The Practice of Piety

9 Because that the Lord himself expoundeth the end of the Sabbath, ¹to be a sign and document for ever, betwixt him and his people, ⟨p. 544⟩that he is Jehovah, by whom they are sanctified: and therefore must only of them be worshipped:² and upon the pain of death chargeth his people for ever to keep this memorial unviolated.³ But this end is moral and perpetual. Therefore the Sabbath is moral and perpetual. What God hath perpetually sanctified, Let •• man ever presume to make common or profane. ⁴Upon this ground it is that the Commandment terms this day, the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. ⁵And GOD himself calls it his holy day. And upon the same ground likewise, the old Testament consecrated all their Sabbaths and Holy days, to the worship and honour of God ⟨p. 545⟩alone. To dedicate therefore a Sabbath to the honour of any creature is gross Idolatry. For the first Table makes it a part of Gods worship to have a Sabbath to his honour. So doth Levit. 23.3.37.38. &c. and Ezek. 20.20. Neh. 9.14. the Sabbath is put for the whole worship of GOD. And our Saviour teacheth, that We must worship the Lord God only. Matth. 4. and therefore keep a Sabbath to the only honour of GOD. The holy Ghost notes it as one of Jeroboam's greatest sins: That he ordained a feast from the devise of his own heart.