that the day in which Chrift rose, and in which he appeared as above, was a fabbath. He role, says Mark, upon the first morning of the fabbath. This is rendered in our tranflation, first day of the week; and fo the other inspired writers who invariably make use of the word fabbath and fabbaths upon the subject, are always rendered, firft day of the week. And the reafon affigned for this tranflation is, that the jews often called the week, fabbath, and that therefore we may fuppofe that the apostles do the fame.

Grant it, that the jews did, it was never so called, but by those who were uninspired. The inspired writers of the old teftament, always mean by fabbath, the day which God has bleffed and fanctified for a religious reft. And this being the

invariable sense of the word

throughout the old

teftament, can we reasonably fuppofe that the apostles, who knew that it would be in the hands of all chriftians, and confidered as the introduction into the new, yea as the new teftament itself in its inferior and initial ftate; can we, I fay, imagine that the apoftles in this cafe, would depart from the only fenfe of the word there, and give.

it that of uninspired men, upon a fubject the most important in the whole chriftian difpenfation? This is altogether incredible.

Let any

But it is fcarce poffible, that the jews themselves would be guilty of fuch a needlefs confufion in fpeaking and writing, as to call. the week and fabbath promifcuously by the fame name. one confider with himself, if they were fo called here in England, what uncertainties and mistakes it would unavoidably occafion. We fhould be, in many cafes religious and civil, utterly at a lofs how to understand each other's converfation, letters and books. It is not therefore credible that the jews ever did fo, because it would be attended with national confufion, and uncertainty. They were wont indeed to fay, that their religious and devout men, did faft upon the fecond and fifth day, BESHABBATH, which is tranflated, of the week. But it is evident that the prepofition BETH in this place is to be rendered PRO, that is, before, or previous to. And the true reading therefore is, they fafted upon the fecond and fifth day, previous to the fabbath. So Luke 18. 12. NESTEUO DIS TOU SABBATTOU. I faft twice of the fabbath.

Supply

Supply the prepofition, and the reading and fense are eafy and clear, I faft twice before the fabbath.

Upon the whole I think it is very plain, that the jews neither did, nor could call the week, fabbath; and that if they did, that the apostles in harmonizing the old and new teftament, and proving for the benefit of the whole world, that they perfectly agreed; and that the one is but the promise, and the other the completion of the fame fubject and bleffing; fhould, in the very place, where they are knitting both teftaments together, depart from the conftant fenfe of words in the old teftament, and introduce a new and false sense, in private ufe then among the jews, without giving us the leaft notice of it; I fay, if the jews did do fo, that the apostles fhould follow them on this occafion, cannot be fuppofed without abfurdity.

It is therefore certain, when the apoftles tell us that the day of the refurrection, was a fabbathday, that we are to take the word in the fame fenfe as it is used in the old teftament, both in the Hebrew and the Greek, where it always

means

means the fame thing, i. e. the day of reft. This is then the name, and confequently the nature of the refurrection-day; it is a fabbath; a divine day of facred and holy refting and ceffation from common labor. The first morning of that day, was the first morning of a fabbath, a day of holy reft, and fo was the firft evening of it, as it is John 20. 19. where the evangelift fpeaks in the formal and critical ftile thus, Being then evening, within that very day, the firft (evening) of the fabbaths, and the doors being fhut, where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the jews, came Jefus, and flood in the midft, and faith unto them, peace be unto you. The firft morning and first evening are especially named, because they fix the dates of things as mentioned above, and measure the chriftian fabbath with great exactness and criticism. If the first morning is fabbatical, fo the fecond of courfe;

first evening is, fo must be the fecond.

and if the

So that

the day is measured and declared to be a fabbathday, from twelve at night, to twelve at night.

Another thing obfervable in these paffages is that this fabbath, is introductory to other fabbaths.

It is faid to be the firft of fabbaths, and first of the fabbaths. The apoftles generally in moft things, rather obferve a conformity to the Septuagint than the Hebrew, not as preferable, but better known. Their phrafe is, EMERA TWN SABBATWN, the day of the fabbaths. So they called the laft day of the week, because it was the day upon which the fabbaths were fucceffively celebrated and held. The apoftles exprefs themselves in the fame form, only they are obliged to put MIA, inftead of EMERA. The feventy had but one idea to express, but the apoftles many; as first day of the week, first day of the refurrection, ·first day of the fabbath, firft morning and first evening, And because all thefe ideas could not properly be put down, they expreffed them all compendiously in one word, and faid, The MIA of the fabbath.

as above:

This day, therefore, introduced the chriftian fabbaths, and fettled the order and fucceffion of them. It was the first day of the fabbaths.

It is farther obfervable in these paffages, that the fabbath in the chriftian church, under the

miniftry