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the new Teftament call'd the Lords day. I fhall here do two things.

1. Shew the Reasons why we should obferve this

day.

2. The Manner how we should obferve it. The first I shall fhew in thele Particulars following.

1. We find a Sabbath inftituted by God himfelf from the beginning, Gen.2.2,3. And on the feventh day God ended his work which he had made, and he rested on the feventh day from all his work which he had made, and God blessed the feventh day, and fanctified it, because that in it he had refted from all his work, which God created and made, Before we read of the fall of Adam, we read of a feventh day, bleffed and fanctified by God himself: God bleffed the feventh day, that is, difpenfed a peculiar favour towards it, exalted that day above the reft; which is intimated in the next words, he fanctified it, that is, he feparated and confecrated it to his own holy Wor fhip and annexed a bleffing to the observation of it. Adam did not need a day of relt in innocency, by reafon of any bodily wearineffe that would have betided him upon his fix daies labour in his çal ling of husbandry; yet God faw it convenient to enjoyn him to fet apart one day in feven, to enjoy more efpecial communion with his Cre tor. Now if Adam in innocency (when he had no fin in him) had need of a Sabbath, to take

take him off from the works of his calling, that he might converfe with God (more immediatly) in holy duties, and exercifes: How much more need have we in this corrupt eftate, who are fo prone to fin, and had need of all helps against it? Well then, we find in the very beginning, that the Law concerning the Sabbath was given while the whole Nature of mankind was in our firft Parents, even before they fell. They might have lived here on the earth without fia, buc they were not to live without a Sabbath.

After the fall, when Enos was born of Seth,the fon of Adam, it is faid that then men began to call on the Name of the Lord, Gen 4.ult. That is, (as I take it) to call upon his Name in publick Aflemblies; And most like it is, the day they obferved was the fame that Abel and Seth and Adam obferved before them, and the rest of the Patriarchs after them; Namely, that day of the week, in which God himself rested, having finifhed the great work of the worlds creation: Even before the Law (faith learned Mercer upon Gen.) I doubt not but this day by Gods teaching, was folemn and facred to thofe primitive Fathers. Neither did the obfervation thereof (faith Peter Martyr, loc.com.cap.7.) begin with the giving of the law in Sinai, but it was celebrated before. Of the fame opinion is the judicious Rivet, who anfwers all Arguments brought to the contrary, in 2 Gen. Exerc. 13. And indeed there is no rea

fon

Chap.6. fon to think otherwife: For befides that in Adams heart the Law of Nature was perfectly imprinted (and to confecrate fome time to the WorThip of God, was, and is a member of that Law) 'Tis more than probable, God did dictate and prefcribe to Adam all circumstances of his WorThip, which by tradition paft to his pofterity, and were in their feveral Families, until Mofes,obfer

ved.

II. We find a Sabbath observed by the Patriarchs, in Exod.16. Before the giving of the Law, we find there an expreffe charge touching the obfervation of it; and two fuch Miracles to ratifre and fet a value upon it, v.22, & 27. as feldom we read of greater. The Manna fell in great plenty on the fix daies, and on the feventh none. 2. Being gathered on the fixth day, it remained fweet to the feventh, and not fo on any other day obferved therefore it was at this time, and furely in obedience to Gods command: For we must not impute will-worship to these holy men I shall end this with the words of the learned Paraus in Com. on Gen. God fanctified the Sabbath in the very prime creation, and doubtles that fanctification was obferved in the Patriarchal, Families

III. After all this, we find the day again (for the better observation of it) proclaimed on Mount Sinai, Exod.20. and that in a very dreadful, and glorious manner, having a more folemn en

trance

trance into it, and more folemn reasons to hedge it in, and confirm it, than any of the other Commandements. God (being to give his moral and immutable Lawes to his people) doth first apply himself to them as fewes, rouzing their attention by inculcating the late fignal mercies he had confer'd on them, hereby to excite them to a more fritt obfervation of what he was now to give them in charge; fo that though the introduction be proper to the Femes, yet the com mandements have a larger extent, and are spoken alike to all.

Now 'tis very obfervable the fewish or Saturday Sabbath, or feventh from the creation is not in expreffe terms commanded in the fourth Commandement: That we fhall perceive, if we look over the Commandement.

1. Remember thou fanctifie the Sabbath day. The Sabbath day it is you fee, and not the feventh from the Creation. obferve faies Zanchy, God Jaid not, Remember thou fanctifie the feventh day, but the day of reft; (that is) the day that is confecrated to reft, either immediatly by himself, or mediately by the Church, directed by the Holy Ghost, whatsoever day it be: So that the day must be of Divine Institution.

2. God telleth us diftinctly what Sabbath he here means, viz. the weekly. He faith, Sanctifie the Sabbath, in the fingular number, not sabbaths, in the plural. The obfervation (not of ma

ny

ny

feftivals but) of one onely is there enjoyned, faith the learned Furius.

3. The Sabbath must be fanctified, but what day is appointed for it? Six daies shalt thou la-' bour: Six daies are ours: The feventh is the Sabbath. A feventh God will have: But what fe venth? He faies not, the feventh from the Crea tion. He names no day (as intending the day fhould change) He faith only the feventh, i. c, The feventh after fix working daies.

4. But is the determination of this one in feven in our power? No, for it must be the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, i, e. which he hath already, or fhould hereafter declare to his Church,to be his Sabbath. It must be Gods own choice.

Now that the fourth Commandement is moral, will appear, if we confider,

1. Except it be moral, there cannot be ten Commandements, and yet fo we find, Deut.10 4. And he wrote on the Tables, according to the first, writing, the ten Commandements, which the Lord Spake unto you in the Mount, out of the midst of the fire, in the day of the Affembly: And the Lord gave them unto me. To keep fome time. holy to the Lord, and to keep that time which he should ap: point is abfolutely moral. Now 'tis plain, a Sabbath God must have by the perpetual Ordinance of the fourth Commandement. Remember thou fanctifie the Sabbath day, i. e. That day which for the time being, God hath marked out and appoint

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