The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-06-07

Jewish people even to the minutest de-
tail.
Now we have in the New Tesla
nent abundant evidence that in and
through the death Of Christ were abol-
ished all the typical and ceremonial in
situations and ordinances Of the Pa
triarchal and Jewish ages. See Rom.
7:1-6; Gal 3:19-25; Heb S:1-13, etc.
And Paul says in Col. 2;16-1T, Let no
man Judge you therefore in meat or
in drink. or in respect to feast, or the
new moon, or Sabbaths: which things
are a shadow of the things to come;
but the substance is in Christ"
But that one day in seven should be
sanctified wholly to the Lord may be
fairly and legitimately inferred from
the common physical intellectual,
moral, social and religious wants of
mankind. THE Sabbath" says Christ.
! was made for man" OF course then
he needed il. If he needed IL in Eden
and during the Patriarchal and Jewish
ages, does he not need it still? Does
not the proper cultivation of his whole
moral and religious nature require the
sanctifying influence of q stated day
Of sacred rest as much now as 1t did
then?
This question is answered in the af-
flramtive by the light and facts of all
! history. Indeed we may challenge the
world to produce an instance of a
CHURCH OF a community OlSJlIlB ulSlSu
for their virtue and piety who have
lived in habitual neglect Of a Sabbath
of one day in seven consecrated to
the service and worship of God.
Strange would 1t be, indeed, II an in
stitution like Christianity, gracious
and benevolent in all its provisions,
| and designed especially for the moral
and spiritual improvement Of man
kind, there were no Sabbath; no por-
ton of time sanctifled to the Lord
| The omission of such an element
would serve to mar the character OF
the whole institution.
We infer, therefore, that the gospel
has a day Of rest as well as the law.
But on what day does it occur? Evil
| IDENTIFY on the first day of the week,
known as the Lords day. for the fol-
| lowing reasons:
/. On this day Christ rose from the
dead and thus brought life and i'm
| mortality to light. Surely this is
enough to constrain every man who
has a spark of love of God in his heart
to consecrate the day wholly to the
Lord For four thousand years previ-
Gus to this event Death had been VIC
torious. The long expected Deliverer
appeared at length in the Land of
Promise. He healed the sick, cleansed
| the lepers, cast out demons and raised
the dead. Death became alarmed, and
all the hosts of satan were sum-
! moned to the conflict Finally after a
protracted struggle the Prince of Life
the only hope of a fallen world, bowed
his head and expired on the cross.
Hope died, and all the expectations of
the righteous persisted.
But on the morning of the First day
what a contrast?
"A silent prisoner in the tomb 4
Our Great Redeemer lay,
| Till the revolving skies had brought
The third, the appointed day.
He'll and the grave unite their force
To hold our Lord in vain;
The sleeping Conqueror arose
And burst the mighty chain"
Need I say that on this event are
suspended all our hopes OF happiness
for time and eternity? IF Christ is
not risen then is your preaching vain
and your faith in vain. But now is
Christ risen from the dead and be-
come the first-fruit of them that
sleep"
Regarding the First day of the week
| merely as commemorative, and having
no other object than simply to cele-
brate the triumphs of the Prince of
Life, and our victories through him,
does any one calling himself a Chris
tan still ask for authority to sanctify
Lord? Tell it not in Mecca lest the
worshippers of the false Prophet re-
| joice. Publish it not to the world, lest
| those who celebrate the birthday of
| Paine, Hume and Voltaire triumph.
Tell it not to the American patriot,
whose heart with each and every ris-
| ing sun of the Fourth of July is carried
back to the scenes of seventy six lest
he reproach you with falsehood."
2. On the First day of the week il
! seems that Christ was want to meet
with his disciples, between the time of
his resurrection and ascension. At
least we have evidence of his meeting
with them on two successive First
days, under circumstances that seem
| to indicate that he intended, by his
| example, to honor and sanctify the
| day. Then the same day at evening
| being the first day of the week, when
| the doors were shut, where the dis
| Ciples were assembled for fear Of the
| Jews, came Jesus and stood in the
| midst and said unto them, Peace be
unto you. And after eight days again
| his disciples were within and Thomas
| with them. Then came Jesus, the
| doors being shut, and stood in the
| midst, and said, Peace be unto you"
Why were the disciples assembled to-
| gether on the first day of the week?
Why were the same things repeated
on the eighth day following, or the
| nrst day or the next week: To these
| questions enlightened reason gives but
| one answer: as God gave the world an
| example by resting on the seventh day.
so Christ has here left US an example
by meeting with his disciples and
blessing them on the day of his resur-
| rection-
3. On this day the Spirit came and
| the Apostles were miraculously quail
fed for the work of their mission. We
| learn that the descent of the Holy
| Spirit was on the day Of Pentecost
and that Pentecost always came on
the first day Of the week.
5. On this day the church began
and believers were for the first time
baptized by the authority of Jesus
Christ, into the name of the father,
and Of the son, and of the holy spirit.
Acts PILLS. This event is second in
| importance only to the resurrection of
Christ and the gift Of the Holy Spirit
| Surely, then, positive command to
sanctify such a day as this would be
| wholly superfiuous.
5. On this day the prirnative
Christians were wont to meet togeth-
er for the purpose Of attending to the