*v<^^. ^?^:-^ McM U. 'i^ ^ «*^ 1 1 § Q. 1 i .5 ath «j . jQ i tr IH n Xi •^ CL 00 «5 •^ »_• **- vo w to ^ i o rH i ^ 5 1 1 1 c ' 2 1 ^ o ] tj) tH rH +-> •*=^ s ^ m vo m g 15 3 CO rH CJ tH O ^ ^ £ 1 «3 to o ^ w . o H *^ s »-D -P ^ ^ o f^ $' rH C M ^ 1 0) +J ^ 0) > ^ ^ «o< •'^^ dl 1 1 1 ,A TREATISE THE SABBATH. .^ .i#^ A TREATISE THE SABBATH; IN WHICH Its Origin, Causes, Nature, and Obligation are Considered ; Objections Refuted;' and Practical Rules for ITS Observance Added. / By J. OWEN, D.D. Vice Chancellor of Oiford. 1 1 1 M7 i H ■ 1 i 1 1 yH A NEW EDITION, REVISED & edited By THE Rev. J. W. BROOKS, Vicar ol" Clareborough, Retford. LONDON: Hatchard and Son; Barclay, York; Tims, Dublin j Oliphant, Edinburgh. 1829. Entered at Stationers' Hall. Tliomu Wihoa itad Sous, HigU-Outeg&te, YorL. THE EDITOR^S PREFACE. An apology is hardly necessary to the Christian world for republishing a scarce and almost forgotten work of Dr. John Owen ; but if one be required, it is found in the circumstance, that those arguments against the moral obligation to observe the Sabbath, so ably refuted in this book, are again publicly put forth, and prevail to no small extent in the practice of many, who are called Christians. Persons unaccustomed to reflect are little aware of the foundation, on which their faith in this matter actually stands. They assume for granted, that the Sabbath is of divine institution, and perpetuated under the Gospel dispensation ; without having taken the trouble to demon- strate this truth, and ignorant of the objections by which it may be assailed. They conclude it from the preju- dice of education, or from the influence of pious feel- ing, rather than from the enjoyment of clear and luminous views on the subject; and hence they are often staggered by the sophistries of persons, disposed to dispute these thin'-'-; and '^Ul more frequently a something super- slitio,. ^^ merely legal mixes itself up with their own observance of the day. It ought previously to be understood, that in the reign of queen Elizabeth, it was openly maintained, that thougli there be something moral in the Sabbath, it is chiefly cere- monial in its nature, and of Mosaic institution ; and con- sequently, that believers in the Lord Jesus are released from the obligation of observing it. So plausible were the arguments brought forward, that most of the bishops were drawn into the opinion, that the Christian Sab» Tl rtriTOR S PREFACE. bath was only of ecclesiastical institution ; so that its hold upon the consciences of men began to be seriously loosened^ and to be accompanied by a corresponding laxity of prac- tice. This work, however, of Dr. Owen, and other similar treatises, had, through the divine blessing, a remarkable influence in bringing back the majority of the nation to their duty, and in averting for the time those serious evils, which a national profanation of the Sabbath has commonly produced. Dr. Owen professes in the work, to set himself to notice every opinion of any importance, militating against the Christian Sabbath : not because these opinions all pre- vailed at that time, but because there was no knowing how soon, in the revolution of them, they might be re- vived. (Page 25.) For even error travels in a certain or- bit ; and those heresies^ which seem novel to us, will most- ly be found, upon exploring history, to have appeared at some previous period. Had our author lived to the present day, he would have found his sagacious and almost pro- phetic conjecture fulfilled, by the revival of some of those very errors, against which he contended in his time. But not only is the book an answer to objections ; it will be found eminent for that depth of research, critical acumen, and powerful argumentation, which so distin- guished the writings of Dr. Owen ; whilst the nature of the Sabbath, with what is required for a due observation of it, are placed by him upon a clear and solid foundation. It is confidently anticipated, that the student of divinity will consider himself amply repaid by a perusal of the work ; whilst the Christian will be gratified to perceive those truths confirmed, to which piety of spirit had pre- viously inclined him. A prejudice, and in some respects a just one, exists against abridgements, if undertaken by a different hand from that of the author. The reader cannot always divest himself of a suspicion, that many passages may be ex- EDITORS PREFACE. VU pungedj which he would consider important to be re- tained ; or that the sentiments preserved are heightened or extenuated, according to the principles of the editor. The present work however ought not, in the usual accep- tation of the term, to be called an abridgement. It cannot be denied, that many of the most valuable theological works, written by the old divines, are rendered uninviting / J. and distasteful by their style ; more particularly to the unregenerate, who most need to peruse them. It is a desideratum, therefore, in the present day, when the press teems with feeble and imitative publications, that the sterling works of some of the older British writers were so revised in style, as to render thom more readable, and thus better adapted to the wants and taste of the times. The style of Owen is particularly obnoxious to cen- sure. It is harsh, intricate, prolix, and abounding with tedious repetitions. Though few writers are more worthy to be read, few are more difficult to read. The editor, therefore, has undertaken in the present work to canc£l all the repetitions of sentences, and those phrases which so frequently only express the same thing in other words. This alone retrenches the work nearly one third. He has also disposed afresh many of the perplexing divisions and subdivisions of the subject ; he has translated quotations, to enable the merely English reader to understand hiy author j and he has endeavoured to elucidate his meaning, where it has appeared ambiguous or unintelligible. But at the same time he claims to have presented the author entire, and, generally speaking, in his own phraseology ; and though he is sensible, that this revision has its defects, he confidently challenges the reader to collate it with the original work, and to point out one sentiment or illustra- tion in the latter, which does not occur in some part or other of the former, and with the same application of it. J. ^v. B. THBOLOGIO&Li ^JSfHT&^CONTENTS. v^^ EXERCITATIONS. Page. I. Introductory 1 II. On the Name of the day of rest 11 III. On the Origin of the Sabbath 2i On the cause of the hatred of the Romans and others towards the Jews 70 IV. V, and VI. On the Cawse* of the Sabbath 75 The Law of the Sabbath considered 101 On the Decalogue 119 VII. On the J'M(irticaJ Sabbath 147 VIII. On the Lord's Day 167 Hebrews iv. 3 — 11;, considered 17G IX. The seventh day precisely, as a Sab- bath under the Gospel, further disproved 195 X. XI. Practical Rules for a due observa- tion of the Lord's day Sabbath 210 Principles to be borne in mind 210 Duties to be observed 231 PREFACE. Christian Reader, X HERE are two great concerns of that religion, whose name you bear ; viz. the profession of its truth, and the exercise of its power. And these mutually assist each other : for without the profession of faith in its truth, no man can express its power in obedience ; and without obedience, profession is of little worth. Whatever, therefore, contributes help in either of these, according to the mind of God, is highly to be prized ; especially in a season wherein the former is greatly questioned, and the latter greatly neglected ; but if there be any thing which equally strengthens both, it is certainly of great necessity in religion ; and will be so esteemed by those, who make these things their principal concern. Such, then, is the solemn observance of a weekly DAY OF REST, sacrcd unto God. For, among all the outward means of conveying to the present generation that religion which was at first taught and delivered to men by Jesus Christ and his Apostles, there has been none more effectual than the catholic, uninter- rupted observance of such a day, for the celebration of the religious worship appointed in the Gospel ; many material parts of which have unquestionably been preserved by the constant agreement of Christians in this practice. Thus far, therefore, the profession of Christianity in the world at this day depends upon it : how much it tends to the exercise and expression of the power of B PREFACE. religion, must be evident to all ; (unless they be such as hate it, which are not a few ;) since no small part of its power consists in the constant paymeilt of that homage of spiritual worship, which we owe to God in Jesus Christ; the duties of which worship are the means appointed by him, for the communication of grace and spiritual strength for the due performance of the remainder of our obedience. In these things consist the services of this day ; and the end of its observance is their due performance, to the glory of God and the advantage of our own souls. The Christian religion may be considered two ways : First, as it is publicly and solemnly professed in the world, whereon the honor of God and of Christ greatly depend : secondly, as it influences the lives of private men ; in neither of which can it be main- tained, without a due observance of a stated day of sacred rest. Take this away, neglect and confusion will quickly arise, and destroy all regard to solemn worship ; which never did florish in the world, nor ever will, without a due religious attention to such a day. Any man may foresee the disorder and profane- ness which would ensue, upon the taking away of that, whereby our solemn assemblies are guided and preserved: wherefore by God's own appointment it had its beginning, and will have its end with his public worship in the world. Take this from off the basis whereon God hath fixed it, and all human sub- stitutions of the like kind, or for the same purposes, will quickly discover their own vanity. Nor will religion long prevail in the minds and lives of indivi- duals, without the advantage of such an institution, which is the sacred repository of all sanctifying ordi- nances. And it would be just with God to leave to their own weakness and decays, (which are sufficient to ruin them,) those who despise the assistance, which he has provided and tenders to them. Thus, indeed. PREFACE. Ill we have known it to have fallen out with many in ouv days, whose apostasies from God have hence taken their rise and occasion. This being the case, it must needs be our duty to inquire and discern aright, both what warrant we have for the religious observance of such a day; as also what day it is in the weekly revolution, that ought to be so observed. About these things there is an in- quiry in the ensuing discourses, and some determi- nations on that inquiry. My design in them is, to discover the fundamental principles of this duty, and what ground conscience has to stand upon, in its attention thereto ; for what is from God in these things is assuredly accepted with him. What I have attained to of light and truth herein, is submitted to the judgment of learned and judicious men ; the cen- sures of the proud and ignorant, " who speak evil of those things which they know not, and in what they know naturally corrupt themselves," I neither fear nor value. And if any part of these discourses appear somewhat dark or obscure to ordinary readers, I desire them to consider, that the foundations of the things discoursed of lie deep, and no expression will render them more obvious to all understandings than their nature will allow. Nor must we, in any case, quit the strengths of truths, because the minds of some cannot easily possess themselves of them. 1 hope, however, nothing will occur, but what an attentive reader, though otherwise but of ordinary capacity, may re- ceive and digest ; and those, to whom the argument seems hard, may still find such directions concerning the duty insisted on, as will render its practice easy and beneficial. I only add, that I have here no design of contending with any, or of censuring those whose thoughts and judgments in these things differ from ours. Even those, by whom a holy day of rest under the Gospel, b2 IV PREFACE. together with its services, are laughed to scorn, arc left by me to God and themselves. My whole endea- vour is, to find out what is agreeable to truth, con- cerning the observance of such a day to the Lord ; what is the mind and will of God concerning it ; and on what foundation we may so attend to its services, as that God may be glorified in and by us, and the interest of religion, in purity, holiness, and righteous* ness, be promoted amongst men. EXERCIT INTRODUCTORYo I. I^OLOMON tells US, that in his inquiry after the nature and state of things in the world, this only he had found out, that was entirely to his satisfaction ; viz. "that God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions." Eccles. vii. 29. — This truth we also find by woful experience ; not only iii sundry particular instances, but in the whole course of men in this world, and in all their concerns with respect to God and themselves. There is nothing wherein and whereabout they have not found out many inventions, to the disturbing and perverting of that state of peace, in which all things were made of God. Yea, not only is the whole worlds as it lies in wicked- ness, overwhelmed with the fruits of this perverse apostasy ; but we have the remains of it to conflict with in that reparation of our condition, which through grace we are made partakers of in this life. In all our actions and duties, some of these inventions are ready to immix themselves, to our own disturbance, and to the perversion of the right ways of God. We have an evident instance of this in the business of a day of sacred rest, and the worship of God therein bS required. The Lord originally, out of his infinite goodness (when suitably thereto, by his own eternal power and wisdom he had made all things good) gave unto men a day of rest ; thus to express to them his own rest, satisfaction, and complacency in the works of his hands, — to be a day of rest and composure to themselves, — and a means of their enjoying that rest with himself, here and for ever, which he had ordained for them. Hence it became a principle and pledge — a cause and means of quietness and rest, and that in and with God himself. And so it might still be to the sons of men, but for their continually finding out new inventions ; whence the two general concerns of such a day, — viz. the doctrine and the practice, or the duties to be performed unto God thereon,— are both moved by such various questions, as have rendered this day of rest a matter of endless strife and disquiet. And whereas all doctrines of truth tend to practice, as their immediate use and end, (the whole of Scrip- ture being " the truth which is after godliness," Titus i. 1,) the contentions, which have been raised about the holy day of rest, have greatly influenced the minds of men, and weakened in them that practice of god- hness, which all confess to be needful in the observance of such a day ; if such a day there be, on what- soever foundation it is to be observed. For Christians n general agree, under one notion or another, that a day of rest ought to be observed ; but many contro- versies having been raised about the grounds of this observance, and the nature of the obligation thereto, advantage has been taken thereof to introduce a great neglect of the duties themselves, for the sake of which the day is to be observed. And this has been no small means of promoting that general profaneness, and apostasy from strict and holy walking before God, which at this day are every where so justly com- plained of. It is far from my hope, that I shall be able to con- tribute much towards composing these differences. The known pertinacity of inveterate opinions; the prejudices, by which the minds of most are in this matter already possessed ; and the particular engage- ments which many are under to defend the sentiments which they have published, will not allow of any great expectation of a change in the minds of many, from what I have to offer. Besides, there are almost innumerable controversial discourses on this subject, which are in the hands of many, to whom, perhaps, the report of our endeavours will not arrive. But these, and similar considerations, ought not to discourage any man from the discharge of that duty which he owes to the truths of God, nor cause him to cry with the sluggard — " There is a lion in the streets, I shall be slain in the way." If they did, no truth would evermore be taught or contended for ; since the de- claration of any truth is attended with the same dif- ficulties, and liable to the same kind of opposition. Wherefore an inquiry into this matter being un- avoidably cast upon me, in the progress of the work in which I am engaged; viz. an exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, I could not, on any such accounts, waive the pursuit of it. For this discourse (though now by the desire of many, published by itself,) is but a part of our remaining exercitations on that epistle. Nor am I altogether without hope, that what shall be declared and proved on this subject, B 4 may be made useful to those, who would willingly learn or be established in the truth : whilst an attempt will also be made for the conviction of others, who have been seduced into opinions hurtful to the practice of godliness ; and the whole left to the blessing of Him, who, when he hath supplied seed to the sower, doth himself also give the increase. These consider- ations have prevailed with me to cast my mite into the sanctuaiy, and to endeavour the right stating and confirmation of that doctrine, on which depends so important a part of our duty towards God. II. The controversies which have been publicly agitated about the Sabbath, are universal as to all its concerns. Neither name nor thing is agreed upon by all ; nor is any thing that relates to it admitted with- out dispute. And what is more, the different opinions concerning it have all been entertained and contended for by persons learned and godly ; all equally pre- tending to a love of truth, and a care for the preser- vation and promotion of holiness among men. And it were to be wished, that this were the only instance whereby we might evince, that the best of men ' know but in part and prophesy in part;* but they are too numerous to be recounted ; although most men act, as if they themselves were liable to no mistakes, and that it is an unpardonable crime in others to be mistaken. This consideration should make us jealous over our- selves, and our own apprehensions in this matter, and affect us with tenderness and forbearance towards those, who dissent from us, and whom we, therefore, judge to be mistaken. But chiefly we are to learn from it, with what care and diligence we ought to 5 inquire into the certain rule of truth ; since, whatever we determine, we shall be sure to find learned and godly men otherwise minded : whilst on the other hand, the consciences of the disciples of Christ, (which ought not to be causelessly burdened, nor yet coun- tenanced in the neglect of any required duty,) are greatly concerned in our determinations. Slight and perfunctory disquisitions will here be of little use ; nor are men to conclude, that their opinions are firm and established, because they have obtained a seeming countenance from two or three doubtful texts of Scrip- ture. The principles and foundations of truth in this matter lie deep, and require a diligent investigation. Into this investigation, therefore, we enter: whether we shall contribute any thing to the declaration or vindication of the truth, depends wholly on the assist- ance which God is pleased to give or withhold. Our partis, to use what diligence we are able; and avoid nothing more than the assuming or ascribing any thing to ourselves. It is enough for us, if in any thing, or by any means, God will use us, not as lords over tlie faith of men, but as helpers of their joy. III. I shall not insist upon all the particular con- troversies, for that were endless; but shall reduce them to those general beads, under which they may be comprehended, and by the right stating of which they will be determined. Nor shall I enter into any special contest; unless it be occasionally,, with any particular persons, who of old or of late have contro- versially handled this subject. Some of thenx have, 1 confess, given very great provocation thereto ; espe- cially the Belgic divines, whose late writings are full b5 of reflections on the learned writers of this nation. Our only design is to advance the truth ; in doing which, I shall lay down the general regulating prin- ciples of the doctrine of the Scriptures in this matter, confirming them with such arguments as occur to my mind, and vindicating them from such exceptions as they either seem liable to, or have met with; and throughout I shall have respect to the declaration given by the Apostle, of the doctrine and practice of the Sabbath in the different ages of the church. (Heb. iv.} The rules that I shall be guided by are, 1st, Ex- press testimonies of Scripture, which are not wanting in this cause. Where this light does not go before us, our best course is to sit still ; where the word of God does not speak in the things of God, it is our wisdom to be silent. Nothing, I own, is more nauseous to me than magisterial dictates in sacred thhigs, without an evident deduction and confirmation of assertions from Scripture testimonies. Some men write as if they were inspired, or dreamed that they had obtained to themselves a Pythagorean reverence. Their writings are full of strong authoritative assertions, arguing the good opinion they have of themselves ; which I wish did not include an equal contempt of others. But any thing may be easily affirmed, and as easily re- jected. 2dly, The analogy of ftiith in the interpretation, ex- position, and application of such testimonies, as may be pleaded in this cause. Hie labor, hoc opus — this is a labor, this is a task ; — herein the writer's diligence and the reader's judgment are to be chiefly exercised. I have of late been much surprised with the plea of 7 some for the use of reason in religion and sacred things : not at all that such a plea is insisted on ; but that it is built by them upon a supposition, that it is denied by others, upon whom they reflect ; whereas some, who are probably intended in those reflections, have pleaded for it against the Papists, with as much reason, and no less effectually, than any among them- selves. I cannot but suppose their mistake to arise from what they have heard that some teach, about the darkness of the mind of man by nature with respect to spiritual things ; with his disability, by the ut- most use of his reasoning faculties as corrupted and unrenewed, spiritually and savingly to apprehend the things of God, without the special assistance of the Holy Ghost. Now, as no truth is more plainly con- firmed in Scripture than this, so to suppose that those who assert it do, therefore, deny the use of reason in religion, is a most fond imagination. No doubt, what- ever we do, or have to do, in the things of God, must be done as rational creatures, that is, in and by the use of our reason ; and not to make use of it in such case, is to reject it, as regards the principal end for which it is bestowed on us. But the utmost use of our reason is particularly re- quired of us, in the pursuit of the rale now laid down. To understand the sense and importance of the words in Scripture testimonies, the nature of the propositions and assertions contained in theni;, and the lawful de- duction of inferences from them ; to judge and deter- mine ai'ight of what is proposed or deduced by just consequence from direct propositions ; to compare what in one place seems to be affirmed, with what, in others, seems to be denied ; with other innumerable b6 8 instances, are all of them acts of our reason, and as such are managed by us. But I must not here digress farther into the consideration of these things; only I fear that some men write books about them because they read none. This I know, that they miserably mistake what is in controversy, and setting up men of straw as their adversaries then cast stones at them. 3dly, The dictates of general and uncorrupted reason, agreeing with and explained by Scripture light, is another principle that we shall have a due regard to. For as it is confessed, that the separation of some portion of time for the worship of God, is a part of the law of our creation, the light of nature does, and must still on that supposition, continue to give testimony to our duty therein. And although this light is exceedingly weakened by sin ; and as re- gards many things of first importance, originally be- longing to it, so overwhelmed with prejudice and contrary usages, that of itself it owns them not at all ; yet let it be excited and rectified by Scripture light, it will return to its office of testifying to that duty, a sense of, and a direction to, which were created together with it. We shall, therefore, inquire what intimations the light of nature has continued to give concerning a day of sacred rest; and what uncon- trollable testimonies we may have of those intimations, from such as had no other way to come to an acquaint- ance with them. And where there is a common or prevailing suffrage given among mankind to any truth of Scripture, it must be acknowledged to pro- ceed from that light of nature which is common to all, though its actings are stifled in many. 9 4thly, The custom and practice of the church of God in all ages is to be inquired into. I intend not merely the church of Christ under the Gospel ; but the whole church from the beginning of the world, under all its various dispensations; for great weight may certainly be laid on its harmonious consent, in any practice relating to the worship of God. Nay, what may be thus confirmed, will thence appear to be an institution, not peculiar to any special mode of worship, that may belong to one season and not to another, but to have in it an everlasting obliga- tion on all who worship God ; and as such, never to be altered or dispensed with. For if every particular church be " the pillar and ground of the truth,** whose testimony thereto is to be highly esteemed; how much more is the universal church in all ages to be so accounted. P or it is a brutish notion to suppose, that God would suffer a persuasion to befal the church in all agesj with regard to his worship, which was not from himself, neither the expression of its practice accepted with him. 5thly, We must have a due consideration of the spirit and liberty of the Gospel, with the nature of its worship, the reasons of it, and the manner of its per- formance. No particular instance of worship is to be introduced or admitted, contrary to the nature, genius, and reason of the whole. If, therefore, such a sab- batical rest be urged, as is inconsistent with the prin- ciples and reasons of evangelical worship, — ^being built upon motives not taken from the Gospel, and inter- fering, in the manner of its observance, with the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, — it dis- covers itself not to belong to the present state of the 10 worshipers of God in Christ. Nor must any thing commend itself to us under the mere notion of strict- ness, or preciseness, or the appearance of more than ordinary severity in religion : it is only walking according to rule, that will please God, justify us to others, and give us peace in ourselves. Other seeming duties, that may be recommended, because they have '^ a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body/' are of no price with God, nor are they useful to men : and commonly those who are most ready to overdo in one thing, are prone to underdo in others. 6thly, We must inquire into the tendency of prin- ciples, doctrines, and practices towards the promotion or hinderance of piety and universal holy obedience unto God j for this is the end of all religious insti- tutions and worship ; and a due observance of the tendency of things towards this end, will greatly discover their nature and acceptance with God. Let things be urged v/ith the most specious pretences, yet if they be found by experience not to promote gospel holiness in the hearts and lives of men, they betray themselves not to be of God : still less are they of God, when they shall be evidenced to obstruct and hinder holiness ; to introduce profaneness, and coun- tenance licentiousness of life; and to prejudice the due reverence of God and his worship. These are the principal rules to which, in this dis- quisition respecting a sabbatical rest, we shall attend ; and they are such as will not fail to direct us aright, unless through negligence or prejudice we omit pay- ing a due regard to them. To these the reader is desired to have respect, in his perusal of the ensuing 11 discourses ; and if what is proposed or concluded be not found suitable to them, let it be rejected. For I can assure him, that no self assuming, no contempt of others, no prejudiced adherence to any way or party, no pretence of certainty above evidence produced, have had any influence in those inquiries after the truth in this matter ; — to which, under God, we now address ourselves. EXERCITATION II. On the Name of a day of rest. In tlie first place it will be necessary to premise something about the name whereby this day may be called. 1 . Under the Old Testament it had a double ap- pellation ; the one taken from the natural order of the day then separated with respect to other days, the other from its nature and use. On the first account it was called ' the seventh day/ — ^' and God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it." (Gen. ii. S ; Exod. XX. 11.) But this is a mere description of the day from its relation to the six precedent days of the creation ; absolutely it is not any where so called. Yet hence by the Hellenists, Philo, Josephus, and others, it was termed * the seventh' and the ' sacred 12 seventh day ;' and our Apostle makes use of this name, as that which commonly denoted the Sabbath of the Jews ; " For he spake in a certain place of the seventh" — day is not added, because seventh was used technically to denote that day. (Heb. iv. 4.) And he even fetches the reason of this name from Gen. ii. 3 ; that being, as was said, the day that ensued imme- diately after the six distinct days, in which the world was created ; and putting, as it did, a period to a measure of time by a numeration of days, always to return in its cycle, it was called the seventh day. And from that course of time completed in seven days, thence recurring to its beginning, is the Greek term kebdomasj a week, (called by the Hebrews only *a seven,') which same word signifies either the seventh day or one day in seven. For dyeiv ttjv e^loi^ala, CJiagein teen hehdomada) is septimum diem celehrare — to celebrate the or a seven day, and is so used by the Latins. But this appellation, as we shall see, the Apostle casts out of consideration, as regards the day to be observed under the New Testament. For that which was first so is passed away, and another instituted in its room ; which, although it be also a seventh day absolutely, or one in the revolution of seven ; yet not being the seventh in their natural order, that name is now of no use, but antiquated. 2. From its occasion, sanctification, and use, it was call ' the Sahhafh,' and * the Sabbath day.' Tlie occa- sion of this name is expressed in Gen. ii. 3 : — '^ God blessed the seventli day, &c. because that in it he had rested" — n2U7, shabath. In the decalogue it is also called ' the Sabbath day,' (or day of God's rest and 13 ours;) Exod. xx. 8 and 10; and in Isaiah Ivi. 2 — 4> it is called absolutely 'the Sabbath;' where also God, because he instituted it, calls it ' my Sabbath/ This being a thing so evident, it were only loss of time to insist upon the feigned etymologies of this name : I shall only mention them. Appion the Alex- andrian, would have it derived from the Egyptian word Sahho ; as Josephus informs us, Cont. App. lib. 2, in which place the reader may also see the signifi- cation of that word. Plutarch derives it from Sabboi, because the priests and devotees of Bacchus used, in their furious services, to cry out ' Evoi SabboL' Sym- pos. lib. iv. cap, 15. Lactantius, with others of the ancients, fell into a mistake equally great, though less offensive. *' That (saith he) is the Sabbath day, which in the Hebrew tongue receives its name from the number ; whence the septenary number signifies legitimate and full." Instit. lib. 7. cap. 14. Procopius Gazaeus on the Pentateuch, has a singular conceit. Speaking of the tenth of the month Tizri, termed Sabbaton Sabbat, he calls it the day of the conception of the fore-runner, John the Baptist, when the re- mission and repentance which he preached began ; and thence conjectures the etymology of the Sabbath to be from Sabachta, which in Syriac signifies remis" sioji, that day being remitted holy unto the Lord. The vanity'' of these conjectures must be apparent to all. 3. The word also has other forms in the Old Testa- ment ; as, pn3i:r, Sabbaton, Exod. xvi. 23 ; xxxv. 2, and, nac^tt, Mishbatj the same signification being still retained. Neither is this word peculiarly sacred as to what it denotes, but is used to express things 14 common or profane, — even any cessation, resting, or giving over. The first time it occurs, (Gen. iu 3,) it is rendered in the Targum by, nj, 7iah, a common word signifying to rest ; see also Isaiah xiv. 4 ; xxiv. 8, and many other places. It is also applied to signify a week, because every seven days had a Sabbath neces- sarily included in it : — " Ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, &c. — seven Sabbaths shall be complete," i. e. weeks, each having a Sabbath for its close ; for the reckoning was to expire at the end of the seventh Sabbath. Lev. xxiii. 15, l6. And this place being expounded by Onkelos in his Targum of a week, Nachmanides says of it, that if it be so, (which he also grants and pleads,) then " there will be two tongues in one verse," or the same word used twice with different significations; viz. that the word skahatk should denote both the holy day of rest, and also a week of days. And he gives another instance in Judges x. 4, — " And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities ;" where the same word signifies colts of asses, and also, cities. The common number seven is also expressed by it ; as in Lev. xxv. 8 ; " Thou shalt number seven sab- baths of years unto thee ;" that is, as expounded in the next words, *' seven times seven years ;" seven years being called a Sabbath of years, because of the land's resting every seventh year, in answer to the rest of the church every seventh day. (See the Targum on Isaiah Iviii. 3 ; Esther ii. 9.) Moreover, because of the rest that was common to the weekly Sabbath, with all other sacred feasts instituted by Moses, in their stated monthly or annual revolutions, these latter were also called Sabbaths, as shall hereafter be proved. 15 And as the Greeks and Latins made use of this word, borrowed from the Hebrew, so the Jews, ob- serving that their Sabbath day had its name, dies Sattirni, from Saturn, (as among us it is still called Saturday,) called that planet "TiaD", Shibti, and "•j^nsc, Shabbeiai ; whence some of them even now take occasion to please themselves with vain imaginations. Thus Rabbi Isaac Caro, commending the excellency of the seventh day, says, '' that Saturn is the planet of that day, the whole being denominated from the first hour ;" and afterwards, '^ that he therefore hath power on that day to renew the strength of our bodies, as also to influence our minds to understand the spirit of God. He is the planet of Israel, as the astrologers acknowledge ; and in his portion is the rational soul ; and in the parts of the earth, the house of the sanc- tuary ; and among tongues, the Hebrew tongue ; and among laws, the law of Israel." So far he : whether be can make good his claim to the relation of the Jews unto Saturn, or their pretended advantage on supposition thereof, I leave to our astrologers to de- termine, since I know nothing of these things. And because their rest fell on this day, many of the heathen in their turn thought, that the Jews dedicated the day and its religion to Saturn. Thus Tacitus says they did so, " either because the Idaeans, whom we have stated were expelled with Saturn, and were the founders of the nation, delivered to them the prin- ciples of their religion ; or because the star of Saturn, of the seven planets by which mortals are governed, moves in the highest orb, and with the greatest power j and most of the heavenly bodies perform their revolutions by septenary numbers." (Hist, lib. v.) 16 With such fables did the most dihgent of the heathen suffer themselves to be deluded ; whereby a prejudice was kept up in their minds against the only true God and his worship. The word is also sometimes doubled, by a pure Hebraism ; as in 1 Chron. ix. 32, ilDl^r, nsar, shahaih shahath, i. e. every Sabbath. And it is somewhat variously used in the conjunction of another form, as TS^V ]^^\2'^, sabbaton shabath, Exod. xvi. 23, xxxv. 2 ; and pnaur nzi^j shabath sabbaton^ Exod. xxxi. 15, Lev. XXV. 4. We render pn3li^, sabbaton, by rest, the * rest of the Sabbath,* and *a Sabbath of rest. Where sabbaton is prefixed, it seems to be equal to Sabbatulum, Bndi to denote the entrance into the Sabbath or the preparation for it ; particularly that more solemn pre- paration when ' a great Sabbath' or * high day* ensued. Such was the Sabbath before the passover, the time between the two evenings being the Sabbatulum. And this various use of the word was adopted among the Greeks and Latins also ; for, as they bor- rowed the mord from the Jews, so did they its use. The Greek a-a^^xTov, sabbaton, is merely the Hebrew pnaur, sabbaton, or perhaps formed by the addition of their usual termination from r\2'^, shabat ; whence also the Apostle frames his crct^^aTi(ri/.o<;, Sabbatismos. The Latin Sabbatum is the same. And they use this word, though rarely, to express the last day of the week ; as Suetonius says, that Diogenes the grammarian used to dispute at Rhodes ' Sabbatis' — on the Sabbaths, i. e. every Saturday. The Seventy always thus express the seventh day Sabbath, and frequently use it for a week also. In the New Testament, *' I fast twice on the Sabbath" (o-a|3^aTov, Luke xviii. 12) means two days 17 in the week ; and ' the day of the Sabbath' (^ vifAepa rav a-a^^aray, Acts xiii. 14) is that day of the week which was set apart for a sabbatical rest. Hence, />wa a-aB^a^ rm, mia sabbaton, ' one day of the Sabbaths/ which frequently occurs, is the same with TtftaT'/j ^^So/xaSo?, prote hebdomados, ' the first day of the week / the nu* raeral being often put for the cardinal. 4. About the time when the books of the New Testament were written, both the Jews themselves and the Heathen that noticed them, called all their feasts and solemn assemblies, their Sabbaths, because they did no servile work in them ; in which respect they partook of the nature of the weekly Sabbath. Thus the first day of the feast of trumpets (which was to be on the first day of the second month, what day soever of the week it happened to be on) was called a Sabbath. Lev. xxiii. 24. This Scaliger well observes and proves ; (Emend. Temp. lib. iii. ; Canon. Isagog* lib. iii. p. 213;) and it is further evident from the frequent mention of the sabbatical Jasis of the Jews, since it was not lawful for them to fast on the weekly Sabbath. So Augustus to Tiberius in Suetonius, say^ " Not even the Jew, my Tiberius, observes a fast on the Sabbaths so willingly, as I have observed it this day." Juvenal also has : " Where kings bare- footed observe the solemn Sabbaths." And Martial : "And will not compel the Sabbath fasts by law ;"-^ speaking, as he thought, in contradiction to them. Horace likewise mentions their Tricesima Sabbata, (or thirtieth day Sabbaths,) which were no other than their new moons. Maimonides, in his tract on the Sabbath, cap. 29, speaking of their 'good days or feasts* says expressly, " they are all Sabbaths to the 18 Lord." And finally the Apostle accommodates himself to this manner of speaking, usual in those days, when he says, '^ Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbaths ;" — that is, any of the Jewish feasts whatever, then called Sabbaths. From this usage some think to expound that vexed expression, a-af^fiarov devrepcTTpurov, sabbaton deuteroprO' ton, Luke vi. 1, which we render * the second Sabbath after the first.' Thus Suidas says of it : " It was the second day of the passover, and the first of unleavened bread. And wonder not that it is called a Sabbath, for they called every feast day a Sabbath." Theophylact gives another day, but the same reason for it : '^ The Jews call every feast a Sabbath, for Sabbath is rest : ofttimes, therefore, there fell a feast on the day of pre- paration, and they called that preparation a Sabbath, because it was a feast. Wherefore, the proper Sabbath they called ' the second after the first (deuteroproton,) as being the second from the feast and Sabbath going before." Chrysostom allows the same reason, Horn. xxxix. Isidore Pelusiota fixes again on another day, but still for the same reason ; " It was called deutero* poton, because it was the second of the passover, the first of unleavened bread ;" which he also shews was called a Sabbath, upon the general account of all the Jewish feasts being so called. But this is expressly contrary to Scripture, which makes the day spoken of to be the proper weekly Sab- bath, whereon depended the question that arose about its observance : see Matt. xii. 11. We are beholden to Scaliger for the true meaning of this expression, which so puzzled the ancients ; and concerning which 19 Gregory Nazianzen turned away Jerome with a scoff, scarcely becoming his gravity, when he inquired of him what might be the meaning of it. Scaliger con- jectures, that it was so called, ** because it was the first Sabbath from the second day of unleavened bread." For on that day they offered the handful or sheaf of new fruits ; and from that day they counted seven weeks unto Pentecost. And the Sabbaths of those weeks were reckoned from the second day of un- leavened bread ; and the first that followed was called deuteroproton. See his Emendat. Tempoi\ lib. 6, and Isagog. Canon, p. 218 ; to which testimony his mortal adversary, Dionysius Petavius (Animad. in Epiph. N. 31 ; p. 64) subscribes, who will not allow him ever to have spoken rightly, except in what the wit of man can find no tolerable objection against. But this calling of their feasts Sabbaths, with the reason of it, is noticed by all the principal authors of the Jews, as in Lib. Tzeror. Hammor. on Lev. p. 102, it is written, " Because all solemn days are called holy convocations, they are all so called from the Sabbath, which is holy ; wherefore the Sabbath is the head of all solemn feasts, and they are all of them called Sabbaths of rest." 5. Some of the ancient Christians, in their inter- course with the Heathen, called the day, which Chris- tians then observed in the room of the Jewish seventh day. Sun-day ; as those who deal with others must express things by the names current among them, unless they intend to be as barbarians unto them. Thus Justin Martyr says, ^' We all hold our meeting in common on Sunday." (Apol. 2.) Had he said on the Sabbath, the Gentiles would have concluded it to have been the Judaical Sabbath. Had he called it th^ 20 JLorcTs dAy, they would not have known what day he meant ; whilst the name of ' the Jirsi day of the week,' taken up signally by Christians upon the resurrection of Chnst, was not in use among them. Wherefore he was -compelled to call that day, which he wished to distinguish, by the name used by those to whom he spake— 'Sunday. So Tertullian, treating with the same sort of men, calls it Sunday; (Apol. cap. 16;) and Eusebius, reporting the edicts of Constantine for the observance of the Lord's day, as it is termed in them, adds, " that it is the day which we call Sunday." Nevertheless, among Christians themselves this name was not in common use, but by some was rejected with the other names of days used by Pagans. Thus Augustin on Psalm xciii, speaks of the fourth day of the week; "which (says he) is called the day of Mercury by Pagans, and by many Christians. But we would have it otherwise, and wish they were re* formed, so as not thus to call it." And Jerome (in Ejnsl. ad Algas.J says, " that the first day of the week is the Lord's day, the week being divided into the first, second, third, &c. days of the week, which the Heathen call by the names of planets and idols." He, therefore, rejects the use of ordinary names ; whilst Philastrius makes the use of them among Christians almost heretical. (Num. 3.) All the eastern nations, among whom the planetary denomination of the days of the week first began, have, since their casting off that kind of idolatry, rejected the use of those names ; being therein more religious, or more superstitious than most Christians. Thus the Arabians call Friday, which is the day of their 21 worship, Giuma, and the Persians, Adina, The rest of the days of the week they discriminate by their natural order in the weekly revolution — first, second, third. Sec ; except that some of them have a special name occasionally imposed on them. The church of Rome, from a decree, as they suppose or pretend, of Pope Sylvester, reckon all the days of the week by Jirstj second, Szc. ; only their writers for the most part retain the name Sabbath, and use Lord's day for the first day. The Rhemists, on Bev, i. 10, condemn the name of Sunday as heathenish ; and Polydore Virgil indeed before them, says, " Certainly one ought to blush and grieve, that Christian names have not been given before this to those days : let not the gods of the Gentiles have so memorable a monument among us." De Invent. Rev, lib. vi. cap. 5. Many severe expressions, against the use of the common planetary names, occur among sundry of the ancients ; and at the first relinquishment of Gentilism, it had doubtless been well if those names of Baalim had been taken out of the mouths of men, especially as the retaining of them has been of no use or advan- tage. As they are now riveted into custom, and claim their station on such a prescription, as in some mea- sure takes away the corruption of their use, I judge that they are not to be contended about ; for they are become mere notes of distinction, the cause of their imposition being, amongst the many, utterly unknown. Only I must add, that the severe and contemptuous reflections, which I have heard poured out against those, who — ^^it may be out of weakness, it may be out of a better judgment — abstain from using them, argue a want of that charity which becomes those who judge 22 themselves strong. They have, at least, a fiufncient plea to vindicate them from the contempt of any ; for there are places of Scripture which seem so far to countenance them, that if they mistake in their appli- cation, it is a mistake to which others are liable in things of greater importance. For it is given as the will of God,' — '' Make no mention of the names of other gods, neither let them be heard out of thy mouth ;" (Exod. xxiii. 13 ;) and it cannot be denied, that the names of the days of the week were the names of heathen gods. The prohibition is renewed in Joshua ii. 7 ; and ex- tended in Deut. xii. 3, to a command *^ to destroy and lAGi out the names of the gods of the people ;" which nevertheless are retained by this means. Thus the children of Reuben, building the cities formerly called Nebo and Baal-Meon, changed their names, because, these were the names of heathen idols. (Numb, xxxii. 38.) And David mentions it as a part of his integrity, '' that he would not take up the names of idols in his lips." Psalm xvi. 4. Grant, then, that the objections arising thence, against the use of the names of the days of the week, may be answered, from a consideration of the change of times and circumstances ; yet, cer- tainly there is, as before observed, an appearance of warrant in them, sufficient to secure those from con- tempt and reproach, who are hence prevailed on to use other names. 6'. But if there be a name^iven in the Scriptures to a day of rest, there is a peculiar reason why it should be called by that name, and by no other. Thus it un- questionably was under the Old Testament : God him- self had assigned a name to the day of sacred rest, then enjoined to be observed by the church, and it 23 was not lawful for the Jews to call it by any other name in use among the heathen. It was to be called the Sabbath day — the Sabbath of the Lord. In the New Testament there is, as we shall presently see, a signal mark put on the iirst day of the week ; whence some thus call their day of rest, and contend that it ought so to be called. But this only respects the order and relation of such a day to the other days of the week, which is natural, and has no respect to any thing sacred^ and the first use of it, upon the resurrection of our Lord, was only particularly to de- note the time. But there is a day mentioned by John in the Revelation, (which we shall afterwards consider,) that he calls ' the Lord's day :' which appellation, whatsoever day be designed, is neither natural nor civil, nor does it relate to any thing in nature, or in the common usage of men. It must, therefore, be sacred ; and may comprehend various considerations. It is the Lord's day — the day that he has taken to be his lot or special portion among the days of the week, taking possession of it, as it were, at his resurrection. In the same manner that his people are his lot and portion in the world, and, therefore, called his people. It is also, or may be, his day subjectively ; or the day whereon his business and affairs are principally trans- acted. For^ as the poet has it — ^ Tydeos ilia dies,* (that was Tydeus' day,) Jbecause he v.-as principally concerned in the affairs of it, so this is the day in which the person and mediation of the Lord Christ are made the principal objects of business and worship. And it may further be called the Lord's day, because appointed by him, or by his authority over the diurch, c 2 24 to be observed ; as the ordinance of the supper is called * the supper of the Lord,' on the same account. On supposition, therefore, that such a day of rest is to be observed under the New Testament, the name whereby it ought to be called is, the Lord's day ; which is peculiarly expressive of its relation to our Lord Jesus Christ, the sole author and immediate object of all gospel worship. But whereas the general notion of a sabbatical rest is still included in such a day, a superaddition of its relation to the Lord Christ, will entitle it to the appellation of the Lord's day SABBATH ; i. e. the day of sacred rest appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, most probably, in the continuation of the Old Testament phraseology, it is called the Sabbath day ; (Matt, xxiv* 20 ;) and in Hebrews iv. 9^ comes under the general notion of a Sabbatism. EXERCITATION IIL On the Origin of the Sabbath. JcIaving fixed the name, the thing itself falls next under consideration; the order of pursuing which, shall be, to inquire first into its origin, and then into its causes: for the true stating of the former, will 25 throw great light on the latter, as also on its duration. If it began with the world, it probably had a cause cognate to the existence of the world, and so must in duration be commensurate with it ; but if, on the contrary, it owe its rise to succeeding generations, amongst some peculiar sort of men, its cause was ar- bitrary and occasional, and its continuance uncertain : since every thing which had such a beginning in the worship of God, was limited to some seasons only, and had a time detei*rained for its expiration. And, indeed, no concern of this day has fallen under more diligent, severe, and learned dissertations ; very eminent men having entertained contrary opinions, and defended them with much learning and variety of reading. 1 shall only notice the principal topics in this matter, and briefly call the different apprehensions both of Jews and Christians to a just examination. Neither shall I omit the consideration of any opinion, the an- tiquity of which, or the authority of its defenders, ever gave it reputation, though now it may be generally exploded; as not knowing, in that revolution of opinions which we are under, how soon it may have a revival. 1. The Jews (that we may begin with those, with whom some think the Sabbath began) are divided among themselves about the origin of the Sabbath, no less than Christians: yea, to speak the truth, their divisions and different apprehensions about this matter of fact, have been the occasion of ours ; and their authority is pleaded to countenance the mistakes of others. Many of many assign the origin, or first re- velation of the Sabbath, to the wilderness station of the people in Marah ; others of them make it coeval witli cS 26 the world. The first opinion is countenanced by the Talmud ; (Gemar. Babylon. Tit. Sab. cap. 9, and Tit. Sanedr. cap. 7- ;) and the tradition of it is embraced by so many of their masters and commentators, that our learned Selden contends for it, as the common and prevailing opinion among them ; and endeavours to answer all that is or may be urged to the contrary. And, indeed, there is scarce any thing of moment in antiquity, as to matter of fact about the Sabbath, whether it be Jewish, Christian, or Heathen, but what he has heaped together in the third book of his ' Jus Gentium apiid Hebrcjeos.' Marah was the first station that the children of Israel fixed in, after their coming up out of the Red Sea ; having previously wandered in the wilderness without finding water, so that they were ready tp faint. The report of this their thirst and wandering was famous among the heathen, and mixed by them with vain and monstrous fables. One of the wisest amongst them, Tacitus, puts as many lies together about it, as he well can in a few words ; (Tacit. Histor. lib. V. ;) feigning, * that by following some wild asses, they were led to water, and so made an end of their thirst and wandering ; on account of which they after- wards consecrated in their temple the image of an ass.' Others of them say, that they wandered six days, and found water on the seventh, which was the occasion of their perpetual observation of the seventh day rest. Now, in their journey from the Red Sea to Marah, they were particularly pressed with wandering and thirst ; (Exod. xv. 22 ;) but this was only for three days, not seven. The story of the ass's image, or head con* 27 secrated amongst them, was taken from what fell out afterwards about the golden calf; which made them vile among the nations, and exposed them to their obloquy. The waters which they then found being bitter, they called the name of the place Marah, i. e. bitterness. Hither, I repeat, they came on the third day ; for although it is said, that they went three days in the wilderness and found no water, after which, mention is made of their coming to Marah ; yet it was in the evening of the third day, for they pitched that night in Marah. (Compare Exodus xv. 22, 23, and Numb, xxxiii. 8.) Here after their murmuring for the bitterness of the waters, and the miraculous cure of them, it is added in the story, ' there the Lord made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, &c.' (ver. 25,) What this statute and ordinance v/ere, is not de- clared ; but they are suggested by the Talmudical masters. The one, say they, was the ordinance con- cerning the Sabbath : about the other they are not so well agreed ; some referring it to the Jiftk command- ment; others to the ceremonies of the red heifer, with whose ashes the water of sprinkling was to be min- gled, and for which conjecture they want not such reasons, as are usual among them. The first two they confirm from the repetition of the law, in Deut. v. 14, 15; for there those words, 'as the Lord thy God commanded thee,' are distinctly added to those two precepts, the fourth and Jtflh, and to no other ; and this, they say, could arise from no other cause, but because God had before given them unto the people in Marah. This is one of the principal ways whereby they confirm their imaginations ; fully to establish the C4 28 truth of which, the Baal Hatturim, or small gema- trical annotations on the Masoretic Bibles adds, that in the words before mentioned, the final numeral letters, make up the same number with marah, m^^ the name of the place where these laws were given. This is the sum of what is pleaded in this case ; but every one may see the vanity of these pretences, and how easy it is for any one to frame a thousand such, who knows not how to spend his time better. Aben Ezra and Abarbinel both confess, that the words used in the repetition of the law, (Deut. v,) refer to the giving of it on Mount Sinai. And if we must seek for especial reasons of the inserting of those words, besides the sovereign pleasure of God, there are not wanting such, as are far more probable than these of the masters. For instance, the one of these commandments closes up the Jirst table, concerning the worship of God, and the other heads the second table, concerning our duties amongst ourselves; therefore, this memorial, * as the Lord thy God commanded thee,' is expressly annexed to them, intended to be distinctly applied ta all the rest. The fourth command is, as it were, cuslos, or keeper of the whole first table ; since our owning of God to be our God, and our worship of him according to his mind, were to be solemnly ex- pressed on the day of rest, commanded to be observed for that purpose : and if the latter be neglected, the former will certainly be neglected also ; whence a re- membrance to observe this day is so strictly enjoined. And the fifth commandment is apparently custos of the second table ; as containing the means of exacting the observation of all its duties, or of punishiDg the neglect and disobedience of them. 29 There is another reason for the peculiar appropria- tion of these two precepts by that memorial to this people. They had now given them an especial typical concern in them, which did not at all belong to the rest of mankind, who were otherwise equally con- cerned in the Decalogue with themselves. For, whereas in the fourth commandment, no more wa» previously required, than that one day in seven should be observed as a sacred rest ; they were now precisely confined to the seventh day, in order from the finishing of the creation, or the establishing of the law and covenant of works. And this was with respect to, and in confirmation of, that ordinance, which gave them the seventh day Sabbath in a peculiar manner ; that is, the seventh day after six days raining of manna, Exod. xvi. In the other instance, the promise annexed of prolonging their days, had a peculiar re- spect to the land of Canaan. Either of these is a far more probable reason of the annexing those words, ' as ' the Lord thy God commanded thee,' to those two com- mandments, than that fixed on by the Talmudists. Herein only I agree with them, that both these com- mands were given alike in Marah; and I suppose none will deny one of them to be a principal dictate of the law of nature. As to the words mentioned, a statute and an ordinance, the meaning of them is plainly expounded in the same place : (Exod. xv. 26 :) God then declared this unto them as his unchangeable ordinance and institution, and that he would bless them on their obedience, and punish them upon their unbelief and rebellion : and they had experience of his faithfulness to their cost. c5 3a Moreover this station of Marah, was on or kbout the twenty-fourth day of Nisan, or April ; whilst the first solemn observation of the Sabbath in the wilder- ness was upon the twenty-second of Jiar, the month following; as may easily be evinced from Moses' journal. There were, therefore, twenty-seven days between this supposed institution of the Sabbath, and the first solemn observation of it. For they first began their journey out of Egypt on the fifteenth day of Nisan, or the first month. On the twenty-fourth of that month they pitched in Marah ; and it was the fifteenth day of Jiar, or the second month, before they entered the wilderness of Sin ; where is the first men- tion of their solemn observation of the Sabbath, upon the occasion of the gathering of manna. Between these two seasons three Sabbaths must needs inter- vene; and those immediately upon its first institution, if this fancy may be admitted : and yet the rulers of the congregation looked upon the people's preparation for observing it as an unusual thing ; which could, not have happened, had it received so fresh an insti- tution. Compare Exod. xvi. 1, 22 — 24, and Numb, xxxiii. 3 — 11. Besides, these masters themselves, and Raski in par- ticular, (who in his comment on the place promotes this fancy,) grant that Abraham observed the Sabbath • but they say he received its law and ordinances by peculiar favor and special revelation. Be it so ; yet it was the great commendation of Abraham, given him by God himself, * that he would command his children and, houshold after him, to keep the way of the Lord.* (Gen. xviii. 19.) Whatever ordinance, therefore, he re- ceived from God, concerning any thing to be observed 31 in his worship, it was a part of his fideh'ty to commu- nicate that knowledge to his posterity, and to teach them its observance. His children and houshold, therefore, must of necessity, on these men's own prin- ciples, have been instructed in the doctrine and ob- servation of the Sabbath, before this pretended insti- tution of it. Should we, then, allow what the generality of the Rabbins assert, that the law of the Sabbath was first given in Marah ; yet the whole, being a merely curious and groundless conjecture, ought to be rejected. Not what these men say^ but what they prove, is to be ad- mitted : and he who with much diligence has col- lected testimonies out of them for this purpose, has only proved what they thought, — not what is the truth. Yet upon this fond imagination is built their general opinion, that the Sabbath was given only to Israel, is the Spouse of Ihe Synagogue, and belongs not to the rest of mankind ! They may be permitted to please themselves with such dreams; but that these things should be pleaded by Christians against the true origin and use of the Sabbath, is somewhat strange. If any, however, think their assertions in this matter to be of weight, they ought also to admit what the Jews add thereto ; namely, ' that all the Gentiles shall once a week keep a Sabbath in heli.' But this opinion is not universr! among them ; some of their most famous masters being otherwise minded. For they both judge that the Sabbath was instituted in Paradise, and that the law of it was equally obligatory upon all nations in the world. Of this mind are Maimonides, Aben-Ezra, Abarbinel, and others ; who expressly refer the revelation of the Sab- c6 32 bath to the sanctifying and blessing of the first seventh day. The Targum, on the title of Psalm xcu, ascribes that Psalm to Adam, as spoken by him on the Sabbath day : whence Austin esteemed this to be the general opinion of the Jews. (Tractat. xx. in Johan.) And Manasse Ben Israel (Lib. de Great. Problem viii.) proves from sundry of their own authors, that the Sabbath was given to, and observed by the patriarchs, before the coming of the people into the wilderness : particularly by Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph ; which he confirms by testimonies of Scrip- ture, not to be despised. Philo Judaeus and Josephus, both of them more ancient and learned than any of the Talmudical doctors, expressly assign the origin of the Sabbath to that of the world. Philo calls it, ' the day of the world's nativity ;' and ' a feast, not of one city or country, but of the whole world.* (De Opificio Mundi ; et de Vita Mos. lib. ii. And see Josephus lib. ii. cont. Appion.) The words of Abarbinel are sufficiently express in this matter : ' He sanctified and separated the seventh day unto glory and honor, because on its approach the work of heaven and earth was perfected and finished : even as a man when he has performed an honorable work, and perfected it, makes a banquet and a day of feasting.' Maimonides is still plainer : he distinguishes their sacred feasts into the weekly Sabbath, and those that depended upon the appearing of the new moon. The first he calls Sabbath Berescldth, the Sabbath instituted at the creation; which he says, was given to every man, because there is no more required for its due observa- tion in point of time, than that a man be able to reckon six days, and so rest on the seventh. But all S3 feasts, that depended on the variations of the moon, were peculiar to themselves, and the determination of them left to the Sanhedrim. For they trusted not to astronomical computations, as regarded the changes of the moon, but sent persons to sundry high places to watch and observe her first appearances ; and if they answered the general established rules, then they proclaimed the beginning of the feast. (See his Tract Ridush, Hackodesh, cap. 1 and 2.) And Philippus Guadagnolus (Apol. pro Christiana Relig. Part 1, cap. 8) shews, that Ahmed Ben Zin, a Persian Ma- hometan, whom he confutes, affirmed, that the insti- tution of the Sabbath was from the creation of the world. This indeed he reflects upon in his adversary, with a saying out of tlie Koran, where those that sab- batize are cursed ; but this will not serve his purpose; for in the Koran respect is had to the Jewish Sabbath, or the seventh day of the week precisely ; whereas one day of seven only is pleaded by Ahmed to have been appointed from the foundation of the world. I know some learned men have endeavoured to elude most of the testimonies, which are produced to mani- fest the opinion of the more ancient Jews in this matter ; but I know also that their exceptions might be easily removed, would the nature of our present design admit of a contest for that purpose. 2. We come now to the consideration of tliose opinions concerning the origin of the Sabbath, which are embraced and contended for among learned — yea and urdearned men, of the present age and church. The first is, that the Sabbath had its institution, pre- cept, or warrant for its observation, in Paradise before the fall of man, immediately upon the finishing of the 34 works of creation ; which opinion is chiefly founded on a double testimony, one in the Old Testament, and the other in the New ; and both seem to me of so uncontrollable evidence, that I have often won- dered how any sober and learned persons undertook to evade their force. I. The first is that of Gen. ii. 1—3; 'That the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them; and on the seventh day God ended his work, which he had made, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work, which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work, which God had created and made.' There is, indeed, somewhat in this text, which has proved a difficulty to the Jews, and somewhi»t which the Heathen took offence at. That which troubles the Jews is, that God is said to have finished his work on the seventh day. for they feared that somewhat might be hence drawn to the prejudice of their ab- solute rest on the seventh day, whereon it seems God himself wrought in the finishing of his work. And Jerome judged, that they might be justly charged with this consideration. ' We will urge the Jews,' saith he, ' who boast of their sabbatical rest, with this; viz. that the Sabbath was broken or dissolved from the beginning, whilst God wrought in it, finishing his work, and blessed the day, because in it he finished all things.* Hence the Seventy read the words by an open corruption, (' on the sixth day ;' Iv i^ r,u.€2% r^ e'/tT'/;,) wherein they are followed by the Syriac and Samaritan versions. And the Rabbins grant tliat this 35 was done on purpose ; that it might not be thought that God made any thing on the seventh day. But this scruple was every way needless : foi' do but sup- pose that (yekcil, V^'i,) which expresses the time past, intends the preterpluperfect tense, (as the preterper- fect in the Hebrew must do, when occasion requires,) and it is plain that God had perfected his work, before the beginning of the seventh day's rest. And so are the words well rendered by Junius ; ' Quum autem perfecisset Deus die septimo opus suum quod fecerat ;' When God had perfected on the seventh day his work which he had made, or we may say, Comple- verat die septimo ; — had completed, &c. That which the Heathen took offence at, was the rest here ascribed unto God ; as though he had been wearied with his work. ''^he sense of this expression we shall explain afterwards. In the mean time it is certain, that the word here used often signifies only to cease, or give over, without respect either to weariness or rest ; as in Job xxxii. 1 ; 1 Sam. xxv. (>. So that no cause of offence was given in the appli- cation of it to God himself. Philo, however, (Lib. de Opific. Mund.) refers God's rest to his contempla- tion of the works of his hands, and that not im- properly, as we shall see. Set aside prejudice, hov»ever, and pre-conceived opinions, and any man would think that the institu- tion of the Sabbath is here as plainly expressed, as m the fourth commandment. The words are the con- tinuation of a plain historical narration : for having Imished the account of the creation of the world in the first chapter, and given a recapitulation of it i:i the first verse of this, Moses declares what imme- 36 y all that truly feared the Lord, although the par- ticulars of it be not recorded. 2. It was from no other origin, that the tradition of the sacred nature of the septenary number was so universal among nations in general, and particularly among individual persons, that were inquiring and contemplative. Not only that sort of philosophers, who expressed their apprehensions mystically by num- bers, (as the Pythagoreans and some of the Platonics,) esteemed the septenary number sacred ; but those also who resolved their observations into things natural or physical. For in all their notions and speculations about the Pleiades and Triones in heaven ; lunar changes, sounds of instruments, variations in the age of man, critical days in bodily distempers, and trans- actions of affairs private and public, they had respect to it. It must, therefore, be granted, that there is a great impression left on the whole creation of a regard to this number, instances of which might be multi- plied ; and the ground of them was no other than an 60 emanation from the old tradition of the creation of the worlds and the rest that ensued on the seventh day. When this notion was obscured or lost among them, (as the greatest and most important sacred truths, com- municated to man in his creation, were lost,) many of them, still retaining the principle of the sacred number, invented other reasons for it ; some of whicli were arithmetical, some harmonical or musical : and hence it was termed by them the virgin, and Pallas, and Kairos, (Ka*/}o?,) whicli sacredly, saith Hesychius, is the number seven. However weak their reasons, then, the thing itself was still retained ; and it is hard to give any other account, whence all these conceptions should arise, besides that insisted on ; viz. the original im- pression made on the minds of men by the instruction of the law of creation, wJiich they were made under ; and the tradition of the creation of the world in six days, closed with an additional day of sacred rest. 2. Neither was the number seven only sacred amongst them ; but there are testimonies produced, out of the most ancient heathen writers, expressing a notion of a seventh day's sacred f east and rest. Many of these were ci:' oltl collected by Clemens Alexandrinus, and by Eusebius, out of Aristobulus, a learned Jew. * • The words of Aristobulus, with which he prefaces his allega- tion of them, are in Eusebius 5 (Praepar. Evangel, lib. xiii. cap. 1?;) where he says, speaking of the seventh day, '♦ Homer and Hesiod, taking it out of our books, do openly affirm that it is sacred." That what they affirm herein was taken from the Jewish books I much question ; nor do I think that in their time, when the law only was written, the nations of the world had any acquaintance with their writings : and not much until after the Babylonish captivity, when they began to be taken notice of, being diffused 61 Out of Hesiod he cites the following testimonies ; " The first, the fourth, and the seventh day is sacred." *' The seventh again, which is the sacred light of the sun." Out of Homer : " Then came the seventh daif that is sacred." — " It was the seventh day wherein all things were finished."—" We left the flood of Acheron on the seventh cfoy.''— -To which he subjoins an in- genious exposition about the relinquishing of the oblivion of error, by virtue of tlio sacredness of the number seven. He adds, also, out of Linus : " The seventh day wherein all things were finished." — " I'he seventh day is among the best things, and the seventh is the nativity ; the seventh is amongst the cliief things, and the seventh is the perfect day."—." In seven all things were perfected in the starry heaven, which appear in their circles in the revolving years.** Testimonies to the same purpose may be taken out of the Roman writers. Thus Tibullus, giving an account of the excuses he made for his unwillingness to leave Rorae, says ; " Either I laid it on the birds ; (he had no encouraging augury ;) or bad omens de- tained me on the sacred day of Saturn.'' Lib. i. Eleg. 3. I shall not from these testimonies contend, that the heathen did generally allow and observe one day sacred in the week ; but I cannot grant, on the other hand, that those ancient assertions of Linus, Homer, through the Persian empire, by their commerce with the Greeks, who inquired into all things that had an appearance of secret wisdom. But these apprehensions, whatever they were, seem rather to have been derived from the secret suggestions of the law of creation, and the tradition that was in the world of the matter of fact. • 62 and Hesiod are to be interpreted by the later Roman writers, who ascribe the seventh day's sacred feast to the Jews in the way of reproach : as Ovid ; " Stay not (thy journey) for foreign Sabbaths ;" and again* " The seventh day feast observed by the Jew." Nor shall I plead the testimony of Lampridius, concerning the emperor Alexander Severus, who went to the Capitol and the temples on the seventh day ; for in those times he might learn that observance from the Jews, whose customs he had opportunity of being acquainted with,- For all ancient traditions were before this time utterly worn out, or inextricably corrupted ; and when the Jews, in their intercourse with the Romans, after the wars of Pompey, began to represent them again, the generality despised them all, from their hatred and contempt of that people. I know that sundry learned men (especially two of late, Gomarus and Selden) have endeavoured to shew, that the testimonies, usually produced in this case, do not prove what they are advanced for. They have taken great pains to refer them all to the sacred- ness of the septenary number mentioned before ; or to the seventh day of the month, sacred, as is pre- tended, on account of the birth of Apollo ; to which, indeed, it is evident Hesiod has respect. But the authority of Aristobulus and Clemens is not to be despised. Something they knew undoubtedly of the state of things in the world in their own days, and those that went before ; and they not only quote the testimonies already brought forward; but also assert, that the sacredness of one of the seven days was gene- rally admitted by all. The testimonies of Philo and Josephus, also, are so express to the purpose, that their 63 force cannot be waived, without offering violence to their words. The words of Philo we expressed before ; and Josephus, in his second book against Appion, says positively, " There is no citj' of the Greeks, nor Barbarians, nor any nation whatever, to whom our custom of resting on the seventh day is not come :" and this, in the words foregoing, he affirms to have been from a long time before. Further, Lucian, in his Pseudologista, tells us, that children at school were exempted from studying on the seventh days. And Tertullian in his Apology, (cap. iQ,) tells the Gentiles of their Sabbaths or feasts on Saturday. But yet, as before stated, I shall grant, that the observa- tion of a weekly sacred feast is not proved by the testimonies produced ; which is all that those who oppose them labour to disprove. All I want to know is, from what origin these traditions were derived, and whether any can be assigned to them ; except that of the original institution of the Sabbatical rest. It is known, that this was common amongst them ; and that when they had a general notion or tradition l)f any thing, whose true cause they knew not, they would feign a reason for it, accommodated to their present apprehensions and practices ; as I have else- where proved. Having, therefore, among them the tradition of a seventh day's sacred rest, which was originally universal ; and having long lost the prac- tice and observance of it, as well as its cause and reason ; they laid hold on any thing to assign it to, which might have any resemblance to what was vulgarly received amongst them, or what they could divine in their more curious speculations. 4. The weekly revolution of time, generally ad- 64 mitted in the world, is also a great testimony to the original institution of the Sabbath. Of old it was universal, and is at present received among those nations, which had no acquaintance, until lately, witli any of tiiose parts of the world, where there is Scrip- tural light. All nations, I say, in all ages, have from time immemorial, made the revolution of seven days to be the first stated period of time. And this obser- vation is still continued throughout the world, unless among those who in other things are openly de- generated from the law of nature ; as those barbarous Indians who have no computation of times, but by sleeps, moons, and winters. The measure of time by a day and night, is evident to sense, by the diurnal course of the sun ; and lunar months, and solar years, are also of miavoidable observation among all rational creatures. Whence, therefore, all men have reckoned time by days, months, and years, is obvious; but whence the weekly period of time should make its entrance, and obtain universal admittance, no man can give an account ; but must refer it to some im- pressions on the minds of men, from the constitution and law of our natures, with the tradition of a sab- batical rest, instituted fiom the foundation of the world. Other origin, whether artificial and arbitrary, or occasional, it could not have: there are no traces of such a thing in the memorials of time past; neither is it likely that any thing of so low an origin or spring, should have been elevated to such a height, as to have diffused itself through the whole woild. So fixed was this computation of time on the minds of the Chaldeans and Egyptians, who retained the deep- est tincture of original traditions, that though tliey 65 knew not the reason of it, yet when they made a disposition of the days of the year into any other period, on accounts civil or sacred, tliey still retained this also. So the Romans, as appears by the frag- ments of their old Calendars, had their Nundinge, which were days of vacation from labour, on the eighth, or as some think the ninth days recurring, but made use also of the stated weekly period. It is of some consideration in this cause, and is usually urged to this purpose, that Noah observed the weekly revolution of days, in sending forth the dove out of the ark. (Gen. viii. 10 — 12.) That this was done accidentally, is not to be imagined ; nor can any reason be given, from the condition of the waters of the flood, why, notwithstanding the disappointment he met with the first and the second time, he should still abide seven days before he sent again. A revolu- tion of days, and that upon a sacred account, was doubtless attended to by him ; and I should suppose, that he sent out the dove the next day after the Sabbath, to see, as it were, whether God had returned again to rest in the works of his hands. And in Genesis xxix. 27, a week is spoken of as a known account of days or time : " fulfil her week ;" that is, not a week of i/ears, as he had done for Rachel ; but a week of da^s, in the festivals of his marriage with Leah. For it was the custom, in those ancient times of the world, to continue the celebration of a marriage feast for seven days, or a week ; as Judges xiv. 12 — 17> " The seven days of the feast," is spoken of as a thing commonly known, and in vulgar use. To weaken the force of this observation, it is pre- tended, that the ancient heathen, observing the 66 motions of the seven planetary luminaries, as they us6d and abused it to other ends, so they applied their number and names to so many days; which were thereby, as it were, dedicated to them, and shut up in that septenary number. But that the observation of the weekly revolution of time was from the philoso- phers, and not the common consent of the people, does not appear : for they observed, also, the twelve signs of the zodiac, and yet made that no rule to reckon time or days by. Besides, the observation of the site and position of the seven planets, as to their height or elevation with respect to one another, is as ancient as the observation of their peculiar and various motions ; upon the first discovery of which, all granted this to be their order, — Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Venus, Mercury, Luna. The modern hypothesis, which fixes the sun in the centre, is here of no consideration : for it is certain that all the world in former ages was otherwise minded ; and our argument is not, what really Vras true, but what was universally apprehended so to be. Whence, then, should it arise, if this limiting the first revolution of time to seven days proceeded from the planetary denominations, that the order among the planets should be so changed ? For in assigning the names of the planets to the days of the week, the middle is taken out first, and so the fourth in order comes next, until the whole cycle be finished. Dion Cassius (in book xxxvii of his Histories, the third of them that remain) inquires into this, and gives two reasons, which he tells us he had heard. The first is, that it was taken from the harmony, or the musical note, diatessaroji : for beginning, saith he, with Saturn 67 in the highest sphere, and passing to the fourth irt order, it is the sun ; and so throughout in the whole revolution. His other reason is ; that taking the day and night, beginning with the first hour, and assign- ing the name of a planet to each hour, (still beginning with Saturn, and the other planets in their order,) and so reviewing the numerations to the end of the four and twenty hours ; the first hour of the next day falls to the sun, of the day following to the moon, and the remainder to the other planets in the order commonly ascribed to them. Both these conjectures give the precedency of the first days, as they are fixed, to that, which, in the true and natural order of the days, is the last. There is a better account given us of this matter by Johannes Philiponus ; (de Creation. Mund. lib. 7, cap. 14.) After pressing the arguments already brought forward, as to the signs of the zodiac, &c. he adds ; " No reason can be assigned from the motions of the planets, why any one of the days is inscribed to any of them. It is most likely, therefore, that the Gentiles, as they without just reason or cause dedicate the planets by the names of daemons and heroes, so when they observed, that there were seven days ac- knowledged by all, and that the planets were so many in number, did according to their pleasure in the two equal numbers, and assign one day to one planet, another to another, &;c. Only the great Moses, being divinely inspired, hath delivered unto men the true reason of the septenary number of the days." There seems to be some reason for assigning the conduct of time to the sun, or calling the first day by his name ; as also for joining the moon to him in the next place ; for though in regard to its succession, the 68 sun tras created the fourth day ; yet considering its use, as regards that diffused light, which was created the first day ; its being the instrumental cause and measure of every day ; the tradition of the appoint- ment of sun and moon to rule and distinguish times and seasons ; and their sensible effects and operations ;— they might easily gain the pre-eminence by common consent, in giving names to the days of the week. The other names were added and applied according to some prevailing fictions concerning the planets, and their respect to men and their actions. But the weekly period of time was fixed long before the im- position of those names prevailed among the Greeks and Romans, which, perhaps, is not very ancient, as Dion thinks ; though he says they derived them from the Chaldseans and Egyptians. And that the acknow- ledgement of seven days gave occasion to fix to them the names of the seven planets, (and not that the observation of the seven planets gave occasion to com- pute the days, of the world by sevens,) is further manifest from hence ; that many nations, admitting the weekly revolution of time, gave the days in it quite other names ; as various reasons or occasions suggested. In the ancient Celtic or German tongue, and all languages derived thence, the sun and moon only, for the reasons before mentioned, give name to the leading days of the week ; the rest being dis- tinguished and signalized with the names of the conductors of their first great colonies, in the north- western parts of the world. For to fancy that Tuisco is the same with Mars, Woden with Mercury, Thor with Jupiter, and Frea with Venus, is to fancy what we please, without the least ground of probability. 69 Nor did the Celtae ever call the planets by those names; so that if there be any allusion in them to those of the Greeks and Romans, it was not taken from their natural speculation about the planets, but from the pleasing fictions about deified heroes ; wherein they were imitated by most nations in the world. The English and Dutch have taken in Satur. day from Saturn ; whilst other nations, of the same extraction, retain their own occasional names. The observation, therefore, of the seven planets, gave neither rise, reason, cause, nor occasion, to this original pe- riod of time in a weekly revolution of days. Hence Theophilus of Antioch (lib. ii. ad Antolychum) affirms, " that all mortal men agreed in the appellation of the seventh day -" whose testimony is of good force, though he mistakes the origin of that appellation. For by an error common to many of the ancients, who could not distinguish between nsttr, sahat, and i?3ttr, sahaOy he tells us, " that among the Hebrews it was called Sabbath, which in Greek is, week."^ It is also to this purpose observed by Rivet and Selden, (from Salmasius, out of Georgius Syncallus, in his chrono- logy,) that the patriarchs reckoned the times, or distinguished them by weeks only. This, therefore, is to me no small evidence of the institution and observation of the Sabbath from the foundation of the world. For hence did this period- ical revolution of time prevail amongst the nations ; even among those who had not the least converse with or knowledge of the Jews or their customs, after the command and observation of the Sabbath was renewed amongst them. Not that this evidence is of itself sufficient testimony to its original institution ; neither 70 that going before ; but the piety of the patriarchs, and traditions of the apostate gentiles, certainly eon* firm the time of that institution, which is so expressly recorded. On the cause of the hatred of the Romans and others towards the Jews. Having, however, mentioned the hatred of the Romans and others towards the Jews, after the con- quest of Jerusalem by Pompey, it may not be amiss to step aside, and briefly inquire into the reasons of it. 1. The principal cause, no doubt, was the God they worshiped, and the manner of his worship observed amongst them : for finding them to acknowledge and adore one only God, and that without the use of any kind of images, they perceived their own idolatry and superstition to be condemned thereby. And this had been the condition of that people under the former empires, of the Chaldaeans, Persians, and Greeks. God had appointed them to be his witnesses in the world, that he was God, and that there was none other ; (as in Isaiah xliv. 8 — 10 ; and xliii. 10 — 12 ;) and as this greatly provoked the nations of old, so at length it did the Romans ; as bidding defiance to all their gods and their worship of them, wherein they greatly boasted. For they thought that it was merely by the help of their gods, and on account of their religion, that they conquered all other nations. So Cicero, (Orat. de Re- spon. Harusp.) " Let us love and please ourselves as we will, yet we outgo neither the Spaniards in num- ber, nor the Gauls in strength, nor the Africans in craft, nor the Greeks in arts ; but it is by our piety 71 and religion^ and this only wisdom, that we refer all to the government of the immortal gods, that we have overcome all countries and nations." And Dionysius of Halicarnassus, (Antiq. Rom. lib. ii.) having given an account of their sacred rites and worship, adds, " that he did it, that those, who knew not before the piety or religion of the Romans, might not now think it strange, that they should have such success in all their wars." To be judged, therefore, and condemned in those things, by the contrary witness of the Jews, tiiey could not bear. This made them reflect on God himself, as being the God which they worshiped ; they calling him incertum, and ignotinn, (the best they could say of him was, " whoever he be,") and affirm- ing the rites of his worship to be absurd, and contrary to the common consent of mankind. (See Tacitus, Hist. lib. v.) Cicero will not allow, that it was any respect either to their God or religion, which caused Pompey to forbear spoiling the temple, when he took it by force ; and adds, by way of reproach, — " Whilst Jerusalem stood, (that is, in its own power,) and the Jews were peaceable, their religion was nevertheless abhorrent from the splendor of this empire, the gra- vity of our name, and the ordinances of our ancestors ; how much more now, when that nation has shewn by arras, what esteem it has for our empire ! How dear that nation is to the immortal gods, is seen, in that it is conquered, portioned out, and put under tribute." (Orat. pro Flacc.) Similar reflections, yea worse, may be seen in Trogus, Tacitus, Plutarch, Strabo, Democritus, and others. 2. Another ground of their hatred was, that the Roman Jews, whilst the temple stood, gathered money e2 7^ out of all the provinces, which they sent to the sacred treasury at Jerusalem; just as the European Jews now contribute to the maintenance of their synagogues in the same place : which is acknowledged by Philo, (Legal, ad Caium,) and Josephus, (Antiquil. lib. xiv* cap. 11,) to have been yearly a very great sum. 3. Cicero, in the place before mentioned, seems to intimate not only that the gold sent was in the name of the Jews, (Judceorum nomine,) but also that it was raised by others, who had taken on them the profes- sion of their religion : which was a third and principal cause of their animosity ; namely, that they drew over -multitudes of all sorts of persons to the profession of the law of Moses. And a good work this was, though vitiated by the wickedness and corrupt ends of those who employed themselves in it ; as our Saviour declares. Matt, xxiii, 15. This, however, greatly pro- voked the Romans, and on every occasion they severe- ly complain of it. So Dion Cassius, speaking of men converted to the Jewish faith, says, " they are even to be found among the Romans, and though frequently punished, yet have for the most part increased, so as even to take the liberty of making laws." As regards their punishment, an account is given us in Suetonius and others, of the inquisition and search made after such as were circumcised ; and their making laws, respects their feasts, sabbaths, abstinen- cies, and such like observances, as the Jews obliged their proselytes to. In like manner Juvenal com- plains, " that despising the Roman laws, they learn those of the Jews, observing and obeying whatsoever Moses delivered in the secret volume." Seneca is yet more severe : " The wicked custom of this nation has 73 prevailed to such a degree, that it is now received among all nations : the conquered have given laws to the conquerors." And Tacitus ; " The worst of other nations, despising the religion of their own country, flocked with their tribute and offerings to Jerusalem." The like revengeful spirit appears in the verses of Rutilius, (lib. i. Itinerar.) where he wishes ''that Judea never had been conquered ; for the contagion of circumcision had thereby spread more widely, and the conquered oppressed the conquerors." But as he lived at a later period under the Christian emperors, it is not unlikely that he reflects on Christians also. 4. We may add, that for the most part, the conduct of the Jews among them, was wicked and provoking. They were a people that for many generations had been harassed and oppressed, by all the principal empires in the world; which caused them to hate them, and to have their minds always possessed with revengeful thoughts. When the apostle affirmed of them, " that they pleased not God, and were contrary to all men," (1 Thess. ii. 15,) he intends not their op- position to the Gospel, and the preachers of it, which he had before expressed ; but their envious contrariety to mankind in general. And this evil frame the nations ascribed to their law itself : ''Moses enacted laws which were novel and contrary to the interests of all other nations," says Tacitus ; but this most falsely ; for no law of man ever taught such benignity, kindness, and general usefulness in the world, as theirs did. It was the people themselves, who being grown wicked and corrupt, " pleased not God, and were contrary to all men." Hence they were looked on as a nation which did not so much as observe the e3 74 law of nature even, towards any but themselves ; re- solving *' not to direct a thirsty person to a spring if uncircumcised." Whence was that censure of Taci- tus ; " Faithful and merciful among themselves, but towards all others inimical:" which well expresses what our Saviour charged them with, as a corrupt principle among them ; — viz. " loving their neighbour, and hating their enemy ;" (Matt. v. 43 ;) that is, in their sense, loving their own countrymen and hating strangers. This their corrupt and wicked conversation, then, made them a reproach, and their religion to be con- temned. Thus it was with them from their first dispersion ; as declared in Ezekiel xxxvi. 20. " When they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them. These are the people of the Lord.'* And their wick- edness increased with their age ; for they still learned the corrupt and evil arts, and all the ways of deceit, used in the nations where they lived ; until for the crimes of many, the whole nation became the common hatred of mankind. This, therefore, being the state of things then in the world, we ought not to wonder, if the writers of those days were either supinely negli- gent, or maliciously envious, in reporting their ways, customs, and religious observances. And it is ac- knowledged that before those times, the long course of idolatry and impiety wherein the whole world had been engaged, had utterly corrupted and lost the tra^ dition of a sabbatical rest. 75 EXERCITATION IV. On the Causes of the Sabbath. ^^E have fixed the origin of the Sabbatical rest^ ac- cording to the best light we have received into these things, and confirmed the reasons of it with the con- sent of mankind ; the next step in our progress must be an inquiry into its causes : wherein also we fall immediately into those difficulties, which the various apprehensions of learned men, promoted and defended with much diligence, have occasioned. First, it is agreed by all, that God alone is the supreme, original, and absolute cause of the Sabbath. Whenever it began, whenever it ends ; be it expired, or still in force ; of whatsoever kind were its institu- tion ; the law of it was from God : " It was from heaven, and not -of men ;" and the will of God is the sole rule and measure of our observance of it. What may or may not be done, in reference to the ob- serving of a day of holy rest by any inferior authority, comes not under consideration here. But whereas there are two sorts of laws whereby God requires the obedience of his rational creatures, which are com- monly called moral and positive, it is greatly ques- tioned to which of these sorts the command of a sabbatical rest belongs. E 4 i 76 1 Positive laws are such, as have no reason for them in themselves, but depend entirely on the sovereign will and pleasure of God. Such were the laws and j institutions of the sacrifices of old ; and such are those ! which concern the sacraments and other things of the i like nature under the New Testament. Moral laws are those, the reasons of which arise from the nature of the things themselves required in them : for they are ! good from their respect to the nature of God himself, 1 and from that nature and order of all things, which he i has placed in the creation. Positive laws, as they are given upon occasions, so they are esteemed alterable j at pleasure ; being fixed by mere will and prerogative, | without respect to any thing that should make them I necessary, antecedent to their being given. Such at least they are in their own nature : nevertheless, with respect to God*s determination, positive divine laws \ may become, eventually, unalterable. And there is this difference between legal and evangelical institu- | tions; viz. that the laws of both are positive, pro- \ ceeding equally from sovereign will and pleasure, and therefore in their own natures equally alterable : but to the former, God fixed a determinate time and ^ season, wherein they should expire, or be altered by his authority; whilst to the latter he fixed a per- petuity and unchangeableness, during the state and , condition of his church in this world. Moral laws, on ; the contrary, are perpetual and unalterable in them- selves ; for although a law of that kind may have an : especial injunction, with such circumstances as may be changed and varied, (such as the whole decalogue had i in the commonwealth of Israel,) yet so far as it is i moral, — that is, so far as its commands or prohibitions 77 are necessary emergencies, or expressions of the good or evil of the things it commands or forbids, it is invariable. All divine laws may be reduced to these two heads. And it is pleaded by some, that these kinds of laws are so contradistinct, that a law of the one kind can in no sense be a law in the other. This is doubtless, true, so far as that, wherein any laws are positive, they are not moral ; and as far as they are purely moral, they are not formally positive ; but this is no reason that there may not be divine laws of a mixed nature : for there may be in a divine law a respect to somewhat moral, which yet may stand in need of the superad- dition of a positive command, for its due observation towards its proper end. Yea, the moral reason of things commanded, may be so deep and hidden, as that God, who would make the way of his creatures plain and easy, gives out express positive commands for the observance of that, which is antecedently ne- cessary by the law of our creation. Hence a law may partake of both these considerations, and both of them have an equal influence, as to its obligatory power. And thus also sundry duties, — some moral, some posi- tive,— are, as it were, compounded in one observance ; an instance of which is the great duty of prai/er. The whole law, therefore, of such an observance, becomes of a mixed nature ; which yet God can separate at his pleasure, and taking away that which is positive, leave only that which is absolutely moral in force. This kind of laws, which have their foundation in the nature of things themselves, and yet stand in need of further direction for their due observation, which is E 5 78 added unto them by positive institution, some call moral positive. According to these distinctions, as to the nature of the laws by which God expresses his will, are men's apprehensions different about the immediate and instrti" mental cause of the sabbatical rest. That God was the author of it, all are agreed ; but, say some, the law whereby he appointed it was purely positive; — the matter of it being arbitrary, stated and determined only in the command itself; and so the whole nature of the law, and of that commanded in it, are change-^ able. And because positive laws always respect some other things besides and beyond themselves, it is pleaded that this law was ceremonial and typical ; that is, it was an institution of an outward, present, reli- gious observance, to signify and represent something not present, nor yet come ; such as was the whole system of Mosaical worship, whereof this law of the Sabbath was a part. In brief, some say, that the whole law of the Sabbath was, as to its general nature, positive and arbitrary, therefore changeable ; and in particular, ceremojiial and iypicalj therefore actually changed and abolished. It is so fallen out, however, that those who are most positive in these assertions, cannot but acknowledge, that this law is so mixed up with something that is moral and unalterable, that it is no easy thing to hit the joint aright, and make a separation of the one from the other. Yet, concerning any other law, con- fessedly ceremonial, no such thing can be observed : they were all evidently and entirely arbitrary institu^ tions, without any such near relation to what is moral, as mi^ht trouble a man to make a distinction between 79 them. For instance, the law of sacrifices has a suit- ableness in it to a great principle of the law of nature, namely, that we must honour God with our substance, and the best of our increase ; yet, that this might be done many other ways, and not by sacrifice, if God had pleased so to ordain, every one is able to apprehend. It is otherwise in this matter ; for none will deny, but it is required of us by the law of nature, that some time be set apart and dedicated to God for the obser- vation of iijs solemn worship ; and it must be plain to every one, that this natural dictate is inseparably in- cluded in the law of the Sabbath : it will, therefore, surely be difficult to make it absolutely and universally positive. I know some begin to whisper things in- consistent with this concession ; but we have, never- theless, the consent of all divines, ancient and modern, fathers, schoolmen, and casuists ; who all unanimously affirm, that the separation of some part of our time to sacred uses, and the solemn honouring of God, is required of us in the light, and by the law of nature. ' And to this fundamental notion of the law, now in- quired after, may be further added, that whereas this natural dictate for the observation of some time in the solemn worship of God, has been accompanied with a declaration of his will from the foundation of the world, that this time should be one day in seven, it will be a matter of no small difficulty to find out what is purely positive therein. Secondly, others (considering that the dedication of some part o? our time to the worship of God, is a natural or moral duty, being required by the law of our creation) add, that the determination of one day in seven, to be that portion of time so to be dedicated, e6 80 is inseparable from the same foundation, and is of the same nature with it ; that is, that the sabbatical ob- servation of one day's holy rest in seven, has a moral precept for its warrant, or at least, that which has the nature of a moral precept in it : so that although the revolution of time in seven days, and the confining of the day to that determined season, depend on revela- tion and a positive command of God for its ob- servance, yet on supposition thereof, the moral precept prevails in the whole, and is for ever obligatory. And there are divines of great piety and learning, who judge, that a commar^d of God given to all men, and equally obligatory to all, respecting their manner of living unto God, is to be esteemed a moral command, and that indispensable and unchangeable ; although we should not be able to discover the reason of it in the light and law of nature : and that such a command cannot be reckoned amongst those that are merely positive, arbitrary, and changeable, all which depend on sundry other things, and do not chiefly affect men^ as men in general : and that it is probable, that God would not give out any such catholic command, unless it comprised somewhat naturally good and right in it. Moreover, there are some who stay not here, but contend, that the precise observation of the seventh day in the weekly revolution, lies under a moral and indispensable command : for God, they say, who is the ;sovereign Lord of us and our times, has by an everlasting law taken this day to himself, for his own honour and service, and thereby obliged all men to a holy rest ; — not on one day in seven, but on the seventh day precisely ; to which the other considera- tions of some stated and fixed time, and of one day 81 in seven are consequential, and far from previous foundations. Great honour is hereby done to the seventh day, above all other ordinances of worship whatever, even of the Gospel itself; but whether with sufficient warrant we must afterwards inquire. It is the second opinion, for the substance of it, which I shall endeavour to explain and confirm ; to obtain a distinct light into the truth of which, we must consider ^V*^, the true notion of the sacred rest ; secondly, of the law of our creation. I. The general notion ©f the Sabbath is — a portion of time set apart by divine appointment, for the ob- servance and performance of the solemn worship of God. The worship of God is that which we are made for, as regards our station in this world ; and is the means and condition of our enjoyment of him in glory, which is the ultimate end of our creation. This worship, therefore, is required of us by the law of our creation ; and is indeed all that is required of us, since it obliges us to do every thing to the glory of God. And the solemn expression of that worship is required of us in the same manner : for the end of it being our glorifying him as God, and the nature of it consisting in the profession of our universal subjection to and dependance on him, the solemn expression of it is as necessary, as the worship itself which we are to perform. No man, therefore, ever doubted, that by the law of nature we were bound to worship God, and solemnly to express that worship ; for else, whea^efore were we brought into this world ? These things are inseparable from our natures, and where this order is disturbed by sin, we become obnoxious to punishment, 82 which the properties of God render no less necessary to his glory. Moreover, in this worship it is required, by the same law of our beings, that we should serve God with all we receive from him. No man can think otherwise : for is there any thing that we have received from God, that should yield him no revenue of glory, or of which we ought to make no acknowledgment to him ? Who dare once so to imagine? Among the things, then, thus given us of God, is our time, which falls under a double consideration in this matter ; first, as it is an inseparable moral circumstance of the worship required of us, and thus necessarily included in the command of worship itself; secondly, as being in itself a part of our vouchsafements from God, for our own use and purposes in this world, wherefore, a separation of a part of it unto God and his solemn worship is required of us. It therefore only remains to inquire what por- tion of time it is, that is and will be accepted with God ; which is declared and determined in the fourth commandment to be the seventh part, or one day in seven. And this is that which though positive in the command, is nevertheless, as to the foundation, formal reason, and main substance of it, moral. As these things however, though true, do not express the whole nature of the Sabbath, we must further inquire into it. 1. And first it must be observed, that wherever mention is made of a sabbatical rest, as enjoined to men for their observation, there is still respect to a rest of God that preceded it, and was its cause and foundation. In its first mention, God's rest is given as the reason of his sanctifying and blessing a day of rest for us ; (Gen. ii. 2, 3 ;) the same reason is given 83 of it in the fourth commandment; (Exod. xx. 11;) and the same is observed in the new creation ; as we shall presently see. (Heb. iv.) Now that God may be said to rest, it is necessary that some signal work of his precede ; for rest, in the first notion of it, inchides a respect to an antecedent work or labor. And so it is declared in all the places above-mentioned, — " he rested from all his work, which God created and made ;" — " in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, &c. and rested the seventh ;" — " he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." Both these, therefore, the work of God, and the rest of God, must in this matter be considered. This work of God may also be considered two ways: first, naUirally or 'physically, as it consisted in the pro- duction of the effects of his power, wisdom, and goodness ; in which sense all things are the work of God : secondly, morally, as God designed and ordered all his works to be a means of glorifying himself, in and by the obedience of his rational creatures. This consideration, both the nature of it, with the order and end of the whole creation make necessary. For God first made all the inanimate, then animate and sensi- tive creatures in their glory, order, and beauty ; in and on all of which he implanted a teaching and instructive power ; for " the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy work," (Psalm xix. 1, 2,) and all creatures are frequently called on to give praise and glory to him. And after these was man made, to consider and use them all for the end for which they were made ; and was a kind of mediator between God and the rest of his creatures. 84 by and through whom he would receive all his glory from them. So the apostle declares, Rom. i. 19, 20. 2. Secondly, the rest of God is that which com- pletes the foundation of the sabbatical rest inquired after ; for it is built on God's working and entering into his rest. Now this rest is not a mere cessation from working ; nor is it absolutely so ; for " God worketh hitherto." And the expression of God's rest is of a moral, and not a natural signification ; for it consists in the satisfaction and complacency that he took in his works, as effects of his goodness, power, and wisdom, disposed in the order and unto the ends mentioned. Hence, as it is said, that upon the finish- ing of them, he " looked on every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good;" (Gen. i. 31 ;) that is, he was satisfied in his works and their disposal, and pronounced concerning them, that they became his infinite wisdom and power : even as it is added, that he not only rested on the seventh day, but also " that he was refreshed;" (Exod. xxxi. 17 ;) that is, he took great complacency in what he had done, as that which was suited to the end aimed at, namely, the expression of his greatness, goodness, and wisdom to his rational creatures, and his glory through their obedience thereon ; as on the like occasion he is said '^ to rest in his love, and to rejoice with singing." (Zeph. iii. 17.) In the work and rest of God thus stated did the whole rule of the obedience of man originally consist ; and therein was he to seek his own rest, i. e. his own happiness and blessedness : for God had not declared any other way for his instruction in the end of his creation. This, then, is the first end of this holy rest ; 85 and it must always be born in mind ; being that with- out which we can give no glory to God as rational creatures, made under a moral law in dependance on him. For this he indispensably requires of us, and this is the sum of what he requires of us ; namely, that we glorify him according to the revelation which he makes of himself, whether by his works of nature, or of grace. To the solemnity hereof the day inquired after is ne- cessary ; and to express these things is the general end of the sabbatical rest prescribed to us, and our obser- vation of it. For so it is said, '' God wrought and rested," and then requires us to do the same. But it has also sundry particular ends or reasons : First, that we might learn the satisfaction and com- placency that God has in his own works ; (Gen. ii. 2, 3 ;) and consider the impressions of his excellence upon them ; and glorify him as God on that account. (Rom. i. 19 — 21.) For man was originally taught to fear, love, trust, obey and honor him absolutely, from the manifestation that he had made of himself in his works ; and had not God thus rested in them, and been refreshed upon their completing and finishing, they would not have been a sufficient means to instruct man in those duties. Secondly, another end of the original sabbatical rest was, that it might be a pledge to man of his rest in and with God. Hence the ninety-second psalm, (the title of which is, A Psalm, or Song for the Sabbath day, and which some of the Jews ascribe to Adam,) as it principally consists in contemplations of the works of God, with holy admiration of his greatness and power manifested in them, together with praises to him on 86 their account ; so it expresses the destruction of un- godly sinners, and the salvation of the righteous, of which in that day's rest they had a pledge. And con- sidering the state in which man was created, neither his duty nor capacity could be answered or esteemed reasonable without such a pledge. For his duty, which was working in moral obedience, had a natural relation to a reward ; and his capacity was such, as could not be satisfied, nor himself attain absolute rest, but in the enjoyment of God. Thirdly, there was a consideration of the way and means, whereby man might enter into the rest of God; which were by that obedience and worship of God, which the covenant, wherein he was created, required of him. The solemn expression of this obedience, and the exercise of this worship, was indispensably re- quired of him and his posterity, in all their societies and communion with one another. This cannot be denied, unless we shall say, that God, though he made man a social creature, and capable of sundry relations, did not require of him to honour him in the societies and relations whereof he was capable ; which would certainly overthrow the whole law of his creation, with respect to the end for which he was made ; and render all societies sinful and rebellious against God. II. These being the proper ends and reasons of the original sabbatical rest, we may next inquire after the law by which it was prescribed and commanded ; and to this purpose we must first consider the state wherein man was created, and then the law of his creation. 1. His state and condition falls under a threefold 87 consideration : for man may be considered first abso- lutely, as a rational creature ; secondly, as made under a covenant of rewards and punishments ; and thirdly, with respect to the especial nature of that covenant. First, he was made a rational creature, and tiiereby necessarily in a moral dependance on God. For being endowed with intellectual faculties, in an immortal soul, capable of eternal blessedness or misery, — able to know God, and to regard him as the first cause and last end of all, as the author of his being and object of his blessedness, — ^it was naturally and necessarily in- cumbent on him, without any further considerations, to love, fear, and obey him, and to trust in him as a preserver and rewarder: and this the order of his nature, called the image of God, inclined and enabled him to do. Nor was it possible, that such a creature should be produced, and not lie under an obligation to all those duties, which the nature of God, his ovv-n nature, and the relation of one to the other, made ne- cessary. Under this consideration alone it was re- quired by the law of man's creation, that some time should be separated for the solemn expression of his obedience, and the due performance of the worship that God required of him ; for in vain was. he endued with intellectual faculties, and appointed for society, if he were not to honor God by them in all his re- lations, and openly express the homage which he owed him. And as this could not be done, but in a time appointed for that purpose, the neglect of it must be a deviation from the law of creation. Secondly, man in his creation, with respect to the ends of God therein, was constituted under a cove- nant ; that is, the law of his obedience was attended 88 with promises and threatenings, rewards and punish- ments, suited to the goodness and holiness of God ; and every law with rewards and recompences annexed, has the nature of a covenant. And in this instance, although the promise, by which man was encouraged to obedience, (which was that of eternal life with God,) did in strict justice exceed the worth of the obedience required, and so was a superadded effect of goodness and grace ; yet was it suited to the consti- tution of a covenant meet for man to serve God in to his glory : whilst on the other hand, the punishment threatened to disobedience, (viz. death, and an ever- lasting separation from God,) was such as the righte- ousness and hoHness of God, as supreme governor, required. God might, indeed, have dealt with man in a way of absolute sovereignty, requiring obedience of him without a covenant of reward ; yet having done so in his creation, it belongs to, and is inseparable from the law thereof. And under this consideration, the time required in general for a rest unto God, under the first general notion of the nature and being of man, is determined to one day in seven. For as we shall find, that in the various dispensations of the covenant with man, and the change of its nature, God has and does invariably require one day in seven to be set apart for the assigning of praise and glory to him- self; so we shall see afterwards, that there are indica- tions of his mind to this purpose in the covenant itself. Thirdly, man is to be considered with especial res- pect to the covenant under which he was created ; which was a covenant of works. For herein rest with God was proposed to him, as the end or reward of his own works, or of his personal obedience, by absolute 89 Strict righteousness and holiness. And the peculiar form of this covenant, as relating to the way of God's entering into it upon the finishing of his own works, points out the seventh day from the beginning of the creation, to be the precise day for the observation of a holy rest. 2. Our next inquiry is after the law of man's creation, commonly called the law of nature, with what is required of us by virtue of it. By the law of nature, most men understand the dictates of right reason ; for we exclude wholly from this consideration the instinct of brute creatures, which has some appearance of a rule to them. So Hesiod of old, speaking of the brutes, says, " They devour one another, because they Iiave no right or law amongst them." And hence the prophet, complaining of force and violence amongst men, with a neglect of right, justice, and equity, says, — " Men are as the fishes of the sea ; as creeping things, that have no ruler over them;" (Hab. i. 14;) they devo'ir one another without regard to rule or right. Most learned men therefore conclude, that there is no such thing as a law of nature among irrational creatures ; and consequently, nothing of good or evil in their actions. But that the dictates of reason is the law of nature, obtains general consent. Thus Cicero, (Tusc. 1,) " The common consent of all nations in any thing, is to be thought the law of nature." And Aristotle also (Rhetoric, lib. 1, cap. 14) calls it, ''a common law/' unwritten, pertaining to all ; and adds, " That which is common, is according to nature ; for there is some- what which all men think, and this is common right or injustice by nature, although there should be 90 neither society nor compact between them/' And this he confirms out of Empedocles, who says, '' that it is not that which is just to some, and unjust to others; but that which is right amongst all, spread out with immense light by the broad ruling sky." The like he affirms in his Ethics, (lib. v. cap. 10,) defining it to be " that which hath always or every where the same force or power, and doth not seem or not seem so to be ;" and this his expositors affirm to be, " amongst the most of men, who live uncorrupted and according to the light of nature." What they call according to nature, is the same as ' according to the dictates of reason ;' which Tully in his first book de Legibus, treats of; " There is (saith he) one common right, which is the bond of human society, and which depends on one law. And this law is the right reason of forbidding and commanding." This, then, is generally received, namely, that the law of nature consists in the dictates of reason ; but there are sundry considerations which will not allow us to acquiesce in this description of it. First, the law of nature must be a constant and per- fect law ; being the fountain and rule of all other laws. To a complete law, then, is required, pot only that it be instructive, but also that it have a coercive power : that is, it must not only teach and direct what is to be done, persuading by the reason of the things themselves which it requires ; but it must also have authority to exact obedience, so far as that those, who are under the power of it, can give themselves no dispensation from its observance. But it is not thus with the dictates of reason, which go no further than direction and persuasion, and always have, and always 91 will havCj a respect to occasions, emergencies, and circumstances. When these fall under any alterations, they will put reason on new considerations, as to what it ought to determine with respect to them ; which the nature of a universal law will not admit. I do not extend this observation to all instances of natural light, but to some only ; which suffices to demonstrate, that the unalterable law of nature does not consist in these dictates of reason only. Suppose men, for instance, coalesce into any civil society, on the mere dictates of reason, that it is meet and best for them so to do ; if this be the supreme reason thereof, no obligation arises from thence to preserve the society so entered into, but what is liable to a dissolution from contrary considerations. If it be said, that reason dictates and commands in the name of God, whence an indissoluble obhgation attends it ; it will be answered, that this introduces a new consideration, which is not formally included in the nature of reason itself. Let a man, indeed, use and improve his own reason without prejudice ; let him collect whatsoever resolutions, de- terminations, instructions and laws have proceeded from the reason of other men ; — it will both exceed- ingly advance his understanding, and enable him to judge of many things that are congruous to the light and law of nature ; but to suppose the law of nature to consist in a system or collection of such instances and observations, is altogether unwarrantable. Secondly, the event of things, in the disagreement of the wisest men about the dictates of reason, utterly subverts this opinion. The law of nature, whatever it be, must in itself be owe, — uniform and unalterable, — the same in all and unto all ; for by these properties it differs from all other laws. But if it have no higher, nor more noble origin than mere human reason, it will be found, (if not in all things, yet in most,) fluctuating and uncertain. For there have been differences innu- merable about what is and what is not agreeable to reason in things moral ; and that among those who searched most diligently after them, and boasted them- selves to be wise upon their self-pleasing discoveries. This was the chief cause of the 288 sects of philoso- phers, as Augustin reports them out of Varro. (Lib. xix. de Civit. Dei.) Yea, and some of the most learned and contemplative authors, not only mistook, in many instances, what natural light required, but also asserted things in direct opposition to what is judged so to be. The saying produced out of Empe- docles by Aristotle, before mentioned, is to prove, that the killing of any living creature is openly against the universally prevailing law of nature. Some maintain- ed things to be natural, which most abominate ; as incest and sodomy ; which were asserted to be lawful by the Magi, and some of the most learned Greeks, as Zeno and Chrj^sippus. It was the judgment of Theo- dorus, that neither theft, nor adultery, nor sacrilege, had any thing evil or filthy in them in their own nature ; so that a wise man ought to have respect to them, according to circumstances and occasions. Plato's promiscuous use of wives, was confirmed by law at Sparta. And Archelaus at once determined, (as Diogenes tells us in his life, who likewise reports the same of Aristippus and Canreades,) that naturally nothing is just or unjust, good or evil, but by virtue of some arbitrary law. And there are yet those in the world, partakers of our common nature, who 93 know no other rule of their actions towards others but power ; as the Cannibals, and those Indians, who sup- pose they may justly spoil all that are afraid of them. Yea some, who of late have pretended a severe inqui- sition into these things, seem to incline to an opinion, that power and self-advantage are the rule of men's conversation among themselves in this world. So it was the principle of Brennus, in his time the terror of Europe, that there was no other law of nature, than that the weaker should obey the stronger. And the commander of the Gauls, who besieged the Roman capitol, when he agreed to depart on their giving to him a certain weight of gold, threw his sword into the scale against it, giving no other reason for what he did but " wo to the conquered !" Thirdly, neither will another rule which they had of assigning things to the law of nature hold firm ; namely, a general usage of mankind from time imme- morial ; since all nations, from beyond the records of the origin of things, had fallen into practices directly <^ontrary to the light of nature. Hence indeed arose all the disputes of old, about the nature and limits of good and evil, duty and vice, honest and filthy, just and unjust ; which could never be determined. This Plato observing, says, " that if any one name either silver or iron, all men immediately understand what is intended; but if they speak of that which is just and good, presently we are at variance with others and among ourselves." So great uncertainty is there in human reason, under its best natural improvements, as to its judgment what does or does not belong to the principles and condition of our nature ; and so far is it from being comprehensive of the whole law of it ! 94 When, therefore, we plead any thing to belong to, or proceed from the law of nature, it is no impeach- ment of our assertion to say, that it does not appear so to the common reason of mankind, or that right reason has not discovered it; provided it contain nothing repugnant to reason. For it will never be universally agreed, what does so appear to the common reason of all, nor what is, has been, or may be dis- covered thereby. And although it should be true, as some say, that moral and natural duties depend on and have their formal reason from the nature of God and man, yet it does not thence follow, that we do or may, by the sole light of nature, know what arises thus, with the due bounds and just consequences of it : there is something yet further required in the law of nature, as the adequate rule of all such duties. By the law of nature then I intend, not a law which our nature gives to all our actions ; but a law given to our nature, as a rule and measure for our moral actions. It respects the efficient cause of nature, and not the effects of it ; which alone can give it the nature of a law, viz. an obliging force and power. This must be always from the act of a superior, seeing that equals have no right one over another. This law, therefore, is that rule which God has given to human nature, in all the individual partakers of it, for all its moral actions ; and is made known in them and to them by their inward constitution and outward con- dition, wherein they were by him created and placed. The very Heathens acknowledged, that the common law of mankind was God's prescription to them ; as Tully, (ii. de Legibus,) " I perceive this to have been the opinion of the wisest of mankind, that the law of 95 iiature was neither the fruit of man's wit^ nor any thing universally acknowledged of nations; but a cer- tain something which governed the universe by the wisdom of commanding and restraining." Take this law, therefore, actively, and it is the will of God com- manding; take it passively, and it is the conscience of man complying with it ; take it instrumentally, and it is the inbred notions of our minds, with other docu- ments from the works of God proposed to us. The supreme original of it, as of all authority, law and obligation, is the will of God, constituting, appointing, and ordering the nature of things ; the means of its revelation is the effect of the will, wisdom, and power of God, creating man and all other things wherein he is concerned in their order, place, and condition ; and the observation of it, as far as individual persons are therein concerned, is committed to the care of the conscience of every man, which naturally is the action of the mind itself towards God, as the author of this law. III. These things being premised, we shall consider what light is given to this sacred duty from the law of our creation. The first end of any law is, to instruct and guide in their duty those to whom it is given. A law, which is not in its own nature instructive and directive, is no way fit to be prescribed to rational creatures ; and what- soever else influences the creature, if it be internal, is instinct, and not properly a law ; if it be external, is force and compulsion. The law, therefore, of creation comprised every thing whereby God instructed man F 2 96 in his obedience and his reward ; and whatever tended to that end belonged to that law. 1 1 is then, as has been proved, unduly confined to the ingrafted notions of his mind concerning God, and his duty towards him ; though they are a principal part of it : for what- ever was designed to give improvement to those notions, and excite or direct them, (I mean in the works of nature, not superadded positive institutions,) belongs to it likewise. Wherefore, the whole in- struction that God intended to give to man, by the works of creation, with their order and end, is, as was said, included herein ; and what he might learn from them, or what God taught him by them, was no less his duty, than what his own inbred light directed him to. (Rom. i. 18 — 20.) Thus the framing of the world in six days of work, was intended to be instructive, as well as the consideration of the things themselves that were made. For God could have immediately pro- duced all out of nothing, ' in the twinkling of an eye / but he not only made all things for his own glory, but disposed also the order of their production for the same end. And herein consisted part of that covenant instruction, which he gave to man in that condition wherein he was made ; that through him he might have glory ascribed to him, on account of his works themselves, as also on account of the order and man- ner of their creation. For it is vain to imagine, that the world was made in six days, and those closed with a day of rest, without an especial regard to the obe- dience of rational creatures ; since with respect to God himself, neither of them was necessary : and what he intended to teach them thereby, it was their duty to inquire and know. 97 Hereby, then, man in general was taught obedience and working before he entered into rest ; for being- created in the imj^e of God, he was to conform him- self unto God. As God wrought before he rested, so was man to work before his rest; his condition render- ing that working in him obedience, which, wag in God an effect of sovereignty. And by the rest of God, or his satisfaction and complacency in what he had made and done, he wa^ instructed to seek rest with God, or to enter into that rest of God, by his compliance with the ends intended. And whereas the innate light and principles of his own mind informed him, that some time was to be set apart for the solemn worship of God, as Ixe wa^ a, rational creature made to give glory to him; so the inetruetAon he received by the works and rest of God, as made under a covenant, taught him, that one day in seven was required for that purpose, as also to be a pledge of his resting with God. Perhaps it will be said, that man could not know that the world was made in sbc days, and that the rest of God ensued on the seventh, without some spe- cial revelation. I answer. He that knew the nature of all the creatures, and could give them suitable names, upon his first sight and view of them, might know more of the. order of their creation, than we can well imagine. For we know no more in our fallen con- dition, what the light o^ nature directed inan to, as walking before God in a covenant, than menj, merely natural, know of the guidance of the light and law of grace in tlwse, who are taken into a new covenant. For although we may have some apprehensions of the substance of it, from its remaining ruins and materials, f3 98 yet we have no acquaintance with that light and glorious lustre, that extent of its directive beams, with which it was accompanied, when it was in man, as he came immediately from the hand of God, created in his image. We have lost more by the fall, than the best and wisest in the world can apprehend, whilst they are in it ; much more than most will acknow- ledge, whose principal design seems to be, to exte?iuate the sin and misery of man, and thus to undervalue the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I repeat, that as an unregenerate man cannot discern how the spirit or grace of the new covenant, which succeeds into the room of our first innate light, directs and guides those, in whom it exists, to the observance of all the duties of it ; let us not wonder if we caimot readily comprehend the brightness, and extent, and conduct of that light, which was suited to an estate of things which never was in the world since the fall ; except- ing in the man Christ Jesus, whose wisdom and know- ledge thereby in the mind of God we may rather admire than think to understand. What God, however, instructed him in, even by revelation, as to the due consideration and improve- ment of the things that belonged to the law of his creation, is to be esteemed a part of that law. Insti- tutions of things by special revelation, that had no foundation in the law or light of nature, were merely positive; as the commandments concerning the tree of life and of the knowledge of good and evil ; but such as were directive of natural hght, and of the order of the creation, were moral, and belonged to the general law of obedience ; as the special command given to man to till and keep the garden. Neither do 99 I know any one that questions, whether Adam and the patriarchs before Moses knew, that the world was created in six days ; though some seem to speak doubtfully of it, and others indirectly deny it. Nor have they, -who contend that the Sabbath was neither instituted, known, nor observed before the people of Israel were in the wilderness, once attempted to con- firm their opinion with this supposition, — ' That the patriarchs, from the foundation of the world, knew not that the world was made in six days ;' which yet alone would be effectual to their purpose. Nor on the other side, can it be once rationally imagined, that if they had knowledge hereof, and also of the rest which ensued thereon, they had no regard to it in the worship of God. And thus was the Sabbath, or the observation of one day in seven as a sacred rest, fixed on the same moral grounds with Monogamy , or the marriage of one man to one only woman at the same time ; which, from the very fact and order of the creation, our Saviour proves to have been an unchangeable part of the law of it. For because God made them two single persons, male and female, fit for individual conjunc- tion, he concludes, that this course of life they were everlastingly obliged not to alter nor transgress. As therefore men may dispute that polygamy is not against the law of nature, because it was allowed and practised by many, who of old observed and improved the light and rule thereof to the uttermost ; when yet the very factum and order of the creation is sufficient to evince the contrary ; so, although men should dis- pute, that the observation of one day's sacred rest in seven is not of the light nor law of nature, because its F 4. 100 rule is not easy of discovery, and prone to the ob- servation of all men ; yet the order of the creation, and the rest of God that ensued thereon, are sufficient to prove the contrary. And even in the renewing of the law upon. Mount Sinai, God taught the people, not only by the words that he spake, but also by the works that he wrought. Yea, he instructed them in a moral duty, not only by what he did, but by what he did not. For he declares, that they ought to make no images of or unto him, because he made no representa- tion of himself unto them : " they saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake un-to them in Horeb, out of the midst of the fire." (Deut. iv. 15, 16.) Thus, then, were the foundations of the old world laid, and the covenant of man*s obedience established, when all the sons of God sang for joy, even in the first rest of God, and in the expression of it by the sanctifi- cation of a sacred rest. And on these grounds I do affirm, that the weekly observation of a day to God for Sabbath ends, is a duty natural and moral, which we are under a perpetual and indispensable obligation to, on account of that command of God, which, being a part of the law of our creation, is mcffally indispensa- ble and perpetual. 101 EXERCITATION V. The same subject continued. (the law of the sabbath considered.) ^^^E now enter upon the consideration of the judg- ment and opinions of others concerning these things, with the confirmation of our own. I. In the inquiry, after the causes of the Sabbath, the first question usually insisted on is, the nature of the law, whereby its observation is commanded ; which some affirm to be moral, some only positive. There have b^en many disputes about th^ true notion and distinction of these laws; but as the terms are invented to express the conceptions of men's minds, and that of moral at least includes not any determinate sense, those at variance about them cannot impose their sense and understanding of them upon one another. For seeing this denomination of moral, when applied to a law, is taken from the subject matter of it ; (which is the manners or duties of those to whom the law is given ;) if any one will assert that every command of God, which respects tlie manners of men, is moral, I know not how any one can compel him to speak or think otherwise, since he has a right to use the word in that sense which he judges most proper, F 5 102 And if it can be proved, that there is, and always was a law, binding men universally to the observation of a weekly sacred rest, I shall not contend with any, how that law ought to be called ; my way shall be plainly to inquire, what force there is in the law of oitr creatmt as regards the observation of a weekly Sabbath, and what is superadded to it by the verbal declaration of the will of God concerning it. 1. In the first place it is generally agreed, that by the light of nature, or the law of our creation, some time ought to be separated for the observance of the solemn worship of God. For be that worship what it will, merely natural, or any thing superadded by voluntary and arbitrary institutions, the law for its observance is natural, and requires that time be set apart for its celebration ; seeing that in time it is to be performed. When there was but one man and woman, this was their duty ; and so it continued to be the duty of their whole race and posterity, in all the societies, associations and assemblies whereof they were capable. The first object of this law or command is the worship of God. In this instance time falls under it only consequentially ; but the law of nature does also distinctly respect time itself, for we are bound thereby to serve God with all that is ours ; — some portion of whatever God has given to us is to be set apart from our own use, and given up absolutely to him, as a homage due to him, and a necessary acknowledgement of him. To deny this, is to contradict one of the prin- cipal dictates of the law of nature. For God has given us nothing ultimately for ourselves, seeing that we, and all that we have, are wholly his ; and to have 103 'any thing, of which no part is to be spent in his service, is to have it with his displeasure. Let any one endeavour to maintain this position ; viz. ' That part of our time is not to be set apart to the worship of God and his service, in a holy and peculiar manner ;' and he will quickly find himself in full contradiction to the law of nature, and the whole light of the know- ledge of God in his mind and conscience. Those who have attempted any such thing have done it under this deceitful pretence, that all our time is to be spent unto God, and that every day is to be a Sabbath. And as they nevertheless spend most of their time im- mediately on themselves, it is evident that they rob God of that which is his due : for in regard to the holy separation of any thing unto God, it is required as well that it be taken from ourselves, as that it be given to him. 2. Moreover, men are to worship God in assemblies and societies, such as he appoints, or such as by his providence they are cast into. This cannot be denied, seeing it stands upon as good or better evidence, than the associations of mankind for political ends, which all men confess to be a direction of the law of nature. A part, then, of this worship is, that we honour God with our time, as being part of our substance ; nor can the worship itself be performed and celebrated in a due manner, without the designation and separation of time for that purpose ; whereby again this separa- tion of time becomes a branch of the law of nature, by an immediate, natural, and unavoidable consequence, and therefore no less to be reckoned among its rules, than the very first notions or impressions that it communicates concerning the good or evil in the f 6 104 nature of any thing. For whatever reason can educe from the principles of reason, is no less reason, than those principles themselves, from whence it is educed. And we aim at no more in this discourse, than to maintain, that the separation of some time to the wor- ship of God, according to the ends before insisted on, is reasonable ; and that the contrary, in its first con- ception, is unreasonable and foolish. And this, I suppose, is evident to all ; I am sure by most it is granted : and could men hereupon acquiesce in the authority and wisdom of God, marking and measuring out that portion of time in all seasons and ages of the church, there might be a natural rest from these contentions about a sacred and holy rest, h cannot, however, but admire the liberty, which some men take, positively to affirm and contend, that the. command for the observation of the Sabbath, when- ever or however given, was wholly typical and ceremonial : for there is that in it confessedly as its foundation, and from which all its concerns are educed, which is as direct an impression on the mind of man from the law of creation, as any other instance that can be given. 3. Upon this foundation, therefore, we may proceed. And I say in the next place, that the slated time, pointed out by the light and law of nature, is otie dai/ in seven : for the confirmation of which, what we have said concerning the law of creation, and the covenant ratified with man therein, is to be remembered. On this supposition, the appointing of any other portion of time in the stead, and to the exclusion of this, would appear a contradiction to it. God having finished his works in six days, and rested on the 105 seventh, giving man thereby the rule and law of his obedience ; for man to assign any other measure or portion of time for rest or solemn worship, is to decline God's authority for the sake of his own in- ventions ; whilst to assign no portion at all to that end, is openly to transgress a principal dictate of the law of nature, as we have proved. I confess, that these things will not evidently manifest themselves in the mere light of nature, as it is now depraved and corrupted ; nor will sundry other in- stances of its authority, unless its voice be diligently attended to, and its light cultivated and improved by following revelations, given to us for that purpose. For that by the assistance of Scripture light, and rational considerations thence arising, we may discover many things to be dictates of the law of nature, which those who are left to that law only could not dis- cover, is proved already, from the open transgression of it in sundry instances, by those who seem most to have lived according to it, and professed themselves to be wise in following the light of reason in all things. The polytheism that prevailed amongst the best of the Heathens, their open profession of living to them- selves, and seeking after happiness in themselves, with many other instances, make this further evident. And if Scripture light contributed no more to the discovery of the things required by the law of nature, than by a removal of those prejudices, which the manner and fashion of the world, and a corrupt conversation received by tradition from one generation to another, had possessed their minds with, yet were the advan- tages we have by it in this respect unspeakable. Let then this help be supposed, and let a judgment be lOS made of the injunctions of the law of nature, rather by- its condemning right and power, than by its directive light, (for that in our fallen estate is a better criterion of its commands,) and we shall find it manifesting itself in this matter. For let those who admit the necessity of some time being separated for the worship of God, yet do not acknowledge, that one day in seven is to be thus separated, fix to themselves any other time in a certain revolution of days, and they will un- doubtedly find themselves pressed with so many considerations from the law of their creation to the contrary, as will give them little rest or satisfaction in their minds in what they do. II. To make this further manifest, we may inquire, what is necessary to any duty of obedience towards God, in order to evince it to be a requisite of the law of our creation. And here our diligence is required : for 1 again repeat, that it is a childish mistake to imagine, that whatever is required by the law of nature is easily discernible and known to all. Some of its directions may possibly be so, especially such as are inculcated on tlie minds of men by their common interest and advantage ; but it is far from true, that all the dictates of the law of nature, and requisites of right reason, are as evident and incapable of con- troversy, as they would have been to man, had he continued in his integrity. The law of nations, for instance, is nothing but the law of nature, as it has been expressed by the customs and usages of those, who are supposed to have most diligently attended to its directions : yet how many differences there are, never to be determined by common consent, about 107 these things; notwithstanding all the helps and ad- vantages which men have derived, by a continued observation of the course of the world to this day ! 1. First, then, it is required, that it be congruous to the law of nature. To us it may be enjoined by a positive law, or otherwise made necessary for us to observe; but it must in itself correspond well with all the known principles of the law of our creation, and this must be manifested with satisfactory evidence. It is of natural right that we should obey God in all his commands ; but this does not cause every com- mand of God to belong to the law of nature. And when this congruity with the law of nature or right reason, in the matter of any law or command, is made evident, it will greatly direct the mind in its inquiry after its whole nature, and manifest what is superadded by i^ositive command. And this will not be denied to the command and observation of the Sabbath. Let the ends of it before laid down be considered, and let them be compared with any other guide and direction which we have by natural light concerning our living to God, and there will not only a harmony appear amongst them, but also a mutual help and assistance towards the same ultimate end. 2. Secondly, it is required, that it have a general principle in the light of nature and dictates of right reason, from whence it may be educed, or which it will necessarily follow upon, supposing that principle rightly and duly improved. It is not enough that it agree, or no way interfere with other principles ; it must also have a principle of its own, from whence it naturally arises. Thus the seco?id commandment of tlie decalogue belongs to the law of nature ; its principle 108 consisting in that acknowledgement of the being of God, which is required in the first. For therein is God manifested to be of that nature, that it must be an absurd, unreasonable, foolish, and impious thing in itself, implying a renunciation of the former acknow- ledgement, to make any images or limited represen- tations of his being, or to adore him in any other way than he himself has appointed. So in this instance also, the separation of a stated time for the solemn worship of God, is so fixed on the mind of man by its own inbred light, that it cannot be omitted, without open sin against it, in those who have not utterly sinned away all the efficacy of that light itself. Hence, whatever positive law may be superadded about the limitation of this time so to be separated, as it is only the application of this natural and moral principle in some of its circumstances, it hinders not the law itself concerning it from being of the law of nature and moral : for the original power and obligation of such a superadded law lies in the natural principle before mentioned. 3. Thirdly, that which all men are taught by the works of creation, in their order, harmony, and mutual respect to each other, is of the law of nature ; although there be no distinct innate notion of it discoverable : it is enough that the mind of man is so disposed, as to be ready and fitted to receive the revelation of it. God, then, has not only so ordered all the works of creation, as that they should be meet to instruct us ; but it was the will of God that we should learn our duty thereby, which gives it its complement, as a law obliging to obedience. And it is not only thus with respect to the work of creation in general, but the ordering and im disposal of its parts is alike instructive to the nature of man, and has the force of a moral and everlastingly- obligatory lav«r. Thus the pre-eminence of the man above the woman, which is moral, ensues upon the order of the creation ; in that man was first made, and the woman for the man ; as the apostle argues, 1 Tim. ii. 12, 13. And all nations ought to obey it; indeed the secret original impression of this law in- fluenced the minds and practice of most nations; though many of them, through their apostasy from natural light, knew not that either man or woman was created, but perhaps supposed them to have grown out of the earth like mushrooms. So the creation of one man and one woman gave the natural law of mar- riage; whence polygamy and fornication became transgressions of the law of nature. It will be hard to prove, that about these and the like things there is a clear and undoubted principle of directive light in the mind of man, separate from the consideration of the order of creation : it is in that order, that a law, and that a moral one, is given us, not to be referred to any other source than that of nature. And here there- fore, as has been before pleaded, the creation of the world in six days, with the rest of God on the seventh, gives to all men an everlasting law of separating one day in seven to a sacred rest. For he, th^it was made in the image of God, was made to imitate him, and conform himself unto him; God, in this order of things, saying, as it were unto him. What I have done do ye in your station likewise. 4. Lastly, in this state of things a direction by a revelation, in the way of a precept, for the due and just exercise of the principles, rules, and documents 110 before mentioned. Is so far from impeaching the mo- rality of any command or duty, that it completes the law of it, with the addition of a formal obligatory power and efficacy. The light and law of creation, so far as it was innate, or concreated with the faculties of our souls, and completing our state of dependance on God, has only the general nature of a principle, inclining to actions suitable to it, and directing us therein. The documents also, that were originally given to that light from without, by the other works and order of the creation, had only in their own nature the force of an instruction : the will of God, and an act of sovereignty therein formally constituted them a law. But now man being made to live unto God, and to be under his guidance in all things, no pre- judice arises to the dictates of the law of creation, by the superadding any positive commands for the per- formance of the duties it requires ; and for the regu- lating of them, as to the especial manner and ends of their performance. And where such a positive law is interposed or superadded, it is the highest folly to imagine, that the whole obligation to the duty depends on that command, as though the authority of the law of nature were superseded thereby, or the whole com- mand about it were now grown positive and arbitrary. For although the same law cannot be moral and posi- tive in the same respect ; yet the same duty may be required by a law moral and a law positive. It is thus with many observances of the Gospel : for in- stance, excomimmication, for the exercise of which sen- tence in the churches of Christ, there is a positive command in the Gospel ; but this does not prevent its being natural for all societies of men to exclude from Ill their society those, who refuse to observe its laws and orders. And according to the rule of this natural equity have all rational societies amongst men, that knew nothing of the Gospel, proceeded for their own gootl and preservation. Neither does the superadded institution in the Gospel derogate from the general reason of it, or change the nature of the duty ; but only direct its practice, and make application of it to the uses and ends of the Gospel itself. I do not plead, that every law which God pre- scribes to me is moral, because my obedience to it is a moral duty. For the morality of this obedience does not arise from, nor depend upon the especial command of it, which it may be, is positive and arbi- trary ; but from the respect which it has to our de- pendance in all things upon God : for to obey God in all things, is unquestionably our moral duty. But I say, that, when the substance of a command itself (that is, the duty required) is moral, the addition of a posi- tive command does not in any way impeach its mo- rality, nor suspend the influence of that law, on which its morality depends. It is, therefore, unduly pre- tended by some, that, because there is a positive com- mand for the observation of the Sabbath, (supposing there should be such a command for the whole of it, which is nothing but an explanation and enforcement of the original moral precept of it,) therefore the law of it is not moral. It is not moral in that respect in which it is positive ; but it is so from itself, for the substance of it, and antecedently to that positive com- mand. The whole law, therefore, of the Sabbath, and its observation, may be said to be moral positive, which 112 expression has been used by some learned divines in this case, and not unduly. For a law may be said to be so on a double account : first, when the positive part of the law is declarative> and accumulative with respect to a precedent law of nature ; (as when some additions are made to the duties therein required, as to the manner of their performance ;) secondly, when the foundation of a duty only is laid in the law of nature, but its entire practice is regulated by a positive law. From all the instances brought forward it is manifest, that the law of the sabbatical observation is moral, and a branch of the law of nature, however it be enforced and directed, and the especial day in seven limited and determined by positive commands. These things are denied by many, who will not grant, that there is any rule or direction in the law of creation in regard to this matter, because it does not appear with that evidence, which the common an- ticipations of the minds of men, are accompanied with : but this objection has now been sufficiently obviated, by a due stating of the law of nature, wliich is not to be confined to inbred natural anticipations only. And it is certain also, that some say the very same con- cerning the being of (jod himself, and of the difference between good and evil ; namely, that there are no manifest and stedfast pi'esumptions of them in the mind of man : but this does not prove, that the ac- knowledgement of a divine Being, as also tlie differ- ence between good and evil, is not natural and in- separable from the faculties of our souls. Hence Julian (in Cyril, lib. v. con. Jul.) joins the first and fourth precept together, and says, or rather swears, '^ that all nations judged that the commandments [of 113 the decalogue] ought to be kept, excepting the first forbidding other gods, and the other of remembering the Sabbath to keep it :" so that the one may be re- jected as well as the other. III. Having given evidence of the morality of the Sabbath, (from the indications of and directions to it in the light and law of nature, which will be found such as not to be despised by any modest or sober man,) we proceed to add those other consequential confirmations of the same truth, which God has given us in subsequent revelations of his will. And first, it gives no small countenance to the ap- prehension of an unchangeable morality in the law of the Sabbath, that in all estates of the church, from the foundation of the world, under the several cove- nants wherein it has walked with God, and the various dispensations of them, there is a full evidence, th^it in them all God has still required of his people the ob- servation of a sacred rest to himself, in a weekly re- volution of days. That any religious observance has been requu-ed through all estates of the church, having a foundation only in an arbitrary institution, cannot be proved by any one single instance. The institu- tions of the state of innocency, (in the matter *of the garden, with the trees of life and of the knowledge of good and evil,) ceased, as all men confess, wdth that estate. And although God did not immediately upon the sin of man destroy that garden, nor perhaps until the flood; leaving it as a testimony against the wicked- ness of that apostate generation, for whose sip the world was destroyed ; yet neither it nor its trees were of any use, or lawful to be used, as to any significancy. 114 in the worship of God. And the reason is, because all institutions are mere appendices on things annexed to a covenant, and when that covenant ceases or is broken, they are of no use or signification at all. Again, there was a new state of the church erected presently after the fall, and this also attended with sundry new institutions, especially that of sacrifices. In this church state some alterations were made, and sundry additional institutions given to it, upon the erection of the peculiar church state of the Israelites in the wilderness ; but yet it was in general the same church state, and the same dispensation of the cove- nant as before. Hence, sundry institutions of worship were equally in force both before and after the giving of the law on Mount Sinai ; as is evident in sacrifices, and some other instances which may be given. But now when the state of the church, and the dispen- sation of the covenant, came to be wholly altered by the Gospel, not any one of the old institutions was continued, or to be continued, but they were all abolished and taken away. Nothing at all was passed ®ver from the old church states, (neither from that in innocency, nor from that which ensued on the fall in all its variations,) with any obligatory power, but what was founded in the law of nature, and had its force from thence. We may then confidently assert, that what God requires equally in all estates of the church is moral, and of everlasting obligation to us, and all men. Now with regard to the pretence of obscurity in the command of the Sabbath in the state of innocency, it will be easily removed, by the consideration of another instance of the same antiquity. All men ac- 115 knowledge, that a promise of Christ, for the object and guide of the faith of the ancient patriarchs, was given in those words of God, immediately spoken to the serpent, (Gen. iii. 15,) " I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed ; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise its heel." The words in themselves seem obscure as regards any such end ; but yet there is such liglit thrown on them from the circumstances of time, place, persons, and occasions ; from the nature of the things treated of; and from the whole ensuing economy, or dealing of God with men, revealed in Scripture ; that no sober roan doubts of the promissory nature of those words, nor of the intention of them in general, nor of the proper subject of the promise, nor of the grace intended in it. This promise, therefore, was the im- mediate object of the faith of the patriarchs of old, and the great motive of their obedience. It will be hard to prove, from the records of Scripture, that any particular patriarch did believe in, trust, or plead that promise : yet we know that they all did ; nor was there any need, for our instruction, that any such practice of theirs should be recorded ; seeing it is a general rule, that those holy men of God did observe and do whatever he commanded them. Wherefore, from the record of a command, we may conclude there was a suitable practice, though it be not recorded ; and from a recorded approved practice on the other side, we may conclude there was a command or insti- tution of the thing practised, though no where plainly recorded. Let unprejudiced men consider the words of Genesis ii. 2, S, and they will find the command and institution of the Sabbath as clear and conspicuous 116 in thenij as the promise of grace in Christ is in those just considered ; especially as they are attended with the interpretation given of them, in God's following dealings with his church. And, therefore, though particular instances of the obedience of the old pa- triarchs in the observation of the Sabbath, could not be given and evinced ; yet we ought no more on that account to deny, that they did observe it, than we ought to deny their faith in the promised seed, because it is no where expressly recorded in the story of their lives. Under the law, (that is, after the giving of it in the wilderness,) it is granted, that the portion of time in- sisted on was required to be dedicated unto God. And although it will be hard to meet with a recorded instance of its observation for some ages ; yet no one dares to question, on that account, whetlier or not it were so observed. All, therefore, is secure up to the great alteration, that was made in the instituted wor- ship under the Gospel ; and at that season there is no practice in any part of God's public worship, which appears earlier in the records of the New Testament, than the observation of one day in seven for the cele- bration of it. Some say, indeed, that the appointment of one day in seven, and more particularly of the first day of the week, for the worship of God, was only a voluntary agreement, consented to by the first churches, merely to keep good order and decorum, without respect to any moral command of God to that purpose. And I could incline to this apprehension, if, besides sundry other invincible reasons against it, I did not find, that God had always before, in all states of the church from the foundation of the world, in- 117 variably required the observation of one day in seven ; and I know no reason why he would have that, which had hitherto been observed on his authority, still ob- served, but on the invention and consent of men, instead of on his command. Had the religious ob- servance of one day in seven been utterly laid aside and abolished, it would and ought to have been con- cluded, that the law of it was expired in the cross of Christ ; as were those of circumcision, the sacrifices, and the whole temple worship. But to have this observance continued, with God's approbation, (which none ever doubted,) by a re-assumption of it through the authority of the church, after God had taken off his own from it, is a most vain imagination. I dispute not concerning what the church may appoint, for good order's sake, to be observed in re- ligious assemblies ; but this I dare say confidently, that no church, nor churches, nor all the churches in the world, have power by common consent to ordain any thing as a part of the worship of God, which God had once ordained, but now under the Gospel ceases so to do, — as circumcision and sacrifices. Neither do the traces of the occasion of any such ecclesiastical institution appear any where on record in the Scrip- ture, where all things of an absolutely new and arbitrary institution, whether occasional or durable, are taken notice of. There is, indeed, mention made, and that frequentlj^, of the first day cf the week, to be set apart for the assembling of believers for the wor- ship of God ; and a solid reason is insinuated, why that especial day in particular ought so to be : but why one day in seven should be constantly observed for the purpose mentioned, no reason or account is 118 given in the New Testament, other than why men should not lie nor steal. Nor has any man ground to imagine, that there was an intercision of a sabbatical observance, by the in^ terposition of any time, between the observation of the seventh day, and of the first of the week. If there be any indications, that the first churches continued without the observation of one day in seven, after they desisted from having a religious respect to the seventh day, and before they had the same regard to the first of the week, I wish they might be produced ; for they would be of good weight in this matter. For if the obligation of the precept for observing one day in seven, as a sacred rest to God, may be suspended in any change of the outward state and condition of the church, it Cannot be esteemed a viorat obligation; I speak not of the actual observance of the thing commanded, which for many causes may occasionally and temporarily be superseded ; but of the obliging force and power in the command itself, which, if it be moral, is perpetual, and not capable of interruption. Now we have testimonies that sundry persons, not sufficiently instructed in the liberty of the Gospel, ob^ served both the seventh day and the first day ; yea, perhaps for awhile some observed the one day and some the other; but that any Christians of old thought themselves actually set at liberty from the religious observation of one day in seven, neither is nor can be proved. What, therefore, can any man conceive to be the ground of this unvariableness in the commanded and approved observation of one day in seven, in all states, conditions, and alterations of the church; except that 119 tile Command for it is part of the moral unchangeable law ? Hereb}^ tlierefore, it is confirmed unto us so to be. And indeed, if every state of the church be founded in an especial work of God, and his rest thereon, and complacency therein, as a pledge or testi- mony of giving his church rest in himself; (as else- where shall be fully confirmed ;) a sabbatical rest must be necessary for the church in every state and con- dition. And although absolutely another day might have been fixed on under the New Testament, and not one in a weekly revolution ; because its peculiar works were not precisely finished in six days ; yet that season being before fixed and determined by the law of creation, no innovation nor alteration would be al- lowed therein* EXERCITATION VI. The same subject continued. (on the decalogue.) X. HERE is yet remaining that, which is chiefly to be pleaded in this cause, and which of itself is sufficient to bear the weight of the whole ; viz. the situation which the command for the observation of a Sabbath holds in the decalogue. Concerning this we have only to inquire, whether it have obtained a station there in its own right, or were on some other occasion ad- vanced to that privilege. For if it be free of that society in its own rights or on account of its origin g2 120 and birth, the morality of it can never be impeached ; if it had only an occasional interest therein, and held it by a lease of time, it may long since have been disseized of it. We do not yet dispute, vvhether the seventh day precisely be ordained in the fourth com- mandment ; only I take it for granted, that the observation of one day in seven is required in the command ; and that, because the seventh day in a septenary revolution is expressly commanded. It is, indeed, pretended by some, that the command chiefly and directly respects the seventh day precisely ; and one day in seven no otherwise, than as it neces- sarily follows thereon ; because where the seventh day is required, one in seven is so consequentially. And they who thus pretend have a double design, the one absolutely contradictory of the other. For those do so, who from thence conclude, that, as the seventh day precisely comprises the whole nature of the Sab- bath, that day is indispensably and everlastingly to be observed : and those do so, who, with equal confidence, draw their conclusion to the utter abolition of the whole Sabbath and its law, in the taking away of the seventh day itself Such different apprehensions have men of the use and improvement, that may be made of the same principles and concessions. But the very order of nature itself confutes this ; for it is natural and necessary, that time be indefinite- ly considered and required, antecedently to the de- signation and limitation of the portion of time that is required. For if it be time indefinitely that is limited in the command for the seventh day, time indefinitely is the first object of that limitation; and also with reference to one day in seven, time must have a 121 natural priority to the seventh day ; for the seventh day is one day of the seven. And again, some part of time may be separated for religious worship, and yet not one day in seven ; and one day in seven may be so separated, and yet the seventh day precisely have no interest. Whatever morality, therefore, or obligation to a perpetual observance can be fancied by any to be in the command as to the seventh day, it is but conse- quential and dependant on the command and duty for the observance of one day in seven. Further, all men, as we have often observed, allow, that there is something moral in the fourth command- ment; namely, that either some part of it, or the general nature of it, is so. I do not, therefore, well understand those who have pleaded, that the seventh day only is required in that command, and yet that this sevicnth day, being absolutely ceremonial and typical, was accordingly abolished : for if the whole matter o^ the command be ceremonial, the command itself must needs be so likewise. For a relief, therefore, against this apparent contra- diction, it is said, that the morality of the command consists in this, — that we should look after and take up our spiritual rest in God. But this is not peculiar to this commandment only ; for the primitive end of all the commandments was, to direct and bring us unto rest with God : of the first table immediately, and of the second in and by the performance of the duties of it among ourselves. This, indeed, is the sum of the first precept ; so that it is unduly assigned to be the peculiar morality of the fourth, instead of the solemn expres- sion of that rest as our end and happiness. Neither g3 122 is thei-e any way possible to manifest an especial in- tention in any law^ that is not found in this. The words and letter of it, in their proper and only sense, require a day, or an especial season to be appointed for a sacred rest; the nature of religious worship, which un(k)ubtedly is directed therein, does the same ; the rest of God proposed in the command as the reason of it, which was on the seventh day after six of working, implies this intention in the words ; and so, finally, does the exact limitation of time mentioned ill it : all in compliance with the order and place that it holds in the decalogue ; wherein nothing m general is left unrequired in the natural and instituted worship of God ; unless you except this very thing ; viz. the setting some time apart for the solemn observation of that worship. Few, therefore, have ever denied, that the morality of this command^ if it be moral, extends itself to the separation of some part of ouf time to the solemn recognizing of God, and our sub- jection to him ; and this in the letter of the law is limited, for the reasons before insisted on, to one day in seven in their perpetual revolution. The sole in- quiry therefore remaining is, whether this precept be moral or not, and thus possessed of a power perpet- ually obligatory to all the sons of men. To proceed therefore, we must here have respect to what has been already said concerning the stibject matter of the precept itself. For if it be not only congruous to the law of nature, but that also which, by the creation of ourselves and all other things, we are taught and obliged to the observation of, the law' whereby it is required must be moral. For the term,' moral, first belongs to the things themselves required 1^ by any law, and thence to the law whereby they are commanded ; and if, therefore, we have proved, that the thing itself, required in the fourth commandment, is natural and moral, from the relation it has to the law of creation, then there can be no question of the morality of that command. What has been performed therein is left to the judgment of the sober and judicious reader : for however we may please ourselves in our light, knowledge, learnmg, and sincerity ; yet, when we have done all, they are not constituted of God to be the rule of other men's faith and practice ; and others, whom for some imagined defects we may be apt to despise, may yet be taught the truth of God, in things wherein we may be out of the way. That which we have to do in these cases is, first to en- deavour after a full persuasion in our own minds, and then to communicate the principles of reason and Scripture testimony, on which we ground our per- suasion, to others; labouring with meekness and gentleness to instruct those, whom we apprehend to be out of the way, and submitting the whole to the judgment of all that fear the Lord, and take notice of such things. And these rules I have and shall attend to, abhorring nothing more than a proud magisterial imposing of our own apprehensions on the minds of other men ; which I judge far more intolerable in particular persons, than in churches and societies ; and in both contrary to that royal law of love and liberty, which all believers ought to walk by. And therefore, as we said, what has been spoken on this subject, or shall yet farther be added, I humbly submit to the judgment of sober and impartial readers ; only assuring them, that I teach as I have G 4 124 learned, speak because I believe, and declare nothing but that, of which I am fully persuaded in my own mind. L The nature of the decalogue, and the distinction of its precepts from all commands ceremonial or political, comes now under consideration. I acknow- lecJge that the whole decalogue, given on Mount Sinai to the Israelites, had a political use ; being made the principal instrument or rule of the polity and govern- ment of their nation, as peculiarly under the rule of God. It had a place also in that economy or dispen- sation of the covenant, which that church was then brought under; and in which, by God's dealing with and instructing them, they were taught to look for a further and greater good in the promise, than they were yet come to the enjoyment of. Hence the decalogue, in that dispensation of it, was ^a school* niaster to bring them to Christ;* but in itself, and materially considered, it was holy, and in all the pre~ ceptive parts of it absolutely moral. Some, indeed, of its precepts, (as the first, fourth and fifth,) have either prefaces, enlargements, or additions, which belonged peculiarly to the then existing and future state of tliat church in the land of Canaan ; but these special applications of it to them do not change the nature of its commands or precepts, which, I say, are all moral, and as far as they are esteemed to belong to the deca- logue, are unquestionably acknowledged to be so» As therefore the giving, writing, use, and disposal of the decalogue or ten commandments, were peculiar and distinct from the rest of the laws and statutes given to the church of Israel, which were either ceremonial or 125 judicial; so the precept concerning the Sabbath ni the fourth commandment, has an equal share with the other nine, in all the privileges of the whole. 1. For, first, it was spoken immediately by the Voice of God, in the hearing of all the people ; whereas all the other laws, whether ceremonial or judicial, were given peculiarly to Moses, and by him declared to the rest of the people. Note what weight is laid on tliis circumstance in Exodus xix. 10 — IS.; Deut. iv. 36, and xxxiii. 2. In the first passage the work itself is declared ; in the latter a distinguishing great- ness and glory, above all other legislations, is ascribed to it. It is worth the inquiry what might be the cause of this difference ; which appears to me to be, that God thereby declared, that the law of the deca- logue belonged immediately and personally to them all, upon the original right of the law of nature, whicli it represented and expressed : whereas all the other laws and s:atutes, given them by the mediation of Moses, belonged to that peculiar church state and economy of the covenant, which they were then ini- tiated into; and which was to abide till the time of the reformation of all things by Jesus Christo 2. Secondly, this command, as all the rest of the decalogue, was written twice by the finger of God in tables of stone : for which there v/as a tv/ofold reason. First, it was a stable revocation of that law, which being implanted on the heart of man, and communi- cated to him in his creation, was variously defaced ; partly by the corruption and loss of that light, through the entrance of sin, which should have guided us i!i the right apprehension of its dictates, and the obedi- ence it required ; and partly through a long course of g5 126 corrupt conversation, which the world, after the first apostasy, had plunged itself into. God thus again fixed that law objectively, in a way of durable pre- servation, which in its primitive seat and subject was so impaired and defaced. And the additions mentioned, with peculiar respect to the application of the whole, or any part of it, to that people, were no impeachment of it ; as is acknowledged in the preface given to them all, containing a motive to their dutiful observance of the whole. And hence this law must necessarily be esteemed a part of the antecedent law of nature; neither can any other reason be given, why God wrote it himself, with those, and only those, that are so, in tables of stone. Secojidly, This was done as an emblem, that tlie whole decalogue was a representation of that law, which by his spirit he would write in the fleshly tables of the hearts of his elect. And this is well observed by the Church of England, which, after the reading of the whole decalogue, (the fourth command amongst the rest,) directs the people to pray, "That God would write all these laws in their hearts." Now this concerns only the moral law : for although obe-> dience to God's ceremonial and typical institutions, whilst they were in force, was moral, and a part of the law required in general in the precepts of the first table of the decalogue ; yet those laws themselves Iiad no place in the promise of the covenant, that they should be written in our hearts. If it were so, especial grace would be yet administered for the observation of those laws now they are abolished ; which would not only be vain and useless, but contradictory to the whole design of the grace bestowed upon us, which is to be 127 improved in a due and genuine exercise of it. Neither does God bestow any grace upon men, without re- quiring at the same time the exercise of it at their hands. If, then, this law was written in tables of stone, together with the other nine, that we might pray and endeavour to have it written in our hearts, accord- ing to the promise of the covenant, it is and must be of the nature of the rest; that is, moral and everlast- ingly obligatory. S. Thirdly, like all the rest of the moral precepts, it was reserved in the ark ; whereas the law of ceremo- nial ordinances was placed in a book written by Moses on the side of the ark, from whence it might be re- moved. The ark on many accounts was called the ark of the covenant ; but one reason was, because it contained in it nothing but that moral law, which was the rule of the covenant. And this was placed therein to manifest, that it was to have its accomplishment in him, who was ' the end of the law ;' (for the ark with the propitiatory was a type of Jesus Clirist; Rom. iii. 25 ;) and the reason of the different disposal of the moral law in the ark, and of the ceremonial in a book on the side of it, was to manifest the inseparableness of the law from the covenant ; and the establishing, accomplishing, and answering of the one law in Christ, with the removing and abolishing of the other by him. For he was to fulfil the law kept in the ark by obe- dience, by answering its curse, and by restoring it to its proper use in the new covenant : not that which it had originally, when it was itself the whole of the covenant; but that which the nature of it requires in the moral obedience of rational creatures, of which it is a complete and adequate rule. And if the law of the g6 128 Sabbath had been absolutely capable of abolition in this world, it had not been safeguarded in the ark with the other nine, which are inseparable from man's covenant obedience unto God ; but had been left with other ceremonial ordinances at the side of the ark, in readiness to be removed, when the appointed time should come. 4. Next, God himself separates this command from those, which were ceremonial in their principal inten- tion and subject matter, when he calls the whole system of precepts in the two tables by the name of the ten commandments or words ; — " The ten com- mandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire, in the day of the assembly." Deut. x. 4. No considering person can read these words, but he will find a most signal em- phasis in the several parts of them. The day of the assembly is that, which the Jews so celebrate, under the name of the station in Sinai; the day that was the foundation of their church state, when they solemnly Covenanted with God about the observation of the law. Deut. v. 24 — 27- And the Lord himself spake these words, i. e. in an immediate and special man- ner ; (which is still observed where any mention is made of them, as in Exodus xx., Deut. v. and x.) ^' And," saith Moses, '^ he spake them unto you ;" that is, immediately to all the assembly ; (Deut. v. 22 ;) where it is added, that he spake them " out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick dark- ness, with a great voice, (that every individual person might hear it,) and he added no more." He spake not one word more, i. e. gave not one precept more at this time to the people ; but the whole solemnity of fire. 129 thunder, lightning, earthquake, and sound of trumpet immediately ceased and disappeared. Whereupon God entered his treaty with Moses, in which he re-, vealed to and instructed him in the ceremonial and judicial law, for the use of the people, who had now taken upon themselves the religious observance of whatever he should so reveal and appoint. Now as the wliole decalogue was hereby signalized, and suf- ficiently distinguished from the laws and institutions of another nature ; so in particular, this precept, con- cerning the Sabbath, is distinguished from all those, in the declaration of which Moses was the mediator be- tween God and the people. And this was only upon account of its participation in the same nature. witii the rest of the commands ; although it may and doe& contain something in it, that was peculiar to that people. 5. Finally, although there is a frequent opposition made, in the Old Testament, between moral obedience and the outward observance of ordinances of a merely arbitrary institution, there is no mention made of the weekly Sabbath in that case, though all ceremonial institutions ai'e in one place or other enumerated. It is true that in Isaiah i. 13, the Sabbath is joined with the new moons, and its mere observation rejected, when put in the place of holiness and righteousness ; but as this is expounded, in the next verse, to regard principally the appointed annual feasts or Sabbaths, so we grant, that the Sabbath, as relating to the tem- ple worship there intended, had that accompanying- it, which was peculiar to the Jews and their cere- monial. Absolutely, however, the observation of the 3abbath is not opposed to, nor rejected in comparison 130 of any other moral duties. Indeed, its observation is finally pressed on the church, on the same grounds, and with the same promises, as the greatest and most indispensable moral duties ; and together with them opposed to those fasts, which belonged to ceremonial institutions. See Isaiah, lviii*6 — 14. 6. Now it is assuredly worth our inquiry, what are the just reasons of the preference of the Sabbath above all positive institutions, both by the place given to it in the decalogue, as also on account of the other special circumstances insisted on. Suppose the command of it to be ceremonial, and this exaltation of it must then arise, either from the excellency of it in itself and service, or from the excellency of its signification, or from both of them jointly. But these things cannot consistently be pleaded : for the service of the Sabbath, as observed among the Jews, (it is now urged,) con- sisted in mere bodily rest, which is scarcely to be reckoned as any part of divine service at all. Any thing beyond this in it, is said to be only a mere cir- cumstance of time ; not in any thing better than that of place, and had an arbitrary determination also for a season. It cannot, therefore, be thus exalted and preferred above all other ordinances of worship on account of its service, seeing it is apprehended to be only an adjunct of olher services; which services were more worthy than it, in as much as that every thing which is for itself, is more worthy than that which is only for another. And place, considered absolutely, is a more noble circumstance than iwie in this case ; for place, being determined by an arbitrary institution in the building of the temple, became the most 131 glorious and significant part of divine worship : and yet had it no place in the decalogue. It must, therefore, be upon account of its signifi- cation, that it was thus peculiarly exalted and honored. But the dignity, worth, and use of all ceremonial in- stitutions depend on their fitness to represent the things, of which they are types ; and also on the worth of that, which they peculiarly typify. And herein tlie Sabbath, even with the applications it had to the Judaical church state, came short of many other divine services ; especially of the solemn sacrifices, wherein the Lord Christ, with all the benefits of his death, was, as it were, evidently " set forth crucified before their eyes." Neither, therefore, of these reasons, nor both of them in conjunction can be pleaded, as the cause of the manifold preference of the Sabbath above all cere- monial institutions. It follows, therefore, that it is solely upon account of its morality, and the invariable obhgation thence arising for its observation, that it is so joined with the precepts of the same nature ; and such we have now, as I suppose, sufficiently confirmed it to be. 7. I cannot but judge yet farther, that in the caution given by our Saviour to his disciples, about praying that their flight sliould not be on the Sabbath day, (Matt, xxiv, 20,) he declares the continued obli- gation of the law of the Sabbath, as a moral pre- cept. It is answered by some, that it is the Jewish Sabbath intended here ; which he knew that gome of his own disciples would be kept for a seasoa in bondage to ; and for the ease,^ therefore, of their consciences in that matter, he gives them this direction. 132 But many things on the other side are certain and indubitable, which render this conjecture altogether improbable. For, Jirsty all real obligation to Jewish institutions was then absolutely taken away ; and it is not to be supposed, that our Lord Jesus Christ would before hand make provision for the edification of any of his disciples in error. Secondly, before that time came, they were sufficiently instructed doctrinally in the dissolution of all obligation in ceremonial in- stitutions ; as we may see in the Epistles of St. Paul ; especially in that to the Hebrews themselves at Jeru- salem. Thirdly, those who may be supposed to have co2itinued a conscientious respect to the Jewish Sab- bath, could be no otherwise persuaded of it, than the Jews themselves were in those days: and they all accounted themselves absolved in conscience from the law of the Sabbath upon imminent danger in time of war, so that they might lawfully either fight or «fly, as their safety required ; as is evident from the decree made by them under the Asmonseans. And such imminent danger is now supposed by our Saviour ; for he instructs them to forego all consideration of their enjoyments, and to shift solely for their lives. There was not therefore any danger in point of conscience, with respect to the Judaical Sabbath, to be then feared or prevented. But in general those, in whose hearts are the ways of God, know what an addition it is to the greatest of their earthly troubles, if they befal them in such seasons, as to deprive them of the oppor- tunity of the sacred ordinances of God's worship ; and then, when they stand in most need of them, engage them in ways and works quite of another nature. 133 There 'Is, therefore, anotlier answer invented ; name- ly, that our Lord Jesus in tliese words respected not the consciences of his disciples, but their trouble ; and therefore joins the Sabbath day and the winter toge- ther, in directing them to pray for an ease and ac- commodation of that flight, which was inevitable. For as the winter is unseasonable for such an occasion, so was the law concerning the Sabbath, ' that if any one travelled on that day above a commonly allowed Sab- bath day's journey, he was to be put to deaili.' But there is not any more appearance of truth in this pretence. For Ji?'st, the power of capital punishn.ent was before this time utterly taken away from the Jews, sTid all their remaining courts interdicted from pro- ceeding in any cause, wherein the lives of men were concerned. Secondly, in the times referred to, there was no course of law, justice, or equity amongst them ; but all things were filled with rapine, confusion, and hostility ; so that no cognizance was taken about such cases as journeying on the Sabbath. Lastly, the dangers they were in had made it free to them, as to legal punishments, upon their own principles ; as already declared. As these, therefore, cannot be the reasons of the caution here given, it is at least most probable, that our Saviour speaks to his disciples upon a supposition of the perpetual obligation of the law of the Sabbath ; that they should pray to be delivered from the necessity of a flight on that day whereon the duties of it were to be observed ; lest, falling out otherwise, it should prove a great aggravation of their distress. From these particular instances we may return to the consideration of the law of the decalogue in general, and the perpetual power of exacting obedi- 134 dice with which it is accompanied. That in the Old Testament it is frequently declared to be universally obligatory, — without exception to any of its commands, or limitation of its number, — I suppose will be granted. Its authority is no less fully asserted in the New Testiiment, and that also without distinction, or the., least intimation of excepting the fourth command from what is affirmed concerning the whole. It is of the law of the decalogue that our Saviour treats in Matthew V. 17 — 19; and affirms, that he came not to dissolve it, (as he did the ceremonial law,) but to fulfil it ; and then declares, that not one jot or tittle of it sljall pass away. And afterwards, making a distribu^* tion of the whole into its several commands, he de- clares his disapprobation of those who shall break, or teach men to break, any one of them : and men there- fore make bold with him, when they so confidently assert, that they 7nai/ break one of them, and teach others so to do, without offence. In like manner St. James treats concerning the whole law and all the commands of it, chap. ii. 10, 11. And the argument he insists on for the observance of the whole, (namely, the giving of it by the same authority,) is confined to the decalogue, and the way of God's giving the law thereof; else it may be extended tJ all Mosaical insti- tutions, expressly contrary to his intention. II. Many things are usually objected against the truth we have been pleading for ; which objections have been solidly answered by others : but because those objections, or arguments, have been lately re- newed by a person of good learning and reputation, and a new force is endeavoured to be added to them. 135 I shall give them a fresh examination, and remove them out of our way. 1. It is then objected in the first place, (Disquisit. de Moralitate Sabbati, p. 7,) "Tiiat the command for the observation of the Sabbath, is a command of time, or concerning time only ; namely, that some certain and determinate time be assigned to the wor- ship of God ; and that this may be granted to be moral. But that time is no part of moral worship ; only a cir- cumstance of it, even as place is also. That therefore the command, that requires them in particular, cannot be moral ; for these and the like circumstances must necessarily be of a positive determination." The whole force of this argument consists in this, that time is but a help, instrument, or circumstance of worship, and therefore is neither moral worship itself, nor a part of it. But this argument is not valid ; for whatever God requires by his command to be religiously observed, with immediate respect to himself, is a part of his worship ; and this worship, as to the kind of it, follows the nature of the law whereby it is com- manded. If that law be merely positive, so is the worship commanded ; although it be a duty, required by the law of nature, that we duly observe it, when it is commanded ; if that law be naoral, so is the duty required by it, and so is our obedience to it. The only way then to prove, that the observation of time is no part of moral worship, is to manifest, that the law whereby it is required is positive and not moral : for it does not follow, because the thing in itself is naturally an adjunct or circumstance of other things, that the law whereby it is required partakes of th» nature of those things. 136 Moreover, time abstractedly, or one day in seven absolutely, is not the adequate object of the fourth commandment ; but a holy rest to be observed unto God : not unto God in general, as the tendency and end of all our obedience and living unto him ; but as an etspecial remembrance and representation of the rest of God himself, with his complacency and satisfaction in his works, as establishing a covenant between him- self and us. This is the principal subject of the com- mand ; (or a stated day of holy rest unto God in such a revolution of days;) and which we have already proved to be moral from various considerations. Now though place be an inseparable circumstance of all actions, and so capable of being made a circumstance of divine worship, by divine positive command ; (as it was of old in the instance of the temple ;) yet no special or particular place had the least tendency to it in the law of nature, and therefore all places were alike free by nature ; and every place wherein the worship of God was celebrated, v/as a natural circumstance of the actions performed, and not a religious circumstance of worship, until a particular place was assigned and determined by positive command for that purpose. It is otherwise with time, as hath been shev.n at large ; and therefore, though any plcice, notwithstancU ing the law of nature, might have been separated by positive institution for the worship of God, it does not thence follow, as is pretended, that any time (a day in a year, e. g.) might have been separated for the like purpose; seeing that God bad given us indication oV another limitation of it in the law of creation. • 2. Jt is farther objected, (Disquisit. p. 8,) " That, in the fourth commandment, not one day in seven. 137 but the seventh day precisely is enjoined. The day was made known before to the Israelites in the station at Marah, or afterwards at Alesh ; namely, the seventh day from the foundation of the world ; v/hich in the command they are required to observe. Hence the words of it are, that, they should remember that same Sabbath day, or that day of the Sabbath, which was newly revealed to them. This command, therefore, cannot be moral, as to the limitation of time specified therein ; seeing it only confirms the observation of the seventh day Sabbath, which was before given to the Hebrews in a temporary institution." In reply, various instances have been given by all writers on the Hebrew tongue, in which the prefixed letters, sometimes answering the Greek prepositive articles, are redundant ; and if at all emphatical, yet do they not limit or determine. (See Psalm i. 4 ; Ec- cles. ii. 14; Lev. xviii. 5.) The prefixing, therefore, of n {he) to n2tt^, {sabat,) though it may possibly de- note an excellency in the thing itself; yet, as it tends nothing to the determination of a certain day, except as it is afterwards declared to be one of seven, is too weak to bear the weight of the inference intended. Further, the rest of a seventh day was known and observed from the foundation of the world, as has been proved ; and therefore if, from the prefix, we are to conclude, that a limitation is intended in the words, *' Remember the Sabbath day ;" still it only respects the original Sabbath, and not any new institution of it. For supposing the observation of the Sabbath to have been before in use, the command concerning it may well be expressed by "Remember the Sabbath day ;" whether that use were only of late, or from the 138 beginning of the world. Or suppose, that the Sabbath had received a limitation to the seventh day precisely> in the ordinance given to that people in the first raining of manna ; then the observation of that day precisely necessarily arises. And yet the command, whicli is but the I'evival of what- is required from the foundation of the world, cannot be said chiefly to intend that day precisely ; for the reason of the ori- ginal command for a sabbatical rest was, God's making the world in six days, and resting on the seventh ; which requires no more than that, in the continual revolution of seven days, one should be observed as a sacred rest to God : and these words, therefore, " Re- member the Sabbath day," refer to the primitive command and reason of the Sabbath, as is afterwards declared in the body of the law. The reason for this command, (viz. the works of God, and their order,) is repeated in the decalogue, because the instruction given us by them, is a part of the law of our creation more subject to neglect, than those other parts of it, which were wholly innate in the principles of our own nature. The emphatic expression insisted on ; " Remember the Sabbath day," has respect to the singular necessity, use, and benefit of this holy rest; and also to that neglect of its observance, which (partly through their own sin, partly through the hardships that it met with in the world) the church of former ages had fallen into. And what it had lately received of a new institution, with reference to the Israelites, falls also under this command, as a ceremonial branch under its proper moral head, to which it is annexed. And the plea, ' that the command of the seventh day precisely, is m not the command of one day in seven ; aild that what God has determined in this matter, ought not to be considered indejinitely by us,' may be granted without the least prejudice to our cause. For although the institution of the seventh day precisely, be somewhat distinct from one day in seven ; as containing a deter- minate limitation of that, which in the other notion is left indefinite : yet this hinders not, but God may appoint the one and the other ; the one in the moral reason of the law, the other by a special determination and institution. And this special institution is to con- tinue, unless it be abrogated or changed by his own authority ; which it may be, without the least im- peachment of the moral reason of the whole law, and a new day be limited by the same authority. S. It is yet farther observed, (Disquisit. p. 9 — 12,) " That no distinction can be made between a weekly Sabbath, and the seventh day precisely. And if any such difference be asserted, then, if one of them be appointed in the fourth commandment, the other is not ; for there are not two Sabbaths enjoined in it. And it is evident, that there never was of old but one Sabbath. The Sabbath observed under the Old Tes^ tament was that required and prescribed in the fourth commandment ; and so, on the other side, that Sabbath required in the decalogue, was that which was ob- served under the Old Testament, and that only. Two Sabbaths, (one of one day in seven, and the othier of the seventh day precisely,) are not to be fancied. The seventh day, and that only, was the Sabbath of the Old Testament, and of the decalogue." These objections are framed against a distinction ■used by another learned person ; but neither he, nor 140 any other sober man, ever fancied, that there were two Sabbaths of old ; one enjoined to the church of the Israelites, the other required in the decalogue : though any one may and ought to distinguish between the Sabbath, as enjoined absolutely, in words expressive of the law of our creation and rule of our moral de- pendance on God, and the same Sabbath, as it had a temporary determination to the seventh day in the church of the jews, by virtue of a special intimation of the will of God, suited to that administration of the covenant, which that church and people were then admitted into. The fourth commandment not only contains the moral equity, that some time should always be set apart to the celebration of the worship of God ; and the original instruction given us by the law of creation, and the covenant obedience required of us in it ; but it expresses moreover, the peculiar application of this command, by the will of God, to the state of the church then erected by him, with respect to the seventh day precisely, as before instituted and commanded. That one day in seven only, and not the seventh day precisely, is directly and immediately enjoined in the decalogue ; and the seventh only with respect to an antecedent Mosaical institution, together with the nature of that administration of the covenant, which the people of Israel were then taken into ; has been shewn in our preceding investigation of the causes and ends of the Sabbath. And it seems evident to im- partial consideration : for the observation of one day in seven belongs to every covenant of God with man ; and the decalogue is the invariable rule of man's walking before God ; of whatsoever nature the cove^ 141 nant be between them, whether that of works, or that of grace by Jesus Christ. As therefore the seventh day precisely belongs to the covenant of works, it cannot be chiefly, but only occasionally intended in the decalogue : nor can it invariably belong to our absolute obedience to God ; because it is not of the substance of it, but only an occasional determination of a duty, such as all other positive laws give us. And hence there is in the command itself a difference put between a Sabbath day, and the arbitrary limita- tion of the seventh day to be that day. For we are commanded to remember the Sabbath day, not the seventh day ; and the reason given (as is elsewhere observed) is, because God blessed and sanctified the Sabbath day. Nor, indeed, is the joint observation of tli€ seventh day precisely possible to all, who take the Lord to be their God ; tiiough it were to the Jews in the land of Palestine, v/ho were obliged to keep that day : for the difference of the climate in the world will not allow it. Nor did tlie Jews ever know, whether the day they observe " the priesthood being changed, there must also of necessity a change of the law ensue " so the covenant being changed, and the rest which was tlie end of it being changed, and the way of entering into the rest of God being changed, a change of the day of rest must of necessity follow. And no man can assert, that the same day of rest abides as of old, but he must likewise assert that the same law, the same covenant, the same rest of God, the same way of enter- ing into it, continue ; which all, nevertheless, acknow- ledge to be changed. We must here again repeat, that there was a day of holy rest to God, necessary to be observ- ed by the law and covenant of nature, or of works ; and that this was to be one day in seven. God, therefore, renews the law of this holy rest in the deqa^ 173 logue, among those other laws, which being of the same nature and original, (namely, branches of the law of our creation,) were to be unto us moral and eternal. For God would no longer entrust his mind and will in that law to the depraved nature of man ; but committed it by vocal revelation to the minds of the people, as the doctrinal object of their considera- tion, and recorded it in tables of stone. jMoreover, the first covenant had limited this holy day to the seventh day ; the observation oi which was to be com- mensurate to that covenant, and its administration; however the outward forms thereof might be varied. On these suppositions we lay the observation of the Lord's day under the New Testament, according to the institution of it, or declaration concerning it, of the mind of Christ, who is our Lord and lawgiver. First, a new work of creation, or a work of a new creation, is undertaken and completed. (See Isaiah Ixv. 17, and Ixvi. 22, 23 ; 2 Peter iii. 13 ; Rev. xxi. 1 ; Romans viii. 19, 20; 2 Cor. v. 17; and Gal. vi. 15.) Secondly, this new creation is accompanied by a new law, and a new covenant ; or the law of faith, and the covenant of grace. (See Romans iii. 27, and viii. 2 — -4 ; Jer.xxxi. 32— 34; Hebrews viii. 8—13.) And thirdly, unto this law and covenant a day of holy rest to the Lord belongs ; which cannot be the same day with the former, any more than it is the same law, or the same covenant, which were originally given to us. (See Hebrews iv, 9 ; Rev. i. 10.) IL That this day was limited and determined to the first day of the week by our Lord Jesus Christ, is that which shall now further be confirmed ; only I must desire the reader to consider, that whereas the topical \ 5 174 ar^ments whereby this truth is confirmed, have been pleaded of late by many, I shall but briefly mention them, and insist principally on the declaration of the proper grounds and foundations of it. As our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son and Wis- dom of the Father, was the immediate cause and author of the old creation ; so, as mediator, he was the author of this new creation, "and built the house of God." (John i. 3; Col. i. 16; Heb. i. 2, 10; iii. .% 4.) Herein he wrought, and in the accomplishment of it ** saw of the travail of his soul, and was satisfied," (Isaiah liii. 11,) that is, "he rested and was refreshed." Herein he gave a new law of life, faith, and obedi- ence ; (Isaiah xlii. 4;) not by an addition of new precepts to the moral law of God, which were not virtually comprised in it before ; but in his revelation of that new way of obedience to God in and by himself, with the special causes, means, and ends of it, which supplies the use and end for which the moral law was at first designed, (Romans viii. 2, 3 ; x. 3, 4,) and whereby he becomes "the author of eterriai- salva- tion unto all them that obey him." (Hebrews v. Q.) This law of life and obedience, he writes by his Spirit in the hearts of hi« people, that they may be " willing in the day of his power ;" (Psalm ex. 3 ; 2 Cor. iii. 3, 6; Hebrews viii. 10 ;) for as the law of nature should have been implanted in the hearts- of m«n in their conception, and natural nativity, had that dispensation of righteousness continued ; so in the new birth of them that believe in him is this law written in their hearts in all generations. (John iii. 6.) Hereon was the covenant established, and all its promises, of which he was the mediator: (Hebrews viii. 6:) and for a 175 holy day of rest, he determined the observation of the ^ritday of the week. 1. For first, on this day he rested from his works by his resurrection ; for then had he laid the founda- tion of the new heavens and new earth, and finished the works of the new creation, when all the " stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." On this day he rested from his works, and was refreshed, as God did and was from his ; for he saw that it was *'very good." And although he " worketh hitl:ierto/' in the communication of his Spirit and graces, (as the Father continued to do in his works of providence, after the finishing of the works of the old creation,) yet he ceases absolutely from that kind of work, whereby he laid the founda- tion of the new creation : " henceforth he dieth no more." Therefore as God's rest on the seventh day of old, was a sufficient indication of the precise day of rest, which he would have observed under the ad- ministration of that original law and covenant ; so the rest of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Jirst day, is a sufficient indication of the precise day of rest, to be observed under the dispensation of the new covenant now confirmed and established. Nor could the church of Christ pass one week under the New Testament, or in a Gospel state of worship, without this indication. For the Judaieal Sabbath, as sure as it was so, and as sure as it was annexed to the Mosaical administration of the covenant, was so far abolished, as not really to oblige the disciples of Christ in conscience to its observation, whatever any of them might for a season apprehend. And if a new day was not now determined, there was no day or i6 176 season appofnted ; nor any pledge given of our enter* ing into the rest of Christ. And those who say, tha,t some time is required to be set apart for the ends of a sabbatical rest, but that there is no divine indication when or what that time is, must allow us to expect firmer proofs of their uncouth assertion, than any which we have yet met with. 2. This indication of the Gospel day of rest and worship was accordingly embraced by the apostle?, who were to be as the chief corner-stones, the founda- tion of the Christian church ; for they immediately assembled themselves on that day, and were confii-med in their obedience by the grace of our Lord, in meet- ing with them on it. (John xx. 19, 26.) And it seems that on this day onli/ he appeared to them, when they were assembled together ; although he oc- casionally shewed himself to them separately at other seasons. Hence he left Thomas under his doubts a whole week, before he gave him his gracious con- viction; to the end that he might do it in the assembly of his disciples on the flrst day of the week : from which time forward this day was never without its solemn assemblies. Heh^ews iv. 3 — 11, considered. III. Now because I am persuaded that the sub- stance of all we have laid down and pleaded for in the preceding discourses, especially in what we have pro- posed concerning the foundation and causes of the Lord's day, is taught by the apostle Paul in chap, iv. of his epistle to the Hebrews, I shall present the reader with the scope and sum of his design from 177 v^r. 3 to ver. 11 of that chapter, with an application of it to our present purpose : for this place is touched on by all, who have contended about the origin and duration of the Sabbatical rest ; but not yet, that I know of, diligently examined by any. The words of the Apostle are : " For we which have " believed do enter into rest, as he said, ' As I have " sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest :* " although the works were finished from the foundation " of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the '* seventh day on this wise, ' And God did rest the " seventh day from all his wvx'ks.' And in this place " again, ' If they shall enter into my rest.' Seeing^ "therefore, it remaineth, that some must enter therein ; " and they, to whom it was first preached, entered not "in because of unbelief; (again, he limiteth a certain " day, saying, in David, ' To day,' after so long a time ; " as it is said, ' To day if you will hear his voice, harden " not your hearts.' For if Jesus QJoshua] had given " them rest, then would he not afterwards have spoken "of another day;) there remaineth, therefore, a rest " to the people of God. For he that is entered into his "rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God " did from his." 1. The design of the Apostle in this passage, is to confirm what he had laid down and positively as- serted in the beginning of the chapter ; viz. that tliere is yet under the Gospel a promise left to believers of entering into the rest of God ; and that they do enter into that rest, by mixing the promise of it with faith. This declaration was useful and necessary to the He- brews : for he lets them know, that, notwithstanding their present and ancient enjoyment of the land of Canaan, with the worship and rest of God therein, which their forefathers fell short of through unbelief, they were under a new trial, — a new rest being pro- posed to them in the promise. And this he proves by a testimony out of Psalm xcv. ; the words of which he had already insisted on in chap. iii. But the application of that testimony to his purpose is obnoxious to a great objection ; for the rest mention- ed in that psalm seems to be a rest long since past and enjoyed, either by themselves or others ; and, there- fore, they could have no new or fresh concern in it,^ nor be in danger of coming short of it. And if this were so, all the arguments and exhortations of the Apostle in this place must needs be weak and incogent, ' as drawn from a mistaken and misapplied testimony. To remove this objection, therefore, he proceeds to the exposition and vindication of the testimony itself, and shews (from the proper signification of the words, from the time when they were spoken, and the persons to whom) that no other rest was intended in them, but what was now by him proposed to them, as the rest of God and his people in the Gospel. His general argument consists in an enumeration of all the several rests of God and his people, mentioned in the Scriptures ; from the consideration of which he proves, that no other rest could be intended in the words of David, except the rest of the Gospel, into which they enter who believe. And from the respect which the words of the Psalmist have to the other foregoing rests of God and his people, he manifests, that they also were appointed of God, to be repre- sentations of that spiritual rest, which was now brought in and established. 179 Thihs he declarer, that the rest mentioned in the psalm, is not that, which ensued immediately on the creation of* all things ; because it was spoken of a long time after, and that for another purpose, (ver. 4, 5.) Secondly, that it was not the rest of the land of Canaan, because that was not entered into by them to whom it was first proposed and promised ; for they came short of it through unbelief, and perished in the wilderness : but this rest which is now afresh proposed is such, as the people of God must and will enter intcv. (ver. 6, 7.) And whereas it may be objected, that although the wilderness generation entered not in, yet their posterity did under the conduct of Joshua ; (ver. 8 ;) he answers, that this rest in the psalm being pror posed and promised in David so long a time (above 400 hundred years) after the people had quietly pos- sessed the land into which they were conducted by Joshua, it must needs be, that another rest, yet to come, was intended in those words of the Psalmist, (ver. 9.) And to conclude his argument he declare?, that this new rest had a new peculiar foundation, which the other had no interest or concern in ; name- ly. Jus ceasing from his works, and entering into his rest, who is the author of it. (ver. 10.) This is his way and manner of arguing for the proof of what he had before laid down, and which he ends in that conclusion, " There remaineth, therefore, a rest for the people of God." 2. But we must y€t further consider the nature of the several rests here noticed by the Apostle ; keeping in remembrance what we have before proved, and his words confirm : viz. that the rest of God is tlie foun- dation and principal cause of our rest ; b^ing on sfytrx^ 180 account or other God's rest before it is ours : and that it refers to an appointed rest for the church, which follows it ; and which is also a pledge of our partici- pating in the rest of God. The Apostle then proposes a three-fold state of the. church for consideration : viz. its state under the law of nature or creation ; under the law of institutions and carnal ordinances; and under the Gospel. To each of these he assigns a distinct rest of God ; a rest of the church, entering into God's rest ; and a day of rest, as the means and pledge tliereof. And further, he manifests, that the two former were ordered to be previous representations of the latter, though not equally, nor on the same account. First, he considers the church under the law of nature, before the entrance of sin ; in which he shews, that there was a rest of God ; for saith he, "the works were finished from the foundation of the world, and God did rest from all his works." (ver. 3^ 4.) Observe, as the foundation of all he lays down first the works of God ; for the church and every peculiar state of it is founded on some special work of God, and not merely on a law or command ; and " the foundation of the world" is only a periphrasis of the six original days, wherein time, and all things measured by it and existent with it, had their begin- ning. But this alone does not confirm, nor, indeed, come near the purpose or argument of the Apostle ; for he is to speak of such a rest o? God, as men might enter into, and, therefore, a foundation of rest to them ; otherwise his discourse was not concerned in it. Wherefore, by a citation of the words of Moses, from 181 Genesis ii. 2, he tells us, that this rest of God was oft the seventh day, which God accordingly blessed and sanctified, to be a day of rest unto man. Thus in this state of the church there were the rest of God himself on his works ; a rest proposed to man to enter into with God ; and a day of rest, as a remembrance of the one, and a means and pledge of the other. And hereby we principally confirm our opinion, that the Sabbath began with the world ; since without this supposition, the mention of God's work and his rest, no way belonged to the purpose of our Apostle. For he discourses only of such rests as men might enter into, and have a pledge of; and there was no such thing from " the foundation of the world," unless the Sabbath were then revealed. Secondlyj the Apostle considers the church under the law of institutions ; wJierein he represents tlie rest of the land of Canaan. In this there was a rest of God, which gives denomination to the whole: He still calls it his rest ; " if they shall enter into mif rest." And the prayer about it was, " Arise, O Lord, into thy rest, thou and the ark of thy strength ;" i. e. the pledge of his presence and rest. And this rest also ensued upon his work; for God wrought about it works great and mighty, and ceased from them when they were finished. And this work of his answered in its greatness to the work of creation, to which it is. compared : " I am the Lord thy God that divided the sea, whose waves roared, the Lord of Hosts is his name ; and have put my words in thy mouth, and have covered thee in the shadow of my hand, that I may plant tlie heavens, and lay the foundation of the earthy and say unto Zion, thou art my people." Th^ 182 dividing of the sea, whose waves roared, is put by a synecdoche for the whole work of God, preparing a way for the church state of that people in the land of Canaan ; and which he compares to the work of creation, in "planting the heavens, and laying the foundation of the earth." For although those words are but a figurative expression of the political and church state of that people, yet there is an evident allusion in them to the original creation of all things. And upon the finishing of this work he had a satis- faction and complacency ; for after the erection of his worship in the land o£ Canaan, he says of it, " This is my rest, and here will I dwell.** God being thus entered into his rest, the same two things follow ; viz. the people are invited and en- couraged to enter into it ; and a day of rest is ap- pointed. The Apostle treats, in this and the fore- going chapter, of this their entrance into rest, and shews that it was their coming by faith and obedience to a participation of the worship of God wherein he rested ; and that although some of them came short of it, by reason of their unbelief, yet that others entered in under the conduct of Joshua. The nature of the day appointed, with its accommodation to their pecu- liar state, has been already treated of, in our discours^^ on the Jewish Sabbath. oi Thirdly, the Apostle pro.ves from the words of the? Psalmist, that there was yet to be a third and special state of the church under the Messiah, which he now proposed to the Hebrews, and exhorted them to enter into. In this church state, there is also to be a pecu- liar state of rest, distinct from those which went before ; to the constitution of which we must again 183 remember, that there is required some signal worlc of God completed, whereon he .enters into his rest ; a rest arising thence, for them that believe to enter into ; and a renewed day of rest, to express that rest of God, and to be a pledge of our entering into it. If any, or either of these be wanting, the whole structure of the Apostle's discourse will be dissolved ; neither will there be any color remaining for his mentioning the seventh day, and the rest thereof. The Apostle then first shews, that there was a great work of God, and that finished, for the foundation of the whole. This he had made way for in the third chapter, (verses 4, 5,) where he both expressly asserts the Son to be GoJ, and shews the analogy between the crea- tion of all tilings, and the building of the church ; that is, the works of the old and new creation. As then God wrought in the creation of all, so Christ, who is God, wrought in the setting up of this new church state. And upon finishing it, he entered into his rest, as God did into his ; whereby he "limited'" a certain day of rest to his people. Thus he says, " There remaineth, therefore, a Sahbatism for the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his works, as God did from his own." — That is, a new day of rest, accommodated to this new church state, arises from the rest that the Lord Christ entered into, upon his ceasing from his works. And of this day we may observe, that, in common with the former days, it is a sabbatism, or one day in seven, which that name throughout the Scripture, is limited to ; — that although both the former states of 184 the church had one and the same day, though varied in some ends of it, the day itself is now changed, as belonging to another covenant, and having its foun- dation in a work of another nature; — and that the observation of it is suited to the spiritual state of the church under the Gospel, delivered from the bondage frame of spirit, wherewith it was observed under the law. The foundation of the whole is laid down in tlie tenth verse, " For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his works, as God from his own." * Expositors generally apply these words to believers, and their entering into tlie rest of God ; whether satisfactorily to themselves and others, as to their design, coherence, scope, and signification of par- ticular expressions, I know not ; the contrary appears with good evidence to me. For what are the works that believers are here said to rest from ? Their sins, sscy some; their labors, sorrows, and sufferings, say otliers. But how can they be said to rest from these works, as God rested from hi«? for God so rested from his, as to take the greatest delight and satisfaction in them, — to be refreshed by them. (Exodus xxxi. 17.) He so rested from them, as that he rested in them, and blessed them, and blessed and sanctified the time wherein they were finished ; as we have shewn before. But now if those mentioned be the works here intended, men cannot so rest from them, as God did from his ; but they cease from them with a de- testation of them, so far as they are sinful ; and with • There appears a negligence in our version, in regard to the placing of the word own. The passage as quoted by Dr. Owen strictly accords with the original — Ed. 185 joy for their deliverance from them, so far as they are sorrowful. Surely this is not to rest, as God rested I Secondly, when and where are believers supposed to rest from these works ? It cannot be in this world ; for here we rest not at all from temptations, sufferings and sorrows ; and even in that mortification of sin which we attain to, the conflict is still continued, and that with severity unto death. (Rom. vii. 24.) It mustj therefore, be in heaven that they thus rest; which some accordingly affirm. But this excludes the rest in and of the Gospel, from the Apostle's discourse ; which renders it altogether unsuitable to his purpose. This I have so fully demonstrated in the exposition of the chapter, that I hope it will not be gainsayed. Thirdly, there is no comparison in the whole dis- course between the works of God, and the works of men, but between the works of God in the creation, and under the law on the one side, and those in and under the Gospel on the other ; of which the whole comparison is summed up and closed in this verse. 3. It appears, therefore, that the subject of the Apos- tle's proposition in this place has been mistaken. It is another who is intended, even Christ himself, the Son of God, and it is his rest from his works, which is here compared with the rest of God from his at the foundation of the world ; for which purpose alone the mention of them was introduced : for, Jlrst, the con- junction ^br, (yap) whereby he introduces his assertion, manifests, that the Apostle in these words gives an account, whence it is that there is a new sabbatism remaining for the people of God. " There remains a Sabbath-keeping for the people of God ; for he that 1«6 is entered Into his rest, is ceased from his works." * Had there not been a work laying the foimdatiou of the Gospel church state, and a rest of God in it, and ensuing thereon, there could have been no such sab- batism for believers ; since those things are required for a Sabbath. He had proved before, that there could be no such rest but what was founded in the works of God, and his rest that ensued thereon ; such a foundation, therefore, (he saith,) this 7iew rest must have and has. This must be in the works and rest oIl him by whom the church was built ; that is Christ, who is also God, as is expressly argued, chap. iii. 3, 4 ; and as that rest, which all the world was to observe, was founded in his works and rest who made the world, and all things in it; so the rest of the church under the Gospel is to be founded in his works and rest, by whom the church was built; who, on account of his works and rest, is also " Lord of the Sabbath," having authority to abrogate one day of rest, and to institute another. Secondly, the Apostle here changes the manner of his expression from the plural, " We who believe," into the singular " He that is entered." A single person is here expressed, with respect to whom the things mentioned are asserted; and the rest, which this person is said to enter into, is called " His rest" absolutely, as God speaking of the former rest, calls it " My rest ;" whereas when the entering of believers into rest is spoken of, it is either called God's rest, • But the conjunction gar (y«j) very frequently signifies now, which is not deductive. This is particularly the case in the writijigs of St. Paul— Ed. 187 "They shall enter into my rest;" or re&i absolutely, " We that believe do enter into rfest/' never iheir rest, or our rest, for it is not our own absolutely, but God's, into which we enter. Thirdly, there is a direct parallel in the words, be- tv/een the works of the old creation, and those of the new, which are compared by the Apostle. For there are the authors of them, which on the one side is said to be God ; "as God did from his" — that is, God as creator; and on the other side we have " He," (avrcx;, the same with /to?, chap. iii. 3,) that is. He of whom we ■speak, as the Apostle himself declares, in the 13th verse. There are also works of each expressed; e. g. the works of the Creator, called idia erga, (^ha e^oc,) "his own projjer works," viz. the works of the old creation; and the works of him of whom he speaks, called ta erga autou, (ra epycc awra,) his works, viz. those which he wrought in building the church. For these works must answer each other, and have the same respect to their authors ; they must be good and Complete in their kind, and such as rest and refresh- ment may be taken in on account of them. To compare the sins and sufferings of men with the works of God, our Apostle certainly did not intend. And the rest of each also have their mutual proportion. For God rested from his own works of creation, by ceasing from creating, only continuing all things by his power in their order, and propagating them to his glory; and by his respect to them, and refreshment in themi, as those which expressed his excellencies, set forth his praise, and so satisfied his glorious design : and he also, who is spoken of, must cease from working in the Bame kind of works ; he must suffer and die no more ; 18B bat only continue the work of his grace and power in the preservation of the new creature, and the orderly increase ami propagation of it by his Spirit. And he takes delight and satisfaction in the works which he has wrought ; for '^ he sees of the travail of his soul, and is satisfied," and is in the possession of that glory which was set before him, whilst he was engaged in this work. 4. Having thus cleared the subject, and shewn, that it is Jesus, the Mediator, who is spoken of, it remains only, that we inquire into his entrance into his rest, how and when he did so; for this must limit and determine the day of rest to the Gospel church. Now, this was not his lying down in the grave : for though his body indeed rested there for awhile, it was no part of his mediatory rest, as the founder and builder of the church ; but after the human nature was personally united to the Son of God, to have it brought into a state of dissolution Avas a great humilia- tion. Every thing of this nature belonged to his works, and not to his rest. This separation, indeed, of body and soul under the power of death, was a part of the sentence of the law which he underwent; wherefore Peter declares, that the pains of death were not loosed but in his resurrection ; " Whom God (saith he) hath raised up, loosing the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." (Acts ii. 24.) Neither did he first enter into his rest at his ascen^ wow: then, indeed, he took actual possession of his glory, as to the full and public manifestation of it ; hut to enter into rest is one thing, and to take pos- session of glory another. And it is placed by our 189 Apostle as a consequence of his being justified in the Spirit, when he entered into rest. (1 Tim. iii. l6.) His entrance into rest was at his resurrection from the dead. Then was he freed from the sentence, power, and stroke of the law ; being discharged of all the debts of our sins, which he had undertaken ' to make satisfaction for ; — then were all types, all pre- dictions and prophecies, which concern the work of our redemption, fulfilled;— then was the law fulfilled and satisfied, Satan subdued, peace made with God, the price of our redemption paid, the promise of the Spirit received, and the whole foundation of the church of God gloriously laid on his person, in his works and rest ; — and then was he " declared to be the Son of God with power ;" God manifesting to all, that this was he concerning, and to whom he said, *' Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." (Rom. i. 4. ; Acts xiii. 33.) Thus did the author of the new creation, the Son of God, the builder of the church, having finished his works, enter into his rest. And this was, as all know, on the morning of the first day of the week ; whereby he limited and determined that day for a sacred sab- batical rest under the New Testament. For now the old covenant was utterly abolished ; and therefore the day, which was the pledge of the rest of God and man therein, was taken away, as we have shewn. And hereby the Apostle completes the due analogy between the several rests of God and his people, which he has discoursed of in this chapter. The Apostle therefore affirms, as the substance of all which he has proved, that there is a sabbalism ( has also been demonstrated. And that this was owned from the authority of the Lord, is declared by John in the Revelation, who calls it the ' Lord's day' ; (chap. i. 10;) whereby he did not surprise the churches with a new name, but denoted to them the time of his visions, by the name of the day well known to them. And there is no solid reason why it should be so called, except that it owes its pre- eminence and observation to its institution and autho- rity ; nor can any man, who denies these things, give any tolerable account, when, or from whence this day came to be so observed and called. It is hcmera kuriake, (^.ae'pa xvp^aK^;,) the Lord's day, as the holy supper is deipnon kuriakon, (SerTrvov xy^-iavcov,) the Lord's supper, by reason of his institution. (1 Cor. xi. 20.) Yehovahyom, (mnvc::r,) the day of the Lord, in the Old Testament, which the Seventy render hemera kuriou, (V-^pa iti^p/«,) no where hemera kuriake, (^u.eoa, viv^iaxri,) signifies some illustrious appearanpe of God in a way of judgment or mercy ; and so also in the person of Christ, this was the day of his appear- k3 194 ance ; (Mark xvi. 9 ;) and was so called by the ancient writers of the church.* It weakens not the divine origin of this day, that some falsely assign the institution of it to the apostles. For as an obligation lies on all believers to observe a Sabbath to the Lord, and the day observed under the law of Moses is removed, it is not to be imagined that the apostles fixed on another day, without the imme- diate direction from the Lord Christ ; since they delivered nothing to be constantly observed in the worship of God, but what they had his authority for. (1 Cor. xi. 23.) In all things of this nature, as they had the infallible guidance of the Holy Ghost, so they acted immediately in the name and authority of Christ ; wherefore, what they ordained was no less of divine institution, than if it had been appointed by Christ in his own person. It is true, they themselves did for a season, whilst their ministry was to have a peculiar regard to the Jews, for the calling and con- version of the remnant that was amongst them accord- ing to the election of grace, go frequently into their synagogues on the seventh day to preach the Gospel ; (Acts xiii. 14; xvi. 13; xvii. 2; and xviii. 4;) but it is evident they did so, only to take the opportunity of their assemblies, that they might preach to the greater numbers of them, and at a season when they were prepared to attend to sacred things. But we do not read, that they at any time assembled the disciples of Christ on that day for the worship of God. • Ignatius in Epist. ad Trail, ad Magnes. &c. ; Dionysius of Corinth. ; Epist. ad Rom. in Euseb. Hist. lib. iv. cap. 21. ; Theo- philus Antioch. lib. i. in 4 EvangeU ; Clemens Alex. Stromal, lib. vii. cap. 7. ; Origen, lib. viiL con. Cels. ; Tertul. de Coron. Milit. cap. 3. 195 EXERCITATION IX. The seventh day precisely, as a Sabbath under the Gospel, further disproved. These foundations being laid, I shall yet by some important considerations, if I mistake not, give further evidence of the necessity of the religious observation of the first day of the week, in opposition to the day of the law, which is contended for by some. 1. First, then, it is acknowledged, that the ob- servation of some certain day, for the solemn public worship of God, is of indispensable necessity. They are beneath our consideration, by whom this is denied. Most acknowledge it to be a dictate of the law of nature, and the nature of these things requires it. We have proved also, that there is such a determination of this time to one day in seven, that it must needs be the highest impudence in any person, persons or churches, to attempt any alteration ; and notwith- standing the pretences of some about their liberty, none yet have been so hardy from the foundation of the world, as practically to determine a day for the worship of God, in any other revolution of days or times, to the neglect and exclusion of one day in seven.* Yea, the light hereof is such, and the use of it so great, that those, who have taken up with the • The impious experiment has since been tried in a neighbour- ing country, and the awful fruits are too well known. — Ed. K 4 190 worst of superstitions instead of religion, as the Ma- hometans, yet complying in general with the perform- ance of a solemn worship to God, have found it necessary to fix on one certain day in the weekly revolution for that purpose. And indeed partly from the appointment of God, and partly from the nature of the thing itself, the religious observation of such a day, is the great preservative of all solemn profession of religion in the world. This the law of nature, and the written word point out, and experience makes it manifest to all. Take away from amongst men, a conscience of observing a fixed stated day of sacred rest to God, and for the celebration of his worship in assemblies, and all religion will quickly decay, if not come to nothing in this worlJ. And it may be observed, that wheresoever religion flourishes in its power, there conscience is the most exercised, and the most diligence used in the observation of such a day. I will not say absolutely, that it is religion, which teaches men exactness in the observation of this day ; nor on the other hand, that a conscience made of this observation, procures a universal strictness in other duties of religion : but this is evident, that they mu- tually help one another ; and, therefore, though some have laboured to divest this observation of any imme- diate divine authority, yet they are forced to admit, that none can neglect its observation, in ordinary cases, without sin. Whether they have done well to remove from it the command of God, and to substitute their own in the room of it, they may do well to consider. Secondly, it is manifest to all unprejudiced persons, that the apostlesj and apostolical churches, did reli« 197 giously observe tins day ; and no man can with any modesty question the celebration of the worship of God on the same day, in the next succeeding genera- tions : all the disciples of Christ, at this day in the world, are in possession of this practice ; some very few only excepted, who sabbatize with the Jews, or please themselves with a vain pretence, that cmry day is to them a Sabbath. Nor is it simply the Catholicism of this practice which I insist upon; though it has such weight in things of this nature, that for my part I shall not dissent from any practice that is so attested ; but it is the hUssing of God upon this day and its wor- ship, which is pleaded as that, which ought to be of high esteem with all humble Christians. On this day, throughout all ages, has the edification of the churches been carried on, and that public revenue of glory been rendered to God, which is his due. On this day has God given his presence to all his solemn ordinances, for all the ends for which he has appointed them. Nor has he given any, the least intimation of his displea- sure against his churches, for their continuance in the observation of it: on the contrary, not only have the wisest and holiest men, who have complained of the sins of the several times and ages wlierein they lived, which procured the pouring out of the judgments of God upon them, constantly reckoned the neglect and profonation of the Lord's day among them ; but such instances have bsen given of particular severities against thoi?e who have openly profaned this day, as may well affect the minds and consciences of those, who profess a reverence of God, in the holy dispensations of his providence. Nor can any of these things be pleaded to give K 5 198 countenance to any other day, that may be set up in competition with the Lord's day. What can be said of this nature concerning the seventh day ? which is now contended for by some, and (which is grievous) by persons holy and learned. Of what use has it ever been to the church of God, setting aside the occasional advantages taken from it by the apostles, of preaching the Gospel in the synagogues of the Jews ? What tes- timonies have we of the presence of God with any churches, in the administration of Gospel ordinances and worship on that day ? and if any lesser assemblies do at present pretend to give such a testimony, where- in is it to be compared with that of all the holy churches of Christ throughout the world, in all age?, especially in those last past ? Let men, in whose hearts are the ways of God, seriously consider the use that has been made, under the blessing of God, of the conscientious observation of the Lord's day, in the past and present age, for the promotion of holiness, righteousness, and religion uni- versally in the power of it ; and, if they are not under \ invincible prejudices, it will be very difficult for them to judge, that it is a plant, which our heavenly Father hath not planted. For my part, I must not only say, but plead whilst I live in this world, and leave this testimony to the present and future ages, (if these pa- pers survive and see the light,) that if I have ever seen any thing in the ways and worship of God, wherein the power of religion or godliness has been expressed, — any thing that has represented the holiness of the J Gospel, and the author of it, — any thing that has \ looked like a prccludium to the everlasting Sabbath and • rest with God, which we aim through grace to come 199 to, it has been with those, amongst whom the Lord's day has been had in highest esteem, and a strict ob- servation of it attended to, as an ordinance of our Lord Jesus Christ. The remembrance of the ministry, the walk and conversation, the faith and love of those, who in this nation have most zealously pleaded for, and have been in their persons, families, and churches or parishes, the most strict observers of this day, will be precious with them that fear the Lord, whilst the sun and moon endure. Their doctrine, also, in this matter, with the blessing that attended it, was that for which multitudes now at rest bless God, and many that are yet alive do greatly rejoice in. Let these things be despised by those, who are otherwise minded; to me they are of great weight and importance. 2. Let us now a little consider the day that by some is set up, not only in competition with this, but to its utter exclusion. This is the seventh day of the week, or the old Judaical Sabbath, which some contend that we are perpetually obliged to the observation of, by virtue of the fourth commandment. The grounds whereon they proceed in their assertion, have been already disproved, so far as the nature of our present undertaking will admit ; and such evidence given for the change of the day, as will not easily be everted nor removed. The consequences of the observation of the seventh day, should the practice of it be reassumed among Christians, is that which at present I shall a little inquire into. I know not how it is come to pass, but so it is fallen out, that the nearer Judaism is to an absolute abolition and disappearance, the more some seem inclined to its revival and continuance, or at least to fall back them- k6 200 selves into its antiquated observances. It had an end put to it morally and legally long ago, in the coming, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ ; and we may say of it, what the Apostle said of idols when the world was full of idolatry, " we know that Judaism is nothing in the world." The actual abolition of it in the pro- fession of the present Jews, by the removing of the vail from their hearts and eyes, and their turning to God, we hope is in its approach. It is apparent in the Acts and Epistles of the apos- tles, especially that to the Hebrews, that at the first preaching of the Gospel, there were very many Jews who came over to the faith and profession of it. Many of these continued zealous of the law, and would bring along with them all their Mosaical institutions, which they thought were to abide in force for ever. In this v;eakness and misapprehension they were borne with, in the patience of God and wisdom of the Holy Ghost. In this state things continued to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, when the chief cause of their contests was taken away. In the mean time they carried themselves variously, according to the various tempers of their minds. For it is apparent that some of them were not content to be indulged in their opinions and practices themselves, but they en- deavoured by every means to impose the observance of the whole Mosaical law on the churches of the Gen- tiles, contending a])out their circumcision, their Sab- bath?, their feasts and fasts, their abstinences from this or that kind of meats, and thereby perverting the minds of the disciples. Some stop was put to the evil consequences of this in the synod at Jerusalem, (Acts XV,) which yet determined nothing concerning 201 he Jews' own practice, but only concerning the li- berty of the Gentile believers. After the destruction of Jerusalem these professing Jews fell into several distinct ways. Some of them, who had probably despised the heavenly warning of leaving the place, took up their lot amongst their un- believing brethren, relinquishing the profession of the Gospel which they had made : not it may be with any express renunciation of Christ ; but with a disregard of the Gospel, which brought them not those good things they looked for : of which mind Joseplms the historian seems to be one. These in time became a part of that apostate brood, wliich have shice con- tinued in their enmity to the Gospel, and into whose new and old superstitions they introduced sundry cus- toms, which they had learned among the Christians. Some absolutely relinquished their old Judaism, and completely incorporated with the new Gentile church- es, to whom the promise and covenant of Abraham was transferred and made over; and these were the genuine disciples of our great Apostle. Others cor- tinued their profession of the Gospel, but still thought themselves obliged to observe the law of Moses, and all its institutions ; and^ therefore, continued in a dis- tinct and separate state from the believers and churches of the Gentiles ; and that for some ages, — as some say to the days of Adrian. These were pro- bably the same as Eusebius out of Hegesippus calls Masbothai, whom he reckons as a sect of the Jev/s. (Hist. lib. iv. 21.) The Jews call them Sabbatarians, which must be from some observation of the Sabbath in a manner or for reasons different from themselves. Buxtcrf, and our late learned lexicographer render 202 mashoihai ('•Kma^D) by Sahbaiarii, adding this expla- nation, '' Qui secundum Chrisii Docirinam Sahbatum observabatii" (who observed the Sabbath according to the doctrine of Christ,) by a mistake ; for as they are reckoned Jews by Hegesippus, so those, who followed the doctrine of Christ, did not sabbatize with the Jews, nor were ever called Sabbatarians by them. There was, indeed, a sort of persons among the Samaritans who are called Sabuazi, whom Epiphanius makes the third sect of them ; but these were so called without any respect to a Sabbatical observation ; and Epiphani- us says no more of them, than that they observed the feast of pentecost in autumn, and the feast of taber- nacles in the spring, at the time of the Jews' passover ; but gives no account, why they should be so called. But they got this appellation from their observation of every day in tlie v^eek, between the passover and the pentecost ; that is for seven weeks, which was the same with the second day in the week of unleavened bread, whereon the omer or sheaf of first fruits was to be offered. But to return ; after this many of them coalesced, and we hear no more of them. In the mean time, as tliere were great disputes between the differing parties, whilst the occasion of their difference continued, the Gentile believers either condescended in many things to those of the circumcision, or fell in love with their observances and received them into practice. Hence it was, that they embraced the paschal solemnity, with some other festivals ; and also in many places admitted the sacredness of the seventh day Sabbath ; though still observing, according to tlie institution of Christ and his apostles, the Lord's day also. And it is not 203 improbable, that they might be induced the rather to continue these observations, in order thereby to give a pubhc testimony of their faith against the Marcionites, who began early to blaspheme the Old Testament and the God thereof J which blasphemy they thought to condemn by this practice. And hence in those writings which are falsely ascribed to the apostles, but suited to those times, (Can. 66, and Constitut. lib. vii. cap. 24,) the observation both of the Saturday and the Lord's day are enjoined. Others of the Jew^s about the same season constituted a sect by themselves, compounding a religion out of the Law and Gospel, with additions and interpretations of their own. These the ancients call Ebionites. Cir- cumcision, with all the Sabbaths, feasts and rites of Moses, they retained from the law ; that the Messiah was come, and that Jesus Christ was he, they admitted from the Gospel ; that he was only a mere man, not God and man in one person, they added of their own. This is the sect, which in a long tract of time has brought forth Mahometanism in the East ; which is nothing but the religion of the Ebionites, with a super- addition of the interests and fananatical brain-sick notions of the imposter himself. And yet some begin now to plead, that these Ebionites were the only true and genuine believers of the circumcision in those days ! These, they say, and these alone, retained the doctrine preached by the apostles to the Jews, being the same as the Nazarenes. Thus the Socinians plead expressly, and have contended for it in sundry trea- tises ; hoping to obtain from thence some countenance of their impious doctrine about the person of Christ, wherein they agree with the Ebionites : but they will 204 have nothing to do with their sabbatizins: with the Jews, and the rest of their ceremonial observances, not finding these things suited to their interest and design. But now they begin to be followed by some among ourselves, who apparently fall in with them in sundry things condemned by our Apostle, and on account of which they rejected his authority : as others seem almost prepared to do. In particular some begin to j=abbatize^with them; yea, to outgo them: for Ebion and his followers, although they observed the seventh day Sabbath with the Jews, yet observed also the Lord's day with the Christians in honor of Jesus Christ; as both Easebius and Epiphaniiis testify. How great a scandal these things are to the Christian religion, and how evidently tending to harden the Jews in their infidelity, must be apparent to all : fur the introduction of any part of the old Mosaical system of ordinances, is a tacit denial of Christ's being come in the flesh, — at least of his being the King, Lord, and Lawgiver of his church. And to lay the foundation of all religious solemn Gospel-worship in the observa- tion of a day, which has no relation to any natural or moral precept, — which is neither instituted nor ap-^ proved by Jesus Christ, cannot but be unpleasing to those who desire to have their consciences immediately influenced by his authority, in all their approaches to God. Yet Christ is herein supposed to have built the whole fabric of his worship on the foundation of Moses, and to have grafted all his institutions into a stock, that was not of his own planting. 3. Moreover it is evident that this opinion, concern-, ing the necessary observation of the seventh day Sab-, bath, tends to increase and perpetuate schisms and dif-< 205 ferences among the disciples of Christ ; things in their own nature evil, and to be avoided by ail lavvful Avays and means. It is known how many different opinions and practices there are among professors of the Gos- pel : that they should all be perfectly healed in this world, is not to be expected ; for the best " know but in part, and prophesy but in part;" but none will deny that every good man and genuine disciple of Cin-ist ought to endeavour his utmost for their removal. For if it be our duty, '^ as much as in us Heth to live peaceably with all men/' in that peace which is the life of civil society ; doubtless it is mncn more so to live thus with all believers, in a peaceaole agreement in the worship of God ; and, therefore, of all differ- ences in judgm.ent, whicli lead to practice, those are the most pernicious, which hinder men from joining together in the same public solemn worsiiip, whereby they yield to God that revenue of his glory, which is due to him in this world. That many such are found at this day, is not so much from the nature of the things themselves, about which men differ, as from the weakness, prejudice, and corrupt affections of those, who are possessed with different apprehensions about them. But now upon a supposition of an adherence by any to the seventh day Sabbath, all communion amongst professors in solemn Gospel ordinances is rendered im- possible. For if those of that persuasion expect, that others will be brought to relinquish an evangelical observance of the Lord's day Sabbath, they will find themselves mistaken. The evidence wliich they have of its appointment, and the experience they have had of the presence of God with them in its religious 206 observation, will secure their faith and practice in this matter. On the other hand, supposing that they themselves are obliged to meet for all solemn worship on the seventh day, (which tlie others account unwar- rantable for them to do, on the presence of any bind- ing law to that effect,) and esteem it unlawful to assemble reHgiously with others on the first day, on the plea of an evangelical warranty, they absolutely cut themselves off from all possibility of communion, in the administration of Gospel ordinances, with all other churches of Christ. And whereas most other breaches, as to such communion, are in their own nature capable of healing, without a renunciation of those principles, which seem to give countenance to them ; the distance is here made absolutely irreparable, whilst the opinion mentioned is owned by any. I will press this no farther, except by affirming, that persons truly fearing the Lord, ought to be very careful and jealous over their own understandings, before they embrace an opinion and practice, which will shut them up from all visible communion, with the generality of the saints of God in this world. 4. We have seen the least part of the inconve- niences that attend this persuasion ; nor do I intend to mention all which readily offer themselves to con- sideration ; one or two more only shall be touched on. Those by whom it is owned, do not only affirm, that the hiw of the seventh day Sabbath is absolutely and universally in force, but also that the sanction of it, in its penalty against transgressors, is yet continued. This was, as is known, the death of the offender by stoning. (Numbers xv. 35.) Now the consideration of this penalty, as expressive of the curse of the law, 207 influenced the minds of the Jews to that bondage frame wherein they observed the Sabbath ; and this put them upon many anxious arguings, how they might satisfy the law in keeping the day, so as not to incur the penalty of its transgression. Hence their questions^ (no less endless than those about their ge- nealogies of oldj) as to what work may be done, and what not ; and how far they might journey on that day : when they had with some indifferent consent reduced it to SOOO cubitSj which they called a Sabbath day's journey, they were still not agreed where to begin their measure, — from what part of the city in which a man dwelt, — from his own house, or the synagogue, or the walls, or the suburbs. And the dread of this was so great of old, from the rigorous justice with which such penalties were imposed, that until they had, by common consent, in the beginning of the rule of the Asmongeans, agreed to defend themselves from their enemies on that day, they sat still in a neglect of the law of nature, and suffered themselves to be slain by those who chose to assault them on it. After all they lost their city by some influence from this superstition : and certainly it is the greatest mad- ness in the world, for a people to engage in war, who do not at least think it at all times lawful to defend themselves. And are men aware what they do, when they en- deavour to introduce such a bondage into the ob- servance of Gospel worship, — a yoke upon the persons and spirits of men, which those before us were not able to bear ? Is it according to tlie mind of Christ, that the worship oi God under the Gospel, should be enforced on men by capital penalties.^ If, then, the 208 seventh day precisely is to be kept, and the transgres- sion of this Sabbath, by journeying, or other bodily labor, is to be avenged with death ; undoubtedly in the practice of these principles, besides that open con- tradiction which men will fall into, as regards the spirit, rule, and word of the Gospel, they will find themselves in the same entanglements as the Jews were in. And as the cases that may occur, as to what may be done and what not, are not to be determined by private persons, according to their own light and understanding, but by those to whom power is com- mitted to judge upon it, and to execute its penalty ; so there will so many cases arise, and those almost inexplicable, as will render tlie whole law an intolera- ble burden to Christians. And what then is become of ' the liberty wherewith Christ hath m.ade us free?* and wherein is the pre-eminence of the spiritual wor- ship of the Gospel, above the carnal ordinances of the law ? 5, And this introduces an evil of no less import- ance, than any of those before enumerated. The precise observation of the seventh day, as such, is undoubtedly no part of that lav/ which is naturally moral ; as we have sufficiently proved. Nor is it an institution of the Gospel; none ever pretended it so to be: if there be not much against it in the New Testament, yet surely there is nothing fur it. In the things that are so, we have ground to expect the assistance of the Spirit of Christ, to enable us rightly to observe them to the glory of God, and to our own edification, or increase in grace. But this is a mere precept of the old law as such ; and what the law speaks, it speaks unto them that are under the 209 law. In all its precepts it exercises a "severe do- vtinion" Ckatakurieuoi, v.ccra:<.v§i€voi) over the souls and consciences of those that are under it. And we have no way to extricate ourselves from under that domi- nion, but by our being dead to its power and au- thority as such, by faith in the benefits, which through Christ's fulfilling and satisfying the law, redound to the church. Bat what is required of any one, under tlie notion of the formal and absolute power of the law, is to be performed in and by that spirit, which is administered by the law, and by the strength which the law affords : which indeed is great, as to convic- tion of sin ; but nothing at all, as to obedience and righteousness. Do men, then, in these things appeal to the law ? to the law they must go. For I know nothing in which we can expect assistance of Gospel grace, except only those things which are originally mora], or superadded to them in the Gospel itself; to neither of which heads can this observation of the seventh day be referred. It is, therefore, merely a legal duty, properly so called ; and must be performed in a bondage frame of spirit, without any special assist- ance of grace. And how little we are beholden to those, who would in any one instance reduce us from the liberty of the Gospel, to bondage under the law, our Apostle has so fully declared, that it is altogether needless further to attempt the manifestation of it. 210 EXERCITATION X. Practical rules for a due ohservation of the Lord's day Sabbath. (PKIN'CIPLES TO BE BORNE IX MIND.) It remains that something be briefly offered, con- cerning a practice suitable to the principles here laid down ; for this is the end of all sacred truth, and all instruction therein. This our blessed Saviour teaches us in those words, " If you know these things, happy are ye if you do them ;" (John xiii. 17 ;) words so filled with his wisdom, that happy are they in whose hearts they are always abiding. Knowledge without practice but "'' jn/ffetk up," not " buildeth up;" (1 Cor. viii. 1 ;) and as Austin says, in reference to those words ; * Many things are hurtful to some, which are not evil in themselves.* {Con. Faust, Man. lib. xv. cap. 8.) My endeavours in this respect may seem less ne- cessary than in the foregoing discourses, because there are many treatises on this part of our subject, in our own language, and in the hands of those, who esteem themselves concerned in these things. With some, indeed, they meet with no other entertainment, than the posts did that were sent by Hezekiah through Ephraim, Manasseh, and Zebulun, to invite them to the passover ; — they are laughed to scorn and mocked at. (2 Chron. XXX. 1 0.) "But wisdom is justified of her children ;" — to some they are of great use, and in 211 great esteem. Still, I cannot take myself to be dis- charged from the consideration of this concern ; more particularly as there are yet important directions for the right sanctifying of the name of God, in and by the due observance of a day of sacred rest, which I am not aware have been insisted on by others. Besides, there are not a few complaints, (and some of them by persons of sobriety and learning, pretend- ing also a real care for the preservation and due ob- servance of all duties of piety and religion,) that there has been some excess in the directions of many, about the due sanctification of the Lord's day. Of this nature many judge somiC rigorous prescriptions to be; to the great disadvantage of religion, as they say. For it is pretended, that they are such as are beyond the constitution of human nature to comply with; whence men, finding themselves unable to obtain satis- faction in the performance of these duties, have sought relief by rejecting the whole command ; which they would have adhered to, had it been interpreted in such a condescension as they were capable of obeying. And many by degrees have declined from that strict- ness, which they could not delight in, until they have utterly lost all sense of duty towards God in this matter. In things of this nature those, who are called to the instruction of others, are carefully to avoid extremes ; *' For he that condemns the righteous, and he that justifieth the wicked, are both of them an abomination to the Lord." There are several instances of the mis- carriages of men in either respect ; on the one hand lay the sin of the Pharisees of old, who, when they 212 bad the pretence of a command, would burden it with so many rigid observances, as made it an intolerable yoke to their disciples. By these means they obtained the reputation of strict observers of the law ; but they were not really so wanting to their own ease and in- terest, as not to provide a secret dispensation for them- selves ; — they would scarce put a finger to the burdens which they bound and laid on the shoulders of others. And this is the condition of almost all, that has an appearance of religion or devotion in the papacy. And a fault of the same nature, though not of so signal a provocation, others may fall into unadvisedly, who are free from their hypocrisy: they may charge and press both their own consciences, and other men's, beyond what God has appointed ; and this with a sincere intention to promote religion and holiness amongst men. But in the direction of the consciences of men, about their duties to God, this is carefully to be avoided ; for peace is only to be obtained in keep- ing steady and even to the rule. To transgress on the right-liand, whatever the pretence may be, is to lie for God ; which will not be accepted with him. But on the other hand there is a rock of far greater danger ; which consists in the accommodalion of the laws, precepts, and institutions of God, to the lusts and present habits of men. This evil we have had ex- emplified in some of late, no less conspicuously than the fore-mentioned was in them of old ; a mystery of iniquity having been discovered, tending to the utter debauchery of the consciences and lives of men. And in it lies the great contrivance, by which the famous Beict of the Jesuits has prevailed on the minds of many. 213 especially of potentates and great men in the earth, so as to get into their hands the conduct of the most important affairs of Europe. Their main design, as is now manifest, has been so to interpret Scripture laws, rules, and precepts, as to accommodate them to that course of corrupt conver- sation, which prevails generally in the world, even among those who are called Christians ; a work ac- ceptable to all sorts of men, who, if not given up to open atheism, would rejoice in nothing more, than in a reconciliation between the rule of their consciences and their lusts, that they might sin freely without trouble or remorse. And there is nothing in their whole course, which faithful interpreters of the mind of God ought more carefully to avoid, than a falling, in any instance, into that evil, which these men have promoted. The world, indeed, seems to be weary of the righteous and holy ways of God, and of that exactness in walking according: to his institutions and commands, which it will be one day known he requires : but it is not the way to put a stop to this declension, to accom-i raodate the commands of God to the corrupt courses and ways of men. The truths of God, and the holi- ness of his precepts, must be pleaded and defended, though the world dislike them here, and perish here- after. His law must not be made to lackey after the wills of men, nor be dissolved by vain interpretations, because they complain they cannot, or rather rvill not comply with it. Our Lord Jesus Christ came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfil them, and to supply men with spiritual strength to fulfil them also. It is evil to break the least commandment, L 214 but there is a great aggravation of that evil in them that shall " teach men so to do." And this can only be done by giving such expositions of them, as may lead men to think themselves freed from the obligation to that obedience, which they nevertheless require. Wherefore, though some should say now, as they did of old, concerning any command of God, " Behold, what a weariness it is ; and what profit is it to keep his ordinances?" yet the law of God is not to be changed to give them relief. We are, therefore, in this matter to have no consideration of the present course of the world, nor of the weariness of professors in the ways of strict obedience ; but singly and sin- cerely inquire after the sacred truth and will of God in all his commands. And yet I will not deny, that there have been and are in this matter mistakes, leaning towards the other extreme. Directions have been given, and by many, fpr the observation of a day of holy rest, which have had no sufficient warrant or foundation in Scripture. For whereas :ome have made no distinction between the Sabbath as moral and as Mosaical, unless it be merely in the change of the day ; and have endeavoured to introduce the whole practice required on the latter into the Lord's day ; others again have collected what- ever they could think of, that is good, pious, and useful in the practice of religion, and prescribed it all as necessary to the sanctification of this day ; so that a man can scarcely in six days read over all the duties, that are proposed to be observed on the seventh. And it has been no small mistake also, that men have labored nmre to multiply directions about ex- ternal duties, (giving them opt, as it were, by number S15 or tale,) than to direct the mind to a due performance of the whole duty of the sanctification of the day, according to the spirit and genius of Gospel obedience. And lastly, it cannot be denied that some (it may be measuring others by themselves, and their own abilities) have been ready to tie them up to such long and tiresome duties, and rigid abstinence from refresh- ments, as have clogged their minds, and turned the whole service of the day into a wearisome bodily ex- ercise, that profiteth little. It is not my design to insist upon any thing that is controverted amongst learned and sober persons; nor will I now extend this discourse to a particular consideration of the special duties, required in the sanctification or services of this day : but as all men, who wish to promote piety in the world, however they may differ as to the reasons for observing this day to the Lord, do nevertheless agree, that there is a great and sinful neglect of the due observation of it ; I shall give such rules and general directions, as will give sufficient guidance in the whole of our duty therein. I. It may seem necessary, that something should be premised, concerning the measure or continuance of the day to be set apart to a holy rest unto the Lord. But as it is a matter of controversy, and to me of no great importance, I shall not insist upon the examina- tion of it, but only give my judgment in a word con- cerning it. Some contend that it is a natural day, consisting of twenty-four hours, beginning with the evening of the preceding day, and ending with its own evening. L 2 216 The church of Israel was thus directed, " From even unto even shall you celebrate your Sabbath ;" (Lev. xxiii. 32. ,) although that does not seem to be a general direction for the observation of the weekly Sabbath, but to regard only that particular Sabbath, which was thus instituted ; namely, the day of atonement. How- ever, suppose it to belong also to the weekly Sabbath ; it is evidently an addition to the command particularly suited to the Mosaic discipline, that the day might comprise the sacrifice of the preceding evening in the services of it, from an obedience to which we are freed by the Gospel. Further, I cannot subscribe to this opinion ; Jirst, be- cause, in the description and limitation of the original seven days, it is said of each of the six, that it was constituted of an " evening and a morning ;" but of the day of rest there is no such description ; it is only called the seventh day, without any assignation of the preceding evening to it. Secondly, a day of rest ac- cording to rules of natural equity, ought to be propor- tioned to the day of labor, which God has granted to us for our own use. And this is to be reckoned from morning to evening. (Psalm civ. 20 — 23.) The day of labor is from the removal of darkness and the night, by the light of the sun, until the return of them again ; which, allowing for the alterations of the day in the several seasons of the year, seems to be the just mea- sure of our day of rest. Thirdly, our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his resurrection gave beginning and being to the special day of holy rest under the Gos- pel, rose not until the morning of the first day of the week, when the beamings of the light of the sun began to dispel the darkness of the night ; or when it dawned 217 towards day, as it is variously expressed by the Evan- gelists. This with me, determines this whole matter. Fourthly J mere cessation from labor in the night seems to have no place in the spiritual rest of the Gospel to be expressed on this day ; nor to be by any thing distinguished from the night of other days of the week. Fifthly, suppose Christians under the obligation of the direction given by Moses before-mentioned, and it may entangle them in the anxious discussions which the Jews' are subject to, about the beginning of the evening itself; concerning v/hich their greatest mas- ters are at variance. But these things belong not to the economy of the Gospel. Upon the whole, I am inclined to judge, that the observation of the day is to be commensurate to the use of our natural strength on any other day, from morning to night. And nothing is hereby lost that is needful to the due sanctifi cation of the day ; for what is by some required as a pcij't of its sanctification, is rather to be required as a due preparation thereto. This, therefore, is our first rule or direction : the first day of the week, or the Lord's day, is to be set apart for the purpose of a holy rest to God, by every one, according as his natural strength will enable him to employ himself in his lawful occasions on any other day of the week. There is no such certain standard for the observance of the duties of this day, as that every one who exceeds it ought to be re- strained ; or that those, who for important reasons come short, should be stretched out to it. As God provided in his services of old, that he who was not able to offer a bullock might offer a dove, with re- spect to their outward condition ; so in this instance l3 218 there is an allowance also for the natural temperament and abilities of men. Only as persons of old, if they had pretended poverty, to save their charge in the pro- curing an offering, would not have been acceptable,— yea, they would have fallen under the curse of the deceiver ; so neither will a jwelence of weakness or natural inability be any excuse now for neglect or pro- faneness. In all other respects God requires of us, and accepts from us, "according to what we have, and not according to what we have not." And we see by experience, that some men's natural spirits will carry them out to a continuance in the outward observance of duties, far beyond what others are able to perform, who nevertheless may observe a holy Sabbath to the Lord with acceptance. And herein lies the principle of the accommodation of these duties to the sick, the aged, the young, the weak, or persons any way distempered. " God knoweth our frame, and remembereth that we are dust ;" as also, that this dust is more discomposed and weakly com- pacted in some than in others. As then the people gathered manna of old, some more, some less, " every man according to his appetite, yet he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack;" (Exod. xvi. 18.;) so is every one in sincerity, according to his own ability, to endeavour the sanctifying of the name of God in the duties of this day ; not being obliged by the examples or pre- scriptions of others, II. Secondly, labor to observe this day, and to per- form the duties required in it, with a frame of mind becoming and answering the spirit and liberty of the 219 Gospel. We are now to serve God in all things in the newness of the spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter; (Rom. vii. 6.;) with a spirit of peace, de- light, joy, liberty, and a sound mind. 1. There were three reasons of the bondage frame of spirit, which was in the Judaical church, in their observance of the duties of the law, and consequently of the Sabbath. First, the dreadful giving and pro- mulgation of it on Mount Sinai ; which was not in- tended merely to strike a terror into that generation in the wilderness, but to influence and awe the hearts of the people through all ages of that dispensa- tion. Hence the Apostle tells us that "Mount Sinai gendered to bondage ;" (Gal. iv. 24. ;) that is, the \3iVf given on it brought the people into a spiritu- ally servile state, wherein, although on account of the ends of the covenant they were children and heirs, yet they differed nothing from servants, (chap. iv. 1, 3.) Secondli/, the renovation of the old covenant, with the promises and threaten ings of it, which was to be upon them during the continuance of that state. And although the law had a new use and end now given to it, yet they were so in the dark, and the pro- posal of them attended with so great obscurity, that they could not clearly look into the comfort and liberty finally intended therein. " For the law made nothing perfect;" and what was of grace in the ad- ministration of it was so veiled with types, ceremonies, and shadows, that " they could not see to the end of the things that were to be done away." (2 Cor. iii. 13.) Thirdly, the sanction of the law by death increased their bondage. For as this in itself was a terror to them in their services, so it expressed a,iid represented l4 220 the original curse. (Gal. iii. 13.) In these three things was administered a " spirit of bondage unto fear," which by the Apostle is opposed to the " spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father " and where that is, there is liberty, and there only. (Rom. viii. 15. j 2 Cor. iii. 17-) And, therefore, although the Jews boasted, that they were the chil- dren of Abraham, and therefore never in bondage; yet our Saviour lets them know, that whatever they pretended, they were not free until the Son should make them so. 2. Now we are freed from these things under tlie Gospel. For, firsts we are not now brought to re- ceive the law from Mount Sinai, but are come unto Mount Sion ; that is, we receive the law of our obe- dience from Jesus Christ, who speaks from heaven, to be observed with a spirit of liberty. (See Heb. xii. 18 — 24.) Secondly, the old covenant is now abso- lutely abolished, nor is the remembrance of it any way revived; (Heb. viii. 13;) but believers are taken into a covenant full of grace, joy, and peace ; ** for the law was given by Moses, but grace and trutli came by Jesus Christ." (John i. 17-) In this cove- nant they receive the Spirit of Christ, or of adoption, to serve God without legal fear ; (Luke i. 74. ; Horn. viii. 15. ; Gal. iv. 6. ;) nor is there any thing more insisted on in the Gospel, than this principal privilege of it. It is, indeed, nothing to have liberty in the word and rule, unless we have it in the spirit and principle. And hereby are we delivered from that anxious solicitude about particular instances in outward duties, which was a great part of the yoke of the people of 221 old. For now we may in our duties look on God as a father parent ; and by the spirit of his Son, cry, in all of them, Abba Father. For through Christ '^ we have an access by one Spirit unto the Father ;" (Ephe- sians ii. 18.;) — to God, as a Father; — as one *^that will not always chide ;" that does not watch our steps for our hurt, but remembereth that we are but dust ; who does not tie us up to rigid exactness in outward things, if only we act in a holy spirit of filial obedience as his sons or children. There is a great difference between the duties of servants and children ; nor does a father measure them in the same manner : the consider- ation of which, regulated by the general rules of the Scripture, will resolve a thousand such scruples as the Jews of old, whilst servants, were perplexed with. Now also we are called to " worship God in spirit and in truth:" therefore he minds the inward frame of our hearts, wherewith we serve him, more than the mere performance of outward duties ; which are only accept- ed, so far as they are expressions and demonstrations thereof. If then, in the observation of this day, our hearts are single and sincere in our aim at his glory, it is of more price with him, than the most rigid ob- servation of outward duties by number and measure. Therefore the minds of believers are not to be influenced to this duty by the curse of the law, and the terror thereof, as represented in the threatened penalty of death. The authority and love of Jesus Christ are the principal causes of our obedience^ Hence pur main duty consists in an endeavour to get spiritual joy and delight in the services of this day ; which is the special effect of spiritual liberty. Thus as the prophet requires, that we should '' call the Sab- L.5 ^ 222 bath our delight, holy and honourable of the Lord \' as also, on the other side, " that we should not do our own pleasure, nor our own ways, nor find our own pleasure, nor speak our own words." (Isaiah Iviii. 13.) These cautions seem to regard the Sabbath abso- lutely, and not as Judaical. But I much question whether they have not, by the interpretation of some, been extended beyond their original intention. For the true meaning of them is no more, than that we should so delight ourselves in the Lord on his holy day, as not to desire to turn aside to our own plea^ sures and vain ways, in order to pass over the Sab- bath : a thing complained of by many ; and by which sin and Satan have been more served on this day, than on all the days of the week beside. But I by no means think, that there is a restraint laid on us from such words, ways, and works, as do not hinder the performance of religious duties, belonging to the due celebration of God's worship, and which are not apt in themselves to unframe our spirits, or divert our affections from them. And those, whose minds are fixed in a spirit of liberty to glorify God in this day of rest, and who seek communion with him in the ways of his worship, will be to themselves a better rule for their words and actions, than those who may aim to reckon over all they do or say ; which may be done in such a manner, as to become the Judaical Sabbath, more than the Lord's day. III. Thirdly, be sure to bring good and right prin- ciples to the performance of this duty. 1. Remember that there is a holy rest of one day in the week, due to the solemn work of glorifying God as God. " Re- 223 member the Sabbath to keep it holy." We have had a week to our own occasions, or we have the prospect of a week in the patience of God for them : let us remember, that God puts in his claim for some time with us ; that all is not our own ; that we are not our own lords ; that God will have some time to himself from all that own him. He does not esteem himself acknowledged, nor his sovereignty owned in the world, without it ; and therefore he required this day of rest^ the first day, as it were, that the world stood upon its legs ; he has required it all along, and will continue so to do till the last day of its duration. 2. Secondly, remember, that God appointed this day, to teach us, that as he rested therein, so we should seek after rest in him here, and look on this day as a pledge of eternal rest with him hereafter. Now our rest in God generally consists in two things : First, in our approbation of his works, his law, and his covenant ; which things are expressive of the good- ness, righteousness, holiness, faithfulness, and power of God. What God therefore rests in, he requires that we should seek to rest in likewise ; and if this was the duty of man in innocency, and under the law, it is much more so now ; for God has now more emi- nently and gloriously, by Jesus Christ, displayed the excellencies of his nature and the counsels of his wis- dom. This should work us to a greater and more holy admiration of them : for if we are to acknow- ledge, ^' that the law is holy, just, and good," although it is nov/ useless, as regards the bringing us to rest in God ; how much more ought we to ov/n and subscribe to the Goiipel, and the declaration that God has made of himself therein. Secondly, our rest consists in an l6 actual and solemn compliance with his will^ expressed in his works, law, and covenant. This brings us to present satisfaction in him, and leads us to the full enjoyment of him hereafter. This is a day of rest : but we cannot rest in a day, nor any thing that a day can afford ; it is only a help and means of bringing us to rest in God. Without this design, our observation of a Sabbath is neither of use nor advantage ; nothing will thence redound to the glory of God, nor the benefit of our own souls. And they may do well to consider this, who plead for the observation of the seventh day precisely. For they profess thereby, that they seek for rest in God, according to the tenor of the Jlrst covenant. That they approve of, and to that they look (by such profession) to be brought to rest by ; though really, and on other principles, they do otherwise. Whatever then, be the covenant wherein we walk with God, the great principle which is to guide us in the holy ob- servation of this day is, that we celebrate the rest of God in that covenant, approve of it, rejoice in it, and labor to be partakers of it : of which the day itself is given to us as a pledge. 3. We must therefore remember, thirdly, that we have lost our original rest in God, by sin. God made us upright, in his own image, meet to take our rest, satisfaction, and rewai'd in himself, according to the tenor of the law of our creation, and the covenant of works, of which the seventh day was a token and pledge. All this we must consider, that we have lost by sin. God might justly have left us in a wandering condition, without rest or" any pledge of it. Qur re- paration, indeed, is excellent and glorious ; yet the loss 225 of our former estate was shameful, and the remem- brance of it ought ever to humble us. And hence we may know, that it is in vain for us ever to lay hold of the seventh day again ; which is but an attempt to return into the garden, when we are kept out by a flaming sword. For although it was made use of as a type and shadow under the law ; yet to us who must live on the substance of things, or nor at all, it is not to be possessed by robbery, and were of no use to us were it so attained. 4. For, we are to remember, fourthly, that the rest in God, which we now seek after, and celebrate the pledge of, in the observation of this day, is a rest by a recovery in Jesus Christ. There is now a new rest of God, and a new rest for us in God, God now rests, and is refreshed in Christ, in his person, in his works, in his law, and in the covenant of grace in him ; in all which things his soul is well pleased. He is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person ; making a far more glorious representation of him, than the works of the old creation did. And if he nevertheless rested in these and was refreshed ; how much more is he so, with respect to this glorious image of the invisible God! This is what he now regards in his dealings with us ; for as of old, he " commanded light to shine out of darkness," whereby we might see and behold his glory, which he was implanting on the work of his hands ; so now " he shines into our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of his g\ory, in the face of Jesus Christ ;" that is, he enables us to behold all the excellencies of his nature, made manifest in the person and works of Jesus Christ. The way also of bringing those to him, through Christ, who liad by 226 sin, come short of his glory, is what he approves of, is delighted with, and rests in. Herein lies the princi- pal duty of this day's observances ; namely, to admire this recovery of a rest Avith God, and of a rest for God in us. This is the fruit of eternal wisdom, grace, good- ness, love, and bounty. This, I say, belongs to the sanctification of this day ; and it ought to be our prin- cipal design in it, to give glory to God, for the wonderful recovery of a rest for us with himself, and to make an endeavour to enter by faith and obedience into that rest. 5. Fifthly, remember, that in the observation of the Lord's day, which is the first day of the week, we subject our consciences immediately to the authority of Jesus Christ, the mediator, whose day of rest ori- ginally it was, and which thereby, and for that reason, is made ours. And hereby, in the observation of this day, have we " fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ." Whilst the seventh day was in force, there was nothing appeared in the day, but tlie rest of God the Creator ; but now the immediate foundation of our rest is the rest of Christ, when upon his resurrection he ceased from his works, as God did from his own. Faith truly exercised in bringing the soul into actual subjection to the authority of Christ in the observance of this day, and directing the thoughts to a contemplation of the rest that he entered into after his works, with the rest that he has pro- cured for us to enter into with him, does more towards the true sanctification of this day, than all outward duties can do, performed with a legal spirit, when men are in bondage to the command as taught to them, and dare not do ol her wise. God in several 227 places instructs the Israelites, what account they shall give to their children concerning their observation of sundry rites and ceremonies ; which were a token and representation of the works of God among them. (Exod. xiii. 14.) We have here, then, a special ob- servance in the worship of God : what account can we give to ourselves, and our children, concerning our observation of this day to the Lord ? May we not say with joy and rejoicing, that whereas we were undotie by sin, and excluded out of the rest of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, undertook a great work to make peace for us, and to redeem and save us ; and when he had so done, and finished his work, he entered in his rest, and thereby made known to us, that we should keep this day as a day of holy rest to him, and as a pledge that we have an entrance into rest with God given to us again. 6. Finally then, we are to remember, that this day is a pledge of our eternal rest with God. This is that to which these things tend, and at which we ultimate- ly aim. We do at best in this world but ejiter into the rest of God ; the full enjoyment of it is reserved for eternity. Hence it is usually called our everlasting Sabbath ; as being that state in which we shall always rest with God, and give glory to him. And the Sabbath day is a pledge of this on sundry ac- counts : First J because on this day, God, as it were, calls us aside out of the world, to an immediate converse with himself Israel never had a more dreadful day, than when they v.ere called out of their tents, from their worldly concerns, to a meeting with the Lord. (Exod. xix.) But it was to Mount Sinai that he called them, which was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord 228 descended in fire ; and, therefore, although they had been preparing themselves for it sundry days, they \vere not able to bear the terror of God's approach. But under the Gospel, we are called on this day out of the world, and from our occasions, to converse with God on Mount Sion, where he does not give us a fiery law, but a gracious Gospel ; and converses not by thunder ilnd lightning, but by the sweet still voice of mercy in Jesus Christ. And as this requires due thoughts of heart to prepare us for it ; so it is in itself a great and unspeakable privilege, purchased for us by Christ; in which we have a pledge of rest M-ith God above ; when he shall call us off from all relations, all occasions of life, all our interests and concerns in this world, and eternally set us apart to himself And undoubtedly, in order that it may be such a pledge to us, it is our duty to take off our minds and souls, as far as we are able, from all occasions of life and business of this world, that we may walk with God alone on this day. Some, indeed, think this is a great bondage ; but so far as they do so, and so far as they find it so, they have no interest in this matter. We acknowledge that there are weaknesses attending the outward man, through the frailty and imbecility of our natures ; and therefore we have rejected all rigid and tiresome services. And I acknowledge, that there will be repining and rebelling in the flesh against this duly. But he who really judges in his mind, and whose practice is influenced and regulated by that judgment, that the separation of a day from the world, and a secession of communion with God in it, is grievous, and useless, and what God does not require, must be looked on as a stranger to these things. He 229 to whom the worship of God in Christ is a burden ; who says, "behold, what a M'eariness it is;" that thinks a day in a week to be too mucli and too long to be with God in his special service, has little knowledge of his duty. Alas ! what would such persons do if they should ever come to heaven, and be taken aside to all eicrmhj to be with God alone, if they think it a great bondage to be diverted to him here for a day ? They will say, perhaps, ' that heaven is one thing, and the observation of the Lord's day is another ; that were they in heaven, they doubt not but they should do well enough ; but for this observation of the Lord's day, they know not what to say to it.' I confess they are distinct things, or one coidd not be the pledge of the other ; but yet they both agree in this, that they are a separation and secession from all other things to God. And if men have not a principle to like that in the Lord's day, neither would they like it in heaven, should they ever come there. Let us then be ready to attend in this matter to the call of God, and 'go out to meet him : for where he places his name, (as he does on all his solemn ordinances,) there he has promised to meet us. Secondly, it is a pledge in respect of the duties of the day, wherein the sanctification of the name of God in it consists. All duties proper and peculiar to this day are duties of communion with God. Everlasting, uninterrupted, immediate communion with God, is heaven. Carnal persons had rather have Mahomet's paradise, than Christ's heaven ; but believers aim at eternal communion with God. Of this the duties of the day, in a right holy performance, are an assured pledge ; for we hear him speak to us, in his word ; 230 and we speak to him in prayers, supplications, praises and thanksgivings, in and by Jesus Christ. Our aim throughout is to give glory to him, which is the end of heaven ; and to be brought nearer to him, which is ils enjoyment. In what God is pleased hereby to com- municate to our souls, and in what by the secret and invisible supplies of his spirit he carries out our hearts to, consist those Jirstjruits of glory, which we may be made partakers of in this world ; and the first fruits are a pledge of a full harvest. This, then, are we prin- cipally to seek after in the ordinances of this day ; without this, bodily labor in the outward performance of a multitude of duties, will profit little; men may rise early, and go to bed late, and eat the bread ol care and diligence all the day long ; yet if they are not thus in the spirit, and carried out to spiritual communion with God, it will not avail them ; and whatever there be either in the service performed, or in the manner of its performance, or the duration of it, which is calculated to divert or take off the mind from being intent on this, tends to the profanation rather than the sanctification of this day. These are some of the rules which we are to have respect to, in our observation of this day. A due application of them to particular occasions and emer- gencies, will guide us through their difficulties. There- fore I chose rather to lay them down thus in general, than to insist on the determination of particular cases; which, when we have done all, must be resolved into them, according to the light and understanding of those who are particularly concerned. 231 EXERCITATION XL The same si:hject continued. (duties to be observed.) It remains that we offer some directions, as to the duties, wherein the sanctification of this day consists. This has been done already at large by others ; so as that from thence they have taken occasion to harfdle the nature of all the religious duties, with the whole manner of their performance, which belong to the service of this day. But this does not properly ap- pertain to this place ; and I shall, therefore, only name those duties, which have a respect to the sanctification of the day ; presuming the nature of them, and the due manner of their performance, to be otherwise known. I. First, then, there are duties preparatory for the day. For although, as I have declared, I do not judgess, than they enjoy, who entertain no other notion of it, than that it is merely a portion of time set apart for the solemn worship of God. By these means the object of preparatory duties will be obtained ; the mind will be filled with due and reverential apprehen- sions of God on the one hand, and disentangled on the other from those cares of the world, and other cum- bersome thoughts, wherewith the occasions of life may have possessed it. 2. Secondly, supplication ; that is, prayer with espe- cial respect to the duties of the day. This is the life of all preparation for every duty. It is the principal means whereby we express our universal dependence oil God in Christ, and affect our own hearts with a sense of our indigent estate in this world, with all our spe- cial wants, and the means whereby we obtain that supply of grace, mercy, and spiritual strength, of which we stand in need. Special directions need not be given about the performance of this known duty ; only I say, some season for it, by way of preparation, will be an eminent means to further us in the due sanctification of the name of God on this day; and that it must be founded on thanksgiving for the day itself, with the ends of it, as an advantage for our converse with God in this world. And in the supplicatory part of our prayer, two things are principally to be regarded. First, a supply of grace from God, the fountain of it ; having respect to those graces, which in our own nature are more immediately serviceable towards the sanctification of the name of God in this ordinance ; such as reverence of his authority, and delight in his worship ; — such graces ia particular, as we have found advantage from in the 236 exercise of holy duties; as, perhaps, contriteness of spirit, love, joy, peace; — and such as we have ex-. perienced the want of, or have been defective in the exercise of on such occasions ; as probably diligence, stedfastness, and evenness of mind. Secondli/, a re- moval of evils, or that God would not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil: wherein regard is to be had to tlie temptations of Satan ; who will be casting his fiery darts at such seasons, and is seldom busier than upon our engaging in solemn duties; — to the inconstancy, wavering, and distraction of our own minds, which are indeed a matter of unspeakable abasement, when we consider aright the majesty of God, with whom we have to do; — to undue, and un- just offences against persons and things, that we may ^'lift up pure hands to God without wrath and without doubting." Sundry things of the like nature might be mentioned, but I leave all to the great Director named in Romans viii. 26, 27- 3. Thirdly, instruction ; viz. to instruct our chil- dren and our families in the nature of the ordinances, whereby they worship God. This is what God so commended in Abraham : " I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." (Gen. xviii. 19-) In this ex- pression, the nature and observance of all ordinances are required ; wherefore, it is incumbent on those who have others under their charge, to instruct them in the nature of this service whicli we observe to the Lord. Perhaps this is not, nor will not be necessary upon every return of this day ; but that it should be so done at some appointed season, no man that endeavours to 23? walk uprightly before God can deny. The omission of it has probably caused the whole service, among many, to be built on custom and example only; whence has ensued, in a great measure, that neglect of it which we now see ; for the influence ©f mere custom and example does not continue long. II. Having noticed the preparatory duties, I now come to the day itself; the duties of which I shall pass through with equal brevity. These are of two sorts, public and private ; but as the former are the principal, I shall only notice them. By public duties, I mean a due attention to, and a due performance of, all those parts of solemn worship, which God has appointed to be observed in the assem- blies of his people. One end of this day, as frequently observed, is to give glory to God in the celebration of his worship ; for which purpose he himself has appointed the ways and means, or the ordinances and duties in which it consists. Without this we had been at an utter loss, how we might sanctify his name, or ascribe glory to him; and most probably should have set up the calves of our own imaginations, to his greater provo- cation. But he has relieved us, by himself appointing the worship which he will accept. To give a full and particular direction, therefore, for the right sanctify- ing of the name of God on this day, we ought to go over all the ordinances of worship, which the church is bound to attend to in its assemblies ; but this is not my present purpose ; which is merely to give some general rules for the guidance of men in the whole. 1. First then, the public worship of God is to be preferred before that which is private. They may be 238 so prudently managed, as not to interfere nor otdi-^ narily to entrench on one another ; but wherever on any occasion they appear to do so, the private are to give place to the public ; for it is a marvellous un- due custom, on the pretence of private duties, whether personal or domestic, to abate any part of the duties of solemn assemblies. This is to set up our own choice and inclinations against the wisdom and autho- rity of God. The object of the day is the solemn and public acknowledgment of God in his worship ; from which object we must not be diverted even by the most specious helps and means. 2. Secondly, choice is to be made of those assemblies, for the celebration of public worship, in which we may be most benefited, as regards the sanctification of this day; so far as it may be done without breach (^ cmy order appointed of God. For in our joining in any concurrent acts of religious worship, we are to have regard to helps suited to the furtherance of our own faith and obedience. And also because God has ap- pointed some parts of his worship, which in their own nature, and by virtue of his appointment, are means of conveying light, knowledge, and grace, in spiritual supplies to our souls, it is certainly our duty to make choice of those, which are most likely so to do. 3. As regards the manner of our attendance on the public worship of God ; vi2. with reverence, gravity, order, diligence, attention, &c. ; though it be a matter of great use and moment, yet it belongs not to this place to treat of it ; nor to insist on those methods whereby we may excite particular graces into action, according as the nature of the duties wherein we are engaged requires. But I must finally observe that. 239 although the day is to be wholly dedicated to the objects of a sacred rest ; yet, if the duties of it, in their performance, are drawn out to such a length as to beget weariness and satiety, they do not tend to edifi- cation, nor do they in any way promote the sanctifica- tion of the name of God in the worship itself. First, therefore, regard must be had to the weak- ness of the natural constitution of some, and the in- firmities and ailments of others, who are not able to continue in the outward part of duties, as healthy persons can. And every wise shepherd will rather suffer the stronger sheep of his flock, to lose some- thing of what they might obtain in his guidance of \ them, than compel the weaker to keep pace with them, to their hurt, and probable ruin. Better that a great number should complain of the shortness of some duties, who have strength and desires for a longer continuance in them ; than that a few, who are sincere, should really be discouraged by being over- burdened, and have the service thereby made useless to them. I always loved in sacred duties, that ob- servation of Seneca, concerning the orations of Cassius Severus when they heard him ; " We were kept fearing lest he should end." The spiritual edge of the affections of men ought to be whetted, and not, through tediousness in duties, abated and taken off. Secondly, refreshments helpful to nature, so as really to refresh it, that it may have a supply of spirits to go on cheerfully in the duties of holy worship, are lawful and useful. To macerate the body with abstinences on this day, is required of none ; and to turn it into a fast, or to fast upon it, is generally condemned by the ancients. Wherefore, to forbear provision of ne- 240 cessary food for families on this day, is Mosaical ; and the enforcement of the particular precepts, about not kindling fire in our houses on this day, and baking and preparing food for it the day before, cannot be insisted on without a re-introduction of the seventh day precisely, (to whose observation they were •an- nexed,) and thereby of the law and spirit of the old covenant. Provided always that these refreshments be seasonable, and not interfering with the hours for public duties ; and accompanied by a singular regard to the rules of temperance, — that there be no appear, ance of evil,— that nature be not charged with any kind of excess, so as to be hindered, rather than assist- ed in the duties of the day ; and also with gravity, sobriety, and purity of conversation. For whereas these things are, in the substance of them, required of us in the whole course of our lives, if we intend to please God, and to come to the enjoyment of him ; none ought to think a special regard to them on this day to be a bondage or troublesome. Thirdly, labor, in order to enjoy the benefit and ad^ vantage of the solemn assemblies of the church, is so far from entrenching on the rest of this day, that it belongs to its due observation. A mere bodily rest is no part of religious worship in itself, nor does it belong to the sanctification of this day, any farther than as it is a means for the due performance of the other duties belonging to it. We have no bounds under the Gospel for a Sabbath day's journey, pro- vided it be for Sabbath ends. In short, all pains or labor, which our station and condition in this world, or our incidental troubles, or any thing else may make necessary, as that without which we cannot enjoy the 241 solemn ends and uses of this holy rest, are no way inconsistent with the due observation of it. It may be the lot of one man to be obliged to travel far, for the due celebration of the Lord's day ; whereas, if another should do the like, without his occasions and circumstances, it would be a profanation of it. Labor also in works of charity, — such as to visit the sick, to relieve the poor, to help the distressed, to relieve or assist creatures ready to perish, and to supply cattle with necessary food, — is allowed by all. Lastly, as regards sports and such like recreations on this day, I refer the reader to the laws of sundry emperors and nations concerning them. (See of Con- stant, leg. omnes cap. de Feriis. Theodosius and Arcadius ibid, and of Leo and Authemius, in the same place of the Codex of Charles the Great, capitular, lib, i. cap. 81, lib. v. cap. 188.) The sum of them all is contained in that exhortation which Ephraim the Syrian expresses in his Sermon on Holy-dai/s. " Let us endeavour carefully to honour the Sabbaths and holidays, celebrating them not with mere panegyricks, but divinely ; not in a worldly, but spiritual manner ; not after the manner of heathens, but of Christians. Wherefore, let us not crown our temples, neither lead nor commend the dance ; let us not effeminate our ears with soft music, nor be clothed with soft vest- ments, nor be girded with golden and sparkling zones ; neither let us be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, but leave these things to those, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame." As for private duties, both personal and domestic, they are either antecedent or subsequent to solemn 242 public worship, as usually celebrated amongst us. And as these consist in the known religious exercises of prayer, reading ,the Scriptures, meditation, and family instructions, they are to be recommended to every one's conscience, ability, and opportunity, as they shall find strength and assistance for them. Glory be to God alone. FINIS. ERRATA. Page 25, line 31, for ' many oimamj\ read 'many of iJiem.^ Page 55, line 27, for ' immovably', read ' immovfably.' *,* The reader is also requested to pardon several in- stances of false punctuation, which have crept into the first two sheets of this work. 243 BOOKS PUBLISHED BY A. BARCLAY, YORK; AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS, A VINDICATION of the Most Reverend Thomas CranmeR;, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and there- with of the Reformation in England, against some of the Allegations which have been recently made by the Rev. 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