The Sabbath

The seventh day God 'blest'. He uttered His mind concerning it , calling it a day of blessing; and in so doing , communicated to it ( as it were ) the power to impart blessing . This then is the primary meaning and object of the Sabbath. It is the day on which God specially blesses man. But more than this . It is added , 'He sanctified it '. He marked it off from all other days , as the tabernacle was marked off from all the tents of Israel. He drew a fence round it , which was not to be broken through. He set it apart for Himself , just as He set six days apart for man. It was to be His day, not man's; just as the altar was His altar , the laver ,His laver , not man's. And when ,or where , or how has God,s claim to a Sabbath been renounced? When has His setting apart been done away? Men speak and act as if this 'blessing' this 'sanctification ' of the day were a yoke not to be borne ; as if the Sabbath were a curse and not a blessing ; as if the Gospel had at length broken fetters forged in Eden by God for man! But no . The Sabbath was set up by God , and by Him only can be taken down. It was set up (1) as a memorial of past labour ; (2) as a pillar of testimony to God as Creator ; (3) as a proclamation of rest ; (4)as a type and earnest of coming rest. These four points in particular contain God's reasons for the institution of the day. All these are still in force; nor has the Gospel blunted the edge of any of them, least of all the last. Till the anti type come , the type must remain . Till the glorious rest arrive ,- better than creation -rest , better than Canaan -rest (Heb. iv), its type must remain. Nor is it easy to understand why some , calling themselves expectants of this coming rest , should be so anxious to set aside the type of it . It is strange also that now , when the resurrection of Christ has added another to the many reasons for observing a day like this , we should be asked to abolish it . BONAR