The Progress., 1893-02-25
SABBATH KEEPING.
LESSON x, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 5.

Te.t of the Lesson, Neh. Kill, 15-es- Men'
orv Verses, II, 1S-Golden Text ht
s-Commentary by the Rev. d. Nj
Stearns.
This cbapter gives an account of the dis
cipline of Nehemiah in separating IRON
Israel the mixed multitude, and In cleans
inc, Israel from all strangers with whom
they had become entangled by marriage
verses 3. 90 1t tells also of the discipline
in reference to Sabbath desecration, which
is our special lesson for the day; but before
taking this up consider the dangers of be
ing entangled and hindered by mixed
multitude. When Israel left Egypt com
panv of that kind went with them, and
caused them much trouble lex. xii, IS
Mum. XII, a. Much trouble in the church
today arises from the people who are hall
and half-the worldly church members
who are neither one thing nor the other.
If any think that the restoration under
Zerubbabel and the reformation OF Ezra
and Nehemiah fulfilled the prophecies con
cerning restoration, let them compare lsa.
xiv, 1-3, with Neh. tx, 50, 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 he honest enough
to believe what is written, and they will
surely see that the Lord Himself must
| come for Isracl's restoration and TO intro
duce the millennial age (Is. eli, lG: Acts
! iii, l9-2D.
! 15 lin those day saw in Judah some
treading wine presses on the Sabbath.
| Then lac enumerates their other deeds OF
| Sabbath breaking and says that he tcsti-
! fled against them. The Sabbath was insti
tuteI in Eden before ever sin entered this
world, and when God wrote with His finger
the Ten Commandments on two tablets Of
stone lie 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.
16. There dwelt men of Tyre also, who
sold on the Sabbath unto the children of
Judah, and in Jerusalem" God gives
lis laws to His children because they are
His children. lie 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 be
ing saved through Jesus Christ, who is the
end of the law for righteousness to every
one that believeth, it is then, and only
then, that the righteousness of the law
can be fulfilled in US who walk not after
the flesh, but after the Spirit (Rom. iii, 90,
"a y, 4; viii, a. 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 he no trade with
no buyers, and unless the people Of Jeru-
salem had bought the men of Tyre had
not sold.
II. "Then ! contcnIed with the mobiles of
Judah and said unto them. What evil
thing is this that ye do and pro:ane the
Sabbath day." In verse II we read that
He contended with them because they had
forsaken the house Of God. The house Of
God was Israel's center, and the laws OF
God their especial delight, il they were
Israelites indeed; but they were prone to
forsake His house and despise His word
Oil Chron. xXXvi, l6), and for his thcywent
to Babylon. Now that they have returned
from captivity and left their idols their
hearts still wander from God ami 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, I4).
1S Did not our fathers thusS Yet ve
bring more wrath upon Israel by profanin,
the Sabbath" Although judgment had
overtaken their fathers, yet hey continue
IN the same sins, for not until the Ethio
plan can change his skin and the leopard
his spots can those do good who are accus
toned to do evil DER. xiii, 23). IAN empty
man will get understanding when "A wild
ass colt Is born man" dob Xi, 12, r V
margin). Nothing will make man what
ne ought TO be, but a new heart. "A birth
from above, and this is new creation ac-
complished by the word and the sprit of
GOd. IL IS the gift of God Ezek. xxxvi
2ol, and nothing can deprive one of it but
refusal to receive
~ AND some OF my servants set nj ,
the gates, that there should be no burden
brought In on the Sabbath day" There is /
such thing Ms compelling law breakers Ia |
DE Obedlent, and If our city rulers had the |
spirit OF Nehemiah there would not be the /
SaDDath desecratiOn which is increasingly /
ana alarmlngly prevalent in all our cities
uod Will mold our rulers responsible foraIl |
that they can prevent of evil and do not
but 10 he personal, there are such com
mands as these for believers 81 let ne law
'tslue every weight and the sin which doth /
SO easily beset us." Let us cleanse our-
serves from all flthiness o. the flesh and
spirit. Put off the old man. with his
leeds (Heb. xii, /; III Cor. vii. /; Col iii
y. And these we are bound to obey If we
would know in our daily life anything Of
One meaning OF true Sabbath rest
~; % the merchants and sellers of ALI
kind OF ware lodged without Jerusalem
once or twice The perseverance of tho
ioers oil evil ought to put to shame the fol-
lowers OF Jesus. Those who desire To do
way wlth the Sabbath are ofttimes more
united and persevering than those who
bear the name of Jesus and ought IN st,nd
for His holy day. Oh, to be filed with
the Spirit of God and have at heart tbe ini
terests of His kingdomi I'll
Il. From that time forth came tbev no
more -Sore ON sne sabbath" He testified against
mem and threatened to lay hands on them.
hen they saw that he meant II and a.
sisted. We live in the Nineteenth centurv
- .ne most advanced period of the worlds
history, but where are the Nehemiabs anJ
IL