DISCOURSE I. 537' Ye observe days and months, and times andyears, that is, the -Mosaics.' appointments concerning all their sabbath -days, and new moons, and sabbatical years, which were appointed to the Jews. To the same purpose speaks the saine apostle to the Colossians, chapter ii. verses 14, 16, 17, that God, or Christ, had blotted out the handwriting of ordinances which was against vs, and took it out of the way: Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of a holy-day, in Greek a festival, or of the new moons, or of the sabbath-days, in Greek sabbaths, of which the law of Moses had many besides the seventh day of the week, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ, And-verse 20. he speaks here in the same language which he uses to the Galatians, Ye chris- tians are dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world. The Jewish manner of observation of the several sabbaths ap- pointed in the law of Moses, with all these rigours and severi- ties mentioned in the last proposition, is a mark of the state ofthe childhood of the church under strict discipline, and of the bond- age of it nailer a yoke of ceremonies and numerous prescribed forms; but under the gospel or New Testament, the church is grown to a maturer age, as the apostle, Gal. iv. describes it ; and therefore christians are released from such yokes óf bondage ; and the apostle forbids christians to return to them again, but charges them tó stand fast in the libertywherewith Christ hath Made them free; Gal. v. 1. Now that it is the sabbaths and festivals of the Jews only which are here abrogated, appears from the words used both in the epistles to the Galatians and Colossians, which describe their sacred times, festivals, new- moons, sabbatical years, &c. But the original sabbath-day, as appointed to the patriarchs, is not expressed or included therein for that was out of sight here, being not the matter of contest or imposition. VIII. " Notwithstanding the abolition of all Jewish sab- baths, and of that rigorous observance of an absolute rest on the seventh orsabbath-day ; yet under the christian dispensation one day in seven, that is, the first day of the week, has been always observed from the beginning as a day of assembling for pious and religiouspurposes ; and it is very reasonably supposed, to be appointed by Christ himself." Christians under the liberty of the gospel, are net to suppose themselves released from the stated returns of a day of worship. When the Jewish dispen- sation ended, the paradisiacal command seems still in force to all the race of Adam. Yokes of bondage were broken, but natura& religion and moral laws are of everlasting obli- gation. Christians Must have a day to worship their Gód as well as the patriarchs ; and therefore they must rest from the common works of men. The evidences which persuade us of the truth ofthis practice amongthe first ehristians are such asthese:
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