As the subject before us has been a good deal debated in the world, and is of a most important and interesting nature, it is hoped the hearer will give not only a candid, but a critical attention. The more critical, the better; for I am persuaded, that no part of truth or Religion will suffer by the closest inspection, or most severely critical examination.—We want and wish for no assistance from superstition to befriend the glorious cause of the christian religion. If it cannot stand upon its own broad basis, and do not recommend itself, by its own superlative excellence and reasonableness, let it fall; and let its enemies triumph.—We invite them to examine:—We urge them to a free and fair enquiry.—
In the words now read, St. Luke, the writer of the history of the Acts of the Apostles, gives us an account of public worship, as conducted by the inspired Apostles; the time when it was attended upon, and the different exercises of which it was composed. The time when, was the first day of the week, or what has generally been called, the Christian Sabbath. The Preacher, who was the apostle Paul, delivered a discourse to the professing Christians, who had assembled together to keep as holy time, the first day of the week. The Lord’s Supper was celebrated as a divine ordinance. They broke bread sacramentally. St. Paul administered the sacramental supper. And they had such comfort and sweet experience of God’s presence and blessing, that the exercises of public worship were protracted to an unusual length.—Here we have the example of the Apostles, and their converts to the Gospel, for keeping as holy time, the first day of the week.—The first day of the week appears from these words to have been the common time for public worship. For the historian speaks of their coming together, not as an occasional, but stated assembling. The very manner, in which he speaks of their meeting for public worship, must satisfy every candid mind, that it was a stated or common time. And most certainly the Apostles would not have ventured of themselves, or from their own power, to set apart, and to observe as sacred, a day for public worship. For this, they had a special order from him, who is head over all things to the Church. Their example in observing, as sacred time, and for public worship, the first day of the week is as binding upon us, as an express precept.
Many excellent and pious books have been written upon the sanctification of the Sabbath—the manner in which it is to be sanctified has been often well described—directions how to do it have been given—motives to induce people to keep it holy unto the Lord have been enlarged upon—and the change of the Jewish into the Christian, the seventh into the first day Sabbath has been, by learned Divines, clearly proved.—Much indeed hath been said and written concerning the Sabbath; and well said and well written. But the enquiry we propose now to consider, is whether it be the mind and will of God, that under the Gospel-dispensation there should be any distinction of days, or any time set apart as holy? This is seldom discoursed upon. It is however a very interesting question, and worthy of a careful attention.—When I cast my eye upon some few writers, who have employed their time and abilities to disprove the morality of the Sabbath, and to diminish the regards of Christians to it, I feel a deep sorrow. How unhappy that the mind should be puzzled and confounded by such writings! And how hurtful to religion is every attempt to dissuade people from esteeming the Lord’s day, as holy time. For if the Sabbath be once generally looked upon, as a human device, it will of course be neglected.—One writer, in a system of moral philosophy, which he saw fit to publish, has laboured to make it appear, that the Sabbath is not a divine institution. This single thing will tend much to injure the Churches, and to corrupt the public morals.——
In order to do justice, as far as we are able, to the subject before us:—we will begin our enquiry with the original institution of a Sabbath, or a seventh proportion of time, set apart from the common concerns of life, to religious purposes.
1stly. A sabbath is a day of sacred rest. The meaning of the word is rest; and it necessarily presupposes labour and toil as preceding it. A Sabbath day is a day of rest—a rest in God, or devoted to him, to his fear and service. The great question is when was such a day first appointed? Reason teaches us that we ought publicly to worship and serve God, the fountain of life and being. If it teach us this, it will teach us that some particular time, or day should be appointed to the important duty. It cannot inform us what portion of time, or what day. After we are told that God has set apart a seventh proportion of time, it consents to such a portion or part of time as altogether suitable. We cannot suppose that when God made man, that he would leave him without any assistance or direction about the time, when, he should worship and serve him. As he made him a rational being, so he would take care to favour him with all necessary guidance and instruction about his duty to him. And we accordingly find he was particularly attentive to him, to fix his duty, and point him to his only happiness. For man is only happy, when intent upon duty. If we turn to the Book of Genesis, ii. 1, 2, 3. We shall find that the Sabbath was appointed immediately upon finishing the great work of creation. As soon as God had made the heavens and earth, and had formed man in his own image, he instituted the Sabbath, not for his own, but for man’s benefit. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the hosts of them. And on 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, and sanctified it: because that in it, he had rested from all his work, which God created and made. There are three words here used respecting the seventh day. God rested on the seventh day: he blessed it, and sanctified it. No one can be so absurd and foolish as to imagine that the Supreme Jehovah wanted rest, because fatigued with the labour of Creation. With infinite ease, did he speak the whole Universe into existence. And it might have been instantly done, or all in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, as well as in six days, if it had been the divine pleasure. He had important ends in view, in employing six days in the formation of the heavens and earth, as he hath in all his conduct. The everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, nor is weary. As therefore he was not fatigued or worried with labour, he needed no rest as to himself. The word rest here cannot mean eternal rest, or his own divine happiness, because in this sense of the word God always rested; for he was completely blessed from all Eternity. His happiness is the same from everlasting to everlasting. The meaning of his resting on the seventh day—blessing it—and sanctifying it, is setting it apart to religious uses, as a day in which his blessing may be hoped for eminently. To sanctify a day, is to distinguish it from others—to consecrate it to holy purposes. And his resting on the seventh day is an example to man, after six days of labour, to set apart to religious uses, the seventh. There are some circumstances respecting the original institution of the Sabbath worthy of notice. It was appointed as soon as God had ended the work of creation. It is the very first institution or express law of God. As soon as he had formed man, he gave him the law of the Sabbath: and he gave it to him because he had finished the work of creation. This is particularly expressed. The very institution of the day pointed out the use of it:—it was to lead man’s thoughts to the author of nature, to remember with gratitude and reverence the works of creation—to fix his mind upon God as the only object of religious homage and praise—and to keep him from Idolatry, and impiety. It was necessary that man should have a time ordained for worshipping and particularly glorifying his Maker. He was planted in Paradise. And Creation was filled with the glory of the Lord. It spake forth in silent language his praise. But man was not to be an idle spectator of the wonders of the divine workmanship. His business was to adore and rejoice in the fulness of his portion: to eye with rapturous delight the power that formed him, and spread around him in such rich profusion the beauties of nature. The Sabbath was ordained to furnish him with the stated opportunity, and to remind him of the duty of worshipping his Creator. God saw that he needed such an institution, though perfectly innocent; and though brought into existence in a state of complete maturity of reason and judgment. The Sabbath was appointed before sin had entered the world, and defaced the divine image in man. If man, in his primitive state of rectitude, and when sin had found no place in his heart, needed a day of rest in God—or a seventh part of time to be consecrated to the great exercises of religious homage, how much more does he now, in his fallen state?
There is but one objection that was ever raised, against the belief that the Sabbath was appointed at the close of creation, before man apostatised, and that is the account here in Genesis ii. 1, 2, 3 of the very appointment of the Sabbath, was inserted by way of anticipation; or that Moses mentions it in his narrative too soon. This is the same thing as to charge the sacred historian with inaccuracy. It is to say, he was incorrect, and made an unhappy mistake. And if the Sabbath was not instituted in Paradise, he indeed is extremely incorrect, and injudicious to mention the appointment of it more than two thousand years before it took place; as he did, if it were not instituted till the Children of Israel came out of Egypt, as is alledged by some. The only reason they offer for supposing the Sabbath is here spoken of, by way of anticipation, is the silence of the Scripture upon the subject, till we come down to the departure of the Children of Israel out of Egypt. They pretend not that it was unnecessary. That man needed it not.—Besides, whoever duly attends to the manner, in which the fourth Commandment is worded, will be compelled to admit that it refers to this original paradisaical institution of the Sabbath. The reference is very obvious. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made the heaven and earth, the Sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day, wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. In these words, Moses refers us back, in the plainest manner possible, to the original appointment of the Sabbath, at the finishing of the work of creation.—It is true that we find no express mention of a Sabbath observed from Adam to Moses, a space of two thousand and five hundred years. But that there was one observed is probable. For it is not likely, that a merciful and gracious God would leave man for so long a period without setting apart some stated time for his worship, by his express authority. He revealed his will, in small degrees, from period to period, in the early ages of the world. There were pious people then to serve him. For he always had a seed to serve him, in the world, and to bear testimony to the truth. They undoubtedly maintained public worship. And they had stated times and seasons for it. For we read, then began men to call on the name of the Lord.
The account given us of the patriarchs is very short. But there are several things, which make it appear altogether probable, that they observed a day of sacred rest. It is said, Noah sent the dove out of the Ark at the end of seven days: and again at the end of other seven days. This intimates at least that he measured time by weeks; and that the end of each week was regarded by him, with some peculiar solemnity. Cain and Abel offered their sacrifice in process of time: the original is, in the end of days. While the Children of Israel were in Egypt, and there, for the first time, observed the passover, Moses commanded that, on the first day of unleavened bread, there should be a holy convocation, a day in which they were to do no manner of work, and were to convene to worship God. And this holy convocation, is called elsewhere the Sabbath Lev. xxiii. 24, 32, 39. Moses speaks of this holy convocation, as if they knew what it meant; and had been accustomed, in the house of their bondage, to observe it. About a month after giving the law from Mount Sinai, the Manna fell, as heavenly support to them, in the wilderness; and on the sixth day there fell double the quantity, as on other days. The people were surprised at this event, and could not account for the reason of it. Moses explains it to them, in these words, This is that which the Lord hath said; to-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. We know not that God had spoken to them of the Sabbath, but when he had completed the work of creation. Moses addresses them, reasons with them, and reproves them, as if they were well acquainted with the Sabbath. Some have doubted whether they observed any Sabbath in Egypt. Their tyrannical Masters it is true greatly oppressed them. And most likely, forbid them to rest on every returning seventh day. The long time they were in bondage, had mostly destroyed no doubt the remembrance of the Sabbath. But some of them kept it, it is natural to suppose, as well as they could. God in a very solemn manner, renews the appointment of the Sabbath, in the fourth commandment.—It may be of weight here to ask, how the nations in general, in the first ages, and so down through all generations, come to divide and measure their days by sevens, or by weeks? That they do, and have done, all history declares. But no planet or heavenly body directed them to this, or suggested the hint. The celestial bodies measure out years, months, and days; but not weeks. Is not this a circumstance strongly indicative of the original Institution of the Sabbath—and division of time by weeks; that after six days of labour, a day of rest is to be observed?——The learned Grotius tells us, that two of the most ancient writers now extant, speak of the seventh day as sacred. And it is certain that one day in seven has been distinguished among many heathen nations, ancient and modern, with religious ceremonies and festivals. But how comes this? Must it not be conveyed down, from generation to generation, by tradition? Does it not then lead us to a belief, that there was a Sabbath appointed, when the world was made? And can we suppose that pious people, from the creation to the flood, and from the flood to the time of Moses, had no fixed day to assemble together for publicly serving and worshipping the Deity? Is this reasonable? Is it probable?—It appears then that the Sabbath was instituted, when God had finished the work of Creation, and was observed, in the world, from Adam to Moses.
Here it is proper to remark, that there is nothing in the fourth Commandment to militate against observing as holy time, the first day of the week. It directs us to keep as holy time, every seventh day. Six days shall thou labour, but the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. The seventh part of time is here consecrated to God. The seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, a day to be kept holy to God, different from all other days. Every day indeed we ought to remember him who is the source of all good. But the seventh after six working days is, in a particular manner, to be kept holy unto God. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. We never could know from the fourth commandment, where to begin the Sabbath, or where to end the six working days; or when to begin to work or to rest. All that this commandment does, is to appoint for holy uses, the seventh part of time, or one day in seven. And so far, it is moral and not positive. There is a fitness, in the reason of things, that some part of our time, or days should be especially devoted to God, and religious worship; how great a part, or when to begin, or end our day of sacred rest, is left for God to decide by his own appointment; and accordingly is positive. It will then be asked, how the Jews could know, what day to keep as the Sabbath day, or when to begin, or to end their six days of labour? There was another precept pointing out the precise day. Exo. xvi. 23, 25, 26. And he said this is that which the Lord hath said, to morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. This is the first place that we have any mention of the Sabbath, from its institution at the close of creation, which is express, though there are some intimations of it, as before observed. The people, three days after they left the banks of the red Sea, where God so gloriously wrought for them, murmured at Marah, because of their thirst. They then came to elim, and thence to sin, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. And here they murmured again, for the want of bread; concluding that they were all to perish with hunger. God, again, by a standing miracle supplied them with food—he rained bread from heaven.—On the sixth day, there were to gather twice as much as on other days, as a supply for the seventh—which was the Sabbath.—Here the day was fixed, when to begin their Sabbath.—When, they had reached Sinai; the moral law was given to them in awful solemnity:—and one part of it, contained the due observation of a seventh part of time. It is then, as fully proved as any thing can be, that the christian Sabbath is, according to the fourth commandment, as much the seventh day, as the Jewish Sabbath. It is observed every seventh day, the seventh from our first working day, as well as theirs. When, therefore, we keep the first day of the week, as holy time, we do, in no sense, go counter to the fourth commandment. To object against the first day Sabbath, as a departure from this commandment, bespeaks great ignorance.—And Christ, when he instituted the first-day Sabbath, did not abolish, weaken, or destroy the fourth commandment.—I have dwelt the longer upon the original institution of the Sabbath, in Paradise, because if we can prove that God hath actually set apart a seventh portion of time, from the beginning, it will happily open the way, to establish, beyond all contradiction, that under the New-Testament-dispensation, we have a Sabbath: and if we have, it must be the first day of the week, as will be evinced from other arguments.
2dly. When God set apart the people of Israel to be a peculiar people unto himself, he directed them to devote, one day in seven, to him as holy time. In giving them the moral law, as an epitome of all their duty, he took care to insert the law of the Sabbath. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. The due observation of the Sabbath is placed among the great and essential points of morality. God blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. The people were told it was the Sabbath of the Lord their God. It was his day. He had a special interest in it; a peculiar property. It was a day, in which he was to be honoured, the work of Creation commemorated, and their deliverance from a cruel servitude duly noticed. It is prefaced thus, I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt and house of bondage. It was a day to be observed by them to distinguish them from other nations, as worshippers of the true God, and to preserve them from Idolatry. The most rigid rules were prescribed for sanctifying it. The most severe penalties were annexed to the breach of it. A Sabbath-breaker was among the most vile and abominable characters. The whole day was to be devoted to God and Religion. When they kept the day as holy, they were prospered. Calamities and judgments were inflicted upon them, when as a nation, they neglected God’s holy Sabbath. All the prophets who were raised up, one after another, called them to observe the Sabbath, warned them against any contempt of it, and placed the sanctification of the Sabbath upon a footing of equality with the moral Virtues. As the priests were the guardians of the ceremonies and rites of their religion, so the prophets were the restorers, and guardians of moral duty. Their placing the due observation of the Sabbath so high, as a moral duty, is a full proof how they viewed it, and how God viewed it. A violation or profanation of the day was to be punished with awful severity. We find that God’s giving them the Sabbath, is enumerated among his great and signal mercies to them; the wonders of his Goodness, Nehemiah ix. 14. And madeth known unto them thy holy Sabbath. If a mere ceremonial rite, would it be called God’s holy Sabbath? God’s giving it unto them, or instituting it, is spoken of, as an instance of his distinguishing kindness. The prophet Ezekiel represents it under the notion of a sign between God and his people. Ezek. xx. 12, 13. Moreover also, I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me, and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do he shall live in them: and my sabbath they greatly polluted. Here the Sabbath is spoken of, as God’s Sabbath, and a sign between him and his people: as a mean of their religious and moral improvement; of their sanctification. The sin of profaning or neglecting it, is represented as most heinous; and as calling down upon the people the heavy displeasure of the Almighty. Sabbath-breakers were a class of transgressors peculiarly odious to him. See, in what terms of profound respect, the prophet Isaiah speaks of the Sabbath: and how high, in the scale of duty, he placed the due sanctification of it. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shall honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:—Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Do the prophets ever speak of mere ceremonial laws or observances in this manner? I appeal to every person, who knows any thing at all about the scriptures. Be pleased only to remark a moment. The people are called upon not to trample under foot the Sabbath—not to find their own pleasure upon it—not to speak their own words, that is, converse about worldly subjects as on other days, not to do their own ways. It is spoken of as God’s day by way of eminence, the holy of the Lord and honourable.—Again; the man who keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, is pronounced blessed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it: that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it. Isaiah speaking of Gospel-days says that public worship is to be weekly attended upon—and on the Sabbath, as the appointed day. And it shall come to pass from one new moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come before me, saith the Lord. This is a prophesy of Gospel-days. That it is so, every one will be satisfied, who reads it in its connexion. And no words can more expressly declare that there shall be stated public worship under the Gospel-dispensation; and that it is to be observed weekly—and upon the Sabbath, as the appointed day.—The people of God, then, under the Jewish dispensation were to keep the Sabbath, as a day of sacred rest, holy unto the Lord. When they neglected it they were frowned upon—when they strictly observed it, they were smiled upon—it was kept during the whole of that dispensation, till the introduction of christianity.—It was kept from Adam to Moses, and from Moses to Christ. The great original reason for setting it apart for holy purposes, in the beginning, was to remember the Creator and his works: to have a set time to worship and serve him, who is the author of all our mercies—and to cultivate a holy temper of heart, and prepare for a holy happiness after death. The superadded reasons for the people of Israel to keep a sabbath, a weekly day of sacred rest, were their deliverance from a cruel bondage, by the miraculous interpositions of Providence, and the distinguishing kindnesses bestowed upon them—as a people separated to God from the rest of the world. And remember that thou wast a servant 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 commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day. These are the particular reasons why the Jews were to keep the Sabbath day.—The particular reasons why the Jewish Sabbath was to be kept, have long ago ceased, even when that dispensation, under which the Jews lived, was abolished. Therefore the Jewish Sabbath is done away. But there are particular reasons why Christians, under the Gospel-dispensation, should keep a weekly Sabbath; as well as why the Jews, under their dispensation, should keep a weekly Sabbath.
3dly. There is the same propriety that Christians, under the Gospel, should keep a day of sacred rest, weekly, to remember the work of redemption, as the Jews should, to remember their deliverance from oppression and servitude in Egypt; and much greater, as the former is infinitely more important than the latter, and as the one was only a type of the other. The great reason of the original appointment of a seventh portion of time to be consecrated to religious use, was to commemorate the work of Creation. That there was a Sabbath appointed, in the beginning, none can deny, who are capable of understanding the plainest words, and are not resolved to pervert them; and has also been satisfactorily evinced, I trust, in another part of this discourse. To this primitive institution of the Sabbath before the fall of man, the best expositors suppose our Lord refers, when he says, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.—We cannot forbear to remark, here, that, in these words, our Saviour does not intimate, in the most distant manner, the abolition of a seventh portion of time to be devoted to pious ends. He expressly says the Sabbath was made for man, for his comfort and benefit—that he might have a rest. If it ever were really for the good of man, that there should be a weekly Sabbath, it is always for his good—as necessary at one time as another: and under one dispensation as another. Jesus Christ, our blessed Redeemer, does not hint to us that the surpassing excellence of his religion would render a weekly Sabbath needless—or that all days were to be Sabbaths:—or that his people would be so holy, as to be above keeping any time as holy.