The Doctrine of the Sabbath, Thesis 175 – Thesis 177
Thesis 175.
Adams soul (say some) did not need a Sabbath, because every day was a Sabbath to him; Greg. Val. Tom. 5. disp. 7. Q. 4.nor did his body need it, because it was impassible, say some, nor subject to wearinesse in its work, say others truly:Alex. Ales. part. 2 Q. 86. Ri…et. in Com. 4. to what purpose then should any Sabbath be appointed unto him in that estate? But we must know, that the Hebrew word for Sabbath, signifies holy rest, and therefore as Rivet well shews, it's called foreign not foreign Menuchah, which signifies common rest from wearinesse; hence it follows that the Sabbath being originally sanctified for holy rest, not for common rest or rest from naturall wearinesse in labour; Adam might therefore stand in need of a Sabbath, though his body was not subject to any wearinesse in or after his labour. Hence also although he was to live holily every day, yet this hinders not but that his soul might then have need of the holy rest of a Sabbath: For 1. Adam was to serve God in a particular calling then, as is manifest from, Gen▪ 2.15. for he was then to keep and dresse the garden, and to act with and under God in the government of many inferiour creatures, Gen. 1.26. And thus his time being filled in serving God with all holinesse in his calling, he might need a Sabbath; nor was it lawfull for him to turn daies of work in his calling into daies of rest, and so to keep a Sabbath every day, no not in that innocent and happy estate: for if it was contrary to Adams holy estate to work six daies, how could it be agreeable or sutable to the holinesse of God to work six daies? If God did labour six daies and rested a seventh without any need of a rest in respect of any wearinesse in his work, why might not, nay why should not man imitate and be like to his God in labour and rest, although he was not subject to any wearinesse in his holy work? 2. Though every day was to be spent in holinesse mediatly, both in seeing God in the creatures and meeting with God in his labour and calling: yet it was not unsutable, nay it was very needfull in that estate to have one day in the week for more immediate and speciall converse with God, and for God more immediatly and specially to converse with him. Nor indeed was it suitable to Gods wisdom to confine mans holinesse either then or now, either to holy labour only, or to holy rest only, for then he should not have been so like unto God who was exemplary holy unto man in both. Speciall time for action wherein he closed with God more mediatly throughout the six daies labour, might well stand with speciall time for contemplation of God upon the Sabbath, wherein he was to enjoy God more immediatly. Adam did not need a Sabbath upon the same ground of weaknesse that we do, viz. because we cannot be earnest enough (as M. Primrose objects) in holy services to God upon the week daies, but we see it did not sute Gods wisdom nor mans holy estate, then to be intent and earnest only in the enjoyment of his rest, to which his intention on his calling and labour then, could not be any hinderance when the Sabbath came; being free from such clogs of sin then, as we are now prest down withall: and therefore it is an unworthy expression, but oft used by the same author and others: viz. That it did derogate from the excellency of Adams condition to observe a seventh daies Sabbath, Ibid. s 19.and that the determination of a time then, did argue Adams inability, or want of inclination and affection to serve God ordinarily, and that the observance of a Sabbath is a mark of a servile condition, as of other holy daies under the law; and that if Adam was able to serve God continually, that it was then needlesse to limit him to a particular day; and that if a day were needfull God would have left the choice thereof to his own freedom, considering the wisdom and godlinesse wherewith God had endowed him: These and such like expressions are but hay and stubble, which the light of the truth delivered may easily consume.
Thesis 176.
'Tis true the Saints and Angels in heaven have no set Sabbath; but doth it therefore follow that the state of innocency on earth, should have been in all things like (and particularly in this) to the sta…e of glory in heaven? No such matter; For should there have been no marriage, no dressing of the garden, no day nor night, &c. in Paradise? because there is no marriage nor dressing of gardens, nor weeks, nor reckonings of day and night in heaven? If God hath work for Adam to do, not only upon the Sabbath, but upon the week daies also, why might he not be said to glorifie God without stint or ceasing, as the Angels do in heaven, unlesse M. Primrose will say that Adams marriage and dressing the garden, was a stinting and ceasing from glorifying God; which either he must affirm, or else his argument fals flat upon all four, who thinks that Adam could not have any set day for a Sabbath, because then he should not be like the Saints and Angels in heaven,Ibid. s. 18. who glorifie God continually without stint or ceasing.
Thesis 177.
They that think that the Sabbath was not given to Adam, because it was given as a peculiar perogative and priviledge to the Jews:Irons. Q. 1 cap. 2. and they that think that it was the Jews prerogative and priviledge because of such Scriptures as affirm that God gave unto them his Sabbaths, Exod. 16.29. Nehem. 9.14. Ezek. 20.12. and such like; they may as well imagine that neither the whole Decalogue or any part of it did belong to Adam, because the very same thing is affirmed of it, viz. That he gave his laws to Iacob, his statutes and judgements to Israel, Psal. 147.19. to them also it's said were committed the Oracles of God, Rom. 3.2. The Sabbath therefore is not said to be given to them as a peculiar propriety to the Jews no more then other parts of the Decalogue, but as a speciall mercy, yea as a sweeter mercy in some respect then the giving of any other laws, it being the sweetest mercy upon earth to rest in the bosom of God (which the law of the Sabbath cals to) and to know that it is our heavenly Fathers minde that we should do so upon every Sabbath day in a speciall manner, without the knowledge of which law we have lesse light of nature to hold the candle to us to the observance of it, then from any other laws to direct us to the obedience of them.