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cribing a much later date to this sacred institution, they will not surely say, that

The Institution of the Sabbath. That the the Sabbath was originally any of these reasons were first suggestappointed by divine authority, is not,ed to their minds by the perusal of the I believe questioned by any, who pro- passage before us. Even they must

fess to regard the Scriptures as a reve-concede as much as this, the passage lation from heaven. It cannot, there-seems, at first view, to favor the confore, be necessary to spend a moment struction which I have given it. But it in proving so clear a point. Happy has been contended, that this cannot be would it be, if the same just coincidence of opinion existed respecting, every material question, connected with this important subject. That this however is very far from being the case, will be sufficiently obvious, in the progress of these

numbers.

somewhere recorded by Moses.

the true construction, because neither the observance, nor the existence, of a Sabbath, is once mentioned by the sacred historian, from the second chapter of Genesis, to the sixteenth of Exodus, including a period of about 2500 years. Many very pious men, it is added, cerIt being granted by all parties, that tainly lived within that long period, who the Sabbath was originally a divine in-would have solemnly observed the sastitution, the first question that presents cred weekly rest, if it had been appointitself, in the plan which 1 propose toed, which observance must have been pursue, is—At what time, and on what occasion, was the Sabbath instituted? This argument has some degree of This question, as it appears to me, is plausibility, I admit, but nothing more. unequivocally answered, in the second It is true, we are no where expressly chapter of Genesis, at the beginning. told, that holy men before the flood, or Thus the heavens and the earth were fin- that the post-diluvian patriarchs observished, and all the host of them. And oned a weekly Sabbath. That they did, the seventh day, God ended his work which he had made, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, anil sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Here is nothing ambiguous, either in the words themselves or in their connexion with first time, Noah waited seven days, the preceding narrative. The plain and obvious account is, that as soon as God had finished the great work of creation, he not only rested from it himself, but appointed the very next, or seventh, day to be observed by our first parents, as a day of holy rest, in commemoration of the grand eveat. Whatever reasons any persons may think they see for as

however, seems highly probable, independently of other considerations, from the division of time into weeks, which obviously took place, long before the giving of the law to Israel. Such a division is pretty clearly hinted at, more than once, in the eighth chapter of Genesis. After sending out the dove the

and then sent her forth a second time, and, at the end of just seven days more, he sent her forth a third time. This regard to the number seven might, I grant, possibly have been accidental; or Noah might have had reasons for it, of which we know nothing;-but when we view the subject, in connexion wit! the passage above qucted from the e

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cond chapter, it seems altogether more from a little after the death of Moses to

probable, that every seventh day was kept by the patriarch and his family as a Sabbath; and this accounts for the division of time, by him and his posterity, into weeks.

observance of the Sabbath is not particularly mentioned, in the sacred history of that period.

the days of Jeremiah: that important seal of the covenant not being so much as once mentioned, or even alluded to, in the history of that period, including more than 800 years. Will it be mainThe same division is again incidental-tained, can it be believed, that all the ly mentioned, by the sacred writer, in pious kings, together with the whole the 29th chapter of Genesis. Ful-Jewish nation, for eight centuries paid no fil her week, said Laban to Jacob, and regard to a known command of God, we will give thee this also, (i. e. Rachel,) requiring every male to be circumcised? for the service which thou shall serve with To be consistent with themselves, all me yet seven other years. And Jacob those must adopt this incredible suppodid so, and fulfilled her week. That the sition, who infer that mankind were left week here referred to consisted of seven without a Sabbath, for more than twendays, must, I think, be obvious to eve-ty-five centuries, merely because the ry one, who will take the trouble of com paring this passage with others, in both Testaments, where the same word occurs. And this furnishes presumptive Upon the whole, then, it is cheerfully proof, of no inconsiderable weight, that submitted to the candid reader, whether one day of the seven, in each week, the objection, which I have been conwas known and kept as a Sabbath. But||sidering, must not be given up; first, besupposing that no allusion whatever to cause the institution seems to be frethis sacred institution were to be found quently alluded to in the inspired recin the history of the patriarchs, it would ords of patriarchal times; and, secondly, not only be extremely illogical to infer, because if it were not thus alluded to, that they had no knowledge of it, since, the silence of those records could not in a history so very concise, millions of possibly prove any thing against the exevents must necessarily be passed over|istence of the institution. in silence; but the argument has this additional misfortune, that if it proves any thing it proves too much. It equally proves, that the Sabbath was entirely First, from the words of the inspired unknown and unobserved, from the days penman, already recited. Having told us of Joshua to the reign of David, no what was done on the first and each sucmention being made of it, in the history||ceeding day of the creation to the sixth of that period. If mere silence be tak- and last, he proceeds in the same tense, en for proof, in the former case, it must and without giving the least intimation in the latter also. If, on the other hand, that what follows is spoken by way of the highest degree of probability for-anticipation, to record the important bids the inference, that the pious Judges of Israel paid no attention to God's holy day, notwithstanding their observance of it is not mentioned, on what principle can it be inferred, that the Sabbath was not appointed till 2500 years after the creation, and that it is mentioned by Moses, in the second chapter of Genesis, not as having commenced in para-time, and to observe every seventh dise, but in the wilderness? day as a Sabbath. And if God's resting Equally fatal to this favorite argu-was a reason why they should rest, then ment of Dr. Paley and others on the his resting on the first seventh day, was same side of the question, is the silence a reason why that day should be their f the inspired volume, respecting the first Sabbath. ervance of the rite of circumcision,

To proceed :-That the Sabbath was instituted in Paradise, and not in the wilderness, I argue,

fact, that on the seventh day God rested from all his work, blessing and sanctifying the day, on account of his having thus rested. Now, if the divine example, in resting on the seventh day, was of any significancy to men: if it was designed for their imitation; then it became their duty to rest one seventh part of the

Again; God blessed the seventh day

and sanclified it. That is, he separated || seventh day could not have been deferit from common secular employments red and inserted in its proper place. and consecrated it for a day of religious With what color of probability can it be worship. This solemn consecration maintained, then, that in directing Momost evidently took place, on the very ses what to write, the Spirit of God day when God rested from all his work, dictated an arrangement, in this instance and not twenty five hundred years after-so contrary to the regular order of the wards, as some have labored to prove. sacred narrative, and so much better If the Sabbath was instituted to com-calculated to mislead, than to guide the memorate the stupenduous work of biblical student into all truth? creation, what can be more absurd than I shall only add, that on the same the supposition, that this commemora-grounds, on which it is contended, that tion was defe red, till the world was the Sabbath is first spoken of by anticimore than two thousand five hundred pation, it might be argued, that the creyears old! The miraculous deliverance ation of the world is spoken of in the of Israel from Egypt, was commemora- same manner. If the inspired writer ted in the annual feasts of the passover, teaches us, for example, that the sun from the time that the Lord brought and the moon were created on the them out. The independence of these fourth day; he is equally explicit in deU. States has been annually celebrated,||claring to us, that on the seventh day ever since they were declared indepen- God rested from all his work, and blessdent. In like manner, are all those erased the seventh day and sanctified it.and events celebrated among mankind, There being, therefore, no difference in which are thought worthy of being kept the phraseology, we must suppose, that in remembrance by stated festivals, or if the latter event is spoken of by way other demonstrations of rejoicing. The of anticipation, so is the former. In othcommemoration in each case, commen- er words, if we suppose Moses to speak ces at, or near, the tire of the event, in the second chapter of Genesis, not of which it is designed to perpetuate. How what actually took place on the seventh extremely improbable, that the appoint-day of the world, but of what was done ment of a day, to commemorate the cre- after the lapse of thousands of years, then ation of the world, should form a solita-we must suppose him in the first chapry exception! But if it does not form anter, to speak of the sun and moon, not exception, then the Sabbath was ordain as being created on the fourth day, but ed and sanctified from the beginning, at some future and distant period. The which was the thing to be proved. same must be supposed of what is said

I flatter myself, that on this ground Ito have been done, on each of the six might safely rest the argument. But a days, employed by God in the work of few brief remarks, on the supposed anti- || creation: and so we shall be constraincipation of the passage in the second ed, out of regard to consistency, to conchapter of Genesis, may serve still fur-sider the sacred historian as representther to expose the weakness of the op-ing the heavens and the earth as brought posite side of the question. If the Sab-into existence by way of anticipation. bath was not instituted, till after Israel's That the Sabbath was not given to Isemancipation from Egyptian bondage,rael in the wilderness, as a new instituwhat occasion had Moses to say any tion, and of course, that it was institutthing about it, when writing the history ed in paradise, I argue, of what took place between two and three thousand years before? Could the placing of events, (which were, on the scheme here opposed, so remote from each other,) side by side in the history, serve any other purpose, than to mislead and perplex the reader? It will not, surely, be pretended, that the mention of God's blessing and sanctifying the

Secondly, from the address of Moses to his brethren on the subject, in the sixteenth chapter of Exodus, connected with what immediately precedes that address. The Lord had given the people manna for bread; a quantity of which, sufficient for one day's consumption, they were directed to gather every morning. This they did, till the sixth

day. And it came to pass, that on the || bath was made for man. The obvious sixth day they gathered twice as much meaning of this is, that it was appointed bread, two omers for one man and all for the use and benefit of the whole huthe rulers of the congregation came and man family; and, if so, it must have told Moses. And he said unto them, this been from the beginning. The Sabbath is that which the Lord hath said, To- was made for man; for man in every morrow is the rest of the holy Subbath age and under every dispensation.unto the Lord bake that which ye will Concerning the proof which this text bake to-day, & seethe that ye will seethe, furnishes, of the perpetuity of the Saband that which remaineth over lay up bath, I shall have occasion to speak for you, to be kept until the morning. more particularly, in my next number. The first thing worthy of remark in I would only infer from it here, that if this passage is, that without any order, the Sabbath was made for the benefit of or direction, so far as appears, the peo- all men, it is unreasonable to suppose, ple gathered twice as much manna on that its institution was deferred till the the sixth day, as on either of the prece-time of Moses, or indeed, that it was ding. How shall we account for this, deferred a single week, after the creabut by supposing, that the Sabbath had||tion of our first parents. been previously instituted, and that they had some idea, at least, of the nature and design of the institution. Why, on any other supposition, should they gather the food of two days in one; and why if they did, should they wait till the sixth day before they made this double provision for themselves and their families. But if they had any knowledge of the Sabbath at that time," that there is no city, either of Greeks it is certain, that it was not then first or- or barbarians, or any other nation, where dained; and, of course, that when Mo- the religion of the Sabbath is not ses told them, in the next verse, To- known." morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord, he spoke of it, as an institution already existing, and not as then for the first time made known to mankind.

Fourthly, the testimony of a great many profane writers might be adduced, which could scarcely fail to lead the mind to the very same conclusion, at which I have aimed, in all my preceding observations. I shall not howeyer, detain the reader long with quotations, deeming it unnecessary.

Josephus the Jewish historian, affirms

Philo says, "that the Sabbath is not a festival peculiar to any one people, or country; but is common to all the world; and that it may be named the general and public feast, or the feast of the nativity of the world."

ing performed within seven days, was preserved, not only among the Greeks and Italians, but among the Celts and Indians, all of whom divided their time into weeks."

This supposition is not a little strengthened, by the language, in which The learned Grotius, after quoting the Jewish lawgiver addressed the con- several very ancient authors, and a, gregation on the subject. This is that mong the rest Homer and Hesiod, say s which the Lord hath said, To-morrow is," that the memory of the creation's be(not to-morrow shall be,) the rest of the holy Sabbath, &c. This is not the manner, in which a lawgiver would speak, in appointing any new festival, or other commemorative observance; but it is precisely as men naturally speak of existing institutions. In strict propriety we say, that to-morrow is the Sabbath, although the day is yet future, because. How is this remarkable agreement in it is an old institution; but if there nev- the practice of nations so remote from er had been a Sabbath and to-morrow each other, and between many of were to be consecrated on the first day whom little or no intercourse ever exisof holy weekly rest the lawgiver would||ted, to be accounted for? Will it be not say it is, but it shall be, the Sabbath. said, that they were indebted to the Thirdly, Christ tells us that the Sab- Jews for it? By whom, let me ask,

The same is affirmed by other authors, of the Assyrians, Egyptians, Arabians, Romans, Gauls, Britons and Germans.

was it borrowed from that despised peo-perceive the entire consistency of this, ple? Would the Egyptians permit with other plainly revealed truths. Per-themselves to be instructed, by a nation haps, too, this doctrine has sometimes whose civil and religious institutions been so stated, by very pious and learnthey abhorred? Would the Assyrians?ed advocates for the doctrines of grace, Would the Arabians? Would those in their zeal for the sovereignty of God, proud and mighty masters of the world, as to be an occasion of stumbling to the Greeks and the Romans? No. Atheir friends, while it has given their adfar more rational solution of the prob-versaries some advantage. lem is, that the division of time into A leading objection to this doctrine weeks, together with some knowledge has ever been, that, if it be true, then no of the sabbath, was handed down from grace has been manifested to the nonthe family of Noah, through all its num-elect, in the gift of a Saviour; in the aerous branches, and then, in process of tonement he has made; or in the offer time, spread over the greatest part of of salvation to them, in the gospel ;the world, in the same manner as tradi- whereas the scripture representation tional accounts of the general deluge certainly is, that great grace has been have found their way among all nations. manifested in these things. Could this This solution leads us directly back, objection be fairly substantiated, it far beyond the age of Moses, & furnish-would, indeed, go so far towards invales strong collateral evidence, that the idating the truth of the doctrine. If, then, Sabbath was known to the antediluvi- the doctrine be so stated, by its advoans, and of consequence, that, accord-cates, that this objection will lie, unaning to the plain account of the sacred historian, it was instituted in paradise.

Z. X. Y.

swerably, against their statement, great
advantage is given to the adversary.
It has not been uncommon for those,
who have undertaken to defend the

THE SCRIPTURE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION doctrines of grace, to represent the elect

STATED.

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as being chosen, not merely, as the scripIt is a very plainly revealed truth, of tures express it, "to salvation, through great importance in the christian system, sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of that some of our fallen race were, "from the truth;" but, also, as chosen, that the beginning, chosen to salvation, Christ might die for them, and make through sanctification of the Spirit, and atonement for their sins, and for theirs belief of the truth; or, elected, ac-only. But it must be very obvious, that, cording to the foreknowledge of God if the atonement made by Christ were the Father, through sanctification, unto|| for the sins of the elect only, then, in obedience, and sprinkling of the blood making the atonement, there could he of Jesus Christ." It is not truc, as ma no act of grace to the non-elect. ny seem to hold, that some are chosen sides, if Christ were set forth a propitiato salvation, because they were previ-tion for the sins of the elect only, then, ously sanctified; but, they were "chos-in what he has donc and suffered, no en to salvation, through sanctification." provision has been made, in any sense, They are elected, not because they for the salvation of the non-elect; and, were previously obedient; but," unto surely, then, there can be no grace in obedience. As this doctrine of elec-the gospel offer of salvation to them.tion makes the salvation of sinners de-In this case, were they even to repert pend, not on him that willeth, nor on and believe the gospel, they could not him that runneth, but, on the sovereign be saved by Christ. Against this view electing grace of God, it is very offen- of election, therefore, it seems evident, sive to the carnal heart, and has, per- the objection must be valid. Hence we haps, been opposed with more unchris-may safely conclude, that this view of tian zeal and virulence, than almost any the doctrine is not agreeable to scripture. other truth of the gospel. Nor has it It is readily concluded, however, that, always been easy, even for apparently had it seemed good in the sight of God humble disciples of the Lord Jesus to to exercise his holy sovereignty in this

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