(The FOURTH Commandment)
Next Part (The FOURTH Commandment)
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." Exodus 20:8-11
This commandment was engraved in stone by God's own finger—and it will be our comfort to have it engraved in our hearts!
The Sabbath-day is set apart for God's solemn worship; it is his own enclosure, and must not be used for common uses. As a preface to this commandment, he has put a memento to it, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." This word, "remember," shows that we are apt to forget Sabbath holiness; therefore we need a memorandum to put us in mind of sanctifying the day.
I. There is in these words a solemn command. "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy."
[1] The matter of it. The sanctifying the Sabbath, which consists in two things, in resting from our own works, and in a conscientious discharge of our religious duties.
[2] The people to whom the command of sanctifying the Sabbath is given. "On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates."
II. The arguments to obey this commandment of keeping holy the Sabbath.
[1] From the rationality of it. "Six days shall you labor and do all your work;" as if God had said, I am not a hard master, I do not grudge you time to look after your vocation, and to get an estate. I have given you six days to do all your work in, and have taken but one day for myself. I might have reserved six days for myself, and allowed you but one; but I have given you six days for the works of your vocation, and have taken but one day for my own service. It is just and rational, therefore, that you should set this day in a special manner apart for my worship.
[2] The second argument for sanctifying the Sabbath, is taken from the justice of it. "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God;" as if God had said, The Sabbath-day is my due, I challenge a special right in it, and no other has any claim to it. He who robs me of this day, and puts it to common uses, is a sacrilegious person, he steals from the crown of heaven, and I will in nowise hold him guiltless!
[3] The third argument for sanctifying the Sabbath, is taken from God's own observance of it. He "rested the seventh day;" as if the Lord should say, "Will you not follow me as a pattern? Having finished all my works of creation, I rested the seventh day; so having done all your secular work on the six days, you should now cease from the labor of your vocation, and dedicate the seventh day to me, as a day of holy rest."
[4] The fourth argument for Sabbath-sanctification, is taken from the benefit which redounds from a religious observation of the Sabbath. "The Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it." God not only appointed the seventh day—but he blessed it. It is not only a day of honor to God—but a day of blessing to us. It is not only a day wherein we give God worship—but a day wherein he gives us grace. On this day a blessing drops down from heaven. God himself is not benefitted by it, we cannot add one grain to his essential glory; but we ourselves are benefitted. This day, religiously observed, entails a blessing upon our souls, our estate, and our posterity. Not keeping it, brings a curse. Jer 17:27. God curses a man's blessings. Mal 2:2. The bread which he eats is poisoned with a curse; so the conscientious observation of the Sabbath, brings all manner of blessings with it. These are the arguments to induce Sabbath-sanctification.
The thing I would have you now observe is, that the commandment of keeping the Sabbath was not abrogated with the ceremonial law—but is purely moral, and the observation of it is to be continued to the end of the world. Where can it be shown that God has given us a discharge from keeping one day in seven?
WHY has God appointed a Sabbath?
(1) With respect to HIMSELF. It is requisite that God should reserve one day in seven for his own immediate service, that thereby he might be acknowledged to be the great Plenipotentiary, or sovereign Lord—who has power over us both to command worship, and appoint the time when he will be worshiped.
(2) With respect to US. The Sabbath-day is for our interest; it promotes holiness in us. The business of week-days makes us forgetful of God and our souls: the Sabbath brings him back to our remembrance. When the dust of the world has clogged the wheels of our affections, that they can scarce move towards God—the Sabbath comes, and oils the wheels of our affections, and they move swiftly on! God has appointed the Sabbath for this end. On this day the thoughts rise to heaven, the tongue speaks of God, and is as the pen of a ready writer, the eyes drop tears, and the soul burns in love! The heart, which all the week was frozen, on the Sabbath melts with the Word. The Sabbath is a friend to true religion; it files off the rust of our graces; it is a spiritual jubilee, wherein the soul is set to converse with its Maker.
I should next show you the modes, or manner, how we should keep the Sabbath day holy; but before I come to that, we have a great question to consider.
Why is it, that we do not keep the seventh-day Sabbath, (Saturday) as it was in the primitive institution—but have changed it to another day (Sunday)?
The old seventh-day Sabbath, which was the Jewish Sabbath, is abrogated, and in the place of it the first day of the week, which is the Christian Sabbath, succeeds. Themorality or substance of the fourth commandment does not lie in keeping the seventh day precisely—but keeping one day in seven is what God has appointed.
Why is it, that the first day in the week to be substituted in the room of the seventh day?
Not by ecclesiastic authority. "The church," says Mr Perkins, "has no power to ordain a Sabbath."
(1) The change of the Sabbath from the last day of the week to the first, was by Christ's own appointment. He is "Lord of the Sabbath." Mark 2:28. And who shall appoint a day but he who is Lord of it? He made this day. "This is the day which the Lord has made." Psalm 118:24. Arnobius and most expositors understand it of the Christian Sabbath, which is called the "Lord's day." Rev 1:10. As it is called the "Lord's Supper," because of the Lord's instituting the bread and wine and setting it apart from a common to a special and sacred use; so it is called the Lord's-day, because of the Lord's instituting it, and setting it apart from common days, to his special worship and service. Christ rose on the first day of the week, out of the grave, and appeared twice on that day to his disciples, John 20:19, 26, which was to intimate to them, as Augustine and Athanasius say, that he transferred the Jewish Sabbath to the Lord's day.
(2) The keeping of the first day was the practice of the apostles. "Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them." Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2. Here was both preaching and breaking of bread on this day. Augustine and Innocentius, and Isidore, make the keeping of our gospel Sabbath to be of apostolic sanction, and affirm, that by virtue of the apostles' practice, this day is to be set apart for divine worship. What the apostles did, they did by divine authority; for they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
(3) The primitive church had the Lord's-day, which we now celebrate, in high estimation. It was a great badge of their religion to observe this day. Ignatius, the most ancient father, who lived in the time of John the apostle, has these words, "Let everyone who loves Christ keep holy the first day of the week, the Lord's-day." This day has been observed by the church of Christ for over sixteen hundred years, as the learned Bucer notes. Thus you see how the seventh-day Sabbath came to be changed to the first-day Sabbath.
The grand reason for changing the Jewish Sabbath to the Lord's-day, is that it puts us in mind of the "Mystery of our redemption by Christ." The reason why God instituted the old Sabbath was to be a memorial of the creation; but he has now brought the first day of the week in its room in memory of a more glorious work than creation, which isredemption. Great was the work of creation—but greater was the work of redemption. As it was said, "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former." Hag 2:9. So the glory of the redemption was greater than the glory of the creation. Great wisdom was seen in making us—but more miraculous wisdom in saving us. Great power was seen in bringing us out of nothing—but greater power in helping us when we were worse than nothing. It cost more to redeem than to create us. In creation it was butspeaking a word (Psalm 148:5); in redeeming there was shedding of blood. 1 Pet 1:19. Creation was the work of God's fingers, Psalm 8:3, redemption was the work of hisarm. Luke 1:51. In creation, God gave us ourselves; in the redemption, he gave us himself. By creation, we have life in Adam; by redemption, we have life in Christ. Col 3:3. By creation, we had a right to an earthly paradise: by redemption, we have a title to a heavenly kingdom. Christ might well change the seventh day of the week into the first, as it puts us in mind of our redemption, which is a more glorious work than creation.
Use one. The use I shall make of this is—that we should have the Christian Sabbath, we now celebrate, in high veneration. The Jews called the Sabbath, "The desire of days, and the queen of days." This day we must call a "delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable." Isa 58:13. Metal that has the king's stamp upon it is honorable, and of great value. God has set his royal stamp upon the Sabbath; it is the Sabbath of the Lord, and this makes it honorable. We should look upon this day as the best day in the week. What the phoenix is among birds, what the sun is among planets—the Lord's-day is among other days. "This is the day which the Lord has made." Psalm 118:24. God has made all the days—but he has blessed this. As Jacob got the blessing from his brother, so the Sabbath got the blessing from all other days in the week. It is a day in which we converse in a special manner with God.
The Jews called the Sabbath "a day of light;" so on this day the Sun of Righteousness shines upon the soul. The Sabbath is the market-day of the soul, the cream of time. It is the day of Christ's rising from the grave, and the Holy Spirit's descending upon the earth. It is perfumed with the sweet odor of prayer, which goes up to heaven as incense. On this day the manna falls, that is angels' food. This is the soul's festival-day, on which the graces act their part: the other days of the week are most employed about earth—this day about heaven; then you gather straw—now pearl. Now Christ takes the soul up into the mount, and gives it transfiguring sights of glory. Now he leads his spouse into the wine-cellar, and displays the banner of his love. Now he gives her his spiced wine, and the juice of the pomegranate. Canticles 2:4, 8:2. The Lord usually reveals himself more to the soul on this day. The apostle John was in the Spirit on the Lord's-day. Rev 1:10. He was carried up on this day in divine raptures towards heaven. This day a Christian is in the altitudes; he walks with God, and takes as it were a turn with him in heaven. 1 John 1:3. On this day holy affections are quickened; the stock of grace is improved; corruptions are weakened; and Satan falls like lightning before the majesty of the Word.
Christ wrought most of his miracles upon the Sabbath; so he does still: dead souls are raised and hearts of stone are made flesh. How highly should we esteem and reverence this day! It is more precious than rubies. God has anointed it with the oil of gladness above its fellows. On the Sabbath we are doing angels' work, our tongues are tuned to God's praises. The Sabbath on earth is a shadow and type of the glorious rest and eternal Sabbath we hope for in heaven, when God shall be the temple, and the Lamb shall be the light of it. Rev 21:22, 23.
Use two. "SIX days shall you labor." God would not have any live without working. True religion gives no warrant for idleness. It is a duty to labor six days, as well as keep holy rest on the seventh day. "For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: 'If a man will not work, he shall not eat.' We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12. A Christian must not only mind heaven—but his vocation. While the pilot has his eye to the star, he has his hand to the helm. Without labor the pillars of a commonwealth will dissolve, and the earth, like the sluggard's field, will be overrun with briers. Prov 24:31. Adam in innocence, though monarch of the world, must not be idle—but must dress and until the ground. Gen 2:15. Piety does not exclude industry. Standing water putrifies.
Inanimate creatures are in motion. The sun goes its circuit, the fountain runs, and the fire sparkles.
Animate creatures work. Solomon sends us to the ant to learn labor. Prov 6:6; 30:25. The bee is the emblem of industry; some of the bees trim the honey, others work the wax, others frame the honey-comb, others lie sentinel at the door of the hive to keep out the drone. And shall not man much more labor? That law in paradise was never repealed. "In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread." Gen 3:19. Such professors are to be excluded, who talk of living by faith—but live without working; they are like the lilies which "toil not, neither do they spin." Matt 6:28. It is a speech of holy and learned Mr Perkins, "Let a man be endowed with excellent gifts, and hear the Word with reverence, and receive the sacrament—yet if he does not work—all is but hypocrisy." What is an idle person good for? What benefit is a ship which lies always on the shore? What benefit is armor which hangs up and rusts?
To live without working, exposes a person to temptation. Melanchthon calls idleness "the Devil's bath," because he bathes himself with delight in an idle soul. We do not sow seed in ground when it lies fallow; but Satan sows most of his seed of temptation in such people as lie fallow, and live without working. Idleness is the nurse of vice! Seneca, an old heathen, could say, "No day passes me without some labor." An idle person stands for a cipher in the world; God writes down no ciphers in the book of life! We read in Scripture of eating the "bread of idleness," and drinking the "wine of violence." Prov 31:27; 4:17. It is as much a sin to eat "the bread of idleness," as to "drink the wine of violence."
An idle person can give no good account of his time. Time is a talent to trade with. The slothful person "hides his talent in the earth;" he does no good; his time is not lived—butlost. An idle person lives unprofitably, he cumbers the ground. God calls the slothful servant "wicked." "You wicked and slothful servant." Matt 25:26. Draco, whose laws were written in blood, deprived those of their life, who would not work for their living. In Hetruria, they caused such idle people to be banished. Idle people live in the breach of the commandment, "Six days shall you labor." Let them take heed they are not banished from heaven! A man may as well go to hell for not working—as for not believing!
Having spoken of the REASONS of sanctifying the Sabbath I come now to