(4.) God himself separates this command from them which were ceremonial in their principal intention and whole subject-matter, when he calls the whole system of precepts in the two tables by the name of the ten words or commandments: Deut. x. 4, NYY Ns
npn Da vNI Jind Wa DovoN min aPs TWN DIT} ; ;—“ Those ten words, which the Lor spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.” No considering per- son can read these words, but he will find a most signal emphasis in the several parts of them. “The day of the assembly,” bapa Di, is that which the Jews so celebrate under the name of “the station in Sinai;” the day that was the foundation of their church-state, when they solemnly covenanted with God about the observation of the law, Deut. v. 24-27. And the Lord himself spake these words, —that is, in an immediate and especial manner; which is still ob-
SECT. 46. ] OF THE CAUSES OF THE SABBATH. 369
served where any mention is made of them, as Exod. xx.1, Deut. v. 22, and x. 4. And saith Moses, “He spake them unto you, ”—that is, immediately unto “all the assembly,” Deut. v. 22; where it is added, that he spake them “out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice,” (that every individual person might hear it:) “and he added no more.” He spake not one word more, gave not one precept more immediately unto the whole peo- ple, but the whole solemnity, of fire, thunder, lightning, earthquake, and sound of trumpet, immediately ceased and disappeared; whereon God entered on his treaty with Moses, wherein he revealed unto him and instructed him in the ceremonial and judicial laws, for the use of the people, who had now taken upon themselves the religious observ- ance of what he should so reveal and appoint. Now, as the whole decalogue was hereby signalized, and sufficiently distinguished from the other laws and institutions which were of another nature, so, in particular, this precept concerning the Sabbath is distinguished from all those which were of the Mosaical pedagogy, in whose declara- tion Moses was the mediator between God and the people. And this was only upon the account of its participation in the same nature with the rest of the commands, however it may and do con- tain something in it that was peculiar to that people, as shall be showed afterwards.
(5.) Whereas there is a frequent opposition made in the Old Testament between moral obedience and the outward observance of ordinances of a mere arbitrary institution, there is no mention made of the weekly Sabbath in that case, though all ceremonial institu- tions are in one place or other enumerated. It is true, Isa. 1. 13, the Sabbath is joined with the new moons, and its observation rejected in comparison of holiness and righteousness; but as this is ex- pounded in the next verse to be intended principally of the appointed annual feasts or sabbaths, so we do grant that the Sabbath, as relat- ing unto temple-worship, there intended and described, had that accompanying it which was peculiar to the Jews and ceremonial, as we shall show hereafter. But absolutely the observation of the Sab- bath is not opposed unto, nor rejected in comparison of, other or any moral duties.
6.) The observation of the Sabbath is pressed on the church on the same grounds and with the same promises as the greatest and - most indispensable moral duties, and together with them opposed unto those fasts which belonged unto ceremonial institutions. To this purpose is the nature and use of it at large discoursed, Isa. lviii. 6-14.
46. Now, it is assuredly worth our inquiry what are the just reasons of the preference of the Sabbath above all positive institutions, both
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370 OF THE CAUSES OF THE SABBATH. [EXERC, II).
by the place given unto it in the decalogue, as also on the account of the other especial instances insisted on. Suppose the command of it to be ceremonial, and one of these two reasons, or both of them, must be alleged as the cause hereof. For this exaltation of it must arise either from the excellency of it in itself and service, or the excellency of its signification, or from both of them jointly. But these things cannot be pleaded or made use of unto the purpose in- tended. For the service of it, as it was observed among the Jews, it is now earnestly pleaded that it consisted in mere bodily rest; which is scarcely to be reckoned as any part of divine service at all. What is further in it is said to be only a mere circumstance of time, not in any thing better than that of place, which had an arbitrary determination also for aseason. It cannot, therefore, be thus exalted and preferred above all other ordinances of worship upon the account of its service, seeing it is apprehended to be only a mere adjunct of other services; which were therefore more worthy than it, as every thing which is for itself is more worthy than that which is only for another. And take it absolutely, place is a more noble cireumstance than time in this case, considering that place, being determined by an arbitrary institution in the building of the temple, became the most glorious and significant part of divine worship; yet had it no place in the decalogue, but only in the Samaritan corruption added unto it. It must therefore be upon the account of its signification that it was thus peculiarly exalted and honoured; for the dignity, worth, and use of all ceremonial institutions depended on their sig- nificancy, or their fitness and aptness to represent the things whereof they were types, with the especial worth of what they did peculiarly typify. And herein the Sabbath, even with the application it had unto the Judaical church-state, came short of many other divine services, especially the solemn sacrifices, wherein the Lord Christ, with all the benefits of his death, was, as it were, evidently set forth cruci- fied before their eyes. Neither, therefore, of these reasons, nor both of them in conjunction, can be pleaded as the cause of the manifold preference of the Sabbath above all ceremonial institutions. It re- maineth, therefore, that it is solely upon the account of its morality, and the invariable obligation thence arising unto its observation, that it is so joined with the precepts of the same nature; and such we have now, as I suppose, sufficiently confirmed it to be.