Passaic City record., 1893-03-04
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
MARCH ).
Lesson Text. .Keeping the Sab
bath, 4" Neh. xiii, t5-22-Goid-
en- Text Exodus TX,
commentary

! This chapter gives an account OF the dis
| cipline of Nehemiah in separating from Is
rael the mixed multitude. and in cleansing
Israel from all strangers with whom theJ
| 3, 30. 1t tells also of the discipline in ref
erence to Sabbath desecration, which is oul
special lesson for the day; but before taking
this up consider the dangers of being en-
tangled and hindered by a mixed multitude
When Israel left Egypt company of that
trouble Tex. xiii, 3S; Mum. XII, A. Much
trouble in the church to-day arises from the
people who are half and haif-the worldly
church members who are neither one thing
nor the other.
II any think that the restoration under
Zerubbabel and the reformation of Ezra and
Nehemiah fulfilled the prophecies concern
ing restoration, let them compare lisa. xiv,
1-3 with Neh tx, SO, 81. If any think that
we are now in the millennial age, or that the
church with her present zeal will bring that
age, let them be honest enough to believe
what is written and they will surely see
that the Lord Himself must come for Isreaps
restoration and to introduce the millennial
age FPS. cil., 10; Acts ill.,, 1921.
Is. 'sIn those days saw in Judah some
treading wine presses on the Sabbath" !"
Then he enumerates their other deeds OF
Sabbath breaking and says that he testified
against them. The Sabbath was instituted
in Eden before ever sin entered this world,
and when God wrote with His finger the
Ten Commandments on two tablets OF stone
He said. Remember the Sabbath day."
That man should give unto God one-seventh
of his time is law from the beginning and
of perpetual obligation.
Is. "There dwelt men Of Tyre. also. who
sold on the Sabbath unto the children Of
Judah, and in Jerusalem" God gives His
laws to His children because they are His
children. He gave no laws to Israel until
He had redeemed them from Egypt. No
man can be saved by the deeds Of the law,
but only by the grace of God, but being
saved through Jesus Christ, who is the end
of the law for righteousness for every one
that believeth. it is then, and only then,
that the righteousness of the law can be full
filed in US who walk not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit Rom. ill.,, 30, "a; 4, 4:
viii. 4). Those who know not God know no
Sabbath, but the people Of Judah should
have shown the men of Tyre that they kept
holy the Sabbath because Of their God.
There can be no trade with no buyers. and
unless the people of Jerusalem had bought
the men of Tyre had not sold.
II. ssThen contended with the mobiles of
Judah and said unto them, What evil thing
is this that ye do and profane the Sabbath
day% In verse IL we read that he contend
ed with them because they had forsaken the
house of God. The house of God was IsraePs
center, and the laws of God their especial
delight If they were Israelites indeed; but
they were prone to forsake His house and
despise His word (II Chron. xxxvi., I6, and
for this they went to Babylon. Now that
they have returned from captivity and left
their idols their hearts still wander from
God and His laws. And so it was long after,
in the days OF Malachi, when they robbed
God in tithes and offerings and said that it
was vain to serve God (Mal. iii, 8. 14).
18. ibid not our fathers thus? Yet ye
bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning
the sabbath Although Judgment had
overtaken their fathers, yet they continue
in the same sins, for not until the Ethiopian
can change his skin anu the leopard his
spots can those do good who are accustomed
to do evil tJer. xiii, 23. 'sAn empty man
will get understanding when wild ass's
colt is born man" dob. XII, IL, r. ",
margin). Nothing will make man what he
ought to be but new heart a birth from
above, and this is new creation accom-
plished by the word and the spirit of God.
1t is the gift of God tEzsk. xxxvi., 26I, and
nothing can deprive one of it but refusal to
receive it.
10. '.And some of my servants set I at the
gates, that there should be no burden
brought in on the Sabbath day. There is
such thing as compelling law breakers to
be obedient, and if our city rulers had the
spirit of Nehemiah there would not be the
Sabbath desecration which is increasingly
and alarmingly prevalent in all our cities.
God will hold our rulers responsible for all
that they can prevent of evil and do not.
But to be personal, there are such COM
mands as these for believers. 'Lsr US lay
aside every weight and the sin which doth
so easily beset u.s. "Let US cleanse our
selves from all flthiness of the flesh and
spirit" t'Put off the old man, with his
deeds" tHeb xii, l; Ii Cor. vii, I, Col. iii,
o.. And these we are bound to obey if we
would know in our daily life anything OF
the meaning of true Sabbath rest.
90. 80 the merchants and sellers Of all
kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem
once or twice." The perseverance OF the
doe.s OF evil ought to put to shame the fol
lowers of Jesus. Those who desire to do
away with the Sabbath are ofttimes more
united and persevering than those who bear
the name of Jesus and ought to stand for
His holy day. Oh, to be filed with the
Spirit of God and have at heart the inter-
ests of His kingdom!
81 sFrom that time forth came they nc
more on the Sabbath He testified against
them and threatened to lay hands on them,
then they saw that he meant it, and de-
sisted. We live in the Nineteenth Century,
in the most advanced period of the worlds
history, but where are the Nehemiahs and
the Daniels, and the men who have at heart
ABOVE ali bnlngS Lno nOnOr ana RlOry VI OOut
To come again to the topic of a little while
ago-the Sabbath is the soul of q believer
we will not know it until we stand as decid-
ediy against every besetting sin and every
phase of the self life as did Nehemiah against
these Sabbath breakers.
%. 'Remember me, Oh my God, concern
ing this also. and spare me according to the
greatnes SIS of Thy mercy" The proper men
were set apart to see that the Sabbath should
be santified, and they we're men ceremoni-
ally clean. We must be clean in heart and
life if we would be of use to our Lord against
evil and evildoers. AS to keeping His holy
day be sure that our own ways or pleasure
or words are not in order on that day, but
the whole day is for Him and Him only lisa.
lviii., 13, A.. See how Nehemiah, after all
his efforts in the service of God, takes refuge
in the mercy of God. By grace are we
saved, in grace we stand, and 1t Is grace
that snail be brought unto us at the reyela'
ton of Jesus Christ. Salvation from begin
ming to end is all of grace, but for our works
we shall be rewarded if done unto Him
Eph. IL, 8, 10; Rom. iv., 5; xiv, 10; Cor
ill.,, Ills. Lesson Helper.
A COLLEGE BURNED.