On the Divine institution of the lord's day, or Christian Sabbath. First, Put a difference between this and the other six days, even as you put a difference between the bread and wine in the sacrament, and that which is for common use. And that because it is set apart for Holy use, by Divine institution. For as the seventh day, from the beginning of creation, until the day of Christ's blessed resurrection, is by Divine institution moral.

The commandment to keep an holy rest upon the seventh day, after the six days of work remains the same. And this Adam (no doubt by the instinct of uncorrupted nature, which desires a time for God's honour and solemn worship) knowing that God finished the creation in six days, and rested on the seventh, would have observed; yet it was requisite that the particular day should be by institution, for natural reason could not certainly tell him which day. The Lord of the Sabbath therefore limited it unto the seventh from the creation, until Christ's resurrection, and then removed it to the day we keep, which is the first.

Now it appears, that it is the will of our Lord and Saviour Christ, that we should, since his resurrection, keep for our Sabbath the first day of the week; forasmuch as He arose on that day, John 20:1-19, and appeared divers times on this our Lord's day to His disciples before His ascension; and did on this day, being the day of pentecost, Acts 2: 1-4, fill his disciples with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, they being assembled together; all which gives a pre-eminence to this day, and a probability to the point.

But inasmuch as the apostles, I Cor 11:1, who followed Christ, and delivered nothing, but what they received from Christ, I Cor 11:23, 14:37, did observe this day as a Sabbath, I Cor 16:1,2; what can this argue but a divine institution of this day? The Apostle Paul might have chosen any other day, for the people to assemble to hear the word, and receive the sacrament: but they assembled to receive the sacrament, and to hear the word upon the first day of the week, which is our Lord's day, Acts 20:6,7. Now the approved practice of the Apostles, and of the church with them, recorded in Scripture, carries with it the force of a precept.

Moreover, the Spirit of God honours this day with the title of the Lord's day, Rev. 1:10, as he does the communion with the title of the Supper of the Lord, I Cor. 10:21, 11:20. What does this argue but as they both have reference to Christ, so they are both appointed by Christ? The Spirit of Christ knew the mind of Christ, who thus named this day. --- From THE CHRISTIANS DAILY WALK BY HENRY SCUDDER, (Published by Sprinkle Publications) PG. 85-86.