'( :9·I ) ·inf1 on that clay, fo he began that very day to,preach unto M.:trJ th~ cot;nfouable doctrine of L1is Afcenfion, in wotds that de– ferve to bi"'-Written in }!,old, or rather in the deepeft room of e7rlery true Bdirvers hear:t : [John 20. 17. Go to my Brethren , .md f, ,y unto them, 1a{cend UNtO my Father) andyourFather, and f() my God and your God] ; Thefirft Sermon tb€!r ever w:n preached <?n a L1rds day, e.ven on the firft Lords day hy Chrift hirnfdf, even to a belr.ved ptnitent 'v\'ormm, whom he chofe robe as it were his Apaflle to bis .Apo fl les, to deliver them this Mdfage ils from him. On tbejame dvzy rbe Difciplesbeing Af[tmbled , he owmdand .6/rjfedchctr Aff~mbly, and gave them the Hcly Ghoft ~md Apoftolit:P/! pomr. • ,. WhenThr.m1a! heir,·gabfent from the Affen•hly the firft L ord.s da], did mifs tl1e fight of Chrifi and was unbelievi,zg. Chriit left him aWhole week_ in hiJ unbelief, and would nor heal him till the 11e:·a L?rds d.1y, which be hoi'l.c t-Jred with that cure. · Then the Di[– .ciples being met ag.zin, Chrift came among them, and ·convinced Thomas. · On another Lords day, they were all with qne accord in one place, 11nd the Holy Ghojf-wM in the extraordinary meafure givf1 them. And .ll_U/zo. 7· it is mentioned as the cul~ o m of the Dtfcipies,. to come roger her on the prft d11y of thewu lz.. to brea/z_ brefld ; and Pa11lthenpreachedt@ themevtntillmidnight. And I Cor. 16.1,2. the C(.)lltftivns for the Sai1jts were made every firft day af the wtck:.. .in all the Churches of Galatia, and at Corinth, becaufc: they h01d then their huly Af{emblies. And Eherefore Rev. I. I o. it is called _peculiarly the Lerds day. . 2. But ro deH this pafi all ·· tioflal doubting, we find in a11 the writings of the antients, andhiftorie of the Church. that all the Churches throu,gh the world unanimoufly obferved the Lord~ day as inftitMtedby Chrift or the Holy Ghoft :·n the Apoftles ; none ever qu Hioning or. contradiCting it, that ever I read of. He that hath read the writings of the Antients, ~nd deflyeth this, is un– ~orthy to be difputed with. The praflice of the univerf•dChurch ts a full expo(r.tion of the fore-cited Scriptures; and though it be no !-aw to m it felf, yet is it a full difco"lHY) of the faf1 (telling } us what was the primitive praCtice ) and fo a difcovery of the ~ Law. And fhall any private ignorant man , come in alter one .~ -· thoufand fix hundred and twenty Gx years , and f~y the Apofile!". ~nd all the Churches in the world have been d~ceived tiH this day~ .. .. - - .... - -- -~- - - - N 2 ·--- --- ···-· · · and
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