Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-06-16
&eaaiua fur the Sabbath,
CONDUCTED BIZ
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
(Orlginal
THE SABBATH.

[Onginal
THE SABBATH.
In the first commandment, tho object Of
all religious worship, is pointed out; in the
the second, the mode of worship is prescribed
in the third, the reverence; which is due to
the object of our religious worship is strongly
insisted upon and in the fourth, the time
which we are required to devote exclusively
to the worship of God is stated. With re.
gard to the fourth commandment, it may be
remarked that it is both moral and positive,
In other words, it is founded in the nature Of
things, and 80 far it is moral. 1t is also pos.
tive in that it is founded in the will Of the
Iaweiver. In the nature of things, man
needs more rest than is afforded by night
but how much time or what particular time
shall be devoted to this particular purpose, is
not founded in the nature of things, but upon
the positive command of God.
The fourth commandment is older than
Moses, and hence cannot be regarded as any
part of the Ceremonial law. From the Ian.
guage of the Scriptures, it is plain that the
Sabbath was epjoined previous to the fall OF
Adam. Whether or not Adam ever spent =
Sabbath in Paradise, We cannot tell. We
think he did not; but one thing seems to be
clear from the Scriptures, that both Adam
and his SONS, Cain and Abel, observed the
Sabbath. In the third verse of the fourth
chapter of Genesis, it is said, "In process OF
time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the
fruit of the ground an Offering with the Lord. y
The words rendered process of time," would
be more correctly translated "at the end Of
days" 1t is not idle conjecture to say that
by "the end of days" is meant the end of the
days of labor and the beginning Of Sabbath.
What else could it mean if it does not mean
the Sabbath We also find that before the
ten commandments were given to Moses on
Mount Sinai the Children of Israel kept the
Sabbath, no one will doubt this who will read
the sixteenth chapter Of Exodus.
Under Old Testament despensation the OBJ.
ject or design of the Sabbath was two fold.
It was commemorative and typical. 1t COM
memorated finished creation, and it typi6ed
day of redemption. Under New Testament
dispensation, it is designed to commemorate
the finished work of creation, and the still
greater work sof redemption through the
death of Jesus Christ and is typical Of Heav-
en-, that rest which remains for the people of
God.
Under both dispensations, it is admirably
adapted to keep constantly in our minds the
existence of a Suprsme Being. Whoever be,
lieves in a creation must believe in creator.
That creator must be being separate from
the creation and independent it. Hence,
to celebrate the event of a finished creation,
keeps constantly in our minds the being of
God, the starting point Of true religion. Un'
der the present dispensation, the Sabbath is
designed to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. The most important event in the
history of Jesus Christ was his resurrection.
This was evidence that all that he had done
and suffered as the redeemer Of sinners, had
been accepted by bis Father who had sent
him into the world. The Sabbath is also
typical. 1t is foretaste of that rest which
God has in reservation for his people.
One of the tendencies of the age in which
we live, is to reduce the Sabbath to level
with national holidays. This has always
been the case. The ancient Jews were prone
to violate the fourth Commandment The
multitude of professed Christians regard it as
matter of little consequence to observe the
Sabbath. 1t is worthy of note that those
persons who have no Sabbath have no re.
ligion, and consequently no morality. The
habitusl neglect Of the Sabbath is always at
tended with dangerous consequences The
man who has no Sabbath has, in practice, no
God, no saviour, no heaven, no religion, no
morality. Without the Sabbath, Christianity
could not be perpetuated for one year.
1t is clear, from the general scope Of the
Scriptures that God designs that the Sabbath
should be observed by wholly abstaining from
all secular labor and amusements and by de-
voting the day to the public and private wor-
ship of God. One reason that religion is in
so low and languishing state in many COM
munities, is mainly because those communi'
ties have no Sabbath. In Germany, the
Sabbath is only nominally observed, and
the result is that the Germans, with all their
boasted learning, are little better than inf.
dels. In fact they are when viewed from a
Bible standpoint irreligious. Scotland has
ever been noted for the reverence which the
Scotch pay to the Sabbath and there'ultis that
the Scotch and the Scotch h-Irish, notwithstand'
ing the egregious sins to which they are and
always have been addicted, have ever made
the desert blossom as the rose. Their religion
is of peculiar type. 1t has more Bible and
less tradition in it than can be found in the
religion of any people on earth. One of the
characteristics of the man who remembers the
Sabbath day as God in his word directs it to
be kept, is that be is industrious, thrifty,
honest and always pays his debts.
Sabbath breakers are universally reckless
characters. This is to be expected. He who
has no regard for God cannot be expected to
have any for his fellow men.