N00254:386
Practical truths tending to promote the power of godliness
Practical truths tending to promote the power of godliness: wherein several important duties, are urged, and the evil of divers common sins, is evinced; delivered in sundry sermons. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in New-England. ; [Ten lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Samuel Green upon assignment of Samuel Sewall, 1682
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.
1. The day of the week, when those Christians did assemble themselves together, I was ⟨p. 191⟩upon the first Day of the Week, ver. 7. Inasmuch as Christ rose from the Dead, upon the first Day, that is become the Christian Sabbath. One specialty whereby Christians are distinguished from Jews, is in that Jews observe the Seventh, but Christians the first Day as a Sabbath. It was foretold by the Prophets in the Old Testament; that in the times of the Gospel there should be a change as to the Day to be observed for solemn Worship. Thus Ezekiel foresaw that under the Gospel, the Lord would accept of the holy offerings presented unto him by his People, not upon the Seventh (is it was in the Jewish Church) but upon the eighth Day intimating a change, as to the day of Worship, from the seventh Day, unto that which follows next after it, Chap. 43. verse. 27. And David Prophesied, that the day of Christs Resurrection, (viz. the first day of the week) should become the Day wherein the Church would praise the Lord, or that it would become an holy day, wherein the Worship of God should be solemnize from time to time, Psal. 118. 24, And Paul declareth expressly, that inasmuch as Christ hath finished the work of Redemption, and is entered into his rest, there remaineth the Keeping of a Sabbath, or another day of holy […], distinct from that of the seventh Day, which was observed by the Jews, Heb. 4.4,9,10. And we find in the Scripture, that Churches did by the Apostles direction, religiously ⟨p. 192⟩observe the first Day of the week, 1 Cor. 16. 1. Justin Martyr, and other ancient Writers, show that in the Primitive Times, Christians kept the first day of the Week as their Sabbath; and so hath it been in the Christian Church in all ages thereof. The work of Redemption is greater then that of Creation. Upon which account, if the seventh day was set apart to commemorate the work of Creation, it is not to be wondered at, if the Lord Christ hath appointed the first day of the Week to be kept holy unto himself in commemoration of the work of Redemption.