cised in continual meditations on the spiritual rest; that he appointed the seventh day, either because he foresaw it would be sufficient, or in order that the proposal of a resemblance to his own example might operate as a stronger stimulus to the people, or at least to apprize them that the only end of the sabbath was to promote their conformity to their Creator. For this is of little importance, provided we retain the mystery, which is principally exhibited, of a perpetual rest from our own works. To the contemplation of this, the prophets used frequently to recal the Jews, that they might not suppose themselves to have discharged their duty merely by a cessation from manual labours. Beside the passages already cited, we have the following in Isaiah: "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord," &c. (0) But all that it contained of a ceremonial nature was without doubt abolished by the advent of the Lord Christ. For he is the truth, at whose presence all figures disappear; the body, on the prospect of which all the shadows are relinquished. He, I say, is the true fulfilment of the sabbath. Having been "buried with him by baptism, we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, that being partakers of his. resurrection, we may walk in newness of life." (p) Therefore the apostle says in another place, that "the sabbath was a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ:" (q) that is the real substance of the truth, which he has beautifully explained in that passage. This is contained not in one day but in the whole course of our life, till being wholly dead to ourselves, we be filled with the life of God. Christians therefore ought to depart from all superstitious observance of days.

XXXII. As the two latter causes however ought not to be numbered among the ancient shadows, but are equally suitable to all ages; though the sabbath is abrogated, yet it is still customary among us, to assemble on stated days for hearing

(0) Isaiah lviii. 13, 14.

(p) Rom. vi. 4, &c.

(9) Col. ii. 16, 17.

the word, for breaking the mystic bread, and for public prayers; and also to allow servants and labourers a remission from their labour. That in commanding the sabbath, the Lord had regard to both these things, cannot be doubted. The first is abundantly confirmed even by the practice of the Jews. The second is proved by Moses, in Deuteronomy, in these words, "that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt." (r) Also, in Exodus: "that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy hand-maid, and the stranger may be refreshed." (s) Who can deny that both these things are as proper for us as for the Jews? Assemblies of the Church are enjoined in the Divine word, and the necessity of them is sufficiently known even from the experience of life. Unless there be stated days appointed for them, how can they be held? According to the direction of the apostle, "all things" are to "be done decently and in order" among us. (t) But so far is it from being possible to preserve order and decorum without this regulation, that if it were abolished the Church would be in imminent danger of immediate convulsion and ruin. But if we feel the same necessity, to relieve which the Lord enjoined the sabbath upon the Jews, let no one plead that it does not belong to us. For our most provident and indulgent Father hath been no less attentive to provide for our necessity than for that of the Jews. But why, it may be asked, do we not rather assemble on every day, that so all distinction of days may be removed? I sincerely wish that this were practised; and truly spiritual wisdom would be well worthy of some portion of time being daily allotted to it: but if the infirmity of many persons will not admit of daily assemblies, and charity does not permit us to require more of them; why should we not obey the rule, which we have imposed upon us by the will of God?

XXXIII. I am obliged to be rather more diffuse on this point, because in the present age some unquiet spirits have been raising noisy contentions respecting the Lord's day. They complain that Christians are tinctured with Judaism, because

() Deut. v. 14, 15.

(s) Exod. xxiii, 12.

(t) 1 Cor. xiv. 40.

they retain any observance of days. But I reply, that the Lord's day is not observed by us upon the principles of Judaism; because in this respect the difference between us and the Jews is very great. For we celebrate it not with scrupulous rigour as a ceremony which we conceive to be a figure of some spiritual mystery; but only use it as a remedy necessary to the preservation of order in the Church. But they say, Paul teaches that those who observe it are not to be accounted Christians, because it is a shadow of something future. (v) Therefore he is "afraid lest" he has "bestowed" on the Galatians "labour in vain," because they continued to "observe days." (w) And in the Epistle to the Romans, he asserts him to be "weak in the faith," who " esteemeth one day above another." (x) But who, these furious zealots only excepted, does not see what observance the apostle intends? For they did not observe them for the sake of political and ecclesiastical order; but because they retained them as shadows of spiritual things, they were guilty of obscuring the glory of Christ and the light of the Gospel. They did not therefore rest from their manual labours, as from employments which would divert them from sacred studies and meditations; but from a principle of superstition, imagining their cessation from labour to be still an expression of reverence for the mysteries formerly represented by it. This preposterous distinction of days theapostle strenuously opposes; and not that legitimate difference which promotes the peace of the Christian Church. For in the churches which he founded, the sabbath was retained for this purpose. He prescribes the same day to the Corinthians, for making collections for the relief of the brethren at Jerusalem. If superstition be an object of fear, there was more danger in the feasts of the Jews, than in the Lord's days now observed by Christians. Now whereas it was expedient for the destruction of superstition, the day which the Jews kept holy was abolished; and it being necessary for the preservation of decorum, order, and peace in the Christian Church, another day was appointed for the same use.

XXXIV. However, the ancients have not without sufficient

(7) Col. ii. 16, 17. (w) Gal. iv. 10, 11.

(x) Rom. xiv. 5.

reason substituted what we call the Lord's day in the room of the sabbath. For since the resurrection of the Lord is the end and consummation of that true rest, which was adumbrated by the ancient sabbath; the same day, which put an end to the shadows, admonishes Christians not to adhere to a shadowy ceremony. Yet I do not lay so much stress on the septenary number, that I would oblige the Church to an invariable adherence to it; nor will I condemn those churches, which have other solemn days for their assemblies, provided they keep at a distance from superstition. And this will be the case, if they be only designed for the observance of discipline and well regulated order. Let us sum up the whole in the following manner. As the truth was delivered to the Jews under a figure, so it is given to us without any shadows; first, in order that during our whole life we should meditate on a perpetual rest from our own works, that the Lord may operate within us by his Spirit; secondly, that every man, whenever he has leisure, should diligently exercise himself in private in pious reflections on the works of God, and also that we should at the same time observe the legitimate order of the Church, appointed for the hearing of the word, for the administration of the sacraments, and for public prayer; thirdly, that we should not unkindly oppress those who are subject to us. Thus vanish all the dreams of false prophets, who in past ages have infected the people with a Jewish notion, affirming that nothing but the ceremonial part of this commandment, which according to them is the appointment of the seventh day, has been abrogated, but that the moral part of it, that is the observance of one day in seven, still remains. But this is only changing the day in contempt of the Jews, while they retain the same opinion of the holiness of a day; for on this principle the same mysterious signification would still be attributed to particular days, which they formerly obtained among the Jews. And indeed we see what advantages have arisen from such a sentiment. For those who adhere to it, far exceed the Jews in a gross, carnal, and superstitious observance of the sabbath; so that the reproofs, which we find in Isaiah, are equally as applicable to them in the present age, as to those whom the prophet reproved in his time. But the principal thing to be

remembered is the general doctrine; that, lest religion decay or languish among us, sacred assemblies ought diligently to be held, and that we ought to use those external means which are adapted to support the worship of God.

THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.

HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER: THAT THY DAYS MAY BE LONG UPON THE LAND WHICH THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE.

XXXV. The end of this precept is, that since the Lord God desires the preservation of the order he has appointed, the degrees of pre-eminence fixed by him ought to be inviolably preserved. The sum of it therefore will be, that we should reverence them, whom God hath exalted to any authority over us, and should render them honour, obedience, and gratitude. Whence follows a prohibition to derogate from their dignity by contempt, obstinacy, or ingratitude. For in the Scripture the word "honour" has an extensive signification; as when the apostle directs that "the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honour," (y) he means not only that they are entitled to reverence; but likewise such a remuneration as their ministry deserves. But as this precept which enjoins subjection to superiors is exceedingly repugnant to the depravity of human nature, whose ardent desire of exaltation will scarcely admit of obedience, it has therefore proposed as an example that kind of superiority which is naturally most amiable and least invidious; because that might the more easily mollify and incline our minds to a habit of submission. By that subjection therefore which is most easy to be borne the Lord accustoms us by degrees to every kind of legitimate subjection; because the reason of all is the same. For to those, to whom he gives any pre-eminence, he communicates his own authority, as far as is necessary for the preservation of that pre-eminence. The titles of Father, God, and Lord, are so eminently applicable to him, that whenever we hear either of them mentioned, our minds cannot but be strongly