IN HONOR OF THE RESURRECTION.
By Frank M. Burg
THERE is a trite adage, "A poor excuse is better than none." Strictly considered, this is not true. If a person is excusable for doing a certain thing, it necessarily follows that, although, generally speaking, the course would be considered wrong, the immediate circumstances form a basis for a legitimate reason for his so doing. Hence if he is excusable at all under the circumstances, he is wholly so,—his course is strictly legitimate,—and not, as the adage implies, barely excusable. Many Sunday keepers give as their reason for first-day sanctity the fact that the Saviour arose from the dead on that day. Now it is not making a statement for which facts do not afford a basis, to say that in many, if not the great majority, of instances this is merely made an excuse for persisting in a wrong course,—something to pacify a troubled conscience. And if it be on the part of a minister, and he has so long persisted in a course known to be wrong, endeavoring thus to lessen his convictions, as an inevitable result of pursuing a dishonest course, he will soon, without a reproof from his seared conscience, hold this up to his flock as a reason for them to pursue a course which he knows to be out of harmony with the Bible. The only available means of knowing whether a course is legitimate or not is to examine it in the light of inspiration. Now to observe the first day of the week in honor of the resurrection of Christ is not scriptural; it can only be advanced as a human-devised reason, which can only be as far inferior to Scripture reasons as "earthly, sensual, devilish" wisdom is inferior to that "which is from above." Did the Scriptures instruct us to observe the day for this reason, there would be an end to controversy; we would surely fall into line. What Holy Writ has already said should be an end to all controversy in the matter; it is with those who keep the Bible-enjoined Sabbath. And if all men were truly conscientious, if they truly believed the Bible to be the once-spoken, unchangeable word of God, there would be no division among men concerning this important matter. It is argued that a reason why the first day should be kept commemorative of the resurrection of the Saviour, rather than the seventh day in remembrance of creation, is that "redemption is greater than creation." Now to begin with, this is merely human reasoning, and hence "of the earth, earthy." The first and most obvious point to the Bible student, but one overlooked by those wishing to support a human institution at all hazards, is that redemption is not yet completed, nor will it be till the "redemption of our body" at the coming of Christ. Rom. 8: 23. Compare 1 Cor. 15:51-55; 1 Thess. 4:16-18. It is contended that the work of God in redemption is greater than that in creation. To say no more, is it not claiming a great deal for a person to assume ability to draw a comparison between the two manifestations of God? When finite minds can apprehend and locate the bounds of infinity, then will men be justified in the attempt at drawing such a comparison. No more able is man to do this than he is able of himself to create the minutest fraction of an atom. It is only "by faith," which comes from a knowledge of God's word (Rom. 10: 17), that "we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God" (Heb. 11:3); and it is only in the same way that we can in any degree understand the mystery of redemption,—the applying of infinite power to us, who are because of sin "less than nothing and vanity," and thus re-creating us in Christ Jesus, making us worth the price he paid for us. The same divine power, which is only apprehended to a slight extent "by faith," is exercised in both creation and redemption; redemption is re-creation. Then if the seventh-day Sabbath was instituted to commemorate the Creator, in whom alone is this power to create,—to redeem,—and since redemption is re-creation,—a manifestation of the same power,—if any day should be observed to commemorate the Saviour's resurrection, wherein infinite power was manifested to make provision for our redemption, why not the one originally given? Then when redemption is completed, when all who will have the work done are re-created and saved in eternity, is it not in harmony with reason, as well as being a scriptural fact, that the Sabbath will be still the observed memorial of divine power? Isa. 66: 22, 23.