Wesley Corpus

(Preached at Islington Church, London; 1T38.) Remember the sabbath-day to keep it holy. Exodus, xx. 8. " That the Sabbath was not ordained in the beginning of the world, nor ever observed from the creation till the time of Moses ; that being given by Moses to the Jews, it was not ob served as a moral precept, but, like other cere monies, was sometimes kept and sometimes not, as public or private business might occur ; that lastly, it was for ever repealed at the de struction of the temple :" such are the asser tions of those who would so remember the sabbath as not to keep it holy at all. In answer to so much of these objections as seem to require an answer, and to the conclu sions drawn from them, I shall endeavour to show, First, that the command for keeping the sabhath holy was given for wise ends, by such an authority as none but the same which gave can repeal it ; Secondly, that it has not been repealed by this authority, as the ends for which it was given are still in force ; and, Thirdly, what that keeping the sabbath holy is, by which we obey this command, and an swer the ends of it. First. The command ofkeeping the sabbath holy was given for wise ends, by such an au thority that none but the same which gave can repeal it. I dispute not here whether or not this command was given to Adam, or ob served before Moses ; nor yet whether we are to keep the sabbath upon the seventh day, as was the practice of the Jews ; or on the first » day of the week, according to the usage of the Christian church from our blessed Lord's re surrection to the present times ; my inquiry is this, What is the authority which commands us to keep one day in seven holy ? and what were the chief ends for which this command was given ?