The Sabbath and Divine Justice
GOD regards the non-observance of the Sabbath as a doubt of his ability and faithfulness to provide for those who obey him, or of his ability and justice to punish those who disobey him. He regards this as the greatest insult, and will not suffer the guilty to escape, though he may bear long with them. The children of Israel neglected to keep the Sabbatical year as God had commanded them. He bore with their disobedience four hundred and ninety years. But at last he told Jeremiah that he was going to bring in his whole bill, and that they should pay it at once, by seventy years' captivity, so that the land may enjoy its Sabbaths. Thus, whatever a man gains by working on the Sabbath day, God will surely take it from him either through misfortune, sickness, or some other way.—Sel.