554 THE SABBATH PERPETUAL, &C. This will also give us a very fair answer to that argument for the continuance of the Jewish sabbath, which is drawn from Our Saviour's' advice to his disciples, relating to the destruction of Jerusalem; Mat. xxiv. 20. Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, nor on the sabbath-day, &c. This textwill by no means prove that our Saviour intended that the Jewish seventh- day sabbath should be observed bychristians after the time of the destruction of the Jewish polity : But he foresaw the pre- judices both of Jews and Jewish christians would be so strong, that christians might find very great inconveniences thereby, both in their own consciences, and by the opposition of the Jews, if their flight from the destruction of the city, happened on the sabbath of the Jews. And if this signify their flight on the sabbath day, it is certain that our Saviour here can only mean to spew the hardships which might arise on this occasion from Jewish customs or prejudices; for neither Jews nor christians were by any laws of God forbidden to fight, or fly, or do any thing necessary for the safety of their lives on a sabbath, either under Judaism or christianity. But while the Jewish polity was not yet absolutely andutterly dissolved, but only dissolving*, the flight of his disciples might be, many ways, rendered ex-. ceeding troublesome on a sabbath. Yet I think Dr. Ham-, mond's conjecture is not utterly to be omitted here ; for if the word 0.466a70, in this place can mean the sabbatical year, their flight would be doubly inconvenient both in the winter, when there was no food in the field, and on the sabbatical year, when the fields were not sown, and both war and famine would come together. Now if this be the sense, the sabbath- day has nothing to do in this text. Question III. Is not the holiness of clays and times, abol- ished under the New Testament, as well as theholiness ofplaces ? Are not the expressions which abolish all sabbaths very plain and express ? Does not the apostle severely reprove the Galatians, chapter iv. 10. foripbserving days and months, and times and years? Does he not teach the Colossians, chapter ii. 16. that no man should judge them in meats- or drinks, or in re- spect ofa holy-day, or new moons, or sabbaths? How can we suppose then, there is any holiness ofdays required, under the christian state ? Or what holiness belongs to the Lord's-day wherein christians meet to worship. * Many of the Mosaical precepts, are to be considered as political, as well as religious ceremonies. Now while the Jewish polity subsisted, not only sab- baths but even circumcisions, some sacrifices, and several other things seem to be left,upon a foot of iudifferency, as things decaying sod vanishing away, as the apostle speaks ; Hob. val. 13. and as things lawful tobe complied with, accord- ing as prudence should dictate to the Jewish christians, in the places were they were ; while at the same name the religious obligation was really finished at the setting up of the gospel- state, or christianity, at the day of Pentecost, wlea the Spirit was poured out.
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