CHAPTER XVII.

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.

REMEMBER THE SABBATH-DAY TO KEEP IT HOLY. SIX DAYS SHALT THOU LABOUR, AND DO ALL THY WORK; BUT THE SEVENTH DAY IS THE SABBATH OF THE LORD THY GOD: IN IT THOU SHALT NOT DO ANY WORK, THOU, NOR THY SON, NOR THY DAUGHTER, THY MANSERVANT, NOR THY MAID-SERVANT, NOR THY CATTLE, NOR THY STRANGER THAT IS WITHIN THY GATES: FOR 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.

O man can seriously read and consider this pre

cept without seeing that it is of vast importance. It is a law claiming to regulate a seventh portion of human life. If a man lives twenty-one years, this law claims the entire control of three of them; if he lives fifty years, it disposes of more than seven of them. It is therefore important. But it also devotes this portion of time to religious purposes; and these are the highest ends of life. All other time is secular. This is holy. That may be occupied with things which perish in the using. This must be given to

things which take hold on eternity. Many questions may be raised concerning this law; but one question is at the foundation of all the res.: "Is this law still in force?" If it is not binding now, it never will be; and if it is binding now, it will bind while the world stands. The inquiry is of great practical interest. Public manners are vastly affected by the esteem in which the Sabbath is held. It is, therefore, right to look well to the foundations.

DOES THE LAW OF THE SABBATH BIND US?

It is evident that laws may cease to be of force; that is, they may cease to be laws. When this occurs, it must be in one of the following ways.

The condition of a people may be so changed as to render obedience to the law impracticable. In human governments such cases often arise, and the law, unless administered by tyrants, becomes a dead letter. No good government will inflict the penalty on the transgressor to whom obedience is impossible, even though the law remains on the statute-book. But the law of the Sabbath can as well be kept now as at any former period of the world. Indeed, when given from Mount Sinai, it was given to a people on a long journey, to whom were wanting many conveniences which we enjoy for its careful observance. If this law was in its nature ever practicable, it is so now.

Some laws expire by limitation. Such are many of the laws of every country. Such were many of the laws given by Moses. They were in force until Christ, who was their end, came; and then they bound no longer. Thus the whole ceremonial law ceased to bind after the death of Christ, to which it was limited.

But no limit was fixed to the observance of the fourth commandment, either when first given or afterwards. A competent authority may repeal a law, and thus its obliging power may cease. Every free government affords numerous instances of the repeal of laws once useful, but no longer so. In a regular government, the repeal must be passed by the power which enacts the law. The great Lawgiver of the world is God. He ordained the law of the Sabbath, and he has never repealed it. Is any evidence of such repeal found in Scripture? If so, where is the book, the chapter, the verse containing it? All admit that the law was in force until Christ. Christ did not repeal it, for he says so, Matt. v. 17; nor did the apostles anywhere declare that it was repealed.

If this law, therefore, had ceased to bind, it must be in some way utterly unknown to us. It is still practicable; it has not expired by limitation; it has not been repealed.

THIS LAW IS PART OF A CODE WHICH IS IN FORCE.

It may also be said that this law is in the middle of a code, all the rest of which is acknowledged to be binding; and why not this? Were the other precepts of this code spoken by God from Sinai amidst blackness and darkness, and tempest and terrors? So was this. Were the others written by the finger of God, on tables of stone? So was this. Were the others deposited in the ark of the testimony, in the holy of holies, under the wings of the cherubim? So was this. No ceremonial or repealable law, given to the Jews, had these marks of honour put upon it. Did Christ say, "I came not to destroy, but to fulfil the

law?" He said it as much of this as of any other precept. Did Christ's most devoted followers keep the other commandments? So did they keep this. Luke xxiii. 56.

THIS LAW ENACTED WITH GREAT CARE.

On the face of this law are found some things which prove that God, who gave it, regarded it as of great importance.

In the wording of it, a more full explanation of its true intent is given than in any other commandment. It is enacted both positively and negatively: positively, "Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy ;" negatively, "In it thou shalt do no manner of work.” No other precept of the decalogue is given in both these forms, although every fair-rule of interpreting them requires, that when they enjoin a duty, we should regard them as forbidding the contrary sin: and when they forbid a sin, we should regard them as enjoining the contrary duty. Yet in this command, but in no other, both forms are used.

This shows that God has a great zeal for the observance of the Sabbath, and that he is determined we shall not misunderstand his will concerning it. It also intimates the peculiar proneness in our nature to forget the sacredness of this day; and so God puts us on our guard in the most solemn manner; and has taken " an especial care to fence us in on all sides to the observance of this precept."

This command is also introduced as no other is. The very first word of it is a solemn memento-" Remember." This word is not found elsewhere in the

decalogue.

Moreover, this command not only addresses men in the singular, "Thou shalt," &c., but it goes further, and tells who is thereby intended, namely, not only the head of the family, but also the son, the daughter, the man-servant and the maid-servant, the cattle and the stranger. No such particularity is found in any other precept of either table of the law.

THREE REASONS CONTAINED IN THE COMMANDMENT FOR OBSERVING IT.

1. God reasons with us on the equity of his demands. He says, he gives us six days out of seven, as if he had said, "I am no hard master; I do not act unreasonably. I give you ample time to do your necessary work. I give you six days; therefore, if you have any conscience, give me the seventh." For, says he, "It is mine-it is the Sabbath of the Lord your God." Surely, you will not deny to your God a right so equitable, a demand so fair.

2. It is also stated by God in the command itself, that he set us the example on the completion of the creation. And shall we not follow such an example? Calvin: "It is no small stimulus to any action, for a man to know that he is imitating his Creator." If we ought to be holy because God is holy, if we ought to forgive our enemies because God forgives his enemies, we ought also to keep the Sabbath-day because God kept it. Teaching by example is the highest kind of instruction. "Be ye followers of God, as dear children." Eph. v. 1.

3. The LORD blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it. There is an important sense in which God has blessed each day of the week, but he has blessed this