consistent with the Mosaic History. 31 
Sabbath-day and sanctified it.” This is, however, no more than a 
- brief reference, and the terms of it must therefore be strictly inter- 
preted in accordance with those of the detail to which the reference 
is made. 
It has been said that such an interpretation goes to nullify the rea- 
sons. assigned for the sanctification of every seventh revolution of 
the sun; but this does not follow. In point of fact, the rest from 
the work of creation (we use this form of speech from the example 
before us) did not endure only for one revolution of the sun, but 
has continued since the creation of man; and we have no grounds 
on which to establish even a conjecture of the time of its coming 
to aclose; so that if we were urged to adopt a period of twenty 
four hours as the meaning of yom, that the six days of creation 
might literally correspond with our six working days, we should then 
find the apparent disagreement, which, by this process, we would en- 
deavor to avoid, transferred to our weekly period of rest, and the 
rest from the work of creation. 
It will surely be readily allowed, that the sanctification of the Sab- 
bath has respect to man and his duties; and since his Creator has 
been made known to him, and the hades of the six successive epochs 
in which the earth was rendered fit for his habitation; if we are to 
allow, what surely no reflecting mind will ever deny, that it is his du- 
ty to reflect with gratitude on the blessing he has received, and to 
maintain in his heart a sense of his dependence upon, and responsi- 
bility to him, who made the heavens and the earth, and all that they 
contain, no method could have been devised better calculated for 
preserving these feelings in constant activity than appointing some 
definite portion of time, returning at short intervals, to be devoted to 
the contemplations that awaken them, nor any interval more appro- - 
priate than that which so directly recalls the order of the events of 
the creation. 
Since we have introduced the subject of the measure of our pres- 
ent day, we would offer an observation regarding the work of the 
fourth day, which includes the sun, moon, and stars. Respecting the 
period of their creation, geology, from its nature, gives us no precise- 
ly definite indications. The history regarding them is from the 14th 
to the 18th verses, and we would observe of it, that the terms employ- 
ed are such as do not absolutely imply that these bodies were at this 
epoch first created, but admit of the interpretation that their motions 
were then first made the measures of our present days and seasons. 
