The demands upon God are even greater upon the Sabbath than upon other days. His people then leave their usual employment, and spend the time in meditation and worship. They ask more favors of Him on the Sabbath than upon other days. They demand His special attention. They crave His choicest blessings. God does not wait for the Sabbath to pass before He grants these requests. Heaven's work never ceases, and men should never rest from doing good. 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.

I dette tilfælde ville mennesker komme til at gå glip af jordens afgrøde og de velsignelser, som gør livet attråværdigt. Naturen må fortsætte ad sin uforanderlige bane. Gud kunne ikke et øjeblik tage sin hånd bort, uden at mennesker ville omkomme og dø. Og også mennesket har en gerning at gøre på denne dag. Det, som er nødvendigt i livet, må passes, de syge må plejes, de nødlidendes trang må der tages hensyn til. Den, som forsømmer at lindre lidelser på sabbatten, vil ikke blive regnet for at være uden skyld. Guds hellige hviledag blev til for menneskets skyld, og barmhjertighedsgerninger er i fuldkommen harmoni med dens bestemmelse. Gud ønsker ikke, at hans skabninger skal lide en times smerte, hvis den kan lindres på sabbatten eller nogen anden dag.