more do we, who are finful creatures, and so immere ed in worldly cares, need fuch a day.

234. Did the religious obfervation of the Sabbath take place immediately upon the back of the creation; or not till the publishing of the law at Mount Sinai ?

4. It took place at, and from the first feventh day after the creation for God's bleffing and fanctifying of the Sabbath is related as a thing actually done at that time; and not as a thing to be done upwards of two thousand years thereafter, Gen. ii. 3.

23. How can the obfervation of the Sabbath be faid to take place immediately after the creation, when the fcripture is wholly filent about the obfervation of it till the time of Mofes ?

A It might as well be argued, that the Sabbath was not obferved after Mofes's time, during the government of the Judges which, according to Acts xiii, 2c. was about the space of four hundred and fifty years, there being no mention of the church's obferving a Sabbath during the whole of that long period; and yet it cannot be fuppofed, that fo many godly men, as the Judges were, would fuffer the obfervation of the Sabbath to go into entire defuetude.

Q. 36. Is there any evidence from fcripture, that the Ifraelites knew the obfervation of the Sabbath to be a moral duty, before the publishing of the law from Mount Sinai?

A. Yes: for, when the manna was firft given them, before they came to Mount Sinai, Mofes fpeaks of the Sabbath, as a day well known to them, Exod. xvi. 23 To morrow is the reft of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord.

237 How may the morality of the Sabbath be demonstrated from its SITUATION in the decalogue, or ten commandments?

A. It is placed in the midst of moral precepts, and muft therefore be of the fame nature and kind with them. It has the fame dignity and honour put upon it, that the other nine commandments have: for it was with them, proclaimed from the mouth of God, in the hearing of all Ifrael; twice written upon tables of fione, by the finger of God; and with them lodged within the ark; none of which privi leges were conferred upon the ceremonial law; and confequently the fourth commandment must be of the fame per

petual obligation with the other moral precepts. James ii. 10. Q3. Was there any thing TYPICAL of Chrift in the piginal inftitution of the Sabbath?

A. It is impoffible there could: for Adam, in innocence, being under a covenant of works, had no need of Christ, or the revelation of him by types; no, not to confirm him in that covenant, Gal. iii. 12.

239 What would have been the confequence, if the Sabbath had been originally and effentially typical?

A. if fo then it should have been abolished, upon the death of Chrift,'and no more remembrance of it, than of the new moons and jubilees; which is indeed, what they who argue against the morality of the Sabbath feem mightily to want.

Q: 40 Were not the Ifraelites commanded to keep the Sabbath day in memory of their deliverance out of Egypt, which was typical of our redemption by Christ ?

A. Yes their deliverance out of Egypt was annexed, at Mount Sinai,as a fuperadded ground for the obfervation of that particular feventh day, which God appointed to be kept immediately after the creation, Dent. v. 15. For which reafon, this particular feventh day was abolished at the refurrection of Chrift: but ftill the feventh part of weekly time, fixed by God at the beginning, as the fubftance of this commandment, remained unchangeably moral.

Q41.Will it follow that the fubftance of this commandment is ceremonial, because it is faid of Chrift, Mat. xii. 8. that he is Lord even of the Sabbath day?

A. By no means the very contrary will follow, name, ly that fuch a feventh part of weekly time, as is now obferved, is moral, because he, who is the Lord of the Sab. bath, hath appointed it to be fo: and confequently has power to order the work of it for his own fervice.

2 42. Is it any argument against the morality of the Sabbath, that it was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath?

A No: but rather an argument for it; for the mean, ing is, that refting on the Sabbath was appointed for man's good, that it might be a means to a farther and better end, even the true fanctification thereof, in the exercife of the duties of piety and mercy required thereon.

59. QUEST. Which day of the feven bath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?

ANSW. From the beginning of the world, to the refurrection of Chrift, God appointed the feventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week, ever fince, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Chriftian Sabbath.

2.1. When did God appoint the feventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath?

A [From the beginning of the world,] Gen. ii. 2, 3.

2. Why is it faid to be from the beginning of the world, when it was not done till after man was created on the fixth day?

A Becaufe the world, as to its perfection of parts, did not properly begin, till the creation was completely finished i which was not till man was made, who was to have dominion-over all the earth, Gen i. 26.

23 How long was this feventh or left day of the week appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?

A. [Till the refurrection of Chrift,] Mat. xxviii. 1.

24. Which day of the week did God appoint for the Sabbath [ever fince] that time?

A. [The first day of the week]cts xx. 7.

25. For how long time is the first day of the week appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?

A [To the end of the world.]

Q. 6. How are we fire that it is appointed to [continue to the end of the world]?

A Because the canon of fcripture is concluded, and therefore no new revelations and institutions to be expected, Rev. xxii. 18, 19.

Q. 7. Why is the firft day of the week called [the Chrif tian Sabbath]?

A. Because it was inftituted by CHRIST, and uniformly obferved by Chriftians ever fince his refurrection.

Q. 8. Are not all divine inftitutions obferved in virtue of fome moral precept?

A. Yes; otherwife the law of the Lord would not be perfect as it is declared to be, Pial. xix 7.

Q 9. In virtue of what moral precept has the first day of the week been obferved by Chriftians?

A. In virtue of the fourth commandment; even as the means of worship, inftituted under the Naw Teftament, have been obferved in virtue of the fecond.

210 How can the first day of the week be observed in virtue of the fourth commandment, when it is not therein particularly mentioned ?

A. The morality of the Sabbath doth not lie in obferving the feventh day in order from the creation; but in obferving fuch a feventh day as is determined and appointed by God; which may be either the firft or aft of the feven days, as he fhall fee meet.

211, Under what name or defignation is the Christian Sabbath foretold under the Old Testament?

A. Under the name of the eighth day, Ezek. xliii. 27. And when thefe days are expired, it shall be that upon the eighth day, and fo forward, the priests shall make your burntofferings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, faith the Lord.

2. 12. Why called the eighth day?

A Because the first day of the week now, is the eighth in arder from the creation.

2. 13. What is the efficient caufe of the change of the Sabbath?

A, The fovereign will and pleasure of him who is Lord of the Sabbath, Mark ii. 28.

2. 14. What is the moving cause hereof?

A. The refurrection of Christ from the dead, which was early on the first day of the week, Mark xvi. 9.

215. Why is the day of Chrift's refurrection appointed to be the Sabbath?

A. Because his refurrection was a demonftrative evidencethat he had completely finished the glorious work of redemption, Rom i 4.; and therefore it was his RESTING DAY, Heb. iv. 10. He that is entered into his reft, he alfo hath ceafed from his own works, as God did from his.

26. Why might not the day of Chrift's incarnation, or the day of bis pafion, have been confecrated to be our Sabbath days!

A. Becaufe they were both of them days of Chriff's labeur and forrow, which he had to go through before he came to his reft, Luke xxiv, 26. In his incarnation and birth be entered upon his work, Gal. iv. 4, 5. In his paffion. he was under the foreft part of his labour, even the exquifite and unspeakable agonies of his foul, Mat. xxvi. 38.

Q 17 Why might not the day of his afcenfion be made the Sabbath, as well as the day of his refurrection ?

4. Because on the day of his afcenfion he entered only into his PLACE of reft, the third heavens; whereas he had entered before into his STATE of reft on the day of his 1efurrection; and the place is but a circumftauce, when compared with the fate.

Q18. Why did God change his day of reft!

A, Because his reft in the work of creation was marred and Spoiled by man's fin, Gen. vi. 6.; whereas his reft in the work of redemption, entered into at the refurrection of Chrift, is that wherein he will have eternal and unchangeable pleasure, John xvii. 23. Befides, redemption is a far greater and more excellent work than even that of creation. Q19. How may the charge of the Sabbath from the loft to the first day of the week, be evinced from fcripture ?

A. If our Lord Jesus, after his refurrection, met ordinarily with his difciples on the first day of the week: if, after his afcenfion, he poured cut his Spirit in an extraordinary manner on that day: if, by the example and practice of the apostles and primitive Chriftians, recorded in the New Teftament, the first day of the week was honoured above any other for the public exercises of God's worship : if, by apoftolic precept, the observation of this day, rather than any other, was enjoined for Sabbath services: and if this day is peculiarly dignified with the title of the LORD's DAY, then it muft undoubtedly be the Christian Sabbath by divine inflitution.

20. How doth it appear that our Lord, after his re. furrection, met ordinarily with his difciples on the first day of the week?

A. From two inftances of it, exprefsly recorded, John xx. 19, 26; where it is affirmed, that he met with them on the evening of the fame day wherein he arose from the dead, being the first day of the week: and that Thomas was not with them when Jefus came, ver. 24. Likewise, on that fame day eight days, he appeared to them again, when they