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THE LORDS -DAY,
OR
CHRISTIAN SABBATH.
{BERM.
VI.
he
appointed
the first
day,
even the day in which
he
arose
from
the
grave,
as
most
proper
to keep the
great
work
of
our
redemption
in memory.
That
the
first day
of
the
week
was
observed
by
the apostles and first chris-
tians
in
honour of
the
resurrection of
Christ, and
the
finishing
of their
redemption,
is
evident
from
several
hints
of
scripture, and
many plain expressions
in
the
his-
tory
of
the primitive
church*.
I
might add here
also,
that
as
the
redemption or rest
from
Egyptian
bondage
given them
by
God
and
Moses
is
mentioned
in
Deut.
v.
15.
as
one reason
of
the
Jewish
sabbath,
so
our greater redemption
by
Christ
or rest
from the
bondage
of
sin and
Satan being
on this day
completed,
seems
by
parallel reasoning
to be
a
proper
argument
for
observing the christian sabbath.
Besides,
it
is
worthy of our notice
that
by
chusing the
first
dayy
of
the
seven
for
a
sabbath after
the seventh day
was abolished,
there remains
still one day
in
seven to
perpetuate
the memory of
the
creation, and it
is
the first
day
of
the
seven
to
perpetuate
the memory
of
the work
of
redemption. Thus our Lord's-day
includes both.
Question
II.
"
But
what
need
is
there of
a whole day
devoted
to this
purpose
under
the New
Testament
?
Is it
not
enough to perform christian worship
in
public as-
semblies, and thereby answer the purposes
of
the
day,
without
observing
that
day
as
a
sabbath, or
day
of
rest
?"
I
answer,
Answer.
It
is
too
evident
an
observation,
that
unless
the
whole day
be
separated
from the business and plea-
* There
have been
some
very
great and learned
men who suppose
that
the
apostle Paul in the fourth
chapter
to
the
Hebrews builds
a
christian
Sabbath on this
principle.
See verse
4.
"
He
spake in
a
certain place of
the
seventh day
on
this
wise,
And
God
did rest the seventh day
from all
his
works. Verse 7.
Again,
he
limiteth
a
certain day, saying
in
David,
To
-day
if
ye will hear
his
voice,
harden
not
your
hearts. For
if
Jesus,
that
is,
Joshua, had given
them
rest,
that
is,
if
he
liad given
them
all
that
complete
rest
in
the land of Canaan which
was
typified by
the
Jewish
sabbath,
then
he would
not
afterwards have
spoken of
another
day. There
remaineth
therefore
a
rest,
ór'°
sabbatism"
as
the Greek word
is,
there
remaineth the keeping of
a
sabbath
to
the
people
of
God;
for
he
that
is
entered into
his
rest,
which
they
refer
to Jesus
Christ
in
the
work
of
re-
demption,
he
hath
also
ceased or
rested'
from
his own works as
God did
from his."
See
Doctor Owen,
°'
in his
Treatise of
the Sabbath."
Thus
the
Son
of
God, the Redeemer,
is
supposed
to'
have
appointed
a
day
or
Sabbath to
celebrate
his
rest
from his
labours and sufferings,
as
God, the
r'ather,
the Creator, did
when he
rested
from
-his
work*.