A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

Then was that command which before was given by word of mouth and continued by tradition, now written in words at length, engraven in stone by the immediate finger of God; and there it stands during all the time of Moses and the Prophets on its own basis, until the Messiah came, who put upon it his own Sanction, Mat. 5.17. to the end. And under that Sanction did the seventh day Sabbath continue, until upon the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, that sun of Righteousness, and by his Command to his Apostles, Acts 1.2. the Sabbath was translated to the First day of the week, and that continued by Apostolical practice, and by the practice of succeeding ages of the Evangelical Church, the Gospel Sabbath, or Lords Day even to this present generation.

Such I say hath been the care and love of God to his Church to this day,¹ that it never was without a Sabbath, unless it were when the want of a Sabbath was the Punishment of sinful neglect and obstinate violation of the Sabbath. And this care God used upon a twofold account.

1. 1Lam. 2.6.

1. Upon the account of his own Sovereignty. Sc. that by reserving one day in seven for his own immediate worship he might be actually acknowledged as the great Sovereign Lord of our selves and of our time.

1. Upon the account of his own Soveraignty. Sc. that by reserving one day in seven for his own immediate worship he might be actually acknowledged as the great Soveraign Lord of our selves and of our time.