A WORD FOR THE SABBATH

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Oct 25, 1853

A WORD FOR THE SABBATH.

CHAPTER II.

THE SABBATH INSTITUTED AT CREATION.

WHEN first the rapid march of Time began, And God achieved his ever wondrous plan, When heaven and earth the royal summons heard, And came, obedient, at the Almighty's Word, Sky, land and sea, and forms of beauty there Raised their glad anthems on the silent air; The morning stars did songs of praise employ, And all the Sons of God shouted for joy; When planets, glimmering on the brow of Night, The orb of day, with his refulgent light, And rolling earth, each taught their varied bounds, Commenced, majestic, their eternal rounds— Six days alone this glorious work employed; God on the seventh a sacred rest enjoyed: Then, since thereon he had enjoyed a rest, He sanctified it, set apart, and blest.

Here was the holy Sabbath first made know, Firm as the pillars of Jehovah's throne. With the fair earth it left its Maker's hand, Hence, with the earth, 'twill coexistent stand. If any think that they can prove as fact, The Sabbath was not fashioned by this act, All who are so disposed may freely try it; For there's the record and they can't deny it. And when to earth, heaven's Royal Monarch came, His car the clouds, his steeds devouring flame, When Sinai's towering mount obsequious bowed, And swelling trumpet answered thunders loud, When thus the King of kings his footstool prest, And trembling earth proclaimed her mighty guest, Mid all these heralds of almighty power, Mid all the grandeur of that awful hour, God spake his just, eternal law to man; And thus, in plainest truth, this precept ran: The Sabbath-day remember: then shall close The days of weekly toil, for calm repose. For earthly labor, stern, six days are thine, The seventh is God's holy day divine; For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, And gave all beings and all creatures birth, And on the seventh enjoyed a sacred rest; Wherefore the Sabbath-day Jehovah blest. Thus was the Sabbath-precept given then As something which had long familiar been; Not as a fabrication, new and rare, For that occasion made and people there; And God's own finger points us to its birth: When he from out the void made heaven and earth. Since, then, the sacred institution stands; Old as the world and broad as all its lands, Since made when Time's great circuit first begun, 'Twill last, of course, as long as Time shall run. Since made for him, the father of mankind, For all his offspring 'twas of course designed. Absurd to think such institution given, Link most divine connecting earth with heaven, A sacred chain, joining, in due degree, Man with his God, time with eternity; Given for the good of all who dwell below, Designed o'er all its blessings to bestow— Absurd to think that it was destined, then, For but a portion of the race of men; Or to be pinioned by the bounds of space, Or reverenced only by a single race! Say, you who claim, and speak as tho' you knew, That it was given only for the Jew, Were our first parents Jews? If so, then how Are not all earth's great nations Jewish now? Or if long years successive rolled away, Ere among men divisions held their sway, And ere that class arose, who were to know What blessings from the holy Sabbath flow, For whom alone it was designed you say— Why made so long before 'twas needed, pray?

Narrow and groveling must that theory prove, Which thus would limit God's eternal love; Which thus would dictate man's omniscient Friend, And say how far his blessings shall extend. But narrower-minded still are those who say, That God should e'er his Sabbath take away; That he, what first unbounded wisdom planned, A blessing for mankind in every land, What he to herald, did such pomp employ— Should finally repent of and destroy. Those who, with such plain facts before their eyes, Still view this noon-day question on this wise, To make their crooked views and theories go, And talk consistently, must reason so: That though Jehovah thought at first 'twas best, That all mankind should have a day of rest, Yet, notwithstanding, soon he wiser grew! And thought for all mankind it would not do! So he confined it to a single place, And charged it only on a single race; And then, at last, he planned the thing about, So that eventually it should run out! Just as in scenes of earth, we oft behold Some giant of the forest, tall and old, Which man a cumbrance deems, towering on high, Girdled about and left alone to die; Mid dews and frosts of night and storms of day, To crumble slowly into sure decay.

Such, some would have us think, Jehovah's plan, To treat the Sabbath; made at first for man, Confined at length with ceremonial dross, Forever doomed to perish at the cross! But know, O man! such theories false to teach, Is God's eternal wisdom to impeach! Know that he does not act from varying cause, Nor govern man with fluctuating laws. He changes not, nor fickle are his ways, His words are certain; hear then what he says: "I will not alter what my lips e'er spake, And lo, my covenant I will not break." Through his vast plans he does not ignorant move, And then amend them if they faulty prove; Hence, he'll not disregard nor set aside, What once he made and blest and sanctified. 'Tis not for man, frail brother of the clod, To charge such folly on Almighty God.

But yet again, hear what some classes say, To shun God's law, and shirk the Sabbath-day. They claim, that he did not intend that we, In keeping one set day, so strict should be; But when he said, the seventh day is mine, He only meant a seventh part of time: That we should keep a seventh part as his, No matter where it comes or when it is. Such is this theory; fairly stated too; But by what logic do they prove it true? Loose reins it gives, at once, for men to use Their freedom, and observe what day they choose; Hence one the first, and one the fifth, may say, Or second, third or fourth, is Sabbath-day; And yet they all will equally be true, If any seventh part of time will do, Thus would all order be to ruin hurled, And one great Babel triumph o'er the world!

Take one example, ye who hold this view, To test your theory; whether false or true; One illustration, fair, adapted well T' explain this question, and its import tell: Seven fair and beauteous candlesticks behold: Six are of silver, but the seventh of gold. The question now is asked, if any know Which is the golden one in all that row. Thus represented fair, it seems to me, No one could doubt what his own eyes could see; And any man of common sense, would say, The seventh is the one, without delay. But by your rule, this answer would not hold, You would exclaim, a seventh part is gold; 'Tis no one in particular so fair! Only a seventh part of all that's there! Just so absurd, indeed, it is to say, That God has no specific Sabbath-day: That any day, for rest, a man may claim, And answer God's requirements all the same. Thus you assert, as plainly may be seen, That God has uttered what he did not mean!

But, first, the ground-work all is laid amiss, Which this view presupposes; which is this: That man, by resting, makes it holy time; And well with such a theory does it chime; Then on whatever day a man may rest, That day to him is sanctified and blest. Learn, then, this simple truth, without delay: God's act of resting did not bless the day, Or make it holy time; first he did cease From all his labor for a day of peace; Then for that he had rested, on its brow He placed the blessing which illumines it now. Then think'st thou, man, by any act of thine, To make thy rest-day holy or divine? Canst thou a blessing grant? or hast thou power To render sacred e'en a single hour? And will thy theories, built of brittle straw, Meet the demands of God's eternal law?

He who on earth below, in heaven above, Made and upholds and governs all in love, He who alone hath power, above, below, All life to give, all blessings to bestow, Eternal Lord, creation's mighty King, To whom all people should their tribute bring, He on the seventh, and on the seventh alone, Has placed his blessing—sanctified his own. When thou canst speak, and countless worlds shall [rise, And fairest prospect spread before thine eyes, When thou canst bid the rolling earth be still, Or worlds move on obedient at thy will, When thou canst hold creation in thy hand, And guide the universe with thy command, Mighty as God's, when thou thine arm canst make, When earth, thy voice, shall like his thunders shake, Then, only, mayest thou think, presumptuous man! To make improvements on Jehovah's plan!