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THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S church is freed from th e law of th e seventh day. “The law was given by Moses, bu t grace and tru th came by Jesus Christ’’ (John 1 :1 7 ). Thus a new day dawned— the eighth day; the beginning of a new seven— the first day of th e week; th e observance of which is a privilege accorded to be lievers. It m arks a new era, a new people, a new relationship, new duties, new privileges, new opportunities, a new message,*a new command; a period of grace heaven-higher th a n the law of th e Sabbath. Its center is Christ and His plea is not “ Remember th e Sabbath Day,” b u t “Do this in remembrance of Me.” “Remember Me; I love you; I died for you; I am coming for you !” W hat grace and w hat a gracious pri vilege! H ail th e new day! Keep the day— glorious day! The blood of the Lamb has satisfied th e demands of God for sin; th e bars of death are broken; Christ has arisen; we are His by a tie stronger th a n death; we are seated w ith Him in the heavenlies; we gath er to Him on the first day; we come unhin dered by prescribed laws; we come be cause th e indwelling. Spirit draws us; we tak e the B read and Cup and say to Him, “Lord Jesus, we remember you— we look and long for you— come quick ly.” Now— contrast th e seventh w ith the first day, and shout for joy! (3 ) FELLOWSHIP IN S E R V I C E , Mark 6:31, 32. This passage is unfo rtunately chosen for teaching a lesson on rest, because on th is occasion th e re was no rest, al though Jesus sought it for H imself and th e apostles. Instead of rest, th e re was a long, h ard day of service for Himself and His helpers— though a glad day—- and it was followed by a n igh t of prayer for Him, a stormy, passage for th e dis ciples, bu t w ith a joyful ending. There is not much need of a lesson on rest and recreation for believers. Most church members are inclined to be
both Passover and Pentecost— and can only have its fulfillment in th e m illen nium (Rev. 7:9, IQ). In th e glory— a perm anent abode— gathered around our glorified Lord— th e promises all fulfilled—-there will be the palms of victory and perp etual peace in which all th e ea rth will participate. We labor in th e harvest field now, working out His holy w ill; we look and long and w ait for His coming and th e glory of th e F east of Tabernacles. (2 ) FIDELITY COMMANDED, Deut. 5:12-15. H ere we have -God’s claims upon Israel for th e Sabbath fully set forth. It was to be a day of re st from labor, b u t a day of worship of H im self; a day in which th e ir relation to H imself could be fully recognized and th e ir need of Him fully acknowledged. They needed to rem em ber Him. The day was to be k ep t unto Jehovah. They were to remember th a t they were a body of slaves in bondage to Egyptian rule, and th a t they had been delivered by the m ighty hand of Jehovah; and by reason of th is He demanded th a t they bear th is in m ind once every .week, and th e day set a p a rt for th is observance was th e seventh day. God made laws so definite concerning th is day, th a t th e very observance of them would be a constant rem inder. But 'in spite of all th a t God commanded, and all of th e details, they forgot Him and His commands and th e ir obligation as a people. The Sabbath command ceased w ith th e day of Pentecost, and although th e re st of th e ten commandments are re iterated in th e epistles to th e church, th e command concerning th e Sabbath is om itted. W ith the Pentecostal gift of th e Holy Spirit when He was poured out upon th e little company of believers and they were empowered for service,— and w ith th e im partation of' the Spirit to every believer upon acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord,— the
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