t)tSCOVRSÊ L 317 made with fallen man, in every dispensation of it, The lan- guage which the apostle uses in the iv. chapter to the Hebrews, seems to denote thus much, viz. That a sabbath day to comule- morate God's ceasing from his works of creation, was appointed to be observed by the seed of Israel, as a figure, pledge andpro- mise of the laud of Canaan, where the Jews should have rest, not only from the bondage of Egypt, but from their tiresome travels in the wilderness : And yet further it was a token and pledge of the rest which christians would enjoyunder the gospel, that is, a release from the bondage of sin, as well as a figure of the final rest in the heavenly state, which all the people of God shouldbe partakers of in the world to come. Now since the pro- mise of this heavenly rest, and glorious state of divine worship, is not yet acccomplished, I_ have not yet met with sufficient reason why one day of warship and rest, after six days of labour, which is a figure and emblem of it, should entirely cease. There are some figures and emblems in every dispensation; till all the graces and blessings signified thereby are fulfilled. Now, if all these considerations put together, will but go so far as to make it highly probable, that one day in seven has been always the proportion of time which God has appointed for a sab- bath, that is, for rest from labour, and for divine worship, this probability, as to the time and manner of a duty, should go for evidence, where no further evidence can be procured, and where the duty itself seemsclear and certain. And since some rest from labour, and some seasons for worship are necessary, we cannot do a more reasonaLle thing, than toseparate that proportion of time, wlíich the wisdom of God has certainly separated in some of his dispensations to men, and most probably in all of them : Nor can we chuse a fitter day than that, which, byvery probable reasons, is recommended to us by the example of the apostles, and primi- tive churches, when all Jewish sabbaths are entirely abolished. Yet here I ask leave to make thisremark, That though both rest and worship run through the law of the sabbath in all ages ; yet by diligent reading the Old Testament, and the History and Lawsof the Jews, we find that rest from their own labours, and business, and pleasures, on the seventh day, is the grand point kept chiefly in view, in the commands and threatenings relating to the sabbath, and that not only as an advantage to spiritual wor- ship, but as being in itself the most noted and visiblepart of their sabbatising. But in the New Testament, assembling for chris- tian worship is most frequently represented as the design of the first day of the week, or Lord's-day. Which, of these two, is most noted and visible in the original and paradisaical sabbath, is doubtful. Now, may it not be inferred, that the Jews were re- quired to worship God on their sabbath, because God had ap- pointed it a dayof rest from labour ; and that christians should at m2
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