The Sabbath by J. H. Waggoner

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 20, 1866

The Sabbath.

By J. H. Waggoner

A SHORT SERMON ON THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.

BY J. H. WAGGONER.

THE wording of this commandment is peculiar; it is the only one which commences with the word remember. It has been thence argued that (1) it is more likely to be forgotten than the other commandments, and (2) that it is especially important to remember it. That these ideas necessarily attach to the language, we shall not urge; but we know it to be a fact that it is very much forgotten. Men do not steal or kill because they forget that it is wrong. The profane swearer, perhaps, comes nearest to the Sabbath-breaker in this respect. The frequency of the crimes seems to destroy sensibility, and efface, almost, the knowledge of right and wrong.

When we hear in mind that God says "the seventh-day is the Sabbath," and see almost the entire world keeping another day which is not the Sabbath—which God never required men to keep, we are struck with the fact that the world has almost forgotten the Sabbath-day. They do not merely neglect it; it is not carelessness

or indifference; it is forgetfulness. Their ignorance of this truth, could scarcely be greater if the Bible never contained it, or God had never spoken it.

But this commandment is not fulfilled by merely remembering the Sabbath-day. The essential part of the commandment, the object for which the Sabbath-day is to be remembered, is "to keep it holy." But here it is objected by those who keep another day, that the object of the law is accomplished by keeping first-day holy. But to this we reply; it cannot be kept holy, until it first be made holy. God hallowed and sanctified the seventh-day; therefore the commandment comes with reason to keep it holy—to preserve those relations which he ordained and established: but to profess to keep the first-day holy, when it never was made holy, is to profess to preserve relations which were never established, which is only absurd.

Says the Lord, "Ye shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy unto you." Ex. xxxi, 14. Some would evade the force of this divine declaration, by making it a profane day, and then saying it is not holy to them; but there is a declaration in verse 15, which no sophistry can evade: it is "holy to the Lord." However man may profane the day, and disregard its sanctity, there stands this heaven-born truth, it is holy to the Lord. And here we might appeal to those who keep the first-day: how can you be in harmony with Heaven, while God says the seventh-day is holy to him, and you say the first-day is holy to you? Truly, this is an institution bringing Heaven and earth in harmony, and, when observed as God ordained, insuring communion and fellowship with the Creator. That such an institution—so honored of Heaven, should be scorned and despised of men, is an evidence of the perversity of human nature; of the hardness of the human heart.

The importance of the Sabbath as an institution, is further shown, in that God has established it as a sign of his power: a commemorative sign, whereby we may know and remember the true God—the Creator of Heaven and earth. This is an honor which God himself has placed upon the seventh-day:—an honor which belongs to no other. And as it is thus highly esteemed of God, so should it be regarded as precious to them to whom it is said, "it is a sign . . . that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you." In this text we cannot allow that the term sanctify is used in any subordinate sense: as indicating any thing less than the holiness and sanctity required in the New Testament. When the Lord gave the commandments, he said they would be a holy people if they kept them: and again he said, "Be ye holy for I am holy." Peter enforces holiness upon the church of Christ, by the authority of this same scripture; hence, the moral character—the sanctity of the two testaments is the same, even as the character and attributes of God are the same, and unchangeable, for his holiness is both the model and reason for which the injunction is enforced in the above scripture.

We make these remarks because it has been contended there was no spiritual worship in the observance of the Sabbath; that it was suited to the condition of a carnal people. The text above quoted is quite sufficient to meet this objection. But we go further and urge that the carnally-minded, the unconverted, cannot keep the Sabbath. It was "made for man" in his innocency, and would have been observed according to its original design and use, if man had never sinned. Even as it will yet be observed by the holy and redeemed, when all flesh shall worship Jehovah from one Sabbath to another. The Sabbath commandment is a part of that law of God, which Paul says the carnal mind is not, and cannot be subject to. It cannot be a sign of the sanctification of the carnal mind; that would be a sign of sanctification to the unsanctified.

Akin to this objection, is the remark frequently made, that the Sabbath was a sign between the Jews and Gentiles, to keep the Jews a distinct and separate people. The Lord did not speak thus; he said, "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth."

It is a fact worthy of note, that when the fourth commandment is read, the name of Jehovah is often dropped, and "the Jews" substituted for it; thus making it read: "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Jews," or the Jewish Sabbath, instead of, "the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." It can be no small offense to change the name of the "one Lawgiver," from his own law, and substitute for it a name of dishonor—a title of reproach. But when we turn to Ex. xxxi, 17, we find there the names of the Lord and of Israel both connected with the Sabbath as a sign. What can now be done to dishonor the Sabbath, and destroy the force of the truth respecting it? To substitute the Jew for the Lord would make a tautology too glaring to escape observation. But the carnal mind, which is enmity against God and his law, is full of expedients. The name of the Lord is again struck out, and "the Gentiles" put in its place. It seems to make no matter to the opposer what term is inserted, if the name of the Lord is only taken away. With such a state of things before us, it is not surprising that Isa. xxx, 8-11 has been thought to have its fulfillment in these times. "Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the latter day, forever and ever; that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord, which say to the seers, See not, and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things; speak unto us smooth things; prophesy deceits. Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to come from before us."

It has been remarked that the primary and essential object of law is the good of the governed. This is designedly to evade the obligation of the Sabbath, by urging therefore, that it need not be kept if it cannot be shown to be for our good: or, in other words, that we are to judge of its utility under any particular circumstance, and act accordingly. But this statement contains error worthy of examination:

1. This position constitutes us as "judges of the law," instead of "doers of the law." 2. If the subject has the privilege of judging of the advisability of obeying the law, all government is at once destroyed. Anarchy and confusion is the sure result. 3. The statement can be even partially true, only in a republican government where the power is in the people, who cause such laws to be made as they judge will be for their own interests. But in the government of God it is ordered, and wisely ordered, otherwise. The subjects of God's government, as a mass, are too ignorant and too capricious to be able to judge correctly of the utility of laws. And besides this, the first great idea inculcated in all law, and in all revelation is the glory of God. That God has placed his own glory before man's good, or man's salvation, is shown in that we shall be saved only if we glorify him. Had he made man's good the paramount object, he would have ordered that man should be saved even though he dishonored God, which is not the case. The Saviour declared that love to God was "the first great commandment," and love to man secondary to that. In this we see the error of considering the gospel plan as a means of human salvation merely, without respect to the effect it may have on the administration of God's government, or the glory of his name. Doubtless the holy angels correctly understood this subject, when they announced the birth of the Saviour, saying, Glory to God in the highest; on earth, peace and good will to men.

But without further comments on this point, we claim the great importance of the Sabbatic institution in that all the objects of God's government meet in it. We may infer this of any or all of his requirements, but in regard to the Sabbath we have specific scripture declarations on the subject. We can conceive of no manifestation of divine power, no dispensation of Providence, no revelation of divine will, but tends to these great objects: the glory of God, and the good of his creatures. What does the word of the Lord say on this subject? "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable [not the old Jewish Sabbath]; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words."

Here we see that, to call the Sabbath a delight, to esteem it as honorable, and to keep it holy, is to honor God. Connected with this is the promise: "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father," i. e. the inheritance of Israel. Man may reject the testimony, disregard the promise, or deny the truth; but for our assurance and consolation it is added, "for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." On the contrary who is honored by the observance of Sunday? Whose mouth has spoken words of promise to them that keep it? "What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord."

With the law of God plainly enforcing the observance of the Sabbath; with the precious promises to the obedient; with all the weighty considerations in God's word, before us, we may rest content in doing God's will, though it bring the reproach and scorn of the world. They may accuse us, as they often do, of thinking too much of the Sabbath; of exalting it out of its place; but the fault is with themselves in degrading it below the level of the other commandments, and taking from it that honor which the Lord placed upon it. And if we often speak of its joys, its benefits, and call it a delight, and rejoice that we have been made acquainted with its claims, and brought to enjoy its hallowed influence, have we not a warrant in our Saviour's words? He said, the woman having the ten pieces of silver, if she lose one, would seek it with care, and when it was found, would call her neighbors to rejoice with her over the finding of that one. And the man having a hundred sheep, when one went astray, would leave the ninety and nine to seek that one, and when he found it, would rejoice more over it than over the ninety and nine that went not astray. Modern objectors would no doubt have considered them unwise, and tendered them the advice to be content with the greater quantity remaining, and not make so much ado about one that was lost, and found. But so we rejoice over God's precious truth, long since cast down to the ground by the Man of Sin, covered up under the dust and rubbish of tradition, forgotten by the world, but again revealed to our sight by the third angel's message. Precious message! How many hallowed associations cluster around it. Founded upon the broad basis of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. How solemn its warnings! How cheering the prospect it opens to our sight, of the soon coming of the blessed Saviour; pointing on to the heavenly city through whose pearly gates the commandment-keepers shall enter.

May we all so keep the commandments, through faith in Christ, as to meet in that city when Jesus comes and takes his ransomed ones home.