'· 2. 3· + !. /in ExpoJition upon the COmmand: ,And ftich were the various Ceremonies under the Law yea :md in Innocence it felf, that Prohibition given to Adam not to eat of the T~ee o'f the Knowledge of G~ and _Evi.L The former fort are moral and natural Commands, the latter p61it1ve and mfhtuted. The former are commanded) becaufc good ; the latter are good, brcaufe commanded. Now here fir(/, Certain it is, that a convenient portion of Our time is due nnto t he Service and WorihipofGod by natural and moral Right. For certainly, 'tis but fit .and juft that he Ihould have a large Ihare ofour Life and 1ime, who hath given ' us Life and Time here upon Earth, and hath created us to this very end, that we might ferve and glorifie him. Yea, had it been propounded to our felv cs, how much we would have allowed for God, could we, without fhame and b\ulhing, have fet apart lefs Time for his Service from wl1om we have all, than himfclfhath done? This I think, is by all agree<l to. Stcondly, The Law of Nature doth not ditl-ate to us any particular ftated Days to be fet apart for the Worfuip of God, one more than another. For indeed, there can be no natural rcafon why this Day more than that; why ever}' fevenrh Day, rather than every fixth, or fifth, or fourth. For all Days being in their own nature alike, Reafon can find no advantage to prefer one of them before another. Bnt that which is Obligatory by the Law of Nature, ought to be plain and evident to all Men, or elfe evidently deducible from fame natural Principles. Now if we lay afide the pofitive Command of God, there is no onedayin it felfbetter than an other: And therefore, there is a Memtnto prefix'd to the Command, (Rrmrmber that thou kup holy the S:~_bbath Day, ) which is nor added to any other Pteceptj int imating to us, that the Obfervation of a fpf::cial Day is not a DiCt:atc of Nature, but only an lmpofition of God, which he requi res us to remember and bear in mind. Thirdly, That the Seventh Day fhould be cfpccially confecrated to the Service and Worfltip of God, is from his pofitivc Will and Command; and therefore is as binding and forcible, as. if it were a Law of Nature ingraven on our Hearts; unlefs the fame Authority alter it, that did firft injoyn it. For this being a Pofitive Law, is therefore good :md neceJTary, becaufe commanded. And if it had not been revealed to us, we fuonld never have been obliged to this Obfcrvation, nor m:tde obnoxious to Pnnifhmcnt for failing i~ it. Yet again, Fourth!)', This Declaration of the Will of God concerning the S:lllCWlcation of the Sabbath, is attended with a Monl Reafon; and therefore is not mecrly and ba:rcly Pofitive, as Ceremon ial Laws are. Which Reafon is, that God rcftcd on the Seventh Day, and therefore we ought fo to do. Now although this Rcafon carries not fuch a natural Evidence in it as to have obliged us, unlefs it had been revealed, yet being revealed, we may difcern a certain Aptitude and Fitnefs in it to oblige us to the Obfervation of the Seventh Day rather than any other, fincc Piety and Religion require thJt we fhould imitate qoo in thofe things whcrein.h~ would have !IS to imitate him. So that I account thts· Command to be Moral-Polmve. Moral, m that.it requires a due portion ofom t ime to be dedicated to the Serviceand Wodhip of God: Pofitivc, in that it prefcribes the Seventh Day for that efpccial Service, which the Light and Law of Nature did nor prefix ; and f!lix'd of both, in that it · gives a reafon of this Prcfcription, which. hath fornev-.;hat of nat~ra l Equit.Y. in it, but yet fuch as could not have been drfcovered without Specaal and Drvrnc Revelation. . Now becaufe the Obfcrvation of a S:1bbath bath thus much of Morality, and of the L1.w of Nature in it it is moft certa in that we arc bound to keep a Sabbath, as much as the Jews ;,ere; although not to the Circumftance of the Duty. For, Firft, This Command was obligatory even in Paradife it felf in the ftate of Innocency, and therefore contains nothing in it unworthy the ftate of a Chriftian. It is no Ceremonial Command, nor to be reckoned amongft thofe things which were typical, and prefigured Chrift to come in the Flefu; and therefore neither was it
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