p. 16 | Preach the Word by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 15, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 41.

Preach the Word

By Editor

We ask a careful reading of the articles on "The Controversy of the Ages." They began last week. The subject will develop in interest as we proceed.

Reader, do you desire to know what Bible faith is in contrast with what it is not? Then read the articles "Christianity versus Catholicism," by A. T. Jones. The series will close with next issue.

Preach the Word.

When it is said by each of two ministers that God directs him to preach politics in this campaign, and they both preach different politics, the spectator has the right to question at least whether one of them is not following a wrong inspiration, and maybe both are. Both are certainly wrong if as ministers of the Gospel they are preaching human law and human policies, and party politics for the ills of men. What God gave as his commission was, "Preach the Word." If the vital principles of life and salvation are involved in the conflict, he can warn his people against the evil and set before them the good as it is in Christ, but he degrades the pulpit when he descends to partisan politics.

But What Does the Word Say?

We clip the following from a religious paper as a sample of many of the arguments put forth against the Sabbath of the Lord:—

"That is, he blessed the seventh-day period in which he had rested from all his creative work. There is no account of his engaging in any subsequent creative work; so the period of God's rest which he sanctified is not yet ended. No twenty-four-hour day was sanctified in Eden, or mentioned there. This is the only mention that is made of a sabbath day in the book of Genesis."

"Had rested" is past tense, and this is correct, for so the Bible states: "And he [God] rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." The resting was in the past before the blessing and sanctification were pronounced. The period of God's rest of Gen. 2: 2 was therefore ended when the day was blest. The seventh day was just like all the days which preceded it, days measured by the sun, alternate periods of light and darkness, or night and day.

By the steamer Australia, from Honolulu, which arrived at San Francisco on the 10th inst., there came as passengers Sister Rosa Young, of Pitcairn Island, and Sister Hattie Andre, who has been engaged as a teacher on the island for the past three years. They went from Pitcairn Island on the Pitcairn to Samoa, and there took steamer via Honolulu for America, stopping over at Honolulu sixteen days. Sister Andre will continue her journey next week to her home in Wheelersburg, Ohio, while Sister Young will stay for a time at St. Helena Sanitarium for rest and recuperation healthwise. They report Elder Gates and wife, of Honolulu, both in poor health, and contemplating an early return to America.

It Is Not an Old Charge.

The following from the Christian Soldier is substantially what was said of Elijah and the Prophets and Jesus Christ, and the Apostles, and the Reformers. It is not an old charge. The real question is, Is it truth from the standpoint of the word of God?

"The advocates of the Saturday for Sabbath idea are demoralizing whole communities, breeding strife, contention, and infidelity. It is a hurtful error. It dishonors Christ; returns to Judaism; breaks down faith; hinders religious progress; blots out spiritual joy, fettering the soul with gloom; renders its victims sour, vindictive, controversial, and in many ways proves itself an enemy of New Testament Christianity."

Christ kept the seventh-day Sabbath. He brought strife and a sword, because erring man would not accept of truth and peace; but to those who accepted him with all the heart, even as to those now who accept him in his truth, including his downtrodden Sabbath, there is peace which the world does not know. No person in the world is so soundly happy as is he who in Christ observes the blessed Sabbath day of the word of God.

"How happy are they Who their Saviour obey?"

We wish the Soldier knew this by experience.