Review and Herald, Vol. 49, No. 14. (4/5/1877)

Review and Herald

Apr 5, 1877

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 5, 1877

A Few Reasons for Observing the Sabbath.

By A. O. Burrill

BY ELD. A. O. BURRILL.

[Some time since, Bro. Burrill received a challenge to debate the Sabbath question with Eld. Barnaby, of the United Brethren Church, which, after much pressing of the matter from the other side, he finally accepted. According to agreement and appointment, Eld. Burrill appeared at the United Brethren church in Orange, Mich., to discuss with Eld. Barnaby, having left his studies in College for that purpose; but Eld. Barnaby did not appear. However, he sent word that he would be there in two days, and Eld. Burrill waited for him. He did not come. By invitation, Bro. Burrill spoke to the assembled congregation, and the following is his discourse as phonographically reported by Bro. Joseph Haughey of Battle Creek. O. W. S.]

Doubtless this congregation, as well as myself, are disappointed. When we left home to come here, it was in good faith that Eld. Barnaby would be present with us to discuss this question.

As I have been invited to speak to you this evening, I will read from Matt. 28:19, 20: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” These words contain the great commission of our Lord, by the authority of which his apostles at that time, and his ministers ever after, were to go forth and teach the gospel to all nations. But what were they to teach? The commission is plain: Teach them, the text says, “to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” By this you see he refers their minds back to the lessons and the instructions he had given them during his ministry here upon the earth. Thus they are to remember and practice these lessons they have been taught by Christ.

It is a prominent fact in the history of our Lord, that, at the very beginning of his ministry, he chose his twelve disciples. See Matt. 4:12–25; and John 1:26–50. It appears that he kept his disciples with him constantly during his ministry. Why did he do this? He did not need them to help him. While Christ was here upon earth, they themselves preached but little, if any. The reason is evident; viz., that he might prepare them for the great work of preaching the gospel to all nations; which work was entrusted to them after his resurrection; and upon which they immediately entered after his ascension into Heaven.

The Saviour taught the people carefully, according as they were able to hear his instructions; but to the disciples he expounded things more fully, that they might know what to teach in the future. “And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them; and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.” Mark 4:33, 34. Paul says, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?” Heb. 2:3. This shows that the gospel which the apostles preached was the same as that which Christ began to unfold in his ministry. Indeed, the very object of that ministry was to introduce and inculcate the principles of that gospel which was soon to be heralded to the world. Thus Luke says, “The law and the prophets were until John; since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” Luke 16:16.

The doctrines of Jesus’ kingdom, then, began to be preached from John’s time: so Peter says, when he opened the gospel to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius, “That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached.” Acts 10:37. Where did this gospel begin? At the baptism which John preached. St. Luke records these words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.” Chap. 4:18. It is seen by this that the gospel was preached by Christ. In Acts 1:1, he says, “The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach.”

When Matthias was chosen to take the place of Judas who had fallen, Peter said, “Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.” Acts 1:21, 22. A man must be found who had been with the disciples and with Christ during his whole ministry. Why was it thus? Because it was necessary to have a man who was fully acquainted with all of Christ’s teachings and doctrines, that he might correctly represent and teach them to others.

Let us carefully examine what Christ did teach his disciples. In Matt. 5:1, we read, “And seeing the multitudes he went up into a mountain; and when he was set, his disciples came unto him.” Here the Saviour retires away from the throng; and as he sat down, his disciples “came unto him.” There were Peter, James, Andrew, John, and the others, sitting ready to listen to his gracious and instructive words. “And he opened his mouth, and taught them.” Verse 2. In his last commission he taught them that they should teach all nations to observe all those things which he had taught them. Therefore, we should the more carefully examine what he says. “Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” Verse 3.

That these are gospel truths, my preaching brethren here in the desk will not deny. They are not things which were to be taught to the Jews only, or for the two or three remaining years of the old dispensation merely. Verses 4–6, and in fact every sentence, contain sufficient matter for a good gospel sermon. Indeed, this sermon on the mount contains the very heart and essence of every gospel truth. In closing this remarkable sermon, he says, “Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.” Matt. 7:24.

When the time comes for Gov. Hayes to enter upon the duties of the administration, the first thing he is expected to do is to deliver his inaugural address. We all look forward to this time with great interest, because we all expect this address will set forth the principles upon which the government is to be conducted. And so it is with Christ’s sermon on the mount; he there sets forth the principles by which his people in the gospel dispensation are to be governed. This sermon was delivered at the very beginning of his ministry; delivered to those who in the future were to be the great expounders of his gospel to the nations of the earth; and I think I am right in saying it is the greatest summary of truth that the world ever heard. Therefore, we look to this sermon with the greatest interest to know what he has said of that law which was spoken in the most solemn manner from Sinai.

Does he tell them that he has come to abolish it, that it is to end at the cross, and that they are to teach a new law? Or does he instruct them to obey it, and to teach others to do the same? These are important questions; and we would not naturally expect the great Teacher to pass them by unnoticed. Just listen to his words: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Verses 17, 18.

What law is this to which he calls the attention of his disciples? Evidently not some new law of his, which he was about to give, but an old law, one with which they were all familiar, the one associated with the prophets. He says, “I am not come to destroy the law.” And it was the law which already existed; for it would be inconsistent with reason to say that he had not come to destroy his own law, which he had not yet given. It was a law already written, and one written with “jots” and “tittles.” Now “jots” and “tittles” are found in the Hebrew language and no other; and the law of God, the ten commandments, was written at this time in the Hebrew language, and therefore contained “jots” and “tittles;” but none of Christ’s teachings were written at this time, and when they were written, it was not in the Hebrew language, but in the Greek, which contains neither “jots” nor “tittles.”

We therefore maintain that he is speaking of that law which existed in the old dispensation. Of this fact there is the plainest evidence. To leave no doubt of what law he is speaking, Christ quotes the sixth and seventh commandments of the decalogue: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill.” Verse 21. “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Verse 27. The law, then, under consideration is the ten commandments. Notice, he calls it the law, not a part of the law. In Ex. 24:12, we read, “The Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount and be there; and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written.” In the Hebrew it is written, “The law, and the commandments.” When the article the is placed before a noun it makes it definite. For instance, in speaking of a minister, I say, The minister, I mean some particular minister. And here it says, The law. Thus the law under consideration is the ten commandments; and it is a law distinct from the ceremonial and civil laws.

As this law was given from Heaven in so solemn a manner, and that, too, by Christ himself (see Heb. 12:22–26, and Deut. 10:1–4), and had occupied so important a place under the old dispensation, it was to be expected that he would particularly instruct the disciples what to teach concerning it in the gospel dispensation. This is an important point. “Think not,” says Christ, “that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets.” John, Peter, James, do not get the idea that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. Because I have condemned many of the traditions of the Pharisees and have introduced many new truths, do not conclude therefore that I mean to abolish the law that I gave upon Sinai.

That this is what he means, his own words plainly show. He says, “I am not come to destroy.” To destroy is defined by Webster as follows: “To pull down; to bring to naught; to put an end to.” Christ, then, plainly tells John, Peter, and James, that he has not come to pull down in the gospel dispensation that law which he built up in the Mosaic; neither to bring to naught, or to put an end to it. Now the original word is equally forcible, if not more so. Greenfield defines it thus: “To loose; to dissolve, that is, to destroy, demolish, overthrow, throw down; met. to render vain or null, abrogate; to unloose one’s girdle, etc., for the night.” This gives a plain idea of the word. Mark, Christ says he has not come to do any of these things to the law or the prophets.

This idea is clearly expressed in the following translations: Norton renders it, “Think not that I have come to annul the law or the prophets; I am not come to annul, but to perfect.” Dickenson translates it, “Imagine not that I have appeared to subvert the law or the prophets; I am not come to subvert, but to establish.” So we might mention many other translations to prove the same. There is no language which could more clearly express the idea that Jesus had not come to destroy or abolish the ten commandments.

After telling his disciples for what purpose he had not come, he proceeds to tell them for what purpose he had come. He said, touching the law and the prophets, that he had come to fulfill them. Webster defines fulfill as meaning to “carry into effect.” To fulfill the law, then, was to do what the law required. That this is the true meaning is evident from the Bible itself. Jesus in speaking to John said, “It becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” Matt. 3:15. That is, to do everything that is right. By fulfilling a thing, do we do away with it, or end it? If so, then Christ taught John that it became them to do away with, or to end, all righteousness. How unreasonable! But does not a law end when it is fulfilled? We answer most emphatically, No.

Let us read Gal. 6:2, where Paul says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Did the law of Christ end when it was fulfilled? We answer as emphatically as before, No. For if so, it was abolished in the days of the apostles. To illustrate: The fifth commandment of the law says, “Honor thy father and thy mother.” Now, we all believe that Jesus obeyed his parents; and the first time that he honored them he fulfilled this commandment, did he not? Certainly he did. Well, did that law end then? Was he not under further obligation to honor his parents? Or even after he had fulfilled that law all his life in honoring them, did that terminate that law, so that others after him are under no obligation to honor their parents? What absurdity it would be to expound the Scripture in this way!

Now take the fourth commandment, which requires the sacred observance of the seventh or Sabbath day. When Christ had kept one Sabbath, he had fulfilled that law. Did the law end there and then, so that he was not obliged to keep the next Sabbath? If so, the law ended, not at the cross, as is generally thought, but years before, even the very first moment after Christ had once kept it. My hearers, do you believe this? Then to obey a moral precept once, twice, a dozen, or any number of times, does not lessen the obligation to do so.

To fulfill a prophecy is quite a different thing. The prophecy said that Jesus should be crucified. The moment he died, that prophecy was fulfilled, and will never have to be fulfilled again. So it is with all prophecies, but not so with the moral law. To obey to-day does not end the obligation

for to-morrow. “Thou shalt not steal.” To refrain from stealing to-day does not leave us at liberty to steal to-morrow. So you see the law must be fulfilled just the same to-day, to-morrow, the next day, and so on throughout all generations.

That Christ does not here teach the abolition of the law, but its perpetuity, is manifest from what follows. He continues, “For verily I say unto you.” He is about to give a reason for stating that he had not come to abolish the law. Why had he not come to abolish the law? Because, “verily I say unto you,” that is, emphatically, I say unto you, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled.”

Now let us observe these two “tills” in this verse. (1) “Till heaven and earth pass.” (2) “Till all be fulfilled.” What does this teach us? Our opponents claim that it means simply this: that no part of the law was to pass away, till it was all fulfilled; which was accomplished when Christ died upon the cross, about three years after he uttered these words. But this would be an absurd and unnatural use of language. He first says, “Till heaven and earth pass” away; and although more than eighteen hundred years have passed since that time, heaven and earth still remain. The second “till” is stronger than the first, and extends further down into the future.

(1) The law shall not pass away till heaven and earth pass. (2) It shall not pass till all be fulfilled. All what? That of which he was speaking, “the law and the prophets.” “I have not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill.” To fulfill what? Both the law and the prophets. We therefore see that the term fulfill not only applies to the law, but also to the prophets, or prophecies. No part of the law, then, shall pass till the prophecies are all fulfilled. Were the prophecies all fulfilled at the death of Christ? No, indeed. Will they all be fulfilled even when the heavens and the earth have passed away? Let us hear what the apostle has to say on this point. “Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Pet. 3:13. See also Isa. 66:22, 23.

But our opponents meet us here, and say that “all” refers to the “law,” meaning all the law. Law is a noun and all an adjective. If the word all limits law, meaning all the law, then, according to the law of grammar, the adjective must agree with its noun in number, gender, and case. A glance at the Greek text will show that the word from which law is translated is a noun, in the singular number, masculine gender, genitive case. The word from which all is translated, is an adjective in the plural number, neuter gender, nominative case. It will, therefore, be seen that all cannot possibly refer to the law, because it agrees with it neither in number, gender, or case.

Not one jot or tittle shall pass from the law till heaven and earth pass away, no, not then, for it is to remain till all things in the law and prophets are fulfilled, which carries the law entirely through and beyond the gospel dispensation. That this is the meaning of Christ’s language is positively proved by the following verse: “Whosoever, therefore”—a conclusion from what he had previously stated. What is this conclusion? Is it that we need not keep or obey the law? No, indeed. “Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.” Verse 19. Now Peter, James, and John, you are soon to go out to teach, and you shall be called least in the kingdom of Heaven, if you are slack about your work, and instruct men that it don’t make much difference if they do not keep all the commandments. The term, “least commandments,” indicates that there are greater ones. Turning to Matt. 22:36–40, we read, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it,—Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Then there are two great commandments, (1) To love God supremely, and (2) to love our neighbor as ourselves. And mark, these were not new commandments, for he quoted the first from Deut. 6:5, and the second from Lev. 19:18, and says, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Observe he does not say that the law and prophets are to hang on these till the cross, or that they used to hang upon them, and have dropped off, or are about to do so.

How could language be stronger than this? 1. Jesus indorses and ratifies the law as a whole, in stating that he had “not come to destroy” it. 2. He indorses every commandment in the ten, even to the “least” one of them; “whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments.” 3. He indorses every letter in the law. “Not one jot,” he says, shall pass away. A jot is the smallest letter in the Hebrew language. 4. He indorses even the smallest tip of a letter. Says he, Not one “tittle” shall pass away.

We therefore see by the authority of Jesus Christ our Lord, that we have the law of the ten commandments, spoken by his own voice amid most wonderful scenes, brought over into the gospel dispensation without any change. Some say we have no authority in the New Testament for observing the seventh-day Sabbath. But was not the Sabbath one of the commandments? Of course it was. Then Christ’s language covers this one. “Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments.” The Sabbath is enforced by one of them, and is, therefore, included in Christ’s words. So says our Saviour, and so we believe. Hence, that law still reads, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.”

And now, to show beyond a possibility of a mistake that the instructions of Christ in his sermon on the mount do apply this side of the cross, in this dispensation, notice what he says of the ceremonial law, or the law of Moses. Having finished his instructions concerning the moral law, teaching its perpetuity in the strongest terms, he now takes up the ceremonial, or law of Moses, and sets it all aside, and directs his apostles to teach others not to regard it. Thus he says: “It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement.” Matt. 5:31. This scripture may be found in Deut. 24:1, in the ceremonial law of Moses. It allowed a man to divorce his wife for a very slight cause. Now what does Christ say? “But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.” Verse 32. Thus he set aside that law.

“Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths.” Verse 33. Here is another quotation from that law, which may be found in Num. 30:2. Now what does he say about this? “But I say unto you, Swear not at all.” Thus you see he cuts it right down. Again, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” This is found, not in the ten commandments, but in Ex. 21:24. Set this to one side. “But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Verses 38, 39. Notice, this was just the opposite of what Moses had said. See verses 43, 44; Deut. 23:6. What he taught privately to his disciples here, they were not commissioned to teach until after the cross. Hence, when he says of the moral law, “Whosoever shall break one of these commandments,” etc., he means, whosoever shall in the gospel dispensation do it.

“But,” says the objector, “why didn’t Christ recommend the Sabbath?” He has done even more than this. “And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming? and of the end of the world?” “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand), then let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains. But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day.” Matt. 24:3, 15, 16, 20. Like the fifth chapter, this was spoken privately to his disciples, only a very short time before his death, and has its application in this dispensation. Hear what he says of the Sabbath, “Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day.” When was this flight to take place? Why, when the Roman army should be seen by them. When was this? About A.D. 70, or 39 years after the cross. Then Christ recognizes the Sabbath institution about forty years after our opponents say it was abolished. He not only refers to it as then in force, but gave a command concerning it to the early Christian church. Query, Do you suppose we who are assembled here this evening would be likely to forget that about which we were to pray, not once each week, but as often as we should come before the Lord in secret prayer?

Now to prove that our position is correct, and that we have placed the right interpretation upon the instructions of Christ to his disciples, both in chapters 5 and 24, let us follow them as they go out in after years to preach the gospel, and see how they understood his teachings concerning the decalogue.

James was one who listened to this sermon on the mount. About thirty years after this he writes his general epistle to the brethren scattered abroad. In chapter 2:8–12, he says, “If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scriptures, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well.” Thus he introduces the subject of the law in almost the very words that Christ did, when he said, “I am come to fulfill the law.” So James says, “If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scriptures, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well; but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors; for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

How exactly James repeats the lessons of his Master! Jesus said whosoever should break one of the least of these commandments should be least in the kingdom of Heaven. James says, “Whosoever shall offend in one point is guilty of all.” Thus we see Jesus recognized even the least commandment, and James the whole law, not nine-tenths of it. Christ illustrated what law he meant, by quoting the sixth and seventh commandments. Now notice how carefully James uses the same illustration: “For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.”

Let us try James’ reasoning upon the commandments. “For that law which said [marginal reading], Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.” Again, For that law which said, Do not take the name of God in vain, said also, Remember the Sabbath; now if thou do not take the name of God in vain, yet if thou break the Sabbath, thou art become a transgressor of the law. By this we see that the apostle was faithful to the commission. Says Jesus, “Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” And as his Lord had referred to the Sabbath as an existing institution in Matt. 24:20, so James does in the great Christian council of Acts 15. He says Moses was read in the synagogues “every Sabbath day.”

Thus we see that this apostle, all the way down in the gospel dispensation for thirty years, repeats and enforces the very lessons that the Lord had taught him concerning the decalogue. Then he adds, “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” James 2:12.

Apostolic observance. They all kept the seventh day as the Sabbath. He commanded his disciples to regard it as late as forty years after his resurrection. Matt. 24:20. The holy women kept it after his death. Luke 23:56. Acts was written A.D. 60, thirty years after the resurrection. In it the Holy Spirit calls it “the Sabbath day.” Acts 13:14. Paul called it “the Sabbath day.” Acts 13:27. The Gentiles kept and called it “the Sabbath day.” Verses 42, 44. Luke called it “the Sabbath day.” Acts 17:2.

It was the great apostle Paul’s “custom” to preach upon the Sabbath day. Acts 17:2, which he did for one year and a half at one place. Acts 18:1–11. And, finally, the apostle James recognized the fact that no other day but the seventh is the Sabbath. Acts 15:21. He says, Moses is “read in the synagogues every Sabbath day.” This proves that the phrase “every Sabbath day” includes only those days on which the Jews met in the synagogue to read the law; to wit, every seventh day of the week; and that it did not include the first day, for they did not meet on that day in the synagogues to read the law.

Cannot tell which is the seventh day. This is usually the last excuse. But that we can tell when the true seventh day in the cycle of the week comes is a fact. We refer you to Christ’s sayings. He said unto them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath bath.” This was the day that Christ, as well as the Jews, kept. If the Sabbath had been lost, he would have known and corrected it. But he gave no intimation of it to the Jews, or to his disciples. He not only kept it himself, but he said it was the “Sabbath.” In Luke 23:54–56; 24:1, we read thus: “And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him 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. Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.”

Here are several important declarations: 1. We have the preparation day, which, according to Ex. 16:5, was the sixth day of the week. 2. Following this, we have “the Sabbath day according to the commandment,” which carries us back to Ex. 20, where we read, “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.”

Then these Christian women had the true seventh day, and kept it as the commandment required. What does this law require? “Remember the Sabbath day. . . . the seventh day is the Sabbath,” not is a Sabbath, but is the Sabbath. And why is it the Sabbath? “For,” because, “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.” Why, then, did the women rest? Because the “commandment” required it. And why does the commandment require it? (a) God made or created all things in the first six days. (b) He blessed the seventh day. (c) He sanctified it, and to sanctify is to set apart to a holy or religious use. Since it was set apart, it must have been for somebody. And for whom? Christ answers, “For man.” Man is here used in a general sense, and means all men,—the whole human family. Then, from the foregoing facts and reasons, we see that the true seventh day in the cycle of weeks had not been lost at Christ’s crucifixion, for Christian women kept the Sabbath “according to the commandment,” for inspiration says so.

After this, the Sabbath is frequently mentioned in the book of Acts. See the chapters already referred to. The last time it is named is in Rev. 1:10, A.D. 96, which brings us to the close of the Bible, and of the first century. Now we have spanned 4100 years of the world’s history, and find the Sabbath has not been lost. But has not time been lost since the year A.D. 96, perhaps during the dark ages? Let us see. At the time of Christ, and ever since, the Jews were and have been great sticklers for the Sabbath—very careful in observing it. In A.D. 70, about 40 years after the resurrection of Christ, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, and the Jews were led away captive into all nations; and though 1800 years have passed, the Jews are still a scattered nation, yet a distinct people. In every country, in every clime, in every nation, and in almost every city, to-day may be found the Jew.

During these eighteen long centuries, under every vicissitude, they have still kept, and tenaciously clung to, the Sabbath. Every person of intelligence knows that the Jews all keep the Sabbath on Saturday. Now that they have not lost the Sabbath day, but have kept the day of the week correctly, is easily demonstrated. Scattered as widely apart as they have been all this time, had they lost the correct numbering of the days of the week, they would now be found to disagree among themselves as to which was the true Sabbath day. Some would claim that it was on Monday; still others, that it was on Tuesday, etc., etc. But there is no such disagreement among them, as we all know. In Asia, in Europe, in Africa and America, all agree that the Sabbath comes on Saturday. With these facts before us, I think we will say that Saturday is the true seventh day.

It was only two or three centuries after Christ that the Christians began to regard the first day of the week as a sacred day. Gradually this practice became quite general among Christians. Christendom is divided into three great branches; viz., The Greek Church, numbering 66,000,000; the Catholic Church, numbering about 170,000,000—[Here Eld. Carter corrected Eld.

B., saying, “They number 225,000,000.”—Reporter.] Thank you for the correction. The Protestant churches not far from 100,000,000; making a total of more than 375,000,000. All these have always been, and are now, unanimous in teaching that Sunday is the first day of the week, the resurrection day, and that Saturday is the old, original, seventh-day Sabbath. No one ever thought of disputing this until lately, since they find there is no Bible proof for the sacred observance of the first day of the week, or Sunday.

The Mohammedans, numbering 160,000,000, observe the sixth day, or Friday. In conclusion, let us sum up some of the many facts which we have brought before your minds this evening.

The Sabbath was made at the close of the creative week, and for all mankind. Gen. 2:1–3; Ex. 20:8–11; Mark 2:27.
The great God rested upon this day. Ex. 20:8–11.
He blessed it. Gen. 2:2, 3.
He sanctified it. Ex. 20.
Made not merely for a physical rest, but for a memorial. Ex. 31:16, 17.
It was a part of God’s holy law before Sinai. Ex. 16:4, 27–29.
It was associated with moral precepts. Ex. 20:1–17.
It was commanded by Christ’s voice from Heaven. Heb. 12:21–26; Acts 7:38; 1 Cor. 10:1–4; Deut. 10:3, 4.
They were written by Christ. Compare Heb. 12:21–26, with Deut. 10:1–4.
When our Lord appeared upon earth he ratified the law of ten commandments as a whole. Matt. 5:17.
He ratified every commandment. Matt. 5:19.
He ratified every letter of the commandments. Matt. 5:18.
And finally, even every corner of a letter of them. Matt. 5:18.
It was his custom to keep the Sabbath. Luke 4:16.
He even gave commandment concerning it. Matt. 24:20.
His disciples taught the perpetuity of the law. James 2:8–12; 1 John 3:4; 5:2, 3; Rom. 3:31; 7:7.
The apostles observed the Sabbath. Acts 13:14, 42, 44; 17:2; 18:1–11.
The holy women kept the true seventh day in the cycle of the week.
It has not been lost since.
Only those who have kept all the commandments will have eternal life. Matt. 5:19; 19:16–19; Rev. 22:14.

And in conclusion, let me say, These are important matters. May it be the happy lot of us all to have eternal life in the kingdom of God.

IN THE ROUGH.

The marble was pure and white Though only a block at best, But the artist, with inward sight, Looked farther than all the rest, And saw in the hard, rough stone, The loveliest statue the sun shone on.

So he set to work with care, And chiseled a form of grace— A figure divinely fair, With a tender, beautiful face: But the blows were hard and fast That brought from the marble that work at last.

So I think that human lives Must bear God's chisel keen, If the spirit yearns and strives For the better life unseen. For men are only blocks at best, Till the chiseling brings out all the rest. —Sel.

GOD OUR TRUST.

By Joseph Clarke

“They that trust in the Lord, shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever.” Psalm 125. 1.

The word of God is a sure defense, his promise is a covering in time of danger, and his love is a fortress and a sure place of safety. Here David felt secure at all times. When in danger from his foes, he always hid himself under the shelter of Jehovah’s power. No enemy could harm him there; there he slept in safety. In the care of angels he felt secure when combatting Goliath, or fleeing from Saul, or when in the heat of battle.

When Ahithophel gave counsel against him, he left his cause with God. When he had sinned against God, and forfeited his crown and his honor, then he felt he was in danger; for God could not justify nor accept him, nor protect from the just award of his sin. He hastened to return to the God he had forsaken. With deep sorrow he deplored his selfishness and his crime. He did not rest content till he felt that God had restored him to his favor. For this, he humbled himself, and bewailed his sin, and secured help from God, till his heart was cleansed from the foul stain, and he was again restored to divine favor.

If we could shut up the tender mercy of God against repentant David, the same principle would shut us also out of the sympathy of God. If he could shut his heart against David, he might also look upon us in anger, and leave us to the famine and the pestilence. The mercy which gave pardon to David is now manifest in sparing the world a little longer. And to us, too, he grants a little space for repentance.

Let us praise the Lord for his mercy and his love which shielded David when he turned to the Lord with sincere repentance and with confession. Were he not merciful, who could be saved?

Joseph Clarke.

WAS THE LAW OF GOD ABOLISHED BY THE NEW COVENANT?

By S. B. Whitney

Some suppose that it was; but that this is not the case is a point than which few are made plainer in the Scriptures. God says by Isaiah, “Hearken unto me ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law.” Isa. 51: 7. But how does his law get into their hearts? Hear Paul, in Heb. 8: 10, quoting from Jeremiah, in relation to the new covenant (chap. 31: 33): “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts,” &c.

But you will further observe in the quotations from Isaiah that those in whose hearts God’s law is, are the ones that know righteousness. This would seem to indicate that God’s law and righteousness are the same, and this is confirmed by David in Ps. 119: 172: “My tongue shall speak of thy word, for all thy commandments are righteousness.” We are thus shown that God’s law is put into the hearts of his people under the new covenant, and that his law is his righteousness.

Now turn again to Isa. 51, and you will see how plainly God has spoken on the point we are considering. In verse 6, after predicting some of the fearful scenes of the last days, he says, “But my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.” Again in verse 8, “But my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.” This needs no comment, and certainly settles the question.

S. B. WHITNEY.

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