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from 2 Kings xxiii. 5. Ezek. viii. 16. And hence, fome of the ancient Heathens (of whom Tertullian fpeaks) fancied that the Sun was the God of the Chriftians, because they celebrated the first day of the week.

I know it is objected, that fome of the primitive apologifts for Chriftianity, as Juftin Martyr and Tertullian, in their writings, call the Lord's day Sunday. But the reafon of their fo doing is plain; they were writing to Heathens, to whom the doctrines of Chritianity and inftitution of the Lord's day were things new and strange, and who would not have known what day they meant, if they had spoken of the Lord's day; and therefore they call it by the name they gave it, Sunday: For when we treat with others, we must exprefs things by the names that are common and current among them, unless we intend to be barbarians to them.

But the primitive Chriftians did not ufe to call it Sunday among themselves, but, commonly, the Lord's day, not the Sabbath; partly to diftinguish it from the Jewish Sabbath that was fo lately abolished, and partly to wean the Jewish converts the more effectually from Judaifm. But the true reason why fome in this age feem to be offended at the word Sabbath, as being applied to the Lord's day, is, because they cannot allow of any thing that would infer an obligation upon them to keep fuch a ftrict holy rest upon the Chriftian Sabbath as the Jews did upon their Sabbath: but I will have occafion to speak of this afterwards.

I need not stand long here, to fhew the different fignifications of the word Sabbath among the Jews; only in a word, befide the feventh day of each week, or weekly Sabbath, (which is the most ordinary acceptation of the word in fcripture) it is put alfo fometimes to fignify a whole week, becaufe every week had a Sabbath included in it, Lev. xxiii. 15. Seven Sabbaths shall be complete," i. e weeks. The Pharifce faith, Luke xviii. 12. I faft twice a week;" orig. neufteuo dis tou Sabbatou. Likewife the word Sabbath is fometimes put to fignify feven years. Lev. xxv. 3. "Thou shalt number

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unto thee feven Sabbaths of years," i. e. (as it is there explained) feven times feven years. Seven years was called among the Jews, a Sabbath of years, becaufe their land refted from culture or husbandry every feventh year, in answer to the church's reiting every feventh day. Hence it is faid, 'Lev. xxv. 4- "The feventh year fhall be a Sabbath of reft unto the land." Befides this, they had their great fabbatical year, or Jubilee, which was every fiftieth year: For, according to Lev. xxv 9. they were to reckon feven Sabbaths of years, or seven times feven years, which is forty-nine, and then to obferve their Jubilee, or fabbattical year. Lastly, The other facred feafts which the Jews kept monthly or annually, are alfo called Sabbaths, in regard of their refting from labour on these days, as on the weekly Sabboth. Hence, Lev. xxiii. 24. the first day of the feventh month, which was their "feaft of trumpets," is called a Sabbath: But the weekly Sabbath is commonly called in Scripture, by way of eminency, the Sabbath; to diftinguish it from all other Sabbaths, and give it the preference to all the other feafts of the Jews. Quest. II. For what ends hath God appointed a weekly Sabbath?

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Anf. 1. God hath appointed it for manifefting of his own glory, and particularly for difplaying his fovereign power and authority over all his creatures. It must certainly be a high acknowledgment of God's univerfal dominion and fupremacy, to have all the world every week, in one day, lay afide their own bufinefs, that they may jointly worship him in a public and folemn manner.

2. He appointed the Sabbath for the benefit of his creatures, and particularly in compaffion to fallen man; for he faw man's heart would be fo glewed to the world, fo drench'd in fenfuality, that, were he left to himself, he would not allow one day in a month, may, in a year, for divine worship; but would have drudged himself, his fervants and beafts, even to death in pursuit of worldly things, without minding any thing that is better. Wherefore a merciful God hath Arictly commanded man to rest one day every week, D 2

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from all worldly concerns, that thereby he might, in a manner, be laid under a neceffity to mind his foul and the things of another world; and, in the mean time, the poor toiled beasts, as well as mens bodies, might have fome reft and ease, for their preservation and support. But more particularly, the Sabbath is defigned for our fouls eternal welfare; in regard,

1. The Sabbath tends highly to our inftruction, and to the keeping up the lively impreffions of the truths of Christianity in our memories. The Sabbath recurring every week, doth ftill of new lay before us a compendious view of these effential doctrines. The creation of the world, man's fall, Chrift's incarnation and satisfaction, his death, refurrection and victory, for completing our redemption: Befides that glorious and eternal reft above, provided for the people of God.

2. It tends to promote holinefs, spirituality, and heavenly mindednefs, in us; and that two ways. 1. By calling us off from temporal to fpiritual employment. Senfual objects through the week are ready to alienate our affections from God, and wear spiritual things out of our minds; for recalling whereof, the Sabbath feafonably returns, and prefents and entertains us with divine objects.

2. By affording us a lively emblem of heaven, and the converfation of the glorified faints, in celebrating that eternal Sabbath above: For, as in heaven there is no buying, felling, nor any worldly business, but a continual fpeaking of God, enjoying communion with him, adoring and praifing him for ever, without any mixture of other affairs; fo the Lord will have an emblem or representation hereof, as near as may be, given weekly to his people on earth, by the Sabbath, wherein they muft lay afide all worldly things, and be wholly employed in the fervice of God, and work of heaven: And this is in order both to keep them in mind of, and make them meet for, that inheritance of the faints in light.

Queft. III. What is to be understood by the morality of the Sabbath, or fourth commandment, fo frequently Spoke of?

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Anf. When we call the Sabbath, or fourth commandment, moral, we mean that it is one of God's moral precepts, or a part of the moral law, i. e the perpetual and unalterable rule given us by God, for regu lating our life and manners: Alfo, by calling it moral, we diftinguish it from the ceremonial law, which was binding for a time only, and abrogated by Christ's coming. The fourth commandment, enjoining the observation of the Sabbath, is not ceremonial, but moral; that is, it is not temporary, but of ftanding and perpetual obligation, and which binds all men, in all ages to the end of the world.

But, that we may have a more diftinct apprehenfion of the morality of the Sabbath, we muft diftinguish betwixt things that are naturally moral, and things pofitively moral. Moral natural is, when the thing required is fo founded upon, and authorized by, the law of nature and right reafon, that it is fit and neceffary to be done, though there had been no expreís command for it; fuch as worshipping God, obeying parents, abftaining from murder, &c. Moral pofitive is fomething enjoined us, which, though it be agreeable to the law of nature, yet carries not fuch a natural evidence in it, as to oblige us, without a divine revelation and exprefs command; but, being once revealed and commanded, it is perpetually binding as well as that which is moral natural. Now, the fourth command is commonly called moral pofitive, though indeed there are feveral things in it, which are of natural equity, and authorised by the law of nature and found reafon; fuch as,

1. That there be a due part of our time ftated and confecrated for the folemn worship and fervice of God, and particularly in public affemblies.

2. That this ftated time or day fhould be univerfal, and the fame through all, that one man's business interfere not with another's devotions.

3. That this day fhould recur in a due frequency, that it neither be fo rare as to hinder our fouls good, or indifpofe us for the duties of it; nor fo frequent, as to deprive us of opportunity for our neceffary fecular employments.

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4. That the holy duties of this day be not marred or interrupted by worldly employments or diverfions; in regard they tend naturally to draw off the mind from God and divine objects. These four things, included in the fourth commandment, I reckon to be of natural equity or moral natural.

There are other things in it, which are of pofitive inftitutior, i. e. binding only by a pofitive law, and exprefs revelation. Of thefe again there is fomething,

1. That is pofitive moral i. e. of perpetual and unalterable obligation; vz. that the forefaid ftated time for God's folemn worship should be the feventh part of our time, or one day in feven. This, by God's law, is become perpetually moral and unalterable; but, if God had not revealed it to us, the law or light of nature could not have determined us to it, nor rendered any folid reason why the feventh rather than the fifth, fixth, or eight part of our time, fhould have been fo confecrated to God: But the Author of nature, who beft knows what proportion of time fuits beft both to mens bodies and fpirits, and how oft it should recur, fo as to answer beft the exigencies both of our present and future life, hath wifely determined it to be a seventh part, or one day in feven: And can any man say but it is a moft rational and fair determination? Had he dealt with us strictly, he might have taken the fix days, and left us but one: But fince he hath taken but one, and allowed us fix, we ought to acknowledge that the Lord hath dealt graciously and liberally with us. Nay, ⚫ had it been referred to ourselves, could we have given less time than this to God, from whom we have all our time, nay, our very being, and all the good things we enjoy?

But, 2dly, There is in the fourth commandment fomething that is pofitive ceremonial, or mutable, viz. The obfervation of the laft day of the feven for the Sabbath. This indeed was enjoined at first, though not directly and principally, as anywife effential to the command for the Sabbath; but only in a fecondary way, as a circumstance of the command, which was to be altered when God pleased. It belonged not to the

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