Theses Sabbaticæ, or, The doctrine of the Sabbath wherein the Sabbaths I. Morality, II. Change, III. Beginning. IV. Sanctification, are clearly discussed, which were first handled more largely in sundry sermons in Cambridge in New-England in opening of the Fourth COmmandment : in unfolding whereof many scriptures are cleared, divers cases of conscience resolved, and the morall law as a rule of life to a believer, occasionally and distinctly handled / by Thomas Shepard ...

Thesis 165.

M. Ironside confesseth, That Gods resting and sanctifying the [ 165] Sabbath, are ••••etaneous, and acknowledgeth the connexion of them together at the same time, by the c••pulative And, and that as God actually rested, so he actually sanctifed the day: but this sancti∣fication which he means is nothing else but destination, or Gods purpose and intention to sanctifie ••t afterward: so that in effect this evasion amounts to thus much, viz. that God did actually purpose to sanctifie it, about 2500. years after the gi∣ving of the Law, but yet did not actually sanctifie it, and if this be the meaning, it is all one as if he had said in plain terms, viz. that when God is said to sanctifie the Sabbath, he did not indeed sanctifie it, only he purposed so to do, and although M. Primrose and himself tels us that the word sanctifie signifies in the Originall some time to pr••pare and ordain: so it may be said that the word signifies sometimes to publish and pro∣claim: if they say that this latter cannot be the meaning, be∣cause we reade not in Scripture of any such proclamation that this should be the Sabbath, the like may be said (upon the reasons mentioned) concerning their destination of it there∣unto: Again, if to sanctifie the day be only to purpose and ordain to sanctifie it, then the Sabbath was no more sanctified since the Creation, then ab aeterno, and before the world be∣gan, for then God did purpose that it should be sanctified: but this sanctification here spoken of seems to follow Gods

resting which was in time, and therefore it must be under∣stood of another sanctification then that which seems to be before all time: again as God did not blesse the Sabbath in way of destination, so neither did he sanctiffe it in way of destination: but he did not blesse it in way of destination, for let them produce but one Scripture where the word blessed is taken in this sence, for a purpose only to blesse: indeed they think they have found out this purpose to sanctifie in the word sanctified. Isa. 13.3. but where will they finde the like for the word blessed also? for as the day was blessed so it was sanctified, and yet I think that the Medes and Persians in Isa. 13.3. are not called Gods sanctified ones, because they were destinated to be sanctified for that work, but because they were so prepared fo•• it as that they were actually separa∣ted by Gods word for the accomplishment of such work: but our adversaries will not say that God did thus sanctifie the Sabbath in Paradice by his word: and yet suppose they are called his sanctified ones in way of destination, yet there is not the like reason so to interpret it here, for in Isa. 13.3. God himselfe is brought in immediatly speaking, before whose eternall eyes all things to come are as present, and hence he might call them his sanctified ones, but in this place of Gen. 2.2. Moses (not God immediatly) speaks of this sanctifying in way of Historicall narration only; this destination which is stood so much upon is but a meer ima∣gination.

Notes

• Irons. Q. 1 cap. 4.