SERMON X. THE OBSERVATION OF THE LORD'S DAY. REVELATION OF ST. JOHN, CHAP. i. 10. 1 WAS IN THE SPIRIT ON THE LORD'S DAY. FROM the beginning of the Chriftian inftitu tion, the first day of the week has been diftinguished by this appellation, THE LORD'S DAY. On this day the disciples came together to break bread, and Paul preached to them. On this day they made collections for the poor. On this day they were affembled, and Jefus was in the midst of them. 66 * By his refurrection on this day, he was made both Lord and Chrift. Having accomplished our redemption, he on this day refted from his own work, and entered into his reft; as God, having finished the work of creation, rested on the feventh day. "This " is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. God hath highly exalted him, that every tongue might confefs him Lord," Among other prerogatives of the afcended Saviour this is one. The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath; which is therefore called the Lord's day. We celebrate his triumphant refurrection and afcenfion, and the eternal redemption he hath obtained for us."Hofanna to the Son of David. Bleffed is he who "cometh in the name of the Lord. Hofanna in the "highest." + Heb. iv. 10. John xx. 19; 26. AЯs xx. 7. +1 Cor. xvi. 2. 145. You fee for what purpose the first day of the week is feparated and diftinguifhed. Had no Redeemer been provided, it had been good for the race of man, if they had never been born. Yea, on this supposition, for aught we know, our progenitors would have had no defcendants to inherit their fin and fhame. By the return of the day facred to EMMANUEL, we are put in mind of the foundation of our hope. This day is equally a memorial of our apoftacy, and of the friendship and power of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the "Lamb without blemish and without fpot; who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the "world; but was manifest in these last times for you, "who by him do believe in God, who raised him from "the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." દ The exalted Saviour, according to his promise before he returned to heaven, sent the Holy Ghoft upon the first difciples, as on this day. Their fteady practice, after his afcenfion, is our warrant for the obfervation of this day as appropriately his. The Holy Ghoft fent down from heaven was the laft confirmation of his miffion-an irrefiftible evidence of his dominion and authority. He is the head of the body, the church— and hath in all things the pre-eminence. The time advanceth, when all the kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord. He was greater than the Jewish temple. His prefence filled the latter houfe with far fuperior glory to that of the former, and of quite a different kind. As Lord of the Sabbath, he abolished the ritual law refpecting it. He made fuch regulations as to the day of facred reft, and inculcated fuch an obfervation of it, as are fuited to mankind of all nations, and may best fubferve their benefit and improvement. We will, firft, enquire what frame of mind may be intended by being in the Spirit? or how the Lord's day fhould be obferved? Secondly, Evince the wisdom and importance of the religious obfervation of it. FIRST, What frame of mind may be intended by being in the Spirit. It more immediately denotes a prophetic vifion. "I was in the Spirit-and heard behind me a great "voice, as of a trumpet." He relates what the voice fpake and commanded--" When I turned to fee the "voice that fpake, I faw feven golden candlesticks, "and one like the Son of man in the midst of" them, -of whom a diftinct description is given in fome following verfes. The fame expreffion, I was in the Spirit, introduces his vifion of the door opened in heaven-of the throne of God, and the twenty-four elders around it. It occurs again as introductory to the vifion of the great anti-chriftian apoftacy and the perfecuted church. And it introduceth his vifion of the new Jerufalem. Thus was St. Peter in the Spirit, when he had the vifion which he relates, Acts x. 10, -16. And Paul, when he was caught up into paradife, II. Cor. xii. 1-4. But the expreffion may be accommodated to the temper with which we fhould obferve the Lord's day— which indeed we fhould always defire and endeavor to poffefs, when we bow before the Lord. "God is a Spirit. The true worshippers worship him in Spirit " and in truth." Chriftians" offer up fpiritual facri❝fices, acceptable to God by Jefus Chrift," who hath confecrated a new and living way of access to God. They offer not animal victims upon his altar; but confecrate their fouls to him. In the language of St. Paul, they present their bodies a living and holy facrifice. "We are the circumcifion who worship God in "the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jefus, and have no "confidence in the flesh." To the difpenfation of the gofpel, which abolished the Jewish, that prophecy refers; "From the rifing of the fun unto the going down of the fame, my name fhall be great among "the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offer❝ed unto my name, and a pure offering" To this prophecy correfpond those words in the vifion of St. John, "And another angel came and ftood at the al tar, having a golden cenfer; and there was given "unto him much incenfe, that he should offer it with "the prayers of all faints upon the golden altar which "was before the throne." There is an allufion to the altar of incenfe in the Jewish tabernacle and temple, overlaid with gold, placed before the mercy-feat, which was over the ark of the testimony, on which the high priest annually offered pure incense, to make atonement for Ifrael-(Exod. xxx. 1-10.) a type of the interceffion of our High Priest in heaven. Having fuch an Advocate, let us draw near with a tru "heart, in full affurance of faith." Keeping these things in mind, we shall be directed to fuch an observation of the Lord's day as will correfpond to the expreffion of being in the Spirit; not in the primary, but in the general and qualified sense, in which the words may be applied to all who wor ship with the heart. In this view being in the Spirit may involve the following particulars: An abstraction from fecular cares, bufinefs and converfation-contemplations on God and Christ, and our immortal interests -felf-recollection, communion and devotion--family inftruction and worship--and a devout attendance on the public inftitutions of religion. Firft, an abstraction from fecular cares, business and converfation. If we do not difcontinue our earthly pursuits on the Lord's day, the defign of its feparation from other days must be defeated. This defign is equally defeated, if the day is spent in unneceffary travelling, which indeed is no other than the profecution of our common concerns. It is defeated when the day is devoted to amusements. To find our own pleasure upon it is expressly mentioned as difhonouring God. We |