53O THE SABBATH PERPETUAL, &C. which God would give him, after he had fulfilled his labour of perfect obedience in a state of innocence. But I add also----5. That sines this day was sanctified, or macle holy, and was blessed of God in its first appointment to Adam, as appears from that text, it intimates to us, that the'day should not be devotedentire- ly to sloth and idleness, but should be employed in some holy exercises, some performances ofdivine worship, and also a divine encouragement to expect and hope that the great God might bless bis creatures with peculiar blessings at that time, or make it a blessed day to them. Both these appointments of a seventh day for rest, and for worship, since the light of nature could not determine them, are herementioned as appointed by God himself, and built on God's own resting the seventh, day from his own work, which he had created. And what fitter time could therehe for Adam andEve, just created to celebrate the praises of theirMaker for his works, than while God is represented as reviewing his own works with a peculiar approbation and delight; when the morning 'stars of heaven sang together on this celestial festival, and all the sons of God on high shouted for joy, as it is expressed in Job xxxviii. 7. How proper was it for Adam, the Son of God below, to join with this holy choir in his Creator's praise ? I have ob- served that this appointment of the sabbath, or one day in seven for rest, and for worship, might be a sort of moral # command, rising from the order of things, and the natural relation of such creatures to a God, and of six days labour to one day's rest, and so a natural and perpetual duty, though it is here expressed only as derived from the revelation, or discoveryof God's resting- day, and as a positive institution. Nor are these two things at all inconsistent ; for there are other duties which are acknowledged to belong to the order and law of nature, and are of a moral kind, though it would be very hard for every man to have found them out by mere reason ; and therefore they were kindly revealed and prescribed to man at first, and that in a way of correspondence with sometransactions of God in his creation of the world. So the law of monogamy, or taking but one wife, is argued by the prophet Malachi, because Godmade but one womanfor one man at first ; Mal. ii. 14, 16. So the pre-eminence, or headship of the man above the woman, the institution of marriage, and the various suitable duties re- quired on both sides, are laid on this foot, viz. because God made man before'he made the woman, because he made the wo- manfQr the man, andformed the woman out ofthe flesh and the bone of the man ; see Gen. ii. 23, 24. 1 Cor. xi. 3, 8, 9. * Note, the word moral is used here in a larger sense, than when it signifies only what the light of reason can find out. If the term offend, I do not in- sist on lt.
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