Jesus Recognizes the Sabbath Truth.

The Sabbath taught, and enforced in the New Testament.

But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath-day. Matt.24 : 20. Jesus thus recognizes the Sabbath, more than thirty years after the Jewish sabbaths were abolished. Those who teach the no Sabbath heresy, have labored hard to explain away the important fact, that Jesus establishes the perpetuity of the Sabbath, this side of the crucifixion, as far as the destruction of Jerusalem ; but this plain fact is so well fastened "by a nail in the right place," driven by the Lord of the Sabbath, that' with all their efforts, it will not remain explained away. It does not read, the Sabbath-day of the Jews, nor their Sabbath-day; but THE SABBATH-DAY, by way of distinction, stands out in bold relief upon the sacred page.

The Scriptures of both Testaments, give the Sabbath of the Lord our God this mark of eminence. Those who oppose the true Sabbath, tell us that " the Jews were so tenacious about the strict observance of their Sabbath, that they would have prevented the disciples fleeing on that day, had they made an attempt to do so ; hence for their own salvation, Christ taught them to pray that their flight might not be on that day." All such sophistry as this does not touch the main point. Jesus did recognize the Sabbath of the Lord our God, many years after the crucifixion. Unbelief cannot hide this important fact, from those who are honestly searching for the Sabbath truth.

" And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments ; and rested the Sabbath day, according to the commandment." Luke 23 : 56.

When Jesus was nailed to the cross, the hand-writing of ordinances was abolished. Let all remember that St. Paul has forever established this point in Col. 2 : 14. At the third hour of the day, or 9 o'clock, A. M. Jesus was nailed to his cross, and at that very hour, whatever was to be abolished at the crucifixion, then died. From the sixth to the ninth hour, or 3 o'clock, P. M. darkness was over all the earth. At this hour, Jesus gave up the ghost, which gave the holy women three hours to see his body laid in the sepulchre, return and prepare the spices, and ointments, and be ready to commence the Sabbath at 6 o'clock, P. M. The fact that they rested the Sabbath day, according to the fourth commandment, after the crucifixion, shows that no change took place in relation to it, at the crucifixion.

The modern view that Jesus relaxed the Sabbath, and taught his disciples by precept and example that it was to be relaxed, charges the followers of Jesus with ignorance and folly, in being so strict about the commandment. But we choose to follow Jesus, and the example of his holy followers, and keep the Sabbath according to the commandment ; rather than to follow men who have back-slidden from present truth, and are laboring to tear down what they once labored to build up. We think it much safer to follow the sure Word, and the example of those who personally learned of Jesus, than uninspired men of this day, who are continually sliding from one position to another.

The great Apostle to the GENTILES preached on the Sabbath, and had no other regular preaching day. We have no record of his meeting with the disciples on the first day of the week but once, (Acts 20 : 7,) and that was to break bread, in the evening. It was not the evening following the first day, that they met together to break bread ; for Paul " continued his speech until mid. night," then healed Eutychus, and then went up and broke bread, which all will agree would be on the second day of the week. They met together in the evening following the seventh day, and Paul continued his speech until break of day ; then spent the day-time of the first day of the week, which is now the Pope's Sabbath, in walking to Assos, and sailing with his brethren to Mitylene. There is not, therefore, the least shade of evidence that Paul, or any of the Apostles, had any regular preaching day, but the Sabbath of the Lord our God.

"And Paul, as his MANNER was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath-days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures." Acts 27i : 2.

He preached every Sabbath, for a year and six months at Corinth, to the Jews, and to the GREEKS. See Acts 28: 4-11. " And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the GENTILES besought That these words might be preached to THEM the next Sabbath. And the next Sabbath-day came almost -the whole city together to hear the word of God." Acts 13: 42  44.

 Those who take the ground that Paul did not keep the Sabbath, say that he preached on that day, because the Jews were assembled in their synagogues on the Sabbath ; but we find the Apostle preaching elsewhere, besides the synagogues, on the seventh day, " And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a RIVER SIDE, where prayer was wont to be made ; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither." Acts 16 : 13.

St. Paul preached to the Jews and the Greeks, and at the request of the Gentiles, and by a RIVER SIDE. He preached every Sabbath at Corinth, for a year and six months for this was his MANNER ; therefore the assertion is untrue that he preached on the seventh day, merely because the Jews assembled in their synagogues on that day. The no-Sabbath advocates make Paul one of the most inconsistent men, that ever undertook to preach the Gospel ; for they say he taught the abolition of the Sabbath to the Galatians, Romans, and Colossians ; and at the same time was preaching to Jews and Gentiles, not only in the synagogues, but elsewhere on every Sabbathday ! The Jews never accused Paul with departing from the letter of the Sabbath law. This is strong evidence that he strictly kept it. We all know that if the Apostle had taught its abolition, the Jews would have accused him with Sabbath-breaking; for they sought for accusations to bring against him. Thus we see the Holy Sabbath taught in the New, as well as in the Old Testament. Wherever the commandments of God are taught, and enforced in the New Testament, the Sabbath is taught and enforced, for the simple reason that the Sabbath law is one of the ten commandments. God has given but ten commandments. They are his everlasting covenant, written with his finger in stones. The commandments of God, in the New Testament, as well as in the Old, mean nothing more nor less, than Jehovah's ten immutable laws. Jesus gave but one commandment to the Church. " A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another. John 13: 34. This is MY commandment, That ye love one another, AS I HAVE LOVED YOU." John 15 : 12. This new commandment is the law of Christ. " Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the LAW OF CHRIST." Gal. 6: 2.

Some teach that nine of the commandments are " embodied in the law of Christ, and enforced ; but the Sabbath law is left out. But where is the Scripture testimony that proves any such thing ? It is not in the Bible.

This is one of the smooth fables of the last days, suited to itching ears. The commandments of God are one thing, and the one law of Christ is entirely another separate thing. Jesus kept, and taught his Father's commandments, so did his Apostles ; but they never called them the law of Christ, or any part of the new commandment given by Jesus. There was no necessity for enforcing the Sabbath law, as it was not violated in the days of the Apostles, as the other nine commandments were. The only natural reason why the Apostles did not rebuke the sin of Sabbath-breaking, is, that the sin did not exist in the early Church. The Sabbath was their regular preaching day, and Paul, John, and James taught that the keeping of the commandments of God was a test of Christian fellowship, and Eternal salvation.

When Christ and his Apostles speak of the commandments, they certainly mean all ten of them. This is plain enough for any child, that wishes to believe God's truth, but unbelief can always find a handle to take hold of when it wants one. God has not revealed himself to man in such a way that he cannot doubt : if he had there would never have been an infidel in the world. If the second advent of Jesus had been so revealed that none could doubt, then this would be a world of Adventists ; but this glorious truth is so plainly revealed, that all will be without excuse in the judgment, yet few believe. Just so with the Sabbath truth which shines out as clear as the noon-day sun, yet few will believe it. All who read the Bibles, know that all ten of the commandments of God are taught, and enforced -in the New Testament as a whole ; and this is enough to condemn them at the bar of God, if they violate the fourth. Because the fourth is not separately enforced in the New Testament, those who wish to violate it for some worldly object, pride, or the fear of man, will not be guiltless.

 God will not be trifled with. His word will not return unto him void. Jehovah said of Jesus : " This is my beloved Son : hear him." Mark 9 : 7. If all would hear Jesus, and teach as he taught, they would not make such work with the law of God as they now do. Here we will listen, and learn of the meek and lowly Jesus.

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Taken from-

THE PRESENT TRUTH, 

PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY—BY JAMES WHITE.

Vol. 1.  MIDDLETOWN, CONN. AUGUST, 1849.  No.3

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We are now studying - 'The Present Truth' papers published in the middle 1800's. These are called the 'Present Truth' because it WAS Present Truth for that time. So why study them now? Because TRUTH at any time is worth studying, and we KNOW that often ORIGINAL truth presented before Satan has had an opportunity to corrupt it, can be very enlightening. At the very least we will see, by the grace of God, through the Holy Spirit, what truth then is still uncorrupted today and still very relevant for us living in these dark, dark times. Our world today compared to a hundred and seventy years ago is so much worse than it was, with so much evil being called good, and good being called evil.  May God bless us as we seek HIS truth for us in our present, bringing us only closer to Him and prayerfully the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!