Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-08-17
&eadiug TOR the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
lOriginal.l
PHARISAICAL STRICTNESS.

REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
lorgnal.l
PHARISAICAL STRICTNESS.
"At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath
day through the corn and his disciples were
a hungered, and they began to pluck the ears
of corn and to eat. ."-Matthew 12:1. This
same incident in the history of our Lord will
be found narrated, with slight variations, in
Mark 2 %, and Luke GIL At what period in
the history of our Saviour this event transpir-
ed, it is, perhaps, impossible to ascertain.
| Matthew and Mark simply say it was on the
Sabbath, while Luke is more definite, and
says it Was on the "Second first Sabbath" or,
as in the translation in general use, 1.-THE sec
Ond Sabbath afterthe first" A common sense
! Interpretation of the passage would be, that
the event took place on the second Sabbath of
some feast which embraced several Sabbaths.
1t would also seem that the corn, either wheat
or barley, was ripe or nearly so. The precise
time indicated by the expression, "Second first
Sabbath or s'second Sabbath after the first,
was, at the time of our Saviour, we'll under
stood. 1t was, however, a distinction involv-
ing no permanent Importance, and hence, 1t
has been suffered to be forgotten. One thing
| is certain. Although we may not be able to
fix the precise Sabbath that is meant by 'the
second Sabbath after the first, it was the
Sabbath-the day that God had set apart to be
kept holy, in commemoration of finished
creation.
A curious mind will, no doubt, be ready to
ask, 'IWhy did our Saviour and his disciples
go through the fields, rather than on the public
highway 90 Since the corn, no matter wheth-
Ell it was wheat or barley, must have been near
ly ripe, the passing of our Lord and his disci-
pies through it would, necessarily, be injwi-
Gus, and consequently it was trespass. Such
Il conclusion is based upon mere conjecture.
No doubt there was through the field path,
or, it may have been, that the public highway,
leading to Jerusalem, passed through the field.
The fault-finding Pharisees, we are sure, would
have charged our Saviour with violation OF
individual rights, had he and his disciples gone
through the corn-felds, in the sense in which
that expression is now understood. We know
further that our Saviour never, in single in
stance, tresspassed upon the rights of any crea-
ture 1t is absolutely certain that if the pass
ing through the corn-Helds had been of the ma
ture of trespass, our Saviour would not have
gone himself, neither would he have allowed
such an act to have been done by his disciples.
The passing through the corn fields was not
even by the captious Pharisees regarded as un-
lawful. Neither was it unlawful for the dis
cples of our Lord to pluck the ears of corn,
rub out the kernels and then eat them. 1t is
| {ol {1,aff fGn RI
hungered" The humane laws of the Jews
made provision for such a case. The follow
ing is the law "When thou comest into thy
neghbor's vineyard, then thou mayest eat
grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure but
thou shalt not put any in thy vessel. When
thy contest into the standing corn of thy neigh
Dor, then thou mayest pluck ears with thy
hand !; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto
thy neighbours standing corn."--Deut. % !;
24, 25. 1t was not charged that the disciples
of our Lord committed a tresspass either by
going through the corl-feldS or by plucking
the ears. The Pharisees charged that the act
was sinful because done on the Sabbath day.
Since this act of our Saviour was not in any
sense tresspass upon the rights of others, was
it sin against God in that it was violation
of the Sabbath law ? The Pharisees declared
it was, but our Saviour declared it was not.
All that was done was that few ears OF
corn were plucked and the grains having been
rubbed out, were eaten. The reason assigned
was because the disciples were "a hungered."
In reproving the Pharisees our Saviour re-
ferred them to the act of David on certain
occasion. TO eat in order that the cravings OF
appetite might be satisfied never was sin.
The Pharisees were wont to spend the Sab
bath in various ways which showed that they
had no real regard for it as a day to be kept
holy to the Lord their God. They III some
sense, followed the letter of the law, but mis-
took it's spirit. They were exceedingly strict
in observing forms, but had no correct notion
of what was meant by obedience. They were
accustomed to strain at gnats and swallow
cames. They belonged to that class of Jews
whom the prophet describes as longing that
the Sabbath might speedily pass away that
they might set forth wheat for sale, "making
the ephah small and the shekel great, and fall
styling the balances by deceit. o-Amoz s: 5.
Our Saviour, by defending the action of his
disciples on this occasion, did not justify
violation of the fourth commandment, neither
did he Justify the manner in which the Phari-
sees observed the Sabbath. by the Pharisees
the Sabbath was devoted to pleasure. Such is
the case with many Christians. The day is
devoted largely to secular amusement. Much
of the day is spent in secular conversation.
This is sin, but deeds of necessity and acts
of mercy are sanctioned by our Saviour, and
are not forbidden by the fourth commandment.
Hy Gods knowledge is not the cause of eth
er being or events. He knows what beings
will exist and what events will transpire be-
cause he has wlled their existence and deter
mined all events. No creature can have an
existence unless it's existence is determined OF
God, neither can any event take place unless
it is willed by God. If this is not true, then
God is not an absolute Sovereign.
KEY God can not learn anything by experience
or observation, otherwise he was not always
omnicient. There never was time when he
did not know all things. In fact there is
with God no past and no future. 1t is all
present He knows nothing now that he did
not always know, and nothing ever will trans
pire which he did not know from all eternity.
TRIFLEs.-The best fidelity to Christ is
shown in daily viglant service to him i'll tri-
tles, in efforts to honor him in humble, uncOn-
spicuous service, such as in good temper in
families, sympathy with man and beast, hon