CORRESPONDENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 282, 29 November 1888, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE REV. J. S. HLLL IN REPLY TO THE KABBI.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, — I niosfc sincerely regret; that any words of mine should have given offence to i the much-esteemed Rabbi, the Rev. B. A, Goldstein. The objecb of fcho interview to which he refers was not to obtain a logical argument orScripburalexposibion, I assume, but an informal, free, candid expression of opinion. The report given was verbatim. That the Rabbi should differ in opinion from one who looks upon the Sabbath from a distinctively Christian standpoint-, is not surprising, but to be expected. The principle involved is so important and essential that I. think I can best reply to Kabbi Goldstein by briefly stating what I beiiovo to be the true Christian ground for keeping the first day of the week. The Kabbi will, doubtless, while agreeing with some of the facts, object to the interpretation. 1. The Mosaic law contained what for convenience we may define as two kinds of observances —the one sacrificial, the other Sabbatical. The one had to do with the means of reconciliation with Cod, the other with the state of reconciliation with God. The one could only be observed within the tabernacle or the tern pie, bheotherin fciichome of every devout Jew. Thus the great mass of the people, if obedient, could see a sacrifice only three times a year during the great festivals—Leviticus, c. 17, I—9. The Sabbatical observance was based upon tlie sacrificial; tbo rest sprang out of the reconciliation by sacrifice, a sign of feheir sanctiti-cation-Exodus, c. 31, 12—17, Ezokiel c. 20, 12. 2. The Jewish Sabbath day was not confined to the seventh day. In the week of unleavened bread isee Leviticus, c. 23, 7-8; Numbers, c. 28, 18—25; also John, c. 19, 31), tho first day and the seventh were ."--acred, and each a Sabbath. ;In the Tabernacle week, the first day, and also thceighfch clay, wereSabbatha(LGviticus, c. 23, 35, 36, and 39; Numbers, c. 29, 12— 35). The least of weeks, or Pentecost, was upon the fiftieth day (Leviticus, c. 23, 11, 15, and 21). The jubilee wae upon the fiftieth year (Leviticus, c. 25, 8-17); so the sacred character of tho first day upon special occasions is a part of the Sabbatical system. 3. It ought to be granted (a) that the fourth is of co-equal authority with any one of the ten words, [b) iSiu man or number of men have a right to alter Cod's law in any one iota, (c) By keeping the first day instead of the seventh you are neither keeping the letter or the spirit of the law, lor the law is explicit. 4. If the law of God is our rule of life, and our standard of requirement without obedience to that law, we can in no wise be justified; bub tho sacrifices under the law gave promise of reconciliation to the penitent oMerer —"God providing means whereby His banished be not expelled from Him ;" so bhafc by the grace of God the condemned under the law could be restored Lo Divine favour, Hab. 2.4. The law apart from Divine grace instead of justifying it condemns, instead of giving life it kills : therefore there is no hopo for the mass of mankind under tho law.

, c >. God promised to faithful Abraham " that in his seed all tho nations of tho earth should be blessed " (Genef-is, c. '22, 10

— 18). The law cannot net aside the promise—the free promise cannot be clogged with new conditions—therefore, when the fulness of time was come, " God .-ent, forth his (Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them thatwere under tho law" (Galatians, c. 4, 4—5). "Christ,1 (of the seed of Abraham) "hath redeemed us" (Jews and Gentiles) " from the curse of the law. beinjr made a curse for u.s, for it is written, Cursed is everyone that bangeth on a tre?." The believer is "dead to the law by the body of Christ" (Komans, c. 7, 4), he is "not under law, but under grace" (Romans, c. 6, 14). "Chii.st is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth," Romans, c. 10, 4. The believer does not put the law on one side ; does not ignore the law ; but the law puts him to death in Christ. " For I," Bays St. Paul, " through the law, am dead fco the law, that I might live unto God." " I am crucified with Christ," Galatians ii. 19—20. The bdiever in the Gospel is not now a servant, but a son : " Because ye aro sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying 'Abba, Father.'" "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son," Galatians iv., 6—7. A son is free-born. 6. The believer in' Christ is not under the ministration of condemnation, but under the ministration of the Spirit, 1 Corinthians, c. 3; his liberty ia dependent upon his being "led by the Spirit," Galatians, c. 5, 18; he is to "live in the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit." " Where \ the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." ' The Lord's Day has been con tinned a.s the , Sabbath from the descent ol bhc Holy Ghost; on the day of Pentecost; by the influence, of the Holy Spirit, and not by command. IHe has led the Church to maintain ! the Lord's Day as the Eucbaristic day for the worshipping of God : "I was in the spirit on the Lord's Day," Revelation c. 1, 10. Perfect loyalty needs no compulsion, it is love and loyalty alone to our Lord that binds us to keep holy the first day oi the AVe . e k_ a love and loyalty that fulfils tho law and delights in going beyond tho legal requirements for the lovo of Him " who loved us and gave B hnself for us." If it is not directly instituted or explicitly authorised, it may bo because in typo it has been already pre-H^ured in the sacred first days of the Jewish Sabbatical system. Christ's resurrection is the assurance of the acceptance and reconciliation of all believers. The gift of the Holy Ghost, which was first given at Pentecost, ia the witness within, which givoth rest. Many Christians may nob agree with these views, but a careful study of the teaching of tho Apostle to tho Gontiles in his epistles to the Romans, Corinthians and Galatians — bhedo Scriptures, particularly addressed to converted heathens like our forefathers, I think will fully bear out the above argument). 1 could not well .stale all this in the interview, and I hesitated to reply to the Rev. S. A. Goldstein, because I thought the explanation necessary to bo given very utisuitablo lor general readers, but the Rabbi has left rue no option.—l am, etc., I .1. S. Hill.