"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another."
From Bro. Carter.
BRO. SMITH: Bro. Z. Andrews has been a Sabbath-keeper for several years, but has not been willing to acknowledge the churches fallen until quite recently; therefore he labored with the Baptist church in Hartford, during the so-called revival last Winter, believing many of them would embrace the Sabbath. But when he presented the Bible testimony for the Sabbath, their deacon arose in a passion and said, there were many babblers in these last days; he did not think anybody could understand them, nor they understand themselves. Then others said they did not think it made any difference what day we kept, if we were only sincere. We quoted from Ps. lxxxix to prove that Christ's children should keep God's law which says the seventh day is the Sabbath. Beginning with verse 27 God says, I will make him my first-born higher than the kings of the earth. See Col. i, 15, 18-20. "Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; and having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him I say, whether they be things in earth or in heaven," proving this first-born to be Christ. But further, he is higher than the kings of the earth, which proves him to be Christ. Rev. xix, 16. For he is King of kings and Lord of lords. If his (Christ's) children forsake my law and walk not in my judgments, if they break my statutes and keep not my commandments; then I will visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquity with stripes. Ps. lxxxix, 30-32, 34. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips, shows that God will not alter his Sabbath to any other day of the week, (for it is the law he is here speaking of.) See Deut. v, 22. Moses says, after rehearsing the ten commandments, These words the Lord spake in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and he added no more: and he wrote them in two tables of stone and delivered them unto me. Here is plain testimony that it is the ten commandments. See also Matt. v, 17, 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I came not to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Here is certainly a long period of time before the smallest point in the law can pass. Not only the heavens and earth must pass away, but all the prophecies spoken of in verse 17 must be fulfilled.
Jesus says, If thou wilt enter into life [eternal] keep the commandments. See Matt. xix, 16, 17. But on the contrary. In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men. And again, He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. Yet with this plain testimony they would not believe. This has been a means of convincing Bro. A. and his family that the churches are fallen. We believe they will go with us in the present truth hereafter. I am still striving to overcome.