Besides, it is altogether pertinent to argue, as is always done by the friends of the Christian Sabbath, that there is such a day to be kept holy, weekly, to the end of the world, from the greatness of the work of Redemption. If it were fit to keep a Sabbath, weekly to remember the work of Creation, it is more fit to keep one in memory of the work of Redemption. Christ, as God, made all things. By the word of his Almighty power he spoke the heavens and the earth into being.—And he appointed a Sabbath to commemorate those works, which are great and marvellous.—But his work of redemption is still more marvellous. Its dimensions cannot be measured. We can only exclaim in devout admiration, O the height, the depth, the length, and breadth of it. All heavens admire and adore. Men may well stand in pleasing astonishment. It is so great and wonderful as to be called a new Creation. And the perfect felicity procured for man by it, is called new heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. When Christ, as Creator, rested from the work of the first Creation, he instituted the Sabbath to commemorate it. When he, as Redeemer, rested from his work of redemption, he instituted a day of rest to be kept by all his followers, in memory of it. This is the very argument of the Apostle, Heb. iv. 10. For he that entered into his rest, he hath also rested from his own work: as God did from his. Christ rested from his work, when he arose from the dead, which was on the first day of the week. His humiliation was then finished, and his exaltation begun. The rest which remains for Christ’s followers is a sabbatism or keeping a Sabbath; a Gospel-Sabbath is then the emblem of the heavenly Sabbath.—God’s people of old were to keep a Sabbath in memory of the work of Creation: And Christians are to keep a Sabbath in memory of the work of Redemption. Christ, then, has a Sabbath in his dispensation. For he is the Lord of the Sabbath. But how could he be the Lord of the Sabbath, if there were none. If, then, God’s antient people of the Jews, were by an express command to keep the Sabbath as a memorial of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage; and if that deliverance were a type of our deliverance from sin, by the work of redemption, it will follow that Christians should keep a Sabbath, weekly, as a memorial of that work.—This is a common argument in favour of the reality of a Sabbath, under the Gospel-dispensation, to be kept to the end of the world; but is as forcible as common. The enemies of the Christian Sabbath may cavil at it, but can never, by all their art and sophistry, overthrow it.—With it, I close the present discourse. Only requesting the hearer, to weigh all that hath been offered, or that shall be, in the next discourse, in the balance of cool deliberate reflection and examination. If the New-Testament hath no Sabbath to be sanctified by the people of God, too long have we already, been attached to a human invention. We must bid it vanish.
DISCOURSE XVI.
The first day of the week proved to be holy time, and set apart by Christ to be a weekly Sabbath to the end of the world.
ACTS xx. 7.
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight.
I do not know that I can introduce this discourse, more pertinently, than in the words of a pious writer.—“Let any man,” saith he, “show me in the law of the Sabbath, either weakness or unprofitableness, and I yield and bid it vanish. But it hath and will have, as much strength and force as any law can have, from the author, the consent, multitude, custom and express approbation of all ages. Profit it hath too; and that very great; as hath been experienced by serious and well-disposed minds in every age of the world. It is of importance therefore not only to the well being of a Christian, but even to the very being and keeping up of religion in the world.”—If I wished to know the state of religion among a people, or in the heart of a good man, one of my first questions would be, what attention or regard is paid to the Sabbath. The profane denier or neglector of the Sabbath cannot have any real love to Religion. If he imagine himself to be among the number of the friends of God and the Saviour, he must misjudge concerning himself, and be in a great delusion. A profanation and denial of the Lord’s day bespeak an unrenewed heart.—It is hoped the audience will renew their attention, while the subject before us is resumed.—I proceed to state and dwell upon the arguments, from scripture, to prove that the first day of the week is holy time, and set apart by Christ to be a weekly Sabbath, unto the end of the world.
We have already, in the former discourse, illustrated three arguments to establish this important point.
1stly. The Sabbath was instituted when God had finished the work of Creation, and was observed in the world from Adam to Moses:
2dly. The people of Israel were to observe and keep it holy unto the Lord: