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 a close ; 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 order 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. 



