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

§. 4 On the Account of the Accessions that were thus made to the Law, and especially unto the Observation of the Sabbath, is it often mentioned in the Scripture, as that which God had in a peculiar manner given unto the Israelites, in whose especial Worship it had so great a place; many of their Principal Ordinances having a great Respect unto it; it being also, the only means of keeping up the solemnity of Natural Worship in their Synagogues among the people: Acts 15. 21. Thus God says concerning them, that he gave them his Sabbaths in the Wilderness, to be a sign between him and them, Ezek. 20. 10, 11, 12. And it is said of the same time, Nehem. 9. 14. That he made known unto them his holy Sabbath; that is, in the manner and for the Ends expressed. Nor is there any need why we should say, that he gave them, intends no more, but that he restored the knowledge of the Sabbath amongst them, the memory whereof they had almost lost; although ⟨p. 232⟩that Interpretation of the Expression might be justified. For he says no where, that he then gave his Sabbaths; but that he then peculiarly gave them unto that people; and that for the Ends mentioned. For the Sabbath was originally a Moral Pledge and Expression of Gods Covenant Rest, and our Rest in God. And now was it appointed of God, to be a sign of the especial Administration of the Covenant which was then enacted. Hence it is said, that he gave it them as a perpetual Covenant, Exod. 31. 16. that they might know him to be the Lord that sanctified them, v. 13. that is, their God according to the Tenor of that Covenant, which was to continue throughout their Generations; that is, until the New Covenant should be brought in and established by Christ. Thus was it peculiarly given unto them; and so far as it was so; as it was a sign of their Covenant, as it was then first given, so it is now abolished. For,

§. 4 On the Account of the Accessions that were thus made to the Law, and especially unto the Observation of the Sabbath, is it often mentioned in the Scripture, as that which God had in a peculiar manner given unto the Israelites, in whose especial Worship it had so great a place; many of their Principal Ordinances haveing a great Respect unto it; it being also, the only means of keeping up the solemnity of Natural Worship in their Synagogues among the people: