Seventh Day Easy to Keep
By Harry Mathew
WHEN God made this round earth, He also made man to dwell on the face of it. See Gen. 1:26; Acts 17:26. And at the same time, He made the Sabbath for man — not Jew, understand, but man. Gen. 2:1-3; Mark 2:27. And He required man to observe the sacred day. Ex. 20:8-11. God would not require an impossibility, hence all men can keep it. So we find that they do keep it without any such difficulty as first-day keepers would have you suppose. The Jews, who are scattered in every part of the earth and all around it, keep the seventh-day Sabbath. Starting from Palestine, some have come around the world by way of Europe and the Atlantic Ocean. Others have come by way of Asia and China and the Pacific Ocean. Both have met in America keeping the same day. There is no disagreement among them in any part of the world. This demonstrates that men can travel all around this earth and still keep the same day. Those who keep Sunday live in all parts of the earth, and have traveled all around it both ways. Do they find any difficulty in keeping the first day?—Not the least. This objection is all imaginary; for, practically, no one ever had such trouble. Seventh-day Adventists and Seventh-day Baptists are scattered all around the globe, and yet they find no difficulty in keeping the seventh-day Sabbath. The facts are these: The day begins at sunset. See Gen. 1:5; Lev. 23:32. When the sun sets Friday evening in Asia, then the seventh-day Sabbath begins there. A few hours later, the sun sets in Europe; then the Sabbath has come there. A few hours later still, the sun sets in America; and now the seventh day has arrived there. When the seventh day is in Asia, then those living there can observe it; when it comes to Europe, then those there can keep it; and when it gets around here to America, then we can keep it. It is exactly the same day when it comes to America that it was when it started in Asia, tho it comes here later. The Lord commands His servants all around the world to keep the seventh day. Each one is to keep it when it comes where he is, not when it comes where some one else is. When it comes to those in Asia, they can keep it; several hours later, it comes to England, and they can keep it; and so on around the world. This is sufficient to show that there is no such difficulty as first-day observers would make you believe.