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 ...

[ 23] Thesis 23.

The Deliverance 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Egypt, saith he, is not 〈…〉〈…〉

as the ground of the Institution of the Sabbath, but onely as a motive to the observation thereof; as it was more generall in the Preface to the Decalogue to the obedience of every other command which notwithstanding are not Ceremonial; for God saith, I am the Lord who brought thee out of Egypt, therefore keepe thou the first, the second, the third, the fifth, the sixth, as well as the fourth Commandment; and therefore (saith he) we may make every Com∣mandment Ceremonial as well as the Sabbath, if the motive of deli∣verance out of Egypt makes the Sabbath to be so. This is the sub∣stance and sinewes of his discourse herein; and I confesse its true, their Deliverance out of Egypt was not the first ground of the institution of it, but Gods Rest after his six dayes la∣bour; yet it was such a ground as we contend for, viz. a secondary and an annexed or affixed ground. And that it was not a Motive only to observe that day (as it is in the Preface to the Decalogue) but a superadded ground of it, may appear from this one consideration, viz. because that very ground on which the Lord urgeth the observation of the Sabbath in Exod. 20.11, it is wholly left out in the repetition of the Law, Deut. 5.15. and their deliverance out of Egypt put into the rome thereof: for the ground in Exod. 20.11. is this, Six daies God made Heaven and Earth, and rested the seventh day and sanctified it; but instead of these words, and of this ground, we finde other words put into their roome, Deut. 5.15. Remem∣ber thou wast a servant in the Land of Egypt, and that the Lord brought thee out thence with a mighty hand, therefore the Lord thy God commandeth thee to Keepe the Sabbath. Which seems to argue strongly that these words are not a meer Motive but another ground of the observation of the Sabbath. And why might not the generall Motive in the Preface of the Decalogue, serve as a sufficient Motive to the obedience of this Commandment, if there was no more but a Motive in these words of Deutr. and therefore I suppose this was also the ground and affixed Type unto the Jewish Sabbath.