A Word for The Sabbath

SUNDAY EXAMINED

A Christian institution is your claim;
The “Christian Sabbath” now you call your name,
Or with the title, “Lord’s Day,” mount the throne
Of Sabbath rest, and call it all your own. WFS 40.2

What is a Christian institution, pray?
Something ordained by Christ our Lord, you say. Like baptism and the eucharist, we see
This institution, then, must surely be.
But these unto the church alone belong;
How comes it then that Sunday claims so strong,
So broad, so full, and universal sway
That saint and sinner must alike obey?
Like the Lord’s supper must the Lord’s day be,
If but a Christian ord’nance there we see.
Then to the church its use must be confined,
Not urged upon the godless ‘mong mankind. WFS 40.3

Did Christ within his lips e’er take the name?
No; and from him no Sunday precept came.
How oft did those inspired to teach his grace,
The name of first-day on their pages trace?
Eight times alone of this one day they speak,
But call it always “first day of the week.” ¹
And six of these refer to that one day
When from death’s bonds our Saviour broke away.
They name it never as a day of rest,
Nor once declare it sanctified or blest. WFS 41.1

One first-day meeting only do they name,
When, on his journey, Paul to Troas came. ²
And this an evening meeting, as is shown
By “many lights” within that upper room.
And as the night before the daylight stands, In Bible time, throughout all Bible lands,
Here’s a night meeting, as we now would speak,
On Saturday, the last day of the week.
And when arose the Sunday morning fair,
That Sunday morning fresh with Syrian air,
Bidding the church at Troas all adieu,
Paul starts again his journey to pursue.
If in the night he had a Sabbath made,
By meeting the disciples to break bread,
He surely tore that Sabbath all away
By traveling off afoot through all the day. ¹ WFS 41.2

Again ‘t is said that Paul by plain command,
Showed that the Sunday must as Sabbath stand,
By word through Corinth and Galatia sent,
That all the brethren there, with care intent,
Should on each first-day lay aside some store, ²
To help their Christian brethren who were poor. WFS 42.1

Must they to church, to do this service, come?
No; each was to lay by himself at home. ³
A work most fit for week-days, any one,
But never on the Sabbath to be done. WFS 42.2

Driven thus from every text, rather than yield
And like a thin imposter quit the field,
Behind a show of reason next it aims
To shield its groundless and presumptuous claims. Redemption is a greater work ‘t is claimed,
Than the creation, when all worlds were framed,
And as our Lord on Sunday made complete
That glorious work, it surely is most meet
That day henceforth in sacred robes should stand,
As the true Sabbath of the fourth command. WFS 42.3

Does God’s word tell you so? Ah! no indeed,
No aid it gives to such presumptuous creed.
Can you decide which work most labor cost,
To make a world or rescue it when lost?
How dare you then decide, a finite man,
On works infinity alone can span,
And on your rash decision then essay
To judge God’s law and change his Sabbath day? WFS 43.1

But is the work of God’s redeeming grace
As yet completed for our fallen race?
Well for us is it this is not yet true.
Such fact would all our hopes of life undo.
Nor will it be complete till all shall stand,
Who are to come from every age and land,
Redeemed in Heaven, their mortal journey through;
Nor till the earth itself is made anew. WFS 43.2

Vain, vain, to think memorials to find,
To keep redemption’s finished work in mind
Until the work is finished; which will be
Only when all are saved eternally. WFS 43.3

Again, Sir Sunday, will you take the stand?
In your behalf can you show one command,
In all the Bible, hinted or expressed,
That we should spend your hours in hallowed rest?
Not one is found. Then can you show wherein
We in the least incur the guilt of sin
By earnestly devoting all your days
To wordly labor and all business ways?
For Paul decides by this most plain expression
That “where no law is, there is no transgression.” ¹
Again, in words that cannot be disputed,
When there’s no law, then sin is not imputed. ² WFS 44.1

Did e’er a being divine employ in rest,
Your passing hours, or sanctify and bless?
Not one. On what pretense then can you claim
The Sabbath obligation or the name?
Where is the sacredness of Sunday? where?
The question dies unanswered on the air. WFS 44.2