[BRO. SMITH: Last winter there was published in the Review what was then called the first article on the Sabbath from T. M. Preble, in 1845. Looking at that I observe in the prefatory remarks the following statement: “We copy as we have it in a small 12-page tract, giving title-page, preface, &c.” And in the preface Eld. P. says: “The substance of the following pages was first published in the Hope of Israel, Feb. 28, 1845.”]
Thus it appears that the original article of Eld. Preble on the Sabbath was not published in the Review. That article most of us have never seen, and I would be much pleased to see it in the Review. Can you favor us, Bro. Editor, with the article?
J. H. WAGGONER.
We have procured the paper referred to above, and give the article below.—ED.]
For the Hope of Israel.
THE SABBATH.
DEAR BRO. PEARSON: Wishing for truth on all subjects connected with Christ's coming, I would present a few thoughts on the Sabbath, not for controversy, but for the consideration of the true “Israel” who are looking for the “promise.”
The remarks of Bro. Miller, in his “Lecture on the great Sabbath,” I like very well, because I believe they are true. In speaking of the Sabbath he says, “Its being contained in the ten commands, written by the finger of God, on both tables of the testimony, graven on stone, to be a sign forever, and a perpetual covenant, proves, in my opinion, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that it is as binding upon the Christian church, as upon the Jewish, and in the same manner, and for the same reason.” “Life and views,” p. 157. Again he says, p. 160, in speaking of the Sabbath as a sign, “It is a sign because God has given it to us expressly for that purpose.” See our text: “To be a sign between me and them,” i. e., between God and the children of Israel. Now another question will evidently arise: Who are the children of Israel? I answer, while the first covenant was standing they were the children of Jacob, descendants of the twelve tribes; but that covenant they broke. See Lev. 26: 2, 15; also Deut. 31: 10–16. This covenant was broken as Moses had foretold. Then Jesus Christ brought in a new covenant, which continued the sign of the Sabbath, and prepared another people, by writing his law upon their hearts. These now are the true Israel; for the changing of the subjects never did, nor ever can, change the moral law of God. Therefore Paul argues the circumcision of the heart, and says that “they are not all Israel which are of Israel, neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children; but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called; i. e., they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” Now if the children of God are the true Israel, and if the Sabbath was given as a sign forever, and a perpetual covenant, I ask, how can it be abolished while there is one Israelite remaining to claim the promise? You have evidently noticed, that all the difficulties on the Sabbath question among Christians have arisen from the foolish, judaizing notion, that Israel means only the literal Jew. But when we understand Israel to mean the people of God, the difficulties, every man must acknowledge, all vanish at once. I say, and I believe I am supported by the Bible, that the moral law was never given to the Jews as a people exclusively, but they were for a season the keepers of it in charge. And through them the law, oracles, and testimony, have been handed down to us. See Paul's clear reasoning in Romans second, third and fourth chapters, on this point. Then, says the objector, we are under the same obligation to keep the sabbaths of weeks, months, and years, as the Jews were. No, sir; you will observe that these were not included in the decalogue; they were attachments, added by reason of transgression, until the seed should come, to whom the promise of one eternal day or Sabbath of rest, was made. “Therefore there remaineth a keeping of Sabbath to the people of God.” Only one kind of Sabbath was given to Adam, and one only remains for us. See Hosea 2: 11: “I will cause all her mirth to cease, her feast-days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and her solemn feasts.” All the Jewish sabbaths did cease, when Christ nailed them to his cross. Col. 2: 14–17: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath-days; which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
These were properly called Jewish sabbaths. Hosea says “her sabbaths.” But the Sabbath of which we are speaking God calls “my Sabbath.” There is a clear distinction between the creation Sabbath and the ceremonial. The one is perpetual; the others were merely shadows of good to come, and are limited in Christ. The Sabbath which remains is to be kept on the first day of every week, as a perpetual sign, that when Christ shall have finished the work of redemption, we shall enter into that rest which remains for the people of God, which will be an eternal rest.
The sentiments expressed in the above extract, I believe to be true, except the closing part where it is said, “The Sabbath which remains is to be kept on the first day of every week, as a perpetual sign,” &c. Now, I ask, how can this be? If we keep the first day as “a sign,” I do not see how we can have our thousand years' rest in the new earth, till the eighth thousand years, as the first day would be the eighth, reckoning in successive order from creation. But we all, as Advent believers, have, and do still, expect, our rest in the seventh thousand years. Therefore I think we should keep the “seventh day” as “a sign,” according to the commandment. I know the reasons which are given in favor of keeping the first day, and they once satisfied me, but fail to do it now, after a thorough examination of the subject. It is said that the resurrection of Christ,—and his often meeting his disciples on the first day of the week—together with the practice of the apostles, are sufficient reason for observing the first day of the week. In regard to the resurrection of Christ being on the first day of the week, I will not deny, though some may think it needs proof. Respecting Christ often meeting with his disciples on the first day, I think we have no positive proof that he ever met with them on this day but once when they were assembled for worship, and this we find in John 20: 19. In Matt. all that is said about it is, “Behold he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him,” &c. Matt. 28: 7. Mark says, “He appeared unto two of them as they went into the country, and afterward unto the eleven as they sat at meat,” &c. Mark 16: 12–14. Luke expresses it about the same as Mark. Luke 24: 13–15, 30, 33, 36. John appears to be a little more definite, and says, “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst,” &c. John 20: 19. In the 26th verse he says, “And after eight days,” &c. Not the eighth day after, as it ought to be, had Christ met with them the next first-day. In the 21 chapter, 1–3 verses, we find that he met them again at the sea of Tiberias where the disciples were trying to catch fish. We see therefore that Christ appeared to his disciples while they were74going into the country—as they sat at meat—and when they were “fishing,” but only once when they were assembled for worship, unless their sitting at meat or together—as the margin reads, be considered a meeting of worship.
In relation to the practice of the apostles, there is but one meeting of the disciples on the first day of the week, mentioned in the New Testament, and that is in Acts 20: 7; but there are many meetings recorded which the brethren held on the Sabbath.
1 Cor. 16: 2 is considered proof respecting the first day, but when examined, I think it proves the contrary. It says, “Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him,” &c. The expression, “lay by him in store,” I think plainly implies that they were at home, rather than at meeting. Rev. 1: 10, is the only other place that can be construed to favor the first day. John says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day.” Who knows whether he meant the first or the seventh day? I think the latter, because it is called “the Sabbath of the Lord thy God,” but the first is nowhere called so. In regard to the Sabbath, Christ says, “The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” Not a Sabbath, but the Sabbath. He says: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2: 27, 28. He does not say the Sabbath was made for the Jews, and a Sabbath for the Gentiles, but “the Sabbath was made for man.” All mankind. Some may think that our first day is, in reality, the seventh; but this is settled when we examine Matt. 28: 1; Luke 23: 56; and 24: 1, where a plain distinction is made between the two days.
Matthew says: “In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week,” &c. Luke says, “And rested the Sabbath-day according to the commandment. Now upon the first day of the week very early in the morning,” &c. After having examined the ancient custom in relation to the first day, we will now see what it was in regard to the seventh or Sabbath. The first passage I will notice, is the one first quoted in Luke 23: 56. “And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath-day, according to the commandment.” Mark this: “And rested the Sabbath day, according to the commandment.” Acts 13: 42, says: “And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.” Verse 44. “And the next Sabbath-day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.” Acts 16: 13. “And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made.” Chap. 17: 2. “And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath-days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures.” This says, “As his manner was.” Chap. 18: 4. “And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.” This is “every Sabbath.” Verse 11: “And he continued there a year and six months.” Now if it was Paul's manner to reason in the synagogue every Sabbath, he must have, in this place, observed seventy-eight Sabbaths.
It is evident that Christ had his eye on the observance of the Sabbath, as late certainly as A. D. 70, when Jerusalem was destroyed, when he said: “Pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath-day.” Matt. 24: 20. But if this tribulation spoken of has reference to the “Papal persecution,” as many believe, then they were directed to the observance of the Sabbath, to a much later period.
A word now in relation to the history. As far as I have been able to examine, during the last six months, since I became convicted on this point, I find the following to be true: The disciples evidently kept the first day of the week as a festival, in commemoration of the resurrection of Christ, but never as the Sabbath. A controversy, however, commenced toward the close of the first century to see whether both days should be kept, or only one; and if one should be given up, which one, the first day or the seventh. This controversy increased century after century, till A. D. 608, when Pope Gregory passed a law abolishing the seventh-day Sabbath, and establishing the first day. “The Parliament of England met on Sundays until the time of Richard II.” “The first law of England made for keeping Sunday, was in the time of Edward VI, about 1470.” Thus we see Dan. 7: 25 fulfilled, the “little horn” changing “times and laws.” Therefore, it appears to me that all who keep the first day for “the Sabbath,” are Pope's Sunday-keepers!! and God's SABBATH-BREAKERS!!!
Truth is what I am after, and if I had but one day on this earth to spend, I would give up error for truth, as soon as I could see it. May the Lord give us wisdom, and help us to keep all his commandments that we may have right to the tree of life. Rev. 22: 14.
Yours, daily looking, and patiently waiting for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ.'
T. M. PREBLE.
East Weare, N. H., Feb. 13, 1845.