The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-16
ADDITIONAL LOCAL.
THE oBsERvANCE OF TnE sAnRATH.

THE OBSERVANCE OF THE sAnRATH
Address by the Rev, j. 4. Mcclure. n. 4
The following remarks were made b.
Rev. ]. T. Mcclure. D. D., Of the Unite'
Presbyterian Church Of this city, at tn
s. S. convention. The convention, by'
unanimous vote, requested the DIR. TO fur
nish the manuscript for publication.
Before entering directly on the consid
Grafton Of this subject, there are somt
points that should be stated as taken fol
granted without discussion. These are al
follows:
First: That the bible law Of the
Sabbath is OF divine authority. The ques
ton before us Is the observance of the
Sabbath, and not whether the Sabbath be
OF divine appointment.
Second: That the Christian Sabbath ia
the fitst, instead OF the seventh day OF the
week. E
Third: that the law Of the Sabbath Is OF
perpetual obligation. The law delivered
in Sinai, was by no means new reyela-
ton at that time; and the same remark
will hold good with regard 10 each OF the
other precepts OF the decalogue. -
Besides these assumed points there are
certain principles that we should keep
constantly before US, as we consider this
important subject.
First: God has sovereign right both 10
enact law for our government, and to in
terpret his law for our instruction. This
is principle to which no one who be-
lleves will take exception.
Second-A change OF dispensation--as
from the Patriarchal to the Jewish or
from the Jewish to the Christian-does
not affect the great principles OF moral
truth that underlie all divinely appointed
forms Of outward worship or external du-
ties and observances, and therefore the
same principles OF truth are equally bind.
ing in all ages OF the world.
In view, then, Of these principles, what
does the law OF the Sabbath require? It
will no doubt be readily admitted that the
proper observance OF the Sabbath must
consist in doing what the law OF the Sab
bath requires, or in refraining from what
1t forbids.
First-What does the law of the Sab
bath require as to worldly business and
pleasures?
The law us given on Sinai is in these
words Exodus, 20th chapter, sth and 1lth
verses): Remember the Sabbath day 10
keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor
aud do all thy work, but the seventh day
is the Sabbath Of the Lord thy God, in Il
thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy
son nor thy daughter, thy man servant
nor thy maid servant, or thy cattle nor
thy stranger that is within thy gates, for in
six days the Lord made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that in them Is, and rested
on the seventh day; therefore the Lord
blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed It"
Now, what is meant by the term trans
lated ,gork in this law? The original He.
brew word is fairly translated by our term
trore Any labor, or any exercise Of our
mental faculties or physical powers,
intense or not. II is the same |
term used to describe Gods act or exer.
else in creation. But the meaning OF the |
term work is well enough understood.
We all apply it to our. occupations by
which our livings are gained.
That this term refers 10 such employ
ments as we're lawful on other days is evi-
lent from Exodus 10, %: "And II came to |
pass that on the sixth day they gathered
,wice as much bread, two amars for one
nan, and all the rulers OF the congrega.
ion came and told Moses" Again, verse
%, "Six days shall ye gather It, but on the
seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in 1t |
here shall be none."
Surely 1t was lawful for Israel to gather
he mama on the ordinary working days |
II the week, but they were eaectually
prohibited from gathering it on tho
seventh, for on that day there was none
ior them TO gather. In this way God has
given to US, through this example, clear
and impressive lesson concerning the OBJ.
seryance OF the Sabbath day.
In Numbers 10 chapter, 81 and SO verse,
We have another case in point, throwing d |
clear light on the meaning OF this law. A
certain man assumed the right to provide |
iuel for his fire on the Sabbath day, In.
stead Of having it procured in proper sea.
son. He was arrested for his act Of break
ing the Sabbath. His case was brought
before the highest court in the universe
sven before the great judge OF all. "And
he Lord said unto Moses, the man shall
be surely put to DEATH" And with holy
horror, modern infdelity lifts up Its hands |
and cries what cruelty! What bigotryl
But pause and think moment. Is It any
less sinful To break the Sabbath by pro.
viding fuel than it would be to labor, to
provide bread or clothing, or any other
comforts OF life? Surely not. But II q
man may provide fuel, he may on the
same plea, do any and all other work, and
80 the Sabbath shall be altogether disre.
garded.
This example further shows what in.
God put on the law Of the
Sabbath; and the case Is so clear that
further comment on 1t is deemed unncc.
essary.
But lest II should be said that these ex.
amples belong only TO the Jews in their
and semi.barbarous condition,
let US pass over q thousand years OF their
history, and see how the law Of the Sab.
bath viii be interpreted at that period. We
read in Nehemiah, 18th and 10Th: "In
those days saw in Judah some treading
on the Sabbath and bringing
in sheaves, and lading asses, as also wine,
grapes and figs, and all manner OF burdens
which they brought into Jerusalem on the
Sabbath day; and testified against them
In the day wherein they sold victuals.
There dwelt men OF Tyre also therein who
/