Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-09-05
The Law Of the Sabbath.

In regard to the observance of ",
Sabbath, the statutes of the States AND
the decisions of the courts respecting !.
lest any should be emboldened by tbo
statutes and the decisions cited to do
that which ought not to be done on tbo
Lords Day, we have this to say: Na;
ther the statutes of the States nor tho do.
cisions of the courts are = sufficient rnlo
to determine for us what may or nav
not be done. And this appears from
the simple fact that both the statutsa
and the decisions are clashing and Con-
Trajectory on the subject. Not NOR,
misleading would it be to attempt 10
find out what constitutes marriage nv
consulting the statutes of the States
and the decisions of the courts respect.
ing divorce, than to rely upon the laws
of the States and judicial decisions in
respect to what one may or may not do
on the Lords Day.
The very name of the day-the Lord's
DAYS suggestive and directive in "a.
spect to the day of rest and worship.
Neither social customs, legislative en-.
actments nor judicial decisions are any.
thing more than a kind of police reou.
lation in the matter. The Divine Law.
giver only has original jurisdiction on
the subject of the Sabbath. The law Of
God is the only law that binds the con-.
duct and conscience of men here. And
what the law of God is must be learned.
not from the words of the law only, but
from the end as well fol which the law
was given. Remember the Sabbath
day to keep it holy" expresses the end
of the law rs well as gives its words.
Holiness, that attribute or quality in
God which is held up before all Others
and is, as Charnock says, sounded out
so loud in Heaven and with a threefold
repetition, holy, holy, holy, as if it had
a sanctity and supremacy over all the
rest, this is the end of the law in re.
spect to Sabbatb-keeping. The Sab
bath is the day Set apart for this end.
1t is the day of rest and worship for
this end. In other words the Sabbath
is the time positively given to us to be
used in respect to holiness and God in
whom holiness inheres, and who de-
sires to see it reflected in His creatures.
The Sabbath is to be used to break the
power of sin and the world over us,
bring us to God and so finally to His
Heaven of holiness and blessedness. To-
do this or not to do that. considered as'
mere doing, is not the thing, but to do,
within the limits of Gods permission,
and prohibition, what, both as respects
the thing done and the way of doing il,
will bring us to God and promote in US
the spiritual, holy and Heavenly life,
this is the thing we may and must do
on the Lords Day. To do anything
that will hinder this is to profane the
Sabbath and sin against God and our
w souls, for we are made in His
image and likeness-made to know
Him and enjoy Him forever.
The aim and end of the Sabbath
being given and intelligence to perceive
the end and motive to choose it, it is
not necessary or practical for the law to
specify everything that should be done,
and forbid everything that should not
be done. With the specific command,
Remember, and the general prohibition
of work, the law leaves it to the intelli
gent freedom of the filial spirit and
loving heart to do what shall secureth
end of the Sabbath, bring man to God
and Heaven.
The Old Testament command to keep
holy the Sabbath day is in no way 70.
Taxed in the New. Rather greater dill
gence is required to obey the command
and realize its end. The keeping Of
the Lords Day now stands in respect
to its former keeping just where the
writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews
places the duty and the privilege OF
prayer. Since all hindrances in com
ing to God are taken out of the way.
he reasons, and so many helps supplied
come the oftener, come the more
boldly. So the Christian should give
the greater diligence in his Sabbath,
keeping. Let him more carefully and
constantly turn away from finding bis
pleasure on the holy day, and speaking
his own words, and make the day a
delight. Then will he delight himself
in the Lord and ride upon the high
places of the earth, for the mouth OF
the Lord hath spoken tn. Y. Observer: