Sabbath View of John Calvin often misunderstood.
When Calvin in His Institutes speaks of the Sabbath as abrogated you must not take this isolated statement and conclude this is all there is to his belief or add in your belief to make it his. Be careful with scripture not to do this either. Ever hear of the rest of the story? Let us use care not to be guilty of violating the commandment to not bear false witness.
When Calvin speaks of the Sabbath as abrogated he is not speaking of the Moral law principle of a day of rest. He speaks of this law abrogated only in the sense of how it was distinctly delivered to the Israelites, with those specifics and being celebrated on the 7th day, as having been only for the nation of Israel. But as shown below he clearly sees the law is still binding on believers as a rule of life that we rest one day in 7, that now in the new covenant being the Lord’s day. The activities he suggests are in accord with the strictest of Sababatarians and the Westminster Confession.
From His Sermons on Deut
In fact, what was commanded about the day of rest must also apply to us as well as to them. For we must take God’s law as it is and thus have an everlasting rule of righteousness. For it is certain that in the Ten Commandments God intended to give a rule that should endure forever. Therefore, let us not think that the things which Moses says about the Sabbath day are unnecessary for us not because the figure remains in force, but because we have the truth represented by the figure.
For this reason, the Apostle (in Heb 4.3-10) applies the things that were spoken about the Sabbath to the instruction of the Christians of the new Church….. Therefore, let us understand that to serve God well we, on the Sabbath Day, are commanded to strive to the uttermost to subdue our own thoughts and desires so that God may reign in us and rule us by his Holy Spirit.
Now, let us now determine whether or not those who call themselves Christians behave as they ought to. Consider how many think that on the Lord’s Day they can freely go about their own business as if there were no other day of the week in which to do these things. Although the bell rings to call them to hear the sermon, yet it seems to them that they have nothing else to do but think about their business and take stock of one thing or another. Others are given over to stuffing themselves with food privately in their homes, because they are afraid to show such contempt in public. To them the Lord’s Day is an excuse to avoid the Church of God.
From these things we see what desires we have for Christianity and service to God, since we use the Lord’s Day as an excuse for withdrawing further from God instead of as a help to bring us nearer to him. Once we have gone astray it causes us to pull completely away. Is this not a devilish sign of disrespect in man? Sadly, in spite of this, it is a common thing. We wish to God that these things were rare and hard to find. But the world shows how holy things are misused to such an extent that people have no regard for observing the Lord’s Day as he has ordained it a day for withdrawing from all earthly cares and affairs so that we might give ourselves entirely to God.
Furthermore we must understand that the Lord’s Day was not appointed only for listening to sermons, but that we should spend the rest of the time praising God. For, although he gives us food every day, we do not keep his gracious gifts in mind and give him the glory. It would indeed be a poor thing if we did not give consideration to the gifts of God on the Lord’s Day. And, because we are so occupied with our own affairs on the other days of the week, we are slow to serve God in them in the way he has assigned on the one day. The Lord’s Day must, therefore, serve as a tower in which we can go up to view God’s works in the distance. It is a time in which there should be nothing to hinder us or keep us occupied, so that we can employ our minds meditating on the benefits and gracious gifts he has given us.
If we can apply this (that is, if we can meditate on the works of God) on the Lord’s Day, then we will be able to rest more during the remainder of the week.
