be then in vain, they may continue the course they have now chofen: imprecations and blafphemies may be still their employment; despair their refuge; and accurfed fpirits, whom they have resembled on earth, be their companions and tormentors to all eternity,

SER

HE prodigious folemnity with

TH

which the ten commandments were delivered, from a mountain burning with fire, by the voice of God, gave them a diftinction above the rest of the Law of Mofes; though it was all derived from one fountain of wisdom, and enjoined by

Exod.

xxxii. 16.

the felffame authority. The people of the Jews could not but pay a peculiar respect to precepts, uttered by the Almighty himself in their own ears: and their pofterity, and all men indeed, must be led to think, that thefe laws were not felected from the reft, and accompanied with fuch marks of honour, without fome fuperiour merit; but the obfervance of them must be either more eminently acceptable to the Supreme Lawgiver, or, which is in reality the fame, more neceffary for the good of men.

The fubject matter of these commands appears also upon examination to be anfwerable to fuch expectations. They contain the great principles of human duty, the fundamental rules of religion and morality. Besides the great authority impreffed on them, there is an original, intrinfic value in all the laws which have found a place in that literally Divine compofition, of which the tables

were

were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God.

If there be any objection to this observation; any precept among this chosen number, that in it's own nature is not effential to religion and virtue, but owes all it's obligation to the revealed will of the Lawgiver, it is this, Remember that thou keep holy the fabbath day. Six days Shalt thou labour, and do all that thou haft to do but the feventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.

In the ftrictness, in which this precept was enjoined to the Jews, it is to be confidered as making a part of their ritual law, and expiring with the commencement of Christianity.

Amongst all the discourses of our Lord, and all the writings of his Apoftles, in which the duties of men are raised to the highest pitch, and preffed with the greatest earneft

F 4

earneftness; there is not to be found one word to recommend the ftrict, or indeed any obfervance of the Sabbath. Can it be ranked among the duties of Chriftians?

Be it, that a regular system of virtues is not defigned to be drawn up in the New Teftament; and that the Jews, in those days at least, were fufficiently obfervant of the Sabbath: can we fuppofe that the Gentile converts, to whom fo many of the Epiftles are addreffed, had been every where so well inftructed in this duty, if it was a duty to them; and fo thoroughly accustomed to the practice of it, as to ftand in no further need of information. or counsel?

Secondly, Several of the miracles and difcourfes of our Lord tended plainly to diminish the veneration for the Sabbath; and, as it may be thought, to prepare the minds of men for the abolition or alteration of it. The Jews indeed were su

per