The law unsealed

As to the first, v. 9. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: These words may be looked on 1. As an obliging concession, which is indeed very liberal; as if the Lord had said, all days are mine, yet I have given thee Six to do all thy work and labour that thou hast to do, therefore give me the Seventh. It is but a small retribution for Six to return a Seventh. 2▪ As a restriction, thou shalt do whatever work thou hast to do within the Six days, but none of it on the Seventh. 3. As a command whereby God distributeth our time, and commandeth Six for our work, and the Seventh for his: And thus these words forbid idleness, and command lawful diligence in these Six days; which we conceive here to be implied.

As to the first, v. 9. Six dayes shalt thou labour and do all thy work: These words may be looked on 1. As an obliging concession, which is indeed very liberal; as if the Lord had said, all dayes are mine, yet I have given thee Six to do all thy work and labour that thou hast to do, therefore give me the Seventh. It is but a small retribution for Six to return a Seventh. 2▪ As a restriction, thou shalt do whatever work thou hast to do within the Six dayes, but none of it on the Seventh. 3. As a command whereby God distributeth our time, and commandeth Six for our work, and the Seventh for his: And thus these words forbid idleness, and command lawful diligence in these Six dayes; which we conceive here to be implyed.

1 Because God is not carving out what time we may be idle in, but what time we should employ in our own lawful works as well as in his; for it cannot be thought that he giveth us Six to be idle on; It must therefore be to work on seeing as our life should be taken up in doing either what more immediately concerneth our selves, or what more immediately concerneth God; so the scope of this command being to proportion our time betwixt these two, what is allowed for either of them, must imply an improving of it for that very end. 2 The opposition also will confirm this; These Six days are to be applied to our work, as the Seventh is to be applied to Gods, which is more then a permission, and if the negative part be imperative, in it thou shalt not work, then the positive, Six days shalt thou work, may well be understood so also. 3. Gods example will press it for we are to follow it, not only in resting on the Seventh, but also in working in the Six days as he did. 4. Working these Six days cometh in as a mean to further and fit for the sanctification of the Seventh, for so a man putteth by his business, and has the more freedom for the rest on the Seventh, whereas idleness often sinful necessitateth to the breach of it, and to a desire that it may be gone,