Sabbath Objections Refuted By Scripture.(Continued)

Continued…. (Sabbath Objections Refuted By Scripture.)

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3d. Paul does not speak of "the Sabbath-day " which is associated with the other nine moral laws; but, the sabbath-days, which are associated with "meat," " drink," and " new-moons" in the ceremonial laws of Moses.

Some object to this because the word days connected with sabbath is supplied by the translator. Here I will give  a few lines from the pen of J. B. Cook, in his excellent " Testimony" published 1846, which read as follows— "Col. 2: 16, does not speak of the Sabbath; but sabbaths—called in our version incorrectly sabbath-days, (days being supplied by the translator." Some may still object to the word sabbaths, as J. B. Cook has changed his views on the Sabbath. Then we will take Macknight's translation. He translates it Sabbaths; and if this does not satisfy the reader; then we will take Whiting's translation of the New Testament, recently published in Boston by Joshua V. !limes. Whiting's translation reads " sabbaths;" which makes the text simple and plain.

4th. All that the Apostle has mentioned ; such as new-moons, and sabbaths, were shadows, which ceased when they reached their body, at the introduction of the new covenant. " Which are a shadow of things to come ; but the body is of Christ." Col. 2: 17. But the Sabbath of the Lord our God is not a shadow ; for it is to be perpetuated to all Eternity. See Isa. 66: 22, 23.

All flesh never have worshiped God on the Sabbath since Isaiah wrote this prophecy, neither will they till the righteous are all gathered into the New Earth; then the Sabbath will be observed as long as the immortal saints, and the New Heavens and Earth remain. Mark this. The Sabbath was instituted in Eden, before the fall, when man was holy, and the earth was holy; and will be as much in its proper place after the restitution, as it was before the fall. It is not an ordinance given to restore fallen man to God; for it was given when man could talk face to face with God and Angels, in the Holy Garden.

All shadows cease when they reach the bodies which cast them. Follow the shadow of a tree to its body, and there the shadow ends. But the weekly Sabbath will never end; therefore it is not a shadow; but a body, as well as the other nine commandments. The ten commandments are of the same nature ; and if one is a shadow, they are all shadows. How can we make

THE PRESENT TRUTH 11

swearing, stealing, and killing, shadows ? This we cannot do. Neither is there a man that can show that the Sabbath is a shadow.

I know that the old tradition is imprinted deeply in many minds that the seventh-day Sabbath is a type of the seventh thousand years. But where is the Scripture to prove it?  It is not to be found. But if any choose to hold on to this tradition, let them remember that all types, or shadows reach to their bodies; and admitting that the seventh thousand years is the body, and the seventh-day Sabbath the shadow; they are driven to the irresistible conclusion, that the seventh-day Sabbath was to continue the same until the seventh millennium. The view that the Sabbath is a type of the seventh thousand years, and that it ceased at the crucifixion, makes a blank space of more than eighteen hundred years between the body and shadow, which is not in accordance with the system of types in the Bible, or with good sense. Finally, the fact that the early Christians were troubled by those who were teaching them that they must observe the law of Moses in order to be saved, shows what Paul's subject was, and that he did not refer to the Sabbath; but to the shadows of Moses law, which began to reach their body when the new covenant was introduced by the death of Messiah.

2 Cor. 3: 7-13, is also quoted to prove the abolition of the Sabbath ; but it does not prove any such thing. I think all Bible readers will admit that the Apostle is here contrasting the ministration of the Jewish covenant with the ministration of the Gospel covenant. God's law " written and engraven in stones" was to remain unchanged, as long as heaven and earth remain ; but the MINISTRATION of it by the outward ceremonies of the law of Moses, was " done away," or " abolished " to give place to the better ministration of the same law by the Holy Ghost.

The glory of the first covenant, represented by the glory of Moses' face, was to pass away, and to be swallowed up by the exceeding glory of the ministration of the Spirit. The light of the moon is glorious, but when the sun rises in all its glory, the light of the moon is done away. We may as well say there is no light, when the light of the moon is done away by the exceeding light of the sun, as to say there is no law, because the ministration of it under the first covenant is done away by the exceeding glory of the ministration of the Spirit.

Those who are resting on their mistaken views of these texts which I have examined, for the abolition of the Sabbath, are on a sandy foundation. Unless they haste to get off from it, and have their feet planted on the commandments of God, "the over flowing scourge" that is soon to "pass through," will sweep them away in ruin.

Evidence for the first day Sabbath examined.

Those who teach that the Sabbath has been changed from the seventh to the first day, have but three or four texts to quote to sustain their first-day Sabbath position. I design to show briefly, that Rev. 1 : 10; Cor. 16:2, and Acts 20: 7, do not prove what they are said to prove.

" I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day," Rev. 1 : 10. The first day of the week is no where in Scripture called the Lord's day; but the seventh is. " But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God." Ex. 20:10.

God by Isaiah, calls the Sabbath " MY HOLY DAY." Isa.58: 13. Therefore the beloved disciple was in holy vision on the seventh day.

 " Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." Cor. 16: 2. In order for this text to prove what it is said to prove, it should read thus. Upon the first day of the week, when ye meet together for worship, let every one take with him, as God hath prospered him, to put into the contribution box. But I do not wish to alter the text, for the sake of following the Pope. Take the text as it reads, and no such thing as meeting together for worship is mentioned in it. St. Paul preached on the Sabbath, not only in the Jews' Synagogues; but by the " river side." See Acts 16: 13. He preached at Corinth 78 Sabbaths in succession. The Apostle would not have the Sabbath desecrated by the clink of mammon's box; therefore he chose the first labouring day in the week for the Church in Corinth, and the Churches in Galatia, to "LAY BY THEM," at their homes, for the poor saints at Jerusalem.

Acts 20: 7, is the only place in Scripture in which the first day of the week is connected with public worship. But the object of that meeting was not to keep the first day as a Sabbath, for they met in the evening to break bread. Paul preached to them on the Sabbath, which closed at 6

I2  THE PRESENT TRUTH.

o'clock P. M., then in the evening, which commenced the first day, the disciples came together to celebrate the Lord's supper, and Paul preached all night. We follow this example of the disciples, and break bread in the evening of the first day just after the close of the Sabbath. Jesus did not spend the first day of the week in meeting with his disciples. On the day of his resurrection he walked to Emmaus, and did not meet with them until evening. After eight days, which would reach to, Monday night, Jesus appeared to his disciples in like manner: Our Master and Pattern has not, by precept or example taught that the first day of the week should be observed as a holy day or Sabbath, any more than the other five working days; neither have the Apostles.

TO BE CONTINUED….

THE PRESENT TRUTH, 

PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY—BY JAMES WHITE.

Vol. 1.  MIDDLETOWN, CONN. AUGUST, 1849.  No.2

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!