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day, and thereby gave us a plain intimation of his will, that it fhould be obferved in his church, as the Chriftian Sabbath, or the weekly day of holy reft and holy convocations. That one day in feven thould be religi, oufly obferved in this manner, was a law from the beginning, and that as old as the state of innocence (as I thewed before.) But that, in the kingdom of the Mef fiah, the first day of the week fhould be that folemn day; this was indication enough, that Chrift on that. day once and again met his difciples in a religious; affembly. And it is highly probable, that at his first meeting with them, he appointed them that day eight days to be together again, promifing to meet them; for we find them more chapterly convened that day than the former, John xx. 26. " And after eight days, again his difciples were within, and Thomas with them," as it would feem waiting for Chrift's coming. And many are of opinion, that he thus continued to meet with them every first day of the week, till his afcenfion, "fpeaking to them the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." Acts i. 3.

Chrift's meeting with them that day was not merely occafional, but defigned; as appears by the exprefs mentioning of the first day of the week fo oft as he met them. For, when Chrift met with his difciples on any other day of the week, we are not told what day it was, whether the second, third or fourth day of the week; but when he meets with them on the first day, the holy Ghoft names and records that, thereby afcribing fome. thing peculiar to it above all the reft.

VI. The obfervation of the first day of the week is alfo authorised by the divinely infpired apoftles of Christ, and founders of the Chriftian church, and that both by their example and direction. We have them both directing and performing the duties of the Sabbath on this day, and alfo afferring Christ's propriety in it as his; all which is evident from fcripture.

In the forecited fcriptures, where we read of Chrift's appearances to his disciples, we also read of their affembling together on the first day of the week feveral times;

which certainly was for the public worship of God, and in honour of this day. For, when they met on other days of the week, it is not told what thefe were; but, when they met on the firft day of the week, the Holy Ghoft records that; which fhews it to be a remarkable day in itfelf, and obferved as fuch by the difciples of Chrift, and that in a religious way.

But, befides thefe, I fhall adduce four other fcriptures, that clearly demonftrate what is above afferted.

The firft is, Acts ii. 1. 2. where it is recorded, that "the apostles and other brethren were met all together on the day of Pentecoft in one place." This meeting was for public worship on the first day of the week, according to their wonted practice. It is not in the temple with the Jews, but in a houfe in Jerufalem by themselves.

Queft. How prove you that it was on the first day of the week? Anf. Becaufe it is evident from fcripture, that the paffover that year fell on the Jewish Sabbath; and Pentecoft being ftill the fiftieth day after the paffover, it confequently fell that year on the first day of the week, or the Lord's day. Pentecoft is a Greek word, fignifying the fiftieth, called fo because of its being ftill the fiftieth day after the paffover, a Jewish feaft, which fell fometimes upon one day of the week, and sometimes on another; but this year it fell on the laft or seventh day of the week. Pentecoft was another feaft of the Jews, but kept in remembrance of God's giving the law that day on mount Sinai, being the fiftieth day after their eating the paffover and coming out of Egypt. And confequently, Pentecoft falling this year upon the first day of the week, our Lord's refurrection day, the apoftles and brethren affembled for celebrating this day by public worship. Now, let us obferve how remarkably God confirmed their keep, ing of theft day of the week, and bleffed their meeting together upon it for worship: He even fent down. that extraordinary effufion of the Holy Ghoft upon them, for fitting and furnishing them for the extraordinary work of planting the Chriftian church, and converting the world. This was a folemn approbation of

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the Chriftian Sabbath, and a feal to its inftitution from heaven, which did confirm all Chriftians in the cele brating of this day for the future: And many times have they experienced the gracious effufions of the Spirit on their public affemblies this day fince that time. It is obferved by Grotius, upon Exod. xix. 1. That it was on the first day of the week that the law was given in its fearful promulgation from mount Sinai. But though God made that in fome refpect a terrible day to them, yet he makes it weekly a joyful day to us, by the comfortable promulgation of the gofpel thereupon from mount Zion.

A fecond fcripture is, Acts xx. 7. " And upon the first day of the week, when the difciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them," &c. Whence it is plain that the first day of the week was then the ftated time for Chriftians their meeting together, for the preaching of the word, and celebrating of the Lord's fupper; for this is recorded as their customary known practice. Paul had been at Troas feven days, and confequently was there upon the Jewish Sabbath; but there is no word of any meeting among them on that day, or any other day of the week: But when the first day of the week comes, the church is folemnly convened, and perform the work of the Sabbath on this day. Paul was ready to depart from that place, only he must stay till the first day of the week, that he might meet with the whole church, and preach to them before he leave them; and fo, according to their custom,, they all affemble together, and he fanctifies the Sabbath with them, by preaching and difpenfing the facrament, and that even till midnight; for they did not foon weary, at that time, of the work and duties of the Lord's day. A third fcripture is, 1 Cor. xvi. 1. 2. Now concerning the collection for the faints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even fo do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in ftore," &c. Whence it is plain, that the apoftle injoins the church of Corinth, in conformity with o ther churches, to make their collection for the poor on the first day of the week. Now, why on the firft day

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of the week, and not on the feventh, or any other? but for thefe reafons: 1. They had their public meeting on this day, and fo had more conveniency for gathering their charity on this day, than upon another. The first day of the week was now come in place of the old Sabbath, on which day collections were made in the Jewish fynagogues; for the giving of alms was always reckoned a proper duty for the Sabbath day: But now the apoftle will have all the duties of the Sabbath transferred to the firft day of the week, and parti cularly this duty of public charity, there being a peculiar fitnefs in this day for it, in regard we are called. this day to commemorate Chrift's infinite charity to our fouls, and alfo to receive new bleflings and expreffions of bounty from him; and therefore fhould be the more liberal to his poor faints. I hope, there is none that will fay that the apoftle had not Chrift's warrant for what he appointed in this matter; for in this epiftle he protefts, that "he delivered nothing to them, but. what he had received from the Lord, and had his command for;" fee 1 Cor. xi. 23. & xiv. 43. It is ast clear as light, from the forefaid teftimony, and many others, that the primitive Chriftians had their affemblies on the first day of the week, which they would not have had without the apoftles direction; nor would the apoftles have determined fo, without knowing the mind of Chrift.

A fourth fcripture is, Rev. i. 10. where John faithof himself, that "he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day," which, to be fure, is no other than the Christian Sabbath, getting the denomination from our Lord Jesus Chrift, and his rifing from the dead therupon, and free. quent meetings with his difciples this day; and to this day it ftill retains this title of the Lord's day, being a day fpecially inftituted for the honour of our Lord, and confecrated for his fervice and worship. The apostle wrote this book near the end of the first century, and calls this day by that name which it commonly got then, and fpeaks of it as a day univerfally notour and remarkable for the Chriftians obfervation of it. The apostle, at this time, was banished into the isle of Patmos by

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Domitian the emperor, where probably he wanted the opportunity of the public affemblies on this day; yet he is employed in fanctifying the Lord's day in a private way; he is in the Spirit, i. e. in a fpiritual frame, and taken up in fpiritual exercises, meditation and prayer (which are proper duties for the Sabbath) and the Lord rewards this his confcientious. regard to this day, with the revelation of these great things which were afterwards to fall out to the church to the end of the world.

Moreover, it is obfervable, that the Lord puts his name on this day; for the Holy Ghoft calls it here the Lord's day, and that for these reasons: 1. Because of its deriving its inftitution from him: So the prayer, dictate by him, is called the Lord's prayer; the facrament of his fupper, institute by him, is called the Lord's fupper.

2. It is called the Lord's, because of his fpecial propriety in it: He hath feparated and fet apart from common ufe, and confecrated it wholly to his ufe and fervice So the facrament is called the Lord's table, because of its being confecrated for holy uses, and fo fet apart and diftinguished from all other tables.

3. Because of its being dedicate to his honour and memory, being the day in which he conquered death, got a total victory, and triumphed over alf his enemies.

4. It is called the Lord's day, because the Lord Jefus Chrift, his perfon and mediation, is the principal subject of this day.

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VII. Another argument for the obfervation of the Christian Sabbath, may be drawn from the constant and uninterrupted practice of all Chrift's churches through the world fince the apostles days; they have all continued to obferve the Lord's day for holy worship. the ancient fathers and Chriftians had the Lord's day in great efteem, and made it a badge of their religion, to observe it carefully, as appears from the writings of Juftin Martyr, Tertullian, Origen, &c. Ignatius, that ancient father, who lived fo near Chrift's times, in his epiftles highly recommends the Lord's day: "Let every one that loveth Chrift (faith he) obferve the first day of VOL. IV.

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