The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-05-26
TILE SARRATH
THE CHANGE FROM THE SEVENTH TO THE
FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.

the observance of the Sabbath, and stated
that we should recur to the subject We
pointed out that this change was silently
effected, and that it could not well have
been done while the Temple was stand
ing. The Apostles seem to have been
restrained from giving particular instruc-
lions in their epistles to the churches on
the subject. The effecting of the change
was left to be accomplished by the apos-
tolic practice and the educated conscious
ness of the Church
Without the Divine superintendent
the Apostles would either not have per-
ceived the necessity of changing the day,
or, seeing it, they would have emphasized
it, and made the change conspicuous
But the change was made, and it was
brought about without observation.
1t was Gas we easily comprehend now
necessary to make the change in view of
the altered spirit of the new economy.
The Jewish religion appealed to the eye;
it was system of intricate observances,
at whose centre stood the Sabbath Their
methods of observing the day necessarily
partook of this ceremonial temper. 1t
was important, in the first place, to draw
the line sharply between the Jew and the
Christian, and, as Bishop Horsley re-
marks, it was necessary to distinguish
Sabbath from Sabbath Sabbath grow
ing up amid symbolical institutions, which
deeply imbued it with spirit of quiet
repose, and Sabbath not less marked
indeed by withdrawal from the cares
and occupations of worldly business, but
much more distinguished by spiritual en-
ployment and active energy, both in do
ing and receiving good
If we accept the view of the author of
the epistle ascribed to Barnabas, of Philo,
Josephus, and Augustine among the an
clients, and of Cuvier, Hugh Miller, Tayler
Lewis, Dana, and Dawson, among mod
ern Christian scholars and scientists, that
the creative days were long periods, the
change of day in question was not only
necessary on the grounds indicated, but
1t aOould seem to haze been toreshodoaOed
from the beginning. The ground for the
change in the day is so much Illuminated
by viewing the days in this way, and a
profound significance in the language of
the Mosaic account of creation is SO forci-
bly, brought out, that we hope we shall
be pardoned for presenting the line of
thought which would follow on the ac-
ceptance of this hypothesis.
The end of the work of our mundane
creation was MAN; all else was merely
accessory and preparative God designed.
to create being who should serve him
and glorify him, an intelligent being,
with self-consciousness and conscience,
who should move in the higher plane of
responsible creature, under the moral
government of God. For this purpose,
he created the human race, and placed
Adam in the Garden of Eden, which was
Paradise, and if man had remained up
right he would have continued to possess
his paradise, and to live in communion
with God, enjoying and sharing forever
in the perpetual Edenic Cor Sabbatic)
Rest But he sinned, and the primeval
Eden was abolished. Then God planned
(humanly speaking) the scheme of Re-
demption-God could not give man up
and he announced that the "seed of the
woman" should ultimately triumph over
the Adversary who had seduced man
from his allegiance. All that follows in
the Old Testament points to the coming
of this Redeemer-Shiloh (Which is pro
perly translated the Rest Giver) -and to
the recovery of the lost Edenic Chat is to
say, the Sabbatic) Rest.
Now let us keep steadily in mind that
all that follows in the Bible the narrative
Of the Fall revolves around this thought.
as centre,-the recovery Of the Lost
Rest.
Therefore, Israel, who constituted the
visible Church Of Godj were brought out
of Egypt into the Rest of Canaan-this
earthly inheritance land the deliverance
from the Egyptian bondage) merely typ
ifyino the deliyerance from tbe bondaoe