Of the morality of the fourth commandment as still in force to bind Christians…Of the morality of the fourth commandement as still in force to binde Christians…

The Preface.

I Have now a long time taken notice of much difference and contention about the morality of the fourth Commandment, but I never gave my self to look into the bottom of it till now. I ever conceived it for the substance to be Moral; otherwise, what should it make among the ten Commandments, which all account the Law moral, in distinction both from the law judicial, and the law ceremonial given by Moses unto the Jews. These ten Commandments the Lord spake from the top of mount Sinai, in the hearing of all the people; and by way of preparation to so notable a service, as to meet with God, and to hear him speak unto them, two days were given them to sanctify themselves ¹and to wash their clothes; that they might be ready on the third day: for the third day the Lord would ²come down on mount Sinai. And so it came to pass. For when Moses brought forth the people out of the Camp to meet with God, and they stood at the nether ³part of the Mount: Mount Sinai was altogether ⁴on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings, ⁵and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed and stood a far off. In such heavenly state was this Law delivered, and remember the Sabbath ⟨image 5⟩day to keep it holy, amongst the rest, without all example of the like, in all the generations that went before. And the Lord thought it sit, to mind them hereof by his servant Moses: Ask now of the days that are past, which