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

Besides these Masters themselves and Raski in particular, who in his Comment on the place, promotes this Fancy, grants that Abraham observed the Sabbath. But the Law and Ordinances hereof they say he received on peculiar Favour, and by especial Revelation. But be it so; it was the great Commendation of Abraham, and that given him by God himself, that he would command his Children and Household after him to keep the Way of the Lord, Gen. 18. 19. What ever Ordinance therefore he received from God of any thing to be observed in his Worship, it was a part of his Fidelity to communicate the knowledge of it unto his Posterity, and to teach them its Observance. They must therefore of necessity on those mens Principles, be instructed in the Doctrine and Observation of the Sabbath before this pretended Institution of it. Should we then allow that the Generality of the Jewish Masters and Talmudical Rabbis, do assert that the Law of the Sabbath was first given in Mara; yet the whole of what they assert, being a mere curious groundless conjecture, it may and ought to be rejected. Not what these men say, but what they prove, is to be admitted. And he who with much diligence hath collected Testimonies out of them unto this purpose, hath only proved what they thought, but not what is the Truth. And upon this fond Imagination is built their General Opinion, that the Sabbath was given only unto Israel, is the Spouse of the Synagogue, and that it belongs not to the rest of mankind. Such ⟨p. 50⟩Dreams they may be permitted to please themselves withal. But that these things should be pleaded by Christians against the true Original and Use of the Sabbath is somewhat strange. If any think their Assertions in this matter to be of any weight, they ought to admit what they add thereunto; namely, that all the Gentiles shall once a Week keep a Sabbath in Hell.

Besides these Masters themselves and Raski in particular, who in his Comment on the place, promotes this Fancy, grants that Abraham observed the Sabbath. But the Law and Ordinances hereof they say he received on peculiar Favour, and by especial Revelation. But be it so; it was the great Commendation of Abraham, and that given him by God himself, that he would command his Children and Houshold after him to keep the Way of the Lord, Gen. 18. 19. What ever Ordinance therefore he received from God of any thing to be observed in his Worship, it was a part of his Fidelity to communicate the knowledge of it unto his Posterity, and to teach them its Observance. They must therefore of necessity on those mens Principles, be instructed in the Doctrine and Observation of the Sabbath before this pretended Institution of it. Should we then allow that the Generality of the Jewish Masters and Talmudical Rabbies, do assert that the Law of the Sabbath was first given in Mara; yet the whole of what they assert, being a meer curious groundless conjecture, it may and ought to be rejected. Not what these men say, but what they prove, is to be admitted. And he who with much diligence hath collected Testimonies out of them unto this purpose, hath only proved what they thought, but not what is the Truth. And upon this fond Imagination is built their General Opinion, that the Sabbath was given only unto Israel, is the Spouse of the Synagogue, and that it belongs not to the rest of mankind. Such