"And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places; thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. 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, &c." Isa. lviii, 12, 13.
That the seventh-day Sabbath is the subject of this prophecy, will not be denied. That it has been trodden down by the professed church of Christ for "many generations," the history of the church plainly shows. The Sabbath law being one of the immutable precepts of the Decalogue, its being trodden down has caused a "breach" in the law of God. This breach is to be repaired by the true church, before it can "stand in the battle in the day of the Lord." Ezekiel speaks of the same breach.
"Ye have not gone up into the gaps, [margin breaches,] neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord." Chap. xiii, 5.
This prophecy cannot apply to past time, because the "day of the Lord," the burden of the prophecy, is future. But how are we to become repairers of the breach? Let Isaiah answer. "Thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in, 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." Then there is but one way to repair this breach, and that is by keeping and teaching the Sabbath of the Lord.—But what does the Lord say of those who refuse to help make up this95breach, and choose to call the Sabbath a yoke of bondage, instead of a "delight," dishonorable, instead of "honorable." And who tread down that day which Jehovah styles, "The Holy of the Lord," and "My Holy Day." Let the Prophet answer.
"Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith; and the Lord hath not sent them; and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word."—Eze. xiii, 3–6.
Herod was called a "fox" by Christ, because he was cunning and artful. When the word is used by the prophet, it is designed to represent the artful positions taken, and crafty course pursued by those who refuse to engage in the work of repairing the breach in the law of God, necessary for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. When the Sabbath question came up among Adventists, an attempt was made to prove that the first day of the week was the Sabbath. Reference was made to a few texts in the New Testament, and the testimony of what are called the "Christian Fathers," was quoted largely to supply the lack of Scripture testimony. But as the Advent people professed to take the Bible alone for their rule of faith and duty, and as the New Testament did not afford the least evidence that the first day was holy time, it was necessary that a new position should be taken to dispose of the Sabbath, so as to still those who were becoming interested in it. Those who searched the New Testament, supposing they could find proof for the first day, were surprised that there was none, and many were ready to embrace the Sabbath of the Bible. But at this period, J. Marsh, S. S. Snow, and others, came out with the position that the ten commandments were abolished. This was a very short way to dispose of the Sabbath question. No distinction was made between the law of God, and what Paul calls "the enmity, even the law of commandments CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES;" but the word "law," in the New Testament, was considered to mean both, notwithstanding this view virtually charges St. Paul with teaching the greatest absurdities and contradictions. This view has led some to speak of the law of God with contempt and ridicule. The "Holy of the Lord" has been called the "old Jewish Sabbath," and "a yoke of bondage," and those who have considered it a "delight," and "honorable," have been called "Judaizers," "fanatics," &c.
But this view did not put the Sabbath question to rest. Many could not take the broad ground that the commandments of God were abolished. It was therefore necessary that a position, more artful and crafty than those already mentioned, should be taken. Such a position was taken by J. Turner, in the Bible Advocate for Sept. 23, 1847. We give his own words as follows:
"I must keep that day of the week that can be proved to be the 7th, for I then believed and do now believe that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God."
He then labored to show from Matt. xii, 39, 40, that the first day of the week was the true seventh day, therefore the leading classes of mankind had, even to a man, made a mistake of one day in numbering the days of the week! This position, (though the idea of such a mistake seems absurd in the extreme,) had a wonderful power to deceive and ensnare some. A few gave up the Sabbath. But it will be seen that T. held the same position relative to the perpetuity of the Sabbath that we do. Therefore he could be charged with "Judaism," "falling from grace," and being "under the bondage of the law," with as much propriety as we, who do not believe that Jews, Christians, and Mahometans have all been put into a deep sleep, or something equivalent, so as to all agree in a mistake of one day in numbering the days of the week.
But in less than eight months T. took the ground that the ten commandments were abolished, and charged those who taught what he professed to believe a few months before, (that "the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God,") with leading "the unwary under the bondage of the law of Moses." See his article headed "Judaism." "Bible Advocate" for May 4, 1848. None will fail to see that these two positions are perfectly destructive of each other. For if "the seventh day is the Sabbath," and in our first day as taught by T., then the Sabbath is not abolished. But if the Sabbath is abolished, then it is worse than folly to talk of keeping our first day as the Sabbath of the Lord our God. But as the great object was to throw obstacles and doubts in the way of those who were inclined to observe the seventh day according to the commandment, either position could be employed, as would best accomplish the design.
Soon, J. B. Cook came out with a series of articles in the "Advent Harbinger," in which he labored to show that the Sabbath law was "relaxed." That we might or might not observe it. But to make it a matter of importance sufficient to be urged as a Christian duty, was unlike the spirit of the gospel. Reference was made to the miracles of Christ which he wrought on the Sabbath, and to the disciples eating the ears of corn on that day when hungry. But no fact is better established than that the law was in full force till the crucifixion, therefore Jesus and his followers strictly observed its letter up to that time. When Jesus says "It is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days," Matt. xii, 12, he means that acts of mercy and necessity, such as he and his disciples did on the Sabbath, were in accordance with the letter of the fourth commandment. The wicked Pharisees said that those acts were "not lawful." They charged Christ and his disciples with departing from the letter of the Sabbath law—with Sabbath-breaking. Has not J. B. C. taken his stand with them? Judge ye. Who would not rather be on the side with Christ? These different positions, most of them destructive of each other, have all had an effect, and have led some from the truth of the Bible. We noticed the following, which we copy from the letter of C. I. Percival, "Advent Herald," April 5, 1851.
"I should like very much to see a short editorial upon the evidences of the divine authority in changing the day of rest from the seventh to the first day of the week; although I am perfectly satisfied in my own mind, I might obtain some new ideas that would be valuable."
Says the Editor of the "Herald," "We shall publish an article on the Sabbath soon." We therefore expected that an attempt would be made to show from the New Testament, that the "day of rest" had been changed "from the seventh to the first day." But instead of this, the next number of the "Herald" contained an article from "Jennings' Jewish Antiquities," in which the writer labors to make it appear that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is not the original Sabbath—the day on which God rested, but that our first day is the original seventh day. Mr. Jennings shows the institution of the Sabbath at Creation, but utterly fails to show that the Jews kept the sixth day. No point can be better established than that the fourth commandment enforces the observance of the very day on which God rested—the seventh day. The only reason given in the Bible why God instituted the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is, "FOR IN SIX DAYS the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and RESTED THE SEVENTH DAY; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." As the Sabbath was given for a memorial to commemorate God’s Rest-day, after he created the world in six, to remove it from the very day of the week on which God rested, destroys the institution itself. As well might the passover have been observed on any day of either of the months in the year, or the fourth of July be celebrated on the twenty-fifth day of December. It utterly destroys a memorial to move it from the day on which the event occurred, which it celebrates.
The "Herald" for April 19, also contains an article from "D. T. T. JR.," headed "THE LORD’S DAY—THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH." It gives what is commonly called the testimony of the "Christian Fathers," gathered from the "Sabbath Manuel," as proof that the Sabbath has been changed "from the seventh to the first day of the week." But in all this, the "divine authority" desired to appear in the "Herald," by C. I. Percival, is missing. How unfortunate for that first-day theory that the inspired testimony of Paul, John, Jude, or James cannot be produced in its favor! The "Herald" for May 3, contains a note from P. M. Morgan, addressed to "Bro. Bliss," recommending the article of Mr. Jennings, and asking the brethren to "read that article again." But Mr. Bliss says, "We are not prepared to say that the argument of Mr. Jennings is perfectly conclusive," &c. "The article of Bro. Taylor in the Herald of April 19th is conclusive to our mind."
We have briefly reviewed some of the many positions taken on the Sabbath question by our opponents, to show that perfect confusion exists among them on this question. One comes forward to overthrow the Sabbath; but as he does not accomplish the work, another takes another position to overthrow it. But his position entirely overthrows that of his brother who first wrote against the Sabbath. This forcibly reminds96us of the course pursued by those who wrote against the Second Advent. One came forward to overthrow what was called "Millerism" and said that Mr. Miller was wrong; the 2300 days were not prophetic, but only 1150 literal days. Another in overthrowing Mr. Miller’s views, first showed that the position that the 2300 days were only 1150 literal days was incorrect, and then labors to prove that they were 2300 literal days. But Mr. Bush came forward and took the ground that Mr. Miller was right as to time, that the days were prophetic, but that he mistook the event to occur at the end of the 2300 days. In overthrowing the views of Mr. Miller, Mr. Bush also overthrew Dowling, Stewart, and many others. Those who are opposing the Sabbath of the Bible, are doing as those did who opposed the Second Advent.—But truth was a unit then, it is a unit now; while error ever has a multitude of heads and horns. Truth ever flows in an even channel, and its advocates are united; but erroneous views are fated to devour each other. Those who had the one true position on the Second Advent, triumphed, for the God of truth was with them. Those who have the one true position on the Sabbath question, though few in number, will have Him on their side, who is more than all that is against them.—The breach in the law of God will be repaired, that "the house of Israel may stand in the battle in the day of the Lord."