The Resurrection Memorial.
No doctrine ever startled a sleeping world and "turned it upside down," like that of the resurrection of our Lord. The apostles proclaimed on all occasions, and with all the confidence and certainty of personal knowledge and accomplished fact, that Christ "rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." This we all believe; and therefore we make our baptism a solemn affirmation that he did rise from the dead. But it is said that the first day is holy, because it is alleged that it is the day of Christ's resurrection. But where is there a phrase or word of Scripture that affirms that the first day is to be celebrated for any religious purpose whatever? Let the reader search and see. If it be in the Scriptures he can find it; and if not, what then? Simply this—to use the recent remark of a scholarly churchman—"Sunday is a habit, merely a custom; it is without a particle of Scripture to sustain it." Would Christ join a memorial of himself to any one of the ten commandments, or would he be likely to unite the memorials of the creation and the resurrection in one institution or observance, as is said to be done by changing the Sabbath to the first day in order to combine Sabbath and resurrection in one day? Is there any example of this kind in all his teachings? Would he displace his Father's special appointment of the seventh day, which is also Christ's own day—for he is its Lord—and say nothing about it? No, verily. But observe, that there is a divinely appointed memorial for the resurrection; it is not the first day nor the seventh day, nor indeed a day at all, but it is baptism. As the seventh day is the memorial of creation, and the supper is the memorial of Christ's death, and forecasts his second coming, so also is baptism the memorial of his resurrection. The Sabbath is the capital day of the seven; is for all men irrespective of creed, race or condition, and is designed to keep them from idolatry and atheism. The baptism of the believer, as the memorial of the resurrection, is designed to perpetuate in the most striking and solemn manner the fact that Christ was buried and did rise from the dead, and this we contend the believer should be taught that he affirms when he submits to this ordinance. Christ died but once, was buried and rose again. The believer dies to transgression and lives to obedience, and by his baptism he testifies once for all in his life that his Lord and Master did rise a conqueror over death, and became the pledge of his resurrection in the last day. We have only space for the references which are commended to the reader's attention, namely: Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 15:29; Col. 2:12; and 1 Peter 3:21. In reading these passages the close connection of the words baptism and resurrection in the same verses will be noticed, and also the evident significance of baptism as the symbolic memorial of the resurrection. No such use of the first day and the resurrection is to be found in the New Testament.—Sabbath Memorial.