CHAP. I.

THE various opinions of men in the Doctrine of the Sabbath, (as it is delivered in the Fourth Commandment of the Morall Law) hath more disturbed the Christian Church in these latter times, then they did the Fathers, & the Zealous Christians in the Church Primitive; yet then, was the Doctrin of the Sabbath mistaken and perverted by Ebion, who taught, that Christians should ne­cessarily [Page 2] keep the Jewish Hebdomarie, or se­venth-day Sabbath; (as some among us have done), and is therefore by Epiph. haer. 30. Epiphanius and Theod. haer. fab. Lib. 2. Theodoret, branded with the mark of a Ju­daizing Heretick.

And now, although the rejection of the Jew­ish Seventh-day-Sabbath is almost generally a­greed among us, yet a new Sabbath is set up on the Eighth day, or first day of the week, to be observed with as great strictnesse, as the old Sabbath was on the Seventh day by the Pha­risees; for now not only labou [...]s are forbidden, but also honest recreations, such as we do not find to have been forbidden by those very Jew­ish zelots. Which late strictnesse hath given an occasion, or pretence, to some, to think it to be required, rather in opposition to former per­missions, then for any new light, or religious zeal; because they have observed, that by or­der of the same Superiors who forbad Recrea­tions, Souldiers have been commanded to march, and the utensils and luggage of War, Carts, Wagons, & Artillary, have been drawn out, and most cruell & bloody battells fought on that very new Sabbath-day; and all this, upon pretence of either private & personall ne­cessity, or necessity publik, which is now called Reason of State; whereupon some of the ap­proved Preachers of these times have openly in the Pulpit declared their dislike, and said, that now the State Civil is become like a Ship; and the Church like a Cock-boat, which must follow the motions and turnings of that Ship of State: intimating hereby, that our Religion must be reformed so, as to be subservient to the interest and accommodations of the Civill go­vernors, [Page 3] which is quite contrary to the desires of those men, who hoped, and expected, that their Kyrk should have bin made the Ship, and the State should have bin the Cock-boat.

Mose and Aaron were brethren, and agreed that Moses might be directed by Aaron in Spi­ritualls, and Aaron Supported by the Brachium temporale, or civill authority of Moses for stablishing true Doctrine, and godly Disci­pline : which formerly was the happy, and pea­ceable usance of this kingdome, wherein the state civill was supreme, because, as Optatus truly said against the disturbing Donatists, Optat. lib. 3. p. 83. Non est Respublica in ecclesia, sed ecclesia in Republica est, i. e. The Commonwealth is not included in the Church, but the Church is in the Commonwealth. And yet the civil power will not excuse those governors before God, which authorise the breaking of the Com­mandments, and Moral law of God.

For if the Seventh-day Sabbath, practised in the Jewish Commonwealth, or the Eighth, a­mong Christians (which some yet call the Sab­bath) were indeed one of the ten Com­mandments of God (which certainly are moral, and perpetual), then did the Jewes sin in per­forming the works of Warr, and of Circumci­sion, and Midwifery, and Sacrificing at the Ta­bernacle and Temple, on their Sabbath day : And if our Sunday be really commanded by this morall law of God, or grounded thereon by a moral equity, (as some have untruly affir­med) then neither private necessities, nor pub­lick reason of State, can quit us from the guilt of Transgression thereof.

The Rule of Divines is, (which I firmly be­leeve [Page 4] to be true) Non licet in quavis necessita­te, leges Dei morales, seu naturales, violare. i. e. It is not lawfull in any case of necessity, to vio­late the moral, or naturall, lawes of God. For example, In the times of Persecution, the ordi­nary commands of Persecutors were Optat. lib. 3. Nega Deum, Incende Testamentum, Thus pone. i. e. Deny thy God, Burn the Book of God, Wor­ship the idol. And these were injoyned upon pain of present torment, and death. And what greater necessity can be imagined then these? and yet the Martyrs refused life upon such un­lawfull conditions. Joseph would not yield to adultry with his lady though he knew the con­sequence of imprisonment; nor the 3 Hebrews Gen. 39. Dan. 3. worship the golden im [...]ge, though they were assured of the fiery furnace. All inconveniences dangers and necessities must submit to the mo­ral law of God; better it is to bu [...]n or die, then to deny Christ, or blaspheme God, and bear false witnesse. There is a necessity to obey God, but no necessity of continuing our naturall life by ungodly means. In times of Persecution the Martyrs might have escaped torment, if Necessity might have excused them.

But it is far otherwise in lawes meerly Cere­monial, whether Jewish, or Christian: the trans­gression of this sort of lawes is excusable by ne­cessity, if it be a true, real, and pressing ne­cessity; in this case the Proverb will take place Aug. in. Soliloq. c. 2. To. 9. Necessitas non habet legem. i. e. Necessity hath no law; and Inter arma silent leges. Lawes [humane] are dumb in time of Warr.

Therefore because the Seaventh day Sabbath of the Jewes was meerly a law Ceremonial, it might, without sin, upon necessity be slighted. [Page 5] Upon this reason it was, that Mattathias the wise and zealous Macchabean priest with his associates decreed, and first taught the Jewes, that they might, upon necessity, fight, and re­pell their enemies on the Sabbath day, as we read both in Ios. An­tiq: l. 12. cap. 9. 1 Mac. 2. 41. Josephus & 1 Maccab. 2. 41. So likewise the Jewes of Antioch, when they were by force of necessity compelled, refused not to Work on their Sabbath day; as the same Jose­phus reporteth. And our Saviour excuseth his disciples for plucking eares of corne, and caus­eth Jos. de Bello lib. 7 Mat. 12. Iohn. 5. the impotent man to cary his bed, and de­clareth that the priests who by their great la­bours about sacrifices in the Temple do profane the Sabbath, yet are blamelesse. Thus David did in necessity of hunger eat the holy Shewbread; and the people of Israell for 40 yeares together in the wildernesse abstained from Circumcision as being very dangerous in their marches, al­though it was imposed on them with great 2. Chron. 30. 2. Ex. 12. charge. And in the dayes of Good Hezekiah the Passeover was celebrated in the second month, which was otherwise then the law prescribed. Ex. 12. All these things were done upon necessity, or some usefull convenience, without any offence to God * because the Sab­bath day, and Circumcision, and Shewbread, Num. 9. 11. and Passeover, were but Ceremonialls, and not morall lawes. I doubt not, but aged Eleazar & the 7 brethren mentioned both by h Josephus Iosep. de Maccab. 2 Mac. c. 6. & 7. and in 2 Macchab. cap. 6. & 7. (who were put to cruel tortures and death for refusing to eat Swines-flesh offered to Idols) might have eaten thereof in that necessity, and have saved their lives, without offence to God; because that law was but Ceremonial; Only they knew, their [Page 6] eating might have given Scandal or offence to their brethren the Jewes, and therefore they abstained; just as St. Paul saith in the like case 1 Cor. 10. 27. 28. Whatsoever is se [...] before you, ea [...]e, asking no question for conscience sake; But 1 Cor. 10. 27. if any say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto Idols, eat not for his sake that shew­ed it.

Just so it is with our Christian Ceremonies, whereof Sund [...]y is one; and therefore the So­lemnity, and celebration therof in case of press­ing dangers and necessities may be omitted. But let us be sure that the said necessities be so indeed, and not sinfull, or contracted by our own faults, or only pretended; and then God will excuse us, though some men will not. Thus some Christians, in time of Persecutions were condemned to the mines, and listed under the title Metallicae Condemnationis, and were for­ced there to sore work every day, Sunday & all, as we read in Eusibius, & Hilarie. & Chry­sostome. [...] Eus. Hist. l. 8. c. 13. Hil. cont. Constant. lib. [...]. Chrys. de. laudibus Martyrum hom. 70. So at this day, those Christians who are in Slavish captivity under the Turks, are com­pelled to undergo hard labours, even on Sun­days : and yet thereby, neither the former Christian Confessors, nor these, do of­fend God; which yet they would, if our Sunday were a branch of the moral law of God.

There is not (I think) any good, and prudent christian, that doth not approve of, & most wil­lingly submit to an holy celebration of our Christian. Sunday; although they do not think it to be enforced by virtue of the 4th Cōmand­ment of the moral law, or any equity there­of; but upon another reason and ground, be­cause [Page 7] the equity pretended, must be derived, not from the Moral Sabbath; but from the Jewish, Ceremoniall Seaventh-day-Sabbath : the equity whereof is only this; That as God, under the law, required one day in seaven to be Sanctified, as a figure, and shadow of his peo­ple's rest in their Messiah to come So the Chri­stian Church hath ordained one day in Seaven to be a memoriall of our rest in the same Messiah our Saviour who is come; and our Sunday may also be called a kind of shadow, as the Jewish Seaventh day was: only, their shadow went before the body (as shadows somtimes do) and our shadow followeth af­ter the body; for the body of both, is Christ.

The Sabbath which is truly Moral, and per­petual, and which is intended, meant, and in­joyn'd in the 4 ^th Commandment, is another manner of Sabbath, & much differing from the Jewish seventh day Sabbath, or the Christians Sunday, and is not such a sabbath as is by many now adayes supposed : neither is the vi­gor and force of that Sabbath-Commandment as yet antiquated, or expired; but standeth in as full strength, and in an obliging power as much, or rather more then it had, during the Jewish Synagogue or before the incarnation of our Lord. And I trust I shall make it appear that this Sabbath-law is written in our hearts evidently and convincingly as much, or rather more, than any other of those Moral Lawes; and that this Sabbath was to be kept from the very Creation of man, or from that very time, when God commanded man to abstain from the Tree of knowledg.

And yet in this Assertion, I shall not in the [Page 8] least gainsay the Doctrine of those Ancient and most learned Fathers, as Iust. dial. cum Tryph. Tert. Adv. Iudaeos. Euseb. de. Demonst. lib 1. c. 6. Justin Martyr, and Tertallian, and Eusebius, who tells us, that neither Adam, nor Enoch, nor Noah, nor Mel­chisdeck did ever Sabbatize And Athanas. in Synopst. Athana­sius also, who affirmed very truely, That the observation of the 7th day sabbath, be an not, untill the dayes of Moses; All which I firmly beleeve to be true; provided, that we under­stand their Assertion in the same sense that they meant it, viz: of the hebdomary, weekly, or 7th day Sabbath, which verily is not that Sab­bath which is meant, & mysteriously implied, in the fourth Commandment.

For the Sabbath, which in the fourth com­mandment is required to be Sanctified, is the true, substantiall, mysticall, and eternall Sabbath, which is the Son of God, the Messiah, the great Peace-maker, even the Lord Jesus Christ: of which true Sabbath, the Jewish, Le­viticall, Ceremoniall, or seaventh-day Sabbath, was but a meer shadow type or figure, which shadow is now vanished as other legal shadows are, such as, Circumcision, and Sacrifices, both which were farr more ancient, then the weekly Sabbath was; whereas the Sabbath, meant, and intended, & commanded in this 4th comman­dement, was in force, and kept by all the holy Patriarks before Moses was born; and, before it was written in stone, it was written in man's heart, as all other Moral lawes were; and it was, and is to last untill the end of this world and in the next world also, and not to be An­tiquated at all, as the seaventh-day Sabbath was and is.

For the Moral law, which was written by [Page 9] the finger of God consisteth of ten Command­ments, just so many, no more, nor lesse: which number the holy Scripture mentioneth, Ex. Ex. 34. 2 [...] 34. 28. Ten commandments, or Decem verba Foederis Tenn words. And so again, Deut. 4. 13. Tenn words or Commandments. And God wrote them on two Tables of Stone, to signifie the durablenesse of them all: and therefore the Moral Sabbath there meant, must continue as long, and as firmly, as any of the other nine. We must still have Ten Commandments, which is the reason that St. Austin, and generally all our Divines to this day, call this Moral law Decalogum, as consisting of Ten words, or Commandments.

The same Father in his book intituled Aug. Tom 3. Speculum, reciting the Moral law out of Ex. 20. doth quite omit the fourth commandment which is of the Sabbath; and this he did because 1. He knew that the Seaventh-day Sabbath was none of the Moral laws of God, but that it is totally antiquated, and expired. 2. Because he perceived that men did mistake the meaning of the true Moral Sabbath, by fixing the duety thereby required, only, on the keeping holy of a day, whereas they should have known, that the Sabbath there meant is only Christ. So that by this misconceit, men slighted the Sub­stance, and magnified the Shadow; for the same Father had said before. Aug. epist 86. Judaeus si sabba­tum observando Dominum negat, &c. i. e. If the Jew by observing his Sabbath day doth thereby deny, that his Lord Messiah is come, how can the Christian safely observe the Sab­bath day? And again in his 119. Epistle to ^c Epist. 119. cap. 12. Januarius cap. 12. he thus writeth. c. Praecep­tum [Page 10] de Sabbato, solùm figuratè praecipitur. de requie quae in solo Deo certa invenitur-ergo non ad literam jubemur observare diemillum; nam nisi aliam Spiritualem requiem significet, lex ridenda judicatur. i. e. The law of the Sabbath day is only figurative signifying that Sabbath or rest, which is no where to be found sure and certain, but only in our God; Therefore we are not hereby to observe a day as it is literal­ly set down: for unlesse some other Spiritual rest be thereby meant, that Sabbath law might seem ridiculous, Thus he.

Upon the same reason Isychius of Jerusalem affirmeth, That the sabbath day which the Jewes observe, is none of the Ten Comman­dements although it was written among them : for the Sabbath there meant signifies Isych. in Levit. lib. 7. c. 26. Requi­em intelligibilem, saith he, i. e. not a Corporal but a spiritual or intelligible Rest; which rest is only in our God. He added, that if we will take the words going before, viz [I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the land of Aegypt] for one of the commandments, we shall still have Tenn. Indeed, The mysterious Sabbath which is really meant, and intended in the morality of the 4th Commandement, is, only, that God which delivereth us out of (not only Egyptian, but also) Hellish Slavery, which deliverance is implied, and couched in this word Sabbath; so that we need not put out one of the commandments, and in the room of it, take in a new for preserving the number of of Ten, for that number will be found there­in without such chopping: and we are offended with the Romanists for such practises about these commandments, who, to hide the second [Page 11] commandement which forbiddeth image-wor­ship have in their Catechisms quite omitted it, although it continueth perfectly in their Bibles; and to supply the defect, they have obtruded the fallacy of Composition, in making but one Commandment of the two first: And the fal­lacy of Division, in making two of the last, as is apparent in their books, and particularly in Ledesma's dial. p. 81. Ferus. li­bell. precat. p. 59. 60. the Catechism of Jacobus Ledesma a Jesuite, and also of Ferus.

CHAP. II.

WHat this word Sabbath signifieth, we are certified by two learned Jewes: first, Philo. de cherubin. Philo saith, Sabbatum interpretatur Quies, i. e. The interpretation of Sabbath, is Rest. With him Ioseph. Antiq. l. 1. c. 2. Josephus agreeth, Sabbatum signi­ficatrequiem i. e. that it signifieth quiet or Rest. With them our Christian writers generally consent as, Eusebius, Nazianzen, Epiphanius, Jerome, & Austin.

The Rest, which is signified by this word Sabbath, is 1 The Rest of God, mentioned Gen. 2. 2. God rested on the 7 ^th day from all his works. And so again, Ex. 20. 11. (How the [Page 12] most blessed Godhead, can be said to rest, which never laboured or was weary, we shall inquire hereafter.) Secondly, The Rest of man; and this Rest is of two Sorts: First Rest Corpo­ral, by ceasing from worldly servile labours on the 7th day, both himself, & his family, and his poor beasts also, Secondly Rest Spirituall; which consisteth in the quiet, and tranquillity of our minds, and consciences, when we are freed, and quitted from the disturbing perturbations of our Consciences, and turbulent horrors of our Souls, upon consideration of our sinns, and fear of divine vengeance.

This Spirituall rest, is not confined to a Seaventh day only, but is a continuall Rest or Sabbath to every holy Christian. St. Austin saith, Aug. de Genesi ad lit. l. 4. c: 13. Fidelium, perpetuum Sabbatum ob­servatur. i. e. The faithfull keep a continuall Sabbath. And again, he saith, Ibid. in Psal. 91. Nostrum Sab­batum est in tranquillitate conscientiae est gau­dium spei nostrae-intus est in corde Sabbatum nostrum. i. e. The Christian mans Sabbath con­sisteth in the quietnesse and tranquillity of his conscience-It is the joyfulnesse of our hope▪ Our Sabbath is inward, residing in our heart We are also taught by St. Jerom, that the Jewish Se­venth day Rest, was but a meer figure of the Christians Rest. Hieron. Tom. 9. 11. n. 40. Judaeis, Sabbatum in ocio cor­porali significabat sanctificationem in requie Spi­rit [...]s sancti. i. e. The Sabbath which the Jews observed by a corporal rest did signify a Sancti­fication of the rest wrought by the Holy-ghost. And Origen tells us Orig. in Math. [...]ract 29. Qui vivit in Christo, sem­per sabbatizat a peccato. i. e. He that doth live, or abide in Christ, doth alwayes Rest from sin. His meaning is not, that a Christian is alwaies [Page 13] without sin; but that the infirmities of holy men do not discontinue, or extinguish their resting in the mercies of God through Christ, & that they are freed from the dispairing terror of Damna­tion. This is the true real and spirituall Sab­bath, or rest in Christ; to which we are exhort­ed by old Ignatius, Inat. ep. ad Mag­nesianos.. Non Sabbatizemus Ju­daico m [...]r [...]-sed Sabbatizemus spiritualiter. i. e. That we should not deceive our selves by keep­ing a Sabbath day only, as the Jewes did, but to apprehend thereby a more excellent spirituall Sabbath, viz. the true rest of our souls in Christ. So b [...] these p [...]ss [...]ges we learn, that there is not only a day Sabbath of externall, and corporall rest, to be considered in the Scriptural doctrine of Sabba [...]hs, but moreover & principally, a se­cret, mysterious, and spiritual Rest or Sabbath, which is the Grand Sabbath; whereof the other Sabbaths are but meer figures and shadows.

For the more clear understanding of the dif­ference of these two sorts of Sabbaths, we must inquire of the Originall of them; as when, and by what law they were inacted: And this we cannot with plainness set forth, but by examin­ing the severall kinds of lawes imposed upon the Jewes, whereby the Sabbath was both e­stablished in the judiciall commonwealth, and is also binding to us Christians: Wherein I shall not need to meddle with the Sabbath of years, which was every Seaventh year, where­in the whole land rested from husbandry, Nor with the Jubilean Sabbath, which was every fiftieth yeare, when old owners returned to their ancient inheritances. But our inquiry must must only be, for the authority of the Saturday, weekly, or 7th-day Sabbath, with the signi­fication, [Page 14] meaning, and mystery thereof; and what that true, reall, substantiall, and spirituall Sabbath is, which was but only typified by the Seventh-day Sabbath.

For the Jewish lawes: we find 3 several dife­rent sorts of them, viz. 1 Mor [...]l. 2. Ceremonial. 3. Judiciall, by all which the Sabbath is establi­shed; all which lawes are distinctly mention­ed (as Expositors say) by those words of Moses, Deut. 6. 1. Now these are the Command­ments, the Statutes, and the Judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you] The ancient Latine Translation thus renders them: 1. Praecepta to signifie the ten command­ments; 2. Ceremoniae, to signifie the ceremoni­all or Leviticall lawes; 3. Judicia, to signify the lawes Judiciall. My designe of discoursing of them, requires that I begin with the lawes Judiciall.

1 The ju­dicial Law 1. The Judicial law of the Jewes is such as we now call the law Politick, Civill, Com­mon, or Statute-law, ordained for the ordering and governing of the commonwealth; by this law, punishments were enacted to be inflicted on the transgressors both of these judicial laws, and also upon them that transgressed other lawes; for, by it, Sabbath-breakers were puni­shed with death, Ex. 31. 14. And Ex. 35. 2. The gatherer of sticks on the Sabbath day, is stoned to death. Num. 15. 35. Idolaters are ad­judged to be utterly destroyed, Ex. 22. 20. To curse Father or Mother was death, Levit. 20. 10. Bearing false witnes in matters capital, was death, Deut. 19. 18. 19.

This judiciall (I say) appointed punishments for the transgressors of the other sorts of lawes, [Page 15] when in those other lawes no punishment was mentioned for transgressours; As in the ten commandments we find no visible nor tempo­ral penalty mentioned for the sins of Idolatry, Sabbath-breaking, Dishonorers of Parents, adulterers, or falsewitnesses; the punishment being either reserved to God, or referred to the laws Judiciall or Politick.

There are some, that have thought fit that these judicial laws of Moses should (with some additions) be made the laws Politick of Christi­ans. But I conceave that those laws are now most unfit for any Christian kingdome, or State; nor can they now have any binding power over us by vertue of that authority which they had from Moses, or, through him, from God; for these re­sons, 1. Because they were ordained, only, for the Jewes commonwealth whilest it stood; without any intention to continue them any longer.

2. Many of them were enacted purposely to serve for the discovery of the Messiah, & to be an evidence of the fulfilling of some Prophecies w ^ch concerned the Tribe & genealogy of Christ before his actuall manifestation in the flesh.

3. Many of them are but Typicall, & therefore not to be used now, since the Types are fullfiled by Christ the Antitype, so that now they must needs be antiquated, and quite out of date, as well as all the other Leviticalls or ceremoni­alls, (which are typicall lawes) are, and ought to be disused; such as Circumcision, Sacrifices, and New-moons, &c.

4. These judicialls would not be conveni­ent for the very Jewes themselves, now since the Death of Christ, although they had to this day continued a People, and State, in their owne [Page 16] Country and City, because the practise of these lawes would still harden them in their infide­lity against the true Messiah, as we see, their Sabbatizing and Circumcising yet do; Much lesse can they be fit for us Christians, because of many and great inconveniences which would ensue thereupon. Such as these:

1. If the Jewish 7th year-Sabbath were in force with us, wherein the whole land was to rest from Tillage, and Husbandry, as is com­manded Ex. 23 11. and Levit. 25. 4. how ma­ny thousands of poor people would be famish­ed, and the richer people undone? Indeed, God did extraordinarily provide in such years for that people, being under that command; but we have not any such command, nor war­rant now to expect such miraculous provisions.

2. If the Jubilean Sabbath law, of repossessing estates by the Ancient and rightfull owners should now take place with us, as was comman­ded Levit. 25. 13. This would bring much sorrow to our late purchasers, or intruders into other mens estates, & would reduce many of our new Gentry to their former trades, and much disappoint their Gentle-homified posterity.

3. If all those which by ordinary works trans­gresse the law of the Jewish Sabbath (which is our Saturday) should be put to death, as was commanded Ex. 31. 14. What would be­come of traders, manufactors, market-keepers, husbandmen, and of the greatest part of the Christian World?

4. If all false Prophets should be put to death that speak to turne us out of the way which the Lord our God hath commanded us to walk [Page 17] in, as is commanded, Deut. 13. 5. it would be ill with many of our new Time-serving Preach­ers; for, Preaching in the New Testament is often called Prophesying, as Mat. 7 22. and 1 Cor. 14. 1.

5. If those that Curse their Parents, though but a Domestick Fath [...]r, only, of a family. should be put to death, as is commanded Ex. 21. 17. Levit. 20. 9. what should become of those Sonnes of Be [...]al, which have cursed, and blasphemed their Publick Father, Patrem Pa­triae?

6. If Sacriledg should now be punished with death, as it was, Jo [...]h. 7. 25; Or false wittnes­ses, Such as our Bithynian, and Iuvenal. Sat. 8. Cappado­cian knights of the post are; Or if all young married woemen, which are discovered after mariage, to have bin deflowred before marri­age, as Deut. 22. 21; Or if no usury must be ta­ken of our brethren, as Deut. 23. 19; Or if all debts must be released freely to our neighbour or brother, every seventh year, as it is comman­ded, Deut. 15. 2: Such Judicials would much displease a great number of people of this king­dom.

He that imagineth that he can compose one frame of lawes Politick, or Ecclesiastick that may fitly serve, and accommodate all christ­ian Commonwealths and Churches, may as easily phansy (as it is in the fable) that he can make a coat for the Moon. Let him first per­swadeour Nobles and Gentry, to keep them to one fashion of apparrel, & our Legislative States­men never to make new, or abrogate old Lawes, either of the Commonwealth, or of the Church. But wee have seen both Politick, and [Page 18] especially ecclesiastick lawes changeable as the Moon. To Solomon, the Church appeared fair as the Moon, Cant. 6, 10. Upon which words, the Gloss. saith [Variatur status ejus, nunc clara, nunc dehonestata vitiis pravorum] i. e. The Church is somtimes cleer, somtimes denigrated by the vices of men; her state is va­riable. Doctor Donn was a profound Divine, and a rare Poet (Poets are called Divine, and the Scripture calles them Prophets Tit. 1. 12.) Luna, est Ecclesia quia à fi­lio illumi­natur, qui est Sol. Aug. in Psal. 10. This learned Doctor, as a propheticall Divine, intituled one of his books Ecclesia Lunatica i. e. The Church Lunatick, as St. Austine calls this life Aug in Solilo. c. 11. Tom. Vitam Lunaticam.

This I trust, is enough, to shew that the keeping holy of the Jewish Sabbath or Satur­day, or a weekly Seaventh day, cannot be in­forced by any authority or vertue of the Judi­cial law of Moses.

CHAP. III.

2 The Cere­monial Lawes. THere is another sort of lawes imposed on the Ancient people of God, which are called the Ceremoniall Lawes, such as concern­ed the Covenant, and the worship of God, consisting of Ceremonies and Rites, to be u­sed by the Abrahamicall or Mosaicall or Jsrae­liticall people, untill the ending of the Leviti­call Preisthood, and no longer; as Circumcisi­on (far more ancient then the seventh day Sab­bath having bin imposed on the Abrahamits long before Levi or Moses were born, and af­terwards it was also inacted as a law by Moses Ex. 12. 49. Levit. 12. 3.): So the Pascall feast, and Sacrifices of certain beasts and birds, to be offered only at the Tabernacle, or Temple: So Feastivalls are appointed, of new Moons of At-onements or Expiation, and other Festivalls besides the 7th day sabbath, which are recorded Levit. 23. and are also called Sabbaths as the At-onement, Levit. 16. 31. And the 7th year Lev. 25. 4. And the feast of Trumpets Lev. 23. 24: and of Tabernacles Levit. 23. 39. All which [Page 20] were but Types, Shadows, and Figures. Which are now expired, because the Substance and Antitype of them is come, which is Christ, who was but onely prefigured, and represented by those Ceremonies.

Now because those Ceremonialls, were of none other use, but onely to prefigure Christ with his benefits; And because the Jewes did not rightly use them to that purpose and in­tent, for which they were appointed; God him­selfe who Ordained them, did neverthelesse reject them, even whilest they were in force, and to be performed by Command of the Ce­remoniall law: And this was, because the Jews did not rightly understand their Significations, and therefore did misuse them. Hence it is that God expostulateth with the Jewes, Isa. 1. 12, 13, 14. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices—bring no more vain oblations-the Newmoons and Sabbaths, I cannot away with them-your appointed feasts my Soul hateth, they are a trouble to me, I am weary to beare them. The same rejection of these Ceremonies we find againe J [...]r 6. 20. And particularly of their feasts he saith, Amo [...] 5. 21 I hate and despise your feast-dayes. And, before these prophets, the holy Psalmist had said, Psal. 40. 6 Sacri­fices and offerings thou diddest not desire. All these reprehensions were, only because the Israelites of those times did erre from the true meaning and intent for which those Sabbaths and Sacrifices were set up; for they supposed that the Opus Operatum, or bare outward work and literall performance (without any faith or consideration of the Messiah thereby signified) was all that God required of them.

[Page 21] But afterward, when Messiah was come, and by preaching published, those Ceremonies en­ded; so, that not only the abuse of them, but the very use of them was utterly rejected, and became sinfull. For St. Paul tels us of the grand ceremony, Circumcision, Gal. 5. 2. If ye be Circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing; And of Sab­baths, and other ceremonies, he saith Col. 2. 16. Let no man judg you in meat, or drink or in respect of an Holy-day, or New-moon, or of Sabbath dayes; which are a Shadow of things to come, but the Body is Christ.] By which we are fully assured that the very Seaventh day Sabbath was but a meer figure, and Type of the true Eternall Sabbath, which is Christ; That the Jewish Sabbath was but the shadow; And that the body thereof was Christ.

Justly therefore are the Jewes reproved for doting so much on the Shadow-sabbath, and utterly neglecting the Substance, and body, which was but only represented by that shad­dow, like the dog in the Gabriae fabula. 32. Fable, which let-go and est the Substantiall flesh out of his mouth, by snatching at the shadow thereof in the water; So the great Oratour Demosthenes perceiving the Greeks to neglect the weighty matters of State which he delivered in an Oration, tells them a tale, & then reproves them for listening with more attention to a ridiculous case, Plut. de 10. Orat. of two men contending for the shadow of an Asse, than they did to the great affaires of their Country. This surely was the reason that our Saviour so often took occasion to slight, and decry the Jewish seventh-day sabbath, because he saw the Scribes and Pharisees so strict, and [Page 22] curious in keeping that shadow, and utterly to neglect the true Substantial Sabbath, which was their Messiah, in whom only, true Sab­batical Rest was to be found, and no where elss.

And now since Christ is come, and fully made known to his Church; the Jewish Ceremonies are useless and quite gon, as may thus appear.

• 1. For now what need have we of the sha­dow of a Paschal Lamb, seeing the true Lamb of God is slain?
• 2. What need of the blood of Sacrifical beasts for us; since Christ is Sacrificed, and his precious blood powred out?
• 3. Now, there is no need of the Jewish earthly Tabernacle, or Temple; because Christ is come, whose body was the Substantial Temple.
• 4. No need now of Corporal Circumcision, because Christ hath taken away the Superflui­ty of Sin, even of Original Sin, which was but only Figuratively signified by that Sacra­ment of Circumcision; which Sacrament was (as I conceive) therefore performed, or execu­ted on that part of the body, and none other part, through which Original Sin is propa­gated.
• 5. No need now of the Jewish Calends, or New-moons, because men are now really re­nued by the Spirit of Christ: The Sun of righteousness hath inlightned us; we need not the darker shadowy type of Moon-light, at Noon day.
• 6. Nor need we the Ceremonious festival of At-onement, or Reconciliation, now, by the High-priest, entring into the most holy place of the earthly Temple; because Christ hath [Page 23] really made our Atonement by his own blood, and hath himself entred into the most holy Tabernacle of Heaven, and thither caried our Nature with him.
• 7. Finally, we have now no need of the Jewish weekly, Typical, and Ceremonious Sabbath, because the true Sabbath is come, even Christ, who is the Sabbath or Rest both of the God­head, and of us men.

It is evident enough, that Christ did, on pur­pose and design, take special care both to discountenance, and also to dissolve the Jew­ish Saturday-Sabbath, that by his example, the Jewes might be withdrawn and weaned from the Ceremony to the S [...]bstance; and from the Letter to the Spi [...]it & meaning there­of: for he commanded the I [...]potent man to ca­ry his bed on the Sabbath day, Joh. 5. 8. The Jewes therefore charge him with their Sab­bath-breaking, which Christ did not deny, and they therefore sought to kill him, vers. 18. Afterwards, He makes clay, on the Sab­bath day, Joh 9. 14. which he needed not to have done in order to the curing of the blind man : therefore it was done upon an­other d [...]sign, of Nulling the Sabbath, as the Jewes also apprehended it, vers. 16. He also excuseth his Disciples for plucking eares of corn on the Sabbath day, Math. 12. And tels the Pharisees that their own Jewish priests did pro­phane the Sabbath by working on the Sabbath in their Temple, and yet the priests were blameless. For indeed they did on that day make the Shew-bread, and brought in fuell for the Altar, they killed, washed, skinned, dressed, and Sacrificed beasts; and so labou­red [Page 24] as much, or more then ordinarie Butchers, and more also on the Sabbath day, than any other day of the week, except it were a Festi­val; which Festivals were also called Sab­baths.

To this dissolution, and nulling of the Jewish Sabbath, the Fathers, and other Christian writers generally agree (except some few Sabbatarians). Saint Austin upon occa­sion of those words Joh. 5. 18. saith, Aug: E­pist. 11. Chri­stus sabbatum solvi, i. e. Christ hath di­ssolved the Sabbath, again he saith, [ de Gen: ad lit: L: 4. C. 13. Jam ab usu fidelium observatio Sabbati abla [...]a est; perpetuum Sabbatum observatur i. e.] The observation of the Sabbath is now taken away from believers, who now keep a perpetual Sabbath. (For our constant adhering to Christ is our continual Sabbath), And again he saith. de spiri­tu & lite­ra. C: 14. Quisquis nunc observat Sabbatum sicut li­tera sonat, carnaliter sapit, quod mors est. i. e. That man which now observeth the Sabbath literally, is carnally minded; and to be car­nally minded is death, saith Saint Paul, Rom. 8. 6.

With him agrees Saint Ambrose using these words, An. br. de fide. l. 2. c. 4.. Christus Sabbatum sol [...]it &c. Hinc Judaei ad necem ejus commoti] Christ did di­ssolve the Sabbath: and therefore the Jewes sought to kill him, Ioh. 5. 16. Again he saith, Epist. l. 5. Ep. 42.. Sabbatum, & Circumcisio, cessant sub E­vangelio] i. e. Both the Sabbath, and also Circumcision do cease, under the Gospel. By these words he declareth, that the Jewish Sab­bath is but such a typical, and temporary Ce­remony, as Circumcision was; which Circum­cision (we know) was forbidden, not only [Page 25] by St. Paul Gal. 5. 2. but also by the whole Councell of the Apostles, Act. 15. 24.

St. Jerome also thus writeth of St. Paul. Hier. proaem. in Gal. Nullus Apostoli Sermo est, vel per epistolam, vel praesentis, in quo non laboret docere, Antiquae le­gis Onra deposita, id est Sabbatum, Circumci­sionem, Calendas. &c. The Apostle, in every Sermon of his, either written by Epistle, or de­livered where he was present, teacheth, that the troublesome Ceremonies of the old law are taken off, such as Sabbaths, Circumcision, and New-Moons, &c.

Before him, Athanasius had thus Written, upon those words Mat. 11. 27. All things are delivered to me of my Father]. Athan. Tom. 1. 294. Sabba­tum injunctum est priori populo-sednovae crea­turae non praecepit observationen Sabbati]. i. e. The Sabbath was imposed on the first people (The Israelits) but not on the new people (The Christians) The Jewish Sabbath was appointed to be on the last day of the week, which might intimate that is was near Ending: for when Christ, the true Sabbath, and the true light was come, the Sabbaticall ceremony was use­lesse, as candle-light at Noon day. St. Chry­sostom also observeth in his Sermon on the Pa­ralytick. Chrys. Serm. 7. Tom. 5 Christus quando solvebat Sabbatum, maximum aliquod meraculum edebat, ut sic Sabbatismum auferret.] When Christ dissol­ved the Jewish Sabbath, he did withall per­form some great miracle, that it might ap­peare, that Sabbatizing was dissolved by Di­vine authority.

The ancient and grand Heretick Marcion, upon this truth of Christs dissolving the Satur­day Sabbath, took occasion to ground his [Page 26] false heresie, denying Christ to be the Son of that God who made the World, and Ordained the Law; supposing, that the true son of the Creator, would not null the law of the same Creator. By this it appeares, that even this Heretick so farr agreed with the Catholick Church, as to acknowledg the dissolution of that Sabbath by Christ, as Tertullian also doth in his writings against that Heretick, whereof he gives this reason. Tert. Cont. Mar. Lib. 4. Quia Deus est Dominus Sabbati, ergo destruere potuit]. i. e. Because our Lord Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, therefore he might dissolve it; The same Father saith again, in a­nother book. De Ido­lolatria. c. 4. [Nobis (Christianis) Sabbata extranea sunt, sicut Neomen ia]. To us Christi­ans, Sabbatizing is a stranger, as much as New-Moon dayes are; This he wrote because he knew that Sabbath-keeping was a fading and tem­porary Ceremony, as much as the feasts of New-Moons.

In some Epistles yet extant, which passed be­tween St. Austin, and St. Jerome, concerning their differing opinions in some Judiciall cere­monies; St. Austin thus writeth and faith. Hier. Epist. 97. Tom. 2. That after the death, & Resurrection of Christ, [...]hose Ceremonies also dyed; but that they were to be allowed some convenient time for buriall, and an honourable funerall.] And indeed the pub­lick Preaching up of Christianity, was their Funerall Oration, and the Burning of the Tem­ple, was their Funerall pile; But when these Sepulture-offices were once performed, then those Typicall Ceremonies became, not only dead, but deadly, pernicious, and mortiferous. To this St. Hierome addeth this aggravation. August. In Barathrum Diaboli devolvunt eum qui ob­servat] [Page 27] to which St. Austin also consenteth To use those Ceremonies now, is the ready way to drive men into Hell. So St. Chrysostom, having in his Sermons often forbidden the peo­ple under his charge to use Sabbatizing, as the Jewes then did at Antioch, where Chrysostome then was a preacher, he adds, Chrys. Homil An­tioch. 34. That, after his admonition, if any did Sabbatize, himselfe was innocent of their blood] So deadly did he think it. And before him Origen had both affirmed, and preached Orig. in Jeremi. Hom. 9. That now to observe Sabbaths, is to return to those beggerly Elements of Cere­monies-Quasi nondum descenderat Christus] That the Sabbatizer thereby declareth, that he doth not beleeve that Christ is come, who is the true Sabbath, which now is to be kept.

For this cause, it may reasonably be thought, that our Lord Jesus neither at the dissolution of the Old Jewish Sabbath day, nor at any time after, did command, or so much as inti­mate any new Sabbath day for Christians, lest Christians also, like the Jewes, should errone­ously think, that the Moral precept, for Sanc­tifying the Sabbath, confisted only in the strict observation of a day, and thereby utterly neg­lect the most holy, most necessary and Grand Sabbath, which is Christ: who is the Only Sabbath that wee Christians can, or ought to have. For at this day we see that the Sabbath which is Commanded in the Fourth precept of the law Moral, is, by the greater number of people thought to be meant only of Sancti­fying a day; for so they are now taught by the greater number of our Preachers: But herein, the People deceive themselves, and the Prea­chers deceive others; for that Commandment [Page 28] hath a more noble, excellent and beneficiall meaning then so, as I trust will appear a­none.

To the judgment of the Ancients before men­tioned, I crave thy patience, good Reader, that I may add one more, of a late Writer, the learned Mr. Mede, which I esteem ponderous: who in one of his books thus writeth, Mede Diatrib, 15 We may not now keep the Jewish Sabbath, lest we should thereby seem not to acknowledg our Ʋbi Bene Nemo me­liùs. Cassi­ [...]d. de Orig. Redemption performed, but expect still: Their Sabbath was but a shadow]. Thus he, most truly and correspondently with the Primitive Church. It was indeed but a Shaddow of our Redemption by our Redeemer, which being performed (as the Psalmist speaketh) it is pass­ed away like a Shaddow.

By what hath bin said, I trust the Read­er Psal. 144. 4. apprehends, that the weekly Jewish Sab­bath is no more but a branch of the Ceremo­niall Law, now Antiquated, and, by the au­thority of Christ himself, totally abrogated; So that I may for certain conclude, that neither the Jewish seaventh-day, nor any mo­rall equity deduced from it, can be that Sab­bath which is injoyned to be Sanctified, by the Moral Law of God; Of which we are next to Consider.

CHAP. IV.

3 The Mo­rall Law. THe third Sort of lawes recorded in the Scripture, and imposed upon Gods Peo­ple, are the laws of the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. Which Divines, commonly call (though improperly) The law Moral. So called, because they were ordained as rules to guide, and direct us in our demeanours, or Manners; for therin, we find precepts Ethicall for our private persons, against Murther, Adul­trey, Theft, Coveting. And Oeconomicall, for our deportment in a family, as honouring of Parents, Mercifullnesse to servants and poor Cattle. And Political, against Idolatry, and for Reverencing superiors, as Magistrates, and especially Kings who are the Publick Parents of Subjects. All these Ten Commandments, are lawes Moral▪ And more also, they are lawes Naturall, they are written in our hearts. And more yet, they were lawes, and binding [Page 30] too, before they were written in stone, and so would be to the end of the World, although they never had binne written, therefore they are perpetuall, all and every one of those Ten; never to be abrogated or antiquated. I say, there are Ten of them, (although I do not beleeve, or affirm that all the words in the fourth Com­mandment are so, viz. the words which mention the seaventh day Sabbath, of which I shall give an account anon) for we shall find Ten, without them.

The reason why I said, that these Ten lawes are but Improperly called Moral, is, Because (if we speak critically, and Logically) All laws whatsoever, are Moral; for all are but Rules for mens manners, and demeanours. So are the lawes Judiciall, and Ceremoniall before hand­led: So are the Evangelicall precepts. And all Politik (both Imperiall and Municipall) lawes. So are the Edicts of Supream Magistrates: So were anciently the Roman Senatus-consulta Pleb [...]scita; Consular, Tribunitial, and Praete­rian Edicts; and even the Canons, and Con­stitutions of Councells and Synods, were Moral; but with his difference, The Ten Comman­dements are Moral [...]. i. e. by nature, though they never had binne openly Commanded, either by Word, or Wrting; The other Morals (most of them), are so, Only [...] i. e. by Constitution. Nor could they have the ap­pellation, or the force, and power of lawes, except they had binne inacted.

Of the Ten Commandements, Nine are confessedly still in full force and vigour, whereof no doubt or question is made among prudent and sober Christians, but only by another gang [Page 31] of those that are Leavened with the Antinomian dotage; Only the fourth Commandement con­cerning the Sabbath, is that which many good men stumble at, which hath occasioned much distraction, and trouble, and bitterness; and also many unprofitable written books by some that would have the Seaventh day kept literally on our Saturday, as the Jewes did. And by others who would ground the Christian Sun­day upon this fourth Commandement, and thereupon press the Jewish and Pharisaical strictness of Sabbatizing on the Sunday, as if all the Scriptural admonitions for keeping of the Jewish seaventh day, did by a kind of moral equity (as they say) require the same to be performed on our Sunday; and therefore both themselves and their proselytes, call Sunday, The Sabbay day—Nimiùm patienter (as one saith) too tamely, and unadvisedly. For in Horace. all the New Testament, they cannot find that our Sunday, (which is the first day of the week) is ever called Sabbath, unless they will call every day a Sabbath, because the Gospels do, in their account, reckon several week-dayes by the Sabbath, For they call our Sunday, [...] i. e. the first day from the Sabbaths: we translate it, The first day of the week, Mat. 28. 1. And so it is Joh. 20. 1. 1 Cor: 16. 2. Act. 20. 7. again Mar. 16. 2. So the Pharisee is brought in, boasting that he fasted, [...]. i. e. Twice in a Sabbath, we translate it, Twice in the week, so that any week-day might be named Sabbath as well as the first day or Sun­day. But this is so weak an argument for their Sabbath, that the Learned Sabbatarians do not vouchsafe so much as to mention it.

[Page 32] Neither can they find that our Sunday, or first day of the week, was ever called the Sab­bath day by any of the Ancient Fathers, but only by Origen (as is pretended) & by him but once, that I could find. His words are these. [...] Sabbatum Christianum observare, est desi­nere ab operibus secularibus, ad ecclesiam con­venire, lectionibus & tractatibus aures praebere, &c.] i. e. The observation of the Christian Sabbath, is, by laying aside our worldly busi­ness, to assemble in the Church, and there to give attention to what is readd out of the Scriptures, and to what is delivered by the Preacher.]

This is pretended to be spoken of our Sun­day, but it is not certain, whether he said it of the old seaventh day of the Jewes, or of the eighth day of the Christians; for it is affirmed by our greatest Sabbatarians, That Chri­stians did assemble in Churches on the Jewish Saturday-Sabbath, long after Origen's time: And the Fathers do also acknowledg that Sa­turday, and Sunday, were, for a long time, Church dayes; and so they were with us in England, in mine own remembrance in Cit­ties & Corporations, & so had continued until this day, if the Long-Parliament had not dist­urbed us; yet, even that Parliament, dated their Saturday-Orders under the title of Die Sab­bati.

That Christians did so assemble, are we assured by Sozomen. And [...]even in the dayes Soz. Hist. lib. 7 c. 19. of Theodosius the Elder (long after Origen was dead) for he thus wri­teth. Sabbato & Postridie Sab­bati, Constantinopoli, Conventus Ecclesia­sticus [Page 33] erat):—In multis civitatibus Aegypti, lib. 7. c. 9 vespere in Sabbato mysteriorum participes fi [...]nt]. Just so saith Socrates also, in the reign of the same Theodosius. Soc. Hist lib. 5 cap. 21. Licet omnes ubique Ecclesiae, singulis septimanis die sabbati mysteria celebrent; tamen Alexandrini & Romani, id facere [...]enuunt: Aegyptii, finitimi Alex­andriae, synaxin sabbato exequuntur] i. e. On the Sabbath, (or Saturday,) at Constantinople, and in many Cities of Aegypt, the Church assembled and communicated in the holy Sa­crament, in the Evening: and, Although all other Churches do weekly, on the Sabbath, celebrate the holy Communion, as also, those Aegyptians which border upon Alexan­dria, do, notwithstanding, the Alexandrians, and Romans refuse to observe that Order.

S [...]. Austin also mentioneth the Custome of Preaching on the old Sabbath-day; even there and then, when that day was made a fasting day. Aug. de verb. Dom. Ser. 43. Sermo in die Sabbat—non erattum pran­dium, eo die ven [...]ebant maxime, qui esuriebant verbum D▪] there was preaching on the Sab­bath day, wherin no dinner was; on that day came most of all those who hungred after the word of God. This he said of the Saturday. Be­sides, it is very likely, that Origen in using those words of christian Sabbath, did only compare the holy practises of Ch [...]istians, with the evil customes of the Jewes, which lived in his time, shewing that christians did more reverently use the Jewish Sabbath, then the Jews themselves did; for christians did on that day go to Church, & hear Scriptures, & Sermons, & Communicate But the Jews spent that day Aug, Ps. 91. luxurioso ocio i. e in idleness & luxury, as Austin saith, and [Page 34] in dancing also. The Jewes of Alexandria spent their sabbath in Theaters, or Play-houses in beholding Stage-playes and Pageantry, as Soc. Hist. lib. 7. Cap. 12. Socrates affirmeth. So Christians were better Sabbath-keepers, than the Jewes were. This doth not, in the least, prove that Chri­stians called their own Sunday a Sabbath [...] that Origen did so mean.

For the same Origen, had before called our Sunday, Diem Dominicum, i. e. The Domi­nical, or Lords day, and quite distinguished it from the Sabbath day, as Orig, in Ex. Hom. 7. Manna non descendebat in Sabbato, sed primùm in Domi­nico die—In Nostrà Dominica, Dominus sem­per pluit Manna—Intelligant Iudaei, etiam tum praelatam esse nostram Dominicam Iudiaco Sabbato. i. e. Manna never came down on the Sabbath day, but God first rained it on our Sunday. The Jewes may hereby take notice, that our Sunday was even then (so early,) preferred before their Sabbath.

And though we should grant that those words (Christian Sabbath) do there signify our Sunday: yet this will not amount to any so­lid proof of the Sunday-Sabbath, because Ori­gen's authority is invalid, having bin con­demned by the Church as erronious, and his Sectaries are put into the Catalogue of Here­ticks by Epiph. Haer. 64. Epiphanius, under the title of Origia­nistae: and yet, that book of Origen, is now not extant in that Language wherein he wrote it, but was translated into Latin by Ruffinus, who is generally noted, to Deteriorare as St. Am­brose speaketh, i. e. to be a depraver of all books, that he took in hand to translate or reform.

Notwithstanding I have Intituled this book, [Page 35] Sabbatum. By which word, I mean that Sabbath which is Moral, and natural, and is commanded in the fourth Commandement, which is still in force, and binding both Jewes and Christians, and all men in the world; and so it was before any Law was written, and should have so continued al­though it had never bin written in stone, or although no Day-Sabbath had bin com­manded. For this fourth Commandment in­joyneth, and obligeth us to a more noble and needfull Sabbath, than ever any seaventh­day Sabbath was, or could be: which surely, the holy Patriarks did apprehend before the dayes of Moses; but the Scribes and Phari­sees and vulgar Jewes after Moses, did not, nor yet do to this day. The true substantial and moral Sabbath, intended in that Law is their M [...]ssiah, our Christ, who is the Jesus, i. e, the Saviour, and therefore the perfect and only, and everlasting Sabbath or Rest of all believers: Which truth I trust will hereaf­ter clearly appear.

But if our Brethren do indeed believe, that our Sunday is that Sabbath which is literally or but equitably (as they say) commanded in the Moral Law, then, verily, they should perform all those duties, and services which the Law giver commanded to be done on the Sabbath day; then they must offer bloody Sacrifices; two Lambs for the Sabbath, be­sides the two which were for every week-day; and B [...]ke 12 great loaves or cakes of Shew-bread which was to be done on the Sabbath, and in order heerunto, they should joyn 1 Chron. 9. 32. with the Jewes and help them to build their [Page 36] Temple once more at Jerusalem, where these duties are to be performed, and with them set up the Fifth Monarchy, or Earthly Kingdome of Saints.

If it be said, that the Sunday-Sabbath differs from the Jewish; in that, theirs was on the last day of the week, but this on the first: This will not help, because other festivals of the Jewes were Sabbaths, and all required sacrifices, and might fall on any day of the week, as the Passover, and Pentecost, and the rest; for they were moveable feasts, depen­ding on the Moon. But the performance of such shadowie ceremonies now, would be a real denyal of Christ, as if he were not come, and were not the grand Sacrifice, of which the former were but meer Figures, which figures now are but Cyphers.

All good and prudent Christians do believe, and confess, that the Jewish Ceremonial Sa­turday-Sabbath is now quite gone, expired and vanished; and that since the true body of them, and the true light is come, the Jewish figures and shadowes are not to be any longer used by us, (among which shadowes, the Sabbath was one, and the most principal of all). Surely, we ought to abstain from apply­ing the appellation of Sabbath to our Sunday, lest therein we should seem to Judaize. Justin Martyr saith just. Dialog. cum Tryph. Gentes & Christiani non observant Sabbata, ne Judaei putarentur]. i. e. The Gentiles, or Nations which are Christians, do now abstain ftom observing the Sabbath, lest they might thereby be thought to be of the Jewish infidelity: and seeing, that the thing it self is gone, there [Page 37] is no cause why we should retain the name. For the very word Sabbath, applyed to our Sunday is not only a sign of our ignorance in Religion; but it is, moreover, Scandalous, in that it hudwinketh the people with a Mosaical, & Jewish vaile, as the Apostle sepa­keth, 2 Cor. 3. 15. And thereby hindereth them from discerning the true Sabbath, which is Christ, and leadeth them into the Jewish error; so as to think, that the whole duty required in the fourth Commandment consisteth in keeping holy one day of the week, as if that were the only, or principal, and ultimate duty thereof: which is not only untrue, but dangerous also. And this error, of Sabbatarians mixed with their too hot, and ignorant zeal therein, and in some other Judaizing practises hath given our adversaries occasion to detest our Persons, and also to blaspheme our Religion, and (as a Luther an once did some Calvinists,) to call us Baptized Jewes.

For this reason it was, in all probability, that the Ancient-fathers, & most learned Christians in the very primitive times of the Church, did so warily, & cautiously abstain from putting the appellation of Sabbath upon the Christian Sunday, lest they should be thought to Ju­daize. And the same reason also, moved the Church, to alter the Jewish day of the old Passover (for the solemnity of our Easter is the remembrance, and confession of the Easter, that is, the Rising or R [...]surection of Christ,) from the precise fourteenth day of the Moon, to the Sunday; and this, lest Chri­stians should be thought to celebrate only a [Page 38] Typicall Passover as the Jewes did, as if Christ the true Passover were not come, and there­fore Tessares-cae-de ca­titae. the Church adjudged, and condemned those that held to the fourtenth day, for Here­ticks, under the appellation of Tessares-cae-decatitae, or Quar [...] adecimani, as we find in Epiph. H ar. 50 Epiphanius. The same reason also, moved the holy Apostles themselves to meet in Council, on purpose against the errors of some Pharisees, and Judaizing Christians, in their dayes; who said that the Converted Gentiles ought to be Circumcised, and to be com­manded to keep Moses law, (they meant the law Ceremonial) as we read, Act. 15. 5. So early did they decree against the danger of Judaizing.

This is not said by me as in dislike, or in the least to disparage the Christians godly and zealous care in Sanctifying the Sunday, de­voutly and seriously, to the service of our God, and by joyning in our holy assemblies, in praying, and praising God, and hearing his Word readd, and opened to us, and also pri­vately meditating theron: Far be it from me, so to [...]ilipend the godly usance of the Church in all ages thereof, and the sacred lawes and decrees of Christian Princes, upon which, as on two pillars, the Authoritative sanctificati­on of our Sunday standeth, and not otherwise; Onely, in all humility, I offer this caution to the less learned, and more credulous Brethren. Rem tene, linguam corrige. Good Christian, keep the Sunday or (as now it is in England called of late, though not by the Church of England) the Lords-day and keep it holy, in the name of God, but abstain from calling [Page 39] it a Sabbath day; Because the Sabbath was but a figure, and is gon; and because neither the old Jewish Sabbath, nor the Chri­stian Sunday, are that Sabbath which in the fourth Commandment is so strictly required, and that with a Memento also, more than any other Commandment; as being indeed, the greatest of them all, and most nearly concer­ning our everlasting Rest and Happiness, as hereafter will appear.

CHAP. V.

FOr the right understanding of this great mysterious Sabbath, we must first diligent­ly examin the words of the fourth Command­ment, which I here set down fully, as I find them recorded Ex. 20. 8.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six dayes shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seaventh day is the Sab­bath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy Son, nor thy Daughter, thy man-servant, nor [Page 40] thy maid-servant, nor thy Cattel, nor the stranger that is within thy Gates.

For in six dayes, the Lord made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seaventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hal­lowed it.

All our learned Divines generally agree thus farr, that this Commandment is partly Mo­ral; so that the Moral part thereof is to be obeyed, and kept, at this day, and also during the continuance of the world. They also agree; that part of it is Ceremonial, appertai­ning only to the Jewes, and binding them to the observation thereof until their M [...]ssiah came in the flesh, and was made known unto that people; or during the Pedagogie of them; or, at most, during the Judaical state and politie. All this I conceive to be very true.

But the main difficulty consisteth onely in the right dividing this Commandment, by seperating the Moral and everlasting part, from that part which is but Ceremonial, and temporal, and typical. Which that I may truely, and Christianly perform, I here most earnestly implore the assistance, and illumina­tion of thy Divine spirit, O gratious Lord Jesus, that, in this needfull and concerning mystery, I may appeare to thee and to thy Church, (as thy servant Paul exhorted Timothie), a workman rightly dividing the word of truth.

For the understanding whereof; I here pre­sent [...]. Tim. 2. 15. to the Consideration of the pious and learned Reader, What (after much labour of [Page 41] mind, and long deliberation, and after diligent and serious Consulation with the Ancient Fathers) I have conceived to be the true, and most necessary meaning of this Command­ment, and what is the right Division, or Se­peration, of the Moral, Mysterious, and Per­petuall part thereof, from that which is only Typicall, Ceremoniall, and Temporall; And what part of that precept bindeth us Christi­ans to observe it as it did also the Ancient Israelites, and the Patriarks, and Prophets, and even Adam himselfe, and all his posteri­ty; And also what part thereof was proper to, and concerned only, the Mosaicall, or Judaical people, and doth not at all concern the Chri­stians, or Gentiles, nor did in the least oblige the Patriarks which lived and died before the dayes of Moses.

The want, or neglect of a right distinction of these differing parts of this Commandment in our later Theological Writers, hath occasio­ned much trouble, heart-burnings, and Schisms among Christians, and also many Phrai­saicall curiosities in the observation of an eighth day Sabbath. Which was never intended to be put upon the people of God by this 4th Commandement. And moreover, it hath also obscured the most needfull, most holy, and Mysterious Sabbath Spirituall, by which we only can expect an eternall, and heavenly Sabbath, and salvation of our Souls and bodies.

For many good, pious and well-meaning Christians are hereby mislead into the same arror and mistake, that the Jews were in, by thinking, that the whole and ultimate duty [Page 42] commanded, and intended in this 4 ^th Coman­dement, consisteth only, in keeping holy One day of Seaven; Which is but a very mean and low conceipt, and far short of the High and Weighty intendment of that Precept, and is also a very stumbling Block in the way, to re­tard men from apprehending the true Sabbath, therein secretly and mysteriously Veiled, Which is Christ; Who only, is the everlasting Sabbath, or Rest, both of the Godhead, and also of us Men.

It is now time, that I set down plainly what I conceive to be the Moral part of this Com­mandment, and in what words it is contained, that so it may appear how much of that long Precept concerneth us at this day, and is an everlasting Law, and a law Naturall, and Written in Mans heart, and binding not only Christians, and Jews, but Heathens, and even all Nations; as also it did all the Patriarchs before Moses was born, and before it was written in stone. These are the words, Ex. 20. 8.

In these few words, is contained the whole Morality of that Law: So that no more of the words are to be accounted Moral, or binding us: for all the following words are but a branch of the Ceremoniall law. And although they are here joyned with the truly Moral Sabbath, and also, by the same God, written in the same Tables of Stone; Notwithstanding, this will not make them to be a Moral law, because they are so annexed: for this reason only, to [Page 43] serve as a Type and figure of the Grand Sabbath; To keep the Israelites mindfull by a weekly Sabbath, or rest, of that everlasting Rest which they were to expect in their Messiah, and not otherwise. For now, we see that all learned Divines have rejected, and the whool Christian world have long since disu­sed, the old Jewish, Typical, or Seaventh-day Sabbath.

These later words, which are so annexed to the fourth Morall Law, are to be considered by themselves in their proper place: but for pre­sent, we must insist only on the former words which I have affirmed to be truly moral, and an everlasting law.

For the understanding whereof, the Reader may observe divers things Considerable; and some of them proper, and peculiar to this Commandment, so as not to be found in any other of the Nine.

1. In those words recited, There is no men­tion of the Seaventh day (for that was meerly Typical, and Ceremonial) but the Sabbath-day: Therefore surely there must be understood some other Sabbath day, besides the Seventh day Sabbath: for otherwise, it had bin enough to have said Remember the Seaventh day to keep it holy: But the Seaventh day is one thing, and the Sabbath day is another. They differ as much, as Shadow and Substance; as Type, and Antitype; as Signum, & Signa­tum, i. e. as the bare signe, from that which is signified thereby: for the Jewish Seaventh-day-Sabbath, which was but only a signe, and shadow of the Substantial, Mysticall, and Spi­ritual Sabbath, which is Christ.

[Page 44] 2. To this Commandment, the Word [Remember] is prefixed, as a John Baptist or fore runner of Christ; which Memento, we find not in any of the other Nine. Surely, there is something in this Commandement, of most weighty concernment, and more than is in any other of the nine; for if in this Commandment God had only intended the keeping of the Sea­venth day, (which we know was but tempo­rary, and to be left in its due time) he would not have said, Remember; Because all those lawes, which are truly Moral, are also unexpi­rable, and undispensable, and to be kept, (at least,) to the end of the world; and this Sabba­ticall law especially, so long and longer also, even to Eternity: therefore, it deserves a Re­member.

From this Memento, Some doe argue, that the Seaventh day Sabbath was observed before the dayes of Moses; as if Remember, related only to former usances. If that were true, it will make against their Seaventh day Sabbath, and for our truly Morall Sabbath, i. e. Christ; because they may see that the Memento is pre­fixed to the Sabbath day, but not to the Sea­venth Day; for that was not alwaies to be re­membred.

3. In this Sabbatical Commandment, we finde, not only a Memento, going before; but also another remembrance following after it, as a type and shadow of the grand Sabbath for direction of God's people, as the Pillar of [...]ire, and Cloud, sometimes before, and some­times behind the Israelites, Ex. 14. 19. For so it pleased God to ordain a weekly Shaddowy Sabbath, to keep them in a continuall remem­brance, [Page 45] and expectation of their Messiah; in whom only, true, certain, & eternall Rest was to be found. Indeed Joshuah was to lead them into the Earthly Rest of the land of Canaan, the land of Promise; but he was but a type of the Messiah, and is therefore called Jesus, Acts 7. 45. Heb. 4. 8. and Canaan but a shadow of heaven; and the weekly Sabbath, but a figure of the Substantiall Sabbath; Only their Messiah, our Jesus, was to lead his people into the blessed and everlasting Sabbath or Rest in heaven. Now the adding an annexion of a ceremonial type to this Sabbaticall and Moral law, which is not found in any other of the Nine, doth cleerly shew, that the Grand Sabbath here intended, is of the most weighty and Considerable concernment of all, and is therefore most principally to be Remembred. For if it were possible for us men precisely to keep all the other Nine Commandments, such a performance would not be Sufficient for our Eternall Rest without the keeping of this. For this Sabbath is Christ, in whom alone re­sideth all our hope, and confidence of heaven, & there is none other name whereby we must be saved, Acts. 4. 12. And moreover, although we have transgressed, and broken all the other Nine, yet if we shall afterwards constantly and faithfully keep this Sabbath, we shall find therein an help and remedy, to preserve us from the dangerous consequences, that otherwise will follow us, upon such disobe­dience.

The consideration of that terrible sentence in the Law, Deut. 27. 29. (Cursed is he, that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do [Page 46] them,) and of that in the Gospel, Jam. 2. 10. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offead in one point, is guilty of all] may drive Christians to restlesness of conscience and dis­paire, if this Sabbath, or Rest, in Christ be not apprehended, w ^ch is principally that One point in which we must be most cautelous. Christ himself hath said Mat, 10. 32. Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess: But whosoever shall deny me (totally, & finally) him will I deny before my Father which is in Heaven,

The two Tables of this moral law, would Plut. in vit. Solo [...]. & in Mo­ral. be to us most uncomfortable, and formidable, and like those cruel Graecian laws of Draco, and Lycurgus, which are said to be written [...] and [...] a in blood, and death, because all transgressions were by them Capital­ly punished. These divine lawes would be far more severe in everlasting punishments, if they were not mollified by a gracious Sabbath law; Aust. saith, he disrellished that famous book of Cicero called Hortensius. Aug. conf. l. 2. 4. Quod nomen Christi non erat ibi, i. e. Because the name of Christ was not there: and so should we these two tables, if Christ were not included therein. But, blessed be our gracious Law giver, there we find Christ under the name, and appellation of Sabbath, just as (in the Gospel) he is cal­led Mat. 11. 30. The Lord of the Sabbath: & this sweet name only, maketh this yoke easie and burden light.

If there were nothing but the bare letter in this Moral Law, woe unto us, it would be but a kling law, and (as the Apostle sairh) A killing letter, if Christ were not in it; But there is also in those sacred Tables (as the [Page 47] same Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3. 6.) a spirit that giveth life, (that is) there is a secret, mysterious, and spiritual meaning, not o­penly or plainly expressed, but implyed, and covertly intimated, and that spirit is Christ, who onely giveth life, and he is that mysteri­ous and spiritual Sabbath which is here inten­ded.

By vertue of this secret spirit, this Law (which of it self, & considered in the bare let­ter doth only, as the Apostle saith of it, Rom, 4. 15. The law worketh wrath] be­commeth good and vital, and bringeth hea­ling in it's wings, viperae cineres medentur morsui. lact. deira. cap. 13. p. 716. There are some venemous, and mortiferous creatures, which (as lear­ned men say) have in them an Antidote, or remedy, to preserve men from the danger of their poyson, as we read in Plinie of Plin. lib. 29. c. 4 The­riaci pastilli. i. e. cakes or pills of Treacle. made of the venemous viper. So, in a night­vision, a Dragon presented an hearb to Great Alexander, which cured his friend Ptolomy of a mortal wound by a poysoned arrow, as Diod. sic. lib. 17. Diodorus writeth. Antiochus had a The­riaca or Treacle that preserved him against all poysons, as the forenamed Plin. lib. 20. cl. 24. Plinie repor­teth; such as Homer phanfied of his [...] Homer. Odyss. lib. 20. Verily, this Law (which in the letter, and outward appearance of it, seemeth so deadly, and impossible) hath in it a pretious, and sure Antidote, with being faithfully appre­hended, and piously applied, will preserve us from the killing quality thereof: and moreover it will shew us how the whole law may by us be perfectly performed. And this Antidote, is wrapped up, and covered in this [Page 48] Sabbath law; For the Sabbath, is Christ, and Christ hath performed the whole law, and we that are united to him as members of his mysti­cal body, have also in him, & by him performed the whole law God, because we are one with him as the Apostle saith, We are members of his body, Eph, 5. 3. And, Ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal, 3. 28,

The J [...]wes placed this fourth Command­ment of the Sabbath, not in the last, but in the penultimate place of the first table, suppo­sing the fifth Commandment of, Honouring parents, to belong thereunto, and therefore they make it the last Commandment of the jos. An­tiq. l. 3. cap. 4. said first Table, as we find both in Philo. de Haere. Di­vinorum. Philo, & also in Josephus. And this they did, because they understood not the right meaning & [...]mpor­tance of this Sabbath-precept. But our Christi­an writers generally present this Sabbath com­mandment, as the last of the first table, as standing in the mid'st, and confines of both Tables. And this they did (as may probably be conjectured) because they understood, that this Sabbath-Law sheweth us the only way, and meanes, whereby the whole law of both Tables may be by men performed, and that is, By keeping, or sanctifying this mysterious Sabbath, which is Christ.

If it were not for this Sabbath, God had herein made such a law for man as never would have bin kept and obeyed; and so his laws must have bin like the lawes which Theod. de Cur. Grae. affect. lib. 9. Plato phansied for his imaginarie Common-wealth, which were never executed. But, as one saith of the invention of Poets.

[Page 49] Plautus. in Pse [...]d. Act. 1. sc. 4. —Poeta cùm tab [...]las cepit sibi, Quaerit quod nusquam est gentium, reperit tamen.] As the Poet when he takes his pen, seekes that which is no where extant, and yet finds it: so our Legista [...]or, writes a law, re­quires obedience, which was not possible to be found in any of his Leige people, and yet finds it in his own Sonne, who thereby becomes the Sabbath or Rest both of God and Man.

For we well know, That the Transgression of the law is sin 1 Ioh. 3. 4. That the wages of sin is death Rom. 6 23. That all men are sin­ners, the Psalmist saith; There is none that doth good, no not on, Ps. 14. 3. which the Fathers thus read, usque ad unum] i. e. none but one. And yet Christ saith, If thou wi [...]t enter into l [...]fe, keep the Commandments, Math. 19. 17. These words of Christ are most certainly true, No entring into life without keeping these Commandments. If we enquire, How sin­ful man can be saved, and how we have k [...]pt the law: The answer can be none other but this, That the law is performed by man, but that man is Christ. That the due sen­tence of Death is executed on man but that man is Christ: And with all, that all faithfull men, and true members of Christ have both performed the law, and suffered the punish­ment due for transgression, because, that, which Christ hath done, and suffered must be really, and justly accounted their's, in re­gard, that Christ, and they, are One. For they are really united with Christ in one body by the cement of the Spirit; for the same Spirit which is in the Lord Jesus, is given and com­municated [Page 50] to them, wherby Christ dwell [...]th in th [...]m, & th [...]y in Christ. So that the keeping of Christ faithfully, is keeping of the Command­ments; And keeping this Sabbath, is the kee­ping of Christ, for Christ only is thi [...] Sabbath : all evangelical exhortations for beleeving in Christ, are but precepts for ke [...]ping this Sab­bath. As, he that believeth, and is baptised, Mar. 16. 16. Joh 3. 15. Act. 16. 31. shal be saved. That whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish. And Beleeve on the Lord Je­sus, and thou shalt be saved. These are the pro­ductions, and gracious effects of our union with Christ, who thereby, and not otherwise, becomes our Rest, and everlasting Sabbath.

CHAP. VI.

THis Sabbath, as is said, doth signify Christ, whereof I nothing doubt. But, under the law, both Christ, and his gracious intentions towards man-kind, were covered (as Moses himself was) with a vail, and (as yet) not to be made publick. Thus the Grand mystery of Christ's union with his [Page 51] members, was vailed under the Typicall eating of the Paschal lamb, his Cross un­der the shadow of an Altar, His Passion and blood-shedding, under the figures of sacrifi­ce [...] beasts; And that everlasting Rest and Bles­sednesse which he purposed to procure for his people, is here covered under the vail of Sabbatical rest. This Secrecie of Christ, and of his benefits, was signified by the Ark, and Vail of the Temple: the meaning whereof was, that Christ would be concealed, as shut up in a Chest, or hidden behind a Curtain, until he had actually performed his mercifull purpose, especially, by his Cross, and Passion, and Death; for after them, was the vail rent immediatly, and not before. And therefore he had formerly charged his Diciples, to tell no man that he was the Christ, Mat, 16. 20. Luk, 9. 21. left the certain knowledg of him should hinder his passion; for so the Apo­stle tells us 1 Cor. 2. 8. Had they known, they would not have Crucified the Lord of glory. And after him, Tertullian renders the same rea­son, Tert. Cont. Mar. lib. 3. Nisi ignoratus, pa [...] n [...]n potera [...]. i. e. If Christ had not bin unknown, he could not have suffered. And upon those words, Joh. 8. 28. When ye have lift up the Son of man, then shall ye know hat I am he] Austin saith: Aug. in Joh. [...]ract. 40. Diffe­ro cognitionem vestram, ut [...]mpleam passionem meam i. e. he suffered his own Disciples, (as yet) to be ignorant of his purpose, that so he might accomplish his Passion. And again he saith Idem de Temp. serm. 174. Si Christus man festus venisset, quis au leret judi­care? i. e. If Christ had bin publickly manifest­ed, who he was, who durst have judged him?

These are the reasons (as may be thought) [Page 52] why Christ is so vailed under this word Sab­bath: for otherwise the Law giver might and would have written this Sabbath-law in plain­er words, such as these; Rememb [...]r t [...] sancti­fy Messiah; And, in memory, faith, and ex­pectation of Him, thou shalt keep ho [...] the 7th day of every week until his comming and there­in do no manner of work]. Verily, I firmly beleeve this, to be the meaning, and main importance of this fourth Commandment.

But yet, for our better satisfaction, we must further inquire, Whether the holy Scriptures, and also the Christian Church, do declare Christ to be that Sabbath, which in the Mo­ral part of this Commandment is intended? and whether Christ be thereupon called, the Sabba [...]h? For if so, then I trust, this Doctrine will be assented to, by the Christian Reader.

To this we say, That the Scriptures do clearly put the appellation of Sabbath upon Christ; for as the Son of God considered in his pure Divinity, and without, and before, his incarnation is called The Lord of hosts, Isa. 1. 9. Jer. 11. 20. which in the New Testa­ment is rendered The Lord of Sabaoth, Rom. 9. 29, Jam. 5. 4. [...] which word Sabaoth is by some Divines Polan. p. 140. affirmed to be one of the names of God: So the Church of England accounteth it, and ascribeth it to every one of the Three Persons, in the Hymn; singing, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabao [...]h. And so it was heretofore esteemed in this Kingdome, as we perceive by an odd story of one of the Bishops of London, reported by B [...]shop Godwin, out of Matthew Paris, thus: As this Bishop lay musing in his Bed, he heard an unknown voyce saing to him,

[Page 53] O Gilberte Foliot, Dumrevolvis tot, & tot Deus tuus est Astarot.

The Bishop presently▪ and undantedly replyed,

Men [...]ris Daemon! Deus meus est Deus Sabaoth.

If therfore, the Lord of Sabaoth were the name of the Son of God, before his commng in the flesh, (which name signifieth the Lord of Armies,) as if by this name it were signi­fied that the Godhead was at defiance, and warr with mankind, before our Peace-maker appeared for us; Then why should we doubt to affirm that. The Lord of the Sabbath, [...], Mat. 12. 8. Mar. 2. 28. Lu. 6. 5. is the name of the same Son of God, since he is become The Son of man, and God incarnate, and Emmanuel. And this, in order to be a person fitly prepared, and qualified to perform the law for us, and to suffer for our Transgressions, as a Redeemer, a Saviour, and procurer of an everlasting Sabbath, and Rest to our otherwise unquiet, restless, and troubled souls and consciences. As also him­self professeth, Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you Rest. And ye shall find Rest un­to your souls. Surely, every good Christian will find, that to be true, which one said to the same purpose Aug. con­fess. Inquietum est, Domine, cor meum, done [...] requiescat in te. i. e. My heart is unquiet, O Lord, until it may find rest in thee. Now if that Sabbath, mentioned in this Commandment be not meant of Christ, then, there is no precept in all the Decalogue of faith in Christ, without which the Law is [Page 54] to us impossible, & we should be Restless. And further also, If, that Sabbath, do not signify Christ, then have we Christians no Sabbath at all; and if so, what will become of us?

But, we are assured by the great Apostle, that, although the Jewish, Ceremonial, Sea­venth-day-Sabbath be quite gon; yet, Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth a Rest to the people of God] This rest is there called [...], i. e. a Sabbath or Sabbatism. And that it may appear to what people of God this Sab­bath appertaineth; he tels us before, Vers. 3. We which have believed, do enter into Rest] Therefore this Sabbath, or Rest, belongeth to us Christians. He further addeth, vers. 6, They to whom it was first preached, entred not in, because of unbeleif.] The Rest, or Sabbath here mentioned must needs signify Christ. The Jews are they to whom this rest was first prea­ched, that is, to whom the Gospel of Christ was preached, as Christ commanded, Luk. 24. 47. to begin at Je [...]usalem]. The Jews entred not into this Rest, because of their unbelief i. e. they could not be received into the body mystical of Christ, as members thereof, be­cause they did not believe in him, but rejected him. But the Apostles, & other faithfull Chri­sians do enter into this Rest through faith, as it is said, We which have believed, do enter (that is) they enter into Christ, they are united with him & thereby obtain this R [...]st, & so partake in the benefits which Christ merited by his most holy life, and precious death. And those bene­fits are inde [...]d our everlasting Sabbath. For, what can be so truly called a Rest and Sabbath as our repose, & resting in the Lord, which lea­deth [Page 55] us to an everlasting Sabbath in heaven; For all our restings, or Sabbatizings which are Earthly, are but as dreams, in respect of our Rest in Christ; for he is that Sabbath, whose Rest is called Blessedness and his, after this mortal life is ended, as we read, Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which dy in the Lord-that they may rest from their labours.

The Apostle in that place, Heb. 4. useth two several words for Rest: 1. [...] 2. [...], i. e. Rest, and Sabbath. This he did, because he was to speak of two several Rests. 1. The Earthly Rest of the Israelites after they were put into quiet possession of Ca­naan by Joshuah (who is there called Jesus.) 2. The everlasting Rest of Gods People, by entring into Christ through Faith, and this Rest is called Sabbatism; so that Sabbath and Sabbatism do plainly signifie Christ, and our Rest in him.

For confirmation hereof, it is worth our observation; That the great Prophet Isaiah. c. 58. v. 12. speaketh of the Sabbath, as of a Per­son: If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy-day, and shalt honour him.] He calls the Sab­bath Him, which must signifie a Person, and cannot be said of a meer Day. Who is meant by this Him, is declared, in the next verse, to be the Lo [...]d; for so it followeth, Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord.] So that the Sabbath, here meant, is the Lord; even the same Lord, who in the Gospel calls him­self, The Lord of the Sabbath: whereas other typical Sabbaths, whether weekly, or annual, were but signs of this grand Sabbath, as we [Page 56] are taught by another great Prophet, Ezek. 20. 12. I ga [...]e them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifie them.]

St. Paul, to me, seemeth to make this Do­ctrine evident, and past exception, when he saith, Col. 2. 16. Let no man judge you in meat, or drink, or in respect of an holy-day, or of the new-moon, or of the Sabbath-days; which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.] What can be more plainly said then this, to shew, That Christ is the true, real, and substantial Sabbath? And that all other Sabbaths, are but signs, types, figures, and meer shadows of Christ, who is the Body that projecteth these shadows; for God him­self had so said before, concerning the seventh day Sabbath (which only is that type which is mentioned in this fourth Commandment) Exod. 31. 13. Verily my Sabbath ye shall keep; for it is a sign between me and you—that ye may know that I am the Lord—] So this, which was the principal and most frequent Sabbath of all, was no more but a sign, and what the signatum, i. e. the signification of it was, is shewed, to be the Lord.

The Scriptures often mention Sabbaths in the plural number, as Lev. 19. 3. Keep my Sab­baths, and also Sabbath in the singular num­b [...]r: and I doubt not, but the Jews were charged to keep other Sabbaths (as that which is appointed in the Feast of Trumpets, Levit. 23. 24. and that in the Feast of Taber­nacles, Levit. 23 39. and that in the Feast of Atonement, Levit. 23. 32.) as well as the weekly Sabbath, because we find that trans­gressors [Page 57] of the yearly Sabbath are threatned with destruction, as well as the breakers of the weekly Sabbath, Levit. 23. 29. But now, all these Ceremonial Sabbaths are vanished: This being granted, it will follow, in regard of the authority and perpetuity of the Moral Law of God, That there must needs be some one special, singular, and mysterious Sabbath of greater necessity and concernment to be still kept, than all those Hebdomarie, or Annual Sabbaths, and that surely is Christ, The Lord Paramount of all Sabbaths, which were but shadows of him. Whosoever therefore shall imagine that the keeping of any weekly, or yearly Day Sabbath, is the principal, or only duty required in this Moral Law, he is such an one as the Psalmist describeth, Psal. 397. A man that walketh in a vain shadow]

It is very considerable, and surely for some weighty reason, That our Saviour, very often in the Evangelical Histories, occasionally men­tioning these Moral Laws, and many of them distinctly and severally, yet never spake in the least expresly and openly of the Sabbath Law, although that fourth Commandment (so far as it is Moral) is as necessary to be pressed, and rather more, than any one, or indeed, then all the other (as is shewed before:) And yet it is not to be doubted, but that he meant, and also did covertly press this very Sabbath Law in the true intent and meaning thereof, to be for ever carefully observed and sanctified. I do not take upon me to render a full account, of what moved Christ to forbear the reciting of that Law so openly, as he did other Moral Laws of the Decalogue; yet, it may reasona­bly [Page 58] be thought that he on design and purpose omitted that Law, and indeed all the particu­lar Laws of the first Table, because he saw that the Jews did misunderstand that Com­mandment of the Sabbath, and that they were zealously obdurate for keeping the se­venth day Sabbath, as if that had been the full and only intendment and duty required by that Commandment: for, if Christ had urged it, the Jews had been by him countenanced in their erroneous Sabbatizing, which he came to dissolve; therefore he forbare the naming of that particular Law, and for the same cause he abstained from mentioning any of the other Laws of that Table; lest if amongst them this Law should be omitted without any men­tion, the Jews would have been more exaspe­rated against him, before his time was come to suffer : This omission of the Sabbath Law, the Reader may observe, Mat. 19. 17. Where Christ said, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandements.] And when he was asked, Which Commandments? he answered, Thou shalt not murther, nor commit adultery, nor steal, nor bear false witness: and, Ho­nour thy Father and Mother, and Love thy Neighbour as thy self:] See the same again, Mark 10. 19. and Luke 18. 20. In all which places, there is no express mention of the Sab­bath Law, or of any other Law of the first Table.

But when he was more strictly questioned by a knowing-man, a Lawyer, or Scribe, be­ing a Professor of the Law, Mat. 22. 36. Ma­ster, which is the greatest Commandment in the Law?] Yet then, he answered him but in [Page 59] general terms, including the Laws of both Tables, without mentioning any one parti­cular Law of either Table, thus, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, &c. This includeth all the four precepts of the first Table, Sabbath and all. He that performeth this, doth thereby keep the Sabbath. There­fore, to love, honour, and sanctifie our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our only Lord God, our God Incarnate, the Emmanuel, our Creator, Redeemer, and Saviour, is to keep this Mo­ral Sabbath: for he only is that Sabbath, which is mysteriously commanded to be san­ctifyed in that Law; & this Sabbath Law con­tinueth in full force and vigour at this day, and so shall to the end of this world, and for ever, when all other observations of seventh-Days, or any other worldly Sabbaths are quite forgotten and vanished; for the true intended Sabbath is a Person, Christ, the Son of God, and the Son of man;

Finally, This Commandment, which I have set down in these words, [Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy] is certainly a Mo­ral, and an everlasting Law: This Sabbath, if it be confessed to signifie Christ, we have what we desire; but if it should signifie only the keeping of a Day, whether the last day of the week (as the Jews think) or the first day (as some Christians suppose;) then surely, the not keeping of one (at least) of these two days, is a sin, and must be so accounted, now under the Gospel; for the Apostle tells us, 1 Ioh. 34. Sin is the transgression of the Law] He means, the Law Moral. But we are well assured, that the Gospel doth not account the [Page 60] Not-keeping of both, or either of those days, to be a sin against the fourth Commandment, or against any other of those ten Moral Laws (except indirectly, and by consequence): for in all the New Testament, we cannot find such Sabbath-breaking to be so much as once men­tioned, in any of the black Rolls of sins, as other transgressions of all those Command­ments are particularly and often, by the great Apostle: See 1 Cor. 6. 9 Neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor Theeves, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Revilers, nor Extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.] See more, Gal. 5. 19. Un­cleanness, lasciviousness, wi [...]chcra [...]t, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murthers, revilings, and such like.] See more 1 Tim. 1. 9. Lawless, disobedient, ungodly, and sinn [...]rs, unholy, and prophane, murtherers of fath [...]rs and of mother [...], man-slayers, men-stealers (such as are now called Spirits), [...]yars, perjured persons:] A­mong all this Rabble, we find not Sabbath-breakers.

Yet, the abusers, or neglecters of the true Moral Sabbath (which is Christ) are deeply threatned; as Judas for betraying him, the Jews for crucifying him, and All that shall deny him: So the Sanctifiers of him are glo­riously promised (as the confessors of him, the believers in him, the relievers of him, or of his poor Members for his sake,) to be re­warded with the kingdom of Heaven. This is the Scriptural Doctrine concerning the Sab­bath-ship of Christ▪ What the Church Catho­lick [Page 61] conceived thereof, is next to be en­quired.

CHAP. VII.

TErtullian in that Book which he wrote against the Jews, affirmeth, That the Law which God imposed upon our first Parents in Paradise, was obligatory both to them, and also to all the world in their succeeding generati­ons, which Law if they had obeyed, had been a Law large enough. He saith again, Tert. Ad­vers. Iudae­os. In hac lege Adae datâ, omnia praecepta condita recog­noscimus, quae poste [...] pullul averunt data per Mosem.] In that Law which God gave to Adam, all the Laws of Moses were secretly couched. And again, id. lib. Primordialis lex est data Adae & Evae, quasi matrix omnium prae­ceptorum Dei, i. e. That first Law given to A­dam and Eve, was as the womb of all the Laws of the Decalogue.] Then he reckoneth up all the Moral Laws; first, generally as Christ doth, Mat. 22. 37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God wi [...]h all thy heart: And, Thou shalt [Page 62] love thy neighbour as thy self.] Then he par­ticularly mentioneth the Laws of the second Table, Thou shalt not kill. Not commit adul­tery. Not steal. Not bear false witness. Ho­nour thy Father and Mother. Thou shalt not covet]: Now the Law given to Adam was only in these few words. [Of the tree of know­ledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat.] Yet, in them, all the Laws of the Decalogue (saith he) are implied. His reason is, If they had so loved God] They would not have disobeyed his Command. If they had loved their neighbour] that is, one another, themselves and their po­sterity, they would not have killed them, by bringing in Mortality, and Original corruption of Lust. Nor would they have stolen the fruit which belonged not to them. Nor h [...]ve complied with the Serpent's false witnessing, concern­ing the fruit. Nor have dishonoured their Father and Creator, by that Transgression. Thus he.

From this passage, we may observe, that in the judgement of this Learned Father, the whole Decalogue having been thus imposed upon our first Parents; therefore the Law of Sabbath keeping amongst the rest, must needs be put upon them.

We observe again, That it being confessed by this Father, in the same Book, and imme­diatly after the words before alledged, That neither Adam, nor Abel, nor Enoch, nor Noah, nor Melchisdeck nor Abraham, did ever Sabbatize, although the whole Decalogue was imposed on them, also, so as is said; and al­though the laws of the Decalogue be every one of them, the law of Nature and therefore [Page 63] written in mans heart; and also that all those Patriarks must be obliged to keep this Sabbath law, as well as any of the other Nine: This being granted; how shall we quit this learned Father from contradicting himself in these two propositions, first, The Patriarks were bound to keep the Sabbath; second, The Patriarks neither did nor were bound to keep the Sab­bath.

This Riddle is easily unfolded, by distin­guishing the Sabbath Moral from the Sabbath Ceremonial; that is, The true Real, Natural, and Substantial Sabbath from the Figurative, Typical, and Umbratical Sabbath; Or. the Body from the Shadow. We affirm therefore, that the Jewish, Hebdomarie, seaventh-day, or Saturday-Sabbath, was but the shadow or type; and that the Messiah, even Jesus Christ, our Lord Emmanuel was, and is, the true sub­stantial Sabbath, and the true Spirit and meaning of that Sabbatical law, and is the Lord of the Hebdomarie, or Typical Sab­bath.

We also affirm, that neither Adam, nor any of those forenamed Patriarks did ever keep, or sanctify any seaventh-day, or Saturday-Sabbath; and also that such a Sabbath day was never known, or imposed on Gods people, before the dayes of Moses. And for this, we have the confession of a learned Jew even Phi­lo, more than once. Philo. de vita Mos. lib. 1. Israelitae ignorabant mundi nat alem, prinsquam ex Manna didi­cissent] i. e. The Israelites knew not the first day of the world, until the Manna fell] there­fore not the seaventh day. Again he saith, idem lib. Ante Mosem, Sabbati diem ignor abant ho­mines]. [Page 64] Before the time of Moses, men were ig­norant of the Sabbath day]. This he affirmeth although with a Judaical excuse, as if the for­mer knowledg thereof had bin obliterated by Calamities.

But we also confess, and firmly believe that all those holy Patriarks, were bound, and therefore did, certainly keep and sanctify the true substantial Sabbath, before Moses was born: for their Sabbath was the Son of God, even their true and onely Lord God, who in due time was to take our humane nature on him, So to be the Emmanuel, & in our nature to perform the whole Law which the God­head imposeth on man, in our steed: and this, not only by an actual keeping and performing the Commandments, but also by a passive obe­dience in suffring the punishment of our trans­gressions; to quit his faithful ones from the sentence of condemnation, and thereby to give comfort, ease, tranquillity, and so a Rest or Sabbath, to our otherwise wearied, and trembling souls. For Christ only is that pro­mised Seed of the woman which should bruise the Serpents head: & the birth, & manifestation of him in the flesh, is that day which our father Abraham rejoyced to see, and he is that well be­loved Son, in whom alone the Godhead is well pleased, and resteth satisfied, and at peace with us. If those holy Patriarks had not kept this Sabbath, they could not enter into the eternal Sabbath of heaven.

That Christ only is the Sabbath Moral, to the sanctification whereof, we all are perpetual­ly obliged, was the Doctrin of the Ancient Church, as may appear by many expressions of [Page 65] the Fathers. Origen saith Orig. in Math. Tract. 29. Qui vivit in Christo, semper Sabbatizat.] He that liveth in Christ, liveth in a continual Sabbath. The holy man Macarius, calleth the weekly Sab­bath Marcar. Hom 35. [...] i. e. but a Ty­pical Sabbath; and saith It was onely [...]. i. e. That it was but a branch in the shadowie or Ceremonial Law. But, Hoc est ver [...]m Sabbatum, vera requies animae, quae conquiescit in verâ quiete & laetitià Domini] The true Sabbath is the quiet of our souls, resting in tranquillity and joy of our Lord. Thus he.

After him, Epiphanius most evidently de­clareth the same Doctrin more than once : for thus he writeth, Epiph: Haer. 8. In lege figurae erant, in Evange [...]io veritas; illic Circumctsio inservit usque ad magnam Circumcisionem, id est Bap­tismum; illic Sabbatum, detinens in ma [...]num. Sabbatum, id est, Req [...]iém in Christ] Under the law were figures, but the truth of them was shewed in the Gospel, in the Law, carnal Circumcision was used until the great Circum­cision by Baptism, came in; There, was a Sab­bath also, which lasted until the great Sab­bath came, which is our Sabbath or Rest in Christ] He tels us also, that Eb [...]on the Ancient Judaizing Heretick, raised a report, Id Haer. 30. That Saint Paul had desired the Jewish High-preist's d [...]ughter to be given to him in mariage: but being denied; in revenge, he wrote against their S [...]bbath an [...] Circumcision] But the true cause of the Apostle's decrying the Jewish Sabbath was this, Id. i [...]i [...]. Christus est magnum Sabbatum, qui­etos nos faciens à peccatis nostris.-Ejus figura, erat parv [...]m Sabbatum, quod inserviebat us­que [Page 66] ad ipsius adventum] Christ is the grand Sabbath, for he setteth us at rest, from the troubles of our soules by reason of our sins: the Jewish little weekly Sabbath, was but a figure of Christ our great Sabbath; and was to last, but until his comming.] To this doctrine the learned Romanist's do assent, as Bishop White hath observed out of Pet. Damianus, Bishop of Ostia above 500 years since, who thus writeth, Pet. Da­miani. lib. 2 Eph. 5. Quid per Sabbatum intelligere debemus nisi Christum? in Illo siquidem Sabbato requi­esc [...]mus-& spem ponimus] i. e. What should we understand by the Sabbath, but Christ? for in him is our rest and hope.

St. A [...]stin is most plentiful in asserting this doctrine; for besides what I have observed before out of him, he further saith of Circum­cision, and Sabbath; Aug. Cont Ad­mantum. c. 16. To. 6. Circumcisionem ap­probamus spiritualem-& Sabbatum, nam ad aeternam requiem intendimus.] We Christians approve of Circumcision, but it is Circumcisi­on spiritual (mentioned Rom. 2. 29. Circum­cision in the heart, not in the letter, but in the spirit, and Colos. 2. 11. —Circumcision made without hands) & we approve of that Sabbath by which we intend, and trust to obtain ever­lasting Rest. Of this Sabbath he saith again, Id. Cont Adiman. c 2. To. 6. Sabbatum non est repudiatum a nobis (Chri­stianis) sed intellectum] We Christians do not utterly reject the Sabbath, but we understand it more truly than the Jews do. Of the same mysterious Sabbath he saith again. Id de Gen. ad lit. lib. 4 c 13. A fidel bus, perpetuum Sabbatum observatur.] They that believe in Christ, do keep a Sabbath perpetual. What he meanes by this Sabbath is declared by these words, Id. Cont Fa [...]stum lib. 19. c. 9. In Christo [Page 67] Sabbatum habemus, nam ait, Ego faciam ut re­quiescatis.] Our Sabbath is in Christ, for he it is that saith, I will give you rest, Mat. 11. 28. And to shew the difference between the Typi­cal, and the Substantial Sabbaths, and to what Purpose that Jewish Saturday-Sabbath was ordained, He saith: The Jews were offended, because Christ commanded the infirm man to carry his bed, on their Sabbath day, Jo. 5. 10. But Christ might have answered them. Aug. in Joan. Tract. 17. Sacramentū Sabbati, & signum observandi unius diei, ad tempus datum Judaeis; impletionem verò Sacra­menti illius in illo venisse, Sabbatum ad signifi­cationem meam vobis praeceptum est] The Sa­cramental Sabbath, or sign of keeping that day, was imposed on the Jews, but for a time, because the fullfilling of it was performed by the comming of Christ; for that Sabbath was given, onely, to signify Christ. To this of Austin, Calvin seemeth to me to subscribe, where he saith Calv. in­stit. 2. 8. 31. Christus est verum Sabbati Complementum.] The keeping of a seaventh­day-Sabbath, is but a vain and empty shadow except it be filled with the apprehension of Christ. So that as all Typical, and Ceremo­nial shadows were to cease when the thing was come which they signified; the Sabbath, (being but such a sign) must also, so cease; as Justin Martyr long ago taught, Just. Dia­log cum Triph. Sabbata finem habuêre, nato Christo). When Christ came, Sabbaths went away.

Lastly, it would be inquired, what the Church of Englands doctrine is, concerning that Sabbath in the fourth Commandment (which Church, I firmly believe to be, in her doctrine, and discipline, the most truly Catho­lick [Page 68] Church in the world;) This, we may discover by considering that prayer or suffrage, which this Church hath required to be by us said at the rehearsing of this Sabbath-Com­mandment, as at each other of them, in these words.

This prayer, hath much troubled the minds of some of our Religious, and well-meaning Countrymen, because their teachers did not a­right inform them in the true meaning of that Sabbath; for both in their pulpits, and also in their p [...]inted Catechisms they expound it, to be meant only of sanctifying a day as the Jews did. But if they so mean, this prayer would be not only vain, but also an impious mocking of God; seeing the Commandment mentions onely the seaventh day, and that precisely, and none other, and that is our Saturday, which both we, and all other Christian-Churches have utterly rejected; but if they thereby un­derstand our Sunday, that is not so much as mentioned, much less intended there; nor may it be called a Sabbath day, nor is the celebration of our Sunday to be enforced by vertue of that Commandment, but otherwise, as is before shewed.

But those Judicious, Leanred, and Godly men, and also heroical Martyrs, who were the compilers of our English Liturgy (as, Cranmer, Ridley and others,) did rightly un­derstand, that Sabbath to signify Christ who onely is our Christian Sabbath, and in this [Page 69] sence only we ought to understand it, and then this Prayer must needs be confessed to be pious, and necessary, and not otherwise; for the keeping of Christ, by faith in him, and sanctifying him, that is, considering his worth, and benefits; and demeaning our selves towards him, so reverendly as becometh us, and belongeth to his super-eminent holl­ness, is the only way to procure an everlast­ing tranquillity, Rest, and Sabbath to our Consciences: For without this Sabbath all our care will prove vain, and the very God­head will be but a terrour to us. But if by God's merciful assistance, we keep our selves fast in faith, and so in Union with this blessed Sabbath; we may then with comfort apply Ps. 42. 5. that expostulation of the Psalmist to our own souls; Why art thou cast down O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

Now, because the prayer above mentioned (though it were granted to us) is not full enough to supply, and satisfy our defects, and necessities: for neither a good inclination, readiness, or willingness; nor yet our earnest desires no, nor our laborious endeavours to perform the Law, do amount to the real, and perfect keeping thereof, without which we cannot enter into life, as Christ hath said, Mat. 19▪ 17. Therefore the Church hath added another prayer, at the end of these Commandements, which is full, and perfect; In these words

[Page 70] This prayer is grounded on the promise of God, recorded both in the Prophets, and also in the Gospel: Jer. 31. 33. Heb. 18. 10. I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. If we enquire what that Law is, and how God doth write it in our hearts and to what intent it is done: The An­swer is, That this Law is Christ; The putting or writing of it in our hearts, is the mission of the Spirit of Jesus into us. The intent or pur­pose thereof is; that by a spiritual union of Christ with us, we may fulfill the Law: For, be­cause Christ and his Members are united by this Spirit, and so become one mystical body, there­fore what Christ hath done in obedience to the Law, must be accounted as our obedience, and so imputed to us, that because he hath perform­ed the Law, we also, in him, have performed it. The Apostle tels us: 2 Cor. 13. 5. Jesus Christ is in you: and Gal. 2. 20. Christ liveth in me, and Eph. 3. 17. Christ may dwell in our hearts: And Christ himself saith, Matth. 28 20. I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. And the Apostle again, Gal. 3. 28. Ye are all one in Christ Jesus; And, that we may know, that when we have the Spirit of Jesus in us, then we have also the Lord Jesus himself in us : Another Apostle tels us; 1 John 4. 13. Hereby know we, that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spi­rit.

But how shall it appear, That the putting of Christ into us, is the putting of the Law of God into our hearts? The Answer is, That Christ is the Law there meant, and he is called the Law, and is really the Law; Moses is called by Ph [...]lo, [...], much more is Christ so. and not on­ly so, but he is moreover, The Law with all ad­vantages [Page 71] to us, for he is the Law fulfilled. That Christ is called the Law, the Psalmist tels us, Psal. 2. 7. Rom. 8. 2. I will preach the Law, whereof the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art m [...] Son. Here the Son is called the Law, or Precept of the Lord. Then that Christ is the Law fulfilled, or the fufilling of the Law; Of him it is said in another Psalm: Psal. 40 10. Heb. 10. 7 In the volume of thy Book it is writ­ten of me, that I should fulfill thy will, O my God: I am content to do it, yea thy Law is with­in my heart. And this Christ himself profes­sed; Mat. 5. 17. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill, the Law. This also was signified by his Type, the Ark, wherein Heb, 9. 4 the Law was put: for the Ark represented Christ, and the Law, in it, signified, that Christ should keep that Law, and this he did perform, only to our behoof, that his obedience might be accounted ours. Upon this reason only it is, that the Apostle so confidently saith; Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. If he can do all things, then he can do all the works of the Law: But we are well assured, that he could not in his own proper person alone considered, perform the Law, but it must needs be thus on­ly performed by him, in and through Christ; And in this consideration only, Christ is our Rest and Sabbath. For this reason our Church prayeth, that God would incline our hearts to keep this Sabbath-law, which is, Christ, That by keeping him, the whole Law of God may be kept by us, through and in him, so as is here expressed, by having the Law thus written in our hearts.

Thus, this Moral Law, which (as Divines acknowledge) is altogether impossible to the [Page 72] Natural man (especially as it is exegetically aggravated and heightened in the Gospel) is by this Sabbath made possible and easie to the Matth. 5. Spiritual man; so the Apostle tels us; Rom. 10 4. Christ is the end or perfect on of the Law for righte­ousness to every one that believeth: that is, He that believeth in Christ, hath the benefit of performance of the Law brought home to him: So St. Ambrose tels us, Ambr. in loc. Perfectionem leg is habet, qui credit in Christum.

CHAP. VIII.

IF Jesus Christ be the only Sabbath, which is mysteriously covered, and spiritually meant, and really and ultimately intended in the Moral part of this fourth Commandement, (as certainly he is) because he only is our Redeemer, our Mediator, and the Peace-maker of God with man▪ We must next enquire, how this Sabbath (if it be so understood) can be called a Day, as here it is; Remember [Page 73] the Sabbath day; for by this word Day, a man may reasonably-imagine, that the principal in­tendment of this Precept, was only for the Ce­lebration, or Sanctifying of a day, as the Jewes do yet think, and many good Christians among us do still (though erroneously) believe, al­though they agree not in the self same day with the Jews. Their reason is, because, not only in this former part of the fourth Com­mandement, which I have shewed to be a Mo­rall, Natural, and an everlasting Law; but also in the latter words annexed, which are a part of the Law ceremonial, and therefore but tem­poral, and transient, it is also said: The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, by which words, a man at first hearing would think that the Sabbath, in both parts of this Law, is nothing else but a day: for, if the se­venth day be a Sabbath, why may not the Sab­bath be thought to be a Seventh day?

1. Our Answer is, That the seventh day is called a Sabbath, because it was a type and fi­gure of our true Sabbath and Rest, which is Christ: as the Jews corporal rest was but a figure of our spiritual rest in Christ. And be­cause it was so appointed for a figure or sign, therefore it hath the name of the thing figu­red, or signified thereby as other signs and types have; for so, the Paschal Lamb is called the Passover, yet we know, Christ only is the true Passover, as the Apostle tels us, 1 Cor. 5. 7. So the Rock is called Christ, 1 Cor. 10. 4. So of the Eucharistical bread it is said, This is my body, though it was but a Sacrament, or holy sign of the body of Christ. And the seven Eares are seven Yeares, Gen. 41. 26. Just so, [Page 74] the seventh day is the Sabbath, that is, the sign, type, and figure of the mysterious Sabbath, which is Christ.

2. As the sign hath the name of the thing signified, so the thing signified hath the name of the sign: for Christ is not only here called the Sabbath day, because he is the thing signified by that day, but he is also called by the names of other typical festivals, as the Passover, as is 1 Cor. 5. before said, and by the name of the great festival Sabbath of Propitiation, or Atonement, descri­bed Levit. 16. And this, because he only is that Lamb of God, that causeth the destroying Angel to Passover us untouched; and he only is (as the Apostle cals him) 2 Joh. 2. 2. The Propitiation for our sins.

It was full four and twenty hundred yeares (by our English account) after the Creation, when God first appointed any Seventh day to be celebrated as a Sabbath, or Rest, yet the very first seventh day of the world is so described by Moses, Gen. 2. 2. as to signifie Christ, as may reasonably be conceived; for that day is there set down without any mention of its Eve­ning or Morning: And this is the observation of St. Austin on the 92. Aug. in Psal. 92. 7 In Sabbato non in­venitur vesper, &c. 1. In that Sabbath day described Gen, 2. where the first mention is of Gods Rest, the Reader shall not find any limi­tation of it by Evening or Morning, although in every other of the former six dayes, it is expresly said, The Evening and the Morning were the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6th day.

Pbilo lib de festis. Philo the Jew, and his fellow Jews, called the Sabbath [...], i. e. without Mother, I know not what this Jew's meaning was, to call [Page 75] this day so, more then other dayes; possibly God might extort a truth from him, without this Jew's right understanding thereof; Christ our true Sabbath was indeed without Mother, in respect of his Divine Nature, as also without an earthly father in respect of his humane Ge­neration, and therefore Melchisedech being the figure of Christ, is (for the same reason) described without father and without mother, Heb. 7. 3.

Yet, as we are well assured, that Melchisedech had both a father and a mother: so are we as certain, that the first Seventh day had both an evening and a morning. But as Melchisedech is said to be without father and mother, for this reason only, because there is no mention of his parents in holy Writ; and this also was, that thereby he might be a fit representative of Christ: So the first Seventh day is set down without any mention of Evening and Morn­ing, that so it might be a fit figure of Christ, who had no beginning in respect of his God­head, nor ending in respect of his Manhood and Godhead also. The Prophet saith of Christ, Mich. 5. 2. His goings forth have been from everlasting. So the Gospel saith of him, Heb. 1. 8, out of Psalm 45. 6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. The very Jews confes­sed, John 12. 34, We have heard out of the Law, that Christ abideth for ever. Christ therefore is not only a Sabbath, but a day also, and an everlasting day without any evening or morning.

The holy Priest Zacharias, Luke 1. 78. cals Christ, The Day-spring from on high: And the Prophet Zechariah cals him Orientem, i. e. [Page 76] the East, which is all one with Day-spring, Zech. 3. 8. Adducam servum meum Orien­tem. And Chap. 6. 12. Ecce vir Oriens nomen ejus, i. e. Beheld, I will bring forth my ser­vant, the East. And, Behold the man whose name is East Our late Translators have for East rendred Branch (I know not why, ex­cept they were out-voted by some that are faln out with the East); but how unfitly, hath been lately unanswerably shewed by that learn­ed Writer Mr. J. Gregorie of Oxford. Christ. calleth himself, John 8. 12. The light of the Joh. 8. 12. world. Old Simeon cals him, Luke 2. 32. A light to lighten the Gentiles. Christ is so much a Day, that the Prophet styles him, Dan. 7. 9. The Ancient of Dayes; which the Hebrews affirm to be said of Ben-David, that is, of Christ the Son of David, as Mr. Broughton hath told us, for he indeed is the Creator of all dayes, be­cause he is our only God; as the very Heathens God is by them called Horace. Diespiter, i. e. the Fa­ther of Dayes. Whether the Psalmist meant Christ, when he said, Psal. 118, 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made? Or whether Christ meant himself and his own humane na­tivity, when he said, Joh. 8. 56. Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day, and he saw it. Let those that list, examine: But St. Austin upon these, and such like passages in Scripture, doubteth not to affirm, Aug. in Psal. 54. Christus est dies ae­ternus; i. e. Christ is an everlasting day, This I trust is enough to shew, that Christ is called both, our Sabbath, and also a Day, and there­fore he only is this Sabbath day which we are required to keep holy, or sanctifie, which is next to be considered.

CHAP. IX.

THere is yet another scruple in the words of this Moral part of the fourth Com­mandement to be examined, and that is, How we can truly affirm, that the Sabbath-day there mentioned, doth signifie Christ, seeing, that whatsoever is meant by those words, the same is required also to be Sanctified, or kept holy, Ex. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, And Deut. 5. 12. Keep the Sabbath-day to sanctifie it] It may therefore be demanded, how Christ can be said to be Sanctified or kept holy; for the word sanctifie seemeth to signifie to be made holy, & no man will say that Christ can be by us made holy, especi­ally, more holy than he is already: for both the Godhead, & Manhood of Christ, are called Ho­ly. As Holy: Holy: Holy: is said of all the Di­vine persons: And, Holy is his name. And, Thy holy Child Jesus. And, the Holy one of Israel. And Be ye holy as I am holy.

To this our Answer is, that it needs not to seeme strange, or uncouth, that our Lord Je­sus Christ is required to be by us sanctified, or [Page 78] kept holy, especially in respect of his assumed humanity, by which onely he is our Sabbath and not otherwise, seeing the pure Godhead considered without Incarnation, is also requi­red to be Sanctified; as the great Prophet tels us, Isa. 5. 16. God that is holy, shall be sanctified in righteousness] and Christ so teacheth us to pray Hallowed (or sanctified) be thy name]. Let it not be thought, that this word (Name) doth signifie no more but an appellation of God, as if the only meaning were, That whensoever we use this word, God, we should do it with great & awefull reverence (which yet we ought to do) but the name of God doth her [...] signifie God himself, as we are well taught by St. Austin. Aug. in Joh. Tract. 29. Non est Deus duae syllabae, & duas syllabas colimus; manet ali­quod magnum, quod est Deus, sono non manen­te] i. e. When we mention God, or Godhead think not that we mean a word, a sound, a syllable or two, as if we worshipped sounds, words, or syllables; for that great thing which is God, remaineth, when no sound or syllable is heard. Just so, he saith of Christ, upon those words, Joh. 14. 13. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name]; Id. lib. Tract. 102. Non est intelligen­dus Dominus de sono & syllabis—qui hoc sentit de Filio—non petit in ejus nomine, etiam­si non taceat literis & syllabis Christum] i. e. When we ask in the name of the Lord, Name doth not signifie only that word, Christ, (as if it were a Charme) he that thinks so, doth not pray in the name of the Son of God, though the word Christ be in his mouth. Thus he.

The Son of God, is by St. John, called [...]oh. 1. 1. [Page 79] The word; yet he that shall think that The Word, in that place signifieth only a Gram­matical, or vocal word, and sound, doth err dangerously; for it followeth, The word was God] so it signifieth the real, and substantial Son of God: It is therefore a very slander, that someof late, have put upon this Church, for requiring an adoration of our Lord Jesus, when that name is mentioned. They say, we worship only a name. But we worship only the Lord Jesus himself, as the Apostle mea­neth, in whom the name Jesus, signifieth the Person Jesus, as the name of God signifieth God himself.

Those phrases of Blessing, and Magnifying, and Glorifying, and Justifying, and Sanctify­ing God, and The name of God which we find in the Scripture, are all to be understood in the same sense. For, when it is said, Job. 1. 21. Blessed be the name of the Lord] it is all one with that of Luk. 1. 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel]. so Mal. 2. 2. Give glory to my name] is all one with that of Josh. 7. 19. My Son, give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel]. That of Ezech. 36. 23. I will sanctifie my great name] is all one with that of 1 Pet. 3. 15. Sanctifie the Lord God] Where, for those words (Lord God, both the Syriac, and old Latine read, The Lord Christ, as Beza. in Loc. Beza notes. There is also mention of Justifying God, Ps. 51. 4. yet neither Justifying, Blessing, Gloryfying, or Sanctifying, can make any addition by any of these Attributes, to the plenitude of God; These are but the expressions of man; not▪ to make God holy, but to declare him to be so, [Page 80] and to shew that he is so accounted, and estee­med by us; indeed God doth sanctify us Really Effectually, and Actually, by induing us with sanctifying Graces, but we cannot sanctifie God otherwise, than affectionately, declara­tively, and verbally; and also by conforming our selves to his Commandments. And so, Christ, our Sabbath, is to be sanctified by us, by an holy imitation of his Vertues, as the A­postle saith, 1 Pet. 1. 16. Be ye holy as I am holy; and to keep this Sabbath, is to be wary and mindful alwayes to keep Christ by a firm faith; to be fixed to him, never to deny or reject him: And to keep him holy, is to purifie ou [...] hearts so, as to be clean and prepared Mansi­ons, fit for so holy a Guest, and to walk worthy of so holy and so merciful a Saviour in our private demeanour, and outward conversa­tion.

As the Godhead did really magnifie the Lord Jesus, by uniting it self in a Personal union with that man, and thereby made him the Christ, or the Anointed One, (in which consideration only, he is our Sabbath) and being so anointed, he was thereby really sancti­fied by the Godhead, and also (as that word signifies) he was seperated, distinguished, dif­ferenced, and preferred above all others, as it is said of him, Psalm 45. 7. God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows, that is, above all other Kings, Priests, and Prophets. And Philip. 2. 9. That God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. So we ought to sanctifie the same Lord Jesus our Sabbath, in a way of preheminence, distinguishing him by [Page 81] the reverence and honour which we perform to him, from all other persons and honours; in a word, we must sanctifie, honour, and worship him, farre more then any one, or then all the Creatures of Heaven and Earth.

God hath many holy Ones, but none so ho­ly as our Lord Jesus; He is said to be sancti­fied by the Father, John 10. 36. so are others; but Christ super-eminently, and [...]. The Angel cals him, The most Holy, Dan. 9. 24. And the same Angel again cals him, That holy Thing, Luke 1. 35. And even Satan con­fessed him to be The holy One of God, Mar. 1. 24. Therefore Christ our Sabbath being thus by way of excellency declared to be the holy One, and the most Holy of all Holies; surely he ought to be so esteemed, and also to be so declaratively sanctified by us, in the most hum­ble and reverential manner that possibly we can, according to his infinite holiness. This I firmly believe to be the Spirit, and meaning of this Moral Sabbath, and the sanctifying thereof.

We find many sanctifyings of Creatures, as of Prophets, and Priests; and of Places, as the Tabernacle, Temple, and Vessels; of Dayes and Times, as Sabbaths, & Festivals but none to be so highly sanctified as Christ our Sab­bath; for the Sanctifying of him is a Sepa­rating of him in a preferment, above all other hallowings, or sanctifyings, which are perform­ed to Creatures; forasmuch as we find, that his very humane Nature was by the Godhead produced in an extraordinary way, distinct and separate from other men, as it is said, Heb▪ 7. 25. Our High-Priest is holy—seperate [Page 82] from sinners; for he was born of a Virgin; and this, to seperate him from the common conta­gron of Original pollution. It is also decla­red, Heb. 10. 29. to be an heinous sin, worthy of sore punishment, to count the blood of the Covenant (which is the blood of Christ) to be [...], i. e. common, which is to esteem his blood no better then the blood of another man, or indeed, of all men in the world; and so not to seperate, or preferre, or sanctifie it, above all others: This is the grand Sin there intend­ed, because neither all men in the world, nor all the Angels of Heaven, if they could and would suffer in mans stead, yet they would not be sound of sufficient value to Redeem us, and to procure our everlasting Rest, as Christ hath done, whom we therefore most worthily account, and call, our Sabbath: Yet this is not all, for we shall find, that Christ is not only the Rest of men, but that he is also the Rest of God, which is next to be considered.

CHAP. X.

CHrist is our Christian Sabbath, we know none other Sabbath besides him for none but he can give sure and lasting Rest to our Souls; he only hath wrought our peace with God, and appeased the just displeasure of the Godhead, he hath effected our Reconciliation, and he is that Atonement, by which God and man are reunited, or set at one: By his medi­ation it is that a Quietus est, or Acquittance of our debts is signed by God; so that, if we can keep this Sabbath holy, and persevere therein, we may with true comfort and cheer­fulness say with the great Apostle, Who shall Rom. 8. 33. lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? It is God that justifieth,—it is Christ that died.

Those that teach others, or that do ima­gine, [Page 84] That the only duty required by this Sab­bath-precept, is the sanctifying of a day, whe­ther the last day of the week, as the Jews do; or the first day, as some Christians think, and therefore presume to call it, not only the Lords day (which is but a novelty with us in Eng­land, as is said before) but also the Sabbath day; They are farre short and beneath the great purpose and intendment of this fourth Commandement, and conceive too meanly and lowly of that most high and mysterious Sabbath, which signifieth not only the Rest of man from bodily labours, but also our rest from labours, and terrors of our Conscience; and moreover, it representeth to us the Rest of God, as it is said both in this Commandement and before also, Gen. 2. 2. He rested on the Se­venth day.

For to say that God laboured in these six dayes of Creation, is a weak and heathenish conceit, such as we read in that Epicurean Di­spute in Tully, Tull. de Nat. Deor. lib. 1. Si in mundo Deus inest ali­quis, qui regat, qui gubernet, qui cursus astro­rum, muta ionesque temporum, rerum vicissi­tudines, or dinesque conservet, terrasque & ma­ria contemplans, hominum commoda, vitasque t [...]eatur; nae ille est implicatus molestis nego­tiis, & operosis: If there be a God in this World, ruling and ordering it, and continu­ing the motions of the starres, and seasons of the years, and the various order and changes of times, and taking cognisance of the Land and Sea, for support of mans life and welfare; sure­ly he is a God incumbred with many trouble­some and stirring businesses. As if the Al­mighty Demiurgus could not both create and [Page 85] govern this World, except he took great pains and labour therein. And yet those Christians, which say, that Gods resting on the Seventh day signifieth only his cessation from that great Work, do in a manner affirm the same. But the resting of God hath a more high, and more noble signification than so, as I trust we shall anon make evident. In order where­unto, these two Queries are to be dis­coursed:

• 1. What is here meant by Gods re­sting?
• 2. Why he is said to rest on the Seventh day, and not on any of the former six dayes?

To the first Querie: VVhat is meant by 1. Querie. Gods resting? We say, this resting doth not at all signifie, or intend any cessation of the God­head, or any suspension or intermission of his operation or working; for although it be said, He ended his work which he had made; and also, That he rested from all his works which God had created, Gen. 2. 2. yet it is not said, that he ceased: resting and ceasing are not all one.

Nor can this Rest be meant of any ease or refreshment of God, as after some motion, or stirring work, or labour; for such a rest was needless to him who never laboured at all. Nor can it be meant of any weariness of God; that were impossible. St. Austin saith truly, Aug. de Civit. lib. 12. c. [...] In opere Dei non est labor, nec in quiete desidia: quiescens agit, agens quiescit: And again, De­us nec creando defessus, nec cessando refectus; [Page 86] i. e. In Gods working there is no labour, nor in his resting any cessation; he resteth working, and working resteth; he was nei­ther weary in creating, nor refreshed by ending it.

Nor can this Rest of God be so understood, as if he then laid aside, and cast off all care and providence for his Creatures which he had newly made. This cannot be imagined by us; for all Christians, and Heathens also, do ac­knowledge Gods perpetual management and government of the World: for he did even that very Seventh day, and all other dayes since, co-operate with his Creatures; by his assistance it is, that these great wheels of Hea­ven are continually turning. Nazianzen saith, God is called [...] of [...], for his per­petual operation. Both Divines and Philoso­phers call God Actum Purum, and the School­men call him Natur am natur antem, i. e. God is purely Active, and he that continually sup­plieth his Creatures with the ability of Ope­ration, which we call Nature; for in him we live, and move, and have our being. Of him Act. 17. 28. it is said, in St. Austin, De Civ. l. 4. c. 12. Deus est anima mun­di, Mundus est corpus Dei; e. i. God is ope­rative in the World, so as our souls are in our bodies. And the Poet saith of the divine Spirit;

All which is signed for a Scriptural-truth by [Page 87] St. Paul, 2 Cor. 12. 6. God worketh all in all. So then, this Rest cannot signifie Gods cessati­on from working, nor the withdrawing his Providence from his Creatures.

But our Neoterick Theologs have found out another Answer, and do generally expound this Rest of God, to signifie only a cessation from the work of Creation : for they say that, although God doth continually work, or o­perate, or co-operate with his Creatures which are already made, yet he doth not create or produce any new Creatures; indeed he dai­ly maketh individual or particular Creatures, as Men, Beasts, Fishes, Plants and Hearbs, hut all these new productions are of the same Spe­cies, i. e. sort and kind, that God made at the first.

1. In this Answer we observe two things.

First, It is confessed, that this Rest of God is not an absolute cessation from Work, but on­ly a cessation from one particular Work, viz. from making any new species or kinds of Creatures.

Secondly, It is confessed, that this Rest of God may consist together with his working, for indeed the working or operation of God is as vigorous and stirring now, and ever since the Creation, as it was then; God did never intermit, or lay aside his working. St. Au­stin saith of himself; Aug E­pist. 110. Meum ocium, mag­num habet negotium: It is most true of God, whose Rest (here meant) is not without great working. Christ saith, My Fathe [...] Ioh. 5. 1 [...]oh. 15 worketh hitherto, and I work: And again, M [...] Father is the Husbandman ( [...]) so his Work is without any intermission, as the [Page 88] Georgick-works are circular, as one saith;

God doth work unto this day, as he did also on that first 7th day, wherein he is said to rest, & so he hath done on every 7th day ever since, & so he will do till the end of the World. And moreover, although it should please God, still to make new Creatures, of new kinds, such as were not created at first; yet such a new Creation would not in the least hinder, or disturb this blessed Rest. Therefore this Answer will in no wise satisfie us.

Besides all this, Those Writers that tell us, Gods Resting signifieth only his finishing or ending the Creation; yet themselves affirm, that God doth yet daily create new Souls; and this, because they do not believe, that our Souls are propagated from our Progenitors, as our Bodies are; so that even by their own confession, the Creation did not end on the first sixth, or seventh day. Now although I do not assent to their opinion of the daily creation of humane Souls, because I do not understand how that doctrine can consist with the doctrine of Redemption, if our Souls and Christs Soul be not derived from Adam; yet it is evident, that their opinion maketh against them, (whether it be true or false) for by saying, that our Souls are daily created, they must confess, that the Creation is not yet ended.

To that which they say, That God doth not create any new kinds of Creatures, such as in Schools are called Genera, and Species, [Page 89] and Universals, although he doth still make particular Creatures, as Men, Beasts, Fishes, Fowles, and Plants: We answer, That God doth make Creatures now so as he did before, and not otherwise; (except only the manner of making, immediately by himself, and by way of creation). As he then made particu­lars only, Adam and Eve, so now he makes Man and Woman: God did not otherwise make Universals, or Species then, than he doth now; for then he made only particular Crea­ [...]ures, and not universals but only by creating particulars: The universal is but the common nature of each particular, and these universals are no where to be found, but only in particu­lars, though we should seek them in Plato's Region of Idea's, or in that Tull. de. Nat. Deor. lib. 1. Diog. Laert. in Epic. Intermundum ( [...]) which Epicurus dreamed of; for who can shew me Man, except he shew me some particular person: For, although it be granted, that these universals are realities, having an essence or being, yet they have no existence or subsistence, nor are any where to be found but only in particulars; and we know, that our Acutest Schoolmen have much contended about these universals; some said, they are realities, others, that they are but words; and others, that they are but meer notions and conceptions of mans brain; and therefore those dissenting Sects are severally called, Reales, Nominales, Conceptuales. In a word; as God made Man and Woman at first, so he doth still; his Resting is not to be understood of ceasing from making his Crea­tures, for he doth it to this day, and thereby declareth his Omnipotencie now, as much as at [Page 90] the first. The Psalmist saith, It is God that Ps. 100. 3. made us, and not we our selves: And again, I am fearfully and wonderfully made in the Psal. 139. 14. lowest parts of the earth; that is, in the Womb: In our vulgar Catechisms, the first Question is, Who made you? 'Tis answered, God; and the Answer is true: It is all one with God to make Man of Earth, or in the VVomb, or of a Rib, or of Nothing; for all these wayes of making are Acts of his Almightinesse.

Finally, If it may appear unto us, That God hath indeed made new Creatures, and such as were not created in the six or seven first dayes of the World but since; then I trust the Reader will perceive, that this Mysterious Rest of the Godhead implieth a farre greater matter, then only a cessation from making new sorts or kinds of Creatures. For mani­festation whereof, I offer these considerations following, to the learned Reader.

1. That after the fall of Man, God inflict­ed sorrow upon Eve, and all other Women, in Child-bearing, Gen. 3. 16. which Sorrow was not at first made, yet that sorrow is some­thing, (as our good Matrons know); it is not nothing.

2. The Earth was cursed for Mans sin, Thorns and Thistles are ordained, Adam is condemned to sorrow, and sweating labour, vers. 16, 17, 18. All which are Realties, yet not made at first.

3. We are assured by our Divines, That Buc. p. 56. & 58. Mors & Morbi ordinata sunt a Deo, i. e. Mortality and Sicknesses were ordained by God; and also, that hurtful Creatures, such as Vipers, Toads, Spiders, Hornets, Waspes, [Page 91] Caterpillers, Gnats, & such like Non pertinent ad opera primae Creationis, i. e. that these were no part of the first Creation; therefore they must be ordained since: If it be said, that these and other hurtful Creatures, such as Lions, Beares, Wolves, were at first, but yet without their noxious malignity and hurtful qualities; this Answer will not satisfie us, because even those qualities are realties. So Earth­quakes, Famines, Pestilences, were not at first created, nor any Sicknesses or Diseases, which came into the World later, as the Heathens ac­knowledged,

4. What can be said against the newness of the Egyptian Plagues? The burning of So­dom? The last Destruction of Jerusalem? and the tribulation brought upon that People, of which Christ said, That it should be such as was not from the beginning of the world to Matth. 24 21. that time? Now, that God is the Author of such kinds of evils (viz. evils of punish­ment), the Prophet hath taught us, Amos 3. 6. Shall there be evil in the City, and the Lord hath not done it? And Moses declareth, that all those evils which are threatened, Deut. 28. (and are now come to passe) to be from the Lord, which yet are but new in respect of the Creation.

5. What can be said against the newness of those Wonders or Miracles wrought by the finger of God, by the Prophets, by Christ, and [Page 92] by the Apostles? were they at first created? I suppose, No.

The blind man, when he received sight, told the Pharisees to their face (which they could not deny) John 9. 32. Since the world be­gan was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.

6. What can be said against the new­ness of Monsters, or of mixt Creatures, such as Leopards, and Mules, &c. which now are extant, but were not so at first crea­ted?

7. It is said, Jer. 31. 22. The Lord Movi coeli, & terra▪ extractio, Movi Ada­mi genera­tio, mira­cula, morbi novi, non sunt opera primae ex­tractionis. Mart. Borrhai. in Gen. 2. in verbum Requievit. hath created a new thing on the Earth; a VVoman shall compasse a Man: Which is meant of Christ to be conceived in the Womb of the Virgin-Mother, which was a new thing indeed, and a peculiar Signal mark to know the Messiah by.

8. The same Creator professeth, Isaiah 65. 17. Behold I create new Heavens, and a new Earth. If you say, it is meant but of a new State, or condition of the Church under the Gospel; I say so too; But this new State or condition is not nothing; it is not such as it was before, and is new: So is the creating of a clean or new heart, Psalm 51. 10. it is a work of Regene­ration, or re-Creation, and better to us than the Creation thereof.

9. The same Creator professeth, Isaiah 57. 19. I create the fruit of the lips: there­fore the holy Apostolical Eloquence, with all the excellencies of Rhetorick, and Lan­guages, and Arts, are the Works of God, which are not reckoned among the Works [Page 93] of the first Creation, and this is confirm­ed by Christ himself, when he said; Matth. 10. 19. Dabitur in illa hora: And by that which others said of him, John 7. 46. Never man spake like this man: And all those new Languages at Babel were of Gods crea­ting. Gen. 11.

Our Answer to this first Querie, for present, shall be but only Negative, (be­cause our Discourse is not yet ripe for a full positive Answer) viz. That this Rest of God doth not signifie only his cessation from creating the World; And moreover, we affirm, That although God had made more such Worlds, as Diog. Laert. in Epicuro. Epicurus thought; or if he had made innumerable ( [...]) Worlds, of meer Creatures, as Plut. de Placiti [...] Philos. l. 2. c. 1. Democritus in Plu­tarch, said; yet all such Worlds would not be of value and worth sufficient to procure this Mysterious Rest, and complacency of the Al­mighty Creator. But I proceed to the second Querie.

CHAP. XI.

OUr second Querie, is; Why God is said to Rest on the Seventh day, and not on any of 2 Querie. the former six dayes. There is, surely, some­thing more then ordinary, implied in this Rest of the Godhead, more then the bare Letter ex­presseth, and more then a meer cessation from the work of Creation; because this Rest is fixed and appropriated to the Seventh day on­ly, and not said at all of any of the former six dayes, wherein God did both create, and also cease, by some pause or respite from crea­tion, which interval is by us Mortals called a Rest; as the labouring-man at Mid-day is permitted to take some small time for sleep, or rest, and therein intermitteth his work.

Doubtless God did not bestow the whole compass of each several day, with its evening and morning, in a continual creation, or form­ing of his several Creatures; for each of them [Page 95] were created by the Will, or Word of God, which might be in a moment. The Psalmist saith, By the Word of the Lord were the Hea­vens Ps. 39. 6, 9 made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth—for he spake, and it was done. It is not likely that this word or breath of God was produced to the length of each whole day, but that there was some respite, and some time of cessation, between the Acts of creating the several Creatures, each several day : yet this respite of God is never called his Rest until the Seventh day; That there was a respite, we read, that Adam was first formed, 1 Tim. 2. 13. then Eve.

It is also very considerable, That although it is said, Exod. 20. 11. In six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is: Whereby it appeareth, that all the Creatures were made, as the Angels of Heaven, the Fowls of the Air, and Man, Beasts, Plants, Fishes of the Earth and Sea : Notwithstand­ing God is not yet said to Rest on this sixth day. Surely this Rest of God consisteth in something else besides these; it seems he rested not in any, or all these meer Creatures, but in something that was more noble and worthy of this great honour, of being the Acquiescence or Rest of the Godhead.

But what shall we say of the pre-existence of God before the Creation, and the infiniteness and eternity thereof before all times, when nothing was in being, but only the pure God­head in the three eternal Persons? when neither Heaven, nor Earth, nor Man, nor Angels were created? We cannot say, or imagine, that God was then without Rest; for besides, that He [Page 96] with-held himself from creating, and from all external working, we know that he was at Rest in himself, in his own blessed content­ment, and all-sufficiencie, needing nothing: which Rest of God could not then be inter­rupted by any business, or outward operation. What the immanent or internal Actions of the Godhead were then, we know but little, and that only, which the holy Apostles have taught us, in whom we read of the eternal purpose of God to o [...]dain Christ, before the foundation of 1 Pet. 1. 20. Eph. 1. 4▪ 2 Tim. 1. 9. Tit. 1. 2. the world; and of chusing us in him. But we find no mention of any transient or external Works of the Godhead, such as Divines call Operationes Dei ad extra, and such as Creation is. Yet in all that infinite and incomprehensi­ble duration from Eternity, it is never said, that God Rested, nor until this Seventh day. Therefore this Rest of God consisteth in something else, besides a cessation or suspension of working, and also, besides that blessed quiet and tranquillity, which for ever was, and is in the Godhead; of which the heathen Phi­losophers rule is true; ^h Nisi Quietum, nihil Bea [...]um est; i. e. God could not be happy if [...] Tull de Nat. Deor. lib. 1. he were not at Rest.

The Rest of God must be in something that is proportionable and equivalent in worth to himself; therefore not in the whole great Crea­ture of the World, nor in any one particular parcel thereof, which is no more then only a Creature: & moreover the Rest of God must be like himself, eternal, without any ending, or intermission, or ceasing, therefore not in meer worldly Creatures; for Heaven and Earth Mat. 24. 35. Psalm 102 [...]. shall passe away: And, they shall wax old and [Page 97] perish]. Indeed, men set up their Rest [in poor worldly temporalties, and for them lose eternal Rest; So doth not the Godhead. So that this Rest of God must be grounded on some most worthy Subject, or occasioned by some most excellent Object, better than the world, or any meer creature thereof; and what that is, we will enquire anon.

In order whereunto, I offer to the considera­tion of the learned Reader one thing more: viz. Whether the Godhead did not perform some part of the Creation on this very seventh-day, on which God is said to Rest?] For if it may appear to be true, that something was then made, or perfected, which was not finished in the six dayes; This may happily afford us some light to guid us into the meaning, or cause, or occasion of God's Rest on that se­venth-day, more then on any, or all the former six dayes.

To this, our Answer is: fi [...]st, That no man doubteth, but God did work on the first se­venth day, and all seventh dayes ever since; as is shewed before. Secondly: That the Scripture seemeth▪ expresly to declare, that the whole Creation was not compleated, or finished on the sixth, but on the seventh-day: for so we read Gen. 2. 2 On the seventh day God ended his work which he had made] If it were not ended, but on the seventh day, then surely it was not ended on the sixth day.

If it be here said, that although it was en­ded on the 6th. day, yet it might be truly said to be ended on the seventh day, because it was ended before. As one in Plutarch said, Plut. de Ira cohib. If Alexander be dead to day, he will be dead to [Page 98] morrow] ▪ But this evasion will not serve turn, because the Ending of the work, and the Resting, are both affirmed to be on the seventh-day precisely, and on none other day. For otherwise it might be said as well that God ended his work, and rested on the eighth, or ninth, or any other after-day.

The Septuagint, insteed of the Seventh-day, rendred The sixth-day, Gen. 2. 2. For they being Jews, and zealous for their Sabbath, would not have it thought, that God wrought on the seventh-day. But St. Jerome disco­vered the imposture, and saith, Hier. Quaest. in Gen. To. 3. In Hebraeo; diem septiman habet] That the text in He­brew, hath the seventh-day. And addeth, Arct abimus Judaeos, qui de ocio Sabbati glori­antur—dum Deus oper atur in Sabbato com­plens opera sua in eo. &c.] We shall by this, much press the Jews against their Sab­batical-Superstition,—seeing God himself wrought on the Sabbath, and therein finished his work]. That God did not end, or finish, and compleat the work of Creation; but on the seventh-day, is the opinion, not only of St. Jerome, but of many other Later, and right-Learned Divines.

If it [...]e further enquired, What particular work God made or finished on the seventh-day, which was not so made on the sixth day? In this we are Resolved by many great and Learned Divines; That Adams side was not opened, until the morning of the seventh-day. And this may with great probability be obser­ved out of the narration of Moses Gen. 2. Where, after the Creation of the man, (which was performed on the sixth day,) it [Page 99] is said, 1. God put the man into the garden of Eden. vers. 15. 2. God gave him the Law against eating the forbidden fruit. 3. God said, he would make him an help, meet for him. 4. God brought every Reast of the field, and every Foul of the aire unto Adam. 5. Adam gave names to all Cattel, and to the fouls of the aire, and to every Beast of the field v. 20. 6. God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam. And then took one of his ribs, and of it made the woman.] All these transactions required a good space of time, which reasonably, might extend until the end of the sixth day, and so unto the beginning of the seventh, which we know was to commence, and be accounted from the evening of the said sixth day. His travel Estward to Eden, and his naming that multitude of Creatures, might well cause weariness, and weariness might incline him to that deep sleep, wherein the woman was made, and this may justly be judged to be within the compass of the seventh-day. For I think no man will deny, but that, between the Creation of the Man, and the extraction, and forming of the woman, a good portion of time inter­vened.

But then, (If Eve were not made or formed, before the seventh-day) how shall we salve the truth of the Scripture which saith, [In six dayes the Lord made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that in them is]. To this the Answer is obvious, and frequent; for in the Creation of the man, the woman was sub­stantially, and materially included, Civit. l. 15. c. 17. St. Austin observeth. That Gen. 2, The▪ man, and woman are both called Adam. And the [Page 100] Text saith, Gen. 1. 27. Male, and female created he them]. This was said before the woman was taken out of Adam's side. Wal­fridus Strabus, (or whosoever was the au­thor of the Ordinarie Gloss,) upon those words, tels us. Prothe­mata gloss, in Gen. Faemina nondum erat facta; gloss. Gen. jam homo masculus & femina perhibetur, sed quia ex latere Adae erat processura, in illo com­putatur per substantiam, à quo fuer [...]t produ­cenda per formam], i. e. These words are said of the time before Eve was formed; the man is here presented both as male, and female, for Eve was accounted in Adam, because she was then Originally, and Substantially inrolled in him, and soon after to be extracted and built out of him. And again, the same Glosser upon the same words tels us. 1. c. Mulier nondum à viro divisa.] i. e. When those words were said, they were to be understood of a time, before the woman was taken out the man.

This truth was acknowledged by the Jewish writers, who, nevertheless invented fabulous conceipts thereupon. They said, that Adam, & Eve were created as One person, their back­parts were joyned together until God divided them.—And, That Adam was created with two faces. Some of them called Adam An­drogynum. Lyra in Loc. (as Lyranus and the Glosser affirm) i. e. an Epicene, of both sexes, just as the poet fained of his Ovid. Met. l. 4. Aelia, laeli­a, Crispis, nec vir, nec mulier, nec Androgyna &c. Chy­traeus in Epitaph. Bononiens. p. 173. Hermaphroditus, The truth is, that the woman, was then in Adam, though but rough-cast (as we use to say) and not ta­ken out of the mould, not finished or polished. For it is as easie to apprehend, Eve to be then in the side of Adam, as it is for us to believe, [Page 101] and acknowledg, that all we which now live were even then, in the loines of Adam; for which we have a strong Apostolical evidence, Heb. 7. 10. Where it is said of Levi, before he was born, that he was in the loins of Abra­ham] And so upon the same reason, we were cer­tainly with Levi, and Ahraham, in the loines of Adam.

So, our Answer to this second Querie for present, shall be only this, That, therefore, God is not said to Rest until the seventh-day. Because, (that until then,) the principal work was not finished, in which alone, the Rest of God consisted. And what that is, will now soon appear.

In the mean time, I will lay this for my con­clusion, and for a Truth which I firmly beleive; that the seventh-day or Ceremonial-Sabbath, was not ordained by God for a memorial of the Creation of the world, and all the meer Creatures thereof, or, for his ceasing from the work of Creation; But for an Evangelical me­morial of the Rest of God. Of which we are next to enquire.

CHAP. XII.

IT may justly seem strange, and wonderful; that the most blessed, most glorious, and Almighty God, who is Blessedness, and Hap­piness it self, and that, so infinitely, and in­comprehensibly, that it is impossible that any addition of happiness, or rest can be added to him, so as to make him more happy, or more at Rest, than he was from Eternity; And yet so it is, that God is here, and now, said to Rest, and also, to Rest so now, as not before this seventh day.

Certainly this Rest, must be occasioned by something that is External, and Extra-essen­tial to God. And therefore it must be such a Rest, or complacencie, or acquiescence, as the Godhead assumed, and took in some special creature; and yet not only in that creature con­sidered singly, and meerly in it self, for it must be derived from some work of God, unto w ^ch God intended some excellent, & beneficial addition of worth, & goodness, by w ^ch conside­ration the Godhead was inclined to express a [Page 103] delight, and chearfullness, & contentedness in it; and, for it; in all the other creatures.

This, (as to me seemeth) Moses darkly im­plyeth (for he is yet vailed) in these words, Gen. 2. 2. He rested on the seventh day from al his work, which he had made]. This Rest then, seemeth to be occasioned from his work; for it is not said that he rested in his work, but (occa­sionally) from his work] It followeth, vers. 3. God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it, he had rested from all his work, which God created to make]. This sud­den repetition of the Rest of God, doth intimate something of greater moment, and considera­tion than ordinary. Good reader, observe with me, that in this later expression of God's rest­ing, there is much more implied, than in the former; for in the first, it is said He rested from all his work which he had made] : But in the later it is said, He rested from all his work, which God created to make]. These words (cre­ated to make) signifie more than only a creati­on. Our last English Translation reades this text, [created, and made,] yet in the margin, it is there confessed, that according to the He­brew, it is to be read [created to make] which is indeed the true, and farr better reading; so, both St. Hierome, and our other masters in the holy tongue read it; so doth the Latine, of Sixtus, and Clemens. Quod creavit ut face­ret] i. e. which he created to make].

By which expression, I humbly conceive, that the holy Spirit doth secretly, and myste­riously imply that this Rest of God consisteth in some creature newly made; upon which, the Godhead purposed to conferr some preferment, [Page 104] and honour, greater than the bare creation of it, because it is said, he created it to make] so saith the Expositor upon those words creavit ut faceret] Martin: Borrhaius in loc. Ut ad certum usum pararet, ac de­stinaret] i. e. God rested from that work which he created, that he might prepare, and appoint it to a certain use. So that, To make, must signifie, that God intended to make some fur­ther, and greater, and more excellent use of that creature, than it had of it self, in it's own single, and created nature; and that he would effect some more glorious, and gracious work by it; which that creature, (of it self, and by it's own power) would never be able to perform. Now what creatur [...] this is; And what further use God intended to make of it; And what prerogative of honour he would add to it we are diligently to enquire.

1. We can not, with reason, and judgment, fasten the occasion of this Rest of God, upon a­ny one particular creature, but only upon the creation of Man; for from the creation of A­dam, God did first take occasion to express a complacency, and acquiescence or Rest,

2. We may not think that this Rest of Go [...], was occasioned only by the creation of the first Adam, considered singly by himself, and as a [...] creature, without any further reach, or consideration; But it was, indeed, occasioned by a pre-consideration of the second Adam, which is Christ, who is stiled by St. Paul, 1. Cor. 15. 45. The last Adam, because, wh [...] Adam was made, Christ also was made, Christ as a creature in respect of his humane nature) for as Eve was then Originally, and Substantially in Adam's side (as is before said): [Page 105] So was Christ seminally in his Loines; so that the consideration of Christ, now wrapped up in this Root of Adam, was that which occa­sioned the first hint of an expression of com­placencie in the Godhead upon the Creation of the Man; for thereupon, that was said by God, which was not said before upon the Crea­tion of any one, or of all his other Creatures, and it is said with a note of Remarkableness, Gen. 1. 31. Behold! it was very good. Indeed his other Creatures are said to be good, but not any, nor all, said to be very good till now.

3. Though Adam was now made; and in him Christ was seminally couched: yet it is not presently said, that God Rested; nor untill some other Act was performed by the God­head: For God is not said to Rest, until Eve was taken, and formed and finished, out of Adam's side, and this was not done until the Seventh day (as is before shewed). This was, because Christ the Saviour of Mankind was not otherwise to come into the open World, that there he might perform the grand Work of a Redeemer, and Saviour, but only through the Woman: Our merciful God doth then, and not till then, declare his Rest, when he had laid and compleated the foun­dation of the Rest of us his (otherwise wretched▪) Creatures, For neither Adam himself could be saved (supposing his fall) but through the fertility of the Woman; nor could Eve, or any of their posterity, obtain Redemption and salvation otherwise, than so; as the Apostle teacheth us; 1 Tim. 2. 15, She shall be saved in child-bearing; that is, [Page 106] by Christ, who should descend from Eve, and be born of a Woman; for God confined our Redemption, and our Redeemer so, when he said, The Seed of the Woman should bruise the Gen: 3: 15 Serpents head: And in the Gospel, God sent forth his Son made of a Woman. So, early Gal: 4: 4 and late the Godhead was pleased to signifie the conception of Christ by a Woman, signal­ly, without mention of the Seed of Man; pro­mised to David in these words, Psalm 132. 11. Ex fructu ventris, the fruit of the belly, which St. Austin Aug: in loc. observes, to be meant of Christ, because he was only from the Belly, or Womb and not from the Thigh: And prophe­sied by Isaiah, chap. 7. 14. to be conceived by a Virgin. And performed in the person of the ever blessed Virgin Mary.

Now we may easily return an Answer to the above mentioned Enquiries, concerning the Rest of God.

1. In which of the Creatures God is said to Rest? To this we say, That his Rest was only in Mankind, not in the man alone, but (for the honour and everlasting comfort of all holy Women) he expressed not his Rest until he had formed the Woman out of the Man, although the manner thereof is declared, after the ex­pression of God's Rest.

2. What further use (besides their Creat on) God intended to make of the Man and the Wo­man? To this we say, That God purposed out of the Man and Woman to raise and produce Christ, to be the Saviour and Redeemer of Mankind, from eternal and deserved misery; and also through the same Christ to crown Mankind with everlasting glory; and for this [Page 107] most gracious use only, did the Godhead de­clare it self to Rest; so that in Christ alone is the true, reall, and final Rest, and Sabbath, com­prised, both of God, and of us Men.

3. What prerogative or peculiar honour added God to this Creature Man, more then to any other Creature? To this we answer: 1. He made Man in his own Image, so, as not any other Creature was made. 2. From the Seed of Man, he ordained that the Redeemer should proceed, and not from any other Crea­ture, although some others were more high & excellent than Man, as the holy Angels are, as the Psalmist saith, Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels: Yet the Apostle tels Psal: 8: 5 us, Heb. 2. 16. That Christ took not on him the nature of Angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. 3. God purposed (which he also performed) to unite himself, so with Man, as not with any other Creature, to be one person with Man; even this very Creator, at this very time of Mans creation, intimated, that himself would one day become Man, that he would be incarnate, and so Emmanuel; which is obscurely signified by those words; In the Image of God created he him. And Gen: 1. 27 this Incarnation was most needful for Man, because in it only the everlasting Sabbath and Rest of Man consisteth, and in nothing else.

From these Premises, my Conclusion is, That the principal (and indeed the only) cause of this Rest of God consisted in the considera­tion and gracious purpose of the Godhead to produce the Messiah out of the Man and the Woman, to be united with our humane nature, [Page 108] and therein to fulfill the whole Will of God in our behalf, and so to become the Redeemer and Saviour of Mankind. Which conclusion, being a Doctrine of our greatest concernment, we will in the next place endeavour, (by God's assistance) to make plain and evident, even to the capacity of ordinary understandings.

CHAP. XIII.

THat the Divine purpose of the Incarnati­on of the second Person in the Trinity was the sole motive, that the Rest of God was now (and not before) declared, may appear by many overtures, or expressions, in and about the Creation, and other affairs, concerning the first Man and Woman.

1. It is said by the Godhead; Let us make Gen. 1. 26 [Page 109] Man. Whereby the concurrence of all the Divine Persons in the Creation of Man is sig­nified; As if the Godhead would express a special care, and deliberation, and also a con­sultation about the Creation of Man, more than in the Creation of the whole invisible World of Angels, or this visible World of all the other Creatures; for it was never said be­fore, Let us make, but God created, and, Let there be Light; and, Let there be a Firma­ment; and, Let the Earth bring forth, &c. Now, although we know that all the Three Divine Persons did co-operate in the creation of every Creature; (as the sure Rule of Di­vines is), Opera Trinitatis ad extrà sunt in­divisa: Yet their concurrence is not so decla­red until the Creation of Man, Therefore, surely, a greater matter was intended, than the making of a meer Creature, and that certainly was Christ, even He that is bet­ter than all Creatures, and of whom it is said, Let all the Angels of God worship Heb. 1. 6. him,

2. Not only the making of Man is decreed, but it is added; In our Image and likenesse; and, In the Image of God created he him. Here is Our Image, Plurally; and, The Image of God, Singly. Our Image, signifies the Image of the Three Divine Persons stamped on Man. Power, Wisdom, Holinesse; which are the Characters of the Father, Son, and Spirit (as Divines say). But this is not all, for, so much of this Image was soon desaced: Nor was this Image proper to Mankind, but is found also in the holy Angels, and also more eminently in them than in Man­kind.

[Page 110] But because these words are said of Man, & not said of any other Creature, therefore we must find out some other Image or likenesse of God, which is so peculiar to Man, as that it is not to be found in any other Creature, as Theod. in Gen. quaest. 20. Theodoret most judiciously observeth. This being granted, the Image there mentio­ned must needs relate and point to Christ, who is the same God, which made Man, and said these words; so that the meaning is, That Man should be made, in the same Image and Similitude, which in after-times the same God himself would assume in the person of the Son: And this was fulfilled, when the Son of God became the Son of Man. This is the ex­position of Tertullian upon these words; Tertul. advers. Prax. p. 387. Ad Imaginem Dei. i. e. Ad Imaginem Filii, qui homo futurus erat. And again, upon the same words; Idem de Resurr. p. 39. Christus cogitabatur homo fu­turus: i. e. The Image of God signifieth the humane nature; and shape, which God, in the Person of the Son, would one day take upon himself. Just so doth Orig. in Gen Hom. 1. Origen expound this Image of God; and so doth the above men­tioned Theod. in Gen. quaest. 19. Isa. 7. 14. & 9. 6. Ioh. 1. 14 1 Tim. 3. 16 Rom. 8. 3 Theodoret. The performance where­of was prophesied by Isaiah, when he called the Mighty God, Emanuel; and fulfilled also, when The Word was made flesh, and when God was manifested in the flesh, and the Son of God was sent in the likenesse of sinfull flesh. This surely is the Image of God there meant, which continued in Man after the fall, and so doth untill this day.

This Exposition is made more credible by another passage, from the mouth of God, ut­tered after the fall of Man, when he said, [Page 111] Behold! the Man is become as one of us, to Gen. 3. 12. know good and evil. Some Expositors have thought this to be spoken ( [...]) as an Ironie or scoffe on proud Man: I dare not say or think so, for fear of Blasphemie; doubtless, the merciful Godhead did not flout, but pitty, and also comfort (the now-wretched) Man by this saying; which I firmly believe did in­timate and point at a Redeemer, even Jesus Christ, to be a Redeemer of him from deserved misery; and so to be a solace, ease, and rest to his troubled Conscience. The Reader may observe, that whereas before there was menti­on of Our Image and likenesse; (that is) the likeness of the whole Trinity, it is now other­wise said, Like one of Us: so that Man, who before was made like all, is now become but like one of the Divine Persons : This one doth surely signifie Christ, who was then intended to be that Seed of the Woman before promised; to be Incarnate, to be Mortal, to be made a curse for us, Gal. 3. 13. to be a man of sor­rows,—to be wounded for our transgressi­ons, Isai. 53. 3, 5. To know good (for he was Goodness it self); And to know evil, of sor­row and affliction; and this in order to the Rest, Sabbath, and Salvation of Man; for this reason only it is said, The Man is become like One of us.

3. It is greatly to be considered, that the creation of the Woman was unlike the crea­tion of the Man; for Adam was made of Earth, immediately, Gen. 2. 19. but the Wo­man was not so made, but of the Man; she was flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, yea, and Soul of his Soul: for we find not, that God [Page 112] breathed a Soul into Eve, because she was to re­ceive it from the Man.

By this we may understand, that the Re­deemer was then intended (together with the whole race of Mankind) to be derived from that one root of Adam; for otherwise, Christ could not have been qualified so fitly, as to be our Redeemer. But because the Redeemer, and the Redeemed, must needs be united in one humane nature, therefore the wise and merciful Godhead (as the Apostle observeth) hath Acts 17 26 made of one blood all Nations of men, Christ and all : And hence it is, that the same Apo­stle tels us, That we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. And this, because Christ, and We, and all Mankind, the Woman and all, took our nature from one and the same Lump of Adam; for therefore was the Son of God Incarnate, & became Emmanuel, that he might fulfill the Law of God in the same flesh, or nature, upon which the said Law was impose [...]. All this was done in order, and pre­paration of an everlasting Sabbath or Rest for Man, by thus producing fitly, the most holy Jesus to be a Redeemer and Saviour of Man­kind, in whom alone the Just Godhead might be well pleased, and acquiesce.

For, except Christ and Mankind be united in one humane nature, and so be as one Man, or as one Person, neither Christ's fulfilling the Law, nor his Death, can serve for us; because the obedience of one cannot serve for another: nor doth the Just Godhead punish one for a­nother; but (as the Prophet tels us) Every Ier. 31 30 Eze. 18. 4 one shall die for his own iniquity: And, The Soul that sinneth, it shall die. Neither could [Page 113] the Godhead justly punish the righteous Son for us unrighteous Men; nor justifie us, and condemn him, except we were one and the same; So the Wise man saith; He that justi­fieth Pro. 17. 15 the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, both are abomination to the Lord. There­fore Eve must needs be made of Adam, and not of another piece of Clay, that she and all her posterity may in that one lump be united with Christ.

For this reason it is said of Christ, Sacri­fice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body Heb. 10: 5 7 Psa: 40: 7 hast thou prepared for me: And, In the vo­lume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God; That is, The Son was to perform the Law of the Godhead in the behalf of Mankind; which that he might do for us, God prepared him a body, derived from the same flesh, from which all the bodies of Man­kind came, and were originally united therein; That he might be a fit, and an identical Per­son, for that great Work (as the Apostle speak­eth) of Reconciling us (to God) in the body of his fle [...]h through death. Col. 1. 21, 22

Upon the same reason it is, that Redempti­on by the death of Christ extendeth only to Adami [...]es, or Mankind, whose nature Christ hath assumed, with them, in Adam; So that the benefit and merit of his obedience cannot reach unto the apostate-Angels, because he took Heb. 2: 16 not on him the nature of Angels, who are there­fore left in their apostacie, and perdition, with­out any remedy; for as they did not fall by the first Adam, so neither shall they be resto­ [...]d by the last Adam; and although our [...]aking in the same flesh with Christ, be [Page 114] [...]ot the only means and aptitude of our Redemption by him, yet it is a part there­of, and necessary thereunto for our capacity thereof, and such a kind of cause, as Schoolmen call, [...]ne qua non.

Hence it is also, that Christ himself said, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his bloud, ye have no life in you. (This Ioh: 6: 53 was spoken before the holy Supper was insti­tuted; and must stand firm, and true, although that Sacrament had never been ordained): To eat his flesh, signifieth, to be united with his flesh, as our meat is with us, which groweth into one intire body with us. And, to drink his blood signifieth, to be united with the Soul of Christ; for without an union of our flesh and soul with his flesh and soul, Christ cannot profit us: Therefore our Mother Ev [...], and we, with Christ also, in her, must have taken both our flesh and soul from Adam; else Eve must perish, and so must we. The Roman, and also our Anglican Divines, do greatly mistake the meaning of the Sacramental Cup, in teaching, that the Wine signifieth, only, the blood of Christ; whereas, indeed, it presenteth, not the blood, but the Soul, or Life of Christ; It was not the shedding of his Blood (literally ta­ken) that redeemed us, (for that might have been done without his death; and he was dead on the Crosse, before either his vital blood or Joh: 19: 34 water issued out of his body). But the prin­cipal Act of our Redemption consisted in the giving up his Ghost, or pouring out his preci­ous Soul for us, as himself had before profes­sed, The good Shepherd giveth his life for the Ioh: 10 11 Sheep, ( [...]) that is, his Soul for us; [Page 115] and this fully correspondeth with the words of the Covenant, first made with man, In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. And we know, that blood in the old Testament did signifie the life or soul of Creatures, as a visi­ble sign thereof, because the Life or Soul it self is invisible: So we read Deut. 12. 23. The blood is the life; and so St. Austin expounds those words, both there; and Levit. 17. 14. Cont: Adimant: cap▪ 12 Cont: Ad­vers: legis l: 2: c: 6 Anima Sanguis; viz. in signo—Non quia hoc erat, sed quia significabat sicut dici­tur Petraest Christus: i. e. The blood is the life: Not as if blood were our soul; but be­cause blood signifies the soul; just so as it is said, That Rock was Christ, 1 Cor. 10. 4. Even the Heathen Poet calleth blood the soul of Man;

Verily, if the Sacramental Wine represented no­thing else but blood, literally, and not the Soul of Christ, Romanists would be more excusable for with-holding the Cup from the People, upon their own excuse (which is indeed true) That the body of Christ doth also include the blood. But blood signifies more than so, which they either know not, or will not acknow­ledge, although the same doctrine was former­ly taught by their own Master of the Senten­ces, even Peter Lombard, about the year 1150. in these words, Lomb: Sent. 4 dist: 11 Panis ad carnem refertur, Vinum ad animam—ut animae, & carnis susceptio in Christo, & utriusque liberatio in nobis significetur. The Sacramental Bread relateth to the Flesh, and the Wine to the Soul; [Page 116] that hereby the assuming of a soul and body by Christ, and the deliverance of both in us, might be signified. Thus he : which is also ob­served by Mr. Perkins. Perk. Probl. p. 146 Mat. 26. 26

When Christ ordained the Mysterious Eu­charist, he said of the Bread, Take, eat, This is my body; he did not say, here is my body, not hic est, but hoc est; his meaning was, my body to you, is such a thing, as this bread is to be to you it will be united with you, and be one bo­dy with you: so must you with me be united in one body; that so, by this union, my obe­dience, both Active and Passive, may be­come your obedience. Hereupon St. Paul saith, The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the body of Christ? Communi­on 1 Cor. 10 16 (we know) is all one with Co-unio, or unio-cum; i. e. Communion signifies the mu­tual union or conjunction of Christ and his Members; so, not his Natural, but his Mysti­call body is here to be understood.

In like manner, Christ himself said of the Wine; This is my blood of the new Testament; Mat. 26. 28 for the blood of the old, typical, or ceremonial Testament, was only the life or soul of sacrifi­cal Beasts which were killed, and were but only a figure of Christ : But the blood of the New Testament, was the Life and Soul of Christ poured out for us.

Just so the Apostle saith; The Cup of bles­sing—▪s 1 Cor. 10 16 it not the communion of the blood of Chr [...]st? that is, The Wine received into us, mysteriously signifieth, the communion or co­union of Christ with us in one Soul: And Christ had said before, Drink ye all of this; that he might thereby shew, that all, who can [Page 117] have benefit by Christ, must needs communi­cate, or be united with Christ, as well in soul as in body.

For the Passion of Christ is not to be look­ed on, as the passion of one private or single person, for he was an universal man, in whom all Men were comprehended; so that in his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of all his Members is included, as the Apostle saith, Rom. 6. 8 If ye be dead with Christ—And, Col. 2 12 —buried with him—And, Col. 3. 1 If ye be risen with Christ: by this union, that saying of the Prophet (before mentioned) is performed, Ier. 31 30 Every o [...]e shall die for his own iniquity; because all Men, with Christ also, were one in Adam, as Austin saith against the Pelagians, Lib. 3. c. 7. Tom. [...] In ejus natura, nostra insita fuit—omnes, ille unus fuerunt; that is, Our nature was planted in Adam, so that all we were that one Man; for there is no man in the World, whose nature was not assumed by Christ, whereof this reason is rendred by Prosp. de Providen­tia. fo. 216 Prosper in his Poem, though in a faulty verse, in my Edition, thus,

This is that weighty reason, why Eve, the Mother of us all must needs be taken out of that one Lump of the first Man; That she, and all her posterity (having been therein uni­ted with Christ, both in body and soul) might by that Union be capable of Redemption by the same Christ; of which Redemption none [Page 118] can be partakers, but the Sons or Progeny of Adam.

This was the method of our merciful Cre­ator, in producing the Redeemer in this man­ner, that so the benefit of his Incarnation might be tendered to all. Which Doctrine (being admitted for truth) is well worthy the serious consideration of our Contra-Re­monstrants, to shew cause, why we should not acknowledge the benefit of his Death, as well as of his Birth, to be offered universally to mankind; seeing, that both his flesh and his soul; and his whole humane nature, were with ours assumed, and propagated from the first Man; and also (as Athanasius most truly affirmeth) De In­carnat. Christi p. 552. In the work of Redemption his body was given for our bodies, and his soul for our souls, and his whole man for our whole man.

Many of the Fathers, and those of them who are most eminent for learning, were much taken with a common fame, and also perswa­ded thereunto as a truth, by a Tradition of the Tert. Po­em. n. 11. Cyp. n. 97 Or [...]g [...]n 43. Athan. n. 25 Basil. Mag. n. 23 Basil. Se­leuc n. 14. Hier n. 4 Aug. To. 10 n. 55 Epip. Haer. 49 Jews, That Christ was crucified in the very place, where Adam was buried; as we find in Tertullian, Cyprian, Origen, Athanasius, in both the Basils, in Epiphanius, Jerome, and Austi [...]. And that, because Adam's crany, or scull was there found, therefore that place was named Golgotha or Calvaria, which is noted by all [...]he four Evangelists, and called, [...]; Just as other Writers report of the Roman Capitol, that at the foundation thereof, the head, or scull of a Man was found, and be­cause the name of that Man (when he lived) was [...]olus (as Arnob. Cont. Gent. lib. 6. Arnobius saith) therefore [Page 119] they named that building Capi-tolium. The Fathers took such special notice of this tradi­tion of Golgotha; because they conceived, that it was to signifie the benefit of Christs death to be extended to the whole Adam, that is, both to his own person, & also to all his poste­rity. The words of St. Jerome, in an Epistle to Marcella, are these, Hier. Epist. 17 Calvaria appellata esi, quia ibi Calvaria Adami condita est, ut san­guis Christi stillans de cruce, peccata ejus di­lueret. For, as Christ is the head of the whole body, or corporation, Mystical; so is Adam the fountain and head of the whole corporati­on Natural, of Mankind.

There was lately a book printed and pub­lished, wherein the Writer laboureth to prove, that there were men before Adam. If the Au­thor so believed, he was very ignorant in Chri­stian Doctrine; and if not, then it may be thought he wrote it purposely to deride Chri­stianity, as a Pagan, Turk, or Jew would do; for such another thing did the Jews invent, and report as a Tradition, that, For the first Man God created two Wives or Women: And hence it was, that the Jews forged many vain Genealogies, which are the same that St. Paul forbids, as fabulous and endless, 1 Tim. 1. 4. As Cont. Ad­vers. legis l 2. c 1. Tom. 6. St. Austin thought. This phansie doth disturb the Doctrine of Redemption by Christ, who was necessarily to proceed from on Man, and through that one Woman of whom it is said, The Seed of her shall bruise thy head: therefore for our comfort, and for confirmation of our faith, and for the manifestation of the just proceedings of God in the way and man­ner thereof, he hath in the holy Scripture [Page 120] named the Man and the Woman, from whom all Mankind, together with Christ, were propa­gated.

CHAP. XIV.

4. MY fourth Reason, why I have said, that this Rest of God con­sisteth in the consideration of Christ, is grounded upon these words of the God­head; It is not good that Man should be a­lone, I will make him an help meet for Gen. 2. 18 him

The Heathens accounted Solitude a great infelicity, although they abounded in all o­ther provisions; One saith, Tul. de Amic. Si Deus nos in Solitudine c [...]llocare [...]—And —Si quis in coe­lum ascendisset; in suave foret, nisi aliquem cui narraret haberet—i. e. If God should [Page 121] place a man in a desart, or if a man were in hea­ven, alone, it would seem unpleasant, if he wanted a companion to discourse with. He thought also, that Id. inter frag. God himself could not be happy if he were alone. Solitariness doth, indeed, incline some to carelesness, and, nemo videt, is an incouragement to vices. The great Philopher soid of a solitarie man Arist. Pol. lib. 1. c. 2. [...]. He had need be exceeding good, and likeunto God, or else he wil be as bad as a beast; The Poet saith. Ovid d [...] Remed..

The man is now placed in his pleasant Para­dise, yet even there it is said, It is not good to be alone.

But the Church, doth not absolutely con­demn solitude: It hath bin accounted a great help to piety in two respects, 1. as being a refuge from the scandals of sin, and aversions from God; The Ancient Eremitical, and Monastick Christians, were so called, be­cause they retired on purpose, to apply their service to God only, [...] as Naz. in Poe [...]. Nazi­anzen saith, and therefore such were called Salvian. de gub. lib. 8. servi Dei, as being the principal servants of God. 2. The desart was a refuge, and a pre­servation of holy persons in the time of prese­cution, which as Soz. lib. 1. c. 13. Sozomen thought, was the chief c [...]se of Eremitical retirement. Elias fled in [...] [...]he wilderness from the fury of Je­zabel; 1 Reg. 19. Rev. 12. 14. So the Church in the Apocalyps is des­cribed, flying into the wilderness from the Dra­gon; [Page 122] John Baptist was sent into the wilder­ness by his father, to escape Herods massacre, as Basil of Seleucia thought Basil. Seleu. in Erist. can. n. 17. Mat. 23. 35., where it seems he continued until the time of his ministry, for which cause, and also for asserting the virgini­ty of the Virgin mother, his holy father Zacharias the son of Barachias was slain, as many of the Fathers affirm. These two are by St. Jerome accounted the precedents of Ere­mitical solitude, practised by many holy men such as Antonius, and Paulus, who continu­ed many years so, and Didymus, who conti­nued 90. years without any society of men. as Soc lib. 4. c: 18. Socrates writeth. The piety of such Ere­mites as these, caused the desart to be thought the cheif school of vertue. St. Jerome said, that Hier. E­pist. 22. he retired into the desart, That thereby he might escape hell. An holy woman in Chrys. cont. vitu­peratores. l. 3. To. 4. Chry­sostome desired that her son might be brought up in a solitary life, that thereby he might ob­tain heaven; This kind of life was account­ed a continual repentance by St. Jerome; and other Ancient writer's called such Livers: [...]. as curing the diseases, of the soul. And [...], as exercising vertues, and striving against vices. And [...], as per­petual supplicants to God. And [...], as being ever in contemplation of divine wis­dome. Thus Adam might have continued so­litary as well as any of these, if some other in­convenience had not bin foreseen, (besides want of company); for prevention whereof the mercifull Godhead said, It is not good that man should be alone.

These words, (as all the words of God,) are weighty in truth and in mystery; In these, the [Page 123] mystery of the Messiah is implyed. God had said before of all the creatures, man and all, that they were very good. But now He saith, It is not good &c. Divines say, In sinu Dei non est contradictio] God doth neither harbour, nor utter contradictions; The woman was in the man Originally, when God pronounced the creatures very good; but she was not yet seperated, and formed out of the man; she was intended by God, and, by her the Saviour; but she was not yet extended, or exhibited. The man was indeed very good even in his own very creation, being but newly come out of the Creator's, hand; but yet, if man had so conti­nued singly, and alone, without the woman, it had bin finally ill for him, by his own fault (the fall being foreseen); for he must have pe­rished thereby, being remediless.

Neither may we think that this Solitude of the man, was much bettered by the society of the woman (considered meerly, & singly of her self) without any further intendment; the man had not yet need of her in respect of any corpo­ral, or worldly necessity, for as yet, concupis­cence was not entred into him; and moreover, he had society, and conversation with God, and so might have had with holy Angels.

If nothing, but only society had bin inten­ded, God would have produced more creatures like unto the man, as he did Angels, without any distinction of Sexe; and so the world be­low, might have bin like the Angelical world above, or as the people of Rome are said to have bin at first, Flor [...] l. 1. c. 1. Populus virorum] a people of men, without any women. If it be demanded, How mankind should have continued, if no [Page 124] supply had bin by generation, if no woman had bin; or if all men would have resolved on continencie? St. Austin, answereth that this question is Aug. de Bono vidu­it. b. 23. To. 4. Querela vanorum i. e. but a vain querie. For God could have made Immortal bodies of men, as wel as Immortal souls, and men might have continued, as Immortal An­gels do.

Besides, If the help here intended, had bin only for propagation of children, and for re­plenishing the earth, without any further, or greater consideration; this might have bin don by creating several men, and women, at first; and these, of several parcels of earth, or other materials, nor should the woman have needed to be made of a peece of the man; another lump of clay would have served, for so the earth might have bin replenished. St Jerome upon those words Gen. 1. 28. Be fruitfull, and replenish the earth] Thus writeth to the noble virgin Eustochium Hier. E­pist. 22. cap. 8. Crescat ille qui terram impleturus est, tuum agmen in Caelo est]. So the wise and merciful Godhead intended this help for man, not only to replenish the earth, but also to supply heaven; by producing the Saviour of the man, and woman, from both.

The Loneliness here meant, is in another respect, far more grievious than the want of such companions, as either women. or men, or An­gels could be; and the help intended, is better than the society of any of these; and better yet than an External communication, or society, with the most holy Godhead; For we find that, not only wicked men, as Cain Gen. 4. 9. and Baalam the conjuter. Num, 22. 12. had exter­nal [Page 125] conference, and communication with God, but even Satan also, as we read, Job. 1. 6. And in the Gospel, when Satan not only con­versed, and talked with God the Son, but al­so took him up, and carried him to the top of Lu. 4. an high mountain, and to the Pinacle of the Temple; Therefore without another kind of so­ciety, and communion with God, neither Adam, nor we his posterity can find any help meet for us, though with the Prophet we seek one, in the streets of Jerusalem, or with Jer. [...]. [...]. Lanct. in Diog. the Philosopher, in the populous Citiy of A­thens. For only the Son of God, (which is hereintimated to be derived from the man, and through the woman,) is that help meet for man; without whom, (in any other con­dition), it would not be good for man to be.

For, without this help, man had continu­ed alone, although he had not wanted other company, because he had bin nothing but meer man, if God had not vouchsafed to be come Emmanuel, or God-with-Man; The Jewish Doctors have observed, that in the ap­pellation of man, and woman, (Ish, and Isha,) Gen, 2. 23. the name of God (Jah) is in­serted; and this was to intimate, that God was to be incarnate, and so united with our humane nature personally; and this was the society principally meant to quit man from mi­serable solitariness such as the Apostle menti­ons. That they might not be without Christ having no hope, and without God in the Eph. 2. 12. world; But might be of The society of Je­sus, (rightly understood.) Without this so­ciety, the sentence of Solomon would be veri­fied on the man, Wo to him that is alone, when] Eccl. 4 10. [Page 126] he falleth, he hath not anot her to help him up.

Christ the Redeemer was already in the loins of the man, but not yet in the womb of the wo­man, nor could he be actually produced, with­out the woman, of the incarnation of the Son of God. It is truly said by St. Austin in Psal. 44. That it is Conjunctio nuptialis, Thalamus est ute­rus Virginis] i. e. A matrimonial union, and the mariage-chamber was the Virgin's womb. This mariage was now contracted in Paradise, and consummate, when the word was actually made flesh; But the Bride is not yet brought home to the bridgroom's house; This is that great mystery which the Apostle mentions, They two shal be one flesh-but I speak of Christ, & Eph. 5. 31. the Church].

This is that help meet for man, which the merciful Godhead intended; without which man had continued wofully alone, without God, without a Saviour; though he had an Eve with him, yet both had bin miserably solitary, and as one saith Terent. [...] Eun. solus cum sola; neither could they have bin such an help to each other, as was meet for both: They had (indeed) at the creation a life natural given them; but (without this Divine help) Eve could not have procured that spiritual, hea­venly, and most happy life, which yet was to be effected through her fertility, and not other­wise, as one saith of a companion,

Mart. 12. 47. ex Ovid. l 3. Nec tecum possum vivere, nec sine te.

This mysterious truth, surely, was known by Adam, who was a Prophet, (and is so ac­counted both by Orig in cant. hom. 3. Aug: de Gen: l. 9. c: 19. Origen, and Austin,) as may also appear by his prophetical words before the fall, Gen. 2. 23. but especially by his so na­ming [Page 127] the woman after the Fall, whom he called vitam, that is, life, Gen. 3. 20. as both Hier. in Gen. Ambr. de Parad: c: 14: Joh. 14. 6. St. Jerome, and St. Ambrose read that place, and the word Eve, or Cavah, signifieth life; where­by he declared both his expectation, and faith in the Messiah, to proceed from the woman; even that Messiah who calls himself, The way the truth, and the life] for thereby, only, could she be an help meet for man now fallen, and in this respect only was she called life, because from her, Christ was to come; so that she was, indeed, the first [...], or pa­rent of God, as the blessed virgin is often called by the Fathers, and [...], or mother of God. viz. of God-incarnate; otherwise she was not an help meet for man, but rather quite contrary: Nor could her ch [...]ld-bearing have saved her self, or others; except Christ the Saviour had bin in her progeny: nor yet, could her bearing of Christ originally in her womb have helped her, except she had also conceived him in her heart by saith as St. Au­stin very truly affirmeth of the blessed Virgin Mary, (who was neerer akin to Christ, than Eve was) Aug. de vir. c. 3: To. 6. Nihil Mariae profuisset materna propinquitas, nisi feliciùs Christum corde, quàm carne gestasset &c. Neither Eve, nor Mary, could have bin saved by propagating, or bearing Christ in the womb, if they had not conceived him in their hearts.

If we lay aside this consideration of Eve, & con­sider her only as a woman she will appear rather an impediment than an help to man, for she oc­casioned the fall of the man by conversing with Satan: in wch respect, Tertullian saith of her Tert. de habit Mu­lieb. Fae­ [...]na, est janua Diaboli] The first inlet of Satan, [Page 128] was the woman, as Chrysostome, cals Job's wife Chrys. n. 56. The Instrument of Satan: and Orig. n. 17. Origen cals her ^c muscipuiam. i. e. The trap of Satan, And saith moreover, that Satan destroying the goods and children of Job, yet touched not his wife, but left her on purpose to supplant the ho­ly man.

But God looked otherwise on Eve when he called her an help; and considered her so, as the Fathers speak of the blessed Virgin-mother, whom they call Ambr. de Spirit. lib. 3. c. 12. Templum Dei. And Fulg. serm. 3. Fene­stram Coeli And id. ibid Scalam Coeli And Euseb. Emis. Ho­mil. in Vi­gil. Nativ. Por­tam Coeli. i. e. A Temple of God; The window of heaven; The ladder and gate of heaven: for all these was Eve in respect of her fruitfulness, and the propagation of Christ from her.

For in other child bearing she was unhappy, as first in Cain, then in the holy, but unfortu­nate Abel; some of her posterity are called, a generation of vipe [...]s, and also said to be of their Father the Devil, and one of them [...] cal­led Joh. 6. 70. a Devil. The consideration of such miscar­riages, hath made some parents wish themselvs childless. The great Emperor Augustus wished that he had died without wife and child, Suet. in Aug. c 65. his issue proved so ill. Capitolinus saith of the good Emperor Antoninus the Philosopher. Capit. in M. Aut. c. 8. Felix fu­isset, si fi [...]ium non reliquisset i. e. he had bin hap­py, if he had not left a Son: (he meant, w [...]cked and bloody Commodus.) Dead Tantalus, in the fable, is brought in, desiring rather to re­turn to hell, whence he came, than to see, and promote the wickedness, and calamities of his posteritie Sen. in Thye [...]te. Lu. 23. 29.. In which respect Eve might rather have desired barrenness, as Christ also said for such reasons, Blessed are the barren. [Page 129] So the help which Adam had by his wife, was not in regard of her society, nor in her childbea­ring, (generally considered) neither was she named Life, onely for that she was to be the mother of all other men and women to come; nor for any amorous or lascivious apprehen­sion (as wantons since used to their minions, Ju [...]. Sat. 6. [...]. And, Ter. in Eun. Anime mi, mi Phaedria) But it was surely in a far greater consideration, and in prophecy, and faith, of the Messiah to come by her, and of redemption, and immor­tall life, (which would be onely through him) that he named the woman, Vita. or Life.

This certainly was the reason, that God cal­led the Woman, An help, and meet for man,] and for nothing else, but onely the preconside­ration of the Saviour to descend from her; for so the holy Psalmist hath taught us, Our help Psal. 124. 7. standeth in the name of the Lord, which hath made heaven and earth.] For without this help, he saith in another place, O be thou our help in trouble, for vain is the help of man:] And more vain is the help of Woman.

Finally, for this cause, it may reasonably be thought, that the wisdom and providence of the Godhead permitted the fall of man to be occasioned by the woman, that so, the man might be induced, and necessitated, to seek for Life and Help otherwise; and not in the Person, but in the blessed Seed and poste­rity of the woman. To which purpose, St. Ambrose thus writeth; Ambros. de Parad. cap. 10. Et si mulier prior pec­catura erat, tamen Redemptionem sibi paritu­ra, salva erit per generationem siliorum inter quos, generavit & Christum.] (i. e.) Al­though the woman first sinned, yet Redemption [Page 130] was to come by her; therefore she shall be saved in child-bearing, because amongst her chil­dren, Christ was one.

By this time, I trust it appeareth to the Reader, that the grand, and onely reason, of the expression of the Rest of God at that time, was the providentiall, and mercifull conside­ration of Christ, the Seed of the Woman; and Saviour of her, and of the man, and of their posterity.

CHAP. XV.

WE are now come to the last, but the greatest difficulty of this Sabbaticall Doctrine, touching the Rest of God, and to give some Answer to those two Queries, [Page 131] mentioned before in the 10th Chapter:

1 First, How God can be said to Rest, who ne­ver laboured, or was at unrest?

2 Secondly, Why his Rest is fixed, first, on the seventh day of the world, and not mentio­ned before, or declared to have been from Eternity, (as certainly it was) seeing this Rest was onely in consideration of the Messiah, now secretly laid and couched in our first parents?

We may not think, that this expression of the Rest, Contentment, or Complacency of God, was occasioned onely by the newnesse of that work; as man pleaseth himself in new apparell, new fashions, or new buildings. This could not be the cause of God's Rest, unto Whom, all his intentions and works were known from Eternity, and were all present to his Divine Providence, with whom there is no futurity; because, whatsoever is future in respect of our human apprehension, is ideally present to God. In which respect, the words of Solomon may be rightly understood, There Eccles. 1. 9 is no new thing under the Sun,] for nothing is new to the Godhead. And, the Apostles have declared, that this very mystery, in which (as we have shewed) the Rest of God consisteth, is, The eternall purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.] And, That our Re­demption Eph. 3. 11 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19, 20. —with the pretious blood of Christ—was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world.] And moreover, That God hath also chosen us in him before the foundation of the Ephes. 1, 4. world.] This being undeniable, we may wonder, that this Rest of God is confined or limited to this one time, and not mentioned [Page 132] before, although it had been from everlasting.

To the first of those Queries, our Answer is, That the onely Rest, or Sabbath of God, is 1 Querie answered. the Messiah; because, in the Obedience of Christ, both active and passive, the Godhead doth rest satisfied, contented, and well-plea­sed; not onely with the proper and individu­all person of Christ, but also (for, and in him) with all the holy Members of his Body my­sticall, being by faith united, and One with him.

For therefore doth God rest in him, be­cause by him, the whole Law was to be (and now actually is) performed; so that all the duties, debts, and penalties, which, in justice, are requirable of his servants, are fully paid by Christ, and thereby the just Godhead is sa­tisfied to the uttermost farthing. So that the Rest of God is in no wise to be ascribed to him, in respect of any cessation from the work of Creation, but onely in consideration of the acquiescence of God, in Christ's satisfaction, and thereby man's acquiescence, or ac­quittance from the wrath of God.

That the Rest of the Godhead consisteth in Christ onely, may appear by many passa­ges in the Old Testament, something obscure­ly, and in the New more clearly; for so we read in King Solomon's Prayer, Arise, O 2 Chron. 6. 41. Lord God, into thy Resting-place, thou, and the Ark of thy strength.] This he said of the Temple at Jerusalem. The like was said be­fore by his father David, of the Tabernacle; Arise, O Lord, into thy Rest, thou and the Ark of thy strength.] And the like was said, Psal. 132. 8 Numb. 10. 35. before both, by Moses, Numb. 10. 35. And [Page 133] it came to passe when the Ark set forward, Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let them that hate thee flee before thee.] God is gon up with a shout,] Ps. 42. 5. was said of the Taberna­cle and Ark, Lyra­nus in loc. Observe here, good Reader, that Moses calls the Ark, Lord; and, that David and Solomon call the Tabernacle and Temple, God's Rest, and Resting-place. These speeches must needs point at, and sig­nify Christ, for therefore onely did Moses give the title of Lord to the Ark, because it was the type and signall of his presence with his peo­ple. And therefore onely did David and Solo­mon call the Tabernacle and Temple, God's Rest, because they were the figures and types of Christ's Body, wherein the Godhead was to rest; but the very substantiall Body of Christ, was the reall and true Temple of God indeed; so Christ said, Destroy this Temple— Joh. 2. 19. 21. But he spake of the Temple of his Body.]

That the Ark was the figure or representa­tive of Christ's Body, we are taught by St. Jerom, upon those words, Thou and the Ark of thy strength.] Hier. i [...] Psal. 132. Tu, & corpus assumptum, quo divini [...]as tegeba [...]ur.] So doth St. Austin expound those words, Aug. in loc. Corpus Christi, quod ex Maria natum est.] (i. e.) The Ark signi­fied that body which God the Son assumed of the Virgin Mary, in which his Godhead was covered.

But the Resting place of God cannot be meant principally, or ultimately, of the ty­picall Temple, for that is destroyed long ago: nor of the Ark, for that is also lost; nor is the Godhead now hid in a Chest. The true Resting-place of the Godhead, is onely the human Nature of Christ, in which it resteth, and abideth for ever, so as not to be separated [Page 134] from it all. Of this residence of the Godhead, John Baptist thus spake, I knew him not; but he Joh. 1. 33. that sent me—the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he, &c.] For Christ is he on whom the Divine Spirit, or Godhead, not onely descended, but resteth and remaineth for ever.

The holy Psalmist, in the place before men­tioned, saith, For the Lord hath chosen Sion, Psal. 132. 13, 14. he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever, here will I dwell.] What was Sion literally? but an Hill or Rock; and how doth God dwell there? Verily, no otherwise than in any other common part of the world. Nor can it truly be said to be his Rest for ever, (if literally understood) because we are sure, Sion is long since forsaken, as was prophesyed by Isaiah, Jeremy, and Micah; and that this Sion should be plowed as a field.] Which pro­phecy, Jer. 26. 18 Euseb: de Demon. lib. 6. cap. 13. Eusebius saith, he saw performed with his own eyes.] Which dereliction is thought to have been intimated by that strange voice which was heard in the Temple, a little be­fore the finall destruction thereof, Joseph. n. 24. Heges. n. 34 Euseb. Hist lib. 3. cap. 5. Hieron. n. 4 Let us de­part hence;] of which, speciall notice was ta­ken by many Writers, as Josephus, Hegesip­pus, Eusebiu, and Jerom.

But, in Sion was the house of David, and the Tabernacle, and the Ark; and the Temple also stood on a part of that great hill of Sion, all being figures of Christ; for this reason one­ly it was said of Sion, This is my rest for ever,] because the everlasting Rest of the Godhead was to be in the family, posterity, or Son of Mat. 1. 1. David] and is him, who was represented, [Page 135] typified, or prefigured by the Tabernacle, Temple, and Ark; and that is, onely in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so Arnobius ex­pounds that Prophecie, Arnob. i [...] Psal. 131. Requies Dei in Jesu evidens est, & specialis; in quo est arca.] This Rest of God is meant evidently of Jesus, in whom especially was the Ark of God.]

That which the great Prophet Isaiah saith of the progeny of Jesse, may put us out of doubt, that Jesus onely is the Sabbath or Rest of the Godhead, Is. 11. 1. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots▪: and the Spi­rit of the Lord shall rest upon him.] For, from Jesse came David, from David came Christ, and upon Christ doth the Divine Spirit or Godhead for ever rest. And this Rest of the Godhead is the very same thing, which was signified by that heavenly voice of God the Father, uttered (more then once) in the Gos­pell, This is my beloved Son in whom I am Mat. 3. 1 17. 5. Beza in Math. 3. 17. well pleased;] which Beza most pertinently, and for weighty reasons, renders, In quo acquiesco,] (i. e.) In whom the Godhead doth acquiesce, or, is at rest. For if God were not well pleased, and satisfied, and at rest with mankind by Christ, the expostulation of the Psalmist might, with trembling, be taken up by us all, Wherefore hast thou made all men Ps. 89. 46. for nought?

If it be here said, that this Rest of the Godhead in Christ, may possibly signifie the continuall and sempiternall mansion, conjun­ction, and union of God and man in Christ: So that by these two ingredi [...]nts of Godhead and Manhood, thus joyned, one Hypostatical [Page 136] or Personall union is made, whereby God and Man are become one Person, and shall so rest inseparably for ever.

To this we answer and affirm, that all the said allegation is true, and that Christ may rightly be called the Rest of God, in con­sideration of the everlasting union of the God­head with the human nature of Christ. But withall we say, that there is more to be con­sidered in this Rest, than onely a meer union of God with man. For we must further en­quire, Why it pleased the Almighty Godhead to condescend to this abasement, and Exina­nition, so as to be personally united with a creature, and to be in the form of a servant, whereby the mighty God, in the person of the Son, became mortall, and subject to all the infirmities of mankind, (except sin) and even death also.

By the serious meditation hereof, we shall find, that the finall cause, or motive of this union of the Godhead with our human nature, was not intended, or effected, for any rest, contentment, or complacency of the God­head for it self, because God, in respect onely of himself, did not stand in need of any such Rest o [...] he had from eternity all possible blessednesse, rest, and Ineffable happinesse, and so would have had everlastingly, although neither Man, nor Angel, nor the World had been crea [...]ed; or, although God the Son, or Word, had never been incarnate. Therefore it must needs be granted, that the Incarnation was de­signed by God, for the rest and benefit (not of God, but) of mankind; as we are excellently taught by Atha ser 3 cont. Ari [...]n. Athanasius, that God the Son had [Page 137] never been ordained to become Emmanuel, or Incarnate, if Mans necessity (for Re­demption) had not wanted, and necessarily re­quired it. Thus he.

It being thus evident, that this Rest of God is not called a Rest in respect of himself, but only in respect of that Rest, which by his goodnesse and mercy he hath ordained for his poor Creatures. It must needs follow, that God calleth that his Rest, which is indeed (not only principally, but) solely, the Rest of Mankind▪ For our Lord Jesus, the Emmanuel, is therefore the Rest or Sabbath of the God­head, because he is the Rest or Sabbath of us Men, in whom and through whom only, our (otherwise languishing and fainting) souls may find consolation, rest, and refreshment; he is the only solid hope, and Sabbath, upon whom we can depend, and rest, and expect, and hope for an eternall Rest, for in and by him only, the offended Godhead is re­concileable, so as to be at peace and Atone­ment with Man, and to rest satisfied, or well pleased, as the Angels sang at his Nativity, Glory be to God—and on Earth peace, Good will towards Men; Or, (as Beza more truly reads it) To Men Beza in Luk. 2 of good will ( [...]) that is, To Men designed by Gods free Grace and good pleasure.

From these premises I infer the 4 conclusions following, which I offer to the consideration of the Christian Reader: and do here set them down, that in this Doctrine of the Sabbath I may be rightly and plainly understood.

[Page 138] First, That Christ is that only Sabbath, or Rest, both of God and Man, which is mention­ed and meant in the fourth Commandement; and also in Gen. 2. 2.

Secondly, That Christ is therefore called the Rest of God, because God hath in mercy ordained him to be the Rest for Man­kind▪

Thirdly. That God cannot otherwise be said to Rest in Christ (for our good) but only because all faithful and holy Men do set up their Rest in Christ.

Fourthly, That the Rest of God (here meant) consisteth only in the Rest of Man; and that God calleth that his Rest, which indeed is primarily and properly Mans Rest.

The Rest of God cannot be meant of any new rest, in respect of himself only, because it is impossible that any increase or access can be added to infiniteness, such as is the blessed, eternal, and unspeakable Rest of the Godhead: Therefore there must needs be some other ex­ternal respect, in which God is said to rest otherwise, than before, and that surely is the Rest which he hath procured for Man, which God calleth his own Rest.

The holy Scriptures do very often ascribe the passions or affections of Men unto God; as when God is said to repent, to be angry, to be greived, and vexed, and displeased; although we are sure that no such changes can consist with the immutable Godhead; for the same Scripture that saith, in one place, It repented Gen. 6. 6. 1 Sam. 15. 29 the Lord: In another place saith, The strength of Israel will not lie, nor repent. Therefore [Page 139] such speeches are but Anthropo-pathetical, or after the manner of Men; as a Man puls down an house which himself built, because he is an­gry or displeased with it; so God in justice destroyes some Creatures which himself made: yet God is not angry, but because he doth such a thing as Man in Anger doth, therefore he is said to be angry. Just so, the Rest which is only in Man, is here for the like reason called Gods Rest. As when a provident Father hath settled a good and firm estate upon his Chil­dren, he will say, that now he is at rest and quiet, although he neither intermit his work, nor personally enjoy that estate, yet cal­leth his Childrens good his own; even as God doth here call the rest of his Creatures his own Rest. Of which more in the next Chapter.

CHAP. XVI.

THere are many passages in Scripture con­cerning God, which can in no wise be ve­rified, except we acknowledge this Doctrine, That the properties of Man are there trans­ferred and assumed by God, and called his actions, passions, or dispositions, as may thus appear.

Gen. 22. 12. It is said by God, in the per­son of his Angel. Now I know that thou fear­est God—seeing thou hast not with-held thy Son—from me. This God did know before; but because by this grand trial, God made both Abraham and others know it, therefore it is said, Now I know. Aug. de Gen. l. 4 c. 9 Quia nos cognoscere facit, saith the Expositor, i. e. God is said to know only, because he now made man to know. It is said of one Sabinus in Seneca, Sen. Ep. 27 Putabat se scire, quod quisquam in domo suâ sciret; so God accounteth the apprehen­sion of his People to be his own knowledge.

[Page 141] Deut. 13. 3. The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether you love the Lord your God. Not as if God did not know before and without trial; but because hereby Man might perceive whether he doth really love God.

Gen. 18. 21. God saith of Sodome, I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it—if not, I will know. What need was there of this going down to see and know, when God knew what was before▪ and what would be after? But only, to convince the Sodomites, by making them see and know their own wickedness, in attempting that Sodomitical sin.

In the like sense also, even Nescience or Ignorance is transferred on the Son of God, as Mark 13. 32. But of that day knoweth no Mat. 24 36 man, no not the Angels—neither the Son, but the Father only. It were blasphemy to say absolutely, that God the Son did not know it, who is the same only God with the Father, and is also called by the great Prophet. The mighty God, and The everlasting Father, (for every Person is the Father in respect of Isai. 9. 6 all Creatures, although only the first Person is the Father of the Son). But when it is said, Neither the Son; the meaning is, as St. Austin and other Expositors with him, generally a­gree; Lib. 83 quaest. quaest, 60 Nescire filii est, cum non prodit ho­minibus, quod inutilitèr scirent.—And De Gen. Cont. Ma­nichae'os l. 1. c. 22 Quia discipulos nescientes reliquit: Because Christ would not reveal the day of Judgment to his Disciples, therefore he is said not to know it. In this sense only it is, that St. Hi­lary [Page 142] saith, Hil. de Trin. lib. 9. Luke 13 27 Mat 7. 23 Habemus nescientem Deum; our God professeth to some, I know you not. For otherwise we say with Austin▪, Aug. Psal. 10 1 Cor. 1. 24 Domine quid ignorabas? Lord ! how is it possible, that the Wisdome of God should not know all things? so, that God the Son is said not to know that day, only, because Men do not know it.

Isai. 1. 24. God is represented by this Pro­phet, as being disturbed of his Rest, and Ease, and saying, Ah, I will ease me of mine ad­versaries. So the Psalmist speaketh, Psalm 2. 4. and 37. 13. The Lord shall have them in derision—The Lord shall laugh at him. So Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit it self maketh in­tercession for us with groanings. And Ephes. 4. 30. Greive not the holy Spirit of God. And 1 Thes. 5. 19. Quench not the Spirit. These sayings must needs be understood [...], as relating only to Man; for God cannot (In himself) be eased: Nor can the holy Spirit make intercession, or be Mediator, nor groan, nor be greived, nor quenched; nor doth God deride or laugh Men to scorn: But because holy Men, in whom the Spirit of God dwelleth, are disturbed, and persecuted, and greived, and quenched, therefore Gods Spirit is said to be so; The groanings of the Spirit are the doleful Ejaculations of holy Men. The easing of God, is the removing of Adver­saries, Oppressors, and Persecutors of his Peo­ple. Gods laughing, is the exposing of proud Tyrants to the scorn and derision of them, over whom they have domineer'd; just as the hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and impri­sonment, and persecution of the Members of [Page 143] Christ, are said to be of Christ himself, Mat▪ 25. Acts 9.

So the Rest or Sabbath of the Godhead must be meant only of that everlasting Sab­bath, which God in Christ hath ordained for his Servants. The Psalmist saith, The Lords Psal. 147. 17 delight is in them that fear him. Now because no delights or pleasures can possibly be added, or new, to the unspeakable blessedness of God, therefore this delight must be understood of Men, That Mans delight in God, and his well-being in a course of godliness leading to the everlasting delights, and joyes of Heaven, is here called God's delight; just so as mans Rest is called the Rest of God.

For we may not think, that the Rest of God is confined, limited, or circumscribed in the single person of Christ, for indeed Christ is not otherwise the Rest of God, but only in consideration of us Men, and in regard, that in Christ the Sabbath or Rest of Men is inclu­ded; so that Christ cannot be the Rest of the Godhead, but as he is looked on, and consider­ed as a Jesus, or Saviour of Mankind, and in this respect only it was said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. The Reader may observe, that it is not said, With Whom, as if the complacencie or acquiescence of God were only with the particular person of Christ; but it is said, In Whom, ( [...]) To signifie, that in, by, and through him, God would be at peace, and well pleased with others, even with all the Members of the most holy Jesus.

And indeed the whole Oeconomy and de­sign of the Godhead in preparing the Messiah, [Page 144] was only in the behalf of Mankind; so the Prophet hath taught us, Unto us a Child is born, and unto us a Son is given. Here is both Isai. 9. 6 the Nativity and the Death of the Messiah given to us. Then he is called, The Prince of Peace: This signifies, that he was to be the maker of Peace, or Atonement, or Reconcilia­tion of Man with God; He is called Messiah, or Christ, (that is) anointed, fitted, and pre­pared for the great Work of Mans Redempti­on: Then he is properly named Jesus, and this, in order to the benefit of Man; for so the holy Angel said, Thou shalt call his name Je­sus, for he shall save his People from their sins. Mat. 1. 21 And that it may appear that this Person Jesus is qualified and endowed with sufficient power to effect that great and merciful purpose of the Godhead toward Mankind; the same Prophet cals him, Wonderful, Counseller, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father. This, I trust, is enough to shew the meaning of Gods Rest.

Now to the second Querie above menti­oned, 2. Querie Answered. viz. Why God is said to Rest on the Se­venth day, precisely, and not before. Our Answer is

1. Because on the Seventh day, and not be­fore, the Creation of Mankind was completed: for on that day was the Woman taken and built out of the Man, and not before, as is a­bove shewed.

2. God is not said to Rest, until he had actually begun the Work of Mans Rest; which was not done, untill the Man and the Woman were both of them finished : for then, and not before, was the Saviour of Mankind really and [Page 145] actually laid, as the foundation of Mans Rest; in which Rest or Sabbath of Man, the Rest or Sabbath of the Godhead consisteth, and in no­thing else.

What God (in his Divine and Secret Coun­sel) had determined before all times to be done; that did he now on this Seventh day begin; which was the building of his Church; for now the first stone was laid, even Christ, who only is the founda [...]ion, and the Rock, and the chief corner-stone thereof; The house built upon a Rock, Matth. 7. 24. signifieth the Church; when Peter had said, Thou art Mat. 16 16 Christ, the Son of the living God, Christ pre­sently replied, Upon this Rock will I build my Church. The Apostle tels us, Christ was 1 Cor. 10 4. the spiritual Rock. And, Other foundation can no man lay, then that is laid, which is Jesus 1 Cor. 3 11 Christ.

Now this foundation of Rest must needs be made known unto the Man, for otherwise it could not be his Rest; and consequently it could not be the Rest of God until Man did so know it, that he might relie, and trust, and set up his Rest upon it; that is, upon Christ. Therefore the holy Scripture doth by divers intimations signifie, that this great Mystery was then revealed to Adam, for he was illumi­nated with prophetical Wisdom. He knew (as well as Moses) that he was made in the [...] of God, that is, in the same shape which God his Redeemer would one day assume (as is before shewed). He knew, the Woman was taken and built out of him, on purpose to pro­duce a Redeemer in that only way, which might fitly serve for that Work, when no other [Page 146] way could; for upon the forming of her, he said, This is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. This speech doth shew, that the Man was not ignorant in the great Mystery of the Union of Himself and the Woman, and their future progenie, with Christ also, in one lump; which union was contrived by the Godhead, only in order and necessity to the Redemption of A­dam, and his off-spring, and nothing else; And it is the same, which by the great Apostle is applied to the mysterious union of Christ and his Church. They two shall be one flesh—This Eph. 5. 31 32 is a great Mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and his Church.

After the Fall of Man, it pleased the merci­ful Godhead to give a more open and evident notice, by an express promise, of this Rest, than was before; when it was said, The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head; for af­ter this, the Man named the Woman Vita, i. e. Life, as is before shewed; whereby he decla­red his Faith, and expectation of a new and better life to come, by the fruitfulness of the Woman, than that Life which he forfeited by his fall; as may reasonably be thought.

All these intimations and overtures being but descriptions of the great Saviour to pro­ceed from the Man and the Woman, in whom they might set up their Rest (as surely they did). And God having now actually begun that great Work of Redemption, and laid the foundation thereof in the Earth of ou [...] first Parents, and made it known unto them: Therefore he doth now, and not before, call this blessed Rest of Man, His own Best.

[Page 147] For the Church of God, which consisteth of Christ and his Members, united not only in the nature of our first Parents, but also ce­mented by one and the same Spirit of God, residing both in Christ the Head, and also in all holy Men, as inferiour Members under that Head: This Church, I say, is very often in Scripture represented as a building, even from the beginning of the World, and so con­tinued in the Gospel. The Woman is said to be builded of the Rib (aedificavit costam in Gen. 2. 22 Multierem). Rachel and Leah are said to build the house of Israel. The natural Body of Ruth. 4 11 Christ is called a building by King Solomon, Wisdome hath built her an house: So is his mystical Body also; Ye are Gods building. Prov. 9. 1 1 Cor. 3. 9 And Acts 9. 31. The Churches had rest—and were edified. The Word of God, and preaching, and brotherly exhortation, are re­sembled to buildings; The Word is able to Act. 20. 32 build you up. St. Paul calleth preaching there, where Christ was named before, building on another mans foundation; and Rom. 15 20 exhorteth the Thessalonians, to edifie one ano­ther. 1 Thes. 5 11

The prime foundation of this building is Christ; upon Him the Prophets and Apostles are laid as Super-structures, or second Foun­dations: Of Christ the Prophet saith, Be­hold Isa. 28. 16 I lay in Sion, for a foundation, a Stone, a tried Stone, a precious corner-Stone, a sure foundation. And this is so applied to Christ, by St. Peter, who also calleth the Members of Christ, Lively stones, built up a spiritual 1 Pet. 2 5, 6 house. And Sion is mentioned, because (as the same Prophet foretold) Out of Sion shall Isai. 2. 3 [Page 148] go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem: For so indeed, the Law of Christ, and the preaching thereof, began there, as Christ appointed, Luk [...] 24. 7. And of Apostles and Prophets, and Christ; St. Paul telleth the Ephesians, That they are built upon Eph. 2. 20 the foundation of the Apostles, and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone.

It hath been an ancient Custome amongst Men, to express a joy and delight, both at the laying of the foundation, and also at the rai­sing, and dedication of magnificent or holy Edifices. So did the Jews at the laying of the foundation of the second Temple; praising the Lord, with Trumpets, and Cymbals, and Ezra 3 10, 11 Songs. So they did before at the Dedication of Solomon's Temple, The Levites a [...]ayed in 2 Chron. 5. 12, 13 white linnen, singing, with Cymbals, Psalteries, and Harp [...], and an hundred and twenty Priests sounding with Trumpets, and saying, For his Mercy endureth for ever. This custome was also continued by the Christians, in their En­caenia, or Dedication of their holy Edifices, as the Fathers and Church-Histories do very often report.

The most noble, and most holy Edifice in the World, is the Church; Whereof God himself is the Builder; The Materials of it are, the Son of God, together with all his ho­ly Members. Therefore when Christ (who is the first stone and foundation of this Church) was first laid in the Earth, that is, in our first Parents, just then it pleased the Di­vine Founder to express a joy and compla­cencie therein, under the notion of Rest; as it [Page 149] is said, God Rested: And in another place, Exod. 31. 39. He was refreshed. And this was done only to signifie the Love and Good­ness of God to Man, for whom he had now actually begun a certain Rest, Ease, and Re­freshment, which the Godhead (for it self) needed not.

Then again, at the Nativity of Christ, when this building was raised for that graci­ous purpose of Mans Salvation, it pleased the Godhead to send a whole Quire of Heavenly Levites to sing, Glory to God on high. And at the Dedication thereof, at his Baptism, God the Father, by a voice from Heaven, declared Mat. 3. 17 his complacencie therein; so that the joy of Angels, and the Rest, complacencie, or acqui­escence of the Godhead, consisted only in Christ; and in him, for none other reason or respect, but only because he brought Peace on Earth to men of good-will. This is enough, to the second Query.

CHAP. XVII.

HAving thus far proceeded in the search of the Sabbath Morall, which is com­manded in the fourth Precept of the Morall [Page 155] Law of God, in these words, Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it.] In the next place, we are to consider the other words of that Law, which we have declared to be meerly Typicall, Ceremoniall, and Temporall, and obliging the Jews onely, and not other Na­tions; and to be now antiquated, ever since the manifestation of the Son of God in the flesh. Which ceremoniall part taketh up all the words of this Law, except onely those few above mentioned; the severall branches where­of we will now endeavour to expound, as they are in order laid down.

1. These words are no Command, so as to require our labour, all the other six dayes; but they are onely a Permission, by which the Jews were invited to a diligent and cheerfull celebration of their Sabbath, in regard God had given them six dayes for their own occa­sions, and reserved but one in the seven to him­self, when he might have left them but one in the seven; which yet was not for any need that God had of it, but onely for the benefit of his people; just as be permitted all the Trees of Paradice to Adam, except onely one. Thus far Calvin and other Divines gene­rally agree.

2. For if these words were a Command to work all the other six dayes, they would con­tradict other Laws, whereby the Jews were commanded to Rest; as at the Feast of the Passeover▪ [...]. 12. 16. and at Pentecost, [Page 156] Levit. 23. 21. and at the Atonement, Levit. 23. 28. at the Feast of Trumpets, Levit. 23. 25. and at the feast of Tabernacles, Levit. 23. 35. These Feasts did all depend upon the Moon, and therefore might, and did fall on any, and every one of the other six dayes re­spectively.

3. If this Law were Morall, how could we Christians lawfully abstain from working on our Sundayes, and Fasting-daies, and daies of Thanksgiving, and other Festivalls, com­manded by lawfull Authority? It followeth,

These words (as I conceive) are not right­ly rendred by our English Translators : of which we will enquire anon, and for present take them as they are presented.

In what sense the seventh day is here said to be the Sabbath of the Lord our God, we have shewed before; namely, That it is there­fore called the Sabbath, because it was appoin­ted to be a ceremony and figure, to represent to the Israelites the true and reall Sabbath, or Rest in the Messiah. So that it is called a Sab­bath, just as we call Pictures by the names of those things which they represent; as the Painter in Aelian wrote over his pictures, [...] lib. 10 c. 10 This is an Ox, this is an Horse, this is a Tree] So in Scripture, the Ark is often called JEHOVA, as Catech. part 2. p. 45. Beza observeth; the Altar is also so called, Exod. 17. 15. and the Dove is called the Spirit, Joh, 1. 33. the seven Kin [...] are seven years, Gen. 41. and the Rock i [...] [Page 157] Christ, 1 Cor. 10. 4. For if the seventh day were the onely Sabbath intended in this Com­mandment, we Christians should at this day be bound to keep it, as much as the Jews were.

That Christ, or the Apostles, changed the seventh day to the eighth, or Saturday to Sunday, is often too boldly affirmed by our Sabbatarian Writers, and too tamely swal­lowed by their followers; which, as yet, they never have, or ever can solidly prove.

But to say that Christ utterly dissolved the Ceremoniall, or seventh-day Sabbath, and yet left the true Sabbath unaltered to us, (which is our firm Rest in himself); and that the Church first, then Christian Magistrates also, assumed another day, even our Sunday, in­stead of the Jewish seventh day, for their holy Assemblies, is true, and easily proved; al­though they never called this Sunday a Sab­bath. Nor can the Jewish seventh day possi­bly be that Morall Sabbath which is meant, and intended in this fourth Commandment, because it is here said, The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.]

For we are well assured, that the seventh day is not so to be accounted the Rest of God, as if God ceased from his operation on every, or, on any one seventh day; but his Rest was onely in consideration of the Saviour of Man­kind, because on the first seventh day of the world, he formed the Woman, (as is before shewed) and even then, on that seventh day, and ever since upon every seventh day, he hath been operative in governing the world, and co-operating with every creature therein, without any intermission at all. But he is said [Page 158] to rest on that seventh day, because then our first parents were compleatly and fully fini­shed, and in them was laid the foundation of the future Church, (that is) Christ; who, to­gether with his holy Members, was to be pro­pagated joyntly from the Man and the Wo­man. So that Christ onely was, and is, the Sabbath, or Rest, of God and men.

Upon this reason it was, that the seventh day was long after sanctified, or set apart, for a day of bodily rest, that thereby it might be a type, figure, and ceremoniall remembrance, or commemoration of Christ, the great and mysterious Sabbath.

Therefore the Seventh day, and the Sabbath day, are two distinct and severall things, and differ as much as the shadow and the body, or as Christ and the Lamb, that is, as much as Type and Anti-type: For, as the Lamb lite­rally was not Christ, but his figure; so the se­venth day, literally considered, was not the Sabbath here meant; but, typically, the sha­dow or representation thereof. Just so the Apostle saith of this seventh-day-Sabbath, and of other such like ceremonies, that they are a shadow of things to come, but the body is Col. 2. 17. Christ.]

The Reader may further observe, that it is not here said, The seventh day was the Sab­bath,] but Is, in the present tense; and this, because God never declared, that the seventh day should be observed, untill the daies of Moses, although the Godhead did ever, from the first seventh day, acquiesce in Christ : and not onely upon the seventh day, but every day, and every minute, and so will do to [Page 159] eternity, when no distinction of daies shall be any more, but one everlasting day. Therefore they are mistaken, that think the seventh day to have been appointed to be observed, on the first seventh day of the world, as a Sabbath; for in all the Histories of the Patriarks, before the Flood, and also after the Flood, in the Mo­saicall History of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Reader will never find the word, Sabbath, so much as once mentioned, untill Moses wrote the History of his own time, which was about 24 hundred years after the creation of the world.

We observe also, that in St. Jerom, (accor­ding to the Originall) and generally in all the Latin Writers, Calvin and all, these words are otherwise read than our English Transla­tion hath rendred them; for we read them thus, The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God;] but they, Septimo die, Sabba­tum Domini Dei tui est.] i. e. On the seventh day the Sabboth of the Lord thy God is.]

By these words it may appear, that the seventh day was not the true and reall Sab­bath here meant, but that the celebration and memoriall of the Morall Sabbath was to be performed on the seventh day: so that the Sab­bath and the seventh day are two distinct things, and differ as much as substance and shadow. For, the Rest of God in Christ, is the true Sabbath both of God and men; and the corporall rest of men was no more, but onely the memoriall and celebration thereof.

Just so the Fathers spake concerning the great Christian Festivall of the Nativity of Christ, on the 8th of the Kalends of January, or 25th. [Page 160] of December; Cyp. n. 99 Adest Christi Nativitas. And, Orig. n. 46. & Hie­ron. n. 41. Hodie verus Sol mundo ortus est. And, Chrys. n. 61. De­us hodie factus est homo. And, Aug. de Temp. Ser. 16. Hodie natus. est Christus.] i. e. Now is the Nativity of Christ come—This day the true Sun is risen—This day was God made Man—To day was Christ born.] In all which passages, every one knows, that these Fathers meant not, that Christ was really born on that very particular day, wherein they spake or wrote these words; but onely, that the celebration of his Nativity was performed on that day. So it is here, the seventh day was not the true, reall, and mo­rall Sabbath, but onely the day appointed for the memoriall and celebration of that Sab­bath. for the true Sabbath was the rest of God and men in Christ; and the seventh day was the time appointed for the celebration thereof. Nazianzen saith of Christian Festivalls, Naz. O. rat. 39. Festi celebratio est memoria Dei: i. e. Chri­stian Festivals are but memorials of God. So God himself said of the Sabbath-Feast, Ve­rily my Sabbath ye shall keep, for it is a signe between me and you—that ye may know that I am the Lord (JEHOVA) that doth sanctifie you.

First, this branch, doubtlesse, belongeth onely to the Ceremoniall, Jewish, or seventh-day Sabbath, but not at all to the true sub­stantiall Sabbath; and therefore it doth not, in the least, concern us Christians, by vertue of this Law, because the seventh day, or Satur­day-Sabbath is antiquated and quite gon.

[Page 161] 2. If this branch did belong to the Morall Sabbath, or, if the sanctifying of the seventh day were the onely Sabbath, meant in this Commandment, surely it would be a great sin to do any of the prohibited works on that day, in any case of necessity or inconvenience; because the Morall Law of God is indispen­sable, and so may not be transgressed upon any pretence whatsoever, as is before shewed.

3. If this branch were Morall, it must needs be in force at this day, and then, No fire must be kindled, Exod. 35. 3. No sticks gathered, Numb. 15. 32. Nor Manna, Exod. 16. 26. No burden carried, Neh. 13. 19. Jer. 17. 21. No journeying, or going out of our place, Exod. 16. 29. No harvest-work, Exod. 34. 21. In a word, we might not feed our Cattle, or milk our Kine, or draw a Beast out of a pit, nor perform the works of Surgery, of Mid­wifery, or quench a burning house.

But if we can shew, that such works were done on the seventh day; and also, that they are sufficiently warranted to be inoffensive to God, then, I trust, the Reader will perceive, that this prohibition of works doth not at all belong to the keeping of the true, morall, and everlasting Sabbath, but onely to the Jewish sanctifying of their ceremoniall and temporall Sabbath. And therefore this Law was dispensable, in case of necessity, or of charitable convenience, as may thus appear.

1. The Israelites performed the works of Journeying and War, in their marching about [...]ericho seven daies together, (one of them must be the Sabbath day.) This was done by God's expresse command, in the Old Testa­ment. [Page 162] And in the New Testament, there is also expresse mention of a Sabbath day's journey. Act. 1. 12.

2. The Priests in the Temple carried fuell, and kindled fires, offered Sacrifices, and baked bread; and so (as Christ said) they profaned Mat. 12. 5. the Sabbath; that is, the seventh day, or cere­moniall Sabbath, and yet were blamelesse.] And this, because there was a necessity laid on them, even the commandment of God; who yet, would not have so commanded a­gainst his own morall Law.

3. As for carrying burdens, we know, Christ commanded the impotent man to take Joh. 5. 8. take up his bed. And for Cures, himself per­formed many on the Sabbath day, on set pur­pose to undeceive the Jews▪ in their Sabba­ticall and Pharisaicall superstitions: And also excused his own Disciples for gathering corn on the Sabbath.

4, As for the works of mercy and charity towards our brethren, and even to our poor cattle, how many generall precepts have we? A righteous man regardeth the life of his Prov. 12. 10. Mat. 12. 11 beast.] It is Christ's own orgument, If a sheep may be lifted out of a pit on the Sabbath day, much more may a man in danger be holpen. This he grounded on the Word of God, by his Prophet, Hos. 67. I will have mercy and not sacrifice:] That is, God will rather dispense with his own due for a while, then thereby retard the works of mercy and compas­sion. The Psalmist saith, O Lord, thou preser­vest [...]sal. 36. 6. man and beast.

Thus, As Moses cast the two Tables of the Law out of his hands, and brake them, and yet Exod 32. 19. thereby brake not the Law of God; so may the [Page 163] people of God keep and sanctifie the true sub­stantiall Sabbath, though with the breach, or (as Christ said) profanation of the seventh day, or ceremoniall Sabbath.

If it be here demanded, why God so strict­ly required a cessation from work, and a corporeall Rest on the seventh day, seeing he did not expect so exact an obedience there­unto? To this we answer; That, as the seventh day was but the type of the true Sabbath, which is Christ; so the corporall rest therein, was but the figure or signe of our spirituall and eternall rest in Him. Therefore, as the Ce­remoniall, or seventh-day Sabbath, in some cases, might be transgressed, yet without any breach or neglect of the true Sabbath, (which is Christ) so our corporall rest might be di­sturbed many waies in this life, by labours, sorrows, sufferings, and persecutions, yet without any disturbance of our spirituall rest, comfort, settlement, joy, and peace, in the God of all consolation; for so Christ hath said, These things have I said unto you, that in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall Joh. 16. 33 have tribulation.] For the tribulations of the world do not extinguish or null the peace of God in his servants. So he saith again, concerning the agonies of this present life, Come unto me all ye that labour Mat. 11. 28 and are heavy laden—Take my yoke—and ye shall find rest unto your souls.] By which it appeareth, that the spirituall Rest, or Sab­bath in Christ, possibly, may consist with la­bours, burdens, heavinesse, and even with bearing the crosse of Christ.

There is moreover a further reach and rea­son, [Page 164] why God imposed this inconvenient, and almost impossible cessation, on the seventh-day-Sabbath, which we will declare hereafter in its due place.

CHAP. XVIII.

THey that ask, why the wife was not here named; may as well ask, why the man or husband was not; for neither are particular­ly mentioned, because both are alike obliged, and both included in this word, Thou. A woman may have a son, and daughter, and servant [...], and cattle, and a stranger within her ga [...]es, (especially in her widowhood) as well as a man. But if they be joyned in matrimony, [Page 165] then no need of particular mention of either, because both are one. The woman was inclu­ded in the man at the creation of both Male and female created he them. And both the Old & the New Testament account them as one, They Gen. 2. 24 Eph 5. 31. shall be one flesh▪] In Grammar, there is, Hic & haec homo; and in Theology, the wife is esteemed as haec vir, or, as St. Jerom tran­slates the originall word, Virago; and Lyra­nus yet nearer, calls the woman, Vir [...]. Both are invested with superiority over their chil­dren and servants, and both interested in the fruition of their goods. At Heathen marrria­ges, the woman said, Plut. Quaest. Rom Ubi tu C [...]ius, ego Caia. And at our Christian matrimony, the man saith, With all my worldly goods I thee endow.]

This is added, because otherwise the Jews might have thought it no transgression in themselves, to have caused their children or servants to work, if the parents or masters wrought not. But by these words, the con­trary will appear, that if their children or servants were by them compelled to work on their Sabbath day, the sin was not to be im­puted to the son or servant, but to the parents or masters that so commanded: For, if it had been sin, or a transgression of this Law, in sons or servants to work, upon command and com­pulsion; then it must follow, that cattle also, even the Ox and the Asse, must have been under the obligation of this Commandment, and they also must have sinned, (as Against Mr. N. Byfield. Mr. [Page 166] Brerewood hath observed) which to affirm is most ridiculous. But if the Jewish sons, or servants, or subjects, had wrought on their Sabbath at their own choice, without com­mand, or compulsion of their Rulers; then the transgression, or Sabbath-breach, must have been their own, and the punishment thereof inflicted on themselves onely, and not otherwise.

The condition of servants was lamentable, their masters power over them was great, and so was their cruelty. God therefore provided some ease for them; otherwise, the unmercifull and covetous Jews would have afforded no rest to them at all. Neither did the Judaicall Laws of the Jews, wholly provide against the cruelty of masters; for if a Jew, by cruell Ex. 21. 20. stripes, had killed his servant, the master was not punishable by the Law Judaicall, if the abused servant continued alive a day or two after; nor, except he died under his hand: Al­though (no doubt) the master sinned a­gainst the morall Law, Thou shalt not kiil,] and was therefore answerable to God for murder.

But their condition under the Gentiles was far worse, who had legall power of life and death over them. They were not onely bought and sold like cattle, but also esteemed as vile, or worse than their beasts. One makes it a question, Tul. Offic. l. 3. Utrum equi a [...] servi jactura eli­genda? Another saith, A [...]g. Ps. 143. Cariùs equum, quàm servum emunt?] and another, Ambros. ⁿ Ser. 41. To. 5. Quidam ca­num [Page 167] magis quam servorum curam habent,] Their labours were such as cattle are used for; they called them, Laert. in Diogen. [...], as if they were nothing but feet. They ground in the Mill, and carried their Masters in Litters great journeys, as horses now do. And when they were old, and past work, they were cast out of doors to perish by famin; which was the practise of their wise Cato the Elder, as in Cato Major. Plu­tarch saith. Besides, great were the cruelties and tortures inflicted on poor servants, for light or no causes: Juvenal Sat. 6. Pone crucem servo—Nil fecerit, esto. Hoc volo, sic jubeo—Seneca saith of them, Sen. E­pist. 47. Tussis, sternutamentum, mag­no malo luitur. One Vedius Pollio, a Roman, Dion. in Aug. c. 15. commanded one of his servants to be cast into his pond of Lampries, onely for breaking a drinking-glasse. And when Pedanius, a Ro­man, was secretly slain in his own house, the murderers being not known, 400 of his hous­hold-servants were all put to death, as Tacit. An­nal. lib. 14. Ta­citus reporteth. But most barbarously cruell was that fact of Parrhasi [...]s, a Painter, which is related by Sen. lib. 5. cont. 35. Seneca, (either as a true Histo­ry, or, at least, as a case in Law, which then was casus dab [...]lis) who to [...]tured his captive-servants in flames to death, that so he might have a pattern to paint Prometheus by. Nor was this all, but for an aggravation of their miseries, they were so far from being pittied, that Poets and Players made them a common argument of publick mirth and derision, in open Theaters, wherein they were described as Plautus. catenarum coloni, ulmorum Acharuns, verberea statua, Gymnasium flagri, Plagipa­tidae, Plagigeruli, Sexcentoplagi, &c. And [Page 168] sometimes were forced to a part in some Tra­gedy of Phaeton, or Hercules burning, or of one crucified; and in stead of dying in jest, they were in earnest really put to death, as ap­peareth by the Spectacula of Mart. Spect. Ep. 7 Martial. And this was done to please the people.

Thus were the Jews and Heathen-G [...]ntiles cruell, but God was, and is, mercifull; and therefore in consideration of the hard-hear­tednesse, and power of masters over their servants, whereby they might by tortures compell them to work on forbidden daies, he hath by this Law, in such cases, laid the trans­gression, and consequently the punishment thereof, not on the compelled servant, but on the masters own head. And there is no doubt, but the equity of this ceremoniall Law of the Jews, doth also reach the Christians and Gentiles. All men are but servants, and fel­low-servants under one Master, who, in his Gospell, hath thus threatned, That servant which shall smite his fellow-servants—shall be cut in sunder, and shall have his portion with Mat. 24. 49. hypocrites.

The mercifull Godhead, by his Law, ta­keth care even for poor cattle, more then the Heathen Laws did for mankind, as Philo de Charitate Mosis. p. 710 Philo observeth; in imitation whereof, the Jews had a Tradition, belike from some of their holy Ancestors, concerning mercy to be shew­ed to dumb creatures in distresse, as Eusebius reports in these words, Euseb. de Praep. l. 8. cap. 2. Nuilius animalis preces, cum ad te lamentanti simile [Page 691] refugiat contemnas. The meaning was, that if a poor beast or bird, pursued by ravenous beasts or birds, or birds of prey, shall fly to a man for safeguard, he should protect it from the pursuer. This provision for cattle is an­nexed to this Sabbath-Law for two reasons.

1. Because the Jewish-Sabbath was a type or figure of Rest, not onely of mankind after the end of this world, but also of the rest and freedom, of other worldly and domestick creatures, which are now subservient to man, and toiled with labours; as the Ox, and Asse, the Horse, and Mule, and Camell, &c. A mercifull man cannot chuse, but many times to pitty and commiserate the excessive la­bours, and daily slaughterings of the crea­tures; of which, the Apostle saith, that one day, They shall be delivered from the bondage—under Rom. 8. 21 which the whole creation groaneth.

2. Because the working of domestick cattle, must needs require the assistance and co-opera­tion of man. Therefore it is here forbidden.

By this Law, other Nations are not re­strained from working on the Jewish Sab­bath, which did not at all concern them : Onely if aliens, or forrainers, did sojourn within the Jewish-gates, that is, within the jurisdiction, either Domestick, or Politick, of the Jews; then the Jews are required to cause them to forbear working on their Jewish Sab­bath day. So that this restraint of aliens or strangers, was confined to be onely within the Jewish limits and territories; for, strangers or [Page 170] aliens abiding in other places, out of the Jew­ish pale were at liberty to work and for so doing, the Jews are not, by this Law, requi­red, to forbid or hinder them.

That sons, servants, and even cattel, are here placed before strangers, the reason is, 1, Because they are the Jews own peculiars, of nearer relation, and more subject to their commands, than strangers are. 2. To intimate, that the Jews should first practise and obey the Law in their own persons, and families; for otherwise it would seem vanity, pride, or hy­pocrisie, to require obedience or compliance from others. There is a woe to such as lade other men with burdens, which themselves will Luk. 11. 46. not touch with one of their fingers; which may concern those, which lay the restraint of Jew­ish Sabbatizing on others, under the penalties of pecuniary mulcts, or the Stocks, or Se­questration; which yet themselves sleight, by marching, travelling, fighting, and killing on the same day.

By what hath been said, it may evidently appear to a diligent Reader, that this seventh-day Sabbath was meerly Ceremoniall, and concerned onely the Jews, or Israeliticall peo­ple, and not other Nations, as may be colle­cted from the premises, for these reasons fol­lowing:

1. Because the transgression or violation of this Sabbath-Law, by sons or servants, by command or compulsion of their Rulers, is [Page 171] here declared to be the sin of the commander onely, and not of the son or servant; which could not be, if this Law were Morall.

2. If this seventh-day Sabbath-keeping were a Law Morall; then it must follow, that whosoever transgressed therein, whether by his own will and election, or by command, or fear, or compulsion, greatly sinned. Other­wise, the Christian Martyrs might have been as well excused, if they had worshipped the Hea­then-Idolls, when they were commanded by their lawfull Princes, and, moreover, terrified by excessive torments and death. But they knew, that Idolatry was forbidden by a Law Morall, and therefore refused to obey. But this seventh-day Sabbatizing is not comman­ded by a Morall, but onely by a Law Cere­moniall.

3. These words, [Thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy man-servant, &c.] are not said of any other of these morall Laws; Not, of having other gods, nor of Idols, nor Perjury, nor dishonouring Parents, nor Murder, nor Aduliery, nor Theft, &c. Because sons, daughters, and servants, transgressing any of these truly Morall Laws, though by any com­mand or terrour of their Governours, yet the sin must be their own. But if sons or servants did work on this Ceremoniall Sabbath, by command and compulsion, the sin was in the commander, and not in the obeyer. There­fore this must needs be a Ceremoniall Precept, and not Morall; and it is imposed on Parents, Masters, and Governours, because the fault is not in the servants obedience to his Master, but in the Masters disobedience to God. The A­postle [Page 172] saith, Children, obey your Parents; but Eph. 6. 1. Col. 3. 18. 20. 22. he addeth, in the Lord. And again, Wives, submit your selves to your own husbands; he addeth, as it is fit in the Lord. And, Children, obey your parents in all things—Servants, obey in all things your masters; he addeth, Fea­ring God. So that if their commands be of things indifferent onely, or, though against some Laws of God, which are but meerly ce­remoniall, (as working on the Jewish Sab­bath was) then servants must obey actively; but if their commands be against the Morall Law of God, the servant must in no wise per­form his master's command, nor obey him therein; otherwise than passively, by bearing his punishment patiently. In this case, we have Christ's own direction concerning pa­rents, He that loveth father or mother more Mat. 10. 37. Luk. 14. 26. than me is not worthy of me. And, If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mo­ther—yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. For, although it is not lawfull in any case to hate the persons of our parents, (otherwise than we must hate or sleight our own lives or souls) yet, in obedience to God, we may, and must, hate and detest their per­nitious commands.

4. If this seventh-day Sabbath had been in force from the first seventh day of the world, as some have too hotly and unadvisedly af­firmed) and if the Israelites, in their Aegypti­an bondage, had been thereby obliged to Sab­batize, (as they must have been, if it had been a Morall Law) they must have obeyed God rather than men, notwithstanding the Aegyp­tian rigour towards them. But surely, they had [Page 173] never heard of such Sabbatizing, untill they were delivered out of Aegypt. For when they petitioned Pharaoh, by Moses, to have leave to go into the desart three daies journey to sa­crifice, Exod. 5. 3. it seemed but a pretence for idlenesse; and much more would their weekly Sabba­tizing have been accounted by him, who ne­ver had heard of any such thing. For surely, neither Jacob nor Joseph, nor any of those other Patriarks, Sabbatized, while they con­tinued in Aegypt, which they might have done at their first comming, and also during the great authority of Joseph; and also would, if any such morall Law had been imposed on them. Therefore, if they had neglected their Exod. 5. 4. Bricks, upon an allegation of Sabbatizing; not onely the inferiour Israelites, but even Moses himself, and Aaron also, had been relegated; as one saith: Plaut. in Asin.

But in the Babylonish Captivity, when this seventh day-Sabbath was actually in force; although (no doubt) the captive Jews were commanded and forced, and therefore did work on this seventh day; yet they did not of­fend God thereby, because that Law was but ceremoniall, and so must give place to neces­sity, and to the great inconvenience of force and stripes.

In that book intituled, Quaestiones Vet. & Novi Testamenti, which goes under the name of St. Austin; The Author very judiciously thus writeth, Aug. parte 2. quaest. 23. To. 4. Quod semper non licet, non [Page 174] habet excusationem; Sabbatum non observare, quand que excusationem habet, sed Adulteri­um, &c. nunquam. i. e. That which to do is alwayes unlawful, cannot be excused from sin upon any colour whatsoever; but the breaking of the Jewish Sabbath-day, in some cases is excusable, whereas, the transgression of the Moral Lawes of God, as by Idolatry, Per­jury, Murder, Adultery, &c. is not at all to be excused, in any case. Thus this Writer evi­dently sheweth, that the Jewish Seventh-day Sabbath was none of the Moral Lawes of God.

5. Finally, Let it be considered, that these words, [Thou, thy Son, Servant, Cattel, and Stranger] are not placed at the beginning of this fourth Commandement, as (Remember) is; nor mentioned until the Moral part of this Law was described, and finished: But they are with great wisdome warily reserved, to be put into the Ceremonial part thereof; because they do not belong to the Moral Sabbath, which commandeth the keeping holy, or the sanctifying of the Messiah; for Cattel can­not sanctifie this Moral Sabbath. Nor was there any need of requiring Parents, or Ma­sters, to cause their Sons or Servants so to do, because the Son and Servant were by them­selves bound to it; and if they did not, the sin was in themselves, and not in the Parent or Master. For the Moral Sabbath (which is Christ the Messiah) might be kept holy, or sanctified, by Servants, even in the midst of their sorest labours. As our Christian Martyrs did keep this Sabbath, even in the time when they laboured in the Mettal-mines, and also, in the [Page 175] midst of flames and other agonies. Whereas the Ceremonial, or Seventh-day-Sabbath, is here appointed to be kept by resting from or­dinary works, without any mention of any other kind of sanctification; which not only Servants, and the most ignorant Ideots, but Cattel also, might keep: For so the Heathen Romans had a Festival, which they called, Ovid. Fast. l. 2. Festum Stultorum. And at Syracusa in Sicilie there was a Festival called, Plut. in Nicia. Dies Asinarius. And among the Greeks Ovid. Fast. l. 2. Feast, which they called, Athaeneus l. 3. Porcalia ( [...]). And another they called, [...]: i▪ e. The Feasts of Fools, Asses, Swine, and Dogs. So indeed the Jewish Seventh-day Rest, or Sabbath, was not only for Masters and Servants, but also for Cattel, as requiring on­ly bodily Rest; which therefore Bishop An­drews doubted not to call, B. Andr. Cat. on the 4th Com. Sabbatum Boum, & Asinorum. In a word, the Ceremonial Sabbath belonged, not only to Men, but to Cattel also, who had their interest therein : Therefore those words [Servants and Cattel] are joyntly placed in the ceremonial part of this Commandement, and not in the morall part thereof with the Memento.

But the true Moral and Mysterious Sab­bath (which is Christ) belongeth only to Mankind; which the great Prophet doth therefore thus describe; Isa. 58. 13. Si vocaveris Sab­batum, Delicatum; & Sanctum Domini glorio­sum; & glorificaveris eum: i. e. If thou call the Sabbath a Delight; the holy of the Lord, Honourable; and shalt honour him. Here the Sabbath is described as a Person, and not as only a day (as is before observed): And [Page 176] these Titles, of Delight, and Holy of the Lord, and Honourable, belong only to Christ, who is indeed the only true, reall, and substantiall Sabbath both of God and Man.

The Stranger, or Gentile, includeth all other Nations besides the Jews, even us Christians also; and so the Jews at this day account us, but as Gentiles, and Strangers; although the wall of partition between them and us is broken Eph. 2. 14. down. But we Gentiles do at this day keep the true Moral Sabbath (which is Christ) so do not the Jews. And the Jews keep the Saturday, shadowie, and ceremonial-Sabbath (unseasonably, now when it is out of date); but so do not we Christians, ex­cept there be any left among us that ju­daize.

CHAP. XIX.

For in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in in them is, and rested the Seven [...]h day.

IT is here said, That the World was made in six dayes: and before, Gen. 2. 1. that the Heavens and Earth were finished, and all the [Page 178] host of them. And yet it follows immediatly, That on the seventh [...]y God ended his work which he had made. How both these Propo­sitions are true we have shewed before, namely, That although the Woman was not extract­ed, and separated, nor builded, or formed out of the Man until the seventh day, yet it is truly said, that the Creation was finished in six dayes, because the Woman was included in the Man Materially, Substantially, and Originally, although as yet Informiter, as the Glosse saith, that is, not formed, fashioned, or compleated, which work was respited until the seventh day; and thereupon it is said, that on it he ended his Work, and not before.

Although God could have made the World in one minute, yet he prolonged the work for six dayes, whereof St. Austin and other Wri­ters attempt to render some account; as 1. To intimate, that after the toylings and labours of the six dayes, or Ages of this World, his Servants should have rest with Him. 2. To teach us that we should not expect, that God will do all that he can do for us, on a sudden, either in conferring Mercies temporal, or Gra­ces spiritual; but orderly, and by degrees, (as calling, justifying, glorifying) and in his good time. The promised Seed of Abraham was not born till the old age of his Parents; nor the Egyptian deliverance performed, nor the Land of Canaan possessed, till four hundred yeares after the Promise.

The order of these Creatures is observable; First Heaven, then Earth. The blessing of Ja­cob was, The dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth: But Esau's was, The fatness of earth, and the dew of heaven; A true Cha­racter of Worldlings, and Epicures, who pre­ferre earthly things before heavenly; as one in the Claud. de Rapt. Pros. lib. 1. Poet saith,

So the Epicure in Nazianzen professed, Da mih [...] praesens; i. e. give me my portion in this World— [...], Let God reserve the future to himself. Which is but the same that some among us profess, even by their own words; and others farre more wickedly pra­ctise by bloody deeds, prosecuting earthly profits, pleasures, and honours, with the ma­nifest neglect and disclaiming of heaven, and trafficking for hell, as Witches do; and all this at a much lower rate than Satan offered Mat. 4 8. to Christ.

Gen. 1. 1. It is said, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The Heaven there meant, I take to be that which St. Paul cals, The third Heaven, (which to us is invisi­ble); 2 Cor. 12. 2. that it might be the Paradise, or habi­tation of Angels, as both Aug. de Civit. lib. 11. Austin, and other [Page 180] Divines have thought: because, as God ordain­ed the earthly Paradise for Man, at, or before his creation; so he prepared the Paradise of Heaven at, or before, their creation; and this, because it is said, Gen. 2. 1. The Heavens and the Earth were fini [...]hed, and all the host of them: The word Heaven, alone, implieth the creation of Angels, as Austin saith in the place before cited; or, if not, these words, all the host of heaven, will include them. And here it is said, The Lord made heaven and earth—and all that therein is: By which words, we con­ceive, that not only the house of Heaven, but also the Inhabitants thereof, were fi­nished.

So the Heaven, which is said to have been created in the beginning, must signifie the Em­pyreal, or highest Heaven, because the Creation of this lower heaven, which is visible, is said to have been done in the second day's work, and it is called, The Firmament, Gen. 1. 7. And this Firmament is also called Heaven, vers. 8. To p [...]t a difference or distinction between the former and later, or the highest and lower Heavens; and this to me seemeth to be con­firmed by the words of Christ; Come ye bles­sed Mat. 25. 38. —inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World: By which words, surely, he meant that Heaven, which was created in the beginning for blessed Angels and Men.

Now although this highest Heaven was made, and also inhabited by Angels, yet God is not said to rest in that Work; nor, untill he had finished the Man and the Woman, and in them had laid their Saviour to conduct [Page 181] them to that Heaven, which was not intended only for Angels, but principally for Mankind; as Christ said, (prepared for You.) In or­der whereunto the Angels were to be instru­mental, as we are taught by the Apostle; (Are Heb. 1. 14 they not all ministring Spirits, sent forth to mi­nister, for them who shall be Heirs of salvation. By which most gracious provision, our God hath declared himself to be a true Philanthro­pus. And also, a lover of Mankind, rather more than a lover of Angels.

For, out of this heavenly Paradise the apo­state-Angels were soon cast, and so left with­out a Redeemer, or any hope of return: One of them it was that deceived Eve; therefore the fall of Angels was before the fall of Man : Indeed, Man also was sent out of the earthly Paradise for sin; but yet he was not left with­out a possibility of Reconciliation, and return to a better Paradise, which was to be effected by the Seed of the Woman, even the Messiah, who is therefore the true and reall Sabbath of Man. And herein, also, is the love of God to Man highly expressed, in that he rested, only in consideration of Mankind, and the Saviour of us; and not in the creation, either of Heaven, or of Angels.

See how our merciful Creator, in the very be­ginning, joyneth Earth with Heaven, although the Earth was then invisible, clouded in dark­ness, and in an abysse of waters between it and Heaven; yet they are here joyned, as to inti­mate, so early, that, notwithstanding the [Page 182] powers of darkness, and the worldly insulta­tions of proud Oppressors, God would in time bring together, and unite Earth with Heaven; which he performed by and in Christ: Even the first Adam was composed of an heavenly Soul, and an earthly Body, as a resemblance of the second Adam, who consisted of his Hea­venly Godhead, and his Earthly Manhood : He was that prophesied Starr, as being heaven­ly; but out of Jacob, as to his humane gene­ration. Which was also signified by his appel­lation Numb. 24 17. Isa. 7. 14. Emmanuel, by whom this merciful in­tention was to be effected; for which consi­deration only, He is that Sabbath, wherein the Godhead is said to Rest.

Here we find Heaven, Earth, and Sea, and all the Creatures in them mentioned which words include both Men and Angels also. But we find not any mention of Hell, or its inhabitants, which yet (doubtlesse) was or­dained within the compasse of the first six daies; and also inhabited by those apostate Angels mentioned by St. Jude, as Reserved in everlast [...]ng chains under darkness. Jude 6.

They that imagine Hell to be implied in the word Earth, may change their opinion, when they consider, that Hell, and its fire, are said to be everlasting; but the Earth is a Matth. 25 [...]1. Matth. 24 35. 2 Pet. 3. 10. very cold Element as yet : but it must be burnt up, and also, passe away, as both St. Matthew and St. Peter tell us; but so shall not Hell, which is everlasting.

That, Hell was ordained at the beginning [Page 183] of the World, is not to be doubted: The Pro­phet speaketh of it under the figure of [...]ophet, Isa. 30. 33. (which in the Gospel is called Gehenna, or Mat. 5. 22. Hell) That it is ordained of old; (ab heri) as it is in the Original, and is so acknowledged by our Translators in the Margin, (tha [...] is) [...]ophet is ordained from yesterday. What (yesterday) this Prophet meant, we are told by the Expositor, (probably and ingeniously at least, if not solidly;) Lyranus in loc. That it signifi­eth, the first day of the world; because, that day was the first that ever could be called ye­sterday. And, That as God on that day made Heaven for his Elect, so he made Hell for the Reprobate: and the Gospel teacheth us, That the everlasting fire was prepared for the Devil and his Angels. For, when the Angels fell, they became Devils, and their fall was ve­ry early, as is before said.

If now it be enquired, Why no mention is made of Hell in all the history of the Creati­on? We may suppose the reason is, because the punishments designed, or inflicted by God, on his Enemies, are of that sort of Works, which Divines (out of Isai. 28. 21.) call, Isa. 28. 21 Alienum opus Dei; that is, the extorted, for­ced, unvoluntary, or strange Works of God; unto which he is drawn by the iniquities of his Creatures, and the strictness of his Justice, with which he cannot dispense. To this pur­pose Tertullian saith, Tert. de Resur. p. 44 Deus est Optimus de suo; Justus de nostro: nisi homo deliquisset, Optimum solummodo Deum nôsset. And a­gain, Ibid. Cont. Marc. l. 2. p. 178 Bonitas Dei est secundum naturam; Severitas secundum causam. Just so Clemens saith, ^c Deus est bonus per se [...]psum, justus [Page] propter nos. And this even Philo the Jew per­ceived, and said, Philo. Quod Deus immutab. p. 309. Boni [...]as Dei, est Anti­quissima Gratiarum. Their meaning is, That the Acts of Mercy, Grace, and Goodness flow from God naturally, of himself, and of his own meer motion; but his Acts of Severity, and Justice, are not executed, but only, upon external provocation by sin. We often read, that God was gre [...]ved with his People, for their sins; as Psal. 78. 40. & 95. 10. which is but an expression of unwillingness to punish. Aust [...]n saith in one place (if that Book be his) Aug. de Spiritu, & An. c 6. To. 3. Plus cruc [...]at Deum P [...]ssio Miseri, quam ipsum; i. e. God is more greived in punishing, then the patient is in suffering. The Heathens said the like, both of their Princes, and of their Idol-gods, as not punishing, but with greif; and not at all, without external provocation. Even Ne [...]o himself, when he was to subscribe a Warrant for Execution, said, Quam vellem nescire literas; as Suet. in Ne [...]. c. 10. Suetonius writeth. Ano­ther saith of Augustus;

And of the Heathen-Gods another saith; Horat. Od. 3.

The Jewish Talm [...]d saith, That God at cer­tain times weepeth for that People, in conside­ration of his wrath, and their calamities. In­deed, God did once weep for them, when [Page] Christ wept over Jerusalem: Which Orig. in Lu. Hom. 38. Origen cals, The tears of God. And, before the Deluge, the Scripture telleth us, That (either for the si [...]s, or for the ensuing punishment of the World) it g [...]eived God at the heart. In the Gen. 6. 6. Prophet God professeth, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth. And Christ Ezek. 18. 32. in the Gospel declareth; It is not the will of Matth. 18 14. your heavenly Father, that one of these little ones should perish.

But the Heathen-gods have a character of cruelty fastened on them, by some other of their own Idolaters (for indeed, they were but Devils, as the Psalmist saith): One thus Daemonia Psal. 69. 5 writeth of them; Tacit. Hist. l. 1. Appro [...]atum est—Non esse Deis curae securitatem nostram: Esse Ultionem. And another before him;

By which we see that confessed, which Moses said of the false and the true God: Their Rock Deut. 3 [...]. 31. is not as our Rock, our enemies themselves be­ing judges.

It is right worthy of our serious considera­tion, That God hath annexed to this Sabba­tical Commandement divers great and pecu­liar priviledges, which are not to be found in any of the other Nine. As 1. The Me­mento, or, Remember. 2. The Ceremonial Type of the Seventh-day Sabbath (of both these we have taken notice before): But 3. Here is another special property, farre grea­ter than the other two, or than is expressed in [Page 186] any of the other Commandments, contained in these words, [For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth, &c.] which is a strong argu­ment to provoke us to obedience▪

The Heathens (it seems) thought all such motives to be needless in Laws. One of them saith, Sence. Epist. 94. Lex-jubeat, non disputet. And, Nihil mihi videtur frigidius, nihil ineptius, quàm lex cum prologo. He would have Law [...] to command only, and not to perswade. It seemed otherwise to our Merciful Law-giver, who to his Laws hath added both a Prologue, and an Epilogue also; by which he not only commandeth, but disputeth his Leiges into obedience, as being most expedient and profi­table to themselves: for it should strongly in­duce Man to obedience of that Law, which is imposed on him by the mighty Creator of Heaven and Earth.

In the first of these Laws, (which a man would imagine to be the greatest) God useth only this motive, [I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt.] This was to move them, by way of gratitude, to adhere only to him, their Deliverer, and not to acknowledge any other God.

But the motive used in this fourth Com­mandement of sanctifying the Sabbath, is far stronger; because the deliverance of his peo­ple out of bondage, might possibly have been performed, either by Treaty, or by the Arme of flesh, without those plagues of Egypt, and wonders at the Red Sea; for the Israelites were numerous enough to have fought the Egyptians, and to subdue them; they wanted [Page 187] only Arms and Utensils of Warr, which yet might reasonably have either been forced from the Egyptians, or supplied by a forrain power; we well know, [...]gypt was not invincible, ha­ving been so often subdued.

Now the motive used in this Sabbath Law, is proper only to the Almighty, and absolute­ly incommunicable to any Creatures, for none but God did; or could make heaven and earth, which is generally confessed by Heathens, Jews, and Christians. Plato called God, Plut. in Symp. c. 1. [...]. So by Philo the Jew he is called, [...] : And by Dyonis. Areop. [...]: And by N [...]z▪ [...]: And by St. Paul, 2 Cor. 6. 18. [...]; which is but The Almighty Fa­ther and Maker of the World.

Among the wise Sentences of old Pythago­ras, this is recorded for one, If any man come and boast that he is God, let him create another World, and we will believe him. And in the holy Scripture, This making of Heaven and Earth is often mentioned as a peculiar chara­cter of the true God? As, In the beginning Gen. 1. 1. God created the Heaven, and the Earth: And, Psa. 146. 5 Happy is the man, whose hope is in the Lord his God, which made Heaven and Earth. So it is in the New Testament, Acts 14. 15. and 17. 24. And by this the true God is differenced from false Gods; as, The gods that have not made Heaven and Earth shall perish. And, All the Jer. 10. 11 gods of the Nations are Idols, but the Lord made the Heavens. And this character of God is put into the very front of our Creed. First, As a strong motive to incline us to believe, and trust in him. Secondly, To inform the [Page 188] weaker sort of Christians, who cannot appre­ [...]end what God is, or what to make the object of their faith; That it shall be requisite and sufficient for them, at first, T [...] believe in God under this notion, thus; Whatsoever he is, that made Heaven and Earth, in him do I be­lieve; for so the Psalmist declareth, My help Psa. 121. 2 cometh from the Lord, which made Heaven and Earth.

This great motive here used, to incline us to sanctifie the Sabbath, doth evidently shew, that this Sabbath-Law is of greater concernment to us, than the first Law is. The reason where­of we have declared before Chap. 5.. And moreover, That the Sabbath which is here principally meant, doth not consist in keeping of a day, whether the last day of the week (which God imposed upon the people of Israel only, and that but for a certain time): Or the first day of the week (which God never at all com­manded): But another kind of Sabbath is here commanded to be sanctified; which Sab­bath being rightly and deeply considered, will prove and appear to be that very same Lord God that made Heaven and Earth.

For we have proved before: First, That the Sabbath day, mentioned in the Moral part of this Commandement, doth signifie God the Son, because in him only the Godhead can be truly said to Rest, and not otherwise. Secondly, We have proved, That the Jewish Seventh day Sabbath was appointed only, to be for a type, figure, and memorial, or commemoration of that true and grand Sabbath (which is Christ). From these premises we here inferre, That the making of Heaven and Earth is mentioned in [Page 189] this Commandment on purpose, for a motive to incite us to a serious, and most reverentiall sanctification of this true, reall, and sub­stantiall Sabbath▪ because he that is here cal­led the Sabbath day, is the great Day-spring from on high; and is really, He that made heaven and earth. So that if we will acknow­ledge, that the Creator of heaven and earth is to be worshipped and sanctified by us, then must we also confesse, that this Sabbath which is the Son of God, is so to be sanctified.

No learned or prudent Christian (I sup­pose) will deny, that this Son of God was the Creator of Heaven and Earth; or, if any do, the Scriptures and primitive Church will gain­say them.

The Fathers expound these words, Gen. 1. 1. In the beginning God created, to signifie God the Father in God the Son. And Joh. 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word; that is, the Word or Son was in the Godhead, even that Word, by which all things were made. For the Word Principium, ( [...]) as Tert. Advers. Herm. Ter­tullian observeth, doth not signify onely, Or­dinativum, (i. e.) a Beginning, in respect of the order of time; but Potestativum, (i. e.) a Primacy in power, and authority. For, from this word, [...], Princes, Potentates, and Magistrates on earth, are by him called Id. Ad­vers. I [...] ­daeos. Ar­chontes, and by others Demarchi, (i. e.) Powers, Princes, and Rulers of People. One of the sayings of Pittacus the Philosopher, was, Laert. in Pittac. [...], (i. e.) Magi­stracy or power will show the disposition of a man. Hence also are the words, Archange­lus, in St. Paul; Archiepiscopus, in Chryso­stome [Page 190] and Epiphanius; and Archipresbyter and Archidiaconus, in St. Hieron. Epist. 4. Jerom.

As to the appellation, Word; The Psalmist saith, By the Word of the Lord the heavens Psal. 33. 6 were made: just so the Evangelist tells us, All things were made by him. That this Word was Joh. 1: 3. God the Son, every one knowes. The Psalmist saith again, vers. 9. Let all the Earth—and all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of of him, for he spake the Word and it was done. The Word by which the world was made, and of which Moses thus wrote, God said, Let there be light—and, Let there be a fir­mament, is not to be thought a transient or vocall word, as Austin saith, De Civ. lib. 11. c. 8. Non sonabili verbo, sed intelligibili. And by such a word, as, In Ioh. Tract. 37. Manebat, non sonando transibat, (i. e.) The world was made by that internall and substantiall Word, which did not passe away from God, (as our words do from us) but by his Word permanent, of which St. John saith, The Word was with God—and, The Word Joh. 1. 1. was God.

Psal. 104. 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them all. Who this Wisdom, and Beginning, and Word is, by which all things were made, the Gospell hath taught us, that it is Christ, who is not onely the Beginning, and the Word, (as it is said) but is also called, The Wisdom of God, 1 Cor. 1. 24. And, All things were made by him, Joh. 1. 3. and, All things by him were created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, Col. 1. 16.

The Jews, in disparagement of Christ, Ma [...]. 6. 3. Matth. 13 55. called him both a Carpenter, and the son of a [Page 191] Carpenter; so did Celsus in Cont. Cels. lib. 6. Origen, and Theod. hist. lib. 3. cap. 23. Ju­lian the impious and apostate Emperour. Justin Martyr doth indeed affirm, that Christ on earth was literally a Carpenter, and did make ploughs and yokes; ( [...]) Iustin. Dial. cum Tryph. Ambr. Ser. 10. but withall, both St. Ambrose, and St. Au­stin, tell us, That he was also that Carpenter that built Heaven▪ and this mighty fabrick of the world. Finally, because this Son of God Aug. de Temp. Ser. 3 [...]. was, both the Creator, and also the Sabbath both of God and Men▪ therefore, for the san­ctifying of him, this Motive is here mentio­ned, of making heaven and earth.

Touching this Rest of God, what it was, and why it is fixed on the seventh day, we have said much Chapter 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 1 [...]. before; and something more must be added, which will be more fit to be dis­coursed in the next, that this Chapter may not swell too big.

CHAP. XX.

THe more literall and exact reading of these words, is, [And rested on the se­venth day] for thus St. Jerom renders them, Requievit die septimo; and the Clementine-Edition, [In die septimo.] For, it was not the day that was considered by the Godhead, but something that was performed on that day, that occasioned this Rest; which if it had been so done on any other of the former six daies, certainly, it would have been said of that day, as it is of this, that God rested on it. What that thing was, we have shewed before at large, namely, that it was in consideration of the Messiah, or Christ.

[Page 193] It would now be enquired, what is meant by, The Lord, who is here said to have made heaven and earth, and to blesse and sanctifie the Sabbath day; whether it be meant of the Person of the Father onely, or of the Person of the Son, or of the Person of the Holy Spi­rit, or of all of them; because all, and every one of them, is the Lord, and the Creator, and the Sanctifier. Of the Father, no man doubt­eth; and of the Son, we have proved before; and of the holy Ghost, holy Job saith, By Job 26. 13 his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens; and the Psalmist also, Thou sendest forth thy Spi­rit Ps. 104 30 and they are created; and the Church, at the opening of Councils, used to sing that Hymn in St. Ambrose, which beginneth, Inter Hymnos Ambros. To. 5. Ve­ni Creator Spiritus.

For when our Vulgar Catechisms ascribe Creation to the Father, and Redemption to the Son, and Sanctification to the holy Ghost, we are not so to understand them, as if these actions were of each severall person; or, as if the Father had no interest in our Redempti­on, or Sanctification; nor the Son or Spirit in Creation; far be it from us to think so. But we believe, that the whole Godhead, and every Person therein, did joyntly co-operate in all these acts. Indeed, the Father created, but it was in and by the Son, and both, by the holy Ghost. So, the Son Redeemed, but it was from the Father, and by the Spirit. So, the holy Ghost Sanctifieth, but he doth it from the Father and the Son. So also in this place, the Rest of God is not to be accounted, the Rest of one single Person onely, but of the whole Godhead, and of every one of the Three most [Page 194] holy Persons therein.

If it be now granted, that the Son of God is this Lord, and Creator, that made heaven and ea [...]th; and He, that is here said to Rest; and also He, that is the onely Rest and Sab­bath, both of God, and of us Men, (which we have proved before:) then it must follow, that the Rest it self is here said to Rest, and the Sabbath it self to rest in the Sabbath, and the Son of God must be the Sabbath of the same Son of God: Which, at our first hearing, may seem to be a violent Exposition; which yet is not so, as will presently appear.

The Reader may easily apprehend, that al­though God is entirely One, yet he is often re­presented to us under diverse and severall no­tions and capacities, as if he were not the One and the same God; for so this Son of God (who is the onely God) is set forth in Scrip­ture, and is so by us to be apprehended and believed; as Immorta [...]l, and yet mortall; as the M [...]ker of all things, and yet made; that he was from Eternity, and yet born in time; the Father of all men, and yet the Son of man; the Creator of his Mother, and yet her Son. All these speeches are true of this Son of God, considered in his severall and respective capaci­ties; neither ought they to seem incredible or strange, because we find the like diversities in one and the same Man.

One (in Plutarch) said openly to a King sitting in judicature, Pl [...]t. in Apoph. Provoco à Philippo ad Phil [...]ppum; I appeal from King Philip to King Philip, but in another temper. So Nazianzen representeth the same person, both as a Judge, and as one arraigned, Naz. E­ [...]ist. 79. Te accuso apud te, ju­stum [Page 195] judicem. So doth St. Ambrose to one, as if he were both Client and Counsellor, Ambr. Ser. 64. Stul­to consiliario usus es teipso. Upon these words, Psal. 140. 1. Deliver me, O Lord, from the evill man, St. Austin saith, Aug. Hom 29. & de Temp. Ser. 233. à te, [...]e liberat, (i. e.) God doth deliver a man from himself. And upon those words, Deliver us from evill, he saith, Deus te liberat, à teipso malo. We have a Proverb, that a man is his own neighbour. Proximus egomet mi­hi. Ter. And we often read of, Alter tu; and, [...]; and, Ille ego; and, Ego ille; as if a man were another, and not himself. Just so, the forenamed Father speaketh of God, Aug. in Joh. Tract. 27. Domine, repellis nos à te, da nobis alterum te. So we may often observe P [...]eachers, in their Prayers, appealing from God to God; when they mean, from God, as considered onely in his Court of Justice, to the same God, as sitting in his Tem­ple of mercy, which is onely Christ.

In like manner, the great Apostle speaketh of God and of Christ severally, as of two, 2 Tim. 4. 1. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ; and this is usuall in Scrip­ture. Act. 4. 2 [...] Rom. 1. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 3 Although we know, that the Lord Je­sus is that very same God. But the Second Person in the Trinity is described in holy Writ, as if he were distinct and different from himself; and this is, in regard of a two fold consideration of his Person.

First, If we look on him, and consider him onely in his pure Divinity; then (according to the Scriptures) we call him, The mighty Isa. 9. 6. God, the everlasting Father. The Creator, by whom all creatures were made. God the Word, God the Son. And the eternall Son of the eter­nall Father. And, the Lord JEHOVA. Of [Page 196] him it is said, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.

Secondly, When we consider him together with his assumed Human Nature, then we call him Messiah, Christ, God's Annointed, Em­manuel, The Word made fle [...]h, God inc [...]rnate, God manifested in the flesh; God, in the likenesse of sinfull flesh; In the form of a servant, Made of a woman; and, The Son of man. Which appellations cannot appertain to this Second [...]erson, but onely in respect of his Incarnation.

The Premises being acknowledg'd and granted, these Mysteries will be discover'd: 1. How God the Son is both the Creator of all creatures, and also the Rest or Sabbath of the God head. 2. How the Son of God may be truly said to Rest in himself. 3. How the Rest it self is said to Rest in it self, and the Sabbath in the Sabbath. All which the Reader will understand, by considering these few Apho­risms following, which are deducible from those two Considerations of the Person of Je­sus, just now mentioned.

1. The Son of God, considered onely in his pure Divinity, is the Lord, and the Creator, who is here said to Rest.

2. The Son of God, considered in respect one­ly of his Godhead, cannot be truly called the Rest or Sabbath of God and Men.] The rea­son is, because the Sabbathship of this Son of God con [...]steth not in his pure Divinity; for if so, then this Sabbath, which is fixed onely on the first seventh day, must have been before, and also from eternity. But it consisteth in consideration of the human Nature, assumed into personall union with the Divine Nature.

[Page 197] 3. The Son of God, considered onely as in­carnate; or, as the Son of man; or, as Christ; cannot be called the Creator of the world. The reason is, because the Creation was per­formed by this Son of God, before the foun­dation of his Incarnation was wholly laid, (as is shewed before) or, before he could be called the Son of man.

4. The Son of God is (and may be truly cal­led) the Rest or Sabbath of the same Son of God. This Proposition is thus to be under­stood, That God the Son, or Word, who is the onely eternall God, did, and still doth, rest in himself, so as is said in this Com­mandment; but his so resting is onely in con­sideration of his Incarnation, and as he is Emmanuel, and not otherwise: So that he is not to be called the Sabbath or Rest, either of himself, or of us men, as he is onely the Son of the Father, but as he is also the Son of his mother; for in this consideration onely, he is styled in his Types, the Rest of the Godhead, and the Resting place, the Habitation, the Temple, the Delight, and the well-beloved Son, in whom God is well pleased, or (as Beza most judiciously rendreth those words) in whom the Godhead doth acquiess, (as is before no­ted.) This is that Sabbath or Sabbatism of which the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 4. 9. that there remaineth a Rest ( [...]) to the people of God. The sum and conclusion is:

• 1. The Son of God is the Creator even of the Son of man, and of all the world.
• 2. The Son of man is the Rest or Sabbath of the Son of God, and of all holy men.

[Page 198] ‘ Rested the Seventh day.’

In the whole History of the Creation, we find mention but of seven daies, and no more; for all succe [...]ding daies are but the re-iteration of the first seven. Of these seven, the last onely is blessed, and graced with the Rest of God, and therefore preferred before the first day, wherein Heaven was made; and also before the sixth day, wherein Man was created. And this without any injury or slur to any of the for­mer daies.

When the noble Generall, The mistocles, was twitted and repined at, by some succee­ding and inferiour Commanders, because he only had the name & glory of those Victories, which had been obtained by their joynt-la­bours and valour; the Generall answered them with this Apologue; Once, said he, the wor­king-day contended with the Holy-day for pre­heminence, upon this reason, that the Wor­king-day, by labours and molestations, pre­pared all things ready for the solemnity; but the Holy-day, without labour, onely rested in quietnesse, and enjoyment of those labours. The Holy-day replyed, Plut. Quaest. Rom. Sed e [...]o nisi fuissem, in nunquam esses. (i. e.) Had it not been for the Holy-day, Working-daies had not been at all. His meaning was, that without his wisdom and policy, (whom they accounted but as an idle Holy-day) they had all been defeated, captivated, and utterly lost. So is it here. The seventh-day is therefore preferred before all other the former daies, because it represented the great Creator of all daies, and [Page 199] the Redeemer of the Man, and the Woman, and of all their posterity; without whom, no daies had been at all; or if any had been, yet (without this Sabbath) they had been to us but daies of misery, and but wofull Parasceues against the day of wrath. Whereas this myste­rious Rom. 2. 5▪ Rom. 5. 9. Sabbath is he, by whom we shall be sa­ved from wrath. Wherefore, as all the elder sons of Jesse passed before the Prophet, and not one of them was chosen to the honour of Unction, that it might be reserved for the youngest, even David; so, not one of the el­der dayes is graced with the honour of God's Resting, but that preferment is deservedly re­served for the last, or youngest day; which day did indeed signifie David, yet not the li­teral or typical David, but Christ the Son of David, who is very often in Scripture ex­presly called David, as Jer. 30. 9. Ezek. 34. 23. Hos. 3. 5. In a word, he that understands in what particular thing the Rest of God con­sisteth, may, by the same, easily apprehend, why it is fixed on this seventh day.

That which our English readeth, [Where­fore] St. Jerom and the Latines generally read, [Therefore] idcircò: From which word we observe, that the Judaicall or Ceremoni­all Sabbath, was not appointed in conside­ration of the work of Creation, or that men should on that day contemplate and medi­tate onely on the creatures of the world, (al­though those wonderfull works are also right worthy of our serious consideration, and [Page] should be a great motive to incite us to glo­risie the Almighty Creator) but it was prin­cipally ordained, to put both the Jews, and us Christians also, in mind of the Rest of God, and to move us all to consider, in what this Rest consisteth, which doth far more concern us and our happinesse, than all the world without it; because otherwise, neither the world, nor any creatures therein, nor the per­fect knowledge by our Studies and Arts, of all the excellencies and secrets thereof, can bring us to that everlasting Rest, which was but typically figured by this Ceremoniall Sabbath: For, What is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mat. 16. 26. Now that this [Wherefore] or [Therefore] relateth to the Rest of God, and not to his creating of the world, we are expresly taught by Moses, who tells us, That God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his works. So that the Gen. 2. 3. Rest of man on that day was afterwards ena­cted by a Law, for a memoriall of the Resting, and not of the Working of God. Concerning the blessing and sanctifying whereof, we are next to enquire.

CHAP. XXI.

THe Leiturgie of the Church of England readeth (the Seventh day); but the Ori­ginal hath, the Sabbath day. Both are read indifferently; as Gen. 2. 3. hath the Seventh day, and so have some of the other languages in this Commandement, as appeareth in the late incomparable and renowned work of our new Great Bible. Indeed, both are one in this place; For the Sabbath Ceremonial is but the Seventh day; and the Seventh day only is that Sabbath which is here meant, it being but a Sabbath Typical.

To blesse (Benedicere) is, to speak some good of it; as in the Leiturgie of St Basil this Prayer is found, Basil. n. 2 Domine, loquere bonum in cor Regis, pro Ecclesia tua. When God blesseth, he conferreth some favour, or special priviledge; as here, on the Sabbath day, such as it was capable of, and in order to that pur­pose, for which it was blessed; which was to signifie Man's Rest in Christ. The blessing of a Day, is not like his blessing of a Man; on whom, by blessing, he doth effectually conferre something that is beneficial to him, as spiritu­all Graces, or temporal Favours, as in Chil­dren, Lands, Cattel, Basket and Store, menti­oned Deut. 28. and as Isaac blessed his Sons, with the dew of Heaven, and fatnesse of the Earth. But the Sabbath being uncapable of such benedictions, the blessing of it must con­sist in such respects as these. 1. God chose that day for his own Mysterious Rest. 2. He appointed that day only, and not any of the other six, to be for a memorial to his people of the grand blessing of their Rest in Christ. 3. He ordained it for a corporal rest, both for Men and Cattel. 4. He gave most strict com­mand, upon pain of capital punishment, for the keeping thereof. 5. He appointed lar­ger Sacrifices on that day, than on the former dayes. 6. He appointed a larger portion of Manna on the Parasceue, as a provision for the Sabbath. 7. He appointed this holy day to be weekly, that is, two and fifty times in the year, whereas other Festivals (except new-Moons) [Page 203] were but once. These, or such like, are the blessings thereof.

Hallowed is holied, or sanctified; The meaning is, that God designed it to be an holy or hallowed day.

To be an hallowed, or sanctified day, is, to be divided, separated, or distinguished from other common dayes, by way of preferment, honour, and preheminence, and to be set apart so, as, that work which might lawfully have been done on that day, before it was hallowed, might not be done on it, after the hallowing thereof.

We read of hallowed, or holy oyl, holy ves­sels, holy vestments, and holy places, which might not be used or applied to any other ser­vice, but that only, for which they were hal­lowed and destinated; So this hallowed day, was not to be imployed in common works, as other unhallowed dayes were (for that would have been a profanation thereof;) but it was wholly to be bestowed and spent in the ser­vice of God the Sanctifier, by the serious and thankful consideration of that blessed Rest, which he had procured and designed for Man; And this hallowed use was to continue from the first institution thereof, untill the period, and repealing of it, by the same God, who hallowed it. Which was performed evident­ly by Jesus Christ, who is the same God, which did sanctifie it; and this he did not, untill God had actually, and visibly, exhibited in the [...]lesh, the reall and substantial accom­plishment [Page 204] of that Typical, Ceremonial, and Temporary Sabbath, in the Person of the said Lord Jesus.

But yet (during the vigour and continu­ance of this hallowing) the Sabbath day was not altogether and absolutely quitted from all manner of working; We know the Priests did then work hard, and Souldiers marched, and other works were lawfully done; the reason was, because this Sabbatical Hallowing was but meerly figurative and ceremonial, and therefore dispensable in case of pressing necessi­ty, and charitable accommodation toward our brethren, and in duty to God; and also, be­cause such workings are commanded by a Su­periour Law, even the Moral Law of God, whereby we are required, To love the Lord our God with all our heart, and our neighbour as our self. This Law hath been in force ever since the Creation was finished, and so shall continue until the end of the World; but the hallowing of the Seventh day, was neither from the beginning, nor was it to last to the end of the World, being but Ceremonial and Temporary; and therefore ought to give place to the Law Moral.

We find Hallowing, or Holiness, applied di­versly, to several things, and for divers consi­derations.

First, There is an Holiness Essential, which is only in God, who is the Fountain of all in­herent Holiness, and is Holiness it self; which we are to acknowledge, and which we do confesse, when we pray, Hallowed be thy Name.

Secondly, There is an Holinesse Moral, or [Page 205] of Qualities, derived from God, the Fountain thereof; such is in holy Men, as Piety, Righte­ousness, Justice, Truth, Sincerity, [...]ear, and love of God, Faith, Hope, Charity; This is that which Divines call Inherent Holiness.

Thirdly, There is an Holinesse by Dedicati­on, or Assignment, as of Places, Vessels, Vest­ments, Men, and other Creatures, and of Times, as this Hallowed Sabbath day is; Hence we say, holy Temple, holy Church holy Day, holy E [...]charist, for the Bread and Wine, to be used therein, are of themselves but Elements; but after Dedication, or Consecration of them, or Hallowing (which our fore-fathers called Howseling) them to that Mysterious use, we Fox in Hen. 8. call them Sacraments, Divines call this Holi­nesse, Relative.

It is but a srivolous cavil, or excuse, of Sa­crilegers, who make no scruple of abusing or demolishing hallowed places, as Churches and Chappels, or robbing them of their vessels, goods, lands, and Revenues, which were con­secrated; because (they say) such things have no holiness [...], or holy qualities inherent in them, as, no pie [...]y, no faith, or hope, &c. I wish such to consider also, what inherent holinesse the Jewish Sabbath had; or Achan's Wedge of Num. 15. 35. gold; or Ananias his money, except only the Josh. 7. 25. Act. 5. 5. holinesse, or hallowing of dedication, or desti­nation; Yet the profaning and subducing of these, was punished by stoning, burning, and by sudden death; and all this by the Sentence of God himself, although the hallowing (in the case of Ananias) was not by God, but vo­luntarily, only by himself. It may reasonably be feared, that the strict injunctions and com­mands [Page 206] of some such Sacrilegers, for observing the Christian Sunday, which was not hallow­ed by any Command of God, but only of Men, will one day condemn their abuses of other things, which were also [...]hallowed by Men; as Christ said, —Ex ore tuo, serve nequam, &c.

But then, the Sabbath-day having been thus hallowed, or sanctified by God, How comes it to be unhallowed, and laid common with other dayes? Would God revoke that which him­self had constituted? Or, durst Man presume so to do? This seemeth to thwart that hea­venly Voice, which said to Peter in a like case, What God hath cleansed call not thou Act. 10. 15 common.

To this our Answer is. First, Man might not presume to alter or null any of Gods Or­dinances, without Divine warrant: But the dissolution of this Sabbath-day was done by the grand Warrant of the Son of God, and by him then, when he was the Great Son of Man. Secondly, We say, That God never unhal­lowed, or revoked any Sanctions which Him­self ordained, during the time, and purposes that were by him intended for them to conti­nue in force and use. For some Divine Con­stitutions were inacted to continue but for a set-time, as the Types were, Sacrifices, Circum­cision, Passover, Tabernacle, and this Sabbath; all which, and many such, were but Ceremo­nial Sanctions: But others were ordained by him to continue to the end of the World; as all the ten Commandements, which are Sancti­ons Moral: These God never yet revoked, nor never will: But the other sort, which [Page 207] were but Ceremonials, and intended to last but during the Pedagogie of his People, and so for a certain limited time, viz. untill the ma­nifestation of the Son of God in the flesh. Which being accomplished, those temporary Ordi­nances were to cease; and this, without any Mutability on Gods part, or Sacrilege of Men. Just, as when a Man gives a pension, or rent, to a pious use, for a limited time of ten, twenty, or thirty yeares, and no longer; when that time is expired, the Pension may cease, without any Sacrilege of the Doner.

The principal Question in this hallowing, which hath most perplexed the minds of ma­ny good Christians, is, concerning the Time, when God did actually hallow, or set apart the Seventh day, whether on the first Seventh day of the World, or, whether not before the dayes of Moses, and the Egyptian delive­rance.

To this we answer confidently and resolute­ly; That although it is most certain, that God did rest on the first Seventh day of the World, (but so, as hath been at large shewed before), yet he never appointed or hallowed a weekly Seventh day for Man's rest, untill the dayes of Moses: Our Reasons for this Asser­tion are these.

First, If the weekly Seventh day had been hallowed at the beginning, as a Law, it must have been, either written in Mans heart, as all Moral Lawes of God were ever since Man was made; or else it must have been openly declared [Page 208] as a Law positive. But the Seventh-day Sab­bath was not written in Man's heart; For if so, then it must have bound all Nations in all Ages, which as yet it never did. Neither was i [...] then declared overtly as a Law positive; for if so, then certainly we should have found some mention, or footsteps of it in the History of the Patriarks, which lived before Moses: But we [...]ind nothing of it in all that long time; and we are well assured, that neither Adam, nor any of his posterity, did ever so Sabbatize untill the dayes of Moses. This is the Doctrine of the Fathers generally, and of the Church Primitive.

Secondly, The Preface before the ten Moral Laws, which containeth the date or time of their Promulgation by writing, to me seemeth to be annexed to them, on purpose, to prove this Assertion concerning the fi [...]st establish­ment and original of the Seventh-day Sab­bath; For thus we read, I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, Thou sha [...]t, &c. By which it may ap­pear, that the publication of the Laws was af­ter the deliverance out of Egypt. Just so the Prophets date their Prophesies at the begin­nings of them; as, The vision of Isaiah in the dayes of Uzziah, &c. And, To Jeremiah the Isai. 1. 1. Jer. 1. 1, 2 word of the Lord came in the dayes of Josiah. And, In the first year of Jehoiakim's captivi­ty, the word of the Lord came expresly to Eze­kiel Eze. 1. 2, 3. the Priest. The like we find in Daniel, Amos, Micha, Zephani, Haggi, Zechari. And in the Gospel also. In the dayes of He­rod.—And, Caesar Augustus. And Tiberius Luke 1. 5. 2. 1 3. 1. Caesar.

[Page 209] Here I desire the learned Reader to consider with me, why it pleased the Divine Wisdom to put so late and low a date to the whole Deca­logue of the Law Moral, which we are well assured was in force from the creation of the first Man? If not for this reason only, b [...]cause there was something inserted, and added to these Laws, which was new, and was not writ­ten in Man's heart, nor ever imposed on the People of God, untill they had been delivered out of Egypt: And, That new thing was, this Ceremonial Precept of hallowing the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath.

If it be here urged, That M [...]ses expresly writeth in the history of the first Seventh day, That God blessed he Seventh da [...], and hal [...]ow [...]d (or sanct fi [...]d) it. Therefore if it were hal­lowed so early how can we truly affirm that it was not hallowed untill four and twenty hun­dred years after?

To this we say (although it hath been most solidly answered before by a right worthy and learned Writer Hist. of the Sab­bath.), That Moses doth not write, that God hallowed it [...]hen, and on that very first Seventh day, nor doth he there shew when it was hallowed; but only why God did chuse th [...] Seventh day in after-times to hallow or sanctifie it, and none other of the six. The words of Moses may well justifie this Expo­sition; for thus we read, God blessed and san­cti [...]i [...]d it, because in it he had rested. Had rested, [...]ignifies the time, not present, but past. So the meaning is; That because God had formerly rested on the first Seventh da [...], here­fore afterwards, when he had drawn his peo­ple together out of Egypt, he chose and preferred [Page 210] that day above the other daies, and command­ed them to keep it holy.

If it be further pressed, that even in this fourth Commandment, the words of Blessing and Hal [...]owing are delivered in a Tense, which signifieth the [...]ime-past, as Benedix [...]t, and Sanctificavit: that is, He hath blessed and sanctified: Which words do indeed relate to a former hallowing thereof, before the giving of the Law. And if so, Why may they not point to the hallowing on the first seventh day?

To this we answer, and grant, that the Hal­lowing here signifieth the time past; for o­therwise it would have been said, He blesseth and halloweth, in the presenttense. But this Past, or former [...]ime, referreth us onely to that time, when the Sabbath day was first actually and declaratively hallowed, or set apart; and was no further off, than the time of the falling of Manna: So we read, Exod. 16. This is that which the Lord hath said, To mor­row Exod. 16. 13. is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. And, vers. 29. See, the Lord hath given you the Sabbath—So the people rested on the seventh day. This is the first seventh-day-Sab­bath that ever was ordained by God, and made known unto his People.

But let it be supposed and granted, that the seventh-day-Sabbath was blessed and hal­lowed on the first seventh day of the world, as we read, Gen. 2. 3. yet that Hallowing will no [...] gain-say our assertion. For the better un­derstanding whereof, I will here set down two Propositions to be examined, which at first will seem opposite one to the other, and yet will both prove true.

• [Page 211]1. The seventh day was hallowed in the beginning, in the daies of Adam.
• 2. The seventh day was not hallowed untill the daies of Moses.

1 Concerning the first, (The seventh day was hallowed in the dai [...]s of Adam) If Moses had said, that God hallowed the seventh day, not onely in Adam's time, but also before the Creation, and from Eternity, he had said no­thing but the truth. But this hallowing was secret, in the Divine Mind onely, in God's Decree and Purpose in his Counsell, Provi­dence, Predestination, and good Pleasure. For whatsoever God hath done before these daies, or now doth, or shall do hereafter, were all present to him from eternity; for, to him, Was, Is, and, To come, are but as one moment. All things and times were present to him from everlasting. So that in consideration of this Decree, we say, that the seventh day was hal­lowed before the daies of Moses, and also be­fore the daies of Adam. Just as we may also truly affirm, that the world was in Beeing be­fore the actuall Creation thereof. But this Beeing is to be understood onely of the Idea in the Divine M [...]nd; and so is this early hal­lowing of the seventh day. And this is really true, and may be affirmed in plain down-right speech without any Rhetoricall figure.

2 To the second Proposition, that, [The se­venth day was not hallowed till the daies of Moses] this is to be understood in respect of the actuall performance and execution of the aforesaid Decree, and of the patefaction, ma­nifestation, [Page 212] or declaration thereof. The hal­lowing was Praescitum, but not Praestitum; The Pre-science of God was before man's Cognisance. God's hallowing by his Decree was from E [...]e [...]nity, but the execution and actuall effect thereof was afterwards in [...]ime, even in the time of Moses, and not before.

It must needs be granted, that the world, and all its creatures, had some kind of Beeing before their actuall creation, because the Scrip­ture thus teacheth us, Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world; Act. 15. 18 yet then, most particulars were unmade. And, The Lord knoweth who are his, surely he knew 2 Tim. 2. 19. them before they were actually made. And, He hath chosen us in him (in Christ) before the foundation of the world; every one knows, Eph. 1. 4. that E [...]ection was before Creation. We read also of the Purpose of God, and of grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the 2 Tim. 1. 9 world began. These truths cannot otherwise be understood, but onely in consideration of the Beeing of Creatures in the Idea, or Divine Mind, before their existence in Nature. Ter­tullian saith, Tert. Ad­vers. Prax. p. 38 [...]. Ante omnia De [...]s era [...] solus, q [...]ia nihi [...] extrinsecus praeter ill [...]m. The Schoolmen have also taught us these Maxims, Non entis n [...]lla est scientia. And, Non ens non intelligitur. And, In D [...]o s [...]nt omnia. There­fore, because neither the Knowledge of God, nor his Election, nor his Giving grace, can be said of, Non entities, and meer nothings; it will follow, that these known and chosen objects and s [...]bjects of grace had a beeing, be­fore their actuall creation, and this Beeing [Page 213] must be onely in the same Knower and Choo­ser, and that is God.

If it be enquired, why Moses mentioneth this Hallowing so early, seeing it was not de­claratively enacted, till so la [...]e, as is said? To this we answer, That there was great and weighty reason why he did so, Because the true and [...]eall S [...]bbath (whereof the se­venth-day-Sabbath was but a figure) is in­deed the greatest, and most-concerning, and most beneficiall mystery of true Religion; for it signified Christ the Saviour, and our onely means and hope of everlasting Rest in him. And it will be a great consolation to us if we rightly consider, th [...] our mercifull God or­dained a sure means for our blessednesse, so early, as, not onely at the beginning of the world, but also from eternity; although the externall publication and celebration thereof, was not constituted untill the daies of Moses.

Just so, the latter Prophets spake of the Birth, Passi [...]n, and D [...]ath of our R [...]deemer, as if all had been performed before their daies; which yet was not actually effected till long after the death of those Prophets. And this they spake and prophecyed by a [...], or antici [...]tion, as St. Augustine calls it, with­out Aug. lib. lo­cut. in Nu. To. 3. which Figure, the truth and actuall per­formance of their prophecies cannot appear. And for our right understanding of those pro­lepti [...]al Prophecies, the Fathers have left us many rules and instances▪ such as these.

Tertullian saith, Tert. de Trin. Scriptura, Quae futura su [...]t, pro [...]factis annuntiat. After him, Eusebius observeth, Euseb-Demonst. l. 4. c. Prophetica consuetudo est, Quod futurum est, quasi prae [...]ritum enuntiare. St. [Page 214] Rasil saith, Bas. in [...]a. c. 1. [...] Naz. O­r [...]t. 35. Prophetae ennarrant futura, qua­si praeterita. And Nazianzen, d In Scriptura sepè [...]empora invertuntur. The same is obser­ved by Cyril, Chrysostom, Ambrose, and very often by St. Austin.

The great Apostle hath also taught us, that [...]o 4. 17. God calleth those things which be not as though they were. ( [...]) Upon which words the Glosse saith, [...]los. in [...]oc. Apud [...]um jam s [...]nt, quae futura sunt; With God those things are present which to us are to come. And, Habet electos suos quos creaturus est,—quos ha­bet apud semetipsum, non in natur [...] suâ, sed in praesentia sua. (i. e.) God hath his Elect, which yet are not born; he hath them in him­self, and present with him, though not exi­stent in nature. All this we find to be confir­med by the writings of the Prophets, in whom God spake: Isaiah saith of Christ, Unto us a ch [...]ld is born, and unto us a son is given; yet Isa. 9. 6. this Prophet died about 600 years before the birth of Christ. He saith again of the Passion of Christ, He was wounded for our transgres­sions, Isa. 53. 5, 7 he was bruised for our iniquities. He was oppressed, afflicted—brought as a lamb to the slaughter, &c. Just so the Psalmist spake long before, They pierced my hands and Psal. [...]2. [...] 18. Psal. 69. [...]1. my feet. They cast lots upon my vesture. They gave me gall and vinegar. All these, and ma­ny more such prophecies, are meant of things not then past, but to come, and yet were true; because, as St. Austin saith, Aug. cont. Max. lib. 3. [...]. [...]6. To. 6. Pradestinatione [...]am faclum e [...]at, quod suo [...]empore futurum e [...]at. (i. e.) These things were actually de­c [...]eed in heaven, though not acted on earth: As Herod and Rilate are said to have done, [...]. 4. 28. [Page 215] wh [...]t the hand and counsell of God determined before. So we read, He predest [...]nated—called—justified—glorified, Ro. 8. 30. as if all these were alrea­dy performed; yet many are to be called, ju­stified, and glorified, who then were, and as yet are, unborn. So Christ is called, The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. All Rev. 13. 8. these Futures are spoken as if they had been past, because to the All-seeing Godhead, they were as evident and present, as if they had been performed: and this, in respect of the Div [...]ne Providence, and Eternall Decre [...]. Upon the same ground, Moses might truly assert the Hallowing of the seventh day at the beginning of the world, although it was not so decla­red untill the daies of the said Moses. Thus much may serve for Exposition of the Cere­moniall part of this Sabbaticall Command­ment.

CHAP. XXII.

THe Jews greatly erred in misunderstand­ing the fourth Commandment, as if the hallowing of the seventh day had been the onely scope and purpor [...] thereof; whereas inde [...]d that day was but a meer figure of the true Sabbath, which is Christ; for he onely is the Sabbath or Rest, both of the Godhead and of us men, as hath been at large shewed before.

[Page 217] Yet because the seventh day was a figure of so great a mystery and blessing, therefore God did hallow and honour it with many privi­ledges, such as are before rehearsed: But with­all, he clogged it with many incumbrances and inconveniences, and some disparagements and s [...]rs also, and disgraces, more than any other day, as an allay or abatement of ho­nour; like the Boy's Memento to King Philip, who every morning call'd [...]pon him with, [...]; so did God with this Aelian. l. [...]. c. 15. Sabbath day. And at length, when the period of the use thereof was accomplished, he cast i [...] quite away. And this he did on purpose, to withdraw his people from doting on the sha­dow, to the apprehension of the true, reall, and substantiall Sabbath.

When Princes confer honours or estates upon their subjects, they usually Onerate their Patents with some reservations of fealty, homage or service, for an acknowledgment of their minoration, and subj [...]ction to their Soveraign. Upon such divine Policy it pleased the Godhead, so to reserve the supream ho­nour to himself, in the whole oeconomy of his instrumentall Types and Servants; and there­fore he chose things, which in themselves were but of low condition, and base esteem amongst men, that so the principall honour and effi­cacy of their service, might be ascribed to him­self. Thus he appointed those poor creatures, Sheep, and Neat, and Goats, as sacrifices, to represent the grand Sacrifice and mystery of the death of Christ. Then, by the brazen image Num. 21. 8. Joh. 3. 14. of a Serpent, lifted up upon a pole, he repre­sented Christ as crucified, although a Serpent [Page 218] is, of all creatures, esteemed most vile and cursed. The great Sacrament of taking away sins, called Circumcision, was to be performed on that part of man's body, which is called uncomely, and pudendum. Indeed, the Temple was a splendid and glorious type; but even this, and the other, were sleighted, when they had served their due time. All this was to in­struct his people, not to adhere and rest on the figures, but principally to regard and consi­der the signification and substance of them. For when they con [...]ided in, and boasted too much of their Templum Domini, God suffe­red Jer. 7. 4. it soon after to be destroyed; and when they magnified the brazen Serpent, with of­fering 2 King. 18. 4. incense to it, the good King Hezekiah brake it in pieces.

The like policy was used by the Divine Wisdom in the New Testament, by choosing contemptible men to administer the Gospell, as Fishermen, Ideots, unlearned and ignorant, Act. 4. 13. Foolish things, weak things, the base, despised, and the ( [...]) Nothings of the world, 1 Cor. 2. 27, 28, And such as were esteemed the filth, and the off-scouring of all things, 1 Cor. 4. 13. And also, the foolish­nesse of preaching, 1 Cor. 1. 21. The Apo­stles were suffered to be poor, naked, hungry, to be stoned, scourged, imprisoned, crucified, beheaded, slain with the sw [...]rd. The reason of these dispensations may thus appear: When the Lystrians esteemed too highly of Paul, as Act. 14. 12 if he were a god, presently God suffered him to be stoned almost to death; of which, and all such like permissions, the same Apostle hath left us this true and usefull document, [Page 219] We have this treasure in earthen vessells, that 2 Cor. 4. 7. the excellency of power may be of God, and not of us. Just so, that the people of God might be induced to consider, and look after a far more high and noble Sabbath, it pleased the wise Godhead to incumber the seventh-day-Sabbath with such disparagements as these following.

1. The Sabbath-day was never made known or mentioned, untill 24 hundred years after the Creation, although other Ceremonialls had been enacted long before, as Sacrifices, and Circumcision, and the Passeover also some time before it. It seems, that in all that long time, there appeared no necessity or use of a seventh-day-Sabbath. St. Augustine fur­ther observeth, Aug. in Psal. 37. Non invenimus Davidem aliquando recordatum Sabbati secundum ob­servationem Ju [...]aeorum. (i. e.) David, (or whosoever with him was the Psalmographer) never mentioned the Jewish Sabbath, although in the Title of that Psalm, the Sabbath day was mentioned, in, or before, Austin's time, as appeareth in St. Jerom. But surely, Austin knew that Title to be added by some other, and not by David. We have also observed be­fore, that Christ himself, in the Gospel, did never rehearse the Sabbath-Law.

2. After this Sabbath-Law was set up, God laid a necessity on his people by command, of breaking and prophaning it, in Marching, Sacrificing, and Circumcising; as also by hu­man necessities, in the works of Midwifry, milking, feeding, and helping their cattle. And, by the precept of loving their neigh­bours, to assist them in the casualties of fires, [Page 220] sicknesse, wounds, and in wars defensive, of themselves and their brethren; or else they must have perished, as many did in the Mac­cabean 1 Mac. 2. 38. times, by their Sabbaticall superstiti­on, in not defending themselves; for upon this needlesse nicety, they suffered their City to be taken by Ios. Ant. l. 12. c. 12. P [...]olemaeus Lagu [...] on a Sabbath day; and their Temple also afterwards by ibid. l. 14 c. 8. Pompey the Roman, whereby the Jews be­came first subject and Tributaries to Rome. After this, when the Jews rebelled against the Romans, ibid. de Bel. l. 1. p. 808. King Agrippa exhorting them to submit, told them withall, That they keeping their custom of so Sabbatizing, must needs be easily vanquished. Whereas the true myste­rious Sabbath might have been truly sancti­fied, with all these workings, as is said before.

3 No Manna, in all the forty years, ever fel [...] from leaven upon any Jewi [...]h Sabbath day, although it fell on every other day of the week. This surely was intended as an abasement, a slur, or disgrace thereof. We know that Manna represented Christ, as himself said, Joh. 6. 35. 51. No Manna on the Sabbath day, that is, no Messiah to them, that will not apprehend him in his Type, but content themselves in the meer Day shadow. St. A [...] ­stin judiciously saith, Aug. de Divers. Tract. 13. To. 9. Non credentibus, Manna sola; sed credentibus, idem qui nunc Christus. (i. e.) By believing Israelites, the Manna was not received alone, (as by unbe­lievers) but, with it, the substance and myste­rious Manna, which is Christ. Just as with faithfull Communicants in the sacred Eucha­rist, not onely Bread, but Christ also, by [...]aith and love, is entertained and united with them.

[Page 221] The Manna did represent both God the Word, (as Incarnate) and also the Word of God, (as delivered in holy Writ); So Orig. in Ex. hom. 7. Ori­gen and Aug. de Temp. Ser. 91. Austin affirm. Now, although this Manna of the Word did fall in the Jewish Sy­nagogues every Sabbath day, when the Scrip­tures of Moses were read unto them, as St. James said; yet, to unbelieving Jews, this Act. 15. 21 Manna did, vermes generare, it bred worms, and stanck, as the fore-named Fathers ob­serve. For, by misunderstanding the excel­lent Word of God, and misapplying it; and in it, this mysterious Sabbath, onely to the shadow of a day, and corporall idlenesse, they bred the worms and stinck of superstition, blindnesse, misbelief, and pertinacy therein. Just so, even at this day by sad experience we have found, that the Manna, or good Word of God being abused, by misunderstanding or misapplying, or else by hypocrisie, hath been made a stumbling-block, and bred he­resies, schisms, sacriledges, rebellions, wars, and unchristian Massacres. There never yet was in the Church any heresie so impudent, but brought some pretence or letter of Scrip­ture to back it. The bloody Glosser, that taught Subjects to kill their good King, by a cursed Glosse upon Gen. 9. 6. yet so, he brought Scripture in his mouth, as Satan did Matth. 4. to Christ, which surely himself knew to be most falsly applied and abused. Such abuses by hypocrites and hereticks, occasioned some late Romanists, as Hosius, Pigghius, Eccius, and others, to utter blasphemies against the holy Scriptures; they called them, A nose of wax, a leaden rule, a dead Letter, a dumb [Page 222] Doctor, an occasion of contention, a sphinx or Riddle, and like Aesop's Fables. Every cha­ritable Reader will easily conceive, that such learned men meant not these speeches of the pure word of God, but onely of the abuse thereof. In which consideration, Luther also (as Surius saith) called the Bible, Librum Hae­reticorum; and Hosius called it, Verbum dia­boli. (i. e.) The book of hereticks, and, The word of the devill. For so, before all these, St. Jerom, without any blasphemy, said, Hier. in Gal. 1. 5. To. 6. Inter­pretatione perversâ, de Evangelio Christi, ho­minis fiat Evangelium, aut, quod pejus est, diaboli. (i. e.) By false Expositions, the Gos­pell of Christ may be made the Gospell of men, or, which is worse, the Gospell of the devill. Thus he: and thus also our new Sab­batarians, abuse both the Manna of the Word, and the true Sabbath of God.

Some of the Fathers much pleased them­selves with a conceit, which they took up either from a passage, Wisd. 16. 20. or from Wisd. 16. 20. Philo the Jew, That the Manna had a severall taste, agreeing with every man's appetite; as, of bread, or flesh of beasts, or of fouls, or of fish. Thus Orig. in Mat. Tract. 35. Origen writeth, and [...]as. Epist. 406. [...]asil, as from Philo, and Aug. Epist. 118. Austin often, and Prosper. de Provid. Prosper, in one of his Poems, thus:

And we in our daies have perceived some Sabbatarian innovators, misapplying the [Page 223] Manna of the Word, and the sacred doctrine of the Sabbath, to their own gusts, or wicked designes. Bishop Montague observed, Act. & Mon. c. 7. s. 27. that the Jewes, in their last times, were not char­ged with the grand roaring sins of their fore­father's idolatries, but with superstitious tra­ditions, too strict sabbatizings, and hypocri­sie; and yet they were then worst of all, and committed that horrid sin which Christ cal­led, The filling up the measure of their fa­thers; Mat. 23. 32. and that was, their killing God's An­noynted. How near some Sabbatarians have approached to that sin, I take not upon me to judge, but leave it at their own conscience, where they will surely find it one day.

4. Christ the Saviour lay dead in his grave on the whole Jewish Sabbath day. This surely was intended as a disparagement of that Sab [...]ath, because he did not so on any other whole day from his death to his resurrection. And this may be well conceived to intimate the death of that Sabbath, and also the deadnesse of the Jewish misapprehension thereof : For Christ was the life and spirit, both of the Sabbath-day, and of his people; so that without the apprehension of him; the Sabbath-Law was but a dead letter, and no better then a mor­ticine, or dead carcase; which if the people under the Law had but touched, it made Numb. 19. 11. them legally unclean. His lying dead might moreover have taught them, that he inspired not, or breathed any vitall graces, into such vain and empty Sabbatizers.

Christ, we know, is often called Life, as, Joh. 4. 6. & 5. 12. Col. 3. 4. Gal. 2. 20. I am the way, the truth, and the life. And, H [...] that hath the Son hath life. The Apostle saith, [Page 224] Christ is our life; and, Christ l [...]veth in me. All this is said in respect of the union of Christ and his servants, who apprehend him by faith & love. But to those Jewish and faithless Sab­batizers, he was as one dead, in respect of their neglect of the living substance and doting on a dead sabbatarian shadow, as it were upon the fallacious apparitions of dead men, which are not really the things which they seem to be; and therefore our old Wr [...]ters call them Um­bras, (i. [...].) Shadows. When Tremelius (a lear­ned man, and well deserving of the Church) lay on his death-bed, and perceived, that some suspected him to retain in his heart the Jewish Religion, because he was of Jewish parentage; the good man, to put them out of that sus­pition, cried out, I. W. Ex­ercit. Vivat Christus, pereat Ba­rabbas. So we professe of the shadowie Jewish Sabbath, Let it die and vanish, whilst the true Sabbath, Christ our Lord, shall continue for ever.

7. Another discountenance of the seventh­day Sabbath, is, That even in the O [...]d Testa­ment; whilst this Ceremony was in force, God called it but a Sign, Exod. 31. 17. Ezek. 20. 12. and the Apostle afterwards call'd it but a Shadow, Col, 2. 17. And more­over, God professed, that he could not away with (or endure) their Sabbaths, Isa. 1. 13. And Christ, in the New Testament, in his own person, dissolved it by cures, clay-tem­pering, and causing a bed or couch to be car­ried, &c. None of these things would have been said or done, if the seventh day had been the onely Sabbath, intended in this fourth Commandment.

[Page 225] The Reader may further observe, that the same God who did so much slight the Sab­bath, sometimes; and also at length quite nul­led it; yet at other times he exceedingly magni­fied the Sabbath, and gave most strict and frequent commands to keep it, to hallow, and to sanctifie it; as Exod. 31. 16. Jer. 27. 22. Ezek. 20. 20. & 44. 24. and promised great favours & blessings to his people that kept it unpolluted.

These passages at first sight appearing so contrary, might justly seem Riddles to us; but that we assuredly know, that there is included in this Commandement, a twofold Sabbath, the one Ceremonial, and but temporary; the other Moral, and eternal.

The Cerem [...]nia [...] consisted only in the Ty­pical hallowing of the Seventh day▪ And this day-S [...]bb [...]h is it, that God so much slighted, because his people would not understand the true signification, meaning, and intention thereof.

The Moral, Spiritual, and Mysterious Sab­bath, is Christ the Saviour; and He only is meant, and only He it is which God did so much magnifie, under the Appella [...]ion of Sab­bath, of whom the Seventh-day Sabbath was but a sign, or shadow, and was to vanish in its due time, whereas the Moral Sabbath was to continue everlastingly.

This twofold Sabbath to me seemeth to be signified by the words of God, in the place before cited, [...]xod. 31. 16. Where the word Sabbath is doubled without any other cause Exod. 31. 16. appearing, when we thus read, The Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations. Here is [Page 226] a Sabbath, and a Sabbath. First, the Ceremo­nial, to be kept weekly, that by it they might be [...]nduced to apprehend the Second, even their Messiah▪ throughout their generations.

Of this Moral and everlasting Sabbath, I take the words following to be meant (al­though Ibid. I know, that some expound them otherwise) Israel shall keep the Sabbath—for a perpe [...]ual covenant, it is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever. These words, for ever, and perpe [...]ual, do indeed some­times signifie but a finite and limited time, which Divines call, Perpetuita [...]em periodicam, or [...]mitatam; as Deut. 15. 17. He shall be thy servant for ever. So again of Samuel's Mi­nistery, 1 Sam. 1. 2. called for ever: Which Je [...]ome more fitly renders, J [...]gitèr, that is, continually, or perpetually; for the word Per­petual, doth signifie any time, though but short, so it be without discontinuance, or in­terruption; for so Gramma [...]ians teach us, Perot. Perpetuum dicimus, integrum, non interrup­tum: As in Plau [...]us, Pla [...]t in Rud. & in Stich. Perpetua nox, signi­fies but one whole night; and he also cals ten years, Decem perpet [...]os [...]annos. But sometimes also, these words signifie sempiternity, and ab­solute everlastingness, as they do in that place above-said. Which way soever we take them, they must relate to the Moral Sabbath, because that Sabbath was, & is, to be kept c [...]n [...]inually, perpetually, for ever, without any vaca [...]ion, or interruption at all; but so were not the Cere­monials, or Seventh-day Sabbaths, between which there was weekly six days intermission.

The Covenant which is there said to be perpetual, and for ever, signifieth Christ, and [Page 227] is the same which in Jerm [...]e, is called a new Covenant, of which that Prophet thus wri­teth; This shall be the Covenant—I will put Jer. 31. 31, 33. my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. That this Law is meant of Christ, I have shewed before: Chap. 7. And that Christ only is this everlasting Covenant, the Gospel often declareth : Christ saith, This is my blood of the new Testament, Matth. 26. 28. Or, as St. Luke reads it, This is the new Testa­ment in my blood, Luke 22. 20. Testament and Covenant signifie the same thing, but only, that a Covenant is a Promise Conditional: And a Testament there, is the same Promise, or Covenant, given and bequeathed. So Hebr. 13. 20. The blood of Christ is called, The blood of the everlasting Covenant ( [...]) which Beza renders, Aeter [...] foederis, i. e. Eternal Covenant: So these words, Testa­ment, and Covenant, both to our own, and also to forrain Translators, seem all one; so Christ must be this everlasting covenanted Sabbath.

But then, if this everlasting Sabbath be re­ally Christ, how is it called a sign, as the Ty­pical Sabbath is; for so we read, Exod. 31. 17. It is a sign for ever?

To this we answer: That this Sabbath is no otherwise called a sign, than Christ himself is so called, Luke 2. 34. This Child is set—for a sign that shall be spoken against. And, Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. This sign signifieth the very Person of Christ, as both Origen and Chrysostome ex­pound it. Only, the Covenant of Christ's Sab­bathship is an everlasting sign, but so is not the sign of the Ceremonial Sabbath, as hath been [Page 228] proved In this sense only the Sabbath is ever­lasting, as it signifieth Christ, of which there is no doubt to be made.

In a like case, when question was made by Act. 13. 22. D [...]lci [...]us, how D [...]v [...]d, being a great sinner, could be styled, A man after Gods own heart? St. Austin answered; De 8. Quaest. Dulc. To. 3. De Christo intellige, & nullus nodus est. So we say, if we under­stand that this Sabbath Moral signifieth Christ (as certainly it doth) then there will be no que­stion of the everlastingness and eternity there­of. The Ceremonial, or Day-Sabbath was taken away, that so the true substantial Sabbath might the better take place in mens minds: Just as Typical Sacrifices were rejected by God, that so the grand Sacrifice of Christ might be by faith apprehended; of which the Apostle expresly thus writeth, He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. Heb. 10. 9.

This is also to be observed for a sign of the depreciating, or undervaluing of this Typical, or Day-Sabbath, that Christ said, The Sabbath Mar. 2. 26 was made for Man, and not Man for the Sab­bath. This he meant (no doubt) of the C [...] ­remonial Sabbath, in that it was ordained, on­ly to be ministerial and subservient to Man, as a Conducter and Guide to the true everlasting Sabbath; for if he had spoken of the Moral and Mystical Sabbath, he might truly have said, That Men was made for the Sabbath; because the true Sabbath is God the Son, by whom, and for whose glory, all Men, and the World it self were made: And he was before all Creatures, and not made at all, nor created, but begotten from E [...]ernity.

But yet, this Son of God may truly be said [Page 229] to be made the Sabbath for Man, yet not as he is meerly the Son of God, but as he is also, the Son of Man. He was made Man for us, and by that he became the Mystical Sabbath. For the Son of God considered in his pure Divi­nity, cannot be the Sabbath; neither can the Son of Man be so, if considered without his Divinity, but joyntly with both Natures: So that in consideration of his assumed humane Nature, and therewith his Sabbathship, he was made for Man, and came to help, and minister to Man, as himself most graciously acknow­ledged; The Son of Man came not to be mini­stred Matth. 20. 28. unto, but to minister.

7. Finally, The most notorious slurre of all, was, That this Seventh day, which God ap­pointed to be hallowed, could not possibly be so kept on that day in all places of the Earth, as any Man that hath but mean knowledge in Geographie may easily apprehend; for when in one part of the Earth it is Mi [...]-day, in another part it is Mid-night, and when Day begins in one part, Night begins in another; so that the Jews themselves, in their remote dispersions, cannot possibly Sabbatize at the same time. By this it may clearly appear, that the seventh-day Sabbath was only a national Constitution, du­ring the standing of the Judaical Common­wealth, and that the Seventh day was not that Moral Sabbath which God required in this fourth Commandement; because a Law Moral bindeth all Nations in every part of the Earth: but some other Sabbath was intended, which possibly might be kept by all Nations; & that Sabbath is Christ. Who therefore sent his Apo­stles Mar. 16. 15. with an universal Commission, Go ye into [Page 230] all the world and preach. And not only to the Jews, but, Go and teach all Nations. Matth. 28 19.

These and such like incumbrances, impossi­bilities, and inconveniences, did the Godhead p [...]t upon this Ceremonial Sabbath (as no fire-kindling, no burden-bearing, no meat­dressing, no stirring out of their places) and thereby made that People ridiculous to other Nations, as the Prophet saith, The adversaries did mock at her Sabbaths: And the Mani­chee Lam 1. 7. called their Saturday Sabbaths; Aug. Cont. Fa [...]st. l. 18 c. 5. Catc­ [...]as Saturn [...]acas, i. e. the fetters of Saturn. Logicians use to say, Uno absur do dato, mille sequuntur: The mis-understanding of this one Sabbath Law, led the Jews into strange and ridiculous Superstitions, and also to the ruine of their Persons, and City, and Temple. A Jew, in a boysterous Sea, refused to tug at the stern, because it was his Sabbath day, and so he perished. Another would not be drawn out of a loathsome draught upon the same reason, but rather miserably perished, as our own Hi­stories record.

The Jews could not be ignorant, that God himself did work on every Sabbath-day, and that he did also occasionally command others so to do, as the Preists, and sometimes the Soul­diers; therefore they might easily have per­ceived, that both the Sabbath, or Rest of God, and also of his people, consisted in something else, and not in a meer cessation from worldly works. Some Sabbatarian Writers tell us, That Man should work when God worketh, and rest when God rested. But God worketh alwayes, so cannot Man : If they had said, that Man should rest in that thing, which God rested in, [Page 231] they had spoken home to the true Sabbath in­deed: For God rested only in Christ, and so should we; otherwise all Seventh-day Sabba­tizing is utterly vain and superstitious.

By these Reasons a pious and judicious Reader will clearly perceive, that these slurrs were put upon the Day Sabbath by our Wise God, on purpose, and design, to withdraw his people from the shadow to the substance, and from the Ceremonial to the Moral, and sub­stantial Sabbath, which is Christ : for just such a design God had in his Dispensation, even of the Moral Law, which was first written in Man's heart: Then afterwards, when it was to our lapsed and depraved nature impossible, yet it was again imposed on us, and engraven in stone: And this he did, that thereby he might direct us, both to perform so much of it as we can, and also to seek help and mercy of him, for what we cannot do.

There had been no need of writing this Law in Tables of stone, which was written defore in Man's heart, but only, because, as St. Austin saith, Aug. in Psal. 57. Tu fugitivus eras cordis tui; i. [...]. Man was a run-away from his own heart and principles; for we find, that Man now perpe­trateth wickedness, which his own conscience judgeth to be so, and also condemneth; as an Heathen confessed; Juvenal Sat. 13.

The reason why God did impose this Law on Man, then, when it was impossible, is singularly rendred by the Apostle, thus; The Scripture Gal. 3. 2 [...]. hath concluded all under sin, that the Promise [Page 232] by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Now, although the impossi­ble Law is by faith and union with Christ made possible to Man; yet it was imposed on us with all its literall impossibilities on purpose to be (as the same Apostle saith) Our School­master, to bring us unto Christ; or indeed, to Ibid. v: 24. drive, force, and necessitate us, to seek some other means and way for our justification, and salvation, besides the Law; which way is only the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom only our peace with God, and our everlasting Sabbath con­sisteth. To Him therefore, with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be rendred blessing, honour, praise, and thanksgiving, for ever and ever. Amen.

Laus Deo.