55. Ans. It is hard to discover how any of these things have the least respect to the fourth commandment, much more how the mo- rality of it should consist in them; for all the instances mentioned are indeed required in the first precept of the decalogue, that only excepted of taking care to promote the edification of our neighbour, which is the sum and substance of the second table, expressed by our Saviour by loving our neighbour as ourselves. To live unto God, to believe and trust in him, to acknowledge his benefits, to make confession of him in the world, are all especial moral duties of the first commandment. It cannot therefore be apprehended how the morality of the fourth commandment should consist in them. And if there be nothing else moral in it, there is certainly nothing
SECT. 54-56. ] OF THE CAUSES OF THE SABBATH. 379
moral in it at all; for these things and the like are claimed from it, and taken out of its possession by the first precept. And thereunto doth the general consideration of time with respect unto these duties belong, namely, that we should live unto God whilst we live in this world; for we live in time, and that is the measure of our duration and continuance. Something else, therefore, must be found out to be moral in the fourth commandment, or it must be denied plainly to have any thing moral in it.
56. It is further yet pleaded, “ That the Sabbath was a type of our spiritual rest in Christ, both that which we have in him at pre- sent by grace, and that which remains for us in heaven. Hence it was a shadow of good things to come, as were all other ceremonial institutions. But that the same thing should be moral and a sha- dow is a contradiction. That which is a shadow can in no sense be said to be moral, nor on the contrary. The Sabbath, therefore, was merely ceremonial.”
Ans. It doth not appear, it cannot be proved, that the Sabbath, either as to its first original, or as to the substance of the command of it in the decalogue, was typical, or instituted to prefigure any thing that was future: yea, the contrary is evident; for the law of it was given before the first promise of Christ, as we have proved, and that in the state of innocency, and under the covenant of works in perfect force, wherein there was no respect unto the mediation of Christ. I do acknowledge that God did so order all his works in the first creation and under the law of nature as that they might be suitable morally to represent his works under the new creation, which from the analogy of our redemption to the creation of all things is so called. And hence, according to the eternal counsel of God, were all things meet to be gathered unto a head in Christ Jesus. On this account there is an instructive resemblance between the works of the one sort and of the other. So the rest of God after the works of the old creation is answered by the rest of the Son of God upon his lay- ing the foundation of the new heavens and new earth in his resurrec- tion. But that the Sabbath originally, and in its whole nature, should be a free institution, to prefigure and as in a shadow to represent any thing spiritual or mystical, afterwards to be introduced, is not nor ean be proved. It was, indeed, originally a moral pledge of God’s rest and of our interest therein, according to the tenor of the cove- nant of works; which things belong unto our relation unto God by virtue of the law of our creation. It continueth to retain the same nature with respect unto the covenant of grace. What it had an- nexed unto it, what applications it received unto the state of the Mosaical pedagogy, which were temporary and umbratile, shall be declared afterwards.
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380 OF THE CAUSES OF THE SABBATH. [ EXERC. III.
57. But it is yet pleaded, from an enumeration of the parts of the fourth commandment, that there can be nothing moral as to our purpose in it. And these are said to be three:—First, The deter- mination of the seventh day to be a day of rest. Secondly, The rest itself commanded on that day. Thirdly, The sanctification of that rest unto holy worship. “ Now neither of these can be said to be moral. Not the first, for it is confessedly ceremonial. The second is a thing in its own nature indifferent, having nothing of morality in it, antecedent unto a positive command. Neither is the third moral, being only the means or manner of performing that worship which is moral.”
Ans. (1.) It will not be granted that this is a sufficient analysis or distribution of the parts of thiscommand. The principal subject- matter of it is omitted, namely, the observation of one day in seven unto the ends of a sacred rest; for we are required in it to sanctify the Sabbath of the Lord our, God, which was a seventh day in a hebdomadal revolution of days. Supply this in the first place, in the room of the determination of the seventh day to be that day, which evidently follows it in the order of nature, and this argument vanisheth. Now, it is here only tacitly supposed, not at all proved, that one day in seven is not required.