intimating any thing novel either in the term or thing signified, and must therefore have been known by that title when the book was written; but there is no other than the first day of the week which answers to this description, inasmuch as there is no other day on which Christ performed any work which could give occasion to such a name, except the first day of the week which was consecrated by his resurrection. Neither was there any other distinguished by the title of the Lord's day, as is proved by the unanimous consent of all antiquity; and the testimony of the early Fathers in this case must be considered as decisive, since they could scarcely be mistaken whether the first day of the week was intended by the just-cited text in Revelations".

The apostle, then, by" the Lord's day" meant that which was set apart for religious observance under the gospel dispensation; and such an appropriation of one day in seven during the first century, can only be ascribed to divine authority. The term itself imports a day either instituted by Christ, or consecrated to the offices of his religion; as in the only other place where the same Greek word occurs, the Eucharist is called" the Lord's Supper," because it was instituted by, and

'That the fathers with one voice declare it to be the first day of the week, which was consecrated to the service of the Tri-une God, will be shewn in a subsequent chapter.

R

A

in commemoration of him". Similar expressions are frequent, as the Lord's temple, the Lord's priests, the Lord's people, the Lord's offerings, the spirit of the Lord, the grace of the Lord, the glory of the Lord, the word of the Lord, the cup of the Lord, the beloved of the Lord; and they invariably denote, not only what is sacred and venerable, but what is consecrated to him, and sanctified by him; which shews that the Lord's day must signify a day which he has separated and sanctified to his service. There was a day emphatically and by way of distinction called the Lord's, the same which was afterwards so designated; and an inspired writer would not have distinguished it by this appellation, except it had been originally either instituted by the Lord Jesus, or by his authority. The consecration of one day in the week to divine worship, being of divine appointment, must be perpetually binding; and accordingly it has been transmitted from the apostles to the church of God, and happily continued throughout the Christian world.

The present discussion might justly be deemed imperfect, if no notice were taken of a passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which has been còn

1 Cor. xi. 20.

See Schleusner in voc. Kupiaкós.

h Rev. xi. 1; 19. 1 Sam. xxii. 17, 21. 1 Sam. ii. 24. 2 Cor. iii. 17. Rom. xvi. 24. 2 Cor. iii. 18. 1 Tim. vi. 3. 1 Cor. xi. 27. Rom. xvi. 8,

cess.

sidered of great importance in the Sabbatarian controversy. It is confessedly one of no little difficulty, owing to the concise and eliptical manner in which the apostle has delivered his argument, and the full illustration of it would demand a long and elaborate commentary. As an attempt of this kind would require too large a space, I shall only state the result of an examination aided by all the critical assistance to which I have had acThe passage referred to includes the first eleven verses of the fourth chapter, in which the apostle, in exhorting the Hebrews to beware of an evil heart of unbelief, argues with them upon their own principles, and, taking it in connexion with the preceding chapter, the substance of the reasoning is, that a promise of entering into a sacred rest is made by the Almighty to believers in all ages; that this rest was not the seventh day rest, nor the rest arising from the possession of Canaan; and that, consequently, it was a far better, even a heavenly rest, from which, however, those who believe not will be excluded, as the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness were excluded from the rest in Canaan.

As of all the commentators which have fallen under my observation, Macknight and Abresch have most clearly represented the scope of the apostle's reasoning, it will probably be more satisfactory to cite one of their paraphrases than to

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attempt a new one; and the former, being in our language, demands the preference. Wherefore, since the Israelites were excluded from Canaan for their unbelief and disobedience, let us be afraid lest a promise of entrance into God's rest being left to all Abraham's seed in the covenant, any of you should actually fall short of obtaining it. 2. For we also who believe, being Abraham's seed, have in that promise received the good tidings of a rest in the heavenly country, even as the Israelites in the wilderness received the good tidings of a rest in Canaan. But the good tidings which they heard had no influence on their conduct, because they did not believe what they heard. 3. Wherefore, according to God's promise, we the seed of Abraham who believe shall enter into the rest of God. But it is a rest different from the seventh-day rest, seeing he said concerning the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness. So I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest, notwithstanding the works of creation were finished, and the seventh day rest was instituted, from the formation of the world: consequently the Israelites had entered into that rest, before the oath was sworn. 4. That the seventh-day rest is God's rest, and that it was instituted at the creation is evident. For Moses hath spoken some where concerning the seventh day rest, thus: and God completely rested on the seventh day from all his works. 5. Moreover

in this ninety-fifth psalm, the Holy Ghost said again to the unbelieving Israelites in David's time who were living in Canaan, They shall not enter into my rest. This shews that another rest besides that in Canaan was promised to Abraham's seed, which would be forfeited by unbelief, but be obtained by believing. 6. Seeing then, after the Israelites were living in Canaan, it still remained for them to enter into God's rest through believing, And seeing they who first received in the wilderness the good tidings of the rest in Canaan did not enter in on account of their unbelief, it follows, that they who receive or have received the good tidings of the rest in the heavenly country shall not enter into it, if they do not believe. 7. Moreover, seeing the Holy Ghost specifieth a particular time for entering in, Saying to the people by David, To-day so long a time after the nation had taken possession of Canaan, as it is written, To-day when ye shall hear God's voice commanding you to enter into his rest, Harden not your hearts against entering. 8. For, if Joshua, by introducing the Israelites into Canaan, had caused them to rest according to the full meaning of God's promise, the Holy Ghost would not after that, in David's time, have spoken of another day for entering into God's rest. 9. Therefore, seeing the Israelites did not, in Canaan, enter fully into God's rest, the enjoyment of another rest