226 ABROGATION OF THE SABBATH. 



Tbe å priori argument. Acts ii. — A distinction of Pentecost-day. 



perpetual ordinances in liis Chiirch. Why not also the distin- 

 guishing ^ stated day' of Christian worship?" Sure enough ! 

 *' Why notf' And why not a "stated day" of Christian restj 

 as well? Tico positive institutions are expressly enjoined upon 

 Christians, and if the New Testament only contained a precept 

 for a Christian Sahhath, why then we should have tliree "per- 

 petual ordinances." Surely, then, it is as clear as can be that 

 such a precept ougTit, at least, to be found in the New Testament ! 

 ^'Analogy would lead us to expect this." (p. 178.) And if 

 not somewhere in the texts which have been presented, where 

 else, in the name of sense, is it to be found, we should like to 

 know ? This, I suppose, is the å jyriori argument, or, as my 

 friend J. N. B. would perhaps entitle it, "the evidence from 

 the nature of the case;" and fully acknowledging the difficulty 

 of a suitable reply, I am compelled to pass it. 



III. Intimations /rom ApostoUc practice. 



Having gone through all the passages which appear to J. N. 

 B. to indicate a command of Jesus to observe a Sabbath, Jive 

 more texts remain to be considered, designed to show the con- 

 sequent tendency of apostolical practice. It is important to 

 "study the facts doseli/y so as to perceive their force as con- 

 nected links in the chain of" sand already examined; since, 

 without the closest inspection, the connection will be "invisible 

 to the naked eye." 



8. The eighth text is Acts ii. 1 — 4: "And when the day of 

 Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one 

 place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, 

 as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where 

 they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven 

 tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And 

 they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak 

 with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." 



As a miraculous eflfusion of the Spirit is recorded to have 

 tåken place on this day, and as this communicated the power of 



