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that is, the seventh day; but, preferring the Lord's day, to rest, if indeed it should be in their power, as Christians*."

From these observations it is plain, that, although in the fifth century many Christians had reverted to the observation of the Jewish Sabbath, while yet they universally celebrated the Lord's day; yet the practice, even in this period of miserable declension, was by no means universal. The Churches of Rome and Alexandria never adopted it at all; and others plainly adopted it, as they did a great multitude of other corruptions at the same time merely from their own construction of the Scriptures. We cannot wonder that those, especially when we find among them celebrated ministers of religion, who admitted the protection and invocation of Saints and Martyrs, should admit any other corruption; and that they should construe those passages of Scripture, which speak of the Sabbath, as erroneously as they construed others.

7. The same truth appears in this great fact; that God has perpetually and gloriously annexed his blessing to the Christian Sab

bath.

If this day be not divinely instituted; then God has suffered his Church to disuse, and annihilate, his own Institution, and substitute one, of mere human device, in its stead. Will this be believed? But this is not all: he has annexed the blessing, which he originally united to the Sabbath, instituted by himself, to that, which was the means of destroying it, and which was established by human authority merely. After requiring, that men should add nothing to his words, and forbidding them to diminish ought from them; after threatening the plagues, denounced in the Scriptures, to him, who should add unto the words which they contain; and declaring, that he would take away out of the book of life the part of him, who should take away from the words written in the Scriptures: can any man believe, that he would forsake, that he has forsaken, his own Institution; an Institution of this magnitude; an Institution, on which have depended, in all lands and ages, the observation, influence, and existence, of his holy Law? Can any man believe, that He,

* Lardner.

who so dreadfully punished Nadab and Abihu for forsaking his own Institution, in a case of far inferior magnitude, and setting up one of their own in its stead, would not only not punish but abundantly, and unceasingly bless, the Christian Church, while perpetrating, and presisting in, iniquity, of exactly the same nature, and far greater in degree? The Christian, who can believe this, must be prepared to believe any thing.

Had men known nothing concerning the Institution of God; the charity of their fellow-men might be naturally enough extended to them, while employed in religiously commemorating Christ's resurrection. The appearance of piety in such a commemoration, and their freedom from the impiety of intruding upon a divine Institution, might induce others to think favourably of their conduct. But in the case in hand, the Institution was begun by the Apostles; men inspired; chosen followers of Christ; and the erectors of his kingdom in the world. If they sinned; they sinned wilfully, and in defiance of their inspiration. With them, however, the blessing began to be annexed to this day in a most wonderful and glorious manner. From them it has been uninterruptedly continued to the present time. To this day, under God, as a primary mean, mankind are indebted for all the Religion, which has been in the world from the days of the Apostles. If, then, the Christian Sabbath is not a divine Institution; God has made a device of man a more powerful support to his spiritual kingdom, a more efficacious instrument of diffusing truth and righteousness, than most, perhaps than all, others while, at the same time, he has, so far as I am able to discern, wholly neglected, and forgotten, a most solemn Institution of his own. Thus a human device has been a peculiar, if not a singular, means of accomplishing the greatest glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: and men, it would seem, will, in the end, have whereof to glory before God.

This blessing has been too evident, too uniform, and too long continued, to admit of a doubt; too great, and too wonderful, to be passed over in silence. On this day, the perfections of God, manifested in the amazing works of Creation and of Redemption, have, more than on all others, been solemnly, gratefully, and joyfully, remembered and celebrated. On this day, mil

lions of the human race have been born unto God. On this day, Christians have ever found their prime blessings. From the Word and Ordinances of God, from the influences of the Holy Spirit, from the presence of Christ in his Church, Christians have derived, on this day, more than on all others, the most delightful views of the divine character, clear apprehensions of their own duty, lively devotion to the service of God, strength to overcome temptations, and glorious anticipations of immortality. Take this day from the Calendar of the Christian, and all that remains will be cloudy and cheerless. Religion will instantly decay. Ignorance, error, and vice, will immediately triumph; the sense of duty vanish; morals fade away; the acknowledgment, and even the remembrance, of God be far removed from mankind; the glad tidings of salvation cease to sound; and the communication between earth and heaven be cut off for ever.

SERMON CVII.

FOURTH COMMANDMENT.

OBJECTIONS ANSWERED.

HEBREWS iv. 9.

There remaineth, therefore, a Rest to the people of God.

In the two preceding discourses, I have, according to the scheme originally proposed, endeavoured to prove the Perpetual Establishment of the Sabbath, as a divine Institution; and to show, that the day, on which it is by divine appointment to be holden by the Christian Church, is the day of Christ's Resurrection.

In the following discourse, I shall proceed to consider the Objections, which have been made to this doctrine. As all the important objections, within my knowledge, are adduced by the late Archdeacon Paley, it is my design to reply to this respectable writer in form such a reply being, in my own apprehension, all that is necessary with respect to the subject at large.

The text I consider as a direct assertion, that there is a Sabbath in the Christian Church, explained by the verse following to be founded on the fact, that Christ rested from his labours in the work of Redemption; as the seventh day Sabbath was founded on the fact, that God rested on that day from his labours in the work of Creation. For he, that hath entered into his rest, even he hath

rested from his works, as God did from his own. The word, translated Rest, in the text, is Zaccariopos. Ainsworth, a man eminently qualified to judge of this subject, translates Ex. xvi. 23, thus: This is that, which JEHOVAH hath spoken: To-morrow is the Sabbatism, the Sabbath of holiness, to JEHOVAH. In the same manner he translates Ex. xxxi. 15, Lev. xxiii. 3, and xxv. 4. In commenting on Ex. xvi. 23, he says, "Sabbatism, Rest: that is, Rest, or cessation. But as the Hebrew Shabbath is retained by the Holy Ghost, in the Greek Zabbarov, so the Hebrew Shabbathon, here used, is by the Apostle Zabbarioμos, in Heb. iv. 9." The verse ought therefore to be rendered, There remaineth, therefore, a Sabbatism, or Holy Sabbath, to the people of God: and this day the following verse proves to be the day, on which Christ rose from the dead.

The reason, why I have not adduced this passage of Scripture, together with those immediately connected with it, in proof of the doctrine under debate, is, that a comment on a paragraph, so obscurely written, and demanding so particular an explanation, must be very long; and would probably be very tedious to many of my audience.

1. The first and great objection of Dr. Paley to the Perpetuity of the Sabbath is, that the account of its original Institution is found in the following passage: Ex. xvi. 22—30. And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To-morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: Bake that which ye will bake to-day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over, lay up for you, to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning as Moses bade. And Moses said, Eat that to-day, for to-day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to-day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my statutes and my laws? See, for that the Lord hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread

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