On the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. Genesis 2:2, 3
(ML 140.1)
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God reserved the seventh day as a period of rest for man, for the good of man as well as for His own glory. He saw that the wants of man required a day of rest from toil and care, that his health and life would be endangered without a period of relaxation from the labor and anxiety of the six days.
(ML 140.2)
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The Sabbath of the Lord is to be made a blessing to us and to our children.... They can be pointed to the blooming flowers and the opening buds, the lofty trees and beautiful spires of grass, and taught that God made all these in six days, and rested on the seventh day, and hallowed it. Thus the parents may bind up their lessons of instruction to their children, so that when these children look upon the things of nature, they will call to mind the great Creator of them all. Their thoughts will be carried up to nature’s God—back to the creation of our world, when the foundation of the Sabbath was laid, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.
(ML 140.3)
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Happy is the family who can go to the place of worship on the Sabbath as Jesus and His disciples went to the synagogue—across the fields, along the shores of the lake, or through the groves.
(ML 140.4)
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The Sabbath bids us behold in His created works the glory of the Creator. And it is because He desired us to do this that Jesus bound up His precious lessons with the beauty of natural things. On the holy rest day, above all other days, we should study the messages that God has written for us in nature. We should study the Saviour’s parables where He spoke them, in the fields and groves, under the open sky, among the grass and flowers. As we come close to the heart of nature, Christ makes His presence real to us and speaks to our hearts of His peace and love.
(ML 140.5)
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It is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Matthew 12:12
(ML 231.1)
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According to the fourth commandment the Sabbath was dedicated to rest and religious worship. All secular employment was to be suspended, but works of mercy and benevolence were in accordance with the purpose of the Lord. They were not to be limited by time or place. To relieve the afflicted, to comfort the sorrowing, is a labor of love that does honor to God’s holy day.
(ML 231.2)
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The necessities of life must be attended to, the sick must be cared for, the wants of the needy must be supplied. He will not be held guiltless who neglects to relieve suffering on the Sabbath. God’s holy rest day was made for man, and acts of mercy are in perfect harmony with its intent. God does not desire His creatures to suffer an hour’s pain that may be relieved upon the Sabbath or any other day....
(ML 231.3)
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The Sabbath is not intended to be a period of useless inactivity. The law forbids secular labor on the rest day of the Lord; the toil that gains a livelihood must cease; no labor for worldly pleasure or profit is lawful upon that day; but as God ceased His labor of creating, and rested upon the Sabbath and blessed it, so man is to leave the occupations of his daily life and devote those sacred hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to holy deeds. The work of Christ in healing the sick was in perfect accord with the law. It honored the Sabbath.
(ML 231.4)
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Labor to relieve the suffering was pronounced by our Saviour a work of mercy and no violation of the Sabbath.
(ML 231.5)
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The needs of suffering humanity are never to be neglected. The Saviour, by His example, has shown us that it is right to relieve suffering on the Sabbath.
(ML 231.6)
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Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exodus 20:8
(ML 287.1)
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“Remember” is placed at the very first of the fourth commandment. Parents, you need to remember the Sabbath day yourselves to keep it holy. And if you do this, you are giving the proper instruction to your children; they will reverence God’s holy day.... All through the week keep the Lord’s holy Sabbath in view, for that day is to be devoted to the service of God. It is a day when the hands are to rest from worldly employment, when the soul’s needs are to receive especial attention.
(ML 287.2)
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The Sabbath—oh! make it the sweetest, the most blessed day of the whole week.... Parents can and should give attention to their children, reading to them the most attractive portions of Bible history, educating them to reverence the Sabbath day, keeping it according to the commandment.... They can make the Sabbath a delight if they will take the proper course. The children can be interested in good reading or in conversation about the salvation of their souls.
(ML 287.3)
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During a portion of the day all should have an opportunity to be out of doors.... Let their young minds be associated with God in the beautiful scenery of nature, let their attention be called to the tokens of His love to man in His created works.... As they view the beautiful things which He has created for the happiness of man, they will be led to regard Him as a tender, loving Father.... As the character of God puts on the aspect of love, benevolence, beauty, and attraction, they are drawn to love Him.
(ML 287.4)
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The Sabbath is the golden clasp that unites God and His people.
(ML 287.5)
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It means eternal salvation to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord.
(ML 287.6)
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