Calvin on the Sabbath Rest

Calvin writes the following on Genesis 2:3 -

3. And God blessed the seventh day ... Thus we may be allowed to describe the day as blessed by him which he has embraced with love, to the end that the excellence and dignity of his works may therein be celebrated... God therefore sanctifies the seventh day, when he renders it illustrious, that by a special law it may be distinguished from the rest. Whence it also appears, that God always had respect to the welfare of men. I have said above, that six days were employed in the formation of the world; not that God, to whom one moment is as a thousand years, had need of this succession of time, but that he might engage us in the consideration of his works. He had the same end in view in the appointment of his own rest, for he set apart a day selected out of the remainder for this special use. Wherefore, that benediction is nothing else than a solemn consecration, by which God claims for himself the meditations and employments of men on the seventh day. This is, indeed, the proper business of the whole life, in which men should daily exercise themselves, to consider the infinite goodness, justice, power, and wisdom of God, in this magnificent theater of heaven and earth. But, lest men should prove less sedulously attentive to it than they ought, every seventh day has been especially selected for the purpose of supplying what was wanting in daily meditation. First, therefore, God rested; then he blessed this rest, that in all ages it might be held sacred among men: or he dedicated every seventh day to rest, that his own example might be a perpetual rule. The design of the institution must be always kept in memory: for God did not command men simply to keep holiday every seventh day, as if he delighted in their indolence; but rather that they, being released from all other business, might the more readily apply their minds to the Creator of the world. [TJD: I.e. it isn't about sleeping the day away.] Lastly, that is a sacred rest, which withdraws men from the impediments of the world, that it may dedicate them entirely to God. But now, since men are so backward to celebrate the justice, wisdom, and power of God, and to consider his benefits, that even when they are most faithfully admonished they still remain torpid, no slight stimulus is given by God’s own example, and the very precept itself is thereby rendered amiable. For God cannot either more gently allure, or more effectually incite us to obedience, than by inviting and exhorting us to the imitation of himself. Besides, we must know, that this is to be the common employment not of one age or people only, but of the whole human race. Afterwards, in the Law, a new precept concerning the Sabbath was given, which should be peculiar to the Jews, and but for a season; because it was a legal ceremony shadowing forth a spiritual rest, the truth of which was manifested in Christ. Therefore the Lord the more frequently testifies that he had given, in the Sabbath, a symbol of sanctification to his ancient people. Therefore when we hear that the Sabbath was abrogated by the coming of Christ, we must distinguish between what belongs to the perpetual government of human life, and what properly belongs to ancient figures, the use of which was abolished when the truth was fulfilled. Spiritual rest is the mortification of the flesh; so that the sons of God should no longer live unto themselves, or indulge their own inclination. So far as the Sabbath was a figure of this rest, I say, it was but for a season; but inasmuch as it was commanded to men from the beginning that they might employ themselves in the worship of God, it is right that it should continue to the end of the world.

Full version at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom01.viii.i.html. See also http://ad-gloriam-dei.blogspot.com/2006/08/calvin-on-sabbath.html.

Alliance Party Leader and PCI Elder David Ford Participates at Gay Pride Festival

A video of David Ford, the Leader of the Alliance Party and a ruling elder in the PCI, attacking Iris Robinson's Biblical stance against homosexuality after participating in the Belfast Gay Pride Festival. This elder thinks that homosexuality is no morally different than having a different colour of skin.

Gay Day for California Schools

Please pray against the evil legislation that has been passed by the Californian Leglislature to have a Gay Day every year in all government schools. See here. Homosexual fanaticism knows no bounds! (I wonder when Christian family day is?)

Working Mums Return to Working from Home

See this interesting article about how there has been a huge increase in the UK of women returning to working from home to allow them to have more time with their children.

Religious Education in NI Schools in the 20th Century

Henry Cooke's opposition to the interference of the State in the independence of the Presbyterian Church in adminstering its schools in the early 19th Century is "relatively well-known" due to the information contained in his biography, but what is less well-known is the subsequent battle for religious education in NI schools thereafter.

The influence of the secularists was so strong that the Education Act (NI) 1923 "stated that schools were to provide ‘an education both literary and moral, based upon instruction in the reading and writing of the English language and in arithmetic.’ Religious instruction was no longer to be part of the required curriculum except where it might impinge through ‘moral education’. Under clause 28 such instruction was forbidden in elementary schools, and under clause 26, local education authorities were not permitted to provide religious instruction in schools under their control. Under clause 66 the education authority was not entitled to take into account a teacher’s religion when an appointment was being made. Lord Londonderry, who was opposed to the segregation of children according to religious belief, did not think it was the state’s role to assume responsibility to impart Christian beliefs. He argued that the state’s role should be a neutral one in this area."

By this act, the Churches also lost effectual control of their schools.

Opposition was strong and concessions were made in 1925 and 1930 to amend the Act. The 1925 amendment included morality alongside literacy as an aim of the educational system and allowed for schools to provide "simple bible instruction," but insisted that the local education authorities could not provide and pay for religious instruction.

The 1930 amendment "allowed the Protestant clergy to maintain a share in the control of the local elementary schools although these were ostensibly under local civic control. [It also provided that] the Ministry would pay one half of the costs of building and equipping new voluntary schools. It also obliged teachers to give simple bible instruction, and removed the prohibition on inquiring into a teaching candidate’s religious background."

Further information may be obtained here.

PCI Board Placates Homosexuals

Although rightly pastorally sensitive regarding homosexuals, the PCI's Board of Social Witness'
"Social Issues and Resources Panel Pastoral Guidelines –- Homosexuality" distorts the Biblical emphases around this sin, condemns Biblically acceptable statements and placates homosexuals. This report was received (not adopted) by a small majority, and a motion to send it down to presbyteries for consideration was narrowly defeated by 168 to 163.

See this report for some disturbing comments from Ken Newell. As if it isn't hard enough battling the humanist, atheist and homosexual lobbies, without having to deal with this! Talk about the enemy within!

Animal Rights and the Christian

I've been reading through Proverbs in the morning and Proverbs 12:10 hadn't struck Mary before, so I thought I'd pass it on:

"A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."