_ worship in this world. And take this off from the basis whereon God hath fixed
it, and all human substitutions of any thing in the like kind to the same purposes will quickly discover their own vanity. Nor without the advantage which it affords,
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264 TO THE READER.
as it is the sacred repository of all sanctifying ordinances, will religion long prevail in the minds and lives of private men; for it would be just with God to leave them to their own weaknesses and decays,—which are sufficient to ruin them,—who despise the assistance which he hath provided for them, and which he tenders unto them. Thus, also, we have known it to have fallen out with many in our days, whose apostasies from God have hence taken their rise and oceasion. This being the case of a weekly sacred day of rest unto the Lord, it must needs be our duty to inquire and discern aright, both what warrant we have for the religious obser- vance of such a day, as also what day it is inthe hebdomadal revolution that ought so to be observed. About these things there is an inquiry made in the ensuing discourses, and some determinations on that inquiry. My design in them was to discover the fundamental principles of this duty, and what ground conscience had to stand upon in its attendance thereunto; for what is from God in these things is assuredly accepted with him. The discovery hereof I have endeavoured to make, and therewithal a safe rule for Christians to walk by in this matter, so that for want thereof they may not lose the things which they have wrought. What I have attained unto of light and truth herein is submitted to the judgment of men learned and judicious. The censures of persons heady, ignorant, and proud, who speak evil of those things which they know not, and in what they naturally know corrupt themselves, I neither fear nor value. If any discourses seem some- what dark or obscure unto ordinary readers, I desire they would consider that the foundations of the things discoursed of lie deep, and that no expression will ren- der them more familiar and obvious unto all understandings than their nature will allow. Nor must we in any case quit the strengths of truth because the minds - of some cannot easily possess themselves of them. However, I hope nothing will occur but what an attentive reader, though otherwise but of an ordinary capacity, may receive and digest. And they to whom the argument seems hard may find those directions which will make the practice of the duty insisted on easy and beneficial. The especial occasion of my present handling this subject is declared afterwards. I shall only add, that here is no design of contending with any, of opposing or contradicting any, of censuring or reflecting on those whose thoughts and judgments in these things differ from ours, begun or carried on, Eyen those by whom-a holy day of rest under the gospel and its services are laughed to scorn are by me left unto God and themselves. My whole endeavour is to find out what is agreeable unto truth about the observance of such a day unto the Lord; what is the mind and will of God concerning it; on what foundation we may attend unto the services of it, as that God may be glorified in us and by us, and the interest of religion, in purity, holiness, and righteousness, be promoted amongst men.
J. O. January 11, 1671.
EXERCITATIONS
CONCERNING
THE NAME, ORIGINAL, NATURE, USE, AND CONTINUANCE, OF A DAY OF SACRED REST.
EXERCITATION I.
DIFFERENCES CONCERNING A DAY OF SACRED REST—PRINCIPLES DIRECTING TO THE OBSERVANCE OF IT—THE NAME OF THE DAY CONSIDERED.
? > / ~ ~ ~ ~ s ‘Apo cimonsinerat caboarisucs to AaG tov Osov.—Heb. iy. 9.
1. Trouble and confusion from men’s inventions; 2, Instanced in doctrines and practices of a sabbatical rest. 3. Reason of their present consideration. 4, Extent of the controversies about such a rest. 5. A particular enume- ration of them. 6. Special instances of particular differences, upon an agreement in more general principles, 7. Evil consequences of these con- troyersies in Christian practice. 8. Principles and rules proposed, for the right investigation of the truth in this matter. 9. Names of a sacred day of rest, "9°383 5”, “H eden, “Tepad éCdduen, Gen. ii. 3, Heb. iv. 4. 10. pray, nave nav, navn oh, Gen, ii. 2; Exod. xvi. 23, xxxv. 2; Lam. i. 7 —Saturn called *nav and "xnaw by the Jews, and why—The word doubled— m2y 729_Reason of it. 11. Translation of this wordinto the Greek and Latin languages—Mia caSCerwy. 12. All Judaical feasts called sabbata by the heathen—Suetonius, Horace, Juvenal, cited to this purpose. 13. ‘Hytpa gaiov, Sunday—Used by Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Eusebius— Blamed by Austin, Jerome, and Philastrius. 14. Use of the names of the days of the week derived from the heathen of old—Custom of the Roman church. 15. First day of the week—Lord’s day—Lord’s-day Sabbath.
1. SoLomon tells us that in his disquisition after the nature and state of things in the world, this alone he had found out, that is, absolutely and unto his satisfaction, namely, that “God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions,” Hccles. vii. 29. And the truth hereof we also find by woful experience, not only in sundry particular instances, but in the whole course of men in this world, and in all their concerns with respect unto God and them- selves. There is not any thing wherein and whereabout they have not found out many inventions, to the disturbance and perverting of