Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-24
SEVENTH DAYISM.
DR.. Barrett's Sermon at Chris
tian Memorial Temple.
Bibio Proof for the Change of tho Day from
the Seventh to tho First Day of tho
Week Sunday the Christians Sabbath.

Memorial Temple Sunday night:
Text: I'm the end of the Sabbath, as
it began to dawn toward the first day
of the week, came Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary to see the sepulchre."-i
Matt. 2S:1.
The Jewish Sabbath began with the
ending of the creative period, and 1t
ended with the beginning of the Chris
tian era. Gen. 2:2, 3. together with
Matt. ISL. clearly show the facts. Matt
ISL, also shows the beginning of the
nrst day Sabbath. Here much contro-
Versy has arisen. but the Scriptures set
tie two important points:
l. The-setenth day was the Sabbath
OF the Law Dispensdtion.
2 The first day OF the week Is the
Sabbath of the Christian Dispcnsat;on.
me nrSt proposition is unquestion-
ABLY correct, and the second seems TOO
easy TO ADMIT of serious difficulty
.. THESE two points being established
me third fact follows: The Sabbath
mas been transferred from the seventh
cay of the Mosaic week to the first uav
o. the Christian week
For this change there was a cause.
and if SO. the authority for the same
should be at hand. To produce this au-
thority 1T is the pleasant task of this
occasion. May God help me to show
the truth without prejudice to any sect,
seeking only to glority Him therein.
4. Let us study the scriptural author
ity for this change in the day. The
text furnishes that authority This is
not so clear from the English transla-
ton, but in the Greek 1t is very clear.
The English reads: In the end of the
Sabbath. as it began to dawn toward
the lrst day of the week" In the Greek
1t reads thus: In the end of the Sab
path, as 1t began to dawn toward the
nrst day Sabbath" so making a plain
dictinction between the seventh day
Sabbath and the first day Sabbath To
show the truth of this idea, l need only
TO point out the fact that the Greek
word translated week. in the last part
of that sentence. is the very same word
in the Greek as that translated Sab
bath In the first part of the text If
it should be translated Sabbath in the
first part why not in the last? So cor
rectly translated the text would read:
In the end of the Sabbath, as It be-
gan to dawn toward the first day Sab
bath, ETC."
1t Is true. 1t Is said. that this word
'Sabbathon" In the Greek also means
week" but as n matter OF fact it is
not SO used in the New Testament, and
is never applied to any other day of the
week.
Much stress is laid By our seventh
day Sabbath friends upon the fact that
the law entoins the keeping OF the sew
enth day. That Is true. but they forget
that the law has been done away; that
1t now has no more authority over the
Christian than has dead man over his
living widow. (See Rom. 7:1-4.) Then
may we disregard the truth taught us
In the law? Not at all. Christ is the
end OF the law to every one that be-
lieves. and He is our great example We
copy in our daily conduct not after the
law. but after Christ. and He embodles
all moral truth, but He showed in his
own conduct that the seventh day Sab
bath had been abroEated for He vio-
lated 1t himself. and on this account
the seventh day people sought to kill
Him.
(See John 5:1S.) Again He dlsregarded
the the teachings of the seventh day
the cornfields, allowing his disciples to
pluck the corn. (See Matt. 12:1-S.) So
Jesus not only authorized the change in
the day, but He himself disregarded the
observance of the seventh day.
5. If this change Is scriptural, then
there was a reason for it. Now, what Is
that reason. and what is the difference
IN the TWO days?
"In the seventh day Sabbath" as Mr..
Torrey observes. rest is the predomi-
mating idea" One Is the rest after
labor. and the other Is the activity of
in the resurrection.
g. Let US charitably look into the folly
of the claims of the seventh day Sab
bath people.
The keeping of the seventh day as the
Sabbath seems to be with them about
the biggest thing in their religious life.
The keeping of the dead law of the sew
enth day is the sum of all righteous
ness and the breaking of it Is the sum
OF all wickedness. The seventh day peo-
pie of the time In which Jesus lived
doomed him because he broke the dead
law of the Sabbath. This Is human
righteousness, for their doom" had no
power over Jesus.
IL they meant to keep the Sabbath,
they must keep it under the regulations
OF the law, and the law provided that
the seventh day. Exod. 1929.
Again, If they are going to keep the
Sabbath OF the Jews, why do they
stop short of keeping 1t fully? Why
not keep the Sabbath OF the seventh
year as commanded in Lev. 25:1-S? If
they really are in earnest about the
keeping of the day. why do they kindle
any fire in their habitations on the Sab
bath? The law forbids it. Exod. 35:1-3.
If they are right Christians could not
live in cold countries. as they would
freeze to death.
Another remarkable fact Is this: The
truth of every one of the command
ments is reaffirmed in the New Tesla
mcnt by the spirit OF God. except the
! one to keep the seventh day. and that is
not even limited at. SO far as my knowl-
edge goes. If they are right. and we
ought to keep the seventh day because
the law commanded it. so ought they
to practice circumcision because 1t Is
commanded In the law. Gen. 17:1-14.