The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…

Thus we see what efficacy is couched in this preface, in that it showeth both by the precept,¹ and practise given and yielded of our first fathers, how this commandment alone was given in express words: as also that this one precept is the school of all the other Commandments. But to what end? to keep it as ceremonial? No, to sanctify it as moral; for the end of the Sabbath consisteth in these two things: first in the moral: secondly, in the figurative, ceremonial, or shadowish observation of it: as we take the word shadow here for a figure, because a ceremony is more then a shadow. That I call moral, which doth inform mens manners, either concerning their religion to God, or their duties unto man: that I mean figurative, which is added for a time in some respect, to some persons,² for an help to that which is moral, as Deut: 5. 15. Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt. Howbeit, that this first moral end is here understood, the first words declare, where it is said, Sanctify the Sabbath day. For where mention is made of the ceremony, it is said keep, ^*and not sanctify the Sabbath. Now what is it to sanctify the Sabbath day, but to put it apart from all other days, for a peculiar use of Gods worship▪ for otherwise we must know, that all other days are sanctified: so that to sanctify it, is to do that thing on the Sabbath for which it was commanded: but of this we shall speak more largely, by the grace of God in the last reason. In the mean time let us briefly observe this, that as our first parents did sanctify the Sabbath in viewing the creatures of God, for to praise him: so we sanctify it in using the means which he hath appointed for his worship. So that first we using the exercises of religion, whereby we may be sanctified, and then joining with them the spiritual use of the creatures, whereby we may be furthered in our sanctification, should after use the exercises of love, whereby we may show that we are sanctified. Our first Fathers needed not ordinarily the ministry of the Word, but had the great books of Gods works. We have need of the Word, both public and private, and therefore must learn it, that having learned it, we might the better exercise the duties of love: