fome thousand years. For Adam, who lived until the days of Methuselah, no doubt did teach his children this precept, which he had from God in Paradife; and Methufelah, who lived till the days of Shem, furely did deliver it down to pofterity all the days of the old world; and Shem, who lived till Abraham's time, and is fuppofed to be Melchifedec, in all probability, did deliver this precept fucceffively unto him in the new world; and as Abraham with eafe might, fo without queftion he did teach it with other precepts to his children, and they teach it one to another, until the time of Moses; and Mofes fpeaketh to the Ifraelites of the Sabbath to be kept holy to the Lord on the morrow, Exod. xvi. 23. as a thing well known unto them, and of practice among them, which was fome time before the Lord gave the law upon Mount Sinai.

Q.6. How long was the Seventh day to be obferved as the weekly Sabbath?

A. The feventh day was to be obferved as the weekly Sabbath, from the beginning of the world unto the refur rection of Christ.

Q.7. What day is to be obferved for the weekly Sabbath, from the refurrection of Chrift?

A. The first day of the week, from the refurrection of Chrift, is to be obferved by Christians unto the end of the world, for their weekly Sabbath.

Q. 8. How could the feventh day Sabbath be changed from the last of feven unto the first of feven, when we do not read exprefsly of any repeal in the fcripture of the laft of feven?

A. It is one of feven which God hath appointed to be the Sabbath, and in the commandment the Lord doth blefs and hallow, not the feventh day, but the Sabbathday, which might be on another feventh day in order, if God fhould so please. 2. It is but one day in seven which God hath appointed to be the weekly Sabbath, God having both allowed and appointed the other fix days of the week for our labor. 3. God having fubftituted or appointed another day for to be a holy Sabbath to himfeelf this fubftitution of another, doth virtually include in it a repeal of the old Sabbath, that is, in reference unto the time of its obfervation.

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Q.9. How doth it appear that the first day of the week is appointed by God to be the weekly Sabbath?

A. 1. There is a like reason for the appointment of the first day, as there was for the feventh: The reafon of God's appointing the feventh, was his refting from his works of creation; and there is a like reafon for appointing the first day, which was the day of Chrift's refurrection, namely, the Son of God's refting from his suffering works about man's redemption, into which rest he is faid to enter, and which we are more nearly concerned to remember. Heb. iv. 10. For he, that is entered into his reft, hath ceafed from his own works, as God did from his. 2. The Lord Jefus hath put his name upon the first day of the week. Rev. i. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day.' There is reason to believe, that the Lord's day, here spoken of, was the first day of the week, because it is a certain determinate day, and it is spoken of as a day which was well known among Chriftians by that name; and the first day of the week being the day of the Lord's refurrection, and wherein Christians did use to affemble themselves together upon, had the only reason for fuch denomination. There is alfo reafon to believe, that the Lord did put his own name upon this day, because none had authority to put his name upon any day but himself; and the apostle calling it the Lord's day, by the infpiration of the Spirit, no doubt but it was the Lord's will it fhould be fo called, and by confequence it was his will that this day should be used and obferved as an holy day unto himself. As the fecond facrament is called the Lord's fupper, because it was appointed by the Lord; fo the first day of the week is called the Lord's day, because it was appointed by the Lord; and this day being appointed, no other is to be obferved now as the Chriftian Sabbath. 3. The appointment of the first day of the week to be the Sabbath may be inferred, from 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. Now, concerning the collection for the faints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even fo do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath profpered him.' The apoftle having given order from the Lord, to the churches of Galatia and Corinth, and by confequence to the other

churches of the Gentiles, for collections on the first day of the week, as God had profpered them on other days; we may infer, this being a Sabbath-day's work, that he had alfo from the Lord, given order for the observation of this first day, as the weekly Sabbath. 4. We read of the difciples being affembled together on the first day of the week, and that Jefus then came among them, John xx. 19.; and that eight days after they met him again, which was another first day, and Jefus came to them, verse 26. Moreover, that it was the practice of Chrift's difciples to meet together to worship the Lord, to hear the word, and break bread, or receive the facrament of the Lord's fupper, on the first day of the week. Acts xx. 7. • And upon the first day of the week, when the difciples were come together to break bread, Paul preached unto them," &c. Paul had been with them seven days, as verse 6. and yet we read of no folemn meeting but on the first day of the week, the last of the feven wherein he abode with them. It was not on the old Sabbath, the last day of the week, that the folemn affembly for worship was held, but on the first day; which, had it not been the Sabbath of new appointment, and of neceffary obfervation to Chriftians, would have been moft inconvenient for Paul to have spent in religious exercises until midnight, when the next morning he was to take his journey. All which being confidered, together with the practice of Chriftians from the apostles days, it may be evident unto them that defire not to cavil, that the first day of the week is appointed by the Lord to be the Chriftian Sabbath.

LX. Queft. How is the Sabbath to be fanctified?

Anfw. The Sabbath is to be fanctified by an holy resting all that day, even from fuch worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days, and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worship; except fo much as is to be taken up the works of neceffity and mercy.

Q.1. What is it to fanctify the Sabbath?

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A. The Sabbath is fanctified by God, in his appointing it to be holy; and the Sabbath is fanctified by man, in his obferving and keeping it as holy: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

Q. 2. How are we to obferve and keep the Sabbath as holy? A. We are to obferve and keep the Sabbath as holy, partly by a holy refting, partly in holy exercifes, on that day.

J. 3. What are we to reft from on the Sabbath-day?

A. We are on the Sabbath-day to reft, not only from thofe things which are in themselves finful, which we are bound to rest from on every day of the week; but also we are to rest from those worldly employments and recrea tions, which on the other fix days of the week are lawful, and our duty: "Six days fhalt thou labor, and do all thy work. But the feventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work," &c.

Q.4. May not fuch works be done in our particular callings on the Sabbath day, as cannot fo seasonably and advantageously be done on the other days of the week?

A. There are fome works, in our particular callings, which may seem to be most seasonable and advantageous on the Sabbath day, and yet it is our duty to rest from them, and wholly to forbear them; fuch as, 1. Killing of beafts on the Sabbath, to prepare meat for the Monday market. 2. Ploughing, fowing, gathering in of corn, making hay while the fun fhines, and the weather beft ferveth on the Sabbath-day. 3. Selling of fruit, or any other wares on the Sabbath-day, when there may be most cultom for them. 4. Selling or buying of fish on the Sabbath, which in hot weather might flink, if kept until the Monday. Thefe, and the like worldly employments, we are to forbear, by virtue of this commandment, they being our own works; and whatever lofs we may feem to fustain by fuch forbearance, be fure it is not comparable to the lofs of God's favor, and the wounding of our confcience, and the lofs of our fouls forever, which will be the fruit of living in the breach of God's law. And if fuch works as thefe must be forborn on the Sabbath, much more fuch works of our calling as may be done on the week-day, as well as on the Sabbath. Neh. xiii. 15-18. In those days faw I in Judah fome treading wine preffes on the Sabbath, and bringing in fheaves, and lading affes; as alfo wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerufalem on the Sabbath day and I tefti

fied against them in the day wherein they fold victuals. There dwelt men of Tyre alfo therein, which brought fish and all manner of ware, and fold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerufalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and faid unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath-day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Ifrael, by profaning the Sabbath.'

Q5. May we not lawfully recreate ourselves upon the Sabbath-day, especially fince the day is appointed to be a day of reft from our toiling labor in the week?

A. We may and ought to recreate our minds on the Sabbath-day in the worthip of God, we being bound to call and make in this refpect the Sabbath our delight. But we ought to forbear recreating our minds with carnal delight, either by words or deeds, which we may do on other days; and much more we ought to forbear recreating our bodies by fports and paftimes, though after the public exercise of God's worship be over. Ifaiah lviii. 13, 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a Delight, the Holy of the Lord, Honorable and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor fpeaking thine own words: then fhalt thou delight thyfelf in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.'

Q. 6. Though mafters and governors of families are bound themfelves to reft upon the Sabbath-day, yet may they not command their children and fervants to work, or permit them to › play and take their recreation?"

A. Indeed the commandment is principally directed to mafters and governors of families; but withal, fo as it doth enjoin them to do what in them lieth, to hinder their children and fervants from the profanation of the day by fervile working, or bodily recreations, and to put them upon the observation of this day of reft: "In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy, fon, nor thy daughter, thy man-fervant, nor thy maid fervant," &c.