SABBATH DESECRATION
This great sin is sadly on the increase. We wish to point out what constitutes the breaking of the Sabbath law, and the various forms in which it is done. "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor 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 man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates." "Thus saith the Lord, Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day,-neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath-day, neither do ye any work." "Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord." "Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation: ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings." "Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, -- that soul shall be cut off from among his people." "From one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." "Thus saith the Lord, Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it;... even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer." "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth." From the above and other portions of God's Word, it is clear that any deed, -- not a work of mercy, piety or necessity, -- is not to be performed upon the Sabbath. Buying or selling is not allowed. Yet thousands, who profess religion, think it a small mutter to buy their milk, meat, cigars, Sunday papers, and other things on God's own day! Traffic in such things we have found quite common in the United States, and Canada cannot cast the first stone. "There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish and all manner of ware, and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem." "Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus; and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath."
Sunday visiting and pleasure taking are also condemned. Professors of religion can be frequently seen driving or walking to visit their friends, during the very hours of divine service. We have often been told by such persons, in answer to the enquiry, "Why were you not at church last Sabbath?" "Well, so and so came from a distance to see us; and you know we had not seen them for a long time; and we really did not like to leave them just as they had come to our house." Just as if man were of more consequence than God and His house; and a mere gossip with a friend of more value than the eternal interests of the soul.
Again; there are multitudes who would shudder at the very idea of opening a store for the sale of goods, or driving a team to market on Sunday; yet they can without apparent compunction, do other things equally as bad. What are the writing of business letters, shaving [Not SHAVING on Sunday! In my view, this is much too legalistic! I do not wish to detract from the many good things stated by the author in the book, but this is so rigid that it strikes me as Pharisaical! -- DVM], blacking boots, reading novels, secular papers, taking excursion trips -- very probably using the cars, -- and lounging about half the day, doing nothing? We ask, what is all this. but a gross and wicked violation of the fourth commandment? God once commanded the children of Israel to stone a man to death for gathering sticks upon the Sabbath. Numbers 15:32-36.
But there is yet a more common species of Sabbath-breaking, which, we are sorry to say, is not unknown in Christian circles -- which is looked upon as being quite innocent-but it is in the sight of God tantamount to the most open profanation, we mean the discussion of worldly matters. If a man were seen felling a tree on the Sabbath, there are plenty of people who would be very ready to exclaim, "What a wicked fellow!" And yet these very persons can be heard on the Sabbath discussing politics, the state of the markets, the prospects of trade, and their own probable success or failure. What is the difference between them and the man denounced for felling a tree? None; for if their bodies do not follow the plow, or go to market, their hearts do, In regard to a large number of professing Christians, it is very difficult to detect any difference between their week-day and Sabbath conversation. Ridiculous nonsense, empty trifles, and foolish anecdotes, are not with them exceptional themes. With those who delight in Sunday visiting this is almost universally the case. Religious conversation is not very palatable to them. They do not go to talk of good things, but to have gossip. And thus they commit the double sin of pleasure-taking on God's day, and engaging in worldly conversation. But God often beholds the desecration of His day, when it is invisible to human sight; when it is done not by words or by actions, -- when, not the letter, but the spirit of the fourth commandment is broken. His penetrating eye sees that soul in the pew, or in the chair at home, diligently studying, pondering over his worldly matters, arranging his affairs for the ensuing week, and planning the best schemes for carrying on his secular business. Though his body is not actively engaged about his calling, his mind is. And before the judgment seat of Christ he will be held responsible for having broken the Sabbath.
O how many hours of the Lord's day are spent in this profane manner? With what anxiety is the question often mentally discussed on that blessed day, "What shall I eat, and what shall I drink; or wherewithal shall I be clothed?" O, reader, if you once give over caring for the Sabbath, before long you will cease caring for your soul. Judge Hale Once said, "Of all the persons who were convicted of capital crimes, while he was upon the bench, he found only a few who did not confess that they began their career of wickedness by a neglect of the Sabbath." He that will not give God his day is not fit for heaven. Therefore, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."
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