St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-01-02

ed Paul to do certain things to snow
them that he walked orderly and kept
the law. They then add, as touching
the Gentiles which believed, we have
written and concluded that they OBJ
served no such things save only that
they keep themselves from things offer
ed to idols, and from blood and from
things strangled and from fornicatlon.
The Jews were very jealous OF their
bath. They even accused the Savior OF
being a Sabbath-breaker and denied
his being either good man or prophet
on that account, but as he lived under
the law we are compelled to know that
be kept the spirit if not The letter OF the
law according to the Jewish interpreter
ton.
But did he teach others to honor the
Sabbath day and keep it holy = When
the young man came and inquired OF
him what he should do to inherit eter-
nal life, he replied eff thou wilt enter
into life keep the commandments - and
he saith, (Which - The Lord Jesus
said "ThOu shalt do no murder; thou
shalt not commit adultery thou shalt
not steal thou shalt not bear false wit
ness honor thy mother, and thy moth
er, and thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyseIf." The young man saith "All
these things have kept from my youth
up what lack yet 2" Jesus saith unto
him "If thou wilt be perfect go and
sell that thou hast and give to the poor,
and thou shalt have treasures in Hea-
ven. Aud come and follow me-" He
commissioned his Apostles to 90 and
commanded you,' and in their teachings
fnI fn hfl
the Sabbath days. All of the other
commands in the decalogue are reiter-
ated time and again. Are we to con-
cluGe then that we are freed from this
law ? We know that the first day of the
week was che en- by the Apostles for
sOlemniZation OF the most important
christian ordinance, that Ut the Lords
Supper.
We have seen the assertion in a Bible
dictionary that the Jews did not keep
the day sanctitied at the creation, but
in Ex, XXI, II, we have these words:
at is a Syn between me and the chill
dren of Israel forever, for in six days
the Lord made heaven and earth and
on the seventh day he rested and was
retire ;hed." SO we will have to seek
for some other reason to account for the
change. The coming Of Christ is often
spoken of by the prophets as the Lords
day, and as the plan OF redemption was
completed by His resurrection on the
frs: day of the week, that day was call
ed the Lords day by the apostles. We
have their example OF meeting together
for public worship, partaking of the
Lords Supper and taking up collections
for the poor. 1t strikes me as strange
that the Christian world should c0nsid-
L., Be-,
and binding on the Christian without a
forcement We have line upon line and
precept upon precept for ali the Chris
tan virtues and against all human vices
and frailities. Plain commands regula
ting our conduct in our varied relations
toward each other. Are we to suppose
that the apostles considered us sufficient
unto ourselves? in regard to this one
Christian duty, that they have left us
no plain chart for our guidance. Paul
says: "He has told us all things profit
able unto u.s." Calmet says, page 197
1.-THE obligation of deyoting q portion
of time to God, to be employed in his
worship and service, is founded on nat
ural right and reason. The law had fix
ed this to the seventh day of the week.
That is the Sabbath for the nation of
the Jews. 1t is believed by some that
the apostles, to honor the day of our
Lords resurrection, determined it to
every seventh day and fixed it on Sun
day that is the first day Of the week |
among the Hebrews, and the day ded-
cated to the sun among the pagans.
The change Of the day, however, is
'ather to be gathered from the prac-
ice of the Christian Church, then as
clearly epjoined in the New Testament
1t will follow that we may safely imi-
ate those examples which the apostles
md primitive Christians have left rs,
md whatever obligations the Jews
night lie under to the observance OF
he Saturday sabbath they do not bind
christians because those obligations
we're natural, not general, and were
commemorative in some degree of
sraelitish events in which others have
10 interest; whereas the resurrection
abbath commemOrated an event in
which all Christians throughout the
'ord are interested, and tor which no
quail mode of commemoration can be
evised. We have then good example
nd strong propriety in behalf of our
observation of the Lords day as Il reli-
ious festival, though not as Jewish
lbbath. Justin, the martyr, observes
hat ON the Lords day all the Chris
ans in the city or country meet to-
ether because that is the day of our
,ord's resurrection, and then we read
ne writings OF the prophets and
postles. This being done the presi-
ent makes an Grafton to the assembly I
, exhort them to initiate and to prac-
&c the things they have heard. Then
e all join in prayer, and after that we
elebrate the sacrament; then they who
re able and willing give what they
link proper, and what is collected is
Ia nm in tho hnnd Of tho ,,rae;4lnnt |