judicious reader will readily accommodate, especially in the latter case, to facts and circumstances of a similar nature here.

Most earnestly hoping that this work may be widely diffused through the country, and have all the influence under the divine blessing, which it is so well calculated to exert,

I remain yours truly, ELEAZER LORD. New York, May, 1831.

CONTENTS.

PREFACE to the American Edition,

Pastoral Address,

SERMON I.

Genesis ii. 1-3,

THE INSTITUTION OF A WEEKLY SABBATH IN PAR-

ADISE, AND ITS CONTINUED AUTHORITY, UN T'IL

THE DELIVERY OF THE MORAL LAW.

The importance of the subject,

'The plan of the work announced,

The DIRECT REASONS for believing the Sabbath to have been
instituted at the time when the sacred narrative begins,

The JUST INFERENCES to be drawn from them,

TRACES of the observation of a weekly rest, during the PA-

TRIARCHAL AGES,

The MANNER in which the Sabbath was revived before the
commencement of the MOSAICAL ECONOMY,

Observe the EXTREME VIOLENCE which is done to the Chris-

tian faith, by the attempt to explain away the institution

of the Christian Sabbath in Paradise,

Adore and praise the ALMIGHTY FATHER OF ALL, for the DIS-

TINCT GLORIES Shed upon the day of religious repose,

SERMON II.

Exodus xx. 8-11,

THE AUTHORITY AND DIGNITY OF THE SABBATH

UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES.

The INSERTION OF THE LAW OF THE SABBATH into the DEC-

ALOGUE,

The SABBATH appeared HỊGH AND DISTINCT above all the

CEREMONIAL USAGES,

The SABBATH was insisted upon by the PROPHETS, AS OF

ESSENTIAL MORAL OBLIGATION, and as DESTINED TO FORM

A PART OF THE GOSPEL DISPENSATION,

Let us give to the holy day of rest that PROMINENCY IN OUR

ESTEEM, which Moses was instructed to give it in his dis-

pensation,

Let us imbibe the SPIRIT OF LOVE AND DELIGHT in the wor-

ship of God, which the psalms and prophets display,

The AWFUL INDIGNATION of Almighty God against the con-

tempt of his name and his day,

Let us IMITATE THE HEROIC ZEAL of Ezra and Nehemiah,

in vindicating the sanctity of the Sabbath,

Let us dread the FALSE VIEW of the character of God, and

of the nature of Christianity, which are associated with

the violation of the Lord's day,

SERMON III.

Mark ii. 27, 28.

THE SABBATH VINDICATED, UNDER THE GOSPEL

FROM PHARISAICAL AUSTERITIES, AND SET

FORTH IN MORE THAN ITS ORIGINAL DIGNITY

AND GLORY.

The RECOGNITION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, and of the

FOURTH amongst the number, which our Lord and his

apostles make,

•

OUR LORD HONORED THE SABBATH on all occasions, and

never violated its sanctity,

NOTHING IS ABROGATED UNDER THE CHRISTIAN DISPENSA-

TION, WITH RESPECT TO THE SABBATH, but those tem-

porary and figurative enactments, which constituted the

peculiarities of the Jewish age,

The DISTINGUISHING PROMISE of the New Testament, has

for its object to RENDER THE DUTIES OF THE SABBATH

more delightful, and thus increases tenfold their obliga-

tion,

109

Let every one YIELD to these accumulated proofs,

Let every one SHUN THE INGRATITUDE of making use of

the compassion of our Savior to the tacit disparagement

of the Sabbath itself,

We plead for the CHRISTIAN SABBATH, for which the Holy

Spirit is especially given,

SERMON IV.

Revelations i. 10.

THE SABBATH TRANSFERRED BY DIVINE AUTHOR-

ITY, FROM THE SEVENTH TO THE FIRST DAY OF

THE WEEK, OR LORD'S DAY.

The PREPARATORY CIRCUMSTANCES which lay a probable

ground for the change of the day:

1. The prominence given to the proportion of time, both at

the first institution in Paradise, and in the wording of the

fourth commandment,

110

111

113

114

2. The probability that the computation of time was lost, in

the bondage of Egypt,

116

3. The freedom and universality of the gospel dispensation, 117

4. The word of prophecy,

119

5. A complete revolution' actually took place in the whole

state of the church,

120

6. The claims which Christ advanced during his ministry,

of legislating for the Sabbath, as its Sovereign and Lord, 123

The MANNER IN WHICH THE CHANGE OF THE SABBATH

FROM THE LAST to the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, was

gradually introduced by the DIVINE AUTHORITY of our

LORD and his apostles,

126

·

1. Our Savior, after his passion, began to introduce the ac-

tual change tacitly and gently, by his own divine conduct, 127

2. The first day is marked by the gift of the great promise of

the dispensation,

129

130

3. The doctrine and conduct of the apostles will be found to

bring in more decidedly the new day of the Sabbath,

4. The events of God's wonderful providence completed the

change,

133

torian's

5. Ecclesiastical historians bear witness to the observation

of the first

135

6. A perpetual blessing has attended, and now attends, the

Christian Sabbath,

138

RECAPITULATION OF THE EVIDENCE that all the obligations

that can combine to enforce a moral command upon man

unite in the case of the Christian Sabbath,

138

140

141

ADORE THE WISDOM AND GOODNESS of God in providing for

man's religious repose in his first creation,

The CHANGES in the circumstances of the law of the Sabbath,

have sprung up from NEW BENEFITS conferred on man,

In proportion as the benefits of the gospel are more exalted,

should our hearts receive the INTIMATIONS OF THE DIVINE

WILL WITH MORE ALACRITY, and fulfil them WITH WARMER

DELIGHT,

SERMON V.

Ezekiel xx. 12.

THE PRACTICAL DUTIES OF THE CHRISTIAN

SABBATH.

Keep ever in view the GREAT END of the institution,

The PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DUTIES of the Sabbath,

We must carry the TRUE SPIRIT OF THE CHRISTIAN DIS-

PENSATION into these duties,

We must glorify God for those MIGHTY BLESSINGS WHICH

ARE APPOINTED TO BE COMMEMORATED on the LORD'S

DAY,

The CONVICTION which such a discussion should fix in the

minds of the IRRELIGIOUS AND UNCONVERTED,

May we not, all of us, discover TOPICS OF HUMILIATION in

the discussion?

SERMON VI.

Isaiah Iviii. 1, 2.

THE UNSPEAKABLE IMPORTANCE OF THE RIGHT

OBSERVATION OF THE SABBATH WITH THE EVILS

OF THE OPPOSITE ABUSE.

The observation of the Christian Sabbath is A MOST SACRED

COMPACT, and the abuse of it the VIOLATION of that com-

pact,

142

144

147

151

158

161

164

168

170

The observation of the Sabbath bears upon man's TEMPORAL

AND SPIRITUAL WELFARE AS A FALLEN BUT ACCOUNTA-

BLE CREATURE,

172

•

It includes, in fact, ALL THE APPLICATION OF THE CHRIS-

TIAN RELIGION AND ITS PRESERVATION IN THE WORLD, 175

The Lord's day connects and holds together ALL THE LINKS

AND OBLIGATIONS OF HUMAN SOCIETY, which the violation

of it tends to destroy,

180