Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-10-06

1 -f~'f r. ~ - ~%fetN
the leading object of this discussion
is to argue tine perpetual binding
force of the Sabbath law as found in
the Scriptures. The Sabbath did
not originate with the Jews, and is in
no sense a Mosaic institution. Moses
indeed recognizes it as fundamental
institution of previous enactment,
and the overthrow of Mosaic institu-
tons could in no sense affect its per-
manence. Paul uses the same argu-
ment with reference to the Abra-
hamic covenant in Gal. iii. 16.
The Sabbath dates back to creation
in its origin, Gen. ii. .. 3. "And on
the seventh day God ended his work
which he had made, And God
blessed the seventh day and sanctifed
it; because that in it he had rested
from all his work which God created
and made" There were given two
fundamental institutions at the be-
giuning, absolutely necessary to the
well-being of the race, the family,
and the Sabbath. The object Of the
family was "Godly Seed" Nal. ii.
16f The Sabbath gave the family the
time (holy time) in which TO cult
vate godliness. The State subse-
lquently sprung out Of the necessities
OF the race, but the family is its prim-
ordial unit, and the Sabbath is the
God-given heritage Of the family,
The State may as properly ignore or
violate or destroy the family as the
Sabbath. The State which violates
Sabbath laws does so at her peril.
The man who ignores this obligation
of the Sabbath does so at his peril.
What shall become of the building II
the foundation be remove?
But do we find evidence OF Sab
bath observance before the time Of
Moses? Certainly; before the flood
for that matter. Noah was 900 years
old when the flood came, and he car
ried his traditions with him into the
ark. You find him observing seven
day periods again and again during
the abatement Of the waters. How
shall we read these periods except in
the light of Genesis ii. 9. 3?
More than this. In Gen. vii. 10,
we read: "And it came to pass that
after seven days that the waters Of
the flood were upon the earth"
Now the margin reads, son the
seventh day." Or on day seven. AS
sumo that this means the seventh day
Of the week and construct q calender
for that year according to the old
Egyptian calender, and it will APP
pear that the rain began, the ark
rested, the doves were sent forth, the
earth was dry, Noah went out from
the ark, and offered his sacrifice, and
God made the covenant, all on a
seventh day SABBATH. AnG incident
ly God did put double honor upon
the day by giving through Noah that
wondrous bill of rights for the race
on a seventh day Sabbath.
Is this the only trace of n Sabbath
before the Hebrews came to Mt.
Siana? No. Read the sixteenth
chapter of Exodus, and you will find
Hebrew recognition of the seventh
day Sabbath, by the whole people,
under circumstances which prove
that Sabbath observance was a uni
versal habit among them. To state
it in brief, when the mamma was
given for the first time, Moses gave
orders that every man should gather
according to his eating, an Omer
and no more. Those who gath
cred more found that it bred worms
and became corrupt if they kept it
over till next day. Both their or
ders and their experience were
against their gathering more, and yet
when the sixth day came, they gath
cred every man double supply in
preparation for the Sabbath. The
elders complained to Moses of this
wholesale violation of orders, and
that in the face of an experience
which told them it would not keep
till next day. But Moses assured
them that the people had done right
in thus preparing for the Sabbath of
their Lord their God. And God had |
told him beforehand ". ~ that he
would thus ''prove them, whether
they would walk in his law or nos"
Just as he tried Abraham's faith with
orders in seeming contradiction of
his promises with reference to Isaac.
And right nobly did the faith Of the
most of them stand the test, for they
laid it up till the morning, and it did