So far, indeed, as I in my ignorance know, to begin with inferior and more dense things, God, knowing the denseness of the Israelites and their carnal love and propensity towards matter in everything, made this law: first, in order that the servant and the cattle should rest Deut. v. 14.as it is written, for the righteous man regardeth the life of his beast Prov. xii. 10.: next, in order that when they take their ease from the distraction of material things, they may gather together unto God, spending the whole of the seventh day in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and the study of the divine Scriptures and resting in God. For when Epiph., Exp. Fid., n. 22. the law did not exist and there was no divinely-inspired Scripture, the Sabbath was not consecrated to God. But when the divinely-inspired Scripture was given by Moses, the Sabbath was consecrated to God in order that on it they, who do not dedicate their whole life to God, and who do not make their desire subservient to the Master as though to a Father, but are like foolish servants, may on that day talk much concerning the exercise of it, and may abstract a small, truly a most insignificant, portion of their life for the service of God, and this from fear of the chastisements and punishments which threaten transgressors. For the law is not made for a righteous man but for the unrighteous 1 Tim. i. 9.. Moses, of a truth, was the first to abide fasting with God for forty days and again for another forty Ex. xxiv. 18; xxxiv. 28., and thus doubtless to afflict himself with hunger on the Sabbaths although the law forbade self-affliction on the Sabbath. But if they should object that this took place before the law, what will they say about Elias the Thesbite who accomplished a journey of forty days on one meal 1 Kings xix. 8.? For he, by thus afflicting himself on the Sabbaths not only with hunger but with the forty days’ journeying, broke the Sabbath: and yet God, Who gave the law, was not wroth with him but shewed Himself to him on Choreb as a reward for his virtue. And what will they say about Daniel? Did he not spend three weeks without food Dan. x. 2.? And again, did not all Israel circumcise the child on the Sabbath, if it happened to be the eighth day after birth Gen. xvii. 12.? And do they not hold the great fast which the law enjoins if it falls on the Sabbath Lev. xvi. 31.? And further, do not the priests and the Levites profane the Sabbath in the works of the tabernacle St. Matt. xii. 5. and yet are held blameless? Yea, if an ox should fall into a pit on the Sabbath, he who draws it forth is blameless, while he who neglects to do so is condemned Epiph., Hæres. 30, n. 32, et Hær. n. 82 seqq: Athan., Hom. circum. et Sabb.. And did not all the Israelites compass the walls of Jericho bearing the Ark of God for seven days, in which assuredly the Sabbath was included Josh. iii..