Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 134, 8 Iune 1894 — THE SABBATH. [ARTICLE]

THE SABBATH.

A Sermon by Bishop Willis. ? ( Th« {••)!< wing (• rcībie mrrinuo on tiie qnesti(in of li.e Sabl>Htli w«s «lel«ver. «1 i»y Dinbop \N ilim iit St Aaclrev'it C<ttbe<lral inKt Snb<)nr. and wili Im of interest to «iil w!i<» (oiiow the t>pic* uf | tLo i)» v *'S.x (lnys hbi!t thoD l.«lH>nr. nn«l tio »il thv work, bnt the S*-Tfntli tl»y «s tiie Sabbuth of the Lonl th\ (io«l; m it thon sh»!t n-.t do «ti\ woik.” Eiod. xx. 9, 10 The ten Cofumaodfnetits are of onivenutl oblig;tt:on. Tbey «re , i bii)ding to tla\ ou Christendoni, ns thev on the Jcwish |H*oj)lu wheii ile'i\» re.i from Monni Sin«i. : * 'ur S.tvk)ur distinctiy declared ttuat li* h.- i ii«t eonie to destroy, but to fuitil. Wbit t!i<*u <ire «« s.iv of tho . | pnelwe of Ihe Cim*ti»n wor!d in inaking fo/ fift*.'en <<r sixteen i ceuturie» the Sevtiitb day of 1 the week. » div «<f l«bour. nnd kcoping tiie firsf day uf the week «8 the S:il.i),itii <<r day of rortt. Is ii or is it not a departure from tlie poi«itive eoimuainl eonlaine*! in lh<« Fu<uth CoauuHtid ment? N<*w, 1 1ihv** u<< doubt. bnt tliat yon nre perfevtiy s«tisfied iu your own iniiuls tlint \ve are not trHiisgressing tbe Fourtb Coiuniaiidnient, iu keeping tb« ; Sev«*ntb day rest on tlie First dny of the week. You me gatisfied tbat tho Cburcb has frora tbe tiuie of the Apostles rogardrd tbe Jimt day of the week mh theX’)rd's d«y. ra.)k;ng it the Cfanstian Sabbnth, nnd tbat it would be Ihe ueigbt of foIIy, and }>rosu:nj)tiou for anv iudividual or sect to Het up hia or its opimon Hgaiust tbe voioe of tbe Cburch, I for ourSHviour iiH.« 8aiti—*‘lf any ! man negieot t<> bear tbe Cbnrcb, l«t hiiu 1)6 uuto tbee as a heatben uihu and n puhlieau." P»ut it is < ne tbiug to be satis fied in yonr uwn mimi tbat it is not ooatrery to tbe Fourth Coaimaudtnent to keep Suuday inste«ti uf 8aturd;ty—It is another to be nl)le nol t>nly to eiplain to otbers the ieasou of tiie clotnge, whieh is c!ear enough t) every CbristiKD but to mnko it piain to thoso wlio aru |«erplexed that no vioience at aii is done to the letter of tbe Fourtb C.>ramaudmeDt by the cbang«*. Tbis is what I wiii endeavour to do tbis raori)ing. There is,a gi'eat deal of līler<itnre now in oircuiati»n wsth the object of breakiug down Suntl»y obscrvanee, by teaehiug that by Divine C <uimaDd Swturdfi \ . the Seventh day of the week, is tlte Sabbatb, , and ruQ<it lben-fore l>e «f (>erpe(aal obk>gation. My pnrj»>iie wiil be to sbow you the f«ll,.ev aoder- ] lyir.g tbe arg iments u» *d<* use of. and «henonee you detcct tbat;, th« premises «u whieh Ihoee ar * , gumeuts are b.xsed, are woaouaiL, |, you will be iu no danger «f being I | jH>rplexed b\ ru.isumng ibat reets i, upou aheap c>f aaml. j, In a tr*ot Ihnl has Ueen widoly i circu!»,fcod through tbe wnrld.«sd i of whieh Ihe Eoman C«tboiie i Cburch oogbl to be aabaiued. it i is st»ted, “OoJ’g writteu word i eojoma Hts worsbip to bc ob*erv- 1 ed oo Sifimf«y. absolnteiy, re- j p6atedly,a»d m<>8t emphHtic*l!y.” ' Xow. i{ tbat traeisboūid fall iato 1 your bands, let n»e tell yoa lhxt « this stnten»eut »s ai*solutelv aod < usoet onpheiicaUy fa!se. The i namea of tha day» of the week < have no recognitiou iu the 6ibio. ( Frora Oeueai» to Ueve!ation oo t day of the week is ever mentioued by uame. Uuder the inspira- ( tico of the Holy 8pirit tbe i sacml wrīters drop|«d the I des<guutioua of tbe days tbe i week, whieh were couueoled with \ Uie woishipof tbe pianela 6utyou t say, weil, but 8starday is tbe a Beveoib day of tbe week. Are e you uot splitting bairs to aay tbaf e

♦he 6>ble l-v>— </t e»<joīi» S<taribiy to be k»-}A. wīien >1 »o piaiu)y . «rders the S-ventb day of the 1 week t« be ke»>t h<>ly ? where • d<K-s tbe Btb!e «rder the 8-venlb i * dav of the week to be kept holy? j 1 It is replied: In tbe Fourtb Com■m ilm«ut; ar 1 many otber , nlircs. *‘Six lav« shalt tboo Iab >ur—bnt tb« S-ver.th day is tbe S«bbath of the Lord thy God.” There it i«, quite plaio. 1 Panlon me. I>oe« it read tbe Sercnfh ./<( 7 of tht awP Tl.e 1 * • I 1 words of thr Kvi are not in the C«niniaudfn«nL Tbev are not iu Genesis, tbey a: e not sn any plaee in txodos,tbey are not in Desteron omv. The writte.i <rord«f Go<l bas i enjoined tlie Se»v nll> J.>ty to l>e k-pt boly, but it b is nowliere -said ti)al tbe Sev«ntl day is Satnr«!ay, , ai)d alwivs must be S«tnrdi»y, orj thui ihe Sewutb dav o/ ihe uetk • * is the Sabbatb. 2Sjw in «i! c>*Jitroverted <(aes- , tioiis t!ie cmus ■ of the dispnta has coi)fetantly been thxt nien bave not be.-n satisfit>«l to take tho words of tb< Bib!e iin thejf are u:ritlen, bat mu t read mto them some mterpreta iou of thcir owu. L<<ok at the c-)ntroversies lhere have beeu ab >ot tlie 6lessed Sacrament. Ve s!iould uever have been tro ibled with such wnnls as Tran*t bstantiation, Con- ■ gnbsiantiation, Zwingliani»m, ! unless first 011 «ue si«le and theu <»n auotber, «roi-is iutended to be expl«DMtory had been foisted between the worls of lustitnti«D spokeu by our L<»rd Himself. lt is tl«e sane now with tbe F<>urtli Comn iudmeiit. Tho Seventb day o’ the Command meut bas been popolarly inter- | preted to mean the Seventb day i u f tbe week, ti!l it is diificult for 8oine to realize ihat it is uot part j , of tiie Comioandment to keep lioly the Se\e»'b day o/ the v:eek. And, eveu after it is pointed ont tl»at tbo words "of the week” are not in the Con maudmeut, aome still would hs £. What is the difiereuce? Th<> words ‘*of tbe week” are not there But how ! e <u the 8eveutb d«y be any other | day thau Satariay, tho Seveuth ■ day of th«- weok i Kōw ĪT Ibe~Fevegttt"/1*y M\TsT 1 necessarily me» n Snturday, then i Uie tbird day ranst equally be > undcrstoi>d of Tuesd«y, aud the 1 | eigbth day mus> be Saud«y. But i when you read ‘hat Abraham and | Isaac eame to Mouat Moriab on ; the Oiinl dav, and tbat on tbe Uiird day tber* was a m irriage ; in Cana of G» lilee you do uot : understaud thal these events ttH»k > plaee on TaesUy; but that the marriage too’« j laee on tfae third ) day after what wua previou«ly related,and that it vas a three djys journey to Moi ut Moriab. Aud . $0 wben S. Pau sa ! d tbat he was ; circumcised on be e>gbth day,you do not undorstind him to mean Suuday. but 01 tbe eighth day afler bis birtb Wby tben do auy w «nt to s.»} that tbe Seventh day eau only be uaderstood of the Soveuth da; of Uie week? ■* lt is import» it bafore we proceod tu be ver\ e ear as to wbat Uie«Couiroandn ent eoniaiu». and whai «t does u »t oonUin. First of all. it iays d>wn that the Sabb«tli d v is of perpetnai ubiiga(ion. It is u*d the Seventb day, bul tbe Stbbat! day -tbe d*y of rest that uiankii d m(ist reraember ko keep boly.Tl e“Sabbath" is o( perpetnal obli§ation Tbe next point is lliil fb s S«bb«th day is : to be obsern>i ev©ry Seyenth day. It is ordained thai uum ahali lftbonr s« £ days, and then rest on the tbe day fo)iowing the si: And ilie reason is g»veu heeanae tbe Greator made tbe world ia *>X days, and ; restcd on Ihe 8ereoth. Tbeyo- 1 fore, the exampie ol the Croator ia U> be follovn. ia hnman ltfe. The aame dir aiun of ra*i and 1 Ubonr is t > bti eiuk Sn daya < of Uboor to b» f<dk>wed by one < day of rest. aad the Dirine bless- ! ing rests opon thie Beweeih day 1 of rest, in ootseqnenee of the I Creak>r‘s re*t o 1 tbe Seveuth day I after the six da*» of ereatioa I Tbis ia ihe mheUoee of the • Commandment, a Se\enth day ] rest to (ollow s x days of Ubonr. 1 Bot there is uo Jting in the Com- 1 manJincut to enjoin how ihe 1 week sbou!d bc :.rr*uged. wheiher } Uie Seveotb da“ re*t shonld Ull : t • ak tbe begīniug or »id«lle or eml 1 o{ the week. Ta«l wa» Uft to be 1 deienaiaed ia 1

I<et nv' ffiv- r«n ao il!a*triti'«n vbicli wili. 1 tbiak, mike il eie «r tbai tbe UDctificttiooo( the Seventh dvy U not tbe ftinctifict- j tion of any one d«y in tbe veek, u S*tarday nr Sun>i*y. bnt tbe | ballo«ingof «hatever<i«y shoaM heeome tbe Seventh d*y of ivat. There *re seven notes in mos e, whieh are uamed from A to G. In iearning mns e everyone learns first the key of C. In that key B. is the seventb note. And a child's first idea of the sc%Ie is. that C. is the first note and B. the seveotb Bat then a time it is learnt that there are as many key» as there are uotea. That the seqaence is always the same. That there is an unchanging l’i« attaclied to tbe! s»*v»*-.tb note; ami aceording to the key iu wh:ch you play or siug. the seventh u**te mast be iuad>* coufor>u <b!e to th.»t law aml be a ser»i«toue bel«>w the i octave. it i» n<»t the 1 w of C or F. But the law of the »*cr«>n/A note It is jast so with the Seventh day. The Fourth Com maudment is not the law of S:it- ! urday or the law of Souday but the law of the Seveuth day. And as in music, B. is the seventb note iu the key of C.. bnt F. iu thekey of G So whilst in theJew i.sh dispens.ition the Seveath day rest fell ou Saturdav, nnder ; the Gospel it falls on Sunday, » while in the eaiiy ages of the i world we eanuol eH}’ wilh certainty on whieh day it fell though ; it is most probnble as I will show you presently that previous to the Jewish dispeusation the Sabbath waskeptou thefirstday of the week To mapiiaiu, then, that the 8ev- [ enth day cannot be any otherday thun Siturday was childish, as to s y that the seventh note iu the aeale iu B, aiul can’t be any other. Next, let us trace the Jewish Sabbatli t»i its co«nection with Saturday. lf you have never ex umined the question you may bave thought that it has bad a contmaed b story from tbe time o£ Ail.un. That is not the case It is absolutely impossible to trace the Jewisb Sabbath back bevoud tbe giviug of thu manua a moutb after the £xodus. So ttnrtTmt of tbo 4,000 ye.irs beU weeu Adam and Christ, the eon - nectious of the S ibbath with Satnrday had only had u history of 1 500 years. There is evidence thai the Subbath bad been obsen*ed daring patriarcba! times. Bat donng the two cent >ries and a half of 8iavery iu Kgypt, if the memory of it was retained, its observance had been blotteti out. lt is not likely tbat the Egyptian task musters wou!d have ailowed their slav«s a \veekly hol:day. whieh tbey did not keep thcm - selves. Consequently when they eame out of Egapt, the Sabbatii had to be uewly prociaime4. and a new caleudar provided. With ihe £xodus a chauge was made in the beginning of the year. Niaaa being made th« first motrtu of the year, aud sborlly after, ihe giving of the manna settled the i arrangement of the week until the | Cbristiun era, The aeeounl of the ap]a>iatu<eut of the Jewish Sabbath is very fnll and explicit, and you will see tbat it was the manua that de termined whioh d iy woold be the Sabbath, and not the Babbatb tiie days on whieh tbe manua woold fall. lt was on the 15th day of t e 2d week «fter tbe £xodus, that tbe children of Israel entered tbe ! wilderuess of Sin. By this lime th« food sapply tbey had broogfat from Egypt was esbanste«l. Manua is then promised ihem. The next moming, the 16tb. it was gatbered lor the first time. For stx cousecutive daya they fo»md , it Bot on the sixth day, as it! had heen rerealsd to Moses,everv one gathered Iwiee aa mwh as on the previous days. Tbe rolers i pf tbe eongregation eame to | Moses tor au explanation oi the i wonders. Tbea they leineil I that Ihe next day w*s the rest o i j ihe bo!y Sabbatb, and that the bread of two days wasgiven tbem on tbe 6tb. Tbe next morniug. proclaroation wae made throogb the eamp —to day u a Sabbatb outo iae Lord. to-day yp sba)i not Sud it io tbe Sijt d-*y* ye ahall gntber it, but ob tbe I Seventb d» y . whieh ia the Sabbath, in it there shal) b« noae. Tbat was tbe first Jewiah 8abbath. The partieolar day that

God rh -se to gĪT« the m»nns the Sabbfih to fall on the i]jiv vbic<i *rts named S»lariiy. • Sow. we h»ppeo to koow th«t tbis not tbe arrangwment of tbe week «ith wbtcb the chiMren of Israel b«d be«*n f.»milur io : Eqypt. For with the Egyptiao* S*tara's diy »»s the d»y oj the week. But in ord‘r thakt His | own peopie migbt not be indnenced bv the Egyptian c*lendard. the d*y whieh bad been the first r,f the Egytian week beo*me the last of tbeJewish. We ean trace Ihen the eoineideuceof theJewish Sabbath with Satuniay back to 1500 years before Chri.*«t. Bevond that ii is Httnply to prove that :t wns kept on tbe Seveutb day ol tbe week. We are confr »nted v.th the singalar fact <«f histnry, th >t the prl»nitive we«-k of tbe Egyptian Calen<lar hegan with Sitmday. (Tliis dt*es not favoar the <lej that any dnty of ntaking Sator*l<y ths Seveuth dav of tbe week has been 5m- , pressed on the conscience of uankiud), :;:ul the fucts th;it | ineet us iu the opening pages of the Bib!e, s*'rve to exp!aiu why. in the e<r!y ages of th- wor!J, the week sbonld h ive so l>egun Keeall tbo order of the d <y» of the tirst weele of hmu «u exist< n«^* I on tl»e fartii It w*s «t tlie c!»>se 1 o( tbe sixth d.»y of the week of ! c<eation tb a.t man, cieuted iu tbe !.i.ige of O.al, stood mon tbe ! soii. By tbe time bt* ba<l realized *iis existence, t!ie 8eventi day 1 vas beginning. Tbe first recorded i »lay of man’s life npon tlie earth ; ; vas the day on whieh Ood rested [ :rom all the wnrk wliieli He had >uade. The Seventh day of the week of creation stands iu the forefront of liuman history as the fii"st day of man’s life, the first d«y of the week. His first d;»y of iife was a day of rest, a day of contempldtion of the wouders of <jreation, a day of worsbip and >r.»ise of the Creator. Then fo!owed tbe six days of labour in Jr ssing and keeping the garden u whieh he was placed. uuiil tbe Seventli day of rest marked tho beginuing of uuotber week. We have, then, good reason for >e!ieviiig that in tlie early agos of the worid, tlie Sabbath wt»s kept an the first of the woek. But wbet‘ier tbe Sabbath d ty be the arst day of llu* week or the Seventh, it falls equallv every Seventh d .y B\' ballowing tbe Srst day of t le w'eek Ihe Cbr stian „‘hnrcb pays tae same iitoral ;b-,'dience t(> tbe eommaml: “Six days sb;«lt tbou l»bonr. but tbe Seveuth Ihon sh lt rest,’ as was paid by t e Jewish churc;t. Uu«ler the Jewisb »lispensntion a new or»l.*r eame iu, «ml forl500 vears the S i >batb Was kej>t hy the Jewish natb.ii ou lbe Sereutb Jay of tt.e week. When tbat d »|>ensnti<>n had r ui its course. then, m honour of iLe Kesnrrection, the Sabbath pdfs»*s on from Satnrday to Snnday; and now the Sabb Jb sta d« at tlie beginning uf tbe week, us it |>robably dul in F.-»ra Jise, and onwanl for tbe first 2800 vears of the wor1d's iiist*>ry. Bnt wbether tb>* Sabbat!i day bu the nrst daj' of the or tbe S<*venth, it f.-«lis eqnally everj' Seventb day. '. ’he Christian obnrcb |>ays tbe sams literal obedience as the Jewish to Uie Commandmeiit: **Six«laysshaIt thoalabonr, bnt tbe Sevonth thon shalt rest." i Thk Advedi»er, yesterd i\- trotted oot one if tbe many of its old i standing bead-lines ou the Moni arcbj. T day it hangs ont iD.oiiier; “X arewell to tbe M*>n3rcby,’’ *Itbough it danced on its grav« a yen r ago. Keally this joke of corp*u*-roviving i» becom i i:ig monotoi ona. 1 b