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Morality of the Sabbath. AND Its Importance

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California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Mar 18, 1875

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 1, No. 19.

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Morality of the Sabbath. AND Its Importance.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED. (Concluded.)

III. The seventh day cannot be kept in all parts of the world, therefore it is not a moral institution.

2. The earth is round. When it is noon here it is midnight in China. A person traveling around the earth easterly will gain a day, while another going around westerly will lose a day. This shows that the same definite day cannot be kept all around the world. So says the objector.
It is remarkable that most of those who urge this as a difficulty in our way, do themselves claim to keep the first day of the week holy, in honor of the resurrection of Jesus which occurred on the other side of our earth. How can they keep the same first day all around the earth? Is the earth round on Saturday and flat on Sunday? If there is any difficulty in the case, then it is just as much against keeping one day as another. Therefore those who hold to the observance of any day should never urge this objection against the Sabbath.
When God made this round earth he also made man to dwell on all the face of it, Gen. 1:28; Acts 17:26, and at the same time he made the Sabbath for man. Gen. 2:1-3; Mark 2:27. 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 this objection supposes. The Jews, who are scattered in every part of the earth and all around it, do keep the seventh Sabbath. Starting from Palestine, some have come around the world via Europe and the Atlantic Ocean. Others have come via Asia, 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 in the least. This objection is all imaginary; for, practically, no one ever had any such trouble. Seventh-day Adventists and Seventh-day Baptists are scattered nearly around the globe; and yet they find no difficulty in keeping the seventh Sabbath.
The facts are these: The day begins at sunset. Gen. 1:5; Lev. 23:32; Mark 1:32. 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. Still later it sets in New York; and now the Sabbath has come there. Three hours later the sun sets in California and now the seventh day has arrived here. 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, though it comes here later.
A train of cars starts from Chicago at seven o'clock Monday morning and arrives at Omaha five hundred miles west of that city the next morning at the same hour. Is not the same train that started from Chicago twenty-four hours before? Certainly. Suppose that this is train No. 7. A business man in Chicago has several hired men scattered all along the road between Chicago and Omaha. He orders them all to take train No. 7 which leaves Chicago at seven Monday morning, and meet him at Omaha. Would all these men go down to their different depots at seven Monday morning to take train No. 7? They would not find it there if they did. But each one waits till the train arrives at his place, and then he gets aboard, and the last one would get on about twenty-four hours later than the first one. But would it not be the same train, No. 7, that started in Chicago? Of course it would.
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, and not when it comes to where some one else is. When it comes to those in Asia, they can keep it. Several hours later it comes to England and then they keep it, and so on all around the world.
This is sufficient to show that there is no such difficulty as this objection supposes. For a full answer to it, the reader is referred to a tract by Eld. J. N. Andrews entitled, "The Definite Seventh Day," for sale at the Review Office, Battle Creek, Mich., and at the office of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.

IV. Nature keeps no Sabbath.

It is said that all nature goes right on just the same upon the seventh day as upon other days. Birds and beasts keep no Sabbath; it rains and snows, the sun shines, water runs, grass grows, &c., &c., upon that day as upon others. Hence nature teaches no Sabbath.
Answer. This objection is founded upon an entire misapprehension of the design of the Sabbath. "The Sabbath was made for man" the same as were the other moral laws. He needs it and can be benefited by it. Inanimate nature neither feels, thinks, nor reasons; hence it needs no Sabbath. The animals which do not labor need no rest-day. They are not capable of worshiping God, and hence need no day for that purpose. They cannot appreciate God's power and authority as Creator, and therefore need no sign to remind them of it. But the commandment does provide rest for all working animals.
The same mode of reasoning would set aside all the commandments. Thus, neither fish, fowls, nor beasts, worship God. Neither does water, fire, grass, nor trees. Therefore men should not worship him! It is a remarkable fact that every thrust against God's Sabbath strikes with equal force against the other moral commandments, showing that they are inseparably bound together. Take another commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." None of the animals below man regard this precept, but they have promiscuous intercourse. Shall men, therefore, appeal to nature, and practice the same! Once more: "Thou shalt not kill." Beasts regard not the lives of their fellows. We appeal to this to show that this command is not found in nature? Certainly, if we go to the same witnesses for proof against the Sabbath. Again: "Honor thy father and thy mother." Beasts pay no regard to this precept. As soon as they are grown they forget all relations and treat all alike.
Therefore an appeal to the practice of dumb animals and inanimate nature will not help the case of our no-Sabbath opponents unless they are prepared to go against all moral laws. Thus we have answered all the objections urged against the position that the Sabbath is a moral precept. We believe that it has been fully and clearly shown that the Sabbath deserves a place in the moral law, and that God did not make a mistake in placing it there.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SABBATH.

From the foregoing we see that the Sabbath is an institution of the greatest importance to man physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually. It has been plainly shown that men absolutely need such a day of rest from physical or mental labor. The man who does not obey this law of nature, sins against himself and will inevitably suffer loss in the end. The social benefits of the Sabbath in promoting friendly intercourse, moral culture, and refinement of manners, are beyond all estimation even if only this life be considered.
But it is in the holy work of religion, in man's duties to his Creator, that the highest importance of the Sabbath is seen. It sets apart a definite, regular, and oft-recurring day of rest from all worldly employments, upon which men can be free to attend to the worship of God. No other law can compare in importance with the Sabbath in preserving and promoting the knowledge and worship of the true God. We have seen that it is the sign which distinguishes the true God from all false gods. It is the memorial of the great work of creation. It is the seal to the moral law of Jehovah, without which that law would be of no authority. This fact alone elevates the Sabbath in its importance above any other precept. We have seen that it is a moral precept in every sense of the term. Every argument against it falls with equal weight against one or more of the other commandments of the moral law.
Our great and constant danger is that we shall become "choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life," Luke 8:14, and so bear no fruit for the Lord. To obviate this, the Lord has interposed the Sabbath after six days of labor, to break up this tide of worldliness and call man's attention back to God. If it were not for this, the business of the world would absorb all man's attention and needs a constant reminder of his duty to God, an oft-recurring test of his own spiritual condition. For this purpose no other precept is like the Sabbath.
We have before shown that the principle involved in the violation of all the other commandments is also involved in the violation of the Sabbath. A man covets his neighbor's property. This leads him to steal it. So a man covets his time for his own work; and hence he proceeds to take it and use it for himself, and thus robs God. A man who will knowingly and deliberately use God's holy day for his own worldly, selfish purposes, will also steal, if he could do it with the same impunity. If a man will steal from his Creator, will he not from his fellow-man? I know that men do not like to regard it in this light, but it is true, notwithstanding. When we come to look at the claims and sacredness of the Sabbath day in a proper light, it must be seen that it is no slight offense to disregard the Sabbath. I cannot conceive how a man could set at naught God's authority in so defiant a manner as this. Look at the facts a moment. The omnipotent God whose glory fills all Heaven, whose hands have made the universe, has created our earth, ourselves, and every blessing around us which we enjoy. To commemorate this great work he has set apart, as sacred to himself, the Sabbath day. With a voice that shook the earth, he has forbidden us to use this day in doing our own work. With a full knowledge of these facts before him, with the law of God pointing out his duty, with the eyes of Jehovah watching him, a man arises Sabbath morning and deliberately proceeds to use this holy time in his own business. How must such an act appear in the eyes of God? How will it appear on the record in the Judgment? What act could puny man perform which would more deliberately set at naught the law and authority of the great Creator? Reader, we beseech you to stop and think seriously of this matter, and consider whether the observance of the Sabbath is not of greater importance than you have hitherto considered it.
On several important occasions when God wished especially to test the people touching their loyalty to him, he has chosen the Sabbath as best adapted to this purpose. The children of Israel, during their long sojourn in Egypt, had largely apostatized from God. Before the Lord would entrust them with his law, he tested them to see whether they would respect it or not. Thus he says: "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or no." Ex. 16:4. How does he do it? He selects the Sabbath for that purpose. See Ex. 16:23-29.
The Lord gave them manna from heaven six days, and commanded them to prepare twice as much on the sixth day as on other days; and told them not to go out on the seventh day. But they hearkened not to the Lord. This brought from the Lord a sharp rebuke. "How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?" But they did refuse, and rebelled time after time, till the Lord sware that he would destroy them in the wilderness. Their continued violation of the Sabbath was one chief cause for which God shut them out of the promised land, and slew them in the wilderness. This fact is plainly stated by Ezekiel. Chap. 20:12, 13.
On another occasion just before the Babylonish captivity, when the people had become very corrupt and disobedient, God made to them this remarkable proposition: "It shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work therein; then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city shall remain forever." Jer. 17:19-25.
Upon this remarkable passage Justin Edwards remarks: "This is true. A man who conscientiously and sacredly observe the Sabbath day will not have a heart to commit any other crime. In the above passage the Lord shows his appreciation of the Sabbath by placing the Sabbath in the light he has." Fearing they would not obey him, the Lord added this warning: "But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched." Verse 27. But they did not obey him nor keep his Sabbath day, and therefore he sent them into captivity. 2 Chron. 36:16, 17.
That the violation of the Sabbath was one of the chief things for which God sent them into captivity is thus confessed by Nehemiah when he found some of them again breaking the Sabbath after their return. He says: "Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath." Neh. 13:17, 18. A proper consideration of the above passage will give us some idea of how important the Sabbath is in the estimation of God.
Again, when the Lord calls the Gentiles to serve him he makes to them this promise: "Also the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain." Isa. 56:6. Obedience to the Sabbath is the thing named by the Lord as the condition of their acceptance with him. Would God have accepted them if they had gone on worshiping idols, murdering, coveting, stealing, &c? Of course not; and yet the Lord does not mention any of these things, but simply says, if they will keep his Sabbath, he will accept them. The reason is that the Sabbath is a test truth. All others are implied in it. If they would keep the Sabbath, they would obey him in other things.
At another time the Lord made this proposition to the Jews: "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." Isa. 58:13, 14. What a wonderful promise this was, and yet the one condition named is that of obedience to the Sabbath. Thus it will be seen that on many occasions the Lord has chosen the Sabbath as the precept with which to test the people. Is it anything remarkable, then, that in these last days, when people have apostatized from God, the Lord should again bring up his holy Sabbath as a testing truth with which to select a people prepared for translation? To me it seems very reasonable.
Finally, obedience to the Sabbath does convert men to God in other respects. Our opponents find fault with us because we urge the Sabbath so strongly. They represent us as preaching that if a man will only keep the Sabbath it is all he need to do to be saved. This is false, as all know who are acquainted with our teachings. We teach that men must obey all the law of God, repent of their sins, and believe in Jesus Christ for their remission. But we have found by a long experience that the man who will conscientiously keep the Sabbath will also keep all God's commandments. Indeed, before a man decides to step out in opposition to almost everybody, and sacredly observe the Sabbath to the Lord, he must decide in his own mind to give up the world and become a servant of the Lord. Hence, we have found that almost invariably, however wicked a man has been before, as soon as he commences the observance of the Sabbath, he also commences to be a praying, Bible-reading, God-fearing man. This is only a legitimate result of Sabbath-keeping, as we have previously shown. On the other hand, those who will not keep the Sabbath day, seldom obey God in anything else. With all of these facts before us, we appeal to the reader's judgment and conscience as to whether or not the Sabbath is of so little importance as its opponents are wont to represent it? Is it not, on the other hand, the key stone to God's great moral law, without which that law would have no strength to stand? Dear reader, as you value your soul and the favor of your Creator, do not pass by the light which God in his providence is now causing to shine out so clearly upon the subject of his holy but down-trodden Sabbath day. May the Lord help you to turn away your feet from the Sabbath, and call it "a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable."
D. M. CANRIGHT.