Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Commentary on Genesis · Chapter 2 · Verse 3
VERSE 3.
ANd God bleſſed] We have ſeen the ground of the Inſtitution of the Sabbath, to be unto men a day of Reſt from their ordinary labours; why it muſt be a Seventh day; and why that Seventh: The Commandement followes. This firſt phraſe of Gods bleſſing the Day, may import, 1. The Advancing of that above other dayes, to be an Happy, and an Honourable Day, Iſa. 58.13. A Day to which no Night is reckoned, as it is to other dayes, as being a Type of that Reſt which ſhall be all Joy and Light, without any mixture of Darkneſſe at all. 2. The Ordaining of it to be a Day of Bleſſings, in Spiritual things, wherein God will pour out Grace into the hearts of his people, in the uſe of his holy Ordinances.
And Sanctified] Or, ſeparated it, from an Ordinary and Common, to an Holy and Religious uſe, for his own immediate ſervice, in the exerciſe of Duties of Piety and Religious Worſhip. For whereas to Sanctifie, ſignifies, 1. To make Holy, as Epheſ. 5.26. 2. Or to ſet apart to an holy uſe, as it is uſed, Exod. 28.41. 3. To keep holy, or uſe in an holy manner, as it ſignifies, Levit. 10.3. & 11.44. 4. To declare to be holy, Numb. 20.12. In the two laſt Senſes, men may be ſaid to Sanctifie or Hallow things; In the firſt, it is peculiar to God alone: In the ſecond (in which it is taken in this place) it is appliable both to God and Man: God, by his Law and Commandement; and Man, by his free and voluntary offerings and vowes, appointing things to be ſet apart unto holy uſes, which before were Common.
Becauſe in it] Not ſo much to propoſe his own Example, for our imitation (for God himſelf might Reſt upon ſuch grounds as concern not men) but becauſe Gods Reſt, manifeſting the perfecting of the work of the Worlds Creation; that day whereon he reſted, that is, in which the work of Creation was finiſhed and perfected, was the fitteſt to be obſerved in remembrance of that great work: As now the day, in which our Saviour, by his reſurrection from the dead, manifeſted the accompliſhment of the work of our Redemption (a greater work then that of Creation) is the fitteſt to be Celebrated in the remembrance of that more Eminent, and more Glorious Work. For otherwiſe, in themſelves, all dayes are equal; neither is one of them more Eminent, or more Obſervable, then another. The difference of dayes ariſeth from the Works done, or Events happening upon thoſe daies. A ground which even Heathen men themſelves by the light of Nature acknowledged, and made uſe of, in obſerving their Feaſtivals. Whence it is that God (who grounds all his Moral Lawes upon Principles, which right Reaſon conſents unto) gives in this, for the Reaſon of Inſtituting that greateſt Feaſtival, limiting it to, and fixing it upon that day, in which he had finiſhed the worlds Creation, ended in Six dayes, and declared to be perfected by his Reſting upon the Seventh. In which number of dayes, he alſo pointed out, as it were, a ſet period of time, according to the revolution whereof times might be ever after computed, by Weeks, or Sevens of dayes. So that in that time, in which he made and fully finiſhed the World, he ſet out a Proportion of time, in which that Holy day ſhould be obſerved; and by the perfecting of the World upon the Seventh day, deſigned the very day, which, in that revolution of time, ſhould be Conſecrated to Himſelf, and that by the ground upon which it was to be obſerved.
It is true, that when this Law was given to Adam, being then in the ſtate of Innocency, that ground of the Obſervation of the Day, was appliable to none other but the Seventh, or Laſt day of the Week, becauſe Man continuing in that ſtate, there could not have been ſuppoſed a more Eminent Work of God, then the Worlds Creation. But now ſince his Fall, the work of the worlds Redemption, by which it was not onelyonly Renewed and Reſtored, but beſides more firmly ſettled then before, being more Eminent, and in every reſpect more Beneficial to man, then the Creation; the ſame ground, upon which the Sabbath was by God fixed upon the Laſt day of the week, warrants and directs us to tranſlate it to the Firſt day, where on, by our Saviours Reſurrection, that more Glorious Work of our Redemption was manifeſted to the world, to be fully perfected. Wherefore when God renews this Law of the Sabbath upon Mount Sinai, the Condition of Man being then altered, and a Redeemer promiſed, and expected, God (although he thought it not fit to change the Sabbath, unto another day, till that work ſhould be accompliſhed, which ſhould occaſion the change of it, yet) took ſpeciall care to pen the Fourth Commandement, in ſuch expreſſions, that when the time of accompliſhing that work ſhould come, the day might be changed, without altering the letter of the Law. Wherefore having occaſion, in the fourth Commandement, to alledge the ſame reaſon for the Continuation of the Sabbath, that he gives here, for the Inſtitution of it, and that in the ſame form of words which he here uſeth; yet, in the concluſion inferred upon that reaſon, he changeth the Particular term Seventh unto that which is more General, Sabbath, ſaying, not as here, Therefore the Lord Sanctified the Seventh Day; but, Therefore the Lord Sanctified the Sabbath Day. Implying, that the time which he required to be obſerved, muſt be one Reſting day of Seven, leaving the Particularity of the day, to be deſigned by the work upon which the obſervation of it was to be grounded; ſo that both the Jews from that ſame Law might have warrant for the obſervation of the Laſt day of the Week; and we that are Chriſtians might have the like warrant for the obſerving of the Firſt day of the Week.
Some there are, that conceive theſe words not to contain in them the Narration of what God inſtituted at preſent, but (by way of Anticipation) a manifeſtation of what he Ordained and Appointed to be obſerved in the Law, afterward delivered to his people upon Mount Sinai, Exod. 20. As if Moſes had ſaid here, This Reſt of God the Seventh day, was the reaſon why God in the delivering his Law upon Mount Sinai appointed his People to keep that Seventh day for a day of an Holy Reſt. To whom we anſwer:
1. What ground is there to be drawn out of any Circumſtance of the text that enforceth us to admit ſuch an Anticipation, and without ſuch a ground who dare ſuppoſe it? If we may pervert the Order of the Scriptures, at our pleaſure, without warrant from the Letter of the text it ſelf, no Man ſhall be able to draw any binding Argument out of Scripture, to conclude any thing at all.
2. Anticipations in Scripture are moſt Commonly, if not Alwaies uſed, that by repreſenting before hand, ſomewhat which was done afterwards, the whole narration might be made more clear and perſpicuous: or at leaſt, that the Occaſion, or conſequents of ſuch other things, as are related, might be Conſidered and laid together, that we might the more eaſily, and diſtinctly, obſerve the VVay of God in his VVork. Now in this place to mention the occaſion of that which was done more then two thouſand years afterwards, helps nothing to the underſtanding of any thing there related, and conſequently there is upon that ground, no cauſe of ſuppoſing ſuch an Anticipation.
3. Such an Anticipation in this place muſt needs be acknowledged, to be utterly ſuperfluous; ſeeing the very ground of Inſtituting the reſt of the Sabbath, which is mentioned here, is expreſly, and wel-nigh, in the ſame words, ſet down in the very body of the Law, given upon Mount Sinai. Now it cannot be Imagined, that the Holy Ghoſt, in an Hiſtory ſo ſuccinctly penned, as this is, would inſert any thing unneceſſarily and ſuperfluouſly.
4. Such an Anticipation, in this place, neceſſarily ſuppoſeth, that the Book of Geneſis was written after the delivering of the Law upon Mount Sinai: for if the Law were not given before the Book of Geneſis was written, how could this Anticipation here ſhew the reaſon of a Law, which was not then in being? Now that the Book of Geneſis was written after the Law was given, is impoſſible to be proved; Nay, if conjectures might be admitted, it ſeems more probable that Geneſis was written, while Moſes was yet in Midian before he undertook the bringing up of Iſrael out of Egypt; for beſides that he was then beſt at leiſure, that Book muſt needs be of ſingular uſe, to encourage the Children of Iſrael to undertake their journey into Canaan; for which, their Fore-Fathers had forſaken their own native ſoil, which God had ſo many waies made over unto them, wherein they had been ſojourners ſo long a time, and wherein God had ſo wonderfully protected and proſpered them even to admiration, all of them being great encouragements, to enter into the poſſeſſion of ſo good a Land, ſo freely beſtowed upon them.
Others there are that conceive that thoſe words contain only a narration of what God himſelf did, not what he appointed or ordained Man to do or obſerve afterwards: and will have the words in the firſt clauſe to expreſſe what God did; He reſted: and in the later to expreſſe how he did it, He Sanctified and Bleſſed (his Reſt,) or kept it as an Holy Reſt.
To whom we anſwer.
1. How can God be ſaid to Sanctifie his Reſt in this Senſe, ſeeing his Actions and Holines of them cannot be ſevered, but whatſoever he doth is Holy, becauſe he doth it? The actions of Men indeed, and the Holineſſe of them be two things, and are many times too far aſunder; but God is holy in all his Works, Pſal. 145.17. and in ceaſing from his Works: And therefore to ſay that God Reſted, and that he Sanctified (his Reſt,) is to ſpeak Improperly and Superfluouſly.
2. If that be the ſenſe of the term Sanctified, how ſhall we interpret the next word, Bleſſed? In what ſenſe God by his own Act of Reſting, may be ſaid to Bleſſe the day of his Reſt, cannot eaſily be imagined: neither do we find any other place of Scripture, wherein that phraſe bears ſuch a ſenſe.
3. The letter of the Text, and Series of the Narration, ſeem to oppoſe this ſenſe; wherein, we have related unto us three diſtinct Actions of God. Firſt, He made, 2. He Reſted; 3. He Bleſſed and Sanctified the Reſt: And thoſe three are laid down as ſucceeding one another, at leaſt in Nature, if not in Time. Yea, and to be in a ſort the ground one of another; The full perfecting and finiſhing of the Creation, was the ground of Gods Reſting; and his Reſting was the Ground, or Occaſion at leaſt, of Bleſſing and Sanctifying the Day of Reſt; or appointing of it to be a day of Holy Reſt. So that as, in the words of the ſecond verſe, He reſted from all the works which he had made, imply the making of the works before the Reſt; ſo, in this Verſe He Sanctified the Reſt, becauſe he had Reſted, muſt needs imply that the Reſt went before the ſanctifying of the Reſt, and to be diſtinct from it.
A third ſort there are, that think thoſe words, Sanctified and Bleſſed, to imply, Not what God then did; but what he purpoſed and intended to do afterwards: and parallel, for the ſtrengthening of that conjecture, with theſe words, that phraſe, Jer. 11.8. where God ſaith, that he ſanctified and Ordained Jeremy to be a Prophet in the womb; which cannot be underſtood of the Actuall Sanctifying of Jeremy at preſent; but muſt be conceived to imply what he meant to do afterwards.
To this we Anſwer.
1. That Inſtance out of Jeremy, is not clear nor convincing. For, if by Sanctifying we mean Infuſing of Holineſſe; why may not the Spirit of God (if he pleaſe) ſanctifie Jeremy in the womb, as well as it moved John Baptiſt in the womb. If we underſtand Sanctifying for Deſigning, or ſetting apart to that office, why might not God, as well actually by ſome meſſage to his Parents, or otherwiſe, as well appoint Ieremy to be a Prophet in his Mothers womb, as he deſigned Iohn Baptiſt to the Like office before he was conceived?
2. This is a ſtrange Inference, out of that place in Ieremy: the Word Sanctified muſt be ſo taken there, becauſe it can have no other Senſe; therefore it muſt be taken ſo here, where it may have another and fairer conſtruction, and more ſuitable to the Circumſtance of the text in this hiſtory.
To come to the Obſervation, to be gathered out of thoſe words, It is obſervable, that the firſt of all the Lawes recorded in Scripture to be given to Man, provides for the eſtabliſhing of his owne immediate Worſhip. VVhence,
1. Obſerve, The Worſhip of God ought to be Mans firſt and chief care.
Obſerv. 1 THis Truth God hath clearly manifeſted, in the delivery of the Law, on Mount Sinai, wherein he takes order in the firſt Table (which our Saviour tearms the great Commandement) for his own immediate worſhip: which alſo Holy Men alwaies endeavoured to begin with, in the firſt place, as Noah after the flood, Gen. 8.10. And Abraham as ſoon as he came to Canaan, Gen. 12.7, 8.
Reaſon 1. Gods Honour, is the main end wherefore we, and all things, are, which is moſt advanced amongſt Men by his VVorſhip.
2. And the performance of thoſe duties of his VVorſhip, Sanctifies all things unto us, 1 Tim. 4.5. and drawes down Gods Bleſſing upon us, and all that we have, and above all, increaſeth in us Holineſſe, unto which we are eſpecially called.
Let us then be ſenſible of Gods great goodneſſe, and tender reſpect of Men, that is content that Sacrifice ſhall yield to Mercy, Matth. 9.13. which is his own VVorſhip, wherein he is ſo much honoured, and which he ſets at ſo high a rate, for the providing for our neceſſities. OnelyOnly let us take heed of ſtretching this indulgence beyond the true bounds. 1. Let not the inward duties of Piety, give way to any of our moſt urgent occaſions. 2. Neither let the Outward acts of VVorſhip be omitted; but in caſes of urgent neceſſity. 3. Then, be rather ſuſpended for the preſent, then wholy laid aſide, if there may be opportunity to performe them afterwards.
It cannot be denyed, but that God gave Adam Rules for the whole form of his Worſhip; but we find in this Relation of Moſes nothing mentioned but the Sabbath, under which many of the reſt may be pointed at. Howſoever, we find this Law of the Sanctifying of the Sabbath honoured ſo far as to be mentioned and recorded in the Firſt place, and may thence,
2. Obſerve, God makes great account of the Sanctifying of his Sabbaths.
Obſerv. 2 1. AS ſerving for a Publique and Notorious Badge of our Profeſſion, Ezech. 20.12.
2. An Eſpeciall means of preſerving and encreaſing of Religion, being, as it were, the Mart-Day for the Soul, wherein we have Commerce in a ſort wholly with God in Spirituall things, tendring unto him, and pouring out before him the Affections of our Souls in Prayers and Praiſes; and God pouring out Grace and Comfort upon our ſpirits in the uſe of his holy Ordinances. Whence it is that God enjoyns it ſo ſtrictly, Commandement 4th. encourageth to the obſervation thereof by ſuch large promiſes, Jer. 17.24, 25, and puniſheth the neglect of it with ſuch fearfull plagues, Jer. 17.27. Neh. 13.18.
God doth not only Sanctifie the Sabbath, or ſet it apart to holy uſes, but bleſſeth it withall, that is, ordains it to be unto man a day of bleſſings. Whence,
3. Obſerve, The Sabbath-Day Sanctified as it ought, is a Day of Bleſsings.
Obſerv. 3 CHiefly upon the Soul, by the encreaſe of Grace, and Holineſſe, in the uſe of the means of Grace, which are diſpenſed eſpecially upon that day, to the conſcionable uſe whereof, God hath annexed a ſpecial bleſſing of Power and Efficacy from himſelf, to make thoſe that frequent them, joyful in His houſe of Prayer; and withall, to accept their Sacrifices in a ſpecial manner, Iſa. 56.6, 7. Although it is true withall, that the Religious obſervation of that holy Reſt, as well as other duties, conſcionably performed, brings down more then an ordinary bleſſing upon mens perſons and eſtates, even in Outward things, Jer. 17.24, 25.
The Day of Reſt is not only Bleſſed, but Sanctified alſo, that is, ſet apart from Common uſe to be holy unto the Lord, as that phraſe is explained in the Fourth Commandement. Whence,
4. Obſerve, The Sabbath is a day of Reſt conſecrated by God Himſelf, and ſet apart from a Common to an Holy Uſe,
Obſerv. 4 AS all other conſecrated things, are, Exod. 29.33, 34. Numb. 16, 38. And the Sabbath in particular, Iſa. 58.13, and that even the whole day, as it is in other Feſtivals, Levit. 23.32. As it clearly appears in the expreſſion uſed by God in the fourth Commandement, where diſtributing the week into ſeven parts, He appoints ſix for Labour, and the Seventh for this Holy Reſt, which muſt therefore neceſſarily, be ſuch a proportion, as the other ſix are, that is a whole day.
Can it then be any leſſe then deſtruction to devour Holy things, and after the vowes to enquire, as Solomon ſpeaks, Prov. 20.25. By taking a part of this conſecrated time, and imploying it to Common Uſes? This we do, when we make uſe of any part of the Sabbath Day, for Labour in our ordinary Callings, making up of our accounts, and contriving waies for the managing of our worldly affaires: and giving directions for the ordering of them; Or, which is worſe, for the ſatisfying of the fleſh in vain Sports (to call them by no worſe name) which we abuſively term Recreations, by which the mind is uſually more affected, and diſtracted, then it is by ordinary Labour, and conſequently made more indiſpoſed to Holy duties; Whereas we are expreſly forbidden, on that day, to do or find our own pleaſure, or to ſpeak our owne Words, Iſa. 58.13.
It will perhaps be anſwered, that ſuch a Reſt was meerly Jewiſh, laid upon them by God, as a part of their Ceremoniall bondage (and therefore not to be preſſed upon us Chriſtians, whom Chriſt hath freed from that yoak) which they were ſo preciſely to obſerve, that they were forbidden to dreſſe meat, Exod. 16.23. Or to kindle a fire; Exod. 35, 3. upon that Day.
We anſwer, we require not the obſervation of any Reſt, impoſed on the Jewes by any temporary law, ſuch as were, thoſe reſtraints from dreſſing of meat or kindling of a fire on the Sabbath Day; both which it ſeems Continued no longer then their peregrination in the Wilderneſſe, ſeeing we never read, either of the obſervation of it, or blame laid upon them for not obſerving it afterwards. Seeing we find our Saviour Himſelfe preſent at a great Feaſt on the Sabbath Day, Luk. 14.1. And that in one of the cheif Phariſees Houſes, the ſtricteſt obſervers of the Sabbath, even to Superſtition. Now that feaſt could not be prepared without a fire; the kindling whereof, if it had been unlawful on that Day, neither would our Saviour have graced the Feaſt with his preſence, nor the Phariſees, that watched him ſo narrowly, and quarrelled with him ſo often, for ſuppoſed Sabbath breaches, have paſſed it over in ſilence. No, we require the obſervation of no other Reſt, then that onelyonly which is expreſſed, in the Fourth Commandement; namely, the laying aſide of all the Labours of our particular callings in ſecular things: that we may ſet a part the whole day of this Holy Reſt, unto God for his immediate Worſhip and ſervice.
There are indeed many that conceive, that Chriſtians are not bound either by this Fourth Commandement, or by any other law of the Decalogue, as it was delivered by Moſes: nor any farther then we find it to be, either to be a law of Nature, or renewed by Chriſt or his Apoſtles. And particularly they affirm, that there muſt needs be acknowledged ſomething to be Ceremonious and Muta, ble, in the Fourth Commandement; as namely, the obſervation of the laſt day of the week, I which we our ſelves acknowledge to be changed, whence they conclude no binding Argument can be drawn out of that Comandement, to reach us that are Chriſtians.
We anſwer, 1. That it is true that God, in the delivery of his Lawes to the Jewes, looked upon them in divers reſpects. In ſome things, as the people of ſuch a Nation, and of ſuch a Time, which he manifeſted in giving them the Lawes, Judiciall and Ceremoniall. But in giving the Morall Law, which takes in the whole Nature of Mankind: he looked on them as the Body of the Church Repreſentative, to whom therefore he committed not onelyonly thoſe ten Lawes, but beſidesth, e reſt of his Oracles (as the Apoſtle calls them Rom. 3.2.) in truſt for the uſe and ſervice of the Church, which alſo he manifeſted in divers particular Circumſtances. For there can be no probable reaſon given why God; 1. Delivered the Decalogue by the voice and Pen of Chriſt, (the Head of the whole Church) whereas he delivered the Judicialls and Ceremonials by by the voice and Pen of Moſes, the peculiar Miniſter of the Jewes. 2. Why, he wrote the Morals in Tables of ſtone; whereas He appointed the Ceremonialls to be written in ordinary Volumes. 3. Why he appointed thoſe Tables to be kept by themſelves in the Ark, within the Sanctum Sanctorum, which was as it were, Chriſts own Cloſet, whereas The Judicialls and Cerimonialls, were laid up without the Altar of Incenſe, the Pot of Mannah, and Aarons Rod in a Room, into which the Leviticall Prieſts had ordinary acceſſe, unleſſe it were to diſtinguiſh thoſe Lawes, which were peculiar to the Jewes, from thoſe which concerned the whole Church in generall.
Secondly, to the Argument taken from the fixing of the day of Reſt on the laſt day of the week, in the Fourth Commandement. We anſwer; Firſt, that neither in the Summe, nor Explication, nor Concluſion of the Commandement, we have no mention, but of a Sabbath or day of Reſt; in the Explication we have the proportion of time appointed for this Reſt, which muſt be one whole day of ſeven, in the Reaſon of the Commandement: there is indeed a rule, that directs us which ſhall be the Day, but that is laid down in Indefinite terms, and is indifferently applyable, to either the firſt, or laſt day of the week? for howſoever the Seventh or laſt day of the week, be there mentioned, as it is here; yet it is not to bind us to it as that particular day, but as a day honoured above other dayes, by manifeſting the perfecting of that glorious red above other dayes, by manifeſting the perfecting of that glorious work of the Creation of the World. So that the rule delivered from the deſigning of the particular day is onelyonly this (as we have ſhewed already in a treatiſe written of this argument) that the day which God ſhall by his work advance above otherda yes, ſhall be the Day of his Holy Reſt: which before Chriſt came, was the laſt day of the week, wherein by his Reſt on that day God manifeſted the perfecting of the Worlds Creation; but, ſince Chriſt, muſt upon the ſame ground, be tranſlated to the firſt, wherein our Saviour by his riſing from the dead on that day, declared the perfecting of the worlds redemption, which was the more eminent work of the two, and conſequently advanced that day above the former.
Secondly we ſay, that having delivered all the reſt of the Ceremoniall Lawes, and compiled them into a volume a part by themſelves, diſtinguſhing them from the Morall Lawes, by ſo many Conſiderable Circumſtances, as we have ſhewed already: we cannot in reaſon conceive, that God would leave out onelyonly this one of thoſe lawes, to be mixed with his Moral and perpetuall and Unchangeable Lawes.
As for that Scruple which many ſtumble at, that it appeares, by mentioning in the Preface to the Law, the deliverance from the Egyptian bondage, and promiſing their Continuance in the Land of Canaan, promiſed in the fifth Commandement, that God intended the Decalogue onelyonly to the Jewes; becauſe he mentions thoſe things which concerned them alone.
We anſwer: Firſt, that neither of thoſe particulars, in which they inſtance, is any branch of any one of thoſe Commandements, but are only promiſed and annexed as Inducements to move them to yield obedience to thoſe Lawes; Now the duties may belong unto us, though the Inducements and motives to perſwade thereunto were peculiar unto them.
Secondly thoſe very motives, are indeed expreſſed in ſuch a form as is appliable onelyonly to them; but the things intended by thoſe expreſſions, belong as well unto us as unto them. Their deliverance out of Egypt in the Type belonged only to them; but the deliverance from our Spiritual bondage repreſented thereby, belongs as well to us as to them. And the Land of Canaan, pointed at in the fifth Commandement, is any Land in the Earth, which God gives any of his Servants, as the Apoſtle clearly Interprets and Applies it, Eph. 6.2.
There remains yet behind one ſcruple, which hath prevailed with many to doubt, whether the law of the Sabbath were given to Adam in Paradiſe, that is, before his fall: becauſe (ſay they) being in that condition he neither needed any ſuch Law, either for the refreſhing of his body, or for the quickening of his ſpirit, nor could poſſibly obſerve it, having no other company but his wife, which could not make a publique Aſſembly, which the obſervation of the Sabbath requires. To whom we anſwer.
Firſt, that this ſuppoſition, that Adam being in Paradiſe needed no Sabbath, is ill grounded; for firſt, the refreſhing of the bodies of men and beaſts, though it be a Conſequent; yet was never the Ground of the Inſtitution of the Sabbath. The moderation of our labours belongs to the eighth Commandement that enjoynes labour. As for the quickening of Adams ſpirit, why might not he need a Sabbath, as well as a Sacrament? And although every day were a kind of Sabbath to Adam, in reſpect of his eaſie labour, and his Holy converſing with God, even in his works about the Creatures, yet there is great difference between labouring moderately and not at all; And to ſerve God in ordering the Creatures, according to his will, and to ſerve him in the duties of his owne immediate worſhip. So, every day ought to have been ſpent by Adam, in an holy manner, but not as a Sabbath: Beſides, though the Sabbath were made for man, yet it was not made for man alone, but principally for Gods Honour in his publick worſhip; in which reſpect Adam as much needed a Sabbath as we do, being created for Gods Glory as well as we.
Secondly, as Adam needed a Sabbath, ſo he had meanes to obſerve a Sabbath; he and his wife when there were no more perſons in the World made a publick Aſſembly. There is is a gathering of two or three as well as of a multitude, Matth. 18.20. And Chriſt is preſent with them as well as with a greater number. Nay, further a man that is ſhut out from publick meetings may keep a Sabbath alone. So then there being no impediment why this Commandement for the obſervation of the Sabbath might not be given to Adam in Paradiſe, and Moſes recording it in the firſt place amongſt thoſe lawes that were then given him, we have no ground to doubt, but that Adam had this Law then given unto him; and, in him, unto all mankind. So that we may,
5. Obſerve, The law given by God, for the obſervation of the Sabbath Day, is a law Univerſal and Perpetual.
UNiverſal it muſt needs be; 1. Becauſe in Adam it was given to the whole nature of Man, which was intirely in him at that time when he received it. 2. And the uſe as well as the ground of it, reacheth indifferently unto all men, who are alike intereſſed in all the works that God hath wrought, both of Creation, and Redemption, and alike obliged to honour him for them, and have like need of thoſe Spirituall comforts, and refreſhings which the religious obſervation of that brings unto, & ſupports the ſoul withal. Upon the ſame ground it muſt needs be perpetual, for if it bind all men, it muſt of neceſſity bind all ages; which alſo our Saviour neceſſarily implies in his anſwer to the Phariſees queſtion about divorce, Matth. 19.8. wherein he affirms, the divorce ſuppoſed to be permitted by Moſes, to be unwarrantable, becauſe it croſſed the Law of Marriage, given to Adam, in Paradiſe; which Anſwer muſt neceſſarily ſuppoſe this ground, that whatſoever Law was given to Adam in the Beginning (thoſe Laws that reſpected his preſent condition, as his Labouring in Paradiſe, and Eating of the Tree of Life, excepted) binds all his poſterity in all Ages. Beſides, the placing of this Commandement amongſt the precepts of the Decalogue, which our Saviour ratifies in every jot or tittle of them, Matth. 5.18. further manifeſts the mind of God, for the continuance of this Law, which our Saviour wills his Diſciples to be careful to obſerve, Matth. 24.20. even at the deſtruction of Jeruſalem 40 years after his Aſcenſion, when all other Mutable and Temporary Lawes were taken away.
Nay, although there be this difference between this precept concerning the Sabbath, and ſome other lawes of the Decalogue, that this doth not appear ſo evidently to be a Law of Nature, as they do, yet it muſt neceſſarily be a law of Nature in the greateſt part. As, that there muſt be a time for publique Worſhip, a time of Reſt from other Employments, a fit time, a ſet time, a time that muſt return according to ſome time computed by Weeks, or Moneths, or Years. For all theſe even by the light of Nature Heathen men acknowledged, as is manifeſt by their practice in all Ages and Countreys. Nay, the Creation and Redemption of the World being once revealed, even the light of Naturall reaſon, would have directed men to make choice of thoſe dayes, in which thoſe great works were perfected, for the dayes of obſerving this holy Reſt.
Now it muſt needs be granted, that ſeeing the ground of fixing the Sabbath upon the Laſt, or Firſt day of the Week, was the marking out and advancing of thoſe dayes above others by the moſt eminent of Gods Works; therefore mans exerciſe upon thoſe dayes muſt be in the Contemplation of thoſe and the reſt of his works, that our hearts may rejoyce in Him who hath in them manifeſted his Infinite Goodneſſe, Wiſdom, and Power. Whence,
6. Obſerve, Meditation in Gods Works, that our hearts may be raiſed up to an holy Rejoycing in Him, is, and ought to be, a Chriſtians chief Exerciſe, for the right ſanctifying of the Sabbath Day.
Obſerv. 6 THe 92. Pſalm, compoſed of purpoſe for the Sabbath, (as appears in the Title of it) handles no other argument, but the ſetting out the works of Gods providence, in governing the world in righteouſneſſe. And it is as evident, by the doubling of the daily Sacrifice upon that day, by Gods Commandement, Numb. 28.9. that the Will of God was, that mens thoughts ſhould be much exerciſed in the meditation of that glorious work of their Redemption, ſhadowed out under thoſe ſacrifices, and purchaſed by the Blood of Chriſt. And indeed, as all Gods works praiſe him, ſo do we, by remembring them and meditating on them, moſt highly honour and advance Him, as is evident by the Pſalms compoſed for that purpoſe, Pſal. 104.107.145. & Rev. 4.11. And for our ſelves, our hearts are by that means wonderfully quickened, and enlarged, and filled with love towards him; (ſee, Pſal. 18.1. & 116.1.) and brought to an Holy Dependance on him, and Confidence in him, which is a fruit that is produced by this holy meditation on Gods works, Pſal. 78.7. Now Gods honour, and the encreaſe of Piety in us, were the ends of the Inſtitution of this holy Reſt. It is true, that this exerciſe muſt be accompanied with thoſe other holy duties, of Prayer and Praiſes, Preaching and Hearing of Gods Word, adminiſtring the Sacraments, and the like, as conducing all of them, if they be rightly uſed, unto the ſame end.