The only safe rule, is according to the commandment; see Exo. xx: 8-11.
This is the manner the disciples kept it; Luke xxiii: 56. The great God of
heaven instituted the Sabbath, or day of rest, when he ended his six days
work of creation, rested himself and sanctified the day, and thereby set
the example for man. As there was but one man then, it is evident that it
was not made for him alone, nor for any particular nation or people that
should afterwards come—for he is said to be “no respecter of persons.”
Some think it was made for the Jews alone; but the commandment refers us
to the creation, twenty-five hundred years before there was a Jew on
earth. It also requires the stranger (the Gentile) to keep it, and God has
promised to make him joyful in his house of prayer, by doing so; Isa. lvi:
6, 7. He has also given this day of rest to the beasts of burden, and
makes man accountable for causing them to violate his day. They cannot
speak for themselves; how important, therefore, that we should not, in any
way, allow our beast to labor on that day. But, says the objector, surely
there is no harm in using my horse to carry my family three or five miles
to meeting on the Sabbath. The word says “obedience is better than
sacrifice.” If the meeting cannot be nearer home, and we cannot walk, why,
then go before the Sabbath commences and stay until the day has ended. If
a general meeting, and all cannot be accommodated, then it would be proper
to have it some other day. God has plainly taught us how we shall keep
this day: “We are not to do our pleasure on his holy day, but call the
Sabbath a _delight_, the _holy_ of the Lord, _honorable_, and shalt _honor
him_, not doing our own _ways_, nor finding _our own pleasure_, nor
_speaking our own words_, then thou shalt _delight_ thyself in the Lord,”
and he will bless thee. See also what to us an unaccountable promise God
made to his chosen people, if they would not carry any burdens in nor out
of their houses, nor do any work on the Sabbath day: “The city of
Jerusalem should stand forever.”—Jer. xvii: 22-25; see also how Nehemiah
enforced the sacredness of the day,—xiii: 15-21. Moses also, and many
others; shewing clearly that God gave more directions about the fourth
commandment, and greater promises, than for all others of his laws, and
says “Verily, my Sabbaths ye shall keep that ye may know that I, the Lord,
do sanctify you.” And as I think that I have made it plain and positive
from the scriptures alone, that the Sabbath was never changed nor
abolished, then how simple, plain and safe to follow the example of our
Father in heaven. Surely no living person can be condemned for this. Then
let us keep the day as the bible teaches us that he did.
The Sabbath, God says, is a sign and covenant between him and the children
of Israel _forever_; see Exo. xxxi: 16, 17; Ezek. xx: 12, 20. Read the
curse that followed their violating it—xxii: 8, 25-28. Do you still say
this is only for the Jewish dispensation? read in Deut. vii: 9, the
promise to them who keep his commandments to a _thousand_ generations.
Suppose a generation to be thirty years: then you have 24,000 years yet to
come. But allow the scripture rule, _seventy years_, and then we have not
reached that point by at least 64,000 years. Do you think his mercy will
cease then, so many ages after immortality? It is not in the power of man
to make a figure of this. Some other passages regard generation and
generation, without limitation.