THIRD DISCOURSE ON THE SABBATH.
By Seth Williston
EXTRACT FROM SETH WILLISTON—1813.
LET us now search the New Testament scriptures, that we may see what they testify of the weekly Sabbath. Some have thought, the New Testament has done away the Sabbath; so that now one day is no more holy than another. Let us candidly hear its testimony, and then judge. The three first evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke, do in many instances record the same things. I shall examine their record concerning the Sabbath, as nearly as I can, according to the order of time, instead of being governed by the order in which the records are placed in the Bible. In pursuance of this method, the first passage which presents itself is Luke iv, 16. "And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood up for to read." On this passage we are led to remark: 1. There was a Sabbath-day in the time of Christ. 2. That it was common at that time to have meetings on the Sabbath, for religious purposes; especially for getting instruction out of the Scriptures. 3. We also learn from this portion of scripture, that Christ made a stated practice of attending these religious meetings on the Sabbath-day. We are not only informed, that he went into the synagogue, (or meeting-house,) on a certain Sabbath-day, but that it was his custom so to do. See also Luke xiii, 10; Mark i, 21; vi, 2. From this scripture, and from the other parts of the history of our Lord, we have reason to conclude, that from his early childhood, it was his custom to attend upon the worship and instruction of the synagogue, every Sabbath-day. So far, we have evidence in favor of a strict and constant sanctification of the holy Sabbath by our blessed Lord. A constant attendance on public worship, is one of the ways that the people of God manifest their regard to the Sabbath. If we would make Jesus Christ our pattern, (and we cannot have a better,) we must attend public worship, not once a month, or now and then; but it must be our custom to attend from Sabbath to Sabbath. Let me add, though it must be our custom to attend, yet we must not attend from custom, but from regard to God. The next passage in order, which relates to the subject before us, is concerning the disciples of Christ plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath-day. This is recorded. Matt. xii, 1-8. "At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath-day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered; and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat, &c." Let it be noted, 1. That the complaint brought against the disciples was not for theft, because it was written, [Deut. xxiii, 25,] "When thou comest into the standing-corn of thy neighbor, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbor's standing-corn." The complaint was for breach of the Sabbath, for doing "that which was not lawful to do upon the Sabbath-day." 2. Let it be noted, that Jesus, in clearing his disciples from the charge of doing that which was not lawful to be done on the Sabbath-day, never pretended that the command, enjoining the sanctification of the Sabbath, was repealed, or altered. If Jesus had considered this commandment as no longer binding, it would have been perfectly in point to have said so. But he answered the accusers, 1st. By referring them to the case of David, who in a time of extreme urgency, satisfied his hunger with the shew-bread, which God had separated to the use of the priests alone. Christ justified the conduct of David in this extreme case, without designing to find the least fault with the law, which prohibited any but the priests from eating the shew-bread. 2d. Christ answered these accusers by saying, "Have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath-days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?" i.e., the priests and Levites were obliged to perform considerable labor in killing the sacrifices which were to be offered on the Sabbath-days. And yet, as these sacrifices were divinely appointed, the labor must be performed. It is called profaning the Sabbath, not because it was wrong, but because it was such kind of labor as was performed on other days, and would have profaned the Sabbath, if it had not been enjoined, or necessary. 3d. Christ answered those who accused his disciples of profaning the Sabbath because that on this day they rubbed out a few ears of corn to satisfy their hunger, by referring to Hos. vi, 6, where the Lord says, "I desired mercy and not sacrifice." God had appointed sacrifices, but he hated robbery for burnt offerings: even if it was robbing the poor of those alms, which they needed to sustain life. He had appointed the sanctification of the Sabbath, but he allowed us out of this day a sufficiency of time to take our stated meals. Mark and Luke both give us an account of the Pharisees' accusing the disciples of profaning the Sabbath, because they plucked the ears of corn. Mark, in his account of it, relates one thing which our Saviour said in his answer to the Pharisees, which is omitted by Matthew. It is contained in the second chapter of his gospel, 27th verse: "And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." Here let us observe, 1. That the Lord of the Sabbath tells us that there was a Sabbath made. We have heretofore seen when the Sabbath was made, even as soon as the heavens and earth and all their host were finished. We have also seen, that the Sabbath which was then made was renewedly enjoined by one of the ten commandments. We have also seen by recurring to a number of inspired records, what things were forbidden to be done on that day, and how the hours must be spent to please God. Now this very Sabbath, instituted by the Creator, written with his own finger on one of the tables of stone, and guarded by many promises and threatenings, was the Sabbath which our Saviour must have meant. 2. We observe, that this Sabbath was made for man,—not only for man to obey; but it was also made for the benefit of man. What is the inference from this? Is this the inference, "Then man may use the Sabbath as he pleases?" As well might it be inferred, that because Christ died for sinners, to do them an infinite favor, therefore they may treat him as they please. If sinners would have the death of Christ prove a blessing to them, they must receive him as he is freely offered to them in the gospel. So, if the children of men would have the Sabbath, which was made for them, prove a real benefit to them, they must keep it according to the commandment; they must make it a holy, and not a common day. Yet it was natural to infer, that since the Sabbath was made for man, and was not made a fasting day, that man might satisfy his hunger in such a way as the disciples did, without being considered as treading under foot "the holy of the Lord." The great latitude which some have taken from this declaration of our Saviour, is very unreasonable. The Saviour evidently recognized the command obliging us to hallow the Sabbath-day, nor did he say anything to encourage a loose explication of the command. When he said that, "man was not made for the Sabbath," he did not mean to throw the reins on our necks, and tell us that we were made to live unto ourselves, and do with the Sabbath as we pleased. We were made to glorify God. This is our duty, and in doing this, we shall find the favor of God, which is life. God is glorified by a conscientious observance of his holy day; and not only so, but those who thus observe it, are blessed in it, and greatly furthered in their way to glory. * Luke xxiii, 55, 56. "And the women also which came from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid, and they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath-day according to the commandment." 1. It is worthy of observation that these women who came from Galilee, from all the account which we have of them, were among the choicest disciples which Jesus had. From the eighth chapter of this gospel we learn, that they ministered to him of their substance. They followed him to the cross, and to the sepulchre. They prepared spices and ointments to perfume his dead body; and on the first day of the week, they came early to perform what they supposed would be the last kind office to him whom they loved. These women had all of them sat at the feet of Jesus, and heard his word. They had deeply drunk of his Spirit. By following him from place to place, they had opportunity to become acquainted with his practice, as well as with his doctrine. 2. It is worthy of observation that these holy women rested the Sabbath-day, according to the commandment. It is not said that they rested according to the tradition of the elders, the sentiment of Pharisees, or the superstition of the Jews; but that they rested according to the commandment. From this we may safely conclude, that Jesus Christ taught his followers, both by precept and example, to keep the Sabbath-day as an holy rest. 3. It may be worth noticing when this Sabbath was, on which these Christian women rested according to the commandment. It was after Christ came into the world. It was after he had gone through with his public ministry, and expired on the cross. Even then, his most devoted friends kept the Sabbath, according to the commandment. If the Sabbath outlived the life of Christ upon earth, then all which is drawn from the example of Christ, or of his disciples, while he was yet with them, to do away the obligation of sanctifying the Sabbath, is of no force. Acts i, 2. "Then returned they unto Jerusalem, from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath-day's journey." 1. It may be proper to ascertain the distance of mount Olivet from Jerusalem. By turning to Zech. xiv, 3, you will see that it is contiguous to Jerusalem: "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east." By comparing the passage which is now under consideration, with Luke xxiv, 50, we learn that Bethany was on mount Olivet; and from John xi, 18, we learn that Bethany was about fifteen furlongs off from Jerusalem. Fifteen furlongs are a little less than two miles. It was not therefore to exceed two miles from mount Olivet to Jerusalem. 2. It may be proper to inquire why this distance is expressed by a Sabbath-day's journey. Let it be remembered, that the Holy Spirit had a reason for directing the writer to this particular mode of expression in telling the distance from the mount of Olives to Jerusalem. By this we are taught that a "Sabbath-day's journey" is not more than two miles. And this is as much as to tell us, that it is no day to pursue journeys on secular business; for those who are pursuing such journeys, would not think of moving forward, for the sake of getting two miles on their way.4 But pursuing journeys of business or of pleasure and without restraint, not only pollutes the Sabbath, but is among the things which in our land greatly pollute it. It would appear worse than laboring in the field, if it were not sanctioned by the practice of so many. It is as much our work as labor in the field. The traveler interrupts more people in their sanctification of holy time, and places his bad example before a greater number of observers, than the man who labors in the field. If to all this it should be replied, "It is a general practice, and therefore ought to be tolerated," let me beg of you to read Ex. xxiii, 2: "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." The greater the number who are in this practice, and the more the custom has become, as it were, a law, the more alarm ought to be excited. When the most evident transgressions of God's law are sanctioned by general custom, then may we expect to hear the holy One of Israel say, "Shall not I visit for these things, and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?"