That was Tydeus' day, because he was principally concerned in the affairs of it. This is the day wherein the affairs of the Lord Christ are transacted, his person and mediation being the principal subjects and objects of its work and worship. And it is, or may be called his, the Lord's day, because enjoined and appointed to be observed by him, or by his authority over the church. So the ordinance of the supper, is called the supper of the Lord, on the same account. On supposition therefore, that such a day of rest is to be observed under the New Testament, the name whereby it ought to be called, is the Lord's day; which is peculiarly expressive of its relation to our Lord Jesus Christ, the sole author and immediate object of all gospel worship. But whereas the general notion of a Sabbatical rest is still included in such a day, a superaddition of its relation to the Lord Christ will entitle it to the appellation of the Lord's day Sabbath; that is, the day of sacred rest appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ. And thus most probably, in the continuation of the Old Testament phraseology, it is called the Sabbath day, Matt. xxiv. 20. and in our apostle comes under the general notion of a Sabbatism, Heb. iv. 9.

EXERCITATION XXXVI.

Second Exercitation concerning the Day of Sacred Rest.

§1. Of the original of the Sabbath; the importance of this disquisition. § 2. Opinion of some of the Jewish masters about the original of the Sabbath, that it began in Marah. § 3. The station in Marah, and the occurrences thereof. Tacitus noted. Exod. xv. 25, 26. Exposition of it by the Jews. 4. This opinion refuted by testimonies and reasons. § 5. Another opinion of the ancient Jews about the original of the Sabbath, and of the Mahometans. § 6. Opinions of Christians about the original of the Sabbath proposed. § 7. That of its original from the foundation of the world, asserted. The first testimony given unto it, Gen. ii. 2. vindicated. Exceptions of Heddigerus answered. § 8. What intended by sanctifying and blessing the seventh day. § 9. Other exceptions removed. The series and dependence of the discourse in Moses, cleared. The whole testimony vindicated. § 10. Heb. iv. 3, 4. vindicated. §11. Observance of the Sabbath by the patriarchs, before the giving of the law. Instances hereof collected by Manasseh ben Israel. Farther confirmation of it. 12. Tradition among the Gentiles concerning it. Sacredness of the septenary number. § 13. Testimonies of the heathen collected by Aristobulus, Clemens, Eusebius. §14. Import of these testimonies examined and vindicated. § 15. Ground of the hebdomadal revolution of time. Its observation catholic. 16. Planetary denominations of the days of the week, whence. § 17. The contrary opinion of the original of the Sabbath in the wilderness, proposed and examined. § 18. First argument against the original of the Sabbath, answered, &c.

§ 1. HAVING fixed the name, the thing itself falls next under

consideration. And the order of our investigation shall be, to inquire first into its original, and then into its causes. And the true stating of the former will give great light into the latter, as also into its duration. For if it began with the world, probably it had a cause cognate to the existence of the world, and the ends of it, and so must in duration be commensurate to it. If it owe its rise to succeeding generations, amongst some peculiar sort of men, its cause was arbitrary and occasional, and its continuance uncertain. For every thing which had such a beginning in the worship of God, was limited to some seasons only, and had a time determined for its expiration. This therefore is first to be stated. And indeed no concern of this day VOL. II. UJ

hath fallen under more diligent, severe and learned dissertations, Very learned men have here adopted contrary opinions, and defended them with much learning and variety of reading. Summa sequar vestigia rerum; and shall briefly call the different apprehensions, both of Jews and Christians in this matter, to a just examination. Neither shall I omit the consideration of any opinion, whose antiquity, or the authority of its defenders, did ever give it reputation, though now generally exploded; as not knowing in that revolution of opinions which we are under, how soon it may have a revival.

§ 2. The Jews, that we may begin with them, (with whom some think the Sabbath began), are divided among themselves about the origin of the Sabbath, no less than Christians; yea to speak the truth, their divisions and different apprehensions about this matter of fact, have been the occasion of our's; and their authority is pleaded to countenance the mistakes of others. Many therefore of them assign the original, or first revelation of the Sabbath, unto the wilderness station of the people in Marah; others of them make it coeval with the world. The first opinion hath countenance given to it in the Talmud. Gemar. Babylon. Tit. Sab. cap. 9. and Tit. Sanedr. cap. 7. And the tradition of it is embraced by so many of their masters and commentators, that our learned Selden, De Jur..Gen. apud Heb. lib. iii. сар. 12-14. contends for it, as the common and prevailing opinion amongst them; and endeavours to answer all the instances or testimonies that are or may be urged to the contrary. And indeed there is scarce any thing of moment to be observed in all antiquity, as to matter of fact about the Sabbath, whether it be Jewish, Christian or heathen; but what he hath heaped together, or rather treasured up in the learned discourses of that third book of his, De Jur. Gentium apud Hebræos. Whether the questions of right belonging thereto, have been duly determined by him, is yet left to further inquiry. That which at present we are in the consideration of, is the opinion of the Jews about the origin of the Sabbath at the station of Marah, which he so largely confirms with testimonies out of all sorts of their authors, and those duly alleged according to their own sense and conceptions.

§ 3. Marah was the first station in which the children of Israel fixed in the wilderness of Shur, five days after their coming up out of the Red Sea. Before their coming hither, they had wandered three days in the wilderness without finding any water, until they were ready to faint. The report of this their thirst and wandering, was famous amongst the heathen, and mixed by them with vain and monstrous fables. One of the wisest amongst them put as many lies together about it, as so few words can well contain. Effigiem, saith he, animalis quo

monstrante errorem sitimque depulerant, penetrali sacravere, Tacit. Histor. lib. 5. He feigns, that by following some wild asses they were led to waters, and so made an end of their thirst and wandering, on the account whereof they afterwards consecrated in their temple the image of an ass. Others of them besides him say, that they wandered six days, and finding water on the seventh, that was the occasion and reason of their perpetual observance of the seventh day's rest. In their journey from the Red Sea to Marah, they were particularly pressed with wandering and thirst, Exod. xv. 22. But this was only for three days, not seven. "They went three days in the wilderness, and found no water." The story of the ass's image, or head, consecrated amongst them, was taken from what fell out afterwards about the golden calf. This made them vile among the nations, and exposed them to their obloquy and reproaches. Upon the third day therefore after their coming from the Red Sea, they came to Marah, that is the place so called afterwards from what there befel them. For the waters which there they found being bitter, they called the name of the place, or bitterHither they came on the third day. For although it is said, that they went "three days in the wilderness, and found no water," Exod. xv. 22. after which mention is made of their coming to Marah, ver. 23. yet it was in the evening of the third day, for they pitched that night in Marah, Numb. xxxiii. 8. Here, after their murmuring for the bitterness of the waters, and the miraculous cure of these waters, it is added in the story, "There the Lord made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them; and said, If thou wilt diligently hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to all his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of those diseases upon thee which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee," Exod. xv. 25, 26.

ness.

It is said, that he gave them own pin, the words whereby sacred ordinances and institutions are expressed. What these statutes and judgments were in particular, is not declared. These therefore are suggested by the Talmudical masters. One of them, they say, was the ordinance concerning the Sabbath. About the other, they are not so well agreed. Some refer it to the fifth commandment of honouring father and mother; others to the ceremonies of the red heifer, with whose ashes the water of sprinkling was to be mingled; for which conjecture they want not such reasons as are usual amongst them. The two first they confirm from the repetition of the law, Deut. v. 14, 15. For there those words, "as the Lord thy God commanded thee," are distinctly added to those two precepts, the fourth and fifth, and to no other. And this could arise from no other cause, but be

cause God had before given them unto the people in Marah, where he said he had given them Dawn pir; that is, the ordinance and law of the Sabbath, and the judgment of obedience to parents and superiors. This is one of the principal ways whereby they confirm their imaginations. And fully to esta blish the truth hereof, Baal Hatturim, or the small gematrical annotations on the Masoretical Bibles, adds, that in those words

,the final numeral letters כאשר צוך יהוה אלהיך .16 .Deut. v

make up the same number with, the name of the place where these laws were given. And this is the sum of what is pleaded in this case.

§ 4. But every one may easily see the vanity of these pretences, and how easy it is for any one to frame a thousand of them, who knows not how to spend his time better. Aben Ezra and Abarbinel both confess that the words used in the repetition of the law, Deut. v. do refer to the giving of it on Mount Sinai. And if we must seek for special reasons of the inserting of those words, besides the sovereign pleasure of God, reasons are not wanting which are far more probable than these of the masters. 1. The one of these commandments closing up the first table concerning the worship of God, and the other heading the second table concerning our duties amongst ourselves, and towards others, this memorial, " as the Lord thy God commanded thee," is on that account expressly annexed unto them, being to be distinctly applied unto all the rest. 2. The fourth command is as it were custos prima tabula, the keeper of the whole first table, seeing our owning of God to be our God, and our worship of him according to his mind, were solemnly to be expressed, on the day of rest commanded to be observed for that purpose; and in the neglect whereof they will be sure enough neglected; whence also a remembrance to observe this day is so strictly enjoined. And the fifth commandment is apparently custos secunda tabula; as appointed of God to contain the means of exacting the observance of all the duties of the second table, or of punishing the neglect of them and disobedience unto them. And therefore, it may be the memorial is not peculiarly annexed unto them on their own distinct account, but equally upon that of the other commandments whereunto they do refer. 3. There is yet a special reason for the peculiar appropriation of these two precepts, by that memorial unto this people. For they had now given unto them an especial typical concern in them, which did not at all belong unto the rest of mankind, who were otherwise equally concerned in the decalogue with themselves. For in the fourth commandment, whereas no more was before required, but that one day in seven should be observed as a sacred rest, they were now precisely confined to the seventh day, in order from the