part of three days in the grave, whether we begin the day with sun-set or midnight. The way, it appears, that the Jews computed time, was this: They counted the night by watches or periodsof three hours each, and the day by hours. The first watch of the night was from sun-set or six o'clock to nine-the second watch from nine to twelve, or midnight-the third, from twelve to three in the morning-the fourth, or morning: watch from three to six. Their day again was computed from six or sun-rise. From the sixthto the seventh, according to the Roman computa-tion, or as we would say, from six to seven, they called the first hour of the day-from seven to eight, the second, from eight to nine the third, &c. It appears too that about such an hour sig-nifies, in their style, when that hour had nearly expired. Thus about the sixth hour seems to in timate that it was about noon, at which time the sixth hour of their day transpired. At the thirdhour or nine o'clock A. M. Christ was nailed upon the cross. Mark xv. 25. About the sixth hour or noon, the darkness commenced, and con-tinued till the ninth hour or three P. M. Math. xxvii. 45. Luke xxiii. 44. About this time na ture was all convulsed-the vail rent-the graves opened the earth quaked. The centurion confessed "He glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts and returned." All seemed to have been moved with hor.

ror or sympathy but the rotten hearted phariseest They were insensible to all feeling but that of envy and hate. They pretended however to zeal and strictness. John xix. 31. The Jews therefore because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath' day, (for that sabbath was an high day) Lesought Pilate that their legs might be broken, &c.

The Ecclesiastics of that time would never" have effected the nefarious deeds they did, had they not affected great piety. The dead bodies must therefore be interred before the sabbath.The necessity of fracturing the limbs, however, of the Saviour, was superceded by his previous decease. His agony of mind in bearing our sins, his scourging by Pilate, and perhaps his volunta-ry surrender of his soul to the Father, when his work was finished, rendered this act unnecessary. The executioners when they came to him found his body dead; they pierced his heart with a spear, but broke not his bones that the scripture might be fulfilled; "A bone of him shall not be broken." Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, both men of eminence in the Church and Commonwealth of Israel, bestowed pains and cost up-on his funeral. While alive, they were under strong convictions that he was the Messiah of promise, but they did not publicly confess him. Now when his own disciples fled, forsook and denied him, they acknowledge him-Joseph gives, him his new tomb. Nicodemus brings a copious and costly preparation of spices and aromatic

drugs to perfume his lacerated body-they wrap it in linen clothes with the spices, as the Jews' custom is to bury. By this, time it must have been about evening. Still, however, it is the preparation, and the sabbath only drew on. Luke xxiii. 54. The women visited the sepulchre, réturned, prepared spices also before it was necessa ry to rest on the sabbath, according to the scrip tures. Had they considered the sabbath over, too at sun-set, why should they not have visited the tomb that evening rather than early on the first day of the week, while it was yet dark? But admitting the Jews did count their days, as Persians and some Eastern nations do, Christ was laid in the tomb on the afternoon of the sixth day. That, according to Jewish computation, is counted one. He continues in the tomb all the seventh, that is two, a part of the first, that is the third day, in which he rose. But if you begin the first day from sunset, you cannot possibly make out a part of three days in which he continued in the grave. However then the fact be about the Jewish sab bath, the christian sabbath cannot, with any propriety, begin earlier than midnight, nor can it end earlier, unless you would say that it began beforé the Saviour rose, and you night as well begin the era of his birth before he was born, or the commemoration of his resurrection before he rose. Of this again, in relation to the second part of the exception, we would remark, that we have no express commandment in the New Testament to keep this or any other day as a sabbath. The

commandment we have seen was not repealed. All that was necessary was that we should see an example whereby we would know what day it was that the commandment now respected. This we have clearly set before us, in the example of the Apostles, who, during the forty days of our Saviour's abode upon earth, after the resurrection, had an opportunity to receive directions concerning the affairs of the Church or kingdom of heav en. It is clear that their first interview with him after his death, was upon this memorable day: Again, it is said, eight days after. There certainly may be something learned from this chronological relation. It was written, no doubt, for this purpose. The second Lord's day they were all met. Although Thomas had his unbelieving doubts, yet he met that day and had his doubts removed. Upon this first day also the Holy Spirit, with which they were to be endowed for their great work, descended. The passover that year we have already seen happened upon a Jewish sabbath. Seven of these will bring us to the forty-ninth day, for they counted from the passover. Their Pentecost or feast which happened on the fiftieth day after the passover, would, of course, be upon a first day of the week. On the day of Pentecost however you know the Spirit descended; therefore it is evident he descended upon the first day of the week or Lord's day. The disciples were there assembled upon that day.

Seven weeks had now transpired since his res urrection. On the first day, the same in which

he arose, a little better thin a week after our Lord's ascension the Promised Comforter vouchsafed his presence, his remarkable presence among the disciples and assembled Jews. We shall see afterwards, that the Spirit from on high did not teach them nor us to desist from the sanctification of the first day of the week as the Christian sabbath. Nay, if He had not designed to countenance it, He would not have appeared on that day, for it is evident, they were already habituated to the practice. The Apostles were influenced in a very immediate manner by their divine Teacher in planting the Churches, and is it not most clear, that they were, in the habit of keeping the first day of the week as a Sabbath? It can easily be made to appear that the Apostolic Churches were wont to assemble on that day for religious worship, such as prayer, praise, charitable contributions and communion. Acts xx. 7th, 1 Cor. xvi. 1, may, with many other pas. sages of scripture, be adduced as proof. There is one thing to be observed from the first of these places just now cited, that I do not remember of ever seeing noticed, viz. that although the Apestle continued his speech till midnight, he seems to have considered it still the first day of the week. "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, and continued his speech until midnight." It appears, that these ancient primitive christians and their preacher had not yet learned, that the sabbath or first day of the

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