The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-12-29
The Ancient Sabbath.

Mrs. Palnaer's " Home-Life in the Bible"
In Jerusalem the Sabbath was ushered in
by six blasts of the silver trumpets so freely
employed in the temple ritual; three to iu-
terdict the people from work, and three TO
set apart the day as one OF holy rt ST; in
other towns, from the roof of the synagogue.
There were two additional offerings in honor
of this day, and more if it should chance to
be new moon or any festival. The making
and baking of the shew bread, though in
volvipg in Its composition three offences
against the law, was done OIL the Sabbath
day-a fact Of which the Pharisees we're re-
minded oy "The greater than the temple"
Have ye not read in the law, how that on
the Sabbath days the priests in the Temple
profane the Sabbath, and are blameless p
(Malt. xii. 81. At home 1t was in early
times a festival Of innocent joy, and rest
from the daily toll of the week. While the
father was in the temple or synagogue on
Sabbath eve, the mother aud her maldens
were busy decorating the best roems, spread
could afford, and lighting the Sabbath lamp
to greet him on his return, as al the thresh-
hold he bestowed upon each child the bless
ing of Israel. Friendly intercourse am ny
neighbors aud kiusfolk was the order OF the
day, while TIE poor aud affi icted were COM
forted with some act of delicate sympathy.
All this sweet spirit of keeping holy the
seventh day was turned, at a later epoch,
into the cruel burden of the law, of which
St. Paul said well, "The letter killeth," both
by precept and practice, the "Lord of the
Sabbath day"so uncompromisingl protested
The Scribes and Pharisees had so completely
lost sight of the fundamental truth that "the
Sabbath was made for man." that man ol
their day might we'll have bewailed the tdc'
that he was "made for the Sabbath
Except that we are taught by all record aud
experience that there are no Limitations tc
the excesses of a perverted conscientiousness
we could not credit the absurdities which
finally came to be considered essential to the
pious observance of this holy seventh day
Let us look at q few of the Rabbinical rules
on this subject: "To preserve life on the
| Sabbath is to violate it, and to kill flea !!
as bad as to kill camel. A woman mus
not 90 out with her ribbons about her, un
less they are part of her dress; false tootl
must not be worn; no one was TO write two
letters of the alphabet; the sick must no
send for physician; a tailor must not carry
| needle out on Friday night, lest be shoule
| forget it, and so break the Sabbath by carry
| ing 1t about him on that day." A sect o
extremists on this question carried theil
scruples so far as to refuse to save drown
| ing woman on the Sabbath, because they
must not touch female; while, even where
child was in similar peril. they must pu
of the phylacteries before lending hand tt
its rescue. A rabbi Of this sect Of "pietists'
refused to rebuild his demolished house
because, he had thought about it on th'
Sabbath; another saved himself from
violent death as an accused murderer, b.
| disclosing the name of the criminal; but b.
wrote that name on . Sabbath day, and h
passed the remainder Of his life in sever
penance.
. Bearing In mind this state of things, 1t !
easier to comprehend the bitter animosit.
with which the merciful ministrations of GU
Saviour were received, on that day wherein
/ 1t was not lawful for a Pharisee even to ''d'
WELL" After the miraculous hesling of "th'
man which had tho withered hand /" in tn
synagogue, on the Sabbath day, we are tol'
that the people "were filled with madness
and communed one with another what the.
might do to Jesus" duke vi. ID. St. Mari
writes that "the Pharisees went forth, ant
straightway took counsel with the Herodian
against him, how they might destroy him
| Qii. o.. On q similar occasion, when tn
Lord made straight the woman switch ha'
q spirit Of infirmity eighteen years, and wa
bowed together, and could in no wise lift VI
/ hsrself," the ruler Of the synagogue an
swered with indignation, ''because that Jesu
had healred on the Sabbath day." CLuk
Kill. 14).