A demonstration of family-duties: or Certaine propositions and reasons of them taken [ou]t of the holy Scriptures, tending to shew the necessity, nature, and manner of performance of such religious duties, as Christian families ought to spare some time unto from common affaires every day. By T.P.

XLV. PROPOSITION. As the sanctifying and religious observing of the Sabbath day, doeth not exempt and excuse Christians from the performance of some religious duties upon the sixe working daies (as it hath beene shewed and proved above, Proposit. 7.) so neither doeth the performance of some religious duties on the sixe working daies morning and evening usually, and at other times of the day, or whole daies occasionally, give any exemption or liberty unto them, from their sanctifying o•• the Sabbath day wholly: But they are bound to keepe the Sabbath day holy, both in a forbearance of all civill works & recreations; and also in an applying of them∣selves to pious services through∣out

the day, either in publick or private, or secret, as occasion and opportunity serveth.

PROOF. This is the maine scope of the fourth commandement of the Decalogue, Exod. 20.8, 10. Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy. — In it thou shalt not doe any worke, thou, nor thy sonne, nor thy daughter, nor thy man∣servant, nor thy maid-servant, &c. And thus the godly have been wont to approve them∣selves, both in the old and new Testament. See this in the religious Eunuchs, and sons of strangers, who kept Gods Sabbath, and did not pollute it: Isaiah, 56.4, 6. The Apostle John being in the Isle called Patmos, was in the spirit, or spiritually exercised on the Lords day: Revel. 1.10. The disciples at Troas observed the first day of the weeke or Lords day, comming together to the word and Sacrament, and conversing therein throughout the day.

I. REAS. Because the Lord hath blessed and hallowed the Sabbath day unto religious exercises, and propounded his owne exam∣ple to be a president herein. See Exod. 20.11. And he rested the seventh day: Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

II. REAS. Because such families as keepe the Sabbath day holy, doe thereby declare

themselves to be the people of God: for•• hallowing the Sabbath is an indicant signe of acknowledgment of respect unto the af∣firmative parts of the three first commande∣ments of the first Table; viz. of having the Lord to be ones God, and worshipping, and honouring him, &c. See Ezek. 20.19, 20. I am the Lord your God: walke in my Statute••, & keepe my Iudgments, & doe them: And hall•••• my Sabbaths, and they shalbe a signe betweene•• and you; that ye may know that I am the Lor•• your God.

III. REAS. Because the Lord hath made very precious promises to all such as doe conscionably keepe and sanctify the Sabbath day. See Isa. 58.13, 14.

If thou turne away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine owne waies, nor finding thine owne pleasure, nor speaking thine owne words: Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, an•• feede thee with the heritage of Jacob th•• father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

This goodnesse of God shoul•• prevaile with his people to feare him, an•• keepe his commandements. See Hos. 3.5.

IV. REAS. Because of the severity of God against profaners, and breakers of the Sabbath day, manifested by his threatning and executing of punishments. See Jerem. 17.27. But if you will not hearken unto me, to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to beare a burden, even entring in at the gates of Ierusalem on the Sab∣bath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates there∣of, and it shall devoure the palaces of Ierusalem, and it shall not be quenched. Exod. 35.2. Who∣soever doeth worke therein, shalbe put to death. Numb. 15.36. And all the Congregation brought him (the Sabbath breaker) without the campe, and stoned him with stones, and he died, as the Lord commanded Moses. This terrour of the Lord should perswade men. See 2 Cor. 5.11.

I. OBSERV. The law of the Sabbath day is one of the ten commandements, Exod. 34.28. It is one of the lawes of nature writ∣ten in mens hearts, that sufficient time be taken unto Gods solemne worship; which God according to his infinite wisdome hath appointed & determined shalbe one of seven. See Rom. 2.14, 15. Eccles. 3.1. compar. Exod. 20.10, 11. Act. 20.7.

II. OBSERV. The doing of the works of piety, mercy, and necessity, on the Sabbath day in a due way, are not any breach or pro∣fanation of the day, but rather such duties as ought to be done, & which doe also tend

to the sanctifying thereof; as being agreeab•••• to the minde of God, who is the Lord 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Sabbath day, and will have mercy an•• not sacrifice; inasmuch as he made the Sab∣bath for man, and not man for the Sabbath See Math. 12.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Mark. 2.2••. Luk. 13.15, 16.

III. OBSERV. It is a vaine & sinfull pre∣tence of Anabaptists and Libertines, that i•• these daies of the Gospell our Christian l••∣berty freeth us from the strict observation of any one day of the weeke unto the Lord, more then any other of the sixe, pretending that every day ought to be a Sabbath day to Christians; alledging and objecting Coloss. 2.16. Hebr. 4.10. in defence of their errour, and so for want of understanding, learning, and stability, doe wrest these, & other places in the Apostle Pauls Epistles, to their owne destruction, as the Apostle Peter sheweth, 2 Pet. 3.15, 16.

The text, Coloss. 2.16. Let no man there∣fore judge you in meate, or in drinke, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new Moone, or of the Sabbath daies, is to be understood of Jewis•• festivities in their severall kindes, and not of the morall Sabbath day. But if the morall Sabbath day be at all meant, then it is only in respect of observing the last day of the weeke; sith the first day of the weeke was

now appointed to be observed for the Sab∣••ath day in the daies of the new Testament. ••ee Act. 20.7. 1 Corinth. 16.2. Revel. 1.10.

The text Hebr. 4.10. For he that is entred ••nto his rest, he also hath ceased from his owne ••orke, as God did from his, is to be understood ••ouching the state & condition of the people ••f God, that did live and were under the old Testament, aswell as of their state that doe ••ive and are under the new Testament, and ••herefore ought not to be restrained unto ••hese daies and times of the Gospell: For so ••he scope and coherence of the text doeth ••asily and plainly make manifest to any con∣siderate and judicious reader thereof.