er csteemeth every day alike Let ev-neth nót, and giveth God thanks." His ery man be fully persuaded in his own plain from every word of this quotation, mind. He that regardeth the day, re-that it refers exclusively to the centrogardeth it unto the Lord; and he that versies which had uuhappily arisen, aregardeth not the day, to the Lord he bout the observance of the ceremonial # doth not regard it." Now, what is the law. But the Sabbath, considered apostle's meaning here? That the Sab- simply as a season of rest and religious bath was abolished, when he wrote, in worship, was not a part of that law. It so far at least, that it became a matter was appointed and sanctified, more than of indifference what day of the week, 2500 years before the law was given. or whether any day was kept holy? Some things required of the Jews, in Surely those, who put this construction keeping it, might perhaps be ceremoni upon the passage, greatly crr, not know-al: but the institution itself could BO ing the Scriptures. more be abrogated, than any other mor

Every attentive reader of the New-al precept, as a part of the Jewish rituTestament must have observed, that al. Indeed, it is very doubtful, to say the Jewish and Christian dispensations the least, whether the passage under were for some time blended together; consideration contains the slightest rethe former being gradually abolislied, ference to the seventh day Sabbath.and the latter as gradually taking its There were many other days in every place. Hence arose some unhappy dis-year, the religious observance of which putes and divisions, between the advowas strictly enjoined in the law of Mocates of the two dispensations. Many ses. All, therefore, that can fairly be of the Jewish converts thought them gathered from the apostle's words, is, selves and others bound to observe the that the christians of that time might, or ritual law, in the same manner as before might not, regard those feast days, just they embraced Christianity. Most of as they thought fit, provided they acted the Gentile converts, on the other hand conscientiously. If one convert tho't maintained, that as the ritual law was a-it his duty to regard any particular day tolished, no further regard to its vari-according to the ritual, he might do so; ous distinctions of meats, days, &c. was while another, who considered the whole admissible. To put an end to these dis- Mosaic dispensation as abolished, was pates, and induce the disputants to ex-not to be blamed for declining to unite ercise mutual forbearance, and charity, with his brother in such an observance. the apostle addressed them thus: inOn this point, every one must be fully that is weak in the faith receive ye, but persuaded in his own mind, and act acnot to doubtful disputations. For one be-cordingly. If, then, God has abrogated lieveth that he may eat all things. Au-the Sabbath, we must look elsewhere other, who is weak, cateth herbs. Let for the repealing act; for surely it is not not him that eateth despise him that found here. eateth not; and let not him which ca. Let us then turn to Col. ii. 16, 17, and feth not judge him that eateth; for God see if we can find it there. The words has received him. Who art thou that of the apostle are, "Let no man, therejudgest another man's servant? To his fore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or own master he standeth or falleth; yea, in respect of an holy day, or of the new he shall be holden up, for God is able to moon, or of the Sabbath days; which make him stand. One man estremeth are a shadow of things to come: but one day above another; another cs-the body is of Christ. Here, say those teemeth every day alike. Let every who maintain that the Sabbath is abolnan be fully persuaded in his own mind. Ished, here we have the repealing act, He that regardeth the day, regardeth it in terins as explicit, as human language unto the Lord. And he that regardeth can furnish. The Colossians, and of not the day, to the Lord he doth not re-course all other Christians, are excused gard it. He that cateth, eateth to the as well from observing the Sabbath Lord, for he giveth God thanks; And days, as the new moons and other Jew he that cuteth not, to the Lord he oat-isli festivals.

The third I shall give, in the words of an able foreign writer.

To this construction of the words ||tion of our Lord's resurrection. If, on just quoted, which strikes at the founda- the one hand, such of the Jews as acted tion of the Christian Sabbath, not less conscientiously were not to be judged, than three distinct answers can be given. For condemned, for adhering for a time In the first place, the construction to a dispensation, which was vanishing takes for granted the essential thing away, neither on the other, were those which ought to be proved, viz. that the Christians, whether Jewish or Gentile apostle is speaking here of the weekly converts, to be condemned, for forsakSabbaths. I say this ought to be prov-ing at once the Jewish, and adopting ed; because, as is well known, the cere- the Christian dispensation. This is my monial law required the Jews to keep second answer. several other sabbaths every year.Thus, for example, they were commaned to keep the first day of the seventh "It is evident from the context," says month, and also the tenth day of the he, "that the apostle was speaking of same, as a Sabbath, throughout their the ordinances of the ceremonial law, for generations. See Lev. xxiii." And the the neglect of which no christian was Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak to be condemned. Blolling out the unto the children of Israel, saying, Inhand writing of ordinances that was athe seventh month, in the first day of gainst us, which was contrary to us and the month shall ye have a sabbath; a took it out of the way, nailing it to his memorial of blowing of trumpets, an ho-cross. Let no man therefore judge you ly convocation. Ye shall do no servile in meat or in drink, or in respect of an work therein. Also, on the tenth day holy day, or of the new moon, or of the of this seventh month, there shall be a Sabbath days. day of atonement. Ye shall do no "In this passage the apostle is clearmanner of work: it shall be a statutely speaking of burdensome ordinances: forever, throughout your generations in of something that was against them, and all your dwellings. It shall be unto contrary to the spirituality of the Gos you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall af-pel. But can any pious person conflict your souls." Now, when it is conceive, that the spending of one day in sidered, that all the other things men-seven in spiritual services, in the detioned by the apostle in the passage be-lightful employment of social worship fore us, such as meats, drinks, and fes-and other religious exercies, could be fivals, belonged to the ceremonial law, ranked by the holy apostle amongst the why might not the Sabbath days, which things which were against Christianity he speaks of in the very same verse, and contrary to it? Was that institution be the ceremonial Sabbaths of the Jews which the people of God had been just mentioned, and not their regular commanded to call a delight, holy of weekly Sabbaths? The contrary, I am the Lord, and honorable, now to be essure, cannot be proved; and, until it is teemed of so carnal a nature, as to be proved, the text cannot in the least afranked amongst the things which Christ fect the perpetuity of the sacred rest, which was from the beginning. This is my first answer. But

took out of the way, nailing it to his cross? Were those holy persons, who had been accustomed to adopt the lanSecondly; allowing, what cannot be guage of the Psalmist, "I was glad proved, that the apostle refers to the or-when they said unto me, let us go up dinary Jewish Sabbath, and excuses ev- to the house of the Lord," now taught ery body, under the christian dispensa-to esteem a day spent in such services, tion, from observing this day, what does as apart of that yoke which neither the it amount to? To nothing more than apostles nor their fathers were able to this, that the observance of the seventh bear? We must destroy all just ideas day of the week was no longer obligato- of the effects which the preaching of the ry. A Sabbath must still be kept, tho' Gospel was intended to produce, be, the day might be changed, and was in- ||fore we can adopt such an interpr.tended to be changed, in commemora- tion of the apostle's words."

This train of reasoning might be per- || God was, however, pleased to enjoin sued much further: but it seems to me upon them a stated weekly intermission quite unnecessary to enlarge. The a- of their gentle and delightful care, that bove extract can I think, hardly fail to they might have nothing to divert their strike the reader's mind with the force of attention from the far more animating demonstration. And now, in view of employment of united praise and adoall that has been said, the question res-ration. For the same reason, that it pecting the perpetuity of the Sabbath was the duty and the privilege of the stands thus. It is a divine and not a hu- first human pair to keep the Sabbath, man institution; and therefore incapa- before their apostasy, would it have ble of being abrogated by any human been the duty and the privilege of all authority. It was ordained and sancti- their posterity to keep it, if sin had nevfied in Paradise. It never can expire byer entered the world. But how much its own limitations; because it has none. more do we, fallen creatures, need such Its abolition is not declared, in either of a season of rest from the laborious emthe passages which we have examined.ployments to which we are doomed? It is not declared any where in the Bi-How much more de we, who have lost ble; for no one will pretend, that any the image of God, and are prone conother passage can be produced more tinually to forget our obligations and directly to the purpose. Of course the dependence, need the leisure and the sacred institution has never been abro- solemn stillness of the Sabbath to recal gated by divine authority. If it never us from our wanderings, and assist us in has been thus abrogated, it never will our preparations for heaven? Had man be; for the canon of Scripture is full.-in his primitive state been totally depravThe institution must therefore be bind-ed, and had he since been made perfectly ing to the end of the world. Here holy as Adam was before the fall; had might close. On this ground I might the Sabbath, moreover, been given him, confidently rest the question. But a while wandering and loving to wander; number of other distinct and indepen-it'might have heen plausibly argued, afdent arguraents present themselves as ter the happy renovation, that such an auxiliaries to the preceding; and it institution was no longer necessary.would be ungrateful to dismiss them from the service.

But what can be more irrational, than to adopt the reverse of the argument and 1. The institution of the Sabbath, in say, that a religious institution, which Paradise, before the fall, furnishes a God saw necessary for man in innocenstrong argument for its perpetuity. We cy, has ceased to be necessary for him should have been apt to think, perhaps, since the fall? And yet, this is the abthat while our first parents retained surd conclusion to which all the argutheir primitive holiness, it could answerments against the perpetuity of the Sabno valuable purpose to enjoin upon bath unavoidably lead. them the religious observance of any 2. That the Sabbath is not a ceremoparticular day, in as much as they lov nial but a moral institution, of universal ed God with all their hearts, and were and perpetual obligation, is put beyond disposed to spend every day in his ser- all reasonable doubt by its being incorvice. They could not need the Sab-porated into the decalogue. Strange bath, as a season of rest from toils, such it is, that the morality of the fourth as they were afterwards doomed to ex-command should ever be questioned, perience; for their labor, if labor it when the duties which it enjoins are might be called, was most easy and in-moral duties, when it was written at the vigorating. They had only to dress the garden and keep it. No more toil, as the great Epic Poet expresses it,

same time, and by the same divine hand, as the other commands; and when it is placed between the two tables of the moral law, as if to teach us, that piety to the duties, which we owe to one another, God, and the conscientious discharge of depend essentially upon the observance

of the Sabbath. Even those who most important section, have declared, that strenuously deny the perpetuity of the one jol, or one tiltle, should in no wise weekly rest, do not hesitate to admit, in pass from the law? Surely he was not general terms, that the moral law is now in the habit of giving such loose and in full force, and will continue to bind ambiguous expositions of Scripture. the consciences of all, who are made He spoke plainly and positively in this acquainted with it, to the end of the instance, with respect to the nature world. Well, then, what is the moral and obligations of the law. He doubtlaw? Does it comprise the whole of less intenbed,that his words should be tawhat was written on the two tables of ken in their most obvious meaning; and stone, and laid up with the ark? or only if so, we have his authority for considera part? If it comprises all the ten coming the command, relative to the Sabmandments, then all are still obligatory. bath, as really and as strongly binding on If it comprises only a part, then the law, the then present and all succeeding genas originally given to Moses, is defec-erations, as any part of the moral law. tive. And if any one of the ten con- The Lord hath spoken, and who shall disstituent articles may be rejected without ||annulit. authority, why may not another, or even 3. The perpetuity of the Sabbath is the whole? If we may consider the plainly implied if not directly asserted fourth as having waxed old and vanish-by Christ, Mark ii, 27, 28. And he said ed away, why not the first, the second, and so on to the last? They all rest on the same ground and must stand or fall together.

unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath. If the Sabbath was a But not to insist any longer, upon gracious institution, originally designed what is instamped on the very face of for the benefit of man, why should it the law, let us turn to our Lord's Ser-not be for his benefit to have it continumon on the mount; and see if he hased under the christian dispensation? not there settled the question for ever. Could the great Lord of the Sabbath inThink not said he, that I am come to tend to deprive his followers of one of destroy the law or the prophets: I am not the most important means, which the come to destroy but to fulfil. For, verily saints had ever enjoyed, of preserv I say unto you, till heaven and earthing true religion in the world, and of pass, one jol, or one little, shall in no promoting personal holiness? No, surewise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. İy. The wise and gracious economy of Let those who would set aside one whole section of the law well consider the curse, which immediately follows. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. "That is" says the judicious Scott, "either no true dis-But take away the Sabbath, and it ciple at all; or one of the most incon- nay confidently be affirmed, that they sistent and mean of the whole compa- would be less. For experience has any." Mat. v, 17, 18, 19. That Christ bundantly proved, that even the forms was speaking here, not of the ceremo-of religion cannot long be maintained, nial but of the moral law, is most evi- where the Sabbath is discarded. I sha!! dent; because he proceeded immediate-only add, under this head, that as Christ ly to expound the 6th, 7th, and 8th com- was Lord of the Sabbath, had he intendmands of the decalouge. If he had in-ed it should cease, he could have repealtended to abrogate one tenth part ofed the law. He did not repeal it; there-the law, would he have said, that before it still remains in force. came not to destroy it? Would he, 4. It is a common argument, and I without giving the least intimation of think a forcible one, in favor of the per the repeal, or intended repeal, of one petuity of the Sabbath, that, in speaking

God towards his people was, from the beginning, gradually to increase, not to diminish their privileges. It is universally admitted, that these privileges are more and greater under the Gospel, than they were, at any period, before the extablishment of the christian church.

type of the heavenly, it must continue till all the people of God shall bare entered into their eternal rest, when there will be no more accasion for it. In other words, it must continue to the end of the world.

of the final destruction of Jerusalem, our || person and mediatoral work they referLord directed his disciples to pray, that red, and in whom they were accomplishtheir flight from that devoted city mighted. The earthly Sabbath, then, being a not be in the winter, nor on the Sabbath day. The argument concisely stated is this. Christ was speaking of an event, which was not to take place till about forty years. If the Sabbath was ever abolished, the abolition took place near the time of the setting up of the new dispensation, or soon after Christ's resurrection. But if the Sabbath were to be abolished then, why did he speak of it as an institution, which would exist, and be binding, so many years afterwards? Why did he direct his disciples to pray that their flight might not be on the Sabbath day, when, according to the supposition, they would no longer be under obligations to regard one day as holy, more than another?

I might proceed to show, as a further confirmation of the designed perpetuity of the Sabbath, that it has been religiously kept by the most eminent saintsin every age, from the resurrection of Christ, to the present time. I might, also avail myself of the aid of several strong arguments, drawn from the application of ancient prophecies to gospel times. But really I cannot think it necessary. If God instituted the Sabbath, and has never abrogated it; then it must be per5. The perpetuity of the Sabbath petual. If not one jot, or one tittle, can is manifestly capable of being proved ever pass from the law, then must the from the words of the Apostle Paul, Sabbath be perpetual. If the Sabbath Rom. iii, 30. Do we then make void the existed when Jerusalem was destroyed; law through faith? God forbid, yea we if the law is not made void but establishestablish the law. Now what is it to es-ed through faith; and if the Sabbath is tablish a law? To maintain it, doubtless, typical of the heavenly rest, then must without retrenchment or diminution? it be perpetual. In a word, if all, or if Could it be truly said, that the moral only one, of the above arguments be law was established through faith, or by conclusive, then is the perpetuity of the the plan of salvation which the Gospel Sabbath unanswerably established. reveals, if an essential part of the law, to wit, the fourth command, were really abrogated?

I cannot do justice to myself without a momentary digression here, to inform the reader, who may begin to look with impatience for the end of this number, that I have been insensibly drawn to a length of discussion, which I had not contemplated; a trespass, which I hope will be pardoned, when the importance of the subject is duly considered, and a pledge is given, on my part, not to detain him many minutes longer,

6. It is evident, I think, from what the Apostle says, Heb. iv, that the Sab bath is a typical institution. Having spoken of the seventh day Sabbath, and referred to the change from that to the first day, of which I shall have occasion to take notice more particularly in another place, he observes, verse 9, There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of A sufficient number of the most obvi. God. The rest of the holy Sabbath is ous and conclusive proofs, that the Saban earnest to God's people of that e- bath has been changed from the seventh ternal rest, which is reserved for them to the first day of the week, may be in heaven. In other words, the sabbat-stated in two or three short paragraphs. ical rest, appointed by God in Paradise,||The question of perpetuity being decidis the lype; and the rest, or sabbatismed in the affirmative, we naturally inwhich remains in the world of glory, isquire what was the practice of the Aposthe antitype. Now, it is the nature of atles and primitive Christians. It cannot type to continue until its use is superse.be supposed, that those holy men, espeded by the antitype. Thus the typical cially, who were inspired to write the institutions of the ceremonial law contin- New-Testament, Would either neglect, ned in force till Christ came, to whose the Sabbath, or change the day, without