p. 125 | THE LAW NOT ABOLISHED by Eld. M. E. Cornell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 13, 1864

THE LAW NOT ABOLISHED

By Eld. M. E. Cornell

Interesting Extracts. No. 11.

BY ELD. M. E. CORNELL.

THE LAW NOT ABOLISHED.

WILLIAM TYNDALE, Martyr 1630, comments as follows: "For heaven and earth shall sooner perish, than one jot or tittle of the law should be put out. I come not to destroy the law, but to repair it only—and to teach the true understanding of the law. I do but only wipe away the filthy and rotten glosses wherewith the scribes and the Pharisees have smeared the law and the prophets; and rebuke their damnable living which they have fashioned, not after the law of God but after their own sophistical glosses, feigned to mock out the law of God, and to beguile the whole world, and to lead them in blindness. And that the scribes and Pharisees falsely belie me, how that I go about to destroy the law, and to set the people at a fleshly liberty."—Expositions, pp. 38, 39.

SUM OF THE LAW.

Again Tyndale remarks: "All the whole law which was given to utter our corrupt nature is comprehended in the TEN COMMANDMENTS. And the ten commandments are comprehended in these two, Love God and thy neighbor. And he that loveth his neighbor, in God and Christ, fulfilleth these two; and consequently the ten." "Now if any man, that submitted not himself to keep the commandments, do think that he hath any faith in God, the same man's faith is vain—and is no faith that can justify or be accepted before God." "Now read all the scripture, and see where God sent any man to preach mercy to any, save unto them only that repent, and turn to God with all their hearts to keep his commandments."—Doctrinal Treatises, p. 470.

"For he that loveth not the law and hateth his sin, and hath not professed in his heart to fight against it, and mourneth not to God to take it away and to purge him of it, the same hath no part with Christ."—Ib. p. 301.

ORIGIN OF THE SABBATH.

"The origin of the Sabbath is known to every one that has read the first three verses of the second chapter of Genesis, or learned to repeat the fourth commandment. It did not take its rise, like other sacred days and seasons—with the Jewish system of worship, that was to pass away; nor was it instituted for any ceremonial reason, such as we have seen had place in the case of sacrifices, and of the priestly office, from their earliest appointment. Nay so remote was its nature from any such character as this, that it was originally set apart for the use of beings altogether innocent and holy; for the seventh day was sanctified, or declared more holy than other days, before our first parents were become sinful and lost; when in paradise, where all days were so full of the worship of God, this of the Sabbath was to be distinguished as peculiarly sacred, and to be observed as a continual memorial of his goodness and power displayed in the great work of creation."—Biblical Antiquities, p. 365.

Tyndale remarks that, "God blessed the seventh day; that is, gave it a pre-eminence, that men should rest therein from bodily labor, and learn to know the will of God and his laws, and how to work their works godly all the week after."

PREPARATION FOR THE SABBATH.

"It was usual to make some preparations for the Sabbath toward the close of the sixth day. Mark xv, 42. According to the Jews, it was customary to cease from labor on that day at the time of the evening sacrifice, (3 o'clock P. M.) and from that hour till the sun went down, all busied themselves to get completely ready for the holy season that was at hand. Victuals were prepared, (for there might be no cooking on the Sabbath,) and all things attended to that were needful for orderly and decent appearance, such as washing the face, hands, and feet, trimming the beard, &c, that the day of rest might be entered upon without confusion, and in a manner of reverence and respect. A little before sunset the Sabbath Candle was lighted in each house in token of gladness at the approach of God's day."—Biblical Antiquities, p. 368.