a curse upon that use. These considerations, however are not of that weight that we should therefore depart from the more received opinion. And it is easy to answer both these arguments, not only from the truth of the thing itself, but also from the very hypothesis of these learned men.

XXII. It is indeed true, that all sacraments were given for use; but it is also certain, that the external use of all sacraments is not after one and the same manner. All are not granted to the mouth and palate. There are sacraments, whose use consists in the contemplation of the sign, and meditation on the thing signified. Some learned writers maintain, that the rainbow was not a symbol only of the ecumenical or general covenant with the whole earth, but also of the covenant of grace in Christ; and they think, that the colours of the rainbow, the red, the fiery, and the green, denote, that, by blood, holiness and mercy are unnited. But we can conceive no other sacramental use of the rainbow, besides the contemplation of it. In like manner, they place the brazen serpent among the sacraments of the Old Testament, whose use consisted only in the beholding of it. Nay, they are of opinion concerning the tree of life itself, that it was not promiscuously to be used by man, since to him alone that overcometh, it is given to eat of the tree of life.* "Whence," say they, " it does not appear that Adam touched it before the fall: nay, the contrary is rather evident." And yet they say, that it was the first and most ancient representation of the Son of God, and of the life to be possessed through him. Nothing then hinders the tree of knowledge from being also called a symbol of the covenant, though proposed only to be looked at by man, though he was never to eat of it.

XXIII. I go a step farther, and say, that there is no absurdity, should such a sacrament be appointed, whose use should consist in a religious abstinence.

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Nor should those learned men, if consistent with themselves, be averse to this opinion. "The deluge," say they, "from which Noah was preserved, must needs be reckoned among the types." Now, the use of the waters, in respect to Noah, consisted in this, that they were neither to touch him and his, to their hurt; nor force themselves into the ark, in which he was shut up: as the waters of the Red Sea likewise signified the same thing, in the same manner, to Israel. Nay, what may seem justly strange, these learned men say, that the first sacrament of the covenant of grace was "the ejectment of Adam out of paradise, and the barring up his access to the tree of life:" or, as one is pleased to express himself, The first sacrament was the tree of life, which, though at first it regarded the covenant of works, and exclusion from it was the punishment of fallen man: nevertheless, that very exclusion was, at the same time, a sign of the grace and goodness of God." I would beg of those very learned men, to explain to me in what the sacramental use of the tree of life was to have consisted under the covenant of grace, after man was expelled paradise and that tree was no longer to be in his view. There is here no other use but a mystical abstinence and deprivation. And thus, we imagine, we have fully answered the first argument.

XXIV. Let us now consider the second; and we say, it is not inconsistent with the nature of sacraments, to seal death and condemnation, to those who unduly and irregularly use them. For since the covenant of God with man is ratified, not only by the promises, but also by certain threatenings belonging to it, and sacraments are the seals of the whole covenant, it seals also threatenings to the profane abusers of them. When a man partakes of the sacraments, he comes under an oath and curse, and makes himself liable to punishment, if he deals treacherously. To say nothing of the sacraments of the covenant of works, the very sacraments of the covenant of grace, are the savour of death unto

death to hypocrites and profane persons, who, in the bread and wine of the eucharist, eat and drink damnation to themselves. But it is not true, that the tree of knowledge sealed only death; for it also sealed life and happiness. It was the tree of knowlegde, not only of evil but of good. This, these learned men themselves acknowledge, while they write, that had Adam obeyed, he would, upon his trial, have come to the knowledge and sense of his good, to which he was called, and had a natural desire after; even eternal life and consummate happiness. Whence we conclude, that notwithstanding these reasonings, we may justly reckon the tree of knowledge among the sacraments of the covenant of works.

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CHAP. VII.
Of the First Sabbath.

E said, that the first Sabbath was the fourth sacrament of the covenant of works. In order to treat somewhat more fully on this, it will not be improper to make it the subject of a whole chapter. Moses gives us the history of it in these words: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made ; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and madet The more fully to understand these words, and from them to answer our design, we shall distinctly discuss these three things. 1. Inquire, whether what is here said about sanstifying and blessing the seventh day, ought to be applied to that first day, which immediately followed upon the six days of the creation, and which was the first that * 1 Cor. xi. 27, 29. † Gen. ii. 2, 3.

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shone on the works of God when completed; or, whether it be necessary to have recourse to an anticipation, by which we may look upon those things as spoken of the day, on which, many ages after, the manna was given in the wilderness. 2. We shall explain the nature of that first Sabbath. 3. And lastly, point out in what respect it was a sacrament.

II. It is too well known to be mentioned, that the first of these points has been matter of great dispute among divines, without coming to any determination to this day; nor do I chuse to unravel what they have said. I shall only observe, that perhaps the parties might easily agree, did we know what we are to understand by sanctifying and blessing the seventh day, mentioned by Moses: and which we shall presently consider. But if we suppose in general, that God rested on the seventh day from his work, that is, not only desisted from creating new species of creatures, but acquiesced and took complacency in the work which he had now finished, especially in man, who was formed after his image, and furnished with those faculties, by which he was enabled to acknowledge and celebrate the perfections of God shining forth in his works; and that he set this his resting before man as a pattern, by which he should be taught to acquiesce in nothing but in God, for whom he was created; please himself in nothing but in glorifying God, which is the end of his creation: moreover, that he sanctified this day, of which we are speaking, by commanding it to be employed by man for that sacred work, adding a promise that all that time thus employed by man, should be highly blessed to him; if, I say, we thus in general suppose, as all these things are evidently truth, there is good hope, that all equitable judges will allow, that we adhere to the simplicity of the letter, and interpret this history of Moses, as the narrative of a thing done at that time, which the holy prophet was then describing.

III. I am glad to find the celebrated Cocceius assent to this. His words are these ;* "Some imagine, that this verse (namely 3.) is put by way of anticipation But it is not probable, that Moses, in recording this blessing and sanctification, did by any means speak concerning the original sabbath, but only concerning the Jewish Sabbath. This is plainly doing violence to the text, if one day be understood, which God blessed and sanctified, and another, on which he rested from his work." And the very eloquent Burman, though inclining to an anticipation, yet owns, that "the words of Moses may be understood of that perpetual sabbath, the seventh day after the creation, which first saw the works of God perfected, and most auspiciously shone on the world, whence it is said to be peculiarly blessed by God, and afterwards to be celebrated and sanctified by man, for all ages to come."† See the same author, de æconomia fæderum Dei, § 208, 209. We shall say no more on this, as we could rather wish to see the orthodox agreeing among themselves, than contending with one another. And indeed this must be acknowledged, if we would properly explain in what manner this Sabbath was a sacrament of the covenant of works.

IV. The best Hebrew authors, on whose authority those of the opposite opinion are wont to build, agree with us in this dispute. For in the Talmud they inquire, why man was created on the evening of the sabbath; and of the three reasons they give, this is the last; "that he might immediately enter on performing the command." The famous Ludovicus de Dieu, mentioning these words, on Gen. i. 27. adds by way of explication; "For since the sabbath immediately succeeded the creation of man, he immediately entered on the command of sanctifying the sabbath." Baal Hatturim, after various interpretations of this passage, also subjoins this other; " In the hour, that he created the world, he blessed the sabbath and the