The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 328

day of the week-the anmversary of Clmst s resurrection-and the severity of its character was abrogated. .As God had rested on the seventh day after his labour of creation, so Christ had rested in the grave on the seventh day after his labour of redemption. Why should the seventh day be any longer kept? "'l'he Jewish sabbath died out in the course of the first generation of Christians, as circumcision died out, as the temple, as the Law itself died out...• The Lord's day was a Divine and more- immortal shoot from the same stock. It was rooted in the primitive law of the- Creation. It recognized and adopted the old weekly division of time, that perpetual and ever-recurring acknowledgment, wherever it was celebrated in all the world, of the- Divine blessing and promises. It had the Divine sanction of the tables of stone-those- tables, written by God's own finger, and therefore greatly superior in sanctity ana enduring weight to the temporary enactments of the ceremonial law. It took up the- old series of commemorations and sacred anticipations. It bade the true Israel of God.- record with gratitude and keep in mind, by the weekly institution and its recurring festival of rest and praise, the creation of mankind, the deliverance from Egypt, the- entrance of tlie people into the promised land, the return from captivity, the coming of the Messiah ; and to look forward under the dispensation of the Holy Ghost to the crowning and final mercy of the long scheme of Providence, the eternal rest in heaven which yet remaineth for the people of God" (Bishop Moberly,' The Law of the Love- of God'). V. THE E?-."DS OF THE SABBATICAL mSTITUTION. 1. To reserve a certain sufficient part of time free for spiritual interests. 2. To teach the lesson of obedience to positive- precept in religions things. The appointment of one-seventh of our time for this- pnrpose is wholly arbitrary. There is no account to be given of it except that it is- God's will There i~ no other account to be given of weeks. Months and years have- their reasons in physical nature; not so weeks. God has commanded, and because he has commanded, the weekly rest is observed by those who love God; and not only is the weekly rest observed, but a loving obedience is paid to all religious institutions- and ordinances established by lawful authority. VI. EFFECT ON THE INDIVIDUAL CHRrsTrAN's LIFE. "The Christian man, desirous of loviug God with all the affection of his heart, with all the rational intelligence of hi& mind, with all the devotion of his life, with all the energy of his strength, in the love- taught him under the fourth law, will yield himself up gratefully and religiously to obey all duly ordered positive laws of the Church of God. The Sunday and its !acred observance will be to him the centre, and furnish, so to speak, the form of bis own way- of life, and that of all his family and dependents. He will regard it every time it returns as God's holy day of rest, the weekly commemoration of the primeval rest of God and of all the signal mercies of the elder covenant. Knowing himself to be- of the true Israel of God, he will not forget the blessings connected by God himself with the sabbatical institution, vouchsafed to his fathers in the faith. He will celebrate- it weekly as the feast of the Lord's resurrection, and all the blessings of that resurrec- tion; as the feast of the Holy Ghost the Giver of peace and rest in the Church, as the weekly antepast of that glorious and unending rest in the presence of God which still remaineth for the people of God. It will be to him a day of rest, peace, prayer, praise; and holy joy; no mournful and austere time, but on the contrary, a thankful happy time. He will remember his Lord's injunction not to forbid or refuse works of necessity or mercy on that day. He will gratefully shut up the records of the cares, the· interests, and the occupations of the week, and give that holy day to God; not dis- charging himself of his duties of worship by an attendance in God's house or holding himself at liberty to make his own convenience or inclination the rule of obedience; but faithfully, dutifully, and completely sanctifying that day to rest, worship, and the thought of God and heaven. .And the other days, the train of Sunday, will borrow of its light; each haviug its own sacred, special commemoration belonging to it, and each reflecting some of the brightness of the Sunday just preceding and catch}ng more· and more from that which follows" (Moberly.• 'l'be Law of the Love of God ). <IH, XIX, 1-37.] THE flOOK OF LEVITICUS. 293