p. 555 | The Sabbath by William Penniman

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Dec 13, 1883

The Sabbath.

By William Penniman

"It is God's first command. The patriarchs kept it. Sinai preached it. The holy tables gave it central place. The holy ark incased it. The Jewish church revered it. Prophets enforced it. Jesus upheld it. The apostles sanctioned it. The Christian church throughout all time has prized it. The prophetic finger still points to it as a last-day blessing (Isa. 66 : 23). Eternity waits to be an eternity of Sabbath. What profane indifference would tread it down? Vain is the effort. It must still live. It has an innate life. The will which made it is divine. As in the ark it rode triumphant over ungodly graves, so now it strides above ungodly foes. It must march on till time is lost in one Sabbatic rest."—Dean Law.

The preceding words of Dean Law are strong and to the point, if we make them all apply to the true Sabbath, instead of a part of them to a counterfeit. It is true, as Alex. Campbell said, "that the Sabbath never was changed, nor could it be, unless creation were to be gone through again."

But what Sabbath did Jesus uphold? Let those who believe in the Sunday prove that Jesus did not uphold the same Sabbath which his Father had instituted, "the patriarchs kept," and "the prophets enforced." It is very plain that Jesus recognized the law of the Sabbath, when he said, Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments and teach men so, the same shall be called least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven. Matt. 5: 19. Therefore in recognizing the law, he upheld and enforced the Sabbath and not the Sunday.

But what Sabbath did the apostles sanction? Certainly not the first day of the week, for had Paul kept that, how could he say that he had done nothing contrary to the customs of his fathers? Acts 28: 17. Surely the Jews would have accused him of breaking the Sabbath had he not kept it, and there is no proof that he kept two days in the week.

It is true that the prophetic finger points to the Sabbath as a last-day blessing; but the proof text (Isa. 66 : 23) must refer to what will be in the new earth, instead of the last days. The context seems to prove this; in fact, all must admit it, unless the position is taken that the new heavens and new earth are spiritualized to mean the moral condition of the church. This position is taken by some of the orthodox spiritualizing commentators.

Dan. 7 : 25, plainly refers to the Sabbath in the last days, and other texts which might be quoted. How true it is that the Sabbath is now marching above "ungodly foes." Is not the dragon waging his most skillful warfare against those "who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ"? But notwithstanding this opposition, commandment-keepers are increasing; for "truth is mighty and will prevail."

WILLIAM PENNIMAN.

Woodburn, Ill.