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

And it is a Rule to judge of the intention of all Laws Divine and Humane, that the meaning of the preceptive part of them is to be collected from the Reasons annexed to them, or inserted in them. Now the Reasons for a Sacred Rest that are intimated and stated in this Command, do no more respect the seventh Day, than any other in seven. Six days are granted to labour, that is in number, and not more in a septenary Revolution. Nor doth the Command say any thing, whether these six days shall be the first or the last in the order of them. And any day, is as meet for the performance of the Duties of the Sabbath, as the seventh, if in an alike manner designed thereunto; which things are at large pleaded by others.

And it is a Rule to judge of the intention of all Laws Divine and Humane, that the meaning of the preceptive part of them is to be collected from the Reasons annexed to them, or inserted in them. Now the Reasons for a Sacred Rest that are intimated and stated in this Command, do no more respect the seventh Day, than any other in seven. Six dayes are granted to labour, that is in number, and not more in a septenary Revolution. Nor doth the Command say any thing, whether these six dayes shall be the first or the last in the order of them. And any day, is as meet for the performance of the Duties of the Sabbath, as the seventh, if in an alike manner designed thereunto; which things are at large pleaded by others.

§. 54 It hath hitherto been allowed generally, that the fourth Commandment doth at least include something in it that is Moral; or else indeed no colour can be given unto its Association with them that are absolutely so in the Decalogue. This is commonly said to be; that some part of our Time be Dedicated to the Public Worship of God. But as this would overthrow the Pretension before mentioned, that there can be no Moral Command about Time, which is but a Circumstance of Moral Duties, so the Limitation of that Time unto one Day in seven is so evidently a perpetually binding Law, that it will not be hard to prove the unchangeable Obligation that is upon all men unto the Observance of it, which is all for the substance that is contended for. To avoid this, it is now affirmed (Disquisit p. 14.) That, Morale Quarti Praecepti est, non unum Diem sed totum tempus vitae nostrae quantum id fieri potest, impendendum esse cultui Dei, quaerendo regnum Dei & Justitiam ejus, atque inserviendo aedificationi proximi: quo pertinet ut Deo serviamus, ejus beneficia agnoscamus & celeberemus, cum invocemus Spiritu, fidem nostram testemur confessione oris, &c. This is that which is Moral in the fourth Commandment; namely, that not one Day, but as much as may be our whole lives be spent in the Worship of God; seeking his Kingdom and the Righteousness thereof, and furthering the edification of our neighbour. Hereunto it belongeth, that we should serve God, acknowledge and celebrate his Benefits, pray unto him in Spirit, and testify our faith by our Confession.