The doctrine of the Sabbath handled in foure seuerall bookes of treatises. The first of which intreateth of the day of rest. The second, of the duties of the day. The third, of the persons whom these duties concerne. And the fourth, the reasons vsed to perswade all persons to the practise of these duties vpon that day. Written by G.W. Master of Arts, and minister of the word of God in Portsmouth.

CHAP. I.

We our selues must keepe the Sabbath, and those that are vnder our charge, Sect. 1. The father must see that the sonne keepe the Sabbath, Sect. 2. And the ma∣ster that his seruant keepe it, Sect. 3.

[§. Sect. 1] OF the keeping of the Sabbath holie, we haue alreadie heard; it remaineth that wee consider the persons whom these duties doe concerne: which are ei∣ther, thy selfe, or those that are vnder thee. And first he requireth it at thy hands: because hee would haue reformation alwaies to begin where loue doth, that is, with it selfe; and then with those that are at our elbowes. And of this there is great reason. For if a man be not him∣selfe reformed, either hee is remisse in reforming of others, because they are like himselfe; or if he be forwards, yet hee shall be challenged, because he is in his practise vnlike himselfe, and is like the

boate-man that fetcheth his stroake one way and looketh another. Therefore God speaketh in the second person of the singular number; the rea∣son of which is, that euery man may know that God speaketh vnto him directly. When Princes make a law they vse generall termes, as no man shall doe such a thing, or euery man shall doe such a thing; but these lawes we vse to shift off, as if they concerned vs not. For say we, that which is spoken to all, is spoken to none. This God wisely preuenteth and speaketh to thee directly, thou shalt do no man∣ner of worke. The reason why God speaketh in this manner is, because sinne hath gotten her a whores forehead, Ier. 3. 3. it will not blush nor bee ashamed, vnlesse it bee pointed at, and vnlesse a man speake vnto it, as the voyce vnto Nebuchad∣nezzar; To thee be it spoken. In deede a good man when he readeth any thing in the Scripture spo∣ken in so generall termes, doth sometimes applie it vnto himselfe, as Dauid, Psal. 40. 7. In the volume of thy booke (saith he) it is written of me that I should doe thy will: which though it be no where in par∣ticular written of Dauid, yet hee being a man ap∣plies it in particular vnto himselfe, as if it had bin spoken vnto him. And there be (I confesse) some like Dauid, but this sect hath not many disciples. For the most are of minde that it concerneth any man rather than themselues; of which mind Da∣uid also was when Nathan came vnto him with a parable: which stifnes of ours God obseruing speaketh in particular to euery man, Thou shalt not doe any manner of worke. So that this euery man

when he readeth it, must needes confesse as Da∣uid, it is written of me; and so must the King say, this is written of me, that I should keepe the Sab∣bath; so must the master say, this is written of me that I should keepe the Sabbath: so the Minister, so the husbandman, and so of the rest; for this is spoken vnto euery man of what place or calling so euer he be, of what sexe or age so euer he be. And vnto that purpose in the word we shall find precepts of euery sort to inforce so much. Isai. 56. ver. 5. the Eunuch must keepe the Sabbath. Neh. 13. 15. the victualler must keepe the Sabbath. Exod. 31. 3, 4. the artificer must keepe the Sabbath. Nehe. 10. 31. the buyer and seller must keepe the Sabbath. Ierem. 17. the carriers and porters must keepe the Sabbath. Exo. 34. the husbandman must keepe the Sabbath. Exo. 44. 24. the Priest must keepe the Sabbath. And what shall I more say? if any might except, then the Prince, either by reason of his authoritie, or his distracti∣ons in waightie affaires; but the Prince himselfe must be in the middest of them, Ezech. 46. 9, 10. And therefore wee see none is exempt from this dutie; but thou, whosoeuer thou art, must keepe the Sabbath.

Though neither yet art thou alone bound in thine owne person to keepe it; but also in thy place to see it kept. Art thou a father? then thou must see that thy sonne keepe it. Art thou a Ma∣ster? then thou must see that thy seruant keep it. Art thou a Prince? then thou must see that thy subiect keepe it: for the commaundement run∣neth thus, thou must keepe it and thy sonne, thou

and thy seruint, thou and thy cattell, thou and thy stranger. But why is not the husband also in ioy∣ned to see his wife keepe the Sabbath? The rea∣son is, first, because she is a part of her husband, and they twaine be but one man, Rom. 5. 19. Se∣condly, she is a gouernour in the familie with the man, and therefore she is to see that others keepe the Sabbath. Thirdly, all are not mentioned in the commaundement, but it is figuratiue, and a part is put for the whole. For as the master is ouer the seruant, or father ouer his sonne; so is the hus∣band ouer the wife, so is the Captaine ouer the souldier, and the master ouer the scholler: and so of the rest. The reasons wherefore this is inioy∣ned to the gouernour are two. First, because the gouernour in his place should goe before those that are vnder him in good example, as Paul would haue Timothy to doe, 1. Tim. 4. 12. For as one coale maketh another burne, and wood a fire, Prou. 26: so doth one mans good example in religion bring forward another, especially if they be men of sort and place. For, as the Loadstone draweth the iron, and the Iet the straw; so draw they others of all sorts to follow them. As when Io∣siah kept the Passeouer, all the people would keepe it with him, 2. King. 23. When Asa sware to seeke the Lord, all Iudah sware with him, & reioyced at the oath, 2. Chr. 15. 15. God would therefore haue them take on in a good way, least they turning aside to wicked∣nesse they should corrupt others; as Rehoboam when he forsooke the law of the Lord, lead away all Is∣rael with him, 2. Chron. 12. 1. And Ieroboam bea∣reth

the memorie of his defection vntill this day, and shall be knowne by it while the world stan∣deth, as a man is knowne by his sirname; Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne. One therefore not vnfitly compares them vnto great oakes, that when they fall, beate downe all the vnder wood with them; so doe these. And surely there is no poyson nor pestilence that so infecteth the ayre where it is, as these great ones do the whole countrey, townes and cities round about them where they are, if they be euill. Those therefore that are aboue o∣thers, had need to learne Dauids lesson, to be wise. For if they be euill, they shall not be euill alone; and if they fall, they shall carrie a great number with thē to hell, as the great diuel did whē he fel, Iud. vers. 6. Therfore first God would haue those that are ouer others to keepe the Sabbath, that by their example others might bee brought to doe the like.

Secondly, hee laieth the care of those that are vnder them vpon their shoulders, that they might see them to keepe the Sabbath, and if o∣therwise they will not, to compell them. And so much the more neede was there that this should be put vpon them, because of their backwardnes to doe it; for they let them runne to all excesse of riot, and to doe whatsoeuer seemeth them good in their owne eyes: they thinke as Caine; Am I my brothers keeper? So they, Am I my seruants kee∣per? am I my sonnes keeper? am I my strangers keeper? Yea thou art, and God will not alone aske thee where thou art, as he asked Adam: but also where is

thy brother, as he did Caine; where is thy sonne? where is thy daughter? where is thy seruant? for he requi∣reth at thy hand that they keep the Sabbath also: the reason is, because in matters of religion there is no respect of persons with God, Act. 10. 34. He will haue all within the couenant, euen from the draw∣er of water, and hewer of wood, vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne, Deut. 29. 10, 11. And Iere. 17. 10. hee requireth all that enter in at the gates should keepe the Sabbath. And therefore as Moses when he went to sacrifice vnto the Lord in the wilder∣nesse, would not leaue a hoofe behind him, Exo. 10. 26: so here also hee requireth not onely thy sonne, thy daughter, thy seruant, and the stranger to keepe the Sabbath, but also that thine oxe and thine asse keepe it; hee will not haue a hoofe to breake it.

[§. Sect. 2] But that we may the more plainly vnderstand this, those of whom thou hast charge in this place giuen thee, are either such as thou must see to keepe the Sabbath in the same manner thou art commaunded to keepe it thy selfe; of which sort are thy children and seruants; or such as if they rest not, may bee an occasion vnto thee, or those that are vnder thee, of breaking the Sabbath, as thy cat∣tell; or an offence, as the stranger. But of these in particular: and first of the first sort. That the fa∣ther is here charged with his children to see that they keepe the Sabbath, appeareth in that he wils thee to remember that thy son and daughter keepe it aswell as thy selfe. And therefore thou canst no more except against that part of the commande∣ment

that concerneth them, than that which concerneth thy selfe. Indeede if he had said, thou shalt see that thou thy selfe keepe the Sabbath, and that thou warne thy sonne to doe the same; then when thou hadst warned thy sonne thou hadst discharged thy selfe, but now hee willeth thee to remember that thy sonne keepe the Sabbath aswell as thy selfe, thou canst by no meanes auoide this charge. And in very truth of this there is great reason, because many though they bee ashamed themselues to goe so farre as in Iere. 7. 18, to kindle the fire; yet they can be contented that their chil∣dren should gather the stickes, and that their women should kneade the dough to bake cakes to the Queene of heauen; I meane they can be contented to suffer their children to runne into all lewdnes, though themselues bee ashamed to bee scene doing the same things. But God to preuent this, chargeth thein here with their children that they obserue the Sabbath. And therefore as your selues do rest vpon the Sabbath, so must your children; as your selues doe keepe it holie, so must your children: when you goe to the sermon, they must go with you; when you repeate, they must repeate with you; when you goe to prayer, they must to pray∣er with you. See not my face (saith Ioseph) if you bring not your brother: so, see not Gods face, vn∣lesse you bring your children: if they be wan∣ting, God will aske you as he did Caine; Where is thy brother? so, where is thy child? where is thy sonne? where is thy daughter? What make they a dancing when they should bee at the sermon? why are

they at play when I commaunded them to rest? If God (I say) should demaund these questions of many parents, how mute would they stand? Well, assure your selues there is a time of ac∣count, when (poore soules) they shall stand shi∣uering before the greatest Maiestie, and quaking not being able to answere him these questions.

Yea, but what would I haue you to do? your children (you will say) will not be ruled. No wil: then chastise them, and let not thy soule spare for their murmuring, Prou. 19. 18: for if thou set them at libertie, they will shame thee, Pro. 29. 15. Oh (but you will say) you are loath to beate them. Alas, and are you so cockering? I perceiue then you would be loath to cut their throtes, if God should com∣maund you, as he once commanded Abraham. Yet Abraham would haue done it, rather than haue disobeyed God; and haddest thou rather disobey God, than chastise thy sonne? Yea, had∣dest thou rather let him stand vnder the heauie wrath of God, which burneth vnto the bottome of hell for breaking his Sabbath, than to correct him? then woe worth the time, may thy childe say, that euer hee knew the, that lettest him thus to die for want of correction. And this much shortly concerning the duties of parents towards their children, in compelling them to keepe the Sabbath.

[§. Sect. 3] The next dutie is of Masters towards their seruants, who are so farre foorth bound to see their seruants keepe the Sabbath as themselues. For God will haue them his seruants aswell as

theirs, and to doe his businesse vpon the seuenth day, aswell as their masters vpon the sixe daies. And this in truth wee ought to doe, if not in this regard that God commaundeth vs, whose com∣maund should be of greatest authoritie with vs; yet at least that we may shew our selues good go∣uernours, and that we gouerne them as tendring their good ouer whom we are set: and wherein can we more tender them, than in bringing them vnto the knowledge of the chiefe good, euen vn∣to the sauing knowledge of God in Iesus Christ? And if we will not yet gouerne as tendring their good; yet at least let vs doe it as tendring our owne: for be yee well assured that he that is not faithfull to God, will neuer be faithfull to thee; and that hee that will not serue God truly, will neuer ferue thee truly. Well hee may serue thee so long as thine eye is vpon him, but when thy backe is turned his seruice is ended. But the ser∣uant that feareth the Lord will be as faithfull vn∣to thee when thou lookest off, as when thou loo∣kest on; for hee knowes well that a greater than thy selfe looketh vpon him; to whom hee must answere for his seruice done to thee. Let this therefore at least teach thee thy dutie to thy ser∣uants.

Yea but, will some Master say, my seruants wil not thus be held in by you. No will? who holds them in then to their worke in the weeke daies? If any shall then start aside from your businesse, you will easily finde meanes to inforce him; and can you finde no meanes to inforce him to Gods

businesse? Yea but they will not vpon the Sab∣bath bee held in, but they will then haue their li∣bertie. Then let them haue it altogether, and dis∣charge them. For, wilt thou haue him that will not serue God to serue thee? thou oughtest at least to be as carefull for Gods seruice as for thine owne. Now thou wilt not keepe a seruant that will not faithfully doe thy businesse; how much lesse then shouldest thou keepe one that will not serue the Lord? Dauid would neuer haue done it: for, saith he, a wicked person shall not dwell in my house, Psal. 101. Yea, but how shall my worke bee done then? Get thee such seruants as doe feare the Lord; that was it that Dauid purposed first with himselfe; Mine eyes (saith he) shall be vnto the faithfull of the land: And, He that walketh in a perfect heart he shall serue me, vers. 6. ibid. And they indeed bee the best seruants: for they serue not with eye seruice, but as the seruants of Christ, as seruing the Lord in thy businesse, and not thee, Ephes. 6. 6. Yea, but wee cannot get such. It may be so, be∣cause you do not walke, as Dauid did, in the mid∣dest of your house with a perfect heart, vers. 2. Therefore they will not dwell with you: which if you did, you should not neede to seeke: for ser∣uants would seeke you fast enough. Yea, if you did so walke, by Gods blessing, though you did not finde them such, yet you would make them such: but this is the miserie of it; our seruants must bee sent abroad euery Sabbath in errands and trifling businesses, riding, and running, and posting as if it were for life, as if it were on other

daies in the weeke, as if no commandement were from God to the contrarie. So our owne turnes be serued, wee care not how God be serued, wee shew thereby that wee loue our selues more than God. And our seruants seeing vs not to make conscience of Gods businesse, they grow to make as little conscience of ours: especially they being by this meanes depriued of the benefit of the word, whereby they should bee taught better to discharge their duties towards their masters. And thus much for that that the master ought to see that his seruant keepe the Sabbath.

And as this instructeth the master in his dutie to his seruant; so also it containeth in it matter of comfort for the seruant. For they may hence ob∣serue the kindnes and loue of God towards him, that notwithstanding their seruitude, yet hee is mindfull of them; they think (poore wretches) that because God hath laid this state of seruitude vpon them, therefore hee regardeth them not: no, no, it is not so, but he thinkes vpon them, and remembers them euery Sabbath, vouchsafing as it were to looke downe from heauen vpon them in giuing them a rest, promising them as it were in that rest, that one day they shall thoroughly rest from their labours, and rest with him in hea∣uen, where they shal be no more in seruitude, but shall be the Lords free men. Therefore you ser∣uants thinke of this, and learne to serue him on his Sabbath, that hath not alone in his flesh ser∣ued you; but will assuredly in that flesh saue you, and giue you a perpetuall rest if you serue him.

And behold this he requires at your hands, then doe it, for you cannot serue a better master. Lay aside then your foolish vanities, your idle de∣lights, and impertinent sports: be no more the seruants of sinne; but as in the whole course of your liues, so on this day especially bee yee the Lords seruants: loe hee offers it. Now who is it that would not serue his Prince, if he might? but their seruice is nothing to this; for euen Princes themselues sue to bee Gods seruants; as Dauid, though it were but in a meane place, as to bee a doore-keeper, yet he would thinke himselfe hap∣pie: let this therefore be your resolution to serue the Lord. You will say (peraduenture) you would, but you cannot, your masters lay such burthens vpō you. And surely this I know, many masters lay greater burthens vpon their seruants on the Sabbath, than in any daies of the weeke besides; they deale therein like Pharaoh, when the people desired to go to serue the Lord, then he laid more worke vpon them, Exod. 5. 9: so when they should goe to heare the word of the Lord, then they lay more businesse vpon them. In this case what shal the poore seruant doe? shall hee doe Gods busi∣nesse or his masters? Surely whether it be better to obey God or man, masters iudge you? Act. 4. vers. 19. Though neither herein doe I intend to exempt the seruant from being subiect to his master, in such workes as vpon the Sabbath be lawfull to be done: but if he shall ordinarily vpon ••mall, or no occasions be depriued of the publique mini∣sterie of the word, let him in such a case rather

venture his masters displeasure than Gods. And surely in my iudgement if he be beaten for it, hee suffereth for well doing, and therefore let him take it patiently, for it is acceptable vnto God, 1. Pet. 2. 20. yea and let him in this put it vp, not answering a∣gaine. For that is required at the seruants hands, Tit. 2. 9: or if he answere, let it be thus in the spi∣rit of meeknes; for a soft answer turneth back wrath, Prou. 15. 1. Master, I pray you haue patience this one day with me; I haue serued you faithfully these sixe daies; and I would also doe your busi∣nesse this day, but that my great Lord and Master commands me this day to serue him; and there∣fore as you would not blame mee if when my Prince commands me, I should leaue your busi∣nes vndone, to serue him; how much lesse should you blame me if I let alone your businesse for a while, when God commaunds me to serue him? Thus if seruants would answere their masters, I doubt not but that they would stay their wrath, and call backe their sentence of displeasure gone out against them. But if they will not heare this so reasonable a request, his seruant can iudge no other waies of his master than Nabals seruant did of his master; Surely some euill will surely come vnto my master, and vpon all his familie, for he is so wicked that a man cannot speak vnto him, 1. Sam. 25. 17. And so may such masters thinke of themselues, if they will not heare their seruants intreating them for that which they should inforce them vnto, if of themselues they would not. And thus much of that the seruant should doe.

Notes

• We must first obserue the Sabbath in our owne persons.
• Those that are vnder vs must keepe the Sab∣bath.
• The father must see that the sonne keep the Sabbath.
• The master must see that the seruant keep the Sab∣bath.