of figurative and temporary ceremonies, which was introduced because of fin, till the expiation fhould be made.

But think not that it is the law of the ten commands, where one is, Thou shalt not kill, and another, thou shalt not commit adultery, and so on. I am not come to repeal this law, nor diffolve the obligations of it. No, this law is not repealed by the gofpel: not one command, not even the leaft command of it; not the leaft letter, which is jotta; no, not not a tittle, which is the least part of a letter, is, or fhall be repealed. Beware, I now warn you, that even to think, that any part is, or may be diffolved, is a crime. Guard therefore against the thought. For the universe would be good for nothing without this law; it would only be a monftrous fyftem of lawless confufion and abfurdities; therefore it were as good that the whole being and existence of heaven and earth were repealed at once, as that any one of the ten commandments fhould.

Thus our Savior does not go about to enact the law which was enacted already, but recites

it, and declares that under the gofpel, every precept of it ftood unrepealed, without exception. And then goes on to fhow how far it extended beyond men's ufual conceptions of it, inftancing in two of the commands, where fome people would fancy themselves free from any breaches of it; to wit, that against murder and that against adultery, which prohibited, not only the outward action, but watched the most concealed, internal motions of the heart. And then in the remaining part of the difcourfe, he fhows what our behavior under it ought to be, as it requires in general, piety, reverence, and devotion toward God, and kind actions and affections towards our fellow creatures; and clofes the whole, Matthew 7. 12. This is the law and prophets. That is, this is the law which I faid, think not that I am come to repeal it. This is the law upon which the prophets bestowed fo many difcourfes; this is the law which I am come to fulfil, and upon which I have preached this discourse. Understand my fermon, I have preached the law to you; you might think otherwife, but obferve what I say, this is the law of ten commands which I have been discourfing upon to you. Thus the law is wholly declared

holy and diftinct. Remember to do this all thy days.

as

Again, Remember this in a special manner, a precept of fingular weight. As if he had faid, I fay unto thee, and I write it, and I engrave it in ftone, be not guilty of breaking my commandments. Be not guilty of politheism, be not guilty of idolatry, blafphemy, rebellion, murder, adultery, theft, perjury or avarice, But remember to keep the fabbath. Whatever thou doft, or doft not, do not neglect this. Observe me how I speak, I do not fay, do not break my fabbath, but I command thee, keep it; do it pofitively; I say, keep it; be fure to do it; do it at thy peril. Do it without fail. Be sure that thy memory does not fail thee; for I will not admit it as an excufe. I am refolved that I will hear no excufes of any fort against this command: I am so wrapt up in it, that tis vain for thee to hope to come off if thou breakeft it. For if thou couldft fay and prove, that the breach was not through diflike, nor any thing else that is wilful, but only through weakness of memory, I will punish thee even then. This is my peculiar command and my favorite rule, I have tried it myself, therefore

take

take care of thy memory and charge it well, that it may not betray thee.

Again, the morality of the fabbath, may be argued from its being in fome degree obferved by all the nations of the earth. If it fhould be objected that no foot-fteps of it can be traced amongst the favage nations, this can have no force here, fince thefe, in fact, have ceafed to be men, and are become brutes. Its not being kept as it fhould, and for the purposes really intended, by the more civilized pagan nations, does not invalidate the inference for the morality of it at all, but in my opinion but in my opinion ftrengthens it. For however idolatrous they feverally were, however divided, and how different foever in politicks, gods, religious ceremonies, interests and manners, yet they almost all agreed, and I think altogether, to keep up fome honorable diftinctions in favor of the fabbath-day, which they had received from Noah after the flood. It was upon this day they worshiped the fun, their chief idol god; and through it, obliquely the true God, the fun and father of the creation. And the univerfal pre

valence of this, amidst the almost infinite divifions

and

declared to be unrepealed, under the gospel, in the hearing of the apoftles by our Lord. They are warned, not to hear any teacher or prophet, that would say that any one of the commandments of the law was diffolved or leffened. Beware of them says he, they are false.

The apoftles therefore, had afterwards nothing to do, but to recite any part of it, as occafion might make it neceffary fo to do, as having paffed over, from the antiquated dispensation of Mofes, into that of the new teftament, and standing there in full force, in all its parts. Accordingly they do, as occafion required, recite the commandments, as in force under the new teftament, and among others the fourth command. This appears in the following fcriptures, as they ftand in the Greek.

Matthew 28. 1. And the evening of fabbaths dawning into the first of fabbaths, came Mary &c. to see the fepulchre..

Mark 16. 2. And very early, being the first of fabbaths, they came to the fepulchre.

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