Evening journal., 1912-04-13

That tho Bible teaches some inn
portant lesson respecting the Sabbath
is undlsputed, but what that lesson
is is much disputed. The fourth
commandment OF the Decalogue re-
fers to the seventh day and requires
its observance as day OF rest, and
no more The Ten Commandments
as a whole were the basis OF the Law
Covenant, compulsory upon every
jew The Jew keeping all of those
commandments was promised ever
lasting life Failure to keep them
all condemned him afresh There
can be no doubt on this point.
However, in our Lords time Jewish
religionists had become to a consider
able degree Journalists. aud greater
stress was laid upon the literal com
mandments than on their real spirit.
Jesus reproved this on several oc-
casions. saying to the Doctors Of the
Law, You bind heavy burdens upon
the people" For instance, to hunt
for a flea on the Sabbath was con-
strued 10 be a violation of the fourth
commandment, a breaking of the Sab
bath. for II was claimed that the man
was hunting as truly as though 1t
we're a buffalo or a lion
Similarly. as mentioned in this les
son. fault Was found with our Lords
disciples because, passing through
wheat field. they rubbed out some OF
the grains I'm their hands and ate
them. This was construed as
violation of the Sabbath because lt
was threshing. winnowing, whether
the amount was small or great. Jesus
did not violate the Sabbath ordinance
nor teach men so. He was Jew
and bound TO keep the Sabbath law
to the full. He did object to such
nonsensical misinterpretation as we
have mentioned.
Jesus was Lord Of the Sabbath, and
had right to explain its true inn
port
Later lie went into the synagogue
where there was a man who had n
withered hand, and they watched Him
to see il He woIld heal him on the
Sabbath day. that they might accuse
Him. The Savior was grieved and
angry with a righteous indignation
that men should so seriously mistake
and misrepresent the Divine arrange
ment He healed the man
Lord OF the Sabbath.
No commandment was given by
Jesus of the Apostles to the Church
respecting the Sabbath day The early
Church evidently did observe the Jew
ish seventh day in many places, and
I'm some places the first day of the
week, the Anniversary OF four Lords
resurrection; and sometimes they OBJ
served both OF these days. But their
observance was not that of Law or
command, for the Apostle wrote, ''Ye
are under Law, but under grace.
They had the privileg OF keeping
either or both Of those days sacred to
the Lord resting from earthly affairs
and giving themselves peculiarly TO
spiritual matters.
So with us today. We are glad that
one day in the week is so generally
observed as a day Of rest, a Sabbath
Sabbath day signifies rest day. We
are glad that the day so generally
set apart is the first day of the week,
because it so beautifully commemor-
ates the Christians hopes, attested by
our Lords resurrection from the dead
on that day. And IL Gods people had
two Sabbaths. or seven of them in the
week. we believe they would have that
much more OF blessing
Instead to the Christian, every day
is Sabbath, every day should be used
as holy to the Lord, and nothing
should at any time be done contrary
to the Divine will or the principles o
Divine government Jesus declara
: tion that He was Lord of the Sabbath
: reminds us afresh of ST. Paul's de
claration that God the Father reste'
from His own work entirely 70
Jesus to do. The Seventh Day OF Je
hoyah's rest was one Of the grea
5 Days of the Creative Week, each sevei
4 thousand years long. Six Of thes
great Days had passed and mems ere
@ alton was in the end of the sixth.
l. Having established His human SO
/? I'm Eden, as the god or ruler of III
4? earth, Jehovah rested or ceased fror
?. His work during the Seventh Day, @
n seventh period of seven thousan
years. Six thousand years of thi
seventh period have already passe
and Jehovah God has rested, cease
from His work-He has not inte
a fered to assist man OF lift him out
: sin and degradation. Another tho'
\ sand years Of the seven remains, b'