The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1886-11-04
MARIETTA. GA. THURsY MORNING, NOV. 4, 1886.

Illus present you with fac
taken from the Inspired Volume it
self which presents identically the
same sorts of difficulties as the cues.
ton under discussion.
As the substitution of the first day
tor the seventh, is a change Of the
observance SO in the substitution Of
Israel's redemption for jehovah
Rest, is change in the meaning OF
the day. The principle involved is
identical. Both sizes have impor.
tant bearings on the same law, and
both alterations must be explained
by the same principles. And the on
ly fair explanation must begin by a
true analysis Of that law, SO that
think we have now reached the point
where the nature of these laws, OF
which that concerning the Sabbath
day is one, must be understood. To
that end, desire now to speak.
The Mosaic law, in which are the
ten commandments, consisted of three
parts:
LIST. The civil or national.
End. The ceremonial or ecclesiasti-
cal.
3rd. The moral or universal.
The civil law was for the Jewish
nation only.
The ceremonial law was tor the
Jewish Church only.
The moral law was law for all
mankind.
But step further: Any promul-
CATION of law is either enactive or
declarative. If it is declarative, il
only clearly expresses or sets forth
existing law; if enactive, it creates
new law.
The Hebrew civil law was enactive.
1t was law for the Hebrew nation
and, before its enactment as a law
tor that nation, it did not exist. And
likewise whenever abrogated asa law
for that nation it would cease to ex-
list. And so of the Hebrew ecclesi-
astical law; before its enactment as
a law for the Hebrew Church it did
not exist, and whenever abrogated
as such law, it would cease to exist.
But the Hebrew moral law was de-
clarative. Human moral obligation
did not begin with Sinai--it began
with the creation of man. And the
universal moral requirements of the
DecalOgue did not first become i'm
lerative because they were then
clearly declared; they were then
clearly defined because they were
then already imperative; and because
clear declaration might help man
to obey them.
Whatever, therefore, of the Mosaic
law was of universal moral obligation
before it was declared, is of the same
obligation now. We readily see tina
nine Of the ten commandments ar,
of this kind; the question is then a
to the remaining; i. e. the fourth, o
which | am speaking. Does this res
on the same basis with the others
When we find that nine of the tel
are of moral obligation, our trust il
analogy strongly inclines us to the
belief that the remaining one must
be of like character with the other
nine; i. e. of universal moral obliga.
ton. Now go on with me. If we
pick the fourth commandment tc
pieces, we shall find something both
of moral and civil law,
Its moral nature is in the atone.
ment of portion Of time to rest anC
religious culture universal necessi-
ties for the preservation of our bod
les, and the well-being of our souls
and besides, the apportionment o.
one-seventh of our time to this end
That this proportion Of our time i,
essential and of moral force has beer
demonstrated by the failure OF the
French experiment of diminishing
the period Of rest to tenth of man;
time. (The reason of which expert
ment may have been to make it ac.
cord with their metrical tables, OIL
may have been to brave Revelation
and attest their infdelity.) AnC
moreover when we read that Goo
rested on the seventh day, we under
stand that by His act, He initiated q
law in His vast moral system, thai
one-seventh Of our days was needfu
for this end. The fourth command
ment has, as in the description il
Deut., also something of civil law
Moses there attaches to it nationa
law't to commemorate the Jewish Ex
odus from Egypt The latter, o
course, bound nor binds any but tn,
Jewish nation, and eliminating that
we haYe left an universal moral com
mandment, that one-seventh OF GU,
time is necessary tor rest and religi
gious culture. This much and NJ
more.
Now we are prepared to under
stand the change Of the day for car
rying out this moral obligation.