iiliiliililiiiii^ 
 
|6C 
 
 OF THK 
 
 University of California. 
 
 GIi=i"'r OK 
 
 Mrs. SARAH P. WALS WORTH. 
 
 Received October, 1894. . 
 c^ccessions~No.!^X,^S^'y . Class No. 
 
 
I n-^^ 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2007 with funding from 
 
 IVIicrosoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/bookforsabbathinOOwaterich 
 
BOOK FOR THE SABBATH ; 
 
 THREE PARTS. 
 I. 
 
 ORIGIN, DESIGN, AND OBLIGATION OF THE SABBATH ; 
 
 11. 
 PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT OF THE SABBATH ; 
 
 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 J. B. WATERBURY, 
 
 Author of " Advice to a Ybung Christian," and "Happy Christian. 
 
 STJie <Sai)l)ati) teas matie for man.' 
 
 ANDOVER: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY GOULD, NEVV^MAN, & SAXTON. 
 
 NEV^ YORK: 
 
 CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU STREETS. 
 
 BOSTON : IVES & DENNETT. 
 
 1840. 
 
 ./i^> 
 
W3 
 
 Entered according tm Act of CongtesB in the year 1840, by 
 
 GOULD, NEWMAN, AND SAXTON, 
 in the Clerk's Office of the Soutb*ra Dwtrict of New York. 
 
K 
 
 
 mhqik be PREFACE 
 
 This work is divided into three parts. In the first, the 
 author has aimed to present the broad and deep Scriptural 
 foundations on which the institution of the Sabbath rests. 
 In the second part, he has dwelt at length on the practical 
 improvement of the day ; showing how it may be sancti- 
 fied, and in what ways it is commonly profaned. The third 
 part embraces a series of meditations and prayers — the 
 number answering to the number of Sabbaths in the year 
 — and prepared, with a view to assist the Christian in his pri- 
 vate devotions. Some of these are appropriate especially 
 to the Sabbath ; some respect the sacrament ; others are 
 intended to apply to the seasons of the year ; many of them 
 are suited to persons in affliction ; and all, it is hoped, are 
 such, as the pious soul will love to think upon in retire-, 
 ment. 
 
 Although this volume is entitled " A book for the Sab- 
 bath," yet as the third part is purely devotional, and applies 
 to the secular as well as to the sacred part of the week, it 
 may prove to some, a useful manual in the religious exer- 
 cises of the family and the closet. 
 
 It is needless to dwell on the importance of the subject 
 The convictions of the entire christian community are in 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 favor of a more strict observance of the Lord's day. Let 
 the reform begin at the house of God. Let the outer and 
 the inner court of the temple be first purified. A principal 
 design of the author is, to urge upon the Church a consci- 
 entious discharge of Sabbath obligations ; believing that 
 when their example is right, this blessed day, if not rescued 
 entirely from profanation, will at least exert its legitimate 
 influence ; and will serve to check the inundation of vice, 
 which, rapidly augmenting, threatens to sweep away even 
 this bulwark of salvation. 
 Hudson, K. Y. Oct. 1840. 
 
 riui^f! 
 
 
i/Ts/ CONTENTS. 
 
 PART FIRST. 
 
 ORIGIN, DESIGN, AND OBLIGATION OF THE SABBATH. 
 
 CHAPTER I. Page. 
 
 Origin of the Sabbath, .1 
 
 ' ' CHAPTER n. 
 
 Perpetuity of the Sabbath, . . . • . . . 4 
 
 CHAPTER HI. ' 
 Change of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the 
 week, 10 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Sabbath made for man, . . v «'li.:i - . 15 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Importance of the Sabbath, in its bearings on Intellectual and 
 Social improvement, . . .-^.J , . . . 22 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Sabbath promotive of Social Improvement, 28 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Conservative Influence of the Sabbath, iUs>Pi ^i <io.i} - . 32 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Appeal to men of influence in favor of the Sabbath, '*^.*^ 'i^***'^ 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 PART SECOND. 
 
 PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT OF THE SABBATH. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 The Sabbath a devotional day, 39 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Saturday evening, or the preparation, .... 42 
 
 CHAPTER ni. 
 Sabbath morning, . . . ♦ . . . . 46 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Private and family devotions, 49 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Sabbath privileges — hearing the word, .... 53 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Self-application of the truth, 60 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Prayer upon the word, •.:..•, ,63 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. ♦ 
 Communion Sabbath, 67 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Meditation and reading, 73 
 
 CHAPTER X. . , .,, 
 
 Conversation, , . ' ^ ' . '. . "" . \ '■ .' 81 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 Doing good on the Sabbath day, . . ... 8b 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Sabbath evening, . ... •:, , fl-jr;i <^ j •; r . ^ 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 VI! 
 
 CHAPTER Xlll. 
 Sabbath Violations — Travelling on the Lord's day, etc. 
 
 99 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Social visiting— secular reading— idleness, etc. 
 
 lOG 
 
 Concluding Address, 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 
 PART THIRD. 
 
 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES FOB THE SABBATH. 
 
 112 
 
 JLTXClbVLUVI/UllO UHU, J. 1 U 
 
 Meditation I. The saints' rest, 
 
 yc/ o. 
 
 
 
 117 
 
 II. Conflict, .... 
 
 
 
 191 
 
 III. The risen Savior, 
 
 
 
 
 121 
 
 IV. Fruits of holiness. 
 
 
 
 
 123 
 
 V. Risen with Christ, . 
 
 
 
 
 125 
 
 VI. All vanity. 
 
 
 
 
 126 
 
 VII. The invitation, 
 
 
 
 
 128 
 
 VIII. All for the best. 
 
 
 
 
 130 
 
 IX. The heart of unbelief. 
 
 
 
 
 132 
 
 X. Time precious, 
 
 
 
 
 134 
 
 XI. Gratitude, 
 
 
 
 
 136 
 
 XII. The promised Spirit, 
 
 
 
 
 138 
 
 Xin. The love of Christ, . 
 
 
 
 
 140 
 
 XIV. The Contrast, . 
 
 
 
 
 142 
 
 XV. The Refuge, . 
 
 
 
 
 145 
 
 XVI. Prayer hindered. 
 
 
 
 
 147 
 
 XVII. Divine guidance, 
 
 
 
 
 149 
 
 XVIII. The Searcher of hearts. 
 
 
 
 
 151 
 
 XIX. Prayer in Jesus' name. 
 
 
 
 
 153 
 
 XX. Revival, . 
 
 
 
 
 155 
 
 XXI. Purity, , . . , 
 
 
 
 
 157 
 
Vlll 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 XXII. Condescending mercy, 
 
 XXIII. Poverty of spirit, 
 
 XXIV. Fixed destiny, . 
 XXV. Likeness to Jesus, , i , 
 
 XXVI. The restless soul, 
 XX VI I. The vestment, 
 XXVIII. Jesus loved, 
 XXIX. Infidelity rebuked, . 
 XXX. The patience of hope, 
 XXXI. Spirit of love, 
 XXXll. The furnace of affliction, 
 
 XXXI II. True riches, 
 
 XXXI V. Unseen glories, . 
 XXXV. Extent of mercy, 
 
 XXXVI. Keeping the heart, . 
 XXXVII. Divine illumination, . 
 XXXVIII. Christian energy, 
 XXXIX. Watchfulness, . 
 XL. Great gain, 
 XLI. Faith in God, 
 XLII. The Backslider, .^^ 
 
 XLIII. Pleasing God, . 
 XLIV. Conversation, 
 XLV. The Nativity— Christmas, 
 XLVI. The caution, 
 XLVIL. Human frailty, . 
 XLVIII. The consummation — sacramental 
 XLIX. The comforted— affliction, 
 L. Deprecation, 
 LI. Encouragement, 
 LIl. The solemn question'— new year. 
 
 15U 
 161 
 163 
 165 
 167 
 169 
 171 
 173 
 175 
 177 
 179 
 181 
 lb3 
 185 
 187 
 189 
 191 
 193 
 195 
 197 
 199 
 201 
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 213 
 216 
 218 
 220 
 

 PART I. 
 
 ORIGIN, DESIGN AND OBLIGATION OF THE SABBATH. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ORIGIN OF THE SABBATH. 
 
 The Sabbath began at the close of the primeval creation. 
 This is the testimony of Moses. " Thus the heavens and 
 the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on 
 the seventh day God ended his work which he had made ; 
 and blessed the seventh day and sanctified it ; because 
 that in it he had rested from all his work, which God crea- 
 ted and made." 
 
 The patriarch tells us, in this simple and beautiful lan- 
 guage, when and why the Sabbath was instituted. The 
 sceptic may sneer at the idea of the omnipotent God exert- 
 ing himself to create the world by successive acts of self- 
 moving power, instead of a simple volition, whereby it 
 ^ould at once, in all its varied grandeur, spring into exis- 
 tence. But in this, as in all the other great doings of Je- 
 hovah, there is a design ; which is to be traced in its prac- 
 tical bearings on our race, whose moral improvement, no 
 less than their temporal convenience was before the divine 
 mind, when he sketched the plan and laid the foundations 
 of the earth. 
 
 Says one, " we are not to think but that God could have 
 made the world in an instant. But he did it in six days 
 1 
 
2 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 that his wisdom, power and goodness might appear to us, 
 and be meditated on by us the more distinctly ; and that 
 he might set us an example of working six days and resting 
 the seventh. It is therefore made the reason of the fourth 
 commandment. So much would the Sabbath conduce to 
 the keeping up of religion in the world, that God had an 
 eye to it in the timing of his creation." 
 
 Nor are we to suppose that the day of rest, following up- 
 on the six days of creative power, was in order to recruit 
 the exhausted energies of Jehovah. For the Creator " faint- 
 elh not, neither is weary." It had reference, we presume, 
 principally to the moral impression upon man, which sub- 
 sequent enactments respecting the Sabbath were designed 
 to corroborate and enforce. " The eternal God, though 
 infinitely happy in the enjoyment of himself, yet took a 
 satisfaction in the work of his own hands. He did not rest 
 as one weary, but as one well pleased with the instances of 
 his own goodness, and the manifestations of his own glory." 
 
 Having advanced thus much, with a view to break the 
 force of an infidel objection sometimes thrown out against 
 this part of the Pentateuch* we may present some other 
 considerations bearing on the origin of the Sabbath. 
 
 Until the close of the sixth day everything in the forming 
 world was in commotion. Obedient to the Creator's will, 
 the various portions were seeking their aflinities, and tffe 
 numerous departments of this wondrous sphere were has- 
 tening to a completion. The atmosphere was throwing its 
 drapery around the globe, to afford a beautiful medium for 
 the sun-light, which was falling upon it in richest splendor. 
 The waters hitherto diffused were gathering together, and 
 the earth was rising into view in all its diversified forms of 
 grandeur. The chaotic mass had already put on the ap- 
 pearance of order, and each succeeding day disclosed new 
 
ORIGIN OF THE SABBATH; 9 
 
 wonders under the invisible hand that was at work to elicit 
 and arrange them. The sixth day was ended ; and now 
 all seemed to be at rest. Every part had found its kindred 
 portion. The classification was complete. The work was 
 one grand whole, and as perfect as God could make it. 
 There was no morp rushing to and fro. The elements 
 were hushed. It was nature in her infantile repose. The 
 outspread beauties of creation seemed to sleep in calm tran- 
 quility. 
 
 How natural then that, at this juncture, God should pro- 
 nounce his public benediction, upon the new creation ! But 
 equally appropriate was it for him to appoint a day of rest, 
 and to call the intelligent universe to consider his power 
 and his goodness. In this primeval Sabbath, the angelic 
 choirs united in celebrating the praises of God. " The 
 morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted 
 for joy." No temple erected by human skill was needed, 
 where the whole earth was a vast temple, whose builder 
 was God, to whom— as the Supreme Divinity — every thing 
 in heaven and in earth did homage. 
 
 In this primitive rest we see also a type of heaven. 
 More glorious still that scene, where the ransomed of the 
 Lord, after the toil and trials of their earthly lot, shall meet 
 to enjoy the " rest which remaineth," and to celebrate in 
 their songs and hallelujahs the still greater work of redemp- 
 tion. If the first Sabbath which dawned upon the young 
 creation was blissful, and spoke of the power and the wis- 
 dom and the goodness of the Creator ; what will be that 
 everlasting Sabbath which is to be enjoyed without the pos- 
 sibility of sin to blight its immortal scenery ; and where, 
 instead of the devotions of a single pair, there will be ten 
 thousand times ten thousand tongues, making music such 
 as God will delight to hear — the music of the soul — in 
 
BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 which the beginning and end of their song will be, " Glory 
 to God in the highest ;" " Worthy is the Lamb that was 
 slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and glory 
 and blessing." 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 PERPETUITY OF THE SABBATH. 
 
 Was this primeval rest continued after the fall, and is a 
 Sabbath obligatory on accountable man through every suc- 
 cessive generation } 
 
 There is some reason to believe that a day of rest and of 
 special religious services was observed by the patriarchs, 
 from the creation to the period when the Lord, at Mount 
 Sinai, repeated and formally confirmed the obligations of 
 the Sabbath. " God blessed the seventh day and sanctified 
 it." For what purpose was the day sanctified, if God did 
 not intend his new created subjects to observe it religiously } 
 Why was a peculiar sacred ness attached to it, if no moral 
 obligation to consecrate it to purposes of divine worship was 
 intended ? 
 
 A knowledge of this institution seems to have been re- 
 cognized in the conduct of Noah in sending out the dove. 
 Says an able commentator, " Noah sent forth the dove after 
 seven days, and probably the first sending her out was seven 
 days after the sending forth of the raven, which intimates, 
 that it was done on the Sabbath day, which it should seem 
 Noah religiously observed in the ark." It is believed by 
 many that Abraham also and his posterity preserved the 
 memory of the creation, and kept the Sabbath according to 
 the original design. 
 
PERPETiriTY OP THE SABBATH. O 
 
 .• It is however a point of small practical importance, 
 whether, in the interval between Adam and Moses, the 
 Sabbath was statedly observed or not ; especially as its re- 
 enactment and solemn obligations have been formally an- 
 nounced at Mount Sinai. The language of the Great Law- 
 giver is, " remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six 
 days shalt thou labor and do all thy work : but the seventh 
 is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not do 
 any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man- 
 servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stran- 
 ger that is within thy gates : for in six days the Lord made 
 heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested 
 the seventh day ; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath 
 day and hallowed it." 
 
 This command seems to be a renewal and confirmation 
 of the original institution; and implies that a very generail 
 neglect at least had been practised in relation to it. It was 
 hence placed by Jehovah in the very centre of the sacred 
 code ; and was not only enjoined as a general precept, but 
 specific points were noted in order to secure its faithful ob- 
 servance. In arguing for the perpetuity of the Sabbath, 
 therefore, we have the advantage of the original institution 
 at the creation, and also its central incorporation with the 
 decalogue which was designed to be obligatory as a code 
 of morals on all succeeding generations. 
 
 We suppose that, when at the completion of the creation, 
 the Almighty sanctified the seventh day, it must have been 
 with a view to moral impressions on the mind of man. It 
 could not surely have been from any necessity for rest or 
 for recreation on the part of God. If this be so ; if the 
 Creator, foreseeing the vast importance of such a day to 
 the moral interests of our race, designed it as a means of 
 keeping alive a sense of religion in the world, it is clear 
 1* 
 
6 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 that the whole race, through every successive generation, 
 should admit and feel its obligation. 
 
 The very fact, that at the fountain-head of our existence, 
 under the cloudless skies of a new and unsullied creation, 
 this great institution was enacted, is proof positive that God 
 designed it not for Adam alone ; nor for that generation 
 alone which was nearest to him ; no, nor for the Jews 
 alone — who were but a modicum of the entire race — but 
 for all who should descend from this progenitor of mankind. 
 
 If it were important for Adam, ere yet his soul was stain- 
 ed with guilt, to pause even in his innocent pursuits, and 
 pay the homage of an entire day of devotion every week to 
 God, celebrating his wisdom, power and goodness, as exhi- 
 bited in the wonders of creation ; surely it is no less impor- 
 tant to every descendant of Adam — cursed with the conse- 
 quences of the fall, absorbed in carnal things and forgetful 
 of his Maker — to lift his low thoughts at least as often in 
 the contemplation of his obligations lo his God. What is 
 done at the fountain-head is designed to affect the streams 
 in their remotest meanderings. Hence we infer the per- 
 petual obligation of the Sabbath. 
 
 This argument for the perpetuity of the Sabbath is forti- 
 fied and confirmed by the solemn renewal and enactment 
 of the same institution in the decalogue. The ten com- 
 mandments are designed to be of perpetual obligation. 
 This is not denied, nor even doubted in relation to those 
 which are strictly moral ; but the fourth commandment has 
 been excepted to as a positive rather than a moral precept ; 
 and hence some writers have argued for its observance on 
 the ground of expediency rather than of perpetual moral 
 obligation.* 
 
 Now ahhough this treatise is designed to be practical and 
 
 * Dr. Paley. 
 
PERPETUITY OF THE SABBATH. 7 
 
 devotional rather than argumentative, the writer will never- 
 theless take the liberty to place before the reader some ad- 
 ditional scriptural arguments against a position so fallacious 
 as well as injurious. 
 
 By what authority have we a right to expunge the fourth 
 commandment from the decalogue, whilst we admit the 
 perpetual binding obligation of the other nine ? Up to the 
 time of the Savior's advent this command was, by the whole 
 Jewish nation, recognized as of equal force with the rest. 
 They did not dream of its inferior claims. Tts position in 
 the decalogue — in the very centre of that divinely inspired 
 code — shows in what estimation it was held by its great 
 author. By what authority then, we again ask, is this 
 solemn precept torn from its position, or pronounced less 
 obligatory than the other nine ? 
 
 The advocates of expediency have fallen into this error, 
 by confounding the Jewish ceremonial with the great moral 
 law ; and because, at the coming of Christ, the former with 
 its burdensome rites was done away, they have argued, 
 that along with their abolition, the Sabbath ceased to be ob- 
 ligatory. 
 
 Let us consider this position. Had the Almighty designed 
 that the Sabbath should fall, with the extinction of the Jew- 
 ish rites, why was it placed among the ten commandments 
 and not along with the strictly ceremonial law ? " If," says 
 a writer, '' it was not equally obligatory with the other nine, 
 why was it engraved by the same divine hand and on the 
 same enduring tables." It is manifestly impugning the di- 
 vine wisdom, to give this commandment a place — and a 
 conspicuous one — in the code which was to be of binding 
 obligation throughout all generations, and then to class it 
 with the ceremonial or Levitical laws which were intended 
 to be national and typical, and which were in their very na- 
 ture transitory. 
 
8 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 But the Sabbath, we maintain, was not a mere positive 
 institution. The fourth commandment, like all the other 
 precepts of the decalogue, had a strong moral import. The 
 design of it was to bring God into view as the great Creator 
 of the universe. It calls the attention away from secular 
 to sacred pursuits, and breaks up those thoughts of vanity, 
 which for six days of the week, bind with oppressive power 
 to this earthly clod the immortal mind of man. Is there 
 nothing of a moral and sacred import in a commandment 
 which looks to such an end .'' Bears it with more force up- 
 on one generation than upon another ; or is the Gentile less 
 under these high moral obligations than the Jew .'' Says 
 Dr. Dwight, " It was no more necessary to a Jew than to 
 any other person to commemorate the perfections of God 
 displayed in the works of creation ; it was no more neces- 
 sary to a Jew to obtain holiness or to increase it ; it 
 is no more necessary to a Jew to seek or to obtain salva- 
 tion. Whatever makes either of these things interesting to 
 a Jew in any degree, makes them in the same degree inter- 
 esting to any other man. The nature of the command, 
 therefore, teaches us plainly as the nature of a command 
 can teach, that it is of universal application to mankind. It 
 has, then, this great criterion of a moral precept, viz. uni- 
 versality of application^ 
 
 To confirm these views we have our Savior's strong 
 declaration, that he came " not to destroy the law," — 
 meaning the moral law — "but to fulfil." He placed the 
 duties which it inculcated in a light calculated to convince 
 the self-justifying Pharisee of his deficiency. All that 
 Christ said in vindication of his own conduct and that of his 
 disciples respecting the Sabbath day, went on the supposi- 
 tion that the spirit of the fourth commandment may be vio- 
 lated whilst there is an over-scrupulous exactness as to some 
 
PERPETUITY OF THE SABBATH. 9 
 
 little things which pertained to the ceremonial part of its 
 observance. He by no means intended, as some have said, 
 to break the moral force, or to deny the perpetuity of this 
 precept. The works of love and mercy which he performed 
 on the Sabbath were rather an attestation to its heavenly 
 design. 
 
 Nor can any thing be legitimately drawn from the apos- 
 tolical writings to favor the idea, that the obligations of the 
 weekly Sabbath were ever set aside. Because the Jewish 
 converts were inclined to impose upon the Gentiles some of 
 their ceremonies — retaining, as we may suppose, even after 
 conversion, a strong prejudice in their favor — the apostles, 
 especially Paul, laid down the rules of gospel liberty ; de- 
 claring, that no man had a right to judge his brethren, " in 
 respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of Sabbath 
 days, which are a shadow of things to come." 
 
 Now when we consider, that among the Jews there were 
 other Sabbaths besides the weekly Sabbath, the form of ex- 
 pression, " Sabhath days,'^'' in the above quotation, will ap- 
 pear manifestly to have had reference not to the weekly but 
 to some of the strictly ceremonial Sabbaths ; especially as 
 we find them named along with " meat, drink, and the new 
 moon." 
 
 But even had the apostle referred to the seventh day, it 
 would not prove the abrogation of the Sabbath, admitting 
 as we must, that since the resurrection of our Lord, the 
 Sabbath has been changed from the seventh to the first day. 
 In this case, it would be unreasonable for the Jewish convert 
 to insist that both days should be acknowledged obligatory. 
 Hence the apostle argues in favor of Christian liberty. 
 
 We say then, that the original institution of a weekly 
 Sabbath coeval with creation, and its solemn renewal and 
 confirmation at Mount Sinai — its incorporation with the deca- 
 
10 
 
 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 logue, designed to be of perpetual obligation — Its moral im- 
 port, equally applicable to all generations, — stamp this day 
 of rest as of permanent obligation ; and impious must be 
 that hand, which with unholy temerity attempts to abridge 
 its sanctions or to weaken its power over the conscience. 
 
 Throughout all time must it continue to invite the weary 
 to rest, and to call the thoughtless heart to the consideration 
 of its destiny. As years roll on, this day of" sacred, high 
 delight," will shine with increasing lustre, and be hailed by 
 more joyful acclamations, as the saints become more nu- 
 merous, and the songs of Zion swell in volume and sweeten 
 in harmony, until at length, that great Sabbath of the world 
 shall break upon our gladdened eyes, when every day will 
 be as this day, and when even on the secular implements 
 of man will be inscribed " holiness to the Lord." 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 CHANGE OF THE SABBATH FROM THE SEVENTH TO THE 
 FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK. 
 
 An institution like that of the Sabbath can be perpetuated, 
 whilst the precise period of the week in which it is to be 
 observed may, for good and sufficient reasons, be changed. 
 
 The same authority which fixed the original Sabbath is 
 adequate to move it forward one day, with a view to em- 
 brace in its associations events as signal and even more 
 important than the creation of the world. 
 
 The Almighty has made changes analogous somewhat 
 to this, in which, whilst the import of the institution remains 
 the same, the circumstances of time and external formality 
 
CHANGE OF THE SABBATH. 11 
 
 have been altered. For example, the initiatory rite into the 
 visible church enjoined, in the first instance, upon Abraham 
 was, the apostle expressly declares, a " seal of the right- 
 eousness of faith." Its import was similar to that of bap- 
 tism under the new covenant. The latter, by superceding 
 the former, perpetuated in a sense the same institution. 
 Although, in the external formality, there was a change, 
 yet neither the import, nor the extent of its application, was 
 varied materially by this change of the external sign. The 
 time also when the one seal was to be administered in the 
 case of infants was on the eighth day ; whereas, in the ad- 
 ministration of baptism, this precise point of time is not con- 
 sidered important. So also we suppose that in the change 
 from the seventh to the first day, there is not an abrogation 
 of the Sabbath, but a mere circumstantial change as to the 
 time when it is to be observed. If the seventh day com- 
 memorated the completion of the creation, the first day, in- 
 cluding this event, adds in its holy associations, a still more 
 glorious event, the closing triumphs of the work of redemp- 
 tion. 
 
 This change, it is believed, took place when our Savior 
 rose from the dead. The resurrection, the evangelists tell 
 us, was on the first day of the week. From this period on- 
 ward, we find the Jewish superceded by the Christian Sab- 
 bath. Without any explicit command, so far as appears in 
 the New Testament, the disciples by common consent 
 invariably held this day as consecrated to their Lord. For 
 such an important change, we feel confident they must have 
 had the authority of their Divine Master. His example 
 subsequent to his resurrection seems to favor this idea, and 
 • to justify the observance of the Sabbath on the first day of 
 the week ; for it was on this day that he appeared to his 
 disciples, and in the next interview, he selected the same 
 day on which to commune with and to bless them. 
 
12 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 In relation to the rites practised by the church in the first 
 century, Dr. Mosheim observes, "All Christians were 
 unanimous in setting apart the first day of the week, on 
 which the triumphant Savior arose from the dead, for the 
 solemn celebration of public worship. This pious custom, 
 which was derived from the example of the church of Je- 
 rusalem, was founded upon the express appointment of the 
 apostles, who consecrated that day to the same sacred pur- 
 pose, and was observed universallythroughout all the Chris- 
 tian churches, as appears from the united testimony of the 
 most credible writers. The seventh day of the week was 
 also observed as a festival, not by the Christians in general, 
 but by such churches only as were principally composed 
 of Jewish converts, nor did the other Christians censure this 
 custom as criminal and unlawful." In a note on this sub- 
 ject, the same author says, " It is in vain that many learn- 
 ed men have labored to prove, that in all the primitive 
 churches both the first and last day of the week were ob- 
 served as festivals. The churches of Bithynia, of which 
 Pliny speaks, in his letter to Trajan, had only one stated 
 day, for the celebration of public worship ; and that was 
 undoubtedly the^rs^day of the week, or what we call the 
 Lord'^s dayy 
 
 If additional testimony, as to the change of the day be 
 needed, the reader may be referred to an able article on 
 this subject in Calmet's Dictionary. " The change of the 
 day," says that author, " is rather to be gathered from the 
 practice of the Christian church than as clearly enjoined in 
 the New Testament. It appears that believers came to- 
 gether on this day to break bread ; that collections for the 
 poor were then made, and put into the general treasury of 
 the church (as we understand 1 Cor. 16: 2) ; that on this 
 day exhortations and discourses were made to the people ; 
 
CHANGE OF THE SABBATH. 13 
 
 and in short, we have the various parts of public worship 
 noted as being performed on this day. It will follow, that 
 we may safely imitate those examples which the apostles 
 and primitive Christians have left us. The resurrection 
 Sabbath commemorates an event in which all Christians 
 throughout the world are interested, and for which no equal 
 mode of commemoration can be devised. We have then 
 good example and strong propriety in behalf of our obser- 
 vation of the Lord's day as a religious festival, though not 
 as a Jewish Sabbath ; and the same principles influenced 
 the Christians of early ages." 
 
 " We are informed by Eusebius, that from the beginning 
 the Christians assembled on the first day of the week, call- 
 ed by them the Lord's day, for the purposes of religious 
 worship, to read the Scriptures, to preach, and to celebrate 
 the Lord's supper ; and Justin Martyr observes, ' That, on 
 the Lord's day, all Christians in the city or country meet 
 together, because that is the day of our Lord's resurrection, 
 and then we read the writings of the apostles and prophets ; 
 this being done, the president makes an oration to the as- 
 sembly, to exhort them to imitate and to practice the things 
 they have heard ; then Ave all join in prayer, and after that 
 we celebrate the sacrament. Then they who are able and 
 willing, give what they think proper ; and what is collected 
 is laid up in the hands of the president, who distributes it to 
 orphans and widows, and other necessitous Christians, as 
 their wants require.' See 1 Cor. 16: 20. A very honora- 
 ble conduct and worship ! Would to God it were more 
 prevalent among us ; with the spirit and piety of primitive 
 Christianity !" 
 
 " John says (Rev. 1: 10), ' I was in the spirit on the Lord's 
 day ;' so called, doubtless, to preserve the remembrance of 
 his resurrection, which was the completion of our redemp- 
 2 
 
14 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 tion. Barnabas, in his epistle, says that we joyfully cele- 
 brate the eighth day, in memory of the resurrection of our 
 Savior, because it was on this day he rose again and as- 
 cended into heaven ; and Ignatius the martyr, in his letter 
 to the Magnesians, would have us honor this day of the 
 Lord, this day of the resurrection, as the first and most ex- 
 cellent of days." 
 
 The greatness of the event {the resurrection) which the 
 day is designed to commemorate fully ^ justifies the change. 
 
 Without attempting to derogate from the grandeur of 
 the original creation, we may compare with it the still more 
 glorious work of redemption. The former was but prelim- 
 inary to the latter. It was in importance as the temple is 
 to the divinity who is to gladden it by his presence. Why 
 was this scene of terrestrial wonders brought into existence ? 
 Not simply to show what natural glories God could spread 
 forth to the eyes of an admiring universe ; not surely for 
 this alone ; but the world was made primarily with a view to 
 its being the theatre of God's redeeming mercy. The 
 grand moral transaction which was to be enacted upon it, 
 was the all-absorbing point of interest to God and to his ho- 
 ly universe. When the objects for which the creation came 
 into existence aYe accomplished, we are assured that all its 
 mighty mechanism will be broken to pieces. It was not 
 destined to immutability. The fires are to consume it ; and 
 so complete is to be the destruction, that " no place will be 
 found for it.^' But the work of redemption has the stamp 
 of eternity. The soul is its object, and that soul is, in its 
 very nature, undying. The glory of God — his moral glo- 
 ry— is its end; and that must shine when every trace of 
 earthly glory is gone forever. How clear then is it that 
 this world is but subsidiary to the greater work of redemp- 
 tion ! It is but as the scaffolding around the indestructible 
 
THE SABBATH MADE FOR MAN. 15 
 
 temple of salvation. When that temple shall have its top- 
 stone laid, and the finishing touch of the great builder shall 
 be given to it, the scaffolding shall be taken down, and the 
 full and grand proportions of this moral architecture shall 
 stand forth to the admiring eyes of all holy intelligences. 
 
 There is therefore a good and sufficient reason why the 
 resurrection, which was a sort of closing triumph of the 
 Redeemer's work, should be commemorated by the change 
 of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. 
 
 We say then, the common appellation, " the Lord's 
 day ;" its universal observance by all Christians from ihe 
 times of the apostles until the present time ; its recognition 
 by synods and by the Christian emperors from Constantine 
 onwards ; the blessing of God upon it in the great pente- 
 costal revival, and ever since in the conversion of thousands 
 and tens of thousands more — all prove, that " this is the day 
 emphatically which the Lord has made ;" and that, whilst 
 the Sabbath, as to its high moral duties and obligations, re- 
 mains the same from the creation till now, yet its observ- 
 ance is pushed forward one day to embrace the most glori- 
 ous event in the works of God — the redemption of the 
 church by the death and resurrection of Jesus. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE SABBATH MADE FOR MAN. 
 
 The foregoing considerations illustrate what our Savior, 
 in one short sentence, has asserted ; that " the Sabbath was 
 made for man." It appears to have been appointed for the 
 recreation of his body and for the improvement of his mind 
 
16 
 
 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 and heart. Coeval with marriage, this institution has de- 
 scended to us, hand in hand with that twin-sister of social 
 bliss ; as if Providence designed, by these two, to save, 
 out of the almost universal wreck which sin has caused, 
 some gleanings of happiness for man. 
 
 The Sabbath was no doubt important to man even in his 
 state of innocence. He was placed in a garden, not to 
 repose in listless indolence beneath its shades, but he 
 was there " to dress and to keep it." He had employ- 
 ment, though he was not condemned to toil for his subsist- 
 ence. It was such employment simply as gave elasticity 
 to his spirits and an agreeable weariness to his muscles. 
 It led him to converse intimately with God's works, espe- 
 cially in the mysteries of the vegetable world. It is to be 
 presumed, that with primeval man every day was, in a 
 sense, a devotional day — that each hour as it flew, bore on 
 its wing some grateful expression of a heart that beat with 
 undeviating affection towards its Maker. Still it seems that 
 the Almighty, though he approved with answering love each 
 hour's devotion, thought proper to consecrate an entire day, 
 when, laying aside the innocent employments of Eden, man 
 should occupy himself in direct acts of worship to Jehovah. 
 Thus did this paradisaical Sabbath teach the paramount ob- 
 ligations of devotion — strictly so called — amid scenes where 
 every ordinary emotion partook somewhat of a devotional 
 character. 
 
 But " the Sabbath was made for man," with reference 
 to him more especially as fallen^ and as needing the help 
 which such an institution affords both to his body and his 
 soul. 
 
 After sin had entered into the world, one of the immedi- 
 ate consequences was, the necessity for constant toil to sub- 
 due the earth, and to extract from it the food necessary for 
 
THE SABBATH MADE FOR MAN. 17 
 
 man and beast. " Cursed was the ground for man's sake." 
 From the moment this malediction was pronounced, the 
 earth smiled no longer, an Eden whose spontaneous fruits 
 invited the eye and regaled the taste ; but thorns and net- 
 tles overspread its surface, and man was doomed to obtain 
 his bread in the " sweat of his face." Thenceforward his 
 eyes were turned downwards, and his back was bent towards 
 that soil which must be implored first to support life, and 
 which is destined at last to receive into its bosom the wea- 
 ried and worn-out tabernacle of the flesh. This decree of 
 Heaven is fulfilled in the never ceasing toil of successive 
 generations, delving, in some instances, for a bare subsist- 
 ence, and in others, to accumulate exhaustless stores of 
 affluence. But how soon would the mortal frame-work 
 wear out, if this labor were not broken by some intervals 
 of rest ! In mercy to the body. Providence has interposed 
 the night, when gathering shades invite to repose, and the 
 darkness hinders the ambitious and the covetous from driv- 
 ing on their schemes of glory or of gain. Nor is this all ; 
 there comes around the weekly Sabbath, wherein our Ma- 
 ker forbids us to ply the exhausted energies, and commands 
 us to allow them one day in seven for rest and for recrea- 
 tion. Merciful provision ! Both man and beast share in 
 its influence ; and even sympathizing nature seems to re- 
 joice in its holy tranquility. 
 
 If this institution were necessary or important in the ^iwc- 
 val state, how much more important to us as fallen creatures ! 
 The body then, like the soul, was immortal, and its weari- 
 ness was but a pleasurable excitement of the muscles, pre- 
 paring them for the enjoyment of dewy rest ; whereas now, 
 our weakness is premonitory of dissolution ; and the invol- 
 untary pressure of care and labor, should, we think, en- 
 hance in our estimation the value of a day which tends so 
 2* 
 
18 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 directly to recruit and strengthen our exhausted faculties. 
 However nnen of sordid minds may grudge this precious in- 
 terval, and to whatever unhallowed purposes they may pre- 
 sume to desecrate it, still it is one of the greatest blessings 
 to fallen man ; and it speaks of the care and kindness of 
 his Maker even towards his physical weaknesses. The body 
 and mind of man must have rest. They must have more 
 than the season of sleep allows. Besides, it is according to 
 the analogy of nature. The works of God, though they seem 
 so full of variety and of change have their Sabbaths — their 
 seasons of repose. The ocean is not always agitated ; but 
 sleeps, at times, in unbroken tranquility. The winds 
 are not always in motion ; but are often hushed, as if the 
 zephyr even had ceased to breathe. The bird is not for- 
 ever on the wing, nor the beast of the forest always in pur- 
 suit of his prey. Behold the seasons ! See how nature 
 comes forth recruited after her temporary repose ! And 
 shall man wish to ply with incessant toil the poor body, so 
 easily fatigued and so soon to faint and die .'' Shall he de- 
 ny the necessity of a Sabbath to eke out its little strength 
 or impugn that divine wisdom which has appointed it for so 
 beneficent a purpose ? What a happy period will that be, 
 when, acting under the authority of all the divine commands, 
 men will allow to themselves, to their dependents, and to their 
 cattle, this season of rest from the cares and toils of earth ! 
 How much it will tend to break the force of those evils 
 which, through sin, have invaded the physical frame, and 
 made it, in most instances, the abused instrument of un- 
 righteousness ! A universal Sabbath ! Who would not 
 implore the God of the Sabbath to roll on its advent, and 
 give to earth a rest from the burdens which have so long 
 and so grievously afflicted her } 
 
 But the soul of man needs the influence of the Sabbath 
 
THB SABBATH MADE FOR MAN. 19 
 
 as well as the body. It is " a rest for wearied minds." 
 The Creator, in its appointment, had a view principally to 
 our spiritual improvement. 
 
 The necessity for toil which was laid upon the body 
 reaches equally the soul, in that constant care for the things 
 of earth, which, in the first instance, applies to a bare sub- 
 sistence ; but subsequently respects a thousand forms of 
 mere sensual gratification. 
 
 Man is now " of the earth, earthy." He draws from it 
 his aliment ; he looks upon it as the prolific source of his 
 gains ; and his mind fixes on its vegetable and mineral pro- 
 ductions as the foundations of civilized greatness. In his 
 selfish appropriation of its fruits, he almost forgets that God 
 made it ; or that he challenges the gratitude of man for 
 every blessing which it aflfords. The animal that grazes 
 on its herbage is as thoughtful of the divine goodness as 
 multitudes who gather out of its bosom the means of sup- 
 port and of aflluence. How needful then to break in upon 
 this earthly and selfish soul, and by some means to teach 
 it, that God is the giver of all good ; and that it is his hand 
 which openeth, " to satisfy the desires of every living thing." 
 
 But suppose there was no weekly interruption of our la- 
 bors; that every day was alike a day of toil ; that our eye 
 was ever bent on this earthly clod, and our hand busied 
 unceasingly in its cultivation ; should we be likely to think 
 of the immortal part of our nature, or to make provision for 
 its present happiness or its future destiny 1 Would not the 
 carnal principle triumph even more than it does now ; and 
 would not God and the obligations which we owe to Him 
 be forgotten, in the all-absorbing pursuit of temporal gains ^ 
 
 It would seem that, in prospect of such a result, our gra- 
 cious Benefactor has interposed this day of rest, and called 
 us to cease not only from bodily labor, but from the cares 
 
20 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 and anxieties which, in connection with such labor, must 
 press upon the soul. 
 
 It is to lift the mind up from earth, and to bid it look to- 
 wards the heavens, that this sacred day is provided. Man is 
 called upon to erect himself; and to remember, that whilst 
 the body is of earthly mould, the soul is immortal and ac- 
 countable. He is to consider that a higher destiny awaits 
 him, and a nobler provision is in reserve for him, if, obedi- 
 ent to heaven's call, he subjects the body to the soul, and 
 prefers the interests of eternity to those of time. 
 
 The Sabbath is all-important not only to the Chris- 
 tian, who hails its privileges as the foretaste of heaven, and 
 gathers on this day a double portion of the spiritual manna 
 to refresh the soul ; but of what incalculable importance is 
 it to those who as yet have not learned to appreciate its ho- 
 ly rest ! Yes ; it was made even for thoughtless, wordly- 
 minded man ; and much as it may be despised by him ; or 
 irksome as its restraints, in many instances, are to him ; yet 
 let him understand, that, were it not for this day to break 
 in upon his habits of sensuality and of sin — to call him off 
 from the intense application to earthly things which char- 
 acterizes him — his immortal interests would be put in even 
 greater peril than they are now ; and the hope of his salva-^ 
 tion would be well nigh extinguished. But the Sabbath 
 dawns upon this votary of earth, and speaks of nobler pur- 
 suits, and tenders to him a brighter reward. It checks the 
 soul in its career, and stirs up within it the recollection of 
 its original stale, and the conviction of its present miseries. 
 It is a pause most healthful, wherein the claims of God 
 may be heard over the importunate claims of the world ; 
 and when the still small voice steals into the moral sensi- 
 bilities, and awakens man to the consideration of his charac- 
 ter and of his destiny. Blot out this day from the moral 
 
THE SABBATH MADE FOR MAN. 21 
 
 calendar, and allow the naturally earthly niind to take an 
 unyielding grasp of its pursuits — to hold on to them week 
 after week and year after year — and who cannot foresee 
 a rapid deterioration of the nohler attributes of our nature, 
 if not a total extinction, of the hopes of salvation? 
 
 Nor can we sufficiently admire the wisdom and benefi- 
 cence of God in placing this barrier across our path to 
 death, and thus making that self-ruin which we are bent on 
 the more difficult ; so that, in accomplishing it, we must 
 break through or trample down this merciful obstruction. 
 How does the voice divine seem to speak in the sacred 
 stillness of this day ! How does the conscience respond to 
 its obligations ; whilst mercy, as if seated on her pure and 
 lovely throne, with an eye that weeps over our sins, and a 
 hand that bears in it the cup of salvation, invites us to im- 
 prove this day of our visitation, and to prepare for heaven's 
 unending joys ! 
 
 It was in this sense that the Sabbath was made for man. 
 God intended it to be the day of his salvation. Such it has 
 been to thousands and tens of thousands, who on this day 
 have listened to the gospel message, and felt its power in a 
 conviction of their guilt and in the implantation of a hope 
 of the divine forgiveness. It is on this day, that the mes- 
 senger of the gospel lifts up his voice, and invites the wea- 
 ry and the heavy laden to come to Jesus and find rest. All 
 who are pressed with earthly cares, or who are bowed 
 down under earthly burdens, may here find a grateful re- 
 ception, and feel their sorrows assuaged by a hand that has 
 promised to wipe away all tears from our eyes. 
 
^2 , BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 IMPORTANCE OF THE SABBATH IN ITS BEARINGS ON INTEL- 
 LECTUAL AND SOCIAL IMPROVEMENT. 
 
 Whilst the highest glory of the sacred day respects its 
 direct moral influence, in abstracting the soul from earthly 
 cares, and pressing upon its attention its responsibility to 
 God ; yet are there incidental advantages, which it brings 
 along with it, worthy of grateful consideration. 
 
 Every person of observation must perceive, that the ef- 
 fect on the mind of a perpetual attention to mere secular 
 business, is to narrow its conceptions and to cramp its no- 
 bler energies. This is especially evident where the em- 
 ployment is such as to give but little scope to the intellec- 
 tual faculties. The mere daily task to which the laborer 
 applies himself, comes to be but a mechanical movement 
 of the muscles. In learning the trade or art, the mind 
 may originally have been somewhat exercised ; but after 
 much experience, it ceases to be greatly interested. The 
 mechanic or the husbandman has in general but little to 
 excite the higher faculties, and to keep them in constant 
 and improving action. I say, in general ; because there 
 are instances in both departments of labor, where genius 
 and enterprise are strongly developed. The great mass of 
 mind however is not thus roused to activity ; and when the 
 day's work is done, it is scarcely conscious of having put 
 forth a mental effort in the task. 
 
 But where the employment, according to general estima- 
 tion, requires more thought, it will still appear that the 
 sphere is but a circumscribed one, even allowing some de- 
 gree of perfection is attained in it. The tradesman who 
 
IMPORTANCE OP THE SABBATH. 23 
 
 confines his mind closely to his particular business, and, by 
 his success, proves himself a proficient in it, may, if ques- 
 tioned on other and more important topics, show a humili- 
 ating ignorance. Thus whilst the mind, on a given subject, 
 may discover shrewdness, its general character, by the de- 
 nial of a wider sphere in which to exercise itself, may ex- 
 perience a serious deprivation. 
 
 These opinions are advanced, not with a view of depre- 
 ciating an honorable employment, but simply to show, that 
 most of the occupations necessary for man in his present 
 state, have a tendency to retain the mind within a very nar- 
 row sphere, and deny to it that opportunity of improvement 
 which its immortal nature demands. How few of the mil- 
 lions of earth's inhabitants can enjoy the privilege of high 
 mental cultivation ! How must the immense majority ap- 
 ply their thoughts, from year to year, to the mere point of 
 supplying their daily wants ! In- such circumstances, it has 
 pleased a beneficent Creator to ordain one day in the week 
 for a sort of culture, which, acting directly on the interests 
 of the soul, is, at the same time, calculated to raise the in- 
 tellect above the contracted limits where it is usually con- 
 fined, and to throw upon its view such topics as would nat- 
 urally improve its powers. This immense advantage can- 
 not be appreciated but by a comparison of those who dwell 
 under Sabbath influences with those who are denied them. 
 
 Not merely would the moral interests, by unceasing toil, 
 suffer a gradual deterioration, but in corresponding rapidity 
 would the mind itself be cramped and fettered. Think 
 then of the vast importance of the Sabbath to the general 
 intellect of the nation ! It reaches or is designed to reach 
 every class of men, and lays its instructions before the hum- 
 blest no less than the most gifted citizen. It invites the en- 
 tire mass of mind to a contemplation of themes the grandest 
 
24 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. , 
 
 and the most imposing which can awaken and interest its 
 attention this side of eternity. It is intended there shall be, 
 for one whole day in the week, a suspension of our ordina- 
 ry pursuits, to give place to a species of intellectual and 
 moral training, which augments powerfully the spiritual and 
 intellectual over the animal impulses. Here, on this day 
 of rest, the soul may receive those impressions of divine 
 truth, which fashion it, by God's blessing, to a sublimer 
 mould of moral beauty. Here, the mind, which has been 
 denied the advantages of early culture, or which, by the 
 stern necessity of nature's first law, is obliged to think 
 throughoHt the six days on one theme — and that not calcu- 
 lated to enlarge its capacities— may come and sit at the feet 
 of a Teacher, who spake as never man spake ; and may 
 weekly learn from that divine Teacher lessons which man, 
 in his collected wisdom, could never impart. Can we ap- 
 preciate this privilege ? Can we gather up and exhibit the 
 results to the soul and to the intellect, which the weekly 
 Sabbath affords ; or can we say, how much of direct im- 
 provement is gained to all classes, high as well as low, by 
 this too much neglected institution of heaven ? 
 
 Consider the I'ange of subjects which are discussed in the 
 sanctuary ! The being of God — the creation of the world 
 — man's origin, his innocence and his fall — the moral his- 
 tory of our race — the attributes of God — the duties we owe 
 to him — the nature and consequences of sin— the glorious 
 work of redemption by Jesus Christ — the mystery of the 
 incarnation — the death and resurrection of Christ — the ac- 
 countability of man, and the day of retribution — the glories 
 of heaven — the obligations of the moral law, embracing all 
 the duties which we owe to our neighbor as well as those 
 which we owe to God — such, without including sacred anti- 
 quities, are some of the topics which on the day of rest are 
 
IMPORTANCE OF THE SABBATH. 25 
 
 spread before the mind. Can any person deny an incalcu- 
 lable improvement from such a weekly training enjoyed all 
 over the land, and by every class of our citizens ? " Bless- 
 ed indeed is the people" — even in an intellectual point of 
 view—" that know th©- joyful sound." 
 
 Let every man then who values the improvement of the 
 intellect stand by the Sabbath and its institutions. Let no 
 rude hand, laid on this ark of Grod to demolish it, be en- 
 couraged ; but let every such effort be frowned upon as an 
 attempt not only to put out the light of religion, but to 
 shroud the intellect in midnight gloom. 
 
 If illustration were needed of the good effects of the 
 Sabbath in intellectual as well as moral improvement, we 
 might cite the examples of Scotland and of New England, 
 where this institution is more generally respected and more 
 scrupulously observed, than by any other equally extensive 
 communities. 
 
 Now it is the unitedtestimony of those who are acquaint- 
 ed intimately with these sections of the civilized world, that 
 there is more general intelligence and a stronger common 
 sense, running through all classes of their population, than 
 are to be found so generally any where else. But to what 
 is this intellectual superiority to be attributed ? Shall not 
 their respect for, and attention to Sabbath instructions come 
 in for a part at least of the elevating influence ? 
 
 When it is considered that the inhabitants of these coun- 
 tries, by almost common consent, — laying aside every sec- 
 ular employment and suspending every pursuit of mere 
 pleasure, — are accustomed to attend upon the worship of 
 God, and to listen to the expositions of his holy word ; when 
 young and old, rich and poor, are seen giving their fixed 
 and serious attention to this day of moral and intellectual 
 culture ; the effect, it must be conceded, is to make them 
 3 
 
26 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 not only the most moral but the most intelligent of commu- 
 nities. 
 
 Other influences, we admit, are associated with this, in 
 raising and sustaining the mass of mind to the point of prac- 
 tical intelligence to which it seems to have arrived. Their 
 excellent system of common-school education — their Sun- 
 day schools— their fire-side instructions, all unite in the work 
 of improvement ; but even these owe their origin and their 
 healthful operation, in a great measure, to the Sabbath and 
 its divine teachings. This is the fountain and those are the 
 salubrious streams. Were this sacred day to fall into dis- 
 repute, how soon would even these favored regions sink in 
 mind as well as morals ; and with the fountain corrupted or 
 exhausted, how certainly would every streamlet of good be 
 tainted or finally dried up ! A dark day, to Scotland and 
 to New England, would that be, which should see their 
 Sabbaths merged in the secular week, whilst the people 
 were scattered " as sheep without a shepherd," and their 
 hills and vallies were to echo no more to the music of" the 
 church going bell." The shock would be felt in every de- 
 partment of mental labor. The sun of their glory would 
 be suddenly eclipsed. The tender intellect would droop in 
 the bud, and the man of giant powers, after a few convul- 
 sive efforts, would expire without the hope even of a sue- . 
 cessor in intellectual greatness. 
 
 Men of mere worldly wisdom are not willing to concede 
 the dependence of the intellect on religion. Because a few 
 specimens of cultivated intellect have in every age exhibi- 
 ted themselves independent of, and often in opposition to 
 religion, the inference has been, that the institutions of re- 
 ligion are not a necessary auxiliary in the development of 
 raind. But without inquiring how much the characters just 
 alluded to, may, in their earlier impulses, have been indebt- 
 
IMPORTANCE OF THE SABBATH. 27 
 
 ed to religion; or showing, that many of their most polish- 
 ed weapons have been stolen from her armory, and then 
 turned against her cause ; we claim, that the general intel- 
 ligence of great communities is very intimately connected 
 with and dependent ontihristian institutions. The remarks 
 already submitted, go to prove this. Never can the mass 
 of mind be hopefully cultivated without the aid of religion 
 in some way. Her power must be felt at least in the ad- 
 ministration of discipline ; for experiment upon experiment 
 has proved, that appeals to honor, or to ambition, or even 
 to virtue unsupported by piety, are inefficient in control- 
 ing the passions, and in awakening the industry of the 
 youthful mind. 
 
 What supreme folly was exhibited a few years ago, in an 
 exclusive codicil of a rich man's will,* whereby an attempt 
 has been made to divorce religion from benevolence — to 
 provide for the orphan mind without a recognition of the 
 orphan's God — to erect a proud temple to science, and yet 
 command piety — ever the patroness of science — to stand 
 without the gates. Never can the experiment succeed. 
 The orphan will bean orphan still, if no hallowing influence 
 of religion is allowed to reach his heart and mind. His 
 soul will awake to no voice so soon as the voice of gospel 
 truth ; nor find in any inferior motive a sufficient impulse 
 to bear it forward in the pursuit of knowledge. There is 
 something melancholy in the idea, that these orphans are 
 to be entombed, as it were, in that splendid pile of Grecian 
 architecture, which, without the enlivening influence of re- 
 ligion, we venture to predict, must prove but a mental mau- 
 soleum. 
 
 Since then the Sabbath is the great day of weekly train- 
 
 * Stephen Girard, Philadelphia. 
 
 i 
 
 
28 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 ing to the general intellect of the nation, operating directly 
 through its ministry and its Sunday schools to interest and 
 strengthen as well as to purify the mind, how should every 
 good citizen, we again say, sustain by his example and his 
 pecuniary patronage its salutary institutions ! 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE SABBATH PROMOTIVE OF SOCIAL IMPROVEMENT. 
 
 The social propensity of our nature leads us to desire the 
 fellowship of kindred minds. This is a universal charac- 
 teristic of man. Its indulgence however is not always in- 
 nocent or improving. On the contrary it is not unfrequent- 
 ly the source of great moral corruption. The social sym- 
 pathies, when not purified by religion, may become a pow- 
 erful medium of evil influence ; and men will occasionally 
 perpetrate, in company, an amount of wickedness, which, 
 on their solitary responsibility, they would not dare to con- 
 template. 
 
 As a means of counteracting this evil tendency, God has 
 given us the weekly Sabbath, wherein these social sympa- 
 thies are awakened and strengthened under circumstances, 
 not only innocent, but highly improving. The selfish 
 aims which, in ordinary business conventions, operate to 
 draw men together are not influential here ; but man meets 
 his fellow man to sacrifice on holy ground his prejudices, 
 and to recognize the superiority of those distinctions which 
 relate to moral character. On the Sabbath, and in the sanc- 
 tuary, the heart is addressed by motives which apply with 
 equal force to all ; and which annihilate, for the time being 
 
SAEBATS PfiOMOtES SOCIAL IMPROVEMENT. 29 
 
 at least, the adventitious distinctions of earth. Whatever 
 may have been the difference of birth, or of education, or 
 of outward meanness or grandeur, all are made to feel that 
 they have a common origin, and a like fearful destiny. 
 They are drawn together on the principle of a common 
 guilt and danger, exposing each individual to wrath divine ; 
 and in view of which each one must take the same lowly 
 and penitent position, and must look alone to the same gra- 
 cious deliverer. A ship-wrecked company, before the 
 storm, may be divided off into several grades of character 
 and influence, from the poor cabin-boy to the titled passen- 
 ger or authoritative commander ; and they may manifest no 
 special interest in each other so long as nothing occurs to 
 break down these social barriers. But as the storm rises 
 and the vessel reels and plunges, until her parting timbers 
 show the ruin that impends, the distinctions of rank and of 
 condition are lost sight of, and the principles of a common 
 humanity are felt in their full force. Somewhat similar is 
 the effect of a frequent contemplation of that moral ruin 
 which has come upon us all ; and which threatens as heavy 
 a destruction on the high as on the low in society. When 
 in the sanctuary, this sad truth is. exhibited, can man pride 
 himself in circumstantial greatness > Must he not feel a 
 fellowship in moral suffering and guilt, with the humblest 
 worshipper in the assembly ? And when it is announced, 
 that heaven's mercy is as free to the poor and the ignorant as 
 to the affluent and the learned, must he not see and feel, 
 that " God is no respecter of persons ?" 
 
 But it is not alone those of superior condition in life on 
 whom the Sabbath and its institutions operate favorably in 
 a social point of view ; the prejudices which those in an in- 
 ferior condition sometimes entertain towards those who are 
 in certain respects their superiors, are as strong and as diffi- 
 3* 
 
30 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 cult of removal, as are the vanity and pride of the latter on 
 account of a providential superiority. It is too apt to be the 
 case, that outward splendor is interpreted as the sure in- 
 dication of a proud and haughty spirit. Happily therefore, 
 the Sabbath and the sanctuary bring these extremes of so- 
 ciety into nearer contact, and place them together under 
 circumstances calculated to remove all unjust , suspicions 
 and prejudices. When the man of riches or of learning 
 is seen bowed in humility by the side of the humblest arti- 
 san — when his eye is filled with tears, and his prayer is 
 heard for forgiveness, how must every unkind prejudice be 
 driven out of the mind ; whilst it is acknowledged, that re- 
 ligion can at the same moment, carry its consolations into 
 the heart of a Nicodemus and of a Magdalen. 
 
 It is impossible to estimate the importance of this holy 
 day, in thus associating all classes in the worship of God 
 — in eradicating prejudices — kindling a spirit of charity and 
 kindness ; so that, whilst it purifies our moral, it improves, 
 at the same time, our social nature. Nor can we say, how 
 much we are indebted to it, as a means of mutual respect 
 among all classes ; since moral superiority is thus often ex- 
 hibited in its loveliest forms, by those to whom Providence 
 has denied the distinction of an outward grandeur. 
 
 The Sabbath gathers around heaven's altars, almost the 
 entire popu^lation of towns and villages ; and having congre- 
 gated where human distinctions are not known, nor base 
 passions likely to be stirred, they all bow together under a 
 sense of common obligation, supplicating the Father of mer- 
 cies — who is the Father of all — to forgive their sins and be- 
 stow his grace in time of need ; whilst the Holy Spirit 
 breathes over them his subduing influence, thus qualifying 
 them for the service of God and disposing them more eflTec- 
 tually to love and serve each other. Can such an assembly 
 
SABBATH PROMOTES SOCIAL IMPROVEMENT. 31 
 
 break up without an additional sense of fraternal obliga- 
 tions ; or should any vindictive or unbrotherly feelings have 
 been entertained, are they not here likely to be repented of 
 and eradicated ? Does not our holy reh'gion say to the vin- 
 dictive, " leave thy gift at the altar, and first go and be re- 
 conciled to thy brother ?" O the softening and subduing 
 influence which this day of love exerts upon the stornny pas- 
 sions of the soul ! How difficult for man to yield himself 
 to its weekly services and still retain any unkindness of 
 feeling towards his fellow man ! 
 
 How many incidental charms does this blessed day bring 
 along with it ! It arrays the body in its best apparel ; and 
 since neatness and moral improvement have strong affini- 
 ties, it thus prepares the way for the adorning of the spirit, in 
 order that we may wait properly on the king of Zion, whose 
 weekly audience day is open for all to come and pay him 
 the homage of sincere devotion. The Sabbath was indeed 
 made for man ; and for man as a social being. Then, with 
 his family and his friends, he may meet at the " gate of 
 heaven" to render a service the most important and sub- 
 lime ; and which, whilst it brings glory to God and good to 
 the worshippers, casts over the whole face of society a soften- 
 ing radiance, linking together in works of benevolence the 
 rich and the poor, and making them the common recipients 
 and the common almoners of heaven's bounty to mankind. 
 
32 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 CONSERVATIVE INFLUENCE OF THE SABBATH. 
 
 From the foregoing remarks it is plain, that the Sabbath 
 tends to bring into exercise the social and benevolent feel- 
 ings, as antagonist to the selfish principles of our nature. 
 It must therefore be a means of binding together in harmo- 
 ny and love those communities which respect and attend 
 upon its institutions. 
 
 By congregating for public worship, men acknowledge 
 themselves christian brethren, under obligations to the same 
 Almighty Being, and through his authority, to each other, 
 in all the offices of social benevolence. This is a bond of 
 union, strong in proportion to the pure principles and high 
 sanctions in which it originates. Under these circumstan- 
 ces, the general good will be likely to draw attention, when 
 any question of great practical importance is agitated. Per- 
 sonal and local prejudices and mere selfish aims will not 
 have the same sway in the adjustment of difficulties, or in 
 the projection of public improvements, as they would have, 
 were the institutions of religion habitually neglected. The 
 very principle, " thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," 
 cannot fail to exert some influence against that natural sel- 
 fishness which blinds us to the claims of others ; or which, 
 when a personal advantage may be taken, tempts us to in- 
 vade their rights or their interests. 
 
 The Lord's day inculcates also, in its moral lessons, the 
 importance of a faithful discharge of all the relative duties. 
 By an attention to the instructions of the sanctuary, we 
 find, that it is as much a part of religion to discharge our ob- 
 ligations to our neighbor and to society in general as it is 
 
CONSERVATIVE INFLUENCE OF THE SABBATH. 33 
 
 to make sure our own title to heaven. We are also taught, 
 as citizens, to do honor to the civil magistrate, and to obey — 
 where conscience is not violated — the laws of the land. 
 These obligations, derived from divine authority, are ex- 
 plained and enforced on the Sabbath. Who then can doubt 
 the conservative influence of this day with its moral lessons 
 and its authoritative mandates ? Can the restless, revolu- 
 tionary spirit find encouragement in its treasonable designs ; 
 or can a disregard for law and civil authority be engender- 
 ed where the whole bearing of the sacred lesson is to re- 
 press and exterminate hatred and covetousness, violence 
 and ambition ? 
 
 There is probably no ligature which binds together the 
 social state more strongly than this ; nor is there any influ- 
 ence more constant and sure, in retaining the discordant 
 moral elements in union. Patriotism, without religion as 
 its basis, cannot, with certainty, be depended on. There 
 must be moral principle, or salutary laws will not be likely 
 lobe framed, nor, if framed, will they be generally respec- 
 ted and obeyed. In the absence of coercion by standing 
 armies — a system which, under imperial governments, is 
 justified on the ground of necessity — the citizens of a re- 
 public must look to the virtue and general intelligence of 
 the mass of the people, as the only sure pledge for the dis- 
 charge of public and social obligations. As the Sabbath 
 exerts over the intellect of the nation so mighty an influ- 
 ence to elevate and to improve it, so no other means is so 
 eflfectual on a great scale, to suppress vice and to encourage 
 virtue. It thus becomes the great van-guard of general 
 morality, and tends to strengthen the main securities to 
 which — as a free people — we must look for the preserva- 
 tion of our civil institutions. 
 
 It will not be denied — after such convincing experiments 
 
34 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 as have been furnished — that mankind, until they are both 
 virtuous and intelligent, are unfitted for self-government. 
 Mere intelligence is not enough. The French nation were 
 intelligent, but they were not virtuous, when the fatal ex- 
 periment was tried, of passing suddenly from a regal to a 
 popular government. Moral principle was wanting, and 
 hence the transition was to desolating anarchy. The re- 
 ligion of the nation — if any religion it could be said to have 
 had — was darkness not light. There was no Sabbath, none 
 that deserved the name ; for it is well known, that the Sab- 
 bath, where papal influence takes the lead, is a mere gala- 
 day, one part of which is spent in solemn mummery, and 
 the remainder in theatrical exhibitions and in sensual riot. 
 
 The political revolutions in South America, which have 
 followed each other in such rapid succession, are additional 
 testimony to the position that, where the popular will is the 
 governing impulse, virtue and intelligence must b© the ba- 
 sis of a government. The religion of these countries, as 
 of France, is Christian in nothing scarcely but in name, 
 whilst ignorance and vice pervade the great mass of the 
 people. But why need examples be multiplied to illustrate 
 a point so plain .'' What intelligent mind but must see the 
 immense importance of the Sabbath — with its varied relig- 
 ious teaching — in creating a healthful tone of morals, and 
 thus throwing around our civil institutions a security which 
 no other means could supersede or supply.? 
 
 Whatever may be our sectional jealousies ; or numerous 
 as may be the conflicting interests which agitate our polit- 
 ical conventions, it is delightful to reflect, that when the day 
 of holy rest returns, party animosity is in general laid aside ; 
 and we meet over the length and breadth of the land, to 
 acknowledge at God's altars, the same blessings of free- 
 dom, and to implore for each other the healthful spirit of 
 
APPEAL TO MEN OF INFLUENCE. 35 
 
 piety. Then the prayer goes up to the Father of mercies, 
 that we may be a prosperous and united people — that the 
 spirit of brotherhood may supplant that of discord ; and 
 that, whatever of evil' in operation or in design exists to 
 weaken our national compact, may, by a wise and holy 
 Providence, be averted or be overruled for good. 
 
 Such being the influence of the Sabbath on our great na- 
 tional interests, it must pour its purifying waters into the 
 very fountain of our prosperity. It must neutralize, if it do 
 not actually exterminate, all that is bitter or poisonous. 
 Sending its vivifying streams into every department of social 
 life, it must nourish the tree of liberty, and perpetuate its 
 grateful shade and its salubrious fruits for the benefit of the 
 remotest posterity. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AN APPEAL TO MEN OF INFLUENCE IN FAVOR OF THE 
 SABBATH. 
 
 The train of remark in the preceding chapters is design- 
 ed to lead to one grand practical inference, viz. thai the 
 ohligations to keep holy the Sabbath day extend to all class- 
 es and descriptions of men. 
 
 The origin of the Sabbath, it appears, was coeval with 
 the origin of our race ; and was therefore intended to fol- 
 low down the stream of time, and to exact the respect and 
 homage of accountable man through each successive gen- 
 eration. 
 
 The injunction to keep the Sabbath was renewed at 
 mount Sinai amid circumstances of deep solemnity ; when 
 
db .. BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 Jehovah, the great moral Law-giver, stereotyped the pre- 
 cept which relates to it in the very centre of the decalogue, 
 thus indicating, by its relative position, its perpetual and 
 universal obligation. 
 
 The great event which led to the change of the day— an 
 event equally interesting to all mankind — impresses us with 
 the same idea. The fact, that the Sabbath was made for 
 man ; to improve both his moral and his intellectual nature 
 — that it reaches all classes by its healthful influence — that 
 it strengthens and purifies the social bond ; removing preju- 
 dices and promoting charity and kindness — that, in relation 
 to all our civil institutions, it is strongly conservative in its 
 influence ; all this, goes to prove, the general obligation to 
 respect and to keep inviolate the appointed day of rest. 
 
 It would seem as if no man could properly claim to be a 
 philanthropist, who by his example or in his discourse aims 
 to weaken the moral power of so salutary an institution. 
 Patriotism is not, we know, the grand motive which should 
 influence men in the observance of this day. High above 
 this stands the authority of God. The edict, " remember 
 the Sabbath day to keep it holy," comes from the very 
 throne of the Eternal. But as the divine laws were fra- 
 med with a view to man's interests for time as well as for 
 eternity, it so happens in this as in every analogous case, 
 that godliness is profitable even for the life that now is. 
 Patriotism and piety are here closely united. The Sabbath 
 is a perennial source of public virtue. On this ground, it 
 appeals to every citizen for his respect and his example in 
 its favor; and he who thinks lightly of the institution, or 
 who habitually desecrates it, evinces at the same time a 
 disregard for the general good and a practical disrespect 
 for the commands of his Maker. 
 
 Men of the world — though slow to learn the superiority 
 
APPEAL IN FAVOR OF THB SABBATH. 99; 
 
 of the divine wisdom — will find, at last, that the strict ob- 
 servance of the Sabbath is the sure criterion of healthful 
 morals and of general prosperity. Every enterprise which 
 concedes not this poini ; which is prosecuted in violation of 
 this precept of the decalogue, can have, we think, but an 
 ephemeral success. It is not possible to cast contempt on 
 God's commands and prosper. The doctrine of providence 
 must be denied, or man cannot abjure heaven's authority 
 and hope to be blessed. No nation can exist long — as a 
 free nation — without the Sabbath ; and every plan or busi- 
 ness which invalidates this moral and social bulwark, tends, 
 at the same time, to undermine our civil institutions. 
 
 How sad a spectacle is it therefore, when a practical dis- 
 regard for the Sabbath is seen among the nation's rulers and 
 representatives ! What short-sighted policy, to invade and 
 desecrate this day which God has challenged to himself for 
 the express purposes of rest and of devotion ! Are they 
 serving their country when they are dishonoring their God ? 
 Why, we would ask, must the whole land be driven over on 
 the Sabbath, in order to carry forward one day the privi- 
 lege of letter and newspaper communication ? The thun- 
 der of these vehicles is heard in our towns and villages, dis- 
 turbing often the sanctuary of God, and drawing together 
 an idle multitude who might otherwise be induced to at- 
 tend upon divine worship. No pious man, from conscien- 
 tious scruples, can accept of office or employment in this 
 vast Sabbath -desecrating department. How many brute an- 
 imals also, who, by God's law, have a right to rest as well 
 as man, are jaded and broken down in this unhallowed busi- 
 ness ! How many immortals are hereby denied the privi- 
 lege of that moral culture which the sanctuary tenders ! 
 What excitement about the news, when the twanging horn 
 announces the arrival of the mail ! What a rush to seize 
 4 
 
38 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. >>" -^^ 
 
 the latest intelligence ; and how are the hours of the Sab- 
 bath desecrated in poring over it ! How is heaven's truth 
 — even when it has made some hopeful impressions — neu- 
 tralized by such Sunday reading as this ! Do our rulers 
 understand that this systematic disregard of God's law tends 
 to the overthrow of our free institutions ? Do they reflect 
 that every thing which deadens the conscience of the na- 
 tion is premonitory of the downfall of our liberties ? 
 
 Look again at the occasional invasion of the Sabbath by 
 congressional legislation. What a spectacle ! The repre- 
 sentatives of a free nation — ^christian nation — pushing their 
 business into the Sabbath ! On this sad example the eyes 
 of millions are riveted. What is done at the fountain- 
 head of power descends in every direction and spreads all 
 over the land. What a blow is thus given to this vital in- 
 stitution ! Who can tell how deep a wound is inflicted 
 on the morals of our country, and through these, on the 
 cause of civil liberty ? 
 
 Let men in power and men of influence generally, re- 
 member, that we rest on them a responsibility in regard to 
 Sabbath observance, which exceeds simply their own per- 
 sonal obedience or disobedience ; for multitudes are sway- 
 ed by their example who have not as yet raised their eyes 
 to the great source of all moral obligation. When we can 
 see a reform among the influential, we may confidently look 
 for an improvement in every department of society ; and 
 this blessed day may exert once more its designed efliect 
 upon the mind and heart of the nation, to purify what is 
 wrong and to perpetuate what is good in our social compact. 
 
.aTyk«ft>a 
 
 PART II 
 
 PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT OF THE SABBATH. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ^ffW> "two lil ; 
 
 THE SABBATH A DEVOTIONAL DAY. 
 
 In order to avail ourselves of the privileges of the Sab- 
 bath, it should be made, as far as possible, a strictly devotion- 
 al day. A deep sense of its value, as a season of spiritual im- 
 provement, should be entertained ; and its services should 
 be attended upon so that, through divine grace, they may 
 become a foretaste of the heavenly rest vi^hich it symbol- 
 izes. 
 
 I propose, therefore, to present some considerations which 
 may aid the reader in keeping this holy day in such a man- 
 ner, as to ensure the attainment of those blessings which it 
 was designed to impart. 
 
 There is reason to fear, that even among a certain 
 class of professors of religion, there has been a growing 
 tendency to a lax and careless attention to Sabbath obliga- 
 tions. So much has been said against the puritanical strict- 
 ness of our ancestors — and said in many instances with a 
 view to cast contempt upon that pious generation — that 
 some, who love the praise of men more than the praise of 
 God, are in danger of verging to the opposite extreme ; and 
 instead of incurring ridicule for their zeal and scrupulous- 
 ness, they are likely to awaken the surprise if not the cen- 
 
40 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 sure of the wicked, for their disrespect towards a divine in- 
 stitution. It is plain to every reader, on which extreme il 
 is safest to be found. 
 
 I will not say that the Puritans of New England were 
 patterns, in every particular, of what is right and proper in 
 the practice of religion ; but it is due to their memory to 
 declare, that their standard of practical piety was such as 
 to shame the compromising spirit of later times ; and that 
 even their failings " leaned to virtue's side." They are the 
 last men in the world to furnish a theme for the satirist. 
 
 But the important question with us relates to our ottm 
 standard of piety, with respect to the moral and positive in- 
 stitutions of Heaven. Are we not, though professing to es- 
 teem all the precepts of the law to be right, chargeable, to 
 some extent, with a lax and criminal deportment in rela- 
 tion to the obligations of the fourth commandment ? That 
 there is a very extensive violation of the Lord's day is gen- 
 erally admitted. The public highways and thorough-fares 
 show it. Thoughtless thousands are rushing on in pursuit 
 of business or pleasure ; and every species of vehicle, de- 
 signed to move on land or water, is put under contribution in 
 this work of general desecration. An immense portion of 
 our population regard this day as a mere season of recrea- 
 tion, without a single thought of its devotional aspect, or a 
 twinge of conscience on account of its open and habitual vi- 
 olation. Would this be so, if all who profess to " fear God 
 and to keep his commandments" were uniformly strict in 
 the consecration of this entire day to the service of religion ? 
 Would not the Sabbath- breaker stand rebuked by the ex- 
 ample of the pious ; and is there not some reason to believe, 
 that a great reform might commence, which would ultimate- 
 ly rescue from general disrespect, this day of our solem- 
 nities ? 
 
tfiE SABfiATH A DEVOTIONAL DAY. 41 
 
 But our own improvement in piety, no less than the in- 
 fluence which a right example exerts, is reason sufficient 
 why we should make some advance in a strict and conscien- 
 tious regard for Sabbath duties. If this day was " made for 
 man," it was made in a very special sense, for a christian 
 man. It is the day which reminds him of his obligations to 
 Jesus ; and which bids him rejoice and be glad, in view of 
 the consummating act of redemption, the glorious resurrec- 
 tion. It invites him away from the perplexing cares of earth ; 
 and taking him up to Pisgah, bids him survey the green hills 
 and the valleys of Canaan, which are to compensate for the 
 toils and trials of his pilgrimage. On this day a double por- 
 tion of the heavenly manna is given ; and the water of life 
 flows clear and exhilarating from the cleft rock of salva- 
 tion. Each successive Sabbath might be made to approxi- 
 mate in symbolical purity and joy, that final rest which re- 
 mains for the people of God. These days of mercy should 
 be considered as so many steps of a mighty terraced walk 
 to heaven ; and the soul should rise step after step on this 
 grand vestibule towards the upper temple, until it could cast 
 its eager glance into the very gales of the New Jerusalem. 
 But whilst such are the blessings which the Sabbath ten- 
 ders to the Christian ; how few avail themselves of them 
 by a proper sanctification of the day ! How little prepara- 
 tion is made to meet its duties, or to reap the full advantage 
 of its instructioiis ! What slight excuses are allowed to op- 
 erate in preventing an attendance upon the sanctuary ! 
 How easily will conscience be bribed to acquiescence, in a 
 partial desecration of hallowed time ! How will the world, 
 with its cares or its pleasures, be suffered to press upon the 
 beginning and the termination of the day ; whilst every part 
 of it will partake, more or less, of the spirit of this obtrusive 
 rival ! Under the indefinite exception of " works of neces- 
 4* 
 
42 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 sity and mercy," we are tempted to rob God of his claims 
 and to minister to our own covetousness, sensuality or con- 
 venience. Let Christians at least," remember the Sabbath 
 day to keep it holy." Let them aim to secure from all secu- 
 lar intrusion, the whole twenty-four hours of sacred time. 
 Let them put off their earthly burdens in time to erect the 
 bowed-down spirit, and to send its grateful aspirations to- 
 wards heaven. Never let them be seen — except in cases of 
 undoubted necessity — on any journey, or in any employ- 
 ment, by which men are wont to violate the sacred day. 
 It must be with them a strictly devotional day. The body 
 must rest from toil, the mind from corroding care, and the 
 soul from sin. Leaving the dull earth far behind, we should 
 rise into the salubrious regions of gospel purity, and take a 
 full inspiration of the air of heaven. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 SATURDAY EVENING ; OR THE PREPARATION. 
 
 It was customary in patriarchal times, to prepare the 
 mind for the proper celebration of their sacred festivals. 
 By the command of God, they were to sanctify themselves ; 
 to separate their thoughts from the world, and to direct 
 them towards the holy services which they were anticipa- 
 ting. We do not insist that under the christian dispensa- 
 tion, the worshipper is bound, by the same explicit com- 
 mand, to appropriate a certain time as a preparation-season 
 for the Sabbath ; but the expediency of such preparation 
 cannot be questioned. The mind that is fixed for six days 
 on mere secular business, cannot at once pass from this 
 
SATURDAY EVENING. 4B 
 
 sphere of earthly associations into the hallowed employ- 
 ments of the Sabbath. Ii must necessarily carry the taint 
 of its grovelling pursuits into holy time. It is not easy to 
 throw off from the soul all its burdens, and command its 
 undivided attention to purely spiritual topics. As well al- 
 most, might you expect the agitated ocean, which had been 
 lashed into strife, to subside the instant the tempest abated. 
 Its billows cannot at once settle away, nor suddenly cease 
 their hoarse murmurs. There is an interval between the 
 storm and the calm, demanded by nature ; whose transi- 
 tions are seldom violent ; and whose actings may afford 
 some hints to man in relation to his spiritual improvement. 
 
 To carry forward our worldly business or pleasures to the 
 last hour of secular time, and to dismiss them only when 
 conscience would be outraged by their continuance, evinces 
 too deep an interest in temporal concerns, and too much 
 disregard for the higher interests of eternity. Nor may 
 the man who thus acts, expect to pass into the privileged 
 hours of holy rest, and profit by their instructions. He 
 will find his thoughts slow to enter upon the solemn work. 
 They will be reaching back after their accustomed topics of 
 interest. A reluctant and imperfect service will be likely to 
 be rendered ; too much like that complained of by Jehovah, 
 when ancient Israel " drew nigh unto him with their mouth 
 and honored him with their lips, whilst their heart was far 
 from him." 
 
 To avoid these evils, and to secure the full advantages 
 of the Sabbath, it is important to divest the mind of its ordi- 
 nary cares, as much as possible, on Saturday evening ; and 
 to allow ' an interval for prayerful preparation ; that the 
 transition, from secular to sacred pursuits, may be easy and 
 natural. The earthly burdens may thus be effectually un- 
 loosed, and the soul be in a measure disposed for its appro- 
 
44 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 priate work. A proper reverence for God, and his holy 
 day seems to demand this of us. "He will be sanctified in 
 them that come nigh him." He expects us to put off our 
 shoes from our feet, before we presume to tread on holy 
 ground. It is a high degree of irreverence to rush into his 
 august presence with a careless spirit ; nor should a soul 
 who thus acts expect to be met with the promised blessings 
 of his grace. 
 
 It is not possible, we know, in all cases, to effect an ar- 
 rangement in the business of life, so that this season of pre- 
 paration may be enjoyed. The Saturday evening is, with 
 many, the busiest portion of the week. Men seem to spur 
 on their exhausted energies like the last struggles of a race- 
 horse ; arriving at the end of secular time jaded, and pant- 
 ing with overwrought action, and unfitted for the duties 
 which the Sabbath enjoins. This is owing in a majority 
 of cases to the want of a devotional spirit ; and also to that 
 covetousness which grudges every moment for purposes of 
 religion, where it can be employed in securing the gains of 
 the world. 
 
 It will be greatly to the advantage of Christians, when 
 they can close the business of the week, so as to afford 
 themselves the Saturday evening as a preparation-season. 
 Then anticipating the day of rest, they may disentangle 
 their thoughts from earth and direct them towards heaven. 
 They may begin to plume the wings of the soul for a flight 
 into purer regions. Holy time will then come on like the 
 dawnings of immortality, and be met, by the exultant heart, 
 with the song of David ; " This is the day which the Lord 
 hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it." 
 
 Christian reader, who hast often complained of wander- 
 ing thoughts on the day of rest, ask thyself if thou art not 
 to blame in this ? Has not the world been carried too near 
 
SATURDAY EVENING. 45 
 
 the line which divides sacred from secular time ? Canst 
 thou expect thy spirit to pass from a thousand grovelling 
 cares and pleasures at once into a hallowed atmosphere, 
 and without distraction, to fix its contemplations upon 
 God ? Thou knovvest but little of the laws of mind, if such 
 be thy expectations. It is presumption, to look for a devout 
 frame, if there be no previous adjustment of the moral feel- 
 ings to meet the responsibilities of the occasion. Unclasp 
 then thy thoughts from the world, and, by prayer and medi- 
 tation, anticipate the day of rest. Go into thy closet and 
 invoke the Spirit's influence to qualify thee to meet thy God 
 in his holy courts. If thou hast a family, bid them prepare 
 for the weekly festival. Let all their arrangements be such 
 that they shall have the full benefit of so blessed an insti- 
 tution. Call them away from earth's vanities in time to 
 think of the superior claims of heaven. Gather them 
 around the family altar and say to them ; " Now we are ap- 
 proaching the day consecrated to God. Let us withdraw 
 our thoughts from all secular concerns. Let us begin to 
 invest the soul with the garments of salvation ; and as we 
 retire to our rest, let it be, under the impression that to-mor- 
 row's dawn is commemorative of the Redeemer's triumph." 
 What a blessed introduction would this be to the privileges 
 and joys of the Sabbath ; and how confidently in such a 
 case might we and ours look to Heaven for its sanctifying 
 influence ! 
 
46 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 SABBATH MORNING. 
 
 " Awake, psaltery and harp ; I myself will awake ear- 
 ly." David uttered this divine soliloquy, in reference pro- 
 bably, to the approaching Sabbath, He intended to pre- 
 vent the morning light with his song of praise ; and to usher 
 in the day of rest with the melodies of psaltery and harp. 
 O that every Christian would imitate this devotional man, 
 and charge himself to awake early on the Sabbath morn- 
 ing and begin the day with God ! 
 
 There is now an additional reason to summon us at ear- 
 ly dawn to the work of prayer and praise. When David 
 sang his morning orisons, the strain was kindled by glorious 
 events which were in prospect ; but " now is Ciirist risen 
 from the dead and become the first fruits of them that 
 slept." The seal of the sepulchre, which enclosed the Sa- 
 vior's body, has been broken, and his triumphant resurrec- 
 tion has been announced to his disciples, and chanted upon 
 the harps of heaven. Can the Christian think of this and 
 not feel moved to a holy activity, as this resurrection-morn- 
 ing comes round and invites the soul to its devotions ? 
 Alas ; that we should suffer any part of the Sabbath to pass 
 neglected or unimproved ! But the melancholy fact is, 
 that by the indulgence of the body, the soul is in many in- 
 stances robbed of that portion of holy time which is all-im- 
 portant as a season of private prayer and meditation. 
 There is reason to apprehend, that a very general delin- 
 quency is chargeable upon christian communities in the al- 
 lowed indulgence of sloth on the morning of the Lord's 
 day. It would seem as if, in this respect, the claims of 
 
SABBATH MOBNING. 47 
 
 mammon were preferred to those of Jehovah. The hus- 
 bandman may be seen, at early dawn, driving the plough 
 or wielding the scythe and sickle, intent on cultivating or 
 gathering in the gifts of God which are necessary for the 
 body ; but how is it when the soul is to be fed, or when the 
 service of God is to be performed ? Does he awake as 
 early on the Sabbath, and address himself with the same 
 alacrity to the momentous business of salvation ? Does 
 even the Christian on the Sabbath serve God as early and 
 as eagerly as on other days he serves the world ? 
 
 It is not to one class of Christians alone, that we address 
 these interrogatories. Whatever be their employment, or 
 wherever they may reside — whether in country or city — 
 we fear that professors are in danger of robbing God of a 
 part of the Sabbath, and of sleeping away, to their own 
 spiritual injury, the very best portion of the day. With 
 many, it seems to be considered sufficient, if they can rise 
 in time to despatch necessities, and be ready to go up to 
 the great congregation. Very little time is thus allowed 
 for private devotions. How, under these circumstances, 
 can we hope to avail ourselves of the blessings of the day ? 
 Shall we not be in danger of appearing before the king of 
 Zion without the appropriate habiliments ; and of exposing 
 ourselves to that cutting rebuke, " Friend, how camesl thou 
 in hither, not having a wedding garment .>" 
 
 The morning of the Sabbath is all-important as a season 
 of private devotion. Our first thoughts should be given to 
 God. We should seize the earliest moments of this calm 
 and blessed season and use them for the soul's benefit. 
 
 " When first thy eyes unveil, give thy soul leave 
 
 To do the like ; our bodies but forerun 
 The spirit's duty ; true hearts spread and heave 
 
 Unto their God, as flames do to the sun. 
 
48 BOOK POR THE SABBATH. 
 
 Give Him thy first thoughts then, so shalt thou keep 
 {I Hira company all day and in Him sleep. 
 
 " Yet never sleep the sun up : prayer should 
 Dawn with the day ; there are set awful hours 
 * 'Twixt heaven and us ; the manna was not good 
 After sun rising: far-da.y sullies flowers : 
 Rise to prevent the sun ; sleep doth sins glut, 
 And heaven's gate opens when the world is shut." 
 
 Who has not felt the tranquilizing influence of the Sabbath- 
 morn ? Nature seems to sympathize with the moral asso- 
 ciations of the scene. On other days, her voice is almost 
 drowned amid the din and bustle of the world ; but when 
 the wheels of mammon's car are arrested, and their thun- 
 der is not heard, then comes forth her soothing language, 
 which falls on the heart like seolian music, to subdue its 
 passions and to awaken its finer sensibilities. The voice 
 of nature is the voice of God. He who speaks in the sanc- 
 tuary, of redemption by the blood of Jesus, speaks, from 
 the hush and fragrance of the morning, of the vast and va- 
 ried gifts of his providence. To commune with nature and 
 with God, we must imitate David and awake early. 
 ■^' The resurrection of Jesus took place before the dawn. 
 Ere the sun was up, one of his faithful followers repaired 
 to the sepulchre. She came in the morning twilight to 
 look upon the tomb of Jesus. She found it unsealed and 
 empty, and wondered what had become of her Lord. As 
 she wept, a voice addressed her, at first in a stranger's ac- 
 cents—lest, under the excitement, a too sudden revelation 
 might overpower her mind — then that voice was changed, 
 and the well remembered tones told her that it was indeed 
 her risen master. Did Mary find her Redeemer at early 
 dawn ; and shall we presume to expect his presence if we 
 doze away in guilty slumbers, this portion of sacred time ? 
 
PRIVATE AND FAMILY DEVOTIONS. 49 
 
 No, let US rather fly to the sepulchre, and see amid the 
 shadows of the morning the breaking beams of the Sun of 
 righteousness. Let us gather the spiritual manna before 
 the sun is up, and feed upon it, ere we refresh ourselves 
 on the food that perisheth. Few would complain of dull 
 Sabbaths, or wandering thoughts, or tedious services, were 
 they to secure, for the purposes of private devotion, the 
 morning of the Sabbath. A sacred impulse would thus be 
 obtained which, like a favoring gale, would waft the soul 
 onward to its rest. 
 
 Reader, until you value and improve the Sabbath morn- 
 ing, you need not expect to experience the full advantages 
 of this blessed day. If, on other days, you can wake early 
 to serve the world, and on this, you take the liberty to in- 
 dulge the flesh, be assured the Sabbath will not ordinarily 
 prove to you a delight, nor will it close upon you with 
 peace and with edification. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PRIVATE AND FAMILY DEVOTIONS. 
 
 The secular part of the week is occupied almost entire- 
 ly in attention to the business of the world. Much prayer 
 should be mingled with these earthly engagements, in or- 
 der to counteract their naturally seductive influence upon 
 the soul. When the Sabbath comes, a new class of duties 
 demands attention. Then the business of the world is to 
 be laid aside altogether ; whilst direct acts of worship are to 
 be performed requiring sincerity, faith, humility, and holy 
 zeal. The soul is to divest itself of its temporal burdens, 
 5 
 
50 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 and to rise into a purer atmosphere, where it may commune 
 with God and anticipate the joys of heaven. How need- 
 ful then, that every Christian should be faithful in the devo- 
 tional duties of the Sabbath ! The private altar must then 
 have its full share of attention. It is vain to expect a profit- 
 able attendance upon the public services of the day, if secret 
 prayer be neglected, or if a stinted measure of time be al- 
 lowed for its performance. Let the remarks already made 
 on early rising be attended to, and there will be rio curtail- 
 ment of this duty ; but if sensual indulgence, or decoration 
 of the body absorb the earlier portions of the day, the clos- 
 et will be robbed of its claims, and the soul will lose the 
 full benefit of the instructions of the sanctuary. 
 
 On the morning of the Sabbath, there should be nothing 
 like hurry or distraction of mind. There is time surely for 
 a calm and serious attention to every duty and engage- 
 ment. 
 
 Private prayer, on the Sabbath, will naturally have re- 
 spect to the day and its privileges. The soul will also take 
 into view the events of the past week— joyous or sad— and 
 will be employed in giving thanks for the divine goodness, or 
 in humbling itself under the adversities of life. "How 
 many blessings" — will be the suggestion of the pious heart 
 — " have been poured upon me and upon mine during the 
 past week ! Sweet sleep has visited my eyelids. The 
 bounties of a generous Providence have been provided to 
 regale my senses and to nourish my body. Others have di- 
 ed ; but I am among the living. Hundreds have been over- 
 taken by distressing calamities ; and some have been hur- 
 ried without a moment's warning, into the presence of their 
 Judge ; whilst I have dwelt safely under the shadow of the 
 Almighty 1 Bless the Lord then, O my soul, and forget 
 not all his benefits." Or if it has pleased God to make 
 
PRIVATE AND FAMILY DEVOTIONS. 51 
 
 the past week a season of affliction, the soul, on the return 
 of this day of rest, may repair to the throne of grace with 
 all its burdens, and find there the consolation which it 
 needs. Prayer will then take the form of confession and 
 of humiliation in view of the deserved rebuke of heaven for 
 personal or domestic sins ; and it may thus become the 
 soothing medium of God's mercy to the broken in heart. 
 
 Every member of the family should be allowed time and 
 opportunity for secret prayer. Let the duty be inculcated 
 even on young children ; and let them understand that 
 their Sabbath morning devotions should not only be attend- 
 ed to, but that they should be appropriate. Are you a parent, 
 take the child on youl* knee or call it to your side, and af- 
 fectionately remind it of the design and obligations of the 
 Sabbath. Bid it pray with reference to Sabbath privileges 
 and duties ; or if its inexperienced mind cannot frame a 
 prayer for itself, be ihou its mouth to God, and thus impress 
 its tender heart with your own sense of obligation to the di- 
 vine command. Delightful spectacle ! to see a whole fam- 
 ily greeting the return of holy rest with gladness of heart, 
 and each one employed, at an early hour, in supplicating 
 the divine presence ! 
 
 On the Sabbath, there should be some special effort 
 to excite an interest in the family devotions. Instead 
 of being conducted in the usual manner, some variety 
 might be introduced — as the singing of an appropriate hymn, 
 or propounding a few questions bearing on the duties of the 
 day. The portion of Scripture read might also be appro- 
 priate, and a few remarks serving to fix the attention upon 
 it might be profitably made. The family altar should, on 
 this morning, send up a flame of augmented purity and 
 brightness. Every thing proper and allowable should be 
 done, to make this part of the Sabbath service interesting 
 
52 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 and profitable to the household. Where there are children 
 and dependents, the family worship should be conducted so 
 as to interest without wearying the mind. There may be 
 a hurried brevity which savors of insincerity or of irreve- 
 rence ; and on the other hand, the exercises may be so pro- 
 longed and spiritless as to make them burdensome. Be- 
 tween these extremes, there is a happy medium, which pi- 
 ety and good sense will be likely to adopt, and which will 
 make the hour of family devotion to be anticipated with 
 pleasure. 
 
 By an attention to the duties of the closet — which are 
 supposed to precede the assembling of the family for social 
 worship, the heart will ordinarily be prepared to enter with 
 warmth of feeling into the latter service. Each one bring- 
 ing his separate coal, glowing from the private altar, will 
 add a portion of pious interest ; and the worship of the 
 family will thus be a delightful preparation for the more 
 public services of the sanctuary. 
 
 But alas ! how few families are there, who answer to 
 this description ? In many households, there is found a 
 sad contrast, in the late hour of rising — the hurried and dis- 
 tracting scene of preparation for public worship ; in which 
 the effort is, not to dress the soul, but to decorate the body ; 
 not to provide spiritual but carnal food ; and where Utile if 
 any time is allotted to private or family devotions. Why 
 should such complain of dull Sabbaths, or of uninteresting 
 sermons ? The cause of such complaints may be found in 
 their want of such preparation as we have recommended, 
 for the services of the day ; and so long as this neglect is 
 chargeable upon them, they need not expect to reap the 
 full benefit of so precious a privilege. 
 
SABBATH PRIVILEGES. 53 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 SABBATH PRIVILEGES ; HEARING THE WORD, ETC. 
 
 Said our Lord to his disciples, " take heed how ye hear." 
 The caution is as necessary now as when it was first utter- 
 ed. If what we hear in the sanctuary is the simple truth 
 as it is in Jesus ; we should be just as careful to understand 
 and to obey it, as if it fell for the first tinne from the lips of 
 the great Teacher. 
 
 The fact that the treasure is committed to earthen ves- 
 sels, abates not its intrinsic value. The costly pearl is 
 found enclosed in a rough and worthless shell. Why then 
 should we neglect the pearl of great price, simply because 
 it happens to be lodged in an earthen casket ? 
 
 Happy art thou, reader, if having learned to estimate 
 aright the privileges of the Sabbath, thou hast a heart to 
 relish the spiritual provision which it affords. On the sup- 
 position that this is the case ; and that Providence has pla- 
 ced you where the church going bell is heard ; and where 
 you are regularly invited to sit under the droppings of the 
 sanctuary ; still, you may need the admonition, " take heed 
 how ye hear." 
 
 Let it be first with gratitude for the privilege. Think 
 of the millions and hundreds of millions who are in pagan 
 darkness. To them no Sabbath comes. No resurrection- 
 morn greets their benighted eyes. They dwell in the val- 
 ley of dry bones and amid the habitations of cruelty. 
 " Who hath made us to differ .?" Let us then be employ- 
 ed in devout thanksgivings as we tread the courts of the 
 Lord and listen to the messages of his grace. Let us give 
 good heed to the word, remembering that our responsibility 
 5» 
 
54 600K f OR THE SABBATff. 
 
 is proportioned to our privileges ; *'for to whomsoever much 
 is given, of him will much be required." Grateful ourselves 
 for the blessings of the gospel, let us compassionate those 
 who are destitute ; and let us so improve our day of grace 
 that the heathen may not rise up in the judgment to con- 
 demn us. 
 
 We should endeavor to listen to the word of God with 
 fxed and solemn attention. The respect due to a subject 
 is great in proportion to its importance. Hence the word 
 of God claims, from every accountable sinner, the most 
 profound respect. None can make light of it without incur- 
 ring incalculable guilt. Other subjects we may treat with 
 levity and only expose ourselves to the charge of ignorance 
 or of folly ; but here, if we presume to exhibit irreverence 
 or neglect, we shall draw down upon our souls the wrath 
 of God. How seldom does the hearer of the gospel reflect 
 upon the responsibility of his position ! How many care- 
 less hearers of the word are there in every congregation ! 
 With no preparation in secret, they come to the sanctuary 
 as to a place of ordinary resort. You may see, by their 
 light and irreverent carriage, that they have no fear of God 
 before their eyes. Be the subject of discourse what it may 
 — whether alarming or alluring ; whether it speak in fear- 
 ful tones of the judgment, or touch upon the tender theme 
 of a Savior's dying compassion — in neither case does it gain 
 their ear or rivet their attention. Their heart, to these mo- 
 mentous themes, is cold ; and their eye is wandering, 
 like the fool's, to the ends of the earth. Some may ima- 
 gine, there is no sin in all this ; but be assured, reader, if 
 such be thy impression, thou art greatly deceived. A con- 
 duct thus irreverent is making light of the gospel. It is 
 casting practical contempt upon God. It is desecrating the 
 Sabbath and the sanctuary. Remember whose voice it is. 
 
. SABBATH PRIVILEGES. 55 
 
 thou art refusing to hear. When God speaks in the thun- 
 der-cloud, thou canst feel the solemnity of the appeal. Is 
 it not the same voice that warns and invites you in the 
 sanctuary ? Why then should you tremble in the one case 
 and smile or despise in the other ? It is the same voice 
 that will summon your spirit into eternity, and pronounce 
 upon you the irrevocable verdict. Listen then with fixed 
 and serious attention to the voice of God in the gospel. 
 
 In the parable of the sower, "he that heareth the word 
 and understandeth it," is pronounced the profited hearer. 
 How can we understand, if the attention be not fixed, or 
 when the obtrusive world is allowed to come into the sanc- 
 tuary with us ; or when we have no inward conviction of 
 the solemnity and importance of the subject ? 
 
 I trust that some, who read these pages — especially such 
 as " have tasted of the good word of God" — will so attend 
 to the preparation of the heart for divine worship as to ena- 
 ble them to worship God " in spirit and in truth." Carry 
 into his sacred courts, dear reader, a heart tenderly alive 
 to the importance of the privilege, thirsting for the waters 
 of life, and disposed to " receive with meekness the engraft- 
 ed word." Say to the world, with all its cares and plea- 
 sures, " stay thou here, whilst I go yonder and worship." 
 As you enter the sanctuary, remember, that it " is none 
 other but the house of God and the gate of heaven." When 
 engaging in the devotional part of the service, endeavor to 
 throw your whole soul into the act. Pray with the spirit, 
 and sing with the spirit. When the minister says, " let us 
 pray," he invites the entire congregation to accompany 
 him. Every heart should beat in unison. It is direct dis- 
 honor to God, to refuse to unite, or to gaze idly abroad 
 over the sanctuary. Nor is there less disrespect towards 
 the appointed worship of God, in declining a participation 
 
56 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 in the praises of his house ; in treating that important part 
 of devotion as a mere exhibition of musical skill ; or — 
 what is alas, but too common — in mocking high Heaven, 
 with " solemn sounds upon a thoughtless tongue." Every 
 heart is bound to sing, even if the voice cannot, in proper 
 measures, give audible expression to its feelings. If " the 
 burden of a sigh or the falling of a tear," as Montgomery- 
 has beautifully expressed it, is genuine prayer ; so, the si- 
 lent aspiration of a grateful heart must be acceptable praise. 
 This every worshipper can render; and this he is bound to 
 render to him who will be worshipped *' in spirit and in 
 truth." Alas, how prevalent, even among professors, is 
 the sin of " honoring God with the lips, whilst the heart is 
 far from him !" From this sin, every worshipper should 
 constantly pray, " O Lord deliver us." 
 
 We should listen to the divine word, not only with fixed 
 and serious attention, but also with impartiality. By im- 
 partiality I mean, without prejudice as it respects the truth 
 itself; or as to the medium through which the truth is con- 
 veyed. 
 
 It is not to be denied, that the gospel has some features 
 which are repugnant to our carnal nature ; and that it uses 
 language often which falls harshly on " ears polite." But 
 the repulsive features of divine truth are as important to be 
 uttered as those which are more soothing and attractive. 
 The considerations which it addresses to our fears— ^appli- 
 ed by the Spirit of God — move the soul to a conviction of 
 its danger, and impel it to seek shelter from the wrath di-v 
 vine. It is thus that the Spirit " convinces the world of 
 sin, and of judgment." But some cannot bear to hear from 
 the pulpit the words " hell and damnation," even when they 
 know them to be bible-terms ; and know also, that they 
 have as fearful an application to the wicked now, as they 
 
SABBATH PRIVILEGES. 57 
 
 had when Christ and his apostles uttered them. These, 
 and words of kindred import, may, I am aware, be indis- 
 creetly employed ; or— which is alas, sometimes the case — 
 may be hurled on the heads of the congregation with an 
 air more of defiance than of compassion ; but the hearer 
 must not object to 'the terms themselves ; nor turn away 
 from the faithful ambassador who solemnly announces 
 them. As a part of God's word, they speak with prophetic 
 certainty of the doom of impenitent men. However alarm- 
 ing, they should be listened to. Prejudice may close the 
 ear against them ; or a fastidious self-love may find fault 
 with them ; but truth is truth, and nothing but submission 
 to its dictates can avail to mitigate or to avert its terrors. 
 
 There are other parts of the gospel, such as its self- 
 denial — the renunciation of the world— the doctrine of 
 sovereign grace — which war so directly against what is evil 
 in man, that under their presentation, his pride and selfish- 
 ness are often offended. Selfish and impenitent men will 
 not sit easy when such themes are discussed. Some would 
 have the minister cry, " peace, peace ; when there is no 
 peace." The cavilling hearer cannot be a profited hearer. 
 In order to be benefited, we must listen to the gospel with 
 candor. Instead of thrusting away the faithful servant, or 
 withdrawing from his ministry, on account of the fidelity 
 with which he presses upon us the truth, we should imitate 
 the noble and unprejudiced Bereans, and "search the Scrip- 
 tures, whether those things are so." 
 
 Nor should we allow prejudice toward the medium, 
 through which the truth comes, to keep us from hearing it ; 
 or when hearing, to close the mind against its influence. 
 Every minister cannot be, in talent and zeal, a Paul, nor 
 in eloquence, an Apollos. The majority of spiritual 
 teachers must necessarily be men of moderate mental en- 
 
58 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 dowments, or the world would perish for want of the bread 
 of life. In the work of the ministry, the graces of elocu- 
 tion are desirable, but not indispensable. Great talents — 
 be it remembered— are, in every profession, of infrequent 
 occurrence. Where there is one Boerhaave, there are a 
 thousand practitioners of barely respectable pretensions. 
 In philosophy, a Newton and a Bacon are lights of a single 
 age ; and the law can point to but here and there one, who 
 commands general admiration. But shall the sick man re- 
 ject the healing medicine because not tendered to him by 
 an eminent hand ; or do men suffer their property or their 
 character to be in jeopardy because they cannot obtain the 
 most learned counsel ? Why should there then be so much 
 fastidiousness in relation to the ministry ; especially when 
 it has this advantage over other professions, that its truths 
 are so pure and so grand, as to need no auxiliary interest 
 from the human vehicle through which they pass ? A tru- 
 ly good man, with good common sense, is probably better 
 adapted to the ministry than a brilliant genius. By the 
 former, truth will be exhibited in its native simplicity ; 
 whilst the latter may, even unconsciously, excite more ad- 
 miration towards himself, than interest in the message. A 
 hungry man will relish substantial food ; nor will he object, 
 if it come to him in a clean though coarse vessel. The 
 morbid appetite, on the contrary, craves a stimulating diet ; 
 and the fastidious palate must be coaxed by luxuries pre- 
 sented on furbished silver. 
 
 There is prevalent too much of the latter taste with re- 
 spect to the ministry. Plain, substantial truth— especially 
 when employed in exhibiting the doctrines of the gospel — 
 is, by many congregations, considered dry and uninterest- 
 ing ; whilst noisy declamation, or exciting appeals, or end- 
 less illustration is greatly admired. 
 
SABBATH PRIVILEGES. 59 
 
 One man will conceive a prejudice towards a minister 
 on the ground of deficiency in talent ; another, for the 
 want of a good elocution ; another, from slight indiscre- 
 tion of word or conduct ; and others again, from causes 
 which it would be impossible or improper to mention. 
 This prejudice, once fixed, seems to be considered as a 
 sufficient apology for non-attendance on the ministry, or for 
 a total lack of interest in the truths which are announced. 
 I would not be too severe on the hearer ; nor would I, in a 
 spirit of official jealousy, excuse the faults of the profession 
 to which it is my privilege to belong. Indolence in the 
 ministry, is inexcusable. The preacher is not to blame for 
 want of talent ; but he is to blame, if he neglect to render 
 what talent he possesses as available as possible. Nor 
 ought we to claim for any individual of the profession, an 
 apology, for not having " a good report of them that are 
 without." "A bishop must be blameless," Moral purity 
 must be stamped on his deportment. His errors must be 
 those of the heart ; known only to God and to his own sor- 
 rowing spirit. But if prejudice exist on the ground of want 
 of talent, or of plainness of manner, or of fidelity in present- 
 ing the gospel, the reader should be reminded that such pre- 
 judice is wrong ; and if indulged, will deprive the soul of 
 the sanctifying influence of truth. 
 
 Our obligations to improve the day of rest, and to grow 
 in grace and in knowledge, are irrespective of all such preju- 
 dice. To the sanctuary we are bound to go with a devout 
 spirit, and there we are bound to hear what God shall speak 
 to us. Let the truth come down upon us with even terri- 
 fic force ; we should bare our bosom to the blow ; and who- 
 soever may present it— if he be a man of God, and speak 
 according to the divine testimony — let us endeavor to fix the 
 
66 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 mind impartially on the message, nor allow a depraved pre- 
 judice to rise, like a noxious exhalation, and obscure the pro- 
 portions of heavenly truth. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 SELF-APPLICATION OF THE TRUTH. 
 
 -It is too common to listen to the preacher as a medium 
 simply of intellectual gratification. The great themes 
 which he presents are viewed as mere topics on which the 
 eloquent discourse may be reared. Familiar from child- 
 hood with the doctrines and general precepts of the gospel, 
 we are apt to lose a proper sense of the solemn personal 
 bearing which they at all times possess ; and hence the 
 slight impression which is ordinarily made by their presen- 
 tation. How common is it, after public service, to hear 
 one and another inquiring, with scarcely serious expres- 
 sion of countenance, how the discourse was liked ? and 
 whether the hearer was pleased, not whether he was con- 
 vinced or edified ? 
 
 Unless the Holy Spirit, in a peculiar and powerful man- 
 ner, be present to over-awe and impress the audience with 
 divine truth, there will be but little personal application of 
 the gospel. How can a soul be savingly instructed and 
 blessed, where the sacred message is treated as the occasion 
 of mere pleasurable excitement ? A fine voice may fall 
 agreeably on the ear ; a graceful gesture may please the 
 eye ; powerful logic or a brilliant fancy may gratify or 
 captivate the mind ; and thus the gospel may be tolerated 
 for the sake of these pleasing accompaniments. Let us 
 
SELF-APPLICATION OF THE TRUTH. 61 
 
 not, however, mistake mental gratification for love of the 
 truth, nor suppose, that with such feelings as we have de- 
 scribed, the word will prove to us, " a savor of life unto 
 life." 
 
 But in most instapces, the preacher has few or none of 
 these rare and attractive qualifications. He is simply a 
 plain and faithful steward of the mysteries of the gospel. 
 Under such circumstances, many take the liberty to under- 
 value his labors ; and though complimenting him, it may 
 be, by their presence, they feel under no special obligation 
 to take the message home to their hearts. If the minis- 
 ter is eloquent, admiration of the man seems to cancel 
 the guilt of the neglect of the message. If he is not elo- 
 quent, his want of popularity is considered as a sufficient 
 excuse for drowsiness and inattention. There is but here 
 and there one who realizes in the sanctuary that God is 
 speaking to him. Few there are, who are more intent on 
 the truth itself, than on the manner in which it is convey- 
 ed to them. But let us remember, when we go into the 
 house of God, it is to hear the word of God. It is not for 
 the sake of being pleased with a fine voice, or an eloquent 
 delivery; it is not to while away an hour which might 
 otherwise hang heavy on our hands ; it is not to see and 
 to he seen ; nor is it for the sake merely of preserving a 
 good reputation. We go to hear what God will speak to 
 us ; and we are bound therefore to listen to the solemn 
 message, as a message of God u7ito us. Let us individual- 
 ize ourselves, and feel as we should feel, if we were the on- 
 ly persons in the sanctuary. Let us, in imagination, be 
 alone with the preacher ; and let eyery word which is spo- 
 ken be to us, as the still small voice of God to Elijah on the 
 mount of audience. 
 
 We are very apt also, under the blinding influence of 
 6 
 
62 u i BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 self-love or personal vanity, to listen for others — to put over 
 the pungentappeal upon our fellow- worshipper, to whose case 
 we judge it far more applicable than to our own. So easy 
 is it to perceive " the mote in our brother's eye," whilst 
 blind to " the beam that is in our own," that it is not un- 
 common, to repel the application of truth, even when it 
 touches a besetting sin, and to busy ourselves in fitting it 
 to others, whom we view as far more guilty than ourselves. 
 If the preacher be discriminating in his delineations of char- 
 acter, the congregation may be found on the alert to dis- 
 cover the personal mark at which he is supposed to aim. 
 Each one will seem to be unconscious that his own, bosom 
 is exposed, whilst wondering how his neighbor can bear up 
 under the rankling arrow. 
 
 This practice of hearing for others, whilst it argues great 
 self-ignorance with respect to our own character, operates 
 at the same lime, as an obstruction to our personal improve- 
 ment under the gospel. Let us then remember, that in or- 
 der to a profitable attendance upon the sanctuary, we must 
 forget, so far as possible, the presence of others ; that we 
 must take neither a sympathetic nor a censorious oversight 
 of their faults; but must hear for ourselves, receiving home 
 into our own bosoms, the warning or the reproof which is 
 administered. If we allow conscience to speak, we shall 
 often hear its direct and pointed appeal, in the words of the 
 prophet, " thou art the man." Be the truth never so mortify- 
 ing, if it apply to our own case, let us admit it. Be it never 
 so humbling, if irue^ let us bow under it. We should love 
 the preacher who probes our disordered nature with a keen 
 and searching knife. Let us not seek for external fomen- 
 tations and emollients, when the malady lies deep within. 
 Our self-knowledge should teach us, that no representations 
 of our character can be too humbling, no alarms too rousing. 
 
PRAYER UPON THE WORD. 63 
 
 We should carry our sin-defiled souls to the sanctuary for 
 this very purpose, viz. to have them snnitten by the power 
 of divine truth ; and we should love the man or the matter, 
 that seizes as with a giant grasp our sins ; that flings us on 
 our face before God-^that covers us with shame — pierces 
 us with a sense of guilt, and leaves us even bleeding and 
 groaning in anguish. " Let the righteous smile me ; it shall 
 be a kindness : and let him reprove me ; it shall be an ex- 
 cellent oil, which shall not break my head. 
 
 In hearing the word, we should have the spirit of chil- 
 dren. There should be no arrogance — no over-weening 
 opinion of our own importance — no cavilling — no shrink- 
 ing. We should open our bosom and invite the blow ; re- 
 membering, that truth must first kill, before she can make 
 alive ; and that, unless her arrow tipt with angwish touch 
 the heart, the hand of Jesus will not apply the balm of mer- 
 cy to the soul. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PRAYER UPON THE WORD. 
 
 In order to a profitable attendance upon the sanctuary, 
 the gospel must be heard not only with self-application, but 
 in a spirit of prayer. 
 
 Having considered the importance of prayer as a means 
 of preparation for the more public services of the sacred 
 day; let us carry this spirit of prayer into the house of 
 God, and breathe it forth in every part of the worship. 
 Especially should we send up our aspirations for heaven's 
 blessing on the preached word. We are sanctified by the 
 
64 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 word of God and by prayer ; but especially by prayer upon 
 the word of God. It is not placing ourselves around the 
 porches of Bethesda, that will effect the cure of our disor- 
 dered souls. It is necessary also to invoke the angel of 
 mercy to come down and trouble the waters : or better 
 still, to raise the cry to Jesus, as he passes by, and implore 
 his aid in our behalf. 
 
 Can we expect to reap the advantages of public preach- 
 ing in our own growth in grace, unless we mingle prayer 
 with what we hear ? We suppose that the word, of itself, 
 will not reach and rectify the heart. It is not in the pow- 
 er of the preacher — orthodox and eloquent though he may 
 be — to beat down one besetting sin, or to implant one 
 christian grace. Paul may plant and Apollos may water, 
 but God alone can give the increase. To this sentiment 
 all Christians subscribe. Who, therefore, will deny the ne- 
 cessity of looking directly to God for his blessing upon 
 the preaching of the word ? What time is more important, 
 as a season of prayer, than when we go into the very audi- 
 ence-chamber of the King, and listen to His commands and 
 counsels.? Then, if ever, should we press our suit, and 
 there should we invoke his promised Spirit to give light and 
 healing to the soul. As the preacher opens the inspired 
 volume, and announces the text, our thoughts should at 
 once ascend to God that the Holy Spirit may touch the lips 
 of the speaker, and open all hearts to receive the truth in 
 the love of it. As he proceeds to unfold the solemn topic, 
 and to apply it to his audience, our souls should be beating 
 with intense desire towards God for his quickening grace. 
 
 This spirit of prayer upon the dispensation of the word 
 is called for, not only in our own behalf as Christians, but 
 also in behalf of impenitent and careless souls in the con- 
 gregation. It is known, that where the Holy Spirit is ope- 
 
tiJAYEK tjPOJS THE WOBfi. 6& 
 
 rating with power, and men are awake to a sense of their 
 responsibilities, Christians practice much of this silent and 
 ejaculalory supplication, not only on their own account but 
 for the awakened and unawakened in the midst of them. 
 Then do they ackncrvvledge practically the connection be- 
 tween prayer and the effectual application of the gospel. 
 They come into the sanctuary burdened with the consider- 
 ation that souls are perishing in sin. They know and feel 
 that nothing but divine truth made effectual by the Holy 
 Spirit can awaken and save them. With suppressed agony 
 they look towardst he mercy-seat : and every word of the 
 preacher, which is adapted to convince or to awaken, is 
 caught from his lips, and impelled by the breath of prayer, 
 in the hope that it may reach the slumbering conscience, 
 and be, to the sinner, the power of God unto salvation. 
 How many beating anxious hearts are to be found in a 
 congregation where the Holy Spirit is doing his work of 
 saving grace ! How rapidly, under such circumstances, 
 do Christians ripen for heaven ! How are the careless 
 over-awed, and the hardened brought to repentance ! Oh, 
 what power is there in fervent prayer ! Let it be offered, 
 not only on some occasions, but on all occasions. Let 
 it be, not only when there is a revival, but whenever and 
 wherever the gospel is dispensed. Never will truth have 
 its full and destined sway over the heart, until it is heard, 
 not as an exhibition, but a saving medium ; rendered such 
 by the power of God in answer to prayer. As when Mo- 
 ses, flanked by his venerable colleagues, sat on the over- 
 looking mount and held up his hands unto God, whilst the 
 armies of Israel were in conflict with Amalek ; so must 
 Christians lift up their untiring hearts in prayer when the 
 sword of the Spirit is unsheathed, and truth is in conflict 
 with the opposing heart. And as certainly as the extended 
 6* 
 
6d ' ' BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 hands of the patriarch gave evidence of the triumph of 
 Israel, so certainly will the effectual and fervent prayers of 
 Christians, now in the sanctuary and under the preaching 
 of the word, be followed by the conviction of sinners and 
 the success of the gospel. 
 
 To profit under the means of grace, we rrnist be in the 
 spirit of prayer. There must be prayer before we enter 
 the sanctuary ; prayer whilst in it, and prayer when we re- 
 tire from the sanctuary. Where this is not, there will be 
 but little edification. There may be much talk about the 
 preacher and the sermon — many refined criticisms on the 
 manner and the matter — much eulogy or much condemna- 
 tion ; but there will be, I repeat, but little spiritual benefit. 
 We are bound to " be doers of the word :" and such we 
 shall not be, if we are not in the spirit of prayer. Would 
 you look for the " doer of the word," you will find him in 
 his closet before he is in the sanctuary ; and when in the 
 sanctuary, could you look into his bosom, you would see his 
 soul rising in holy aspirations for a blessing on the word. 
 When he retires, he goes not to the convivial circle, nor to 
 pleasure's gay banquet ; he seeks not the noise and bustle of 
 the world ; no, he goes to the still consecrated spot : there 
 he meditates, and there he prays. He bears to the mercy- 
 seat the souls of the thoughtless, and the burdens of the dis- 
 consolate. He opens his heart in ingenuous confession, and 
 bows it in deepest humility. There he groans and agonizefs 
 until the good seed of the word is deeply infixed and water- 
 ed by the Spirit's influence : so that instead of losing the 
 blessing, like " the way-side hearer," he brings forth fruit, 
 " thirty, sixty, and an hundred fold." 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 67 
 
 CHAPTER Vm. 
 
 COMMUNION SABBATH. 
 
 If to the christian mind, the ordinary Sabbath brings 
 with it a soothing and refreshing influence, how the inter- 
 est deepens, when the season of holy communion at the 
 Lord's table arrives ! Then is prepared a more than com- 
 mon repast. The King of Zion spreads his feast of love 
 and mercy, and sends forth the invitation to every humble 
 guest, " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, 
 and he that hath no money ; come ye, buy and eat ; yea, 
 come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price." 
 
 There is nothing so much like heaven as the Commu- 
 nion Sabbath. Not only does it shadow forth the " rest 
 that remaineth," but it strikingly typifies one of the celes- 
 tial employments of the redeemed ; viz. that act of holy 
 fellowship represented in the vision of St. John under the 
 figure of the " marriage supper of the Lamb." Christians 
 on this occasion come together to acknowledge their obli- 
 gations to Jesus their common head — to obey his dying 
 command — to sit as it were at his feet — to eat and drink 
 the memorials of his dying love. Something visible and 
 tangible is here given to assist their weak faith, and to awa- 
 ken their holy affections. On other occasions the mind 
 may be called to exercise a more rigidly abstract faith— to 
 contemplate truth in its naked severity and simplicity ; but 
 here abstractions give place to something more like sub- 
 stance ; and the soul is called to contemplate the love of a 
 divine Redeemer, manifested by visible symbols, appealing 
 through the senses to the heart. 
 
 What Christian can listen to the announcement of such 
 
68 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 a privilege and not feel at once the solemnity of the call ? 
 Is there not something which seems to say, " prepare to 
 meet thy God ?" Do we not in an instant begin to look at 
 our responsible position as members of the church of 
 Christ ? The voice of the Bridegroom is heard in this in- 
 vitation ; and something seems to say, " go ye out to meet 
 him." The soul begins to unloose its earthly burdens — to 
 turn off its attention from topics of transient interest, and to 
 cast a glance towards Calvary. The wedding garment is 
 thought of; and the anxiety begins to be felt for spiritual 
 preparation : and indeed such preparation is all-important. 
 
 *' Soul, for the marriage feast, 
 Robe and prepare ; 
 Holiness becomes each guest, 
 Jesus is there." ' 
 
 But we will suppose the day to have arrived. Dawns 
 there upon earth a brighter morning, or one more calm, 
 and soothing, than that which ushers in the Communion 
 Sabbath ? If the soul has been where duty has called it ; 
 if it has sat in judgment on itself — tested its claims to a 
 participation of the feast — humbled itself for past sins — di- 
 vested itself, by the help of divine grace, of earthly cares 
 — gone down into the valley of humility, and, as Bunyan 
 says, kissed the lowly flowers there ; if it has caught a 
 view by faith of Jesus, and felt some new impulses of love 
 and gratitude ; O then, the early dawn of this day will 
 seem like the first faint rays of heaven. Has it not often 
 so appeared to the humble believer ? Has he not felt as if 
 he was almost on the threshold of a blissful eternity ? 
 
 The hour arrives, when with kindred minds he surrounds 
 the precious board, and thinks only of him " who loved us 
 and gave himself to die for us." That deep solemnity, 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. W 
 
 amid which the voice of God's servant is heard speaking 
 of Jesus and his matchless love— that broken bread, O 
 touching emblem of the broken body, — the tear of peni- 
 tence, gathering in many an eye — the breathing petitions, 
 which, though mere aspirations of the soul, may almost be 
 heard amid the silence — the promised, yea realized pre- 
 sence of the Master, the heart carried back to Calvary, to 
 bleed with its bleeding Lord ; all declare, that this is the ve- 
 ry " gate of heaven." 
 
 So important a season for spiritual communion seems to 
 demand a few additional remarks, with a view to assist the 
 communicant in a practical improvement of it. 
 
 One point of great importance undoubtedly is, to under- 
 stand the nature and design of the supper. 
 
 It was instituted by our Savior on that night in which 
 he was betrayed. The darkest hour is at hand. The tre- 
 mendous crisis comes, when to all his other sufferings, 
 must be added the hidings of the Father's face, and this too 
 amid the death-pangs of the cross. But god-like in benev- 
 olence, he seems to lose sight of his oitm sorrows, in pity 
 for his dejected followers ; and he turns to comfort them, 
 when all consolation, save that of submission, is leaving 
 his own bosom. He desires to eat the passover with them 
 before he suffers. Wonderful coincidence ! The typical 
 Lamb is in close proximity to Calvary's victim. The sha- 
 dow and the substance are almOvSt conjoined. There on 
 the table lies the type ; and there at the table is the typi- 
 fied. The wrath of God that fell on Egypt, fell not where 
 the mark of innocent blood was seen ; and the wrath that 
 shall fall on the unbelieving, will touch no soul that bears 
 the mark of " rich atoning blood." In the place of the 
 passover then, comes the sacred supper, and instead of 
 looking back to Egypt, we are required to look back to 
 
W: BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 Calvary. Hence by a very natural transition, our Lord 
 changed this typical and Jewish into a symbolical and 
 christian feast. He puts the bread and the cup in place of 
 the Lamb and the bitter herbs ; and says, breaking the 
 bread, " this is my body which is broken for you," and 
 " this cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed 
 for many, for the remission of sins." By these expres- 
 sions, our Savior presents the idea of his death as a vica- 
 rious, i. e. substituted offering for sin. The bread is the 
 body, or to represent the body of Jesus broken for us ; and 
 the wine is to represent his blood shed for our remission. 
 This is in accordance with Isaiah, who says, " he was 
 wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniqui- 
 ties." And again, " the Lord hath laid upon Him the ini- 
 quity of us all." Any view therefore of this ordinance 
 which does not include, nay even make prominent the fact, 
 that Jesus our Savior died as a delegated victim — a volun- 
 tary offering for sin — does not coincide with Scripture, nor 
 apprehend the nature and design of the Supper. 
 
 The communicant who understands the subject considers 
 himself as the guilty — the condemned — the lost. Die he 
 must eternally, if dealt with according to his sins. But 
 when he approaches the table he sees in those symbols that 
 which affords ground of hope. His faith seizes on " the 
 Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." 
 Here the innocent suffers, and the guilty is pardoned. Je- 
 sus takes the sinner's place, and by sufferings voluntarily 
 borne for him, procures his forgiveness and secures his final 
 preparation for heaven. 
 
 The sacrament of the Supper is designed to keep in 
 view this grand truth of the atonement. It speaks not only 
 of Jesus, but of Jesus the sufferer. It points not only to his 
 broken body and shed blood, but to the fact that by these 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 71 
 
 he purchased our redemption. Away with the notion then 
 that He was only a martyr to the truth ! Every time this 
 table is spread, it speaks a refutation of that icy creed; 
 which first plucks from our Emmanuel the crown of divin- 
 ity, and makes his blood of no more value, as a sin-offering, 
 than that of the brute beast, which had so long typified its 
 saving virtue. 
 
 This ordinance was instituted also as a perpetual memo- 
 rial of our Lord. 
 
 It was intended to bring his character and mediatorial 
 work frequently before the mind, in order to keep alive 
 within us a sense of obligation, and to impel us forward in 
 the path to heaven. " This do," said Jesus, " in remem- 
 brance of me." What wisdom and compassion are here ! 
 The Savior provides through all future time this precious 
 antidote to the lingering infirmities of his followers. Alas, 
 that we should ever forget, or even seem to forget that dy- 
 ing love ! Yet amid the pressure of earthly cares, and the 
 ever present allurements of the world, our deceitful hearts 
 are prone to lose sight of the cross. A thousand objects 
 intervene between us and our Savior. VVe seem to want 
 some strong sensible ligature to bind our affections to Cal- 
 vary; or if for a season, we are driven down the current 
 of this world's affairs, we need a counter-current or some 
 favoring breeze to set us back again to the port of peace. 
 Here we have it. In this sweet memorial we have what 
 is all-important in keeping us closely united to Jesus, or if 
 we have grown cold in his service, ihe blessed communion 
 awakens our affections and kindles up our flagging zeal. 
 
 Disciple of Jesus, art thou now anticipating an approach 
 to the table, and asking how thou shalt dispose thy thoughts 
 most appropriately, and on what thou shalt principally fix 
 the attention > The reply is simply, " Do this in remem- 
 
?8 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 brance of me." Turn thine eyes towards Calvary. Go, 
 in thought, to the garden of agony. Draw nearer even 
 than the three slumbering disciples. Advance to the blood- 
 bedewed spot where lies the sufferer. Behold the cup 
 which he drinks. Oh it is a more bitter draught than ever 
 touched the mortal lip. .His tears, his groans, his sorrow 
 " even unto death," tell us through what he is passing for 
 our redemption. The command of Jesus is, " let us rise 
 and go hence." But where shall we go ? Alas, from 
 one deep scene of wo, to another still deeper. We must 
 see our Savior bound and dragged by a ruthless band to 
 the bar of Pilate. We must witness the insult, the mock- 
 ery, the ruffian blows, the scourging, the crown of thorns, 
 the purple robe. Meek Lamb of God, was there " ever 
 sorrow like unto thine ?"" But the cross ! This is the cli- 
 max ; and his murderers are not satisfied until they see 
 him writhing upon it in the agonies of death. Oh that aw- 
 ful hour of darkness and desolation ! But there is a little 
 band who cling to him even here. They press through the 
 rude soldiery, to catch his last look and to hear his last cry. 
 Let us mingle with them to share their sorrows and their 
 love. Equally interested are we in that scene of suffering. 
 That precious blood flows for ws, no less than for them. 
 Those dying words "it is finished," speak of a redemption 
 in which all Christ's followers are included. 
 
 Such are some of the thoughts, which would naturally 
 be suggested on this deeply solemn occasion. They are 
 thoughts which the believer loves to cherish ; and which 
 have a tendency to impress him with the odiousness of sin, 
 and the compassion of Jesus in expiating it. 
 
 Let the communicant then investigate his claim to a seat 
 at this table ; since, " not every one that saith, Lord, Lord ;" 
 nor every one who " eateth and drinketh in his presence. 
 
MEDITATION AND READING. 73 
 
 shall enter into the kingdom of God." Examine thyself, 
 invited guest. Inquire if all sin is hated and resisted — 
 especially as having caused the death of God's dear Son; 
 if holiness is thy great aim ; if thy happiness is found 
 not in the world, but in God ; if the duties of devotion 
 are not a burden but a pleasure ; if you love the brethren, 
 and ihose most who are most like Christ ; if you are peni- 
 tent ; if the presence of sin, even in thought is painful ; if, 
 with a deep conviction of your own entire sinfulness, you 
 cast away all dependence on your own works, and trust for 
 salvation alone on Christ and him crucified ; if Jesus is pre- 
 cious ; precious in his character, precious in his promises ; 
 so precious, that you can heartily forsake all to follow him ? 
 If, to these inquiries, you can humbly reply in the affir- 
 mative, you are a welcome guest, whatever your own fears 
 or Satan may suggest to the contrary. Yes, you are a 
 welcome guest; and after having communed with your 
 Lord on earth, you shall be admitted to the marriage sup- 
 per of the Lamb in heaven. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 MEDITATION AND READING. 
 
 Among the duties which claim our attention on the Sab- 
 bath, may be named meditation and devotional reading. 
 
 The day of rest is well adapted to those exercises, and 
 seems, in the suspension of our earthly cares, seriously to 
 invite the soul to their performance. Throughout the secu- 
 lar part of the week, there occur but few intervals of leisure ; 
 and even the Christian, especially if he be obliged to toil 
 7 
 
Tdi' BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 for his daily bread, finds it difficult to command his thoughts 
 away from pressing anxieties which respect the present Hfe. 
 How thankful then should he be, that God has allowed him 
 one whole day of exemption from toil, in which he may, 
 in some degree, forget his connections with earth, and think 
 of his solemn relations to eternity. Let us make the most 
 of these precious hours ; and taking to ourselves the wings 
 of pious contemplation, let us soar away towards that final 
 rest where cares and sorrows shall never come. 
 
 Having considered the spirit in which we should improve 
 the public services of the sanctuary, I would invite the read- 
 er's attention to some duties, of a private nature, not yet 
 mentioned, as appropriate to the Lord's day, among which 
 I would place meditation as next in importance to secret 
 prayer. 
 
 In all ages of the church, devout men have occupied them- 
 selves in pious meditation. The patriarch Isaac " went out 
 at the even-tide to meditate." The Psalmist characterizes 
 the happy man as one who meditates in the divine law day 
 and night. Of his own devout exercises, he says, " my med- 
 itation of him shall be sweet ;" and again, " I love thy law, 
 it is my meditation all the day." Paul expressly enjoins up- 
 on Timothy this duty. " Meditate," says he, " upon these 
 things." Saints in modern times, who have been distin- 
 guished for their rapid advances in holiness, have addicted 
 themselves greatly to this duty. David Brainerd was often 
 occupied in profound meditation upon God and his holy 
 word. His diary seems like one rapt vision of the soul. 
 When his lips were silent, his heart was speaking to God 
 in holy contemplaiion. 
 
 This duty requires some eflTort, and implies some degree 
 of mental discipline. It is not as easy a thing to command 
 the thoughts, as for the centurion to command his soldiers ; 
 
MEDITATION AND READING. 75 
 
 saying to one go, and to another come, with the certainty of 
 pronnpt obedience. Alas ! the ever-present objects of sense 
 — the earthly habits of mind — the power of remaining de- 
 pravity, all stand opposed to meditation on spiritual themes, 
 and make strenuous exertions necessary in order to accom- 
 plish it. But the effort must be made. The refractory 
 mind must be reined back to the subject ; and looking to 
 God for help, we must strive to settle our undiverted 
 thoughts upon his truth. Perseverance in this work will be 
 rewarded by success ; and a habit of holy contemplation 
 once formed, the soul, by means of it, will advance rapidly 
 in meetness for its final rest. 
 
 Meditation must, if possible, be the Christian's daily busi- 
 ness. The Sabbath, at all events, should not pass without 
 some excursions to the land of Beulah. The occurrences 
 of the past week will ordinarily furnish apart of the subject- 
 matter for pious contemplation. The mercies of God may 
 be recalled to excite our gratitude. The disappointments 
 and afflictions which have befallen us, may, by meditation, 
 be made serviceable to the soul, in producing humility and 
 trust. Each event of Providence should be noted in our 
 spiritual diary — which, on this day should be carefully cor- 
 rected, that we may understand our progress or retarda- 
 tion in the christian pilgrimage. 
 
 Having heard the word of God from his official servants, 
 it is our duty also to meditate thereon, in order that we may 
 inwardly digest the same, and thus reduce the principles of 
 the gospel to practice. There is reason to fear a very gen- 
 eral neglect on this point ; and that by many, the gospel is 
 listened to, more from custom, than as that word which is 
 designed to make us " wise unto salvation." Even Chris- 
 tians may inadvertently become mere hearers. If they are 
 provided with an acceptable pastor, whose discourses grati- 
 
« 76 ' BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 fy their taste— yes, even sometimes their pride — they may 
 rest satisfied with the weekly entertainment, without seri- 
 ously applying the mind to the truth, with a view to incor- 
 porate it into their daily habits. Is meditation habitual 
 with Christians ? Can the reader say, that he follows the 
 public preaching of the word with serious and self-appropri- 
 ating reflections ? Or does the subject flit from the atten- 
 tion, like a pleasing or painful vision of the night, and 
 leave nothing of its solemn reality on the soul ? I have 
 known some persons vastly pleased with a sermon, who 
 could tell neither where the text was, nor how it was treat- 
 ed. How many professors even, will listen on the Sabbath 
 to three discourses, and be at a loss, the succeeding day, if 
 requested to give you a single striking thought or passage 
 from either ! Is it not evident in this case, that meditation 
 is wanting ; that the mind is merely passive ; and that no 
 more adheres to it than the unsolicited memory chooses to 
 retain ? How far is this from compliance with the apos- 
 tle's direction to the Hebrews: " Therefore we ought to 
 give the more earnest heed to the things which we have 
 heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." 
 
 In order then, to hear the word with profit, we must, by 
 meditation and prayer, seize upon, and hold it fast, until the 
 soul can take from it those divine impressions, which, 
 through the Holy Spirit, it is intended to make. Yes, we 
 must meditate upon the truth, or its impressions on the soul 
 will be " but as the morning cloud and as the early dew." 
 On the Sabbath, we have an appropriate season for this du- 
 ty. No clamorous calls of earth are summoning away our 
 attention. All is quiet and serene. The closet invites us 
 to enter its sweet retreat. Let us from the public sanctuary 
 repair to the private altar. Whatever may have been the 
 subject of discourse, let us, by meditation, extract some- 
 
MEt)lf ATION AND READING. fl 
 
 thing from it for the good of the soul. Has it warned us 
 against temptation ? Let us ask our own hearts in what 
 respects we need to be on our guard. Has it spoken of 
 the advent of Jesus ? How glorious a theme ! Let us 
 dwell upon it with rapture. Let our hearts echo the song 
 heard by the grateful shepherds of Bethlehem. Has it call- 
 ed us to duties ? Let us inquire wherein we have been de- 
 ficient ; and what we can yet do for the good of souls, and 
 for the glory of God. Has it touched upon the resurrec- 
 tion ? We may linger in thought around the sepulchre, 
 until by faith we see our risen Lord. Has Calvary spo- 
 ken ? O let us dwell upon the dying love of Jesus, in pen- 
 sive, grateful contemplation until that love shall constrain us 
 to obedience. Have the glories of heaveii been set before 
 us ? Let us, by meditation, retain the lovely vision, and ask, 
 what claim we have on those unending joys ? From the 
 earthly Sabbath, we should ascend in contemplation to the 
 eternal rest ; and by keeping the bright reality in view, we 
 should endeavor to increase our faith, and fire our zeal in 
 the pursuit of it. What vast and glorious themes are spread 
 before us ! What a boundless field for the excursions of the 
 soul ! Here is the " valley of Baca ;" and we may de- 
 scend and breathe its fragrance, wafted to us from the 
 sweet but lowly flowers which bloom around its waters. 
 Here is Mount Pisgah, from whose shining summit we can 
 descry the land of our hopes, in all its out-spread glories. 
 Here are " green pastures" through which we may rove, 
 and " still waters" along whose verdant banks we may wan- 
 der. Yes, a more than earthly paradise is accessible to 
 pious meditation. The soul may rise even to the dwelling- 
 place of God, and commune with the scenes of a blissful 
 eternity. 
 
78 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 " Ofl as this peaceful hour shall come, 
 
 Lord, raise my thoughts from earthly things 
 
 And bear them to my heavenly home, 
 On faith and hope's celestial wings, — 
 
 'Till the last gleam of life decay, 
 In one eternal Sabbath day !" 
 
 Devotional Reading 
 
 With meditation we should connect devotional reading. 
 There are intervals between the public servipes of the 
 sanctuary which must be filled up profitably, or we may 
 lose much of the good influence which the Sabbath is dcr 
 signed to have upon the soul. 
 
 Prayer we have placed first ; next in importance is medi> 
 tation ; and not less useful perhaps is reading. The Bible 
 is, of course, the first and principal book which should en- 
 gage our attention. This is the fountain-head of spiritual 
 knowledge. When we drink here, we are sure that the 
 waters are unadulterated. However excellent other books 
 may be, their value, as religious works, is only in propor- 
 tion as they approach, in spirit and in principle, this divine 
 standard. They are to the Bible what luminous objects 
 are to the sun ; they but reflect the light. Let us then 
 place the word of God first ; and, never may we fall so 
 low in spiritual feeling, as to allow any other book to super- 
 sede it in our aflfeclions. 
 
 Other books however may profitably be read on the Sab- 
 bath ; but the selection ought to be made with reference to 
 their devotional and practical character. There is, at the 
 present time, a vast number of religious books, which have 
 a slightly serious aspect; but which tend to amuse the 
 mind rather than to improve the heart. They seem to be 
 graduated to a low scale of pious feeling, and to furnish an 
 
DEVOTIONAL READING. 79 
 
 apology for the neglect of what is strictly devotional. 
 There are not a few popular works, which dress up truth 
 in the garb of fiction : so that, in our humble apprehen- 
 sion, the brilliant drapery, whilst it dazzles and delights the 
 eye, may conceal almost the pure and simple forms which 
 it envelops. 
 
 But an important influence, in letting down the devotion- 
 al character of the Sabbath, may come, I apprehend, from 
 the semi-religious newspaper. This weekly visitor is re- 
 ceived into almost every Christian family in our land. It 
 comes to spend the Sabbath with us, and proposes to aid 
 us in a profitable employment of the sacred hours. But is 
 it not, in many instances, more secular than serious ; more 
 controversial than practical ; and does it not set the mind 
 afloat on a thousand novelties, from which it is next to 
 impossible to recal it to holy contemplation ? It is deeply 
 to be regretted that, in some of these otherwise excellent 
 papers, there has been a gradual descent from the high 
 spiritual standard which was announced on their first pub- 
 lication. They have become but semi- religious, whilst sec- 
 ular intelligence is claiming column after column, and 
 crowding out the all-important interests of piety. It be- 
 comes Christians to guard well this inlet to temptation ; and 
 if so large a portion of secular and controversial reading 
 continues to characterize religious newspapers, it should 
 be a serious question, whether they ought to be admitted as 
 a part of our Sunday reading. 
 
 The "Saint's Everlasting Rest" is a book peculiarly well 
 adapted to the sacred day. It treats of that rest of which 
 the earthly Sabbath is a type or emblem. It is one of the 
 holiest of uninspired works. The author composed it, he 
 tells us, in view of death and of eternity. It breathes 
 throughout a heavenly spirit ; and it will, I doubt not, if 
 
80 BOOK FOR THE SABBATHT. 
 
 read with prayer and meditation, infuse a heavenly splriU 
 Next to the Bible there are no better books for the Sabbath 
 than Baxter's practical and devotional writings. Addison 
 says, *' I once met with a page of Mr. Baxter ; upon the 
 perusal of it, I conceived so good an idea of the author's 
 piety, that I bought the whole book ;" and Dr. Johnson 
 being asked by his friend, which of the works of Richard 
 Baxter he should read ; *' Read any of them," said the sage, 
 " for they are all good." Other authors might be named, 
 such as Doddridge, Howe, Newton, Bunyan, Scott, Ed- 
 wards, Flavel ; all of whom have furnished food for the 
 soul, on which, in the intervals of worship, it may feed and 
 ruminate with profit. The rule in regard to Sabbath read- 
 ing should be ; not controversial but practical^ not specula- 
 tive but devotional works. On this day, every thing should 
 tend to waft the soul onward to its rest. 
 
 The pious parent or head of a household should see that 
 his family are provided with reading suited to the day of 
 rest. Let only such books be perused as will deepen or 
 confirm any serious impressions which, through the divine 
 word and ordinances, may have been made upon the mind. 
 Example will in this respect do a great deal. If the head 
 of the family is seen to be conscientious in the selection of 
 such authors as are practical and devotional, the children 
 will not be likely to resort to light and unprofitable books. 
 
 I will conclude this chapter by a quotation from the de- 
 vout Kempis. Of reading the Scriptures and other holy 
 books, he says, " not eloquence, but truth is to be sought in 
 the holy Scriptures ; every part of which must be read with 
 the same spirit by which it was written. In these and in 
 all other books, it is improvement in holiness, not pleasure 
 in the subtlety of thought or the accuracy of expression, 
 that must principally be sought. We ought to regard those 
 
CONVERSATION. '>- 81 
 
 parts that are simple and devout with the same delight as 
 those of high speculation or profound erudition. Whatever 
 book thou readest, let thy only motive to read be the love 
 of truth; and instead of inquiring, who it is that writes, 
 give all attention to the nature of what is written. Men 
 pass away like the shadows of the morning, but the word 
 of the Lord endureth forever ; and that word, without re- 
 spect of persons, in ways infinitely various speaketh unto 
 all. 
 
 " The profitable reading of the holy Scriptures is fre- 
 quently interrupted by a vain curiosity which prompts us 
 to examine, discuss, and labor to comprehend those pans 
 which should be meekly and submissively passed over. 
 But to derive spiritual improvement from reading, we must 
 read with humility, simplicity, and faith ; and not affect the 
 reputation of profound learning." 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 CONVERSATION. 
 
 It is unbecoming in Christians at any time to indulge 
 in " foolish conversation and jesting." Their discourse 
 should always be for edification. Religion requires neither 
 austerity nor a forced gravity. She authorizes and even 
 enjoins her followers to be cheerful ; and when she incul- 
 cates the duty of an edifying conversation, she should not 
 be understood as proscribing or condemning all natural hu- 
 mor or lively sallies of the imagination. 
 
 On the Sabbath, pious cheerfulness or holy serenity of 
 mind is peculiarly appropriate ; and they will be exhibited 
 
82 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 where the individual has a heart attuned to the duties of the 
 day. And since, out of the abundance of the heart the 
 mouth will speak, we may, in such a case, expect that "the 
 conversation will be as it becometh the gospel of Christ." 
 t. Topics of discourse, which on other days, are innocent 
 and proper, are neither proper nor edifying on this day. It 
 is not the mere attendance upon divine institutions which 
 God requires, when he says " remember the Sabbath day 
 to keep it holy." This command forbids worldly conversa- 
 tion no less than secular employments. It requires absti- 
 nence from the subjects of ordinary discourse, and the em- 
 ployment of our tongue as well as our heart in things di- 
 vine. The tongue is called by an apostle, " an unruly 
 evil ;" and he who " offends not in word " is considered a 
 perfect man. But let the duties already enumerated be se- 
 riously attended to, and there will be but little difficulty in 
 rightly employing the tongue. It is for the want of a devo- 
 tional spirit that this member becomes unruly. It is because 
 there is so much of the spirit of the world carried into the 
 Sabbath, that we are tempted to vain discourse. " Make the 
 tree good and its fruit will be good." " Keep the heart with 
 all diligence ;" and then from the mouth, the door of the 
 heart, nothing will proceed " that defileth the man " 
 
 Every Christian knows how close is the connection be- 
 tween his feelings and the current of his discourse ; and 
 how easy and natural it is to have our conversation in hea- 
 ven if our hearts are but there. So, on the other hand, 
 if there be not a devotional spirit ; if the heart has been ab- 
 sorbed in the world ; how certainly will the conversation 
 savor, even on the Sabbath, of the things which are " seen 
 and temporal." 
 
 There is perhaps no one point on which Christians are 
 more habitually deficient, than in a conscientious abstinence 
 
CONVERSATION. 83 
 
 on the Lord's day from all secular and unprojitahle dis- 
 course. How few are found, who exhibit in this respect, 
 an unblemished deportment ! Is it impossible to keep in 
 view the sacredness of the day, and so to order our conver- 
 sation that it shall harmonize strictly with its holy design ? 
 Can we not make even a Sabbath-day's journey towards 
 heaven, without like Lot's wife, casting a backward look 
 to the city of destruction ? 
 
 But we are very apt to tempt each other into the sin of 
 Sabbath desecration. If an individual feels more than or- 
 dinarily disposed to muse on things divine ; if pious thoughts 
 are getting hold of the mind, and he seems to be rising into 
 the region of holy contemplation, he is almost sure to meet 
 with some one who will drag him back again to grovelling 
 themes. Some person less affected with seriousness, or 
 positively imbued with its opposite, will ask a question or 
 throw in a remark calculated to drive away or to chill his 
 devotional feelings. 
 
 Here, for example, is Gratus, who strives to keep his 
 mind and tongue properly employed on the Lord's day ; 
 and in general he is quite successful. He has enjoyed many 
 happy Sabbaths which have proved to him a foretaste of 
 the eternal rest. At night he has been able to review the 
 day's privileges with but few ^^ compunctious visitings ;" 
 and he seeks his peaceful pillow with grateful recognition 
 of the divine mercy. But his friend Lentus arrives and 
 proposes to spend the Sabbath as a guest in his family. 
 Now there is a wide difference between these two charac- 
 ters. The one is habitually serious, and aims, on the Sab- 
 bath especially, to grow in every christian grace and vir- 
 tue. The other, as his name imports, is a careless profes- 
 sor, and he thinks more and talks more of the business of the 
 world and of the news of the day, than of the things of relig- 
 
84 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 ion. It is easy to see that Gratus and his guest will not strike 
 the same chord on the Sabbath, however they may accord on 
 other days. Lentus finds the constant recurrence of relig- 
 ious duties in the family of his friend an unpleasant draft upon 
 his time, part of which he had hoped to spend in social re- 
 laxation, and in conversation not strictly serious. There is 
 an awkwardness and constraint about him which show that 
 he has not been accustomed to so scrupulous an observance 
 of the day. He is constantly edging in some remark which 
 savors of ihe world; or which, if replied to, must lead on 
 the discourse to forbidden subjects. He is willing to talk 
 ahout religion, but must be excused from any discourse 
 touching upon christian experience, or which presses home 
 upon the conscience, the obligations of the divine law. 
 
 How difficult is it, in such a man's company, to keep the 
 discourse on profitable or even allowable themes. So Gra- 
 tus finds it ; and he is pained and surprised upon finding, 
 that under the influence of politeness to his guest he is ever 
 and anon sliding into conversation wholly irrelevant, and 
 directly calculated to lead the mind away from God. 
 
 This is but one instance of that unprofitable kind of in- 
 tercourse which may take place among professors of reli- 
 gion, where the tendency is to dishonor God, and to lose 
 the advantages of the day of rest. How necessary that 
 each one should guard well his thoughts and his speech ; 
 and how important — where there is a family — that its in- 
 fluential members should give such a tone to conversation 
 as shall ensure a profitable or at least an innocent current 
 of discourse ! Much depends on the head. Let the father 
 or mother look well to this point, for it is almost certain, 
 that as their example and influence are, so will be the de- 
 portment of their household. By a little attention and fore- 
 thought, they may secure this hallowed season from that 
 
CONVERSATION. 85 
 
 species of desecration whicii vain and worldly conversation 
 brings, and may make it the occasion of permaaent moral 
 impressions. 
 
 The sin of Sabbath violation from worldly conversation 
 is so prevalent, that if might be difficult to find, even among 
 Christians, the man who should " cast the first stone." Our 
 consciences however need to be apprised, that the common- 
 ness of a sin has no tendency to diminish its guilt ; and if it 
 be a fact that, in this respect, all are criminal, a general re- 
 pentance and a general reformation ought instantly to 
 ensue. I 
 
 When the inhabitants of a country town meet at the vil- 
 lage church, they should consider, that the object of their 
 assembling is to honor God in the observance of his sacred 
 institutions. In obedience to his command, they convene 
 to hear his word dispensed ; but in doing this, they have 
 not discharged all their obligations. The law runs, " re- 
 member the Sabbath day to keep it holy." Now if they 
 make a convenience of this day, by appropriating the in- 
 tervals of worship to mere secular conversation, they di- 
 rectly violate a divine precept. I make these remarks be- 
 cause it is sometimes the case, that the occasion of meeting 
 at the house of God is seized upon as a good opportunity 
 to inquire into the state of the crops ; the prices of provi- 
 sions ; and, it is said, even to chaffer respecting cattle and 
 produce. 
 
 It is sincerely to be regretted, if any professor of piety 
 should have been guilty of thus turning the Lord's day into 
 a day of merchandize. Should this prove to le the case in 
 any instance ; let that professor call to mind what the Sa- 
 vior said and did on a memorable occasion, in which a 
 like guilt had been incurred. Whh holy indignation he 
 entered the temple, and with a scourge of small cords, 
 8 
 
86 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 drove out those who were engaged in merchandize, saying, 
 " It is written, My house shall be called the house of pray- 
 er ; but ye have made it a den of thieves." Though we 
 may not go to the length of actually exchanging commodi- 
 ties on this day, yet if, in the spirit of the world, we con- 
 verse about such exchanges, we are guilty of desecrating 
 the Sabbath, as truly as was the mercenary Jew of polluting 
 the temple. 
 
 How much better on this holy day — when neighbors 
 meet to worship God — to converse on appropriate themes ! 
 Let the discourse just preached be the topic of conversa- 
 tion ; and inquire not merely how it was liked, but in what 
 respects it may be practically improved. Let some por- 
 tion of the interval be occupied in reading the Scriptures, 
 in exhortation and in prayer. At all events, let not the 
 world be the topic ; nor let God be robbed of those hours 
 which he has appropriated to himself; and for the abuse 
 of which we must all account to him at his bar. 
 
 The merchant finds it difficult to keep his thoughts away 
 from business on the Lord's day. He drives the trade with 
 intensity of zeal for six days of the week. The impetus 
 upon his soul is so great, that the Sabbath can scarcely ar- 
 rest it. Hence he will be tempted to look at a price-cur- 
 rent ; or to catch any flying rumor of the fluctuations in 
 trade ; and more or less to converse on these topics ; not 
 so freely, it is true, as on other days, yet so as to make 
 conscience mutter her note of disapprobation. How much 
 Sabbath violation of this kind is practiced, I leave those to 
 judge who are most conversant with the business of the 
 world. Can a christian merchant reasonably expect to 
 prosper, if he will not revere the command of Heaven ? 
 Let him take his stand against all Sabbath desecration. 
 When he locks his store or office on Saturday evening, let 
 
CONVERSATION. 87 
 
 him lock his heart and mind against all earthly cares, and 
 abstain in word as well as deed from violating the fourth 
 commandment. 
 
 Politics is a fruitful source of Sabbath violation ; not 
 merely in ihe papers which are published on that day, and 
 by public bulletins which invite the inspection of the citi- 
 zens ; but in thinking and in conversing about the persons 
 and events connected with it. It is to be hoped that, whatev- 
 er may be the practice of other men, Christians will not in- 
 dulge in this sort of discourse on the Lord's day. There 
 is perhaps no subject more exciting, nor any which is more 
 constantly thrust upon the attention. Some pious men feel 
 it to be their duty, as good citizens, to take an active part 
 in this subject. We object not to this ; yet we must say, 
 if it be pursued with ardor, there is danger that the image 
 of Csesar may dim if not obliterate the image of God. But 
 politics as a subject of thought and of conversation must 
 be confined at least to the six secular days of the week. 
 On the Sabbath we must " render unto God the things that 
 are God's." The time is holy, and he has demanded of us 
 its entire consecration to his service. Whatever therefore 
 be our interest on the subject of politics, it must not be al- 
 lowed to invade the day which is sacred by God's com- 
 mand, and which should be employed wholly in works of 
 heavenly charity. 
 
 We might mention other topics of discourse which are 
 apt to insinuate themselves, to our spiritual disadvantage ; 
 such as the current news of the town — conversation on per- 
 sonal character, savoring often of censoriousness — criti- 
 cisms on the dress or appearance of our fellow worship- 
 pers — plans of business or of pleasure for succeeding days 
 of the week ; all of which, are directly adverse to our spir- 
 itual-improvement, and are manifestly a breach of the 
 
 ■■V *>' (yg THr; ">F\' 
 
 
 
88 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 fourth commandment. There is surely time enough on 
 other days for such conversation ; and not too much time 
 on the Sabbath for that which is strictly spiritual. The 
 book of providence and of grace furnish noble and inex- 
 haustible themes, not only for solitary reflection, but for 
 social converse. The glories of creation — the great work 
 of redemption — the resurrection of Jesus — divine provi- 
 dence, especially in its bearings on our own history and 
 that of our families, — the preached word — the heavenly 
 rest — in fine, the facts, doctrines, and precepts of the Bi- 
 ble are so many fruitful topics, on which, if the heart be in 
 tune, we may dwell with mutual delight and edification. 
 Let us then imitate the disciples who, on their way to Em- 
 maus, talked of the Savior; and we may then hope that — 
 as in their case — Jesus will himself draw nigh, and impart 
 to us the knowledge of his truth, and reveal to us the glories 
 of his risen person. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 DOING GOOD ON THE SABBATH DAY. 
 
 " It is lawful," said Christ, " to do good on the Sabbath 
 day." From this we perceive, that it is a season not merely 
 for the reception^ but also for the communication of good. 
 Works of charity are peculiarly appropriate on this day. 
 
 Whilst Christians, therefore, should use the Sabbath as a 
 season of rest from the cares and business of life, and 
 should so attend upon the duties of the closet and the sanc- 
 tuary, as to secure the blessings which the day is designed 
 to impart ; they should not forget, that their great exemplar 
 
DOING GOOD ON THE SABBATH. 0» 
 
 went about doing good ; and that provided the opportunity 
 is presented, he expects us in this respect to be his fol- 
 lowers. 
 
 Some, we admit, are, by the providence of God, so situ- 
 ated as to exempt them in a great measure from this obliga- 
 tion ; and they are hence called upon to make doubly sure 
 their own salvation. Still how few can plead, that on this 
 day, they have nehher the ability nor the opportunity to do 
 good. Can they not pray for others ? Is there not some one 
 near them over whom they have influence, and who, through 
 their example or advice may be induced to hallow the day ? 
 It is a season well suited to such benevolent efforts. Men 
 are taken off from their ordinary pursuits. The interval is 
 calculated to induce a serious tone of feeling. It is a pause 
 amid the stirring events of life ; and how few but must feel 
 within them, at such a season, some pulsations of moral 
 sensibility ! 
 
 Take the careless sinner into your affectionate consid- 
 eration on this day. If he is near your person or under 
 your roof, he is there by the arrangement of Providence ; 
 and there can be no time more favorable for benefitting him. 
 You may then offer in his behalf )^our prayers, suppli- 
 cating that the word of God may reach his heart and 
 bring him to repentance. You may discreetly, yet faithful- 
 ly counsel him in relation to his best interests. Have you a 
 book well adapted to fix his attention and lead his thoughts 
 to God ? Lend it to him, and you will then have an oppor- 
 tunity to converse with him in relation to its contents. 
 
 How much good might be done, if Christians had more of 
 the spirit of doing good ! How many, now far oflT, might, 
 with suitable efforts, be brought under the means of grace ! 
 Here, for example, is a church in a dense population, yet 
 how thinly attended ! Why is this ? Why are hundreds 
 8* 
 
90 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 wandering in the streets, or violating the day by excursions 
 of pleasure ? Is it impossible to turn their feet unto God's 
 testimonies ? Can nothing be done to save these precious 
 but perishing souls ? Suppose the people of God were to 
 say, that no personal labor on their part should be wanting 
 to bring them under the means of grace. Suppose every 
 member of the church should feel it to be his duty to se- 
 cure the attendance of some one or more who have not 
 hitherto frequented the sanctuary ; and that with this ob- 
 ject in view, Christians should spread themselves as far as 
 possible over the careless portion of the community, per- 
 suading them to keep the Sabbath and to visit the sanctuary. 
 Can we calculate the good which might ensue ? " Go out," 
 said our Lord to his disciples, " into the highways and hedges 
 and compel Ihem to come in, that my house may be filled.'* 
 In the spirit of this command, and with love to Christ and 
 souls, let Christians labor in every lawful and proper way 
 to induce the Sabbath violator to seek the house of God. 
 Let the work become general, and " the ways of Zion," we 
 have reason to believe, would no longer " mourn ;" nor 
 would there be so few to attend upon " her solemn feasts." 
 
 There is one field of exertion which God has furnished be- 
 lievers, and especially the younger church-members, which 
 promises an abundant harvest. Almost every congrega- 
 tion at the present day, has its Sabbath -school. Here is 
 good ground wherein the precious seed may be cast. Here 
 a whole generation may be trained for heaven. Will any 
 stand idle, while the streets or lanes can furnish him with 
 immortal minds in all the waste and barrenness of nature ? 
 Will he fold his arms and cry " no man hath hired me," 
 when Jesus says to him, " the poor ye have always with 
 you ; feed my ^dmbs .?" 
 
 This work, it is true, cannot be done, but at some ex- 
 
DOING GOOD ON THE SABBATH. .91 
 
 pense of ease and of labor. The faithful teacher must ex- 
 pect weariness and painfulness. He must forego some of 
 the privileges and personal comforts which others on the 
 Sabbath enjoy ; but let him neither faint nor grow weary. 
 The cross which he bears is for the sake of Jesus and of 
 souls ; and though at times, it may press hard, yet the 
 consolation of laboring for such a master and in such a 
 cause, must surely over-balance the temporary fatigue and 
 deprivation. Every young Christian should claim a place 
 in this department of labor, and should strive by the help 
 of God, to bring the youth under his care to a saving know- 
 ledge of the Redeemer. 
 
 The domestic circle is a fine field of usefulness ; and the 
 parent or guardian who is the centre of this circle may do 
 much on the Sabbath to " bless his household." Besides 
 affording them facilities for attending upon the private and 
 public services of religion, he may himself instruct them in 
 the doctrines and precepts of the gospel. A prayerful and 
 systematic attention to this department of duty will, I had 
 almost said,- insure the salvation of his house. 
 
 High above all other means of usefulness stands the sa- 
 cred ministry. The Sabbath is the great working day of 
 God's servants. Then must they put in the sickle. It is 
 no day of rest to them : but the labor is sweet if done for 
 Christ ; and the anticipated plaudit, " well done, good and 
 faithful servant," should sustain them amid toil and dis- 
 couragement ; whilst they remember, that, hard as they are 
 now called to labor, eternity will be long enough to rest in ; 
 when they shall enjoy a Sabbath that shall be without wea- 
 riness and without end. 
 
. • BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 SABBATH EVENING. 
 
 As the day of rest declines, and " the sweet evening 
 cometh on," what are the reflections which should occupy 
 the nnind ? If we have visited the house of God, can we 
 forbear to recollect the truths which have been discussed 
 or enforced ? Bring the meditative powers then to bear 
 upon them, and with accompanying prayer, eadeavor to 
 render permanent any good impressions which may have 
 been made. 
 
 Let the Christian enter his closet and shut the door ; and 
 there, as in the sight of God, let him preach over to his 
 heart and conscience the subjects which have been pre- 
 sented. Were this plan generally adopted, how powerful 
 would be its influence over the whole succeeding week ! 
 But alas, there is reason to fear that, in general, sermons 
 are heard too much in the spirit which an apostle condemns, 
 when he says, " beholding our natural face in a glass, we 
 go away and forget what manner of persons we are." Yes, 
 we almost forget, ere the Sabbath sun has sunk beneath 
 the horizon. The world, in many instances, comes knock- 
 ing for admission, before the tolling bell has sounded its 
 curfew and signified, that the public exercises of the day 
 are ended. 
 
 What more appropriate season can there be for devotion, 
 than the Sabbath evening ? Then, it is to be presumed, the 
 soul has been enabled to shake off* some of her earthly clogs, 
 and to plume her pinions for an upward flight. The ten- 
 dency of all that has been heard is, to bring eternity to view 
 and to thrust back from the thoughts the obtrusive world. 
 
SABBATH EVENING. 96 
 
 In many instances, a new innpulse toward heaven is given, 
 and the christian graces are quickened into strength and 
 activity. How important then to seize the favorable mo- 
 ment, for securing the advantages which the day and its 
 services have giverf ! Shall we relax our efforts when the 
 earnest of victory is bestowed ? Shall we suffer the world 
 to steal away our thoughts from heaven just as they have 
 got within the precincts of its bright portals .? A quaint 
 but excellent author observes, " there are many like those 
 soldiers who are victorious in the day, but lose all at night 
 through their security and sloth. They do not watch and 
 stand to their arms, but suffer the enemy to surprise them, 
 to break up their quarters and spoil their tents, when they 
 are secure, dreaming of no hazard. Many are like Hanni- 
 bal, that knew better how to obtain a victory than how to 
 improve it when got. Watch then against the devil, the 
 world, and your own hearts, and beware of losing at night 
 what you gained through the day." 
 
 There is need of such an exhortation, as all must admit 
 who have noticed their peculiar feelings and temptations 
 towards the close of the Sabbath. Not unfrequently is the 
 bodily frame exhausted, from the fixed position, for so great 
 a length of time, which the hearing of two or three dis- 
 courses requires, and there is therefore a natural reaction 
 disposing us to indulge the flesh instead of bracing our ef- 
 forts anew in the work of private devotion. The mind also, 
 tasked to the consideration of new and perhaps exciting 
 subjects, manifests a similar tendency to relaxation. Hence, 
 towards the close of the day, Christians should watch lest 
 Satan get an advantage of them, and they thus lose, by in- 
 dulgence, the spiritual benefits of the Sabbath. 
 
 The evening of the sacred day should find us nearer to 
 heaven than we were in the morning, and better fitted to 
 
94 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 engage in its hallowed employments. It marks a weekly 
 stage in our pilgrimage, and is like the welcome resting- 
 place .to the weary traveller. The supposition is that our 
 spirits have been greatly refreshed and our christian zeal 
 animated ; that we have " drank of the brook in the way," 
 and so have " lifted up our head." As the shadows of this 
 blessed day gather over us, and the soft twilight — doubly 
 calm on this delightful evening — invites us to meditation, 
 let us ascend in our contemplations to the eternal rest, 
 
 <• Where the assembly ne'er breaks up, 
 The Sabbath never ends." 
 
 How often does the pious heart groan over the burden 
 of the flesh ! The Sabbath evening may find the Christian 
 wearied in, but never wearied of, the service of his Master. 
 
 The tired body demands the repose of sleep. But will 
 it always be so .? O no ; there is an hour of liberation 
 hastening on, when the flesh will no longer drag down the 
 spirit ; when a sense of weariness will never again be felt, 
 nor the necessity for muscular relaxation exist; when the 
 soul, strengthened for the work in which it is to be forever 
 envployed, will put forth its active energies in the uninter- 
 rupted worship of Jehovah. How wide is the contrast be- 
 tween the cold and feeble service which, in our best frames, 
 we are able to pay to God here on earth, and that seraphic 
 glow of spirit which we shall feel and exhibit when we 
 mingle in the choirs of heaven, and enjoy a full, and direct 
 vision of God and the Lamb. 
 
 " Tliine earthly Sabbaths, Lord, we love ; 
 
 But there's a nobler rest above ; 
 To that our longing s )uls aspire, 
 
 With cheerful hope and strong desire, 
 
SABBATH EVE.^ING. 95 
 
 No more fatigue — no more distress ; 
 
 Nor sin nor death shall reach the place ; 
 No groans shall mingle with the songs 
 
 Which warble from immortal tongues. 
 
 y^ Sahhath Evening in the Family. 
 
 ' It Is highly important, on the Sabbath evening, where 
 there is a family, that something like a formal review of 
 the day's privileges and occupations, should take place. 
 Some hour should be selected most convenient to the mem- 
 bers of the household, in order that all may be in their 
 place ; and the exercises should be conducted with special 
 reference to their spiritual improvement. Besides reading 
 the Scriptures, it may be proper, on this occasion, to advert 
 to the instructions of the pulpit — to call up the text — to 
 inquire how much of the discourse has been understood, 
 and what impressions have been made upon the mind. It 
 is a favorable opportunity to elicit the feelings, and to meet 
 them with such remarks and exhortations as may seem to 
 be demanded. Who can say but that an arrow has been lodg- 
 ed in the secret soul 1 The very first inquiry has sometimes 
 revetiled the interesting fact, that the sinner was under con- 
 viction ; and that he needed only a single word to call forth 
 a full expression of his anxiety* It is possible that some 
 member of the family has for the first time been led to give 
 ear to the gospel message ; and as the inquiry passes 
 round, " Who hath believed the report V' some one may 
 answer favorably. Or, there may be doubts and difficul- 
 ties on the mind as to certain parts of the discourse ; and a 
 natural diflSdence to speak on the subject may induce the 
 individual to brood over them in secret ; when, if he were 
 distinctly interrogated, he might state them and so have 
 them resolved. 
 
96 BOOK FOU THE SABBATH. 
 
 This family inquiry-meeting, if it may be so called, 
 should aim at ascertaining each individual's feelings, in view 
 of the religious privileges just enjoyed. If any serious im- 
 pressions are made, then is the time to deepen them ; or if 
 opposition to the truth is manifested, there is the place to 
 meet it with such explanations and appeals as the case may 
 require. 
 
 By such a course as we recommend, the head of a house 
 has the opportunity under God, of exerting a very. salutary 
 influence. Were the practice to become general, the shy- 
 ness on religious subjects manifested by children towards 
 their parents would no longer exist. The child would not, 
 as is often the case, seek the advice of a stranger in prefer- 
 ence to that of his parent ; but would be quick to unbosom 
 himself to one so near in affection, and who had already 
 manifested so deep an interest in his spiritual welfare. 
 
 Serious impressions, amounting sometimes to conviction 
 of sin, have been made on young minds by the Sabbath ex- 
 ercises, but for want of just such inquiries and counsels, they 
 have gone off like the " morning cloud or the early dew." 
 Had they been deepened by the family inquiry-meeting ; 
 had the well-known voice of parental love searched them 
 out and applied the proper instructions, who can say that 
 they might not have issued in conversion ? But alas, the 
 Sabbath solemnity was succeeded by the clamors of the 
 world and the calls of pleasure, and these duvvningsof good 
 in the soul were soon extinguished. 
 
 There is not, this side of heaven, a moral picture more 
 truly beautiful than a pious family arranged on Sabbath 
 evening for the closing exercise of the day. With patri- 
 archal dignity the father takes his place as the constiluted 
 high priest of his house. In him, religion has wrought her 
 silent triumphs, and his very countenance bespeaks the 
 
SABBATH EVENING. 97 
 
 peace which reigns within. On the Sabbath especially he 
 seems to wear the aspect of heaven. Like Moses after 
 communing on the mount with Jehovah, he shows an un- 
 wonted brightness of countenance. Around him gather a 
 group of well-instructed minds, and not seldom arrayed like 
 himself in the " beauties of holiness." His prayers and 
 counsels have not been in vain. His faith and works have 
 spoken to their hearts ; and God has fulfilled to him the 
 promise of Abraham, in spiritual blessings descending upon 
 his offspring. From the youngest — who is nestling close 
 by the mother's side — to the oldest, whose example has 
 won the respect of the less experienced members of the 
 house, all are intent on the solemn business before them. 
 A sacred stillness reigns. The Scriptures having been read, 
 and the signal given for prayer, all bow together before 
 God, to acknowledge His mercies, to confess their sins, 
 and to implore His continued favor and protection. Is not 
 this a spectacle for angels as well as for men ? Must not 
 those interested witnesses of our moral condition feel in 
 view of it, as if the curse which fell on man and deprived 
 him of Eden, is gloriously counteracted by the grace which 
 produces such a picture as this ? 
 
 What a contrast is presented by many an ungodly fam- 
 ily ? There neither the morning nor the evening sacrifice 
 ascends to heaven. The Sabbath is closed without even so 
 much as a recognition of their dependence on divine good- 
 ness. Glad when its restraints are over, they rush with ac- 
 celerated speed into the world. Dreadful is the condition 
 of those families who keep not the Sabbath and who call 
 not upon God. Should this meet the eye of an ungodly 
 parent, who never leads his household to the throne of 
 grace, let me remonstrate a moment with him. Is it not 
 high time to consider your responsibilities and to com- 
 9 
 
98 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 mence training up your family for heaven? First, ob- 
 tain for your own soul, the requisite grace. You must 
 know God yourself^ in order to lead your children and de- 
 pendents to know Him. You must reverence his Sabbaths, 
 or your offspring will be likely to trample every sacred ob- 
 ligation under foot. You must set up the family altar. It 
 is not enough that you attend church ; God must be wor- 
 shipped in your family. Religion must sanctify the domes- 
 tic circle, or both yourself and the dear objects of your love 
 may be lost forever. Is the Sabbath closing upon you ? 
 Have you heard the renewed warning ? Why then will 
 you not at once begin to serve God and keep his command- 
 ments ? Why will you not now — for the first time — bow 
 your knees before your long-neglected Benefactor, and 
 strive even at this late hour to obtain salvation for yourself 
 and for your household ? Soon the day of mercy will be 
 gone. You and your children will soon be at the bar of 
 eternal judgment. Oh, what an account must you render, 
 if you have lived and died an ungodly parent, and trained 
 to the same ruin the immortal souls committed to your 
 care. 
 
TRAVELLING ON THE SABBATH. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 'SABBATH VIOLATIONS. 
 
 Travelling on the Lord's day ; its commonness and 
 criminality. 
 
 It has come to pass, in many instances, that men of busi- 
 ness, and the votaries of pleasure actually make their cal- 
 culations to travel on the Lord's day, with a view of saving 
 time which, as they imagine, would otherwise be unem- 
 ployed. 
 
 Every facility is offered to accommodate their wishes, 
 and even to tempt them to carry on this crusade against 
 a divine institution. Almost all our great thorough-fares 
 are now open to Sabbath travelling. The stage horn is 
 pealing its note of invitation — the steamboat bell is ringing 
 — crowds of passengers are hurrying to and fro — the rail- 
 road car* is thundering along its track, or sending the spite- 
 ful hiss of its steam into the pained ears even of God's wor- 
 shippers. What a scene for a christian land ! Can we 
 reasonably expect the insulted Deity to hold back his ven- 
 geance from a people, who bear the name of Christian, and 
 who yet habitually trample on one of heaven's most impor- 
 tant commands ? 
 
 Many of the lines of communication which have been 
 opened between the different and distant parts of our land 
 trench upon a part at least of the holy Sabbath. Some of 
 
 * It gives the writer pleasure to say, that to the violation of the 
 Sabbath by rail-roads, there are some honorable exceptions ; among 
 which he would mention, with no small degree of satisfaction, that 
 of the " Hudson and Berkshire rail-road." 
 
100 '• BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 them openly drive over the entire day ; whilst others invade 
 only the beginning or the end of it. In long journies too 
 there is no lying by, in order to observe God's commands ; 
 but the vehicle must press on to its destination. From 
 these circumstances, there is a strong temptation to over- 
 look the express command of God, and to find apologies 
 for its violation. We speak now, not merely of those who 
 do not profess to have the fear of God before their eyes. 
 We are pained to find that the nominally pious even will 
 so often avail themselves of these Sabbath desecrating ve- 
 hicles, to the injury of their consciences and to the dishon- 
 oring of God. 
 
 For example, it is not very uncommon for an individual 
 to make an engagement to be in a distant place, or to at- 
 tend to some business of a public or private nature at a giv- 
 en time ; when it is plain, that the fulfilment of that en- 
 gagement must necessarily involve him in the guilt of Sab- 
 bath violation. He may feel justified — or try to feel so- 
 on the ground that any other arrangement would be very 
 inconvenient to him personally, or detrimental to his secu- 
 lar interests. But if he admit the principle that our duty 
 to God is paramount — and here an express command is 
 concerned — he must see in an instant, that his worldly ad- 
 vancement or his personal convenience is not a justifying 
 plea. No ; — he is bound never to make an engaf^ement 
 which shall bring upon his soul the guilt of Sabbath viola- 
 lion ; and, in all his contemplated journies, he should scru- 
 pulously calculate for the religious observance of the Lord's 
 day. 
 
 Another will console himself with the idea that his 
 abridgment of sacred time is so sma//— that he barely 
 touches upon the beginning or the end of it — that he is 
 enabled to be in his place at public worship, — and he 
 
Travelling on the sabbath. 
 
 101 
 
 pleads that to him also, it would be a very great loss of 
 time, if confined always in his travelling to the exact hours 
 of the secular week. Hence even men professing godli- 
 ness are occasionally found, carrying their business or 
 protracting their visits of friendship into the close of Satur- 
 day ; and then embarking so as to arrive at their homes on 
 the Sabbath : or having worshipped God with apparent so- 
 lemnity a part of the day, they may be seen stealing away 
 at night-fall to the steamboat landing, and exhibiting them- 
 selves to a scoffing world as violators of the fourth com- 
 mandment. 
 
 It is in vain to plead, that only apart of the day is desecra- 
 ted. If God has said, that we may violate a part, provided 
 we keep the other part ; and if he has designated what part, 
 then the case will be altered. But there is no such dispen- 
 sation or exception. He has hallowed the whole twenly-four 
 hours ; and if a man trench voluntarily upon the last hour 
 — tliough it may be when half the world are locked in 
 sleep — he as certainly violates God's command, as if, in the 
 face of the whole community, he desecrated the very heart 
 of it. Besides, look at the example of this Sabbath viola- 
 ting Christian. How many exulting eyes will fall upon 
 him ! How many, by the example of this one professor, 
 will be glad to sustain themselves in the habitual desecra- 
 tion of the day ! O, how does the cause of piety bleed at 
 every pore, when such conduct is exhibited by those who 
 profess godliness ! 
 
 But are there no circumstances, it may be asked, which 
 justify us in travelling on the Lord's day ? May we not be 
 so situated as to make it allowable, on the Sabbath, to un- 
 dertake or to continue a journey ? It may be said for in- 
 stance, " here is a female placed under the care of one 
 who has not a very nice conscience on this subject ; must 
 9* 
 
102 BOOK FOK THE SABBATH. 
 
 she put off her journey, or obstinately refuse to proceed ?" 
 The case is an urgent one, we admit ; but it is easy to see, 
 that unless some other necessity than her personal conve- 
 nience, or her worldly interest, or her social engagements 
 lies upon her, she is bound to abandon this opportunity of 
 journeying at so great an expense to conscience and to re- 
 ligion. If there is a probability that the Sabbath will be in- 
 cluded in the journey, she is bound either not to go, or to 
 stipulate for its observance by the way. 
 
 Another instance may be cited, in which an individual, to- 
 wards the close of a journey, finds himself within a day's dis- 
 tance from home. He cannot reach the desired spot with- 
 out invading a part of the Sabbath. His anxiety and affec- 
 tion press him to proceed. What shall he do ? Shall he, 
 at an expense of time and money, pass the Sabbath among 
 strangers ? We answer, unhesitatingly, yes. " He that 
 loveth father, or mother, son or daughter more than me, 
 is not worthy of me." So says our Lord to this man, 
 when the conflict is between his affection for his fam- 
 ily and his obligation to obey a divine command. In 
 this example of self-denial, his example would be worth a 
 vast deal to the cause of religion ; and when, after such 
 a demonstration of principle, he shall arrive at home, his 
 enjoyment will have the zest of " a conscience void of of- 
 fence towards God." 
 
 A conscientious christian man — well known to the public 
 but now no more on earth — was, from the nature of his 
 business, abroad over the land a great portion of his time. 
 He was a truly devoted disciple of Jesus. Ascending the 
 Mississippi in one of the great steamers, he inquired of the 
 captain on Saturday, if he was in the habit of stopping to 
 keep the Sabbath ? To the ears of such a man, the ques- 
 tion of course sounded very strange ; and upon his answer- 
 
TRAVELLING ON THE SABBATH. 103 
 
 ing in the negative, " Well then," said the passenger, " you 
 will please to set me on shore at the next landing place." 
 The captain remonstrated, assuring the good man that he 
 might be left there a week without the opportunity of get- 
 ting on. Nothing" moved, however, when once his mind 
 was made up, on a point of duty, he went on shore ; and at 
 a poor neighborhood endeavored to do good and to keep 
 the Sabbath. It proved to him a happy day. He trusted 
 in God, that some interposition in his behalf would take 
 place, and his confidence — as it proved — was not mis- 
 placed. After a refreshing sleep, he arose early on Mon- 
 day morning; and one of the first sounds which greeted 
 his ear, was the bell of an ascending steamer announcing 
 her approach to the landing. " Blessed are they that do 
 his commandments." 
 
 Some have thought that, where the business of the 
 church demanded their presence, it is lawful and pro- 
 per to travel on the whole or on a portion of the Sabbath in 
 order to accomplish it. Ministers of the gospel have some- 
 limes so agreed in relation to their attendance upon eccle- 
 siastical meetings. But will the end sanctify the means ? 
 Or may religion be served with one hand whilst she is stab- 
 bed by the other .^ In such a Sabbath desecrating land as 
 ours, must uot the church receive far more detriment, by 
 this Sabbath travelling, than she can receive benefit by all 
 that is subsequently done in her public councils? Can 
 God's ministers countenance, by any act of theirs, a sin so 
 prevalent and so ruinous ? Let them, at almost any sacri- 
 fice, avoid even the appearance of this evil ; for if they are 
 lax in relation to the observance of the Sabbath, what can 
 be expected of the mere men of the world ^ 
 
 It cannot be denied, that there are cases, in which a jour- 
 ney on the Sabbath may become necessary ; and then, the 
 
104 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 circumstances, if known, will be admitted as a justifying 
 plea. But such cases are rare, and they respect generally 
 some of the severe dispensations of Providence. It is not 
 from these instances that the cause of religion is likely to suf- 
 fer, or the Sabbath violator to be countenanced in his course. 
 No ; it is when personal convenience or the pressure of 
 business induces the professor to invade a part or the whole 
 of the Lord's day, that the cause of piety is so deeply 
 wounded and dishonored. Nor is it very difficult for a 
 conscientious man to ascertain the occasions on which he 
 may be justified, in travelling on the sacred day. Occur- 
 ring as they do so seldom, and being connected with a be- 
 nevolent rather than a selfish motive, he can scarcely be at 
 a loss in deciding. 
 
 The importance of a scrupulous example on this point 
 cannot be fully estimated. In a country where the spirit 
 of the people is active and restless almost beyond compari- 
 son ; and where the thirst for gain is as deep and prevalent 
 as in any other in the world ; it is easy to perceive, that the 
 tendency to break over this moral restraint must be very 
 powerful. Will the lovers of money and of pleasure be 
 likely to stop in their impetuous career, when met by this 
 sacred barrier ? Will they not wish for arguments to jus- 
 tify them in their breach of heaven's law ? And what more 
 potent argument can they have or ask than the fact that 
 some very reputable Christians are in the habit of travelling 
 on the Lord's day ? As they look around among the 
 crowd, if their eye can detect, as a fellow passenger, the 
 professor of religion, they feel at once relieved of at least 
 a part of that secret misgiving which conscience, even 
 though long abused, is apt to create in their guilty bosoms. 
 
 But if, on the other hand, professors of religion were nev- 
 er known as Sabbath travellers — except in cases of undoubl- 
 
TRAVELLING ON THE SABBATH. - 105 
 
 ed necessity — how powerful would be the influence of 
 their united example ! Then would the whole responsi- 
 bility fall upon the men of the world ; and the pressure, 
 depend upon it, would be felt. Conscience, no longer 
 weakened by the inconsistent and lax conduct of the pro- 
 fessedly pious, would be left to administer her unmitigated 
 reproofs. Such an example would do more to rescue the 
 Sabbath from wide-spread desecration than any civil 
 enactments which could be passed. It would speak a lan- 
 guage which the public conscience would be quick to un- 
 derstand. If among the entire company of Sabbath viola- 
 ting passengers in coach or steamboat not one could be found 
 who was a christian professor, it would take out of the 
 mouth of the wicked at least one scornful interrogatory, 
 " what do ye more than others ?" It would show, that, in 
 point of practical morality, there was a difference. It would 
 stamp their own conduct as Sabbath-breakers with manifest 
 unlawfulness. And if, in addition to this, it could be affirmed, 
 that no professor of the gospel was even indirectly concern- 
 ed in favoring the sin in question ; if not a cent of the stock, 
 thus tainted, were owned or appropriated by him ; whose 
 penetration is so dull as not to see, that the holy Sabbath 
 would at once assert its claims over the universal con- 
 science ? 
 
 Let Christians of every denomination look at this point. 
 Remember, brethren, that intimately connected with a scru- 
 pulous example in relation to it, is the welfare of religion 
 and the general prosperity of our country. If the Sabbath 
 be gradually undermined, until it is identified with other 
 days, we may then look for the extinction of all that is 
 *' lovely and of good report." Of what use then would be 
 our churches, except to provide a place for the " swallow 
 
106 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 to make her nest ?" And how long could we exist as a 
 free nation, when the strongest ligature which binds us to- 
 gether is torn asunder ? 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 SOCIAL VISITING, SECULAR READING, IDLENESS, ETC. 
 
 Travelling on the Lord's day is not the only form of 
 Sabbath desecration to which men are addicted. This day 
 being one in which the ordinary business of life is suspen- 
 ded, many, instead of appropriating it wholly to the wor- 
 ship of God, make it a season of social visitation. Some, 
 who retain a slight sense of religious obligation, employ a 
 part of it in attending upon divine worship, whilst the re- 
 mainder is occupied in the interchange of social civilities. 
 But they should understand, that this prior compliment to a 
 divine institution will not cancel the guilt of subsequent vio- 
 lation. Such a use — or rather abuse — of the Lord's day 
 may not appear, to those who practice it, in a very repre- 
 hensible light ; but in the eye of heaven, it is an actual 
 breach of the fourtlv commandment. We are to " remem- 
 ber the Sabbath day to keep it holy." Who will claim 
 that mere social visitation has any thing holy in it ? Who 
 can affirm that the conversation generally practiced on such 
 occasions savors even of true piety ? 
 
 By such conduct, we not only rob ourselves of the ad- 
 vantages of the Sabbath ; but we may prevent our friends 
 and neighbors — even if disposed — from availing themselves 
 of them. We at least tempt them to sin, if they are inclined 
 
SOCIAL VISITING, ETC. ON THE SABBATH. 107 
 
 to keep the Sabbath ; and if they are not so inclined, we 
 add the influence of our example to strengthen them in a 
 practice manifestly at variance with the commands of God. 
 
 But is it improper;, it may be asked, for families and re- 
 latives to meet on this day ? We answer ; if such meet- 
 ings are intended for spiritual edification, there can be no 
 possible objection to them ; provided they occur out of the 
 time usually allotted to public worship. We agree that 
 relatives may make the Sabbath subserve their spiritual in- 
 terests. If the various branches — with the patriarch at the 
 head — assemble around the domestic altar, to unite in 
 praises and thanksgivings ; and if their conversation while 
 together, be for mutual religious improvement, there can 
 be no doubt of the utility and lawfulness of such a meeting. 
 But if they assemble on the principle of mere social enjoy- 
 ment ; and with a view to discuss the news of the day — to 
 talk over the events of the preceding week— to dwell upon 
 the ordinary topics which friends and relatives are accus- 
 tomed to consider interesting ; we have no hesitation in 
 condemning as improper and unlawful, such an appropria- 
 tion of the sacred day. 
 
 These remarks are intended for those who vindicate the 
 lawfulness and propriety of family parties on the Sabbath. 
 Must they not admit that, in the unrestrained intercourse of 
 relatives, there is a probability that subjects will be broach- 
 ed and talked about, which, to say the least, are not in ac- 
 cordance with the sacredness of the d^y ; nor calculated to 
 aid the soul in its progress towards heaven ? How much 
 more likely shall we be to keep the fourth commandment, 
 if we spend the time mostly in retirement ! Let each fam- 
 ily be on this day, as far as possible, alone. Let all their 
 arrangements have in view the spiritual improvement of so 
 delightful an institution. 
 
108 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 0-;' '• Wisdom and pleasure dwell at home ; 
 
 Retired and silent seek tliem there; 
 This is the way to overcome ; 
 The way to escape the tempter's snare." 
 
 Another mode of desecrating the day is by a resort to 
 books or newspapers, with a view to gratify curiosity, or to 
 while away the tedious hours. 
 
 It needs not an additional sentence to make it evident, 
 that such a practice is wholly wrong. It can hardly be 
 supposed that any professor of piety would do thus. And 
 yet, in times of great political excitement, or when any un- 
 common rumor is abroad, the newspaper presents a strong 
 temptation even to a mind fortified by christian principle. 
 But touch it you cannot, christian reader, and be innocent. 
 The day is the Lord's, and by taking up that paper to grat- 
 ify a vain curiosity you deliberately desecrate it. Besides, 
 will the information you seek facilitate your intercom-se 
 with heaven ? Will it not distract still more your already 
 loo versatile mind ? One of the most formidable obstacles 
 to the influence of the pulpit over impenitent men lies, in 
 my view, in this very thing. The post-office supplies them 
 with the recent news. From the very doors of the sanc- 
 tuary they go to receive it. The moment they arrive at 
 home — and even before — they are searching for it. How 
 timely this — says Satan — to erase any serious impression 
 which may have been left on the conscience ! O, it is 
 heart-rending to see bow many are thus diverted from that 
 truth which a moment before clothed their countenances at 
 least with deep solemnity. What a powerful engine this, 
 in the hands of the adversary, to catch away the word so 
 that it may become unfruitful ! 
 
 Men of the world, do you know, that by such a course, 
 you are not only robbing God of his due, but the soul of its 
 
VISITING, ETC. ON THE SABBATH. 109 
 
 salvation ? Encourage no longer this wholesale profana- 
 tion of the Sabbath by our post-office department. Let 
 your papers lie untouched until Monday, when God's pro- 
 hibition will be talien off, and you can innocently read 
 them. Let your reading, on the Sabbath at least, be for 
 the soul's improvement. Remember that day and keep it 
 holy. 
 
 On this subject, we trust the entire company of believers 
 will present a uniform example of strict adherence to the 
 divine command. Christian, let thy hand, on this day, 
 handle only the word of life, or such books as derive their 
 interest from the great fountain of God. Touch not, han- 
 dle not the vehicle of political news, nor the book of mere 
 amusement. Show to the world that this day is with you 
 a consecrated season ; and that, be the temptation never so 
 strong, you will not even look into an inappropriate or for- 
 bidden volume. 
 
 Some, having no relish for the worship of God, spend the 
 day in absolute idleness. They sleep away the best por- 
 tion of it; and rise only to desecrate the remainder by 
 sauntering listlessly through the streets, surveying their 
 possessions, or engaged in some excursion of pleasure. 
 It is in vain to them that the Sabbath bell speaks in inviting 
 tones of the rich [)rovision which Heaven has prepared for 
 man. In their sluggish soul there is no chord to vibrate to 
 this music of mercy. O how much ye lose, ye who thus 
 while away the precious hours of salvation ! Know ye not, 
 that soon the last Sabbath sun will set upon your eyes, and 
 the sound of that bell fall for the last lime, on your ears ? 
 Will it be no cause of regret then, that you did not heed 
 the invitation — that you slept away in cold indifference 
 these golden moments ? " Awake, thou that sleepest, and 
 arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." 
 10 
 
110 .;; BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 I will close this chapter by an extract from that eminent 
 writer, the Rev. Dr. Dwight. In speaking of the ways in 
 which the Sabbath may be violated, he refers among other 
 things to worldly conversation. 
 
 " There is no way in which the Sabbath is more easily, 
 more insensibly, more frequently, and more fatally violated 
 than this. Temptations to it are always at hand. The 
 transgression always seems a small one ; usually a dubious 
 one at first ; and often no transgression at all. Multitudes 
 of persons, of sober and well meaning dispositions, nay, 
 multitudes, as there is but too much reason to fear, of pro- 
 fessing Christians, beginning with religious subjects, slide 
 imperceptibly towards those which are considered moral in 
 such a degree as scarcely to differ from religious ones ; 
 thence to secular themes bordering upon these ; and thence 
 to mere matters of business or amusement. Such persons 
 before they are aware, find themselves occupied in convers- 
 ing about the affairs of the neighborhood ; the strangers 
 who are at church ; the new dresses, fashions, business, di- 
 versions, news, and politics. To these they are led by 
 mere worldly conversation concerning the prayers, the 
 psalmody, or the sermon, as having been well or ill devised, 
 written, spoken, or performed ; by a history merely secu- 
 lar of the sickness and deaths in the neighborhood, or else- 
 where, or of the dangerous or fatal accidents, which have 
 lately happened ; the state of the weather, the season, the 
 crops, the prospects, the affairs of the family ; and by innu- 
 merable other things of a similar nature. The next step is 
 ordinarily, an habitual employment of this holy day in 
 open, cool, and self-satisfied conversation about business ; 
 schemes of worldly pursuits ; bargains ; gains and losses. 
 It is not to be understood that Christians go all these 
 lengths. It is my real belief, however, that they go much 
 
VISITING, ETC. ON THE SABBATH. Ill 
 
 further than they can justify ; and fail, in this manner, of 
 their duty ; their improvement in the christian life ; their 
 proper exemplariness of character ; the evidence of their 
 piety, which would spring from these sources ; the hope 
 which it would inspire ; the peace which would accompany 
 them ; and the joy in which they would delightfully termi- 
 nate. Many sober men, however, who but for this very 
 conduct might probably become Christians, go all these 
 lengths ; and thus lose, insensibly, their tenderness of con- 
 science ; their soberness of mind ; and their desire as well 
 as their hope of eiernal life. Men less well-priucipled start, 
 originally, at the end of this career ; and thus annihilate 
 the Sabbath at once ; bidding, without anxiety, a final adieu 
 to the Sabbath itself, and to its rich, exalted, and immortal 
 blessings. 
 
 " The profanation of the Sabbath by actions is seen and 
 acknowledged by all decent men, who acknowledge it as a 
 day consecrated by God to himself Actions are so open 
 to the view of mankind ; are so definitive a proof of the 
 disposition ; and, when violations of a known rule of duty, 
 constitute so gross a proof of impiety ; that all doubts con- 
 cerning the true construction to be given them, vanish when- 
 ever they appear. The common and favorite modes of 
 profaning the Sabbath in this way, are spending our time 
 in dress; in ministering to a luxurious appetite ; in walking 
 or riding for amusement ; in writing letters of friendship ; 
 in visiting ; and in reading books, which are not of a reli- 
 gious, but merely of a decent character ; and ultimately 
 those which are formed to be the means of amusement and 
 sport. The end of this progress, generally esteemed more 
 gross, though perhaps in many instances not more, and in 
 others less sinful ; is the devotion of this sacred day to 
 downright business. Persons, who go this length, occupy 
 
112 .; BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 the time in writing letters of business ; posting their ac- 
 counts ; visiting post-offices ; making bargains ; transmit- 
 ting money to their correspondents ; going or sending to 
 markets ; making journeys, at first with and afterwards 
 without pretences of necessity ; and ultimately laboring 
 openly in the ordinary employments of life. This is what 
 is called in the text* doing our own ways. A man^s way, 
 in scriptural language, is the customary course of his life." 
 We would add, that though such ways may, to those who 
 practice them, " seem right," yet " the end thereof are the 
 ways of death." 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 CONCLUDING ADDRESS. 
 
 In bringing this treatise to a close, I would respectfully 
 address myself to two or three classes of my readers who 
 may occupy important stations involving weighty moral re- 
 sponsibility. 
 
 Should this book fall into the hands of one of the legisla- 
 tors or law-administrators of the land, I would ask of you, 
 as a civilian, attention to the institution of the Sabbath, as an 
 auxiliary in sustaining and promoting the vital principles of 
 our republic. I wish you to entertain as deep a conviction 
 as myself, of the fact, that the continued existence of this 
 government depends mainly upon the prevalence of piety 
 and virtue. Many of our writers and orators declaim elo- 
 quently on the importance of general intelligence ; and they 
 seem to rest all their hopes for the perpetuity of our institu- 
 
 * Isa. 58: 13. 
 
CONCLUDING ADDRESS. 113 
 
 tions simply on the diffusion of knowledge. Now, far from 
 wishing to lessen the weight of their arguments, or to dimin- 
 ish in the least, the impression which they may have made on 
 the public mind, fmust still be permitted to say, that know- 
 ledge alone will not save us from political shipwreck. Mor- 
 al principle must exist in connection with knowledge^ or the 
 latter will jn^ove as potent an engine for the destruction^ as 
 it always does, lohen under the control of moral principle^for 
 the advancement of social order and happiness. 
 
 I might illustrate this by facts. The first act of rebellion 
 in the universe, was not, so far as we know, from the loss 
 of knowledge, but from the loss of virtue. The -most pow- 
 erful agent to over-turn and to destroy at this moment, is a 
 spirit of vast intelligence but of equally malignant intentions. 
 And what makes heaven a scene of such perfect order ^ 
 Not the intelligence of its inhabitants simply, but their con- 
 joined virtue. Was France — we ask the privilege of intro- 
 ducing this striking example once more — was she wanting 
 in general intelligence, when she passed so rapidly on a sea 
 of blood, from monarchy to anarchy, and from anarchy to 
 despotism ? No, she wanted piety and virtue. She had ab- 
 jured God, trampled upon the Sabbath, and had thrown her- 
 self into the arms of infidelity ; and the want of moral prin- 
 ciple rather than of intelligence, is what at this very time, 
 makes her constitutional monarchy of doubtful continuance. 
 
 Sweep away the Sabbath then, or gradwally weaken its 
 obligation upon the public mind, and you demolish one of 
 the pillars which support our political fabric. The Sabbath, 
 beyond all question, is the great bulwark of public morals. 
 It stands as a formidable check to general depravity. It 
 lifts up heaven's edicts and points men to the excellency of 
 virtue — to the destructive nature of sin — to the authority of 
 God — and to the retributions of eternity. It has a more 
 10* 
 
114 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 potent influence, in keeping down the spirit of misrule ; in 
 making men good citizens from principle, than all the mere 
 legal enactments, which political wisdom could devise, or civ- 
 il power enforce. Guard then, from contempt or desecration, 
 this holy day. Frown upon those scoffing itinerants, for- 
 eign or native, male or female, who level their infidel slang 
 against the institutions of the Bible ; who come among us to 
 sow the seeds of atheism ; and who, with the honied lan- 
 guage of philanthropy on their lips, are in reality laying a 
 fatal train under the very foundation of our national securi- 
 ty. The Sabbath is our sheet anchor amid the occasional 
 storm of political excitement, and the inundation of popular 
 violence. If our country is to maintain the high stand which 
 she has taken, she must cling to this sacred institution, foun- 
 ded in the wisdom of heaven, and demonstrated to be an im- 
 portant barrier alike against despotism and anarchy. 
 
 To the employer, whose influence reaches over one or 
 many, I would say, not only sacredly regard this institution 
 yourself, but allow your workmen and dependents the 
 same privilege. If you have a clerk, push him not beyond 
 the hour which marks the secular time. He has a con- 
 science, which needs to be encouraged, not deadened ; and 
 religious rights, which— though in his state of dependence, 
 he may not think proper to assert — are nevertheless to be 
 respected. Be the pressure what it may, let your laborers 
 and dependents never be driven to profane God's holy 
 day. Remember that a man's ovm responsibility is more 
 than he can bear ; and that to assume the fearful addition 
 of compulsory labor on the Sabbath, must make the devel- 
 opments of the judgment day awful beyond conception. 
 Besides, by Sabbath-day service, little is gained and much 
 may be lost. The loss in moral principle — in the diminu- 
 tion of the power of conscience, makes the risk, as to hon- 
 
CONCLUDING ADDRESS. 115 
 
 esly in the employed, far more important than the mere 
 avails of such labor to the employer. But why appeal to 
 these motives .? There stands the eternal tablet on which 
 God himself has written, " Remember the Sabbath day to 
 keep it holy." That surely is enough. 
 
 To the parent and guardian, what more need be said to 
 secure their influence in favor of the Sabbath, than simply 
 to state the fact, that with the observance of this day by 
 their children, are intimately connected their personal cred- 
 it—their respectability — their morality, nay even their salva- 
 tion. Train them up then under the droppings of the sanctu- 
 ary. Teach them scrupulously to observe the fourth com- 
 mandment. Watch their first aberrations and endeavor 
 to counteract them by all lawful and proper means. I am 
 aware that coercion, after a certain age, will do but little 
 good. But early training is the great point. You must not 
 wait until pride and obduracy shall set all coercive mea- 
 sures at defiance. If faithful to their childhood, the necessi- 
 ty for any thing more than persuasion and example will 
 not be likely to exist. But even at the period referred to— 
 when the temptations to Sabbath profanation are strongest — 
 much may be done by the united influence of personal ex- 
 ample, prayer and persuasion. 
 
 Professors of the religion of Christ ! One word only in 
 addition to the arguments, counsels, and appeals already 
 given in these pages. On you rests the weighty responsi- 
 bihty of holding up this institution of heaven. If your ex- 
 ample is irreproachable, all will be well. If nothing in the 
 shape of ease, or convenience, or profit, shall drive you to 
 infringe on any part of this holy season — if you observe 
 scrupulously the divine command, "not doing your own 
 ways, nor finding your own pleasure," but consecrating the 
 day by abstinence from labor, and by acts of devotion ; — I 
 
116 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 again say, the Sabbath in all its moral power is safe. Such 
 an example by the great body of Christians, will prove to 
 the day and all its hallowing influences, a security, which 
 the onset of scepticism — the lawless thirst after pleasure — 
 the reckless pursuit of gain, and the legalized invasion of 
 Heaven's law, cannot effectually undermine. Let Chris- 
 tians DO THEIR DUTY, AND THE SaBBATH IS SAFE. 
 
' PART III. 
 
 MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS. 
 
 MEDITATION I. 
 
 THE SAINTS^ REST. 
 
 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Heb. 4: 9. 
 
 The earthly Sabbath is a beautiful but inadequate sym- 
 bol of the rest above. We lay aside our secular business, 
 cease from worldly toil, and repair to the sanctuary, to of- 
 fer unto God our praises and thanksgivings. But alas, we 
 cannot divest ourselves of the flesh, which impedes and 
 mars our worship ; and which, in a few hours, becomes 
 weary under the most exalted privileges. Above all, have 
 we to lament the remaining depravity which works within 
 us; begetting unbelief, coldness, and dead ness— distracting 
 the thoughts even in the most solemn acts of worship — and 
 rendering, at times, the most appropriate means of grace 
 inefficient. What believer has not groaned over this cause 
 of misimproved Sabbaths .? Still, there are seasons when 
 the sanctuary seems like one of the outer courts of heaven's 
 glory. There are times, when we can exclaim,*" How 
 amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts !" Then, by 
 faith, we see the glory of the Lord. The word is quick 
 and powerful. Our souls are borne upward as on eagles' 
 wings. A sacred, calm delight takes possession of us ; and 
 God appears to bow his heavens and come down to bless 
 
1 18 BOOK FOB THE. SABBATH. 
 
 US. But even such Sabbaths are not worthy to be com- 
 pared with that eternal rest, where the unfettered, unpollu- 
 ted soul shall worship the Lamb without interruption and 
 without end. The body will ihere not impede but augment 
 our happiness ; for it will be a spiritual body, which can no 
 longer be the medium of temptation, and which shall expe- 
 rience no fatigue. Nor will sin, O blissful thought, be 
 ihere, to dim our eye or to pollute our worship. We shall 
 not only see God, but see him with unobstructed vision. 
 We shall not only love him, but love him with unwavering 
 affections. We shall not only praise him, but praise him 
 in pure, exalted strains forever. Glorious rest ! Let us 
 rise and hasten towards it with renewed vigor ; for " here 
 we have no continuing city." 
 
 Blessed be thy name, O God, that thou hast prepared and 
 reserved a rest for thy people. Here thou liast taught us, 
 is the scene of our toilsome pilgrimage — that we are not to 
 expect our heaven here. Yet O, how often are we build- 
 ing tabernacles on earth ! We act as if this were to be our 
 permanent abode. Enable us, O God, to cast the eye of 
 faiih forward to "the rest that remaineth." Give us such 
 views of its alluring glories, as shall make the brightest 
 scenes of earth look dim. Let us see the Latnb enthroned. 
 Let us see the pure company of the saints and angels. Lei 
 us have a sweet foretaste of the celestial joys. Then, O 
 God, shall we cease to desire the honors or the pleasures 
 of this vain world. Then shall we forsake its attractions 
 allured by visions of so much superior lustre. Do we not 
 feel some faint desires after thee, O God ? Are we not 
 oppressed with sin's heavy load ? Have we not waged 
 eternal war against our lusts? Grant then, that the grace 
 which has equipped us for the conflict ; and thus far sus- 
 tained us in it, may carry us triumphant to the close, and 
 put us at last in possession of the heavenly rest. Then, O 
 
THE CONFLICT. 119 
 
 Lord, will we give thee all the praise. Our song shall be, 
 " unto him that loved us, and that washed us from our sins 
 in his own blood." To him, and to thee through him, will 
 we ascribe the glory and honor, the dominion and the power, 
 forever. Amen. 
 
 MEDITATION II. 
 
 THE CONFLICT. 
 
 He that overcotneth shall inherit all things ; and I will be his 
 God, and he shall be my son. Rev. 21: 7. 
 
 Although our reward is not of debt but of grace, yet the 
 necessity of struggling against and overcoming our spiritual 
 enemies is constantly urged upon us. Every motive drawn 
 from danger on the one hand, and from delight on the other, 
 is presented in order to rouse us to a vigorous contest. 
 How numerous, subtle, and powerful are our foes ! The 
 world appeals most attractively to our natural susceptibili- 
 ties. Satan assumes at one time the form of an angel of 
 light ; and at another, advances boldly to the attack, in all 
 his hellish malignity. Our own lusts are ever ready to kin- 
 dle in the soul an unhallowed excitement. What a pha- 
 lanx of spiritual enemies ! Blessed be God, we have not 
 to meet them alone and in our own strength ! Greater is 
 he that is with us, than all that are against us. The spi- 
 ritual armor is tendered to us ; and, invested in it, we are 
 prepared for a successful warfare. Jesus too, the great 
 Captain of salvation, has already achieved a signal victory 
 over these foes, and he promises to stand by us, to strength- 
 en our weakness, and to lead us on to certain victory. He 
 has moreover held forth a glorious reward. " He that 
 
120 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 overcometh shall inherit all things." Yes, all that heaven 
 has of happiness shall be ours. God will be our God, 
 and we shall be his adopted children. Here is an all- 
 powerful stimulus, to animate us in the conflict. Look then 
 steadily at the crown of glory. When the world allures, 
 remember, it is a foe in disguise. When Satan attacks, 
 raise the shield of faith to ward off his fiery darts. When 
 the flesh pleads, take a determined stand against its clam- 
 ors. Yea, crucify it. Keep under the body, and let the 
 spirit habitually triumph. Soon the warfare will be over. 
 The last enemy, which is death, being conquered, nothing 
 will remain, but to enter upon the glorious, the everlasting 
 reward. 
 
 Surrounded by the enemies of our souls, we look up- 
 wards to thee, O God, for help. Thou knowest their power 
 and their malignity, and thou art acquainted with our weak- 
 ness. Within us, is a " heart deceitful above all things, and 
 desperately wicked." Every where around us, are the al- 
 lurements of the world. Without thy protecting and sup- 
 porting hand, we must inevitably fall before the power of 
 the tenqjter. How often indeed have we been "overcome 
 of evil I" How often by our melancholy lapses, have we 
 proved our own helplessness! Ttie flesh has corrupted us 
 — the world has allured and deceived us. Satan has sud- 
 denly attacked and prostrated us, and were it not that thy 
 mercy is boundless, that thy love is unchangeable, we should 
 long since have been abandoned to the powers of hell. But 
 thanks to thy name, O God, thou hast with every temp- 
 tation fnade a way for our escape. When, overwhelmed 
 with shame and sorrow at onr fall, we have ventured to cast 
 an imploring look towards the mercy seat, thou hast been 
 ready to pardon, restore, and strengthen us. We come to 
 thee anew. We beseech thee to invest our souls with the 
 armor of rigliteousness. O put thy strength within us. 
 
THE RISEN SAVIOR. 121 
 
 Help us to watch unto prayer. Instead of confiding in our 
 own arm, may we make thee our refuge and our fortress. 
 In all times of temptation, wilt thou deliver us. Uphold us 
 by the right hand of thy righteousness. Enable us to war 
 a good warfare. May we, without presumption, look for- 
 ward to the rewards of the faithful ; and impelled by the 
 glorious " hope set before us," may we, through grace, over- 
 come every foe, and at last be invested with the privileges 
 and honors which are promised to all thy children, for Je- 
 sus' sake. Amen. 
 
 MEDITATION III. 
 
 THE RISEN SAVIOR. 
 
 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw 
 Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. John 20: 14. 
 
 We may say of Mary weeping at the sepulchre, behold 
 how she loved him ! She came to find her Savior's lifeless 
 body and to weep over it ; but even that is gone. Her 
 heart is broken. In the anguish of despair, she exclaims, 
 " They have taken away .my Lord, and I know not where 
 they have laid him." Mary little thought how near to her 
 stood that very Master, whose death she mourned. He 
 was there to console and to cheer her. No sooner had the 
 supposed gardener uttered the word, " Mary," with all the 
 benign emphasis of expression with which he was wont to 
 address her, than she recognized his well known voice, and 
 flew to embrace his feet. Thus does the weeping believer, 
 or the heart-broken penitent often find, when all seems dark- 
 ness and despair, that Jesus is near, and about to reveal him- 
 self to their troubled souls. He loves to find us weeping. It 
 11 
 
122 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 is a State indicative of our penitence, and expressive of our 
 desire for his consoling grace. It is in the vale of humility 
 that our Lord seems to abide. There he would have us 
 seek him. It is when, like Mary, we are weeping in the 
 garden, at the cross, or around ihe tomb, that Jesus draws 
 near, to speak a comforting word to our souls. O, let us 
 welcome afflictions, if they do but bring us near to him ! 
 It is heaven, to behold his countenance and to hear his voice. 
 When, borne down with the burden of sorrow, we go to 
 some lonely spot to give vent, in prayer, to these sorrows, 
 sweet is the surprise to our souls, to find there him, of whom 
 it is said, " He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sor- 
 
 How comforting, O Lord, is thy presence ! It makes af- 
 flictions light and easy to be borne. Nay, it enables us even 
 to "glory in tribulations." But when thou withdrawest thy 
 presence — when, by our sins, we create a distance between 
 thee and our souls, how heavy are our spirits! Nothing 
 then can impart comfort or satisfaction. To a heart that has 
 once felt thy love, it is not in the power of sublunary ob- 
 jects to aflTord substantial bliss. But, O Lord, though our 
 sins have separated between thee and us, yet when we return 
 with weeping, thou art ever ready to meet us, and to " re- 
 store to us, the joy of thy salvation." Thou dost even has- 
 ten to embrace us, and to bestow upon Us anew the tokens 
 of thy love. Thou lookest tenderly upon thy penitent chil- 
 dren. When they seek thee sorrowing, thou art always 
 near. Thy voice seems to say, " be of good cheer ; thy sins 
 are forgiven thee." Blessed be thy name, gracious Savior, 
 that now thou art risen ; and hast given us the assurance 
 that thou wilt be with thy people, not only in their solitude, 
 but where " two or three of them are gathered together in 
 thy name." O, may our souls ever live beneath the light of 
 thy countenance ! . When we lose sight of thee, our Lord, 
 may we go weeping till we find thee. Let our hearts never 
 
FRUITS OF HOLINESS. 123 
 
 be at rest when thou art absent. Let it not be in the power 
 of any creature to separate us from thy love. Reign supreme 
 in our affections, and reign there forever. Amen. 
 
 MEDITATION IV. 
 
 FRUITS OF HOLINESS. 
 
 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall 
 ye be my disciples. John 15: 8. . 
 
 God's glory is the great end of salvation. The whole 
 plan tends to illustrate the wisdom, power, goodness, jus- 
 tice and mercy of God. Christians are specimens of the 
 divine workmanship. If the change which grace has 
 wrought in them, be not strikingly manifest, God is dishon- 
 ored and the gospel despised. After all that God the Fa- 
 ther has done in sending his Son, and Christ the Son has 
 done in dying for us, if we, who profess to be redeem- 
 ed, do not exhibit unequivocal evidence of the power and 
 reality of religion, our conduct must draw contempt upon 
 the whole scheme of mercy. But if, on the contrary, 
 all men are obliged to confess the power of God in our con- 
 version, and the purity of the gospel in our lives, we then 
 glorify him " who is the author and the finisher of our 
 faith." The more exuberant and healthful the fruits, the 
 more excellent is the tree ! If after we have borne only 
 " fruit unto death," we begin to show the " fruit which is 
 unto holiness," men will be obliged to acknowledge in us 
 the grace of God. Our light will then so shine, that 
 others may be led also to glorify our Father. Then we 
 may boldly announce ourselves the disciples of Jesus, and 
 fear no charge of hypocrisy or inconsistency. It will be 
 
124 ' BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 evident that we have been with Jesus, and that we bear 
 somewhat of his image. Our usefulness will be extend- 
 ed — our hope become confirmed — and our zeal burn with 
 a steady and increasing flame. God will then acknow- 
 ledge us as his, and will at last receive us with the wel- 
 come, " Well done, good and faithful servants." 
 
 Grant, O merciful God, unto thy servants, the grace of 
 thy Holy Spirit to enable us to live to thy glory. May the 
 same power which brought us " out of darkness into thy 
 marvellous light," assist us to " walk in the light as thou art 
 in the light." The eyes of the world, we know, are fixed 
 upon us ; yea we are watched by angels, by devils and men. 
 Our spiritual enemies stand ready to triumph in our down- 
 fall. Every artifice of Satan is employed to accomplish it. 
 Wicked men would gladly find in our conduct an argument 
 against thy cause. But, O Lord, " hold thou us up, and we 
 are safe." Our trust is in thy grace alone. We have no 
 ability to secure or to advance our own spiritual interests. 
 To thee we cling as to " the strength of our heart." Never 
 for one moment forsake us. We mourn that our life has 
 been thus far so poor a testimony to the power of thy gos- 
 pel. We are humbled in the dust at the recollection of our 
 sins. O, how often have we dishonored thee ! But, hea- 
 venly Father, let us now **cast off the works of darkness 
 and put on the armor of light." Let us henceforth exhibit 
 the fruits of holiness. Yea, let us bear " much fruit." May 
 we be enabled to gain one victory after another, until every 
 sin shall be overcome, and every gospel grace shall adorn 
 our souls. O make us *' holy as thou art holy." All this 
 we entreat for Jesus' sake. Amen, 
 
RISEN WITH CHRIST. 135 
 
 ^MEDITATION V. 
 
 RISEN WITH CHRIST. 
 
 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are 
 .. ■ above, where Christ sitteth on the riglit hand of God. Col. 
 ^' 3: 1. 
 
 Risen with Christ ! What can be the meaning of the 
 sacred penman } How are Christians risen with Christ ? 
 It is evident that the language is highly figurative. "Ye 
 are risen with him," says the apostle in the 12ih verse of 
 the preceding chapter, " through the faith of the operation 
 of God, who hath raised him from the dead." Our faith, 
 then — wrought in us by the power of God — disconnects our 
 souls in a sense from " things seen," and introduces us to 
 " things not seen." We leave behind us as motives, and 
 as principal means of enjoyment, the things of earth, and 
 we walk by the light of things celestial. This is our re- 
 surrection, whereby we are likened to our glorious Lord, 
 who, assuming a spiritual body, came forth from the dark- 
 ness of the grave. Having thus risen with Christ, we must 
 of course direct our vision to him, and to the scenes with 
 which he is surrounded. We must " seek those things which 
 are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." 
 Our deepest interest should be concentrated on heaven. 
 There dwells he whom our soul loveth — our Father — Re- 
 deemer — and Sanctifier. There is the congregation of an- 
 gels and the spirits of the just made perfect ; all sinless and 
 dwelling in a region that is pure. Why then should we be 
 enamoured of earth ? Why fear to cross death's ^ dark 
 vale } moA^h\ioa lf« 1o tjiL- lifeiiD 0ill 1o eomn 
 
126 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. v 
 
 " O if my Lord would come and meet, 
 My soul would spread her wings in haste j 
 
 Fly fearless through death's iron gate, 
 Nor feel the terrors as she passed." 
 
 We acknowledge, with shame and contrition — O Lord — 
 that our affections have been *' earthly and sensual." So 
 weak, for the most part, has been our faith, that we have 
 seldom had a distinct and impressive view of "the invisible 
 things of God." We have hence been criminally influenced 
 by carnal hopes and pleasures. Alas, we have not lived as 
 those should live, who profess to be "crucified to the world" 
 — to have " risen with Christ." Help us truly to repent of 
 our earthly mindedness ; and O impart to us that faith which 
 " worketh by love, purifieth the heart, and overcometh the 
 world." "Turn away our eyes, O Lord, from beholding van- 
 ity." Let us henceforth " rise to newness of life." Separa- 
 ting our thoughts from this vain world, enable us to "seek 
 those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right 
 hand of God." Blessed Jesus I One glimpse of thy inef- 
 fable glory shall draw our affections from all that is bright 
 and attractive on earth. Disclose thyself then to our view — 
 give us ravishing conceptions of the heavenly state — that 
 henceforth we may be dead to the world ; and that our "life 
 may be hid with Christ in God." 
 
 MEDITATION VI. 
 
 ALL VANITY. 
 
 Then £ looked on all the works that my bands had wrought, and 
 on the labor that I had labored to do ; and behold, all was vani- 
 ty and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the 
 sun. Eccl. 2: 11. 
 
 The author of the book of Ecclesiastes gives us his expe- 
 rience of the unsatisfying nature of all worldly honors and 
 
ALL VANITY. 127 
 
 pleasures. Every thing that could please the eye, charm 
 the ear, gratify the taste, or amuse and enrich the mind, was 
 by him, sought and enjoyed. The whole circle of earth's 
 pleasures was tested. But in the end, all is pronounced 
 " vanity and vexation of spirit." The disappointment results 
 from the very nature of the soul. Its capacity being illimita- 
 ble, no finite enjoyment can fully meet its enlarged desires. 
 Nothing but a faithful discharge of duly, and the approving 
 smile of God can make the soul happy. Give it what you 
 will — gratify every earthly wish, it will still be wretched if 
 it be without God. All below is vanity. The considera- 
 tion that worldly good must so soon be relinquished is of it- 
 self enough to cast a shade over its enjoyment. The heart 
 must feel that there is nothing permanent here. " Life is 
 but a vapor." All earth-born pleasures are transitory. 
 Death withers every flower as soon as it blooms. Man too 
 is hurried to the tomb and then forgotten. If then all be- 
 low be stamped with vanity ; O, let us seek our all in God. 
 Let us relinquish in desire what we have been accustomed 
 so much to value — that the soul may start anew in the race 
 for a prize worthy of her struggles, and which when obtain- 
 ed will amply reward her toils. Let us fix our eye on the 
 " crown of glory which fadeth not away." Let us delibe- 
 rately renounce this vain world, and take God for our only 
 and all-sufficient portion. Whether on earth we are known 
 or unknown — honored or despised, this one thing let us seek 
 after — to secure the favor of God — to enjoy his presence — 
 and at last to inherit his glorious kingdom. 
 
 Unsatisfying, O Lord our God, as the world is ; still a 
 strange infatuation exists within our hearts, which leads us 
 to covet its distinctions and its pleasures. So far as thou 
 
128 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 hast permitted us to test its power to produce happiness, we 
 have been invariably disappointed. We have found it to be 
 "vanity and vexation of spirit." Its sweetest pleasures have 
 turned bitter in the enjoyment. Its loveliest scenery cannot 
 charm us apart from thee ; and its honors— so far as obtain- 
 ed — have proved but empty bubbles. Yet why, O Lord, do 
 we still hanker after these vain delights? Why do we not 
 learn to appreciate them truly ? Come thou into our souls, 
 with all thy fulness, and then will our hearts quickly bid 
 adieu to them. Thou knowest that we are never satisfied — 
 never happy — when we are not living to thee, and holding 
 sweet communion with thee. Thou knowest how weary is 
 the soul — though surrounded with earthly good — if God be 
 not with us, or if we have failed to place thee first in our af- 
 fection ! Return then we will to our rest. We fly to thee 
 our God once more; and do thou, O our heavenly Father, 
 return unto us and dwell in us forever, for Jesus' sake. 
 Amen. ., aii, ^..i\, : ^ 
 
 :T^nfc' *r 
 
 •( i>-ir;.Uf' 
 
 ;.v.; (; 
 
 ..m.^1 uo>.> a^t; MEDITATION VII. 
 hi V/ocTK w:^- 
 
 THE INVITATION. 
 
 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and 1 will 
 give you rest. MaM. 11: 28. 
 
 Who is there to whom this invitation is not applicable ? 
 How few can be found, who do not " labor for that which 
 satisfieth not," or who do not at times feel the burden of a 
 guilty conscience ? But there is a class for whom the kind 
 compassionate Savior especially intended it. There are 
 hearts subdued and softened by divine grace, which are yet 
 still enveloped in darkness and oppressed with an inward 
 weight of sorrow. They are personified in the " bruised 
 reed and the smoking flax." From some inscrutable causes 
 — traceable possibly to their physical constitution — they go 
 
THE INVITATION. 'W» 
 
 mourning as in sackcloth, considering that the promises — 
 those well-springs of consolation — are not written for them. 
 " O, ye afflicted, tossed with tempest and not comforted," 
 listen to the sweet inviting voice of the Savior, " Come unto 
 me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you 
 rest." Is not this language suited to such as ye are ? Can 
 ye not venture to approach, and touch by faith " the hem of 
 his garment?" Heavy as may be the load of guilt on the 
 soul ; do ye not remember that " the blood of Jesus Christ 
 cleanseth from all sin ?" Dark as your path may be ; 
 do ye not know, that " he is the light of life ?" High as 
 the waves may rise, and loud as the winds may roar ; does 
 he not address your trembling soul, and say, " It is I, be not 
 afraid ?" He says, " I will give you rest." What thou- 
 sands have ventured on this promise, and found the peace 
 which they sought ! " Go thou and do likewise." Let not 
 unbelief— so dishonoring to Jesus — hold you back any long- 
 er. You have not to " ascend up into heaven to bring Christ 
 down, nor to descend into the grave to bring him up again 
 from the dead. His word is nigh ;" yea, he himself is nigh 
 unto thee. It is only to "believe in thy heart" the word 
 which he has spoken, and light shall break in upon the soul. 
 Haste, then, at the call of Jesus. Seek rest for thy troubled 
 spirit no where else ; for it is to be found in him alone. 
 
 Why, O Lord, are these hearts so slow to believe thy word, 
 so reluctant to appropriate it ? From the realms of light and 
 glory thou didst come, veiling thy divinity in a fleshly form, 
 suffering every extremity of pain and grief, yea even death 
 itself, to redeem us, and yet we are tempted to entertain a 
 guilty distrust of ihee. We feel as if all this could not have 
 been done and suffered for us. But, Lord, we know thy 
 
130 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 word rnaketh no exceptions. It hath not singled us out and 
 said, tliy blood was not shed for us — thy |)roinises were not 
 for our comfort. O no ; blessed be thy name, the sacrifice 
 on Calvary was for sinners. The voice of invitation is to 
 all who feel their sins. It is the "weary an«l heavy laden" 
 whom thou hast invited to thy bosom. Why, then, may wc 
 not come ? Weighed down with griefs and sorrows, we 
 surely need the rest which thy pardoning mercy alone can 
 confer. Unworthy as we are, we would venture to thy feet. 
 O take away that unbelief which has been so long the bar- 
 rier between thee and our souls. May we look out of our- 
 selves — where all is so dark— and fix our gaze upon the cross^ 
 where all is radiant with the light of hope. 
 
 MEDITATION VIII. 
 
 ALL FOR THE BEST. 
 
 And we know tliat all things work together for good to tliem that 
 love God, to thera who are the called according to his purpose. 
 Rom. 8: 28. 
 
 The believer, when under the hidings of God's face, or 
 when smarting under the rod of temporal distress, is often 
 ready to say, " all these things are ugainst me." Owing to 
 the weakness of his faith, he concludes that " God has for- 
 gotten him." He forgets that " whom the Lord loveth he 
 chastenelh, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth" — 
 that his Lord once said, " in the world ye shall have tribu- 
 lation." To sink down under troubles, and conclude that 
 there is no relief for us, is to distrust our Father's care— to 
 doubt his everlasting love. It may not seem good to God, 
 who orders each event of our lives, to grant us the pros- 
 perity which we naturally desire. He niay discover in us 
 
ALL FOR THE BEST. 131 
 
 SO much remaining depravity — developed in the forms of 
 pride, sensuality, or self-seeking — as to make it necessary 
 to visit us with the rod of correction. When that rod is in- 
 tended to extirpate these sins, should we not be prepared 
 to kiss it ? Is it not designed to wean us from the world, 
 and to drive us more closely to the bosom of eternal love ? 
 "All things" — including of course these very trials — " will 
 work together for our good." Are we sick and suffering 
 in body ? Let us not despair. The affliction shall work for 
 our good. Relief will come in due time ; or if the sickness 
 " be unto death," God can make it conducive to a calm or 
 triumphant departure. Doubt not that his mercy is in it. 
 Art thou poor, and apprehensive that thy wants may not be 
 supplied ? O trust in thy Father's care, who will " withhold 
 no good thing from them that walk uprightly." Do enemies 
 beset thy path ? God can change the bitterest of them into 
 friends, or can defend and deliver thee from their ire. And 
 what though all these afflictions press upon the soul at once, 
 even then the promise is not nullified ; it is only made the 
 more precious. But remember that when heaven is attain- 
 ed, these sorrows will be felt no more forever. 
 
 How precious, O God, are thy promises! They apply to 
 us, thy sinful and suffering children, under all circumstances. 
 Thou hast declared, that of chastisement " all of us must be 
 partakers ;" that the way to thine abode is rough and thorny. 
 Why, then, should we fear to walk in it? Why wish to 
 tread a smooth and easy path ? Our sufferings, we acknow- 
 ledge, are caused by our sin. Instead of haling and sup- 
 pressing, we have cherished it. Yes, we have known it to 
 be offensive to thy pure eyes, and yet we have committed 
 and recotnmitted it, Shouldst thou, O Lord, afflict us still 
 more heavily, shouldst thou embitter our whole life with ag- 
 
132 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 gravated siifTering, and then cast us into hell ; it would be 
 but the just reward of our rebellion. But gracious Father, 
 we come to plead for forgiveness through Jesus Christ. O, 
 for his sake pardon us, and permit us to take hold of the 
 promises and call them ours. Thou hast said that "all 
 things shall work together for good to them that love thee." 
 Grant that we may love thee, and have the evidences of that 
 love, by "keeping thy commandments." Then may we 
 "glory even in tribulations." Then, whatever be our earthly 
 lot, joyous or sad, one sweet pron/ise shall gild the darkest 
 hours of our existence. We sliall be cheered by the thought 
 that "all things are working together for our good;" and 
 when we have done and suffered thy will on earth, we shall 
 be admitted to thy glory, to see thy face and to sing thy 
 praises forever. Amen. 
 
 MEDITATION IX. 
 
 THE HEART OF UNBELIEF. 
 
 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of 
 unbelief, in departing from the living God. Heb. 3: 12. 
 
 The unbelief of the ancient Israelites is a beacon to all 
 succeeding generations. For whilst Jehovah, by a miracu- 
 lous symbol, was guiding them through the desert — feeding 
 them also by miracle— and showing himself amidst the most 
 sublime and over-powering visions, they were ever and anon 
 forsaking him and turning to the worship of idols. Their 
 conduct however is but an illustration of the wickedness of 
 human nature generally. There was in them '* an evil 
 heart." This fully explains their conduct. But the same 
 evil heart exists in us. The people of God, but partially 
 sanctified, .see and feel this secret depravity. It is the fruit- 
 
THE HEART OF UNBELIEF. 133 
 
 ful source of all their misery. It fosters unbelief, a sin 
 upon which God looks with peculiar abhorrence. G, this 
 hateful unbelief ! What Christian does not mourn over it, 
 as the great barrier between God and the soul ? Unbelief 
 leads us to doubt sometimes even the existence of God. It 
 is this which weakens our confidence in the precious truths 
 of revelation. It is this which represents earth's pleasures 
 as substantial, and heaven but as a fanciful vision. How 
 does it paralyze every spiritual effort ! How does it quench 
 every spark of zeal, and drive us to a melancholy distance 
 from God ! Let us then take heed, lest this unbelief be 
 found in us. O, let us cultivate a strong confidence in God ! 
 Let us live near the cross, and be much in the study of his 
 word. Daily let us resort to the Savior with the petitions, 
 " Lord, increase our faith," " Help, Lord, our unbelief." 
 Since faith is the gift of God, let us earnestly wrestle for it. 
 The more faith we have, the nearer shall we live to God. 
 Unbelief drives us from him, but faith draws us to his arms. 
 
 We would bring ihese unbelievin"^ hearts to thee, O God, 
 and beseech thee, through Jesus Christ, to confirm our faith. 
 O that we could have and retain a deep impression of thy 
 perpetual presence! We would fain act under the constant 
 behef that " thou God seest us." We desire that measure 
 of faith wliich shall recognize thy presence in every created 
 object, and thy direct agency in every event of our lives. 
 Help us to believe unwaveringly in thy holy word; — to rely 
 implicitly on all thy promises. Let not the adversary beget 
 in us, distrust of thy jirovidence, nor a doubt of thy sacred 
 truth. May we receive all, however mysterious; and cast 
 our souls upon thy testimonies. May we take hold of Christ 
 as the sure, the only foundation ; and let no influence of 
 Satan, no secret depravity of the heart shake our hope and 
 12 
 
134 BOOK FOE THE SABBATH. 
 
 trust in the gracious Mediator. Lord Jesus, increase our 
 failii. Let us take thee as thou art offered in the gospel, to 
 be our prophet, our priest, and our king. Yea we do now 
 commit the keeping of our souls to thee. Weak indeed is 
 our faith, yet it is enough — blessed be thy name — to enable 
 us sincerely to do this. O root out from these hearts every 
 unbelieving thought. Enthrone thyself within, and subdue 
 our will to the obedience of the faith ; and when faith is no 
 more needed, may we see thee without a cloud to darken our 
 vision, and dwell in thy redeeming love forever. 
 
 MEDITATION X. 
 
 TIME PRECIOUS. 
 
 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Eph. 5: 16*. 
 
 Christians reflect, with sorrow and self-upbraiding, on the 
 unprofitable and sinful manner in which much of their lives 
 has been spent. Before the grace of God was revealed in 
 us, how were our days and nights given to vanity ! And 
 even since we professed to be swayed by higher principles, 
 how have we neglected or misimproved many of our op- 
 portunities for doing or for obtaining good ! What progress 
 in holiness might we have made, had we applied as frequent- 
 ly and a^ fervently to the throne of grace as we might have 
 done ? How much of divine truth might we have learned, 
 had we studied as diligently and prayerfully as we might have 
 done, the sacred record } How many souls might have been 
 instructed — warned, and possibly saved, had we been as 
 faithful as we ought to have been, in using the influence 
 over others which providence has given to us } Alas, we 
 must acknowledge, that in all things we have come short. 
 
TIME PRECIOUS. ■ 135 
 
 Our days have been days of evil. How can we lock back 
 upon the past without shame and contrition ? Much precious 
 time has been lost. -Yes, it is gone, never to return. The 
 opportunities for usefulness which have been lost, are lost for- 
 ever. There is only one way in which time can be redeem- 
 ed. It is by seizing the present moments and consecrating 
 them all to God. It is by beginning at once, and in good ear- 
 nest, to labor for the salvation of souls. In this way alone 
 can we redeem the time. 
 
 O God, we mourn over time lost, yea murdered in sinful 
 pleasures or in guilty indolence. We have been for the 
 most part only "cumbering the ground;" and justly tnight 
 we have been cut down, and made the monuments of thy 
 severe displeasure. But O, for the sake of thy dear Son, 
 spare us a little longer. ** Hide thy face from our sins and 
 blot out all our iniquities." Let not our past unfaithfulness 
 provoke thee to destroy us. Give us grace, that we may com- 
 mence anew thy service, and consecrate every power we pos- 
 sess to the great work of salvation. We renewedly give 
 ourselves away to thee, O Lord. May what remains of life 
 be devoted to thy service. Show us what thou wouldst 
 have us to do. Make the i)ath of duty plain before our face. 
 Let thy holy providence open before us fields of usefulness, 
 and thy grace dispose us and enable us to enter them, and 
 faithfully to labor until thou shalt call us to our account; 
 and then acknowledging ourselves but "unprofitable ser- 
 vants," we will hope for thine approval, and for an admis- 
 sion to the joys of thy kingdom, solety for the sake of Je- 
 sus our Savior. Amen. 
 
136 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 MEDITATION XI. 
 
 GRATITUDE. 
 
 Bless the Lord^ O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. 
 Psalm 103: 2. ^ , 
 
 There ie no duty more delightful than that of praise. 
 The Psalms of David are replete with it. His devotions 
 ofttimes consisted wholly in it. At one time, he breaks 
 forth in the ecstatic language, "O give thanks unto the Lord ; 
 call upon his name ; make known his deeds among the 
 people. Sing unto him ; sing psalms unto him ; talk ye of 
 all his wondrous works." At another he calls upon all 
 creation, animate and inanimate, to assist him in praising 
 Jehovah's great and glorious name ; and concludes by say- 
 ing, " Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord." 
 But how seldom do we imitate this pious bard in his holy 
 work ! Alas, we live not, I fear, as near to the mercy-seat 
 as he did, nor do we breathe so much of the atmosphere 
 of heaven. Else why have our devotions so much of the 
 slavish, and 30 little of the filial spirit in them ? Were a 
 kind earthly parent to be hourly bringing us new tokens of 
 his favor, should we not express our gratitude for such fa- 
 vors ? Why then are we not found praising our heavenly 
 Father, " who daily loadeth us with benefits," and " who 
 giveth us richly all things to enjoy .^" O, the very exube- 
 rance and constancy of his gifts seem, in some instances, 
 to harden the heart. Ungrateful man ! Often do days and 
 weeks pass away marked by this guilty forgetfulness. And 
 is it possible, that we can forget that Being " in whom we live 
 and move" — whose hand is open to satisfy our every reason- 
 
GRATlTDDfi. 137 
 
 able desire, and to whose protecting care we owe our safe- 
 ty ? Above all, can we forget the love which he has be- 
 stowed upon us, in :giving his dear Son to die for our sins ; 
 or the compassion which that Savior has manifested in dy- 
 ing to redeem us ? Never^ never let us forget these infi- 
 nite favors. Let us pour forth our praises unceasingly to 
 God and to the Lamb. Let us adopt the language of Da- 
 vid and sing, " Bless the Lord, O our souls, and forget not 
 all his benefits." Let us ask ourselves, morning, noon, 
 and night, at the close of the week, month, or year, what 
 common and special favors we have received ; and whilst 
 we humble ourselves for our sins, let us, in exalted strains, 
 praise the Lord for his unmerited mercies. 
 
 O Lord God, we have heeii prone to overlook the innume- 
 rable favors wherewith thou hast daily crowned our lives. 
 It is /' in thee that we live and move." Not the exertion of 
 a muscle can be made without thee. Why then have we' 
 not habitually recognized thy upholding hand in the continu- 
 ance of our forfeited lives? O, pardon thy servants for this; 
 and let us hereafter cease not to praise thee, " in whose hand 
 our breath is, and whose are all our ways." Thou dost also 
 provide us with food atid raiment. All nature is a vast store- 
 house for the siij)ply of oiu- wants. And yet too seldom 
 have we eaten our "bread with gladness and singleness of 
 heart." Through what troubles hast thou carried us ! From 
 what billows of adversity hast thou rescued us ! In what 
 perils hast thou guarded us ! Ten thousand thousand mer- 
 cies have fallen around our paths ; and O, above all, and as 
 if to crown all, thou hast given thine only begotten Son ; 
 and hast sweetly constrained us to accept of salvation. 
 Thou hast been our guide through all our weary })ilgrimage. 
 In darkness thou hast been our light ; in sorrow our conso- 
 lation ; in despondency our only trust and stay. And shall 
 we forget all these benefits? Shall we, in view of them, 
 
 12» 
 
138 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 refuse to praise thee ? O, forgive our past ingratitude. 
 Touch these cold, unfeeling hearts with thy grace ; soften 
 them into penitence ; and awake in them a permanent feel- 
 ing of gratitude and love; for the sake of our Advocate and 
 Redeemer. Amen. 
 
 MEDITATION XII. 
 
 THE PROMISED SPIRIT. 
 
 But if I depart 1 will send him [the Comforter] unto you. 
 Jo/m\6:7. 
 
 How consolatory is the language of our Lord to his de- 
 sponding disciples ! He had intimated to them the neces- 
 sity of his departure. The crisis had come when he must 
 " lay down his life for his sheep," and go to possess his 
 mediatorial throne in heaven. But they were overwhelm- 
 ed at the thought of losing their compassionate master. 
 They had entertained sanguine expectations as to an earth- 
 ly kingdom, and they had supposed that its honors and dis- 
 tinctions would naturally fall to themselves. They had, 
 however, a still deeper foundation for their sorrow. They 
 dearly loved their Lord — nay more, they adored him as 
 " God manifest in the flesh." And must they now part 
 with him ? The thought is agony. But Jesus had a word 
 of consolation suited to their feelings. He speaks of the 
 expediency of his departure — in view of the completion of 
 his great work, which includes the descent of the Spirit, as 
 well as the sacrifice on the cross. " If I depart," says Jesus, 
 " I will send him unto you." And soon this blessed Com- 
 forter came according to promise, to assuage their grief— to 
 
THE PROMISED SPIRIT. 139 
 
 inspire ihem with heavenly gifts — to fill them with holy bold- 
 ness — to pour light into their minds — and to sustain them 
 under all their labors and persecutions. Still does the 
 same divine Agent dwell with the people of God. Yes, 
 though with our bodily eyes, we no longer see Jesus, yet 
 does the Spirit, " receive of Christ's, and show it unto us." 
 It is through the Holy Spirit, that we catch an occasional 
 gUmpse of Immanuel's glory. When, at times, our strength 
 has failed, and deep depression has seized upon us, have 
 we not, by the Holy Comforter, been lifted up and restored 
 to the light of God's countenance ? The Holy Spirit dwells 
 in us, if we are the children of God. " Your body is 
 the temple of the Holy Ghost." And does this heavenly 
 guest indeed dwell in such polluted hearts as ours ? How 
 careful then should we be, lest by pride or some hateful 
 lust, we grieve him away ! Let us, with holy jealousy, 
 watch against any rival which may come to dispute with 
 him the possession of our hearts. Let us remember the 
 exhortation, " Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby 
 ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." 
 
 O divine Spirit, promised by the Savior, and given through 
 his intercession, come, dwell in these polluted hearts to sub- 
 due and to sanctify them ! The heavens have received our 
 Lord, but thou hast come to reveal him to our faith. " Glori- 
 fy him ; receiving of his, and showing it unto us." Earnest- 
 ly we desire to know more of Immanuel — we would be ra- 
 vished with his beauties. We long to see him clothed in 
 that resplendent glory which irradiated him on the mount 
 of transfiguration. But \( that be too blissful a revelation, 
 for such unworthy sinners ; at least show him unto us, bow- 
 ed beneath his sufferings, and enable us to weep over sin, 
 the cause of ail those suflTerings. Blessed Comforter, take 
 
140 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 possession of us, and dwell in otir hearts forever. We 
 would be thy consecrated temples. Expel, we beseech thee, 
 every polluting image — purify every unhallowed affection ; 
 and, by thy grace, make us a fit residence for thyself. We 
 would be wholly sanctified ; for only then, shall we be su- 
 premely blessed. Pardon the many sins whereby we have 
 so often grieved thee, and may we henceforth be vessels of 
 honor, purified by thy indwelling, for the master's use. 
 Grant this, O Lord, for Jesus' sake. Amen. 
 
 MEDITATION XIII. 
 
 THE LOVE OF CHRIST. 
 For the love of Christ constraineth us. 2 Cor. 5: 14. 
 
 The love of Christ ! What a motive to one who has felt 
 its constraining influence ! Can we say that we have not 
 only experienced the love of Christ to us ; but have felt in 
 return the outgoings of love to our blessed Savior ? The 
 apostle Peter could appeal ingenuously to his Lord and say, 
 " Thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee." 
 Impelled by this love, he went forth boldly proclaiming the 
 gospel, and enduring cheerfully, for Christ's sake, persecu- 
 tion and death. Paul also was constrained by it to ofifer 
 himself a living sacrifice unto God. It bore him above all 
 his trials. It was the fountain of his joy, and the impulse 
 of his zeal. Let us inquire, then, how much influence this 
 love of Christ has had over us ? Has it led us to practice 
 self-denial for Jesus' sake ? Has it fed the flame of our 
 devotions ^ Has it been the secret spring of our charities ? 
 Do we daily go up to Calvary, and study our obligations at 
 
THE LOVE OF CHRIST. 141 
 
 the foot of the cross ? See, on that cross, the adorable Sa- 
 vior ! Behold him, who is the equal of the Father, stretched 
 in bleeding agony— expiring under an inconceivable weight 
 of sorrow, to redeem us wretched, guilty men ! All this 
 he does to rescue us from sin and from hell — to create us 
 " heirs of God" — to purchase for us " an inheritance that 
 is incorruptible." And what have we ever done for him ? 
 Let us weep, that we have made such returns of ingratitude 
 and sin. Let us renew our vows at the foot of the cross. 
 O let us go forth to our work with increased diligence. 
 Short may be the time that is left us to labor for our Lord. 
 Soon may we be called to our account. Be it ours, to say 
 with Paul, " Whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and 
 whether we die, we die unto the Lord ; whether we live, 
 therefore, or die, we are the Lord's." 
 
 O, our adorable Savior, when we reflect on thy matchless 
 love, which led thee first to pity us, then to come into this 
 polluted world to redeem us ; when we think of all which 
 thou hast done and suffered for us sinful worms ; we are 
 lost in wonder, and we cannot find language to express our 
 obligations. But O, what poor returns have we made for 
 all this love and compassion ! Well might we bury our 
 faces in the dust ; nor, but for thy mercy, could we venture 
 to look up to thee, whom we have " crucified afresh." 
 'Twas not enough that the sins of our unregenerate slate 
 were laid upon ihee ; we have added to that oppressive load, 
 by sinning against love and mercy ; dying love and bound- 
 less mercy. Yet doth thy love, Savior, overtop all these 
 mountains of iniquity. It says " Thy sins, which are many, 
 are all forgiven thee." Let this love reach and melt our ob- 
 durate hearts. Let it constrain us to " live, not to ourselves, 
 but to thee, who hast died for us and risen again ;" and 
 whilst the children of this world are laboring to aggrandize 
 
142 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 self, let MS, forgetful of self, be absorbed in the work of jjlori- 
 fying our Master. " For us to live may it be Christ." When 
 we can no longer glorify thee on earth — then, O our Savior, 
 let us have a place in that bright world where love— that 
 grace which outlivies faith and hope — shall endure forever. 
 
 MEDITATION XIV. 
 
 THE CONTRAST. 
 
 There be many that say, Who will show us any good ? Lord, lift 
 thou up the liglit of thy countenance upon us. Ps, 4: G. 
 
 How unsatisfying is all sublunary good ! Such must be 
 the exclamation of every honest heart. Yet should we in- 
 fer, from the eagerness and untiring diligence with which 
 worldly pleasure is pursued, that it must bring to its posses- 
 sor entire satisfaction. But do the votaries of the world 
 find the good which their imaginations had pictured ? Is 
 there no disappointment — no draw-back in their bliss ? Does 
 not the soul secretly ask, if this is all? Do they not ex- 
 claim, under their disappointment, " Who will show us any 
 good .?" O ye worldlings, ye sensual, grovelling souls, do 
 ye not know that ye were made for the enjoyment of higher 
 and purer bliss ? Do ye not reflect that your immortal na- 
 ture can never be satisfied with the good which ye are pur- 
 suing.? Go to the Christian, and learn where the true 
 source of happiness lies. He has a joy that is unspeakable. 
 It consists in the light of God's countenance. His prayer 
 is, " Lord, lift upon us the light of thy countenance." Such 
 bliss cannot be yours until, forsaking your " broken cis- 
 terns," you turn to " the fountain of living waters." The 
 
.'. THE CONTRAST. 143 
 
 Psalmist declares/ that the light of Jehovah's countenance 
 affords to the believer more real joy, than does the increase 
 of worldly substance to the avaricious. Let us inquire, 
 then, if this is the case wuh us, if the light of God's coun- 
 tenance is desired more strongly than the influx of wealth 
 and honor ? Is it our daily prayer, as we see others strug- 
 gling for earthly gain, " Lord, lift upon us the light of 
 thy countenance ?" How beautiful the allusion ! As when, 
 after a night of darkness, the dawning rays appear, chasing 
 the gloom — or as when through the murky cloud, spreading 
 its thick folds around, the full-orbed sun is seen burst- 
 ing with its cheering light ; so, O God, let thy reviving 
 smiles fall on our dark and troubled souls ! Let us but en- 
 joy the light of God's countenance, and we can sing in the 
 absence of every other good. It is this which can cheer 
 the abodes of poverty — -which can gild the darkest path of 
 sorrow — which can make the heaviest burdens seem light 
 — and which, when the vale of death is in view, can prove 
 an undying lamp, to light the soul in triumph across it. 
 
 O God, the fountain of happiness, w^e rejoice that in Christ 
 Jesus, thou art reconciling the world unto thyteelf. Be thou 
 reconciled, we beseech thee, to us. Let us apj)roach thee 
 with the confidence of children. No merits of our own 
 have we to plead. Our holiest services are polluted. O 
 look upon the face of thine anointed, and for his sake look 
 graciously upon us. Lord, we have sinned in attempting to 
 find our happiness in things below. Forsaking thee, "the 
 fountain of living waters," we have turned to " broken cis- 
 terns which can hold no water." Our supreme affections 
 ought ever to have been fixed on thyself. Then should our 
 souls have found a satisfying portion. Thou hast taught us, 
 by experience, the emptiness and vanity of this world's 
 
144 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 pleasures. When we have had the fullest measure of them, 
 they have appeared most vain. Thou, O God, art the only 
 satisfying portion of the soul. Separated from thee — shut 
 out from the light of thy countenance, we must be wretched. 
 It is hell to be removed from thy presence, though sur- 
 rounded by all that earth can give. It is heaven to enjoy 
 thee, though bereft of all besides. Oh then "lift upon us 
 the light of thy countenance,"— grant us one sweet approv- 
 ing smile, that shall assure us of thy everlasting love for 
 Jeans' sake. Amen. 
 
 My Jesus, thou hast taught 
 
 This heart to love but thee ; 
 
 The sweetest joys of earth are fraught 
 
 With emptiness to me. 
 
 If sorrow shades my eyes, 
 It is when thou art fled } 
 Deep in the dust my spirit lies. 
 And mourns its comforts dead. 
 
 The world has lost its power 
 To soothe this inward pain ; 
 To me it is a faded flower, 
 That cannot bloom again. 
 
 But when thy smile appears, 
 
 To chase this gloom away ; 
 
 How bursts my song— how sink my fears ! 
 
 My night is turned to day. 
 
 Then, Lord, no more permit 
 This heart from thee to rove j 
 O that I may forever sit 
 At thy dear feet, and love ! 
 
THE REFUGE. --" ' |4$ 
 
 MEDITATION XV. 
 
 .„ ,, THE REFFGE. 
 
 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 
 Psalm 46: 1. 
 
 " Man is born lo trouble, as the sparks fly upwards." 
 The world in which we dwell is but " a vale of tears." Sin 
 has caused these tears to flow ; and every sinner must, soon- 
 er or later, pour in his contribution of personal grief, to 
 swell the general tide of sorrows. The domestic circle 
 must be invaded by the ruthless hand of death. Wealth 
 may abound one day, to be succeeded by poverty the next ; 
 or even if retained, may prove a source of anxiety and 
 temptation to its possessor. In short, all must drink of the 
 bitter cup. Is it not wise then to provide against the 
 months that are now, or that are drawing nigh, when we 
 are obliged to say " we have no pleasure in them." Alas ; 
 the poor sinner, who finds all his happiness in the things 
 of earth ; when these are gone, has nothing left. He h^s 
 no shelter from the storm. It must beat upon his naked 
 head. But not so the Christian. He can say, under the 
 severest afflictions, " God is my refuge and strength, a 
 very present help in trouble." O what an unspeakable 
 blessing to have an almighty support ! How calming to the 
 soul in the dark hour of adversity, to be able to pour all 
 its sorrows into the bosom of God ! When death has 
 seemed to hover over us, to aim his shafts at us or ours, 
 what sweet consolation have we found in God ! In " the 
 secret place of the Most High," we have been able to dwell 
 safely. When the world without has been covered with 
 gloom, all has been sunshine within. When the power of 
 13 
 
146 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 the tempter has overwhelmed us, the arm of Jesus has lift- 
 ed us up and pointed out a way of escape. Whatever then 
 are our trials, let us still trust in God. Away, ye dark, un- 
 believing thoughts ! " God is a present help ;" and " though 
 he slay us, yet will we trust in him." His promise is — 
 whatever is our situation, " my grace is sufficient for thee ; 
 for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 
 
 iti 
 
 O God, it is the hour of darkness. "Fearfiilness and 
 trembling have come upon us, and horror hath overwhelm- 
 ed us." Whither can we look but unto ihee ? What now 
 can be our support but thy precious promises ? Thou hast 
 declared thyself to be "a refuge" to thy people — "their pres- 
 ent help in trouble." Often have thy servants experienced 
 the truth of this comforting declaration. When trouble, and 
 sorrow, fear and anxiety, have taken hold upon them, they 
 have fled to this sweet refuge. They have poured out their 
 souls unto thee, and thou hast helped them in the time of 
 their distress. Thou hast calmed their rising fears, and en- 
 abled them to resign every event into thy hands. What 
 peace hath then pervaded their souls ! Let thy merciful lov** 
 ing kindness then visit us in this hour of our tribulation. 
 Hide not thy face from us. " Put not thy servants away in 
 anger." O speak peace to our troubled spirits. Hide us 
 under the shadow of thy wings " till these calamities be over- 
 past." Strengthen our faith to take a firm hold of thy 
 promises, and let no vicissitudes of this life, no threatening 
 dangers shake our confidence in thee or in thy declarations, 
 for the sake of Jesus Christ, our hope and our Redeemer. 
 Amen. 
 
-hit -tut i^<r.>;i, v,i*> ■=■; " ^^. /iM .t^i^BCTir!*^''" •"•- ■ •■ -'•'■-• 
 
 MEDITATION XVI. , > w 
 
 /i '^ 09.0^1 a PRAYER HINDERED. 
 
 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may con- 
 sume it upon your lusts. James 4: 3. 
 
 It is important to investigate the spirit with which we 
 pray, as well as to inquire into the subject matter of our pe- 
 titions. We may pray earnestly, and for things in them- 
 selves lawful ; but the motive which actuates to the duty 
 may be wrong. We may ask for health ; not that when re- 
 ceived, it may be devoted to God ; but that we may be ena- 
 bled more perfectly to enjoy our earthly pleasures. We may 
 ask for temporal prosperity in general, simply because we 
 naturally shrink from suffering, and covet enjoyment. We 
 may even pray for more of the sensible joys of religion, be- 
 cause of the mere pleasurable excitement which accompa- 
 nies them. Alas, our prayers are too often exclusively selfish. 
 The glory of God has but little to do with them. Not sel- 
 dom do we mutter over a form, whilst the heart is wander- 
 ing and cold. When we have finished, we scarcely know 
 for what we have been praying, nor reflect on the dread 
 majesty of the being whom we have addressed. The sins 
 of our holy things are not the least of our transgressions. 
 How offensive in the sight of Heaven must have been many 
 of our prayers ! Truly we need not wonder, that they are not 
 oftener answered. " We ask, and receive not, because we 
 ask amiss." O, for more of the spirit of prayer ! Why 
 do we not oftener avail ourselves of our precious privilege 
 of coming to the mercy seat ? May we not there disburden 
 our souls .'' May we not invoke the divine presence to at- 
 
148 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 tend us on our pilgrimage. May we not draw upon his ful- 
 ness, even " grace for grace ?" Has he not said, "draw nigh 
 to God, and he will draw nigh to you ?" Is not the mercy 
 seat always accessible ? Hear his inviting voice. " Ask, 
 and ye shall receive." Have we not also an " Advocate 
 with the Father," to present our prayers ? Only let us ask 
 aright, and the blessing shall be ours. Let our prayers be 
 importunate— sincere — submissive — with faith in the prom- 
 ises — preferred in Jesus' name ; and above all, having re- 
 ference to the glory of God, and we cannot doubt that God 
 will hear and answer them. ; 
 
 O spirit of holiness, breathe into our souls the true feelings 
 of devotion! It is thy merciful prerogative to help our in- 
 firmities. We are bowed down greatly. Our iniquities are 
 so great that we cannot look up. O lead us to a believing 
 view of the atoning Lamb. Let us feel him to be our 
 strength, and let us see in him our pardon and our righteous- 
 ness. Often, alas, have we prayed with our lips whilst our 
 hearts have been far from God. The remembrance of such 
 prayers fills us with shame and confusion of face. Often 
 too have we asked for blessings from motives which thou 
 eouldst not approve ; and sometimes, we fear, even that we 
 might "consume them on our lusts." O God, forgive us 
 this great iniquity. Draw us once more to thee, and fill us 
 with the spirit of supplications. Teach us how to pray, and 
 what to pray for. Let us wrestle as did Jacob— let us sigh 
 and mourn as did Hannah — let us repent and pray as did 
 the publican. May we "come boldly," yet humbly, " to the 
 throne of grace, and obtain mercy and find grace to help in 
 time of need." May we have such frequent and stich de- 
 lightful communion with thee, that prayer shall be our daily 
 bread ; that like Enoch we may walk with God. Amen. 
 
. . : JllVlXiB- fiUIDANGE^ ... 4M 
 
 ^Un '.;:! Tj .v»,i ;.:--.''\''i\ !',■,<■!}■ if ■: vj'v"^.i 'v ' >i .;^ tf i. .». r>i L-vrj 
 
 16 = 
 
 h MEDITATION XVII. 
 
 hja nuii ^M(''. DIVINE guidance. 
 
 won 'i .-t ^^j^ ^^ijj^t ^ilt tijQu jjj^yg nie to do ? Jets 9: 6. 
 
 How often is the path of duty involved in obscurity 
 which nothing but light from heaven can dissipate ! But 
 it is, the believer's privilege to innplore the God of all grace 
 to point out to him the way in which he should go. As to 
 practical religion, there is a general course or tenor of 
 feeling and action which is comparatively plain. In 
 all ordinary circumstances the word of God will, by its pre- 
 cepts and counsels, indicate the path of duty. " By taking 
 heed thereto," we cannot go wrong. If, for example, we 
 are tempted to distrust Providence, by an undue anxiety as 
 to the supply of earthly good which we need; we may 
 learn, from our Savior's declaration, to be no longer of" a 
 doubtful mind ;" but to trust Him who " clothes the grass 
 of the field, and feeds the fowls of the air." Are we prone 
 to anticipate evil of any kind ? Let us remember that the 
 same authority says, " sufficient unto the day is the evil 
 thereof." Are we in doubt how we should feel towards 
 one who has injured us, or who has forfeited our esteem ? 
 The clear response from the Bible is, " Charity hopeth all 
 things." " Forgive every one his trespasses." " Heap 
 coals of fire"— that is tokens of love — " upon his head." 
 But often with the believer, there are seasons of deep per- 
 plexity and distressing anxiety as to what he shall do ; 
 when he cannot so clearly discern the path in which he 
 should tread. His way is often actually hedged up. Like 
 the Israelites on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea, he 
 13* 
 
150 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 seems completely environed with difficulties. What now 
 shall he do ? If he can do nothing else, he can with Paul 
 give himself to prayer. " Lord, what wilt thou have me to 
 do ?" should be his earnest cry. Yet let him understand, 
 that this sense of dependence on God exempts him not 
 from the obligation to make every effort possible, to know 
 the path of duty, and to do the will of God. Every lawful 
 means to understand the leadings of providence must be 
 resorted to ; and then prayer may be offered in the confi- 
 dent expectation that God will say to us, in a language in- 
 telligible to a pious heart, " This is the way, walk ye in it." 
 
 g>raDer, 
 
 Lord, the petition which the subdued and broken-hearted 
 Saul offered — " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" thou 
 didst quickly answer, instructing him both what to do and 
 where to go. Art thou not equally ready to impart to us 
 thy servants a knowledge of our path of duty ? We have 
 consecrated to thee our souls and our bodies. Having vow- 
 ed to be thine ; we stand prepared to obey thy call ; to labor 
 for thy glory ; when and where thou shalt see fit to employ 
 us. We ask no higher honor than to be engaged, until our 
 dying day, in advancing our blessed Redeemer's kingdom, 
 and in promoting thy glorious designs on earth. Lord, in 
 what way may we most effectually subserve this great ob- 
 ject ? Where wouldst thou have us to go, and what wouldst 
 thou have us to do ? In all that respects present duty, let us 
 clearly understand thy will. Give us grace, O Lord, to dis- 
 charge that duty. May we not stand, like the servants in 
 the market-place, "all the day idle." May we not indulge 
 in spiritual reverie as to future opportunities or more favor- 
 able circumstances ; but, looking around us upon the fields 
 already white unto the harvest, may we at once enter upon 
 our labors and prove faithful even unto death. Help us to 
 be watchful of the occasions of usefulness which thy provi- 
 dence affords, and so to improve them as that, at last, we 
 
THE SEARCHER OF HEARTS. 151 
 
 may be saluted with the welcome, " well done, good and 
 faithful servants." Enable us to do thy will, in the subju- 
 gation of our own evil nature — in bearing the cross — in 
 "seeking not our awn, but the things which are Jesus 
 Christ's ;" and whilst laboring in the work of personal piety, 
 may we be equally zealous in efforts to save from death the 
 souls of our fellow men, for Jesus' sake. Amen. 
 
 -xi 
 
 ' V: ^'^. 'MEDITATION XVIII. ^ 
 
 .gftw inr:-a zti ,sf ./ni am ru riiinl " 
 
 DlwfHf " ^jjg SEARCHER OF HEARTS. "'^«dS Q^i Ol 
 
 For the Lord seeth not as man seeth. 1 Sam. 16: 7. 
 
 In our judgment of men we are very often deceived. 
 Being able to look only on the outward appearance, we 
 cannot always understand their principles and feelings. 
 From seeing them in situations not calculated to develop 
 their peculiar characters, we cannot say how they would 
 act in different circumstances. But it is the prerogative of 
 God to look on the heart. His eye searches deep into the 
 soul. He knows perfectly every thing that passes there ; 
 and He can decide with certainty how a man will act in 
 all the circumstances in which he can be placed. Go 
 where we may, and do what we may, that omniscient eye 
 rests upon our heart, and perceives the incipient emotion 
 and desire even before they are known to ourselves. What 
 a startling thought is this to the guilty bosom ? How would 
 that bosom shrink and tremble, were that eye, in visible 
 fire, to glare upon it at every step of its career ! But does 
 it not really behold us in public and in private ? Has it 
 not followed us through life and marked our every feeling ? 
 O that we could henceforth act under the sentiment, " thou 
 
162 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 God seest me." When we are alone, let us remember, that 
 really we are not alone ; that God is there. When the 
 tempter assails us in solitude ; let us look up, and see the 
 eye of God fixed upon us, and hear his voice calling us to 
 resistance. When we offer in public or in private the 
 prayer that savors of insincerity, let us remember that what 
 may appear as sincere devotion in the eyes of men, may 
 be but the sacrifice of the wicked, which is " an abomina- 
 tion to the Lord." O let us remember that God cannot 
 be deceived, neither will he be mocked. Let us have 
 " truth in the inward parts ;" and be willing, as David was, 
 to be searched even as to our thoughts ; so that " if there 
 be any wicked way in us, God may lead us in the way 
 everlasting." 
 
 ' '''tymniscieht'tiocl'! "Thou knowest our down-si'tting arid 
 our up-rising, then understandest our thought afar off." 
 Not our outward conduct only, but the most secret feelings 
 of our bosoms lie open to thine eye. Thou hast followed 
 us with thy keen inspection in all our devious wanderings. 
 We tremble to reflect on the many secret as well as open 
 sins which thou hast marked against us. How have these 
 hearts been festering with pollution, even when to human 
 view our conduct may have been unblamable ! O Lord, 
 we are not to be "judged by man's judgment." "Man 
 looketh on the outward appearance." We are to be 
 weighed In thy balances. Thou requirest purity of heart. 
 Thou canst not look upon sin but with abhorrence. 
 Wherewithal then shall we come before thee? In the lan- 
 guage of penitence would we exclaim, " Have mercy upon 
 us, O Lord, according to thy loving kindness, according to 
 the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out our transgres- 
 sions. Wash us thoroughly from our iniquities, and cleanse 
 us from our sin. Create in us n clean heart, O God, and 
 
PRAYER IN JESUS' NAME. 153 
 
 renew a right spirit within us." "Cleanse thou us from se- 
 cret faults." Let us henceforth live and act, " as seeing 
 thee who art invisible." In all our plans — in all our pri- 
 vate meditations — in =- every act of devotion may a sense of 
 thy presence overawe us. O may we not seek to please 
 men hut God ; and may we ever act in compliance with 
 our duty towards thee. May "integrity and uprightness 
 preserve us ;" and may we be numbered among the "Is- 
 raelites indeed, in whom there is no guile." This we implore 
 for the sake of Jesus our Redeemer. Amen. 
 
 '■•n«d ill.; liiO en »'^v?l •»<♦''*» ^Tf 
 
 -i. •' u;o rami ^*— — : ~-m^h\tB(i 
 
 MEDITATION XIX. 
 
 PRAYER IN JESUS' NAME. 
 
 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name : ask, and ye shall 
 receive, that your joy may be full. John IC: 24. 
 
 Blessed indeed were those disciples who sat at the Sa- 
 vior's feet ! Did they want counsel ; he was at hand to 
 furnish it. Did they need more knowledge in relation to 
 the kingdom of God ; he, their all-wise master, was willing 
 to impart it. Were they destitute of the comforts of life ; 
 he, though apparently indifferent to them himself, was ever 
 ready to work a miracle to supply their necessities. On 
 him they constantly leaned for support. From him they 
 hoped for succor in all limes of trouble. What then could 
 they do, if he should depart from them } He tells them 
 what they mtist do— they must pray. " Hitherto," says 
 Jesus, " ye have asked nothing in my name." Ye have 
 looked directly to me. Now look through me as mediator 
 to the Father. My name is henceforth to be the precious 
 passport to the mercy-seat. If ye make mention of my 
 
 
154 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 name in your supplications, my Father will supply your 
 wants. How consolatory, how encouraging this promise ! 
 Nor was it made to those disciples only. It was for all be- 
 lievers. "Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be 
 full." Go, then, to the mercy-seat in Jesus' name. Take 
 it as the precious seal which God the Father will recognize, 
 and thereby admit you to a participation of the blessings of 
 his grace. Would you have the "joy unspeakable," and 
 be filled with it ? Go, plead for it, in the name of Jesus. 
 He ever lives as our intercessor at the right hand of God ; 
 and the feeble petitions which flow from our faltering 
 tongues and polluted lips, if offered with faith in his name, 
 shall be rendered acceptable through him, our Advocate and 
 High Priest. " Let us therefore come boldly to the throne 
 of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help 
 iu time of need." 
 
 6, most merciful Father, taught by thy only Son to ap- 
 proach thee in supplication for spiritual blessings, we come 
 in his name, and plead his merits as the only ground of ac- 
 ceptance. Vile and |)oIluted, we are not worthy to direct 
 our eyes upwards to thy mercy-seat. Jesus alone is worthy. 
 He is the unspotted Lamb ; and his blood has flowed to give 
 our souls access to thee. Receive our prayer, O gracious 
 God, for Jesus' sake ; and grant our souls the blessings which 
 we need. We would fain repent of every transgression; 
 and we long to feel the joys of pardoned sin. O give us re- 
 pentance unto life ; give us that faith which workeili by love, 
 purifieth the heart, and overcometh the world. Bestow it, O 
 Father, for it is thy gift. Under its influence, enable us to 
 obtain the victory over every spiritual eneujy. O for more 
 love to thee ! Let it be the governing itnpulse in the dis- 
 charge of every duty. Give us also love to thy dear chil- 
 dren. May thy people be our people. May their persons 
 
.^Z' . REVIVAL. i Mooa 155 
 
 and their reputations be dear unto lis. May we love thy 
 kingdom. O may its interests be uppermost in our affec- 
 tions and our labors. Gracious Father, implant in us every 
 Christian grace. Lefour joy he the joy of thy people. Let 
 it be pure, spiritual, and full. Whilst others are rejoicing 
 in the increase of their gains, or in the possession of sensual 
 pleasure, may our happiness be kindled at a pin*er source ; 
 may it come from the light of thy countenance, and the in- 
 dwelling of thy Holy Spirit. We ask all in Jesus' name. 
 Amen. 
 
 MEDITATION XX. 
 
 REVIVAL. 
 
 Wilt thou not revive us again ; that thy people may rejoice in 
 thee ? Ps. 85: 6. 
 
 When the Holy Spirit is poured upon believers, there is 
 great joy among them. Whatever earthly comforts they 
 may have valued or coveted, all seem to be forgotten in the 
 joy which is connected with the revival of their Christian 
 graces. When coldness and stupidity are upon the church, 
 her members lose in a great measure their relish for divine 
 things. The world comes in like a flood, and they are more 
 or less swept away on its powerful current. They become 
 conformed criminally to its spirit and fashions. The light of 
 the divine countenance is withdrawn from them ; and im- 
 penitent sinners, emboldened in sin by their loose example, 
 rush madly on in the road to death. How sad is such a 
 state of spiritual declension I How dishonoring to God ! 
 How ruinous to the soul ! But God, who is rich in mercy, 
 does not forsake his saints even though they, for a season, 
 forsake him. For his own glory he will and does bring 
 
156 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 them to repentance. He bids them return from their back- 
 slidings. He fills them with shame and self-abhorrence in 
 view of their sins. He renews within them the love which 
 they breathed forth in ardent vows when first they gave 
 themselves to his service. Then do they again rejoice in 
 God. The world once more loses its attraction. Com- 
 munion with God is again realized and relished. The 
 mercy-seat is frequented. The souls of sinners are view- 
 ed as precious. Then is offered " the effectual fervent 
 prayer which availeth much." The light of God's counte- 
 nance is restored, and multitudes are brought into the king- 
 dom of Christ. Who would not pray for such a glorious 
 season .? Who can be content to lie stupid and dead, far 
 from God and happiness, when such a change may be 
 wrought by prayer .? Who can consent to fold his arms in 
 idleness, to behold sinners dropping into perdition, God's 
 name and cause dishonored, and his own soul deprived of 
 spiritual joy, when God is ready to revive his work, and to 
 restore to his people the joy of his salvation ? 
 
 q3rat)er. 
 
 O Lord, when first thy grace was revealed to us, how new, 
 how strange, yet how delightful were the emotions ? Dark- 
 ness fled, and the true light shined into our souls. The op- 
 pressive burden of sin was taken off. Our spirits walked 
 unenciMTibered, breathing the air and enjoying the liberty of 
 thy children. The days then flew away swiftly and happily,* 
 spent in delightful communion with thee, or in efforts to 
 bring others to the knowledge of thy salvation. But O mer- 
 ciful Father, a thousand vanities have courted our attention, 
 and a thousand earthly cares engrossed our souls. Satan 
 and our own evil hearts have coujhined to rob us of our 
 peace, and our spiritual joys have fled. Thou hast made us 
 to see and feel that we have "an evil heart of unbelief in 
 
PURITY. 157 
 
 departing from the living God." O, if we have thus 
 wounded ihy cause, or indirectly even been the means of 
 injury to souls, may we be brought to realize our guilt, to 
 repent of our backslidings; and through thy boundless mercy, 
 may we obtain forgiveness. " O Lord, revive thy woik." 
 For the sake of thy cause, for the glory of thy name, for the 
 honor of thy truth. Lord revive us. May we no longer be 
 stumbling-blocks, nor bring a reproach uf)on that dear name 
 by which we are called. May we engage heartily in efforts 
 to promote the kingdom of our Lord. O let thy Holy Spirit 
 come upon thy people. Let great searchings of heart be 
 experienced. Let the hypocrite be surprivsed, the stupid 
 aroused, the sinner convicted, and the disconsolate com- 
 forted ; yea, " let thy kingdom conjo," fc)r Jesus' sa^e^ 
 Amen. .' ' - ,^ '^ ' 
 
 :,,i ]tsqii ew^ ?iia ni »9Vi( od*^/ Q.fjorf 
 
 -*>L .. ' '- -'ff— J: 7_d bu?uffoq- 
 
 ';•' ■ ■ ■'' ■". MEDITATION XXI. ''''^ "^ "' '^" 
 
 PURITY. 
 
 Mow shall we that are dead unto sin live any longer therein ? 
 Rom. 6: 2. 
 
 To say that a believer is dead unto sin is using strong 
 language. Though not literally true, it implies much more 
 than most Christians are willing to believe. Not the most 
 holy can assert perfection. There still lives in the heart a 
 depraved tendency, upon which Satan and the world are 
 constantly acting to draw us away from God. But the 
 sincere disciple of Jesus keeps a watchful eye upon this in- 
 ward foe and these outward temptations. He stands 
 girded by grace to resist these evil influences. He may be 
 said, therefore, to be dead to the practice or enjoyment of 
 sin. He does not allow it even a parley. He holds it in 
 utter detestation, and he has declared against it an extermi- 
 14 
 
158 BOOK FOH THB SABBATH. 
 
 nating warfare. When off his guard, sin and Satan may 
 occasionally surprise him, and obtain a temporary advan- 
 tage over him ; but he is still no less the enemy of sin ; and 
 he returns to the attack with redoubled energy. This is 
 being dead unto sin. Who can say, in sincerity, that such 
 is his own condition ? Are the enjoyments of the world, 
 the haunts of pleasure, the delights of carnal indulgence, 
 all abandoned as objects unworthy of the heart's affections } 
 Have they ceased habitually to influence us ? Is our " life 
 hid with Christ in God ?" Is our " conversation in heaven ?" 
 False and unfounded is their claim to discipleship, who 
 are eagerly pursuing this world — searching it through and 
 through for a little happiness. Hypocritical and vain is his 
 hope who lives in sin — who allows his imagination to be 
 polluted by it — his affections to be swayed by it — his de- 
 sires to be governed by it. No ; it is the " pure in heart" 
 alone, who shall " see God." " Nothing that defileth" shall 
 ever enter into the celestial city. 
 
 To be freed from sin, O God, is our most earnest prayer. 
 We perceive it to be that " abominable thing which thou 
 hatest." It was sin which ruined our race. It was sin 
 which crucified thy own dear Son. It is the source of all 
 our misery. And yet are we daily chargeable with its com- 
 mission. What shall we say unto thee in view of our oft- 
 repeated transgressions .^ We would fall down before thy 
 face, and exclaim with the publican, " God be merciful to 
 me a sinner." But, O Lord, it is not forgiveness alone we 
 seek ; our chief desire is that we may be thoroughly puri- 
 fied from the hateful influence of sin. "Create our nature 
 pure within." Eradicate the very principle of depravity. 
 " Search us, O God, and see if there be any wicked way 
 in us, and lead us in the way everlasting." By profes- 
 
CONDESCENDING MERCY. 159 
 
 sion we have become "dead unto sin." Our vows and reso- 
 lutions are to contend against it, under every form which it 
 may assume. And thou knowest that we do abhor it; and 
 that we abhor ourselves on account of it; that we "delight 
 in thy law after the inward man." O then grant that we 
 may be more and more purified by the indwelling of the 
 Holy Spirit, until our bodies shall become temples hallowed 
 by and meet for his perpetual residence ; and at last may we, 
 through grace, reach that pure and glorious rest which no 
 sin or sorrow can invade j for Jesus' sake. Amen. 
 
 MEDITATION XXII. 
 
 CONDESCENDING MERCY. 
 
 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord ; though 
 your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ; though 
 they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Is. 1: 18. 
 
 What infinite condescension is it in the great Jehovah to 
 hold intercourse with mortals ! But when it is considered 
 that these mortals are rebels against his laws and govern- 
 ment, the astonishment is heightened. He not only thus 
 condescends, but he even entreats his wandering creatures 
 to come back to his arms. He declares himself willing to 
 reason with them. He is prepared to pardon all their trans- 
 gressions, if they will but repent and seek his mercy. But 
 O, says the conscience-smitten sinner, how can God for- 
 give me ? My sins are too great. There is none so vile. 
 There is no guilt of such crimson dye as mine. There is 
 in my case a peculiar aggravation. It seems as if divine 
 mercy could not reach it. All this that thou sayest of the 
 enormity of thy guilt may be true. But dost thou not add 
 
160 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 to thy sin, by denying the efficacy of Jesus' blood ? Hast 
 thou calculated the value of those big drops which bedewed 
 Gethsemane ? Hast thou nneasured the depth of those woes 
 which Jesus endured on the cross ? " His blood," remem- 
 ber, " cleanseth from all sin." The Father hath *' laid on" 
 his holy Son " the iniquity of us all." Hence it is that 
 we are so cordially invited to come and reason the case 
 with him. Come, says he, show thy heavy account — pre- 
 sent thy crimson guilt — and I will, for Jesus' sake, cancel 
 it all. The blood of the atoning Lamb is an all-sufficient 
 equivalent. Only bow thy soul in the dust, confess thy 
 aggravated sins, turn from them with all thy heart, and Je- 
 sus shall answer for thee at the bar of eternal justice. 
 
 ^rai)cr. 
 
 /Vo J 
 
 From thy exalted throne, O God, thou hast stooped to 
 notice and to pity us fallen creatures. Thou hast even put 
 forth thy hand to reclaim us. Justly mightest thou have 
 launched against us the fiery bolts of thy indignation. Had 
 no atoning Lamb been provided — no precious blood been 
 spilt — no voice of mercy sounded in our ears, still vvouldest 
 thou have been " holy, just, and good." We should then 
 have been abandoned to the darkness which we chose, and 
 which we loved. But O thou compassionate Father, thou 
 hadst from eternity designs of love and mercy. Thou didst 
 provide redemption through thy Son Jestjs Christ. Spurned 
 as has been this gracious way of salvation, it is still offered 
 to us. Thy language is, " Come now," sinner, " and let us 
 reason together." To this gracious invitation we respond. 
 Lord, we come. We come in our shame and guilt, to cast 
 ourselves at thy feet, and acknowledge ourselves to be among 
 the vilest of sinners. Our ^uilt is indeed of crimson dye; 
 but since thou hast promised to cleanse it away, we venture 
 in the name of the atoning Lamb to plead for thy mercy. 
 O Lord, pardon. O Lord, purify. May the Holy Spirit 
 seal our forgiveness, and take up his dwelling in our souls. 
 
I^OVERTY O^ SPlRif. 161 
 
 May our rejientonce he deep and sincere. May our faith in 
 the merits of Jesus be unwavering. May it work by love 
 and purify our hearts. O for inward purity ! O for the 
 " clean heart," and the " right spirit." 
 
 -J . jj 
 
 
 '-.- MEDITATION XXIIT. -^''riin 
 
 POVERTY OF SPIRIT. 
 
 Blessed are the poor in spirit ; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
 Matt. 5: 3. 
 
 Poverty is alnnost always associated in our thoughts with 
 misery. Yet are the poor often happier than the rich. If 
 they possess fewer comforts, they have also fewer cares 
 and fewer causes of vexation. But poverty of spirit is 
 attended always with happiness. It may be possessed 
 by the rich or the poor. It implies that the soul is meek 
 and lowly. It indicates the absence of vain glory. It says, 
 " however pure in the eyes of others, in my oicn I am the 
 vilest of the vile." No boasting of what it has done or felt, 
 no high-sounding pretensions, rare experiences, or censori- 
 ous judgment of others, characterize it. It is in a good 
 measure emptied of self. It has no store-house of good 
 works. It lives daily, hourly^ on the grace of God. With 
 implicit trust it follows Jesus. When hungry it asks him 
 for food ; or when naked, asks him for clothing. It resists 
 not when attacked ; revenges not when injured ; when 
 abused, reviles not. It prays for its enemies. It is more 
 anxious to approve itself to God^ than to be approved of 
 men. Its devotions are in retirement. It loves more the 
 closet than the conspicuous assembly. Its holiest works 
 14* 
 
162 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. * 
 
 are esteemed unworthy to appear before God. Its very 
 tears, it desires to have washed in the blood of Jesus. Grace, 
 grace is its only hope ; and the cross its only boast. For 
 such a spirit, is the kingdom of heaven provided. Yes, in 
 yonder bright regions — whatever may be its condition in 
 this world — there are fitted up for it, mansions of rest, 
 where it will enjoy God forever, and sing without inter- 
 ruption the sweet songs of redemption ; ascribing all glory 
 and honor to him that sitteth on the throne, and to the 
 Lamb forever. 
 
 O God, if in these hearts of ours, thy searching eyes 
 discover the workings of pride, or the existence of self- 
 righteousness, do thou in mercy eradicate them, and give us 
 the meek and lowly heart. We are sensible that we cannot 
 stand the test of thy scrutiny. Our depravity is constantly 
 manifesting itself even to our own eyes. In no fortn does it 
 more frequently appear than in that of pride. And O how 
 wretched is the heart of pride ! But when, throuf»li grace, 
 we can lie low in our own esteem ; when we are enabled to 
 keep down self and exalt thee, the Lord our God ; then are 
 we indeed happy. Then does spiritual joy abound ; and 
 we are permitted to have a foretaste of the kingdom of 
 heaven. O give us then such discoveries of thy character and 
 of our own — let us see thy glory in such a light, that like Job, 
 we shall "abhor ourselves, and repent in dust and ashes." 
 It is poverty of spirit that we need. We would be " clothed 
 with humility." O that we might in this respect be likened 
 to our adorable Savior ! Sweet was the spirit which our 
 Lord exhibited, when he washed his disciples' feet. May 
 we be willing to wash the feet of the meanest of our breth- 
 ren. " Esteeming others better than ourselves," and looking 
 upon ourselves as most vile, may we "condescend to men 
 of low degree," and always rather serve than be served. 
 Thus, not only shall we have sweet peace within ; but we 
 shall give evidence of possessing the spirit of him who 
 
.irr^PIXED DESTINY. 163 
 
 "came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give 
 his life a ransom for many." And this we ask for Jesus' 
 sake. Amen. ^ ^i^ ,mo\m Ot ncmm' enti 
 
 "norKi girf at Jmlw ,0 
 
 "' MEDITATION XXIV. • ' =^ S""'^] 
 
 FIXED DESTINY. 
 
 He that is righteous, let him he righteous still ; and he that is 
 holy, let him be holy still. Rev. 22: 11. 
 
 ' How solemn is the thought, that at death, not only will 
 the soul meet its doom, but that doom will be irreversible. 
 Then must we appear before our Judge without disguise. 
 No time will then be allowed to dress the soul for the sol- 
 emn scene. He that has " sowed to the flesh" will then 
 reap his dread reward, in the condemnation to which the 
 carnal mind is doomed. He that hath " sown to the Spirit," 
 will then " reap life everlasting." The holy will exult in 
 the approach of their Judge — the wicked, trembling with 
 horror, will " call upon the rocks and the mountains to fall 
 upon them." Yes, the true believer will rejoice that " his 
 redemption" — from sin — "is drawing nigh." Weak as 
 may have been the principle of holiness within him, he is 
 sure that when his Savior comes, it will be both increased 
 and perpetuated. Ail will then be purity. No clouds will 
 come betwixt -him and his adorable Redeemer. VVhal 
 child of God can look at the happiness and purity of heaven, 
 and not long to experience them ? What but sin embitters 
 his life, and makes his pilgrimage a weary way ? Should 
 he not then rejoice when this hateful and polluting thing 
 shall be gone forever? Not only will he be " holy still ; " 
 
164 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 but his holiness shall be augmenting in measure through 
 the ceaseless ages of eternity. But whilst the good man 
 has reason to rejoice, the wicked may well be dismayed. 
 O, what is his prospect ? — Filthy, and still more filthy, 
 through eternity. His eternity must be not only wretched, 
 but increasingly wretched. He will go on sinning and suf- 
 fering forever. In hell there will be no change but from 
 bad to worse, and from suffering to still deeper anguish. 
 
 iiu«.. ^ra^er 
 
 T fc! J*,^^! 'Ai 
 
 Thanks be unto thy name,0 God, that thou hast provided 
 a heaven for the righteous. Not only hast thou prepared 
 glorious mansions for their repose and happiness ; but thou 
 wilt make their souls meet to take possession of them. Thy 
 Holy Spirit dwells in thy people, to purify them ; nor will 
 he leave his work incomplete; hut will carry it on to perfec- 
 tion. Grant, O most merciful Father, that we may possess 
 those principles and feelings which shall fit us to enjoy "the 
 rest which remaineth." May we be habitually in readiness 
 for the coming of the Son of Man. Since that event will 
 only make the holy more holy, and the sinful more corrupt 
 and hopeless ; grant that we may be daily rising in purity, 
 and becoming more and more assimilated to the likeness of 
 God. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, may we 
 also appear with him in glory." Let not the world, nor any 
 thing that appertains to it, so engage our hearts or hands, as 
 to make us reluctant to rise and follow our Lord, whenever 
 his voice shall call us hence. O, may we be so weaned from 
 earth — so enraptured with the prospect of heaven— so bur- 
 dened with a sense of the sin that remaineth— so desirous of 
 perfect holiness, that we may desire and even long " to de- 
 part and be with Christ." -^^ 
 
 
LIKENESS TO JEStfS. 165 
 
 MEDITATION XXV. 
 
 ov;u. ' t i^{; ,ye. - ^j^^ness to jesus. ^ ^ *'^*^* ^^>^ 
 
 But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Car. 2: 16. 
 
 This was affirming a great deal. And yet when we con- 
 sider who said it, and on what grounds, we cannot consider 
 it as Pharisaical or presumptuous. Lived there ever a 
 mortal who, in character and conduct, approached nearer 
 the Lord Jesus Christ than the apostle Paul ? Though the 
 last, he was the chiefest of the apostles. His humility — 
 his zeal — his self-sacrificing spirit — his untiring labors — 
 his unceasing prayers — his purity, all show, that *' he had 
 been with Jesus and learned of him." O that we could 
 follow this apostle as he followed Christ ! Why is it that 
 we cannot say in the same confident tone, " we have the 
 mind of Christ .?" Is it because, in these days, there has 
 been a falling off from that primitive purity and self-denial 
 which characterized the first disciples ? Let each believer 
 inquire in what respects he differs from the great exem- 
 plar ? Let him ask himself the question, " Do I possess 
 the mind of Christ ? Do I breathe his spirit ; do I bear his 
 image ? Do I prosecute the same unwearied exertions for 
 the good of souls .^ The mind of Christ, recollect, was all 
 benevolence. It was for the salvation of men that he lived 
 and died. Whilst " about his Father's business," he was 
 above the tempting influence of worldly honors and plea- 
 sures. Under sufferings, he was all patience and submis- 
 sion. In the prosecution of his great work, he neither fear- 
 ed the frowns nor coveted the praises of men. Much of 
 his time was spent in solitude and prayer. His Father's 
 
166 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH, 
 
 glory was his great aim. He loved his enemies, and 
 prayed even for his murderers. He was the friend and 
 instructor of the poor, and the comforter of the distressed. 
 Such was the mind of Christ. Hast thou, O my soul, the 
 same spirit } Alas ; how few of us can say, that we have 
 the mind of Christ > Then let us, " forgetting those things 
 which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which 
 are before, press toward the mark, for the prize of the high 
 calling of God in Christ Jesus." 
 
 How far short, O Lord, do we fall of that perfect |)attern 
 which thou hast exhibited for our imitation! Sin is still so 
 prevalent, and the power of temptation so strong, that we 
 seem to bear much of "the image of the earthy ;" and but 
 little of "the image of the heavenly." But blessed be thy 
 name, that thou hast given us some longing desires to throw 
 off the "old man which is corru[)t" and to be delivered en- 
 tirely from the bondage of sin. Thou hast opened our 
 eyes to see the loveliness of thy character. The contem- 
 plation shames us, yet attracts us. Never can we be satis- 
 fied with any thing less than entire conformity to thy bless- 
 ed image. Enable us then to struggle until the old nature 
 is completely subdued, and the new man, " which is after 
 God," reigns without a rival. Grunt us the Holy Spirit to 
 dwell in us ; that every faculty and affection may be brought 
 into captivity to thy will. Form thyself " within us the 
 hope of glory." Bind our souls to thee in all the intimacy 
 of a daily fellowship. O let us walk with thee our God and 
 Savior. Thus by a vital union — a close and habitual con- 
 verse with thee, may we lose more and more the image of 
 the earthy, and acquire more and more that of the heavenly, 
 until we shall become complete in thee, and arrive at "the 
 stature of {>erfect men in Christ Jesus." 
 
THE RESTLESS SOUL. 
 
 167 
 
 ,V- » - A . r- MEDITATION XXVI. ^,^^ ^, ^ 
 
 .- , THE RESTLESS SOUL. ' . 
 
 But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she re- 
 turned unto him into the ark ; for the waters were on the fia.ce of 
 the whole earth. Gen. 8: 9. 
 
 This passage has been beautifully applied to the condi- 
 tion of a saint wandering over earth in search of rest, and 
 returning at length to his Savior disappointed, and glad to 
 be received again into his bosom, where alone there is 
 peace. How true is it, that to one, whose affections have 
 been directed to things above, earthly pleasures seem to 
 have lost their wonted relish. No prospect however beau- 
 tiful — no pleasures however refined can be enjoyed, with- 
 out the associated presence and beneficence of God. 
 When God is recognized in them, and the heart is proper- 
 ly affected towards him, then do even earthly scenes ac- 
 quire an additional interest. But let the Christian lose 
 sight for a season of his heavenly inheritance, and wander 
 over earth's surface in search of sublunary good, how soon 
 will he find an unsatisfying vacuity, where not even an 
 olive leaf shall be found to greet his eye or to cheer his 
 heart. If the wicked, who have never tasted any higher 
 than earthly gratifications, are unable to find here below 
 the good which they crave and which they anticipate — if 
 at every step they are disappointed ; surely he, who has 
 been accustomed to drink at the pure fountain of spiritual 
 joy, can never find rest to the soul. The Christian may so 
 far backslide, as to wish to explore anew the world which 
 he professes to have forsaken. And God may sufl^er him 
 to do so. But O how soon his wing will tire, and his pros- 
 
168 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 pect become gloomy ! Glad will he be to return and flut- 
 ter about the ark, longing to be taken in, wliere he can 
 once more feel himself happy and at home. And Jesus 
 does kindly extend his hand, even when we have sinfully 
 wandered from his arms. Why is it that we can be so of- 
 ten deceived ? Have we not tried the world— and have 
 we not been disappointed in the pursuit ? Never again 
 then let us leave the sacred ark — never again wander 
 from our Lord. 
 
 Ever blessed God, thou hast taught us to find our su- 
 preme felicity in thee. Thankful would we be for this ; 
 for thou art an all-sufficient portion, and when we can call 
 thee ours, and the light of thy countenance is lifted up 
 upon us, our happiness is perfect ; nor can it he shaken by 
 any of the vicissitudes of earth. But O how |)rone are we 
 to wander from thee — to forsake " the fountain of livinj? 
 waters !" But away from thee, how can we be happy ? 
 How soon does sadness invade our hearts and sorrow sit 
 upOn our eye-lids ! The creature cannot make us blessed. 
 We have tried the creature and found all on earth to be but 
 vanity. Wander where we will — from place to place, from 
 pleasure to pleasure — all is unsatisfying, if thou O God art 
 absent. We are like the dove, when out of the ark, which 
 saw itself surrounded by one wide waste of waters. How 
 glad was she to get within her sacred retreat! So, O S71- 
 vior, would we gladly flee into thy arms. We will search 
 no longer for happiness here below. Henceforward let 
 us repose on thy bosom. Let us feel a holy indifference to 
 the attractions of this deceitful world. May it be our privi- 
 lege to be taken at last jnto that secure retreat — that glori- 
 ous haven where no storms can come and no temptations 
 allure our souls away from thee. Amen. 
 
THE VESTMENT. ^ 169 
 
 MEDITATION XXVII. 
 
 THE VESTMENT. 
 
 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for 
 the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof Rom. 13: 14. 
 
 By a figure of speech, the believer is exhorted to clothe 
 himself with the imitable attributes of the Savior. Jesus 
 our Lord was adorned with meekness. His followers 
 should therefore cultivate the same spirit. The robe that 
 Jesus wore was immaculate. His spirit was pure. He 
 was, in this respect, " separate from sinners." All there- 
 fore who have " named his name" should be careful to 
 " depart from iniquity." They should " purify themselves 
 even as Christ is pure." Jesus was self-denying. He 
 shrunk from no labors or sufferings when the good of others 
 was concerned. He toiled unceasingly and suffered submis- 
 sively. This is the spirit which we are bound to imitate. 
 Instead of courting ease and flinching from suffering in the 
 cause of God ; we should tread in the very footsteps of our 
 Master. Like the apostle, we should glory in sufl?erings, 
 endured for Christ's sake. With Jesus was the spirit of 
 prayer. Whole nights were spent in agonizing supplica- 
 tion for our lost race. Believer — hast thou ever yet tested 
 the possible results of such a spirit of prayer .? O, for the 
 sweet, holy temper of Christ our Lord to be breathed into 
 us! But the flesh clamors. It pleads for indulgence. It 
 provokes an appetite for sensual pleasure. Influenced by 
 it, we strive for worldly grandeur, or for transitory joys ; 
 and immediately, peace, nay hope itself departs. Some 
 provision for the flesh, we know must be made. But what 
 15 
 
170 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 does the flesh need ? Not pampering ; no, merely sustain- 
 ing. Simple should be our fare ; and then our work for 
 Christ will be proportionably easy and delightful. The dan- 
 ger is that we " make provision for the flesh to fulfil the 
 lusts thereof;" and then comes sin, darkness and ruin. 
 
 O, for the full impress of our Savior's Image ! We would 
 be clothed, O Lord, in thy spirit. Infuse into our souls those 
 heavenly traits which shone so perfectly in thy character. 
 Grant to us thy meekness, thy humility, thy zeal and thy 
 purity. How deplorably deficient are we in all these graces ! 
 Our spirits are haughty, often over-hearing. We cannot 
 brook an injniry, nor are we quick enough to forgive it. Our 
 zeal in thy service may be called coldness. O give us thy 
 meekness. Rekindle our zeal by a living coal from off thy al- 
 tar. Our hearts are defiled. A thousand polluting images have 
 passed through them; and they are "desperately wicked." 
 But, O Savior, thou didst shed thy blood to purify us ; and 
 we humbly entreat thee to wash and sanctify us, that we may 
 be made to resemble in some humble measure, the master 
 whom we profess to follow. We would be like thee in all 
 things. We would fain imbibe the sweet spirit of self-deni- 
 al and benevolence, which carried thee through so many la- 
 bors and sufferings for the salvation of souls. Help us also 
 to deny ourselves for the good of others. Especially may 
 we deny the " lusts of the flesh." Let us not seek ease, nor 
 any form of self-indulgence. Make us " good soldiers of the 
 cross of Christ." May we delight to bear that cross even 
 though fainting under the load ; and having suffered with 
 thee here, O, may we reign with thee forever. Amen. 
 
JESUS LOVED. , : 171 
 
 MEDITATION XXVIII. 
 
 JESUS LOVED. 
 
 Whom not having seen ye love ; in whom, though now ye see him 
 not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of 
 glory. 1 Peter 1:8. 
 
 Love to Christ differs from love to a mere creature in the 
 circumstance, that, in the one case, the emotion is excited 
 by the sensible presence of the individual ; but in the other, 
 there may exist a strong and ardent love, though the object 
 of it has never been revealed to the eye of sense. Every 
 true believer can say " to me, Christ is unspeakably pre- 
 cious." The attachment is founded on a perception of the 
 moral beauties of his Savior. He has never seen him. It 
 was the privilege of but a few to follow his footsteps — to sit 
 at his feet — and to look on his benevolent countenance. 
 But blessed be God, we have transmitted to us, a faithful 
 record of his character, his works, his doctrine, and his suf- 
 ferings. By the eye of faith we discern him seated at the 
 right hand of the Father. We inquire not how he looked ; 
 but who he was, and why he came into the world. When 
 we learn that he is " God manifest in the flesh" — when 
 we read that he came into the world " to seek and to 
 save that which was lost" — when we consider his benevo- 
 lence, his humility, his meekness ; in short, when we see 
 in him " the fulness of the Godhead," we are melted and 
 subdued by love divine. When we can call him our Savior 
 — when we can say, " Jesus is mine and I am Ais" — 
 when with a penitent heart we can look on Calvary — and 
 from Calvary, glance to the glories of the Lamb enthroned, 
 how can we but love and adore our divine Redeemer } It 
 
172 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 IS faith that begets and sustains this love. When faith is 
 strong, love will be proportionably ardent. We shall re- 
 joice in Christ, " with a joy that is unspeakable and full of 
 glory." But soon will faith cease, and — glorious thought 
 — we shall then " see him as he is." O, how transport- 
 ing ! Nothing shall ever again intervene between us and 
 the Savior whom we love. It will be one unclouded vision 
 forever. 
 
 Why is it, O exalted Redeemer, that we do not love thee 
 more ? In thy character there is every thing attractive. 
 Our judgment decideth, thou art all divine. But alas, these 
 hearts seem benumbed. They will not feel, where they 
 ought to be transported. How easily are we interested and 
 excited by objects of sense ! But even wiien we look upon 
 thee — though so glorious to behold, though in thee dwelleth 
 such unearthly beauty — sin will often seem to fetter our af- 
 fections. Still do we mourn over this deficiency ; and we 
 trust thou dost enable us, at limes, to say, " Lord, thou know- 
 est all things, thou knowest that we love thee." Our prayer 
 is that thou wouldst reveal thyself to our faith. May the 
 Holy Si)irit " receive of thine and show it unto us," that our 
 love may kindle into a glowing flame. We would fain feel 
 it, warming every fibre of our hearts, and rousing us to live 
 and to labor for thee alone. Let thy love constrain us. May 
 it be the moving principle in all we do and say. Clear our 
 obstructed vision. A thousand vanities, O Lord, have inter- 
 vened between thee and our love. Remove them, we be- 
 seech thee, and let us gaze upon thine image, until we are 
 transformed into it; and, at last, permit us to see thy face 
 without a veil, and to worship at thy feet, forever. Amen. 
 
INFIDELITY REBUKED. 173 
 
 MEDITATION XXIX. 
 
 INFIDELITY REBUKED. 
 
 Out of the month of babes and sucklings hast thou ordainnd 
 strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the 
 enemy and the avenger. Ps. 8: 2. 
 
 The displays of divine grace are made often upon subjects 
 whose transformation is striking and wonderful. The igno- 
 rant as well as the degraded are visited with mercy. Even 
 children — and sometimes little children— whose buoyant 
 spirits and thoughtless hearts would seem almost to inca- 
 pacitate them for reflection on the great subjects of religion 
 — are sometimes found drawn, as by an invisible hand, to 
 the fountain of eternal truth. As their infant minds drink in 
 the waters of life, their lips become vocal with the praises 
 of the Redeemer. This is done in such a manner as to 
 confound the sceptic, and to illustrate the grace and power 
 of God. To an infidel mind, there is no argument so irre- 
 sistible as the example of one of vicious habits or circum- 
 scribed knowledge effectually enlightened and purified 
 through the blessed gospel. The enemy and the avenger 
 is stilled by such an exhibition. He is obliged to say " this 
 is indeed the finger of God." One practical inference from 
 all this should be, that to overthrow infidelity^ our hest plan 
 will he, to multiply living examples of the transforming 
 power of truth. O that we might feel the force of this 
 inference! Argument has been tried again and again 
 against the ramparts of infidelity and of heresy ; but they 
 have been in a measure proof against the assault. Let 
 Christians then arise, in the power of faith and prayer, with 
 zeal for the Lord of hosts, and strive for the out-pouring of 
 15* 
 
174 BOOK FOH THE SABBATH. 
 
 the Spirit and the conversion of souls. To the youngs 
 especially, let them direct their efforts ; that praises to the 
 Redeemer may dwell on the lips of even babes and suck- 
 lings. 
 
 O Lord, thou hast inscribed thy glory on the visible 
 heavens. But the greatest exhibition of it which thou hast 
 made, is in the transformation of the human heart. O what 
 a wondrous change does thy grace effect ! Even babes and 
 sucklings are sometimes the subjects of it. Carry forward 
 the triumphs of that grace. Subdue millions more, until all 
 ehall know thee from the greatest even to the least. O Lord, 
 how bold and blasphemous are thine enemies ! They deny 
 the truth and vital power of thy gospel ; yea, they ridicule 
 and despise it. Wilt thou not arise and vindicate thy cause? 
 Refute and confound and still these enemies, by exhibiting 
 the work of the Spirit upon hearts so young, so ignorant, or 
 so degraded, that men will be compelled to confess thy 
 hand. And whilst thy grace is enlightening others, O let its 
 influence be felt upon us. We are still b>Jt babes in Christ. 
 Strengthen us then, O Lord, and increase our knowledge of 
 divine things. Let us feed upon the "sincere milk of the 
 word," and thereby "grow in grace" continually. From 
 being " babes" let us become "full-grown men in Christ 
 Jesus." And, O Lord, when thou hast fulfilled thy good 
 pleasure with us here on earth, receive us to thy courts 
 above, where we shall "put away childish things," "see as 
 we are seen and know as we are known." For Jesus' sake. 
 Amen. 
 
THE PATIENCE OF HOPE. 175 
 
 MEDITATION XXX. 
 
 THE PATIENCE OF HOPE. 
 
 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the 
 salvation of the Lord. Lam. 3: 2G. 
 
 Hope implies the existence of something which we wish 
 removed, or the absence of something which is strongly de- 
 sired. In either case, the mind becomes agitated and rest- 
 less. If afflictions press upon the soul or the body, we are 
 liable to be fretful or impatient. We would have them, at 
 once, removed. We are not apt to inquire into the cause 
 of them ; nor whether the will of God in laying them upon 
 us has been fulfilled. Averse to suffering in any shape, 
 we naturally long to be free from it. Under the yoke, im- 
 patience sometimes grows into murmuring and rebellion. 
 Let us be careful to guard against such a spirit, lest its in- 
 dulgence should provoke God to perpetuate our sufferings. 
 Let us behave as a " weaned child" under our afflictions. 
 Let us submit to them as a wholesome chastisement ; and 
 be more anxious to derive benefit from them, than to have 
 them removed. We should remember, that God's time for 
 their removal is the best time ; it therefore becomes us 
 " quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord." So also, 
 when strongly desiring things which we do not possess, but 
 which may be needful or indispensable ; let us beware of a 
 covetous or impatient spirit. With pious resignation, let us 
 leave tjie event with God. Hope is the anchor of our souls. 
 But even when clinging to it, may we not forget, that our 
 expectations, as it respects earthly things, may never be 
 realized, or may be realized at a period and in circum- 
 stances altogether unexpected. But as to spiritual good, 
 
176 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 our hope, if we are Christians, must end in glorious fruition. 
 The darkest night must be succeeded by the morning ; and 
 the heaviest trials of the believer will issue in the " salva- 
 tion of the Lord." 
 
 O God, to know thy will, to obey it, to submit to it, is the 
 duty and the happiness of inan. But how often do we utter 
 the expression, " ihy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," 
 without feeling the full force of the sentiment! Alas, our 
 deceitful hearts lead us astray ; and hence we often find our 
 lips uttering what our conduct denies. It has pleased thee, 
 O Lord, to place us in a state of trial and discipline. Tribu- 
 lation we must have in this world. Thou dost lead us, at 
 times, into a dark path, and place upon our necks a heavy 
 yoke. But, kind Father in heaven, thy design in all this is 
 most paternal and gracious ; it is to try us as gold in the 
 furnace, and to prepare us for thy glorious rest. Let us 
 never murmur at thy dealings. There has no affliction hap- 
 pened unto us that is not peculiar to thy people; and thou 
 canst with the temi)tation, O Lord, " make a way for our 
 escape." Suffer us not to deny or even doubt thy faithful- 
 ness, though clouds and darkness surround thy dispensations. 
 Still trusting in thee, may we patiently wait for the removal 
 of the affliction. Bow our s{)irits in sweet submission %o 
 thy will. Enable us to say from the heart, " It is the Lord, 
 let him do what seemeth to him good ;" and to exclaim, with 
 the once suffering patriarch, " though he slay me, yet will 1 
 trust in him." 
 
SPIRIT OF LOVE. 177 
 
 MEDITATION XXXI. 
 
 SPIRIT OF LOVE. 
 
 Let'all bitterness? and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil 
 speaking be put away from you, with all malice : and be ye kind 
 one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as 
 God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Eph. 4: 31, 32. 
 
 We have here a rule for the reciprocal intercourse of 
 believers. It bears upon it the pure stamp of heaven. It 
 is melancholy indeed, that Christians should need such 
 cautions and counsels as the above. But alas, who that 
 knows his own heart, is not sensible how necessary as well 
 as pertinent they are ! The remaining corruption — still 
 lingering in the heart of the most sanctified believer — ex- 
 poses him to temptation. When we are injured, or when 
 we imagine ourselves to be so, how prone are we to resent 
 it ! The first impulses generally are sinful. We can even 
 use harsh and bitter terms in application to the conduct or 
 motives of our professing brethren. To be liable to such 
 sallies of passion is a great evil. They rob our own bo- 
 soms of peace — injure the cause of Christ — and give occa- 
 sion to the wicked to triumph. O, for more of that sweet 
 forgiving spirit, which dwelt in the bosom of our Lord ! 
 Consider the argument of the apostle ; " even as God for 
 Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Exercise towards thy 
 real or supposed enemy the spirit of forgiveness which God 
 hath manifested towards thee. Surely, towards thy breth- 
 ren — those who are co-heirs with thee of the heavenly in- 
 heritance — thou shouldst entertain no feelings but those of 
 the most generous attachment. If thou hast aught against 
 a brother, go to him alone, and let the breach be healed by 
 mutual explanation and forgiveness. Emblazon not the 
 
178 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 faults of any member of Christ's body. Carry about with 
 thee the mantle of charity. Open not thy mouth to calum- 
 niate, nor thine ear to receive the calumny of others. Away 
 with the spirit of detraction. When tempted to think evil 
 or to speak evil of others, remember how thou thyself 
 wouldst appear, were God to treat thee as severely as thou 
 art disposed to treat others. Cultivate a meek, forbearing 
 spirit under injuries ; remembering that, " love workelh no 
 ill to his neighbor." 
 
 O God, there is nothing for which our heartwS more fre- 
 quently condemn us than selfishness and nnkindness. We 
 are prone to prefer our own ease and reputation to the hap- 
 piness and comfort of others. Too often have we been 
 guilty of wrong feelings and censorious remarks towards 
 those whom we ought to have loved as brethren. But "if 
 our heart condemn us, thou O God, art greater than our 
 heart and knowest all things." For every such offence we 
 would repent in dust and in ashes. Forgive us, O God, 
 and dispose all whom we have ever injured to forgive us 
 also. Enable us henceforth to exercise no emotions to- 
 wards our fellow men, and especially towards our christian 
 brethren, but those of love and kindness. May no hitter or 
 censorious remark ever fall from our lips. O give us the 
 sweet forgiving spirit of the Savior. May we so study our 
 own faults — see so deeply into our own depravity, that we 
 shall be ready to esteem every other Christian better than 
 ourselves ; and ourselves as less than the least of all thy 
 creatures. Give us the meek and lowly heart. Impart to 
 us that " charity which is the bond of perfeclness ; which 
 suffereth long and is kind ; which thinketli no evil ; which 
 beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all thitigs." 
 O may this never failing grace be in us and abound. May 
 we be able, at all tinies, sincerely to pray, " forgive us our 
 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." 
 Lead us not into the temptation of evil speaking; l)ut deliver 
 us from so great an offence, for Jesus' sake. Amen. 
 
THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION. 179 
 
 MEDITATION XXXII. 
 
 THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION. 
 
 But he knoweth the way that I take ; when he hath tried me, I 
 shall coine forth as gold. Job 23: JO. 
 
 It is a consolation to the suffering Christian to reflect, 
 that every affliction is designed for his purification. The 
 patriarch Job, under the heavy pressure of sorrow, sought 
 his God. But alas, God seemed to hide himself. He 
 " went forward, but he was not there ; and backward, but 
 he could not perceive him ; on the left hand where he doth 
 work, but he could not behold him ; on the right hand, but 
 still he could not see him." It would seem then that the 
 sufferer must have sunk down in despair. But no ; he de- 
 clares that although he could not see God, God could see 
 him. Flis father on high knew the way in which he was 
 leading him ; and would at last — after sufficient trial had 
 been made of his confidence — bring him forth as gold. 
 Here is strong faith under the most untoward circumstan- 
 ces. O let us imitate it, trusting in God, even when we 
 cannot see the way in which he is leading us. It may in- 
 deed be a dark and disagreeable course. The flesh may 
 shrink and the spirits droop ; but know we not that God our 
 father is our guide } He sees perfectly the way in which 
 we are led. His kind hand has marked it out. It is there- 
 fore the hest way. When our spirits are sufficiently hum- 
 bled—our confidence tested — and our hope tried ; he will 
 bring us forth from the furnace as gold. We shall shine 
 with a purer lustre after our passage through the fire. We 
 shall be more fit to gem the diadem of our Savior — more 
 
180 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 fit to swell the song of eternal praise for his redeeming 
 mercy. 
 
 Our way, O Lord, is in the dark. We see not wherefore 
 it is thou contendest with us. We are tem})ted to exclaim, 
 " God hath forgotten us and our Lord hath forsaken us." 
 But we will not indulge these distrustful thoughts. We ac- 
 knowledge that our sins are sufficiently numerous and ag- 
 gravated to call for the heaviest chastisements at thy hand. 
 Shouldst thou even cast us off forever, our consciences must 
 approve the j-ectitude of thy decision. But O, let us not 
 perish, when there is an infinite provision for our salvation. 
 No other plea than the Savior's precious blood woidd we 
 offer. For his sake remove thy stroke, and "return and 
 visit us early with thy mercy." It has pleased thee "to 
 bring us into darkness and not into light." O God, we are 
 humbled under thy chastisements. We bow beneath thy 
 rod. For our sins and our unfaithfulness we deserve to feel 
 it. May we be enabled to submit to the punishment of our 
 sins — to behave oiu'selves as becomelh offending but peni- 
 tent children. May wo be consoled, by the consideration 
 that our afflictions are for our own good — that they are de- 
 signed to purify us and to prepare us for heaven. Why 
 should we pray for prosperity ; why deprecate affliction ; 
 when prosperity has proved so irijm*ious, and affliction so 
 salutary to our souls? Still, O God, would we pray, that 
 when, by these trials, tliou hast fitted us to glorify thee, thou 
 wouldst remove the stroke and bring us forth as gold to 
 serve thee on earth, atid to praise thee through eternity ; for 
 Jesus' sake. Atiien. 
 
TRUE RICHES. 181 
 
 MEDITATION XXXIII. 
 
 TRUE RICHES. 
 
 Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and 
 rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; 
 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither 
 moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break 
 through nor steal ; for where your treasure is, there will your 
 heart be also. Matt. G: J 9, 20, 2\ . 
 
 Some will be ready to apply this language to the disci- 
 ples only. They will say ; surely it cannot apply lo us. 
 We must toil and hoard for the sake of our children and 
 dependents. Not to do so, would be tempting Providence. 
 It will be well for those who thus speak, to take heed, lest 
 this prudent forethought be not, afler all, a cloak for avarice. 
 To such persons, let me say, the language does apply to 
 us ; if not literally, yet surely in the spirit of the sentiment. 
 There is at the present day too much hoarding among 
 Christians. There is, in respect to a worldly competence, 
 too much distrust of Providence. Let a habit of hoarding 
 get possession of a man, and almost inevitably he will 
 become a groveling worldling ! Whilst heaping up trea- 
 sures here, he must employ most of his thoughts upon them, 
 and upon the means of obtaining and securing them. Thus, 
 " where his treasure is, there will his heart be also." But a 
 Christian's heart is professedly fixed in heaven. He is to 
 "set his affection on things above, not on things on the earth." 
 Should he then be anxious to accumulate another and au op- 
 posite kind of treasure here below, when the process and 
 the influence are so detrimental to the soul ? Can he serve 
 God and mammon } Does he reply ; that unless he accu- 
 mulated a fortune, either himself or his children may come 
 16 
 
182 ■ BOOK FOR THE SABBATH, 
 
 to want ? O, unbelieving, faithless disciple ! Go, give a por- 
 tion of thy wealth to the Savior's kingdom, and be sure, 
 from God's own promise, that thy wants shall be supplied, 
 and that thy " seed shall never beg their bread." O, labor 
 not thus earnestly for the " meat that perisheth." It may 
 prove a curse to thy soul, and the ruin of thy children. 
 " Take heed and beware of covetousness." " Seek first 
 the kingdom of God ; and all other (necessary) things shall 
 be added unto you." 
 
 Thou hast declared, O Lord, that " where our treasure is, 
 there will our hearts be also." Search then these hearts of oui*s. 
 Behold and see if the love of the world is lurking here; for 
 thou hast said again ; " if any man love the world, the love 
 of the Father is not in him." Well may we tremble at 
 this fearful declaration ; for if this secret love of the world be 
 not in us, why are we so pleased with its riches ? Why are 
 we so joyous when it bestows its honors — or so sad when de- 
 prived of them? Do not these feelings tell us alas, that we 
 still love the world ? O that we might be enabled to bring 
 forth the accursed thing, and repent of our idolatry ! Sur- 
 rounded by objects of sense — allured by pleasure — impelled 
 by a thousand unworthy motives to make gold our confi- 
 dence, how powerful is the temptation to lay up our treasure 
 on earth, and to forget our Inheritance above ! But such a 
 course must end in disappointment. It must "pierce us 
 through with many sorrows." From these temptations, and 
 from this worldly spirit, O Lord, deliver us. Enable us to 
 keep in view that better inheritance which is laid up for us 
 in heaven. May we tread the world beneath our feet. 
 Without a sigh, may we see its pleasures and its honors pass 
 into other hands ; and may we rejoice that God has reserved 
 some better thing for us. By growing in grace, may we 
 daily add to our treasure in heaven ; and may we so use the 
 "mammon of unrighteousness," as that, at last, " we may be 
 received into everlasting habitations." 
 
UNSEEN GLORIES.. J« 183 
 
 MEDITATION XXXIV. 
 
 UNSEEN GLORIES. 
 
 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have 
 entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath pre- 
 pared for thera that love him. 1 Cor. 2: 9. 
 
 The glories of the gospel lie concealed from all but those 
 who have been taught of the Spirit. To the eye of the sen- 
 sual or worldly nnan, Christ has no beauty ; — his doctrines 
 no interest ; his invitations no attractiveness. To his ear 
 there is no melody, even in the harps of heaven. In his 
 heart there is no feeling, though his attention be directed 
 to his guilt as a sinner, and to the agonies of Calvary 
 which were endured to expiate it. But O how differently 
 does the Christian view these subjects ? To him, Christ is 
 " the chiefest among ten thousand." His doctrines are the 
 daily food of the soul. His promises are full of sweet con- 
 solation and encouragement. The very name of Jesus 
 sounds sweet in his ear. His heart dilates as he contem- 
 plates the glories of the upper world. He is filled with grat- 
 itude, at the thought, that they are purchased at so great an 
 expense for so unworthy a sinner. Faint however are his 
 most enlarged conceptions. Ere he can fully appreciate 
 these glories, the fleshy veil must be withdrawn. He must 
 have new and glorious perceptions. Every sense must be 
 refined — every affection purified, to enable him to estimate 
 his bright reward. It has not entered into his heart, how 
 great will be the bliss and the brightness of heaven. O, let 
 us then " cast off the works of darkness, and put on the ar- 
 mor of light." Let us anticipate a portion of our heaven 
 
184 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 upon earth ; and pluck an occasional leaf from the tree of 
 life, before we are admitted to a seat under its immortal 
 foliage. 
 
 Why, O God, when heaven is so glorious, should earth 
 hold au attractive power over us? Why should we pause 
 to amuse ourselves with trifles, when the crown of glory is 
 offered, and the mansions of rest are ahnost in sight ? Come, 
 O divine Spirit, and breathe new energy into our shiggish 
 souls. Come and spread thy benign wings over us; or 
 rather bear us on them, towards the blissful regions where 
 our Savior dwells. W^e are sick at heart of earth's pleasures. 
 There is naught in them to satisfy us. The mOvSt attractive 
 scenes of earih have now less influence, since, by faith, we 
 have caught a glimpse of that bliss which is permanent and 
 soul-satisfying. O for still brighter visions of faith ! We 
 would fain see more of those invisible things which neutral- 
 ize the glare of this vain world. Give us, O Lord, a glimpse 
 of thy merciful and benignant countenance. May we see, 
 with spiritual vision, the glories of the Lamb. Or should it 
 please thee to keep us lowly, by withholding these ecstatic 
 views; O, at last, when there will be no mo»'e place for 
 pride, assign to us some humble seat in thy blissful kingdom, 
 where we may gaze on thy glories, and unite in praising thy 
 name forever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 ml /i 
 
EXTENT OF MERCY. 
 
 MEDITATION XXXV. 
 
 EXTENT OF MERCY. 
 
 185 
 
 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ 
 Jesus came into the world to save sinners ; of whom I am 
 chief 1 Tim. 1: 15. 
 
 What believer does not value this precious text ; "Christ 
 Jesus came into the world to save sinners ?" Salvation 
 was the glorious errand on which the Prince of life came 
 into this dark and polluted world. But the salvation of 
 whom ? Not of those who were his friends ; for " he came 
 unto his own"— unto those who ought to have been his 
 friends — " and his own received him not." O, we were 
 all his enemies, and yet behold, he dies for us ! Having 
 thus made forgiveness possible, he transforms us from ene- 
 mies into friends. We are reconciled to God through his 
 blood. We are saved from the curse of the law — from the 
 pollution of sin — from the deceitfulness of the world — from 
 the malice of Satan — from the fear of death — and from 
 the damnation of hell. We are saved to enjoy the favor of 
 God — the protection and guidance of his providence — the 
 privilege of adoption — and the inheritance which is incor- 
 ruptible. Who can sufficiently appreciate this great salva- 
 tion .'* Eternity alone will suffice to celebrate the praises 
 of Jesus, its great *' author and finisher." This salvation is 
 for the chief of sinners. Such, in his own estimation, was 
 Paul ; and such doubtless every sincere believer regards 
 himself Each one knows more of himself than any other 
 — save the omniscient one — can know of him ; and more 
 than he can know of any other Christian ; and hence he 
 16» 
 
186 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 must consider himself the chief of sinners. How should 
 we then be clothed with humility ! O, were it not that Je- 
 sus can save the chief of sinners, who could hope for the 
 divine mercy ? As the salvation is so great, who, if peni- 
 tent, need despair ? 
 
 "Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!" Hadst 
 thou, O God, withheld thy Son from us, when nothing but 
 his intervention could have saved us, how universal and 
 overvvhehning would have been our desiruclion ! Even 
 now, after Jesus has died, do we deserve to be cast off for- 
 ever for rejecting him. Yet such are thy patience and for- 
 bearance, that throughout the period of our unbelief we 
 were not consumed ; nay, we indulge the hope, that thy 
 boundless mercy has forgiven us even this aggravated sin. 
 It is to the atoning blood that we are indebted for all. O, 
 for a thousand tongues, to speak of thy love and compassion, 
 blessed Jesus ! In sincerity we declare ourselves the chief of 
 sinners. In this declaration thou knowest there is no affec- 
 tation. Truly our sins are of the crimson dye. Despair 
 would forever take possession of us, hadst thou not declared 
 that " thy blood can cleanse from all sin." We fly to thy 
 feet, O Lamb of God. We come to weep as did the peni- 
 tent Mary. Dissolve these adamantine hearts. Let them 
 bleed and break at the recollection of our ahominable deeds. 
 Cast upon us, O Savior, one renewed look of mercy. Ena- 
 ble us by faith to touch the hem of thy garment — to lay hold 
 anew on thy salvation — to surrender ourselves and all we 
 have into thy faithful hands. Amen. 
 
 t«^l .-iV.-i'.i ■<»■*«■ r.ilj* O-'f: 
 
 or! 
 
 i-l 
 
KEEPING THE HEART. 187 
 
 MEDITATION XXXVI. 
 
 KEEPING THE HEART. 
 
 ■C r-fJJi uo:; ryk 
 
 Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of 
 life. Prov.4:2'S. 
 
 The streams do not more certainly indicate the nature 
 of the fountain whence they flow, than do the actions of 
 men the true state of their hearts. For a while hypocrisy 
 may succeed in its disguises ; but sooner or later all men 
 discover themselves. Avarice will be seen greedy in the 
 pursuit of gain. Ambition, leaping forward at a bound, or 
 lurking for some favorable opening to mount the steep of 
 fame, will show its selfish and restless spirit. Sensuality 
 will look out at the eye, or reveal itself in a career of crim- 
 inal indulgence. But where divine grace has cast in its 
 salt at the fountain head, we discover a corresponding and 
 growing purity in the conduct. Humility begins to displace 
 pride. Contentment comes in the place of avarice and 
 ambition. Temperance succeed to self-indulgence. "A 
 good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth 
 forth that which is good." We must therefore keep a vigi- 
 lant eye upon the heart, which is the fountain. If there we 
 discover the incipient evil, it must be cured before it breaks 
 out into the overt act. By close observation, we shall dis- 
 cover within us, the risings of almost every evil propensity, 
 which ever disgraced the conduct of man. Envy, revenge, 
 infidelity, sensuality, ambition, avarice, yea, selfishness in 
 a thousand forms will meet the eye. But if these passions 
 show themselves — even in the germ — we should fly at once 
 to the throne of grace, and beg not only for their suppres- 
 
188 BOOK FOB THE SABBATH. 
 
 sion but Iheir extirpation. " Create in us a clean heart," 
 should be our cry. Penitently should we mourn over in- 
 bred sin ; and faithfully should we contend against it, until 
 we conquer by the blood of the Lamb. 
 
 draper. 
 
 O Lord, sensible that our hearts are " deceitful above all 
 things and desperately wicked," we corne to thee with the 
 prayer of thy servant David, ** Create in »s a clean heart, O 
 God, and renew a right spirit within us. Wash ns tho- 
 roughly from our iniquity, and cleanse us from our sin." 
 Purify our hearts, and then shall we be secure from the dan- 
 ger of " presumptuous sins." Not a day passelh, but these 
 depraved hearts are exhibiting the entire passions and feel- 
 ings which thy law condemns and which shock us by their 
 turpitude. O Lord, we moum over the remaining indications 
 of the old, corrupt, and deceitful man. " Who shall deliver 
 us"- — we are ready to exclaim — "from the body of this 
 death ?" May we he able in faith to add, " we thank God," 
 we shall be delivered, " through our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 Yes, his grace can reach the disorder. Though it lie deep 
 within, his blood can wash it out. O then sprinkle our 
 guilty hearts with that atoning blood. Enable us also to 
 keep a strict watch over the inner man. May we hate the 
 incipient thought of evil. Never may we indulge, even for 
 an instant, a depraved passion. May we abhor it as soon as 
 it appears. May we in every time of temptation, obtain thy 
 grace to help us ; and may we at all times, so keep the heart, 
 that our conduct shall be a living testimony to the purify- 
 ing influence of the gospel. Amen. 
 
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DIVINE ILLUMINATION. 189 
 
 MEDITATION XXXVII. 
 
 DIVINE ILLUMINATION. 
 
 Open thou mine eyes, that 1 may behold wondrous things out of 
 thy law. Ps. IV.hVS. 
 
 Such should be the prayer of every one who peruses the 
 oracles of God. They are not to be understood, nor can 
 their beauty or force be appreciated, by a cursory or care- 
 less reading. There are in them hidden mysteries which 
 it is the prerogative of the Holy Spirit alone to reveal. He 
 who inspired men to write them, who atone knows the 
 mind and will of God, he must enlighten our understand- 
 ings, or the Bible will be to us a sealed book. Who has 
 not felt the weakness and ignorance of his own mind when 
 poring over the deep truths of revelation ? It is indeed " a 
 lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path ;" but the 
 Holy Spirit must show us our darkness, and enable us to 
 see and follow the heavenly illumination. Why is it that 
 we so seldom truly relish the divine testimonies ? Why 
 do we so often peruse the word with coldness and indiffer- 
 ence ? Do we not rely too much on our own sagacity ; or 
 read it in a prayerless frame of mind ? O that we could 
 feel towards it that holy reverence which its truth and im- 
 portance demand ! O that we could always study it with a 
 feeling of child-like docility. Wondrous things are in God's 
 law, which we have not yet discovered — mines of spiritual 
 wealth which we have never yet seen — and divine beauties 
 which yet lie concealed from our view. The glory of God 
 shines in every page ; the wondrous schemes of providence 
 and redemption are there unfolded. Let us, then, in read- 
 
190 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 ing or studying this blessed volume, ever pray, with David, 
 " Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things 
 out of thy law." 
 
 Ignorant and !)lind, weak and depraved, we come to ihee, 
 O God, for knowledge and light, strength and purification. 
 Thy word is as "the refiner's fire." By the application of 
 it through the Holy Spirit, it purifieth the soul that truly un- 
 derstandeth it. O, then, " sanctify us through thy truth, thy 
 word is truth." Enable us to read the sacred oracles with 
 a spirit of docility and meekness, sensible how dark by na- 
 ture is our understanding ; and O may the Divine Spirit be 
 ever present to injpart his heavenly illumination. Too care- 
 lessly have we read the sacred record, which testifieth of Je- 
 sus. Our hearts have been cold and our minds wandering. 
 We have neither relished nor understood, as we ought, these 
 lively oracles. O forgive this practical irreverence, and take 
 away this hardness of heart. Give us a strong desire to 
 know thee, and to understand thy will. May "thy statutes 
 be our songs in the house of our pilgrimage." Enlighten us 
 into the mysteries of thy word. Let us understand its con- 
 cealed glories ; for, O Lord, thou hast " hid these things 
 from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto 
 babes." Be ours the privilege to sit as children at thy feet, 
 and learn with meekness what the sons of pride scorn to lis- 
 ten to. " Open thou our eyes, that we may behold wondrous 
 things out of thy law ;" for Jesus' sake. Amen. 
 
CHRISTIAN ENERGY. 191 
 
 MEDITATION XXXVUI. 
 
 CHRISTIAN ENERGY. 
 
 Arise, therefore, and be doing, and the Lord be with thee. 1 Chron. 
 ^22: 16. 
 
 What David said to his son Solomon, God says to every 
 believer. The temple was to be built. The materials were 
 ready- The workmen were at hand ; and Solomon was 
 charged to set about the enterprise without delay. " The 
 Lord be with thee," says David. Without the divine bles- 
 sing and cooperation, the king well knew, the work could 
 neither rightly proceed, nor come to a happy completion. 
 And what a magnificent edifice was reared for the worship 
 of Jehovah ! There was nothing like it before, nor will 
 there ever be after. Its greatest attraction however was, 
 that the presence of Jehovah was revealed in its holy courts. 
 There is a temple now to be erected. It is to be built of 
 " living stones." It is commenced on earth, to be com- 
 pleted in heaven, where its top-stone is to be laid amid the 
 praises of the holy universe. The work is begun ; but 
 long, long will it be ere it is completed, unless more hands 
 are employed and more hearts are interested in its advance- 
 ment The materials are ready. Nothing is wanting but 
 faith and christian energy. "Arise therefore," O people of 
 the living God," and be doing." The responsibility of this 
 work rests on you. It is a weighty responsibility. It can- 
 not be met, unless you rise and consecrate your entire en- 
 ergies to the work. And if you do, " God will be with you." 
 He has promised this. He has also declared that the world 
 shall be filled with the glory of this spiritual building. 
 
192 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 When it is completed — for completed it must be — O may- 
 it be said that loe had some humble part in its erection ! 
 May we henceforth cast off our supineness, and endeavor 
 lo lay at least one polished stone in this glorious structure. 
 
 "Glorious lhin<js hast thou spoken," O God," of Zioii," 
 thy holy city. Thou hast declared, that " her walls shall 
 be salvation, and her gates praise." Thine ancient temple 
 thou didst condescend lo gra<-e with thy presence. Thou 
 didst fill its courts with thy glory. But the spiritual temple 
 which thou hast designed, and in part erected, is far more 
 precious in thy sight. Hast thou not promised that it shall 
 be one day completed ? O then let thy people, whom thou 
 hast honored as co-workers with thee, arise, and wiih one 
 heart and one mind, engage in the work. Move them, O 
 God, by thy Holy Spirit. Let the rich hritjg of their alum- 
 dance, and the poor their pittance. Let young and old, yea 
 all, engage in the glorious entcrjirise. The world is still 
 "dead in tres|)asses and in sins," Hundreds of millions are 
 yet to be enlightened. O, when shall we feel the pressure 
 of the responsibility which lies upon us? By all that Jesus 
 has done for us — by all that he has done to save a ruined 
 ■world — may we be constrained "to come up to the help of 
 the Lord, aaainst the mighty." Wilt thou bless thy people in 
 all their efforts to build the spiritual temple. O impart 
 strength, self-denial, zeal, courage, perseveriiiice. Without 
 thine omnipotent arm to aid us, we fail. But with it, wo 
 are sure to succeed ; and when the work is comf)leted, to 
 thy nauje shall be all the glory, through Jesus Christ our 
 Lord. Amen. 
 
WATCHFULNESS. 193 
 
 MEDITATION XXXIX. 
 
 WATCHFDLNESS. 
 
 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be 
 sober. 1 Thess. 5: C. 
 
 The apostle calls believers " children of the light." The 
 unbelieving are children of darkness. They see not their 
 guilt and danger. They understand not the glories of the 
 gospel. On these subjects they are in darkness ; and " they 
 love darkness rather than light." Therefore when death 
 comes they are surprised, overwhelmed, lost. But be- 
 lievers have come out of this night of unbelief. " The light 
 of the glorious gospel hath shined unto them." They see 
 the beauties of the divine word. They understand spiritual 
 things. " The day has dawned" upon them, " and the 
 day-star has arisen in their hearts." Therefore should 
 they " not sleep" as do the wicked ; but " they should watch 
 and be sbber." They should arise and " work while it is 
 day." tip to the period of their conversion, they were 
 asleep over the awful subjects of eternity. Now that the 
 Spirit of God has awakened them, they should commence 
 laboring for their Master with all possible diligence, remem- 
 bering that the time is short, and that soon they will be 
 called to their account. Let us inquire, whether we are 
 truly awake to our responsibilities? How has the day of 
 our spiritual life thus far been spent? Have we been 
 " watching unto prayer ? " Have we been soberly 
 addressing ourselves to the great work of our " high 
 calling ? " Or have we been criminally slumbering at our 
 post? Have sensual pleasures unnerved us? Has the 
 world beguiled us ? O let us rise, like Sampson, and shake 
 17 
 
194 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 off this drowsiness, and put forth our strength in God. Our 
 day may be a short one. But little time may be left us to 
 serve our Lord. Soon may we be called to give in our 
 account. Would we be found of him in peace, we must be 
 found at our post, with our " loins girded, and our lamps 
 trimmed and burning." 
 
 Thanks be unto ihy name, O Lord, for having opened 
 our eyes, and enabled us to discern thy glory. It was thy 
 grace which broke in upon our gnilty slumbers, and roused 
 us to a sense of our danger. It was grace which poured 
 light into our darkened understandings, and which gave us 
 eyes to see and hearts to appreciate thy love In Christ Jesus. 
 Now, O Lord, the scales have truly fallen from our eyes. 
 Whilst thousands and tens of thousands around us are still 
 in darkness ; and, as it respects spiritual things, "know not 
 their right hand from their left," thou hast graciously brought 
 us into the light and liberty of the gospel. How ungrateful 
 and guilty should we be, to fold our arms and again revert 
 to a state of spiritual slumber? Alas, O God, we have too 
 often, like the foolish virgins, thus "slumbered and slept." 
 If now this guilty indolence has crept over us, O let the 
 voice of thy word and Spirit arouse us, that we may trim 
 our lamps and be ready for the bridegroom's coming. Every 
 thing around us admonishes to vigilance. Satan, the world, 
 our own evil hearts, wicked men, slothful professors ; all 
 are ready to draw us aside from the path of duty. Keep us, 
 then, O Lord, "as the apple of thine eye." Let thy grace 
 impel us forward in " the race which is set before us." May 
 we never faint nor tire. O " may we not sleep as do others ;" 
 and when thou shalt call us hence, may we be received with 
 the welcome of "Well done, good and faithful servants;" 
 for Jesus' sake. Amen. 
 
GREAT GAIN. ' 195 
 
 Meditation xl. 
 
 GREAT GAIN. 
 
 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Tim. 6: G. 
 
 There is a dissatisfaction with our earthly lot which is 
 felt at limes by every one. The wicked are seldom satis- 
 fied, though satiated often with earthly pleasures. Give 
 them their heart's desire, and they will soon become rest- 
 less and uneasy. They will see in the possession of others 
 some things which excite their envy or discontent. Even 
 the believer has often to chide his heart for its refractory 
 feelings under the adverse dispensations of Providence. To 
 be content with suc]j things as God has given, when the 
 measure of earthly good is exceedingly scanty, is an attain- 
 ment of no ordinary kind. Thrice blessed Paul, thou didst 
 learn this lesson ! In whatsoever situation thou wast 
 placed, thou wast " therewith content." O may we imitate 
 thee in this ; and endeavor, with thee, even to " take plea- 
 sure in necessities !" The apostle speaks of a connection 
 between godliness and contentment. There is a close con- 
 nection. True contentment must result from godliness as 
 an effect follows the cause. Godliness implies an intelli- 
 gent view of Providence as concerned in all the circum- 
 stances of our being. Godliness implies also a spirit of sub- 
 mission to the divine will, however expressed, whether in 
 giving or in depriving. Godliness brings into view so much 
 higher bliss than earth can yield, as to make the Chris- 
 tian regard all sublunary joy with comparative indifference. 
 Thus godliness must promote contentment. To counteract 
 a murmuring spirit then, let us cultivate true godliness. It 
 
196 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 will prove to us " great gain." Yes, in a world where 
 there is so much suffering, it will tend to smooth the rug- 
 ged path, and point us to the glorious termination. Let 
 then the dissatisfied worldling rove in search of fancied 
 good ; be it ours to cultivate true piety, the only solace in 
 trouble, and the only safety amid the prosperities of life. 
 
 Why, O Lord, should we ever murmur at ihy dispensa- 
 tions, or he dissatisfied with what thou givest ? What 
 would be our condition, were we to receive at thy hand our 
 deserts? How would every cup of pleasure be turned into 
 bitterness, and every source of happiness be dried up for- 
 ever ! But thou hast not "rewarded us accordin<? to our 
 iniquities." Thou hast often made "our cup to run over" 
 with blessings. But alas we have heen ungrateful. By 
 wishing for something more, we have shown our discontent. 
 This bath been one of the innumerable sins which we have 
 committed. In view of it, we deserve to be stripped of 
 every earthly good. O let us then, by looking at our de- 
 serts and thy mercies, learn to adore'and praise thee for the 
 continuance of blessings which we have forfeited. Hast 
 thou withheld from us wealth and honor.? We know thou 
 hast done it for our good. Yea, with such hearts as ours, 
 we have reason to fear, that unless great grace were be- 
 stowed, prosperity would prove our ruin. It is good for us, 
 O Lord, to feel our dependence— to ask of thee " our daily 
 bread." Grant us hut that "godliness" which bringeth "con- 
 tentment," and it will be to us "great gain." May we be re- 
 signed to thy holy will, even when the deep billows of ad- 
 versity are rolling over us. If poverty be our lot, O let us 
 cheerfully bear it. Let us be "content with such things as 
 we have," be they ever so few ; remembering thy promise, 
 "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." So long as 
 thou art our portion, may we not covet the meaner one 
 which earthly minds are so eagerly pursuing. May God be 
 our all, and may we at last enjoy thy blissful presence; for 
 Jesus' sake. Amen. 
 
PAITH IN GOD. ' ' r 197 
 
 Meditation xli. 
 
 FAITH IN GOD. 
 Is any thing too hard for the Lord ? Gen. 18: 14. 
 
 This sentence contains a severe rebuke for Sarah's un- 
 belief. It required indeed strong confidence in Jehovah's 
 power and faithfulness, to rely implicitly on his word, when 
 the event predicted was contrary to the course of nature. 
 But still it was her duty so to do. He who fixed nature's 
 laws could supersede them. Nothing was " too hard for 
 the Lord." His omnipotence is a guarantee for the fulfil- 
 ment of all that he predicts and promises. Such, alas, is the 
 amount of evil within us, that the very greatness of Hea- 
 ven's mercy — the infinite condescension implied in it— be- 
 gets a guilty unbelief. We are ready to doubt whether so 
 great a being will thus pledge himself to convey to " worms 
 of the dust," so great an amount of blessings. But we 
 should not allow Satan thus to get an advantage of us. To 
 this sceptical state of mind we should oppose the question, 
 '* is any thing too hard for the Lord .?" When darkness 
 rests upon our path, let us not conclude that all is lost. 
 Let us inquire again ; " is any thing too hard for the Lord .?" 
 When temporal afflictions press down our spirits to the dust, 
 let us not yield to despair. When we survey the desola-* 
 tions which sin has made — consider what millions are sunk 
 in idolatry — and how their rescue and regeneration, to hu- 
 man view, seems impossible — let us silence our doubts by 
 asking, " is any thing too hard for the Lord .'" In all 
 circumstances of trial ; in every strait to which we may 
 be reduced, it is our consolation to remember that God is 
 17* 
 
198 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 omnipotent— that Ms hand can deliver — that his providence 
 can provide— that his mercy can save ; when, to human 
 view, deliverance, provision and salvation seem impossi- 
 ble. O, for more implicit reliance on Jehovah's power and 
 faithfulness ! 
 
 O most merciful Father, allow us to approach thee as the 
 God of Abraham. Thou didst pronounce him "the father 
 of the faithful." Thou didst enal)le him to trust in thee with 
 all his heart. " He staggered not at the promise through un- 
 belief." Relying on thy faithfulness, he cheerfully obeyed thy 
 commands, even when thou didst require his dearest earthly 
 blessings. Wilt thou grticiousiy enable us to copy his exam- 
 ple. Eradicate from our hearts the seeds of unbelief Wears 
 prone, O Lord, to sink down under trouble, as though there 
 was no relief even from heaven. Pardon this distrust, we 
 beseech thee ; and enaltle us to stay ourselves on thee, and 
 to hope in thy ruercy. When we labor for the salvation of 
 souls, and are teujpted to believe that no blessing will follow, 
 may we be rebuked by the question, "is any thing too hard 
 for the Lord .P" Or if, O Lord, we are, at any time, disposed to 
 ask, in the spirit of tloubt or unbelief, how can this sin-ruined 
 world be converted to thee ; let us be silenced and convinced 
 by thy promises and the power of thy regenerating grace, 
 which is able to fulfil them. O, make us " strong in faith, 
 giving glory to God." Permit us to apply thy precious 
 promises to our own souls. May we exercise a child-like 
 confidence in thy truth. Although so insignificant— so guil- 
 ty — yet are not these |)romises ours ? Are they not all " yea 
 and amen in Christ Jesus .^" We would plead them in Je- 
 sus' name. We beseech thee to fulfil them for Jesus' sake ; 
 that "thy kingdom may come," and "that all men may hon- 
 or the Son even as they honor the Father." Amen. 
 
 
THE BACKSLIDER. 199 
 
 MEDITATION XLIL 
 
 THE BACKSLIDER. 
 
 Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left 
 thy first love. Rev. 2: 4. 
 
 What Christian does not look back with some degree of 
 mournfulness, as vv^ell as with gratitude, upon the history of 
 his early religious experience ? It is true we were then in- 
 fluenced principally by feeling. But that feeling was deep 
 and delightful. It was the strong emotion of love to God 
 and man. The change which the Holy Spirit had wrought, 
 was a great change. The Bible, once so dull, had then be- 
 come the most precious of books. We roved through the 
 promises as through a field of fragrant beauties. All na- 
 ture wore an unaccustomed loveliness. God was seen and 
 adored in every thing. Prayer was as our very breath ; 
 and praise dwelt upon our lips. The people of God were 
 inexpressibly dear to us. The sanctuary was as the porti- 
 co to heaven, and the word of God was sweeter to the 
 taste than " honey and the honey comb." These were the 
 scenes and emotions of our first love. They were not 
 indeed without some passing clouds ; for many a sore 
 temptation beset us ; but who can review them and not wish 
 for a return of similar emotions ! It becomes us to ask, why 
 these feelings were not perpetuated, nay increased by the 
 lapse of time ? Have we grown cold in the service of our 
 God.^ Have we lost or left our first love .? If so, then 
 has God " somewhat against us." This change cannot have 
 taken place without guilt. God is the same glorious being 
 as he was then. The Bible is still as precious in itself. 
 Prayer is now equally a privilege as then. O, has not some 
 
200 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 secret evil been in operation to cool our love— to abate our 
 zeal — to separate us from our God ? Is it the love of the 
 world ? Is it the love of the creature ? Is it ambitious de- 
 signs, or sensual indulgence ? Search us, O God, and enable 
 us to search ourselves. It is time to return from our wan- 
 derings. Yes, we will retrace our steps ; peradventure God 
 will again " lift up the light of his countenance upon us," 
 and " restore unto us the joys of his salvation." 
 
 " O that we were as in months past, when the candle of the 
 Lord shined upon our heads !" Those were happy days. 
 We remember them with gratitude, but with sadness. They 
 have alas been succeeded by days and months of darkness 
 and of sin. O Lord, we have indeed "left our first love." 
 How delightful were the days of our espousals ! Then was 
 prayer no burden. Our feet seemed to be winged, as 
 we ran the Christian race. We then possessed the " heart of 
 flesh." Inflamed with love and zeal for Christ, his "yoke 
 was easy and his burden light." But O we have to mourn 
 over a sad decay in our spiritual affections. A thousand 
 temptations have pressed in upon us ; and hy yielding we 
 have driven ourselves from thee and become cold in thy ser- 
 vice. Well mightest thou cast us off, for our almost perpetual 
 backslidings. But thou, O God, art unchangeable. " Whom 
 thou lovest, thou lovest to the end." This is our hope. 
 We come to thee, immutable Jehovah, and heg thee to re- 
 ceive thy guilty but returning children. Emhrace us once 
 more in the arms of eternal love. O, let us once more re- 
 joice in our Father's smiles. Though wanderers we have 
 been wretched. Our souls can find happiness in nothing 
 but thyself. We do therefore renew our vows to be thine — 
 yes, thine forever. Bjnd us to thee "by the cords of love." 
 Fasten our affections to the cross of Jesus. Never, O never 
 let us wander more. Amen. 
 
 ■7«?c«/^oti sml ,0 .M,'«lt%ii o^>^ili/in| »» V!ijai>|f3 v^%. . -. 
 
PLEASING GOD. 201 
 
 MEDITATION XLIII. 
 
 PLEASING GOD. 
 
 But without faith it is impossible to please him ; for he that com- 
 eth to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder 
 of t])em that diligently seek him. Heb. 11: G. 
 
 The more we confide in God, the more do we honor him. 
 Nothing in the conduct of the disciples met with a more 
 frequent rebuke from the Savior, than their unbelief. God 
 would have us believe what he says, and confidently expect 
 the fulfilment of his promises. But alas, we are tempted, 
 at times, to doubt even some of the fundamental truths of 
 religion. These relics of scepticism are connected with 
 our remaining depravity. In the sight of Jehovah, such 
 thoughts are as guilty as they are offensive. We are to 
 "believe that God is." Can a doubt enter the mind on this 
 point : Where can we look — to what object in the entire 
 universe — which rebukes not the sceptical thought ^ It is 
 " in him that we live and move ;" we should therefore, in 
 approaching him as suppliants, regard him as nigh ; as in 
 us and around us. We should also remember and believe 
 that " he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." 
 How precious this promise ! But we must remember the 
 condition, " diligently.'^'' It is not a cold and formal service 
 that he will recompense. It is not a careless or infrequent 
 application that he will approve. No : we must with ago- 
 nizing earneslness • seek after God. We mu.st give "all 
 diligence" in the work, and bring all our powers to bear 
 upon it. We must do it in faith ; assured that God will 
 reward us with success. Then will he " lift upon us the 
 light of his countenance." He will "give us the Holy 
 
20^ BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 Spirit" He will make us " heirs of God," and "joint- 
 heirs with Christ." He will make " crooked things straight, 
 and rough places plain." O then, let us henceforth come 
 to our Father with a believing heart. Let us come in the 
 spirit of adoption. Let us throw ourselves upon his mercy, 
 and seek, in the name of Jesus, those things which we need, 
 and which he has promised to all his confiding children. 
 
 O God, " before the moimtains were brought forth, or 
 ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world ; even from 
 everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." Thy existence is 
 declared in every object in nature, and confirnjed in every 
 event of providence. "Thou art over all, and through all, 
 and in us all," Enable us to come to thee in a humble, be- 
 lieving frame of mind. May we believe not only that " thou 
 art ; but that thou art a rewarder of them that diligently 
 seek thee." Encouraged by this precious promise, we come 
 in ihe name of Jesus, to implore thy forgiveness and favor. 
 Unworthy and guilty as we are, thou wilt not reject us, if 
 we come through the merits of our great atoning high priest. 
 But O Lord to obtain thy blessing, we must seek thee " dili- 
 gently .'' No sluggish efforts will avail. "The effectual and 
 fervent prayer" must be offered. O give us this spirit of 
 prayer. Let us pour it forth, mingled with humility, peni- 
 tence, and faith. May we plead with an earnestness and 
 importmiity proportionate to our necessities. Then let us 
 have the rich reward. The reward we crave is, that we 
 may know thee more and serve thee better — that we 
 may be perfected in thy love — that we may be transformed 
 into the icnage of Christ — that we may have grace to take 
 up our cross daily and follow him — that we may love thy 
 church — live to thy glory — lalmr for thy kingdom — that we 
 may "live unto the Lord and die unto the Lord." These 
 things constitute the reward for which we plead. O grant 
 them unto us, as free, rich, unmerited mercies, through Je- 
 sus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
CONVERSATION. 203 
 
 MEDITATION XLIV. 
 
 CONVERSATION. 
 
 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. 
 Phil. I: 27. 
 
 How persuasive and powerful would be the influence of 
 Christians, did their conduct and conversation always com- 
 port with the gospel ! Each member of the church would 
 be a " living epistle, known and read of all men." Christ 
 would no longer be " wounded in the house of his friends." 
 Christians would reflect the image of their Lord. The 
 eyes of the world would be riveted upon them ; and men 
 would be compelled to acknowledge that " they had been 
 with Jesus," and that " they loved one another." To a 
 vain and wicked world, this would be powerful preaching. 
 Nothing arms the conscience of sinners with such power, 
 as a holy example. Theoretically X\\e wicked know the gos- 
 pel to be pure. But how would they feel its obligations, 
 were all its professors habitually to exemplify it ! Then, 
 the line between " those who serve God and those who 
 serve him not," would be broad and visible. Conscience 
 would then do her office with tenfold power. No building 
 up in sin on the faults of professors could then be practiced. 
 God would be glorified, and the world, we might hope, 
 would be speedily converted. With such motives to a god- 
 ly life, how is it that we have so often furnished an occa- 
 sion for the enemy to blaspheme ? O let us weep over our 
 past conformity to the world. Let a broad line of distinc- 
 tion be seen henceforth between our conduct and that of 
 the wicked. Let us be guided and governed by the princi- 
 
204 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 pies of the gospel. What it approves, let us pursue. 
 What it condemns let us avoid. Let us keep close to the 
 counsels of our blessed Master ; and let " the same mind 
 be in us which was also in Christ Jesus." 
 
 Blessed he thy name, O God, that thou hast given us a 
 perfect rule of moral conduct. Thy law " is holy, and just, 
 and good," " In keeping it tliere is great reward." How 
 pure also is thy gospel ! It is but a more complete devel- 
 opment of the law, with additional motives to obedience, 
 drawn from the tender merry and dying love of Jesus thy 
 Son. But O how far short do we come of fulfilling the 
 [)recej)ts of the law or the gospel ! We profess to be entire- 
 ly governed by then) ; but alas the selfish heart suggesreth a 
 thousand base and unworthy motives. Still do we "delight 
 in thy law after the inward man." We would fain be 
 governed by its luecepts both in feelinj^ and conduct. In- 
 scribe it upon our hearts with thine own hand, that we may 
 not depart from thee. How glorious also is thy gospel ! O, 
 our blessed Redeemer, thou hast taught us how to live. 
 Thy own lovely example is before us. But how often hath 
 our conduct been in contrast with thine ! How unworthily 
 of our high vocation have we walked! But now grant us 
 thy grace that we may order our conversation according to 
 thy gospel. Make us to let om- light shine before men. 
 We pray that we may exemplify thy gospel so strikingly, 
 that others may be led to embrace it ; that the Father may 
 be glorified, and thy blessed cause advanced. Thus may 
 we and every other professed follower of the cross live and 
 act ; that the world may see how transforming and glorious 
 is thy grace — until all shall come to the knowledge of the 
 truth, and every knee bow to thy universal sceptre. Anien. 
 
THE NATIVITY. 205 
 
 MEDITATION XLV. 
 
 THE NATIVITY — CHRISTMAS. 
 
 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Je- 
 sus : for he shall saV^e his people from their sins. MaM. 1: 21. 
 
 We have here the annunciation, not only of the Savior's 
 birth, but of the great end for which he is born. What heart 
 can contemplate this event and not be overwhelmed with a 
 sense of the divine goodness ! " Unto us this child is born ; 
 unto us this son is given." The angel of the Lord is sent 
 to proclaim his advent. All heaven is moved at this interpo- 
 sition of the divine mercy. Christ Jesus comes in a weak 
 and lowly form. He condescends to be " born of a wo- 
 man — to be made under the law, to redeem them that are 
 under the law, that they may receive the adoption of sons." 
 If Jesus had not been born, there had been no hope of for- 
 giveness. " There is none other name under heaven given 
 among men whereby we must be saved." Without this 
 Savior, how dark and terrifying would have been our pros- 
 pects! Satan would have triumphed over the destruction 
 of our entire race. The grave would have closed over us, 
 until the " resurrection of damnation." Every earthly pros- 
 pect would have been covered with gloom. Adore then, O 
 my soul, the prince of life, who, for thy salvation, thus 
 humbled himself to the form of a servant ! His very name 
 is precious. It is " Jesus." Is there not in this name some- 
 thing attractive .'' Speaks it not of salvation .'' O ye, who 
 feel sin to be a burden— who daily groan over its polluting 
 load — remember " Jesus.'''' That name ensures salvation 
 from sin. O remember, the blood that pardons, b\so purifies. 
 If thou art borne down under sin's oppressive weight," look 
 
 18 
 
im 
 
 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 unto Jesus." It is his voice which says, " thy sins are forgiv- 
 en thee." But let none dare to call Jesus his Savior who con- 
 sents to live in sin — who wishes to " have fellowship with 
 the works of darkness." That faith alone is genuine which 
 " purifieth the heart." 
 
 Ever blessed Lord and Savior, make us to feel our obliga- 
 tions for thine interposition in our behalf. Thy corning hath 
 brought us not only pardon, but purification from the pollu- 
 tion of sin. Didst thou leave thy glorious throne ; didst thou 
 humble thyself to be born of a woman in order to rescue 
 such abject worms as we are ? Infinite condescension ! 
 Amazing love ! We stand astonished at thine advent — thy 
 sufferings— thy triumph. As we pore upon the scene of 
 thy nativity, we are lost in view of the extremes of greatness 
 and of meanness. We see God in human flesh. Thou art 
 the babe of Bethlehem, cradled in a manger; and thou art 
 the " mighty God, the everlasting Father." We would bow 
 with the reverential magi, and offer thee, not the odors of 
 eastern climes, but the poor sacrifice of our sinful hearts. 
 O Jesus, let these hearts be broken for sin. Let them be 
 laid a willing sacrifice at thy feet. Take us and purify us 
 from all sin. This was the end of that salvation which thou 
 didst bring; and this is what we need — what we most ear- 
 nestly implore. O save us from the power and pollution of 
 sin. Let it no longer " reign in our mortal body." ** Create 
 in us a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within us." To 
 thee shall be all the glory. Our song shall ever be, " unto 
 him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own 
 blood, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever." 
 Amen. 
 
THE CAUTION. 207 
 
 MEDITATION XLVI. 
 
 THE CAUTION. 
 Love not the world. 1 John 2: 15. 
 
 Hard requisition this to the unsanctified heart ! For " the 
 things that are in the world" are the objects of its deepest 
 interest — of its suprenne affection. The creature, in some 
 form or other, has absorbed its desires. Now it is a thirst 
 for gold — and now it is the promise of preferment — and 
 anon, it is the indulgence of a mere sensual appetite. Some 
 make a heaven of their domestic joys ; and some are whol- 
 ly devoted to the pursuits of science. In the command, 
 " love not the world," it is not intended that we should feel 
 no interest in its concerns ; that we should cease to ad- 
 mire its scenery ; that we should forget the claims of kin- 
 dred and affection ;— for in all these respects religion allows 
 what is lawful and proper ; — but the interdict respects the 
 sin of placing the world first, and God and his service se- 
 condary in our desires and affections. The requisition is, 
 that we " seek first the kingdom of God and his righteous- 
 ness." We must cease from our idolatry. We must give 
 to God his rightful dominion. When we love any object 
 more than him, or when we prefer mere earthly pleasure 
 to his service, then do we love the world, and " the love of 
 the Father is not in us." Needs the Christian this exhorta- 
 tion } Alas, too often are we found looking back with se- 
 cret longings after the world. The objects of sense still 
 claim too much of our regard. O let us hear the voice of 
 God, saying, " love not the world." " Set your affection 
 on things above." Every affection we give to earth is a 
 
208 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. ? 
 
 ligature, in breaking which, death will give additional pain ; 
 but every affection we give to heaven, will be a pinion to 
 bear the soul in triumph to its eternal rest. 
 
 And now, O Lord, we pray that ihou woiildst give iis the 
 victory over the vi^orld, and the flesh, and the devil. These 
 potent enemies can be overcome only by the power of that 
 faith which is the gift of God. How often have we been 
 brought into captivity to one or another of these adversaries I 
 We have thought that our mountain stood strong. The 
 world hath seefned at times to be a conquered enemy. But 
 how little of ourselves have we known in supposing it had 
 lost its power over us! O Lord, we have found our weak- 
 ness, and have felt how inadequate are our strongest efforts 
 to resist its influence. When it holdeth forth the prospect of 
 its gains, or its pleasures, or its honors, our poor depraved 
 hearts are kindled with excitement. Desires, which we had 
 supposed slain, recur with terrific power. Lord, help us to 
 overcome. Impart thy strength to our weakness. Give 
 us such soul-enrapturing views of thyself, and such a relish 
 for thy service, as shall make the world seem but vanity. Do 
 we not still love thee, O our God ; and can we not, amid all 
 our wanderings, still say in sincerity, " whom have we in 
 heaven but thee ; and there is none upon the earth that we 
 desire in comparison with thee ?" Then let us love thee more 
 and more. Let every idol be abandoned. O may we, by 
 holy contemplation, converse so habitually with heavenly 
 things, that we shall feel but "as strangers and pilgrims on 
 the earth ;" whilst we regard the heavenly state as the soul's 
 happy home, upon which our most eager desires shall fix, 
 and whither our feet shall travel with increasing zeal. Grant 
 this, O Lord, for the Redeemer's sake. Amen. 
 
 ^ ,iln 
 
fiUMAN FRAILTY. 209 
 
 MEDITATION XL VII. 
 
 HUMAN FRAILTY. 
 
 Then shnll the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit 
 shall return unto God who gave it. EccL 12: 7. 
 
 The body, then, is but finely organized dust. The eyes, 
 so radiant with the light of mind — the hair, so finely spun, 
 and of such uniform texture, are but dust ; and are soon to 
 be reunited with kindred dust. The whole frame-work of 
 the body is to crumble at the touch of death. His cold 
 hand is soon to be laid upon us, and then what a change 
 will take place ! The very lineaments of beauty are now 
 turned into deformi ly. The eye, that most attractive organ, 
 we are obliged to close, in order to shut from the view of 
 survivors its fixed and inexpressive glare. There is a cold 
 collapse of every feature, telling us that the ethereal inhab- 
 itant is gone. Even relatives will be constrained to take 
 up the body and bury it out of their sight. Then it returns 
 to its original elements. It is soon incorporated with and 
 undistinguished from the cold clay that surrounds it. But 
 where is the spirit ? Has death, in invading the body, ex- 
 tinguished the soul ? O no ; " the spirit hath returned unto 
 God who gave it. " The last pulsation of the heart gave it 
 liberty. If sanctified by the grace of God, it flew on an- 
 gels' wings to the bosom of its Savior. Like the beautiful 
 chrysalis, it burst from its fetters and expanded its wings in 
 the sun-light of heaven, and drank the refreshing dews 
 which sparkle around " the fountain of living waters." But 
 if the soul shall go unprepared; if at death it shall be 
 claimed by justice, and dragged to heaven's tribunal to au* 
 18* 
 
SIO BOOK FOft ftiE SAfiBATfi* 
 
 swer for a thousand sins unrepented of, unpardoned, O 
 how fearful will be the transition ! Let us then consider 
 our latter end. Let us take a look at death as an event 
 which we must personally meet ; and let us ask ourselves, 
 if we are at this moment prepared to go ? Are we truly 
 penitent ? Have we by faith taken hold of Jesus, who " is 
 the resurrection and the life ?" Can we say, that " for us 
 to live is Christ ?" Are we " crucified to the world ?" 
 In one word. Are we living the life of the righteous ? Let 
 us answer these questions as we would, if this were our last 
 hour, and eternity, with all its terrors and its transports, 
 were in view^ 
 
 O God, the decree which hath gone forth, consigning the 
 body to the dust, is but the righteous retribution of sin. We 
 recognize it as the mark of thy disapprobation towards our 
 guilty race. Nor would we complain that we must pass the 
 dark portals of death, inasmuch i\a we are among the chief 
 of sinners. But O the thought of dying is terrific. Our 
 soul shudders at the approach of the king of terrors. Deliver 
 us, O God, from this bondage, to which hitherto we have 
 been so subject. Take away these gloomy apprehensions, 
 and extract "the sting of death which is sin." Let us be 
 but cleansed from siu, and then we shall no more fear to die. 
 Then, O Lord, shall we ohtaiu the victory which through 
 Christ is given to believers. " Where sin hath abounded, 
 may thy grace much more ahound." In these hearts, where 
 sin hath reigned unto death, O may grace reign, througli 
 righteousness unto eternal life, by Jeeus Christ our Lord." 
 Not only do we desire submission and resignation in view of 
 the certainty and solemnity of death ; but, we beseech thee, 
 give us even "a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which 
 18 far better." Help us to live the life of the righteous ; and 
 then when the hour of our deparnwe shall coirie, may we 
 *Mie the death of the righteous, and may our last end be like 
 
THE CONSUMMATION. 211 
 
 his." O for the presence of our Savior, when we nre called 
 to " pass through the valley of the shadow of death !" Then 
 may we "fear no evil." May our spirits, steadfast in hope, 
 and ** looking unto Jesus," lie sweetly resigned, and depart, 
 if not in triumph, at least in holy tranquillity. And when 
 the trumpet shall sound, may our sleeping dust come forth 
 in the image of the Savior, and reunited with the happy soul, 
 he forever with the Lord. Amen. 
 
 MEDITATION XLVIII. 
 
 THE CONSUMMATION — SACRAMENTAL. 
 
 - u Oi 
 
 It is finished. John 19: 30. 
 
 Thus exclaimed the dying Savior, and immediately he 
 gave up the ghost. In these words we have the consumma- 
 ting act of the great work of redemption. " The cup which 
 the Father had given," was now drank even to the dregs. 
 Henceforth sufferings were to be exchanged for joy, and 
 ignominy for glory and honor. From that body, quivering 
 in death, the spirit passed in triumph to Paradise. There 
 is no more suffering now. " It is finished." From the 
 moment of his appearance in the world, until the moment 
 of his departure, it was little else than a continued scene of 
 trial. He was indeed " a man of sorrows and acquainted 
 with grief" But even our Redeemer's sufferings had an 
 end. The prospect grew darker and darker. It deepened 
 at every step, until his soul lay buried in anguish at Geth- 
 semane, and was wrapt in more than midnight gloom on 
 Calvary. There even the Father's face was hid. " My 
 God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me .'"' But harki 
 
212 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 he exclaims, " It is finished." The death pang is felt, and 
 his last words assure us of the final triumph. O my Re- 
 deemer, was all this endured for me ? Could nothing less 
 than thy life-blood answer the demands of a violated law, 
 and secure for me the mercy of Heaven ? Could nothing 
 less " finish transgression, make an end of sin, and bring in 
 everlasting righteousness ?" Then let me fall at thy feet, 
 meaning the gratitude which I cannot express. For such 
 love, I would give myself and all I have, to be thine ; 
 and to be employed for thee forever. " Let sin no more 
 reign in my mortal body." Let me take a view of its tur- 
 pitude from the blood-stained cross ; and when the table is 
 spread, whereon the emblems of thy dying love, are laid, 
 let me go and commemorate that love, and renew my vows 
 to be thine forever. 
 
 " Were the whole realm of nature mine, 
 That were a present far too small ; • ^ i". ' 
 
 Love so amazing, so divine, ':f,'^* 
 
 Demands my soul, my life, my all." 
 
 "Thanks be unto thee, O God, for thy unspeakable gift." 
 Thou wast " not willing that any should perish, but that all 
 should come to repentance ;" b«u foreseeing that all must per- 
 ish, unless an infinite sacrifice were made, thou didst " give thy 
 only begotten Son, that whosoever helieveth in him should 
 have everlasting life." From the bosom of the Father — 
 from the bliss of heaven — he came to bleed and die for us, 
 lost sinners. One with the Father, he was willing to become 
 one with us, that through "the incarnate mystery," we might 
 become reunited to the Father. Precious Savior ! What 
 language can properly express thy condescension and com- 
 passion ! What requital can we niake thee for thy labors 
 and thy dying love! Thou didst "finish the work which 
 
KTlq^HE COMFORTED. 213 
 
 was given thee to do." Wondrous work ! It was no less 
 than to raise our mined nature from the fall — to pay to vio- 
 lated law a full equivalent — to satisfy divine justice — to open 
 tlie gate of mercy to mankind — to secure the soul's purifica- 
 tion as well as its pardon — to disappoint the powers of hell, 
 and to fill all heaven with new raptures. Wondrous work 
 indeed ! Who but thyself could have undertaken and fin- 
 ished it ! Thy dying breath hafh pronounced it finished. 
 Glorious consummation ! O let us partake of the benefits 
 of so dear a purchase! Nothing can be added to this fin- 
 ished salvation, nor can any thing be taken away. Blessed 
 be thy name, no merits of ours are needed. We come, then, 
 naked, poor, and wretched. O that we might have faith to 
 receive this finished salvation, and hearts to give thee all the 
 glory. Amen. 
 
 MEDITATION XLIX. 
 
 THE COMFORTED — AFFLICTION. 
 
 The Master is come, and calleth for thee. John 11: 28, 
 
 Precious intelligence ! How must the heart of the pious 
 Mary have been soothed, when she was informed that her 
 Lord had come to administer the cup of consolation ! What 
 hand but his could wipe away her tears and speak peace 
 to her troubled spirit } Himself " a man of sorrows, and 
 acquainted with grief," he could enter with deepest sympa- 
 thy into her afflictions. It was for this object, among oth- 
 ers, that he came as a sojourner in this " vale of tears." 
 It was to " bear our griefs and to carry our sorrows." Be- 
 hold him approaching the hospitable mansion at Bethany ! 
 There he had found a shelter frono this friendjess world. 
 
214 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 There he had experienced the assiduities of sincere and 
 devoted friendship. But now Lazarus whonm he loved 
 sleeps in death. The heart-broken sisters are mourning 
 that their Lord had not been with them to stay the malady 
 and save their brother. But hark ; the well-known foot- 
 step is heard. " The Master is come." But " O," exclaim 
 the weeping sisters, " he has come too late." The declara- 
 tion implies too little faith. Jesus has not come too late. 
 His voice can raise the dead. " Dry up your tears," says 
 the compassionate Master, " only believe ; your brother 
 shall rise again." This cheering word the pious Martha 
 bears to her weeping sister ; and instantly she goes from 
 the place of sorrow to the place of sweetest consolation — 
 to Jesus' feet. Let the mourner imitate the conduct of Ma- 
 ry. Be thy grief never so great, listen to the call of Jesus. 
 He invites you to come and cast your burden upon him. 
 Mourner, sit not down in hopeless sorrow. There is one 
 who can enter into thy troubles. He drank a far more bit- 
 ter cup ; and can enable you to drink your cup with holy 
 submission. Although you cannot now expect a miracu- 
 lous interposition — though death will not be called upon to 
 deliver back the loved one ; still Jesus will come— if you 
 will but invite him — and pour into your soul the balm of 
 heavenly consolation. Let every child of affliction listen 
 to the gracious invitation, " the Master is come, and calleth 
 for thee." 
 
 To whojn shall we go, in the hour of affliction, hut lothee, 
 O Redeemer, who wast thyself "a man of sorrows, and uc- 
 quaiiited with grief.?" The sufferings of soul an<l l)0(ly in- 
 cident to our nature — saving that of sin — thou didel endure, 
 that we might find in thee a sympathizing friend as well as 
 
THE COMFORTED. 215 
 
 an almighty Savior. "Thou wast tempted in all points like 
 as we are, yet without sin." Grant, then, that we may hear 
 thy voice inviting utf as thou didst weeping Mary to come 
 to thee, and to cast our sorrows at thy feet. If left to sus- 
 tain the burden alone, Lord, we shall sink ; for it is heavier 
 than our feeble spirits can endure. How weak are the 
 powers of nature even when no afflictions press upon us! 
 But when the stroke actually falls, how do we faint without 
 thine all-supporting arm ! It is in vain, O Lord, that we look 
 for consolation from the world ; or even from the dear 
 friends who feel for us. Their sympathy cannot reach the 
 deep fountains of grief The wound is too severe to be 
 stanched by any but a hand divine. O, it is only that dear 
 hand which was pierced, and that heart which burst in ago- 
 ny on the cross, which can effectually soothe or heal the 
 broken heart. We bring our burdens, Lord, to thee. We 
 acknowledge the rectitude of thy dealings, and in our hea- 
 viest trials, we bow to the justice which imposeth them. W^e 
 deserve it all — yea, ten thousand times more than we suffer. 
 Still may we come and crave that grace which can he!|) us 
 to bear the load, and which can sanctify the dispensation to 
 the good of our souls. O let the rebukes of thy providence 
 lead us^to repentance; let us be weaned thereby from the 
 world ; and through this and other tribulations let us enter 
 at last into the kinjrdom of God. Amen. 
 
216 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 MEDITATION L. 
 
 DEPRECATION. 
 And lead us not into temptation. Matt. 6: 13. 
 
 Daily, yea almost hourly should this prayer arise ; since 
 there is scarcely a place or a moment, in which we are not 
 exposed to the influence of the tempter. The body with 
 its impulses is in close contact with the soul. How does it 
 plead for indulgence! Every sense is an inlet to tempta- 
 tion. The eye is roving after the forbidden object. The 
 appetite is clamorous for dainties, or pushes us beyond the 
 bounds of strict temperance. The very touch will some- 
 times sting the soul. Around us on every hand are seduc- 
 tive influences, by which Satan manages to rouse into ac- 
 tion the wrong desires. Here the cup of sensual pleasure 
 is presented — there the golden idol — and there again, in 
 distant but attractive glory, rises the temple of fame. Go 
 where we will, the enemy is in our path. If we muse in 
 solitude, the imagination will tempt us away to scenes of 
 folly and of sin. If we mingle in the social circle, flattery, 
 and pride, and vanity, and sensual emotions will sometimes 
 be provoked. If we engage in traffic, O how difficult to 
 keep " a conscience void of offence towards God and men !" 
 If we perform even a religious exercise, the tempter will 
 be near to promote hypocrisy or self-complacency. Where 
 can we flee to hide ourselves from his power .? He fol- 
 lowed our Master even into the solitary wilderness ; and 
 shall we hope to escape ? But Jesus has put into our 
 mouths a prayer of defence. " Lead us not imo tempta- 
 tion." Sensible of our exposure and weakness, let this pe- 
 
DEPRECATION. 217 
 
 titlon dwell on our lips. If offered in sincerity — if we truly 
 hate sin, and wish to avoid its contamination even in 
 thought, there cannot be a more suitable prayer than this ; 
 nor will it be offered in vain. He who taught it us, well 
 knows our liability to sin ; and having been himself exposed 
 to Satan's attacks, he will not fail to succor those who 
 call upon him. 
 
 draper. 
 
 Blessed Savior, who hast taught us to pray, " lead us not 
 tnto temptation ;" to thee may we flee in every dark distress- 
 ful hour, and find tUee " a refuge, a veiy present help in 
 iroubl€." Even in our best frames, we feel, O Lord, how 
 weak is our strength, how faint are our hopes of perseve- 
 rance ! No arm, we are confident, but thine can hold us up, 
 and bear us forward in the path of duty. But ah, how soon 
 is our sky overcasti One hour finds us rejoicing; and the 
 next sees us covered with confusion and overwhelmed with 
 apprehension. Satan is at hand watching for opportunities 
 to ply his darts, and scarce an hour passeth in which there 
 is not an opening for his attacks. The body is one source 
 of temptation. O Lord, enable ns " to keep it under, and lo 
 bring it into subjection." Enable us " to crucify the flesh, 
 with its affections and its lusts." But what power, O Lord, 
 could the body hav«, if the heart were not wrong ? Alas ; 
 here is the fountain of evil. "Create in us a clean heart," 
 ixnd all will he safe. Since, blessed Savior, thou wast ihy- 
 edf tempted, and knowest the wiles of the adversary, O be 
 thou our streiigth and our shield. Help us to say lo every 
 evil suggestion, "get thee behind me Satan." Help us to 
 contend against worldly allurements ; and clothed in the 
 panoply of the gospel, may we be able, through thy strength, 
 to overcome all our spiritual enemies, and we will ascribe 
 the victory and the glory to thy name alone. Amen. 
 
 19 
 
218 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 MEDITATION LL 
 
 ENCOURAGEMENT. 
 
 This man receiveth sinners. Luke 15: 2. 
 
 ' Though spoken by an enemy of Jesus, these words are a 
 precious testimony to his condescending love and mercy, 
 " I came," says he, " not to call the righteous, but sinners, 
 to repentance." Blessed truth 1 Were it not for this, how- 
 many a poor soul would go weeping to the grave ! The 
 heart deeply smitten with a sense of its sins— feeling almost 
 as if there could be no mercy for one so vile — has caught 
 at these encouraging words, and ventured to make applica- 
 tion to Jesus. " He receiveth sinners." This has inspired 
 confidence in the soul, even when conscience has been so 
 loud in her reproofs as almost to overwhelm the mind with 
 despair. Why need any keep back from the gracious Sa- 
 vior on the ground of their unworthiness } This is the very 
 ground assumed, on which Jesus will welcome them. Itisnpt 
 the righteous, not the worthy, whom he calls, and whom he 
 receives. O no ; it is " the poor in spirit," those who feel 
 themselves " the chief of sinners." It is the Mary Magda-r 
 lenes, the publicans with broken hearts and weeping eyes, 
 whom Jesus receives. Said he not to one who wept over 
 her sins, " daughter, thy sins are forgiven thee .''" Said he 
 not to another, " this day must I abide in thy house V And 
 to another, " O woman, great is thy faith .?" Let nothing, 
 then, hinder us from fleeing at once to this gracious de- 
 liverer. Are our sins many and aggravated } Do they 
 seem of mountain-magnitude } Who but Jesus can take 
 them away } What but his blood can wash out the crimson 
 
^i ENCOURAGEMENT. ^ 219 
 
 Stain? Venture then to go, and lay thy polluted soul at his 
 feel. " He receiveth sinners." This is enough even for 
 the vilest. On this assurance we may go to him ; we may 
 cast our burden on his arm, and commit our souls into his 
 hands, not doubting that " his blood cleanseth us from all 
 
 . Blessed Jesus, liadst thou not uttered words of enrourage- 
 ment even for the vilest who mourneih for sin, we had not 
 dared to make application to thee for mercy; for not only 
 are we sinners, in common with others, but O, there seem- 
 eth to be in our case a<ieeper criminality, from circumstances 
 which thou only canst know and appreciate. What the 
 guilt of others may he we know not ; but tixing our eyes up- 
 on our own cnse, it seemeth as if none could have sinned in 
 a manner so vile, so ungrateful. We know it would be de- 
 preciating the merits of thy blood, to assert that it could not 
 reach and cleanse even our guiit ; nor would we dare to in- 
 dulge the thought ; but at times, something will suggest 
 the im|)ossiI)ility of oin- finding mercy even at thy hands. 
 O rid us of this unbelief I Let the assurance that "thou re- 
 ceivest sinners," comfort and encourage us. Reveal to our 
 faith thy sufficiency ; and enable us to cast our sin-sick, 
 sin-hurdentd souls at thy feet. Let the examples on record 
 of thy willingness to receive even the chief of sinners, urge us 
 to fly without delay to thy mercy. Yes, we will come, even 
 now, with all our inward burdens. Receive us, O Lord, 
 «nd speak to us, as thou didst to weeping Mary. Say to us, 
 "your sins, which are many, are forgiven." Those words 
 of mercy shall fill om* souls " with joy unspeakable." Since 
 thou "receivest sinners," O receive us, who are among "the 
 chief of sinners." 
 
220 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH, 
 
 MEDITATION LIL 
 
 THE SOLEMN QUESTION NEW YEAR. 
 
 For what is your life ? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a 
 little time and then vanisheth away. James 4: 14. 
 
 What is more fleeting than a vapor ? We have scarcely 
 lime to notice it, ere it is gone. The mist that lies on the 
 mountain-side, born in a night, receives the sun-beam of 
 morning and fades away from our vision. And is such the 
 life of man } Truly the pen of inspiration has drawn a 
 vivid picture of our vain life. Nor is this the only passage 
 of inspired truth which speaks the same idea. "Man," 
 says the Psalmist, " at his best state, is altogether vanity." 
 " Surely every man walketh in a vain show." And again, 
 " he Cometh forth like a flower and is cut down : in the 
 morning it flourisheth and groweth up ; in the evening it is 
 cut down, and withereth." Time past is as though it were 
 not. As to the time to come, we know not whether an- 
 other year will find us in the land of the living. How many 
 during the past year — some of whom were known to us, 
 and, it may be, loved, dearly loved, by us^ — have gone to 
 the chambers of death ! Their race is run. They are no 
 longer objects of interest to any but to those who loved them. 
 The unthinking world tread carelessly over their graves. 
 O what supreme vanity are the projects of the ambitious 
 and the covetous ! What object is worthy of our pursuit, 
 save the discharge of duty, and preparation for eternity ! 
 Let us be deeply impressed with the shortness of time, 
 and with the importance of " working while it is day." 
 
THE SOLEMN QUESTION. 221 
 
 Look back, my soul, and see how time has fled unimproved 
 — nay, worse, even murdered, in indolence and in sensual 
 indulgence. O the past ! Painful is the review of life's 
 scenes. But let me " redeem the time," seeing that " the 
 days are evil." Let me save, out of a lost existence, some 
 fragments, which shall tell of good accomplished by the 
 grace of God— which shall serve to light up my otherwise 
 gloomy pilgrimage. 
 
 In view of our frailty and our sin, we may well exclaim, 
 "What is man, that thou art mindful of him !" We are of 
 yesterday, and to-morrow we die. What goodness and for- 
 bearance hast thou shown, in sparing us to the present hour! 
 How many sins and provocations have marked our course 
 from childhood onward ; and what hardness of heart have we 
 evinced under the various dispensations of thy providence! 
 Truly "thou hast not dealt with us after our sins, nor re- 
 warded us according to our hiiquitiea." Hadst thou cut ua 
 down long since, and consigned our bodies to the tomb, it 
 would have been but a righteous expression of thy displea- 
 sure against us; nay, hadst thou cast our souls into hell, it 
 would have been a retribution which the holy universe must 
 have approved. How have we abused the powers given us 
 to glorify God ! How have we wasted our time, extended 
 to us that we might repent and turn to thee ! How have 
 we slighted the day and the means of grace, conferred on uSj 
 but withheld from millions ! We bow in deepest shame 
 before thee, thou offended, yet long-suffering Jehovah. O 
 let us now receive forgiveness and grace. Help us to redeem 
 lime which has been lost and abused to purposes of evil. 
 May we devote what remains to ihy service, and to prepara- 
 tion for eternity. Blot out, O God, from thy book, all the 
 past. Let the [)recious blood of the Lamb cancel the dark 
 account. Let thy Holy S|)irit strengthen us to commence 
 anew our journey, and to " run with patience the race that 
 
222 
 
 BOOK FOR THE SABBATH. 
 
 is sei before us." Whether our days be few or many, O 
 may they all be spent in thy service ; and when they shall 
 close, let our spirits cheerfully bid adieu lo earth, in the 
 sweet and comforting assurance of future felicity through 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever. Amen. 
 
 
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