The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-09
PEOPLES FORUM
Sabbath Observance.
occasion.

Editor of The Richmond Virginian:
sir-Will you kindly give me a little space
in your excellent paper TO present a few thoughts
en- the Sabbath question? There many
who are almost persuaded" after hearing the
ture. that our Christian Sabbath. or Sunday, Is
the mark of the beast" and all who observe
1T will he lost; and to these l would address
this article
From Adam down to Moses. 2.513 years,
according to Bible chronology. God gave no
command to man to keep Sabbath. oh our
Adventist friends say. "he gave the law in
Eden"
Let us see The only command God gave TO
Adam that he should not eat the fruit of
one certain tree. To say any other command
was given is to add to the word Of God.
Moses. moro than 2,5o0 years after the Gre
alton. inspired by God. records the fact that
God rested the seventh day and halowed
IT." but says nothing of his commanding Adam
Ito observe 1t; and no command is recorded as
/ being given prior to b. C. 149i. Nothing Is
said of Abraham or the other patriarchs keep
ling Sabbath before Moses time. Paul speaks
! OF the gospel having been preached TO Abraham
| Gal 3: 81, and he blessed because he be-
iheved God. This counted unto him for
Righteousness"
| The law was not given to Abraham at all.
! Paul tells us it given 430 years after. 1t
was added because of transgression. not Of a
law that had not yet been given, but of that
which had been given.
/ This added law did not dsannul the cove
nant made with Abraham, for the promised
blessing not for keeping the law. but for
believing God.
The added" law was for specified time.
till the seed should come to whom the prom
ise applied. This was Christ tSee Gal. 8: 16,
ll9) This claw was schoolmaster." says
Paul, TO bring us Christ; after faith is come
no more under the schoomaster
The law given in a lower grade is not bind
ing under another teacher in a higher grade
unless adopted by that teacher. So Christ Is
10: ~ 1t ended in him because he fulfilled 1t.
ut belonged only to the covenant made with
Israel. and binding only for the length
of time 1t was given. Luke tells us: THE law
am he DrOphetS until John, Since that
time the kingdom of God is preached"
| Now the old schoomaster's work Is done
Christ, the King this Kingdom, makes a
new covenant and gives law which can De
universally obeyed in all its points, which the
old law Of the Sabbath could not be- He re
ttains all the principles of the old law that
could be universally obeyed but the Sabbath
law of the old covenant, which could not be
universally observed, Is not brought into this
new covenant at all.
The old Sabbath day of absolute rest
Instead he gives a day of worship.
r. After hts resurrection, ON the first day Of
the week he meets his disciples at the place he
had appointed. There they worshiped him.
This was the first Christian worship. The same
lday at evening. being the first day of th'
week" they had another meeting (John 20
I19. 1t was then "he breathed on them ant
said Receive ye the Holy Ghost +"
Now the next first day makes eight days ant
he meets with them again, and when 'Pentecos
WAS fu1ry come me pronfrsed Comforter. TN
new Teacher, was given.
Pentecost fftieth. Christ rose from
the dead the first day OF the week. He continued
ON the earth forty days and his disciples tar
ried till Pentecost, or the fftieth day, had come
There seven days in the week. Seven weeks
make forty-nne days; hence the fftieth day II
the first day of the week. The forty-ninth da.
Twas the Jews Sabbath. which was a day o
rest and Christ now hallows the first day ant
sanctified 1t the day of the new creation, whei
men were created anew in Christ Jesus From
that time it called the Lords day to dis
tinguish it from the Sabbath of the old cove
rant.
The priesthood now is changed. the old cove
, nant done away, and the covenant, (which
was according to the covenant made, will
their fathers in the day that took them b.
the hand to bring them out Of Egypt" (Jer. 81
81 49, 33), Is given. That covenant was tn
law given to Moses at Sinai (Heb. 8: s, l2), an.
Paul says II that first covenant had been fault
less there had been for the second
$50 there something wrong with this Hrs
lc.yenant. What was 1t, Paul? This old cove
: lnant, Paul says, "gendereth to bondage. Thel
. it could not be the law Of liberty mentione'
: by James
The second covenant. which Is the .gesp1