When Does the Lordsday Actually Begin? (No.1)

Question 48: When begins the Lord’s day?

Answer: In the morning. (Act. 20.7)

"When Paul came to the Church at Troas, he had a mind to spend a Lord’s day with them, though he was in great haste to depart so soon as he could.  He came therefore to their assembly at the time that they came together according to their custom: but he kept them till the end of that day: (for he would not travel on the Lord’s day) and having dismissed the assembly, he departed.  Now it is said, that he continued his speech till midnight (Acts 20. 7) even till break of day (ver. 11.) and then departed: which departure of his is said to be on the morrow.  By this punctual expression of the time it appears that the first day of the week, the Lord’s day, ended at midnight: and that then the morrow began.  Now to make a natural day which consisteth of twenty four hours, it must begin and end at the same time: for the end of one day is the beginning of another.  There is not a minute betwixt them.  As therefore the Lord’s day ended at midnight, so it must begin at midnight: when we count the morning to begin.  Which is yet more evident by this phrase (Mat. 28.1.) In the end of the Sabbath (namely of the week before, which was the former Sabbath) as it began to dawn (namely) on the next day, which was the Lord’s day) or (as John 20.1.) when it was yet dark there came divers to anoint the body of Jesus, but they found him not in the grave: he was risen before, so Christ rose before the Sun."

- William Gouge, The Sabbath’s Sanctification 

(London, 1641), pp 24-5.