86 THE LORD'S-DAY, OR CHRISTIAN SABBATH. {SEAM. VI. the observation of one day in seven, even the first dayof the week, for christian worship ; and they taught it to the churches." It was on the first day when the disciples met together with the doors shut for fear of the Jews, that the Saviour arose and appeared to them more than once; John xx. 19-23. and 26-30.' It was on this day that pentecost fell out on that year, when the Spirit was poured down upon the disciples, as learned men as- sure us by their calculations, and then were three thou- sand converted at Peter's sermon ; Acts ii. 1---4, 41. It was on the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread at Troas, and Paul preached to them ; Acts xx. 7. It is on this day that St. Paul gives orders fora collection for the saints, or at least that every one should then lay by him in store for this purpose, in 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. This same order he gave also to the churches of ,Galatia. Thus the collection for the poor, which was made in the Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath, seems to be transferred to the first day of the week among christians. Let it he further.added, that the religious appointment and observation of the first day of the week was so uni- versal and so well known, that it acquired an honourable title in early times, and was called the Lord's-day; Rev. i. 10. even as the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine was called the Lord's-supper, both having a refer- 40 it ence to The appointment and honour of our blessed Savi- our ; _1 Cor. xi. 20, 23. This practice also was continu- ed by a!Í those who professed the christian religion in the primitive times, and they were known and distin guished from the heathens as well as from the Jews by this particular character of observing the Lord's-day. If we take all these things together, they give us agreat deal of reason to infer, that our blessed Saviour himself ap- pointed the celebration of this day, and gave the apostles notice of it among the rest of those things which he taught them in the forty days after his resurrection, when he appeared to them, conversed with them, and instruct- ed them in things that pertained to the kingdom of God, or the institution or support of this visible church; Acts 1. 3. 5. " Consider the reasonableness and the necessity of such an appointment in order to keep up religion in the
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