All Items 1 Collection 1 Archives & Special Collections 1 Contributor 1 Hitchcock, Edward, 1793-1864 1 Location 1 Massachusetts 1 Topic 7 Biblical teaching 1 Biblical teaching aspects 1 Commandments (Judaism) 1 Law (Theology) 1 Sabbath 1 Sermons 1 Sermons, American 1 show more 2 show fewer Part Of 1 Edward and Orra White Hitchcock Papers 1 Genre 1 Sermons 1 Subject 5 Commandments (Judaism) – Sermons 1 Hitchcock, Edward, 1793-1864 – Sermons 1 Law (Theology) – Biblical teaching – Sermons 1 Sabbath – Biblical teaching aspects – Sermons 1 Sermons, American – Massachusetts – 19th century 1 Edward Hitchcock sermon no. 170, "Perpetuity of the Sabbath," 1823 May Hitchcock, Edward, 1793-1864 Edward Hitchcock's sermon on observing the Sabbath, based on Numbers 15:32-36 (And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day....). Hitchcock noted on the first page the dates and places where he had delivered this sermon between 1823 and 1833 as well a Bible chapter and hymns related to the sermon. Hitchcock observed that biblical text for his sermon raised questions concerning the commandment to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy: Was the law confined to the Jewish nation and abrogated with the coming of Christ? Which Old Testament laws concerning the Sabbath were universally binding and which were not? How was one to distinguish which laws were current? Where else in the Bible were there laws for observing the Christian Sabbath? In answering such questions, Hitchcock contrasted "moral precepts," which were universally and eternally in force, and "positive precepts" which were directed to the Jews and were no longer binding upon men of the present day. He also discussed the practice of observing the Sabbath on the first or the seventh day of the week. Hitchcock concluded by noting that "sabbath breaking in some form or another is one of the most crying sins of these days." He asked the congregation to reflect on past conduct and judge whether they had in good conscience kept the Sabbath holy and saved their immortal souls. Edward Hitchcock sermon no. 170, "Perpetuity of the Sabbath," 1823 May
