for first the refreshing of the bodies of men and beasts though it be a Consequent yet was never the Ground of the Institution of the Sabbath The moderation of our labours belongs to the eighth Commandement that enjoynes labour As for the quickening of Adams spirit why might not he need a Sabbath as well as a Sacrament And although every day were a kind of Sabbath to Adam in respect of his easie labour and his Holy conversing with God even in his works about the Creatures yet there is great difference between labouring moderately and not at all And to serve God in ordering the Creatures according to his will and to serve him in the duties of his owne immediate worship So every day ought to have been spent by Adam in an holy manner but not as a Sabbath Besides though the Sabbath were made for man yet it was not made for man alone but principally for Gods Honour in his publick worship in which respect Adam as much needed a Sabbath as we do being created for Gods Glory as well as we Secondly as Adam needed a Sabbath so he had meanes to observe a Sabbath he and his wife when there were no more persons in the World made a publick Assembly There is is a gathering of two or three as well as of a multitude Matth. 18.20 And Christ is present with them as well as with a greater number Nay further a man that is shut out from publick meetings may keep a Sabbath alone So then there being no impediment why this Commandement for the observation of the Sabbath might not be given to Adam in Paradise and Moses recording it in the first place amongst those lawes that were then given him we have no ground to doubt but that Adam had this Law then given unto him and in him unto all mankind So that we may 5. Observe The law given by God for the observation of the Sabbath Day is a law Universal and Perpetual UNiversal it must needs be 1. Because in Adam it was given to the whole nature of Man which was intirely in him at that time when he received it 2. And the use as well as the ground of it reacheth indifferently unto all men who are alike interessed in all the works that God hath wrought both of Creation and Redemption and alike obliged to honour him for them and have like need of those Spirituall comforts and refreshings which the religious observation of that brings unto supports the soul withal Upon the same ground it must needs be perpetual for if it bind all men it must of necessity bind all ages which also our Saviour necessarily implies in his answer to the Pharisees question about divorce Matth. 19.8 wherein he affirms the divorce supposed to be permitted by Moses to be unwarrantable because it crossed the Law of Marriage given to Adam in Paradise which Answer must necessarily suppose this ground that whatsoever Law was given to Adam in the Beginning those Laws that respected his present condition as his Labouring in Paradise and Eating of the Tree of Life excepted binds all his posterity in all Ages Besides the placing of this Commandement amongst the precepts of the Decalogue which our Saviour ratifies in every jot or tittle of them Matth. 5.18 further manifests the mind of God for the continuance of this Law which our Saviour wills his Disciples to be careful to observe Matth. 24.20 even at the destruction of Jerusalem 40 years after his Ascension when all other Mutable and Temporary Lawes were taken away Nay although there be this difference between this precept concerning the Sabbath and some other lawes of the Decalogue that this doth not appear so evidently to be a Law of Nature as they do yet it must necessarily be a law of Nature in the greatest part As that there must be a time for publique Worship a time of Rest from other Employments a fit time a set time a time that must return according to some time computed by Weeks or Moneths or Years For all these even by the light of Nature Heathen men acknowledged as is manifest by their practice in all Ages and Countreys Nay the Creation and Redemption of the World being once revealed even the light of Naturall reason would have directed men to make choice of those dayes in which those great works were perfected for the dayes of observing this holy Rest Now it must needs be granted that seeing the ground of fixing the Sabbath upon the Last or First day of the Week was the marking out and advancing of those dayes above others by the most eminent of Gods Works therefore mans exercise upon those dayes must be in the Contemplation of those and the rest of his works that our hearts may rejoyce in Him who hath in them manifested his Infinite Goodnesse Wisdom and Power Whence 6. Observe Meditation in Gods Works that our hearts may be raised up to an holy Rejoycing in Him is and ought to be a Christians chief Exercise for the right sanctifying of the Sabbath Day Observ 6 THe 92. Psalm composed of purpose for the Sabbath as appears in the Title of it handles no other argument but the setting out the works of Gods providence in governing the world in righteousnesse And it is as evident by the doubling of the daily Sacrifice upon that day by Gods Commandement Numb 28.9 that the Will of God was that mens thoughts should be much exercised in the meditation of that glorious work of their Redemption shadowed out under those sacrifices and purchased by the Blood of Christ And indeed as all Gods works praise him so do we by remembring them and meditating on them most highly honour and advance Him as is evident by the Psalms composed for that purpose Psal 104.107.145 Rev. 4.11 And for our selves our hearts are by that means wonderfully quickened and enlarged and filled with love towards him see Psal 18.1 116.1 and brought to an Holy Dependance on him and Confidence in him which is a fruit that is produced by this holy meditation on Gods works Psal 78.7 Now Gods honour and the encrease of Piety in us were the ends of the Institution of this holy Rest It is true that this exercise must be accompanied with those other holy duties of Prayer and Praises Preaching and Hearing of Gods Word administring the Sacraments and the like as conducing all of them if they be rightly used unto the same end VERSE 4. THese are the generations of the Heavens That is in this manner they took their Beginning From and By God alone and according to his Will by the Mighty Word of his Power In the day That is in that Time that it pleased God to take up in forming them which we know was in Six dayes and not in One But we find the Word Day in Scripture is used commonly to signifie Time Indefinitely This recapitulation of the works of Creation wherein they are challenged and ascribed unto God
means not only quickens us when our hearts be dead but besides 2. makes our service more acceptable For the Lord loves a chearful giver 3. Keeps down the swelling of our hearts when we look upon all our services as debts for what we have received Again observe in this the order that God first enjoyns the manto labour in the Garden and then gives him liberty to eat of the fruits of it to point out the way by which he may have the better title to that whereof he should make use to labour for it first and to enjoy it afterwards Whence 2. Observe Mans Labour about the things of this life gives him a good title unto that which he enjoyes Observ 2 NOt by any right of our own that we gain thereby but by Gods free grant who allowes us all things under that condition Gen. 3.19 And promiseth it as a special blessing upon his own Children They shall eat the labours of their own hands Psal 128.2 And the Apostle calls that only our Own bread for which we labour denying food to those that live idle 2 Thess 3.10 as having no title to it at all There seems indeed some title in Equity to allow men a share of that which they have although as Gods instruments produced by their own labour whence God gives even unto Oxen an allowance out of that corn which they tread out 1 Cor. 9.9 And every Master allowes his servant food when he hath done his work Luk. 17.8 as well for recompence of his labour past as both to encourage and enable him to his work afterwards which otherwise without such allowance he cannot be able to continue See Chap. 1. ver 29. Observ 4.5 Now if we compare and lay together this Commandement to the Man to labour and the Grant that he shall enjoy and make use of the fruits about which he labours we may further 3. Observe All Mans Labour and Service is for his own Good Observ 3 IN outward things Solomon tells our labour is but for our mouth Eccl. 6.7 that is for the supplying of our own necessities for this present life in food clothing c. So that either we have the fruits of our labours to our selves in particular or if they be directed to a common good seeing we are all concerned therein the benefit returns unto us at the second hand as the food which the hands labour for though it be first received into the belly yet the strength and nourishment which is received thereby is imparted to them as well as to other members of the body As for other duties of the services which God require we know we have our fruit in holinesse and the end everlasting life Rom. 6.22 so that in all things we may truly say with the Church That we serve him for our own good Deut. 6.24 For as for God our righteousnesse profits not him at all Job 35.7 as our wickednesse hurts him not So that we may truly say as our Saviour directs us Luk. 17.10 that When we have done all that is required of us we are Unprofitable servants to God at least though we may some way profit men Let this encourage us to all duties of service unto God and Man The merciful man doth good to his own soul Prov. 11.17 1. By exercising it in vertuous and holy motions and actions at present and thereby encreasing and strengthening the habits of Grace 2. By getting interest thereby in a sure reward when the time of refreshing shall come by Gods gracious promise so we make not that but the honour of God the scope of all our holy endeavours as we are required Matth. 5.16 See Christs promise Joh. 12.26 To consider Gods dealing with Adam somewhat more particularly God intending to deny unto Adam the use of one of the Trees of the Garden before hand grants him the free use of all the rest that by the consideration of what he enjoyed he might the more willingly be contented to bear the want of that which was withheld from him Whence 4. Observe The best way to quiet our hearts in observing what we want is to set before our eyes what we do enjoy Observ 4 THus Elkanah goes about to satisfie his Wife Hannah being troubled for want of children by setting before her the love of himself who was her husband And Davids heart distempered by the consideration of wicked mens prosperity which he wanted was never quieted till he considered that God held him by his right hand guiding him at present by his Counsel that he might afterwards bring him to glory Psal 73.14 23. Let us carefully make use of this means to allay the distempers of our hearts raised often in us by the Art and Malice of Satan by setting before us what we want If we grudge at resting the Sabbath day remember the six dayes which are allowed us for our labours Set before our eyes the liberty of using lawful delights against the restraint from vain pleasures the enjoying of Grace against the want of Wealth Honour from God against the scorns of men Inward peace against Outward troubles the enjoying of many friends left us against the losse of some taken from us Thus Countermining Satan who finds no other means both to disquiet our hearts by murmuring and discontent and to wrong God but by concealing and hiding from our eyes the blessings which we have received and by fixing them upon and enlarging our wants In this case it will be needful for us not onely to fix our eyes upon the mercies themselves which we have received but to enlarge them by the consideration of Gods free bounty in bestowing both that which we had no right unto of our selves and that without any desert of ours at all The Grant it self is to be considered in the next place laid before us enlarged every way both in the variety of the several kinds of the choyce fruits which were given and in the free liberty to enjoy them Fully and Continually implyed in that phrase Eating thou mayest eat Whence 5. Observe The provisions which God allowes us even for this present life are manifold and of wonderful variety Observ 5 ALl Herbs and Fruits Beasts Fishes and Fowles for our food and nourishment Wooll Flax Silks Furrs and Skins of Beasts for our Clothing Variety of Materials for building and furnishing of our houses besides provisions for Medicine and Defence yea for Pleasure and Delight And this God doth 1. Because our wants are various 2. Every several Creature is Defective and Insufficient to all things 3. To set out before us the riches of his treasures that we might admire the more the riches of his All-sufficiency and to affect us with the more feeling taste of his bounty expressed unto us so many wayes in those various comforts wherewith he supplyes us Let the consideration hereof cease our murmurings quench our unsatiable desires and warrant our sober and seasonable use of and rejoycing in our store
Comforted Strengthened and Encouraged as the Companion of his Labours and partaker of all his hopes subjected to him in her Outward Condition but highly advanced in his heart as a member of Christ and Heir together with him of the Grace of Life The Matter of which the Woman was made being a Bone of Adam's Body and consequently the firmest Material that could be taken from him warrants us farther to 7. Observe A Wife Is or Should be a strong Helper to her Husband Observ 7 SUch a one a vertuous Wife is described to be Prov. 31. Such as were those holy Matrons Sarah Rebeccah Bathshebah and others Great reason she should be so seeing she is the second Pillar that supports the family one in whom the Husbands heart may safely trust Prov. 31.11 for her advice in ordering his affaires overseeing the wayes of his houshold instructing the Children directing the servants at home comforting him in all distresses assisting in all Temptations She that shall perform all these duties needs to be furnished with proportionable abilities both of Nature and Grace and strongly supported by the assistance of Gods Spirit It seems God made choice of a rib as being fittest to be spared without any considerable Maim or Deformity to the rest of the body that so he might do him much good with little harm or losse Whence 8. Observe God requires nothing of us nor doth any thing unto us that may hurt us or undo us Observ 8 HE requires no more of our Estate then we may well spare considering his blessing annexed to our liberality Prov. 3.9 so his care of easing the poor Levit. 12.8 no more of our Labours then may well stand with our health our Thrift and the liberty and freedom of our minds for heavenly Meditations and Religious Exercises no more abstinence from unprofitable delights than may stand with the health of our bodies and conduce to the well ordering of our minds and the preservation of the Creatures nay he layes no more upon us in Temptations and Tryals than we are able to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 and than he recompenseth with a proportionable measure of Consolation 2 Cor. 1.5 than serves to hold us on in a right way Psal 119.67 at present and to advance our reward at the last day 2 Cor. 4.17 Neither can it be otherwise seeing God 1. Seeks no gain by us but would have us gain by him Deut. 5.29 2. Cannot wrong us through ignorance for he knowes our frame and remembers that we are dust Psal 103.14 and knowes before-hand how to deliver us in any Temptation 2 Pet. 2.9 3. Neither is he enforced to lay heavy burthens on some to spare others for he that is All-sufficient can provide for the good of Community with the good of every particular member thereof Let nothing be grievous unto us that God either Commands or layes upon us Remembring 1. That he may do with his own what he will 2. And yet hates nothing which he hath made 3. And Can and will not fail to restore unto us abundantly whatsoever we seem to lose either in Doing or Suffering by his appointment that he may be no mans debtor It is added that God closed up the flesh instead of the Rib that he had taken away as indeed it was needful both to hide the deformity and to preserve the Inward parts Whence 9. Observe God takes nothing from us but he takes care to recompence it unto us some way or other Observ 9 WHen he requires it for his service Prov. 3.9 10. Mal. 3.10 Or for the necessary relief of his children Prov. 19.17 or takes it from us when we suffer for his Name Matth. 19.29 or bear his yoke as is manifest in Job's example And this Experience will shew us if we wisely consider Gods wayes that whatsoever losse we make by him or for him shall be either recompensed in the same kind as in Job's case or in something of greater advantage unto us as the losse of Wealth with encrease of Grace and that either in present Mark 10.30 or after a while Eccl. 11.1 Or at the farthest at the last day And hereof we may rest assured both because Gods All-sufficiency enableth him thereunto as also because his abundant love moves him thereunto and the respect to his own honour who is neither Unrighteous to forget our labour of Love Heb. 6.10 nor can endure to be any mans debtor Rom. 11.35 or to dishearten any man thereby in his service But it was but flesh wherewith God filled up the breach that he had made in Adams breast to leave that lively remembrance with him both of his Wifes nearnesse unto him and of his duty unto her Whence 10. Observe It is usual with God to leave with us near and lively Remembrances both of his Mercies to us and of our Duties Obser 10 THus he set the seal of his Covenant in the flesh of Abraham left the Sabbath to be a publique Monument both of his Mercies and of our Duty Thus he heales the corruption of our Nature but so that by the dwelling of sin in us we may be sensible from what we are delivered be the more thankful for Christ Rom. 7.24 25. and made the more watchful in all our wayes And this he doth out of a kind of necessity to help our weaknesse who of our selves are so apt to cast behind our backs the remembrance of his Mercies and of our own Duties VERSE 22. THe Ribb which the Lord God had taken So that he brought not any other matter to it to make up the Womans body out of it and other materials added to it but that very Ribb that he made into a Woman The manner let no man enquire into which is secret But of Gods power to be able to make so large a body of so small a substance who can doubt that acknowledgeth that God made the World of nothing Made he a Woman Or according to the Original Built he into a Woman A phrase pointing at the Art in framing of her body and at the perfection of the Work For an house as we know is composed by Art in a proportion fit for the use to which it is designed Whether this phrase have relation also to the man who was but as it were One side of the house till the woman was made and joyned to him or which is more probable points onely at the perfect frame of the Womans body being as an house well built and in due proportion we need not dispute We know the Scripture often resembles mans body to an house Job 4.19 2 Cor. 5.1 And brought her unto the man Not as he brought the beasts before him to be surveyed but after he had related unto Him whence she was taken to give her unto him as his unseparable companion to dwell with him and be his Helper Whether this were performed with some visible representation of Gods presence as some conceive it to be done by Christ
amazed creatures being now fallen off from God labour to shift for themselves and to hide from the Presence of God They discover the nakednesse of their bodies and their shame thereby for that they provide a covering of fig-leaves God begins to shew himself for all their covering they dare not come into his sight they finde a shift for that too and run behinde the trees to hide themselves what would all this profit them to the taking away of their sin and recovering of their former happinesse which was that which they should have laboured for but was not at all in their thoughts We may then hence 8 OBSERVE When men are once fallen away from God they are left to miserable and unprofitable shifts Observe 8 TO hide under falshood and vanity Isa 28.15 To an arme of flesh Jer. 17.5 which proves like a broken reede and pierceth the hand of him that leanes on it To make riches their high wall Prov. 18.11 which availe not in the day of wrath To strong holds which like ripe figs fall into the mouth of the eater Nahum 3.12 which when they have stayed themselves on all their life at the latter end they are discovered to be fooles Jer. 17.11 and shall not see when good cometh ver 6. and may be compared to a man who being halfedrowned graspeth after the woods in the bottome of the water which help him only to hasten his destruction Reason 1. It cannot be otherwise when men are once gone away from God in whom only is true comfort and safety and his Name a strong tower which they that run unto are safe and from whom is the efficacy of all meanes which without him can do neither good nor evil 2. God in his just judgement when men honour him not as God deprives them of that wisdome Let it be the wisdom of all those that desire their own good to cleave fast unto God and to cast away the unprofitable dependancies upon the creature which 1 In it self taken apart from God in whom all things subsist is meer vanity 2. Is of use only in this present life 3. And here useful only to the outward man but can neither secure the conscience nor make the heart better nor much lesse reach to eternity 4. If it could protect us from men it cannot prevail against the Power of God 1. If they could do that cannot interest us in his favour which only is our life and happinesse It is observable that Adam flies from God who came only to shew him his sinne and to offer him the meanes of recovering his favour and happinesse by Jesus Christ as is manifested in the sequel Whence 9 OBSERVE Men are naturally apt to flie from the meanes of their own good Observe 9 TO forsake the fountain of living waters Jer. 2.13 Gods Ordinances and wayes Job 21.14 ordained by God unto men for their good Deut. 6.24 which if one do he shall live in them Lev. 18.15 leaving the pathes of uprightnesse to walk in the wayes of darknesse Prov. 2 13. nay to forsake God himself Israel would none of him though he offered himself unto him upon the best termes Psal 81.11 seeking Egypt rather then Canaan bondage rather then liberty Thus all men by nature love darknesse rather then light John 3 19. flie from all communion with God with Christ from his Word his Ministers whom for telling the truth they account their bitter enemies Gal. 4.16 and this is not only the perversenesse of some who persist to the last in the wayes of their own ruine but even of such as God afterwards prevailes withal to hearken to his own counsel and recovers out of Satans snares The Prodigal sonne not only goes from his father at first but will rather adhere to a Citizen a stranger to him yea and live by swines meat then returne back to his own father and yet pinched by extreme necessity returnes and is reconciled unto him at last The reason is 1. Mens ignorance of spiritual things wherein their true good consists when Christ came into the world the world knew him not John 1.10 and no marvel for they having only the use of natural that is carnal reason must need mistake spiritual things which because they cannot comprehend they account them foolishnesse 1 Cor. 2.14 2. The wisdome of the flesh being enmity against God as many as are of the flesh must needs hate him and therefore cannot submit unto him 3. The wayes of attaining true good are by denial of ones self and all the lusts of the flesh which is impossible for any man to do remaining in his natural condition If any man then desire to be directed aright in a way to seek his own good let him not take his own wisdome into counsel nor follow the direction of any that are guided by no better light then that of nature which being enmity against God cannot but carry us away from him who is our happinesse and safety to take hold of broken reeds that pierce our hands when we rest upon them but let us open our eares to the counsels of wisdom and pray for a new heart that may be guided by Gods Spirit which both shews unto a man the way of his own and perswades him to embrace it so that he shall not depart from it as he hath promised Jer. 32.40 How the woman sleighted the curse which God had denounced upon the eating of the forbidden fruit and for all that adventures boldly to break the Commandment we have seen Now God comes to call them to account for what they had done we see what terrour seizeth both upon her and her husband Whence 10 OBSERVE The terrours of God shall first or last shake the hearts of all those that do most sleight his judgements Observe 10 AS is evident in the examples of Pharaoh Exod. 8.8 28. and 9.27 28. and 10.16 17. of Zidkijah 1 Kings 22.25 Belshazzar Dan. 5.6 Pashur Jer. 20.3 4. and shall be much more clearly and generally manifested at the last day by that dreadful horrour that shall seize upon all the wicked Rev. 6.16 Indeed unlesse God should in this manner deal with the wicked of the world he should 1. Suffer his Honour to be trampled under foot and his Authority and Power despised 2. Harden the hearts of wicked men in mischief Eccl. 8 11. 3. There is no fitter judgement nor more proportionable to the sinne then to punish security and contempt with feare and terrour The conscience of Delinquents could not but testifie their guilt and now they no sooner heare a voice but they conceive presently that God is come to call them to account and to take vengeance on them whereupon they labour to shift out of sight and to hide themselves among the trees Whence 11 OBSERVE A guilty conscience is filled with terrours upon every occasion Observe 11 THis was Cains case who stood in feare of every one that he met lest he should kill him Gen.