N13259:585
Sermons, on the following subjects
Sermons, on the following subjects; The manner in which salvation is to be sought. The unreasonableness of indetermination in religion. Unbelievers contemn the glory of Christ. The folly of looking back in fleeing out of Sodom. The warnings of Scripture in the best manner adapted to the awakening and conversion of sinners. Hypocrites deficient in the duty of prayer. The future punishment of the wicked unavoidable and intolerable. The eternity of hell-torments. The peace which Christ gives his true followers. The perpetuity & change of the Sabbath. / By the late Reverend Mr. Jonathan Edwards, president of the College of New-Jersey.
Hartford: printed by Hudson and Goodwin, 1780
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. IT may be observed that this is the direction, which the apostle had given to other churches that were concerned in the same duty, upon this occasion: he had given direction to them also to do it on the first day of the week: As I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Whence ⟨p. 223⟩we may learn that it was nothing peculiar in the circumstances of the Corinthians at Corinth, which was the reason why the Holy Ghost insisted, that they should perform this duty on this day of the week. The apostle had given the like order to the churches of Galatia.
NOW Galatia was far distant from Corinth; the sea parted them; and besides that, there were several other countries between them. Therefore it cannot be thought that the Holy Ghost directs them to this time upon any secular account, having respect to some particular circumstances of the people in that city; but upon a religious account. In giving the preference to this day for such work, before any other day, he has respect to some thing which reached all christians throughout the wide world.
AND by other passages of the new testament, we learn that the case was the same as to other exercises of religion; and that in the age of the apostles, the first day of the week was preferred before any other day, among the primitive christians and in churches immediately under the care of the apostles, for an attendance on the exercises of religion in general. Acts xx. 7. Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them.—It seems by these things to have been among the primitive christians in the apostles days, with respect to the first day of the week, as it was among the Jews, with respect to the seventh.