refpect a nusance to most people, so that they are no friends to the cause, and yet they must all do fome little matter or other to bear witness against themselves, and to the propriety and divinity of the rule. And this is one peculiar property of moral precepts, that they will compel enemies to pay fome fort of homage to them.

We have a ftriking inftance of this power in a religious sect among ourselves, who have declared themselves bound in confcience to renounce the fabbath as a legal yoke, and a part of the religion And they are a

the beaft.

of the world and of the beaft.

But

for after

fect remarkably fteady to their principles. here their conftancy has failed them:

condemning the obfervation of it as legal and worldly, the effect only of ignorance and fuperftition; they are infenfibly dropped into it, and keep it upon the whole as moft of their neighbours do. True, tis not kept as if there was any love to the rule, nay, the contrary is evident. But, as I faid, fuch is the nature and origin of moral precepts, that they are engraved upon hu man nature, and will force men to bear teftimony to their reality and power, though it be to their

own confufion and condemnation.

Now fince the fourth command,

the first that was delivered to man,

appears to be

and was de

livered to him whilft he was finlefs; fince God himself kept, bleffed and fanctified it, and is the firft that was published to the creation, and was made the introduction of religion into the world; fince it was folemnly re-published and engraved in ftone by the Creator himfelf, among other precepts, every one of which are confeffedly moral; and fince it is worded with more emphasis than all the reft; fince it appears that no nation under heaven could shake it off, at least that lived tolerably decent; and the moft bitter and inveterate enemies to the real defign of it, forced to bear witnefs to its authority; fince no errors, fince no divifions, fince no religious or political delusions of mankind, could induce any people to lay it wholly aside, though declared enemies to the cause it promotes, it is certain that fuch a command is moral; and has fome internal authority and advantage over men's minds and confciences, which they dare not wholly disobey.

Moral

Moral precepts are fuch, that the propriety and neceffity of them are feen and felt by human nature; and this of the fabbath is fuch. For every man's reason will teach him, whatever rank in life he holds, that it is his duty to pursue fome ordinary employment, and be diligent in it. His reafon and feelings will also teach him, that certain pauses and refls from the toils of that pursuit are proper, and even neceffary. Reason, I fay, and feelings will teach him the neceffity of these refts and paufes, but tis the God of unerring wisdom and forefight that can fix the proper time when they are to come on and go off. Man's reason and feeling can point out the neceffity of the rule, but God only can fix it judiciously, fo as properly to answer the end.

But the morality of a precept, is not the direct motive to obedience; at least it fhould not be made fo, but the divine authority which enjoins it. True, the confideration of its morality, that is, of the neceffity, decency and propriety of it, is not to be excluded; but the formal nature of the obligation, and what conftitutes the reality of obedience, is a direct regard to the divine

authority,

authority, which interpofes to command us. And indeed tis this, properly speaking, that gives it the nature and force of a law. For though the rule, or thing fo called, has propriety, neceffity, and every thing on its fide, yet tis not a law till enjoined by fupreme authority. Our obedience, is to do what God bids us. And to do it, not directly, becaufe we can difcern the propriety of the thing, but becaufe we know tis his will.

God indeed never lays any great ftrefs on any thing, but what is moral; fuch rules, as in their own nature are neceffary for the being and happinefs of fociety. But when he does command, what is not firictly fo in its own nature, we are guilty in cafe of difobedience here; because, we are bound by the great law of morality, to honor fathers and mothers that our days may be prolonged; i. e. we must be fubject to all our lawful rulers and fuperiors, who are parents to the people that are under them; to God therefore much more, in whom all paternal authority is compleat.

But where fhall we find a command in the new teftament for the chriftian fabbath? If it is moral, and

and of the importance reprefented above, how comes it to pass that we do not find it formally delivered, and preceptively worded and expreffed there? I know not whether we can find any of the commands fo delivered in the new teftament. The ten rules, or the moral law of the world, is delivered and enacted formally as a law in the old testament, in its proper place. In the new therefore, there was no neceffity of enacting and wording it preceptively in form again. It was only to be recited there as unrepealed and in

force.

And this our Savior takes upon him to do at his first fetting out, in his fermon upon the mount. Think not that I am come to deftroy the law &c. that is, I am going now to fet up the new dispensation foretold, wherein I fhall remove many rites and ceremonies that were of no use, but to typify and give shadows of the gospel which is just going to be revealed. But fome will be apt to confound things, and mistake my defign. It will be faid in my gospel, that the law is removed, and that men are no longer obliged to regard it: but let it be rightly understood, that it is the law

of