The Fourth Commandment has been variously expounded by its professed friends. Among these expositions, none has been more injurious than that which represents it as requiring the observance, not of _the_ Sabbath, and _the_ seventh day, but of _a_ Sabbath, and _a_ seventh day--not of a certain and well-known time, but of an uncertain and varying time. Yet this is the exposition of it which is given both by commentators and writers on the subject of the Sabbath. It will be found, however, that this view is generally presented in order to prepare the way to introduce the first day of the week, under the specious name of Lord's Day, into the place of the Sabbath. Thus some are made to think, that the name Sabbath may as well be applied to the first day of the week as to the seventh. But to such an exposition there are several serious objections:-- 1. It is a perversion of the original text itself. In every place where the weekly Sabbath and the seventh day are spoken of, the Hebrew article is uniformly used. This article is often used like our demonstrative _this_--but more commonly like our definite article _the_--never as our indefinite article _a_ or _an_; and _Gesenius_, in answer to the question whether it may be used _indefinitely_, says, "The definite article cannot be rightly said to stand indefinitely." To this opinion agree all our translators, both ancient and modern, who have rendered the terms, both in the fourth commandment and all other places of the Scripture, by _the_ Sabbath and _the_ seventh day. 2. It makes the Fourth Commandment to be indefinite and absurd. If that commandment only requires the observance of _a_ Sabbath or _rest_, and that on _a_ seventh day, then one man might keep the seventh day, another the third day, and another the fifth day, yet all obey the commandment. What confusion would thus result from carrying out this exposition to its legitimate results! But God's commandment is not yea and nay after this manner. It says, "_the_ seventh day is _the_ Sabbath of the Lord thy God." That man will not be held guiltless who misinterprets and misrepresents it, for however pious a purpose he may do so. 3. It is contrary to the teachings of the very men who give this exposition; for they affirm, that the fourth commandment required the keeping of _the_ seventh day until Christ came. Now, if the Jews before Christ, were bound to keep a certain and definite day, and that _the_ seventh day, then the commandment required a certain and definite day, and that _the_ seventh day.