Isaiah lviii, 13, 14 by E. G. Stevenson

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 17, 1866

By E. G. Stevenson

"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; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; 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; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." How apt are persons when they first enlist in the army of the Lord, to think that by refraining from labor and all servile work on the Sabbath day, they are thereby keeping the Sabbath.

This is a mistake. We are to do more than merely refrain from labor; we are to make the Sabbath a delight unto us, not doing our own ways. To attend to any kind of business, or to go to our place of business on the Sabbath, would certainly be doing our own ways.

Again, we are not to find our own pleasure. There are many things which look small to us, but which in the sight of the Lord it would be finding our own pleasure to do. To cook a spicy meal on the Sabbath, to please and gratify the appetite, to receive the company of our neighbors, and to enjoy a visit with them, would be finding our pleasure, and so come under this head.

Again, we are not to speak our own words. Can we be connected with any of the above without more or less speaking our own words? Can we attend our place of business and keep our minds continually dwelling on things in Heaven? Can we receive company who are of the world and keep our minds on proper objects?

The design of God in setting apart a sacred or holy day was, that we should consecrate ourselves before him; and to keep our minds and affections all centered upon the one great object, which is Christ Jesus; not to be thinking and meditating on things which pertain to this life? They are vanity, and will fade away.

Our conversation should be seasoned with grace. Says the apostle Paul, "For our conversation is in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." Phil. iii, 20. The apostle here shows us that our minds should not dwell on things below; for what the mind dwells upon, that we should be most likely to talk about, and thus be speaking our own words. But during the holy, sacred hours, we should meditate upon God's mercy, and tender compassion toward us, and about the matchless love of the blessed Jesus, remembering that all our words, deeds, actions, thoughts, and ways, are being set down by the recording angel. Therefore, dear brethren and sisters, let us so live that when he returns each day, his record may be good.

E. G. STEVENSON.

Chicago, Ill.

Isaiah lviii, 13, 14.