The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-30
THE SUNDAY QUESTION.
The Day OF Sacred Rest Its Moral Ob!iga-
tions.


To the Editor OF the BVening 1eie0raph:-
The Bible is our book of moral philosophy. Above
and beyond it there no authority. What tnen
does II say as o the SabDath2
l. The first proof of ITS permanent moral obliga-
ton is the fact that it is the first law God ever
enacted "for man." "And God blessed the seventh
day and sancfed 1t; because that on 1t he had
rested from all his work which God created and
made."-Genesls il, 3. What can be meant by this
blessing the day Can time be made happYp What,
by halowing or making it holy? Can time be
clothed with moral purity! Clearly both the bless.
ing and the sanctiiying have reference to man, for
whom our Saviour says the day was made. This
appointment OF q day OF rest for man, immediately
after creation proves that 1t not an institution
pecular to the Jewish nation, for Abraham, their
roOtprogenitor not born until 2076 years alter
wards and because it ls expressly SAID, elsewhere,
"The Sabbath was made Tor man"-for mankind;
and because here, the reason of appointment
GODS ceasing Fl ON the work of creating IN which
the whole race equally interested. 1t esta-
bshed a means Of Holiness and happiness TO man.
KIND This proves IL to be moral law binding and
blessing all the human
2. The second proof we find in the history in
Genesis iv. Here we have brief account of public
worship "At the end of days"-at the cutting of
Of DAYS Here is reference to the DIVISION of days
INTO sections The number Of days included in these
sections is not here named. But as afterwards we
know the sections were OF seven days, as will be
proved shortly, we have right to conclude 1t
here. The history OF his creation most assuredY
was made known to Adam. 1t il not conceivable
that God would give HIM account of the creations
OF the six days and the resting of the seventh. To
allege because no written account was gwen to
Adam, therefore he ignorant OF all this SIM
ply childish; for no man prove that there was
oil hah nrinr IN
And why should Moses be informed Of the history
of creation ana Adam himself lett ignorant OF itG
No man can believe It, Besides, the breVity of the
history admits not OF detail IN this worship OF
Adams tamily-the whole race These first seVon
chapters the history of 1856 This public
worship, in process of time-at the end OF days
initiating the Creators example Of six day. labor
and one OF rest, IS mentioned a thing of course
and proves the Observance of day OF sacred resting
nom labor and of holy conservation.
8. The cutting OFF of days INTO sections OF seven
days is twice mentioned in Genesis viii 10, IL. THIS
proves that Noah observed the division of time, the
| same as we do now. The same can be inferred from
the days noted in chapter viii A. TO- "Yet
days and will cause it 10 rain" "And after seven
days tho waters of the food were upon the earSh."
| Undoubtedly the hebdomadal DIVISION of ti@e was
then currently in use.
The application Of this number 10 the clean beasts
also showsIa mystical use most easily explained
by ITS reference 10 the days of creation and of
as its origin. Seven is the number of perfection.
| The seventh year consecrated and "seven Sab.
baths shall be complete" and previously, the EVyp
tan visions presented ''seVen wel!iavored kline ,,
and i-iavored the same in number; and so seven
good and seven bad ears on stock So seven day
and seven priests, bearing seven trumpets etc.
plainly showing the number seven TO be peculiarly
distinguished in the Scriptures; and this beng first
presented in reference to the days of sacred rest
amounts to more than violent presumphon-ltco con
sttutes proof of the seventh days conseoraticn as
a Sabbath from the beginning.