ON THE

OBSERVANCE OF THE LORD'S DAY.

[For the substance of the following remarks the compiler is indebted to the second volume of Essays by Dr. Whately, the learned Principal of St. Alban's Hall, Oxford.]

By the law of the Ten Commandments, the seventh day of the week (that day which we call Saturday) is appointed to be kept holy as a Sabbath, or rest. This seventh day was that which the Jews always observed before the coming of Christ; and not only so, but which has been observed by them ever since, and is now regularly kept holy by them, in obedience to the fourth commandment: and they very naturally look upon us Christians as Sabbath-breakers, because, neglecting the day which God commanded to be kept holy, we observe another day, for which there is no positive command whatever. We keep the first day of the week holy in memory of our Lord's resurrection. True-but what authority have we for keeping it on that account, or for keeping it at all? and still more, for not keeping holy the day which was actually appointed? It will be said, we keep holy one day in seven, which is the same thing, the precise day being of no consequence. If that is admitted, then it follows that if any sect of Christians should choose to observe every Friday in memory of our Lord's crucifixion, instead of Sunday, nothing could be said against it; but it must be remembered that the day is not indifferentthere is an express reason given why the seventh was selected and the observance of it as a rest, was in memory of what occurred on that day: how then can we pretend to keep this rest upon any other day?Besides, it is well known that the strictness of the law of Moses admitted of no alteration either as to the time or manner of its observances, Jeroboam brought down the anger of God upon himself and the whole kingdom of Israel, among other offences, by ordaining a feast in the eighth month, "the month which he had devised after his own heart:" and as to the manner of observing the Sabbath in particular, even the lighting of fires was forbidden. Our non-observance of these strict precepts, may very probably be a stumbling-block to some conscientious but uninformed Christians; and if we are questioned as to the reason, we can give no other than this, That the Mosaic Law, as to its positive (i. e. not moral) institutions, is no longer binding. In fact, we plainly show, that we do not consider the Mosaic Law respecting the Sabbath as binding, by not observing it, either as to the appointed time or manner. We are certainly not at liberty to take the Law to pieces, and observe one part and omit another. We must take it as a whole; and we have no alternative but to dispense with it altogether or to obey the whole, (Gal. v. 3.) and if we profess to keep holy one day in seven in obedience to the Mosaic Law, we must keep Saturday, and abstain from lighting fires, &c. on that day.

It appears, then, that the Mosaic institutions are no longer binding: but here it must be distinctly stated, that we mean the positive institutions of the Law-that is, those which relate to things neither right nor wrong in themselves, but which might have been ordained otherwise if it had pleased God to do so, (as any other day might have been selected as well as the seventh). But with regard to the moral precepts, (i. e. which relate to things in themselves right or wrong), it is far otherwise. These are of everlasting obligation, and as unchangeable as the nature of God himself; they were binding before the Law was given a man's own conscience being a law to himself. These moral precepts we now (under a more gracious dispensation) are taught to observe, not so much in obedience to a legal commandment, (as a scholar obeys rules, the reason of which he does not understand), but as having arrived at years of discretion, and discerning, by the aid of the Spirit, how the things commanded or forbidden are essentially right or wrong in themselves, and therefore naturally and of course to be pursued or avoided. The obligation of the ceremonial Law in general was released by the council of the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem, but the observance of the seventh day, or Saturday, being required by one of the Ten Commandments, given in a more solemn manner by God himself, was released by our Saviour in person, being, as he styles himself, Lord of the Sabbath-by virtue of which authority, he ordered the paralytic to carry his bed on that day-a work, be it observed, neither of necessity nor mercy.

The question now returns-What authority have we for observing our Sunday, the first day of the week, instead of the seventh? The answer is-The authority of the Church, and no other. Our Lord, it is true, may have given some express command to his Apostles on the subject; we may suppose, if we choose, that he did; or possibly he may have contented himself with intimating by his conduct, that such an observance would be acceptable to him. This, however, is mere conjecture, and the New Testament is silent on the subject. We are, therefore, obliged to have recourse to the authority of the Church for the appointment. To the Church was committed the power of binding and loosing, with a strict injunction, that whosoever would not hear the Church, (in the just and lawful exercise of its authority), was to be regarded as a heathen or excommunicate. The doctrine of the Church on this subject, at the time of the Reformation, (and at all times previous to the age of Puritanism), appears from the following extract from Archbishop Cranmer's Catechism. "And here note, good children, that the Jewes in the Old Testament were commanded to keep the Sabbathday, and they observed it every seventh day, called the Sabbath, or Satterday. But we Christian men, in the New Testament, are not bound to such commandments of Moses' law concerning differences of times, days, and meats, but have liberty and freedom to use other days for our Sabbath days, therein to hear the Word of God, and keep an holy rest. And therefore, that this Christian liberty may be kept and maintained, we now keep no more the Sabbath, or Satterday, as the Jewes do, but we observe the Sundays and certain other days, as the magistrates (meaning the chief power in the Church) do judge convenient, whom in this thing we ought to obey."

It follows from hence, that the observance of the Lord's day rests on precisely the same authority as that of Christmas-day, Good Friday, and the Saints' days, and on no higher; and therefore, those who purposely work on those days, considering them ordinances

a

of man, as distinguished from the Lord's day, shew that they are unacquainted with the real state of the case, and are removing the obligation of the Lord's day from a foundation which is able to support it, viz. the authority of the Church, to one which is not, viz. the Mosaic Law. An over-strictness about the observance of Sunday, savours more of a legal and Pharisaical than an evangelical spirit; and it is feared, is too often adopted as a sort of permission to devote the other six days entirely, and without remorse, to the service of Mammon. As a caution against this mistake, it may be observed, that the Church has provided no service peculiar to the Sunday, none which is not appointed either for every day, or at least, for the holidays as well: abstinence from worldly callings, enjoined by the civil magistrate, being in fact the only distinction, nor even that entirely, for Christmas-day is included. It is not meant to be denied, that the circumstance of a positive institution obtaining a place in the Decalogue among moral precepts, is one of great weight, and seems to intimate that the spirit and intention of the observance was to be retained; and it is only with respect to the spirit and intention of it that we can properly pray, at the end of the fourth commandment,"Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law," -meaning, that God would dispose us by his Spirit to serve him readily and gladly under the Gospel, with the same zeal and devotion with which he was served under his former dispensation of the Law. A true Christian will endeavour, as much as possible, to be in the Spirit, and to serve his God every day of his life.

As to the degree of strictness with which the Sunday should be observed, " let no man judge his brother." If recreations after the hours of divine service be deemed lawful, let it be next considered how far they are expedient-whether they interfere with the rest which God has mercifully provided for man, and even for the brutes-and whether they set a bad example to those who, having but one day of leisure, ought to devote as much of it as may be to their religious improvement. It may be remarked further, that Christian friendship and charity belong to our religious duties, as well as the more immediate acts of worship.

THE PSALMS.