THE SABBATH IN THE NEW EARTH.
By Roswell F. Cottrell
It will be a delight; the holy of the Lord. It will be honorable. All flesh—the whole host of the redeemed—will delight to honor their Creator and Redeemer by assembling for grateful worship and praise on each returning seventh-day. None will wish to be excused, and therefore no excuses will be framed. No one will have any difficulty in finding the day. No one will say it is impossible to keep the Sabbath on a round and revolving earth. No one will wish to be absent from the general assembly; but on the contrary their language will resemble that of the sweet singer of Israel: “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem!” None will be late. “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee.” None will need to be absent. Home cares will not require it. All will be right at home. No sick ones that cannot go, or to require the care of others. There will be “no breaking in, nor going out.” No wicked neighbors, nor strolling thieves, will enter and steal. No; there will be none that will choose their own way in preference to the way of the Lord. A wicked man will not be found. All the wicked will have had their part in the lake of fire. And there will be no disagreement in regard to the day. All will be satisfied with the one that God has appointed, and will not wish to choose another. All will go to meeting. None will be absent from the holy convocation. Jesus will be there, and all will delight to be in his presence. Abel and Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, David and all the righteous kings of Israel, Isaiah and all the holy prophets, Peter, and John, and James, and Paul, and all the apostles and martyrs, and all of our families and friends who now sleep in Jesus, will be there. There the first Adam will bow at the feet of the Second, adoring Him, because He has restored the lost family, which he now beholds in immortality. No more curse! Glory to God and the Lamb! No, no! none will be deprived of, nor wish to be excused from, that holy convocation. The theme will ever be new and glorious. None will think, as now, that “it is difficult to say new and entertaining things fifty-two times a year about seventh-day observance.” The hearts of all will glow with love and gratitude to their Creator and Redeemer. Creation and redemption will furnish an ever new and glorious theme. Oh, I want to be there. Do not you, my brother, my sister, my friend? The New Jerusalem is a holy place. Nothing will enter there that defileth, or that loveth or maketh a lie; but they that are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Is your name there? Is my worthless name there? There remains one short, preparing hour. Mercy still lingers; Jesus pleads. He pleads before the throne of his Father. He pleads with us. He stands at the door and knocks. Will we let him come in and sup with us, and then go to sup with him in his kingdom, at the marriage supper? Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! Shall we be called, or shall we excuse ourselves? Now is the time for us to choose whether we will go up to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, to celebrate his Sabbaths and keep the feast of tabernacles. We can now choose to go up and escape the impending plagues. Oh, let us get ready. Let us have a part in the new earth, and be present at the weekly and monthly convocations in the New Jerusalem. Blessed be God for the hope. And it will be forever. “The new heavens and the new earth shall REMAIN.” “So shall your seed and your name remain.” Oh, glorious hope! Oh, blessed abode! The eternal theme will be ever new and glorious.