A65285:2136
A Body of Practical Divinity
A body of practical divinity consisting of above one hundred seventy six sermons on the lesser catechism composed by the reverend assembly of divines at Westminster : with a supplement of some sermons on several texts of Scripture / by Thomas Watson ...
London: printed for Thomas Parkurst, 1692
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. Besides, the Primitive Church had the Lord's Day, which we now Celebrate in High Estimation. It was a great Badge of their Religion to observe this Day. Ignatius the most ancient Father, who lived in the time of St. John the Apostle, hath these Words, Let every one that loveth Christ, keep holy the First Day of the Week, the Lord's Day. This Day hath been observed by the Church of Christ above Sixteen Hundred Years, as Learned Bucer notes. Thus you see how the Seventh-day Sabbath comes to be changed to the First-day Sabbath.
3. Besides, the Primitive Church had the Lord's Day, which we now Celebrate in High Estimation. It was a great Badge of their Religion to observe this Day. Ignatius the most ancient Father, who lived in the time of St. Iohn the Apostle, hath these Words, Let every one that loveth Christ, keep holy the First Day of the Week, the Lord's Day. This Day hath been observed by the Church of Christ above Sixteen Hundred Years, as Learned Bucer notes. Thus you see how the Seventh-day Sabbath comes to be changed to the First-day Sabbath.
Now there is a Grand Reason for changing of the Jewish Sabbath to the Lord's Day, because this puts us in Mind of the Mystery of our Redemption by Christ. The Reason why God did institute the Old Sabbath, was, Because God would have it kept as a Memorial of the Creation: But the Lord hath now brought the First Day of the Week in the room of it, in memory of a more Glorious Work than Creation, and that is Redemption.
Great was the Work of Creation, but greater was the Work of Redemption. As it was said, Hag. 2.9. The Glory of the Second Temple was greater than the Glory of the First Temple: So the Glory of the Redemption was greater than the Glory of the Creation. Great Wisdom was seen in the curious making us, but more miraculous Wisdom in saving us. Great Power was seen in bringing us out of nothing, but greater Power in helping us when we were worse than nothing. It cost more to redeem us than to create us. In the Creation there was but speaking a Word,