p. 342 | THE SABBATH by Elder R. D. Benham

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 3, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 22.

THE SABBATH.

By Elder R. D. Benham

BY ELDER R. D. BENHAM.

To the average observer along the line of religious or theological thought, it is very apparent, nay, absolutely certain, that the Sabbath question is fast coming to the front and has already assumed such gigantic proportions as to be impossible to class it with those questions branded "nonessential," "unimportant," or a "minor point" to be disregarded or easily set aside. The Sabbath is already virtually world-wide. Not only in every State of the Union do we find it attracting attention and being constantly agitated, but countries north and south have taken up the refrain, and this will swell louder and louder until the whole world shall hear. Even now can its echoes be heard from the shores of the Baltic, the Mediterranean, and in the countries bordering on the Black and Caspian Seas. It has reached almost every country of Europe and Western Asia. Not only is the Orient, along the shores of the Hellespont and Bosphorus, being awakened, but along the seaboard of China and India and the civilized portions of Africa, and soon will it penetrate the interior, till every kindred, tribe, and nation shall hear; and wherever the word of God has gone or will go, there will the inhabitants be called upon, as were they of Berea of old (and would that all were as noble as they), to "search the Scriptures daily whether those things were so." Acts 17: 11, 12.

Not only is this the case with the countries mentioned, but like the light of morning is the truth spreading to ocean's widest expanse, and the far-away islands of the Pacific—Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji, Pitcairn, and many others—are "receiving it gladly." Whole islands are turning to the observance of God's ancient but downtrodden Sabbath. And why not? "The Scriptures cannot be broken" (John 10: 35), and "the sure word of prophecy" (2 Peter 1: 19) declares that "the isles shall wait for his law" (Isa. 42: 4), and long centuries have they waited, until the set time has come, and now do they rejoice that God has set his hand to the work so long foretold, and is bringing out "a people for his name," described in Rev. 14: 12: "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

Of course the truth of God has never held unhindered sway in the earth, and never will until sin and sinners are swept away by the besom of God's destruction. Isa. 14: 23; Mal. 4: 1. The foes of God's holy and sanctified Sabbath, or rest day, are legion, and their positions and arguments to oppose it and uphold a counterfeit one, are almost as numerous, and are about as harmonious as were the witnesses who testified against our Saviour (Mark 14: 55-59), and probably will succeed about as well. Mark a few of these conflicting positions taken, and sometimes you will meet many or all of them in one sermon or book directed against the true Sabbath and law:—

God's seventh day was Adam's first day, therefore the first day is the Sabbath.
The seventh day was the Sabbath from creation to Christ, and then the resurrection or first day took its place.
The Sabbath was changed at the exodus, and again at the resurrection of Christ.
Christ changed the Sabbath.
The apostles changed the Sabbath.
The seventh day is the Sabbath, but Sunday is the seventh day.
Christ abolished the law, therefore there is now no Sabbath in this dispensation.
Christ abolished the law but reënacted all but the fourth commandment.
We can't keep the Sabbath on a round world.
We can and should keep Sunday all over the world.
Time has been lost; therefore we can't tell which is the true seventh day.
One-seventh part of time is all that is required.
Sunday is the Lord's day.
All days are alike the Lord's.
The Bible is full of proof that Sunday is the Sabbath.
There is no direct command to keep Sunday.

Thus the many sided and many hued conflict goes on. Now there is but one source to which we can go for light on this subject, upon which we can place our confidence, and that is the word of God; only one rule to try every argument, and that is pointed out by the Spirit of God. "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8: 20.

Now what do the law and the testimony say? It is the boast of every true Protestant that the Scripture and that alone is the rule of faith and practice. That is enough for the seeker after the plain truth. The Scripture says, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God;" that "the Lord blessed the seventh day and sanctified it," etc. And God says, "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that has gone out of my lips." Ps. 89: 34. What does God specially call his covenant? By reference to Deut. 4: 13 it will be seen that the ten commandments, written on tables of stone, constitute his covenant which he commanded to be performed. And Ps. 111: 9 says "he hath commanded his covenant forever." This covenant which he commanded forever contains the Sabbath, which he blessed and sanctified at the beginning, which he will not alter, and which no other power has authority to alter. Then let us "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."