Ans. (1.) These objections are framed against a distinction used by another learned person, about the Sabbath as absolutely com- manded inthe decalogue, and as enjoined to practice under the old testament. But neither he nor any other sober person ever fancied that there were two Sabbaths of old, one enjoined unto the church of the Israelites, the other required in the decalogue. But any man may, nay, every prudent man ought to distinguish between the Sabbath as enjoined absolutely, in words expressive of the law of our creation and rule of our moral dependence on God, in the fourth command, and the same Sabbath as it had a temporary, occasional determination to the seventh day in the church of the Jews, by vir- tue of an especial intimation of the will of God, suited unto that administration of the covenant which that church and people were then admitted into. I see, therefore, no difficulty in these things, The fourth cor —adment doth not contain only the moral equity that some time ould always be set apart unto the celebration of the worship of God, nor only the original. instruction given us by the law of creation, and the coyenant obedience required of us
SECT. 52, 53.] OF THE CAUSES OF THE SABBATH. 377
thereon, wherein the substance of the command doth consist; but it — expresseth, moreover, the peculiar application of this command, by the will of God, to the state of the church then erected by him, with respect unto the seventh day precisely, as before instituted and commanded, Exod. xvi. Nor is here the least appearance of two Sabbaths, but one only is absolutely commanded unto all, and de- termined unto a certain day for the use of some for a season.
53. (2.) That one day in seven only, and not the seventh day pre- cisely, is directly and immediately enjoined in the decalogue, and the seventh only with respect unto an antecedent Mosaical institu- tion, with the nature of that administration of the covenant which the people of Israel were then taken into, hath been evinced in our preceding investigation of the causes and ends of the Sabbath, and been cleared by many. And it seems evident to an impartial con- sideration. For the observation of one day in seven belongs unto every covenant of God with man. And the decalogue is the inva- riable rule of man’s walking before God and living unto him, of what nature soever, on other reasons, the covenant be between them, whether that of works, or that of grace by Jesus Christ. The seventh day precisely, belonging unto the covenant of works, cannot there- fore be firstly, but only occasionally intended in the decalogue. Nor doth it, nor can it, invariably belong unto our absolute obedi- ence unto God, because it is not of the substance of it, but is only an occasional determination of a duty, such as all other positive laws do give us. And hence there is in the command itself a difference put between a Sabbath day, and the arbitrary limitation of the seventh day to be that day; for we are commanded to “remember the Sab- bath day,” not the seventh day; and the reason given (as is elsewhere observed) is, because “the Lorp blessed the Sabbath day, and hal- lowed it” Gn the close of the command, where the formal reason of our obedience is expressed), not the seventh day. Nor is, indeed, the joint observation of the seventh day precisely unto all to whom this command is given,—that is, to all who take the Lord to be their God,—possible, though it was to the Jews in the land of Palestine, who were obliged to keep that day; for the difference of the climate in the world will not allow it. Nor did the Jews ever know whe- ther the day they observed was the seventh from the creation; only they knew it was so from the day whereon manna was first given unto them. And the whole revolution and computation of time by days was sufficiently interrupted in the days of Joshua and Heze- kiah, from allowing us to think the observation of the seventh day to be moral. And it is a rule to judge of the intention of all laws, divine and human, that the meaning of the preceptive part of them is to be collected from the reasons annexed to them or inserted in
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them. Now, the reasons for a sacred rest that are intimated and stated in this command do no more respect the seventh day than any other in seven. Six days are granted to labour, that is in num- ber, and not more, in septenary revolution. Nor doth the command say any thing whether these six days shall be the first or the last in the order of them. And any day is as meet for the performance of the duties of the Sabbath as the seventh, if in an alike manner de- signed thereunto; which things are at large pleaded by others.
54, It hath hitherto been allowed generally that the fourth com- mandment doth at least include something in it that is moral, or else, indeed, no colour can be given unto its association with them that are absolutely so in the decalogue. This is commonly said to be, that some part of our time be dedicated to the public worship of God. But as this would overthrow the pretension before mentioned, that there can be no moral command about time, which is but a cireum- stance of moral duties, so the limitation of that time unto one day in seven is so evidently a perpetually binding law, that it will not be hard to prove the unchangeable obligation that is upon all men unto the observance of it; which is all, for the substance, that is con- tended for. To avoid this it is now affirmed, Disquisit., p. 14, that “Morale quarti preecepti est, non unum diem sed totum tempus vitee nostre quantum id fieri potest, impendendum esse cultui Dei, querendo regnum Dei et justitiam ejus, atque inserviendo eedifica- tioni proximi: quo pertinet ut Deo serviamus, ejus beneficia agnos- camus et celebremus, eum invocemus spiritu, fidem nostram teste- mur confessione oris,” etc.;—“ This is that which is moral in the fourth commandment, namely, that not one day, but as much as may be our whole lives, be spent in the worship of God, seeking his kingdom and the righteousness thereof, and furthering the edifica- tion of our neighbour. Hereunto it belongeth that we should serve God, acknowledge and celebrate his benefits, pray unto him in spirit, and testify our faith by our confession.”