(Time of Jesus and his Apostles.)

Let us now proceed to enquire,—(1) How Jesus and his followers acted; how they kept "the Sabbath" of their nation. Like good Jews they upheld the national Institutions, (Luke 2.21: 22.7, 8, 13, 14,)—often going into the synagogues on "the Sabbath-day," as "his custom was," to read and to teach,—which office, according to the Jews, was alike open to all. They kept the Sabbath, however, in a liberal way. We find him on a Sabbath-day going to a feast at the house of a chief Pharisee (or ruler), where there were a great company of guests, (which must have certainly caused the servants a deal of unnecessary labour in preparing the banquet and in waiting upon the guests,) and where there was also a scramble for the chief seats. But this kind of convivial meeting on the Sabbath, was allowed by the Pharisees, as we have already seen. On that occasion, the scrambling which Jesus saw was evidently the cause of two of his noted parables respecting a supper, or feast, delivered at that time,—and, also, of the rule which he then gave for the proper giving of a feast. (Luke 14.). Indeed Jesus often so acted,—laying hold of passing events, and so suiting the word to the time, or occasion. Again, we find that through his liberal mode of acting on several Sabbaths, both Jesus and his disciples were often charged with having "broken the Sabbath," and with having "done that which was not lawful on the Sabbath-day"; and it was this (among other things) which so greatly enraged the Pharisees against him. We are told of several remarkable cases of healing performed by Jesus on the Sabbath-day;—as, the man with the withered hand,—the woman who had been bowed for 18 years,—the impotent man, who had spent a dreary 38 years in that state,—the man with the dropsy,—and the blind man. Now (1) these cases were all old, long-standing ones; not peculiarly dangerous and pressing ones of the day immediately affecting life; and, therefore, they might have well stood over until the following day, or week; and (2) they were not only cured on the Sabbath-day, but that in the most public manner, mostly in the synagogue (or "Church") itself before all the Congregation; and, sometimes, accompanied with other "work," (as, in the making of clay,—and in the ordering the impotent man to carry his bed,—and the blind man to go to Siloam and wash,) which must also have additionally galled the Jews. Then, again, we have recorded by three of the Evangelists, their walking through the corn-fields on the Sabbath-day, and their gathering the corn, and rubbing-out the grain as they went for food; and the memorable reply of Jesus,—in almost the very words of the Talmud (already quoted by me), which, no doubt, he had often heard and read,—"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath; therefore the son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." (Mark 2.) Where were these Corn-fields? Scarcely within "the Sabbath-day's journey" allowed by the Jews; which was only six stadia=2000 paces, or, about, 6 furlongs, (not quite as far as the "Maori Club" on the White Road is from the Government Buildings,)—so that, it appears, that in this respect (of distance) the Sabbath was also broken. Now in all this we perceive a certain something done openly, all tending to lessen "the traditions of the elders" and the Pharisaic sanctity of the Sabbath.—

(2) How, or what, did Jesus teach concerning their Sabbath, in all his many teachings, discourses and parables? Hero, however, we can gain but little, because there is but little recorded. There is "the sermon on the Mount" (as it is called), but it is worthy of notice, that while very many subjects are therein page 15 mentioned and brought forward, including several of the "ten Commandments,"—there is nothing concerning the Sabbath. There is, however, his noble and open and oft-repeated statement, that "it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath-days" (Mat. 12.12); further illustrating his meaning by the works of lifting a sheep out of a pit, and of leading an ox or an ass to water; which, with that precious saying already mentioned ("The Sabbath was made for man, &c."),—one would think would have been quite enough for his followers for all time!

There is also a highly curious and characteristic saying of Jesus about the Sabbath,—which is not found in our New Testaments, and is only found in one very ancient Greek manuscript and in one equally ancient Latin one (known to scholars as Codex Bezæ), which date from the 5th century, and therefore holds a place among the five oldest Greek Mann scripts. As far as I know, it has not been translated and printed in English, but I will give a translation. It is an additional verse coming after Luke 6.4, (the 5 v. being placed in those two manuscripts after the 10 v.,) and runs thus:—"In the same day, Jesus seeing a certain man tilling his ground on the Sabbath, said unto him, Man, if indeed thou knowest what thou art doing thou art blessed; but if thou knowest not thou art cursed, for thou art a transgressor of the law."—Does not this strongly remind us of Paul's saying,—"Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth." (Rom. 14.22.)—Which may indeed be grounded on it; much as Paul has given us a peculiar saying of Jesus,—Acts 20.35. And it may also be further noticed, that the very peculiar and strong Greek word for "Curse," used here,—is only used twice besides in the whole New Testament,—viz. in John 7.49, (where the Pharisees used it concerning the people who knew not the law,—from which very circumstance Jesus might have adopted it;) and, again, in Gal. 3. 10, 13, (where Paul uses the word in his strongly emphatic way;)—it is not the word commonly used in the New Testament for curse. The same Greek word which is in Rom. 14.22. translated "Happy" I have here translated Blessed; as in Mat. 5. 3—11. Some of our first modern Greek Scholars and Commentators believe in the originality and authenticity of that saying of Jesus.

3. What Jesus further said concerning the Sabbath, incidentally or otherwise, in his many questionings concerning the "Commandments," made to those who came to him. Here, again, we find our-selves at a loss; although Jesus seemed to have pretty closely questioned several who came to him about their keeping of the Commandments"; as in the very particular case of one who, on coming to Jesus to enquire what he should do to obtain eternal life, called him "Good Master"; (and, was, apparently, first rebuked by Jesus for giving to him that title of Good,—which belonged to God alone;) Jesus told him, that if he would enter into life he should keep the "Commandments"; and then Jesus repeats six out of "the 10 commandments" to him,—but excludes all mention of that peculiarly great one among the Jews—the Sabbath (Mat. 19. 18.)

This remarkable interview is also mentioned in three of the Gospels, (Mat. 19, Mark 10, Luke 18,) with but little variation. Mark also gives another and a similar one, (12. 28—34,) which I have ever considered as one of the truly grand conversations related in the Gospels. Here, the inquirer asks, "Which is the first Commandment of all?" Jesus replies,—as a true Jew,—saying,—(in sublime and beautiful language, quoted from the Old Testament, and well-known among the later Jews, as the standard article of their belief, and their war-cry in battle,)—"The first is, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first Commandment." And then Jesus adds,—"And the second is like, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other Commandment greater than these." And his questioner also answers discreetly and beautifully; insomuch that he was highly praised by page 16 Jesus for so doing. Yet here, again, we find not a word about the Sabbath,—that great and peculiar institution of the Jews!

(1) Why is this omission,—if that of the Sabbath were indeed really given from the burning summit of Mount Sinai, amid lightnings and thunderings and earthquakes? (2) If that of the Sabbath were, as Nehemiah and the few later prophets repeatedly say, the sign of the Covenant between the Israelites and God?

Moreover, here arises an important question to the thoughtful mind:—(1) Why did Jesus when asked—What was the first commandment of all? Why did he not quote from the "ten Commandments," giving the first of them,—if such had been really spoken by the majestic voice of God from Sinai, and engraved by His holy fingers on stone? (2) Again, when Jesus also adds the second (great) commandment,—Why are the "10 Commandments" (including that of the Sabbath), again passed by? (3) And why are all (even including those "ten") said to hang on these two?—which were not given openly by God himself with dreadful pomp and terror on the burning mountain (as recorded in Exodus), but merely quietly written down, many many years after, by some unknown yet inspired scribe in the books of Deuteronomy (6) and Leviticus (19).

It is of no use attempting to blink the facts before us If those so-called "ten commandments," said to have been so spoken by the One Unchangeable and Blessed God Himself, and by Him also engraved in stone; If such had ever really been so spoken and so given,—Jesus could never have overlooked them never have spoken thus.—