concluded how long our Saviour was dead or buried before he revived or rose again. It is written exprefly in St. Matthew, that as Jonas was three days Mat. 12. 40 and three nights in the whales belly, fo fhould the fon of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. From whence it feemeth to follow, that Chrift's Body was for the space of three whole Days and three whole Nights in the Grave, and after that space of Time arose from thence. And hence fome have conceived, that being our Saviour rofe on the Morning of the first Day of the Week, therefore it must neceffarily follow that he died and was buried on the fifth Day of the Week before, that is on Thursday; otherwise it cannot be true that he was in the Grave three Nights.

a

17.23. 20. 19. Mark 9. 31. 10.34.

18. 33.

24. 7, 46.

But this Place, as exprefs as it seems to be, must be confidered with the reft in which the fame Truth is delivered; as when our Saviour faid, After Mat. 27.63. three days I will rife again: And again, Deftroy this Temple, and in three Mark 8. 32. days I will build it up, or, within three days I will build another made Mark 14. 58. without hands. But that which is most used, both in our Saviour's Prediction before his Death, and in the Apoftle's Language after the Refurrection, is, that he rose from the dead the third day. Now according to the Lan- Mat. 16.21. guage of the Scriptures, if Christ were flain and rofe the third Day, the Day in which he died is one, and the Day on which he arofe is another, and confequently there could be but one Day and two Nights between the Day of his Death and of his Refurrection. As in the Cafe of Circumcifion, the Luke 9. 22. Male Child eight Days old was to be circumcifed, in which the Day on which the Child was born was one, and the Day on which he was circum- Als vo. 40. cifed was another, and fo there were but fix complete Days between the Day The eve I Cor. 15.4. *Theft feveof his Birth and the Day of his Circumcifion. The Day of Pentecoft was ral Phrases the fiftieth Day from the Day of the Wave-offering; but in the Number of are used; first, that Chrift the fifty Days was both the Day of the Wave-offering and of Pentecost inclu- was in the ded; as now among the Chriftians still it is. Whitsunday is now the Day heart of the Earth Tees of Pentecost, and Eafter-day the Day of the Refurrection, anfwering to μέρας, καὶ τρεῖς that of the Wave-offering; but both these must be reckoned to make the secondNumber of fifty Days. Chrift then who rofe upon the firft Day of the ly, was to rife Week (as is confeffed by all) died upon the fixth Day of the Week before: Tees For if he had died upon the fifth, he had rifen not upon the third, but the thirdly, fourth Day, as † Lazarus did. Being then it is most certain that our Sa- that he would viour rofe on the third day, being according to the conftant Language of Temple cu Terthe Greeks and Hebrews; he cannot be faid to rife to life on the third Day, who died upon any other Day between which and the Day of his Refurrection there intervened any more than one Day: Therefore thofe lafly, that he other Forms of Speech which are far lefs frequent, must be fo interpreted as to be reduced to this Expreffion of the third day fo often reiterated.

ftant Form of Speech.

that he

rebuild this

and διὰ τρῶν

ἡμερῶν· and

rofen Teiln

ἡμέρα, which is the most general and con

when be arose; As we read in

Lazarus is faid to be relαgla, four days dead, that is counting the Day on which he died, and the Day on which his Sifter fpake so to our Saviour at his Sepulchre. And being he was raised then, he rose Tỹ rεlágly źμégα, the fourth Day. Our Saviour rose rn reily iμiga, and therefore he was rella and fo the Fathers call him, as you may observe in the Words laft cited out of Athanafius. Plutarch, Σολος ὁ Θεσπέσιον ἐξέθανε, καὶ τροπαίο ήδη πεὶ τὰς ταφὰς αὐτὰς ἀνἰε[κε. De his qui ferò pun. And of that Spirit in a Boy poffeffed, who hated all Women, ἐπεὶ ἡ γωὴ περὶ ἢ συντώ όρισε, τριταίο κειμώς γαμηθεῖσα ἑτέρῳ. Philoftrat. 1.3. 12. What this τρελαί© is, the Greek Grammarians will teach us. Πρὸς μὲ τὸ πόσα ἀπανᾷ τὸ τρία τυχὸν ἢ τέσσαρα, πρὸς ἢ τὸ πόσον τὸ τρίτον ἢ τελάριον ἐπὶ τάξεως, πρὸς ἢ τὸ ποσαῖον τὸ τριταίον ἢ τελαπλαῖον, οἷον πρὸς τὸ ποσα θ ἀπ ̓ ἐρανᾶ πάρε; ἀπαντήσει τον τριταίο τυχὸν ἢ τε[a], ἔγαν τρίτίω ἡμέραν ἔχω ἀφ' δ πάρειμι ἢ τελάς]. Schol. Eurip. Hecuba. Tesla then, in respect of his coming to or from any Place, is that Perfon which is now the third day in or from that Place; which cannot be better interpreted, as to the Greek Language, than in the Expreffion of a Tertian Fever, called fo because the second Acceffion is upon the third Day from the first, and the third from the second, &c. In which cafe there is but one Day between, in which the Patient is wholly free from his Difeafe: From whence Dy peicer and reclaïxas is the fame in the Language of the Phyficians. This is excellently expreffed by Alexander Aphrodifæus in that Problematical Sueftion, aὰ τὸ ὁ τροπαίον ἐκ θερμό χυμά γινόμβρο, καὶ ἔχων ματίζεσαν τα κατελιώνει σαν χαλιών, μέσα κινείς· ὁ ἢ ἀμφημερινὸς, ἔχων πεδῆσαν τὸ φλέγμα τῇ βαρύτητι καὶ ψυχρότητι καθ' ἡμέραν· ὁ 5 τεταρταίος δια δύο ημερών μs, Probl. 10. 1.2. The Quotidian Ague bath its Acceffions nao nuogy the Tertian Dyi μíar (lub. nuée) after one Day of perfect Intermiffion; the Quartan dia dúo jusçar μiowy. In the fame manner he mentions the weμlator, the door, and cvvalaior in all which this is conftantly obfervable, that the Days of perfect Intermiffion are fewer by two, than the number in the name of the Fever: For if the Fever be a reilu, the Day of Intermission is but one, if τελας

relaglaš☞ two, if weμl three, if iodoua five, if wala seven. Thus if our Saviour were one whole Day in the Grave, and died the Day before, and rofe the Day after, he did rife rela if he were two whole Days in the Grave, he rofe τελαραϊ. So Ariftotle, alὰ τί ὁ νυκτερινός βορέας τροπαίου λήγε; πότερον ὅτι ἀπὸ μικρὰς καὶ ἀσθενὲς ἀρXñs; n reirη 7 neiviμos. Probl. 14. Sect. 26. rn reiry therefore and relaos is the fame. For from ren comes testamos, and from τελάλη, τεταρταίος, in which ἡμέρᾳ is always underfood. Τεταρταίος, τετραήμερος, Suidas. Τρελαῖος then is τριήμερος πυρετός τριταίος, διὰ τρίτης: and τελας]αῖος, διὰ τετάρτης. Thus being Chrift did certainly rife τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, uiga, he did rife according to the Greeks reios and according to the fame then he must also rife y míav. that is, one Day only interceding between the Day of his Death, and the Day of his Refurrection.

guage, not used

to

Greek νυχθήμε

egy

ויהי ערב

ויהי בקר

יום אחר

The evening

a

When therefore we read that after three days he would raise the Temple of his Body, we must not imagine that he would continue the space of three whole Days dead, and then revive himself; but upon the third Day he would Luke 2. 46. rife again: As Jofeph and his Mother, after three days found him in the * A Night and temple, that is, the third Day after he tarried behind in Jerufalem. And a Day in the when we read, that he was three Days and three Nights in the Heart of the Hebrew Lan- Earth, we must not look upon these Nights as * diftinct from the Days, but Compofas Mofes fpake, the evening and the morning, that is, the Night and the tions, is the Day, were the firft day; and as the Saint fpake unto Daniel, Unto two Same with the thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings, intending thereby fo 9 or 9-many Days: Nor muft we imagine that thofe three Days were compleated νύκλιον, after our Saviour's Death, and before he rofe; but that upon the first of those three Days he died, and upon the last of those three Days he rofe. As we find that b eight days were accomplished for the circumcifing of the and the morn- child; and yet Chrift was born upon the firft, and circumcifed upon the last ing were the of thofe † eight Days: Nor were there any more than fix whole Days bethough God tween the Day of his Birth and the Day of his Circumcifion; the one upon called the the five and twentieth of December, the other upon the firft of January. light Day,and And as the Jews were wont to fpeak, the Priefts in their Courses by the he called Appointment of David were to minifter before the Lord eight Days, wherenight, yet at as every Week a new Courfe fucceeded, and there were but feven Days the fame time Service for each Course, (the Sabbath on which they began, and the Sabbath that Night on which they went off, being both reckoned in the eight Days;) fo the Day on which the Son of God was crucified, dead, and buried, and the Day Day. So that the fame word on which he revived and rofe again, were included in the Number of three in the Days. And thus did our Saviour rife from the Dead upon the third Day profignifieth both perly, and was three Days and three Nights in the Heart of the Earth fythe Natural necdochically.

first day. For

the darkness

that Day and

was called

and Artificial

Day. And the Evening and the Morning are fometimes put instead of the Day; as Dan. 8. 14. ba pa any ty Unto two thoufand and three hundred days, and verse 26.pany, which we tranflate, the vifion of the evening and the morning, but might be rather tranflated in reference to the former, the Vifion of the Days, viz. the 2300 Days before spoken of. Now though a Day be thus diverfly taken, yet in the meafuring of any Time which containeth in it both Days and Nights, a Day is always taken in that fenfe in which it comprehendeth both Day and Night. Thus Galen, who is very punctual and exact in all his Language, and full of Expofitions of the Words he ufes, to prevent Miftakes, being to speak of the Critical Days, gives notice that by a Day he understands not that Space of Time which is opposed to the Night, but that which comprehendeth both the Night and the Day. 'Hui duλονότι παρ' ὅλον τ λόγον εἰρησομθύοις ἐκ ἐκ δὲ ἡμέρας αὐτῆς μόνης (εεσῶσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δ' νυκτὸς χρόνε· καθάπες ἦν καὶ τ μία τριάκοντα ἡμερῶν εἶναι λέγορο, ε μόνον τᾶτον ἳ χρόνον ὃν ὑπὲρ τ γῆς ὁ ἥλιος φαίνει προσαίοςδύον]ες ἡμέραν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τὸ νυκτὸς αὐτῷ προσιθέντες, όπως δέ πως καὶ ἐνιαυτὸν πέντε και εξήκοντα και τριακοσίων ἡμερῶν εἶναι Φαμπρό. De Crifibus, l. 2. This is obferved by S. Bafil to be alfo the Custom of the Scriptures, upon these words in Genefis, 'Elo sa, igfúε?• πρωί, τὸ ἡμερονύκλιον λέγε· ἐκ ἔτι προσηγόρευσεν, ἡμέρᾳ καὶ νύξ, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἐπικραθέντι τ' πᾶσαν προση[ορίαν απένειμε. Ταύ τίω ἂν καὶ ἐν πάσῃ γραφῇ τ ωήθειαν ευροις ἐν τῇ τῇ χρόνος μετρήσει, ἡμέρας ηριθμημίας εχὶ ἢ καὶ νύκτας με τ ἡμερῶν. In Hexam. Hom. 2. Now being generally in all computations of Time, as S. Bafil obferveth co Ty To xegve μoleńod, a Day was taken for the whole space of Day and Night; and as the Evening and Morning fignifieth the fame, that is a Day; and 2300 Evenings and Mornings no more than fo many Days; and fo three Days and three Nights in the computation of time fignifie no more than three Days. For God called the Light Day, and the Darkness he called Night, and the evening and the morning were the first day, and the evening and the morning were the fecond day, c. Being three Days in the Language of the Scripture are faid to be fulfilled when the third Day is come, though it be not wholly passed. over; it followeth that to be three Days dead, or to be three Days and three Nights dead, in the Hebrew, Language, cannot neceffarily infer any more, than that the Perfon Spoken of did continue dead till the third day. a Dan. 8. 14. † As we read of the Circumcifion of our Saviour, ἐπλήθησαν ἡμέραι ὀκτώ τo of Zachary, ὡς ἐπλής Dno ar ai żμées & retugrias ours and though the Number xl were not expreffed, yet it is to be understood according to the Language of the Scripture in other cafes, and of Jofephus particularly in this, Airage 5 μiar walgiar diaxoves of Tos Θεῷ ἐπὶ ἡμέρας ὀκτὼ ἀπὸ βαββάτε ἐπὶ (άββαλον. So S. Hierome on Jonas 2. 1. Et erat Jonas in ventre pifcis tribus diebus & tribus noctibus: Hujus loci myfterium in Evangelio Dominus exponit, & fuperfluum eft vel idipfum vel aliud dicere. Hoc folum quærimus, quomodo tres dies & tres noctes fuerit in corde

b Luke 2. 21.

terræ,

terræ. Quidam yox, quando fole fugiente, ab horâ fextâ ufque ad horam nonam nox fucceffit diei, in duas dies & noctes dividunt, & apponentes Sabbatum, tres dies & tres noctes æftimant fupputandas: nos verò CEXOOXExã, totum intelligamus à parte; ut ex eo quòd & ex mortuus eft, unam diem fupputemus & noctem, & Sabbati alteram; tertiam verò noctem, quæ diei Dominicæ nuncupatur, referamus ad exordium diei alterius: nam & in Genefi nox præcedentis diei (add non) eft fed fequentis, id eft, principium futuri, non finis præteriti. To the fame purpose S. Auguftine: Ipfum autem triduum non totum & plenum fuiffe Scriptura teftis eft; fed primus dies à parte extremâ totus annumeratus eft; dies verò tertius à parte primâ & ipfe totus; medius autem inter eos, i. e. fecundus dies abfolutè totus viginti quatuor horis fuis, duodecim nocturnis, & duodecim diurnis. Crucifixus eft enim primo Judæorum vocibus horâ tertiâ, cum effet dies fexta Sabbati. Deinde, in ipfa cruce fufpenfus eft horâ sextà, & fpiritum reddidit horâ nonâ. Sepultus eft autem cùm jam ferò factum effet: fic fefe habent verba Evangelii, quod intelligitur in fine diei. Unde libet ergo incipias, etiamfi alia ratio reddi poteft, quomodo non fit contra Evangelium Johannis, ut horâ tertiâ ligno fufpenfus intelligatur, totum diem primum non comprehendis. Ergo à parte extremâ totus computabitur, ficut tertius à parte primâ. Nox enim ufque ad diluculum quo Domini refurrectio declarata eft, ad tertium diem pertinet. de Trinit. l. 4. c.6. And after him Leo the Great Ne turbatos Difcipulorum animos longa mæftitudo cruciaret, denunciatam tridui moram tam mirâ celeritate breviavit, ut dum ad integrum fecundum diem pars primi noviffima & pars tertii prima concurrit, & aliquantum temporis fpacio decideret, & nihil dierum numero deperiret. De Refur. Domini, Serm. I. Ifidor. Peluf. Epift. 114. l. 1.

:

This is fufficient for the clearing the precife Distance of Christ's Refurrection from his Crucifixion, expreffed in the determinate number of three Days: The next Confideration is, what Day of the Week that third day was, on which Chrift did actually rife, and what belongeth to that Day in relation to his Refurrection. Two Characters there are which will evidentlyprove the particularity of this third Day; the first is the description of that Day in refpect of which this is called the third, after the manner already delivered and confirmed; the second is the Evangelift's expreffion of the time on which Chrift rose.

*

terpretatur

The Character of the Day in which our Saviour died is undeniable, for it is often exprefly called the Preparation; as we read, they therefore laid Jefus in the Garden, a because of the Jews preparation day, for the Sepulo, chre was nigh at hand, And the next day that followed the preparation, Parafceue inthe chief Priest and Pharifees asked a Guard. Now this Day of Prepara- præparatio, tion was the Day immediately before the Sabbath or fome other great Feast faiths. Auof the Jews called by them the Eve of the Sabbath or the Feaft; guftine; and and therefore called the Preparation, because on that Day they did prepare Language it whatsoever was neceffary for the celebration of the following Festival, ac-fignifieth genecording to that Command in the case of Manna, It shall come to pass that rally any Preon the fixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it fhall be what nature twice as much as they gather daily. This Preparation being used both be-foever: but in this cafe it figfore the Sabbath and other Festivals, at this time it had both relations: For nifieth rather

с

in the Greek

the Time in

which preparation was made, as Luke 23. 54. Kai nuing ligonin and that Preparation among the Jews for the Sabbath; as S. Mark 15. 42. Exel argonsin ist wegra66aly and in the Edict of Auguftus Cæfar, ifyong Te Mǹ oμoroyer & Cabbari, rn woy Tauins a pronon dad weas covárns. Jud. Ant. l. 6. c. 10. which is well expreffed by Synefius, Ep. 4. Ημέρᾳ μὲ ἐν Ι, Ι τινα άδεσιν οἱ Ἰδαῖοι παρασκευκό. * 5 νύκ]α τη μετ' αὐτίω ἡμέρᾳ λογίζον· καθ' Ζὺ ἐδενὶ θεμὶς ἐσὶν ἐνεργὸν ἔχειν τ' χείρα, ἀλλὰ τιμῶντες διαφερόντως αὐτῷ άδεσιν απραξίαν. This βρασκευή of the He brews was answerable to the coena pura of the Gentiles, as the old Gloffary, Coena pura, grabalov, & in Gloff. Latino-Arabico, Parafceue coena pura, id eft, præparatio quæ fit pro fabbato. From whence fome of the Fathers fo interpret the Eves of the Jewish Sabbaths, as Tertullian, Dies obfervatis & menfes & tempora & annos & fabbata, ut opinor, & cœnas puras & jejunia & dies magnos. Adv. Marcion. l. 5. c.4. Acceleratam vult intelligi fepulturam ne advefperafceret, quando jam propter parafceuen, quam coenam puram Judæi Latinè ufitatiùs apud nos vocant, facere tale quid non licebat. S. Aug. Tract. 76. in Joh. And the ancient Tranflators of the Greek Fathers did use the Latin cœna pura for the Greek gond. As the Interpreter of S. Chryfoftom, Serm. in Natalem Joh. Bapt. Quâ enim die conceptus eft Dominus, eâdem die & paffus eft; eâdem ipfà die cœna pura fuit, in quâ & luna quarta decima occurrit. So likewife the old Interpreter of Irenæus, Parafceue quæ dicitur cœna pura id eft, fexta feria, quam & dominus oftendit paffus in ea. Iren. l. 5. c. 23. & lib. 1. Moheni fextâ die dixiffe, quæ eft in cœnâ purâ. As therefore the cœna pura among the Gentiles was that Time in which they prepared and fanctified themselves for their facred Solemnities, fo the Jews did make use of that word to fignifie their Sanctification, and of the Greek goxson to teftifie the Preparation of all things used on their Holy Days, upon the Eve thereof, or Day before. Parafceue Latinè præparatio eft, fed ifto verbo Græco libentiùs utuntur Judæi in hujufmodi obfervationibus, etiam qui magis Latinè quam Græcè loquuntur. faith S. Aug. Traft. 117. in Joh. So that the fame Father teftifieth that the Jews Speaking Latin in his Time, did fometimes ufe parafceue, fometimes cœna pura, for their Eve of Preparation. Otherwife in their own Language they called it ay or any; by which generally they understood the fixth Day of the Week, the Day before the Sabbath. For fo they reckoned the Days of the Week in Bereshit Rabba, nawan the first of the Week, the

the Sabbath. Thus in שבתא,the Eve ערובתא ,the fifth חמשת ,the fourth ארבעתא,the third תלת fecond

Hebrew nay, in Greek gond, in Latin cœna pura, were used by the Jews for the fame Day, the Friday or fixth of the Week; but not for that alone, but for the Eve of any great Festival which answered to a Sabbath; so that they had their NY, and by, as a Doxon To Cabbúry, and Donn 15пága. And when a great Festival fell upon the Sabbath, then as the Feftivities were both one Day, fo the Eve to both was the fame Friday. And first,

fuch was the Day of Preparation on which our Saviour was crucified. a Joh. 19. 42. b Mat. 27. 62. c Exod. 16.5.

first, it was the Preparation to a Sabbath, as appeareth by those words of * Mark 15.42. St. Mark, a Now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, b Luke 23.54. that is, the day before the fabbath; and those of St. Luke, b That day was the preparation, and the fabbath drew on. Secondly, It was alfo the Eve of

C

a Festival, even of the great Day of the Pafchal Solemnity, as appeareth by * John 19. 14. St. John, who faith, when Pilate fate down in the Judgment-feat, it was the preparation of the paffover. And that the great Pafchal Festivity did then fall upon the Sabbath, fo that the fame Day was then the Preparation or Eve of both, appeareth yet farther by the fame Evangelift, faying, The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies fhould not remain upon the cross on the fabbath day, for that fabbath day was an high day; that is, not only an ordinary or weekly Sabbath, but also a great Festival, even a Pafchal Sabbath. Now being the Sabbath of the Jews was conftant and fixed to the feventh Day of the Week, it followeth that the Preparation or Eve thereof must neceffarily be the fixth Day of the Week, which from the Day, and the infinite benefit accruing to us by the Paffion upon that Day, we call Good Friday. And from that Day being the fixth of one, the * Ορᾶτε πῶς agd, 8 third muft confequently be the * eighth or the first of the next Week. vus Cassala ἐμοὶ δεκτὰ ἀλλὰ ἃ πεποίηκα, ἐν ᾧ καλαπαύσας τὰ πάντα άρχω ἡμέρας ὀγδόης ποιήσω. ὅ ἐσιν ἄλλο κόσμο ἀρχιώ· διὸ καὶ ἄδομθμ τ' ἡμέραν ἢ ἐνδόξῳ εἰς ἐὐφροσιώνω, ἐν ᾗ καὶ ὁ Ἰησᾶς ἀνέση ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ φανεξωθεὶς ἀνέβη εἰς τὰς ἐρανές. Barnaba Ερίβ. c. II. Ἡ ἐν 7 πνευματικῶν ἀνάπαυσις ἐν κυριακῇ ἐν ὀγδοάδὲ ἡ κυριακὴ ὀνομάζει. Theodorus, Ερίβ. τ.. Ἡ 5 τολὴ πετομῆς κελο στα τῇ ὀγδόῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκ παντὸς πελέμνειν τα κυνώμθμα, τύπο ἀληθινῆς δεομής ως ειμή αρθρ Στὸ δὲ πλάνης καὶ πονηρίας, διὰ τὸ ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἀναςάν]θ ε μια ? (αββάτων ἡμέρᾳ Ἰησᾶ Χρισᾶ τὸ Κυριᾶ ἡμῶν. Μία γδ τ (αββάτων πρώτη μθύσσα 7 πασῶν ἡμερῶν καὶ τ' ἀριθμὸν πάλιν 7 πασῶν ἡμερῶν τε κυκλοφορίας, ὀγδόη καλεῖς, καὶ πρώτη ἔτα d. Juftinus Dial. cum Tryphone. Cùm in feptimo die Sabbati nomen fit & obfervantia conftituta, tamen nos in octava die quæ & ipfa prima eft, perfecti Sabbati feftivitate lætamur. S. Hilar. Com. in Pfal. Prol. Hæc octava fententia quæ ad caput redit, perfectumque hominem declarat, fignificatur fortaffè & circumcifione octavà die in veteri Teftamento, & Domini refurrectione poft Sabbatum, quòd eft utique octavus idemque primus dies. S. Auguft. de Serm. Dom. in monte, l. I. c. II. Καὶ τὸ ἔθα καὶ τὸ πρέπον ἡμᾶς ἀπαιτεῖ πᾶσαν Κυριακών τιμῶν καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ πανηγυρίζειν, ἐπειδήπερ ἐν ταύτῃ ὁ Κύριο ἡμῶν Ἰησᾶς Χρισός τ' ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάκασιν ἡμῖν ἐπρυπάνουσε· διὸ καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἱεροῖς γραφαῖς καὶ πρώτη κέκλη, ὡς ἀρχὴ ζωῆς ἡμῶν ὑπάρχεσα, καὶ ὀγδόη, ἅτε υπερβεβηκ α τ τ Ιεδαίων Cαββαλισμόν. Theophilus Alexand.

τα

2

The next Character of this third Day is the expreffion of the time of the Mark 16. 1,2. Refurrection in the Evangelifts. When the fabbath was past, faith St. Mark, which was the Day after the Preparation on which he was buried, Very early Matth. 28. 1. in the morning the first day of the week, In the end of the fabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, faith St. Matth. Upon the Luke 24.1. first day of the week early in the morning, faith St. Luke. The first day of John 20. 1. the week early when it was yet dark, faith St. John. By all which Indications it appeareth that the Body of Chrift being laid in the Sepulchre on the Day of the Preparation, which was the Eve of the Sabbath, and continuing there the whole Sabbath following, which was the conclufion of that Week, and farther refting there still and remaining dead the Night which followed that Sabbath, but belonged to the first Day of the next Week, about the end of that Night early in the Morning, was revived by the acceffion and union of his Soul, and rofe again out of the Sepulchre.

Whereby it came to pass, that the obligation of the Day, which was then the Sabbath, died and was buried with him, but in a manner by a diurnal Tranfmutation revived again at his Refurrection. Well might that Day which carried with it a remembrance of that great deliverance from the Egyptian Servitude, refign all the Sanctity or Solemnity due unto it, when that Morning once appeared upon which a far greater Redemption was confirm'd. One Day of feven was fet apart by God in imitation of his Reft upon the Creation of the World, and that feventh Day which was fanctified to the Jews was reckoned in relation to their deliverance from Egypt. At the fecond delivery of the Law we Deut. 5. 15. find this particular Caufe affigned, 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 stretched-out arm, therefore the Lord thy God,

com

commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day. Now this could not be any fpecial Reason why the Jews fhould obferve a Seventh Day; firft, because in reference to their Redemption, the Number of Seven had no more relation than any other Number; fecondly, because the Reafon of a Seventh Day was before rendered in the Body of the Commandment it felf. There was therefore a double Reafon rendred by God why the Jews fhould keep that Sabbath which they did; one Special, as to a Seventh Day, to fhew they worshipped that God who was the Creator of the World; the other Individual, as to that Seventh Day, to fignifie their Deliverance from the Egyptian Bondage, from which that Seventh Day was dated.

Being then upon the Refurrection of our Saviour a greater Deliverance and far more plenteous Redemption was wrought than that of Egypt, and therefore a greater Obfervance was due unto it than to that, the individual Determination of the Day did pass upon a stronger Reason to another Day, always to be repeated by a Seventh Return upon the Reference to the Creation. As there was a Change in the Year at the Coming out of Egypt, by the Command of God; This month, the month of Abib, fhall be unto you Exod. 12. 27 the beginning of months, it shall be the first month of the year to you; fo at this time of a more eminent Deliverance a Change was wrought in the Hebdomadal or Weekly Account, and the first Day is made the Seventh, or the Seventh after that Firft is fanctified. The First Day, because on that, Chrift rofe from the Dead; and the Seventh Day from that First for ever, because He who rofe upon that Day was the fame God who created the World, and rested on the Seventh Day: For by him all things were cre- Coloss. 1. 16. ated that are in heaven and that are in the earth, all things were created by him and for him.

This Day did the Apostles from the Beginning moft religiously obferve, by their meeting together for Holy Purpofes, and to perform Religious Duties. The first Obfervation was performed providentially, rather by the Defign of God than any fuch Inclination or Intention of their own: For the fame day, John 20. 19. faith the Evangeiift, that is the Day on which Chrift rofe from the Dead, at evening, being the first day of the week, the difciples were affembled for fear of the Jews. The fecond Obfervation was performed voluntarily, for af- John 20. 16. ter eight days again his difciples were within, and Thomas with them: The First Day of the Week, when Chrift rofe by the Providence of God, the Disciples were together, but Thomas was abfent; upon the First Day of the next Week they were all met together again in Expectation of our Saviour, and Thomas with them. Again, when the day of Pentecoft was fully come, Acts 2.1. which was also the First Day of the Week, they were all with one accord in one place; and having received the Promise of the Holy Ghost they spake with Tongues, preached the Gofpel, and the fame day were added unto them Acts 2. 41. about three thousand Souls. The fame Practice of Convening we find continued in the following Years: For upon the first day of the week, when the Acts 20. 7. difciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them and the fame Apostle gave exprefs Command concerning the Collection for the Saints both of the Churches of Galatia and of Corinth; Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in ftore, as God hath profpered him.

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From this Refurrection of our Saviour, and the constant Practice of the Apoftles, this First Day of the Week came to have the Name of the Lord'sDay, and is fo called by S. John', who fays of himself in the Revelation, I Rev. 1.10. was in the Spirit on the Lord's-Day. And thus the Obfervation of that Day,*Thi which the fews did fanctifie, ceased, and was buried with our Saviour; and in the stead of it, the Religious Obfervation of * that Day on which the Son βρόντων ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ (νέλευσις γίνε). Juftin Mart. Apol. 2. & paulo poβ, Τὴν ἢ τῶν ἡλίᾳ ἡμέραν κοινῇ πάντες * (κέλουσιν ποιέμεθα, ἐπειδαν πρώτη ἐσὶν ἡμέρα ἐν ἡ ὁ Θεὸς τὸ σκότα και τ' ύλίω τρέψας, κόσμον ἐποίησε καὶ Ἰησες Χρισὸς ὁ ἡμέτερο Σωτής τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνέση. Τῇ γδ προς το Κρονικῆς ἐςαύρωσαν αὐτὸν, καὶ τῇ μετὰ τ' Κρονικίω, ἥτις ἐσὶν Ηλία φανεὶς τοῖς ἀποδό M m

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