Another of the proofs adduced for the supposed change of the Sabbath,
is the following prediction. Psalm 118:22-24. "The stone which the
builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the
Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the
Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." But this, like all
the previous quotations, wants solidity. The main points in the
argument are _assumed_. First, it is assumed, that Christ's becoming
the head of the corner refers to the day of his resurrection; whereas
there is no conclusive evidence that it refers to this rather than to
the day of his birth, or of his entrance on his public ministry, or of
his final ascension into heaven. Next, it is assumed that the day
spoken of is a natural day of twenty-four hours; whereas this word is
often used to designate an indefinite period of time--particularly the
Gospel era (John 8:56)--and may very probably be so used here. Again,
it is assumed, that the day mentioned is the first day of the week;
whereas there is nothing which designates this rather than some other
in the course of his mediatorial work, allowing a natural day to be
referred to. And even if the resurrection day be intended, it is not
certain that this occurred on the first day of the week. It is further
assumed, that the emphasis which is laid on the day alluded to as "the
day which the Lord hath made," and in which the church would "rejoice
and be glad," determines it to be the New Testament Sabbath in
distinction from the Sabbath of the fourth commandment; whereas there
is nothing in these circumstances which necessarily intimates any such
change, while there are various important considerations by which this
opinion is absolutely precluded. The entire argument, therefore, fails.
Another argument for the change of the Sabbath is based upon the
supposition that the day of Pentecost occurred on the first day of the
week, which was a remarkable season of the outpouring of the Spirit,
and of Christ's triumph as the risen and exalted Savior. But this will
appear, on a very little examination, to be wholly inconclusive. In
the first place, it is far from being conclusively proved that this
event occurred on the first day of the week. It is much more likely to
have occurred either on the _fifth_ or the _seventh_. Indeed, it is
quite manifest from the best calculations that can be made, from the
time of eating the passover supper, the first paschal sabbath, the
crucifixion and the resurrection, that it occurred on one or the other
of these days. Secondly, if the feast of Pentecost had actually
occurred on the first day of the week, this would furnish no proof of
its being the New Testament Sabbath, in the absence of a divine
warrant to that effect.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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