III. It is farther observed, in this answer, that the day which we call a seventh part of time, was the seventh day of the week, from the beginning of the world, till the resurrection of Christ; and the first day of the week, ever since, to continue to the end of the world; which is the Christian Sabbath, or the Lord’s day. That the seventh day of the week was observed as a Sabbath, at first, is taken for granted; and we do not find that it was abolished by a positive law, so that there should be no Sabbath; but the day was changed, by substituting another in the room of it. If, according to the fourth Commandment, there is to be but one Sabbath in the week, and the other six days thereof are allowed for our own lawful employments; and if the first day of the week can be proved, as we shall attempt to do, to be the Christian Sabbath, then it follows, that the seventh day ceases to be a Sabbath.
It may be, indeed, observed, from several ecclesiastical writers, that some in the three first centuries, observed, both the seventh and the first day of the week. As for the apostles, they often assembled with the Jews, in their synagogues, on the seventh day, Acts xiii. 14. and xvii. 2. but this was done with a design to propagate the Christian religion among them, which could not, with equal conveniency, be done on other days. And the church afterwards met together on that day, as well as the Lord’s day, apprehending that though it was not now to be reckoned God’s holy day, or the Christian Sabbath; yet it was expedient, that hereby they should keep up the memory of his having, on that day, finished the work of creation; and others kept it as a day of fasting, accompanied with other religious exercises, in memory of Christ’s lying that day in the grave. But this can hardly be justified in them. However, it is evident that they did not pay the same regard to it as the Lord’s day, nor style it God’s holy day, nor the Christian Sabbath, by way of eminency. And some have expressly intimated, that whatever regard they paid to the seventh day, or what assemblies soever they held for worship therein, they did not observe it in the same way as the Jews did[[215]]; neither were they obliged to hold meetings on that day, as they were on the Lord’s day, it being, in part, left to their discretion; and it was supposed, that they had sufficient leisure from their secular callings; and therefore might attend to the worship of God on that day, as an opportunity offered itself; though they did not count it equally holy with the Lord’s day; nor were they obliged, when the worship was over, to abstain from their secular employment[[216]]. But this I only mention occasionally, to obviate an objection taken from the practice of some of the ancient church, in observing the seventh day of the week, which does not much affect the cause we are maintaining, our design being to prove that the first day of the week is ordained to be the Christian Sabbath.
But before we enter on that subject, it may be necessary, to prepare our way for it, to premise,
1. That it does not, in the least, derogate from the honour and glory of God, to change the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. It would, indeed, derogate from the glory of God, if he should take away one Sabbath, and not institute another in the room of it; for then he would lose the honour of that public worship, which he has appointed to be performed on that day.
Moreover, if there be a greater work than that of creation, to be remembered and celebrated, it tends much more to the advancing the glory of God, to appoint a day for the solemn remembrance thereof, than if it should be wholly neglected. And to this we may add, that if all men must honour the Son, even as they honour the Father, then it is expedient, that a day should be set apart for his honour, namely, the day on which he rested from the work of redemption, or, as the apostle says, ceased from it, as God did from his, Heb. iv. 10.
2. It was expedient, that God should alter the Sabbath, from the seventh to the first day of the week; for,
(1.) Hereby Christ took occasion to give a display of his glory, and in particular of his sovereign authority, to enjoin what time he would have us set apart for his worship under the gospel-dispensation, as well as what worship he will have performed therein; and to discover himself to be, as he styles himself; The Lord of the Sabbath day, Matt. xii. 8.
(2.) We, in the observation thereof, signify our faith, in a public manner, that Christ is come in the flesh, and that the work of our redemption is brought to perfection; and consequently, that there is a way prepared for our justification and access to God, as our God, in hope of finding acceptance in his sight.
3. All the ordinances of gospel-worship have a peculiar relation to Christ; therefore it is expedient that the time in which they are to be performed, under this present gospel-dispensation, should likewise have relation to him; therefore that day must be set apart in commemoration of his work of redemption, in which he finished it, and that was the first day of the week.
This leads us to consider, what ground we have to conclude that the Sabbath was changed, from the seventh to the first day of the week after the resurrection of Christ. And this will appear,