Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-05-02
4eaaing fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
[Original.J
THE SABBATH.

rongnal.J
THE SABBATH.
The authority for observing the Sabbath is
derived from the express and positive CON-
mand of God. If God has commanded US to
observe the Sabbath, then it is our duty to do
so If he has not given such command,
then we are not bound to observe it, 1t may
be said that day of rest is necessary for the
welfare of society. Domestic animals need
rest and laboring men require both mental
and physical relaxation. All this is true;
and still, were this all, the observance of the
Sabbath would not be religious duty. It
would be nothing more than matter of ex-
pediency. There is, no doubt, fitness in
every command of God but the authority of
the command does not arise from the fitness,
but from the command itself. The fitness of
things depends upon circumstances. Under
some circumstances some acts are fit and ex-
pedient and under other circumstances, they
are not. This position is easily illustrated
and established.
1t will be found that in all matters Of expe-
diency, an appeal is made to the human judg.
ment. In matters of religion, this is not the
case A judge on the bench is not to inter.
pret the law in accordance with his notions Of
fitness or expediency. His business is to say
what the law is and no more. In matters Of
religion, the question is not what is fit or ex'
pedient, or what is not but what does God
command and what does he forbid? Now,
does God command US to observe one day in
seven, as day of sacred rest? If he does,
it is then our duty to do 80 but if he does
not, why then the observance of the Sabbath
is mere matter of expediency and we may
observe it or not just as we may think proper.
A number of persons, and even some pro-
fessedly Christian denominations, claim that
the Sabbath is one of the old Jewish ceremo.
MES, and is not of any force since the intro
duction of the New Testament dispensation.
To the attentive reader of the Bible, this po.
sition is not even plausible. The Sabbath
was given to man long before Abraham, the
progenitor of the Jews, was born. Not, only
80, but the Sabbath is older than the fall Of
man. The first Sabbath was observed by
Adam in the garden of Paradise. The for
hidden fruit had not been eaten. No tempter
had assailed the happy human pair. (See
Genesis ii:2.)
Some individuals have said that we find
no notices of the observance of the Sabbath
during the patriarchal period. This is bare
assertion, and can be asserted to only by those
who are anxious to bolster up goddess desc
Grafton of the Sabbath. Before the giving of
the ten commandments. the Sabbath was in
existence and observed by the children of
Israel. No one will doubt this, if be believes
the record contained in the 18th chapter Of
Exodus. There we find special command
given with respect to the gathering of mama.
During the six days of the week, the mama
was rained-to use the language of the Scrip
tures-down from heaven, during the night.
In the morning it lay around the camp of Is.
rael. On the sixth day, twice as much lay
on the ground as on any of the other days,
and none on the seventh day. The people
we're commanded to gather sufficient amount
on the sixth day, to supply the demands of
their families for the sixth and seventh days.
That gathered for the seventh day did not
spoil whilst if any of it was kept over on
any of the other days, it "bred worms and
stank." God made miraculous provision for
the children of Israel in the wilderness, in
order that they might be able to observe the
Sabbath. This is not all.
The whole tenor of the Scriptures which
specially refer to the patriarchal period, re-
cognizes the existence of the Sabbath. In
Genesis iv:3, 4, we find this language: "In
process of time it came to pass that Cain
brought an Offering unto the Lord &c. The
words translated process of time," literally
mean "at the end of days." The honest Bible
reader will readily understand that by "pro.
cess of time" is meant at the end of the six
laboring days, or on the Sabbath. The plain
fact stated is, simply, that it was on the Sab
bath that Cain and Abel-the two first born
of the human family-appeared before the
Lord as worshppers. The fact is not ex.
pressly stated but we are warranted in in
ferring that Adam and Eve, as we'll as Cain
and Abel, their sons, appeared before the
Lord at the same time as worshippers.
1t would be waste of time to undertake
to prove that the Sabbath was of permanent
existence from the giving of the law on
Mount Sinai, until the coming Of the Saviour.
The Individual who will dare to call this
statement in question, will subject himself to
the charge of being, if not spiritually blind
ed, at least mentally blind.
Some persons teach that the Sabbath be.
longs to the Jewish economy. They admit
that the Jews were commanded to observe the
Sabbath but claim that Christians are not
bound to observe it. These persons, at least
some of them, hold that if the Sabbath is OBJ
served at all, it should be simply as a day Of
pleasure. Part of this day they devote to the
public worship of God. The other part, and
by far the greater part, they devote to worldly
amusements or worldly business. They 60 to
church in the morning and spend the after
noon in fishing, in hunting, in social visiting,
in strolling over their own or neighbors' fields,
or in some other worldly sport or carnal pleas
ure. These people, we are sorry to say, have
no Just ideas of God. They have never
studied Gods law. They may call them
selves Christians; but their Christianity is not