PHI LOS 0 P H Y . - Classic Works of Apologetics Online

Sabl'aticai [lUi ituti(ins. 287
1£ it be inquired, what duties were appointed for
the Je:u.;jsh sd.bbath~ and under what penalties and in
vlhat manner it '/,·as observed anlongst the ancient
Jews; we find t1~at, by the fourth commandment,
a strict cessation from work wa.> enjoined, not onl y
upon Jews by birth, or religious profession, but upon
all who resided within the lilnits of tile Jewish state;
that the sanle ~"as to be permitted to their slaves
and to their cattle: that this rest was not to be violated
under pain of death: "\\Thosoever doeth any
work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to
death." Ex. xxxi. l~. Beside which the seventh day
was to be solemnized by double sacrifices in the temple.
" And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year
witttout spot, and two tenth deals e,f flour for a
meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offer.
ing thereof; this is the burnt olTering of every sab.
bath beside the continual burnt offering and his
drink offering." Numb. ~xviii. 9, 10. Alsc- holy
(fjilVocatiolls, which nlean, \\le presume, assemb1ies for
tOne purpose of public ,,·ol-ship, or religious instruction,
were directed to be held 011 the sabbath day;
" the seventh day is a sabbath of rest, an holy con.
vocatIon. · "L ev. ...
XXIII. S~
And accordingly \\~C read, tilat the sabbath was in
fact observed aml)ng the Jews, by a scrupulous abstinence
fi'om every thing which by any possibJe con",
struction, could be deemed labour; as from dressing
oflleat, from travelling beyond a sabbath day's journey,
or nbout a ~ingle mile. In the Maccabcan wars, they
suffered a thousand of their number to be slain, rath.
er than d() any tllirtg in their O\Vfi defence on· the
sabbath Jay. In the final siege of Jerusalem, after
they hall SJ far overcome their scruples, as to defend
t!1eir persons when attacked, they refused any operation
011 the sabbath day, by whIch they might have
he inclined to h{,lie,,"e, that N(['tmiL1b referrrd soJely to the fOl!tth COn'lnland.
lnt.~nt. Hut the fourt h LO!llnundnlent certainly did llot first makf; kno\vn
the ~ahh:ith. ..\nd it i~ appar~nt that Nebcm,;a[, hh~crvecl not the order of
events., for he spc~lks of \vhat passed upon Mount Sillai, b~fpre he rnentions
lhc.! nltr:u~lllt.)lhl supplies uf hrt!ad and \vatcr,though the ~':I'J' did not arrive
tt. !'/[Ol1nt Si:,ni, till .~~on'e till1C' after hoth these miracle. \vert: wrousht
~~ ~y
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