manded to keep holy. Properly speaking, the substance of the commandment does not rest in observing the same day from the beginning to the end of time; but in observing a seventh part of our time upon earth, according to the will of God. And accordingly, the first day of the week is now the Sabbath of the Lord; and this day we must sanctify. This, therefore, can be no objection against the moral obligation of the Sabbath.

4. It may be observed, that much as the rigid letter of this valuable institution is now contested, no one precept of the moral law is more frequently or more imperatively enforced. -See the following passages :-Exod. xvi. 23-30; Deut. v. 12-14; Exod. xxiii. 12, xxxiv. 21, xxxi. 14-18, and xxxv. 2, 3; Lev. xxiii. 3; Numb. xv. 32-36; Neh. x. 31, and xiii. 15-23; Isa. lviii. 13, 14; Jer. xvii. 21, 22, 24, 27; Ezek. xx. 12, 20, 21, &c.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. The necessity of keeping holy the Sabbath-day. 2. That God is not a hard master; seeing he has given us six days in the week, and only reserved one for himself. 3. That profaners of the Sabbath are grossly ignorant of God, are drowned in worldly cares, and are utterly unfit for heaven. 4. The pleasure which is found in worshipping God on the day which he hath appointed. 5. The danger of giving to other days of man's appointment that honour which belongs to God's day. 6. That we cannot be said to find much pleasure in the worship of God, if we grudge to give him one day in the week. 7. That the fourth commandment is binding upon us equally with the rest of the moral law. 8. That, seeing this is a positive commandment which shall be in force to the end of the world, we are guilty of heinous sin against God if we do not observe it.

Change of the Sabbath.

From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That the seventh day of the week was at first appointed by God as the weekly Sabbath. Gen. ii. 3.-"God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it." Deut. v. 14.-" The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God."

2. That the seventh day of the week continued to be the Sabbath from the beginning of the world till the resurrection of Christ. Matt. xxviii. 1.-" In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week."

3. That the change of the Sabbath took place immediately after the resurrection of Christ. John xx. 19 (compared with ver. 26)." Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst."

4. That the first day of the week is the Christian Sabbath, or Lord's day, and shall continue to be so, without change, till the end of the world. Acts xx. 7.-" Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them.' Ezek. xliii. 27.-" When those days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt-offerings upon the altar, and your peace-offerings." See also Rev. i. 10, and

xxii. 19.

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 222.-From the beginning of the world till the resurrection of Christ, the seventh day of the week was appointed by God as the weekly Sabbath.

During this period, which consisted of 4000 years, the seventh day of the week, or the seventh day in order after the creation, was appointed as the Sabbath, in order that, as God rested on that day from the work of creation, men might, after his example, rest from their works, and remember those of the Creator, and celebrate his praises. It was also observed afterwards by the posterity of Abraham, in commemoration of their deliverance from the land of Egypt.See Gen. ii. 2, 3; Exod. xvi. 23–30, xxiii. 12, xxxi. 14-18, xxxiv. 21, and xxxv. 2; Lev. xxiii. 3; Deut. v. 12–15.

That the Sabbath was first instituted at the beginning of the world, and not in the wilderness at the promulgation of the law, will be evident when we consider, that imme

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,

1. That the seventh day of the week was at first appointed by God as the weekly Sabbath. Gen. ii. 3.-"God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it." Deut. v. 14.-" The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God."

2. That the seventh day of the week continued to be the Sabbath from the beginning of the world till the resurrection of Christ. Matt. xxviii. 1.-"In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week."

3. That the change of the Sabbath took place immediately after the resurrection of Christ. John xx. 19 (compared with ver. 26)." Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst."

4. That the first day of the week is the Christian Sabbath, or Lord's day, and shall

nue to be so, without change, xx. 7.-"Upon the first day me together to break bread, . xliii. 27.-"When those at upon the eighth day, and make your burnt-offerings upon ferings." See also Rev. i. 10, and

the resurrection by God as the

000 years, the order after the order that, as God reation, men might, works, and remember nis praises. It was also ity of Abraham, in comfrom the land of Egypt.3-30, xxiii. 12, xxxi. 14-18, xxiii. 3; Deut. v. 12-15. est instituted at the beginning of wilderness at the promulgation we consider, that imme

diately after finishing the creation, God blessed and sanctified the seventh day, that is, set it apart from a common to a special purpose; that it was observed before the promulgation of the law from Mount Sinai, and spoken of, not as a new, but as an ancient institution; and that, when the law was published to the Hebrews, they were commanded to remember the Sabbath-day, which implies, that it was not then first instituted, but that it had been instituted long before, and had been forgotten during their abode in the land of Egypt.-See Gen. ii. 2, 3; Exod. xvi. 5, 23.

Obs. 223.-From the resurrection of Christ till the end of the world, the first day of the week was appointed by God to be the Christian Sabbath.

During this period, the first day of the week is to be observed as the Christian Sabbath or Lord's day; and that in commemoration of an event much more remarkable and glorious than either the creation of the world or the deliverance of the Israelites out of the land of Egypt,―viz., the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, by which the work of redemption was completed.

If it be here asked why no other event respecting Christ, such as his incarnation, or his death, or his ascension, could have given rise to the observation of the Christian Sabbath, as well as his resurrection; we answer, that if we consider the nature of the Sabbath, we shall find that it is most proper to view his resurrection as the proper event from which the Christian Sabbath is to be dated. The word Sabbath, as before observed, signifies rest; and, consequently, the Christian Sabbath is to be observed because of a state of rest in which Christ was when it was first observed. Heb. iv. 10.

"For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." This evidently intimates, that as God rested from the work of creation upon the seventh day, which was the reason why this day was observed as the Sabbath; so Christ rested from his work on the first day of the week, which is the reason why this day is observed as the Christian Sabbath.

To prove that the Sabbath was actually changed from the seventh to the first day of the week, and that the first day of the week is to be observed as the Christian Sabbath to the end of the world, the following arguments may be adduced :