Mark relating this Story , chap. 2. 23. varieth little. Lub? relating it, chap. 6. 1. faith it was on the lecond Sabbarh aſter the firſt, and his Ditciples did ear, rubbing them. God in his Law, Deut. 23. 25. had laid, When thou come$t into thy neighbour's ftand- hand ; but thou ſhalt not move a ſickle to thy neighbour's ſtanding corn, To take for our need fo much of our Neighbour's Goods , as we may rezfonably think, that if he were preſent, and knew our Circumſtances, he would zive us, is no Theft, The Phariſees therctore do nor accuſe them of Theft, bur of Violation of the Sabbath. Lube frirh, This happened upon the ſecond Sabbath after the fi, Whether that was the Sabbath next following the FeaZt of Unlezvened Broad, (which was abour the time of our Eafter ) the firſt and laſt Days of which were Sabbaths, in the Jewiſh Sente ; or the Fea$t of T:fer- nacles, or any other, is nor much material for us ro know. Bu: on a Sabbath-aay it was, thar our Saviour went through the Corn, and his diſciples were an hungry : This may tcach us their Io Eſtate and Condition in the world. He could quickly kave ſup- plied their Hunzer, bur he chote to leave them to rclieve them- iclves with ”luching, Rubbing, and Eating of the Corn, that he mighe. have an 9ppIrtunity to inſtru& them and the 7huriſces in the irue Dodtrine of the Sabbath.
j
2 But when the Phariſees ſaw zz, they ſaid vato | 8 him, Behold, thy diſciples do that which is not WL} 68
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lawtul to do on the ſabbarh-day. $ PLA
So faith Mirh, chap. 2. 24. only he puts ir into the Form of TRUnnR? Mat Tak 14 a Queſtion. Luke adds nothing, chav. 6. 2. bur faith, Certain 5; Pon 43 9h 8 the Phariſees, They granted the thing lawful to be done another WS: T0000 Day,bur nor on the S2bbath-day. How blind is Syp2rſtition,thar rhe y | ; Tel WY |
could think, that ic was contrary to the Will of God, that his $8178 People ſhould fir chemſelves for the Service of the Sabb::th by a p14 i moderate Refreſhment * Some of the Phariſces ordinarily ar- | rended Chriſt's 3vtions , not to be Inftruted by him, bur (as if 1s atrerward faid ) that they might bave ſomething wherenf to occuſe him, Whar a little thing do they Carp ar? Wherein was the Sin ? The plucking of a few Ears cf Corn, and rubbing them, could
hardly be called Servile Labour ; eſpecially nor in the Senfe of che |
Commandinent, which reſtrained nor neceſſary Labour, bur ſuch Rk Ig F Labcur as rook chem off from the Duries of the Sabbarh ; bur (5h + 114M Wk ek te 0 their Tradition had made this unlawful,as if it was a little Reaping ; LA: \ "UNH |
and a hind of Threſhing. Hypccrites and Formaliſts are always
moſt Zealous for little things in the Law, or for their own Addi- f. raments to it, ed," { HAN
3 But he ſaid unto them, Have ye not read what } BH's i David did, when he was an hungred, and they that KERBOLE (its BT; were with him: PAWN. | owe
4 How he entred into the houſe of God, and did eat the * ſhew-bread, which ir was not Jawtul tor him to eat,neither for them which were with him, but only tor the Prieſts ?
Mark and Luke add little, only Mark ſpecificth the time, Ta the days of Abiathar the High Prieft ; and faith , When he had need, and was an hungred. We have the Hiſtory, 1 Sam. 21. 6. Da- vid was upon his Flight from Saul , upon the norice of his Danger given him by Jonathan , chap. 20. and being hungry, he asks of the High Price fre loaves of Brexd ; the High Priest tells him he had none bur H:iled Bread, which the High Pri:# gave him, v. 6. What this Shew-bre.1d was, may be read Lev.24. 5,5, 7,8, 9. it is expreſly ſaid, 4A Stranger ſhall not eat thereof. Now (faith our Saviour) norwirhſtanding chis, David and his Pll,wers being an hunered did cat there , tho' ſtritly, according to the Letrer of the Law, none bur the Priefts ms;hr Ear ir. Bur ſome fl. may obje&t, What was this to the puepoſe £ It was not upon the Sabbath-day, Anſw. Ir was cither upon the S43b2th-day , or immediately after; tor ir was to be fer on every $:554t9-d:1y, and tobe Exten in the Fly Plice, Levit. 24.-8,9. And the Hign-Prictt told David, 1 Sam. 21.6. tit it was taken away, to ſet hot Bread in the rooin of it, 2, Bur ſecondly, that which our Saviour pro- duceth this for, was ro prove a more Gener:4 Propoſition, which being proved , the Lawfulnefs of his Diſciples 4 would eafily be inferred from jr. That was this : T7. the Letter of a Ritual Law is not to be inſiſted upon, where ſome eminent neceſt'y »rgeth the contrary, in the performance of ſome Natural or Aral Daty, The Law of Mature commandeth every Man to teed himfelt, when he is hunzry. The Moral Law confirms this, as 1t 1s 4 means to the Obſervation of the Sixth Commindment ; and eſpecially on the Sabbath-d:y , ſo far as may fir us for the beft Sandincation of it. The L-w concerning the Shew-bread, was but a Rite! Law.and that part of ir which reſtrained the uſe of ir,when taken off trcom the Holy T:zble, was of lighteſt concern; as it commanded 1: ſhould be Eaten by the Prieſts only, and by them in che 7y
*Exod: 255 f it 1} 7. 1 my 31 +
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Place; where the Lite, or nece{lary Reliet of Men was con- 15Þ R cerned, the Obligation of the Ritual Law ceaſed ; 2nd rh.it was as. Lawful both for David and the High Priest, which in ordinary « it
Caſes kad not been Lawtul.Works neceflary encher tor tie uptold- + bro
inz of our Lives, or ficting us tor Sabbath-ſervices, are laviiul upon the Sabbath-day.Tho' the Law concerning the $25.7%2 be a Moral Law, yer it is Fus P:ſitivum, not a Law Natur algur Poſurive and mult be ſo interpreted, as nor to deſtroy the [mw Nov 2, which commands Men to feed themſelves; nor yer ro deftroy 1t lelt. The Scope and End of it is to be conſidered, which 1s che keep- ing of a Day, as a Day of Holy and Religins Ret, What Labor is neceſſary to ſuch keeping of it, 1s allo Lawful. The Tim? cf the Sabbath is not mare Hy than the Shew-bread; and 23
Pf Dal is
Chap. X.II.
* Toh. 7 1 2,
v. 2 Cl:con.
>
G6, 18.
* Luk. 6.5.