A Threefold Treatise of the Sabbath, Section 6
SECTION. VI. That in Gen. 2. 3. is the Institution of the Sabbath.
THe words in Gen. 2. 3. are the Inſtitution of the firſt Sabbath.
1 The name Sabbath, doth take its originall from Gods reſting on this ſeventh day: for ſo the word ſignifieth, ceſſavit, requievit. This alſo wee learne from the fourth Commandement in Exod. 20. 8. where God nameth the word Sabbath, which in the tenth verſe, is applyed unto this ſeventh day, and in the eleventh verſe, the reaſon is rendred, why it is called Sabbath, becauſe God reſted on the ſeventh day: So that Gods owne reſting on this day, made it a Sabbath.
2 It being by Gods reſting made a Sabbath day, hee did therefore bleſſe it: Now to bleſſe a day, is no where ſpoken of God in the whole Bible, but here; and in Exod. 20. 11. And therefore by that in Exod. 20. 11. wee muſt ſeek out the meaning of this in Genſis, which will appeare to bee this, that he bleſſed it, that is, by ſanctifying it; for the later word giveth the ſenſe of the former, the conjunction and comming betwixt benedixit, and ſanctificavit, is exegeticall, put expoſitively, as is uſuall in the Hebrew ſpeech, when two verbes come together; and very learned men thus expound the place. So Calvin, Vatablus, Paraeus, and others; but to come to Gods owne expoſition in Exod. 20. which is this: By his reſt he made the ſeventh day Sabbath; and it being a Sabbath by his reſt, he did bleſſe it, that is, ſanctified it, that is, appointed it to be kept holy, as it is in the words of the fourth Commandement: For the better confirmation of this expoſition, we muſt underſtand that the Commandement given, Exod. 20. 8. is deduced from his reſting, bleſſing, and ſanctifying this ſeventh day, ſpoken of in Gen. 2. 2. 3. and repeated, Exod. 20. 11. for the Commandement of God is an inference from it thus: Becauſe I reſted, bleſſed, and ſanctified the Sabbath day; therefore I command thee to keep it holy. Now albeit there be three words in Geneſ. Rest, bleſſed, ſanctified; yet in the Commandement, hee mentioneth only the word Sabbath, and the keeping of it holy. Firſt the word Sabbath day, hath relation to his reſt; then to keep it holy, hath relation to ſanctified, or hallowed it, in which is included the word bleſſed: For Gods bleſſing of it, is the ſanctifying and conſecration of the day to be kept holy to the Lord: And indeed, this was a great bleſſing of the Lord, for mans heavenly and ſpirituall good many wayes.
This expoſition is ſtrengthened by Exod. 16. 23. where it is ſaid, too morrow is the reſt of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. Here the word bleſſed, is not ſpoken of, as to call it the bleſſed Sabbath, but the word holy is mentioned only, having reference to Gods ſanctifying of it, and including therein his bleſſing of it.
Now the words thus cleerely opened, they muſt needs argue the Inſtitution of the Sabbath. For firſt, here is a Sabbath made, which Chriſt telleth us, was for man, Mark. 2. 27. Secondly, here is Gods owne example for mans imitation, as is evident in Exod. 20. by Gods urging his own example for reſting on the Sabbath. Thirdly, here are his words of inſtitution, in that it is ſaid, He bleſſed it, and ſanctified it, that is, hee ordained it to bee an holy Sabbath unto the Lord, to bee dedicated to his own ſervice, as Moſes informeth us, before the Law was promulgated, Exod. 16. 23. Fourthly and laſtly, hee confirmeth it with a reaſon in the end of the third verſe of Gen. 2. Therefore it is the Lords inſtitution for to bee his Sabbath day, and to bee kept holy of us, as the Commandement alſo teacheth, and appointeth us to doe.
3 The Lord in the promulgation of the Law, doth fetch from this place of Geneſis, the originall of the Sabbath, laying the ground of his precept to keep it holy, upon the inſtitution … in Exod. 20. 11.
4. In Exod. 31. It is worth our obſervation, that there the keeping of the Sabbath is not urged from the Commandment ☞lately given in the Decalogue, as reaſon would in mans judgement, but from the firſt ſeventh dayes reſt, and refreſhment after his ſix dayes work, as we may read in the 15. 16, 17. verſes of that chapter.
5. Moſes in Exod. 16. 26. maketh mention of ſix dayes, and of the ſeventh day Sabbath, and telleth them, that God had given them the Sabbath: verſe 29. ſpeaking of it as a time before: For as ſix dayes were before, ſo alſo was the ſeventh day the Sabbath, for when ſome did break it, ver. 27. the Lord faith, How long will ye refuſe to keep my Commandments and Laws? He would not have ſaid, How long for the breach only of the firſt ſeventh day Sabbath, if they had not done ſo long before. Therefore the ſeventh day was Sabbath long before this time of gathering the Manna.
6. S. Paul ſpeaking of a Reſt or keeping a Sabbath to the people of God. Heb. 4. 9. fetcheth from the originall, Gods own reſt on the ſeventh day, even from the Creation, verſe 4.
7. Jewiſh Doctors have been of this opinion: Genebrad in his Chron. citeth foure: Broughton in his conſent of Scripture, noteth two, Ramban on Gen. 26. Aben-Ezar on Exod. 20: and Peter Martyr on Geneſis alleadgeth Rabbi Agnon, Philo Iudaeus demundi opificio is of this judgement. For he ſaith the ſeventh day God vouchſafed to call it holy. And Tertullian cannot deny that the Jews held the day to be ſanctified from the worlds beginning, Lib. 4. adverſ. Iudaeos.
8. Doctor Rivet out of Wallaeus on the fourth Commandment, doth reckon up to this purpoſe, the conſent of thirty famous Proteſtant Divines. Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, Peter Martyr, Bullinger, Zanchius, Vrſinus, and others, to the number of thirty, I ſay; yet he mentioneth not learned Paraeus, Mercerus, Perkins, Willet, Ameſius, Selneccerus Aretius, and Piſcator, and very many more which might be named, holding the inſtitution of the Sabbath in Gen. 2. 3.
9. Of this opinion are learned Papiſts, whom the ſame Doctor Rivet quoteth alſo, as August. Steuchus, Eugubinus, Gilbertus Genebrad, Iacobus Salianus, Cornelius a lapide, Catharinus, Ribera, hereunto adde Thomas Aquinas on Geneſ. 2.
10. Ancient Fathers are alleadged for this purpoſe, Ciprian, Epiphanius, Origen, Chryſoſtome, Hierome, Athaniſius, S. Auguſtine: Some Fathers produced, as of a contrary opinion, are not to be underſtood of a bare naturall Sabbath, which we plead for, but as the Sabbath ceremonious, as the Jews held it, and ſo theſe Fathers deny the obſervation of it.
Laſtly, our learned Tranſlators of our Engliſh Bible are of this judgement, or they who have prefixed the Contents to the ſecond chapter of Geneſis, in which are theſe words: The first Sabbath: And this is allowed to be read in our Churches.