of the week, and not on the seventh, or any other? but for these reasons: 1. They had their public meeting on this day, and fo had more conveniency for gathering their charity on this day, than upon another. 2. 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 Sab bath transferred to the first day of the week, and particularly this duty of public charity, there being a peculiar fitness in this day for it, in regard we are called this day to commemorate Chrift's infinite charity to our fouls, and also 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 protests, 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 as 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 apostles direction; nor would the apostles have determined fo, without knowing the mind of Chrift.

A fourth fcripture is, Rev. i. 10. where John faith of himfelf, that he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day;" which, to be fure, is no other than the Chriftian Sabbath, getting the denomination from our Lord Jesus Chrift, and his rifing from the dead therupon, and frequent 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 apoftle 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 ifle 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 thefe reafons: 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 special 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 ufes, 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 all his enemies.

4. It is called the Lord's day, because the Lord Jefus Christ, his person 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 conftant and uninterrupted practice of all Chrift's churches through the world fince the apoftles 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 esteem, and made it a badge of their religion, to obferve it carefully, as appears from the writings of Juftin Martyr, Tertullian, Örigen, &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. I

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the week, the Lord's day, as the queen of all days." It is a remarkable faying of Auguftine," as the virgin Mary was bleffed above all women, fo is the first day of the week bleffed above all days."

VIII. The confciences of men plead for the divine authority of the Lord's day. Surely it is God, who is the fupreme Lord and Sovereign of mens confciences, that directs this his deputy in men, to excite and prefs the fo clofsly to the obfervation of this day, and alfo to challenge and fmite them fo fharply for the neglect and profanation of it And indeed there is no fin that confcience more commonly accufes wicked men of, than the breach of the Lord's day: And hence it is, that many malefactors, at their last hour, when most ferious, do moft bitterly bewail it: acknowledging that their Sabbath breaking was their leading fin, and the occafion of all the rest of their wicked courfes; having provoked God to leave them, and give them up to the Tufts of their own hearts, and temptations of the devil. Clark, in his 2d vol. of Examples, tells us of one Thomas Savage (a young man who was executed at Ratchfl, October 28. 1668, for murdering his fellow fervant) that whilft he was in prifon, cried out to some that came to visit him, after this manner; “ Oh wretch that I was! I ftudied how I might ipend the Lord's day in the devil's work; at that time when 1 fhould have been ferving God, I was bufieft in ferving fatan. 1 was glad when the Sabbath came, for then I had leifure to purfue my lufts and pleatures. I fometimes went in to the church, but I never ftaid the time of a whole fermon. I laughed at those who spent the Sabbaths in hearing and praying, and locked on them as the verief fools in the world. O tell young men from me, that Sabbath-breaking is a dangerous and costly fin," &c.

Turner on Providence, gives an account of one Edmund Kirk, vintner, executed at Tyburn, July 11. 1684, for murdering his wife, who in his confeflion lamented his frequent profanation of the Lord's day; " Upon which holy day (faith he) I committed the heinous fin of murdering my poor wife." Thus one fin was pu

nished with another, Sabbath-breaking with murder, and that with the gallows. Likewife, he tells of ano

ther, executed May 25 1687, for theft; who in his confeffion, faid, "That it was his earneft defire, that all, young men efpecially, fhould take care not to spend the Lord's day." And the author's remark is, that he doth not know that ever he obferved any repentance in a malefactor, who did not bitterly lament his negle& of his duty to God on that day

IX. In the last place. The difpenfations of divine providence may be brought in, as giving fuffrage to the fanctification of the Lord's day. God hath highly honoured this day, by doing many mighty works upon it: On this day he created the light, and began to make the world; on this day he gave the law from mount Sinai, as Grotius obferves. Nay, it is affirmed by an ancient council held at Conftantinople, Counc. 6. Can. 8. That Chrifl was born on the Lord's day, and the ftar fhined to the wife men on it. Chrift fed the five thousand with the five loaves and two fishes on this day; that he was baptized, role from the dead, and fent down the Holy Ghoft on this day." And fome of the ancients have further affirmed, that whatfoever notable thing was done in the world, the Lord ordered it fo, was done to the honour of this day. Thus God hath confecrated the first day of the week, or Chriftian Sabbath, by doing fo many of his wonderful works upon it; to intimate to us, that it is his will we thould fanctify this day, and obferve it weekly, for publishing and proclaiming his worthy acts, and keeping up the memory of Chrift's nativity, paffion, relurrection, &c. to the end of the world, without inftituting days of our own for thefe ends.

Moreover there are various difpenfations from God, both of mercy and judgment, that conclude for the obfervation of this holy day. The gracious providences, that attend the confcientious obfervers of the Lord's day, are moft remarkable. On thefe the Lord pours down the gracious influences of his Spirit, in his ordinances difpenfed this day; he eminently bleffeth them with increafe of grace, tenderness of confcience, and

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holiness of life; and with all his best bleffings, both fpiritual and temporal. God hath now for thefe 1700 years paft, granted all his churches through the world, many fignal marks of his favour and prefence in obferving the Lord's day, which they could not have expected, had they been in an error in keeping it. How often hath he poured out his Spirit upon them when attending ordinances on this day, and bleffed them with conviction, converfion, and manifeftations of his love? Nay, the univerfal experience of Chriftians do teftify, that all the bleffings and mercies, promised to the obfervers of the Sabbath under the Old Testament, are now transferred and accomplished to the keepers of the Chriftian Sabbath: For, the change of the day being by divine authority, the first day Sabbath doth lawfully fucceed to all the privileges, promifes, and threatenings formerly pertaining to the feventh day Sabbath. We fee what bleffings are promised to the keeping of the Sabbath of old, both spiritual and temporal; that is a remarkable word, Jer. xvii. 24. 26.

If ye hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work therein, then they fhall come from the cities of Judah, and all other places, bringing burnt offerings, and facrifices, and meat-offerings, and incenfe, and bringing facrifices of praise unto the house of the Lord;" i. a. When the Sabbath is duly obferved, then the church. fhall flourish, religion fhall be promoted, and the name of God highly exalted. And do we not see this promife vifibly accomplished to fuch churches and perfons as ftrictly fanctify the Lord's day? Among fuch Chriftianity doth flourish, knowledge is encreased, reformation is advanced, grace is multiplied, and a confcientious regard is had to all the other duties of religion.

Again, we find temporal mercies annexed to the keping of the Sabbath, Ifa. Iviii. 13. 14. "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath," i. e. If thou ceasest from prophaning it, "I will cause thee to ride on the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father;" i. e. Thou fhalt be bleffed with outward profperity, and many earthly enjoyments. This is again confirmed in Jer. xvii. 24. 25. If ye diligently