"the fea, and all that in them is, and refted the "feventh day: wherefore the Lord bleffed the "fabbath-day, and hallowed it."

Befides this reafon for keeping the fabbath, which equally affects all mankind, we sometimes find other arguments infifted upon, which refpect the Jews only, as Deut. v. 15. "Remember "that thou waft a fervant in the land of Egypt,

and that the Lord thy God brought thee out

"thence through a mighty hand, and by a ftretch"ed out arm: therefore the Lord thy God com"manded thee to keep the fabbath-day." It appears from these paffages, that the proper purpose of the fabbath is reft from bodily labour. But, on this account, it is alfo peculiarly feasonable for ferious reflection of mind, and devout meditation on the works of God; and by this means it is exceedingly useful for correcting the unfavourable influence, which a close and uninterrupted attention to the bufinefs of this life naturally has upon our minds; impreffing us with just sentiments, and thereby preparing us for good conduct in life. Accordingly, we find in the Old, but more especially in the New Teftament, that this ufe was made of the fabbath both by the Jews and chriftians, there being stated affemblies on this day for reading the fcriptures and public prayer.

The fabbath was alfo diftinguished under the law of Mofes by an additional facrifice of two

lambs

lambs, befides the daily burnt offering, Numb. xxviii. 9. And the ninety-fecond Pfalm being intituled, "a pfalm or song for the fabbath-day," was probably compofed, in order to be sung in the temple-service of that day.

As we find, 2 Kings iv. 23, that it was cuftom. ary with the Jews of old to refort to their prophets on the fabbath-day, and alfo on the new moons, it is not improbable but that the prophets, and other perfons learned in their law, were used to explain it on those days to the people. Where no fuch perfons were at hand, it is probable that mafters of private families read the fcriptures in their own houfes; or feveral families might join, and affemble together for the purpose, and this might give occafion to the institution of fynagogues, which answered the fame end. Thefe affemblies were in univerfalufe in our Saviour's time, and had been fo, as is generally agreed, from the time of Ezra, if they were not as old as the time of king David, who is thought to allude to them in fome of his Pfalms.

Christ having rifen from the dead on the first day of the week, which is diftinguished by the appellation of the Lord's day, and having afterwards appeared to his difciples on that day, in preference to any other, it seems from thence to have grown into a custom, with the apoftles and primitive chriftians,

to

to affemble for public worship on that day, rather than on the seventh; and though the chriftian Jews probably continued for fome time to meet on the feventh day also, yet, by degrees, the obfervance of that day for the purpose of public worship grew out of ufe.

Our prefent practice was certainly that of the earliest chriftians, whose customs we are able to trace, and there having never been any controversy upon the subject, we may fafely conclude, that they derived it from the apostles; and their authority is fufficient for us. Nor does it make any

material difference whether we be certified of their practice by their own writings, or any other fufficient evidence. In fact, it does not feem to be very material, what particular day of the week we fet apart for reft and public worship, provided we confcientioufly appropriate the fame portion of our time to that use.

That fome portion of time fhould be fet apart for the purpose of public worship, seems to be highly reasonable of itself, exclufive of all exprefs authority; fince focieties, as fuch, depend upon God, as well as the individuals that compofe them; and therefore they owe him the fame homage; and it is most natural, that public thanksgivings, confeffions, and petitions, fhould be made by as many of the fociety as can conveniently affemble for that purpofe. Every perfon, therefore, who confiders himVOL. II.

M

felf

felf as a member of fociety, and having a common intereft with it, fhould, on this account, attend the public worship of God; and what time is fo convenient for this purpose, as the day of reft from labour and worldly bufinefs. The mind will naturally be moft compofed, and, on every account, the fitte for religious exercises on that day; and the devotion of individuals is greatly flrengthened by the example of others joining with them.

It is an additional argument in favour of public worship, that the custom promotes fociety and friendship, by affording frequent opportunities for the people of a neighbourhood meeting and seeing one another, especially as the business of the day tends to promote mutual love, and all the focial virtues.

The fabbath, among the Jews (and for the fame reafon, it should apply to the Lord's day among the chriftians) is exprefsly ordered to be a day of reft for the cattle, as well as for man. It must be exceedingly wrong, therefore, to make the labouring cattle work on that day; and in this view it is a most reasonable and merciful inftitution.

As the most important use of a weekly day of reft (on which the attention of the mind is withdrawn from the ufual cares of life) is ferious and useful reflection, in order to the moral culture of the mind, it must be wrong, as evidently interfering with this end of the inftitution, to give way to ex

ceffive

ceffive levity, and especially to use noify and riotous diverfions on that day; though a chearful, rather than an auftere manner of spending it, is favourable to its proper ufe. Our Saviour was far from ap proving of the rigorous and fuperftitious manner in which the Pharifees spent their fabbath, and we cannot think that more gloom and rigour becomes the chriftian than the Jewish institutions. Since all pofitive ordinances are in their own nature subordinate to duties of moral obligation, it is evident, that the rest of the fabbath should give place to labour, when acts of juftice, benevolence, and mercy, muft otherwise be neglected,

BEFORE

§ 2. Of facrifices.

EFORE I proceed any farther in my account of those fcripture precepts, which are not properly of a moral nature, but are fubfervient to moral purposes, I fhall treat briefly of facrifices. Of the origin of facrifices, confifting either of the presentation of fruits, or the killing and burning of animals, we have no account; but we find that they were permitted, and even exprefsly appointed by God, on a great variety of occafions.

If, as it is poffible, facrifices were not originally of divine appointment, we may fuppose, that the natural foundation, or original of them, was the M 2

fame,