Exod.

Ezek. xx.

But though the Sabbath, in all it's xxxi. 17. ftrictnefs, was a ritual inflitution, a sign, as it is written, between Almighty God and the children of Ifrael; the feventh day was fantified from the beginning of the world.

Gen, ii. I,

2,3

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the feventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he rested on the feventh day from all his work which he had made. And God bleffed the feventh day, and fanctified it: becaufe that in it, he had refted from all his work, which God created and made.

How pleafing is it to obferve the divine fimplicity of the most ancient, and yet unequalled hiftorian! that perfect propriety, which is the genuine mark of Truth and Nature, and which Art cannot reach! And God blessed the feventh day, and fanctified it. This is all. Nothing more, you fee, was originally enjoined to

man

man than this, that he should esteem the feventh day blessed and fanctified. Not a word is added; not even that he ought to reft from his labour on that day; though this is a circumstance, to which the historian's attention, one would think, fhould have been naturally led, by the reason which he himself adds: God blessed the Seventh day, and fanctified it; because that in it he had refted from all his work, which God created and made.

When the precept was afterwards delivered to the Jews, it is expreffed very differently: Six days fhalt thou labour, and do all that thou haft to do; but the feventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy fon, nor thy daughter, thy manfervant, nor thy maidfervant, nor thy cattle, nor thy Stranger that is within thy gates.

Here you obferve, the feventh day is ftyled a Sabbath: and this Idea of rest

from

from labour fwallows up every other confideration, and engroffes the commandment.

Whatever honour God commands to be paid to himself, it is all required for the fake of the worshipper. Reft was now become a relief neceffary to fallen Gen. iii. man, condemned to eat bread in the fweat of his face.

19.

But when the feventh day was first Gen. iii. bleffed and fan&tified, he was not yet driven

23, 18.

Cor. xv.

2.2.

forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken; nor that ground yet curfed, to bring forth thorns and thiftles to him. His daily task was pleafure; exceeded only by the joy he felt at the weekly return of his thanksgivings.

Happy state of innocence and ease, from which we fell in Adam!

But, as in Adam all die, even so in Chrift

Shall

fhall all be made alive. There remaineth yet Hebr. iv. a reft for the people of God.

9.

II.

This life is to us the fix days of labour, Hebr. iv. and Heaven our everlafting Sabbath. Let us labour therefore to enter into that reft.

Driven out from the feat of bliss by cherubims and a flaming fword, condemned to struggle through the thorny wildernefs of this world, and eat our bread in Gen. iii. forrow till we return to duft, we yet look 17, 19. for a better country, that is an heavenly; a Hebr. xi. happier Eden, gained by the fecond Adam, and to be loft no more. To him Rev. ii. 7. that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

16.

VOL. ÍÍ.

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