made with the Jews cease, (which Camero calleth a third or middle covenant, and several men do variously denominate, but the Scripture calleth the old or former covenant, or testament or disposition,) then all the law, as part of that covenant ceaseth. And that is as much as to say also that it ceaseth as merely Mosaical, or political to the Jews. And then the argument is vain, This or that word was written in the tables of stone; therefore it is of perpetual obligation. For as it was written in stone, it was Mosaical, and is done away; and under the new covenant all that is natural and continued, shall by the Spirit be written upon the heart; whence sin at first did obliterate it. 7. That as the rest of God in the creation is described by a cessation from his work, with a complacency in the goodness of it: But Christ's rest is described more by vital activity and operation, than by cessation from work, even his triumphant resurrection, as the conquest of death, and beginning of a new life. So I think the old Sabbath is more described by such corporeal rest, or cessation from work, which was partly ceremonial, or a signifying shadow, and that the word Sabbath is never used in Scripture, but for such a day of ceremonial rest (though including holy worship). But that the Lord's-day, and its due observation, is more described by spiritual activity and operation, in the spiritual resurrection of the soul, and its new life to God; and that the bodily rest is no longer ceremonial and shadowy, but fitted to the promoting and subserving of the spiritual activity and complacency in God, and holy exercises of the mind, as the body itself is to the service of the soul. 8. That I am not ignorant that many of the English divines long ago expounded Matt. xxiv. 20, of the Christian Sabbath, and Col. ii. 16, as exclusive of the Jewish weekly Sabbath but so do not most expositors, for which I think they give very good reasons, which I will not stand here to repeat. 9. That I intend not a full and elaborate treatise of the Lord's-day, but a brief explication of that method of proof which I conceive most easy and convincing, and most fit for the use of doubting Christians; who are many of them lost in doubts in the multitude and obscurity of arguments from the Old Testament: When I think that the speedy and satisfactory dispatch of the controversy is best made by a plain proof of the institution of Christ by the Holy Ghost in the apostles; which I thought to have shewed in two or three sheets, but that the necessity of producing some evidence of the fact, and answering other men's objections, drew it out to greater length. And my method required me to say more of the practice of antiquity, than some other men's. But again, I must give notice that Dr. T. Young's "Dies Dominica" is the book which I agree with in the method and middle way of determining this controversy, and which I take to be the strongest written of it. And that I omit most which he hath, as taking mine but as an appendix to his, and desire him that will write against mine, to answer both together, or else I shall suppose his work to be undone. END OF THE DIVINE APPOINTMENT OF THE LORD'S-DAY. OF REDEMPTION OF TIME. 'THE usual vice of human nature, to be weary of good things, when they grow old and common, and to call for novelties, is especially discernible in men's esteem and use of books. Abundance of old ones are left neglected to the worms and dust, whilst new ones of a far less worth are most of the booksellers' trade and gain. It is not easy to give a reason of it, but it is not to be denied, that this age hath few such writers as the last, either controversial or practical. Even among the Papists, there are now few such as Suarez, Vasquez, Valentia, Victoria, Penottus, Ruiz, Alvarez, Bellarmine, &c. And among us, too few such as Jewel, Whittaker, Reignolds, Field, Usher, White, Challoner, Chillingworth, &c. which the Papists understanding, would fain have the monuments of these worthies forgotten; and are calling for new answers to the schisms that have been so long ago confuted; to keep those old unanswerable writings, from the people's hands. And thus doth the envious enemy of holiness, by the practical writings of those holy men who are now with God. The solid, grave and pious labours of Richard Rogers, Perkins, Greenham, Deering, Dent, Smith, Dod, Hildersham, Downame, Samuel Ward, Hall, Bolton, Dike, Stocke, Elton, Taylor, Harris, Preston Sibbs, Ball, and many more such, are by the most neglected, as if we were quite above their parts; but it were well if more injudicious or undigested writings possessed not their room. Though I may hereby censure myself as much as others, I must needs say, that the reprinting of many of our fathers' writings, might have saved the labour of writing many later books, to the greater commodity of the church. Among the rest, I well remember that even in my youth (and since much more) the writings of Mr. Whately were very savoury to me; especially his "Sermon of Redeeming Time." I must so far venture on the displeasure of the guilty, as to say, that the doleful condition of two sorts of persons, the SENSUAL GENTRY, and the idle beggars, is it that hath compelled me to this service; but especially of the former sort, who though slothful, may possibly be drawn to read so small a book. What man that believeth a life hereafter, and considereth the importance of our business upon earth, and observeth how most persons, but especially our sensual gentry, live, can choose but wonder that ever reason can be so far lost, and even self-love and the care of their own everlasting state, so laid asleep, as men's great contempt of time declareth! Ladies and Gentlewomen, it is you whom I most deeply pity and lament: think not that I am too bold with you, God, who employeth us on such service, will be bolder with you than this comes to. And Christ was bold with such as you, when he spake the histories or parables of the two rich men in Luke xii. and xvi. And when he told men how hardly the rich should enter into the kingdom of heaven. And James was bold with such when he wrote, chap. v. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you: your riches are corrupted, and your garments motheaten: your gold and silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire, &c.-Ye have lived in pleasure on earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter."And he was neither ignoble nor unlearned, but of honourable birth, and the orator of an university who was so bold with the English gentry (when they say, they were much wiser and better than they are now) as to bespeak them thus:(Herbert's "Churchporch.") "Fly idleness! which yet thou canst not fly O England! full of sin, but most of sloth! Spit out thy phlegm, and fill thy breast with glory. Not that they all are so, but that the most Some till their ground, but let weeds choke their son : 66 'When I peruse the map of Sodom, in Ezek. xvi. 49, 50, methinks I am in an infected city, where instead of 'LORD HAVE MERCY ON US,' it is written on the GENTRY's doors PRIDE, FULNESS OF BREAD, ABUNDANCE OF IDLENESS, UNMERCIFULNESS AND ABOMINATION.' Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her, and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy: and they were haughty, and committed abomination before me." The title over the leaves of these verses might be 'THE CHARACTER OF THE SENSUAL GENTRY.' Mistake me not, I am so far from accusing all the rich and honourable, that I must say it is as a testimony against the rest, that I know many such who spend their time as fruitfully and diligently as the poor (though in another sort of service): And such might the rest have been if their bodies had not got the mastery of their souls. It is not your PRIDE or FULNESS of BREAD that I am now to speak of, but your IDLENESS. Many of the old philosophers thought that when sickness or age had made one unserviceable to the commonwealth, it was a shame to live, and a duty to make away themselves; as being but unprofitable |