The Perfect Law

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!

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"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.''—Ps. 25. 14.

Scripture usually quoted to prove the abolition of the Sabbath, examined.

Concluded.

Col. 2: 14-17, is also quoted to prove that the seventh-day Sabbath is abolished. " Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."

The hand-writing of ordinances that was nailed to the cross at the crucifixion of the Messiah, was the typical, ceremonial law of Moses, which was written by the hand of Moses in a book. The crucifixion was the dividing line between the two dispensations. " In the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." Dan. 9: 27.

The first covenant which had "ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary," was a shadow of the second, and better covenant. The law was the shadow, and the Gospel is the body, that cast the shadow ; and as all shadows reach to their body, and no farther, it is very clear that the sacrifices and oblations, new-moons, feast days, and Sabbaths of the Jewish law ceased, when the precious body and blood of the Lamb of God was sacrificed on the cross.

This is what Paul calls " nailing it to his cross." " Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy-day, or of the new-moon, or of the Sabbath-days: Which are a shadow of things to come ; but the body is of Christ." If we compare this text with Rom. 14 : 3-6, we shall see that both refer to the same subject.

 Some regarded the Jewish Sabbaths, new-moons, and feast days, after they were abolished and nailed to the cross, and others did not. Paul would not have the Colossians judged by Judaizing teachers, in respect to those things that had ceased, according to the testimony of the Prophet. "I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new-moons, and her Sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts." Hosea 2: 11.

Now we will turn to Lev. 23 : 24-38. Here are four Jewish sabbaths. One on the first day of the seventh month, one on the tenth, one on the fifteenth, and one on the twenty-third day. " These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations," "BESIDES THE SABBATHS OF THE LORD." Lev. 23: 37, 38. The Sabbaths of the Lord our God, come every seventh day; but some of the Jewish convocation sabbaths were nine days apart, others not but four days between them. Here is a clear difference made between the two kinds of sabbaths.

The Sabbath of the Lord, so called by way of distinction is not classed with the other sabbaths. The Jews were to observe their convocation sabbaths at their appointed time, " BESIDES THE SABBATHS OF THE LORD." The Sabbath of the Lord our God was instituted at the creation, before the fall, when the earth and man were holy, and Eden bloomed on earth. The convocation sabbaths of 'the Jews were given at Mount Sinai, more than twenty-five hundred years after, and were a portion of the hand-writing of ordinances of the law of Moses, which was nailed to the cross, at the death of the Messiah. The fact that some were teaching these Jewish customs to the Christian Church, and judging them in respect to them, drew the Apostle out to write as he has to the Galatians, Romans, and Colossians, upon this subject. Now where is the proof that the Apostle refers to the weekly Sabbath in Col.  14 —17 ? If there is any, let it be produced. I have no fears however in stating that there is no good evidence to be given, to prove that he refers to the Sabbath of the Lord our God; but there are many reasons (some of which I will give,) to show that he has no reference to it.

1st. That which was blotted out, and nailed to the cross, was the hand-writing of ordinances given by the HAND of Moses ; but the Sabbath commandment was-written with the FINGER of God. Moses wrote his law in a BOOK ; but God wrote his ten laws, on TABLES OF STONE.

It was the HAND-WRITING in the book of the covenant, that was blotted out at the death of Christ and not that which was written on the two tables of the covenant with the finger of God, One was a faulty covenant imposed on the Jews until the time of reformation, or first advent of Jesus; the other is God's perpetual, everlasting covenant.

In order that we might be impressed with the perpetuity of the royal law, God engraved it on tables of stone.

The idea of blotting out what Moses wrote in a book, is perfectly natural; but what idea can we have of blotting out what Jehovah has engraved, with his finger on tables of stone !

The Apostle has taught us that it was the HAND-WRITING of ordinances that was blotted out, and nailed to the cross; therefore, he had no reference to the Sabbath law; for that, God has engraven in stones with his FINGER.

2d. The Sabbath never was "against us;" but was made for the good of mankind in all ages. It was "made for man;" because he needed a day of rest from this world's labour, and care : he also needed the Sabbath-day to spend in the worship of God.

The Holy Sabbath never was in man's way, only as God put it in his way for him to keep ; therefore he has not "taken it out of our way." The law of Moses was imperfect. It could not "make the comers thereunto perfect ;" therefore the first covenant which was faulty, "that was against us, which was contrary to us," and which was in the way, was taken out of the way, and nailed to the cross ; and gave place to the new, and better, covenant, of which Jesus Christ is a Priest.

God's everlasting covenant of commandments is a perfect law, by which we are to be .judged; therefore God cannot give a better one, to take its place. See James 1: 25; 2: 8-12. " Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Rom. 7 : 12. A law that is " holy," " just," and "good," and "spiritual," never is against, or contrary to man, or in his way but it is just what his wants require; therefore the Apostle has no reference to the Sabbath, or any of the commandments in God's holy, royal law of liberty.

To be continued…