"The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath."
Mark 2:27
SERMON XVIII:
The Folly of Slander (Prov 10:18)
QUOTE: "The slanderer is an enemy, as the most fierce and outrageous, so the most base and unworthy that can be: he fights with the most perilous and most unlawful weapon, in the most furious and foul way that can be. His weapon is an envenomed arrow, full of deadly poison, which he shooteth suddenly, and feareth not; a weapon which by no force can be resisted, by no art declined, whose impression is altogether inevitable and unsustainable."
SERMON XVII.
The Folly of Slander (Prov 10:18)
QUOTE: "Slander thence hath always been a principal engine, whereby covetous, ambitious, envious, ill-natured, and vain persons have strove to supplant their competitors, and advance themselves; meaning thereby to procure, what they chiefly prize and like, wealth, or dignity, or reputation, favor and power in the court, respect and interest with the people."
SERMON XIV:
Against Foolish Talking and Jesting (Eph 5:4)
QUOTE: "They scorn to be formally advised or taught; but they may perhaps be slyly laughed and lured into a better mind. If by such complaisance we can inveigle those dotterels to hearken to us, we may induce them to consider farther, and give reason some competent scope, some fair play with them. Good reason may be apparelled in the garb of wit, and therein will securely pass, whither in its native homeliness it could never arrive: and being come thither, it with especial advantage may impress good advice; making an offender more clearly to see, and more deeply to feel his miscarriage; being represented to his fancy in a strain somewhat rare and remarkable, yet not so fierce and frightful."
SERMON XIII:
Not to Offend in Word, an Evidence of a High Pitch of Virtue (Jam 3:2)
QUOTE: "We ... were chiefly designed and framed to serve and glorify our Maker ... our tongue and speaking faculty were given us to declare our admiration and reverence of him, to express our love and gratitude toward him, to celebrate his praises, to acknowledge his benefits, to promote his honour and service ... as that whereby we far excel all creatures here below ... Wherefore applying it to any impious discourse, (tending anywise to the dishonour of God, or disparagement of religion,) is a most unnatural abuse ... and a vile ingratitude toward him that gave it to us."
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new content added: Feb. 4, 2009
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"Sermons, on Various Subjects"
by Isaac Barrow
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An Exposition of the Decalogue
(An Exposition of the Ten Commandments)
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"Let no man, saith he to the Colossians, judge you for meat, or drink, or upon account of a festival day, or new moon, or Sabbath: which things are the shadow of future thing's; but the body is of Christ, [11] (that is, they did only prefigure and presignify; the real substance intended and represented by them is somewhat in the law and doctrine of Christ; which coming immediately to appear and to oblige, that shadow vanisheth, and ceaseth to have any regard due thereto:) again more sharply to the Galatians, whom some Judaizing dogmatists had reduced, or were reducing to the practice of legal rites, under conceit of needful obligation to them; How, saith he, do ye return again to those weak and beggarly elements, to which back again you are pleased to be enslaved?"
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The Decalogue is in several places of Scripture (as we before noted) called a covenant with the Jewish people, and the observation of this law is likewise so called in a particular and special manner: it is expressed to have been appointed as a sign, or characteristical note, whereby their peculiar relation to God might be discerned, and they distinguished from all other people. As circumcision was a seal of the covenant made with Abraham and his posterity; so keeping the Sabbath did obsignate the covenant, made with the children of Israel after their delivery out of Egypt; The children of Israel, saith the text, shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant: it is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever [1]: and, I gave them (saith God in Ezekiel,) my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them: moreover I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord, who sanctifies them [2]: and, Thou camest down from mount Sinai, said the Levites in Nehemiah, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments; and true laws, good statutes and commandments; and madest known unto them thy holy Sabbaths [3]: where making known to them the Sabbaths, as also otherwhere giving them the Sabbath, are expressions [4], (together with the special ends of the Sabbath's appointment, which are mentioned in those places,) confirming the judgment of the ancient Christians, Justin, M. Irenaeus, Tertullian, &c. who refer the first institution of the Sabbath to Moses, affirming (that which indeed the history by its total silence concerning the Sabbath before him sufficiently doth seem to confirm) that the Patriarchs were not obliged thereto, nor did practise it.
And we may observe, that the law concerning the Sabbath is mentioned and insisted upon separately from the body of their laws, as being in nature different from the rest, and enacted upon a special-design; as from the forecited passages appeareth; and farther may appear from considering how the condition of proselytes (those of the stricter sort, called proselytes of righteousness) is described in Isaiah; The sons of the strangers, saith God in that Prophet, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer [5]: where to undertake the observance of the Sabbath, and to lay hold of the Jewish covenant, are signified to be coincident, or especially coherent.
All the other precepts indeed (one passage in the second, commandment, as it may be understood to prohibit absolutely the making of any similitude, being liable to exception) are immediately grounded in the reason of the thing, and have a necessary obligation, even visible to natural light; they consequently have been acknowledged as reasonable and obliging by the general consent of men; or might be so propounded and asserted by argument, as easily to extort such consent: but this command, (although as to its general and remote matter it is most evidently reasonable, and requireth that which no man can deny to be matter of necessary duty, yet,) as to the more immediate matter, as to the determinate measure and manner of performing those general duties, no reason can discern an obligation distinct from, or antecedent to, the Lawgiver's will, to practise according thereto: that we should frequently with grateful and joyful sense reflect upon the glorious works of God [6]; (especially that grand and fundamental one, wherein God's wonderful excellencies of goodness, wisdom, and power, were so illustriously displayed, the creation of the world; wherein so great accommodations and benefits were generally dispensed to all the creatures, and to us eminently among them; remembering with deepest respect and most hearty thankfulness our bountiful Maker;) that we should not be unmindful of the special favours by God's gracious providence vouchsafed to our country, our relations, ourselves; (especially such very signal ones, as was that of the delivery from Egyptian slavery in a manner so remarkable and miraculous;) that we should not spend ourselves and our time in perpetually carking and labouring about affairs touching our body and this present life; but should assign some competent time both for the relaxation of our mind, and for attendance to the concernments of our soul: that also we should allow fitting time of respite and refreshment to those of our brethren, whom Divine Providence hath disposed into a meaner condition and relation of servants to us; that their lives may not by incessant care and toil be rendered overburdensome and grievous to them, but so that they may with some comfort serve us; that also they be not destituted of leisure and opportunity to serve God, our common Master; and to regard the welfare of their souls, no less precious than our own: that also we should shew some kindness and mercy even toward our beasts, allowing them some ease from their painful drudgeries in our behalf: these are all of them things which reason evidently dictates, which common sense must needs admit, as duties of piety, justice, and humanity: and to secure the performance of them, both as to the substance, due measure, and fit manner of them, common prudence would suggest that set times should be appointed; in which they should be solemnly and notoriously discharged, under the public testimony and cognizance: and accordingly we find that, in all wise and civil societies, some provision ever hath been made, by appointing festival times, for the practice of such duties, in some kind or degree; The founders of laws, saith Seneca, did institute festival days, that men should publicly be constrained to cheerfulness; interposing, as necessary, a temperament of their pains: Plato, with a more admirable sagacity, refers the invention, or first institution, of such times unto God himself; The Gods (saith he; that is, the Divine Providence administering affairs here by the ministry of inferior invisible powers, according to his notion and manner of speaking) pitying mankind, born to painful labour, appointed, for an ease and cessation from their toils, the recourses of festival seasons observed to the gods. Thus, I say, reason acknowledges the substance of these duties, and approves the securing their performance, as a good end, or fit matter of law, both divine and human. But as to the circumstantial determination of measure and manner; that a seventh day precisely should be assigned, that a total cessation from labour for man and beast should be prescribed; this is above reason to discern a necessity of, or a conveniency in comparison with other limitations in those respects devisable and practicable: nor can we assuredly resolve the obligation thereto into any other ground than the pleasure of the most wise Author of this law, who did see what was most fit to be prescribed to those whom this law concerned. Here is indeed mentioned a reason, why God especially did choose this day to bless, and sanctify it in this manner to such purposes; namely, his resting upon the seventh day from his works of creation; the which yet doth not certainly import a natural conveniency, toward accomplishing those purposes, of this precise quantity of time, or in this way of observing it, in preference to any other that might have been appointed; it only seemeth to imply a fitness of these determinations, as containing somewhat of profitable significancy, that such a correspondency in circumstance of time, and manner of practice, might admonish us concerning the substance of our duty, or a principal part thereof, peculiarly designed in the sanction of this law, the grateful commemoration of God's most glorious work, (the foundation, as it were, of all other his acts of beneficence,) the creation of the world: for thus in all ceremonial institutions we may observe, that some significant circumstance is selected on purpose to instruct or exercise us to practice, by representing to our fancy the nature and intention of the main duty required; as in circumcision, in the passover, in baptism, and other ritual constitutions, it is not hard to perceive: so it being God's design to enforce the performance of that excellent duty, by appropriating a time thereto; we may conceive that he therefore especially selected that day, as most apt to mind them, to whom this law was given, of the history of the creation; the reflecting upon and celebrating which was the main duty intended.
Seeing therefore the observation of the Sabbath is expressed to have a peculiar respect to the children of Israel, as a sign of the covenant made with them, when he led them out of Egypt; seeing in its own nature it differeth from the rest of the ten Laws, the obligation thereto being not, discernibly to natural light, grounded in the reason of the thing, we can nowise be assured that an universal and perpetual obligation thereto was intended, or that its obligation did extend farther than to the Jews, to whom it was as a formal law delivered, and upon special considerations severely inculcated; to whose humour, condition, and circumstances, it might also perhaps be particularly suited: Justin Martyr was of opinion that this law, as many others, was given to the Jews, for their iniquity, and hardness of heart [7], by way of concession and indulgence; for, because they by their natural disposition were apt to forget their Maker; to neglect the state of their soul, being wholly intent on, worldly affairs; to exact intolerable pains from their brethren, who served them; to use cruelly the poor beasts employed in tilling their ground, or bearing their burdens; therefore God (considering this incorrigible temper of theirs) did indulge six days to them for the prosecution of those affairs to which they were so devoted, contenting himself to exact from them no more than this part of time for his own service, for the benefit of servants and ease of beasts: if he had required more of them, they could, it seems, or would hardly have endured it; the command would perhaps not only have been disobeyed itself, but the dislike thereof might have rendered them averse from all religion and service of God; as it happeneth, when commands very rigorous, and exceeding men's strength, are enjoined: for we see the Prophets complain of them, that they could hardly be induced to go thus far, or to afford God this so moderate share of time; but were impatient even for this one day in seven to abstain from their secular business, to relax themselves, or their servants, or their cattle, from their daily labours: they impeach them for polluting, profaning, hiding their eyes from (that is, wholly overlooking, neglecting, and disregarding) the Sabbath; for doing their own pleasure, and exacting their own labours upon it; for not delighting [8]therein, or not willingly observing it; Hear this, saith the prophet Amos, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat? [9] This being the disposition of that people, not bearing a greater strictness, they not being able to preserve within their hearts a perpetual remembrance of God's works and favours; not to moderate their pursuits of temporal good things; not to bear a due regard and tenderness toward their brethren and their fellow-creatures; (the performing which things in a constant uninterrupted tenor, the said holy Father and blessed Martyr supposeth to be the sabbatism which Christians are bound to observe;) therefore God, considering their infirmity and incapacity to comply with higher injunctions, did use (as in the cases of divorce, revenge, and the like) an indulgence toward them, permitting them on the other days to do their pleasure, [10] as the Prophet speaks, reserving only this day for a punctual and solemn performance of the duties specified: thus discourses that good ancient in his Dialogue with the Jew. However, that this law (as to its circumstantial parts) was not intended to oblige generally and perpetually, we have a most forcible ground to suppose; St. Paul himself, his express discharging Christians from the observation thereof; yea, his earnest reprehension of some persons for rigorously insisting thereon, deeming themselves, and urging it upon others, as a necessary duty to observe it; his conjoining it with other ceremonial observances, whose nature was merely symbolical, and whose design was to continue no longer, than till the real substance of that which they represented came into full force and practice; Let no man, saith he to the Colossians, judge you for meat, or drink, or upon account of a festival day, or new moon, or Sabbath: which things are the shadow of future thing's; but the body is of Christ, [11] (that is, they did only prefigure and presignify; the real substance intended and represented by them is somewhat in the law and doctrine of Christ; which coming immediately to appear and to oblige, that shadow vanisheth, and ceaseth to have any regard due thereto:) again more sharply to the Galatians, whom some Judaizing dogmatists had reduced, or were reducing to the practice of legal rites, under conceit of needful obligation to them; How, saith he, do ye return again to those weak and beggarly elements, to which back again you are pleased to be enslaved? Ye observe days, and months, and years: [12] which words, that they relate generally to the Jewish festivals, the context doth plainly enough shew, and there is good reason to think that they chiefly respect the Sabbath we treat on, for which probably these men had the greatest respect and zeal: again in the 14th to the Romans [13], the same great patron and champion of Christian liberty not obscurely declareth his mind, that Christians of strength in judgment did regard no day above another, but esteemed all days (he excepteth none) alike, as to any special obligation, grounded upon divine law and right; in subordination to which doctrine we may add, that this appears with great evidence to have been the common opinion of the wisest and most orthodox Christians in the primitive church, the most constant and strict adherents to Catholic tradition, (who from the Apostles' instruction best understood the purport and limits of the liberty purchased by Christ,) that this law, as it was not known or practised before Moses, so it ceased to oblige after Christ; being one of the shadows which the evangelical light dispelled, one of the burdens which this law of liberty did take off us.
Now although upon these accounts we cannot press the strict observation of this law in all its parts, according to its literal and direct intention, yet we may learn much of our duty, much of God's will from it: all God's laws, spiritually and wisely understood, did tend to the promoting of piety and virtue; and, abstracting from the special circumstances of that people, to whom they were consigned, may, so far as our case is like theirs, and wherein a common reason doth appear) pass for fit patterns for us to imitate, suggesting proper means of exercising, nourishing, increasing those qualities in us; and so from this law we may learn these duties:
1. That we should frequently call to mind and consider the great and glorious works of God, performed for the general good of his creatures; and specially for mankind; the creation of the world; the redemption of mankind; the nativity, passion, resurrection, and exaltation of our Lord and Saviour, and the like, no less now considerable to us, both in respect of glory due to God, and of benefit accruing to us, than was the creation formerly to the Jews.
2. That we are bound to restrain ourselves in the prosecution of worldly business; not distracting our minds with care, not exhausting our bodies with toil about them; but allowing our mind convenient and seasonable freedom, affording our soul sufficient leisure with vigour and alacrity to enjoy its nobler entertainments, and to pursue its higher interests.
3. That we are obliged to use the same indulgence toward those whom Divine Providence hath disposed to be under our power, care or governance: to allow our children, our subjects, our servants, a competent measure of rest and refreshment from their ordinary labours, sufficient time and leisure undistractedly to serve God, and quietly to mind their spiritual welfare; we must so charitably tender their good, as to permit and procure that their life may be easy and comfortable here; and that also they may have means to obtain for themselves a happy immortality hereafter; not being in these respects either harsh to their outward man, or uncharitable to their souls.
4. That we must not be unmerciful to any creature; not only abstaining from inflicting, in wantonness of humour, needless vexation upon them, but also from wearying and grieving them too much for our emolument or convenience: the advantage and pre-eminency bestowed upon us by God over them should be managed with moderation and clemency; we should be gentle masters to them, not cruel tyrants over them: we should consider that God did make them, as to help and serve us, so to enjoy somewhat themselves of delight and satisfaction in their being; which if we go to deprive them of, rendering their condition intolerable, and worse than if they had no being, as we do abuse and injure them, transgressing the bounds of our right over them, so we encroach upon, disappoint, and wrong their Maker, and cannot therein but displease him: doing thus is a point of injustice not enough considered by them who commit it: they consider not how beastly they are themselves, when they misuse poor beasts.
5. We may hence farther learn, that it is fit certain times should be allotted for the public and solemn performance of the forenamed duties: common reason prompteth, that God (upon whose protection and disposal the public good depends) should be publicly honoured, and his benefits frequently acknowledged; also that care should be taken in every society, that all states of men should lead their lives in some competent degree of content; that all objects of grievous pity should be removed from public view; also common sense will inform us, that these things cannot effectually be executed without constituting definite periods of time, and limiting circumstances, according to which they shall be practised under public inspection and censure: and these dictates of ordinary prudence the divine Wisdom hath ratified by his exemplary order; the which, in cases wherein he hath not interposed his direct authority by way of precept, may serve for a good direction to governors, what they may with safety, what they should in wisdom, establish; what provision they should make for the promotion of piety and virtue: such a precedent requires greatest veneration and respect, cannot but appear of high moment in consultation about matters of this nature.
It is indeed particularly observable, that in this command there is not an express order concerning the natural or moral service of God (by prayer, or hearing God's Law) to be publicly performed on this day; but the Jews were themselves so wise, as to understand these duties couched in the sanctification of the day prescribed to them; and accordingly they practised; they in all places of their habitation did settle synagogues and oratories; to them upon this day they resorted; in them then they did offer devotions to God, ... the Scribes did read the Law, and expound it to the people: Moses, saith Josephus, did command the people to assemble for hearing of the Law, not once or twice, or many times, but every seventh day, laying aside their works, and exactly to learn it; whence, add-eth he, the people became so skilful in the laws, that if one asked any of them concerning them, he would more easily tell them all than his own name; whence also an admirable concord in mind and uniformity in practice did, as he farther observes, arise: and, The custom, saith Philo, was always as occasion gave leave, especially upon the seventh days, to philosophate, &c. In consideration of which practice it was, that the Jews so highly valued this precept, that it was a saying among them, The Sabbath weigheth against all the Commandments; as procuring them all to be known and observed. And if that blind people could pick these duties out of this Law, much more should we see ourselves obliged, according to the analogy thereof, to appoint set times for ensuring the practice of them.
6. Again; we may hence also learn our obligation to submit obediently to the constitution of governors relating to this matter; that we readily should observe all solemn times of festivity and rest, which the rulers of Church or State do appoint for the securing or the promoting those purposes of piety or charity, according to the measure and manner prescribed by them: for reason approving the thing as good and useful, and divine order more clearly and fully confirming it to be so, and it not appearing that God hath made express determinations about it, it remains, that it is left wholly to them to whose care God hath entrusted the public welfare, and hath committed to their judgments the providing means conducible thereto; having also consequently enjoined us in all lawful things to follow their guidance and appointment in order thereto. God decreed death to be inflicted on those who violated his command concerning the Sabbath, which sheweth how great a fault it is to offend in this particular; and we may reasonably esteem that command to be his, which proceedeth from his ministers by authority from himself, and in conformity to his own pattern.
7. We add, that whereas God required of the Jews such a portion of time to be solemnly dedicated to religion and mercy, we, to whom he hath vouchsafed higher benefits, and proposed greater encouragements, cannot reasonably but deem ourselves obliged to sequester and consecrate as much or more time to the same intents: we should indeed be content to withdraw ourselves more frequently from pursuance of our own profits and pleasures to the service of God, to the remembrance and celebration of his favours; we should willingly allow greater relaxation to our dependents: and should the public be deficient in exacting a performance of such duties from us, it would become us to supply such defects by our private devoting fit and frequent seasons thereto; that in some proportion we may exceed the Jews in grateful piety, as we surpass them in the matter and causes thereof; that we may appear in some degree more charitable than they, as we have much greater reason and obligation to be so than they. So much for this.
I proceed briefly to consider the remaining commandments, the which immediately concern another object: those foregoing did chiefly serve to regulate our religious practice in yielding due reverence toward God; these following (which are supposed to have made up the second of those Tables, which, written by God's hand, were delivered to Moses, and preserved in the ark of the testimony) do guide our conversation and carriage toward our neighbour; in the front of which worthily is placed that which obligeth to dutifulness toward our parents; unto whom, after God and his supreme vicegerents, we owe the highest respect, gratitude, and duty.
more to come . . .
FOOTNOTES:
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1. Exodus 31:16
2. Ezekiel 20:11-12, and 20
3. Nehemiah 9:13-14
4. Exodus 16:29
5. Isaiah 56:6-7 (4.)
6. Psalm 143:5, 92:4, 97:22, 26:7, and 145:10
7. Just. Dial. cum Tryph. p. 235, &c.
8. Isaiah 58:3, and 13; Ezekiel 20:13, and 21; 22:26; and 23:38
9. Amos 8:4-5
10. Isaiah 58:13
11. Colossians 2:16-17
12. Galatians 4:10
13. Romans 14:5, &c.
An Exposition of the Decalogue from "Sermons, on Various Subjects" by Isaac Barrow (Hail & Fire Library)
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