NOTES AND QUERIES by Editor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 1, 1861

NOTES AND QUERIES.

By Editor

"NOR THY STRANGER WITHIN THY GATES."

A Correspondent writes: "We should like to hear from you through the Review on that part of the fourth commandment which reads 'Nor thy stranger within thy gates.' We think it might be acceptable to many."

The fourth commandment is very definite. It gives direction to the man concerning his son, his daughter, his manservant, and maidservant, and it places the stranger, while within his gates, on the same footing, and under his control. But what are his "gates," and who is the "stranger?" Ans. We understand by "thy gates," any real estate under the control of the individual, and by "thy stranger," any person who does not sustain to that individual the relation of son or daughter, manservant or maidservant. Does an individual call upon a Sabbath-keeper on the Sabbath? He is not to do any work while within his gates or on his premises. Should he presume to (other of course than works of necessity and mercy) it would be the Sabbath-keeper's duty to make known his wishes for him to desist. If a Sabbath-keeper has a piece of land or a farm, it is his gates while he holds personal possession. And if he suffers on such farm or land labor to be carried on on the Sabbath, we cannot see how he lives up to the commandment which makes it incumbent on him to see that all within his gates, son, daughter, manservant, maidservant, cattle and stranger refrain from labor.

Would this exclude those who keep the Sabbath from taking as boarders those who do not? We think not; provided such boarders performed their labor outside of the premises of the Sabbath-keeper, in which case they would not sustain the relation of strangers within his gate.

2 COR. V. 8.

F. Woods : For an exposition of 2 Cor. v, 8, we refer you to our published works on the subject of man's nature, intermediate state and destiny.