The Third Angel’s Message and the Sabbath by John Norton Loughborough

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Jun 13, 1854

The Third Angel’s Message and the Sabbath

By John Norton Loughborough

From Bro. Loughhead.

DEAR BRO. WHITE:—The present truth of the third angel's message is precious to my heart, and when I read in the Review and Herald the cheering epistles from my brethren and sisters, of like precious faith, I feel strengthened in the truth, and I thank our kind heavenly Father for his goodness unto the children of men; that his loving kindness was so great that he gave his only Son to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world, and that in these last days when darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness covers the people, he has been pleased to let light shine out of his Word on our pathway. Isa. lx, 2. And now when the enemy has come in like a flood [spirit manifestations] he has lifted up a standard against him, [Isa. lix, 19,] and has given a banner to his people that it may be displayed because of the truth. Ps. lx, 4.

My heart is made to rejoice in the Lord from time to time as I read in the Review of the prosperity of the cause of truth; that dear souls are giving their hearts to the Lord, and are gathering under the banner of the Lord, while I am grieved to see the position that some take in their blind zeal in fighting against the Sabbath of the fourth commandment; especially one who was instrumental under God in bringing me to a knowledge of the truth of the near approach of the Lord Jesus the second time without sin unto salvation, also to see that Babylon is fallen, is fallen. Rev. xiv, 6-8.

In the preface of his article under the head of "The three Sabbaths," Eld. P. says: If the Jewish Sabbath belongs to the gospel dispensation, let it be shown by the New Testament, and if not let them cease endeavoring to drag us into the bondage of the law. In Ex. xx, 10, we read, The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, [not of the Jews;] and in Lev. xxiii, 3, The seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, . . . it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings; and in Isa. lvi, 4, For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbath, . . . and in chap. lviii, 13, If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day &c. Now in all these texts the seventh day is called the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. It is the Sabbath of the Lord; and God calls it, My Sabbath, and My holy day. Now I would like to know by what rule of interpretation Elder P. makes all these passages of the sacred scripture read, or mean the sabbath of the Jews; and I do not see why it would be necessary for God to speak the Sabbath commandment a second time in order to have man obey it any more than any other of the ten commandments.

The Saviour said, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. Matt. xix, 17. And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath, [Mark ii, 27] and I ask, How can it be a burden to keep the day that God has in his mercy blessed and sanctified for us? Is it not more reasonable to believe that they who desecrate the Sabbath and keep Sunday in its place, are under bondage; for the apostle Paul says, Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin [the transgression of the law, 1 John iii, 4,] unto death or of obedience unto righteousness. Rom. vi, 16. And Peter says, while they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 2 Pet. ii, 19.

Dear Brother it is my earnest prayer before God that he would for his Son's sake grant that he that preached the truth and he that received it may rejoice together in the day when God shall gather his people home, and that we may be numbered with the commandment-keepers, and have a right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city. Rev. xxii, 14.

Dear Brethren and Sisters in the Lord, let us by the help of the holy Spirit strive to be moulded more and more into the image of the blessed Jesus, and to have the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelling in us, that when Jesus shall appear in his glory and all the holy angels with him, our vile bodies may be changed and fashioned like unto his glorious body. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service; and be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God; [Rom. xii, 1, 2;] and when the Chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 1 Pet. v, 4.

I am affectionately your brother in the patience of the saints, striving to keep all the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. J. A. LOUGHHEAD. Elmira, N. Y., June 5th, 1854.