Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred…

That all the Ancient Patriarchs, before the giving of the Law, diligently observed the solemn Worship of God in and with their Families, and those under their Rule, or any way belonging to their care and disposal, both their own Piety forbids us to question, and the Testimony given them, that they walked with God, and by faith therein obtained a Good Report, gives us the highest Assurance. Now of all Obedience unto God Faith is the Principle and Foundation, without which it is impossible to please him, Heb. 11. 6. This Faith doth always, (and must always so do) respect the Command and Promise of God, which gives it its Formal Nature. For no other Principle, though it may produce the like Actions with it, is Divine Faith, but what respects the Command and Promise of God, so as to be steered, directed, guided, and bounded by them. Unto this Solemn Worship of God which in Faith they thus attended unto, some stated time is indispensably ⟨p. 72⟩necessary. And therefore that some Portion of time should be set apart to that purpose, is acknowledged, almost by all, to be a Dictate of the Law of Nature; and we shall afterwards prove it so to be. What ground have we now to imagine, that the Holy Men of old were left without Divine direction in this matter? That a Designation and Limitation of this Time was or would have been of great Use and Advantage unto them, none can deny. Considering therefore the dealings of God with them, and how frequently he renewed unto them the knowledge of his Will by occasional Revelation, it cannot be supposed that Divine Grace was wanting unto them herein. Besides in what they did in this kind, they are expressly said to keep the way of the Lord, Gen. 18. 19. and in particular, his Charge, his Commandments, his Statutes and his Laws. Chap. 26. 5. which comprise all the Institutions and Ordinances of Divine Worship. That they did any thing of themselves, from their own Wisdom and Invention in the Worship of God, is no where intimated; nor are they any where commended on the account thereof: Yea to do a thing in Faith, as they did what ever of this kind they did, and that as a part of the Worship of God, is to do it upon the command of God.

That all the Antient Patriarchs, before the giving of the Law, diligently observed the solemn Worship of God in and with their Families, and those under their Rule, or any way belonging to their care and disposal, both their own Piety forbids us to question, and the Testimony given them, that they walked with God, and by faith therein obtained a Good Report, gives us the highest Assurance. Now of all Obedience unto God Faith is the Principle and Foundation, without which it is impossible to please him,