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

§. 24 And here in the first place it is generally agreed, so that the Opposition unto it is not considerable, nor any way deserving our notice, that in and by the Light of Nature, or the Law of our Creation, some Time ought to be separated unto the Observance of the solemn Worship of God. For be that Worship what it will, merely Natural, or any thing superadded by voluntary and arbitrary Institutions, the Law for its Observance is natural, and requires that Time be set apart for its Celebration; seeing in time it is to be performed. When there was but one Man and Woman, this was their Duty; and so it continued to be the Duty of their whole Race and Posterity, in all the Societies, Associations and Assemblies whereof they were capable. But the first Object of this Law or Command is the Worship of God it self; Time falls under it only consequentially and reductively. Wherefore the Law of Nature doth also distinctly respect Time it self. For we are bound thereby to serve God with all that is ours, and with the first fruits of our substance in every kind. Somewhat of whatever God hath given unto us, is to be set apart from our own use, and given up absolutely to him, as an Homage due unto him, and a necessary acknowledgement of him. To deny this, is to contradict one of the principal Dictates of the Law of Nature. For God hath given us nothing ultimately for our selves, seeing we and all that we have, are wholly his. And to have any thing, whereof no part as such is to be spent in his service, ⟨p. 155⟩is to have it with his displeasure. Let any one endeavour to assert and prove this Position; No part of our Time is to be set apart to the Worship of God, and his Service, in an holy and peculiar manner, and he will quickly find himself setting up in a full contradiction to the Law of Nature, and the whole Light of the knowledge of God in his mind and conscience. Those who have attempted any such thing, have done it under this deceitful pretence, that all our Time is to be spent unto God, and every day is to be a Sabbath. For whereas notwithstanding this pretence, they spend most of their time directly and immediately to themselves, and their own Occasions, it is evident that they do but make use of it, to rob God of that which is his due, directly and immediately.

§. 24 And here in the first place it is generally agreed, so that the Opposition unto it is not considerable, nor any way deserving our notice, that in and by the Light of Nature, or the Law of our Creation, some Time ought to be separated unto the Obserservance of the solemn Worship of God. For be that Worship what it will, meerly Natural, or any thing superadded by voluntary and arbitrary Institutions, the Law for its Observance is natural, and requires that Time be set apart for its Celebration; seeing in time it is to be performed. When there was but one Man and Woman, this was their Duty; and so it continued to be the Duty of their whole Race and Posterity, in all the Societies, Associations and Assemblies whereof they were capable. But the first Object of this Law or Command is the Worship of God it self; Time falls under it only consequentially and reductively. Wherefore the Law of Nature doth also distinctly respect Time it self. For we are bound thereby to serve God with all that is ours, and with the first fruits of our substance in every kind. Somewhat of whatever God hath given unto us, is to be set apart from our own use, and given up absolutely to him, as an Homage due unto him, and a necessary acknowledgement of him. To deny this, is to contradict one of the principal Dictates of the Law of Nature. For God hath given us nothing ultimately for our selves, seeing we and all that we have, are wholly his. And to have any thing, whereof no part as such is to be spent in his service,