bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Now can any one believe, that these holy and inspired men acted without authority; yea, that they acted against the express authority of God, in reference to the Sabbath? But they observed the first day of the week, and this became the established usage of all the primitive churches. The inference is irresistible. They acted by divine authority; and their example is a full and satisfactory warrant for keeping the first day of the week, instead of the seventh.

Fifthly; God early consecrated the Christian Sabbath, by a most remarkable outpouring of his Spirit. We allude to the day of Pentecost, which was the fiftieth day after the resurrection; and, of course, the first day of the week, when the disciples “were all, with one accord, in one place;" and the Holy Ghost descended upon them; and, the same day, three thousand were "added to the Lord." What a glorious consecration of the day, which was thenceforward to be devoted to religious instruction and worship! How honorable to the divine Saviour, who, on that day, seven weeks before, rose from the dead, and finished the work of redemption! How rich in promise to the churches and their ministers, who should afterward, on the same day of the week, be, with one accord, in one place, and devoutly engaged in appropriate religious exercises!

Sixthly; We derive a strong argument in favor of the change of the Sabbath, from a comparison of the three following passages of Scripture:

Mat. xii. 8. "For the son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day." 1 Cor. xi. 20. "When we come together, therefore, into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper." Rev. i. 10. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." Now if Christ was Lord of the Sabbath; if the Sabbath was his day; and if the Lord's day was the first day of the week; then is the first day of the week the Christian Sabbath. Again; if the sacramental supper is called the Lord's supper, because he instituted it, or because it was appointed to commemorate his sufferings and death, then, doubtless, the first day of the week is called the Lord's day, because he instituted it, or because it was appointed to commemorate his resurrection.

Seventhly; That the Lord's day, the day of his resurrection, was early regarded as holy time, might be proved by innumerable quotations from the writings of the apostolic fathers, and others who succeeded them in the early ages of the Christian church.

Thus, Ignatius, who survived the apostle John but eight or ten years, says, "Let every one that loves Christ, keep holy the Lord's day; the queen of days; the resurrection day; the highest of all days."

Justin Martyr.-"On the day commonly called Sunday, (by the brethren,) all meet together in the city and country for divine worship."

"No sooner," says Dr. Cave, was Constantine come over to the church, but his principal care was about the Lord's day; he commanded it to be solemnly observed, and that by all persons

whatsoever; he made it a day of rest, that men might have nothing to do but to worship God, and be better instructed in the Christian faith."

Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch.-" Both custom and reason challenge from us, that we should honor the Lord's day, seeing on that day it was, that our Lord Jesus Christ completed his resurrection from the dead."

Let one more quotation suffice. The Synod of Laodicea adopted this canon: "that Christians should not Judaize, and rest from all labor on the Sabbath, (i. e. the seventh day,) but follow their ordinary work: and should not entertain such thoughts of it, but that still they should prefer the Lord's day, and on that day, rest as Christians."

Lastly; God has most signally annexed his . blessing to the observance of the first day of the week as the Christian Sabbath. This argument is so forcibly presented by Dr. Dwight, that we shall make no apology for copying the substance of it into our pages.

"If this day be not divinely instituted, then God has suffered his church to disuse and annihilate his own institution, (the seventh day Sabbath,) and substituted one of mere human device in its stead. Nor is this all; he has annexed the blessing which he originally united to the Sabbath instituted by himself, to that which was the means of destroying it, and which was established by human authority merely. Can any man believe, that he would thus forsake his own institution, an institution on which have depended in all lands, and ages, the observation, influence, and existence

of his holy law? Can any man believe, that he who so dreadfully punished Nadab and Abihu, for forsaking his own institution in a case of far inferior magnitude, and setting up one of their own in its stead, would not only not punish, but abundantly and unceasingly bless the Christian church, while perpetrating and persisting in iniquity of exactly the same nature, and far greater degree? Let it be remembered, that this great innovation, if it be an innovation, was begun by the apostles, the chosen and inspired followers of Christ, and the erectors of his kingdom in the world. If they sinned, they sinned wilfully, and in defiance of their inspirations. With them, however, the blessing began to be annexed to the first day of the week, in a most wonderful and glorious manner. From them, it has been uninterruptedly continued to the present time. To this day, under God, mankind are indebted for all the religion which has since been in the world.

"If then the Christian Sabbath is not a divine institution, God has made a device of man a more powerful support to his spiritual kingdom, than most, perhaps than all others. His blessing has been too evident, to admit of a doubt-too great and too wonderful to be passed over in silence. On this day, the perfections of God, manifested in creation and redemption, have more than on all others, been solemnly, gratefully, and joyfully remembered and celebrated. On this day, millions of the human race have been born unto God. From the word and ordinances of God, from the influence of the Holy Spirit, from the presence of

Christ in his church, Christians have derived, on this day, more than all others, the most delightful views of the divine character, clear apprehensions of their own duty, lively devotion to the service of God, strength to overcome temptations, and glorious anticipations of immortality. Take this day from the calendar of the Christian, and all that remains will be cloudy and cheerless. Religion will instantly decay. Ignorance, error, and vice, will immediately triumph; the sense of duty vanish; morals fade away; the acknowledgment and even the remembrance of God be far removed from mankind; the glad tidings of salvation cease to sound; and the communication between earth and heaven be cut off for ever."*

QUESTION V.

How is the Sabbath to be kept, or sanctified?

SECTION I.

If God has required us to keep the Sabbath, he has doubtless given us such directions in regard to the manner of keeping it, that a sincere desire to know and do our duty, will make the path entirely plain before us. The proper place to look for these directions, is in the statute itself; and here they are very explicitly given. What duties then does it enjoin? What thoughts, words, and actions does it forbid ? "Remember the Sabbath