In Scotland on January 16th, 1603 the citizens were dreadfully alarmed by an earthquake, on account of which a day of fasting and humiliation was appointed by the magistrates and clergy. The particular sin for which this scourge was thought to be sent, was the custom of salmon-fishing on Sunday. But this rigid feature of the Jewish Sabbath was of a negative character, as the day was observed as a day of feasting and joy--a day something like our Thanksgiving. A variety of minor regulations referring to bodily indulgences on that day, abundantly prove, if further proof were needed, its recognized character as a "feast-day" in the natural and general sense of the term, in Judaism. It was to be honored by the wearing of finer garments, by three special meals of the best cheer the house could afford; and it was considered a particularly meritorious thing on the part of the master of the house to busy himself personally as much as possible with the furnishing of the viands, nay, the fetching of the very wood for the cooking, so as to do as much honor to the "bride-sabbath" as in him lay. Fasting, mourning, mortification of all and every kind, even special supplicatory prayers are strictly prohibited. (Chamber's Encyclopedia.) If Sunday takes the place of the Sabbath, then the New Testament would clearly reveal the fact; but it does nothing of the kind. If the new religion was designed to take the place of the old, then we should expect to find Jesus plainly teaching that after his death Sunday should be observed in place of and as the Sabbath. But far from this, we find him repudiating the Jewish Sabbath, and saying nothing at all about a new day of ceremonies and worship. We give a number of instances where Jesus intentionally repudiates and violates the common usages respecting the Sabbath: The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the Sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath day. (John 5 : 7, 8, 9, 10 and 16.) The Jewish law regarding the Sabbath was strict. It was not lawful to carry burdens on that day. 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. (Jeremiah 17 : 21.) And it came to pass that he went through the corn fields on the Sabbath day; and his disciples began as they went to pluck the ears of corn.