Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-04-20
fFor the Alexandria Gazette.
Parsonage Papers-NO. 3.
By REV. DR.. KILLGoRE Pastor ofthe Metho
dist Protestant Church. Alexandria, Va.
TILE SABBATH.

THE SABBATH.
Tie Sabbath was made tor man. Bible.
. THE JEWISH SABBATH.-It appears to
us that one reason why Jehovah de-
mauded the deliyerance Of Israel from their
Egyptian tyrant, was, that they might have
leisure to sacrifice to God and observe the
Sabbath day. The undaunted Moses demand
ed for the people the restoration of their ordi-
nances, one Of which was the observance Of the
Sabbath. Jehovah said, Let my people 60
that they may serve me. DO not such de
mauds imply that the people, in their constant
round of slavish toll, had lost their proper time
70 serve God? Hear, also, Pharaoh question
70 Moses Wherefore do you let the people 60
from their work. And again he saith, BE
hold the people are many, yet ye make them
rest from their burdens.
In the sixteenth chapter of Exodus, we have
the first distinct mention OF the Sabbath in the
history of Israel; but it is mentioned, We think,
- day we'll known; certainly, that is bold
criticism which declares this to be its first APP
polntment We read n the sixth verse, Aud
il shall come TO pass that on the sixth day, they
shall prepare that which they bring in, and it
shall be twice as much as they gather daily. >
Why So? Here is no reason assigned, because
the reason was we'll understood. Either Moses
understood it and told the people, or the peo,
ole understood it and needed no telling. And
it came to pass on the sixth day, they gathered
twice as much bread, two omers tor one man,
and all the rulers of the congregation came and
told Moses, and he said unto them, This is that
which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the
rest Of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord"
And when the moral law Of the Sabbath was
given, it was introduced by the word ''remem-
ber, which implies previous knowledge. God
gave to the Jews three classes of laws-'n0rdt,
cirI aud ceremonial There is a great difference
between the moral aud the ceremonial. The
moral law was given amid the terrible manltes-
aiuus Of Jehovah's power. God spake 1t with
his own lips, wrote it with his own huger, aud
enshriued it with his own glory. Let the enc
mics of the Sabbath treulble aud stand atar
of. With them the morality Of the institution
i. conventional, but we do not build up the it
,erest of the Sabbath on utility or expedlency,
but on moral obligation, m ,jestc a1d impartial;
the laundering utterances of moral sovereignty
There is beautiful relationship in the moral
code. The first commandment describes the
great object of Wo:s! ip, the second points out
the improper object OF worship, or the improp.
er means of approaching the right object; the
third declares the reference due the right object
of worship, and the fourth describes the time
which the object of worship demands-a day.
a seueuh daq. A service that could be render
ed at any time would most likely not be render
ed at all; it would first be postponed aud then
neglected there must be a f.ced time for the
worship Of God. The ordinance was essential,
ly divine, both in its original appointment and
in its subsequent re-enactment The prophets
pleaded for its specification and boldly rebuked
It's proclamation.
Its religious observances were taught by lns
plication. Keep it holy" was the command
and if we are not distinctly told what they scer,
to }o, We are distinctly told what they were no
to do.
"They were not to gather mamma. '-Ex
odus, xvi, 26
"No man was to 20 out Of his place. '-Ex-
odus xvi, 20.
'They we're to do no work on that day "
Exodus XXI, a.
They were not to gather harvest ON that
day EXODUS xxxiv, u.
mot to kinde fire throughout their habita,
tions. Exodus xxxv, g.
Not to gather sticks Numbers XIV. 80 sc.
Not to buy or sell. Nehemiah K, 81
Not to tread wine presses, nor to bring any
burden into Jerusalem. Nehemiah xiii, Is.
The Jews had two reasons for keeping the
Sabbath-the original one, "God rested on the
seventh day and blessed it, and sancti6ed it
They had also National reason; Thou shalt
remember that thou vast servant in the land
of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought
thee out thence through mighty hand, and
by stretched out arm, therefore the Lord thy
God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath
holy
ERRATIA-Pursouage Paper No. I'm
stead Oft puts check on the Cut!ty'ng
process, should be. 1T puts check on the
trmyytng process.
lu>tead of-"Abraham gave seven eve lambs
to Abimelech, as a token for ao'u, should
be Abraham gave seven eve lambs to Ablme-
lech as token for ,ceu. ~
ART ITEMS L. Sheppard, tn, we'll
known contributor to the New York lllustra-
ted papers, is necessarily busy with work which
crowds upon him much faster than he can exc
cute it. Valeptine, the scuplor, is hard at
work upon the sarcophagus of General Lee tor
the Washington aud Lee University, and has
inst finished bust of Commander NJ: +.
Naury, which is pronounced by all who have
seen 1t a masterpiece Of portrait sculpture. =
lnues Randolph, man of most extraordinary
genius poet, humorist, pianist, composer,
musical critic, civil engineer, draughtsman and
lawyer, not long since attempted a bust Of his
mother, and with success literally marvellous.
So accurate was the likeness and so artistic the
workmanship that many of Mr.. Randolph
trends have vent,ued the opinion that ne has
but to prosecute his studies in Italy to ensure
both tame and fortune There is another Vir-
ei,nan, young lady now living in Washington,
whose productions as sculptress rival Il they
DO not >urpass the best works Of Gait, Baroee
or Valentine. Her name, if am not mistaken
Is Miss Virginia Mosby Mclean. n.-Racsn'ono
Letter IN the Ne,o York Post