The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-03-06
| Contiaued from last Ueek.
Written for The Republican,
NO. VII

| j
Written for The Republican,
NO. VII.
Ike Sabbath was established by
God. Through a period of two thous-
andsfive hundred and thirteen years,
IL WIS recognized and observed. AT
the end of that period God command
ed the Jews, his chosen people, to
remember the Sabbath day to keep
it holy" From the time the com.
manilment was promulgated from
smoking Sinai, observance Of the Sab
BATH became matter of national sig
nificance to the Jewish people. Eze-
kieh the latest Of the greater proph-
cts and the last Of the prophets of the
captivity, whilst exhorting the Jews
to obey God, and reminding them OF
the Bonuses of rewards for such obe-
di2i a.insthe future establishment
sreiUeir nation. and in the glory Of
the day of the Messiah's coming, re-
minds them also of the national sig
nificance Of the Sabbath day. He
says, wherefore / caused them to 60
forth out of the land of Egypt, and
brought them into the wilderness.
And l gave them my statutes and
showed them my judgments, which,
if a man do, he shall eyer live in them.
Moreover, also, l gave them my Sab
baths to be sign between me and
them that they might know that |
am the Lord that sanctify them. /
am the Lord your God, walk in my
statutes and keep my judgments and
do them and hallow my Sabbaths,
and they shall be a sign between me
and you that ye may know that l
am the Lord your God" "And the
Lord spa&e unto Moses saying: speak
thou also unto the children of Israel,
saying, verify my Sabbaths ye shall
keep, for ii is sign between me and
you throughout your generations {;
that ye may know that l am the Lord
that doth sanctify you. Wherefore,
the children of Israel shall keep the
Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath
throughout their generation, for a
perpetual covenant. 1t is a sign be-
tween me and the children of Israel
forever" From the sacred Scrip
lures Wehave the authority of Divine
commandment and inspired prophe-
cy toshoW the keeping ofthe Sabbath
day was sign, a covenant between
God and his chosen people. the Jews.
and that it was matter Of Natioral
significance. Whist we attach all
the importance to that fact which we
think it deserves, we are impressed
with the idea that We are concerned
much more about the religious char
acter Of the day and the importance
of observing it because of its religious
character. 1t was a day of rest, and
was evidently designed so to be. This
must be inferred from the circum.
stances surrounding its institution, if
we had nothing more to enlighten or
guide us in ARRIVING at conclusion
on this point. "And on the seventh
day God ended his work which he
had made and he rested on the
seventh day from all his work which
he had made. And God blessed the
seventh day and sanctified it because
that IN 1t he had rested from all his
lCork which God created and made"
In six days God had created the
Heavens and the earth and all things
and then rested. Not because he
was weary-not because his power
was exhausted-not because he need
ed rest, but because the heavens and
the earth and all the host of them
were finished. After all these were
created God created the Sal bath. Do
we ask for what purpose? 1.-THE
Sabbath was made for man, and not
man for the Sabbath" God blessed
and santifed the day because he
rested and he designed that man
should rest on that day. But what
was the character of the rest requir-
ed? Was it to be simply a cessation
of manual labor? Was the day to be
devoted to the enjoyment of amuse-
ments and worldly pleasure? Ger
tainly not. 1t was not only to be a
day Of rest, but IA day Of holy rest.
HoREM.
TO be C0ntinuedl.