The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-03-14
THE HOLY SABBATH.
BY REV. JAMES STACY.
MANNER OF OBSERVANCE


appointment. If God has q day, it must b
observed, otherwise the claim would be nul
and void; and if observed, it must be in
manner different from all others; for if not
the day would not be different, and the clain
would be only nominal and therefore
worthless one. IF the day is to be observed
differently, there must be some standard tt
guide US in the matter. The question, there
fore, comes up, what is that standard? Their
is but one answer to this interrogatory. Th
only rule for our guidance is the aoOrd of it
Author and Owner. Property carries will
it the idea of control. If God owns the day
he alone has the right to Say how it shall b.
observed. His word, end not our crude con
ceptions, must be the only measure Of duty
1t is not for us to say it shall be observed il
this or that way; that this or that require
ment is too strict. There is absolutely bu
the one rule. The day is to be observed only
as He shall direct.
On turning to the Scriptures We find the
whole duty summed up in the simple com
mand "to hallow It," To hallow is to sepa
rate from common to sacred use. Sepa
ration is the first and leading element. The
tithes, first fruits, the tabernacle and vessels
were all hallowed by being first separated
Israel was separated FROM all other nations,
and Levi from all the other tribes. Separa.
ton was the evidence of ownership, and
Gods ownership sancti6ea the property, as
His presence the ground. Everything thus
separated must be regarded as the property
of the Lord, and treated in different man.
ner from ordinary things. Yea, God de-
mands that everything that belongs to Him
in this special sense shall be regarded as sa-
cred, and treated as such; as His names,
His titles, His attributes, His words, His or
dinances. His name is not to be used in a
thoughtless, irreverent manner, "For the
Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh
His name in vain." No one is to "swear by
heaven, for it is His throne" Nor even "by
Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great
King" The great principle underlying the
whole of this legislation is simply this, that
whatever God thus separates to Himself, and
claims exclusively as His own, must be rev.
erenced by being treated differently from all
others. 1t is thus with the Sabbath. 1t has
been separated from all the other days of the
week, and claimed as the exclusive property
of the Lord, and must, therefore, be used in
an entirely different manner from the rest.
If common use Oh His name be sin, none the
less is a common use of His day. Hence We
are expressly forbidden " to do any work, "
not simply "servie work, as in the case of
other SabbathS, but by way of eminence,
"any work, either by ourselves or the mem
bers of onr households. Nor yet are We to
"think our own thoughts or "seek our own
pleasure" The Sabbath was more holy than
the other festivals, and it was on account of
its superior holiness that it was made a
"sign" unto Israel.
Everything, therefore, that contravenes this
great principle, and reduces the day to the
level with the rest, and makes it common
everything that partakes of unnecessary Ia
Dor, whether of servile character or not,
or of worldly pleasure, as excursion trips,
business engagements, starting or continuing
on journeys, secular correspondence, reading
political newspapers, studying lessons, cast
ing accounts, social visiting, frequenting tav'
erns, card playing, worldly conversation, feast
ing, spending the day in idleneSs, and the
like, are all clearly forbidden by the spirit Oi
this law; so also every employment thai
would prevent communion with God and 6
proper attention to the great concerns of th'
soul. The day being the exclusive property
of holy God, must be kept holy; by which
it is obviously meant, that We are to observe
it in manner becoming the character of it
Owner, and thereby distinguishing it from al
others, and therefore that such business ant
recrestions as are proper on other days woult
be wholly improper on this.
Not only is this the substance of biblica
teaching on the subject, but it also flows ne
cessarily out of the vsry intention Of the orda
nance. If that intention be to recuperat
the body, then clearly there should be no la
bor If it be its intention to advance th
spiritual interests of the soul, and bring
into closer communion with God, and ele
vate it to higher plane of spiritual life, the
it should be a day for religious exercises, an
not simply of idleness. If it be the type G
heaven, it should be observed as such, as ar
ticipatory of the promised rest, and the ez
erci8es all anticipatory of the heavenly sci
vice; and every care and concern and pleas
ure of a worldly nature, that would interfer
With and defeat this great end, should b
thrust out. In one word, if it be day ths
belongs TO the soul, and its relations to Go
and the future, then the interests of the 60,
should be its main business.
There are others who, while they adm
, the necessity of observing it as day of rel
from daily toll, yet see no impropriety
making it also day of recreation and plea
, ure. They are restive under what they al
pleased to term "the rigid austerity of a
old-time, strait-laced religion" Their Ike
note is "prOgress." They are ever clamO
J ing for more liberty, under the vain delusiO
J that change is progress, that lawlessness