Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-07

Church last evening, taking for his
subject, THE Lords Day." In the
course of his remarks. the minister
pointed out with regret what he con-
sidered some of the abuses of the Sab
bath day and also spoke of how it
sAould be observed to be kept holy.
His text was according 70 Rev. i. 10:
81 was in the spirit of the Lord
Day." and he read a Scripture lesson
from Isaiah in connect-o-A with the
sermon. His sermon was in part as
follows:
Most of my hearers who are in any
degree familiar with the Scriptures
recognize the language of the text as
that of John the revelator before my
announcement of the book or author,
for it is the only expression of these
words in the Bible, although the day
TO which reference is made is ex-
pressed many times and in various
ways. John did not use this term to
establish a new doctrine or especially
confirm the faith of the Christians on
the Sabbath question. But in writing
the wonderful revelation of God to
him on the Isle of Pa mos, he merely
mentioned the day of its manifesto
ton. And it has been and is now, one
of the fundamental expressions of or
thodoxy and one of those most fire.
quently quoted by the fathers in their
writings on the change of the Sab
bath day or the adoption of the first
day of the week, as the day for rest
or worship.
Specific Day Mentioned.
John says it was on the Lords
day. and his language indicates taat
this was the first day OF the week or
Sunday and this was so well under
stood by all the Christians as to need
no explanation. For he wrote in the
first century and within the memory
of some possibly who had witnessed
personally the resurrection OF Jesus
and his six public manifestations TO
his disciples. And there were many
VINO were perfectly familiar with all
the facts of the crucifixion and the ev-
luence of Christ's personal appearance
after the honorS thereof. And Of the
facts connected with the substitute on
of the first day of the week for the
Jewish Sabbath by his followers 1t
was very natural for him to merely
name the day of his vision and that
properly the greatest day OF the week
to them and one in which the greatest
demonstrations of Gods love and pow
er had been or could be made to man.
1t was not the Sabbath of creation,
the day on which God ceased from the
foundation and adjustment of the
things visible and invisible Had
that been the day to which reference
was made, those who are troubled to
know whether those original days
meant twenty-four hours each or per-
iods of many or thousands of years
But as Christ came to fulfill the
law ana the symbols and ceremonies
thereof in His own body and by His
elevated teaching and universal doc
Erines, it was fitting tnat the day on
which this work was perfected should
become the first of ali days. 1t was
the practice of the Disciples from the
day of Christs appearing after the
resurrection on the first day of the
week to call it the Lords day and re-
spect it accordingly. And while the
more frequently used name, Sunday,
takes It's name from the natural
sun rather than from the Son of God,
yet there is in this name and in the
principle which prompted the sun
Worsnipers the idea of true and real
worship. For as the sun stands SUI
perior to all other bodies. so should
the Lords Day.
Proper Observance.
"Some disregard this day because
it is not the seventh day or that which
is believed to represent the original
Sabbath. These. should remember that
Christ and His Disciples observed the
Mosaic Sabbath until he had perfected
the requirements of the law by His
death and declared himself Lord of
the Sabbath. He was subject to the
law until he subjected all law to him
self.
Ii should be remembered that this
day is the Lords day and if this be
admitted, it is not mans day. The
Lord committed all that He created
to man as his steward with certain
reservations, chief of which was that
one-seventh o. the time ana tithes,
and the one is as obligating as the
other. The command to observe this
division of time was incorporated as
part of mans first co-e of laws and
the proportions are tie same to-day
as in the beginning.
AS it is the Lords Day no other can
dictate how it should be observed. His
first act was to make it holy day,
not a holiday. And God blessed the
seventh and sanctified it, or hallowed
it, His second act was 10 command
its observance, REMEMBER the Sab
bath day to keep it holy. Six days
shalt thou labor and do all thy work.
But the seventh day is re Sabbath
day of the Lord thy God, and in it
thou shalt not do any work, thou nor
they son, nor thy daughter, thy man
servant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy
cattle, nor the stranger lnat is within
ny gates And the third divine ac-
ton no this subject was the teaching
of Christ by both precept and exam
pie and that "a Apostles to the
time of the declaration of TIE text.
In these three periods o. Bible teach
ing may be found the en,lre founda-
tion of the Sabbat- doctrine and the
principles involved in each are the
same. gat es