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

§. 14 There is a treble Appropriation of the Weekly Sabbaths in this place made unto the Church of the Israelites. (1.) In that the Observation of it is required of them in their Generations, that is, during the continuance of that Church State, which was to abide to the coming of Christ. For what was required of them in their Generations, as it was required, was then to expire and be abolished. (2.) That they were to observe it, as a perpetual Covenant, or ⟨p. 248⟩as a part of that Covenant which God then made with them, which is called everlasting, because it was to be so unto them, seeing God would never make any other peculiar Covenant with them. And whereas all the Statutes and Ordinances that God then gave them belonged unto, and altogether entirely made up that Covenant, some of this, as this especial Command for the Sabbath, and that of Circumcision, are distinctly called the Covenant, and ceased with it. (3.) It was given unto them as an especial Pledge of the Covenant that God then made with them, wherein he rested in his Worship, and brought them to rest therein in the Land of Canaan, whereby they entered into Gods Rest. Hence it is called a sign between them. v. 13, 14, which is repeated and explained, Ezek. 20. 12. A sign it was, or an evident Expression of the present Covenant of God, between them and him; not a Sacramental or Typical sign of future Grace in particular; any otherwise than as their whole Church Constitution, and their Worship in general whereof by these means it was made a part, were so; that is, not in it self or its own nature, but as prescribed unto them.

§. 14 There is a treble Appropriation of the Weekly Sabbaths in this place made unto the Church of the Israelites. (1.) In that the Observation of it is required of them in their Generations, that is, during the continuance of that Church State, which was to abide to the coming of Christ. For what was required of them in their Generations, as it was required, was then to expire and be abolished. (2.) That they were to observe it, as a perpetual Covenant, or ⟨p. 248⟩as a part of that Covenant which God then made with them, which is called everlasting, because it was to be so unto them, seeing God would never make any other peculiar Covenant with them. And whereas all the Statutes and Ordinances that God then gave them belonged unto, and altogether entirely made up that Covenant, some of this, as this especial Command for the Sabbath, and that of Circumcision, are distinctly called the Covenant, and ceased with it. (3.) It was given unto them as an especial Pledge of the Covenant that God then made with them, wherein he rested in his Worship, and brought them to rest therein in the Land of Canaan, whereby they entred into Gods Rest. Hence it is called a sign between them. v. 13, 14, which is repeated and explained,