SAB
510
SAB
held a place in what is commonly called the first table, and by sub-sequent statutes the violation of it was punished with death. Sixdays were allowed lor the service of man; but the seventh God reserved to himself, and appointed it to be observed as a statedtime for holy offices, and the duties of piety and devotion. Onthis day the ministers of the temple entered upon their week ; andthose tvho had attended on the temple-service the preceding weekwent out at the same time. New- loaves of shew-bread wereplaced upon the golden table, and the old ones taken away. 'Twolambs for a burnt-offering, with a certain proportion of fine flour,mingled with oil, for a bread-offering, and wine for a libation, wereoffered. The Sabbath , as all other festivals, was celebrated fromevening to evening. It began at six in the evening On Friday,and ended at the same time die next day. Concerning the time atwhich the Sabbath was first instituted, dilferent opinions have beenheld. Some have maintained, that the sanctification of the seventhday mentioned in Gen. ii. is only there spoken of Jim irjsXitd- 1 * or byanticipation ; and is to be understood of the Sabbath afterwardsenjoined the children of Israel . But it cannot be supposed thatthe inspired penman would have mentioned the sanctification ofthe seventh day amongst the primeval transactions, if such sancti-fication had not taken place until 2500 years afterwards. The di-vision of time into weeks, or periods of seven days, which ob-tained so early and almost universally, is a strong indication thatone day in seven was always distinguished in a particular manner.Week, and seven days, are in scripture-language synonymousterms. God commanded Noah, seven days before lie entered theark, to introduce into it all sorts of living creatures. When thewaters of the tlood began to abate, Noah sent forth a dove, which,finding no rest for the sole of her foot, returned to him. Afterseven days he sent forth the dove a second time ; again she re-turned to the ark. At the expiration of oilier seven days lie letgo the dove a third time : and a week is spoken of (Gen. x.xix.) asa veil known space of time. This septenary division of limehas been, from the earliest ages, uniformly observed over all theeastern world. The Israelites , Assyrians, Egyptians, Indians,Arabians, and Persians , have always made use of a week, consist-ing of seven days. Many vain attempts have been made to ac-count for this uniformity ; but a practice so general and prevalentcould never have taken place, had not the septenary distributionof time been instituted from the beginning, and handed down bytradition. From the same source also must the ancient heathenshave derived their notions of the sacredness of the seventh day.That they had such notions of it is evident from several passagesof the Greek poets quoted by Aristobulus, a learned Jew, by Cle-ment of Alexandria, and Eusebius .
Tlie seventh, the sacred day.
” oruTaxWT-iVAiV, ‘ '-'.7 ’i/.'.".-. HotllCr.
Afterwards came the seventh, the sacred dav.
That they likewise held the number seven in high estimation hasbeen shewn by a learned, though sometimes fanciful, author, withsuch evidence as to enforce conviction. The Pythagoreans callit the venerable number, m ojn;, worthy of veneration, andheld it to be perfect and most proper to religion. Seven, in theHebrew language, is expressed by a word that primarily signifiesfulness, completion, sufficiency, and is applied to a week, or sevendays, because that was the full time employed in the work of crea-tion ; to the Sabbath , because on it all tilings were completed ;and to an oath, because it is sufficient to put an end to all strife.This opening of the Hebrew root will enable us to conic at themeaning of those expressions of the heathens, and also let us seewhence they derived their ideas and modes of speaking, and thatthe know ledge of the transactions at the creation, though muchperverted, was never entirely lost, by them. The Jews observedthe sabbath-day with great scrupulosity, and performed a greatvariety of ceremonies, and at length introduced many absurd su-perstitions. As the seventh day was observed by llie Jewish church, in memory of the rest of God alter tlie works of creation,and their own deliverance from Pharaoh ’s tyranny ; so the firstday of the week has always been observed by the Christian church,in memory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ , by which he com-pleted tlie work of man's rede on earth, and rescued him
from tlie dominion of him who has the power of death. This daywas denominated by the primitive Christians the Lord’s day. ft
was also sometimes called Sunday ; which was tlie name given toit by tlie heathens, who dedicated it to tlie sun. But although itwas originally called Sunday by the heathens, yet it may veryproperly retain that name among Christians , because it is dedicat-ed to the honour of “ The true Light, which liglitetli every manthat cometh into tlie world,” of Him wdio is styled by the prophet“ 'Hie Sun of righteousness,” and who on this day arose from thedead. But although it was, in the primitive times, indifferentlycalled tlie Lord’s day or Sunday, yet it was never styled the Sab-bath ; a name solely appropriated to Saturday, or tlie seventhday, both by sacred and ecclesiastical writers. Of tlie changefrom the seventh to tlie first day of the week or even of the insti-tution of the Lord’s day festival, there is no account in the NewTestament . However it mav be fairly inferred from it, that thefirst day of tlie week was, in the apostolic age, a stated time forpublic worship. On this day the apostles were assembled, whentlie Holy Ghost came down so visibly upon them to qualify themfor tlie conversion of the world. On this day we find St. Paul preaching at Troas , when the disciples came to break bread : andtlie directions which tlie same apostle gives to tlie Corinthians con-cerning their contributions for the relief of their suffering brethren,plainly allude to their religious assemblies on tlie first day of tlieweek. Tims it appears from several passages in tlie New Testa-ment, that the religious observation of the first day of the week is ofapostolical appointment ; and may indeed be very reasonably sup-posed to be among those directions and instructions which ourblessed Lord himself gave to his disciples, during tlie 40 days be-tween his resurrection and ascension, wdierein lie conversed withthem, and spoke of the tilings pertaining to the kingdom of God .Still, however, it must be owned that those passages, although theplainest that occur, are not sufficient to prove the apostolical in-stitution of the Lord’s day, or even the actual observation of it.'Bo place the matter, therefore, beyond all controversy, recoursemust be had to ecclesiastical testimony. From the consentientevidence and uniform practice of the primitive church, and alsofrom tlie attestation of Pliny , a respectable and learned heathen,we find that the first day of the week was observed in the earliestages as a holy day or festival, in honor of the resurrection ofChrist . Now there are but two sources w hence the custom couldpossibly have arisen. It must have been instituted either by humanor divine authority; by human authority it was not instituted;tor there was no general council in those early times, and withoutthe decree of a general council it was impossible that any eccle-siastical institution could have been universally established at once.It remains, therefore, that it must have been instituted by divineauthority : and that it really was so, appears from the following con-siderations : it is certain that the apostles travelled over the greatestpart of the world, and planted churches in the remotest parts of it.It is certain also that they were all led by the same Spirit ; andtheir desire was, that unity and uniformity should lie observed inall the churches founded by them. It is not therefore surprisingthat, in the primitive times, tlie same doctrine, tlie same worship,tlie same rites and customs, should prevail all over tlie Christian world ; nay it would have been unaccountable had the case beenotherwise. For this reason we may conclude that every custom,universally observed in tlie early ages of the Christian church, andnot instituted by a general council, was of original appointment.As tlie Lord’s day is sanctified, that is set apart to Christians fortlie worship and service of God , their Creator, Redeemer, andSanctifier, it is easy to discover how it ought to he observed. Al'though separated from worldly business, yet it is in no sense, a dayof idleness, but appropriated to the works of salvation and laboursof charity. In tlie primitive times this holy day was observed intlie most solemn manner. From the monuments of those earlyages we learn, that it was spent in a constant attendance on all tinsoffices of divine worship. On it they held their religious assen 1 'lilies, in which the writings of the apostles and prophets were readto the people, and the doctrines of Christianity pressed upon then 1by the exhortations of the clergy. Solemn prayers and praise*were offered up to God, and hymns sung in honour of Christ ; theLord's supper was constantly celebrated ; and collections weremade for the maintenance of the clergy and the relief of the p°? r *On this day they abstained, as much as they could, from buddylabour. They looked upon it as a day of joy and gladness < ir '<therefore all fasting on it was prohibited, even during lent,