Evening journal., 1910-04-30

violate any feature OF a. He was obli-
gated to keen the letter OF Il in a sense
and degree which he has not commanded
us, His followers. 1t is ours merely 20
keep the spirit OF It. Hence II we were
living In Palestine neither the Seventh
Day nor any other particular day Of 'he
week would be obligatory upon us But
it would be our pleasure TO maintain the
spirit of the Jewish Law. Acting along
the lines OF this liberty. the early Church
began TO meet on the First Day OF tho
week. because 1t was on that day that
their Redeemer arose from the dead. on
that day He appeared to some in the
upper room and TO two on the way to
Emmaus and TO Mary. and subsequently
10 others Of the diciples near the tomb.
These four manifestations Of the Lords
resurrection marked that day in a special
sense as a holy day TO the early Church.
They waited during an ontire week and
then again He appeared on the first Gay
of the week. Indeed, so far as we may
know, all Of His eight appearances to his
followers after His resurrection. were on
the first day OF the week. No wonder
then it became known 10 them as the
Lords Day. No wonder il they specially
associated with that Day all tho blessings
J VI AfRu anu a. AhHA VI AnANn MAANh AeAhN
to them through the Redeemer. Quite
probably those who lived in Jewish com.
muniues would continue to observe the
Seventh Day also, because its general OBJ
servance would make this a necessity
But the First Day Of the week became th'
general time for the Lords followers {,
assemble themselves and TO partake Of ;
simple meal called breaking OF bread mo
the Lords supper I'm commemoration o
the fact that on the day of His resurrec
ton Jesus manifested Himself to Ills fci
lowers in the breaking of bread.
But we are not to understand from thl
present study that the Master reprove'
the Jews for keeping the Seventh Day
which was their duty. His reproofs at
. tach to certain extremes. The Pharisee
exaggerated some features and entirel.
overestimated other features of the Law
, In their theory there was no harm Ia eat
ing the corn on the Sabbath Day, but &
pull an ear Of it they Construed to b
reaping. And TO rub it out OF the chat
, they considered to be threshing and win
moving Similarly, TO scratch or look 70
, a flea was estimated TO be hunting, an
T thus Gods reasonable Law was made Z
3 appear absurd. II was such absurditie
only that Jesus comhatted He Shove
that one had a right to satisfy his hun
ger and cited a case where the Prophe
David had done so without blame II
s cited also the fact that the priests la
bored on the Sabbath Day without bam'
: He explained that God was desirous q
I seeing in His creatures the quality q
G mercy towards one another, rather tina
Z merely the sacrificing OF their comforts
, Had they recognized this Truth the,
s would not have round fault with tn
e Apostles.
Then as though 10 demonstrate His pC
a sition lie healed a man who had viii
. cred hand also demonstrating by Fl
3D. miracle that He had the Divine favor an
f that His teaching on the subject ne
g this evidence OF its truthfulneHs. II
a pointed out the inconsistency If His cri
/. les. saying that since they would relie'
II one Of there brute beasts. IL he fell in
I a pit on the Sabbath, they would 81
f. therefore. how illogical was their poi
l- ton I'm objecting TO His performing cur
-e of human Ills on the Sabbath Day. b
e the evil heart is not smenable to reaso
The very fact that He demonstrated II
Is teachings to be superior 10 theirs excite
h. 1.-THE Pharisees to envy. malice, hatred az
n the very spirit Of murder. Thus thu
u evidenced that they lacked the quality
mercy. love. which God would special
approve. and without whicn we cannot
His children. Sacrifice is right in
place but mercy more particularly ind
Gates the acceptable condition Of the heal
Quite probably Jesus did so many Of II
miracles on the Sabbath Day as type
as a prophetlcal picture Of the great IA
tht the antitypical day, the great Sabba
Day. will be the Seventh Thousand Nei
lperiod. the Millennium.