The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-02-06
ECCLESIASTICAL COLUMN.
Rev. j. w. Butler, pastor st. Marks Ev.
Lutheran Church, Editor.
Sabbath Observance.

known to every one that has read
the first three verses of the second
chapter of Genesis, or learned to re-
peat the third commandment.
Revelation, history, reason and
experience all teach us that the
Sabbath is diyine institution: and
if divinely instituted. its observance
is as obligatory as any of Gods Or
dinances and commands.
Hear what God says to us upon
the subject in the book Of Gen. IL.
l, 2, 3.-Thus the heavens and the
earth were finished, and all the host
of them. 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 sew
eth f dag -S sit; s.afifctlned it; because
that IN it He had rested from all
His work which God created and
made"
This institution, thus appointed
at the creation, God designed to be
law, ard right, and blessing to
mankind in all time: and he would
have us prize it as a day to us of
physical rest and spiritual refresh
ment and invigoration.
In passing from the patriarchial
to the Jewish dispenSation, we find
that this aboriginal holy day was
not superseded, but was retained
with additional tokens of respect.
AS we hear the voice of Almighty
God giving forth the Law of the
Decalogue from Sinax, one of the
utterances is, Remember the Sab
bath day to keep it holy. Six days
shalt thou labor and do all thy
work; but the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it
thou shall not do any work, thou,
nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy
man servant, nor thy maid servant,
nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that
is within thy gates; for in six days
the Lord made heaven and earth,
the seas and all that in them is,
and rested the seventh day: Where
fore the Lord blessed the Sabbath
day and hallowed it.
"This Decalogue was not code
prescribed to the Jews only, to be
abrogated as other laws of Moses,
but is an abridgment Of the duties
of the human family in all places
and at all times"
Christ taught on various occa-
sions that Christians are obligated
to the Decalogue, as in his CONVEX
sation with the young rich man.
The apostles also recognized the
permanent continuance of the ten
commandments. Paul in Romans
gives expression to this truth.
James also writes in his epistle,
"whosoever shall keep the whole
law, and yet offend in one point, he
is guilty of all. This principle YER
lfies this statement, 'Hc that said,
honor thy parents, said also, re-
member the Sabbath day to keep it
holy. Now if thou do no dishonor
to thy parents, yet if thou profane
the Sabbath, thou art become a
transgressor of the law
When we contemplate the sacred
day in all its holy influences, its
physical and intellectual adapta-
tons, its economic and domestic
benefits, its moral and religious eff
fects, in short, its every influence
upon the responsibility and happi-
=. ness of individuals and nations,
does it not present itself to our rea-
son in the fairest light as a divine
institution, designed to be observed
by all people, through all time.
Among the Jews the law of the
Sabbath was strictly complied with.
"It was their custom to make prep
aration for the Sabbath. towards
the close of the sixth day. MARK
AVe42,) On that day they would
cease from labor at the time of the
evening sacrifice; and from that
hour till the sun went down, all
busted themselves in getting ready
for that holy season. Cooking was