N13259:631
Sermons, on the following subjects
Sermons, on the following subjects; The manner in which salvation is to be sought. The unreasonableness of indetermination in religion. Unbelievers contemn the glory of Christ. The folly of looking back in fleeing out of Sodom. The warnings of Scripture in the best manner adapted to the awakening and conversion of sinners. Hypocrites deficient in the duty of prayer. The future punishment of the wicked unavoidable and intolerable. The eternity of hell-torments. The peace which Christ gives his true followers. The perpetuity & change of the Sabbath. / By the late Reverend Mr. Jonathan Edwards, president of the College of New-Jersey.
Hartford: printed by Hudson and Goodwin, 1780
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
THE Jews did not know, by the fourth command, where to begin their six days, and on which particular day to rest; this was determined by another precept. The fourth command does indeed suppose a particular day appointed; but it does not appoint any. It requires us to rest and keep holy a seventh day, one after every six of labour, which particular day GOD either had or should appoint. The particular day was determined for that nation in another place, viz. in Exod. xvi. 23, 25, 26. And he said, unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the ⟨p. 239⟩LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over, lay up for you to be kept until the morning.—And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to-day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. This is the first place where we have any mention made of the sabbath, from the first sabbath on which GOD rested.
IT seems, that the Israelites, in the time of their bondage in Egypt, had lost the true reckoning of time, by the days of the week reckoning from the first day of the creation; if it had been kept up till that time. They were slaves and in cruel bondage, and had in a great measure forgotten the true religion▪ for we are told, that they served the gods of Egypt. And it is not to be supposed, that the Egyptians would suffer their slaves to rest from their work every seventh day. Now, they having remained in bondage for so long a time, had probably lost the weekly reckoning; therefore, when GOD had brought them out of Egypt into the wilderness, he made known to them the sabbath, on the occasion, and in the manner recorded in the text just now quoted. Hence, we read in Nehemiah, that when GOD had led the children of Israel out of Egypt, &c. he made known unto them his holy sabbath;