THE HOLY SABBATH OF THE LORD.
By B. F. Snooks
WE have selected the above as the subject of a series of articles which we propose writing for the encouragement of those who obey the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and for the especial benefit of my Christian brethren, the Disciples. The writer has been a Disciple in all good conscience more than six years; and about five years of this time has been a preacher. His motto has ever been, and ever is, to "prove all things, and hold fast that which is good." Therefore having investigated and thoroughly tried the seventh-day Sabbath by the divine standard of God's word, he has determined it to be good; and therefore concluded to hold it fast. To this conclusion he has been driven by the force of evidence which abundantly abides in the lively oracles. In order therefore that we may plainly present this subject, we state the following proposition which we will try to prove: The seventh day of the week is the only Sabbath of the Lord God appointed by him for man. In arguing the truth of the above proposition we shall consider the Sabbath in the following order: 1. Its origin or institution. 2. Its object or design. 3. Its nature. 4. Its perpetuity. 5. Its obligation. 1. Whence originated the Sabbath, or when was it instituted? This is an important question, and much depends upon the manner in which it is settled. But there need be no difficulty relative to this, if we only walk in the light of truth; for the truth has with its golden beams, sufficiently illuminated every important matter after which we need search. To the testimony. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which God created and made, and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Gen. ii, 2, 3. According to the above, God rested on the seventh day from all his work; second, he therefore blessed and sanctified the seventh day, the day on which he rested. The institution of the seventh day is declared in the words, blessed and sanctified, which are defined by Webster as follows: "Bless; to set apart or consecrate to holy purposes; to make and pronounce holy, to invoke a blessing upon. Sanctify; to separate, set apart, or appoint to a holy or religious use." That this seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord is made absolutely certain by the fourth commandment. Ex. xx, 8-12. "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, &c.; 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."
Again, Ex. xvi, 23. This is that which the Lord hath said: To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. Verse 26. But on the seventh day which is the Sabbath. Verse 30. So the people rested on the seventh day. This testimony is sufficient to satisfy any mind not trammeled with prejudice that the seventh day is the Sabbath, and was instituted by God himself in Eden. But that the caviler may be left without excuse we will compare these texts and show their agreement. 1. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. Ex. xx, 10. 2. God blessed and sanctified, or consecrated to a religious or devotional use, and hallowed it. the seventh day. 2. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 3. God blessed the seventh day because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. 3. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. We now affirm that there is not a text of scripture in the whole book of God which locates the institution of the Sabbath at any other time than that referred to above. Neither is there a man on this broad earth who can point out the scripture which proves any other than the seventh day to be the Sabbath of the Lord God. The Sabbath rests on an unshakable basis. It has God for its author, and is honored with his own divine signet. God did create the heavens and earth in six days. God did rest from his work on the seventh day. Therefore, for this reason, God sanctified and hallowed, or blessed, the seventh day. God did not rest on the first, or any other day but the seventh; therefore he did not sanctify and bless any day but the seventh. The seventh-day Sabbath is therefore a divine institution, as much so as matrimony, and must of necessity endure as long as the basis on which it is established. In conclusion, we solemnly appeal to all who are disregarding this divine institution, Stop, we pray you, and think! Jehovah's awful name is declared in this blessed precept, and as oft as you disregard it you disregard, dishonor and insult the authority of him whose right it is ever to command. You have made your heavenly Father's law void by your tradition, (for you know you have no divine authority for the first day of the week,) and must, if you thus continue against the light of truth to insult his divine majesty ere long reap the wages of sin, which is death. Rom. vi, 23.