Untitled article by Dudley Marvin Canright

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · July 23, 1867

ABRAHAM A SABBATH-KEEPER.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

DID Abraham keep the Sabbath? He did. God worked six days and rested on the seventh. He then “blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” To sanctify is to set apart for a sacred use. Thus we see that God set apart the Sabbath in the garden of Eden, and thus it became a part of his law to observe that day. In confirmation of this fact, we find that the command to keep the seventh day was a part of God’s law before the ten commandments were given on Sinai. Then said the Lord unto Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you;” and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or no.” Ex. xvi, 4. Here the Lord will test them whether or not they will keep his law. How does he do it? He rains bread from heaven for them. But “it came to pass that there went out some of the people on the seventh day to gather, and they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?” Vs. 27, 28.

By this we see that, 1, God had a law, and 2, The Sabbath was a part of that law. Hence, whoever did not keep the seventh day, did not keep his law and his commandments.

But of Abraham, I read thus: “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Gen. xxvi, 5.

Then according to the above testimony he must have kept the Sabbath. I see not how this can be consistently denied. Abraham was a Sabbath-keeper. D. M. CANRIGHT.