David ina caſe of neceffiry might make a common uſe of thar thy Cr117, to the Diſciples m a caſe of like necefficy, might make ule of a little of that Holy Time, in ſuch neceflary ſervile Work, as mizhe fir rhem for their Sabbath-ſervice, Thus it was Lawtul by te £2 of Grd; and if the Phariſees had not been 1gnorant, or had underſtood what they had read, they would never have diipured this; the Inftance of Holy D.rvid might have ſatisfied. 9 chat wliis lircle kind of Labour could only be a Breach ot one 0!” their By-Laws, by which they pretended ro Expound the Law of G4 , in which he ſhewerh they had given a falſc Inter= PIetdtion.
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the ſabbath days * the prieſts in the temple prophane the ſabbarh. and are blametcſs. 3
Neither Maik nor Luke have this Argument of our .$.zv7017 5. The meaning is, All Acts of Servile Labour are not unlawful on the Sabbarth-day. The Prieſts, according to the Law , Num, 23.9. Offer Sacrifices, and do many other As ; ſuch as Crrcum- eifing, and many other things, which in your Senſe would be a Prophanatim of the Sabbath; yer you do not blame them, neither arc they ro be blamed, becauſe God permitted and diretted rhem. Ir any tay, Bur how doth this agree to what our 5.21947 18 ſpeak- ing to? Anſw. The Diſciples or Chrift were imployed with, and by him, in Going abour and Preaching the Goſpel; and what they now did, was but in order to fit them tor his Work, when they had not had tuch leifure as others beforehand ro provide : Ard this eſtablifheth a ſccond Rule, That Works of Piety, and tending to fit us for Adts of Piety, that c.annat conveniently be done before , are Lovful on the Sabbath-day.
6 Bur 1 fiy unto you , that in this place 1s * 0770 grcater than the remple. = :
Tue Jews had very Superſtirious Conceirs concerning the Tem ple; and might object , Bur the Prieſts Works are done 1n the Temple. The Jews had a Saying, That in the Temple there was no $.bbath. They looked upon the Temple as Sanfitying all Adtions done there. To obviarte this, (faith our Saviour) in this place 35 oe, (thar 15) Iam greater than the Temple. The Temple was bur 2 Type of me : If the Temple can fan&ifie fo much Labour, will nor ny Authority and Permſſion, think you, excuſe this little Lu- bour ot my Diſciples ?
- But if ye had known what this meaneth , I will have mercy, and not ſacrifice, ye would not
have condemned the guiltlels.
Neither Mark nor Luke have this Argument. Our Lyrd yer goerh on , taxing theſe great DoQors of Ignorance, The Text he quotcrh is, Ho/ea 6. 6, we mer With it betore quored by our Saviour, ap. 9.13. The meaning is, That God preferreth Mercy bfore Sacrifice ; where two Laws in reipett of ſome Circumſtances ſcem ro clath one with another, fo as we cannot obey both , our Obedierice 1s due to thar which is the more Excellent Law, Now, {ſaith our S:viour, che Law of Mercy 1s the more Excellent Law : God preterreth ut before Sacrifice; which had you well conſidered, you would never have accuſed my Diſciples who in this point are £zilt leſs.
3 For the Son of man is Lord, even of the {ibbath day.
This Argument Luhe hath, chap. 6. 5. Mark hath it thus, chap,
2.27, 28, And he ſaid unto them, The Sabbath was made for Man, and nt Man for the Sabbath; therefore the Son of Man is Lord alſo of the S.bbath, Some Interpreters make theſe Two Arguments: it. The Sm of Man ws Lord of the Sabbath: Therefore it is in my Power to ditpence with this 4&ion of my Diſciples , tho? it had been contrary to the Letter of the Law : Or rather, Therefore it is in my Power to interpret the Law which I my felf made, 2. The Sabbath is made for Man, not Man for the Sabbath. A Law made for the Good of another, bindeth not in ſuch Caſes where the Obſervation of it would be evidently for his Harm and Ruin. The Law o: the Sabbarh was made for rhe Good of Man, that he mizht have a Solemn Time in which he ſhould be under an Obligation to pay his Homage unto God ; this muſt not be fo in- rerpreted, as would rend to the Deſtruction of a Man. TI find Interpreters divided about that term, the Son of Man. Some think rar 1c is nor to be interpreted , as uſually in the Goſpel con- cerning Chris, but of ordinary Men; and that Man's Lordſhip over the Sabbarh, is proved by the Subſerviency of it ro his Good; to which End alfo it was crdained. Bur certainly that is both a d.mgzrntgs and unſcriptural Interpretation; dangerous to give Man a Lordſhip over a Moral Law ; 10r 1t 15 very improper to call any id of 4-thing becauſe he hath the uſe of ir, and it is for his advantaze: I cannot fee but we may as well make Man Lord of the whole Ten Commandments, as of one of them : Un{criptural ; for rho” our Saviour uſeth this Term more than Threefcore times in the Grſp2! , yer he always uſerh 1c with Relation to himſelf, never with Reference to any meer Man : Neither is there any neceffiry to underſtand ir otherwiſe here. Chri8t athrming him- felf Ld of the Sabbath, ſpake properly enough to the Phariſees Quarrel: For ir muſt needs then tollow, thar he had Power to diſpence with the Ot/ervation of 1t at particular times ; and much more to give a true and right Interpretation of the Law con- Cerning 1t.
9 And when he was departed thence, * he went into their ſynagogue.
Mark faith, chap. 3.1. He went again into their Synagogues on the Sabbath-day. This our Saviour wasotren wont to do, co own there what was done according to his F.zther's Inſtitution, and him- {e!t, ro do what Grad he could : Nor doth he now decline 1t be- caule he had had fo late a Contest with them. Ir 1s therefore 1:id, that he went into their Synzgogues, as being neither aſhamed of what he had dclivered, nor afraid to own it in the Face of his Adverlaries
St MATTHE E VV.
10 And behold, rhere was a man which had /:;;
might accuſe him.
Mark repeating the ſame Hiſtory, faith , chap. 3. 1,2. 7, was 4 man which had a Withered hand, and they watched him whe ok he would heal him on the Sabbath-day, that they might accuſe tins So ſaith Luke, chap, 6. v. 6,7. only he addeth, rhar it was his +;,;; Hand, wtch made his Affiction greater : They asked hin; ow that chey mighc righely inform themſelyes, bur that they mij bt accuſe him to their Magiſtrates, that had Power in thoſe Calc. tor ze Violation of the Sabbath was, amongſt the Jews, a Capi: ral Crime. ;