of the time of the resurrection in the evangelists. "When the sabbath was past," saith St. Mark, which was the day after the preparation on which he was buried, “very early in the morning the first day of the week." "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week," saith St. Matthew. "Upon the first day of the week early in the morning," saith St. Luke. "The first day of the week early when it was yet dark," saith St. John. By all which indications it appeareth that the body of Christ being laid in the sepulchre on the day of the preparation, which was the eve of the sabbath, and continuing there the whole sabbath following, which was the conclusion of that week, and farther resting there still and remaining dead the night which followed that sabbath, but belonged to the first day of the next week, about the end of that night early in the morning was revived by the accession and union of his soul, and rose again out of the sepulchre.

Whereby it came to pass, that the obligation of the day, which was then the sabbath, died and was buried with him, but in a manner by a diurnal transmutation revived again at his resurrection. Well might that day which carried with it a remembrance of that great deliverance from the Egyptian servitude, resign all the sanc tity or solemnity due unto it, when that morning once appeared, upon which a far greater redemption was confirmed. One day of seven was set apart by God in imitation of his rest upon the creation of the world, and that seventh day which was sanctified to the Jews was reckoned in relation to their deliverance from Egypt. At the second delivery of the law we find this particular cause assigned, "Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched-out arm; therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath-day," Deut. v. 15. Now this could not be any special reason why the Jews should observe a seventh day; first, because in reference to their redemp tion, the number of seven had no more relation than any other number; secondly, because the reason of a seventh day was before rendered in the body of the command

ment itself. There was therefore a double reason rendered by God why the Jews should keep that sabbath which they did; one special, as to a seventh day, to show they worshipped that God who was the creator of the world; the other individual, as to that seventh day, to signify their deliverance from the Egyptian bondage, from which that seventh day was dated.

Seeing then upon the resurrection of our Saviour a greater deliverance and far more plenteous redemption was wrought than that of Egypt, and therefore a greater observance was due unto it than to that, the individual determination of the day did pass upon a stronger reason to another day, always to be repeated by a seventh return upon the reference to the creation. As there was a change in the year at the coming out of Egypt, by the command of God; "This month, the month of Abib, shall be unto you the beginning of months, it shall be the first month of the year to you," Exod. xii. 2; so at this time of a more eminent deliverance a change was wrought in the hebdomadal or weekly account, and the first day is made the seventh, or the seventh after that first is sanctified; the first day, because on that Christ rose from the dead; and the seventh day from that first for ever, because he who rose upon that day was the same God who created the world, and rested on the seventh day; "for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth; all things were created by him and for him." Col. i. 16.

This day did the apostles from the beginning most religiously observe, by their meeting together for holy purposes, and to perform religious duties. The first observation was performed providentially, rather by the design of God than any such inclination or intention of their own; for "the same day," saith the evange list, that is, the day on which Christ rose from the dead, "at evening, being the first day of the week, the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews," John xx. 19. The second observation was performed voluntarily, "for after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them," John xx. 26. The first day of the week, when Christ rose by the providence of God, the

disciples were together, but Thomas was absent; upon the first day of the next week they were all met together again in expectation of our Saviour, and Thomas with them. Again; "when the day of Pentecost was fully come," which was also the first day of the week," they were all with one accord in one place;" and having (received the promise of the Holy Ghost, they spake with tongues, preached the gospel, and the same day were added unto them about three thousand souls, Acts ïï. 41. The same practice of convening we find continued in the following years; for " upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them," Acts xx. 7: and the same apostle gave express command concerning the collection for the saints both to the churches of Galatia and of Corinth: "Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him."

From this resurrection of our Saviour, and the constant practice of the apostles, this first day of the week came to have the name of the Lord's day, and is so called by St John, who says of himself in the Revelation, “I was in the spirit on the Lord's day," Rev. i. 10. And thus the observation of that day which the Jews did sanctify, ceased, and was buried with our Saviour; and in the stead of it the religious observation of that day on which the Son of God rose from the dead, by the constant practice of the blessed apostles, was transmitted to the church of God, and so continued in all ages.

This day thus consecrated by the resurrection of Christ was left as the perpetual badge and cognizance of his church. As God spake by Moses to the Israelites, "Verily, my sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you," Exod. xxxi. 13; thereby leaving a mark of distinction upon the Jews, who were by this means known to worship that God whose name was Jehovah, who made the world, and delivered them from the hands of Pharaoh; so we must conceive that he hath given us this day as a sign between him and us for ever, whereby we may be known to worship the same God Jehovah, who did not

only create heaven and earth in the beginning, but also raised his eternal Son from the dead for our redemption. As therefore the Jews do still retain the celebration of the seventh day of the week, because they will not believe any greater deliverance wrought than that of Egypt; as the Mahometans religiously observe the sixth day of the week in memory of Mahomet's flight from Mecca, whom they esteem a greater prophet than our Saviour; as these are known and distinguished in the world by these several celebrations of distinct days in the worship of God; so all who profess the Christian religion are known publicly to belong unto the church of Christ by observing the first day of the week, upon which Christ did rise from the dead, and by this mark of distinction are openly separated from all other professions.

That Christ did thus rise from the dead, is a most necessary article of the Christian faith, which all are obliged to believe and profess, to the meditation whereof the apostle hath given a particular injunction," Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead," 2 Tim. ii. 8; first, because without it our faith is vain, and by virtue of it, strong. By this we áre assured that he who died was the Lord of life; and though he were "crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God." By this resurrection from the dead, he " was declared to be the Son of God ;" and upon the morning of the third day did those words of the Father manifest a most important truth, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." In his death he assured us of his humanity, by his resurrection he demonstrated his Divinity.

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Secondly; by his resurrection we are assured of the Justification of our persons; and "if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead," it will be imputed to us for righteousness; for he " was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification," Rom. iv. 24. By his death we know that he suffered for sin, by his resurrection we are assured that the sins for which he suffered were not his own: had no man been a sinner, he had not died; had he been a sinner, he had not risen again: but dying for those sins whic

we committed, he rose from the dead to show that he had made full satisfaction for them, that we believing in him might obtain remission of our sins, and justification of our persons. "God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh," and raising up our surety from the prison of the grave, did actually absolve, and apparently acquit him from the whole obligation to which he had bound himself, and in discharging him acknowledged full satisfaction made for us. "Who then shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again," Rom. viii. 33.

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Thirdly; it was necessary to pronounce the resurrection of Christ as an article of our faith, that thereby we might ground, confirm, strengthen, and declare our hope; for "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled," 1 Pet. i. 3. By the resurrection of Christ, his Father hath been said to have begotten him; and therefore by the same he hath begotten us who are called brethren and co-heirs with Christ; for "if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life." Rom. v. 10. He laid down his life, but it was for us; and being to take up his own, he took up ours. We are the members of that body of which Christ is the Head; if the Head be risen, the members cannot be far behind. He is the "first-born from the dead," and we "the sons of the resurrection," Col. i. 18. The Spirit of Christ abiding in us maketh us the members of Christ, and by the same Spirit we have a full right and title to rise with our Head; "for if the Spirit of him that raiseth up Jesus from the dead dwell in us, he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us," Rom viii. 11. Thus the resurrection of Christ is the cause of our resurrection by a double causality, as an efficient and as an exemplary cause; as an efficient cause, in regard our Saviour by

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