The seuenth Chapter. The fourth precept; of sanctifieng the sabboth daie.
1 IN the seuenth daie God finished his worke, which he had made; not that he created anie thing the seuenth daie, but that so farre forth, as our vnderstanding reacheth, it might be knowne, that he finished all things the seuenth daie; when as we knowe that there was nothing made by him vpon that daie. Some thinke that the letter Caph which is added vnto Iod dooth signifie, Before: and they cite the place out of the 25. chapter of Deuteronomie; 2 Thou shalt not moosill the oxe, before the treading out of the corne. But it prooueth it not; bicause héere we may also vnderstand it, in the treading out. Howbeit héere in verie déed there is no question: for the same consummation, perfection, or finishing of cretures is not anie worke added to things created the sixt daie; but that on this seuenth daie, the things are noted to haue béene finished and made perfect. In that he rested the seuenth daie, vnderstand it not, from labour, but from the worke of creating. For, Rest, may betoken two things; 3 either the end and termination of that which is doone, and so it is taken in this place; or else as a refreshing after labour, which thing must not be ascribed vnto God (for without anie maner of labour did he create the world.) But as the Hebrues saie, in the letter He, which is vttered with a breth onelie; By the word of the Lord were the heauens made, and all the hoste of them, with the breath of his mouth: 4 Psalme 33. Let vs héere passe ouer the mysteries of the number of seuen, wherewith vndoubtedlie God is delighted; séeing he hath comprised in that number, the great and noble things, which he made and commanded. And this onelie let vs note, that of euerie seuen daies, one must be reserued vnto God. How did God cease from working, 5 séeing he now also worketh? Yea and he is a pure and méere act: neither is that most blessed action of his staid at anie time. We saie that this must be vnderstood of other new creatures, whereof God created none afterward: yet he alwaies worketh, in gouerning and preseruing of them: for; In him we liue, mooue, and haue our being, 6 and while he inioieth himselfe, who is the eternall felicitie.
Wherefore let them go, 7 which looke for more worlds after this world of ours. One onelie world there is, and the selfe-same end of creatures, according as it is héere described. Neither is there cause, why man néed to feare, least anie creature should be made aboue him. And this is not the least glorie of man, that God did rest after the creation of him, and that in him he finished the worke of the whole world. It is said, that God blessed the seuenth daie. 8 But To blesse, is, To giue and bestowe some thing. What hath God giuen vnto vs by this seuenth daie? Verie much: euen this world filled and fraught with all good things. What maruell is it if afterward it were most acceptable vnto him, to be worshipped vpon the verie same daie; séeing it is written, 9 Giue him of that wherewith he hath blessed thee? He blessed the seuenth daie. This did he chéeflie giue vnto it, that therein men should rest, and applie themselues to the seruice of God. Rabbi Agnon saith, that this blessing dooth light vpon those, which obserue and sanctifie the same sabboth. Neither did the obseruation héereof béegin, when the lawe was giuen in Sina; but it was celebrated before that time: as appéereth in the raining downe of Manna, Exodus the 16. 10