"It Makes No Difference."
By E. Hilliard
THOSE who observe the first day of the week as the Sabbath, when compelled to admit that there is no "thus saith the Lord" for its observance, will say that "it makes no difference, if we only keep one day in seven." If God has sanctified a day and made it holy, it is the only day that we can keep holy. He nowhere tells us that he has made every day in the week holy. We cannot make a day holy, therefore we cannot keep it holy. Let us see whether or not it is essential that we agree among ourselves as to a definite day. If families were at variance in respect to a particular day, there would be discord and unhappiness. The work on the farm would be away behind the season. The son would rest while the father labored. The wife would feel unwilling to cook and wait upon the harvest laborers upon her Sabbath. Things would be out of joint in general. Schools would suffer. The teacher would find it a perplexing thing to keep up an interest, on account of the absence of his pupils. It would certainly produce a bad state of affairs. "Yes," says one, "and this is just the reason why you seventh-day folks should not be troubling the people in regard to this Sabbath question." My friend, what is a theory good for that cannot be carried out without the result being suicidal? If man can see the necessity for a particular day of the week as the Sabbath, could not the all-wise God have apprehended the same necessity? Does not this seventh-part-of-time theory impeach the wisdom of God? Did he not obviate this difficulty by saying that "the seventh day is the Sabbath?" (Ex. 20:10). Has he anywhere abrogated this command? If so, we shall expect to find a clear statement of its abolition, and as positive a command for another day. Let us examine those texts so commonly quoted in support of the first day. "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week," &c. Matt. 28:1. This sounds as though the day before the first day of the week was the Sabbath. "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils." Mark 16:9. Not a word about the Sabbath. Luke says, "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them." Luke 24:1. Not a syllable about holy time. John speaks of the same event in chap. 20:1, but gives it no sacred title. Also John 20:19. Here, he says they had assembled for fear of the Jews. He does not call it the Sabbath. Again, in Acts 20:7, we find that Paul preached until midnight. If he was preaching and holding this religious meeting to set an example for all Christians to follow, by meeting together to worship on the first day of the week, then the writer of the Acts (Luke) and his companions were setting an example to desecrate the same time by sailing in a ship to Assos. Verse 13. Again, in 1 Cor. 16:2, the day is appointed by Paul for the purpose of each one laying by him as God had prospered him. He gives the reason for thus appointing the day,—"That there be no gatherings when I come." No holy time is mentioned. And there is not another text in the New Testament that mentions the first day of the week. Every generation has a testing unpopular truth, and it has always made some difference how they received it. Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat of the tree of knowledge, under penalty of death. When the serpent met the woman he inquired if God had commanded that they should not eat of every tree of the garden. Gen. 3:1. He first desired to learn if they understood God's command. It is very clear that the woman understood, from her reply: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." Immediately the serpent set at work to convince the woman that it made no difference if God did say that they should surely die. He said, "ye shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the day that ye eat thereof then shall your eyes be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw as the serpent desired to have her see, and she was anxious to exalt herself and become wise, she lost sight of God's command, and disobeyed. It is when we have some selfish motive in view that we lose sight of a plain "thus saith the Lord," and say that it makes no difference. If Satan succeeded in deceiving our first parents in Paradise, and the whole world in Noah's day, is there not great danger of his deceiving the world to-day, when there is every wind of doctrine afloat? The only way to avoid his snares and delusions is by clinging closely to a "thus saith the Lord." God has given us just as plain a command for observing the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath as he did to our first parents not to eat of the tree of knowledge. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were destroyed for their disobedience. Num. 16. When Uzzah put forth his hand to steady the ark, contrary to God's command, the Lord smote him that he died. 2 Sam. 6:6, 7. It made some difference in these cases, although even David was displeased with God's dealing with Uzzah, and left the ark, and it was carried to the house of Obed-edom. Saul was commanded to utterly destroy the Amalekites, men, women, children, oxen and sheep. He saved the best of the cattle and sheep to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord. His object was apparently good, viz., to worship by offering burnt-offerings; but was it acceptable? Was his excuse that he saved them for this purpose a good one? Hear the words of the prophet Samuel as he reproved him. "Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken, than the fat of rams." 1 Sam. 15:3, 15, 22. This very act of disobedience kept Saul from holding his position as king. He departed from the Lord, and finally committed suicide on the battle-field of Mt. Gilboa. 1 Sam. 31:4. Reader, when God commands us to do anything, whether it be agreeable, convenient, popular, or unpopular, it is for our best interest to obey. If we disobey we are no better than our first parents, Uzzah, or Saul. If he spared not the angels that kept not their first estate, and drove Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden for disobeying his voice, he certainly will not spare us unless we keep his commandments. E. HILLIARD.
Medford, Minn.