Moreover, in this worship it is required, by the same law of our being, that we should serve God with all that we do receive from
a
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him. No man can think otherwise. For is there any thing that we have received from God that shall yield him no revenue of glory, whereof we ought to make no acknowledgment unto him? Who dare once so to imagine? Among the things thus given us of God is our time. And this falls under a double consideration in this matter:—First, As it is an inseparable moral circumstance of the worship required of us; so it is necessarily included in the command of worship itself, not directly, but consequentially. Secondly, It is in itself a part of our vouchsafements from God, for our own use and purposes in this world. So upon its own account, firstly and directly, a separation of a part of it unto God and his solemn wor- ship is required of us. It remains only to inquire what part of time it is that is and will be accepted with God. This is declared and determined in the fourth commandment to be the seventh part of it, or one day in seven. And this is that which is positive in the command; which yet, as to the foundation, formal reason, and main substance of it, is moral, And these things are true, but yet do not express the whole nature of the Sabbath, which we must further inquire into.
9. And, first, it must be observed, that wherever there is men- tion of a sabbatical rest, as enjoined unto men for their observation, there is still respect unto a rest of God that preceded it, and was the cause and foundation of it. In its first mention, God’s rest is given as the reason of his sanctifying and blessing a day of rest for us, whence also it hath its name: Gen. i. 3, “ God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, N2Y 12 °,”—“ because he sabbatized thereon himself.’ And so it is expressed, and the same reason is given of it, in the fourth commandment. God wrought six days, and rested the seventh; therefore must we rest, Exod. xx. 11. The same is observed in the new creation, as we shall see afterwards and more fully in our exposition of Heb. iv. Now, that God may be said to rest, it is necessary that some signal work of his do go before; for rest, in the first notion of it, includes a respect to an antecedent work or labour. And so it is everywhere declared. God wrought his works and finished them, and then rested; he made all things in six days, and rested on the seventh. And he that is entered into rest ceaseth from his work. And both these, the work of God and the rest of God, must in this matter be considered. For the work of God, it is that of the old and whole creation, as is directly expressed, Gen. ii, 1-3, Exod. xx. 11, which I desire may be borne in mind.
And this work of God may be considered two ways:— First, Naturally or physically, as it consisted in the mere production of the effects of his power, wisdom, and goodness. So all things are
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ther could his duty and capacity be otherwise answered or esteemed reasonable. His duty, which was working in moral obedience, had a natural relation unto a reward; and his capacity was such as could not be satisfied, nor himself attain absolute rest, but in the enjoy- ment of God. A pledge hereof, therefore, belonged unto his con- dition.
Thirdly, Consideration was had of the way and means whereby man might enter into the rest of God proposed unto him, And this. was by that obedience and worship of God which the covenant wherein he was created required of him. The solemn expression of this obedience and exercise of this worship were indispensably re- quired of him and his posterity, in all their societies and communion with one another. This cannot be denied, unless we shall say that God making man to be a sociable creature, and capable of sundry relations, did not require of him to honour him in the societies and relations whereof he was capable; which would certainly overthrow the whole law of his creation with respect unto the end for which he was made, and render all societies sinful and rebellious against God. Hereunto the sabbatical rest was absolutely necessary; for without some such rest, fixed or variable, those things could not be. This is a time or season for man to express and solemnly pay that homage which he owes to his Creator; and this is by most esteemed the great, if not the only end of the Sabbath. But it is evident that it falls under sundry precedent considerations.
10. These being the proper ends and reasons of the original sab- batical rest, which contain the true notion of it, we may nextly in- quire after the law whereby it was prescribed and commanded. To this purpose we must first consider the state wherein man was created, and then the law of his creation. And for the state and condition wherein man was created, it falls under a threefold consi- deration: for man may be considered either,—(1.) Absolutely as a rational creature; or, (2.) As made under a covenant of rewards and punishments; or, (3.) With respect unto the especial nature of that covenant.