church; for it is said, that the disciples, that is, the church, met together.

[2.] It was not a day occasionally appointed by the apostle, but the stated usual time of their meeting; for it is not said Paul designed to preach to them on that day, and therefore they met together; but when they came together, on the first day of the week, that is, on the day of their usual meeting, Paul preached unto them.

[3.1 The apostle had been with them some days before; for it is said in the foregoing verse, that he abode their seven days. Why did they not meet together, and he preach to them the day before, to wit, the seventh day of the week, on which day he was with them; but because that was no longer a Sabbath, but changed to the first day?

[4] The end of their meeting was to break bread. Now, though the word is to be preached in season and out of season; yet no day is so proper to break bread on, or celebrate the Lord's supper, as that on which he rose from the dead. Besides, when a day is particularly described as that which is set apart for solemn worship, such as preaching and breaking of bread is supposed to be, that must be understood to be the Sabbath.

5. They could not be said now to meet together for fear of the Jews, as was before objected to their observing the first Sabbath; for it was at Troas, where the Jews had nothing to do, nor could they persecute them; for it was a church of converted Gentiles.

Obj. 1. It is objected, that the word which we render the first day of the week*, might be rendered one day of the week, or on a certain day.

Answ. Our translation of the Greek word, is by far the most proper, as all know, who understand that language. Besides, the same words are used in John xx. 1. and Luke xxiv. 1. in both which scriptures Christ's resurrection is said to be on the first day of the week; how preposterous would it be, to render them, on a certain day of the week? and if they are, in those scriptures, and others that might be referred to, to be rendered, the first day of the week, as all allow they must, why should they be rendered otherwise in the text under our present consideration?

Obj. 2. It is farther objected, that their meeting together, on the first day of the week, to break bread, does not argue it to be a Sabbath; because formerly the Lord's supper used to be administered whenever the word was preached, and that was

Ev Tñ μã Tây σalCalav. On the first from the Sabbath; so the Jews nained the days of the week.

on other days, besides the first day of the week; yea, we read, that in some ages of the church, the word was preached, and the Lord's supper administered, every day.

Answ. To this it may be replied, That though the Lord's supper may be administered on another day, yet this is said to be the day more especially appointed for this solemn ordipance, or for public worship, as has been already observed. Besides, though the Lord's supper was administered on other days after this: yet it will be hard to prove that it was administered on any other day but the Lord's day, in the apostles time.

(3.) The change of the Sabbath, from the seventh to the first day of the week, may be farther argued from 1 Cor. vi. 1, 2. in which the apostle says, As I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him; that there be no gatherings when I come. In which words we may observe,

[1.] That there is a work of charity recommended; a duty most proper for the Sabbath, as a testimony of our thankfulness to God for spiritual blessings, held forth to, or received by us, on that day; and it is a day in which our hearts are most like to be enlarged to others, when most affected with the love of God to us. Those duties which the prophet recommends as suitable to a fast, which God had chosen, are very suitable to all public ordinances, and in particular to Sabbaths, namely, to loose the bands of wickedness, and to undo the heavy burdens, and to deal forth bread to the hungry, Isa. lviii. 6, 7. If the poor of the church were to be provided for, this was to be done, not by a private, but a public collection, whereby more might be raised, and no burden laid on particular persons. It is moreover said, that they were to lay by as God had prospered them; that is, not only in proportion to the increase of their worldly substance, or the success that attended their secular employments on other days; but their compassion to the poor ought to be enlarged, in proportion to the spiritual advantage they received from Christ, under his ordinances.

[2.] This was not to be done on one single first day of the week, but on the return of every first day; as all who read this scripture impartially must understand it. Therefore it follows, that the first day of the week was a day in which the church met together for solemn, public, and stated worship.

[3.] It was not commanded only to this church at Corinth, but is agreeable to what had been commanded to all the churches of Galatia; therefore it follows, that the churches of Galatia were obliged to observe the first day of the week, as

* Κατά μίαν σαββάτων.

well as that at Corinth. And inasmuch as this epistle is directed to all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. i. 2. it may by a parity of reason, be applied to them; and accordingly it may be argued, that it was a universal practice of the church, at that time, to meet together for religious worship, on the first day of the week, which argument cannot but have some weight in it, to prove the doctrine that we are maintaining, relating to the change of the Sabbath, from the seventh to the first day of the week.

(4.) The change of the Sabbath, from the seventh to the first day of the week, farther appears, in that there is a day, mentioned in the New Testament, which is styled the Lord's day. Thus it is said, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, Rev. i. 10. Where it may be observed,

[1.] That there is a peculiar claim that Christ lays to this day as his own, distinct from all other days. As the seventh day of the week was, before this, called, as it is in this Commandment, The Sabbath of the Lord thy God, and elsewhere, his holy day, Isa. lviii. 13. so there is a peculiar day which our Saviour, who is the Lord here spoken of, claims as his holy day. And what can this be, but that day which he has instituted in commemoration of his having finished the work of our redemption?

[2.] It may be farther observed, that when God is said to lay claim to things in scripture, it denotes, that they are of his appointment, and for his glory. Thus the bread and the wine in that ordinance, which Christ has appointed in remembrance of his death, is called the Lord's supper, or the Lord's table, denoting that it is an ordinance of his own appointment; in like manner the Lord's day may be fitly so called for this reason, as instituted by him.

The arguments that have hitherto been brought to prove that the Sabbath was changed from the seventh to the first day of the week, are principally such as are founded on a scripture-consequence. We shall now proceed to prove that this consequence is just, viz. that because the first day of the week was observed by our Saviour, his apostles, and the church in general, as the Lord's day, that is, a day instituted by him, in commemoration of his having finished the work of our redemp tion; therefore we ought to observe it for that end. Here it may be considered,

1st, That it is not to be supposed, that it was universally observed by the church at random, or by accident, without some direction given them herein. For since the apostles were appointed to erect the gospel-church, and, as God's ministers, to give laws to it, relating to the instituted worship that was to be performed therein, it is as reasonable to sup

pose, that they gave direction concerning the time, in which public solemn worship should be performed.

2dly, Whatever the apostles ordered the church to observe, in matters belonging to religious worship, they did it by divine direction; otherwise the rules they laid down for instituted worship, could not be much depended on; and they, would doubtless, have been blamed, as not having fulfilled the commission, which they received from Christ, to teach the church to observe all things whatever he had commanded them. Nor could the apostle have made this appeal to the church as he does; I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God, Acts xx. 27. and elsewhere, I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, 1 Cor. xi. 23. and I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, chap. xv. 3. Nor would he have acted agreeably to the character he gave of himself and the rest of the apostles; concerning whom he says, Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful, chap. iv. 1. he says concerning himself, I have obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful, chap. vii. 25. And elsewhere, If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you, are the commandments of the Lord, chap. xiv. 37. and consequently, that whatever directions he gave about the time, as well as mode of worship, were instamped with his authority; therefore, an apostolic intimation contained a divine command relating hereunto.

And

Those things that were delivered to the church, by persons under divine inspiration, are not to be reckoned among the traditions which the Papists plead for, which took their rise in those ages when inspiration was ceased. The apostle uses the word tradition in the same sense in which we are to understand a divine oracle, or a command given by those who were divinely inspired; and accordingly he says, I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, or, as it is in the margin, traditions, as I have delivered them to you, chap. xi. 2. and elsewhere, he exhorts them, to hold the traditions which they had been taught, whether by word, or his epistle, 2 Thess. ii. 15. that is, all those things which had been communicated to them by divine inspiration, in whatever form they were transmitted to them, whether by word or writing; which different circumstances of imparting them, do not in the least detract from their divine authority. The laws which God gave to his church, were either immediately from himself, as the ten Commandments, or else they were given by those who were inspired for that purpose; and, indeed, the greatest part of gospel-worship was of this latter

sort; and what was transmitted by the apostles relating hereunto, was either verbal or real; the former containing an intimation of what they had received of the Lord, the latter was enforced by their example and practice; which, supposing them to be under divine inspiration, was a sufficient warrant for the faith and practice of the church, whether relating to the mode or time of worship; and consequently the practice and example of the apostles and church, in their day, in observing the first day of the week, is a sufficient argument to convince us concerning the change of the Sabbath, from the seventh to the Lord's day, which was to be observed, by the church, in all succeeding ages.

As to that question which is proposed by some, namely, when it was that Christ gave instructions to the apostles, concerning the change of the Sabbath? It is an over-curious enquiry, since it is enough for us to conclude, that this, together with other laws given by them, relating to the gospel-dispensation, were given by him, during that interval of time, in which he shewed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, Acts i. 3. of which, we may reasonably suppose this to have been one. But if this be not reckoned sufficient for the confirming our faith therein, we have the highest reason to conclude, that it was given by the inspiration of the Spirit, whom Christ had before promised unto the apostles to guide them into all truth; and that he should shew them things to come, John xvi. 13. by which we are to understand, that he was to lead them, not only into those truths, which were necessary for them to know as Christians, but to impart to the churches as ministers, as a rule of faith and practice. This is what, I think, may give us sufficient satisfaction, as to the divine original of the Lord's day, without our being obliged to have recourse to an ecclesiastical establishment, without a divine institution; which would very much detract from the dignity and glory of it, and the regard that we ought to pay to it, as the Lord's holy day. We have considered it as instituted by the apostles; and that they had instructions in all things relating to the edification of the church; and that they were so faithful in what they imparted, that they cannot be, in the least, suspected of intruding any invention of their own into the worship of God, in this, any more than any other branch thereof, to suppose which, would leave us in the greatest uncertainty, as to what concerns matters of the highest importance.

Thus concerning the observation of the Lord's day, as founded on a divine warrant, given to the church by the ministry of the apostles, who were appointed, by God, to make