own intrinsic worth. As he has thus merited and purchased eternal happiness for his friends, he is represented, as bestowing it upon them by his own power, and according to his own sovereign pleasure. "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." Upon his divine and eternal existence depend their security and glory. "Because I live, ye shall live also." He is the author of eternal salvation to them who believe. His coming into the world and suffering death, was the consequence of his having been appointed to the office of a Saviour. But his appointment to the work was not the ground of his merit. The merit of his death, and the efficacy of his blood arise from his own divine excellence. As it is impossible, that any original merit should belong to a finite being; all the merit of Christ's death must flow from his divinity.

By attending to the apostle's reasoning, Heb. vii. we shall find, that he infers his ability to save sinners from his divine perfection. By showing the superiority of Christ's priesthood above that of Aaron, and proving it to be eternal, he establishes the doctrine of his sufficiency for the work of redemption. "But this man, because he continueth forever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost, who come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." The apostle's argument rests on the unchangeableness and eternity of the Redeemer; and these are incommunicable per

fections of Jehovah. Hence it is evident, that our hope of salvation must rest on the divine character of Christ. Without some just views of the scheme of redemption, and of the divine character of the Saviour, we cannot have a hope, which the gospel will authorize, of enjoying eternal salvation.

They, who have had a proper sense of the evil of sin and the strictness of the divine law, are fully convinced that none but a divine Being could make an adequate atonement. So exceedingly hateful is sin in the sight of God, that the most exalted creature could do nothing to procure forgiveness.

The divine

law is so holy, so inflexibly just, that it would have forever prevented the salvation of sinners, unless full satisfaction had been made to its injured authority. They, who are taught of God, clearly see, that none but a being of spotless purity and infinite dignity could make that satisfaction; that none, but the divine Lawgiver, could so vindicate and honour the broken law, as to render the salvation of sinners consistent with his just and holy government. Thus their hope of being delivered from the guilt and punishment of sin rests entirely on the divinity of the Lord Jesus, who made the atonement.

Let it be added, that scripture often represents the Saviour, as being God; and always holds up, as the object of our faith, a Being of divine perfection. "I am God, and beside me there is no Saviour. Look unto me, and be saved. To the only wise God, our Saviour, be glory," &c., But we know that sinners are

constantly directed to look unto Christ as the Saviour, and to expect pardon and salvation from him, which would not be consistent, were he not truly God.

REFLECTIONS.

1. Since Christ is a Being of divine perfection, we may, with perfect safety, commit our souls to him for salvation. Were Christ a mere creature, it would be unsafe to commit the interests of our immortal souls into his hands, and depend on him for pardon, sanctification, and glory. In a concern of so much importance, it would be dangerous in the extreme to rest upon any finite being. But we may, with the most unreserved confidence, commit our souls to the divine Saviour, and with perfect security, rest on him for eternal life. He will keep his disciples by his own power through faith unto

salvation.

2. Is there not good reason to believe that they, who deny the divine glory of Christ, cut them selves off from the hope of salvation? By rejecting the only ground of hope, and the only way of happiness, do they not forfeit the Christian character, and place themselves among infidels? "Who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son." Peter foretold, that there would be teachers in the church, who would privily bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring up on themselves swift destruction. They, who are not with Christ are against him, and may well tremble for their awful situation, and their approaching doom.

B. T.

THE DECALOGUE.

Νο. 4.

Fourth Commandment.

"REMEMBER the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shait thou labour and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger, that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rest ed the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."

The religious observance of the seventh day, previously to the Mosaic economy, has been questioned, but without sufficient reason. "On the seventh day," says Moses, "God rested from all his works, and God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it." By sanctifying the Sabbath is here meant, setting it apart to a sacred use. From the beginning six days were allowed mankind for necessary labours. But the seventh was devoted immediately to religious purposes. This order was made in Paradise, while our first parents retained their innocence. If necessary for the innocent, how much more for the guilty. If deviations from duty were feared in innocence without the aid of the Sabbath; how much more must they be feared in the present depraved state of mankind? What but entire ruin could now be expected.

That keeping a Sabbath day holy was a practice of an early

date, the words of the sacred historian sufficiently prove. As God claimed a peculiar property in the seventh day, no doubt all, who feared him, devoutly acknowledged that claim. The directions concerning the manna, which were given previously to the publication of the law from Sinai, show that the observation of the seventh day was not new. In this commandment there is something of a moral, and unalterable obligation. It requires that one day of seven be set apart immediately to sacred purposes. As infinite wisdom has thus proportioned things, no man on earth can withhold the time appropriated to God, without such a manifest violation of the original law, as amounts to sacrilege, and a daring contempt of the divine authority.

The commandment is also connected with something ceremonial and passing. Circumstances attended the observance of the Sabbath among the Israelites, which arose from their peculiar situation. These cannot now be supposed essential. One mutable circumstance is the particular day. The day of rest observed by the patriarchs was the seventh day after the creation. But in this respect an alteration took place at the commencement of the Christian era. On the first day of the week our Lord rose from the dead. On this day, in preference to all others, he appeared to his disciples, gave them his Spirit, and ascended into heaven. On this day Christians assembled for worship, and have from the first devoted it, as the Lord's day, to his peculiar service. This change has been generally admitted.

But it weighs nothing against the morality of the fourth commandment. The precise day for the Sabbath is an alterable circumstance, altogether distinct from what is essential in the command. "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," is the substance of the command. It is added; "The Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."

Neither expression mentions the seventh day of the week. The observance of any seventh day, which God might be pleased to appoint, is what the command enjoins, and what is of perpetual obligation.

The week of seven days was a division of time in use before the flood, as plainly appears from the history of Noah. The Chaldeans and Syrians agreed in early ages, with the family of Abraham, in computing time by a period of seven days. Some traces of this original appointment are found through the world. The number seven has been in great esteem, as a sacred number, among Jews and Gentiles. Naaman was directed to plunge seven times in Jordan. Apuleius speaks of dipping the head seven times in the sea for purification, because Pythagoras mentioned this number as most proper in religion. Philo says, that the seventh day, which he styles the birth day of the world, was so much observed through all the nations, notwithstanding the reason for doing so was lost, that it might well be called the universal festival. Josephus and Eusebius speak in the same way. According to Clement Alexandrinus, the Greeks held the seventh day in veneration. In such sentiments and practices among

Jews and Gentiles, we trace evidence of the Mosaic account, that God created the world in six days and rested on the Sabbath, which gave that day and that number such a general sanctity. The full current of evidence from sacred and profane history opposes the system of a late eminent and worthy, though in this instance, mistaken writer,* who thinks that the institution of the Sabbath originated with Moses, being altogether of a ceremonial nature, and that it is mentioned in Genesis by anticipation only. But this could not have been the case. The command, enjoining the Sabbath, was given in Paradise, and afterwards repeated in the wilderness, and is equally binding upon men of all ages and nations with any command in the whole decalogue.

Sabbath means rest. The Sabbath day commemorates the resting of God, after he had created the world. On this day, therefore, let secular employment cease; and let meditation and public worship raise the mind to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God. Let us put a difference between this and other days, so that we may keep it holy, and the design of its institution be answered.

"Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work." For secular business this season is appointed by the Lord of all. Inspiration directs us to perform all our actions at a proper time and in a proper manner. The neglect of this rule destroys all moral beauty, and introduces a perversion, which must ever be

.....

• Paley.

offensive to the God of order. "But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Let one day of rest succeed six days' labour. This the highest authority has ordained. The claim is well founded. Shall creatures question the right of the Creator? Shall they say to him, whose will is the law of heaven and earth, "what doest thou?" No. Let the Lord speak, and his servants will lis ten, determined to yield constant and universal obedience.

On the Sabbath day "thou shalt not do any work." Heads of families are addressed. Let them restrain all their domestics from servile employments. Dis. tinguishing one day in seven in such a manner from all the others has a commanding influence. The child may be too young, and the stranger too perverse to enter at once into the spirit of this appointment. But a steady rein will in time bring them under government, and lead them from choice to comply with what is here required. Free from secular care, let the mind indulge in dulge in useful meditation. While this day is commemorated, it can never be forgotten, that the world was made by God; that his providence is every where felt, and has effected surprising deliverances for his people; and that redemption from sin is eminently the work of God. Such are the views, which this day opens, leading the considerate to correspondent meditation and correspondent worship.

Great advantages attend the devout observance of the Sab bath, included in the assurance, that God blessed the day and hal

lowed it. The day of rest enjoys his peculiar blessing. It refreshes man and beast. It eases the body of oppressive labour, and the soul of secular care. A seventh part of our time is thus freed from vanity and vexation of spirit. By properly attending to the works of creation, providence, and redemption, we are spiritualized, and gradually prepared for the society of the blessed above.

This commandment requires that a seventh day be kept as a day of spiritual rest. By disobedience men rob God of that, to which he has an unquestionable right; they injure their own souls, and, in the appropriation of their time, oppose the dictate of finite to the dictate of infinite wisdom. It is sometimes said, that a seventh part of our time cannot be spared. Strange, that you can refuse him any thing, from whom you have received all things; who even spared not his own Son, but gave him up for us all, that, believing in him, we might have eternal life. Can any be in earnest in such an objection? Let a man's business be ever so multiplied, it may be accomplished in six days, if punctuality and order be observed. At any rate, it is highly criminal to engage in any business, which requires you to encroach on the day of rest. The first encroachment is always terrible. Conscience speaks plainly, and is heard. When a young man of pious education is put into a counting house to do business on the Sabbath, his compunction is great. He feels as a criminal. Perhaps the falling tear bears evidence of a tortured mind. This some have afterwards confessed. Vol. I. No. 11.

But a repetition of the act hardens the heart. One thing and another is made an excuse for the practice. By degrees the fear of God, and all sense of religion is lost. The profanation of the Sabbath is an inlet to every species of irreligion and immorality. On the contrary, nothing tends more to keep men near God, and in the way of duty, than the due observance of the Sabbath.

Heads of families are charged to enforce obedience to this command upon all under their authority. Let them take care, that their children and servants reverence the day of rest; that no servile labour be imposed, and no secular business prosecuted. Command your children and household after you to keep the way of the Lord; to turn away their foot from doing their pleasure on God's holy day. Let them call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; let them honour him, not doing their own way, nor finding their own pleasure, nor speaking their own words. Let them gladly go together to the house of prayer. What a happiness would it be to our country, were the Sabbath universally observed. Wickedness, the destruction of a people, would be restrained, and righteousness would flourish, to the exalting of the nation.

When heads of families give the example of breaking this command, the effect is most pernicious. Such an example destroys the authority of religion. It tends to root out that celestial plant from the earth. It disseminates tares in the place of wheat. If there is a God in heaven, the crime of such par