonies and outward works were exercised about outward earthy crass infirm and fading things hence the Laws and commands about them are said to be fleshy precepts injoyning the offering up the flesh of bulls rams and goats they were fleshy rites and one of their signs that of Circumcision was a mark in the flesh The Reader should not here mistake me as if I were in this against all the outward part of Worship now under the New Testament whilst I declare the abolishing of those external sacrifices and outward Rites which were Typical and figuring of old A just respect of outward reverence is due unto Jehovah Aelohim where he doth manifest his gracious presence Here is a duty of veneration to be expressed by outward gesture Although the inward Worship be principally in several respects intended and required yet the outward and bodily part is not excluded but enjoyned also such as elevation of the Eye and palms of the Hands bowing kneeling and the like where meet circumstances of time and place and other parts of the case are fitted for it The LORD made the body of Man to be worshipped and glorified by as well as the Spirit and Soul and Believers have a promise and so are under expectation of having their bodies glorified as well as their spirits and souls in the World and Life to come and if they look for a glorifying reward they should perform a worshiping work though the inward worship be the life of the outward worship yet the outward must be expressive of the inward the one is not complete without the other Where there is only the outward worship without the inward there the worship doth
a Virgin was a Law under the Old Administration And to believe actually in that particular person this Christ when come in the Flesh as so born of the Virgin Mary is a Law of the New Testament yet so as that this Quateneity as so born of the Virgin Mary is one part of the New Testament Ministration properly as such and so in that respect doth belong to another matter And thus in some places Faith doth set out the New Dispensation of Grace The short and plain is this Faith in the Messiah or in Christ was a Law under the Old Testament-dispensation or it was then a commanded Duty to believe in Christ which was to be done in obedience to a Law of Jehovah Aelohim For the Advancement of this sort of profitable Learning I propound these following Inquiries which if well cleared up from Scripture might bring in some considerable Augment to this Holy Science Q. Whether there be not convincing evidence in the Word of Truth that fallen Adam and Eve did actually repent and believe in the Messiah for Justification Acceptation and Salvation Q. What Names are there in the Old Testament given to Christ which do set him out as Mediator as Saviour as the Justifier of his people and as being their Righteousness Q. What Types and Figures and Shadows were there of this Doctrine of Faith in the Messiah under old Testament Dispensation Q. Whether if all the Hebrew expressions were put together that in the Old Testament are expressive * descriptions of Faith Trust Hope Expectation in the New with all the Synonyma's and Phrases referring to this subject matter it would not discover much of lively Faith in the Saints under that former Dispensation That Faith was a Law under the Old Testament Dispensation I thus demonstrate both in the general significancy of the word grounded on the Almightness and Faithfulness of Jehovah Aelohim and also in the special acceptaon it for closing with applying of relying on Jehovah the Messiah and his Righteousness for justification in the sight of God In its general significancy it has a firm Foundation a rockie bottom even the Power and Truth of the omnipotent unchangeable Jehovah a God of ability to perform and of veracity to fulfil what he has spoken and promised Every Word and Truth of God revealed is the general and common object of Faith A lively working belief of this though seemingly but in the general yet has great influence upon the special actings of justifying Faith for the Scriptures do give us instances of too much and too often questioning the Power and Fidelity of Aelohim in his Word and Promises in some particular trying Cases as long hiding of his Faces great withdrawing delay of fulfilling of Propheties and Promises not answering of Prayer carrying himself as one angry at the very Prayers of his people much conflicting with and yet frequent foyling by some particular bewailed confessed corruption under violent temptations the LORD 's seeming forsaking of his Churches and people his shining upon and prospering of the Enemies of the LORD and of his people his seeming to act contrary in his works from what he covenanteth in his Word with more of this kind But I suppose that it is the notion of Faith in its special acceptation that is intended by this pretended new Law of Faith in this Objection That this Faith in Christ is now in more clearness spiritualness evidence growingness heavenlyness for the manner and degrees of it we thankfully and admiringly acknowledge to the praise of God of rich Grace and of free Love who has brought us under this new and more glorious Administration But there was the same Grace of Faith in Truth and in reality for its Nature and Essence in the savingness and justifyingness of it for the kind and specifickness of it under the Old This we also affirm was it not this saving and justifying Faith which the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews do speak of when he said The just by faith shall live Those who are justified counted just by Faith in Christ applying him and his Righteousness shall live that life of Grace and of Comfort of support and stay of waiting and of dependance here which shall pass into an eternal life of Glory of full Vision Injoyment and Happiness And was not this Testimony brought out of the Old Testament which is used once and again and a third time in the new And in every one of the places in the new it is applyed with respect to Justification by Faith in Christ So in the Epistle to the Romans the Righteousness of God of Christ who was God as well as Man for the complete satisfactory righteousness of such an one did we stand in need of is revealed in the same Gospel of Christ from Faith to Faith as it is written But the just by faith shall live That Righteousness by which a Believer doth stand justified before the Judgement Seat of God and can be no other Righteousness but only the Righteousness of Christ this is a free gift from the Father and is through the inworking of the holy Spirit by Faith imputed to Believers The like sense it has in that passage of the Epistle to the Galatians that no man by the Law is justified before God is mentioned for the just by faith shall live referring again to that place in Habakkuk whereby to prove justification by Faith in Christ only as the Context doth evidently declare And thus in the formentioned passage to the Hebrews having in the last verse but one of the tenth Chapter cited that Scripture in the Old Testament the Author proceeds in the first verse of the eleventh Chapter to describe the true spiritual Nature of saving justifying Faith and he gives particular Instances and Examples of the Saints of old who acted this Faith Was it not by this Faith in the promised Seed of the Woman in Christ that Abels person and Sacrifice was acceptable to God and by which he obtained witness that he was Righteous and so justified in the sight of God Was it not by this Faith that Enoch pleased God who gave him this Testimony and was therefore honoured with the priviledge of walking with God here and then of Gods taking him away to himself Was it not by this Faith that Noah prepared the Ark as a Type of Christ by which he became an heir of the Righteousness which is according to Faith Of which Righteousness of Justification by Faith in the Messiah Noab was Preacher to others Was it not by this Faith that Abraham was justified Did not he believe God Jebovah the Messiah who appeared to him And was it not accounted to him for Righteousness And is not this brought in by Paul in his Epistles to the Romans and to the Galatians to prove the Doctrine of Justification by Faith in Christ by his Righteousness imputed to the Believer Did not Abraham receive
in more particulars than is commonly observed for the particulars are expressed by some word or other in the general Law which by collating of other Scriptures in the Original words and phrases doth evidently demonstrate this which is well worth the noting and improving for the advancement of this decalogue-Science The definition of every one of the ten Words is so fully and comprehensively fitted as they take in all the Laws of Natural Holiness and Righteousness So that we may say with the Psalmist In all perfection I have seen an end but thy commandment O Jehovah is very large O how I love thy Law To believe that the Soul is what Scripture and Nature do say that it is is comprehended in the Decalogue The Maker and Giver of this Law is the best Interpreter of it When the Lawyer asked Christ which was the great Commandment in the Law The LORD Jesus answered him Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thine understanding and with all thy strength This is the first and the great Commandment and the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self On these two Commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets Observe here Is not the Soul particularly taken notice of in the expression And that too as a distinct essential constitutive part of man from the spirit and body And is not this a Word to be believed Is it not plain here that the Scripture Doctrine of the Soul is to be believed And this as comprehended within the due bounds of the Decalogue That Christ doth here speak of the Law of the ten words is evident by collating of other Scriptures which do historically relate the same thing where the Preface Hear O Israel doth shew that it is meant of this Law of the ten words seeing there is a particular enumeration of several of the ten Words in express terms Which ten Words do summarily contain the whole Doctrine of Holiness and of Righteousness whatsoever the Law and the Prophets do speak of And how much is there in these concerning the Doctrine of the Soul This exposition of the Law-maker himself is a sufficient warranting of this interpretation For he doth make the sum of the first Table to which the four first words do belong to be the loving of Jehovah our Aelohim with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our might And the sum of the second Table which takes in the six last words to be Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self And the expressions which Christ doth use are remarkable the whole Heart the whole Soul the whole Strength the whole Mind which words do take in the whole Power and Powers of the inner and outer man The whole strength doth more properly set out the might of the Body in the external Members Limbs and Parts of it The whole Heart doth express all the Inwards of the bodily fleshy part of man The whole Mind doth call for the Vigour and Activity the light and life of the Spirit of Man The spirit of a Man is naturally Luminous and has Light enough in it to demonstrate his Being to be distinct from the respiring faculty in Man So that the whole in his All and in every part of him is concerned and engaged in this Love And all these words thus put together do discover and declare that this Law of the Ten Words doth extend to Spirit Soul and Body both the External and Internal parts of the Body which three do constitute and make up a complete Man And the LORD can make this good use of this part of the Answer to put the Readers upon further Inquiries into the Word of Truth after the true nature and proper difference of their Spirits Souls and Bodies and what the distinct duties of each are and wherein they must all joyntly agree in obeying this precept of Love The Fourth Word doth declare Jehovah Aelohim to be the Maker of the Heavens and of the Earth and of all things that are therein and the Soul of Man is one of these things which he created and made It is of the Law of Nature agreeably to the Word to believe that souls are and that there is a Maker of them And that it is a duty both to get more of the knowledge of our souls and with our souls to love and honour the Creator of them To love our selves with a just and necessary Love as such is of the Law of Nature He that doth it not is a Self Murderer he doth kill somewhat or other of himself which is against the express Letter of the Sixth Word Those that by sinning against and hating of the LORD Christ are Oppressors Wrongers Abusers of their own Souls and love death they do that by which they bring death and destruction upon themselves and so do not discharge that duty which under and for him they owe unto themselves To love our Neighbour as our selues is of the Law of Nature in the Decalogue which is the sense that the Law-giver himself doth give of his own Law This Objector himself doth acknowledge all the Duties of self-love to be deeply written in Man's Nature but in this he doth mistake in that he saith That all the Duties of self love as such are passed by as supposed in Moses's Decalogue In the way men should use more tenderness in their expressions about these holy Laws of Christ upon which he himself doth put so much honour This Adversary doth sometimes call it a Jewish Law and here Moses's Decalogue when he had before and after written so much diminitively about these ten Words whereas the Scriptures do name them with more honour the Words of the Covenant the ten Words the ten Words which Jehovah spake which he gave unto Moses Moses called them the ten Words of Jehovah's Covenant which Jehovah wrote upon two Tables of Stone with many more of such glorious Names and Titles But to my matter in hand If these Duties of self love are supposed where are they supposed if not in this present comprehensive Law which doth include all Duties Christ's Rules of Interpreting do expresly take in self-love making this commanded Duty of self-love to be the measure of our Love to our Neighbour the one must be regulated by the other according to the Word In his own Commentary upon his own Law he doth affirm all the Law and the Prophets to make a regular Love to our selves to be the measure of our Love to others This Law of self-love is not then so passed by but that in express terms if we will take Christ for an Interpreter it is a Duty required in the Law of the ten Words Both Old and New Testament do speak one and the same thing in this matter And men will never be thorowly true right lovers of
of the Scripture that do foretell of an Holy Righteous People in the purer Churches of the later days have respect unto this Law which is sealed in Christ's Disciples which is transcribed in their new Heart It is engraven on the Hearts and Minds of Christ's New Covenant people by the LORD the Spirit Anti-christ that lawless one will set himself most to persecute those Disciples of Christ who do stick closest to Christ in walking according to the Rule of this Law Both the Old Testament and also the New doth close with a Reviving and Inforcing of this Law and that under a terrible threatning of Excommunication against scandalous Transgressors of it and a dreadful Curse denounced against such as shall add to or take from it whereunto other Scriprures do well agree For the accomplishing of what John had in a Vision Believers do now wait even that the Temple of God may be open in Heaven in which Temple may be seen the Ark of his Testament or Covenant in which Ark there was nothing put but the Two Tables on which the Ten Words written with the finger of Aelohim This Law shall yet once again come forth out of Mount Sion This Law is one of the Great honourable things of Aelohim All the LORD'S Appearings in his way of Justice against Sin for Holiness is his Vindication of this Law And all his free Rewardings of his obedient people in his way of Righteous performing of Covenant Mercy is his Approbation of this Law for upon this bottom do all his Judicial Laws stand These later days do call for Advocates to plead the Cause of this Holy Righteous Law Antichrist now doth more appear to be the Anomous one The Antichristian party have mangled the ten Words for thus they publish them in their Psalters and Catechisms 1. I am the Lord God thou shalt have no other God but me 2. Thou shalt not take the Name of God in vain 3. Remember to sanctifie the holy days 4. Honour thy father and mother 5. Thou shalt not kill 6. Thou shalt not commit adultery 7. Thou shalt not steal 8. Thou shalt not bear false witness 9. Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours wife 10. Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours goods Here they wholly leave out the second Commandment They thrust the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath of Jehovah out of the Fourth Word and substitute their own unscriptural holy-days they turn the last Word into two They teach religious reverence to be done to Creatures as to Angels to Souls departed to the Cross c. they hold it lawful to be present at idolatrous service keeping a man's conscience to himself they teach Invocation of Saints they allow blasphemous Oaths they teach Will-worship Idolatry Superstitions and their fabulous feigned Traditions and such vows as are unwarrantable and unlawful they lay aside the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath and set up days of mens inventing instituting and imposing dedicating them and the worship and service on them much to Creatures they hold that the Magistrate hath nothing to do in the Matters of Religion they exempt their Clergy from the jurisdiction of the Civil Magistrate They absolve Inferiors from their subjection to Superiors They justifie Murthering of Princes and of others that promote not their Cause they tolerate Stewes they allow uncleanness to some persons as venial and scarce a sin They assert officious and sporting lyes to be lawful and justifiable if good may be attained by it They dispense with the whole Decalogue by Usurpation If the Pope command what Christ doth forbid or if he forbid what Christ doth command yet they require their people to obey them contrary to Christ's Law The sins of the later days are expressed by the name of Anomies which is often declared against in the New Testament as well as in the Old Violence to the Law and partiality in the Law is one great Article that will be brought in by way of charge against corrupt Teachers in the later days This is the great comprehensive sin which the LORD doth so much hate One Word for Law is used if I have not misreckoned abvoe one hundred and ninety times in the New Testament and another word for a commandment about seventy times And those who are nefarious not consentaneous to Laws Out laws and lawless ones are the gross erring ones in principle in practice or in both O how zealous was the LORD Christ for this Law of his How careful to have the whole of it all and every part of it to be safely kept He put it all into two comprehensive Precepts and there hung it up to stay it that none of it might fall to the ground or be lost All Religion conspireth into these two This is that way of Righteousness wherein Believers ought to be found walking Anomy Antinomianâ—sm lawlessness or a disowning and rejecting of the Law of the ten Words this is a description of sin as opposed to Holiness and Righteousness 1 John 34. Rom. 6. 19. 2 Cor. 6. 14. Anomy is that foul comprehensive evil which Christ doth hate Heb. 1. 9. To be reckoned amongst the Anomous ones is to be reckoned amongst the vilest and most notorlous of sinners Mar. 15. 28. Luk. 22. 37. They were Anomous hands which did crucifie Christ Act. 2. 23. Anomous works are grieving and vexing to the Righteous Soul of a Righteous Man 2 Pet. 2. 8. Anomy is that great Evil which Christ came to redeem his people from Tit. 2. 14. Anomy is that sin which all Christ's justified ones have freely forgiven unto them Rom. 4. 7. Heb. 8. 12. and 10. 17. Anomy doth lay aside that Rule by which we must judge of Good and of Evil of Sin and of Duty Rom. 4. 15. and 5. 30. It is one of Antichrists Names that he is the Anomous one 2 Thess 2. 8. Anomy is the hainous crime of the later days Mat. 24. 12. 2 Thess 2. 7 8. Anomous ones will be cast out of Fellowship and Communion in the purer Churches of the later-day-Glory Mat. 13. 41. Such as live and die working of this Anomy will at the last be shut out of the New City and the Heavenly Glory Mat. 23. and 23. 28 33. We must take one and all one and every one of the ten Words They are conjoyned into one body of the Law and must be so likewise in our Obedience It is as it were one copulative if you dissolve and break one you dissolve and break all and thereby violate his Authority who requires obedience to all and to every one of them All the ten Commandments is but one Commandment A Law Kingly A Law of Liberty A Law by which we must be obliged A Law by the works of which men must manifest their Faith to be of the right saving living-kind and by which Faith is made perfect The same Aelohim who spake one of the Laws of these ten Words
spake all and every one of them in a singular emiment manner at the Mount Sinai he spake at other Seasons but this Law was spoken with more solemnity of proclaiming This is that Law which the Apostate Angels were and are trangressors of Satan is the Evil one he sets himself up as a God to be worshiped which is against the first and second he is a blaspheming spirit against the third Word He keeps not the Seventh-day Sabbath and tempts men to profane it against the fourth Words He has broken the Law of his Relation and tempts all both Superiors and Inferiors to break the established order according to the fifth Word Christ calls him a Murderer against the sixth Word An unclean spirit against the seventh Word He is a Thief a Robber a Stealer Robbs men of their holiness and happiness steals away the Word out of their hearts against the eighth Word He is a Lyar against the ninth Word A covetous craver of what is not his own And he sollicits men to covet what is their Neighbours against the tenth Word For this Decalogue is the Rule of Holiness and of Righteousness given to Angelical Natures who were summoned to appear at the solemn promulgation and proclaiming of this Law Even the Holy Spirits are doers of Jehovah's Commandments and they hearken unto the Voice of his Word And what is more yet this Law will be the perfect establish'd continud Law and Rule of Holiness and of Righteousness of the glorified ones for ever in Heaven How great therefore is there ignorance and how gross their mistake and dangerous their errour who daringly assert that this Law was temporay given only to one national people of Israel and some few more as if others were not under the obligation of it at least in part if not in whole Whereas it is a Kingly Law to which all mankind ought to be subject and conforming all being concern'd in this Law all being to be judged by this Law all sin and duty being to be measured by this Law There must an universal regard had to all and to every one of the Commands in the Decalogue both by Prince Minister and People There is a note of universality requiring Obedience to all these Commands and a word of singularity forbidding the breach and violation of any one of them Though Christ have Redeemed his people from the Curse of this Law yet not from the Rule of it the Redemption from the Curse of it doth still establish the Rule of it And as to this particular Law of the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath there was a mixed multitude of others with the Israelites at the very time of proclaiming it And the Stranger yea the very Cattel are expresly comprehended within the bounds and in the very Letter of this Word and natural Reason for the observation thereof And if men will still be so adventurous in this age of clear Light and of shining discovery as to go on to do the labour and work of their particular Functions and Imployments on the Seventh-day there is no Word of God that doth dispense with this neither can any word of man bear them out in it against a direct prohibition The ten words or the Law of the Decalogue being that perfect Image and exact Sampler according to which all Mankind in the loyns of Adam were at the first created in all Wisdom Holiness and Righteousness as their finite Capacities could take in and it being still the Rule and Direction for the renewing and restoring of Wisdom Holiness and Righteousness in any of the sons and daughters of men it is therefore in a proper sense the Law of Nature and it being so it hath some foundation in the Humane Nature and so doth respect all Mankind Jew and Gentile Male and Female no Sex nor Age no Language nor People excepted which Law when proclaimed at Mount Sinai universally concerned all the men and women that then were since have been now are and that shall be in the after Generations the Head and Representative of us all was under the Direction and Obligation of this Law and so are all the Posterity of Adam Sin was in the World from Adam even unto Moses and Death was reigning in the World from Adam even unto Moses and the Law was existing in the World from Adam even unto Moses when it was a new promulgated for where the Law is not in being sin is not reckoned Thus was the first Adam the representing Type of all Mankind who had this complete Law concreated with the Humane Nature This Decalogical Holiness and Righteousness though not the very natural Essence and real Substance of the Humane Nature nor necessarily flowing from the very principles of that Humane Nature yet was a concreated perfection in him and a connatural suitableness to him it was implanted in Adam's heat which Law and Obedience thereunto was the greatest part of his resembling the Image and likeness of his Creators and Makers it being after the same Pattern a Law commanding all Good and forbidding all Evil a Law of hidden ages without limitation of any time place or person serving all times all places all persons being an absolute full Directory both before and since the Fall whether this Law were given outwardly by the Creator to Adam by word and voice is not now the matter of inquiry Let it suffice that it was given to Adam which all his Postery should conform unto It was continued in the Church all along as a Rule of Life so it was to Noah one of the Fathers of the Gentile Nations who was a just man perfect in his Generations walking with Aelohim and finding Grace in the Eyes of Jehovah he was a Preacher of Righteousness a very Holy Righteous Man and an Obedient Believer The Anomous or lawless times of the later days are compared to Noah's days in that corrupt age Thus also to Abraham who was the Father of many Gentile-Nations of a multitude of them this Abraham had an express full Testimony from the LORD himself that he was such a one as obeyed the voice of Jehovah and kept his charge his commandments and Laws which three words are the same that are afterwards used by which to express the ten Commandments the Judgement and the Statutes which God gave by Moses Aelohim knew Abraham how that he would command his sons and his house after him and they should keep the way of Jehovah to do Justice and Judgement Thus also to Moses and to those of his time before the promulgation of this Law of the ten Words at Mount Sinai Jehovah Aelohim by Moses rebuked those who contrary to their LORD's commandment went out to seek food on the Seventh-day Sabbath and he expresseth himself thus in his convincing reproof How long will ye refuse to keep my commandments and laws the same words again implying that that rebellious disobedient people did continue on to be transgressors
are said so instantly to serve God Those Countries which were far South where the inhabitants dwelt by the Main Sea as Ethiopia and Arabia dwelt in by the Posterity of Sheba and Seba the Nephew and Son of Cush the Son of Cham the Son of Moab the Queen of Sheba or of the South submitted to Solomon He had Dominion from the Salt Sea the Lake of Sodom to the main Sea the limits of Judaea from the River Euphrates which was Eastward from the River to the Land of the Philistins and to the border of Egypt The Ethiopian Deserts or dry places were subjected to him they bowed down their faces to the ground before him as is the manner in the Eastern Countries Here Christ was preached and his name was filiated that is Christians were there for as a Son continueth his Father name so was Christ's Name there continued in those that believe on him which name of Christians and of Children was long after revived under the New Testament and how were they Christians if they did not profess and practice obedience to Christ's Law of his ten Words Men of all Nations even in Solomon's time counted and spake of Blessedness in Christ in being brought under his Holy and Righteons Laws and in their subjection to him and to them All the Earth was filled with Christ's Glory and the Nations blessed the Name of his Glory Did not Solomon expect that these submitting Nations should receive Laws from the Messiah and was it a reason of any weight or force then to object against the Seventh-day Sabbath because of the different Horizons and Climates From Evening to Evening is the first great Natural measure of a long Day according to Primitive created Order A late Author has brought in some objections against this which do call for some answer The Artificial Day or Day-light saith he was anciently before Israels going out of Egypt counted the beginning or former part of the Natural Day and the Night the later part of the said Natural Day in that when the parts of the Natural Day are mentioned in Scripture before Israels coming out of Egypt the Morning was set before the Night and because at what time soever or hour of the Day-light the Scripture speaks of the following Night it speaks not of the Night as belonging to the Day following but as belonging to the day before going and because our Sunday-Sabbath saith he or LORD's day is the very same day of the week which was anciently observed by the Jews and Gentiles for the solemn day of their solemn weekly Worship beginning at the light part or morning of the day because Israels coming out of Egypt and after that by the Gentiles but Moses put back the account to begin the Sabbath-day at the evening before whereupon they so began their week-days also whereby their Sabbath-day was measured out unto them to be their Seventh-day otherwise their Seventh-day would not have been proportionable to their six days of labour and so Christ reassumed and brought forth all that day-light and put it to the next day with which together with the night following he made a new distinct day by rising early in the morning of that new made day and because the days of the first week of the Created World were creational extraordinary universal daies when it was day it was day over the universal World when it was night it was night every where over the whole Universe both in regard of the beginning and ending of the day and the night Thus he Whereas he doth affirm that when the parts of the natural day are montioned in Scripture before Israels coming out of Egypt the morning was set before the night let the History of the Creation in the beginning of the Bible be read and there it may be found expresly in the very Letter that the Evening is put before the Morning in every one of the six foregoing days of the week the Evening and the Morning were one day the Evening and the Morning were the Second day the Evening and the Morning were the Third day the Evening and the Morning were the Fourth day the Evening and Morning were the Fifth-day the Evening and the Morning were the Sixth day they were then so they have continued to be so they now are so and they ever will be so to the Worlds end as long as such Evenings and Mornings do last this Author endeavoureth to darken the clearness of this evidence by a bold asserting that Moses in writing the Book of Genesis after Israels coming out of Egypt when their day their natural day being to begin at Even did therefore also so set it down in his History of the Creation For saith he if Moses should have said the Morning Gen. 1. The morning and the evening was the first second third fourth fifth sixth seventh day putting the Morning before the Evening he might have seemed thereby to have disliked the said change appointed by God as aforesaid of making the evening the beginning of each day after their coming out of Egypt Thus he reasoneth and yet acknowledge that Moses was inspired by the appearance of God to him but this arguing doth carry no probation along with it they are not right words and so have no forcibleness with them would the Penmen of this Holy Writ which was dictated to him by the Holy Spirit speak and write quite contrary to the created Nature of Darkness and of Light lest he should seem to dislike a pretended charge Especially this Author saying though without proof that such a change was appointed by God was there any just cause and good reason for such a man of God to dislike any of God's appointments of all the Prophets that arose in Israel was there any like unto Moses whom Jehovah Aelohim knew face to face The things which Moses wrote were they his own No but the Law of the LORD by his hand Did not the after-Prophets bear witness to this Moses had not Moses Letters Testimonial from the LORD Jesus Christ himself and of All that he spake and wrote That which Moses said was it not the Commandment of God Hath not Christ willed y to hear this Moses which if any do not neither will they be perswaded though one rise from the dead What God spake unto Moses doth not God spake the same unto us that which Moses did say is it not as much as Moses wrote unto us Was not Moses faithful in all Christs house What would the Infallible holy Spirit dictate according to the disliking fears of man and not according to the true nature of created beings Whereas he further saith that at what time soever or hour of the day-light the Scripture speaks of the following night it speaks not of the night as belonging to the day following but as belonging to the day before going I answer that in those
both these he asserts to be an universal day contrary to Scripture and Nature he saith a little after that Sun setting was in some places on the fourth day before Sun-rising and therefore it may be inferred according to this concession that it was night in some places when it was day in other places in other places it was Sun-rising before it was Sun-setting he who would make it otherwise in respect of the wide earth must take this Authors bare words for it without any proof our weeks and the days thereof here in England are as the first week and the days thereof were at the first creation of this part of the earth unless he can evidence that it was since that brought hither from some other part of the earth and if he could do that yet it would make nothing for the proving of his main general assertion whilst the main of the present inhabited earth doth stand firmly in the same place where it was at the first before it was inhabited There is one part of his objection which doth expect to have somewhat replyed to it wherein he thus argueth and reasoneth our Sunday sabbath saith he is the very same day of the week which was anciently observed by Jews and Gentiles for the solemn day of their solemn weekly worship beginning at the light part or morning of the day before Israels coming out of Aegypt and after that by the Gentiles and since Christs time by Gentil pagans and by Gentil-Christians thus far he the proof whereof he referreth us to some humane Authorities having quite contrary humane histories which do relate a different practice some whereof I am upon this occasion even necessitated to point unto for it is Scriptural Authority and Law and created nature and order which we resort unto for the proof of our position and therefore the Reader is here desired to bear a little herewith seeing I am even driven into it so many several Treatises having been sent and brought unto me which some are under a temptation to misjudge to be unanswerable unless somewhat be said and written to stop the mouths of such gain-sayers The Pagan Sun worshippers kept Sunday as this and other days of the week have their heathenish names still kept up besides the word and contrary to it the Jews kept Saturday for the Heathen charged the Jews that they worshipped Saturn for their God so doth one Historian record because they kept the seventh day which the Pagans had consecrated to Saturn Another called the Rest or quietness or leasure time of the Sabbaths Saturnin chairs or chairs of Saturn and therefore the Christians Sunday Sabbath is not the same day of the week observed by the Jews the Pagans did draw the Ionic or Asiatic Jews into their Civil Courts on the seventh day which the Jews complained of to him that was the Superior Power in Civil Government A learned Lexicographer makes Sunday the first and Saturday the seventh day of the week among Pagans The Warring Pagans both before Christs being born of a Virgin and also since did purposely assault the Jews in fight on the seventh-day The Pagans did scoff at the Jews Sabbath of which we have an account given in Scriptures and humane histories do also speak and write the same when the Christians complyed with the corrupt practice of the Pagans the Pagans charged the Christians that they were worshippers of the Sun because they kept and observed the first day of the week their Sunday The Christians do generally call the first-day of the week the Sunday and their Sabbath-day as this objector doth whereas Saturday has the name of Sabbath in all their Law Books in the English Ancient Records This objector doth confess that their Sunday-sabbath could not be the Jews Saturday-sabbath so that if there were no change of the day of the week from the seventh the last to the first in Moses's time which this Author calleth the seventh day all his building is upon the sand and doth totter and fall Another great Antiquary doth reckon the seven days of the week according to their course and order Sunday the first and so onwards Saturnday the seventh as most Christians now do the most Ancient Germans being Pagans as having appropriated their first day of the week to the particular adoration of the Sun whereof that day doth yet in our English Tongue retain the name of Sunday the next day was Monday appropriated to the Moon as the second great luminary the third day was Tuesday from Tuisco the reputed god among the Ancient German Pagans the Conductor of the Teutonic people at the confusion of Babel This objector doth confess that Adam knew from the standard of Gods working the six foregoing days and resting the seventh what was a day a week and the boundary thereof that in the state of iunocency the seventh day was Sacred and that this seventh day Sabbath was sanctified by God and celebrated by our first parents in Paradise and that never was the week counted to be more or less than seven days with any people Therefore I infer from hence that Adam kept the weekly seventh-day in order of time from the creation As the weekly Sabbath-day in imitation of the Creators Rest and Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years which observation he left upon record for after-ages the holy Spirit calleth the seventh day the Sabbath day after Christs Ascension into Heaven Many of the Authorities from humane Histories which this objector doth quote do militate for the LORDS seventh day against the Sunday Sabbath of this Author An Ancient Historian of our own witnesseth that the Rest on the seventh day was wont always to be celebrated who is there saith another that doth not honor that sacred day returning each Septenary of seven days neither is there any City of the Greeks saith a third or of the Barbarians nor any nation to whom the custom of the seventh day in which we Rest hath not come The first Fathers saith a fourth being taught of God kept the seventh day holy to God a fifth speaking of the seventh day affirmeth it to have been Venerable and Sacred in all ages among all Nations I might add a sixth seventh eighth and many more one calleth the Dominical day the eight from the Creation Another doth give it the name of the first after the Sabbath a third doth describe it by the beginning of days which a fourth doth call the first day of the week a fifth doth style it in a Sermon of his the first day of the week a sixth nameth it the eighth day which is also it self the first a perfect week In the second Century Christians on the first day of the week worshipping towards the East while they prayed fell into a suspicion of worshipping the Sun Another affirms that God rested when he had finished the former creation and therefore the men of that
Disciple from an Antichristian Synagogue and a Worshipper of the Beast are the keeping of the Commandments of God and the having the Testimony of Jesus Christ Much peace to them that love Jehovah's Law and to them no stumbling block This will be the everlasting Rule of the Holiness and Righteousness of glorified Ones in Heaven If some one will do he shall know of this Doctrine whether it be of God or not O the happy straight goings on of that man who fearing Jehovah who delighting greatly in his Commandments Christ is the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him and the Father gives his Spirit unto such How freely and delightfully could I here inlarge in the commendation of this excellent perfect Law How good how holy how just is this Law for the matter intrinsecally externally good and holy and just consonant to the eternal Justice and Holiness and Goodness which is in the LORD himself whose Authority is stamped upon this and as such is given forth from him unto us to be a Rule How can this be abrogated or changed which is so full and comprehensive of that Righteousness and Holiness which is the perfect Image of the pure unchangeable Jehovah Aelohim were we more throughly conformed to it in our natures and actions we should be tied to it and to the Commander of it with an everlasting love love beyond expression How can the obligation of its mandatory power be other than eternal and immutable O how good is it in its kindly effects inlightning converting restoring quickning comforting and many other ways operating upon the heart when the holy Spirit doth put life and power into mens hearts for these productions This way of obedience to the ten Words is the way of lasting of hidden age and of everlastingness that way which alone of all ways will continue and hold out to the utmost duration when all the ways of Anomous of lawless ones shall perish Christ's Disciples should evidence and manifest their love to him by their friendliness to his Law The Doctrines and the Precepts of this Rule the promises and the threatning of it do some way or other lead to Christ and have him for their scope and this under the old as well as new Administration were not the believing Israelites to look unto the covenanted Messiah and to act Faith upon him Were they not by all the Types and Figures and Shadows of him to make application of him to themselves and of themselves to him and and to confirm their expectation of his coming Was not this that which made all their prayers and other services acceptable their spiritual relation which they had unto him How could mercy be done unto thousands as the Letter of this Law doth include if we exclude this Messiah or Christ out of his own Laws as if he were not intended there The Administration of this Law was Evangelical in its great design and main intention Can a believer but highly prize Christ and esteem him precious when he doth so look into the glass of this Law as to view and loath the spots on the face of his nature and life the least of which this Law doth discover and will not hide any of his deformities nor cover his wrinckles nor paint his ugliness In this case how great are the benefits by Christ to the Believer who is made of God to the Believer Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption The more that a Beliver doth honour Christ the more will he be carried out in a Spirit of Love to delight in the Commands of Christ When Adam was most holy he was most obedient and when he was most obedient he was most acted by a principle of Love Thus the holy blessed Angels do all in obedience and love to Christ for they also are under this Law and at command Even the LORD Jesus Christ himself kept these Commandments of his Father and did abide in his Love his ready chearful obedience to his Father must have an eye to a commanding Law The Law of the ten Words though it include a perfect holiness in its requirements yet doth it not exclude an Advocating Mediator in its intendments O how will mens faces be covered with shame at the last when they shall be judged by that Law which now they so much contend against When the LORD had given forth the Law of the ten Words it is said Not hath he added He added no more commands of this Nature This was almost forty years after the promulgation of the Decalogue at Mount Sinai He hath not added he doth not add he will not add will still be a true saying relating to this no more commands of this kind and sort for they are but ten Words a perfect Law to which nothing is to be added and from which nothing is to be substracted In this Book of Deuteronomy Moses repeated the ten Words or Commandments and presseth to the observation of this Law confirming the whole of it with promises to the believing and obedient and with threatnings against the unperswadeable and transgressing And Christ himself a little before his death foretold of the continuance of the Seventh-day Sabbath calling it by the name of Sabbath well towards forty years after his death though for the advancement of Sabbath-learning I propound to the Vertuoso and the Ingenuoso of the times to consider Q. Whether that expression Mat. 24. 20. Pray ye that your flight be not in the Sabbath do not relate to all and every of those great periods of time the destruction of Jerusalem the down-fall of Antichrist and the Tribulation of that time which shall make way for the later-day-Glory this Seventh-day Sabbath will last as long as this world lasteth to the utmost end of it Thus Reader have I through Mercy and Grace somewhat traded according to my Talent received for the Honour of my LORD and of his Works Words and Law and for the promoting of Scripture-sciences and Arts. It is with him what entertainment he will give it in thy heart and what blessing he will there put upon it O the Excellency of this Word Knowledge The Wise of heart will receive Commands They will treasure up Knowledge to draw it out in season Wisdom is found in their lips To the mouth of their Vnderstanding shall they be praised The Well-advised will hearken unto Counsel and those that fear the Command shall prosper Whereas the proud will be always wrangling and contending Contemners of the Word will quickly be corrupted The Law the Doctrine the Institution of a wise man is a clear Vein and Fountain of Lifes and a good Understanding will give Grace A Scorner seeks Wisdom and finds it not but Knowledge is easie unto him that understands it It is facile it is obvious it freely presents it self it is soon learnt it is easily gettable quickly attained A Fool has
1. 18 19. Ezek. 20. 18 21. Acts 7. 51 52. 2 Pet. 2. 21. Col. 2. 8 20 21 22 23. Mat. 15. 2 3. 6. Mar. 7. 3 4 5 8 9 13. Gal. 1. 14. Isai 29. 13. Deut. 4 2. 12. 8 32. Ezek. 43. 8. e Isal 8. 20. John 5. 39. Josh 1. 7 8. Matt. 28. 20. 15. 3 6. Mar. 7. 9. 13. f 2 Thess 2. 13. 14 15. 3. 6. 1 Cor. 11. 2 c. 14. 40. g John 5. 43. 7. 18. 8. 44. h 1 Cor. 16. 2â— Col. 4. 18. 2 Thes 3. 17. compared 〈◊〉 with 2 Thess 211 2. i 1 John 2. 18. k Rom. 3. 9. l Exod. 14. 15-22 Numb 10. 24 35 36. 1 Cor. 10. 1. 2 3 4 5 6. m Psal â—0 6 7 8. Psal 50. 8. 14. Isai 9. 6 7. 14 15 16. Mic. 5. 2. n Ephes 4. 5. 1 Cor. 10 1 2 3 4 6 11. Gen. 17. compared with Col. 2. 11. o 1 Pet. 3. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p Isai 40. 3. â—â—8 Mal. 3. 1 2. q Gen. 4. 3 4 1â— 16 26. Gen. 9 26 27. Gen. 14. 18 19 20. Gen. 20. 7. r Exod. 19. 20 24 25. chapters onward Acts 7. 38. s Numb 23. 7. Josh 13. 22. Numb 22. 7. t Psal 15. Psal 24. Psal 26. Psal 50. u Mat. 18. 19 â—20 w Exod 19. 22. 24. 5. Numb 3. 12. 13. 8. 17. x Jude 14. 2. Pet. 2. 5 Gen. 20 7. Deut. 33. 8 9 10. Mal. 2. 7. y Rom. 15. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 sim 2. 1◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which more might be added Lev. 1. 6 12. z Isai 66. 21 22. 61. 6. Mal. 3. 3. Ezek. 44. throughout a Numb 4. 3 4. 18. 2-6 2 Chron. 29. 5 c. Numb 8. 9 10 11. b Acts 6. 1-6 2 Chron. 31. 14. 1 Chron. 26. 26 32. 22. 2. c Exod. 15. 20 21. Numb 12. 12. Mic. 6. 4. Exod. 25 25 26 38. 8. Rom. 16. 1 2 3 4. 1 Tim. 5. 4 10. d Rom. 12 1-8 e Mat. 5. 17 18 19. f John 19. 28. Mat. 3. 1◠〈◊〉 g Jer. 33 6-15 Gen. 23. later end h 2 Thess 2. 3 7. 1 John 2. 18. 4. 3. 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. Rev. 13. 3 4. i 1 John 4 1-6 1 Thess 〈◊〉 20 21. Isai 8. 20. k Rev. 1. 10. l Rev. 17. 14. 19. 16. m Rev. 1. 1. n 1 Rev. 1. 10. compared with Rev. 6. 17. 9. 6 15. 10. 7. 11. 3 6 9 11. 16. 14. o Rev. 1. 8. 4. 8. 11. 17. 15. 3. 16. 7 14. 19. 6 15. 21. 22. p Ezek. 13 5. 8. 30. 3. 29. 1 9. compared with Rev. 20. 8. q Rev. 1. 4 8. 3. 11. 22. 7. 12. 17 20. Luk. 19. 38. Mar. 11. 10. Heb. 6. 5. 2. 5. r Rev. 1. 3. 7. s Mat. 23 37 38 39. 24. 1-22 and elsewhere t Rev. 1. 7. u Rev. 1. 10. 4. 2. 17. 3. 21. 10. w Rev. 1. 7. compared with Zach. 12. 10. x Jor. 52. 12 13. 17. 27. Lam. 1. 7. y Ezek. 20. 1 20 21 47 48. z Mat. 24. 15-20 Luk. 21. 20-24 a 〈…〉 Septembris 〈◊〉 in Saâ—â—atu◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in idit â—ide Uâ—er annâ—â— part 〈◊〉 â—ag â—9â— Baron â—nnal p. â—15 5. ipso die Sabâ—ati ut autor â—st Dio in 〈◊〉 b Isai 24. 4 5. â—6 1 2 c. c Act. 1â— 41-49 18. 4 5 6. d Fxod 22. 10. Deut 5. 14. Exod. 35. 2 Lev 23. 3. e 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 am f Compare Deut. 6. 4. with Mar. 12. 29. g Psal 108. 3 4. 57. 9. 10. compared h Mat. 12 8. Mar. 2. 28. Luk. 6. 5. Gen. 2. 1 3. Exod. 20-11 Luk. 4. 16 31. John 15. 10. i See Magdeburg Histor 2. Ceat. 9. Book k Ezek. 1. 1. l 〈◊〉 1 Cor. â—1 20. 23 â—4 25 26 27. 29. 32. m Mat. 26. 17-28 Lev. 23. 5-16 n 2 Thess 2. 2. 2 Pet. 2. 9. 1. Cor. 5. 5. 2 Pet. 1. 19. Heb. 10. â—5 Zach. 14. 1. Isai 2. 12. 13. 6 9. 34. 8. Jer. 46. 10. Lam. 2. 22. Ezek. 13. 5. 30. 3. Joel 1. 15. 2. 1 11 31. 3. 14. Amos 5. 18. 20. Obad. 15. Tzephan 1. 7 8 14. 18. 2. 2. 3. Mal. 4. 5. o Rev. 6. 17. 16. 14. p 1 Cor. 5. 5. 2 Cor. 1. 14. 〈◊〉 Thess 5. 2. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Rev. 1. 10. q Luk. 17. 24 30 31 34. Mat 24. 34 36 42. Luk. 19. 43. Acts 2. 17 20 compared with Joel 2. 31. 1 Cor. 1. 18. 〈◊〉 13. 1 Thess 5. 1 2. Heb. 10. 25. compared with Joel 2. 1. 1. John 2. 18. r Job 9. 33. 1 Cor. 4. 3. 〈◊〉 13. Psal 37. 13. 137. 7. Ezek. 21. 25 â—9 Job 18. 20. Jer. â—0 27. Luk. 19. 42. s 2 Pet. 3. 18. t 2 Cor. 6. 2. Isal 61. 2. u Psal 118. 22 23 24 25 26. compared with Acts 4. 10 11 12. w Mat. 21. 9. Mar. 21. 9. Luk 9. 22. 19. 38. John 12 13. compare Mat. 21. 42 46. Mar. 12. 10 11 12. Luk. 19. 14. 20. 17-20 23. 18 36. x Luk. 23. â—1-21 Mat. â—1 38 39. y Mat. 27. 62 63. z Acts 3. 13 14 15. a Acts 3. 13 14. b Maâ— 12. 1-14 Mar. 3. 1 c. Luk. 6. 1-11 John 5. 9-18 Luk. 4. 16-31 c John 12. 12 13. Mat. 21. 1-9 c. Mar. 11. 8 9 10. Luk. 19. 37-40 d 1 Thess 5. 16. Psal 90. 14. Isai 65. 18. Psal 92. Title v. 1-4 Isai 56. 7. e See Hutterus's Edition of the 〈◊〉 New Testament in twelve Languages f 1 Cor. 11. 23-26 g 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. Rom. 15. 4. h For a Ghost is taken to be the departed Spirit of a man about which the Ethnick Philosophers had divers idolatrous superstitious observations customs practises and usages pâ—rly applyed to the Holy Spirit i Prov. 8. 8 9. Deut. 27. 1 8. k Lev. 23. 11-16 l Lev. 23. 31 36 39. Numb 29. 35. m Ezek. 43. 2â— 26 27. compare Levit. ch 8. throughout ch 9. 1-17 especially v. 17. Numb 28. 1-10 n Ezek. 46. 1 c. o Ezek. 45. 17-25 46. 2 -12. p Ezek. 46. 1. q Ezek. 43. 27. compare with this ch 46. 13 14 15. r Heb. 4. 8 9 10. s Psal 95. 7-11 t Heb. 3. 7 13. 15. 4. 7. 8. u Psal 95. 11. w Heb. 3. 11 18. 4. 1 3 5 8 9 10. 11. x Heb. 4. 10. y Heb. 4. 10. z Heb. 4. 10. a Heb. 4. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Heb. 4. 9 10. c Heb. 3. 7 onwards to the 11th vers of the 4th chap. d Heb. 3. 1 6 24 â—5 e Psal 95. 7. f Heb. 3. 12 13. g Heb. 4 1. h Psal 95. 11. i Heb. 3. 7. 4. 7. compared with Psal 9â—
of any other place through the Word of Truth The Words in their true proper significancy are according to one of the Sabbaths The Article being omitted here it doth signifie distributely according to one or other or each of those Sabbaths So that the day here specified doth relate to some one or other of those Sabbath-Festivals fore-mentioned There were Harvest-Seasons when the fruits of the earth came in and they could judge somewhat of their Increase in corn and gain That Word which is translated a Collection is such a Collect or Collation as is concluded by Reasoning an inferring from reckoning and casting up an account every one as it went well with him in his Voyage Journey and Trade at such seasons of the year when the profits came in whether at and from the Sea or the Land and so the Word signifies in propriety of Speech according as the LORD hath given a good Voyage or a prosperous way or Journey accordingly should they honour Aelohim with their substance and increase by setting apart a due proportion out of their Estates to relieve needy ones The charitable supplying of the poor with necessaries especially if poor Saints which was the Case here is a natural Religious Duty under all the Dispensations of Grace Old and New A Law of Mercy and of Love still in force and ever will be whilst there are such Objects of pity Some few such I do know who do practise suitably treasuring somewhat every year and at some quarterly Incomes and sometimes by shorter Returns out of their revenue and increase out of which to take as Cases do call for it being in a preparedness through Grace to part with the rest if necessity were such So that upon all such occasions they readily go and fetch out of that store which was laid up for such a purpose in a way of thankful acknowledgment of Gods blessing of them in their outward Estate Paul intended to come to Corinth about that season of the year when Ship-ladings at Sea or Harvest-gatherings at Land had been brought in and therefore it is that he thus Exhorts them Laws about Mercy and Charity are scattered up and down in many Scriptures and it were easie to gather several of them together if need were Which Laws ever had for the substance of them a natural equity binding all mankind but more especially those who were Church-Members in Fellowship I refer to some few in the Margin Pauls advice here was a prosecution of a further direction to pursue Love which he had so largely described and commended a little before Nothing appears in all this of any appointing or instituting of a new Weekly-Sabbath-day in the room of the old the Seventh-day which was so from the beginning There is another word further in the objected place which doth respect the Treasury of Alms near the Temple into which some sort of Tithes Gifts Gold Silver and such like were brought for the relief of the Levite Stranger Widow Poor Of this Treasury the Reader may consult the several Scriptures in the Margin Having opened the expression of one of the Sabbaths and shewn that it refers in all the places to another matter and purpose than that for which it is brought there is somewhat yet further to be spoken to about Christs appearing to his Disciples on the Day of his Resurrection Which was observed say the Objectors by them as the new Weekly-Sabbath-day in memory of his Resurrection as is pretended c. That the Disciples did not meet on that day as now the weekly-Sabbath-day in memory of Christs Resurrection is evident because they did not the most of them at that time believe that he was arisen For which their misbelief their LORD and Master doth check and rebuke them he having so often inculcated this thing upon them about his Suffering his Death and his Resurrection How often had he told them that he was to rise again from the dead on the third day That Word Third is mentioned Twelve times in the New Testament plainly pointing out the particular day of Christs Resurrection and in several of those places it is recorded that they with their own Ears heard Christ affirming of it again and again over and over upon several occasions In every one of the places the Article is added and prefixed and to one of them the Article is doubled All which put together do shew the Emphatical Significancy and Force the Demonstrativeness of it noting a certain determinate day to be known of all that would seriously consider it The same word for Significancy in another part of Speech is used four times in the new Testament Three times by Christ himself to point out the certain determinate Day of his Resurrection to be the Third Day VVhich also in one of those four times is expresly acknowledged by his Adversaries themselves who laboured to obscure the glory thereof In one of the places both the distinct parts of an whole natural large day are punctually set down with respect to every one of the several three days Three days and three nights used for the whole time of the darkness and light in one succeeding course and exemplified as to the matter of Fact in the Case of a particular person of Jonah the History of whom is one of the Books of the Scriptures of Truth who was herein a Type of Christ As to his being raised on the third day It is a day distinct from two complete fore-going Days In one of the places that Christ might make sure of clearing this matter to their understandings and fixing it the deeper in their memories so as it might not leak through their Vessel of Remembrance and also of having the three days and the three nights included he expresseth it by a Preposition signifying after after three For so is the meaning of it when it governs an Accusative Case and this Praeposition is confessed in one of the places by his open Enemies and if those thought on it and called it to mind the more excuseless were the Disciples who did not for a while so credit it Whereby it is manifest That they could not actually design this as the end of observing such a day which themselves did not yet believe so to be though it were declared to them by some to whom he had appeared So that this part of the Objection is Scriptureless and Reasonless and as for Christs appearing to the eleven in the places cited It is also clear by the Scripture-Accompt that that day on which Christ had conference with Cleopas and another Disciple in their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus was over-past and gone before that appearing of his to the Eleven For the day was upon closing when they went into that Village where Christ spent some time with them And those two Disciples had sixty Furlongs to travel afterwards back again from Emmaus to Jerusalem