Earlier text: VITAMINESMoral and Ceremonial Law
By A. C. Gilbert
The Distinction Between the Two—The One Is Eternal—The Other Confined to the Limited Reign of Sin To many minds, the law of the Ten Commandments and the ceremonial law are but one and the same institution. It is said, If the Ten Commandment law is still binding, so is the ceremonial law. Or, If the ceremonial law is done away in the passion of Christ, then man, since the time of the cross, has not been under the authority of the Ten Commandments. To confuse these two codes, the moral and the ceremonial, is to misunderstand the purpose of each, and thus lose an important lesson in the study of the plan of God for man's redemption. The Scriptures reveal plainly a broad distinction in these two systems. It is manifest that the Mosaic economy strikingly sets forth two codes of laws, each separate and distinct, each governing in a separate and distinct sphere. The one is to regulate moral conduct, the other is to regulate ceremonial observances. We have learned, from the article on “The Morality and Eternal Character of the Law,” in the preceding issue of this paper, that the principles of the moral law of Ten Commandments were active before sin entered the universe. All sinless beings, and also sinful man, are subject to the authority of these principles. They are a perfect standard, approving that which is holy, just, and good, and condemning in sinners that which is imperfect. The Ten Commandments, enshrined in the eternal principles of love to God and love to man, have no direct bearing upon the shedding of blood, sacrifices, ceremonies, and carnal ordinances; for as we have seen, the principles of God's commandments antedate sin. They were laid in the foundations of eternity, before the shedding of blood in sacrificial offerings, which presupposes sin. The sanctuary services were not carried forward “without blood, which he [the priest] offered for himself, and for the errors of the people;” for “without shedding of blood is no remission” of sin. Heb. 9:7, 22. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, . . . but with the precious blood of Christ.” 1 Peter 1:18, 19. The law of Ten Commandments governs in matters moral only. Speaking with reference to the operation of this law, the apostle Paul says, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” Rom. 3:19. The law is a righteous instrument, reflecting perfection and true holiness. It “is perfect, converting the soul.” Ps. 19:7. The ten precepts are a transcript of God's holy and righteous character, and are as unchangeable as He. They were written upon two “tables of stone” by the finger of God. Ex. 31:18; 32:15, 16. Christ Himself says that as long as the heavens and the earth remain, so long will His law remain to govern the relationships of all moral beings. Matt. 5:18. It was recognized in the eternal past, as binding throughout the period covered by sin; and through all the ages of the eternal future, these principles will govern the relationships of the redeemed. Introduced Because of Sin
But the first intimation of the operation of the ceremonial law, which governs in rites and ceremonies, is found in the fourth chapter of the book of Genesis. Gen. 4:4. See also Heb. 11:4. Soon after man sinned, he was made aware of the plan of salvation (Gen. 3:15); and to show his faith in a coming Redeemer, he was asked to offer certain sacrifices typical of the Lamb of God (John 1:29), “slain from the foundation of the world.” Rev. 13:8. From that time forward, the law concerning sacrifices and ordinances of various kinds was recognized by the patriarchs, greatly elaborated during the Jewish age, and consummated in the cross of Jesus Christ. He was the substance prefigured in the types and shadows of that ritual. We read, in the Scriptures, that the sanctuary or tabernacle of ancient times “was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices.” This service “stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.” Heb. 9:9, 10. The law (Heb. 10:1; 9:19; Ex. 24:3-6) regulating these services, which shadowed forth “good things to come” (compare Heb. 10:1 with 9:11), is conveniently called the ceremonial law. We have learned previously that the lines along which the power of God works is according to the constitution of the object upon which this ever-present energy operates; and that the object determines, for our understanding, the kind of law it is. When that object ceases to exist, the divine energy ceases to operate in that particular way. To6 illustrate: If all physical beings were annihilated from the universe, there would be no more physical law. The principles of the Ten Commandments, or the moral law, are the rules that govern the moral being, or the character. “The law of commandments contained in ordinances” (Eph. 2:15) governs in the realm of ceremony—a law and a ceremony imposed upon sinners only, to enable them to perceive the awfulness of sin, and the gloriousness of a proffered redemption. When this ceremonial was created, and the power of God was directed to regulate it, then was introduced the convenient term “ceremonial law,” just as we have moral law, physical law, mechanical law, astronomical law, etc., which are different manifestations of one all-pervading energy. The first observation shows plainly that the ceremonial law has wholly to do with the shedding of blood, sacrifices, meats and drinks, divers washings, and carnal ordinances. This elaborate ceremony of the old dispensation was a reflection of the imperfections, weaknesses, and sufferings, due to the existence of sin. It was also a constant revelation of the plan of salvation wrought out for man from the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:19, 20; Rev. 13:8), minutely describing Christ's condescension and suffering. Heb. 9:8-14, 23-26; 10:1-9. It is evident that when the shadows before the cross met the substance in Christ at the cross, they vanished; and the law regulating those shadows, or ceremonies, must of necessity cease to operate. A Change in Ceremonial Law
The coming of Christ to earth, and His cruel death upon the cross, did not put an end to all ritual and ceremonies. There was no end made of a particular kind of ritual, or ceremony—that kind which could only point backward to the entrance of sin, and forward to the cross whereon was to be sacrificed the Lamb of God. At the cross, priesthood was not done away, but there was a change from the Levitical to the Melchizedek. A change in the priesthood at the cross required a change in the services and ceremonies of the sanctuary, or the Lord's house. A change of the ritual required a change of the ceremonial law. So the apostle Paul says, “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” Heb. 7:12. The Christian church of to-day has ceremonial services of the Lord's house, ordinarily termed the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and the rite of baptism. This beautiful ceremonial points backward to the sufferings of the cross of Calvary, and forward to the coming of Christ in glory. The ceremonial services used before the cross, could in no wise be appropriate after the cross, because they pointed forward to a Redeemer who was to come, and were limited to the old dispensation. The ceremonial services of to-day could in no wise be appropriate before the cross, for they were ordained to point backward to a Redeemer who has come, and are limited to the Christian dispensation. The change was made at the cross. Heb. 7:12. Ceremonial Law Before and After the Cross
Living faith for salvation was exercised before the cross, but its vision looked backward through the ceremonial service, and saw the darksome experience occasioned by sin, and beheld the light of a promised Deliverer; and through the prophetic field glass, faith looked forward through the same ceremonial service to the glorious day when the fullness of time would come (Gal. 4:4), and the Saviour appear for the redemption of Israel. Living faith is exercised to-day, but its vision looks backward through the ritual of the Lord's Supper and baptism to the darksome picture of the cross, and sees the glorious victory achieved by the Lamb of God, and then forward to the fullness of time when our Lord shall appear the second time to bring everlasting deliverance to the remnant church, who will be ready and waiting for Him. When Types and Shadows Will Be Gone
Thus we see that the ceremonial service belongs to the period covered by sin only. And the law that governs this ceremonial service is likewise limited to the period covered by sin. When the reign of sin is over, there will be no more need for types and shadows—the wine and the bread of the sacrament, the water in the baptismal font—to stimulate faith in a Saviour from sin. To sum up the results of our study of this subject, we will place some of the contradistinguishing features of the two laws, moral and ceremonial, in juxtaposition: 1. The moral law is binding upon all created moral beings, sinful and sinless. 1. The ceremonial law is binding upon sinners only. 2. The moral law has nothing directly to do with the shedding of blood, sacrifices, or ceremonies, because its existence antedates sin. 2. The ceremonial law has to do wholly with the shedding of blood, sacrifices, and carnal ordinances, and coexists with sin. 3. The moral law governs in matters moral only. 3. The ceremonial law governs in matters ceremonial only. 4. The moral law is a reflection of perfection, holiness, and immutability—a transcript of God's character. 4. The ceremonial law is a reflection of imperfection, suffering, and weakness, due to the existence of sin. 5. The moral law is ever-enduring, cannot be changed, and will continue as long as there is a moral nature or a moral relationship to be governed. 5. The ceremonial law is a temporary arrangement, changed at the cross, and is ordained to govern during the period of sin only. 6. Buck's “Theological Dictionary” has this to say of the moral law of the Ten Commandments: “Moral law is that declaration of God's will which directs and binds all men, in every age and place, to their whole duty to Him: It was most solemnly proclaimed by God Himself at Sinai.” 6. John Wesley speaks thus of the ceremonial law: “The ritual or ceremonial law, delivered by Moses to the children of Israel, containing all the injunctions and ordinances which related to the old sacrifices and services of the temple, our Lord indeed did come to destroy, to dissolve, and utterly abolish.”—Sermons, volume 1, sermon 25. Thus we have seen clearly that there exists a broad distinction between the law of rites and ceremonies and the law of the Ten Commandments. The ceremonies, sacrifices, and carnal ordinances appropriate to the old dispensation were done away at the cross; and the rites—the communion and baptism—appropriate to the present dispensation will vanish away at the coming of our Lord. But the law of Ten Commandments was recognized as the immutable rule of moral conduct during olden times, magnified by the perfect life of Christ on earth. It is still standing to convict of sin (John 3:4), pointing souls to the Fountain of cleansing from sin; and through the eternal ages of the future it will remain as the foundation of God's unchangeable government. In Nature's Temple
By Worthie Harris Holden
Deep in the heart of the pines,
'Tis the evening sun sets the wood aglow,
When the tree-tops are murmuring soft and low,
Swayed by the whispering winds. Here Nature's temple uprears,
And its sylvan pillars rise grand and high
To the green-barred windows athwart the sky,
Tabernacled by years. Kneel in this solemn retreat
Till the heart is filled with the golden glow
Of the Spirit's presence each soul may know
When for an altar we seek. Deep in the heart of the pine,
Or apart from the world with its strife and sin,
Find a far-hidden nook where on entering in
God's Spirit whispers to thine. The Day of His Glorious Appearing
By Tyler E. Bowen
Deceptive Counterfeits—Awe-Inspiring Events Imminent—A Set Time for Every Purpose of God “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Eccl. 3:1. There is a “day of salvation,” a time when sinners may come to the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. That day—time—has an end. In the purpose of God, nations have their day of opportunity—a time to demonstrate principles of justice and equity in their administrative affairs. This opportunity, likewise, has an end. Satan has a time given him to manifest himself—an opportunity to work “with all power and signs and lying wonders,” just prior to the coming of Jesus Christ in all His glory. His time for deception also has an end. And God has reserved to Himself a time, when He will deal with a mighty hand with a rebellious and disobedient world. This time is designated in the Scriptures as “the day of the Lord.” It, too, has an end. “The day of the Lord” is ushered in by an important event in heaven itself—that day when the Father summons His Son to His throne to give to Him His kingdom—the earth. This brings an end on earth to the gospel; for there will then be no intercessor to plead for the guilty sinner. The vials of God’s wrath are then poured out into the earth. During this “day of the Lord,” Jesus comes from heaven to get the subjects of His kingdom. At its close, sinners are destroyed out of the earth. This last event takes place more than a thousand years after the personal appearing of Jesus at His second coming. This is made simple and plain when we understand this “day of the Lord” period includes God’s final dealings with sinners as a punishment for sin. The apostle Peter speaks of this time, and makes clear that the final destruction of sinners is included in God’s purpose to be wrought out during this period of time spoken of as “the day of the Lord.” “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10. The Second Coming of Jesus
We wish to emphasize the events clustering about the appearance of Jesus in the clouds to gather to Himself the meek of the earth—the subjects of His glorious kingdom. When Jesus was on trial before Caiaphas, the high priest, for blasphemy, because He called Himself the Son of God, the high priest said to Him: “I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou art the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus replied: “Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Matt. 26:63, 64. Jesus was indeed an impostor then, as these people, the Jews, were trying to make out, if the time does not come, in the purpose of God, when that same Son of God, as well as “Son of man” (being born of the virgin Mary), shall come on the clouds, as He here foretold to Caiaphas that cold morning before daybreak, when the sinless Lord stood bound as a guilty prisoner before this wicked high priest. And let it be noted that this wicked religious prince is with his own eyes to see this same Jesus sitting there at the right hand of power, in order for these words to become literally true. This highest judge in Israel was looking into Jesus’ face that moment; and as truly as he saw Him then, so surely and literally was he to see Him when this same Jesus was to come as King of Israel in power and great glory. Why Men Count Scripture Untrue
The greatest trouble men have with the words of God, is that they cannot comprehend the tremendous distances which, in the purpose of the Infinite, may span the space between their utterance and their fulfillment. Like systems of worlds on high, the words of God take tremendous sweeps through the lapse of time. But as the planets reach their destinations at the fractional second on time, so the words of God, when the hour arrives, shall as literally and truly be fulfilled. Men forget that God forgets not, and lives to carry out His eternal purposes. The Coming of Jesus Follows Supernatural Manifestations of Satan
Thus the time will finally arrive for Jesus to leave heaven, accompanied by all the holy angels, majestically to visit the earth. He comes just after the wonderful working of Satan, who has tried to personate the personal appearance of the coming of the Lord. Nearly the whole world has been deceived by this heretofore unknown event. “And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth, and bring to naught by the manifestation of His coming [“presence,” margin]; even he, whose coming [“presence,” margin] is according to the working of Satan [which must also be the manifestation of his personal presence to the people in this world] with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 2 Thess. 2:8-10. Another portion of the Word explains one feature of these lying wonders, personally conducted by Satan, just prior to the manifestation of the presence of the King of kings on the clouds: “And he doeth great signs, that he should even make fire to come down out of heaven upon the earth in the sight of men.” Rev. 13:13. This is done by the deceiver to induce men to disobey God, saying that the Sabbath commandment is of force no more, and that all should reverence the Sunday—his own deceptive substitute. And how does Satan appear in this his last supreme effort to prove to men that he is god and should be worshiped? “And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light.” 2 Cor. 11:14. Events Ushering in the King of Glory
While Armageddon is on—while on the one hand Satan is leading earth’s forces into this last titanic conflict, and on the other hand he is appearing as a glorious being, trying to imitate the work of Jesus in going about healing disease—at a time when arrangements are being made to rid the earth of a few who are still loyal to God and His commandments—then Jehovah Himself sends supernatural signs, which usher in the glorious King. “It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the deliverance of His people. The sun appears, shining in its strength. Signs and wonders follow in quick succession. The wicked look with terror and amazement upon the scene, while the righteous behold with solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance. Everything in nature seems turned out of its course. The streams cease to flow. Dark, heavy clouds come up, and clash against each other. In the midst of the angry heavens is one clear space of indescribable glory, whence comes the voice of God like the sound of many waters, saying ‘It is done.’” “That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a mighty earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.” Rev. 16:17, 18. The firmament appears to open and shut. The glory from the throne of God seems flashing through. The mountains shake like a reed in the wind, and ragged rocks are scattered on every side. There is a roar as of a coming tempest. The sea is lashed into fury. There is heard the shriek of the hurricane, like the voice of demons upon a mission of destruction. The whole earth heaves and swells like the waves of the sea. Its surface is breaking up. Its very foundations seem to be giving way. Mountain chains are sinking. Inhabited islands disappear. The seaports that have become like Sodom for wickedness, are swallowed up by the angry waters. “Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man’s hand. It is the cloud that surrounds the Saviour, and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. Not now a ‘man of sorrows,’ to drink the bitter cup of shame and woe, He comes, victor in heaven and earth, to judge the living and the dead. “With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems215 filled with radiant forms—‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.’ No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. . . . No crown of thorns now mars that sacred head, but a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. His countenance outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun.”—“Great Controversy,” pages 636-641. The Loyal Waiting Ones Rewarded
This is the scene upon which Caiaphas, and all the living who are united with the enemy of God in that day, must look. This scene brings the end to all things earthly, and ushers in, for the people of God, a glorious eternity of celestial joy. Well is it now for the little band of faithful ones to have endured the scorn while Satan was doing his utmost to counterfeit the coming King, and to have waited for their deliverance. Here are the words: “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this [as though there had been another posing as God] is our God; we have waited for Him [as though another had shammed a coming previously], and He will save us: this is Jehovah; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isa. 25:9. A glorious Son! A glorious appearing! A glorious deliverance for His waiting, trusting children! Man
By H. E. Sawyer-Hopkins
THOUGH numerous useful and wonderful inventions were brought about during the nineteenth century, yet man, created at the beginning of this world, is the most marvelous piece of mechanism in existence. But human nature fails to realize the importance of giving the attention to preserving that living structure that would be for his best interest. He cannot plead ignorance as an excuse, for there is an abundance of light on this subject within his reach. Search for it. H. E. SAWYER-HOPKINS. “BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY”
By G. B. T.
THESE words are given as an encouragement to God's people in a time of special temptation. When buffeted by the enemy and almost ready to yield our hold on eternal things and sink beneath the waves of despair, the assurance is ours, “Behold, I come quickly.” A friend once related to me an incident that illustrates this text. He said his brother was crossing a pond, and the ice broke, and he fell into the cold, icy water. He held to the ice, and struggled to lift himself out of the water; but every time he was almost out, the ice broke, and he dropped back into the water. By and by he began to be cold. His blood chilled, his hands grew numb, and he realized that he could not hold on much longer. He thought about his home, of his wife, his children, and the desolate condition they would be in if he let go his hold. He made another effort, and failed. He reached the point where he could hold on no longer. He thought of his past life. It passed like a panorama before him. Just then he heard a voice from the shore saying, “Hold on three minutes more and we will be there.” He said these words gave him new courage. They set the blood to oozing anew through his veins, and he held on. Help reached him, and he was delivered. It is something like this in the Christian race. Have you ever tried and apparently failed? Has a dark hour ever come into your life? Have the shadows gathered around you? Were you tempted to give up? Did you realize that you were growing cold? All at once you heard the voice of Jesus say, “Hold on, I am coming quickly,” and you took fresh courage. Tempted and tried brother, hold on. Christ will soon come. He will indeed soon be here. “I WILL LOSE MY POSITION”
We find people everywhere holding onto something. They are holding onto some employment, perhaps, and think they can not keep the Sabbath. They would like to obey God, but their work is in the way. Work is a poor thing to hold onto in such a time as this, if it is to result in disobedience to God, and eternal failure at last. Men are holding onto pleasure. They are holding onto fame. These are empty things. Death comes at last, and then what? I remember one time talking with a young man who had given up his hold on God. I asked him, “What are you going to do after you finish your education?” He replied, “I am going out into the world.” I inquired, “What then?” He answered, “I am going to make some money.” “What then?” “I am going to have a good time.” Still I asked, “What then?” “I am going to have all the fun I can get.” “What then?” “Well, doubtless I shall get old after a while.” “And what then?” “Then I suppose I shall die.” “Well, what then?” We must follow the “what then” to its last analysis. Men are holding onto weak things, in which there is no hope; they perish with the using. Men and nations pass away. Gold perishes. Men sell their souls for money. But when you come to the hour of death—when you look your loved ones in the face for the last time, and realize that all you have is money—worldly things seem of small value. It is recorded that when Charlemagne died, he was decked in costly material, set on an ivory and golden throne, and a crown was put on his head. Years afterward the tomb was opened. The skeleton was there, but the crown had slipped off his head, and was resting on his shoulders. Here was an object lesson on the vanity of earthly things. God wants us to lay hold upon something that will last throughout eternal ages, a crown that will never fade. The time is coming when men will cast their silver and their gold to the moles and to the bats, and hide themselves in the dens and clefts of the rocks, “for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty,” when He rises to shake terribly the earth. See Isaiah 2. This hour will quickly come. Signs in heaven, in earth, among nations, and in society, foreshadow the dissolution of all things earthly. The preparation needed now is for the world to come, not for the pleasures of this earth. THE SABBATH FROM SINAI TO CHRIST
By R. C. P.
The Day for the Gentiles to Keep—Sabbath Breaking and the Destruction of Jerusalem—A Sign of Sanctification We have learned that Christ was an associate with the Father in creation, who worked and rested in making the Sabbath for man. We inquire, Who was the lawgiver that spoke the law from Sinai? Let the prophet Isaiah answer: “For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us.” Isa. 33: 22. See also Rom. 2: 16; 2 Tim. 4: 1. Who Gave the Law at Sinai?
The same Lord who is to be our Judge, is our Lawgiver, and the same Lord is to be our King. It is Christ who is to be our King. He says, “When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.” Matt. 25: 31. With this agree the words of Stephen, as recorded in Acts 7: 37, 38. In Deut. 32: 36, Moses speaks of this same God, who shall judge His people; and in chapter 33: 2 he says, “From His right hand went a fiery law for them.” It was therefore Christ, the Creator, who is our Judge and King, who gave the law from Sinai. The same Christ being our Creator, Lawgiver, voluntary Substitute, Judge, and King, there will be perfect harmony in all His work, which is for all people, for all time. All of Christ’s work was done as an associate with the Father. The Sabbath for the Gentile Stranger
In the days of the prophet Isaiah He speaks of the Sabbath as follows: “Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from His people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep My Sabbaths, and choose the things that please Me, and take hold of My covenant; Even unto them will I give in Mine house and within My walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant; even them will I bring to My holy mountains, and make them joyful in My house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon Mine altar: for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” Isa. 56: 2-7. This scripture declares plainly that the Sabbath was to be217 kept, not only by Israel, but by the stranger as well. It is presented as essential to pleasing God, and meeting His approval in His service. The statement is made further that God knows no such limit as some would teach, that the instruction given in the days of Israel was to that people alone. He says, “Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” In the prophecy of Isaiah the Lord calls the Sabbath “My holy day,” “a delight,” “the holy of the Lord,” “honorable.” “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, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isa. 58: 13, 14. In the book of Jeremiah we are informed that if the people had observed the Sabbath, as God commanded them to do, the city of Jerusalem would have remained forever. “Thus said the Lord unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; and say unto them, Hear ye the word of the Lord, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates: Thus saith the Lord; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction. And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto Me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work therein; then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain forever. And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the Lord.” Jer. 17: 19-26. Ezekiel speaks of it as a sign by which the true God is known as the Creator; also that the same God who created, is the Saviour who now sanctifies His people. “Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.” “And hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know (III.) I am the Lord your God.” Eze. 20: 12, 20. No one since the fall can keep the Sabbath without first having been sanctified. It is a sign of sanctification. No one keeps the Sabbath according to God’s plan, who does not keep it as a sign that he is sanctified. This is the way Israel should have kept it. If they had kept it as a sign of God’s power in their sanctification, their beautiful city would have remained forever. They kept the Sabbath formally. That made it to them merely a sign of formality in religion, instead of the sign of a life regenerated by the power of divine grace. Had all the people kept the Sabbath as God gave it in the beginning, it would from week to week have pointed to the God of creation, and there never would have been an infidel in the world. No man ever kept the Sabbath aright, until he kept it as a sign of creative power, God having created within him a clean heart, and renewed within him a right spirit. We enter the sanctified life through the door of the new birth. Every man, therefore, who has received the new birth, is to keep the Sabbath that God made at creation, proclaimed in His law at Sinai, and announced through the prophet Ezekiel as a sign of sanctification. Reaching the days of Christ, we find Him reared in a Jewish family. He observed the same Sabbath from infancy that was observed by the Jewish people. When He reached maturity, and entered upon His work, “He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” Luke 4: 16. It was His custom to keep the seventh-day Sabbath, which He Himself had made at creation, given in the law from Sinai, and declared to be the sign of a life sanctified by the power of God. Custom is continued practice. We find the same Sabbath given in the law upon Sinai, continued from that time to the time of Christ, and observed as Christ’s continued practice. Since He with the Father made the Sabbath in the beginning, and gave the law concerning it from Sinai, He certainly knew which day was the Sabbath. He also knew for whom it was made. “And He said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” Mark 2: 27, 28. Here, by the authority of the Lord of the Sabbath, we are informed that the Sabbath made by Him, of which He is Lord, and which it was His custom—continued practice—to observe, was made for man. This statement was made just before the close of the Jewish dispensation. It therefore teaches that there was, in the plan of Christ, no change in or repeal of the Sabbath statute. There can be no doubt that the Sabbath instituted in Eden and proclaimed in the law from Sinai was continued through the history of the former dispensation, and observed and taught by Christ.