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

Secondly, Man in his Creation with respect unto the Ends of God therein, was constituted under a Covenant. That is the Law of his Obedience was attended with Promises and Threatenings, Rewards and Punishments, suited unto the Goodness and Holiness of God. For every Law with Rewards and Recompenses annexed, hath the nature of a Covenant. And in this case, although the Promise wherewith man was encouraged unto Obedience, which was that of Eternal Life with God, did in strict Justice exceed the worth of the Obedience required, and so was a superadded Effect ⟨p. 134⟩of Goodness and Grace, yet was it suited unto the Constitution of a Covenant meet for man to serve God in unto his Glory; and on the other side, the Punishment threatened unto Disobedience, in Death and an everlasting separation from God, was such as the Righteousness and Holiness of God, as his Supreme Governor, and Lord of him and the Covenant, did require. Now this Covenant belonged unto the Law of Creation. For although God might have dealt with man in a way of absolute Sovereignty, requiring Obedience of him without a Covenant of a Reward infinitely exceeding it; yet having done so in his Creation, it belongs unto, and is inseparable from the Law thereof. And under this Consideration, the Time required in general for a Rest unto God, under the first general notion of the Nature and Being of man, is determined unto one Day in seven. For as we shall find, that in the various dispensations of the Covenant with man, and the change of its Nature, yet so long as God is pleased to establish any Covenant with man, he hath, and doth invariably require one Day in seven to be set apart unto the Assignation of Praise and Glory to himself; so we shall see afterwards, that there are indications of his mind to this purpose in the Covenant it self.

Secondly, Man in his Creation with respect unto the Ends of God therein, was constituted under a Covenant. That is the Law of his Obedience was attended with Promises and Threatnings, Rewards and Punishments, suited unto the Goodness and Holiness of God. For every Law with Rewards and Recompences annexed, hath the nature of a Covenant. And in this case, although the Promise wherewith man was incouraged unto Obedidience, which was that of Eternal Life with God, did in strict Justice exceed the worth of the Obedience required, and so was a superadded Effect ⟨p. 134⟩of Goodness and Grace, yet was it suited unto the Constitution of a Covenant meet for man to serve God in unto his Glory; and on the other side, the Punishment threatned unto Disobedience, in Death and an everlasting separation from God, was such as the Righteousness and Holiness of God, as his Supream Governour, and Lord of him and the Covenant, did require. Now this Covenant belonged unto the Law of Creation. For although God might have dealt with man in a way of absolute Soveraignty, requiring Obedience of him without a Covenant of a Reward infinitely exceeding it; yet having done so in his Creation, it belongs unto, and is inseparable from the Law thereof. And under this Consideration, the Time required in general for a Rest unto God, under the first general notion of the Nature and Being of man, is determined unto one Day in seven. For as we shall find, that in the various dispensations of the Covenant with man, and the change of its Nature, yet so long as God is pleased to establish any Covenant with man, he hath, and doth invarilably require one Day in seven to be set apart unto the Assignation of Praise and Glory to himself; so we shall see afterwards, that there are indications of his mind to this purpose in the Covenant it self.