commendable care of Christian morality, and a high provocation in other things, by them who endeavoured to corrupt it. A search hath been made into the writings which that sort of men have published, for the direction of the consciences of men in the practice of moral duties, or for the guidance of their disciples, upon confessions. And a man may say of the discovery, what the Poet said upon the opening of the house of Cacus: Panditur extemplo foribus domus atra revulsis, Cælo ostenduntur. Non secus ac si qua penitus vi terra dehiscens Pallida. Such a loathsome appearance of vizards and pretences for the extenuating of sin, and countenancing of men in the practice of it, was never before represented unto the eyes of men. The main of their design, as is now manifest, hath been so to interpret Scripture laws, rules and precepts, as to accommodate them all to that course of corrupt conversation, which prevaileth generally in the world, even among them who are called Christians. -Gratum opus agricolis. A work exceedingly acceptable and obliging to all sorts of men, who if not given up to open Atheism, would rejoice in nothing more, than in a reconciliation between the rule of their consciences and their lusts, that they might sin freely without trouble or remorse. To this end, having learned the inclinations and temptations of men from their private confessions, and finding it a thing neither possible in itself, nor at all conducing to their interest, to endeavour their reformation by, and recovery unto the fixed stable rule of truth and duty, they have by their false glosses, subtile distinctions, and refined imaginations, made it to justify and countenance them in the highest abominations, and in ways leading constantly to the practice of them. And there is nothing in their whole course, which faithful interpreters of the mind of God ought more carefully to avoid, than a falling in any instances into that evil, which these men have made it their design to promote and pursue. The world indeed seems to be weary of the just, righteous, holy ways of God; and of that exactness in walking according to his institutions and commands, which it will be one day known that he doth require. But the way to put a stop to this declension, is not by accommodating the commands of God to the corrupt courses and ways of men. The truths of God, and the holiness of his. precepts, must be pleaded and defended, though the world dis like them here, and perish hereafter. His law must not be made to lackey after the wills of men, nor be dissolved by vain interpretations, because they complain they cannot, indeed because they will not comply with it. Our Lord Jesus Christ came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfil them, and to supply men with spiritual strength to fulfil them also. It is evil to break the least commandment, but there is a great aggravation of that evil in them that shall teach men so to do. And this cannot be done, but by giving such expositions of them, as by virtue whereof, men may think themselves freed from an obligation unto that obedience which indeed they do require. Wherefore though some should say now as they did of old concerning any command of God, "Behold what a weariness it is, and what profit is it to keep his ordinances?" yet the law of God is not to be changed to give them relief. We are therefore in this matter to have no consideration of the present course of the world, nor of the weariness of professors in the ways of strict obedience. The sacred truth and will of God in all his commands, is singly and sincerely to be inquired after. § 6. And yet I will not deny but that there have been and are mistakes in this matter, leaning towards the other extreme. Directions have been given, and that not by a few, for the observance of a day of holy rest, which either for the matter of them or the manner prescribed, have had no sufficient warrant or foundation in the Scripture. For whereas some have made no distinction between the Sabbath as moral and as Mosaical, unless it be merely in the change of the day, they have endeavoured to introduce the whole practice required on the latter into the Lord's day. But we have already shewed that there were sundry additions made unto the command, as to the manner of its observance, in its accommodation unto the Mosaic pedagogy; besides that the whole required a frame of spirit suited thereunto. Others again have collected whatever they could think of, that is good, pious and useful in the practice of religion, and prescribed it all in a multitude of instances, as necessary to the sanctification of this day; so that a man can scarcely in six days read over all the duties that are proposed to be observed on the seventh. And it hath been also no small mistake, that men have laboured more to multiply directions about external duties, giving them out as it were by number or tale, than to direct the mind or inward man, in' and unto a due performance of the whole duty of the sanctification of the day, according to the spirit and genius of gospel obedience. And lastly, it cannot be denied but that some, it may be measuring others by themselves, and their own abilities, have been apt to tie men up unto such long tiresome duties, and rigid abstinenVOL. II. G & ces from refreshments, as have clogged their minds, and turned the whole service of the day into a wearisome bodily exercise, that profiteth little. § 7. It is not my design to insist upon any thing that is in controversy amongst persons learned and sober. Nor will I now extend this discourse unto a particular consideration of the special duties required in the sanctification or services of this day. But whereas all sorts of men, who wish well to the furtherance and promotion of piety and religion in the world, on what reasons or foundations soever they judge that this day ought to be observed a holy rest to the Lord, do agree that there is a great sinful neglect of the due observance of it, as may be seen in the writings of some of the principal of those who cannot grant unto it an immediate divine institution; I shall give such rules and general directions about it, as by a due application of them will give sufficient guidance in the whole of our duty therein. § 8. It may seem to some necessary, that something should be premised concerning the measure or continuance of the day to be set apart a holy rest unto the Lord. But it being a matter of controversy, and to me on the reasons to be mentioned afterwards of no great importance, I shall not insist upon the examination of it, but only give my judgment in a word concerning it. Some contend that it is a natural day of twentyfour hours, beginning with the evening of the preceding day, and ending with the same of its own. And accordingly so was the church of Israel directed, Lev. xxiii. 32. "From even unto even shall you celebrate your Sabbath;" although that doth not seem to be a general direction for the observance of the weekly Sabbath, but to regard only that particular extraordinary Sabbath, which was thus instituted; namely the day of atonement on the tenth day of the seventh month, ver. 27. However, suppose it to belong also unto the weekly Sabbath; it is evidently an addition unto the command particularly suited to the Mosaic pedagogy, that the day might comprise the sacrifice of the preceding evening in the services of it, from an obedience whereunto we are freed by the gospel. Neither can I subscribe unto this opinion; and that because, 1. In the description and limitation of the first original seven days, it is said of each of the six, that it was constituted of an evening and a morning; but of the day of rest there is no such description; it is only called the seventh day, without any assignation of the preceding evening unto it. 2. A day of rest, according to rules of natural equity, ought to be proportioned unto a day of work or labour, which God hath granted unto us for our own use. Now this is to be reckoned from morning to evening, Psal. civ. 20-23. "Thou makest darkness and it is night, wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep; (from whose yelling the night hath its name in the Hebrew tongue.) The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. The sun riseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. Man goeth forth to his work and his labour until the evening." The day of labour is from the removal of darkness and the night, by the light of the sun, until the return of them again; which allowing for the alterations of the day in the several seasons of the year, seems to be the just measure of our day of rest. 3. Our Lord Jesus Christ who in his resurrection gave beginning and being to the special day of holy rest under the gospel, rose not until the morning of the first day of the week, when the beamings of the light of the sun began to dispel the darkness of the night; or when it dawned towards day, as it is variously expressed by the evangelists. This with me, determines the whole matter. 4. Mere cessation from labour in the night, seems to have no place in the spiritual rest of the gospel to be expressed on this day; nor to be by any thing distinguished from the night of other days of the week. 5. Supposing Christians under the obliga tion of the direction given by Moses before-mentioned; and it may entangle them in the anxious, scrupulous intrigues which the Jews are subject unto, about the beginning of the evening itself, about which their greatest masters are at variance, which things belong not to the economy of the gospel. Upon the whole matter, I am inclinable to judge, and do so, that the observance of the day is to be commensurate unto the use of our natural strength, on any other day, from morning to night. And nothing is hereby lost that is needful unto the due sanctification of it. For what is by some required as a part of its sanctification, is necessary and required as a due preparation thereunto. This therefore is our first rule or direction. The first day of the week, or the Lord's day, is to be set apart unto the ends of a holy rest unto God, by every one, according as his natural strength will enable him, to employ himself in his lawful occasions any other day of the week.--There is no such certain standard or measure for the observance of the duties of this day, as that every one who exceeds it, should by it be cut short, or that those who on important reasons come short of it should be stretched out thereunto. As God provided in his services of old, that he who was not able to offer a bullock, might offer a dove, with respect unto their outward condition in the world; so here there is an allowance also for the natural temperaments and abilities of men. Only whereas if persons of old had pretended poverty, to saye their charge in the procuring of an offering, it would not have been acceptable, yea, they would themselves have fallen under the curse of the deceiver; so no more now will a pretence of weakness or natural inability, be any excuse to any for neglect or profaneness. Otherwise, God requires of us, and accepts from us, according to what we have, and not according to what we have not. And we see it by experience, that some men's natural spirits will carry them to a continuance in the outward observance of duties, much beyond, nay doubly perhaps to what others are able, who yet may observe a holy Sabbath to the Lord with acceptation. And herein lies the spring of the accommodation of these duties to the sick, the aged, the young, the weak, or persons any way distempered. God knoweth our frame, and remembereth that we are dust ;" as also, that that dust is more discomposed, and weakly compacted in some than others. As thus the people gathered manna of old, some more, some less, box wx every man according to his appetite,' yet he that "gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack,” Exod. xvi. 16-18.; so is every one in sincerity, according to his own ability, to endeavour the sanctifying of the name of God in the duties of this day, not being obliged by the examples or prescriptions of others, according to their own mea sures. § 9. Secondly, Labour to observe this day, and to perform the duties required in it, with a frame of mind becoming and answering the spirit, freedom and liberty of the gospel. We are now to serve God in all things" in the newness of the spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter," Rom. vii. 6. with a spirit of peace, delight, joy, liberty and a sound mind. There were three reasons of the bondage servile frame of spirit, which was in the Judaical church, in their observance of the duties of the law, and consequently of the Sabbath. First, The dreadful giving and promulgation of the law on Mount Sinai, which was not intended merely to strike a terror into that generation in the wilderness, but through all ages during that dispensation, to influence and awe the hearts of the people into a dread and terror of it. Hence the apostle tells us that "Mount Sinai gendered unto bondage," Gal. iv. 24. that is, the law as given thereon, brought the people into a spiritually servile state, wherein, although secretly on the account of the ends of the covenant they were children aud heirs, " yet they differed nothing from servants," chap. iv. 1. 3. Secondly, The renovation and re-enforcement of the old covenant, with the promises and threatenings of it, which was to be upon them during the continuance of that state and condition. And although the law had a new use and end now given unto it, yet they were so in the dark, and the proposal of them was attended with so great an obscurity, that they could not clearly |
