The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-01-18


to be held equally holy under all dispeni
satious. The second chapter OF Genesis
begins by summarizing the account BRIEF
" given in the first chapter Of the crea.
lion Of the world as follows: Thus the
heavens and the earth were finished, and
ali the hosts Of them; and then adds :
And on the seventh day God ended his
work which he had made; and he rested
on the seventh day from all his work
which he had made.
THE SABBATH ORDAINED OF COD.
"Aud God blessed the seventh day, and anctI;;;
hed II; becIhso that In IL He had rested from all
His work which God created and made" E1-
To fully understand the significance
Of this language, we must have reference
TO man. In the LIST chapter and 18th
verse we begin to read as follows: And
God said let us make man in onr image,
after our likeness; and let him have do
minion over the fish of the sea, and over
the fowl the air, and over the cattle, and
over the earth, and over every creeping
thing, that creepeth upon the earth. SO
God created man in his image, in the
image Of God created he him; male and
female created he them. And God bless.
ed them, and God said unto them, "Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the
earth, and subdue il: and have dominion
over the fish Of the sea, and over the fowl
OF the air, and over every living thing
that moyeth upon the earth. And God
said, Behold l have given you every herb
bearing seed, which is upon the earth,
and every tree, in the which is the fruit
OF a tree yielding seed; to you 1t shall be
for meat"
In this account we have God, having
finished all his other creative acts, sol.
EMMY announcing his purpose to create
being OF higher order than any he had
yet made, in the language, let us make
man. This was to bethe browning act oil
his creative power. He will now create
a tenant for the beautiful abode which
he had prepared, who should have donin,
ion over all the other creatures OF his
hand. This was to be being made in
Gods own image. Now let us consider Tor
d moment in what respect 1t could be said
OF man, in the image Of God created he
him. II was evidently in that wherein he
differed from all the other animal crea-
tion. Man in his animal nature Is close
" allied to the beasts Of the field; but In
his Intellectual and moral capacities and
endowments, we find broad mark ofdis'
tinction. By these alone is he fitted Tor
the dominion conferred on him. It is then
in his intellectual and moral constitution
that he was created in Gods image.
MANS RELATION TO HIS MAKER.
Let us for moment look at the rela.
ton which the parties sustain to each
other; God the Creator, man the erea'
ture. Man though placed upon the
earth, made beautiful, and filled with
everything necessary for his comfort and
happiness, had nothing that lie could call
his own, or Of which he had any right TO
partake, until that right was conferred
BY his Creator. ALI belonged to God
Until the dominion over creatures was
given to man, 1t would have been pre-
sumption in him to have assumed any
control. Until his food was appointed,
il would have been robbery for him TO
have taken OF the fruits Of the earth to
satisfy his hunger. There was nothing in
the world that man could claim as his
own, until il was bestowed on him by the
gift Of his creator. God then manitestly
has the right which he claims, TO order
for man the disposition OF his time.
SIX DAYS GIVEN TO MANTLE SEVENTH
CLAIMED BY GOD.
This brings us TO the institution Of the
Sabbath. 1t Is in these words: "'And God
blessed the seventh day, and sanctitied il;
because that in il he had rested from all
his work, which God.created and made"
God gives to man six days as his own; but
claims the observance Of the seventh in
commemoration Of the completion oil
creations work.
We can place no other construction on
tho language used; God blessed the sew
enth day, and sanctifed ii. Except in its
relation TO man, he couldnot have blessed
il. Except in its relation to man he
could not have sanctifed it. This sancti-
fication, or setting apart Of the seventh
day, can only mean that it was set apart
from the other days, to be employed by
man as day Of holy rest in commemo-
ration Of Gods resting on thatday from
creations work. This blessing OF the
seventh day could only mean thatitwas
TO be made to man blessing in his thus
observing it. The six days given to him
he may employ in his own work, as God
was six days employed in his. The sew
enth he is to rest from his worldly cares
and tolls, as God rested from his work. q
THE sABBATH A BEsEF1cEST INSTITUTION.
Wehaye thus seen the Sabbath institu-
ted by the authority OF the Creator, for
the benefit Of the creature. 1t was to be
blessing to him, as-it has been In all
ages, TO all who in rightBpfrit and in a
right manner have observed it. 1t was
ordained for man whilst In the Garden OF
Eden and 10 his state Of innocence; and at
so early period, that mans first day on
earth was Sabbath.
Standing in the image Of God, and with
Gods law written on his heart, man, no
doubt, found 1t truly blessed thing to
spend his first day on earth in a free and
Unrestricted spiritual communion with
his Maker. It was to him, under these
circumstances, not d wearincss but a de.
light. ,,..,
The Sabbath having been thus ordlip.
ed for man at his creation, and founded
on consideration, OIL. reason, in It's re-
lation to the law-maker, that must ever
remain the same, Wig: because that in
Il lie had rested from all his work, which
God created and made, and for reasons
so far rs man Is concerned, that have
their foundation in the necessities Of his
nature, must surely have been intended
for all menin all ages Of the world. 1t
could only DO abrogated by him who In
stituted, and this we undertake to say he
has never yet done; but from time 70
time has more clearly intimated his will
that II should be held sacred. Il.