week, is now become common; and in commemoration of our Saviour's resurrection from the dead, the holy rest is transferred to the first day of the week; which hath ever since been called, by way of eminence, The LORD's Day. Whether this remarkable change is sufficiently supported by divine authority, admits of farther inquiry. What I have hitherto said, is only intended to prove our obligation to keep one day in seven holy to the Lord; and for this, I think, I have given you very satisfying evidence. It is a natural principle, that God ought to be worshipped; and as it is highly necessary to secure the performance of such an important duty, reason farther teacheth us, that some stated times ought to be set apart for that end. The right of determining these doth certainly belong to God himself; and he hath actually been pleased to give a plain intimation of his will in this matter, claiming, by a distinct and peremp tory statute, one whole day in seven, for the peculiar exercises of religious worship. Thus far, then, the commandment is strictly moral; and therefore still binding upon us, in as much as it only enjoins a natural duty, and prescribes the most effectual means for securing the performance of it.

Having established this point, the way lies more open to the other subject of inquiry; and I expect to find less difficulty in satisfying you about the alteration of the day. Some Christians, indeed, have maintained, that both days ought to be kept; but I reckon there will be no need to guard you against a mistake of this kind. You will easily convince yourselves that there is but one Sabbath in the week,

As to our practice in observing the first, instead of the last day of the week, which was the Jewish Sabbath, the reasons of it may be reduced under these following heads.

1st. We learn from Scripture, that this was the day on which the apostles and primitive Christians held their solemn assemblies for the public exercises of religious worship. Thus we read, (Acts xx. 7.) that "upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread," i. e. to celebrate the sacrament of our Lord's Supper, "Paul preached unto them, and continued his speech until midnight;" where it is observable, that their meeting together on that precise day is not spoken of as a thing extraordinary, or merely occasional, but as a stated and ordinary practice. It was their custom so to do; and Paul being on the spot, met with them, and presided in their assembly. It farther appears, that this was the day on which they laid up their public charity, and contributed for the relief of their needy brethren; and this by an express apostolical injunction. For thus Paul writes to the Corinthians, (1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2.) "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gathering when I come." In this passage, there is not only a practice of the church described, but likewise the appointment of an inspired apostle ratifying and confirming it. For if the words extend to the religious observance of that particular day, then we have a plain scriptural command for our warrant: or if they refer only to the collecting alms on that day, which is the lowest sense that they will bear, they necessarily imply, that this was a weekly holy day then in use, on which Christians ceased from their worldly business, and met together for the social worship of God; that the Apostle justified and approved of this practice,

and thereby testified his opinion that it was perfectly agreeable to the will of Christ.

Besides, we find that this day was, in the earliest times, distinguished by the title of The LORD's Day; for this appears from Rev. i. 10. where John informs the churches, that he "was in the Spirit on the Lord's day;" that well known day, sacred to the memory of the Lord Redeemer; the day on which he triumphed over death, and which he dignified, by his resurrection, above all other days. From these circumstances taken together, it appears, that this change took place in the apostolic age; and that the first day of the week was then esteemed holy to the Lord, and separated from the rest for religious purposes; so that though we cannot find any express command, appointing the alteration in so many words; yet we have the most convincing evidence, that it was either part of the instruction which Christ gave to his disciples before his ascension, when he was seen of them forty days, as the sacred history informs us, and spake of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God; or else that it was afterwards enacted by the apostles, in virtue of their authority derived from Christ, and under the infallible direction of his blessed Spirit.

2dly. There appear to be many great and weighty reasons for such a change. Under the Old Testament, the seventh day was kept holy in memory of the creation, because on that day God rested from all his works; and is it not equally reasonable and fit, that the first day should be sanctified under the gospel dispensation, seeing on that day the great God and our Saviour rested from all the labours of his suffering state, and rose from the dead, in testimony that man's redemption was fully accomplished? Surely the renovation of the world, after sin had in a manner broken it in pieces, is a work as

glorious and divine as the first creation of it, and as worthy to be gratefully remembered by us.

3dly. It is of some moment to observe, that this day has been uniformly kept as the Christian Sabbath from the apostolic age down to the present time. This fact is proved by the concurring testimony of historians in all the different periods of the church. At the same time, they tell us what hot disputes arose about other matters, particularly about the institution and observance of holy days. We find the Eastern and Western churches so divided with regard to the time of keeping Easter, as to proceed to excommunicate each other: but we hear of no controversy about observing the first day of the week; for in this they were all agreed. Now, what could have produced such perfect uniformity, especially in those ages, when there was no Christian magistrate to interpose his authority, but a clear conviction, and a wellgrounded belief, that this was really a divine institution delivered by Christ, or his apostles, to the church? Once more, in the

4th place, God hath remarkably hallowed this day, by many acts of grace done to his people, when employed in the religious observance of it. On this day, when "the disciples were all with one accord in one place," the Spirit of God descended upon them, insomuch that they were filled with the Holy Ghost, to their own unspeakable comfort, and the admiration of all who saw and heard them. On the same day," the arm of the Lord was" gloriously "revealed," in the conversion of three thousand souls, who were brought from a state of enmity to Christ into the bosom of the church, by the plain and powerful preaching of the apostle Peter. On this day John was inspired with the spirit of prophecy, and had visible representations of

the various revolutions in the church of Christ, down to the final consummation of all things. And in latter times God hath signally blessed his people when met together on this holy day; making all his goodness to pass before them, and giving them such views of his power and glory in the sanctuary, that they have been obliged to say with Jacob at Bethel, "This is no other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven;" a foretaste of the everlasting Sabbath, an earnest of that rest which remains for the people of God. And is it to be supposed, that the holy and righteous Governor of the world would countenance his creatures in a superstition of their own contrivance, to the open and weekly neglect of a plain and positive law? No surely: These tokens of the Divine presence and favour dispensed on this day, are sure indications that this is the day which God himself hath made, and which he hath separated, by his authority, for the Christian Sabbath.

Thus have I finished the first thing proposed in this discourse; which was to inquire how far the precept in the text is binding on us; and I hope I have said enough to satisfy every unprejudiced mind, that it is still in force, as to the great scope and design of it; and that the change of the day, which is only circumstantial, bears such evident marks of divine authority, as sufficiently justify the uniform opinion, and uninterrupted practice, of all the Christian churches. I proceed now to the

Second thing proposed, Which was to show how this commandment ought to be kept or observed, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

This, as it is the first, so it is likewise the principal and most important branch of the precept. Nay, the full scope and design of the law is probably expressed in