CHAPTER VIII.
SEVENTH DAY.
On The Sabbath.
Sabbath Instituted — Blessed and Sanctified — Given to Adam as a General Precept for his Posterity — Renewed before and at the giving of the Law — A Sign between God and his People — Worldly Business prohibited — Works of Necessity and Mercy excepted — Advantages resulting from observing it — A Seventh Day regarded by the Heathens — The Sabbath of universal and perpetual obligation — The Lord’s Day.
When God had made the world, and furnished it with a variety of creatures, suited to the different elements of which it is composed; had created man after his own image, far superior to all the other species of beings, endued with rational faculties, whom he therefore constituted lord over them, situated in a residence curiously and beautifully adorned, and plentifully stored with every thing adapted for sustenance and delight; he exacted a reasonable service, which consisted in the worship of himself, the one only true God, in celebrating the expressions of his almighty power, infinite wisdom, and boundless goodness, displayed in his works. And to perpetuate, as well as give a solemnity to this worship, he set apart a portion of time for the exercise of it; by the constant and regular observation of which, a just sense of his infinite perfections, the recollection of his wondrous works, and the true worship of him, might be retained among men.
Moses, the sacred historian, says, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And God rested the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Here we have the origin of the Sabbath, because that in it he rested, says Moses; שבה shebath, from shabath, he rested; and hence sabbath, the name of the seventh day, signifying a day of rest. Not that he was weary with working, but he ceased to work, or rested from making any more creatures, or species of beings, all kinds being already either actually or virtually made. When he had finished the works of creation, in which he was employed six days, he rested on the seventh, and blessed and sanctified it; consecrated it for man to rest from all secular labors, and religiously employ this portion of time. This blessing and sanctifying the seventh day has the force of a law or command. God separated it from a common to a religious use, to be a standing memorial of his works of creation; and to be a sign to Adam and his posterity, who, by working six days and resting on the seventh, should show themselves to be the worshippers of that Being who made the world in six days, and rested on the seventh.
The method pursued in creating the world, presenting a regular succession of astonishing events, was doubtless intended to convey useful instruction to mankind. Considering the almighty power of the Creator, his fiat would have been sufficient instantly to produce the whole apparatus of nature, in beautiful and regular order. But he proceeded by degrees in this work, probably to teach us, that, after working six days, we also should rest on the seventh. What other reason can be assigned for his procedure, when a more expeditious plan would have been as easy to him, and more consonant to his omnipotence: but only, that all mankind from this measure should have a perpetual reason and obligation to consecrate a seventh day, after six days labor, to be a holy rest to the Lord; and it is reasonable to suppose that God expressly declared his will to our first parents as to this matter.
As the command for observing the seventh day was given to Adam, as a general precept for all his posterity, no doubt he and his sons regarded it. Afterwards, through the impiety of the ante-deluvians, it might be obliterated in the earth, except in the solitary family of Noah; who, being a preacher of righteousness, cannot be supposed to have neglected the observation of this day, or to have omitted recommending such an important point of religion to the new world after the Flood. And though after this, when men were again multiplied on the earth, wickedness and idolatry were introduced, and the lapse of time had effaced from their minds this and other precepts of religion received from Noah; yet, we cannot but suppose that this important institution, with other things relating to the worship of God, was retained in the family of Abraham, and the succeeding Patriarchs, till their bondage in Egypt. But when, through the iniquity and idolatry of succeeding generations, the particular time, at first designed and allotted for this special service, became forgotten, and Divine worship was entirely neglected by the generality of mankind, God then revealed and instituted the Jewish religion, prescribed the mode of worship to be used, and by a special law appointed a certain season for the more solemn exercise of it; and to be a token of the sincere worshippers of the true God, who created all things: and the day thus appointed and consecrated to public worship, was called the Sabbath, on account of the rest required to be strictly observed on it, and a command given to all that they observe and sanctify it.
This command originally given to Adam, was renewed before the giving of either the moral, judicial, or ceremonial law. It is expressly taken notice of at the fall of the manna, which was granted to the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sin, before they came to Sinai, Exod. xvi, 23-27. It was afterwards inserted in the body of the moral law. Exod. xx, 8. It is annexed to the judicial laws; i.e. the laws determining right between man and man, and the punishment of transgressors, Exod. xxiii, 12. And it is added to the first part of the ceremonial law, or Levitical rites and ceremonies, Exod. xxxi, 13-18; in which passage it is repeated four times in the compass of four verses. In the fourth command God says, “Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy.” What day is meant, the following words determine, “Six days shall thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shall not do any work.” That is after six days of labor, the seventh shall be a day of holy rest, set apart for the public worship of God. The reason to enforce this is added, “Because in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day.” The Jews, in many of their feasts, were commanded to rest from servile labor, on which account these are sometimes called sabbaths; but we also read of one day, which, by way of eminence, is styled the Sabbath, or day of rest. Thus we see, that the precept which God gave the Jews for the observation of the Sabbath, appears to be only the repetition or renewal of the law given to mankind from the beginning of the world, and not the first publication of it. A new reason indeed is added for the observation of it, namely, their redemption from Egyptian bondage, which was effected on the seventh day of the week, when God overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, and thereby delivered them. “Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day.” And the Jews kept their Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, in remembrance of their redemption from slavery in Egypt.
It is worthy of remark, that the command for the religious observance of the Sabbath, was delivered by Moses at Mount Sinai, in a way different from all those ordinances which were only ceremonial. It was written by the supreme Being himself on tables of stone, on which every other thing written was confessedly moral, and of perpetual obligation: but no part of the ceremonial law was written by the finger of God. The fourth command was written on tables of stone, to signify that it was to continue, as well as the other; and also it was put into the Ark, with the rest of the moral precepts, and is referred to Deut. x, 4. as being one of the number.
The sanctification of the Sabbath is considered as a sign between God and his people. “Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you, throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you:” or, as the original may be rendered, a sign to acknowledge that I Jehovah am your sanctifier. Again—“And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” Thus God made the sanctification of the Sabbath a sign by which it might be known who did belong to him. Working six days, and keeping a holy rest on the seventh, is a sign of being the worshippers of the one living and true God, who made heaven and earth in the space of six days, and rested the seventh: consequently, the neglecting and profaning the Sabbath is a tacit renouncing of him. Therefore the Jewish Rabbies have this saying among them, Whoever breaks the other commands is a wicked Israelite; but he who openly and avowedly profanes the Sabbath, is considered as an infidel and idolater. Hence we read, that such were to be cut off from the people, and put to death: as they would not comply with this institution, so God would not own them as his people, but reject them.