17. Lastly, The whole matter is stated, Deut. v. 15; where, after the repetition of the commandment, it is added, “ And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lorp
1 In the Kentish dialect, “ A kiln for malt or oats.’’—Halliwell’s Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words.—Ep.
VOL. XIX. 26
402 OF THE JUDAICAL SABBATH. [EXERC. IV.
thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lorp thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.” The mercy and benefit they had received in their deliverance from Egypt is given as the reason, not why they should keep the Sabbath, as it was proposed as a motive unto the observation of the whole law in the preface of the decalogue, but wherefore God gave them the law of it, to keep and observe: “ There- fore the Lorp thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath.” Now, the reason of the command of a sabbatical rest absolutely, God had everywhere declared to be his making the world in six days, and resting on the seventh; the mention whereof in this place is wholly omitted, because an especial application of the law unto that people is intended. So that it is evident that the Mosaical Sabbath was, on many accounts and in many things, distinguished from that of the decalogue, which is a moral duty. For the deliver- ance of the people out of Egypt, which was a benefit peculiar unto themselves, and typical of spiritual mercies unto others, was the reason of the institution of the Sabbath as it was Mosaical, which it was not, nor could be, of the Sabbath absolutely, although it might be pressed on that people as a considerable motive why they ought to endeavour the keeping of the whole law.
18. From all that hath been discoursed, it appears that the obser- vation of the seventh day precisely from the beginning of the world belonged unto the covenant of works, not as a covenant, but as a covenant of works, founded in the law of creation ; and that in the administration of that covenant, which was revived, and unto cer- tain ends re-enforced unto the church of Israel in the wilderness, it was bound on them by an especial ordinance, to be observed through- out their generations, or during the continuance of their church-state. Moreover, that as to the manner of its observance required by the law, as delivered on mount: Sinai, it was a yoke and burden to the people, because that dispensation of the law gendered unto bondage, Gal. iv. 24; for it begot a spirit of fear and bondage in all that were its children and subject unto its power. In this condition of things it was applied unto. sundry ends in their typical state; in which re- gard it was “a shadow of good things to come.” And so also was it in respect of those other additional institutions and prohibitions which were inseparable from its observation amongst them, whereof we have spoken. On all these accounts I doubt not but that the Mosaical Sabbath, and the manner of its observation, are under the gospel utterly taken away. But as for the weekly Sabbath, as re- quired by the law of our creation, and re-enforced in the decalogue, the summary representation of that great original law, the observa- tion of it is a moral duty, which by divine authority is translated — unto another day.
SECT. 18, 19.] OF THE JUDAICAL SABBATH. 403
19. The ancient Jews have a saying, which by the later masters is abused, but a truth is contained in it, 27 525 pm oyp jno naw pdiyn ;—“ The Sabbath gives firmitude and strength to all the affairs of this world;” for it may be understood of the blessing of God on
‘the due observation of his worship on that day. Hence it was, they
say, that any young clean beast that was to be offered in sacrifice must continue seven days with the dam, and not be offered until the eighth, Ley. xxii. 27, and that a child was not to be circumcised until the eighth day, that there might be an interposition of a Sab- bath for their benediction. And it is not unlikely that the eighth day was also signalized hereby, as that which was to succeed in the room of the seventh, as shall be manifested in our next discourse.
EXERCITATION V.
OF THE LORD'S DAY.
1, Asummary of what hath been proved—A progress to the Lord’s day. 2. The new creation of all things in Christ the foundation of gospel obedience and worship. 3. The old and new creation compared. 4. The old and new covenant. 5. Distinct ends of these covenants. 6. Supposition of the heads of things before confirmed. 7. Foundation of the Lord’s day on those sup- positions. 8. Christ the author of the new creation; his works therein. 9. His rest from his works the indication of a new day of rest. 10. Ob- served by the apostles. 11. Proof of the Lord’s day from Heb. iv. proposed. 12. The words of the text. 13. Design of the apostle in general. 14. His answer unto an objection, with his: general argument. 15. The nature of the rests treated of byhim. 16. The church under the law of nature, and its rest. 17. The church under the law of institutions, and its rest. 18. The church under the gospel, and its rest. 19. The foundation ofit. 20. Christ, his works and his rest, intended Heb. iv. 10. 21. This further proved by sundry arguments. 22. What were his works whereby the church was founded. 23. His entrance into his rest, not in his death, but in his resur- rection. 24. The day of rest limited and determined hereby. 25. The sabbatism that remains for the people of God. 26. The sending of the Holy Ghost. 27. Church assemblies on the first day of the week. 28. The Lord’s day, Rev. i. 10. 29. The sum of the preceding discourse. 30. Neces- sity of the religious observation of one day in seven. 31. Blessing of God