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1. Of the obfervance of the Sabbath.

WE are exprefsly told, in the books of Mofes, that the obfervance of the fabbath, or of rest from labour every seventh day, was appointed in commemoration of the day on which God refted from the creation of the heavens and the earth, which was completed in fix days. This injunction being laid upon Adam, neceffarily affects all his pofterity. Gen. ii. 2. "And on the feventh "day God ended his work which he had made:

and he refted on the feventh day from all his "work which he had made. And God bleffed "the feventh day, and fanctified it because that " in it he had refted from all his work which God "created and made." But we have a more particular account of the rest to be observed on this day, in the fourth commandment, Ex. xx. 8. "Remember the fabbath-day, to keep it holy. "Six days fhalt thou labour, and do all thy "work. But the feventh day is the fabbath of the "Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any “work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy "man-fervant, nor thy maid-fervant, nor thy "cattle, nor the ftranger that is within thy gates. "For, in fix days the Lord made heaven and earth,

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"the fea, and all that in them is, and refted the feventh day: wherefore the Lord bleffed the "fabbath-day, and hallowed it.”

Befides this reafon for keeping the fabbath, which equally affects all mankind, we fometimes find other arguments infifted upon, which respect the Jews only, as Deut. v. 15. "Remember "that thou waft a fervant in the land of Egypt, "and that the Lord thy God brought thee out "thence through a mighty hand, and by a stretch"ed out arm: therefore the Lord thy God com"manded thee to keep the fabbath-day." It appears from thefe paffages, that the proper purpose of the fabbath is reft from bodily labour. But, on this account, it is alfo peculiarly feasonable for ferious reflection of mind, and devout meditation on the works of God; and by this means it is exceedingly useful for correcting the unfavourable influence, which a clofe and uninterrupted attention to the bufinefs of this life naturally has upon our minds; impreffing us with just sentiments, and thereby preparing us for good conduct in life. Accordingly, we find in the Old, but more especially in the New Teftament, that this ufe was made of the fabbath both by the Jews and chriftians, there being stated affemblies on this day for reading the fcriptures and public prayer.

The fabbath was alfo diftinguifhed under the law of Mofes by an additional facrifice of two lambs

lambs, befides the daily burnt offering, Numb. xxviii. 9. And the ninety-fecond Pfalm being intituled, "a pfalm or fong for the fabbath-day," was probably compofed, in order to be fung in the temple-service of that day.

As we find, 2 Kings iv. 23, that it was customary with the Jews of old to refort to their prophets on the fabbath-day, and alfo on the new moons, it is not improbable but that the prophets, and other perfons learned in their law, were used to explain it on those days to the people. Where no fuch perfons were at hand, it is probable that masters of private families read the fcriptures in their own houfes; or several families might join, and assemble together for the purpose, and this might give occafion to the inftitution of fynagogues, which anfwered the fame end. Thefe affemblies were in univerfal ufe in our Saviour's time, and had been so, as is generally agreed, from the time of Ezra, if they were not as old as the time of king David, who is thought to allude to them in fome of his Pfalms.

Chrift having rifen from the dead on the first day of the week, which is diftinguished by the appellation of the Lord's day, and having afterwards appeared to his difciples on that day, in preference to any other, it seems from thence to have grown into a cuftom, with the apoftles and primitive chriftians,

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to affemble for public worship on that day, rather than on the feventh, and though the christian Jews probably continued for fome time to meet on the feventh day alfo, yet, by degrees, the obfervance of that day for the purpose of public worship grew out of ufe.

Our prefent practice was certainly that of the earliest chriftians, whofe cuftoms we are able to trace, and there having never been any controverfy upon the fubject, we may safely conclude, that they derived it from the apoftles; and their authority is fufficient for us. Nor does it make any material difference whether we be certified of their practice by their own writings, or any other fufficient evidence. In fact, it does not feem to be very material, what particular day of the week we fet apart for reft and public worship, provided we confcientiously appropriate the fame portion of our time to that use.

That fome portion of time should be fet apart for the purpose of public worship, seems to be, highly reafonable of itself, exclufive of all exprefs authority; fince focieties, as fuch, depend upon God, as well as the individuals that compofe them; and therefore they owe him the fame homage; and it is moft natural, that public thanksgivings, confeffions, and petitions, fhould be made by as many of the fociety as can conveniently affemble for that purpofe. Every perfon, therefore, who confiders himVOL. II.

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felf

felf as a member of fociety, and having a common interest with it, should, on this account, attend the public worship of God; and what time is fo convenient for this purpose, as the day of reft from labour and worldly bufinefs. The mind will naturally be moft compofed, and, on every account, the fitteft for religious exercises on that day; and the devotion of individuals is greatly ftrengthened by the example of others joining with them.

It is an additional argument in favour of public worship, that the cuftom promotes fociety and friendship, by affording frequent opportunities for the people of a neighbourhood meeting and seeing one another, especially as the business of the day tends to promote mutual love, and all the focial virtues.

The fabbath, among the Jews (and for the fame reafon, it fhould apply to the Lord's day among the chriftians) is expressly ordered to be a day of reft for the cattle, as well as for man. It must be exceedingly wrong, therefore, to make the labouring cattle work on that day; and in this view it is a moft reasonable and merciful inftitution.

As the most important use of a weekly day of rest (on which the attention of the mind is withdrawn from the usual cares of life) is ferious and useful reflection, in order to the moral culture of the mind, it must be wrong, as evidently interfering with this end of the institution, to give way to ex

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